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Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com
As the ark is called "the ark of the covenant" it is also to be confirmed from the Word that it was called "the ark of the covenant" because the law was in it, and the "law," which in a broad sense means the Word, signifies the Lord in relation to Divine truth, which is the Word, thus Divine truth or the Word which is from the Lord and in which is the Lord; for all Divine truth proceeds from Him, and when this is received by man conjunction with the Lord is effected, and this conjunction is what is signified by "covenant." How conjunction of the Lord with man and of man with the Lord is effected, shall also be told in a few words. The Lord continually flows into all men with light that enlightens, and with the affection of knowing and understanding truths, also for willing and doing them; and as that light and that affection continually flow in from the Lord, it follows that man becomes rational to the extent that he receives of that light, and he becomes wise and is led by the Lord so far as he receives of that affection. That affection with its light draws to itself and conjoins to itself the truths that man from infancy has learned from the Word, from doctrine out of the Word, and from preaching; for every affection desires to be nourished by the knowledges that are in harmony with it. From this conjunction man's spiritual love or affection is formed, through which he is conjoined to the Lord, that is, through which the Lord conjoins man to Himself. [2] But in order that that light and that affection may be received, freedom of choice has been given to man, and as that freedom is from the Lord, it is also a gift of the Lord with man and is never taken away from him; for that freedom belongs to man's affection or love, and consequently also to his life. From freedom a man can think and will what is evil, and can also think and will what is good. So far, therefore, as from that freedom, which belongs to his love and thence to his life, man thinks falsities and wills evils, which are the opposites of the truths and goods of the Word, so far he is not conjoined to the Lord; but so far as he thinks truths and wills goods, which are from the Word, so far he is conjoined to the Lord, and the Lord makes those truths and goods to be of his love, and thence of his life. From this it is evident that this conjunction is reciprocal, namely, of the Lord with man and of man with the Lord; such is the conjunction that is meant in the Word by "covenant." [3] He greatly errs who believes that man is incapable of doing anything for his own salvation because the light to see truths and the affection of doing them, as well as the freedom to think and will them, are from the Lord, and nothing of these from man. Because these appear to man to be as if in himself, and when they are thought and willed to be as from himself, man ought, because of that appearance, to think and will them as if from himself, but at the same time acknowledge that they are from the Lord. In no other way can anything of truth and good or of faith and love be appropriated to man. If one lets his hands hang down and waits for influx he receives nothing, and can have no reciprocal conjunction with the Lord, thus he is not in the covenant. That this is so is clearly evident from this, that the Lord in a thousand passages in the Word has taught that man must do good and must not do evil, and this the Lord would by no means have said, unless something had been given to man by which he has ability to do, and unless that which has been given to man might seem to him to be as if his own, although it is not his. Because this is so the Lord speaks thus in John: I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hear My voice and open the door I will come in to him, and will sup with him and he with Me (Rev. 3:20). [4] That "covenant" signifies conjunction with the Lord through the reception of Divine truth by the understanding and will, or by the heart and soul, that is, by love and faith, and that this conjunction is effected reciprocally, can be seen from the Word where "covenant" is mentioned. For from the Word it is evident: (1) That the Lord Himself is called a "covenant," because conjunction with Him is effected by Him through the Divine that proceeds from Him. (2) That the Divine proceeding, which is Divine truth, thus the Word, is the covenant, because it conjoins. (3) That the commandments, judgments, and statutes commanded to the sons of Israel were to them a covenant, because through these there was then conjunction with the Lord. (4) And further, that whatever conjoins is called a "covenant." [5] As to the first: That the Lord Himself is called a "covenant," because conjunction with Him is effected by Him through the Divine that proceeds from Him, is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah: I Jehovah have called Thee in righteousness, and I will take hold of Thine hand and will guard Thee, and I will give thee for a covenant of the people and for a light of the nations (Isa. 42:6). This is said of the Lord, who is called "a covenant of the people and a light of the nations," because a "covenant" signifies conjunction, and "light" Divine truth; "peoples" mean those who are in truths, and "nations" those who are in goods (see above, n. 175, 331, 625); "to call Him in righteousness" signifies to establish righteousness by separating the evil from the good and by saving the good and condemning the evil; "to take hold of the hand and to guard" signifies to do this from Divine Omnipotence, which the hells cannot resist; Jehovah's doing this means that it is done by the Divine in the Lord. [6] In the same: I have given Thee for a covenant of the people, to restore the earth and to inherit the wasted heritages (Isa. 49:8). This, too, is said of the Lord; and "to give for a covenant of the people" signifies that there may be conjunction with Him and by Him; "to restore the earth" signifies the church; and "to inherit the wasted heritages" signifies to restore the goods and truths of the church that have been destroyed. [7] In David: I have made a covenant with My chosen, and I have sworn to David My servant, even to eternity will I establish thy seed, to eternity will I keep for him My mercy, and My covenant shall be steadfast for Him (Ps. 89:3, 4, 28). "David" here means the Lord in relation to His royalty (see above, n. 205), and he is called "chosen" from good, and "servant" from truth; "to make a covenant and swear to him" signifies the uniting of the Lord's Divine with His Human, "to make a covenant" meaning to become united, and "to swear" meaning to confirm it; "even to eternity will I establish thy seed" signifies the eternity of Divine truth from Him; "to eternity will I keep for him My mercy" signifies the eternity of Divine good from Him; "My covenant shall be steadfast" signifies the union of the Divine and Human in Him. This becomes the sense of these words when, instead of David, the Lord in relation to the Divine Human and its royalty is understood, respecting which this is said in the sense of the letter, because in that sense David is treated of, with whom there was no eternal covenant. [8] In the second book of Samuel: The God of Israel said, the rock of Israel spake to me; and He shall be as light in the morning when the sun riseth, without clouds; from the brightness after rain cometh grass out of the earth. Is not my house firm with God? For He hath set for me a covenant of eternity, to order over all and to keep (2 Sam. 23:3-5). This is said by David; and "the God of Israel" and "the rock of Israel" mean the Lord in relation to Divine truth; what is signified by "He shall be as light in the morning when the sun riseth, a morning without clouds, from the brightness after rain cometh grass out of the earth," may be seen above (n. 644). This describes Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, from which is all germination of truth and fructification of good. "Is not my house firm with God?" signifies the church conjoined with the Lord through the Divine truth, "the house of David" meaning the church; "for He hath set for me a covenant of eternity" signifies that from the union of His Human with the Divine He has conjunction with the men of the church; "to order over all and to keep" signifies from which He rules over all things and all persons, and saves such as receive. [9] In Malachi: Ye shall know that I have sent this commandment unto you, that My covenant may be with Levi. My covenant with him was of life and of peace, which I gave to him with fear, that he might fear Me. The law of truth was in his mouth, and perversity was not found in his lips. But ye have turned aside out of the way, ye have caused many to stumble in the law, ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi (Mal. 2:4-6, 8). "The covenant of Jehovah with Levi" signifies in the highest sense the union of the Divine with the Human in the Lord, and in a relative sense, the Lord's conjunction with the church; for by "Levi" as by "David" the Lord is meant, but "Levi" means the Lord in relation to Divine good, which is the priesthood of the Lord, and "David" in relation to Divine truth, which is the royalty of the Lord. That the Lord is meant by "Levi" is evident from its being said, "the law of truth was in his mouth, and perversity was not found in his lips," "the law of truth" signifying Divine truth from Divine good, and "lips" the doctrine of truth and instruction; and afterwards it is said: The priest's lips shall keep knowledge; and they shall seek the law from His mouth, for He is the angel of Jehovah of Hosts (Mal. 2:7). "A covenant of life and of peace" signifies that union and that conjunction (of which just above) from which the Lord Himself became life and peace, from which man has eternal life, and peace from the infestation by evils and falsities, thus by hell. What is signified by "His fear" may be seen above (n. 696). Those who live contrary to Divine truth are meant by "ye have turned aside out of the way, ye have caused many to stumble in the law, ye have corrupted the covenant of Levi;" "to turn aside out of the way and to stumble in the law" signifies to live contrary to Divine truth, and "to corrupt the covenant of Levi" signifies to corrupt conjunction with the Lord. [10] In the same: Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me; and the Lord shall suddenly come to His temple; and the angel of the covenant whom ye desire (Mal. 3:1). It is evidently the Lord's coming that is here proclaimed. The Lord is here called "Lord" from Divine good, and "the angel of the covenant" from Divine truth (as may be seen above, n. 242, 433, 444, where the rest of the passage is explained). From this it can be seen that "covenant," in reference to the Lord, means either Himself or the union of His Divine with the Human in Him, and in reference to those who are in heaven and in the church it means conjunction with Him through the Divine that proceeds from Him. [11] Secondly, That the Divine proceeding, which is Divine truth, thus the Word, is the covenant, because it conjoins, can be seen from the following passages. In Moses: Moses came down out of Mount Sinai, and told the people all the words of Jehovah and all the judgments. And all the people answered with one voice and said, All the words which Jehovah hath spoken will we do. And Moses wrote all the words of Jehovah in a book. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the ears of the people; and they said, All that Jehovah hath spoken we will do and will hearken. And Moses took half of the blood of the burnt-offerings, and sprinkled upon the people, and said, Behold, the blood of the covenant that Jehovah hath concluded with you upon all these words. And they saw the God of Israel, and under His feet as it were a work of sapphire stone (Exod. 24:3, 4, 7, 8, 10). That Divine truth which with us is the Word is a covenant, is evident from all these particulars regarded in the internal or spiritual sense; for Moses, who said these things to the people, represented the law, that is, the Word, as can be seen from various places where it is said, "Moses and the prophets," and elsewhere "the law and the prophets;" thus "Moses" stands for the law, and the law in a broad sense signifies the Word, which is Divine truth. The same may also be evident from this, that "Mount Sinai" signifies heaven, from which is Divine truth; likewise from this, that "the book of the covenant, which was read before the people," signifies the Word; also that the "blood," half of which was sprinkled upon the people, also signifies Divine truth, which is the Word, and as this conjoins, it is called "the blood of the covenant." Again, since all conjunction through Divine truth is conjunction with the Lord, "the God of Israel," who is the Lord, was seen by Moses, Aaron and his sons, and the seventy elders. What was "under His feet" was seen, because when "the Lord" means the Word, "His feet" mean the Word in its ultimates, that is, in the sense of its letter, for the sons of Israel did not see the Word interiorly; "as it were a work of sapphire stone" signifies to be transparent from internal truths, which are the spiritual sense of the Word. (But this may be seen explained in detail in Arcana Coelestia, n. 9371-9412.) [12] Of what nature the conjunction is that is signified by "covenant" can be seen from what has been set forth, namely, that it is like the covenants commonly made in the world, that is, on the part of one and on the part of the other; in like manner the covenants that the Lord makes with men must be on the part of the Lord and on the part of men; they must be on the part of both that there may be conjunction. The things on the Lord's part are stated in the preceding chapter, namely: That He will bless their bread and their waters, that He will take away their diseases, and that they shall possess the land of Canaan from the Sea Suph even to the river Euphrates (Exod. 23:25-31). Here "to bless the bread and the waters" signifies in the internal spiritual sense the fructification of good and the multiplication of truth, "bread" signifying every good of heaven and the church, and "waters" all the truths of that good; "to take away diseases" signifies to remove evils and falsities which are from hell, for these are diseases in the spiritual sense; "to possess the land from the Sea Suph to the river Euphrates" signifies the church in all its extension, which those have from the Lord who are conjoined to Him through Divine truth. But the things that must be on man's part are recounted in the three preceding chapters, and in brief are meant in the passage cited above by "the words and judgments of Jehovah" that Moses coming down from Mount Sinai declared to the people, to which the people, with one voice said, "All the words that Jehovah hath spoken we will do and will hearken." It was for this reason that Moses divided the blood of the burnt offerings, and half of it, which was for the Lord, he left in the bowls, but the other half he sprinkled upon the people. [13] That the conjunction of the Lord with men