SPIRITUAL SUN

It is  very necessary to be known that there are two suns, one spiritual, the other natural; a spiritual sun for those who are in the spiritual world, and a natural sun for  those who are in the natural world.  Unless this is known, nothing can be properly understood about creation and about man, which are the subjects here to be treated of. Effects may, it is true, be observed, but unless at the same time the causes of effects are seen, effects can only appear as it were in the darkness of night. [DLW107]

THE SUN OF THE SPIRITUAL WORLD IS NOT GOD, BUT IS A PROCEEDING FROM THE DIVINE LOVE AND DIVINE WISDOM OF GOD-MAN; SO ALSO ARE THE HEAT AND LIGHT FROM THAT SUN.

By that sun which is before the eyes of the angels, and from which they have heat and light, is not meant the Lord Himself, but the first proceeding from Him, which is the highest [degree] of spiritual heat.  The highest [degree] of spiritual heat is spiritual fire, which is Divine Love and Divine Wisdom in their first correspondence. On this account that sun appears fiery, and to the angels is fiery, but not to men. Fire which is fire to men is not spiritual, but natural; and between the two fires there is a difference like the difference between what is alive and what is dead. Therefore the spiritual sun by its heat vivifies spiritual beings and renews spiritual objects. The natural sun does the same for natural beings and natural objects; yet not from itself, but by means of an influx of spiritual heat, to which it renders aid as a kind of substitute. [DLW93]

As this has been proved by means of the heavens and the angels, it may seem a matter of too exalted wisdom; but the same is true of men. Men, as to the interiors of their minds, are warmed and illuminated by that same sun. They are warmed by its heat and illuminated by its light in the measure in which they receive love and wisdom from the Lord. The difference between angels and men is that angels are under the spiritual sun only, but men are not only under that sun, but also under the sun of this world; for men’s bodies can begin and continue to exist only under both suns; but not so the bodies of angels, which are spiritual. [DLW112] 

There are two suns through which all things were created by the Lord, the sun of the spiritual world and the sun of the natural world. All things were created by the Lord through the sun of the spiritual world, but not through the sun of the natural world, since the latter is far below the former; it is in middle distance; above it is the spiritual world and below it is the natural world. This sun of the natural world was created to render aid, as a kind of substitute; this aid will be spoken of in what follows. [DLW153]

WITHOUT A DOUBLE SUN, ONE LIVING AND THE OTHER DEAD, NO CREATION IS POSSIBLE.

The universe in general is divided into two worlds, the spiritual and the natural. In the spiritual world are angels and spirits, in the natural world men. In external appearance these two worlds are entirely alike, so alike that they cannot be distinguished; but as to internal appearance they are entirely unlike. The men themselves in the spiritual world, who (as was said above) are called angels and spirits, are spiritual, and, being spiritual, they think spiritually and speak spiritually. But the men of the natural world are natural, and therefore think naturally and speak naturally; and spiritual thought and speech have nothing in common with natural thought and speech. From this it is plain that these two worlds, the spiritual and the natural, are entirely distinct from each other, so that they can in no respect be together. [DLW163]

 And His face was as the sun shineth in His power, signifies the Divine love and the Divine wisdom, which are Himself, and proceed from Himself. That by "the face of Jehovah," or of the Lord, is meant the Divine Himself in His Essence, which is the Divine love and the Divine wisdom thus Himself, will be seen in the explanations below, where mention is made of "the face of God." The same is signified by "the sun shining in His power." That the Lord is seen as a sun in heaven before the angels, and that it is His Divine love together with His Divine wisdom, which so appear, may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell, published in London, 1758 (n. 116-225); and in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Wisdom (n. 83-172).
[2] It remains here only to be confirmed from the Word, that the "sun," when mentioned in reference to the Lord, signifies His Divine love, and at the same time His Divine wisdom; this may appear from the following places:

In that day the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, it shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days (Isa. 30:26).

"That day" is the advent of the Lord when the old church is destroyed, and a new one is about to be established; "the light of the moon" is faith from charity, and "the light of the sun" is intelligence and wisdom from love, and thus from the Lord.

Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself; for Jehovah shall be an everlasting light (Isa. 60:20).

The sun which shall not set, is love and wisdom from the Lord.

The rock of Israel spake unto me, as the light of the morning when the sun ariseth (2 Sam. 23:3-4).

The "rock of Israel" is the Lord:

His throne shall be as a sun (Ps. 89:36-37)

This is said of David; but by "David" is there meant the Lord.

They shall fear thee with the sun. In his days shall the just flourish, and abundance of peace until there is no moon; the name of the Son shall be before the sun; and all nations shall be blessed in Him (Ps. 72:5, 7, 17).

[3] This also is said of the Lord. Because the Lord appears as a sun in heaven before the angels, therefore:

When He was transfigured, His face did shine as the sun, and His raiment became as the light (Matt. 17:1-2).
And it is said of the strong angel who came down from heaven, that:

He was clothed with a cloud, and His face was as it were the sun (Rev. 10:1);

and of the woman, that:

She was seen clothed with the sun (Rev. 12:1).

"The sun" in these passages also signifies love and wisdom from the Lord; "the woman" is the church, which is called the New Jerusalem.

[4] Since, by "the sun," is meant the Lord as to love and wisdom, it is evident what is signified by "the sun" in the following places:

Behold the fierce day of Jehovah cometh; the sun shall be darkened in its rising, and the moon shall not make her light to shine; I will visit upon the world its wickedness, and upon the impious their iniquity (Isa. 13:9-11; see also Isa. 24:21, 23).
And when I shall have extinguished thee, I will cover the heavens, and I will make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine, and I will set darkness upon thy land (Ezek. 32:7-8).
The day of Jehovah cometh, a day of darkness, the sun and the moon shall not make their light to shine, and the stars have withdrawn their splendor (Joel 2:10).
The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great day of Jehovah cometh (Joel 2:31).
The day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened (Joel 3:14-15).
The fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, the third part of the stars, and the day shone not for a third part of it (Rev. 8:12).
The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood (Rev. 6:12).
The sun was obscured by the smoke of the pit (Rev. 9:2).

In these passages by "sun" is not meant the sun of this world, but the sun of the angelic heaven, which is the Divine love and the Divine wisdom of the Lord; these are said to be "obscured," "darkened," "covered," and "blackened" when there are evils and falsities with man.

[5] Hence it is evident, that similar things are meant by the Lord's words, where He speaks of the consummation of the age, which is the last time of the church:

Immediately after the affliction of those days shall the sun be obscured, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven (Matt. 24:29; Mark 13:24-25).

And in like manner in the following passages:

And the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall grow black over them (Micah 3:5-6).
In that day I will cause the sun to set at noon, and I will darken the earth in the day of light (Amos 8:9).
She that hath borne seven shall breathe out her soul; her sun is set while it is yet day (Jer. 15:9).

This is said of the Jewish church, which was "to breathe out its soul," that is, would perish; "the sun shall set," signifies that there will be no longer any love and charity.

[6] It is said in Joshua, that:

The sun stood still in Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Ajalon (Josh. 10:12-13).

This appears as if it was historical, but it is prophetic, being quoted from the book of Jasher, which was a prophetic book; for it is said:

Is not this written in the book of Jasher? (Josh. 13).

The same book is also mentioned as prophetic by David (2 Sam. 1:17, 18); something similar is also said in Habakkuk:

The mountains were moved, the sun and moon stood in their seat (Hab. 3:10-11).
Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon be withdrawn (Isa. 60:20).
For to make the sun and moon stand still would be to destroy the universe.

[7] Since the Lord as to the Divine love and the Divine wisdom is meant by "the sun," therefore the ancients in their holy worship turned their face to the rising of the sun; and also their temples, which custom still continues. That the sun of the world is not meant in these places by "the sun," is evident from its having been considered profane and abominable to adore the sun and moon of the world, as may be seen in Num. 25:1-4; Deut. 4:19; 17:3, 5; Jer. 8:1, 2; 43:10, 13; 44:17-19, 25; Ezek. 8:16; for by "the sun of the world" is meant the love of self and the pride of one's own intelligence; and the love of self is diametrically opposite to the Divine love; and the pride of one's own intelligence is opposite to the Divine wisdom. To adore the sun of the world is also to acknowledge nature as the creator, and one's own prudence to be effective of all things, which involves the denial of God, and the denial of the Divine providence. [AR 53]

I have been shown how the Lord as a sun appears to the angels of the celestial kingdom in their first state, in their second state, and in their third state. I saw the Lord as a sun, at first glowing and brilliant with a splendor that cannot be described; and I was told that such is the appearance of the Lord as a sun to the angels in their first state. Afterwards there appeared a great obscure belt about the sun, and by this its first glow and brilliancy, which gave it such splendor, began to be dulled, and I was told that such is the appearance of the sun to them in their second state. Then the belt seemed by degrees to grow darker, and the sun to appear less glowing, and this by degrees until at length it took on a shining whiteness; and I was told that such is the appearance of the sun to them in their third state. After this, that shining whiteness was seen to move to the left towards the moon of heaven, and to add itself to her light; and in consequence the moon shone forth with unwonted splendor; and I was told that such is the fourth state of those in the celestial kingdom and the first state of those in the spiritual kingdom, and that in both kingdoms changes of state have such alternations; yet not in the whole kingdom at once, but in one society after another. Furthermore, I was told that these alternations are not fixed, but come upon them sooner or later without their knowledge. And it was added that the sun in itself is not thus changed or moved; but it takes on this appearance in accord with their successive progressions of state, since the Lord appears to everyone in accord with what his state is, thus glowing when one is in intense love and less glowing and finally shining white as his love subsides; and the quality of each one’s state was represented by the obscure belt that induced upon the sun these apparent variations in its glow and light. [HH59]

 Author: EMANUEL SWEDENBORG (1688-1772)