John 7:37-39 Out of his belly shall flow rivers

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

39 (But this spake he of the Spirit, which they that believe on him should receive: for the Holy Ghost was not yet given; because that Jesus was not yet glorified.) 

-John 7:37-39King James Version (KJV)

Apocalypse Explained #622 By Emanuel Swedenborg

622. 

...the "belly" signifies what is interior, because inwardly received and ascertained. The "belly" signifies interior things because the bellystores up the food inwardly, and "food" signifies everything that nourishes the soul; also because the belly, like the bowels, is within or in the midst of the body; for this reason the "belly," and also the "bowels," signify in the Word interior things.

[4] In John: Jesus said, If anyone thirst let him come unto Me and drink. He that believeth on Me, as the Scripture saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This He said of the Spirit which they that believe on Him were to receive (7:37-39). 

Thus the Lord describes Divine truth inwardly perceived by those who are in the spiritual affection of truth; such are meant by "those who thirst and come to the Lord and drink;" that such shall have an understanding of Divine truth is signified by "out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water," "riversout of the belly" meaning interior understanding or intelligence, and "living water," Divine truth from the Lord; and as "the Holy Spirit" means Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, it is added "this He said of the Spirit which they that believe on Him were to receive."

John 6:68 Eternal Life

Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.

-John 6:68 Bible, King James Version

                                           Artwork by Amoraea Dreamseed

We all basically have a Higher Self and a lower self. Our Higher Self is eternal therefore It already enjoys Eternal Life. On the other hand our lower self is not eternal therefore it continues to re-embody over and over again until it literally becomes one with our Higher Self.

The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi H. Dowling

CHAPTER 8.

Elihu’s lessons to Jesus' mother in Egypt

¹Again Elihu met his pupils in the sacred grove and said,
⁵There are two selfs; the higher and the lower self.
⁶The higher self is human spirit clothed with soul, made in the form of God.
⁷The lower self, the carnal self, the body of desires, is a reflexion of the higher self, distorted by the murky ethers of the flesh.
⁸The lower self is an illusion, and will pass away; the higher self is God in man, and will not pass away.
⁹The higher self is the embodi­ment of truth; the lower self is truth reversed, and so is falsehood manifest.
¹⁰The higher self is justice, mercy, love and right; the lower self is what the higher self is not.
¹¹The lower self breeds hatred, slander, lewdness, murders, theft, and everything that harms; the higher self is mother of the virtues and the harmonies of life.
¹²The lower self is rich in prom­ises, but poor in blessedness and peace; it offers pleasure, joy and sat­isfying gains; but gives unrest and misery and death.
¹³It gives men apples that are lovely to the eye and pleasant to the smell; their cores are full of bit­terness and gall.
¹⁴If you would ask me what to study I would say, yourselfs; and when you well had studied them, and then would ask me what to study next, I would reply, your­selfs.
¹⁵He who knows well his lower self, knows the illusions of the world, knows of the things that pass away; and he who knows his higher self, knows God; knows well the things that cannot pass away.
¹⁶Thrice blessed is the man who has made purity and love his very own; he has been ransomed from the perils of the lower self and is himself his higher self.


The Ascended Masters, including Beloved Jesus and Saint Germain, have the Words of Eternal Life.

Jesus teaches: "I say to all people of America and the Earth: You, who have said you love Me so greatly, must remember that you cannot have Me without Saint Germain and all the other Ascended Masters. They are ONE in Their Eternal Perfection. They have gained Their Victory, as you are now endeavouring to do." (The Voice of the I AM 1941 December p6)

John 6:54Whoso eateth my flesh and drinks my blood

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. -John 6:54 Bible, King James Version

 

ARCANA COELESTIA

by
Emanuel Swedenborg
(Published in London 1749 through 1756)

