706. And a great sign was seen in heaven.- That this signifies Divine testification concerning the future church, and the reception of its doctrine, and as to those by whom it will be assaulted, is evident from the signification of a great sign in heaven, as denoting Divine manifestation and testification. That this refers to the church, and the reception of its doctrine, and also assault upon it, is evident from what follows, for the woman means the church, her male child, doctrine, while 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 concerning things to come, also testification, here concerning the future church and its doctrine, and also concerning assault upon it by those who are meant by the dragon and the beasts. This is called a sign, because it manifests and testifies. The terms sign and miracle are frequently used in the Word, sign meaning that which points out, witnesses, and persuades in regard to the subject of inquiry; but miracle means that which arouses, strikes dumb and fills with amazement. Thus a sign moves the understanding and faith, and a miracle the will and its affection; for the will with its affection is what is aroused, stricken dumb and filled with amazement, while it is understanding and its faith that are persuaded by signs and testifications.

[2] That there is a difference between a sign and a miracle is evident from this fact, that although the Jews saw so many miracles performed by the Lord still they asked signs of Him; and also from this fact, that the prodigies wrought in Egypt and in the wilderness are sometimes called signs, sometimes miracles, and sometimes also both. And it is further evident from this, that in every part of the Word there is a marriage of truth and good, thus also of the understanding and will, for truth pertains to the understanding and good to the will, consequently signs there have reference to things pertaining to truth, thus to those of faith and the understanding, and miracles to things pertaining to good, thus to those of affection and the will. What is the specific meaning of signs and miracles, when both are mentioned in the Word, is now plain, as in the following passages.

In Moses:

"I will harden the heart of Pharaoh, that I may multiply my signs and my miracles in the land of Egypt" (Exodus 7:3).

In the same:

"Jehovah gave signs and miracles great and evil upon Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his house" (Deuteronomy 6:22).

In the same:

Hath Jehovah "assayed to come and take to himself a nation out of the midst of a nation, by miracles, by signs, and by wonders" (Deuteronomy 4:34).

In David:

"They remembered not the day in which Jehovah set signs in Egypt, and prodigies in the field of Zoan" (Psalm 78:42, 43).

In the same:

"They set among them the words of his signs and miracles in the land of Ham" (Psalm 105:27).

In the same:

"He sent signs and miracles into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants" (Psalm 135:9).

In Jeremiah:

"Who hast set signs and miracles in the land of Egypt, and even to this day, both in Israel, and in men, and hast led thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt, by signs and by miracles" (32:20, 21).

From these passages it is clear that the prodigies wrought in Egypt, and afterwards among the sons of Israel, are called signs and miracles, signs because they testified and persuaded, and miracles because they aroused and filled [the people] with amazement; yet they agree, in this, that the things which arouse and fill [people] with amazement also testify and persuade, just as those things that arouse the will also persuade the understanding, or as those things that move the affection also by persuasion move the thought.

Similarly in the Evangelists:

In the consummation of the age "there shall arise false Christs and false prophets; they shall give great signs and miracles, and shall lead astray, if it be possible, even the elect" (Matthew 24:24; Mark 13:22).

Here also great signs and miracles have a similar signification, namely, that they testify and persuade, and that they strike dumb and fill with amazement, from which strong persuasion will arise. Who those are that are meant by false Christs and false prophets, and by the elect, may be seen above (n. 624:5, 684:7).

[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 miracle, and the sign or miracle come to pass which he spake unto thee, saying, Let us go unto other gods, thou shalt not obey" (Deuteronomy 13:1-3).

Here a prophet, and a dreamer of dreams, also a sign and miracle are mentioned, because a sign refers to a prophet, and a miracle to a dreamer of dreams; for a prophet means one who teaches truths, and, in the abstract sense, the doctrine of truth, and a dreamer [of dreams] means one who stirs up (another) to do a thing, and, in the abstract sense, the act of stirring up, from which a thing is done; this also pertains to a miracle as the former does to a sign. For prophets were instructed by a living voice from the Lord, and dreamers by representatives arousing to action, 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 which derives its all from the affection is opened. But in this passage, the sight which derives its all from an evil affection is meant, for it is spoken of the prophets who teach falsities and who dream vain things, for by other gods are meant the falsities and vain things that such heard and saw.

[4] That signs signify testifications, which point out 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" (Exodus 4:8, 9).

This is said of the miracles wrought by Moses, when the Lord appeared to him in the bush, which are called signs, because they were to testify and persuade them to believe that Moses was sent to lead them out of Egypt. It is therefore 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 this people not believe in me, for all the signs which I have done in the midst of them; none of the men who have seen my glory, and the signs which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, shall see the land" (Numbers 14:11, 22, 23).

Similarly here likewise miracles 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, by reason of fear, were not willing to enter into the land of Canaan, therefore it is said concerning them that they should not see the land. Similar things are signified by signs in Exodus 14:17; and 10:1, 2.

