Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 6332

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6332. Lastly of the celestial spiritual church* which is "Joseph;" and here also in the supreme sense of the Divine Human of the Lord. * The Latin here is "de Ecclesia Coelesti Spiritualis, quae Josephus." Literally translated this would read, "Of the celestial of the spiritual church, which is Joseph." But this is ambiguous, and would by most readers be understood to refer to the celestial principle or degree of the spiritual church, whereas it really refers to the degree called "the celestial of the spiritual" which is represented by Joseph. This is clear in the Latin as it stands. In order therefore to avoid all obscurity it has seemed best to slightly vary the rendering, and thus make it clear, while also harmonizing it with the expression used by Swedenborg himself in n. 6417, where speaking of the very same thing he says that it signifies "the spiritual church." The "celestial of the spiritual" which is represented by Joseph is the highest part of the spiritual kingdom of heaven and of the spiritual church on earth, and therefore Joseph stands well for the spiritual church in general, as Judah does for the celestial church.


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