AC 9127. ...[2] He who knows nothing of the internal sense of the Word, knows no otherwise than that by “bloods” in the Word are signified bloods... But the internal sense does not treat of the life of man‘s body, but of the life of his soul, that is, of his spiritual life, which he is to live forever. This life is described in the Word in the sense of the letter by such things as belong to the life of the body; namely, by the flesh and blood. And because the spiritual life of man exists and subsists through the good which is of charity and the truth which is of faith, therefore in the internal sense of the Word the good which is of charity is meant by “flesh,” and the truth which is of faith is meant by “blood.” And in a still more interior sense, the good which is of love to the Lord is meant by “flesh,” and the good of love toward the neighbor is meant by “blood.” But in the supreme sense, which treats of the Lord alone, “flesh” denotes the Divine good of the Lord, thus the Lord Himself as to Divine good; and “blood” denotes the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, thus the Lord as to Divine truth. These things are understood in heaven by “flesh and blood” when a man is reading the Word; in like manner when he attends the Holy Supper; but in this the bread is the flesh, and the wine is the blood, because by “bread” the same is signified as by “flesh,” and by “wine” the same as by “blood.”

[3] ...It is very clear that in these passages by “flesh” is not meant flesh, and by “blood” is not meant blood.

[4] In like manner then with the “flesh and blood” of the Lord, in the following passage in John:

The bread that I will give is My flesh. Verily, verily, I say unto you Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye shall not have life in you. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is meat indeed, and My blood is drink indeed. He that eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, abideth in Me, and I in him. This is the bread that came down from heaven (John 6:51-58).

That the Lord’s “flesh” denotes the Divine good of His Divine love; and that His “blood” denotes the Divine truth proceeding from His Divine good; can be seen from the fact that these are what nourish the spiritual life of a man...

John 6:54 Eternal Life

Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. -John 6:54 Bible, King James Version

                                           Artwork by Amoraea Dreamseed

 

We all basically have a Higher Self and a lower self. Our Higher Self is eternal therefore It already enjoys Eternal Life. On the other hand our lower self is not eternal therefore it continues to re-embody over and over again until it literally becomes one with our Higher Self.

The Aquarian Gospel of Jesus the Christ by Levi H. Dowling

CHAPTER 8.

Elihu’s lessons to Jesus' mother in Egypt

¹Again Elihu met his pupils in the sacred grove and said,
⁵There are two selfs; the higher and the lower self.
⁶The higher self is human spirit clothed with soul, made in the form of God.
⁷The lower self, the carnal self, the body of desires, is a reflexion of the higher self, distorted by the murky ethers of the flesh.
⁸The lower self is an illusion, and will pass away; the higher self is God in man, and will not pass away.
⁹The higher self is the embodi­ment of truth; the lower self is truth reversed, and so is falsehood manifest.
¹⁰The higher self is justice, mercy, love and right; the lower self is what the higher self is not.
¹¹The lower self breeds hatred, slander, lewdness, murders, theft, and everything that harms; the higher self is mother of the virtues and the harmonies of life.
¹²The lower self is rich in prom­ises, but poor in blessedness and peace; it offers pleasure, joy and sat­isfying gains; but gives unrest and misery and death.
¹³It gives men apples that are lovely to the eye and pleasant to the smell; their cores are full of bit­terness and gall.
¹⁴If you would ask me what to study I would say, yourselfs; and when you well had studied them, and then would ask me what to study next, I would reply, your­selfs.
¹⁵He who knows well his lower self, knows the illusions of the world, knows of the things that pass away; and he who knows his higher self, knows God; knows well the things that cannot pass away.
¹⁶Thrice blessed is the man who has made purity and love his very own; he has been ransomed from the perils of the lower self and is himself his higher self.

John 6:47-66 Why many disciples left Jesus

⁴⁷ Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
⁴⁸ I am that bread of life.
⁴⁹ Your fathers did eat manna in the wilderness, and are dead.
⁵⁰ This is the bread which cometh down from heaven, that a man may eat thereof, and not die.
⁵¹ I am the living bread which came down from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.
⁵² The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man give us his flesh to eat?
⁵³ Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you.
⁵⁵ For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed.
⁵⁶ He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
⁵⁷ As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.
⁵⁸ This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever.
⁵⁹ These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
⁶⁰ Many therefore of his disciples, when they had heard this, said, This is an hard saying; who can hear it?
⁶¹ When Jesus knew in himself that his disciples murmured at it, he said unto them, Doth this offend you?
⁶² What and if ye shall see the Son of man ascend up where he was before?
⁶³ It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.
⁶⁴ But there are some of you that believe not. For Jesus knew from the beginning who they were that believed not, and who should betray him.
⁶⁵ And he said, Therefore said I unto you, that no man can come unto me, except it were given unto him of my Father.
⁶⁶ From that time many of his disciples went back, and walked no more with him.
-John 6 King James Version (KJV)

Here Jesus is obviously speaking symbolically and yet many of His disciples must have thought He was speaking literally. There are many aspects to the Bible which need to be understood symbolically or they will be misunderstood.

White Horse, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1758], tr. by John Whitehead [1892], at sacred-texts.com

12.

The Word is written by correspondences, and thus by representatives. The Word as to the sense of the letter is written by mere correspondences, that is, by such things as represent and signify the spiritual things of heaven and the church (n. 1404, 1408, 1409, 1540, 1619, 1659, 1709, 1783, 2179, 2763, 2899). This was done for the sake of the internal sense, which is there in every part (n. 2899). Consequently for the sake of heaven, since those who are in heaven do not understand the Word according to the sense of its letter, which is natural, but according to the internal sense, which is spiritual (n. 2899). The Lord spoke by correspondences, representatives, and significatives, because He spoke from the Divine (n. 9049, 9063, 9086, 10126, 10728). The Lord thus spoke before the world, and at the same time before heaven (n. 2533, 4807, 9049, 9063, 9086). The things spoken by the Lord went through the whole heaven (n. 4637). The historicals of the Word are representatives, and the words significative (n. 1540, 1659, 1709, 1783, 2687). The Word could not be written in any other style, so that through it there might be communication and conjunction with the heavens (n. 2899, 6943, 9481). They greatly err, who despise the Word on account of the apparent simplicity and rudeness of its style, and who think that they would receive the Word if it had been written in a different style (n. 8783). The method and style of writing which prevailed amongst the most ancient people, was by correspondences and representatives (n. 605, 1756, 9942). The ancient wise men were delighted with the Word, because of the representatives and significatives therein, from experience (n. 2592, 2593). If a man of the Most Ancient Church had read the Word, he would have seen clearly the things contained in the internal sense, and obscurely the things contained in the external sense (n. 449). The sons of Jacob were brought into the land of Canaan, because all the places in that land, from the most ancient times, were made representative (n. 1585, 3686, 4441, 5136, 6516). And thus the Word might be there written, wherein those places should be mentioned for the sake of the internal sense (n. 3686, 4447, 5136, 6416). But nevertheless the Word, as to the external sense was changed for the sake of that nation, but not as to the internal sense (n. 10453, 10461, 10603, 10604) Many passages adduced from the Word concerning that nation, which must be understood according to the internal sense, and not according to the letter (n. 7051). Inasmuch as that nation represented the church, and the Word was written with them and concerning them, therefore Divine celestial things were signified by their names, as by Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Ephraim, Joseph, and the rest: and by "Judah" in the internal sense is signified the Lord as to celestial love, and His celestial kingdom (n. 3654, 3881, 3882, 5583, 5782, 6362-6381). That it may be known what correspondences are and their nature, and what is the nature of representatives in the Word, something shall be here said concerning them. All things which correspond likewise represent, and thereby signify, so that correspondences and representations are one (n. 2890, 2897, 2971, 2987, 2989, 2990, 3002, 3225). The nature of correspondences and representations shown from experience and examples (n. 2703, 2987, 3002, 3213-3226, 3337-3352, 3472-3485, 4218-4228, 9280). The science of correspondences and representations was the chief science with the ancients (n. 3021, 3419, 4280, 4749, 4844, 4964, 4965, 6004, 7729, 10252). Especially