The Bible

 

Genesis 1:25

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25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1002

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1002. 'Not eating' means not mixing together. This follows from what has been said above. Regarded in itself eating animal flesh is something profane, for in most ancient times people never ate the flesh of any beast or bird, but only different kinds of grain, especially wheaten bread, also the fruit of trees, vegetables, milk, and milk products such as butter. Slaughtering living creatures and eating their flesh was to them abominable, akin to the behaviour of wild animals. Service and use alone was demanded of those creatures, as is clear from Genesis 1:29-30. But in the process of time when mankind began to be as savage as wild animals, indeed more savage, they first began to slaughter living creatures and eat their flesh. And because man had become such, he was permitted to do so and is still permitted today. And insofar as he does so from conscience, it is quite legitimate, for his conscience is given form from all those things he presumes to be true and so legitimate. Consequently nobody nowadays stands in any sense condemned because he eats meat.

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

Commentary

 

276 - More Than Meets the Eye, Part 1 of 4: Textual Clues

By Jonathan S. Rose

Title: More Than Meets the Eye, Part 1:Textual Clues

Topic: The Word

Summary: Just as an expert can tell from our eyes or our skin what is going on with our internal organs, it is possible to tell from what is on the surface of Scripture that there is more that lies beneath.

Use the reference links below to follow along in the Bible as you watch.

References:
Genesis 1:26-27; 2:3-7, 18-22; 9:8-27
Exodus 4:24-27
1 Samuel 17:49-51
2 Kings 11:1-2, 21; 12:1-2, 4, 6-7, 18; 13:1, 9-10, 12, 14, 25; 14:1, 8-9, 11, 13, 17, 23; 15:13, 19
Mark 5:1-8
Acts of the Apostles 20:38; 21:1, 5, 7-8, 18
Revelation 6:15-16; 5:8; 17:9-11
2 Corinthians 3:6, 14-16
Luke 24:27, 44-45

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Spirit and Life Bible Study broadcast from 8/31/2016. The complete series is available at: www.spiritandlifebiblestudy.com