AR 911, 914 - reception, enlightenment, rationality - all from the Lord

AR 911
. . . in general, and by "precious stone," in reference to the Word,
is signified Divine truth in the sense of the letter of the Word
translucent from the Divine truth in the spiritual sense;
the same is signified by "jasper," . . ..
The reason why it is translucent, is,
because the Divine truth, in the sense of the letter is in natural light,
and the Divine truth, in the spiritual sense is in spiritual light,
wherefore when spiritual light flows into natural light
with a person who is reading the Word,
he is enlightened, and sees truths there,
for the objects of spiritual light are truths.
The Word also in the sense of the letter is of such a nature
that the more a person is enlightened by the influx of the light of heaven,
so much the more does he see truths in their connection
and consequently in their form;
and the more he so sees them,
so much the more interiorly is his rational mind opened,
for the rational is the very receptacle of the light of heaven.


AR 914
. . . all things of doctrine from the Word with them,
will appear in light according to reception.
All who do not think sanely,
cannot believe that all things of the New Church can appear in light,
but let them know that they can,
for every person has exterior and interior thought.
Interior thought is in the light of heaven, and is called perception,
and exterior thought is in the light of the world;
and the understanding of every person is such
that it can be elevated even into the light of heaven,
and also is elevated, if from any delight he wishes to see truth.

For the delight of love and wisdom elevates the thought,
enabling one to see as in the light that a thing is so,
although he had never heard it before.
This light, which enlightens the mind,
flows in from no other source than out of heaven from the Lord;
and as they who will be of the New Jerusalem,
will directly approach the Lord,
that light will flow in, by the way of order,
which is through the love of the will into the perception of the understanding.