Arcana Coelestia #290
290. It was called 'the mother of all living' from its faith in the Lord, who is Life itself. This too becomes clear from what has been shown already. There cannot possibly be more than one Life from which everyone's life derives, nor can life which really is life possibly exist unless it comes by way of faith in the Lord, who is Life. Neither can faith exist which has life within it unless it comes from Him, and so has Him within it. This is why in the Word the Lord is called the only Living, and the LIVING JEHOVAH, in Jeremiah 5:2; 12:16; 16:14-15; 23:7; Ezekiel 5:11; the One living forever, in Daniel 4:34; Revelation 4:10; 5:14; 10:6; in David, the fountain of life, Psalms 36:9; in Jeremiah, the fount of living waters, 17:13. Heaven which derives its life from Him is called 'the land of the living' in Isaiah 38:11; 53:8; Ezekiel 26:20; 32:23-27, 32; Psalms 27:13; 52:5; 142:5. And those who have faith in the Lord are called 'the living', as in David,
Who has kept our soul among the living. Psalms 66:9.
It is also said that those who have faith appear in the Book of Lives, Psalms 69:28, and in the Book of Life, Revelation 13:8; 17:8; 20:15. This also is why it is said of those who receive faith in Him that they are made alive, Hosea 6:2; Psalms 85:6. Conversely those who have no faith were in consequence called 'the dead', as also in Isaiah,
The dead will not live, the Rephaim will not rise. To that end You have visited them and wiped them out. Isaiah 26:14.
This stands for people who are puffed up with self-love. 'Rising up means entering into life. They are also called 'the slain' 1 in Ezekiel 32:23-26, 28-31; and hell is called 'death' in Isaiah 25:8; 28:15. The Lord too refers to them as 'the dead' in Matthew 4:16; John 5:24; 8:21, 24, 51-52.
Footnotes:
1. literally, the pierced
Psalms 66
1
Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth!
2
Sing to the glory of his name! Offer glory and praise!
3
Tell God, "How awesome are your deeds! Through the greatness of your power, your enemies submit themselves to you.
4
All the earth will worship you, and will sing to you; they will sing to your name." Selah.
5
Come, and see God's deeds-- awesome work on behalf of the children of men.
6
He turned the sea into dry land. They went through the river on foot. There, we rejoiced in him.
7
He rules by his might forever. His eyes watch the nations. Don't let the rebellious rise up against him. Selah.
8
Praise our God, you peoples! Make the sound of his Praise heard,
9
who preserves our life among the living, and doesn't allow our feet to be moved.
10
For you, God, have tested us. You have refined us, as silver is refined.
11
You brought us into prison. You laid a burden on our backs.
12
You allowed men to ride over our heads. We went through fire and through water, but you brought us to the place of abundance.
13
I will come into your temple with burnt offerings. I will pay my vows to you,
14
which my lips promised, and my mouth spoke, when I was in distress.
15
I will offer to you burnt offerings of fat animals, with the offering of rams, I will offer bulls with goats. Selah.
16
Come, and hear, all you who fear God. I will declare what he has done for my soul.
17
I cried to him with my mouth. He was extolled with my tongue.
18
If I cherished sin in my heart, the Lord wouldn't have listened.
19
But most certainly, God has listened. He has heard the voice of my prayer.
20
Blessed be God, who has not turned away my prayer, nor his loving kindness from me. For the Chief Musician. With stringed instruments. A Psalm. A song.
