The Swedenborg Library Vol 2/Chapter 12
XII.
CORRESPONDENCE OF HEAVEN WITH THE THINGS OF EARTH.
LL things which belong to the earth are distinguished into three great classes called kingdoms; namely, the animal, the vegetable and the mineral kingdom. The objects in the animal kingdom are correspondences in the first degree, because they live; those in the vegetable kingdom are correspondences in the second degree, because they only grow; those in the mineral kingdom are correspondences in the third degree, because they neither live nor grow.
The correspondences in the animal kingdom are living creatures of various kinds, both those which walk and creep on the earth, and those which fly in the air. They are not specifically mentioned here, because they the well known. The correspondences in the vegetable kingdom are all things which grow and flourish in gardens, forests, fields and plains,—which are not named, because they also are known. The correspondences in the mineral kingdom are the metals, both noble and base; precious stones and those not precious; earths of various kinds, and also waters. Besides these, whatever the industry of man prepares from them for his own use, are also correspondences, such as food of every kind, garments, houses, temples and other things.
The things above the earth, as the sun, moon and stars, likewise those in the atmospheres, as clouds, mists, rain, lightnings and thunders are also correspondences. Those, too, which result from the presence and absence of the sun, as light and darkness, heat and cold, are correspondences. Likewise those which thence follow in succession, as the seasons of the year which are called spring, summer, autumn and winter; and the times of the day, as morning, noon, evening and night.
In a word, all things which exist in nature, from the least to the greatest, are correspondences. They are correspondences, because the natural world and all that belongs to it exists and subsists from the spiritual world, and both from the Divine. Subsists, I say; because everything subsists from that which gave it existence, for subsistence is perpetual existence; and because nothing can subsist from itself, but from a cause prior to itself, that is, from the First. Should it, therefore, be separated from the First, it would utterly perish and disappear.
Everything in nature which exists and subsists from divine order is a correspondent. The divine good which proceeds from the Lord makes divine order. It commences from Him, proceeds from Him through the heavens successively into the world, and there terminates in ultimates. All things in the world which are according to order are correspondences; and all things there are according to order, which are good and fit for use; for every good is a good according to use. Form has relation to truth, because truth is the form of good. Hence it is that all things in the whole world and partaking of the nature of the world, which are in divine order, have relation to good and truth.
But no one at this day can know the spiritual things in heaven to which the natural things in the world correspond, except by revelation from heaven, because the knowledge of correspondences is now lost. I will therefore illustrate by some examples the nature of the correspondence of spiritual things with natural.
CORRESPONDENCE OF ANIMALS.
The animals of the earth in general correspond to affections; the gentle and useful ones, to good affections; the savage and useless, to evil affections. In particular, cows and oxen correspond to the affections of the natural mind; sheep and lambs, to the affections of the spiritual mind; but winged creatures, according to their species, correspond to the intellectual things of both minds.
Hence it is that various animals, as cows, oxen, rams, sheep, she-goats, he-goats, he-lambs, she-lambs, and also pigeons and turtle-doves were devoted to a sacred use in the Israelitish church,—which was a representative church,—and sacrifices and burnt-offerings were made of them; for in that use they correspond to things spiritual which were understood in heaven according to correspondence.
Animals, also, according to their genera and species are affections, because they live; for everything has life from no other source than from affection and according to it. Hence every animal has innate knowledge according to the affection of its life. Man, too, is similar to animals as to his natural man, and therefore is compared to them in common discourse. If he be of a gentle disposition, he is called a sheep or a lamb; if of a savage temper, he is called a bear or a wolf; if cunning, he is called a fox or a serpent; and so on.
CORRESPONDENCE OF TREES, GARDENS, ETC.
There is a like correspondence with the things in the vegetable kingdom. A garden in general corresponds to heaven as to intelligence and wisdom; on which account heaven is called in the Word the garden of God and paradise; and also by man, the heavenly paradise. Trees according to their species correspond to the perceptions and knowledges of good and truth, from which come intelligence and wisdom. Therefore the ancients, who were versed in the knowledge of correspondences, held their sacred worship in groves. Hence it is that in the Word trees are so often mentioned; and that heaven, the church and man are compared to them, as to the vine, the olive, the cedar and others; and the good works which they do are compared to fruits.
