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Series:
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Theistic Psychology:
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| Scientific Thinking About Psychology |
Name of Academic Field |
Foundational Theme |
Main Principles and Activities |
| Level 3 | theistic psychology |
(a) Equating rational with scientific. (b) Extracting scientific knowledge from the Writings of Swedenborg by applying the methods of extraction required to access the correspondential sense hidden within the literal meaning. (c) Formulating spiritual doctrine and applying that knowledge to our regeneration efforts in daily willing and thinking. |
(a) Positive bias mode of thinking--accepting the
possibility that God is a scientific concept. (b) Accepting the Writings as Sacred Scripture written in a natural historical sense and presenting many new scientific topics never heard of before in the history of science or civilizations. (c) Extracting the correspondential sense to construct a scientific account of our regeneration and how we are to cooperate in that lifelong spiritual discipline of character reformation. (d) Developing scientific concepts, charts, and applications having a spiritual content that elevates rational understanding of God, and our immortality in eternity. (e) Constructing scientific accounts of how human minds are created and managed by good and truth, or love and wisdom. |
| Level 2 | religious psychology |
(a) Rational faith and charity in daily life is an expression of the
worship of God as the Divine Human of the Incarnation Event. (b) Rational faith, called the New Church religion, is based on acknowledging the literal sense of the Writings Sacred Scripture. |
(a) Negative bias mode of thinking--rejecting the
possibility that God is a scientific concept. (b) Accepting dualism of time and eternity. (c) Accepting God's Personal omnipotence in managing every detail of reality and mind. (d) Accepting the Writings of Swedenborg as Sacred Scripture, and part of the "Threefold Word" which includes the Old and New Testament Sacred Scriptures. (e) Rejecting the idea that the Writings of Swedenborg have a hidden correspondential sense and that the literal sense itself is not spiritual. |
| Level 1 | non-theistic psychology | (a) Includes traditional psychology fields such
as experimental, social, clinical psychology. (b) Includes non-traditional fields such as pastoral psychology, transpersonal psychology, psychology of religion, holistic medicine, paranormal phenomena, shamanism, and psychic communication. |
(a) Negative bias mode of thinking--rejecting the
possibility that God is a scientific concept. (b) Denying dualism of time and eternity. (c) Denying God's Personal omnipotence in managing every detail of reality and mind. (d) Rejecting Sacred Scripture as actual Divine Speech and the sole source of all knowledge of truth and good. |
Everyone begins the study of theistic psychology at Level 1, even for people who already have a religion. Psychology majors in college take various psychology courses, some of which may be the fields listed at Level 1. Transpersonal Psychology is taught in many departments around the country and the Psychology of Religion is one of the official Divisions of specialization in the American Psychological Association (APA). Approved clinical psychology programs now recommend that psychologists familiarize themselves with religious attitudes and views of their clients (like sin or salvation), in order to be more effective in the kind of therapy they receive. Nevertheless all these efforts are going within an explicit non-theistic paradigm as indicated in the Level 1 row of the chart. So even if you are already religious or already have a certain relationship with God, nevertheless you are probably not ready to think rationally of God as part of science.
But as you continue studying theistic psychology beyond the quick reading of some pages here and there, you begin to see for yourself that it is presenting a universal scientific account of God that encompasses all religions. Religious psychology is at Level 2 reasoning about God so that the concept of religion could make complete rational sense. Nowhere else but in the Writings of Swedenborg do we have a full rational account of God and Divine Speech. As we study theistic psychology our comprehension is at first limited to a natural understanding of spiritual ideas. The concept of God is a spiritual idea, and so is heaven, and sin, and hell, and salvation. Why are these called spiritual ideas? Because they are dualist concepts that bridge the gap between things in time and things in eternity. This natural-spiritual correspondence is described in the Writings of Swedenborg as the essential characteristic of all Sacred Scripture.
But with more study and rational comprehension of theistic psychology, you discover that the literal sense of the Writings Sacred Scripture is suitable for the New Church religion, but some of is not suitable for theistic psychology. Hence you begin to be motivated to discover the hidden correspondential sense. You become a "scrutator" of the Writings Sacred Scripture, which means to follow the methodology prescribed in the Writings for extracting the correspondential sense from Sacred Scripture (see Section xx).
Theistic psychology is knowledge of the Writings of Swedenborg viewed from the perspective of modern behaviorist psychology. To mark this feature, I call this volume Religious Psychology.
There is a big difference between the branch of non-theistic psychology known as the "psychology of religion" and the branch of theistic psychology called "religious psychology."
The non-theistic study of the psychology of religion has nothing to do with religious concepts . Rather it studies the religious views of people. The difference is like that between studying shopping patterns in beach clothes vs. designing and manufacturing beach clothes. Studying the religious views of others from an non-theistic perspective is like studying people's shopping patterns, but analyzing and investigating the rationality of religious concepts is like designing and manufacturing the clothes.
Non-theistic psychology and its branch of the "psychology of religion" are outsiders looking in. They have zero understanding of religious ideas like God, sin, heaven, hell, rebirth, immortality and eternity. I say "zero understanding" not to criticize that field, but to indicate that this is not what they would do, by their own declarations. Since they are looking at God, or heaven and hell, from an non-theistic perspective in the negative bias (see Chapter 1), they do not grant that these are real concepts, scientific realities. They think of them as "beliefs" or fiction. They may respect the believer as a human being, but they do not grant the reality of their belief. Hence what could they know rationally or scientifically about God, sin, or salvation? Nothing, since these are not real things from an non-theistic point of view. After much research and investigation of belief systems, non-theistic psychology would still know nothing about sin or hell except as something people believe in and if they believe in it, their behavior is influenced by it.
But theistic psychology knows of the existence of God, heaven, hell, immortality, Divine revelation, Sacred Scripture. These are phenomena defined within the science of theistic psychology. The fact that people also believe in the existence of these phenomena--without scientific proof, as in religion-- does not add anything to their importance and centrality as scientific concepts that make up the theoretical framework of theistic psychology. Swedenborg's observations and experiments in the spiritual world make up the source of data needed for theistic psychology if it's to be an actual science. Religion and theistic psychology do not refer to the same ground or map. Religion refers itself to the literal meaning of Sacred Scripture while theistic psychology refers itself to the universal correspondential meaning of Sacred Scripture (see Section xx).
The psychology of religion often relies on the well known book by William James called The Varieties of Religious Experience (see Reading List). James' influence in general psychology is very strong and this is true also of the psychology of religion. He set the pace for studying religious behavior from an non-theistic perspective in psychology. To me this is quite surprising because William and his famous brother Henry, were home schooled by their famous father Henry James, Sr., who was a public champion of Swedenborg and wrote articles and books passionately defending the Writings from polemic attacks. William James edited his father's posthumous publications, including some the Swedenborg articles and manuscripts. Despite this background, neither William nor Henry have ever written anything about Swedenborg or even mention his name in their many publications on science, literature, philosophy, and religion. I find this astounding.
