Heavenly Secrets (Arcana Coelestia), Vol. VIII

[N. 5732] CHAPTER XLIV. VERS. 1, 2

...of thought together with a desire which wills that something be done, is influx: the spiritual process where life and thought "flow in" from a higher level of the soul to a lower one, and on the part of the recipient is perception: an internal "feeling" or intuitive grasp of what is true, granted by the Lord; and therefore by “commanding” is signified also perception (n. 3661, 3682).

[2] Moreover in heaven they not only think, but also talk together, but about things of wisdom; yet in their conversation there is nothing of command from one to another, for no one desires to be master and thereby to look upon another as a servant; but every one desires to minister to and serve the others. From this it is plain what form of government there is in the heavens, which is described by the Lord in Matthew:—

It shall not be so among you; but whosoever would become great among you should be your minister, and whosoever would be first should be your servant (xx. 26, 27);

and again:—

He that is greatest among you shall be your minister. Whosoever shall exalt himself shall be humbled, and whosoever shall humble himself shall be exalted (xxiii. 11, 12).

He does this who loves his neighbor from the heart, or who feels delight and blessedness in doing good to others for no selfish end; that is, who has charity: acting out of selfless love for the well-being of others toward the neighbor.

5733. Fill the men’s bags with food. That this signifies into the natural: the part of the human mind that deals with the physical world and basic logic with the good of truth: the spiritual nourishment or "good" that a person receives after they have learned a truth and begun to live by it, is evident from the signification of a “bag,” as being the exterior natural (see n. 5497); and from the signification of “food,” as being the good of truth (n. 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 5487, 5582, 5588, 5655).

From this it is plain that by his “commanding him that was over his house to fill the men’s bags with food” is signified influx from himself into the natural with the good of truth. As the expressions “good of truth” and “truth of good” frequently occur, the difference between them shall be stated. He who does not know what the celestial church: a state of being where a person is led by pure love and the "will" is relatively to the spiritual church: a state of being where a person is led by the "intellect" and the truths they have learned, cannot possibly know this difference.

The truth of good belongs to the celestial church, and the good of truth belongs to the spiritual church. With those who were of the celestial church, good was implanted in the will part: the faculty of the mind responsible for our desires and intentions, as opposed to the intellect, which is the proper seat of good, and from this good—that is, through this good from the Lord—they had a perception of truth;