Commentary

 

Locusts

  

'Locusts' signify falsities in the extremes, which consume the truths and goods of the church in a person. 'The locusts' which John the Baptist ate signify truths of a most common or general nature.

(References: Apocalypse Revealed 424, 430)


From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #3890

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3890. It has been stated frequently already that heaven or the Grand Man is distinguished into countless separate communities, and into as many broad divisions as there are organs and viscera in the body; and that each individual community belongs to one of those broad divisions, 3745. It has also been stated that, though countless and varying, communities nevertheless act as one, just as all things within the body, though varying, act as one. The communities in heaven which belong to the province of the heart are celestial communities and are situated in the middle or the inmost parts. But the communities in heaven which belong to the province of the lungs are spiritual and are situated round about or more externally. Influx from the Lord passes by way of the celestial communities into the spiritual ones or from the middle into what is surrounding; that is, it flows from inmost parts to more external. The reason for this is that the Lord flows in by way of love or mercy, and this is the source of everything celestial in His kingdom. And by way of love and mercy He flows into the good of faith, and this is the source of everything spiritual in His kingdom. There is also an indescribable variety to all this, but that variety is not a product of the influx but of the reception of it.

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