11. Hoofdstuk 1. Over het Goede en het Ware.
Alle dingen in het heelal, die volgens de Goddelijke Orde zijn, hebben betrekking op het Goede en het Ware. Er bestaat niets in de hemel en niets in de wereld, dat niet op die twee betrekking heeft. De oorzaak hiervan is dat beide, zowel het goede als het ware, voortgaan uit het Goddelijke, waaruit alle dingen zijn.
118. And poverty, but thou art rich, signifies the acknowledgment that they know nothing from themselves. This is evident from the signification of "poverty," as being the acknowledgment of heart that they know nothing from themselves (of which presently); and from the signification of "but thou art rich," as being the affection of spiritual truth (of which also presently). That by "poverty" spiritual poverty is here meant, and that by "thou art rich" is meant to be spiritually rich, is clear, since these things are said to the church. To be spiritually poor, and yet to be rich, is to acknowledge in heart that one has no knowledge nor understanding nor wisdom from himself, but that he knows, understands, and is wise wholly from the Lord. In such acknowledgment are all the angels of heaven, wherefore they are also intelligent and wise, and this in the same degree in which they are in the acknowledgment and perception that this is the case. For they know and perceive that nothing of the truth that is called the truth of faith, and nothing of the good that is called the good of love, is from themselves, but that these are from the Lord; they also know and perceive that all things that they understand and in which they are wise have reference to the truth of faith and to the good of love; and from this again they know that all their intelligence and wisdom is from the Lord; and because they know and acknowledge this, and also wish and love it to be so, Divine truth from which are all intelligence and wisdom continually flows in from the Lord, and this they receive in the measure in which they are affected by it, that is, love it. But, on the other hand, the spirits of hell believe that all things which they think and will, and thence speak and do, are from themselves, and nothing from God; for they do not believe in a Divine; consequently, instead of intelligence and wisdom they have insanity and folly, for they think contrary to truth, and will contrary to good, and this is to be insane and foolish. Every man who is in the love of self does the same; he cannot do otherwise than attribute all things to self, because he looks only to self; and because he does this he is not in any acknowledgment that all intelligence and wisdom are from the Lord; consequently, when such persons think with themselves, they think contrary to the truths and goods of the church and of heaven, although when speaking with men they talk otherwise, from a fear of losing their reputation.
[2] From this it can be known what "poverty" in the spiritual sense means. He who is spiritually poor is nevertheless rich, because he is in the spiritual affection of truth; for into this affection intelligence and wisdom from the Lord flow; for everyone's affection receives and imbibes things congenial to it, as a sponge does water; therefore the spiritual affection of truth receives and imbibes spiritual truths, which are the truths of the church, from the Word. The spiritual affection of truth has no other source than the Lord, because the Lord is Divine truth in heaven and in the church, for Divine truth proceeds from Him. And as the Lord loves to lead everyone to Himself, and to save him, and this He can do only by the knowledges of good and truth from the Word, so the Lord loves to impart these to man, and make them of his life, for in this way and no other can He lead man to Himself and save him. From this it is manifest that all spiritual affection of truth is from the Lord, and that no one can be in that affection unless he acknowledges the Divine of the Lord in His Human, for by such acknowledgment there is conjunction, and according to conjunction there is reception. (On this more may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell, where it treats of The Wisdom of the Angels of Heaven, n. 265-275 ; and of The Wise and the Simple in Heaven, n. 346-356, and elsewhere in the same work, n. 13, 19, 25-26, 133, 139-140, 205, 297, 422, 523, 603; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 11-27; and above, in the explanation of Revelation, n. 6, 59, 112, 115, 117.
[3] In the Word, "the poor and needy" are mentioned here and there, also the "hungry and thirsty." By "the poor and needy" are signified those who believe that of themselves they know nothing; and also those who are destitute of knowledge because they have not the Word; and by the "hungry and thirsty" are signified those who continually long for truths, and long to be perfected by means of truths. These two classes are meant by the "poor," the "needy," the "hungry," and the "thirsty," in the following passages:
Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:3, 6).
Blessed are the poor; for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. Blessed are ye that hunger; for ye shall be filled (Luke 6:20, 21).
To the poor the Gospel shall be preached, and the poor hear the Gospel (Luke 7:22; Matthew 11:5).
The master of the house said to the servant that he should go out into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor (Luke 14:21).
Then the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down with confidence (Isaiah 14:30).
I was an hungered and ye gave Me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me to drink (Matthew 25:35).
The poor and the needy seek water, and there is none, their tongue faileth for thirst, I, Jehovah, will answer them. I will open rivers on the heights, and fountains will I place in the midst of the valleys (Isaiah 41:17-18).
From this last passage it is clear that the "poor and needy" are those who long for the knowledges of good and truth, for the "water" that such seek is truth. (That "water" is the truth of faith, see above, n. 71.) Their longing is here described by "their tongue fainting for thirst," and the abundance they are to have by "rivers being opened on the heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys."
