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Part 2: The Paternal Human – The difference between the letter, the literal sense and the internal sense. (12 mins)
The 3 Humans
This Third Round is part of a 3 part series on the glorification of the Lord. The following passage is a good reference for this work:
Doctrine of the Lord 35. vi. By successive steps the Lord put off the human taken from the mother, and put on a Human from the Divine within Him, which is the Divine Human, and is the Son of God. That in the Lord were the Divine and the human, the Divine from Jehovah the Father, and the human from the virgin Mary, is known. Hence He was God and Man, having a Divine essence and a human nature; a Divine essence from the Father, and a human nature from the mother; and therefore was equal to the Father as to the Divine, and less than the Father as to the human. It is also known that this human nature from the mother was not transmuted into the Divine essence, nor commingled with it, for this is taught in the Doctrine of Faith which is called the Athanasian Creed. For a human nature cannot be transmuted into the Divine essence, nor can it be commingled therewith. [2] In accordance with the same creed is also our doctrine, that the Divine assumed the Human, that is, united itself to it, as a soul to its body, so that they were not two, but one Person. From this it follows that the Lord put off the human from the mother, which in itself was like that of another man, and thus material, and put on a Human from the Father, which in itself was like His Divine, and thus substantial, so that the Human too became Divine.
Arcana Coelestia 3061(3)… Jehovah, who is the Lord as to the Divine Essence, descended and took upon Himself a Human, by conception Divine, and by birth from a virgin such as is that of another man; but this He expelled, and by Divine means made Divine the Human that was born, from which proceeds all the Holy. Thus the Divine Human became an essence by itself which fills the universal heaven, and which also makes it possible for those to be saved who could not be saved before. This then is the Lord, who as to the Divine Human is alone Man, and from whom man has it that he is man (n. 49, 288, 477, 565, 1894).
See also The Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem 302.
The historicals/literal sense/sense of the letter are not the Word
Arcana Coelestia 1504. The historicals are what represent the Lord; the words themselves are significative of the things that are represented. But being historical, the mind of the reader cannot but be held in them; especially at this day, when most persons, and indeed nearly all, do not believe that there is an internal sense, and still less that it exists in every word; and it may be that in spite of the fact that the internal sense has been so plainly shown thus far, they will not even now acknowledge its existence, and this for the reason that the internal sense appears to recede so far from the sense of the letter as to be scarcely recognized in it. And yet that these historicals cannot be the Word they might know from the mere fact that when separated from the internal sense there is no more of the Divine in them than in any other history; whereas the internal sense makes the Word to be Divine. [2] That the internal sense is the Word itself, is evident from many things that have been revealed, as, “Out of Egypt have I called My son” (Matthew 2:15); besides many others. The Lord Himself also, after His resurrection, taught the disciples what had been written concerning Him in Moses and the Prophets (Luke 24:27); and thus that there is nothing written in the Word that does not regard Him, His kingdom, and the church. These are the spiritual and celestial things of the Word; but the things contained in the literal sense are for the most part worldly, corporeal, and earthly;
AC 6884… the historicals of the Word cannot enter into heaven; for the historical of the Word is natural and worldly, and those who are in heaven are in no ideas but what are spiritual, so that they understand the Word spiritually; and what is worldly, which is of the sense of the letter of the Word, is at the very threshold of heaven turned into the spiritual sense. That this is so, can in some measure be seen from the fact that man also frequently turns those things which are said into such as engage his whole thought; thus he who is in unclean things, into what is unclean; and he who is in clean things, into what is clean.
White Horse 10 …The Word is understood differently by angels in the heavens, and by men on earth; the former perceiving the internal or spiritual sense, whilst the latter see only the external or natural sense (1887, 2396). The angels perceive the Word in its internal sense, and not in its external sense, proved from the experience of those who have conversed with me from heaven, when I was reading the Word (1769-1772). The ideas of the thought and also the speech of angels are spiritual, but the ideas and speech of men natural; that therefore there is an internal sense, which is spiritual, for the use of angels, illustrated from experience (2333). Nevertheless the sense of the letter(literal sense) of the Word serves the spiritual ideas of angels as a means of conveyance, comparatively as the words of speech do with men to convey the sense of a subject (2143). The things relating to the internal sense of the Word fall into such things as are of the light of heaven, thus into angelic perception (2618, 2619, 2629, 3086). Therefore those things which the angels perceive from the Word, are precious to them (2540, 2541, 2545, 2551). Angels do not understand a single expression of the Word in its literal sense (64, 65, 1434, 1929). They do not know the names of persons and places recorded in the Word (1434, 1888, 4442, 4480). Names cannot enter into heaven, nor be pronounced there (1876, 1888). All the names in the Word signify things, and in heaven they are changed into ideas of the things (768, 1888, 4310, 4442, 5225, 5287, 10329). Angels also think abstractly from persons (6613, 8343, 8985, 9007). How elegant the internal sense of the Word is, even where nothing but mere names occur, shown by examples from the Word (1224, 1888, 2395). Many names also in series express one thing in the internal sense (5905). Likewise all numbers in the Word signify things (482, 487, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3152, 4264, 6175, 9488, 9659, 10217, 10253). Spirits also perceive the Word in its internal sense in proportion as their interiors are open into heaven (1771). The sense of the letter(literal sense) of the Word, which is the natural sense, is instantly changed into the spiritual sense with the angels, because there is a correspondence (5648). And this without their hearing or knowing what is in the literal or external sense (10215). Thus the sense of the letter(literal sense) or the external sense is only with man, and proceeds no further (2015).
