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Genesis第1章

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1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first Day.

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

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Apocalypse Explained#294

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294. For Thou hast created all things, signifies that from Him are all existence and life, and heaven also for those who receive. This is evident from the signification of "to create," as being not only that all things came into existence from the Lord, but also that all life is from Him; and as the spiritual sense of the Word treats only of heaven and the church, therefore "to create" signifies primarily here to reform, thus to give heaven to those who receive, for this is to reform. That the existence of all things is from the Lord, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 7-12, 137); and that all life is from the Lord (n. 9); and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 278). But here "to create" does not signify natural existence and life, but spiritual existence and life; and this is what is everywhere signified in the Word by "creating;" and for the reason that the existence of heaven and earth is not the end of creation, but a means to the end; the end of creation is that the human race may exist so that from it there may be an angelic heaven; and as this is the end, "to create" signifies to reform, which is to give heaven to those who receive. In the spiritual sense of the Word ends are meant, but in the sense of the letter only the means that involve the ends are spoken of; in this way the spiritual lies hid in the letter of the Word.

[2] That "to create" signifies to reform and regenerate men, and thus to establish the church, can be seen from the passages in the Word where this term occurs, as in the following. In Isaiah:

I will give in the wilderness the cedar of Shittah, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; that they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of Jehovah hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it (Isaiah 41:19, 20).

This treats of the establishment of the church among the Gentiles; "wilderness" signifies the absence of good, because of the ignorance of truth, for every good into which man is reformed is given only through truths; "the cedar of shittah" signifies genuine truth; "the myrtle and the oil tree" signify spiritual good and celestial good; whence it is clear what is signified by, "I will give in the wilderness the cedar of shittah, and the myrtle, and the oil tree," when the Gentiles that are not in the good of heaven and of the church, because in ignorance of the truth, are treated of; "that they may see and know, and consider and understand together," signifies the knowledges, understanding, perception, and affection, that are of the love of good and truth; from this signification it is clear that "the Holy One of Israel hath created it" signifies reformation, the that "to create" is to reform.

[3] In the same:

Thus said Jehovah thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Former, O Israel, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine. Bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the end of the earth, everyone that is called by My name; into My glory I have created, I have formed, and I have made him. I am Jehovah your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King (Isaiah 43:1, 6, 7, 15).

This also treats of the establishment of a church among the Gentiles; and with reference to their reformation Jehovah is called "Creator" and "Former;" therefore it is said, "I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name, thou art Mine." "Bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the end of the earth," signifies the Gentiles that are outside of the church, but that receive the truths and goods of the church from the Lord; "from far" and "from the end of the earth" signify those who are outside of the church, "earth (or land)" meaning the church, "sons" those who receive truths, and "daughters" those who receive goods. These are said to be "created, formed, and made into glory," "glory" meaning the Divine truth that they receive.

[4] In David:

Create for me a clean heart, O God, and renew a firm spirit in the midst of me (Psalms 51:10).

"To create a clean heart" signifies to reform in respect to the good of love; "to renew a firm spirit in the midst of me" signifies to reform in respect to the truth of faith; for "heart" signifies the good of love, and "spirit" a life according to the Divine truth, which is the faith of truth.

[5] In the same:

Wherefore hast Thou created in vain the sons of man? where are Thy former mercies? (Psalms 89:47, 49).

"To create the sons of man" signifies to reform through Divine truth; "the sons of man" are those who are in Divine truths, thus, abstractly, Divine truths.

[6] In the same:

The nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, and all the kings of the earth Thy glory, because Jehovah hath built up Zion. This shall be written for the generation to come; and a people that shall be created shall praise Jah (Psalms 102:15, 16, 18). This treats of reformation; "the nations that shall fear the name of Jehovah" mean those who are in good; and "the kings of the earth" those who are in truths from good; "to build up Zion" signifies to establish the church, "Zion" meaning the church "the people that shall be created and shall praise Jah" signifies all those who are reformed.

[7] In the same:

Thou givest to them, they gather; Thou openest Thine hand, they are satisfied with good. Thou sendest forth Thy spirit, they are created; and Thou renewest the faces of the earth (Psalms 104:28, 30).

