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77. I fell at his feet. That this signifies adoration from humiliation of heart on account of the Divine, is evident from the signification of falling at the feet, as being adoration from humiliation. The reason why it denotes humiliation of heart, is that the humiliation which comes from the heart on account of the Divine causes that prostration. Every kind of affection has corresponding gestures in the body, the body being led and falling into them as of itself whilst interiorly it is in the affection. Humiliation on account of man causes a bowing down, according to esteem; but humiliation on account of the Divine, causes a total prostration, especially when a man thinks that the Divine is the All as to power and wisdom, and himself comparatively nothing, or that from the Divine comes every good, and from himself nothing but evil. When man makes this acknowledgment from the heart, he then comes as it were out of himself, and falls upon his face; and when he is thus out of himself, he is also removed from his proprium, which in itself is mere evil; when the proprium, is removed, the Divine infills him, and raises him up; not that the Divine desires such humiliation for Himself, but because evil is then removed; and so far as evil is removed from a man, so far what is Divine inflows, for evil alone opposes. (An example of such humiliation may be seen in the small work, The Earths in the Universe 91.)
[2] The state of man when the Divine presence, removes his proprium, and afterwards infills him, is thus described in this verse: "When I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead; and he laid his right hand upon me, saying to me, Fear not." This state is further described in Daniel:
"I lifted up mine eyes and looked, and behold a certain man clothed in linen. His face was as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as torches of fire, and his feet like the brightness of polished brass. I, Daniel, alone saw the vision, for the men who were with me saw not the vision; but a great fear fell upon them, so that they fled. And there remained no strength in me; and I was in a deep sleep, and my faces upon the ground. And, behold, a hand touched me, which set me upon my knees and upon the palms of my hands, and said, Fear not" (10:5-12).
This state is also described in Ezekiel, when he saw the cherubs, which signify the Lord as to providence:
When I saw the glory of Jehovah, "I fell upon my faces, and I heard a voice speaking, which said, Son of man, stand upon thy feet and I will speak to thee. And the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and set me upon my feet, and I heard him that spake unto me" (1:28; 2:1, 2; 3:24).
The same was the case, also, when Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John; concerning which it is thus written in Matthew:
"While Peter was yet speaking, behold a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, hear ye him. And when the disciples heard these things, they fell upon their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, be not afraid. And when they lifted up their eyes they saw no man save Jesus only" (17:5-8).
From these passages it is clear that such is the nature of the presence of the Divine Human of the Lord with man, when in a state of humiliation of heart, that he falls upon his face, and by the touch of the Lord's hand is raised upon his feet. That it was the presence of the Lord as to the Divine Human which produced these effects is evident, for the Son of man who was in the midst of the seven lampstands thus appeared before John. That the Son of man is the Lord as to the Divine Human, may be seen above (n. John 5:37; 1. 18). That they also adored the Lord, when He was in the world,
By falling upon the face at His feet, may be seen in Matthew 28:9; and in Mark 7:25, Luke 8:41; 17:15-18; and in John 11:32.
77. And I fell at His feet, signifies adoration from humiliation of heart in presence of the Divine. This is evident from the signification of "falling at the feet," as being adoration from humiliation. Humiliation of heart is meant, because humiliation that springs from the heart in presence of the Divine produces that prostration. All affections, whatsoever they are, have corresponding gestures in the body. Into these gestures the body is borne and falls as of itself, when man is interiorly in the affection. Humiliation before a man produces a bowing down, according to the estimation of him; but in presence of the Divine it produces total prostration, especially when man thinks that the Divine in respect to power and wisdom is everything, and man in comparison is nothing, or that from the Divine is all good and from man nothing but evil.
When man is in this acknowledgment from the heart he comes as it were out of himself, and thence falls upon his face, and when he is thus out of himself he also is removed from the proprium [what is his own], which in itself is wholly evil; when this is removed, the Divine fills him and raises him up; not that the Divine desires such humiliation on its account, but because evil is then removed, and so far as evil is removed with man so far the Divine flows in; for evil alone stands in the way. (An example of such humiliation may be seen in the little work on the Daniel 10:5-12).
This state is also described in Ezekiel, when he saw the cherubs, by which is signified the Lord in respect to Providence:
When I saw the glory of Jehovah, I fell upon my face, and I heard a voice of One that spoke. And He said unto me, son of man, stand upon thy feet, that I may speak to thee. And the spirit entered into me when He spoke unto me, and set me upon my feet, and I heard Him that spake unto me (Ezekiel 1:28; 2:1-2; 3:24).
Likewise also, when Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, of which it is thus written in Matthew:
While Peter was yet speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him. And when the disciples heard these things they fell on their face, and were sore afraid. And Jesus came and touched them, and said, Arise, be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their eyes they saw no one save Jesus only (Matthew 17:5-8).
