14. XIV. The Word in the heavens.

The Word exists in all the heavens, and it is read there as it is in the world, and sermons are based on it. For it is the Divine Truth which is the source of the angels' intelligence and wisdom. For without the Word no one knows anything about the Lord, love and faith, redemption, and all the other secrets of heavenly wisdom. In fact without the Word heaven would not exist, just as without the Word there would be no church in the world, so that there would be no linking with the Lord. I demonstrated above that natural theology is impossible without revelation, and in the Christian world without the Word. If it is not granted in the world, neither would it be granted after death. For the nature of a person's religious belief in the world dictates its nature after death, when he becomes a spirit. The whole of heaven is not made up of angels created before the world or at the same time as it, but of those who were people on earth, and were then angels inwardly. By means of the Word these in heaven acquire spiritual, that is, inner wisdom, because the Word there is spiritual.

[2] The Word in the Lord's spiritual kingdom is not the same as the Word in the world. In the world there is the natural Word, but in that kingdom there is a spiritual Word. The difference is like that between its natural and spiritual senses. The nature of the spiritual sense has been demonstrated at length in my Arcana Caelestia, where the whole contents of Genesis and Exodus have been explained in accordance with that sense. The difference is such that no word is the same. Things take the place of names, and likewise of numbers; the histories are replaced by matters concerning the church. The surprising thing is that, when an angel reads it, he is unaware that it is not the same as what he read in the Word while in the world. This is because he no longer has any natural ideas, since they are replaced with spiritual ones; and the natural and the spiritual are linked by correspondences into a kind of unity.

So when someone passes from the natural into the spiritual, it seems to him as if they were the same. In fact an angel does not know that he is wiser than he was in the world, though his wisdom is really so superior as to be comparatively indescribable. He is unable to recognise the difference, because in his spiritual state he knows nothing of the natural state, which he had in the world; and he is unable to compare and differentiate them, because he cannot return to his former state so as to make a comparison. Still an angel in heaven is constantly being brought to a higher degree of perfection in wisdom than he had in the world, because his affection for spiritual truth is purer. ¹

[3] However, the Word in the Lord's celestial kingdom is far superior and wiser than the Word in His spiritual kingdom. The difference is of the same kind as that which distinguishes the natural Word in the world from the spiritual Word, as has been stated. For that Word contains an inmost sense, called celestial, which in all its details refers to nothing but the Lord. In this Word the Lord is read in place of Jehovah, and of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and also the Lord is named in place of David, Moses, Elijah and the rest of the Prophets; and His divinity is distinguished by special marks. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and also the names of the Apostles, when read there, convey something about the Lord as regards the church; and so with all the rest. From this it became plain to me that the whole of the Sacred Scripture deals in its inmost sense with nothing but the Lord.

The difference which distinguishes the two Words, the spiritual and the celestial, is like that between thoughts, the province of the intellect, and affections, the province of the will. For the angels of the celestial kingdom are guided by love to the Lord and so affection for good; the angels of the spiritual kingdom are guided by faith in the Lord and so by perception of truth.

[4] Another difference between the celestial and spiritual Words is their script. The script of the spiritual Word is made up of letters resembling the printed letters of our world; but each letter has a meaning. If therefore you were to see that script, you would not understand a single word. For one letter succeeds another without a break, with dashes and dots above and below, since it is in accordance with spiritual speech, which has nothing in common with natural speech. The wiser angels are, the more they see of the inner secrets of their Word so written, more so than the simpler angels. What is stored there is plainly visible to the eyes of the wise, but not to the eyes of the simple. It is similar to what happens with our Word, but to a greater degree; here too the wise see more than the simple.

The script of the celestial Word, however, is made up of letters not known in the world. They are indeed alphabetical, but each one of them is composed of curved lines with serifs above and below, and there are small marks or dots in the letters, and also above and below them. I was told that the most ancient people on this earth had such a script. Some details agree with the Hebrew script, but not much. Such a script expresses the affections which make up a love; so it contains more secrets than they themselves can ever utter. They express these unutterable secrets which they perceive from their Word by means of representations. The wisdom hidden away in this Word surpasses the wisdom in the spiritual Word as a thousand does one.

