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1166. Clothed in fine linen, and crimson, and scarlet.- That this signifies the appearance in externals as if it were from celestial and spiritual truth and good, is evident from the signification of fine linen, which denotes truth from a celestial origin (concerning which see above, n. 1143); from the signification of crimson which denotes good from a celestial origin (see above, n. 1142); from the signification of scarlet, which denotes good from a spiritual origin (see above, n. 1144); and from the signification of being clothed with them, which denotes appearance in externals. It is therefore evident, that by clothed in fine linen, and crimson, and scarlet, is signified the appearance in externals as if it were from celestial and spiritual truth and good, when nevertheless, those things, viewed interiorly, are evils and falsities from an infernal origin. What the Celestial and the Spiritual are, has been frequently explained before.
[2] Continuation.- The reason why the Lord alone resists evils with man, and not by means of any angels of heaven, is that the resistance of evils with man is the work of the Divine Omnipotence, the Divine Omniscience, and the Divine Providence. It is the work of the Divine Omnipotence, because to resist one evil is to resist many, and also to resist the hells. For every evil is conjoined with innumerable evils, cohering one with another like the hells. For as the hells make one, so also do evils, and to resist the hells so conjoined is not possible for any one but the Lord alone. It is the work of the Divine Omniscience, because the Lord alone knows what the quality of a man is, and what his evils are, and how they are connected with all other evils; thus in what order they must be removed that a man may be inwardly or radically cured. It is the work of the Divine Providence, lest anything be done contrary to the laws of order, and further, that what is done may conduce to man's happiness to eternity; for the Divine Providence, the Divine Omniscience, and the Divine Omnipotence have regard in every thing to what is eternal.
[3] From these things it is evident that no angels can resist evils with man, but the Lord alone. The Lord effects this with man both immediately from Himself, and also mediately through heaven; but still in such a manner, that no angel knows anything of it. For heaven as a collective whole is the Lord, because it is His proceeding Divine, and therefore when He operates through heaven, He operates from Himself; but it is said mediately, because the Divine Operation flows through the heavens, still it takes nothing from the proprium of any angel there, but what it does take from them belongs to itself. The appearance is like that of a man performing an action; in order to cause the action he moves innumerable motive fibres scattered throughout the whole body, of which operation no single fibre knows anything whatever. Such also are the angels in the Divine Body, which is called heaven.
1166. Arrayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet signifies the appearance in externals of being from celestial and spiritual truth and good. This is evident from the signification of "fine linen," as being truth from a celestial origin (See n. 1143); also from the signification of "purple," as being good from a celestial origin (See n. 1042); also from the signification of "scarlet," as being good from a spiritual origin (See n. 1144); also from the signification of "to be arrayed in them," as being to appear in externals. This makes clear that "to be arrayed in fine linen and purple and scarlet" signifies the appearance in externals of being from celestial and spiritual truth and good, and yet regarded interiorly, these are evils and falsities from an infernal origin. What the celestial is and what the spiritual is has frequently been told before.
(Continuation. )
[2] The Lord alone resists the evils with man by Himself and not through any angels of heaven, because to resist evils with man is a work of Divine omnipotence, Divine omniscience, and Divine providence. It is a work of Divine omnipotence, because to resist one evil is to resist many, and even to resist the hells. For every evil is joined with innumerable other evils, and they cling together like the hells with each other; for as evils make one so do the hells, and as the hells make one so do evils, and no one but the Lord is able to resist the hells so united. It is a work of Divine omniscience, because the Lord alone knows what man is and what his evils are, and what their connection is with other evils, thus in what order they must be removed that man may be inwardly or radically cured. It is a work of Divine providence, that nothing may be done contrary to the laws of order, and that what is done may promote man's eternal good; for Divine omnipotence, Divine omniscience, and Divine providence have respect in every least particular to what is eternal.
[3] All this makes clear that no angel is able to resist the evils with man, but the Lord only. The Lord carries on this work in man both immediately from himself, and mediately through heaven, and yet in such a way that no angel knows anything about it. For heaven in the whole complex is the Lord, because it is His Divine proceeding; consequently when He is working through heaven He is working from Himself. It is said mediately because the Divine operation flows through the heavens, and yet it takes nothing from the own [proprium] of any angel there, but only from what is its own with them. The appearance is the same as when a man does any act; to produce it he moves innumerable motor fibers scattered through his whole body, but of this action no single fiber knows anything. Such are angels in the Divine Body which is called heaven.
1166. "Circumamicta bysso et purpura et coccino." - Quod significet apparentiam in externis sicut foret ex caelesti et spirituali vero et bono, constat ex significatione "byssi", quod sit verum ex origine caelesti (de qua [supra] , n. 1143); ex significatione "purpurae", quod sit bonum ex origine caelesti (de qua, n. 1042); ex significatione "coccini", quod sit bonum ex origine spirituali (de qua, n. 1144); et ex significatione "circumamiciri illis", quod sit apparentia in externis; inde patet quod per "circumamictam bysso, et purpura et coccino", significetur apparentia in externis sicut foret ex caelesti et spirituali vero et bono, cum tamen illa spectata interius sunt mala et falsa ex origine infernali. Quid caeleste et quid spirituale, prius aliquoties dictum est.
[2] (Continuatio.)
Quod solus Dominus resistat malis apud hominem, et non per aliquos angelos caeli, est quia resistere malis apud hominem est Divinae omnipotentiae, Divinae omniscientiae, et Divinae providentiae. Est Divinae omnipotentiae, quia resistere uni malo est resistere multis, et quoque est resistere infernis; quodvis enim malum conjunctum est cum malis innumerabilibus; cohaerent sicut inferna inter se; nam sicut mala ita inferna, et sicut inferna ita mala, unum faciunt, ac resistere infernis ita conjunctis nemo potest, nisi solus Dominus. Est Divinae omniscentiae, quia solus Dominus novit qualis est homo, et quaenam ejus mala sunt, et in quo nexu cum reliquis malis sunt, ita quo ordine removenda sunt ut homo ab interiori seu radicitus sanetur. Est Divinae providentiae, ne aliquid contra leges ordinis fiat, tum, quod fit, conducat homini in aeternum; Divina enim providentia, Divina omniscientia et Divina omnipotentia, in singulis spectant aeternum.
[3] Ex his constare potest quod non aliquis angelus possit resistere malis apud hominem, sed solus Dominus. Dominus operatur illa apud hominem immediate a Se, et quoque mediate per caelum, sed usque ita ut nullus angelus sciat aliquid de eo; caelum enim in toto complexu est Dominus, quia est Divinum Ipsius procedens; quare dum per caelum operatur, est quoque ex Se; sed dicitur mediate, quia Divina operatio transfluit caelos, at usque nihil desumit ex cujusdam angeli proprio ibi, sed ex suo apud illos: apparentia est, sicut dum homo agit actionem, movet innumerabiles fibras motrices circum universum corpus sparsas, ad sistendum illam, de qua non aliqua fibra novit quicquam: tales etiam sunt angeli in Divino Corpore, quod vocatur caelum.