It is plain here that "to create" means to reform; for "Jehovah giveth to them, they gather," signifies that they receive the truths that are given by the Lord; "Thou openest Thine hand, they are filled with good," signifies that they receive the good that flows in from the Lord; "Thou sendest forth Thy spirit, they are created," signifies that in respect to the life they are reformed according to Divine truth; "and Thou renewest the faces of the earth" signifies the establishment of the church.

[8] In Isaiah:

Lift up your eyes on high, and see; who hath created these? He that bringeth out their host in number, that calleth them all by name: God from eternity; Jehovah, the Creator of the ends of the earth, wearieth not (Isaiah 40:26, 28).

This also treats of reformation, which is signified by "creating;" "the host that Jehovah doth bring out" signifies all truths and goods; "to call by name" signifies reception according to each one's quality; "to create the ends of the earth" signifies to establish the church, thus to reform those who are therein.

[9] In Ezekiel:

Thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering; in the day that thou wast created they were prepared. Thou wast perfect in thy ways in 1 the day that thou wast created, until perversity was found in thee (Ezekiel 28:13, 15).

This is said of the king of Tyre, by whom those who are in truths and through truths are in good are signified; of such it is said that they "have been in the garden of God, and that every precious stone was their covering;" "garden of God" signifies intelligence, and the "precious stones" here named signify the knowledges of truth and good; these are called a "covering" because they are in the natural man, and the natural man covers the spiritual; these are said to have "been prepared in the day that they were created," that is, in the day that they were reformed. This makes clear what is signified by "thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day thou wast created."

[10] In Isaiah:

Jehovah will create over every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud by day, and the brightness of a flame of fire by night; for over all the glory shall be a covering (Isaiah 4:5).

"Zion" signifies the church in respect to the Word; the internal or spiritual sense of the Word in respect to good is meant by its "dwelling place;" the external or literal sense in respect to truths is meant by "the cloud by day," and in respect to good by "the brightness of the flame of fire by night." Because this sense covers and hides the spiritual sense it is called "a covering over all the glory," "glory" meaning the spiritual sense; these are said to be "created" because they are the truths of heaven and the church.

[11] In Malachi:

Hath not one God created us? wherefore do we act perfidiously? (Malachi 2:10).

Here "hath created us" signifies hath reformed that they might be a church; therefore it is said, "wherefore do we act perfidiously?"

[12] In Isaiah:

Thus said God Jehovah, He hath created the heavens, and spreadeth them out; He that stretcheth out the earth; He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein (Isaiah 42:5).

"Creating the heavens and spreading them out" and "stretching out the earth" signifies to reform; "the heavens" signify both the heavens and the internals of the church; for the internals of the church are the heavens with the men that are in them; "the earth" signifies the external of the church, which is said to be "spread out" and "stretched out" when truths from good are multiplied. It is plain that reformation by truths is signified, for it is said, "He that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein. "

[13] In the same:

Jehovah, creating the heavens, forming the earth and making it; He hath not created it a void. He formed it to be inhabited (Isaiah 45:12, 18).

"The heavens," "the earth," and "to create" have a like signification here as in the passage adduced above; "He hath not created it a void" signifies that it is not without truth and good, in which those are that have been reformed; lack of these is a void; "He hath formed it to be inhabited" signifies that they should live according to good and truth and from them, for "to inhabit" signifies to live.

[14] In the same:

Behold, I create a new heaven and a new earth. Rejoice and exult for ever in that which I create; behold, I will create Jerusalem an exultation, and her people a joy (Isaiah 65:17-18).

"To create a new heaven and a new earth" does not mean a visible heaven and a habitable earth, but a new church, internal and external; "heaven" meaning the internal of the church, and "earth" its external. (What the internal of the church is, and what the external, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 246.) It is therefore said, "Behold, I will create Jerusalem an exultation, and her people a joy;" "Jerusalem" is the church, "exultation" its delight from good, and "joy" its delight from truth.

[15] "The new heavens and the new earth" in the same prophet (Isaiah 66:22), and in Revelation (Revelation 21:1) have a like signification; also the following in the first chapter of Genesis:

In the beginning Jehovah created heaven and earth. And the earth was void and empty; and darkness was upon the faces of the deep. And the spirit of God moved upon the faces of the earth. 2 And God said, Let there be light; and there was light. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them (Genesis 1:1-3, 27).

