The Bible

 

Genesis 1

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1 In the beginning of God's preparing the heavens and the earth --

2 the earth hath existed waste and void, and darkness [is] on the face of the deep, and the Spirit of God fluttering on the face of the waters,

3 and God saith, `Let light be;' and light is.

4 And God seeth the light that [it is] good, and God separateth between the light and the darkness,

5 and God calleth to the light `Day,' and to the darkness He hath called `Night;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- Day one.

6 And God saith, `Let an expanse be in the midst of the waters, and let it be separating between waters and waters.'

7 And God maketh the expanse, and it separateth between the waters which [are] under the expanse, and the waters which [are] above the expanse: and it is so.

8 And God calleth to the expanse `Heavens;' and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day second.

9 And God saith, `Let the waters under the heavens be collected unto one place, and let the dry land be seen:' and it is so.

10 And God calleth to the dry land `Earth,' and to the collection of the waters He hath called `Seas;' and God seeth that [it is] good.

11 And God saith, `Let the earth yield tender grass, herb sowing seed, fruit-tree (whose seed [is] in itself) making fruit after its kind, on the earth:' and it is so.

12 And the earth bringeth forth tender grass, herb sowing seed after its kind, and tree making fruit (whose seed [is] in itself) after its kind; and God seeth that [it is] good;

13 and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day third.

14 And God saith, `Let luminaries be in the expanse of the heavens, to make a separation between the day and the night, then they have been for signs, and for seasons, and for days and years,

15 and they have been for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth:' and it is so.

16 And God maketh the two great luminaries, the great luminary for the rule of the day, and the small luminary -- and the stars -- for the rule of the night;

17 and God giveth them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth,

18 and to rule over day and over night, and to make a separation between the light and the darkness; and God seeth that [it is] good;

19 and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day fourth.

20 And God saith, `Let the waters teem with the teeming living creature, and fowl let fly on the earth on the face of the expanse of the heavens.'

21 And God prepareth the great monsters, and every living creature that is creeping, which the waters have teemed with, after their kind, and every fowl with wing, after its kind, and God seeth that [it is] good.

22 And God blesseth them, saying, `Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and the fowl let multiply in the earth:'

23 and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day fifth.

24 And God saith, `Let the earth bring forth the living creature after its kind, cattle and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after its kind:' and it is so.

25 And God maketh the beast of the earth after its kind, and the cattle after their kind, and every creeping thing of the ground after its kind, and God seeth that [it is] good.

26 And God saith, `Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, and let them rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that is creeping on the earth.'

27 And God prepareth the man in His image; in the image of God He prepared him, a male and a female He prepared them.

28 And God blesseth them, and God saith to them, `Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and rule over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the heavens, and over every living thing that is creeping upon the earth.'

29 And God saith, `Lo, I have given to you every herb sowing seed, which [is] upon the face of all the earth, and every tree in which [is] the fruit of a tree sowing seed, to you it is for food;

30 and to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to every creeping thing on the earth, in which [is] breath of life, every green herb [is] for food:' and it is so.

31 And God seeth all that He hath done, and lo, very good; and there is an evening, and there is a morning -- day the sixth.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #10238

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10238. And thou shalt put waters therein. That this signifies the truths of faith, through which there is purification in the natural, is evident from the signification of “waters,” as being the truths of faith (see n. 28, 739, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 8568, 9323); and from the signification of the “laver,” as being the natural (of which above, n. 10235). He who does not know that “waters” signify the truths of faith, will fail to comprehend many passages in the Word; as what is signified by the statement that “unless a man is born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God” (John 3:5). They who by “water” in this passage understand nothing but water, believe that the water of baptism is that by which man is regenerated; when yet the water contributes nothing to regeneration; but the truth of faith and the good of love; for water merely washes away the uncleanness of the body, and by no means the evils of the heart.