[5] To make the difference between the three Words, the natural, the spiritual and the celestial, intelligible, let us take as an example the first chapters of Genesis, which deal with Adam, his wife and the Garden. ² In the natural Word which we have in this world there is a description of the creation of the world, the first creation of man, and the earthly pleasures and delights of man and the world. By the persons named following him up to the Flood are meant his descendants, and the numbers mean their ages. But in the spiritual Word the angels of the spiritual kingdom have, this is not what is meant. The first chapter is a description of the reform and regeneration of the people of the most ancient church; this too is called a new creation. The second chapter describes as the Garden the intelligence of the people of that church; Adam and his wife stand for the church itself, and their descendants down to the Flood describe the changes in the state of that church, up to the time when it came to an end and was finally destroyed by the Flood.

But in the celestial Word possessed by the angels of the Lord's celestial kingdom, the first chapter describes the glorification of the Lord's Human; the Garden describes his Divine wisdom. Adam himself is understood to mean the Lord as regards the Divine itself and at the same time the Divine Human. His wife stands for the church, which since it has life from the Lord is called Eve from [the Hebrew word for] life. Adam says of her that she was to be his bone and his flesh, and [they should be] one flesh, because the church comes from the Lord, and is out of Him and with Him as if one. The names of the descendants of Adam describe the successive states by which the Lord was received by the people of that church and linked with them, until there was nothing at all received and so no linking.

[6] So when the first chapters in our Word are read by upright people, especially by boys and girls, and they feel joy at the state when everything was created and at the Garden, then these meanings are unfolded, and the spiritual angels understand them in accordance with their Word, and the celestial angels in accordance with theirs, without being aware that a person or a child is reading it. These meanings are unfolded in their due sequence because they correspond, and correspondences are from creation like this. This makes it plain what the Word is like in its depths, that is, it has three senses. The last is the natural one for men on earth; this deals mainly with worldly matters and where it deals with Divine matters, they are still described by the kind of things which the world contains. The middle sense is the spiritual one, which describes the kind of things which belong to the church. The inmost sense is the celestial one, which contains the kind of things which belong to the Lord. For the whole of nature is a theatre representing the Lord's kingdom; and the Lord's kingdom, heaven and the church, is a theatre representing the Lord Himself. For just as the Lord glorified His Human, so too He regenerates a person; and as He regenerates a person, so too did He create him.

[7] These facts may establish what the Word is like in its depths. The natural Word as possessed by the Christian part of the world contains within itself a spiritual and a celestial Word. For the spiritual sense of our Word is the Word in the heavens which make up the Lord's spiritual kingdom; and the celestial sense of our Word, its inmost sense, is the Word in the heavens which make up the Lord's celestial kingdom. Our Word therefore contains both the spiritual and the celestial Words; but the spiritual Word and the celestial Word do not contain the natural Word. The Word of our world is therefore the one most full of Divine wisdom, and consequently more holy than the Word of the heavens.

Примітки:

911. Thrust in thy sickle and reap, for the hour is come for thee to reap; for the harvest of the earth is ripe. That this signifies, that the time is come to collect the good and separate them from the evil, because it is the end of the church; from the signification of thrusting in the sickle, as denoting to collect the good and separate them from the evil, of which we shall speak presently. And from the signification of the hour for reaping has come, as denoting the time for doing this. And from the signification of, for the harvest of the earth is ripe, as denoting the last state or the end of the church. For harvest signifies the last state or the end, and the earth the church. It is evident, therefore, that by Thrust in thy sickle and reap, for the hour for reaping is come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe, is signified that the time is come for collecting the good and separating them from the evil, because it is the end of the church.

[2] The reason why, to thrust in the sickle and reap, denotes to collect the good and separate them from the evil is, that by the harvest of the earth is signified the last state of the church, when the Last Judgment takes place and the evil are cast into hell and the good raised into heaven, and thus separated. That such collection, separation, and Last Judgment do not previously take place is evident from what is said in the small work concerning the Last Judgment, and from those things that must be said more fully in the Appendix to that book, which are summarily contained in the Lord's words in Matthew:

Jesus spake this parable. "The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man that sowed good seed in his field: but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares, and went his way. But when the blade sprang up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. The servant of the father of the family drew near, and said unto him, Lord, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares? And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this. And the servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn. And his disciples drew near unto him, and said, Explain unto us the parable of the tares of the field. He answering said unto them, He who soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; and the seed are the sons of the kingdom; but the tares are the sons of that evil; but the enemy who sowed them is the devil: the harvest is the consummation of the age; and the reapers are the angels. As therefore the tares are gathered and burnt in the fire so it shall be in the consummation of the age. The Son of man shall send his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that offend, them that work iniquity, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire: where shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth. Then the just shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of the Father" (13:24-30, 36-43).

By this parable the Lord illustrates all those things that are said in this chapter of the Apocalypse, from verse 14-19, concerning the Son of man having in His hand a sickle and reaping, and the earth being reaped by Him and the angels. For it is therein taught that by the sower is meant the Lord, who is there also called the Son of man; that by the reapers, or those who reap, are meant the angels; and that the tares shall be cast into a furnace of fire, and the good seed gathered into the barn, and that those things could not take place before the consummation of the age, by which is signified the last state of the church; and this, lest the wheat should be rooted out together with the tares.

[3] Since this parable of the Lord contains mysteries concerning the separation of the evil from the good, and concerning the Last Judgment, it is of importance that it should be particularly explained. By the kingdom of the heavens is signified the Lord's church in the heavens and on earth; for the church is in both. By the man who sowed good seed in his field, is meant the Lord as to Divine truth, which is the Word, in the church; the man, who, in the following verses, is called the Son of man, is the Lord as to the Word; the good seed is the Divine truth; and the field is the church where the Word is. While men slept his enemy came and sowed tares, and went his way, signifies, that while men live a natural life, or the life of the world, then evils from hell, they being ignorant of it, secretly insinuate and implant falsities - to sleep signifying a natural life or the life of the world. And this life is sleep compared to spiritual life which is wakefulness. The enemy signifies evils from hell, which bring about that life separated from spiritual life. To sow tares, signifies to insinuate and implant falsities. And went his way, signifies that it was done secretly or without their knowing it. But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also, signifies, when truth grew and produced good, falsities from evil were intermingled, the blade springing up signifying the quality of truth when it is first received, fruit signifying good, and tares falsities from evil; in this case intermingled.

[4] The servants of the father of the family drew near and said unto him, Lord, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field, whence then hath it tares? signifies those who are in truths from good, perceiving that falsities from evil were intermingled, and complaining of this. The servants of the Lord, signify those who are in truths from good; the father of the family signifies the Lord as to truths from good; father, Him as to good, and family, Him as to truths. The good seed, signifies the field, and the tares, signify the same as above. And he said unto them, An enemy hath done this, signifies that those falsities were from evil in the natural man. And the servants said to him, Lord, wilt thou then that we go and gather up the tares? signifies separation and rejection of the falsities from evil, before that truths from good were received and increased. But he said, Nay, lest while ye gather up the tares ye root out the wheat with them, signifies that by this means truth from good also would perish, and its increase. For with the men of the church truths are intermingled with falsities, which cannot be separated and the falsities rejected, until they are reformed.

[5] Let both grow together until the harvest, and in the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn, signifies that the separation of the falsities from evil, and the rejection of them, cannot be effected before the last state of the church comes; for then the falsities of evil are separated from the truths of good; and the falsities of evil are delivered up to hell, and the truths of good conjoined with heaven; or what is the same thing, the men who are in them.

These things take place in the spiritual world, where all who belong to the church, from its beginning to its end, are separated and judged in this manner. By the harvest is signified the end or the last state of the church; by gathering into bundles, is signified to conjoin together particular species of falsities from evil; by burning is signified to deliver up to hell; and by gathering into the barn, is signified to conjoin with heaven.

[6] He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man, signifies Divine truth from the Lord. The field is the world, signifies the church everywhere. The seed are the sons of the kingdom, signifies that Divine truth is with those who belong to the church. The tares are the children of the evil one, signifies falsities with those who are in evil. The enemy who soweth them is the devil, signifies that those falsities are from evil, which is from hell. The harvest the consummation of the age, signifies the last time and state of the church. The reapers are the angels, signifies that Divine truth from the Lord separates. The Son of man shall send the angels, who shall gather out of His kingdom all things that offend, signifies that Divine truth from the Lord will remove those who hinder the separation. That work iniquity, signifies that they are those who live wickedly. And shall cast them into a furnace of fire, signifies into the hell, where those are who are in the love of self, who hate, and seek revenge. Where shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth, signifies where it is direful from evils and falsities. Then the just shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of the Father, signifies, that those who have done the Lord's precepts, shall live in heavenly loves, and in the joys thereof, in heaven - the just denoting those who acknowledge the Lord, and do His precepts. The angels are about to possess such a state after the Last Judgment, because a higher power from heaven was then vindicated, which previously was on the side of hell; and hence comes joy to the angels with continual increase.

