Arcana Coelestia #29
29. Verses 11-12 And God said, Let the earth cause tender plants to spring up, seed-bearing plants, fruit trees bearing fruit, each according to its kind, in which is its seed, upon the earth; and it was so. And the earth brought forth tender herbs, seed-bearing plants, each according to its kind, and trees bearing fruit, in which is their seed, each according to its kind; and God saw that it was good.
Once the earth or the individual has been made ready in such a way that he can receive from the Lord heavenly seeds and produce some measure of good and truth, the Lord first of all causes something tender to spring up, which is: called 'a tender plant', then something more useful which reproduces itself and is called 'a seed-bearing plant', and finally something good which bears fruit and is called 'a tree bearing fruit' in which is its seed, 'each one according to its kind'. The person who is being regenerated is at first such as imagines that any good he does comes from himself, and that any truth he utters comes from himself; but the fact of the matter is that all good and all truth come from the Lord. Consequently anyone who imagines that these originate in himself does not as yet have the life that belongs to true faith, though he is able to receive it later on. Indeed he is not yet able to believe that they come from the Lord because his state is one of preparation for receiving the life inherent in faith. That state is represented in these verses by plant life, the subsequent state, when the life inherent in faith is present, by living creatures.
[2] The Lord Himself saw fit to tell us that He is 'the sower', that 'the seed' is His Word, and that 'the earth' is man, Matthew 13:19-24, 37-39; Mark 4:14-21; Luke 8:11-16. He describes the matter again in a similar way,
The kingdom of God is like a man casting seed into the ground, and sleeping and rising night and day, and the seed sprouts and springs up, he knows not how; for the earth bears fruit of itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full corn in the ear. Mark 4:26-28.
In the universal sense, 'the kingdom of God' is used to mean the whole of heaven, in the less universal sense the Lord's true Church, and in particular every individual who has true faith, that is, who has been regenerated by means of the life that inheres in faith. For that reason the individual is also called 'heaven', for heaven is within him, and 'the kingdom of God', since that too is within him. This the Lord Himself teaches through Luke,
Jesus was asked by the Pharisees, When is the kingdom of God coming? He answered them and said, The kingdom of God is not coming with observation, nor will people say, Behold, here it is! or, Behold, there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you. Luke 17:20-21.
This is the third stage of a person's regeneration, a state when he is repentant. It is like passing from shadow into the light, or from evening to morning, and this is why it is said in Verse 13, And there was evening, and there was morning, a third day.
Mark 3
1
And he entered again into the synagogue; and there was a man there which had a withered hand.
2
And they watched him, whether he would heal him on the sabbath day; that they might accuse him.
3
And he saith unto the man which had the withered hand, Stand forth.
4
And he saith unto them, Is it lawful to do good on the sabbath days, or to do evil? to save life, or to kill? But they held their peace.
5
And when he had looked round about on them with anger, being grieved for the hardness of their hearts, he saith unto the man, Stretch forth thine hand. And he stretched it out: and his hand was restored whole as the other.
6
And the Pharisees went forth, and straightway took counsel with the Herodians against him, how they might destroy him.
7
But Jesus withdrew himself with his disciples to the sea: and a great multitude from Galilee followed him, and from Judaea,
8
And from Jerusalem, and from Idumaea, and from beyond Jordan; and they about Tyre and Sidon, a great multitude, when they had heard what great things he did, came unto him.
9
And he spake to his disciples, that a small ship should wait on him because of the multitude, lest they should throng him.
10
For he had healed many; insomuch that they pressed upon him for to touch him, as many as had plagues.
11
And unclean spirits, when they saw him, fell down before him, and cried, saying, Thou art the Son of God.
12
And he straitly charged them that they should not make him known.
13
And he goeth up into a mountain, and calleth unto him whom he would: and they came unto him.
14
And he ordained twelve, that they should be with him, and that he might send them forth to preach,
15
And to have power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils:
16
And Simon he surnamed Peter;
17
And James the son of Zebedee, and John the brother of James; and he surnamed them Boanerges, which is, The sons of thunder:
18
And Andrew, and Philip, and Bartholomew, and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus, and Simon the Canaanite,
19
And Judas Iscariot, which also betrayed him: and they went into an house.
20
And the multitude cometh together again, so that they could not so much as eat bread.
21
And when his friends heard of it, they went out to lay hold on him: for they said, He is beside himself.
22
And the scribes which came down from Jerusalem said, He hath Beelzebub, and by the prince of the devils casteth he out devils.
23
And he called them unto him, and said unto them in parables, How can Satan cast out Satan?
24
And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.
25
And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.
26
And if Satan rise up against himself, and be divided, he cannot stand, but hath an end.
27
No man can enter into a strong man's house, and spoil his goods, except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house.
28
Verily I say unto you, All sins shall be forgiven unto the sons of men, and blasphemies wherewith soever they shall blaspheme:
29
But he that shall blaspheme against the Holy Ghost hath never forgiveness, but is in danger of eternal damnation:
30
Because they said, He hath an unclean spirit.
31
There came then his brethren and his mother, and, standing without, sent unto him, calling him.
32
And the multitude sat about him, and they said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren without seek for thee.
33
And he answered them, saying, Who is my mother, or my brethren?
34
And he looked round about on them which sat about him, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
35
For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother.
