Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 290

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290. It was called 'the mother of all living' from its faith in the Lord, who is Life itself. This too becomes clear from what has been shown already. There cannot possibly be more than one Life from which everyone's life derives, nor can life which really is life possibly exist unless it comes by way of faith in the Lord, who is Life. Neither can faith exist which has life within it unless it comes from Him, and so has Him within it. This is why in the Word the Lord is called the only Living, and the LIVING JEHOVAH, in Jer. 5:2; 12:16; 16:14, 15; 23:7; Ezek. 5:11; the One living forever, in Dan. 4:34; Rev. 4:10; 5:14; 10:6; in David, the fountain of life, Ps. 36:9; in Jeremiah, the fount of living waters, 17:17. Heaven which derives its life from Him is called 'the land of the living' in Isa. 38:11; 53:8; Ezek. 26:20; 32:23-27, 32; Ps. 27:13; 52:5; 142:5. And those who have faith in the Lord are called 'the living', as in David,

Who has kept our soul among the living. Ps. 66:9.

It is also said that those who have faith appear in the Book of Lives, Ps. 69:28, and in the Book of Life, Rev. 13:8; 17:8; 20:15. This also is why it is said of those who receive faith in Him that they are made alive, Hosea 6:2; Ps. 85:6. Conversely those who have no faith were in consequence called 'the dead', as also in Isaiah,

The dead will not live, the Rephaim will not rise. To that end You have visited them and wiped them out. Isa. 26:14.

This stands for people who are puffed up with self-love. 'Rising up means entering into life. They are also called 'the slain'* in Ezek. 32:23-26, 28-31; and hell is called 'death' in Isa. 25:8; 28:15. The Lord too refers to them as 'the dead' in Matt. 4:16; John 5:24; 8:21, 24, 51, 52. * lit. the pierced


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