Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 8781

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8781. Behold I come unto thee in the density of the cloud. That this signifies that it shall be made in a form the most natural of all, is evident from the signification of "coming unto thee," when said by Jehovah to Moses, by whom is represented truth from the Divine which is of the spiritual church (n. 8760), as being revelation; and from the signification of "the density of the cloud," as being to be in a form the most natural of all, such as is the Word of the Old Testament in the letter. That "a cloud" denotes the Word in the letter, see the preface to Genesis 18, and n. 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343, 6752, 8106, 8443; "density" denotes obscurity, such as is that of the thought of man from mere sensuous light, that is, the most natural of all, such as the posterity of Jacob were in at that time, and also the Jews at this day, respecting the Divine; for the Divine cannot be seen by anyone otherwise than according to the state of his life and the perception therefrom. Thus heavenly light must be like the density of a cloud to those who are in the love of self and of the world, in which love the Jewish nation was more than others. The Word in the letter, especially the prophetic Word, is no other relatively to its internal sense. In its internal sense there is light, such as is comparatively the light of the sun above the clouds, which light in the Word is called "glory." Wherefore also it is said in the Word that Jehovah "is carried upon the clouds," "rides upon them," "flies upon them," "has His chamber upon them," and that the Lord "will come in the clouds of heaven," with many similar statements that would never have been made of Jehovah, that is, of the Lord, unless they had signified the light of truth in which He is in heaven, and "a cloud" the shade of truth in which they are who are beneath.


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