In William James' Varieties book, still well known and referenced today with new paper back printings, there is not a hint that God is a real scientific concept, but only what is real are the experiences people have when they report being in contact with God. The experiences are real but God is not. Or, at least, the experiences are real from the standpoint of psychology as a science, but God is not real from the standpoint of psychology as a science. When someone has a fear of going to hell--this is real, but hell itself, is not--at least not from the perspective of the science of psychology. Guilt from sin is a real feeling, but sin itself is not real--at least not in psychology. The idea of God held by the religious person, moves passions and self-sacrifice, but God does not. The belief in the Bible as Holy, is real, but the holiness of the book is not real. And so on. This approach by William James, rather than being in support of spirituality, is the destruction of it, despite many people writing the contrary.
For example, Bill Wilson, co- founder of Alcoholics Anonymous, is said to have launched his widely successful program after reading William James' Varieties book. The brief half-page statement of the famous 12-Step Program of AA includes the mention or reference to God 12 times. The famous and successful program requires that each member to acknowledge publicly that he or she has no power to fight their addiction and that the only way is to acknowledge God and let God give you His power to defeat the addiction.
Obviously, in the AA system of thinking, God is a real Person to whom the addict appeals and asks for the power to resist. Ironically, according to the perspective in James' Varieties, it is the strong belief in God that gives the addict the power to resist--not God. James' non-theistic psychology destroys the God of the 12-Step Program.
Religious psychology is the name I propose for the branch of theistic psychology that makes a scientific study of religious concepts and phenomena such as God, prayer, heaven, hell, eternity. Both religion and theistic psychology are grounded in Divine Speech or Sacred Scripture. Every culture and civilization on this earth has always possessed a religion based on Sacred Scripture by which God could be known, worshipped, and obeyed. While religion is based on the literal sense of Sacred Scripture, theistic psychology is based on the underlying scientific sense that has now become accessible to us through the Laws of Correspondences by which Divine Speech is given. This previously unsuspected knowledge has now been revealed in the Writings of Swedenborg (1688-1772) (see Volume 1).
The literal language of all Sacred Scripture is historical, descriptive, and poetic. Religion can be based on this sense because there are sufficient parts of the literal language that describe God's attributes of Omnipotence and Omnipresence, as well as the Commandments and rituals that must be followed by those who are sworn into that religion. Individuals who lead a life in accordance with their understanding of this literal meaning, have a conscience by which they are lead by God to make the right choices that will develop in them a character that can live in heaven in eternal conjugial joy. Religion is therefore necessary and sufficient for regeneration and adequate preparation for heavenly life. In other words, the literal plain teaching of Sacred Scripture is sufficient for salvation and regeneration--as long as the person lives by what doctrine teaches.
Swedenborg has observed many people in this category who arrived into the other world upon the death of their physical body (see Section xx). When they were instructed by the angel teachers regarding theistic psychology or the underlying sense of the Sacred Scripture they knew well, they were quite surprised but also delighted of the spiritual truths they were being taught, namely, that God is the Divine-Human who incarnated on this earth, prepared the mental pathways for regeneration, and ascended to the heavens where the human race can see God in His Glorified Natural Body obtained from this earth (see Section xx). Also, that God the Divine-Human, now gives every individual born on earth the power to regenerate and prepare a character that is fit for conjugial life in heaven (see Section xx). And also, that in order to be rational and sane, we ought to recognize that we don't have any power, life, or intelligence on our own, and therefore we must not take credit for any of our accomplishments, but attribute all credit and power to the Divine-Human who manages every thought and feeling from birth to eternity (see Section xx).
Swedenborg reports that those who have lived a life of conscience according to their religion, when they pass on, are instructed in theistic psychology from the Sacred Scripture they know. They are then able to comprehend them, to accept them, and to love them. This shows that their mind was readied for rational spirituality while they lived on earth and followed a life of conscience or doctrine. Whatever dogma or doctrine they had from their religion, they were able to see through them, once they received the new instruction regarding the Divine-Human, and thus to abandon whatever was incompatible with the truth of the Divine-Human. This proves that religion is necessary and sufficient for adequate preparedness for heavenly life--as long as the individual is sincere and honest about living according to the religion.
This is also what explains that religion can be mystical while theistic psychology must be scientific and rational. A religion that is based on the Writings of Swedenborg is called "rational faith" in contrast to "blind faith" or mystical faith. A religion that is based on "rational faith" from the Writings of Swedenborg is obviously closely related to theistic psychology. When you examine the Reading List you will see that many of the entries are from the religious literature of the General Church of the New Jerusalem in Bryn Athyn, Pennsylvania. There is a strong overlap between their literature, insights, and doctrines with theistic psychology.
What happens to those who abandon their religion of childhood, and are no longer willing to live life according to its dictates? Swedenborg observed in the world of spirits that they fall into two categories, those that doubt and never believe, and those that doubt and subsequently believe. The first category of thinkers are stuck in the negative bias, while the second category move on to the positive bias (see Chapter 1). Today in the age of science and modernism, once we have left our childhood religion, there is only sure road back to God, and that is through the scientific approach of theistic psychology. Once we begin to understand rationally who God is, and what God is accomplishing in our lives for our future, we cannot but love God and desire to follow the Commandments that God gives us to prepare ourselves adequately for eternal conjugial joy in heaven. But merely loving God and desiring to be in heaven is not enough by itself. We must be willing to suffer to let God change our character from evil to good. Without calling upon God to help us in our daily temptations, most of us do not have the power or motivation or know how to succeed in character regeneration (see Section xx).
It is important in this development of our mind that we understand fully the rational basis of religion and doctrine. Only if we understand rationally and empirically what consequences follow "sinful" behavior, is it possible for us to acquire rational faith and rational love, two traits absolutely necessary for heavenly life.
Note: Since I'm thoroughly familiar with the Judaeo-Christian tradition or religion, I shall limit my analysis of religious psychology to that tradition. But I expect that future researchers and scholars in theistic psychology will expand the analysis to other religious traditions such as Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, and so on. The Writings reveal that two basic facts about religions. One is that all religions are based on Divine Speech written down as Sacred Scripture. And the second is that all Divine Speech is written in a special style called correspondential (see Section xx). It makes sense therefore to expect that all religions will be able to use theistic psychology to extract from their Sacred Scripture the knowledge they need for regeneration. It's not appropriate to ask other religions to reject their beliefs and culture before they can study theistic psychology. Instead, they can learn scientific facts about their own mind that is extracted from Sacred Scripture given to the Judaeo-Christian tradition, as long they disregard the literal historical sense , and focus only on the underlying universal sense that is extracted from it (see Section xx). The theistic psychology that is extracted applies to the entire human race, not merely to the religion of that Sacred Scripture.
It may seem at first that religious psychology is Western and Judaeo-Christian. But this appearance is only due to my own limitation of knowledge about other religions. Nevertheless, anyone from any religion may benefit from the study of religious psychology even if it is still restricted to the examination of Western Judaeo-Christian ideas. This is because the same God is the God of every religion and of every Sacred Scripture. It is possible for anyone to benefit from the scientific study of Christian ideas about God and the spiritual world since science is rational and universal. Nothing in religious psychology will contradict or be incompatible with any religion when these universal principles and truths are examined without prejudice.
On the surface, the Writings of Swedenborg are Christian as well as scientific. But remember that when we reach our highest heaven there is no religion there that is separate from the rational knowledge of theistic psychology. The Writings are read there as Divine Speech in its universal scientific sense. None of the cultural-historical-natural references, names, and events, appear there, but instead, the spiritual correspondences of these natural, cultural-religious details. All Sacred Scripture is from Divine Speech which filters down from God into the natural mind of a prophet where it is represented by natural and historical events and ideas. But when we apply the code of correspondences to Sacred Scripture we can reconstruct the original content of Divine Speech before it was transformed by correspondences (see Section xx). And the content of the reconstructed Divine Speech is theistic psychology, psychology that God is teaching the human race to help us acquire a heavenly personality that can live in conjugial eternity. For this is God's purpose for creation (see Section xx).
In theistic psychology all religions are resolved into their universal form and expression by translating their cultural-ethnic content into universal spiritual truths and facts.
13.0.1.1 Salvation For Those Who Do Not Know Sacred Scripture
In the following quotes from the Writings Sacred Scripture, certain expressions in the literal can be substituted with equivalent expressions that occur in the literal of other parts of the Writings (see Section xx). Making these substitutions makes it clearer to us what it is that Divine Speech says at the level of theistic psychology.
AC 2589. CONCERNING THE STATE AND LOT IN THE OTHER LIFE OF THE NATIONS AND PEOPLES BORN OUTSIDE OF THE CHURCH.
It is the common opinion that they who are born out of the church, and who are called Pagans and Gentiles, cannot be saved, because they have not the Word, and thus are ignorant of the Lord, without whom there is no salvation. But that these also are saved, may be known from the following considerations: that the Lord's mercy is universal, that is, toward everyone; that these are born men equally with those who are within the church, who are comparatively few; and that it is not their fault that they are ignorant of the Lord. Consequently, their state and lot in the other life, have of the Lord's Divine mercy been shown me.
Consequently, their state and lot in the other life, have of the Lord's Divine mercy been shown me.
|
Original Letter |
Its Meaning in |
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the Word |
Sacred Scripture (Threefold
Word) |
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the nations and peoples |
the affective and cognitive organs (see Section xx) |
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born outside the church |
our character prior to reformation ("rebirth" or "born again") (see Section xx) |
|
concerning the state and lot in the other life |
"state" here refers to our mental state between
resuscitation and the second death (see Section xx); |
|
Pagans and Gentiles |
the ideas we have of God and heaven prior to reformation (see Section xx) |
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ignorant of the Lord |
the state prior to regeneration before we have a perception of the correspondential sense of Sacred Scripture (see Section xx) |
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without whom there is no salvation |
regeneration is effected by the Divine Psychologist whom we must acknowledge consciously in order to acquire a heavenly character (see Section xx) |
| Christians | the ideas we have of God and heaven during reformation and prior to beginning one's regeneration (see Section xx) |
In other words, throughout our childhood religion and culture, followed by our adolescence and young adulthood, we believe that we are saved by our faith in the religion we have, and hence people who are not of our religion are not saved. The people that we call "the other religions" are here called Pagans and Gentiles, in accordance with the historical tradition of Western-Christian culture. But in its inner, universal, scientific sense all people are signified because Divine Speech is addressed to every human mind. In Sacred Scripture we are called Gentiles from birth because our consciousness is rooted in the natural mind and the physical world. We inherit this natural mind from parents who inherit theirs. We know about God and we have a religion, but it is not a spiritual idea of God that we have, and our religion is external, reaching as far as our social personality, but not as deep as our character. Hence this religion is called external religion. We do not know God from His Divine Speech and enlightenment. We do not yet have a spiritual or rational idea of God, nor do we have a spiritual love for God. This is why we believe that we are saved by religion and faith, and that others who have no such religion and such faith, are not saved.
But when we undergo reformation in young adulthood and begin our regeneration, we are enlightened by the co-Presence of the Divine Psychologist and we are led to the realization that it is not our religion that saves us but our character reformation and regeneration. Regeneration is an individual activity and process. Every individual who regenerates, is saved, by definition, since regeneration = acquiring a heavenly character. With such a character at death and resuscitation, the individual can live in eternal conjugial bliss in heaven. No religion or faith is involved here as a pre-condition that God sets up for heavenly life. It would be grossly unfair for the majority of people on this earth to be denied heavenly life because their childhood religion and culture did not include the Sacred Scripture known in the Western-Christian culture.
No matter what our religion and culture, we have only one method of avoiding hell and living in eternal heaven. This method is the same for those who study Sacred Scripture and for those who will never hear of it or read it. It is the method of regeneration. We must put up the effort of changing our inherited natural character which has its roots and life in hell (see Section xx).
Note the last sentence: "Consequently, their state and lot in the other life, have of the Lord's Divine mercy been shown me." This indicates the source of Swedenborg's data. The Divine Psychologist, working with Swedenborg's mind, gave Swedenborg the observational ability to report empirically and factually, what happens to people after resuscitation when they have arrived without prior knowledge of Sacred Scripture.
Continuing:
AC 2590. I have been instructed in many ways that Gentiles who have led a moral life, and have been obedient, and have lived in mutual charity, and have received some sort of conscience according to their religion, are accepted in the other life, and are there instructed by angels with anxious care in the goods and truths of faith. While receiving instruction they conduct themselves modestly, intelligently, and wisely, and easily receive and become imbued with the instruction; for they have formed for themselves no principles contrary to the truths of faith that have to be dispersed, still less stumbling-blocks against the Lord; as have many Christians who have led a life of evil. Moreover such do not hate others, nor avenge injuries, nor plot artifices and deceits. Nay, they wish well to Christians; although on the other hand Christians despise them and even do them violence so far as they can; but they are withdrawn by the Lord from their unmercifulness, and are protected. (AC 2590)
The passage above is a clear message from Divine Speech regarding the scientific basis upon which salvation is based. Clearly, salvation and eternal life in heaven, is achieved by anyone from any culture or religion, who has lived a moral life according to conscience and religion. This means that they have undergone natural temptations and have resisted the evil tendencies form the inherited love of self. This allows them to "live in charity," which means, to refrain from deliberately hurting anyone in any way because this is contrary to conscience, contrary to good, contrary to decency and humanity, and for those who have religion, contrary to God and heaven. That's all. Religion is not required, special membership or ceremonies are not required. They "are accepted in the other life," which means that they arrive with a character that live in heaven. They "are instructed" in the truths of Sacred Scripture that they had now known about. They gladly receive and adopt this new knowledge and enter their heaven.
