The Bible

 

Genesis 1:2

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2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Explained #751

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751. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them.- That this signifies the salvation and consequent joy of those who become spiritual by the reception of Divine Truth, is evident from the signification of rejoicing, as denoting joy on account of salvation; from the signification of the heavens, as denoting those who are spiritual (concerning which we shall speak presently); and from the signification of ye that dwell, as denoting those who live, here spiritually. That to dwell signifies to live, may be seen above (n. 133, 479, 662). The heavens signify those who are spiritual, because all who are in the heavens are spiritual, and because men who have become spiritual are also in the heavens, although they are in the world as to the body; therefore ye that dwell in the heavens means not only angels, but also men, for every man with whom the interior mind, which is called the spiritual mind, has been opened, is in the heavens, indeed, he also sometimes appears amongst the angels there. That this is so, has not been known in the world up to the present time. It must therefore be understood, that man as to his spirit is among spirits and angels, and indeed in that society of them into which he is to come after death. The reason of this is that the spiritual mind of man is formed exactly according to the image of heaven, and in such a way that it is a heaven in least form; consequently that mind, although still in the body, must nevertheless be where its form is. But this has been more fully dealt with in Heaven and Hell 51-58), where it is shown that every angel, and also every man as to his interiors, if he be spiritual, is a heaven in its least form, corresponding to heaven in its greatest form. For this reason where the Word treats of the creation of heaven and earth, the internal and external church is in general meant, and, in particular, the internal and external man, that is the spiritual and natural man. From these things it is evident that the heavens and those that dwell in them signify all who are there, and also those men who are becoming spiritual by the reception of Divine Truth in doctrine and life.

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1163

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1163. 'Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan' were just so many nations who in the internal sense mean cognitions, knowledge, and the forms of ritual which belong to faith separated from charity. This becomes clear from the Word where these nations are mentioned in various places, for these nations mean such things in those places. That is to say, 'Cush' or Ethiopia means interior cognitions of the Word by which people confirm false assumptions. 'Mizraim' or Egypt means knowledge, or the various facts by which they wish to probe into the arcana of faith and in so doing confirm assumptions that are false. 'Put' or Libya means cognitions drawn from the literal sense of the Word by means of which in a similar way they confirm false assumptions. 'Canaan' or the Canaanites means forms of ritual or external worship that are separated from internal. Since all of these have been separated from charity they are called 'the sons of Ham'. The same nations also mean simply cognitions and knowledge, 'Cush' meaning interior cognitions of the Word, 'Egypt' knowledge, 'Put' cognitions obtained from the literal sense of the Word. This is the reason they are used in both senses, bad as well as good, as becomes clear from the places quoted below.

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