1. El Prefacio del Autor: La Fe del Nuevo Cielo y de la Nueva Iglesia

La Fe del nuevo Cielo y de la nueva Iglesia en su forma universal y particular (1-3).

En primer lugar se dará a conocer la fe en su forma universal y particular y será como una faz delante de la obra, como un portal, por el cual se entra en un templo y como la suma de los dogmas que a continuación se expondrán: Decimos la fe del Nuevo Cielo y de la Nueva Iglesia, porque el Cielo, donde están los ángeles, forma uno con la Iglesia, donde están los hombres, como lo interior y lo exterior del hombre. Por esta razón todo miembro de la Iglesia, que se halla en el bien del amor por las verdades de la fe y en las verdades de la fe por el bien del amor, es, en cuanto a su mente interior, un ángel del cielo; y después de la muerte va también al cielo y goza allí de felicidad según el estado de la conjunción entre el bien y la verdad en él. Conviene saber, que esta fe es la haz, la puerta y la suma del Nuevo. Cielo, que el Señor está formando actualmente.

9921. 'And bells of gold' means all aspects of religious teachings and of worship springing from good which come across to those who belong to the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'bells' as all aspects of religious teachings and worship which come across to those who belong to the Church, dealt with below. Springing from good is meant by the bells' being made from gold; for 'gold' means good, 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 8932, 9490, 9510, 9874, 9881, 9884. The reason why all aspects of religious teachings and of worship which come across to those who belong to the Church are meant by 'bells' is that by means of those bells the people heard and recognized the presence of Aaron engaged in his ministry; for those who belong to the Church are meant by 'the people', and all aspects of religious teachings and of worship by 'Aaron's ministry'. Therefore it says in what follows, And they shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and his voice will be heard when he goes into the holy place before Jehovah, and when he comes out. From all this it is evident what is meant by 'bells'. The reason why those bells were placed on the hem was that the holiness which religious teachings possess resides on the most external levels, and on these levels and from these levels the hearing and understanding of them takes place, see 9824, 9905.