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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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Arcana Coelestia #9093

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9093. And they shall divide the silver of it. That this signifies that the truth thereof shall be dissipated, is evident from the signification of “dividing,” as being to banish and dissipate (see n. 6360, 6361); and from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (n. 1551, 2048, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 7999). That “to divide” denotes to dissipate, is because if those things which have been associated together are divided, they are also scattered, as he who divides his mind destroys it. For the mind of man is an association of two parts, one part being called the understanding, the other the will. He who divides these two parts scatters the things which belong to one part, for one part must live from the other; consequently the other also perishes. It is the same with him who divides truth from good, or what is the same, faith from charity. He who does this destroys both. In a word, all things which ought to be united in a one, if divided perish.

[2] This division is meant by the Lord’s words in Luke:

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will prefer the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Luke 16:13).

That is, by faith serve the Lord, and by love the world; thus acknowledge truth, and do evil. He who does this has a divided mind, from which comes its destruction. From all this it is evident whence it is that “to divide” denotes to dissipate; as is also evident in Matthew:

The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not, and shall divide him, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites (Matthew 24:50-51); where “to divide” denotes to separate and remove from goods and truths (n. 4424), thus to dissipate.

[3] In Moses:

Cursed be their anger, for it was vehement; and their wrath, for it was hard. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel (Genesis 49:7); where Israel speaks prophetically of Simeon and Levi. By Simeon and Leviticus are there represented those who are in faith separate from charity (n. 6352), by Jacob and Israel the church external and internal, and also the external and internal man (n. 4286, 4598, 5973, 6360, 6361). “To divide them in Jacob” denotes to expel them from the external church; and “to scatter them in Israel” denotes from the internal church; thus to dissipate the goods and the truths of the church appertaining to them.

[4] That “dividing” has this signification is also plain from the words written on the wall when Belshazzar king of Babel, together with his lords, his wives, and his concubines, drank wine from the vessels of gold and of silver which belonged to the temple that was at Jerusalem. The writing was:

Numbered, numbered, weighed, and divided (Daniel 5:2-4, 25-28); where “divided” means separated from the kingdom. In this passage it is plain how all things were at that time representative. In it is described the profanation of good and truth, which is signified by “Babel” (that Babel” denotes profanation, see n. 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326); “vessels of gold and of silver” denote the goods of love and the truths of faith from the the Lord, (n. 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917). Profanation is signified by “drinking therefrom, and at the same time praising the gods of gold, of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone,” as we read in the fourth verse of the chapter, which denote evils and falsities in a series (n. 4402, 4544, 7873, 8941). By the “temple at Jerusalem” from which the vessels came, is signified in the supreme sense the Lord, in the representative sense His kingdom and church (n. 3720). The kingdom of Belshazzar being “divided” signified the dissipation of good and truth, and he himself being “slain that night” signified the loss of the life of truth and good, thus damnation; for “to be divided” denotes to be dissipated; “a king” denotes the truth of good (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148); the like is signified by “kingdom” (n. 1672, 2547, 4691); “to be slain” denotes to be deprived of the life of truth and good (n. 3607, 6767, 8902); and the “night” in which he was slain denotes a state of evil and falsity (n. 2353, 7776, 7851, 7870, 7947). From this it is plain that all things there were representative.

[5] It says in David:

They divided My garments among them, and upon My vesture did they cast a lot (Psalms 22:18).

They divided His garments, casting a lot; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet (Matthew 27:35).

The soldiers took His garments, and made four parts; and the tunic, the tunic was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore, Let us not divide it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be; that the Scripture might be fulfilled (John 19:23-24).

He who reads these words and knows nothing of the internal sense of the Word, is not aware that anything secret lies hidden in them, when yet in each word there is a Divine secret. The secret was that Divine truths had been dissipated by the Jews, for the Lord was the Divine truth; and hence He is called “the Word” (John 1). “The Word” denotes Divine truth; His garments represented truths in the external form; and His tunic, truths in the internal form; the division of the garments represented the dissipation of the truths of faith by the Jews. (That “garments” denote truths in the external form, see n. 2576, 5248, 5954, 6918; also that “a tunic” denotes truth in the internal form, n. 4677.) Truths in the external form are such as are those of the Word in the literal sense; but truths in the internal form are such as are those of the Word in the spiritual sense. The division of the garments into four parts signified total dissipation, in like manner as the division in Zechariah 14:4, and in other passages; likewise the division into two parts, as we read of the veil of the temple (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38). The rending of the rocks also at that time (Matthew 27:51) represented the dissipation of all things of faith, for a “rock” denotes the Lord as to faith, consequently it denotes faith from the Lord.

  
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Arcana Coelestia #9199

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9199. And an orphan. That this signifies those who are in truth and not yet in good, and nevertheless long for good, is evident from the signification of “an orphan,” as being those who are in truth and long for good. The reason why these are signified by “orphans,” is that sons bereaved of father and mother, thus they who are deprived of interior good and truth, are “orphans;” for by “father” in the Word is signified interior good, and by “mother” truth conjoined with this good (see n. 5581); and by “sons” are signified the truths thence derived. (That “sons” denote truths may be seen above, n. 489, 491, 553, 1147, 2813, 3373, 6583.) That sons are here meant by “orphans,” and not daughters, is plain from the following verse, where it is said, “and your sons shall be orphans.” That “orphan sons” denote those who long for good, is “because the Lord is then in the place of a father to them; as in David:

A father of the orphans, and a judge of the widows, is God in the habitation of His holiness (Psalms 68:5).

[2] That “orphans” denote those who have been instructed in the truths of faith of the church from the Word, and thereby are afterward led to good, is plain also from the Lord’s words in John:

I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Paraclete, 1 that he may abide with you to eternity, the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, for it seeth him not, neither knoweth him; but ye know him, for he abideth with you, and is among you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come unto you. These things have I spoken unto you while abiding with you. But the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, he shall teach you all things (John 14:16-18, 25-26).

[3] That those are “orphans” who are in truths and long for good can be seen here from every detail; for by “the Paraclete” is meant the Divine truth, which the Lord was while in the world, and which proceeded from the Lord after He had glorified His Human and had gone out of the world. Therefore He says that “He will send the Paraclete,” and that “He Himself will come.” “Sending the Paraclete” denotes enlightening and instructing in the truths of faith; and “coming to them” denotes leading into good. Therefore He says, “I will not leave you orphans.” It has been stated that by “the Paraclete” is meant the Divine truth which the Lord was while in the world, and which proceeded from Him after He had glorified His Human and had gone out of the world. That this is so, the Lord several times plainly taught. But those who distinguish the Divine into Persons, and not into Essences united in one, do not apprehend this; for the Word is explained and apprehended by a man according to the ideas previously received by him. So also where the Lord says that “He is in the Father and the Father in Him; that the Father and He are one; and that all things that are His are the Father’s and all things of the Father are His” (John 10:30; 14:1-11, 20; 16:15; 17:10).

[4] But to proceed with the further explanation of the things stated above. That by “the Paraclete” is meant the Divine truth, is plain from the very words of the Lord, for he is called “the Spirit of truth,” and it is also said, “the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, shall teach you all things.” That the Lord was the Divine truth while in the world, is plain also from the words of the Lord in the above passage, for He says that “He will send another Paraclete (that is, in His place), even the Spirit of truth;” and of Himself He says that they know Him, because He abideth with them, and is among them. And also:

I tell you the truth, if I go not away, the Paraclete will not come unto you; but if I go away, I will send him unto you (John 16:7).

And in another passage:

This spoke He of the Spirit, which they that believed in Him should receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet, because Jesus was not yet glorified (John 7:39).

And again He says that “He is the way, and the truth” (John 14:6); and also that “He is the Word, and that God is the Word, and that the Word became flesh” (John 1:1-3, 14); where “the Word” denotes the Divine truth. (That the Lord while in the world was the Divine truth, see n. 3195, 4687, 4727, 6716, 6864, 7499, 8127, 8724.)

[5] And that the Divine truth proceeds from the Lord since He glorified His Human, and went away out of the world, is plain also from the Lord’s words, “When I go away, I will send the Spirit of truth unto you” (“to send” denotes to go forth and to proceed, n. 2397, 4710); and also, “When he is come, he shall teach you all the truth; for he shall not speak from himself; but what things soever he shall hear, he shall speak. He shall glorify Me; for he shall take of Mine, and shall declare it unto you” (John 16:13-14 That when the Lord went away out of the world He became the Divine good even as to the Human, may be seen above (n. 3704, 3712, 3737, 3969, 4577, 5704, 6864, 7014, 7499, 8241, 8724, 8760, 9167); and that then, from the Divine good, which He Himself is, proceeds the Divine truth, even as from the sun proceeds the light of the universe (n. 3636, 3643, 3969, 5704, 7083, 8127). To these references may be added those cited above (n. 9194).

Footnotes:

1. The Greek word Paracletos, is here and elsewhere left untranslated by Swedenborg, doubtless because there is no precise equivalent for it in Latin, as neither is there in English. Advocatus, like advocate, has too restricted a meaning, and so has “Comforter.” “Paraclete,” used as a noun, means “one who is called to us,” or “summoned;” in the present passage in connection with instruction—“He shall teach you all things.” [Reviser.]

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