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826. (Verse 14) And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs which it was given him to do in the sight of the beast. That this signifies the persuasion of those who belong to the church that they are truths, by testifications from the Word conjoined to reasonings from the natural man, is evident from the signification of deceiving, as denoting to persuade to the adoption of falsities. For the persuasion of falsity is seduction; and from the signification of them that dwell on the earth, as denoting those who belong to the church (see above, n. 821); and from the signification of signs, as denoting testifications and the persuasions thence (see above, n. 824) - in this case, testifications drawn from the sense of the letter of the Word; and from the signification of the beast, before which those signs were done, as denoting reasonings from the natural man (concerning which see above, n. 774).
The reason why, in this case, by the signs which were performed by this beast before the other, are signified testifications from the sense of the letter of the Word, conjoined to reasonings from the natural man is, because by the beast which did the signs are signified confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word; and by the beast before which the signs were done, are signified reasonings from the natural man. In this case, therefore, the conjunction of confirmations from the Word with those reasonings is signified; and when these are conjoined, they become testifications and persuasions. For reasonings from the natural man, in spiritual things, are of no avail before the world, but when the same reasonings are confirmed from the Word they do avail. The reason is, that the Word is Divine, and in the sense of the letter it consists of appearances of truth and of correspondences, in which the genuine truths which lie concealed within cannot be seen except by one who is enlightened. And he who is not enlightened may draw these appearances of truth to the confirmation of falsities as if they were truths; for in the case of one who is not enlightened fallacies rule, and his reasonings are from fallacies. He, however, who is enlightened can see from spiritual and at the same time from natural light (lux); and the natural light which is in him is enlightened by the spiritual. But he who is not enlightened sees merely from natural light, separate from spiritual, and this light, in things spiritual, is not light but thick darkness. This thick darkness, nevertheless, after confirmations of falsity, appears like the light of truth. But it is like the light in the hells, which in the sight of those who are there appears light; but as soon as light from heaven enters, the light there is turned into absolute thick darkness, and their thought grows dull. In the hells, in which those are who have more deeply persuaded themselves of falsities, owing to their being endowed with the faculty of thinking more interiorly than others, they are in the light of phantasy, which is somewhat bright; it is, nevertheless, turned into a darkness still more dusky by the influx of rays of light from heaven. Such light is that of the confirmation of falsity from the sense of the letter of the Word by reasonings from the fallacies of the natural man. Hence it is evident that the light of the confirmation of falsity, even to the destruction of the Divine truth which is in heaven, is infernal light.
[2] Since in the preceding articles we have treated of good works, we will now continue the subject, and show what love to the Lord is. In the third or inmost heaven they are all in love to the Lord from the Lord; and they are such as are in possession of truths written on their life, and not on the memory, as is the case with the angels of the lower heavens. And this is also the reason why those who are in the third heaven never speak about truths, but only listen to others speaking about them, and reply either that it is so, or that in some respects it is so, or that it is not so. For they see, in themselves, whether what they hear are or are not truths; and they see this not from any seeing in the thought, as others do, but from the affection of truth in the understanding. For all truths with them are inscribed on their affections; and these derive their essence from celestial love, which is love to the Lord. Thus truths with them make one with their affections. And because those angels are in love to the Lord from the Lord, their interior life consists of pure affections of good and truth from that love. Hence it is that they do not speak of truths, but do truths, thus good works. For the affections of good and truth which are from that love can exist only in act, and when they exist they are called uses, and are meant by good works. They perceive also, in themselves, the quality of the uses or works from the affection whence they originate; and also the differences of these from the conjunction of several affections. Thus they do all things with interior wisdom. And since they do not think of truths and thence speak of them, but simply do them, and since this comes from their love to the Lord, and thence from the affections alone of which their life consists, it is evident that love to the Lord consists in doing truths from an affection for them, and that their deeds are good works; consequently that to love the Lord is to do. This also is meant by the Lord's words in John:
"He who hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me. But he that loveth me not, keepeth not my sayings" (14:21, 24).
And they are meant by these words in Jeremiah:
"I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts. Nor shall they teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord; for they shall all know me, from the least of them unto the greatest of them" (31:33, 34).
By the law are meant all things of the Word, thus all the truths and goods of heaven. In the midst of them, signifies in their life; and the heart, upon which the law shall be written, signifies the love. From these things, it is evident how comprehensive is the doctrine of love to the Lord. For it is the doctrine of all the affections pertaining to love; and every affection has truths inscribed on it, according to the quality of its perfection, and produces them in act with infinite variety. And those affections do not come into the understanding under any species of ideas; but they come to the inner sensitive perception, under a species of sweet enjoyment pertaining to the will, which cannot be described in words. Those who imbibe the laws of life from the Word, and live according to them, and who worship the Lord, become angels of the heaven.
826. Verse 14. And he seduceth them that dwell on the earth by reason of the signs that were given him to do before the beast, signifies to persuade those who are of the church that these are truths, by testifications from the Word joined to reasonings from the natural man. This is evident from the signification of "seducing," as being to persuade that falsities are truths, for the persuasion of falsity is seduction. Also from the signification of "them that dwell on the earth," as being those who are of the church (See above, n. 821). Also from the signification of "signs," as being testifications and consequent persuasions (See just above, n. 824, here testifications from the sense of the letter of the Word. Also from the signification of "the beast" before which these signs were done, as being reasonings from the natural man (See above, n. 774). Here "the signs that were done by this beast before the other" signify testifications from the sense of the letter of the Word, joined to reasonings from the natural man, because "the beast" that did the signs signifies confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word; and "the beast" before which the signs were done signifies reasonings from the natural man; so here it signifies the conjunction of confirmations from the Word with these reasonings; and when these are conjoined they become testifications and persuasions. For reasonings that are from the natural man are of no avail in spiritual things before the world; but when the same reasonings are confirmed from the Word they prevail; for the reason that the Word is Divine, and in the sense of the letter consists of appearances of truth and of correspondences, in which the genuine truths that lie hidden within can be seen only by one who is enlightened; while one not enlightened can draw over these appearances of truth to confirm that falsities are truths, for with one who is not enlightened fallacies prevail, and the reasonings are from fallacies. But one who is enlightened sees from spiritual and from natural light at the same time; and the natural light with him is illumined by the spiritual; but one who is not enlightened sees from natural light only, separated from spiritual light, and such a light is in spiritual things not light but thick darkness. And yet this thick darkness, when falsities have been confirmed, appears to be as it were the light of truth, but it is like the light in the hells, which in the sight of those who are there appears as light; but as soon as light from heaven enters the light there is turned into mere thick darkness, and their thought grows dull. Those who are in the hells that contain such as have more deeply persuaded themselves of falsities by their ability to think more interiorly than others, are in the light of phantasy, and this light is bright in a way, but it is turned into a still blacker thick darkness by the influx of rays of light from heaven. Such is the light of the confirmation of falsity from the sense of the letter of the Word by reasonings from the fallacies of the natural man. From this it is clear that the light of the confirmation of falsity even to the destruction of the Divine truth which is in heaven, is infernal light.
[2] As the preceding articles treat of good works, I will here go on with the plan and show what is meant by love to the Lord. All who are in love to the Lord from the Lord are in the third or inmost heaven; and they are such as have truths written in the life, and not, like the angels of the lower heavens, in the memory; and this is why those who are in the third heaven never talk about truths, but only listen to others speaking about them, and reply either that it is so, or that it is somewhat so, or that it is not so. For they see in themselves whether what they hear is true or not; and this they see not from any sight in the thought, as others do, but from the affection of truth in the understanding. For with them all truths are written on their affections, and these derive their essence from celestial love, which is love to the Lord. Thus with them truths make one with their affections. And as these angels are in love to the Lord from the Lord, their interior life consists of mere affections of good and truth from that love. For this reason they do not speak about truths, but do truths, that is, good works. For the affections of good and truth that are from that love must needs come forth in act, and when they come forth they are called uses, and are what are meant by good works. Moreover, they perceive in themselves the quality of the uses or works from the affection from which they are; and also the differences between them from the conjunction of many affections; thus they do all things with interior wisdom. And because they do not think about truths and thence speak about them, but only do them, and because this comes from their love to the Lord, and thence from the affections alone, of which their life consists, it is evident that love to the Lord consists in doing truths from the affection of them, and that their deeds are good works; consequently that to love the Lord is to do; and this is what is meant by the Lord's words in John:
He that hath My commandments and doeth them, he it is that loveth Me. But he that loveth Me not keepeth not My words (John 14:21, 24).
And they are meant by these words in Jeremiah:
I will give My law in the midst of them, and will write it upon their heart. Neither shall they teach a man his companion or a man his brother, Know ye Jehovah, for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them (Jeremiah 31:33, 34).
"The law" means all things of the Word, thus all the truths and goods of heaven; "in the midst of them" signifies in their life; and the "heart" upon which the law shall be written signifies the love. From this it is clear how ample is the doctrine of love to the Lord, for it is the doctrine of all affections which belong to love; and every affection has truths written upon it according to the quality of its perfection, and brings them forth in act with infinite variety; and these affections do not come into the understanding in the form of ideas, but come to the inner sensitive perception in the form of delights of the will, wherefore they cannot be described by words. Those who imbibe the laws of life from the Word and live according to them, and who worship the Lord, become angels of the third heaven.
826. [Vers. 14.] "Et seducat habitantes super terra propter signa quae data ei facere coram bestia." Quod significet persuasionem illorum qui ab ecclesia sunt, quod vera sint, per testificationes e Verbo conjunctas ratiociniis e naturali homine, constat ex significatione "seducere", quod sit persuadere falsa, nam persuasio falsi est seductio; ex significatione "habitantium super terra", quod sint qui ab ecclesia sunt (ut supra, n. 821 [a]); ex significatione "signorum", quod sint testificationes et inde persuasiones (ut mox supra, n. 824), hic testificationes ex sensu litterae Verbi; et ex significatione "bestiae", coram qua fecit illa signa, quod sint ratiocinia ex naturali homine (de qua supra, n. 774): quod hic per "signa facta ab hac bestia coram altera" significentur testificationes e sensu litterae Verbi conjunctae ratiociniis e naturali homine, est quia per "bestiam, quae fecit signa" significantur confirmationes e sensu litterae Verbi, et per "bestiam coram qua facta sunt signa" significantur ratiocinia e naturali homine; hic itaque significatur conjunctio confirmationum e Verbo cum ratiociniis illis; et cum conjunguntur, tunc fiunt testificationes et persuasiones: ratiocinia enim e naturali homine in spiritualibus coram mundo non valent, at cum eadem confirmantur e Verbo, valent; causa est, quia Verbum est Divinum, et id in sensu litterae consistit ex apparentiis veri, et ex correspondentiis, in quibus genuina vera, quae intus latent, non nisi quam ex illustrato videri possunt; a non illustrato autem possunt apparentiae veri trahi ad confirmandum falsa sicut vera, nam apud non illustratum fallaciae regnant, et ex fallaciis sunt ratiocinia: illustratus autem videt ex spirituali et simul ex naturali luce, et naturalis lux apud illum illustratur a spirituali; non illustratus vero videt solum ex naturali luce separata a spirituali, quae lux in spiritualibus non lux sed caligo est; haec caligo usque post confirmationes falsi apparet sicut lux veri, sed est sicut lux in infernis, quae coram illis qui ibi sunt apparet ut lux, sed ut primum intrat lux e caelo, vertitur lux ibi in meram caliginem, et cogitatio eorum obstupescit; in infernis in quibus sunt illi qui altius persuaserunt sibi falsa ex dote cogitandi interius quam alii, in luce phantasiae sunt, quae lux ad modum candet, sed haec lux in adhuc magis furvam caliginem vertitur per influxum radiorum lucis e caelo; talis lux est lux confirmationis falsi ex sensu litterae Verbi per ratiocinia ex fallaciis naturalis hominis: inde patet quod lux confirmationis falsi usque ad destructionem Divini Veri, quod in caelo est, sit lux infernalis.
[2] Quoniam in praecedentibus articulis actum est de bonis operibus, velim hic continuare telam, et ostendere quid amor in Dominum. In tertio seu intimo caelo sunt omnes in amore in Dominum a Domino; et illi tales sunt ut vitae suae inscripta vera possideant, et non memoriae sicut angeli inferiorum caelorum; quae etiam causa est quod illi qui in tertio caelo sunt nusquam loquantur de veris, sed solum audiant alios loquentes de illis, ac respondeant vel quod ita sit, vel quod aliquid ita, vel quod non ita: vident enim in se num sint vera quae audiunt, vel num non sint vera, et hoc vident non ex aliquo visu in cogitatione, sicut alii, sed ex affectione veri in intellectu; omnia enim vera apud illos inscripta sunt illorum affectionibus, quae suam essentiam trahunt ex amore caelesti, qui est amor in Dominum; ita vera apud illos unum faciunt cum affectionibus illorum. Et quia illi angeli in amore in Dominum a Domino sunt, illorum vita interior consistit ex meris affectionibus boni et veri ex illo amore; inde est quod non loquantur vera, sed faciant vera, ita bona opera; affectiones enim boni et veri, quae ex illo amore sunt, non possunt aliter quam actu existere; et dum existunt, vocantur usus, ac intelliguntur per bona opera. Percipiunt etiam in se quale usuum seu operum ex affectione ex qua sunt, et quoque eorum differentias ex plurium affectionum conjunctione; ita faciunt omnia cum interiore sapientia. Et quia illi non cogitant vera et inde loquuntur illa, sed modo faciunt illa, et hoc venit ex amore illorum in Dominum, et inde ex solis affectionibus, ex quibus consistit vita eorum, patet quod amor in Dominum consistat in faciendis veris ex affectione illorum, et quod facta illorum sint bona opera; proinde quod amare Dominum sit facere; quod etiam intelligitur per Domini verba apud Johannem,
"Qui habet praecepta mea, et facit illa, ille est qui amat Me:.... qui vero non amat Me, verba mea non servat" (14:21, 24):
et illi intelliguntur per haec apud Jeremiam,
"Dabo legem meam in medio eorum, et super cor illorum scribam illam:.... neque docebunt..quis socium suum, aut quis fratrem suum, ..Agnoscite Jehovam: omnes enim cognoscent Me, a minimo eorum ad maximum eorum" (31:33, 34):
per "legem" intelliguntur omnia Verbi, ita omnia vera et bona caeli; "in medio eorum" significat in vita eorum; et "cor", super quod lex scribetur, significat amorem. Ex his patet quam ampla sit doctrina amoris in Dominum, est enim doctrina omnium affectionum, quae sunt amoris; et unaquaevis affectio sibi inscripta habet vera secundum quale perfectionis ejus, et producit illa actu cum infinita varietate; et affectiones illae non in intellectum sub specie idearum veniunt, sed ad perceptionem sensitivam interiorem sub specie jucunditatum voluntatis; quare non per verba describi possunt. Illi angeli tertii caeli fiunt qui leges vitae ex Verbo hauriunt, ac vivunt secundum illas, et qui colunt Dominum.