Heavenly Secrets Arcana Coelestia (Arcana Coelestia (Heavenly Secrets)) (Paperback)

~ Emanuel Swedenborg (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Of all the books written through the centuries on biblical interpretation, none can be considered more rational than Swedenborg's Heavenly Secrets (Arcana Coelestia). Swedenborg's work is unique, discerning a deeper meaning within Scripture. The Genesis stories are seen as symbols of spiritual reality rapturously beautiful when read in the Swedenborgian context. This book demonstrates that the Bible is not a scientific treatise on how the physical world came into being but a story of the human soul, of the nature of God, and of the relationship between God and man.

Product Details

• Paperback: 673 pages
• Publisher: Swedenborg Foundation; Revised edition (June 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0877852146
• ISBN-13: 978-0877852148
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.1 x 1.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,296,013 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The complete interpretation of Books of Genesis and Exodus, February 13, 1999

By A Customer

In Arcana Coelestia (twelve volumes), a divinely-inspired Swedenborg lays out the meaning of the Books of Genesis and Exodus. Through correspondences, the meaning of each chapter, each verse, and each word are explained. Additionally, there are descriptions of resurection and awaking in the spiritual world after death, life after death, and a host of other inter-chapter discussions.

Swedenborg shows that the Bible has a external or natural sense (the stories) and an internal or spiritual sense (the inner meaning). The spiritual sense of the Books of Genesis and Exodus teaches of the development of the human mind and the regeneration of humans.

For example, the spiritual sense of the first chapter of Genesis (the creation story) provides an overview of the regeneration of a person. Specifically, it discusses how God leads us, how we adopt truths and cause those truths to lead us, how those truths are used by God to accomplish good, etc. (Swedenborg claims that the first eight chapters of Genesis are not historically true, but parables told by people to convey the message of the internal sense.)

These twelve volumes are still in print world wide in an amazing array of languages. A new translation (from the original latin) was recently completed. (amazon.com can obtain these books through the Swedenborg Society in New York or the Academy of the New Church in Bryn Athyn, PA, USA.)

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is the best explanation of the Bible I have ever seen., June 22, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Heavenly Secrets Arcana Caelestia (Paperback)

Arcana Caelestia is an explanation of the first two books of the Bible, Genesis and Exodus. In Swedenborg's view, the Bible has an internal, spiritual sense which tells us about the life of Christ, the True path to Happiness, and amazing insights into the nature of people and the universe. Arcana Caelestia now represents the foundation of my personal understanding of life and God. Swedenborg is definitely a Christian, but like no other Christian author. Arcana Caelestia is very large, but evcen reading sections is incredibly illuminating, and he offers a complete and satisfying explanation of Christianity and the Bible. In some ways, this work is the most important book of religion or philosophy I know of. Period.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The life of Christ, July 9, 2003

By	Joralyn Echols (Bryn Athyn, PA, USA) - See all my reviews

The truly astounding thing to me about the Arcana Coelestia is that it tells about the life of Christ--His inner temptations and growth--things we don't learn about in the Bible. So while it gives new light to the Old Testament, it also adds to the New Testament and knowledge about Christ. It is fascinating and inspiring!