{"id":11790,"date":"2016-05-01T21:55:13","date_gmt":"2016-05-02T01:55:13","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordstudy.newchurch.org\/?page_id=11790"},"modified":"2016-05-01T21:55:13","modified_gmt":"2016-05-02T01:55:13","slug":"midst-middle","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/bible-keywords\/midst-middle\/","title":{"rendered":"Midst, Middle"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/b>Swedenborg says that the \u201cmidst\u201d of something in the Bible<\/a> represents the thing that is most central and most important to the spiritual<\/a> state<\/a> being described, the motivation that drives everything else. In general this will be something we love<\/a> or feel, because at the core of things we are what we love; our loves define us. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Passages from Swedenborg<\/b><\/p>\n

Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10153<\/b><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. ‘And I will dwell in the\u00a0midst\u00a0of the children of Israel’ means the Lord’s presence and His influx through good in heaven and in the Church. This is clear from the meaning of ‘dwelling’, when this is said of the Lord, as His being present and flowing in, His doing so through Divine Good being meant because ‘dwelling’ has reference to good, see 2268, 2451, 2712, 3613, 8269, 8309, which is why the words ‘in the\u00a0midst’ are used, because ‘the\u00a0midst’ means what is inmost, and that which is inmost is good (for this meaning of ‘the\u00a0midst’, see 2940, 2973, 5897, 6084, 6103); and from the representation of ‘the children of Israel’ as the Church, dealt with in 9340.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10365<\/b><\/p>\n

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    1. ‘That soul will be cut off from the\u00a0midst\u00a0of his people’ means that not heaven and the Church but hell resides with that person. This is clear from the meaning of ‘being cut off from themidst\u00a0of his people’ as separation from the Church and spiritual death, dealt with in 10288, so that not the Church but hell resides with him. When the Church does not reside with a person, neither does heaven; for heaven and the Church act as one. In the case of a person in whom the Church is present heaven, that is, the Lord by way of heaven, flows in and constitutes the Church there. So it is that when the Church does not reside with a person hell does so; and this is therefore meant by ‘being cut off from the\u00a0midst\u00a0of his people’.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10557<\/b><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. ‘And his minister Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not move away from the\u00a0midst\u00a0of the tent’ means Divine Truth ministering meantime in the holy things of the Church and worship in place of Moses. This is clear from the representation of ‘Joshua, minister of Moses’ as Divine Truth ministering in place of Moses (he is called ‘the son of Nun’ by virtue of what is true, and ‘a young man’ by virtue of what is good); and from the meaning of ‘did not move away from the\u00a0midst\u00a0of the tent’ as not ceasing meantime to minister in the holy things of the Church and worship.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10635<\/b><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. ‘And all the people in whose\u00a0midst\u00a0you are will see the work of Jehovah’ means that all who accept the Word will acknowledge the Divine within it. This is clear from the representation of ‘Moses’ as the Word, dealt with in the places referred to in 9372, so that ‘the people in whose\u00a0midst\u00a0he is’ means the Church where the Word exists, thus all who accept the Word, for others do not acknowledge the Divine within it; and from the meaning of ‘seeing the work of Jehovah’ as acknowledging the Divine within it.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10641<\/b><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. ‘Lest by chance it become a snare in your\u00a0midst’ means consequently being led astray in the Word itself. This is clear from the meaning of ‘becoming a snare’ as being held captive and led astray by one’s own evil and falsity, dealt with in 7653, 9348; and from the representation of ‘Moses’ as the Word, dealt with in the places referred to in 9372, so that ‘in his\u00a0midst’ means in the Word itself. The implications of this are clear from what has been stated immediately above in 10640.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

             <\/p>\n

            Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2252<\/b><\/p>\n

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            1. That ‘perhaps there may be fifty righteous persons in themidst\u00a0of the city’ means that the truths may be full of goods is clear from the meaning of ‘fifty’ as full, from the meaning of ‘righteous’ as good, dealt with in 612, 2235, from [the meaning] of ‘midst’ as that which is within, 1074, and from [the meaning] of ‘the city’ as truth, 402. Thus ‘fifty righteous persons in themidst\u00a0of the city’ in the internal sense means that the truths may be full of goods.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

