Lisa Hyatt

In Secrets of Heaven, Volume 10, the eighteenth century Christian mystic Emanuel Swedenborg presents the meaning behind the words of Exodus chapters 1-8, decoding the spiritual significance of key events--including the oppression of the Israelites, the birth and calling of Moses, and the first plagues upon Egypt. Using what he calls ＂correspondences,＂ Swedenborg connects these stories to the struggles of the human soul, the process of spiritual rebirth, and the challenges of embracing divine truth.

For example, when Moses is placed in a basket and hidden among the reeds of the Nile (Exodus 2), Swedenborg unpacks this iconic moment as a metaphor for divine truth being born within us--but initially concealed. The river represents worldly falsities and confusion, while the basket covered in tar and pitch reflects how, early in our spiritual awakening, truth is wrapped in external, imperfect layers. Yet, like Moses, this truth is protected by divine care until it grows strong enough to emerge. For Swedenborg, this story becomes a tender image of how our spiritual understanding often begins quietly, even hidden, before it transforms us.

Presented in a clear, modern translation, this Portable New Century Edition offers an accessible entry point to Swedenborg’s visionary theology. Since its original publication in Neo-Latin as Arcana Coelestia in the mid-1700s, Swedenborg’s Secrets of Heaven series has been providing a compelling perspective on the hidden wisdom within scripture to biblical scholars, spiritual seekers, and individuals exploring the deeper layers of faith.