The Bible

 

Genesis 1:1

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Commentary

 

Wings

  

'To cover under wings,' as in Psalms 91:4, signifies guarding with the divine truth, which is the divine spiritual. 'Wings' signify spiritual truths. 'Wings,' when related to the Lord, signify the divine spiritual. In the opposite sense, 'wings' relate to falsities and rationalizations from them.

(References: Apocalypse Revealed 245; Deuteronomy 32:10-12; Divine Providence 20-25; Ezekiel 16:8; Malachi 4:2; Matthew 23:37; Psalms 17:8, 26:8, 57:2, 63:8)


From Swedenborg's Works

 

Divine Providence #20

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20. People who are involved in evil and in truth at the same time can be compared to eagles that soar high overhead but plunge down if they lose their wings. Something like this happens to people after death, when they become spirits, if they have understood, discussed, and taught truths but have never turned to God in their lives. Their comprehension lifts them on high; and sometimes they get into heaven and pretend to be angels of light. However, when they are deprived of their truths and dismissed, they plunge into hell. Eagles mean predatory people who have intellectual vision, and wings mean spiritual truths.

I mentioned that these are people who never turn to God in their lives. "Turning to God in our lives" simply means thinking that some particular evil action is a sin against God and therefore not doing it.

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