Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 7849

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

7849. 'In which they will eat it' means enjoyment. This is clear from the meaning of 'eating' as making one's own, dealt with in 3168, 3513 (end), 4745, but at this point enjoyment since the subject is the state of initiation. The situation is this: When those who had been held back in safe keeping on the lower earth before the Lord's Coming - 6854, 6914, 7091 (end), 7828 - were about to be delivered they had to be made ready to receive the inflow of goodness and truth from the Lord; for they were going to pass through the midst of hell. And to guard, as they passed through, against any inflow of evils and falsities from hellish spirits round about, they had to be made ready so that when they went through they would be fully equipped with truth and good. But this passage through hell will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken about later on. That preparation or initiation into a state when goodness and truth were received is described by the things they were to do between the tenth day of the month and the fourteenth, and were to observe in connection with the eating of the Passover lamb.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church