Arcana Coelestia #24
24. Verse 6 And God said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let there be a distinguishing of the waters from the waters.
After the Spirit of God, which is the Lord's mercy, has brought out into the daylight cognitions of truth and good, and has shed the light of dawn to reveal that the Lord does exist, and that He is good itself and truth itself, and that no good or truth exists except from the Lord, a distinction is at that point made between the internal man and the external man, and so between cognitions which reside with the internal man and the facts which belong to the external man. The internal man is called 'an expanse, and the cognitions residing with the internal man are called 'the waters above the expanse', while the facts belonging to the external man are called 'the waters below the expanse'.
[2] Until his regeneration starts a person is not aware of even the existence of the internal man, let alone the identity of the internal man. Submerged in bodily and worldly concerns he imagines there is no difference between the two. Furthermore he has submerged in those same concerns the things that belong to the internal man and has made one thorough obscurity out of things that are distinct and separate. For this reason it is first said, 'Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters', and then, 'Let there be a distinguishing of the waters from the waters', and not a distinguishing of the waters. But this is followed immediately by the statement, Verses 7-8, And God made the expanse and He made a distinction between the waters that were under the expanse and the waters that were above the expanse; and it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven.
[3] The second thing therefore that a person notices when being regenerated is that he is starting to become aware of the existence of the internal man, or that what reside in the internal man are goods and truths which are the Lord's alone. And since the external man during regeneration is such as still imagines that he is the source of the good deeds he performs, or of the truth he utters, and since such a person, by means of them, is led by the Lord to do good and to speak truth as if they were his own, therefore the identification of those under the expanse comes first, and the identification of those above the expanse follows. It is also a heavenly arcanum that the Lord uses those things that are man's own - both his illusions of the senses and his desires - to lead and direct him towards the things that are goods and truths. Every single movement of regeneration is accordingly a progression from evening to morning - from external man to internal, that is, from earth to heaven. This is why the expanse, or internal man, is now called 'heaven'.
Matthew 1
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The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.
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Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his brethren;
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And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram;
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And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon;
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And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse;
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And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias;
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And Solomon begat Roboam; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa;
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And Asa begat Josaphat; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias;
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And Ozias begat Joatham; and Joatham begat Achaz; and Achaz begat Ezekias;
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And Ezekias begat Manasses; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias;
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And Josias begat Jechonias and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon:
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And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabel;
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And Zorobabel begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor;
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And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud;
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And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob;
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And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.
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So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
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Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
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Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
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But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
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And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
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Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
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Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
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Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
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And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
