Logopraxis

Arcana Coelestia 7902. Innocence consists in acknowledging that in oneself there is nothing but evil, and that all good is from the Lord; and also in believing that man does not know or perceive anything from himself, but from the Lord, thus also the truth which is of faith. When man is in this state, then falsity can be removed from him, and truth can be instilled by the Lord. This state is what is signified by the unleavened things, and also by the eating of the paschal lamb. AC 7854 Upon things bitter. That this signifies by means of the undelightful things of temptations, is evident from the signification of “bitter things” or “bitternesses” as being things undelightful, here those which belong to temptations. For the good of innocence, which is represented by the paschal lamb, cannot be appropriated to anyone except through temptations. By “unleavened bread” such good is signified, and because this is appropriated through temptations, the bread was ordered to be eaten upon bitter things; and moreover, that bread was to them bread of affliction, like the manna (Deut. 8:15, 16; 16:3), because it was devoid of leaven, that is, of any falsity from evil, for man cannot endure pure truth and pure good. That things undelightful are signified by “bitter things,” is plain in Isaiah: Woe to them that call evil good, and good evil; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! (Isa. 5:20).They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it (Isa. 24:9).That the undelightful things of temptations are signified by “bitter things” is evident from these words in Exodus:At last they came unto Marah, but they could not drink of the waters, on account of their bitterness, because they were bitter. And the people murmured against Moses, who, when he cried unto Jehovah, Jehovah showed him wood which he cast into the waters, and the waters were made sweet. There He set for him a statute and a judgment, because there He tried him (Exod. 15:23-25).And also in John:There fell from heaven a great star, burning as a torch. The name of the star is called Wormwood, and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter (Rev. 8:10-11).In these passages “bitter waters” denote the undelightful things of temptations; the “men who died of the waters” denote those who succumbed in temptations. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7993 Verses 43-49. And Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron, This is the statute of the passover; no son of an alien shall eat of it. And every man’s servant that is bought with silver, when thou hast circumcised him, then shall he eat of it. A lodger and a hireling shall not eat of it. In one house shall it be eaten; thou shalt not bring out of the flesh abroad from the house; and ye shall not break a bone thereof. All the assemblage of Israel shall perform it. And when a sojourner shall sojourn with thee, and performeth the passover to Jehovah, every male of his shall be circumcised, and then let him come near to perform it; and he shall be as a native of the land; and no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. One law shall there be for the native, and for the sojourner that sojourneth in the midst of you. “And Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron,” signifies information by means of truth Divine; “This is the statute of the passover,” signifies the laws of order for those who are liberated from damnation and infestations; “no son of an alien shall eat of it,” signifies that those who are not in truth and good are to be separated from them; “and every man’s servant,” signifies a man who is still natural; “that is bought with silver,” signifies who has any spiritual truth; “when thou hast circumcised him,” signifies purification from unclean loves; “then he shall eat of it,” signifies that he shall be with them; “a lodger and a hireling shall not eat of it,” signifies that they who do what is good from mere natural disposition, and those who do it for the sake of their own advantage, are not to be with them; “in one house shall it be eaten,” signifies consociations of accordant goods, that they may together make one good; “thou shalt not bring out of the flesh abroad from the house,” signifies that this good shall not be mixed together with the good of another; “and ye shall not break a bone in it,” signifies the truth of memory-knowledge, that this also must be sound; “all the assemblage of Israel shall perform it,” signifies that this law of order is for all who are in the good of truth and in the truth of good; “and when a sojourner shall sojourn with thee,” signifies those who have been instructed in the truth and good of the church, and have received them; “and performeth the passover to Jehovah,” signifies if he desires to be together with them; “every male of his shall be circumcised,” signifies that his truth must be cleansed from impure loves; “and then let him come near to perform it,” signifies that then he shall be with them; “and he shall be as a native of the land,” signifies that he shall be received as he who is in that truth and good, and has been purified from unclean loves; “and no uncircumcised person shall eat of it,” signifies that he who is in the loves of self and of the world cannot be together with them; “one law shall there be for the native, and for the sojourner that sojourneth in the midst of you,” signifies that he who on being instructed receives the truth and good of the church, and lives according to them, shall be as he who, being already instructed, is within the church, and lives a life in agreement with the precepts of faith and of charity. 7994 And Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron. That this signifies information by means of truth Divine, is evident from the signification of “Jehovah said,” when the statutes of the church are treated of, as being information or instruction (see n. 7186, 7267, 7304, 7380, 7517, 7769, 7793, 7825); and from the representation of Moses and Aaron, as being truth Divine; Moses internal, and Aaron external (n. 7009, 7010, 7089, 7382). 7995 This is the statute of the passover. That this signifies the laws of order for those who are liberated from damnation and infestations, is evident from the signification of a “statute,” as being that which is from order (of which below); and from the signification of “the passover,” as being the presence of the Lord and liberation from damnation (see n. 7093e, 7867). As regards that which is of order, which is signified by “statute,” be it known that all the statutes commanded to the sons of Israel were laws of order in the external form, but those things which they represented and signified were laws of order in the internal form. Laws of order are truths which are from good; the complex of all the laws of order is the Divine truth proceeding from the Divine good of the Lord. From this it is evident that the Divine Itself of the Lord in heaven is order, the Divine good the essential of order, and the Divine truth its formal. 7996 No son of an alien shall eat of it. That this signifies that those who are not in truth and good are to be separated from them, is evident from the signification of “an alien,” as being those out of the church who do not acknowledge anything of the truth and good of faith, as was the case with the nations in the land of Canaan (see n. 2049, 2115), thus who are not in truth and good; and from the signification of “not eating of it,” as being to communicate and be conjoined with them, thus to be separated from them. In what now follows those are treated of who should eat the passover together, and those who should not. The supper of the passover represented the consociations of the good in heaven; and in the statutes which follow, it is declared who could be consociated and who could not. In general, feasts, both dinners and suppers, in ancient times were made within the church in order that they might be consociated and conjoined as to love, and that they might instruct one another in those things which are of love and faith, thus in the things of heaven (see n. 3596, 3832, 5161). Such at that time were the delights attending their banquets, and such was the end for the sake of which were their dinners and suppers. Thus the mind and the body also were nourished unanimously and correspondently; and from this they had health and long life, and from it they had intelligence and wisdom; and also from this they had communication with heaven, and some had open communication with angels. But as in course of time all internal things vanish away and pass into external ones, so also did the purposes of the feasts and banquets, which at this day are not for the sake of any spiritual conjunction, but for the sake of worldly conjunctions, namely, for the sake of gain, for the sake of the pursuit of honors, and for the sake of pleasures, from which there is nourishment of the body, but none of the mind. 7997 That the paschal supper represented the consociations of angels in the heavens in respect to goods and truths, see above (n. 7836, 7996); and because it represented these, it was ordained that not only every house by itself should then be together and eat, but also that no others should be consociated except those who represent the conjunction of love such as is that of the heavenly societies, and thus that the rest were to be separated. They who are to be separated were the aliens, for by them were signified those who are not in the good and truth of the church; also the lodgers and hirelings, because by these were represented those who from mere natural disposition, and those who for the sake of gain, did good and truth, and made a boast of them. Neither the latter nor the former can be consociated with the angels in the heavens; but when they are allowed to wander about, as is the case when they first come into the other life, before they undergo vastations of good and truth, then when they come toward any angelic society and feel the sphere of sanctity from the truth of the good of innocence which is signified by the blood of the paschal lamb (n. 7846, 7877), they cannot approach, but forthwith flee away because of fear and aversion. 7998 And every man’s servant. That this signifies a man who is still natural, is evident from the signification of “servant,” as being what is natural (see n. 3019, 3020, 3191, 3192, 3204, 3206, 3209, 5305), thus the natural man. The natural man is called a “servant” because it was made to minister to the spiritual man, and also to obey it, as a servant his lord. 7999 That is bought with silver. That this signifies who has any spiritual truth, is evident from the signification of “buying,” as being acquisition and appropriation (see n. 4397, 4487, 5374, 5397, 5406, 5410, 5426); and from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (n. 1551, 2954, 5658), here spiritual truth, because the servant that is bought is in the internal sense the natural man, and therefore the lord who buys is the spiritual man. How this is cannot be known unless it is known how the spiritual buys for itself-that is, acquires and appropriates-the natural. When man is being regenerated, his internal and external, that is, the spiritual and the natural, at first are at variance, for the spiritual wills what is of heaven, but the natural what is of the world. But the spiritual then continually inflows into the natural and brings it into agreement; this is effected by means of truth; and what the spiritual brings to itself in the natural is called “bought with silver,” that is, acquired and appropriated by means of truth. 8000 When thou hast circumcised him. That this signifies purification from unclean loves, is evident from the signification of “to be circumcised,” as being purification from the loves of self and of the world, thus from unclean loves (see n. 2039, 2056, 2632, 3412, 3413, 3462, 7045). 8001 Then shall he eat of it. That this signifies that he shall be with them, is evident from the signification of “eating,” that is, the paschal lamb, together with the rest, as being to communicate and be conjoined (see n. 2187, 5643). For as before said (n. 7836, 7850, 7996, 7997), the paschal supper represented the angelic consociations in respect to goods and truths; and by the statutes concerning aliens, servants, lodgers, hirelings, and sojourners, who are here treated of, is declared in the internal sense who could be consociated, and who could not. Hence it is that by “eating” is signified to be with them, or to be consociated; and by “not eating,” not to be with them, or to be separated. 8002 A lodger and a hired servant shall not eat of it. That this signifies that they who do what is good from mere natural disposition, and those who do it for the sake of their own advantage, are not to be with them, is evident from the signification of “a lodger,” as being those who do what is good from mere natural disposition (of which below); from the signification of “a hireling,” as being those who do what is good for the sake of their own advantage (of which also below); and from the signification of “not to eat of it,” as being not to be with them (of which just above, n. 8001). That a “lodger” denotes what is good from mere natural disposition, is because lodgers were those who came from other peoples, and were inhabitants, and dwelt with the Israelites and the Jews in one house; and “to dwell together” signifies to be together in good. But because, as before said, they were from peoples out of the church, the good which is signified is not the good of the church, but is a good not of the church. This good is called “natural good,” because it is hereditary from birth. Moreover, some have such good in consequence of ill health and feebleness. This good is meant by the good which they do who are signified by “lodgers.”[2] This good is utterly different from the good of the church, for by means of the good of the church conscience is formed in man, which is the plane into which the angels flow, and through which there is fellowship with them; whereas by natural good no plane for the angels can be formed. They who are in this good do good in the dark from blind instinct; not in the light of truth by virtue of influx from heaven; and therefore in the other life they are carried away, like chaff by the wind, by everyone, as much by an evil man as by a good one, and more by an evil one who knows how to join to reasonings something of affection and persuasion; nor can they then be withdrawn by the angels, for the angels operate through the truths and goods of faith, and flow into the plane which has been formed within the man from the truths and goods of faith. From all this it is evident that those who do what is good from mere natural disposition cannot be consociated with the angels (concerning them and their lot in the other life, see n. 3470, 3471, 3518, 4988, 4992, 5032, 6208, 7197).[3] That “lodgers” are those who do not stay in their own land or in their own house, but in a foreign land, is evident in the following passages:The land shall not be sold in perpetuity; for the land is Mine; but ye are sojourners and lodgers with Me (Lev. 25:23).Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, be not silent at my tear; for I am a sojourner with Thee, a lodger, as all my fathers were (Ps. 39:12).Abraham said unto the sons of Heth, I am a sojourner and a lodger with you; give me a possession of a sepulcher (Gen. 23:3-4).By a “sojourner” equally as by a “lodger,” is signified a comer and inhabitant from another land, but by a “sojourner” are signified those who were being instructed in the truths of the church and who received them; and by “lodgers” were signified those not instructed in the truths of the church, because they were not willing to receive them.[4] As regards “hirelings,” they were such as labored for hire, being servants, but not bought; that these were called “hirelings” see Lev. 19:13; 25:4-6; Deut. 24:14, 15. As “hirelings” were those who labored for hire, by them in the internal sense are meant those who do what is good for the sake of their own advantage in the world; and in a sense still more interior, those who do what is good for the sake of reward in the other life; thus who desire to merit by works.[5] They who do what is good merely for the sake of their own advantage in the world, cannot possibly be consociated with angels, because the end regarded by them is the world, that is, wealth and eminence; and not heaven, that is, the blessedness and happiness of souls. The end is what determines the actions, and gives them their quality. Concerning those who do what is good merely for the sake of their own advantage, the Lord thus speaks:I am the good Shepherd; the good Shepherd layeth down His life for the sheep. But he that is a hireling, and not a shepherd, whose own the sheep are not, seeth the wolf coming, and deserteth the sheep, and fleeth, and the wolf seizeth them, and scattereth the sheep. But the hireling fleeth because he is a hireling (John 10:11-13).Egypt is a very beautiful heifer; destruction out of the north is come. Her hirelings are like calves of the fatting stall; for they also have turned back, they have fled away together, they did not stand, because the day of their destruction is come upon them (Jer. 46:20-21).[6] That lodgers and hirelings were not to be consociated in respect to holy things with those who were of the church, is evident from this:There shall no alien eat of the holy thing: a lodger of the priest, and a hireling, shall not eat of the holy thing (Lev. 22:10).And that from the sons of lodgers were to be bought servants who should serve forever, in the same:Of the nations that are round about you ye shall buy manservant and maidservant; and also of the sons of the lodgers that do sojourn with you, of these shall ye buy, and of their family that is with you, although they have brought forth in your land; and that they may be your possession, and that ye may hand them over for an inheritance to your sons after you, to inherit for a possession; ye shall rule over them forever (Lev. 25:44-46).By the “sons of the lodgers” are signified memory-knowledges which are from mere natural light; that spiritual truths shall rule over these is signified by “servants being bought of the sons of the lodgers for a perpetual possession.”[7] But they who do what is good for the sake of reward in the other life, who also are signified by “hirelings,” differ from those just now spoken of, in that they have as the end life and happiness in heaven. But as this end determines and converts their Divine worship from the Lord to themselves, and they consequently desire well to themselves alone, and to others only so far as these desire well to them, and accordingly the love of self is in every detail, and not the love of the neighbor, therefore they have no genuine charity. Neither can these be consociated with the angels, for the angels are utterly averse to both the name and the idea of reward or recompense. That benefits must be imparted without the end of reward, the Lord teaches in Luke:Love your enemies, and impart benefits, and lend, hoping for nothing again; then shall your reward be great, and ye shall be sons of the Most High (Luke 6:32-35; 14:12-14).(Concerning meritorious goods and their quality, see n. 1110, 1111, 1774, 1835, 1877, 2027, 2273, 2340, 2373, 2400, 3816, 4007, 4174, 4943, 6388-6390, 6392, 6393, 6478.)[8] That it is so often said by the Lord that they who do what is good shall “have their reward in heaven” (as in Matt. 5:11, 12; 6:1, 2, 16; 10:41, 42; 20:1-16; Mark 9:41; Luke 6:23, 35; 14:14; John 4:36) is because before he is regenerated a man cannot but think of reward; but it is otherwise when he has been regenerated; he is then indignant if anyone thinks that he benefits his neighbor for the sake of reward, for he feels delight and blessedness in imparting benefits, and not in recompense. (That in the internal sense “reward” denotes the delight of the affection of charity, see n. 3816, 3956, 6388, 6478.) 8003 In one house shall it be eaten. That this signifies the consociations of accordant goods that they may together make one good, is evident from the fact that the paschal supper represented the angelic consociations in heaven, and that each house of the sons of Israel represented a society in particular (see n. 7836, 7891, 7996, 7997). The angelic societies are all distinct from one another according to goods, and this generically, specifically, and particularly (see n. 3241, 4625). They are consociated who are in similar good. That these make one good, is because everyone arises not from one, but from many; for from many things that are various, but still accordant, there is produced a form which makes a one by harmony; in heaven by spiritual harmony, which is that of the goods of love (see n. 3241, 3267, 3744-3746, 3986, 4005, 4149, 5598, 7236, 7833, 7836). From all this it is evident that by “in one house shall it be eaten” are signified the consociations of accordant goods that they may together make one good. (That “to eat,” namely, the passover, denotes to be consociated, or to be with them, see above, n. 8001.) 8004 Thou shalt not bring out of the flesh abroad from the house. That this signifies that this good shall not be mixed together with the good of another, is evident from the signification of “to bring out abroad from the house” as being to give to another to eat, thus to mix with another good than that which belongs to the society; and from the signification of “flesh,” as being good (see n. 6968, 7850). For the societies in heaven are distinct according to the functions of all the members, viscera, and organs in the body (as has been shown at the close of many chapters). By means of correspondence, the function of each member, viscus, and organ bears relation to a peculiar good distinct from any other. From this it is evident that goods are manifold, and that in order that from them distinct forms may arise, which taken together may constitute the most perfect form of heaven, they are by no means to be mixed together; for if they were mixed together the distinction would be lost. This is signified by the command that they should not bring out of the flesh abroad from the house. 8005 And ye shall not break a bone in it. That this signifies the truth of memory-knowledge, that this must be sound, is evident from the signification of “bone,” as being the ultimate in which interior things terminate as in their base, that they may be supported and not spread asunder. Such an ultimate in spiritual things is memory-knowledge; for all spiritual truths and goods flow down according to order to lower things, and finally terminate in memory-knowledges, where they present themselves visibly to man. That “ye shall not break” denotes that it must be sound, is clear. Memory-knowledge is said to be sound when it admits into itself nothing but truths which agree with its good; for the memory-knowledge is the general receptacle. Moreover, memory-knowledges are like the bones in man; if these are not sound, or in their order, as when disjointed or distorted, the form of the body is thereby changed, and the actions in accordance therewith. The truths of memory-knowledge are doctrinal things. 8006 All the assemblage of Israel shall perform it. That this signifies that this law of order is for all who are in the good of truth and in the truth of good, is evident from the signification of “the assemblage of Israel,” as being all truths and goods in one complex (see n. 7830); thus those who are in the truth through which is good, and those who are in the good through which is truth (n. 7957), consequently those who are of the spiritual church. That all these were to perform the passover, was to represent the liberation of those of the spiritual church who had been detained in the lower earth until the Lord’s coming (n. 6854, 6914, 7091, 7849, 7932); their eating together in one house was to represent the angelic consociations in heaven (n. 7836, 7996, 7997); thus by the whole assemblage of Israel performing it was represented the whole heaven. At that time there was nowhere a church, but only the representative of a church, for which were taken the descendants of Abraham from Jacob. Communication with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord, was given by means of the representatives of the church. For this reason it was enjoined upon that nation to strictly observe all the statutes and all the laws, especially the statutes concerning the passover, insomuch that he who was clean and did not perform the passover was to be cut off (Num. 9:13). 8007 And when a sojourner shall sojourn with thee. That this signifies those who have been instructed in the truth and good of the church and have received them, is evident from the signification of a “sojourner,” as being those who were being instructed and were receiving the statutes and laws of the church (see n. 2025, 4444, 7908). It is said “when he shall sojourn with thee,” because by “sojourning” is signified to be instructed and to live (n. 1463, 3672). Thus by “sojourners sojourning with them” are signified not only those who were being instructed in the truth and good of the church and were receiving them, but also those who were living according to them. 8008 And performeth the passover to Jehovah. That this signifies if he desires to be together with them, is evident from the signification of “performing the passover to Jehovah,” that is, eating it, as being to be together with them (see n. 8001). 8009 Every male of his shall be circumcised. That this signifies that his truth must be cleansed from impure loves, is evident from the signification of “to be circumcised,” as being to be purified or cleansed from impure loves (see n. 2039, 2056, 2632, 3412, 3413, 4462, 7045); and from the signification of “male,” as being the truth of faith (n. 749, 2046, 4005, 7838). 8010 And then let him come near to perform it, signifies that then he shall be with them (as above, n. 8008). 8011 And he shall be as a native of the land. That this signifies that he shall be accepted just as is he who is in this truth and good, and has been purified from unclean loves, is evident from the signification of “a native of the land,” as being one who has been born within the church and is in its truth and good, consequently who has been purified from unclean loves. It is said “a native of the land,” because by “land” is signified the church (that “land” in the Word denotes the church, see n. 566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1413, 1607, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 2571, 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577). That “land” denotes the church is because by “land” in the Word is meant the land of Canaan, and by “the land of Canaan” is signified the Lord’s kingdom and church (n. 1413, 1437, 1585, 1607, 1866, 3038, 3481, 3686, 3705, 4116, 4240, 4447, 4454, 4516, 4517, 5136, 5757, 6516). By every land named in the Word the angels do not understand the land, but the nation that was there, and along with the nation there is understood the quality of the nation in respect to its spirituality, that is, in respect to that which is of the church. That the idea of the quality of the nation occurs when its land is named, is known, for this is the case even with men, and more so with the angels, who think spiritually about every natural thing. 8012 And no uncircumcised person shall eat of it. That this signifies that he who is in the loves of self and of the world cannot be together with them, is evident from the signification of an “uncircumcised person,” as being one who is in the loves of self and of the world (see n. 2056, 3412, 3413, 7045); and from the signification of “eating of it,” namely, the passover, as being to be with them (of which above, n. 8001). 8013 One law shall there be for the native, and for the sojourner that sojourneth in the midst of you. That this signifies that he who on being instructed has received the truth and good of the church, and lives according to them, shall be as he who being already instructed is within the church, and lives a life in agreement with the precepts of faith and of charity, is evident from the signification of “one law shall there be,” as being a similar right, thus that the one shall be as the other; and from the signification of “the native,” as being one who has been born within the church, and is in its truth and good as to doctrine and as to life (as just above, n. 8011); and from the signification of “the sojourner that sojourneth in the midst of you,” as being one who is being instructed in the truth and good of the church and receives them and lives according to them (of which also above, n. 8007).[2] It is said “in agreement with the precepts of faith and of charity,” on account of the difference; for the life before regeneration is according to the precepts of faith, but after regeneration it is according to the precepts of charity. Before regeneration no one knows from affection what charity is, but only from doctrine; and the man then lives according to the precepts of doctrine, which are called precepts of faith; but after regeneration he knows from affection what charity is, for he then loves his neighbor, and from the heart wills good to him, and he then lives according to a law that is written on him, for he acts from the affection of charity. This state is utterly different from the former state. They who are in the first state are in obscurity in respect to the truths and goods of faith, but they who are in the latter state are relatively in clearness. These see truths and confirm them from enlightenment, while the former do not see truths and confirm them from enlightenment; but from persuasion that the teachings of the church are truths. And because they do not see them from enlightenment, they can confirm falsities equally with truths, and after these have been confirmed, they see them precisely as truths. From all this it can be seen what is meant by living according to the precepts of faith, and what by living according to the precepts of charity.[3] As regards sojourners, it is several times commanded in the Word that no distinction should be made between a native of the land and a sojourner sojourning with them, for the reason that the Gentiles, from whom the sojourners came, are received into heaven equally as well as they who are within the church, when after being instructed they have received the truths of faith. (Of the Gentiles in the other life, see n. 932, 1032, 1059, 2049, 2284, 2589-2604, 2861, 2863, 3263, 4190, 4197.) Hence it was commanded that “as with the native, so with the sojourner;” as in the following passages:And if a sojourner shall sojourn with you, who shall make a fire-offering of an odor of rest to Jehovah; as ye do, so shall he do. As regards the assembly, there is one statute for you, and for the sojourner that sojourneth, a statute of eternity for your generations; as ye are, so is the sojourner before Jehovah. One law and one judgment shall be for you, and for the sojourner that sojourneth with you (Num. 15:14-16).As is the native of you, shall be to you the sojourner that sojourneth with you (Lev. 19:34).One judgment shall be for you; as for the sojourner, so shall it be for the native (Lev. 24:22).When a sojourner shall sojourn with you he shall perform the passover to Jehovah; according to the statute of the passover, and according to the statutes thereof, so shall he do; one statute shall be for you; as for the sojourner, so for the native (Num. 9:14). 8014 Verses 50, 51. And all the sons of Israel did as Jehovah commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they. And it was in this same day that Jehovah led forth the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies. “And all the sons of Israel did as Jehovah commanded Moses and Aaron,” signifies the performing of obedience according to truth Divine; “so did they,” signifies performance from the will; “and it was in this same day,” signifies a state of the presence of the Lord; “that Jehovah led forth the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt,” signifies that the Lord liberated from damnation those who were in the good of truth and the truth of good; “by their armies,” signifies these distinct according to the quality of good from truth. 8015 And all the sons of Israel did as Jehovah commanded Moses and Aaron. That this signifies the performing of obedience according to truth Divine, is evident from what was said above (n. 7944), where similar words occur. 8016 So did they. That this signifies performance from the will, is evident from the signification of “doing,” when the word is repeated, as being performance from the will (as above, n. 7945). 8017 And it was in this same day. That this signifies a state of the presence of the Lord, is evident from the signification of “day,” as being time and state (see n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850, 7680). That it is a state of the presence of the Lord, is because it was the day of the passover, and by the “passover” is signified the presence of the Lord, and the liberation of those who are of the spiritual church from spiritual captivity and from damnation (n. 7867). That there was liberation then, is signified by what follows in this verse, namely, that “on that day Jehovah led forth the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.” That this was on the morrow after the passover, is evident from Moses:They journeyed from Egypt on the fifteenth day of the first month, on the morrow after the passover in the eyes of all the Egyptians, while the Egyptians were burying their firstborn that were slain (Num. 33:1-4).(That the presence of the Lord liberates from damnation those who are in good, and brings those who are in evil into damnation, see n. 7926, 7989.) 8018 That Jehovah led forth the sons of Israel out of the land of Egypt. That this signifies that the Lord liberated from damnation those who were in the good of truth and in the truth of good, is evident from the signification of “to lead forth,” as being to liberate; and from the representation of the sons of Israel, as being those who are of the spiritual church, or what is the same, who are in the good of truth and the truth of good (of which above, see n. 7957, 8006); and from the signification of “the land of Egypt,” as being damnation. That “the land of Egypt” here denotes damnation, is because by the state of the Egyptians is now signified damnation (n. 7766, 7778). (That the Lord liberated from damnation those who were of the spiritual church, that is, who were in the good of truth and the truth of good, see n. 6854, 6914, 7091, 7828, 7932.)[2] Their liberation by the Lord when He rose again is signified by the descent of the Lord to the lower regions, and was clearly shown by the awakening of the dead out of the tombs, of which in Matthew:And the tombs were opened; and many bodies of the saints that were sleeping were raised; and going forth out of the tombs after His resurrection they entered into the holy city and appeared to many (Matt. 27:52-53);their going forth out of the tombs, and entering into the holy city, and also their appearing, were for a testification that they, who had hitherto been detained in spiritual captivity, had been liberated by the Lord, and would be introduced into heaven. In the internal sense heaven is signified by “the holy city;” and therefore it is called “the holy city,” when yet it was not holy but profane, seeing that its people had so cruelly treated the Lord Himself, who was represented in all the rituals of their church, and described in the Word that was among them; and thus who had been the God of their church.[3] The like is signified by this passage in Daniel:At that time thy people shall be delivered, everyone that shall be found written in the book. And then many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, these to eternal life, but the rest to shame and everlasting disgrace (Dan. 12:1-2).And also by this in Ezekiel:Prophesy and say, Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Behold I will open your sepulchers, and cause you to come up out of your sepulchers, O My people; and I will bring you upon the land of Israel, that ye may know that I am Jehovah, when I shall open your sepulchers, and shall cause you to come up out of your sepulchers, O My people, and I shall put My spirit in you, that ye may live, and I shall place you upon your land, that ye may know that I Jehovah have spoken it, and performed it, said Jehovah (Ezek. 37:12-14);where by “the land of Israel” or of Canaan is meant heaven (n. 8011). By these words in the prophet is described the new creation or generation of man, and also the vivification by the Lord of those who are of the spiritual church. 8019 By their armies. That this signifies these distinct according to the quality of good from truth, is evident from the signification of “armies,” as being goods and truths (of which above, n. 7988); “by their armies” signifies that they who are represented by the sons of Israel were made distinct according to the quality of good from truth. (That all in the other life are distinct and conjoined according to goods, see n. 7833, 7836, 8003.) It is said “according to the quality of good from truth,” because all good has its quality from truth, and is thereby varied (n. 3804, 4149, 5345, 5355, 6916). 8020 From the statutes and laws concerning the eating of the paschal lamb, which are treated of in this chapter, it is clearly evident that there are heavenly secrets contained and hidden in every detail, and that without knowledge from the internal sense nothing is known but a mere ritual in an external form, and nothing heavenly, still less Divine. As for instance, why the paschal animal was to be a lamb or a kid; why the animal was to be a male, and a son of a year; why it was to be killed on the fourteenth day of the month; why its blood was to be sprinkled upon the posts and the lintel; why it was to be eaten roasted with fire, with unleavened bread upon bitter herbs, and not raw or boiled in water; why it was to be roasted with its head upon its legs and upon its midst; why they were not to leave anything of it until the morning, and why that which was left was to be burned with fire; why they were to eat unleavened bread seven days, and why whosoever ate leavened bread was to be cut off; why an alien, a lodger, and a hireling were not to eat of it, but a man’s servant that is bought with silver, and a sojourner, if they were circumcised; why it was to be eaten in one house, and none of the flesh taken out of doors; why a bone was not to be broken in it. What these and very many other particulars involve, and why they were commanded, would be utterly unknown, unless the laws of order in the spiritual world to which they correspond, were known, and unless it were known from the internal sense what each detail signifies in that world, that is, in heaven; and especially unless it were believed that in all things there is something spiritual. If there were not something spiritual in the whole and in each detail, the angels who are with man when he reads the Word would comprehend but little, indeed scarcely anything, from the Word; for the angels comprehend spiritually all things that have been described in the Word in a natural manner. 8021ON THE SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS OF THE PLANET JUPITER, CONTINUED.One of those spirits of Jupiter who strike terror by their coming, as already described, applied himself to my left side beneath the elbow, and spoke from there; but his speech was harsh, nor were the words quite discrete and separate from one another, insomuch that I was obliged to wait long before I could gather the sense; and while he was speaking he also interjected something of terror. He said that so it is done on their earth, and that they are sent in advance to a man, before their angels come to him, and in this manner they prepare him. He admonished me also to receive them well when they came. But it was given me to answer that this is not my affair; but that with me all are received just as they themselves are. 8022 Afterward the angels of that earth came, and it was given me to perceive from their speech with me that they are utterly different from the angels of our earth; for their speech was not effected by means of words, but by means of ideas which diffused themselves through my interiors on all sides, and from there had also an influx into the face, so that the face concurred to every particular; beginning from the lips, and proceeding toward the circumference on all sides. The ideas which were in the stead of words were discrete, but in a slight degree. They said that so do they speak with their own people on their earth; and that there also the speech is of the face, beginning from the lips. 8023 Afterward they spoke with me by means of ideas still less discrete, insomuch that scarcely any interval was perceivable; it was in my perception like the meaning of words with those who attend only to the meaning abstractedly from the words. This speech was more intelligible to me than the former, and was also more full. It flowed into the face in like manner as the former, but the influx was more continuous, in accordance with the nature of the speech. It did not, however, begin from the lips, like the former, but from the eyes. They said that so also do they speak with their own people on their earth; but with those there who enjoy a more interior sense and discernment than the rest. 8024 Afterward they spoke in a manner still more continuous and full; and then the face could not concur by a suitable movement; but there was felt an influx into the brain, and this was then acted upon in a similar manner. 8025 Lastly they spoke in such a way that their discourse fell only into the interior understanding; its fluency was like that of a thin aura. I perceived the influx itself, but not distinctly the particulars. They said that there are men of their earth also with whom they speak in this manner, and that they are those who after death are immediately carried up into heaven. 8026 These kinds of speech are circumstanced like fluids; the first kind is like fluent water; the second is like water more attenuated; the third is relatively like the atmosphere; and the fourth is like a thin aura. 8027 The spirit above mentioned, who was on the left side, sometimes interrupted the conversation, admonishing me especially to deal discreetly with his angels; for there were spirits from our earth who occasioned such things as excited displeasure. He also said that he did not understand what the angels spoke; but that he did afterward when he removed to my left ear. His speech then was not harsh as before, but like that of other spirits. 8028 From this it could be seen how the case is with the order in heaven, and from this in the world; namely that when angels are about to come, a spirit is sent before to prepare the way, and that he excites fear, and gives admonition to receive the angels courteously; and that he interrupts; also that at first he does not understand what the angels speak, but afterward when he has been reduced to a better state he understands; in a word, that he is continually at hand, and prepares the lower mind, and endeavors to avert things unworthy. In regard to this there occurred to me a thought about John the Baptist, that it was according to the order of heaven for him to be sent before and announce the coming of the Lord, and that he should prepare the way that He might be worthily received, according to what is written in Matt. 3:3; Luke 1:17; 3:4; John 1:23. 8029 From what has already been occasionally related about the state of man after death, it is evident that there are few who at once enter heaven when they come into the other life; but that they stay for some time beneath heaven, in order that the things belonging to earthly and bodily loves, which they have brought with them from the world, may be removed, and they may thus be prepared to be capable of being in society with the angels. The case is similar with the men of all the earths, namely, that after their decease they are at first beneath heaven among spirits; and afterward, when they are prepared, they become angels. When the spirits of that earth were becoming angels it was given me to see that there appeared bright horses as of fire, by which they were carried up, like Elijah. Bright horses as of fire signify an enlightened understanding (that “horses” in the Word signify what is of the understanding, see n. 2760-2762, 3217, 5321, 6125, 6534); and the “horses of fire and chariots of fire” which carried away Elijah, signify the understanding of the Word as to its interiors (n. 2762). 8030 This angelic heaven to which they are carried away is the first heaven, or the last of the three. This heaven appears to the right from their earth, and is quite separate from the first or lowest heaven of the angels who are from our earth. They who are in this heaven appear clothed in azure dotted with little golden stars; for they believe this color to be the veriest heavenly color. When they are in the world, and contemplate the starry heaven, they call it the abode of the angels; and for this reason the azure color is loved by them. 8031 The spirits of that earth are utterly unwilling to be in fellowship with the spirits of our earth, because they differ in disposition and manners; for they say that the spirits of our earth are cunning, and are ingenious in plotting evils, and that they know and think little about what is good; also that they do not, as they do, acknowledge the one only Lord. Moreover, the spirits of the earth Jupiter are much wiser than the spirits of our earth, of whom they also say that they speak much and think little, and thus that they cannot interiorly perceive many things, and not even what good is. From this they conclude that the men of our earth are external men. 8032 The subject of the spirits and inhabitants of the planet Jupiter will be continued at the end of the following chapter.

