AC 1042, 1043, 1044 - "I Have Set My Bow In the Cloud."

AC 1042 [1, 2]

I have set My bow in the cloud.
(Genesis 9:13)

This means the state of the regenerated spiritual person,
which is like a rainbow.

. . . Spiritual angels, who have all been
regenerated people of the spiritual church,
when presented to sight as such in the other life,
appear with as it were a rainbow about the head.
But the rainbows seen
are in accordance with their state,
and thus from them their quality
is known in heaven and in the world of spirits.
The reason that the appearance of a rainbow is seen
is that their natural things
corresponding to their spiritual
present such an appearance.
It is a modification of spiritual light from the Lord
in their natural things.
These angels are those
who are said to be regenerated "of water and the spirit"
but the celestial angels
are said to be regenerated "with fire."

There is in the regenerate spiritual person
an own/proprim of the understanding
into which the Lord insinuates
innocence, charity and mercy.
According to the reception of these gifts
by the person is the appearance of his rainbow
when presented to view --
beautiful in proportion to the degree
in which the own/proprim of his will is removed,
subdued, and reduced to obedience.

AC 1043 [2]

For many are regenerated by the Lord in every dogma,
and when they have been regenerated
they do not receive any immediate revelation,
but only what is insinuated into them
through the Word and the preaching of the Word.
But because they receive charity,
the Lord works through charity upon their cloud,
from which there springs light,
as when the sun strikes a cloud,
which then becomes more luminous
and is variegated with colors.
Thus also there arises in the cloud
the likeness of a bow.
The thinner the cloud, that is,
the more numerous
are the intermingled truths of faith of which it consists,
the more beautiful is the bow.
But the denser the cloud, that is,
the fewer the truths of faith of which it consists,
the less beautiful is the bow.
Innocence adds much to its beauty,
giving as it were a living brightness to the colors.

AC 1044 [3]

The "token" or "sign" of the covenant is this,
that in proportion as there is the presence of the Lord
in the own/proprim of the understanding,
in the same proportion the own/proprim of the will
will be removed.
The case herein is exactly as it is with heaven and hell.
The intellectual part of the regenerated person,
from charity,
in which the Lord is present,
is heaven;
his will part is hell.
So far as the Lord is present in this heaven,
so far is this hell removed.
For of himself a person is in hell,
and of the Lord is in heaven.
And a person is being continually uplifted
from hell into heaven,
and so far as he is uplifted,
so far his hell is removed.
The "sign" therefore, or indication,
that the Lord is present,
is that a person's will part is being removed.
The possibility of its removal is effected by
means of temptations,
and by many other means of regeneration.