Arcana Coelestia #17
17. Verse 2 And the earth was a void and an emptiness, and there was thick darkness over the face 1 of the deep; and the Spirit of God was hovering over the face 1 of the waters. The person who has yet to be regenerated is called 'a void and an empty earth', and also 'ground', in which no good or truth at all has been sown - 'void' where there is no good, and 'empty' where there is no truth. Consequently there is 'thick darkness', or stupidity and lack of knowledge about anything that has to do with faith in the Lord and so anything that has to do with spiritual and celestial life. This kind of person is described by the Lord through Jeremiah,
My people are foolish, they know Me not; they are stupid children, having no understanding; they are wise to do evil, and know not how to do good. I looked to the earth, and, behold, a void and an emptiness; and towards the heavens, and they had no light. Jeremiah 4:22-23, 25.
Footnotes:
1. literally, the faces
Heaven and Hell #13
13. THE DIVINE OF THE LORD IN HEAVEN IS LOVE TO HIM AND CHARITY TOWARDS THE NEIGHBOR
The Divine going forth from the Lord is called in heaven Divine Truth, for a reason which will be shown in what follows. This Divine Truth inflows into heaven from the Lord from His Divine Love. The Divine Love and the Divine Truth therefrom are related to each other as are the fire of the sun and the light therefrom in the world, love being as the fire of the sun and the truth therefrom as light from the sun. Moreover, from correspondence fire signifies love, and light, truth going forth from love. 1 From this, the nature of Divine Truth going forth from Divine Love can be confirmed. In its essence, it is Divine Good conjoined to Divine Truth, and because it is conjoined, it gives life to all things of heaven, just as the heat of the sun conjoined to light in the world makes all things of the earth fruitful, as happens in spring and summer. It is otherwise when heat is not conjoined to light, thus when the light is cold. Then all things are torpid and lifeless. This Divine Good which is compared to heat is the good of love with the angels, whereas the Divine Truth which is compared to light is that through which and from which comes the good of love.
Footnotes:
1. [Swedenborg's footnote] In the Word "fire" signifies love, in a two-fold sense (Arcana Coelestia 934, 4906, 5215). "Holy and heavenly fire" signifies Divine Love, and every affection which is of that love (Arcana Coelestia 934, 6314, 6832). "Light" from fire signifies truth going forth from the good of love, for light in heaven is Divine Truth (Arcana Coelestia 3395, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3993, 4302, 4413, 4415, 9548, 9684).
