261. The Word was composed using correspondences and therefore representations. In its literal meaning, the Word was composed entirely by means of correspondences, that is, by means of things that represent and symbolize spiritual realities that have to do with heaven and the church: 1404, 1408, 1409, 1540, 1619, 1659, 1709, 1783, 2179, 2763, 2899. This was done so that there would be an inner meaning in the details (2899); so it was done for the sake of heaven, because the inhabitants of heaven do not understand the Word in its literal meaning, which is earthly; they understand it in its inner meaning, which is spiritual (2899). The Lord spoke using correspondences, representations, and symbolic language because he spoke from his divine nature: 9049, 9063, 9086, 10126, 10276. This means that the Lord spoke to the world and at the same time to heaven: 2533, 4807, 9049, 9063, 9086. What the Lord said spread through the whole of heaven: 4637.

The historical events recounted in the Word are representative and the individual words used are symbolic: 1540, 1659, 1709, 1783, 2686. The Word could not have been composed in any other style if it was to serve as a means of communication and connection with the heavens: 2899, 6943, 9481. It is an immense mistake for people to belittle the Word because of its seemingly simple and inelegant style and to think that they would accept it if it had been written in a different style: ¹ 8783. Indeed, the style and standard mode of writing among the earliest people in general was to use representative imagery and symbolism: 605, 1756, 9942. The early sages enjoyed the Word because of its representative imagery and symbolism: 2592, 2593 (which include evidence from eyewitness experience). If people of the earliest church had read the Word they would have seen what is in its inner meaning clearly what is in its outer meaning dimly: 4493. Jacob's descendants were led into the land of Canaan because all the places in that land had been given symbolic meaning from the earliest times (1585, 3686, 4447, 5136, 6516), and so that a Word could be composed there in which places would be mentioned because of their inner meaning (3686, 4447, 5136, 6516). All the same, the Word was changed in its outer meaning because of that people, although it was not changed in its inner meaning: 10453, 10461, 10603, 10604.

[2] To show the nature and characteristics of correspondences and of the representative imagery in the Word, I need to say something further about them. Everything that corresponds to something also represents and therefore means that something, in such a way that the correspondence and the representation unite: 2896, 2899, 2973, 2987, 2989, 2990, 3002, 3225. What correspondence and representation are: 2763, 2987-3002, 3213-3226, 3337-3352, 3472-3485, 4218-4228, 9280 (which include evidence from eyewitness experience and examples). For the early people, the most highly prized body of knowledge was knowledge of correspondences and representative imagery (3021, 3419, 4280, 4748, 4844, 4964, 4966, 6004, 7729, 10252); especially among the people of the Near East (5702, 6692, 7097, 7779, 9391, 10252, 10407); in Egypt more than any other region (5702, 6692, 7097, 7779, 9391, 10407); but also in other nations, such as Greece and elsewhere (2762, 7729). Today, though, it is one of the lost bodies of knowledge, especially in Europe: 2894, 2895, 2995, 3630, 3632, 3747, 3748, 3749, 4581, 4966, 10252. Nevertheless, this body of knowledge truly does transcend all others, since without it we cannot understand the Word, or the meaning of the rituals of the Jewish church that are described in the Word, or what heaven is like, or what spiritual reality is, or how the inflow of what is spiritual into what is earthly happens, or a great many other matters: 4280 the references cited . All the things that are visible angels spirits represent matters of love faith through correspondences: 1971, 3213-3226, 3475, 3485, 9457, 9481, 9576, 9577. The heavens are full of representative imagery: 1521, 1532, 1619. The deeper you go into the heavens, the more beautiful and perfect are the images that arise: 3475. What these images show you is real because they come from the light of heaven, which is divine truth; and this is the very essential reality from which everything arises: 3485.

