Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 631(Of this merit, or this righteousness of the Lord, see further in theDoctrine of the New Jerusalem, n. 293, 294; and in the quotationsthere from Arcana Coelestia, n. 300–306.)294a. For Thou hast created all things, signifies that from Himare all existence and life, and heaven also for those who receive.This is evident from the signification of “to create,” as being notonly that all things came into existence from the Lord, but also thatall life is from Him; and as the spiritual sense of the Word treatsonly of heaven and the church, therefore “to create” signifiesprimarily here to reform, thus to give heaven to those who receive,for this is to reform. That the existence of all things is from theLord, see in the work on Heaven and Hell (n. 7–12, and n. 137);and that all life is from the Lord (n. 9; and in the Doctrine of theNew Jerusalem, n. 278). But here “to create” does not signifynatural existence and life, but spiritual existence and life; and this iswhat is everywhere signified in the Word by “creating;” and for thereason that the existence of heaven and earth is not the end ofcreation, but a means to the end; the end of creation is that thehuman race may exist so that from it there may be an angelicheaven; and as this is the end, “to create” signifies to reform, whichis to give heaven to those who receive. In the spiritual sense of theWord ends are meant, but in the sense of the letter only the meansthat involve the ends are spoken of; in this way the spiritual lies hidin the letter of the Word.294b. [2] That “to create” signifies to reform and regeneratemen, and thus to establish the church, can be seen from thepassages in the Word where this term occurs, as in the following. InIsaiah:I will give in the wilderness the cedar of Shittah, and the myrtle,and the oil tree; that they may see and know, and consider andunderstand together, that the hand of Jehovah hath done this, and theHoly One of Israel hath created it (41:19, 20).This treats of the establishment of the church among the Gentiles;“wilderness” signifies the absence of good, because of the ignoranceof truth, for every good into which man is reformed is given only