[2] He who does not know that “waters” signify the truths of faith, cannot know what baptism signifies; for he believes that this external rite saves man, when yet this external thing effects nothing; but the internal thing that is signified, which is regeneration by means of the truths of faith. For they who are of the church are distinguished by baptism from all others in the whole world, because they can be regenerated by means of the truths of faith, but not those who are outside the church, seeing that within the church is the Word, in which are the truths of faith.

[3] He who does not know that “waters” signify the truths of faith, cannot know what is meant by “the waters that were above the expanse, and the waters that were under the expanse” (Genesis 1:6-10), when yet by “the waters above the expanse” are signified the truths of faith in the internal man; and by “the waters under the expanse,” the truths of faith in the external man; for the subject treated of in that chapter is the new creation of the man of the Most Ancient Church, thus his regeneration.

[4] He who does not know that “waters” signify the truths of faith, cannot know either what is signified by “waters” in Johns:

Whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up into eternal life (John 4:13).

The poor and the needy seek water, but there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst. I will open rivers on the hillsides, and I will set fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of waters, and the dry land springs of waters (Isaiah 41:17-18).

They shall not thirst, He shall cause the waters to flow out of the rock for them; and He shall cleave the rock that the waters flow out (Isaiah 48:20-21).

And very frequently elsewhere. But see what has been previously said and shown on this subject; as, That purification from evils and falsities is effected by means of the truths of faith (n. 2799, 5954, 7044, 7918, 9089, 10229): As also regeneration (see the places ci ted in n. 9959) That “baptism” signifies regeneration by means of the truths of faith (n. 4255, 5120, 9089): That purification is effected in the natural (n. 3147, 9572): And also regeneration (see the places cited in n. 9325 at the end).

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

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #7601

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7601. And the flax. That this signifies the truth of the exterior natural, is evident from the signification of “flax,” as being truth, but truth of the exterior natural (of which below; that the natural is exterior and interior, see n. 4570, 5118, 5497, 5649; consequently that the truth and good therein are interior and exterior, n. 3293, 3294). The truth and good of the exterior natural are signified by “the flax and the barley,” and the good and truth of the interior natural by “the wheat and the spelt.”

[2] The subject treated of in this and in the following verse is the truths and goods which were destroyed and vastated, and the goods and truths which were not destroyed and vastated; thus the truths and goods which were stored up and reserved for use, and those which were not stored up and reserved. For when the evil are being vastated, that is, when they are being separated from truths and goods, and are left to their own evils and falsities, they are then vastated in respect to those truths and goods which are in the exterior natural, and which are adjoined there to falsities and evils. That these truths and goods look downward, and therefore cannot be reserved, will be seen below (n. 7604, 7607); but the truths and goods of the interior natural are not vastated, but are brought further inward, and are there reserved for use; and then the communication between the interior natural and the exterior is so far closed that nothing of good and truth can inflow from the interior natural into the exterior natural, except only something general, to enable them to reason, and to string together arguments to confirm falsities and evils. Those goods and truths which are reserved, are signified in the Word by “remains” (as to which see n. 468, 530, 560, 561, 576, 661, 798, 1738, 1906, 2284, 5135, 5342, 5344, 5897-5899, 6156, 7556). These are now treated of in these two verses, and are signified by “the flax and the barley were smitten, because the barley was a ripening ear, and the flax was a stalk;” and by “the wheat and spelt were not smitten, because they were hidden.” It is from representatives in heaven that “flax” signifies truth. In heaven they who are in the truth of the natural appear clothed in white, which white appears as of linen.

[3] The truth itself of the natural is also there represented as if woven from the purer threads of the flax. These threads appear like threads of silk-bright, beautifully translucent, and soft; and the clothing made of them appears similar if the truth which is so represented is from good; but on the other hand these threads, which are like those of flax, do not appear translucent, nor bright, nor soft, but hard and brittle, and yet white, if the truth which is so represented is not from good.

