SS 67
We may now illustrate by an example
how from the natural sense
in which is the Word with people,
the spiritual angels draw forth their own sense,
and the celestial angels theirs.
Take as an example five commandments of the Decalogue:
Honor thy father and thy mother.
By "father and mother" a person understands
his father and mother on earth,
and all who stand in their place,
and by to "honor" he understands
to hold in honor and obey them.
But a spiritual angel understands the Lord by "father,"
and the church by "mother,"
and by to "honor" he understands to love.
And a celestial angel understands
the Lord's Divine love by "father,"
and His Divine wisdom by "mother,"
and by to "honor" to do what is good from Him.
[2] Thou shalt not steal.
By to "steal" a person understands
to steal, defraud, or under any pretext take
fromhis neighbor his goods.
A spiritual angel understands to deprive others
of their truths of faith and goods of charity
by means of falsities and evils.
And a celestial angel understands
to attribute to himself what is the Lord's,
and to claim for himself His righteousness and merit.
[3] Thou shalt not commit adultery.
By "committing adultery" a person understands
to commit adultery and fornication,
to do obscene things, speak lascivious words,
and harbor filthy thoughts.
A spiritual angel understands
to adulterate the goods of the Word,
and falsify its truths.
And a celestial angel understands
to deny the Lord's Divinity
and to profane the Word.
[4] Thou shalt not kill.
By "killing," a person understands
also bearing hatred,
and desiring revenge even to the death.
A spiritual angel understands
to act as a devil and destroy the souls of people.
And a celestial angel understands
to bear hatred against the Lord,
and against what is His.
[5] Thou shalt not bear false witness.
By "bearing false witness"
a person understands also to lie and defame.
A spiritual angel understands
to say and persuade
that what is false is true
and what is evil good,
and the reverse.
And a celestial angel understands
to blaspheme the Lord and the Word.
[6] From these examples it may be seen
how the spiritual and celestial of the Word
are evolved and drawn out from
the natural sense in which they are.
Wonderful to say,
the angels draw out their senses
without knowing what the person is thinking about,
and yet the thoughts of the angels
and of the people make a one
by means of correspondences,
like end, cause, and effect.
Moreover ends actually are in the celestial kingdom,
causes in the spiritual kingdom,
and effects in the natural kingdom.
This conjunction by means of correspondences
is such from creation.
This then is the source
of a person's association with angels
by means of the Word.
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