Arcana Coelestia volume 7 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 3827down, and present themselves underneath, and balance thoseabove. This setting in order is effected by means of the good thatflows in, and such is the case with all man’s thinking. That such isthe case appears from thoughts in the other life; for in the light ofheaven thoughts there are wont to be sometimes presented to view,and then such a form of their arrangement is seen. From this it isevident that “forgotten,” in the internal sense, is nothing else thanremoval and apparent privation.5279. And the famine shall consume the land. That this signifieseven to despair is evident from the signification of “famine” asbeing a lack of knowledges, and hence a privation of truth (ofwhich above, n. 5277, 5278); and from the signification of the“land,” here of Egypt, as being the natural mind (of which alsoabove, n. 5276, 5278). That it signifies even to despair is because itis said that “the famine shall consume the land”; for when by“land” is signified the natural mind, and by “famine” the privationof truth, nothing else than despair is signified; for thenconsumption takes place in a spiritual manner. In this passage isdescribed a state of desolation caused by the privation of truth, thelast stage of which state is despair. That despair is the last stage ofthis state is because thereby the delight of the love of self and of theworld is removed, and the delight of the love of good and of truthis instilled in its place; for in the case of those to be regenerated, thedespair is about spiritual life, consequently is about the privation oftruth and good, because when these persons are deprived of truthand good they despair of spiritual life; hence they have delight andbliss when they come out of their despair.5280. And the abundance of produce shall not be known in theland. That this signifies that nothing shall be perceived therein ofthe truth previously there is evident from the signification of “beingknown” as being to be perceived; from the signification of“abundance of produce” as being truth multiplied (of which above,n. 5276, 5278); and from the signification of “land,” here the landof Egypt, as being the natural mind (of which also above, n. 5276,5278, 5279). From this it is plain that by the “abundance ofproduce not being known in the land” is signified that nothing