And Moses called all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw ye forth, and take you an animal of the flock according to your families, and kill ye the passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in, the blood that is in the basin, and ye shall touch the lintel and the two posts with the blood that is in the basin; and no one of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. And Jehovah will pass through to inflict a plague on Egypt; and He shall see the blood upon the lintel, and upon the two posts, and Jehovah will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come unto your houses to inflict a plague. And ye shall keep this word for a statute to thee and to thy sons forever. And it shall be that when ye shall come unto the land which Jehovah will give you, as He hath spoken, that ye shall keep this service. And it shall be, when your sons shall say unto you, What is this service to you? that ye shall say, This is the sacrifice of the passover to Jehovah, in that He passed over the houses of the sons of Israel in Egypt, when He inflicted a plague on Egypt, and liberated our houses. And the people bent itself, and bowed itself. And the sons of Israel went and they did as Jehovah commanded Moses and Aaron, so did they.  Exodus 12:21-28 The Heavenly Marriage Arcana Coelestia 7945… it is common in the Word for a thing to be seemingly repeated; but the first mention relates to the truth which is of the understanding, and the second to the good which is of the will. The reason is that in every detail of the Word there is the heavenly marriage, which is that of good and truth (see n. 683, 793, 801, 2173, 2516, 2712, 4138, 5138, 5502, 6343); and, in the supreme sense, the Divine marriage, which is that of the Divine good in the Lord and of the Divine truth proceeding from Him (n. 3004, 5502, 6179). From this also it can be seen that the Word is most holy. To remain in the house AC 7923 And no one of you shall go out of the door of his house. That this signifies that they shall abide steadfast in good, which must not be regarded from truth, is evident from the signification of “not going out,” as being to abide steadfast; and from the signification of “house,” as being good (n. 2233, 2234, 2559, 3652, 3720, 7833-7835, 7848). From this it is evident that by “no one of you shall go out of the door of his house” is signified that they shall abide steadfast in good. The reason why it signified that good must not be regarded from truth, is because to “abide in the house” denotes to abide in good; but to “go out of the door of the house” denotes to go from good to truth; for good is within, but truth without (n. 7910). (What it is to look from good to truths, see n. 5895, 5897, 7857.) From truth to look to good is to look from what is external to what is internal but from good to look to truth is to look from what is internal to what is external; for, as just said, good is interior, and truth exterior. From good to look to truth is according to order, for all Divine influx is through interiors to exteriors; whereas from truth to look to good is not according to order; and therefore when a man is being regenerated, the order is inverted, and good or charity is regarded in the first place, and truth or faith in the second. The need for self compulsion AC 7914 … the good of innocence, which is the good of love to the Lord, is not received by the man of the spiritual church unless he compels himself; because it can with difficulty be believed by him that the Lord is the only God, and also that His Human is Divine; and therefore as he is not in faith, neither can be in love to Him, consequently not in the good of innocence, unless he compels himself. (That man ought to compel himself, and that when he compels himself it is from freedom, but not when he is compelled, see n. 1937, 1947.) This is signified by “drawing forth,” namely the paschal animal. That to draw it forth involves some secret thing which does not appear in the sense of the letter, is manifest. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

