Arcana Coelestia volume 2

639 Pages·2009·1.93 MB·English

by  Emanuel Swedenborg

Arcana
Coelestia
The heavenly arcana contained in the
Holy Scripture or Word of the Lord
unfolded, beginning with
the book of Genesis
EMANUEL SWEDENBORG
Volume 2
(Numbers 1114–2134)
Translated from the Original Latin by
John Clowes
Revised and Edited by
John Faulkner Potts
STANDARD EDITION
SWEDENBORG FOUNDATION
West Chester, Pennsylvania
© 2009 Swedenborg Foundation
This version was compiled from electronic files of the
Standard Edition of the Works of Emanuel Swedenborg as
further edited by William Ross Woofenden. Pagination of
this PDF document does not match that of the
corresponding printed volumes, and any page references
within this text may not be accurate. However, most if not
all of the numerical references herein are not to page
numbers but to Swedenborg’s section numbers, which are
not affected by changes in pagination. If this work appears
both separately and as part of a larger volume file, its
pagination follows that of the larger volume in both cases.
This version has not been proofed against the original, and
occasional errors in conversion may remain. To purchase the
full set of the Redesigned Standard Edition of Emanuel
Swedenborg’s works, or the available volumes of the latest
translation (the New Century Edition of the Works of
Emanuel Swedenborg), contact the Swedenborg Foundation
at 1-800-355-3222, www.swedenborg.com, or 320 North
Church Street, West Chester, Pennsylvania 19380.
Contents
Editor’s Preface
Genesis 10
The Most Ancient Church
Genesis 10
The Antediluvians Who Perished
Genesis 11
The Grand Man; Place and Distance in the Other Life
Genesis 11
Situation, Place, Distance and Time in the Other Life
Genesis 12
Perceptions of Spirits and Angels; Spheres in the Other
Life
Genesis 12
Perceptions of Spirits and Angels; Spheres in the Other
Life
Genesis 13
The Light in Which Angels Live
Genesis 13
The Light in Which Angels Live; Paradisal Scenes
Genesis 14
The Speech of Spirits and Angels
Genesis 14
The Speech of Spirits and Angels
Genesis 15
Holy Scripture
Genesis 15
Holy Scripture
Preface to Volume 2 of the Original Latin
Genesis 16
Visions and Dreams
Genesis 17
The Last Judgment
Critical Notes
ARCANA COELESTIA 645
Editor’s Preface
This edition of Arcana Coelestia is based on the translation of J.
Clowes and his revisers, as further revised by J. F. Potts. The text
for this edition was electronically scanned from the Foundation’s
Standard Edition. This process has allowed the book to be
completely redesigned and set in a new and more readable typeface.
Certain stylistic changes have also been introduced. These include
modernized spelling and punctuation as well as substituting new
words for terms whose meanings have become obscure or have
changed since the nineteenth century. Arabic numerals have
replaced roman numerals in Bible passages, and certain capitalized
words, including pronouns referring to God, have been lowercased
to reflect contemporary usage. All these changes have been carefully
made in order to make the book easier to read and use while
preserving the dignity and power of the original Latin. On the
whole, however, the Clowes/Potts translation has not been
materially altered.
Volume 2 of Arcana Coelestia continues Swedenborg’s verse-by-
verse exposition, or commentary, of the biblical text of the book of
Genesis. As was the custom in his day, Swedenborg referred to the
Psalms as the book of David, and to the Pentateuch (Genesis,
Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy) as the books of
Moses. In this volume Swedenborg also continues his practice of
inserting topical articles or “continuation” passages between each
chapter of the textual exegesis. The page number of the start of
each of these continuations is listed in the table of contents.
The reader may also wish to read the “Prefatory Notes by the
Reviser” in the front of volume 1 of this work, as it contains further
details about the publishing history of this first and largest of
Swedenborg’s theological works. It also discloses a critical decision
made by Potts regarding his translating of the several words used by
Swedenborg to refer to “knowledge.” The reader needs to know
that this translation pattern was not followed by other translators of
Swedenborg.
ARCANA COELESTIA 646
As with previous printings, the bold numerals in brackets ([2],
[3], etc.) indicate divisions of Swedenborg’s longer numbered
sections that were added for the convenience of the reader by John
Faulkner Potts in his six-volume Swedenborg Concordance (London:
Swedenborg Society, 1888–1902).
William Ross Woofenden
Sharon, Massachusetts
ARCANA COELESTIA 647
Genesis 10
CONCERNING THE MOST ANCIENT CHURCH,
WHICH WAS CALLED MAN, OR ADAM
1114. Angels and spirits, or men after death, when permitted by
the Lord, can meet all whom they have known in this world, or
whom they have heard of—whomsoever they desire—can see them
as present, and can converse with them. Wonderful to say, they are
at hand in a moment and are most intimately present; so that it is
possible to converse not only with friends, who usually find one
another, but also with others that have been respected and
esteemed. By the Divine mercy of the Lord it has been granted me
to converse not only with those whom I had known when they
lived in the body, but also with those of especial note in the Word;
also with those who were of the most ancient church, which was
that called “man,” or “Adam,” and with some who were of the
subsequent churches, in order that I might know that by the names
in the first chapters of Genesis churches are meant; and also that I
might know what was the character of the men of the churches of
that time. The accounts therefore that follow are what it has been
given me to know about the most ancient churches.
1115. They who were of the most ancient church, which was
called man, or Adam, and were celestial men, are very high above
the head, and dwell together there in the greatest happiness. They
said that others rarely come to them, except some at times, as they
expressed it, “from the universe”; and that they were on high above
the head not because they were of a lofty spirit, but in order that
they might govern those who are there.
1116. Dwellings were shown me of those who were of the second
and third posterities of this most ancient church. They are
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magnificent, extending to a great length, and diversified with
beautiful colors of bright crimson and azure blue. For the angels
have most magnificent dwellings, such as cannot be described, as I
have often seen. To their eyes so real is their appearance that
nothing can be more real. But whence such real appearances come