Those who have religion and Sacred Scripture ("Christians"), but "have led a life of evil," that is, a life contrary to conscience and decency, do not arrive with a character that can live in heaven, and hence are admitted to hell.
Continuing:
AC 2590. [2] For the case of Christians and Gentiles in the other life is such that Christians who have acknowledged the truths of faith, and have at the same time led a life of good, are received in preference to Gentiles; although at the present day such are few; but Gentiles who have lived in obedience and mutual charity are received in preference to Christians who have not led so good a life. For in the wide world all those who have lived in good are of the Lord's mercy received and saved; for good is that which receives truth. The good of life is the very ground for the seed, that is, for the truth. Evil of life cannot possibly receive it, for although such as are in evil be instructed in a thousand ways, nay, even if they become most fully instructed, nevertheless the truths of faith enter no further with them than into the memory, and do not penetrate to the affection which is of the heart; and therefore in the other life their truths of memory are dissipated, and become null and void. (AC 2590)
The passage above distinguishes between the mental states every individual experiences prior to reformation ("Gentiles") and during reformation ("Christians").
Our corporeal mental states ("Gentiles") view God as an impersonal and infinite force, incomprehensible, and invisible. Our life of religion is inherited, not chosen, and consists of performing required rituals to honor and serve this unfathomable force, and in this way, we keep God on our side, favoring us over others. In our corporeal mental states Sacred Scripture is a holy object of God to which we have an external relationship. It is a Book we own, or kiss, or read from on prescribed occasions. Salvation depends on membership in a community that has a special relationship to God.
Our sensual mental states ("Christians") view God in two forms, one invisible and infinite, the other visible as Divine Man. Our life of religion is chosen or self-declared. Inherited religion is no longer valued. The reality of the Divine Man is an internal presence. Salvation does not depend on community membership, but is individual. Our own actions and decisions create the distance between the individual and the Divine Man. Every individual chooses how close to be to God by the daily life choices one makes.
The phrase "Christians who have acknowledged the truths of faith, and have at the same time led a life of good" designates mental states during reformation when we examine our thoughts in the light of the doctrine we have from Sacred Scripture. Our goal during reformation is to establish an external order in our beliefs and intentions in daily life. The old order must be rejected before we can establish the new order. Former ways of thinking and reasoning must cease in favor of new thoughts and justifications based on the doctrine of truth from Sacred Scripture. The passage says that mental states of reformation "are received in preference to Gentiles," which means that sensual mental states of God lead to regeneration more so than corporeal mental states. When we acknowledge the presence of an internal Divine Man we are able to enter into a more personal relationship of love with God. The sensual mental states of reformation bring us closer to God than the corporeal mental states that precede reformation. It is said "at the present day such are few" which means that there is much resistance to undergoing reformation.
The passage says that "Gentiles who have lived in obedience and mutual charity are received in preference to Christians who have not led so good a life." This means that the corporeal mental states that are sincere allow some closeness to God, in fact a greater closeness to God than the sensual mental states that are insincere.
The passage says that "in the wide world all those who have lived in good are of the Lord's mercy received and saved; for good is that which receives truth." This means that truth about God, and consequent closeness, cannot be received except in mental states that are good or heavenly. Salvation is closeness to God, and this is achieved by means of truth about God that is received in our heavenly traits or character. First we must shun evil affections that hurt others. Next we must acquire and love good affections that benefit others. When we are operating with good affections, then spiritual truth about God is received from Sacred Scripture and is perceived consciously ("the good of life is the very ground for the seed, that is, for the truth").
The passage cautions us: "Evil of life cannot possibly receive it, for although such as are in evil be instructed in a thousand ways, nay, even if they become most fully instructed, nevertheless the truths of faith enter no further with them than into the memory, and do not penetrate to the affection which is of the heart; and therefore in the other life their truths of memory are dissipated, and become null and void." In other words, zzz
AC 2591. Among the Gentiles however, just as among Christians, there are both the wise and the simple. In order that I might be instructed as to the quality of these, it has been granted me to speak with both wise and simple, sometimes for hours and days. But of the wise there are scarcely any at this day, whereas in ancient times there were very many, especially in the Ancient Church, from which wisdom emanated to many nations. In order that I might know of what quality these were, I have been allowed to hold familiar converse with some of them; so that the nature of their wisdom, and its superiority to that of the present day may be seen from what follows.
AC 2592. There was present with me a certain person* who was formerly among the more wise, and was thereby well known in the learned world. I conversed with him on various subjects, and as I knew that he had been a wise man, I spoke with him concerning wisdom, intelligence, order, the Word, and finally concerning the Lord. Concerning wisdom he said that there is no other wisdom than that which is of life, and that wisdom can be predicated of nothing else. Concerning intelligence he said that it was from wisdom. Concerning order he said that it is from the Supreme God, and that to live in that order is to be wise and intelligent.
[2] As regards the Word, when I read to him something from the prophecies, he was very greatly delighted, especially from the fact that each of the names and each of the words signified interior things, wondering greatly that the learned of this day are not delighted with such a study. I plainly perceived that the interiors of his thought or mind had been opened, and at the same time that those of certain Christians who were present had been closed; for ill will against him prevailed with them, and also unbelief that the Word is of this nature. Nay, when I went on reading the Word he said that he could not be present, because he perceived it to be too holy for him to endure, so interiorly was he affected. The Christians on the other hand said aloud that they could be present; and this was because their interiors had been closed, and therefore the holy things did not affect them.
[3] At length I talked with him about the Lord; that He was born a man, but was conceived of God; that He had put off the human and had put on the Divine; and that it is He who governs the universe. To this he made answer that he knew many things about the Lord, and had perceived in his own way that it could not have been done otherwise if the human race was to be saved. Meantime certain wicked Christians injected various difficulties, for which he did not care, saying that it was not surprising, because they had become imbued in the life of the body with unbecoming ideas respecting these things, and that until such ideas were dispersed they could not admit things confirmatory, as could those who are ignorant. This man was a Gentile.
* Probably Cicero; see Heaven and Hell, n. 322. [REVISER.]
AC 2593. I have also been permitted to speak with others who lived in ancient times and who were then among the more wise. They were at first seen in front at a distance, and were there able to perceive the interiors of my thoughts, thus many things in a thorough manner. From one idea of the thought they could know the entire series, and fill it with delightful things of wisdom together with pleasing representations, which showed me that they were among the more wise, and I was told that they were from the Ancients. So they drew nearer, and when I read to them something from the Word they were most highly delighted. It was granted me to perceive their very delight and enjoyment, which arose chiefly from the fact that all the things they heard from the Word were both in general and in particular representative and significative of heavenly and spiritual things. They said that in their time when they lived in the world their mode of thinking and speaking, and also of writing, was of this nature, and that this was their wisdom's study.
AC 2594. But as regards the Gentiles who are on earth at this day, they are not so wise, but are for the most part simple in heart; and yet those of them who have lived in mutual charity receive wisdom in the other life-concerning whom I may relate what follows.
AC 2595. I heard the sound of a certain gyre,* but coarser than usual, and from the sound I at once knew that they were from the Gentiles. I was told by the angels that they were Gentiles who had been raised up three or four days before. The gyre or choir was heard for several hours, and it was perceived that even during the short time in which it was heard they were being perfected more and more. When I wondered at this I was told that these can be initiated into choirs, and thus into harmony, in one night; while most Christians barely can in thirty years. Gyres or choirs exist when many speak together, all as one, and each as all; but concerning gyres or choirs, of the Lord's Divine mercy elsewhere.
* That is, a revolving circle, or gyration. See Arcana Coelestia, n. 4041, 5182, etc. [REVISER.]
AC 2596. One morning there was a choir at a distance from me, and it was given me to know from the representations of the choir that they were Chinese; for they presented a kind of woolly goat, a cake of millet, and an ivory spoon, as also the idea of a floating city. They desired to come nearer to me; and when they had applied themselves they said that they desired to be alone with me, that they might open their thoughts. But they were told that they were not alone, and that there were others who were indignant at their desiring to be alone, when yet they were guests. When they perceived the indignation of the others, they began to think whether they had trespassed against the neighbor, and whether they had claimed anything for themselves that belonged to others. (In the other life all thoughts are communicated.) I was permitted to perceive their trouble: it was that of an acknowledgment that perhaps they had wronged the others, and of shame on that account, and of other good affections at the same time, from which it was known that they were endued with charity. Presently I spoke with them, and at length about the Lord. When I called Him Christ, a kind of repugnance was perceived in them; but the cause was discovered to be that they brought this repugnance from the world, from their having known Christians to live worse than they did themselves, and in no charity. But when I simply called Him the Lord, they were inwardly moved. They were afterwards instructed by the angels that beyond every other doctrine in the whole world the Christian doctrine prescribes love and charity, but that there are but few persons who live in accordance with it.
AC 2597. 2597. There are Gentiles who when they lived in the world had known from social interaction and report that Christians lead the very worst life-in adulteries, in hatreds and quarrels, in drunkenness, and the like things-at which they are affected with horror, because such things are contrary to their laws, their morals, and their religion. In the other life these are more timid than others in receiving the truths of faith; but they are instructed by the angels that the Christian doctrine, and the faith itself, teach the very opposite, but that Christians live less in accordance with their doctrine than do the Gentiles. When they perceive this they receive the truths of faith and adore the Lord, but more tardily.
AC 2598. 2598. When I read the 17th and 18th chapters of Judges, concerning Micah, how the sons of Dan took away his graven image, the teraphim, and the Levite, there was present a spirit from the Gentiles, who in the life of the body had adored a carved image. While he listened attentively to what was done to Micah, and in what grief he was on account of his graven image that the Danites took away, he too was overcome with grief, and was affected to such a degree that he scarcely knew what to think for inward grief. I perceived his grief, and at the same time perceived the innocence in each of his affections. Christian spirits were also present and observed it, and wondered that a worshiper of a graven image should be moved by so strong an affection of mercy and innocence. Afterwards good spirits spoke to him, saying that a graven image ought not to be adored, and that he could understand this because he was a human being; but that he ought to think beyond the graven image of God the Creator and Governor of the universal heaven and earth; and that this God is the Lord. When these things were said I was permitted to perceive the interior emotion of his adoration, which was communicated to me, and was much more holy than that with Christians; from which it could be seen that Gentiles come into heaven more easily than Christians at this day who are not so affected (according to the Lord's words in Luke 13:29, 30); for in the state in which he was he could be imbued with all things of faith, and could receive them with interior affection. There was in him the mercy that is of love, and in his ignorance there was innocence; and when these are present, all things of faith are received as it were spontaneously, and with joy. He was afterwards received among the angels.
AC 2599. 2599. There was also another among the Gentiles, who had lived in the good of charity. When he heard Christian spirits reasoning about things to be believed (spirits reason with one another much more fully and much more acutely than men, especially about goods and truths, because these belong to the other life), he marveled that they should dispute so, and said that he did not want to hear such things, because they were reasoning from fallacies, and he gave them the following instruction: If I am good, I can know from good itself what is true, and what I do not know, I can receive.
AC 2600. 2600. Well-disposed Gentiles are instructed in the other life, for the most part, and so far as possible, in accordance with their states of life and in accordance with their religion, thus in various ways. I may here describe only three.
AC 2601. 2601. Some are reduced into a state of tranquillity, as it were a kind of sleep; and they then seem to themselves to be building small cities, and in the midst of them to hide some secret thing which they wish to preserve from violence. They give these cities to others, with entreaties not to do violence to the secret thing in the midst of them. Innocence is thus insinuated into them, and also charity, together with the idea that the secret thing is concerning the Lord. They are kept in this state a considerable time. It is a state of ignorance in which there is innocence. They are guarded by little children, lest anyone should do them harm. I have spoken with them, and have been much affected by their state of innocence and charity, and also by the solicitude with which they hide the secret, and by the holy fear lest it should be violated.
AC 2602. 2602. There is one nation (I was told that it is from the Indies) which makes it their religion to worship the Greatest God with the following rite. When they are adoring Him they first magnify themselves, but soon prostrate themselves as worms; and at the same time they hold, that above the universe, which they believe to be whirling around, is that Greatest God, looking down on what they are doing. As they have had such religious observances, in the other life they are brought back into them; and I have spoken with them while they imagined such things. They are for the most part modest, obedient, and simple in heart. They are by successive steps freed by the angels from this phantasy; for they are instructed, in accordance with their religion, that the Greatest God is the Lord; and that they can indeed magnify themselves on account of their being able to adore Him; and that nevertheless they are like little worms; and that the Lord from on high sees each and all things. In this manner, by means of their own religion, they are brought into the knowledges of good and truth.
