17. XVII. [BY MEANS OF THE WORD THOSE ALSO HAVE LIGHT WHO ARE OUT OF THE CHURCH AND HAVE NOT THE WORD.] The case is thus: there cannot be any conjunction with heaven, unless somewhere on the earth there is a church where the Word is, and by it the Lord is known; for the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and without the Lord there is no salvation. It is enough that there be somewhere on the earth a church where the Word is. Though it consist of comparatively few, still by means of it, the Lord is present everywhere in the whole world, and by means of it heaven is conjoined to the human race, for conjunction is effected by means of the Word. But without the Word somewhere in the world there would not be conjunction with anyone. The reason of the presence of the Lord and of the conjunction of heaven with the inhabitants of the earth everywhere by means of the Word, is, that the whole heaven is before the Lord as one man, and likewise the church, and it is also actually a man, because the Lord is heaven and also the church. In that man the church where the Word is read and thereby, the Lord is known, is like the heart and lungs; and as from those two fountains of life in the human body all the rest of the members and viscera subsist and live, so also all those in the world who have a religion in which one God is worshipped, and who constitute the members and viscera of that Greatest Man which is heaven and the church, subsist and live. For, by means of the Word in the church, though it be among comparatively few, life is given to the rest from the Lord through heaven, as from the heart and lungs to the members and viscera of the whole body.
The communication is also similar. This is the reason that Christians with whom the Word is read, constitute the breast of that man and are also in the midst of all; round about them are the Roman Catholics, around these are the Mohammedans who acknowledge the Lord as the Greatest Prophet and as the Son of God, behind them are the Africans, and the Gentiles and people of Asia and the Indies constitute the outmost circumference. All who are in that man look also towards the middle region. Moreover in that middle region where, as already said, are the Christians who have the Word, is the greatest light, because light in the heavens is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord as the sun. The light thence, as from its center, propagates itself to all the borders, and enlightens. Hence the Gentiles and peoples outside of the church are enlightened also by means of the Word, for all the light of truth with man is from the Lord through heaven.
[2] As it is in the whole heaven, so also is it in every society of heaven, for each society of heaven is a heaven in smaller form, and also is in the sight of the Lord as one man, in regard to which see the work on Heaven and Hell [n. 41-87]. There also they who are in the midst in like manner relate to the heart and lungs, and with them is the greatest light. The light itself and the perception of truth thereby propagates itself from that middle portion towards the borders in every direction, and makes their spiritual life. It was also shown me that when those who were in the midst, who constituted the province of the heart and lungs, and with whom therefore was the greatest light, were taken away, those who were round about were in shade, and in so little perception of truth that it was scarcely any at all. But as soon as they returned, the light was seen as before, and there was perception of truth as before.
[3] From this it may be seen that the Word which is in the church of the Reformed, enlightens all nations and peoples by spiritual communication, which is of this nature; also that it is provided by the Lord that in this earth there may always be a church where the Word is read. When therefore the Word was almost rejected by the Roman Catholics, by the Divine providence of the Lord the Reformation was effected, and in that the Word was again received, and it was also regarded as holy by a noble nation among the Papists.
[4] Since without the Word there is no knowledge of the Lord, thus no salvation, therefore when the Word was altogether adulterated and falsified with the Jewish nation, and hence as it were made of none effect, it pleased the Lord to come into the world and not only to fulfill the Word, but also to renew and restore it, and so again to give light to the inhabitants of this earth, according to the words of the Lord in John:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light appeareth in the darkness. He was the true light, which lighteth every man coming into the world (John 1:1, 4-5, 9). In the same:
Jesus said, I am the light of the world: he that followeth Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life (John 8:12). And in Matthew:
The people which sat in darkness saw a great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, to them did light spring up (Matt. 4:16).
[5] Since it has been foretold that in the end of this church darkness would also arise, from a lack of knowledge and acknowledgment of the Lord, that He is the God of heaven and earth; and from the separation of faith from charity, whereby the genuine understanding of the Word has perished; therefore it has pleased the Lord now to reveal the spiritual sense of the Word, and to show that the Word treats in that sense of the Lord and of the church, yea, of them only, and to show many other things by which the light of truth, almost extinguished, may be restored. That the light of truth at the end of this church would be extinguished, is meant by the words of the Lord in Matthew:
Immediately after the affliction of those days, the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: and then they shall see the Son of man, coming in the clouds of heaven, with glory and power (Matt. 24:29, 30). By the "sun" is here meant the Lord as to the Divine love, by the "moon" the Lord as to faith, by the "stars" the Lord as to knowledges of good and truth, by "clouds" the sense of the letter of the Word, and by "glory" its spiritual sense, and by the "Son of man" the Lord as to the Word.
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