Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 7859

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7859. Its head upon its legs and upon its midst. That this signifies from the inmost to the external, is evident from the signification of the "head," when it is said "upon the legs and the midst," as being the inmost; for the head is the highest, and in the spiritual sense the highest is the inmost (n. 2148, 3084, 4599, 5146; that by the "head" is signified things interior, and by the "body" things exterior, see n. 6436); from the signification of the "legs," as being things exterior; for relatively to the head the legs are lower things; and as higher things signify interior ones, so lower things signify exterior ones-and from the signification of "the midst," as being things still lower, as are the things of the belly and the intestines. The command to roast the head upon the legs and upon the midst, represented that things interior and exterior must be conjoined, that is, must act as a one; for interior things are those which are of the internal man, and exterior things are those which are of the external man; or interior things are those which are of the spiritual man, but exterior things are those which are of the natural man. These things must be conjoined, that is must act as a one, in order that man may be a kingdom of the Lord; they have been separated when the natural or external man does otherwise than the spiritual or internal man wills. From all this it can be seen what was signified by the command that the paschal lamb should be roast with fire, the head upon the legs and the midst. By the "midst" is meant the natural still more external, that is, the sensuous. Everyone can see that there is a Divine secret in these commands; for the paschal lamb was the most holy thing in that church. This holy secret is not manifest except through the spiritual understanding of the things and words, which is here such as has been described.


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