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Jeremiah 44

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1 Tämä on se sana, joka Jeremialle tapahtui, kaikista Juudalaisista, jotka Egyptin maalla asuivat, jotka asuivat Migdolissa, Tahpanheksessa, Nophissa, Patroksen maalla, ja sanoi:

2 Näin sanoo Herra Zebaot, Israelin Jumala: te olette nähneet kaiken sen pahan, jonka minä olen antanut tulla Jerusalemin päälle, ja kaikkein Juudan kaupunkein päälle; ja katso, tänäpänä ovat ne hävitettynä, niin ettei kenkään niissä asu:

3 Heidän pahuutensa tähden, jonka he tekivät vihoittaen minua, ja menivät ja suitsuttivat ja palvelivat muita jumalia, joita ei he, eli te, eikä teidän isänne tunteneet.

4 Ja minä lähetin varhain ja usein teidän tykönne kaikki palveliani prophetat, ja käskin teille sanoa: älkäät tehkö senkaltaisia kauhistuksia, joita minä vihaan;

5 Mutta ei he totelleet, eikä kallistaneet korviansa kääntymään pahuudestansa, ja ei suitsuttamaan muille jumalille.

6 Sentähden syttyi myös minun vihani ja julmuuteni, ja paloi Juudan kaupunkein päällä, ja Jerusalemin katuin päällä, niin ne ovat kukistetuiksi ja autioiksi tulleet, niinkuin se tänäpänä löydetään.

7 Nyt, näin sanoo Herra Jumala Zebaot, Israelin Jumala: miksi te teette tämän suuren pahan vastaan omaa henkeänne? että teidän seassanne pitää hävitettämän sekä mies että vaimo, sekä lapset että imeväiset Juudasta, ja ei pidä yhtään teistä jäämän,

8 Että te niin vihoitatte minun kättenne töillä, ja suitsutatte muille jumalille Egyptin maalla, johon te olette menneet asumaan, että teidän pitää hävitetyksi, ja kiroukseksi ja häväistykseksi kaikkein pakanain seassa maan päällä tuleman.

9 Oletteko te unhottaneet isäinne onnettomuuden, Juudan kuningasten onnettomuuden, heidän emäntäinsä onnettomuuden, niin myös teidän oman onnettomuutenne, ja teidän emäntäinne onnettomuuden, joka teille on tapahtunut Juudan maalla ja Jerusalemin kaduilla?

10 Kuitenkin ei he vielä ole tähän päivään asti itsiänsä nöyryyttäneet, ja ei myös mitään pelkää; ja ei vaella minun laissani ja säädyissäni, jotka minä teidän eteenne ja teidän isäinne eteen pannut olen.

11 Sentähden sanoo Herra Zebaot, Israelin Jumala näin: katso, minä panen minun kasvoni teitä vastaan onnettomuudeksi, ja koko Juudan pitää hävitetyksi tuleman.

12 Ja minä otan jääneet Juudasta, jotka ovat kasvonsa tavoittaneet mennäksensä Egyptin maalle, asumaan siellä, ja he kaikki pitää lopetettaman, Egyptin maalla pitää heidän miekalla kaatuman ja nälällä hukkuman, sekä pienet että suuret; heidän pitää kuoleman miekalla ja nälällä, ja pitää tuleman sadatukseksi, ihmeeksi, kiroukseksi ja häväistykseksi.

13 Minä tahdon rangaista Egyptin maan asuvaisia miekalla, nälällä ja rutolla, niinkuin minä tein Jerusalemille;

14 Niin ettei Juudan jääneistä ketään pidä pääsemän eikä jäämän, jotka kuitenkin sitä varten tänne Egyptin maalle asumaan tulleet ovat, että he taas Juudan maalle palajaisivat, johonka he mielellänsä jälleen asumaan tulisivat; mutta ei heidän pidä sinne palajaman, paitsi niitä, jotka täältä pakenevat.

15 Niin kaikki ne miehet vastasivat Jeremiaa, jotka kyllä tiesivät, että heidän emäntänsä muille jumalille olivat suitsuttaneet, niin myös kaikki vaimot, joita siellä suuri joukko oli, ja kaikki kansa, jotka Egyptin maalla, Patroksessa asuivat, ja sanoivat:

16 Sen sanan jälkeen, jonka sinä meille Herran nimeen sanot, emme tahdo sinua suinkaan kuulla;

17 Vaan me tahdomme kaiketi tehdä kaiken sen sanan perään, joka meidän suustamme käy, ja tahdomme taivaan kuningattarelle suitsuttaa, ja hänelle juomauhria uhrata, niinkuin me ja meidän isämme, meidän kuninkaamme ja päämiehemmme tehneet ovat Juudan kaupungeissa ja Jerusalemin kaduilla. Silloin meillä oli leipää kyllä, ja me olimme autuaat, ja emme nähneet onnettomuutta.

18 Mutta sittekuin kuin me lakkasimme suitsuttamasta taivaan kuningattarelle, ja juomauhria hänelle uhraamasta, niin me kaikki köyhiksi tulimme ja olemme miekan ja nälän kautta hukkuneet.

19 Ja vaikka me taivaan haltiattarelle suitsuttaisimme ja juomauhria uhraisimme, niin emme sitä tee ilman meidän miestemme tahtoa, kuin me hänelle leipiä leivomme ja juomauhria uhraamme.

20 Silloin Jeremia sanoi kaikelle kansalle, sekä miehille että vaimoille, ja kaikelle kansalle, joka häntä niin vastannut oli sanoen:

21 Sepä se on, että Herra on muistanut sen suitsuttamisen, jonka Juudan kaupungeissa ja Jerusalemin kaduilla tehneet olette, ynnä teidän isäinne, kuningastenne, päämiestenne ja kaiken maakunnan kansan kanssa, ja pani sen sydämeensä.

22 Niin ettei Herra voinut teidän pahaa menoanne enään kärsiä ja niitä kauhistuksia, joita te teitte; joista myös teidän maanne on autioksi, ihmeeksi ja kiroukseksi tullut, niin ettei kenkään siinä asu, niinkuin tänäpänä nähtävä on.

23 että te suitsutitte, ja Herraa vastaan syntiä teitte, ja ette totelleet Herran ääntä, ette myös hänen laissansa, säädyissänsä ja todistuksissansa vaeltaneet; sentähden myös tämä onnettomuus teille tapahtuu, niinkuin tänäpänä nähtävä on.

24 Ja Jeremia sanoi kaikelle kansalle ja kaikille vaimoille: kuulkaat Herran sanaa kaikki, jotka Juudasta Egyptin maassa olette.

25 Näin puhuu Herra Zebaot, Israelin Jumala, sanoen: te ja teidän vaimonne olette suullanne puhuneet ja käsillänne täyttäneet, mitä te sanoitte: meidän lupauksemme me kaiketi tahdomme pitää, jonka me taivaan kuningattarelle luvanneet olemme, että me hänelle pyhää savua suitsuttaisimme, ja juomauhria uhraisimme: te olette lupauksenne kyllä pitäneet, ja lupauksenne työllä täyttäneet.

26 Niin kuulkaat siis Herran sanaa, kaikki Juudasta, jotka Egyptin maalla asutte: katso, minä vannon suuren nimeni kautta, sanoo Herra: ettei minun nimeni pidä enään jonkun ihmisen suusta Juudasta koko Egyptin maassa nimitettämän, joka sanois: niin totta kuin Herra, Herra elää.

27 Katso, minä tahdon valvoa heitä vastaan heidän pahaksensa ja en heidän hyväksensä, niin että jokainen, joka Juudasta Egyptin maalla on, pitää miekalla ja nälällä hukkuman, siihenasti että he lopetetuksi tulevat.

28 Mutta jotka miekan välttävät, niiden pitää kuitenkin Egyptin maalta Juudan maahan vähässä joukossa palajaman. Ja niin pitää kaikki jääneet Juudasta, jotka Egyptin maahan asumaan menneet olivat, ymmärtämän, kummanko sanat todeksi joutuvat, minun vai heidän.

29 Ja tämä olkoon teille merkiksi, sanoo Herra: sillä minä tahdon teitä tässä paikassa rangaista, että tietäisitte minun sanani tulevan todeksi, teille onnettomuudeksi;

30 Näin sanoo Herra: katso, minä tahdon hyljätä Pharao Hophran, Egyptin kuninkaan, hänen vihollistensa käsiin ja niiden käsiin, jotka hänen henkeänsä väijyvät, niinkuin minä Zedekiankin, Juudan kuninkaan, hylkäsin Nebukadnetsarin, Babelin kuninkaan, hänen vihollistensa käteen, ja sen joka hänen henkeänsä väijyi.

