AC 7796 - the Divine vastates no one; AC 7803 - stars

AC 7796
. . . all things which are done by the Divine Itself
are done by means of truth proceeding from Itself;
the Divine Itself is the being [esse] of all things,
whereas the truth proceeding from It
is the derivative manifestation [existere] of all things;
Good Itself, which is the Divine Esse,
produces all things by means of its truth.
It is said that vastations are effected
by means of truth from the Divine,
but it is to be understood
that Divine truth is not the cause,
for the Divine vastates no one;
but the evil person vastates himself
by rendering himself determined against truth Divine,
extinguishing, rejecting, or perverting it;
and by turning the good Divine
which continually flows in,
into evil.
This evil then is that which vastates,

AC 7803
. . . moving stars signify falsities;
but fixed stars truths.

Portions: Psalm 129 - 140

But the Lord is righteous;
He has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.
(Psalm 129:4)

I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in His word I put my hope.
(Psalm 130:5)

. . . I have stilled and quieted my soul . . .
(Psalm 131:2)

. . . arise, O Lord, and come to Your resting place,
You and the ark of Your might.
(Psalm 132:8)

How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!
(Psalm 133:1)

Praise the Lord,
all you servants of the Lord
who minister by night in the house of the Lord.
(Psalm 134:1)

Praise the Lord,
for the Lord is good;
sing praise to His name,
for that is pleasant.
(Psalm 135:3)

Give thanks to the God of heaven.
His love endures forever.
(Psalm 136:26)

By the rivers of Babylon we sat and wept
when we remembered Zion.
(Psalm 137:1)

The Lord will fulfill His purpose for me;
Your Love, O Lord, endures forever -
do not abandon the works of Your hands.
(Psalm 138:8)

Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting.
(Psalm 139:23-24)

I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor
and upholds the cause of the needy.
Surely the righteous will praise Your name
and the upright will live before You.
(Psalm 140:12-13)

AC 7779 - falsified truth and real truth

AC 7779
[2] Falsified truths in the first place
are those which are acknowledged as essentials,
such as these:
-- that faith saves howsoever a person has lived;
-- that it saves a person in the last hour of his life;
-- and that he then is pure from sins;
-- thus that sins are wiped away in a moment,
    like the uncleanness of the hands by water;
    which insist that there is faith without charity,
-- and that in respect to a person's salvation
    the life effects nothing,
-- also that a man-devil can in a moment
    be made an angel of God.
Such and the like are falsified truths in the first place.

[3] That such and the like are falsified truths of faith,
is very evident;
for who does not know, if he thinks justly,
that the life of faith causes a person to be spiritual,
but not faith 
except insofar as it has been implanted in the life.
The life of person is his love,
and that which he loves he wills and intends,
and that which he wills and intends, he does.
This is the being of a person,
but not that which he knows and thinks and does not will.
This being of a person
cannot in any wise be changed into another being
by thinking about mediation and salvation;
but by regeneration anew,
which is being effected during a great part of his life;
for he must be conceived, born, and grown up anew;
and this is not effected by thinking and speaking,
but by willing and acting. 

Portions: Psalm 119 (Lamedh) - 128

Your Word, O Lord, is eternal;
it stands firm in the heavens.
(Psalm 119:89 - Lamedh)

Your commands make me wiser than my enemies,
for they are ever with me.
(Psalm 119:98 - Mem)

Your Word is a lamp to my feet
and a light for my path.
(Psalm 119:105 - Nun)

You are my refuge and my shield;
I have put my hope in Your Word.
(Psalm 119:114 - Samekh)

Deal with Your servant according to Your love
and teach me Your decrees.
(Psalm 119:124 - Ayin)

The unfolding of Your words gives light;
it gives understanding to the simple.
(Psalm 119:130 - Pe)

Trouble and distress have come upon me,
but Your commands are my delight.
(Psalm 119:143 - Tsadhe)

Long ago I learned from Your statutes
that You established them to last forever.
(Psalm 119:152 - Qoph)

All Your words are true;
all Your righteous laws are eternal.
(Psalm 119:160 - Resh)

Great peace have they who love Your law,
and nothing can make them stumble.
(Psalm 119:165 - Sin and Shin)

May my cry come before you, O Lord;
give me understanding according to Your Word.
(Psalm 119:169 - Taw)

I call onto the Lord in my distress,
and He answers me.
(Psalm 120:1)

The Lord will keep you from all harm -
He will watch over your life;
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
(Psalm 121:7-8)

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem:
"May those who love you be secure.
May there be peace within your walls
and security within your citadels."
(Psalm 122:6-7)

I lift up my eyes to You,
to You whose throne is in heaven.
(Psalm 123:1)

Our help is in the name of the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
(Psalm 124:8)

Those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion,
which cannot be shaken but endures forever.
(Psalm 125:1)

The Lord has done great things for us,
and we are filled with joy.
(Psalm 126:3)

Unless the Lord builds the house,
its builders labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchmen stand guard in vain.
(Psalm 127:1)

Blessed are all who fear the Lord,
who walk in His ways.
(Psalm 128:1)

AC 7770 - vessels; application

AC 7770
Memory-knowledges are called vessels of truth and good,
because they contain them.
It is believed
that the memory-knowledges of truth and good
are the very truths and goods of faith;
but they are not.
It is the affections of truth and good that make faith,
and these flow into memory-knowledges,
as into their vessels.

[3] . . . with the evil
the knowledges of good and truth are applied to evil uses,
and with the good
the knowledges of good and truth are applied to good uses;
the knowledges are the same,
but the application to uses
effects their quality with each person.

Portions: Psalm 115 - 119 (Kaph)

May you be blessed by the Lord,
the Maker of heaven and earth.
(Psalm 115:15)

How can I repay the Lord
for all His goodness to me?
I will lift up the cup of salvation
and call on the name of the Lord.
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
in the presence of all His people.
(Psalm 116:12-14)

Praise the Lord, all you nations;
extoll Him, all you peoples.
For great is His love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord.
(Psalm 117)

This is the day the Lord has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
(Psalm 118:24)

Blessed are the whose was are blameless,
who walk according to the law of the Lord.
(Psalm 119: 1 - Aleph)

How can a young man keep his way pure?
By living according to Your word.
(Psalm 119:9 - Beth)

Remove from me scorn and contempt,
for I keep your statutes.
(Psalm 119:22 - Gimel)

My soul is weary with sorrow;
strengthen me according to Your Word.
(Psalm 119: 28 - Daleth)

Turn my heart toward Your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
(Psalm 119:36 - He)

I lift up my hands to Your commands,
which I love,
and I meditate on Your decrees.
(Psalm 119:48 - Waw)

In the night I remember You name, O Lord,
and I will keep Your law.
(Psalm 119:55 - Zayin)

The earth is filled with Your love, O Lord;
teach me Your decrees.
(Psalm 119:64 - Heth)

The law from Your mouth is more precious to me
than thousands of pieces of silver and gold.
(Psalm 119:72 - Teth)

Your hands made me and formed me;
give me understanding to learn your commands.
(Psalm 119:73 - Yodh)

My soul faints with longing for Your salvation,
but I have put my hope in Your Word.
(Psalm 119:81 - Kaph)

AC 7757 - in the interiors of a person

AC 7757
The conjunction
of the good of charity with the truth of faith
is effected in the interiors of a person.
The good itself which flows in from the Lord
adopts truth there, 
and appropriates it to itself,
and thereby causes the good with the person to be good,
and the truth to be truth;
or the charity to be charity,
and the faith to be faith.
Without this conjunction
charity is not charity,
but only natural goodness;
neither is faith faith,
but only the memory-knowledge
of such things as are of faith,
and in some cases 
a persuasion that a thing is so
for the sake of earning gain or honor.
 

Portions: Psalm 107 - 114

Let them give thanks to the Lord
for His unfailing love
and His wonderful deeds for men,
for He satisfies the thirsty
and fills the hungry with good things.
(Psalm 107:8-9)

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens,
and let Your glory be over all the earth.
(Psalm 108:5)

Help me, O Lord my God;
save me in accordance with Your love.
(Psalm 109:26)

The Lord will extend your might scepter from Zion;
you will rule in the midst of your enemies.
(Psalm 110:2)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
all who follow His precepts have good understanding;
To Him belongs eternal praise.
(Psalm 111:10)

. . . a righteous man will be remembered forever.
He will have no fear of bad news;
his heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
(Psalm 112:6-7)

Praise the Lord.
Praise, O servants of the Lord,
praise the name of the Lord.
(Psalm 113:1)

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob,
who turned the rock into a pool,
the hard rock into springs of water.
(Psalm 114:7-8)

AC 7729 - every expression

AC 7729 [4]
. . . every expression in the Word has weight,
because it is from the Divine.