This treats of the establishment of the first church on this earth; the reformation of the men of that church in respect to their internal and their external is meant in this chapter by the creation of the heaven and the earth. That previously there was no church, because men were without good and truth, is signified by "the earth was void and empty;" and that they were previously in dense ignorance and also in falsities, is signified by "darkness was upon the faces of the deep;" their first enlightenment is signified by "the spirit of God moved upon the faces of the waters," and by "God said, Let there be light, and there was light;" "the spirit of God" signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and "to move upon the faces of the waters" signifies illustration; the like is signified by "light;" "and there was light" signifies the reception of Divine truth; "God created man into His own image" signifies so that man might be in the love of good and truth, and might correspond to heaven as a likeness of it, since the love of good and truth is "an image of God;" therefore also the angelic heaven is "an image of God;" consequently the angelic heaven in the Lord's sight is as one man (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 59-67, 68-72, 73-77, 78-86, 87-102).

"Male and female created He them" signifies that He reformed them in respect to truth and good, "male" means truth, and "female" good. This makes clear that this and the following chapter describe not the creation of heaven and earth, but the new creation or reformation of the men of the first church, and that like things are meant by "the new heaven and the new earth" and their "creation" in the passages cited just above.

[16] That "creation" in the Word signifies the reformation and establishment of the church, which is effected by means of the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord, is plain from the following. In John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that hath been made. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in the darkness, and the darkness apprehended it not. That was the true Light, which lighteth every man coming into the world. The world was made by Him, and the world knew Him not. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory (John 1:1-5, 9-10, 14).

"The Word" means here the Lord in respect to Divine truth; that all things were created by Divine truth is meant by "All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that hath been made;" also by "the world was made by Him." Since "the Word" means the Lord in respect to Divine truth it is said, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men; that it was the true light," "light" signifying Divine truth, and "life" all intelligence and wisdom from Divine truth; for this constitutes man's very life, and eternal life also is in accordance therewith. The Lord's presence with everyone with His Divine truth, from which are life and light, is meant by "the light shineth in the darkness, and lighteth every man coming into the world;" but that those who are in the falsities of evil do not perceive it, thus do not receive it, is meant by "the darkness apprehended it not," and by "the world knew Him not;" for "darkness" signifies the falsities of evil. It is very plain that it is the Lord in respect to the Divine Human that is here meant by "the Word," for it is said, "And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory," "glory" also signifying the Divine truth. (That all things were created by Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, which is here meant by "the Word," see in the work on Heaven and Hell 137[1-4], 139; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 263.) This also makes clear that "to make" or "to create" here also signifies to make man new, or to reform him; for here, like as in the book of Genesis, "light" is immediately mentioned, which signifies Divine truth proceeding, by which all are reformed (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 126-140; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 49).

脚注:

1. For "in the day" the Hebrew has "from the day," as found in Arcana Coelestia 114.

2. For "earth" the Hebrew has "waters," as found in Arcana Coelestia 17, etc.

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

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Apocalypse Explained#31

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31. (Verse 6) And hath made us kings and priests. That this signifies, that from Him we are in His spiritual and celestial kingdom, is evident from the signification of kings as being those who are in truths from good, and, because these constitute the spiritual kingdom of the Lord, as being those who are in His spiritual kingdom - that such are signified by kings in the Word, will be evident from what follows; and from the signification of priests, as denoting those who are in the good of love, and, because these constitute the celestial kingdom of the Lord, as denoting those who are in His celestial kingdom. (That there are two kingdoms into which the heavens are in general distinguished, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 20-28; and that the spiritual kingdom is called the regal kingdom of the Lord, and the celestial kingdom His priestly kingdom, may be seen in the same work, n. 24.) Mention is made of kings in many places in the prophetic Word, and those who are ignorant of the internal sense, believe that kings are there meant; kings, however, are not meant, but all those who are in truths from good, or in faith from charity, from the Lord; the reason is, that the Lord is the only King, and those who, from the Lord, are in truths from good, are called His sons. This is why, by princes, sons of the kingdom, sons of kings, and also by kings such are meant; and that abstractedly from persons, as is the case in heaven, truths from good are meant, or, what is the same thing, faith from charity; because truth pertains to faith, and good to charity.

