Then came the Feast of Dedication at Jerusalem.
It was winter, and Jesus was in the temple area
walking in Solomon's Colonnade.
The Jews gathered around Him, saying,
"How long will You keep us in suspense?
If You are the Christ, tell us plainly."
Jesus answered, "I did tell you, but you do not believe.
The miracles I do in My Father's name speak for Me,
but you do not believe because you are not My sheep.
My sheep listen to My voice;
I know them, and they follow Me.
I give them eternal life,
and they shall never perish;
no one can snatch them out of My hand.
My Father, who has given them to Me,
is greater than all;
no one can snatch them out of My Father's hand.
I and the Father are One."
(John 10:22-30)
Friday, March 31, 2017
AC 1562, 1568 - Why Lot Needed to Leave Abram
AC 1562
And Lot also, who went with Abram,
had flock and herd, and tents.
(Genesis 13:5)
"And Lot also, who went with Abram,"
signifies the external man that was in the Lord;
"had flock and herd, and tents,"
signifies those things in which the external man abounds;
"flock and herd"
are the external man's possessions;
"tents" are his worship:
these things were separating themselves
from the internal man.
AC 1568
The land was not able to bear them
that they might dwell together.
(Genesis 13:6)
This signifies
that the things belonging to the internal celestial things
could not be together with the others,
that is, with those here signified by "Lot."
Abram, as before said, represents the Lord,
here His internal man;
but Lot represents His external man,
here the things that were to be separated
from the external man,
with which the internal things could not dwell.
There are many things in the external man
with which the internal man can dwell,
such as affections of good,
and the delights and pleasures originating from them;
for these are the effects of the goods of the internal man,
and of its joys and happiness;
and when they are the effects,
they altogether correspond;
and they are then of the internal man
and not of the external.
. . . for example,
the charity which shines forth from the face
is not of the face, but is of the charity that is within,
and which so forms the face, and presents the effect;
or as the innocence of little children
that shows itself in their looks, gestures,
and play with each other,
is not of the countenance or the gesture,
but is of the innocence of the Lord
that flows in through their souls;
so that the manifestations of innocence are effects;
and it is the same in all other cases.
[2] From this it is evident that there are many things
in the external man that can dwell together
and agree with the internal man.
But there are also very many which do not agree,
or together with which the internal man cannot dwell;
this is the case with all things
that spring from the love of self,
and from the love of the world,
for all such things regard self as the end,
and the world as the end.
With these the celestial things which are of love to the Lord
and love toward the neighbor cannot agree;
for these look to the Lord as the end,
and to His kingdom
and all things that are of Him and His kingdom as the ends.
The ends of the love of self and the love of the world
look outward or downward;
but the ends of love to the Lord
and love toward the neighbor
look inward or upward;
from all which it is evident that they disagree so much
that they cannot possibly be together.
And Lot also, who went with Abram,
had flock and herd, and tents.
(Genesis 13:5)
"And Lot also, who went with Abram,"
signifies the external man that was in the Lord;
"had flock and herd, and tents,"
signifies those things in which the external man abounds;
"flock and herd"
are the external man's possessions;
"tents" are his worship:
these things were separating themselves
from the internal man.
AC 1568
The land was not able to bear them
that they might dwell together.
(Genesis 13:6)
This signifies
that the things belonging to the internal celestial things
could not be together with the others,
that is, with those here signified by "Lot."
Abram, as before said, represents the Lord,
here His internal man;
but Lot represents His external man,
here the things that were to be separated
from the external man,
with which the internal things could not dwell.
There are many things in the external man
with which the internal man can dwell,
such as affections of good,
and the delights and pleasures originating from them;
for these are the effects of the goods of the internal man,
and of its joys and happiness;
and when they are the effects,
they altogether correspond;
and they are then of the internal man
and not of the external.
. . . for example,
the charity which shines forth from the face
is not of the face, but is of the charity that is within,
and which so forms the face, and presents the effect;
or as the innocence of little children
that shows itself in their looks, gestures,
and play with each other,
is not of the countenance or the gesture,
but is of the innocence of the Lord
that flows in through their souls;
so that the manifestations of innocence are effects;
and it is the same in all other cases.
[2] From this it is evident that there are many things
in the external man that can dwell together
and agree with the internal man.
But there are also very many which do not agree,
or together with which the internal man cannot dwell;
this is the case with all things
that spring from the love of self,
and from the love of the world,
for all such things regard self as the end,
and the world as the end.
With these the celestial things which are of love to the Lord
and love toward the neighbor cannot agree;
for these look to the Lord as the end,
and to His kingdom
and all things that are of Him and His kingdom as the ends.
The ends of the love of self and the love of the world
look outward or downward;
but the ends of love to the Lord
and love toward the neighbor
look inward or upward;
from all which it is evident that they disagree so much
that they cannot possibly be together.
A Prayer
Set a guard over my mouth, O Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.
Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds
with men who are evil doers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.
(Psalm 141:3-4)
keep watch over the door of my lips.
Let not my heart be drawn to what is evil,
to take part in wicked deeds
with men who are evil doers;
let me not eat of their delicacies.
(Psalm 141:3-4)
Thursday, March 30, 2017
** The Man Born Blind and the Pharisees **
They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind.
Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud
and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath.
Therefore the Pharisees also asked him
how he had received his sight.
"He put mud on my eyes," the man replied,
"and I washed, and now I see."
Some of the Pharisees said,
"This man is not from God,
for he does not keep the Sabbath."
But others asked,
"How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?"
So they were divided.
They they hurled insults at him and said,
"You are this Fellow's disciple!
We are disciples of Moses!
We know that God spoke to Moses,
but as for this Fellow,
we don't even know where He comes from."
The man answered,
"Now that is remarkable!
You don't know where He comes from,
yet He opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners.
He listens to the godly man who does His will.
Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes
of a man born blind.
If this man were not from God,
He could do nothing."
To this they replied,
"You were steeped in sin at birth;
how dare you lecture us!"
And they threw him out.
(John 9:13-15, 28-34)
Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud
and opened the man's eyes was a Sabbath.
Therefore the Pharisees also asked him
how he had received his sight.
"He put mud on my eyes," the man replied,
"and I washed, and now I see."
Some of the Pharisees said,
"This man is not from God,
for he does not keep the Sabbath."
But others asked,
"How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?"
So they were divided.
They they hurled insults at him and said,
"You are this Fellow's disciple!
We are disciples of Moses!
We know that God spoke to Moses,
but as for this Fellow,
we don't even know where He comes from."
The man answered,
"Now that is remarkable!
You don't know where He comes from,
yet He opened my eyes.
We know that God does not listen to sinners.
He listens to the godly man who does His will.
Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes
of a man born blind.
If this man were not from God,
He could do nothing."
To this they replied,
"You were steeped in sin at birth;
how dare you lecture us!"
And they threw him out.
(John 9:13-15, 28-34)
AC 1554 - Journeys; AC 1561 - Worship
AC 1554
He went according to his journeys.
(Genesis 13:3)
That this signifies according to order,
is evident from the signification of "journeys,"
as being further progressions;
and as these were made according to order,
"journeys" here signify nothing else.
From His earliest infancy the Lord advanced
according to all Divine order to celestial things,
and into celestial things;
and in the internal sense,
the nature of this order is described by
what is said concerning Abram.
According to such order, also, are all led
who are being created anew by the Lord;
but this order is various with men,
according to the nature and genius of each one.
But the order by which a man is led
while being regenerated
is known to no man,
and not even to the angels, except obscurely,
but to the Lord alone.
AC 1561
And there Abram called on the name of Jehovah.
(Genesis 13:4)
. . . for worship itself is nothing but a certain activity
coming forth from the celestial which is within.
The celestial itself cannot possibly exist without activity.
Worship is its first activity;
for it puts itself forth in this way,
because it perceives joy in it.
All the good of love and of charity is essential activity itself.
He went according to his journeys.
(Genesis 13:3)
That this signifies according to order,
is evident from the signification of "journeys,"
as being further progressions;
and as these were made according to order,
"journeys" here signify nothing else.
From His earliest infancy the Lord advanced
according to all Divine order to celestial things,
and into celestial things;
and in the internal sense,
the nature of this order is described by
what is said concerning Abram.