From this it is apparent of what nature is the presence of the Divine Human of the Lord with man, when man is in a state of humiliation of heart, namely, that he falls upon his face, and by the touch of the Lord's hand is raised upon his feet. It was plainly the presence of the Lord in respect to the Divine Human; since it was the "Son of man" who was in the midst of the lampstands that appeared in this way before John; and the "Son of man" is the Lord as to the Divine Human, see above n. John 5:37; see also John 1:18).
Moreover, that men worshiped the Lord when He was in the world, by falling upon the face at His feet, may be seen in Matthew 28:9; and in Mark 7:25-26; Luke 8:41; 17:15-16, 18; and in John 11:32.
77. "Cecidi ad pedes Ipsius." - Quod significet adorationem ex humiliatione cordis pro Divino, constat ex significatione "cadere ad pedes", quod sit adoratio ex humiliatione; quod sit humiliatio cordis, est quia humiliatio quae ex corde venit pro Divino, illam procidentiam producit; omnes affectiones, quaecunque sunt, correspondentes gestus in corpore habent; in hos fertur et labitur corpus sicut ex se, dum interius est in affectione; humiliatio pro homine producit incurvationem secundum aestimationem, sed pro Divino incurvationem totalem, imprimis cum homo cogitat quod Divinum sit omne quoad potentiam et sapientiam, et homo nihil respective, aut quod a Divino sit omne bonum, et a se nihil nisi quam malum; cum homo in hac agnitione est ex corde, tunc venit quasi extra se, et inde labitur in faciem; et cum homo sic extra se est, etiam remotus est a proprio, quod in se est mere malum; quo remoto Divinum implet illum, et erigit: non quod Divinum talem humiliationem pro se velit, sed quia tunc removetur malum; et quantum removetur malum apud hominem, tantum influit Divinum; malum enim solum obstat. (Exemplum talis humiliationis videatur in opusculo De Telluribus in Universo, n. 91.) Status hominis, cum Divina praesentia removet proprium apud hominem, et dein implet eum, describitur in hoc versu ita, "Cum vidi Ipsum, cecidi ad pedes Ipsius tanquam mortuus; et imposuit dextram manum super me, dicens mihi, Ne time": is status describitur amplius apud Danielem:
"Sustuli oculos meos et vidi; ecce Vir indutus linteis, .... cujus facies sicut aspectus fulguris, et oculi Ejus sicut faces ignis, .... pedes Ejus sicut splendor aeris levigati; .... vidi ego solus visionem, viri autem qui fuerunt mecum non viderunt, sed timor magnus cecidit super eos, et fugerunt: .... nec in me relictae sunt vires, .... et factus sum soporatus, .... et facies meae super terram: sed ecce manus tetigit me, et sustulit super genua, et volas manuum mearum; .... et dixit, Ne timeto" (10:5-12).
Is status etiam describitur apud Ezechielem, cum vidit cherubos, per quos significatur Dominus quoad providentiam:
Cum vidi gloriam Jehovae, "cecidi super facies meas; et audivi Vocem loquentem, quae dixit, Fili hominis, sta super pedes tuos, ut loquar ad te: et venit in me spiritus cum locutus est ad me, et statuit me super pedes meos, et audivi loquentem ad me" (1:28; 2:1, 2; 3:24).
Et quoque similiter cum Jesus transformatus est coram Petro, Jacobo et Johanne; de quo ita apud Matthaeum:
"Adhuc Petro loquente, ecce nubes lucida inumbravit eos, et ecce vox e nube dicens, Hic est Filius meus dilectus, in quo acquiesco, Ipsum audite; et cum haec audissent discipuli, ceciderunt in faciem suam, et timuerunt valde: tunc accedens Jesus tetigit eos, et dixit, Surgite ne timete; et sublatis oculis neminem viderunt nisi Jesum solum' (17:5-8).
Ex his apparet qualis est praesentia Divini Humani Domini apud hominem qui in humiliatione cordis est; quod nempe cadat in faciem, et per tactum manus Ipsius erigatur in pedes. Quod praesentia Domini quoad Divinum Humanum fuerit, constare potest, nam coram Johanne ita apparuit "Filius hominis" qui in medio candelabrorum; quod "Filius hominis" sit Dominus quoad Divinum Humanum, videatur supra (n. 63): similiter coram discipulis cum Dominus transformatus est; quapropter etiam dicitur, quod "sublatis oculis neminem viderint nisi Jesum solum." Quod etiam Dominus quoad Divinum Humanum fuerit qui visus est Danieli et Ezechieli, constare potest ex Ipsius Domini verbis quod
Non vocem Patris unquam audiverint, neque speciem Ipsius viderint (Johannes 5:37; 1:18).
Quod etiam adoraverint Dominum, cum in mundo fuit,
Procidendo super faciem ad pedes Ipsius, videatur apud Matthaeum, cap. 28:9: apud Marcum, cap. 7:25, 26: apud Lucam cap. 8:41; 17:15, 16, 18: et apud Johannem, cap. 11:32 1
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Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.