{"id":12374,"date":"2016-10-02T17:23:48","date_gmt":"2016-10-02T21:23:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordstudy.newchurch.org\/?page_id=12374"},"modified":"2016-10-02T17:23:48","modified_gmt":"2016-10-02T21:23:48","slug":"down-2","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/societies.newchurch.org\/wordstudy\/bible-keywords\/down-2\/","title":{"rendered":"Down"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cDown\u201d is used many different ways in natural language, and Swedenborg<\/a> says its spiritual meaning<\/a> in the Bible<\/a> is highly dependent on context. Phrases like \u201cbowing down,\u201d \u201clying down\u201d and \u201cfalling down\u201d are defined primarily by \u201cbowing,\u201d \u201clying\u201d and \u201cfalling\u201d; there is also a great difference between a person descending, the Lord sending fire from heaven and someone handling an object, to offer a few examples.<\/p>\n

In a very general sense, though, \u201cdown\u201d indicates a lowering from more internal<\/a> spiritual<\/a> states<\/a> to more external<\/a> ones. That\u2019s why the journey is described as going \u201cdown\u201d to Egypt from Canaan, and people from all quarters go \u201cup\u201d to Jerusalem. It\u2019s also why the Lord<\/a> comes \u201cdown\u201d to us, which generally indicates a state of judgment<\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

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

Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 1311<\/b><\/p>\n

    \n
  1. That ‘Jehovah came\u00a0down’ means judgement on them is clear from the meaning of the previous verses, and of those that follow, and also from the meaning of ‘coming\u00a0down’ when used of Jehovah. Previous verses dealt with building a city and the tower of Babel, those that follow deal with the confounding of lips and with dispersion, while ‘coming\u00a0down’ when used of Jehovah has reference to the time when judgement takes place. Jehovah or the Lord is present everywhere and knows everything from eternity. Consequently it cannot be said of Him that ‘He comes\u00a0down\u00a0to see’ except in the literal sense where things are stated as they appear to man to be. But this is not the case in the internal sense. In that sense a matter is presented not according to appearances but as it is in itself. Consequently ‘comingdown\u00a0to see’ in this verse means judgement.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

     <\/p>\n

    Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2242<\/b><\/p>\n

      \n
    1. That ‘I will go\u00a0down\u00a0now, and I will see’ means visitation becomes clear from the meaning of ‘goingdown\u00a0to see’ as judgement, dealt with in Volume One, in 1311, and consequently as visitation. The final period of the Church in general and of the individual in particular is called visitation in the Word. It occurs prior to judgement, so that visitation is nothing else than an investigation into what such are like, that is, into the nature of the Church in general or of the individual in particular. Such investigation is expressed in the sense of the letter as Jehovah comingdown\u00a0and seeing.<\/span>
      \n<\/span>
      \n<\/span>[2] From this the nature of the sense of the letter is made clear, for Jehovah does not go\u00a0down; indeed one cannot speak of the Lord going\u00a0down\u00a0because He always dwells in highest things. Nor does Jehovah look and see whether a thing is so; for one cannot speak of the Lord looking to see whether a thing is so because every single thing is known to Him from eternity. Yet the sense of the letter speaks of Jehovah going\u00a0down\u00a0to see because to man that is what He does appear to do. For man dwells among lowest things and when anything presents itself there he does not think about, nor does he even know, what the situation is with higher things and so does not know about how these flow in. He has no knowledge of these things because his thought does not extend beyond what is immediately about him, and therefore he cannot perceive what the Lord does as anything other than some such going\u00a0down\u00a0to see; and that perception is even more limited when he imagines that no one knows what he himself is thinking. Besides this, he has no other idea than that an actual coming\u00a0down\u00a0from on high is meant, and when said of God, from the highest. But it is not in fact a coming\u00a0down\u00a0from the highest but from the inmost.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

       <\/p>\n

      Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 3068<\/b><\/p>\n

        \n
      1. ‘Let\u00a0down\u00a0now your pitcher’ means submitting facts. This becomes clear from the meaning of ‘lettingdown’ as submitting, and from the meaning of ‘a pitcher’ as facts. The reason why a water-pot or a pitcher means facts is that ‘water’ means truth, 680, 739, 2702, and a pitcher is a vessel with water in it, even as factual knowledge is a vessel with truth in it. All factual knowledge is a vessel for truth, and all truth is a vessel for good. Factual knowledge without truth is an empty vessel, and so is truth without good; but factual knowledge in which truth is held is a vessel that is filled, as is truth in which good is held. Affection which is an attribute of love is what joins them together so that they may exist in order. For love is spiritual conjunction.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