               <\/p>\n

              Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2940<\/b><\/p>\n

                \n
              1. ‘Ephron was sitting in the\u00a0midst\u00a0of the sons of Heth’ means those who were primarily able to receive the good and truth of faith. This is clear from the representation of ‘Ephron’, and also from the meaning of ‘the sons of Heth’ as those with whom the good and truth of faith could be received and with whom a new Church existed, dealt with in 2913, 2933; and from the meaning of ‘the middle’ or ‘in the\u00a0midst’ as that which is primary or the chief thing, and also that which is inmost, dealt with in 1074. ‘The middle’ in the internal sense means that which is primary or the chief thing, and also that which is inmost, by reason of the representatives in the next life. When anything good is represented there by means of spiritual ideas, the purest of the good is in the middle and the less and less pure in consecutive degrees from the middle, until lastly at the circumference there is that which is not good at all. And this is why ‘in the\u00a0midst’ means both that which is primary or the chief thing and also that which is inmost.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 268<\/b><\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. And I looked, and behold, in the\u00a0midst\u00a0of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the\u00a0midst\u00a0of the elders. (5:6) This symbolically means from the inmost elements of heaven, the Word, and the church, and so in all their constituents.<\/span>
                  \n<\/span>“In the\u00a0midst” means, symbolically, in inmost elements and so in all (no. 44). The throne symbolizes heaven (no. 14). The four living creatures or cherubim symbolize the Word (no. 239). And the twenty-four elders symbolize the church in respect to all its constituents (no. 233, 251). It follows from this that the statement, “in the\u00a0midst\u00a0of the throne and of the four living creatures, and in the\u00a0midst\u00a0of the elders,” means, symbolically, from the inmost elements in all the constituents of heaven, the Word, and the church.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                   <\/p>\n

                  Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 90<\/b><\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. “‘Which is in the\u00a0midst\u00a0of the Paradise of God.'” This symbolically means, inwardly in the truths of wisdom and faith.<\/span>
                    \n<\/span>In the\u00a0midst\u00a0means, symbolically, the inmost (nos. 44, 383), here within or inwardly. The Paradise of God symbolizes truths of wisdom and faith. Consequently the tree of life which is in themidst\u00a0of the Paradise of God symbolizes the Lord accompanied by the goodness of love and charity inwardly in the truths of wisdom and faith. Good also exists inwardly within truths, for good is the essence of life, and truth is the consequent expression of life, as we showed many times in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 44<\/b><\/p>\n

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                    1. And in the\u00a0midst\u00a0of the seven lampstands one like the Son of Man. (1:13) This symbolizes the Lord in relation to the Word, from whom that church originates.<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>People know from the Word that the Lord called Himself the Son of God and also the Son of Man. By “the Son of God” He meant Himself in respect to His Divine humanity, and by “the Son of Man” He meant Himself in relation to the Word. This we fully demonstrated in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord, nos. 19\ufffd28, and since we confirmed it thoroughly from the Word there, we refrain from confirming it further here.<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>Now because the Lord presented Himself to John as the Word, therefore in His appearance to him He is called the Son of Man.<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>The Lord presented Himself as the Word because the subject is the New Church, which is a church founded on the Word, according to its understanding of it. To be shown that the church is founded on the Word, and that its character is such as its understanding of the Word, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, nos. 76\ufffd79.<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>Since the church is a church from the Lord by means of the Word, therefore the Son of Man appeared in the\u00a0midst\u00a0of lampstands. “In the\u00a0midst” means, symbolically, in the inmost, from which those things that are round about or exterior to it draw their essence, in this case their light or intelligence.<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>That the inmost is everything in the things that are round about or exterior to it is something we showed many times in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom. It is like a light or flame at the center, in consequence of which all the peripheries shine with light and are warm.<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>[2] “In the\u00a0midst” has the same symbolic meaning in the following passages in the Word:<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>Cry out and shout, O inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in your\u00a0midst! (Isaiah 12:6)<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>God is my King…, working salvation in the\u00a0midst\u00a0of the earth. (Psalm 74:12)<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>\u00a0…God…(working) lovingkindness in the\u00a0midst\u00a0of (the) temple.<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>\u00a0God stands in the congregation of God; in the\u00a0midst\u00a0of the gods He will judge. (Psalm 82:1)<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>\u00a0Gods are what those people who possess Divine truths from the Lord are called, and in an abstract sense, the truths themselves.<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>\u00a0Behold, I am sending an angel before you…. Beware of his presence…; for My name is in the\u00a0midst\u00a0of him. (Exodus 23:20, 21)<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>\u00a0The name of Jehovah means everything Divine. In the\u00a0midstmeans in the inmost and so in every part.<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>In the\u00a0midst\u00a0or within symbolizes the inmost and so every part in many other places in the Word, even where the subject is evils, as in Isaiah 24:13, Jeremiah 23:9, Psalm 5:9, Jeremiah 9:5, 6, and Psalms 36:1, 55:4, 62:4.<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>We have cited these places to make known that “in the\u00a0midst\u00a0of the lampstands” means, symbolically, in the inmost of the church, from which the church and everything connected with it originates; for the church and everything connected with it comes from the Lord through the Word.<\/span>
                      \n<\/span>To be shown that the lampstands symbolize a new church, see no. 43 just above.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                       <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

                      Swedenborg says that the \u201cmidst\u201d of something in the Bible represents the thing that is most central and most important to the spiritual state being described, the motivation that drives everything else. In general this will be something we love or feel, because at the core of things we are what we love; our loves […]<\/p>\n

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