Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 572[9] In the same:Jehovah hath founded the world upon the seas, and established itupon the rivers (Ps. 24:2).The “world” signifies the church; the “seas” knowledges in generalwhich are in the natural man; and “rivers” the truths of faith; uponthese two the church has its foundation.[10] in Amos:Jehovah, who buildeth His steps in the heavens, and calleth thewaters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the faces of the earth(9:6).“The steps that Jehovah buildeth in the heavens” signify interiortruths which are called spiritual; “the waters of the sea” signifyexterior truths, which are natural because they are in the naturalman; “to pour them out upon the faces of the earth” signifies uponthe men of the church, for the “earth” is the church.275b. [11] In David:By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made; and all the hosts ofthem by the breath of His mouth. He gathereth the waters of the seatogether as an heap; He giveth the deeps in treasuries (Ps. 33:6, 7).“The word of Jehovah by which the heavens were made,” and “thebreath of His mouth by which all the hosts of them were made,”signify Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; “the hosts of theheavens” are all things of love and faith; “the waters of the sea thatHe gathereth together as an heap” signify the knowledges of truth,and truths in general, which are together in the natural man; “thedeeps that He gives in treasuries” signify sensual knowledges, whichare the most general and ultimate things of the natural man, and inwhich at the same time are interior or higher truths, therefore theyare called “treasures.”[12] In the same: