Jacob Boehme's Aurora
Chapter 20: Of the Second Day
CONCERNING the second day, it is written thus: [Gen. i 68] And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it be a distinction or division between the waters: So there God made the firmament, and divided the waters under the firmament, from the waters above the firmament, and it was so done. And God called the firmament, heaven; and so out of the evening and the morning the second day came to be.
This description sheweth once more that the dear man Moses was not the original author thereof; for it is written very obscurely and baldly, though indeed it has a very excellent understanding and meaning.
Without doubt the Holy Ghost would not have it revealed, lest the devil should know all the mysteries in the creation. For the devil does not know the creation of the light, viz. how heaven is made out of the midst or centre of the water.
For he can neither see nor comprehend nor apprehend the light and holy generation or production, which stands in the water of the heaven, but he can see the generation or production only which stands in the astringent, bitter, sour and hot quality, from whence existed the outermost birth or geniture, which is his royal fort or castle.
The meaning is not that he has no power in the elementary water, to possess it; for the outermost corrupted birth or geniture in the elementary water belongeth also to the wrath of God, and death is also therein, as well as in the earth.
But the spirit in Moses meaneth here quite another sort of water, which the devil can neither understand nor comprehend: But if it should have been declared so long a time ago, then the devil would have learned it from man, and had without doubt strowed his hellish chaff also into it.
Therefore the Holy Ghost has kept it hidden almost till the last hour before the evening, wherein his thousand years are accomplished, and then he must be let loose again for a little season, as is to be read in the Revelation [Rev. xx. 3] ["After that summer cometh the last winter; but the sun will shine warm yet, before that time."]
But seeing he is now loose from the chains of darkness, God causes lights to be set up everywhere in this world, whereby men might learn to know him, and his feats and wiles, and beware of him.
Whether he be loose or no I offer it to every one to consider; but view the world in the clear light, and thou wilt find, that at present the four new sons which the devil generated when he was thrust out of heaven, do govern the world, viz. 1. Pride, 2. Covetousness, 3. Envy, 4. Wrath; these rule the world at present, and are the devil's heart, his animated or soulish spirit.
Therefore view the world very well, and then thou wilt find that it fully qualifieth, uniteth and coworks with these four new sons of the devil. Therefore men have cause to look circumspectly to themselves. For this is the time of which all the prophets have prophesied; and Christ in the Gospel, [Luke xviii. 8] saying, Thinkest thou that the Son of Man will find any faith, when he shall come again to judge the world?
The world supposeth that it flourisheth now, and stands in its flower, because the clear light has moved over it. But the spirit sheweth to me that it stands in the midst or centre of hell.
For it forsaketh the love, and hangeth on covetousness, extortion and bribery; there is no mercy at all therein: Every one crieth out, If I had but money! Those that are in authority and power suck the very marrow from the bones of men of low degree and rank, and feed upon the sweat of their brows. Briefly, there is nothing else but lying, deception, robbing and murdering, and so [this world] may very justly be called the devil's nest and dwelling-house.
The holy light is nowadays accounted a mere history and bare knowledge, and that the spirit will not work therein; and yet they suppose that is faith which they profess with their mouths.
O thou blind and foolish world! full of the devil. It is not faith, to know that Christ died for thee, and has shed his blood for thee, that thou mightest be saved: This in thee is but a mere history and knowledge, the devil also knoweth as much, but it profiteth him nothing; so thou also, thou foolish world, goest no further, but contentest thyself with the bare knowledge, and therefore this thy knowledge will judge thee.
But if thou wouldst know what the true faith is, then observe: Thy heart must not qualify or cooperate with the four sons of the devil, in pride, covet-ousness, envy, wrath, extortion, oppression, lying, deceiving, murder, and tearing the bread out of thy neighbours throat, studying day and night to do mischief, in bringing subtle devices and designs to effect, that thou may court and give satisfaction to the fourfold devil of pride, covetousness, envy and wrath, and exercise thyself in worldly pleasures and voluptuousness.
