Arcana Coelestia #8598

By Emanuel Swedenborg

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8598. 'Tomorrow I stand on the top of the hill' means the joining of God's truth to the good of charity, and influx from there. This is clear from the representation of 'Moses', who was going to stand on the top of the hill, as God's truth, dealt with often; from the meaning of 'standing' as being joined to and flowing in (the reason why 'standing' here means being joined to is that he would at that time be on the top of the hill, and 'hill' means the good of charity; and the reason why flowing in is meant as well is that he looked down from there on the battle and also controlled the course of it, which is meant by the description that when he raised up his hand Israel prevailed, and when he let down his hand Amalek prevailed); and from the meaning of 'the hill' as the good of charity, dealt with in 6435.

[2] A brief statement is needed to indicate what that joining together really is and what an influx of the good of charity into truth that engages in conflict is. God's truth becomes that which engages in conflict when it is joined to those who are truly zealous, as stated above. Those who are zealous engage in conflict; yet they do so not because they are moved by any feeling of enmity or hostility, but rather by charity. Zeal is different from anger in that zeal holds the good of charity within it, and therefore when zeal goes into battle it merely removes those ruled by falsity and evil to prevent them from harming those governed by goodness and truth. Anger however not only removes them but also pursues them in a spirit of hatred and vengeance. For zeal, because of the charity within it, desires the welfare even of those ruled by evil and falsity, and also works towards it provided that they cannot do any harm to those who are good. But anger, because of the hatred and vengeance within it, wishes harm to all with whom it engages in conflict, whether they are good or evil. From all this one may see what is meant by an influx of the good of charity into truth that engages in conflict. As regards zeal, that it holds good within it, while anger holds evil, see 4164, 4444.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.