   


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Arcana Coelestia # 4581

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4581. 'And he poured out a drink-offering onto it' means the Divine Good of Truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a drink-offering' as the Divine Good of Truth, dealt with below. But first one must say what the good of truth is. The good of truth is that which elsewhere has been called the good of faith, which is love towards the neighbour, or charity. There are two universal kinds of good, the first being that which is called the good of faith, the second that which is referred to as the good of love. The good of faith is the kind of good meant by 'a drink-offering', and the good of love the kind meant by 'oil'. The good of love exists with those whom the Lord brings to what is good by an internal way, while the good of faith exists with those He brings to it by an external way. The good of love exists with members of the celestial Church, and likewise with angels of the inmost or third heaven, but the good of faith with members of the spiritual Church, and likewise with angels of the middle or second heaven. Consequently the first kind of good is called celestial good, whereas the second kind is called spiritual good. The difference between the two is, on the one hand, willing what is good out of a will for good and, on the other, willing what is good out of an understanding of it. The second kind of good therefore - spiritual good or the good of faith, which is the good of truth - is meant by 'a drink-offering'; but the first - celestial good or the good of love - is meant in the internal sense by 'oil'.

[2] Nobody, it is true, can see that such things as these were meant by 'oil' and 'a drink-offering' unless he does so from the internal sense. Yet anyone may see that things of a holy nature were represented by them, for unless those holy things were represented by them what else would pouring out a drink-offering or pouring oil onto a stone pillar be but some ridiculous and idolatrous action? It is like the coronation of a king. What else would the ceremonies performed on that occasion be if they did not mean and imply things of a holy nature - placing the crown on his head; anointing him with oil from a horn, on his forehead and on his wrists; placing a sceptre in his hand, as well as a sword and keys; investing him with a purple robe, and then seating him on a silver throne; and after that, his riding in his regalia on a horse, and later still his being served at table by men of distinction, besides many other ceremonies? Unless these represented things of a holy nature and were themselves holy by virtue of their correspondence with the things of heaven and consequently of the Church, they would be no more than the kind of games that young children play, though on a grander scale, or else like plays that are performed on the stage.

[3] But all those ceremonies trace their origin back to most ancient times when ceremonies were holy by virtue of their representation of things that were holy and of their correspondence with holy things in heaven and consequently in the Church. Even today they are considered holy, though not because people know their spiritual representation and correspondence but through the interpretation so to speak they put on symbols in common use. If however people did know what the crown, oil, horn, sceptre, sword, keys, purple robe, silver throne, riding on a white horse, and eating while men of distinction act as the servers, all represented and to what holy thing each corresponded, they would conceive of those things in an even holier way. But they do not know, and surprisingly do not wish to know; indeed that lack of knowledge is so great that the representatives and the meaningful signs included within such ceremonies and within every part of the Word have been obliterated from people's minds at the present day.

[4] The fact that 'a drink-offering' means the good of truth, or spiritual good, may be seen from the sacrifices in which drink-offerings were used. When sacrifices were offered they were made either from the herd or from the flock, and they were representative of internal worship of the Lord, 922, 923, 1823, 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830, 3519. To these the minchah and the drink-offering were added. The minchah, which consisted of fine flour mixed with oil, meant celestial good, or what amounted to the same, the good of love - 'the oil' meaning love to the Lord and 'the fine flour' charity towards the neighbour. But the drink-offering, which consisted of wine, meant spiritual good, or what amounted to the same, the good of faith. Both these therefore, the minchah and the drink-offering, have the same meaning as the bread and wine in the Holy Supper.

[5] The addition of a minchah and a drink-offering to a burnt offering or to a sacrifice is clear in Moses,

You shall offer two lambs in their first year, each day continually. One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the second you shall offer between the evenings; and a tenth of fine flour mixed with beaten oil, a quarter of a hin, and a drink-offering of a quarter of a hin of wine, for the first lamb; and so also for the second lamb. Exodus 29:38-41.

In the same author,

You shall offer on the day when you wave the sheaf of the firstfruits of the harvest a lamb without blemish in its first year as a burnt offering to Jehovah, its minchah being two tenths of fine flour mixed with oil, and its drink-offering wine, a quarter of a hin. Leviticus 23:12-13, 18.

In the same author,

On the day when the days of Naziriteship are completed he is to offer his gift to Jehovah, sacrifices and also a basket of unleavened [loaves] of fine flour, cakes mingled with oil, and unleavened wafers anointed with oil, together with their minchah and their drink-offerings. Numbers 6:13-17.

In the same author,

Upon the burnt offering they shall offer a minchah of a tenth [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil, and wine as the drink-offering, a quarter of a hin - in one way upon the burnt offering of a ram, and in another upon that of a bull. Numbers 15:3-11.

In the same author,

With the continual burnt offering you shall offer a drink-offering, a quarter of a hin for a lamb; in the holy place pour out a drink-offering of wine to Jehovah. Numbers 28:6-7.

Further references to minchahs and drink-offerings in the different kinds of sacrifices are continued in Numbers 28:7-end; 29:1-end.

[6] The meaning that 'minchah and drink-offering' had may be seen in addition from the considerations that love and faith constitute the whole of worship, and that in the Holy Supper 'the bread' - described in the quotations above as fine flour mixed with oil - and 'the wine' mean love and faith, and so the whole of worship, dealt with in 1798, 2165, 2177, 2187, 2343, 2359, 3464, 3735, 3813, 4211, 4217.

[7] But when people fell away from the genuine representative kind of worship of the Lord and turned to other gods and poured out drink-offerings to these, 'drink-offerings' came to mean things that were the reverse of charity and faith, namely the evils and falsities that go with the love of the world; as in Isaiah,

You inflamed yourselves among the gods under every green tree. You have also poured out a drink-offering to them, you have brought a minchah. Isaiah 57:5-6.

'Inflaming oneself among the gods' stands for cravings for falsity - 'gods' meaning falsities, 4402 (end), 4544. 'Under every green tree' stands for the trust in all falsities which leads to those cravings, 2722, 4552. 'Pouring out a drink-offering to them' and 'bringing a minchah' stand for the worship of those falsities. In the same prophet,

You who forsake Jehovah, who forget My holy mountain, who set a table for Gad, and fill a drink-offering for Meni. Isaiah 65:11.

In Jeremiah,

The sons gather pieces of wood, and the fathers kindle fire, and the women knead dough to make cakes for the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to other gods. Jeremiah 7:18.

[8] In the same prophet,

We will surely do every word that has gone out of our mouth, to burn incense to the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink-offerings to her, as we did, we and our fathers, and our princes in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem. Jeremiah 44:17-19.

'The queen of heaven' stands for all falsities, for 'the hosts of heaven' in the genuine sense means truths, and in the contrary sense falsities, and so in the same way do 'king' and 'queen'. 'Queen' accordingly stands for all [falsities] and 'pouring out drink-offerings to her' means worshipping them.

[9] In the same prophet,

The Chaldeans will burn the city, and the houses upon whose roofs they have burned incense to Baal and poured out drink-offerings to other gods. Jeremiah 32:29.

'The Chaldeans' stands for people whose worship involves falsity. 'Burning the city' stands for destroying and laying waste those whose doctrines teach falsity. Upon the roofs of the houses burning incense to Baal' stands for the worship of what is evil, 'pouring out drink-offerings to other gods' for the worship of what is false.

[10] In Hosea,

They will not dwell in Jehovah's land, but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean. They will not pour libations of wine to Jehovah. Hosea 9:3-4.

'Not dwelling in Jehovah's land' stands for not abiding in the good of love. 'Ephraim will return to Egypt' stands for the Church when its understanding will come to be no more than factual and sensory knowledge. 'In Assyria they will eat what is unclean' stands for impure and profane desires that are the product of reasoning. 'They will not pour libations of wine to Jehovah' stands for no worship based on truth.

[11] In Moses,

It will be said, Where are their gods, the rock in which they trusted, who ate the fat of the sacrifices, [who] drank the wine of their drink-offering? Let them rise up and help them! Deuteronomy 32:37-38.

