ABSTRACT: Using an explanation of how spiritual influx reaches the human mind from heaven from “Apocalypse Revealed” by Emanuel Swedenborg. Verse-by-verse Bible Commentary on the Book of Revelation. “There is with every man two minds, one higher or interior called the Spiritual Mind, and the other lower or exterior which is called the Natural Mind”. (From Revelation 16:20 commentary).
Key to Text:
Bold highlighting = Important terms and concepts. Blue Bold highlighting = Words, terms and concepts containing primarily a spiritual sense or TRUTH. Red Bold highlighting = Words, terms, and concepts containing a sense directly related to The Lord Himself or LOVE. Gray Bold highlighting = Words, terms, and concepts relating to Evil and Hell. Italic letters in (parentheses) = My emphasis.
Levels of The Human Mind – Relating To Spiritual Receptivity – Higher To Lower
“There are with man two minds,
1) one higher or interior, which is called the spiritual mind;
2) and the other lower or exterior, which is called the natural mind”
The Receptivity of the Spiritual Mind
Receptivity: 1. Willingness or readiness to receive (especially impressions or ideas) (Sage Dictionary)
The church calls this “The Holy Spirit“. Swedenborg called this process “influx“.
Influx: 1. The process of flowing in (Sage Dictionary)
Both the “Holy Spirit” and “influx” are forms of illumination and communication to the human mind from the Lord in Heaven. Swedenborg described the design, apparatus, and mechanism by which every single human being is gifted to receive this spiritual communication from the Lord.
The Bible teaches the Holy Spirit begins with the born again process in the Christian believer. Which follows regeneration, reformation, sanctification, and justification.
In a general sense, the person is made fit by the Lord to receive and to live a heavenly life in Him for eternity. Life without end. This is to learn how and to be prepared to become a heavenly citizen. This process occurs while yet we are still living in an earthly, physical body, and natural earthly life.
“He who believes in Me [who cleaves to and trusts in and relies on Me] as the Scripture has said, From his innermost being shall flow [continuously] springs and rivers of living water. But He was speaking here of the Spirit, Whom those who believed (trusted, had faith) in Him were afterward to receive. For the [Holy] Spirit had not yet been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified (raised to honor)” (John 7:38-39)
The Christian’s mind always has to make decisions and choices. Since we have two minds, we still can only go one way or another. We can choose to follow Jesus and what he commanded us to do in the Bible or we can choose to go our own way and our own thinking.
“so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:6)
“Fill up and complete my joy by living in harmony and being of the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention. Do nothing from factional motives [through contentiousness, strife, selfishness, or for unworthy ends] or prompted by conceit and empty arrogance. Instead, in the true spirit of humility (lowliness of mind) let each regard the others as better than and superior to himself [thinking more highly of one another than you do of yourselves]” (Philippians 2:2-3)
The Intuition of the Natural Mind
Intuition: 1. Instinctive knowing (without the use of rational processes) 2. An impression that something might be the case) (Sage Dictionary)
The mind of “the Natural Man” does not naturally look up to heaven like the mind of “the Spiritual Man“. The natural man’s mind looks at the concerns of the world in which he lives.
This is not all bad. Since we say the man has two minds, one mind is useful for everyday life here on earth. To have the ability to work, play, take care of our bodies and our families.
However, the Lord wants to be involved in even the little things in our lives. Just like our earthy parents. We are given this spiritual mind so we can communicate with and listen to the Lord. This spiritual mind gives us the ability to think right and to act right. We are able to think and meditate on the teaching of Jesus found in the Bible.
We do not have to be alone and afraid. Jesus will protect us when we use our spiritual minds
“There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! For fear brings with it the thought of punishment, and [so] he who is afraid has not reached the full maturity of love [is not yet grown into love’s complete perfection]. We love Him, because He first loved us” (1 John 4:18-19)
This also gives us freedom, happiness, and peace in the spiritual mind even when things are harsh and we have burdens. If we are thinking only in the Natural mind, we will be angry, mean, and unhappy. We will think of only ourselves and what we think we need!.
We can see that the Natural Mind is “instinctive”. It will make decisions about how we feel, and not on the teaching and commandments of the Bible. Feelings and emotions never lead to the same path as the spiritual mind finds. It usually leads to nothing but troubles. We need the Lord Jesus to lead us in the right paths to go in this life.
We can also see that the Natural Mind gives us an “impression that something might be the case”. A Natural Mind “impression” is just something we think is right because we base it on our past experiences and what other people say is true, so that has to be right!
But this type of thinking of the Natural Mind is like shooting an arrow from a bow. We may be looking at the target and where we want the arrow to go, but if the bow is not pointed straight, the arrow will fly crooked and not hit the target in the bullseye!
So we cannot trust our own thinking in the Natural Mind. But when we look up to the Lord Jesus and use our spiritual mind, we use “..the same mind and one in purpose, having the same love, being in full accord and of one harmonious mind and intention..“.
We have two minds, we are free to use either one
Our spiritual mind requires us to have the willingness or readiness to receive communication, impressions, or ideas directly from the Lord Jesus.
Our natural mind is just something we think is right because we base it on our past experiences and what other people say is true, so that has to be right. But this is not always true. There is only one true way. The way of the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.
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