Portions: Psalm 103 - 106

Praise the Lord, you His angels,
you mighty ones who do His bidding,
who obey His word.
(Psalm 103:20)

I will sing to the Lord all my life;
I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
(Psalm 104:33)

He is the Lord our God;
His judgments are in all the earth.
(Psalm 105:7)

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Let all the people say, "Amen!"
(Psalm 106:48)

AC 7711 - "darkness" and "thick darkness"

AC 7711
In various places in the Word mention is made of "darkness"
and also at the same time of "thick darkness,"
and then "darkness" is predicated of falsity,
and "thick darkness" of evil together with it.
But the word by which "thick darkness"
is expressed in this verse means the densest darkness,
by which in the internal sense
are signified such falsities as spring from evil.
Such falsities arise with those who have been of the church,
and have lived a life of evil
contrary to the precepts of faith which they have known.
The evil from which these falsities spring,
is against the church,
against heaven,
and against the Lord,
thus is diametrically against good and truth.
This state is now described by "thick darkness."

That in the Word both "darkness" and "thick darkness"
are mentioned together,
and that "darkness" then denotes the privation of truth,
and thick darkness the privation of both truth and good . . ..

Portions: 94 - 102

Blessed is the man You discipline, O Lord,
the man You teach from Your law . . ..
(Psalm 94:12)

Come, let us bow down in worship,
let us kneel before the Lord our Maker;
for He is our God
and we are the people of His pasture,
the flock under His care.
(Psalm 95:6-7)

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;
He is to be feared above all gods.
For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the Lord made the heavens.
(Psalm 96:4-5)

Light is shed upon the righteous
and joy on the upright in heart.
(Psalm 97:11)

Let the sea resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
let the mountains sing together for joy;
let them sing before the Lord,
for He comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.
(Psalm 98:7-9)

Exalt the Lord our God
and worship at His holy mountain,
for the Lord our God is holy.
(Psalm 99:9)

Know that the Lord is God.
It is He who made us,
and not we ourselves;
we are His people,
the sheep of His pasture.
(Psalm 100:3)

I will sing of Your love and justice;
to You, O Lord, I will sing praise.
(Psalm 101:1)

But you, O Lord, sit enthroned forever;
Your renown endures through all generations.
(Psalm 102:12)

AC 7697 - to forgive, to sin

AC 7697
. . . to forgive is
not to regard any one from evil but from good . . .
the signification of "sin,"
as being disobedience.

Portions: Psalm 87 - 93

He has set His foundation on the holy mountain;
(Psalm 87:1)

You have take from me my closest friends
and have made me repulsive to them.
I am confined and cannot escape;
my eyes are dim with with grief.
(Psalm 88:8-9)

Righteousness and justice
are the foundation of Your throne;
love and faithfulness
go before You.
Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim You,
who walk in the light of Your presence, O Lord.
(Psalm 89:14-15)

Lord, You have been our dwelling place
throughout all generations.
Before the mountains were born
or you brought forth the earth and the world,
from everlasting to everlasting
You are God.
(Psalm 90:1-2)

For He will command His angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways;
they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.
(Psalm 91:11-12)

It is good to praise the Lord
and make music to Your name, O Most High,
to proclaim Your love in the morning
and Your faithfulness at night,
to the music of the ten-stringed lyre
and the melody of the harp.
(Psalm 92:1-3)

Mightier than the thunder of the great waters,
mightier than the breakers of the sea -
the Lord on high is mighty.
(Psalm 93:4)

AC 7691 - sensitive of truth

AC 7691
That "green" denotes that which is sensitive of truth,
is because by "herb," "grass," and "the leaf of a tree"
are signified truths;
from this their "greenness" signifies
that which is sensitive of truth.
By this sensitivity is signified the ultimate of perception.
The sensitivity of truth is also signified by "what is green"
. . . in John:

The fifth angel sounded, and the locusts went forth;
and it was said unto them
that they should not hurt the grass of the earth,
nor any green thing.
(Revelation 9:4)

Portions: Psalm 79 - 86

Help us, O God our Savior,
for the glory of Your name;
deliver us and forgive our sins
for Your name's sake.
(Psalm 79:9)

Restore us, O Lord God Almighty;
make Your face shine upon us,
that we may be saved.
(Psalm 80:19)

"Hear, O My people, and I will warn you -
if you would but listen to Me, O Israel!"
(Psalm 81:8)

Rise up, O God, judge the earth,
for all the nations are Your inheritance.
(Psalm 82:8)

O God, do not keep silent;
be not quiet, O God, be not still.
Let them know that You,
whose name is the Lord -
that You alone are the Most High over all the earth.
(Psalm 83:1,18)

For the Lord God is a sun and shield;
the Lord bestows favor and honor;
no good thing does He withhold
from those whose walk is blameless.
O Lord Almighty,
blessed is the man who trusts in You.
(Psalm 84:11-12)

Love and faithfulness meet together;
righteousness and peace kiss each other.
Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
and righteousness looks down from heaven.
(Psalm 85:10-11)

You are forgiving and good, O Lord,
abounding in love to all who call to You.
(Psalm 86:5)

AC 7652, 7655 - the evil

AC 7652
. . . the evil never advise what is good except from fear.

AC 7655
. . . the evil call all those "simple"
who are of the church and live according to its truths and goods,
that is, a life of faith and charity.

Portions: Psalm 74 - 78

But You, O God, are my king from old;
You bring salvation upon the earth.
(Psalm 74:12)

We give thanks to You, O God,
we give thanks,
for Your Name is near;
men tell of your wonderful deeds.
(Psalm 75:1)

Make vows to the Lord your God
and fulfill them;
let all the neighboring lands
bring gifts to the One to be feared.
(Psalm 76:11)

I cried out to God for help;
I cried out to God to hear me.
When I was in distress,
I sought the Lord;
at night I stretched out my untiring hands
and my soul refused to be comforted.
(Psalm 77:1-2)

I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter hidden things,
 things from of old . . .. 
He built His sanctuary like the heights,
like the earth that He established forever.
(Psalm 78:2,69)

AC 7643 - evil is never from the Lord

AC 7643
. . . when it is attributed to Jehovah (that is, to the Lord)
that He made heavy Pharaoh's heart,
when yet this is from man, from his evil in him . . ..
That evil is not from the Lord,
but that it arises from man,
is because man turns to himself
that good which flows in from the Lord,
and instead of regarding the Lord
and what is of the Lord in all things,
he regards himself.
From this comes the concupiscence of reigning over all,
and of possessing all that belongs to others;
and from this come contempt for others, and hatred,
revenge, and cruelty toward those
who do not favor and be friendly to one's self;
from this also comes contempt for all things
that are of faith and charity,
because when these flow in from the Lord
they are turned to self,
thus away from the Lord.
From all this it can be seen that man turns into evil
the very good which flows in from the Lord.

Portions: Psalm 68 - 73

Sing to God,
sing praise to His name,
extol Him who rides on the clouds -
His name is the Lord -
and rejoice before Him.
(Psalm 68:4)

I will praise God's name in song
and glorify Him with thanksgiving.
(Psalm 69:30)

But may all who seek You
rejoice and be glad in You;
may those who love Your salvation always say,
"Let God be exalted!"
(Psalm 70:4)

Your righteousness reaches to the skies, O God,
You who have done great things.
Who, O God, is like you?
(Psalm 71:19)

Praise be to the Lord God,
the God of Israel,
who alone does marvelous deeds.
Praise be to His glorious name forever;
may the whole earth be filled with His glory.
Amen and Amen.
(Psalm 72:18-19)

My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
(Psalm 73:26)

AC 7620, 7622 - a flame and then a bird and then a stone

AC 7620, 7622.
I saw a certain most beautiful flame;
it was of various colors, crimson,
and also from white reddening,
and the colors likewise sparkled beautifully from the flame.
I saw also a certain hand,
which did not hold this flame,
but to which it adhered,
at first on the back part,
afterward on the palm or hollow of the hand,
and from there it played around the hand.
This continued for some time.
Then the hand together with the flame
were removed to a distance,
and where they rested, there was light;
in this light the hand withdrew,
and then the flame was changed into a bird,
which at first had like colors with the flame,
the colors in like manner sparkling.
But the colors gradually changed,
and with the colors the vigor of life in the bird.
It flew around, and at first about my head,
then forward into a kind of narrow chamber;
and as it flew forward,
its life in proportion departed,
until at last it became stone,
at first of the color of a pearl,
afterward dark;
but although devoid of life,
it continued flying.

