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865. These were redeemed from among men, being the first-fruits unto God and unto the Lamb. That this signifies those in the New Church who are received by the Lord, is evident from the signification of those who are redeemed by the Lord, as denoting those who receive instruction from the Word, especially respecting the Lord, and who live according to it; respecting which see above (n. 860). These are also called the redeemed of the Lord; and these are the redeemed who are regenerated by the Lord; and these are they who follow the Lord, that is, are led by Him, of whom we have just treated above. And the same appears from the signification of the first-fruits of God and the Lamb, as denoting those who have given themselves to the Lord, and are adopted by Him. That these are those who belong to the New Church, is evident from this consideration, that they are called the first-fruits to God and to the Lamb. For those who are received therein, acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human, and live according to His precepts. No others, are received in the New Church, called the New Jerusalem, because those who do not believe it, and so live, are not in agreement with the life of heaven, neither with the light there, nor with the heat; for the light there is Divine truth, from which come all intelligence and wisdom; and the heat there is Divine good, from which come all love and charity. All man's affection and thought therefrom is not only within him, and constitutes his life, but is also external to him, and constitutes the sphere of his life. This is why heaven is divided into societies according to the varieties of affections and thoughts therefrom. Unless therefore the affections and the thoughts therefrom are spiritual, and are formed solely from the acknowledgment of the Lord, and from a life according to His precepts, they cannot be admitted into any society of heaven, for they are repugnant thereto. This is the reason that those who do not acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human, and do not live according to His precepts in the Word, cannot be in association with the angels of heaven. That this is the case, has been made plain to me from much experience. There were some who had thought of the Lord only as of another man, and had lived in the faith of the present day, which is a faith of the thought merely, without any good of life. But because they believed that nothing more was necessary to life eternal than to be admitted into heaven, therefore, according to their wish, they were admitted into some society; but as soon as the light of heaven struck their eyes with its lustre, their sight and also their understanding began to be entirely obscured and became stupefied. And when the heat of heaven came upon them, they began to be tormented in a direful manner, and as to the head and limbs to writhe like serpents. Therefore they cast themselves downwards, swearing that to enter heaven was hell to them, unless they were in the light and heat of heaven; and that they did not know that every one has heaven from love and thence faith, or from a life according to the Lord's precepts in the Word, and from faith in the Lord, and not in any way from faith without the life of faith, which is charity.
[2] It shall now be stated in a few words what first-fruits in the Word signify. They signify the same as the first-begotten; but the latter term is used of animals, and first-fruits of vegetables. Thus the first-begotten are what are born first, and first-fruits are from the first things produced; and both signify the spiritual good first formed, which is essentially truth from good from the Lord. The origin of this is as follows. There are two minds in man, natural and spiritual. From the natural mind alone nothing but evil is produced, and the falsity therefrom; but as soon as the spiritual mind is opened, then good is produced, and the truth therefrom; this which is first produced is meant by the first-begotten and by the first-fruits. Now because nothing born and produced from the spiritual mind is from man but from the Lord, therefore those things were sanctified to Jehovah, that is, to the Lord, because they were His, and consequently holy. And because that which is born or produced first, signifies all the things that follow in a series - as a leader the people, and a shepherd the flock - therefore by the first-begotten and the first-fruits being given to the Lord was signified that all other things were also His.
[3] But in order that this may be more clearly understood, it must be known, that the merely natural mind is formed according to the idea or image of the world, but the spiritual mind according to the idea or image of heaven; and that the spiritual mind is opened to no one, except by the acknowledgment of the Divine of the Lord, and by a life according to His precepts; and that previous to this, no good and truth are produced. But as soon as the spiritual mind is opened, then they are produced therefrom from the Lord. Therefore the first that is produced is called holy, and signifies that all things afterwards produced are also holy. From these things, it is evident that the opening of the womb or matrix signifies the opening of the spiritual mind. That this is the signification is seen also from correspondence; for the womb corresponds to the good of celestial love; concerning which correspondence see above (n. 710), and in the Arcana Coelestia 4918, 5050-5062).
[4] Since the things now mentioned were signified by the first-fruits; and since the things of harvest, as wheat, barley, and the rest, signified the goods and truths of heaven and the church; also wool, and the clean and useful beasts, therefore, of the latter the first-begotten were given to the Lord, and of the former the first-fruits. And because the high priest represented the Lord as to His priesthood, which is the good of love, therefore they were given to that priest. And consequently everything produced from corn, wine, and oil was sanctified.
