4343. About the Inner sense of the Word
How the matter stands with the inner sense of the Word, in which are the heavenly truths themselves, was evident from the fact about which I also spoke with spirits, that if the thought is held fast on any subject, and the Word is read, then all and the least things there will apply themselves to a universal thought, and the affection for it, and confirmations will fall in place that this is what is meant, so that scarcely any confirmation is lacking.
With the angels there is only the thought of heavenly truths and goodness, in which they are held by the Lord, so that all things in the Word are bent toward agreement with their mental imagery. Thus all things belonging to the sense of the letter pass away, and an entirely different sense is presented, which is the inner one, which comes into clear view, while the sense of the letter becomes as if it were none. In like manner, a person on earth having a heavenly mental image and then reading the Word, in the heavenly mental image sees heavenly things, and nothing of the letter indeed, historical matters vanish. This can be illustrated in many ways. 1749, 8 Aug. 1
Footnotes:
1. Astrological symbol of Mars, meaning Tuesday.
4343. CONCERNING THE INTERNAL SENSE OF THE WORD.
How the case is with the internal sense of the Word, in which are celestial truths themselves, they appear from the fact - concerning which I have conversed with spirits - that if the thought is held fixedly on any subject, and the Word meanwhile is read, then all and singular things therein will apply themselves to the universal of thought and its affection, while confirmations [from various sources] coincide, showing that that which is understood is the true sense, so that scarcely anything is wanting [to establish the point]. With the angels there is the thought only of celestial truths and goods, in which they are held by the Lord, and for this reason everything in the Word is bent to a conformity with their ideas, and everything in the sense of the letter perishes, and entirely another sense is developed, which is the internal, and which is clearly seen so that the sense of the letter becomes, as it were, none. In like manner, a man who is in a celestial idea, and then reads the Word, sees celestial things in his celestial idea, and nothing of the letter, yea, even the historical facts disappear. This may be illustrated in a variety of ways. - 1749, August 8.
4343. De sensu Interno Verbi
Quomodo se habet cum sensu interno Verbi, in quo sunt ipsae veritates coelestes, constare potuit ex eo, de quo etiam cum spiritibus loquutus, si teneatur cogitatio in aliqua re fixe, et legatur Verbum, tunc omnia et singula ibi applicabunt se ad cogitationis universale et ejus affectionem, et coincident confirmantia, quod id sit quod intelligitur, ita ut vix aliquid desit; apud angelos est solum cogitatio coelestium veritatum et bonitatum, in his tenentur a Domino, quare omnia quae in Verbo flectuntur in convenientias cum ideis eorum, ita pereunt omnia quae sunt sensus literae, et sensus prorsus alius sistitur, qui est internus, qui conspicitur, et sensus literae sicut nullus; similiter homo qui in idea coelesti est, et tunc legit Verbum, in idea coelesti videt coelestia, et nihil de litera, imo historica evanescunt. Hoc multis illustrari potest. 1749, 8 Aug.