According to such order, also, are all led
who are being created anew by the Lord;
but this order is various with men,
according to the nature and genius of each one.
But the order by which a man is led
while being regenerated
is known to no man,
and not even to the angels, except obscurely,
but to the Lord alone.
AC 1561
And there Abram called on the name of Jehovah.
(Genesis 13:4)
. . . for worship itself is nothing but a certain activity
coming forth from the celestial which is within.
The celestial itself cannot possibly exist without activity.
Worship is its first activity;
for it puts itself forth in this way,
because it perceives joy in it.
All the good of love and of charity is essential activity itself.
Hear My Voice, O Lord
Hear my voice in accordance with Your love;
preserve my life, O Lord, according to Your laws.
Those who devise wicked schemes are near,
but they are far from Your law.
Yet You are near, O Lord,
and all Your commands are true.
Long ago I learned from Your statutes
that you established them to last forever.
(Psalm 119:149-152)
preserve my life, O Lord, according to Your laws.
Those who devise wicked schemes are near,
but they are far from Your law.
Yet You are near, O Lord,
and all Your commands are true.
Long ago I learned from Your statutes
that you established them to last forever.
(Psalm 119:149-152)
Wednesday, March 29, 2017
** Sparrows and Ravens **
"Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies?
Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Don't be afraid;
you are worth more than many sparrows."
"Consider the ravens:
They do not sow or reap,
they have no store room or barn;
yet God feeds them.
And how much more valuable you are than birds!"
Luke 12:6-7, 24)
Yet not one of them is forgotten by God.
Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.
Don't be afraid;
you are worth more than many sparrows."
"Consider the ravens:
They do not sow or reap,
they have no store room or barn;
yet God feeds them.
And how much more valuable you are than birds!"
Luke 12:6-7, 24)
AC 1535, 1547 - Abram and Lot
AC 1535
This chapter treats of the external man in the Lord
which was to be conjoined with His internal man.
The external man is the Human Essence,
the internal is the Divine essence.
The former is here represented by Lot,
but the latter by Abram.
AC 1547
And Lot with him.
(Genesis 13:1)
. . . as Lot is here specifically treated of,
it must be known what it is in the Lord that he represents.
Pharaoh represented the memory-knowledges
that at last sent the Lord away;
but Lot represents sensuous things,
by which is meant the external man and its pleasures
that pertain to sensuous things,
thus those things which are outermost,
and which are wont to captivate man in his childhood,
and draw him away from goods.
For so far as a man indulges
the pleasures that originate from worldly desires,
he is drawn away from
the celestial things that are of love and charity;
because in those pleasures
there is love from self and from the world,
with which celestial love cannot agree.
There are, however,
pleasures that agree perfectly with celestial things,
and that likewise appear similar in external form.
But the pleasures that originate from worldly desires
are to be restrained and wiped out,
because they block the way to celestial things.
It is these pleasures, and not the others,
that are treated of in this chapter-by Lot,
in that he separated himself from Abram;
and here it is said that such pleasures were present,
which are signified by "Lot with him."
But in general by "Lot" is signified the external man,
as will be evident from what follows.
This chapter treats of the external man in the Lord
which was to be conjoined with His internal man.
The external man is the Human Essence,
the internal is the Divine essence.
The former is here represented by Lot,
but the latter by Abram.
AC 1547
And Lot with him.
(Genesis 13:1)
. . . as Lot is here specifically treated of,
it must be known what it is in the Lord that he represents.
Pharaoh represented the memory-knowledges
that at last sent the Lord away;
but Lot represents sensuous things,
by which is meant the external man and its pleasures
that pertain to sensuous things,
thus those things which are outermost,
and which are wont to captivate man in his childhood,
and draw him away from goods.
For so far as a man indulges
the pleasures that originate from worldly desires,
he is drawn away from
the celestial things that are of love and charity;
because in those pleasures
there is love from self and from the world,
with which celestial love cannot agree.
There are, however,
pleasures that agree perfectly with celestial things,
and that likewise appear similar in external form.
But the pleasures that originate from worldly desires
are to be restrained and wiped out,
because they block the way to celestial things.
It is these pleasures, and not the others,
that are treated of in this chapter-by Lot,
in that he separated himself from Abram;
and here it is said that such pleasures were present,
which are signified by "Lot with him."
But in general by "Lot" is signified the external man,
as will be evident from what follows.
Teach Me, O Lord
Teach me, O Lord, to follow Your decrees;
then I will keep them to the end.
Give me understanding,
and I will keep Your law
and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of Your commands,
for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward Your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to Your Word.
Fulfill Your promise to Your servant,
so that You may be feared.
Take away the disgrace I dread,
for Your laws are good.
How I long for Your precepts!
Preserve my life in Your righteousness.
(Psalm 119:33-40)
then I will keep them to the end.
Give me understanding,
and I will keep Your law
and obey it with all my heart.
Direct me in the path of Your commands,
for there I find delight.
Turn my heart toward Your statutes
and not toward selfish gain.
Turn my eyes away from worthless things;
preserve my life according to Your Word.
Fulfill Your promise to Your servant,
so that You may be feared.
Take away the disgrace I dread,
for Your laws are good.
How I long for Your precepts!
Preserve my life in Your righteousness.
(Psalm 119:33-40)
Tuesday, March 28, 2017
** Woe to You **
"Woe to you Pharisees,
because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue
and all other kinds of garden herbs,
but you neglect justice and the love of God.
You should have practiced the latter
without leaving the former undone."
(Luke 11:42)
because you give God a tenth of your mint, rue
and all other kinds of garden herbs,
but you neglect justice and the love of God.
You should have practiced the latter
without leaving the former undone."
(Luke 11:42)
AC 1496 - Truths; AC 1518-1519 - Spiritual Spheres
AC 1496
Truth in the memory is one thing;
rational truth is another;
and intellectual truth is another;
they succeed one another.
Truth in the memory is a matter of memory-knowledge;
rational truth is this truth confirmed by reason;
intellectual truth is conjoined
with an internal perception that it is so.
This intellectual truth existed with the Lord in His childhood,
and with Him opened the way to celestial things.
AC 1518 - 1519
When the celestial angels are with the body
of a deceased person who is to be raised up,
the smell of the body is turned into an aromatic odor;
on perceiving which,
evil spirits cannot approach.
The spheres of charity and faith,
when perceived as odors,
are most delightful;
the odors are pleasant, as of flowers,
lilies, and spices of various kinds, with indefinite variety.
Moreover, the spheres of the angels also
are sometimes made visible as atmospheres or auras,
which are so beautiful, so pleasant, and so various,
that they cannot possibly be described.
Truth in the memory is one thing;
rational truth is another;
and intellectual truth is another;
they succeed one another.
Truth in the memory is a matter of memory-knowledge;
rational truth is this truth confirmed by reason;
intellectual truth is conjoined
with an internal perception that it is so.
This intellectual truth existed with the Lord in His childhood,
and with Him opened the way to celestial things.
AC 1518 - 1519
When the celestial angels are with the body
of a deceased person who is to be raised up,
the smell of the body is turned into an aromatic odor;
on perceiving which,
evil spirits cannot approach.
The spheres of charity and faith,
when perceived as odors,
are most delightful;
the odors are pleasant, as of flowers,
lilies, and spices of various kinds, with indefinite variety.
Moreover, the spheres of the angels also
are sometimes made visible as atmospheres or auras,
which are so beautiful, so pleasant, and so various,
that they cannot possibly be described.
Blessed Are They
Blessed are they who maintain justice,
who constantly do what is right.
(Psalm 106:2)
who constantly do what is right.
(Psalm 106:2)
Monday, March 27, 2017
** An Expert in the Law Questions Jesus **
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.
"Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" He replied.
"How do you read it?"
He answered:
"'Love the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your strength
and with all your mind';
and, 'Love our neighbor as yourself.'"
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied.
"Do this and you will live."
(Luke 10:25-29)
"Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"
"What is written in the Law?" He replied.
"How do you read it?"
He answered:
"'Love the Lord your God
with all your heart
and with all your soul
and with all your strength
and with all your mind';
and, 'Love our neighbor as yourself.'"
"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied.
"Do this and you will live."
(Luke 10:25-29)
AC 1486 - Memory-knowledges Are for Use and for Service
AC 1486
All things whatever that are in the external person,
are nothing but things of service,
that is, they are for the service of the internal person.
