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625. Over peoples, and nations, and tongues, and many kings.- That this signifies with all those who are in truths and goods as to life, and at the same time in goods and truths as to doctrine according to every one's religion, consequently that the Word may be taught as to goods of life and as to truths of doctrine, is evident from the signification of peoples and nations, as denoting those who are of the spiritual church, and those who are of the celestial church. Those who are of the spiritual church are called in the Word peoples, but those who are of the celestial church are called nations. Those who are of the spiritual church, and are called peoples, are in truths as to doctrine and life; and those who are of the celestial church, and are called nations, are in the good of love to the Lord, and thence in good as to life (concerning this signification of people and nations in the Word, see above, n. 175, 331); and from the signification of tongues, and many kings, as denoting those who are in goods and truths as to life and doctrine, but according to each one's religion. For tongues signify the goods of truth, and confession thereof according to each one's religion (see above, n. 330, 455); and kings signify truths which are from good, and many kings, various truths which are from good, but according to each one's religion (concerning this signification of kings, see above, n. 31, 553).
[2] Various truths from good are signified by "many kings," because the peoples and nations out of the church were for the most part in falsities as to doctrine, but still, because they lived a life of love to God and of charity towards the neighbour, the falsities of their religion were accepted by the Lord as truths, because the good of love was interiorly in their falsities, and the good of love qualifies all truth, and in such case qualifies the falsity that is believed by such to be truth; the good also, which lies concealed within, causes such, when they come into the other life, to perceive genuine truths, and receive them. Moreover there are truths that are only appearances of truth, such as are those contained in the sense of the letter of the Word; these appearances of truth are also accepted by the Lord as genuine truths when the good of love to the Lord, and the good of charity towards the neighbour are in them; in the other life also the good that lies hidden within dissipates appearances, and lays bare spiritual truths, that are genuine truths. From these things the meaning of "many kings" is evident. But concerning falsities with the Gentiles in which there is good, see the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 21).
[3] From what has been said and shown in this and the preceding article, it is plain, that the command to John that he must prophesy again over peoples, and nations, and tongues, and many kings, signifies that the Word must as yet be taught to those who are in goods and truths as to doctrine, and thence as to life. But because it is said, "over peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings," also these words signify, that the Word must be taught as to goods of life and as to truths of doctrine, for the Word in its whole extent contains these two.
[4] This is the sense of those words apart from persons, which is the truly spiritual sense. The sense of the letter in most places is concerned with persons, and it also names them, but the truly spiritual sense is entirely apart from persons. For the angels, who are in the spiritual sense of the Word, in everything which they think and speak, have no idea of person or place, because the idea of person and place limits and confines the thoughts, and consequently renders them natural. But it is different when the idea is abstracted from persons and places; and this is the reason why they have intelligence and wisdom, and why angelic intelligence and wisdom are inexpressible. For while man lives in the world, he is in natural thought; and natural thought derives its ideas from persons, places, and times, and from material things, and, if these were taken away from man, his thought which comes to perception would perish, for he comprehends nothing without such things. But angelic thought is without ideas derived from persons, places, times, and material things; for this reason angelic thought and speech therefrom are inexpressible, and are also incomprehensible to man.
[5] The man, however, who has in the world lived a life of love to the Lord and of charity towards his neighbour, comes into that inexpressible intelligence and wisdom after his departure out of the world; for his interior mind, which is the very mind of his spirit, is then opened, and the man, when he becomes an angel, then thinks and speaks from it, and therefore thinks and speaks such things as he could neither utter nor comprehend in the world. Every man possesses such a spiritual mind, which is like the angelic mind; but because, in the world, he speaks, sees, hears, and feels, by means of the material body, it lies hid within the natural mind, or lives above it, and he is then altogether ignorant of what he is thinking in the spiritual mind; for the thought of that mind then flows into the natural mind, and is there limited, bounded, and so presented as to be seen and perceived. A man does not know so long as he lives in the body in the world that he interiorly possesses such a mind, and therein angelic wisdom and intelligence, because, as stated, all things that concern that mind flow into the natural mind, and thus become natural according to correspondences. These things are said in order that the quality of the Word in the spiritual sense may be known, when that sense is regarded altogether apart from persons and places, that is apart from those things that take their quality from the material things pertaining to the body and the world.
