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Apocalypse Explained #441

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441. It has been shown that "the tribe of Asher" signifies charity towards the neighbor, which is the spiritual internal itself of those who are in the second or middle heaven, and that "the tribe of Manasseh" signifies the good of life, which is the spiritual external that flows from their spiritual internal; while temptation, which is signified by "the tribe of Naphtali," is the uniting medium, for the internal and external are united by means of temptations. This makes clear what these three tribes involve in their order. It is to be known, that there must be with man and with angel, that they may be in heaven, both an internal and an external in accord with each other. It is impossible for anyone to be in only one of these and be in heaven; that is, in the internal only or in the external only; for the internal is like the soul, and the external like the body; the soul can effect nothing except by means of the body, nor can the body effect anything except from the soul; so the internal, unless the external corresponds or is correspondently concordant, lies powerless and as it were lifeless, for there must be an external in 1 and through which the internal must work, as the soul works in and through its body; likewise the external, unless there is an internal corresponding to it, lies as if dead, for there must be an internal from which the external must work. This has been said to make known that "Asher" signifies the internal, and "Manasseh" the corresponding external; as also above, "Judah" signifies the internal, and "Gad" the corresponding external. 2 It is similar in everything; therefore in man there is an internal and an external, an internal called his spiritual, and an external called his natural, one conjoining itself with the other by correspondences; therefore of what quality the one is such is the other, and everything that does not make one with the other by correspondences is dissipated and perishes.

Примітки:

1. The photolithograph has "out of" for "in. "

2. The photolithograph has "internal."

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.

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Apocalypse Explained #337

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337. Verse 12. Saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, signifies the acknowledgment from the heart that everything Divine is from the Lord's Divine Human unacknowledged and by many denied. This is evident from the signification of "saying with a great voice," as being the acknowledgment from the heart (of which presently); also from the signification of "worthy," as being, in reference to the Lord, merit and justice (respecting which see above, n. 293, 303); here therefore it signifies that from His own power, thus from merit, He acquired for Himself everything Divine, and so from justice everything Divine is His. That this is meant by "He is worthy," is evident from what immediately follows, namely, "to receive the power and riches and wisdom and honor and glory and blessing;" which in the complex signifies everything Divine. This is evident also from the signification of "the Lamb," as being the Lord in respect to the Divine Human (of which also above, n. 314; also from the signification of "was slain," as meaning unacknowledged and by many denied (of which also above, n. 315, 328). From this it is clear that "Saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb that was slain," signifies the acknowledgment from the heart that everything Divine is from the Lord's Divine Human unacknowledged and by many denied. That everything Divine is in the Lord's Human, and from it, in heaven and on earth, has been shown in many places, and will be seen confirmed at the end of this work. That "saying with a great voice" means the acknowledgment from the heart, here that it means what has now been stated, can be seen from what precedes and what follows, in series; moreover, "voice" signifies all the things that are afterward said, and "a great voice" signifies that these things are from the heart. There are two words that often occur in the Word, namely, "great" and "many," and "great" is there predicated of good, and "many" of truths (for the reason see just above, n. 336); and as what proceeds from good proceeds from the heart, here "saying with a great voice" signifies the acknowledgment from the heart; moreover, "heart" from correspondence signifies the good of love (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 95, 447; and above, n. 167.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.

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Apocalypse Explained #23

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23. From Him who is, and who was, and who is to come, signifies from Him who is the All in all things of heaven and of the church from eternity to eternity. This is evident from the signification of "who is, and who was, and who is to come," as being from eternity to eternity, also the All in all things of heaven and of the church. From eternity to eternity is meant, because all times in the Word signify not times but states of life (as may be seen from what is said and shown concerning Time in Heaven, in the work on Heaven and Hell 162-169; and as all times signify states of life, so in reference to the Lord they signify infinite state, and infinite state as to time is eternity. That all times are comprised in "who is, and who was, and who is to come," is evident. Of eternity, which is of the Lord alone, many things might be said; but such things are not understood by the natural man, whose thoughts are chiefly based on time, space, and matter, while, nevertheless, eternity, in itself, does not include such things.

If, indeed, man could think of eternity as the angels of heaven do, he might arrive at some idea of it, and thus might comprehend what from eternity is, which is signified by "who was;" also what the Divine foresight is, that it is in the most particular things from eternity; and what Divine Providence is, that it is in the most particular things to eternity; consequently, that whatsoever proceeds from the Lord is from eternity to eternity; and unless it were so heaven and the universe would not subsist. But there is no time to go further into this arcanum as yet something may be seen respecting it in the work on Heaven and Hell 167; only let it be known, that the like is meant by "Jehovah" as by "who is, who was, and who is to come," since "Is," which is the meaning of Jehovah, involves what precedes, that is, "who was," and also what is future, that is, "who is to come," and thus signifies from eternity to eternity.

[2] That "Is," signifies from eternity is also known in the Christian world from the Psalm of David, where it is said:

I will declare of the decree; Jehovah said unto me; thou art My son; this day have I begotten thee (Psalm 2:7);

it is known that these things are said of the Lord, and that by "today" is meant from eternity. (That by "tomorrow," also in the Word, where the Lord is treated of, is signified to eternity, see Arcana Coelestia, 3998.) That the words "who is," "who was," and "who is to come," signify also the All in all things of heaven and the church is because they signify eternity; and in heaven eternity can be expressed by no other word than Divine, for the reason that what is infinite cannot fall into the angelic idea, and still less into a human idea; and eternity is infinite Existere from infinite Esse; but only this enters the idea, that eternity, which is the Divine in respect to Existere, is the All in all things of heaven and of the church. For the whole heaven is heaven not from the angels' proprium [selfhood, or what is their own], but from the Divine of the Lord; nor is the church the church from the proprium of men, but from the Divine of the Lord; for all the good of love and the truth of faith are from the Lord, and it is the good of love and the truth of faith that make heaven and the church. Angels and men are only recipients, and so far as they receive, heaven and the church are in them. (These things may be seen illustrated by many things in the work on Heaven and Hell, 7-12, where it is shown that the Divine of the Lord makes heaven, and that the Divine that makes heaven is the Divine Human, which is the Divine Existere from the Divine Esse, 78-86)

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.