Spiritual Meaning of Voice

Spiritual Meaning of

Voice

That in the Word a voice signifies the Divine truth which is heard and perceived in the heavens and on earth, is evident from the following passages. In David:--

The voice of Jehovah is upon the Waters; the voice of Jehovah is in power; the voice of Jehovah is with honor; the voice of Jehovah breaketh the cedars; the voice of Jehovah cleaveth as a flame of fire; the voice of Jehovah maketh the wilderness to tremble; the voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to calve; but in His temple everyone saith, Glory (Ps. 29:3-9)

In this psalm Divine truth is treated of, in that it destroys falsities and evils; this Divine truth is the voice of Jehovah; but the glory which is spoken of denotes the Divine truth in heaven and in the church. That glory denotes the Divine truth, (AC 9429); and that the temple denotes heaven and the church, (AC 3720).

[3] In John:--

To Him who is the Shepherd of the sheep the doorkeeper openeth; and the sheep hear His voice. The sheep follow Him, because they know His voice. A stranger they follow not, because they know not the voice of strangers. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear My voice. But ye are not of My sheep, for My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me (John 10:2-5, 16, 26, 27);

that the voice here denotes the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, thus the Word, is very evident; the voice of strangers denotes falsity.

[4] In Isaiah:--

The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of Jehovah, for the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed. The voice saith, Cry. O Zion, that tellest good tidings, get thee up upon the high mountain! O Jerusalem, that tellest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength! lift it up. Behold the Lord Jehovih cometh in strength (Isa. 40:3, 5, 6, 9, 10; John 1:23);

the voice here denotes annunciation from the Word about the coming of the Lord, thus it also denotes the Divine truth which the Word announces; the wilderness denotes the state of the church at that time, which was as it were in the wilderness because the Word was no longer understood; the glory which shall be revealed denotes the Word as to its interiors. That this is meant by glory, (AC 9429). That Jehovah, for whom a way was to be prepared, and the Lord Jehovih, who should come in strength, denote the Lord, is plain, for this is clearly stated

[5] In Isaiah:--

The voice of thy watchmen; they shall lift up the voice when they shall see eye to eye that Jehovah will return to Zion (Isa. 52:8);

the watchmen denote those who search the Scriptures concerning the coming of the Lord, their voice denotes the Word, which is the Divine truth that is the source. In Jeremiah:--

The Maker of the earth by His understanding hath stretched out the heavens. At the voice which He uttereth there is a multitude of waters in the heavens (Jer. 5:12, 13; 51:16);

the voice here denotes Divine truth; waters denote truths which are in the heavens and from the heavens. That waters in the Word denote truths, (AC 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 9323).

[6] So also in the following passages:--

The voice of the Son of man was like the sound of many waters (Rev. 1:15).

I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters (Rev. 14:2).

The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters, Jehovah is upon great waters (Ps. 29:3).

Jehovah hath uttered His voice before His army, for without number is he that doeth His word (Joel 2:11).

In this passage also voice denotes Divine truth, and likewise the Word which they do. Again:--

Jehovah shall utter His voice from Jerusalem, so that the heavens and the earth shall shake (Joel 3:16).

Sing psalms unto the Lord, ye kingdoms of the earth, to Him that rideth upon the heaven of heaven of old; lo, He shall utter in a voice a voice of strength (Ps. 68:32, 33).

I say unto you, The hour cometh when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God; and they that hear shall live (John 5:25);

that the voice in this passage denotes Divine truth, consequently the Word of the Lord, is manifest.

[7] In Ezekiel:--

The spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me the voice of a great earthquake, saying, Blessed be the glory of Jehovah. And I heard the voice of the wings of the living creatures, and the voice of the wheels, even the voice of a great earthquake (Ezek. 3:12, 13).

The voice of the wings of the cherubs was heard even to the outer court, as the voice of God Shaddai when He speaketh (Ezek. 10:5);

here also the voice denotes Divine truth; for the cherubs signify the providence and guard of the Lord that there be no approach to Himself and to heaven except through the good of love (AC 9277, 9509); the voice of the wings, and the voice of the wheels, denote spiritual truths.

[8] In the present verse, in which Aaron is treated of, it is the sound or ringing from the bells which is called a voice. In other passages of the Word also sounds and blarings from trumpets, and sounds and peals from thunders, are called voices; and thereby in like manner are signified Divine truths (AC 7573). Moreover the sounds of musical instruments of various kinds have also a like signification; but those which give out a stridulous and a discrete sound signify Divine spiritual truths; while those which give out a continuous sound signify Divine celestial truths (AC 418-420, 4138, 8337). From this it is evident that by the sounds or voices of the bells are signified Divine spiritual truths; for the garments of Aaron, and specifically the robe, in the skirts of which were the bells, round about, represented the Lord's spiritual kingdom or heaven (AC 9814, 9825).

from AC 9926

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Author: E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design: I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.