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Exodus 32:15

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15 Then Moses came down the mountain with the two stones of the law in his hand; the stones had writing on their two sides, on the front and on the back.

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Arcana Coelestia # 10303

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10303. And thou shalt bruise of it small. That this signifies the disposing of truths into their series, is evident from the signification of “bruising,” when said of frankincense and spices; by which are signified truths, as being the disposing of truths into their series; for “bruising” has a like signification with “grinding,” but “grinding” is said of wheat, barley, and spelt; and “bruising,” of oil, frankincense, and spices.

[2] What is specifically signified by “bruising” and “grinding” cannot be known unless it is known how the case is with man in respect to the goods and truths which are signified by “wheat,” “barley,” “meal,” “fine flour,” “oil,” “frankincense,” and “spices,” when these goods and truths have been disposed for uses; for “grinding” and “bruising” denote so to dispose them that they may be of use. When “grinding” is said of the goods which are signified by “wheat” or “barley,” then by “grinding” is signified the disposing and bringing forth of good into truths, and in this way its application to uses. Moreover, good never puts itself forth into uses except by means of truths. In these it is disposed, and thus qualified, for unless good has been disposed in truths it has no quality; but when it is disposed in truths, it is then disposed, into series in application to things according to uses, into which things good enters as the affection of love, whence comes what is grateful, pleasant, and delightful. The like is here signified by “bruising small,” for “pure frankincense” denotes spiritual good (n. 10296); and the truths which are disposed by this good are denoted by the spices stacte, onycha, and galbanum (n. 10292-10294).

[3] What is meant by disposing into series shall also be briefly told. Truths are said to be disposed into series when they have been disposed according to the form of heaven, in which form are the angelic societies. What this form is may be seen from the correspondence of all the members, viscera, and organs of man with the Grand Man, which is heaven (concerning which correspondence see a t the places cited in n. 10030). In these members, viscera, and organs, each and all things have been disposed into series and series of series. These are formed by the fibers and vessels, as is known to those who from anatomy are acquainted with the textures and contextures of the interiors of the body. Into like series have been disposed the truths from good with man.

[4] From this it is that a regenerated man is a heaven in the least form corresponding to the greatest; and that a man is wholly his own truth and good. (That a regenerated man is a heaven in the least form, see at the places cited in n. 9279; and that a man is his own truth and good, n. 10298; and that the truths with man have been disposed into series according to the angelic societies with the regenerate, n. 5339, 5343, 5530) The series into which truths have been disposed with the good, and the series into which falsities have been disposed with the evil, are signified in the Word by “sheaves” and “bundles” (asin Leviticus 23:9-15; Psalms 126:6; 129:7; Amos 2:13; Micah 4:12; Jeremiah 9:22; Zech. 12:6; Matthew 13:30).

[5] It therefore being evident what is signified by “bruising,” and “grinding,” it can be known what is signified in the internal sense by the statement that:

The sons of Israel ground the manna in mills, or bruised it in a mortar, and baked it into cakes (Numbers 11:8);

for by the “manna” was signified celestial and spiritual good (n. 8464); and by “grinding” and “bruising,” a disposing that it might serve for use; for whatever is said in the Word is significative of such things as are in heaven and the church, for every detail has an internal sense. It can also be known what is signified by the statement that:

They should not take to pledge the mill or the millstone, for he taketh the soul to pledge (Deuteronomy 24:6);

for by “the mill and the millstone” is signified that which prepares good so that it can be applied to uses; by “barley” also and by “wheat” is signified good, and by “meal” and “fine flour” truths; and as before said, good is applied to use by means of its own truths.

[6] From this it can be seen what is signified by the “mill,” by the “millstone,” and by “sitting at the mills,” in the following passages, in Matthew:

Then shall two be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other shall be left (Matthew 24:41).

He that shall cause to stumble one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that an ass millstone were hanged on his neck, and he were sunk into the depth of the sea (Matthew 18:6; Mark 9:42).

A mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying, Thus with violence shall Babylon be thrown down, and the voice of the mill shall be heard no more at all in her (Revelation 18:21-22).

I will cause to cease from them the voice of joy, and the voice of the millstones, and the light of the lamp (Jeremiah 25:10).