         <\/p>\n

        Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 5406<\/b><\/p>\n

          \n
        1. ‘Go\u00a0down\u00a0there, and buy for us from there’ means making them its own through that knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of ‘going\u00a0down’ as an expression used to describe movement towards things that are more external, dealt with below; and from the meaning of ‘buying’ as making one’s own, dealt with in 4397, 5374. The accomplishment of this through that knowledge, factual knowledge, is meant by ‘from there’, that is to say, from Egypt; for ‘Egypt’ means factual knowledge, as shown above. Various places in the Word contain the expression to go up or to godown\u00a0when a movement from one place to another is described. The reason for this usage is not that one place was higher than another but that going up describes a movement towards things that are more internal or superior, while going\u00a0down\u00a0describes a movement towards things that are more external or inferior. That is, ‘going up’ refers to movement towards things that are spiritual and heavenly since these are more internal and are believed to be superior, whereas ‘going\u00a0down’ refers to a movement towards natural and earthly things as these are more external and also to outward appearance inferior. This explains why not only here but also everywhere else in the Word one is said to go\u00a0down\u00a0from the land of Canaan to Egypt and to come up from Egypt to the land of Canaan. ‘The land of Canaan’ means that which is heavenly, and ‘Egypt’ that which is natural; for in the representative sense the land of Canaan is the heavenly kingdom, and consequently celestial and spiritual forms of good and truth, which also reside more internally in a person who is the Lord’s kingdom, whereas ‘Egypt’ in the representative sense is the natural kingdom, and consequently the forms of good and truth which belong to the external Church and exist for the most part as factual knowledge. For the use of ‘going up’ to describe a movement towards things that are more internal, see 4539.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

           <\/p>\n

          Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 5767<\/b><\/p>\n

            \n
          1. ‘And caused to come\u00a0down, each one his pouch to the earth’ means that they brought the contents of the natural\u00a0down\u00a0to the level of sensory impressions This is clear from the meaning of ‘causing to come\u00a0down’ – when these words are anticipating those that immediately follow them – as bringing to; from the meaning of ‘pouch’ as the exterior natural, dealt with in 5497; and from the meaning of ‘the earth’, when it says that they caused their pouches to come\u00a0down\u00a0to it, as the ultimate or lowest, thus the sensory level. For this level is the lowest or ultimate one since the senses are positioned at the doorway to the world outside. Bringing\u00a0down\u00a0to sensory impressions implies a thorough verification that a thing is so, for in this case even sensory evidence testifies to the inference that is being drawn.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

             <\/p>\n

            Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 5809<\/b><\/p>\n

              \n
            1. ‘Cause him to come\u00a0down\u00a0to me means that this truth which is new must be made subject to internal good. This is clear from the meaning of ‘causing to come\u00a0down’ as being made subject, for coming to the internal to be joined to it is being made subject to it since everything lower or exterior must be set beneath and made subject to what is higher or interior if a joining together is to be effected; from the representation of Benjamin, who is the one they were to cause to come\u00a0down, as new truth, dealt with above in 5804, 5806; and from the representation of Joseph, who is the one he was to come\u00a0down\u00a0to, as internal good, dealt with previously.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

               <\/p>\n

              Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 6854<\/b><\/p>\n

                \n
              1. ‘And I have come\u00a0down\u00a0to deliver them from the hand of the Egyptians’ means that He would stoopdown\u00a0to them to release them from the power of false factual knowledge, which tries to destroy the truths of the Church. This is clear from the meaning of ‘comingdown’ as stooping\u00a0down, dealt with below; from the meaning of ‘to deliver’ as to release, for one who releases people from falsities delivers or sets them free; from the meaning of ‘the hand’ as the power, dealt with in 878, 3387, 3563, 4931-4937, 5544; and from the meaning of ‘the Egyptians’ as false factual knowledge, which is opposed to the Church’s truths, dealt with in 6651, 6679, 6683, and so which tries to destroy them. As regards the Lord’s coming\u00a0down, the situation is that the Lord is said to come or stoop\u00a0down\u00a0when He comes to judgement, 1311, and also when He comesdown\u00a0to lower things, in this instance to those belonging to the spiritual Church, who are meant by ‘the children of Israel’. For the subject in the internal sense is the way in which those people are molested by falsities, at which time they undergo temptations, and the way in which after that they are set free in order that they may be led into heaven.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                 <\/p>\n

                Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8279<\/b><\/p>\n

                  \n
                1. ‘They sank\u00a0down\u00a0into deep places like a stone’ means that they fell\u00a0down\u00a0to lower levels as if on account of heaviness. This is clear from the meaning of ‘going\u00a0down’ –\u00a0down\u00a0to lower levels as if on account of heaviness – as falling\u00a0down; from the meaning of ‘deep places’ as lower levels where the hells are located, dealt with below; and from the meaning of ‘like a stone’ as, as if on account of heaviness. The words ‘like a stone’ are used because ‘a stone’ in the genuine sense means truth, dealt with in 643, 1298, 3720, 3769, 3771, 3773, 3789, 3798, 6426, and therefore in the contrary sense means falsity. Furthermore falsity arising from evil is by nature such that it falls downwards to lower levels like a heavy object in the world, whereas truth springing from good is by nature such that it rises upwards to higher levels like a light object in the world. This explains why the evil who have not yet undergone vastation in respect of the truths they know are in the region above hell; but as soon as they have undergone such vastation, that is, have been deprived of truths, it is as though they have had their wings cut off and they fall downwards like weights. And the worse the falsities arising from evil are, the furtherdown\u00a0they go.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                   <\/p>\n

                  Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8615<\/b><\/p>\n

                    \n
                  1. ‘Until the going\u00a0down\u00a0of the sun’ means when that state was coming to an end, that is to say, the state of conflict with falsity arising from interior evil. This is clear from the consideration that the times of day from sunrise to sunset, and again to sunrise, mean the changes of state which those who are in the next life undergo. The end of that state is meant by the time when the sun is going\u00a0down. So it is that ‘until the going\u00a0down\u00a0of the sun’ means when that state was coming to an end.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                     <\/p>\n

                    Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8719<\/b><\/p>\n

                      \n
                    1. ‘And roll\u00a0down\u00a0[the burden] from upon yourself, and let them bear [it] with you’ means thus assigning them functions and duties. This is clear from the meaning of ‘rolling\u00a0down\u00a0from upon yourself’ as delegating also to others; and from the meaning of ‘bearing with him’ as being of assistance to. The reason why these words mean thus assigning them functions and duties is that in everything generally and specifically done by Him the Lord acts both directly from Himself and indirectly through heaven. He acts indirectly through heaven not because He needs their help but in order that the angels there may have functions and duties, and therefore life and happiness in keeping with the duties and services they perform. This accounts for the appearance to them that they act independently; yet they perceive that what they do comes from the Lord. These are the things which are meant by the advice that Moses should roll\u00a0down\u00a0[the burden] from upon himself, and that the rulers, who were to judge small matters, should bear [it] with him.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                       <\/p>\n

                      Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 863<\/b><\/p>\n

                        \n
                      1. And fire came\u00a0down\u00a0from God out of heaven and devoured them. This symbolically means that they were destroyed by the lusts of their hellish love.<\/span>
                        \n<\/span>The fire that came\u00a0down\u00a0out of heaven and devoured them symbolizes lusts for evil, or the lusts of a hellish love, as in nos. 494, 748 above, since people who engage in external worship divorced from any internal worship are caught up in evils of every kind and in lusts for them, because the evils in them have not been removed by any actual repentance (no. 859).<\/span>
                        \n<\/span>We are told that the fire came\u00a0down\u00a0from God out of heaven. This occurred in ancient times when everything connected with the church was represented before their eyes, thus when the church was a representational one. But today, now that representations have ceased, similar imagery is used, and it has the same symbolic meaning as before when the meaning was represented.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

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

                        \u201cDown\u201d is used many different ways in natural language, and Swedenborg says its spiritual meaning in the Bible is highly dependent on context. Phrases like \u201cbowing down,\u201d \u201clying down\u201d and \u201cfalling down\u201d are defined primarily by \u201cbowing,\u201d \u201clying\u201d and \u201cfalling\u201d; there is also a great difference between a person descending, the Lord sending fire from […]<\/p>\n

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