Arcana Coelestia volume 7 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 38805339. And the earth made gatherings [collections] in the seven yearsof abundance of produce. That this signifies the first states whentruths are multiplied in series is evident from the signification of“seven years” as being the first states, for the seven years ofabundance of produce came first, and the seven years of faminecame after (that “years” are states, see n. 482, 487, 488, 493, 893);and from the signification of “abundance of produce” as being themultiplication of truth (n. 5276, 5280, 5292); by “the earth made”is signified that this multiplication took place in the natural, for the“earth” here is the natural (as just above, n. 5338); and from thesignification of “gatherings” as being series.In regard to the series signified by “gatherings,” the case is this.With the man who is being reformed, general truths are firstinstilled, then the particulars of the generals, and finally thesingulars of the particulars; the particulars are arranged under thegenerals, and the singulars under the particulars (n. 2384, 3057,4269, 4325, 4329, 4345, 4383, 5208). These arrangings or settingsin order are signified in the Word by “bundles,” here by “handfuls”or “gatherings,” and they are nothing but the series into whichtruths when multiplied are arranged or set in order. With theregenerate these series are according to the setting in order of thesocieties in the heavens; but with those who are not and cannot beregenerated, they are according to the setting in order of thesocieties in the hells. Hence the man who is in evil, and thence infalsity, is a hell in the least form; and the man who is in good, andthence in truth, is a heaven in the least form. But in regard to theseseries, of the Lord’s Divine mercy more elsewhere.5340. And he gathered together all the food of the seven years. Thatthis signifies the preservation of truth adjoined to good multipliedduring the first times is evident from the signification of “gatheringtogether” as here being to preserve; for he gathered it together andput it in the cities and in the midst, and by this is signified that hestored it up in the interiors, thus that he preserved it, for it cameinto use in the years of famine; and from the signification of “food”as being all that by which the internal man is nourished. That thisis good and truth is evident from the correspondence of the earthly