6289. 'And he grasped his father's hand' means an influx into the power which his obscure discernment possessed. This is clear from the meaning of 'grasping the hand' as an influx into the power of discernment. For when the internal flows into the external, wishing to make it think and will something, it grasps hold of it so to speak. Here it takes hold of its power of discernment, meant by 'the hand'; for 'the hand' means power, see, 878, 3387, 4931-4937. The reason why that discernment is said to be obscure is that spiritual people, who are represented by 'Israel', dwell in obscurity compared with celestial ones, who are represented by 'Joseph'. For more about spiritual people and their dwelling in obscurity compared with celestial ones, see 2708, 2715, 2716, 2718, 2831, 2849, 2935, 2937, 3873, 4401.

[2] The fact that spiritual people dwell in obscurity is plainly evident from the consideration that prior to regeneration they are altogether in the dark about what is true and good, and that when they are being regenerated it is truth such as that contained in the teaching of their Church that they acknowledge and in which they put their trust, irrespective of whether it is true or not. Even so it is this truth that becomes good with them when it becomes part of what they will and consequently of their life. It is that good which is called the good of truth, also the good of faith, as well as spiritual good or the spiritual Church's good. Anyone who turns his mind to the matter can see what is the essential nature of this good deriving from such an origin. Nevertheless good derived from that kind of truth, even among gentiles, is acceptable to the Lord, when it has charity towards the neighbour as its chief concern and when that charity has innocence within it.

4931. CORRESPONDENCE WITH THE GRAND MAN - continued

IN THIS SECTION THE CORRESPONDENCE OF THE HANDS, THE ARMS, THE FEET, AND THE LOINS WITH IT

It has been shown already that the whole of heaven bears resemblance to a human being, together with each of his organs, members, and viscera. It has been shown too that this is so because heaven bears resemblance to the Lord; for the Lord is the All in all of heaven, so much its All that, properly speaking, heaven is essentially Divine Good and Divine Truth received from the Lord. For this reason heaven is distinguished into many so to speak separate provinces, as many as there are in a person's viscera, organs, and members, with which also there is a correspondence. Unless such a correspondence existed of the human being with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord, he could not remain in existence for even a single moment, all things being held in connection with one another by means of influx.

[2] But all those provinces are linked to two kingdoms - the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. The first of these - the celestial kingdom - is the kingdom of the heart within the Grand Man; the second - the spiritual kingdom - is the kingdom of the lungs there. And in the same way as in the human being, the heart reigns, and so do the lungs, in every single part of the Grand Man. These two kingdoms combine in a marvellous way. Their combination likewise is represented in the combination of the heart and lungs in the human being, and in the combined workings of the two within each member and interior organ.

[3] While a person is an embryo, that is, while still in the womb, he is in the kingdom of the heart. But once he has struggled out of the womb he enters the kingdom of the lungs. Then, if he allows the truths of faith to lead him into the good of love, he returns from the kingdom of the lungs within the Grand Man to the kingdom of the heart. For thereby he enters the womb a second time and is born again. Once again those two kingdoms become combined in him, but the order has been turned around. Previously the kingdom of the heart in him was under the control of the lungs, but now the kingdom of the lungs comes under the control of the heart. That is, first of all the truth of faith has dominion in him, but afterwards the good of charity does so. For the correspondence of the heart with the good of love and that of the lungs with the truth of faith, see 3635, 3883-3896.