The Bible

 

Genesis 1

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1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first Day.

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

The Bible

 

Genesis 9:6

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6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #129

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129. (Verses 12-17) And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, where Satan's throne is; and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in the days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna; and I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth.

"And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write," signifies for remembrance to those within the church who are in temptations. "These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword," signifies the Lord, who alone fights in temptations.

"I know thy works," signifies love and faith; "where thou dwellest," signifies among whom he now lives; "where Satan's throne is," signifies where every kind of falsity reigns; "and thou holdest fast my name," signifies the acknowledgment of the Divine in the Human; "and hast not denied my faith," signifies constancy in truths; "even in the days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you," signifies, in that time and state when all were held in hatred who professed the Divine Human of the Lord; "where Satan dwelleth," signifies, by those who are in the doctrine of all falsities.

"But I have a few things against thee," signifies that they should take heed; "because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the sons of Israel," signifies those whose understanding is enlightened and who teach truths, but still love to destroy by guile those who belong to the church; "to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication," signifies in order that they may acquire evils, and the falsities therefrom.

"So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate," signifies those who separate good from truth, or charity from faith, which is against Divine order.

"Repent," signifies dissociation from them: "or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth," signifies, if not, when visitation comes, they will be dispersed.

"He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies, that he who understands should hearken to what Divine truth proceeding from the Lord teaches and says to those who belong to His church: "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna," signifies, to him who conquers in temptations, the delight of heavenly love from the Divine Human of the Lord: "and I will give him a white stone," signifies wisdom and intelligence; "and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth," signifies the state of the interior life, which is unknown to all except those who are in it.

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.