The White Horse #12
12. The Word has been written through correspondences, and thus through representative ideas
The Word as regards its literal sense has been written through correspondences alone, and thus through such things as represent and signify the spiritual aspects of heaven and the Church: 1404, 1408-1409, 1540, 1619, 1659, 1709, 1783, 2179, 2763, 2899. This was done because of the internal sense in each particular instance: 2899; thus too for the sake of heaven, since those who are in heaven do not understand the Word according to its literal or natural sense but according to its internal, or spiritual sense: 2899. The Lord spoke through correspondences, through representative and signifying ideas, because He spoke from His divine being: 9049, 9063, 9086, 10126, 10276. The Lord thus spoke directly to the world and at the same time to heaven: 2533, 4807, 9049, 9063, 9086. Whatever the Lord spoke filled the whole of heaven: 1 4637. The historical narratives of the Word are representative, and their actual words have significances: 1540, 1659, 1709, 1783, 2686. The Word could not have been written in any other style for there to be communication through it with heaven: 2899, 6943, 9401. Those who treat the Word with contempt because of its simple and seemingly uncultivated style, and think that they would accept it if it had been written in a different style, are greatly mistaken: 8783. Also, the manner and style of writing of the most ancient authors was through correspondences and representative ideas: 605, 1756, 9942. I found through my own experience that the wise men of ancient times were delighted by the Word, because they found there representative and significant ideas: 2592-2593. If someone of the most ancient Church had read the Word, he would have seen clearly those things which are in the internal sense and obscurely those things in the external sense: 4493. The sons of Jacob were brought down into the land of Canaan because all places in that land were from very ancient times made representative: 1585, 3686, 4447, 5136, 6516; and so that the Word might be written there, where places were to be named because of their internal meaning: 3686, 4447, 5136, 6516. But in fact the Word in its external sense was altered on account of that people, though not as regards its internal sense: 10453, 10461, 10603-10604. Many passages from the Word are quoted about that nation, which must however be understood according to their internal sense-that is, other than according to the literal sense: 7051. Since that nation represented the Church, and because the Word was written among and about that nation, therefore heavenly ideas were signified by their names, for example Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Ephraim, Joseph and the rest; and by Judah in the internal sense is signified the Lord as regards celestial love, and His heavenly kingdom: 3654, 3881, 5583, 5782, 6362-6381.
So that it may be known what are the correspondences and their nature, and what is the nature of the representations in the Word, something will also be said about those. All things which correspond also represent and then signify something, such that correspondences and representations go together as one: 2896, 2899, 2973, 2987, 2989-2990, 3002, 3225. What those correspondences and representations are, from my own experience and examples: 2763, 2987-3002, 3213-3226, 3337-3352, 3472-3485, 4218-4228, 9280. The knowledge of correspondences and representations was the most important field of knowledge among the ancients: 3021, 3419, 4280, 4749, 4844, 4964, 4966, 6004, 7729, 10252; especially among people in eastern parts: 5702, 6692, 7097, 7779, 9391, 10252, 10407; in Egypt more than other places: 5702, 6692, 7097, 7779, 9391, 10407; even among the Gentiles, for example in Greece and elsewhere: 2762, 7729. But today it is among the lost fields of knowledge, especially in Europe: 2894-2895, 2995, 3630, 3632, 3747-3749, 4581, 4966, 10252. But always that type of knowledge is more important than all others, since without it the Word is not understood; nor are the rites of the Jewish Church which are written about in the Word; nor is it known what the nature of heaven is, nor is it known what that which is spiritual is, nor how it happens that there is an inflowing of the spiritual into the natural, nor how there is an inflowing of the soul into the body, and many other things: 4280, and in passages cited above. All things which appear among spirits and angels are representative in accord with correspondences: 1971, 3213-3226, 3475, 3485, 9457, 9481, 9576-9577. Heaven is full of representations: 1521, 1532, 1619. Representations are more beautiful and perfect the more interior they are in heaven: 3475. Representations there are real appearances since they come from the light of heaven, which is the divine truth; and this itself is the essential part of all things that are in existence: 3485.
The reason why every single thing in the spiritual world is represented in the natural world is that what is internal clothes itself as appropriate in what is its external guise, through which it presents itself visibly, and becomes apparent: 6275, 6284, 6299. Thus, an end clothes itself in suitable guises in order to present itself as a cause in a lower sphere, and then as an effect in a still lower sphere; and when an end passes by way of a cause into an effect, it presents itself visibly, or becomes apparent right before the eyes: 5711.
