Heavenly Doctrine (Tafel) n. 260

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260. In the internal or spiritual sense of the Word there are innumerable arcana. The Word in its internal sense contains innumerable things which transcend the human comprehension, nos. 3085, 3086. It also contains things that cannot be explained, no. 1965; which are represented only to angels, and understood by them, no. 167. The internal sense of the Word contains arcana of heaven, which relate to the Lord and His kingdom in the heavens and on earth, nos. 1-4, 937. These arcana do not appear in the sense of the letter, nos. 937, 1502, 2161. Many things contained in the prophets, appear there as detached, which in the internal sense are connected in a beautiful continuous series, nos. 7153, 9022. Not a single expression, and not even a single iota can be omitted from the sense of the letter of the Word, without causing an interruption in the internal sense; wherefore, by the Lord's Divine Providence, the Word has been preserved entire, as to every word and every tittle, no. 7933. Innumerable things are contained in each single thing of the Word, nos. 6617, 6620, 8920; and in every expression, no. 1869. Innumerable things are contained in the Lord's Prayer, and in each single thing thereof no. 6619; also in the Commandments of the Decalogue, in the external sense of which, nevertheless, there are some things of such a nature as are known to every nation without revelation. Nos. 8867, 8900. In the Word, and especially in its prophetical part, there are two expressions as it were of the same thing; but one of them has relation to good, and other to truth; thus one to what is spiritual and the other to what is celestial, nos. 683, 707, 2516, 8339. Goods and truths are conjoined in the Word in a wonderful manner, and this conjunction appears only to him who is acquainted with the internal sense, no. 10554. In the Word, and in each single thing thereof, there is, consequently, the Divine marriage and also the heavenly marriage, nos. 683, 793, 801, 2173, 2516, 2712, 5138, 7022. The Divine Marriage is the marriage of the Divine Good and the Divine Truth, thus the Lord, in whom alone is that marriage, nos. 3004, 3005, 3009, 5138, 5194, 5502, 6343, 7945, 8339, 9260, 9314. By Jesus is signified the Divine Good, and by Christ the Divine Truth; and by both, the Divine Marriage in heaven, which is the marriage of the Divine Good and the Divine Truth, nos. 3004, 3005, 3009. This marriage is in each single thing of the Word, in its internal sense; and thus the Lord is in it, as to the Divine Good and the Divine Truth, no. 5502. The marriage of good and truth from the Lord in heaven and the Church, is what is called the heavenly marriage, nos. 2508, 2618, 2803, 3004, 3211, 3952, 6179. Wherefore the Word in this respect is, as it were, heaven, nos. 2173, 10126. By virtue of the marriage of good and truth in the Word, heaven is compared in it to a marriage, nos. 2758, 3132, 4434, 4835. The internal sense is the very doctrine of the Church, nos. 9025, 9430, 10400. Those who understand the Word according to the internal sense are acquainted with the very true doctrine of the Church, because the internal sense contains that doctrine, nos. 9025, 9430, 10400. The Internal of the Word is also the Internal of the Church, as well as the Internal of worship, no. 10460. The Word is the doctrine of love to the Lord, and of charity towards the neighbour, nos. 3419, 3420. The Word in the letter is as the cloud, and in the internal sense it is the glory, see the Preface to Chapter xviii of Genesis, also nos. 5922, 6343, where the words, "The Lord shall come in the clouds of heaven with glory," are explained. A cloud in the Word also signifies the Word in the sense of the letter, and glory the Word in the internal sense, see the Preface to Chapter xviii, of Genesis, also nos. 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343, 6752, 8106, 8781, 9430, 10551, 10574. The things which are in the sense of the letter, in respect to those which are in the internal sense, are like rude projections round a polished optical cylinder, by which nevertheless there is exhibited in the cylinder a beautiful image of a man, no. 1871. Those who are in favour of and acknowledge only the sense of the letter of the Word, in the other life are represented by an ugly old woman; but those who at the same time are in favor of and acknowledge the internal sense, are represented by a virgin beautifully arrayed, no. 1774. The Word in its whole aggregate is an image of heaven, because the Word is Divine Truth, and Divine Truth constitutes heaven; and since heaven has reference to one man, therefore the Word in this respect is, as it were, an image of man, no. 1871. Heaven in the aggregate has reference to one man, as may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell, nos. 59-67; and the Divine Truth which proceeds from the Lord constitutes heaven, nos. 126-140, 200-212. The Word is presented beautifully and agreeably before the angels, nos. 1767, 1768. The sense of the letter is like the body, and the internal sense like the soul of that body, no. 8943. The Word, consequently, has life by virtue of the internal sense, nos. 1405, 4857. In the internal sense the Word is pure, and it does not appear so in the sense of the letter, nos. 2362, 2395. Those things which are in the sense of the letter of the Word are holy from internal things, nos. 10126, 10728. In the historical parts of the Word there is also an internal sense, but it is contained interiorly within them, no. 4989. The historical parts of the Word thus contain arcana of heaven, just like the prophetical parts, nos. 755, 1659, 1709, 2310, 2333. The angels perceive these parts not historically, but spiritually, no. 6884. The reason why the interior arcana which are contained in the historical parts, are less evident to a man than those contained in the prophetical parts, nos. 2176, 6597. Further particulars concerning the quality of the internal sense of the Word, shown, nos. 1756, 1984, 2004, 2663, 3035, 7089, 10604, 10614; and illustrated by comparisons, no. 1873.


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