Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 10707

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

10707. Until he entered in to speak with Him. That this signifies no matter how much they may be informed, is evident from the signification of "until Moses entered in to speak with Jehovah," as signifying the state of this external when the internal from the Lord flowed in, and it received information (see above, n. 10702). That here it also denotes no matter how much they may be informed, is because by Moses is represented that external of the Word in which is the internal (n. 10694); and he entered in before Jehovah and went out, and informed them; for by "entering in and going out" is signified communication (n. 5249, 6901); and by "speaking" is signified information (see at the places cited in n. 10280). That they did not wish to know anything about these internal things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, which relate to the Lord, to His kingdom, and to love to Him and faith in Him, is very evident from the fact that they did not wish to acknowledge the Lord no matter how much He when in the world informed them from the Word; and that neither do they wish to acknowledge Him at this day, although they live among Christians, and know that it has been foretold in the Word that the Messiah, that is, the Christ, will come. The reason why they did not acknowledge, and do not acknowledge, is that they apply all things of the Word to themselves, and to their own eminence over others, thus in favor of their loves, which are the loves of self and of the world. All who do so, see nothing from heaven. Their internal, which should be open into heaven, is closed, and therefore they have no light from this source. For this reason they are in thick darkness and blindness in respect to spiritual things, thus in respect to the internal of the Word, of the church, and of worship. The internal of the Word is spiritual; its external is natural. When the internal of the Word is spoken of, the internal of the church and of worship is also meant, because the church is where the Word is, and is from the Word; and worship is from those things which are in the Word. Thus such as is a man's understanding of the Word, such is the church in him, and such is his worship.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church