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0. AUTHOR'S TABLE OF CONTENTS OF VOLUME 1.

The Heavenly Arcana which have been unfolded in the Holy Scripture or Word of the Lord are contained in the Explication, which is the INTERNAL SENSE of the Word. What the nature of this sense is may be seen in those things which have been shown concerning it from Experience in numbers 1767 to 1777, and 1869 to 1879; and also in the context (n. 1 to 5, 64 to 66, 167, 605, 920, 937, 1143, 1224, 1404, 1405, 1408, 1409, 1502 at the end, 1540, 1659, 1756, 1783, 1807).
The Wonderful Things which have been seen in the Word of Spirits and in the heaven of Angels, are prefixed and subjoined to the several chapters. In this volume are the following:-
Concerning the Resuscitation of man from the dead, and his entrance into eternal life (n. 168-181).
Continuation concerning the entrance of man into eternal life (n. 182 to 189; also 314 to 319).
What the next life of the Soul or Spirit then is (n. 320 to 323).
Some examples from Spirits of what they had thought in the life of the body about the Soul or Spirit (n. 443 to 448).
Concerning Heaven and Heavenly Joy (n. 449 to 459; also 537 to 546; and 547 to 553).
Concerning the Societies which constitute Heaven (n. 684 to 691).
Concerning Hell (n. 692 to 700).
Concerning the Hells of those who have passed their life in Hatred, Revenge, and Cruelty (n. 814 to 823).
Concerning the Hells of those who have passed their life in Adulteries and Lasciviousness; and also concerning the Hells of the Deceitful, and of Sorceresses (n. 824 to 831).
Concerning the Hells of the Avaricious; and concerning the Filthy Jerusalem, and the Robbers in the Desert; and also concerning the excrementitious Hells of those who have lived in mere pleasures (n. 938 to 946).
Concerning other Hells that are distinct from the former (n. 947 to 970).
Concerning Vastations (n. 1106 to 1113).

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1. From the mere letter of the Word of the Old Testament no one would ever discern the fact that this part of the Word contains deep secrets of heaven, and that everything within it both in general and in particular bears reference to the Lord, to His heaven, to the church, to religious belief, and to all things connected therewith; for from the letter or sense of the letter all that anyone can see is that-to speak generally-everything therein has reference merely to the external rites and ordinances of the Jewish Church. Yet the truth is that everywhere in that Word there are internal things which never appear at all in the external things except a very few which the Lord revealed and explained to the Apostles; such as that the sacrifices signify the Lord; that the land of Canaan and Jerusalem signify heaven-on which account they are called the Heavenly Canaan and Jerusalem-and that Paradise has a similar signification.

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2. The Christian world however is as yet profoundly unaware of the fact that all things in the Word both in general and in particular, nay, the very smallest particulars down to the most minute iota, signify and enfold within them spiritual and heavenly things, and therefore the Old Testament is but little cared for. Yet that the Word is really of this character might be known from the single consideration that being the Lord's and from the Lord it must of necessity contain within it such things as belong to heaven, to the church, and to religious belief, and that unless it did so it could not be called the Lord's Word, nor could it be said to have any life in it. For whence comes its life except from those things that belong to life, that is to say, except from the fact that everything in it both in general and in particular bears reference to the Lord, who is the very Life itself; so that anything which does not inwardly regard Him is not alive; and it may be truly said that any expression in the Word that does not enfold Him within it, that is, which does not in its own way bear reference to Him, is not Divine.

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3. Without such a Life, the Word as to the letter is dead. The case in this respect is the same as it is with man, who-as is known in the Christian world-is both internal and external. When separated from the internal man, the external man is the body, and is therefore dead; for it is the internal man that is alive and that causes the external man to be so, the internal man being the soul. So is it with the Word, which, in respect to the letter alone, is like the body without the soul.

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4. While the mind cleaves to the literal sense alone, no one can possibly see that such things are contained within it. Thus in these first chapters of Genesis, nothing is discoverable from the sense of the letter other than that the creation of the world is treated of, and the garden of Eden which is called Paradise, and Adam as the first created man. Who supposes anything else? But it will be sufficiently established in the following pages that these matters contain arcana which have never yet been revealed; and in fact that the first chapter of Genesis in the internal sense treats in general of the new creation of man, or of his regeneration, and specifically of the Most Ancient Church; and this in such a manner that there is not the least expression which does not represent, signify, and enfold within it these things.

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Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 5

5. That this is really the case no one can possibly know except from the Lord. It may therefore be stated in advance that of the Lord's Divine mercy it has been granted me now for some years to be constantly and uninterruptedly in company with spirits and angels, hearing them speak and in turn speaking with them. In this way it has been given me to hear and see wonderful things in the other life which have never before come to the knowledge of any man, nor into his idea. I have been instructed in regard to the different kinds of spirits; the state of souls after death; hell, or the lamentable state of the unfaithful; heaven, or the blessed state of the faithful; and especially in regard to the doctrine of faith which is acknowledged in the universal heaven; on which subjects, of the Lord's Divine mercy, more will be said in the following pages.

CHAPTER 1*

1. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
2. And the earth was a void and emptiness, and thick darkness was upon the faces of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the faces of the waters.
3. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light.
4. And God saw the light, that it was good; and God distinguished between the light and the darkness.
5. And God called the light day, and the darkness He called night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.
6. And God said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it distinguish between the waters in the waters.
7. And God made the expanse, and made a distinction between the waters which were under the expanse, and the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so.
8. And God called the expanse heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.
9. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together in one place, and let the dry [land] appear; and it was so.
10. And God called the dry [land] earth, and the gathering together of the waters called He seas; and God saw that it was good.
11. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the tender herb, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree bearing fruit after its kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth; and it was so.
12. And the earth brought forth the tender herb, the herb yielding seed after its kind, and the tree bearing fruit, whose seed was in itself, after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
13. And the evening and the morning were the third day.
14. And God said, Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens, to distinguish between the day and the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years.
15. And let them be for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth; and it was so.
16. And God made two great luminaries, the greater luminary to rule by day, and the lesser luminary to rule by night; and the stars.
17. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth;
18. And to rule in the day, and in the night, and to distinguish between the light and the darkness; and God saw that it was good.
19. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.
20. And God said, Let the waters cause to creep forth the creeping thing, the living soul; and let fowl fly above the earth upon the faces of the expanse of the heavens.
21. And God created great whales, and every living soul that creepeth, which the waters caused to creep forth after their kinds, and every winged fowl after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
22. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and the fowl shall be multiplied in the earth.
23. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.
24. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living soul after its kind; the beast, and the thing moving itself, and the wild animal of the earth, after its kind; and it was so.
25. And God made the wild animal of the earth after its kind, and the beast after its kind, and everything that creepeth on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good.
26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the beast, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.
27. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him; male and female created He them.
28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth.
29. And God said, Behold, I give you every herb bearing seed which is upon the faces of all the earth, and every tree in which is fruit; the tree yielding seed, to you it shall be for food.
30. And to every wild animal of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth wherein is a living soul, every green herb for food; and it was so.
31. And God saw everything that He had made, and behold it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.
* The Author, writing in Latin, has given his own translation, in that language, of the Hebrew and Greek texts of the Word, in which, for the sake of the spiritual sense, he has rendered the originals almost as literally as possible, and it has been deemed necessary to follow him in the translation of the present work into English, but with the endeavor to avoid any needless departure from the language of the English Bible. [Reviser.]

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6. THE CONTENTS.
The six days, or periods, which are so many successive states of the regeneration of man, are in general as follows.

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7. The first state is that which precedes, including both the state from infancy, and that immediately before regeneration. This is called a "void" "emptiness" and "thick darkness." And the first motion, which is the Lord's mercy, is "the Spirit of God moving upon the faces of the waters."

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8. The second state is when a distinction is made between those things which are of the Lord, and those which are proper to man. The things which are of the Lord are called in the word "remains" and here are especially knowledges of faith, which have been learned from infancy, and which are stored up, and are not manifested until the man comes into this state. At the present day this state seldom exists without temptation, misfortune, or sorrow, by which the things of the body and the world, that is, such as are proper to man, are brought into quiescence, and as it were die. Thus the things which belong to the external man are separated from those which belong to the internal man. In the internal man are the remains, stored up by the Lord unto this time, and for this use.

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9. The third state is that of repentance, in which the man, from his internal man, speaks piously and devoutly, and brings forth goods, like works of charity, but which nevertheless are inanimate, because he thinks they are from himself. These goods are called the "tender grass" and also the "herb yielding seed" and afterwards the "tree bearing fruit."

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Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 10

10. The fourth state is when the man becomes affected with love, and illuminated by faith. He indeed previously discoursed piously, and brought forth goods, but he did so in consequence of the temptation and straitness under which he labored, and not from faith and charity; wherefore faith and charity are now enkindled in his internal man, and are called two "luminaries."

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11. The fifth state is when the man discourses from faith, and thereby confirms himself in truth and good: the things then produced by him are animate, and are called the "fish of the sea" and the "birds of the heavens."

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12. The sixth state is when, from faith, and thence from love, he speaks what is true, and does what is good: the things which he then brings forth are called the "living soul" and the "beast." And as he then begins to act at once and together from both faith and love, he becomes a spiritual man, who is called an "image." His spiritual life is delighted and sustained by such things as belong to the knowledges of faith, and to works of charity, which are called his "food;" and his natural life is delighted and sustained by those which belong to the body and the senses; whence a combat arises, until love gains the dominion, and he becomes a celestial man.

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13. Those who are being regenerated do not all arrive at this state. The greatest part, at this day, attain only the first state; some only the second; others the third, fourth, or fifth; few the sixth; and scarcely anyone the seventh.

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14. THE INTERNAL SENSE.
In the following work, by the name Lord is meant the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ, and Him only; and He is called "the Lord" without the addition of other names. Throughout the universal heaven He it is who is acknowledged and adored as Lord, because He has all sovereign power in the heavens and on earth. He also commanded His disciples so to call Him, saying, "Ye call Me Lord, and ye say well, for I am" (John 13:13). And after His resurrection His disciples called Him "the Lord."

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Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 15

15. In the universal heaven they know no other Father than the Lord, because He and the Father are one, as He Himself has said:
I am the way, the truth, and the life. Philip saith, Show us the Father; Jesus saith to him, Am I so long time with you, and hast thou not known Me, Philip? He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me (John 14:6, 8-11).

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16. Verse 1. In the beginning God created the heavens [coelum] and the earth. The most ancient time is called "the beginning." By the prophets it is in various places called the "days of old" [antiquitatis] and also the "days of eternity." The "beginning" also involves the first period when man is being regenerated, for he is then born anew, and receives life. Regeneration itself is therefore called a "new creation" of man. The expressions to "create" to "form" to "make" in almost all parts of the prophetic writings signify to regenerate, yet with a difference in the signification. As in Isaiah:
Everyone that is called by My name, I have created him for My glory, I have formed him, yea, I have made him (Isa. 43:7).
And therefore the Lord is called the "Redeemer" the "Former from the womb" the "Maker" and also the "Creator;" as in the same Prophet:
I am Jehovah your Holy One, the Creator of Israel, your King (Isa. 43:15).
In David:
The people that is created shall praise Jah (Ps. 102:18).
Again:
Thou sendest forth Thy spirit, they are created, and Thou renewest the faces of the ground (Ps. 104:30).
That "heaven" signifies the internal man; and "earth" the external man before regeneration, may be seen from what follows.

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17. Verse 2. And the earth was a void and emptiness, and darkness was upon the faces of the deep [abyssi]; and the Spirit of God was brooding upon the faces of the waters. Before his regeneration, man is called the "earth void and empty" and also the "ground" wherein nothing of good and truth has been sown; "void" denotes where there is nothing of good, and "empty" where there is nothing of truth. Hence comes "thick darkness" that is, stupidity, and an ignorance of all things belonging to faith in the Lord, and consequently of all things belonging to spiritual and heavenly life. Such a man is thus described by the Lord through Jeremiah:
My people is stupid, they have not known Me; they are foolish sons, and are not intelligent; they are wise to do evil, but to do good they have no knowledge. I beheld the earth, and lo a void and emptiness, and the heavens, and they had no light (Jer. 4:22-23).

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18. The "faces of the deep" are the cupidities of the unregenerate man, and the falsities thence originating, of which he wholly consists, and in which he is totally immersed. In this state, having no light, he is like a "deep" or something obscure and confused. Such persons are also called "deeps" and "depths of the sea" in many parts of the Word, which are "dried up" or "wasted" before man is regenerated. As in Isaiah:
Awake as in the ancient days, in the generations of old. Art not thou it that drieth up the sea, the waters of the great deep, that maketh the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? Therefore the redeemed of Jehovah shall return (Isa. 51:9-11).
Such a man also, when seen from heaven, appears like a black mass, destitute of vitality. The same expressions likewise in general involve the vastation of man, frequently spoken of by the Prophets, which precedes regeneration; for before man can know what is true, and be affected with what is good, there must be a removal of such things as hinder and resist their admission; thus the old man must needs die, before the new man can be conceived.

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19. By the "Spirit of God" is meant the Lord's mercy, which is said to "move" or "brood" as a hen broods over her eggs. The things over which it moves are such as the Lord has hidden and treasured up in man, which in the Word throughout are called remains or a remnant, consisting of the knowledges of the true and of the good, which never come into light or day, until external things are vastated. These knowledges are here called "the faces of the waters."

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20. Verse 3. And God said, Let there be light, and there was light. The first state is when the man begins to know that the good and the true are something higher. Men who are altogether external do not even know what good and truth are; for they fancy all things to be good that belong to the love of self and the love of the world; and all things to be true that favor these loves; not being aware that such goods are evils, and such truths falsities. But when man is conceived anew, he then begins for the first time to know that his goods are not goods, and also, as he comes more into the light, that the Lord is, and that He is good and truth itself. That men ought to know that the Lord is, He Himself teaches in John:
Except ye believe that I am, ye shall die in your sins (John 8:24).
Also, that the Lord is good itself, or life, and truth itself, or light, and consequently that there is neither good nor truth except from the Lord, is thus declared:
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness. He was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world (John 1:1, 3-4, 9).

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21. Verses 4, 5. And God saw the light, that it was good, and God distinguished between the light and the darkness. And God called the light day, and the dark He called night. Light is called "good" because it is from the Lord, who is good itself, The "darkness" means all those things which, before man is conceived and born anew, have appeared like light, because evil has appeared like good, and the false like the true; yet they are darkness, consisting merely of the things proper to man himself, which still remain. Whatsoever is of the Lord is compared to "day" because it is of the light; and whatsoever is man's own is compared to "night" because it is of darkness. These comparisons frequently occur in the Word.

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22. Verse 5. And the evening and the morning were the first day. What is meant by "evening" and what by "morning" can now be discerned. "Evening" means every preceding state, because it is a state of shade, or of falsity and of no faith; "morning" is every subsequent state, being one of light, or of truth and of the knowledges of faith, "Evening" in a general sense, signifies all things that are of man's own; but "morning" whatever is of the Lord, as is said through David:
The spirit of Jehovah spake in me, and His word was on my tongue; the God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me. He is as the light of the morning, when the sun ariseth, even a morning without clouds, when from brightness, from rain, the tender herb springeth out of the earth (2 Sam. 23:2-4).
As it is "evening" when there is no faith, and "morning" when there is faith, therefore the coming of the Lord into the world is called "morning;" and the time when He comes, because then there is no faith, is called "evening" as in Daniel:
The Holy One said unto me, Even unto evening when it becomes morning, two thousand and three hundred (Dan. 8:14, 26).
In like manner "morning" is used in the Word to denote every coming of the Lord, consequently it is an expression of new creation.

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23. Nothing is more common in the Word than for "day" to be used to denote time itself. As in Isaiah:
The day of Jehovah is at hand. Behold, the day of Jehovah cometh. I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall be shaken out of her place: in the day of the wrath of Mine anger. Her time is near to come, and her days shall not be prolonged (Isa. 13:6, 9, 13, 22).
And in the same Prophet:
Her antiquity is of ancient days. And it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king (Isa. 23:7, 15).
As "day" is used to denote time, it is also used to denote the state of that time, as in Jeremiah:
Woe unto us, for the day is gone down, for the shadows of the evening are stretched out (Jer. 6:4).
And again:
If ye shall make vain My covenant of the day, and My covenant of the night, so that there be not day and night in their season (Jer. 23:20, also 25).
And again:
Renew our days, as of old (Lam. 5:21).

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24. Verse 6. And God said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it distinguish between the waters in the waters. After the spirit of God, or the Lord's mercy, has brought forth into day the knowledges of the true and of the good, and has given the first light, that the Lord is, that He is good itself, and truth itself, and that there is no good and truth but from Him, He then makes a distinction between the internal man and the external, consequently between the knowledges [cognitiones] that are in the internal man, and the memory-knowledges [scientifica] that belong to the external man.* The internal man is called an "expanse;" the knowledges[cognitiones] which are in the internal man are called "the waters above the expanse;" and the memory-knowledges of the external man are called "the waters beneath the expanse."
[2] Man, before he is being regenerated, does not even know that any internal man exists, much less is he acquainted with its nature and quality. He supposes the internal and the external man to be not distinct from each other. For, being immersed in bodily and worldly things, he has also immersed in them the things that belong to his internal man, and has made of things that are distinct a confused and obscure unit. Therefore it is first said, "Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters" and then, "Let it distinguish between the waters in the waters;" but not, Let it distinguish between the waters which are "under" the expanse and the waters which are "above" the expanse, as is afterwards said in the next verses:
And God made the expanse, and made a distinction between the waters which were under the expanse, and the waters which were above the expanse, and it was so. And God called the expanse heaven (Gen. 1:7-8).
[3] The next thing therefore that man observes in the course of regeneration is that he begins to know that there is an internal man, or that the things which are in the internal man are goods and truths, which are of the Lord alone. Now as the external man, when being regenerated, is of such a nature that he still supposes the goods that he does to be done of himself, and the truths that he speaks to be spoken of himself, and whereas, being such, he is led by them of the Lord, as by things of his own, to do what is good and to speak what is true, therefore mention is first made of a distinction of the waters under the expanse, and afterwards of those above the expanse. It is also an arcanum of heaven, that man, by things of his own, as well by the fallacies of the senses as by cupidities, is led and bent by the Lord to things that are true and good, and thus that every movement and moment of regeneration, both in general and in particular, proceeds from evening to morning, thus from the external man to the internal, or from "earth" to "heaven." Therefore the expanse, or internal man, is now called "heaven."
* Knowledges (cognitiones) are what we really know, as when we say I do not merely think so, I know it." Memory knowledges (scientifica) are what we have in the external memory-a vast accumulation of all kinds, theological and otherwise. For precise definitions of these words by Swedenborg himself, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 27, 896, 1486, 2718, 5212. See also the Reviser's Prefatory Notes. [Reviser.]

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25. To "spread out the earth and stretch out the heavens" is a common form of speaking with the Prophets, when treating of the regeneration of man. As in Isaiah:
Thus saith Jehovah thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb; I am Jehovah that maketh all things, that stretcheth forth the heavens alone, that spreadeth abroad the earth by Myself (Isa. 44:24).
And again, where the advent of the Lord is openly spoken of:
A bruised reed shall He not break, and the smoking flax shall He not quench; He shall bring forth judgment unto truth (Isa. 42:3);
that is, He does not break fallacies, nor quench cupidities, but bends them to what is true and good; and therefore it follows,
Jehovah God createth the heavens, and stretcheth them out; He spreadeth out the earth, and the productions thereof; He giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein (Isa. 42:5).
Not to mention other passages to the same purport.

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Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 26

26. Verse 8. And the evening and the morning were the second day. The meaning of "evening" of "morning" and of "day" was shown above at verse 5.

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Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 27

27. Verse 9. And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together to one place, and let the dry [land] appear; and it was so. When it is known that there is both an internal and an external man, and that truths and goods flow in from, or through, the internal man to the external, from the Lord, although it does not so appear, then those truths and goods, or the knowledges of the true and the good in the regenerating man, are stored up in his memory, and are classed among its knowledges [scientifica]; for whatsoever is insinuated into the memory of the external man, whether it be natural, or spiritual, or celestial, abides there as memory-knowledge [scientificum], and is brought forth thence by the Lord. These knowledges are the "waters gathered together into one place" and are called "seas" but the external man himself is called the "dry [land]" and presently "earth" as in what follows.

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28. Verse 10. And God called the dry [land] earth, and the gathering together of the waters called He seas; and God saw that it was good. It is a very common thing in the Word for "waters" to signify knowledges [cognitiones et scientifica], and consequently for "seas" to signify a collection of knowledges. As in Isaiah:
The earth shall be full of the knowledge [scientia] of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:9).
And in the same Prophet, where a lack of knowledges [cognitionum et scientificorum] is treated of:
The waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be dried up and become utterly dry, and the streams shall recede (Isa. 19:5-6).
In Haggai, speaking of a new church:
I will shake the heavens and the earth, and the sea and the dry [land]; and I will shake all nations; and the desire of all nations shall come; and I will fill this house with glory (Hag. 2:6-7).
And concerning man in the process of regeneration, in Zechariah:
There shall be one day, it is known to Jehovah; not day, nor night; but it shall come to pass that at evening time it shall be light; and it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, part of them toward the eastern sea, and part of them toward the hinder sea (Zech. 14:7-8).David also, describing a vastated man who is to be regenerated and who will worship the Lord:
Jehovah despiseth not His prisoners; let the heavens and the earth praise Him, the seas and everything that creepeth therein (Ps. 69:33-34).
That the "earth" signifies a recipient, appears from Zechariah:
Jehovah stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man in the midst of him (Zech. 12:1).

AC (Potts) n. 29

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 29

29. Verses 11, 12. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the tender herb, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree bearing fruit after its kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth; and it was so. And the earth brought forth the tender herb, the herb yielding seed after its kind, and the tree bearing fruit, whose seed was in itself, after its kind; and God saw that it was good. When the "earth" or man, has been thus prepared to receive celestial seeds from the Lord, and to produce something of what is good and true, then the Lord first causes some tender thing to spring forth, which is called the "tender herb;" then something more useful, which again bears seed in itself, and is called the "herb yielding seed;" and at length something good which becomes fruitful, and is called the "tree bearing fruit, whose seed is in itself" each according to its own kind. The man who is being regenerated is at first of such a quality that he supposes the good which he does, and the truth which he speaks, to be from himself, when in reality all good and all truth are from the Lord, so that whosoever supposes them to be from himself has not as yet the life of true faith, which nevertheless he may afterwards receive; for he cannot as yet believe that they are from the Lord, because he is only in a state of preparation for the reception of the life of faith. This state is here represented by things inanimate, and the succeeding one of the life of faith, by animate things. [2] The Lord is He who sows, the "seed" is His Word, and the "earth" is man, as He himself has deigned to declare (Matt. 13:19-24, 37-39; Mark 4:14-21; Luke 8:11-16). To the same purport He gives this description:
So is the kingdom of God, as a man when he casteth seed into the earth, and sleepeth and riseth night and day, and the seed groweth and riseth up, he knoweth not how; for the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself, first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear (Mark 4:26-28).
By the "kingdom of God" in the universal sense, is meant the universal heaven; in a sense less universal, the true church of the Lord; and in a particular sense, everyone who is of true faith, or who is regenerate by a life of faith. Wherefore such a person is also called "heaven" because heaven is in him; and likewise the "kingdom of God" because the kingdom of God is in him as the Lord Himself teaches in Luke:
Being demanded of the Pharisees when the kingdom of God should come, He answered them, and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation; neither shall they say, Lo here! or, Lo there! for behold, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:20-21).
This is the third successive stage of the regeneration of man, being his state of repentance, and in like manner proceeding from shade to light, or from evening to morning; wherefore it is said (verse 13), "and the evening and the morning were the third day."

AC (Potts) n. 30

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 30

30. Verses 14-17. And God said, Let there be luminaries in the expanse of the heavens, to distinguish between the day and the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years; and let them be for luminaries in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth; and it was so. And God made two great luminaries, the greater luminary to rule by day, and the lesser luminary to rule by night; and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth. What is meant by "great luminaries" cannot be clearly understood unless it is first known what is the essence of faith, and also what is its progress with those who are being created anew. The very essence and life of faith is the Lord alone, for he who does not believe in the Lord cannot have life, as He himself has declared in John:
He that believeth on the Son hath eternal life, but he that believeth not on the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God shall abide upon him (John 3:36).
[2] The progression of faith with those who are being created anew is as follows. At first they have no life, for it is only in the good and the true that there is life, and none in the evil and the false; afterwards they receive life from the Lord by faith, first by faith of the memory, which is a faith of mere knowledge [fides scientifica]; next by faith in the understanding, which is an intellectual faith; lastly by faith in the heart, which is the faith of love, or saving faith. The first two kinds of faith are represented from verse 3 to verse 13, by things inanimate, but faith vivified by love is represented from verse 20 to verse 25, by animate things. For this reason love, and faith thence derived, are now here first treated of, and are called "luminaries;" love being "the greater luminary which rules by day;" faith derived from love "the lesser luminary which rules by night;" and as these two luminaries ought to make a one, it is said of them, in the singular number, "Let there be luminaries" [sit luminaria], and not in the plural [sint luminaria].
[3] Love and faith in the internal man are like heat and light in the external corporeal man, for which reason the former are represented by the latter. It is on this account that luminaries are said to be "set in the expanse of heaven" or in the internal man; a great luminary in its will, and a lesser one in its understanding; but they appear in the will and the understanding only as does the light of the sun in its recipient objects. It is the Lord's mercy alone that affects the will with love, and the understanding with truth or faith.

AC (Potts) n. 31

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 31

31. That the "great luminaries" signify love and faith, and are also called "sun, moon, and stars" is evident from the Prophets, as in Ezekiel:
When I shall extinguish thee, I will cover the heavens and make the stars thereof black; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light; all the luminaries of the light of heaven will I make black over thee, and I will set darkness upon thy land (32:7, 8).
In this passage Pharaoh and the Egyptians are treated of, by whom are meant, in the Word, the principle of mere sense and of mere knowledge [sensuale et scientificum]; and here, that by things of sense and of mere knowledge [sensualia et scientifica], love and faith had been extinguished. So in Isaiah:
The day of Jehovah cometh to set the land in desolation, for the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light the sun is darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine (13:9, 10).
Again, in Joel:
The day of Jehovah cometh, a day of darkness and of thick darkness; the earth trembleth before Him, the heavens are in commotion; the sun and the moon are blackened, and the stars withdraw their brightness (2:1, 2, 10).
[2] Again, in Isaiah, speaking of the advent of the Lord and the enlightening of the Gentiles, consequently of a new church, and in particular of all who are in darkness, and receive light, and are being regenerated:
Arise, shine, for thy light is come behold darkness covers the earth, and thick darkness the peoples, and Jehovah shall arise upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising, Jehovah shall be to thee a light of eternity, thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself, for Jehovah shall be to thee a light of eternity (60:1-3, 20).
So in David:
Jehovah in intelligence maketh the heavens, He stretcheth out the earth above the waters He maketh great luminaries the sun to rule by day, the moon and stars to rule by night (Ps. 136:5-9).
And again:
Glorify ye Jehovah, sun and moon glorify Him, all ye stars of light glorify Him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that are above the heavens (Ps. 148:3, 4).
[3] In all thee passages, "luminaries" signify love and faith. It was because "luminaries" represented and signified love and faith toward the Lord that it was ordained in the Jewish Church that a perpetual luminary should be kept burning from evening till morning, for every ordinance in that church was representative of the Lord. Of this luminary it is written:
Command the sons of Israel that they take oil for the luminary, to cause the lamp to ascend continually: in the tabernacle of the congregation without the veil, which is before the testimony, shall Aaron and his sons order it from evening even until morning, before Jehovah (Exod. 27:20, 21).
That these things signify love and faith, which the Lord kindles and causes to give light in the internal man, and through the internal man in the external, will of the Lord's Divine mercy be shown in its proper place.

AC (Potts) n. 32

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 32

32. Love and faith are first called "great luminaries" and afterwards love is called a "greater luminary" and faith a "lesser luminary;" and it is said of love that it shall "rule by day" and of faith that it shall "rule by night." As these are arcana which are hidden, especially in this end of days, it is permitted of the Lord's Divine mercy to explain them. The reason why these arcana are more especially concealed in this end of days is that now is the consummation of the age, when there is scarcely any love, and consequently scarcely any faith, as the Lord Himself foretold in the Evangelists in these words:
The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (Matt. 24:29).
By the "sun" is here meant love, which is darkened; by the "moon" faith, which does not give light; and by the "stars" the knowledges of faith, which fall from heaven, and which are the "virtues and powers of the heavens."
[2] The Most Ancient Church acknowledged no other faith than love itself. The celestial angels also do not know what faith is except that which is of love. The universal heaven is a heaven of love, for there is no other life in the heavens than the life of love. From this is derived all heavenly happiness, which is so great that nothing of it admits of description, nor can ever be conceived by any human idea. Those who are under the influence of love, love the Lord from the heart, but yet know, declare, and perceive, that all love, and consequently all life-which is of love alone-and thus all happiness, come solely from the Lord, and that they have not the least of love, of life, or of happiness, from themselves. That it is the Lord from whom all love comes, was also represented by the great luminary or "sun" at His transfiguration, for it is written:
His face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light (Matt. 17:2).
Inmost things are signified by the face, and the things that proceed from them, by the raiment. Thus the Lord's Divine was signified by the "sun" or love; and His Human by the "light" or wisdom proceeding from love.

AC (Potts) n. 33

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 33

33. It is in everyone's power very well to know that no life is possible without some love, and that no joy is possible except that which flows from love. Such however as is the love, such is the life, and such the joy: if you were to remove loves, or what is the same thing, desires-for these are of love-thought would instantly cease, and you would become like a dead person, as has been shown me to the life. The loves of self and of the world have in them some resemblance to life and to joy, but as they are altogether contrary to true love, which consists in a man's loving the Lord above all things, and his neighbor as himself, it must be evident that they are not loves, but hatreds, for in proportion as anyone loves himself and the world, in the same proportion he hates his neighbor, and thereby the Lord. Wherefore true love is love to the Lord, and true life is the life of love from Him, and true joy is the joy of that life. There can be but one true love, and therefore but one true life, whence flow true joys and true felicities, such as are those of the angels in the heavens.

AC (Potts) n. 34

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 34

34. Love and faith admit of no separation, because they constitute one and the same thing; and therefore when mention is first made of "luminaries" they are regarded as one, and it is said, "Let there be [sit] luminaries in the expanse of the heavens." Concerning this circumstance it is permitted me to relate the following wonderful particulars. The celestial angels, by virtue of the celestial love in which they are from the Lord, are from that love in all the knowledges of faith, and are in such a life and light of intelligence that scarcely anything of it can be described. But, on the other hand, spirits who are in the knowledge of the doctrinals of faith, without love, are in such a coldness of life and obscurity of light that they cannot even approach the first threshold of the court of the heavens, but flee back again. Some of them, while not living according to His precepts, say that they have believed in the Lord, and it was of such that the Lord said in Matthew:
Not everyone that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but he that doeth My will: many will say to Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied through Thy name (Matt. 7:21, 22, to the end). [2] Hence it is evident that those who are in love are also in faith, and thereby in heavenly life, but not those who say they are in faith, and are not in the life of love. The life of faith without love is like the light of the sun without heat, as in the time of winter, when nothing grows, but all things are torpid and dead; whereas faith proceeding from love is like the light of the sun in the time of spring, when all things grow and flourish in consequence of the sun's fructifying heat. It is precisely similar in regard to spiritual and heavenly things, which are usually represented in the Word by such as exist in the world and on the face of the earth. No faith; and faith without love, are also compared by the Lord to "winter" where He foretells the consummation of the age, in Mark:
Pray ye that your flight be not in the winter, for those shall be days of affliction (Mark 13:18-19).
"Flight" means the last time, and also that of every man when he dies. "Winter" is a life destitute of love; the "day of affliction" is its miserable state in the other life.

AC (Potts) n. 35

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 35

35. Man has two faculties: will and understanding. When the understanding is governed by the will they together constitute one mind, and thus one life, for then what the man wills and does he also thinks and intends. But when the understanding is at variance with the will (as with those who say they have faith, and yet live in contradiction to faith), then the one mind is divided into two, one of which desires to exalt itself into heaven, while the other tends toward hell; and since the will is the doer in every act, the whole man would plunge headlong into hell if it were not that the Lord has mercy on him.

AC (Potts) n. 36

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 36

36. They who have separated faith from love do not even know what faith is. When thinking of faith, some imagine it to be mere thought, some that it is thought directed toward the Lord, few that it is the doctrine of faith. But faith is not only a knowledge and acknowledgment of all things that the doctrine of faith comprises, but especially is it an obedience to all things that the doctrine of faith teaches. The primary point that it teaches, and that which men should obey, is love to the Lord, and love toward the neighbor, for if a man is not in this, he is not in faith. This the Lord teaches so plainly as to leave no doubt concerning it, in Mark:
The foremost of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord; therefore thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the foremost commandment; and the second is like, namely this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself; there is none other commandment greater than these (Mark 12:29-31). In Matthew, the Lord calls the former of these the "first and great commandment" and says that "on these commandments hang all the law and the Prophets" (Matt. 22:37-41). The "law and the Prophets" are the universal doctrine of faith, and the whole Word.

AC (Potts) n. 37

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 37

37. It is said that the luminaries shall be "for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and for years." In these words are contained more arcana than can at present be unfolded, although in the literal sense nothing of the kind appears. Suffice it here to observe that there are alternations of things spiritual and celestial, both in general and in particular, which are compared to the changes of days and of years. The changes of days are from morning to midday, thence to evening, and through night to morning; and the changes of years are similar, being from spring to summer, thence to autumn, and through winter to spring. Hence come the alternations of heat and light, and also of the productions of the earth. To these changes are compared the alternations of things spiritual and celestial. Life without such alternations and varieties would be uniform, consequently no life at all; nor would good and truth be discerned or distinguished, much less perceived. These alternations are in the Prophets called "ordinances" [statuta], as in Jeremiah:
Said Jehovah, who giveth the sun for a light by day, and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for a light by night, . . . these statutes shall not recede from before me (Jer. 31:35-36).
And in the same Prophet:
Said Jehovah, If My covenant of day and night stand not, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth (Jer. 33:25).
But concerning these things, of the Lord's Divine mercy, at Genesis 8:22.

AC (Potts) n. 38

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 38

38. Verse 15. And to rule in the day, and in the night, and to distinguish between the light and the darkness; and God saw that it was good. By the "day" is meant good, by the "night" evil; and therefore goods are called works of the day, but evils works of the night; by the "light" is meant truth, and by the "darkness" falsity, as the Lord says:
Men loved darkness rather than light. He that doeth truth cometh to the light (John 3:19, 21).
Verse 19. And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

AC (Potts) n. 39

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 39

39. Verse 20. And God said, Let the waters cause to creep forth the creeping thing, the living soul; and let fowl fly above the earth upon the faces of the expanse of the heavens. After the great luminaries have been kindled and placed in the internal man, and the external receives light from them, then the man first begins to live. Heretofore he can scarcely be said to have lived, inasmuch as the good which he did he supposed that he did of himself, and the truth which he spoke that he spoke of himself; and since man of himself is dead, and there is in him nothing but what is evil and false, therefore whatsoever he produces from himself is not alive, insomuch that he cannot, from himself, do good that in itself is good. That man cannot even think what is good, nor will what is good, consequently cannot do what is good, except from the Lord, must be plain to everyone from the doctrine of faith, for the Lord says in Matthew:
He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man (Matt. 13:37).
Nor can any good come except from the real Fountain of good, which is One only, as He says in another place:
None is good save One, God (Luke 18:19).
[2] Nevertheless when the Lord is resuscitating man, that is, regenerating him, to life, He permits him at first to suppose that he does what is good and speaks what is true from himself, for at that time he is incapable of conceiving otherwise, nor can he in any other way be led to believe, and afterwards to perceive, that all good and truth are from the Lord alone. While man is thinking in such a way his truths and goods are compared to the "tender grass" and also to the "herb yielding seed" and lastly to the "tree bearing fruit" all of which are inanimate; but now that he is vivified by love and faith, and believes that the Lord works all the good that he does and all the truth that he speaks, he is compared first to the "creeping things of the water" and to the "fowls which fly above the earth" and also to "beasts" which are all animate things, and are called "living souls."

AC (Potts) n. 40

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 40

40. By the "creeping things which the waters bring forth" are signified the memory-knowledges [scientifica] which belong to the external man; by "birds" in general, rational and intellectual things, of which the latter belong to the internal man. That the "creeping things of the waters" or "fishes" signify memory-knowledges, is plain from Isaiah:
I came and there was no man; at My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; their fish shall stink because there is no water and shall die for thirst; I clothe the heavens with blackness (Isa. 50:2-3).
[2] But it is still plainer from Ezekiel, where the Lord describes the new temple, or a new church in general, and the man of the church, or a regenerate person; for everyone who is regenerate is a temple of the Lord:
The Lord Jehovah said unto me, These waters that shall issue to the boundary toward the east, and shall come toward the sea, being led into the sea, and the waters shall be healed; and it shall come to pass that every living soul that shall creep forth, whithersoever the water of the rivers shall come, shall live, and there shall be exceeding much fish, because those waters shall come thither, and they shall heal, and everything shall live whither the river cometh; and it shall come to pass that fishers shall stand upon it from En-gedi to En-eglaim, with the spreading of nets shall they be; their fish shall be according to its kind, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many (Ezek. 47:8-10).
"Fishers from En-gedi unto En-eglaim" with the "spreading of nets" signify those who shall instruct the natural man in the truths of faith.
[3] That "birds" signify things rational and intellectual, is evident from the Prophets; as in Isaiah:
Calling a bird from the east, the man of My counsel from a distant land (Isa. 46:11).
And in Jeremiah:
I beheld and lo there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled (Jer. 4:25).
In Ezekiel:
I will plant a shoot of a lofty cedar, and it shall lift up a branch, and shall bear fruit, and be a magnificent cedar; and under it shall dwell every fowl of every wing, in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell (Ezek. 17:22-23).
And in Hosea, speaking of a new church, or of a regenerate man:
And in that day will I make a covenant for them with the wild beast of the field, and with the fowls of heaven, and with the moving thing of the ground (Hos. 2:18).
That "wild beast" does not signify wild beast, nor "bird" bird, must be evident to everyone, for the Lord is said to "make a new covenant" with them.

AC (Potts) n. 41

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 41

41. Whatever is proper to man has no life in itself, and whenever it is made manifest to the sight it appears hard, like a bony and black substance; but whatever is from the Lord has life, containing within it that which is spiritual and celestial, which when presented to view appears human and living. It may seem incredible but is nevertheless most true, that every single expression, every single idea, and every least of thought in an angelic spirit, is alive, containing in its minutest particulars an affection that proceeds from the Lord, who is life itself. And therefore whatsoever things are from the Lord, have life in them, because they contain faith toward Him, and are here signified by the "living soul:" they have also a species of body, here signified by "what moves itself" or "creeps." These truths, however, are as yet deep secrets to man, and are now mentioned only because the "living soul" and the "thing moving itself" are treated of.

AC (Potts) n. 42

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 42

42. Verse 21. And God created great whales, and every living soul that creepeth, which the waters made to creep forth, after their kinds, and every winged fowl after its kind; and God saw that it was good. "Fishes" as before said, signify memory-knowledges, now animated by faith from the Lord, and thus alive. "Whales" signify their general principles, in subordination to which, and from which, are the particulars; for there is nothing in the universe that is not under some general principle, as a means that it may exist and subsist. "Whales" or "great fishes" are sometimes mentioned by the Prophets, and they there signify the generals of memory-knowledges. Pharaoh the king of Egypt (by whom is represented human wisdom or intelligence, that is, knowledge [scientia] in general), is called a "great whale." As in Ezekiel:
Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great whale that lieth in the midst of his rivers, that hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made myself (Ezek. 29:3).
[2] And in another place:
Take up a lamentation for Pharaoh king of Egypt, and say unto him, Thou art as a whale in the seas, and hast gone forth in thy rivers, and hast troubled the waters with thy feet (Ezek. 32:2),
by which words are signified those who desire to enter into the mysteries of faith by means of memory-knowledges, and thus from themselves. In Isaiah:
In that day Jehovah, with His hard and great and strong sword, shall visit upon leviathan the longish [oblongum] serpent, even leviathan the crooked serpent, and He shall slay the whales that are in the sea (Isa. 27:1).
By "slaying the whales that are in the sea" is signified that such persons are ignorant of even the general principles of truth. So in Jeremiah:
Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon hath devoured me, he hath troubled me, he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me as a whale, he hath filled his belly with my delicacies, he hath cast me out (Jer. 51:34),denoting that he had swallowed the knowledges of faith, here called "delicacies" as the whale did Jonah; a "whale" denoting those who possess the general principles of the knowledges of faith as mere memory-knowledges, and act in this manner.

AC (Potts) n. 43

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 43

43. Verse 22. And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and the fowl shall be multiplied in the earth. Everything that has in itself life from the Lord fructifies and multiplies itself immensely; not so much while the man lives in the body, but to an amazing degree in the other life. To "be fruitful" in the Word, is predicated of the things that are of love, and to "multiply" of the things that are of faith; the "fruit" which is of love contains "seed" by which it so greatly multiplies itself. The Lord's "blessing" also in the Word signifies fructification and multiplication, because they proceed from it. Verse 23. And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

AC (Potts) n. 44

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 44

44. Verses 24, 25. And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living soul after its kind, the beast, and the moving thing, and the wild animal of the earth after its kind; and it was so. And God made the wild animal of the earth after its kind, and the beast after its kind, and everything that creepeth on the ground after its kind; and God saw that it was good. Man, like the earth, can produce nothing of good unless the knowledges of faith are first sown in him, whereby he may know what is to be believed and done. It is the office of the understanding to hear the Word, and of the will to do it. To hear the Word and not to do it, is like saying that we believe when we do not live according to our belief; in which case we separate hearing and doing, and thus have a divided mind, and become of those whom the Lord calls "foolish" in the following passage:
Whosoever heareth My words, and doeth them, I will liken unto a wise man who built his house upon a rock: but everyone that heareth My words, and doeth them not, I liken to a foolish man, who built his house upon the sand (Matt. 7:24, 26).The things that belong to the understanding are signified-as before shown-by the "creeping things which the waters bring forth" and also by the "fowl upon the earth" and "upon the faces of the expanse;" but those which are of the will are signified here by the "living soul which the earth produces" and by the "beast" and "creeping thing" and also by the "wild animal of that earth."

AC (Potts) n. 45

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 45

45. Those who lived in the most ancient times thus signified the things relating to the understanding and to the will; and therefore in the Prophets, and constantly in the Word of the Old Testament, the like things are represented by different kinds of animals. Beasts are of two kinds; the evil, so called because they are hurtful; and the good, which are harmless. Evils in man are signified by evil beasts, as by bears, wolves, dogs; and the things which are good and gentle, by beasts of a like nature, as by heifers, sheep, and lambs. The "beasts" here referred to are good and gentle ones, and thus signify affections, because it here treats of those who are being regenerated. The lower things in man, which have more connection with the body, are called "wild animals of that earth" and are cupidities and pleasures.

AC (Potts) n. 46

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 46

46. That "beasts" signify man's affections-evil affections with the evil, and good affections with the good-is evident from numerous passages in the Word, as in Ezekiel:
Behold, I am for you, and I will look back to you, that ye may be tilled and sown, and I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall be multiplied and bring forth fruit; and I will cause you to dwell as in your ancient times (Ezek. 36:9, 11, treating of regeneration).
In Joel:
Be not afraid ye beasts of My field, for the dwelling places of the wilderness are become grassy (Joel 2:22).
In David also:
So foolish was I, I was as a beast before Thee (Ps. 73:22).
In Jeremiah, treating of regeneration:
Behold the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast, and I will watch over them to build and to plant (Jer. 31:27-28).
[2] "Wild animals" have a similar signification, as in Hosea:
In that day will I make a covenant for them with the wild animal of the field, and with the fowl of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the earth (Hos. 2:18).
In Job:
Thou shalt not be afraid of the wild animals of the earth, for thy covenant is with the stones of the field, and the wild animals of the field shall be at peace with thee (Job 5:22-23).
In Ezekiel:
I will make with you a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil wild animal to cease out of the land, that they may dwell confidently in the wilderness (Ezek. 34:25).
In Isaiah:
The wild animals of the field shall honor me, because I have given waters in the wilderness (Isa. 43:20).
In Ezekiel:
All the fowls of the heavens made their nests in his boughs, and under his branches did all the wild animals of the field bring forth their young, and under his shadow dwelt all great nations (Ezek. 31:6).
This is said of the Assyrian, by whom is signified the spiritual man, and who is compared to the garden of Eden. In David:
Glorify ye Him, all His angels, glorify Jehovah from the earth, ye whales, fruit trees, wild animal, and every beast, creeping thing, and flying fowl (Ps. 148:2, 7, 9-10).
Here mention is made of the same things-as "whales" the "fruit tree" "wild animal" the "beast" "creeping thing" and "fowl" which, unless they had signified living principles in man, could never have been called upon to glorify Jehovah.
[3] The Prophets carefully distinguish between "beasts" and "wild animals of the earth" and "beasts" and "wild animals of the field." Nevertheless goods in man are called "beasts" just as those who are nearest the Lord in heaven are called "animals"1 both in Ezekiel and in John:
All the angels stood round about the throne, and the elders, and the four animals,* and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshiped the Lamb (Rev. 7:11; 19:4).
Those also who have the gospel preached to them are called "creatures" because they are to be created anew:
Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15).
* This word is here correctly translated "animals" and not "beasts" as in the authorized version, for zoon in Greek, and animal in Latin and English, precisely correspond to each other, and properly signify "a living creature." Zoon is the word used in these passages in the original, and not thar or tharion, as would be the case if beast had been intended. [Note to former edition.]

AC (Potts) n. 47

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 47

47. That these words contain arcana relating to regeneration, is evident also from its being said in the foregoing verse that the earth should bring forth "the living soul, the beast, and the wild animal of the earth" whereas in the following verse the order is changed, and it said that God made "the wild animal of the earth" and likewise "the beast;" for at first, and afterwards until he becomes celestial, man brings forth as of himself; and thus regeneration begins from the external man, and proceeds to the internal; therefore here there is another order, and external things are mentioned first.

AC (Potts) n. 48

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 48

48. Hence then it appears that man is in the fifth state of regeneration when he speaks from a principle of faith, which belongs to the understanding, and thereby confirms himself in the true and in the good. The things then brought forth by him are animate, and are called the "fishes of the sea" and the "fowl of the heavens." He is in the sixth state, when from faith, which is of the understanding, and from love thence derived, which is of the will, he speaks truths, and does goods; what he then brings forth being called the "living soul" and the "beast." And as he then begins to act from love, as well as from faith, he becomes a spiritual man, who is called an "image of God" which is the subject now treated of.

AC (Potts) n. 49

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 49

49. Verse 26. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the beast, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. In the Most Ancient Church, with the members of which the Lord conversed face to face, the Lord appeared as a Man; concerning which much might be related, but the time has not yet arrived. On this account they called no one "man" but the Lord Himself, and the things which were of Him; neither did they call themselves "men" but only those things in themselves-as all the good of love and all the truth of faith-which they perceived they had from the Lord. These they said were "of man" because they were of the Lord.
[2] Hence in the Prophets, by "man" and the "Son of man" in the supreme sense, is meant the Lord; and in the internal sense, wisdom and intelligence; thus everyone who is regenerate. As in Jeremiah:
I beheld the earth, and lo, it was void and emptiness, and the heavens, and they had no light. I beheld and lo there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled (Jer. 4:23, 25).
In Isaiah, where, in the internal sense, by "man", is meant a regenerate person, and in the supreme sense, the Lord himself, as the One Man:
Thus saith Jehovah the Holy One of Israel, and his Former, I have made the earth, and created man upon it; I, even My hands have stretched out the heavens, and all their army have I commanded (Isa. 45:11-12).
[3] The Lord therefore appeared to the prophets as a man, as in Ezekiel:
Above the expanse, as the appearance of a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne, and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it (Ezek. 1:26).
And when seen by Daniel He was called the "Son of man" that is, the man, which is the same thing:
I saw, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought Him near before Him; and there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, and nations, and languages should serve Him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed (Dan. 7:13-14).
[4] The Lord also frequently calls Himself the "Son of man" that is, the man, and, as in Daniel, foretells His coming in glory:
Then shall they see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory (Matt. 24:30).
The "clouds of heaven" are the literal sense of the Word; "power and great glory" are the internal sense of the Word, which in all things both in general and in particular has reference solely to the Lord and His kingdom; and it is from this that the internal sense derives its power and glory.

AC (Potts) n. 50

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 50

50. The Most Ancient Church understood by the "image of the Lord" more than can be expressed. Man is altogether ignorant that he is governed of the Lord through angels and spirits, and that with everyone there are at least two spirits, and two angels. By spirits man has communication with the world of spirits, and by angels with heaven. Without communication by means of spirits with the world of spirits, and by means of angels with heaven, and thus through heaven with the Lord, man could not live at all; his life entirely depends on this conjunction, so that if the spirits and angels were to withdraw, he would instantly perish.
[2] While man is unregenerate he is governed quite otherwise than when regenerated. While unregenerate there are evil spirits with him, who so domineer over him that the angels, though present, are scarcely able to do anything more than merely guide him so that he may not plunge into the lowest evil, and bend him to some good-in fact bend him to good by means of his own cupidities, and to truth by means of the fallacies of the senses. He then has communication with the world of spirits through the spirits who are with him, but not so much with heaven, because evil spirits rule, and the angels only avert their rule. [3] But when the man is regenerate, the angels rule, and inspire him with all goods and truths, and with fear and horror of evils and falsities. The angels indeed lead, but only as ministers, for it is the Lord alone who governs man through angels and spirits. And as this is done through the ministry of angels, it is here first said, in the plural number, "Let us make man in our image;" and yet because the Lord alone governs and disposes, it is said in the following verse, in the singular number, "God created him in His own image." This the Lord also plainly declares in Isaiah:
Thus saith Jehovah thy Redeemer, and He that formed thee from the womb, I Jehovah make all things, stretching forth the heavens alone, spreading abroad the earth by Myself (Isa. 44:24).
The angels moreover themselves confess that there is no power in them, but that they act from the Lord alone.

AC (Potts) n. 51

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 51

51. As regards the "image" an image is not a likeness, but is according to the likeness; it is therefore said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." The spiritual man is an "image" and the celestial man a "likeness" or similitude. In this chapter the spiritual man is treated of; in the following, the celestial. The spiritual man, who is an "image" is called by the Lord a "son of light" as in John:
He that walketh in the darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. While ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be sons of light (John 12:35-36).
He is called also a "friend:"
Ye are My friends if ye do whatsoever I command you (John 15:14-15).
But the celestial man, who is a "likeness" is called a "son of God" in John:
As many as received Him, to them gave He the power to become sons of God, even to them that believe on His name; who were born not of bloods, {1} nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12-13).
�1 The Greek is [???] See below, at n. 374.3. [Reviser.]�

AC (Potts) n. 52

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 52

52. So long as man is spiritual, his dominion proceeds from the external man to the internal, as is here said: "Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over the beast, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth." But when he becomes celestial, and does good from love, then his dominion proceeds from the internal man to the external, as the Lord, in David, describes Himself, and thereby also the celestial man, who is His likeness:
Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet, the flock and all cattle, and also the beasts of the fields, the fowl of the heavens, and the fish of the sea, and whatsoever passeth through the paths of the seas (Ps. 8:6-8).
Here therefore "beasts" are first mentioned, and then "fowl" and afterwards the "fish of the sea" because the celestial man proceeds from love, which belongs to the will, differing herein from the spiritual man, in describing whom "fishes" and "fowl" are first named, which belong to the understanding, and this to faith; and afterwards mention is made of "beasts."

AC (Potts) n. 53

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 53

53. Verse 27. And God created man in His own image, in the image of God created He him. The reason why "image" is here twice mentioned, is that faith, which belongs to the understanding, is called "His image;" whereas love, which belongs to the will, and which in the spiritual man comes after, but in the celestial man precedes, is called the "image of God."

AC (Potts) n. 54

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 54

54. Male and female created He them. What is meant by "male and female" in the internal sense, was well known to the Most Ancient Church, but when the interior sense of the Word was lost among their posterity, this arcanum also perished. Their marriages were their chief sources of happiness and delight, and whatever admitted of the comparison they likened to marriage, in order that in this way they might perceive its felicity. Being also internal men, they were delighted only with internal things. External things they merely saw with the eyes, but thought of what was represented. So that outward things were nothing to them, save as these could in some measure be the means of causing them to turn their thoughts to internal things, and from these to celestial things, and so to the Lord who was their all, and consequently to the heavenly marriage, from which they perceived the happiness of their marriages to come. The understanding in the spiritual man they therefore called male, and the will female, and when these acted as a one they called it a marriage. From that church came the form of speech which became customary, whereby the church itself, from its affection of good, was called "daughter" and "virgin"-as the "virgin of Zion" the "virgin of Jerusalem"-and also "wife." But on these subjects see the following chapter, at verse 23, and chapter 3, verse 15.

AC (Potts) n. 55

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 55

55. Verse 28. And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the heavens, and over every living thing that creepeth upon the earth. As the most ancient people called the conjunction of the understanding and the will, or of faith and love, a marriage, everything of good produced from that marriage they called "fructifications" and everything of truth, "multiplications." Hence they are so called in the Prophets, as for instance in Ezekiel:
I will multiply upon you man and beast, and they shall multiply and be fruitful, and I will cause you to dwell as in your ancient times, and will do better unto you than at your beginnings, and ye shall know that I am Jehovah, yea, I will cause man to walk upon you, even My people Israel (Ezek. 36:11-12).By "man" is here meant the spiritual man who is called Israel; by "ancient times" the Most Ancient Church; by "beginnings" the Ancient Church after the flood. The reason why "multiplication" which is of truth, is first mentioned, and "fructification" which is of good, afterwards, is that the passage treats of one who is to become regenerated, and not of one who is already regenerated.
[2] When the understanding is united with the will, or faith with love, the man is called by the Lord "a married land" as in Isaiah:
Thy land shall be no more termed waste, but thou shalt be called Hephzibah [my delight is in her], and thy land Beulah [married], for Jehovah delighteth in thee, and thy land shall be married (Isa. 62:4).
The fruits thence issuing, which are of truth, are called "sons" and those which are of good are called "daughters" and this very frequently in the Word.
[3] The earth is "replenished" or filled, when there are many truths and goods; for when the Lord blesses and speaks to man, that is, works upon him, there is an immense increase of good and truth, as the Lord says in Matthew:
The kingdom of the heavens is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his field, which indeed is the least of all seeds, but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the heavens come and build their nests in the branches thereof (Matt. 13:31-32).
A "grain of mustard seed" is man's good before he becomes spiritual, which is "the least of all seeds" because he thinks that he does good of himself, and what is of himself is nothing but evil. But as he is in a state of regeneration, there is something of good in him, but it is the least of all.
[4] At length as faith is joined with love it grows larger, and becomes an "herb;" and lastly, when the conjunction is completed, it becomes a "tree" and then the "birds of the heavens" (in this passage also denoting truths, or things intellectual) "build their nests in its branches" which are memory-knowledges. When man is spiritual, as well as during the time of his becoming spiritual, he is in a state of combat, and therefore it is said, "subdue the earth and have dominion."

AC (Potts) n. 56

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 56

56. Verse 29. And God said, Behold, I give you every herb bearing seed which is upon the faces of all the earth; and every tree in which is fruit; the tree yielding seed, to you it shall be for food. The celestial man is delighted with celestial things alone, which being in agreement with his life are called celestial food. The spiritual man is delighted with spiritual things, and as these are in agreement with his life they are called spiritual food. The natural man in like manner is delighted with natural things, which, being of his life, are called food, and consist chiefly of memory-knowledges. As the spiritual man is here treated of, his spiritual food is described by representatives, as by the "herb bearing seed" and by the "tree in which is fruit" which are called, in general, the "tree yielding seed." His natural food is described in the following verse.

AC (Potts) n. 57

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 57

57. The "herb bearing seed" is every truth which regards use; the "tree in which is fruit" is the good of faith; "fruit" is what the Lord gives to the celestial man, but "seed producing fruit" is what He gives to the spiritual man; and therefore it is said, the "tree yielding seed, to you it shall be for food." That celestial food is called fruit from a tree, is evident from the following chapter, where the celestial man is treated of. In confirmation of this we will here cite only these words of the Lord from Ezekiel:
By the river, upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, there cometh up every tree of food, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed; it is born again in its month; because these its waters issue out of the sanctuary; and the fruit thereof shall be for food, and the leaf thereof for medicine (Ezek. 47:12).
"Waters issuing out of the sanctuary" signify the life and mercy of the Lord, who is the "sanctuary." "Fruit" is wisdom, which shall be food for them; the "leaf" is intelligence which shall be for their use, and this use is called "medicine." But that spiritual food is called "herb" appears from David: My shepherd, I shall not want; Thou makest me to lie down in pastures of herb (Ps. 23:1-2).

AC (Potts) n. 58

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 58

58. Verse 30. And to every wild animal of the earth, and to every fowl of the heavens, and to everything that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is a living soul, I give every green herb for food; and it was so. The natural meat of the same man is here described. His natural is signified by the "wild animal of the earth" and by the "fowl of the heavens" to which there are given for food the vegetable and the green of the herb. Both his natural and his spiritual food are thus described in David:
Jehovah causeth the grass to grow for the beast, and herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth bread out of the earth (Ps. 104:14),
where the term "beast" is used to express both the wild animal of the earth and the fowl of the heavens which are mentioned in verses 11 and 12 of the same Psalm.

AC (Potts) n. 59

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 59

59. The reason why the "vegetable and the green of the herb" only are here described as food for the natural man, is this. In the course of regeneration, when man is being made spiritual, he is continually engaged in combat, on which account the church of the Lord is called "militant;" for before regeneration cupidities have the dominion, because the whole man is composed of mere cupidities and the falsities thence derived. During regeneration these cupidities and falsities cannot be instantaneously abolished, for this would be to destroy the whole man, such being the only life which he has acquired; and therefore evil spirits are suffered to continue with him for a long time, that they may excite his cupidities, and that these may thus be loosened, in innumerable ways, even to such a degree that they can be inclined by the Lord to good, and the man be thus reformed. In the time of combat, the evil spirits, who bear the utmost hatred against all that is good and true, that is, against whatever is of love and faith toward the Lord-which things alone are good and true, because they have eternal life in them-leave the man nothing else for food but what is compared to the vegetable and the green of the herb; nevertheless the Lord gives him also a food which is compared to the herb bearing seed, and to the tree in which is fruit, which are states of tranquillity and peace, with their joys and delights; and this food the Lord gives the man at intervals.
[2] Unless the Lord defended man every moment, yea, even the smallest part of every moment, he would instantly perish, in consequence of the indescribably intense and mortal hatred which prevails in the world of spirits against the things relating to love and faith toward the Lord. The certainty of this fact I can affirm, having been now for some years (notwithstanding my remaining in the body) associated with spirits in the other life, even with the worst of them, and I have sometimes been surrounded by thousands, to whom it was permitted to spit forth their venom, and infest me by all possible methods, yet without their being able to hurt a single hair of my head, so secure was I under the Lord's protection. From so many years' experience I have been thoroughly instructed concerning the world of spirits and its nature, as well as concerning the combat which those being regenerated must needs endure, in order to attain the happiness of eternal life. But as no one can be so well instructed in such subjects by a general description as to believe them with an undoubting faith, the particulars of the Lord's Divine mercy will be related in the following pages.

AC (Potts) n. 60

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 60

60. Verse 31. And God saw everything that He had made, and behold it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day. This state is called "very good" the former ones being merely called "good;" because now the things which are of faith make a one with those which are of love, and thus a marriage is effected between spiritual things and celestial things.

AC (Potts) n. 61

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 61

61. All things relating to the knowledges of faith are called spiritual, and all that are of love to the Lord and our neighbor are called celestial; the former belong to man's understanding, and the latter to his will.

AC (Potts) n. 62

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 62

62. The times and states of man's regeneration in general and in particular are divided into six, and are called the days of his creation; for, by degrees, from being not a man at all, he becomes at first something of one, and so by little and little attains to the sixth day, in which he becomes an image of God.

AC (Potts) n. 63

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 63

63. Meanwhile the Lord continually fights for him against evils and falsities, and by combats confirms him in truth and good. The time of combat is the time of the Lord's working; and therefore in the Prophets the regenerate man is called the work of the fingers of God. Nor does He rest until love acts as principal; then the combat ceases. When the work has so far advanced that faith is conjoined with love, it is called "very good;" because the Lord then actuates him, as His likeness. At the end of the sixth day the evil spirits depart, and good spirits take their place, and the man is introduced into heaven, or into the celestial paradise; concerning which in the following chapter.

AC (Potts) n. 64

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 64

64. This then is the internal sense of the Word, its veriest life, which does not at all appear from the sense of the letter. But so many are its arcana that volumes would not suffice for the unfolding of them. A very few only are here set forth, and those such as may confirm the fact that regeneration is here treated of, and that this proceeds from the external man to the internal. It is thus that the angels perceive the Word. They know nothing at all of what is in the letter, not even the proximate meaning of a single word; still less do they know the names of the countries, cities, rivers, and persons, that occur so frequently in the historical and prophetical parts of the Word. They have an idea only of the things signified by the words and the names. Thus by Adam in paradise they perceive the Most Ancient Church, yet not that church, but the faith in the Lord of that church. By Noah they perceive the church that remained with the descendants of the Most Ancient Church, and that continued to the time of Abram. By Abraham they by no means perceive that individual, but a saving faith, which he represented; and so on. Thus they perceive spiritual and celestial things entirely apart from the words and names.

AC (Potts) n. 65

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 65

65. Certain ones were taken up to the first entrance court of heaven, when I was reading the Word, and from there conversed with me. They said they could not there understand one whit of any word or letter therein, but only what was signified in the nearest interior sense, which they declared to be so beautiful, in such order of sequence, and so affecting them, that they called it Glory.

AC (Potts) n. 66

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 66

66. There are in the Word, in general, four different styles. The first is that of the Most Ancient Church. Their mode of expression was such that when they mentioned terrestrial and worldly things they thought of the spiritual and celestial things which these represented. They therefore not only expressed themselves by representatives, but also formed these into a kind of historical series, in order to give them more life; and this was to them delightful in the very highest degree. This is the style of which Hannah prophesied, saying:
Speak what is high! high! Let what is ancient come out of your mouth (1 Sam. 2:3).
Such representatives are called in David, "Dark sayings of old" (Ps. 78:2-4). These particulars concerning the creation, the garden of Eden, etc., down to the time of Abram, Moses had from the descendants of the Most Ancient Church.
[2] The second style is historical, which is found in the books of Moses from the time of Abram onward, and in those of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and the Kings. In these books the historical facts are just as they appear in the sense of the letter; and yet they all contain, in both general and particular, quite other things in the internal sense, of which, by the Lord's Divine mercy, in their order in the following pages.
The third style is the prophetical one, which was born of that which was so highly venerated in the Most Ancient Church. This style however is not in connected and historical form like the most ancient style, but is broken, and is scarcely ever intelligible except in the internal sense, wherein are deepest arcana, which follow in beautiful connected order, and relate to the external and the internal man; to the many states of the church; to heaven itself; and in the inmost sense to the Lord. The fourth style is that of the Psalms of David, which is intermediate between the prophetical style and that of common speech. The Lord is there treated of in the internal sense, under the person of David as a king.

AC (Potts) n. 67

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 67

67. CHAPTER 2
As of the Lord's Divine mercy it has been given me to know the internal meaning of the Word, in which are contained deepest arcana that have not before come to anyone's knowledge, nor can come unless the nature of the other life is known (for very many things of the Word's internal sense have regard to, describe, and involve those of that life), I am permitted to disclose what I have heard and seen during some years in which it has been granted me to be in the company of spirits and angels.

AC (Potts) n. 68

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 68

68. I am well aware that many will say that no one can possibly speak with spirits and angels so long as he lives in the body; and many will say that it is all fancy, others that I relate such things in order to gain credence, and others will make other objections. But by all this I am not deterred, for I have seen, I have heard, I have felt.

AC (Potts) n. 69

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 69

69. Man was so created by the Lord as to be able while living in the body to speak with spirits and angels, as in fact was done in the most ancient times; for, being a spirit clothed with a body, he is one with them. But because in process of time men so immersed themselves in corporeal and worldly things as to care almost nothing for aught besides, the way was closed. Yet as soon as the corporeal things recede in which man is immersed, the way is again opened, and he is among spirits, and in a common life with them.

AC (Potts) n. 70

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 70

70. As it is permitted me to disclose what for several years I have heard and seen, it shall here be told, first, how the case is with man when he is being resuscitated; or how he enters from the life of the body into the life of eternity. In order that I might know that men live after death, it has been given me to speak and be in company with many who were known to me during their life in the body; and this not merely for a day or a week, but for months, and almost a year, speaking and associating with them just as in this world. They wondered exceedingly that while they lived in the body they were, and that very many others are, in such incredulity as to believe that they will not live after death; when in fact scarcely a day intervenes after the death of the body before they are in the other life; for death is a continuation of life.

AC (Potts) n. 71

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 71

71. But as these matters would be scattered and disconnected if inserted among those contained in the text of the Word, it is permitted, of the Lord's Divine mercy, to append them in some order, at the beginning and end of each chapter; besides those which are introduced incidentally.

AC (Potts) n. 72

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 72

72. At the end of this chapter, accordingly, I am allowed to tell how man is raised from the dead and enters into the life of eternity.

CHAPTER 2

1. And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the army of them.
2. And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made.
3. And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it, because that in it He rested from all His work which God in making created.
4. These are the nativities of the heavens and of the earth when He created them, in the day in which Jehovah God made the earth and the heavens.
5. And there was no shrub of the field as yet in the earth, and there was no herb of the field as yet growing, because Jehovah God had not caused it to rain upon the earth. And there was no man to till the ground.
6. And He made a mist to ascend from the earth, and watered all the faces of the ground.
7. And Jehovah God formed man, dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of lives, and man became a living soul.
8. And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed.
9. And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow every tree desirable to behold, and good for food; the tree of lives also, in the midst of the garden; and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
10. And a river went out of Eden to water the garden, and from thence it was parted, and was into four heads.
11. The name of the first is Pishon; that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold.
12. And the gold of that land is good; there is bdellium and the onyx stone.
13. And the name of the second river is Gihon; the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Cush.
14. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel; that is it which goeth eastward toward Assyria; and the fourth river is Euphrates.
15. And Jehovah God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden, to till it and take care of it.
16. And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden eating thou mayest eat.
17. But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof, dying thou shalt die.

AC (Potts) n. 73

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 73

73. THE CONTENTS.
When from being dead a man has become spiritual, then from spiritual he becomes celestial, as is now treated of (verse 1).

AC (Potts) n. 74

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 74

74. The celestial man is the seventh day, on which the Lord rests (verses 2, 3).

AC (Potts) n. 75

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 75

75. His knowledge and his rationality [scientificum et rationale ejus] are described by the shrub and the herb out of the ground watered by the mist (verses 5, 6).

AC (Potts) n. 76

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 76

76. His life is described by the breathing into him of the breath of lives (verse 7).

AC (Potts) n. 77

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 77

77. Afterwards his intelligence is described by the garden in Eden, in the east; in which the trees pleasant to the sight are perceptions of truth, and the trees good for food are perceptions of good. Love is meant by the tree of lives, faith by the tree of knowledge [scientiae] (verses 8-9).

AC (Potts) n. 78

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 78

78. Wisdom is meant by the river in the garden. From thence were four rivers, the first of which is good and truth; the second is the knowledge [cognitio] of all things of good and truth, or of love and faith. These are of the internal man. The third is reason, and the fourth is memory-knowledge [scientia], which are of the external man. All are from wisdom, and this is from love and faith in the Lord (verses 10-14).

AC (Potts) n. 79

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 79

79. The celestial man is such a garden. But as the garden is the Lord's, it is permitted this man to enjoy all these things, and yet not to possess them as his own (verse 15).

AC (Potts) n. 80

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 80

80. He is also permitted to acquire a knowledge of what is good and true by means of every perception from the Lord, but he must not do so from himself and the world, nor search into the mysteries of faith by means of the things of sense and of memory-knowledge [sensualia et scientifica]; which would cause the death of his celestial nature (verses 16, 17).

AC (Potts) n. 81

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 81

81. THE INTERNAL SENSE.
This chapter treats of the celestial man, as the preceding one did of the spiritual, who was formed out of a dead man. But as it is unknown at this day what the celestial man is, and scarcely what the spiritual man is, or a dead man, it is permitted me briefly to state the nature of each, that the difference may be known. First, then, a dead man acknowledges nothing to be true and good but what belongs to the body and the world, and this he adores. A spiritual man acknowledges spiritual and celestial truth and good; but he does so from a principle of faith, which is likewise the ground of his actions, and not so much from love. A celestial man believes and perceives spiritual and celestial truth and good, acknowledging no other faith than that which is from love, from which also he acts.
[2] Secondly: The ends which influence a dead man regard only corporeal and worldly life, nor does he know what eternal life is, or what the Lord is; or should he know, he does not believe. The ends which influence a spiritual man regard eternal life, and thereby the Lord. The ends which influence a celestial man regard the Lord, and thereby His kingdom and eternal life.
[3] Thirdly: A dead man, when in combat almost always yields, and when not in combat, evils and falsities have dominion over him, and he is a slave. His bonds are external, such as the fear of the law, of the loss of life, of wealth, of gain, and of the reputation which he values for their sake. The spiritual man is in combat, but is always victorious; the bonds by which he is restrained are internal, and are called the bonds of conscience. The celestial man is not in combat, and when assaulted by evils and falsities, he despises them, and is therefore called a conqueror. He is apparently restrained by no bonds, but is free. His bonds, which are not apparent, are perceptions of good and truth.

AC (Potts) n. 82

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 82

82. Verse 1. And the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the army of them. By these words is meant that man is now rendered so far spiritual as to have become the "sixth day;" "heaven" is his internal man, and "earth" his external; "the army of them" are love, faith, and the knowledges thereof, which were previously signified by the great luminaries and the stars. That the internal man is called "heaven" and the external "earth" is evident from the passages of the Word already cited in the preceding chapter, to which may be added the following from Isaiah:
I will make a man more rare than solid gold, even a man than the precious gold of Ophir; therefore I will smite the heavens with terror, and the earth shall be shaken out of its place (Isa. 13:12-13).
Thou forgettest Jehovah thy Maker, that stretcheth forth the heavens, and layeth the foundations of the earth; but I will put My words in thy mouth, and I will hide thee in the shadow of My hand, that I may stretch out the heaven, and lay the foundation of the earth (Isa. 51:13, 16).
From these words it is evident that both "heaven" and "earth" are predicated of man; for although they refer primarily to the Most Ancient church, yet the interiors of the Word are of such a nature that whatever is said of the church may also be said of every individual member of it, who, unless he were a church, could not possibly be a part of the church, just as he who is not a temple of the Lord cannot be what is signified by the temple, namely, the church and heaven. It is for this reason that the Most Ancient Church is called "man" in the singular number.

AC (Potts) n. 83

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 83

83. The "heavens and the earth and all the army of them" are said to be "finished" when man has become the "sixth day" for then faith and love make a one. When they do this, love, and not faith, or in other words the celestial principle, and not the spiritual, begins to be the principal, and this is to be a celestial man.

AC (Potts) n. 84

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 84

84. Verses 2, 3. And on the seventh day God finished His work which He had made; and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and hallowed it; because that in it He rested from all His work which God in making created. The celestial man is the "seventh day" which, as the Lord has worked during the six days, is called "His work;" and as all combat then ceases, the Lord is said to "rest from all His work." On this account the seventh day was sanctified, and called the Sabbath, from a Hebrew word meaning "rest." And thus was man created, formed, and made. These things are very evident from the words.

AC (Potts) n. 85

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 85

85. That the celestial man is the "seventh day" and that the seventh day was therefore hallowed, and called the Sabbath, are arcana which have not hitherto been discovered. For none have been acquainted with the nature of the celestial man, and few with that of the spiritual man, whom in consequence of this ignorance they have made to be the same as the celestial man, notwithstanding the great difference that exists between them, as may be seen in n. 81. As regards the seventh day, and as regards the celestial man being the "seventh day" or "Sabbath" this is evident from the fact that the Lord Himself is the Sabbath; and therefore He says:
The Son of man is Lord also of the Sabbath (Mark 2:27),
which words imply that the Lord is Man himself, and the Sabbath itself. His kingdom in the heavens and on the earth is called, from Him, a Sabbath, or eternal peace and rest. [2] The Most Ancient Church, which is here treated of, was the Sabbath of the Lord above all that succeeded it. Every subsequent inmost church of the Lord is also a Sabbath; and so is every regenerate person when he becomes celestial, because he is a likeness of the Lord. The six days of combat or labor precede. These things were represented in the Jewish church by the days of labor, and by the seventh day, which was the Sabbath; for in that church there was nothing instituted which was not representative of the Lord and of His kingdom. The like was also represented by the ark when it went forward, and when it rested, for by its journeyings in the wilderness were represented combats and temptations, and by its rest a state of peace; and therefore, when it set forward, Moses said:
Rise up, Jehovah, and let Thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate Thee flee before Thy faces. And when it rested, he said, Return, Jehovah, unto the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel (Num. 10:35-36).
It is there said of the ark that it went from the Mount of Jehovah "to search out a rest for them" (Num. 10:33).
[3] The rest of the celestial man is described by the Sabbath in Isaiah:
If thou bring back thy foot from the Sabbath, so that thou doest not thy desire in the day of My holiness, and callest the things of the Sabbath delights to the holy of Jehovah, honorable; and shalt honor it, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own desire, nor speaking a word; then shalt thou be delightful to Jehovah, and I will cause thee to be borne over the lofty things of the earth, and will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob (Isa. 58:13-14).
Such is the quality of the celestial man that he acts not according to his own desire, but according to the good pleasure of the Lord, which is his "desire." Thus he enjoys internal peace and happiness-here expressed by "being uplifted over the lofty things of the earth"-and at the same time external tranquility and delight, which is signified by "being fed with the heritage of Jacob."

AC (Potts) n. 86

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 86

86. When the spiritual man, who has become the "sixth day" is beginning to be celestial, which state is here first treated of, it is the "eve of the Sabbath" represented in the Jewish Church by the keeping holy of the Sabbath from the evening. The celestial man is the "morning" to be spoken of presently.

AC (Potts) n. 87

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 87

87. Another reason why the celestial man is the "Sabbath" or "rest" is that combat ceases when he becomes celestial. The evil spirits retire, and good ones approach, as well as celestial angels; and when these are present, evil spirits cannot possibly remain, but flee far away. And since it was not the man himself who carried on the combat, but the Lord alone for the man, it is said that the Lord "rested."

AC (Potts) n. 88

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 88

88. When the spiritual man becomes celestial, he is called the "work of God" because the Lord alone has fought for him, and has created, formed, and made him; and therefore it is here said, "God finished His work on the seventh day;" and twice, that "He rested from all His work." By the Prophets man is repeatedly called the "work of the hands and of the fingers of Jehovah;" as in Isaiah, speaking of the regenerate man:
Thus hath said Jehovah the Holy One of Israel, and his Former, Seek ye signs of Me, signs concerning My sons, and concerning the work of My hands command ye Me. I have made the earth, and created man upon it; I, even My hands have stretched out the heavens, and all their army have I commanded. For thus hath said Jehovah that createth the heavens, God Himself that formeth the earth and maketh it; He establisheth it, He created it not a void, He formed it to be inhabited; I am Jehovah and there is no God else besides Me (Isa. 45:11-12, 18, 21).
Hence it is evident that the new creation, or regeneration, is the work of the Lord alone. The expressions to "create" to "form" and to "make" are employed quite distinctively, both in the above passage-"creating the heavens, forming the earth, and making it"-and in other places in the same Prophet, as:
Everyone that is called by My name, I have created him for My glory, I have formed him, yea, I have made him (Isa. 43:7),
and also in both the preceding and this chapter of Genesis; as in the passage before us: "He rested from all His work which God in making created." In the internal sense this usage always conveys a distinct idea; and the case is the same where the Lord is called "Creator" "Former" or "Maker."

AC (Potts) n. 89

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 89

89. Verse 4. These are the nativities of the heavens and of the earth, when He created them, in the day in which Jehovah God made the earth and the heavens. The "nativities of the heavens and of the earth" are the formations of the celestial man. That his formation is here treated of is very evident from all the particulars which follow, as that no herb was as yet growing; that there was no man to till the ground, as well as that Jehovah God formed man, and afterwards, that He made every beast and bird of the heavens, notwithstanding that the formation of these had been treated of in the foregoing chapter; from all which it is manifest that another man is here treated of. This however is still more evident from the fact, that now for the first time the Lord is called "Jehovah God" whereas in the preceding passages, which treat of the spiritual man, He is called simply "God;" and, further, that now "ground" and "field" are mentioned, while in the preceding passages only "earth" is mentioned. In this verse also "heaven" is first mentioned before "earth" and afterwards "earth" before "heaven;" the reason of which is that "earth" signifies the external man, and "heaven" the internal, and in the spiritual man reformation begins from "earth" that is, from the external man, while in the celestial man, who is here treated of, it begins from the internal man, or from "heaven."

AC (Potts) n. 90

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 90

90. Verses 5, 6. And there was no shrub of the field as yet in the earth, and there was no herb of the field as yet growing, because Jehovah God had not caused it to rain upon the earth; and there was no man to till the ground. And He made a mist to ascend from the earth, and watered all the faces of the ground. By the "shrub of the field" and the "herb of the field" are meant in general all that his external man produces. The external man is called "earth" while he remains spiritual, but "ground" and also "field" when he becomes celestial. "Rain" which is soon after called "mist" is the tranquility of peace when combat ceases.

AC (Potts) n. 91

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 91

91. But what these things involve cannot possibly be perceived unless it is known what man's state is while from being spiritual he is becoming celestial, for they are deeply hidden. While he is spiritual, the external man is not yet willing to yield obedience to and serve the internal, and therefore there is a combat; but when he becomes celestial, then the external man begins to obey and serve the internal, and therefore the combat ceases, and tranquility ensues (see n. 87). This tranquility is signified by "rain" and "mist" for it is like a vapor with which the external man is watered and bedewed from the internal; and it is this tranquility, the offspring of peace, which produces what are called the "shrub of the field" and the "herb of the field" which, specifically, are things of the rational mind and of the memory [rationalia et scientifica] from a celestial spiritual origin.

AC (Potts) n. 92

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 92

92. The nature of the tranquility of peace of the external man, on the cessation of combat, or of the unrest caused by cupidities and falsities, can be known only to those who are acquainted with a state of peace. This state is so delightful that it surpasses every idea of delight: it is not only a cessation of combat, but is life proceeding from interior peace, and affecting the external man in such a manner as cannot be described; the truths of faith, and the goods of love, which derive their life from the delight of peace, are then born.

AC (Potts) n. 93

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 93

93. The state of the celestial man, thus gifted with the tranquility of peace-refreshed by the rain-and delivered from the slavery of what is evil and false, is thus described by the Lord in Ezekiel:
I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land, and they shall dwell confidently in the wilderness, and sleep in the woods; and I will make them and the places round about My hill a blessing; and I will cause the rain to come down in his season; rains of blessing shall they be. And the tree of the field shall yield its fruit, and the earth shall yield its increase, and they shall be upon their ground in confidence, and shall know that I am Jehovah, when I have broken the reins of their yoke, and delivered them out of the hand of those that make them to serve them; and ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, ye are a man, and I am your God (Ezek. 34:25-27, 31).
And that this is effected on the "third day" which in the Word signifies the same as the "seventh" is thus declared in Hosea:
After two days will He vivify us; in the third day He will raise us up, and we shall live before Him and we shall know, and shall follow on to know Jehovah: His going forth is prepared as the dawn, and He shall come unto us as the rain, as the late rain watering the earth (Hos. 6:2-3).
And that this state is compared to the "growth of the field" is declared by Ezekiel, when speaking of the Ancient Church:
I have caused thee to multiply as the growth of the field, and thou hast increased and hast grown up, and hast come to excellent ornaments (Ezek. 16:7).
And it is also compared to:
A shoot of the Lord's planting, and a work of the hands of Jehovah God (Isa. 60:21).

AC (Potts) n. 94

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 94

94. Verse 7. And Jehovah God formed man, dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath [spiraculum] of lives, and man became a living soul. To "form man, dust from the ground" is to form his external man, which before was not man; for it is said (verse 5) that there was "no man to till the ground." To "breathe into his nostrils the breath of lives" is to give him the life of faith and love; and by "man became a living soul" is signified that his external man also was made alive.

AC (Potts) n. 95

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 95

95. The life of the external man is here treated of-the life of his faith or understanding in the two former verses, and the life of his love or will in this verse. Hitherto the external man has been unwilling to yield to and serve the internal, being engaged in a continual combat with him, and therefore the external man was not then "man." Now, however, being made celestial, the external man begins to obey and serve the internal, and it also becomes "man" being so rendered by the life of faith and the life of love. The life of faith prepares him, but it is the life of love which causes him to be "man."

AC (Potts) n. 96

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 96

96. As to its being said that "Jehovah God breathed into his nostrils" the case is this: In ancient times, and in the Word, by "nostrils" was understood whatever was grateful in consequence of its odor, which signifies perception. On this account it is repeatedly written of Jehovah, that He "smelled an odor of rest" from the burnt-offerings, and from those things which represented Him and His kingdom; and as the things relating to love and faith are most grateful to Him, it is said that "He breathed through his nostrils the breath of lives." Hence the anointed of Jehovah, that is, of the Lord, is called the "breath of the nostrils" (Lam. 4:20). And the Lord Himself signified the same by "breathing on His disciples" as written in John:
He breathed on them and said, Receive ye the Holy Spirit (John 20:22).

AC (Potts) n. 97

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 97

97. The reason why life is described by "breathing" and by "breath" is also that the men of the Most Ancient Church perceived states of love and of faith by states of respiration, which were successively changed in their posterity. Of this respiration nothing can as yet be said, because at this day such things are altogether unknown. The most ancient people were well acquainted with it, and so are those who are in the other life, but no longer anyone on this earth, and this was the reason why they likened spirit or life to "wind." The Lord also does this when speaking of the regeneration of man, in John:*
The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the voice thereof, and knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth so is everyone that is born of the spirit (John 3:8).
So in David:
By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all the army of them by the breath of His mouth (Ps. 33:6).
And again:
Thou gatherest their breath, they expire, and return to their dust; Thou sendest forth Thy spirit, they are created, and Thou renewest the faces of the ground (Ps. 104:29-30).That the "breath" [spiraculum] is used for the life of faith and of love, appears from Job:
He is the spirit in man, and the breath of Shaddai giveth them understanding (Job 32:8).
Again in the same:
The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of Shaddai hath given me life (Job 33:4).
* In the original languages, "wind" "spirit" and "breath" are all expressed by the same word. [Reviser.]

AC (Potts) n. 98

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 98

98. Verse 8. And Jehovah God planted a garden eastward [ab oriente] in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. By a "garden" is signified intelligence; by "Eden" love; by the "east" the Lord; consequently by the "garden of Eden eastward" is signified the intelligence of the celestial man, which flows in from the Lord through love.

AC (Potts) n. 99

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 99

99. Life, or the order of life, with the spiritual man, is such that although the Lord flows in, through faith, into the things of his understanding, reason, and memory [in ejus intellectualia, rationalia, et scientifica], yet as his external man fights against his internal man, it appears as if intelligence did not flow in from the Lord, but from the man himself, through the things of memory and reason [per scientifica et rationalia]. But the life, or order of life, of the celestial man, is such that the Lord flows in through love and the faith of love into the things of his understanding, reason, and memory [in ejus intellectualia, rationalia, et scientifica], and as there is no combat between the internal and the external man, he perceives that this is really so. Thus the order which up to this point had been inverted with the spiritual man, is now described as restored with the celestial man, and this order, or man, is called a "garden in Eden in the east." In the supreme sense, the "garden planted by Jehovah God in Eden in the east" is the Lord Himself. In the inmost sense, which is also the universal sense, it is the Lord's kingdom, and the heaven in which man is placed when he has become celestial. His state then is such that he is with the angels in heaven, and is as it were one among them; for man has been so created that while living in this world he may at the same time be in heaven. In this state all his thoughts and ideas of thoughts, and even his words and actions, are open, even from the Lord, and contain within them what is celestial and spiritual; for there is in every man the life of the Lord, which causes him to have perception.

AC (Potts) n. 100

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 100

100. That a "garden" signifies intelligence, and "Eden" love, appears also from Isaiah:
Jehovah will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places, and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Jehovah; joy and gladness shall be found therein, confession and the voice of singing (Isa. 51:3).
In this passage, "wilderness" "joy" and "confession" are terms expressive of the celestial things of faith, or such as relate to love; but "desert" "gladness" and "the voice of singing" of the spiritual things of faith, or such as belong to the understanding. The former have relation to "Eden" the latter to "garden;" for with this prophet two expressions constantly occur concerning the same thing, one of which signifies celestial, and the other spiritual things. What is further signified by the "garden in Eden" may be seen in what follows at verse 10.

AC (Potts) n. 101

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 101

101. That the Lord is the "east" also appears from the Word, as in Ezekiel:
He brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh the way of the east, and behold the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east; and His voice was as the voice of many waters, and the earth shone with His glory (Ezek. 43:1-2, 4).
It was in consequence of the Lord's being the "east" that a holy custom prevailed in the representative Jewish Church, before the building of the temple, of turning their faces toward the east when they prayed.

AC (Potts) n. 102

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 102

102. Verse 9. And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow every tree desirable to behold, and good for food; the tree of lives also, in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge [scientiae] of good and evil. A "tree" signifies perception; a "tree desirable to behold" the perception of truth; a "tree good for food" the perception of good; the "tree of lives" love and the faith thence derived; the "tree of the knowledge of good and evil" faith derived from what is sensuous, that is, from mere memory-knowledge [scientia].

AC (Potts) n. 103

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 103

103. The reason why "trees" here signify perceptions is that the celestial man is treated of, but it is otherwise when the subject is the spiritual man, for on the nature of the subject depends that of the predicate.

AC (Potts) n. 104

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 104

104. At this day it is unknown what Perception is. It is a certain internal sensation from the Lord alone, as to whether a thing is true and good; and it was very well known to the Most Ancient church. This perception is so perfect with the angels, that by it they are aware and have knowledge of what is true and good; of what is from the Lord, and what from themselves; and also of the quality of anyone who comes to them, merely from his approach, and from a single one of his ideas. The spiritual man has no perception, but has conscience. A dead man has not even conscience; and very many do not know what conscience is, and still less what perception is.

AC (Potts) n. 105

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 105

105. The "tree of lives" is love and the faith thence derived; "in the midst of the garden" is in the will of the internal man. The will, which in the Word is called the "heart" is the primary possession of the Lord with man and angel. But as no one can do good of himself, the will or heart is not man's, although it is predicated of man; cupidity, which he calls will, is man's. Since then the will is the "midst of the garden" where the tree of lives is placed, and man has no will, but mere cupidity, the "tree of lives" is the mercy of the Lord, from whom comes all love and faith, consequently all life.

AC (Potts) n. 106

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 106

106. But the nature of the "tree of the garden" or perception; of the "tree of lives" or love and the faith thence derived; and of the "tree of knowledge" or faith originating in what is sensuous and in mere memory-knowledge, will be shown in the following pages.

AC (Potts) n. 107

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 107

107. Verse 10. And a river went out of Eden, to water the garden, and from thence it was parted, and was into four heads. A "river out of Eden" signifies wisdom from love, for "Eden" is love; "to water the garden" is to bestow intelligence; to be "thence parted into four heads" is a description of intelligence by means of the four rivers, as follows.

AC (Potts) n. 108

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 108

108. The most ancient people, when comparing man to a "garden" also compared wisdom, and the things relating to wisdom, to "rivers;" nor did they merely compare them, but actually so called them, for such was their way of speaking. It was the same afterwards in the Prophets, who sometimes compared them, and sometimes called them so. As in Isaiah:
Thy light shall arise in darkness, and thy thick darkness shall be as the light of day, and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like an outlet of waters, whose waters lie not (Isa. 58:10-11).
Treating of those who receive faith and love. Again, speaking of the regenerate:
As the valleys are they planted, as gardens by the river's side; as lignaloes* which Jehovah hath planted, as cedar-trees beside the waters (Num. 24:6).
In Jeremiah:
Blessed is the man who trusteth in Jehovah; he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that sendeth forth her roots by the river (Jer. 17:7-8).
In Ezekiel the regenerate are not compared to a garden and a tree, but are so called: The waters made her to grow, the deep of waters uplifted her, the river ran round about her plant, and sent out its channels to all the trees of the field; she was made beautiful in her greatness, in the length of her branches, for her root was by many waters. The cedars in the garden of God did not hide her; the fir-trees were not like her boughs, and the plane-trees were not like her branches, nor was any tree in the garden of God equal to her in her beauty; I have made her beautiful by the multitude of her branches, and all the trees of Eden that were in the garden of God envied her (Ezek. 31:4, 7-9).
From these passages it is evident that when the most ancient people compared man, or the things in man, to a "garden" they added the "waters" and "rivers" by which he might be watered, and by these waters and rivers meant such things as would cause his growth.
* The Latin is tentoria, "tents" seemingly a misprint for santalos. [Reviser.]

AC (Potts) n. 109

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 109

109. That although wisdom and intelligence appear in man, they are, as has been said, of the Lord alone, is plainly declared in Ezekiel by means of similar representatives:
Behold, waters issued out from under the threshold of the house eastward; for the face of the house is the east; and he said, These waters issue out to the border toward the east, and go down into the plain, and come to the sea, which being led into the sea, the waters shall be healed; and it shall come to pass that every living soul which creepeth, whithersoever the water of the rivers shall come, shall live. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, there come up all trees for food, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed; it is born again in its months, because these its waters issue out of the sanctuary, and the fruit thereof shall be for food, and the leaf thereof for medicine (Ezek. 47:1, 8-9, 12).
Here the Lord is signified by the "east" and by the "sanctuary" whence the waters and rivers issued. In like manner in John:
He showed me a pure river of water of life, bright as crystal, going forth out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street thereof, and of the river on this side and that, was the tree of life, which bare twelve [manner of] fruits, and yielded her fruit every month; and the leaf of the tree was for the healing of the nations (Rev. 22:1-2).

AC (Potts) n. 110

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 110

110. Verses 11, 12. The name of the first is Pishon; that is it which compasseth the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; and the gold of that land is good; there is bdellium and the onyx stone. The "first" river, or "Pishon" signifies the intelligence of the faith that is from love; "the land of Havilah" signifies the mind; "gold" signifies good; "bdellium and the onyx stone" truth. "Gold" is mentioned twice because it signifies the good of love and the good of faith from love; and "bdellium and the onyx stone" are mentioned because the one signifies the truth of love, and the other the truth of faith from love. Such is the celestial man.

AC (Potts) n. 111

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 111

111. It is however a very difficult matter to describe these things as they are in the internal sense, for at the present day no one knows what is meant by faith from love, and what by the wisdom and intelligence thence derived. For external men scarcely know of anything but memory-knowledge [scientia], which they call intelligence and wisdom, and faith. They do not even know what love is, and many do not know what the will and understanding are, and that they constitute one mind. And yet each of these things is distinct, yea, most distinct, and the universal heaven is ordinated by the Lord in the most distinct manner according to the differences of love and faith, which are innumerable.

AC (Potts) n. 112

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 112

112. Be it known moreover that there is no wisdom which is not from love, thus from the Lord; nor any intelligence except from faith, thus also from the Lord; and that there is no good except from love, thus from the Lord; and no truth except from faith, thus from the Lord. What are not from love and faith, and thus from the Lord, are indeed called by these names, but they are spurious.

AC (Potts) n. 113

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 113

113. Nothing is more common in the Word than for the good of wisdom or of love to be signified and represented by "gold." All the gold in the ark, in the temple, in the golden table, in the candlestick, in the vessels, and upon the garments of Aaron, signified and represented the good of wisdom or of love. So also in the Prophets, as in Ezekiel:
In thy wisdom and in thine intelligence thou hast gotten thee riches, and hast gotten gold and silver in thy treasures (Ezek. 18:4),
where it is plainly said that from wisdom and intelligence are "gold and silver" or the good and the true, for " silver here signifies truth, as it does also in the ark and in the temple. In Isaiah:
The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come, they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall show forth the praises of Jehovah (Isa. 60:6).
Thus also:
The wise men from the east, who came to Jesus when He was born, fell down and worshiped Him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto Him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh (Matt. 2:1, 11).
Here also "gold" signifies good; "frankincense and myrrh" things that are grateful because from love and faith, and which are therefore called "the praises of Jehovah." Wherefore it is said in David:
He shall live, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba; prayer also shall be made for him continually, and every day shall He bless him (Ps. 72:15).

AC (Potts) n. 114

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 114

114. The truth of faith is signified and represented in the Word by precious "stones" as by those in the breast-plate of judgment, and on the shoulders of Aaron's ephod. In the breast-plate, "gold, blue, bright crimson, scarlet double-dyed, and fine-twined linen" represented such things as are of love, and the precious "stones" such as are of faith from love; as did likewise the two "stones of memorial" on the shoulders of the ephod, which were onyx stones, set in ouches of gold (Exod. 28:9-22). This signification of precious stones is also plain from Ezekiel, where, speaking of a man possessed of heavenly riches, which are wisdom and intelligence, it is said:
Full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty, thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the ruby, the topaz, the diamond, the beryl, the onyx, and the jasper; the sapphire, the chrysoprase, the emerald, and gold; the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was in thee; in the day that thou wast created they were prepared; thou wast perfect in thy ways from the day that thou wast created (Ezek. 28:12, 13, 15),
which words it must be evident to everyone do not signify stones, but the celestial and spiritual things of faith; yea, each stone represented some essential of faith.

AC (Potts) n. 115

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 115

115. When the most ancient people spoke of "lands" they understood what was signified by them, just as those at the present day who have an idea that the land of Canaan and Mount Zion signify heaven, do not so much as think of any land or mountain when these places are mentioned, but only of the things which they signify. It is so here with the "land of Havilah" which is mentioned again in Genesis 25:18, where it is said of the sons of Ishmael, that they "dwelt from Havilah even unto Shur, which is before Egypt, as thou goest toward Assyria." Those who are in a heavenly idea perceive from these words nothing but intelligence, and what flows from intelligence. So by to "compass"-as where it is said that the river Pishon "compasseth the whole land of Havilah"-they perceive a flowing in; as also in the onyx stones on the shoulders of Aaron's ephod being encompassed with ouches of gold (Exod. 28:11), they perceive that the good of love should inflow into the truth of faith. And so in many other instances.

AC (Potts) n. 116

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 116

116. Verse 13. And the name of the second river is Gihon; the same is it that compasseth the whole land of Cush. The "second river" which is called "Gihon" signifies the knowledge [cognitio] of all things that belong to the good and the true, or to love and faith, and the "land of Cush" signifies the mind or faculty. The mind is constituted of the will and the understanding; and what is said of the first river has reference to the will, and what of this one to the understanding to which belong the knowledges [cognitiones] of good and of truth.

AC (Potts) n. 117

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 117

117. The "land of Cush" or Ethiopia, moreover, abounded in gold, precious stones, and spices, which, as before said, signify good, truth, and the things thence derived which are grateful, such as are those of the knowledges of love and faith. This is evident from the passages above cited (n. 113) from Isa. 60:6; Matt. 2:1, 11; Ps. 72:15. That similar things are meant in the Word by "Cush" or "Ethiopia" and also by "Sheba" is evident from the Prophets, as in Zephaniah, where also the "rivers of Cush" are mentioned:
In the morning He will give His judgment for light; for then will I turn to the people with a clear language, that they may all call upon the name of Jehovah, to serve Him with one shoulder; from the passage of the rivers of Cush My suppliants shall bring Mine offering (Zeph. 3:5, 9-10).
And in Daniel, speaking of the king of the north and of the south:
He shall have power over the treasures of gold and of silver, and over all the desirable things of Egypt; and the Lybians and the Ethiopians shall be under his steps (Dan. 11:43),
where "Egypt" denotes memory-knowledges [scientifica], and the "Ethiopians" knowledges [cognitiones]. [2] So in Ezekiel:
The merchants of Sheba and Raamah, these were thy merchants, in the chief of all spices, and in every precious stone, and in gold (Ezek. 27:22),
by whom in like manner are signified knowledges [cognitiones] of faith. So in David, speaking of the Lord, consequently of the celestial man:
In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace until there shall be no moon; the kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer a gift (Ps. 72:7, 10).These words, as is plain from their connection with the preceding and subsequent verses, signify celestial things of faith. Similar things were signified by the queen of Sheba, who came to Solomon, and proposed hard questions, and brought him spices, gold, and precious stones (1 Kings 10:1-2). For all things contained in the historical parts of the Word, as well as in the Prophets, signify, represent, and involve arcana.

AC (Potts) n. 118

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 118

118. Verse 14. And the name of the third river is Hiddekel; that is it which goeth eastward toward Asshur; and the fourth river it is Phrath. The "river Hiddekel" is reason, or the clearsightedness of reason. "Asshur" is the rational mind; the "river which goeth eastward toward Asshur" signifies that the clearsightedness of reason comes from the Lord through the internal man into the rational mind, which is of the external man; "Phrath" or Euphrates, is memory-knowledge [scientia], which is the ultimate or boundary.

AC (Potts) n. 119

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 119

119. That "Asshur" signifies the rational mind, or the rational of man, is very evident in the Prophets, as in Ezekiel:
Behold, Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon, with fair branches and a shady grove, and lofty in height; and her offshoot was among the thick boughs. The waters made her grow, the deep of waters uplifted her, the river ran round about her plant (Ezek. 31:3-4).
The rational is called a "cedar in Lebanon;" the "offshoot among the thick boughs" signifies the knowledges of the memory, which are in this very plight. This is still clearer in Isaiah:
In that day shall there be a path from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur shall come into Egypt, and Egypt into Asshur, and the Egyptians shall serve Asshur. In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the land, that Jehovah Zebaoth shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel Mine inheritance (Isa. 19:23-25).
By "Egypt" in this and various other passages is signified memory-knowledges, by "Asshur" reason, and by "Israel" intelligence.

AC (Potts) n. 120

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 120

120. As by "Egypt" so also by "Euphrates" are signified memory-knowledges [scientiae seu scientifica], and also the sensuous things from which these knowledges come. This is evident from the Word in the Prophets, as in Micah:
My she-enemy hath said, Where is Jehovah thy God? The day in which He shall build thy walls [macerias], that day shall the decree be far removed; that day also He shall come even to thee from Asshur, and to the cities of Egypt, and to the river
[Euphrates] (Micah 7:10-12).
So did the prophets speak concerning the coming of the Lord who should regenerate man so that he might become like the celestial man. In Jeremiah:
What hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? Or what hast thou to do in the way of Asshur, to drink the waters of the river [Euphrates]? (Jer. 2:18),
where "Egypt" and "Euphrates" likewise signify memory-knowledges, and "Asshur" reasonings thence derived. In David:
Thou hast made a vine to go forth out of Egypt; Thou hast cast out the nations; Thou hast planted her; Thou hast sent out her shoots even to the sea, and her twigs to the river (Euphrates) (Ps. 80:8, 11),
where also the "river Euphrates" signifies what is sensuous and of the memory [sensuali et scientifico]. For the Euphrates was the boundary of the dominions of Israel toward Assyria, as the knowledge of the memory is the boundary of the intelligence and wisdom of the spiritual and celestial man. The same is signified by what was said to Abraham:
Unto thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates (Gen. 15:18).
These two boundaries have a like signification.

