DEUTERONOMY 18
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Deuteronomy Chapter 18

Verses 1, 2. Impulses to good are not derived from the man himself.
Verses 3-5. How they communicate with the rest of the mind.
Verses 6-8. How the impulses to good in the external mind are elevated by looking to the Divine Humanity.
Verses 9-14. Caution to keep the heavenly life clear from what proceeds from the evils of the unregenerate heart.
Verses 15-22. A development of truth suited to its progress will be given in each state of the soul.

The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance.

The Divine good of love to the Lord, and the aspirations after genuine good derived therefrom, and all the holy impulses of charity from the Lord, (or rather the faculties receptive of them in the human mind), are not supplied with good and truth from external study as is the spiritual mind, or that part of the soul which is receptive of truth; they are recruited by the influx of love from the Lord into the soul, and derive their support direct from Him.

Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he has said to them.

Therefore they receive no proprium or life as of themselves amongst the other faculties of the soul; they ever remain distinct as coming from the Lord, and they receive influx or support direct from the Lord by internal dictate (AC 9809).

And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give to the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.

And this is what the holy impulses of charity shall receive from the truths that are with the soul, when the Lord is worshiped by them, whether it be in external or internal worship: these good impulses shall receive from them power to act, to make known their good intentions, and to communicate with the outer world.

The firstfruit also of your corn, of your wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, shall you give him.

And the real good derived from your faith, and all your perceptions of spiritual truth (AC 9223), all your holy affections, and the use you can perform from charity, you shall ascribe to these holy influences.

For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.

For the Divine Love and Wisdom have appointed these means out of the faculties of the soul to minister to it the things which are Divine, both these holy influences and all the things derived from them in every state of regeneration.

And if a Levite come from any of your gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind to the place which the LORD shall choose;

And if those holy impulses for good which exist in any of the external faculties of the spiritual mind desire to rise to higher things, and,seek with all the power and desire of the mind to conform themselves to the pattern set in the Lord's Humanity;

Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD.

Then shall be impressed on these good desires and impulses the qualities derived from the Lord's Humanity and they shall minister to the welfare of the soul as those other perceptions of charity which are received direct by influx from the Lord into the higher faculties of the soul.

They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which comes of the sale of his patrimony.

They shall alike be recruited by influx of good and truth from heaven, besides the blessing which comes from the alienation of anything of ignorance or imperfection from the soul.

When you are come into the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

When you are come to the heavenly states with which the Divine Love and Wisdom will gift you, you shall not be seduced to conjoin those states with any of the evils of the unregenerate heart.

There shall not be found among you any one that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.

It shall not be permitted in the soul that any of the goods and truths of the Church should be profaned to serve self-love, nor shall any principle be tolerated that searches into the mysteries of faith for selfish ends, and is thus governed by influx from hell (that divineth divinations, and that asks questions of the hells), or which conjoins the holy things of the Church with the loves of self and of the world;

Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.

Or that draws away the soul by worldly delights and communicates with evil spirits, and that trusts to the falses of evil and the maxims derived from self-intelligence (is a soothsayer and makes inquiry of the dead).

For all that do these things are an abomination to the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD your God does drive them out from before you.

For all these things pollute religion and make the soul averse to heaven; and because they are averse to all good, the providence of the Divine Love and Wisdom is directed to drive them out of the heart.

You shall be perfect with the LORD your God.

You shall be perfect, and endeavour with singleness of heart to follow solely the dictates of the Divine Love and Wisdom (Matt 5:48).

For these nations, which you shall possess, hearkened to observers of times, and to diviners: but as for you, the LORD your God has not suffered you so to do.

For the natural affections over which you shall obtain dominion are prone to follow the falsities proceeding from the love of self and self-derived intelligence, but the regenerate will is restrained by the Divine Love and Wisdom from doing so.

The LORD your God will raise up to you a Prophet from the midst of you, of your brethren, like me; to him you shall hearken;

The Divine Love and Wisdom will raise up in the soul Divine truth itself, derived from the Humanity of the Lord and from the Word (which is the Divine truth in its internal principles), in which a life of genuine charity is the basis, like the truths which led it forth from the unregenerate condition; and this the soul shall hearken to and obey;

According to all that you desiredst of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.

According to all the desire of the natural man from the Divine Love and Wisdom, when the soul is in a state of external worship, and from that state contemplates Divine things and the Divinity as a strict judge, in which the natural man fears to perceive the requirements of the Divine Law, and to perceive the complete abnegation of self required by the Divine commands, and the burning zeal of the Lord against sin and evil, on account of the destruction of all that is good that they bring upon the soul, and feels that there is no power in the soul itself to contend with evil, which will bring destruction upon the spiritual life;

And the LORD said to me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.

And the soul is reassured by the Divine mercy, which teaches that it is well for it to feel its own unworthiness;

I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like you, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.