So it is with all memory-knowledges (facts),
which belong solely to the external person;
for they are procured from earthly and worldly things
by means of sensuous impressions,
in order that they may serve the interior or rational person,
and this the spiritual person,
this the celestial,
and this the Lord.
Thus are they subordinated one to another,
as are the more external things to the more internal,
in their order;
and thus all things whatever,
both in general and in particular,
are, in their order,
subordinated to the Lord.
Memory-knowledges are therefore
the lowest and outermost things,
in which are terminated in their order the things
that are more interior;
and because they are the lowest and outermost things,
they must be pre-eminently things of service.
Everyone may know
for what such knowledges may be serviceable,
if he reflects or inquires in himself for what use they are;
and when he is thus reflecting upon their use,
he can also apprehend the quality of the use.
Every memory-knowledge must be
for the sake of some use,
and this is its service.
All things whatever that are in the external person,
are nothing but things of service,
that is, they are for the service of the internal person.
So it is with all memory-knowledges (facts),
which belong solely to the external person;
for they are procured from earthly and worldly things
by means of sensuous impressions,
in order that they may serve the interior or rational person,
and this the spiritual person,
this the celestial,
and this the Lord.
Thus are they subordinated one to another,
as are the more external things to the more internal,
in their order;
and thus all things whatever,
both in general and in particular,
are, in their order,
subordinated to the Lord.
Memory-knowledges are therefore
the lowest and outermost things,
in which are terminated in their order the things
that are more interior;
and because they are the lowest and outermost things,
they must be pre-eminently things of service.
Everyone may know
for what such knowledges may be serviceable,
if he reflects or inquires in himself for what use they are;
and when he is thus reflecting upon their use,
he can also apprehend the quality of the use.
Every memory-knowledge must be
for the sake of some use,
and this is its service.
Praise the Lord, O My Soul
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
O Lord my God, You are very great;
You are clothed with splendor and majesty.
He wraps Himself in light as with a garment;
He stretches out the heavens like a tent
and lays the beams of His upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds His chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
(Psalm 104:1-3)
O Lord my God, You are very great;
You are clothed with splendor and majesty.
He wraps Himself in light as with a garment;
He stretches out the heavens like a tent
and lays the beams of His upper chambers on their waters.
He makes the clouds His chariot
and rides on the wings of the wind.
(Psalm 104:1-3)
Sunday, March 26, 2017
** "Before Abraham Was Born, I Am! **
. . . at this the Jews exclaimed,
"Now we know that You are demon-possessed!
Abraham died and so did the prophets,
yet You say that if anyone keeps Your Word,
he will never taste death.
Are You greater than our father Abraham?
He died, and so did the prophets.
Who do You think You are?"
Jesus replied, "If I glorify Myself,
My glory means nothing.
My Father, whom you claim as your God,
is the one who glorifies Me.
Though you do not know Him,
I know Him.
If I said I did not,
I would be a liar like you,
but I do know Him and keep His Word.
Your father Abraham rejoiced
at the thought of seeing My day;
he saw it and was glad."
"You are not yet fifty years old,"
the Jews said to Him,
and You have seen Abraham!"
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered,
"before Abraham was born, I am!"
At this, they picked up stones to stone Him,
but Jesus hid Himself,
slipping away from the temple grounds.
(John 8:52-59)
"Now we know that You are demon-possessed!
Abraham died and so did the prophets,
yet You say that if anyone keeps Your Word,
he will never taste death.
Are You greater than our father Abraham?
He died, and so did the prophets.
Who do You think You are?"
Jesus replied, "If I glorify Myself,
My glory means nothing.
My Father, whom you claim as your God,
is the one who glorifies Me.
Though you do not know Him,
I know Him.
If I said I did not,
I would be a liar like you,
but I do know Him and keep His Word.
Your father Abraham rejoiced
at the thought of seeing My day;
he saw it and was glad."
"You are not yet fifty years old,"
the Jews said to Him,
and You have seen Abraham!"
"I tell you the truth," Jesus answered,
"before Abraham was born, I am!"
At this, they picked up stones to stone Him,
but Jesus hid Himself,
slipping away from the temple grounds.
(John 8:52-59)
AC 1468 - wife, husband, man; AC 1472 - memory-knowledges and use
AC 1468
A "wife," in the internal sense of the Word,
signifies nothing else than truth conjoined with good;
for the conjunction of truth with good
is circumstanced precisely as is a marriage.
In the Word, when a "husband" is mentioned,
the husband signifies good,
and the wife signifies truth;
but when he is not called the husband, but the "man,"
then he signifies truth,
and the wife signifies good:
this is the constant usage in the Word . . ..
AC 1472
Anyone can see, if he pays attention,
that in itself the memory-knowledge of knowledges
is nothing but a means whereby a man may become rational,
and from there spiritual,
and at last celestial;
and that by means of the knowledges his external man
may be adjoined to his internal;
and when this is done,
he is in the use itself.
The internal man regards nothing but the use.
For the sake of this end also,
the Lord insinuates the delight that childhood and youth
perceives in memory-knowledges.
But when a man begins to make his delight
consist in memory-knowledge alone,
it is a bodily cupidity which carries him away,
and in proportion as he is thus carried away
(that is, makes his delight
consist in mere memory-knowledge),
in the same proportion
he removes himself from what is celestial,
and in the same proportion
do the memory-knowledges
close themselves toward the Lord,
and become material.
But in proportion as the memory-knowledges
are learned with the end of use,
as for the sake of human society,
for the sake of the Lord's church on earth,
for the sake of the Lord's kingdom in the heavens,
and still more for the Lord's own sake,-
the more are they opened toward Him.
A "wife," in the internal sense of the Word,
signifies nothing else than truth conjoined with good;
for the conjunction of truth with good
is circumstanced precisely as is a marriage.
In the Word, when a "husband" is mentioned,
the husband signifies good,
and the wife signifies truth;
but when he is not called the husband, but the "man,"
then he signifies truth,
and the wife signifies good:
this is the constant usage in the Word . . ..
AC 1472
Anyone can see, if he pays attention,
that in itself the memory-knowledge of knowledges
is nothing but a means whereby a man may become rational,
and from there spiritual,
and at last celestial;
and that by means of the knowledges his external man
may be adjoined to his internal;
and when this is done,
he is in the use itself.
The internal man regards nothing but the use.
For the sake of this end also,
the Lord insinuates the delight that childhood and youth
perceives in memory-knowledges.
But when a man begins to make his delight
consist in memory-knowledge alone,
it is a bodily cupidity which carries him away,
and in proportion as he is thus carried away
(that is, makes his delight
consist in mere memory-knowledge),
in the same proportion
he removes himself from what is celestial,
and in the same proportion
do the memory-knowledges
close themselves toward the Lord,
and become material.
But in proportion as the memory-knowledges
are learned with the end of use,
as for the sake of human society,
for the sake of the Lord's church on earth,
for the sake of the Lord's kingdom in the heavens,
and still more for the Lord's own sake,-
the more are they opened toward Him.
Come, Let Us Bow Down
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 hand.
(Psalm 95:6-7)
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 hand.
(Psalm 95:6-7)
Saturday, March 25, 2017
** The Samaritans Do Not Welcome Jesus **
As the time approached
for Him to be taken up to heaven,
Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
And He sent messengers on ahead,
who went into a Samaritan village
to get things ready for Him;
but the people there did not welcome Him,
because He was heading for Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this,
they asked,
"Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven
to destroy them?"
But Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they went to another village.
(Luke 9:51-56)
for Him to be taken up to heaven,
Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem.
And He sent messengers on ahead,
who went into a Samaritan village
to get things ready for Him;
but the people there did not welcome Him,
because He was heading for Jerusalem.
When the disciples James and John saw this,
they asked,
"Lord, do you want us to call fire down from heaven
to destroy them?"
But Jesus turned and rebuked them,
and they went to another village.
(Luke 9:51-56)
AC 1459, 1460 - A Famine in the Land
AC 1459, 1460
And there was a famine in the land.
And Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there;
because the famine was grievous in the land.
(Genesis 12:10)
"There was a famine in the land,"
signifies a scarcity of knowledges
as yet with the Lord when a child;
"and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn,"
signifies instruction in knowledges from the Word;
"Egypt" is the memory-knowledge of knowledges;
"to sojourn" is to be instructed;
"because the famine was grievous in the land,"
signifies much scarcity in His external man.