with the Orientals (n. 5702, 6692, 7097, 7779, 9391, 10252, 10407). And in Egypt more than in other countries (n. 5702, 6692, 7097, 7779, 9391, 10407). Also with the Gentiles, as in Greece, and in other places (n. 2762, 7729). But that at this day the science of correspondences and representations is lost, particularly in Europe (n. 2894, 2895, 2994, 3630, 3632, 3747-3749, 4581, 4966, 10252). Nevertheless this science is more excellent than all other sciences, inasmuch as without it the Word cannot be understood, nor the signification of the rites of the Jewish Church which are recorded in the Word, nor can it be known what the nature of heaven is, nor what the spiritual is, nor in what manner a spiritual influx takes place into what is natural, nor how the case is with respect to the influx of the soul into the body, with many other matters (n. 4180), and in the places above cited. All things which appear before spirits and angels, are representative according to correspondences (n. 1971, 3213-3226, 3457, 3475, 3485, 9481, 9574, 9576, 9577). The heavens are full of representatives (n. 1521, 1532, 1619). Representatives are more beautiful, and more perfect, in proportion as they are more interior in the heavens (n. 3475). Representatives there are real appearances, because they are from the light of heaven which is Divine truth, and which is the very essential of the existence of all things (n. 3485). The reason why each and all things in the spiritual world are represented in the natural world, is, because what is internal assumes to itself a suitable clothing in what is external, whereby it makes itself visible and apparent (n. 6275, 6284, 6299). Thus the end assumes a suitable clothing that it may exist as the cause in a lower sphere, and afterwards that it may exist as the effect in a sphere still lower; and when the end, by means of the cause, becomes the effect, it then becomes visible, or appears before the eyes (n. 5711). This may be illustrated by the influx of the soul into the body, whereby the soul assumes a clothing of such things in the body as enable it to express all its thoughts and affections in a visible form; wherefore thought, when it flows down into the body, is there represented by such gestures and actions as correspond to it (n. 2988). The affections of the mind are manifestly represented in the face, by the variations of the countenance, so as to be there seen (n. 4791-4805, 5695). Hence it is evident, that in each and all things in nature there lies hidden a cause and an end from the spiritual world (n. 3562, 5711). Since those things which are in nature are the ultimate [outer] effects, within which are the prior things (n. 4240, 4939, 5051, 6275, 6284, 6299, 9216). That internal things are the objects represented, and external things the objects representing (n. 4292). What is further meant by correspondences and representations may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell, where it treats of the correspondence between all things of Heaven, and all things of Man (n. 87-102). Of the Correspondence of Heaven with all things on Earth (n. 103-115). And of Representatives and Appearances in Heaven (n. 170-176). Since all things in nature are representative of spiritual and celestial things, therefore in the churches which existed in ancient times, all the externals, which were rituals, were representative, and therefore those churches were called representative churches (n. 519, 521, 2896). The church instituted with the sons of Israel was a representative church (n. 1003, 2179, 10149). All the rituals therein were externals, which represented internals, which are of heaven and the church (n. 4288, 4874). The representatives of the church and of worship ceased when the Lord came into the world and manifested Himself, because the Lord opened the internals of the church, and because all things of that church in the highest sense regarded Him (n. 4832).

John 6:27-29 Believe on Him whom God hath sent

           Ascended Masters Saint Germain & Jesus


²⁷Labour not for the meat which perisheth, but for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, which the Son of man shall give unto you: for him hath God the Father sealed. ²⁸Then said they unto him, What shall we do, that we might work the works of God? ²⁹Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. -John 6:27-29 Bible, King James Version

In order to know what we need to do to gain Eternal Life we must decide who represents God. This is the first most important step because if we get this wrong then we will not be able to gain Eternal Life in this lifetime. Many of mankind are like spiritual children who are only ready for the milk which is offered by the orthodox churches. As spiritual adults we must labour to find the meat which endureth unto Everlasting Life as offered by the Ascended Masters including Jesus and Saint Germain.  

John 6:16-21 Jesus walking on the sea

16 And when even was now come, his disciples went down unto the sea,

17 And entered into a ship, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them.

18 And the sea arose by reason of a great wind that blew.

19 So when they had rowed about five and twenty or thirty furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, and drawing nigh unto the ship: and they were afraid.

20 But he saith unto them, It is I; be not afraid.

21 Then they willingly received him into the ship: and immediately the ship was at the land whither they went. 

-John 6:16-21King James Version (KJV)

Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com

514.

...[20] As all things in the Old Testament contain in themselves a spiritual sense, so do all things in the New Testament which are in the Gospels and in Revelation. Moreover, all the Lord's words and doings and miracles signify Divine celestial things, because the Lord spoke from the Divine, and did His works and miracles from the Divine... From this it can be seen that the Lord's teaching from boats was significative; also that it was significative that He chose certain of His disciples from boats while they were fishing; and that He walked upon the sea to the boat in which the disciples were, and thence calmed the wind... In all these particulars also, that "He sat by the seaside" and "on the shore of Gennesaret," then "that He entered into Simon's boat, and taught the throng therefrom," there is a spiritual sense. This was done because the "sea" and the "lake of Gennesaret" signify, in reference to the Lord, the knowledges of good and truth in the whole complex, and "Simon's boat" signifies the doctrinals of faith; so "His teaching from a boat" signifies that it was from doctrine. [21] Respecting the Lord's walking on the sea to the boat in which the disciples were... Here, too, the particulars signify Divine spiritual things, which nevertheless do not appear in the letter; as the sea, the Lord's walking upon it, the fourth watch in which He came to the disciples, and the ship, His entering into it, and from it restraining the wind and the waves of the sea, and other things besides. But there is no need singly to explain here the spiritual things signified; let it be said only that the "sea" signifies the ultimate [lowest border] of heaven and the church, since there are seas in the outmost borders of the heavens; the Lord's walking upon the sea signifies the Lord's presence and His influx even into these, and consequent life from the Divine to those who are in the ultimates [or lower parts of heaven;] their life from the Divine was represented by the Lord's walking upon the sea; and their obscure and wavering faith was represented by Peter's walking upon the sea and beginning to sink, but being saved when the Lord took hold of him, "to walk" signifying in the Word to live. This was done "in the fourth watch" to signify the first state of the church, when it is daybreak and morning is at hand, for then good begins to act through truth, and then the Lord comes; that the sea in the meanwhile was moved by the wind, and that the Lord restrained it, signifies the natural state of life that precedes, which is an unpeaceful and as it were tempestuous state; but with the state that is nearest to morning, which is the first state of the church with man, because the Lord is then present in the good of love, there comes tranquillity of mind. [22] The like is signified by the Lord's calming the wind and the waves of the sea, as described in the Gospels: When Jesus had entered into a boat His disciples followed Him. And behold, there arose a great commotion in the sea, so that the boat was covered by the waves; but He was asleep. Therefore the disciples, coming to Him awoke Him, saying, Lord, save us; we perish. Then He arose and rebuked the wind; and there was a great calm (Matt. 8:23-26; Mark 4:36-40; Luke 8:23, 24). This represented the state of men of the church when they are in what is natural and not yet in what is spiritual, in which state the natural affections, which are various cupidities springing from the loves of self and the world, rise up and produce various commotions of the mind. In this state the Lord appears as it were absent; this apparent absence is signified by His being asleep; but when they come out of a natural into a spiritual state these commotions cease, and there comes tranquillity of mind; for the Lord calms the tempestuous commotions of the natural man when the spiritual mind is opened, and through it the Lord flows into the natural. Since the affections that are of the love of self and of the world, and the consequent thoughts and reasonings, are from hell, for they are lusts of every kind that rise up therefrom into the natural man, these, too, are signified by "the wind and the waves of the sea," and hell itself is signified by the "sea" in the spiritual sense. [23] This can be seen, too, from its being said that "the Lord rebuked the wind," as also in Mark: Jesus awoke and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Be quiet, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm (4:39). This could not have been said to the wind and to the sea unless hell had been meant thereby, from which arise the tempestuous emotions of the mind from various cupidities [desires or lusts.] That the hells also are signified by "seas" may be seen above (n. 342).

342.

