esse, the cause to fieri, and the effect to existere; consequently, that in every complete thing there is a trinity, which is called first, middle, and last; likewise, end, cause, and effect; and also, esse, fieri, and existere. He who comprehends this reasoning will be able to comprehend also, that every divine work is complete and perfect in the last; and likewise that in the last is contained the whole, because the prior things are contained together in it.

29. From this ground it is, that by the number three, in the Word, according to its spiritual sense, is signified what is complete and perfect; and also, the all or whole together. Because this is the signification of that number, therefore it is so frequently applied in the Word, when that signification is intended to be expressed; as in the following places Isaiah was to go naked and barefoot three years (Isaiah xx. 3); Jehovah called Samuel three times, and Samuel ran three times to Eli, and Eli understood him the third time (1 Sam. iii. 1—8); David said to Jonathan, that he would hide himself in the field three days and Jonathan afterwards shot three arrows beside the stone and David, lastly, bowed himself three times before Jonathan (1 Sam. xx. 5, 12—42); Elijah stretched himself three times on the widow's son (1 Kings xvii. 21); Elijah commanded to pour water on the burnt-offering three times (1 Kings xviii. 34); "Jesus said, The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened" (Matt. xii. 33); Jesus said to Peter, that he should deny him thrice, (Matt. xxvi. 34); Jesus said three times unto Peter, Lovest thou me? (John xxi. 15, 16, 17). Jonah was in the whale's belly three days and three nights (Jonah i. 17); "Jesus said, destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up" (John ii. 19); Jesus prayed three times in the garden of Gethsemane (Matt. xxvi. 39-44); Jesus rose again on the third day (Matt. xxviii. 1); beside many other passages, where the number three is mentioned; and it is mentioned where a work finished and perfect is the subject treated of, because such a work is signified by that number.

30. These observations are premised with a view to the conclusions which follow, in order that they may be intel

distinction between those three terms, he will then be able to form a good idea of what is here meant by esse, fieri, and existere. The terms literally signify, to be, to become, and to exist.

lectually comprehended; particularly, at present, that it may be fully understood, that the natural sense of the Word, which is its literal sense, is the basis, continent, and firmament, of its spiritual and celestial senses.

31. That in the Word there are three senses, was shown above, n. 6, 19; also, that the celestial sense, is its first sense, the spiritual sense its middle sense, and the natural sense its last sense: hence the rational man may conclude, that the first, which is celestial, passes by its middle, which is spiritual, to its last, which is natural; and that thus its last is the basis: also, that its first which is celestial, is in its middle, which is spiritual, and by this in its last, which is natural; and that hence, its last, which is natural, and is the literal sense of the Word, is the continent; and whereas it is the continent and basis, that it is also the firmament.

32. But how these things are, would require many pages to explain fully, as they are arcana of heaven, and subjects of angelic contemplation; nevertheless they will be elucidated, as far as possible, in the treatises of Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Wisdom, and concerning the Divine Providence. It is sufficient for the present, if, from what has been said above, we are enabled to draw this conclusion that in the Word, which is a divine work expressly given for the salvation of mankind, the ultimate sense, which is natural, and is called the literal sense, is the basis, continent, and firmament, of the two interior

senses.

33. Hence it follows, that the Word without its literal sense, would be like a palace without a foundation; that is, like a palace in the air and not on the ground, which could only be the shadow of a palace, and must vanish away; also, that the Word, without its literal sense, would be like a temple in which are many holy things, and in the midst thereof the holy of holies, without a roof and walls to form the continents thereof; in which case its holy things would be plundered by thieves, or be violated by the beasts of the earth and the birds of heaven, and thus be dissipated. In the same manner, it would be like the tabernacle, in the inmost place whereof was the ark of the covenant, and in the middle part the golden candlestick, the golden altar for incense, and also the table for shewbread, which were its holy things, without its ultimates, which were the curtains and vails. Yea, the Word without its literal sense would be like the human body

without its coverings, which are called skins, and without its supporters, which are called bones, of which, supposing it to be deprived, its inner parts must of necessity be dispersed and perish. It would also be like the heart and the lungs in the thorax, deprived of their covering, which is called the pleura, and their supporters, which are called the ribs; or like the brain without its coverings, which are called the dura and pia mater, and without its common covering, continent and firmament, which is called the skull. Such would be the state of the Word without its literal sense; wherefore it is said in Isaiah, that "the Lord will create upon all the glory a covering" (iv. 5).