[4] From all this it can now be seen what is signified by the angels who were seen by men appearing in linen garments; as those spoken of in John:

There went out from the temple the seven angels that had the seven plagues, clothed in linen white and shining, and girt about their breasts with golden girdles (Revelation 15:6).

I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold a man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with gold of Uphas (Daniel 10:5).

Behold six men came from a way of the upper gate, every man with his weapons of dispersion in his hand; but one man in the midst of them clothed in linen, and a scribe’s ink horn on his loins (Ezekiel 9:2);

which angel is further mentioned in the same chapter (Revelation 15 9:3-4; 10:2-7). And in the same prophet we read of the angel who measured the new temple, who had a line of flax and a measuring reed in his hand (Ezekiel 40:3). The angels also who were seen in the Lord’s sepulcher appeared clothed in white, bright and shining (Matthew 28:3; Mark 16:5; Luke 24:4; John 20:11-12).

[5] As “flax” signified the truth of the exterior natural, and the exterior natural is what clothes the interiors, therefore this truth is what was represented by the linen garments with which the angels were clothed; and also by the garments of flax (or linen) with which Aaron was clothed when he ministered in the holy place, which garments are thus spoken of in Moses:

When Aaron enters into the holy place, he shall put on the holy coat of linen, and shall gird himself with the belt of linen, and he shall put on himself the miter of linen; these are the garments of holiness (Leviticus 16:4).

The priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, when they enter at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with garments of linen, and no wool shall come up upon them when they minister in the gates of the inner court and inward; miters of linen shall be upon their head, breeches of linen shall be upon their loins (Ezekiel 44:17-18);

speaking of the new temple and of the New Jerusalem, by which is meant the Lord’s kingdom. Therefore also the priests wore ephods of linen (1 Samuel 22:18); and Samuel ministered before Jehovah, a boy girded with an ephod of linen (1 Samuel 2:18). David also, when the ark was brought over into his city, was girded with an ephod of linen (2 Samuel 6:14).

[6] From all this it can also be seen why the Lord, when He washed the feet of His disciples, girded Himself with a linen towel, and wiped their feet with the linen towel with which He was girded (John 13:4-5); for the washing of the feet signified purification from sins, which is effected by means of the truths of faith, for by means of these man is taught how to live.

[7] By “flax” (or “linen”) is signified truth in the following passages also, in Jeremiah:

Jehovah said to the prophet, Go and buy thee a girdle of linen, and put it upon thy loins, but draw it not through water. Take the girdle, and arise, go to Euphrates, and hide it in a hole of the rock. At the end of many days, when he took the girdle from the place where he had hidden it, behold the girdle had rotted, it was fit for nothing (Jeremiah 13:1-7);

by the “girdle of flax upon the loins” was represented truth from good, such as it is in the beginning when a church is being set up again by the Lord, and such as it becomes afterward; that about its end it is corrupt and is fit for nothing.

In Isaiah:

They who make linen of silk shall blush, and the weavers of curtains (Isaiah 19:9).

This is said of Egypt; “to make linen of silk” denotes to counterfeit truths.

[8] In Moses:

Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together. Thou shalt not wear a mixed garment of wool and flax together (Deuteronomy 22:10-11);

by “an ox” is signified the good of the natural; by “an ass” its truth; in like manner by “wool and flax.” That they were not to plough with an ox and an ass together, nor to wear a mixed garment of wool and flax together, signified that they were not to be in two states at once; namely, in good and from it look to truth; and at the same time in truth and from it look to good. These things involve the same as is involved in the words of the Lord in Matthew:

Let him that is upon the roof of the house not come down to take anything out of his house; and let him that is in the field not return back to take his garment (Matthew 24:17-18);

as to which see above (n. 3652 at the end). For they who from good look to truth are in an interior heaven; but they who from truth look to good are in an exterior heaven; the latter from the world look to heaven, the former from heaven look to the world, whence they are in a kind of opposition, and therefore if they were together, the one would destroy the other.

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