20. 4. The spiritual sense of the Word has been previously unknown. Every single thing found in nature corresponds to something spiritual. So, too, every single thing found in the human body. This is something we showed in the book Heaven and Hell 87-115. But what correspondence is has been previously unknown, even though in very ancient times it was quite well known. For people who lived then, the study of correspondences was the supreme study, and so universal that all their manuscripts and books were written in terms of correspondences.

[2] The book of Job, which is an ancient book, is full of correspondences.

Egyptian hieroglyphics, and also the fables of antiquity, were full of them too.

The ancient churches were all representative of things pertaining to heaven. Their rites and likewise their statutes, in accord with which their worship was instituted, consisted of nothing but correspondences.

So, too, everything connected with the church among the descendants of Jacob. Their whole burnt offerings and other sacrifices in their every particular were correspondent forms. Likewise the Tabernacle, with everything in it. And their feasts as well, such as the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Tabernacles, and the Feast of Firstfruits.

So also the priesthood of Aaron and the Levites, including the holy vestments of Aaron and his sons. And all the statutes and judgments as well which had to do with their worship and life.

[3] And because Divine emanations in the world manifest themselves in correspondent forms, therefore the Word was written solely in terms of correspondences. Because the Lord spoke in accordance with His Divinity, He consequently spoke in terms of correspondences. For whatever emanates from the Divine, descends into such expressions in nature as correspond to their Divine origins, and these expressions then conceal within them the Divine contents called celestial and spiritual.

76. The Church Is Formed by the Word, and Its Character Is Such as Its Understanding of the Word

That the church is formed by the Word is not something to be doubted, for the Word is Divine truth itself (see nos. 1-4). The Word is the source of the church’s doctrine (nos. 50-61). And the Word makes possible a conjunction with the Lord (nos. 62-69).

But that it is an understanding of the Word that forms the church — this may be doubted, since there are people who believe they are part of the church because they possess the Word, read it or hear it from a preacher, and know something of its literal sense. But they do not know how this or that in the Word is to be understood, and some people place little value in it.

We must show here, therefore, that it is not the Word that forms the church, but people’s understanding of it, and that the character of the church is such as the understanding of the Word among the people in the church.

Confirmation of this is as follows: