Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 318

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318. Which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth. That this signifies that thence are all wisdom and intelligence in heaven and in the church, is evident from the signification of the seven spirits of God, as denoting the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord (concerning which see above, n. 183): and because they signify the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, they also signify the Divine Wisdom or omniscience: and from the signification of, sent forth into all the earth, as denoting whence are all wisdom and intelligence in heaven and in the church. By being sent forth is signified to be communicated, and by all the earth is signified the church both in the heavens and on the earth (as may be seen above, n. 304). Hence it is clear why it is said that the seven eyes of the Lamb were the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the earth, for by seven eyes is signified the omniscience which the Lord has from Divine good by Divine truth. All wisdom and intelligence are thence, because man cannot understand truth and relish good from himself, but from the Lord, and all wisdom and intelligence pertain to truth from good. Unless wisdom and intelligence are formed from that, they are not wisdom and intelligence, but folly and insanity, which appear before the ignorant and the evil as wisdom and intelligence, from the fact of their being able to speak and reason from the memory. For man's proprium is nothing but evil and falsity; his voluntary proprium is evil, and his intellectual proprium thence is falsity; therefore whatever is from the proprium, is opposed to wisdom and intelligence, and what is opposed to wisdom is folly, and what is opposed to intelligence is insanity. Hence it is evident, that unless a man is raised up out of his proprium by the Lord, which is effected when he receives Divine truth, not only in the memory but also in the life, he cannot at all be wise and intelligent. But such elevation out of the proprium by the Lord does not appear to man, nor is it perceived by him so long as he is in the world, but then for the first time when he comes into his spirit, which takes place after its separation from the material body; but even then by those only who come into heaven. The reason why it is said wisdom and intelligence, is, because wisdom pertains to truth from good, for then man relishes good in truth: but intelligence pertains to truth by which good is produced, for then man has not yet a relish for good in truth, but is affected with truth because it is truth. Those who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom are in wisdom, because they are in truths from good: but those who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom are in intelligence, because they are in truths by which good is produced. (But concerning those who are in truths by which good is produced see the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n. 23: and concerning those who are in truths from good, n. 24, in the same: and concerning the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom, in the work concerning Heaven and Hell, n. 20-28.)


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