Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 984

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984. And they blasphemed the name of God. That hereby is signified the falsification of the Lord's Word, even to the destruction of the Divine truth in the heavens is evident from the signification of blaspheming, as denoting to falsify Divine truth even to its destruction in heaven (concerning which see n. 778); and from the signification of the name of God, as denoting Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, thus the Word (concerning which see n. 962). Hence by blaspheming the name of God is signified the falsification of the Word, even to the destruction of the Divine truth in the heavens. Concerning the falsification of the Word, even to the destruction of the Divine truth in heaven, see above (n. 778, 888, 914, 916 at the end, 950).

Continuation concerning the Sixth Precept:-

[2] Man is so created that he may be a spiritual and celestial love, and thereby an image and likeness of God. Spiritual love, which is the love of truth, is the image of God; and celestial love, which is the love of good, is the likeness of God. All the angels in the third heaven are likenesses of God, and all the angels in the second heaven are images of God. Man cannot become the love which is an image or likeness of God except by the marriage of good and truth; for good and truth intimately love each other, and ardently desire to be united that they may be one. The reason is, that Divine Good and Divine truth proceed unitedly from the Lord; consequently, they must be united in an angel of heaven, and in a man of the church. This union is by no means possible except by the marriage of two minds into one. For, as before said, man was created that he might be an understanding of truth, consequently, a truth; and woman was so created that she might be an affection of good, thus a good. In them, therefore, the conjunction of good and truth is possible. For conjugial love, which descends from that conjunction, is the veriest medium by which a man becomes the love that is the image or likeness of God. For the married pair who are in conjugial love from the Lord, love each other mutually and reciprocally from the heart, thus from what is inmost, and, hence, although they are apparently two, yet they are actually one. They are bodily two, but one as to life. This may be compared with the eyes, which are two as to the organs, but one as to sight; similarly with the ears, which are two as to the organs, but one as to hearing. So also the arms and the feet are two as to their members, but one as to use; the arms being one in action, and the feet one in walking. It is the same with the rest of the pairs with man; they also have reference to good and truth; the organ or member which is on the right to good, and that on the left to truth. It is similar with the husband and his wife, between whom there is love truly conjugial. They are two as to their bodies, but one as to life. Therefore, also, two conjugial partners, in heaven, are not called two angels but one. From these things it is clear that by marriage a man becomes a form of that love, and therefore a form of heaven, which is an image and likeness of God. [3] Man is born into the love of evil and falsity, which love is the love of adultery, and cannot be turned and changed into spiritual love, which is an image of God, and still less into celestial love which is a likeness of God, except by the marriage of good and truth from the Lord; and not in fulness, except by the marriage of two minds and of two bodies. It is therefore evident why it is that marriages are heavenly and adulteries infernal. For marriage is an image of heaven, and love truly conjugial an image of the Lord; while adultery is an image of hell, and the love of adultery an image of the devil. Conjugial love also appears in the spiritual world in form as an angel, and the love of adultery in form as a devil. Reader, treasure this up within thee, and inquire whether it be true, after death, when thou livest a man-spirit, and thou wilt see.


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