4015. And peeled white peelings on them, laying bare the white that was upon the rods. That this signifies a disposition into order by the interior power of truth, is evident from the signification of “peeling” and of “peelings,” as being the removal of exterior things in order that interior ones may come to light, thus barings or strippings; from the signification of “white,” as being truth (see n. 3993, 4007); and from the signification of a “rod,” as being power (see n. 4013); here, interior power, because upon the rods under the bark. Disposition into order by the interior power of truth, is the power of the interior man acting into the exterior, or of the spiritual man into the natural; for all disposition into order of the good and truth in the natural man comes from the spiritual man (that is, through the spiritual man from the Lord), and in fact through the truth therein; for the Lord inflows into the good of the spiritual or interior man; and through the truth therein into the natural man; but not immediately through the good, until the man has been regenerated; and therefore all the disposition into order in the natural man is effected by the interior man. The natural, or natural man, cannot possibly be disposed into order (that is, be regenerated) in any other way. That this is done by the interior man is evident from the acknowledgment of truth, which unless it is made by the interior man is not acknowledgment; and also from conscience, which is the acknowledgment of truth by the interior man; and also from perception. As disposition into order is effected by the interior man by means of truth, power is predicated of truth, and also the “rod” by which power is signified; as well as the “hand,” by which also power is signified (n. 3091); as may be confirmed by very many passages in the Word. Not that there is power in truth from itself, but in good; and thus in truth from good; that is, in truth through good from the Lord. This shows to some extent what is meant by the disposition into order of the interior power of truth. In the supreme sense, in which the Lord is treated of, His own power is signified; for the Divine has its own power, because this is from no other.

1053. And the bow shall be in the cloud. That this signifies man’s state, is evident from what has been said and shown above concerning the bow in the cloud, namely, that a man or a soul in the other life is known among angels from his sphere, and that this sphere, whenever it pleases the Lord, is represented by colors, like those of the rainbow, in variety according to the state of each person relatively to faith in the Lord, thus relatively to the goods and truths of faith. In the other life colors are presented to view which from their brightness and resplendence immeasurably surpass the beauty of the colors seen on earth; and each color represents something celestial and spiritual. These colors are from the light of heaven, and from the variegation of spiritual light, as said above. For angels live in light so great that the light of the world is nothing in comparison. The light of heaven in which angels live, in comparison with the light of the world, is as the noonday light of the sun in comparison with candlelight, which is extinguished and becomes a nullity on the rising of the sun. In heaven there are both celestial light and spiritual light. Celestial light—to speak comparatively—is like the light of the sun, and spiritual light is like the light of the moon, but with every difference according to the state of the angel who receives the light. It is the same with the colors, because they are from the light. The Lord Himself is to the heaven of the celestial angels a Sun, and to the heaven of the spiritual angels, a Moon. These things will not be credited by those who have no conception of the life which souls live after death, and yet they are most true.