is effected through Divine truth is also meant by "blood" in the Gospels: Jesus took the cup, saying, Drink ye all of it; this is My blood, that of the new covenant (Matt. 26:27, 28; Mark 14:23, 24; Luke 22:20). This blood is called "the blood of the new covenant," because "blood" signifies the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and "covenant" signifies conjunction. (That "blood" signifies the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, received by man, may be seen above, n. 329, 476; and that "to drink" signifies to receive, to make one's own, and thus be conjoined, may also be seen above, n. 617.) [14] Likewise in Zechariah: By the blood of thy covenant I will send forth thy bound out of the pit wherein is no water (Zech. 9:11). This is said of the Lord, who is plainly treated of in this chapter; and "the blood of the covenant" means, as above, the Divine truth, by which there is conjunction with the Lord. Who are meant by "those bound in the pit wherein is no water" can be seen above (n. 537). [15] As the Lord called His blood, meaning the Divine truth proceeding from Him, "the blood of the new covenant," it shall be said briefly what is meant by "the old covenant" and "the new covenant." "The old covenant" means conjunction through such Divine truth as was given to the sons of Israel, which was external, and therefore representative of internal Divine truth. They had no other Divine truth, because they could not receive any other, for they were external and natural men, and not internal or spiritual, as can be seen from the fact that such as knew anything about the Lord's coming had no other thought of Him than that He was to be a king who would raise them above all the peoples in the whole world, and thus establish a kingdom with them on the earth, and not in the heavens and therefrom on the earth with all who believe on Him. "The old covenant," therefore, was a conjunction through such Divine truth as is contained in the books of Moses and is called "commandments, judgments, and statutes," in which, nevertheless, there lay inwardly hidden such Divine truth as is in heaven, which is internal and spiritual. This Divine truth was disclosed by the Lord when He was in the world; and as through this alone there is conjunction of the Lord with men, therefore this is what is meant by "the new covenant," also by "His blood," which is therefore called "the blood of the new covenant." "Wine" has a similar meaning. [16] This "new covenant," which was to be entered into with the Lord when He should come into the world, is sometimes treated of in the Word of the Old Covenant. Thus in Jeremiah: Behold the days come in which I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, not as the covenant which I made with your fathers, for they have made My covenant void. But this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after these days; I will give My law in the midst of them, and will write it upon their heart, and I will be to them for God, and they shall be to Me for a people; neither shall they teach anymore a man his companion, a man his brother, saying, Know ye Jehovah, for all shall know Me, from the least of them even to the greatest of them (Jer. 31:31-34). That Jehovah, that is, the Lord, "was to make a new covenant with the house of Israel and house of Judah" does not mean that it was to be made with the sons of Israel and with Judah, but with all who from the Lord are in the truths of doctrine and in the good of love to the Lord. That these are meant in the Word by "the sons of Israel" and by "Judah" may be seen above (n. 433); that "the days come" means the Lord's coming is evident. That there would then be conjunction with the Lord through Divine truth, internal and spiritual, is meant by the words, "This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after these days, I will give My law in the midst of them, and will write it upon their heart." This signifies that they would then receive Divine truth inwardly in themselves; for spiritual Divine truth is received by man inwardly, thus otherwise than with the sons of Israel and the Jews, who received it outwardly; for when a man receives Divine truth inwardly in himself, that is, makes it to be of his love and thus of his life, truth is known from the truth itself, because the Lord flows into His own truth with man, and teaches him; this is what is meant by the words, "they shall no more teach a man his companion, and a man his brother, saying, Know ye Jehovah, for all shall know Me, from the least even to the greatest." The conjunction itself thereby effected, which "the new covenant" signifies, is meant by "I will be to them for God, and they shall be to Me for a people." [17] In the same: They shall be to Me for a people, and I will be to them for God, and I will give them one heart and one way, to fear Me all the days; and I will make with them an eternal covenant that I will not turn Me back from after them, that I may do them good; and My fear will I put into their heart that they may not depart from with Me (Jer. 32:38-40). This, too, is said of the Lord and of the new covenant with Him; conjunction thereby is meant by "I will be to them for God, and they shall be to me for a people," and is further described by this, that "He would give to them one heart and one way, to fear Him all the days," and that "He would not turn Himself back from after them, and that He would put fear into their heart that they might not depart from with Him;" "one heart and one way to fear Me" signifies one will of good and one understanding of truth for worshiping the Lord; and as the conjunction is reciprocal, that is, a conjunction of the Lord with them and of them with the Lord, it is said that He will not turn Him back from after them "that I may do them good, and they will not depart from with Me." From this it is clear what is signified by "the eternal covenant" that He will enter into with them, namely, conjunction through spiritual Divine truth, which truth, when received, constitutes the life of man, and from it comes eternal conjunction. [18] In Ezekiel: I will raise up over them one shepherd who shall feed them, My servant David. I Jehovah will be to them for God, and My servant David a prince in the midst of them. Then will I make with them a covenant of peace, I will cause the evil wild beast to cease that they may dwell securely in the wilderness, and sleep in the forests (Ezek. 34:23-25). This also is said of the Lord; and "David," who shall feed them and who shall be a prince in the midst of them, means the Lord in relation to the Divine truth, who is called a servant from serving; conjunction with the Lord through the Divine truth is meant by "the covenant" which He will make with them; this is called "a covenant of peace," because man by conjunction with the Lord has peace from the infestation of evil and falsity from hell; therefore also it is added, "I will cause the evil wild beast to cease, that they may dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the forests," "evil wild beast" meaning falsity and evil from hell, and "to dwell securely in the wilderness and to sleep in the forests" signifying that they shall be safe everywhere from all infestation from falsity and evil. [19] In the same: My servant David shall be a king over them, that they all may have one shepherd. And I will make a covenant of peace with them, it shall be a covenant of eternity with them; and I will give them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in the midst of them to eternity, and My habitation with them; and I will be to them for God, and they shall be to Me for a people (Ezek. 37:24, 26, 27). Here also by "David" the Lord is meant, for it is evident that David was not to come again to be their king and shepherd; but the Lord is called "king" from Divine truth, for this is the royalty of the Lord, while Divine good is His priesthood; and the Lord is called "shepherd," because He will feed them with Divine truth, and thereby lead to the good of love, and thus to Himself; and because from this there is conjunction it is said, "I will make with them a covenant of peace, a covenant of eternity." What "a covenant of peace" signifies has been told just above, also that "I will be to them for God, and they shall be to Me for a people," means conjunction. The "sanctuary" that He will set in the midst of them, and the "habitation" that will be with them, signify heaven and the church, that are called a "sanctuary" from the good of love, and a "habitation" from the truths of that good, for the Lord dwells in truths from good. [20] In Hosea: In that day will I make a covenant for them with the wild beast of the field, with the bird of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the earth; and I will break the bow and the sword and war from the earth; and I will make them to lie down securely; and I will betroth thee to Me forever (Hos. 2:18, 19). This treats of the establishment of a New Church by the Lord. It is clear that the Lord would not then make a covenant with the wild beast of the field, with the bird of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the earth, therefore these signify such things as are with man; "the wild beast of the field" signifying the affection of truth and good, "the bird of the heavens" spiritual thought, and "the creeping thing of the earth" the knowledge of the natural man. (What the rest signifies may be seen above, n. 650.) This makes evident that the covenant the Lord will make is a spiritual covenant, or a covenant through spiritual truth, and not a covenant through natural truth such as was made with the sons of Israel; this latter was "the old covenant," the former was "the new covenant." [21] As "the law" that was promulgated by the Lord from Mount Sinai meant in a broad sense the Word, so also the tables on which that law was written are called "tables of the covenant" in Moses: I went up into the mount to receive the tables of stone, the tables of the covenant which Jehovah made with you. At the end of forty days and forty nights Jehovah gave to me the two tables of stone, the tables of the covenant (Deut. 9:9, 11). These "tables," that is, the law written upon them, mean the Divine truth, through which there is conjunction with the Lord, and because of that conjunction they are called "the tables of the covenant;" and as all conjunction, like a covenant, is effected from the part of one and the part of the other, thus in turn on the one side and on the other, so there were two tables, and these were of stone; they were of stone because "stone" signifies the Divine truth in ultimates (see Arcana Coelestia, n. 643, 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376). For the same reason the ark in which these tables were placed was called "the ark of the Covenant," and with the sons of Israel this was the most holy thing of their worship, as has been shown in the preceding article. [22] Thirdly, That the commandments, judgments, and statutes commanded to the sons of Israel were to them a covenant, because through these there was then conjunction with the Lord, can be seen from the following passages. In Moses: If ye walk in My statutes, and keep My commandments and do them, I will have respect unto you, and will make you fruitful and multiply you, and I will establish My covenant with you. But if ye reject My statutes, so that ye do not all My commandments, whilst ye make My covenant void, I will do to you the opposite (Lev. 26:3, 9, 15 seq.). The statutes and commandments that were to be observed and done are set forth in the preceding chapter, and the goods they were to enjoy if they kept those commandments and statutes, and afterwards the evils that would come upon them if they did not keep them are set forth in this chapter. But the goods they were to enjoy were earthly and worldly goods, so too were the evils, because they were earthly and natural men, and not celestial and spiritual men, and consequently they knew nothing about the goods that affect man inwardly or the evils that afflict him inwardly; nevertheless the externals they were bound to observe were such as inwardly contained celestial and spiritual things, through which there is conjunction itself with the Lord; and as these were perceived in heaven, therefore the externals that the sons of Israel were to observe were called a "covenant." (But what the conjunction was of the Lord with the sons of Israel through these means may be seen in the New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine, n. 248.) [23] "Covenant" has a like meaning in the following passages. In Moses: Jehovah said unto Moses, Write thou these words, for upon the mouth of these words I have made a covenant with thee and with Israel (Exod. 34:27). In the same: Keep the words of this covenant and do them, ye that stand here this day, your heads, your tribes, your officers, and every man of Israel, to pass over into the covenant of Jehovah and into His oath which Jehovah thy God maketh with thee this day, that He may establish thee this day for a people, and that He may be to thee for God; not with you only do I make this covenant and this oath, but also with everyone who is not here with you this day (Deut. 29:9, 10, 12-15). In the second book of Kings: King Josiah sent and gathered unto him all the elders of Judah and of Jerusalem; and the king went up to the house of Jehovah, and every man of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with him, also the priests and the prophets, and the whole people from small even to great; and he read in their ears all the words of the book of the covenant which was found in the house of Jehovah; and the king stood by the pillar, and made the covenant before Jehovah to go after Jehovah and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all the heart and with all the soul, to establish all the words of this covenant written upon this book; and all the people stood in the covenant (2 Kings 23:1-3). So, too, in other passages (Jer. 22:8, 9; 33:20-22; 50:5; Ezek. 16:8; Mal. 2:14; Ps. 78:37; 50:5, 16; 103:17, 18; 105:8, 9; 106:45; 111:5, 9; Deut. 17:2; 1 Kings 19:14). In all these passages "covenant" is mentioned, and by it the externals that the sons of Israel were to observe are meant. [24] But as regards the covenant that the Lord made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, this was not the same as the covenant He made with the posterity of Jacob, but it was a covenant on the part of the Lord that their seed should be multiplied, and to their seed the land of Canaan should be given, and on the part of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that every male should be circumcised. That the covenant with the posterity of Jacob was different is evident in Moses: Jehovah our God made with us a covenant in Horeb; Jehovah made not this covenant with our fathers, but with us (Deut. 5:2, 3). Regarding the former covenant it is written in Moses: Jehovah brought Abraham forth abroad, and said, Look toward heaven and number the stars; and He said to him, So shall thy seed be. And He said to him, Take to thee 701-1 a heifer of three years old, and a she-goat of three years old, and a