Arcana Coelestia 1871. I cannot describe how the Lord’s Word appears before angels, but it can be grasped to some extent by people who have seen optical cylinders in museums. These cylinders reflect beautiful images from distorted drawings projected in a circle around them. Although the surrounding drawing appears to have no shape, organization, or pattern but to be simply a confused projection, it presents a lovely picture when focused onto the cylinder. 1 That is how the Lord’s Word is, especially the prophetic part of the Old Testament. Hardly anything can be seen in the literal meaning besides a disorganized jumble; but when it is read by a person on earth (particularly a little boy or girl), it gradually rises up, turning more beautiful and more pleasing as it goes. In the end it presents itself to the Lord as a human figure representing the whole of heaven — not as heaven actually is but as the Lord wishes it to be; in other words, as his likeness. 1. Although one scholar (Potts 1888-1902, under “cylinder”) understands this device to be a kaleidoscope, Swedenborg seems here to be referring to a device called an anamorphoscope, which produces an optical illusion called an anamorphosis. The cylinder is polished (as indicated in similar descriptions in New Jerusalem 260; White Horse 11:4; Spiritual Experiences [Swedenborg 1998-2002] §2164) and acts as a curved mirror; it is set next to a distorted drawing that is composed in such a way that the reflection of the drawing on the surface of the cylinder appears properly proportioned. For examples of anamorphoses from Swedenborg’s time and before, see Leeman and others 1976. (A reflecting cylinder may be seen in plate 53 there.) Further examples, though not of the same historical interest, can be found in McLoughlin Bros. 1979. [SS, LHC] AC 7847. Angelic ideas are of such a nature that natural things bear relation to such things as belong to man. The reason is that the spiritual world or heaven is in the form of a man, and all things of that world, that is, all spiritual things, which are truths and goods, bear relation to this form, as has been shown at the end of many chapters in treating of correspondences. And whereas in angelic ideas natural things become spiritual, so also does a house, which to the angels is the mind of man; the bedchambers and inner rooms being the interiors of the mind; and the windows, the doors, the posts, and the lintels, the exteriors of the mind, which introduce. As angelic ideas are of such a nature, they are also living; and so when the things in the natural world which are dead objects, pass into the spiritual world, they become living objects; for everything spiritual is living, because it proceeds from the Lord. On reciprocity Intercourse of the Soul and the Body 12. [4] Furthermore, unless the understanding could be separately perfected, and the will by means of it, a man would not be a man, but a beast. For without that separation, and without the ascent of the understanding above the will, he would not be able to think, and from thought to speak, but only to express his affection by sounds; neither would he be able to act from reason, but only from instinct; still less would he be able to know the things which are of God, and God by means of them, and thus to be conjoined to Him, and to live to eternity. For a man thinks and wills as from himself, and this as from himself is the reciprocal of conjunction; for there cannot be conjunction without a reciprocal, just as there cannot be conjunction of the active with the passive without reaction. God alone acts, and man suffers himself to be acted on, and he reacts in all appearance as from himself, though interiorly it is from God. Divine Love and Wisdom 49. With respect to God: it is impossible for Him to love others and to be loved reciprocally by others in whom there is anything of infinity, that is, anything of the essence and life of love in itself, or anything of the Divine. For if there were beings having in them anything of infinity, that is, of the essence and life of love in itself, that is, of the Divine, it would not be God loved by others, but God loving Himself; since the Infinite, that is, the Divine, is one only, and if this were in others, Itself would be in them, and would be the love of self Itself; and of that love not the least trace can possibly be in God, since it is wholly opposed to the Divine Essence. Consequently, for this relation to be possible there must be others in whom there is nothing of the Divine in itself. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

Arcana Coelestia  8497 … goodness and truth which flow in from the Lord are joined together and so to speak made the person's own. This is what the joining of heaven, that is, of those in heaven, to the Lord is like. The words ‘as if from what was their own' are used because the good of faith and charity can never be imparted to man or angel to be actually his own, for men and angels are merely recipients, or forms properly adjusted to receive life from the Lord, and so goodness and truth from Him. True life comes from no other source; and since life comes from the Lord it cannot be more than what seems to be a person's own. Those who abide in the Lord however clearly perceive that life flows in, consequently that goodness and truth do so since these are contained in that life. The reason why life seems to be a person's own is that in His Divine Love the Lord wishes to impart and join to a person all that is His, and so far as it can be done He does join it. What is then the person's own, yet is imparted to him by the Lord, is called a heavenly self or proprium. Conjugial Love 444. Man was so created that all which one wills, thinks and does appears to one as if in oneself, and thus from oneself. Without this appearance man would not be man, for one would not be able to receive, to retain and, as it were, to appropriate anything of good and truth or of love and wisdom. From this it follows that without that living appearance, as it were, there would be no conjunction for man with God, and thus no eternal life. But if from this appearance one introduces to oneself the belief that one wills, thinks and from this does good from oneself, and not from the Lord, although in all appearance one does this as if from oneself, one turns good into evil with oneself, and thus makes in oneself the origin of evil. This was the sin of Adam. AC 141. With the spiritual man also his Own has a similar appearance, for although he knows that the Lord is the life of all, and gives wisdom and understanding, and consequently the power to think and to act, yet this knowledge is rather the profession of his lips than the belief of his heart. But the celestial man discerns that the Lord is the life of all and gives the power to think and to act, for he perceives that it is really so. He never desires his Own, nevertheless an Own is given him by the Lord, which is conjoined with all perception of what is good and true, and with all happiness. The angels are in such an Own, and are at the same time in the highest peace and tranquility, for in their Own are those things which are the Lord's, who governs their Own, or them by means of their Own. This Own is the veriest celestial itself, whereas that of the corporeal man is infernal. AC 5664[3] Be it known, however, that it is one thing to know the truths of faith, and quite another to believe them. They who merely know the truths of faith, charge their memory with them just as they do with the facts of any other branch of knowledge. These truths man can procure for himself without such an influx, but they have no life, as is plain from the fact that an evil man, even the worst, can know the truths of faith just as much as an upright and pious man. But as before said with the evil these truths have no life; for when an evil man brings them forth he regards in everyone of them either self-glory or gain; so that it is the love of self and of the world that inflates them and makes a sort of life; but it is such life as there is in hell, which is called spiritual death. Hence it is that when he brings them forth, he brings them forth from the memory, and not from the heart, whereas he who believes the truths of faith brings them forth from the heart at the same time as from the lips; for with him the truths of faith are so deeply rooted in as to have their root in the outer memory, and to grow from there toward what is interior or higher, like fruit-bearing trees; and like trees they deck themselves with leaves, and at last with blossoms, for the sake of the end of bearing fruit. So it is with such a man. [4] He also aims at nothing else through the truths of faith than uses, which are the practices of charity, which to him are the fruits. These are the truths which man cannot procure for himself, even in the smallest degree; but they are gratuitously bestowed on him by the Lord, and this in every moment of his life, nay, if he will believe it, without number in every moment. But as man is of such a nature as to have no perception of their flowing in, for as before said if he had the perception he would resist, because he would believe that he would then lose his own, and with his own his freedom, and with his freedom his delight, and would thus become a thing of nought, it is therefore brought about that man does not know but that he procures truths of himself. This then is what is meant by saying that it will seem as truth procured by them. Moreover, in order that a heavenly own and heavenly freedom may be bestowed on man, he must needs do good as of himself and think what is true as of himself; but when he reflects he should acknowledge that these are from the Lord (see n. 2882, 2883, 2891). Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

Arcana Coelestia 7850. And they shall eat the flesh. That this signifies the enjoyment of good, is evident from the signification of “to eat,” as being enjoyment (of which just above, n. 7849); and from the signification of “flesh,” as being what is man's own vivified by the Divine Human of the Lord, thus all celestial and spiritual good with man (see n. 3813, 6968).  The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine 278. Another reason our life seems to be within us is that the principal cause, which is life from the Lord, and the instrumental cause, which is we ourselves as a recipient form, act as a single cause and therefore we as the instrument perceive life as our own 1 : AC 6325. Arcana Coelestia 6325. It is an eternal truth that the Lord rules heaven and earth, and also that no one besides the Lord lives of himself, consequently that everything of life flows in-the good of life from the Lord, and the evil of life from hell. This is the faith of the heavens. When a man is in this faith (and he can be in it when he is in good), then evil cannot be fastened and appropriated to him, because he knows that it is not from himself, but from hell. When a man is in this state, he can then be gifted with peace, for then he will trust solely in the Lord. Neither can peace be given to any others than those who are in this faith from charity; for others continually cast themselves into anxieties and cupidities, whence come disquietudes. Spirits who desire to direct themselves, suppose that this would be to lose their own will, thus their freedom, consequently all delight, thus all life and its sweetness. This they say and suppose, because they do not know how the case really is; for the man who is led by the Lord is in freedom itself, and thus in delight and bliss itself; goods and truths are appropriated to him; there is given him an affection and desire for doing what is good, and then nothing is more delightful to him than to perform uses. There is given him a perception of good, and also a sensation of it; and there is given him intelligence and wisdom; and all these as his own; for he is then a recipient of the Lord's life. It is known in the learned world that the principal cause and the instrumental cause act together as a one: man, being a form recipient of the Lord's life, is an instrumental cause, and the life from the Lord is the principal cause. This life is felt in the instrumental cause as of it, when yet it is not of it. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

The difficult states reveal who the Lord is and what the self is ARrcana Coelstia 3469… during regeneration man observes a combat between his rational or internal man and his natural or external man; and why his external man is regenerated much later, and likewise with much greater difficulty, than his internal man. For that which is nearer to the world and nearer to the body cannot be easily constrained to render obedience to the internal man; but only after considerable length of time and by means of many new states into which the man is introduced, which are states of self-acknowledgment, and of acknowledgment of the Lord, that is, of one's own wretchedness, and of the Lord's mercy; thus states of humiliation resulting from temptation combats. The 3 experiences of self/proprium AC 141. Innumerable things might be said about man's Own in describing its nature with the corporeal and worldly man, with the spiritual man, and with the celestial man.  With the corporeal and worldly man, his Own is his all, he knows of nothing else than his Own, and imagines, as before said, that if he were to lose this Own he would perish.  With the spiritual man also his Own has a similar appearance, for although he knows that the Lord is the life of all, and gives wisdom and understanding, and consequently the power to think and to act, yet this knowledge is rather the profession of his lips than the belief of his heart.  But the celestial man discerns that the Lord is the life of all and gives the power to think and to act, for he perceives that it is really so. He never desires his Own, nevertheless an Own is given him by the Lord, which is conjoined with all perception of what is good and true, and with all happiness. The angels are in such an Own, and are at the same time in the highest peace and tranquility, for in their Own are those things which are the Lord's, who governs their Own, or them by means of their Own. This Own is the veriest celestial itself, whereas that of the corporeal man is infernal. But concerning this Own more hereafter. The gift of self/proprium AC 9938 [2] Gifts and presents were said to be made to Jehovah, though Jehovah, that is, the Lord, is not the receiver of gifts or presents, but the giver of them, freely to everyone. Even so, His will is that they should come from a person as though they did so from that person himself, provided the person acknowledges that they do not actually come from him but from the Lord. For the Lord imparts a desire to do good because he loves it, and a desire to speak the truth because he believes it. The actual desire flows in from the Lord, yet appears to be inherent in the person and so to flow from the person. For whatever a person does out of love and desire for it, he does from his life, love being what composes anyone's life. From this it is evident that the things that are called gifts and presents made to the Lord by a person are essentially gifts and presents made to a person by the Lord, and that they are called gifts and presents on account of what they appear to be. All who are wise at heart recognize this appearance, but not so the simple. Yet their gifts and presents are acceptable, so far as they are made in ignorance that has innocence within it. Innocence is the good of love to God, and dwells within ignorance, especially with the wise at heart. Those who are wise at heart know, indeed perceive, that nothing whatever of the wisdom within themselves originates in themselves, but that the all of wisdom is attributable to the Lord, that is, the all of the good of love and the all of the truth of faith are attributable to Him, and that for this reason even with the wise innocence dwells in ignorance. From this it is evident that the acknowledgement of this matter, and especially the perception of it, constitutes the innocence of wisdom. The switch from good of truth to the truth of good 3995… what is seen before regeneration is the appearance but what is seen after it is the reality of the situation, see 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3616, 3701. For while a person is being regenerated he does what is good from the truth he has learned, it being from truth that he learns what good is. Yet it is the good present inwardly that performs what is good because good is flowing in from the Lord by an internal route, that is, by way of the soul, while truth flows in by an external route, that is, by way of the senses, which is that of the body. Truth which enters by the external route is adopted by the good present inwardly and is joined to it, an activity which continues until that person has been regenerated. Then a reversal takes place and truth is done from good. This shows what is meant by the good of truth and by the truth of good. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7946 Verses 29-34. And it came to pass at midnight, that Jehovah smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the house of the pit, and all the firstborn of beast. And Pharaoh rose up in that night, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; because there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called Moses and Aaron in the night, and said, Rise up, go ye out from the midst of my people, both ye and the sons of Israel; and go, serve Jehovah, according to your speaking. Also your flocks, also your herds, take ye, as ye spoke, and go, and bless me also. And Egypt was strong upon the people, hastening to send them out of the land; for they said, We are all dead. And the people carried their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs bound up in their clothes upon their shoulder. "And it came to pass at midnight," signifies a state of mere falsity from evil; "that Jehovah smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt," signifies the damnation of faith separate from charity; "from the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne," signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the first place; "even unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the house of the pit," signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the last place; "and all the firstborn of beast," signifies the adulterated good of faith; "and Pharaoh rose up in that night, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians," signifies that all and each of the damned, when they were let into mere falsity from evil, felt aversion and fear for those who were of the spiritual church; "and there was a great cry in Egypt," signifies interior lamentation; "because there was not a house where there was not one dead," signifies because there was no one who was not damned; "and he called Moses and Aaron in the night," signifies the afflux of truth from the Divine in that state; "and said, Rise up, go ye out from the midst of my people," signifies that they should depart from them; "both ye and the sons of Israel," signifies with their truth from the Divine, and with the truth through which is good, and with the truth which is from good; "and go, serve Jehovah," signifies that they should worship the Lord; "according to your speaking," signifies according to the will; "also your flocks, also your herds, take ye," signifies the goods of charity, interior and exterior; "as ye spoke," signifies according to the will; "and go," signifies that they should depart altogether; "and bless me also," signifies that they should intercede; "and Egypt was strong upon the people, hastening to send them out of the land," signifies that from aversion and fear they were urgent that they should depart; "for they said, We are all dead," signifies thus hell for them; "and the people carried their dough before it was leavened," signifies the first state of truth from good in which there is nothing of falsity; "their kneading troughs bound up in their clothes," signifies the delights of the affections, which delights adhere to truths; "upon their shoulder," signifies according to all ability. 7947 And it came to pass at midnight. That this signifies a state of mere falsity from evil, is evident from the signification of "midnight," as being total devastation (see n. 7776), that is, the privation of all good and truth, whence there was a state of mere falsity from evil (that it is a state of evil, see n. 2353, 6000, 7870). 7948 That Jehovah smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. That this signifies the damnation of faith separate from charity, is evident from the signification of "smiting," as being damnation (see n. 7871); and from the signification of "the firstborn in the land of Egypt," as being faith separate from charity (n. 7039, 7766, 7778). 7949 From the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne. That this signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the first place, is evident from what was unfolded above (n. 7779), where similar words occur. 7950 Unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the house of the pit. That this signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the last place, is evident from the signification of "the firstborn in the land of Egypt," as being faith separate from charity (as just above, n. 7948), thus also the falsified truth of faith (of which in what follows); and from the signification of "the captive that was in the house of the pit," as being those who are in the last place, for the captive is contrasted with "the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon the throne," whereby is signified the falsified truth of faith which is in the first place (n. 7779, 7949). In the proximate spiritual sense, by "the captive in the house of the pit," is meant one who is in the bodily sensuous, thus in mere thick darkness concerning truths and goods, because not even in the faculty of perceiving, as are they who are in the interior sensuous; hence it is that they are signified who are in the last place.[2] That "the firstborn in the land of Egypt" denotes the falsified truth of faith, is because "the firstborn of Egypt" denotes faith separate from charity (n. 7948). They who are in this faith are in mere darkness and thick darkness with respect to the truths of faith; for they cannot be in any light, thus not in any perception of what truth is, and whether it is truth. For all spiritual light comes through good from the Lord, thus through charity, for the good of charity is like a flame from which is light; for good is of love, and love is spiritual fire, from which comes enlightenment. He who believes that they who are in evil can also be in enlightenment in respect to the truths of faith, is very much mistaken. They can be in a state of confirmation, that is, they may be able to confirm the doctrinal things of their church, and this sometimes with skill and ingenuity; but they cannot see whether what they confirm is true or not. (That falsity also can be confirmed even so as to appear like truth; and that it is not the part of a wise man to confirm, but to see whether the thing is so, see n. 4741, 5033, 6865, 7012, 7680.)[3] He therefore who is in evil as to life is in the falsity of his evil, and does not believe the truth, however well he knows it. He sometimes supposes that he believes, but he is mistaken. That he does not believe will be granted him to know in the other life, when his perceiving is reduced into agreement with his willing. Then he will disown, hold in aversion, and reject the truth, and will acknowledge as truth that which is contrary, that is, falsity. Hence then it is that they who are in faith separate from charity cannot do otherwise than falsify the truths of faith. 7951 And all the firstborn of beast, signifies the adulterated good of faith (as before, n. 7781). 7952 And Pharaoh rose up in that night, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians. That this signifies that all and each of the damned, when they were let into mere falsity derived from evil, felt aversion and fear for those who were of the spiritual church, is evident from the signification of "night," as being a state of mere falsity from evil (as above, n. 7947), and hence damnation; for whether you say a state of mere falsity from evil, or damnation, it is the same, because they who are in this state are damned; and from the signification of "Pharaoh," of "his servants," and of "all the Egyptians," as being all and each one. That it is also signified that they felt aversion and fear for those who were of the spiritual church, is plain from what follows; for Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said that they should "go away from the midst of his people;" and the Egyptians drove them out (verse 39). 7953 And there was a great cry in Egypt, signifies interior lamentation, as above, n. 7782, where the same words occur. 7954 Because there was not a house where there was not one dead. That this signifies because there was no one who was not damned, is evident from the signification of "there was not a house," as being that there was no one there; and from the signification of "dead," as being damned (see n. 5407, 6119, 7494, 7871). 7955 And he called Moses and Aaron in the night. That this signifies the afflux of truth from the Divine in that state, is evident from the signification of "he called," as being presence and influx (see n. 6177, 6840, 7390, 7451, 7721), here afflux, because it is said of those who were in a state of damnation, that is, who were in a state of mere falsity from evil, and who cannot receive any influx of truth and good interiorly, but only exteriorly, and this is afflux; and from the representation of Moses and Aaron, as being truth from the Divine (n. 6771, 6827); it is said "truth from the Divine," not "truth Divine," because it is spoken of with respect to those who are in damnation; and from the signification of "in the night," as being a state of damnation (of which above, n. 7851, 7870). 7956 And said, Rise up, go ye out from the midst of my people. That this signifies that they should depart, is evident without explication. 7957 Both ye and the sons of Israel. That this signifies with that truth from the Divine, and with the truth through which is good, and with the truth which is from good, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being truth from the Divine (of which just above, n. 7955); and from the representation of the sons of Israel, as being those who are of the spiritual church (of which frequently above), thus those who are in truth through which is good, and in truth which is from good. For the spiritual church is distinguished from the celestial church in this,

And I will pass through the land of Egypt in that night, and I will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man and even unto beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will do judgments; I am Jehovah. And the blood shall be to you for a sign upon the houses where ye are; and I shall see the blood, and I will pass over you, and there shall not be in you a plague for a destroyer, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to Jehovah in your generations, ye shall keep it by an eternal statute. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened things; even on the first day ye shall cause leaven to cease from your houses; for everyone that eateth what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, even that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And there shall be for you in the first day a holy convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no work shall be done in them, save that which every soul must eat, this only shall be done by you. And ye shall observe the unleavened things, because in this same day I have brought your armies out of the land of Egypt; and ye shall keep this day in your generations by an eternal statute. In the first [month], on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening, ye shall eat unleavened things, until the one and twentieth day of the month, in the evening. Seven days leaven shall not be found in your houses; for whosoever eateth that which is leavened, even that soul shall be cut off from the assemblage of Israel, in the sojourner, and in the native of the land. Ye shall eat nothing leavened; in all your dwellings ye shall eat things unleavened.  Exodus 12:12-20 Now it is permitted .... (think states 'in me' as you read) 508. Sixth Memorable Relation: One day there appeared to me a magnificent temple, square in form, the roof of which was crown-shaped, arched above and raised round about; its walls were continuous windows of crystal; its door was of a pearly substance. Within, on the south side, towards the west was a pulpit, on the right-hand side of which lay the open Word enveloped in a sphere of light, the splendor of which surrounded and illuminated the whole pulpit. In the center of the temple was a sanctuary, before which there was a veil, at that time raised, and there a golden cherub stood with a sword turning hither and thither in his hand. [2] While I looked at these things, the significance of each one of them flowed into my meditation: The temple signified the New Church; the door of pearly substance, entrance into it; the windows of crystal, the truths that enlighten it; the pulpit, the priesthood and preaching; the Word lying open upon the pulpit and illuminating the upper part of it, signified the revelation of the internal sense of the Word, which is spiritual; the sanctuary in the center of the temple signified the conjunction of that church with the angelic heaven; the golden cherub therein, the Word in the sense of the letter; the sword waving in his hand signified that this sense can be turned in any direction, provided it is done in adaptation to some truth; the veil before the cherub being raised, signified that the Word is now laid open. [3] Afterward, when I drew nearer, I saw this inscription above the door, Nunc Licet — It is now permitted — which signified that it is now permitted to enter understandingly into the mysteries of faith. From seeing this inscription it came into my thought that it is exceedingly dangerous to enter with the understanding into dogmas of faith that are concocted out of self-intelligence, and therefore out of falsities, and still more so to confirm them from the Word; by this means the understanding is closed above, and gradually below as well, to such a degree that theology is not only despised but also obliterated from the mind, as writing on paper is by worms, or the wool of a garment by moths. Then the understanding abides only in political matters,...

