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Arcana Coelestia #9373

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9373. Come up unto Jehovah. That this signifies conjunction with the Lord, is evident from the signification of “coming up,” as being to be raised toward interior things (see n. 3084, 4539, 4969, 5406, 5817, 6007), consequently also to be conjoined (n. 8760). That it denotes conjunction with the Lord, is because by “Jehovah” in the Word is meant the the Lord, (n. 1343, 1736, 1793, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2025, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6280, 6303, 6905, 8274, 8864, 9315). A secret which also lies hidden in the internal sense of these words, is that the sons of Jacob, over whom Moses was the head, were not called and chosen; but they themselves insisted that Divine worship should be instituted among them (according to wh at has been said in n. 4290, 4293); and therefore it is here said, “and He said unto Moses, Come up unto Jehovah,” as if not Jehovah, but another, had said that he should come up. For the same reason in what follows it is said that “the people should not go up” (verse 2); and that “Jehovah sent not His hand unto the sons of Israel who were set apart” (verse 11); and that “the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the sons of Israel” (verse 17); and lastly that Moses, being called the seventh day, “entered into the midst of the cloud.” For by “the cloud” is meant the Word in the letter (n. 5922, 6343, 6752, 6832, 8106, 8443, 8781); and with the sons of Jacob the Word was separated from its internal sense, because they were in external worship without internal, as can be clearly seen from the fact that now, as before, they said, “all the words which Jehovah hath spoken we will do” (verse 3); and yet scarcely forty days afterward they worshiped a golden calf instead of Jehovah; which shows that this was hidden in their hearts while they were saying with their lips that they would serve Jehovah alone. But nevertheless those who are meant by “the called and the chosen” are those who are in internal worship, and who from internal worship are in external; that is, those who are in love to and faith in the Lord, and from this in love toward the neighbor.

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

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Apocalypse Explained #699

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699. And the temple of God was opened in heaven.- That this signifies the manifestation of a new heaven and a new church, where is the worship of the Lord, is evident from the signification of the temple, as denoting heaven and the church, here, a new heaven and a new church; the manifestation of these is signified by the temple being opened. That temple, in the highest sense, signifies the Lord as to His Divine Human, and the Divine Truth proceeding from Him, and, in a relative sense, heaven and the church, may be seen above (n. 220, 391, 630). The temple here signifies a new heaven and a new church, where there is worship of the Lord, because this chapter treats of the changes of state which precede a last judgment, namely, the separation of the evil from the good, and the removal of them from the places where they were before. When this is accomplished, then a new heaven and a new church appear to those who are in the higher heavens. These could not be made manifest so long as they were conjoined with the evil, because their interiors were closed, lest they might suffer injury from the evil, with whom they had communication as to externals. But when the evil had been separated and removed, then the interiors in the good, which in themselves were heavenly, were opened, and these being opened, heaven and the church became manifest. For in the measure that the interiors, which are celestial and spiritual, are opened, so far the nature of heaven in regard to the church with those in whom heaven and the church are, becomes manifest.

[2] No one from [his] own intelligence could know that these things are so because they are arcana of heaven, which must be learned from revelation. For who could possibly know how the Last Judgment was accomplished, and also what changes preceded it in the spiritual world, and what followed? In order, however, that these things might be known, they have been disclosed to me, therefore I am allowed to describe them here from revelation. It is said, a new heaven and a new church, where the worship of the Lord is, because in the new heaven and in the New Church the Lord alone is worshipped; for the Divine is not there distinguished into three persons, but into a Trine in one person. Concerning this Trinity see what is written in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 280-310). This also is what is meant in the Apocalypse where the New Jerusalem is treated of, "And I saw no temple therein, because the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple thereof" (21:22). The Lord God Almighty and the Lamb mean the Lord as to the Divine itself and the Divine Human. No temple was seen there, because the temple, in the highest sense, signifies the Lord as to Divine Truth and as to worship, as shown above (n. 220, 391, 630); also because the New Jerusalem means the church as to doctrine, or the doctrine of the New Jerusalem. Nevertheless there are temples in heaven, in which the Lord is preached, and Divine truth taught.

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

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Arcana Coelestia #8788

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8788. And sanctify them today and tomorrow. That this signifies the veiling over of the interiors that they may appear in the holy of faith now and afterward, is evident from the signification of “sanctifying,” as being to dispose that they appear to be in holiness in respect to what is external; and as this is effected by means of a veiling over of the interiors, therefore this is also understood by “sanctifying;” that “today and tomorrow” denote now and afterward is evident. How the case herein is may be briefly explained. The church instituted with the Jews was not a church in respect to them, but was only the representative of a church; for in order that there may be a church, there must be with the man of the church faith in the Lord, and also love to Him, and likewise love toward the neighbor. These make the church. But these were not with the people which was called “Jacob,” for it did not acknowledge the Lord, and thus was not willing to hear about faith in Him, still less about love toward Him, nor even toward the neighbor; for it was in the love of self and the love of the world, which loves are utterly opposed to love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor. This disposition is inrooted in that people from their first parents. For this reason it is, that with that people no church could be set up, but only a representation of the things which are of the church.

[2] The church is represented when the man makes worship consist in external things, but in such as correspond to heavenly things. Then internal things are represented by the external ones, and the internal things are open in heaven, with which there is thus conjunction. In order therefore that the Israelitish people might be representative, although their interiors were devoid of the faith and love of heaven, and were even full of the love of self and of the world, these interiors were veiled over, and thus their external things could be communicated to spirits, and through them to the angels, without their internal things; whereas if their internal things had not been veiled over, these would have lain open, and then the representation would have perished, because unclean things would have burst forth and caused contamination. The Israelitish people above all others could be thus veiled over, because it, more than others, adored external things, and made holiness, and even what is Divine, consist in them. From this it can be seen what is meant by “sanctifying,” namely, the veiling over of the interiors so that they may appear to be in the holiness of faith; yet not to themselves, but to the angels with them. (See what has been already shown concerning this people and concerning the institution of the church with it, n. 4208, 4281, 4288, 4289, 4293, 4307, 4314, 4316, 4317, 4429, 4433, 4444, 4459, 4500, 4844, 4847, 4865, 4899, 4911, 4912, 7048, 7051, 8588.) That sanctifications with them were nothing else than appearances of holiness in external things, and yet without anything holy appertaining to them, can be seen from the rites by means of which they were sanctified, namely, the sacrifices, the washings, the sprinklings of blood, the anointings, which do not touch internal things in the slightest degree.

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