AC 2603. 2603. There are some Gentiles from those regions where they are black, who bring with them from their life in the world a wish to be treated severely; believing that no one can come into heaven except through punishments and afflictions, and that they will afterwards receive more gladsome things, which they call paradisal. As they have such ideas from their religion they are at first treated severely in the other life by some whom they call devils, and are afterwards taken to the paradises already described (n. 1622). But they are instructed by the angels that their punishments and afflictions are turned by the Lord into what is good for them, as with those who are in temptations; also that paradisal things are not heaven, but that heaven is the affection of the celestial and spiritual things that are in them; and that they have been in a certain way of truth, although in the shade of ignorance. They spoke with me a long time. While in their state of affliction their speech was attended with a kind of collision; thus was distinct from that of others; but after their afflictions were over, and they were taken up to the paradises, they no longer had such a speech, but one that was almost angelic. From their religion they have that they believe, and desire to have interior things. They said that whenever they are treated severely they are black; but that they shortly put off the blackness, and put on whiteness; knowing that their souls are white, but their bodies black.
AC 2604. 2604. It is usual for Gentiles who adore any god under an image or statue, or any carved thing, to be introduced, on coming into the other life, to certain ones who are in the place of their gods or idols, in order that they may put away their phantasies; and when they have been with these for some days, they are taken away from such persons. They who have adored men are also sometimes introduced to them, or to others in their stead; as many of the Jews are to Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and David; but when they perceive that these have the same kind of human nature as others have, and can afford them no help, they become ashamed, and are taken to their own places in accordance with their life. Among the Gentiles in the other life the Africans are the most beloved, because they receive the goods and truths of heaven more easily than others. They especially desire to be called the obedient, but not the faithful. They say that Christians can be called faithful, because they have the doctrine of faith; but not they, unless they receive it, or as they say, are able to receive it.
AC 2605. 2605. I have spoken with some who were in the Ancient Church, and who then knew concerning the Lord that He was to come, and who had been imbued with the goods of faith, but yet fell away and became idolaters. They were in front, toward the left, in a darksome place, and in a miserable state. Their speech was like the sound of a fife, of one tone, almost devoid of rationality of thought. They said that they had been there for many ages, and that they are sometimes taken out thence to serve others for some uses, which are vile. From these it was given me to think about many Christians, who are idolaters not exteriorly but interiorly, and who at heart deny the Lord, and thereby also the truths of faith; and to reflect upon what kind of a lot must await them in the other life.
AC 3267. [2] The situation with the Lord's spiritual Church is that it is spread throughout the whole world, and wherever it exists varies so far as matters of belief or truths of faith are concerned. Those variations are the derivatives meant by 'births', which occur either simultaneously or consecutively. The same applies to the Lord's spiritual kingdom in the heavens - that is to say, in matters of faith variety is so great that not one community, nor even one member of a community, is in complete agreement with any other in the things which constitute the truths of faith, 3241. But for all that, the Lord's spiritual kingdom in the heavens is one, the reason being that with everyone charity is the chief thing, for charity makes the spiritual Church, not faith, unless you say that faith is charity.
[3] Anyone who has charity loves the neighbour, and when the latter differs from him in matters of belief he thinks nothing of it provided he leads a life that is good and true. Neither also does he condemn upright gentiles, in spite of the fact that they have no knowledge of the Lord and do not know any truth of faith. For the person who has charity, that is, who leads a good life, receives such truths from the Lord as agree with his good, and gentiles receive such things as can be turned in the next life into the truths of faith, 2599-2603. But the person who has no charity, that is, who does not lead a good life, cannot receive any truth. He can indeed know the truth, but it is not implanted in his life. He is indeed able to speak that truth with his lips, but not have it in his heart, for truth cannot be joined to evil. For this reason also, although they are in the Church because they were born in it, those who know truths which they call matters of belief and yet do not lead a charitable or good life nevertheless do not belong to the Church. For they have nothing of the Church within them, that is, no good at all to which truth may be joined.
AC 7173. Certain spirits knew from heaven that a promise had once been made to the spirits of the earth Mercury that they should see the Lord, and therefore they were asked by the spirits about me whether they remembered this promise. They said that they remembered it, but that they did not know whether the promise was of such a nature that they should have no doubt about it. While they were thus talking together, the sun of heaven appeared to them. *The sun of heaven, which is the Lord, is seen only by those who are in the inmost or third heaven; all others see the light from it, and also the moon, (n. 1529-1531, 4060). When the sun was seen, they said that this was not the Lord God, because they saw no face. Meanwhile the spirits were talking together, but I do not know what they said. Then suddenly the sun appeared again, and in the midst of it the Lord encompassed with a solar circle. On seeing this, the spirits of Mercury humbled themselves profoundly, and settled down. Then also the Lord from the sun was seen by spirits of this earth who when they were men had seen Him in the world; and they all one after another, and thus many in order, confessed that it was the Lord Himself; and this they confessed before all the company. Then also the Lord from the sun was seen by the spirits of the planet Jupiter, who said in a plain voice, that it was He Himself whom they had seen on their earth when the God of the universe appeared to them. (AC 7173)
13.0.2 The Writings of Swedenborg as Sacred Scripture
TCR 779. The second coming of the Lord is effected by means of a man before whom He has manifested Himself in Person, and whom He has filled with His Spirit to teach the doctrines of the New Church through the Word from Him." (TCR 779)
HH 1. That at this day there exists such immediate revelation, is because this is meant by the Advent of the Lord. (HH 1)
INV 55. It has pleased the Lord to prepare me from my earliest youth to perceive the Word, and He has introduced me into the spiritual world, and has enlightened me with the light of His Word more proximately. From this it is manifest that this surpasses all miracles. . .(INV 55)
In place of miracles, there has, at this day, taken place a manifestation of the Lord Himself, an intromission into the spiritual world, and enlightenment there through immediate light from the Lord, in such things as are the interior things of the church; but chiefly, the opening of the correspondential sense in the Word, in which the Lord is in His own Divine light. (Coronis: Miracles Iv)
That this [New] Church is not instituted and established through miracles, but through the revelation of the correspondential sense, and through the introduction of my spirit, and at the same time of my body, into the spiritual world, so that I might know there what heaven and hell are, and in light might imbibe immediately from the Lord the truths of faith whereby man is led to eternal life." (INV vii)
AE 624:15. The prophets of the Old Testament. . . did not have their understanding enlightened, but the words which they were to say or write they received merely by the hearing, and did not even understand their interior sense, still less their correspondential sense." (AE 624:15)
AC 7055:3. The prophets through whom the Word was written. . . wrote as the spirit from the Divine ;dictated, for the very words which they wrote were uttered in their ears. With them was the truth which proceeds mediately from the Divine, that is, through heaven, but not the truth which proceeds immediately; for they had not a perception of what each thing signified. . ." (AC 7055:3) ( Compare AC 5121:3)
SD 1647. That the things which I learned from representations, visions, and discourses with spirits and angels were from the Lord alone.
