Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 1434

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1434. 'And Lot his brother's son' means truth that has been learned through the senses, thus the first that was implanted in the Lord in childhood. This is clear from the meaning of 'Lot', dealt with in the previous verse, as sensory perception, and from the meaning of 'son' as truth, dealt with already in 264, 489, 491, 533; and also from the meaning of 'brother' too as the truth of faith, 367. Thus it is truth learned through the senses that is meant here, for in the internal sense no attention is paid to the representative persons or expressions, only to the meanings which these carry within them. In heaven they do not know who 'Lot' is, only the characteristic represented by him. Nor do they know what 'son' is, only the spiritual state which relatively is like a son. Nor do they know what 'brother' is except from the kind of brotherhood that exists in heaven. As regards truth learned through the senses, it is the first truth to implant itself, for in childhood the power of judgement does not go any higher than the senses. Truth learned through the senses consists in seeing all earthly and worldly things as having been created by God, in seeing every single thing as having a purpose, and in seeing in every single one some likeness of the kingdom of God. Such truth is implanted in none but the celestial man, and since the Lord alone was a celestial man, these and similar truths acquired through the senses were implanted in Him in earliest childhood. In this way He was made ready to receive celestial things.


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