34. Similar to this would be the state of the heavens, where the angels dwell, without the world, where men dwell, mankind being the basis, continent, and firmament thereof, and the Word being with men and in them. For all the heavens are distinguished into two kingdoms, which are called the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom; and those two kingdoms are founded on the natural kingdom, the subjects of which are men.*

35. That the prophets of the Old Testament represented the Lord as to the Word, and thereby signified the doctrine of the church derived from the Word, and that hence they were called sons of man, was shown in the Doctrine respecting the Lord, n. 28; whence it follows, that by the various things which they suffered and endured, they represented the violence offered by the Jews to the literal sense of the Word; as where Isaiah was commanded to put off the sackcloth from his loins, and his shoes from his feet, and to go naked and barefoot three years (Isaiah xx. 2, 3) in like manner where Ezekiel was commanded to take a barber's razor, and cause it to pass upon his head and upon his beard, and to burn a third part in the midst of the city, and to smite a third part with the sword, and to disperse a third part to the wind, and to bind a little thereof in his skirts, and at length to cast it in the midst of the fire and burn it (Ezekiel, v. 1-4). The ground and reason of this signification and representation, is, because by the head is signified wisdom derived from the Word, hence by the hair and by the beard is signified the ultimate of truth. In consequence of this signification

That the angelic heavens are distinguished into two kingdoms, the celestial and the spiritual, may be seen in the treatise on Heaven and Hell, n. 20-28.

it was a mark of great mourning, and also a great disgrace, for any one to make himself bald, and likewise to appear bald. For this cause, and no other, the prophet was directed to shave the hair of his head and his beard, that thereby he might represent the state of the Jewish church as to the Word: this too, and no other, was the reason, why the forty and two children, who called Elisha baldhead, were torn in pieces by two bears (2 Kings ii. 23, 24, 25); for the prophet, as was before observed, represented the Word, and baldness signifies the Word without its ultimate sense. That the Nazarites represented the Lord as to the Word in its ultimates, will be seen below, n. 49; and therefore it was an ordinance with them that they should cause their hair to grow, and should shave no part of it; the term Nazarite, also, in the Hebrew tongue, signifies the head of hair. It was also an ordinance for the high priest, that he should not shave his head (Levit. xxi. 10); and in like manner for the father of a family (Levit. xxi. 5). Hence it was that baldness was esteemed a great disgrace; as may appear from the following passages; "On all their heads shall be baldness, and every beard shall be cut off," (Isaiah xv. 2; Jerem. xlviii, 37). "Shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads" (Ezek. vii. 18). “Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled (Ezek. xxix. 18). “I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head" (Amos viii. 10). "Make thee bald, and poll thee for thy delicate children, enlarge thy baldness as the eagle for they are gone into captivity from thee" (Micah i. 16); where, by putting on and enlarging baldness, is signified to falsify the truths of the Word in its ultimates; for when these are falsified, as was done by the Jews, the whole Word is destroyed for the ultimates of the Word are its fulcra and supports, yea, every single expression is a fulcrum and support of its celestial and spiritual truths. As hair of the head signifies truth in its ultimates, therefore, in the spiritual world, all who despise the Word, and falsify its literal sense, appear bald; but they who honor and love it, appear adorned with decent and becoming hair. On this subject see also below, n. 49.

36. The Word in its ultimate or natural sense, which is the sense of the letter, is signified also by the wall of the holy Jerusalem, the building whereof was jasper; and by the foundations of the wall, which were precious

stones; and also by the gates, which were pearls, (Rev. xxi. 18-21); for by Jerusalem is signified the church as to doctrine; but more may be seen on this subject in the following article. From what has been here observed it may appear, that the literal sense of the Word, which is its natural sense, is the basis, continent, and firmament, of its interior senses, which are spiritual and celestial.

IV. THAT IN THE LITERAL SENSE OF THE Word, DivinE TRUTH IS IN ITS FULNESS, IN ITS SANCTITY, AND IN ITS POWER.

37. The reason why the Word, in its literal sense, is in its fulness, in its sanctity, and in its power, is, because the two prior, or interior senses, which are called the spiritual and celestial sense, are simultaneously contained in the natural sense, which is the sense of the letter, as was said above, n. 29; but in what manner they are so simultaneously contained, shall be now shown.

38. Both in heaven, and in the world, are two kinds of order,* successive order, and simultaneous order. In successive order one thing succeeds and follows another, from what is highest to what is lowest; but in simultaneous order one thing adjoins to another, from what is innermost to what is outermost. Successive order is like a column with degrees from highest to lowest; but simultaneous order is

*The author's reasoning in this place, concerning successive and simultaneous order, may probably appear, to many readers, abstracted and obscure. He is endeavoring to explain how the celestial and spiritual senses of the Word exist together, and at once, in the natural sense. With this view he distinguishes between what he calls successive and simultaneous order. By successive order he means the arrangement of things one after another, in regular succession; as of the different degrees of a column from top to bottom, or of the different states of the atmosphere in respect to density, from the surface of the earth upwards. But by simultaneous order he means the arrangement of things one within another; as of the contents between a centre and its circumference; or as of three atmospheres, existing one within the other; or as of the end, the cause, and the effect. Thus he shows that as the end and the cause exist together, and at once, in the effect, so, according to the same law of simultaneous order, the celestial and spiritual senses of the Word exist together, and at once, in the natural sense. For further information on the subject, see the Treatise on Heaven and Hell, n. 38; that on the Intercourse between the Soul and the Body, n. 16; and the Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Wisdom, Part 3, where the doctrine of degrees is very fully explained.