bygrace's Tistory Blog

※ (주4). The Word is written solely by correspondences, and for this reason each thing and all things in it have a spiritual meaning (n. 1404, 1408, 1409, 1540, 1619, 1659, 1709, 1783, 2900, 9086).

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The things contained in this chapter appear as if they were not representative, for it treats only of wars between several kings, and the rescue of Lot by Abram; and finally concerning Melchizedek; and thus it seems as if they contained no heavenly arcanum. But still these things, like all the rest, conceal in the internal sense the deepest arcana, which also follow in a continuous series from those which go before, and connect themselves in a continuous series with those which follow.

[2] In those which precede, the Lord has been treated of, and his instruction, and also his external man, which was to be conjoined with the internal by means of knowledges [scientiae et cognitiones]. But as his external man was—as before said—of such a nature that it had in it by inheritance from the mother things that hindered conjunction, and yet that were to be expelled by means of combats and temptations, before his external man could be united to his internal man, or his human essence to the Divine essence, therefore these combats are treated of in this chapter; and are represented and signified in the internal sense by the wars of which it treats. It is known within the church that Melchizedek represented the Lord, and therefore that the Lord is meant in the internal sense where Melchizedek is mentioned. It may be concluded from this, that not only the things concerning Melchizedek, but all the rest also, are representative; for not a syllable can have been written in the Word which was not sent down from heaven, and consequently in which the angels do not see heavenly things.

[3] In very ancient times also, many things were represented by wars, which they called the wars of Jehovah, and which signified nothing else than the combats of the church, and of those who were of the church, that is, their temptations, which are nothing but combats and wars with the evils in themselves, and consequently with the diabolical crew that excite the evils, and endeavor to destroy the church and the man of the church. That nothing else is meant in the Word by “wars” may be clearly seen from the fact that nothing can be treated of in the Word except the Lord and his kingdom, and the church; because it is Divine and not human, consequently heavenly and not worldly, and therefore by “wars,” in the sense of the letter, nothing else can be meant in the internal sense. This will be more evident from what follows.

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There are two properties of the natural world which cause all things of it to be finite; one is space, and the other time. And as the natural world was created by God, and space and time were created together with it and render it finite, it is necessary to treat of the two origins of these properties, namely, immensity and eternity; for the immensity of God relates to spaces and his eternity to times; while both immensity and eternity are included in infinity. But because the infinite transcends the finite, and because a knowledge of the infinite transcends the finite mind, to render it in some measure conceivable it shall be carefully considered in the following order:

(1) God is infinite because he is being and existence in himself, and because all things in the universe have their being and existence from him.

(2) God is infinite because he was before the world was, thus before spaces and times arose.

(3) Since the creation of the world God is in space without space, and in time without time.

(4) In relation to spaces God’s infinity is called immensity, while in relation to times it is called eternity; but although they are so related there is nothing of space in his immensity and nothing of time in his eternity.

(5) The infinity of God can be seen by enlightened reason in very many things in the world.

(6) Every created thing is finite, and the infinite is in finite things as in its receptacles, and is in men as in its images.

These propositions shall be explained one by one.

※ (주4). The Word is written solely by correspondences, and for this reason each thing and all things in it have a spiritual meaning (n. 1404, 1408, 1409, 1540, 1619, 1659, 1709, 1783, 2900, 9086).

(계속) 천사들이 살아가는 빛에 관하여, 또 그들의 낙원 같은 경관들과 거처들에 관하여

CONTINUATION CONCERNING THE LIGHT IN WHICH ANGELS LIVE; ALSO CONCERNING THEIR PARADISAL SCENES, AND THEIR DWELLINGS

1619

사람의 내적 시야(man’s interior sight), 곧 영안(靈眼, the sight of his spirit)이지요, 이 시야가 열리면, 저세상에 있는 것들, 곧 육안으로는 절대 볼 수 없는 것들이 나타납니다. 선지자들이 보던 것들이 딴 게 아니었습니다. 천국에는, 이미 말씀드려 온 것처럼, 주님과 주님의 나라에 관한 표상들(表象, representations)이 계속되고요, 거기 있는 것들은 모두 이에 대한 상징들(significative)인데, 어느 정도냐면, 천사들의 시야에 표상도, 상징도 아닌 것들은 하나도 없을 정도입니다. 말씀(the Word)에 나오는 표상과 상징이 그래서 있는 것이며, 말씀이라는 것이 곧 천국을 통해 주님으로부터 온 것이기 때문에 그렇습니다. When man’s interior sight is opened, which is the sight of his spirit, the things in the other life appear, which cannot possibly be made visible to the sight of the body. The visions of the prophets were nothing else. In heaven, as has been said, there are continual representations of the Lord and his kingdom; and there are things that are significative; and this to such an extent that nothing exists before the sight of the angels that is not representative and significative. Thence come the representatives and significatives in the Word; for the Word is from the Lord through heaven.

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