'Gods' stands for falsities, as above. 'Who ate the fat of the sacrifices' stands for their destruction of the good belonging to worship, '[who] drank the wine of their drink-offering' for their destruction of the truth belonging to it. A reference to 'drink-offerings of blood' also occurs in David,

They will multiply their pains; they have hastened to another, lest I pour out their drink-offerings of blood, and take up their names upon My lips. Psalms 16:4.

By these 'drink-offerings' are meant profanations of truth, for in this case 'blood' means violence done to charity, 374, 1005, and profanation, 1003.

  
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Arcana Coelestia # 2831

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2831. 'Behind [him] caught in a thicket' means entangled in natural knowledge. This is clear from the meaning here of 'caught in' as being entangled in, and from the meaning of 'a thicket' or fan entanglement' as factual knowledge, to be dealt with in what follows. Those who are spiritual are caught and entangled in natural knowledge as regards truths of faith for the following reasons: Those who are spiritual do not possess the perception of good and truth as those who are celestial do. Instead of perception they have conscience, which is formed from the goods and truths of faith which from early childhood they have taken in from parents and teachers, and after that from the doctrine of the faith into which they were born. The only way that those who do not possess the perception of good and truth can receive confirmation is from facts. Everyone forms some concept for himself regarding the things he has learned, and also regarding the goods and truths of faith. Without that nothing remains in the memory except as an empty vessel. Details that serve to confirm - derived from other cognitions, and even from factual knowledge - are added to and fill in the concept. The concept itself confirmed by many details not only causes itself to be fixed in the memory, from which it may be called forth into thought, but also enables faith to be instilled into it.

[2] As regards perception in general, since few know what perception is, this must be stated here. There is the perception of what is good and true in things that are celestial and spiritual; there is the perception of what is just and fair in public life; and there is the perception of what is honourable in private life. As regards the perception of what is good and true in celestial and spiritual things, this is the perception which the more interior angels possess from the Lord. It was also the perception which members of the Most Ancient Church possessed, and it is the perception which celestial people possess, who are moved by love to the Lord. These people know in an instant from a certain inner awareness whether a thing is good and whether it is true, for the Lord instills it into them because they are joined by love to Him. But spiritual people do not possess such perception of what is good and true in celestial and spiritual things. Instead of perception they have conscience which dictates. Conscience however, as has been stated, is formed from cognitions of good and truth which they have taken in from parents and teachers and later on from their own devotion to doctrine and the Word. And on these cognitions they pin their faith, even though these may not be goods and truths to any great extent. This being so, people can have a conscience that is derived from any variety of doctrine; even gentiles possess something not unlike conscience, derived from their own form of religion.

[3] The fact that those who are spiritual have no perception of the good and truth of faith but say and believe to be true that which they have learned and grasped becomes quite clear from the consideration that everyone calls his own tenets the truth - heretics more than others - and from the consideration that they are unable to see, let alone acknowledge, the truth itself, even though thousands of things might declare it. Let everyone search within himself to see whether he is able to perceive from any other source whether a thing is true, and whether when that which is absolutely true is made plain to him he still does not acknowledge it. Take for example someone who makes faith and not love the essential of salvation. Even if all the things were read out to him which the Lord spoke regarding love and charity, see 2371, and even if he knew from the Word that all the Law and all the Prophets hung on love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, he would still persist in the idea of faith and would say that this alone was what saved. It is altogether different in the case of those who possess celestial and spiritual perception.

[4] But as regards the perception of what is just and fair in public life, those in the world who are rational possess this, together with the perception of what is honourable in private life. So far as these two types of perception are concerned, one person differs from the next; but this in no sense implies that such persons possess the perception of the good and truth of faith, since this kind of perception is higher or more interior and flows in from the Lord by way of the inmost part of the rational.

[5] A further reason why spiritual people do not possess a perception of the good and truth of faith is that good and truth are not implanted in the will part of their minds, as in the case of celestial people, but in the understanding part; see 863, 875, 927, 1023, 1043, 1044, 2256. This is why spiritual people are not able to enter the first region of the light that celestial people dwell in, 2718, but in comparison with them are in obscurity, 1043, 2708, 2715. The fact that those who are spiritual are entangled in natural knowledge as regards truths of faith follows from this.

[6] As regards 'a thicket' or 'an entanglement' in the internal sense meaning natural knowledge, that is, factual knowledge such as becomes fixed in the exterior memory, this may also be seen from other places in the Word: in Ezekiel,

Behold, Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon, beautiful in its boughs, and a forest shade, and lofty in height, and its trunk among entangled boughs. Ezekiel 31:3.