[2] That kings are not meant, may be evident from the expression alone here used, namely, that Jesus Christ hath made us kings and priests; and afterwards,

"Thou hast made us unto our God kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth" (Apoc. 5:10);

And in Matthew:

"The [good] seed are the sons of the kingdom" (13:38)

the seed sown in the field denotes truths from good, which man has from the Lord (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 3373, 10248, 10249). Every one also may perceive that the Lord will not make all those who are there treated of kings, that He calls them kings from the power and the glory belonging to those who are in truths from good from the Lord.

From these considerations it may now be seen, that by king, in the prophetic Word, is meant the Lord as to Divine truth, and by kings and princes, those who are in truths from good from the Lord; and, as most terms used in the Word have also an opposite sense, in that sense kings signify those who are in falsities from evil.

[3] That by king in the Word is meant the Lord as to Divine truth, is evident from the words of the Lord Himself to Pilate:

"Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. For this was I born, and for this came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is in the truth heareth my voice. Pilate saith unto him, What is truth?" (John 18:37, 38).

From the question of Pilate, What is truth? it is evident that he understood that the Lord called truth a king; but because he was a Gentile, and knew nothing from the Word, he could not be instructed that Divine truth was from the Lord, and that He was Divine truth; therefore, immediately after his question, "He went out to the Jews, saying, I find no fault in him"; and afterwards put upon the cross,

"This is Jesus, the king of the Jews. And when the chief priests said unto him, Write not, The king of the Jews, but that he said, I am the king of the Jews, Pilate answered, What I have written, I have written" (John 19:19-22).

[4] These things being understood, it may be known what is meant by kings in the following passages in the Apocalypse:

"The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates, and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared" (16:12).

With the great whore that sitteth upon many waters, "the kings of the earth have committed fornication" (17:1, 2).

"The seven heads are seven mountains on which the woman sitteth, and they are seven kings; five are fallen, the other is not yet come. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, who have not yet received the kingdom, but they receive power as kings one hour with the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them; for he is Lord of lords and King of kings" (17:9, 10, 12, 14).

"And the woman whom thou sawest is the great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth" (17:18).

"All nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of the fornication" of Babylon, "and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her" (18:3).

"And I saw the beast, and the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war with him that sat on the horse, and with his army" (19:19).

"And the nations which are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour into it" (21:24).

In these passages by kings are not meant kings, but all who are either in truths from good, or in falsities from evil, as said above.

In like manner in Daniel, by "the king of the south," and "the king of the north," who made war against each other (11:1to the end). By the king of the south are there meant those who are in the light of truth from good, and by the king of the north those who are in darkness from evil. (That the south in the Word signifies those who are in the light of truth from good, may be seen,Arcana Coelestia 1458, 3708, 3195, 5672, 9642, and the north those who are in the darkness of falsity from evil, n. 3708, and in general in the work, Heaven and Hell 141-153; where the four quarters in heaven are treated of.)

[5] Kings are also frequently mentioned by the prophets in the Old Testament, where also are likewise meant those who are in truths from good from the Lord, and, in an opposite sense, those who are in falsities from evil; as in Isaiah:

"He shall disperse many nations; kings shall shut their mouths upon him; because what was [not] told them they have seen, and what they have not heard they have understood" (52:15).

And in the same:

"Zion of the Holy One of Israel, thou shalt suck the milk of the nations, and shalt suck the breasts of kings" (60:16).

Also, in the same:

"Kings shall be thy nursing fathers and princesses thy nursing mothers; they shall bow down to thee with their face to the earth" (49:23).

And moreover in Isaiah 14:9; 24:21; 60:10; Jerem. 2:26; 4:9; 49:38; Lament. 2:6, 9; Ezekiel 7:26, 27; Hosea, 3:4; Zeph. 1:8; Psalm 2:10; 110:5. Falsities, Genesis 49:20.