. . . During childhood the knowledges in a person
never come from that which is interior,
but from the objects of the senses,
especially from the hearing.
For, as before said,
there are in the external man receiving vessels,
called the things of the memory,
and these are formed by means of knowledges --
as everybody may know --
the internal man flowing in and helping;
consequently knowledges are learned
and are implanted in the memory
in accordance with the influx of the internal man.
Thus also was it with the Lord when He was a child --
for He was born as are other men
and was instructed as are other men --
but with Him the interiors were celestial,
which adapted the vessels
for the reception of the knowledges,
and in such a way that the knowledges
should afterwards become vessels to receive the Divine.
The interiors with Him were Divine,
from Jehovah His Father;
the exteriors were human,
from Mary His mother.
So it may be seen that with the Lord,
equally as with other men,
there was in His external man,
during His childhood,
a scarcity of knowledges.
And there was a famine in the land.
And Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there;
because the famine was grievous in the land.
(Genesis 12:10)
"There was a famine in the land,"
signifies a scarcity of knowledges
as yet with the Lord when a child;
"and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn,"
signifies instruction in knowledges from the Word;
"Egypt" is the memory-knowledge of knowledges;
"to sojourn" is to be instructed;
"because the famine was grievous in the land,"
signifies much scarcity in His external man.
. . . During childhood the knowledges in a person
never come from that which is interior,
but from the objects of the senses,
especially from the hearing.
For, as before said,
there are in the external man receiving vessels,
called the things of the memory,
and these are formed by means of knowledges --
as everybody may know --
the internal man flowing in and helping;
consequently knowledges are learned
and are implanted in the memory
in accordance with the influx of the internal man.
Thus also was it with the Lord when He was a child --
for He was born as are other men
and was instructed as are other men --
but with Him the interiors were celestial,
which adapted the vessels
for the reception of the knowledges,
and in such a way that the knowledges
should afterwards become vessels to receive the Divine.
The interiors with Him were Divine,
from Jehovah His Father;
the exteriors were human,
from Mary His mother.
So it may be seen that with the Lord,
equally as with other men,
there was in His external man,
during His childhood,
a scarcity of knowledges.
Blessed Is . . .
How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty!
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young --
a place near Your altar,
O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
they are ever praising you.
Selah
Blessed are those whose strength is in You,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
Hear my prayer, O Lord God Almighty;
listen to me, O God of Jacob.
Selah
Look upon our shield, O God;
look with favor on Your anointed one.
Better is one day in Your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper
in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
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)
My soul yearns, even faints,
for the courts of the Lord;
my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
Even the sparrow has found a home,
and the swallow a nest for herself,
where she may have her young --
a place near Your altar,
O Lord Almighty, my King and my God.
Blessed are those who dwell in Your house;
they are ever praising you.
Selah
Blessed are those whose strength is in You,
who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
As they pass through the Valley of Baca,
they make it a place of springs;
the autumn rains also cover it with pools.
They go from strength to strength,
till each appears before God in Zion.
Hear my prayer, O Lord God Almighty;
listen to me, O God of Jacob.
Selah
Look upon our shield, O God;
look with favor on Your anointed one.
Better is one day in Your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;
I would rather be a doorkeeper
in the house of my God
than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
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)
Friday, March 24, 2017
** Little Children **
Then little children were brought to Jesus
for Him to place His hands on them
and pray for them.
But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
Jesus said,
"Let the little children come to Me,
and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
When He had placed His hands on them,
He went on from there.
(Matthew 19:13-15)
for Him to place His hands on them
and pray for them.
But the disciples rebuked those who brought them.
Jesus said,
"Let the little children come to Me,
and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."
When He had placed His hands on them,
He went on from there.
(Matthew 19:13-15)
AC 1450-1451 - The Lord's Fourth State When a Child
AC 1450- 1451
And he removed from there
into the mountain on the east of Bethel.
(Genesis 12:8)
That this signifies the Lord's fourth state when a child,
is evident from what precedes and from what follows,
and also from the order itself.
The order was that the Lord should first of all
be endowed from infancy
with the celestial things of love.
The celestial things of love are
love to Jehovah and love to the neighbor,
and innocence itself in these.
From these, as from the very fountains of life,
flow all other things both in general and particular,
for all other things are merely derivations.
These celestial things are insinuated into man
chiefly in his state of infancy up to childhood,
and in fact without knowledges;
for they flow in from the Lord, and affect him,
before the man knows what love is and what affection is;
as may be seen from the state of infants,
and afterwards from the state of early childhood.
These things in man are the remains
which have been spoken of several times;
and which are insinuated by the Lord
and stored up for use in afterlife.
As the Lord was born as are other men,
He was also introduced according to order
into celestial things,
and in fact by degrees from infancy to childhood,
and afterwards into knowledges;
and how the case was with Him in regard to these
is described in this verse,
and is represented in what follows
by Abraham's sojourn in Egypt.
That to be "removed into the mountain on the east of Bethel"
signifies the progression of the celestial things of love,
is evident from the signification of a "mountain,"
as being what is celestial . . .;
and from the signification of "the east,"
as being Jehovah Himself as to love;
for He is the East itself . . .;
and also from the signification of "Bethel,"
as being the knowledge of celestial things.
Celestial things are insinuated into man
both without knowledges, and with knowledges;
celestial things without knowledges
from infancy up to childhood, as said just above;
but celestial things with knowledges
from childhood onward to adult age.
And as the Lord was to advance
into the knowledges of celestial things,
which are signified by "Bethel,"
it is here said that Abram passed over from there
to a mountain on the east of Bethel.
And he removed from there
into the mountain on the east of Bethel.
(Genesis 12:8)
That this signifies the Lord's fourth state when a child,
is evident from what precedes and from what follows,
and also from the order itself.
The order was that the Lord should first of all
be endowed from infancy
with the celestial things of love.
The celestial things of love are
love to Jehovah and love to the neighbor,
and innocence itself in these.
From these, as from the very fountains of life,
flow all other things both in general and particular,
for all other things are merely derivations.
These celestial things are insinuated into man
chiefly in his state of infancy up to childhood,
and in fact without knowledges;
for they flow in from the Lord, and affect him,
before the man knows what love is and what affection is;
as may be seen from the state of infants,
and afterwards from the state of early childhood.
These things in man are the remains
which have been spoken of several times;
and which are insinuated by the Lord
and stored up for use in afterlife.
As the Lord was born as are other men,
He was also introduced according to order
into celestial things,
and in fact by degrees from infancy to childhood,
and afterwards into knowledges;
and how the case was with Him in regard to these
is described in this verse,
and is represented in what follows
by Abraham's sojourn in Egypt.
That to be "removed into the mountain on the east of Bethel"
signifies the progression of the celestial things of love,
is evident from the signification of a "mountain,"
as being what is celestial . . .;
and from the signification of "the east,"
as being Jehovah Himself as to love;
for He is the East itself . . .;
and also from the signification of "Bethel,"
as being the knowledge of celestial things.
Celestial things are insinuated into man
both without knowledges, and with knowledges;
celestial things without knowledges
from infancy up to childhood, as said just above;
but celestial things with knowledges
from childhood onward to adult age.
And as the Lord was to advance
into the knowledges of celestial things,
which are signified by "Bethel,"
it is here said that Abram passed over from there
to a mountain on the east of Bethel.
Hear, Listen
O my people, hear my teaching;
listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter hidden things,
things from of old --
What we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
His power, and the wonders He has done.
(Psalm 78:1-4)
listen to the words of my mouth.
I will open my mouth in parables,
I will utter hidden things,
things from of old --
What we have heard and known,
what our fathers have told us.
We will not hide them from their children;
we will tell the next generation
the praiseworthy deeds of the Lord,
His power, and the wonders He has done.
(Psalm 78:1-4)
Thursday, March 23, 2017
** Follow Me **
Then He said to them all:
"If anyone would come after Me,
he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily
and follow Me.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for Me will save it.
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world,
and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of him
when He comes in His glory
and in the glory of the Father
and the holy angels."
(Luke 9:23-26)
"If anyone would come after Me,
he must deny himself
and take up his cross daily
and follow Me.
For whoever wants to save his life will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for Me will save it.
What good is it for a man to gain the whole world,
and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
If anyone is ashamed of Me and My words,
the Son of Man will be ashamed of him
when He comes in His glory
and in the glory of the Father
and the holy angels."
(Luke 9:23-26)
AC 1425, 1429 - Abram, Lot, and Fifty-seven Years
AC 1425-1426, 1429
And Abram went as Jehovah spoke unto him;
and Lot went with him.
And Abram was a son of five years and seventy years
when he went forth out of Haran.
(Genesis 12:4)
By "Abram," . . .
is represented the Lord as to His Human Essence.
"And Abram went as Jehovah spoke unto him"
signifies His progression toward Divine things;
"and Lot went with him,"
signifies what is sensuous;
by "Lot" is represented
the Lord as to His sensuous and corporeal man;
"and Abram was a son of five years and seventy years,"
signifies that as yet there was not very much of the Divine;
"when he went forth out of Haran,"
signifies an obscure state of the Lord.
That by "Abram"
is represented the Lord as to His Human Essence,
is evident from everything that is said of Abram.
Afterwards he represents the Lord
both as to the Human and also the Divine Essence,
and he is then called "Abraham."
The things that have so far been said,
from the first verse,
represent and signify the Lord's first mental awareness
that He was to put on celestial and thus Divine things.
Here there commence the progressions
of His Human Essence to His Divine Essence.
Abram was a son of five years and seventy years.
That this signifies that as yet
there was not very much of the Divine,
is evident from the signification
of the number "five" as being a little,
and of the number "seventy" as being what is holy.
And Abram went as Jehovah spoke unto him;
and Lot went with him.
And Abram was a son of five years and seventy years
when he went forth out of Haran.
(Genesis 12:4)
By "Abram," . . .
is represented the Lord as to His Human Essence.
"And Abram went as Jehovah spoke unto him"
signifies His progression toward Divine things;
"and Lot went with him,"
signifies what is sensuous;
by "Lot" is represented
the Lord as to His sensuous and corporeal man;
"and Abram was a son of five years and seventy years,"
signifies that as yet there was not very much of the Divine;
"when he went forth out of Haran,"
signifies an obscure state of the Lord.
That by "Abram"
is represented the Lord as to His Human Essence,
is evident from everything that is said of Abram.
Afterwards he represents the Lord
both as to the Human and also the Divine Essence,
and he is then called "Abraham."
The things that have so far been said,
from the first verse,
represent and signify the Lord's first mental awareness
that He was to put on celestial and thus Divine things.
Here there commence the progressions
of His Human Essence to His Divine Essence.
Abram was a son of five years and seventy years.
That this signifies that as yet
there was not very much of the Divine,
is evident from the signification
of the number "five" as being a little,
and of the number "seventy" as being what is holy.
It Is Good to be Near God
Yet I am always with You;
You hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward You will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And earth has nothing I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Those who are far from you will perish;
You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.
But as for me,
it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all Your deeds.
(Psalm 73:23-28)
You hold me by my right hand.
You guide me with Your counsel,
and afterward You will take me into glory.
Whom have I in heaven but You?
And earth has nothing I desire besides You.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength of my heart
and my portion forever.
Those who are far from you will perish;
You destroy all who are unfaithful to You.
But as for me,
it is good to be near God.
I have made the Sovereign Lord my refuge;
I will tell of all Your deeds.
(Psalm 73:23-28)
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
** Healing the Blind Man at Bethsaida **
They came to Bethsaida,
and some people brought a blind man
and begged Jesus to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand
and led him outside the village.
When He had spit on the man's eyes
and put His hands on him, Jesus asked,
"Do you see anything?"
He looked up and said,
"I see people;
they look like trees walking around."
Once more Jesus put His hands on the man's eyes.
Then his eyes were opened,
his sight was restored,
and he saw everything clearly.
Jesus sent him home, saying,
"Don't go into the village."
(Mark 8:22-26)
and some people brought a blind man
and begged Jesus to touch him.
He took the blind man by the hand
and led him outside the village.
When He had spit on the man's eyes
and put His hands on him, Jesus asked,
"Do you see anything?"
He looked up and said,
"I see people;
they look like trees walking around."
Once more Jesus put His hands on the man's eyes.
Then his eyes were opened,
his sight was restored,
and he saw everything clearly.
Jesus sent him home, saying,
"Don't go into the village."
(Mark 8:22-26)
AC 1419, 1420 - The Lord Is Glory and a Blessing
AC 1419
And I will make thy name great.
(Genesis 12:2)
. . . this signifies glory . . ..
In the external sense, by "making a name," and by "glory,"
there is signified something worldly;
but in the internal sense, something celestial.
This celestial is not to strive to be the greatest,
but to be the least, by serving all;
as the Lord Himself said . . .:
It shall not be so among you;
but whosoever would be great among you
shall be your minister;
and whosoever would be first among you
shall be your servant:
even as the Son of Man came
not to be ministered unto,
but to minister,
and to give His life a ransom for many.
(Matthew 20:26-28; Mark 10:44-45)
It is the celestial of love not to desire to be one's own,
but to belong to all;
so that we desire to give others all that is our own;
in this consists the essence of celestial love.
The Lord, being love itself,
or the essence and life of the love of all in the heavens,
wills to give to the human race all things that are His;
which is signified by His saying
that the Son of Man came to give His life a ransom for many.
AC 1420
And thou shalt be a blessing.
(Genesis 12:2)
That this signifies that all things
both in general and in particular are from the Lord,
is evident from the signification of "a blessing."
A "blessing" is predicated of all goods;
in the external sense,
of corporeal, worldly, and natural goods;
in the internal sense, of spiritual and celestial goods.
"To be a blessing," is to be the source of all goods,
and the giver of all goods.
This can by no means be said of Abram,
and consequently it is evident
that by Abram is represented the Lord,
who alone is "a blessing."
And I will make thy name great.
(Genesis 12:2)
. . . this signifies glory . . ..
In the external sense, by "making a name," and by "glory,"
there is signified something worldly;
but in the internal sense, something celestial.
This celestial is not to strive to be the greatest,
but to be the least, by serving all;
as the Lord Himself said . . .:
It shall not be so among you;
but whosoever would be great among you
shall be your minister;
and whosoever would be first among you
shall be your servant:
even as the Son of Man came
not to be ministered unto,
but to minister,
and to give His life a ransom for many.
(Matthew 20:26-28; Mark 10:44-45)
It is the celestial of love not to desire to be one's own,
but to belong to all;
so that we desire to give others all that is our own;
in this consists the essence of celestial love.
The Lord, being love itself,
or the essence and life of the love of all in the heavens,
wills to give to the human race all things that are His;
which is signified by His saying
that the Son of Man came to give His life a ransom for many.
AC 1420
And thou shalt be a blessing.
(Genesis 12:2)
That this signifies that all things
both in general and in particular are from the Lord,
is evident from the signification of "a blessing."
A "blessing" is predicated of all goods;
in the external sense,
of corporeal, worldly, and natural goods;
in the internal sense, of spiritual and celestial goods.
"To be a blessing," is to be the source of all goods,
and the giver of all goods.
This can by no means be said of Abram,
and consequently it is evident
that by Abram is represented the Lord,
who alone is "a blessing."
Hear My Cry, O God
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.
For You have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
I long to dwell in Your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.
Selah
For You have heard my vows, O God;
You have given me
the heritage of those who fear Your name.
. . . I will ever sing praise to Your name
and fulfill my vows day after day.
(Psalm 61:1-5, 8)
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.
For You have been my refuge,
a strong tower against the foe.
I long to dwell in Your tent forever
and take refuge in the shelter of Your wings.
Selah
For You have heard my vows, O God;
You have given me
the heritage of those who fear Your name.
. . . I will ever sing praise to Your name
and fulfill my vows day after day.
(Psalm 61:1-5, 8)
Tuesday, March 21, 2017
** Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand **
Jesus left there and went along the Sea of Galilee.
Then He went up on a mountainside and sat down.
Great crowds came to Him,
bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled,
the mute, and many others,
and laid them at His feet;
and He healed them.
The people were amazed when they saw
the mute speaking, the crippled made well,
the lame walking, and the blind seeing.
And they praised the God of Israel.
Jesus called His disciples to Him and said,
"I have compassion for these people;
they have already been with Me three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
or they may collapse on the way."
His disciples answered,
"Where could we get enough bread in this remote place
to feed such a crowd?"
"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked.
"Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish."
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then He took the seven loaves and the fish,
and when He had given thanks,
He broke them and gave them to the disciples,
and they in turn to the people.
They all ate and were satisfied.
Afterward the disciples picked up
seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
The number of those who ate was four thousand,
besides women and children.
After Jesus had sent the crowd away,
He got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
(Matthew 15:29-39)
Then He went up on a mountainside and sat down.
Great crowds came to Him,
bringing the lame, the blind, the crippled,
the mute, and many others,
and laid them at His feet;
and He healed them.
The people were amazed when they saw
the mute speaking, the crippled made well,
the lame walking, and the blind seeing.
And they praised the God of Israel.
Jesus called His disciples to Him and said,
"I have compassion for these people;
they have already been with Me three days
and have nothing to eat.
I do not want to send them away hungry,
or they may collapse on the way."
His disciples answered,
"Where could we get enough bread in this remote place
to feed such a crowd?"
"How many loaves do you have?" Jesus asked.
"Seven," they replied, "and a few small fish."
He told the crowd to sit down on the ground.
Then He took the seven loaves and the fish,
and when He had given thanks,
He broke them and gave them to the disciples,
and they in turn to the people.
They all ate and were satisfied.
Afterward the disciples picked up
seven basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over.
The number of those who ate was four thousand,
besides women and children.
After Jesus had sent the crowd away,
He got into the boat and went to the vicinity of Magadan.
(Matthew 15:29-39)
AC 1401-1042, 1408 - Abram and the Historical Stories in the Word
AC 1401-1402
True historical things begin here . . ..
The things related in this chapter concerning Abram
represent the Lord's state
from earliest childhood up to youth.
As the Lord was born in the same way as other men,
He also advanced from an obscure state to one more lucid.
"Haran" is the first state, which was obscure;
"Shechem" is the second;
"the oak-grove Moreh" is the third;
"the mountain which had Bethel toward the sea
and Ai on the east," is the fourth;
and the "journey from there
toward the south into Egypt," is the fifth.
The things told of Abram's sojourn in Egypt
represent and signify the Lord's first instruction.
"Abram" is the Lord;
"Sarai," as a wife, is truth to be adjoined to the celestial;
"Sarai," as a sister, is intellectual truth;
"Egypt" is memory-knowledge.
The progress from memory-knowledges
even to celestial truths is described;
this was according to Divine order,
that the Lord's Human Essence
might be conjoined with His Divine Essence,
and at the same time become Jehovah.
AC 1408 [1-2]
The Word of the Lord is like a body
that contains within it a living soul;
the things belonging to the soul do not appear
while the mind is so fixed in corporeal things
that it scarcely believes that there is a soul,
still less that it will live after death;
but as soon as the mind withdraws from corporeal things,
those which are of the soul and life become obvious.
And this also is the reason,
not only why corporeal things must die
before man can be born anew, or be regenerated,
but also why the body itself must die
so that he may come into heaven and see heavenly things.
Such also is the case with the Word of the Lord:
its corporeal things are those
which are of the sense of the letter;
and when the mind is kept in these,
the internal things are not seen at all;
but when the former (corporeal things) are as it were dead,
then for the first time are the latter presented to view.
But still the things of the sense of the letter
are similar to those which are with man while in the body,
to wit, to the knowledges of the memory
that come from the things of sense,
and which are general vessels
that contain interior or internal things within them.
It may be known from this that the vessels are one thing,
and the essentials contained in the vessels another.
The vessels are natural;
the essentials contained in the vessels
are spiritual and celestial.
So likewise the historicals of the Word,
and all the expressions in the Word,
are general, natural, and indeed material vessels,
in which are things spiritual and celestial;
and these in no wise come into view
except by the internal sense.
True historical things begin here . . ..
The things related in this chapter concerning Abram
represent the Lord's state
from earliest childhood up to youth.
As the Lord was born in the same way as other men,
He also advanced from an obscure state to one more lucid.
"Haran" is the first state, which was obscure;
"Shechem" is the second;
"the oak-grove Moreh" is the third;
"the mountain which had Bethel toward the sea
and Ai on the east," is the fourth;
and the "journey from there
toward the south into Egypt," is the fifth.
The things told of Abram's sojourn in Egypt
represent and signify the Lord's first instruction.
"Abram" is the Lord;
"Sarai," as a wife, is truth to be adjoined to the celestial;
"Sarai," as a sister, is intellectual truth;
"Egypt" is memory-knowledge.
The progress from memory-knowledges
even to celestial truths is described;
this was according to Divine order,
that the Lord's Human Essence
might be conjoined with His Divine Essence,
and at the same time become Jehovah.
AC 1408 [1-2]
The Word of the Lord is like a body
that contains within it a living soul;
the things belonging to the soul do not appear
while the mind is so fixed in corporeal things
that it scarcely believes that there is a soul,
still less that it will live after death;
but as soon as the mind withdraws from corporeal things,
those which are of the soul and life become obvious.
And this also is the reason,
not only why corporeal things must die
before man can be born anew, or be regenerated,
but also why the body itself must die
so that he may come into heaven and see heavenly things.
Such also is the case with the Word of the Lord:
its corporeal things are those
which are of the sense of the letter;
and when the mind is kept in these,
the internal things are not seen at all;
but when the former (corporeal things) are as it were dead,
then for the first time are the latter presented to view.
But still the things of the sense of the letter
are similar to those which are with man while in the body,
to wit, to the knowledges of the memory
that come from the things of sense,
and which are general vessels
that contain interior or internal things within them.
It may be known from this that the vessels are one thing,
and the essentials contained in the vessels another.
The vessels are natural;
the essentials contained in the vessels
are spiritual and celestial.
So likewise the historicals of the Word,
and all the expressions in the Word,
are general, natural, and indeed material vessels,
in which are things spiritual and celestial;
and these in no wise come into view
except by the internal sense.
No Man Can
No man can redeem the life of another
or give to God a ransom for him --
the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough --
that he should live on forever and not see decay.
But God will redeem my life from the grave;
He will surely take me to Himself.
Selah
(Psalm 49:7-9, 15)
or give to God a ransom for him --
the ransom for a life is costly,
no payment is ever enough --
that he should live on forever and not see decay.
But God will redeem my life from the grave;
He will surely take me to Himself.
Selah
(Psalm 49:7-9, 15)
Monday, March 20, 2017
** Clean and Unclean **
Again Jesus called the crowd to Him and said,
"Listen to Me, everyone, and understand this.
Nothing outside a man
can make him 'unclean' by going into him.
Rather, it is what comes out of a man
that makes him 'unclean.'"
He went on:
"What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.'
For from within, out of men's hearts,
come evil thoughts, sexual immorality,
theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.
All these evils come from inside
and make a man 'unclean.'"
(Mark 7:14-16, 20-23)
"Listen to Me, everyone, and understand this.
Nothing outside a man
can make him 'unclean' by going into him.
Rather, it is what comes out of a man
that makes him 'unclean.'"
He went on:
"What comes out of a man is what makes him 'unclean.'
For from within, out of men's hearts,
come evil thoughts, sexual immorality,
theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit,
lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly.
All these evils come from inside
and make a man 'unclean.'"
(Mark 7:14-16, 20-23)
AC 1383, 1384 - Angelic Perception
AC 1383
Among the wonderful things in the other life are perceptions,
of which there are two kinds.
One kind, which is angelic perception,
consists in perceiving what is true and good,
and what is from the Lord,
and what from the persons themselves;
and also in perceiving the source and quality
of their thoughts, words, and actions,
when these are from themselves.
The other kind is common to all,
to angels in the highest perfection,
and to spirits according to their respective qualities,
and consists in knowing
the quality of another on his first approach.
AC 1384
With the celestial angels,
who are in love to the Lord,
there is a perception of good,
and from this, of all things of truth;
and as they perceive truth from good,
they do not admit of any speaking,
and still less of any reasoning,
about truth;
but they say that it is so, or that it is not so.