Aracan Coelestia 210. What is the proprium? The human proprium consists of everything evil and false that gushes out of self-love and love of the world. It involves people believing not in the Lord or in the Word but in themselves, and their imagining that what they do not grasp through sensory evidence or through facts does not exist at all. They become as a consequence nothing but evil and falsity and so have a warped view of everything. Things that are evil they see as good, and those that are good as evil; things that are false they see as true, and those that are true as false. Realities they imagine to be nothing, and things that are nothing they imagine to be everything. They call hatred love, thick darkness light, death life, and vice versa. In the Word such people are called 'the lame and the blind'. This then is the human proprium which in itself is hellish and condemned. AC 7828... they who were there were liberated by the coming of the Lord into the world, and because without the coming of the Lord into the world they could not possibly have been saved, and because they were liberated at the time when the Lord rose again. From this it is evident that the state when they were liberated was to them the principal of all states. The case is the same also afterward with all those who are of the spiritual church, who could not possibly have been saved unless the Lord had come into the world, and glorified His Human, that is, made it Divine. That they who were of the spiritual church before the coming of the Lord were detained in the lower earth and were liberated and saved by the Lord, see n. 6854, 6914; and in general, that they who were of the spiritual church have been saved by the Lord's coming, n. 2661, 2716, 6372, 7035, 7091; and therefore in the supreme sense by these words is signified that the glorification and resurrection of the Lord as to His Human is the source of all salvation. AC 141. Countless things can be said about the proprium — about what the proprium is like in the case of the bodily-minded and worldly man, what it is like in the case of the spiritual man, and what in the case of the celestial man. With the bodily-minded and worldly man the proprium is his all. He is unaware of anything else but the proprium. And, as has been stated, if he were to lose his proprium he would think that he was dying. With the spiritual man the proprium takes on a similar appearance, for although he knows that the Lord is the life of all, and that He confers wisdom and intelligence, and consequently the ability to think and to act, it is more a matter of something he says and not so much something he believes. The celestial man however acknowledges that the Lord is the life of all, who confers the ability to think and act, because he perceives that this is so. Nor does he ever desire the proprium. Nevertheless even though he does not desire it the Lord grants him a proprium which is joined to him with a complete perception of what is good and true, and with complete happiness. Angels possess a proprium such as this, and at the same time utmost peace and tranquillity, for their proprium has within it things that are the Lord's, who is governing their proprium, that is, governing them by means of their proprium. This proprium is utterly heavenly, whereas the proprium of the bodily-minded man is hellish. But more about the proprium further on. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

You can find a downloaded version of The Workbook here STEP 1: READ & NOTE The Text as the Word is the Lord Himself The Text isn't just something that the Lord flows through as the Word - it is the Lord Himself. It is a creative force, and as we engage with it, it looks to create us anew, to make us whole, and this means that our approach to reading the Text in Logopraxis differs from how we might approach reading a secular work. To engage with the Word as the Lord brings a state of mind that allows the words of the Text to speak to us in new ways, and so bypass the habitual responses we might have to reading. In Logopraxis there is an acknowledgement that the texts of Divine Revelation are specifically formed to ground the Lord's presence within us in a way that nothing else can. Therefore, pay particular attention to the areas that specifically catch your attention as you read, record specific impressions from the text, and list any initial insights or questions that your chosen reading stimulates. Reading can be a spiritual practise, and through reading with conscious attention we develop the ability to read and hear what the Word is communicating to us; and we find that as we are led by the Word the situations and circumstances of life become infused with new meaning, presenting opportunities for spiritual development. Reading as a Spiritual Practise Spend a little time centring yourself before you approach the reading for the session, and perhaps try the approaches below that can minimise the internal distractions and quiet the mind. Mindfulness: Sitting comfortably, with an upright posture, bring your attention to the breath. Breathing normally, count silently, 1 on the first inhalation, 2 on the first exhalation, then 3 on the second inhalation and 4 on the second exhalation and so on, up to 10, returning to 1 again and repeating the count up to 10 before returning to 1 once more. This exercise can very quickly facilitate a settled state of mind, drawing your attention from the external world so that it can become centred on the Lord within. Meditate on Scripture: If you choose to read a passage of Scripture with the intention of it assisting a more internal focus on the Lord, then Chapter 1 of John's Gospel might be a good choice. But there may be other scripture passages that are particularly meaningful for you that you can use. Reading as an Act of Worship Be aware that you are bringing yourself before the Lord as you approach the Text, as this will help to open up an attitude of worship. We're seeking to remain open to hearing what the Spirit has to say to His Church within us, and listening for what's reflected back to us. The ways in which our affections and thoughts respond to the Text can be subtle, or may be more pronounced, but they are often an indication of what's reaching out for us to work with. Reading with Attention Logopraxis sees the very act of reading the set Text as a spiritual exercise in conscious attention, and in this we strive to divide our attention into an observing side and an observed side, and watch our inner responses to the Text while in the act of reading. In this way we can be sensitive to how the Text is reaching out to us, and these are the indicators we take note of. Try this - Here is a simple exercise for reading with attention. The aim is to observe how the mind tends to bring us down into what is natural. Select a paragraph of the Text and start reading. Hold in mind the principle that it is describing states of mind/consciousness. When you recognise that your attention has been drawn down into the literal meaning of the words, say to yourself – “This is describing states of consciousness in me” and try to hold your attention in this idea as you read further. You are not reading for meaning here, but training your attention. Just repeat this statement every time you find you are not present to the act of reading.

A clear definition of innocence AC 9262 [2] From all that has just been stated regarding innocence it may be seen that what is Divine and the Lord's cannot be received except within innocence. This being so, good is not good unless there is innocence within it, 2526, 2780, 3994, 6765, 7840, 7887, that is, unless there is the acknowledgement that from the self nothing but evil and falsity arises and that from the Lord comes all goodness and truth. Believing the former about the self, and believing the latter about the Lord and also desiring it to be so, are what constitutes innocence. Therefore the good of innocence is God's goodness itself coming from the Lord and residing with a person. So it is that 'the innocent' means a person governed by interior good and in the abstract sense means interior good. Innocence is the co-existence of the Lord and the hellish self AC 9301 [2] The innocence that dwells in wisdom consists in the man's knowing, acknowledging, and believing that he can understand nothing and will nothing from himself, and consequently in his not wishing to understand and will anything from himself, but only from the Lord; and also that whatever he supposes that he understands from himself is falsity; and whatever he supposes that he wills from himself is evil. This state of life is the state of innocence of the after state, in which are all who are in the third heaven, which is called “the heaven of innocence.” Hence it is that such are in wisdom, because all they understand and will is from the Lord.  But the innocence which dwells in ignorance, such as exists with infants and children, consists in believing that all they know and think, and also all they will is in themselves; and that all they speak and do from this thought and will is from themselves. That these are fallacies, they do not apprehend. The truths belonging to this innocence are for the most part founded upon the fallacies of the external senses; and these fallacies must be shaken off as the man advances toward wisdom. From these few words it can be seen that the good of innocence of the after state must not be conjoined with the truth of innocence of the former state. AC 10132[4]. It says that 'the wolf will dwell with the lamb' because 'the wolf' means those who are opposed to innocence, as also in the same prophet, The wolf and the lamb will feed together. They will not do evil nor destroy on all My holy mountain. Isaiah 65:25. And in Luke, Jesus said to the disciples whom He sent out, Behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Luke 10:3. [5] Since the Lord when He was in the world was — as to His Human — Innocence itself, and since for this reason innocence emanates wholly from Him, the Lord is called the Lamb, and the Lamb of God. Heaven and Hell 341 innocence is a willingness to be led by the Lord and not by oneself. Consequently, so far as a man is in innocence he is separated from his proprium, and so far as anyone is separated from his proprium he is in the Lord's proprium. The inner sense and literal sense in relation to innocence AC 7840...What is meant by the interior and the exterior good of innocence shall be briefly told. In every good there must be innocence that it may be good; without innocence good is as if without its soul. The reason is that the Lord flows in by means of innocence, and by means of it vivifies the good with those who are being regenerated. The good which innocence vivifies is internal and external; internal good is with those who are called men of the internal church; but external good is with those who are men of the external church. Men of the internal church are they who have qualified their good by means of interior truths, such as are those of the internal sense of the Word; but men of the external church are they who have qualified their good by means of exterior truths, such as are those of the literal sense of the Word. 

Aprocalypse Revealed 717. 14. These shall fight with the Lamb, but the Lamb shall overcome them, for He is Lord of lords and King of kings, signifies the Lord's fight with them about the acknowledgment of His Divine Human, because the Lord in that [Human] is the God of heaven and earth, and also is the Word. Arcana Coelestia 10132[3] 'The lamb' means the good of innocence in general, and the inmost good of innocence in particular. This is clear from the fact that it is mentioned first, and also from the fact that the Lord Himself is referred to as the Lamb . That the good of love to the Lord, called celestial good, constitutes the good of innocence is clear from those who are in the inmost heaven. Because they have that good within them they appear naked, as young children; they do so because nakedness depicts innocence, as does early childhood, see the places referred to in 9277, and what has been stated in 3887, 9680. Since the Lord when He was in the world was — as to His Human — Innocence itself, and since for this reason innocence emanates wholly from Him, the Lord is called the Lamb, and the Lamb of God Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7911 Verses 21-24. And Moses called all the elders of Israel, and said unto them, Draw ye forth, and take you an animal of the flock according to your families, and kill ye the passover. And ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in, the blood that is in the basin, and ye shall touch the lintel and the two posts with the blood that is in the basin; and no one of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning. And Jehovah will pass through to inflict a plague on Egypt; and He shall see the blood upon the lintel, and upon the two posts, and Jehovah will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come unto your houses to inflict a plague. And ye shall keep this word for a statute to thee and to thy sons forever. "And Moses called all the elders of Israel," signifies the enlightenment of the understanding of those who are of the spiritual church by means of the influx and presence of truth Divine; "and said unto them," signifies perception; "Draw ye forth," signifies that they should compel themselves; "and take you an animal of the flock," signifies to receive the good of innocence; "according to your families," signifies according to the good of each truth; "and kill ye the passover," signifies preparation for the presence of the Lord and consequent liberation; "and ye shall take a bunch of hyssop," signifies an external means by which there is purification; "and dip it in the blood," signifies the holy truth which is of the good of innocence; "that is in the basin," signifies that is in the good of the natural; "and ye shall touch the lintel and the two posts," signifies the goods and truths of the natural; "with the blood that is in the basin," signifies the holy truth which is of the good of innocence in the natural; "and no one of you shall go out of the door of his house," signifies that they shall abide steadfast in good, which must not be regarded from truth; "until the morning," signifies even to a state of enlightenment; "and Jehovah will pass through," signifies the presence of the Divine; "to inflict a plague on Egypt," signifies whence comes damnation to those of the church who have been in faith separate from charity; "and He will see the blood upon the lintel, and on the two posts," signifies a noticing of the holy truth which is of the good of innocence in the natural; "and Jehovah will pass over the door," signifies that damnation will flee from thence; "and will not allow the destroyer to come unto your houses," signifies that falsity and evil which are from the hells shall in no wise come near the will; "to inflict a plague," signifies the damnation which they bring on themselves; "and ye shall keep this word for a statute to thee and to thy sons forever," signifies that hereafter all this shall be according to Divine order for those who are of the spiritual church. 7912 And Moses called all the elders of Israel. That this signifies the enlightenment of the understanding of those who are of the spiritual church by the influx and presence of truth Divine, is evident from the signification of "calling," when said of truth Divine, as being influx and presence (see n. 6177, 6840, 7390, 7451, 7721); from the representation of Moses, as being the law Divine, thus the Word and truth Divine (see the preface to Genesis 18, also n. 4859, 5922, 6723, 6752, 6771, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382); from the signification of "elders," as being the chief things of wisdom and intelligence which are in agreement with truth and good (n. 6524, 6525, 6890), "to call" which, or to present them to view, denotes to enlighten the understanding; and from the representation of Israel as being the spiritual church (n. 4286, 6426, 6637). From all this it is evident that by "Moses called all the elders of Israel" is signified the enlightenment of the understanding of those who are of the spiritual church by means of the influx and presence of truth Divine...

And they shall take of the blood, and put it upon the two posts and upon the lintel, upon the houses in which they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and things unleavened; upon things bitter they shall eat it. Eat ye not of it raw, and by boiling boiled in waters, but roast with fire; its head upon its legs and upon its midst. And ye shall not leave of it until the morning; and that which is left of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it: your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste; this is the passover of Jehovah. Exodus 12: 7-11 Arcana Coelestia 7845. “And they shall take of the blood,” signifies the holy truth which is of the good of innocence; “and shall put it upon the two posts and upon the lintel,” signifies the truths and the goods of the natural; “upon the houses,” signifies those things which are of the will of good; “in which they shall eat it,” signifies enjoyment; “and they shall eat the flesh,” signifies the enjoyment of good; “in that night,” signifies along with the damnation of the evil; “roast with fire,” signifies the good which is of love; “and things unleavened,” signifies purified from all falsity; “upon things bitter,” signifies by means of the undelightful things of temptations; “they shall eat it,” signifies enjoyment; “eat ye not of it raw,” signifies that it shall not be without love; “and by boiling boiled in waters,” signifies that it shall not go forth from truth; “but roast with fire,” signifies that it shall go forth from love; “its head upon its legs and upon its midst,” signifies from the inmost to the external; “and ye shall not leave of it until the morning,” signifies the duration of this state before a state of enlightenment in heaven; “and that which is left of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire,” signifies a state of the means for the end through temptations; “and thus shall ye eat it,” signifies enjoyment in a state of separation from the evil who had infested, and preservation then; “your loins girded,” signifies in respect to the interiors; “your shoes on your feet,” signifies in respect to the exteriors; “and your staff in your hand,” signifies in respect to the intermediates; and ye shall eat it in haste,” signifies the affection of separation; “this is the passover of Jehovah,” signifies the presence of the Lord and liberation by Him. AC 7849. The case herein is this: when those who before the Lord's coming had been detained in custody in the lower earth (n. 6854, 6914, 7091, 7828) were to be liberated, they had to be prepared to receive the influx of good and truth from the Lord, for they were to pass through the midst of hell; and lest in that passage evils and falsities should flow in from the infernal spirits round about, they had to be prepared, so that they might then be in a full state of truth and good. But of the Lord's Divine mercy that passage shall be spoken of in what follows. This preparation, or initiation to a state of reception of good and truth, is described by the things which were to be done between the tenth day of the month and the fourteenth day, and which were to be observed in respect to the eating of the paschal lamb. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

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Arcana Colestia 7774. Verses 4-8. And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah, About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt. And every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the millstones; and every firstborn of beast. And there shall be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt, such as there hath been none like it, nor shall be like it anymore. And to all the sons of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, from man and even to beast; that ye may know that Jehovah doth separate between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves to me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that is at thy feet; and thereafter I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in the wrath of anger. AC 7812. Besides the spirits of whom mention has now been made, there are also spirits who infuse contrary persuasions; being those who while they lived in the world were banished from the society of others, because they were evil. When they approach, there appears as it were a flying flame which glides down near the face; they place themselves beneath, at the man's hinder parts, and speak from there toward the parts above. They speak things contrary to those which the instructing spirit from the angels has said; namely, that they need not live according to the instruction, but at their own good will and pleasure, and the like. They usually come immediately after the former spirits have departed. But the men on that earth know who and of what quality these spirits are, and therefore they pay no regard to them. Nevertheless they thus learn what evil is, and so what good is; for by evil is learned what is good, the quality of good being known from its opposite. All perception of a thing is according to reflection bearing on the distinctions that come from contraries in various ways and in various degrees. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

Progressive states, no one(state) is condemned until they know (it is seen for what it is) ... Arcana Coelestia 7795... By these “wonders being multiplied” are signified the successive degrees of their states. The reason why there are so many degrees is in order that the evil may be confirmed in the fact that they are in evil; and also that the good may be enlightened concerning the state of those within the church who have lived evilly (n. 7633). Except for these reasons, the evil might be condemned and let down into hell without so many successive changes of states. [2] That before the evil are condemned and let down into hell they undergo so many states is altogether unknown in the world. It is believed that man is at once either condemned or saved, and that this is effected without any process; but the case is otherwise. Justice reigns there, and no one is condemned until he himself knows, and is inwardly convinced, that he is in evil, and that it is utterly impossible for him to be in heaven. His own evils are also laid open to him, according to the words of the Lord in Luke: There is nothing covered up, that shall not be revealed; or hidden, that shall not be known. Wherefore whatsoever ye have said in the darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in the bed chambers shall be proclaimed upon the housetops (Luke 12:2-3; Matthew 10:26-27; Mark 4:22); and what is more, he is also warned to desist from evil; but when he cannot do this because of the dominion of evil, the power is then taken away from him of doing evil by falsifications of truth and pretenses of good, which is effected successively from one degree to another, and finally condemnation follows and the letting down into hell. This takes place when he comes into the evil of his life. [3] The evil of the life is evil of the will and of the thought thence derived; thus it is the man's inward quality and what would be his quality outwardly if he were not hindered by the laws, and likewise by fears of the loss of gain, of honor, of reputation, and of life. This is the life which follows every man after death, but not the outward life, except that which proceeds from the inward life; for in outward things a man pretends what is contrary; and therefore when a man after death is being vastated in respect to outward things, it then plainly appears what had been his quality both in will and in thought. To this state every evil person is reduced by means of degrees of vastation, for all vastation in the other life advances from outward to inward things. From all this it can be seen what is the nature of the justice in the other life, and what the nature of the process before an evil person is condemned. From this it is evident that by “My wonders being multiplied in the land of Egypt,” is signified that the evil may be confirmed in the fact that they have been in no faith, but in evil. Heaven and Hell 513 1. [Swedenborg's footnote] Shattering experiences do happen in the other life — that is, some people who arrive there from the world are shattered there: Arcana Coelestia 698, 7122, 7474, 9763. Upright people are shattered as regards false elements, and evil people as to true ones: 7474, 7541-7542. Shattering experiences happen to upright people so that they can shed the earthly and worldly preoccupations they acquired while they were living in the world: 7186, 9763; and so that evil and false things may be removed, providing room for the inflow of good and true things out of heaven from the Lord, and providing the ability to accept them: 7122, 9331 [9330?]. We cannot be raised into heaven before things like this are removed because they get in the way and do not agree with heavenly values: 6928, 7122, 7136 [7186?], 7541-7542, 9763. This is how people who are to be raised into heaven are prepared: 4728, 7090. It is dangerous for people to enter heaven before they have been prepared: 537-538.