[4] Those who do not know that by the "rich" are signified those who have the Word and who thence can be in the knowledges of truth and good, and that by the "poor" are signified those who have not the Word, and yet long for truths, know no other than that by the "rich man" in Luke (Luke 16:19 seq.) "who was clothed in purple and fine linen," are meant the rich in the world, and that by the "poor man" who "was laid at his gate, and desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table," are meant the poor in this world. But by the "rich man" there the Jewish nation is meant, which had the Word, and might from it have been in the knowledges of truth and good; and by the "poor man" are there meant the Gentiles that had not the Word and yet longed for the knowledges of truth and good. The rich man is described as "clothed with purple and fine linen," because "purple" signifies genuine good (Arcana Coelestia 9467), and the "fine linen" genuine truth (Arcana Coelestia 5319, 9469, 9596, 9744), both from the Word. The poor man is described as "laid at the rich man's gate, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table," because by "to be laid at the gate" is meant to be rejected, and to be deprived of the opportunity to read and understand the Word; and "wishing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table" means to long for some truths from the Word, for "food" signifies the things of knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom and in general, good and truth (Arcana Coelestia 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 5576, 5582, 5588, 5655, 8562, 9003); and "table" signifies a receptacle for these (Arcana Coelestia 9527). As the poor man was in that longing, which is the same as the spiritual affection of truth, it is said of him that "he was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom," by which is signified to be raised into an angelic state in respect to intelligence and wisdom; "Abraham's bosom" is the Divine truth that is in heaven, for those who are in that are with the Lord. (That "Abraham" in the Word signifies the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia n. 2010, 2833, 2836, 3245, 3251, 3305, 3439, 3703, 6098, 6185, 6276, 6804, 6847)
[5] The like that is signified here by the "rich man" and the "poor man who hungered" is signified by the "rich" and the "hungry" in Luke:
The hungry He hath filled with good, and the rich He hath sent empty away (Luke 1:53).
(That by "riches" in the Word are meant spiritual riches, which are the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, see Arcana Coelestia 1694, 4508, 10227; and in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 365; and in a contrary sense, the knowledges of what is false and evil, which are confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word, Arcana Coelestia 1694.) That "riches" in the Word signify the knowledges of truth and good, and intelligence and wisdom therefrom, is from correspondence; for with the angels in heaven all things appear as if refulgent with gold, and silver, and precious stones; and this so far as they are in the intelligence of truth and in the wisdom of good. Also with the spirits who are below the heavens there are riches in appearance according to the reception of truth and good from the Lord with them.
1
The word of Yahweh came again to me, saying,
2
You, son of man, take up a lamentation over Tyre;
3
and tell Tyre, you who dwell at the entry of the sea, who are the merchant of the peoples to many islands, thus says the Lord Yahweh: You, Tyre, have said, I am perfect in beauty.
4
Your borders are in the heart of the seas; your builders have perfected your beauty.
5
They have made all your planks of fir trees from Senir; they have taken a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you.
6
Of the oaks of Bashan have they made your oars; they have made your benches of ivory inlaid in boxwood, from the islands of Kittim.
7
Of fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be to you for a banner; blue and purple from the islands of Elishah was your awning.
8
The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers: your wise men, Tyre, were in you, they were your pilots.
9
The old men of Gebal and the wise men of it were in you your repairers of ship seams: all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you to deal in your merchandise.
10
Persia and Lud and Put were in your army, your men of war: they hanged the shield and helmet in you; they set forth your comeliness.
11
The men of Arvad with your army were on your walls all around, and valorous men were in your towers; they hanged their shields on your walls all around; they have perfected your beauty.
12
Tarshish was your merchant by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded for your wares.
13
Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your traffickers; they traded the persons of men and vessels of brass for your merchandise.
14
They of the house of Togarmah traded for your wares with horses and war horses and mules.
15
The men of Dedan were your traffickers; many islands were the market of your hand: they brought you in exchange horns of ivory and ebony.
16
Syria was your merchant by reason of the multitude of your handiworks: they traded for your wares with emeralds, purple, and embroidered work, and fine linen, and coral, and rubies.
17
Judah, and the land of Israel, they were your traffickers: they traded for your merchandise wheat of Minnith, and confections, and honey, and oil, and balm.
18
Damascus was your merchant for the multitude of your handiworks, by reason of the multitude of all kinds of riches, with the wine of Helbon, and white wool.
19
Vedan and Javan traded with yarn for your wares: bright iron, cassia, and calamus, were among your merchandise.
20
Dedan was your trafficker in precious cloths for riding.
21
Arabia, and all the princes of Kedar, they were the merchants of your hand; in lambs, and rams, and goats, in these were they your merchants.
22
The traffickers of Sheba and Raamah, they were your traffickers; they traded for your wares with the chief of all spices, and with all precious stones, and gold.
23
Haran and Canneh and Eden, the traffickers of Sheba, Asshur [and] Chilmad, were your traffickers.
24
These were your traffickers in choice wares, in wrappings of blue and embroidered work, and in chests of rich clothing, bound with cords and made of cedar, among your merchandise.
25
The ships of Tarshish were your caravans for your merchandise: and you were replenished, and made very glorious in the heart of the seas.
26
Your rowers have brought you into great waters: the east wind has broken you in the heart of the seas.
27
Your riches, and your wares, your merchandise, your mariners, and your pilots, your repairers of ship seams, and the dealers in your merchandise, and all your men of war, who are in you, with all your company which is in the midst of you, shall fall into the heart of the seas in the day of your ruin.
28
At the sound of the cry of your pilots the suburbs shall shake.
29
All who handled the oar, the mariners, [and] all the pilots of the sea, shall come down from their ships; they shall stand on the land,
30
and shall cause their voice to be heard over you, and shall cry bitterly, and shall cast up dust on their heads, they shall wallow themselves in the ashes:
31
and they shall make themselves bald for you, and clothe them with sackcloth, and they shall weep for you in bitterness of soul with bitter mourning.
32
In their wailing they shall take up a lamentation for you, and lament over you, [saying], Who is there like Tyre, like her who is brought to silence in the midst of the sea?
33
When your wares went forth out of the seas, you filled many peoples; you did enrich the kings of the earth with the multitude of your riches and of your merchandise.
34
In the time that you were broken by the seas in the depths of the waters, your merchandise and all your company did fall in the midst of you.
35
All the inhabitants of the islands are astonished at you, and their kings are horribly afraid; they are troubled in their face.
36
The merchants among the peoples hiss at you; you are become a terror, and you shall nevermore have any being.
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