[3] The reason absolutely everything that exists in the spiritual world is represented in the earthly world is that the inner reality clothes itself with suitable materials from the outer world as a means of taking on visible form: 6275, 6284, 6299. Just so, a purpose takes on suitable clothing in order to manifest itself as a means in a lower realm and then to manifest itself as something that results on a still lower level; and when a purpose becomes a result through its means it becomes visible, or takes form before our eyes: 5711. This is illustrated by the inflow of the soul into the body. That is, the soul is clothed with a body that allows those things the soul is thinking and intending to become visible and evident, so when a thought flows down into the body it is represented there by whatever motions and actions ² correspond to it: 2988. Our minds' emotions are represented so clearly by the various expressions of our faces that they can actually be read there: 4791-4805, 5695. We can see, then, that within absolutely everything in the material world there lie more deeply hidden some means and some purpose from the spiritual world (3562, 5711), because the things that exist in the material world are the final effects into which prior realities are flowing (4240, 4939, 5651, 6275, 6284, 6299, 9216). It is inner realities that are represented and outer ones that do the representing: 4292.

[4] Because everything in the material world is symbolic of spiritual and heavenly realities, there were churches in the early times in which all the outer, ritual practices were symbolic. Because of this, these churches were called "symbolic churches": 920, 1361, 2896. The church established among the children of Israel was a symbolic church: 1003, 2179, 10149. All its rituals were outward practices that symbolized inner realities, aspects of heaven and the church: 4288, 4874. The symbolic practices of the church and its worship came to an end when the Lord came into the world, since the Lord opened the inner reaches of the church and since, in the highest sense, everything about that church focused on him: 4835.

Voetnoten:

4280. In that lower sense the words 'he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh' mean where conjugial love is joined to natural good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the hollow of the thigh' as the place where conjugial love is linked to it, see above in 4277. The reason why the place where it is linked to natural good is meant is that it is the place where the thigh is joined to the feet. 'The feet' in the internal sense means natural good, see 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986.

[2] As regards 'the thigh' meaning conjugial love and 'the feet' natural good, that is one of those realities known in the past which have grown old and died. The Ancient Church, which existed in an age of representatives and meaningful signs, was extremely well acquainted with these meanings, such knowledge of them constituting their intelligence and wisdom. Indeed it constituted the intelligence and wisdom not only of those who belonged to the Church but also of those outside the Church, as becomes clear from the oldest books written by gentiles and from the stories in them which are nowadays called myths - for meaningful signs and representatives spread from the Ancient Church to those gentiles. With these also 'the thighs and loins' meant that which belonged to marriage, and 'the feet' things that were natural. The origin of this meaning of 'the thighs and the feet' lies in the correspondences of all the members, organs, and viscera of the human being with the Grand Man, which - that is to say, such correspondences - are being dealt with now at the ends of chapters. The correspondences with the thigh and the feet will be discussed again further on, where actual experience will be used to corroborate that their meaning is as indicated above.

[3] These things are bound to seem like enigmas at the present day because, as has been stated, that knowledge has grown very old indeed and died. Yet how far that knowledge excels other types of knowledge becomes clear from the consideration that the internal sense of the Word cannot possibly be known without that knowledge, as well as for the reason that the angels present with man perceive the Word according to that sense. It becomes clear also from the consideration that by means of that knowledge man is provided with communication with heaven. And what is unbelievable, the internal man himself does not think in any other way; for when the external man understands the Word according to the letter the internal man does so according to the internal sense, though while living in the body a person is not at all conscious of doing so. This becomes particularly clear from the fact that when anyone enters the next life and becomes an angel he has no need to learn the internal sense but knows it instinctively, so to speak.

[4] What conjugial love is which is meant by 'the thighs' and also by 'the loins', see 995, 1123, 2727-2759; and conjugial love is the basic love of all loves, 686, 3021. Consequently people who have genuine conjugial love in them also have celestial love, which is love to the Lord, and spiritual love, which is charity towards the neighbour. For this reason the expression 'conjugial love' is used to mean not only that love itself but also all celestial and spiritual love. These kinds of love are said to be joined to natural good when the internal man is joined to the external, that is, the spiritual man to the natural - that joining together of them being meant by 'the hollow of the thigh'. The fact that with Jacob and his descendants in general no such conjunction existed will be evident from what follows, for this is the subject dealt with here in the internal historical sense.