Whenever there was any representation, vision, and discourse, I was kept interiorly and intimately in reflection upon it, as to what thence was useful and good, thus what I might learn therefrom; which reflection was not thus attended to by those who presented the representations and visions, and who spoke; yea, sometimes they were indignant when they found that I was reflecting. Thus have I been instructed; consequently by no spirit, nor by any angel, but by the Lord alone, from Whom is all truth and good; yea, when they wished to instruct me concerning various things, there was scarcely anything but what was false wherefore I was prohibited from believing anything that they said; nor was I permitted to infer any such thing as was proper to them. Besides, when they wished to persuade me, I perceived an interior or intimate persuasion that the thing was so and so, and not as they wished; which they also wondered at. The perception was manifest, but cannot easily be described to the apprehension of men. - 1748, March 22. (SD 1647)
The Writings of Swedenborg appear on the surface to be a reformulation of the Christian religion as well as a new clarification of the Old and New Testament Sacred Scriptures. His last book in the collection is titled The True Christian Religion (1771). Anyone considering this would conclude that the Writings of Swedenborg are books for the Christian religion and for Christians. This conclusion is identical to that one would make for the New Testament Sacred Scripture which also treats of the Christian religion. Similarly with the Old Testament which treats of the Hebrew and Jewish religion upon which modern Judaism is based.
But it was demonstrated in earlier discussions (see Section xx), that the Old and New Testament Sacred Scriptures are religious books on the surface, but when decoded by means of spiritual correspondences, they make a unified handbook of theistic psychology. The names of Judah, Israel, Abraham, Egypt, Philistines, Jerusalem, Moses, etc., disappear from the Old Testament Sacred Scripture and what is left is their scientific reference about the human mind, the spiritual world, evolution of consciousness, character reformation, and the laws that tie the natural world to the spiritual world. These are universal scientific concepts, principles, and rational laws. These scientific revelations were given and revealed by God to all of humanity for its benefit, both in this world and in the afterlife. Swedenborg saw copies of Sacred Scripture in the spiritual world and none of them had historical-ethnic references. But when he compared the verses, word for word, he saw that they were the same text. Where the natural version of his Bible on earth said "Jerusalem" the heavenly version said "doctrine" and where his Bible said "Abraham" or "David," the spiritual copy in heaven said "the Divine-Human." And so on. Swedenborg analyzed almost every verse of the Bible and gave its spiritual meaning in heaven. For examples of such analyses see Section xx.
In exactly the same fashion it will be demonstrated through future research in theistic psychology that the Writings of Swedenborg contain a scientific sense that is entirely different from its surface meaning, which appears like the Old and New Testament Sacred Scriptures, to have been written for the creation of a new form of the Christian religion. But this sectarian and cultural perspective and content is a cover for the theistic psychology that lies within it. The reason for this cover is not to prevent people from having access to the Divine scientific revelations contained within it. All Divine Speech, as explained in the Writings, must undergo transformation by correspondences as it filters through the layers of the spiritual world or human mind (see Section xx). The Writings are this Divine Speech filtered through the scientifically prepared mind of Emanuel Swedenborg (1688-1772). The literal text of the Writings, as is the case for all Sacred Scripture, is expressed in a natural language (Neo-Latin). This natural language is incomprehensible to those who inhabit the heavens for in that state of mind everyone thinks and speaks in a spiritual language that has nothing in common, content wise, to the natural content except by correspondences.
Swedenborg saw books in heaven that the inhabitants acknowledged as Sacred Scripture. The books were written in a spiritual script that superficially looked somewhat like the Hebrew language Swedenborg had studied on earth. He gives quite a few details about this spiritual language. To be there among the celestial inhabitants, Swedenborg himself had to be raised in consciousness to his heaven. In that state of mind he was able to read the spiritual script. Simultaneously he was in his natural consciousness on earth and was able to hold a Bible and read it. In this way he had experimental proof that the version of Sacred Scripture in heaven is the same as the version of Sacred Scripture on earth, except that one was the correspondence of the other. Both were reconstructed correspondences of the same Divine Speech (see Section xx).
The following passage is a quote from Swedenborg regarding Sacred Scripture in the heavens of our mind. In the passage below, the word "church" in its scientific sense refers to the regenerating mind. Sacred Scripture on this earth is given by God primarily as an aid in regenerating our mind from hellish to heavenly. This regeneration process continues in heaven by means of Sacred Scripture so that our mind can be perfected endlessly to eternity. There are three heavens, or hierarchical layers of mental operations, in every human being. "The Word" refers to Sacred Scripture, which is the script of Divine Speech.
xx Sacred Scripture in the heavens.
The Word exists in all the heavens, and it is read there as it is in the world, and sermons are based on it. For it is the Divine Truth which is the source of the angels' intelligence and wisdom. For without the Word no one knows anything about the Divine-Human, love and faith, redemption, and all the other secrets of heavenly wisdom. In fact without the Word heaven would not exist, just as without the Word there would be no church in the world, so that there would be no linking with the Divine-Human.I demonstrated above that natural theology is impossible without revelation, and in the Christian world without the Word. If it is not granted in the world, neither would it be granted after death. For the nature of a person's religious belief in the world dictates its nature after death, when he becomes a spirit. The whole of heaven is not made up of angels created before the world or at the same time as it, but of those who were people on earth, and were then angels inwardly. By means of the Word these in heaven acquire spiritual, that is, inner wisdom, because the Word there is spiritual.
[2] The Word in the Divine-Human's spiritual kingdom is not the same as the Word in the world. In the world there is the natural Word, but in that kingdom there is a spiritual Word. The difference is like that between its natural and correspondential senses. The nature of the correspondential sense has been demonstrated at length in my Arcana Coelestia, where the whole contents of Genesis and Exodus have been explained in accordance with that sense. The difference is such that no word is the same. Things take the place of names, and likewise of numbers; the histories are replaced by matters concerning the church [refers to the mind and its regeneration].
The surprising thing is that, when an angel reads it, he is unaware that it is not the same as what he read in the Word while in the world. This is because he no longer has any natural ideas, since they are replaced with spiritual ones; and the natural and the spiritual are linked by correspondences into a kind of unity.