ram of three years old, and a turtle-dove, and a young pigeon. And he divided them in the midst, and he laid each part over against the other, but the birds divided he not. And the sun went down and it became very dark; and behold a furnace of smoke and a torch of fire passed through between the pieces. In that day Jehovah made a covenant with Abraham 701-2 saying, Unto thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river Euphrates (Gen. 15:5-18). And afterwards: I will give My covenant between Me and thee, and I will multiply thee exceedingly. I, behold, My covenant is with thee, and thou shalt be for a father of a multitude of nations, and I will make thee fruitful; and I will give to thee and to thy seed after thee the land of thy sojournings, all the land of Canaan, for an everlasting possession. This is My covenant that ye shall keep between Me and you and thy seed after thee. Every male shall be circumcised to you; he who is not circumcised in the flesh of the foreskin, that soul shall be cut off from his peoples, he hath made void My covenant. And My covenant will I set up with Isaac, whom Sarah shall bear to thee (Gen. 17:1-21). From this it is clear what kind of a covenant was entered into with Abraham, namely, that "his seed should be multiplied exceedingly, and that the land of Canaan should be given to his seed for a possession." The commandments, judgments, and statutes themselves by which the covenant was to be established are not mentioned, but still they are signified by "the heifer, she-goat, and ram of three years old," and by "the turtle-dove and young pigeon," for these animals signify such things as belong to the church, and "the land of Canaan" itself signifies the church. And because the Lord foresaw that the posterity of Abraham from Jacob would not keep the covenant, there appeared to Abraham "a furnace of smoke and a torch of fire passing through between the pieces;" "a furnace of smoke" signifying the dense falsity, and "the torch of fire" the direful evil into which the posterity of Jacob would come. This is confirmed also in Jeremiah 33:18-20. "Abraham divided the heifer, the she-goat, and the ram, and laid each part over against the other," according to the ritual of covenants between two parties. (But this may be seen fully explained in Arcana Coelestia, n. 1783-1862.) [25] The covenant was made by circumcision because circumcision represented the purification from the loves of self and of the world which are bodily and earthly loves, and the removal of these; therefore also the circumcision was made with a little knife of stone, which signified the truth of doctrine, by which all purification from evils and falsities and their removal is effected. (But the particulars recorded in that chapter respecting this covenant are explained in Arcana Coelestia, n. 1987-2095; and respecting circumcision, n. 2039 at the end, 2046 at the end, 2632, 2799, 4462, 7044, 8093.) But as "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," mean in the internal sense the Lord, so "their seed" signify all who are of the Lord's church, which church is meant by "the land of Canaan," which their seed was to inherit. [26] There was also a covenant entered into with Noah: That men should no more perish by the waters of a flood, and that a bow should be in the cloud for a sign of that covenant (Gen. 6:17, 18; 9:9, 17). Conjunction of the Lord through Divine truth is involved also in that covenant, as can be seen from the explanation of the above in the Arcana Coelestia (n. 659-675, 1022-1059). That "the bow in the cloud," or the rainbow, here signifies regeneration, which is effected by Divine truth and a life according to it, and that consequently that bow was taken for a sign of the covenant, may also be seen in the same work (n. 1042). [27] Fourth, That further, whatever conjoins is called a covenant; as the Sabbath in Moses: The sons of Israel shall keep the Sabbath in their generations, the covenant of an age (Exod. 31:16). The Sabbath was called "the covenant of an age," because the "Sabbath" signified in the highest sense the union of the Divine with the Human in the Lord, and in a relative sense the conjunction of the Lord with heaven and the church, and in a universal sense the conjunction of good and truth, which conjunction is called the heavenly marriage. Therefore "the rest on the Sabbath day" signified the state of that union and of that conjunction, since by that state there is peace and rest to the Lord, and thereby peace and salvation in the heavens and on the earth. (That this is the signification of "the Sabbath" and "the rest," then, can be seen in Arcana Coelestia, n. 8494, 8495, 8510, 10356, 10360, 10367, 10370, 10374, 10668, 10730.) [28] Again, the salt in the sacrifices is called "the salt of the covenant" in Moses: Thou shalt not cause the salt of the covenant of thy God to cease upon thine offering, upon all thine offering thou shalt offer salt (Lev. 2:13). The salt upon the offering is called "the salt of the covenant," because "salt" signifies the desire of truth for good, whereby the two are conjoined. (On this signification of "salt" see Arcana Coelestia, n. 9207.) [29] A wife is called "the wife of a covenant" in Malachi: Jehovah hath been a witness between thee and the wife of thy youth, against whom thou hast dealt treacherously, though she is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant (Mal. 2:14). A wife is here called "the wife of the covenant" from her conjunction with her husband, but "wife" here signifies the church, and "the wife of youth" the Ancient Church, against which the Jewish Church is said to have dealt treacherously. Because these were both representative churches, and in this respect alike, and thus were conjoined, it is said, "though she is thy companion and the wife of thy covenant." [30] "A covenant with the stones of the field" is spoken of in Job: Thou shalt not be afraid of the wild beast of the field, for with the stones of the field is thy covenant, and the wild beast of the field shall be at peace with thee (Job 5:22, 23). "A covenant with the stones of the field" signifies conjunction with the truths of the church, for "stones" signify truths, "field" the church, and "covenant" conjunction; "the wild beast of the field" signifies the love of falsity, of which wild beast "thou shalt not be afraid," and which "shall be at peace," when there is conjunction with the church through truths. [31] Again, "a covenant with wild beasts and birds" is spoken of in Hosea: In that day will I make a covenant for them with the wild beast of the field, with the bird of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the earth (Hos. 2:18). And in Moses: God said unto Noah, Behold I establish My covenant with you and with every living soul that is with you, the bird, the beast, and every wild beast of the earth with you, of all that go out of the ark, even every wild beast of the earth (Gen. 9:9, 10). "A covenant with beast, wild beast, bird and creeping thing of the earth," signifies conjunction with such things with man as are signified by these, for "beast" signifies the affection of good, "wild beast" the affection of truth, "bird" the thinking faculty, and "creeping thing of the earth" the knowing faculty which lives from these affections. [32] "A covenant with death" is spoken of in Isaiah: Ye have said, We have made a covenant with death, and with hell we have made vision. Your covenant with death shall be abolished, and your vision with hell shall not stand (Isa. 28:15, 18). "To make a covenant with death" signifies conjunction through falsity from hell, from which man dies spiritually; "to make a vision with hell" signifies divination from hell as if prophetic. From the passages here cited in series it can be seen that "covenant," where the Lord is treated of, signifies conjunction through Divine truth. There is, indeed, a conjunction with Him through the good of love; but because the Lord flows in with man through good into truths, whereby man has the affection of truth, and receives the Lord's good in truths, from which he acknowledges, confesses, and worships the Lord, thence the good of love conjoins through truth, comparatively as the heat of the sun in the time of spring and summer conjoins itself with the fructifications of the earth.
702.And there were lightnings, voices, and thunders, signifies that at that time in the lower parts where the evil are there were conflicts and disturbances of the thoughts, and reasonings from evils and falsities respecting goods and truths. This is evident from the signification of "lightnings, voices, and thunders," as being enlightenment, thoughts, and perceptions (of which above, n. 273); and in the contrary sense, as here, conflicts and disturbances of the thoughts, and reasoning from evils and falsities respecting the goods and truths of the church (of which above, n. 498). In a strict sense "lightnings" signify the darkenings of the understanding, "voices" reasonings, and "thunders" conclusions respecting falsity from evil, and because from these, according to the state of the interiors with them there then arise conflicts and disturbances of the affections and thoughts, and consequent reasonings from evils and falsities respecting the goods and truths of the church, therefore from logical connection with what precedes, this is what these words signify. It was evident that "the lightnings, voices, and thunders," also "the earthquake and great hail" occurred in the lower parts, since it was in the higher parts that the "temple" and "the ark of the Covenant in the temple" were seen, which signify the appearing of a new heaven where there is worship of the Lord, and a representation of Divine truth through which there is conjunction, as can be seen from the explanation above; and from this it follows that these things occurred in the lower parts through influx from the higher heavens. That such things occurred in the lower parts through influx out of the higher heavens has already been made clear. But since these are such things as do not fall into anyone's understanding except through living revelation and consequent knowledge respecting the influx of higher things into lower in the spiritual world, so as these things have been revealed to me, and have thus been made known to me, I will briefly explain this arcanum. [2] In the spiritual world, by which are meant both the heavens and the hells, the arrangement is such that the heavens are like expanses one above another, and under the heavens is the world of spirits, and under this are the hells, one below another. Influx from the Lord takes place according to this consecutive arrangement, thus through the inmost heaven into the middle, and through this into the lowest, and from these in their order into the hells which lie beneath. The world of spirits is between, and receives influx both from the heavens and from the hells, each one there according to the state of his life. [3] But this arrangement of the heavens and of the hells underwent changes from one judgment to another, for the reason that the men who arrived from the earth, of whom the heavens and the hells are constituted, had various affections, some more or less spiritual or internal, and some more or less natural or external. And as the Lord does evil to no one, but good to all, He permitted those who had lived a moral and as it were spiritual life in externals from custom and habit in the world, however interiorly they were conjoined with hell, to form for themselves in the world of spirits a similitude of heaven in various places; and then the heavens above them and the hells below them were so arranged that their interiors through which they were conjoined with hell might be as far as possible kept closed, while their exteriors through which they were conjoined with the lowest heaven were kept open. And then it was provided that the higher heavens should not flow in immediately, because by immediate influx their interiors which were infernal would be opened, and their exteriors which were as it were spiritual would be closed; for the influx of the higher heavens is into the interiors, which are properly the spirits' own, and not into the exteriors, which are not properly their own. [4] But when such seeming heavens had so greatly increased that the influx from the hells had thereby begun to prevail over the influx from the heavens, and thereby the lowest heaven, which was conjoined with them, began to be weakened, then the Last Judgment was at hand, and by turns a separation was effected of the evil from the good in those new seeming heavens, and this by immediate influx from the higher heavens; and by this influx their interiors which were infernal were opened, and their exteriors which were seemingly spiritual were closed, as has been said above. From this then it is clear why it was that the "temple" appeared, and "the ark in the temple," which signifies the Divine truth by which the higher heavens were enlightened from which influx might come into the lower parts where the evil were. From this influx it came to pass that, in the lower parts where the evil were, lightnings were seen, and voices and thunders were heard, also there was an earthquake, and hail fell. The influx out of the heavens, that is, through the heavens from the Lord, is nothing else than an influx of the love of good and the affection of truth, but with the evil this is turned into such things as correspond to their evils and to the falsities therefrom, thus that correspond to their love of evil and affection of falsity; and as conflicts and disturbances of the thoughts and reasonings from the evils and falsities respecting the goods and truths of the church in which they were correspond to lightnings, voices, and thunders, therefore they are signified by these; for the state of heaven, what it was to be immediately before the Last Judgment, is what is here treated of. The conflicts and disturbances of the thoughts and the reasonings from evils and falsities respecting the goods and truths of the church that arise with those who are inwardly evil but who outwardly appear good, when their interiors have been opened and their exteriors closed, are from the conflict of their interiors with their exteriors in the first stage of separation; but as soon as the exteriors have been wholly closed and they have been left to their own interiors the conflict ceases, for then they are completely in the love of their own evil and in the affection of their own falsity, and thus in the delight of their life. Therefore they then cast themselves down into hell to their like, which takes place at the day of the Last Judgment.
703.And an earthquake, signifies changes of state in respect to the things of heaven and the church with them. This is evident from the signification of an "earthquake," as being a change of the state of the church, of which above (n. 400). That in the spiritual world there are lands, hills, and mountains, and that these are shaken when the state of the church with them is changed into evil and falsity, and that these are the earthquakes meant by the "earthquakes" spoken of in the Word, may also be seen above (n. 400, 499).
704.And great hail, signifies infernal falsity destroying the truths and goods of the church. This is evident from the signification of "hail," as being infernal falsity destroying the truths of the church (of which above, n. 503); and as it is called a "great hail," and "great" is predicated of good, and "many" of truth (see above, n. 652, 696), so "great hail" signifies also infernal falsity destroying the goods of the church. Besides lightnings, thunders, and an earthquake, great hail also was seen, because in the spiritual world there appear all the things that are in the natural world, as mists, clouds, rains, snow, and hail, and these though appearances are nevertheless real, arising from correspondences; for the celestial and spiritual Divine things that belong to the affections and the thoughts therefrom, thus to the good of love and the truth of that good with angels, when they descend into the next lower sphere put on forms like those of natural things, and thus present themselves before the eyes to be seen; thus correspondences are formed. So is it with lightnings, thunders, and hail. For this hail is formed by the flowing down of Divine truth where the evil are, who by reasonings draw false conclusions, and by these oppose truths and destroy them. For when Divine truth flows down out of the heavens into the sphere that is about the evil and that appears like a mist formed from their evil affections and from the resulting falsities of their thoughts, then that influx is turned into various things, and into hail with those who think from evils and falsities in opposition to the goods and truths of heaven and the church, and who violently assault them. The reason of this is that their affections and the thoughts therefrom, which are of falsity against truths, are destitute of all heavenly heat; therefore the rain which also falls down out of the heavens into the lower parts congeals into snow or into hail, and that hail destroys all things with them that are green and growing, and also their dwelling places, just like it is said of the hail in Egypt. The hail destroys because the things that are "green and growing" signify the truths of the church, and "the dwelling places" its goods, which such destroy with themselves. This takes place, as has been said, according to correspondence. Moreover, the hail appears congealed into larger or smaller grains according to their stronger or milder attacks upon truths by falsities; the larger grains are called in the Word "hail-stones," because "stones" also signify falsities. From this it can now be seen why "great hail" signifies infernal falsity destroying the truths and goods of the church. APOCALYPSE. CHAPTER 12 1. And a great sign was seen in heaven; a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. 2. And being with child she cried out, travailing, and pained to bring forth. 3. And there was seen another sign in heaven; and behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads, and ten horns, and upon his heads seven diadems. 4. And his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them unto the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, that when she brought forth he might devour her offspring. 5. And she brought forth a son, a male who is to tend all the nations with an iron rod; and her offspring was caught up unto God and His throne. 6. And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her a thousand two hundred and sixty days. 7. And there was war in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his angels. 8. And they prevailed not; and their place was not found anymore in heaven. 9. And that great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the devil and Satan, that seduceth the whole world; he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. 10. And I heard a great voice in heaven, saying, Now is come the salvation, and the power, and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of His Christ; for the accuser of our brethren is cast down, that accuseth them before our God day and night. 11. And they overcame him through the blood of the Lamb, and through the word of their testimony: and they loved not their soul even unto death. 12. For this rejoice, ye heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to those that inhabit the earth and the sea, for the devil is come down unto you, having great anger, knowing that he hath but a short time. 13. And when the dragon saw that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman that brought forth the son. 14. And there were given to the woman two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness into her place, where she is nourished a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15. And the serpent cast out after the woman out of his mouth water as a river, that he might cause her to be swallowed up by the river. 16. And the earth helped the woman; and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the river, which the dragon cast out of his mouth. 17. And the dragon was angry against the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. 18. 704-1 And I stood upon the sand of the sea.
705.EXPOSITION. Verses 1, 2. And a great sign was seen in heaven; a woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And being with child she cried out, travailing, and pained to bring forth. 1. "And a great sign was seen in heaven," signifies Divine attestation respecting the coming church and the reception of its doctrine, and by whom it will be assaulted (n. 706); "a woman arrayed with the sun," signifies the church with those who are in love to the Lord, and thence in love towards the neighbor (n. 707); "and the moon under her feet," signifies faith with those who are 705-1 in charity (n. 708); "and upon her head a crown of twelve stars," signifies the wisdom and intelligence of those who are of that church through doctrinals and the knowledges of all things of truth and good from the Word (n. 709). 2. "And being with child," signifies the nascent doctrine from the good of celestial love (n. 710); "and 705-2 she cried out, travailing, and pained to bring forth," signifies non-reception by those who are in the church, and the resistance of those who are in faith separated from charity (n. 711).
706.Verse 1. And a great sign was seen in heaven, signifies Divine attestation respecting the coming church and the reception of its doctrine, and by whom it will be assaulted. This is evident from the signification of "a great sign in heaven," as being Divine manifestation and attestation; that it has reference to the church and the reception of its doctrine, and also to assault upon it, is evident from what follows, for the "woman" means the church, her "son a male" doctrine, and "the dragon and his angels" and afterwards "the beasts," mean those who will assault the church and its doctrine. This vision is called "a great sign" because a "sign" means Divine manifestation respecting things to come, and attestation, here respecting the coming church and its doctrine, and also the assault upon it by those who are meant by "the dragon" and "the beasts." This is called a "sign," because it manifests and attests. "Sign" and "wonder" are mentioned in many passages in the Word, "sign" meaning that which indicates, witnesses, and persuades respecting the subject of inquiry, and "wonder" meaning that which stirs up, strikes dumb, and fills with amazement; thus a sign moves the understanding and faith, but a wonder the will and its affection, for the will and its affection are what are stirred up, stricken dumb, and filled with amazement, while the understanding and its faith are what are persuaded and moved by indications and proofs. [2] That there is a difference between a sign and a wonder is evident from the fact that the Jews, although they had seen so many wonders performed by the Lord, still sought signs from Him; and also from the fact that the prodigies wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness are sometimes called "signs" and sometimes "wonders," and sometimes both. It is further evident from this, that in every particular of the Word there is a marriage of truth and good, and thus also of the understanding and will, for truth is of the understanding and good of the will, consequently "signs" there have reference to things pertaining to truth, and to faith and the understanding, and "wonders" to the things pertaining to good, and to affection and the will. Thence is clear the meaning of "signs" and of "wonders," where they are both mentioned in the Word, as in the following passages. In Moses: I will harden Pharaoh's heart, that I may multiply My signs and My wonders in the land of Egypt (Exod. 7:3). In the same: Jehovah gave signs and wonders great and evil upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his men 706-1 (Deut. 6:22). In the same: Hath Jehovah tried to come to take to Him a nation out of the midst of a nation, by wonders, by signs, and by prodigies? (Deut. 4:34) In David: They remembered not the day in which Jehovah set His signs in Egypt, and His prodigies in the field of Zoan (Ps. 78:42, 43). In the same: They set among them the words of their 706-2 signs and wonders in the land of Ham (Ps. 105:27). In the same: He sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants (Ps. 135:9). In Jeremiah: Who hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day, both in Israel and in men, and hast led forth Thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt by signs and by wonders (Jer. 32:20, 21). This shows that the prodigies wrought in Egypt, and afterwards among the sons of Israel, are called "signs and wonders," "signs" because they attested and persuaded, and "wonders" because they stirred up and filled with amazement; yet they agree in this, that the things that stir up and fill with amazement also attest and persuade, as those things that stir up the will also persuade the understanding, or as those things that move the affection also move the thought by persuading. Likewise in the Gospels: In the consummation of the age there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, they shall show great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect (Matt. 24:24; Mark 13:22). Here "great signs and wonders" have a like signification, namely, that they will attest and persuade, and that they will strike dumb and fill with amazement, which will cause a strong persuasion. Who are meant by "false Christs and false prophets," and who by "the elect," may be seen above (n. 624, 684). [3] In Moses: If there shall arise in the midst of thee a prophet or a dreamer of dreams who shall give thee a sign or a wonder, and if the sign or the wonder come to pass whereof he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go after other gods, thou shalt not obey (Deut. 13:1-3). Here a "prophet" and a "dreamer of dreams," also "sign" and "wonder" are mentioned, because a "sign" has reference to a prophet, and a "wonder" to a dreamer of dreams, because a "prophet" means one who teaches truths, and in the abstract sense the doctrine of truth, and a "dreamer" means one who stirs up to doing, and in the abstract sense the stirring up from which a thing is done; this, too, pertains to a "wonder," and the former to a "sign;" for prophets were instructed by a living voice from the Lord, and "dreamers" by representatives exciting to doing, which flowed into the affection of the dreamer, and from that into the sight of the thought, for when a man dreams his natural understanding is laid asleep and his spiritual sight is opened, which draws its all from the affection. But in this passage the sight that draws its all from an evil affection is meant, for it treats of prophets who teach falsities and who dream vain things, for "other gods" mean the falsities and vain things that such heard and saw. [4] That "signs" signify attestations which indicate and persuade to the belief that a thing is so, is evident from the following passages. In Moses: If they will not believe thee nor hear the voice of the first sign, yet they will believe the voice of the latter sign. And if they will not believe these two signs nor hear thy voice, thou shalt take of the waters of the river and they shall become blood (Exod. 4:8, 9). This is said of the wonders wrought by Moses, when the Lord appeared to him in the bush, which are called "signs" because they were to attest and persuade that Moses was sent to lead them out of Egypt; this is why it is three times said "that they may believe," and also "that they may hear his voice." [5] In the same: Jehovah said unto Moses, How long will the people not believe in Me for all the signs which I have done in the midst of them? All the men that have seen My glory and the signs which I wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness, they shall not see the land (Num. 14:11, 22, 23). These miracles, too, are called "signs," because mention is made of believing; for as has been said, miracles are called "signs" because they persuade and induce faith; and as signs did not induce faith with those who were unwilling on account of fear to enter into the land of Canaan, therefore it is said of them that "they should not see the land." "Signs" have a like signification in Exod. 4:17; and 10:1, 2. [6] In the Gospels: The Scribes and Pharisees said, Master, we would see a sign from Thee. But He answering, said, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh after a sign, but no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; for as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale, so shall the Son of man be three days and three nights in the belly 706-3 of the earth (Matt. 12:38-40; Luke 11:16, 29, 30). A "sign" plainly means attestation that they may be persuaded and believe that the Lord was the Messiah and the Son of God who was to come, for the miracles that the Lord wrought in abundance, and that they saw, were no signs to them, because miracles, as has been said above, are signs only with the good. "Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the whale," and this was taken for a "sign," because it signified the burial and resurrection of the Lord, thus the complete glorification of His Human, "three days and three nights" also signifying completeness. [7] In Matthew: The Pharisees and the Sadducees, tempting, asked Jesus to show them a sign from heaven. He answering, said to them, When it is evening ye say, It will be fair weather, for the heaven is red. And in the morning, There will be storm today, for the heaven is red and gloomy. Ye hypocrites, ye know how to discern the face of heaven, but not the signs of the times. A wicked and adulterous nation requireth a sign, but no sign shall be given unto it but the sign of the prophet Jonah (Matt. 16:1-4). Here, too, the "sign" asked from heaven means attestation that they might be persuaded and might believe that the Lord was the Son of God, although miracles were wrought that they did not call signs. The Lord then spoke of evening and of morning because "evening and morning" signifies