AC (Potts) n. 121

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 121

121. The nature of celestial order, or how the things of life proceed, is evident from these rivers, namely, from the Lord, who is the "East" and that from Him proceeds wisdom, through wisdom intelligence, through intelligence reason, and so by means of reason the knowledges of the memory are vivified. This is the order of life, and such are celestial men; and therefore, since the elders of Israel represented celestial men, they were called "wise, intelligent, and knowing" (Deut. 1:13, 15). Hence it is said of Bezaleel, who constructed the ark, that he was: Filled with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding, and in knowledge [scientia], and in all work (Exod. 31:3; 35:31; 36:1-2).

AC (Potts) n. 122

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 122

122. Verse 15. And Jehovah God took the man, and put him in the garden of Eden, to till it and take care of it. By the "garden of Eden" are signified all things of the celestial man, as described; by to "till it and take care of it" is signified that it is permitted him to enjoy all these things, but not to possess them as his own, because they are the Lord's.

AC (Potts) n. 123

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 123

123. The celestial man acknowledges, because he perceives, that all things both in general and in particular are the Lord's. The spiritual man does indeed acknowledge the same, but with the mouth, because he has learned it from the Word. The worldly and corporeal man neither acknowledges nor admits it; but whatever he has he calls his own, and imagines that were he to lose it, he would altogether perish.

AC (Potts) n. 124

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 124

124. That wisdom, intelligence, reason, and knowledge [scientia] are not of man, but of the Lord, is very evident from all that the Lord taught; as in Matthew, where the Lord compares Himself to a householder, who planted a vineyard, and hedged it round, and let it out to husbandmen (21:33); and in John:
The Spirit of truth shall guide you into all truth; for He shall not speak of Himself, but what things soever He shall hear, He shall speak; He shall glorify Me, for He shall receive of Mine, and shall declare it unto you (John 16:13-14).
And in another place:
A man can receive nothing except it be given him from heaven (John 3:27).
That this is really so is known to everyone who is acquainted with even a few of the arcana of heaven.

AC (Potts) n. 125

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 125

125. Verse 16. And Jehovah God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden, eating thou mayest eat. To "eat of every tree" is to know from perception what is good and true; for, as before observed, a "tree" signifies perception. The men of the Most Ancient Church had the knowledges of true faith by means of revelations, for they conversed with the Lord and with angels, and were also instructed by visions and dreams, which were most delightful and paradisal to them. They had from the Lord continual perception, so that when they reflected on what was treasured up in the memory they instantly perceived whether it was true and good, insomuch that when anything false presented itself, they not only avoided it but even regarded it with horror: such also is the state of the angels. In place of this perception of the Most Ancient Church, however, there afterwards succeeded the knowledge [cognitio] of what is true and good from what had been previously revealed, and afterwards from what was revealed in the Word.

AC (Potts) n. 126

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 126

126. Verse 17. But of the tree of the knowledge [scientia] of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it; for in the day that thou eatest thereof, dying thou shalt die. These words, taken together with those just explained, signify that it is allowable to become acquainted with what is true and good by means of every perception derived from the Lord, but not from self and the world; that is, we are not to inquire into the mysteries of faith by means of the things of sense and of the memory [per sensualia et scientifica], for in this case the celestial of faith is destroyed.

AC (Potts) n. 127

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 127

127. A desire to investigate the mysteries of faith by means of the things of sense and of the memory, was not only the cause of the fall of the posterity of the Most Ancient Church, as treated of in the following chapter, but it is also the cause of the fall of every church; for hence come not only falsities, but also evils of life.

AC (Potts) n. 128

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 128

128. The worldly and corporeal man says in his heart, If I am not instructed concerning the faith, and everything relating to it, by means of the things of sense, so that I may see, or by means of those of the memory [scientifica], so that I may understand, I will not believe; and he confirms himself in this by the consideration that natural things cannot be contrary to spiritual. Thus he is desirous of being instructed from things of sense in what is celestial and Divine, which is as impossible as it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle; for the more he desires to grow wise by such means, the more he blinds himself, till at length he believes nothing, not even that there is anything spiritual, or that there is eternal life. This comes from the principle which he assumes. And this is to "eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil" of which the more anyone eats, the more dead he becomes. But he who would be wise from the Lord, and not from the world, says in his heart that the Lord must be believed, that is, the things which the Lord has spoken in the Word, because they are truths; and according to this principle he regulates his thoughts. He confirms himself by things of reason, of knowledge, of the senses, and of nature [per rationalia, scientifica, sensualia et naturalia], and those which are not confirmatory he casts aside.

AC (Potts) n. 129

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 129

129. Everyone may know that man is governed by the principles he assumes, be they ever so false, and that all his knowledge and reasoning favor his principles; for innumerable considerations tending to support them present themselves to his mind, and thus he is confirmed in what is false. He therefore who assumes as a principle that nothing is to be believed until it is seen and understood, can never believe, because spiritual and celestial things cannot be seen with the eyes, or conceived by the imagination. But the true order is for man to be wise from the Lord, that is, from His Word, and then all things follow, and he is enlightened even in matters of reason and of memory-knowledge [in rationalibus et scientificis]. For it is by no means forbidden to learn the sciences, since they are useful to his life and delightful; nor is he who is in faith prohibited from thinking and speaking as do the learned of the world; but it must be from this principle-to believe the Word of the Lord, and, so far as possible, confirm spiritual and celestial truths by natural truths, in terms familiar to the learned world. Thus his starting-point must be the Lord, and not himself; for the former is life, but the latter is death.

AC (Potts) n. 130

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 130

130. He who desires to be wise from the world, has for his "garden" the things of sense and of memory-knowledge [sensualia et scientifica]; the love of self and the love of the world are his "Eden"; his "east" is the west, or himself; his "river Euphrates" is all his memory-knowledge [scientificum], which is condemned; his "second river" where is "Assyria" is infatuated reasoning productive of falsities; his "third river" where is "Ethiopia" is the principles of evil and falsity thence derived, which are the knowledges of his faith; his "fourth river" is the wisdom thence derived, which in the Word is called "magic." And therefore "Egypt"-which signifies memory-knowledge [scientia]-after the knowledge became magical, signifies such a man, because, as may be seen from the Word, he desires to be wise from self. Of such it is written in Ezekiel:
Thus hath said the Lord Jehovih, Behold, I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great whale that lieth in the midst of his rivers, who hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made it for myself. And the land of Egypt shall be for a solitude, and a waste, and they shall know that I am Jehovah, because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it (Ezek. 29:3, 9).
Such men are also called "trees of Eden in hell" in the same Prophet, where also Pharaoh, or the Egyptian, is treated of in these words:
When I shall have made him descend into hell with them that descend into the pit; to whom art thou thus made like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? yet shalt thou be made to descend with the trees of Eden into the lower earth, in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that be slain by the sword. This is Pharaoh and all his crew (Ezek. 31:16, 18),
where the "trees of Eden" denote knowledges [scientifica et cognitiones] from the Word, which they thus profane by reasonings.

Genesis 2, verses 18-25
18. And Jehovah God said, It is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him a help as with him.
19. And Jehovah God formed out of the ground every beast of the field, and every fowl of the heavens, and brought it to the man to see what he would call it; and whatsoever the man called every living soul, that was the name thereof.
20. And the man gave names to every beast, and to the fowl of the heavens, and to every wild animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a help as with him.
21. And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in the place thereof.
22. And the rib which Jehovah God had taken from the man, He built into a woman, and brought her to the man.
23. And the man said, This now is bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; therefore she shall be called wife, because she was taken out of man [vir].
24. Therefore shall a man [vir] leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh.
25. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed.

AC (Potts) n. 131

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 131

131. THE CONTENTS.
The posterity of the Most Ancient Church, which inclined to their Own,* is here treated of.
* The Latin word proprium is the term used in the original text that in this and other places has been rendered by the expression "Own." The dictionary meaning of propius, as an adjective, is "one's own" "proper" "belonging to one's self alone" "special" "particular" "peculiar." The neuter of this which is the word proprium, when used as a noun means "possession" "property;" also "a peculiarity" "characteristic mark" "distinguishing sign" "characteristic." The English adjective "own" is defined by Webster to mean "belonging to" "belonging exclusively or especially to" "peculiar;" so that our word "own" is a very exact equivalent of proprius, and if we make it a noun by writing it "Own" in order to answer to the Latin proprium, we effect a very close translation. [Reviser.]

AC (Potts) n. 132

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 132

132. Since man is such as not to be content to be led by the Lord, but desires to be led also by himself and the world, or by his Own, therefore the Own which was granted him is here treated of (verse 18).

AC (Potts) n. 133

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 133

133. And first it is given him to know the affections of good and the knowledges of truth with which he is endowed by the Lord; but still he inclines to his Own (verses 19, 20).

AC (Potts) n. 134

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 134

134. Wherefore he is let into a state of his Own, and an Own is given him, which is described by the rib built into a woman (verses 21 to 23).

AC (Potts) n. 135

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 135

135. Celestial and spiritual life are adjoined to the man's Own, so that they appear as a one (verse 24).

AC (Potts) n. 136

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 136

136. And innocence from the Lord is insinuated into this Own, so that it still might not be unacceptable (verse 25).

AC (Potts) n. 137

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 137

137. THE INTERNAL SENSE
The first three chapters of Genesis treat in general of the Most Ancient Church, which is called "Man" [homo] from its first period to its last, when it perished: the preceding part of this chapter treats of its most flourishing state, when it was a celestial man; here it now treats of those who inclined to their Own, and of their posterity.

AC (Potts) n. 138

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 138

138. Verse 18. And Jehovah God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a help as with him. By "alone" is signified that he was not content to be led by the Lord, but desired to be led by self and the world; by a "help as with him" is signified man's Own, which is subsequently called a "rib built into a woman."

AC (Potts) n. 139

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 139

139. In ancient times those were said to "dwell alone" who were under the Lord's guidance as celestial men, because such were no longer infested by evils, or evil spirits. This was represented in the Jewish Church also by their dwelling alone when they had driven out the nations. On this account it is sometimes said of the Lord's church, in the Word, that she is "alone" as in Jeremiah:
Arise, get you up to a quiet nation that dwelleth confidently, saith the Lord, which hath neither gates nor bar; they dwell alone (Jer. 49:31).
In the prophecy of Moses: Israel hath dwelt confidently alone (Deut. 33:28).
And still more clearly in the prophecy of Balaam:
Lo, the people dwelleth alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations (Num. 23:9),
where "nations" signify evils. This posterity of the Most Ancient Church was not disposed to dwell alone, that is, to be a celestial man, or to be led by the Lord as a celestial man, but, like the Jewish Church, desired to be among the nations. And because they desired this, it is said, "it is not good that the man should be alone" for he who desires is already in evil, and it is granted him.

AC (Potts) n. 140

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 140

140. That by "a help as with him" is signified man's Own, is evident both from the nature of this Own, and from what follows. As however the man of the church who is here treated of was well disposed, an Own was granted him, but of such a kind that it appeared as it were his own, and therefore it is said "a help as with him."

AC (Potts) n. 141

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 141

141. Innumerable things might be said about man's Own in describing its nature with the corporeal and worldly man, with the spiritual man, and with the celestial man. With the corporeal and worldly man, his Own is his all, he knows of nothing else than his Own, and imagines, as before said, that if he were to lose this Own he would perish. With the spiritual man also his Own has a similar appearance, for although he knows that the Lord is the life of all, and gives wisdom and understanding, and consequently the power to think and to act, yet this knowledge is rather the profession of his lips than the belief of his heart. But the celestial man discerns that the Lord is the life of all and gives the power to think and to act, for he perceives that it is really so. He never desires his Own, nevertheless an Own is given him by the Lord, which is conjoined with all perception of what is good and true, and with all happiness. The angels are in such an Own, and are at the same time in the highest peace and tranquility, for in their Own are those things which are the Lord's, who governs their Own, or them by means of their Own. This Own is the veriest celestial itself, whereas that of the corporeal man is infernal. But concerning this Own more hereafter.

AC (Potts) n. 142

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 142

142. Verses 19, 20. And Jehovah God formed out of the ground every beast of the field, and every fowl of the heavens, and brought it to the man to see what he would call it; and whatsoever the man called every living soul, that was the name thereof. And the man gave names to every beast, and to the fowl of the heavens, and to every wild animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a help as with him. By "beasts" are signified celestial affections, and by "fowls of the heavens" spiritual affections; that is to say, by "beasts" are signified things of the will, and by "fowls" things of the understanding. To "bring them to the man to see what he would call them" is to enable him to know their quality, and his "giving them names" signifies that he knew it. But notwithstanding that he knew the quality of the affections of good and of the knowledges of truth that were given him by the Lord, still he inclined to his Own, which is expressed in the same terms as before-that "there was not found a help as with him."

AC (Potts) n. 143

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 143

143. That by "beasts" and "animals" were anciently signified affections and like things in man, may appear strange at the present day; but as the men of those times were in a celestial idea, and as such things are represented in the world of spirits by animals, and in fact by such animals as they are like, therefore when they spoke in that way they meant nothing else. Nor is anything else meant in the Word in those places where beasts are mentioned either generally or specifically. The whole prophetic Word is full of such things, and therefore one who does not know what each beast specifically signifies, cannot possibly understand what the Word contains in the internal sense. But, as before observed, beasts are of two kinds- evil or noxious beasts, and good or harmless ones-and by the good beasts are signified good affections, as for instance by sheep, lambs, and doves; and as it is the celestial, or the celestial spiritual man, who is treated of, such are here meant. That "beasts" in general signify affections, may be seen above, confirmed by some passages in the Word (n. 45, 46), so that there is no need of further confirmation.

AC (Potts) n. 144

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 144

144. That to "call by name" signifies to know the quality, is because the ancients, by the "name" understood the essence of a thing, and by "seeing and calling by name" they understood to know the quality. The reason was that they gave names to their sons and daughters according to the things which were signified, for every name had something peculiar in it, from which, and by which, they might know the origin and the nature of their children, as will be seen in a future part of this work, when, of the Lord's Divine mercy, we come to treat of the twelve sons of Jacob. As therefore the names implied the source and quality of the things named, nothing else was understood by "calling by name." This was the customary mode of speaking among them, but one who does not understand this may wonder that such things should be signified.

AC (Potts) n. 145

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 145

145. In the Word also by "name" is signified the essence of a thing, and by "seeing and calling by name" is signified to know the quality. As in Isaiah:
I will give thee the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that thou mayest know that I, Jehovah, who call thee by thy name, am the God of Israel. For Jacob My servant's sake, and Israel My chosen, I have even called thee by thy name, I have surnamed thee, and thou hast not known Me (Isa. 45:3-4).
In this passage, to "call by name" and to "surname" signifies to foreknow the quality. Again:
Thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of Jehovah shall declare (Isa. 62:2),signifying to become of another character, as appears from the preceding and subsequent verses. Again:
Fear not, O Israel, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art Mine (Isa. 43:1),
denoting that He knew their quality. Again in the same Prophet:
Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their army by number. He will call them all by name (Isa. 40:26),
meaning that He knew them all. In the Revelation:
Thou hast a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments: he that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment, and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before My Father, and before His angels (Rev. 3:4-5).
Whose names are not written in the Lamb's book of life (Rev. 13:8).
By "names" in these passages are by no means meant names, but qualities; nor is the name of anyone ever known in heaven, but his quality.

AC (Potts) n. 146

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 146

146. From what has been stated, the connection of what is signified may be seen. In verse 18 it is said, "It is not good that the man should be alone, I will make him a help as with him" and presently "beasts" and "birds" are spoken of, which nevertheless had been treated of before, and immediately it is repeated that "for the man there was not found a help as with him" which denotes that although he was permitted to know his quality as to the affections of good, and knowledges of truth, still he inclined to his Own; for those who are such as to desire what is their own, begin to despise the things of the Lord, however plainly they may be represented and shown to them.

AC (Potts) n. 147

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 147

147. Verse 21. And Jehovah God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; and He took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh in the place thereof. By a "rib" which is a bone of the chest, is meant man's Own, in which there is but little vitality, and indeed an Own which is dear to him; by "flesh in the place of the rib" is meant an Own in which there is vitality; by a "deep sleep" is meant the state into which he was let so that he might seem to himself to have what is his own, which state resembles sleep, because while in it he knows not but that he lives, thinks, speaks, and acts, from himself. But when he begins to know that this is false, he is then roused as it were out of sleep, and becomes awake.

AC (Potts) n. 148

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 148

148. The reason why what is man's own (and indeed an Own which is dear to him) is called a "rib" which is a bone of the chest, is that among the most ancient people the chest signified charity, because it contains both the heart and the lungs; and bones signified the viler things, because they possess a minimum of vitality; while flesh denoted such as had vitality. The ground of these significations is one of the deepest arcana known to the men of the most Ancient Church, concerning which of the Lord's Divine mercy hereafter.

AC (Potts) n. 149

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 149

149. In the Word also, man's Own is signified by "bones" and indeed an Own vivified by the Lord, as in Isaiah:
Jehovah shall satisfy thy soul in droughts, and make thy bones alert, and thou shalt be like a watered garden (Isa. 58:11).
Again:
Then shall ye see, and your heart shall rejoice, and your bones shall sprout as the blade (Isa. 66:14).
In David:
All my bones shall say, Jehovah, who is like unto Thee? (Ps. 35:10).
This is still more evident from Ezekiel, where he speaks of bones receiving flesh, and having spirit put into them:
The hand of Jehovah set me in the midst of the valley, and it was full of bones; and He said to me, prophesy upon these bones, and say unto them, O ye dry bones, hear the word of Jehovah; thus saith the Lord Jehovih to these bones, Behold, I bring breath [spiritus] into you, and ye shall live, and I will lay sinews upon you, and will make flesh come upon you, and cover you with skin, and I will put breath [spiritus] in you, and ye shall live, and ye shall know that I am Jehovah (Ezek. 37:1, 4-6).
[2] The Own of man, when viewed from heaven, appears like a something that is wholly bony, inanimate, and very ugly, consequently as being in itself dead, but when vivified by the Lord it looks like flesh. For man's Own is a mere dead thing, although to him it appears as something, indeed as everything. Whatever lives in him is from the Lord's life, and if this were withdrawn he would fall down as dead as a stone; for man is only an organ of life, and such as is the organ, such is the life's affection. The Lord alone has what is His Own; by this Own He redeemed man, and by this Own He saves him. The Lord's Own is Life, and from His Own, man's Own, which in itself is dead, is made alive. The Lord's Own is also signified by the Lord's words in Luke:
A spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have (Luke 24:39).
It was also meant by not a bone of the paschal lamb being broken (Exod. 12:46).

AC (Potts) n. 150

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 150

150. The state of man when in his Own, or when he supposes that he lives from himself, is compared to "deep sleep" and indeed by the ancients was called deep sleep; and in the Word it is said of such that they have "poured out upon them the spirit of deep sleep" (Isa. 29:10), and that they sleep a sleep (Jer. 51:57). That man's Own is in itself dead, and that no one has any life from himself, has been shown so clearly in the world of spirits, that evil spirits who love nothing but their Own, and obstinately insist that they live from themselves, were convinced by sensible experience, and were forced to confess that they do not live from themselves. For a number of years I have been permitted in an especial manner to know how the case is with what is man's own, and it has been granted to me to perceive clearly that I could think nothing from myself, but that every idea of thought flows in, and sometimes I could perceive how and whence it flowed in. The man who supposes that he lives from himself is therefore in what is false, and by believing that he lives from himself appropriates to himself everything evil and false, which he would never do if his belief were in accordance with the real truth of the case.

AC (Potts) n. 151

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 151

151. Verse 22. And the rib which Jehovah God had taken from the man He built into a woman, and brought her to the man. By to "build" is signified to raise up what has fallen; by the "rib" man's Own not vivified; by a "woman" man's own vivified by the Lord; by "He brought her to the man" that what is his own was granted him. The posterity of this church did not wish, like their parents, to be a celestial man, but to be under their own self-guidance; and, thus inclining to their Own, it was granted to them, but still an Own vivified by the Lord, and therefore called a "woman" and afterwards a "wife."

AC (Potts) n. 152

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 152

152. It requires but little attention in anyone to discern that woman was not formed out of the rib of a man, and that deeper arcana are here implied than any person has heretofore been aware of. And that by the "woman" is signified man's Own, may be known from the fact that it was the woman who was deceived; for nothing ever deceives man but his Own, or what is the same, the love of self and of the world.

AC (Potts) n. 153

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 153

153. The rib is said to be "built into a woman" but it is not said that the woman was "created" or "formed" or "made" as before when treating of regeneration. The reason of this is that to "build" is to raise up that which has fallen; and in this sense it is used in the Word, where to "build" is predicated of evils; to "raise up" of falsities; and to "renew" of both; as in Isaiah:
They shall build the wastes of eternity, they shall set up again the ancient desolations, and they shall renew the cities of the waste, the desolations of generation and generation (Isa. 61:4).
"Wastes" in this and other passages signify evils; "desolations" falsities; to "build" is applied to the former, to "set up again" to the latter, and this distinction is carefully observed in other places by the prophets, as where it is said in Jeremiah: Yet still will I build thee, and thou shall be built, O virgin of Israel (Jer. 31:4).

AC (Potts) n. 154

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 154

154. Nothing evil and false is ever possible which is not man's Own, and from man's Own, for the Own of man is evil itself, and consequently man is nothing but evil and falsity. This has been evident to me from the fact that when the things of man's Own are presented to view in the world of spirits, they appear so deformed that it is impossible to depict anything more ugly, yet with a difference according to the nature of the Own, so that he to whom the things of the Own are visibly exhibited is struck with horror, and desires to flee from himself as from a devil. But truly the things of man's Own that have been vivified by the Lord appear beautiful and lovely, with variety according to the life to which the celestial of the Lord can be applied; and indeed those who have been endowed with charity, or vivified by it, appear like boys and girls with most beautiful countenances; and those who are in innocence, like naked infants, variously adorned with garlands of flowers encircling their bosoms, and diadems upon their heads, living and sporting in a diamond-like aura, and having a perception of happiness from the very inmost.

AC (Potts) n. 155

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 155

155. The words "a rib was built into a woman" have more things inmostly concealed in them than it is possible for anyone ever to discover from the letter; for the Word of the Lord is such that its inmost contents regard the Lord Himself and His kingdom, and from this comes all the life of the Word. And so in the passage before us, it is the heavenly marriage that is regarded in its inmost contents. The heavenly marriage is of such a nature that it exists in the Own, which, when vivified by the Lord, is called the "bride and wife" of the Lord. Man's Own thus vivified has a perception of all the good of love and truth of faith, and consequently possesses all wisdom and intelligence conjoined with inexpressible happiness. But the nature of this vivified Own, which is called the "bride and wife" of the Lord, cannot be concisely explained. Suffice it therefore to observe that the angels perceive that they live from the Lord, although when not reflecting on the subject they know no other than that they live from themselves; but there is a general affection of such a nature that at the least departure from the good of love and truth of faith they perceive a change, and consequently they are in the enjoyment of their peace and happiness, which is inexpressible, while they are in their general perception that they live from the Lord. It is this Own also that is meant in Jeremiah, where it is said:
Jehovah hath created a new thing in the earth, a woman shall compass a man (Jer. 31:22)
It is the heavenly marriage that is signified in this passage also, where by a "woman" is meant the Own vivified by the Lord, of which woman the expression "to compass" is predicated, because this Own is such that it encompasses, as a rib made flesh encompasses the heart.

AC (Potts) n. 156

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 156

156. Verse 23. And the man said, This now is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; therefore she shall be called wife, because she was taken out of man [vir]. "Bone of bones and flesh of flesh" signify the Own of the external man; "bone" this Own not so much vivified, and "flesh" the Own that is vivified. Man [vir], moreover, signifies the internal man, and from his being so coupled with the external man as is stated in the subsequent verse, the Own which was before called "woman" is here denominated "wife." "Now" signifies that it was thus effected at this time because the state was changed.

AC (Potts) n. 157

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 157

157. Inasmuch as "bone of bones and flesh of flesh" signified the Own of the external man in which was the internal, therefore in ancient times all those were called "bone of bones and flesh of flesh" who could be called their own [proprii], and were of one house, or of one family, or in any degree of relationship. Thus Laban said of Jacob,
Surely thou art my bone and my flesh (Gen. 29:14).
And Abimelech said of his mother's brethren, and of the family of the house of his mother's father,
Remember that I am your bone and your flesh (Judges 9:2).
The tribes of Israel also said of themselves to David,
Behold, we are thy bone and thy flesh (2 Sam. 5:1).

AC (Potts) n. 158

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 158

158. That man [vir] signifies the internal man, or what is the same, one who is intelligent and wise, is plain from Isaiah:
I behold, and there is no man [vir], even among them, and there is no counselor (Isa. 41:28),
meaning none wise and intelligent. Also in Jeremiah:
Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see if ye can find a man, if there be any executing judgment, seeking the truth (Jer. 5:1)
"One who executes judgment" means a wise person; and "one who seeks the truth" an intelligent one.

AC (Potts) n. 159

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 159

159. But it is not easy to perceive how the case is with these things unless the state of the celestial man is understood. In the celestial man the internal man is distinct from the external, indeed so distinct that the celestial man perceives what belongs to the internal man, and what to the external, and how the external man is governed through the internal by the Lord. But the state of the posterity of this celestial man, in consequence of desiring their Own, which belongs to the external man, was so changed that they no longer perceived the internal man to be distinct from the external, but imagined the internal to be one with the external, for such a perception takes place when man inclines to his Own.

AC (Potts) n. 160

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 160

160. Verse 24. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they shall be one flesh. To "leave father and mother" is to recede from the internal man, for it is the internal which conceives and brings forth the external; to "cleave unto his wife" is that the internal may be in the external; to "be one flesh" that they are there together; and because before, the internal man, and the external from the internal were spirit, but now they have become flesh. Thus was celestial and spiritual life adjoined to the Own, that they might be as one.

AC (Potts) n. 161

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 161

161. This posterity of the Most Ancient Church was not evil, but was still good; and because they desired to live in the external man, or in their Own, this was permitted them by the Lord, what is spiritual celestial, however, being mercifully insinuated therein. How the internal and external act as a one, or how they appear as a one, cannot be known unless the influx of the one into the other is known. In order to conceive some idea of it, take for example an action. Unless in an action there is charity, that is, love and faith, and in these the Lord, that action cannot be called a work of charity, or the fruit of faith.

AC (Potts) n. 162

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 162

162. All the laws of truth and right flow from celestial beginnings, or from the order of life of the celestial man. For the whole heaven is a celestial man because the Lord alone is a celestial man, and as He is the all in all of heaven and the celestial man, they are thence called celestial. As every law of truth and right descends from celestial beginnings, or from the order of life of the celestial man, so in an especial manner does the law of marriages. It is the celestial (or heavenly) marriage from and according to which all marriages on earth must be derived; and this marriage is such that there is one Lord and one heaven, or one church whose head is the Lord. The law of marriages thence derived is that there shall be one husband and one wife, and when this is the case they represent the celestial marriage, and are an exemplar of the celestial man. This law was not only revealed to the men of the Most Ancient Church, but was also inscribed on their internal man, wherefore at that time a man had but one wife, and they constituted one house. But when their posterity ceased to be internal men, and became external, they married a plurality of wives. Because the men of the Most Ancient Church in their marriages represented the celestial marriage, conjugial love was to them a kind of heaven and heavenly happiness, but when the Church declined they had no longer any perception of happiness in conjugial love, but in pleasure from a number, which is a delight of the external man. This is called by the Lord "hardness of heart" on account of which they were permitted by Moses to marry a plurality of wives, as the Lord Himself teaches:
For the hardness of your heart Moses wrote you this precept, but from the beginning of the creation God made them male and female. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall cleave unto his wife, and they twain shall be one flesh; wherefore they are no more twain but one flesh; what therefore God hath joined together let not man put asunder (Mark 10:5-9).

AC (Potts) n. 163

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 163

163. Verse 25. And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. Their being "naked, and not ashamed" signifies that they were innocent, for the Lord had insinuated innocence into their Own, to prevent its being unacceptable.

AC (Potts) n. 164

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 164

164. The Own of man, as before stated, is mere evil, and when exhibited to view is most deformed, but when charity and innocence from the Lord are insinuated into the Own, it then appears good and beautiful (as before observed, n. 154). Charity and innocence not only excuse the Own (that is, what is evil and false in man), but as it were abolish it, as may be observed in little children, in whom what is evil and false is not merely concealed, but is even pleasing, so long as they love their parents and one another, and their infantile innocence shows itself. Hence it may be known why no one can be admitted into heaven unless he possesses some degree of innocence; as the Lord has said:
Suffer the little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. And He took them up in His arms, put His hands upon them, and blessed them (Mark 10:14-16).

AC (Potts) n. 165

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 165

165. That the "nakedness of which they were not ashamed" signifies innocence, is proved by what follows, for when integrity and innocence departed they were ashamed of their nakedness, and it appeared to them disgraceful, and they therefore hid themselves. The same is evident also from the representations in the world of spirits, for when spirits wish to exculpate themselves and prove their guiltlessness, they present themselves naked in order to testify their innocence. Especially is it evident from the innocent in heaven, who appear as naked infants decorated with garlands according to the nature of their innocence; while those who have not so much innocence are clad in becoming and shining garments (of diamond silk as you might say), as the angels were occasionally seen by the prophets.

AC (Potts) n. 166

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 166

166. Such are some of the things contained in this chapter of the Word, but those here set forth are but few. And as the celestial man is treated of, who at the present day is known to scarcely anyone, even these few things cannot but appear obscure to some.

AC (Potts) n. 167

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 167

167. If anyone could know how many arcana each particular verse contains, he would be amazed, for the number of arcana contained is past telling, and this is very little shown in the letter. To state the matter shortly: the words of the letter, exactly as they are, are vividly represented in the world of spirits, in a beautiful order. For the world of spirits is a world of representatives, and whatever is vividly represented there is perceived, in respect to the minute things contained in the representatives, by the angelic spirits who are in the second heaven; and the things thus perceived by the angelic spirits are perceived abundantly and fully in inexpressible angelic ideas by the angels who are in the third heaven, and this in boundless variety in accordance with the Lord's good pleasure. Such is the Word of the Lord.

AC (Potts) n. 168

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 168

168. CONCERNING THE RESUSCITATION OF MAN FROM THE DEAD, AND HIS ENTRANCE INTO ETERNAL LIFE
Being permitted to describe in connected order how man passes from the life of the body into the life of eternity, in order that the way in which he is resuscitated might be known, this has been shown me, not by hearing, but by actual experience.

AC (Potts) n. 169

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 169

169. I was reduced into a state of insensibility as to the bodily senses, thus almost into the state of dying persons, retaining however my interior life unimpaired, attended with the power of thinking, and with sufficient breathing for life, and finally with a tacit breathing, that I might perceive and remember what happens to those who have died and are being resuscitated.

AC (Potts) n. 170

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 170

170. Celestial angels were present who occupied the region of the heart, so that as to the heart I seemed united with them, and so that at length scarcely anything was left to me except thought, and the consequent perception, and this for some hours.

AC (Potts) n. 171

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 171

171. I was thus removed from communication with spirits in the world of spirits, who supposed that I had departed from the life of the body.

AC (Potts) n. 172

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 172

172. Besides the celestial angels, who occupied the region of the heart, there were also two angels sitting at my head, and it was given me to perceive that it is so with everyone.

AC (Potts) n. 173

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 173

173. The angels who sat at my head were perfectly silent, merely communicating their thoughts by the face, so that I could perceive that another face was as it were induced upon me; indeed two, because there were two angels. When the angels perceive that their faces are received, they know that the man is dead.

AC (Potts) n. 174

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 174

174. After recognizing their faces, they induced certain changes about the region of the mouth, and thus communicated their thoughts, for it is customary with the celestial angels to speak by the province of the mouth, and it was permitted me to perceive their cogitative speech.

AC (Potts) n. 175

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 175

175. An aromatic odor was perceived, like that of an embalmed corpse, for when the celestial angels are present, the cadaverous odor is perceived as if it were aromatic, which when perceived by evil spirits prevents their approach.

AC (Potts) n. 176

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 176

176. Meanwhile I perceived that the region of the heart was kept very closely united with the celestial angels, as was also evident from the pulsation.

AC (Potts) n. 177

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 177

177. It was insinuated to me that man is kept engaged by the angels in the pious and holy thoughts which he entertained at the point of death; and it was also insinuated that those who are dying usually think about eternal life, and seldom of salvation and happiness, and therefore the angels keep them in the thought of eternal life.

AC (Potts) n. 178

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 178

178. In this thought they are kept for a considerable time by the celestial angels before these angels depart, and those who are being resuscitated are then left to the spiritual angels, with whom they are next associated. Meanwhile they have a dim idea that they are living in the body.

AC (Potts) n. 179

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 179

179. As soon as the internal parts of the body grow cold, the vital substances are separated from the man, wherever they may be, even if inclosed in a thousand labyrinthine interlacings, for such is the efficacy of the Lord's mercy (which I had previously perceived as a living and mighty attraction), that nothing vital can remain behind.

AC (Potts) n. 180

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 180

180. The celestial angels who sat at the head remained with me for some time after I was as it were resuscitated, but they conversed only tacitly. It was perceived from their cogitative speech that they made light of all fallacies and falsities, smiling at them not indeed as matters for derision, but as if they cared nothing about them. Their speech is cogitative, devoid of sound, and in this kind of language they begin to speak with the souls with whom they are at first present.

AC (Potts) n. 181

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 181

181. As yet the man, thus resuscitated by the celestial angels, possesses only an obscure life; but when the time comes for him to be delivered to the spiritual angels, then after a little delay, when the spiritual angels have approached, the celestial depart; and it has been shown me how the spiritual angels operate in order that the man may receive the benefit of light, as described in the continuation of this subject prefixed to the following chapter.

AC (Potts) n. 182

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 182

182. CHAPTER 3
CONTINUATION CONCERNING THE ENTRANCE INTO ETERNAL LIFE OF THOSE WHO ARE RAISED FROM THE DEAD.
When the celestial angels are with a resuscitated person, they do not leave him, for they love everyone; but when the soul is of such a character that he can no longer be in the company of the celestial angels, he is eager to depart from them; and when this takes place the spiritual angels arrive, and give him the use of light, for previously he had seen nothing, but had only thought.

AC (Potts) n. 183

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 183

183. I was shown how these angels work. They seemed to as it were roll off the coat of the left eye toward the septum of the nose, in order that the eye might be opened and the use of light be granted. To the man it appears as if this were really done, but it is only an appearance.

AC (Potts) n. 184

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 184

184. After this little membrane has been thus in appearance rolled off, some light is visible, but dim, such as a man sees through his eyelids when he first awakes out of sleep; and he who is being resuscitated is in a tranquil state, being still guarded by the celestial angels. There then appears a kind of shadow of an azure color, with a little star, but I perceived that this takes place with variety.

AC (Potts) n. 185

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 185

185. Afterwards there seems to be something gently unrolled from the face, and perception is communicated to him, the angels being especially cautious to prevent any idea coming from him but such as is of a soft and tender nature, as of love; and it is now given him to know that he is a spirit.

AC (Potts) n. 186

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 186

186. He then commences his life. This at first is happy and glad, for he seems to himself to have come into eternal life, which is represented by a bright white light that becomes of a beautiful golden tinge, by which is signified his first life, to wit, that it is celestial as well as spiritual.

AC (Potts) n. 187

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 187

187. His being next taken into the society of good spirits is represented by a young man sitting on a horse and directing it toward hell, but the horse cannot move a step. He is represented as a youth because when he first enters upon eternal life he is among angels, and therefore appears to himself to be in the flower of youth.

AC (Potts) n. 188

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 188

188. His subsequent life is represented by his dismounting from the horse and walking on foot, because he cannot make the horse move from the place; and it is insinuated to him that he must be instructed in the knowledges of what is true and good.

AC (Potts) n. 189

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 189

189. Afterwards pathways were seen sloping gently upward, which signify that by the knowledges of what is true and good, and by self-acknowledgment, he should be led by degrees toward heaven; for no one can be conducted thither without such self-acknowledgment, and the knowledges of what is true and good. A continuation of this subject may be seen at the end of this chapter.

GENESIS 3
1. And the serpent was more subtle than any wild animal of the field which Jehovah God had made; and he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
2. And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the tree of the garden;
3. But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.
4. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die.
5. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil.
6. And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to give intelligence, and she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and she gave also to her man [vir] with her, and he did eat.
7. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles.
8. And they heard the voice of Jehovah God going to itself in the garden in the air of the day; and the man and his wife hid themselves from the face of Jehovah God in the midst of the tree of the garden.
9. And Jehovah God cried unto the man [homo], and said unto him, Where art thou?
10. And he said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself.
11. And He said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?
12. And the man [homo] said, The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.
13. And Jehovah God said unto the woman, Why hast thou done this? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

AC (Potts) n. 190

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 190

190. THE CONTENTS.
The third state of the Most Ancient Church is treated of, which so desired its Own as to love it.

AC (Potts) n. 191

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 191

191. Because from the love of self, that is, their own love, they began to believe nothing that they did not apprehend by the senses, the sensuous part is represented by the "serpent;" the love of self, or their own love, by the "woman;" and the rational by the "man."

AC (Potts) n. 192

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 192

192. Hence the "serpent" or sensuous part, persuaded the woman to inquire into matters pertaining to faith in the Lord in order to see whether they are really so, which is signified by "eating of the tree of knowledge;" and that the rational of man consented, is signified by "the man that he did eat" (verses 1-6).

AC (Potts) n. 193

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 193

193. But they perceived that they were in evil; from which remnant of perception, signified by their "eyes being opened" and by their "hearing the voice of Jehovah" (verses 7, 8), and from the fig-leaves of which they made themselves girdles (verse 7), and from their shame or hiding in the midst of the tree of the garden (verses 8, 9), as well as from their acknowledgment and confession (verses 10-13), it is evident that natural goodness still remained in them.

AC (Potts) n. 194

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 194

194. THE INTERNAL SENSE.
Verse 1. And the serpent was more subtle than any wild animal of the field which Jehovah God had made; and he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? By the "serpent" is here meant the sensuous part of man in which he trusts; by the "wild animal of the field" here, as before, every affection of the external man; by the "woman" man's Own; by the serpent's saying, "Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree?" that they began to doubt. The subject here treated of is the third posterity of the Most Ancient Church, which began not to believe in things revealed unless they saw and felt that they were so. Their first state, that it was one of doubt, is described in this and in the next following verse.

AC (Potts) n. 195

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 195

195. The most ancient people did not compare all things in man to beasts and birds, but so denominated them; and this their customary manner of speaking remained even in the Ancient Church after the flood, and was preserved among the prophets. The sensuous things in man they called "serpents" because as serpents live close to the earth, so sensuous things are those next the body. Hence also reasonings concerning the mysteries of faith, founded on the evidence of the senses, were called by them the "poison of a serpent" and the reasoners themselves "serpents;" and because such persons reason much from sensuous, that is, from visible things (such as are things terrestrial, corporeal, mundane, and natural), it is said that "the serpent was more subtle than any wild animal of the field."
[2] And so in David, speaking of those who seduce man by reasonings:
They sharpen their tongue like a serpent; the poison of the asp is under their lips (Ps. 140:3).
And again:
They go astray from the womb, speaking a lie. Their poison is like the poison of a serpent, like the deaf poisonous asp that stoppeth her ear, that she may not hear the voice of the mutterers, of a wise one that charmeth charms [sociantis sodalitia]* (Ps. 58:3-6).
Reasonings that are of such a character that the men will not even hear what a wise one says, or the voice of the wise, are here called the "poison of a serpent." Hence it became a proverb among the ancients, that "The serpent stoppeth the ear." In Amos:
As if a man came into a house, and leaned his hand on the wall, and a serpent bit him. Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness and not light? even thick darkness, and no brightness in it? (Amos 5:19-20).
The "hand on the wall" means self-derived power, and trust in sensuous things, whence comes the blindness which is here described. [3] In Jeremiah:
The voice of Egypt shall go like a serpent, for they shall go in strength, and shall come to her with axes as hewers of wood. They shall cut down her forest, saith Jehovah, because it will not be searched; for they are multiplied more than the locust, and are innumerable. The daughter of Egypt is put to shame; she shall be delivered into the hand of the people of the north (Jer. 46:22-24).
"Egypt" denotes reasoning about Divine things from sensuous things and memory-knowledges [scientifica]. Such reasonings are called the "voice of a serpent;" and the blindness thereby occasioned, the "people of the north." In Job:
He shall suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue shall slay him. He shall not see the brooks, the flowing rivers of honey and butter (Job 20:16-17).
"Rivers of honey and butter" are things spiritual and celestial, which cannot be seen by mere reasoners; reasonings are called the "poison of the asp" and the "viper's tongue." See more respecting the serpent below, at verses 14 and 15.
* In the Apocalypse Revealed (n. 462e), instead of sociatis sodalitia, there is incantatoris incantationum. [Reviser.]

AC (Potts) n. 196

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 196

196. In ancient times those were called "serpents" who had more confidence in sensuous things than in revealed ones. But it is still worse at the present day, for now there are persons who not only disbelieve everything they cannot see and feel, but who also confirm themselves in such incredulity by knowledges [scientifica] unknown to the ancients, and thus occasion in themselves a far greater degree of blindness. In order that it may be known how those blind themselves, so as afterwards to see and hear nothing, who form their conclusions concerning heavenly matters from the things of sense, of memory-knowledge, and of philosophy, and who are not only "deaf serpents" but also the "flying serpents" frequently spoken of in the Word, which are much more pernicious, we will take as an example what they believe about the spirit. [2] The sensuous man, or he who only believes on the evidence of his senses, denies the existence of the spirit because he cannot see it, saying, "It is nothing because I do not feel it: that which I see and touch I know exists." The man of memory-knowledge [scientificus], or he who forms his conclusions from memory-knowledges [scientiae], says, What is the spirit, except perhaps vapor or heat, or some other entity of his science, that presently vanishes into thin air? Have not the animals also a body, senses, and something analogous to reason? and yet it is asserted that these will die, while the spirit of man will live. Thus they deny the existence of the spirit.
[3] Philosophers also, who would be more acute than the rest of mankind, speak of the spirit in terms which they themselves do not understand, for they dispute about them, contending that not a single expression is applicable to the spirit which derives anything from what is material, organic, or extended; thus they so abstract it from their ideas that it vanishes from them, and becomes nothing. The more sane however assert that the spirit is thought; but in their reasonings about thought, in consequence of separating from it all substantiality, they at last conclude that it must vanish away when the body expires. Thus all who reason from the things of sense, of memory-knowledge, and of philosophy, deny the existence of the spirit, and therefore believe nothing of what is said about the spirit and spiritual things. Not so the simple in heart: if these are questioned about the existence of spirit, they say they know it exists, because the Lord has said that they will live after death; thus instead of extinguishing their rational, they vivify it by the Word of the Lord.

AC (Potts) n. 197

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 197

197. Among the most ancient people, who were celestial men, by the "serpent" was signified circumspection, and also the sensuous part through which they exercised circumspection so as to be secure from injury. This signification of a "serpent" is evident from the Lord's words to His disciples:
Behold, I send you forth as sheep into the midst of wolves; be ye therefore prudent as serpents, and simple as doves (Matt. 10:16). And also from the "brazen serpent" that was set up in the wilderness, by which was signified the sensuous part in the Lord, who alone is the celestial man, and alone takes care of and provides for all; wherefore all who looked upon it were preserved.

AC (Potts) n. 198

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 198

198. Verses 2, 3. And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the tree of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. The "fruit of the tree of the garden" is the good and truth revealed to them from the Most Ancient Church; the "fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, of which they were not to eat" is the good and truth of faith, which they were not to learn from themselves; "not to touch it" is a prohibition against thinking of the good and truth of faith from themselves, or from what is of sense and "memory-knowledge [sensuali et scientifico]; "lest ye die" is because thus faith, or all wisdom and intelligence, would perish.

AC (Potts) n. 199

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 199

199. That the "fruit of the tree of which they might eat" signifies the good and truth of faith revealed to them from the Most Ancient Church, or the knowledges [cognitiones] of faith, is evident from the fact that it is said to be the "fruit of the tree of the garden of which they might eat" and not the "tree of the garden" as before when treating of the celestial man, or the Most Ancient Church (Gen. 2:16). The "tree of the garden" as it is there called, is the perception of what is good and true; which good and truth, because they are from that source, are here called "fruit" and are also frequently signified by "fruit" in the Word.

AC (Potts) n. 200

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 200

200. The reason why the "tree of knowledge" is here spoken of as being "in the midst of the garden" although previously (Gen. 2:9), the tree of lives was said to be in the midst of the garden, and not the tree of knowledge, is that the "midst" of the garden signifies the inmost; and the inmost of the celestial man, or of the Most Ancient Church, was the "tree of lives" which is love and the faith thence derived; whereas with this man, who may be called a celestial spiritual man, or with this posterity, faith was the "midst" of the garden, or the inmost. It is impossible more fully to describe the quality of the men who lived in that most ancient time, because at the present day it is utterly unknown, their genius being altogether different from what is ever found with anyone now. For the purpose however of conveying some idea of their genius, it may be mentioned that from good they knew truth, or from love they knew what is of faith. But when that generation expired, another succeeded of a totally different genius, for instead of discerning the true from the good, or what is of faith from love, they acquired the knowledge of what is good by means of truth, or what is of love from the knowledges of faith, and with very many among them there was scarcely anything but knowledge [quod scirent]. Such was the change made after the flood to prevent the destruction of the world.

AC (Potts) n. 201

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 201

201. Seeing therefore that such a genius as that of the most ancient people anterior to the flood is not found and does not exist at the present day, it is no easy matter to explain intelligibly what the words of this passage in their genuine sense imply. They are, however, perfectly understood in heaven, for the angels and angelic spirits who are called celestial are of the same genius as the most ancient people who were regenerate before the flood; while the angels and angelic spirits who are termed spiritual are of a similar genius to the regenerate after the flood, although in both cases with indefinite variety.

AC (Potts) n. 202

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 202

202. The Most Ancient Church, which was a celestial man, was of such a character as not only to abstain from "eating of the tree of knowledge" that is, from learning what belongs to faith from sensuous things and memory-knowledges [scientifica], but was not even allowed to touch that tree, that is, to think of anything that is a matter of faith from sensuous things and memory-knowledges, lest they should sink down from celestial life into spiritual life, and so on downward. Such also is the life of the celestial angels, the more interiorly celestial of whom do not even suffer faith to be named, nor anything whatever that partakes of what is spiritual; and if it is spoken of by others, instead of faith they have a perception of love, with a difference known only to themselves; thus whatever is of faith they derive from love and charity. Still less can they endure listening to any reasoning about faith, and least of all to anything of memory-knowledge [scientificum] respecting it; for, through love, they have a perception from the Lord of what is good and true; and from this perception they know instantly whether a thing is so, or is not so. Therefore when anything is said about faith, they answer simply that it is so, or that it is not so, because they perceive it from the Lord. This is what is signified by the Lord's words in Matthew:
Let your communication be Yea, yea; nay, nay; for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil (Matt. 5:37).
This then is what was meant by their not being allowed to touch the fruit of the tree of knowledge; for if they touched it, they would be in evil, that is, they would in consequence "die." Nevertheless the celestial angels converse together on various subjects like the other angels, but in a celestial language, which is formed and derived from love, and is more ineffable than that of the spiritual angels.

AC (Potts) n. 203

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 203

203. The spiritual angels, however, converse about faith, and even confirm the things of faith by those of the intellect, of the reason, and of the memory [per intellectualia, rationalia, et scientifica], but they never form their conclusions concerning matters of faith on such grounds: those who do this are in evil. They are also endowed by the Lord with a perception of all the truths of faith, although not with such a perception as is that of the celestial angels. The perception of the spiritual angels is a kind of conscience which is vivified by the Lord and which indeed appears like celestial perception, yet is not so, but is only spiritual perception.

AC (Potts) n. 204

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 204

204. Verses 4, 5. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as God, knowing good and evil. Their "eyes being opened by eating of the fruit of the tree" signifies that if they were to examine the things of faith from what is of sense and knowledge [ex sensuali et scientifico], that is, from themselves, they would plainly see those things as if erroneous. And that they would be "as God, knowing good and evil" denotes that if they did so from themselves, they would be as God, and could guide themselves.

AC (Potts) n. 205

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 205

205. Every verse contains a particular state, or change of state, in the church: the preceding verses, that although thus inclined they nevertheless perceived it to be unlawful; these verses, an incipient doubt whether it might not be lawful for them, since they would thus see whether the things they had heard from their forefathers were true, and so their eyes would be opened; at length, in consequence of the ascendancy of self-love, they began to think that they could lead themselves, and thus be like the Lord; for such is the nature of the love of self that it is unwilling to submit to the Lord's leading, and prefers to be self-guided, and being self-guided to consult the things of sense and of memory-knowledge as to what is to be believed.

AC (Potts) n. 206

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 206

206. Who have a stronger belief that their eyes are open, and that as God they know what is good and evil, than those who love themselves, and at the same time excel in worldly learning? And yet who are more blind? Only question them, and it will be seen that they do not even know, much less believe in, the existence of spirit; with the nature of spiritual and celestial life they are utterly unacquainted; they do not acknowledge an eternal life; for they believe themselves to be like the brutes which perish; neither do they acknowledge the Lord, but worship only themselves and nature. Those among them who wish to be guarded in their expressions, say that a certain Supreme Existence [Ens] of the nature of which they are ignorant, rules all things. These are the principles in which they confirm themselves in many ways by things of sense and of memory-knowledge, and if they dared, they would do the same before all the universe. Although such persons desire to be regarded as gods, or as the wisest of men, if they were asked whether they know what it is not to have anything of their own, they would answer that it is to have no existence, and that if they were deprived of everything that is their own, they would be nothing. If they are asked what it is to live from the Lord, they think it a phantasy. If asked whether they know what conscience is, they would say it is a mere creature of the imagination, which may be of service in keeping the vulgar under restraint. If asked whether they know what perception is, they would merely laugh at it and call it enthusiastic rubbish. Such is their wisdom, such "open eyes" have they, and such "gods" are they. Principles like these, which they think clearer than the day, they make their starting-point, and so continue on, and in this way reason about the mysteries of faith; and what can be the result but an abyss of darkness? These above all others are the "serpents" who seduce the world. But this posterity of the Most Ancient Church was not as yet of such a character. That which became such is treated of from verse 14 to verse 19 of this chapter.