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7868 Verses 12-16. And I will pass through the land of Egypt in that night, and I will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man and even unto beast; and on all the gods of Egypt I will do judgments; I am Jehovah. And the blood shall be to you for a sign upon the houses where ye are; and I shall see the blood, and I will pass over you, and there shall not be in you a plague for a destroyer, when I smite the land of Egypt. And this day shall be unto you for a memorial, and ye shall keep it a feast to Jehovah in your generations, ye shall keep it by an eternal statute. Seven days shall ye eat unleavened things; even on the first day ye shall cause leaven to cease from your houses; for everyone that eateth what is leavened, from the first day until the seventh day, even that soul shall be cut off from Israel. And there shall be for you in the first day a holy convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no work shall be done in them, save that which every soul must eat, this only shall be done by you. "And I will pass through the land of Egypt," signifies presence with those who had infested; "in that night," signifies the state of their evil; "and I will smite all the firstborn in the land of Egypt," signifies the damnation of those who are in faith separate from charity; "from man and even unto beast," signifies their evil cupidities interior and exterior; "and on all the gods of Egypt I will do judgments," signifies their falsities which are to be damned; "I am Jehovah," signifies the Lord, that He is the only God; "and the blood," signifies the truth of the good of innocence; "shall be to you for a sign upon the houses where ye are," signifies that it is a testifying of the will of good; "and I shall see the blood," signifies the noticing of this truth by those who inflict the damnation; "I will pass over you," signifies that it will flee from thence; "and there shall not be in you a plague for a destroyer," signifies that damnation from the hells shall not flow in; "when I smite the land of Egypt," signifies when they are damned who are in faith separate from charity; "and this day shall be unto you for a memorial," signifies the quality of this state in worship; "and ye shall keep it a feast to Jehovah," signifies the worship of the Lord on account of liberation from damnation; "in your generations," signifies in those things which are of faith and charity; "ye shall keep it by an eternal statute," signifies the worship of the Lord according to the order of heaven on the part of those who are of the spiritual church; "seven days," signifies what is holy; "shall ye eat things unleavened," signifies purification from falsities; "even on the first day ye shall cause leaven to cease from your houses," signifies that no falsity whatever must be in the good; "for everyone that eateth what is leavened," signifies who appropriates to himself falsity; "even that soul shall be cut off from Israel," signifies that he shall be separated from those who are of the spiritual church, and that he shall be damned; "from the first day until the seventh day," signifies a full holy state; "and there shall be for you in the first day a holy convocation," signifies that in the beginning all shall be together; "and in the seventh day a holy convocation," signifies so at the end of the state; "no work shall be done in them," signifies a keeping back then from earthly and worldly things; "save that which every soul must eat," signifies when spiritual and celestial good is appropriated; "this only shall be done by you," signifies that to these only they shall then pay attention. 7869 And I will pass through the land of Egypt. That this signifies presence among those who had infested, is evident from the signification of "to pass through," when through a land and by Jehovah, as being presence; and from the signification of "the Egyptians,

And Jehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, This month is to you the head of the months; this is the first to you in the months of the year. Speak ye unto all the assemblage of Israel, saying, In the tenth of this month they shall take to them everyone a lamb* for the house of his fathers, a lamb for the house; and if the house is too little for a lamb, then let him take he and his neighbor near unto his house in the number of the souls; everyone for the mouth of his eating shall ye count for the lamb. A lamb unblemished, a male, a son of a year shall be for you; ye shall take it from the lambs and from the she-goats;** and it shall be for you to be kept even unto the fourteenth day of this month; and the whole congregation of the assemblage of Israel shall kill it between the two evenings.  Exodus 12: 1-6 * The word “lamb” here (Latin pecud-, Hebrew seh) must be understood to mean the young of both sheep and goats, as defined in verse 5, and also by Swedenborg himself in n. 8020. Thus it is either a lamb or a kid. We have no word in English that will precisely render either the Hebrew term or the Latin one. In verse however, the word “lambs,” near the end of the verse, is agnus in the Latin, and keves in the Hebrew, and thus is correctly rendered “lambs.” [Reviser].** Latin capra, Hebrew ez, a “she-goat,” the mother being taken for her little one. Both “kids” and “she-goats” signify “the innocence of the external or natural man, thus the truth and the good of innocence” (Arcana Coelestia n. 3518, subdivisions 3 and 4). [Reviser.] Arcana Coelestia 7814. Man has been so created that he can look upward, or above himself; and can also look downward, or below himself. To look above himself is to look to his neighbor, to his country, to the church, to heaven, especially to the Lord; but to look below himself is to look to the earth, to the world, and especially to himself. AC 7816. To look above oneself is to be uplifted by the Lord; for no one can look above himself, unless he is uplifted by Him who is above. But to look below himself is of man, because then he does not suffer himself to be uplifted. AC7822 THE CONTENTS. The subject treated of in this chapter in the internal sense is the liberation of those who are of the spiritual church, and the damnation of those who are in faith separate from Charity. The damnation of these latter and the liberation of the former are represented by the passover, and the states in respect to charity and faith of those who are liberated, by the things to be observed on the days of the passover. AC 7823 In the supreme sense by the passover is represented the damnation of the unfaithful and the liberation of the faithful by the Lord, when He had been glorified. The quality of the state of the faithful at that time, and also what its quality would be afterward, both in the universal and in every particular, is described in this supreme sense by the statutes of the passover. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah, About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt. And every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die ... Exodus 11:4 The different experinces or states of mind of proprium Arcana Coelestia 141. Countless things can be said about the proprium — about what the proprium is like in the case of the bodily-minded and worldly man, what it is like in the case of the spiritual man, and what in the case of the celestial man. With the bodily-minded and worldly man the proprium is his all. He is unaware of anything else but the proprium. And, as has been stated, if he were to lose his proprium he would think that he was dying. With the spiritual man the proprium takes on a similar appearance, for although he knows that the Lord is the life of all, and that He confers wisdom and intelligence, and consequently the ability to think and to act, it is more a matter of something he says and not so much something he believes. The celestial man however acknowledges that the Lord is the life of all, who confers the ability to think and act, because he perceives that this is so. Nor does he ever desire the proprium. Nevertheless even though he does not desire it the Lord grants him a proprium which is joined to him with a complete perception of what is good and true, and with complete happiness. Angels possess a proprium such as this, and at the same time utmost peace and tranquillity, for their proprium has within it things that are the Lord's, who is governing their proprium, that is, governing them by means of their proprium. This proprium is utterly heavenly, whereas the proprium of the bodily-minded man is hellish. But more about the proprium further on. What is damned AC 7795[2] That before the evil are condemned and let down into hell they undergo so many states is altogether unknown in the world. It is believed that man is at once either condemned(damned) or saved, and that this is effected without any process; but the case is otherwise. Justice reigns there, and no one is condemned(damned) until he himself knows, and is inwardly convinced, that he is in evil, and that it is utterly impossible for him to be in heaven. His own evils are also laid open to him, according to the words of the Lord in Luke: There is nothing covered up, that shall not be revealed; or hidden, that shall not be known. Wherefore whatsoever ye have said in the darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in the bed chambers shall be proclaimed upon the housetops (Luke 12:2-3; Matthew 10:26-27; Mark 4:22); He who loses his life... The person who is searching and then finding his own soul (his own will, his intellect, his emotions and his self-life as his goals; his self-seeking, self-possessed persona and identity), will be repeatedly losing it. And yet the person loosing-away or destroying his soul (his own will, his self-centered life of a self-seeking, self-possessed persona and identity, his emotions, his plans and goals) – on account of Me – will be progressively finding and discovering it [i.e., his true self, identity and purpose]. Matthew 10:39 (Jonathan Mitchell New Testament Translation) Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

You can find a downloadable version of The Workbook here... INTRODUCTION A New Way of Being Logopraxis is Practical Christianity and offers a way of relating to Sacred Texts that is focused on the examination of our mental life with a view to repentance and applying them to life. Since Logopraxis is an experiential understanding of the relationship between the Word and the inner processes involved in the regeneration of the human mind, understanding our practice is essential; and hopefully this Workbook will be helpful to those actively involved in doing this work. The Logopraxis approach for engaging with the Word is process-orientated and continues to be an experiment for each of us, in how to be in spiritual community through shared, lived experience of how the Word works in our minds and lives.  Logopraxis seeks to reorientate our relationship with the Word, and invites us to take the Lord's principles and work with them with a view to confirm their truth in our own experience. The individual practise of gathering material from personal application of the Word is not something done for ourselves alone, but always with a view to supporting our Logopraxis Life Group, each of us offering a direct experience of practicing the Word which creates conditions that open the possibility for the ‘collective human' of the Church to come into being, in whom the Lord dwells. In this way, working creatively and interactively with the Workbook can be another form of prayer – allowing for the Word to broaden our awareness of the Life it contains, and how it lives in others. This new way of being relies on a method of work that is outlined in detail in the following sections, where the practice of placing the Word at the centre of our individual and collective spiritual life is supported; where spiritual literacy is developed and enhanced; where we accept that everything that arises in our life does so under the Lord's Providence, offering material for work; and where the method asks us to submit to the authority of the Word as the Lord, in order to identify, guide and direct our inner work.   Spiritual Literacy Thinking spiritually, or practising spiritual literacy skills, underpins all of our Logopraxis work, and relies on the tools detailed throughout the Workbook, particularly in Step 3, How to Meet and the Appendix. It refers to the ability to ‘read 'what presents into our conscious awareness, in the light of what the Word teaches is true. In cultivating these skills, we seek to observe the spiritual principles within the literal meaning of the Text, and from these to then recognise states of thought or feeling that arise in us while engaging with the Word, or while people in our Life Group share their experience with the Word. Our day-to-day activities and relationships are the field in which our inner reactions and responses can be observed, and seen to illustrate what the Word teaches regarding the nature of self and the nature of the Divine, of the Lord. Natural or material thinking is dominated by worldly concerns that involve people (including ourselves), places, events, memories of the past, or projections regarding the future - and in general terms, this mode of thought functions from the belief that what the senses perceive are ‘real 'things. Spiritual thinking is not concerned with that but rather is focused on those things that belong to our states of mind: the relations of goods and truths, thoughts and affections, motivations and intentions, beliefs and attitudes, shunning evils and falsities, and the activity of the hellish proprium and the hells versus what is of the Lord and heaven. So, the practise of spiritual literacy skills involves working to remove the natural material world elements of person, place, time, and space from the content of what we are reading or listening to, and to hold the intention to see how what's being offered might be framed in a way that captures the universal as...

Arcana Colestia 141. Countless things can be said about the proprium - about what the proprium is like in the case of the bodily-minded and worldly man, what it is like in the case of the spiritual man, and what in the case of the celestial man. With the bodily-minded and worldly man the proprium is his all. He is unaware of anything else but the proprium. And, as has been stated, if he were to lose his proprium he would think that he was dying. With the spiritual man the proprium takes on a similar appearance, for although he knows that the Lord is the life of all, and that He confers wisdom and intelligence, and consequently the ability to think and to act, it is more a matter of something he says and not so much something he believes. The celestial man however acknowledges that the Lord is the life of all, who confers the ability to think and act, because he perceives that this is so. Nor does he ever desire the proprium. Nevertheless even though he does not desire it the Lord grants him a proprium which is joined to him with a complete perception of what is good and true, and with complete happiness. Angels possess a proprium such as this, and at the same time utmost peace and tranquillity, for their proprium has within it things that are the Lord's, who is governing their proprium, that is, governing them by means of their proprium. This proprium is utterly heavenly, whereas the proprium of the bodily-minded man is hellish. But more about the proprium further on. Heaven and Hell 8. Everyone in the heavens knows, believes and even perceives that he wills and does nothing good from himself; and that he thinks and believes nothing of truth from himself; but from the Divine, thus from the Lord, and that the good and truth which are from himself are not good and truth because they have no life from the Divine in them. The angels of the inmost heaven also clearly perceive and feel the influx, and the more of it they receive, the more they seem to themselves to be in heaven, because the more are they in love and faith and in the light of intelligence and wisdom and in heavenly joy therefrom. Since all those [states] proceed from the Divine of the Lord and in these the angels have their heaven, it is clear that it is the Divine of the Lord that makes heaven, and not the angels from anything of their proprium. Conjugial Love 270. The third account: Awakening one morning, I fell to thinking about some questions having to do with conjugial love, coming finally to this one: In what region of the human mind is truly conjugial love seated, and in what region, therefore, coldness in marriage? I knew that the human mind is divided into three regions, one above the other, and that natural love resides in the lowest region, spiritual love in the next higher one, and celestial love in the highest. I knew also that in each region there is a marriage of good and truth, and because good has to do with love, and truth with wisdom, that in each region there is a marriage of love and wisdom; moreover, that this marriage is the same as a marriage of the will and understanding, since the will is the recipient vessel of love, and the understanding the recipient vessel of wisdom. [2] While I was deep in thought on this question, I suddenly saw two swans flying towards the north, and presently two birds of paradise flying towards the south, and then two turtledoves flying in the east. Following their flight with my eyes, I next saw the two swans veer their course from the north to the east, likewise the two birds of paradise from the south, until they met up with the pair of turtledoves in the east. Then together they flew towards a certain lofty palace there, rising in the midst of olive trees, palms and beeches. The palace had three rows of windows, one above another; and as I watched, I saw the birds fly into the palace - the swans through windows standing open in the lowest row, the birds of paradise through windows open in the middle row...

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7845 Verses 7-11. And they shall take of the blood, and put it upon the two posts and upon the lintel, upon the houses in which they shall eat it. And they shall eat the flesh in that night, roast with fire, and things unleavened; upon things bitter they shall eat it. Eat ye not of it raw, and by boiling boiled in waters, but roast with fire; its head upon its legs and upon its midst. And ye shall not leave of it until the morning; and that which is left of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire. And thus shall ye eat it: your loins girded, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and ye shall eat it in haste; this is the passover of Jehovah. "And they shall take of the blood," signifies the holy truth which is of the good of innocence; "and shall put it upon the two posts and upon the lintel," signifies the truths and the goods of the natural; "upon the houses," signifies those things which are of the will of good; "in which they shall eat it," signifies enjoyment; "and they shall eat the flesh," signifies the enjoyment of good; "in that night," signifies along with the damnation of the evil; "roast with fire," signifies the good which is of love; "and things unleavened," signifies purified from all falsity; "upon things bitter," signifies by means of the undelightful things of temptations; "they shall eat it," signifies enjoyment; "eat ye not of it raw," signifies that it shall not be without love; "and by boiling boiled in waters," signifies that it shall not go forth from truth; "but roast with fire," signifies that it shall go forth from love; "its head upon its legs and upon its midst," signifies from the inmost to the external; "and ye shall not leave of it until the morning," signifies the duration of this state before a state of enlightenment in heaven; "and that which is left of it until the morning ye shall burn with fire," signifies a state of the means for the end through temptations; "and thus shall ye eat it," signifies enjoyment in a state of separation from the evil who had infested, and preservation then; "your loins girded," signifies in respect to the interiors; "your shoes on your feet," signifies in respect to the exteriors; "and your staff in your hand," signifies in respect to the intermediates; "and ye shall eat it in haste," signifies the affection of separation; "this is the passover of Jehovah," signifies the presence of the Lord and liberation by Him. 7846 And they shall take of the blood. That this signifies the holy truth which is of the good of innocence, is evident from the signification of "blood," as being holy truth proceeding from the Lord (see n. 4735, 6978, 7317, 7326); and because it is the blood of a lamb, and by a "lamb" is signified the good of innocence (n. 3994), it denotes the holy truth which is of the good of innocence. 7847 And shall put it upon the two posts and upon the lintel. That this signifies the truths and the goods of the natural, is evident from the signification of the "posts of a door," as being the truths of the natural; and from the signification of "the lintel," as being its goods. The posts and the lintel have this signification because by a "house" is signified man himself, or his mind, and by those things which belong to a door are signified the things which serve to introduce. That these are the truths and the goods of the natural is evident; for the natural man is instructed before the rational, and the things which the man then learns are natural things, in which are successively instilled spiritual things, which are interior. From this it is evident how the natural in respect to truths and goods serves to introduce.Moreover, the lintel and the posts have a like signification to the forehead and hands with man. Angelic ideas are of such a nature that natural things bear relation to such things as belong to man. The reason is that the spiritual world or heaven is in the form of a...

And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah, About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt. And every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the millstones; and every firstborn of beast. And there shall be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt, such as there hath been none like it, nor shall be like it anymore. And to all the sons of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, from man and even to beast; that ye may know that Jehovah doth separate between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves to me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that is at thy feet; and thereafter I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in the wrath of anger. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Pharaoh will not hear you; that My wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt. And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and Jehovah made firm the heart of Pharaoh, and he did not let the sons of Israel go out of his land. Exodus 11:4-10 AC 7774 “And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah,” signifies instruction; “About midnight,” signifies when the devastation is total; “I will go out into the midst of Egypt,” signifies the presence of the Divine then everywhere; “and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die,” signifies the damnation then of faith separate from charity; “from the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne,” signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the first place; “even to the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the millstones,” signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the last place; “and every first-born of beast” signifies the adulterated goods of faith; “and there shall be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt,” signifies interior lamentation; “such as there hath been none like it, nor shall be like it anymore” signifies that the state was such that there could not be any like it; “and to all the sons of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue,” signifies that among those who were of the spiritual church there should not be the least of damnation and lamentation; “from man and even to beast,” signifies neither as to truth nor as to good; “that ye may know that Jehovah doth separate between the Egyptians and Israel,” signifies that it may be known what is the nature of the difference between those who are in evil and those who are in good; “and all these thy servants shall come down unto me,” signifies those who are subordinate; “and bow down themselves to me,” signifies respect from fear on account of truth Divine; “saying, Get thee out, and all the people that is at thy feet,” signifies supplication that they may depart from those who are in truth from the Divine, from the highest to the lowest; “and thereafter I will go out,” signifies that truth Divine will depart; “and he went out from before Pharaoh in the wrath of anger,” signifies the rending asunder of the presence of truth Divine from those who are about to be damned. The proprium that is not the Lord's is damned AC 7784 [2] By those who are of the spiritual church (that is, who are in the good of this church) not having the least of damnation, is not to be understood that they are devoid of all evil; but that they are withheld from evil in good by the Lord. That which is their own(proprium) is nothing but what is evil and damned; but that which is the Lord's own(Proprium) and which they receive is good, consequently is devoid of all damnation. Thus it is meant that there is nothing of damnation with those who are in the Lord. The spirits of Jupiter 7801 There are many kinds of spirits from the planet Jupiter, but there are three with which I have been in company, and with which I have often spoken. One kind, which is also the lowest, appear dark, almost black. They are contemned by others, and are called “chastisers,

Arcana Coelestia 7752. All things in the universe bear relation to Good and Truth. That which does not bear relation to good and truth is not in Divine order; and that which does not bear relation to both together, produces nothing. Good is that which produces, and truth is that by which it produces. AC 7755 The first of the church is good, the second is truth; or the first of the church is charity, and the second is faith. For the truth of the doctrine of faith is for the sake of the good of life. That which is the end for the sake of which something else exists, this is the first. The memory corresponds to the stomach Apocalypse Explained 242. [4] This may be illustrated by a comparison with the stomachs of birds and beasts of the earth that are called ruminating stomachs. Into these they first collect their food, and afterwards by degrees take it out and eat it, and thus nourish the blood; food thus becomes a part of their life. With man the memory corresponds to these stomachs; and man is endowed with memory instead of these because he is spiritual; into this he first gathers spiritual foods, which are knowledges, and afterwards he takes them out by a sort of ruminating, that is, by thinking and willing, and appropriates them, and thus makes them a part of his life. From this comparison, although trifling, it can be seen that knowledges, unless implanted in the life by thinking and willing them and then doing them, are like food that remains unconsumed in ruminating stomachs, where it either becomes putrid or is vomited out. Moreover, the circle of man's life is to know,  to understand, to will, and to do; for man's spiritual life begins with knowing, passes next to understanding, then to willing, and finally to doing. From this it is clear that so long as knowledges are in the memory they are merely in the entrance to the life, and that they are not fully in man until they are in acts, and the more fully they are in acts the more fully they are in the understanding and will. [5] It was further shown that the faith of knowledges before it becomes the faith of life is historical faith, the nature of which is well known, namely, that it is believed because another has said it; until this has been made man's own it is an alien thing, or something with ourself belonging to someone else. Historical faith, moreover, is like a belief in things unknown, for it is said that things must be believed though not understood, yea, that they must not be searched into by the understanding; and yet spiritual faith is such that in it truths themselves are seen and are consequently believed. In heaven no one believes any truth unless he sees it or has seen it; for they say, “Who can believe that a thing is so unless he sees it? It may possibly be false.” And only the evil can believe what is false; for the evil from evil see falsities, but the good from good see truths; and as good is from the Lord, so also seeing truth from good is from the Lord. Angels see truths because the light of heaven, in which they are, is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; all, therefore, even those in the world, who are in that light are able to see truth. (Of the light of heaven, and that it is such, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 126-140.) For when a man dies and enters the other life, his life is circumstanced like food, ... AC 5175. For when a man dies and enters the other life, his life is circumstanced like food, which is softly taken hold of by the lips and is then passed through the mouth, fauces, and esophagus, into the stomach, and this according to the nature that has been contracted in the life of the body by means of various activities. At first most spirits are treated gently, being kept in the company of angels and good spirits, which is represented by the food being first touched softly by the lips, and then tasted by the tongue to discover its quality. Food that is soft, and in which there is what is sweet, oily,

Arcana Coelestia 7764 THE INTERNAL SENSE.Verses 1-3. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterward he will let you go from hence; when he lets everything go, driving he shall drive you out from hence. Say now in the ears of the people, and let them ask a man from his companion, and a woman from her companion, vessels of silver and vessels of gold. And Jehovah gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the eyes of Pharaoh's servants, and in the eyes of the people. “And Jehovah said unto Moses,” signifies instruction; “Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt,” signifies the end of vastation, which is damnation; “afterward he will let you go from hence,” signifies that then they will be left; “when he lets everything go, driving he shall drive you out from hence,” signifies that they will leave them completely, and will hold them in aversion, and shun their presence; “say now in the ears of the people,” signifies instruction and obedience; “and let them ask a man from his companion, and a woman from her companion, vessels of silver and vessels of gold,” signifies that the memory-knowledges of truth and good taken away from the evil who have been of the church, will be bestowed upon the good who are of it; “and Jehovah gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians,” signifies the fear of those who are in evils on account of those who are of the spiritual church, by reason of the plagues; “moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt,” signifies respect now for truth Divine; “in the eyes of Pharaoh's servants, and in the eyes of the people,” signifies with those who were in subordination there. AC 6914... by “favor” is not meant favor, for they who are in falsities and evils never have any favor for anyone; but if they benefit anyone, or do not injure him, it is from fear of plagues; this is the source of their favor, and this is the “favor” which is here meant in the internal sense. The internal sense sets forth things such as they are, not such as they are presented in the letter; and applies each to the subject. That this is so, is plain also from what follows concerning the Egyptians, in that they did not let the sons of Israel go from any favor, but from fear on account of further plagues (Exodus 11:1; 12:33). Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

New Jeruslaem and its Heavenly Doctrine 196...It is called spiritual temptation when the truths of faith which a man believes in his heart, and according to which he loves to live, are assaulted within him, especially when the good of love, in which he places his spiritual life, is assaulted. Those assaults take place in various ways; as by influx of scandals against truths and goods into the thoughts and the will; also by a continual drawing forth, and bringing to remembrance, of the evils which one has committed, and of the falsities which he has thought, thus by inundation of such things; and at the same time by an apparent shutting up of the interiors of the mind, and, consequently, of communication with heaven, by which the capacity of thinking from his own faith, and of willing from his own love, are intercepted. These things are effected by the evil spirits who are present with man; and when they take place, they appear under the form of interior anxieties and pains of conscience; for they affect and torment man's spiritual life, because he supposes that they proceed, not from evil spirits, but from his own interiors. Man does not know that such assaults are 1 from evil spirits because he does not know that spirits are present with him, evil spirits in his evils, and good spirits in his goods; and that they are in his thoughts and affections. These temptations are most grievous when they are accompanied with bodily pains; and still more so, when those pains are of long continuance, and no deliverance is granted, even although the Divine mercy is implored; hence results despair, which is the end. Arcana Coelestia 7720. Verses 24-end And Pharaoh called Moses, and said, Go, serve Jehovah; only your flocks and your herds will stay behind. Your little children also will go with you. And Moses said, You must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, and we must make them to Jehovah our God. And our livestock also must go with us; not a hoof shall be left behind, for we must take some of them to serve Jehovah our God, and we ourselves do not know what we must serve Jehovah with until we get there. And Jehovah made Pharaoh's heart unyielding, and he would not send them away. And Pharaoh said to him, Go away from me; take care not to see my face again. For on the day you see my face you will die. And Moses said, Rightly have you spoken; I will not see your face again. 'And Pharaoh called Moses' means the presence of the law of God. 'And said, Go, serve Jehovah' means that they are to be left alone in order that they may worship the Lord their God. 'Only your flocks and your herds will stay behind' means but not from good. 'Your little children also will go with you' means that [they may worship Him] from truth. 'And Moses said' means the reply. 'You must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings' means that they must leave alone all the means through which worship must be offered. 'And we must make them to Jehovah our God' means which [worship] is acceptable to the Lord. 'And our livestock also must go with us' means that this [worship] must be from the good of truth. 'Not a hoof shall be left behind' means that nothing at all of the truth from good shall be lacking. 'For we must take some of them to serve Jehovah our God' means that they must be used in worship of the Lord. 'And we ourselves do not know what we must serve Jehovah our God with' means that what exactly will be needed for the worship to be performed is unknown. 'Until we get there' means until they have been removed from those steeped in utter falsities arising from evil. 'And Jehovah made Pharaoh's heart unyielding' means that they remained obstinately opposed to the Divine. 'And he would not send them away means that they had no mind to leave them. 'And Pharaoh said to him' means flaming anger at this point with God's truth. 'Go away from me means that he wished to know nothing at all about it.

Falsities from evil Arcana Coelestia 7689 ... the evil have no truth by faith, but only the memory-knowledge of the truth which is of faith. Some evil men who are in the church persuade themselves that they are in truth by faith, but they are not; they are in falsity, and are against the truth of faith. That they are in falsity is hidden with them so long as they are in the world, but this hidden falsity comes forth and manifests itself in the other life when they are being devastated as to the truths of faith which they had known. They who are not willing that others should know what they speak, pass judgment on others AC 7747. Afterward the spirits of Mars inflowed from above into my face. The influx felt like a light rain falling in streaks, which was a sign that they were not in the affection of truth and good, for this is represented by what is streaked. They then spoke plainly with me, saying that the inhabitants of their earth so speak with one another. They were then told that this is evil, because in this way they obstruct internal things, and recede from them to external ones, which they also deprive of their life; and especially because it is not sincere to speak so, for they who are sincere do not wish to speak or even think anything which others may not know, yea, all others, and even the whole heaven; whereas they who are not willing that others should know what they speak, pass judgment on others, think ill of them and well of themselves, and at last contract such a habit that they think and speak ill even of the church, of heaven, nay, of the Lord Himself. On darkness, light and the Lord's coming bringing judgement AC 7711. And there shall be thick darkness over the land of Egypt. That this signifies a complete privation of truth and good, is evident from the signification of “thick darkness,” as being a complete privation of truth and good. In various places in the Word mention is made of “darkness” and also at the same time of “thick darkness,” and then “darkness” is predicated of falsity, and “thick darkness” of evil together with it. But the word by which “thick darkness” is expressed in this verse means the densest darkness, by which in the internal sense are signified such falsities as spring from evil. Such falsities arise with those who have been of the church, and have lived a life of evil contrary to the precepts of faith which they have known. The evil from which these falsities spring, is against the church, against heaven, and against the Lord, thus is diametrically against good and truth. This state is now described by “thick darkness.” [2] That in the Word both “darkness” and “thick darkness” are mentioned together, and that “darkness” then denotes the privation of truth, and thick darkness the privation of both truth and good, can he seen from the following passages. In Isaiah: Judgment is far from us, and righteousness overtaketh us not; we await the light, but behold darkness; and brightnesses, but we walk in thick darkness. We grope for the wall like the blind, yea, we grope as they that have no eyes; we stumble at noonday as in the twilight; among the living we are as the dead (Isaiah 59:9-10); “judgment is far from us,” and “righteousness overtaketh us not,” denotes that there is neither truth nor good; (that “judgment” is predicated of truth, and “righteousness” of good, see n. 2235, 3997); “to await the light” denotes to await truth; and “to await brightnesses” denotes to await the good of truth, for the brightness of light is from good. That “darkness” is here opposed to “light” and “judgment,” thus to truth; and that “thick darkness” is opposed to “brightness” and “righteousness,” thus to good, is evident; and therefore “darkness” denotes the privation of truth, and “thick darkness,” the privation of both truth and good. In Amos: Is not the day of Jehovah darkness, and not light? and thick darkness and no brightness in it?

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7814 Exodus 12 THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY Man has been so created that he can look upward, or above himself; and can also look downward, or below himself. To look above himself is to look to his neighbor, to his country, to the church, to heaven, especially to the Lord; but to look below himself is to look to the earth, to the world, and especially to himself. 7815 That to look to his neighbor, to his country, and to the church, is to look above himself, is because this is to look to the Lord; for the Lord is in charity, and it is of charity to look to the neighbor, to one's country, and to the church, that is, to will well to them. But they look below themselves who turn themselves away from these, and will well only to themselves. 7816 To look above oneself is to be uplifted by the Lord; for no one can look above himself, unless he is uplifted by Him who is above. But to look below himself is of man, because then he does not suffer himself to be uplifted. 7817 They who are in the good of charity and of faith look above themselves, because they are uplifted by the Lord; but they who are not in the good of charity and of faith look below themselves, because they are not uplifted by the Lord. Man looks below himself when he turns the influx of truth and good from the Lord to himself. He who turns to himself the good and truth flowing in from the Lord, sees himself and the world before him, and does not see the Lord with His good and truth, because they are behind him, and therefore come into such obscurity to him that he cares nothing for them, and at last he denies them. 7818 By looking above self and below self, is meant to have as the end, or to love above all things. Thus by looking above self is meant to have as the end, or to love above all things, what is of the Lord and heaven; and by looking below self is meant to have as the end, or to love above all things, what is of self and the world. The interiors of man also actually turn themselves to where the love turns itself. 7819 The man who is in the good of charity and faith loves also himself and the world, but no otherwise than as the means to an end are loved. The love of self with him looks to the love of the Lord, for he loves himself as a means to the end that he may serve the Lord; and the love of the world with him looks to the love of the neighbor, for he loves the world as a means for the sake of the end that he may be of service to the neighbor. When therefore the means is loved for the sake of the end, it is not the means that is loved, but the end. 7820 From this it can be seen that they who are in worldly glory, that is, in eminence and opulence above others, can look above themselves to the Lord equally as can those who are not in eminence and opulence; for they look above themselves when they regard eminence and opulence as means, and not as the end. 7821 To look above self is proper to man, but to look below self is proper to beasts. From this it follows that insofar as a man looks below himself or downward, so far he is a beast, and also so far is an image of hell; and that insofar as he looks above himself or upward, so far he is a man, and also so far is an image of the Lord. EXODUS 12 1 And Jehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying, 2 This month is to you the head of the months; this is the first to you in the months of the year. 3 Speak ye unto all the assemblage of Israel, saying, In the tenth of this month they shall take to them everyone a lamb,* for the house of his fathers, a lamb for the house. 4 And if the house is too little for a lamb, then let him take he and his neighbor near unto his house in the number of the souls; everyone for the mouth of his eating shall ye count for the lamb. 5 A lamb unblemished, a male, a son of a year shall be for you; ye shall take it from the lambs and from the she-goats.

And Jehovah said unto Moses, Yet one plague more will I bring upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterward he will let you go from hence; when he lets everything go, driving he shall drive you out from hence. Say now in the ears of the people, and let them ask a man from his companion, and a woman from her companion, vessels of silver and vessels of gold. And Jehovah gave the people favor in the eyes of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the eyes of Pharaoh's servants, and in the eyes of the people.  Exodus 11:1-3 Natural vs Spiritual Good Arcana Coelestia 7761. A clear distinction must be made between spiritual good and natural good. As before said, spiritual good has its quality from the truths of faith, their abundance, and their connection; but natural good is born with the man, and also arises by accident, as by misfortunes, diseases, and the like. Natural good saves no one, but spiritual good saves all. The reason is that the good which is formed through the truths of faith is a plane into which heaven can flow, that is, the Lord through heaven, and lead man, and withhold him from evil, and afterward uplift him into heaven; but not so natural good; and therefore they who are in natural good can be as easily carried away by falsity as by truth, provided the falsity appears in the form of truth; and they can be as easily led by evil as by good, provided the evil is presented as good. They are like feathers in the wind. The transfer of the vessels AC 7770 And let them ask a man from his companion, and a woman from her companion, vessels of silver and vessels of gold. That this signifies that the memory-knowledges of truth and good, taken away from the evil who have been of the church, will be bestowed upon the good who are of it, is evident from the signification of “vessels of silver and vessels of gold,” as being memory-knowledges of truth and good. That “silver” denotes truth, and “gold” good, see n. 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658, 6112; and that “vessels” denote memory-knowledges, n. 3068, 3079.) Memory-knowledges are called vessels of truth and good, because they contain them. It is believed that the memory-knowledges of truth and good are the very truths and goods of faith; but they are not. It is the affections of truth and good that make faith, and these flow into memory-knowledges, as into their vessels. .... (2)....the very memory-knowledges of truth and good which have been possessed by those of the church who have known the arcana of faith and yet have lived a life of evil, are transferred to those who are of the spiritual church.... [3] The reason is that with the evil the knowledges of good and truth are applied to evil uses, and with the good the knowledges of good and truth are applied to good uses; the knowledges are the same, but the application to uses effects their quality with each person. The case herein is like that of worldly riches, which with one person are disposed for good uses, with another for evil uses; consequently riches are such with each person as are the uses unto which they are disposed. From this also it is evident that the same knowledges, like the same riches, which the evil had possessed, can be with the good and serve for good uses. Substitution example of swapping 'practise' for 'good' and 'understanding of the Word' for 'truth' THE DOCTRINE OF SPIRITUAL PRACTISE(aka charity)(3 essentials of the church – love the Lord, love the Word, practise charity) All things in the universe bear relation to Practise and Understanding of the Word. That which does not bear relation to practise and understanding of the Word is not in Divine order; and that which does not bear relation to both together, produces nothing. Practise is that which produces, and understanding of the Word is that by which it produces. 7753 These facts may illustrate how the case is with spiritual practise and understanding of the Word,

Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges. Transcript of this 3 part Third Round series (PDF) The 3 Humans This Third Round is part of a 3 part series on the glorification of the Lord. The following passage is a good reference for this work: Doctrine of the Lord 35. vi. By successive steps the Lord put off the human taken from the mother, and put on a Human from the Divine within Him, which is the Divine Human, and is the Son of God. That in the Lord were the Divine and the human, the Divine from Jehovah the Father, and the human from the virgin Mary, is known. Hence He was God and Man, having a Divine essence and a human nature; a Divine essence from the Father, and a human nature from the mother; and therefore was equal to the Father as to the Divine, and less than the Father as to the human. It is also known that this human nature from the mother was not transmuted into the Divine essence, nor commingled with it, for this is taught in the Doctrine of Faith which is called the Athanasian Creed. For a human nature cannot be transmuted into the Divine essence, nor can it be commingled therewith. [2] In accordance with the same creed is also our doctrine, that the Divine assumed the Human, that is, united itself to it, as a soul to its body, so that they were not two, but one Person. From this it follows that the Lord put off the human from the mother, which in itself was like that of another man, and thus material, and put on a Human from the Father, which in itself was like His Divine, and thus substantial, so that the Human too became Divine. The holiness of the Word Arcana Coelestia 4922... anyone believing that the Word is holy can recognize that each has a specific meaning, and anyone believing that the Word is holy for the reason that it has been sent down from the Lord by way of heaven can recognize that the celestial and spiritual things belonging to His kingdom are meant. AC 10057...If people believe that the Word is holy and has been inspired by God in every single part, they must also believe that every single established practice in the sacrifices and burnt offerings embraces and contains such arcana within it. Yet what it is that those practices embrace and contain within them cannot by any means be known on earth unless it is known what is meant in heaven by such things. What is meant, however, the internal sense of the Word alone teaches, since this unfolds correspondences. For all things that exist in the natural world correspond to those which exist in the spiritual world, because the former comes into being from and is held in being by the latter. AC 5274(7)... all the details of the Word are holy; but the holiness therein is not apparent to the understanding, except that of one who knows its internal sense; nevertheless by influx from heaven it comes to the perception of him who believes the Word to be holy. This influx is effected through the internal sense in which the angels are; and although this sense is not understood by the man, still it affects him, because the affection of the angels who are in it is communicated. From this it is plain also that the Word has been given to man in order that he may have communication with heaven, and that the Divine truth which is in heaven may affect him by means of the influx. Doctrine of Sacred Scripture 18. iii. From the spiritual sense it is that the Word is Divinely inspired, and is holy in every word. It is said in the church that the Word is holy, and this because Jehovah God spoke it; but as its holiness is not apparent from the letter alone, he who on this account once doubts its holiness, afterwards confirms his doubt when reading the Word by many things in it, for he then thinks,

The 3 Humans This Third Round is part of a 3 part series on the glorification of the Lord. The following passage is a good reference for this work: Doctrine of the Lord 35. vi. By successive steps the Lord put off the human taken from the mother, and put on a Human from the Divine within Him, which is the Divine Human, and is the Son of God. That in the Lord were the Divine and the human, the Divine from Jehovah the Father, and the human from the virgin Mary, is known. Hence He was God and Man, having a Divine essence and a human nature; a Divine essence from the Father, and a human nature from the mother; and therefore was equal to the Father as to the Divine, and less than the Father as to the human. It is also known that this human nature from the mother was not transmuted into the Divine essence, nor commingled with it, for this is taught in the Doctrine of Faith which is called the Athanasian Creed. For a human nature cannot be transmuted into the Divine essence, nor can it be commingled therewith. [2] In accordance with the same creed is also our doctrine, that the Divine assumed the Human, that is, united itself to it, as a soul to its body, so that they were not two, but one Person. From this it follows that the Lord put off the human from the mother, which in itself was like that of another man, and thus material, and put on a Human from the Father, which in itself was like His Divine, and thus substantial, so that the Human too became Divine. Arcana Coelestia 3061(3)... Jehovah, who is the Lord as to the Divine Essence, descended and took upon Himself a Human, by conception Divine, and by birth from a virgin such as is that of another man; but this He expelled, and by Divine means made Divine the Human that was born, from which proceeds all the Holy. Thus the Divine Human became an essence by itself which fills the universal heaven, and which also makes it possible for those to be saved who could not be saved before. This then is the Lord, who as to the Divine Human is alone Man, and from whom man has it that he is man (n. 49, 288, 477, 565, 1894). See also The Heavenly Doctrines of the New Jerusalem 302. The historicals/literal sense/sense of the letter are not the Word Arcana Coelestia 1504. The historicals are what represent the Lord; the words themselves are significative of the things that are represented. But being historical, the mind of the reader cannot but be held in them; especially at this day, when most persons, and indeed nearly all, do not believe that there is an internal sense, and still less that it exists in every word; and it may be that in spite of the fact that the internal sense has been so plainly shown thus far, they will not even now acknowledge its existence, and this for the reason that the internal sense appears to recede so far from the sense of the letter as to be scarcely recognized in it. And yet that these historicals cannot be the Word they might know from the mere fact that when separated from the internal sense there is no more of the Divine in them than in any other history; whereas the internal sense makes the Word to be Divine. [2] That the internal sense is the Word itself, is evident from many things that have been revealed, as, “Out of Egypt have I called My son” (Matthew 2:15); besides many others. The Lord Himself also, after His resurrection, taught the disciples what had been written concerning Him in Moses and the Prophets (Luke 24:27); and thus that there is nothing written in the Word that does not regard Him, His kingdom, and the church. These are the spiritual and celestial things of the Word; but the things contained in the literal sense are for the most part worldly, corporeal, and earthly; AC 6884... the historicals of the Word cannot enter into heaven; for the historical of the Word is natural and worldly, and those who are in heaven are in no ideas but what are spiritual, so that they understand the Word spiritually; and what is worldly,...

The Maternal Human This Third Round is part of a 3 part series on the glorification of the Lord. Whilst no direct mention is made regarding the maternal human in this audio, the maternal human is what pertains to the things from Mary, the mother, that relate to the sensory level of person, place, time and space. The following passage is a good reference for this work: Doctrine of the Lord 35. vi. By successive steps the Lord put off the human taken from the mother, and put on a Human from the Divine within Him, which is the Divine Human, and is the Son of God. That in the Lord were the Divine and the human, the Divine from Jehovah the Father, and the human from the virgin Mary, is known. Hence He was God and Man, having a Divine essence and a human nature; a Divine essence from the Father, and a human nature from the mother; and therefore was equal to the Father as to the Divine, and less than the Father as to the human. It is also known that this human nature from the mother was not transmuted into the Divine essence, nor commingled with it, for this is taught in the Doctrine of Faith which is called the Athanasian Creed. For a human nature cannot be transmuted into the Divine essence, nor can it be commingled therewith. [2] In accordance with the same creed is also our doctrine, that the Divine assumed the Human, that is, united itself to it, as a soul to its body, so that they were not two, but one Person. From this it follows that the Lord put off the human from the mother, which in itself was like that of another man, and thus material, and put on a Human from the Father, which in itself was like His Divine, and thus substantial, so that the Human too became Divine. The green, the sensitivity, is being destroyed Arcana Coelestia 7691. And there was not left any green thing. That this signifies that all sensitivity of truth was obliterated, is evident from the signification of “not to be left,” as being to be obliterated; and from the signification of “what is green,” as being what is of memory-knowledge and the sensuous, here what is sensitive of truth, because by the “fruit of a tree” is signified the knowing of good (n. 7690), and because it is said “any green thing in the tree and in the herb of the field.” That “green” denotes that which is sensitive of truth, is because by “herb,” “grass,” and “the leaf of a tree” are signified truths; hence their “greenness” signifies that which is sensitive of truth. By this sensitivity is signified the ultimate of perception.  Ordering of the hells 7681... the evil are devastated as the Lord sets heaven in order; for the influx of good and truth from heaven causes devastation with the evil; and therefore when the Lord sets the heavens in order, then the hells, which are in the opposite, are set in order of themselves, and are removed from heaven according to the degrees of evil, and are allotted places according to the quality of their evil. Memory knowledges/scientifics do not save 7689...the herb of the land is signified the memory-knowledge of truth (scientifics), because “the land” here denotes the natural mind; and the truth of the natural mind is memory-knowledge(scientifics); and moreover the evil have no truth by faith, but only the memory-knowledge(scientific) of the truth which is of faith. Some evil men who are in the church persuade themselves that they are in truth by faith, but they are not; they are in falsity, and are against the truth of faith. That they are in falsity is hidden with them so long as they are in the world, but this hidden falsity comes forth and manifests itself in the other life when they are being devastated as to the truths of faith which they had known. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

Arcana Coelestia 7643(3) The Lord is continually bringing the heavens into order, and is constantly receiving new residents of heaven, to whom He gives dwelling places and inheritances; and when He does this, heaven approaches, that is, flows in more strongly, causing the infernal spirits to rush more strongly into evils and falsities, and into the penalties of these; and in consequence of this rushing into evils and falsities, they as before said vastate themselves; and this does not cease with them until they have completely devastated themselves, and cast themselves deeply into the hells. From all this it can be seen that nothing else than good proceeds from the Lord, and that the evil is from those themselves who are in evil. On the mirror True Christian Religion 6(2)...For everyone who has acquired his state of mind from God, the Sacred Scripture is like a mirror, in which he sees God, everyone in his own fashion. This mirror is composed of the truths which he learns from the Word and absorbs by living his life in accordance with them.  AC 5286...A person's natural - that is, his natural mind which is beneath his rational mind - cannot by itself see to any provision whatever that has to be made. It seems to do so by itself, but any provision it does make is seen to by what is interior. This sees within the exterior what provision needs to be made, almost as a person sees himself in a mirror in which his image seems to exist.  Divine Love and Wisdom 59...For the created universe is not God, but from God. And because it is from God, it has in it His image, like the image of a person in a mirror, in which the person indeed appears, but which nevertheless has nothing of the person in it. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7774 Verses 4-8. And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah, About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt. And every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the millstones; and every firstborn of beast. And there shall be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt, such as there hath been none like it, nor shall be like it anymore. And to all the sons of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, from man and even to beast; that ye may know that Jehovah doth separate between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow down themselves to me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that is at thy feet; and thereafter I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in the wrath of anger. "And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah," signifies instruction; "About midnight," signifies when the devastation is total; "I will go out into the midst of Egypt," signifies the presence of the Divine then everywhere; "and every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die," signifies the damnation then of faith separate from charity; "from the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne," signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the first place; "even to the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the millstones," signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the last place; "and every first-born of beast" signifies the adulterated goods of faith; "and there shall be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt," signifies interior lamentation; "such as there hath been none like it, nor shall be like it anymore" signifies that the state was such that there could not be any like it; "and to all the sons of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue," signifies that among those who were of the spiritual church there should not be the least of damnation and lamentation; "from man and even to beast," signifies neither as to truth nor as to good; "that ye may know that Jehovah doth separate between the Egyptians and Israel," signifies that it may be known what is the nature of the difference between those who are in evil and those who are in good; "and all these thy servants shall come down unto me," signifies those who are subordinate; "and bow down themselves to me," signifies respect from fear on account of truth Divine; "saying, Get thee out, and all the people that is at thy feet," signifies supplication that they may depart from those who are in truth from the Divine, from the highest to the lowest; "and thereafter I will go out," signifies that truth Divine will depart; "and he went out from before Pharaoh in the wrath of anger," signifies the rending asunder of the presence of truth Divine from those who are about to be damned. 7775 And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah. This signifies instruction (as above, n. 7765). 7776 About midnight. That this signifies when the devastation is total; is evident from the signification of "midnight," as being when the thick darkness is most dense, that is, when there is mere falsity; for "night" signifies a state of falsity (n. 2353, 6000), and the middle of it denotes the highest; thus "midnight" denotes total devastation. 7777 I will go out into the midst of Egypt. That this signifies the presence of the Divine then everywhere, is evident from the signification of "going out through the midst," when said of Jehovah, as being the presence of the Divine. When "the midst" is predicated of land it signifies everywhere; for "to go out through the midst of Egypt" denotes into every part. 7778 And every firstborn in the land of Egypt shall die. That this signifies the damnation of faith separate from charity, is evident from the signification of "dying," as being damnation (see n. 5407, 6119); and from the signification of "firstborn," as being the faith of the church through which is char...

And Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron; and he said, I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you. And now forgive I pray my sin only this once, and supplicate ye to Jehovah your God that He may remove from before me this death only. And he went out from before Pharaoh, and supplicated unto Jehovah. And Jehovah turned an exceeding strong sea wind, and took up the locust, and cast it into the sea Suph; there was not left one locust in all the border of Egypt. And Jehovah made firm Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let go the sons of Israel. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand toward heaven, and there shall be thick darkness upon the land of Egypt, and one shall grope in the thick darkness. And Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven; and there was dense thick darkness in the whole land of Egypt three days. They saw not a man his brother, and there rose not up anyone from what was under him for three days; and all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings. And Pharaoh called unto Moses, and said, Go ye, serve Jehovah; only your flock and your herd shall stay; your babe also shall go with you. And Moses said, Thou shalt also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt-offerings, that we may perform it unto Jehovah our God. And our cattle also shall go with us; there shall not a hoof be left behind; for thereof we must take to serve Jehovah our God; and we know not with what we must serve Jehovah until we come thither. And Jehovah made firm Pharaoh's heart, and he would not let them go. And Pharaoh said to him, Go away from before me, take heed to thyself that thou see my faces no more; for in the day thou seest my faces thou shalt die. And Moses said, Thou hast rightly spoken; I will see thy faces again no more. Exodus 10: 16-29 Exposition summaries  Arcana Coelestia 7694. “And Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron,” signifies fear then of truth from the Divine; “and he said, I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you,” signifies confession that they have not obeyed the Divine and the truth; “and now forgive I pray my sin only this once,” signifies that their disobedience should not be regarded; “and supplicate ye to Jehovah your God,” signifies intercession; “that He may remove from upon me this death only,” signifies that this falsity may not torment; “and he went out from before Pharaoh,” signifies separation; “and made supplication unto Jehovah,” signifies intercession; “and Jehovah turned an exceeding strong sea wind,” signifies the cessation of Divine influx through heaven; “and took up the locust,” signifies the end of this state; “and cast it into the sea Suph,” signifies into hell; “there was not left one locust in all the border of Egypt,” signifies that these falsities in the extremes appeared no more; “and Jehovah made firm Pharaoh's heart,” signifies that the infesters were determined; “and he did not let go the sons of Israel,” signifies that they did not leave those of the spiritual church. AC 7708.  “And Jehovah said unto Moses,” signifies instruction; “Stretch out thy hand toward heaven,” signifies the rule of the power of truth Divine in heaven; “and there shall be thick darkness upon the land of Egypt,” signifies a complete privation of truth and good; “and one shall grope in the thick darkness,” signifies the density of the falsity from evil; “and Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven,” signifies the rule of truth Divine in heaven; “and there was dense thick darkness in all the land of Egypt,” signifies the complete privation of truth and good; “for three days,” signifies a full state; “they saw not a man his brother,” signifies that they did not perceive the truth of any good; “and there rose not up anyone from what was under him,” signifies that there was no elevation of mind; “for three days,” signifies a full state; “and all the sons of Israel had light in their dwellings,” signifies that those who were of the spiritual church had enlightenment everywhere i...

Divine Love and Wisdom 327. ALL THINGS WHICH HAVE BEEN CREATED BY THE LORD ARE USES. THEY ARE USES IN THE ORDER, DEGREE AND RESPECT IN WHICH THEY HAVE RELATION TO MAN, AND THROUGH MAN TO THE LORD FROM WHOM THEY ARE  Concerning these subjects it has been stated above: that nothing except use can exist from God the Creator (308); that the uses of all created things ascend by degrees from ultimate things to man, and through man to God the Creator, from Whom they are (65-68); that the end of Creation exists in ultimates, which end is that all things may return to God the Creator, and that there may be conjunction (167-172); that things are uses so far as they have regard to the Creator (307); that the Divine cannot be other than Esse and Existere in others created by itself (47-51); that all things of the universe are recipients according to uses, and this, according to degrees (58); that the universe, viewed from uses, is an image of God (59); besides many other things. From all of which this truth is plain that all things which have been created by the Lord are uses, and that they are uses in that order, degree and respect in which they have relation to man, and through man to the Lord from Whom they are. It remains now that some things should be stated in detail about uses. Arcana Coelestia 7636. That ye may know that I am Jehovah. That this signifies that thus it may be known to them that the Lord is the only God, is evident from the signification of “that ye may know,” as being that it may be known to them. That by “I am Jehovah” is signified that the Lord is the only God, is because the name “Jehovah” signifies Is, thus Him from whom is the being and coming-forth of all things, who cannot but be the sole and only one. (That “Jehovah” denotes the Lord, see n. 1343, 1736, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6303, 6905, 6945, 6956; and that by these words is meant that He is the only God, n. 7401, 7444, 7544, 7598) 7643... evil is not from the Lord, but that it arises from man, because man turns to himself that good which flows in from the Lord, and instead of regarding the Lord and what is of the Lord in all things, he regards himself. Hence comes the concupiscence of reigning over all, and of possessing all that belongs to others; and hence come contempt for others, and hatred, revenge, and cruelty toward those who do not favor and be friendly to one's self; hence also comes contempt for all things that are of faith and charity, because when these flow in from the Lord they are turned to self, thus away from the Lord. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

Arcana Coelestia 7601(2)... when the evil are being vastated, that is, when they are being separated from truths and goods, and are left to their own evils and falsities, they are then vastated in respect to those truths and goods which are in the exterior natural, and which are adjoined there to falsities and evils. That these truths and goods look downward, and therefore cannot be reserved, will be seen below (n. 7604, 7607); but the truths and goods of the interior natural are not vastated, but are brought further inward, and are there reserved for use; and then the communication between the interior natural and the exterior is so far closed that nothing of good and truth can inflow from the interior natural into the exterior natural, except only something general, to enable them to reason, and to string together arguments to confirm falsities and evils. Those goods and truths which are reserved, are signified in the Word by “remains”. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

AC 91... While he is spiritual, the external man is not yet willing to yield obedience to and serve the internal, and therefore there is a combat; but when he becomes celestial, then the external man begins to obey and serve the internal, and therefore the combat ceases, and tranquility ensues AC 159…But the state of the posterity of this celestial man, in consequence of desiring their Own(proprium), which belongs to the external man, was so changed that they no longer perceived the internal man to be distinct from the external, but imagined the internal to be one with the external, for such a perception takes place when man inclines to his Own(proprium). AC 24. [2] Man, before he is being regenerated, does not even know that any internal man exists, much less is he acquainted with its nature and quality. He supposes the internal and the external man to be not distinct from each other. For, being immersed in bodily and worldly things, he has also immersed in them the things that belong to his internal man, and has made of things that are distinct a confused and obscure unit... AC 7601...when the evil are being vastated, that is, when they are being separated from truths and goods, and are left to their own evils and falsities, they are then vastated in respect to those truths and goods which are in the exterior natural, and which are adjoined there to falsities and evils. That these truths and goods look downward, and therefore cannot be reserved, will be seen below (n. 7604, 7607); but the truths and goods of the interior natural are not vastated, but are brought further inward, and are there reserved for use; and then the communication between the interior natural and the exterior is so far closed that nothing of good and truth can inflow from the interior natural into the exterior natural, except only something general, to enable them to reason, and to string together arguments to confirm falsities and evils.  ...[8] In Moses: Thou shalt not plough with an ox and an ass together. Thou shalt not wear a mixed garment of wool and flax together (Deuteronomy 22:10-11); by “an ox” is signified the good of the natural; by “an ass” its truth; in like manner by “wool and flax.” That they were not to plough with an ox and an ass together, nor to wear a mixed garment of wool and flax together, signified that they were not to be in two states at once; namely, in good and from it look to truth; and at the same time in truth and from it look to good. These things involve the same as is involved in the words of the Lord in Matthew: Let him that is upon the roof of the house not come down to take anything out of his house; and let him that is in the field not return back to take his garment (Matthew 24:17-18); as to which see above (n. 3652 at the end). For they who from good look to truth are in an interior heaven; but they who from truth look to good are in an exterior heaven; the latter from the world look to heaven, the former from heaven look to the world, whence they are in a kind of opposition, and therefore if they were together, the one would destroy the other.  Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

Arcana Coelestia 7599... the evil turn themselves away from Jehovah, or the Lord, for they turn themselves away from the good which is of charity, and from the truth which is of faith, in which the Lord is; and then the things that belong to the Lord are behind them, and those which belong to themselves are in front of them; and that which is behind them they neither see nor care for. From this comes all evil to man, consequently unhappiness and hell. AC 7589. I have sinned this time. That this signifies separation from truth and good, is evident from the signification of “sinning,” as being a sundering and turning away from the Divine, thus from truth and good (see n. 5229, 5474, 5841); consequently also separation, for he who turns himself away from truth and good, separates himself from them. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7752 Exodus 11 THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY All things in the universe bear relation to Good and Truth. That which does not bear relation to good and truth is not in Divine order; and that which does not bear relation to both together, produces nothing. Good is that which produces, and truth is that by which it produces. 7753 These facts may illustrate how the case is with spiritual good and truth, which are called charity and faith; namely, that all things which belong to the church bear relation to these, and those which do not bear relation to them have nothing of the church in them; and also that which does not contain both within it produces no fruit, that is, no good of charity or of faith. 7754 For in order that anything may be produced, there must be two forces, one which is called active, the other which is called passive; the one without the other brings forth nothing. Such forces, or lives, are charity and faith in the man of the church. 7755 The first of the church is good, the second is truth; or the first of the church is charity, and the second is faith. For the truth of the doctrine of faith is for the sake of the good of life. That which is the end for the sake of which something else exists, this is the first. 7756 With the conjunction of the good which is of charity, and the truth which is of faith, in man, the case is this. The good which is of charity enters through the soul into man, but the truth which is of faith enters through the hearing; the former flows in immediately from the Lord, but the latter mediately through the Word. Hence the way by which the good of charity enters is called the internal way; and the way by which the truth of faith enters is called the external way. That which enters by the internal way is not perceived, because it is not plainly subject to sensation; whereas that which enters by the external way is perceived, because it is plainly subject to sensation. For this reason everything of the church is attributed to faith. It is otherwise with those who have been regenerated; with such the good that is of charity is plainly perceived. 7757 The conjunction of the good of charity with the truth of faith is effected in the interiors of man. The good itself which flows in from the Lord adopts truth there, and appropriates it to itself, and thereby causes the good with the man to be good, and the truth to be truth; or the charity to be charity, and the faith to be faith. Without this conjunction charity is not charity, but only natural goodness; neither is faith faith, but only the memory-knowledge of such things as are of faith, and in some cases a persuasion that a thing is so for the sake of earning gain or honor. 7758 When truth has been conjoined with good it is no longer called truth, but good; and so when faith has been conjoined with charity it is no longer called faith, but charity; the reason is that the man then wills and does the truth, and that which he wills and does is called good. 7759 With the conjunction of the good of charity with the truth of faith, the case, further, is this. This good obtains its quality from truth, and truth its essence from good. From this it follows that the quality of good is according to the truths with which it is conjoined; and therefore good becomes genuine if the truths with which it is conjoined are genuine. Genuine truths of faith are possible within the church, but not out of it, for within the church is the Word. 7760 Moreover, the good of charity receives its quality also from the abundance of the truths of faith; likewise from the connection of one truth with another; thus is formed spiritual good with man. 7761 A clear distinction must be made between spiritual good and natural good. As before said, spiritual good has its quality from the truths of faith, their abundance, and their connection; but natural good is born with the man,

And Pharaoh's servants said unto him, How long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, and let them serve Jehovah their God; knowest thou not yet that Egypt is perishing? And Moses and Aaron were brought back unto Pharaoh; and he said unto them, Go ye, serve Jehovah your God; who and who are going? And Moses said, We will go with our boys, and with our old men; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flock and with our herd, will we go, because we have a feast of Jehovah. And he said unto them, So shall Jehovah be with you when I let you go, and your babe; see ye that evil is before your faces. Not so; go I pray, ye that are young men, and serve Jehovah; because this ye seek. And he drove them out from the faces of Pharaoh. And Jehovah said unto Moses, Stretch out thy hand over the land of Egypt for the locust, and it shall come up upon the land of Egypt, and shall devour all the herb of the land, even all that the hail hath left. And Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and Jehovah brought an east wind upon the land all that day, and all the night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locust. And the locust went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the border of Egypt, very grievous; before it there was no such locust as this, and after it there shall not be such. And it covered the surface of the whole land, and the land was darkened; and it devoured all the herb of the land, and all the fruit of the tree which the hail had left; and there was not left any green thing in the tree and in the herb of the field, in the whole land of Egypt.  Exodus 10: 7-15 Transcript It came up in the shares, the idea of the sensory coupled with sensitivity and its reference to what is green and just, the correspondence of that in terms of photosynthesis. You have the concept there of sensitivity to light in order to produce what is good and how it's the falsities of the senses or a belief in the senses as something that can bring about what is of heaven, like, the cultivation of delight at that level, that actually closes off that sensitivity.  So those falsities represented by the locusts … there's this idea here of the need for the exposure of the quality of what's active but unconscious now becoming conscious, in order that it can be dealt with. So that what is represented by the babe, young men, the old men, all those things that have to do with our understanding of the Lord, can be released from the bondage that those sensory elements have over them when they rule. So just again there was this reinforcement of the idea here that this is really an uncovering of what's active not a ‘coming upon' of something that wasn't there before. It's really just the unveiling of the condition and because it's through being open and sensitive to what's arising that enables what is of the Lord to be liberated from what is of self, and then that's where the empowerment really comes to the fore. So if you go back to the opening Arcana Coelestia 7651, And Pharaoh's servant said unto him how long shall this man be a snare to us? Let the men go and let them serve Jehovah their God knowest thou not yet that Egypt is perishing. This struck me as being like a voice that comes from within and it has to do with a reaction to what's happening, you know, the struggle to get beyond what appears to be a hopeless situation when you're dealing with what's arising. So often that voice comes through as a voice of weariness and fatigue related to the process. So it's reaching a stage where there's this kind of like – “just get it sorted!” you know, like we experienced this periodically. So it's really a reaction on the part of the proprium to the impact the Word or the light of truth is having upon the mind. And so being tied up in spiritual combats, going around and around through seemingly repeated experiences brings fatigue, and the fatigue arises because we are still identified with the thing...

