The Natural and Spiritual Sense of the Word.*

"That in the Word there is an internal or spiritual sense, in its external or natural sense, as a precious stone in its matrix, or as a beautiful infant in its swaddling clothes, is a truth which has heretofore been altogether unknown in the Christian world, and hence also it is altogether unknown what is meant by the consummation of the age, the Coming of the Lord, the Last Judgment, and the New Jerusalem, on which subjects many things are spoken and predicted in the Word of each Testament, both Old and New. Without the unfolding and opening out of the literal sense of the Word by its spiritual sense, how can anyone know intellectually what is signified by the things which the Lord predicted (in Matthew 24), and also in the Book of Revelation, and in like manner in Daniel, and in the Prophets, in many passages? Make the experiment yourself, if you be so disposed, and read those passages of the prophetic Word which treat sometimes of wild beasts and cattle, sometimes of pools and swamps, sometimes of forests and brakes, sometimes of valleys and mountains, sometimes of screech owls, of ochim, tziim, satyrs, etc., etc.; try whether you can perceive anything Divine therein, unless you believe it to lie concealed interiorly, on account of its being inspired by God, just as a precious stone lies concealed in its matrix, as was said above. That the precious stones, or treasures, which lie concealed within are those things which the internal sense contains, is fully demonstrated in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture (n. 5 to 26); and in the same Doctrine it is further proved that the literal sense is the basis, containant, and firmament of its spiritual sense (n. 27 to 36); also that Divine Truth in the literal sense of the Word is in its fullness, in its sanctity, and in its power (n. 37 to 40); and likewise, that the doctrine of the church is to be drawn from the literal sense of the Word, and to be confirmed thereby (n. 50 to 61); and, finally, that by the literal sense, through the medium of the spiritual sense, there is effected conjunction with the Lord, and consociation with the angels (n. 62 to 69). "To the above I will add something new from the spiritual world: The rulers of the church who flock into that world after death, are first taught concerning the Sacred Scripture, that it contains a spiritual sense, which in the world was unknown to them; and they are also told, that the angels of heaven are in that sense, whilst man is in the sense of the letter; and further, that a translation or change of the latter sense into the former is effected with man, while he reads the Word in a state of holiness; that there is then a kind of unfolding or unswathing, like the breaking of the shell enclosing an almond, whereupon the shell is dispersed and the naked almond passes into heaven, and is received by the angels; and that it is also like the casting of a seed into the ground, where it is stripped of its coverings, and the germ is put forth. "The seed in this case is the Word in the sense of the letter, and the germ which is put forth thence is the spiritual sense; the latter passes to the angels, and the former remains with man. The seed, nevertheless, remains with man in his mind as in its soil, and in time produces its germ and fructifies it, provided man by the seeds of life which are the truths of faith and the goods of charity, is conjoined to the Lord, and consociated with the angels. The above rulers are further admonished to receive thoroughly this belief, that the Word in its bosom is spiritual, because Divine; and that unless they receive this belief, they may be seduced by satans, so that they even deny the sanctity of the Word; in which case the church with them is dissipated. This further argument is also urged upon them, that if they do not believe the internal sense of the Word, the Word may finally appear to them as some unpolished and unconnected writing, or even as a book of all heresies, because from the literal sense, as from a kind of lake, heresies of every sort may be drawn forth and confirmed. Those who believe the internal sense of the Word, are afterwards received into companies of angelic spirits, who in process of time are elevated into heaven and become angels; but those who do not believe, are removed into companies of spirits, who in course of time are cast into hell, and become satans. Those are called satans there, who in the world had falsified every truth of the Word, and who in consequence thereof had imbibed falsities, so that at last they could no longer see anything of truth." * Documents Concerning Swedenborg, Vol. 2, pp. 269-271. Dated Amsterdam, November 8, 1768.