O daughter of Babylon, sit on the earth; there is no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans; take the mill and grind meal (Isaiah 47:1-2).

As in a good sense a “mill,” and “grinding,” signify application to good uses, so in the opposite sense they signify application to evil uses; hence when they are said of Babylon and Chaldea, they signify application in favor of their loves, which are the loves of self and of the world; for by the “barley and wheat” with them is signified good adulterated, and by the “meal” thence, truth falsified. The profanation of good and truth by application in favor of these loves is also signified by the statement that:

Moses ground to powder the golden calf, and scattered it upon the waters that came down from Mount Sinai, and made the sons of Israel drink it (Exodus 32:20; Deuteronomy 9:21).

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

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Arcana Coelestia # 4292

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4292. In the internal historical sense by “he said, Thy name shall no more be called Jacob, but Israel,” is signified that they could not represent as Jacob, but as from a new quality given them. This may be seen from the meaning of “Jacob” in the Word, as being his posterity (see n. 4281); and from the signification of a “name,” as being quality (s ee just above, n. 4291). The new quality itself is “Israel” in the internal sense; for “Israel” is the celestial spiritual, thus the internal man (n. 4286). And because “Israel” is the celestial spiritual and thus the internal man, “Israel” is also the internal spiritual church; for whether you speak of the spiritual man or the spiritual church, it is the same thing; because the spiritual man is a church in particular, and a number are a church in general. If a man were not a church in particular, there would not be any church in general. A congregation in general is what in common speech is called a church, but in order that there may be any church, everyone in this congregation must be such as is the church in general, because every general involves parts similar to itself.

[2] As regards the matter itself (that they could not represent as Jacob, but as from a new quality given them, which is “Israel”) the case is this. It was specifically Jacob’s posterity who represented the church, but not Isaac’s specifically; for Isaac’s posterity were not from Jacob only, but also from Esau. Still less was it Abraham’s posterity specifically; for Abraham’s posterity were not from Jacob only, but also from Esau, and likewise from Ishmael, as also from his sons by his second wife Keturah—thus from Zimran, Jokshan, Medan, Midian, Ishbak, and Shuah, and their sons (see Genesis 25:1-4). Now as Jacob’s posterity insisted on being representative (as shown just above n. 4290), they could not represent as Jacob, nor as Isaac, nor as Abraham. That they could not as Jacob was because Jacob represented the external of the church, but not its internal; and they could not as Isaac at the same time, nor as Abraham at the same time, for the reason just adduced.

[3] There was therefore no other way by which they could represent the church than by a new name being given to Jacob, and thereby a new quality; which new quality should signify the internal spiritual man, or what is the same, the internal spiritual church. This new quality is “Israel.” Every church of the Lord is internal and external, as has been repeatedly shown. The internal church is what is represented, and the external is what represents. Moreover the internal church is either spiritual or celestial. The internal spiritual church was represented by Israel, and the internal celestial church was afterwards represented by Judah. Therefore also a division was made, and the Israelites were a kingdom by themselves, and the Jews were a kingdom by themselves; but on this subject of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter. Hence it is evident that Jacob (that is, the posterity of Jacob) could not represent a church as Jacob, for this would be to represent only the external of a church; but must also do so as Israel, because “Israel” is the internal.

[4] That the internal is what is represented, and the external what represents, has been shown before, and may likewise be seen from man himself. Man’s speech represents his thought, and his action represents his will. Speech and action are man’s externals, and thought and will are his internals. Furthermore, man’s face itself, by its varying looks, represents both his thought and his will. That the face by its looks represents, is known to everyone; for with the sincere their interior states may be seen from the looks of the face. In a word, all things of the body represent what is of the animus and of the mind.

[5] The case is similar with the externals of the church, for these are like a body, and the internals are like a soul—as the altars and the sacrifices upon them, which as is known were external things; in like manner the showbreads; also the lampstand with its lights; and likewise the perpetual fire: that these represented internal things may be known to everyone; and it is the same with the rest of the rites. That these external things could not represent external but internal things, is evident from what has been adduced. Thus Jacob could not represent as Jacob, because “Jacob” is the external of the church; but Jacob could represent as Israel, because “Israel” is its internal. This is what is meant by the new quality given in order that the posterity of Jacob might represent.

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