5342. 'And laid up food in the cities' means that it stored them - truths linked to good - in the interior parts. This is clear from the meaning here of 'laying up' as storing; from the meaning of 'food' as truth linked to good, dealt with just above in 5340; and from the meaning of 'the cities' as the interior parts of the natural mind, dealt with above in 5297. The idea that truths linked to good are stored in the interior parts of the natural mind, and are preserved there for use subsequently in life, in particular for use in temptations when a person is being regenerated, is an arcanum known to few at the present day. Therefore the nature of this arcanum must be stated. The seven years of abundance of corn mean the truths multiplied initially, and the storage of grain in the cities, in the midst of them, means that those truths linked to good were stored away in a person's interior parts. The seven years of famine and the sustainment provided by the bunches that had been gathered means the state of regeneration effected by means of the truths that had been linked to good and stored away in the interior parts.

[2] The arcanum is this: During the time from earliest infancy through to early childhood a person is led by the Lord into heaven; indeed he is placed among celestial angels who serve to keep him in a state of innocence. This state which infants pass through until early childhood is a well-known one. At the beginning of childhood a gradual shedding of that state of innocence takes place; but even so, the person is kept in a state of charity through the charitable affection which he and his companions feel for one another. During this state, which with many people lasts through to adolescence, he is among spiritual angels. Because he begins at this time to think from what is within himself and to act in accordance with this, he cannot be kept any longer in charity, as he was previously; for now he calls on hereditary evils and allows them to lead him. Once this state has arrived the forms of the good of charity and innocence adopted by him previously are banished, to the extent that forms of evil are present in his thinking and are reinforced by his actions. Actually those forms of good are not banished but are withdrawn by the Lord to interior parts where they are stored away.

[3] But because he does not as yet know any truths, those forms of the good of innocence and charity which he has adopted during those two states do not possess any qualities as yet; for truths give good its qualities, while good gives truths their essence. From this time of life onwards therefore he is being equipped with truths by means of the teaching he receives, and especially by means of his own thoughts about and consequent verification of those truths. Insofar as he is moved at this time by an affection for good, the Lord joins truths to good in him, 5340, and stores them away for [future] use. This is the state that is meant by the seven years of abundance of corn. These truths linked to good are the ones which in a proper sense are called remnants. In the measure therefore that a person allows himself to be regenerated, the remnants serve a useful purpose; for the Lord draws in the same measure on that store of remnants and returns them to the natural. As a result a correspondence of exterior things with interior ones, or natural things with spiritual ones, is brought about; and this happens in the state that is meant by 'the seven years of famine'. This is the arcanum.

[4] At the present day the member of the Church thinks that no matter what anyone's life is like he can nevertheless by an act of mercy be accepted into heaven and enjoy eternal blessedness there; for the member of the Church imagines that it is simply a matter of being let in. But he is much mistaken, because no one can be let into heaven and find acceptance there unless he has acquired spiritual life, and no one can acquire spiritual life unless he is being regenerated, and no one can undergo regeneration except by means of goodness of life coupled to truth taught by doctrine. This is the way spiritual life is acquired by him. The fact that no one can enter heaven unless he has acquired spiritual life through regeneration is stated plainly by the Lord in John,

Truly, truly I say to you, Unless anyone is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God. John 9:9.

And just after this,

Truly, truly I say to you, Unless a person has been born from water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God. John 3:5.

'Water' is the truth taught by doctrine, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, and 'the spirit' is goodness of life. No one enters the kingdom simply through being baptized; rather, baptism is the sign denoting regeneration which the member of the Church should call to mind.

84. And behold I am alive unto the ages of the ages, signifies that eternal life is from Him. This is evident from the signification of "I am alive," which means to be from eternity, and that in Him alone is life from Himself (on which see above, n. 82); but here as being life in others, and His life in others is eternal life. For it is said just before that He "became dead," which signifies that He was rejected, because not received in faith and love; here, therefore, "I am alive" signifies that He is received by those who are in His life, which life is in faith and love with man, and that life is eternal life. That "unto the ages of the ages" signifies to eternity, is clear without explanation. That the life of the Lord is a life of faith in Him and love to Him, and that this life is eternal life is evident from many passages in the Word, as the following from John:

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in Him may not perish, but may have eternal life. He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life; but he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life (John 3:14-16, 36).

In the same:

The water that I shall give shall become in him a fountain of water, springing up unto eternal life (John 4:10-11, 14).

Water is the truth of faith (See above, n. 71).

In the same:

Everyone that beholdeth the Son, and believeth on Him, hath eternal life. The words that I speak unto you are spirit and are life (John 6:40, 63).

The "words" that the Lord speaks are also the truths of faith. In the same:

I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he die, yet shall he live (John 11:25-26).

In the same:

Work for the food which abideth unto eternal life, which the Son of man giveth (John 6:27).

The "food" which the Lord gives is also the truth and good of faith, because spiritual food is meant (See Arcana Coelestia 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 8562, 9003). It was said that the life of the Lord is in faith in Him and love to Him with man; this is because everything of faith and love is from Him, and that which is from Him is also Himself, for it is His proceeding Divine, which is called "the Spirit of Truth" and "the Holy Spirit;" and as the Lord is therein, and it is Himself, therefore it is said that they should abide in the Lord, which means in faith in Him and love to Him, from Him; as in John:

Jesus said, Abide in Me, and I in you. If ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask whatever ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Abide in My love. If ye keep My commandments, ye shall abide in My love. He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit; for without Me ye cannot do anything (John 15:4-10).

From this it may be known what is meant by these words in John:

Ye see Me; because I live ye shall live also (John 14:19).

(That to "see" the Lord is to believe in Him, see above, n. 14, 25, 37; and that "to have faith," or "to believe" in the Lord, is to be in love and charity, see the little work on The Last Judgment 33-39; and New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine, n. 108-142.)

25. Which are in sight of His throne, signifies presence and providence. This is evident from the signification of "sight," as being, when predicated of the Divine, presence, and providence therefrom (of which more in what follows); and from the signification of "throne of God," as being Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, thus heaven, because it is its receptacle (concerning which see Arcana Coelestia 5313, 6397). "Look" means presence, because by look or sight the understanding and thence thought are signified; and in the understanding everything that is thought stands forth as present. For this reason, those in the spiritual world with whom another desires to speak appear present provided the person had formed any idea of them from sight in the world, especially if this is true of both. This is why friends meet there, and also wives and husbands; the reason is that internal sight, which is the understanding, acts as one, in a spirit, with his external sight or sight of the eye; and as spaces in the spiritual world are not like spaces in the natural world, in that world what one desires to see is near, and what he does not desire to see is far off. From this now it is that "look" signifies presence.

(That "look" or "sight" signifies the understanding, see Arcana Coelestia 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 3869, 10705; and therefore signifies presence, n. 4723; and that spaces in heaven are not like spaces in the world, see i n the work on Heaven and Hell 191-199.) "Look," in respect to the Lord, as here, signifies His Divine presence, because the Lord knows all, and they, in turn, know the Lord who are in love and faith towards Him; consequently with such the Lord is present in the goods of love and in the truths of faith that are in them from Him. For these [goods and truths] are the Lord in heaven and in the church; since the things that proceed from the Lord are not merely His, but they are Himself

[2] From this it is clear how the Lord is in man; thus, how that is to be understood that he spoke in John:

Abide in Me, and I in you; he that abideth in Me and I in him, the same beareth much fruit (John 15:4-5).

In the same:

He that loveth Me keeps My word; and the Father and I will come unto him, and make Our abode with him (John 14:23).

In the same:

Jesus said to His disciples, Ye know the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth; for He abideth with you, and shall be in you (John 14:17).

The "Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth," is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; or what is the same, it is the Lord as to Divine truth; and "disciples" are all who are in goods and thence in truths; it is therefore said, "He shall be in you." In the same:

The Word became flesh and dwelt in you ¹ (John 1:14).

The Word, too, is Divine truth; and that the Word is the Lord is clear, since it is said that "the Word became flesh." (That the "Word" signifies Divine truth, and signifies the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia 4692, 5075, 9987) "Look" here also signifies providence, because all presence of the Lord is providence (as may appear from what is said and shown in the small work on The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine 267-279; and in the work on Heaven and Hell (Heaven and Hell 9, n. 9, 12, 143, 145).

Footnotes: