It’s telling that there is a branch of archeology called “Egyptology” — a whole scientific discipline devoted to the study of one civilization. This is because the ancient Egyptians left behind rich troves of artifacts and stunning monuments, testimony to the advanced state of their science, engineering, and artistry. And they were a dominant — […]
Elim
Swedenborg tells us that all places in the Bible correspond to spiritual states we experience during our growth toward (hopefully) heaven. That includes many states of spiritual struggle, or temptation, when we confront our own selfish longings and have the opportunity to push them aside. After states of temptation, however, the Lord offers us states […]
Extremity, Outskirts
Often translated as “edge,” “border,” “boundary,” “outskirts,” “far places” and other ways, this term is used in the Bible for the farthest reaches of an area. Swedenborg says it generally represents either an introduction into the state it surrounds, a protection for that state or simply the area within that state which is lowest and […]
Eat
When we eat, our bodies break down the food and get from it both energy and materials for building and repairing the body. Swedenborg says the process is much the same on a symbolic level in the Bible. Food represents the desire for good and the insight that comes from that desire for good – […]
Enter, Go In
All changes of place in the Bible (according to Swedenborg) represent changes in spiritual state. “Entering” – usually used as entering someone’s house or “going in unto” someone – particularly means adopting a spiritual state that is compatible with someone else in order to communicate with them or be conjoined with them. This is easily […]
Early
Swedenborg says the sun represents the Lord, so early morning and sunrise represent a state of enlightenment, with a new and clear understanding coming after a time of darkness. There are many ways this representation appears in modern life. For one, it’s long been tradition to orient churches with the sanctuary in the east, toward […]
Elisha
The Bible in its literal sense – the words we see, the stories we read – is, according to Swedenborg, a sort of container for the divine things the Lord wants to teach us. In a way, that makes it a container for the Lord himself. Swedenborg says that the various prophets — including Elisha […]
Eternity, Everlasting, Forever, of Old
In many cases, according to Swedenborg, the use of “eternity” in the Bible is pretty literal, simple meaning forever. This is especially true when the text is referring to someone being condemned to hell or elevated to heaven. In some cases, however, “eternity” or “days of old” refers to what Swedenborg calls the Most Ancient Church […]
Eighty
Swedenborg says that 80, like 40, can represent a state of temptation, when we face and battle our desires for evil – and that it can also be looked at as the product of eight and 10, combining the meanings of those two numbers. Eight generally represents a beginning state (the eighth day is the […]
Eyes
It’s common to say “I see” when we understand something. And indeed, “seeing” in the Bible represents grasping and understanding spiritual things. So it makes sense that the eyes, which allow us to see, represent the intellect, which allows us to understand spiritual things. This can also be used in the negative (as can all […]
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