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1 Εν αρχη εποιησεν ο Θεος τον ουρανον και την γην.

2 Η δε γη ητο αμορφος και ερημος· και σκοτος επι του προσωπου της αβυσσου. Και πνευμα Θεου εφερετο επι της επιφανειας των υδατων.

3 Και ειπεν ο Θεος, Γενηθητω φως· και εγεινε φως·

4 και ειδεν ο Θεος το φως οτι ητο καλον· και διεχωρισεν ο Θεος το φως απο του σκοτους·

5 και εκαλεσεν ο Θεος το φως, Ημεραν· το δε σκοτος εκαλεσε, Νυκτα. Και εγεινεν εσπερα και εγεινε πρωι, ημερα πρωτη.

6 Και ειπεν ο Θεος, Γενηθητω στερεωμα αναμεσον των υδατων, και ας διαχωριζη υδατα απο υδατων.

7 Και εποιησεν ο Θεος το στερεωμα, και διεχωρισε τα υδατα τα υποκατωθεν του στερεωματος απο των υδατων των επανωθεν του στερεωματος. Και εγεινεν ουτω.

8 Και εκαλεσεν ο Θεος το στερεωμα, Ουρανον. Και εγεινεν εσπερα και εγεινε πρωι, ημερα δευτερα.

9 Και ειπεν ο Θεος, Ας συναχθωσι τα υδατα τα υποκατω του ουρανου εις τοπον ενα, και ας φανη η ξηρα. Και εγεινεν ουτω.

10 Και εκαλεσεν ο Θεος την ξηραν, γην· και το συναγμα των υδατων εκαλεσε, Θαλασσας· και ειδεν ο Θεος οτι ητο καλον.

11 Και ειπεν ο Θεος, Ας βλαστηση η γη χλωρον χορτον, χορτον καμνοντα σπορον, και δενδρον καρπιμον καμνον καρπον κατα το ειδος αυτου, του οποιου το σπερμα να ηναι εν αυτω επι της γης. Και εγεινεν ουτω.

12 Και εβλαστησεν η γη χλωρον χορτον, χορτον καμνοντα σπορον κατα το ειδος αυτου, και δενδρον καμνον καρπον, του οποιου το σπερμα ειναι εν αυτω κατα το ειδος αυτου· και ειδεν ο Θεος οτι ητο καλον.

13 Και εγεινεν εσπερα και εγεινε πρωι, ημερα τριτη.

14 Και ειπεν ο Θεος, Ας γεινωσι φωστηρες εν τω στερεωματι του ουρανου, δια να διαχωριζωσι την ημεραν απο της νυκτος· και ας ηναι δια σημεια και καιρους και ημερας και ενιαυτους·

15 και ας ηναι δια φωστηρας εν τω στερεωματι του ουρανου, δια να φεγγωσιν επι της γης. Και εγεινεν ουτω.

16 Και εκαμεν ο Θεος τους δυο φωστηρας τους μεγαλους, τον φωστηρα τον μεγαν δια να εξουσιαζη επι της ημερας, και τον φωστηρα τον μικρον δια να εξουσιαζη επι της νυκτος· και τους αστερας·

17 και εθεσεν αυτους ο Θεος εν τω στερεωματι του ουρανου, δια να φεγγωσιν επι της γης,

18 και να εξουσιαζωσιν επι της ημερας και επι της νυκτος και να διαχωριζωσι το φως απο του σκοτους. Και ειδεν ο Θεος οτι ητο καλον.

19 Και εγεινεν εσπερα και εγεινε πρωι, ημερα τεταρτη.

20 Και ειπεν ο Θεος, Ας γεννησωσι τα υδατα εν αφθονια νηκτα εμψυχα και πετεινα ας πετωνται επανωθεν της γης κατα το στερεωμα του ουρανου.

21 Και εποιησεν ο Θεος τα κητη τα μεγαλα και παν εμψυχον κινουμενον, τα οποια εγεννησαν εν αφθονια τα υδατα κατα το ειδος αυτων, και παν πετεινον πτερωτον κατα το ειδος αυτου. Και ειδεν ο Θεος οτι ητο καλον.

22 Και ευλογησεν αυτα ο Θεος, λεγων, Αυξανεσθε και πληθυνεσθε και γεμισατε τα υδατα εν ταις θαλασσαις· και τα πετεινα ας πληθυνωνται επι της γης.

23 Και εγεινεν εσπερα και εγεινε πρωι, ημερα πεμπτη.

24 Και ειπεν ο Θεος, Ας γεννηση η γη ζωα εμψυχα κατα το ειδος αυτων, κτηνη και ερπετα και ζωα της γης κατα το ειδος αυτων· και εγεινεν ουτω.

25 Και εκαμεν ο Θεος τα ζωα της γης κατα το ειδος αυτων, και τα κτηνη κατα το ειδος αυτων, και παν ερπετον της γης κατα το ειδος αυτου. Και ειδεν ο Θεος οτι ητο καλον.

26 Και ειπεν ο θεος, Ας καμωμεν ανθρωπον κατ' εικονα ημων, καθ' ομοιωσιν ημων· και ας εξουσιαζη επι των ιχθυων της θαλασσης και επι των πετεινων του ουρανου και επι των κτηνων και επι πασης της γης και επι παντος ερπετου, ερποντος επι της γης.

