Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9570

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9570. 'And let it cause its lamps to go up' means the light of the spiritual heaven. This is clear from the meaning of 'causing the lamps to go up' as kindling a light in them so that they may give light; and since 'the lampstand' represented the spiritual heaven, 9548, 'causing the lamps to go up' means the light of the spiritual heaven. The light of the spiritual heaven is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, and the faith, intelligent understanding of truth, and wise discernment of good that spring from it, see the places referred to in 9548. What the light of the spiritual heaven is like must be stated briefly. In the Lord's celestial kingdom, which is the inmost or third heaven, there is light which is vastly superior to the light that exists in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, which is the middle or second heaven. The light of the celestial kingdom or inmost heaven does not have the appearance of light but of flame. The reason for this is that in that heaven the good of love reigns, and the good of love manifests itself visually in heaven as flame, whereas in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, which is the middle or second heaven, there is light which, though vastly superior to the light of the world, nevertheless has the appearance of brilliant light. And the reason why is that in this heaven the truth of faith springing from the good of love reigns, and the truth of faith springing from that good manifests itself visually in heaven as brilliant light. This also explains why 'light' in the Word means truth that springs from good, and in the highest sense Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good. From all this it may now become clear what should be understood by the light of the spiritual heaven, and what by the flame of the lamp from which that light shines.


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