[6] In the Evangelists:

The Scribes and Pharisees said, "Master, we desire to see from thee a sign; and he answering, said, An evil and adulterous generation seeketh a sign, but no sign shall be given to it but the sign of Jonah the prophet; as Jonah was in the belly of the whale (cetus) three days and three nights, so shall the Son of man be in the heart of the earth three days and three nights" (Matthew 12:38-40; Luke 11:16, 29, 30).

That a sign here means testification that they would be persuaded and believe that the Lord was the Messiah and the Son of God who was to come, is plain; for the miracles which the Lord wrought in great numbers, and which they saw, were no signs to them, because miracles, as said above, are signs only to the good. Jonah was in the belly of the whale (cetus) three days and three nights, 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 signifying completeness.

[7] In Matthew:

The Pharisees and the Sadducees, tempting, asked Jesus "to show them a sign from the heavens. He answering, said, When it is evening, ye say, it will be fair weather, for the heaven is red; and in the morning, it will be tempestuous to-day, for the heaven is red and gloomy. Ye hypocrites, ye know how to discern the face of the heaven, but ye cannot the signs of the times. An evil and adulterous nation requireth a sign, but no sign shall be given to it, but the sign of the prophet Jonah" (16:1-4).

The sign which they asked from heaven here also means testification, that they would be persuaded and believe that the Lord was the Son of God, although miracles were performed, which they did not call signs. The Lord at that time spoke of evening and morning, because "evening and morning" signifies the Lord's coming; here it means, when the church with the Jews was devastated, for then they had "fair weather," because they knew not 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, then this state is signified by the morning when it is tempestuous. This is why the Lord said, "Ye hypocrites, ye know how to discern the face of the heaven, but the signs of the times ye cannot," that is, the Lord's coming; because they were an evil and adulterous nation, that is, one that adulterated the Word, therefore He said that a sign should not be given 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 after a sign? Verily, I say unto you, A sign shall not be given unto this generation" (8:11, 12).

That here a sign signifies testification, from which they might plainly know, acknowledge, and believe that the Lord was the Messiah and the Son of God whom they expected through the predictions in the prophets, is evident from the fact that Jesus sighed in spirit, and said, "Why doth this generation seek after a sign? Verily, I say unto you, A sign shall not be given unto this generation." The reason of this was, that if it had been plainly revealed or told them from heaven, and if so persuaded they had acknowledged and believed, nevertheless they would have afterwards rejected it, 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 testification was not given them from heaven, is clear 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" (12:40).

To turn themselves and be healed means here to profane, as is the case when truths and goods are acknowledged, especially when the Lord is acknowledged, and afterwards denied; this would have been the case if the Jews had turned themselves and been healed in consequence of 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 plain that a sign signifies unmistakeable testification. Concerning the lot of profaners, see the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 172).

[10] In John:

The disciples said unto Jesus, "What sign doest thou, that we may see and believe thee? what workest thou? Our fathers did eat 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 did not give you bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven; for the bread of God is he who cometh down from heaven and giveth life to the world" (6:30-33).

Here also the disciples desired a sign; that this signifies testification 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 concerning bread from heaven, because bread signifies all the good and truth that nourishes the soul, and, in the highest sense, the Lord Himself, from whom are everything of doctrine and everything of spiritual nourishment, by means of which He testified that they might see and believe. Nevertheless testification, which is a sign from heaven, was given to the three disciples, Peter, James, and John, as is evident from the transfiguration of the Lord, for then they saw His glory, and also heard a voice out of heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, hear ye him" (Mark 9:7; Luke 9:35; Matthew 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" (2:16, 18, 19).

That here to show a sign signifies to testify by something wonderful, or by a voice from heaven, is plain. But because such testification would have condemned rather than saved them, as has been said just above, therefore He answered them concerning the temple - by which He meant His body - that this should be dissolved (solveretur), that is, should die, and rise again glorified on the third day. This also is what the Lord meant by the sign of Jonah in the belly of the whale (cetus) three days and three nights. That the temple in the highest sense signifies the Lord's body, may be seen in John (2:21).

[12] In Luke:

"The angel said to the shepherds, There is born to you this day, in the city of David, a Saviour who is Christ the Lord; and this is the sign unto you, ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger" (2:11, 12, 16).

Since a sign meant testification that they might believe that the Saviour of the world was born, it is therefore said that they should find Him lying in a manger, wrapped in swaddling clothes; but that this was a testification no one can know until it is known what is meant by a manger, and by swaddling clothes. A manger means doctrine of truth from the Word, because horses signify the understanding of the Word, as is evident from what has been shown above (n. 355, 364), and in the small work concerning the White Horse 2-4); thus a manger where horses are fed signifies doctrine of truth from the Word. It is said also, 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 also the signification of inn in Luke 10:34, 22:11; Mark 14:14; and elsewhere. And this was the case with the Jews, who were then in mere falsities, through adulteration of the Word. This therefore is what is signified by there being no place in the inn. For if it had pleased the Lord, He might have been born in the most splendid palace, and been laid in a bed adorned with precious stones, but this would have been among 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 primary truths, which are truths of innocence, and also truths of Divine Love; for nakedness when said in reference to a babe, signifies the deprivation of truth. From this it is evident why it was said by the angels, "This is the sign unto you, ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger."