27 Και εποιησεν ο Θεος τον ανθρωπον κατ' εικονα εαυτου· κατ' εικονα Θεου εποιησεν αυτον· αρσεν και θηλυ εποιησεν αυτους·

28 και ευλογησεν αυτους ο Θεος· και ειπε προς αυτους ο Θεος, Αυξανεσθε και πληθυνεσθε και γεμισατε την γην και κυριευσατε αυτην, και εξουσιαζετε επι των ιχθυων της θαλασσης και επι των πετεινων του ουρανου και επι παντος ζωου κινουμενου επι της γης.

29 Και ειπεν ο Θεος, Ιδου, σας εδωκα παντα χορτον καμνοντα σπορον, οστις ειναι επι του προσωπου πασης της γης, και παν δενδρον, το οποιον εχει εν εαυτω καρπον δενδρου καμνοντος σπορον· ταυτα θελουσιν εισθαι εις εσας προς τροφην·

30 και εις παντα τα ζωα της γης και εις παντα τα πετεινα του ουρανου και εις παν ερπετον ερπον επι της γης και εχον εν εαυτω ψυχην ζωσαν, εδωκα παντα χλωρον χορτον εις τροφην. Και εγεινεν ουτω.

31 Και ειδεν ο Θεος παντα οσα εποιησε· και ιδου, ησαν καλα λιαν. Και εγεινεν εσπερα και εγεινε πρωι, ημερα εκτη.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Heaven and Hell #137

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137. It says in John,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word: all things were made by means of him, and without him nothing was made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of humankind. He was in the world, and the world was made by means of him. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw his glory. (John 1:1, 3-4, 10, 14)

It is clear that the Lord is the one who is meant by "the Word," since it says that the Word was made flesh. Precisely what is meant by "the Word," though, is not yet known and must therefore be stated. The Word in this passage is the divine truth that is in the Lord and from the Lord, 1 so here it is also called the light, which is divine truth, as has been shown earlier in this chapter. Now we need to explain the statement that all things were made and created by means of divine truth.

[2] In heaven, it is divine truth that possesses all power, and apart from it there is no power whatever. 2 All angels are called "powers" because of divine truth, and are powers to the extent that they are recipients or vessels of it. Through it they prevail over the hells and over all who oppose them. A thousand enemies there cannot bear one ray of heavenly light, which is divine truth. Since angels are angels because of their acceptance of divine truth, it follows that all heaven is from this source and no other, since heaven is made up of angels.

[3] People cannot believe that this kind of power is inherent in divine truth if the only concept of truth they have has to do with thought or speech, which have no power in them except to the extent that other people concede it by being obedient. There is an intrinsic power within divine truth, though, power of such nature that by means of it heaven, the world, and everything in them was created.

We can illustrate the fact that this kind of power is inherent in divine truth by two comparisons - by the power of what is true and good in us, and by the power of light and warmth from the sun in our world.

By the power of what is true and good in us: Everything we do, we do out of our discernment and intent. Out of our intent, we act by means of what is good, and out of our discernment by means of what is true. In fact, all the elements of our volition are related to what is good, and all the elements of our discernment are related to what is true. 3 On this basis, then, we set our whole body in motion and a thousand things there rush to do our bidding of their own accord. We can see from this that our whole body is formed for obedience to what is good and true and therefore from what is good and true.

[4] By the power of light and warmth from the sun in our world: Everything that grows in our world - things like trees, shrubs, flowers, grasses, fruits, and seeds - arises only by means of the warmth and light of the sun. So we can see what kind of productive power is inherent in that warmth and light. What about the divine light that is divine truth, then, and the divine warmth that is divine good, the source from which heaven comes into being and consequently the world as well, since as we have shown above, it is through heaven that the world comes into being?

This enables us to determine how to understand the statement that all things were made by means of the Word, and that without him nothing was made that was made, and further that the world was made by means of him, namely that this was accomplished by means of divine truth from the Lord. 4

This is also why in the book of creation it first mentions light and then the things that arise from light (Genesis 1:3-4). It is also why everything in all heaven and earth has to do with what is good and true and to their union if it is to be anything at all. 5

Footnotes:

1. [Swedenborg's footnote] "The Word" in Sacred Scripture has various meanings - speech, the thought of the mind, every entity that actually comes into being, or anything at all, and in the highest sense divine truth and the Lord: 9987."The Word" means divine truth: 2803, 2884 [2894?], 4692, 5075, 5272, 7830 [7930?], 9987."The Word" means the Lord: 2533, 2859.

2. [Swedenborg's footnote] Divine truth emanating from the Lord is what possesses all power: 6948, 8200. All power in heaven belongs to the true from the good: 3091, 3563, 6344, 6413 [6423?], 8304, 9643, 10019, 10182. Angels are called powers, and are powers as a result of their acceptance of divine truth from the Lord: 9639. Angels are recipients of divine truth from the Lord, and are therefore often called "gods" in the Word: 4295, 4402, 8301, 8192, 9398 [8988?].

3. [Swedenborg's footnote] Discernment is the recipient of what is true, and volition is the recipient of what is good: 3623, 6125, 7503, 9300, 9930. Therefore, all the elements of our discernment are related to what is true, whether these things are actually true or whether we believe them to be so; and all the elements of our volition are similarly related to what is good: 803, 10122.

4. [Swedenborg's footnote] Divine truth emanating from the Lord is the only thing that is real: 6880, 7004, 8200. By means of divine truth all things were made and created: 2803, 2884, 5272, 7835 [7796?].

5. [Swedenborg's footnote] [Swedenborg's note at this point refers the reader back to the note in §107 above.]

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.

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