The Bible

 

Genesis 1:17

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17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

Commentary

 

Spirit of God

  

'The spirit of God,' as in Genesis 1:2, signifies the divine mercy of the Lord.

'The spirit of God' denotes good from an interior level, so from the divine. The spirit of God is what proceeds from the divine, so from good itself, because the divine is good itself, and what proceeds from it is truth within which is good. This is what 'the spirit of God' signifies in the Word, because the spirit itself does not proceed, but the truth itself within which is good, the spirit being the instrument which produces it.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 19; Divine Love and Wisdom 100)


From Swedenborg's Works

 

Heaven and Hell #148

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148. In the heavens all dwell in separate groups in accordance with the quarters. Those who are in the good of love dwell towards the east and the west, those who are in clear perception of it towards the east, and those in obscure perception of it towards the west. Those who are in wisdom from the good of love dwell towards the north and south, those who are in the clear light of wisdom towards the south, and those in obscure light of it towards the north. The angels of the Lord's spiritual kingdom and those of His celestial kingdom dwell in the same order, yet differently in so far as their good of love and light of truth from good differ. For, in the celestial kingdom the love is love to the Lord, and the light of truth therefrom is wisdom, while in the spiritual kingdom, the love is love towards the neighbour, which is called charity, and the light of truth therefrom is intelligence which is also called faith (see above 23). They differ also as to the quarters, for the quarters in the two kingdoms are apart from each other by thirty degrees, as has been said just above (146).

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