The letter is not the ‘sense of the letter’ (literal sense)
Doctrine of Sacred Scripture 71. As to the Word in heaven, it is written in the spiritual style, which differs entirely from the natural style. The spiritual style consists of letters only, each of which involves a meaning; and there are points above the letters, which exalt the sense.
Example given of working with the Text re the Most Ancient Church and the Nephilim
AC 7686… In the internal sense those are specifically treated of who before the Lord’s coming were in the lower earth, and could not be uplifted into heaven before the Lord came into the world, and assumed the Human, and made it Divine (n. 6854, 6914). Meanwhile they were infested by the evil, who also had been of the church, and had confessed the truths of faith, but had lived a life of evil. They who before the Lord’s coming had been of the church and had been evil as to life, were in such falsity as had not been before, and shall not be afterward. The reason was that they who were called “Nephilim,” also “Anakim” and “Rephaim,” and were of the last posterity of the Most Ancient Church, were not yet shut up in hell, but wandered about and infused dire and deadly persuasions wherever they could, thus also into the evil in the church. This was the source of such falsity. (With respect to these “Nephilim,” and their direful persuasions, see n. 310, 560, 562, 563, 570, 581, 585, 607, 660, 805, 808, 1034, 1120, 1265-1272, 1673.) When the Lord was in the world, these were cast by Him into their hell, which is on the left in front at some distance. Unless this had been done, very few could have been saved, for the falsity which they infused had a direful persuasive power, and was deadly, such as never had been, and such as never can again be. With this falsity those had been imbued who before the Lord’s coming infested those who were of the spiritual church. This is what is meant in the internal sense by the above words. These are they who are specifically treated of; but in general all are meant who are of the church and who infest the upright in the other life, of whom there are very many at this day.
Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text’s application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.
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The 3 Humans
This Third Round is part of a 3 part series on the glorification of the Lord. The following passage is a good reference for this work:
Doctrine of the Lord 35. vi. By successive steps the Lord put off the human taken from the mother, and put on a Human from the Divine within Him, which is the Divine Human, and is the Son of God. That in the Lord were the Divine and the human, the Divine from Jehovah the Father, and the human from the virgin Mary, is known. Hence He was God and Man, having a Divine essence and a human nature; a Divine essence from the Father, and a human nature from the mother; and therefore was equal to the Father as to the Divine, and less than the Father as to the human. It is also known that this human nature from the mother was not transmuted into the Divine essence, nor commingled with it, for this is taught in the Doctrine of Faith which is called the Athanasian Creed. For a human nature cannot be transmuted into the Divine essence, nor can it be commingled therewith. [2] In accordance with the same creed is also our doctrine, that the Divine assumed the Human, that is, united itself to it, as a soul to its body, so that they were not two, but one Person. From this it follows that the Lord put off the human from the mother, which in itself was like that of another man, and thus material, and put on a Human from the Father, which in itself was like His Divine, and thus substantial, so that the Human too became Divine.
Arcana Coelestia 3061(3)… Jehovah, who is the Lord as to the Divine Essence, descended and took upon Himself a Human, by conception Divine, and by birth from a virgin such as is that of another man; but this He expelled, and by Divine means made Divine the Human that was born, from which proceeds all the Holy. Thus the Divine Human became an essence by itself which fills the universal heaven, and which also makes it possible for those to be saved who could not be saved before. This then is the Lord, who as to the Divine Human is alone Man, and from whom man has it that he is man (n. 49, 288, 477, 565, 1894).
See also The Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem 302.
