1. Dat het Woord van het Oude Testament verborgenheden van de hemel bevat, en dat zowel het geheel als elke bijzonderheid daarvan op de Heer betrekking heeft, op Zijn hemel, op de Kerk, op het geloof en de dingen van het geloof, kan geen sterveling uit de letter opmaken. Uit de letter of uit de letterlijke zin ziet niemand iets anders, dan dat het in het algemeen gaat over de uiterlijke dingen van de Joodse Kerk, terwijl er overal een innerlijke zin is, dat nergens in het uiterlijke aan het licht komt, behalve dan het zeer weinige dat de Heer onthuld heeft en aan de apostelen heeft ontvouwd; zo bijvoorbeeld, dat de offeranden de Heer betekenen, het land Kanaän en Jeruzalem en ook het Paradijs, de hemel betekenen, waarom dan ook van het hemelse Kanaän en Jeruzalem gesproken wordt.

259. The internal sense of the Word is principally for the use of angels, and it is also for the use of men.

In order that it may be known what the internal sense is, of what quality it is, and whence it is, it may here be observed in general, that they speak and think in heaven differently from the way they do in the world; in heaven spiritually, but in the world naturally; therefore when man reads the Word, the angels who are with him perceive it spiritually, whilst he perceives it naturally; consequently, the angels are in the internal sense, whilst men are in the external sense; nevertheless these two senses make one by correspondence.

The Word is understood differently by the angels in the heavens and by men on earth, the angels perceiving the internal or spiritual sense, but men the external or natural sense (n. 1887, 2395). The angels perceive the Word in its internal sense, and not in its external sense, proved from the experience of those who spoke with me from heaven, whilst I was reading the Word (n. 1769-1772). The ideas and speech of the angels are spiritual, but the ideas and speech of men are natural; therefore there is an internal sense, which is spiritual, for the use of the angels, illustrated by experience (n. 2333). Nevertheless the sense of the letter of the Word serves the spiritual ideas of the angels as a means of conveyance, just as the words of speech serve men to convey the sense of the subject (n. 2143). The things relating to the internal sense of the Word, fall into such things as belong to the light of heaven, thus into the perception of angels (n. 2618-2619, 2629, 3086). The things which the angels perceive from the Word are on this account precious to them (n. 2540-2541, 2545, 2551). The angels do not understand a single syllable of the sense of the letter of the Word (n. 64-65, 1434, 1929). They do not know the names of persons and places mentioned in the Word (n. 1434, 1888,4442, 4480). Names cannot enter heaven, nor be pronounced there (n. 1876, 1888).

All names mentioned in the Word signify things, and in heaven are changed into the ideas of the thing (n. 768, 1888, 4310, 4442, 5225, 5287, 10329). The angels think abstractly from persons (n. 6613, 8343, 8985, 9007). How elegant the internal sense of the Word is, even where nothing but mere names occur, shown by examples from the Word (n. 1224, 1888, 2395). Many names in a series express one thing in the internal sense (n. 5095). All numbers in the Word signify things (n. 482, 487, 647-648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2 , 2523252, 4264, 6175, 9488, 9659, 10217, 10253). Spirits also perceive the Word in its internal sense, so far as their interiors are open into heaven (n. 1771). The sense of the letter of the Word, which is natural, is changed instantly with the angels into the spiritual sense, because there is a correspondence (n. 5648). And this is effected without their hearing or knowing what is contained in the literal or external sense (n. 10215). Thus the literal or external sense is only with man, and proceeds no further (n. 2015).

There is an internal sense of the Word, and likewise an inmost or supreme sense, concerning which see (n. 9407, 10604, 10614, 10627). The spiritual angels, that is, those who belong to the spiritual kingdom of the Lord, perceive the Word in its internal sense, and the celestial angels, that is, those who belong to the celestial kingdom of the Lord, perceive the Word in its inmost sense (n. 2157, 2275).

