37
ⲦⲞⲦⲈ ⲠⲈϪⲀϤ ⲚⲚⲈϤⲘⲀⲐⲎⲦⲎⲤ ϪⲈ ⲠⲰϨⲤ ⲘⲈⲚ ⲚⲀϢⲰϤ. ⲚⲈⲢⲄⲀⲦⲎⲤ ⲆⲈ ⲤⲞⲂⲔ.
Arcana Coelestia # 6988
6988. 'Or who has made the dumb' means lack of utterance. This is clear from the meaning of 'the dumb' as lack of utterance, for it is used as an antonym of 'mouth', which means utterance, dealt with immediately above in 6987. Utterance is not used here to mean utterance made by the voice, which is speech, for that kind of utterance is natural. Instead utterance is used to mean confession of the Lord and declaration of faith in Him, since this kind of utterance is spiritual. From this it is evident what 'the dumb' means in the internal sense, namely people who, owing to lack of knowledge, are unable to confess the Lord or for that reason declare faith in him. This is the state of gentiles outside the Church and also of the simple within the Church. The fact that these kinds of people are meant by 'the dumb' is evident in Isaiah,
Then will the lame man leap like a hart, and the tongue of the dumb will sing. For waters will break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the plain of the wilderness. Isaiah 35:5-6.
'The tongue of the dumb will sing' stands for the fact that they will confess the Lord and the things that belong to faith in Him. 'Waters will break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the plain of the wilderness' stands for the fact that cognitions of what is true and good will come to them, 'the wilderness' being a state in which cognitions of faith are lacking because they are unknown.
[2] The dumb who were healed by the Lord also mean gentiles who were delivered through His Coming into the world from falsities and consequent evils, such as the one who was 'dumb' in Matthew,
Behold, they brought to Him a dumb man (homo), possessed by a demon; but when the demon had been cast out the dumb [man] spoke. Matthew 9:32, 37.
And another who was 'dumb' in the same gospel,
One was brought to Jesus, possessed by a demon, blind and dumb; and He healed him, so that the blind and dumb [man] both spoke and saw. Matthew 12:22.
The 'dumb' [boy] also possessed by a demon in Mark 9:17-30 has the same meaning.
[3] It should be recognized that the miracles performed by the Lord were all signs indicating the state of the Church and of the human race saved through His Coming into the world; that is to say, when He came those people were delivered from hell who received the faith going with charity. These matters are incorporated in the Lord's miracles. In general all the miracles described in the Old Testament are signs indicating the state of the Church and the Lord's kingdom. There Divine miracles are distinguished from miracles that are devilish or the product of magic, however much the latter, such as the miracles of the magicians in Egypt, seem in outward appearance to be the same as Divine ones.
Mark 9:17-30
17
One of the multitude answered, "Teacher, I brought to you my son, who has a mute spirit;
18
and wherever it seizes him, it throws him down, and he foams at the mouth, and grinds his teeth, and wastes away. I asked your disciples to cast it out, and they weren't able."
19
He answered him, "Unbelieving generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you? Bring him to me."
20
They brought him to him, and when he saw him, immediately the spirit convulsed him, and he fell on the ground, wallowing and foaming at the mouth.
21
He asked his father, "How long has it been since this has come to him?" He said, "From childhood.
22
Often it has cast him both into the fire and into the water, to destroy him. But if you can do anything, have compassion on us, and help us."
23
Jesus said to him, "If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes."
24
Immediately the father of the child cried out with tears, "I believe. Help my unbelief!"
25
When Jesus saw that a multitude came running together, he rebuked the unclean spirit, saying to him, "You mute and deaf spirit, I command you, come out of him, and never enter him again!"
26
Having cried out, and convulsed greatly, it came out of him. The boy became like one dead; so much that most of them said, "He is dead."
27
But Jesus took him by the hand, and raised him up; and he arose.
28
When he had come into the house, his disciples asked him privately, "Why couldn't we cast it out?"
29
He said to them, "This kind can come out by nothing, except by prayer and fasting."
30
They went out from there, and passed through Galilee. He didn't want anyone to know it.