The Lord will raise up for the soul doctrines of truth from His Divine Humanity, and thereby suited to every condition of the soul, of which a life of charity is the basis, and in accordance with former truths received in the soul proceeding from the Word, and will instil the revelation of His will into these doctrines; and they shall explain the Divine will to the soul in a form accommodated to its new condition.

And it shall come to pass, that whoever will not hearken to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.

And it shall come to pass that whoever will not obey the perception of the Lord's will revealed through these doctrines for his guidance, will sin against knowledge, and thereby damage his soul.
[Note (verses 15-19).—These verses seem to teach that the Lord ever reveals Himself to the human race in a character accommodated to their state, hence the number of religions which have existed in the world, and hence the attributes of Deity as conceived of by the Jews, by the first Christian Church, and again by the New Church, are quite different; and hence indeed the necessity, when the time was fully come, for the appearance of the Lord on earth in human form, that there might be no misconception as to His character; which advent is evidently foretold in the literal sense in these verses. In the spiritual sense, the acceptance of the doctrine of the absolute Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only God, with the truths that flow therefrom, is described, which is also meant by the Second Coming of the Lord (AE 870). It must be evident to the candid mind that the Lord Jesus Christ has not been accepted by the first Christian Church, at all events in the popular idea, as the one only God (the Alpha and Omega), but as a secondary Deity, distinct from and in some way inferior to another Deity who is called the Father, and whose character is represented as being quite different; so that the latter is said to require intercession, and even to be appeased by the sufferings of the former; so that, whatever may be said in creeds, two gods are thought of in the mind, as separate and distinct as those of the religions which are called polytheisms.]

But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.

But those doctrines which profess to teach the Lord's will, but which are not derived from the Lord's Divine Humanity, but which teach the soul to worship other things as the supreme good; these are falses to be removed from the soul.

And if you say in your heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?

And if you shall say in your heart, How can we detect falses which do not proceed from the Lord?

When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken, but the prophet has spoken it presumptuously: you shall not be afraid of him.

When a doctrine professes to teach the things derived from the Lord's Divine Humanity, but does not, when followed out, produce any good effect upon the life, this is then a falsity which does not proceed from the Lord; it proceeds from self-intelligence, and shall not be regarded (Matt 7:15-20).

DEUTERONOMY 18 Other translations - previous - next - notes - discussion - Deuteronomy - BM Home - Full Page