[7] It remains to explain in some degree the Lord's words concerning the separation of the evil from the good, namely, "Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of the harvest, I will say to the reapers, Gather first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn." By which the separation of the evil from the good, when the Last Judgment is at hand, is signified. The reason why they were not separated before, may be seen in the small work concerning theLast Judgment 59, 70). To this I shall here add, that it is according to Divine Order that things, which in the end are to be separated, should grow conjointly; so that when they come to an end, separation may be effected more easily, and, as it were, spontaneously, or of their own accord. This may be illustrated from a thousand experiences in both worlds, and even from correspondences in the animal and vegetable kingdoms; from which, as in a common mirror, it may be seen, why the evil were not separated from the good, till about the time of the Last Judgment. This is also signified in this part of the Apocalypse, by the angel saying to Him that sat on the cloud, "Reap, for the hour for thee to reap is come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe."

[8] By harvest in the following passages is also signified the last state of the church, when the old church is devastated, that is, when there no longer remains any truth and good that is not falsified or rejected. In Joel:

"At the valley of Jehoshaphat will I sit to judge all the nations round about. Put forth the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, get ye down, for the wine-press is full, the vats are overflowed because great is their wickedness" (3:12, 13).

The subject treated of in that chapter is the falsification of the truth of the Word, and the devastation of the church by that means; and in this verse the last state of the church, when the judgment takes place. And this state is described, as in the Apocalypse, by putting forth the sickle, because the harvest is ripe, the harvest denoting the last state. Also by the winepress being full and the vats overflowing, as in this chapter of the Apocalypse (vers. 19, 20). That then judgment takes place is openly declared. The valley of Jehoshaphat, where judgment is executed, signifies the falsification of the Word.

[9] In Jeremiah:

"Cut off him that soweth in Babel, and him that layeth hold of the sickle in time of harvest" (50:16).

And in the same:

"The daughter of Babel is as a threshing floor for threshing her; yet a little while and the time of her harvest shall come" (51:33).

Here also by the time of harvest is meant the last state of the church, when there is no longer any good and truth. Its devastation is described by cutting off him that soweth, and him that layeth hold of the sickle in the time of harvest; also, by threshing as on a threshing floor. By Babel are meant those who seek dominion through the holy things of the church.

[10] In Isaiah:

"I will bewail Jazer, the vine of Sibmah: I will water thee with my tears, O Heshbon and Elealeh, because the shouting over thy vintage and over thy harvest is fallen" (16:9).

By harvest here also is signified the last state of the church. For by shouting is signified the end, when upon finishing the vintage and gathering in the harvest, they used to triumph and raise a shout; but in the present case to lament, because it is said, "it hath fallen." By Jazer, the vine of Sibmah, and by Heshbon and by Elealeh, are signified the men of the external church, who explain the Word to favour the loves of the world. For those places were given for an inheritance to the tribes of Reuben and Gad, by whom, since they dwelt outside of Jordan, the external church was represented. The vine of Sibmah signifies their church. Their destruction, when the Lord should come and accomplish judgment, is also described in that chapter.

[11] In Jeremiah:

"The harvest is past, the autumn is spent, and we are not saved; upon the breaking of my daughter I am broken" (8:20).

Here also by harvest is signified the last state of the church. By upon the breaking I am broken, is signified grief that there good and truth are no longer, daughter denoting the affection of truth, and thence the church; for it is of the church, and the church is from it.

[12] In Isaiah:

It shall come to pass, when the harvest is collected, the standing corn, and his arm shall reap the ears; and gleanings shall be left in it, as in the shaking of an olive, three berries in the top of the bough, four or five in the branches of the fruitful one. In the day thou shalt make thy plant to grow, and thy seed to flourish in the morning; the harvest shall be a heap in the day of possession and desperate sorrow" (17:5, 6, 11).

The subject treated of in that chapter is the knowledges of truth and good, which the church has, in that they were destroyed. These are there signified by Damascus, which is treated of in that chapter; and by Arver. Their being destroyed is described by gleanings being left in it, as in the shaking of an olive, three berries in the top of the bough, four or five in the branches of the fruitful one. Also by the harvest being a heap in the day of possession, that is, that there shall be no more than one heap; therefore it is also called desperate sorrow. It is evident, therefore, that harvest there signifies the last state of the church; that state is also signified by morning. For when the last state of the church is at hand, it is then morning to those who will belong to the New Church, and evening and night to those who belong to the Old Church. That this is there meant by morning, is evident from the last verse of the chapter, where it is said,

"About the time of evening, behold, terror; before the morning, it is not" (ver. 14).

Terror signifies destruction.

[13] In Joel:

"The husbandmen are ashamed, the vine-dressers howled, for the wheat and for the barley, because the harvest of the field is perished" (1:11).