When this had passed,
the spirits who were about me
who had gazed intently upon the bird
and its successive changes,
began to converse together about it,
and this for a long time.
They perceived that such a sight
must signify something heavenly.
They knew that a flame
signifies celestial love and its affections;
that a hand, to which the flame adhered,
signifies life and its power;
that changes of color signify varieties of life
in respect to wisdom and intelligence;
that a bird signifies the same, but with this difference,
that a flame signifies celestial love and what is of this love,
whereas a bird signifies spiritual love and what is of this love;
celestial love is love to the Lord,
and spiritual love is mutual love
and charity toward the neighbor;
and the changes of color and likewise of life in the bird
until it became stone,
signify successive varieties of spiritual life
in respect to intelligence.

Portions: Psalm 60 - 67

With God we will gain the victory,
and He will trample down our enemies.
(Psalm 60:12)

Hear my cry, O God;
listen to my prayer.
From the ends of the earth I call to you,
I call as my heart grows faint;
lead me to the rock that is higher than I.
(Psalm 61:1-2)

One thing God has spoken
two things have I heard:
that You, O God, are strong,
and that You, O Lord, are loving.
Surely you will reward each person
according to what he has done.
(Psalm 62:11-12)

Because Your love is better than life,
my lips will glorify You.
(Psalm 63:3)

Let the righteous rejoice in the Lord
and take refuge in Him;
let all the upright in heart praise Him!
(Psalm 64:10)

The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.
(Psalm 65:13)

Come and see what God has done,
how awesome His works in man's behalf!
(Psalm 66:5)

May God be gracious to us and bless us
and make His face shine upon us,     Selah
that Your ways may be known on earth,
Your salvation among all nations.
(Psalm 67:1-2)

AC 7589 - turning away

AC 7589
. . . he who turns himself away from truth and good,
separates himself from them.

Portions: Psalm 50 - 59

From Zion,
perfect in beauty,
God shines forth.
(Psalm 50:2)

Create in me a pure heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
(Psalm 51:10)

I trust in God's unfailing love for ever and ever.
(Psalm 52:8)

God looks down from heaven on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
(Psalm 53:2)

Surely God is my help;
the Lord is the one who sustains me.
(Psalm 54:4)

But I call to God,
and the Lord saves me.
(Psalm 55:16)

. . . in God I trust;
I will not be afraid.
(Psalm 56:11)

Be exalted, O God, above the heavens;
let your glory be over all the earth.
(Psalm 57:11)

Then men will say,
"Surely the righteous still are rewarded;
surely there is a God who judges the earth.
(Psalm 58:11)

But I will sing of Your strength,
in the morning I will sing of Your love;
for You are my fortress,
my refuge in times of trouble.
(Psalm 59:16)

AC 7573 - voices of thunder

AC 7573
And Jehovah gave voices of thunder.
(Exodus 9:23)
On high mountains
thunders are heard as a mild and gentle sound,
whereas below on the earth
they are heard as a terrific noise;
and in the same way
in heaven truth Divine is mild and gentle,
but in hell is terrible.

Psalm 40 - 49

Blessed is he who has regard for the weak;
the Lord delivers him in times of trouble.
(Psalm 40:1)

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel,
from everlasting to everlasting.
Amen and Amen.
(Psalm 41:13)

By day the Lord directs His love,
at night His song is with me -
a prayer to the God of my life.
(Psalm 42:8)

Send forth Your light and Your truth,
let them guide me;
let them bring me to Your holy mountain,
to the place where You dwell.
(Psalm 43:3)

It was not by their sword that they won the land,
nor did their arm bring them victory;
it was Your right hand, Your arm,
and the light of Your face,
for You loved them.
(Psalm 44:3)

I will perpetuate Your memory through all generations;
therefore the nations will praise You for ever and ever.
(Psalm 45:17)

"Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth."
(Psalm 46:10)

Sing praises to God, sing praises;
sing praises to our King, sing praises.
(Psalm 47:6)

For this God is our God for ever and ever;
He will be our guide even to the end.
(Psalm 48:14)

A man who has riches without understanding
is like the beasts that perish.
(Psalm 49:20)

AC 7560 - communication

AC 7560
. . . in so far as man (homo) has communication with heaven,
so far he is man (homo).


(homo is the Latin for man or human, non-gender specific)

Portions: Psalm 37 - 40

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
do not fret when men succeed in their ways,
when they carry out their wicked schemes.
Refrain from anger and turn from wrath;
do not fret - it only leads to evil.
For evil men will be cut off,
but those who hope in the Lord
will inherit the land.
(Psalm 37:7-9)

I wait for you, O Lord;
You will answer, O Lord my God.
(Psalm 38:15)

You have made my days a mere handbreadth;
the span of my years is as nothing before You.
Each man's life is but a breath.  Selah.
(Psalm 39:5)

But may all who seek You 
rejoice and be glad in You;
may those who love Your salvation always say,
"The Lord be exalted!"
(Psalm 40:16)

AC 7554 - offensive smells

AC 7554
. . . all bad smell comes from evils mingled with goods,
and from falsities mingled with truths.

AC 7550 - the Lord is to be acknowledged as the only God

AC 7550
And that My name may be told in the whole earth.
(Exodus 9:16)
That this signifies that where the church is
the Lord may be acknowledged as the only God,
is evident from the signification of "name,"
as being everything in one complex
by which the Lord is worshiped;
and as the veriest essential of worship
is the acknowledgment
that the Lord is the only God,
and that His Human is Divine,
and that from this
proceeds all faith and love,
therefore by the "name of Jehovah being told" is signified
that the Lord is to be acknowledged as the only God . . ..

That Jehovah or the Lord in this and in many other passages
wills that His might and power may appear, and His name be told,
and elsewhere that He be humbly worshiped and adored,
seems as if He desires to show forth His glory,
and as if He loves adoration for the sake of Himself.
But quite different is the real case.
It is not for the sake of Himself,
but for the sake of the human race;
not from self-glory,
but from love;
for He wills to be conjoined with the human race,
and to give them eternal life and happiness.
This cannot be done
unless the person is in humble worship;
and there can be no humble worship
unless the person acknowledges and believes
that he himself is dust and ashes,
that is, nothing but evil,
and that Jehovah or the Lord is the Greatest and the Holiest,
and that he dare not from himself approach Him.
When a person is in such humble worship,
then the Lord can flow in with the life of His love,
and give heaven and eternal happiness.
This is the reason why Jehovah or the Lord
so greatly extols His own power and glory in the Word.

Portions: Psalm 30 - 36

Hear, O Lord, and be merciful to me;
O Lord, be my help.
(Psalm 30:10)

How great is Your goodness,
which You have stored up for those who fear You,
which You bestow in the sight of men
on those who take refuge in you.
Be strong and take heart,
all you who hope in the Lord.
(Psalm 31:19,24)

Many are the woes of the wicked,
but the Lord's unfailing love
surrounds the man who trusts in Him.
(Psalm 32:10)

We wait in hope for the Lord;
He is our help and our shield.
In Him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in His holy name.
(Psalm 33:20-21)

Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
Whoever of you loves and desires
to see many good days,
keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from speaking lies.
Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.
(Psalm 34:11-14)

But when I stumbled,
they gathered in glee;
attackers gathered against me
when I was unaware.
They slandered me without ceasing.
O Lord, how long will You look on?
Rescue my life from their ravages,
my precious life from these lions.
(Psalm 35:15,17)

Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens,
Your faithfulness to the skies.
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountains,
Your justice like the great deep.
(Psalm 36:6)

AC 7533 - evil can't come from the Lord

AC 7533
. . . it is the evil with a person
which makes him firm or determined against the Divine;
and evil comes from the person,
and flows in from hell,
but not from heaven.
Nothing but good flows in through heaven from the Lord;
evil cannot come forth from good,
still less from the veriest Good;
evil comes forth from its own origin,
namely, from things contrary to love to God
and to love to the neighbor;
such origins exist in a person,
and not at all in God.

Portions: Psalm 21 - 29

Be exalted, O Lord, in Your strength;
we will sing and praise Your might.
(Psalm 21:13)

All the ends of the earth
will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
will bow down before Him,
for dominion belongs to the Lord
and He rules over the nations.
(Psalm 22:27-28)

Surely goodness and mercy will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.
(Psalm 23:6)

He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to an idol
or swear by what is false.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and vindication from God his Savior.
(Psalm 24:4-5)

My eyes are ever on the Lord,
for only He will release my feet from the snare.
(Psalm 25:15)

My feet stand on level ground;
in the great assembly I will praise the Lord.
(Psalm 26:12)

Wait for the Lord;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the Lord.
(Psalm 27:14)

The Lord is my strength and my shield;
my heart trusts in Him,
and I am helped.
My heart leaps for joy
and I will give thanks to Him in song.
(Psalm 28:7)

The Lord gives strength to His people,
the Lord blesses His people with peace.
(Psalm 29:11)

AC 7499 - the Lord who is God

AC 7499
In the Word
the Lord is called "Jehovah" as to Divine good,
for Divine good is the Divine Itself;
and the Lord is called the "Son of God" as to Divine truth,
for Divine truth proceeds
from the Divine good as a son from a father,
and also is said to be "born:"
how this is shall be further told.
When the Lord was in the world
He made His Human Divine truth,
and then called the Divine good which is Jehovah,
His "Father;"
because, as just said,
Divine truth proceeds
and is born from Divine good.
But after the Lord had fully glorified Himself,
which was done when He endured
the last of temptation on the cross,
He then made His Human also Divine good,
that is, Jehovah;
and thereby the Divine truth itself
proceeded from His Divine Human.
The Divine truth is what is called the "Holy Spirit,"
and is the holy
which proceeds from the Divine Human.
From this is evident what is meant
by the Lord's words in John:

The Holy Spirit was not yet,
because Jesus was not yet glorified.
(John 7:39)

It is the Divine good which is called the "Father,"
and the Divine truth which is called the "Son."

Portions: Psalm 14 - 20

The Lord looks down from the heaven on the sons of men
to see if there are any who understand,
any who seek God.
(Psalm 14:2)

Lord, who may dwell in Your sanctuary?
Who may live on Your holy hill?
(Psalm 15:1)

You have made known to me the path of life;
You will fill me with joy in Your presence,
with eternal pleasures at Your right hand.
(Psalm 16:11)

I call on you, O God,
for You will answer me;
give ear to me and hear my prayer.
(Psalm 17:6)

He reached down from on high and took hold of me;
He drew me out of deep waters.
For who is God besides the Lord?
And who is the Rock except our God?
(Psalm 18:16,31)

The precepts of the Lord are right,
giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant,
giving light to the eyes.

May the words of my mouth
and the meditation of my heart
be pleasing your sight,
O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer.
(Psalm 19:8,14)

Some trust in chariots and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
(Psalm 20:7)

AC 7488 & AC 7489 - loves

AC 7488
From all that has been said
about the loves of self and of the world,
it is evident that all evils spring from them,
and because all evils spring from them,
so do all falsities;
and on the other hand,
from love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor
spring all goods,
and because all goods spring from them,
so do all truths.

AC 7489
This being the case,
it is evident that insofar as a person
is in the loves of self and of the world,
so far he is not in love toward the neighbor,
still less in love to the Lord;
for these are opposites.

Portions: Psalm 4 - 13

I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for You alone, O Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
(Psalm 4:8)

But let all who take refuge in You be glad;
let them ever sing for joy.
Spread Your protection over them,
that those who love Your name may rejoice in You.
(Psalm 5:11)

Away from me, all you who do evil,
for the Lord has heard my weeping.
The Lord has heard my cry for mercy;
the Lord accepts my prayer.
(Psalm 6:8-9)

O righteous God,
who searches minds and hearts,
bring to an end the violence of the wicked
and make the righteous secure.
(Psalm 7:9)

O Lord, our Lord,
how majestic is Your name in all the earth!
(Psalm 8:9)

Those who know Your name will trust in You,
for You, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek You.
(Psalm 9:10)

You hear, O Lord, the desire of the afflicted;
You encourage them,
and You listen to their cry,
defending the fatherless and the oppressed,
in order that man, who is of the earth,
may terrify no more.
(Psalm 10:17-18)

For the Lord is righteous,
He loves justice;
upright men will see His face.
(Psalm 11:7)

O Lord, You will keep us safe
and protect us from such people forever.
(Psalm 12:8)

I will sing to the Lord,
for He has been good to me.
(Psalm 13:6)

AC 7456 - stoning & hanging; AC 7463 - "the law"

AC 7456 [2]
As regards the signification of "stoning,"
be it known that there were two death penalties
among the Israelites and Jews,
with whom the representative of a church had been instituted,
of which the one was stoning,
and the other was hanging upon wood.
Stoning was for anyone
who desired to destroy the truths of worship
that had been commanded,
and hanging was for anyone
who desired to destroy the good of life.
That those were stoned
who desired to destroy the truths of worship,
was because a "stone" signified truth,
and in the opposite sense falsity;
and that those were hanged upon wood
who desired to destroy the good of life,
was because "wood" signified good,
and in the opposite sense the evil of cupidities.

AC 7463 [4]
That "the law" in a wide sense is the whole Word,
in a less wide sense the historic Word,
in a still less wide sense the Word written by Moses,
and in a narrow sense the commandments of the Decalogue.
From all this it can now be seen why it is said
that Moses represents
both the law Divine and also truth Divine.
 

Portions: II Kings 24 - 25; Psalms 1 - 3

During Jehoiakim's reign,
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon invaded the land,
and Jehoiakim became his vassal for three years.
But then he changed his mind
and rebelled against Nebuchadnezzar.
The Lord sent Babylonian, Aramean,
Moabite and Ammonite raiders against him.
He sent them to destroy Judah,
in accordance with the word of the Lord
proclaimed by his servants the prophets.
Surely these things happened to Judah
according to the Lord's command,
in order to remove them from His presence
because of the sins of Manasseh and all he had done,
including the shedding of innocent blood.
For he had filled Jerusalem with innocent blood,
and the Lord was not willing to forgive.
Jehoiakim rested with his fathers.
And Jehoiachin his son succeed him as king.
Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem three months.
His mother's name was Nehushta
daughter of Elnathan; she was from Jerusalem.
At that time
the officers of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
advanced on Jerusalem and laid siege to it . . ..
In the eighth year of the reign of the king of Babylon,
he took Jehoiachin prisoner.
He carried into exile all Jerusalem:
all the officers and fighting men,
and all the craftsmen and artisans -
a total of ten thousand.
Only the poorest people of the land were left.
He made Mattaniah, Jehoiachin's uncle,
king in his place and changed his name to Zedekiah.
Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years.
His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah;
she was from Libnah.
Now Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
(II Kings 24:1-4,6,8,10,12,14,17-18,20)

So in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign,
on the tenth day of the tenth month,
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon
marched against Jerusalem with his whole army.
On the seventh day of the fifth month,
in the nineteenth year
of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon,
Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard,
an official of the king of Babylon,
came to Jerusalem.
He set fire to the temple of the Lord . . ..
So Judah went into captivity,
away from her land.
(II Kings 25:1,8-9,21)

For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
(Psalm 1:6)

Serve the Lord with fear
and rejoice with trembling.
(Psalm 2:11)

But You are a shield around me, O Lord;
You bestow glory on me and lift up my head.
(Psalm 3:3)

AC 7454 - spheres & secrets

AC 7454 [2, 3]
Every spirit, and still more every society,
is surrounded with a sphere
of the faith and of the life of that spirit or society.
This sphere is a spiritual sphere,
and by it is known the quality of the spirit,
and even better that of the society.
For the sphere is perceived by those who have perception,
sometimes at a considerable distance; and this
although the spirit or the society is in hiding,
and does not communicate by thought or by speech.
This spiritual sphere may be compared
to the material sphere
which encompasses the body of a person in the world,
which is a sphere of effluvia exuding from him,
and is smelled by keen-scented beasts.
. . . it can also be seen
that nothing whatever is hidden
which a person in the world has
thought, spoken, and done,
but that it is in the open;
for it is these things which make this sphere.
Such a sphere also pours forth from the spirit of a person
while he is in the body in the world;
and from this his quality is also known.
Therefore believe not
that the things a person thinks in secret
and that he does in secret,
are hidden,
for they are as clearly shown in heaven
as are those which appear in the light of noon,
according to the Lord's words in Luke:

There is nothing covered that shall not be revealed;
or hidden that shall not be known;
therefore whatsoever you have said in the darkness
shall be heard in the light;
and that which you have spoken in the ear in bed-chambers,
shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
(Luke 12:2-3)

Portions: Kings 20 - 23

Hezekiah had asked Isaiah,
"What will be the sign that the Lord will heal me
and that I will go up to the temple of the Lord
on the third day from now?
Isaiah answered,
"This is the Lord's sign to you
that the Lord will do what He has promised:
Shall the shadow go forward ten steps,
or shall it go back ten steps?"
As for the other events of Hezekiah's reign,
all his achievements and how he made the pool
and the tunnel by which he brought water into the city,
are they not written in the book
of the annals of the kings of Judah?
Hezekiah rested with his fathers.
And Manasseh hi son succeeded him as king.
(II Kings 20:8-10,20-21)

Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-five years.
His mother's name was Hephzibah.
He did evil in the eyes of the Lord,
following the detestable practices of the nations
the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.
Manasseh rested with his fathers
and was buried in his palace garden,
the garden of Uzza.
And Amon his son succeeded him as king.
Amon was twenty-two years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem two years.
His mother's name was Meshullemeth daughter of Haruz;
she was from Jotbah.
He did evil in the eyes of the Lord,
as his father Manasseh had done.
He was buried in his grave in the garden of Uzza.
And Josiah his son succeeded him as king.
(II Kings 21:1-2,18-20,26)

Josiah was eight years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem thirty-one years.
His mother's name was Jedidah daughter of Adaiah;
she was from Bozkath.
He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord
and walked in all the ways of his father David,
not turning aside to the right or the left.
Then Shaphan the secretary informed the king,
"Go and inquire of the Lord for me
and for the people and for all Judah
about what is written in this book that has been found."
(II Kings 22 ;1-2,10-11,13)

The king stood by the pillar
and renewed the covenant in the presence of the Lord -
to follow the Lord and keep His commands,
regulations and decrees with all his heart and soul,
thus confirming the words of the covenant written in this book.
Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant.
Neither before or after Josiah was there a king like him
who turned to the Lord as he did -
with all his heart and with all his soul
and with all his strength,
in accordance with all the Law of Moses.
While Josiah was king,
Pharaoh Neco king of Egypt went up to the Euphrates River
to help the king of Assyria.
King Josiah marched out to meet him in battle,
but Neco faced him and killed him at Megiddo.
Josiah's servants brought his body in a chariot
from Megiddo to Jerusalem
and buried him in his own tomb.
And the people of the land took Jehoahaz son of Josiah
and anointed him and made him king in place of his father.
Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old
when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem three months.
His mother's name was Hamutal daughter of Jeremiah;
she was from Libnah.
Pharaoh Neco put him in chains at Riblah
in the land of Hamath
so that he might not reign in Jerusalem . . . .
Pharaoh Neco made Eliakim son of Josiah
king in place of his father Josiah
and changed Eliakim's name to Jehoiakim.
But he took Jehoahaz and carried him off to Egypt,
and there he died.
Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem eleven years.
His mother's name was Zebidah daughter of Pedaiah;
she was from Rumah.
And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord,
just as his fathers had done.
(II Kings 23:3,25,29-32,34,36-37)

AC 7439 - preparation

AC 7439 [3]
. . .a person must be prepared for heaven
by his whole life in the world,
and this is done of the Lord's mercy,
and none are admitted into heaven from mercy alone,
regardless of how they lived in the world.

Portions: Kings 16 - 19

In the seventeenth year of Pekah son of Remaliah,
Ahaz son of Jotham king of Judah began to reign.
Ahaz was twenty years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years.
Unlike David his father,
he did not do what was right in the eyes of the Lord his God.
He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel
and even sacrificed his son in the fire,
following the detestable ways of the nations
the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.
Ahaz rested with his fathers
and was buried with them in the City of David.
And Hezekiah his son succeeded him as king.
(II Kings 16:1-3,20)

In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah,
Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria,
and he reigned nine years.
The king of Assyria invaded the entire land,
marched against Samaria
and laid siege to it for three years.
In the ninth year of Hoshea,
the king of Assyria captured Samaria
and deported the Israelites to Assyria.
He settled them in Halah,
in Gozan on the Habor River
and in the towns of the Medes.
The king of Assyria brought people from Babylon,
Cuthah, Avva, Hamath and Sepharvaim
and settled them in the towns of Samaria
to replace the Israelites.
They took over Samaria and lived in its towns.
(II Kings 17:1,5-6;24)

In the third year of Hoshea son of Elah king of Israel,
Hezekiah son of Ahaz king of Judah began to reign.
He was twenty-five years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years.
His mother's name was Abijah daughter of Zechariah.
He did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,
just as his father David had done.
Hezekiah trusted in the Lord, the God of Israel.
There was no one like him among all the kings of Judah,
either before him or after him.
He held fast to the Lord and did not cease to follow Him;
he kept the commands the Lord had given Moses.
(II Kings 18:1-3,5,6-7)

When King Hezekiah's officials came to Isaiah,
Isaiah said to them,  "Tell your master,
'This is what the Lord says:
do not be afraid of what you have heard -
those words with which the underlings
of the king of Assyria have blasphemed Me.
Listen! I am going to put such a spirit in him
that when he hears a certain report,
he will return to his own country,
and there I will have him cut down with the sword.'"
That night the angel of the Lord went out
and put to death
a hundred and eighty-five thousand men
in the Assyrian camp.
When the people got up the next morning -
there were all these dead bodies!
So Sennacherib kin of Assyria
broke camp and withdrew.
He returned to Nineveh and stayed there.
(II Kings 19:5-7,35-36)

AC 7401 - there is none like Jehovah God

AC 7401
In the Word it is sometimes said
that "there is none like Jehovah God,"
and also that "there is no God like Him."
It was so said in the Word,
because at that time in the land where the church was,
as also in the lands where the church was not,
they worshiped many gods,
and everyone preferred his own god to the god of another.
They distinguished these gods by names,
and the God of the Israelites and Jews
by the name "Jehovah."
The Jews and Israelites themselves also believed
that there were many gods,
but that Jehovah was greater than the rest
on account of the miracles;
and therefore when the miracles ceased,
they at once fell away into the worship of other gods,
as is apparent from the historical parts of the Word.
That there is one God and none besides Him,
they indeed said with the mouth,
but did not believe with the heart.

Portions: Kings 13 - 15

(Apology - I was having issues getting on to this blog.  But now all seems well.)

In the twenty-third year of Joash
son of Ahaziah king of Judah,
Jehoahaz son of Jehu became king of Israel in Samaria,
and he reigned seventeen years.
Jehoahaz rested with his fathers
and was buried in Samaria.
And Jehoash his son succeeded hm as king.
In the thirty-seventh year of Joash king of Judah,
Jehoash son of Jehoahaz
became king of Israel in Samaria,
and he reigned sixteen years.
Jehoash rested with his fathers,
and Jeroboam succeeded him on the throne.
Jehoash was buried in Samaria with the kings of Israel.
Elisha died and was buried.
(II Kings 13:1,9-10,13,20,

In the second year of Jehoash
son of Jehoahaz king of Israel,
Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah began to reign.
He was twenty-five years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-nine years.
His mother's name was Jehoaddin;
she was from Jerusalem.
Amaziah son of Joash king of Judah
lived for fifteen years after the death of Jehoash
son of Jehoahaz king of Israel.
They conspired against him in Jerusalem,
and he fled to Lachiash,
but they sent men after him there.
He was brought back by horse
and was buried in Jerusalem with his fathers,
in the City of David.
Then all the people of Judah took Azariah,
who was sixteen years old,
and made him king in place of his father Amaziah.
In the fifteenth year of Amaziah
son of Joash king of Judah,
Jeroboam son of Jehoash king of Israel
became king in Samaria,
and he reigned forty-one years.
Jeroboam rested with his fathers,
the kings of Israel.
And Zechariah his son succeeded him as king.
(II Kings 14:1-2,17,19-21,23,29)

In the twenty-seventh year of Jeroboam king of Israel,
Azariah son of Amaziah king of Judah began to reign.
He was sixteen years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem fifty-two ears.
His mother's name was Jecoliah;
she was from Jerusalem.
Azariah rested with his fathers
and was buried in the City of David.
and Jotham his son succeeded him as king.
In the thirty-eighth year of Azariah king of Judah,
Zechariah son of Jeroboam
became king of Israel in Samaria,
and he reigned six moths.
Shallum son of Jabesh conspired against Zechariah.
He attacked him in front of the people,
assassinated him and succeeded him as king.
So the word of the Lord spoken to Jehu was fulfilled:
"Your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel
to the fourth generation."
Shallum son of Jabesh became king
in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah king of Judah,
and he reigned in Samaria one month.
Then Menahem son of Gadi
went from Tirzah up to Samaria.
He attacked Shallum son of Jabesh in Samaria,
assassinated him and succeeded him as king.
In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah king of Judah,
Menahem son of Gadi became king of Israel,
and he reigned in Samaria ten years.
Menahem rested with his fathers.
And Pekahiah his son succeeded him as king.
In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah,
Pekahiah son of Menahem
became king of Israel in Samaria,
and he reigned two years.
One of his chief officers, Pekah son of Remaliah,
conspired against him.
Taking fifty men of Gilead with him,
he assassinated Pekahiah, along with Argob and Arieh,
in the citadel of the royal palace at Samaria.
So Pekah killed Pekahiah and succeeded him as king.
In the fifty-second year of Azariah king of Judah,
Pekah son of Remaliah became king of Israel in Samaria,
and he reigned twenty years.
Then Hosea son of Elah conspired against
against Pekah son of Remaliah.
He attacked and assassinated him,
and then succeeded him as king in the twentieth year
of Jotham son of Uzziah.
In the second year of Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel,
Jotham son of Uzziah king of Judah began to reign.
He was twenty-five years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem sixteen years.
His mother's name of Jerusha daughter of Zadok.
Jotham rested with his fathers
and was bried with them in the City of David,
the city of his father.
And Ahaz his son succeeded him as king.
(II Kings 15:1-2,7-8,10,12-14;17,22;23,25;27,30;32-33,38)

AC 7367-7368 & 7373-7374 - what love of self and love of the world are

AC 7367 - 7368
The love of self reigns with a person, that is,
he is in the love of self,
when in what he thinks and does,
he does not regard his neighbor,
thus not the public,
still less the Lord,
but only himself and those who belong to him;
consequently when he does all things
for the sake of himself and those who belong to him;
and if for the sake of the public and his neighbor,
it is merely for the sake of the appearance.

It is said
"for the sake of himself and those who belong to him,"
because he together with these,
and these together with him, make a one;
just as when anyone does anything for the sake of his wife,
of his children, grandchildren,
sons-in-law, or daughters-in-law,
he does it for the sake of himself,
because they are his.
In like manner one who does anything
for the sake of relatives and of friends
who favor his love and thereby conjoin themselves with him;
for by such conjunction they make one with him,
that is, regard themselves in him, 
and him in themselves.

AC 7373-7374
But the love of the world reigns with a person,
that is, a person is in the love of the world,
when in what he thinks and does
he regards and intends nothing but his own advantage,
not caring whether this involves
harm to his neighbor and to the public.

Those are in the love of the world
who desire to possess themselves of the goods of others
by artful devices,
and still more those who do this by cunning and deceit.
They who are in this love
envy others their goods, and covet them;
and insofar as they do not fear the laws,
they take them away, even by robbery.

Portions: II Kings 9 - 12

The Prophet Elisha summoned a man
from the company of the prophets and said to him,
"Tuck your cloak into your belt,
take this flask of oil with you and go to Ramoth Gilead.
When you get there,
look for Jehu son of Jehoshaphat, the son of Nimshi.
Go to him, get him away from his companions
and take him into an inner room.
Then take the flask and pour the oil on his head and declare,
'This is what the Lord says:
I anoint you king over Israel.'
Then open the door and run; don't delay!"
So the young man, the prophet, went to Ramoth Gilead.

When Joram saw Jehu he asked,
"Have you come in peace, Jehu?"
"How can there be peace," Jehu replied,
"as long as all the idolatry and witchcraft
of your mother Jezebel abound?"
Then Jehu drew his bow
and shot Joram between the shoulders.
When Ahaziah king of Judah saw what had happened,
he fled up the road to Beth Haggan.
Jehu chased him, shouting,
"Kill him too!"
(II Kings 9:1-4,22,24,27)

So Jehu destroyed Baal worship in Israel.
However, he did not turn away from the sins
of Jeroboam son of Nebat,
which he had caused Israel to commit -
the worship of the golden calves at Bethel and Dan.
The Lord said to Jehu,
"Because you have done well
in accomplishing what is right in My eyes
and have done to the house of Ahab
all I had in mind to do,
your descendants will sit on the throne of Israel
to the fourth generation."
In those days the Lord began to reduce the size of Israel.
Jehu rested with his fathers and was buried in Samaria.
And Jehoahaz his son succeeded him as king.
The time that Jehu reigned
over Israel in Samaria was twenty-eight years.
(II Kings 10:28,32,35-36,35-36)

When Athaliah the mother of Ahaziah
saw that her son was dead,
she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.
But Jehosheba, the daughter of King Jehoram
and the sister of Ahaziah,
took Joash son of Ahaziah
and stole him away from the royal princes,
who were about to be murdered.
She put him and his nurse in a bedroom
to hide him from Athaliah; so he was not killed.
He remained hidden with his nurse
at the temple of the Lord
for six years while Ahaliah ruled the land.
Jehoiada (the priest) brought out the king's son
and put the crown on him;
he presented him with a copy of the covenant
and proclaimed him king.
They anointed him,
and the people clapped their hands and shouted,
"Long live the king!"
Johoiada then made a covenant
between the Lord and the king and people
that they would be the Lord's people.
He also made a covenant
between the king and the people.
All the people of the land
went to the temple of Baal and tore it down.
They smashed the altars and idols  to pieces
and killed Mattan the priest of Baal in front of the altars.
Joash was seven years old when he began to reign.
(II Kings 11:1-3,12,17-18,21)

In the seventh year of Jehu,
Joash became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem forty years.
His mother's name was Zibiah; she was from Beersheba.
Joash did what was right in the eyes of the Lord
all the years Jehoiada the priest instructed him.
His officials conspired against him
and assassinated him at Beth Millo,
on the road down to Silla.
The officials who murdered him were
Jozabad son of Shimeath and Jehozabad son of Shomer.
He died and was buried with his fathers
in the City of David.
And Amaziah his son succeeded him as king.
(II Kings 12:1-20-21)

AC 7352 - frogs & reasoning from falsity

AC 7352
That "frogs" denote reasonings is because they are in waters,
where they make a chattering noise and croak,
and are also among things unclean.
What reasoning from mere falsities is,
shall be illustrated by some examples.
-- That a person reasons from mere falsities
who attributes all things to nature,
and scarcely anything to the Divine;
when yet all things are from the Divine,
and nature is only the instrumental means
by which the Divine works.
-- He reasons from mere falsities 
who believes that a person is like a beast,
only more perfect, because he can think;
and thus that a person will die like a beast;
by this denying the conjunction
of a person with the Divine
through the thought which is of faith,
and the affection which is of love,
and consequently his resurrection and life eternal,
such a person speaks from mere falsities.
-- In like manner is he who believes that there is no hell.
-- And also he who believes that all a person has
is the delight of this world's life,
and therefore he must enjoy this,
because when he dies, he dies altogether.
-- He reasons from mere falsities
who believes that all things depend upon his own sagacity,
and on fortune; and not on the Divine Providence,
except such as is universal.
-- And also he who believes
that religion is good for nothing
except to keep the simple in bonds.
-- Especially do they reason from mere falsities
who believe that the Word is not Divine.
In short, all those reason from mere falsities
who utterly deny truths Divine.
 

Portions: II Kings 5 - 8

Naaman's servants went to him and said,
"My father, if the prophet had told you do do some great thing,
would you not have done it?
How much more, then, when he tells you,
'Wash and be cleansed'!"
So he went down
and dipped himself in the Jordan seven times,
as the man of God had told him,
and his flesh was restored
and became clean like that of a young boy.
(II Kings 5:13-14)

When the servant of the man of God
got up and went out early the next morning,
an army with horses and chariots had surrounded the city.
"Oh, my lord, what shall we do?" the servant asked.
"Don't be afraid," the prophet answered.
"Those who are with us
are more than those who are with them."
And Elisha prayed,
"O Lord, open his eyes so he may see."
Then the Lord opened the servant's eyes,
and he looked and saw
the hills full of horses and chariots of fire
all around Elisha.
(II Kings 6:15-17)

The officer had said to the man of God,
"Look, even if the Lord
should open the floodgates of the heavens,
could this happen?"
The man of God had replied,
"You will see it with your own eyes,
but you will not eat any of it!"
And that is exactly what happened to him,
for the people trampled him in the gateway,
and he died.
(II Kings 7:19-20)

In the fifth year of Joram son of Ahab king of Israel,
when Jehoshaphat was king of Judah,
Jehoram son of Jehoshaphat
began his reign as king of Judah.
He was thirty-two years old when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem eight years.
He walked in the ways of the kings of Israel,
as the house of Ahab had done,
for he married a daughter of Ahab.
He did evil in the eyes of the Lord.
Jehoram rested with his fathers
and was buried with them in the City of David.
And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.
(II Kings 8:16-18,24)

AC 7324 - pools; AC 7343 - to drink

AC 7324
"Pools," when mentioned in the Word,
in the spiritual sense
signify intelligence from the knowledges of good and truth,
for "pools" there mean waters gathered together, or lakes;
and waters gathered together, and lakes,
denote in the complex the knowledges
through which is intelligence . . ..

