4100. Omdat al de rijkdommen welke God onze vader heeft ontrukt, die zijn onze en van onze zonen; dat dit betekent dat alle dingen vanuit de eigen macht waren en niets door iemand gegeven was, door in te vloeien uit Zijn Goddelijke in dat wat Hij daaruit zou nemen, staat vast uit wat eerder in de nrs. 4065, 4075, 4081 is gezegd en uiteengezet.

48. Of the natural and the spiritual.

How perverse it is that the world at this day attributes so much to nature, and so little to the Divine (n. 3483). Why it is so (n. 5116). When nevertheless each and every particular in nature not only exists, but likewise continually subsists from the Divine, and through the spiritual world (n. 775, 8211). Divine, celestial, and spiritual things terminate in nature (n. 4240, 4939). Nature is the ultimate plane whereon they stand (n. 4240, 5651, 6275, 6284, 6299, 9216). Celestial, spiritual, and natural things follow and succeed each other in order; so do Divine things with them, because they are from the Divine (n. 880, 4938-4939, 9992, 10005, 10017, 10068). Celestial things are the head, spiritual things the body, and natural things the feet (n. 4938-4939). They also inflow in an order similar to that wherein they follow and succeed each other (n. 4938-4939).

The good of the inmost or third heaven is called celestial, the good of the middle or second heaven is called spiritual, and the good of the ultimate or first heaven is called spiritual natural, whence it may be known what is the celestial, spiritual, and natural (n. 4279, 4286, 4938-4939, 9992, 10005, 10017, 10068); and in 20-28, 29-40 in the work on Heaven and Hell.

All things of the natural world are from the Divine through the spiritual world (n. 5013). Consequently the spiritual is in every natural thing, just as the efficient cause is in the effect (n. 3562, 5711); or as effort is in motion (n. 5173), and as the internal is in the external (n. 3562, 5326, 5711). And since the cause is the very essential in the effect, as effort is in motion, and the internal in the external; hence it follows, that the spiritual, and consequently the Divine, is the very essential in the natural (n. 2987-3002, 9701-9709). Spiritual things are presented to view in the natural, and the things manifested are representatives and correspondences (n. 1632, 2987-3002). Hence all nature is a theater representative of the spiritual world, that is, of heaven (n. 2758, 2999-3000, 4939, 8848, 9280). All things in nature are disposed in order and series according to ends (n. 4104). This is from the spiritual world, that is, from heaven, because ends, which are uses, reign there (n. 454, 696, 1103, 3645, 4054, 7038). Man is so created that Divine things descending according to order into nature, may be perceived in him (n. 3702).

With every man, who is in Divine order, there is an internal and an external, his internal is called the spiritual, or the spiritual man, and his external is called the natural, or the natural man (n. 978, 1015, 4459, 6309, 9701-9709). The spiritual man is in the light of heaven, and the natural man in the light of the world (n. 5965). The natural man can discern nothing from himself, but from the spiritual (n. 5286). The natural is like a face in which the interiors see themselves, and thus man thinks (n. 5165). The spiritual man thinks in the natural, consequently naturally, so far as it comes to the sensual perception of the natural (n. 3679, 5165, 6284, 6299). The natural is the plane, in which the spiritual terminates (n. 5651, 6275, 6284, 6299, 9216). The spiritual sees nothing, unless the natural be in correspondence (n. 3493, 3620, 3623). The spiritual or internal man can see what is being done in the natural or external, but not the contrary, because the spiritual flows into the natural, and not the natural into the spiritual (n. 3219, 4667, 5119, 5259, 5427-5428, 5477, 6322, 9109-9110). The natural man from his own light, which is called the light [lumen] of nature, knows nothing concerning God, nor concerning heaven, nor concerning the life after death; neither does he believe, if he hears of such things, unless spiritual light, which is light from heaven, flows into that natural light [lumen] (n. 8944).

