(AC) - A Disclosure of the Hidden Treasures of Heaven Contained in the Holy Scripture or Word of the Lord, Together with Amazing Things Seen in the World of Spirits and in the Heaven of Angels

AC 1195

Remove Highlights | Highlight Search Terms

NEXT | PREVIOUS | FIRST | LAST | NEXT BOOK | PREVIOUS BOOK 

1195. That "Mizraim" or "Egypt" is memory-knowledge, was shown at verse 6 of this chapter. That "Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, and Naphtuhim" are so many rituals which are merely memory-knowledges, is evident from what has just been stated. Those are said to have rituals which are merely memory-knowledges, who explore spiritual and celestial things by means of reasonings, and thereby devise a worship for themselves. The rituals of this worship, being from reasonings and memory-knowledges, are called rituals of memory-knowledge [ritualia scientifica],* wherein there was nothing spiritual and celestial, because they were from themselves. Hence came the idols of Egypt, and its magic. And because their rituals were from this origin, they totally rejected, nay, loathed and hated, the rites of the Ancient Church, as is evident from what is said in Gen. 43:32, 46:34; Exod. 8:22. Because these things are signified, they are said to be begotten of Mizraim, or of Egypt, that is, of memory-knowledges; and as their memory-knowledges were diverse, the derivative rituals also became different. These diversities, in general, are signified by so many nations. That such things are meant by the Ludim, or Lydians, appears in Jeremiah:
Egypt riseth up like the river, and like the rivers the waters are troubled; and he saith, I will rise up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and the inhabitants thereof. Come up, ye horses, and rage, ye chariots, and let the mighty come forth, Cush and Put, that handle the shield, and the Lydians, that handle and bend the bow (Jer. 46:8-9).
The "rivers of Egypt" here are diverse memory-knowledges which are false; "to go up and cover the earth" is to enter into the things that pertain to the church or to faith by means of memory-knowledges; "to destroy the city" is to destroy truths; "Cush and Put" are knowledges; "the Lydians" are the rituals of memory-knowledge spoken of above; "to handle and bend the bow" is to reason.
* These Ritualia scientifica were evidently sacred rites that were so framed as to be the formal expressions of the learning of the nations in question, which learning consisted in a mere memory-knowledge of the correspondences and spiritual truths known in the Ancient Church. It is impossible to render the phrase into satisfactory English without a circumlocution. "Scientific rituals," the usual rendering, is ludicrously misleading. [Reviser.]

NEXT | PREVIOUS | FIRST | LAST | NEXT BOOK | PREVIOUS BOOK 



User-Contributed Related Pages

Be the First to Find a Related Page!


Add a Related Page


Translate This Page

Add Small Canon Search to Your Website

Add a Small Canon Search™ button to my Google Toolbar

Add Small Canon Search™ to my Firefox Search Bar!

Add to Google

Daily Bible Verse

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

Green Hosting

5 FREE Domains with Select Hosting Plans. Get yours!