AC (Potts) n. 207

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 207

207. Verse 6. And the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to give intelligence, and she took of the fruit thereof and did eat, and she gave also to her husband [vir] with her, and he did eat. "Good for food" signifies cupidity; "pleasant to the eyes" phantasy; and" desirable to give intelligence" pleasure: these are of the Own, or "woman:" by the "husband eating" is signified the consent of the rational (n. 265).

AC (Potts) n. 208

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 208

208. This was the fourth posterity of the Most Ancient Church, who suffered themselves to be seduced by self-love [amore proprio] and were unwilling to believe what was revealed, unless they saw it confirmed by the things of sense and of memory-knowledge.

AC (Potts) n. 209

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 209

209. The expressions here employed, as that "the tree was good for food, pleasant to the eyes, and desirable for giving intelligence" are such as were adapted to the genius of those who lived in that most ancient time, having especial reference to the will, because their evils streamed out from the will. Where the Word treats of the people who lived after the flood, such expressions are used as relate not so much to the will as to the understanding; for the most ancient people had truth from good, but those who lived after the flood had good from truth.

AC (Potts) n. 210

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 210

210. What man's Own is may be stated in this way. Man's Own is all the evil and falsity that springs from the love of self and of the world, and from not believing in the Lord or the Word but in self, and from supposing that what cannot be apprehended sensuously and by means of memory-knowledge [sensualiter et scientifice] is nothing. In this way men become mere evil and falsity, and therefore regard all things pervertedly; things that are evil they see as good, and things that are good as evil; things that are false they see as true, and things that are true as false; things that really exist they suppose to be nothing, and things that are nothing they suppose to be everything. They call hatred love, darkness light, death life, and the converse. In the Word, such men are called the "lame" and the "blind." Such then is the Own of man, which in itself is infernal and accursed.

AC (Potts) n. 211

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 211

211. Verse 7. And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. Their "eyes being opened" signifies their knowing and acknowledging, from an interior dictate, that they were "naked" that is, no longer in innocence, as before, but in evil.

AC (Potts) n. 212

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 212

212. That by having the "eyes opened" is signified an interior dictate, is evident from similar expressions in the Word, as from what Balaam says of himself, who in consequence of having visions calls himself the "man whose eyes are opened" (Num. 24:3). And from Jonathan, who when he tasted of the honeycomb and had a dictate from within that it was evil, said that his "eyes saw" that is, were enlightened, so that he saw what he knew not (1 Sam. 14:29). Moreover in the Word, the "eyes" are often used to denote the understanding, and thus an interior dictate therefrom, as in David:
Lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death (Ps. 13:3),
where "eyes" denote the understanding. So in Ezekiel, speaking of those who are not willing to understand, who "have eyes to see, and see not" (Ezek. 12:2). In Isaiah:
Shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes (Isa. 6:10),
denotes that they should be made blind, lest they should understand. So Moses said to the people,
Jehovah hath not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear (Deut. 29:4),
where "heart" denotes the will, and "eyes" denote the understanding. In Isaiah it is said of the Lord, that "He should open the blind eyes" (Isa. 42:7). And in the same Prophet: "The eyes of the blind shall see out of thick darkness and out of darkness"
(Isa. 29:18).

AC (Potts) n. 213

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 213

213. By "knowing that they were naked" is signified their knowing and acknowledging themselves to be no longer in innocence as before, but in evil, as is evident from the last verse of the preceding chapter, where it is said, "and they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed" and where it may be seen that "not to be ashamed because they were naked" signifies to be innocent. The contrary is signified by their "being ashamed" as in this verse, where it is said that they "sewed fig-leaves together, and hid themselves;" for where there is no innocence, nakedness is a scandal and disgrace, because it is attended with a consciousness of thinking evil. For this reason "nakedness" is used in the Word as a type of disgrace and evil, and is predicated of a perverted church, as in Ezekiel:
Thou wast naked and bare, and trampled on in thy blood (Ezek. 16:22).
Again:
They shall leave her naked and bare, and the nakedness shall be uncovered (Ezek. 23:29).
In John:
I counsel thee to buy of Me white raiment that thou mayest be clothed, and that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear (Rev. 3:18).
And concerning the last day:
Blessed is he who watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked and they see his shame (Rev. 16:15).
In Deuteronomy:
If a man hath found some nakedness in his wife, let him write her a bill of divorcement (Deut. 24:1).
For the same reason Aaron and his sons were commanded to have linen breeches when they came to the altar, and to minister, to "cover the flesh of their nakedness, lest they should bear iniquity, and die" (Exod. 28:42-43).

AC (Potts) n. 214

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 214

214. They are called "naked" because left to their Own; for they who are left to their Own, that is, to themselves, have no longer anything of intelligence and wisdom, or of faith, and consequently are "naked" as to truth and good, and are therefore in evil.

AC (Potts) n. 215

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 215

215. That man's Own is nothing but evil and falsity has been made evident to me from the fact that whatever spirits have at any time said from themselves has been so evil and false that whenever it was made known to me that they spoke from themselves I at once knew that it was false, even though while speaking they were themselves so thoroughly persuaded of the truth of what they said as to have no doubt about it. The case is the same with men who speak from themselves. And in the same way, whenever any persons have begun to reason concerning the things of spiritual and celestial life, or those of faith, I could perceive that they doubted, and even denied, for to reason concerning faith is to doubt and deny. And as it is all from self or their Own, they sink into mere falsities, consequently into an abyss of thick darkness, that is, of falsities, and when they are in this abyss the smallest objection prevails over a thousand truths, just as a minute particle of dust in contact with the pupil of the eye shuts out the universe and everything it contains. Of such persons the Lord says in Isaiah:
Woe unto those who are wise in their own eyes, and intelligent before their own faces (Isa. 5:21).
And again:
Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath turned thee away, and thou hast said in thine heart, I, and none else besides me; and evil shall come upon thee, thou shalt not know from whence it riseth, and mischief shall fall upon thee, which thou shalt not be able to expiate, and vastation shall come upon thee suddenly, of which thou art not aware (Isa. 47:10-11).
In Jeremiah:
Every man is made stupid by knowledge [scientia], every founder is confounded by the graven image, for his molten image is falsehood, neither is there breath in them (Jer. 51:17).
A "graven image" is the falsity, and a "molten image" the evil, of man's Own.

AC (Potts) n. 216

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 216

216. And they sewed fig-leaves together, and made themselves girdles. To "sew leaves together" is to excuse themselves; the "fig-tree" is natural good; and to "make themselves girdles" is to be affected with shame. Thus spoke the most ancient people, and thus they described this posterity of the church, signifying that instead of the innocence they had formerly enjoyed, they possessed only natural good, by which their evil was concealed; and being in natural good, they were affected with shame.

AC (Potts) n. 217

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 217

217. That the "vine" is used in the Word to signify spiritual good, and the "fig-tree" natural good, is at this day utterly unknown, because the internal sense of the Word has been lost; nevertheless, wherever these expressions occur, they signify or involve this meaning; as also in what the Lord spoke in parables concerning a "vineyard" and a "fig-tree;" as in Matthew:
Jesus seeing a fig-tree in the way, came to it, but found nothing thereon save leaves only, and He said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever; and presently the fig-tree withered away (Matt. 21:19),
by which is meant, that no good, not even natural good, was to be found upon the earth. Similar is the meaning of the "vine" and "fig-tree" in Jeremiah:
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? Nay, they were not at all ashamed, and they knew not how to blush; therefore I will surely gather them, saith Jehovah; there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf hath fallen
(Jer. 8:12-13),
by which is signified that all good, both spiritual and natural, had perished, since they were so depraved as to have lost even the sense of shame, like those at the present day who are in evil, and who, so far from blushing for their wickedness, make it their boast. In Hosea:
I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree in the beginning (Hos. 9:10).
And in Joel:
Be not afraid, ye beasts of My fields, for the tree shall bear its fruit, the fig-tree and the vine shall yield their strength (Joel 2:22).
The "vine" here denotes spiritual good, and the "fig-tree" natural good.

AC (Potts) n. 218

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 218

218. Verse 8. And they heard the voice of Jehovah God going to itself in the garden in the air of the day; and the man and his wife hid themselves from the face of Jehovah God in the midst the tree of the garden. By the "voice of Jehovah God going to itself in the garden" is signified an internal dictate which caused them to feel afraid, this dictate being the residue of the perception which they had possessed; by the "air" or "breath" of the "day" is denoted a period when the church still possessed some residue of perception; to "hide themselves from the face of Jehovah God" is to fear the dictate, as is wont to be the case with those who are conscious of evil; by the "midst of the tree of the garden" in which they hid themselves, is signified natural good; that which is inmost is called the "midst;" the "tree" denotes perception as before; but because there was little perception remaining, the tree is spoken of in the singular number, as if there were only one remaining.

AC (Potts) n. 219

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 219

219. That by the "voice of Jehovah God going to itself in the garden" is meant an internal dictate of which they were afraid, is evident from the signification of "voice" in the Word, where the "voice of Jehovah" is used to designate the Word itself, the doctrine of faith, conscience or a taking notice inwardly, and also every reproof thence resulting; whence it is that thunders are called the "voices of Jehovah" as in John:
The angel cried with a loud voice, as a lion roareth, and when he had cried seven thunders uttered their voices (Rev. 10:3), denoting that there was then a voice both external and internal. Again:
In the days of the voice of the seventh angel the mystery of God shall be consummated (Rev. 10:7).
In David:
Sing unto God, sing praises unto the Lord, who rideth upon the heavens of heavens which were of old; lo, He shall send out His voice, a voice of strength (Ps. 78:32, 33).
The "heavens of heavens which were of old" denote the wisdom of the Most Ancient Church; "voice" revelation, and also an internal dictate. Again:
The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters; the voice of Jehovah is in power; the voice of Jehovah is in glory; the voice of Jehovah breaketh the cedars; the voice of Jehovah divideth the games of fire; the voice of Jehovah maketh the wilderness to shake; the voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to calve, and uncovereth the forests (Ps. 29:3-5 and 7-9).
And in Isaiah:
Jehovah shall cause the excellency of His voice to be heard, for through the voice of Jehovah shall Asshur be beaten down (Isa. 30:30, 31).

AC (Potts) n. 220

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 220

220. By the "voice going to itself" is meant that there was but little perception remaining, and that alone as it were by itself and unheard, as is manifest also from the following verse where it is said, "Jehovah called to the man." So in Isaiah:
The voice of one crying in the wilderness; the voice said, Cry (Isa. 40:3 and 6).
The "wilderness" is a church where there is no faith; the "voice of one crying" is the annunciation of the Lord's advent, and in general every announcement of His coming, as with the regenerate, with whom there is an internal dictate.

AC (Potts) n. 221

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 221

221. That by the "air" or "breath" "of the day" is signified a period when the church had still somewhat of perception remaining, is evident from the signification of "day" and of "night." The most ancient people compared the states of the church to the times of the day and of the night, to the times of the day when the church was still in light, wherefore this state is compared to the breath or air "of the day" because there was still some remnant of perception by which they knew that they were fallen. The Lord also calls the state of faith "day" and that of no faith "night;" as in John:
I must work the works of Him that sent Me, while it is day; the night cometh when no man can work (John 9:4).
The states of the regeneration of man were for the same reason called "days" in chapter 1.

AC (Potts) n. 222

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 222

222. That to "hide themselves from the face of Jehovah" means to be afraid of the dictate, as is wont to be the case with those who are conscious of evil, is evident from the reply (verse 10): "I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked." The "face of Jehovah" or of the Lord, is mercy, peace, and every good, as is clearly evident from the
benediction:
Jehovah make His faces to shine upon thee, and be merciful unto thee; Jehovah lift up His faces upon thee, and give thee peace (Num. 6:25, 26).
And in David:
God be merciful unto us, and bless us, and cause His faces to shine upon us (Ps. 67:1).
And in another place:
There be many that say, Who will show us any good? Jehovah, lift Thou up the light of Thy faces upon us (Ps. 4:6).
The mercy of the Lord is therefore called the "angel of faces" in Isaiah:
I will make mention of the mercies of Jehovah; He hath requited them according to His mercies, and according to the multitude of His mercies and He became their Saviour. In all their affliction He was acted, and the angel of His faces saved them; in His love and in His pity He redeemed them (Isa. 63:7-9).

AC (Potts) n. 223

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 223

223. As the "face of the Lord" is mercy, peace, and every good, it is evident that He regards all from mercy, and never averts His countenance from any; but that it is man, when in evil, who turns away his face, as is said by the Lord in Isaiah:
Your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you (Isa. 59:2); and here, "they hid themselves from the face of Jehovah, because they were naked."

AC (Potts) n. 224

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 224

224. Mercy, peace, and every good, or the "faces of Jehovah" are the cause of the dictate with those who have perception, and also, although in a different manner, with those who have conscience, and they always operate mercifully, but are received according to the state in which the man is. The state of this man, that is, of this posterity of the Most Ancient Church, was one of natural good; and they who are in natural good are of such a character that they hide themselves through fear and shame because they are naked: while such as are destitute of natural good do not hide themselves, because they are insusceptible of shame; concerning whom, in Jeremiah 8:12-13. (See above, n. 217.)

AC (Potts) n. 225

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 225

225. That the "midst of the tree of the garden" signifies natural good, in which there is some perception which is called a "tree" is also evident from the "garden" in which the celestial man dwelt; for everything good and true is called a "garden" with a difference according to the man who cultivates it. Good is not good unless its inmost is celestial, from which, or through which, from the Lord, comes perception. This inmost is here called the "midst" as also elsewhere in the Word.

AC (Potts) n. 226

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 226

226. Verses 9, 10. And Jehovah God cried unto the man, and said unto him, Where art thou? And he said, I heard Thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked; and I hid myself. The meaning of "crying" of the "voice in the garden" of their "being afraid because they were naked" and of "hiding themselves" has been previously explained. It is common in the Word for man to be first asked where he is and what he is doing, although the Lord previously knew all things; but the reason for asking is that man may acknowledge and confess.

AC (Potts) n. 227

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 227

227. As it is desirable that the origin of perception, internal dictate, and conscience, should be known, and as at the present day it is altogether unknown, I may relate something on the subject. It is a great truth that man is governed by the Lord by means of spirits and angels. When evil spirits begin to rule, the angels labor to avert evils and falsities, and hence arises a combat. It is this combat of which the man is rendered sensible by perception, dictate, and conscience. By these, and also by temptations, a man might clearly see that spirits and angels are with him, were he not so deeply immersed in corporeal things as to believe nothing that is said about spirits and angels. Such persons, even if they were to feel these combats hundreds of times, would still say that they are imaginary, and the effect of a disordered mind. I have been permitted to feel such combats, and to have a vivid sense of them, thousands and thousands of times, and this almost constantly for several years, as well as to know who, what, and where they were that caused them, when they came, and when they departed; and I have conversed with them.

AC (Potts) n. 228

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 228

228. It is impossible to describe the exquisite perception whereby the angels discover whether anything gains admission that is contrary to the truth of faith and the good of love. They perceive the quality of what enters, and when it enters, a thousand times more perfectly than the man himself, who scarcely knows anything about it. The least of thought in a man is more fully perceived by the angels than the greatest is by himself. This is indeed incredible, yet is most true.

AC (Potts) n. 229

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 229

229. Verses 11-13. And He said, Who told thee that thou wast naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree whereof I commanded that thou shouldest not eat? And the man said, The woman whom Thou gavest to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat. And Jehovah God said unto the woman, Why hast thou done this? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat. The signification of these words is evident from what has been explained before, namely, that the rational of man suffered itself to be deceived by its Own, because this was dear to him (that is, by the love of self), so that he believed nothing but what he could see and feel. Everyone can see that Jehovah God did not speak to a serpent, and indeed that there was no serpent, neither did He address the sensuous part that is signified by the "serpent;" but that these words involve a different meaning, namely, that they perceived themselves to be deluded by the senses, and yet, in consequence of self-love, were desirous of ascertaining the truth of what they had heard concerning the Lord, and concerning faith in Him, before they believed it.

AC (Potts) n. 230

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 230

230. The ruling evil of this posterity was the love of self, without their having at the same time so much of the love of the world as exists at the present day; for they dwelt within their own households and families, and had no desire to accumulate wealth.

AC (Potts) n. 231

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 231

231. The evil of the Most Ancient Church which existed before the flood, as well as that of the Ancient Church after the flood, and also that of the Jewish Church, and subsequently the evil of the new church, or church of the Gentiles, after the coming of the Lord, and also that of the church of the present day, was and is that they do not believe the Lord or the Word, but themselves and their own senses. Hence there is no faith, and where there is no faith there is no love of the neighbor, consequently all is false and evil.

AC (Potts) n. 232

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 232

232. At this day, however, it is much worse than in former times, because men can now confirm the incredulity of the senses by memory-knowledges [scientifica] unknown to the ancients, and this has given birth to an indescribable degree of darkness. If men knew how great is the darkness from this cause they would be astounded.

AC (Potts) n. 233

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 233

233. To explore the mysteries of faith by means of memory-knowledges [scientifica] is as impossible as it is for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, or for a rib to govern the finest fibrils of the chest and of the heart. So gross, yea, much more so, is that which pertains to our senses and memory-knowledge [sensale et scientificum] relatively to what is spiritual and celestial. He who would investigate the hidden things of nature, which are innumerable, discovers scarcely one, and while investigating them falls into errors, as is well known. How much more likely is this to be the case while investigating the hidden truths of spiritual and celestial life, where myriads of mysteries exist for one that is invisible in nature!
[2] As an illustration take this single example: Of himself man cannot but do what is evil, and turn away from the Lord. Yet man does not do these things, but the evil spirits who are with him. Nor do these evil spirits do them, but the evil itself which they have made their own. Nevertheless man does evil and turns himself away from the Lord, and is in fault; and yet he lives only from the Lord. So on the other hand, of himself man cannot possibly do what is good, and turn to the Lord, but this is done by the angels. Nor can the angels do it, but the Lord alone. And yet man is able as of himself to do what is good, and to turn himself to the Lord. These facts can never be apprehended by our senses, memory-knowledge, and philosophy, but if these are consulted will be denied in spite of their truth. And it is the same all through.
[3] From what has been said it is evident that those who consult sensuous things and memory-knowledges [sensualia et scientifica] in matters of belief, plunge themselves not only into doubt, but also into denial, that is, into thick darkness, and consequently into all cupidities. For as they believe what is false, they also do what is false. And as they believe that what is spiritual and celestial has no existence, so they believe that there is nothing else but what is of the body and the world. And so they love all that belongs to self and the world, and in this way do cupidities and evils spring from what is false.

Genesis 3, verses 14-19
14. And Jehovah God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above every beast, and above every wild animal of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life.
15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; He shall trample upon thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel.
16. And unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth sons, and thine obedience shall be to thy man [vir], and he shall rule over thee.
17. And unto the man He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake; in great sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life.
18. And the thorn and the thistle shall it bring forth unto thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field.
19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.

AC (Potts) n. 234

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 234

234. THE CONTENTS.
The subsequent state of the church down to the flood is here described; and as at that time the church utterly destroyed itself, it is foretold that the Lord would come into the world and save the human race.

AC (Potts) n. 235

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 235

235. Being unwilling to believe anything that could not be apprehended by the senses, the sensuous part which is the "serpent" cursed itself, and became infernal (verse 14).

AC (Potts) n. 236

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 236

236. Therefore to prevent all mankind from rushing into hell, the Lord promised that He would come into the world (verse 15).

AC (Potts) n. 237

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 237

237. The church is further described by the "woman" which so loved self or the Own as to be no longer capable of apprehending truth, although a rational was given them that should "rule" (verse 16).

AC (Potts) n. 238

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 238

238. The quality of the rational is then described, in that it consented, and thus cursed itself, and became infernal, so that reason no longer remained, but ratiocination (verse 17).

AC (Potts) n. 239

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 239

239. The curse and vastation are described, and also their ferine nature (verse 18).

AC (Potts) n. 240

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 240

240. Next, their aversion to everything of faith and love; and that thus from being man they became not men (verse 19).

AC (Potts) n. 241

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 241

241. THE INTERNAL SENSE
The most ancient people, being celestial men, were so constituted that every object they beheld in the world or upon the face of the earth, they indeed saw, but they thought about the heavenly and Divine things the objects signified or represented. Their sight was merely an instrumental agency, and so consequently was their speech. Anyone may know how this was from his own experience, for if he attends closely to the meaning of a speaker's words, he does indeed hear the words, but is as if he did not hear them, taking in only the sense; and one who thinks more deeply does not attend even to the sense of the words, but to a more universal sense. But the posterities that are here treated of were not like their fathers, for when they beheld the objects in the world and on the face of the earth, as they loved them, their minds cleaved to them, and they thought about them, and from them about things heavenly and Divine. Thus with them what is sensuous began to be the principal, and not as with their fathers the instrumental. And when that which is of the world and of the earth becomes the principal, then men reason from this about the things of heaven, and so blind themselves. How this is may also be known by anyone from his own experience; for he who attends to the words of a speaker, and not to the sense of the words, takes in but little of the sense, and still less of the universal import of the sense, and sometimes judges of all that a man says from a single word, or even from a grammatical peculiarity.

AC (Potts) n. 242

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 242

242. Verse 14. And Jehovah God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above every beast, and above every wild animal of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life. By "Jehovah God said unto the serpent" is signified that they perceived their sensuous part to be the cause [of their fall]. "The serpent cursed above every beast and above every wild animal of the field" signifies that their sensuous part averted itself from that which is heavenly, and turned itself to that which is of the body, and thus cursed itself; the "beast" and the "wild animal of the field" here signify affections, as before. The "serpent going upon its belly" signifies that their sensuous part could no longer look upward to the things of heaven, but only downward, to those of the body and the earth. Its "eating dust all the days of its life" signifies that their sensuous part became such that it could not live from anything but that which is of the body and the earth, that is to say, it became infernal.

AC (Potts) n. 243

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 243

243. In the most ancient celestial men the sensuous things of the body were of such a character as to be compliant and subservient to their internal man, and beyond this they did not care for them. But after they had begun to love themselves, they set the things of sense before the internal man, and therefore those things were separated, became corporeal, and so were condemned.

AC (Potts) n. 244

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 244

244. Having before shown that by "Jehovah God speaking to the serpent" is signified their perceiving the sensuous part to be the cause of their fall, no more need be said in regard to these words.

AC (Potts) n. 245

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 245

245. That "He said to the serpent, Thou art cursed above every beast, and above every wild animal of the field" signifies that the sensuous part averted itself from that which is heavenly, turned itself to that which is of the body, and thus cursed itself, may be clearly shown from the internal sense of the Word. Jehovah God or the Lord never curses anyone. He is never angry with anyone, never leads anyone into temptation, never punishes anyone, and still less does He curse anyone. All this is done by the infernal crew, for such things can never proceed from the Fountain of mercy, peace, and goodness. The reason of its being said, both here and in other parts of the Word, that Jehovah God not only turns away His face, is angry, punishes, and tempts, but also kills and even curses, is that men may believe that the Lord governs and disposes all and everything in the universe, even evil itself, punishments, and temptations; and when they have received this most general idea, may afterwards learn how He governs and disposes all things by turning the evil of punishment and of temptation into good. In teaching and learning the Word, the most general truths must come first; and therefore the literal sense is full of such things.

AC (Potts) n. 246

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 246

246. That the "beast and the wild animal of the field" signify affections, is evident from what was previously said concerning them (n. 45 and 46), to which it is permitted to add the following passage from David:
Thou, O God, dost send the rain of Thy kindnesses; Thou confirmest Thy laboring inheritance; Thy wild animal shall dwell therein (Ps. 68:9-10),
where also "wild animal" denotes the affection of good, because it is said that it shall "dwell in the inheritance of God." The reason why here, and also in chapter 2:19-20, the "beast and the wild animal of the field" are mentioned, while in chapter 1:24-25, the "beast and the wild animal of the earth" are named, is that the present passage treats of the church or regenerated man, whereas the first chapter related to what was as yet not a church, or to man about to become regenerate; for the word "field" is applied to the church, or to the regenerate.

AC (Potts) n. 247

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 247

247. That the "serpent going on his belly" denotes that their sensuous part could no longer look upward to the things of heaven, but only downward to those of the body and the earth, is evident from the fact that in ancient times by the "belly" such things are signified as are nearest to the earth; by the "chest" such as are above the earth; and by the "head" what is highest. It is here said that the sensuous part, which in itself is the lowest part of man's nature, "went upon its belly" because it turned to what is earthly. The depression of the belly even to the earth, and the sprinkling of dust on the head, had a similar signification in the Jewish Church. Thus we read in David:
Wherefore hidest Thou Thy faces, and forgettest our misery and our oppression? For our soul is bowed down to the dust, and our belly cleaveth to the earth. Arise, a help for us, and redeem us for Thy mercy's sake (Ps. 44:24-26),
where also it is evident that when man averts himself from the face of Jehovah, he "cleaves by his belly to the dust and to the earth." In Jonah likewise, by the "belly" of the great fish, into which he was cast, are signified the lower parts of the earth, as is evident from his prophecy:
Out of the belly of hell cried I, and Thou heardest my voice (Jonah 2:2),
where "hell" denotes the lower earth.

AC (Potts) n. 248

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 248

248. And therefore when man had regard to heavenly things, he was said to "walk erect" and to "look upward" or "forward" which means the same; but when he had regard to corporeal and earthly things, he was said to be "bowed to the earth" and to "look downward" or "backward." As in Leviticus:
I am Jehovah your God, who brought you forth out of the land of Egypt, that ye should not be their bondmen; and I have broken the bonds of your yoke, and made you to go erect (Lev. 26:13).
In Micah:
Ye shall not thence remove your necks, neither shall ye go erect (Micah 2:3).
In Jeremiah:
Jerusalem hath sinned a sin, therefore they despise her, because they have seen her nakedness; yea, she groaned and hath turned backward. From on high hath He sent fire into my bones, and hath made me to return backward; He hath made me desolate (Lam. 1:8, 13).
And in Isaiah:
Jehovah thy Redeemer, that turneth wise men backward, and maketh foolish their knowledge (Isa. 44:24-25).

AC (Potts) n. 249

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 249

249. That to "eat dust all the days of its life" signifies that their sensuous part became such that it could not live from anything except that which is of the body and the earth, that is to say, that it became infernal, is evident also from the signification of "dust" in the Word; as in Micah:
Feed thy people as in the days of eternity. The nations shall see and shall blush at all their might; they shall lick the dust like a serpent, they shall be shaken out of their holds like creeping things [serpentes] of the earth (Micah 7:14, 16-17).
"The "days of eternity" mean the Most Ancient Church; the "nations" those who trust in their Own, of whom it is predicated that "they shall lick the dust like a serpent."
In David:
Barbarians shall bow themselves before God, and His enemies shall lick the dust (Ps. 72:9).
"Barbarians" and "enemies" are those who regard only earthly and worldly things. In Isaiah:
Dust shall be the serpent's bread (Isa. 65:25).
As "dust" signifies those who do not regard spiritual and celestial things, but only what is corporeal and earthly, therefore the Lord enjoined His disciples that if the city or house into which they entered was not worthy, they should "shake off the dust of their feet" (Matt. 10:14). (That "dust" signifies what is condemned and infernal, will be further shown at verse 19.)

AC (Potts) n. 250

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 250

250. Verse 15. And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; He shall trample upon thy head, and thou shalt bruise His heel. Everyone is aware that this is the first prophecy of the Lord's advent into the world; it appears indeed clearly from the words themselves, and therefore from them and from the prophets even the Jews knew that a Messiah was to come. Hitherto however no one has understood what is specifically meant by the "serpent" the "woman" the "serpent's seed" the "woman's seed" the "head of the serpent which was to be trodden upon" and the "heel which the serpent should bruise." They must therefore be explained. By the "serpent" is here meant all evil in general, and specifically the love of self; by the "woman" is meant the church; by the "seed of the serpent" all infidelity; by the "seed of the woman" faith in the Lord; by "He" the Lord Himself; by the "head of the serpent" the dominion of evil in general, and specifically that of the love of self; by to "trample upon" depression, so that it should "go upon the belly and eat dust;" and by the "heel" the lowest natural (as the corporeal), which the serpent should "bruise."

AC (Potts) n. 251

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 251

251. The reason why the "serpent" means all evil in general, and specifically the love of self, is that all evil has had its rise from that sensuous part of the mind, and also from that memory-knowledge [scientifico], which at first were signified by the "serpent;" and therefore it here denotes evil of every kind, and specifically the love of self, or hatred against the neighbor and the Lord, which is the same thing. As this evil or hatred was various, consisting of numerous genera and still more numerous species, it is described in the Word by various kinds of serpents, as "snakes" "cockatrices" "asps" "adders" "fiery serpents" "serpents that fly" and "that creep" and "vipers" according to the differences of the poison, which is hatred. Thus we read in Isaiah:
Rejoice not thou, whole Philistia, because the rod which smiteth thee is broken, for out of the serpent's root shall go forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a flying fire-serpent (Isa. 14:29).The "serpent's root" denotes that part of the mind, or that principle, which is connected with the senses and with memory-knowledge [est sensuale et scientificum]; the "cockatrice" denotes evil originating in the falsity thence derived; and the "flying fire-serpent" the cupidity that comes from the love of self. By the same Prophet also similar things are elsewhere thus described:
They hatch cockatrice's eggs, and weave the spider's web; he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and when it is crushed there cometh out a viper (Isa. 59:5).
The serpent described here in Genesis is called in the Revelation the "great and red dragon" and the "old serpent" and also the "devil and satan" that "deceives the whole world" (12:3, 9; 20:2), where, and also in other places, by the "devil" is not meant any particular devil who is prince over the others, but the whole crew of evil spirits, and evil itself.

AC (Potts) n. 252

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 252

252. That by the "woman" is meant the church, is evident from what was said above (n. 155) concerning the heavenly marriage. Such is the nature of the heavenly marriage, that heaven, and consequently the church, is united to the Lord by its Own, insomuch that these are in their Own, for without their Own there can be no union. When the Lord in mercy insinuates innocence, peace, and good into this Own, it still retains its identity, but becomes heavenly and most happy (as may be seen at n. 164). The quality of a heavenly and angelic Own from the Lord, and the quality of an Own, which, because from self, is infernal and diabolical, cannot be told. The difference is like that between heaven and hell.

AC (Potts) n. 253

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 253

253. It is by virtue of a heavenly and angelic Own that the church is called a "woman" and also a "wife" a "bride" a "virgin" and a "daughter." She is called a "woman" in the Revelation:
A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And the dragon persecuted the woman who brought forth the man child (Rev. 12:1, 4-5, 13).In this passage by a "woman" is meant the church; by the "sun" love; by the "moon" faith; by "stars" as before, the truths of faith, all of which evil spirits hate, and persecute to the utmost. The church is called a "woman" and also a "wife" in Isaiah:
Thy Maker is thy Husband, Jehovah of Armies is His name, and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth is He called; for as a woman forsaken and afflicted in spirit hath Jehovah called thee, and as a wife of youth
[adolescentiarum] (Isa. 54:5-6),
where the "Maker" is called also the "husband" because united to the Own; and a "woman afflicted" and a "wife of youth" signify specifically the Ancient and Most Ancient Churches. Likewise in Malachi:
Jehovah hath borne witness between thee and the wife of thy youth [adolescentiarum] (Mal. 2:14).
She is called a "wife" and a "bride" in the Revelation:
I saw the holy city New Jerusalem coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband: come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife (Rev. 21:2, 9).
The church is called a "virgin" and a "daughter" throughout the Prophets.

AC (Potts) n. 254

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 254

254. That by the "seed of the serpent" is meant all infidelity, is evident from the signification of a "serpent" as being all evil; "seed" is that which produces and is produced, or that which begets and is begotten; and as the church is here spoken of, this is infidelity. In Isaiah, in reference to the Jewish Church in its perverted state, it is called a "seed of evil doers" a "seed of adultery" a "seed of falsehood:"
Woe to the sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evil doers, sons that are destroyers they have forsaken Jehovah, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel, they have estranged themselves backward (Isa. 1:4).
Again:
Draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer. Are ye not children of transgression, a seed of falsehood ? (Isa. 57:3, 4).
And again, speaking of the "serpent" or "dragon" who is there called Lucifer:
Thou art cast out of thy sepulchre like an abominable shoot, because thou hast corrupted thy land, thou hast slain thy people the seed of evil doers shall not be called to eternity (Isa 14:19, 20).

AC (Potts) n. 255

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 255

255. That the "seed of the woman" signifies faith in the Lord, is evident from the signification of "woman" as being the church, whose "seed" is nothing but faith, for it is from faith in the Lord that the church is called the church. In Malachi, faith is called the "seed of God:"
Jehovah hath witnessed between thee and the wife of thy youth [adolescentiarum]; and not one hath done so who had a residue of the spirit and wherefore one, seeking the seed of God? but observe ye in your spirit, lest he deal treacherously against the wife of thy youth (Mal 2:14, 15).
In this passage the "wife of youth" is the Ancient and Most Ancient Churches, of whose "seed" (or faith) the prophet speaks. In Isaiah also, in reference to the church:
I will pour waters upon the thirsty, and floods upon the dry I will pour My spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring (Isa. 44:3).
In the Revelation:
The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, who were keeping the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev. 12:17).
And in David:
I have made a covenant with Mine elect, I have sworn unto David My servant, even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and his seed will I make to endure forever, and his throne as the days of the heavens his seed shall endure to eternity, and his throne as the sun before me (Ps. 139:3, 4, 29, 36),
where by "David" is meant the Lord; by "throne" His kingdom; by the "sun" love; and by "seed" faith.

AC (Potts) n. 256

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 256

256. Not only is faith, but also the Lord Himself is called the "seed of the woman" both because He alone gives faith, and thus is faith, and because He was pleased to be born, and that into such a church as had altogether fallen into an infernal and diabolical Own through the love of self and of the world, in order that by His Divine power He might unite the Divine celestial Own with the human Own in His human essence, so that in Him they might be a one; and unless this union had been effected, the whole world must have utterly perished. Because the Lord is thus the seed of the woman, it is not said "it" but "He."

AC (Potts) n. 257

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 257

257. That by the "head of the serpent" is meant the dominion of evil in general, and specifically of the love of self, is evident from its nature, which is so direful as not only to seek dominion, but even dominion over all things upon earth; nor does it rest satisfied with this, but aspires even to rule over everything in heaven, and then, not content with this, over the Lord himself, and even then it is not satisfied. This is latent in every spark of the love of self. If it were indulged, and freed from restraint, we should perceive that it would at once burst forth and would grow even to that aspiring height. Hence it is evident how the "serpent" or the evil of the love of self, desires to exercise dominion, and how much it hates all those who refuse its sway. This is that "head of the serpent" which exalts itself, and which the Lord "tramples down" even to the earth, that it may "go upon its belly, and eat dust" as stated in the verse immediately preceding. Thus also is described the "serpent" or "dragon" called "Lucifer" in Isaiah:
O Lucifer, thou hast said in thy heart, I will ascend the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of God, and I will sit upon the mount of the congregation, in the sides of the north, I will ascend above the heights of the cloud, I will be made equal to the Most High yet thou shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit (Isa. 14:12-15).
The "serpent" or "dragon" is also described in the Revelation in regard to the way in which he exalts his head:
A great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns, and many diadems upon his heads; but he was cast into the earth (Rev. 12:3, 9).
In David:
The saying of Jehovah to my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool: Jehovah shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion, He shall judge the nations, He hath filled with dead bodies, He hath bruised the head over much land; He shall drink of the brook in the way, therefore shall He lift up the head (Ps. 110:1-2, 6-7).

AC (Potts) n. 258

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 258

258. That by "trampling on" or "bruising" is meant depression, so as to compel it to "go on the belly and eat the dust" is now evident from this and the preceding verses. So likewise in Isaiah:
Jehovah hath cast down them that dwell on high; the exalted city He will humble it; He will humble it even to the earth; He will prostrate it even to the dust; the foot shall tread it down (Isa. 26:4-6).
Again:
He shall cast down to the earth with the hand; they shall be trampled on by feet-a crown of pride (Isa. 28:2-3).

AC (Potts) n. 259

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 259

259. That by the "heel" is meant the lowest natural or corporeal cannot be known unless the way in which the most ancient people considered the various things in man is known. They referred his celestial and spiritual things to the head and face; what comes forth from these (as charity and mercy), to the chest natural things, to the feet; lower natural things, to the soles of the feet; and the lowest natural and corporeal things, to the heel; nor did they merely refer to them, but also so called them. The lowest things of reason, that is, memory-knowledges [scientifica], were also meant by what Jacob prophesied concerning Dan:
Dan shall be a serpent upon the way, an adder upon the path, biting the horse's heels, and his rider falls backward (Gen. 49:17).
Also in David:
The iniquity of my heels hath compassed me about (Ps. 49:5).
In like manner by what is related of Jacob, when he came forth from the womb,
That his hand laid hold of Esau's heel, whence he was called Jacob (Gen. 25:26),for the name "Jacob" comes from the "heel" because the Jewish Church, signified by "Jacob" injured the heel. A serpent can injure only the lowest natural things, but unless it is a species of viper, not the interior natural things in man, still less his spiritual things, and least of all his celestial things, which the Lord preserves and stores up in man without his knowledge. What are thus stored up by the Lord are called in the Word "remains." The mode in which the serpent destroyed those lowest natural things in the people before the flood, by the sensuous principle and the love of self; and among the Jews, by sensuous things, traditions, trifles, and by the love of self and of the world; and how at this day he has destroyed and continues to destroy them by the things of sense, of memory-knowledge, and of philosophy, and at the same time by the same loves, shall of the Lord's Divine mercy be told hereafter.

AC (Potts) n. 260

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 260

260. From what has been said it is evident that it was revealed to the church of that time that the Lord would come into the world to save them.

AC (Potts) n. 261

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 261

261. Verse 16. And unto the woman He said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth sons, and thine obedience shall be to thy man [vir], and he shall rule over thee. By the "woman" is now signified the church as to proprium, which it loved; by "greatly multiplying her sorrow" is signified combat, and the anxiety it occasions; by "conception" every thought; by the "sons whom she would bring forth in sorrow" the truths which she would thus produce; by "man" here as before, the rational which it will obey, and which will rule.

AC (Potts) n. 262

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 262

262. That the church is signified by the "woman" has been previously shown, but here the church perverted by the Own which was itself formerly signified by the "woman" because the posterity of the Most Ancient Church, which had become perverted, is now treated of.

AC (Potts) n. 263

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 263

263. When therefore the sensuous part averts itself or curses itself, the consequence is that evil spirits begin to fight powerfully, and the attendant angels to labor, and therefore this combat is described by the words, "I will greatly multiply thy sorrow, in relation to the conception and birth of sons" that is, as to the thoughts and productions of truth.

AC (Potts) n. 264

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 264

264. That the "conception and birth of sons" in the Word, are taken in a spiritual sense-"conception" for the thought and device of the heart, and "sons" for truths, is evident from Hosea:
As for Ephraim, their glory shall fly away like a bird, from the birth, and from the womb: and from the conception; though they shall have brought up their sons, yet will I bereave them, that they be not man; yea, woe also to them when I depart from them (Hos. 9:11-12),
where "Ephraim" signifies the intelligent, or the understanding of truth; and "sons" truths themselves. It is likewise said elsewhere concerning Ephraim, or one who is intelligent, who has become foolish:
The sorrows of one in travail have come upon him, he is an unwise son, for at the time he will not stand in the breach of the womb of sons (Hos. 13:13).
And in Isaiah:
Blush, O Zidon, for the sea hath spoken, the fortress of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, nor brought forth, nor have I brought up young men, nor caused girls to grow up; as at the report concerning Egypt, they shall bring forth according to the report of Tyre (Isa. 23:4-5),
where "Zidon" means those who have been in the knowledges of faith, but have destroyed them by memory-knowledges [scientifica], and so have become barren.
[2] Again in the same prophet, treating of regeneration, and where likewise the truths of faith are signified by "sons": Before she travailed she bringeth forth; and before her pain came, she was delivered of a man child; who hath heard such a thing? who hath seen such things? shall the earth bring forth in one day? and shall I not cause to bring forth? saith Jehovah; shall I cause to bring forth, and close up? saith thy God (Isa. 66:7-9).
Goods and truths, being conceived and born of the heavenly marriage, are therefore called "sons" by the Lord in Matthew:
He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man the field is the world and the seed are the sons of the kingdom (Matt. 13:37-38).
And the goods and truths of a saving faith He calls "sons of Abraham" (John 8:39); for "seed" (as stated n. 255) denotes faith, wherefore "sons" which are of the "seed" are the goods and truths of faith. Hence also the Lord, as being Himself the "seed" called Himself the "Son of man" that is, the faith of the church.

AC (Potts) n. 265

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 265

265. That by "man [vir]" is signified the rational, appears from verse 6 of this chapter, in that the woman gave to her man with her, and he did eat, by which is meant his consent; and the same is also evident from what was said of the man in n. 158, where by him is meant one who is wise and intelligent. Here however "man" denotes the rational, because in consequence of the destruction of wisdom and intelligence by eating of the tree of knowledge, nothing else was left, for the rational is imitative of intelligence, being as it were its semblance.

AC (Potts) n. 266

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 266

266. As every law and precept comes forth from what is celestial and spiritual, as from its true beginning, it follows that this law of marriage does so, which requires that the wife, who acts from desire, which is of what is her own, rather than from reason, like the man, should be subject to his prudence.

AC (Potts) n. 267

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 267

267. Verse 17. And unto the man He said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it; cursed is the ground for thy sake, in great sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life. By the "man hearkening to the voice of his wife" is signified the consent of the man [vir], or rational, by which it also averted or cursed itself, and consequently the whole external man, denoted by "cursed is the ground for thy sake." To "eat thereof in sorrow" means that the future state of his life would be miserable, and this even to the end of that church, or "all the days of his life."

AC (Potts) n. 268

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 268

268. That the "ground" signifies the external man, is evident from what was previously stated concerning "earth" "ground" and "field." When man is regenerate, he is no longer called "earth" but "ground" because celestial seed has been implanted in him; he is also compared to "ground" and is called "ground" in various parts of the Word. The seeds of good and truth are implanted in the external man, that is, in his affection and memory, and not in the internal man, because there is nothing of one's Own in the internal man, but only in the external. In the internal man are goods and truths, and when these no longer appear to be present, the man is external or corporeal; they are however stored up in the internal man by the Lord, without the man's knowledge, as they do not come forth except when the external man as it were dies, as is usually the case during temptations, misfortunes, sicknesses, and at the hour of death. The rational belongs also to the external man (n. 118), and is in itself a kind of medium between the internal man and the external; for the internal man, through the rational, operates on the corporeal external. But when the rational consents, it separates the external man from the internal, so that the existence of the internal man is no longer known, nor consequently the intelligence and wisdom which are of the internal.

AC (Potts) n. 269

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 269

269. That Jehovah God (that is, the Lord) did not "curse the ground" or the external man, but that the external man averted or separated itself from the internal, and thus cursed itself, is evident from what was previously shown (n. 245).

AC (Potts) n. 270

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 270

270. That to "eat of the ground in great sorrow" signifies a miserable state of life, is evident from what precedes and follows, not to mention that to "eat" in the internal sense, is to live. The same is evident also from the fact that such a state of life ensues when evil spirits begin to fight, and the attendant angels to labor. This state of life becomes more miserable when evil spirits begin to obtain the dominion; for they then govern the external man, and the angels only the internal man, of which so little remains that they can scarcely take anything thence with which to defend the man; hence arise misery and anxiety. Dead men are seldom sensible of such misery and anxiety, because they are no longer men, although they think themselves more truly so than others; for they know no more than the brutes of what is spiritual and celestial, and what is eternal life, and like them they look downward to earthly things, or outward to worldly ones; they favor only their Own, and indulge their inclinations and senses with the entire concurrence of the rational. Being dead, they sustain no spiritual combat or temptation, and were they exposed to it their life would sink under its weight, and they could thereby curse themselves still more, and precipitate themselves still more deeply into infernal damnation: hence they are spared this until their entrance into the other life, where, being no longer in danger of dying in consequence of any temptation or misery, they endure most grievous sufferings, which likewise are here signified by the ground being cursed, and eating of it in great sorrow.

AC (Potts) n. 271

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 271

271. That "all the days of thy life" signifies the end of the days of the church, is evident from the fact that the subject here treated of is not an individual man, but the church and its state. The end of the days of that church was the time of the flood.

AC (Potts) n. 272

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 272

272. Verse 18. And the thorn and the thistle shall it bring forth unto thee, and thou shalt eat the herb of the field. By the "thorn and the thistle" are meant curse and vastation; and by "thou shalt eat the herb of the field" is signified that he should live as a wild animal. Man lives like a wild animal when his internal man is so separated from his external as to operate upon it only in a most general manner, for man is man from what he receives through his internal man from the Lord, and is a wild animal from what he derives from the external man, which, separated from the internal, is in itself no other than a wild animal, having a similar nature, desires, appetites, phantasies, and sensations, and also similar organic forms. That nevertheless he is able to reason, and, as it seems to himself, acutely, he has from the spiritual substance by which he receives the influx of life from the Lord, which is however perverted in such a man, and becomes the life of evil, which is death. Hence he is called a dead man.

AC (Potts) n. 273

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 273

273. That the "thorn and the thistle" signify curse and vastation, is evident from harvest and fruit tree denoting the opposites, which are blessings and multiplications. That the "thorn" the "thistle" the "brier" the "bramble" and the "nettle" have such a signification, is evident from the Word, as in Hosea:
Lo, they are gone away because of the vastation; Egypt shall gather them; Memphis shall bury them; their desirable things of silver, the nettle shall inherit them; the bramble shall be in their tents (Hos. 9:6).
Here "Egypt" and "Memphis" denote such as seek to understand Divine things from themselves and their own memory-knowledges. In the same Prophet:
The lofty places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed; the thorn and the thistle shall come up upon their altars (Hos. 10:8),
where the "lofty places of Aven" signify the love of self; and the "thorn and thistle on the altars" profanation. In Isaiah:
Mourning upon the paps for the fields of desire, for the fruitful vine; upon the ground of My people shall come up the briery thorn (Isa. 32:12-13).
And in Ezekiel:
There shall be no more a pricking brier unto the house of Israel, nor a painful thorn from all that are round about them (Ezek. 28:24).

AC (Potts) n. 274

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 274

274. That to "eat the herb of the field" (that is, wild food) denotes to live like a wild animal, is evident from what is said of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel:
They shall drive thee from man, and thy dwelling shall be with the beast of the field; they shall make thee to eat grass as oxen, and seven times shall pass over thee (Dan 4:25).
And in Isaiah:
Hast thou not heard how I have done it long ago, and from the days of old have I formed it; now have I brought it to pass, and it shall be to lay waste bulwarks, fenced cities, in heaps; and their inhabitants, short of hand, were dismayed and put to shame; they were made the grass of the field, and the green [olus] of the herb, the grass of the housetops, and a field parched before [coram] the standing corn (Isa. 37:26-27).
Here it is explained what is signified by the "grass of the field" the "green of the herb" the "grass on the housetops" and a "field parched;" for the subject here treated of is the time before the flood, which is meant by "long ago" and the "days of old."

AC (Potts) n. 275

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 275

275. Verse 19. In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken; for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return. By "eating bread in the sweat of the face" is signified to be averse to what is celestial; to "return to the ground from whence he was taken" is to relapse into the external man, such as he was before regeneration; and "dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return" signifies that he is condemned and infernal.

AC (Potts) n. 276

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 276

276. That to "eat bread in the sweat of the face" signifies to be averse to what is celestial, is evident from the signification of "bread." By "bread" is meant everything spiritual and celestial, which is the food of the angels, on the deprivation of which they would cease to live as certainly as men deprived of bread or food. That which is celestial and spiritual in heaven also corresponds to bread on earth, by which moreover they are represented, as is shown by many passages in the Word. That the Lord is "bread" because from Him proceeds whatever is celestial and spiritual, He Himself teaches in John:
This is the bread that cometh down from heaven; he that eateth of this bread shall live to eternity (John 6:58).
Wherefore also bread and wine are the symbols employed in the Holy Supper. This celestial is also represented by the manna. That what is celestial and spiritual constitutes the food of angels, is manifest from the Lord's words:
Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God (Matt. 4:4),
that is, from the life of the Lord, from which comes everything celestial and spiritual.
[2] The last posterity of the Most Ancient Church, which existed immediately before the flood, and is here treated of, had become so thoroughly lost and immersed in sensuous and bodily things, that they were no longer willing to hear what was the truth of faith, what the Lord was, or that He would come and save them; and when such subjects were mentioned they turned away. This aversion is described by "eating bread in the sweat of the face." So also the Jews, in consequence of their being of such a character that they did not acknowledge the existence of heavenly things, and desired only a worldly Messiah, could not help feeling an aversion for the manna, because it was a representation of the Lord, calling it "vile bread" on which account fiery serpents were sent among them (Num. 21:5, 6). Moreover the heavenly things imparted to them in states of adversity and misery, when they were in tears, were called by them the "bread of adversity" the "bread of misery" and the "bread of tears." In the passage before us, that which was received with aversion is called the "bread of the sweat of the face."