For thus saith the spirit in its zeal, or in the jealousy of God's wrath in this world: While thy spirit and will qualifieth or cooperateth with and in the four vices or sins of the devil, thou art not one spirit with God; and though thou didst every hour offer [the worship or prayer of] thy lips, and bow the knee before me, yet I will accept none of thy labour: Is not my breath, however, continually before me? What shall thy incense be to me in my fierce wrath? Dost thou think I will receive the devil into myself, or exalt hell into heaven?
Convert! Convert! and strive against the malice and wickedness of the devil, and incline thine heart towards the LORD thy GOD, and walk in his will. If thy heart will incline to me, saith the spirit, then will I also incline to thee: Or dost thou think that I am false and wicked, as thou art?
Therefore I say now, if thy heart does not qualify, mix or cooperate with God in thy knowledge, out of a true purpose of love, then thou art a dissembler, liar and murderer in the sight of God. For God does not hear any man's prayer, unless his heart be fully directed and bent in obedience to God.
Wouldst thou fight against the wrath of God? Then thou must put on the helmet of obedience and of love, otherwise thou wilt not break through; and if thou dost not break through, then thou fightest in vain, and remainest to be a servant or minister of the devil, in one way as well as in another.
What good will thy knowledge do thee, if thou wilt not strive and fight therein? It is just as if one knew of a great treasure, and would not go for it; but, though he knoweth he might have it, would rather starve for hunger in the bare knowing of it.
Thus saith the spirit, Many Heathen, who have not thy knowledge, and yet strive or fight against the wrath, will enter into the kingdom of heaven before thee.
For who shall judge them, if their heart do qualify, unite or operate with God? For though they do not know him, and yet work and labour in his spirit, in righteousness, and in the purity of their heart, in true love one to another, they testify assuredly that the law of God is in their heart [1 Rom. ii. 15].
But seeing thou knowest it, and dost it not, and the others know it not, but yet do it, they, with their doing, judge thy knowledge; and thou art found to be a hypocrite, a dissembler, and an unprofitable servant, who wert put into the vineyard of the Lord, and wilt not work therein.
What dost thou suppose the Master of the house will say to thee, when he shall require and demand his talent with which he entrusted thee, thou having buried it in the earth? Will he not say, Thou perverse wicked servant, why didst thou not put my talent out upon use, and then I could have demanded the principal and the interest or profit?
And so the sufferings of Christ will be quite taken from thee, and will be given to the Heathen, who had but one talent, and yet yielded to the Master of the house five; and thou wilt have to howl with the dogs. Now observe:
If we rightly consider how God separated the water under the firmament, from the water above the firmament, then great things will be found therein.
For the water which resteth on the earth is as corrupt and perished and mortal or dead a being or thing as the earth is, and belongeth also to the outermost birth, which with its comprehensibility, or as to its palpability, stands in death, even as the earth and stones do.
The meaning is not that the water is quite reprobated, rejected or thrust out from God; for the heart therein belongeth yet to the astral birth or geniture, out of which the holy birth becometh generated.
But death stands in the outermost birth, and therefore is the palpable water separated from the impalpable. Now thou wilt ask, How is that? Answer.
Behold the water in the deep above the earth, which qualifieth, mixeth or uniteth with the elementary air and fire, that is the water of the astral birth or geniture, wherein stands the astral life, and wherein especially the Holy Ghost moveth, and through which the third and innermost birth does generate incomprehensibly as to the wrath of God therein: That water to our eyes seemeth like the air.
But that, in the deep above the earth, water, air and fire are one in another, every intelligent man may see and understand.
For thou seest that often the whole deep is very clear and pure, and then, in a quarter of an hour, is covered with watery clouds; that is, when the stars from above, and the water upon the earth from beneath, kindle themselves, and so water is suddenly there also generated; which would not be, if the wrath did not also stand in the astral birth or geniture.
But seeing all is corrupted, therefore must the upper water in the wrath of God come to help the astringent, bitter and hot quality of the earth, and soften the quality and quench its fire, so that the life may always be generated, and that the holy birth, between death and the wrath of God, may be generated also.