AC 7343
That "to drink" is to apply . . ..
He who is in the affection of truth 
applies truths to himself
according to the state and quality of his affection;
he who is in the affection of falsity,
when he applies truths to himself,
perverts and falsifies them,
as can be seen from the fact
that Divine truth flows in with all,
but is varied with everyone
according to the state and quality of his life;
and so the infernals turn it into falsities,
just as they turn Divine good into evil,
heavenly loves into diabolical loves,
mercy into hatred and cruelty,
conjugial love into adulteries . . ..

Portions: II Kings 1 - 4

The angel of the Lord said to Elijah,
"Go down with him; do not be afraid of him."
So Elijah got up and went down with him to the king.
He told the king,
"This is what the Lord says:
Is it because there is no God in Israel for you to consult
that you have sent messengers
to consult Baal-Zebub, the god of Ekron?
Because you have done this,
you will never leave the bed you are lying on.
You will certainly die!"  So he died,
according to the word of the Lord that Elijah had spoken.
Because Ahaziah had no son,
Joram succeeded him as king
in the second year of Jehoram
son of Jehoshaphat king of Judah.
As for all the other events of Ahaziah's reign,
and what he did,
are they not written in the book
of the annals of the kings of Israel?
(II Kings 1:16-18)

When they had crossed, Elijah said to Elisha,
"Tell me, what can I do for you before I am taken from you?"
"Let me inherit a double portion of your spirit,"
Elisha replied.
"You have asked a difficult thing," Elijah said,
"yet if you see me when I am taken from you,
it will be yours - otherwise not."
As they were walking along and talking together,
suddenly a chariot of fire and horses of fire
appeared and separated the two of them,
and Elijah went up to heaven in a whirlwind.
Elisha saw this and cried out,
My father!  My father! 
The chariots and horsemen of Israel!"
and Elisha saw him no more.
Then he took hold off his own clothes and tore them apart.
(II Kings 2:9-12)

Joram son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria
in the eighteenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah,
and he reigned twelve years.
He did evil in the eyes of the Lord,
but not as his father and mother had done.
He got rid of the sacred stone of Baal
that his father had made.
(II Kings 3:1-2)

A man came from Baal Shalishah,
bringing the man of God twenty loaves of barley bread
baked from the first ripe gain,
along with some heads of new grain.
"Give it to the people to eat," Elisha said.
"How can I set this before a hundred men?"
his servant asked.
But Elisha answered,
"Give it to the people to eat.
For this is what the Lord says:
'They will eat and have some left over.'"
Then he set it before them,
and they ate and had some left over,
according to the word of the Lord.
(II Kings 4:42-44)

AC 7306 - falsity rejects; AC 7318 - examples of the falsification of truth

AC 7306
The reason why those who are in falsities
cannot be enlightened,
is that falsities reject and extinguish
all the light which enlightens,
which light is received solely by truths.

AC 7318
What the falsification of truth is
shall be illustrated by some examples.
-- Truth is falsified
 when from reasonings it is concluded and said
that because no one can do what is good from himself,
 therefore good effects nothing toward salvation.
-- Truth is also falsified when it is said
that all the good which a person does regards himself
and is done for the sake of recompense,
and this being so, works of charity are not to be done.
-- Truth is falsified when it is said
that because all good is from the Lord,
therefore a person ought to do nothing of good,
but should await influx.
-- Truth is falsified when it said
that truth can exist in a person
without the good which is of charity,
thus faith without charity.
-- Truth is falsified when it is said
that no one can enter into heaven
except one who is miserable and poor;
also when it is said,
unless he gives all he has to the poor,
and reduces himself to miseries. 
-- Truth is falsified when it is said
that everyone can be admitted into heaven from mercy,
no matter how he has lived.
-- Truth is still more falsified when it is said
that there has been given to man
 the power of admitting into heaven whomsoever he pleases.
-- Truth is falsified when it is said
that sins are wiped and washed away like filth by water;
and truth is still more falsified when it is said
that a person has the power of remitting sins,
and that when they have been remitted,
they are altogether wiped away,
and the person is pure.
-- Truth is falsified when it is said
that the Lord has taken all sins upon Himself,
and so has taken them away,
and that thus a person can be saved,
no matter what his life is.
-- Truth is falsified when it is said
that no one is saved except one who is within the church.
The reasonings by which such falsification is effected,
are that they who are within the church have been baptized,
have the Word, know about the Lord,
about the resurrection, life eternal, heaven, and hell,
and thus they know what the faith is
by which they can be justified.

There are countless such things as these,
for there is not a single truth which cannot be falsified,
and the falsification confirmed by reasonings from fallacies.

Portions: I Kings 21 & 22

Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah the Tishbite:
"Go down to meet Ahab king of Israel,
who rules in Samaria.
He is now in Naboth's vineyard,
where he has gone to a take possession of it.
Say to him, 'This is what the Lord says:
Have you not murdered a man and seized his property?'
Then say to him, 'This is what the Lord says:
In the place where dogs licked up Naboth's blood,
dogs will lick up your blood - yes, yours!"
(There was never a man like Ahab,
who sold himself to do evil in the eyes of the Lord,
urged on by Jezebel his wife.
He behaved in the vilest manner by going after idols,
like the Amorites the Lord drove out before Israel.)
(I Kings 21:17-19,25-26)

For three years
there was no war between Aram and Israel.
Now the king of Aram
had ordered his thirty-two chariot commanders,
"Do not fight with anyone, small or great,
except the king of Israel."
So the king died (Ahab) and was brought to Samaria,
and they buried him there.
They washed the chariot at a pool in Samaria
(where the prostitutes bathed),
and the dogs licked up his blood,
as the word of the Lord had declared.
Ahab rested with his fathers.
And Ahaziah his son succeeded him as king.

Jehoshaphat son of Asa became king of Judah
in the forth year of Ahab king of Israel.
Jehoshaphat was thirty-five years old
when he became king,
and he reigned in Jerusalem twenty-five years.
His mother's name was Azubah daughter of Shilhi.
In everything he walked in the ways of his father Asa
and did not stray from them;
he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord.
Then Jehoshaphat rested with his fathers
and was buried with them in the city of David his father.
And Jehoram his succeeded him.

Ahaziah son of Ahab became king of Israel in Samaria
in the seventeenth year of Jehoshaphat king of Judah,
and he reigned over Israel two years.
He did evil in the eyes of the Lord,
because he walked in the ways of his father and mother
and in the ways of Jeroboam son of Nebat,
who caused Israel to sin.
(I Kings 22:1,31,37-38,40-43,50)

AC 7298 - the use of doubt

AC 7298 [2]
. . . it is according to the laws of order
that no one ought to be persuaded about truth in a moment,
that is to say, 
that truth should be so confirmed in a moment
as to leave no doubt whatever about it;
because the truth which is so impressed
becomes persuasive truth,
and is devoid of any extension,
and also of any yielding quality.
Such truth is represented in the other life as hard,
and as such
that it does not admit good into it
so as to become applicable.
Consequently it is
that in the other life as soon as any truth is presented
before good spirits by a clear experience,
there is soon afterward presented something opposite
which causes doubt.
In this way it is given them to think about it,
and to consider whether it be so,
and to collect reasons,
and so to bring that truth into their minds rationally.
By this there is effected
an extension in the spiritual sight in respect to that truth,
even to its opposites;
and from there
it sees and perceives in the understanding
all the quality of the truth,
and from there can admit influx from heaven
according to the states of the objects,
for truths receive various forms 
according to the circumstances.
This is the reason why
the magicians were allowed to do as Aaron did;
for thereby doubt was excited among the sons of Israel
about the miracle, whether it was Divine;
and so an opportunity was given them
of thinking and considering whether it was Divine,
and of finally confirming themselves that it was so.