AC (Potts) n. 277

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 277

277. This is the internal sense. He who keeps close to the letter, understands no other than that man must procure bread for himself out of the ground by labor, or by the sweat of his face. "Man" however does not here mean anyone man, but the Most Ancient Church; nor does "ground" mean ground, nor "bread" bread, nor "garden" garden, but celestial and spiritual things, as has been sufficiently shown.

AC (Potts) n. 278

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 278

278. That by "returning to the ground whence he was taken" is signified that the church would return to the external man such as it was before regeneration, is evident from the fact that "ground" signifies the external man, as previously stated. And that "dust" signifies what is condemned and infernal, is also evident from what was said of the serpent, which in consequence of being cursed is said to "eat dust." In addition to what was there shown as to the signification of "dust" we may add the following passages from David:
All those who go down to the dust shall bow before Jehovah, and those whose soul He hath not made alive (Ps. 22:29). And in another place:
Thou hidest Thy faces, they are troubled; Thou takest away their breath, they expire, and return to their dust (Ps. 104:29),
which means that when men turn away from the face of the Lord, they expire or die, and thus "return to the dust" that is, are condemned and become infernal.

AC (Potts) n. 279

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 279

279. All these verses then, taken in a series, involve that the sensuous part averted itself from the celestial (verse 14); that the Lord would come into the world for the purpose of reuniting them (verse 15); that combat arose in consequence of the external man averting itself (verse 16); whence resulted misery (verse 17); condemnation (verse 18); and at length hell (verse 19). These things followed in succession in that church, from the fourth posterity down to the flood.
______________________________
20. And the man [homo] called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living.
21. And Jehovah God made for the man and for his wife coats of skin, and clothed them.
22. And Jehovah God said, Behold, the man is become as one of us, knowing good and evil; and now lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of lives, and eat, and live to eternity,
23. Therefore Jehovah God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken.
24. And He cast out the man; and He made to dwell from the east toward the garden of Eden cherubim, and the flame of a sword turning itself, to keep the way of the tree of lives.

AC (Potts) n. 280

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 280

280. THE CONTENTS.
The Most Ancient Church, and those who fell away, are here summarily treated of; thus also its posterity down to the flood, when it expired.

AC (Potts) n. 281

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 281

281. Of the Most Ancient Church which was celestial, and from the life of faith in the Lord, called "Eve" and the "mother of all living" (verse 20).

AC (Potts) n. 282

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 282

282. Of its first posterity, in which there was celestial spiritual good; and of its second and third, in which there was natural good, signified by the "coat of skin which Jehovah God made for the man and his wife" (verse 21).

AC (Potts) n. 283

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 283

283. Of the fourth posterity, in which natural good began to be dissipated, and which, had they been created anew or instructed in the celestial things of faith, would have perished, which is meant by, "Lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of lives, and eat, and live to eternity" (verse 22).

AC (Potts) n. 284

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 284

284. Of the fifth posterity, which was deprived of all good and truth, and was reduced to the state in which they had been previous to regeneration, which is meant by his being "sent forth out of the garden of Eden to till the ground from which he was taken" (verse 23).

AC (Potts) n. 285

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 285

285. Of the sixth and seventh posterities, in that they were deprived of all memory-knowledge [scientia] of what is good and true, and were left to their own filthy loves and persuasions; this being provided lest they should profane the holy things of faith, which is signified by his being "driven out, and cherubim being made to dwell at the garden, with the flame of a sword, to keep the way of the tree of lives" (verse 24).

AC (Potts) n. 286

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 286

286. THE INTERNAL SENSE.
This and the preceding chapters, down to the verses now under consideration, treat of the most ancient people and of their regeneration; first, of those who lived like wild animals, but at length became spiritual men; then of those who became celestial men, and constituted the Most Ancient Church; afterwards of those who fell away, and their descendants, in regular order through the first, second, and third posterities and their successors, down to the flood. In the verses following, which conclude the chapter, we have a recapitulation of what occurred from the period when the man of the Most Ancient Church was formed, until the flood; thus it is a conclusion to all that goes before.

AC (Potts) n. 287

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 287

287. Verse 20. And the man called his wife's name Eve, because she was the mother of all living. By the "man" [homo] is here meant the man of the Most Ancient Church, or the celestial man, and by the "wife" and the "mother of all living" is meant the church. She is called "mother" as being the first church; and "living" in consequence of possessing faith in the Lord, who is life itself.

AC (Potts) n. 288

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 288

288. That by "man" is meant the man of the Most Ancient Church, or the celestial man, was previously shown; and at the same time it was also shown that the Lord alone is Man, and that from Him every celestial man is man, because in His likeness. Hence every member of the church, without exception or distinction, was called a "man" and at length this name was applied to anyone who in body appeared as a man, to distinguish him from beasts.

AC (Potts) n. 289

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 289

289. It has also been shown above that by "wife" is meant the church, and in the universal sense the kingdom of the Lord in the heavens and on earth; and from this it follows that the same is meant by "mother." In the Word the church is very frequently called "mother" as in Isaiah:
Where is the bill of your mother's divorcement ? (Isa. 50:1).
In Jeremiah:
Your mother is greatly ashamed: she that bare you was suffused with shame (Jer. 50: 12).
In Ezekiel:
Thou art thy mother's daughter that loathed her man and her sons; your mother was a Hittite, and your father an Amorite (Ezek. 16:45),
where "man [vir]" denotes the Lord and all that is celestial; "sons" the truths of faith; a "Hittite" what is false: and an "Amorite" what is evil. In the same:
Thy mother is like a vine in thy likeness, planted near the waters; she was fruitful and full of leaves because of many waters (Ezek. 19:10).
Here "mother" denotes the Ancient Church. The term "mother" is more especially applicable to the Most Ancient Church, because it was the first church, and the only one that was celestial, and therefore beloved by the Lord more than any other.

AC (Potts) n. 290

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 290

290. That she was called the "mother of all living" in consequence of possessing faith in the Lord, who is Life itself, is also evident from what has been already shown. There cannot be more than one Life, from which is the life of all, and there can be no life, which is life, except through faith in the Lord, who is the Life; nor can there be faith in which is life, except from Him, consequently unless He is in it. On this account, in the Word, the Lord alone is called "Living" and is named the "Living Jehovah" (Jer. 5:2; 12:16; 16:14, 15; 23:7; Ezek. 5:11); "He that liveth to eternity" (Dan. 4:34 Rev. 4:10; 5:14; 10:6); the "Fountain of Life" (Ps. 36:9); the "Fountain of living waters" (Jer. 17:13). Heaven (which lives by or from Him) is called the "Land of the living" (Isa. 38:11; 53:8; Ezek. 26:20; 32:23-27, 32; Ps. 27:13; 52:5; 142:5). And those are called "Living" who are in faith in the Lord; as in David:
Who putteth our soul among the living (Ps. 66:9).
And those who possess faith are said to be "in the Book of lives" (Ps. 69:28), and "in the book of life" (Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 20:15). Wherefore also those who receive faith in Him are said to be "made alive" (Hos. 6:2; Ps. 85:6). On the other hand it follows that those who are not in faith are called "dead;" as in Isaiah:
The dead shall not live; the Rephaim shall not rise again, because Thou hast visited and destroyed them (Isa. 26:14),
meaning those who are puffed up with the love of self; to "rise again" signifies to enter into life. They are also said to be "pierced" (Ezek. 32:23-26, 28-31). They are also called "dead" by the Lord (Matt. 4:16; John 5:25; 8:21, 24, 51, 52). Hell also is called "death" (Isa. 25:8; 28:15).

AC (Potts) n. 291

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 291

291. In this verse is described the first time, when the church was in the flower of her youth, representing the heavenly marriage, on which account she is described by a marriage, and is called "Eve" from a word meaning "life."

AC (Potts) n. 292

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 292

292. Verse 21. And Jehovah God made for the man [homo] and for his wife coats of skin, and clothed them. These words signify that the Lord instructed them in spiritual and natural good; His instructing them is expressed by "making" and "clothing" and spiritual and natural good, by the "coat of skin."

AC (Potts) n. 293

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 293

293. It could never appear from the letter that these things are signified; and yet there is evidently here enfolded some deeper meaning, for everyone must be aware that Jehovah God did not make a coat of skin for them.

AC (Potts) n. 294

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 294

294. Neither would it be evident to anyone that a "coat of skin" signifies spiritual and natural good, except by a revelation of the internal sense, and a subsequent comparison of passages in the Word where similar expressions occur. The general term "skin" is here used, but that of a kid, sheep, or ram, is understood, which animals in the Word signify affections of good, charity, and that which is of charity, as was likewise signified by the sheep used in the sacrifices. Those are called "sheep" who are endowed with the good of charity, that is, with spiritual and natural good, and hence the Lord is called the "Shepherd of the sheep" and those who are endowed with charity are called His "sheep" as everybody knows.

AC (Potts) n. 295

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 295

295. The reason why they are said to be "clothed with a coat of skin" is that the most ancient people were said to be "naked" on account of their innocence; but when they lost their innocence they became conscious that they were in evil, which also is called "nakedness." That all things might appear to cohere historically (in accordance with the way of speaking of the most ancient people), they are here said to be "clothed lest they should be naked" or in evil. Their being in spiritual and natural good is evident from what was remarked above concerning them, from verse 1 to 13 of this chapter, as well as from its being here related that "Jehovah God made them a coat of skin, and clothed them;" for it here treats of the first-and more especially of the second and third-posterities of the church, who were endowed with such good.

AC (Potts) n. 296

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 296

296. That the skins of kids, sheep, goats, badgers, and rams signify spiritual and natural goods, is evident from the internal sense of the word, where Jacob is treated of, and also where the ark is treated of. Of Jacob it is said that he was "clothed with the raiment of Esau" and on his hands and on his neck, where he was naked, "with skins of kids of the goats" and when Isaac smelled them, he said, "the smell of my son is as the smell of a field" (Gen. 27:15, 16, 27). That these skins signify spiritual and natural goods, will of the Lord's Divine mercy be seen in that place. Of the ark it is said that the covering of the tent was "of rams' skins and badgers' skins" (Exod. 26:14; 36:19), and that when they set forward Aaron and his sons covered the ark with a covering "of badgers' skins" and likewise the table and its vessels, the candlestick and its vessels, the altar of gold, and the vessels of ministry and of the altar (Num. 4:6-14). Of the Lord's Divine mercy it will in that place also be seen that these skins signify spiritual and natural good, for whatever was in the ark, the tabernacle, or the tent, yea, whatever was upon Aaron when clothed with the garments of holiness, signified what is celestial spiritual, so that there was not the least thing that had not its own representation.

AC (Potts) n. 297

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 297

297. Celestial good is not clothed, because it is inmost, and is innocent; but celestial spiritual good is that which is first clothed, and then natural good, for these are more external, and on that account are compared to and are called "garments;" as in Ezekiel, speaking of the Ancient Church:
I clothed thee with broidered work, and shod thee with badger, I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk (Ezek. 16:10).
In Isaiah:
Put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the city of holiness (Isa. 52:1).
In Revelation:
Who have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with me in white, for they are worthy (Rev. 3:4-5),
where it is likewise said of the four and twenty elders that they were "clothed in white raiment" (4:4). Thus the more external goods, which are celestial spiritual, and natural, are "garments;" wherefore also those who are endowed with the goods of charity appear in heaven clothed in shining garments; but here, because still in the body, with a "coat of skin."

AC (Potts) n. 298

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 298

298. Verse 22. And Jehovah God said, Behold the man is become as one of us, knowing good and evil; and now lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of lives, and eat, and live to eternity. The reason "Jehovah God" is first mentioned in the singular, and afterwards in the plural number, is that by "Jehovah God" is meant the Lord, and at the same time the angelic heaven. The man's "knowing good and evil" signifies that he had become celestial, and thus wise and intelligent; "lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of lives" means that he must not be instructed in the mysteries of faith, for then never to all eternity could he be saved, which is to "live to eternity."

AC (Potts) n. 299

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 299

299. Here are two arcana: first, that "Jehovah God" signifies the Lord, and at the same time heaven; secondly, that had they been instructed in the mysteries of faith they would have perished eternally.

AC (Potts) n. 300

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 300

300. As regards the first arcanum-that by "Jehovah God" is meant the Lord and at the same time heaven-it is to be observed that in the Word, always for a secret reason, the Lord is sometimes called merely "Jehovah" sometimes "Jehovah God" sometimes "Jehovah" and then "God" sometimes the "Lord Jehovih" sometimes the "God of Israel" and sometimes "God" only. Thus in the first chapter of Genesis, where it is also said, in the plural, "Let us make man in our image" He is called "God" only, and He is not called "Jehovah God" until the following chapter, where the celestial man is treated of. He is called "Jehovah" because He alone is or lives, thus from Essence; and "God" because He can do all things, thus from Power; as is evident from the Word, where this distinction is made (Isa. 49:4, 5; 55:7; Ps. 18:2, 28, 29, 31; 31:14). On this account every angel or spirit who spoke with man, and who was supposed to possess any power, was called "God" as appears from David:
God hath stood in the congregation of God, He will judge in the midst of the gods (Ps. 82:1);
and in another place:
Who in the sky shall be compared unto Jehovah? who among the sons of the gods shall be likened to Jehovah? (Ps. 89:6).
Again:
Confess ye to the God of gods, confess ye to the Lord of lords (Ps. 136:2-3).
Men also as being possessed of power are called "gods" as in Ps. 82:6; John 10:34, 35. Moses also is said to be "a god to Pharaoh" (Exod. 7:1). For this reason the word "God" in the Hebrew is in the plural number-"Elohim." But as the angels do not possess the least power of themselves, as indeed they acknowledge, but solely from the Lord, and as there is but one God, therefore by "Jehovah God" in the Word is meant the Lord alone. But where anything is effected by the ministry of angels, as in the first chapter of Genesis, He is spoken of in the plural number. Here also because the celestial man, as man, could not be put in comparison with the Lord, but with the angels only, it is said, the man "is become as one of us, knowing good and evil" that is, is wise and intelligent.

AC (Potts) n. 301

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 301

301. The other arcanum is that had they been instructed in the mysteries of faith they would have perished eternally, which is signified by the words, "now lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of lives, and eat, and live to eternity." The case is this: When men have become inverted orders of life, and are unwilling to live, or to become wise, except from themselves and from their Own, they reason about everything they hear respecting faith, as to whether it is so, or not; and as they do this from themselves and from their own things of sense and of memory-knowledge, it must needs lead to denial, and consequently to blasphemy and profanation, so that at length they do not scruple to mix up profane things with holy. When a man becomes like this, he is so condemned in the other life that there remains for him no hope of salvation. For things mixed up by profanation remain so mixed up, so that whenever any idea of something holy presents itself, an idea of something profane that is conjoined with it is also there, the consequence of which is that the person cannot be in any society except one of the damned. Whatever is present in any idea of thought in consequence of being conjoined with it, is most exquisitely perceived in the other life, even by spirits in the world of spirits, and much more so by angelic spirits, so exquisitely indeed that from a single idea they know a person's character. The separation of profane and holy ideas when thus conjoined cannot be effected except by means of such infernal torment that if a man were aware of it he would as carefully avoid profanation as he would avoid hell itself.

AC (Potts) n. 302

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 302

302. This is the reason why the mysteries of faith were never revealed to the Jews. They were not even plainly told that they were to live after death, nor that the Lord would come into the world to save them. So great were the ignorance and stupidity in which they were kept, and still are kept, that they did not and do not know of the existence of the internal man, or of anything internal, for if they had known of it, or if they now knew of it, so as to acknowledge it, such is their character that they would profane it, and there would be no hope of any salvation for them in the other life. This is what is meant by the Lord in John:
He hath blinded their eyes, and stopped up their heart, that they should not see with their eyes, nor understand with their heart, and convert themselves, and I should heal them (John 12:40).
And by the Lord speaking to them in parables without explaining to them their meaning, lest (as He Himself says),
Seeing they should see, and hearing they should hear, and should understand (Matt. 13:13).
For the same reason all the mysteries of faith were hidden from them, and were concealed under the representatives of their church, and for the same reason the prophetic style is of the same character. It is however one thing to know, and another to acknowledge. He who knows and does not acknowledge, is as if he knew not; but it is he who acknowledges and afterwards blasphemes and profanes, that is meant by these words of the Lord.

AC (Potts) n. 303

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 303

303. A man acquires a life by all the things he is persuaded of, that is, which he acknowledges and believes. That of which he is not persuaded, or does not acknowledge and believe, does not affect his mind. And therefore no one can profane holy things unless he has been so persuaded of them that he acknowledges them, and yet denies them. Those who do not acknowledge may know, but are as if they did not know, and are like those who know things that have no existence. Such were the Jews about the time of the Lord's advent, and therefore they are said in the Word to be "vastated" or "laid waste" that is, to have no longer any faith. Under these circumstances it does men no injury to have the interior contents of the Word opened to them, for they are as persons seeing, and yet not seeing; hearing, and yet not hearing; whose hearts are stopped up; of whom the Lord says in Isaiah:
Go and tell this people, Hearing hear ye, but understand not, and seeing see ye, but know not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and smear their eyes, lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, so that they be healed (Isa. 6:9-10).
That the mysteries of faith are not revealed until men are in such a state, that is, are so vastated that they no longer believe (in order, as before said, that they may not be able to profane them), the Lord also plainly declares in the subsequent verses of the same Prophet:
Then said I, Lord, how long? And He said, Even until the cities are desolated, so that there be no inhabitant; and the houses, so that there be no man, and the ground be utterly desolated, and Jehovah have removed man (Isa. 6:12).
He is called a "man" who is wise, or who acknowledges and believes. The Jews were thus vastated, as already said, at the time of the Lord's advent; and for the same reason they are still kept in such vastation by their cupidities, and especially by their avarice, that although they hear of the Lord a thousand times, and that the representatives of their church are significative of Him in every particular, yet they acknowledge and believe nothing. This then was the reason why the antediluvians were cast out of the garden of Eden, and vastated even until they were no longer capable of acknowledging any truth.

AC (Potts) n. 304

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 304

304. From all this it is evident what is meant by the words, "lest he put forth his hand, and take also of the tree of lives, and eat, and live to eternity." To "take of the tree of lives and eat" is to know even so as to acknowledge whatever is of love and faith; for "lives" in the plural denote love and faith, and to "eat" signifies here as before, to know. To "live to eternity" is not to live in the body to eternity, but to live after death in eternal damnation. A man who is "dead" is not so called because he is to die after the life of the body, but because he will live a life of death, for "death" is damnation and hell. The expression to "live" is used with a similar signification by Ezekiel:
Ye hunt souls for My people, and save souls alive for yourselves, and ye have profaned Me among My people, to slay souls that will not die, and to make souls live that will not live (Ezek. 13:18-19).

AC (Potts) n. 305

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 305

305. Verse 23. Therefore Jehovah God sent him forth from the garden of Eden, to till the ground from which he was taken. To be "cast out of the garden of Eden" is to be deprived of all intelligence and wisdom; and to "till the ground from which he was taken" is to become corporeal, as he was previous to regeneration.
That to be "cast out of the garden of Eden" is to be deprived of all intelligence and wisdom, is evident from the signification of a "garden" and of "Eden" as above; for a "garden" signifies intelligence, or the understanding of truth; and "Eden" being significative of love, signifies wisdom, or the will of good.
That to "till the ground from which he was taken" signifies to become corporeal, such as he was before regeneration, has been shown above (verse 19), where similar words occur.

AC (Potts) n. 306

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 306

306. Verse 24. And He cast out the man; and He made to dwell from the east toward the garden of Eden cherubim, and the flame of a sword turning itself to keep the way of the tree of lives. To "cast out the man" is to entirely deprive him of all the will of good and understanding of truth, insomuch that he is separated from them, and is no longer man. To "make cherubim from the east to dwell" is to provide against his entering into any secret thing of faith; for the "east toward the garden of Eden" is the celestial, from which is intelligence; and by "cherubim" is signified the providence of the Lord in preventing such a man from entering into the things of faith. By the "flame of a sword turning itself" is signified self-love [amor proprius] with its insane desires and consequent persuasions, which are such that he indeed wishes to enter, but is carried away to corporeal and earthly things, and this for the purpose of "keeping the way of the tree of lives" that is, of preventing the profanation of holy things.

AC (Potts) n. 307

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 307

307. It here treats of the sixth and seventh posterities, which perished by the flood, and were altogether "cast out of the garden of Eden" that is, from all understanding of truth, and became as it were not men, being left to their insane cupidities and persuasions.

AC (Potts) n. 308

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 308

308. As the signification of the "east" and of the "garden of Eden" were given above, it is needless to dwell longer on them; but that "cherubim" denote the providence of the Lord lest man should insanely enter into the mysteries of faith from his Own, and from what is of the senses and of memory-knowledge [sensuali et scientifico], and should thus profane them, and destroy himself, is evident from all the passages in the Word where mention is made of "cherubim." As the Jews were of such a quality that if they had possessed any clear knowledge concerning the Lord's coming, concerning the representatives or types of the church as being significative of Him, concerning the life after death, concerning the interior man and the internal sense of the Word, they would have profaned it, and would have perished eternally; therefore this was represented by the "cherubim" on the mercy-seat over the ark, upon the curtains of the tabernacle, upon the veil, and also in the temple; and it was signified that the Lord had them in keeping (Exod. 25:18-21; 26:1, 31; 1 Kings 6:23-29, 32). For the ark, in which was the testimony, signified the same as the tree of lives in this passage, namely, the Lord and the celestial things which belong solely to Him. Hence also the Lord is so often called the "God of Israel sitting on the cherubim" and hence He spake with Moses and Aaron "between the cherubim" (Exod. 25:22; Num. 7:89).
This is plainly described in Ezekiel, where it is said:
The glory of the God of Israel was uplifted from upon the cherub whereon He was, to the threshold of the house. And He called to the man clothed with linen, and said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men who groan and sigh for all the abominations done in the midst thereof. And to the others He said, Go ye after him through the city, and smite; let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity; slay to blotting out the old man, and the young man, and the virgin, the infant, and the women; defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain (Ezek. 9:3-7).
And again:
He said to the man clothed in linen, Go in between the wheel to beneath the cherub, and fill thy palms with coals of fire from between the cherubim, and scatter them over the city; the cherub put forth his hand from between the cherubim unto the fire which was between the cherubim, and took thereof, and put it into the palms of him that was clothed in linen, who took it and went out (Ezek. 10:2, 7).
From these passages it is evident that the providence of the Lord in preventing men from entering into the mysteries of faith is signified by the "cherubim;" and that therefore they were left to their insane cupidities, here also signified by the "fire that was to be scattered over the city" and that "none should be spared."

AC (Potts) n. 309

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 309

309. That by the "flame of a sword turning itself" is signified self-love [amor proprius] with its insane cupidities and persuasions, which are such that they desire to enter [into the mysteries of faith], but are carried away to corporeal and earthly things, might be confirmed by so many passages from the Word as would fill pages; but we will cite only these from Ezekiel:
Prophesy and say, Thus saith Jehovah, Say a sword, a sword, it is sharpened, and also burnished to make a sore slaughter; it is sharpened that it may be as lightning. Let the sword be doubled the third time, the sword of his slain; the sword of a great slaughter, which entereth into their bed-chambers, that their heart may melt, and their offenses be multiplied, I have set the terror of the sword in all their gates. Alas! it is made as lightning (Ezek. 21:9, 10, 14, 15).
A "sword" here signifies the desolation of man such that he sees nothing that is good and true, but mere falsities and things contrary, denoted by "multiplying offenses." It is also said in Nahum, of those who desire to enter into the mysteries of faith, "The horseman mounting, and the flame of the sword, and the flash of the spear, and a multitude of the slain" (Nah. 3:3).

AC (Potts) n. 310

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 310

310. Each particular expression in this verse involves so many arcana of deepest import (applicable to the genius of this people who perished by the flood, a genius totally different from that of those who lived subsequent to the flood), that it is impossible to set them forth. We will briefly observe that their first parents, who constituted the Most Ancient Church, were celestial men, and consequently had celestial seeds implanted in them; whence their descendants had seed in them from a celestial origin. Seed from a celestial origin is such that love rules the whole mind and makes it a one. For the human mind consists of two parts, the will and the understanding. Love or good belongs to the will, faith or truth to the understanding; and from love or good those most ancient people perceived what belongs to faith or truth, so that their mind was a one. With the posterity of such a race, seed of the same celestial origin necessarily remains, so that any falling away from truth and good on their part is most perilous, since their whole mind becomes so perverted as to render a restoration in the other life scarcely possible. It is otherwise with those who do not possess celestial but only spiritual seed, as did the people after the flood, and as also do the people of the present day. There is no love in these, consequently no will of good, but still there is a capability of faith, or understanding of truth, by means of which they can be brought to some degree of charity, although by a different way, namely, by the insinuation of conscience from the Lord grounded in the knowledges of truth and the derivative good. Their state is therefore quite different from that of the antediluvians, concerning which state, of the Lord's Divine mercy hereafter. These are arcana with which the present generation are utterly unacquainted, for at the present day none know what the celestial man is nor even what the spiritual man is, and still less what is the quality of the human mind and life thence resulting, and the consequent state after death.

AC (Potts) n. 311

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 311

311. In the other life, the state of those who perished by the flood is such that they cannot be in the world of spirits, or with other spirits, but are in a hell separated from the hells of others, and as it were under a certain mountain. This appears as an intervening mountain in consequence of their direful phantasies and persuasions. Their phantasies and persuasions are such as to produce so profound a stupor in other spirits that they do not know whether they are alive or dead, for they deprive them of all understanding of truth, so that they perceive nothing. Such also was their persuasive power during their abode in the world; and because it was foreseen that in the other life they would be incapable of associating with other spirits without inducing on them a kind of death, they all became extinct, and the Lord of His Divine mercy induced other states on those who lived after the flood.

AC (Potts) n. 312

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 312

312. In this verse, the state of these antediluvians is fully described, in that they were "cast out" or separated from celestial good, and in that "cherubim were placed from the east toward the garden of Eden." This expression, "from the east toward the garden of Eden" is applicable only to them, and could not be used in relation to those who lived afterwards, of whom it would have been said, "from the garden of Eden toward the east." In like manner, had the words "the flame of a sword turning itself" been applied to the people of the present day, they would have been "the sword of a flame turning itself." Nor would it have been said the "tree of lives" but the "tree of life;" not to mention other things in the series that cannot possibly be explained, being understood only by the angels, to whom the Lord reveals them; for every state contains infinite arcana, not even one of which is known to men.

AC (Potts) n. 313

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 313

313. From what is here said of the first man, it is evident that all the hereditary evil existing at the present day did not come from him, as is falsely supposed. For it is the Most Ancient Church that is here treated of under the name of "man;" and when it is called "Adam" it signifies that man was from the ground, or that from being non-man he became man by regeneration from the Lord. This is the origin and signification of the name. But as to hereditary evil, the case is this. Everyone who commits actual sin thereby induces on himself a nature, and the evil from it is implanted in his children, and becomes hereditary. It thus descends from every parent, from the father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and their ancestors in succession, and is thus multiplied and augmented in each descending posterity, remaining with each person, and being increased in each by his actual sins, and never being dissipated so as to become harmless except in those who are being regenerated by the Lord. Every attentive observer may see evidence of this truth in the fact that the evil inclinations of parents remain visibly in their children, so that one family, and even an entire race, may be thereby distinguished from every other.

AC (Potts) n. 314

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 314

314. CONTINUATION CONCERNING MAN'S ENTRANCE INTO ETERNAL LIFE.
After the use of light has been given to the resuscitated person, or soul, so that he can look about him, the spiritual angels previously spoken of render him all the kindly services he can in that state desire, and give him information about the things of the other life, but only so far as he is able to receive it. If he has been in faith, and desires it, they show him the wonderful and magnificent things of heaven.

AC (Potts) n. 315

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 315

315. But if the resuscitated person or soul is not of such a character as to be willing to be instructed, he then desires to be rid of the company of the angels, which they exquisitely perceive, for in the other life there is a communication of all the ideas of thought. Still, they do not leave him even then, but he dissociates himself from them. The angels love everyone, and desire nothing more than to render him kindly services, to instruct him, and to convey him to heaven. In this consists their highest delight.

AC (Potts) n. 316

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 316

316. When the soul thus dissociates himself, he is received by good spirits, who likewise render him all kind offices while he is in their company. If however his life in the world has been such that he cannot remain in the company of the good, he desires to be rid of these also, and this process is repeated again and again, until he associates himself with those who are in full agreement with his former life in the world, among whom he finds as it were his own life. And then, wonderful to say, he leads with them a life like that which he had lived when in the body. But after sinking back into such a life, he makes a new beginning of life; and some after a longer time, some after a shorter, are from this borne on toward hell; but such as have been in faith toward the Lord, are from that new beginning of life led step by step toward heaven.

AC (Potts) n. 317

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 317

317. Some however advance more slowly toward heaven, and others more quickly. I have seen some who were elevated to heaven immediately after death, of which I am permitted to mention only two instances.

AC (Potts) n. 318

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 318

318. A certain spirit came and discoursed with me, who, as was evident from certain signs, had only lately died. At first he knew not where he was, supposing himself still to be in the world; but when he became conscious that he was in the other life, and that he no longer possessed anything, such as house, wealth, and the like, being in another kingdom, where he was deprived of all he had possessed in the world, he was seized with anxiety, and knew not where to betake himself, or whither to go for a place of abode. He was then informed that the Lord alone provides for him and for all; and was left to himself, that his thoughts might take their wonted direction, as in the world. He now considered (for in the other life the thoughts of all may be plainly perceived) what he must do, being deprived of all means of subsistence; and while in this state of anxiety he was brought into association with some celestial spirits who belonged to the province of the heart, and who showed him every attention that he could desire. This being done, he was again left to himself, and began to think, from charity, how he might repay kindness so great, from which it was evident that while he had lived in the body he had been in the charity of faith, and he was therefore at once taken up into heaven.

AC (Potts) n. 319

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 319

319. I saw another also who was immediately translated into heaven by the angels, and was accepted by the Lord and shown the glory of heaven; not to mention much other experience respecting others who were conveyed to heaven after some lapse of time.

AC (Potts) n. 320

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 320

320. CHAPTER 4
ON THE NATURE OF THE LIFE OF THE SOUL OR SPIRIT.
With regard to the general subject of the life of souls, that is, of novitiate spirits, after death, I may state that much experience has shown that when a man comes into the other life he is not aware that he is in that life, but supposes that he is still in this world, and even that he is still in the body. So much is this the case that when told he is a spirit, wonder and amazement possess him, both because he finds himself exactly like a man, in his senses, desires, and thoughts, and because during his life in this world he had not believed in the existence of the spirit, or, as is the case with some, that the spirit could be what he now finds it to be.

AC (Potts) n. 321

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 321

321. A second general fact is that a spirit enjoys much more excellent sensitive faculties, and far superior powers of thinking and speaking, than when living in the body, so that the two states scarcely admit of comparison, although spirits are not aware of this until gifted with reflection by the Lord.

AC (Potts) n. 322

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 322

322. Beware of the false notion that spirits do not possess far more exquisite sensations than during the life of the body. I know the contrary by experience repeated thousands of times. Should any be unwilling to believe this, in consequence of their preconceived ideas concerning the nature of spirit, let them learn it by their own experience when they come into the other life, where it will compel them to believe. In the first place spirits have sight, for they live in the light, and good spirits, angelic spirits, and angels, in a light so great that the noonday light of this world can hardly be compared to it. The light in which they dwell, and by which they see, will of the Lord's Divine mercy be described hereafter. Spirits also have hearing, hearing so exquisite that the hearing of the body cannot be compared to it. For years they have spoken to me almost continually, but their speech also will of the Lord's Divine mercy be described hereafter. They have also the sense of smell, which also will of the Lord's Divine mercy be treated of hereafter. They have a most exquisite sense of touch, whence come the pains and torments endured in hell; for all sensations have relation to the touch, of which they are merely diversities and varieties. They have desires and affections to which those they had in the body cannot be compared, concerning which of the Lord's Divine mercy more will be said hereafter. Spirits think with much more clearness and distinctness than they had thought during their life in the body.
There are more things contained within a single idea of their thought than in a thousand of the ideas they had possessed in this world. They speak together with so much acuteness, subtlety, sagacity, and distinctness, that if a man could perceive anything of it, it would excite his astonishment. In short, they possess everything that men possess, but in a more perfect manner, except the flesh and bones and the attendant imperfections. They acknowledge and perceive that even while they lived in the body it was the spirit that sensated, and that although the faculty of sensation manifested itself in the body, still it was not of the body; and therefore that when the body is cast aside, the sensations are far more exquisite and perfect. Life consists in the exercise of sensation, for without it there is no life, and such as is the faculty of sensation, such is the life, a fact that anyone may observe.

AC (Potts) n. 323

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 323

323. At the end of the chapter, several examples will be given of those who during their abode in this world had thought otherwise.

CHAPTER 4
1. And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man [vir], Jehovah.
2. And she added to bear his brother Abel; and Abel was a shepherd of the flock, and Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3. And at the end of days it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to Jehovah.
4. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof. And Jehovah looked to Abel, and to his offering:
5. And unto Cain and unto his offering He looked not, and Cain's anger was kindled exceedingly, and his faces fell.
6. And Jehovah said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why are thy faces fallen?
7. If thou doest well, art thou not exalted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door; and to thee is his desire, and thou rulest over him.
8. And Cain talked to Abel his brother; and it came to pass when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.
9. And Jehovah said to Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not, am I my brother's keeper?
10. And He said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's bloods crieth to Me from the ground.
11. And now art thou cursed from the ground, which hath opened its mouth to receive thy brother's bloods from thy hand.
12. When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength; a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth.
13. And Cain said unto Jehovah, Mine iniquity is greater than can be taken away.
14. Behold, Thou hast cast me out this day from the faces of the ground; and from Thy faces shall I be hid, and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth; and it shall come to pass that everyone that findeth me shall slay me.
15. And Jehovah said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And Jehovah set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should smite him.
16. And Cain went out from the faces of Jehovah, and dwelt in the land of Nod, toward the east of Eden.
17. And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bare Enoch; and he was building a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch.
18. And unto Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begat Mehujael; and Mehujael begat Methusael; and Methusael begat Lamech.
19. And Lamech took unto him two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah.
20. And Adah bare Jabal; he was the father of the dweller in tents, and of cattle.
21. And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of everyone that playeth upon the harp and organ.
22. And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron; and the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah.
23. And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, and with your ears perceive my speech, for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a little one to my hurt.
24. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold.
25. And the man knew his wife again, and she bare a son, and called his name Seth; for God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel; for Cain slew him.
26. And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enosh: then began they to call upon the name of Jehovah.

AC (Potts) n. 324

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 324

324. THE CONTENTS
Doctrines separated from the church, or heresies, are here treated of; and a new church that was afterwards raised up, called "Enosh."

AC (Potts) n. 325

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 325

325. The Most Ancient Church had faith in the Lord through love; but there arose some who separated faith from love. The doctrine of faith separated from love was called "Cain;" and charity, which is love toward the neighbor, was called "Abel" (verses 1, 2).

AC (Potts) n. 326

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 326

326. The worship of each is described, that of faith separated from love, by the "offering of Cain;" and that of charity, by the "offering of Abel" (verses 3, 4). That worship from charity was acceptable, but not worship from separated faith (verses 4, 5).

AC (Potts) n. 327

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 327

327. That the state of those who were of separated faith became evil, is described by Cain's "anger being kindled, and his countenance falling" (verses 5, 6).

AC (Potts) n. 328

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 328

328. And that the quality of the faith is known from the charity; and that charity wishes to be with faith, if faith is not made the principal, and is not exalted above charity (verse 7).

AC (Potts) n. 329

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 329

329. That charity was extinguished in those who separated faith, and set it before charity, is described by "Cain slaying his brother Abel" (verses 8, 9).

AC (Potts) n. 330

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 330

330. Charity extinguished is called the "voice of bloods" (verse 10); perverted doctrine, the "curse from the ground" (verse 11); the falsity and evil originating thence, the "fugitive and wanderer in the earth" (verse 12). And as they had averted themselves from the Lord, they were in danger of eternal death (verses 13, 14). But as it was through faith that charity would afterwards be implanted, faith was made inviolable, and this is signified by the "mark set upon Cain" (verse 15). And its removal from its former position is denoted by "Cain dwelling toward the east of Eden" (verse 16).

AC (Potts) n. 331

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 331

331. The amplification of this heresy is called "Enoch" (verse 17).

AC (Potts) n. 332

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 332

332. The heresies that sprang from this one are also called by their names, in the last of which, called Lamech, there was nothing of faith remaining (verse 18).

AC (Potts) n. 333

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 333

333. A new church then arose, which is meant by "Adah and Zillah" and is described by their sons "Jabal" Jubal" and "Tubal-Cain;" the celestial things of the church by "Jabal" the spiritual by "Jubal" and the natural by "Tubal-Cain" (verses 19-22).

AC (Potts) n. 334

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 334

334. That this church arose when everything of faith and charity was extinguished, and had violence done to it, which was in the highest degree sacrilegious, is described (verses 23, 24).

AC (Potts) n. 335

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 335

335. A summary of the subject is given: that after faith, signified by "Cain" had extinguished charity, a new faith was given by the Lord, whereby charity was implanted. This faith is called "Seth" (verse 25).

AC (Potts) n. 336

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 336

336. The charity implanted by faith is called "Enosh" or another "man" [homo], which is the name of that church (verse 26).

AC (Potts) n. 337

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 337

337. THE INTERNAL SENSE
As this chapter treats of the degeneration of the Most Ancient Church, or the falsification of its doctrine, and consequently of its heresies and sects, under the names of Cain and his descendants, it is to be observed that there is no possibility of understanding how doctrine was falsified, or what was the nature of the heresies and sects of that church, unless the nature of the true church be rightly understood. Enough has been said above concerning the Most Ancient Church, showing that it was a celestial man, and that it acknowledged no other faith than that which was of love to the Lord and toward the neighbor. Through this love they had faith from the Lord, or a perception of all the things that belonged to faith, and for this reason they were unwilling to mention faith, lest it should be separated from love, as was shown above (n. 200, 203).
[2] Such is the celestial man, and such he is described by representatives in David, where the Lord is spoken of as the king, and the celestial man as the king's son:
Give the king Thy judgments, and Thy righteousness to the king's son. The mountains shall bring peace to the people, and the hills in righteousness. They shall fear Thee with the sun, and toward the faces of the moon, generation of generations. In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace, until there be no moon (Ps. 72:1, 3, 5, 7).
By the "sun" is signified love; by the "moon" faith; by "mountains" and "hills" the Most Ancient Church; by "generation of generations" the churches after the flood; "until there be no moon" is said because faith shall be love. (See also what is said in Isaiah 30:26.)
[3] Such was the Most Ancient Church, and such was its doctrine. But the case is far different at this day, for now faith takes precedence over charity, but still through faith charity is given by the Lord, and then charity becomes the principal. It follows from this that in the most ancient time doctrine was falsified when they made confession of faith, and thus separated it from love. Those who falsified doctrine in this way, or separated faith from love, or made confession of faith alone, were then called "Cain;" and such a thing was then regarded as an enormity.

AC (Potts) n. 338

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 338

338. Verse 1. And the man knew Eve his wife, and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man [vir], Jehovah. By the "man and Eve his wife" is signified the Most Ancient Church, as has been made known; its first offspring, or firstborn, is faith, which is here called "Cain;" her saying "I have gotten a man, Jehovah" signifies that with those called "Cain" faith was recognized and acknowledged as a thing by itself.

AC (Potts) n. 339

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 339

339. In the three foregoing chapters it has been sufficiently shown that by the "man and his wife" is signified the Most Ancient Church, so that it cannot be doubted, and this being admitted, it is evident that the conception and the birth effected by that church were of the nature we have indicated. It was customary with the most ancient people to give names, and by names to signify things, and thus frame a genealogy. For the things of the church are related to each other in this way, one being conceived and born of another, as in generation. Hence it is common in the Word to call things of the church "conceptions" "births" "offspring" "infants" "little ones" "sons" "daughters" "young men" and so on. The prophetical parts of the Word abound in such expressions.

AC (Potts) n. 340

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 340

340. That the words "I have gotten a man, Jehovah" signify that with such as are called "Cain" faith is recognized and acknowledged as a thing by itself, is evident from what was said at the beginning of this chapter. Previously, they had been as it were ignorant of what faith is, because they had a perception of all the things of faith. But when they began to make a distinct doctrine of faith, they took the things they had a perception of and reduced them into doctrine, calling it "I have gotten a man, Jehovah" as if they had found out something new; and thus what was before inscribed on the heart became a mere matter of knowing. In ancient times they gave every new thing a name, and in this way set forth the things involved in the names. Thus the signification of the name Ishmael is explained by the saying, "Jehovah hath heard her affliction" (Gen. 16:11); that of Reuben, by the expression, "Jehovah hath looked upon my affliction" (Gen. 29:32); the name Simeon, by the saying, "Jehovah hath heard that I was less dear" (Gen. 29:33); and that of Judah by, "This time will I praise Jehovah" (Gen. 29:35); and an altar built by Moses was called, "Jehovah my banner" (Exod. 17:15). In like manner the doctrine of faith is here denominated "I have gotten a man, Jehovah" or "Cain."

AC (Potts) n. 341

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 341

341. Verse 2. And she added to bear his brother Abel; and Abel was a shepherd of the flock, and Cain was a tiller of the ground. The second offspring of the church is charity, signified by "Abel" and "brother;" a "shepherd of the flock" denotes one who exercises the good of charity; and a "tiller of the ground" is one who is devoid of charity, however much he may be in faith separated from love, which is no faith.

AC (Potts) n. 342

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 342

342. That the second offspring of the church is charity, is evident from the fact that the church conceives and brings forth nothing else than faith and charity. The same is signified by the first children of Leah from Jacob; "Reuben" denoting faith; "Simeon" faith in act; and "Levi" charity (Gen. 29:32, 33, 34), wherefore also the tribe of Levi received the priesthood, and represented the "shepherd of the flock." As charity is the second offspring of the church, it is called "brother" and is named "Abel."

AC (Potts) n. 343

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 343

343. That a "shepherd of the flock" is one who exercises the good of charity, must be obvious to everyone, for this is a familiar figure in the Word of both Old and New Testaments. He who leads and teaches is called a "shepherd" and those who are led and taught are called the "flock." He who does not lead to the good of charity and teach it, is not a true shepherd; and he who is not led to good, and does not learn what is good, is not of the flock. It is scarcely necessary to confirm this signification of "shepherd" and "flock" by quotations from the Word; but the following passages may be cited. In Isaiah:
The Lord shall give the rain of thy seed, wherewith thou sowest the ground, and bread of the increase of the ground; in that day shall He feed thy cattle in a broad meadow (Isa. 30:23),
where "bread of the increase of the ground" denotes charity. Again:
The Lord Jehovih shall feed His flock like a shepherd; He shall gather the lambs into His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young (Isa. 40:11).
In David:
Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; Thou that sittest on the cherubim, shine forth (Ps. 80:1).
In Jeremiah:
I have likened the daughter of Zion to a comely and delicate woman; the shepherds and their flocks shall come unto her, they shall pitch tents near her round about, they shall feed everyone his own space (Jer. 6:2, 3).
In Ezekiel:
Thus saith the Lord Jehovih, I will multiply them as a flock of man, as a hallowed flock, as the flock of Jerusalem in her appointed times; so shall the waste cities be filled with the flock of man (Ezek. 36:37-38).
In Isaiah:
All the flocks of Arabia shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee (Isa. 60:7).
They who lead the flock to the good of charity are they who "gather the flock;" but they who do not lead them to the good of charity "scatter the flock;" for all gathering together and union are of charity, and all dispersion and disunion are from want of charity.

AC (Potts) n. 344

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 344

344. What avails faith, that is, the memory-knowledge [scientia], the knowledge [cognitio], and the doctrine of faith, but that the man may become such as faith teaches? And the primary thing that it teaches is charity (Mark 12:28-35; Matt. 22:34-39). This is the end of all it has in view, and if this be not attained, what is all knowledge or doctrine but a mere empty nothing?

AC (Potts) n. 345

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 345

345. That a "tiller of the ground" is one who is devoid of charity, however much he may be in faith separated from love, which is no faith, is evident from what follows: that Jehovah had no respect to his offering, and that he slew his brother, that is, destroyed charity, signified by "Abel." Those were said to "till the ground" who look to bodily and earthly things, as is evident from what is said in Gen. 3:19, 23, where we read that the man was "cast out of the garden of Eden to till the ground."

AC (Potts) n. 346

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 346

346. Verse 3. And at the end of days it came to pass that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to Jehovah. By the "end of days" is meant in process of time; by the "fruit of the ground" the works of faith without charity; and by "an offering to Jehovah" worship thence derived.

AC (Potts) n. 347

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 347

347. That by the "end of days" is signified in process of time, is evident to all. At first, and while there was simplicity in it, the doctrine here called "Cain" does not appear to have been so unacceptable as it became afterwards, as is evident from the fact that they called their offspring a "man Jehovah." Thus at first faith was not so far separated from love as at the "end of days" or in process of time; as is wont to be the case with every doctrine of true faith.

AC (Potts) n. 348

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 348

348. That by the "fruit of the ground" are meant the works of faith without charity, appears also from what follows; for the works of faith devoid of charity are works of no faith, being in themselves dead, for they are solely of the external man. Of such it is written in Jeremiah:
Wherefore doth the way of the wicked prosper? Thou hast planted them, they also have taken root; they have gone on, they also bear fruit; Thou art near in their mouth, and far from their reins; how long shall the land mourn, and the herb of every field wither? (Jer. 12:1, 2, 4).
"Near in the mouth, but far from the reins" denotes those who are of faith separated from charity, concerning whom it is said that "the land mourns." In the same Prophet such works are called the "fruit of works:"
The heart is deceitful [supplantativum] above all things, and it is desperate, who can know it? I Jehovah search the heart, I try the reins, even to give to every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his works (Jer. 17:9, 10).
In Micah:
The land shall be desolate because of them that dwell therein, for the fruit of their works (Mic. 7:13).
That such "fruit" is no fruit, or that the "work" is dead, and that both fruit and root perish, is thus declared in Amos:
I destroyed the Amorite before them, whose height was like the height of the cedars, and he was strong as the oaks; yet I destroyed his fruit from above, and his roots from beneath (Amos 2:9).
And in David:
Their fruit shalt Thou destroy from the earth, and their seed from the sons of man (Ps. 21:10).
But the works of charity are living, and of them it is declared that they "take root downward, and bear fruit upward;" as in Isaiah:
The remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah shall again take root downward, and bear fruit upward (Isa. 37:31).
To "bear fruit upward" is to act from charity. Such fruit is called the "fruit of excellence" in the same Prophet:
In that day shall the shoot of Jehovah be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel (Isa. 4:2).
It is also the "fruit of salvation" and is so called by the same Prophet:
Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness; let the earth open, and let them bring forth the fruit of salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I Jehovah will create it (Isa. 45:8).

AC (Potts) n. 349

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 349

349. That by an "offering" is meant worship, is evident from the representatives of the Jewish Church, in which, sacrifices of every kind, as well as the first fruits of the earth and of all its produce, and the oblation of the firstborn, were called "offerings" in which their worship consisted. And as they all represented heavenly things, and all had reference to the Lord, it must be obvious to everyone that true worship was signified by these offerings. For what is a representative without the thing it represents? or what is an external religion without an internal but a kind of idol and a thing of death? The external has life from things internal, that is, through these from the Lord. From these considerations it is evident that all the offerings of a representative church signify the worship of the Lord; and concerning these of the Lord's Divine mercy we shall treat in particular in the following pages. That by "offerings" in general is meant worship, is evident in the Prophets throughout, as in Malachi:
Who shall abide the day of His coming? He shall sit as a refiner and purifier of silver, and He shall purify the sons of Levi, and purge them as gold and silver, and they shall offer unto Jehovah an offering in righteousness. Then shall the offering of Judah and of Jerusalem be pleasant unto Jehovah, as in the days of eternity, and as in ancient years (Mal. 3:2-4).
An "offering in righteousness" is an internal offering, which the "sons of Levi" that is, holy worshipers, will offer. The "days of eternity" signify the Most Ancient Church, and the "ancient years" the Ancient Church. In Ezekiel:
In the mountain of My holiness, in the mountain of the height of Israel, there shall all the house of Israel, all that land, worship Me; there will I accept them, and there will I require your oblations, and the first-fruits of your offerings, in all your sanctifyings (Ezek. 20:40).
"Oblations" and the "first fruits of the offerings in the sanctifyings" are likewise works sanctified by charity from the Lord. In Zephaniah: From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia My suppliants shall bring Mine offering (Zeph. 3:10).
"Ethiopia" denotes those who are in possession of celestial things, which are love, charity, and the works of charity.

AC (Potts) n. 350

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 350

350. Verse 4. And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fat thereof; and Jehovah looked to Abel, and to his offering. By "Abel" here as before is signified charity; and by the "firstlings of the flock" is signified that which is holy, which is of the Lord alone; by "fat" is signified the celestial itself, which also is of the Lord; and by "Jehovah looking unto Abel, and to his offering" that the things of charity, and all worship grounded in charity, were well-pleasing to the Lord.

AC (Potts) n. 351

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 351

351. That "Abel" signifies charity has been shown before. By charity is meant love toward the neighbor, and mercy; for he who loves his neighbor as himself is also compassionate toward him in his sufferings, as toward himself.

AC (Potts) n. 352

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 352

352. That the "firstlings of the flock" signify that which is of the Lord alone, is evident from the firstlings or firstborn in the representative church, which were all holy, because they had relation to the Lord, who alone is the "firstborn." Love and the faith thence derived are the "firstborn." All love is of the Lord, and not one whit of it is of man, therefore the Lord alone is the "firstborn." This was represented in the ancient churches by the firstborn of man and of beast being sacred to Jehovah (Exod. 13:2, 12, 15); and by the tribe of Levi, which in the internal sense signifies love-though Levi was born after Reuben and Simeon who in the internal sense signify faith-being accepted instead of all the firstborn, and constituting the priesthood (Num. 3:40-45; 8:14-20). Of the Lord as the firstborn of all, with respect to His human essence, it is thus written in David:
He shall call Me, My Father, My God, and the rock of My salvation. I will also make Him My firstborn, high above the kings of the earth (Ps. 89:26-27).And in John:
Jesus Christ the firstborn of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth (Rev. 1:5).
Observe that the firstborn of worship signify the Lord, and the firstborn of the church, faith.

AC (Potts) n. 353

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 353

353. By "fat" is signified the celestial itself, which is also of the Lord. The celestial is all that which is of love. Faith also is celestial when it is from love. Charity is the celestial. All the good of charity is the celestial. All these were represented by the various kinds of fat in the sacrifices, and distinctively by that which covered the liver, or the caul; by the fat upon the kidneys; by the fat covering the intestines, and upon the intestines; which were holy, and were offered up as burnt-offerings upon the altar (Exod. 29:13, 22; Lev. 3:3, 4, 14; 4:8-9, 19, 26, 31, 35; 8:16, 25). They were therefore called the "bread of the offering by fire for a rest unto Jehovah" (Lev. 3:14, 16). For the same reason the Jewish people were forbidden to eat any of the fat of the beasts by what is called "a perpetual statute throughout your generations" (Lev. 3:17; 7:23, 25). This was because that church was such that it did not even acknowledge internal, much less celestial things.
[2] That "fat" signifies celestial things, and the goods of charity, is evident in the Prophets; as in Isaiah:
in Isaiah:
Wherefore do ye weigh silver for that which is not bread? and your labor for that which satisfieth not? Attend ye diligently unto Me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness (Isa. 55:2).
And in Jeremiah:
I will fill the soul of the priests with fatness, and My people shall be satiated with My good (Jer. 31:14),
where it is very evident that fatness is not meant, but celestial spiritual good. So in David:
They are filled with the fatness of Thy house, and Thou makest them drink of the river of Thy deliciousnesses. For with Thee is the fountain of lives; in Thy light we see light (Ps. 36:8-9).Here "fatness" and the "fountain of lives" signify the celestial, which is of love; and the "river of deliciousnesses" and "light" the spiritual, which is of faith from love. Again in David:
My soul shall be satiated with marrow and fatness, and my mouth shall praise Thee with lips of songs (Ps. 63:5),
where in like manner "fat" denotes the celestial, and "lips of songs" the spiritual. That it is what is celestial is very evident, because it will satiate the soul. For the same reason the first fruits, which were the firstborn of the earth, are called "fat" (Num. 18:12).
[3] As celestial things are of innumerable genera, and still more innumerable species, they are described in general in the song which Moses recited before the people:
Butter of kine, and milk of the flock, with fat of lambs and of rams, the sons of Bashan, and of goats, with the fat of the kidneys of wheat; and thou shalt drink the blood of the grape, unmixed (Deut. 32:14).
It is impossible for anyone to know the signification of these expressions except from the internal sense. Without the internal sense, such expressions as the "butter of kine" the "milk of sheep" the "fat of lambs" the "fat of rams and goats" the "sons of Bashan" the "fat of the kidneys of wheat" and the "blood of the grape" would be words and nothing more, and yet they all and each signify genera and species of celestial things.

AC (Potts) n. 354

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 354

354. That "Jehovah looked to Abel, and to his offering" signifies that the things of charity, and all worship grounded therein, are pleasing to the Lord, has been explained before, as regards both "Abel" and his "offering."

AC (Potts) n. 355

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 355

355. Verse 5. But to Cain and his offering He looked not; and Cain's anger was kindled exceedingly, and his faces fell. By "Cain" as has been stated, is signified faith separated from love, or such a doctrine as admits of the possibility of this separation; by his "offering not being looked to" is signified as before that his worship was unacceptable. By "Cain's anger being kindled exceedingly, and his faces falling" is signified that the interiors were changed. By "anger" is denoted that charity had departed; and by the "faces" the interiors, which are said to "fall" when they are changed.

AC (Potts) n. 356

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 356

356. That by "Cain" is signified faith separated from love, or a doctrine that admits of this separation; and that "to his offering He looked not" signifies that his worship was not acceptable, has been shown before.

AC (Potts) n. 357

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 357

357. That "Cain's anger was kindled" signifies that charity had departed, is evident from what is afterwards related of his killing his brother Abel, by whom is signified charity. Anger is a general affection resulting from whatever is opposed to self-love and its cupidities. This is plainly perceived in the world of evil spirits, for there exists there a general anger against the Lord, in consequence of evil spirits being in no charity, but in hatred, and whatever does not favor self-love [amori proprio] and the love of the world, excites opposition, which is manifested by anger. In the Word, "anger" "wrath" and even "fury" are frequently predicated of Jehovah, but they are of man, and are attributed to Jehovah because it so appears, for a reason mentioned above. Thus it is written in David:
He sent against them the anger of His nostril, and wrath, and fury, and trouble, and an immission of evil angels; He hath weighed a path for His anger, He withheld not their soul from death (Ps. 78:49-50).
Not that Jehovah ever sends anger upon anyone, but that men bring it upon themselves; nor does He send evil angels among them, but man draws them to himself. And therefore it is added, that He "hath weighed a path for His anger, and withheld not their soul from death;" and therefore it is said in Isaiah, "To Jehovah shall he come, and all that were incensed against Him shall be ashamed" (Isa. 45:24), whence it is evident that "anger" signifies evils, or what is the same, a departure from charity.

AC (Potts) n. 358

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 358

358. That by the "faces falling" is signified that the interiors were changed, is evident from the signification of the "face" and of its "falling." The face, with the ancients, signified internal things, because internal things shine forth through the face; and in the most ancient times men were such that the face was in perfect accord with the internals, so that from a man's face everyone could see of what disposition or mind he was. They considered it a monstrous thing to show one thing by the face and think another. Simulation and deceit were then considered detestable, and therefore the things within were signified by the face. When charity shone forth from the face, the face was said to be "lifted up;" and when the contrary occurred, the face was said to "fall;" wherefore it is also predicated of the Lord that He "lifts up His faces upon man" as in the benediction (Num. 6:26; and in Ps. 4:6), by which is signified that the Lord gives charity to man. What is meant by the "face falling" appears from Jeremiah:
I will not make My face to fall toward you, for I am merciful, saith Jehovah (Jer. 3:12).
The "face of Jehovah" is mercy, and when He "lifts up His face" upon anyone, it signifies that out of mercy He gives him charity; and the reverse when He "makes the face to fall" that is, when man's face falls.

AC (Potts) n. 359

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 359

359. Verse 6. And Jehovah said unto Cain, Why is thine anger kindled? and why are thy faces fallen? "Jehovah said unto Cain" means that conscience dictated; that his "anger was kindled, and that his countenance fell" signifies as before that charity had departed, and that the interiors were changed.

AC (Potts) n. 360

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 360

360. That "Jehovah said unto Cain" means that conscience dictated, needs no confirmation, as a similar passage was explained above.

AC (Potts) n. 361

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 361

361. Verse 7. If thou doest well, is there not an uplifting? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door; and to thee is his desire, and thou rulest over him. "If thou doest well, an uplifting" signifies that if thou art well disposed thou hast charity; "if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door" signifies that if thou art not well disposed thou hast no charity, but evil. "To thee is his desire, and thou rulest over him" signifies that charity is desirous to be with thee, but cannot because thou desirest to rule over it.

AC (Potts) n. 362

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 362

362. The doctrine of faith called "Cain" is here described, which in consequence of separating faith from love, separated it also from charity, the offspring of love. Wherever there is any church, there arise heresies, because while men are intent on some particular article of faith they make that the main thing; for such is the nature of man's thought that while intent on some one thing he sets it before any other, especially when his imagination claims it as a discovery of his own, and when the love of self and of the world puff him up. Everything then seems to agree with and confirm it, until at last he will swear that it is so, even if it is false. Just in this way those called "Cain" made faith more essential than love, and as they consequently lived without love, both the love of self and the phantasy thence derived conspired to confirm them in it.

AC (Potts) n. 363

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 363

363. The nature of the doctrine of faith that was called "Cain" is seen from the description of it in this verse, from which it appears that charity was capable of being joined to faith, but so that charity and not faith should have the dominion. On this account it is first said, "If thou doest well art thou not uplifted?" signifying, If thou art well disposed, charity may be present; for to "do well" signifies, in the internal sense, to be well disposed, since doing what is good comes from willing what is good. In ancient times action and will made a one; from the action they saw the will, dissimulation being then unknown. That an "uplifting" signifies that charity is present, is evident from what has been already said about the face, that to "lift up the face" is to have charity, and that for the "face to fall" is the contrary.

AC (Potts) n. 364

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 364

364. Secondly, it is said, "If thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door" which signifies, If thou art not well disposed, there is no charity present, but evil. Everybody can see that "sin lying at the door" is evil ready and desirous to enter; for when there is no charity there are unmercifulness and hatred, consequently all evil. Sin in general is called the "devil" who, that is, his crew of infernals, is ever at hand when man is destitute of charity; and the only means of driving away the devil and his crew from the door of the mind, is love to the Lord and toward the neighbor.

AC (Potts) n. 365

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 365

365. In the third place it is said, "Unto thee is his desire, and thou rulest over him" by which is signified that charity is desirous to abide with faith, but cannot do so because faith wishes to rule over it, which is contrary to order. So long as faith seeks to have the dominion, it is not faith, and only becomes faith when charity rules; for charity is the principal of faith, as was shown above. Charity maybe compared to flame, which is the essential of heat and light, for heat and light are from it; and faith in a state of separation may be compared to light that is without the heat of flame, when indeed there is light, but it is the light of winter in which everything becomes torpid and dies.

AC (Potts) n. 366

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 366

366. Verse 8. And Cain spake to Abel his brother; and it came to pass when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him. "Cain spake to Abel" signifies an interval of time. "Cain" as before stated, signifies faith separated from love; and "Abel" charity, the brother of faith, on which account he is here twice called his "brother." A "field" signifies whatever is of doctrine. "Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him" signifies that separated faith extinguished charity.

AC (Potts) n. 367

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 367

367. It is unnecessary to confirm these things by similar passages from the Word, except so far as to prove that charity is the "brother" of faith, and that a "field" signifies whatever is of doctrine. That charity is the "brother" of faith is evident to everyone from the nature or essence of faith. This brotherhood was represented by Esau and Jacob, and was the ground of their dispute about the birthright and the consequent dominion. It was also represented by Pharez and Zarah, the sons of Tamar by Judah (Gen. 38:28, 29, 30); and by Ephraim and Manasseh (Gen. 48:13, 14); and in both of these, as well as in other similar cases, there is a dispute about the primogeniture and the consequent dominion. For both faith and charity are the offspring of the church. Faith is called a "man" as was Cain, in verse 1 of this chapter, and charity is called a "brother" as in Isa. 19:2; Jer. 13:14; and other places. The union of faith and charity is called "the covenant of brethren" (Amos 1:9). Similar to the signification of Cain and Abel, was that of Jacob and Esau, as just said; in that Jacob also was desirous of supplanting his brother Esau, as is evident also in Hosea:
To visit upon Jacob his ways, according to his doings will He recompense him; he supplanted his brother in the womb (Hos. 12:2-3).
But that Esau, or the charity represented by Esau, should nevertheless at length have the dominion, appears from the prophetic prediction of their father Isaac:
By thy sword shalt thou live, and shalt serve thy brother; and it shall come to pass, when thou hast the dominion, that thou shalt break his yoke from off thy neck (Gen. 27:40).Or what is the same, the Church of the Gentiles, or new church, is represented by Esau, and the Jewish Church is represented by Jacob; and this is the reason for its being so often said that the Jews should acknowledge the Gentiles as brethren; and in the Church of the Gentiles, or primitive church, all were called brethren, from charity. Such as hear the Word and do it are likewise called brethren by the Lord (Luke 8:21); those who hear are such as have faith; those who do are such as have charity; but those who hear, or say that they have faith, and do not, or have not charity, are not brethren, for the Lord likens them unto fools (Matt. 7:24, 26).

AC (Potts) n. 368

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 368

368. That a "field" signifies doctrine, and consequently whatever belongs to the doctrine of faith and charity, is evident from the Word, as in Jeremiah:
O My mountain in the field, I will give thy possessions [facultates] and all thy treasures for a spoil (Jer. 17:3).
In this passage "field" signifies doctrine; "possessions" and "treasures" denote the spiritual riches of faith, or the things that belong to the doctrine of faith. In the same:
Shall the snow of Lebanon fail from the rock of My field? (Jer. 18:14).
It is declared concerning Zion, when destitute of the doctrine of faith, that she shall be "plowed like a field" (Jer. :26:18, Micah 3:12). In Ezekiel:
He took of the seed of the land, and set it in a field of sowing (Ezek. 17:5),
treating of the church and of its faith; for doctrine is called a "field" from the seed in it. In the same:
And let all the trees of the field know that I Jehovah bring down the high tree (Ezek. 17:24).
In Joel:
The field is laid waste, the ground mourneth, for the corn is wasted, the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth, the husbandmen are ashamed, the harvest of the field is perished, all the trees of the field are withered (Joel 1:10-12),
where the "field" signifies doctrine, "trees" knowledges, and "husbandmen" worshipers. In David:
The field shall exult and all that is therein; then shall all the trees of the forest sing (Ps. 96:12),where it is perfectly evident that the field cannot exult, nor the trees of the forest sing; but things that are in man, which are the knowledges of faith. In Jeremiah:
How long shall the land mourn, and the herb of every field wither? (Jer. 12:4),
where it is also evident that neither the land nor the herbs of the field can mourn; but that the expressions relate to something in man while in a state of vastation. A similar passage occurs in Isaiah:
The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands (Isa. 55:12).
The Lord also in His prediction concerning the consummation of the age calls the doctrine of faith a "field:"
Then shall two be in the field, the one shall be taken and the other left (Matt. 24:40; Luke 17:36),
where by a "field" is meant the doctrine of faith, both true and false. As a "field" signifies doctrine, whoever receives a seed of faith, whether a man, the church, or the world, is also called a "field."

AC (Potts) n. 369

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 369

369. From this then it follows that the words "Cain rose up against his brother Abel, and slew him, when they were in the field together" denote that while both faith and charity were from the doctrine of faith, yet faith separate from love could not but disregard and thereby extinguish charity; as is the case at the present day with those who maintain that faith alone saves, without a work of charity, for in this very supposition they extinguish charity, although they know and confess with their lips that faith is not saving unless there is love.

AC (Potts) n. 370

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 370

370. Verse 9. And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not, am I my brother's keeper? "Jehovah said unto Cain" signifies a certain perceptivity from within that gave them a dictate concerning charity or the "brother Abel." Cain's reply, "I know not, am I my brother's keeper?" signifies that faith considered charity as nothing, and was unwilling to be subservient to it, consequently that faith altogether rejected everything of charity. Such did their doctrine become.

AC (Potts) n. 371

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 371

371. By the "speaking of Jehovah" the most ancient people signified perception, for they knew that the Lord gave them the faculty to perceive. This perception could continue no longer than while love was the principal. When love to the Lord ceased, and consequently love toward the neighbor, perception perished; but insofar as love remained, perception remained. This perceptive faculty was proper to the Most Ancient Church, but when faith became separated from love, as in the people after the flood, and charity was given through faith, then conscience succeeded, which also gives a dictate, but in a different way, of which, by the Lord's Divine mercy, hereafter. When conscience dictates, it is in like manner said in the Word that "Jehovah speaks;" because conscience is formed from things revealed, and from knowledges, and from the Word; and when the Word speaks, or dictates, it is the Lord who speaks; hence nothing is more common, even at the present day, when referring to a matter of conscience, or of faith, than to say, "the Lord says."

AC (Potts) n. 372

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 372

372. To be a "keeper" signifies to serve, like the "door-keepers" and "porters" (that is, the keepers of the threshold), in the Jewish Church. Faith is called the "keeper" of charity, from the fact that it ought to serve it, but it was according to the principles of the doctrine called "Cain" that faith should rule, as was said in verse 7.

AC (Potts) n. 373

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 373

373. Verse 10. And He said, What hast thou done? The voice of thy brother's bloods crieth to Me from the ground. The "voice of thy brother's bloods" signifies that violence had been done to charity; the "crying of bloods" is the accusation of guilt, and "ground" signifies a schism, or heresy.

AC (Potts) n. 374

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 374

374. That the "voice of bloods" signifies that violence had been done to charity, is evident from many passages in the Word, in which "voice" denotes anything that accuses, and "blood" any kind of sin, and especially hatred; for whosoever bears hatred toward his brother, kills him in his heart; as the Lord teaches:
Ye have heard that it was said to them of old, Thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment; but I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother rashly shall be in danger of the judgment; and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of the hell of fire (Matt. 5:21, 22),
by which words are meant the degrees of hatred. Hatred is contrary to charity, and kills in whatever way it can, if not with the hand, yet in spirit, and is withheld only by external restraints from the deed of the hand. Therefore all hatred is "blood" as in Jeremiah:
Why makest thou thy way good to seek love? Even in thy skirts are found the bloods of the souls of the needy innocent ones (Jer. 2:33-34).
[2] And as hatred is denoted by "blood" so likewise is every kind of iniquity, for hatred is the fountain of all iniquities. As in Hosea:
Swearing falsely, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they rob, and bloods, in bloods have they touched; therefore shall the land mourn, and everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish (Hos. 4:2-3).
And in Ezekiel, speaking of unmercifulness:
Wilt thou judge the city of bloods, and make known to her all her abominations? a city that sheddeth bloods in the midst of it. Thou art become guilty through thy blood that thou hast shed (Ezek. 22:2-4, 6, 9).
In the same:
The land is full of the judgment of bloods, and the city is full of violence (Ezek. 7:23).
And in Jeremiah:
For the sins of the prophets of Jerusalem, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the righteous in the midst of her, they wander blind in the streets, they have been polluted with blood (Lam. 4:13-14).
13, 14).
In Isaiah:
When the Lord shall wash away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the bloods of Jerusalem from the midst, with the spirit of judgment, and with the spirit of burning (Isa. 4:4).
And again:
Your palms are defiled in blood, and your fingers in iniquity (Isa. 59:3).
In Ezekiel, speaking of the abominations of Jerusalem, which are called "bloods:"
I passed by thee, and saw thee trampled in thine own bloods, and I said unto thee, Live in thy bloods, yea, I said unto thee, Live in thy bloods (Ezek. 16:6, 22).
[3] The unmercifulness and hatred of the last times are also described by "blood" in the Revelation (16:3, 4). "Bloods" are mentioned in the plural, because all unjust and abominable things gush forth from hatred, as all good and holy ones do from love. Therefore he who feels hatred toward his neighbor would murder him if he could, and indeed does murder him in any way he can; and this is to do violence to him, which is here properly signified by the "voice of bloods."

AC (Potts) n. 375

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 375

375. A "voice crying" and the "voice of a cry" are common forms of expression in the Word, and are applied to every case where there is any noise, tumult, or disturbance, and also on the occasion of any happy event (as in Exod. 32:17-18; Zeph. 1:9-10; Isa. 65:19; Jer. 48:3). In the present passage it denotes accusation.

AC (Potts) n. 376

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 376

376. From this it follows that the "crying of bloods" signifies the accusation of guilt; for those who use violence are held guilty. As in David:
Evil shall slay the wicked, and they that hate the righteous shall be guilty (Ps. 34:21).
In Ezekiel:
Thou city art become guilty by the blood which thou hast shed (Ezek. 22:4).

AC (Potts) n. 377

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 377

377. That the "ground" here signifies a schism or heresy, is evident from the fact that a "field" signifies doctrine, and therefore the "ground" having the field in it, is a schism. Man himself is the "ground" and also the "field" because these things are inseminated in him, for man is man from what is inseminated in him, a good and true man from goods and truths, an evil and false man from evils and falsities. He who is in any particular doctrine or heresy is named from it, and so in the passage before us the term "ground" is used to denote a schism or heresy in man.

AC (Potts) n. 378

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 378

378. Verse 11. And now cursed art thou from the ground, which hath opened its mouth to receive thy brother's bloods from thy hand. "Cursed art thou from the ground" signifies that through the schism he had become averted; "which hath opened its mouth" signifies that the heresy taught them; to "receive thy brother's bloods from thy hand" signifies that it did violence to charity, and extinguished it.

AC (Potts) n. 379

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 379

379. That these things are signified, is evident from what has gone before; and that to be "cursed" is to be averse to good, has been already shown (n. 245). For iniquities and abominations, or hatreds, are what avert man, so that he looks downward only, that is, to bodily and earthly things, thus to those which are of hell. This takes place when charity is banished and extinguished, for then the bond which connects the Lord with man is severed, since only charity, or love and mercy, are what conjoin us with Him, and never faith without charity, for this is no faith, being mere knowledge, such as the infernal crew themselves may possess, and by which they can craftily deceive the good, and feign themselves angels of light; and as the most wicked preachers are sometimes wont to do, with a zeal like that of piety, although nothing is further from their hearts than that which proceeds from their lips. Can anyone be of judgment so weak as to believe that faith alone in the memory, or the thought thence derived, can be of any avail, when everybody knows from his own experience that no one esteems the words or assenting of another, no matter of what nature, when they do not come from the will or intention? It is this that makes them pleasing, and that conjoins one man with another. The will is the real man, and not the thought or speech which he does not will. A man acquires his nature and disposition from the will, because this affects him. But if anyone thinks what is good, the essence of faith, which is charity, is in the thought, because the will to do what is good is in it. But if he says that he thinks what is good, and yet lives wickedly, he cannot possibly will anything but what is evil, and there is therefore no faith.

AC (Potts) n. 380

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 380

380. Verse 12. When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee its strength; a fugitive and a wanderer shalt thou be in the earth. To "till the ground" signifies to cultivate this schism or heresy; "it shall not yield unto thee its strength" signifies that it is barren. To be a "fugitive and a wanderer in the earth" is not to know what is good and true.

AC (Potts) n. 381

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 381

381. That to "till the ground" means to cultivate this schism or heresy, appears from the signification of "ground" of which we have just now spoken; and that its "not yielding its strength" denotes its barrenness, is evident both from what was said concerning ground, and from the words themselves, as well as from this consideration, that those who profess faith without charity, profess no faith, as was said above.

AC (Potts) n. 382

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 382

382. That to be a "fugitive and a wanderer in the earth" signifies not to know what is good and true, is evident from the signification of "wandering" and "fleeing away" in the Word. As in Jeremiah:
The prophets and priests wander blind in the streets, they have been polluted in blood; the things they cannot do they touch with garments (Lam. 4:13, 14),
where "prophets" are those who teach, and "priests" those who live accordingly; to "wander blind in the streets" is not to know what is true and good. [2] In Amos:
A part of the field was rained upon, and the part of the field whereupon it rained not withered; so two or three cities shall wander unto one city to drink waters, and shall not be satisfied (Amos 4:7, 8), where by the "part of the field on which it rained" is signified the doctrine of faith from charity; and by the "part" or "piece" "of the field on which it did not rain" the doctrine of faith without charity. To "wander to drink the waters" likewise denotes to seek after truth. [3] In Hosea:
Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall bear no fruit; my God will cast them away, because they did not hearken unto Him; and they shall be wanderers among the nations (Hos. 9:16, 17).
"Ephraim" here denotes the understanding of truth, or faith, because he was the firstborn of Joseph; the "root which was dried up" denotes charity that cannot bear fruit; "wanderers among the nations" are those who do not know what is true and good. [4] In Jeremiah:
Go ye up against Arabia, and devastate the sons of the east. Flee, wander ye exceedingly; the inhabitants of Hazor have let themselves down into the deep for a habitation (Jer. 49:28, 30). "Arabia" and the "sons of the east" signify the possession of celestial riches, or of the things that are of love, which, when vastated, are said to "flee" and "wander" that is, to be "fugitives and wanderers" when they do nought of what is good. Of the "inhabitants of Hazor" or those who possess spiritual riches, which are those of faith, it is said that they "let themselves down into the deep" that is, they perish. [5] In Isaiah:
All thy foremost ones wander together, they are bound before the bow, they have fled from far (Isa. 22:3),
speaking of the "valley of vision" or the phantasy that faith is possible without charity. Hence appears the reason why it is said, in a subsequent verse (Isa. 22:14), that he who professes faith that is apart from charity is a "fugitive and a wanderer" that is, knows nothing of good and truth.

AC (Potts) n. 383

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 383

383. Verse 13. And Cain said unto Jehovah, Mine iniquity is greater than can be taken away. "Cain said unto Jehovah" signifies a certain confession that he was in evil, induced by some internal pain; "mine iniquity is greater than can be taken away" signifies despair on that account.

AC (Potts) n. 384

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 384

384. Hence it appears that something of good still remained in Cain; but that all the good of charity afterwards perished is evident from what is said of Lamech (verses 19, 23, 24).

AC (Potts) n. 385

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 385

385. Verse 14. Behold Thou hast cast me out this day from the faces of the ground, and from Thy faces shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer in the earth; and it shall come to pass that everyone that findeth me shall slay me. To be "cast out from the faces of the ground" signifies to be separated from all the truth of the church; to be "hid from Thy faces" signifies to be separated from all the good of faith of love; to be a "fugitive and a wanderer in the earth" is not to know what is true and good; "everyone that findeth me shall slay me" signifies that all evil and falsity would destroy him.

AC (Potts) n. 386

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 386

386. That to be "cast out from the faces of the ground" is to be separated from all the truth of the church, is evident from the signification of "ground" which, in the genuine sense, is the church, or the man of the church, and therefore whatever the church professes, as shown above. The meaning of a word necessarily varies with the subject treated of, and therefore even those who wrongly profess faith, that is who profess a schism or heresy, are also called "ground." Here however to be "driven out from the faces of the ground" signifies to be no longer in the truth of the church.

AC (Potts) n. 387

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 387

387. That to be "hid from Thy faces" signifies to be separated from all the good of the faith of love, is evident from the signification of the "faces of Jehovah." The "face of Jehovah" as before said, is mercy, from which proceed all the goods of the faith of love, and therefore the goods of faith are here signified by His "faces."

AC (Potts) n. 388

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 388

388. To be a "fugitive and a wanderer in the earth" means as before not to know what is true and good.

AC (Potts) n. 389

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 389

389. That "everyone finding him would slay him" signifies that every evil and falsity would destroy him, follows from what has been said. For the case is this. When a man deprives himself of charity, he separates himself from the Lord, since it is solely charity, that is, love toward the neighbor, and mercy, that conjoin man with the Lord. Where there is no charity, there is disjunction, and where there is disjunction, man is left to himself or to his Own; and then whatever he thinks is false, and whatever he wills is evil. These are the things that slay man, or cause him to have nothing of life remaining.

AC (Potts) n. 390

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 390

390. Those who are in evil and falsity are in continual dread of being slain, as is thus described in Moses:
Your land shall be a desolation, and your cities a waste, and upon them that are left of you I will bring softness into their heart in the land of their enemies, and the sound of a driven leaf shall chase them, and they shall flee as fleeing from a sword, and they shall fall when none pursueth, and shall stumble everyone upon his brother, as it were before a sword, when none pursueth (Lev. 26:33, 36-37).
In Isaiah:
The treacherous deal treacherously, yea, in the treachery of the treacherous they deal treacherously. And it shall come to pass that he who fleeth from the noise of the fear shall fall into the pit, and he that cometh up out of the midst of the pit shall be taken in the snare; the transgression thereof shall be heavy upon it, and it shall fall, and not rise again (Isa. 24:16-20).
In Jeremiah:
Behold, I bring a dread upon thee, from all thy circuits shall ye be driven out every man toward his faces, and none shall gather up him that wandereth (Jer. 49:5).
In Isaiah:
We will flee upon the horse, therefore shall ye flee; and, we will ride upon the swift, therefore shall they that pursue you be rendered swift; one thousand shall flee at the rebuke of one, at the rebuke of five shall ye flee (Isa. 30:16-17).
In these and other passages of the Word, those who are in falsity and evil are described as "fleeing" and as in "fear of being slain." They are afraid of everybody, because they have no one to protect them. All who are in evil and falsity hate their neighbor, so that they all desire to kill one another.

AC (Potts) n. 391

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 391

391. The state of evil spirits in the other life shows most clearly that those who are in evil and falsity are afraid of everybody. Those who have deprived themselves of all charity wander about, and flee from place to place. Wherever they go, if to any societies, these at once perceive their character by their mere coming, for such is the perception that exists in the other life; and they not only drive them away, but also severely punish them, and with such animosity that they would kill them if they could. Evil spirits take the greatest delight in punishing and tormenting one another; it is their highest gratification. Not until now has it been known that evil and falsity themselves are the cause of this, for whatever anyone desires for another returns upon himself. Falsity has in itself the penalty of falsity, and evil has in itself the penalty of evil, and consequently they have in themselves the fear of these penalties.

AC (Potts) n. 392

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 392

392. Verse 15. And Jehovah said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And Jehovah set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should smite him. By "vengeance being taken sevenfold on anyone who slays Cain" is signified that to do violence to faith even when thus separated would be a sacrilege; "Jehovah set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should smite him" signifies that the Lord distinguished faith in a particular manner, in order that it might be preserved.

AC (Potts) n. 393

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 393

393. Before we proceed to elucidate the internal sense of the words before us, it is necessary to know how the case is with faith. The Most Ancient Church was of such a character as to acknowledge no faith except that which is of love, insomuch that they were unwilling even to mention faith, for through love from the Lord they perceived all things that belong to faith. Such also are the celestial angels of whom we have spoken above. But as it was foreseen that the human race could not be of this character, but would separate faith from love to the Lord, and would make of faith a doctrine by itself, it was provided that they should indeed be separated, but in such a way that through faith, that is, through the knowledges of faith, men might receive from the Lord charity, so that knowledge [cognitio] or hearing should come first, and then through knowledge or hearing, charity, that is, love toward the neighbor, and mercy, might be given by the Lord, which charity should not only be inseparable from faith, but should also constitute the principal of faith. And then instead of the perception they had in the Most Ancient Church, there succeeded conscience, acquired through faith joined to charity, which dictated not what is true, but that it is true, and this because the Lord has so said in the Word. The churches after the flood were for the most part of this character, as also was the primitive or first church after the Lord's advent, and by this the spiritual angels are distinguished from the celestial.

AC (Potts) n. 394

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 394

394. Now as this was foreseen, and was provided, lest the human race should perish in eternal death, it is here declared that none should do violence to Cain, by whom is signified faith separated from charity; and further that a mark was set upon him, which means that the Lord distinguished faith in a particular manner, in order to secure its preservation. These are arcana hitherto undiscovered, and are referred to by the Lord in what He said respecting marriage, and eunuchs, in Matthew:
There are eunuchs who were so born from their mother's womb; and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs of men; and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the kingdom of God's sake; he that is able to receive it let him receive it (Matt. 19:12).
Those in the heavenly marriage are called "eunuchs;" those so "born from the womb" are such as resemble the celestial angels; those "made of men" are such as are like the spiritual angels; and those "made so by themselves" are like angelic spirits, who act not so much from charity as from obedience.

AC (Potts) n. 395

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 395

395. That the words "whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold" signify that to do violence to faith even when thus separated would be sacrilege, is evident from the signification of "Cain" which is faith separated from charity, and from the signification of "seven" which is what is sacred. The number "seven" was esteemed holy, as is well known, by reason of the six days of creation, and of the seventh, which is the celestial man, in whom is peace, rest, and the sabbath. Hence this number occurs so frequently in the rites of the Jewish Church, and is everywhere held sacred, and hence also both greater and less periods of time were distinguished into sevens, and were called "weeks" such as the great intervals of time to the coming of the Messiah (Dan. 9:24-25); and the time of seven years called a "week" by Laban and Jacob (Gen. 29:27-28). For the same reason, wherever it occurs, the number seven is accounted holy or inviolable. Thus we read in David:
Seven times a day do I praise Thee (Ps. 119:164).
In Isaiah:
The light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days (Isa. 30:26),
where the "sun" denotes love, and the "moon" faith from love, which should be as love. As the periods of man's regeneration are distinguished into six, before the seventh arrives, that is, the celestial man, so also are the periods of his vastation, up to the time when nothing celestial remains. This was represented by the several captivities of the Jews, and by the last or Babylonish captivity, which lasted seven decades, or seventy years. It is also said several times that the earth should rest on its sabbaths. The same is represented by Nebuchadnezzar, in Daniel:
His heart shall be changed from man, and a beast's heart shall be given unto him, and seven times shall pass over him (Dan. 4:16, 23, 32).
And in John, concerning the vastation of the last times:
I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvelous, seven angels, having the seven last plagues (Rev. 15:1, 6-8);
and that:
The Gentiles should tread the holy city under foot forty and two months, or six times seven (Rev. 11:2).
And again:
I saw a book written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals (Rev. 5:1).
For the same reason the severities and augmentations of punishment were expressed by the number seven; as in Moses:
If ye will not yet for all this obey Me, then I will chastise you sevenfold for your sins (Lev. 26:18, 21, 24, 28).
And in David:
Render unto our neighbors sevenfold into their bosom (Ps. 79:12).
Now as it was a sacrilege to do violence to faith-since as has been said it was to be of service-it is said that "whosoever should slay Cain, vengeance should be taken on him sevenfold."

AC (Potts) n. 396

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 396

396. That "Jehovah set a mark on Cain, lest any should smite him" signifies that the Lord distinguished faith in a particular manner in order that it might be preserved, is evident from the signification of a "mark" and of "setting a mark" on anyone, as being a means of distinction. Thus in Ezekiel:
Jehovah said, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark (that is, "mark out") upon the foreheads of the men groaning and sighing for all the abominations (Ezek. 9:4),
where by "marking out the foreheads" is not meant a mark or line upon the front part of their heads, but to distinguish them from others. So in John, it is said that
The locusts should hurt only those men who had not the mark of God on their foreheads (Rev. 9:4),
where also to have the mark means to be distinguished.
[2] And in the same book we read of a "mark on the hand and on the forehead" (Rev. 13:16). The same thing was represented in the Jewish Church by binding the first and great commandment on the hand and on the forehead, concerning which we read in Moses:
Hear, O Israel, Jehovah our God is one Jehovah; and thou shalt love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and thou shalt bind these words for a sign upon thy hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes (Deut. 6:4, 8; 11:13, 18).
By this was represented that they should distinguish the commandment respecting love above every other, and hence the signification of "marking the hand and the forehead" becomes manifest.
[3] So in Isaiah:
I come to gather all nations and tongues; and they shall come and shall see My glory; and I will set a mark upon them (Isa. 66:18-19).
And in David:
O turn unto me, and have mercy upon me, give Thy strength unto Thy servant, and save the son of Thy handmaid. Set upon me a mark for good, and they that hate me shall see and be ashamed (Ps. 86:16-17).From these passages the meaning of a mark is now evident. Let no one therefore imagine that any mark was set upon a particular person called Cain, for the internal sense of the Word contains things quite different from those contained in the sense of the letter.

AC (Potts) n. 397

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 397

397. Verse 16. And Cain went out from the faces of Jehovah, and dwelt in the land of Nod, toward the east of Eden. By the words "Cain went out from the faces of Jehovah" is signified that faith was separated from the good of the faith of love; "he dwelt in the "land of Nod" signifies outside of truth and good; "toward the east of Eden" is near the intellectual mind, where love reigned before.

AC (Potts) n. 398

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 398

398. That to "go out from the faces of Jehovah" signifies to be separated from the good of the faith of love may be seen in the explication of verse 14; that to "dwell in the land of Nod" signifies outside of truth and good, is evident from the signification of the word "Nod" which is to be a wanderer and a fugitive; and that to be "a wanderer and a fugitive" is to be deprived of truth and good, may be seen above. That "toward the east of Eden" signifies near the intellectual mind, where love had previously reigned, and also near the rational mind, where charity had previously reigned, is evident from what has been said of the signification of "the east of Eden" namely, that "the east" is the Lord, and "Eden" love. With the men of the Most Ancient Church, the mind, consisting of the will and the understanding, was one; for the will was the all in all, so that the understanding was of the will. This was because they made no distinction between love, which is of the will, and faith, which is of the understanding, because love was the all in all, and faith was of love. But after faith was separated from love, as was the case with those who were called "Cain" no will reigned any longer, and as in that mind the understanding reigned instead of the will, or faith instead of love, it is said that he "dwelt toward the east of Eden;" for as was just now observed faith was distinguished, or "had a mark set upon it" that it might be preserved for the use of mankind.

AC (Potts) n. 399

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 399

399. Verse 17. And Cain knew his wife, and she conceived, and bare Enoch; and he was building a city, and called the name of the city after the name of his son, Enoch. The words "Cain knew his wife, and she conceived and bare Enoch" signify that this schism or heresy produced another from itself that was called "Enoch." By "the city which he built" is signified all that was doctrinal and heretical therefrom, and because the schism or heresy was called "Enoch" it is said that "the name of the city was called after the name of his son, Enoch."

AC (Potts) n. 400

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 400

400. That "Cain knew his wife, and she conceived, and bare Enoch" signifies that this schism or heresy produced another from itself, is evident from what has been previously said, as well as from what is stated in the first verse, that the Man and Eve his wife produced Cain; so that the things which now follow are similar conceptions and births, whether of the church, or of heresies, whereof they formed a genealogy, for these are similarly related to each other. From one heresy that is conceived there are born a host of them.

AC (Potts) n. 401

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 401

401. That it was a heresy with all its doctrinal or heretical teaching that was called "Enoch" is in some measure evident from this name, which means the instruction so begun or initiated.

AC (Potts) n. 402

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 402

402. That by the "city that was built" is signified all the doctrinal and heretical teaching that came from that heresy, is evident from every passage of the Word in which the name of any city occurs; for in none of them does it ever mean a city, but always something doctrinal or else heretical. The angels are altogether ignorant of what a city is, and of the name of any city; since they neither have nor can have any idea of a city, in consequence of their ideas being spiritual and celestial, as was shown above. They perceive only what a city and its name signify. Thus by the "holy city" which is also called the "holy Jerusalem" nothing else is meant than the kingdom of the Lord in general, or in each individual in particular in whom is that kingdom. The "city" and "mountain of Zion" also are similarly understood; the latter denoting the celestial of faith, and the former its spiritual.
[2] The celestial and spiritual itself is also described by "cities" "palaces" "houses" "walls" "foundations of walls" "ramparts" "gates" "bars" and the "temple" in the midst; as in Ezekiel 48; in Revelation 21:15 to the end, where it is also called the Holy Jerusalem, verses 2, 10; and in Jeremiah 31:38. In David it is called "the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High" (Ps. 46:4); in Ezekiel, "the city, Jehovah there" (Ezek. 48:35), and of which it is written in Isaiah:
The sons of the stranger shall build thy walls, all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet, and they shall call thee the city of Jehovah, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel (Isa. 60:10, 14).
In Zechariah:
Jerusalem shall be called the city of truth; and the mountain of Zion, the mountain of holiness (Zech. 8:3),
where the "city of truth" or "Jerusalem" signifies the spiritual things of faith; and the "mountain of holiness" or "of Zion" the celestial things of faith. [3] As the celestial and spiritual things of faith are represented by a city, so also are all doctrinal things signified by the cities of Judah and of Israel, each of which when named has its own specific signification of something doctrinal, but what that is no one can know except from the internal sense. As doctrinal things are signified by "cities" so also are heresies, and in this case every particular city, according to its name, signifies some particular heretical opinion. At present we shall only show from the following passages of the Word, that in general a "city" signifies something doctrinal, or else heretical.
[4] Thus we read in Isaiah:
In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking with the lip of Canaan, and swearing to Jehovah Zebaoth; one shall be called the city Heres (Isa. 19:18),
where the subject treated of is the memory-knowledge [scientia] of spiritual and celestial things at the time of the Lord's advent. So again, when treating of the valley of vision, that is, of phantasy:
Thou art full of tumults, a tumultuous city, an exulting city (Isa. 22:2).
In Jeremiah, speaking of those who are "in the south" that is, in the light of truth, and who extinguish it:
The cities of the south have been shut up, and none shall open them (Jer. 13:19).
Again:
Jehovah hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion; therefore He maketh the rampart and the wall to lament; they languished together. Her gates are sunk into the ground; He hath destroyed and broken her bars (Lam. 2:8-9),
where anyone may see that by a "wall" a "rampart" "gates" and "bars" doctrinal things only are meant.
[5] In like manner in Isaiah:
This song shall be sung in the land of Judah, We have a strong city; salvation will set the walls and the bulwark; open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth fidelities may enter in (Isa. 26:1-2).
Again:
I will exalt thee, I will confess to Thy name, for Thou hast made of a city a heap, of a defensed city a ruin; a palace of strangers shall not be built of the city forever. Therefore shall the strong people honor Thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear Thee (Isa. 25:1-3),
in which passage there is no reference to any particular city. In the prophecy of Balaam:
Edom shall be an inheritance, and out of Jacob shall one have dominion, and shall destroy the residue of the city (Num. 24:18-19) where it must be plain to everyone that "city" here does not mean a city. In Isaiah:
The city of emptiness is broken; every house is shut, that the cry over wine in the streets cannot enter (Isa. 24:10-11),
where the "city of emptiness" denotes emptinesses of doctrine; and "streets" signify here as elsewhere the things which belong to the city, whether falsities or truths. In John:
When the seventh angel poured out his vial, the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell (Rev. 16:17, 19).
That the "great city" denotes something heretical, and that the "cities of the nations" do so too, must be evident to everyone. It is also explained that the great city was the woman that John saw (Rev. 17:18); and that the woman denotes a church of that character has been shown before.

AC (Potts) n. 403

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 403

403. We have now seen what a "city" signifies. But as all this part of Genesis is put into an historical form, to those who are in the sense of the letter it must seem that a city was built by Cain, and was called Enoch, although from the sense of the letter they must also suppose that the land was already populous, notwithstanding that Cain was only the firstborn of Adam. But as we observed above, the most ancient people were accustomed to arrange all things in the form of a history, under representative types, and this was to them delightful in the highest degree, for it made all things seem to be alive.

AC (Potts) n. 404

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 404

404. Verse 18. And unto Enoch was born Irad; and Irad begat Mehujael, and Mehujael begat Methusael, and Methusael begat Lamech. All these names signify heresies derived from the first, which was called "Cain;" but as there is nothing extant respecting them, except the names, it is unnecessary to say anything about them. Something might be gathered from the derivations of the names; for example, "Irad" means that he "descends from a city" thus from the heresy called "Enoch" and so on.

AC (Potts) n. 405

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 405

405. Verse 19. And Lamech took unto him two wives; the name of the one was Adah, and the name of the other Zillah. By "Lamech" who was the sixth in order from Cain, is signified vastation, in consequence of there being no longer any faith; by his "two wives" is signified the rise of a new church; by "Adah" the mother of its celestial and spiritual things; and by "Zillah" the mother of its natural things.

AC (Potts) n. 406

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 406

406. That by "Lamech" is signified vastation, or that there was no faith, is evident from the following verses (23, 24), in which it is said that he "slew a man to his wounding, and a little one to his hurt;" for there by a "man" is meant faith, and by a "little one" or "little child" charity.

AC (Potts) n. 407

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 407

407. The state of a church in general is thus circumstanced. In process of time it departs from the true faith until at last it comes to be entirely destitute of faith, when it is said to be "vastated." This was the case with the Most Ancient Church among those who were called Cainites, and also with the Ancient Church after the flood, as well as with the Jewish Church. At the time of the Lord's advent this last was in such a state of vastation that they knew nothing about the Lord, that He was to come into the world for their salvation, and they knew still less about faith in Him. Such was also the case with the primitive Christian Church, or that which existed after the Lord's advent, and which at this day is so completely vastated that there is no faith remaining in it. Yet there always remains some nucleus of a church, which those who are vastated as to faith do not acknowledge; and thus it was with the Most Ancient Church, of which a remnant remained until the time of the flood, and continued after that event. This remnant of the Church is called "Noah."

AC (Potts) n. 408

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 408

408. When a church has been so vastated that there is no longer any faith, then and not before, it begins anew, that is, new light shines forth, which in the Word is called the "morning." The reason why the new light or "morning" does not shine forth until the church is vastated, is that the things of faith and of charity have been commingled with things profane; and so long as they remain in this state it is impossible for anything of light or charity to be insinuated, since the "tares" destroy all the "good seed." But when there is no faith, faith can no longer be profaned, because men no longer believe what is declared unto them; and those who do not acknowledge and believe, but only know, cannot profane, as was observed above. This is the case with the Jews at the present day, who in consequence of living among Christians must be aware that the Lord is acknowledged by Christians to be the Messiah whom they themselves have expected, and still continue to expect, but yet they cannot profane this because they do not acknowledge and believe it. And it is the same with the Mohammedans and Gentiles who have heard about the Lord. It was for this reason that the Lord did not come into the world until the Jewish Church acknowledged and believed nothing.

AC (Potts) n. 409

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 409

409. The case was the same with the heresy called "Cain" which in process of time was vastated, for although it acknowledged love, yet it made faith the chief and set it before love, and the heresies derived from this one gradually wandered from it, and Lamech, who was the sixth in order, altogether denied even faith. When this time arrived, a new light, or morning, shone forth, and a new church was made which is here named "Adah and Zillah" who are called the "wives of Lamech." They are called the wives of Lamech, although he possessed no faith, just as the internal and external church of the Jews, who also had no faith, are also in the Word called "wives" being represented by Leah and Rachel, the two wives of Jacob-Leah representing the external church and Rachel the internal. These churches, although they appear like two, are yet only one; for the external or representative, separate from the internal, is but as something idolatrous, or dead, whereas the internal together with the external constitute a church, and even one and the same church, as Adah and Zillah do here. As however Jacob and his posterity, like Lamech, had no faith, the church could not remain with them, but was transferred to the Gentiles, who lived not in infidelity but in ignorance. The church rarely, if ever, remains with those who when vastated have truths among them [apud se] but is transferred to those who know nothing at all of truths, for these embrace the faith much more easily than the former.

AC (Potts) n. 410

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 410

410. Vastation is of two kinds; first, of those who know and do not wish to know, or who see and do not desire to see, like the Jews of old, and the Christians of the present day; and secondly, of those who, in consequence of their ignorance, neither know nor see anything, like both the ancient and modern Gentiles. When the last time of vastation comes upon those who know and do not desire to know, that is, who see and do not desire to see, then a church arises anew, not among them, but with those whom they call Gentiles. This occurred with the Most Ancient Church that was before the flood, with the Ancient Church that was after that event, and also with the Jewish Church. The reason why new light shines forth then and not before is, as has been said, that then they can no longer profane the things revealed, because they do not acknowledge and believe that they are true.

AC (Potts) n. 411

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 411

411. That the last time of vastation must exist before a new church can arise, is frequently declared by the Lord in the Prophets, and is there called "vastation" or "laying waste" in reference to the celestial things of faith; and "desolation" in relation to the spiritual things of faith. It is also spoken of as "consummation" and "cutting off." (See Isa. 6:9, 11-12; 23:8 to the end; 24; 42:15-18; Jer. 25; Dan. 8; 9:24 to the end; Zeph. 1; Deut. 32; Rev. 15; 16; and following chapters.)

AC (Potts) n. 412

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 412

412. Verse 20. And Adah bare Jabal; he was the father of the dweller in tents, and of cattle. By "Adah" is signified, as before, the mother of the celestial and spiritual things of faith; by "Jabal, the father of the dweller in tents, and of cattle" is signified doctrine concerning the holy things of love, and the goods thence derived, which are celestial.

AC (Potts) n. 413

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 413

413. That by "Adah" is signified the mother of the celestial things of faith, is evident from her firstborn Jabal being called the "father of the dweller in tents, and of cattle" which are celestial because they signify the holy things of love and the goods thence derived.

AC (Potts) n. 414

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 414

414. That to "dwell in tents" signifies what is holy of love, is evident from the signification of "tents" in the Word. As in David:
Jehovah, who shall abide in Thy tent? Who shall dwell in the mountain of Thy holiness? He that walketh upright, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart (Ps. 15:1-2),
in which passage, what it is to "dwell in the tent" or "in the mountain of holiness" is described by holy things of love, namely, the walking uprightly, and working righteousness. Again:
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their discourse to the end of the world. In them hath He set a tent for the sun (Ps. 19:4),
where the "sun" denotes love. Again:
I will abide in Thy tent to eternities, I will trust in the covert of Thy wings (Ps. 61:4),
where the "tent" denotes what is celestial, and the "covert of wings" what is spiritual thence derived. In Isaiah:
By mercy the throne has been made firm, and one hath sat upon it in truth, in the tent of David, judging and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness (Isa. 16:5),
where also the "tent" denotes what is holy of love, as may be seen by the mention of "judging judgment" and "hasting righteousness." Again: Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feast; thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tent that shall not be moved away (Isa. 33:20),
speaking of the heavenly Jerusalem.
[2] In Jeremiah:
Thus said Jehovah, Behold, I bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and will have mercy on his dwelling places, and the city shall be builded upon her own heap (Jer. 30:18);
the "captivity of tents" signifies the vastation of what is celestial, or of the holy things of love. In Amos:
In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David which is fallen; and will fence up the breaches thereof, and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of eternity (Amos 9:11),
where the "tabernacle" in like manner denotes what is celestial and the holy things thereof. In Jeremiah:
The whole land is laid waste, suddenly are My tents laid waste, and My curtains in a moment (Jer. 4:20).
And in another place:
My tent is laid waste, and all My cords are plucked out, My sons are gone forth from Me, and they are not; there is none to stretch My tent anymore, and to set up My curtains (Jer. 10:20),
where the "tent" signifies celestial things, and "curtains" and "cords" spiritual things thence derived. Again:
Their tents and their flocks shall they take; they shall carry off for themselves their curtains, and all their vessels, and their camels (Jer. 49:29),
speaking of Arabia and the sons of the east, by whom are represented those who possess what is celestial or holy. Again:
Into the tent of the daughter of Zion the Lord hath poured out His wrath like fire (Lam. 2:4),
speaking of the vastation of the celestial or holy things of faith. [3] The reason why the term "tent" is employed in the Word to represent the celestial and holy things of love, is that in ancient times they performed the holy rites of worship in their tents. But when they began to profane the tents by profane kinds of worship, the tabernacle was built, and afterwards the temple, and therefore tents represented all that was subsequently denoted first by the tabernacle, and afterwards by the temple. For the same reason a holy man is called a "tent" a "tabernacle" and a "temple" of the Lord. That a "tent" a "tabernacle" and a "temple" have the same signification, is evident in David:
One thing have I asked of Jehovah, that will I seek after, that I may remain in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to behold Jehovah in sweetness, and to visit early in His temple; for in the day of evil He shall hide me in His tabernacle; in the secret of His tent shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall my head be lifted up against mine enemies round about me, and I will offer in His tent sacrifices of shouting (Ps. 27:4-6).
[4] In the supreme sense, the Lord as to His Human essence is the "tent" the "tabernacle" and the "temple;" hence every celestial man is so called, and also everything celestial and holy. Now as the Most Ancient Church was better beloved of the Lord than the churches that followed it, and as men at that time lived alone, that is, in their own families, and celebrated so holy a worship in their tents, therefore tents were accounted more holy than the temple, which was profaned. In remembrance thereof the feast of tabernacles was instituted, when they gathered in the produce of the earth, during which, like the most ancient people, they dwelt in tents (Lev. 23:39-44; Deut. 16:13; Hosea 12:9).

AC (Potts) n. 415

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 415

415. That by the "father of cattle" is signified the good that is derived from the holy things of love, is evident from what was shown above, at verse 2 of this chapter, where it was shown that a "shepherd of the flock" signifies the good of charity. Here however the term "father" is employed instead of "shepherd" and "cattle" instead of "flock;" and the word "cattle" of which Jabal is said to be the "father" follows immediately after "tent" whence it is evident that it signifies the good that comes from the holy of love, and that there is meant a habitation or fold for cattle, or the father of them that dwell in tents and in folds for cattle. And that these expressions signify goods from the celestial things of love, is evident from various passages in the Word. As in Jeremiah:
I will gather the remnants of My flock out of all lands whither I have scattered them, and I will bring them again to their folds, that they may be fruitful and multiply (Jer. 23:3).
In Ezekiel:
I will feed them in a good pasture, and upon the mountains of the height of Israel shall their fold be; there shall they lie down in a good fold, and in a fat pasture shall they feed upon the mountains of Israel (Ezek. 34:14),
where "folds" and "pastures" denote the goods of love, of which "fatness" is predicated. In Isaiah:
He shall give the rain of thy seed wherewith thou shalt sow the ground; and bread of the increase of the ground shall be fat and full of oil; in that day shall He feed thy cattle in a broad meadow (Isa. 30:23),
where by "bread" is signified what is celestial, and by the "fat" whereon the cattle should feed, the goods thence derived. In Jeremiah:
Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together to the good of Jehovah, for the wheat, and for the new wine, and for the oil, and for the sons of the flock, and of the herd; and their soul shall be as a watered garden (Jer. 31:11-12),
where the Holy of Jehovah is described by "wheat" and "oil" and the goods derived from it by "new wine" and the "sons of the flock and of the herd" or of "cattle." Again:
The shepherds and the flocks of their cattle shall come unto the daughter of Zion; they shall pitch their tents toward her round about; they shall feed everyone his own space (Jer. 6:3).
The "daughter of Zion" denotes the celestial church, of which "tents" and "flocks of cattle" are predicated.

AC (Potts) n. 416

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 416

416. That the holy things of love and the derivative goods are signified, is evident from the fact that Jabal was not the first of those who "dwelt in tents and in folds of cattle" for it is said likewise of Abel, the second son of Adam and Eve, that he was "a shepherd of the flock" and Jabal was the seventh in the order of descent from Cain.

AC (Potts) n. 417

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 417

417. Verse 21. And his brother's name was Jubal; he was the father of everyone that playeth upon the harp and organ. By "his brother's name was Jubal" is signified the doctrine of the spiritual things of the same church; by the "father of everyone that playeth upon the harp and organ" are signified the truths and goods of faith.

AC (Potts) n. 418

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 418

418. The former verse treated of celestial things which are of love, but this verse treats of spiritual things which are of faith, and these are expressed by the "harp and organ." That by stringed instruments, such as harps and the like, are signified the spiritual things of faith, is evident from many considerations. Similar instruments, and also the singing, in the worship of the representative church, represented nothing else, and it was on this account that there were so many singers and musicians, the cause of this representation being that all heavenly joy produces gladness of heart, which was expressed by singing, and in the next place by stringed instruments that emulated and exalted the singing. Every affection of the heart is attended with this: that it produces singing, and consequently what is connected with singing. The affection of the heart is celestial, but the consequent singing is spiritual. That singing and that which resembles it denote what is spiritual, has been evident to me from the angelic choirs, which are of two kinds, celestial and spiritual. The spiritual choirs are easily distinguished from the celestial by their vibrant singing tone [sono canoro alato], comparable to the sound of stringed instruments, of which, by the Divine mercy of the Lord, we shall speak hereafter. The most ancient people referred what was celestial to the province of the heart, and what was spiritual to that of the lungs, and consequently to whatever pertains to the lungs, as do the singing voice and things like it, and therefore the voices or sounds of such instruments. The ground of this was not merely that the heart and lungs represent a kind of marriage, like that of love and faith, but also because the celestial angels belong to the province of the heart, and the spiritual angels to that of the lungs. That such things are meant in the passage before us, may also be known from the fact that this is the Word of the Lord, and that it would be destitute of life if nothing more were implied than that Jubal was the father of such as play upon the harp and the organ; nor is it of any use to anyone to know this.

AC (Potts) n. 419

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 419

419. As celestial things are the holy things of love and the derivative goods, so spiritual things are the truths and goods of faith; for it belongs to faith to understand not only what is true, but also what is good. The knowledges of faith involve both. But to be such as faith teaches is celestial. As faith involves both of these, they are signified by two instruments, the harp and the organ. The harp, as everyone knows, is a stringed instrument, and therefore signifies spiritual truth; but the organ, being intermediate between a stringed instrument and a wind instrument, signifies spiritual good.

AC (Potts) n. 420

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 420

420. In the Word mention is made of various instruments, each having its own signification, as will be shown, of the Lord's Divine mercy, in its proper place; here however we shall adduce only what is said in David:
I will sacrifice in the tent of Jehovah sacrifices of shouting, I will sing, yea, I will sing praises unto Jehovah (Ps. 27:6),
where by "tent" is expressed what is celestial, and by "shouting" "singing" and "singing praises" what is spiritual thence derived. Again:
Sing unto Jehovah, O ye righteous, for His praise is comely for the upright; confess ye to Jehovah on the harp, sing unto Him with the psaltery, an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto Him a new song, play skillfully with a loud noise; for the Word of Jehovah is right, and all His work is in the truth (Ps. 33:1-4),
denoting the truths of faith, concerning which these things are said.
[2] Spiritual things, or the truths and goods of faith, were celebrated with the harp and psaltery, with singing and analogous instruments, but the holy or celestial things of faith were celebrated with wind instruments, such as trumpets and the like; and this was why so many instruments were used about the temple and so often, in order that this or that subject might be celebrated with certain instruments; and in consequence of this the instruments came to be taken and understood for the subjects that were celebrated with them.
[3] Again:
I will confess to Thee with the psaltery, even Thy truth, O my God; unto Thee will I sing praises with the harp, O Thou Holy One of Israel; my lips shall sing when I sing praises unto Thee, and my soul which Thou hast redeemed (Ps. 71:22, 23), where also the truths of faith are signified. Again:
Answer to Jehovah in confession, sing praises upon the harp unto our God (Ps. 147:7)
"confession" has respect to the celestial things of faith, and therefore mention is made of "Jehovah;" and to "sing praises upon the harp" has reference to the spiritual things of faith, wherefore "God" is spoken of. Again:
Let them praise the name of Jehovah in the dance, let them sing praises unto Him with the timbrel and harp (Ps. 49:3), where the "timbrel" signifies good, and the "harp" truth, which they praise. [4] Again:
Praise God with the sound of the trumpet; praise Him with the psaltery and harp; praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and the organ; praise Him upon the loud cymbals; praise Him upon the cymbals of shouting (Ps. 150:3, 4, 5).
These instruments denote the goods and the truths of faith which were the subjects of praise; for let no one believe that so many different instruments would have been here mentioned unless each had a distinct signification. Again, referring to the knowledges of good and truth:
O send out Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead me, let them bring me unto the mountain of Thy holiness, and to Thy habitations, and I will go in to the altar of God, unto God, the gladness of my exultation; yea, I will confess unto Thee upon the harp, O God, my God (Ps. 43:3, 4).
[5] In Isaiah, referring to the things that are of faith, and the knowledges thereof:
Take a harp, go about the city, play well, sing many songs, that thou mayest be called to remembrance (Isa. 23:16).
The same is expressed still more plainly in John:
The four animals and the four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having everyone of them harps, and golden vials full of incense offerings, which are the prayers of the saints (Rev. 5:8),
where it must be evident to everyone that the animals and elders had not harps, but that by "harps" are signified the truths of faith, and by "golden vials full of incense offerings" the goods of faith. In David the performances on the instruments are called "praises" and "confessions" (Ps. 42:5; 69:31). And in another place in John:
I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters, and I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps, and they sang a new song (Rev. 14:2-3).
And in another place:
I saw them standing by the sea of glass having the harps of God (Rev. 15:2).It is worthy of mention that angels and spirits distinguish sounds according to their differences with respect to good and truth, not only those produced in singing and by instruments, but also those of voices; and they admit none but such as are in accord, so that there may be a concord of the sounds, and consequently of the instruments, with the nature and essence of the good and the true.

AC (Potts) n. 421

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 421

421. Verse 22. And Zillah, she also bare Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron; and the sister of Tubal-Cain was Naamah. By "Zillah" is signified, as previously stated, the mother of the natural things of the new church; by "Tubal-Cain, an instructor of every artificer in brass and iron" the doctrine of natural good and truth, "brass" denoting natural good, and "iron" natural truth. By "Naamah, the sister of "Tubal-Cain" is signified a similar church, or the doctrine of natural good and truth outside of that church.

AC (Potts) n. 422

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 422

422. How the case was with this new church may be seen from the Jewish Church, which was both internal and external; the internal church consisting of celestial and spiritual things, and the external church of natural things. The internal church was represented by Rachel, and the external by Leah. But as Jacob, or rather his posterity understood by "Jacob" in the Word, were such as to desire only external things, or worship in externals, therefore Leah was given to Jacob before Rachel; and by blear-eyed Leah was represented the Jewish Church, and by Rachel a new church of the Gentiles. For this reason "Jacob" is taken in both senses in the Prophets, in one denoting the Jewish Church in its perverted state, and in the other the true external church of the Gentiles. When the internal church is signified, he is called "Israel;" but of these matters, by the Divine mercy of the Lord, more will be said hereafter.

AC (Potts) n. 423

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 423

423. Tubal-Cain is called the "instructor of every artificer" and not the "father" as was the case with Jabal and Jubal; and the reason is that before there were no celestial and spiritual or internal things. And the term "father" is applied to Jabal and Jubal, to denote that such internal things then first began to exist; whereas natural or external things did exist before, but were now applied to internal things, so that Tubal-Cain is not called the "father" but the "instructor, of every artificer."

AC (Potts) n. 424

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 424

424. By an "artificer" in the Word is signified a wise, intelligent, and well-informed [sciens] man, and here by "every artificer in brass and iron" are signified those who are acquainted with natural good and truth. As in John: With violence shall that great city Babylon be thrown down, and shall be found no more at all. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more at all in her; and no artificer, of whatsoever craft, shall be found anymore in her (Rev. 18:21-22).
"Harpers" here as above signify truths; "trumpeters" the goods of faith; an "artificer of any craft" one who knows, or the memory-knowledge [scientia] of truth and good. In Isaiah:
The artificer melteth a graven image, and the smelter spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains; he seeketh unto him a wise artificer, to prepare a graven image that shall not be moved (Isa. 40:19-20),
speaking of those who from phantasy forge for themselves what is false-a "graven image"-and teach it so that it appears true. In Jeremiah:
At the same time as they are infatuated they grow foolish, the doctrine of vanities, it is but a stock. Silver beaten out is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the artificer, and of the hands of the smelter; blue and raiment; they are all the work of the wise (Jer. 10:1, 8-9),
signifying one who teaches falsities, and collects from the Word things with which to forge his invention, wherefore it is called a "doctrine of vanities" and the "work of the wise." Such persons were represented in ancient times by artificers who forge idols, that is, falsities, which they adorn with gold, that is, with a semblance of good; and with silver, or an appearance of truth; and with blue and with raiment, or such natural things as are in apparent agreement.

AC (Potts) n. 425

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 425

425. It is unknown to the world at the present day that "brass" signifies natural good, and also that every metal mentioned in the Word has a specific signification in the internal sense-as "gold" celestial good; "silver" spiritual truth; "brass" natural good; "iron" natural truth; and so on with the other metals, and in like manner "wood" and "stone." Such things were signified by the "gold" "silver" "brass" and "wood" used in the ark and in the tabernacle and in the temple, concerning which, of the Lord's Divine mercy hereafter. That such is their signification is manifest from the Prophets, as from Isaiah:
Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breast of kings. For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron; I will also make thy tribute peace, and thine exactors righteousness (Isa. 60:16-17),
treating of the Lord's advent, of His kingdom, and of the celestial church. "For brass gold" signifies for natural good celestial good; "for iron silver" signifies for natural truth spiritual truth; "for wood brass" signifies for corporeal good natural good; "for stones iron" signifies for sensuous truth natural truth. In Ezekiel:
Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, these were thy merchants, in the soul of man, and vessels of brass they gave thy trading (Ezek. 27:13),
speaking of Tyre, by which are signified those who possess spiritual and celestial riches; "vessels of brass" are natural goods. In Moses:
A land whose stones are iron, and out of whose mountains thou mayest hew brass (Deut. 8:9),
where also "stones" denote sensuous truth; "iron" natural, that is, rational truth; and "brass" natural good. Ezekiel saw:
Four living creatures, or cherubs, whose feet sparkled like the appearance of burnished brass (Ezek. 1:7),
where again "brass" signifies natural good, for the "foot" of man represents what is natural. In like manner there appeared to Daniel, A man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz, his body also was like the beryl, and his arms and his feet like the appearance of burnished brass (Dan. 10:5-6).
That the "brazen serpent" (Num. 21:9) represented the sensuous and natural good of the Lord, may be seen above.

AC (Potts) n. 426

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 426

426. That "iron" signifies natural truth, is further evident from what Ezekiel says of Tyre:
Tarshish was thy trader by reason of the multitude of all riches; in silver, iron, tin, and lead, they gave thy traffickings. Dan, and Javan, and Meusal furnished bright iron in thy tradings; cassia and calamus were in thy mart (Ezek. 27:12, 19).
From these words, as well as from what is said both previously and subsequently in the same chapter, it is very evident that celestial and spiritual riches are signified; and that every particular expression, and even the names mentioned, have some specific signification, for the Word of the Lord is spiritual, and not verbal.
[2] In Jeremiah:
Can one break iron, even iron from the north, and brass? Thy substance [facultates] and thy treasures will I give for a spoil without price, and this for all thy sins (Jer. 15:12-13),
where "iron" and "brass" signify natural truth and good; that it came from the "north" signifies what is sensuous and natural; for what is natural, relatively to what is spiritual and celestial, is like thick darkness (that is, the "north") relatively to light or the "south;" or like shade, which is also signified here by "Zillah" who is the "mother." That the "substance" and "treasures" are celestial and spiritual riches, is also very evident.
[3] Again in Ezekiel:
Take thou unto thee a pan of iron, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city, and set thy faces toward it, and let it be for a siege, and thou shalt straiten against it (Ezek. 4:3),where also it is evident that "iron" signifies truth. Strength is attributed to truth, because it cannot be resisted, and for this reason it is said of iron-by which is signified truth, or the truth of faith-that it "breaks in pieces" and "crushes"; as in Daniel (2:34, 40), and in John:
He that overcometh, to him will I give sovereign power over the nations, that he may pasture them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers (Rev. 2:26-27).
Again:
The woman brought forth a man child, who should pasture all nations with a rod of iron (Rev. 12:5).
[4] That a "rod of iron" is the truth which is of the Word of the Lord, is explained in John:
I saw heaven open, and behold a white horse, and He that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He doth judge and fight; He was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood, and His name is called the Word of God; out of His mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations; and He shall pasture them with a rod of iron (Rev. 19:11, 13, 15).

AC (Potts) n. 427

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 427

427. Verse 23. And Lamech said unto his wives, Adah and Zillah, Hear my voice, ye wives of Lamech, and with your ears perceive my speech; for I have slain a man to my wounding, and a little one to my hurt. By "Lamech" is signified vastation, as before; that he "said unto his wives Adah and Zillah, With your ears perceive my speech" signifies confession, which can only be made where there is a church, which, as has been said, is signified by his "wives." "I have slain a man to my wounding" signifies that he had extinguished faith, for by a "man" is signified faith; "a little one to my hurt" signifies that he had extinguished charity. By a "wound" and a "hurt" (or "bruise") is signified that there was no more soundness; by a "wound" that faith was desolated; by a "hurt" that charity was devastated.

AC (Potts) n. 428

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 428

428. From the contents of this and the following verse, it is very evident that by "Lamech" is signified vastation; for he says that he had "slain a man" and a "little child" and that Cain should be avenged sevenfold, and Lamech "seventy and sevenfold."

AC (Potts) n. 429

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 429

429. That by a "man" [vir] is signified faith, is evident from the first verse of this chapter, in that Eve said, when she bare Cain, "I have gotten a man Jehovah;" by whom was meant the doctrine of faith, called a "man Jehovah." It is evident also from what was shown above concerning a man or male, that he signifies understanding, which is of faith. That he had also extinguished charity, here called a "little one" or a "little child" follows, for he who denies and murders faith, at the same time also denies and murders the charity that is born from faith.

AC (Potts) n. 430

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 430

430. A "little one" or "little child" in the Word, signifies innocence, and also charity, for true innocence cannot exist without charity, nor true charity without innocence. There are three degrees of innocence, distinguished in the Word by the terms "sucklings" "infants" and "little children;" and as there is no true innocence without true love and charity, therefore also by "sucklings" "infants" and "little children" are signified the three degrees of love: namely, tender love, like that of a suckling toward its mother or nurse; love like that of an infant toward its parents; and charity, similar to that of a little child toward its instructor. Thus it is said in Isaiah:
The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the fatling together, and a little child shall lead them (Isa. 11:6).
Here a "lamb" a "kid" and a "calf" signify the three degrees of innocence and love; a "wolf" a "leopard" and a "young lion" their opposites; and a "little child" charity. In Jeremiah:
Ye commit this great evil against your souls, to cut off from you man and wife, infant and suckling, out of the midst of Judah, to leave you no remains (Jer. 44:7).
"Man and wife" denote things of the understanding and of the will, or of truth and of good; and "infant and suckling" the first degrees of love. That an "infant" and a "little child" denote innocence and charity, is very evident from the Lord's words in Luke: They brought unto Him little children that He should touch them. And Jesus said, Suffer little children to come unto Me, and forbid them not, for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, shall in no wise enter therein (Luke 18:15, 17).
The Lord Himself is called a "little one" or "child" (Isa. 9:6), because He is innocence itself and love itself, and in the same passage He is spoken of as "Wonderful, Counselor, God, Hero, Father of Eternity, Prince of Peace."

AC (Potts) n. 431

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 431

431. That by a "wound" and a "bruise" is signified that there was soundness no longer, by a "wound" that faith was desolated, and by a "bruise" that charity was devastated, is evident from the fact that "wound" is predicated of a "man" and "bruise" of a "little one." The desolation of faith and the vastation of charity are described in the same terms in Isaiah:
From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wound and bruise and a fresh sore they have not been pressed out, neither bound up, neither mollified with oil (Isa. 1:6).
In this passage "wound" is predicated of faith desolated, "bruise" of charity devastated, and "sore" of both.

AC (Potts) n. 432

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 432

432. Verse 24. If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold, truly Lamech seventy and sevenfold. These words signify that they had extinguished the faith meant by "Cain" to do violence to which was sacrilege, and at the same time had extinguished the charity which should be born through faith, a far greater sacrilege, and that for this there was condemnation, that is, a "seventy and sevenfold avengement."

AC (Potts) n. 433

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 433

433. That Cain's being "avenged sevenfold" signifies that it was sacrilege to do violence to that separated faith which is meant by "Cain" has been already shown at verse 15. And that by a "seventy and sevenfold avengement" is signified a far greater sacrilege the consequence of which is damnation, is evident from the signification of "seventy and sevenfold." That the number "seven" is holy, originates in the fact that the "seventh day" signifies the celestial man, the celestial church, the celestial kingdom, and, in the highest sense, the Lord Himself. Hence the number "seven" wherever it occurs in the Word, signifies what is holy, or most sacred; and this holiness and sanctity is predicated of, or according to, the things that are being treated of. From this comes the signification of the number "seventy" which comprises seven ages; for an age, in the Word, is ten years. When anything most holy or sacred was to be expressed, it was said "seventy-sevenfold" as when the Lord said that a man should forgive his brother not until seven times, but until seventy times seven (Matt. 18:22), by which is meant that they should forgive as many times as he sins, so that the forgiving should be without end, or should be eternal, which is holy. And here, that Lamech should "be avenged seventy and sevenfold" means damnation, because of the violation of that which is most sacred.

AC (Potts) n. 434

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 434

434. Verse 25. And the man [homo] knew his wife again, and she bare a son, and called his name Seth; for God hath appointed me another seed instead of Abel, for Cain slew him. The "man" and his "wife" here mean the new church signified above by "Adah and Zillah;" and by her "son" whose name was Seth, is signified a new faith, by which charity might be obtained. By "God appointed another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew" is signified that charity, which Cain had separated and extinguished, was now given by the Lord to this church.

AC (Potts) n. 435

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 435

435. That the "man" and his "wife" here mean the new church signified above by Adah and Zillah no one could know or infer from the literal sense, because the "man and his wife" had previously signified the Most Ancient Church and its posterity; but it is very evident from the internal sense, as well as from the fact that immediately afterwards, in the following chapter (verses 1-4), the man and his wife, and their begetting Seth, are again mentioned, but in entirely different words, and in this case there is signified the first posterity of the Most Ancient Church. If nothing else were signified in the passage before us, there would be no need to say the same thing here: in like manner as in the first chapter the creation of man, and of the fruits of the earth, and of the beasts, is treated of, and then in the second chapter they are treated of again, for the reason, as has been said, that in the first chapter it is the creation of the spiritual man that is treated of, whereas in the second chapter the subject is the creation of the celestial man. Whenever there is such a repetition in the mention of one and the same person or thing, it is always with a difference of signification, but what it is that is signified cannot possibly be known except from the internal sense. Here, the connection itself confirms the signification that has been given, and there is the additional consideration that man [homo] and wife are general terms which signify the parent church that is in question.

AC (Potts) n. 436

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 436

436. That by her "son" whom she named Seth, is signified a new faith, by which charity may be attained, is evident from what has been previously stated, as well as from its being related of Cain that a "mark was set upon him, lest anyone should slay him." For the subject as it stands in a series is as follows: Faith separated from love was signified by "Cain;" charity, by "Abel;" and that faith in its separated state extinguished charity, was signified by Cain slaying Abel. The preservation of faith in order that charity might be thereby implanted by the Lord, was signified by Jehovah's setting a mark on Cain lest anyone should slay him. That afterwards the Holy of love and the good thence derived were given by the Lord through faith, was signified by Jabal whom Adah bare; and that the spiritual of faith was given, was signified by his brother Jubal; and that from these there came natural good and truth was signified by Tubal-Cain whom Zillah bare. In these two concluding verses of Genesis 4 we have the conclusion, and thus the summary, of all these matters, to this effect, that by the "man and his wife" is signified that new church which before was called Adah and Zillah, and that by "Seth" is signified the faith through which charity is implanted; and in the verse which now follows, by "Enosh" is signified the charity that is implanted through faith.

AC (Potts) n. 437

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 437

437. That "Seth" here signifies a new faith, through which comes charity, is explained by his name, which it is said was given him because God "appointed another seed instead of Abel, whom Cain slew." That God "appointed another seed" means that the Lord gave another faith; for "another seed" is the faith through which comes charity. That "seed" signifies faith, may be seen above (n. 255).

AC (Potts) n. 438

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 438

438. Verse 26. And to Seth, to him also there was born a son; and he called his name Enosh: then began they to call upon the name of Jehovah. By "Seth" is signified the faith through which comes charity, as was said above; by his "son" whose name was "Enosh" is signified a church which regarded charity as the principal of faith; by beginning then to "call on the name of Jehovah" is signified the worship of that church from charity.

AC (Potts) n. 439

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 439

439. That by "Seth" is signified the faith through which comes charity, was shown in the preceding verse. That by his "son, whose name was Enosh" is signified a church that regarded charity as the principal of faith, is also evident from what has been said before, as well as from the fact that it is called "Enosh" which name also means a "man" not a celestial man, but that human spiritual man which is here called "Enosh." The same is evident also from the words that immediately follow: "then began they to call upon the name of Jehovah."

AC (Potts) n. 440

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 440

440. That by the words just quoted is signified the worship of that church from charity, is evident from the fact that to "call upon the name of Jehovah" is a customary and general form of speech for all worship of the Lord; and that this worship was from charity is evident from the fact that "Jehovah" is here mentioned, whereas in the preceding verse He was called "God" as well as from the fact that the Lord cannot be worshiped except from charity, since true worship cannot proceed from faith that is not of charity, because it is merely of the lips, and not of the heart. That to "call on the name of Jehovah" is a customary form of speech for all worship of the Lord, appears from the Word; thus it is said of Abraham, that "he built an altar to Jehovah, and called on the name of Jehovah" (Gen. 12:8; 13:4); and again, that he "planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of Jehovah, the God of eternity" (Gen. 21:33). That this expression includes all worship, is plain from Isaiah:
Jehovah the Holy One of Israel hath said, Thou hast not called upon Me, O Jacob, but thou hast been weary of Me, O Israel. Thou hast not brought to Me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings, neither hast thou honored Me with thy sacrifices. I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense (Isa. 43:22-23),
in which passage a summary is given of all representative worship.

AC (Potts) n. 441

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 441

441. That the invocation of the name of Jehovah did not commence at this time, is sufficiently evident from what has already been said above in regard to the Most Ancient Church, which more than any other adored and worshiped the Lord; and also from the fact that Abel brought an offering of the firstlings of the flock; so that in this passage by "calling upon the name of Jehovah" nothing else is signified than the worship of the new church, after the former church had been extinguished by those who are called "Cain" and "Lamech."

AC (Potts) n. 442

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 442

442. From the contents of this chapter as above explained, it is evident that in the most ancient time there were many doctrines and heresies separate from the church, each one of which had its name, which separate doctrines and heresies were the outcome of much more profound thought than any at the present day, because such was the genius of the men of that time.

AC (Potts) n. 443

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 443

443. SOME EXAMPLES DRAWN FROM EXPERIENCE WITH SPIRITS CONCERNING WHAT THEY HAD THOUGHT DURING THEIR LIFE IN THE BODY ABOUT THE SOUL OR SPIRIT.
In the other life it is given to perceive clearly what opinions people had entertained while they lived in the body concerning the soul, the spirit, and the life after death; for when kept in a state resembling that of the body they think in the same way, and their thought is communicated as plainly as if they spoke aloud. In the case of one person, not long after his decease, I perceived (what he himself confessed) that he had indeed believed in the existence of the spirit, but had imagined that it must live after death an obscure kind of life, because if the life of the body were withdrawn there would remain nothing but what is dim and obscure; for he had regarded life as being in the body, and therefore he had thought of the spirit as being a phantom; and he had confirmed himself in this idea from seeing that brutes also have life, almost as men have it. He now marveled that spirits and angels live in the greatest light, and in the greatest intelligence, wisdom, and happiness, attended with a perception so perfect that it can scarcely be described; consequently that their life, so far from being obscure, is most perfectly clear and distinct.

AC (Potts) n. 444

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 444

444. Conversing with one who while he lived in this world had believed that the spirit has no extension, and on that ground would admit of no word that implied extension, I asked him what he now thought of himself, seeing that now he was a soul or spirit, and possessed sight, hearing, smell, an exquisite sense of touch, desires, thoughts, insomuch that he supposed himself to be exactly as if in the body. He was kept in the idea which he had when he had so thought in the world, and he said that the spirit is thought. I was permitted to ask him in reply, whether, having lived in the world, he was not aware that there can be no bodily sight without an organ of vision or eye? and how then can there be internal sight, or thought? Must it not have some organic substance from which to think? He then acknowledged that while in the bodily life he had labored under the delusion that the spirit is mere thought, devoid of everything organic or extended. I added that if the soul or spirit were mere thoughts man would not need so large a brain, seeing that the whole brain is the organ of the interior senses; for if it were not so the skull might be hollow, and the thought still act in it as the spirit. From this consideration alone, as well as from the operation of the soul into the muscles, giving rise to so great a variety of movements, I said that he might be assured that the spirit is organic, that is, an organic substance. Whereupon he confessed his error, and wondered that he had been so foolish.

AC (Potts) n. 445

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 445

445. It was further remarked, that the learned have no other belief than that the soul which is to live after death, that is, the spirit, is abstract thought. This is very manifest from their unwillingness to admit of any term that implies extension and what belongs to extension, because thought abstractedly from a subject is not extended, whereas the subject of the thought, and the objects of the thought, are extended; and as for those objects which are not extended, men define them by boundaries and give extension to them, in order that they may comprehend them. This shows very clearly that the learned have no other conception of the soul or spirit than that it is mere thought, and so cannot but believe that it will vanish when they die.

AC (Potts) n. 446

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 446

446. I have discoursed with spirits concerning the common opinion that prevails among men at the present day, that the existence of the spirit is not to be credited because they do not see it with their eyes, nor comprehend it by their memory-knowledges [scientias], and so they not only deny that the spirit has extension, but also that it is a substance, disputing as to what substance is. And as they deny that it has extension, and also dispute about substance, they also deny that the spirit is in any place, and consequently that it is in the human body; and yet the most simple might know that his soul or spirit is within his body. When I said these things, the spirits, who were some of the more simple ones, marveled that the men of the present day are so foolish. And when they heard the words that are disputed about, such as "parts without parts" and other such terms, they called them absurd, ridiculous, and farcical, which should not occupy the mind at all, because they close the way to intelligence.

AC (Potts) n. 447

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 447

447. A certain novitiate spirit, on hearing me speak about the spirit, asked, "What is a spirit?" supposing himself to be a man. And when I told him that there is a spirit in every man, and that in respect to his life a man is a spirit; that the body is merely to enable a man to live on the earth, and that the flesh and bones, that is, the body, does not live or think at all; seeing that he was at a loss, I asked him whether he had ever heard of the soul. "What is a soul?" he replied, "I do not know what a soul is." I was then permitted to tell him that he himself was now a soul, or spirit, as he might know from the fact that he was over my head, and was not standing on the earth. I asked him whether he could not perceive this, and he then fled away in terror, crying out, "I am a spirit! I am a spirit!"
A certain Jew supposed himself to be living wholly in the body, insomuch that he could scarcely be persuaded to the contrary. And when he was shown that he was a spirit, he still persisted in saying that he was a man, because he could see and hear. Such are they who, during their abode in this world, have been devoted to the body.
To these examples very many more might be added, but these have been given merely in order to confirm the fact, that it is the spirit in man, and not the body, which exercises sensation.

AC (Potts) n. 448

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 448

448. I have conversed with many who had been known to me in this life (and this I have done for a long time-for months and years), in as clear a voice, although an inward one, as with friends in this world. The subject of our conversation has sometimes been the state of man after death, and they have wondered exceedingly that during the bodily life no one knows or believes that he is so to live when the bodily life is over, when yet there is then a continuation of life, and such a continuation that the man passes from an obscure life into a clear one, and those who are in faith in the Lord into a life that is more and more clear. They have desired me to tell their friends that they are alive, and to write and tell them what their condition is, even as I had related to themselves many things about that of their friends here. But I replied that were I to tell their friends such things, or to write to them about them, they would not believe, but would call them delusions, would scoff at them, and would ask for signs or miracles before they would believe; and I should merely expose myself to their derision. And that these things are true, perchance but few will believe. For at heart men deny the existence of spirits, and even those who do not deny it are unwilling to hear that anyone can speak with spirits. In ancient times there was no such state of belief in regard to spirits, but so it is now when by crazy ratiocination men try to find out what spirits are, and by their definitions and suppositions deprive them of all the senses, and do this the more, the more learned they desire to be.

AC (Potts) n. 449

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 449

449. CHAPTER 5
CONCERNING HEAVEN AND HEAVENLY JOY
Hitherto the nature of heaven and of heavenly joy has been known to none. Those who have thought about them have formed an idea concerning them so general and so gross as scarcely to amount to any idea at all. What notion they have conceived on the subject I have been able to learn most accurately from spirits who had recently passed from the world into the other life; for when left to themselves, as if they were in this world, they think in the same way. I may give a few examples.

AC (Potts) n. 450

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 450

450. Some who during their abode in this world had seemed to be preeminently enlightened in regard to the Word, had conceived so false an idea about heaven that they supposed themselves to be in heaven when they were high up, and imagined that from that position they could rule all things below, and thus be in self-glory and preeminence over others. On account of their being in such a phantasy, and in order to show them that they were in error, they were taken up on high, and from there were permitted in some measure to rule over things below; but they discovered with shame that this was a heaven of phantasy, and that heaven does not consist in being on high, but is wherever there is anyone who is in love and charity, or in whom is the Lord's kingdom; and that neither does it consist in desiring to be more eminent than others, for to desire to be greater than others is not heaven, but hell.

AC (Potts) n. 451

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 451

451. A certain spirit, who during his life in the body had possessed authority, retained in the other life the desire to exercise command. But he was told that he was now in another kingdom, which is eternal; that his rule on earth was dead; and that where he was now no one is held in estimation except in accordance with the good and truth, and the mercy of the Lord, in which he is; and further, that it is in that kingdom as it is on earth, where everyone is rated according to his wealth, and his favor with his sovereign; and that there good and truth are wealth, and favor with the sovereign is the Lord's mercy; and that if he desired to exercise command in any other way, he was a rebel, seeing that he was now in the kingdom of another. On hearing this he was ashamed.

AC (Potts) n. 452

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 452

452. I have conversed with spirits who supposed heaven and heavenly joy to consist in being the greatest. But they were told that in heaven he is greatest who is least, because he who would be the least has the greatest happiness, and consequently is the greatest, for what is it to be the greatest except to be the most happy? it is this that the powerful seek by power, and the rich by riches. They were told, further, that heaven does not consist in desiring to be the least in order to be the greatest, for in that case the person is really aspiring and wishing to be the greatest; but that heaven consists in this, that from the heart we wish better for others than for ourselves, and desire to be of service to others in order to promote their happiness, and this for no selfish end, but from love.

AC (Potts) n. 453

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 453

453. Some entertain so gross an idea of heaven that they suppose it to be mere admission, in fact that it is a room into which they are admitted through a door, which is opened, and then they are let in by the doorkeepers.

AC (Potts) n. 454

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 454

454. Some think that heaven consists in a life of ease, in which they are served by others; but they are told that there is no possible happiness in being at rest as a means of happiness, for so everyone would wish to have the happiness of others made tributary to his own happiness; and when everyone wished this, no one would have happiness. Such a life would not be an active life, but an idle one, in which they would grow torpid, and yet they might know that there is no happiness except in an active life. Angelic life consists in use, and in the goods of charity; for the angels know no greater happiness than in teaching and instructing the spirits that arrive from the world; in being of service to men, controlling the evil spirits about them lest they pass the proper bounds, and inspiring the men with good; and in raising up the dead to the life of eternity, and then, if the souls are such as to render it possible, introducing them into heaven.
From all this they perceive more happiness than can possibly be described. Thus are they images of the Lord; thus do they love the neighbor more than themselves; and for this reason heaven is heaven. So that angelic happiness is in use, from use, and according to use, that is, it is according to the goods of love and of charity. When those who have the idea that heavenly joy consists in living at ease, idly breathing in eternal joy, have heard these things, they are given to perceive, in order to shame them, what such a life really is, and they perceive that it is a most sad one, that it is destructive of all joy, and that after a short time they would loathe and nauseate it.

AC (Potts) n. 455

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 455

455. One who in this world had been most learned in regard to the Word, had the idea that heavenly joy consists in being in a glorious light, like that which exists when the solar rays appear of a golden hue, so that he too supposed it to consist in a life of ease. In order that he might know himself to be in error, such a light was granted him, and he, being in the midst of the light, was as delighted as if he were in heaven, as indeed he said. But he could not remain long in it, for it gradually wearied him and became no joy at all.

AC (Potts) n. 456

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 456

456. The best instructed of them all said that heavenly joy consists solely in praising and glorifying the Lord, being a life destitute of any doing of the goods of charity, and that this is an active life. But they were told that praising and celebrating the Lord is not such an active life as is meant, but is an effect of that life; for the Lord has no need of praises, but wills that they should do the goods of charity, and that it is according to these that they will receive happiness from the Lord. But still these best instructed persons could form no idea of joy, but of servitude, in doing these goods of charity. But the angels testified that such a life is the freest of all, and that it is conjoined with happiness unutterable.

AC (Potts) n. 457

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 457

457. Almost all who pass from this world into the other life suppose that hell is the same for everyone, and that heaven is the same for everyone. And yet in both there are endless, diversities and varieties, and neither the heaven nor the hell of one person is ever exactly like that of another; just as no man, spirit, or angel is ever exactly like another. When I merely thought of there being two exactly alike or equal, horror was excited in the inhabitants of the world of spirits and of the angelic heaven, and they said that everyone is formed by the harmony of many components, and that such as is the harmony, such is the one, and that it is impossible for anything to subsist that is absolutely a one, but only a one that results from a harmony of component parts. Thus every society in the heavens forms a one, and so do all the societies together, that is, the universal heaven, and this from the Lord alone, through love. A certain angel enumerated the most universal only of the genera of the joys of spirits, that is, of the first heaven, to about four hundred and seventy-eight, from which we may infer how innumerable must be the less universal genera and the species in each genus. And as there are so many in that heaven, how, illimitable must be the genera of happinesses in the heaven of angelic spirits, and still more so in the heaven of angels.

AC (Potts) n. 458

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 458

458. Evil spirits have sometimes supposed that there is another heaven besides that of the Lord, and they have been permitted to seek for it wherever they could, but to their confusion they could never find any other heaven. For evil spirits rush into insanities both from the hatred they bear against the Lord, and from their infernal suffering, and catch at such phantasies.

AC (Potts) n. 459

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 459

459. There are three heavens: the first is the abode of good spirits; the second, of angelic spirits and the third, of angels. Spirits, angelic spirits, and angels are all distinguished into the celestial and the spiritual. The celestial are those who through love have received faith from the Lord, like the men of the Most Ancient Church treated of above. The spiritual are those who through knowledges of faith have received charity from the Lord, and who act from what they have received.
A continuation of this subject will follow at the end of this chapter.

CHAPTER 5.
1. This is the book of the births of Man. In the day that God created Man, in the likeness of God made He him.
2. Male and female created He them, and blessed them, and called their name Man, in the day when they were created.
3. And Man lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat into his likeness, after his image, and called his name Seth.
4. And the days of Man after he begat Seth were eight hundred years; and he begat sons and daughters.
5. And all the days that Man lived were nine hundred and thirty years; and he died.
6. And Seth lived a hundred and five years, and begat Enosh.
7. And Seth lived after he begat Enosh eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters.
8. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years; and he died.
9. And Enosh lived ninety years, and begat Kenan.
10. And Enosh lived after he begat Kenan eight hundred and fifteen years; and begat sons and daughters.
11. And all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years; and he died.
12. And Kenan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalalel.
13. And Kenan lived after he begat Mahalalel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters.
14. And all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years; and he died.
15. And Mahalalel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared.
16. And Mahalalel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters.
17. And all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred ninety and five years; and he died.
18. And Jared lived a hundred sixty and two years, and begat Enoch.
19. And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
20. And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years; and he died.
21. And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah.
22. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters.
23. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years.
24. And Enoch walked with God, and he was no more, for God took him.
25. And Methuselah lived a hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech.
26. And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters.
27. And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred sixty and nine years; and he died.
28. And Lamech lived a hundred eighty and two years, and begat a son;
29. And he called his name Noah, saying, He shall comfort us from our work, and the toil of our hands, out of the ground which JEHOVAH hath cursed.
30. And Lamech lived after he begat Noah five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters.
31. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years; and he died.
32. And Noah was a son of five hundred years; and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

AC (Potts) n. 460

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 460

460. THE CONTENTS
This chapter treats specifically of the propagation of the Most Ancient Church through successive generations, almost to the flood.

AC (Potts) n. 461

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 461

461. The Most Ancient Church itself, which was celestial, is what is called "Man" [homo], and a "likeness of God" (verse 1).

AC (Potts) n. 462

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 462

462. A second church which was not so celestial as the Most Ancient Church, is called "Seth" (verses 2, 3).

AC (Potts) n. 463

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 463

463. A third church was called "Enosh" (verse 6); a fourth "Kenan" (verse 9); a fifth "Mahalalel" (verse 12); a sixth "Jared" (verse 15); a seventh "Enoch" (verse 18); and an eighth church "Methuselah" (verse 21).

AC (Potts) n. 464

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 464

464. The church called "Enoch" is described as framing doctrine from what was revealed to and perceived by the Most Ancient Church, which doctrine, although of no use at that time, was preserved for the use of posterity. This is signified by its being said that "Enoch was no more, because God took him" (verses 22-24).

AC (Potts) n. 465

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 465

465. A ninth church was called "Lamech" (verse 25).

AC (Potts) n. 466

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 466

466. A tenth, the parent of three churches after the flood, was named "Noah." This church is to be called the Ancient Church (verses 28, 29).

AC (Potts) n. 467

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 467

467. "Lamech" is described as retaining nothing of the perception which the Most Ancient Church enjoyed; and "Noah" is described as a new church (verse 29).

AC (Potts) n. 468

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 468

468. THE INTERNAL SENSE.
From what has been said and shown in the foregoing chapter, it is evident that by names are signified heresies and doctrines. Hence it may be seen that by the names in this chapter are not meant persons, but things, and in the present instance doctrines, or churches, which were preserved, notwithstanding the changes they underwent, from the time of the Most Ancient Church even to "Noah." But the case with every church is that in course of time it decreases, and at last remains among a few; and the few with whom it remained at the time of the flood were called "Noah."
[2] That the true church decreases and remains with but few, is evident from other churches which have thus decreased. Those who are left are in the Word called "remains" and a "remnant" and are said to be "in the midst" or "middle" "of the land." And as this is the case in the universal, so also it is in the particular, or as it is with the church, so it is with every individual man; for unless remains were preserved by the Lord in everyone, he must needs perish eternally, since spiritual and celestial life are in the remains. So also in the general or universal-if there were not always some with whom the church, or true faith, remained, the human race would perish; for, as is generally known, a city, nay, sometimes a whole kingdom, is saved for the sake of a few. It is in this respect with the church as it is with the human body; so long as the heart is sound, life is possible for the neighboring viscera, but when the heart is enfeebled, the other parts of the body cease to be nourished, and the man dies. The last remains are those which are signified by "Noah;" for (as appears from Gen. 6:12, as well as from other places) the whole earth had become corrupt.
[3] Of remains as existing in each individual as well as in the church in general, much is said in the Prophets; as in Isaiah:
He that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy to Him, even everyone that is written unto lives in Jerusalem, when the Lord shall have washed the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have washed away the bloods of Jerusalem from the midst thereof (Isa. 4:3-4),
in which passage holiness is predicated of the remains, by which are signified the remains of the church, and also of a man of the church; for "those left" in Zion and Jerusalem could not be holy merely because they were "left." Again:
It shall come to pass in that day, that the remains of Israel, and such as are escaped of the house of Jacob, shall no more again stay upon him that smote them, but shall stay upon Jehovah the Holy One of Israel in truth. The remains shall return, the remains of Jacob, unto the mighty God (Isa. 10:20-21).
In Jeremiah:
In those days, and in that time, the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall be none; and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found; for I will pardon him whom I shall make a remnant (Jer. 50:20).
In Micah:
The remains of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, as the dew from Jehovah, as the showers upon the grass (Micah 5:7). [4] The residue or remains of a man, or of the church, were also represented by the tenths, which were holy; hence also a number with ten in it was holy, and "ten" is therefore predicated of remains; as in Isaiah:
Jehovah shall remove man, and many things [shall be] left in the midst of the land; and yet in it [shall be] a tenth part, and it shall return, and shall be for exterminating; as an oak, and an ilex, when the stock is cast forth from them, the holy seed is the stock thereof (Isa. 6:12-13);
where the residue is called a "seed of holiness." And in Amos:
Thus saith the Lord Jehovah, The city that goeth forth a thousand shall have a hundred left, and that which goeth forth a hundred shall have ten left to the house of Israel (Amos 5:3).
In these and many other passages, in the internal sense are signified the "remains" of which we have been speaking. That a city is preserved for the sake of the remains of the church, is evident from what was said to Abraham concerning Sodom:
Abraham said, Peradventure ten may be found there; and He said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake (Gen. 18:32).

AC (Potts) n. 469

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 469

469. Verse 1. This is the book of the births of Man. In the day that God created Man, in the likeness of God made He him. The "book of the births" is an enumeration of those who were of the Most Ancient Church; "in the day that God created Man" denotes his being made spiritual; and "in the likeness of God made He him" signifies that he was made celestial: thus it is a description of the Most Ancient Church.

AC (Potts) n. 470

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 470

470. That the "book of the births" is an enumeration of those who were of the Most Ancient Church, is very evident from what follows, for from this to the eleventh chapter, that is, to the time of Eber, names never signify persons, but actual things. In the most ancient time mankind were distinguished into houses, families, and nations; a house consisting of the husband and wife with their children, together with some of their family who served; a family, of a greater or lesser number of houses, that lived not far apart and yet not together; and a nation, of a larger or smaller number of families.

AC (Potts) n. 471

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 471

471. The reason why they dwelt thus alone by themselves, distinguished only into houses, families, and nations, was that by this means the church might be preserved entire, that all the houses and families might be dependent on their parent, and thereby remain in love and in true worship. It is to be remarked also that each house was of a peculiar genius, distinct from every other; for it is well known that children, and even remote descendants, derive from their parents a particular genius, and such marked characteristics that they can be distinguished by the face, and by many other peculiarities. Therefore, in order that there might not be a confounding, but an exact distinction, it pleased the Lord that they should dwell in this manner. Thus the church was a living representative of the kingdom of the Lord; for in the Lord's kingdom there are innumerable societies, each one distinct from every other, according to the differences of love and faith. This, as observed above, is what is meant by "living alone" and by "dwelling in tents." For the same reason also it pleased the Lord that the Jewish Church should be distinguished into houses, families, and nations, and that everyone should contract marriage within his own family; but concerning this, of the Lord's Divine mercy hereafter.

AC (Potts) n. 472

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 472

472. That by the "day in which God created Man" is signified his being made spiritual, and that by "God making him in His likeness" is signified his being made celestial, appears from what was said and shown above. The expression to "create" properly relates to man when he is being created anew, or regenerated; and the word "make" when he is being perfected; wherefore in the Word there is an accurate distinction observed between "creating" "forming" and "making" as was shown above in the second chapter, where it is said of the spiritual man made celestial that "God rested from all His work, which God created in making;" and in other passages also, to "create" relates to the spiritual man, and to "make" that is, to perfect, to the celestial man. (See n. 16 and 88.)

AC (Potts) n. 473

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 473

473. That a "likeness of God" is a celestial man, and an "image of God" a spiritual man, has also been previously shown. An "image" is preparatory to a "likeness" and a "likeness" is a real resemblance, for a celestial man is entirely governed by the Lord, as His "likeness."

AC (Potts) n. 474

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 474

474. Since therefore the subject here treated of is the birth or propagation of the Most Ancient Church, this is first described as coming from a spiritual to a celestial state, for the propagations follow from this.

AC (Potts) n. 475

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 475

475. Verse 2. Male and female created He them, and blessed them, and called their name Man, in the day when they were created. By "male and female" is signified the marriage between faith and love; by "calling their name Man" is signified that they were the church, which, in an especial sense, is called "Man [homo]."

AC (Potts) n. 476

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 476

476. That by "male and female" is signified the marriage between faith and love was declared and proved above, where it was shown that the male or man [vir] signifies the understanding and whatever belongs to it, consequently everything of faith; and that the female or woman signifies the will, or the things appertaining to the will, consequently whatever has relation to love; wherefore she was called Eve, a name signifying life, which is of love alone. By the female therefore is also signified the church, as has been previously shown; and by the male, a man [vir]of the church. The subject here is the state of the church when it was spiritual, and which was afterwards made celestial, wherefore "male" is mentioned before "female" as also in chapter 1:26, 27. The expression to "create" also has reference to the spiritual man but afterwards when the marriage has been effected, that is, when the church has been made celestial, it is not said "male and female" but "man [homo]" who, by reason of their marriage, signifies both; wherefore it presently follows, "and He called their name Man" by which is signified the church.