But concerning those first-fruits, see the statutes for the sons of Israel in the law of Moses; as, for example, the first of the fruits of all the corn, oil, wine, and the fruit of the tree; also of the fleece, and the first-begotten of the flock and the herd; and that they were given as holy to Jehovah, and by Jehovah to Aaron, and after him to the high priest.
865. These were bought from among men, firstfruits to God and the Lamb, signifies those received in the New Church by the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "those bought by the Lord," as being those who receive instruction from the Word, especially respecting the Lord, and who live according to it (See above, n. 860). The same are meant by those called "redeemed by the Lord;" and "the redeemed" are those who have been regenerated by the Lord and these are those who follow the Lord, that is, are led by Him (of whom just above). Also from the signification of "firstfruits of God and the Lamb," as being those who have given themselves to the Lord and have been adopted by Him. That those who are of the New Church are meant is evident from their being called "firstfruits to God and to the Lamb," since those who are received in that church acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human and live according to His commandments. No others are received in the New Church which is called "the New Jerusalem," because those who do not believe this and live thus are not in accord with the life of heaven, nor with the light there, nor with the heat there: for the light there is the Divine truth, which is the source of all intelligence and wisdom; and the heat there is the Divine good, which is the source of all love and charity. All man's affection and thought therefrom not only is within him and constitutes his life but is also outside of him and constitutes the sphere of his life. This is why heaven is divided into societies according to the varieties of the affections and their thoughts; consequently unless the affections and the thoughts therefrom are spiritual, which are formed solely by the acknowledgment of the Lord and a life according to His commandments, they cannot be admitted into any society of heaven, for they are repugnant thereto; and this is why those who do not acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human and do not live according to His commandments in the Word cannot be consociated with the angels of heaven. That this is so has been proved to me by much experience. There were some who had the same idea of the Lord as of any other man, and had lived in the faith of the present day, which is cogitation (or thought) without any good of life. As these believed that eternal life is merely being admitted into heaven, so according to their wish they were admitted into a certain society; but as soon as the light of heaven struck their eyes, their sight, and at the same time their understanding, began to be wholly darkened, and they began to fall into a stupor and into foolishness; and when the heat of heaven breathed upon them they began to be tormented in a direful manner, and their head and limbs began to writhe like serpents; consequently they cast themselves downwards, swearing that admission to heaven, unless they were in the light and heat of heaven, was hell to them, and that they had not known that everyone has heaven from love and its faith, or from a life according to the Lord's commandments in the Word, and from faith in the Lord, and not at all from faith without the life of faith, which is charity.
[2] It shall now be told briefly what "firstfruits" signify in the Word. The signification of firstfruits is similar to that of "firstborn;" but "firstborn" is predicated of animals, and "firstfruits" of vegetables; thus "the firstborn" are such as are born first, and "firstfruits" are from the first products; and both of them signify the spiritual good that is first formed, which in itself is truth from good which is from the Lord. This has its origin in the fact that there are two minds in man, a natural mind and a spiritual mind. From the natural mind alone nothing is produced but evil and its falsity; but as soon as the spiritual mind is opened, good and its truth are produced; and that which is first produced is meant by the "firstborn" and the "firstfruits." And as all things that are born and produced from the spiritual mind are from the Lord and not from man, these were sanctified to Jehovah, that is, to the Lord, because they were His, and thus were holy. And as that which is born or produced first signifies all things that follow in their order, as a leader is followed by his people, or a shepherd by his flock, so "the giving of the firstborn and the firstfruits to the Lord" signified that all the rest were also His.
[3] But that this may come yet more clearly into the understanding it is to be known that the merely natural mind is formed to the idea or image of the world, but the spiritual mind to the idea or image of heaven; also that the spiritual mind is not opened to any man, except by the acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine and by a life according to His commandments; and until this mind has been opened no good and no truth therefrom are produced; but as soon as it is opened these are produced, and what is produced is from the Lord. Therefore the first thing that is produced is called holy, and signifies that all things that are afterwards produced are holy. This makes clear that the opening of the womb or matrix signifies the opening of the spiritual mind. This signification of opening the womb or matrix is from correspondence, the womb corresponding to the good of celestial love. (On this correspondence see above, n. 710, and in the Arcana Coelestia 4918, 5050-5062)
[4] Because this is what is signified by "firstfruits," and because the things pertaining to the harvest, as wheat, barley, and the rest, and also wool, signified the goods and truths of heaven and the church, and the clean and useful beasts had a similar signification, so the firstborn of the latter and the firstfruits of the former were given to the Lord; and as the high priest represented the Lord as to His priestly function, which is the good of love, these things were given to that priest, and thus all things that were products of the corn, wine, and oil were made holy. But respecting these firstfruits see the statutes for the sons of Israel in the law of Moses; as respecting the first of the products of all corn, of oil, of wine, of the fruit of the tree, also of the fleece, likewise of the firstborn of the herd and the flock; and that these were given as holy to Jehovah, and by Jehovah to Aaron, and after him to the high priest (Exodus 22:29; Numbers 13:20; 15:17-22; 18:8-20; Deuteronomy 18:4; 26 the end): also concerning the feast of the first fruits of harvest and of the first fruits of bread (Exodus 23:14-16, 19, 26; Leviticus 23:9-15, 20; 23:20-25; Numbers 28:26-31).
[5] From all this it can now be seen that "firstfruits to God and to the Lamb" mean those who will be of the New Church which is called "the New Jerusalem," who acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human and live a life of love, that is, a life according to the Lord's commandments in the Word. In such and in no others is the spiritual mind opened; therefore no others are led by the Lord, or "follow Him whithersoever He goeth." That "God and the Lamb" means in Revelation the Lord as to the Divine Itself, and at the same time as to the Divine Human, may be seen above (n. 297, 314, 343, 460, 482).
865. "Hi empti sunt de hominibus, primitiae Deo et Agno." Quod significet illos in Nova Ecclesia receptos a Domino, constat a significatione "emptorum a Domino", quod sint qui instructionem e Verbo recipiunt, imprimis de Domino, ac vivunt secundum illam (de qua supra, n. 860); iidem sunt qui etiam dicuntur "redempti" a Domino, ac redempti sunt qui a Domino regenerati, et hi sunt qui sequuntur Dominum, hoc est, ducuntur ab Ipso (de quibus mox supra): ex significatione "primitiarum Dei et Agni", quod sint qui se dederunt Domino, et adoptati ab Ipso; quod sint qui a Nova Ecclesia, constare potest ex eo, quod dicantur "primitiae Deo et Agno"; nam qui ibi recipiuntur, illi agnoscunt Divinum Humanum Domini, ac vivunt secundum praecepta Ipsius; alii non recipiuntur in Nova Ecclesia, quae Nova Hierosolyma vocatur, ex causa quia illi qui non id credunt, ac ita vivunt, non cum vita caeli concordant, nec cum luce ibi, nec cum calore ibi; lux enim ibi est Divinum Verum, ex quo omnis intelligentia et sapientia, et calor ibi est Divinum Bonum, ex quo omnis amor et charitas. Omnis affectio et inde cogitatio hominis non modo est intra illum, et facit vitam ejus, sed etiam est extra illum, et facit sphaeram vitae ejus. Inde est quod caelum sit distinctum in societates secundum varietates affectionum et inde cogitationum; quare nisi affectiones et inde cogitationes spirituales sunt, quae unice formantur ex agnitione Domini, et ex vita secundum praecepta Ipsius, non possunt admitti in aliquam societatem caeli; repugnant enim; inde est quod qui non agnoscunt Divinum Humanum Domini, et non vivunt secundum praecepta Ipsius in Verbo, non consociari possint angelis caeli. Quod ita sit, constiterat mihi ex multa experientia: fuerunt qui de Domino non aliter quam sicut de alio homine cogitaverunt, et qui fidem hodiernam, quae est fides cogitativa, absque aliquo bono vitae vixerunt; hi quia crediderunt quod vita aeterna esset modo intromitti in caelum, ideo etiam ex optato in aliquam societatem admissi sunt; sed ut primum lux caeli oculos illorum strinxit, coeperunt quoad visum et simul quoad intellectum prorsus obscurari, ac in stuporem ac in fatuitatem cadere; et cum calor caeli illos afflabat, coeperunt diro modo cruciari, et quoad caput et quoad membra sicut serpentes contorqueri; quare se deorsum conjecerunt, pejerantes quod intrare caelum, nisi in luce et calore caeli sint, esset illis infernum; et quod nesciverint quod caelum cuivis sit ex amore et inde fide, seu ex vita secundum praecepta Domini in Verbo, et ex fide in Dominum, et prorsus non ex fide absque vita fidei, quae est charitas.
[2] Paucis dicetur quid "primitiae" in Verbo significant: "primitiae" significant similia quae "primogenita"; sed "primogenita" dicuntur de animalibus, sed "primitiae" de vegetabilibus; ita "primogenita" sunt quae primum nascuntur, et "primitiae" quae sunt ex primis quae producuntur; ac utraque significant bonum spirituale primum formatum, quod in se est verum ex bono quod a Domino. Hoc trahit originem ex eo, quod binae mentes apud hominem sint; mens naturalis et mens spiritualis: ex sola mente naturali non producitur nisi malum et inde falsum; sed ut primum mens spiritualis aperta est, tunc producitur bonum et inde verum; hoc quod primum producitur intelligitur per "primogenitum" et per "primitias." Et quia omnia quae e mente spirituali nascuntur et producuntur, non sunt ab homine sed a Domino, ideo illa sanctificabantur Jehovae, hoc est, Domino, ex causa quia Ipsius erant, et inde sancta: et quia primo natum aut productum significat omnia in serie sequentia, sicut dux populum, et pastor gregem, ideo per id quod "primogenita ac primitiae data fuerint Domino" significabatur quod omnia reliqua etiam Ipsius essent.
[3] Sed ut hoc adhuc clarius in intellectum veniat, sciendum est quod mens mere naturalis sit ad ideam seu imaginem mundi formata, at mens spiritualis ad ideam seu imaginem caeli; et quod mens spiritualis non aperiatur ulli homini, nisi quam per agnitionem Divini Domini, et per vitam secundum praecepta Ipsius; et antequam haec mens aperta est, non producitur aliquod bonum et inde verum; sed ut primum aperta est, tunc producitur, et quod producitur est a Domino: primum itaque quod producitur, dicitur sanctum, ac significat quod omnia quae postea producuntur sancta sint. Ex his patet quod apertura uteri seu matricis significet aperturam mentis spiritualis; quod apertura uteri seu matricis id significet, est quoque ex correspondentia, uterus enim correspondet bono amoris caelestis (de qua correspondentia videatur supra, n. 710 [d] , et in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 4918, 5050-5062).
[4] Quoniam illa, quae nunc dicta sunt, per "primitias" significabantur, et quia per illa quae messis sunt, ut per "triticum", "hordeum" et reliqua, significabantur bona ac vera caeli et ecclesiae, et quoque per "lanam", similiter per "bestias" utiles et mundas, inde ex his dabantur primogenita Domino, et ex illis primitiae; et quia sacerdos maximus repraesentabat Dominum quoad Ipsius sacerdotium, quod est bonum amoris, ideo illa dabantur sacerdoti illi; et inde sanctificabantur omnia quae ex frumento, vino et oleo producta erant. Sed de primitiis illis videantur statuta pro filiis Israelis in Lege Mosis, ut de primitiis frugum, omnis frumenti, olei, musti, fructum arboris, tum velleris, praeter ex primogenitis armenti et gregis, et quod data sint ut sancta Jehovae, et a Jehovah Aharoni, et post eum sacerdoti magno (Exod. 22:28 1
29] : Numeri 13:20; 15:17-22; 18:8-20; Deuteronomius 18:4; 26:1 ad fin. ); et de festo primitiarum messis, et primitiarum panis (Exodus 23:14-16, 19, 26; Leviticus 23:9-15, 20-25; Numeri 28:26 ad fin. ; et alibi).
[5] Ex his nunc constare potest quod per "primitias Deo et Agno" intelligantur illi qui e Nova Ecclesia, quae Nova Hierosolyma vocatur, erunt, qui agnoscunt Divinum Humanum Domini, ac vivunt vitam amoris; hoc est, vitam secundum praecepta Domini in Verbo: apud hos et non apud alios aperta est mens spiritualis; quare non alii ducuntur a Domino, seu "sequuntur Ipsum quo vadit." Quod per "Deum et Agnum" in Apocalypsi intelligatur Dominus quoad Ipsum Divinum et simul quoad Divinum Humanum, videatur supra (n. 297, 314, 343, 460, 482).
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.