Whereas the spiritual angels,
who likewise have perception,
although not such as the celestial have,
speak concerning truth and good;
but still they perceive them, although with a difference;
for there are innumerable varieties of this perception,
the varieties having reference to their perception
as to whether a thing is of the Lord's will,
as to whether it is of His leave,
or as to whether it is of His permission,
all of which are perfectly distinct from each other.
Among the wonderful things in the other life are perceptions,
of which there are two kinds.
One kind, which is angelic perception,
consists in perceiving what is true and good,
and what is from the Lord,
and what from the persons themselves;
and also in perceiving the source and quality
of their thoughts, words, and actions,
when these are from themselves.
The other kind is common to all,
to angels in the highest perfection,
and to spirits according to their respective qualities,
and consists in knowing
the quality of another on his first approach.
AC 1384
With the celestial angels,
who are in love to the Lord,
there is a perception of good,
and from this, of all things of truth;
and as they perceive truth from good,
they do not admit of any speaking,
and still less of any reasoning,
about truth;
but they say that it is so, or that it is not so.
Whereas the spiritual angels,
who likewise have perception,
although not such as the celestial have,
speak concerning truth and good;
but still they perceive them, although with a difference;
for there are innumerable varieties of this perception,
the varieties having reference to their perception
as to whether a thing is of the Lord's will,
as to whether it is of His leave,
or as to whether it is of His permission,
all of which are perfectly distinct from each other.
Good Advice
Whoever of you loves life
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 34:12-14)
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 34:12-14)
Sunday, March 19, 2017
** Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand **
Some time after this,
Jesus crossed to the far shore of the Sea of Galilee,
(that is, the Sea of Tiberias),
and a great crowd of people followed Him
because they saw the miraculous signs
He had performed on the sick.
Then Jesus went up on a mountainside
and sat down with His disciples.
The Jewish Passover Feast was near.
When Jesus looked up
and saw a great crowd coming toward Him,
He said to Philip,
"Where shall we buy bread for these people to eat?"
He asked this only to test him,
for He already had in mind what He was going to do.
Philip answered Him,
"Eight months' wages would not buy enough bread
for each one to have a bite!"
Another of His disciples,
Andrew Simon Peter's brother, spoke up,
"Here is a boy with five small barley loaves
and two small fish,
but how far will they go among so many?"
Jesus said, "Have the people sit down."
There was plenty of grass in that place,
and the men sat down,
about five thousand of them.
Jesus then took the loaves,
gave thanks,
and distributed to those who were seated
as much as they wanted.
He did the same with the fish.
When they had all had enough to eat,
He said to His disciples,
"Gather the pieces that are left over.
Let nothing be wasted."
So they gathered them
and filled twelve baskets
with the pieces of the five barley loaves
left over by those who had eaten.
After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did,
they began to say,
"Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world."
Jesus knowing that they intended to come
and make Him king by force,
withdrew again to a mountain by Himself.
(John 6:1-15)
AC 1357-1358 - Three Kinds of Idolatry
AC 1357-1358
There are three universal kinds of idolatry.
The first comes of the love of self;
the second, of the love of the world;
the third, of the love of pleasures.
All idolatrous worship has one or other of these of its end.
The worship of idolaters can have no other end;
for they know not and care not for eternal life;
they even deny it.
These three kinds of idolatry
are signified by the three sons of Terah.
That Abram, Nahor, and Haran were persons,
from whom also nations were named that were idolaters,
is evident from the historical parts of the Word.
Honor, Listen, Blessing
Give to the Lord, O mighty ones,
give to the Lord glory and strength.
Give to the Lord the glory due His name;
worship the Lord in the splendor of His holiness.
The voice of the Lord is over the waters;
the God of glory thunders,
the Lord thunders over the mighty waters.
The voice of the Lord is powerful;
the voice of the Lord is majestic.
The voice of the Lord breaks the cedars;
the Lord breaks in pieces the cedars of Lebanon.
He makes Lebanon skip like a calf,
Sirion like a young wild ox.
The voice of the Lord strikes with flashes of lightning.
The voice of the Lord shakes the desert;
the Lord shakes the Desert of Kadesh.
The voice of the Lord twists the oaks
and strips the forests bare.
And in His temple all cry, "Glory!"
The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;
the Lord is enthroned as King forever.
The Lord gives strength to His people;
the Lord blesses His people with peace.
(Psalm 29)
Saturday, March 18, 2017
** A Short Parable **
He told them still another parable:
"The kingdom of heaven is like yeast
that a woman took
and mixed into a large amount of flour
until it worked all through the dough."
Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables;
He did not say anything them them
without using a parable.
(Matthew 13:33-34)
AC 1330-1331 - The Second Shem
AC 1330-1331
These are the births of Shem.
(Genesis 11:10)
. . . The reason why the births of this Second church
are derived from Shem,
or why its beginning is described by "Shem,"
is that "Shem" signifies internal worship,
here, the internal worship of this church.
Not that the internal worship of this church
was such internal worship
as that which was signified by "Shem"
in the preceding chapter;
but merely that it is the internal worship of the church.
From what has been said it is now evident
that "Shem" denotes internal worship in general.
The quality of the internal worship of this church
is evident from those
who are named in succession after Shem, namely,
that it was characterized by memory-knowledge . . ..
May the Lord Answer You
May the Lord answer you when you are in distress;
may the name of the God of Jacob protect you.
May He send you help from the sanctuary
and grant you support from Zion.
May He remember all your sacrifices
and accept your burnt offerings.
Selah
May He give you the desire of your heart
and make all your plans succeed.
We will shout for joy when you are victorious
and will lift up our banners in the name of our God.
May the Lord grant all your requests.
Now I know that the Lord saves His anointed;
He answers him from His holy heaven
with the saving power of His right hand.
Some trust in chariots
and some in horses,
but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.
They are brought to their knees and fall,
but we rise up and stand firm.
O Lord, save the king!
Answer us when we call!
(Psalm 20)
Friday, March 17, 2017
** Fulfilling What Was Spoken Through Isaiah **
Many followed Him,
and He healed all their sick,
warning them not to tell who He was.
This was to fulfill what was spoken
through the prophet Isaiah:
"Here is My servant whom I have chosen,
the one I love, in whom I delight;
I will put My Spirit on Him,
and He will proclaim justice to the nations.
He will not quarrel or cry out;
no one will hear His voice in the streets.
A bruised reed He will not break
and a smoldering wick He will not snuff out,
till He leads justice to victory.
In His name the nations will put their hope."
(Matthew 12:15-21)
AC 1326 - Internal Worship
AC 1326
. . . in proportion as anything from the love of self,
or from man's proprium,
is introduced into worship,
in the same proportion internal worship departs,
that is, it comes to pass that there is no internal worship.
Internal worship consists in
the affection of good and the acknowledgment of truth,
and in proportion as the love of self,
that is, in proportion as man's proprium
makes its approach, or enters in,
the affection of good and the acknowledgement of truth
depart, or go out.
The holy can never be with the profane,
just as heaven cannot be with hell . . ..
"Who Can Show Us Any Good?"
Answer me when I call to You,
O my righteous God.
Give me relief from my distress
be merciful to me and hear my prayer.
How long, O men, will you turn my glory into shame?
How long will you love delusions and see false gods?
Selah
Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for Himself;
the Lord will hear when I call to Him.
In our anger do not sin;
when you are on your beds,
search your hearts and be silent.
Selah
Offer right sacrifices
and trust in the Lord.
Many are asking,
"Who can show us any good?"
Let the light of Your face shine upon us, O Lord.
You have filled my heart with greater joy
than when their grain and new wine abound.
I will lie down and sleep in peace,
for You alone, O Lord,
make me dwell in safety.
(Psalm 4)
Thursday, March 16, 2017
** Jesus Denounces Korazin, Bethsaida, & Capernaum **
Then Jesus began to denounce the cities
in which most of His miracles had been performed,
because they did not repent,
"Woe to you, Korazin!
Woe to you, Behsaida!
If the miracles that were performed in you
had been performed in Tyre and Sidon,
they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes.
But I tell you,
it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon
on the day of judgment
than for you.
And you, Capernaum,
will you be lifted up to the skies?
No, you will go down to the depths.
If the miracles that were performed in you
had been performed in Sodom,
it would have remained to this day.
But I tell you
that it will be more bearable for Sodom
on the day of judgment
than for you.
