4. As long as the mind confines itself to the sense of the letter alone one cannot possibly see that its contents are such. Take for instance these first sections of Genesis: From the sense of the letter the only subject matter people recognize is the creation of the world, and the Garden of Eden which is called Paradise, and Adam as the first man to be created. Who thinks anything different? The fact that these things contain arcana however which have never been revealed up to now will be sufficiently clear from what follows - especially clear from the fact that the subject of Genesis 1 is, in the internal sense, the NEW CREATION of man, that is, in general his REGENERATION, and in particular the Most Ancient Church. And the subject is presented in such a way that not the smallest part of any expression fails to have a representation, carry a spiritual meaning, or embody something within itself.

9744. 'From fine twined linen' means coming out of the understanding. This is clear from the meaning of 'fine linen' as truth from a celestial origin, dealt with in 5319, 9469. Consequently 'fine twined linen' means the understanding since this consists of and has been so to speak twined out of truths from a celestial origin. For there are two realities with which everything in the whole of creation has connection, truth and good. This is why a person has two mental powers, one dedicated to the reception of truth, the other to the reception of good. The power dedicated to the reception of truth is called the understanding, and the power dedicated to the reception of good is called the will. To the extent therefore that the understanding has been formed from real truths it excels and is 'fine twined linen'; for 'fine linen' is truth from the Divine, 5319. As regards 'fine twined linen', that it therefore means the understanding, see also 9596.