The Bible

 

Genesis 1:16

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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.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #709

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709. The name Jehovah is used because now the subject is charity. From verse 9 to the end of the previous chapter Jehovah is not used but God, the reason being that there the subject is the preparation of Noah, or the member of the Church called Noah, as regards things of his understanding, which are matters of faith. Here however it is the preparation of him as regards the things of his will, which are matters of love. When the subject is the things of the understanding, that is, the truths of faith, the name God is used, but when it is those of the will, that is, goods stemming from love, Jehovah is used. For it is not things of the understanding, that is, of faith, that constitute the Church but those of the will which are matters of love. Jehovah is present within love and charity, but not within faith except faith that inheres in love or charity. This also is why in the Word faith is compared to the night, but love to the daytime, as in Genesis 1 where the great lights are mentioned; the greater light, which is the sun and means love, has dominion over the day, while the lesser light, which is the moon and means faith, has dominion over the night, Genesis 1:14, 16. Similarly in the Prophets, Jeremiah 31:35; 33:20; Psalms 136:8-9; also Revelation 8:12.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #510

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510. And as it were a great mountain burning with fire.- That this signifies the love of self, and thence of [one's] own intelligence, is evident from the signification of a mountain burning with fire, which denotes the love of self and thence the love of [one's] own intelligence. The reason why this love is signified by the mountain here named, is, that a mountain, in the Word, signifies love in both senses, or celestial love and infernal love, as may be seen above (n. 405); fire has a similar signification. See also above (n. 504). The subject here dealt with is the evil, who were to be separated from the good, and cast into hell, and with these, all truth is turned into falsity by means of that love. This effect resulting from the mountain cast into the sea, is described in what follows; for the mountain cast into the sea, whence the third part of the sea became blood, signifies, that in the natural man everything was changed into the falsity of evil. It is therefore evident, that here the great mountain burning with fire signifies the love of self, and thence the love of [man's] own intelligence; for all man's own intelligence is from the love of self.

[2] The reason why a mountain means love in both senses, is, that the angels of the third heaven, who are in celestial love, dwell upon mountains in the spiritual world; when therefore a mountain is mentioned, that heaven is meant, and, according, to the ideas of angelic thought, which are abstracted from persons and places, celestial love which makes that heaven is meant. But the reason why a mountain in the opposite sense, signifies the love of self, is, that those who are in the love of self continually desire to ascend mountains, by making themselves equal to those who are in the third heaven. Because they revolve this in their imagination they also attempt it while they are out of the hells; for this reason a mountain, in the opposite sense, signifies the love of self. In a word, those who are in the love of self always aspire after high things, therefore, after death, when all the states of the love are changed into things correspondent, they also in imagination mount on high, believing themselves, while in such state of imagination, to be upon lofty mountains, although, with the body, they are in the hells.

[3] Hence it is that those who are of Babylon, and are in such love of self as to desire not only to rule over all the earth, but also over the heavens, are called in the Word mountains, and are said to sit upon a mountain, and to ascend above the heights of the clouds. Thus it is said in Jeremiah:

"Behold, I am against thee, O destroying mountain, which destroyest all the earth; and I will stretch out my hand against thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a mountain of burning" (51:25).

And in Isaiah:

"For thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God; I will sit also upon the mount of the congregation, I will ascend above the heights of the cloud; I will become like the Most High. Yet thou shalt be cast down to hell" (14:13-15).

These things are said concerning Babylon.

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