The food also which they produce, especially that from grain, corresponds to the affections of good and truth, because these nourish the spiritual life as terrestrial food does the natural. Hence bread in general corresponds to the affection of all good, because it supports life better than other aliments, and because bread means all kinds of food. On account of this correspondence also the Lord calls Himself the bread of life. And for the same reason, too, bread was applied to a sacred use in the Israelitish church; for it was set upon the table in the tabernacle, and called the bread of faces [or show-bread]. Likewise all the divine worship which was performed by sacrifices and burnt-offerings, was called bread. On account of this correspondence, also, the most holy solemnity of worship in the Christian church is the Holy Supper, in which are distributed bread and wine. From these few examples the nature of correspondence may be clearly seen.
LINKS CONNECTING HEAVEN AND EARTH.
In what manner the conjunction of heaven with the world is effected by correspondences, shall also be briefly explained.
The kingdom of the Lord is a kingdom of ends which are uses; or,—what is the same,—it is a kingdom of uses which are ends. Therefore the universe was so created and formed by the Divine that uses might everywhere be clothed with coverings, whereby they are embodied in act or effect, first in heaven and afterwards in the world; thus by degrees and successively even to the ultimates of nature.
Hence it is evident that the correspondence of natural with spiritual things, or of the world with heaven, is effected by uses, and that uses conjoin them; and that the forms with which uses are clothed, are correspondences and mediums of conjunction in proportion as they are forms of use.
In the natural world and its three kingdoms, all things which exist according to order are forms of use, or effects formed from use for use. Therefore these things are correspondences. The actions of man likewise are uses in form, and are correspondences, whereby he is conjoined to heaven so far as he lives according to divine order, or so far as he is in love to the Lord and in charity toward his neighbor. To love the Lord and the neighbor in general is to perform uses.
It is to be further observed, that the natural world is conjoined with the spiritual by means of man, or that he is the medium of their conjunction; for both worlds exist in him. Therefore so far as man is spiritual, he is a medium of conjunction; but so far as he is natural and not spiritual, he is not a medium of conjunction. Still, without man as a medium, the divine influx into the world continues, and also into those things which are of the world with man, but not into his rational faculty.
As all things which are according to divine order correspond to heaven, so all things which are contrary to divine order correspond to hell. All those which correspond to heaven, have relation to good and truth; and those which correspond to hell, have relation to the evil and the false.
THE USE OF THIS KNOWLEDGE.
Something shall now be said concerning the knowledge of correspondences and its use. It was remarked above, that the spiritual world which is heaven, is conjoined with the natural world by correspondences. Hence man has communication with heaven by correspondences; for the angels of heaven do not think from natural things as man does. Therefore when man is in the knowledge of correspondences, he may be associated with the angels as to the thoughts of his mind, and thus be conjoined with them as to his spiritual or internal man.
The Word was written by pure correspondences, in order that man might be conjoined with heaven; for even the minutest parts of the Word correspond to something spiritual. Therefore if man were well acquainted with correspondences, he would understand the spiritual sense of the Word, and become acquainted with arcana whereof he perceives nothing in the sense of the letter. For in the Word there is both a literal and a spiritual sense. The literal sense consists of such things as are in the world, but the spiritual sense of such things as are in heaven. And since the conjunction of heaven with the world is by correspondences, therefore such a Word was given that everything in it, even to an iota, corresponds.
THE GOLD, SILVER AND COPPER AGES.
I have been informed from heaven that the most ancient people on our earth, who were celestial men, thought from correspondences themselves; and that the natural things of the world which were before their eyes, served them as mediums of such thought. And because they were of such a character, they were associated with the angels and conversed with them; and thus heaven was conjoined to the world through them. On this account that time was called the golden age; concerning which it is also said by ancient writers, that the inhabitants of heaven dwelt with men and held intercourse with them as friends with friends.
After those times there arose another race who did not think from correspondences themselves, but from the knowledge of correspondences. And I was informed that there was conjunction of heaven with man even then, but not so intimate. That period was called the silver age.
After them succeeded a race who, indeed, were acquainted with correspondences, but did not think from the knowledge of them, because they were in natural good, and not, like their predecessors, in spiritual good. That period was called the copper age. I was told that after those times man gradually became external, and at length corporeal; and that then the knowledge of correspondences was wholly lost; and with it, the knowledge of heaven and of nearly everything relating to it.
These ages were named from gold, silver and copper; because gold from correspondence signifies celestial good, in which the most ancient people were principled; silver, spiritual good, which was the characteristic of the ancients who succeeded them; and copper, natural good, in which the next succeeding race were principled. But iron, from which the last age was named, signifies hard truth without good. (H. H., n. 104-115.)
