be to me for God, is signified the unition of the Lord's Human with His Divine, and that as to the Divine natural also He should be Jehovah, by the unition of the Divine essence with the Human, and of the Human with the Divine. This unition is not to be understood as of two who are distinct from each other, and only conjoined by love, as a father with a son, when the father loves the son and the son the father, or as when a brother loves a brother, or a friend a friend, but it is a real unition into one, that they be not two but one as the Lord also teaches in several places and because they are one, therefore also the whole Human of the Lord is the Divine Esse or Jehovah (see n. 1343, 1736, 2156, 2329, 2447, 2921, 3023, 3035). 3738. And this stone, which I have set up for a pillar. That this signifies that truth which is the ultimate, is evident from what was said above (n. 3724, 3726), where the same words occur. 3739. Shall be God's house. That this signifies the Lord's kingdom in the ultimate of order, in which things superior are as in their house, is evident also from what was said above (n. 3720), where the same words occur, and further from what was said in the next number (3721). In respect to this particular, that superior things are in the ultimate of order as in their house, the case is this: such an order has been instituted by the Lord, that things superior flow into things inferior, and therein present an image of themselves in general, and consequently are together therein in a certain general form, and thus in order from the Supreme, that is, from the Lord; from this it is, that the proximate image of the Lord is the inmost heaven, which is the heaven of innocence and peace, where those who are celestial dwell; which heaven, because nearest to the Lord, is called His likeness. The next heaven, namely, that which succeeds and is in an inferior degree, is an image of the Lord, because in this heaven, as in something general, are together presented the things which are in the superior heaven. The last heaven, which succeeds this again, is similarly placed, for the particular and singular things of the next superior heaven flow into this heaven, and are therein presented in general, and in correspondent 2 form. The case is similar with man, for he was created and formed to be an image of the three heavens. That in him which is inmost, flows in like manner into that which is inferior, and this in like manner into that which is lowest or last. The natural and corporeal consists of such an influx and concourse into those things which are beneath, and finally into those which are last. In this way there is a connection of last things with the first, without which connection that which is last in order would not subsist a single moment. Thus it is manifest what is meant by superior things being in the ultimate of order, as in their house. Whether we speak of things superior and inferior, or interior and exterior, it is the same, for to man's view things interior appear as superior, and for this reason man places heaven on high, when yet it is in what is internal. 3740. And all that Thou shalt give me, tithing I will tithe it to Thee. That this signifies that He made all things whatsoever Divine by His own power, is evident from the signification of giving, when predicated of the Lord, as that He gave to Himself (see n. 3705), thus that it was by His own power; and from the signification of tithing, and of tithes, as goods and truths, which are stored up by the Lord in man's interiors, which goods are called remains (n. 576, 1738, 2280). When these are predicated of the Lord, they are Divine goods and Divine truths, which the Lord procured to Himself by His own power (n. 1738, 1906). CONTINUATION CONCERNING THE GREATEST MAN, 3741. The heavenly kingdom presents the form of one man, because all the things therein correspond to the Only Lord - that is, to His Divine Human — Who alone is Man (see n. 49, 288, 565, 1894). From correspondence with Him, and by being an image and likeness of Him, heaven is called the Greatest Man. From the Divine of the Lord are all the celestial things which are of good, and all the spiritual things which are of truth, in heaven. All the angels there are forms, or substances formed according to the reception of the Divine things which are from the Lord. The Divine things of the Lord received by angels are what are called celestial and spiritual, since in them the Divine life, with the Divine light therefrom, exists and is modified as in its recipients. From this it is that the forms and 2 material substances with man are also of such a nature, but in an inferior degree, because grosser and more composite. That these also are forms recipient of celestial and spiritual things, is plainly manifest from signs clearly visible, as from thought, which flows into the organic forms of the tongue, and produces speech; from the affections of the mind, which present themselves visible in the face; and from the will, which by the muscular forms flows into actions, and so on. Thought and will, which produce such effects, are spiritual and celestial, whereas the forms or substances which receive them and put them into act, are material; that these latter were formed altogether for the reception of the former is evident, and thus it is plain that they are from the former, and that unless they were from them, they could not exist such as they are. 3742. That there is only one life, and that from the Only Lord, and that angels, spirits, and men are only recipients of life, has been made known to me by experience so manifold as to leave not even the least doubt. Heaven itself is in perception that this is so, insomuch that angels manifestly perceive the influx, and also how it flows in, and likewise the fulness and quality of their reception. When they are in a fuller state of reception, they are then in their peace and happiness, otherwise they are in a state of restlessness and a certain anxiety. Nevertheless the life of the Lord is so appropriated to them that they perceive as if they lived from themselves, but yet know that it is not from themselves. The appropriation of the life of the Lord comes from His love and mercy toward the universal human race, in that He wills to give Himself, and what is His, to every one, and that He actually gives, so far as they receive; that is, so far as they are in the life of good and in the life of truth, as likenesses and images of Him. And since such a Divine effort proceeds continually from the Lord, therefore His life, as was said, is appropriated. 3743. But they who are not in love to the Lord, and in love toward their neighbor, consequently who are not in the life of good and of truth, cannot acknowledge that there is only one influent life, and still less that this life is from the Lord. But all such are indignant, and are even full of aversion, when it is said that they do not live from themselves. It is self-love which causes this; and what is wonderful, though it is shown them by living experience in the other life that they do not live from themselves, and though being then convinced they say that it is so, yet afterward they persist in the same opinion, and imagine that if they lived from another, and not from themselves, all the enjoyment of their life would perish, not being aware that the reverse is the truth. For this reason the wicked appropriate evil to themselves, because they do not believe that evils are from hell and that good cannot be appropriated to them, because they believe good to be from themselves, and not from the Lord. But yet the wicked, and also those in hell, are forms recipient of life from the Lord, but such forms that they either reject, or suffocate, or pervert good and truth; and thus goods and truths, which are from the life of the Lord, become with them evils and falsities. The case herein is like that of the light of the sun, which although single and white, is yet varied as it passes through or flows into various forms, and thence produces beautiful and pleasing colors, as well as those which are not beautiful and not pleasing. 3744. From this it may now be evident what the nature of heaven is, and from what ground heaven is called the Greatest Man. That is to say, the varieties, as to the life of good and truth therein, are innumerable, and are according to the reception of life from the Lord. These varieties have a relation to each other, altogether similar to that which subsists between the organs, members, and viscera in man; all which are forms in perpetual variety recipient of life from their soul, or rather through their soul from the Lord, and yet, notwithstanding they are in such variety, they together constitute one man. 3745. How great the variety is, and of what nature, may be evident from the variety in the human body. It is known that one organ or member is not like another; for instance, that the organ of sight is not like the organ of hearing, and that the same is true of the organ of smelling, the organ of taste, and also the organ of touch, which last is diffused throughout the whole body. So also of the members, as the arms, the hands, the loins, the feet, and the soles of the feet; and also of the viscera which lie hid within, as those of the head, namely, the cerebrum, the cerebellum, the medulla oblongata, and the medulla spinalis, with all the minute organs, viscera, vessels, and fibres, of which they are composed; also those belonging to the body below the head, as the heart, the lungs, the stomach, the liver, the pancreas, the spleen, the intestines, the mesentery, and the kidneys; and also those which are appropriated to generation in both sexes. One and all of these, it |