[13] In the Evangelists: the disciples said to Jesus,

"What shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the consummation of the age?" (Matthew 24:3; Mark 13:4; Luke 21:7.)

The coming of the Lord and the consummation of the age signify the beginning of a new church and the end of the former church; the coming of the Lord, the beginning of a new church; and the consummation of the age, the end of the old church. Therefore in those chapters the Lord instructs His disciples concerning the successive vastation of the former church, and the establishment of a new church at its end. But He instructs and teaches them by pure correspondences, which cannot be unfolded and made known except by means of the spiritual sense; and because the Lord spoke by correspondences, therefore these were all signs, and thus testifications. They are also called signs by the Lord, in Luke:

"There shall also be terrors and great signs from heaven; there shall be signs in the sun, the moon, and the stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in hopelessness, the sea and the waves roaring" (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 mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and glory" (24:30).

The signification of these and the other particulars contained in the same chapter, in the spiritual sense, has been explained in the Arcana Coelestia; and the signification of the appearance of the sign of the Son of man in the clouds of heaven has been shown in Heaven and Hell 1); further explanation is therefore unnecessary.

[14] In Mark: Jesus said unto the disciples,

"These signs shall follow them that believe: in my name they shall cast out demons; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall be restored. And they went forth and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them by signs following" (16:17, 18, 20).

Although these were miracles, yet they are called signs, because they testified of the Divine power of the Lord who performed them; therefore it is said, the Lord working with them by these signs. If these had been performed by the evil they would have been called miracles, for with them such things cause only amazement, and make an impression on the mind, and yet produce no conviction; but it is otherwise, with the good, for with them, these same things are testifications which induce belief, they are therefore also called signs, and it is said "these signs shall follow them that believe." But how these signs could produce conviction, shall also be briefly stated. Those miraculous signs - that they should cast out demons, speak with new tongues, take up serpents, that if they drank any deadly thing it should not hurt them, and that the sick should be restored by the laying on of hands - were spiritual in their essence and origin, from which these flowed forth and came forth as effects; for they were correspondences, which derive their all from the spiritual world by influx from the Lord. For example, that they should cast out demons in the name of the Lord, derived its effect from this circumstance, that the name of the Lord spiritually understood means everything of doctrine out of the Word from the Lord, and that demons are falsities of every kind; and these are thus cast out, that is, removed by means of doctrine out of the Word from the Lord. That they should speak with new tongues, derived its effect from this, that new tongues signify doctrinals for the new church; they should take up serpents because serpents signify the hells as to wickedness (malitia), and thus they would be safe from its infestation. They should not be hurt if they drank a deadly thing, denotes that the wickedness (malitia) of the hells should not infect them. That the sick should be restored by the laying on of hands means through communication and conjunction with heaven, thus with the Lord, to be restored to health from spiritual diseases, which are called iniquities and sins; the laying on of the disciples' hands, corresponding to communication and conjunction with the Lord, 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 above; the Lord giveth you a sign; behold, a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, and shall call his name God with us" (7:11, 14).

These things were said to Ahaz, king of Judah, because the king of Syria and the king of Israel made war against him, even unto Jerusalem, on whose side also was the tribe of Ephraim; but still 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 the Intellectual; here, however, those three, namely, 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, therefore they did not succeed. But in order that Ahaz might be assured that their attempt would be vain, he was told to ask a sign, that is, a testification that he might be assured, and the choice was given him, whether it should be from heaven or from hell; this was signified by "direct [it] into the deep, or lift [it] up above"; 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, therefore a miraculous sign was given to him testifying concerning that subject, namely, that "a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son, whose name shall be God with us." That this church would subsequently be destroyed, is shown further on in that 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 ¹ 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" (38:7, 8).

This sign was given to king Hezekiah as a testification that the Lord would defend him and Jerusalem from the king of Assyria - as said in verse 6 of that chapter, - that king signifying the perverted Rational destroying all things of the church; therefore this sign similarly represented a new church, to be established by the Lord, but here, that the time would be extended beyond that which was told to Ahaz just above. Bringing back the shadow that had gone down on the steps of Ahaz before the sun, signifies holding back the time when it should take place, the steps of Ahaz signifying time, here until the Lord's coming, and the shadow signifying the progression of time from the rising to the setting. Its being brought back ten steps signifies the extension of the time as yet for several years, ten signifying several, 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 and truth left in it. This is meant by the words, when iniquity was consummated, and also by the fulness 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 step in its setting. It is therefore plain that by the bringing back of the shadow from the setting towards the rising, means the extension of that time. This would take place on the steps of Ahaz, because Ahaz was a wicked king, and profaned the holy things of the church, therefore, if his successors had acted in a similar manner, the end of that church would have come quickly, but as Hezekiah was an upright king the time was extended; for on that account the iniquity of that nation was not so soon to arrive at its consummation, that is, its end.