Portions: I Kings 17- 20

Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe in Gilead,
said to Ahab,
"As the Lord, the God of Israel, lives,
whom I serve,
there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years
except at my word."
Then the word of the Lord came to Elijah:
"Leave here, turn eastward
and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan.
You will drink from the brook,
and I have ordered the ravens to feed you there."
Then the world of the Lord came to him:
"Go at once to Zarephath of Sidon and stay there.
I have commanded a widow in that place
to supply you with food."
(I Kings 17:1-2,9)

At the time of sacrifice,
the prophet Elijah stepped forward and prayed:
"O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel,
let it be known today that You are God in Israel
and that I am Your servant
and have done all these things at Your command.
Answer me, O Lord, answer me,
so these people will know that You, O Lord, are God,
and that You are turning their hearts back again."
Then the fire of the Lord fell and burned up the sacrifice,
the wood, the stones and the soil,
and also licked up the water in the trench.
(I Kings 18:36-38)

The Lord said,
"Go out and stand on the mountain
in the presence of the Lord,
for the Lord is about to pass by."
Then a great and powerful wind
tore the mountains apart
and shattered the rocks before the Lord,
but the Lord was not in the wind.
After the wind there was an earthquake,
but the Lord was not in the earthquake.
After the earthquake came a fire,
but the Lord was not in the fire.
And after the fire came a still small voice.
When Elijah heard it,
he pulled his cloak over his face
and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave.
(I Kings 19:11-13)

As the king (Ahab) passed by,
the prophet called out to him,
"Your servant went into the thick of the battle,
and someone came to me with a captive and said,
'Guard this man. If he is missing,
it will be your life for his life,
or you must pay a talent of silver.'
While your servant was busy here and there,
the man disappeared."
"That is your sentence," the king of Israel said.
"You have pronounced it yourself."
Then the prophet quickly removed
the headband from his eyes,
and the king of Israel recognized him
as one of the prophets.
He said to the king,
"This is what the Lord says:
'You have set free a man I had determined should die.
Therefore it is your life for his life,
your people for his people.'"
Sullen and angry,
the king of Israel went to his palace in Samaria.
(I Kings 20:39-43)

AC 7272 - "And I will harden Pharaoh's heart." (Exodus 7:3)

AC 7272
And I will harden Pharaoh's heart.
(Exodus 7:3)
That this signifies obstinacy from the evil of falsity,
is evident from the signification of "hardening,"
as being obstinacy;
that it denotes from the evil of falsity,
is signified by the "heart of Pharaoh" . . ..
The evil of falsity is that which takes its origin
from principles of falsity, such as, for example,
that men would become holy through external things,
as in the case of the Israelites and Jews
through sacrifices, washings, sprinkling of blood;
and that they would not become holy through charity and faith;
and thus that they would be holy
although they lived in hatred, revenge, robbery, cruelty, and the like.
These evils are called "evils of falsity,"
because they take their origin from principles of falsity.
. . . the evils of falsity are as many
as are the falsities of faith and of worship.
These evils condemn,
yet not so much as do the evils which originate in evil.
The evils which originate in evil
are those which are from the desire rising up
from the love of self and of the world.
 

Portions: I Kings 14 - 16

The other events of Jeroboam's reign,
his wars and how he ruled,
are written in the book of the annals of the kings of Israel.
He reigned for twenty-two years
and then rested with his fathers.
And Nadab his son succeeded him as king.

As for the other events of Rehoboam's reign,
and all he did,
are they not written in the book
of the annals of the kings of Judah?
There was continual warfare
between Rehoboam and Jeroboam.
And Rehobam rested with his fathers
and was buried with them in the City of David.
His mother's name was Naamah;
she was an Ammonite.
And Abijah (some texts say Abijam) his son
succeeded him as king.
(I Kings 14:19-20,29-31)

In the eighteenth year of the reign
of Jeroboam son of Nebat,
Abijah became king of Judah,
and he reigned in Jerusalem three years.
His mother's name was Maacah
daughter of Abishalom.
He committed all the sins
his father had done before him . . .
As for the other events of Abijahs reign,
and all he did,
are they not written in the book
of the annals of the kings of Judah?
In the twentieth year of Jeroboam king of Israel,
Asa became king of Judah,
and he reigned in Jerusalem forty-one years.
His grandmother's name was Maacah
daughter of Abishalom.
Asa did what was right in the eyes of the Lord,
as his father David had done.
Then Asa rested with his fathers
and was buried with them in the city of his father David.
And Jehoshaphat his son
succeeded him as king.

Nadab son of Jeroboam became king of Israel
in the second year of Asa king of Judah,
and he reigned over Israel two years.
He did evil in the eyes of the Lord,
walking in the ways of his father and in his sin,
which he caused Israel to commit.
Baasha killed Nadab in the third year
of Asa king of Judah
and succeeded him as king.
There was war between Asa and Baasha king of Israel
throughout their reigns.
In the third year of Asa king of Judah,
Baasha son of Ahijah became king
of all Israel in Tirzah,
and he he reigned twenty-four years.
He  did evil in the eyes of the Lord,
walking in the ways of Jeroboam and in his sin,
which he had caused Israel to commit.
(I Kings 15:1-3,7;9-11,24;25-26;28,32)

As for the other events of Baasha's reign,
what he did and his achievements,
are they not written in the book
of the annals of the kings of Israel?
Baasha rested with his fathers
and was buried in Tirzah.
And Elah his son succeeded him as king.
In the twenty-sixth year of Asa king of Judah,
Elah son of Baasha became king of Israel,
and he reigned in Tirzah two years.
Zimri came in,
struck him down and killed him
in the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah.
then he succeeded him as king.
In the twenty-seventh year of Asa king of Judah,
Zimri reigned in Tirzah seven days.
Then the people of Israel were split into two factions;
half supported Tibni son of Ginath for king,
and the other half support Omri.
But Omri's followers proved stronger
than those of Tibni son of Ginath.
So Tibni died and Omri became king.
In the thirty-first year of Asa king of Judah,
Omri became king of Israel,
and he reigned twelve years,
six of them in Tirzah.
But Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord
and sinned more than all those before him.
Omri rested with his fathers
and was buried in Samaria.
And Ahab his son succeeded him as king.
In the thirty-eighth year of Asa king of Judah,
Ahab son of Omri became king of Israel,
and he reigned in Samaria over Israel twenty-two years.
Ahab son of Omri did more evil in the eyes of the Lord
than any of those before him.
(I Kings 16:5-6;10,15;21-23,25,28;29-30)

AC 7264-7265 - vastation

AC 7264 - 7265
The subject treated of in the internal sense in what follows
is the vastation, and at last the damnation,
of those who are in falsities and evils.
The process of their devastation is described
by the eleven plagues
brought on the Egyptians and their land.

In this chapter the subject treated of in the internal sense
is the first three degrees of vastation.
The first stage -
when the utter illusions giving rise to falsities
began to reign among them -
is described by the serpent
into which Aaron's rod was turned.
The second stage -
when actual truths among them were made into falsities,
and falsities into truths -
is described by the blood
which the waters were turned into.
The third stage -
when from falsities
they reasoned against the truths and forms of good
that were of the Church -
is described by the frogs out of the river.

Portions: I Kings 11 - 13

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women
besides Pharaoh's daughter -
Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.
They were from the nations about which
the Lord had told the Israelites,
"You must not intermarry with them,
because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods."
Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.
So the Lord said to Solomon,
"Since this is your attitude
and you have not kept My covenant
and My decrees, which I commanded you,
I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you
and give it to one of your subordinates."
About that time Jeroboam was going out of Jerusalem,
and Ahijah the prophet of Shiloh met him on the way,
wearing a new cloak.
The two of them were alone out in the country,
and Ahijah took hold of the new cloak he was wearing
and tore it into twelve pieces.
Then he said to Jeroboam,
"Take ten pieces for yourself,
for this is what the Lord, the God of Israel says:
'See, I am going to tear the kingdom out of Solomon's hand
and give you ten tribes.
. . . If you did whatever I command you
and walk in My ways
and do what is right in My eyes
by keeping My statues and commands,
as David my servant did,
I will be with you."
Solomon reigned in Jerusalem over all Israel forty years.
Then he rested with his fathers
and was buried in the city of David his father.
And Rehoboam his son succeeded him as king.
(I Kings 11:1-2,11,29-31,38,42-43)

But this word of God came to Shemaiah the man of God:
"Say to Rehoboam son of Solomon king of Judah,
to the whole house of Judah and Benjamin,
and to the rest of the people,
'This is what the Lord says:
Do not go up to fight against your brothers, the Israelites.
Go home, every one of you,
for this is My doing.'"
so they obeyed the word of the Lord
and went home again, as the Lord had ordered.
Jeroboam built shrines on high places
and appointed priests from all sorts of people,
even though they were not Levites.
(I Kings 12:22-24,31)

When King Jeroboam heard
what the man of God cried out against the altar at Bethel,
he stretched out his hand from the altar and said,
"Seize him!" But the hand he stretched out toward the man
shriveled up, so that he cold not pull it back.
Also the altar was split apart
and its ashed poured out
according to the sign given by the man of God
by the word of the Lord.
Even after this, Jeroboam did not change his evil ways,
but once more appointed priests for the high places
from all sorts of people.
Anyone who wanted to become a priest
he consecrated for the high places.
This was the sin of the house of Jeroboam
that led to its downfall and to its destruction 
from the face of the earth.
(I Kings 13:4-5,33-34)