[6] Because kings signify those who are in truths from good from the Lord, therefore it became a custom from ancient times, that kings, when they were crowned, should be distinguished by certain insignia which signify truths from good; as, for example, that the king should be anointed with oil, that he should wear a crown of gold, that he should hold a sceptre in the right hand, that he should be clothed with a crimson robe, that he should sit upon a throne of silver, and that he should ride with his insignia upon a white horse. (For oil signifies good from which is truth, as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 886, 4683, 9780, 9954, 10011, 10261, 10268; a crown of gold upon the head has a similar signification, n. 9930; a sceptre, which is a staff, signifies the power of truth from good, n. 4581, 4876, 4966; a robe and cloak signifies Divine truth in the spiritual kingdom, n. 9825, 10005; and crimson, the spiritual love of good, n. 9467; a throne, the kingdom of truth from good, n. 5313, 6397, 8625; and silver, that truth itself, n. 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658.) A white horse signifies the understanding enlightened from truths (as may be seen in the little work, The White Horse 1-5. That rituals observed at the coronation of kings involve such things, but that the knowledge thereof is at this day lost, see also n. 4581, 4966).

[7] Since it is evident from these things what is signified by king in the Word, I will add to the above, why the Lord, when He entered Jerusalem, sat upon the foal of an ass, and why the people then proclaimed Him king, and also strewed their garments in the way (Matthew 21:1-8; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:28-40; John 12:14-16); which is predicted in Zechariah:

"Exult, O daughter of Zion! shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy king cometh unto thee, just and having salvation; riding upon an ass, and upon the foal of an ass" (9:9; Matthew 21:5; John 12:15).

The reason of this was, that to sit upon an ass, and upon the foal of an ass, was the mark of distinction belonging to a chief, judge and also to a king. This is evident from the following passages:

"My heart is toward the lawgivers of Israel, ye who ride upon white asses" (Judges 5:9, 10).

"The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; who shall bind his ass's foal to the vine, and the son of his she-ass to the noble vine" (Genesis 49:10, 11).

Because to sit upon an ass and the foal of an ass was a sign of such rank, therefore the judges rode upon white asses (Judges 5:9, 10), and their sons upon asses' colts (Judges 10:4, and 12:14); and a king himself, when he was crowned, upon a she-mule (1 Kings 1:33), and his sons upon mules (2 Sam. 13:29). He who does not know what is signified in a representative sense by a horse, a mule, and the foal of an ass, supposes that the Lord's riding upon the foal of an ass, signified affliction and humiliation; whereas it signified regal magnificence; therefore also the people then proclaimed the Lord king, and strewed their garments upon the way. (The reason why this was done when He went into Jerusalem was because by Jerusalem is signified the church, as may be seen in the small work, The New Jerusalem and its Doctrine, n. 6; that garments signify truths clothing good, and ministering to it, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia, n. 1073, 2576, 5248, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216, 9952, 10536, and in the work, Heaven and Hell 177-182.)

[8] From these things it is now evident what is signified by king and by kings in the Word, so also, what by the Anointed, Messiah, and Christ; for Anointed, Messiah, and Christ, just as King, signify the Lord as to Divine truth going forth from His Divine good; for a king is called the anointed, and the term signifying anointed is Messiah in Hebrew and Christ in Greek. (But that the Lord, as to His Divine Human was alone "the Anointed of Jehovah," because in Him alone was the Divine good of the Divine love from conception, because He was conceived of Jehovah; but all the anointed only represented Him, as may be seen, n. 9954, 10011, 10269. But that priests signified the good that exists in the celestial kingdom may be seen in Arcana Coelestia, where it is shown that priests represented the Lord as to Divine good, n.2015, 6148; that the priesthood was representative of the Lord as to the work of salvation, because this was from the Divine good of His Divine love, see n. 9809; that the priesthood of Aaron, of his sons, and of the Levites was representative of the work of salvation in successive order, see n. 10017; that hence by the priesthood, and by priesthoods in the Word, is signified the good of love which is from the Lord, see n. 9806, 9809. That by the two names, Jesus and Christ, is signified both His priestly and His regal function, that is, by Jesus is signified the Divine good, and by Christ the Divine truth, n.3004, 3005, 3009. That priests who do not acknowledge the Lord, and also kings, represent the contrary of the above, or evil and the falsity from evil, n. 3670.)

  
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Translation by Isaiah Tansley. Many thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.