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 #20
20. HEAVEN IS DISTINGUISHED INTO TWO KINGDOMS
As there are infinite varieties in heaven, and no one society nor even any one angel is exactly like any other, 1 there are in heaven general, specific and particular divisions. The general division is into two kingdoms, the specific into three heavens and the particular into innumerable societies. The details will be treated of in what now follows. They are termed kingdoms because heaven is called the kingdom of God.
Footnotes:
1. [Swedenborg's footnote] There is infinite variety and nowhere anything the same as another (Arcana Coelestia 7236, 9002). Also, in the heavens there is infinite variety (Arcana Coelestia 684, 690, 3744, 5598, 7236); and those varieties are varieties of good (Arcana Coelestia 3744, 4005, 7236, 7833, 7836, 9002); and thus all the societies in the heavens and every angel in a society are distinguished from each other (Arcana Coelestia 690, 3245, 3519, 3804, 3986, 4067, 4149, 4263, 7236, 7833, 7836); but still all make one by love from the Lord (Arcana Coelestia 457, 3986).
