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 #9103

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9103. And four of the flock for one of the flock. That this signifies also the corresponding penalty to the full, is evident from the signification of “four,” as being conjunction, for “four” signifies the same as “two,” because the one number arises from other, being the double of it (that “two” denotes conjunction, see n. 5194, 8423; and consequently also “four,” see n. 1686, 8877); from which it follows that these numbers also denote to the full, for that which is conjoined is full; and from the signification of “one of the flock,” as being interior good, (see just above, n. 9099). The corresponding penalty is signified by “repaying,” namely, four of the flock for one of the flock (n. 9102). Interior good is that good which is called charity in the interior man; and exterior good is charity in the exterior man. The latter good must live from the former, for the good of charity in the interior man is the good of spiritual life; and the good of charity in the exterior man is the good of the derivative natural life. The latter good comes to the sensation of man as delight; but the former good does not come to sensation, but to perception that so it ought to be, and makes a contented mind. In the other life spiritual good also comes to sensation.

[2] The reason why five oxen were to be repaid for an ox, and four of the flock for one of the flock, cannot be known by anyone unless it is known what is meant by “theft” in the spiritual sense, also what by “ox” and by “one of the flock.” What these things signify has been unfolded, namely, the taking away and alienation of exterior and interior good. This taking away is effected through evil, and alienation through falsity; consequently the penalty and restoration thereof are signified by “five” and “four.” That all numbers in the Word signify things, see n. 575, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3252, 4264, 4495, 4670, 5265, 6175; here the things which involve restoration, namely, the number “five” the restoration of exterior good to much; and the number “four” the restoration of interior good to the full. Interior good is to be restored to the full, because this good makes the spiritual life of man, and unless spiritual life is restored to the full, the exterior good which makes the natural life cannot be restored, for the latter life is restored by means of the former, as can be seen from the regeneration of man. (That the external man is regenerated by means of the internal, see n. 9043, 9046, 9061.) But good in the external or natural man cannot be restored to the full, because the injury remains there as a scar which is grown callous. These are the things which these numbers involve.

[3] A few words more however shall be said about the restoration of exterior good, which makes the natural life of man, from interior good which makes his spiritual life. The natural of man sees things in the light of the world, which light is called natural light. Man procures for himself this light by means of the objects which enter through the sight and hearing, thus by means of objects which are of the world. Thus man sees those things within himself, almost as the eye sees them. The objects which enter by these senses appear to him at first as pleasure and delight. Afterward the infant man distinguishes between the different delights, from which he learns to discriminate, and by degrees to do so more perfectly. When light from heaven flows into these things, the man begins to see them spiritually, and first to discriminate between the useful and the non-useful. From this he begins to have an insight as to what is true; for that which is useful to him is to him true, and that which is useless is not true. This insight increases according to the influx of the light of heaven, until at last he discriminates not only between truths, but also between truths within these truths; and he does this with greater clearness in proportion as the communication is better opened between the internal and external man; for the light of heaven inflows from the Lord through the internal man into the external man.

[4] From this then man has perception; but still it is not yet spiritual perception. This perception does not arise from natural truths, but from spiritual truths. Spiritual truths are those which are called the truths of faith. The reason why spiritual perception arises from these truths, is that the light of heaven is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and this shines as light before the eyes of the angels, and also shines in their understandings, and gives them intelligence and wisdom; but with variety according to the reception of it in good. Wherefore the knowledges of spiritual things must be with man in his natural in order that there may be spiritual perception; and knowledges of spiritual things must be from revelation. When the light of heaven flows into these knowledges, it flows into its own, for, as before said, this light is the Divine truth proceeding from the the Lord, (n. 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 2776, 3138, 3167, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3341, 3636, 3643, 4180, 4302, 4408, 4415, 4527, 5400, 6032, 6313, 6608). From this the man has intelligence and wisdom in such things as are of eternal life, and these increase according to the reception of that light, that is, of the truths of faith in good. Good is charity.

[5] That the natural or external man is regenerated, and also amended and restored, through the internal man, can be seen from what has now been said. For the things which are in the external or natural man live from the light of heaven, for this light is living light, because it proceeds from the Lord, who is life itself; but they do not live from natural light, for in itself this light is dead. In order therefore that those things which are in natural light may live, there must be an influx of living light through the internal man from the Lord. This influx accommodates itself according to the knowledges of truth analogous and corresponding in the natural, and according to the compliance there. From this it is evident that the external or natural of man must be regenerated through his internal. In the same way must the good in the natural that has been taken away and alienated, be amended and restored.

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