But that also the element of fire is, and does rule in the deep of the air and water, thou seest in tempests of lightning; also thou perceivest how the light of the sun kindleth the element of fire on the earth with its reflection, although many times aloft in the upper region towards the moon it is very cold.
But now God separated the palpable water from the impalpable, and placed the palpable on the earth, and the impalpable remained still in the deep, in its own seat, as it had been from eternity.
But seeing the wrath also is in that water in the deep above the earth, therefore constantly, through the kindling of the stars, and of the water in the wrath, such palpable water generateth itself, which, with its outermost birth, stands in death.
And which, seeing it qualifieth or uniteth with the innermost birth of the astral birth or geniture, cometh to help the Salitter of the corrupted earth, and quencheth its wrath; whereby, in the astral birth or geniture, all stands in the life. And so the earth generateth the life through the death. The Gate of the Mystery.
But that there is a firmament between the waters, which firmament is called heaven, has this understanding or meaning:
The whole deep, from the moon to the earth, stands with its whole working in the wrathful and comprehensible or palpable birth or geniture; for the moon is the goddess of the palpable birth; so the house of the devil, of death, and of hell, is in the circuit, orb or extent between the moon and the earth.
Where, therefore, the fierce wrath of God, in the outermost birth or geniture in the deep, becometh daily kindled and blown up by the devils and all wicked men, through the great sins of man, which still qualify, mix, unite or cooperate with the astral birth or geniture in the deep.
Therefore God has made the firmament, which is called heaven, between the outermost and the innermost birth; and that is a partition or division between the outermost and the innermost birth or geniture.
For the outermost birth of the water cannot comprehend the innermost birth of the water which is called heaven, and which is made out of the midst or centre of the water. ["Heaven is the firmament, viz. the fire-sea, or sea of fire, out of the seven spirits of nature, out of which the stars, as a quintessence, were concreted, incorporated or created by the Word FIAT: It has or containeth both fire and water, and hangeth in itself inwardly on the first Principle, and will bring its wonders, with or as to the figure of them, into the eternal; but its birth or geniture fadeth or passeth away."]
Now the innermost birth of heaven reflects strongly upon the earth, and holdeth the outermost water upon the earth strongly captive, together with the earth also.
If that were not, then, with the revolution of the globe of the earth, the water would be divided or dissolved again; also then would the earth crumble, break and moulder away in the deep (and all would be a Chaos again).
Therefore that firmament, between the outermost palpable water and the inward, holdeth the earth and the palpable water captive. But now thou may ask, What kind of firmament of heaven then is that which I can neither see nor apprehend? Answer.
It is the firmament between the clear Deity and the corrupt nature, which thou must break through when thou intendest to come to God; and it is that very firmament which does not quite stand in the wrath, neither is it altogether or perfectly pure; concerning which it is written, [job XV. 15] The very heavens are not pure in the sight of God. But at the Last Judgment Day the wrath will be purged from them. For it is written, [Matt xxiv. 35] Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away, saith Christ. [Mark xiii. 31]
Now that impurity in that heaven is the wrath, but the purity is the word of God, which he once spake, saying [Gen.i. 6.]; Let the water under the firmament be separated from the water above the firmament. And that word stands and is comprised in the firmament of the water, and holdeth captive or fixed the outward water, together with the earth. The Gate of the Deity. Observe here the hidden Mystery of God.
When thou beholdest the deep above the earth, thou oughtest not to say that it is not the gate of God, where God in his holiness dwelleth: No, no, think not so; for the whole holy Trinity, God the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, dwelleth in the centre under the firmament of heaven, though that very firmament cannot comprehend him.
Indeed, all is as it were one body, the outermost and the innermost birth, together with the firmament of heaven, as also the astral birth therein, in and with which the wrath of God also qualifieth, mixeth and uniteth; but yet they are one to another as is the government, frame or constitution in man.