[17] In the same:

Say ye unto the king Hezekiah, "This shall be a sign to thee, in this year ye shall eat that which springeth up of itself, and in the second year that which further groweth; but in the third year sow ye, reap, and plant vineyards, and eat the fruit thereof" (Isaiah 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; and in consequence one hundred and eighty-five thousand were smitten in his camp, and he himself was slain by his sons. This was done, because Assyria signifies the Rational, and the king of Assyria the same, while Judea signifies the Celestial of the church, and its king the Spiritual; 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 because by Judea and its king are signified the Celestial and Spiritual of the church which will be from the Lord when He comes into the world, therefore these things are said, which describe the regeneration of those who will be of that church. Consequently the sign, that they should eat in the first year that which springeth up of itself, signifies the celestial good which the Lord will implant in them; that which further groweth in the second year, signifies the truth of that good which shall come from it. To sow, to reap, to plant vineyards, and to eat the fruit of them, signify all the goods and truths which flow forth therefrom; to sow and reap, signifies the implantation of good and its reception; to plant vineyards, the implantation of truth and its reception. To eat the fruit of them, signifies the enjoyment which the regenerate man has of goods and of the things therefrom that give satisfaction. These things are called a sign, because they are testifications concerning the celestial church with those who are meant in the spiritual sense by Judah, whose regeneration is effected from the Lord by means of the implantation of celestial good, afterwards by means of the implantation of spiritual good, which in its essence is the truth of celestial good, and, lastly, by multiplication and fructification in the natural man.

[18] In the same:

"Thus said Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, and his Former; they asked of me signs concerning my sons, and concerning the work of my hands they command me; I have raised him up in justice, and I will make straight all his ways. He shall build my city and let go my captivity, not for price, or for reward" (Isaiah 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. He is called the Holy One of Israel from Divine Truth, and His Former from the establishment of a church by its means, and Israel denotes the church; therefore His sons, concerning whom they asked signs, mean those who are in truths from the Lord, while the work of His hands means their formation and the establishment of the church among them. I have raised Him up in justice, and all His ways will I make straight, signifies that Divine Good and Divine Truth are His; for justice, in the Word, is used in reference to good, and ways signify truths, leading, in this case, Divine truths, because they are spoken of the Lord. He shall build my city, and let go my captivity, signifies that He will restore the doctrine of truth, and liberate those who are in falsities from ignorance, a city signifying the doctrine of truth, and captivity the falsities of ignorance in which the nations were, and through which they were in spiritual captivity. Not for price, or for reward, signifies freely given from Divine Love.

[19] In the same:

"Let them relate to you the things which shall happen, declare ye those former things, that we may set our heart, and may know the latter end of them; or cause us to hear things to come, declare to us a sign for the future, that we may know that ye are gods" (Isaiah 41:22, 23).

That to tell things past and to come belongs to the Lord alone, and not to any man or spirit, is expressed by "declare a sign for the future, that we may know that ye are gods"; this concludes that which precedes, therefore to declare a sign is to testify by persuading to believe.

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" (4:3).

[20] These and the rest of the things in this chapter are representative 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 which he was to set for a wall between himself and the city; and because this is hard, like iron, excluding 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 concerning the church as being such is signified by "this shall be a sign to the house of Israel," a sign denoting testification, and the house of Israel the church.

[21] In David:

"The enemy hath destroyed all things in the sanctuary; the enemies roared in the midst of thy feast; they have set their signs for signs. We see not our signs; there is no more a prophet" (Psalm 74:3, 4, 9).

The enemy hath destroyed all things in the sanctuary, signifies that evil has destroyed the holy things of the church; the enemies have roared in the midst of thy feast, signifies that falsities have destroyed all things of worship; they have set their signs for signs, signifies that they have testified and persuaded by every means. We see not our signs, signifies that no testifications of truth were accepted in the church; there is no more a prophet, signifies no doctrine of truth.

[22] In the same:

Jehovah, "make me a sign for good, that they that hate me may see and be ashamed, that thou, Jehovah, hast helped me, and consoled me" (Psalm 86:17).

To make a sign for good, signifies testification that Jehovah will help and console him, as is said afterwards, for this is the good for which Jehovah makes a sign; because a sign is testification of this, therefore 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 strength, is girded with power; who maketh the tumult of the seas to cease, the tumult of the waves thereof and the noise of the peoples, that the inhabitants of the uttermost parts may fear because of thy signs" (Psalm 65:6-8).