Arcana Coelestia 7573... As regards truth Divine in heaven and in hell, which truth is signified by the “voices,” the case is the same as it is with thunders on earth. On high mountains thunders are heard as a mild and gentle sound, whereas below on the earth they are heard as a terrific noise; and in the same way in heaven truth Divine is mild and gentle, but in hell is terrible. [2] That “voices” which are thunders signify truths Divine that enlighten and perfect those who are in heaven, and that terrify and devastate those who are in hell, is plain from the following passages: There shall be joy of heart; as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountains of Jehovah, unto the Rock of Israel; then shall Jehovah cause the glory of His voice to be heard, and shall make His arm see rest; in the indignation of anger, and the flame of a devouring fire, in scattering, and in inundation, and in hailstone. For by the voice of Jehovah shall Asshur be dismayed (Isaiah 30:29-31); here “the voice of Jehovah” denotes truth Divine, which enlightens and perfects those who are in good, and terrifies and devastates those who are in evil. In Joel: The earth quaked before Him, the sun and the moon were blackened, and the stars withdrew their shining; and Jehovah uttered His voice before His army, His camp is very great; for numberless is he that doeth His word; for the day of Jehovah is great and very terrible (Joel 2:10-11); where the meaning is similar. [3] In the same: Jehovah shall roar from Zion, and shall utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but Jehovah shall be a refuge for His people, and a stronghold to the sons of Israel (Joel 3:16). Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

On the history of the churches True Christian Religion 762. That four churches have existed on this earth since the creation of the world is in accordance with Divine order, which requires that there be a beginning and then its end before a new beginning starts in. Therefore every day begins with morning, progresses, ends in night, and then begins anew; also every year begins with spring, progresses through summer to autumn, closes in winter, and then begins again; and in order that these changes may take place the sun rises in the east progresses therefrom through the south to the west, and finishes its course in the north, after which it rises again. It is the same with churches; the first, which was the Most Ancient, was like morning, spring, and the east; the second or Ancient church was like day, summer, and the south; the third was like evening, autumn, and the west; and the fourth like night, winter and the north. From these orderly progressions the wise men of ancient times inferred four ages of the world, the first of which they called the golden age, the second the silver age, the third the copper age, and the fourth the iron age, by which metals, moreover, these churches are represented in Nebuchadnezzar's statue. And again, in the Lord's sight the church is seen as a single man, and this larger man must pass through his stages of life like an individual, that is to say, from infancy to youth, from this to manhood, and finally to old age; and then, when he dies, he will rise again. The Lord says: Except a grain of wheat fall into the earth and die, it abideth [alone]; but if it die, it beareth much fruit (John 12:24). Arcana Coelestia 8211 [4] Since 'morning' means a state of enlightenment and salvation of the good, and a state of thick darkness and perdition of the evil, 'morning' also means the time of the last judgement, when those governed by good are to be saved and those ruled by evil will perish. It consequently means the end of a former Church and the beginning of a new Church, which are meant by a last judgement in the Word, 900, 931, 1733, 1850, 2117-2133, 3353, 4057, 4535. Apocalypse Explained 680... That "three" signifies what is complete, and thus the end, may be seen above (n. 435, 506, 532). This is evident also from the signification of "coming quickly," as being certainly, at hand, and coming to pass; that "quickly" signifies certainty may be seen also above (n. 7, 216). What this third woe that was to come quickly involves, can be seen from what follows, namely, that it involves the final state of the church, when there is no longer any truth or good, and the state of separation at that time of the evil from the good, and of the good from the evil, and at length the Last Judgement, which is effected by a full separation, and then the casting down of the evil into hell, and the elevation of the good into heaven. AC 2118. By the Last Judgment is meant the last time of a church, and also the last state of each person's life. As regards the last time of the church, it was the Last Judgment of the Most Ancient Church, which was before the flood, when their posterity perished; whose destruction is described by the flood. The Last Judgment of the Ancient Church, which was after the flood, was when almost all who were of that church became idolaters, and were dispersed. The Last Judgment of the Representative Church, which succeeded among the posterity of Jacob, was when the ten tribes were carried away into captivity, and were dispersed among the nations; and when later, after the Lord's coming, the Jews were driven out of the land of Canaan, and were scattered throughout the world. The Last Judgment of the present church, which is called the Christian Church, is what is meant by John in Revelation by the “New Heaven and the New Earth.” From the LP reading on casting into hell and raising into heaven AC 7541[2] It is according to order that one plague should follow another,

Transcript There are levels to work and so what serves for meeting as a group is our work over the period and that's what we bring. But there is that live aspect of work, work in vivo, so far as if you think of the Life Group container, which presents an opportunity to really be in touch with states that are arising. And this is another level of work; being able to frame that in terms of those universal spiritual principles and being able to bring that to the group. That's another aspect to work that we could definitely start to explore, and just mentioning it opens things up for that possibility. So in terms of that, it's about trust and by that, I mean trusting the process. It's not so much as in your traditional growth groups which is trusting other people. That's really not necessary here because we know what proprium is … that can't be trusted. So it's a different level of work. But what you can do is be aware of your states and trust the process. That what you're being given is being given to you by the Lord, and that shifts the whole thing. It's that sort of material, when it is able to be framed in the light of spiritual work, that becomes nourishment for the group as an entity. So it's not about any individual; it's about the group as a living entity. And that way the group becomes a repository for understanding on the level of group processes. And that capacity to listen, to be aware of what's arising, to be able to frame what's arising in the context of the spiritual principles that we've been working with for a long time, then adds a whole new dimension to what listening is about.   Think of the Life Group as a practise group. It's where you practise these skills. And the reason for that is because, you know, life is just busy and full of stuff. Whereas here is a kind of a hermetically sealed opportunity to actually get in touch with things that we're not normally in touch with. And to be able to use those skills that we have developed in the way that we interact with one another. And that will transfer out of here. You'll find that in your daily life there will be moments and opportunities for listening in the way that you listen here. Something will remind you to do that and as you do it, then you lift the quality of the contact. So, Logopraxis isn't about, for want of a better term, spilling your guts. It's about getting in touch with what's of spiritual benefit to the whole, that supports the end, which is the regeneration of the human mind. And then something special makes its presence felt and that's the Lord in the midst. So fear, anxiety, feelings of … how is going to be received? etc… all of that is bubbling away out of that sense of self that's grounded in the love of self and the love of the world. And there's no need to fear anything here because we're working with process. So, we put ourselves in an interesting position, right? Like there's an aspect of us that feels vulnerable, but the flip side of vulnerability is trust. If there's no vulnerability, there's no trust. It's "easy to be vulnerable" when there's no anxiety or fear or anything like that. Often, we think trust is about having it together, whereas really trust is about stepping beyond our normal boundaries, so far as our sense of self and its safety is concerned. So there's always going to be resistance and a sense of separation until you make the share. But once you speak it, that sense of separation and fear disappears, it dissipates because there was no reason for it to begin with. It's just that these sorts of psychodynamic structures will bind us in any way they can to maintain the status quo, whereas the work of the Lord is to break down the status quo and to move us into new vistas of the reality that He Is. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life w...

Apocalypse Revealed 78. And that thou canst not bear the evil, signifies that they cannot bear that evils should be called goods, and the reverse, because this is contrary to the truths of doctrine. That this is the signification of these words, is evident from what follows, by which is signified that they scrutinize those things in the church which are called goods and truths, when yet they are evils and falsities. To know goods, whether they are goods or evils, is of doctrine, and is among its truths, but to do goods or evils is of the life; this is said, therefore, of those who primarily regard the truths of doctrine, and not the goods of life, (73). By "the evil" in the spiritual sense, are not meant the evil but evils, because this sense is abstracted from persons. From the Logopraxis Workbook... Spiritual Literacy Let those who have ears to hear, hear what the spirit is saying to the Churches (Revelation 2:29) Thinking spiritually, or practising spiritual literacy skills, underpins all of our Logopraxis work. It refers to the ability to ‘read 'what presents into our conscious awareness, in the light of what the Text teaches is true. In cultivating these skills, we seek to observe spiritual principles and from these, to then recognise states of thought or feeling that arise in us while engaging with it, and also while engaging with others in external life. Our day-to-day activities and relationships are the field in which our inner reactions and responses can be observed and seen to illustrate what the Text teaches regarding the nature of self and the nature of the Divine, of the Lord. Natural or material thinking is dominated by worldly concerns that involve people (including ourselves), places, events, memories of the past, or projections regarding the future - and in general terms, this mode of thought functions from the belief that what the senses perceive are ‘real' things. Spiritual thinking is not concerned with that but rather is focused on those things that belong to our ‘states of mind': the relations of goods and truths, thoughts and affections, motivations and intentions, beliefs and attitudes, shunning evils and falsities, and the activity of the hellish proprium and hell versus what is of the Lord and heaven. So, the practise of spiritual literacy skills involves working to remove the natural material world elements of person, place, time, and space from the content of what we are ‘reading' or listening to, and to hold the intention to see how what's being offered might be framed in a way that captures the universal aspects of spiritual process. This divided attention of observing both internal and external states is a valuable tool in stilling the mind and helps us to be consciously present to what arises both within ourselves and with what is being presented before us either through the Text or through others. Consequently, Logopraxis Life Groups are practise groups as they are an opportunity to practise spiritual literacy as we speak and listen when we meet.  They offer a hermetically sealed container within which the material gathered from each individual's practice can serve as the basis for creating a unique environment. It is where we may learn to be with others in a new way, and where the practise of the Word is what is central. Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) 5253{2}... time nor space exists in the spiritual world. These two elements belong properly to the natural order, which also accounts for its being said that those who die depart from the realm of time, leaving temporal concerns behind them. And the reason why in the spiritual world they do not see anything that has to do specifically with some person is that any focusing, when they speak, on some particular person narrows down and limits the idea they have in mind; such a focusing prevents any broadening or removal of limits to their idea. Their use, when they speak, of broadened and unlimited ideas renders their lang...

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7694 Verses 16-20. And Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron; and he said, I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you. And now forgive I pray my sin only this once, and supplicate ye to Jehovah your God that He may remove from before me this death only. And he went out from before Pharaoh, and supplicated unto Jehovah. And Jehovah turned an exceeding strong sea wind, and took up the locust, and cast it into the sea Suph; there was not left one locust in all the border of Egypt. And Jehovah made firm Pharaoh's heart, and he did not let go the sons of Israel. "And Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron," signifies fear then of truth from the Divine; "and he said, I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you," signifies confession that they have not obeyed the Divine and the truth; "and now forgive I pray my sin only this once," signifies that their disobedience should not be regarded; "and supplicate ye to Jehovah your God," signifies intercession; "that He may remove from upon me this death only," signifies that this falsity may not torment; "and he went out from before Pharaoh," signifies separation; "and made supplication unto Jehovah," signifies intercession; "and Jehovah turned an exceeding strong sea wind," signifies the cessation of Divine influx through heaven; "and took up the locust," signifies the end of this state; "and cast it into the sea Suph," signifies into hell; "there was not left one locust in all the border of Egypt," signifies that these falsities in the extremes appeared no more; "and Jehovah made firm Pharaoh's heart," signifies that the infesters were determined; "and he did not let go the sons of Israel," signifies that they did not leave those of the spiritual church. 7695 And Pharaoh hastened to call Moses and Aaron. That this signifies fear then of truth from the Divine, is evident from the signification of "hastening," as being from fear, for all haste arises from some affection that is excited, here from the affection of fear, as is plain from the words of Pharaoh, "I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you, supplicate ye that He may take away from me this death only;" from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who infest, of which frequently above; and from the representation of Moses and Aaron, as being truth from the Divine, Moses the internal, and Aaron the external (see n. 7089, 7382). 7696 And he said, I have sinned to Jehovah your God, and to you. That this signifies confession that they have not obeyed the Divine and the truth, is evident from the signification of "sinning," as being to do contrary to Divine order (see n. 5076), and to avert and separate one's self from it, thus from good and truth (n. 5229, 5474, 5841, 7589), consequently it also denotes not to obey the Divine and the truth, for he who does not obey averts himself. The Divine is what is meant by "Jehovah your God," and the truth by "Moses and Aaron" (n. 7695). 7697 And now forgive I pray my sin only this once. That this signifies that they should not regard the disobedience, is evident from the signification of "forgiving," as being not to regard, for to forgive is not to regard anyone from evil but from good; and from the signification of "sin," as being disobedience (as just above, n. 7696). 7698 And supplicate ye to Jehovah your God. That this signifies intercession, is evident from the signification of "supplicating to Jehovah," when done for another, as being intercession (see n. 7396, 7462). 7699 That he may remove from upon me this death only. That this signifies that this falsity may not torment, is evident from the signification of "removing this death," as being that it may not torment; for by "death" is signified damnation and hell (see n. 5407, 6119), thus also torment. That they who infest deprecate this falsity is because they no longer have the capacity of reasoning against the truths of faith,

Transcript The Lord doesn't love, the Lord IS love. So what love does is that it has to bring into being what is other than itself. In order for love to exist, there has to be two. But the Lord can't bring into being a being that is Divine like Himself, because that would be loving Himself. So what the Lord brings into being is what is other than Himself. Now if you define Divinity, Divinity is to have life in oneself. That's what Divinity is. To be the source of life itself. To not be Divine, is to be a receiver of life. So everything that is created is not the Lord, it is a receiver of the Lord's life. Now in order to have a reciprocal relationship, that life has to be received by the creature, or what is created, in a way whereby it feels it to be its own. So the feeling has to be there that I am a self. But the understanding is that that feeling is a product of the Lord's in flowing life. It's not something sourced in myself, although by all appearances it does. Then you have the conditions for reciprocity, which is what love is. It's communion and connection. So that's the only way the Divine Being as love, can have love manifest as if there is another being that for all intents of purposes operates as if it is Divine but knows that it's not. And the more that you know that you don't have life in yourself, then the more infilling there is from the Divine and the more fully you feel alive. So there's kind of a paradox that sits in there. Now from our perspective, where we believe we have life in ourselves, it all looks like - My goodness, if I have to give this up then I am nothing! And so you spiral into - What is it all about? Well what the Word says is that every human being that comes into being has come into being through a need within the Grand Man to fulfill a use in the whole of the community, a unique use that only that being can fulfill. And so that's what's behind human beings being born, is that they're being born for heaven to infill these uses in this community of heaven. So an example is like when you are in a use that you love, you give no thought to yourself. Like your sense of self just doesn't exist in that time stands still, or time doesn't exist either. You're fully in the joy of what you're doing and it's not self referencing. Well that's angelic consciousness, and angels do not self reference but they're more fully alive and feel the life in the joy and the purpose and the meaning of being itself because they don't have that belief in oneself getting in the way and obscuring the Lord's life. So the Lord's desire is to give all that He is to another. That's what love does, and love can't do anything else but that, because the Lord is the fullness of all we can imagine from a perspective of happiness and joy and meaning and purpose. The more we can receive of Him, the greater our sense of meaning, happiness, joy and purpose is. So the other aspect to it is that what we can say is that that life is nothing like how we experience life at this particular point in our development. So we struggle to see what joy and happiness is without self referencing whereas it's actually true joy, true peace. True love is when the self is no longer something that's looking to take for itself what it wants or what it believes will make it happy because humility, happiness, joy, all of these things arise when the self is put off. That's what we become and that's what heaven is. So all there is, is as of self. There is no self other than the Lord. The Lord is the only Self. So just by extension, there can only be as of self and all sense of me being a self falls into the realm of falsity. So we are receivers of the Lord's life. We don't have life in our self and by definition only that which has life in itself is a self. So the Lord is the only self. The struggle we have is around trying to live out of an as of self as opposed to out of my-self. Well,

Arcana Coelestia 7542... The inmost with the good is love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor, but the inmost with the evil is the love of self and the love of the world; it is this inmost that is here meant. The things that are around this inmost and make as it were its circumferences, are evils with the falsities which favor them; and these are disposed in the order in which they favor. In the other life these are unrolled according to the order in which they have been disposed; first come forth those which occupy the outermost circumferences; afterward those which occupy the more interior ones; and at last the inmost is made manifest. Hence it is that a man in the other life passes through many states, and that by degrees, successively, the evil run into plagues, before they are cast into hell, according to what has just been said. The inmost, to which they finally come, is hell itself with them, for it is the evil itself which had been of their love, thus the end for the sake of which they had done all things, and which in the world they had most deeply hidden. Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.

Heaven and Hell 156. Together with the state of the angels' interiors which pertain to their love and wisdom, the states of various things outside them appearing before their eyes are changed. For the things outside them take on an appearance in accordance with the things within them.  Divine Love and Wisdom (40)... love and wisdom are the subject itself, and that what is perceived outside of it and as hovering and floating is nothing but an appearance of the state of the subject in itself. There are several reasons why this has not hitherto been seen, one of which is, that appearances are the first things out of which the human mind forms its understanding, and these appearances the mind can shake off only by the exploration of the cause; and if the cause lies deeply hidden, the mind can explore it only by keeping the understanding for a long time in spiritual light; and this it cannot do by reason of the natural light which continually withdraws it. The truth is, however, that love and wisdom are the real and actual substance and form that constitute the subject itself. Heaven and Hell 54. It can in no sense be said that heaven is outside of any one; it is within him. For it is in accordance with the heaven that is within him that each angel receives the heaven that is outside of him. This makes clear how greatly misled is he who believes that to come into heaven is simply to be taken up among angels, without regard to what one's interior life may be, thus that heaven is granted to each one by mercy apart from means; when, in fact, unless heaven is within one, nothing of the heaven that is outside can flow in and be received.  Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to maintain focus on understanding the Text's application to the inner life while reinforcing key LP principles highlighted in the exchanges.