Doctrine of Holy Scripture - Swedenborg Foundation

DOCTRINE OF HOLY SCRIPTURE 167upon which Jehovah sits, mean the truths of the Word. The“cedars,” and “Lebanon,” which he “breaks,” and “breaks in pieces”mean the false things of the rational man. The “calf,” and a “son ofunicorns” mean the false things of the natural and of the sensuousman. The “flame of fire” means the affection of what is false. The“wilderness,” and the “wilderness of Kadesh” mean the church inwhich there is not anything true and good. The “hinds” which thevoice of Jehovah causes to be in travail, mean the nations who arein natural good. And the “forests” which he lays bare, mean theknowledges [scientiae et cognitiones] which the Word opens tothem. Therefore these words follow: “In his temple everyone saith,Glory,” which mean that there are Divine truths in each and everything of the Word. For the “temple” signifies the Lord, andtherefore the Word, and also heaven and the church; and “glory”signifies Divine truth. From all this it is evident that there is not aword in this passage that is not descriptive of the Divine power ofthe Word against falsities of every kind in natural men, and of theDivine power in reforming the nations.19. There is a still more interior sense in the Word which iscalled celestial, and of which something has been said above (n. 6);but this sense can with difficulty be made plain, because it does notfall so much into the thought of the understanding as into theaffection of the will. The reason there is in the Word this still moreinterior sense called celestial is that there proceeds from the LordDivine good and Divine truth, Divine good from his Divine love,and Divine truth from his Divine wisdom; and both are in theWord, for the Word is the Divine proceeding, 23 and it is for thisreason that the Word gives life to those who devoutly read it. Butthis subject will be spoken of in the chapter in which it will beshown that there is a marriage of the Lord and the church, and aderivative marriage of good and truth, in each and every thing ofthe Word.23. That is, the divine in the act of proceeding. See footnote to Doctrine of theLord (n. 2). [Translator]