the Lord's coming; here it means when the church with the Jews was laid waste, who then had "fair weather," because they had no knowledge of the Lord, and lived securely in falsities from evil; this is the "evening;" but when they knew Him, and because of falsities from evils in which they were denied and assaulted Him, this is signified by "the morning when there is a storm." This is why the Lord said, "Ye hypocrites, ye know how to discern the face of heaven, but not the signs of the times," that is, the Lord's coming; and because they were "a wicked and adulterous nation," that is, one that adulterated the Word, He said that "no sign should be given unto them." [8] So again in Mark: The Pharisees began to dispute with Jesus, seeking of Him a sign from heaven; and He, sighing in His spirit, said, Why doth this generation seek a sign? Verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation (Mark 8:11, 12). That a "sign" here signifies attestation by which they might plainly know, acknowledge, and believe, that the Lord was the Messiah and Son of God whom they expected from the predictions in the prophets, is evident from this, that "sighing in spirit, He said, Why doth this generation seek a sign? Verily I say unto you, There shall no sign be given unto this generation;" and this was because if this had been plainly revealed or told them from heaven, and if thus persuaded they had acknowledged and believed it, they would nevertheless have rejected it afterwards, and to reject after acknowledgment and faith is to profane, and the lot of profaners in hell is the worst of all. [9] That for this reason plain attestation was not given them from heaven is evident from these words in John: He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts lest they should see with their eyes and understand with their heart, and should turn themselves, and I should heal them (John 12:40). "To turn themselves and be healed" means here to profane, which is done when truths and goods are acknowledged, especially when the Lord is acknowledged and afterwards denied; so would it have been if the Jews had turned themselves and been healed by a sign. "To see with the eyes and understand with the heart" signifies to receive in the understanding and will, or in faith and love. From this it is clear that a "sign" signifies a plain testification. (On the lot of profaners see the New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine, n. 172.) [10] In John: The disciples 706-4 said unto Jesus, What doest Thou for a sign, that we may see and believe Thee, what workest Thou? Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, as it is written, He gave them bread out of heaven to eat. Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not the bread out of heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread out of heaven; for the bread of God is He who cometh down out of heaven and giveth life unto the world (John 6:30-33). Here also the disciples desired a sign; that this signifies attestation that they might believe is clear from their saying, "That we may see and believe, what workest Thou?" They then spoke of "manna," and the Lord answered respecting "bread from heaven," because "bread" signifies all good and truth that nourishes the soul, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself, from whom is everything of doctrine and everything of spiritual nourishment, whereby he gave attestation that they might see and believe. Nevertheless attestation, that is, a sign from heaven, was given to the three disciples, Peter, James, and John, as can be seen from the Lord's transfiguration, for they then saw His glory, and heard a voice out of heaven saying, "This is My beloved Son, hear ye Him" (Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35; Matt. 17:5). [11] In John: When Jesus cast out of the temple them that sold therein, the Jews said, What sign showest Thou, that Thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, yet in three days I will raise it up (John 2:16, 18, 19). Here evidently "to show a sign" signifies to give attestation by something wonderful, or by a voice out of heaven. But because such an attestation would have damned rather than saved them, as has been said just above, He answered them concerning "the temple," by which He meant His body, that this should be destroyed, that is, should die, and should rise again glorified on the third day. This too is what the Lord meant by "the sign of Jonah in the belly of the whale three days and three nights." (That "temple" in the highest sense signifies the Lord's body, see John 2:21.) [12] In Luke: The angels said to the shepherds, There is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord; and this is a sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger (Luke 2:11, 12, 16). Since a "sign" means attestation that they might believe that the Savior of the world was born, it is said that "they should find Him lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling clothes;" but that this was an attestation no one can know until it is known what is meant by a "manger" and by "swaddling clothes." "A manger" means the doctrine of truth from the Word, because "horses" signify the understanding of the Word (as can be seen from what has been shown above, n. 355, 364, and in the small work on The White Horse, n. 2-4); and thus a manger, as a feeding place for horses, signifies the doctrine of truth from the Word. It is said in the seventh verse of the same chapter that this was done "because there was no place in the inn," an "inn" signifying a place of instruction. (This is the signification of "inn" also in Luke 10:34; 22:11; Mark 14:14; and elsewhere.) Because this was the state with the Jews, who were then in mere falsities, through the adulteration of the Word, this was signified by "there was no place in the inn;" for if it had pleased the Lord He might have been born in a most splendid palace, and have been laid in a bed adorned with precious stones; but He would thus have been with such as were in no doctrine of truth, and there would have been no heavenly representation. He is also said to have been "wrapped in swaddling clothes," because "swaddling clothes" signify first truths, which are truths of innocence, and which are also truths of the Divine love; for "nakedness," in reference to a babe, signifies deprivation of truth. From this it is clear why it was said by the angels, "This is a sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger." [13] In the Gospels: The disciples said to Jesus, What shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the consummation of the age? (Matt. 24:3; Mark 13:4; Luke 21:7) "The coming of the Lord and the consummation of the age" signifies the beginning of the New Church and the end of the former church, "the coming of the Lord" the beginning of the New Church, and "the consummation of the age" the end of the old church, therefore in these chapters the Lord instructs His disciples respecting the successive vastation of the former church, and at its end the establishment of the New Church; but He instructs and teaches them by mere correspondences, which cannot be unfolded and made known except by means of the spiritual sense; and because the Lord spoke by correspondences, all of these were signs and thus attestations. Moreover, the Lord calls them "signs." As in Luke: And there shall be fearful things, great signs from heaven. There shall be signs in the sun, moon, and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in desperation, the sea and the waves roaring (Luke 21:11, 25). In Matthew: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man; and then shall all the tribes of the earth lament, and they shall see the Son of man coming In the clouds of heaven with power and glory (Matt. 24:30). The signification in the spiritual sense of these and the other things contained in the twenty-fourth chapter of Matthew have been explained in the Arcana Coelestia, and of "the appearing of the sign of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven" in the work on Heaven and Hell (n. 1); therefore further explanation is unnecessary. [14] In Mark: Jesus said unto the disciples, These signs shall follow them that believe, In My name shall they cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the infirm and they shall be well. And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them by signs following (Mark 16:17, 18, 20). These were miracles, yet still they are called "signs" because they were attestations of the Divine power of the Lord who wrought them; therefore it is said, "The Lord working with them by those signs." If these had been applied to the evil they would have been called "wonders," for with the evil such things only fill with amazement and strike the mind, and still do not persuade to belief; but with the good it is otherwise, for with them the same things are attestations that persuade to belief, and therefore they are called "signs," and it is said "these signs shall follow them that believe." But how these signs can persuade to belief shall be briefly told. These miraculous signs, as that "they should cast out demons," "should speak with new tongues," "should take up serpents," "if they drank any deadly thing it should not hurt them," and "they should become well by the laying on of hands," were in their essence and in their origin spiritual, from which these flowed forth and came forth as effects; for they were correspondences that derived their all from the spiritual world by influx from the Lord. For instance, that "they should cast out demons in the name of the Lord" derived its effect from this, that the name of the Lord understood spiritually means everything of doctrine out of the Word from the Lord, and that "demons" mean falsities of every kind, and these are thus cast out, that is, taken away, by the doctrine out of the Word from the Lord; that "they should speak with new tongues" derives its effect from this, that "new tongues" mean doctrinals for the New Church; "they should take up serpents" was because "serpents" signify the hells in respect to malice, and thus they would be safe from infestation by it; "they would not be hurt if they drank any deadly thing" meant that they would not be contaminated by the malice of the hells; and "the infirm would become well by the laying on of hands" meant to be healed of spiritual diseases, which are called iniquities and sins, by communication and conjunction with heaven, thus with the Lord; the laying on of the hands of the disciples corresponding to communication and conjunction with the Lord, and thus to the removal of iniquities by His Divine power. [15] In Isaiah: Jehovah said unto Ahaz, Ask thee a sign of Jehovah, direct it into the deep, or lift it up on high. The Lord giveth you a sign, Behold, a virgin shall conceive and shall bear a son, and shall call His name God-with-us (Isa. 7:11, 14). This was said to Ahaz king of Judah, because the king of Syria and the king of Israel made war against him, even to Jerusalem, and they also had on their side the tribe of Ephraim, and yet they did not prevail, for the reason that "the king of Syria" here represented the external or natural of the church, "the king of Israel" its internal or spiritual, and "Ephraim" its intellectual; but here these three, the natural, the spiritual, and the intellectual, perverted, and these wished to attack the doctrine of truth, signified by "the king of Judah" and by "Jerusalem," wherefore they did not succeed. Nevertheless, in order that Ahaz might be assured of the frustration of their attempt he was told "to ask a sign," that is, an attestation that he might be assured, and the choice was granted him whether it should be from heaven or from hell; this was signified by "direct it into the deep, or lift it up on high," for the king was evil. But because "Jerusalem," which signifies the doctrine of truth from the Word, was not to be destroyed by such before the Lord's coming, there was given him, as an attestation of this, a miraculous sign, namely, that "a virgin shall conceive and shall bear a son, whose name shall be God-with-us." That this church would subsequently be destroyed is indicated further on in the same chapter. [16] In the same: This shall be a sign to thee from with Jehovah, behold, I will bring back the shadow of the steps which is gone down on the steps of Ahaz before the sun, ten steps backward, that the sun may return ten steps on the steps which it has gone down (Isa. 38:7, 8). This sign was given to King Hezekiah as an attestation that the Lord would defend him and Jerusalem from the king of Assyria (as is said in the sixth verse of that chapter), that king signifying the perverted rational destroying all things of the church; therefore this sign represented also a New Church that was to be established by the Lord, but here that the time would be protracted beyond that indicated to Ahaz just above; "bringing back the shadow that had gone down on the steps of Ahaz before the sun" signifies a drawing back of the time before this should be done, "steps of Ahaz" signifying a time, here even until the coming of the Lord, and the "shadow" signifying the progress of time from the rising to the setting; that the shadow "should be drawn backwards ten degrees" signifies the prolongation of the time for many years still, "ten" signifying many, and the "sun" which should go back signifying the Lord's coming. But this shall be further illustrated. The Lord's coming took place when the Jewish Church was at an end, that is, when there was no good or truth left in it; this is meant by "when iniquity was consummated," also by "the fullness of times," in which the Lord was to come. The entire period of the duration of the Jewish Church was represented by "the steps of Ahaz," its beginning by the first step there, which is when the sun is in its rising, and its end by the last when it is at its setting. This makes evident that by "the drawing back of the shadow" from the setting towards the rising means the prolongation of the time. This should take place "in the steps of Ahaz," because Ahaz was a wicked king, and profaned the holy things of the church, consequently if his successors had done the same, the end of that church would have quickly come; but as Hezekiah was an upright king the time was prolonged, for on that account the iniquity of that nation was not so soon to reach its consummation, that is, its end. [17] In the same: Say to King Hezekiah, This shall be the sign unto thee, Ye shall eat this year that which springeth up of itself, and in the second year that which groweth of its own accord; but in the third year sow ye, reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof (Isa. 37:30). This was said to King Hezekiah when Sennacherib, king of Assyria, made war against him, and spoke proudly of himself and insolently of God and of Israel; in consequence of which also one hundred and eighty 706-5 thousand were smitten in his camp, and he was himself killed by his sons. This was done because "Assyria" signifies the rational, and "the king of Assyria" the like, and "Judea" the celestial of the church, and "its king" the spiritual of the church; but here "the king of Assyria" signifies the perverted rational, which destroys by false reasonings all the celestial and spiritual things of the church, which are its goods and truths. And as "Judea and its king" signify the celestial and spiritual of the church which will be from the Lord when He comes into the world, therefore these things are said by which is described the regeneration of those who will be of that church. So the sign that the first year "they shall eat that which springeth up of itself" signifies celestial good that the Lord will implant in them; "in the second year that which groweth of its own accord," signifies the truth of that good which shall come from it; "to sow, to reap, to plant vineyards, and to eat the fruit thereof," signifies all the goods and truths that flow forth therefrom, "to sow and reap" signifying the implantation of good and its reception; "to plant vineyards" the implantation of truth and its reception; and "to eat the fruits thereof" the enjoyment of good and joyous things therefrom which the regenerate man has. These things are called "a sign" because they are attestations of a celestial church with those who are meant in the spiritual sense by "Judah," whose regeneration is effected by the Lord by the implantation of celestial good, afterwards by the implantation of spiritual good, which in its essence is the truth of celestial good, and finally by multiplication and fructification in the natural man. [18] In the same: Thus said Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel and his Former, They have asked Me signs respecting My sons, and respecting the work of My hands they command Me. I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways. He shall build My city, and he shall send forth My captivity, not for price nor reward (Isa. 45:11, 13). This also treats of the Lord's coming and of the establishment of a church by Him. The Lord is meant by "Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Former," who is called "the Holy One of Israel" from Divine truth, and his "Former" from the establishment of the church by means of truth; and "Israel" means the church; therefore "His sons, respecting whom they asked signs," mean those who are in truths from the Lord, and "the work of His hands" means their formation, and the establishment of a church among them. "I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all His ways" signifies that Divine good and Divine truth are the Lord's, for "righteousness" is predicated in the Word of good, and "ways" signify truths that lead, here Divine truths, because they are predicated of the Lord; "he shall build My city, and he shall send forth My captivity" signifies that He will restore the doctrine of truth, and that He will deliver those who are in falsities from ignorance, "city" signifying the doctrine of truth, and "captivity" the falsities of ignorance in which the Gentiles were, and through which they were in spiritual captivity; "not for price nor reward" signifies freely given from Divine love. [19] In the same: Let them declare to you 706-6 the things that shall happen, declare ye the former things, that we may set our heart and may know the latter end of them; or make us to hear things to come, declare to us a sign for the future, that we may know that ye are gods (Isa. 41:22, 23). That to tell things past and to come belongs to the Lord alone, and not to any man or any spirit, is expressed by "declare a sign for the future, that we may know that ye are gods;" this concludes what precedes, therefore "to declare a sign" means to testify by persuading to believe. [20] In Ezekiel: Take to thee a pan of iron, and set it for a wall of iron between thee and the city; and thou shalt set thy faces against it, that it may be for a siege, and thou shalt lay siege to it; this shall be a sign to the house of Israel (Ezek. 4:3). These and the rest of the things in this chapter are representatives of the state of the church with the Jewish nation, signifying that they had no truth that was not falsified and adulterated, which in itself is falsity. Such truth is signified by "the pan of iron" that he should set for a wall between him and the city; and because this, like iron, is hard, shutting out and not admitting any genuine truth, it is said, "that it may be for a siege, and thou shalt lay siege to it;" that this sign should be a witness that the church is such is signified by "this shall be a sign to the house of Israel," "sign" meaning an attestation, and "house of Israel" the church. [21] In David: The adversary hath destroyed all things in the sanctuary; the adversaries have roared in the midst of Thy feast; they have set up their own signs for signs. We see not our signs; there is no more a prophet (Ps. 74:3, 4, 9). "The adversary hath destroyed all things in the sanctuary" signifies that evil has destroyed the holy things of the church; "the adversaries have roared in the midst of Thy feast" signifies that falsities have destroyed all things of worship; "they have set up their own signs for signs" signifies that they have given attestation and persuaded by every means; "we see not our signs" signifies that no attestations of truth were accepted in the church; "there is no more a prophet" signifies no doctrine of truth. [22] In the same: Jehovah make a sign with me for good, that they that hate me may see and be ashamed, because Thou, O Jehovah, hast helped me and comforted me (Ps. 86:17). "To make a sign for good" signifies attestation that Jehovah will help and comfort him, as follows, for this is the good for which Jehovah makes a sign; and because a sign is an attestation of this it is said "that they that hate me may see and be ashamed." [23] In the same: God who setteth fast the mountains by His power is girded with might; He maketh the tumult of the seas to cease, the tumult of its waves and the noise of the peoples, that the dwellers in the uttermost parts may fear because of Thy signs (Ps. 65:6-8). This describes the Lord's Divine power through attestations that cause belief; but attestations that are signs are not that "He setteth fast the mountains, maketh the tumult of the seas and of its waves, and the noise of the people to cease," for these are not such signs as convince those who ascribe all things to nature; but the things meant in the spiritual sense, in which sense heaven and the church are treated of, are the signs that give attestation of the Lord's Divine power, for in that sense, the "mountains" that God setteth fast by His power mean the higher heavens, because the angels of those heavens dwell upon mountains; and in the abstract sense love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor are meant; these are what the Lord "girded with might, setteth fast by His power," that is, makes them to stand fast forever; that "mountains" have such a signification may be seen above (n. 405); "the tumult of the seas" and "the tumult of the waves" mean the disputations and reasonings of those who are beneath the heavens, and who are natural and sensual; that "seas" signify the things of the natural man, thus those who are natural, therefore their tumults and waves signify disputations and reasonings, may be seen also above (n. 342). "The noise of the peoples" mean contradictions from falsities, for "peoples" signify those who are in truths, and in the contrary sense those who are in falsities (see above, n. 175, 331, 625). "That the dwellers in the uttermost parts may fear because of Thy signs" signifies holy worship from faith in regard to Divine power with those who are in the ultimates of heaven and the church; that "to fear" means to worship the Lord from charity and faith may be seen above (n. 696); and that "dwellers in the uttermost parts" mean those who are in the ultimates of heaven and the church, and are in the faith of charity there, is evident, since "the uttermost parts" mean the ultimates of heaven and the church. From this it is clear that "signs" here signify attestations respecting the Lord's Divine power. [24] In Jeremiah: This shall be the sign unto you that I will visit upon you in this place, that ye may know that My words shall stand against you for evil. Behold, I give the king of Egypt into the hand of his adversaries and into the hand of them that seek his soul (Jer. 44:29, 30). This treats of those of the church who have become natural, who are meant by those who sojourned in Egypt and returned therefrom. That such would be destroyed by evils and falsities is meant by "He will give the king of Egypt into the hand of his adversaries and into the hand of them that seek his soul," "adversaries" here meaning those who are in evils, and "them that seek the soul" those who are in falsities, thus in an abstract sense evils and falsities (that "Egypt" means the natural man see above, n. 654). This is called a "sign," because it is an attestation that this will be done; therefore it is added, "that ye may know that my words shall stand against you for evil." [25] That a "sign" means attestation of certainty is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah: Hezekiah said, What is the sign that I am to go up into the house of Jehovah? (Isa. 38:22) In the book of Judges: Gideon said to the angel of Jehovah, Show me a sign that it is thou that speakest to me; and the sign was, that when he touched with the staff the flesh and unleavened bread which Gideon had offered, a fire went up out of the rock and consumed them (Judg. 6:17, 21). In the first book of Samuel: This shall be the sign unto thee that shall come upon thy two sons, in one day they shall die, both of them (1 Sam. 2:34). If the Philistines say, Come up unto us, then will we go up, for Jehovah hath given them into our hand; this shall be the sign unto us (1 Sam. 14:10). Nearly the same is signified by: The signs of the covenant (Gen. 9:13; 17:11; Ezek. 20:12, 20; and elsewhere); namely, attestations respecting conjunction. [26] Attestations are signified also by "signs" wrought by the evil that appeared like miracles, as in the following passages. In Isaiah: Jehovah maketh void the signs of the liars, He rendereth the diviners mad, He turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge stupid (Isa. 44:25). In Jeremiah: Jehovah hath said, Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of the heavens; for the nations are dismayed at them. The statutes of the nations 706-7 are vanity (Jer. 10:2, 3). In Revelation: The beast coming up out of the earth did great signs, so that he even maketh fire to come down from heaven unto the earth before men, and seduceth them that worship 706-8 upon the earth, because of the signs that were given him to do (Rev. 13:13, 14). They are the spirits of demons doing signs to go forth unto the kings of the earth, to gather them together unto the war of that great day (Rev. 16:14). And again: The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet that did signs before him, by which he seduced them that had received the mark of the beast (Rev. 19:20). But what is meant by "signs upon the hand and in the forehead" may be seen above (n. 427). Again, the "signs" that were set upon mountains to gather the people together to war, to battle, and so on, signified indications to do the things commanded. As in Isaiah: It shall be in that day that the root of Jesse, which standeth for an ensign of the peoples, the nations shall seek, and his rest shall be glory. When he shall lift up an ensign to the nations, and shall gather together the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah from the four winds of the earth (Isa. 11:10-12). In Jeremiah: Set thee up signs, place for thee columns, set thine heart to the highway, the way thou mayest go (Jer. 31:21). In the same: Declare ye among the nations, and make to be heard, and lift up an ensign; Babylon is taken (Jer. 50:2). Lift up an ensign against the walls of Babylon, keep the watch, set the watchmen. Lift up an ensign in the land, sound the trumpet among the nations (Jer. 51:12, 27); and elsewhere, especially in the historical parts of the Word. From all these passages quoted from the Word it is clear that "a great sign seen in heaven" signifies Divine manifestation and attestation (as also in the third verse of this chapter, and afterwards in chap. 15:1).
707.A woman arrayed with the sun, signifies the church with those who are in love to the Lord, and thence in love towards the neighbor. This is evident from the signification of "woman," as being the spiritual affection of truth, from which the church is a church, consequently also the church in respect to that affection (of which above, n. 555); it follows that this means the New Church to be established by the Lord after the end of the present church, which is in the Christian world. This is evident also from the signification of the "sun," as being the Lord in relation to the Divine love, thus also love to the Lord from the Lord (of which also above, n. 401, 412); also from the signification of "arrayed" as being to live from that love, for the life of the love of everyone, both of man and of spirit and angel, forms a sphere about them from which what is their quality is perceived, even afar off; moreover, by means of that sphere consociations and conjunctions are effected in the heavens and also in the hells; and as here the church which is in love to the Lord from the Lord is treated of, and that church is meant by "the woman," and that love by "the sun," so "the woman arrayed with the sun" signifies the church with those who are in love to the Lord from the Lord. It is added, and thence in love towards the neighbor, because love towards the neighbor is derived from love to the Lord, as what is posterior is derived from its prior, or what is exterior from its interior; in a word, as an effect from its effecting cause; for love to the Lord is to love and to will those things that are of the Lord, consequently those things that the Lord has commanded in the Word, and love towards the neighbor is to act from that will, thus it consists in the performance of uses, which are effects. That this "woman" signifies the New Church, which is to be established by the Lord after the end of the church now existing in the Christian world, can be seen from what follows in this chapter, namely, that "she brought forth a son, a male child which the dragon wished to devour, and that was caught up to God," and that "the woman fled into the wilderness," and there too "the dragon wished to destroy her;" for from what follows it will be seen that "the son a male" means the truth of the doctrine of that church, and "the dragon" means those who are opposed to the truths of that doctrine. That the church here meant by the "woman" is the same church as "the New Jerusalem" that is described chap. 21, and is there (verse 9) called "the bride, the Lamb's wife," will be seen in the explanation of that chapter.
