Angelic Wisdom Concerning the Divine Love and the Divine WisdomSwedenborg, Emanuel
Religion
Angelic Wisdom Concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom
Swedenborg, Emanuel
God (Christianity) -- Love; God (Christianity) -- Wisdom
325. Since all things of the universe have relation in an image to man,
the wisdom and intelligence of Adam are described by the "garden of Eden,"
wherein were all kinds of trees, also rivers, precious stones, and gold,
and animals to which he gave names; by all of which are meant such things
as were in Adam, and constitute that which is called man. Nearly the same
things are said of Ashur, by whom the church in respect to intelligence is
signified (Ezek. 31:3-9); and of Tyre, by which the church in respect to
knowledges of good and truth is signified (Ezek. 28:12, 13).
326. From all this it can be seen that all things in the universe, viewed
from uses, have relation in an image to man, and that this testifies that
God is a man. For such things as have been mentioned above take form about
the angelic man, not from the angels, but from the Lord through the angels.
For they take their form from the influx of the Lord's Divine Love and
Divine Wisdom into the angel, who is a recipient, and before whose eyes
all this is brought forth like the creation of a universe. From this they
know there that God is a Man, and that the created universe, viewed in its
uses, is an image of God.
327. ALL THINGS CREATED BY THE LORD ARE USE; THEY ARE USES IN THE ORDER,
DEGREE, AND RESPECT IN WHICH THEY HAVE RELATION TO MAN, AND THROUGH MAN
TO THE LORD, FROM WHOM [THEY ARE].
In respect to this it has been shown above: That from God the Creator
nothing can take form except uses (n. 308); that the uses of all created
things ascend by degrees from outmost things to man, and through man to
God the Creator, from whom they are (n. 65-68); that the end of creation
takes form in outmosts, which end is, that all things may return to God
the Creator, and that there may be conjunction (n. 167-172); that things
are uses so far as they have regard to the Creator (n. 307); that the
Divine must necessarily have being and form in other things created by
itself (n. 47-51); that all things of the universe are recipients
according to uses, and this according to degrees (n. 58); that the
universe, viewed from uses, is an image of God (n. 59); and many other
things. From all which this- truth is plain, that all things created by
the Lord are uses, and that they are uses in that order, degree, and
respect in which they have relation to man, and through man to the Lord
from whom [they are]. It remains now that some things should be said in
detail respecting uses.
328. By man, to whom uses have relation, is meant not alone an individual
but an assembly of men, also a society smaller or larger, as a
commonwealth, kingdom, or empire, or that largest society, the whole
world, for each of these is a man. Likewise in the heavens, the whole
angelic heaven is as one man before the Lord, and equally every society
of heaven; from this it is that every angel is a man. That this is so
may be seen in the work Heaven and Hell (n. 68-103). This makes clear
what is meant by man in what follows.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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