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.
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church