80. Saying unto me, Fear not, signifies renewal of life. This is evident from the series of things in the internal sense. For John lay as dead, and the Lord, seen as the Son of man, laid His right hand upon him, and said to him, "Fear not." His "lying as dead" signified failure of his self-life; the Lord's "laying His right hand upon him" signified life from Him; therefore His saying to him "Fear not" signified renewal of life; for all who come suddenly from self-life into any spiritual life are at first afraid, but their life is renewed by the Lord. This renewal is effected in this way that the Divine presence, and fear on account of it, are accommodated to reception. The Lord is present, indeed, with all in the universe, but more nearly or remotely according to the reception of good by means of truths with them from Him. For good is that in which the Lord is present with angel, spirit, and man; therefore the extent and quality of good from the Lord with them are what determine the extent and quality of His presence; if the presence goes beyond this, there is anguish and tremor; but by accommodation to reception there is renewal of life (as can be seen from what has just been said and shown above, n. 78. This renewal is what is signified by "Fear not;" also in other places, where it is said by the Lord or by the angel of the Lord when seen:

Fear not (Daniel 10:12, 19; Luke 1:12, 13; 2:8-10; Matthew 28:6, 9-10).

Renewal of life, that comes by accommodation to reception, appears in the spiritual world, when it is presented to view, as a cloud. All societies there are encompassed by such a cloud, denser or rarer according to reception. (That angels are encompassed by a thin correspondent cloud, lest they should be hurt by a nearer influx of the Divine of the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia 6849. What "clouds" are in the spiritual world, and therefore in the spiritual sense, see above, n. 36.)

3091. 'And she hastened and lowered her pitcher on to her hand' means the submission of the recipients which was accomplished by power. This is clear from the meaning of 'lowering' as an act of submission, from the meaning of 'a pitcher' as a recipient, dealt with in 3068, 3079, and from the meaning of 'the hand' as power, dealt with in 878. By the description 'the submission of the recipients which was accomplished by power' one means that matters of doctrine, cognitions, and facts, which are recipients, 3068, 3079, place themselves ready to receive, for a chain of subordination exists and so a readiness to receive, and consequently a submission, from the Prime Source of life, which is the Lord. Things in a lower position in it must be submissive because they ought to be of service to what is higher. Without their submission no joining together takes place. The power referred to here is received from truth. Truth is what submits those things that are beneath. It is to truth especially that power is attributed in the Word, and so it is truth to which the hands, the arms, and also the shoulders have reference - by which in the internal sense powers are meant, 878, 1085. Though it seems to be received from truth, power itself is in fact received from good by way of truth.