1214. Verse 6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, signifies the glorification of the Lord by all that are in the heavens because of the rejection of the evil and the consequent deliverance of the good. This is evident from the signification of a "voice," as being the glorification of the Lord, for the voice was "Alleluia, for the Lord God, the Almighty, reigneth," as appears from the end of this verse. That it is glorification because of the rejection of the evil and thence the deliverance of the good is a consequence from what precedes and follows in this chapter and in other chapters, for it means the glorification of the Lord because of the Last Judgment, by which the good were delivered from the evil; for at that time the evil were cast into hell and thereby the good were delivered from them. It is evident also from the signification of "a great multitude," as being all that are in the heavens, who are called a "multitude" from the combined sound of all. Simultaneous speech by many is heard as "the voice of a great multitude."
(Continuation)
[2] (7) That origin is use. This is because affections have reference to uses; use is the subject of all affection, for man cannot be affected except for the sake of something, and that something is use. Since, then, all affection supposes use, and the plant soul, from its spiritual origin, is an affection, as has been said, it, too, is a use. For this very reason every plant contains a use, a spiritual use in the spiritual world, and both a spiritual and a natural use in the natural world. The spiritual use is for the various states of the mind, and the natural use is for the various states of the body. It is well known that minds are refreshed, recreated, and stimulated, or on the other hand that drowsiness, sadness, or fainting is induced, by the odors and flavors of different kinds of plants; also that the body is healed by the various solutions, purgations, and remedies made from plants, and on the other hand, is destroyed by the poisons extracted from them. [3] In the heavens the external spiritual use derived from them is the refreshment of minds, and the internal is the representation of Divine things in them, and thereby also the elevation of the mind. For the wiser angels see in them the quality of affections in a series. These, with what lies hidden in them, are manifested in the varieties of flowers in their order, also in the variegations of color and odor. For every ultimate affection which is called natural, although it is spiritual, derives its quality from an interior affection, which pertains to intelligence and wisdom, and these derive their quality from use and the love of it. In a word, from the soil in the heavens nothing but use blooms forth, for use is the plant soul. [4] Because use is the plant soul, in those places in the spiritual world that are called deserts, where those are who in the world had rejected works of charity, which are essential uses, no grass or herb of any kind is seen, but mere gravel and sand. Every good in act that is from the Lord through love to him and love towards the neighbor, is meant by the uses that alone blossom forth in the heavens. Every plant there represents a form of use; and whatever appears in it, from its first to its last and from its last to its first, that is, from seed to flower and from flower to seed, exhibits the progression or extension from end to end of an affection and of its use. Those that are skilled in the sciences of botany, chemistry, medicine, and pharmacy, come after death into a knowledge of spiritual uses from the plants in the spiritual world, and cultivate that knowledge and find the greatest delight in it. I have talked with such and have heard from them wonderful things.
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