859. The symbolism of on the first of the month the heads of the mountains appeared as religious truth that then began to be visible is established by the symbolism of mountains as the good effects of love and charity (§795). The heads start to show when we are being reborn and given a conscience and, through conscience, charity.
Those who think they see mountaintops, or religious truth, from any other perspective than that of a loving, charitable goodness are completely mistaken. Otherwise, Jews and blasphemous Gentiles 1 would also be able to see the truth, even though they lack such goodness.
The mountaintops are the first points of light to appear.
Footnotes:
1. On Swedenborg's attitude toward Jews, see note 4 in §259 and the reader's guide, pages 51-55. On the term "Gentiles," see note 1 in §231. [JSR]
