Arcana Coelestia volume 7 - Swedenborg Foundation

ARCANA COELESTIA 4033east, and so on. But as before said this cannot but seem strange tohim who knows nothing about life in the spiritual world; for thereare no spaces or times there, but states of life instead. These statesproduce in externals a most living appearance of progressions andmotions. The appearance is as living and real as that life itself is inus and therefore our own, when yet life flows in from the Lord,who is the fountain of all life (see n. 2021, 2658, 2706,2886–2888, 3001, 3318, 3337–3338, 3484, 3619, 3741–3743,4151, 4249, 4318–4320, 4417, 4523, 4524, 4882). As “going” and“moving” signify living, it was therefore said by the ancients, that“in God we move, live, and have our being” [Acts 17:28]; and by“moving” they meant the external of life, by “living” its internal,and by “being” its inmost.5606. Both we. That this signifies the external of the church ismanifest from the representation of the ten sons of Jacob, who hereare “we,” as being the external of the church (see n. 5469).5607. And thou. That this signifies its internal is evident from therepresentation of Israel, who here is “thou,” as being the internal ofthe church (see n. 4286, 4292, 4570).5608. And also our little ones. That this signifies the things stillmore interior is evident from the signification of “little ones” asbeing the things which are interior (see n. 5604). That moreinterior things are signified by “little children” and by “boys” isbecause innocence is signified by both, and innocence is what isinmost. In the heavens the inmost or third heaven consists of thosewho are in innocence, for they are in love to the Lord; and becausethe Lord is innocence itself, therefore they who are there, being inlove to him, are in innocence. These, although they are the wisestof all in the heavens, yet appear to others like little children. It is forthis reason, and also because little children are in innocence, that by“little children” in the Word is signified innocence.[2] As the inmost of the heavens is innocence, therefore thatwhich is interior with all in the heavens must be innocence. This islike successive things in relation to those which exist together, or