[Note three sorts of births or genitures in man] The flesh signifieth, 1. The outward birth or geniture, which is the house of death. 2. The second birth or geniture in man is the astral, in which the life stands, and wherein love and wrath wrestle the one with the other; and thus far man himself knoweth himself; for the astral birth generateth the life in the outermost, that is, in the dead flesh. 3. The third birth is generated between the astral and the outermost, and that is called the animated or soulish birth or geniture, or the soul, and is as large as the whole man.
And that birth or geniture the outward man neither knoweth nor comprehendeth; neither does the astral comprehend it, for every qualifying or fountain spirit comprehendeth only its innate or instant root, which signifieth or resembleth the heaven.
And that animated or soulish man must press through the firmament of heaven to God, and live with God, else the whole man cannot come into heaven to God.
For every man that desireth to be saved, must, with his innate, instant births or genitures, be as the whole Deity with all the three births in this world is.
Man cannot be absolutely or wholly pure, or devoid of wrath and sin, for the births of the depth in this world are not fully pure before the heart of God [Job XV. 15]; love and wrath always wrestle the one with the other, whence God is called [Exod. XX. 5., Deut V. 9.] an angry zealous God.
Now as a man is, in the government or order of his nativity, birth or geniture, just so also is the whole body of God in or of this world; but in the water stands the meek life.
As, I. First in the outward body of God, in or of this world, there is the congealed, astringent, bitter and hot death, in which the palpable water is also congealed and dead.
Therein now is the darkness, wherein king Lucifer and his angels, as also all fleshly or carnal wicked men, lie captive, even with or in their living bodies, as also the separated spirits of damned men.
This birth can neither see, hear, feel, smell nor comprehend the heart of God, but is a foolish virgin [folly], which king Lucifer in his pride has caused so to be.
II. The second birth is the astral, which thou must understand to be the life of the seven qualifying or fountain spirits, wherein now the love and the wrath are against each other; therein stands the upper water, which is a spirit of the life, and therein, or between, is the firmament of heaven, which is made out of the midst or centre of the water.
Now this birth or geniture presseth through the outward congealed birth quite through death, and generateth the astral life in the death, that is, in the congealed earth, water and flesh of the beasts and of men, also of the fowls, fishes and worms or creeping things.
The devil can reach half into this birth, so far as the wrath comprehendeth or reacheth, but no deeper, and thus far goeth his dwelling, but no deeper. Therefore the devil cannot know how the other part in this birth has a root; and so far man is come in his knowledge, from the beginning of the world to this time, since his fall. But the other root, called the heaven, the spirit has kept hidden and concealed from man till this time, lest the devil should have learned it from man, and should have strowed poison into it for man before his eyes.
This other part of the astral birth, which stands in the love in the sweet water, is the firmament of heaven, which holdeth captive the kindled wrath, together with all the devils, for they cannot enter thereinto; and in that heaven dwelleth the Holy Spirit, which goeth forth from the heart of God, and striveth or fighteth against the fierceness, and generateth to himself a temple in the midst, in the fierceness of the wrath of God.
And in this heaven dwelleth the man that feareth God, even with and in the living body; for that heaven is as well in man as in the deep above the earth. As is the deep above the earth, so is man also, both in love and wrath, till after the departure of the soul; but when the soul departeth from the body, then it abideth either in the heaven of love only, or only in the heaven of wrath.
That part, which here it has comprehended in its departure, is now its eternal and indissoluble dwelling-house, and from thence it can never get; for there is a great cleft [1 Luke xvi. 26] between them; as Christ speaks of the rich man.
And in this heaven the holy angels dwell amongst us, and the devils in the other part: and in this heaven man liveth between heaven and hell, and must endure and suffer from the fierceness many hard blows, temptations, persecutions, and many times torments and squeezings.
The wrath is called the cross, and the loveheaven is called patience, and the spirit that riseth up therein is called hope and faith, which qualifieth, mixeth or uniteth with God, and wrestleth with the wrath till it overcometh [1 John v. 4] and getteth the victory.
And herein lies the whole Christian doctrine: He that teacheth otherwise does not know what he teacheth, for his doctrine has no foot, ground or foundation, and his heart always tottereth, wavereth and doubteth, and knoweth not what it should do.
