Doctrinal Class
Earths in the Starry Heaven or Societies in the Spiritual World
By Rev. Paul Booth
Earths in the Universe 124
Earths in the Starry Heaven or Societies in the Spiritual World
By Rev. Paul Booth
Earths in the Universe 124
Of interest to many people is the fact that Emanuel Swedenborg wrote a book entitled "Earths in the Universe" in which he says there are inhabitants - human beings - on and that these upon their death have become spirits and angels in the spiritual world. Naturally, this brings up the question: is this really true. When reading the chapter "The First Earth in the Starry Heaven" in the literal sense we see that there are other universes beyond ours, each which is in another solar system than ours. This is supported in the literal sense of the Word of the Third Testament or of the Divine Human by the fact that other spirits and angels when there are similarities can communicate with other angels and spirits and that when their interiors have been opened can also conversed with those of other societies that are not of their beliefs and doctrines - that do not have similarities. We see the first mention here of there being other earths in other solar systems or universes having human beings on them; whereas before in the first half of "Earths in the Universe" we read only of other earths within our own solar system, and as such those earths were named after the planets within it. (One of the first things learned is that the inhabitants on them spoke with spirits and angels.) Though here the earths seen are in the 'starry heaven' and thus in the spiritual world, for that is where Emanuel Swedenborg was when he visited them. One learns that 'stars' in the Word signify goods and truths; it is thus that what are meant are spiritual or angelic societies of the spiritual world. By the word 'earths' in the Word primarily the church meant; however by the church in heaven is meant 'society' So it is by the stars in spiritual heaven are the goods and truths of the societies meant.
Though we understand these societies of angels and spirits as coming from churches in the natural world we see evidence of them as being able to perceive spiritually as the Most Ancient Church on our earth as spoken of in the Arcana C&œ;lestia about Chapters two and three of the Old Testament. That leaves us with there having to be churches today with the same state in order to perform the interior uses of the Grand Man of Heaven and the questions of whether there are other earths in other natural universes than ours having on them churches with inhabitants in the interior state and of being able to speak with spirits and angels that visit them. Though we should not think that because we today cannot converse with spirits we do not have faith or love enough to the Lord; though of course many do not. The reason is because our interior or spirit is closed today. Thus our spiritual degree or state is closed for the reason we live and understand merely naturally. Nonetheless we can still be joined with heaven and the Lord by means of the truths of doctrine and the good of life from the Lord, though this is merely externally; still we are not aware of this conjunction.
In our world today most people think that only by means of (space) travel will it be possible to travel to other worlds or earths. Subsequently, one needs to know that spaces and distances and progressions which exist in the natural are but changes of states of interiors or of spiritual things and that this is why angels and spirits can be translated or, as it were, transported from one place to another: in this case from one society to another in the spiritual world even to those in the 'starry heaven' as we see Emanuel Swedenborg was. We learn through astronomy that there are other suns and that earths revolve around them as around ours. Here again is the argument presented that because of so great a universe in which there are constellations with stars or suns and planets around them that the creation was for man, that there might be a heaven of angels and spirits. And that this would be nothing for God to accomplish. This of course is understood naturally - from a literal sense of this book.
In spite of the fact it is only possible to visit these earths or societies in the 'starry heaven' through the spiritual faculty shows that it is heaven and the spiritual world, its vastness, that is being spoke of and these must be understood in some degree in our interior thought where there is neither space nor time since it is from there the 'starry heaven' proceeds. For this reason the Word was written and an internal sense revealed in it through the Third Testament. We have shown before that spirits and angels can converse with one another especially because of their agreements and likenesses of their state of life. In this chapter we learned that there are other spirits and angels that are not of the same agreements and likenesses of their state of life and thus of not any similar church. Because of this spirits and angels of our systems, that is beliefs or doctrines are not able to converse with or be translated or transferred to societies not in our system except the Lord lead them
Although we see from a literal sense Swedenborg traveled in spirit to another earth in another universe, this took place in the 'starry heaven' of the spiritual world where there are innumerable societies from innumerable earths or churches on them all of which do not have the same doctrine we have or even that of any or the many different churches that are and were in our world. Nonetheless, he did not physically travel to other natural earths in other universes.
The problem with looking at this in the literal sense is that we continue to fall into natural thoughts and as such want to support these thoughts and come into error. Those who have read the things on this website know that we teach that there is an internal or spiritual sense to the Word. Nonetheless one receives some instruction either way. However let us try to see the truth and good spiritually. In that case we need to go to our doctrine; to where it is principled and where it terminates. We learn in the spiritual sense that the first earth Swedenborg visits in the 'starry heaven' has the truth though it is no understood clearly, but obscurely. "There appeared first a whitish but dense cloud and after it a fiery smoke ascending from a great gulf" (The First Earth in the Starry Heaven 128). Thus separating all those who are not in the truths and goods of doctrine from the Lord are in a different doctrine. In this case there were spirits who had not worshipped God as a Divine Man. In any event out of the Lord's mercy they received guidance and were allowed to worship an angel who they believed interceded at it were on their behalf to the most High God. The angel was actually an angelic society. Because of not believing or adored God as a Divine Man they learned they were not worthy to worship and adore the Most High God. It is thus that they do not receive light from the Sun of the angelic heaven, but only a lesser light through that angelic society. What we learned is that these spirits were "in a lower region" (130e). By a region in the spiritual world is meant states below even the natural heavens, states that are sensual and corporeal.
What can be ascertained is that these were spirits who had spiritual good from the truths that they were taught when they lived a natural life and where now guided in the spiritual world by an angelic society. As a result they lived a good life from the affections they were taught and thus had an understanding of truth. These spirits had a relation to the SPLEEN in the Grand Man. (For those not familiar with the Grand Man of heaven: basically there is a correspondence with all parts of the human body, both interior and exterior in heaven and so the universal heaven is called the Grand Man. The reason is the Lord is the only Man and heaven represents Him. Good and Truth is from Him and so constitute heaven.) One might wonder that if this society is indirectly taught and whose relationship is not with the Most High God how is it that they have a relation with the SPLEEN of the Grand Man. The answer is found in Arcana C&œ;lestia 5184 where it says they directly over the head (of the Grand Man); but "operate upon the organ in question". By having a relation to the spleen is shown that the good of that society in the spiritual world is only something less good and even by what is opposite to evil.
One learns that the Lord of their belief or doctrine opens their rational to what is true and good. However the Lord of our belief and doctrine appears greater. "When asked about the sun of their system, which illuminates their earth, they said that is appeared flaming. When I represented the sun of our earth, they said that their sun was smaller". (113)
Once the spiritual eyes of Emanuel Swedenborg had been opened he was able to see what the inhabitants of the church looked like. From the natural sense the appearance is as if reading about folk from some early European country and makes interesting reading. However we know there is an internal sense to the Word that has within genuine truths. Such individuals of had spiritual and rational things of the mind. There were those who had natural truths and other natural goods while other both. These were in the good of doctrine and so in the good of life; these were well disposed and 'as it were' came into spiritual good acting in the mind having been instructed in truth; though they were external and to whom the Lord was about to come. In what follows the intelligence and wisdom of this church is learned. It appears to be principled in truth and therefore in good from intelligence and wisdom and as having an appearance of splendor and living in a degree of pride. One sees this by the way the husband appears to 'strut' about and that fact he is a good man. We thus can see the truths of this church were humble. This shows that there was a love of the good of truth and that the society had these truths of good as well.
The church Emanuel Swedenborg saw was of natural goodness and truth and in that goodness and truth was hid, thus not acknowledged. It was thus that this church could gather these natural goods and truths unto themselves that there might be the good of love and thus the good of the will. The common truths also of this church were gathered. And so was there faith expressed by the natural principle.
End
Though we understand these societies of angels and spirits as coming from churches in the natural world we see evidence of them as being able to perceive spiritually as the Most Ancient Church on our earth as spoken of in the Arcana C&œ;lestia about Chapters two and three of the Old Testament. That leaves us with there having to be churches today with the same state in order to perform the interior uses of the Grand Man of Heaven and the questions of whether there are other earths in other natural universes than ours having on them churches with inhabitants in the interior state and of being able to speak with spirits and angels that visit them. Though we should not think that because we today cannot converse with spirits we do not have faith or love enough to the Lord; though of course many do not. The reason is because our interior or spirit is closed today. Thus our spiritual degree or state is closed for the reason we live and understand merely naturally. Nonetheless we can still be joined with heaven and the Lord by means of the truths of doctrine and the good of life from the Lord, though this is merely externally; still we are not aware of this conjunction.
In our world today most people think that only by means of (space) travel will it be possible to travel to other worlds or earths. Subsequently, one needs to know that spaces and distances and progressions which exist in the natural are but changes of states of interiors or of spiritual things and that this is why angels and spirits can be translated or, as it were, transported from one place to another: in this case from one society to another in the spiritual world even to those in the 'starry heaven' as we see Emanuel Swedenborg was. We learn through astronomy that there are other suns and that earths revolve around them as around ours. Here again is the argument presented that because of so great a universe in which there are constellations with stars or suns and planets around them that the creation was for man, that there might be a heaven of angels and spirits. And that this would be nothing for God to accomplish. This of course is understood naturally - from a literal sense of this book.
In spite of the fact it is only possible to visit these earths or societies in the 'starry heaven' through the spiritual faculty shows that it is heaven and the spiritual world, its vastness, that is being spoke of and these must be understood in some degree in our interior thought where there is neither space nor time since it is from there the 'starry heaven' proceeds. For this reason the Word was written and an internal sense revealed in it through the Third Testament. We have shown before that spirits and angels can converse with one another especially because of their agreements and likenesses of their state of life. In this chapter we learned that there are other spirits and angels that are not of the same agreements and likenesses of their state of life and thus of not any similar church. Because of this spirits and angels of our systems, that is beliefs or doctrines are not able to converse with or be translated or transferred to societies not in our system except the Lord lead them
Although we see from a literal sense Swedenborg traveled in spirit to another earth in another universe, this took place in the 'starry heaven' of the spiritual world where there are innumerable societies from innumerable earths or churches on them all of which do not have the same doctrine we have or even that of any or the many different churches that are and were in our world. Nonetheless, he did not physically travel to other natural earths in other universes.
The problem with looking at this in the literal sense is that we continue to fall into natural thoughts and as such want to support these thoughts and come into error. Those who have read the things on this website know that we teach that there is an internal or spiritual sense to the Word. Nonetheless one receives some instruction either way. However let us try to see the truth and good spiritually. In that case we need to go to our doctrine; to where it is principled and where it terminates. We learn in the spiritual sense that the first earth Swedenborg visits in the 'starry heaven' has the truth though it is no understood clearly, but obscurely. "There appeared first a whitish but dense cloud and after it a fiery smoke ascending from a great gulf" (The First Earth in the Starry Heaven 128). Thus separating all those who are not in the truths and goods of doctrine from the Lord are in a different doctrine. In this case there were spirits who had not worshipped God as a Divine Man. In any event out of the Lord's mercy they received guidance and were allowed to worship an angel who they believed interceded at it were on their behalf to the most High God. The angel was actually an angelic society. Because of not believing or adored God as a Divine Man they learned they were not worthy to worship and adore the Most High God. It is thus that they do not receive light from the Sun of the angelic heaven, but only a lesser light through that angelic society. What we learned is that these spirits were "in a lower region" (130e). By a region in the spiritual world is meant states below even the natural heavens, states that are sensual and corporeal.
What can be ascertained is that these were spirits who had spiritual good from the truths that they were taught when they lived a natural life and where now guided in the spiritual world by an angelic society. As a result they lived a good life from the affections they were taught and thus had an understanding of truth. These spirits had a relation to the SPLEEN in the Grand Man. (For those not familiar with the Grand Man of heaven: basically there is a correspondence with all parts of the human body, both interior and exterior in heaven and so the universal heaven is called the Grand Man. The reason is the Lord is the only Man and heaven represents Him. Good and Truth is from Him and so constitute heaven.) One might wonder that if this society is indirectly taught and whose relationship is not with the Most High God how is it that they have a relation with the SPLEEN of the Grand Man. The answer is found in Arcana C&œ;lestia 5184 where it says they directly over the head (of the Grand Man); but "operate upon the organ in question". By having a relation to the spleen is shown that the good of that society in the spiritual world is only something less good and even by what is opposite to evil.
One learns that the Lord of their belief or doctrine opens their rational to what is true and good. However the Lord of our belief and doctrine appears greater. "When asked about the sun of their system, which illuminates their earth, they said that is appeared flaming. When I represented the sun of our earth, they said that their sun was smaller". (113)
Once the spiritual eyes of Emanuel Swedenborg had been opened he was able to see what the inhabitants of the church looked like. From the natural sense the appearance is as if reading about folk from some early European country and makes interesting reading. However we know there is an internal sense to the Word that has within genuine truths. Such individuals of had spiritual and rational things of the mind. There were those who had natural truths and other natural goods while other both. These were in the good of doctrine and so in the good of life; these were well disposed and 'as it were' came into spiritual good acting in the mind having been instructed in truth; though they were external and to whom the Lord was about to come. In what follows the intelligence and wisdom of this church is learned. It appears to be principled in truth and therefore in good from intelligence and wisdom and as having an appearance of splendor and living in a degree of pride. One sees this by the way the husband appears to 'strut' about and that fact he is a good man. We thus can see the truths of this church were humble. This shows that there was a love of the good of truth and that the society had these truths of good as well.
The church Emanuel Swedenborg saw was of natural goodness and truth and in that goodness and truth was hid, thus not acknowledged. It was thus that this church could gather these natural goods and truths unto themselves that there might be the good of love and thus the good of the will. The common truths also of this church were gathered. And so was there faith expressed by the natural principle.
End
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