The natural man of himself, by birth, is opposite to the spiritual man (n. 3913, 3928). Therefore as long as they are opposite to each other, man feels it grievous to think of spiritual and celestial things, but delightful to think of natural and corporeal things (n. 4096). He nauseates the things of heaven, and even the bare mention of anything spiritual, from experience (n. 5006, 9109). Merely natural men regard spiritual good and truth as a servant (n. 5013, 5025). When nevertheless the natural man ought to be subordinate to the spiritual man, and serve him (n. 3019, 5168). The spiritual man is said to serve the natural, when the latter from the intellectual principle seeks confirmations of the objects of his concupiscence, particularly from the Word (n. 3019, 5013, 5025, 5168). How merely natural men appear in another life, and what is the quality of their state and lot there (n. 4630, 4633, 4940-4952, 5032, 5571).

The truths, which are in the natural man, are called scientifics and knowledges (n. 3293). The imagination of the natural man, when viewed in itself, is material, and his affections are like those of beasts (n. 3020). But there is a genuine thinking and imaginative principle from the internal or spiritual man, when the natural man sees, acts, and lives therefrom (n. 3493, 5422-5423, 5427-5428, 5477, 5510).

The things which are in the natural man, respectively to those which are in the spiritual man, are general (n. 3513, 5707); and consequently obscure (n. 6686).

There is an interior and an exterior natural with man (n. 3293-3294, 3793, 5118, 5126, 5497, 5649). There is also a medium between them (n. 4570, 9216). The discharges of the spiritual man are made into the natural, and by it (n. 9572).

They who do good merely from a natural disposition, and not from religion, are not received in heaven (n. 8002, 8772).

10335. 'And I, behold, I have appointed with him Aholiab the son of Ahisamach, belonging to the tribe of Dan' means those in whom the good and truth of faith are present, among whom the Church is to be established. This is clear from the representation of 'Aholiab' as those in whom the good and truth of faith are present. The reason why these are represented by Aholiab is that he was from the tribe of Dan, and that tribe means those in whom the good and truth of faith are present, see 3923, 6396. And the reason why these two - Bezalel from the tribe of Judah, and Aholiab from the tribe of Dan - were chosen to carry out the work, by which Divine celestial and spiritual realities would be represented, was that by Bezalel all those in whom the good of love is present should be understood, and by Aholiab all those in whom the good and truth of faith are present. Thus those who are in the inmost parts of heaven and the Church should be understood by Bezalel, and those who are in the last and lowest parts of them by Aholiab. And when they who are inmost and those who are last and lowest are referred to by name, all who are within the whole of heaven and within the whole of the Church should be understood. For this matter, see above in 10329; and when reference is made to what is first and what is last all things should be understood, 10044.

[2] The tribe of Judah was also in reality the first of the tribes, and the tribe of Dan the last of them. The fact that the tribe of Judah was in reality the first of the tribes is clear from father Israel's blessing of his sons in Genesis 49, where Reuben, Simeon, and Levi, who were the firstborn, are cursed, and Judah is blessed. See regarding Reuben there, verses 3, 4; regarding Simeon and Levi, verses 5-7; and regarding Judah, verses 8-12. And the fact that Dan was the last of the tribes, see 1710, 3923, 6396. The inmost heaven furthermore is inhabited by those in whom the good of love to the Lord exists, and the lowest by those in whom the truth of faith springing from good is present. The expression 'in whom the truth of faith springing from good is present' is used because the truth of faith is not the truth of faith present in a person unless it springs from good; for truth is born from good. Therefore unless good resides within truth there is no soul and so no life within it. Those in whom the truths of faith springing from good are present inhabit the lowest parts of heaven, but not those in whom the truths of faith are devoid of good; the latter do not inhabit heaven. Since the truth of faith acts as a servant to the good of love, as what is last does to what is first, it says of Aholiab that Jehovah appointed him to be with Bezalel, that is, to be his assistant; and of Bezalel it says that Jehovah filled him with the spirit of God in wisdom, and in intelligence, and in knowledge, and in all [manner of] work, verse 3.