708.And the moon under her feet, signifies faith with those who are natural and who are in charity. This is evident from the signification of "moon" as being faith in which there is charity (of which presently); and from the signification of "feet," as being things natural (of which above, n. 69, 600, 632); here, therefore, those who are natural, because this is said of the "woman," by whom the church is signified, and the "sun" with which she was arrayed, signifies love to the Lord from the Lord and love to the neighbor (as shown in the preceding article); therefore "the woman arrayed with the sun" signifies the church with those who are celestial and thence spiritual, and "the moon under her feet" signifies the church with those who are natural and sensual, and at the same time in the faith of charity; for the goods and the truths therefrom of heaven and the church succeed in order, like the head, the body, and the feet with man. In the head of the Greatest Man, which is heaven, are those who are in love to the Lord from the Lord, and these are called celestial; but in the body, from the breast even to the loins of that Greatest Man, which is heaven, are those who are in love towards the neighbor, and these are called spiritual; but in the feet of the Greatest Man, which is heaven, are those who are obscurely in the faith of charity, and these are called natural. [2] But that this may be clearly apprehended it must be known that there are two kingdoms into which the heavens are divided, one called the celestial, and the other the spiritual; and that there are three heavens, the highest called the celestial, the middle called the spiritual, and the lowest called the celestial-natural and the spiritual-natural. Besides these distinctions in the heavens, however, there is the further distinction between those who receive light, that is, intelligence, from the Lord as a sun, and those who receive light and intelligence from the Lord as a moon. Those who receive the light of intelligence from the Lord as a sun are those with whom the intellectual and its rational have been opened, and who have, in consequence, thought rationally about what should be believed from the spiritual affection of truth; while those who receive light from the Lord as a moon are those in whom the intellectual and interior rational have not been opened, but only the natural, and who in consequence have thought from the memory about what should be believed; and to think about this from the memory is to think only from such things as have been heard from a teacher or preacher, which they call truths and believe to be truths although they may be falsities, since they are not seen beyond the memory. If such while in the world were also in the faith of charity, they are in the heavens under the Lord as a moon, for the lumen, from which is their intelligence, is like the moon's lumen in the nighttime, while the light from which is the intelligence of those who are in the heavens under the Lord as a sun is like the light of day. Of what nature the difference is can be seen from the difference between the light of the sun in the day and the light of the moon in the night. There is the further difference that those who are under the Lord as a moon can see nothing in the light that those have who are under the Lord as a sun, for the reason that their light is not genuine light but a reflected light, which can receive falsities as well as truths if only there seems to be good in the falsities. Because all those who are in the heavens under the Lord as a moon are natural and sensual, and have nothing in common with those who are in the heavens under the Lord as a sun, and moreover are in falsities, though in falsities in which there is good, therefore the moon was seen "under the feet" of the woman, which means the faith with those who are natural. [3] Thus much respecting the faith of those in heaven who are under the Lord as a moon. A few things shall also be said about their affection, from which faith derives its life. Their affection of knowing truth and doing good is, like themselves, natural, thus deriving more or less from the glory of being learned, and from reputation that looks to honors and gain as rewards, differing in this from such spiritual affection of knowing truth and doing good as those have who are in heaven under the Lord as a sun, for with these this affection is so separated from natural affection that the natural affection is under the feet. This, also, is why "the moon," which signifies not only faith but also its affection, was here seen under the feet. (But a fuller idea of this can be gained from what is said and shown in the work on Heaven and Hell, under the heads, Heaven is Divided into Two Kingdoms, n. 20-28; The Sun and the Moon in Heaven, Light and Heat in the Heavens, n. 116-140; and The Correspondence of Heaven with all Things of Man, n. 51-102; also in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem respecting those who are in falsities from good, n. 21.) That "the sun" signifies the Lord in relation to Divine love, and thus love to the Lord from the Lord, and "the moon" the truth of faith, may be seen above (n. 401); moreover, respecting the heavens that are under the Lord as a sun, and those under the Lord as a moon, see also above (n. 411, 422, 527). To this is to be added, that there are three heavens that are under the Lord as a moon, a higher, a middle, and a lower; or what is the same, an interior, a middle, and an exterior, but yet all who are in these heavens are natural. These heavens are interior, middle, and exterior, because the natural like the spiritual is divided into three degrees; the exterior-natural communicates with the world, the interior with heaven, and the middle conjoins. Nevertheless, those who are in the heavens under the Lord as a moon cannot enter into the heavens that are under the Lord as a sun, because their interior sight or understanding has been formed to receive the lunar light there, and not to receive the solar light. They are comparatively not unlike those birds that see in the night and not in the daytime, consequently when they come into the sunlight that those have who are under the Lord as a sun their sight is darkened. Those who are in these heavens are those who have been in charity according to their religious principle, or according to their faith; but such as are natural and are not in the faith of charity are in the hells under these heavens. From this it is evident that the "moon" here means faith with those who are natural and are in charity; and the moon was seen "under the feet" because those who are in the heavens under the Lord as a moon have nothing in common with those who are in the heavens under the Lord as a sun, even to the extent that they are unable to rise up to them.
709.And upon her head a crown of twelve stars, signifies the wisdom and intelligence of those who are of that church through doctrinals and knowledges of all things of truth and good from the Word. This is evident from the signification of "head," as being wisdom and intelligence (of which above, n. 553, 577), here of those who are of the church that is signified by "the woman arrayed with the sun, and the moon under her feet;" also from the signification of "crown," which also means wisdom and intelligence (of which above, n. 126, 218, 272), also from the signification of "stars," as being the doctrinals and knowledges of truth and good from the Word (of which see n. 72, 402, 535), also from the signification of "twelve," which means all, and is predicated of truths and goods (see n. 430). From this it is clear that "the crown of twelve stars upon the head" of the woman signifies the wisdom and intelligence of those who are of that church through the doctrinals and knowledges of all things of truth and good from the Word. This is said of the woman after it is said that she was "arrayed with the sun, and the moon was under her feet," because the "sun" signifies celestial and spiritual love, and the "moon" the faith of charity, and from these all wisdom and intelligence flow forth; for from the Lord as a sun heat and light proceed, and heat is the good of love, and light is truth from that good, and these two constitute wisdom and intelligence with angels and men, for the good of love enters their will, and truth from that good enters their understanding, and in the will and understanding together wisdom has its seat.
710.Verse 2. And being with child, signifies nascent doctrine from the good of celestial love. This is evident from the signification of "being with child" [or having in the womb] as being, in reference to the church, which the woman signifies, the nascent doctrine of truth from the good of celestial love. For the "womb" signifies inmost conjugial love, and thence celestial love in the whole complex; and the embryo in the womb signifies the truth of doctrine from the good of celestial love, for it has a similar signification as "the son a male" which the woman brought forth, described in the fifth verse, which signifies the doctrine of truth from the good of love, but with the difference that the embryo, being yet in the womb, partakes more from the good of innocence than after it is born, therefore the embryo and the son a male both signify the doctrine of truth, the latter doctrine itself, but the former nascent doctrine. From this it is clear that "being with child" signifies the nascent doctrine of truth from the good of celestial love. [2] The "womb" signifies the inmost good of love, because all the members devoted to generation, both with males and with females, signify conjugial love, and "the womb" its inmost, because there the fetus is conceived and grows, until it is born; moreover, it is the inmost of the genital organs, and from it is also derived the maternal love that is called "storge." Because the man who is regenerating is also conceived, and as it were carried in the womb and born, and because regeneration is effected by truths from the good of love, so "to bear in the womb" signifies in the spiritual sense the doctrine of truth from the good of love. There is also a correspondence of the womb with the inmost good of love, since the whole heaven corresponds to all things with man (of which correspondence see in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 87-102); and thus also the members devoted to generation; these correspond there to celestial love. There is also an influx of that love out of heaven with mothers during the time of gestation, and into the embryos; and from it springs the love of the babe with mothers, and innocence with babes. This shows why the "womb" signifies the inmost good of love, and "to bear in the womb" signifies the nascent doctrine of truth from the good of love. [3] That this is the signification of the "womb," and of "bearing in the womb," can be seen from the following passages in the Word. In Isaiah: Hearken unto Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel carried from the womb, borne from the matrix; even unto old age I am the same, and even to hoariness I will carry; I have made, I will carry, and I will bear and will deliver (Isa. 46:3, 4). This is said of the reformation of the church, and of the regeneration of the men of the church by the Lord. The church is signified by "the house of Jacob" and "the house of Israel," the external church by "the house of Jacob," and the internal by "the house of Israel." "Those carried from the womb" signify those who are being regenerated by the Lord, and "those borne from the matrix" signify those who are regenerated. Because the man who is being regenerated is first conceived by the Lord, and next is born, and lastly is educated and perfected, and because regeneration is in this respect like the natural generation of man, so "to be carried from the womb" signifies the state of the man who is to be regenerated from conception to birth; the birth itself and afterwards education and perfection, is signified by "to be borne from the matrix; even unto old age I am the same, and even to hoariness I will carry;" "I have made, I will carry, and I will bear and will deliver," have like significations; the former meaning regeneration by the goods of love and charity, and the latter regeneration by the truths from those goods; "to deliver" means to take away and remove evils and falsities that are from hell. [4] In Hosea: Ephraim, as a bird shall his glory fly away, from the birth and from the belly and from conception; yea, if they have brought up their sons, yet I will make them bereaved of man. Give to them, O Jehovah, a miscarrying matrix and dry breasts. Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall yield no fruit, even when they have borne I will kill the desires of their belly (Hos. 9:11, 12, 14, 16). "Ephraim" means the church in respect to the understanding of truth and good; that there will be no longer any understanding of Divine truth in the church is signified by "Ephraim, as a bird shall his glory fly away," "glory" signifying Divine truth, and "to fly away" signifying to be scattered; the expression "to fly away" is used because it is said of a bird, and a bird is mentioned because it signifies things belonging to the understanding and to thought therefrom; "from the birth and from the belly and from conception" signifies the dispersion of all truth from things last to things first, "birth" signifying things last, because it signifies what has been born; "from the belly and from conception" signifies what is before birth, thus all things from things last to things first, for when last things perish things prior also successively fall away; "if they have brought up their sons, yet I will make them bereaved of man," signifies that although they have acquired for themselves truths, yet they will be without intelligence, "sons" signifying the truths of the church, and "man" intelligence, therefore "to make them bereaved of man" signifies that still they have no intelligence. [5] "Give them, O Jehovah, a miscarrying matrix and dry breasts," signifies that they have no longer truths from any good, but falsities from evil; "a miscarrying matrix" signifying falsities from evil in the place of truth from good, "dry breasts" have a like meaning, but "matrix" signifies truths from the good of love, and "breasts" truths from the good of charity, here falsities from evil contrary to those truths; "Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up," signifies there is no longer any understanding of truth even from things first, Ephraim here as above meaning the understanding of the truth of the church, and "root" its first; "they shall yield no fruit" signifies no good, for where there are no truths there is no good; "even when they have borne, I will kill the desires of their belly," signifies that although they have acquired for themselves truths, they will nevertheless perish, "desires of the belly" signifying truths acquired; it is said the "belly" instead of the womb, because the belly seems to swell in childbearing, and yet the term "belly" is used where truths are treated of, and "womb" where good is treated of. [6] In David: For thou art He that took me out of the womb, giving me trust from my mother's breasts; I was cast upon Thee; Thou art my God from my mother's belly (Ps. 22:9, 10). This, too, describes the regeneration of the spiritual man by such things as belong to natural generation from the mother; therefore "Thou art He that took me out of the womb" signifies that one is regenerated by the Lord and made a man of the church; "Thou dost give me trust from my mother's breasts" signifies that one is afterwards led and spiritually educated, "the mother's breasts" signifying spiritual nourishment in such things as belong to the church, "mother" meaning the church; "I was cast upon thee from the womb" signifies that the Lord has done all things from the good of love, and "Thou art my God from my mother's belly" signifies that He has done all things by means of truths, for, as has been said above, where the good of love is treated of the term "womb" is used, and where truths from that good are treated of the term "belly" is used; therefore it is said, "Thou art my God," for where the good of love is treated of the Lord is called "Jehovah," and where truths are treated of He is called "God." [7] In the Gospels: Woe to them that bear in the womb, and to them that give suck in those days (Matt. 24:19; Mark 13:17; Luke 21:23). These chapters treat of the consummation of the age, which means the end of the church when there is the Last Judgment; therefore "those that bear in the womb" and "those that give suck in those days," over whom there is lamentation, mean those who then receive the goods of love and the truths of such good; "those that bear in the womb" mean those who receive the good of love, and "those that give suck" mean those who receive the truths of that good, for the "milk" which is given signifies truth from the good of love. It is said, "Woe to them," because those who receive goods and truths are unable to keep them, for in such a state hell prevails and snatches away the goods and truths, and thence comes profanation. Hell then prevails because at the end of the church the falsities of evil rule, and take away the truths of good; for man is held in the midst between heaven and hell, and before the Last Judgment that which arises out of hell prevails over that which comes down out of heaven. (See respecting this in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 538, 540, 541, 546, 589-596; and in the small work on The Last Judgment, n. 73, 74.) [8] In Luke: Behold, the days shall come in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren and the bellies that have not borne, and the breasts that have not given suck (Luke 23:29). This has a like signification, for it is said of the last time of the church; and "the barren," and "the bellies that have not borne," signify those who have not received genuine truths, that is, truths from the good of love, and "the breasts that have not given suck" signify those who have not received genuine truths from the good of charity. For all truths are from good; and goods are of two kinds, celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord, and spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbor; "breasts" have a similar signification as "milk," namely, truth from good. [9] In the same: A woman lifting up her voice out of the throng said of Jesus, Blessed is the belly that bare Thee, and the breasts that Thou hath sucked; but Jesus said, Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it (Luke 11:27, 28). Because "to bear in the belly" and "to give suck with the breasts" signify the regeneration of man, as has been said above, the Lord answered, "Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it," which describes the regeneration that is effected by truths from the Word and a life according to them; "to hear the Word of God" signifies to learn truths from the Word, and "to keep it" signifies to live according to those truths. [10] In John: Nicodemus said, How can a man be born when he is old? he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except one be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of the heavens. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit (John 3:4-6). Nicodemus evidently understood natural generation instead of the spiritual generation, of which the Lord spoke, therefore the Lord teaches him concerning regeneration, which is effected by truths from the Word, and by a life according to them, and this is signified by "being born of water and of the spirit," for "water" means in the spiritual sense the truth from the Word, and "the life is spirit" 710-1 according to it. That man is born natural and becomes spiritual by a life according to truths from the Word, is signified by "that which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit;" that the natural man cannot be saved unless he becomes spiritual is meant by "except one be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of the heavens." [11] Because it is the Lord alone who reforms and regenerates man, He is called in the Word "the Former from the womb," as in Isaiah: Jehovah, thy Maker and thy Former from the womb, helpeth thee (Isa. 44:2, 24). In the same: Jehovah hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother doth He make mention of my name. Thus said Jehovah, my Former from the womb, to be His servant, to bring back Jacob to Him, and that Israel be gathered to Him (Isa. 49:1, 5). In many passages in the Word the Lord is called "Creator," "Maker," and "Former from the womb," and also "Redeemer;" for the reason that He creates man anew, reforms, regenerates, and has redeemed him. It may be believed that the Lord is so called because He created man and forms him in the womb, but yet it is the spiritual creation and formation that is here meant; for the Word is both natural and spiritual; it is natural for men, who are natural, and spiritual for angels, who are spiritual, as can also be seen from this, that what is here said is said of Israel, and in the highest sense of the Lord. "Israel" means the church, thus every man of the church; and because the Lord knows what the nature of every man is in respect to the good of love and the truth of faith it is said, "Jehovah hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother doth He make mention of my name;" 710-2 "to call and to know the name" of anyone signifies to know of what nature he is; "from the womb" means to know this in respect to the good of love; and "from the bowels of my mother" in respect to the truths from that good; "Jacob" who shall be brought again to Him, and "Israel" who shall be gathered to Him, signify the church, "Jacob" the external church, and "Israel" the internal church; the internal church is in the spiritual man, the external in the natural. [12] In Jeremiah: Before I formed thee in the womb I knew thee, and before thou camest forth from the womb I sanctified thee; I will give thee as a prophet unto the nations (Jer. 1:5). This is said of the prophet Jeremiah, but yet "prophet" means in the spiritual sense one who teaches truth, and in the abstract sense the doctrine of truth; therefore "to form in the womb," and "to know before he came forth from the womb," signify a foreseeing that one can be in truths from good by regeneration, thus that one can receive and teach the Word. "To sanctify" and "to give as a prophet to the nations" have the same meaning; "nations" are those who are in good, and who from good receive truths. [13] In David: Upon Thee have I been laid from the womb. Thou art He that took me out of my mother's bowels (Ps. 71:6). This has a like meaning. In the same: Lo, sons are the heritage of Jehovah, the fruit of the belly is his reward (Ps. 127:3). Here, as elsewhere in the Word, "sons" mean those who are in truths from good, and "fruit of the belly" means those who are in good by truths, who have heaven, which is a "heritage" and also a "reward." [14] In Isaiah: Can a woman forget her infant, that she may not have compassion on the son of her belly? Yea, though these may forget, yet will not I forget thee (Isa. 49:15). This is said because in the spiritual sense regeneration is meant, and this is why there is a comparison made with a woman and her love for her infant; the like is true of one who is regenerated by the Lord. [15] In David: Jehovah hath sworn truth unto David, Of the fruit of thy belly will I set upon thy throne (Ps. 132:11). By "David," here as elsewhere, the Lord in relation to the spiritual kingdom, which is his royalty, is meant, therefore "to set of the fruit of his belly upon his throne" means one who is being regenerated by the Lord; such a man is called "the fruit of his belly" because he is in truths and in a life according to them; the "throne" which he shall have means heaven. This is what is signified by these words in the spiritual sense, but in the highest sense the Lord and His glorification are meant. [16] In the same: Thou dost possess my reins, Thou hast covered me in my mother's belly (Ps. 139:13). "To possess the reins" signifies to purify truths from falsities (see above, n. 167); and "to cover in the mother's belly" signifies to defend from the falsities of evil which are from hell, and this from the beginning of regeneration and afterwards continually. [17] In the same: The wicked are estranged from the womb, they go astray from the belly, speaking falsehood (Ps. 58:3). This does not mean that the wicked are estranged from the womb, and go astray from the belly, that is, from birth; for no one is estranged from God and goes astray from birth; but "to be estranged from the womb" signifies to turn away from good to evil from the first day when one could be reformed, and "to go astray from the belly" signifies to turn away in like manner from truths to falsities; and "to speak falsehood" signifies to believe falsities. Such are said to turn away from the first day when they could be reformed, because the Lord strives to reform all, whoever they may be, beginning from childhood and continuing through adolescence to youth, but those who do not suffer themselves to be reformed are said to turn away at once. [18] In Hosea: The iniquity of Ephraim is tied together, his sin is hidden away, the throes of a woman in travail shall come upon him; he is a son not wise, for he doth not stay his time in the womb of sons (Hos. 13:12, 13). "Ephraim" signifies the understanding of truth, here the understanding perverted, which is the understanding of falsity instead of truth; its falsity is signified by "iniquity," and the evil of falsity by "his sin;" therefore he is called "a son not wise;" his not accepting reformation is signified by "the throes of a woman in travail shall come upon him," and by "he doth not stay his time in the womb of sons," this signifying that he does not remain in a state of reformation. [19] In Isaiah: I knew that in dealing treacherously thou wouldst deal treacherously, and the name of a transgressor was given thee from the womb (Isa. 48:8). This is said of "the house of Jacob," which means the perverted church; "to deal treacherously" signifies to act contrary to revealed truths; and "to have the name of a transgressor given from the womb" signifies a turning away from truths from the first time when one might be reformed; "to be called by name" signifies of what quality one is in respect to truths. [20] In Hosea: Jacob supplanted his brother in the womb, and in his vigor he struggled powerfully with God (Hos. 12:3). What this signifies in the internal sense no one can know unless it is known that Jacob and his posterity even from their fathers down were merely natural, and therefore were opposed to the good of heaven and the church; for whoever is natural and not at the same time spiritual is opposed to that good, since that good is acquired solely through the conjunction of truth and good, first in the spiritual man and afterwards in the natural; but "Esau" signifies natural good in the spiritual. Now because Jacob and his posterity were such, and because they rejected every such good, and this from the very first time, it is said of Jacob that "he supplanted his brother in the womb." Moreover, the combat of Jacob with the angel, which is described in Genesis 32:24-31, depicts the tenacity with which they insisted upon possessing the land of Canaan, which means that a church should be instituted with them; this tenacity is depicted by that combat, and also by what is said in the next verse, in Hosea: And he struggled vigorously with the angel, he wept and entreated him (Hos. 12:4). But that they would nevertheless be destitute of any good of celestial and spiritual love is meant by: The angel touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh, and the hollow of his thigh was put out of joint in wrestling with the angel (Gen. 32:24, 31). For the thigh signifies the conjunction of good and truth, and "its being put out of joint" signifies that with Jacob and his posterity there was no conjunction of truth with good; this is meant by "Jacob struggled vigorously with God." (But on this see Arcana Coelestia, n. 4281, where it is explained. That the Israelitish and Jewish nation was not chosen, but was accepted to represent a church, because of the tenacity with which their fathers and Moses persisted, see n. 4290, 4293, 7051, 7439, 10430, 10535, 10632.) [21] In Moses: The sons strove with each other in the belly of Rebecca; and Jehovah said, Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels, and the one people shall prevail over the other people, and the greater shall serve the less. And the days for bringing forth were fulfilled, and behold twins were in her womb; and the first came forth red all over like a hairy garment, and they called his name Esau. And afterwards his brother came forth, and his hand had seized Esau's heel, and he called his name Jacob (Gen. 25:20-26). These historical statements involve what has just been said about Jacob and his posterity, namely, that they were merely natural, and thus were in no natural good from spiritual, which is signified by "Esau." That Jacob's posterity was without that good is signified by Jacob's seizing Esau's heel when he came forth out of his mother's womb, the "heel" signifying the lowest natural. (But this, too, is explained in Arcana Coelestia.) [22] In the same: From the God of thy father and He shall help thee, and with Shaddai and He shall bless thee, with the blessings of heaven from above, with the blessings of the abyss lying beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb (Gen. 49:25). This is the blessing of Joseph by his father Israel, which is explained in the Arcana Coelestia (n. 6428-6434), where it is shown that "the blessings of the breasts" signify the affections of good and truth, and "the blessings of the womb" the conjunction of good and truth, thus regeneration. [23] In the same: That Jehovah may love thee and bless thee and multiply thee, that He may bless the fruit of thy belly and the fruit of thy land, thy corn and thy new wine, thine oil, the young of thy kine and the rams of thy flock (Deut. 7:13). And elsewhere: Blessed shall be the fruit of thy belly and the fruit of thy land, the young of thy kine and of the herd of thy flock (Deut. 28:4) This was said to the sons of Jacob, who understood it only in a natural way, that is, according to the sense of the letter, because they were merely natural, and not in the least spiritual; but these "blessings" signify spiritual blessings, which are of heaven, and thence of eternal life, "the fruit of the belly" signifying the good of love and the truth of that good; "the fruit of the land" everything of the church; "the corn and new wine" all good and truth in the natural man; "the young of kine and of the herd of the flock" the affections of good and truth exterior and interior. In general all this signifies the fructification and multiplication of truth and good. [24] In Isaiah: Behold, I stir up against them the Mede, who will not esteem silver, and in gold they will not delight; whose bows will dash in pieces the young men, and they will have no compassion on the fruit of the belly; their eye shall not spare the sons (Isa. 13:17, 18). The "Mede" means those who make no account of the truth and good of the church, and who destroy the things of the understanding and love that are therefrom; the "silver" that they will not esteem, and the "gold" they will not delight in signify the truth and good of heaven and of the church, "silver" the truth and "gold" the good of these; "their bows will dash in pieces the young men, and they will have no compassion on the fruit of the belly," signifies that the falsities of doctrine will destroy all the understanding of truth and all the good of love; "the bow" meaning the falsity of doctrine, "the young men" the understanding of truth, and "the fruit of the belly" the good of love; "their eye shall not spare the sons" signifies that their perverted understanding and insanity will lay waste every truth of the church, "sons" meaning truths, and the "eye" the perverted understanding, which is insanity. It is to be known that the "Mede," does not mean the Mede, but such persons and things in the church as devastate it. [25] In Matthew: The Pharisees said, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? Jesus, answering, said, Have ye not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they twain shall become one flesh? Therefore they are no more twain but one flesh. What, therefore, God hath joined together let not man put asunder. Moses for the hardness of your heart suffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery; and whosoever marrieth her that is put away committeth adultery. The disciples said, If the case of the man is so with his wife, it is not expedient to contract matrimony. But Jesus said, All do not receive this word, but they to whom it is given; for there are eunuchs who were so born from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God. He that is able to receive let him receive (Matt. 19:3-12). That this contains interior arcana can be seen from the Lord's saying that "all do not receive these words, but they to whom it is given." The interior arcanum contained in these words spoken by the Lord is but little apprehended by men, but it is apprehended by all angels in heaven, because they perceive these words of the Lord spiritually, and the arcana contained in them are spiritual. These arcana are, that there are marriages in the heavens even as on earth, but in the heavens the marriages are of like with like; for man is born to act from the understanding, but woman from affection, and the understanding with men is the understanding of truth and good, and the affection with women is the affection of truth and good; and as all understanding derives its life from affection, therefore the two there are joined together, as the affection which belongs to the will is joined with the correspondent thought which belongs to the understanding. For the understanding is different with everyone, as the truths that constitute the understanding are different. In general there are celestial truths, spiritual truths, moral truths, civil truths, and even natural truths; and of every kind of truth there are species and varieties innumerable; and since in consequence of this the understanding of one is never like the understanding of another, nor the affection of one like that of another, yet, in order that the understanding and affection may act as one, they are so joined together in heaven that the corre