Thus is described the Lord's Divine Power through testifications that induce belief. But testifications that are signs, are not His setting fast the mountains, making the tumult of the seas and of the waves thereof to cease, and the noise of the peoples, for these are not such signs as convince those who ascribe all things to nature, but the signs that testify to the Lord's Divine Power are those meant in the spiritual sense, in which sense heaven and the church are treated of. For in that sense the mountains which God setteth fast by His strength 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 neighbour are meant; these are what the Lord girds with power, setteth fast by His strength, that is He causes them to subsist for ever. 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, and that therefore their tumults and waves signify their disputations and reasonings, may also be seen above (n. 342). The noise of the peoples means contradictions from falsities, for peoples signify those who are in truths, and, in the opposite sense, those who are in falsities, as may be seen above (n. 175, 331, 625). That the inhabitants of the uttermost parts may fear because of Thy signs, signifies holy worship from faith concerning the Divine Power with those who are in the ultimates of heaven and of the church. That to fear denotes to worship the Lord from charity and faith, may be seen above (n. 696); and that the inhabitants of the uttermost parts denote those who are in the ultimates of heaven and of the church, and are in the faith of charity there, is evident from this, that the uttermost parts are the ultimates of heaven and of the church. From these things it is evident that signs here signify testifications concerning the Lord's Divine Power.

[24] In Jeremiah:

"This shall be a sign unto you, that I will visit upon you in this place, that ye may know that my words shall stand upon you for evil; behold, I give the king of Egypt into the hand of his enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his soul" (44:29, 30).

This treats of those of the church who have become natural, 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 enemies, and into the hand of them that seek his soul, enemies there denoting 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 may be seen above (n. 654). This is called a sign, because it is a testification that this will come to pass. Therefore it is said, that ye may know that My words shall stand upon you for evil.

[25] That a sign means testification concerning the certainty of a thing, is evident also from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Hezekiah said, What is the sign that I shall go up into the house of Jehovah?" (38:22).

In the book of Judges:

Gideon said unto the angel of Jehovah, "Show me a sign that thou art he who speaketh to me;" and the sign was this, when he touched with the staff the flesh and unleavened cakes, which Gideon offered, a fire went up out of the rock, and consumed them (6:17, 21).

In the First Book of Samuel:

"This shall be a sign unto thee, which shall come upon thy two sons; in one day they shall both die" (2:34).

In the same book:

"If the Philistines say, Come up unto us, then will we go up, because Jehovah hath given them into our hand; this shall be the sign unto us" (14:10).

Almost similar things are signified by the "Signs of the covenant" (Genesis 9:13; 17:11; Ezekiel 20:12, 20; and elsewhere), namely, testifications concerning conjunction. Testifications are also signified by the signs performed by the evil which appeared like miracles, in the following passages.

[26] In Isaiah:

Jehovah "rendereth vain the signs of the liars, he rendereth the diviners insane, turning the wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish" (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 are vanity" (Jeremiah 10:2, 3).

In the Apocalypse:

The beast coming up out of the earth "made great signs, so that he even maketh fire to come down from heaven unto the earth before men, and seduceth them that worship upon the earth, on account of the signs which were given him to do" (13:13,14).

Again:

"They are the spirits of demons, making signs to go forth unto the kings of the earth, to gather them together to the war of that great day" (16:14).

And again:

"The beast was taken, and with him the false prophet, who made signs before them, by which he seduced them that had received the mark of the beast" (19:20).

But what is meant by signs upon the hand and in the forehead, may be seen above (n. 427). Moreover, the signs which were set upon the mountains to gather the people together to war, to battle, and so on, signified indications to perform the things commanded.

As in Isaiah:

"It shall be in that day the nations shall seek the root of Jesse, which standeth for a sign of the peoples, and his rest shall be glory. When he shall lift up a sign to the nations, and shall gather together the outcasts of Israel and the dispersed of Judah from the four winds of the earth" (11:10-12).

In Jeremiah:

"Set thee up signs, make thee pillars, set thy heart to the highway, the way thou goest" (31:21).

In the same:

"Announce among the nations, and cause it to be heard, and lift up a sign, Babel is taken" (50:2).

In the same:

"Against the walls of Babel lift up a sign, keep custody, appoint guards; lift up a sign in the land, sound the trumpet among the nations" (51:12, 27);

and elsewhere, especially in the historical parts of the Word. From all that has been quoted from the Word, it is evident that a great sign seen in heaven signifies Divine manifestation and testification, as also in the third verse of this chapter, and afterwards in chap. 15:1.

Imibhalo yaphansi:

624. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again.- That this signifies the Divine command that the Word may yet be taught, is evident from the signification of saying, when ascribed to an angel, by whom in this chapter the Lord is represented as to the Word, as denoting command, for what the Lord says, is also a command; and from the signification of prophesying as denoting to teach the Word, of which we shall speak presently. It is said that he must as yet teach the Word, because the quality of the understanding of the Word still remaining in the church was explored, and it was found that the Word was delightful as to the sense of the letter, for this is signified by the little book being in the mouth sweet as honey, the little book denoting the Word. It was commanded that the Word should be yet taught in the church, because its end was not yet come, for the end of the church is described by the sounding of the seventh angel. But here the state of the church immediately before the end, is described by the sounding of the sixth angel, and this state is the subject now treated of. And, before the end is come, the Word when taught is still delightful to some, but not so in the last state or end of the church, for then the Lord opens the interior things of the Word, which are undelightful, as was said above in treating of the belly made bitter, and of the little book that was eaten up.

[2] Why the Word must still be taught, although its interior truths are undelightful, and why a last judgment does not take place before there is a consummation, that is to say, when there is no longer any good and truth remaining with the men of the church, is entirely unknown in the world, but is known in heaven. The reason is that there are two kinds of men upon whom judgment takes place; one kind consists of those who are well disposed (probi), and the other of those who are not. The well disposed are angels in the ultimate heaven, the chief part of whom are simple, because they have cultivated their understanding, not with interior truths, but only with exterior truths from the sense of the letter of the Word, in agreement with which they had lived. For this reason their spiritual mind, which is the interior mind, was not indeed closed, nor was it opened, as with those who had received interior truths in doctrine and life, therefore in regard to spiritual things they became simple, and are called the well disposed. But the ill disposed are those who have lived outwardly as Christians, but interiorly admitted evils of every kind into the thought and into the will, so that in external form they have appeared like angels, although in the internal form they have been devils. When these come into the other life, they are, for the most part, consociated with the well disposed, or the simple good who are in the ultimate heaven. For consociation takes place by means of the exteriors, and the simple good are such that they believe everything to be good which appears as good in the external form, their thought not penetrating farther. But these ill disposed must be separated from the well disposed or simple good, before and after a last judgment takes place; and they can be separated only successively. This is the reason why before the time of the Last judgment the Word must still be taught, although interiorly it is undelightful, that is, as to its interior things; and because the interior things are undelightful, they do not receive them, but only such things from the sense of the letter of the Word as favour their own loves, and the principles conceived therefrom, on account of which the Word, as to the sense of the letter, is still delightful to them. By such means, therefore, are the well disposed separated from the ill disposed.

[3] That for this reason the time is protracted after a last judgment before a new church is fully established, is an interior truth (arcanum) from heaven which at this day can enter the understanding of only a few; yet this is the teaching of the Lord in the following passages in Matthew:

"So the servants of the householder came and said unto him, Sir, didst not thou sow good seed in thy field; whence then hath it tares? and they said unto him, Wilt thou then that we go and gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest while ye gather up the tares, ye root up also the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn. He that sowed the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed are the sons of the kingdom; the harvest is the consummation of the age. As therefore the tares are gathered and burned in the fire, so shall it be in the consummation of this age" (13:27-30, 37-43).

The consummation of the age, signifies the last time of the church. That before this, the well disposed are not to be separated from the ill disposed, because they are consociated by means of the exteriors, is meant by not gathering up the tares lest the wheat be rooted up with them. Concerning this circumstance see also what is said in the small work on The Last Judgment 70:2).

[4] To prophesy signifies to teach the Word, because a prophet, in the highest sense, means the Lord as to the Word, and in the respective sense one who teaches the Word, but in the abstract sense the Word itself, and also doctrine from the Word are signified. These things are signified by a prophet, therefore by prophesying is signified to teach the Word, and also doctrine from the Word. This signification is evident from those passages in the Word, understood in the spiritual sense, where prophets and prophesying are mentioned, as in the following.

In Matthew:

"Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied by thy name? and by thy name have cast out demons? and in thy name done many virtuous things? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you; depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (7:22, 23).

The subject here is salvation, which means that no one is saved by knowing the Word and teaching it, but by doing it; for in the preceding verse, it is said, that those only shall enter the kingdom of the heavens who do the will of God (verse 21); and in the subsequent verses, that he who heareth the words of the Lord and doeth them is a wise man, but he who heareth and doeth them not is a foolish man (verses 24-27). The meaning of the above words is therefore plain, namely, that the worship of the Lord by prayers, and by words of the mouth only is meant by, many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord; to teach the Word, and doctrinals from the Word, is meant by have we not prophesied in thy name, name denoting according to doctrine from the Word, and to prophesy denoting to teach. By casting out demons, is signified to liberate from falsities of religion, demons denoting falsities of religion. By doing many virtuous things, is signified, to convert many. But because they did these things not for the Lord's sake and for the sake of truth and good, nor for the sake of the salvation of souls, but for the sake of themselves and the world, that is, that they might appear [to be such] only in the external form, therefore so far as they themselves were concerned, they did not do good but evil; this is meant by the Lord's saying to them, "I never knew you, ye that work iniquity." It may seem as though they could not work iniquity by doing such things, but nevertheless everything which a man does only for the sake of himself and the world, is iniquity, because there is no love of the Lord and of the neighbour therein, but only the love of self and the world, and his own love remains with every one after death.

[5] Again,

In the consummation of the age, "many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; so as, if possible, to lead into error the very elect" (Matthew 24:11, 24; Mark 13:22).

False prophets and false Christs do not mean prophets, in the ordinary meaning of the word prophets, but all those who pervert the Word and teach falsities; these are also false Christs, for Christ signifies the Lord as to Divine Truth, therefore false Christs signify Divine truths falsified. To show great signs and wonders, signifies the effect and power of falsities by means of confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word, signs and wonders are also produced by means of this in the spiritual world, for the sense of the letter of the Word, however falsified, possesses power, concerning which fact many wonderful things might be related. By the elect are signified those who are in spiritual good, that is, who are in the good of charity.

[6] Again:

"He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward; and he that receiveth a just man in the name of a just man, shall receive a just man's reward. And whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones [a cup] of cold [water] only in the name of a disciple, verily, I say unto you, he shall in no wise lose his reward" (Matthew 10:41, 42).

No one can understand these words unless the signification of a prophet, a just man, a disciple, and the little ones be known, and also the meaning of receiving them in their own name. A prophet, in the abstract sense, signifies the truth of doctrine, a disciple, the good of doctrine, a just man, the good of life, while by receiving them in their own name is signified to receive those things from the love of them. Then by receiving a prophet in the name of a prophet, is signified, to love the truth of doctrine because it is truth, or to receive truth for its own sake; by receiving a just man in the name of a just man, is signified to love good, and to do it because it is good, that is, to receive it from the Lord out of love or affection of the heart. For he who loves truth and good for their own sakes, loves them from themselves, thus, from the Lord, from whom they proceed; and as he does not love them for the sake of himself and the world, he loves them spiritually, and all spiritual love remains with man after death, and gives eternal life. To receive a reward signifies to carry that love with him, and consequently receive the blessing of heaven; to give one of the little ones [a cup] of cold [water] to drink only in the name of a disciple, signifies, from innocence [to love] innocence, and from that to love good and truth from the Word and teach them, to give [a cup] of cold [water] to drink, signifying to love and teach from a little innocence, little ones signifying the innocent and, abstractedly innocence; to give to drink [a cup] of cold [water] signifying to teach from a little innocence, while a disciple signifies the good of doctrine from the Lord. By giving water to the little ones to drink is therefore signified to teach truth from spiritual innocence, and also to instruct the innocent in truths. This is the spiritual interpretation of the above words, and unless this be known, who can understand the signification of receiving a prophet, and a just man in the name of a prophet and of a just man, and of receiving the reward of a prophet and of a just man. Reward signifies love with its delights enduring to eternity.

[7] In the same:

"Many prophets and just men have desired to see those things which ye see, but have not seen them; and to hear the things which ye hear, but have not heard them" (Matthew 13:17).

Prophets and just men in the spiritual sense, mean all those who are in truths of doctrine and in the good of life according to them; and seeing and hearing signify to understand and perceive, in this case, the interior truths proceeding from the Lord, for the understanding and perception of these reform a man, when he also lives according to them. Interior truths proceeding from the Lord are here meant, because the Lord, when He was in the world, opened those truths. In the sense of the letter, to see and hear the Lord are meant, but because the Lord is the Divine Truth itself in heaven and in the church, consequently since all Divine truths are from the Lord, and the Lord Himself taught them and continually teaches them by means of the Word, therefore the understanding and perception of them are signified by seeing and hearing the Lord.

[8] So in Joel:

"I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, that your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions" (2:28).

These things are said concerning the coming of the Lord and the perception of Divine Truth by those who receive the Lord and believe in Him. By the spirit that shall be poured out upon all flesh, is signified the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, for this is meant in the Word by the Holy Spirit. Prophesying signifies to understand and to teach the truths of doctrine. By dreaming dreams is signified to receive revelation, and by seeing visions is signified to perceive revelation; by sons and daughters are signified those who are in the spiritual affection for truth and good; old men signify those who are in wisdom, and young men, those who are in intelligence.

[9] So in Amos:

"The Lord Jehovih doeth not a word without revealing his secret unto his servants the prophets. The lion roareth, who will not fear? The Lord Jehovih hath spoken, who will not prophesy?" (3:7, 8).

Here also prophesying signifies to receive Divine Truth and to teach it; but this passage may be seen explained above (n. 601:8).

Similar things are signified by prophesying, and by prophets, in the following passages in the Apocalypse:

"I will give unto my two prophets to prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days, clothed in sackcloth" (11:3).

And again:

"The time to judge the dead is come, and to give the reward unto his servants the prophets" (11:18).

Again:

"The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy" (19:10).

And again:

"Rejoice, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath judged [their] judgment" (18:20).

That in these passages prophets mean those who are in truths of doctrine, and in the abstract sense, truths of doctrine, and that prophesying means to receive and teach them, especially to teach about the Lord Himself, will be seen hereafter.

[10] Again in Amos:

"Amos said to Amaziah, Jehovah took me as I followed the flock, and Jehovah said, Go, prophesy against my people Israel, and thou sayest, Prophesy not against Israel, and drop not a word against the house of Isaac. Thy wife shall be a harlot in the city, and thy sons and thy daughters shall fall by the sword, and thy land shall be divided by line" (7:14-17).

By prophesying against Israel, and dropping a word against the house of Isaac, is signified, to refute those of the church who are in the falsities of evil, to prophesy denoting to teach and refute, and Israel and the house of Isaac denoting the church. Because falsities of evil are what must be refuted, this is said to Amaziah, who represented the perverted church. That his wife shall be a harlot, signifies the falsification and adulteration of the Word; that his sons and daughters shall fall by the sword, signifies, that the truths and goods of the church shall perish by means of the falsities of evil; and that the land shall be divided by line, signifies, that the church, and every thing belonging to it, shall be dissipated.