...[3] ...There are three heavens, and each heaven is divided into three degrees; the same is true of the angels who are in them; consequently in each heaven there are higher, middle, and lower angels; these three degrees of the lowest heaven are meant by those "in heaven," those "on the earth," and those "in the sea." (Respecting this division of the heavens and of each heaven, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 4938, 9992, 10005, 10017, 10068; and respecting the lowest degree, n. 3293, 3294, 3793, 4570, 5118, 5126, 5497, 5649, 9216; and in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 29-40.) It should be known, that in the spiritual world, where spirits and angels are, all things have the same appearance as in the natural world where men are, namely, there are mountains, hills, lands, and seas (see above, n. 304). The angels who are in the third or inmost heaven dwell upon the mountains, those who are in the second or middle heaven dwell upon the hills, and those who are in the first or lowest heaven dwell upon the earth and under the earth, and in the seas. But the seas in which the lowest of that heaven dwell are not like the seas in which the evil dwell; their waters are different. The waters of the seas in which the well-disposed in the lowest heaven dwell are rare and pure; but the waters of the seas in which the evil dwell are gross and impure; thus they are entirely different seas. [4] These seas I have several times been permitted to see, and also to converse with those who are in them; and it was found that those were there who had been in the world merely sensual [sense based,] and yet well-disposed; and because they were sensual they were unable to understand what the spiritual is, but only what the natural is; nor could they apprehend the Word and the doctrine of the church from the Word except sensually. All these appear to be as if in a sea; but those who are in it do not seem to themselves to be in a sea, but as it were in an atmosphere like that in which they had lived while in the world; they appear to be in a sea only to those who are above them. At this day [1757-1759] there is an immense number there, because so many at this day are sensual. This lowest part of heaven corresponds to the soles of the feet [of heaven which is in the form of a Divine Man.] ...[10] This significance of "sea" and "fishes" comes from the appearance in the spiritual world; all societies there appear surrounded by an atmosphere corresponding to their affections and thoughts; those in the third heaven appear in an atmosphere pure as the ethereal [upper purer air] atmosphere; those in the second heaven appear in an atmosphere less pure, like the aerial; while the societies in the lowest part of heaven appear surrounded by an atmosphere, as it were watery; but those in the hells appear surrounded by gross and impure atmospheres, some of them as if in black waters, and others in other ways. It is the affections and the thoughts therefrom that produce these appearances around them; for spheres are exhaled from all, and these spheres are changed into such appearances. (Of these spheres, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 2489, 4464, 5179, 7454, 8630.) It is also from the appearance in the spiritual world that those who are in spiritual affection and in thought therefrom are signified by "the birds of heaven," and those who are in natural affection and in thought therefrom by "fishes;" for both birds and fishes appear there, birds over the lands, and fishes in the seas. The affections and consequent thoughts of those who are there are what so appear; this is known to all who are in that world; and both the birds and the fishes have been many times seen by me: this appearance is from correspondence. From this it can be seen why "seas" signify the generals of truth, and "whales" and "fishes" the affections and thoughts of those who are in the generals of truth. That "seas" signify the generals of truth has been shown above (n. 275). ...[12] For this reason, from these words in Revelation: I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away (Rev. 21:1). It has been understood heretofore that the visible heaven and the habitable earth were to perish, and that a new heaven and a new earth were to arise. That "heaven" here means the heaven where angels are, and "earth" means the church where men are, and that these are to become new, those who think merely naturally and sensually..., and therefore do not understand; for they do not suffer their mind to be elevated out of the natural light into spiritual light. With such this is difficult, so much so that they can hardly bear that the Word should have any meaning beyond what the letter in its own sense declares and the natural man apprehends. Such persons are not unlike those birds that see and sing in dark places, but in the light of day blink with their eyes and see but little. The good among such are like these birds, and also like flying fishes; but the evil of this class are like night owls and horned owls, which altogether shun the light of day, or like fishes that cannot be elevated into the air without loss of life. The reason is that with the good of this class the internal spiritual man receives some little spiritual influx from heaven, consequently some perception that a thing is so although they do not see it; while with the evil of this class the internal spiritual man is entirely closed up. For everyone has an internal and an external man, or a spiritual and a natural; the internal or spiritual man sees from the light of heaven, but the external or natural man sees from the light of the world.