ACV9 6971 And hear not the voice of the former sign. That this signifies if they do not obey what is announced from the Word, that instead of spiritual and rational men they would become not spiritual and not rational, is evident from the signification of “hearing,” as being to obey (see n. 2542, 3869, 5017); from the signification of a “voice,” as being what is announced from the Word, of which below; and from the signification of “the former sign,” as being that instead of spiritual and rational men they would become not spiritual and not rational. That this… Read more »
Mandy Millar
June 5, 2024 8:45 pm
6956. In order that they may believe that Jehovah hath been seen of thee. That this signifies that they may have faith in respect to the Lord’s Divine Human, is evident from the signification of “believing,” as being to have faith – not faith that Jehovah or the Lord was seen with the eyes, but faith in the Lord in the spiritual sense of the term; and from the signification of “Jehovah seen,” as being the appearing of the Lord in His Divine Human (see n. 6945). Thus by “they may believe that Jehovah hath been seen of thee” is… Read more »
There is a strong focus on profanation in these passages. This led me to: DP 23311 Our love for ourselves, the head of all our evils, is more adept than any other love at adulterating what is good and distorting what is true. It does this by misusing the rationality that the Lord gives to the worst and the best of us alike. It can actually rationalize things so that something evil seems perfectly good and something false seems perfectly true. What is beyond its power, when it can marshal a thousand arguments to prove that Nature created itself and… Read more »
Judy & Len Robinson
June 4, 2024 3:37 pm
ACV9S14-Judy #6968. “And behold it was turned again as his flesh. That this signifies that then it was the good of truth, is evident from the signification of “flesh,” as being what is man’s own of his will, made alive by what is the Lord’s own of His Divine Human, that is, what is one’s own that is heavenly (see n. 3813); and because this is signified by “flesh,” it is the good of love to the Lord and toward the neighbor which is signified. But with those who are of the spiritual church, it is the good of truth,… Read more »
Denyse Daurat
May 31, 2024 5:50 am
6970 But believing that there is a heaven; that there is a hell; that people will go on living after death, the good in a state of happiness forever, the wicked in a state of unhappiness, that life awaits everyone; that faith and charity constitute the spiritual life, and that this is the life that angels in heaven have; that the Lord has all power in heaven and on earth, as He himself says in Matt:28:18; that we receive our life from Him; that the Word comprises teaching about heavenly and Divine truths – these and other things like them… Read more »
6959[2] But if a man has faith in the doctrine of the church, and in the Word, from himself, that is, by confirmations in himself, and if he then afterward recedes, and denies in himself what he had before believed, especially if he lives contrary to the truth which he had confirmed in himself, and either explains it in his own favour, or altogether rejects it, he profanes the truth; and this because he commingles and conjoins together within himself truth and falsity. As such persons have scarcely any remains of truth and good, in the other life they finally become… Read more »
I think I believe that the Lord is keeping me alive moment by moment, but I keep acting as though I am in control of my own life. I say I trust the Lord to guide every moment of my life but I keep acting as though it is I who is able to control what happens to me. But I realise that I also need to not give up and just hand over, but working to keep my life in order. I believe I should let people lead their own lives, as they have their own relationship with the… Read more »
AC 6963: And he brought it out. That this signifies that it was thence, is evident from the signification of “bringing the hand out of the bosom and seeing” as being to observe what was its quality, thus that it was thence. 6968: And behold it was turned again as his flesh. That this signifies that then it was the good of truth, is evident from the signification of “flesh,” as being what is man’s own of his will, made alive by what is the Lord’s Own of His Divine Human, that is, what is one’s own (given from the… Read more »
The Principle and the Task led me to become aware of a lrge part of the infernal proprium that does Not want to have things resolved, because it lives for self indulgences. Any resolution requires a giving over of the self to the desires of a higher good, which serves the needs of others. The proprium wants to be seen as the source of any factual information, even when it is wrong. And the hells can argue forever. So, I asked the Lord to lead me into states of “Hearing” and “Obeying” And I asked him to help turn my… Read more »
Janna King
May 25, 2024 12:52 am
AC 6974. And do not hear thy voice. That this signifies if they do not yield any obedience, is evident from the signification of “hearing,” as being obedience (see n. 2542, 3869, 5017); from the signification of “voice,” as being what is announced and foretold (n. 6971, 6972); and from the representation of Moses, whose voice they were to hear, as being the Lord as to the Divine law, that is, as to the Divine truth, thus as to the Word, for therein is Divine truth. Hence it is plain that by the expression, “if they do not hear thy… Read more »
Liz Coggins
May 23, 2024 7:30 am
6956:…that this signifies that they may have faith in respect to the Lord’s Divine Human… 6959: and Jehovah said further to him. [2] if a man has faith in the doctrine of the church and in the Word from himself, that is by confirmations in himself, and if he then afterwards recedes, and denies in himself what he had before believed, especially if he lives contrary to the truth which he had confirmed in himself, and either explains it in his own favour, or altogether rejects it, he profanes the truth; and this because he commingles and conjoins together within himself… Read more »
Observations Unexpectedly, the quality of my faith was immediately, deeply, challenged by this reading about leprosy: real doubts arose, and fear – about what my faith honestly is. Is it based in truth, or in sentimentality, or in blindly accepting what I’ve been told? It was really disturbing; and still not sure which part of myself felt this fear and doubt….proprial self or essence self? Reflection and daily reading the Writings and Gospel of John gradually brought a sense of stability, and clarity; and acceptance that this is/will be an essential part of the internal process. There seems, gradually,… Read more »
ACV9 6971 And hear not the voice of the former sign. That this signifies if they do not obey what is announced from the Word, that instead of spiritual and rational men they would become not spiritual and not rational, is evident from the signification of “hearing,” as being to obey (see n. 2542, 3869, 5017); from the signification of a “voice,” as being what is announced from the Word, of which below; and from the signification of “the former sign,” as being that instead of spiritual and rational men they would become not spiritual and not rational. That this… Read more »
6956. In order that they may believe that Jehovah hath been seen of thee. That this signifies that they may have faith in respect to the Lord’s Divine Human, is evident from the signification of “believing,” as being to have faith – not faith that Jehovah or the Lord was seen with the eyes, but faith in the Lord in the spiritual sense of the term; and from the signification of “Jehovah seen,” as being the appearing of the Lord in His Divine Human (see n. 6945). Thus by “they may believe that Jehovah hath been seen of thee” is… Read more »
There is a strong focus on profanation in these passages. This led me to: DP 23311 Our love for ourselves, the head of all our evils, is more adept than any other love at adulterating what is good and distorting what is true. It does this by misusing the rationality that the Lord gives to the worst and the best of us alike. It can actually rationalize things so that something evil seems perfectly good and something false seems perfectly true. What is beyond its power, when it can marshal a thousand arguments to prove that Nature created itself and… Read more »
ACV9S14-Judy #6968. “And behold it was turned again as his flesh. That this signifies that then it was the good of truth, is evident from the signification of “flesh,” as being what is man’s own of his will, made alive by what is the Lord’s own of His Divine Human, that is, what is one’s own that is heavenly (see n. 3813); and because this is signified by “flesh,” it is the good of love to the Lord and toward the neighbor which is signified. But with those who are of the spiritual church, it is the good of truth,… Read more »
6970 But believing that there is a heaven; that there is a hell; that people will go on living after death, the good in a state of happiness forever, the wicked in a state of unhappiness, that life awaits everyone; that faith and charity constitute the spiritual life, and that this is the life that angels in heaven have; that the Lord has all power in heaven and on earth, as He himself says in Matt:28:18; that we receive our life from Him; that the Word comprises teaching about heavenly and Divine truths – these and other things like them… Read more »
6959[2] But if a man has faith in the doctrine of the church, and in the Word, from himself, that is, by confirmations in himself, and if he then afterward recedes, and denies in himself what he had before believed, especially if he lives contrary to the truth which he had confirmed in himself, and either explains it in his own favour, or altogether rejects it, he profanes the truth; and this because he commingles and conjoins together within himself truth and falsity. As such persons have scarcely any remains of truth and good, in the other life they finally become… Read more »
I think I believe that the Lord is keeping me alive moment by moment, but I keep acting as though I am in control of my own life. I say I trust the Lord to guide every moment of my life but I keep acting as though it is I who is able to control what happens to me. But I realise that I also need to not give up and just hand over, but working to keep my life in order. I believe I should let people lead their own lives, as they have their own relationship with the… Read more »
AC 6963: And he brought it out. That this signifies that it was thence, is evident from the signification of “bringing the hand out of the bosom and seeing” as being to observe what was its quality, thus that it was thence. 6968: And behold it was turned again as his flesh. That this signifies that then it was the good of truth, is evident from the signification of “flesh,” as being what is man’s own of his will, made alive by what is the Lord’s Own of His Divine Human, that is, what is one’s own (given from the… Read more »
The Principle and the Task led me to become aware of a lrge part of the infernal proprium that does Not want to have things resolved, because it lives for self indulgences. Any resolution requires a giving over of the self to the desires of a higher good, which serves the needs of others. The proprium wants to be seen as the source of any factual information, even when it is wrong. And the hells can argue forever. So, I asked the Lord to lead me into states of “Hearing” and “Obeying” And I asked him to help turn my… Read more »
AC 6974. And do not hear thy voice. That this signifies if they do not yield any obedience, is evident from the signification of “hearing,” as being obedience (see n. 2542, 3869, 5017); from the signification of “voice,” as being what is announced and foretold (n. 6971, 6972); and from the representation of Moses, whose voice they were to hear, as being the Lord as to the Divine law, that is, as to the Divine truth, thus as to the Word, for therein is Divine truth. Hence it is plain that by the expression, “if they do not hear thy… Read more »
6956:…that this signifies that they may have faith in respect to the Lord’s Divine Human… 6959: and Jehovah said further to him. [2] if a man has faith in the doctrine of the church and in the Word from himself, that is by confirmations in himself, and if he then afterwards recedes, and denies in himself what he had before believed, especially if he lives contrary to the truth which he had confirmed in himself, and either explains it in his own favour, or altogether rejects it, he profanes the truth; and this because he commingles and conjoins together within himself… Read more »
Observations Unexpectedly, the quality of my faith was immediately, deeply, challenged by this reading about leprosy: real doubts arose, and fear – about what my faith honestly is. Is it based in truth, or in sentimentality, or in blindly accepting what I’ve been told? It was really disturbing; and still not sure which part of myself felt this fear and doubt….proprial self or essence self? Reflection and daily reading the Writings and Gospel of John gradually brought a sense of stability, and clarity; and acceptance that this is/will be an essential part of the internal process. There seems, gradually,… Read more »