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Not yet, not yet …

Arcana Coelestia 6397. Shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel. That this signifies that he is one of the truths in general which the tribes of Israel represent, is evident from the signification of “judging,” as being truth in its office (of which below); from the signification of “people,” as being those who are in truth (n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295, 3581, 4619), here those who are in truth and not yet in good, for these are “Dan” or the “people” of Dan (n. 6396); and from the representation of the “tribes of Israel,” as being all the truths and goods of faith in general (see n. 3858, 3926, 3939, 4060, 6335). Hence by “he shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel” is signified that this truth, represented by Dan, is also among the general truths which the tribes of Israel represent. That “judging his people” denotes truth in its office, is because by the tribes of Israel are represented all truths in general, as may be seen from the passages above cited, and truths are what judge; thus by “judging his people” is signified truth in its office.

… Of the twelve apostles it is thus written in Matthew:

Jesus said, Ye who have followed Me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit upon the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28).

And in Luke:

I appoint unto you, as the Father has appointed unto Me a kingdom, that ye may eat and drink upon My table in My kingdom, and sit upon thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 17:29-30).

[3] That in these passages neither four and twenty elders nor twelve apostles are meant, but all truths and goods in general, is evident from the fact that no man, nor even an angel, can judge anyone; for no one but the Lord alone can know the interiors, what they are and what they will be, and this to eternity. (That by the “twelve apostles” the same is signified as by the “twelve tribes,” namely, all truths and goods in the complex, may be seen above, n. 2129, 2553, 3488, 3858.) From all this it is now plain that by “Dan shall judge his people as one of the tribes of Israel” is signified that the truth which is represented by Dan is one among the general truths through which is judgment.

A Comment On Loving the Neighbour

“Teacher, by doing what shall I proceed in inheriting eonian life?”

So He said to him, “Within the Law, what has been written? How are you in the habit of reading it?

Now making a discerning reply, the man said, “‘You will be constantly loving the Lord your God from out of your whole heart, and in union with your whole soul, and in union with and in the midst of your whole strength, and in union with and within your whole mind – and your neighbour as being yourself.'”

So He said to him, “With discernment you answered correctly. Be habitually doing this and you will continue living.”

(Luke 10: 25-28, Jonathan Mitchell Translation)

To be in the effort to hear and read the presence of the Word in the midst of our interactions with others is one aspect of what it means to love the neighbour or what is of the Lord in another. Spiritual literacy is not about judging whether another’s state is of the Lord or not, or even judging the situation or event itself.  But rather it is about attending to the thoughts and affections arising within our own state in response to what is being expressed before our understanding and perception.

If we can awaken to this work in any given moment then we can be present to what the Word is asking us to see in terms of the universal aspects of the spiritual processes at hand. When these insights are shared consciously in the space of the exchange with another then we are truly companioning and in relationship with them, for we are listening to them from the Lord as the Word who is Love Itself.

We need not then be concerned about whether what we have offered is adequate or enough. Nor do we need to see or know how what we have offered has been received. It is enough to simply be in the work of practise. If we do this then we can trust that the Lord will offer what is needed to meet any moment, to meet any interaction we have with another and to meet any life condition.

Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.