The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi, shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance.	The Divine good of love to the Lord, and the aspirations after genuine good derived therefrom, and all the holy impulses of charity from the Lord, (or rather the faculties receptive of them in the human mind), are not supplied with good and truth from external study as is the spiritual mind, or that part of the soul which is receptive of truth; they are recruited by the influx of love from the Lord into the soul, and derive their support direct from Him.
Therefore shall they have no inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he has said to them.	Therefore they receive no proprium or life as of themselves amongst the other faculties of the soul; they ever remain distinct as coming from the Lord, and they receive influx or support direct from the Lord by internal dictate (AC 9809).
And this shall be the priest's due from the people, from them that offer a sacrifice, whether it be ox or sheep; and they shall give to the priest the shoulder, and the two cheeks, and the maw.	And this is what the holy impulses of charity shall receive from the truths that are with the soul, when the Lord is worshiped by them, whether it be in external or internal worship: these good impulses shall receive from them power to act, to make known their good intentions, and to communicate with the outer world.
The firstfruit also of your corn, of your wine, and of your oil, and the first of the fleece of your sheep, shall you give him.	And the real good derived from your faith, and all your perceptions of spiritual truth (AC 9223), all your holy affections, and the use you can perform from charity, you shall ascribe to these holy influences.
For the LORD your God has chosen him out of all your tribes, to stand to minister in the name of the LORD, him and his sons for ever.	For the Divine Love and Wisdom have appointed these means out of the faculties of the soul to minister to it the things which are Divine, both these holy influences and all the things derived from them in every state of regeneration.
And if a Levite come from any of your gates out of all Israel, where he sojourned, and come with all the desire of his mind to the place which the LORD shall choose;	And if those holy impulses for good which exist in any of the external faculties of the spiritual mind desire to rise to higher things, and,seek with all the power and desire of the mind to conform themselves to the pattern set in the Lord's Humanity;
Then he shall minister in the name of the LORD his God, as all his brethren the Levites do, which stand there before the LORD.	Then shall be impressed on these good desires and impulses the qualities derived from the Lord's Humanity and they shall minister to the welfare of the soul as those other perceptions of charity which are received direct by influx from the Lord into the higher faculties of the soul.
They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which comes of the sale of his patrimony.	They shall alike be recruited by influx of good and truth from heaven, besides the blessing which comes from the alienation of anything of ignorance or imperfection from the soul.
When you are come into the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.	When you are come to the heavenly states with which the Divine Love and Wisdom will gift you, you shall not be seduced to conjoin those states with any of the evils of the unregenerate heart.
There shall not be found among you any one that makes his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch.	It shall not be permitted in the soul that any of the goods and truths of the Church should be profaned to serve self-love, nor shall any principle be tolerated that searches into the mysteries of faith for selfish ends, and is thus governed by influx from hell (that divineth divinations, and that asks questions of the hells), or which conjoins the holy things of the Church with the loves of self and of the world;
Or a charmer, or a consulter with familiar spirits, or a wizard, or a necromancer.	Or that draws away the soul by worldly delights and communicates with evil spirits, and that trusts to the falses of evil and the maxims derived from self-intelligence (is a soothsayer and makes inquiry of the dead).
For all that do these things are an abomination to the LORD: and because of these abominations the LORD your God does drive them out from before you.	For all these things pollute religion and make the soul averse to heaven; and because they are averse to all good, the providence of the Divine Love and Wisdom is directed to drive them out of the heart.
You shall be perfect with the LORD your God.	You shall be perfect, and endeavour with singleness of heart to follow solely the dictates of the Divine Love and Wisdom (Matt 5:48).
For these nations, which you shall possess, hearkened to observers of times, and to diviners: but as for you, the LORD your God has not suffered you so to do.	For the natural affections over which you shall obtain dominion are prone to follow the falsities proceeding from the love of self and self-derived intelligence, but the regenerate will is restrained by the Divine Love and Wisdom from doing so.
The LORD your God will raise up to you a Prophet from the midst of you, of your brethren, like me; to him you shall hearken;	The Divine Love and Wisdom will raise up in the soul Divine truth itself, derived from the Humanity of the Lord and from the Word (which is the Divine truth in its internal principles), in which a life of genuine charity is the basis, like the truths which led it forth from the unregenerate condition; and this the soul shall hearken to and obey;
According to all that you desiredst of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.	According to all the desire of the natural man from the Divine Love and Wisdom, when the soul is in a state of external worship, and from that state contemplates Divine things and the Divinity as a strict judge, in which the natural man fears to perceive the requirements of the Divine Law, and to perceive the complete abnegation of self required by the Divine commands, and the burning zeal of the Lord against sin and evil, on account of the destruction of all that is good that they bring upon the soul, and feels that there is no power in the soul itself to contend with evil, which will bring destruction upon the spiritual life;
And the LORD said to me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.	And the soul is reassured by the Divine mercy, which teaches that it is well for it to feel its own unworthiness;
I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like you, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak to them all that I shall command him.	The Lord will raise up for the soul doctrines of truth from His Divine Humanity, and thereby suited to every condition of the soul, of which a life of charity is the basis, and in accordance with former truths received in the soul proceeding from the Word, and will instil the revelation of His will into these doctrines; and they shall explain the Divine will to the soul in a form accommodated to its new condition.
And it shall come to pass, that whoever will not hearken to my words which he shall speak in my name, I will require it of him.	And it shall come to pass that whoever will not obey the perception of the Lord's will revealed through these doctrines for his guidance, will sin against knowledge, and thereby damage his soul. [Note (verses 15-19).—These verses seem to teach that the Lord ever reveals Himself to the human race in a character accommodated to their state, hence the number of religions which have existed in the world, and hence the attributes of Deity as conceived of by the Jews, by the first Christian Church, and again by the New Church, are quite different; and hence indeed the necessity, when the time was fully come, for the appearance of the Lord on earth in human form, that there might be no misconception as to His character; which advent is evidently foretold in the literal sense in these verses. In the spiritual sense, the acceptance of the doctrine of the absolute Divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ as the only God, with the truths that flow therefrom, is described, which is also meant by the Second Coming of the Lord (AE 870). It must be evident to the candid mind that the Lord Jesus Christ has not been accepted by the first Christian Church, at all events in the popular idea, as the one only God (the Alpha and Omega), but as a secondary Deity, distinct from and in some way inferior to another Deity who is called the Father, and whose character is represented as being quite different; so that the latter is said to require intercession, and even to be appeased by the sufferings of the former; so that, whatever may be said in creeds, two gods are thought of in the mind, as separate and distinct as those of the religions which are called polytheisms.]
But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.	But those doctrines which profess to teach the Lord's will, but which are not derived from the Lord's Divine Humanity, but which teach the soul to worship other things as the supreme good; these are falses to be removed from the soul.
And if you say in your heart, How shall we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?	And if you shall say in your heart, How can we detect falses which do not proceed from the Lord?
When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken, but the prophet has spoken it presumptuously: you shall not be afraid of him.	When a doctrine professes to teach the things derived from the Lord's Divine Humanity, but does not, when followed out, produce any good effect upon the life, this is then a falsity which does not proceed from the Lord; it proceeds from self-intelligence, and shall not be regarded (Matt 7:15-20).