Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 8980

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8980. Then his woman shall go out with him. That this signifies a state of truth with delight also conjoined after combat, is evident from the signification of "going out," namely, from service, as being the state after combat (see n. 8975); and from the signification of "a woman," as being the conjoined delight (of which just above, n. 8979). From all this it is evident who were here represented by menservants, namely, they who are in the faith of the doctrinal things of their church, and not in the corresponding good, but in a delight which counterfeits the corresponding good. Their service with their master signifies their state before they can be admitted into heaven, and their going out from service signifies their state when they are received into heaven. But as they are merely in the faith of the doctrinal things of their church, and not in the corresponding good, thus not in the truth of good, that is, in the faith of charity, therefore they cannot be admitted further into heaven than to the entrance of it. For they who are in the entrance to heaven communicate by the truth which is of faith with those who are in heaven, and by delight conjoined with truth with those who are outside of heaven-no otherwise than as do the skins or coats which encompass the body, which by the sense of touch communicate with the world, and by a fibrous connection, with the life of the soul in the body. From this it is that they who are in the entrance to heaven, and are represented by the Hebrew servants, are called "the cuticulars" in the Grand Man (n. 5552-5559). But such are of as many genera and species as are the cuticles or coats in the body; for there are those which encompass the whole body; there are those which encompass the interiors in general, as the peritoneum, the pleura, the pericardium; and there are those which specifically encompass each of the viscera therein. All are relatively things of service.


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