1. THE TRUE CHRISTIAN RELIGION

Containing THE UNIVERSAL THEOLOGY OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW CHURCH

THE FAITH OF THE NEW HEAVEN AND THE NEW CHURCH

This faith is presented at the outset in its general and in its particular form. It is so presented that it may serve as a preface to the whole work which follows, as a gateway, as it were, by which entrance is made to a temple, and as an epitome in which the subsequent details are duly summarized. It is said to be "The Faith of the New Heaven and the New Church" because heaven, where angels are, and the Church, in which men are, act as one like the internal and the external with man. Hence it is that the member of the Church, who is in the good of love from the truths of faith, and in the truths of faith from the good of love, is an angel of heaven as to the interiors of his mind. Thus he enters into heaven after death, and there enjoys happiness according to the degree in which those principles are united in him. It should therefore be known that this faith in its summary form is the index and gateway of the new heaven now being formed by the Lord.

223. (7) THE POWER OF THE WORD IN ULTIMATES WAS REPRESENTED BY THE NAZIRITES. ¹

We read in the Book of Judges concerning Samson, that he was a Nazirite from his mother's womb, and that his strength lay in his hair. Moreover, by Nazirite and Naziriteship is signified hair. He himself made it clear that his strength lay in his hair, when he said:

"There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazirite from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man" Judges 16:17.

No one can possibly know why the Naziriteship, by which is signified hair, was instituted, and why Samson's strength lay in his hair, unless he knows what is signified by the head in the Word. The head signifies intelligence, which angels and men possess from the Lord by means of Divine Truth. Hair, therefore, signifies intelligence from Divine Truth in ultimates or extremes. Because this was signified by hair it was therefore ordained as a law for the Nazirites,

that they should not shave the hair of their head, because it was the Naziriteship of God upon their head. Numbers 6:1-21.

For the same reason it was also ordained:

the High Priest and his son should not shave their head, lest they should die, and wrath should come upon the whole house of Israel. Leviticus 10:8.

Since the hair, on account of this signification grounded in correspondence, was so holy, therefore the Son of Man, who is the Lord as to the Word, is described even to His hairs, which:

"were white like wool, as white as snow" Revelation 1:14.

So also the Ancient of Days is described, in Daniel 7:9.

Since the hair signifies truth in ultimates, thus the sense of the Letter of the Word, therefore those who despise the Word in the spiritual world become bald; while on the contrary, those who have honored the Word and regarded it as holy, appear with beautiful hair. It was on account of this correspondence:

the forty-two children who called Elisha bald-head, were torn to pieces by two she-bears. 2 Kings 2:23-24.

For Elisha represented the Church as to doctrine from the Word, and she-bears signify the power of truth in ultimates. The power of Divine Truth, or the Word, is in the sense of the Letter, because the Word in that sense is in its fulness, and the angels of the Lord's two kingdoms and men are simultaneously in that sense.

Footnotes:

243. VIII. THE CHURCH EXISTS FROM THE WORD, AND ITS QUALITY WITH MAN IS ACCORDING TO HIS UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORD.

There is no doubt that the Church exists from the Word, for it was shown above that the Word is Divine Truth,189-192; that the doctrine of the Church is from the Word,225-233; and that conjunction with the Lord is effected by means of the Word,234-239. It may, however, be doubted that it is the understanding of the Word which constitutes the Church, as there are some who believe that they belong to the Church because they have the Word, read it or hear it from a preacher, and know something of the sense of the Letter, although they do not know how certain passages are to be understood; while some regard this of no importance. It will be necessary, then, to prove that it is not the Word, but the understanding of it, which constitutes the Church, and that the quality of the Church is according to the understanding of the Word with those who are in the Church.