625. Upon peoples, and nations, and tongues, and many kings, signifies with all who are in truths and goods in respect to life, and at the same time in goods and truths in respect to doctrine according to each one's religion, consequently to teach the Word in respect to the goods of life and the truths of doctrine. This is evident from the signification of "peoples and nations," as being those who are of the spiritual church and those who are of the celestial church; those who are of the spiritual church are called in the Word "peoples," but those who are of the celestial church are called "nations." Those who are of the spiritual church, who are called "peoples," are they who are in truths in respect to doctrine and life; and they who are of the celestial church, who are called "nations," are they who are in the good of love to the Lord, and thus in good in respect to life. (But on this signification of "peoples and nations" in the Word, see above, n. 175, 331.) Also from the signification of "tongues and many kings," as being those who are in goods and truths in respect to life and doctrine, but according to each one's religion; for "tongues" signify the goods of truth and confession of these according to each one's religion (See above, n. 330, 455); and "kings" signify truths that are from good, and "many kings" various truths from good, but according to each one's religion. (That "kings" signify truths from good, see above, n. 31, 553)
[2] "Many kings" signify various truths that are from good, because the peoples and nations outside of the church were for the most part in falsities as to doctrine, and yet because they lived a life of love to God and of charity towards the neighbor the falsities of their religion were accepted by the Lord as truths, for the reason that there was inwardly in their falsities the good of love, and the good of love gives its quality to every truth, and in this case it gives its quality to the falsity that such accept as truth; and moreover, the good that lies concealed within causes such when they come into the other life to perceive genuine truths and accept them. Again there are truths that are only appearances of truth, like those truths that are in the sense of the letter of the Word; these appearances of truth are accepted by the Lord as genuine truths when there is in them the good of love to the Lord and the good of charity towards the neighbor; and with such in the other life the good that lies hidden within dissipates the appearances, and makes bare the spiritual truths which are genuine truths. From this it can be seen what is here meant by "many kings." (But respecting the falsities in which there is good that exist among the Gentiles, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 21.)
[3] From what has been said and shown in this and the preceding article, it can be seen that "he must again prophesy upon peoples, and nations, and tongues, and many kings" signifies that the Word must still be taught to those who are in goods and truths in respect to doctrine, and thence are in life; but as it is said "upon peoples, nations, tongues, and kings," these words signify also that the Word must be taught in respect to the goods of life and the truths of doctrine, for these two are what the Word in its whole complex contains.
[4] This is the sense of these words abstracted from persons, which is the truly spiritual sense. The sense of the letter in most places has regard to persons, and mentions persons, but the truly spiritual sense is without any regard whatever to persons. For angels who are in the spiritual sense of the Word have no idea of person or of place in any particular of what they think or speak, for the idea of person or of place limits and confines the thoughts, and thereby renders them natural; it is otherwise when the idea is abstracted from persons and places. It is from this that angels have intelligence and wisdom, and that thence angelic intelligence and wisdom are ineffable. While man lives in the world he is in natural thought, and natural thought derives its ideas from persons, places, times, and material things, and if these should be taken away from man, his thought which comes to perception would perish, for without these he comprehends nothing; but angelic thought is apart from ideas drawn from persons, places, times, and material things; and this is why angelic thought and speech are ineffable, and to man also incomprehensible.
[5] And yet a man who has lived in the world a life of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbor comes, after his departure from the world, into that ineffable intelligence and wisdom; for his interior mind, which is the very mind of his spirit, is then opened, and then the man, when he becomes an angel, thinks and speaks from that mind, and consequently thinks and speaks such things as he could not utter or comprehend in the world. Such a spiritual mind, which is like the angelic mind, every man has; but because man while in the world speaks, sees, hears, and feels, by means of a material body, that mind lies hidden within the natural mind, or lives above it; and what man thinks in that mind he is wholly ignorant of; for the thought of that mind then flows into the natural mind, and there limits, bounds, and so presents itself as to be seen and perceived. So long as man is in the body in the world, he does not know that he has within him this mind, and in it possesses angelic intelligence and wisdom, because, as has been said, all things that abide there flow into the natural mind, and thus become natural according to correspondences. This has been said to make known what the Word is in the spiritual sense, which sense is wholly abstracted from persons and places, that is, from such things as derive their quality from the material things of the body and the world.
625. "Super populos et gentes, et linguas et reges multos." - Quod significet apud omnes qui ii; veris et in bonis quoad vitam sunt, et simul in bonis et in veris quoad doctrinam, secundum cujusvis religionem, proinde ut doceatur Verbum quoad bona vitae et quoad vera doctrinae, constat ex significatione "populorum et gentium", quod sint qui ab ecclesia spirituali et ab ecclesia caelesti sunt; illi qui ab ecclesia spirituali sunt, vocantur in Verbo "populi"; at illi qui ab ecclesia caelesti sunt, vocantur "gentes"; illi qui ab ecclesia spirituali sunt, qui vocantur "populi", sunt qui in veris quoad doctrinam et quoad vitam Sunt; et qui ab ecclesia caelesti sunt, qui vocantur "gentes", sunt qui in bono amoris in Dominum sunt, et inde in bono quoad vitam: (sed de significatione "populorum" et "gentium" in Verbo, videatur supra, n. 175, 331): et ex significatione "linguarum et regum multorum", quod sint qui in bonis et veris quoad vitam et quoad doctrinam sunt, sed secundum cujusvis religionem; "linguae" enim significant bona veri, et confessionem eorum secundum cujusvis religionem (videatur supra, n. 330, 455); et "reges" significant vera quae ex bono, et "reges multi" varia vera quae ex bono, sed secundum cujusvis religionem.