will be shown of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter. They live in an
aura, so to speak, of resplendent pearly and sometimes of diamond-
like light. For there are wonderful auras in the other life, of
inexpressible variety. They greatly err who do not believe that such
things exist there, and indefinitely more than anyone ever could or
can conceive. They are indeed representative, like the things
sometimes seen by the prophets; but yet are so real that they who
are in the other life hold them to be real, and the things which are
in the world to be relatively unreal.
1117. They live in the most intense light. The light of this world
can scarcely be compared to that in which they live. That light was
shown me by a light as of flame that as it were streamed down
before my eyes; and they who were of the most ancient church said
that the light is such with them, but still more intense.
1118. There was shown me by a certain influx which I cannot
describe, what the nature of their speech was when they lived in
this world—that it was not articulate, like the vocal speech of our
time, but tacit; and was produced not by external but by internal
respiration. It was also granted me to perceive the nature of their
internal respiration—that it advanced from the navel toward the
heart, and so through the lips, without sound; and that it did not
enter into the ear of another and strike upon what is called the
drum of the ear by an external way, but by a certain way within the
mouth, in fact by a passage there which is now called the
Eustachian tube. And it was shown me that by such speech they
could much more fully express the sentiments of the mind and the
ideas of thought than can possibly be done by articulate sounds, or
vocal words, which likewise are directed by the respiration, but
external. For there is nothing in any word that is not directed by
applications of the respiration. But with them this was done much
more perfectly, because by the internal respiration; which, from the
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fact that it is interior, is at once far more perfect, and more
applicable and conformable to the very ideas of thought. Besides,
they also conversed by slight movements of the lips, and
correspondent changes of the face; for being celestial men, whatever
they thought shone forth from their faces and eyes, which were
varied conformably. They could by no means put on an expression
of countenance different from that which was in agreement with
their thoughts. Simulation, and still more deceit, was to them a
monstrous iniquity.
1119. It has been shown me to the life how the internal
respiration of the most ancient people silently flowed into a kind of
external and thus tacit speech, perceived by another in his interior
man. They said that this respiration varied with them, according to
the state of their love and faith in the Lord. They gave also as a
reason that it could not be otherwise, because they had
communication with heaven; for they respired with the angels in
whose company they were. Angels have a respiration to which
internal respiration corresponds; and it likewise varies with them.
For when anything befalls them which is contrary to love and faith
in the Lord, their respiration is restrained; but when they are in the
happiness of love and faith, their respiration is free and full. There
is something like this also with every man, but in accordance with
his corporeal and worldly loves and also with his principles. When
anything opposes these, there is a restriction of the respiration; and
when they are favored, the respiration is free and full. These,
however, are variations of external respiration. But concerning the
respiration of the angels, of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter.
1120. It has also been shown that the internal respiration of the
men of the most ancient church, which was from the navel toward
the interior region of the breast, in the course of time, or in their
posterity, was changed, and receded more toward the back region,
and toward the abdomen, thus more outward and downward; and
that at length, in the last posterity of that church, which existed
immediately before the flood, scarcely anything of internal
respiration remained; and when at last there remained none of this
in the breast, they were suffocated of their own accord; but that in
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some, external respiration then began, and with it articulate sound,
or the language of spoken words. Thus with the men before the
flood the respiration was in accordance with the state of their love
and faith; and at last, when there was no love and no faith, but a
persuasion of falsity, internal respiration ceased; and with this, the
immediate communication with angels, and perception.
1121. I have been informed by sons of the most ancient church
concerning the state of their perception, that they had perception
of all things that belong to faith, almost as have the angels with
whom they had communication; for the reason that their interior
man, or spirit, by means also of the internal respiration, was joined
to heaven; and that love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor
are attended with this; for man is thus conjoined with angels
through their veriest life, which consists in such love. They said
that they had the law written upon them, because they were in love
to the Lord and love toward the neighbor; and such being the case,
whatever the laws prescribe was in agreement with their perception,
and whatever the laws forbid was contrary to it. Nor did they doubt
that all laws, human as well as Divine, are founded in love to the
Lord and charity toward the neighbor, and regard these as their
fundamental. Wherefore, as they had this fundamental in them,
from the Lord, they could not but know all things that were from
it. They believe too that those who live in the world at this day,
who love the Lord and the neighbor, have also the law written
upon them, and are acceptable citizens everywhere on earth, as the
same are in the other life.
1122. I have been further informed that the men of the most
ancient church had most delightful dreams, and also visions, and
that it was insinuated into them at the same time what they
signified. Hence their paradisal representations, and many other
things. The objects of the external senses therefore, which are
earthly and worldly, were nothing to them; nor had they any
perception of delight in them, but only in what they signified and
represented; and therefore when they looked at earthly objects they
did not think about them at all, but only about the things which
they signified and represented, which were most delightful to them;