The Bible

 

Genesis 1:1

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From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #710

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710. 'Enter, you and all your house, into the ark' means things that constitute the will. This is clear from what has just been stated. In the previous chapter, which dealt with things of the understanding, verse 18 reads differently, namely 'You shall enter into the ark, you, and your sons, and your wife, and your sons' wives with you'. That 'a house' means the will and what constitutes the will is clear from various places in the Word, as in Jeremiah,

Their houses will be turned over to others, their fields and wives together. Jeremiah 6:11.

Here both 'houses' and 'fields and wives' refers to things of the will. In the same prophet,

Build houses and dwell in them; and plant gardens and eat their fruit. Jeremiah 29:5, 28.

Here 'building and dwelling in houses' has to do with the will, 'planting gardens' with the understanding. The same applies in other places. And frequently 'the house of Jehovah' stands for the Church where love is the chief thing. 'The house of Judah' stands for the celestial Church, 'the house of Israel' for the spiritual Church, because 'a house' means the Church. Consequently the mind of the member of the Church, which has within it things of the will and those of the understanding, that is, of charity and of faith, is meant by 'a house'.

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

Commentary

 

Grape, the blood of the

  

'The blood of the grape' signifies spiritual celestial good, which is the name given to the divine in heaven as it goes out from the Lord. Wine is called the 'blood of grapes,' to the extent that each signifies holy truth going out from the Lord. 'Wine' refers to the spiritual church, and 'blood' refers to the celestial church. This being the case, wine was partaken of in the holy supper.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 5118)