For his spirit always seeketh for rest, but findeth it not; for it is impatient, and always seeketh after novelties, or some new thing; and when it findeth somewhat, it tickleth itself therewith, as if it had found some new treasure, and yet there is no steadfastness, stability or certainty in him, but he seeketh continually for abstinence or for a diversion.
O ye theologists! the spirit here openeth a door and gate for you: If you will not now see, and feed your sheep and lambs on a green meadow, but on a dry, seared heath, you must be accountable for it before the severe, earnest and wrathful judgment of God; therefore look to it.
I take heaven to witness that I perform here what I must do; for the spirit driveth me to it, so that I am wholly captivated therewith, and cannot be freed from it, whatever may befall me hereafter, or ensue upon it. The Holy Gate.
III. The third birth or geniture in the body of God, in or of this world, is under the firmament of heaven, hidden or concealed; and the firmament of heaven qualifieth, mixeth or uniteth therewith, but yet not fully bodily, but creaturely, as the angels and the souls of men do.
And this third birth or geniture is the almighty and holy heart of God, wherein our King Jesus Christ, with his natural body, sitteth at the right hand of God, as a King and Lord of the whole body or place of this world, who encompasseth, holdeth and preserveth all with his heart.
And this firmament of heaven is his throne or footstool, and the qualifying or fountain spirits of his natural body rule in the whole body of this world, and all is tied, bound or united with them, all whatsoever that stands in the astral birth in the part of love: The other part of this world is tied, bound and united with the devil.
Thou must not think, as Johannes Calvus or Calvinus thought, which was, that the body of Christ is not an almighty being [Wesen], and that it comprehendeth or reacheth no farther than the little circumscribed place wherein it is.
No; thou child of man, thou errest, and dost not rightly understand the divine power: Does not every man in his astral, qualifying or fountain spirits comprehend the whole place or body of this world, and the place comprehendeth man? it is all but one body, only there are distinct members.
Why then should not the qualifying or fountain spirits in the natural body of Christ qualify, mix or unite with the qualifying or fountain spirits of nature? Is not his body also out of the qualifying or fountain spirits of nature, and is not his heart animated or become soulish from or out of the third birth or geniture, which is the heart of God, which comprehendeth all angels and the heaven of heavens, even the whole Father?
Ye Calvinists, desist from your opinion, and do not torment yourselves with the comprehensible or palpable being; for God is a Spirit; [John iv. 24.] and in the comprehensibility or palpability stands death.
The body of Christ is no more the hard comprehensibility or palpability, but the divine comprehensibility or palpability of nature, like the angels.
For our bodies also, at the resurrection, will not consist of such hard flesh and bones, but will be like the angels. And though indeed all forms and powers will be therein, and all faculties and members, even to the privy parts, yet these will be in another manner of form, and so also will the entrails and guts; but we shall not have the hard comprehensibility or palpability.
For Christ, after his resurrection, saith to Mary Magdalen, at the sepulchre in Joseph's garden, [John xx. 17.] Touch me not, for I am not yet ascended to my God and to your God. As if he would say, I have not now the bestial body any more, although I shew myself to thee in my form or shape which I had, otherwise, thou, in thy bestial body, couldst not see me.
And so during the forty days after his resurrection he did not always walk visibly among the disciples, but invisibly, according to his heavenly and angelical property; though when he would speak or talk with his disciples, then he shewed or presented himself in a comprehensible or palpable manner and form, that thereby he might speak natural words with them: for the corruption cannot comprehend or apprehend the divine (words or things).
Also it sufficiently appeareth that his body was of an angelical kind, in that he went to his disciples through closed doors [John xx. 19.].
Thus now thou must know, that his body qualifieth, mixeth or uniteth with all the seven spirits in nature in the astral birth in the part of love, and holdeth sin, death and the devil captive in its wrath part.
Thus thou now understandest what God made on the second day, when he separated the water under the firmament from the water above the firmament. Thou seest also, how thou art in this world everywhere in heaven, and also in hell, and dwellest between heaven and hell, in great danger.
Thou seest, also, how heaven is in a holy man; and that everywhere, wheresoever thou standest, goest or liest, if thy spirit does but qualify or cooperate with God, then, as to that part, thou art in heaven, and thy soul is in God. Therefore also saith Christ, [John x. 28, 29] My sheep are in my hands, no man can pull them away from me.
In like manner thou seest, also, how thou art always in hell among all the devils, as to the wrath; if thy eyes were but open, thou wouldst see wonderful things; but thou standest between heaven and hell, and canst see neither of them, and walkest upon a very narrow bridge.
Some men have many times, according to or in the sidereal or astral spirit, entered in thither, and been ravished in an ecstasy, as men call it, and have presently known the gates of heaven and of hell, and have told, shewn and declared how that many men dwell in hell, with or in their living bodies, or with their bodies alive: Such indeed have been scorned, derided or laughed at, but with great ignorance and indiscretion, for it is just so as they declare; which I will also describe more at large in its due place, and shew in what manner and condition it is with them.
But the water has a twofold birth, and I will here prove that also, with or by the language of nature; for that is the root or mother of all the languages which are in this world; and therein stands the whole perfect knowledge of all things.
For when Adam spake at the first, he gave names to all the creatures, according to their qualities and innate, instant operations, virtues or faculties. And it is the very language of the total, universal nature, but is not known to every one. For it is a hidden secret mystery, which is imparted to me by the grace of God from the spirit, which has a delight and longing towards me. Now observe:
The word Wasser (Water) is thrust forth from the heart, and closeth together the teeth, and passeth over the astringent and bitter qualities, and toucheth them not, but goeth forth through the teeth, and the tongue contracteth and rouseth up itself, together with the spirit, and helpeth to hiss, and so qualifieth, mixeth or uniteth with the spirit, and the spirit presseth very forcibly through the teeth. But when the spirit is almost quite gone forth, then the astringent and bitter spirit contracteth and rouseth up itself, and afterwards first qualifieth with the word, but yet sitteth still in its seat, and afterwards jarreth mightily and strongly in the syllable fer.
But now, that the spirit conceiveth itself at the heart, and cometh forth and closeth together the teeth, and hisseth with the tongue through the teeth, signifieth that the heart of God has moved itself, and with its spirit made a closure round about it, which is the firmament of heaven: Also, as the teeth do shut and close together, and then the spirit goeth through the teeth, so also the spirit goeth forth from the heart into the astral birth or geniture.
And as the tongue frameth itself for the hissing, and qualifieth, mixeth or uniteth with the spirit, and moveth therewith, so the soul of man coimageth or frameth itself with the Holy Spirit, and qualifieth, operateth or uniteth therewith, and presseth together jointly in the power thereof, through heaven, and ruleth together also therewith in the word of God.
But, that afterwards the astringent and bitter qualities awaken behind, and coimage afterwards to the framing of the word, signifieth that indeed all is as it were one body, but the heaven and the Holy Spirit, together with the heart of God, has its proper seat to itself; and the devil, together with the wrath of God, can comprehend neither the Holy Spirit nor the heaven; but the devil, together with the wrath, hangeth in the outward birth in the word, and the wrath helpeth to image all in the outermost birth in this world, all whatsoever that stands in the comprehensibility or palpability; just as the astringent and bitter qualities afterwards rouse themselves behind to the framing of the word, and qualify, operate or unite therewith.
That the spirit first goeth over the astringent and bitter qualities unperceived, signifieth that the gate of God is everywhere in this world all over, wherein the Holy Ghost ruleth; and that the heaven stands open everywhere, even in the midst or centre of the earth; and that the devil nowhere can either see or comprehend or apprehend the heaven, but is a grumbling and snarling hellhound, which afterwards, when the Holy Ghost has built or raised to himself a Church and Temple, first cometh out from behind and destroyeth it in the wrath, and hangeth behind at the word as an enemy, who will not endure that a Temple of God should be raised or built in his land or country, whereby his kingdom might be lessened or diminished.