This is illustrated by the inflowing of the soul into the body: namely, the soul is clothed with such things in the body through which everything it thinks and wishes can present itself and become apparent visibly; therefore when thought flows down into the body it is represented by such gestures and actions as correspond to it: 2988. Quite clearly the feelings of the mind are represented in the face by its various expressions, to such an extent that they are seen there: 4791-4805, 5695. From this it is plain that in every single thing within the natural order there lies hidden deep inside a cause and an end from the spiritual world: 3562, 5711 since things which are in the natural order are final effects, within which are prior causes: 4240, 4939, 5651, 6275, 6284, 6299, 9216. Whatever is internal is that which is represented, and what is external that which serves to represent it: 4292.
What correspondences and representations are may be further seen in the work Heaven and Hell, where the correspondence of all things of heaven with all human things is dealt with: 87-102; the correspondence of heaven with all things of earth: 103-115; and representations and appearances in heaven: 170-176.
Since all things in the natural order are representative of spiritual and celestial realities, in ancient times there were churches in which all the external observances or rituals were representative: 519, 521, 2896. The Church was set up among the children of Israel as a representative church: 1003, 2179, 10149. There all the rituals were external forms representing the internal things of heaven and the Church: 4288, 4874. The representative things of the Church and worship ceased when the Lord came into the world and manifested Himself, because the Lord revealed the internal things of the Church, and all things of that Church, in a supreme sense, had regard to Him: 4835.
Fotnoter:
1. pervaserint totum caelum (De Equo Albo), impleverint universum coelum (De Nova Hierosolyma). The latter stands closer to what Swedenborg has [...] in the entry in his index which he's drawing on here. On the assumption that De Equo Albo is subsequent to De Nova Hierosolyma, this exemplifies Swedenborg's continual effort to refine his wording, though I'm not sure why he changed from impleo to pervado:' the Revd John Elliott, who has noted many similar refinings.
属天的奥秘 #4747
4747. “看哪, 有一伙以实玛利人从基列来” 表那些处于如外邦人所处的那种简单良善之人. 这从 “以实玛利人” 的代表, 以及 “基列” 的含义清楚可知: “以实玛利人” 是指那些在生活方面处于简单良善, 因而在教义上处于属世真理的人 (3263节); “基列” 是指外层良善, 人在重生时, 首先被引入外层良善 (4117, 4124节). 由此明显可知, “一伙以实玛利人从基列来” 表示诸如存在于外邦人当中的那种良善, 也就是那些处于这种简单良善的人.
这一切的含义从至此的阐述和下文可以看出来. 只有这一点需要说一下: 如果教会中那些坚决反对神性真理, 尤其反对这些真理: 主的人身就是神性, 仁爱行为有助于得救的人, 已经确认反对它们, 不仅从教义上反对, 还在生活上反对, 那么就其内层而言, 他们便将自己逼进这样一种状态: 以后他们决无可能被引领接受这些真理, 因为凡从教义, 同时在生活上被牢固确立的东西都会保留到永远. 那些不知道人的内层状态的人可能以为任何人, 无论他如何坚决反对这些真理, 以后只要能确信它们是真理, 仍能毫无困难地接受它们. 但这是不可能的, 我蒙允许通过来世有关这类人的大量经历得知这一点. 因为凡通过教义坚定接受之物都被吸收到理解力中, 凡通过生活坚定接受之物都被吸收到意愿中. 凡被深深植入人生命的这两个区域, 即他的理解力生命和意愿生命的, 都无法根除. 死后活着的人之本质灵魂由此得以塑成, 并具有这样的性质: 它永远不会从中退出. 这也是为何教会内那些已形成这种心态之人的命运比教会外的人还要糟糕的原因. 教会外的人, 也就是所谓的外邦人, 不会坚决反对这些真理, 因为这些人不知道它们. 因此, 他们当中那些彼此过着仁爱生活的人很容易接受神性真理, 即便在世时未能接受, 也会在来世接受. 关于外邦民族和人民在来世的状态和命运, 可参看从经历所引用的相关内容 (2589-2604节).
因此, 当主建立一个新教会时, 该教会不是建在教会之内的人当中, 而是建在教会之外的人, 也就是外邦人当中. 这些事在圣言多有提及. 预先说这些话是为了叫人们知道, 约瑟被他的哥哥们丢在坑里, 又被米甸人从坑里拉上来, 并被卖给以实玛利人暗含什么意思. 因为 “约瑟的哥哥” 代表教会内那些坚决反对神性真理, 尤其反对这两个真理: 主的人身是神性, 仁爱行为有助于得救, 并且不仅从教义上反对, 还在生活上反对的人. 而 “以实玛利人” 代表那些处于简单良善的人, “米甸人” 代表那些处于该良善的真理之人. 据经上记载, 后者把约瑟从坑里拉上来, 前者则买下了他. 我们将在下文说明, 他们把约瑟带到埃及, 给法老的内臣波提乏是什么意思.
