According to Swedenborg, “light” in the Bible represents the divine truth, profound ideas which describe and enact the Lord’s infinite love. It makes sense, then, that when something “shines” in the Bible, it means it is filled with that truth and inspired by it, and is itself offering ideas that are derived from that truth. For instance, when Moses spoke with the Lord, his face shone afterward, so brightly that he wore a veil; this shows the divine inspiration that went into his writing of the law for the Children of Israel, writing that is filled with divine truth.
Passages from Swedenborg
Apocalypse Revealed (Whitehead) n. 897
897. Verse 11. Having the glory of God; and her light was like unto a stone most precious, as it were a jasper stone, shining like crystal, signifies that in that church the Word will be understood, because translucent from its spiritual sense. By “the glory of God” is signified the Word in its Divine light, as will be seen presently; by “its light” is signified the Divine truth therein, for this is meant by light in the Word (n. 796, 799); like a stone most precious, like a jasper stone, “shining like crystal,” signifies the same shiningand translucent from its spiritual sense, of which also in what follows. By these words is described the understanding of the Word with those who are in the doctrine of the New Jerusalem, and in a life according to it. With these the Word shines as it were when it is read; it shines from the Lord by means of the spiritual sense, because the Lord is the Word, and the spiritual sense is in the light of heaven which proceeds from the Lord as a sun, and the light which proceeds from the Lord as a sun, is in its essence the Divine truth of His Divine wisdom.
Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 414
414.�So that a third of the day did not shine, and likewise the night. This symbolically means that they no longer have in them any spiritual truth or natural truth from the Word serviceable for doctrine and life.
The day’s not shining means that they had no light from the sun, and “likewise the night” means that they had no light from the moon and stars. Light in general symbolizes Divine truth, which is truth from the Word. The light of the sun symbolizes spiritual Divine truth, and the light of the moon and stars symbolizes natural Divine truth, both acquired from the Word. Divine truth in the spiritual sense of the Word is like the light of the sun during the day, and Divine truth in the natural sense of the Word is like the light of the moon and stars at night. The spiritual sense of the Word, moreover, flows into its natural sense, as the sun does with its light to the moon, and this reflects the light of the sun indirectly.
Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 53
53. And His countenance as the sun shining in its power. This symbolizes the Divine love and wisdom which are the Lord and which emanate from Him.
The fact that the face of Jehovah or of the Lord means the Divine itself in its essence, which is Divine love and wisdom, thus Himself, will be seen in explanations below where the face of God is mentioned. “The sun shining in its power” has the same symbolic meaning.
Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 10703
10703. He removed the veil until he went out. That this signifies a state of enlightenment then, is evident from the signification of “removing the veil,” as being the appearing of the internal, for when the veil was removed, the faces and the shining of their skin appeared; and by the “faces” are signified the interiors; and by the “shining” is signified the light therefrom in the external. That the “faces” denote the interiors may be seen at the places cited in n. 9546; and that the “shining of the skin of Moses’ faces” denotes theshining forth, or the light from the internal, in the external of the Word, n. 10691. It is said “light” because the light which illumines the internal of man is the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord. That this is the light of heaven, thus the light from which angels and spirits see, and also that from which the man who is enlightened has perception and intelligence, may be seen at the places cited in n. 9548, 9684. It is said “light in the external of the Word from its internal,” but there is meant light in the external of man from its internal when he is reading it, for the Word does not shine from itself except before the eyes of a man who is in light from the internal. Without this the Word is merely the letter. From this then it is evident whence came theshining of the skin of Moses’ faces, and what this signifies in the internal sense.
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 1222
1222. And it was given her that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean andshining.- That this signifies that that church should be instructed by the Lord in truths from the Word, is evident from the signification of being arrayed, as denoting to be instructed in truths, for garments in the Word signify truths which invest good, therefore by being arrayed is signified to be instructed in those truths, concerning which see above (n. 64, 65, 195, 271, 395, 951); and from the signification of fine linen, as denoting truths from a celestial origin, concerning which see above (n. 1143). But, because truth from that origin is Truth Divine (Verum Divinum), and all Truth Divine is from the Lord, and this is the Word, therefore fine linen signifies truth from the Word. This truth is called clean from celestial good, and shining from spiritual good. All truth is from good; and there are two universal goods, from which all truths are – celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord, and spiritual good, which is the good of love towards the neighbour. Truth from the latter good is meant by the fine linen which is shining, but truth from the former good is meant by the fine linen which is clean, both of these being from the Word. For the Word in every detail of it is of such a character that truth from celestial good, and truth from spiritual good, are conjoined, while celestial good with spiritual good is within, in truths.