(Quod "reges" significent vera ex bono, videatur supra, n. 31, 553.)
[2] Quod "reges multi" significent varia vera quae ex bono, est quia populi et gentes extra ecclesiam plerique fuerunt in falsis quoad doctrinam; sed usque, quia vitam amoris in Deum et charitatis erga proximum vixerunt, falsa religionis eorum a Domino acceptata fuerunt sicut vera, ex causa quia intus in falsis eorum fuit bonum amoris, et bonum amoris qualificat omne verum; et tunc falsum quod a talibus creditur esse verum, etiam bonum intus latens facit, ut illi, dum in alteram vitam veniunt, percipiant genuina vera, et recipiant illa. Praeterea sunt vera quae solum apparentiae veri sunt, prout sunt illa vera quae in sensu. litterae Verbi sunt; illae veri apparentiae etiam a Domino acceptantur sicut genuina vera, quando in illis est bonum amoris in Dominum et bonum charitatis erga proximum; etiam bonum intus latens apud illos in altera vita dissipat apparentiaS, et nudat vera spiritualia, quae sunt genuina vera. Ex his constare potest quid hic intelligitur per "reges multos." (Sed de falsis in quibus bonum, quae sunt apud gentes, videatur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 21.)
[3] Ex his quae in hoc articulo, et ex illis quae in praecedente, dicta et ostensa sunt, constare potest quod per quod "oporteat iterum prophetare super populos, gentes, linguas et reges multos" significetur quod adhuc docendum sit Verbum illis qui in bonis et veris quoad doctrinam et inde vitam sunt; sed quia dicitur "super populos, gentes, linguas et reges", etiam per illa verba significatur quod docendum sit Verbum quoad bona vitae et quoad vera doctrinae, nam haec duo sunt quae Verbum in toto suo complexu continet.
[4] Hic sensus est sensus illorum verborum abstractus a personis, qui est sensus vere spiritualis: sensus litterae in plerisque locis spectat personas, etiam nominat illas; Sed sensus vere spiritualis est prorsus absque respectu personarum. Angeli enim, qui in sensu spirituali Verbi sunt, in singulis quae cogitant et loquuntur, non aliquam ideam personae nec loci habent, quoniam idea personae et loci limitat et finit cogitationes, et per id facit illas naturales; aliter idea abstracta a personis et locis; inde est quod illis intelligentia et sapientia sit, et inde est quod intelligentia et sapientia angelica sit ineffabilis: homo enim, dum in mundo vivit, in cogitatione naturali est; et cogitatio naturalis ideas habet ex personis, locis, temporibus, et ex materialibus, quae si homini auferrentur, periret ei cogitatio quae ad perceptionem venit, nam sine illis nihil quicquam comprehendit; at cogitatio angelica absque ideis ex personis, locis, temporibus et materialibus est; inde est quod cogitatio et inde loquela angelica sit ineffabilis, et quoque homini incomprehensibilis.
[5] At usque homo qui in mundo vitam amoris in Dominum et vitam charitatis erga proximum vivit, is post excessum e mundo in intelligentiam et sapientiam illam ineffabilem venit; nam mens ejus interior, quae est ipsa mens ejus spiritus, tunc aperitur, et homo tunc, cum fit angelus, ex illa cogitat et loquitur, proinde talia quae in mundo non potuit effari, nec comprehendere. Mens talis spiritualis, quae similis est menti angelicae, cuivis homini inest; sed in mundo, quia per corpus materiale ibi loquitur, videt, audit et sentit, intra mentem naturalem latet, seu supra hanc vivit; et homo quod inibi cogitat tunc prorsus ignorat, nam cogitatio illius mentis tunc influit in mentem naturalem, ac se ibi limitat, finit, et sistit videndam et percipiendam. Homo nescit, dum in corpore in mundo est, quod interius illam mentem, et inibi intelligentiam et sapientiam angelicam, possideat; ex causa quia omnia quae ibi versantur, influunt in mentem naturalem, ut dictum est, et sic secundum correspondentias fiunt naturalia. Haec dicta sunt ut sciatur quale est Verbum in sensu spirituali, quando hic sensus prorsus abstractus est a personis et a locis; hoc est, a talibus quae ex materialibus corporis et mundi suum quale trahunt.