35. Daß die gesamte christliche Theologie heutzutage auf die Vorstellung dreier Götter gegründet ist, erhellt deutlich aus der Lehre von der Rechtfertigung, welche der Hauptpunkt der Lehren der Kirche bei den Christen, sowohl den Römisch-Katholischen, als den Protestanten ist. Diese Lehre setzt fest, daß Gott der Vater Seinen Sohn gesandt habe, die Menschen zu erlösen und selig zu machen, und daß Er den Heiligen Geist gebe, dies zu wirken.

Jeder Mensch, der dies hört, liest, oder ausspricht, muß notwendig in seinem Denken, das heißt, in seiner Vorstellung, Gott in Drei zerteilen, und sich denken, daß der eine Gott den anderen gesandt habe, und durch den dritten wirke. Daß derselbe Gedanke einer göttlichen Dreieinigkeit, welche in drei Personen geteilt ist, deren jede einzelne Gott ist, auch in die übrigen Lehrbestimmungen der heutigen Kirche eindringe, wie vom Haupt aus in seinen Leib, soll an den gehörigen Stellen gezeigt werden. Inzwischen befrage das über die Rechtfertigung Vorausgeschickte, befrage die theologischen Sätze im allgemeinen und im besonderen, und frage zugleich dich selbst, wenn du in den Kirchen die Predigten anhörst, oder zu Hause betest, ob du etwas anderes in der Vorstellung und aus dieser im Denken hast, als drei Götter, und ganz besonders, wenn du zu einem derselben besonders betest oder singst, und besonders zu den zwei anderen, wie dies öfter geschieht? Hiermit ist die Wahrheit des Satzes bestätigt, daß die gesamte Theologie in der Christenheit heutzutage auf die Vorstellung dreier Götter gegründet ist.

In Numbers 22:41, this signifies worship from the evils of self-love and love of the world. (Apocalypse Explained 1602)

In Jeremiah 32:20, this signifies the worship of evil. (Arcana Coelestia 4581)

In 2 Samuel 6:2, this signifies the outmost of the church, called its natural. (Apocalypse Explained 700[26])

In Numbers 25:3, this signifies adulterations of good. (Apocalypse Explained 6557)

(Odkazy: Apocalypse Explained 730; Hosea 2:13)

1823. 'Take a three year old heifer, and a three year old she-goat, and a three year old ram' means things that are the representatives of the celestial things of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of these same animals in sacrifices. Nobody in his right mind can believe that the various animals that used to be sacrificed meant nothing but sacrifices, or that an ox and a young bull or a calf had the same meaning as a sheep, kid, and she-goat, and these the same as a lamb, and that a turtle dove and fledgling pigeons had similar meanings; for in fact each creature had its own specific meaning. This becomes quite clear from the fact that under no circumstances was one kind of animal offered instead of another, and from the fact that it was explicitly stated which creatures were to be used in the daily burnt-offerings and sacrifices, and which on the sabbath and at festivals; which creatures were to be used in free-will, votive, and communion offerings; which ones were to be used in expiations of guilt and sin; and which in purifications. This would never have been the case if some specific thing had not been represented and meant by each animal.

[2] But as to the specific meaning of each kind, this would take too long to explain here. Here it is enough if one knows that celestial things are meant by the animals and spiritual things by the birds, and that some specific celestial or spiritual thing is meant by each kind of animal or bird. The Church itself, and everything to do with the Jewish Church, was representative of such things as constitute the Lord's kingdom, where nothing but that which is celestial or spiritual exists, that is, nothing but that which belongs to love and faith, as also becomes quite clear from the meaning of clean and useful beasts, dealt with in 45, 46, 142, 143, 246, 714, 715, 776. And because in the Most Ancient Churches beasts meant celestial goods, in the Church existing at a later time when purely external, though representative, worship was highly esteemed and approved of, those beasts became representatives.

[3] Because the state of the Church is the subject here and because the nature of its state in the future is foretold, Abram was shown the same visually by means of similar representatives, exactly as recorded here. Yet quite apart from this, such things are nevertheless meant in the internal sense, as anyone may know and contemplate. For what would have been the need to take a three year old heifer, a three year old she-goat, a three year old ram, a turtle dove and a fledgling, and to divide them in two parts and to lay them out so, unless each single thing had carried a spiritual meaning? But what these details mean becomes clear from what follows below.