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25 또 가로되 `우리에게 짚과 보리가 족하며 유숙할 곳도 있나이다'

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Arcana Coelestia #2943

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2943. 'To all entering into the gate of his city, saying' means matters of doctrine through which one comes to faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'a gate' as a place of entry and so as that which, in the same way as a door, leads in, dealt with in 2145, 2152, 2356, 2385, and from the meaning of 'a city' as truth, which constitutes faith, dealt with in 402, 2268, 2449, 2451, 2712. In the Ancient Church a city was not like the city of later or of modern times. That is to say, a city did not consist of a collection or gathering together of individuals but of separate families living side by side. A family descended from the same forefather constituted a city. The city of Nahor, for example, to which Abraham's servant went to betroth Rebekah to Isaac, Genesis 24:10, consisted of the family of Nahor which was there. And Shalem, the city of Shechem, to which Jacob came after his departure from Paddan Aram, Genesis 33:18 and the whole of Chapter 34, consisted of the family of Hamor and Shechem which was there. And the same was so with all other cities in those times.

[2] And as it had come down to them from the most ancient people that nations and families represented heavenly communities, and so the things of love and charity, 685, 1159, therefore when a city is mentioned instead of a family, and a people instead of a nation, truth that constitutes faith is meant. It is also why in the genuine sense the city of God and the holy city mean faith in the Lord. And as 'a city' meant faith, 'the gate of the city' means matters of doctrine through which one comes to faith. The same was also meant in the Jewish representative Church by the judges and elders sitting in the gate of the city and giving judgement there, as is evident from historical sections of the Word, and also in Zechariah,

These are the things that you shall do: Speak the truth, everyone to his companion; judge in your gates the truth and the judgement of peace. Zechariah 8:16.

And in Amos,

Hate evil, and love good, and establish judgement in the gate. Amos 5:15.

'A gate' also means the place of entry into the rational mind, and the rational mind is compared to a city, see 2851.

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

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Arcana Coelestia #695

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695. The form and the order however which the Lord imposes on the hells are such that all there are kept chained and fettered by their own desires and delusions in which their very life consists. That life, being the life of death, is converted into dreadful tortures, so great as to defy description. For the greatest delight of their lives consists in their being able to punish, torture, and torment one another, and to do so by methods quite unknown in the world. By those methods they know how to introduce painful sensations just as if they were in the body, and also dreadful and horrible delusions, as well as fears and phobias, and other similar tortures. In this the devilish crew find so much pleasure that if they were able to go on unceasingly inflicting more and more pain and torture, they would not rest content even then but would be fired to do so even more unceasingly still. The Lord however diverts their endeavours and alleviates torments.

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