872. 'The face ¹ of the ground' means those things that reside with the member of the Church, and the expression 'the ground' is used because it is the first stage at which man comes to be the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ground', dealt with already, as the member of the Church who is at that point called 'the ground' when the goods and truths of faith can be sown within him. Previously he is called 'the land', as in Genesis 1 where 'the land' refers to man prior to his becoming celestial, while Chapter 2, when he has become celestial, refers to him as 'the ground' and 'the field'. It is similar in the present chapter. The expression 'the land' and the expression 'the ground' are sufficient by themselves to enable someone to recognize what is meant in the internal sense, not only here but also anywhere else in the Word. 'The ground' in the universal sense means the Church, and as the Church is meant so too is the member of the Church for, as stated already, every member of the Church is the Church.

Примітки:

1022. Verses 9-10 And I, behold I, am establishing My covenant with you, and with your seed after you, and with every living soul that is with you - with birds, with beasts, and with every wild animal of the earth with you; from all that are going out of the ark, even every wild animal of the earth.

'And I, behold I am establishing My covenant' means the Lord's presence in charity. 'With you' means a regenerate spiritual person. 'And with your seed after you' means those who are being created anew. 'With every living soul that is with you' means in general all things which with a person have been regenerated. 'With birds' means specifically the things of his understanding. 'With beasts' means specifically the things of his new will. 'With every wild animal of the earth' means lower things of the understanding or will which derive from these. 'With you' here, as previously, means the things that reside with a spiritual regenerate person. 'From all that are going out of the ark' means members of the Church. 'Even every wild animal of the earth' means people outside of the Church.