AC (Potts) n. 477

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 477

477. That "Man" is the Most Ancient Church has been often said and shown above; for in the supreme sense the Lord Himself alone is Man. From this the celestial church is called Man, as being a likeness, and from this the spiritual church is afterwards so called because it was an image. But in a general sense everyone is called a man who has human understanding; for man is man by virtue of understanding, and according thereto one person is more a man than another, although the distinction of one man from another ought to be made according to his faith as grounded in love to the Lord.
[2] That the Most Ancient Church, and every true church, and hence those who are of the church, or who live from love to the Lord and from faith in Him, are especially called "man" is evident from the Word, as in Ezekiel:
I will cause man to multiply upon you, all the house of Israel, all of it; I will cause to multiply upon you man and beast, that they may be multiplied and bear fruit; and I will cause you to dwell according to your antiquities and I will do better unto you than at your beginnings and I will cause man to walk upon you, My people Israel (Ezek. 36:10, 11, 12),
where by "antiquities" is signified the Most Ancient Church; by "beginnings" the Ancient Churches; by the "house of Israel" and "people Israel" the primitive church, or Church of the Gentiles; all which churches are called "man."
[3] So in Moses:
Remember the days of eternity, understand ye the years of generation and generation; when the Most High would give the nations an inheritance, when He would set apart the sons of man, He set the bounds of the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel (Deut. 32:7, 8),
where by the "days of eternity" is meant the Most Ancient Church; by "generation and generation" the Ancient Churches; the "sons of man" are those who were in faith toward the Lord, which faith is the "number of the sons of Israel." That a regenerate person is called "man" appears from Jeremiah:
I beheld the earth, and lo it was empty and void; and the heavens, and they had no light; I beheld, and lo, no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled (Jer. 4:23, 25),
where "earth" signifies the external man; "heaven' the internal; "man" the love of good; the "birds of the heavens" the understanding of truth.
[4] Again:
Behold the days come that I will sow the house of Israel, and the house of Judah, with the seed of man, and with the seen of beast (31:27),
where "man" signifies the internal man, "beast" the external. In Isaiah:
Cease ye from man in whose nostrils is breath, for wherein is he to be accounted of (Isa. 2:22),
where by "man" is signified a man of the church. Again:
Jehovah shall remove man far away, and many things shall be left in the midst of the land (Isa. 6:12),
speaking of the vastation of man, in that there should no longer exist either good or truth. Again:
The inhabitants of the earth shall be burned, and man shall be left very little (Isa. 24:6),
where "man" signifies those who have faith. Again:
The paths have been desolated, the farer on the path hath ceased, he hath made vain the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he hath not regarded man, the earth mourneth and languisheth (Isa. 33:8-9),
denoting the man who in the Hebrew tongue is "Enosh." Again:
I will make a man more precious than fine gold, and a man than the gold of Ophir; therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall be moved out of her place (Isa. 13:12-13),where the word for man in the first place is "Enosh" and in the second is "Adam."

AC (Potts) n. 478

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 478

478. The reason why he is called "Adam" is that the Hebrew word "Adam" signifies "man;" but that he is never properly called "Adam" by name, but "Man" is very evident from this passage and also from former ones, in that [in some cases] he is not spoken of in the singular number, but in the plural, and also from the fact that the term is predicated of both the man and the woman, both together being called "Man." That it is predicated of both, everyone may see from the words, for it is said, "He called their name Man, in the day that they were created;" and in like manner in the first chapter: "Let us make man in our image, and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea" (Gen. 1:27-28). Hence also it may appear that the subject treated of is not the creation of some one man who was the first of mankind, but the Most ancient Church.

AC (Potts) n. 479

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 479

479. By "calling a name" or "calling by name" is signified in the Word to know the quality of things, as was shown above, and in the present case it has relation to the quality of the Most Ancient Church, denoting that man was taken from the ground, or regenerated by the Lord, for the word "Adam" means "ground;" and that afterwards when he was made celestial he became most eminently "Man" by virtue of faith originating in love to the Lord.

AC (Potts) n. 480

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 480

480. That they were called "Man" in the day that they were created, appears also from the first chapter (Gen.1:26-27), that is, at the end of the sixth day, which answers to the evening of the sabbath, or when the sabbath or seventh day began; for the seventh day, or sabbath, is the celestial man, as was shown above.

AC (Potts) n. 481

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 481

481. Verse 3. And Man lived a hundred and thirty years, and begat into his likeness, after his image, and called his name Seth. By a "hundred and thirty years" there is signified the time before the rise of a new church, which, being not very unlike the Most Ancient, is said to be born "into its likeness, and after its image;" but the term "likeness" has relation to faith, and "image" to love. This church was called "Seth."

AC (Potts) n. 482

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 482

482. What the "years" and the "numbers of years" which occur in this chapter, signify in the internal sense, has hitherto been unknown. Those who abide in the literal sense suppose them to be secular years, whereas from this to the twelfth chapter there is nothing historical according to its appearance in the literal sense, but all things in general and every single thing in particular contain other matters. And this is the case not only with the names, but also with the numbers. In the Word frequent mention is made of the number three, and also of the number seven, and wheresoever they occur they signify something holy or most sacred in regard to the states which the times or other things involve or represent; and they have the same signification in the least intervals of time as in the greatest, for as the parts belong to the whole, so the least things belong to the greatest, for there must be a likeness in order that the whole may properly come forth from the parts, or the greatest from its leasts. Thus in Isaiah:
Now hath Jehovah spoken, saying, Within three years, as the years of a hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be rendered worthless (Isa. 16:14).
Again:
Thus hath the Lord said unto me, Within a year, according to the years of a hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall be consumed (Isa. 21:16),
where both the least and the greatest intervals are signified. in Habakkuk:
Jehovah, I have heard Thy renown, and was afraid; O Jehovah, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known (Hab. 3:2), where the "midst of the years" signifies the Lord's advent. In lesser intervals it signifies every coming of the Lord, as when man is being regenerated; in greater, when the church of the Lord is arising anew. It is likewise called the "year of the redeemed" in Isaiah:
The day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed is come (Isa. 63:4).
So also the thousand years in which Satan was to be bound (Rev. 20:2, 7), and the thousand years of the first resurrection (Rev. 20:4-6), by no means signify a thousand years, but their states; for as "days" are used to express states, as shown above, so also are "years," and the states are described by the number of the years. Hence it is evident that the times in this chapter also involve states; for every church was in a different state of perception from the rest, according to the differences of genius, hereditary and acquired.

AC (Potts) n. 483

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 483

483. By the names which follow: "Seth" "Enosh" "Kenan" "Mahalalel" "Jared" "Enoch" "Methuselah" "Lamech" "Noah" are signified so many churches, of which the first and principal was called "Man." The chief characteristic of these churches was perception, wherefore the differences of the churches of that time were chiefly differences of perception. I may here mention concerning perception, that in the universal heaven there reigns nothing but a perception of good and truth, which is such as cannot be described, with innumerable differences, so that no two societies enjoy similar perception; the perceptions there existing are distinguished into genera and species, and the genera are innumerable, and the species of each genus are likewise innumerable; but concerning these, of the Lord's Divine mercy hereafter. Since then there are innumerable genera, and innumerable species in each genus, and still more innumerable varieties in the species, it is evident how little-so little that it is almost nothing the world at this day knows concerning things celestial and spiritual, since they do not know even what perception is, and if they are told, they do not believe that any such thing exists; and so with other things also. The Most Ancient Church represented the celestial kingdom of the Lord, even as to the generic and specific differences of perception; but whereas the nature of perception, even in its most general aspect, is at this day utterly unknown, any account of the genera and species of the perceptions of these churches would necessarily appear dark and strange. They were at that time distinguished into houses, families, and nations, and contracted marriage within their houses and families, in order that genera and species of perceptions might exist, and be derived from the parents precisely as are the propagations of native character; wherefore those who were of the Most Ancient Church dwell together in heaven.

AC (Potts) n. 484

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 484

484. That the church called "Seth" was very nearly like the Most Ancient Church, is evident from its being said that the man begat in his likeness, according to his image, and called his name Seth; the term "likeness" having relation to faith, and "image" to love; for that this church was not like the Most Ancient Church with regard to love and its derivative faith, is plain from its being said just before, "Male and female created He them, and blessed them, and called their name Man" by which is signified the spiritual man of the sixth day, as was said above, so that the likeness of this man was to the spiritual man of the sixth day, that is, love was not so much the principal, but still faith was conjoined With love.

AC (Potts) n. 485

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 485

485. That a different church is here meant by "Seth" from that which was described above (4:25), may be seen at n. 435. That churches of different doctrine were called by the same name, is evident from those which in the foregoing chapter (verses 17 and 18) were called "Enoch" and "Lamech" while here other churches are in like manner called "Enoch" and "Lamech" (verses 21, 30).

AC (Potts) n. 486

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 486

486. Verse 4. And the days of Man after he begat Seth were eight hundred years, and he begat sons and daughters. By "days" are signified times and states in general; by "years" times and states in special; by "sons and daughters" are signified the truths and goods which they perceived.

AC (Potts) n. 487

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 487

487. That by "days" are signified times and states in general, was shown in the first chapter, where the "days" of creation have no other signification. In the Word it is very usual to call all time "days" as is manifestly the case in the present verse, and in those which follow (5, 8, 11, 14, 17, 20, 23, 27, 31); and therefore the states of the times in general are likewise signified by "days;" and when "years" are added, then by the seasons of the years are signified the qualities of the states, thus states in special. The most ancient people had their numbers, by which they signified various things relating to the church, as the numbers "three" "seven" "ten" "twelve" and many that were compounded of these and others, whereby they described the states of the church; wherefore these numbers contain arcana which would require much time to explain. It was an account or reckoning of the states of the church. The same thing occurs in many parts of the Word, especially the prophetical. In the rites of the Jewish Church also there were numbers, both of times and measures, as for instance in regard to the sacrifices, meat-offerings, oblations, and other things, which everywhere signify holy things, according to their application. The things here involved, therefore, in the number "eight hundred" and in the next verse, in the number "nine hundred and thirty" and in the numbers of years in the verses following-namely, the changes of state of their church as applied to their own general state-are too many to be recounted. In a future part of this work, of the Lord's Divine mercy we shall take occasion to show what the simple numbers up to "twelve" signify, for until the signification of these is known, it would be impossible to apprehend the signification of the compound numbers.

AC (Potts) n. 488

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 488

488. That "days" signify states in general, and "years" states in special, appears from the Word, as in Ezekiel:
Thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years (Ezek. 22:4),
speaking of those who commit abominations, and fill up the measure of their sins, of whose state in general are predicated "days" and in special "years." So in David:
Thou shalt add days to the days of the king, and his years as of generation and generation (Ps. 61:6),
speaking of the Lord and of His kingdom, where also "days" and "years" signify the state of His kingdom. Again:
I have considered the days of old" the years of the ages (Ps. 77:5),
where "days of old" signify states of the Most Ancient Church, and "years of the ages" states of the Ancient Church. In Isaiah:
The day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed is come (Isa. 63:4),
speaking of the last times, where the "day of vengeance" signifies a state of damnation, and the "year of the redeemed" a state of blessedness. Again:
To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn (Isa. 61:2),
where both "days" and "years" signify states. In Jeremiah: Renew our days as of old (Lam. 5:21),
where state is plainly meant.
[2] In Joel:
The day of Jehovah cometh, for it is nigh at hand, a day of darkness and of thick darkness, a day of cloud and of obscurity; there hath not been ever the like, neither shall be after it, even to the years of generation and generation (Joel 2:1-2),
where "day" signifies a state of darkness and of thick darkness, of cloud and of obscurity, with each one in particular, and with all in general. In Zechariah: I will remove the iniquity of that land in one day; in that day shall ye cry a man to his companion under the vine, and under the fig tree (Zech. 3:9-10).
And in another place:
It shall be one day which is known to Jehovah, not day nor night, and it shall come to pass that at evening time it shall be light (Zech. 14:7),
where it is plain that state is meant, for it is said that there shall be a day that is "neither day nor night, at evening time it shall be light." The same appears from expressions in the Decalogue:
Honor thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may be well with thee upon the ground (Deut. 5:16; 25:15),
where to have the "days prolonged" does not signify length of life, but a happy state.
[3] In the literal sense it must needs appear as if "day" signifies time, but in the internal sense it signifies state. The angels, who are in the internal sense, do not know what time is, for they have no sun and moon that distinguish times; consequently they do not know what days and years are, but only what states are and the changes thereof; and therefore before the angels, who are in the internal sense, everything relating to matter, space, and time disappears, as in the literal sense of this passage in Ezekiel:
The day is near, even the day of Jehovah is near, a day of cloud; it shall be the time of the nations (Ezek. 30:3),
and of this in Joel:
Alas for the day for the day of Jehovah is at hand, and as vastation shall it come (Joel 1:15),
where a "day of cloud" signifies a cloud, or falsity; the "day of the nations" signifies the nations, or wickedness; the "day of Jehovah" signifies vastation. When the notion of time is removed, there remains the notion of the state of the things which existed at that time. The case is the same with regard to the "days" and "years" that are so often mentioned in this chapter.

AC (Potts) n. 489

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 489

489. That by "sons and daughters" are signified the truths and goods which they had a perception of, and indeed by "sons" truths, and by "daughters" goods, is evident from many passages in the Prophets; for in the Word, as also in olden time, the conceptions and births of the church are called "sons and daughters" as in Isaiah:
The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising; lift up thine eyes round about and see; all they gather themselves together and come to thee; thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side; then thou shalt see and flow together, and thy heart shall be amazed, and shall be enlarged (Isa. 60:3-5),
in which passage "sons" signify truths, and "daughters" goods. [2] In David:
Deliver me and rescue me from the hand of the sons of the stranger, whose mouth speaketh vanity; that our sons may be as plants grown up in their youth, that our daughters may be as corner-stones hewn in the form of a temple (Ps. 44:11-12),
where the "sons of the stranger" signify spurious truths, or falsities; "our sons" signify doctrinals of truth; "our daughters" doctrinals of good.
[3] In Isaiah:
I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back; bring My sons from far, and My daughters from the ends of the earth; bring forth the blind people, and they shall have eyes; the deaf, and they shall have ears (Isa. 43:6, 8),
in which passage "sons" signify truths; "daughters" goods; the "blind" those who would see truths; and the "deaf" those who would obey them.
[4] In Jeremiah:
Shame hath devoured the labor of our fathers from our youth; their flocks, their herds, their sons, and their daughters (Jer. 3:24),
where "sons" and "daughters" signify truths and goods. That "children" and "sons" signify truths, is plain from Isaiah: Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale; for when he shall see his children the work of My hands in the midst of him, they shall sanctify My name, and shall sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel; they also that erred in spirit shall know understanding (Isa. 29:22-24),
where the "Holy One of Jacob, the God of Israel" signifies the Lord; "children" signify the regenerate, who have the understanding of good and truth, as is indeed explained.
[5] Again:
Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear, for more are the sons of the desolate than the sons of the married wife (Isa. 54:1),
where the "sons of the desolate" signify the truths of the primitive Church, or that of the Gentiles; the "sons of the married wife" the truths of the Jewish Church.
[6] In , Jeremiah:
My tent is laid waste and all My cords are plucked out; My sons are gone forth of Me, and are not (Jer. 10:20),
where "sons" signify truths. Again:
His sons shall be as aforetime, and their congregation shall be established before Me (Jer. 30:20),
where "sons" signify the truths of the Ancient Church. In Zechariah:
I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, with thy sons, O Javan, and make thee as the sword of a mighty man (Zech. 9:13),
signifying the truths of the faith of love.

AC (Potts) n. 490

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 490

490. In the Word "daughters" frequently denote goods; as in David:
Kings' daughters were among thy precious ones; at thy right hand doth stand the queen in the best gold of Ophir; the daughter of Tyre with a gift; the king's daughter is all glorious within; of eyelet work of gold is her raiment; instead of thy fathers shall be thy sons (Ps. 45:10-17),where the good and beauty of love and faith are described by the "daughter." Hence churches are called "daughters" by virtue of goods, as the "daughter of Zion" and the "daughter of Jerusalem" (Isa. 37:22, and in many other places); they are also called "daughters of My people" (Isa. 22:4), the "daughter of Tarshish" (Isa. 23:10), the "daughter of Sidon" (verse 12), and "daughters in the field" (Ezek. 26:6, 8).

AC (Potts) n. 491

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 491

491. The same things are signified by "sons" and "daughters" in this chapter (verses 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 19, 26, 30), but such as is the church, such are the "sons and daughters" that is, such are the goods and truths; the truths and goods here spoken of are such as were distinctly perceived, because they are predicated of the Most Ancient Church, the principal and parent of all the other and succeeding churches.

AC (Potts) n. 492

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 492

492. Verse 5. And all the days that Man lived were nine hundred and thirty years, and he died. By "days" and "years" are here signified times and states, as above by "Man's dying" is signified that such perception no longer existed.

AC (Potts) n. 493

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 493

493. That by "days" and "years" are signified times and states needs no further explication, except to say that in the world there must needs be times and measures, to which numbers may be applied because they are in the ultimates of nature; but whenever they are applied in the Word, the numbers of the days and years, and also of the measures, have a signification abstractedly from the times and measures, in accordance with the signification of the number; as where it is said that there are six days of labor, and that the seventh is holy, of which above; that the jubilee should be proclaimed every forty-ninth year, and should be celebrated in the fiftieth; that the tribes of Israel were twelve, and the apostles of the Lord the same; that there were seventy elders, and as many disciples of the Lord; and so in many other instances where the numbers have a special signification abstractedly from the things to which they are applied; and when thus abstracted, then it is states that are signified by the numbers.

AC (Potts) n. 494

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 494

494. That he "died" signifies that there was no longer such perception, is evident from the signification of the word "die" which is, that a thing ceases to be such as it has been. Thus in John:
Unto the angel of the church in Sardis write, These things saith He that hath the seven spirits, and the seven stars; I know thy works, that thou art said to live, but art dead; be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die; for I have not found thy works perfect before God (Rev. 3:1-2).
In Jeremiah:
I will cast out thy mother that bare thee, into another country where ye were not begotten, and there shall ye die (Jer. 22:26),
where "mother" signifies the church. For as we have said, the case with the church is that it decreases and degenerates, and loses its pristine integrity, chiefly by reason of the increase of hereditary evil, for every succeeding parent adds new evil to that which he has inherited. All the actual evil in the parents puts on a kind of nature, and when it often recurs, becomes natural to them, and is added to their hereditary evil, and is transmitted into their children, and so to posterity. In this way the hereditary evil is immensely increased in the descendants. That this is so is evident from the fact that the evil dispositions of children are exactly like those of their progenitors. Quite false is the opinion of those who think that there is no hereditary evil except that which they allege to have been implanted in us from Adam (see n. 313). The truth is that everyone makes hereditary evil by his own actual sins, and adds it to the evils that he has inherited, and in this way it accumulates, and remains in all the descendants, nor is it abated except in those who are being regenerated by the Lord. In every church this is the principal cause of degeneration, and it was so in the Most Ancient Church.

AC (Potts) n. 495

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 495

495. How the Most Ancient Church decreased cannot appear unless it be known what perception is, for it was a perceptive church, such as at this day does not exist. The perception of a church consists in this, that its members perceive from the Lord what is good and true, like the angels; not so much what the good and truth of civic society is, but the good and truth of love to the Lord and of faith in Him. From a confession of faith that is confirmed by the life it can be seen what perception is, and whether it has any existence.

AC (Potts) n. 496

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 496

496. Verse 6. And Seth lived a hundred and five years, and begat Enosh. "Seth" as was observed, is a second church, less celestial than the Most Ancient Church, its parent, yet one of the most ancient churches; that he "lived a hundred and five years" signifies, as before, times and states; that he "begat Enosh" signifies that from them there descended another church that was called "Enosh."

AC (Potts) n. 497

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 497

497. That "Seth" is a second church less celestial than the Most Ancient Church, its parent, yet one of the most ancient churches, may appear from what was said above concerning Seth (verse 3). The case with churches, as we have said, is that by degrees, and in process of time, they decrease as to essentials, owing to the cause above mentioned.

AC (Potts) n. 498

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 498

498. That he "begat Enosh" signifies that from them there descended another church called "Enosh" is evident from the fact that in this chapter the names signify nothing else than churches.

AC (Potts) n. 499

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 499

499. Verses 7, 8. And Seth lived after he begat Enosh eight hundred and seven years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Seth were nine hundred and twelve years, and he died. The "days" and numbers of "years" signify here as before the times and states. "Sons and daughters" too have the same signification as before; and so likewise as the statement that he "died."

AC (Potts) n. 500

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 500

500. Verse 9. And Enosh lived ninety years, and begat Kenan. By "Enosh" as before said, is signified a third church, still less celestial than the church "Seth" yet one of the most ancient churches; by "Kenan" is signified a fourth church, which succeeded the former ones.

AC (Potts) n. 501

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 501

501. As regards the churches that in course of time succeeded one another, and of which it is said that one was born from another, the case with them was the same as it is with fruits, or with their seeds. In the midst of these, that is, in their inmosts, there are as it were fruits of the fruits, or seeds of the seeds, from which live as it were in regular order the successive parts. For the more remote these are from the inmost toward the circumference, the less of the essence of the fruit or of the seed is there in them, until finally they are but the cuticles or coverings in which the fruits or seeds terminate. Or as in the case of the brain, in the inmost parts of which are subtle organic forms called the cortical substances, from which and by which the operations of the soul proceed; and from which in regular order the purer coverings follow in succession, then the denser ones, and finally the general coverings called meninges, which are terminated in coverings still more general, and at last in the most general of all, which is the skull.

AC (Potts) n. 502

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 502

502. These three churches, "Man" "Seth" and "Enosh" constitute the Most Ancient Church, but still with a difference of perfection as to perceptions: the perceptive faculty of the first church gradually diminished in the succeeding churches, and became more general, as observed concerning fruit or its seed, and concerning the brain. Perfection consists in the faculty of perceiving distinctly, which faculty is diminished when the perception is less distinct and more general; an obscurer perception then succeeds in the place of that which was clearer, and thus it begins to vanish away.

AC (Potts) n. 503

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 503

503. The perceptive faculty of the Most Ancient Church consisted not only in the perception of what is good and true, but also in the happiness and delight arising from well-doing; without such happiness and delight in doing what is good the perceptive faculty has no life, but by virtue of such happiness and delight it receives life. The life of love, and of the derivative faith, such as the Most Ancient Church enjoyed, is life while in the performance of use, that is, in the good and truth of use: from use, by use, and according to use, is life given by the Lord; there can be no life in what is useless, for whatever is useless is cast away. In this respect the most ancient people were likenesses of the Lord, and therefore in perceptive powers they became images of Him. The perceptive power consists in knowing what is good and true, consequently what is of faith: he who is in love is not delighted in knowing, but in doing what is good and true, that is, in being useful.

AC (Potts) n. 504

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 504

504. Verses 10, 11. And Enosh lived after he begat Kenan eight hundred and fifteen years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Enosh were nine hundred and five years, and he died. Here in like manner the "days" and numbers of "years" and also "sons and daughters" and his "dying" signify like things.

AC (Potts) n. 505

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 505

505. "Enosh" as before observed, is a third church, yet one of the most ancient churches, but less celestial, and consequently less perceptive, than the church "Seth;" and this latter was not so celestial and perceptive as the parent church, called "Man." These three are what constitute the Most Ancient Church, which, relatively to the succeeding ones, was as the kernel of fruits, or seeds, whereas the succeeding churches are relatively as the membranaceous parts of these.

AC (Potts) n. 506

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 506

506. Verse 12. And Kenan lived seventy years, and begat Mahalalel. By "Kenan" is signified a fourth church, and by "Mahalalel" a fifth.

AC (Potts) n. 507

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 507

507. The church called "Kenan" is not to be so much reckoned among those three more perfect ones, inasmuch as perception, which in the former churches had been distinct, began now to become general, comparatively as are the first and softer membranes relatively to the kernel of fruits or seeds; which state is not indeed described, but still is apparent from what follows, as from the description of the churches called "Enoch" and "Noah."

AC (Potts) n. 508

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 508

508. Verses 13, 14. And Kenan lived after he begat Mahalalel eight hundred and forty years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Kenan were nine hundred and ten years, and he died. The "days" and numbers of "years" have the same signification here as before. "Sons and daughters" here also signify truths and goods, whereof the members of the church had a perception, but in a more general manner. That he "died" signifies in like manner the cessation of such a state of perception.

AC (Potts) n. 509

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 509

509. It is here only to be remarked, that all things are determined by their relation to the state of the church.

AC (Potts) n. 510

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 510

510. Verse 15. And Mahalalel lived sixty and five years, and begat Jared. By "Mahalalel" is signified, as before said, a fifth church; by "Jared" a sixth.

AC (Potts) n. 511

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 511

511. As the perceptive faculty decreased, and from being more particular or distinct, became more general or obscure, so also did the life of love or of uses; for as is the life of love or of uses, so is the perceptive faculty. From good to know truth is celestial; the life of those who constituted the church called "Mahalalel" was such that they preferred the delight from truths to the delight from uses, as has been given me to know by experience among their like in the other life.

AC (Potts) n. 512

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 512

512. Verses 16, 17. And Mahalalel lived after he begat Jared eight hundred and thirty years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Mahalalel were eight hundred ninety and five years, and he died. It is the same with these words as with the like words before.

AC (Potts) n. 513

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 513

513. Verse 18. And Jared lived a hundred sixty and two years, and begat Enoch. By "Jared" as before said, is signified a sixth church; by "Enoch" a seventh.

AC (Potts) n. 514

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 514

514. Concerning the church called "Jared" nothing is related; but its character may be known from the church "Mahalalel" which preceded it, and the church "Enoch" which followed it, between which two it was intermediate.

AC (Potts) n. 515

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 515

515. Verses 19, 20. And Jared lived after he begat Enoch eight hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Jared were nine hundred sixty and two years, and he died. The signification of these words also is similar to that of the like words above. That the ages of the antediluvians were not so great, as that of Jared nine hundred and sixty-two years, and that of Methuselah nine hundred and sixty-nine years, must appear to everyone, especially from what of the Lord's Divine mercy will be said at verse 3 of the next chapter, where we read, "Their days shall be a hundred and twenty years;" so that the number of the years does not signify the age of any particular man, but the times and states of the church.

AC (Potts) n. 516

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 516

516. Verse 21. And Enoch lived sixty and five years, and begat Methuselah. By "Enoch" as before said, is signified a seventh church; and by "Methuselah" an eighth.

AC (Potts) n. 517

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 517

517. The quality of the church "Enoch" is described in the following verses.

AC (Potts) n. 518

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 518

518. Verse 22. And Enoch walked with God after he begat Methuselah three hundred years, and begat sons and daughters. To "walk with God" signifies doctrine concerning faith. That he "begat sons and daughters" signifies doctrinal matters concerning truths and goods.

AC (Potts) n. 519

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 519

519. There were some at that time who framed doctrines from the things that had been matters of perception in the most ancient and succeeding churches, in order that such doctrine might serve as a rule whereby to know what was good and true: such persons were called "Enoch." This is what is signified by the words, "and Enoch walked with God;" and so did they call that doctrine; which is likewise signified by the name "Enoch" which means to "instruct." The same is evident also from the signification of the expression to "walk" and from the fact that he is said to have "walked with God" not "with Jehovah:" to "walk with God" is to teach and live according to the doctrine of faith, but to "walk with Jehovah" is to live the life of love. To "walk" is a customary form of speaking that signifies to live, as to "walk in the law" to "walk in the statutes" to "walk in the truth." To "walk" has reference properly to a way, which has relation to truth, consequently to faith, or the doctrine of faith. What is signified in the Word by "walking" may in some measure appear from the following passages.
[2] In Micah:
He hath showed thee, O man, what is good, and what doth Jehovah require of thee, but to do judgment and the love of mercy, and to humble thyself by walking with thy God? (Micah 6:8),
where to "walk with God" signifies to live according to the things here indicated; here, however, it is said "with God" while of Enoch another word is used which signifies also "from with God" so that the expression is ambiguous. In David:
Thou hast delivered my feet from impulsion, that I may walk before God in the light of the living (Ps. 56:13),
where to "walk before God" is to walk in the truth of faith, which is the "light of the living." In like manner in Isaiah:
The people that walk in darkness see a great light (Isa. 9:1).
So the Lord says by Moses:
I will walk in the midst, and will be your God, and ye shall be My people (Lev. 26:12),
signifying that they should live according to the doctrine of the law.
[3] In Jeremiah:
They shall spread them before the sun, and the moon, and to the armies of the heavens, whom they have loved, and whom they have served, and after whom they have walked, and whom they have sought (Jer. 8:2),
where a manifest distinction is made between the things of love, and those of faith; the things of love being expressed by "loving" and "serving;" and those of faith by "walking" and "seeking." In all the prophetical writings every expression is used with accuracy, nor is one term ever used in the place of another. But to "walk with Jehovah" or "before Jehovah" signifies, in the Word, to live the life of love.

AC (Potts) n. 520

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 520

520. Verses 23, 24. And all the days of Enoch were three hundred sixty and five years. And Enoch walked with God, and he was no more, for God took him. By "all the days of Enoch being three hundred sixty and five years" is signified that they were few. By his "walking with God" is signified, as above, doctrine concerning faith. By "he was no more, for God took him" is signified the preservation of that doctrine for the use of posterity.

AC (Potts) n. 521

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 521

521. As to the words "he was no more, for God took him" signifying the preservation of that doctrine for the use of posterity, the case with Enoch, as already said, is that he reduced to doctrine what in the Most Ancient Church had been a matter of perception, and which in the time of that church was not allowable; for to know by perception is a very different thing from learning by doctrine. They who are in perception have no need to learn by formulated doctrine that which they know already. For example: he who knows how to think well, has no occasion to be taught to think by any rules of art, for in this way his faculty of thinking well would be impaired, as is the case with those who stick fast in scholastic dust. To those who learn by perception, the Lord grants to know what is good and true by an inward way; but to those who learn from doctrine, knowledge is given by an external way, or that of the bodily senses; and the difference is like that between light and darkness. Consider also that the perceptions of the celestial man are such as to admit of no description, for they enter into the most minute and particular things, with all variety according to states and circumstances. But as it was foreseen that the perceptive faculty of the cost Ancient Church would perish, and that afterwards mankind would learn by doctrines what is true and good, or by darkness would come to light, it is here said that "God took him" that is, preserved the doctrine for the use of posterity.

AC (Potts) n. 522

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 522

522. The state and quality of the perception with those who were called "Enoch" have also been made known to me. It was a kind of general obscure perception without any distinctness; for in such a case the mind determines its view outside of itself into the doctrinal things.

AC (Potts) n. 523

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 523

523. Verse 25. And Methuselah lived a hundred eighty and seven years, and begat Lamech. By "Methuselah" is signified an eighth church, and by "Lamech" a ninth.

AC (Potts) n. 524

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 524

524. Nothing is mentioned concerning the quality of this church; but that its perceptive faculty was general and obscure, is evident from the description of the church called "Noah;" so that perfection decreased, and with perfection wisdom and intelligence.

AC (Potts) n. 525

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 525

525. Verses 26, 27. And Methuselah lived after he begat Lamech seven hundred eighty and two years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Methuselah were nine hundred and sixty and nine years, and he died. These words have a like signification.

AC (Potts) n. 526

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 526

526. Verse 28. And Lamech lived a hundred eighty and ten years, and begat a son. By "Lamech" is here signified a ninth church, wherein the perception of truth and good was so general and obscure that it was next to none, so that the church was vastated. By the "son" is signified the rise of a new church.

AC (Potts) n. 527

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 527

527. That by "Lamech" is signified a church wherein the perception of truth and good was so general and obscure as to be next to none, consequently a church vastated, appears from what was said in the preceding chapter, and from what follows in the next verse. "Lamech" in the preceding chapter has nearly the same signification as in this, namely, vastation (concerning which see Gen. 4:18, 19, 23, 24); and he who begat him is also called by nearly the same name, "Methuselah" so that the things signified by the names are nearly the same. By "Methuselah" and "Methuselah" is signified something that is about to die; and by "Lamech" what is destroyed.

AC (Potts) n. 528

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 528

528. Verse 29. And he called his name Noah, saying, He shall comfort us from our work, and the toil of our hands, out of the ground which Jehovah hath cursed. By "Noah" is signified the Ancient Church. By "comforting us from our work and the toil of our hands, out of the ground which Jehovah hath cursed" is signified doctrine, whereby what had been perverted would be restored.

AC (Potts) n. 529

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 529

529. That by "Noah" is signified the Ancient Church, or the parent of the three churches after the flood, will appear from the following pages, where Noah is largely treated of.

AC (Potts) n. 530

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 530

530. By the names in this chapter, as we have said, are signified churches, or what is the same, doctrines; for the church exists and has its name from doctrine; thus by "Noah" is signified the Ancient Church, or the doctrine that remained from the Most Ancient Church. How the case is with churches or doctrines has already been stated, namely, that they decline, until there no longer remains anything of the goods and truths of faith, and then the church is said in the Word to be vastated. But still remains are always preserved, or some with whom the good and truth of faith remain, although they are few; for unless the good and truth of faith were preserved in these few, there would be no conjunction of heaven with mankind. As regards the remains that are in a man individually, the fewer they are the less can the matters of reason and knowledge that he possesses be enlightened, for the light of good and truth flows in from the remains, or through the remains, from the Lord. If there were no remains in a man he would not be a man, but much viler than a brute; and the fewer remains there are, the less is he a man, and the more remains there are, the more is he a man. Remains are like some heavenly star, which, the smaller it is the less light it gives, and the larger, the more light. The few things that remained from the Most Ancient Church were among those who constituted the church called Noah; but these were not remains of perception, but of perfection, and also of doctrine derived from the things of perception in the most ancient churches; and therefore a new church was now raised up by the Lord, which being of an entirely different native character from the most ancient churches, is to be called the Ancient Church-Ancient from the fact that it existed at the close of the ages before the flood, and during the first period after it. Of this church, by the Divine mercy of the Lord, more will be said hereafter.

AC (Potts) n. 531

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 531

531. That by "comforting us from our work and the toil of our hands, out of the ground which Jehovah hath cursed" is signified doctrine, whereby what had been perverted would be restored, will also appear, of the Lord's Divine mercy, in the following pages. By "work" is signified that they could not perceive what is true except with labor and distress. By the "toil of the hands out of the ground which Jehovah hath cursed" is signified that they could do nothing good. Thus is described "Lamech" that is, the vastated church. There is "work and labor of the hands" when, from themselves or from their Own, men must seek out what is true and do what is good. That which comes of this is the "ground which Jehovah hath cursed" that is, nothing comes of it but what is false and evil. (But what is signified by "Jehovah cursing" may be seen above, n. 245.) To "comfort" has reference to the "son" or Noah, whereby is signified a new regeneration, thus a new church, which is the Ancient Church. By this church, or "Noah" is therefore likewise signified rest, and comfort that comes from rest, just as it was said of the Most Ancient Church that it was the seventh day, in which the Lord rested. (See n. 84-88.)

AC (Potts) n. 532

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 532

532. Verses 30, 31. And Lamech lived after he begat Noah [illum Noachum] five hundred ninety and five years, and begat sons and daughters. And all the days of Lamech were seven hundred seventy and seven years, and he died. By "Lamech" as before said, is signified the church vastated. By "sons and daughters" are signified the conceptions and births of such a church.

AC (Potts) n. 533

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 533

533. As nothing more is related concerning Lamech than that he begat sons and daughters, which are the conceptions and births of such a church, we shall dwell no longer on the subject. What the births were, or the "sons and daughters" appears from the church; for such as is the church, such are the births from it. Both the churches called "Methuselah" and "Lamech" expired just before the flood.

AC (Potts) n. 534

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 534

534. Verse 32. And Noah was a son of five hundred years; and Noah begat Shem, Ham, and Japheth. By "Noah" as has been said, is signified the Ancient Church. By "Shem, Ham, and Japheth" are signified three Ancient Churches, the parent of which was the Ancient Church called "Noah."

AC (Potts) n. 535

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 535

535. That the church called "Noah" is not to be numbered among the churches that were before the flood, appears from verse 29, where it is said that it should "comfort them from their work and the toil of their hands, out of the ground which Jehovah hath cursed." The "comfort" was that it should survive and endure. But concerning Noah and his sons, of the Lord's Divine mercy hereafter.

AC (Potts) n. 536

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 536

536. As in the foregoing pages much has been said about the perception possessed by the churches that existed before the flood, and as at this day perception is a thing utterly unknown, so much so that some may imagine it to be a kind of continuous revelation, or to be something implanted in men; others that it is merely imaginary, and others other things; and as perception is the very Celestial itself given by the Lord to those who are in the faith of love, and as there is perception in the universal heaven of endless variety: therefore in order that there may be among men some conception of what perception is, of the Lord's Divine mercy I may in the following pages describe the principal kinds of perception that exist in the Heavens.

AC (Potts) n. 537

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 537

537. CONTINUATION CONCERNING HEAVEN AND HEAVENLY JOY.
A certain spirit attached himself to my left side, and asked me whether I knew how he could get into heaven. I was permitted to tell him that admission into heaven belongs solely to the Lord, who alone knows what a man's quality is. Very many arrive from the world who make it their sole pursuit to get into heaven, being quite ignorant of what heaven is, and of what heavenly joy is, that heaven is mutual love, and that heavenly joy is the derivative joy. Therefore those who do not know this are first instructed about it by actual experience. For example, there was a certain spirit, newly arrived from the world, who in like manner longed for heaven, and in order that he might perceive what the nature of heaven is, his interiors were opened so that he should feel something of heavenly joy. But as soon as he felt it he began to lament and to writhe, and begged to be delivered, saying that he could not live on account of the anguish; and therefore his interiors were closed toward heaven, and in this way he was restored. From this instance we may see with what pangs of conscience and with what anguish those are tortured who not being prepared for it are admitted even but a little way.

AC (Potts) n. 538

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 538

538. There were some who sought admission into heaven without knowing what heaven is. They were told that unless they were in the faith of love, to enter heaven would be as dangerous as going into a flame; but still they sought for it. When they arrived at the first entrance court, that is to say, the lower sphere of angelic spirits, they were smitten so hard that they threw themselves headlong back, and in this way were taught how dangerous it is merely to approach heaven until prepared by the Lord to receive the affections of faith.

AC (Potts) n. 539

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 539

539. A certain spirit who during his life in the body had made light of adulteries, was in accordance with his desire admitted to the first threshold of heaven. As soon as he came there he began to suffer and to be sensible of his own cadaverous stench, until he could endure it no longer. It seemed to him that if he went any farther he should perish, and he was therefore cast down to the lower earth, enraged that he should feel such torment at the first threshold of heaven, merely because he had arrived in a sphere that was contrary to adulteries. He is among the unhappy.

AC (Potts) n. 540

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 540

540. Almost all who come into the other life are ignorant of the nature of heavenly happiness and bliss, because they know not the nature and quality of inward joy. They form a conception of it merely from the delights and joys of the body and the world. What they are ignorant of they suppose to be nothing, the truth being that bodily and worldly joys are relatively non-existent and foul. In order therefore that those who are well disposed may learn and may know what heavenly joy is, they are taken in the first place to paradises that surpass every conception of the imagination (concerning which, of the Lord's Divine mercy hereafter), and they suppose that they have arrived in the paradise of heaven; but they are taught that this is not true heavenly happiness, and are therefore permitted to experience interior states of joy which are perceptible to their inmost being. They are then transported into a state of peace, even to their inmost being, and they confess that nothing of it is at all expressible or conceivable. And finally they are introduced into a state of innocence, also to their inmost feeling. In this way are they permitted to learn the nature of true spiritual and celestial good.

AC (Potts) n. 541

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 541

541. Certain spirits who were ignorant of the nature of heavenly joy were unexpectedly taken up into heaven after they had been brought into such a state as to render this possible, that is to say a state in which their bodily things and fanciful notions were lulled into quiescence. From there I heard one saying to me that now for the first time he felt how great is the joy in heaven, and that he had been very greatly deceived in having a different idea of it, but that now he perceived in his inmost being a joy immeasurably greater than he had ever felt in any bodily pleasure such as men are delighted with in the life of the body, and which he called foul.

AC (Potts) n. 542

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 542

542. They who are taken up into heaven in order that they may know its quality either have their bodily things and fanciful notions lulled to quiescence-for no one can enter heaven with the bodily things and fanciful notions that they take with them from this world-or else they are surrounded by a sphere of spirits who miraculously temper such things as are impure and that cause disagreement. With some the interiors are opened. In these and other ways they are prepared, according to their lives and the nature thereby acquired.

AC (Potts) n. 543

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 543

543. Certain spirits longed to know the nature of heavenly joy, and were therefore allowed to perceive the inmost of their own, to such a degree that they could bear no more; and yet it was not angelic joy, being scarcely equal to the least angelic joy, as was given me to perceive by a communication of their joy. It was so slight as to be as it were chilly, and yet being their inmost joy they called it most heavenly. From this it was evident not only that there are degrees of joys, but also that the inmost of one scarcely approaches the outmost or middle of another, and that when anyone receives his own inmost joy, he is in his heavenly joy, and cannot endure that which is still more interior, for it becomes painful.

AC (Potts) n. 544

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 544

544. Certain spirits who were admitted into the heaven of innocence of the first heaven spoke to me thence, and confessed that the state of joy and gladness was such as they never could have conceived any idea of. Yet this was only in the first heaven, and there are three heavens, and states of innocence in each, with their innumerable varieties.

AC (Potts) n. 545

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 545

545. But in order that I might know the nature and quality of heaven and of heavenly joy, for long and often I have been permitted by the Lord to perceive the delights of heavenly joys, so that as I know them from actual experience I can indeed know them, but can by no means describe them. However, in order to give some idea of it I may say that heavenly joy is an affection of innumerable delights and joys that form one general simultaneous joy, in which general joy, that is, in which general affection, there are harmonies of innumerable affections that do not come distinctly to perception, but obscurely, because the perception is very general. Yet I was permitted to perceive that there are things innumerable within it, in such order as can never be described, these innumerable things being such as flow from the order of heaven. Such order exists in every least thing of the affection, all of which together are presented and perceived as a very general one according to the capacity of him who is the subject of it. In a word, in every general joy or affection there are illimitable things ordinated in a most perfect form, and there is nothing that is not alive or that does not affect even the inmost things of our being, for heavenly joys proceed from inmost things. I perceived also that the joy and deliciousness came as if from the heart, and very softly diffused themselves through all the inmost fibers, and so into the congregated fibers, with such an inmost sense of delight that the fiber is as it were nothing but joy and deliciousness, and the whole derivative perceptive and sensitive sphere the same, being alive with happiness. In comparison with these joys the joy of bodily pleasures is like gross and pungent dust as compared with a pure and gentle breeze.

AC (Potts) n. 546

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 546

546. In order that I might know how the case is with those who desire to be in heaven and are not such that they can be there, once when I was in some heavenly society, an angel appeared to me as an infant with a chaplet of bright blue flowers about its head, and girded about the breast with wreaths of other colors. By this I was given to know that I was in some society where there was charity. Some well-disposed spirits were then admitted into the same society, who the moment they entered became much more intelligent, and spoke like angelic spirits. Afterwards some were admitted who desired to be innocent from themselves, whose state was represented to me by an infant that vomited milk out of its mouth. Such is their state. Then some were admitted who supposed that they were intelligent from themselves, and their state was represented by their faces, which appeared sharp, but fair enough; and they seemed to wear a peaked hat from which a sharp point projected, but their faces did not appear to be of human flesh, but as if carved out and devoid of life. Such is the state of those who believe that they are spiritual from themselves, that is, able from themselves to have faith. Other spirits were admitted who could not remain there, but were dismayed, became distressed, and fled away.

AC (Potts) n. 547

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 547

547. CHAPTER 6
CONCERNING HEAVEN AND HEAVENLY JOY.
The souls who come into the other life are all ignorant of the nature of heaven and of heavenly joy. Very many suppose it to be a kind of joy into which any can be admitted no matter how they have lived, even those who have borne hatred against their neighbor and have passed their lives in adulteries, being quite unaware of the fact that heaven is mutual and chaste love, and that heavenly joy is the derivative happiness.

AC (Potts) n. 548

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 548

548. I have sometimes spoken with spirits fresh from the world concerning the state of eternal life, telling them how important it was for them to know who is the Lord of that kingdom, and what is the nature and form of its government, just as those in this world who go into another kingdom are especially interested to know who and of what sort is the king, what is the nature of the government, and many other things that belong to the kingdom; and how much more should they be interested in this kingdom, where they are to live forever. I told them that the Lord alone rules both heaven and the universe, for He who rules the one must rule the other; and that the kingdom in which they were now is the Lord's kingdom, the laws of which are eternal truths, all of which are based on the one great law that men shall love the Lord above all things and their neighbor as themselves, and now even more than themselves, for if they would be as the angels this is what they must do. To all this they could make no reply, because in their bodily life they had heard something of the kind, but had not believed it. They marveled that there is such love in heaven, and that it is possible for anyone to love his neighbor more than himself, seeing that they had heard that they were to love their neighbor as themselves. But they were instructed that in the other life all goods are immeasurably increased, and that the life in the body is such that men can go no further than loving the neighbor as themselves because they are in the things of the body, but that when these are removed, the love becomes purer, and at last angelic, which consists in loving the neighbor more than themselves. The possibility of such love is evident from the conjugial love that exists with some persons, who would suffer death rather than let their married partner be injured; and also from the love of parents for their children, in that a mother will endure starvation rather than see her infant hunger, and this even among birds and animals; and likewise from sincere friendship, in that perils will be undergone for our friends; and even from polite and feigned friendship, that would emulate real friendship in offering the better things to those to whom we wish well, making great professions even when they do not come from the heart. And finally its possibility is evident from the very nature of love, which finds its joy in being of service to others, not for the sake of self but for the love's own sake. But all this could not be comprehended by those who loved themselves more than others, and who in the bodily life had been greedy for gain, and least of all by the avaricious.

AC (Potts) n. 549

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 549

549. The angelic state is such that everyone communicates his own bliss and happiness to others. For in the other life there is a most exquisite communication and perception of all the affections and thoughts, so that each person communicates his joy to all, and all to each, so that each one is as it were the center of all. This is the heavenly form. And therefore the more there are who constitute the Lord's kingdom, the greater is the happiness, for it increases in proportion to the numbers, and this is why heavenly happiness is unutterable. There is this communication of all with each and of each with all when everyone loves others more than himself. But if anyone wishes better for himself than for others the love of self reigns, which communicates nothing to others from itself except the idea of self, which is very foul, and when this is perceived the person is at once banished and rejected.

AC (Potts) n. 550

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 550

550. Just as in the human body all things both in general and particular contribute to the general and individual uses of all the rest, so is it in the Lord's kingdom, which is constituted like a man, and in fact is called the Grand Man. In this way everyone there contributes either more nearly or more remotely, and in many ways, to the happiness of all, and this in accordance with the order instituted and consequently maintained by the Lord alone.

AC (Potts) n. 551

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 551

551. From the universal heaven bearing relation to the Lord, and all there in both general and particular bearing relation to the Very and Only Being both in the universal as a whole and in its most individual constituents, there comes order, there comes union, there comes mutual love, and there comes happiness; for so each person regards the welfare and happiness of all, and all that of each one.

AC (Potts) n. 552

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 552

552. That all the joy and happiness in heaven are from the Lord alone, has been shown me by many experiences, of which the following may be related. I saw that with the utmost diligence some angelic spirits were fashioning a lampstand with its lamps and flowers of the richest ornamentation in honor of the Lord. For an hour or two I was permitted to witness with what great pains they labored to make everything about it beautiful and representative, they supposing that they were doing it of themselves. But to me it was given to perceive that of themselves they could devise nothing at all. At last after some hours they said that they had formed a very beautiful representative candelabrum in honor of the Lord, whereat they rejoiced from their very hearts. But I told them that of themselves they had devised and formed nothing at all, but the Lord alone for them. At first they would scarcely believe this, but being angelic spirits they were enlightened, and confessed that it was so. So it is with all other representative things, and with everything of affection and thought in both general and particular, and also with heavenly joys and felicities-the very smallest bit of them is from the Lord alone.

AC (Potts) n. 553

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 553

553. They who are in mutual love in heaven are continually advancing to the springtime of their youth, and to a more and more gladsome and happy spring the more thousands of years they live, and this with continual increase to eternity, according to the advance and degree of mutual love, charity, and faith. Those of the female sex who have died in old age and enfeebled with years, and who have lived in faith in the Lord, in charity toward the neighbor, and in happy conjugial love with their husbands, after a succession of years come more and more into the bloom of youth and early womanhood, and into a beauty that surpasses all idea of beauty such as is ever perceptible to the natural sight; for it is goodness and charity forming and presenting their own likeness, and causing the delight and beauty of charity to shine forth from every least feature of the countenance, so that they are the very forms of charity: some have beheld them and been amazed. The form of charity, as is seen to the life in the other world, is such that it is charity itself that portrays and is portrayed, and this in such a manner that the whole angel, and especially the face, is as it were charity, the charity both plainly appearing to the view and being perceived by the mind. When this form is beheld, it is unutterable beauty that affects with charity the very inmost life of the beholder's mind. Through the beauty of this form the truths of faith are presented to view in an image, and are even perceived from it. Such forms, or such beauties, do those become in the other life who have lived in faith in the Lord, that is, in the faith of charity. All the angels are such forms, with countless variety, and of such is heaven.

CHAPTER 6.
1. And it came to pass that man began to multiply himself upon the faces of the ground, and daughters were born unto them.
2. And the sons of God saw the daughters of man that they were good; and they took to themselves wives of all that they chose.
3. And Jehovah said, My spirit shall not reprove man forever, for that he is flesh; and his days shall be a hundred and twenty years.
4. There were Nephilim in the earth in those days; and most especially after the sons of God went in unto the daughters of man, and they bare to them; the same became mighty men, who were of old, men of renown.
5. And Jehovah saw that the evil of man was multiplied on the earth, and that all the imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil every day.
6. And it repented Jehovah that He had made man on the earth, and it grieved Him at His heart.
7. And Jehovah said, I will destroy man whom I have created, from upon the faces of the ground, both man and beast, and creeping thing, and fowl of the heavens; for it repenteth me that I have made him.
8. And Noah found grace in the eyes of Jehovah.

AC (Potts) n. 554

Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 554

554. THE CONTENTS
The subject here treated of is the state of the people before the flood.

AC (Potts) n. 555