So when someone passes from the natural into the spiritual, it seems to him as if they were the same. In fact an angel does not know that he is wiser than he was in the world, though his wisdom is really so superior as to be comparatively indescribable. He is unable to recognize the difference, because in his spiritual state he knows nothing of the natural state, which he had in the world; and he is unable to compare and differentiate them, because he cannot return to his former state so as to make a comparison. Still an angel in heaven is constantly being brought to a higher degree of perfection in wisdom than he had in the world, because his affection for spiritual truth is purer.
[3] However, the Word in the Divine-Human's celestial kingdom is far superior and wiser than the Word in His spiritual kingdom. The difference is of the same kind as that which distinguishes the natural Word in the world from the spiritual Word, as has been stated. For that Word contains an inmost sense, called celestial, which in all its details refers to nothing but the Divine-Human. In this Word the Divine-Human is read in place of Jehovah, and of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; and also the Divine-Human is named in place of David, Moses, Elijah and the rest of the Prophets; and His divinity is distinguished by special marks. The names of the twelve tribes of Israel, and also the names of the Apostles, when read there, convey something about the Divine-Human as regards the church [refers to the mind and its regeneration]; and so with all the rest.
From this it became plain to me that the whole of the Sacred Scripture deals in its inmost sense with nothing but the Divine-Human.
The difference which distinguishes the two Words, the spiritual and the celestial, is like that between thoughts, the province of the intellect, and affections, the province of the will. For the angels of the celestial kingdom are guided by love to the Divine-Human and so affection for good; the angels of the spiritual kingdom are guided by faith in the Divine-Human and so by perception of truth.
[4] Another difference between the celestial and spiritual Words is their script. The script of the spiritual Word is made up of letters resembling the printed letters of our world; but each letter has a meaning. If therefore you were to see that script, you would not understand a single word. For one letter succeeds another without a break, with dashes and dots above and below, since it is in accordance with spiritual speech, which has nothing in common with natural speech. The wiser angels are, the more they see of the inner secrets of their Word so written, more so than the simpler angels. What is stored there is plainly visible to the eyes of the wise, but not to the eyes of the simple. It is similar to what happens with our Word, but to a greater degree; here too the wise see more than the simple.
The script of the celestial Word, however, is made up of letters not known in the world. They are indeed alphabetical, but each one of them is composed of curved lines with serifs above and below, and there are small marks or dots in the letters, and also above and below them. I was told that the most ancient people on this earth had such a script. Some details agree with the Hebrew script, but not much. Such a script expresses the affections which make up a love; so it contains more secrets than they themselves can ever utter. They express these unutterable secrets which they perceive from their Word by means of representations. The wisdom hidden away in this Word surpasses the wisdom in the spiritual Word as a thousand does one.
[5] To make the difference between the three Words, the natural, the spiritual and the celestial, intelligible, let us take as an example the first chapters of Genesis, which deal with Adam, his wife and the Garden. In the natural Word which we have in this world there is a description of the creation of the world, the first creation of man, and the earthly pleasures and delights of man and the world. By the persons named following him up to the Flood are meant his descendants, and the numbers mean their ages. But in the spiritual Word the angels of the spiritual kingdom have, this is not what is meant. The first chapter is a description of the reform and regeneration of the people of the most ancient church [refers to our celestial mind]; this too is called a new creation. The second chapter describes as the Garden the intelligence of the people of that church [refers to our celestial intelligence]; Adam and his wife stand for the church itself [the regenerating mind], and their descendants down to the Flood describe the changes in the state of that church, up to the time when it came to an end and was finally destroyed by the Flood [refers to the spiritual temptations in our mind when we are regenerating].
But in the celestial Word possessed by the angels of the Divine-Human's celestial kingdom, the first chapter describes the glorification of the Divine-Human's Human; the Garden describes his Divine wisdom. Adam himself is understood to mean the Divine-Human as regards the Divine itself and at the same time the Divine-Human. His wife stands for the church, which since it has life from the Divine-Human is called Eve from [the Hebrew word for] life. Adam says of her that she was to be his bone and his flesh, and [they should be] one flesh, because the church [regenerated mind] comes from the Divine-Human, and is out of Him and with Him as if one. The names of the descendants of Adam describe the successive states by which the Divine-Human was received by the people of that church and linked with them, until there was nothing at all received and so no linking [refers to our states of vastation prior to regeneration when we have no spiritual truths].
[6] So when the first chapters in our Word are read by upright people, especially by boys and girls, and they feel joy at the state when everything was created and at the Garden, then these meanings are unfolded, and the spiritual angels understand them in accordance with their Word, and the celestial angels in accordance with theirs, without being aware that a person or a child is reading it [refers to the vertical community--see Section xx].
These meanings are unfolded in their due sequence because they correspond, and correspondences are from creation like this. This makes it plain what the Word is like in its depths, that is, it has three senses. The last is the natural one for men on earth; this deals mainly with worldly matters and where it deals with Divine matters, they are still described by the kind of things which the world contains.
The middle sense is the spiritual one, which describes the kind of things which belong to the church [refers to the regenerating mind]. The inmost sense is the celestial one, which contains the kind of things which belong to the Divine-Human. For the whole of nature is a theatre representing the Divine-Human's kingdom; and the Divine-Human's kingdom, heaven and the church [refers to the mind], is a theatre representing the Divine-Human Himself. For just as the Divine-Human glorified His Human, so too He regenerates a person; and as He regenerates a person, so too did He create him.
[7] These facts may establish what the Word is like in its depths. The natural Word as possessed by the Christian part of the world contains within itself a spiritual and a celestial Word. For the correspondential sense of our Word is the Word in the heavens which make up the Divine-Human's spiritual kingdom; and the celestial sense of our Word, its inmost sense, is the Word in the heavens which make up the Divine-Human's celestial kingdom. Our Word therefore contains both the spiritual and the celestial Words; but the spiritual Word and the celestial Word do not contain the natural Word. The Word of our world is therefore the one most full of Divine wisdom, and consequently more holy than the Word of the heavens. (De Verbo 14)
The first work of the Writings is the 12-volume Arcana Coelestia (=Heavenly Secrets in Latin) in which Swedenborg analyzes the three books of the Bible--Genesis, Exodus, and Revelation. He gives a word by word and verse by verse analysis of the correspondences. In other words, he reconstructs the scientific meaning of these books, the same sense that he was able to see in the spiritual world from the text of Sacred Scripture written in a spiritual script. I illustrate this process in detail with respect to Genesis Chapter 22 (see Section xx). In this way we can prove that Sacred Scripture is written in a Divine style whose content adjusts itself to the level of consciousness of the people reading it. As we study theistic psychology we are able to understand the meanings of Sacred Scripture in a deeper sense, sometimes so deep that the content seems to change. In other words, the meanings of Divine Speech are conveyed in the natural language by means of cognitions or meanings called "natural-rational correspondences." The meanings of Divine Speech are conve
