Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 86I will make thee a magnificence of eternity, the joy of generationand generation. Thou shalt suck the milk of the nations, and shalt suckthe paps of kings (Isa. 60:15–16).“Kings” are truths out of good from the Lord (see above, n. 31);“paps” and “breast” are that good, which is the good of spirituallove.[3] That “breast” signifies the good of spiritual love is fromcorrespondence with heaven; for the whole heaven corresponds toall things of man; the inmost or third heaven corresponding to thehead; the middle or second to the breast; and the outmost or firstto the feet. Because there is this correspondence, heaven is alsocalled the greatest man. And as the inmost or third heavencorresponds to the head, by “head” is signified the good of celestiallove, which is the good of love to the Lord; because that good rulesand makes that heaven; and as the middle or second heavencorresponds to the breast, by “breast” is signified the good ofspiritual love, which is the good of love to the neighbor, becausethat good rules and makes that heaven; and as the outmost or firstheaven corresponds to the feet, by “feet” is signified the good ofnatural love from spiritual love, which is the good of faith; becausethat good rules and makes that heaven. From this it is clear why“paps” signify spiritual love, and the “breast” its good. (But thesethings may be better understood from what is shown in Heaven andHell, especially in the following chapters: on the three heavens, n.29–39; that the Divine of the Lord in the heavens is love to himand charity towards the neighbor, n. 13–19; that the universalheaven represents one man, n. 59–67; that there is acorrespondence of heaven with all things of man, n. 87–102; andArcana Coelestia, n. 4938, 4939, 10087. It may be permitted to citefrom that work, by way of illustration, this further reason why the“breast” signifies the good of spiritual love, namely, that within thebreast are the heart and lungs, and the “heart” from correspondencesignifies celestial love, while the “lungs” signify spiritual love, butthe lungs fill the breast. That there is this correspondence, seeArcana Coelestia, n. 3883–3896, 9280, 9300. What celestial love is,and what spiritual love, see Heaven and Hell, n. 23.)