"Why the Lord willed to be born on our Earth and not on any other".
By Rev. Paul Booth
Lessons: Earths in the Universe 3, 113 - 122 | Arcana C&œ;lestia 9360
By Rev. Paul Booth
Lessons: Earths in the Universe 3, 113 - 122 | Arcana C&œ;lestia 9360
Often people of the New Church will believe that the Old and New testaments have an internal sense and if this sense is not looked for, much in these Testaments would be misunderstood and doctrine would be falsified. Yet, there is the tendency for them to accept the Third testament's natural sense and over look that in it there is an internal sense revealing the genuine truth. One such place is the where Swedenborg reports about visiting the spirits from various earths or planets in our solar system and from earths in the starry Heaven.
These reports are at the end of various chapters in Arcana C&œ;lestia and are also published in the book titled Earths in the Universe. In between various planets - Mercury, Saturn, and named others and, the moon - and the five other numbered earths there is stated the reasons why the Lord willed to be born on our earth and not any other. When this is understood according to its literal sense one may think that these various planets were inhabited, at least, in the past, since we know for humans to exist on them today is impossible. Of course, that they did live on them in the past and not today, would not be true either, for we can literally read that spirits still come from those planets or earths to Heaven. You can understand if this were true the Word of the Third Testament would not be true. Thus the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg would not the Word, but just his thoughts and ideas.
However, for those who believe the writings of Swedenborg are the Word they are taught in that Third testament that names are not meant persons, places, things, and in this case the name of various planets or earths, but the essence of the thing, thus their various qualities. When the word 'earth' is used in the Word don't we get an opposing corresponding idea of Heaven? Now, since the Word is written in correspondences as it teaches it is, then by 'earth' is meant inferior things of heaven - the natural and rational things that correspond to internal or superior things of heaven. Heaven is where the Lord is in conjunction with angels; earth is where man is separated from the Lord, except where the man has been given a new will and understanding from the Lord, for as the Lord taught, Heaven is within man and that He wants to make His abode within man. It is in this sense that the Church is on earth and has now become His Kingdom. It is the quality of the Church that is meant by the various named planets and different Churches spoken about. What we find is that when the word 'earth' is used in the Word, it in some way, refers to a Church or to the lack thereof and that even when it refers to the terrestrial or globe that we call Earth, it still has the idea of a church where the Lord is with man.
Unless one believes this Third Testament and has at least some knowledge of the science of correspondences, their mind will naturally want to believe that Word's literal sense and in this case that there are men on other planets and earths. Therefore, for those who want to believe the Word of the Divine Human - the Third Testament - the spiritual sense of number 3 of the book of Earths in the Universe of the Third Testament is here shown.
"I have sometimes spoken on this subject with spirits of our Earth, and it was said that a man of sound understanding may conclude, from many things which he knows, that there are more earths than one, and that there are human beings upon them" (Earths in the Universe 3§1).
(Swedenborg) had spoken about there being more than one Church - the Christian Church - with those spirits that had come from the Christian Church into the spiritual world, and he had communicated with others from other churches as well. They (the Christian spirits) purported that men of rational understanding make this conclusion, that there are other earths (churches), and they do so from the Lord, who gave them a new understanding, just as He gives those from the Christian Church a new understanding. In the spiritual world a person's understanding of the Word is spiritual or internal and, if they have lived well or lived a life of good on earth, come to learn it is not their belief, whether Christian or some other, that saves them, but the Lord when He dwells within the man. Thus, in this instance, Christian spirits know that there are spirits coming from all other (earths) churches, for these too were created men whose esse or being and form is from God just as are those of the Christian Church. Note: by 'earths' are meant churches. This will be later more clearly revealed.
The internal sense - I have communicated with Christian spirits who have told me that there are others who are of a rational understanding and from what they know and concluded that there are other churches and men that are created according to God's image and likeness.
"For it is an inference of reason, that such huge bodies as the planets are, some of which exceed this Earth in magnitude, are not empties bodies, created only to be carried and to rotate around the sun, and to shine with their scanty light (lumen) for the benefit of one earth only" (Earths in the Universe 3 § 1 cont.)
It is by reason from the Lord that man knows what is true or not true and not by one's own reason or rational. By 'bodies' here are meant men and it is in men that there are churches, the qualities of some which are more than the Christian's. It is from the Lord, in whose body is Divine Love and Divine Wisdom that all in the universe are from as an end, cause, and effect. These things in the Lord are one though in the created universe are not one. By being 'carried' is meant to be educated and by to 'rotate' is to be punished (though in a good sense), and thus as to be taught and punished by the Lord as one of His children that He leads to regeneration. By the 'sun', of course, is meant the natural understanding that man has through the written Word, it is not that light from an internal understanding coming from the Sun of Heaven - the Lord. That understanding given to man is for the benefit of not just one Church, for there is a nobler need for which the Lord has come than to regenerate only a few.
The internal sense - It is from knowing what is true or not true from a knowledge taught from the Lord so that many people from other churches are not brought into existence just to receive so little truths about God and Heaven, and that only one Church - the Christian - becomes benefit of Heaven.
"He who believes, as every one ought to believe, that the Divine created the universe for no other end than the existence of the human race, and of a heaven from it (for the human race is the seminary of heaven), cannot but believe that wherever there is an earth, there are human beings" (Earths in the Universe 3 § 1e).
The internal sense - A true belief is in the infinite and eternal Divine from which flows a first, a middle, and a last which has created all things that ending in ultimates or the universe. The end or last was the human being in which the Divine was imaged and likened, thus the Divine's love is within all mankind. All humans are created for heaven; though not all choose a life fit for heaven. However, of those who do, there is the Church within.
"That planets, which are visible to our eyes, being within the boundaries of this solar system, are earths, may be clearly seen from the following considerations" (Earths in the Universe 3§ 2).
The internal sense - The other churches seen by our natural understanding pertaining to the end, cause, and effect that human beings are to manifest the Lord's qualities, that is, that the Church is within each from what follows.
"They are bodies of earthly matter, because they reflect the sun's light (lumen), and, when seen through the telescope, appear, not as stars shining from their flame, but as earths (terrae) variegated with dark spots" (Earths of the Universe 3 § 2 cont.).
The internal sense - They are natural men in whom a church is and that have received an understanding from natural worldly truths. When the understanding is brought into more clear focus they are not understood as the knowledge of truth and good from pure reason from spiritual good nor from any truth from such good, but they are churches with natural falsities (just as many in the Christian Church doctrines are falsities).
"Like our earth, they are carried round the sun and advance progressively through the zodiac, which motion causes years, and seasons of the year, which are spring, summer, autumn, and winter" (Earths of the Universe 3 § 2cont.).
The internal sense - As our Church, they are held in the state of good and truth by natural understanding from their beginning to end - the various states of the church - from its first conception into its full development ending in their decline and end. By the 'path of the zodiac' is meant by the truths that are of natural things concerning heaven.
"They likewise rotate upon their own axis, just as our Church does, and this rotation causes days, and times, of the day, that is, morning, mid-day, evening, and night" (Earths of the Universe 3 § 2 cont.).
The internal sense - These churches also have understood truths according to their own beliefs of what is divine good as does our Church. This causes both good and evil, thus a state of charity and of good and truth and the development of their understanding and the decline of these when having turned away from the Lord to one's self in which there are falsities and evils. Lastly, these churches, like the Christian, come into a state of evil.
"And, moreover, some of them also have moons, which are called satellites, which perform their revolutions around their globes in stated times, as the moon goes around ours" (Earths of the Universe 3 § 2 cont.).
The Internal sense - Some (other) churches have similar faiths and follow their doctrine according to their belief as do some other similar to our Church.
"The planet Saturn, because it is so very far distant from the sun, has also a great luminous ring, which supplies that earth with much, although reflected light" (Earths in the Universe 3 § 2 cont.).
The internal sense - The quality of the Church, here called Saturn, is of those who humbly worship our Lord and acknowledge Him as the only God because their faith is so far from the natural understanding that they believe they are unworthy. This faith they teach to their children how to live, that is, in humbleness. (Though in that church are those who also live from their own self intelligence and not from what truths were taught through that humbleness.)
"How is it possible for any one who is acquainted with these facts, and thinks from reason, to assert that such bodies are uninhabited" (Earths of the universe 3 § 2e).
The internal sense - How can a person who has these truths from the Lord think that so many do not the Lord's qualities in which He created all mankind, that such churches have such truths and were taught.
But what about the other earths or Churches? Can their quality be known? Is it of such a quality that they can enter heaven? Here, it is the names which reveal their various qualities and what their nature is. It is obvious that by planet is also meant earth, for in the first chapter of Earths in the Universe earths are talked about along with their inhabitants or rather the spirits that came from them. For in the next chapter in that book of the Word, the title refers to an 'earth' or 'planet', that is, to the church called Mercury.
It would take too much to list all their qualities here though generally they can somewhat be known from what is written concerning each of them in that book. Many of them have qualities similar to our Church.
Now in Arcana C&œ;lestia 67 is written, "As of the Lord's Divine mercy it has been granted me to know the internal meaning of the Word in which are contained the deepest Arcana that have not before come to any ones knowledge, nor can come unless the nature of the other life is known (for very many things of the Word's internal sense have regard to, describe, and involve those of that life)." This 'other life' is understood in this way: that a man has life from God and it is the quality of that life from God that constitutes the Grand Man, which is from all in whom the Church is within. Now, to this, add the truth that by 'earth' is signified a man in who is the Church. It is not meant this earth that we live on, for it was said that even when the word 'earth' refers to this physical earth, it still is predicated on its inhabitants and thus the Church in according its quality of truths and goods in man.
It is obviously difficult to hold our thoughts in spiritual light even if we have the correspondences that help us understand the Word's internal sense. As example number 3 in the book Earths in the Universe when only understood in its literal sense will naturally convince us that in the entire universe there must be other humans created on other planets or earths that know and acknowledge God. Thus, when it is taken into consideration that God made man in His image and likeness, it is understood that the human being is human only from the Lord God. Therefore, it is that those who live according to the Word and thus in faith and charity, come into Heaven. However, if it is to be believed that there are people on other planets or earths than our own that can come into the spiritual world and Heaven like our Church, then couldn't there be other churches on our own planet we call Earth come into the spiritual world and Heaven too?
Let us remember that Swedenborg spoke with spirits (and angels) while in the spiritual world. Let us recall that there in that (spiritual) world the appearance of life was just as here in this world - people, homes, fields, flowers, etc. Therefore, there appear also stars and other 'heavenly bodies' as in this world, but that is just an appearance there and such things, when revealed, are understood in their internal or spiritual sense. For this is the basis of correspondences. Isn't the Lord seen as the Sun there in the celestial heavens and as the moon in the spiritual heavens, who is the Lord as spiritual good and truth? And doesn't the moon have reference to faith and the sun to love in the written Word to man? Aren't things in the spiritual world when observed from a distance representative of something else as was often reported by Swedenborg? Therefore, when different planets are seen there in the spiritual world don't they also represent other Churches as does the word 'earth' that is called 'ours' represent our Church - the Christian - in the written Word just as stars in the Word signify angels or angelic societies?
So you can see when it was said to Swedenborg by spirits who had come to him that was in that world - the spiritual world - that some appeared to come from "the earth nearest to the sun, which on our Earth is called Mercury," that it was not this natural solar system or universe that is meant. (Conf. Earths in the Universe 11). Heaven, of course, resembles one man that is called in the Word of the Third Testament, the Grand Man. Therefore, the Grand Man or Heaven is made from all those, whose life is from the Lord and thus, who constitute its (the Grand Man's) exteriors and interiors, while the Lord Himself is its life.
We now can understand why it is said that 'our earth' has reference in the Grand Man or to Heaven to the external and corporeal (Conf. AC 9360). If the Truth Divine in the letter, which is the Word, had been given before mankind had reached the external and corporeal state, there would be no ultimates in which rests the spiritual and celestial, and on which there was no ground or foundation to stand as it were. From this we see that there is an order for all things to exist and thus the Lord was willing to also be born and assume the Human on our earth (Church) which has become the crown of all churches.
Since the word 'earth' in the Word signifies a church and the names of various planets mentioned in the Word of the Third testament, along with the moon and five other earths said to be in the 'starry heavens' are also meant other churches and their qualities and not actual physical bodies in space, then can anything be known about them. It was said that their qualities could be learned from the report Swedenborg gave about them, but this would require special knowledge of correspondences to be accomplished. Is there any general knowledge that can be learned without an exhaustive study?
There are five 'earths' called 'planets' or churches in the universe and five 'earths' said to be in the starry heavens along with the 'moon' and, of course, there is 'our earth' or Church. Let's take the five planets first. A reading of these shows a resemblance to the churches that came from the time before the Church of Israel and Judea existed - those descendants of the Most Ancient and the Ancient Churches. Many of these have no wish or desire for such things as temples, palaces, houses, or streets themselves, but for what is done in them, such as worship, governing, living and learning true doctrine. In this way they develop their memory, thus their spiritual knowledge. There are those who know of the promise that they would see the Lord, but did not know that the promise was kept. (You can see that they either lived and died before the Lord came or they did not accept that He did come.) Those of other 'planets' or churches were distinguished into families and households, that is, they had mutual love or a love of their proprium as did those in most ancient times, and either did or did not covet any other's goods, as did those in any of the Churches leading up to our present Church. Basically, they lived in peace between each other, acknowledging the Lord as the Supreme Being was the 'planet's' or church Jupiter's principal worship. The Lord is believed to be Man in these Churches. Where God is not believed to be Man there is not church. It was through perception that those of such churches were instructed as were, the Most Ancient Church. Those that were from the 'planet' or church called Mars were also like those of the Most Ancient who speech was tacit and from an internal respiration. Those coming from that 'planet' that came into Heaven or the Grand Man have relation to the medium between Intellectual and the voluntary, and so, have thought from affection and have affection of thought. From this it is seen that those of such a church are internal, while as was said, those of 'our earth' or church are external, and relate to the external sense of the Word. We see also that those of the 'planet' or church called Saturn also worshipped our Lord as the only God and that He appears to them under an angel's form as the Lord did to the early descendents of our church. Those of the 'planet' Venus are not like those of Saturn who relate to a medium in the Grand Man of Heaven between the Spiritual and Natural, but are of two states - humane and savage - according to the quality of their life. This may be likened to those peoples living at the time when the Israelites came into Canaan.
Now let's turn to the earths in the starry heaven. These are like churches of the more recent times and after the Ancient Church's end - those of Israelitish and first Christian Church era. This is seen from the fact that most worshipped a Most High God, though is not seen as the Lord Jesus Christ who has now come. Some in these religions have the ability to speak with the spirits from spiritual world as did even some of those in the Israelitish and in our Church. However, we see very often that those in these 'earths' (churches) are abhorred with the idea of the Divine in a trinity of persons. Of course, this is also seen in many religions who today abhor the Christian religion. There are, of course, those in these churches that do not come into Heaven, just as all who claim they are Christian and attend worship do not come into Heaven.
Lastly, let us consider those who are said to come from the moon. Here, we see it is not said earth or planet, but only moon. Moon, in its internal sense is meant faith or truth, or spiritual good, but in the opposite sense signifies self-derived intellect and faith grounded in man's love of self. Here, those in the spiritual word have the appearance of boys, thus of truths, but what is learned when examined closer is that they are men who have not grown up, and were dwarfs. We learn that they spoke from the natural knowledge of truth about God, which are signified by the 'clouds and thunder' because, from the 'moon' or such a church, in which they are, the atmosphere or the divine's love and wisdom is not as in other churches. Thus, you can understand that by 'moon' is meant merely a representative of the church and does not even represent a church.
Note: the spirits Swedenborg spoke with concerning other earths were before the Last Judgment had taken place.
Now let us turn to why the Lord willed to be born on 'our Earth' or in our Church and not in others. In number Arcana C&œ;lestia, number 9350, is written: "There are several causes, concerning which I have been instructed out of Heaven, why it pleased the Lord to be born, and assume the Human, on our earth, and not on any other". (These words are also found in Earths of the Universe number 113.) The key word here is the word 'our'. What is signified by 'our earth'? We have already shown that 'earth' means the essential quality of a Church. This can also easily be shown in the first few chapters of Arcana C&œ;lestia concerning the spiritual sense of the word 'earth', 'land', and 'ground', where these words in Genesis refer to the Lord being with man in various states.
When the word 'our' is mentioned in the Word, then those who have believed and taken their faith from the Word, and in this case, especially from the Third testament, it signifies their Church. This, of course, is the new Christian Church, for upon coming on earth the Lord established the first or natural Christian Church and through it the spiritual or true Christian Church when He came in His Last Judgment into the spiritual world and that allowed for a new Word - the Word of the Divine Human - to come to mankind. You can see that the Spiritual Christian Church, the New Church could become only established from a series of developments that took place in succession beginning with Adam and Eve in Paradise or with the Most Ancient Church, and through the Ancient Church called Noah, then, next, had became called the Israelitish and Jewish Church and from this became the Christian, which, if the tribulation or judgment were not shortened, would not have become the Crown of all Churches. Besides, the Word is addressed to the Church, in this case to those of the New Church that is now revealed in the Third Testament.
Thus, by the Lord not being born on any other earth is meant that He did not assume the Human within any other Church. A man born in this world needs to be born again spiritually. Thus, the Word teaches how man must live in order to be regenerated, that is, to be born again. Now, to this effect, the Lord came into this world and was born in our Church, in order to teach and lead man that man might become regenerated and, if not in this world, then in the next. All who have lived in goodness in this world can be taught in the next that the Lord is God and Man. By 'world' is signified those who are not in the spiritual world or Heaven, thus both the wicked and good before regeneration.
By the Lord's birth He assumed the Human, but He assumed it not just by natural birth, but like a man, who becomes spiritual becoming regenerated, His Human was united with the Divine and thus, He was glorified; a man is regenerated.
Our lesson lists six causes why the Lord was born in our Church rather than any other. These are for the sake of the Word, that it might be composed and written, and then published all throughout the whole world, that it could be preserved for all posterity, that it be manifested that God has become Man, and so, that this truth also be manifested in all the universe, and to those who come into heaven from whatever church they are from who lives well.
From the very beginning when man sinned and fell from paradise the Lord God promised that He would come and redeem and regenerate man and, in the fullness of time we (Christians) know that He did, while other churches still wait or are not looking for Him to come at all. Here, one can understand how it is meant that He came to 'our' Church and became the living Truth or Word. Naturally, if the Lord God was no longer present and man could no longer be taught immediately or directly as before in paradise, wouldn't the Lord of necessity provide a way, especially since He promised to save mankind? A study of Arcana C&œ;lestia, especially of the first twelve chapters, shows the development of the spoken and written language and how, through revelation, the Lord spoke to certain chosen men of those churches that in time became ours and who came to wrote down what was revealed to them.
Up until this was possible the spoken Word had been told from one family to another where it could was taught and learned. If it was taken by word of mouth to others before it was written and preserved its meaning would have become changed. This is because often each time it is retold the content changes and this because of one's own natural understanding which is separate from the Lord's wisdom. Only by it being written could it be published to all people and so also preserved in its original. In publishing and preserving the Word it was made manifest not just to Christians in the world, but to the spiritual world that God became Man. Remember, many had lived before the Lord's coming. To be sure there were other nations or people who developed a written language, but the Lord came through certain men of Israel in Word and was born to that Church of Israel that the Word became fulfilled. Other churches had not reached that state or today reject that the Lord came. (Though He came earlier to the Ancient Church, but like all churches it ended and along with it their Word from God. It was from the Hebrew tribe, which was from the Ancient Church that the Church of Israelites was established and from that Church came the Christian Church, thus 'our' Church.) Thus, the purpose of manifesting the truth that God became Man could be manifested to all who were in heaven and who come into Heaven (from other churches), for the New Testament was also revealed in Heaven and in it the Lord was seen as made flesh and has become Man. This is also clearly spoken and explained of in the Third Testament, which also is seen in Heaven.
Since it is known that by 'earths' or 'planets' are meant churches, then where have these churches developed if not on other planets or earth of the physical universe? They have grown out of the fall of the Most Ancient Church. Thus, like our Church, they also have an element of truth, even as we see ours did all throughout its development. Many churches had risen up after the Most Ancient - Adam and Eve - fell as are seen in the made up histories leading up to Abram and during the era of the Israelitish Church. After the end of the Ancient Church their worship and doctrine was lost, and there were many other churches that came into existence and these were not chosen by God to assume the Human in. Since, the Christian Church was established there are still others that came into existence that may even resemble the Christian. Today there are many world religions other than Christian and many factions from these. In each of them there is believed and known a God who is to be worshipped and a doctrine of good that is to be lived and to none of these did the Lord - who they call the one God - come, but those who do come into the spiritual world when they have not confirmed themselves is evil can be lead and taught and, so, take there place in the Grand Man of heaven as do those in the Christian Church that had lived a good life or in charity from the Lord. Depending on which reference source one uses there are today about twenty two named major world religions and about twelve or more smaller religions not included in with the major ones and from these are many more branches and cults.
It should be remembered that the Word is about the Lord, about His Church, which is of the Lord within man. It is not about the various nations mentioned in it, nor the different peoples written about. This truth applies to the Third Testament as well, not just to the Old and New Testaments. Therefore, neither is it about the different earth and planets of this natural world, but about the Lord in relation with His kingdom both here - the Church - and in Heaven.
"The Lord acknowledges and receives all, from whatever church (earth) they may be, who acknowledge and worship God under a human form" (AC 9359). Thus when the Lord appears in the human form they are easily taught by angels that God is actually Man, and they believe and rejoice.
Did the Lord choose to assume the Human, and to become manifested as Man in order that His Word is with our Church because we are more believing, or are 'better' persons, or live a more spiritual life? Of course not; the Lord loves all men equally with an unconditional love. If we believe we are special because we believe the truth more than others, or that He favors us over others and that unless they change are damned, then we are indeed very ignorant or love our self more than imaginable, for even in the Word we can read that many not in the Church lived more charitable and spiritual lives than have those in 'our' Church.
In fact, as we have already said, the Lord came in the fullness of time, which means when the (our) Church was at its end. In other words, the Lord had to intervene in order for a true Church to be on earth with man and, thus to redeem all mankind. This end was when the man of a church had became merely natural corporeal and sensual. If the Lord had come before these ultimates, before the natural and corporeal, were reached, the interiors, the celestial and spiritual would have nothing in which to rest; life would close and end. (Note: neither could the Lord come before they were reached.) In truth there would have been no creation, no life.
End.
These reports are at the end of various chapters in Arcana C&œ;lestia and are also published in the book titled Earths in the Universe. In between various planets - Mercury, Saturn, and named others and, the moon - and the five other numbered earths there is stated the reasons why the Lord willed to be born on our earth and not any other. When this is understood according to its literal sense one may think that these various planets were inhabited, at least, in the past, since we know for humans to exist on them today is impossible. Of course, that they did live on them in the past and not today, would not be true either, for we can literally read that spirits still come from those planets or earths to Heaven. You can understand if this were true the Word of the Third Testament would not be true. Thus the writings of Emanuel Swedenborg would not the Word, but just his thoughts and ideas.
However, for those who believe the writings of Swedenborg are the Word they are taught in that Third testament that names are not meant persons, places, things, and in this case the name of various planets or earths, but the essence of the thing, thus their various qualities. When the word 'earth' is used in the Word don't we get an opposing corresponding idea of Heaven? Now, since the Word is written in correspondences as it teaches it is, then by 'earth' is meant inferior things of heaven - the natural and rational things that correspond to internal or superior things of heaven. Heaven is where the Lord is in conjunction with angels; earth is where man is separated from the Lord, except where the man has been given a new will and understanding from the Lord, for as the Lord taught, Heaven is within man and that He wants to make His abode within man. It is in this sense that the Church is on earth and has now become His Kingdom. It is the quality of the Church that is meant by the various named planets and different Churches spoken about. What we find is that when the word 'earth' is used in the Word, it in some way, refers to a Church or to the lack thereof and that even when it refers to the terrestrial or globe that we call Earth, it still has the idea of a church where the Lord is with man.
Unless one believes this Third Testament and has at least some knowledge of the science of correspondences, their mind will naturally want to believe that Word's literal sense and in this case that there are men on other planets and earths. Therefore, for those who want to believe the Word of the Divine Human - the Third Testament - the spiritual sense of number 3 of the book of Earths in the Universe of the Third Testament is here shown.
"I have sometimes spoken on this subject with spirits of our Earth, and it was said that a man of sound understanding may conclude, from many things which he knows, that there are more earths than one, and that there are human beings upon them" (Earths in the Universe 3§1).
(Swedenborg) had spoken about there being more than one Church - the Christian Church - with those spirits that had come from the Christian Church into the spiritual world, and he had communicated with others from other churches as well. They (the Christian spirits) purported that men of rational understanding make this conclusion, that there are other earths (churches), and they do so from the Lord, who gave them a new understanding, just as He gives those from the Christian Church a new understanding. In the spiritual world a person's understanding of the Word is spiritual or internal and, if they have lived well or lived a life of good on earth, come to learn it is not their belief, whether Christian or some other, that saves them, but the Lord when He dwells within the man. Thus, in this instance, Christian spirits know that there are spirits coming from all other (earths) churches, for these too were created men whose esse or being and form is from God just as are those of the Christian Church. Note: by 'earths' are meant churches. This will be later more clearly revealed.
The internal sense - I have communicated with Christian spirits who have told me that there are others who are of a rational understanding and from what they know and concluded that there are other churches and men that are created according to God's image and likeness.
"For it is an inference of reason, that such huge bodies as the planets are, some of which exceed this Earth in magnitude, are not empties bodies, created only to be carried and to rotate around the sun, and to shine with their scanty light (lumen) for the benefit of one earth only" (Earths in the Universe 3 § 1 cont.)
It is by reason from the Lord that man knows what is true or not true and not by one's own reason or rational. By 'bodies' here are meant men and it is in men that there are churches, the qualities of some which are more than the Christian's. It is from the Lord, in whose body is Divine Love and Divine Wisdom that all in the universe are from as an end, cause, and effect. These things in the Lord are one though in the created universe are not one. By being 'carried' is meant to be educated and by to 'rotate' is to be punished (though in a good sense), and thus as to be taught and punished by the Lord as one of His children that He leads to regeneration. By the 'sun', of course, is meant the natural understanding that man has through the written Word, it is not that light from an internal understanding coming from the Sun of Heaven - the Lord. That understanding given to man is for the benefit of not just one Church, for there is a nobler need for which the Lord has come than to regenerate only a few.
The internal sense - It is from knowing what is true or not true from a knowledge taught from the Lord so that many people from other churches are not brought into existence just to receive so little truths about God and Heaven, and that only one Church - the Christian - becomes benefit of Heaven.
"He who believes, as every one ought to believe, that the Divine created the universe for no other end than the existence of the human race, and of a heaven from it (for the human race is the seminary of heaven), cannot but believe that wherever there is an earth, there are human beings" (Earths in the Universe 3 § 1e).
The internal sense - A true belief is in the infinite and eternal Divine from which flows a first, a middle, and a last which has created all things that ending in ultimates or the universe. The end or last was the human being in which the Divine was imaged and likened, thus the Divine's love is within all mankind. All humans are created for heaven; though not all choose a life fit for heaven. However, of those who do, there is the Church within.
"That planets, which are visible to our eyes, being within the boundaries of this solar system, are earths, may be clearly seen from the following considerations" (Earths in the Universe 3§ 2).
The internal sense - The other churches seen by our natural understanding pertaining to the end, cause, and effect that human beings are to manifest the Lord's qualities, that is, that the Church is within each from what follows.
"They are bodies of earthly matter, because they reflect the sun's light (lumen), and, when seen through the telescope, appear, not as stars shining from their flame, but as earths (terrae) variegated with dark spots" (Earths of the Universe 3 § 2 cont.).
The internal sense - They are natural men in whom a church is and that have received an understanding from natural worldly truths. When the understanding is brought into more clear focus they are not understood as the knowledge of truth and good from pure reason from spiritual good nor from any truth from such good, but they are churches with natural falsities (just as many in the Christian Church doctrines are falsities).
"Like our earth, they are carried round the sun and advance progressively through the zodiac, which motion causes years, and seasons of the year, which are spring, summer, autumn, and winter" (Earths of the Universe 3 § 2cont.).
The internal sense - As our Church, they are held in the state of good and truth by natural understanding from their beginning to end - the various states of the church - from its first conception into its full development ending in their decline and end. By the 'path of the zodiac' is meant by the truths that are of natural things concerning heaven.
"They likewise rotate upon their own axis, just as our Church does, and this rotation causes days, and times, of the day, that is, morning, mid-day, evening, and night" (Earths of the Universe 3 § 2 cont.).
The internal sense - These churches also have understood truths according to their own beliefs of what is divine good as does our Church. This causes both good and evil, thus a state of charity and of good and truth and the development of their understanding and the decline of these when having turned away from the Lord to one's self in which there are falsities and evils. Lastly, these churches, like the Christian, come into a state of evil.
"And, moreover, some of them also have moons, which are called satellites, which perform their revolutions around their globes in stated times, as the moon goes around ours" (Earths of the Universe 3 § 2 cont.).
The Internal sense - Some (other) churches have similar faiths and follow their doctrine according to their belief as do some other similar to our Church.
"The planet Saturn, because it is so very far distant from the sun, has also a great luminous ring, which supplies that earth with much, although reflected light" (Earths in the Universe 3 § 2 cont.).
The internal sense - The quality of the Church, here called Saturn, is of those who humbly worship our Lord and acknowledge Him as the only God because their faith is so far from the natural understanding that they believe they are unworthy. This faith they teach to their children how to live, that is, in humbleness. (Though in that church are those who also live from their own self intelligence and not from what truths were taught through that humbleness.)
"How is it possible for any one who is acquainted with these facts, and thinks from reason, to assert that such bodies are uninhabited" (Earths of the universe 3 § 2e).
The internal sense - How can a person who has these truths from the Lord think that so many do not the Lord's qualities in which He created all mankind, that such churches have such truths and were taught.
But what about the other earths or Churches? Can their quality be known? Is it of such a quality that they can enter heaven? Here, it is the names which reveal their various qualities and what their nature is. It is obvious that by planet is also meant earth, for in the first chapter of Earths in the Universe earths are talked about along with their inhabitants or rather the spirits that came from them. For in the next chapter in that book of the Word, the title refers to an 'earth' or 'planet', that is, to the church called Mercury.
It would take too much to list all their qualities here though generally they can somewhat be known from what is written concerning each of them in that book. Many of them have qualities similar to our Church.
Now in Arcana C&œ;lestia 67 is written, "As of the Lord's Divine mercy it has been granted me to know the internal meaning of the Word in which are contained the deepest Arcana that have not before come to any ones knowledge, nor can come unless the nature of the other life is known (for very many things of the Word's internal sense have regard to, describe, and involve those of that life)." This 'other life' is understood in this way: that a man has life from God and it is the quality of that life from God that constitutes the Grand Man, which is from all in whom the Church is within. Now, to this, add the truth that by 'earth' is signified a man in who is the Church. It is not meant this earth that we live on, for it was said that even when the word 'earth' refers to this physical earth, it still is predicated on its inhabitants and thus the Church in according its quality of truths and goods in man.
It is obviously difficult to hold our thoughts in spiritual light even if we have the correspondences that help us understand the Word's internal sense. As example number 3 in the book Earths in the Universe when only understood in its literal sense will naturally convince us that in the entire universe there must be other humans created on other planets or earths that know and acknowledge God. Thus, when it is taken into consideration that God made man in His image and likeness, it is understood that the human being is human only from the Lord God. Therefore, it is that those who live according to the Word and thus in faith and charity, come into Heaven. However, if it is to be believed that there are people on other planets or earths than our own that can come into the spiritual world and Heaven like our Church, then couldn't there be other churches on our own planet we call Earth come into the spiritual world and Heaven too?
Let us remember that Swedenborg spoke with spirits (and angels) while in the spiritual world. Let us recall that there in that (spiritual) world the appearance of life was just as here in this world - people, homes, fields, flowers, etc. Therefore, there appear also stars and other 'heavenly bodies' as in this world, but that is just an appearance there and such things, when revealed, are understood in their internal or spiritual sense. For this is the basis of correspondences. Isn't the Lord seen as the Sun there in the celestial heavens and as the moon in the spiritual heavens, who is the Lord as spiritual good and truth? And doesn't the moon have reference to faith and the sun to love in the written Word to man? Aren't things in the spiritual world when observed from a distance representative of something else as was often reported by Swedenborg? Therefore, when different planets are seen there in the spiritual world don't they also represent other Churches as does the word 'earth' that is called 'ours' represent our Church - the Christian - in the written Word just as stars in the Word signify angels or angelic societies?
So you can see when it was said to Swedenborg by spirits who had come to him that was in that world - the spiritual world - that some appeared to come from "the earth nearest to the sun, which on our Earth is called Mercury," that it was not this natural solar system or universe that is meant. (Conf. Earths in the Universe 11). Heaven, of course, resembles one man that is called in the Word of the Third Testament, the Grand Man. Therefore, the Grand Man or Heaven is made from all those, whose life is from the Lord and thus, who constitute its (the Grand Man's) exteriors and interiors, while the Lord Himself is its life.
We now can understand why it is said that 'our earth' has reference in the Grand Man or to Heaven to the external and corporeal (Conf. AC 9360). If the Truth Divine in the letter, which is the Word, had been given before mankind had reached the external and corporeal state, there would be no ultimates in which rests the spiritual and celestial, and on which there was no ground or foundation to stand as it were. From this we see that there is an order for all things to exist and thus the Lord was willing to also be born and assume the Human on our earth (Church) which has become the crown of all churches.
Since the word 'earth' in the Word signifies a church and the names of various planets mentioned in the Word of the Third testament, along with the moon and five other earths said to be in the 'starry heavens' are also meant other churches and their qualities and not actual physical bodies in space, then can anything be known about them. It was said that their qualities could be learned from the report Swedenborg gave about them, but this would require special knowledge of correspondences to be accomplished. Is there any general knowledge that can be learned without an exhaustive study?
There are five 'earths' called 'planets' or churches in the universe and five 'earths' said to be in the starry heavens along with the 'moon' and, of course, there is 'our earth' or Church. Let's take the five planets first. A reading of these shows a resemblance to the churches that came from the time before the Church of Israel and Judea existed - those descendants of the Most Ancient and the Ancient Churches. Many of these have no wish or desire for such things as temples, palaces, houses, or streets themselves, but for what is done in them, such as worship, governing, living and learning true doctrine. In this way they develop their memory, thus their spiritual knowledge. There are those who know of the promise that they would see the Lord, but did not know that the promise was kept. (You can see that they either lived and died before the Lord came or they did not accept that He did come.) Those of other 'planets' or churches were distinguished into families and households, that is, they had mutual love or a love of their proprium as did those in most ancient times, and either did or did not covet any other's goods, as did those in any of the Churches leading up to our present Church. Basically, they lived in peace between each other, acknowledging the Lord as the Supreme Being was the 'planet's' or church Jupiter's principal worship. The Lord is believed to be Man in these Churches. Where God is not believed to be Man there is not church. It was through perception that those of such churches were instructed as were, the Most Ancient Church. Those that were from the 'planet' or church called Mars were also like those of the Most Ancient who speech was tacit and from an internal respiration. Those coming from that 'planet' that came into Heaven or the Grand Man have relation to the medium between Intellectual and the voluntary, and so, have thought from affection and have affection of thought. From this it is seen that those of such a church are internal, while as was said, those of 'our earth' or church are external, and relate to the external sense of the Word. We see also that those of the 'planet' or church called Saturn also worshipped our Lord as the only God and that He appears to them under an angel's form as the Lord did to the early descendents of our church. Those of the 'planet' Venus are not like those of Saturn who relate to a medium in the Grand Man of Heaven between the Spiritual and Natural, but are of two states - humane and savage - according to the quality of their life. This may be likened to those peoples living at the time when the Israelites came into Canaan.
Now let's turn to the earths in the starry heaven. These are like churches of the more recent times and after the Ancient Church's end - those of Israelitish and first Christian Church era. This is seen from the fact that most worshipped a Most High God, though is not seen as the Lord Jesus Christ who has now come. Some in these religions have the ability to speak with the spirits from spiritual world as did even some of those in the Israelitish and in our Church. However, we see very often that those in these 'earths' (churches) are abhorred with the idea of the Divine in a trinity of persons. Of course, this is also seen in many religions who today abhor the Christian religion. There are, of course, those in these churches that do not come into Heaven, just as all who claim they are Christian and attend worship do not come into Heaven.
Lastly, let us consider those who are said to come from the moon. Here, we see it is not said earth or planet, but only moon. Moon, in its internal sense is meant faith or truth, or spiritual good, but in the opposite sense signifies self-derived intellect and faith grounded in man's love of self. Here, those in the spiritual word have the appearance of boys, thus of truths, but what is learned when examined closer is that they are men who have not grown up, and were dwarfs. We learn that they spoke from the natural knowledge of truth about God, which are signified by the 'clouds and thunder' because, from the 'moon' or such a church, in which they are, the atmosphere or the divine's love and wisdom is not as in other churches. Thus, you can understand that by 'moon' is meant merely a representative of the church and does not even represent a church.
Note: the spirits Swedenborg spoke with concerning other earths were before the Last Judgment had taken place.
Now let us turn to why the Lord willed to be born on 'our Earth' or in our Church and not in others. In number Arcana C&œ;lestia, number 9350, is written: "There are several causes, concerning which I have been instructed out of Heaven, why it pleased the Lord to be born, and assume the Human, on our earth, and not on any other". (These words are also found in Earths of the Universe number 113.) The key word here is the word 'our'. What is signified by 'our earth'? We have already shown that 'earth' means the essential quality of a Church. This can also easily be shown in the first few chapters of Arcana C&œ;lestia concerning the spiritual sense of the word 'earth', 'land', and 'ground', where these words in Genesis refer to the Lord being with man in various states.
When the word 'our' is mentioned in the Word, then those who have believed and taken their faith from the Word, and in this case, especially from the Third testament, it signifies their Church. This, of course, is the new Christian Church, for upon coming on earth the Lord established the first or natural Christian Church and through it the spiritual or true Christian Church when He came in His Last Judgment into the spiritual world and that allowed for a new Word - the Word of the Divine Human - to come to mankind. You can see that the Spiritual Christian Church, the New Church could become only established from a series of developments that took place in succession beginning with Adam and Eve in Paradise or with the Most Ancient Church, and through the Ancient Church called Noah, then, next, had became called the Israelitish and Jewish Church and from this became the Christian, which, if the tribulation or judgment were not shortened, would not have become the Crown of all Churches. Besides, the Word is addressed to the Church, in this case to those of the New Church that is now revealed in the Third Testament.
Thus, by the Lord not being born on any other earth is meant that He did not assume the Human within any other Church. A man born in this world needs to be born again spiritually. Thus, the Word teaches how man must live in order to be regenerated, that is, to be born again. Now, to this effect, the Lord came into this world and was born in our Church, in order to teach and lead man that man might become regenerated and, if not in this world, then in the next. All who have lived in goodness in this world can be taught in the next that the Lord is God and Man. By 'world' is signified those who are not in the spiritual world or Heaven, thus both the wicked and good before regeneration.
By the Lord's birth He assumed the Human, but He assumed it not just by natural birth, but like a man, who becomes spiritual becoming regenerated, His Human was united with the Divine and thus, He was glorified; a man is regenerated.
Our lesson lists six causes why the Lord was born in our Church rather than any other. These are for the sake of the Word, that it might be composed and written, and then published all throughout the whole world, that it could be preserved for all posterity, that it be manifested that God has become Man, and so, that this truth also be manifested in all the universe, and to those who come into heaven from whatever church they are from who lives well.
From the very beginning when man sinned and fell from paradise the Lord God promised that He would come and redeem and regenerate man and, in the fullness of time we (Christians) know that He did, while other churches still wait or are not looking for Him to come at all. Here, one can understand how it is meant that He came to 'our' Church and became the living Truth or Word. Naturally, if the Lord God was no longer present and man could no longer be taught immediately or directly as before in paradise, wouldn't the Lord of necessity provide a way, especially since He promised to save mankind? A study of Arcana C&œ;lestia, especially of the first twelve chapters, shows the development of the spoken and written language and how, through revelation, the Lord spoke to certain chosen men of those churches that in time became ours and who came to wrote down what was revealed to them.
Up until this was possible the spoken Word had been told from one family to another where it could was taught and learned. If it was taken by word of mouth to others before it was written and preserved its meaning would have become changed. This is because often each time it is retold the content changes and this because of one's own natural understanding which is separate from the Lord's wisdom. Only by it being written could it be published to all people and so also preserved in its original. In publishing and preserving the Word it was made manifest not just to Christians in the world, but to the spiritual world that God became Man. Remember, many had lived before the Lord's coming. To be sure there were other nations or people who developed a written language, but the Lord came through certain men of Israel in Word and was born to that Church of Israel that the Word became fulfilled. Other churches had not reached that state or today reject that the Lord came. (Though He came earlier to the Ancient Church, but like all churches it ended and along with it their Word from God. It was from the Hebrew tribe, which was from the Ancient Church that the Church of Israelites was established and from that Church came the Christian Church, thus 'our' Church.) Thus, the purpose of manifesting the truth that God became Man could be manifested to all who were in heaven and who come into Heaven (from other churches), for the New Testament was also revealed in Heaven and in it the Lord was seen as made flesh and has become Man. This is also clearly spoken and explained of in the Third Testament, which also is seen in Heaven.
Since it is known that by 'earths' or 'planets' are meant churches, then where have these churches developed if not on other planets or earth of the physical universe? They have grown out of the fall of the Most Ancient Church. Thus, like our Church, they also have an element of truth, even as we see ours did all throughout its development. Many churches had risen up after the Most Ancient - Adam and Eve - fell as are seen in the made up histories leading up to Abram and during the era of the Israelitish Church. After the end of the Ancient Church their worship and doctrine was lost, and there were many other churches that came into existence and these were not chosen by God to assume the Human in. Since, the Christian Church was established there are still others that came into existence that may even resemble the Christian. Today there are many world religions other than Christian and many factions from these. In each of them there is believed and known a God who is to be worshipped and a doctrine of good that is to be lived and to none of these did the Lord - who they call the one God - come, but those who do come into the spiritual world when they have not confirmed themselves is evil can be lead and taught and, so, take there place in the Grand Man of heaven as do those in the Christian Church that had lived a good life or in charity from the Lord. Depending on which reference source one uses there are today about twenty two named major world religions and about twelve or more smaller religions not included in with the major ones and from these are many more branches and cults.
It should be remembered that the Word is about the Lord, about His Church, which is of the Lord within man. It is not about the various nations mentioned in it, nor the different peoples written about. This truth applies to the Third Testament as well, not just to the Old and New Testaments. Therefore, neither is it about the different earth and planets of this natural world, but about the Lord in relation with His kingdom both here - the Church - and in Heaven.
"The Lord acknowledges and receives all, from whatever church (earth) they may be, who acknowledge and worship God under a human form" (AC 9359). Thus when the Lord appears in the human form they are easily taught by angels that God is actually Man, and they believe and rejoice.
Did the Lord choose to assume the Human, and to become manifested as Man in order that His Word is with our Church because we are more believing, or are 'better' persons, or live a more spiritual life? Of course not; the Lord loves all men equally with an unconditional love. If we believe we are special because we believe the truth more than others, or that He favors us over others and that unless they change are damned, then we are indeed very ignorant or love our self more than imaginable, for even in the Word we can read that many not in the Church lived more charitable and spiritual lives than have those in 'our' Church.
In fact, as we have already said, the Lord came in the fullness of time, which means when the (our) Church was at its end. In other words, the Lord had to intervene in order for a true Church to be on earth with man and, thus to redeem all mankind. This end was when the man of a church had became merely natural corporeal and sensual. If the Lord had come before these ultimates, before the natural and corporeal, were reached, the interiors, the celestial and spiritual would have nothing in which to rest; life would close and end. (Note: neither could the Lord come before they were reached.) In truth there would have been no creation, no life.
End.
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