The Word is for men, and also for angels, being accommodated to each (n. 7381, 8862, 10322). The Word is the means of uniting heaven and earth (n. 2310, 2495, 9212, 9216, 9357). The conjunction of heaven with man is effected by means of the Word (n. 9396, 9400-9401, 10452). Therefore the Word is called "a covenant" (n. 9396). Because "covenant" signifies conjunction (n. 665-666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778, 9396, 10632).

There is an internal sense in the Word, because the Word has descended from the Lord through the three heavens to man (n. 2310, 6597). And thereby it is accommodated to the angels of the three heavens, and also to men (n. 7381, 8862). Hence it is that the Word is Divine (n. 2989, 4989); and is holy (n. 10276); and is spiritual (n. 4480); and is divinely inspired (n. 9094). This is the meaning of inspiration (n. 9094).

The regenerate man also, is actually in the internal sense of the Word, although he knows it not, since his internal man, which is endowed with spiritual perception, is open (n. 10400). But in this case the spiritual of the Word flows into natural ideas, and thus is presented naturally, because, while man lives in the world, he thinks in the natural (n. 5614). Hence the light of truth, with the enlightened, is from their internal, that is, through their internal from the Lord (n. 10691, 10694). By the same way holiness flows in with those who esteem the Word holy (n. 6789). As the regenerate man is actually in the internal sense of the Word, and in the sanctity of that sense, although he does not know it, therefore after death he comes into it, and is no longer in the sense of the letter (n. 3226, 3342-3343).

2310. Reference has been made many times to THE INTERNAL SENSE of the Word; but I am aware that few are able to believe that such a sense exists within every detail of the Word, not only in its prophetical sections but also in its historical parts. They have little difficulty in believing that such a sense lies within prophetical sections as these do not possess the same continuity of ideas, and at the same time they contain strange modes of expression - which leads everyone to think that these sections must have some hidden content. But the fact that the historical parts in a similar way contain the internal sense is not so readily apparent both because the idea has not up to now entered anyone's head and because historical descriptions are such that they engross one's attention and thus draw the mind away from thinking that anything deeper lies concealed within them. And a further reason why they are not seen to contain any internal meaning is that the historical events described are true, as they have been recorded.

[2] Nevertheless no one can fail from the two following considerations to conclude that the historical parts as well have that which is heavenly and Divine within them but which does not show itself plainly:

1. The Word has been sent down to man from the Lord by way of heaven and so has a different origin from anything else. The nature of its origin, and the fact that this is so different from the literal sense and so far removed from it as not even to be seen, nor consequently acknowledged, by people who are purely worldly, will be shown from much evidence presented further on.

2. Being Divine the Word has been written not only for man's benefit but also for that of the angels present with man. It has been written to be of service not merely to the human race but also to heaven. This being so the Word is the medium which unites heaven and earth. Union is effected through the Church, and in fact through the Word within the Church. This is what makes it what it is and marks it off from any other literature.

[3] As regards the historical parts specifically, unless these in a similar way contained Divine and celestial things aside from the letter, no one whose thoughts extend beyond this could ever acknowledge them to be the inspired Word, down to every jot. Would anyone say that the abominable matter involving Lot's daughters, described at the end of this chapter, would be recorded in the Divine Word? Or that Jacob's peeling the rods until they were white, and placing them in the watering troughs so that the flock reproduced striped, spotted, and speckled would be recorded? Would many other events besides these have been recorded in the remaining books of Moses, and in the Books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings - events which would be of no importance and therefore of no consequence, whether known about or not, if more deeply within they did not embody some hidden Divine meaning? If they did not do so they would be no different from any other historical compositions which have sometimes been written in this fashion to give them a more appealing presentation.

[4] The learned world does not know that even the historical sections of the Word conceal Divine and heavenly things. Consequently but for the sacred respect for the books of the Word which has been instilled into them since early childhood, they might be thoroughly disposed to say that the Word is not holy except solely on these grounds. But the Word is holy not because of such respect for it but because of the internal sense within it, which is heavenly and Divine, and which causes heaven to be united to earth, that is, angels' minds to men's, and men's thereby to the Lord.