(Matthew 11:20-24)
AC 1304, 1306 - The Love of Self in Worship
AC 1304
The church is of such a nature
that when charity toward the neighbor departs,
and the love of self succeeds in its place,
the doctrine of faith is of no account
except in so far as it can be turned into the worship of self;
and nothing whatever is accounted holy in worship
unless it is for the sake of self,
and thus unless it is self-worship.
All love of self is attended with this;
for he who loves himself more than others,
not only hates all who are not subservient to him,
and shows them no favor
except when they have become subservient,
but also, in so far as he is not under restraint,
he rushes on even until he exalts himself above God.
AC 1306 [3]
The love of self in worship,
or the worship of self,
is called a "tower,"
for the reason that a "city" signifies a doctrine;
and cities were formerly fortified with towers,
in which there were watchmen . . ..
Delighting in the Laws of the Lord
Blessed is the man
who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked
or stand in the way of sinners
or sit in the seat of mockers.
But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
and on His law he meditates day and night.
He is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither.
Whatever he does prospers.
Not so the wicked!
They are like chaff that the wind blows away.
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous.
For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
(Psalm 1)
Wednesday, March 15, 2017
** Jesus Warns the Twelve **
"Be on your guard against men;
they will hand you over to the local councils
and flog you in their synagogues.
On My account
you will brought before governors and kings
as witness to them and to the Gentiles.
But when they arrest you,
do not worry about what to say or how to say it.
At that time you will be given what to say,
for it will not be you speaking,
but the Spirit of our Father
speaking through you.
(Matthew 10:17-20)
AC 1298 - "And They Had Brick for Stone"
AC 1298 [1-2, 3]
And they had brick for stone.
(Genesis 11:3)
That this signifies that they had falsity for truth,
is evident from the signification of "brick,"
just now shown to be falsity;
and from the signification of "stone,"
which in a wide sense is truth . . ..
Stones have signified truth for the reason
that the boundaries of the most ancient people
were marked off by stones,
and that they set up stones as witnesses
that the case was so and so, or that it was true;
as is evident
from the stone Jacob set up for a pillar
(Genesis 28:22; 35:14),
and from the pillar of stones between Laban and Jacob
(Genesis 31:46, 47, 52),
and from the altar built by the sons of
Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh,
near the Jordan, as a witness
(Joshua 22: 10, 28, 34).
Therefore in the Word truths are signified by "stones"
insomuch that not only by the stones of the altar,
but also by the precious stones
upon the shoulders of Aaron's ephod
and upon the breastplate of judgment,
there were signified holy truths which are of love.
As regards the altar, --
when the worship of sacrifices upon altars began,
the altar signified
the representative worship of the Lord in general;
but the stones themselves
represented the holy truths of that worship;
and therefore it was commanded
that the altar should be build of whole stones, not hewn,
and it was forbidden
that any iron should be moved upon them.
(Deuteronomy 27:5-7; Joshua 8:31);
for the reason that hewn stones,
and stones on which iron has been used,
signified what is artificial,
and thus what is fictitious in worship;
that is, what is of man's proprium
or the figment of his thought and heart.
This was to profane worship,
as is plainly said in Exodus 20:25.
For the same reason iron was not used
upon the stones of the temple ( I Kings 6:7).
. . . it is said in John
that the foundations of the wall of the city,
the holy Jerusalem,
were adorned with every precious stone,
and the stones are named (Revelation 21: 19, 20).
The "holy Jerusalem" denotes the kingdom of the Lord
in heaven and on earth,
the foundations of which are holy truths.
In like manner the tables of stone,
on which the commands of the Law,
or the Ten Words, were written,
signified holy truths;
and therefore they were of stone . . .
for the commands themselves
are nothing else than truths of faith.
Hezekiah's Prayer
Hezekiah received the letter from the messengers
and read it.
Then he went up to the temple of the Lord
and spread it out before the Lord.
And Hezekiah prayed to the Lord:
"O Lord, God of Israel,
enthroned between the cherubim,
You alone are God over all the kingdoms of the earth.
You have made heaven and earth.
Give ear, O Lord, and hear;
open Your eyes, O Lord, and see;
listen to the words Sennacherib has sent
to insult the living God.
"It is true, O Lord,
that the Assyrian kings have laid waste
these nations and their lands.
They have thrown their gods into the fire
and destroyed them,
for they were not gods
but only wood and stone,
fashioned by men's hands.
Now O Lord our God,
deliver us from his hand,
so that all kingdoms on earth
many know that You alone, O Lord, are God."
(II Kings 19:14-19)
Tuesday, March 14, 2017
** A Dead Girl and a Sick Woman **
While He was saying this,
a ruler came and knelt before Him and said,
"My daughter has just died.
But come and put Your hand on her,
and she will live."
Jesus got up and went with him,
and so did His disciples.
Just then a woman
who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years
came up behind Him
and touched the edge of His cloak.
She said to herself,
"If I only touch His cloak, I will be healed."
Jesus turned and saw her.
"Take heart, daughter," He said,
"Your faith has healed you,"
And the woman was healed from that moment.
When Jesus entered the ruler's house
and saw the flute players and the noisy crowd, He said,
"Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep."
But they laughed at Him.
After the crowd had been put outside,
He went in and took the girl by the hand,
and she got up.
News of this spread through all that region.
(Matthew 9:18-26)
AC 1288 - "Their Words Were One"
AC 1288
Their words were one.
(Genesis 1:1)
. . . this signifies that there was one doctrine in particular . . .
for "a lip" signifies doctrine in general . . .;
and "words" signify doctrine in particular,
or the particulars of doctrine.
For the particulars cause no disagreement
provided they look to one end,
which is to love the Lord above all things
and the neighbor as one's self;
for then they are particulars of these generals.
Israel Scattered
In the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah,
Hoshea son of Elah became king of Israel in Samaria,
and he reigned nine years.
He did evil in the eyes of the Lord,
but not like the kings of Israel who preceded him.
Shalmaneser king of Assyria came up to attack Hoshea,
who had been Shalmaneser's vassal
and had paid him tribute.
But the king of Assyria discovered that Hoshea was a traitor,
for he had sent envoys to So king of Egypt,
and he no longer paid tribute to the king of Assyria,
as he had done year by year.
Therefore Shalmaneser seized him and put him in prison.
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 Halah,
in Gozan on the Habor river
and in the towns of the Medes.
All this took place
because the Israelites had sinned
against the Lord their God , , ,.
(II Kings 17:1-7)
Monday, March 13, 2017
** The Healing of a Demon-possessed Man **
They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes.
When Jesus out of the boat,
a man with an evil spirit came from the tombs to meet Him.
This man lived in the tombs,
and no one could bind him any more,
not even with a chain.
For he had often been chained hand and foot,
but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet.
No one was strong enough to subdue him.
Night and day among the tombs and in the hills
he would cry out and cut himself with stones.
When he saw Jesus from a distance,
He ran and fell on his knees in front of Him.
He shouted at the top of his voice,
"What do you want with me, Jesus,
Son of the Most High God?
Swear to God that You won't torture me!"
For Jesus had said to him,
"Come out of this man, you evil spirit!"
Then Jesus asked him, "What is your name?"
"My name is Legion," he replied, "for we are many."
And he begged Jesus again and again
not to send them out of the area.
A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside.
The demons begged Jesus,
"Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them."
He gave them permission,
and the evil spirits came out and went into the pigs.
The herd, about two thousand in number,
rushed down the steep bank into the lake
and were drowned.
Those tending the pigs ran off
and reported this in the town and countryside,
and the people went out to see what had happened.
When they came to Jesus,
they saw the man
who had been possessed by the legion of demons,
sitting there, dressed and in his right mind;
and they were afraid.
Those who had seen it told the people
what had happened to the demon-possessed man --
and told about the pigs as well.
Then the people began to plead with Jesus
to leave the region.
As Jesus was getting into the boat,
the man who had been demon-possessed
begged to go with Him.
But Jesus did not let him, but said,
"Go home to your family and tell them
how much the Lord has done for you,
and how He has had mercy on you."
So the man went away
and began to tell in the Decapolis
how much Jesus had done for him.
And all the people were amazed.
(Mark 5:1-20)
AC 1255 - While Being Born Anew
AC 1255
While a person is being born again,
or regenerated, by the Lord,
each and all things that he receives anew
are nativities or births.
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