Feelings of joy and rejoicing flow from our affections, not from our thoughts. Some people might argue that that’s not true, that you can rejoice over learning a new idea or having a new thought – but really you’re rejoicing because you have an affection for that idea, or even simply an affection for growing wise (something very strong in men in particular).
So when the Bible talks about rejoicing, exulting, or feeling joy, Swedenborg says it is talking about an excitement of the affections – either good or evil.
Often the Bible offers this idea in pairings – “exult and rejoice,” for instance, or “rejoice and be glad.” Swedenborg says that generally this means that the spiritual event is stirring both the affection we have for truth, for thoughts, and the affection we have for doing what is good.
Passages from Swedenborg
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 660
660. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and shall be glad.- That this signifies the delights of infernal love with those who are opposed to the goods and truths of the church, is evident from the signification of they that dwell upon the earth, as denoting those who are in the church; in the present case, those therein who are in evils and in falsities therefrom, consequently those who are opposed to its goods and truths; and from the signification of rejoicing and being glad, as denoting here the delight of infernal love; for all joy and all gladness is from love. For every one rejoices and is glad when his love is favoured, and when he is in pursuit of and attains the object of his love; in a word, all man’s joy proceeds from his love, and all sadness and grief of mind from antagonism to his love.
[2] It is said “to rejoice and to be glad” because of the marriage of good and truth. For joy is said of good because it relates to love, as it properly pertains to the heart and will, and gladness is said of truth, because it relates to love of truth, as it properly pertains to the mind and its thought; therefore we say “joy of heart” and “gladness of mind.” For everywhere in the Word two expressions occur, one of which has reference to good and the other to truth, and this is the case because the conjunction of good and truth makes both heaven and the church, therefore both heaven and the church are compared to a marriage, from the fact that the Lord is called the bridegroom and husband, and heaven and the church, the bride and wife. He therefore who is not in that marriage is neither an angel of heaven, nor a man of the church. The reason of this also is, that good is not possible with any one unless formed by truths, nor is truth possible unless it lives from good. For all truth is the form of good, and all good is the esse of truth, and because one is not possible without the other, it follows that the marriage of good and truth must necessarily exist both with the men of the church and the angels of heaven; also all intelligence and wisdom are from that marriage, for from it truths and goods are being continually born, by which the understanding and will are formed.
[3] These things have been stated to make it clear why it is said “torejoice and be glad;” for to rejoice is stated of good and its love or affection, and to be glad is stated of truth, and its love or affection. Similarly also in many other parts of the Word, in the following passages:
“The heavens shall be glad and the earth shall rejoice” (Psalm xcvi. 11).
“Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee” (Psalm xl. 16; lxx. 4).
“The just shall be glad, and exult before God, and shall rejoice in gladness” (Psalm lxviii. 3).
“That we may rejoice all our days, make us glad according to the days thou hast afflicted us” (Psalm xc. 14, 15).
“Be glad in Jerusalem, and exult in her, all ye that love her, rejoicefor joy with her, all ye that mourn over her” (Isaiah lxvi. 10).
“Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom” (Lam. iv. 21).
“Behold joy and gladness; killing the ox” (Isaiah xxii. 13).
“They shall obtain joy and gladness, sadness and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah xxxv. 10; li. 11).
“Joy and gladness shall be found in Zion, confession and the voice of singing” (Isaiah li. 3).
“Thou wilt make me to hear joy and gladness” (Psalm li. 8).
“Gladness and joy are cut off from the house of our God” (Joel i. 16).
“The fast of the tenth month shall be to the house of Judah for joy and for gladness” (Zech. viii. 19).
“The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride” (Jeremiah vii. 34; xxv. 10; xxxiii. 11).
[4] In the place of joy, exultation is also mentioned, because exultation like joy, is said of good, because it relates to love, to the heart and to the will; as in the following passages:
“Jacob shall exult, Israel shall be glad” (Psalm xiv. 7; liii. 6).
“I exult and am glad in thy kindness” (Psalm xxxi. 7).
“Be glad in Jehovah, and exult, O ye just” (Psalm xxxii. 11).
“The mount of Zion shall be glad, and the daughters of Judah shall exult” (Psalm xlviii. 11).
“Let all that trust in thee be glad, and let them that love thy name exult in thee” (Psalm v. 11).
“This is the day which Jehovah hath made, we will exult and be glad in it” (Psalm cxviii. 24).
“We will exult and be glad in his salvation” (Isaiah xxv. 9).
“Be glad and exult for ever in the things which I create” (Isaiah lxv. 18).
“Exult and be glad that Jehovah hath magnified his doing” (Joel ii. 21).
“Sons of Zion exult and be glad in Jehovah your God” (Joel ii. 23; Habakkuk iii. 18).
“Be glad and exult with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem” (Zephan. iii. 14).
“Gladness and exultation are taken away from Carmel” (Isaiah xvi. 10; Jeremiah xlviii. 33).
The angel said unto Zacharias, “Thou shalt have gladness and exultation, and many shall rejoice at his birth” (Luke i. 14).
In all these passages, exultation signifies delight from the love and affection for good, and gladness signifies pleasure from the love and affection for truth.
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 1218
1218. Let us rejoice and exult and give glory to Him.- That this signifies manifestation of the joy which comes from the affection for truth and from the affection for good, is evident from the signification of rejoicing, as here denoting joy from the affection for truth; and from the signification of exulting, as denoting joy from the affection for good, for to exult is of the heart, thus of the good of love; and from the signification of giving glory, as denoting to acknowledge, confess, and worship the Lord (concerning which see above, n. 678); these things are also meant by glorification.
The reason why joy from the affection for truth and from the affection for good is what is signified by rejoicing and exulting, is, that all joy is from affection, for man desires joy only from those things which affect him, or which he loves. There are two universal origins of all spiritual joys, one is from the affection for or love of truth, the other is from the affection for or love of good. Joy from the affection for good belongs properly to the will, and its deeds and joy from the affection for truth properly belongs to the understanding and its speech. Since in the preceding verse the subject treated of is concerning those who are in truths, and those who are in goods, and also concerning the glorification of the Lord by them, therefore the joy of them all, and the glorification therefrom, is clear from these words, “Let us rejoice and exult, and give glory to Him.”