The devastation of the church as to good and as to truth is meant by the harvest of the field perishing. By husbandmen are meant those who are in the good of the church, and by vine-dressers those who are in its truths; by wheat and barley, good and truth itself. Grief on account of devastation, is signified by being ashamed and howling.

[14] The reason why harvest signifies the last state of the church is, that corn, which is the harvest, signifies the good and the truth therefrom of the church, and field the church itself. That everything intended for natural nourishment, as wheat, barley, oil, wine, and the like, signify those things that are for spiritual nourishment, has been shown above in many places; and the things that are for spiritual nourishment, have reference, in general, to good and truth, and the knowledges thereof, thus to doctrine and to a life according to it. Hence it is said in Jeremiah:

A nation "from afar shall eat up thy harvest and thy bread, it shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters, it shall eat up thy flock and thy herd, it shall eat up thy vine and thy fig-tree, it shall impoverish with the sword thy fenced cities, in which thou dost trust" (5:15, 17).

By a nation from afar, is meant the falsity of evil destroying, from afar denoting far off from good and truth. By harvest and bread are signified the truths and goods of the church that are for nourishment; by sons and daughters the same, generating; by flock and herd, goods and truths spiritual and natural; by the vine and fig-tree, the internal-spiritual and the external-natural church. By the fenced cities in which they trust, are signified doctrinals from one's own intelligence. To be impoverished with the sword signifies to be destroyed by the falsities of evil.

[15] Since by the harvest are signified all those things that spiritually nourish a man, which have reference to truths of doctrine and goods of life, therefore by harvest is signified the church in general and in particular. In general, in these words in the Evangelists:

Jesus said to the disciples, "The harvest is great, but the labourers are few: pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he may send labourers into his harvest" (Matthew 9:37, 38; Luke 10:2).

By the harvest are here meant all those with whom the church was to be established by the Lord, thus also the church in general; and by labourers are meant all those who will teach from the Lord.

[16] Similarly in John:

Jesus said to the disciples, "[Say ye not] there are yet four months to harvest? Behold I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look upon the fields, that they are white already to harvest. And he that reapeth receiveth reward, and gathereth fruit for life eternal. For in this is the saying true, There is one that soweth, and another that reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye have not laboured. Others have laboured, but ye have entered into their labour" (4:35-38).

These things are said by the Lord concerning the New Church about to be established by Him. That the establishment of that church was now at hand is meant by, lift up your eyes, and look upon the fields, that they are white already to harvest. To teach, those who are to belong to that church is signified by reaping; the same as where the Lord speaks elsewhere of collecting and gathering into the barn. That it is not they themselves who teach, that is who collect and gather, but the Lord - forasmuch as those whom the disciples converted to the church, the Lord by angels, that is by Divine truths from the Word, prepared to receive - is meant by there is one that soweth, and another that reapeth. I sent you to reap that whereon ye have not laboured. Others have laboured, but ye have entered into their labour.

[17] The increase of the church with man in particular, and with men in general from the Lord, is also described by harvest in Mark:

Jesus said, "So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed upon the earth, and should afterwards sleep, and arise night and day; but the seed springeth up and groweth, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit spontaneously, first the blade, afterwards the ear, then the full corn in the ear: but when the fruit is produced, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is ready" (4:26-29).

By the kingdom of God is meant the church of the Lord in the heavens and on earth. That it is implanted in all who receive truths and goods, not from themselves, but from the Lord, is described by the above words, every particular of which corresponds to spiritual things and signifies them; as a man casting seed upon the earth, and afterwards sleeping, and rising night and day, the seed springing up and growing, he knoweth not how. For by the seed is signified Divine truth; by casting the seed into the earth is signified the work of man; by rising day and night is signified in every state; and lastly by putting in the sickle. The other expressions signify the Lord's work; and the harvest, the implantation of the church in general and in particular. For it must be known that although the Lord worketh all things, and man nothing of himself, still it is His will that man, so far as comes to his perception, should work as of himself. For without the co-operation of man, as of himself, there can be no reception of good and truth, thus no implantation and regeneration. For the Lord grants to will; and because this appears to a man to be, as it were, from himself, therefore He grants to him to will as if from himself.

[18] Because such things are signified by harvest, therefore two feasts were instituted with the children of Israel, one of which was called the feast of seven weeks, which was that of the harvest of first-fruits; and the other the feast of tabernacles, which was that of gathering in of the fruits of the earth. The former of these signified the implantation of truth in good, and the latter the production of good, thus regeneration. But by the feast of unleavened bread, or of the Passover, which preceded, was signified liberation from the falsities of evil, which is also the first thing of regeneration.