The Bible

 

Genesis 1:24

Study

       

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

Commentary

 

Resurrection, the first

  

'The first resurrection,' mentioned in Revelation 20:5, 6, does not mean a first resurrection, but the essence and primary part of resurrection, which is salvation and eternal life. There is only one resurrection to life. A second does not happen, and is not mentioned anywhere in the Bible.

(References: Apocalypse Explained 6; Apocalypse Revealed 851; Revelation 20:5-6)

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #565

Study this Passage

  
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565. 'Man' here means the human race at that period of time, in particular the race that was evil or corrupt. This becomes clear from the following verses,

My spirit will not reprove man for ever, in that he is flesh, verse 3;

The evil of man had been increased on the earth; and all the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil, verse 5;

I will wipe out man whom I have created, verse 7; and in the next chapter,

All flesh creeping over the earth breathed its last; and every man, in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of life. 1 Genesis 7:21-22.

Concerning man it has been stated already that the Lord alone is Man, and that by virtue of Him every celestial man or celestial Church is called man, as is every other man or Church. And the same applies also to every individual, of whatever faith, to distinguish him from animals. But nobody is man or different from animals except, as has been stated, by virtue of remnants, which are the Lord's. Indeed remnants are what enable anyone to be called man; for it is on account of remnants which are the Lord's and so are obtained from Him that even the worst human being is called a man. For without remnants a person is in no sense a man but an utter beast.

Footnotes:

1. literally, of lives

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