world, and their attraction to
the divine world) in order that souls may arise who will be the very
essence of the guidance of mankind, and the manifestations of the
perfections of the Supreme Kingdom.

Observe that if, according to the suppositions of the People of the
Book,(108) the meaning were taken in its exoteric sense, it would be
absolute injustice and complete predestination. If Adam sinned by going
near the forbidden tree, what was the sin of the glorious Abraham, and
what was the error of Moses the Interlocutor? What was the crime of Noah
the Prophet? What was the transgression of Joseph the Truthful? What was
the iniquity of the Prophets of God, and what was the trespass of John the
Chaste? Would the justice of God have allowed these enlightened
Manifestations, on account of the sin of Adam, to find torment in hell
until Christ came and by the sacrifice of Himself saved them from
excruciating tortures? Such an idea is beyond every law and rule and
cannot be accepted by any intelligent person.

No; it means what has already been said: Adam is the spirit of Adam, and
Eve is His soul; the tree is the human world, and the serpent is that
attachment to this world which constitutes sin, and which has infected the
descendants of Adam. Christ by His holy breezes saved men from this
attachment and freed them from this sin. The sin in Adam is relative to
His position. Although from this attachment there proceed results,
nevertheless, attachment to the earthly world, in relation to attachment
to the spiritual world, is considered as a sin. The good deeds of the
righteous are the sins of the Near Ones. This is established. So bodily
power is not only defective in relation to spiritual power; it is weakness
in comparison. In the same way, physical life, in comparison with eternal
life in the Kingdom, is considered as death. So Christ called the physical
life death, and said: "Let the dead bury their dead."(109) Though those
souls possessed physical life, yet in His eyes that life was death.

This is one of the meanings of the biblical story of Adam. Reflect until
you discover the others.

Salutations be upon you.

31: EXPLANATION OF BLASPHEMY AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT

Question.--"Wherefore I say unto you, All manner of sin and blasphemy shall
be forgiven unto men: but the blasphemy against the Holy Ghost shall not
be forgiven unto men. And whosoever speaketh a word against the Son of
man, it shall be forgiv