These verses, the opening phrases of the Sermon on the Mount, hold some of the Bible’s most beautiful and best-loved poetry. Part of its beauty, though, lies in the fact that the meaning is not quite clear. What does it mean to be “poor in spirit”? What does it mean to “inherit the earth” or to be called “the children of God.” The fact that there are many possibilities causes us to linger over the phrases, pondering them.

Understood in the internal sense, these blessings show the spiritual states of the various people who could be receptive of the Lord and the new church he was launching. On a deeper level it shows that states within ourselves that can lead each of us to the Lord and to a deeper understanding of His truth today.

The “poor in spirit” are those who know little about spiritual things, but want to learn. Those that “mourn” are those who want to be good, but see no desire for good in their church. The “meek” are those who love to care for and serve others. To “hunger and thirst after righteousness” shows a desire to rise up, to learn about what’s good and to come to desire it.

The “merciful” are those who love their fellow people. The “pure in heart” are those who love only what is good. “Peacemakers” are those who are in harmony with the Lord, gaining knowledge from Him and wanting what He wants. And to be “persecuted for righteousness’ sake” means acting out of love and care for others, even though you are condemned by others for it.

There’s something of a progression there, from those who simply want to learn to those who actively want to be good people to those who actually are good and acting out of love for others. None of it, though, describes those who are learned in the Jewish traditions, or even necessarily observant in terms of ritual; they are, rather, those who sense that it is possible to be a good person and are willing to make the effort.

And they are promised their rewards! The “kingdom of heaven” is the understanding the angels have of the Lord; “comfort” represents ideas that lead to the good of life; “inheriting the earth” is a state of loving others and being loved by them in return. The overall message is simple: If we truly wish to be good people, and are willing to let the Lord teach us how to be good people, we will end up filled with love and wisdom from Him. And that’s what we need to focus on: The desire to be good, and openness to ideas from the Lord. It’s not about ritual and intellectual “correctness”; it’s about ideas that lead us to be good.

But what of being reviled and persecuted? This depicts temptation, when the hells attack our newborn good desires and true understanding. They cause us to doubt our ability to be truly good and question the ideas that are leading us. And they can do it in many ways, reminding us of the fun we’ll be missing or reminding us of all the bad things we’ve ever done to render us hopeless. They will even attack the Bible and the ideas that come to us through it from the Lord; that’s represented by the idea that people also attacked the prophets.

These states, however, are blessed in their own way; only by battling these evils, which are rooted inside us, can we finally fully embrace the good life we have been striving for. That’s why it is pictured last, and that's why it leads to the “great reward” in heaven.

660. Verse 10. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and shall be glad, signifies delights from infernal love with those who are opposed to the goods and truths of the church. This is evident from the signification of "they that dwell upon the earth," as being those who are in the church, here those therein who are in evils and in falsities therefrom, thus who are opposed to its goods and truths; also from the signification of "rejoicing and being glad," as being here the delight of infernal love; for all joy and all gladness is of love, since everyone rejoices and is glad when his love is favored, and when he pursues and obtains what he loves; in a word, all the joy of man proceeds from his love and all the sadness and grief of mind from antagonism to his love.

[2] It is said "rejoice and be glad" because of the marriage of good and truth; for "joy" is predicated of good because it relates to love, for it belongs especially to the heart and will, and "gladness" is predicated of truth, because it relates to the love of truth, for it belongs especially to the mind and its thought; therefore we speak of "joy of heart" and "gladness of mind." Everywhere in the Word there are two expressions, one of which has reference to good and the other to truth, and this because it is the conjunction of good and truth that makes both heaven and the church; therefore both heaven and the church are compared to a marriage, for the reason that the Lord is called "Bridegroom" and "Husband," and heaven and the church are called "bride" and "wife." Everyone, therefore, who is not in that marriage is not an angel of heaven nor a man of the church; and the reason is that there is no good with anyone unless it is formed by truths, nor is there truth with anyone unless it is made living by good; for every truth is a form of good, and all good is the being [esse] of truth, and as one is not possible without the other it follows that there must needs be a marriage of good and truth with the man of the church as well as with an angel of heaven. Moreover, all intelligence and wisdom are from that marriage, for from it truths and goods are continually born, by which the understanding and will are formed.

[3] This has been said that it may be known why "to rejoice" and "to be glad" are both mentioned, namely, because "to rejoice" is predicated of good and its love or affection, and "to be glad" is predicated of truth and its love or affection. This is the case in many other passages in the Word, as in the following:

The heavens shall be glad and the earth shall rejoice (Psalms 96:11).

Let all that seek Thee rejoice and be glad in Thee (Psalms 40:16; 70:4).

The righteous shall be glad and exult before God, and shall rejoice in gladness (Psalms 68:3).

That we may rejoice all our days, make us glad according to the days in which Thou hast afflicted us (Psalms 90:14, 15).

Be glad in Jerusalem and exult in her, all ye that love her, rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn over her (Isaiah 66:10).

Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom (Lamentations 4:21).

Behold joy and gladness, slaying the ox (Isaiah 22:13).

They shall obtain joy and gladness, sorrow and sighing shall flee away (Isaiah 35:10; 51:11).

Joy and gladness shall be found in Zion, confession and the voice of singing (Isaiah 51:3).

They shall make ¹ me to hear joy and gladness (Psalms 51:8).

Joy and gladness are cut off from the house of our God (Joel 1:16).

The fast of the tenth month shall be to the house of Judah for joy and for gladness (Zechariah 8:19).

The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride (Jeremiah 7:34; 25:10; 33:11).

[4] In place of joy exultation is also mentioned, because exultation, like joy, is predicated of good, because it relates to love, to the heart, and to the will; as in the following passages:

Jacob shall exult, Israel shall be glad (Psalms 14:7; 53:6).

I exult and am glad in Thy kindness (Psalms 31:7).

Be glad in Jehovah, and exult, ye righteous (Psalms 32:11).

Mount Zion shall be glad, and the daughters of Judah shall exult (Psalms 48:11).

Let all that trust in Thee be glad, and let them that love Thy name exult in Thee (Psalms 5:11).

This is the day that Jehovah hath made, let us exult and be glad in it (Psalms 118:24).

Let us exult and be glad in His salvation (Isaiah 25:9).

Be ye glad and exult forever in the things which I create (Isaiah 65:18).

Exult and be glad that Jehovah hath magnified in doing (Joel 2:21).

Exult, ye sons of Zion, and be glad in Jehovah your God (Joel 2:23; Habakkuk 3:18).

Be glad and exult with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem (Zephaniah 3:14).

Gladness and exultation are taken away from Carmel (Isaiah 16:10; Jeremiah 48:33).

The angel said unto Zacharias, Thou shalt have gladness and exultation, and many shall rejoice at His birth (Luke 1:14).

In all these passages, "exultation" signifies delight from love and from the affection of good, and "gladness" signifies pleasure from the love and affection of truth.

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