The historicals/literal sense/sense of the letter are not the Word
Arcana Coelestia 1504. The historicals are what represent the Lord; the words themselves are significative of the things that are represented. But being historical, the mind of the reader cannot but be held in them; especially at this day, when most persons, and indeed nearly all, do not believe that there is an internal sense, and still less that it exists in every word; and it may be that in spite of the fact that the internal sense has been so plainly shown thus far, they will not even now acknowledge its existence, and this for the reason that the internal sense appears to recede so far from the sense of the letter as to be scarcely recognized in it. And yet that these historicals cannot be the Word they might know from the mere fact that when separated from the internal sense there is no more of the Divine in them than in any other history; whereas the internal sense makes the Word to be Divine. [2] That the internal sense is the Word itself, is evident from many things that have been revealed, as, “Out of Egypt have I called My son” (Matthew 2:15); besides many others. The Lord Himself also, after His resurrection, taught the disciples what had been written concerning Him in Moses and the Prophets (Luke 24:27); and thus that there is nothing written in the Word that does not regard Him, His kingdom, and the church. These are the spiritual and celestial things of the Word; but the things contained in the literal sense are for the most part worldly, corporeal, and earthly;
AC 6884… the historicals of the Word cannot enter into heaven; for the historical of the Word is natural and worldly, and those who are in heaven are in no ideas but what are spiritual, so that they understand the Word spiritually; and what is worldly, which is of the sense of the letter of the Word, is at the very threshold of heaven turned into the spiritual sense. That this is so, can in some measure be seen from the fact that man also frequently turns those things which are said into such as engage his whole thought; thus he who is in unclean things, into what is unclean; and he who is in clean things, into what is clean.
White Horse 10 …The Word is understood differently by angels in the heavens, and by men on earth; the former perceiving the internal or spiritual sense, whilst the latter see only the external or natural sense (1887, 2396). The angels perceive the Word in its internal sense, and not in its external sense, proved from the experience of those who have conversed with me from heaven, when I was reading the Word (1769-1772). The ideas of the thought and also the speech of angels are spiritual, but the ideas and speech of men natural; that therefore there is an internal sense, which is spiritual, for the use of angels, illustrated from experience (2333). Nevertheless the sense of the letter(literal sense) of the Word serves the spiritual ideas of angels as a means of conveyance, comparatively as the words of speech do with men to convey the sense of a subject (2143). The things relating to the internal sense of the Word fall into such things as are of the light of heaven, thus into angelic perception (2618, 2619, 2629, 3086). Therefore those things which the angels perceive from the Word, are precious to them (2540, 2541, 2545, 2551). Angels do not understand a single expression of the Word in its literal sense (64, 65, 1434, 1929). They do not know the names of persons and places recorded in the Word (1434, 1888, 4442, 4480). Names cannot enter into heaven, nor be pronounced there (1876, 1888). All the names in the Word signify things, and in heaven they are changed into ideas of the things (768, 1888, 4310, 4442, 5225, 5287, 10329). Angels also think abstractly from persons (6613, 8343, 8985, 9007). How elegant the internal sense of the Word is, even where nothing but mere names occur, shown by examples from the Word (1224, 1888, 2395). Many names also in series express one thing in the internal sense (5905). Likewise all numbers in the Word signify things (482, 487, 647, 648, 755, 813, 1963, 1988, 2075, 2252, 3152, 4264, 6175, 9488, 9659, 10217, 10253). Spirits also perceive the Word in its internal sense in proportion as their interiors are open into heaven (1771). The sense of the letter(literal sense) of the Word, which is the natural sense, is instantly changed into the spiritual sense with the angels, because there is a correspondence (5648). And this without their hearing or knowing what is in the literal or external sense (10215). Thus the sense of the letter(literal sense) or the external sense is only with man, and proceeds no further (2015).
The letter is not the ‘sense of the letter’ (literal sense)
Doctrine of Sacred Scripture 71. As to the Word in heaven, it is written in the spiritual style, which differs entirely from the natural style. The spiritual style consists of letters only, each of which involves a meaning; and there are points above the letters, which exalt the sense.
Example given of working with the Text re the Most Ancient Church and the Nephilim
AC 7686… In the internal sense those are specifically treated of who before the Lord’s coming were in the lower earth, and could not be uplifted into heaven before the Lord came into the world, and assumed the Human, and made it Divine (n. 6854, 6914). Meanwhile they were infested by the evil, who also had been of the church, and had confessed the truths of faith, but had lived a life of evil. They who before the Lord’s coming had been of the church and had been evil as to life, were in such falsity as had not been before, and shall not be afterward. The reason was that they who were called “Nephilim,” also “Anakim” and “Rephaim,” and were of the last posterity of the Most Ancient Church, were not yet shut up in hell, but wandered about and infused dire and deadly persuasions wherever they could, thus also into the evil in the church. This was the source of such falsity. (With respect to these “Nephilim,” and their direful persuasions, see n. 310, 560, 562, 563, 570, 581, 585, 607, 660, 805, 808, 1034, 1120, 1265-1272, 1673.) When the Lord was in the world, these were cast by Him into their hell, which is on the left in front at some distance. Unless this had been done, very few could have been saved, for the falsity which they infused had a direful persuasive power, and was deadly, such as never had been, and such as never can again be. With this falsity those had been imbued who before the Lord’s coming infested those who were of the spiritual church. This is what is meant in the internal sense by the above words. These are they who are specifically treated of; but in general all are meant who are of the church and who infest the upright in the other life, of whom there are very many at this day.
Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text’s application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.