This refers to 'Egypt', which is knowledge, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462. 'Asshur' stands for the rational, 119, 1186, which in the Word is also 'a cedar', and 'Lebanon' as well. 'Among entangled boughs' stands for among facts, for the human rational is based on the facts known to it which it commands.

[7] In the same prophet,

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Because you are exalted in height, and he has set his trunk up among entangled boughs, and his heart has become lifted up in his height, foreigners, the violent of the nations, will cut him down and cast him out. Ezekiel 31:10, 12.

This refers to Egypt. 'Setting his trunk among entangled boughs' stands for sticking to facts and looking at spiritual, celestial, and Divine things, from them as the standpoint. In the same prophet,

This is in order that none of all the trees by the waters may exalt themselves in their height, and set their trunk up among entangled boughs, and that none of all that drink water may reach above them in their height, for they will all be given over to death, to the lower earth in the midst of the sons of men, to those going down to the pit. Ezekiel 31:14.

This refers to those who wish by means of reasonings based on factual knowledge to penetrate the mysteries of faith; these become totally blind, see 215, 232, 233, 1072, 1911, 2196, 2203, 2568, 2588. Reasoning based on facts is the meaning of 'setting their trunk up among entangled boughs'. In the same prophet,

It had strong shoots as sceptres for those who have dominion, and its height rose up above among entangled boughs. Ezekiel 19:11.

Here the meaning is similar.

[8] In the same prophet,

The slain of Israel in the midst of their idols, around their altars, and under every green tree, and under every entangled oak. Ezekiel 6:13.

This refers to the kind of worship which people invent for themselves who have faith in themselves, and so in those things which they hatch out from their factual knowledge. 'An entangled oak' stands for facts as they exist in that particular state, 'oaks' meaning perceptions arising out of facts, see 1442, 1443, 2144. The same feature occurs elsewhere in the same prophet,

They looked at every high hill and every entangled tree, and there they offered their sacrifices. Ezekiel 20:28.

'Entangled tree' stands for things which are not dictated by the Word but by a person's own factual knowledge. The fact that worship used to take place in groves and depended for its meaning on the nature of the trees, see 2722.

[9] In Isaiah,

For wickedness will burn like a fire, it will consume brier and thorn, and will kindle the entangled boughs of the wood. Isaiah 9:18.

'Brier and thorn' stands for falsity and evil desire, 'the entangled boughs of the wood' for facts. In the same prophet,

Jehovah Zebaoth will hew down the entangled boughs of the wood with an axe, and Lebanon will fall by a majestic one. Isaiah 10:34.

'The entangled boughs of the wood' stands for facts, 'Lebanon' for rational concepts. In Jeremiah,

Raise a standard towards Zion, for I am bringing evil from the north, and a great destruction. A lion has risen up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out and come from his place to make your land a waste. Your cities will be destroyed, and left without inhabitants. Jeremiah 4:6-7.

'From his thicket' stands for from factual knowledge, and that which 'rises up' from this and enters into Divine arcana 'makes the land a waste', that is, lays waste the Church.

[10] The reason why in the Word facts are called 'thickets' is that facts are by nature like thickets, especially when the desires of self-love and love of the world, and false assumptions, exert an influence on them. Celestial and spiritual love is a love which arranges into order the facts that belong to the external memory, whereas self-love and love of the world disrupt that order and bring confusion to everything there. These are matters of which man is not aware because he takes that to be order which in fact is perverted order, that to be good which in fact is evil, and that to be truth which in fact is falsity; therefore those things are 'in a thicket'. He is also unaware of these matters because the things that belong to the external memory where facts reside are - in comparison with those that belong to the internal memory, where rational concepts reside - in a thicket, or in some gloomy woodland. How shadowy, gloomy, and darkened it is there in comparison, nobody can know as long as he lives in the body, for during that time he imagines that all wisdom and intelligence arise from facts; but he will know it in the next life when he has entered the things that belong to the internal memory. In the external memory which is proper to man during his life in the world nothing is more lacking than the light of wisdom and intelligence. But that everything there is by comparison dark, disordered, and entangled, see 2469-2494.

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