Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 5598

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5598. And unto our birth. That this signifies concerning the truths of faith there, is evident from the signification of "birth," as being the birth of truth from good, or of faith from charity (see n. 1145, 1255, 4070, 4668). That "birth" in the internal sense denotes this is because in heaven no other birth is understood than that which is called regeneration, which is effected by means of the truth of faith and the good of charity. By this birth, from being sons of man men become sons of the Lord; these are they who are said to be "born of God" (John 1:13). According to the varieties of good from truth and of truth from good in this birth are the brotherhoods or relationships by blood and by marriage in heaven; for in heaven there are perpetual varieties, but the varieties are so disposed by the Lord as to represent families in which are brothers, sisters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandsons, granddaughters, and so on. In general, however, all are disposed in such a form that together they make a one, as is the case with the varieties in the human body, where no member is exactly like another, nor indeed any part in one member the same as another part, and yet all the various parts are disposed in such a form that they act as a one, and each concurs intimately or remotely with the action of every other. Such being the form in man, it may be inferred what the form in heaven must be, with which all the things in man have correspondence-that it must be most perfect.


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