Readings

Lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:24)

Enlightenment comes from the Lord alone and affects people who love truths because they are true and who make them useful in their lives. Other people do not have enlightenment concerning the Word. Enlightenment comes from the Lord alone because the Word is from Him, and therefore He is in it. Enlightenment comes to people who love truths because they are true and who make them useful in their lives, because these people are in the Lord and the Lord is in them. The Lord is truth itself... Loving the Lord is living by His divine truths, that is, doing useful things with those truths, as we read in the following words in John: "On that day you will recognize that you are in Me and I am in you. The people who love Me are the people who have My instructions and follow them. I will love them and will manifest Myself to them. I will come to them and make a home with them" (John 14:20, 21, 23). These are the people who are enlightened when they read the Word. For them the Word shines and becomes translucent.

The Word shines for these people and becomes translucent to them because the details in the Word have spiritual and heavenly meanings inside. These meanings are in the light of heaven. The Lord flows through these meanings and their light into the Word’s earthly meaning and its light in the people. As a result of this light, the people first acknowledge the truth with deep perception and then see it in their own thought. This happens whenever people have a desire for truth because it is true. This desire, you see, leads to perception, and perception leads to thought. This process leads to the acknowledgment that is known as faith. (True Christianity 231)

The books of the Bible that have a spiritual meaning are:

Frequently Asked Question

Q. How were the Writings revealed?
A. The Writings were revealed through Emanuel Swedenborg. For the first fifty-seven years of his life, Swedenborg was a scientist and philosopher in 18th century Sweden. He devoted his last twenty-seven years to writing and publishing the theology and experiences he said he had been called by the Lord to present. He wrote about religious topics including the life after death, the spiritual meaning of many Bible stories, the development of the human mind, and how the Lord lovingly guides each of us.

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