[11] So in Hosea:

"By a prophet Jehovah caused Israel to come up out of Egypt, and by a prophet was he guarded. Ephraim provoked him to anger with bitternesses; therefore shall he leave his bloods upon him" (12:13, 14).

The prophet, in the proximate sense, here means Moses, by whom Israel was led out of Egypt, and subsequently watched over, but, in the spiritual sense, by prophet is meant the Lord as to the Word, and by Israel are meant all those of the church who are in truths from good, while Egypt means the natural man, which when separated from the spiritual man, is damned. By Jehovah therefore causing Israel to come up out of Egypt by means of a prophet, is signified that the Lord leads out of damnation those who are in truths from good by means of the Divine Truth in the Word, and that by means of this He guards them. By Ephraim provoking Him to anger with bitternesses, is signified that they perverted the Word as to the understanding of it, Ephraim denoting the understanding of the Word, while bitternesses denote the perversions and the consequent falsities from which proceeds that which is undelightful. Therefore shall he leave his bloods upon him, signifies damnation, because of the adulteration of the truth which is in the Word.

[12] Again, in the same prophet:

"The days of visitation are come, the days of retribution are come; Israel, the foolish prophet, and the man insane in spirit, shall know; this is because of the multitude of iniquity, and the great hatred. Ephraim is a watchman with my God, the prophet is a snare of a fowler in all his ways, hatred in the house of his God" (9:7, 8).

The days of visitation and retribution, signify the days of a last judgment, when the evil suffer punishment, which is signified by retribution, and is always preceded by visitation. By Israel, the prophet, and the man [insane in] spirit, are not meant Israel, the prophet, and a man [insane in] spirit, but all those of the church who are in falsities of evil, and in evils of falsity, and who teach and confirm these from the sense of the letter of the Word. The falsities of evil are signified by the multitude of iniquity, and the evils of falsity by great hatred. Ephraim, who is called a watchman with God, signifies the understanding of the Word, and is therefore called a watchman with God; but because those who are in falsities of evil, and in evils of falsity pervert the understanding of the Word, and thus craftily lead astray, therefore it is said, "the prophet is a snare of a fowler, and hatred in the house of his God."

[13] So in Ezekiel:

"Prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own heart, Hear ye the word of Jehovah; Thus saith the Lord Jehovih, Woe unto the foolish prophets who go away after their own spirit, and have seen not that which is near! My hand shall be against the prophets that see vanity, and that divine a lie" (13:2, 3, 9).

The prophets mentioned here and in other parts of the Word, in the proximate sense mean prophets such as those of the Old Testament, through whom the Lord spoke; in the spiritual sense, however, those prophets are not meant, but all those whom the Lord leads; the Lord also flows in with them, and reveals to them the interior things (arcana) of the Word, whether they teach them or not; these therefore are signified by prophets in the spiritual sense. But prophets who prophesy out of their own heart, and go after their own spirit, and see vanity and divine a lie, mean all who are not taught and led by the Lord, but by themselves, whence they have insanity instead of intelligence and folly instead of wisdom; for they have the love of self instead of love to God, and the love of the world instead of love towards the neighbour, and from these, falsities continually flow. The connected signification of the above words is evident from these things.

[14] So in Micah:

"Night shall be unto you for vision, and darkness shall arise unto you for divination; and the sun shall go down upon the prophets, and the day shall grow black upon them" (3:6).

Here, by night shall be unto you for vision, is signified their having the understanding of falsity, instead of the understanding of truth. Darkness for divination, signifies falsities instead of revealed truths; the sun shall go down on the prophets, and the day grow black upon them, signifies, that there shall be no longer any light from the Lord, flowing-in out of heaven and imparting enlightenment, but thick darkness from the hells darkening the understanding.

[15] Since prophets are mentioned in many passages, and no one has any other idea concerning them than that the prophets of the Old Testament, by whom the Lord spoke unto the people, and dictated the Word are meant; and because the Word, in every detail, has also a spiritual sense, therefore, in this sense, prophets mean all those whom the Lord teaches, thus all those who are in the spiritual affection for truth, that is, who love truth because it is truth. For the Lord teaches these, flows into their understanding, and enlightens them, and this more than with the prophets of the Old Testament, for they were not enlightened as to the understanding, but received the words which they were to utter or write only by the hearing; indeed they did not understand the interior meaning of the words, much less the spiritual. From these things it is evident that prophets, in the spiritual sense, mean all those who are wise from the Lord, whether they also teach or not. And because all truly spiritual meaning is removed from the idea of persons, places, and times, therefore by a prophet is also signified, in the highest sense, the Lord as to the Word, and as to doctrine from the Word, and also the Word and doctrine; and in the opposite sense prophets signify perversions and falsifications of the Word, and falsities of doctrine.

Such then being the signification of prophets in both senses, I will refer to a few passages only where they are mentioned, and in which they mean all who receive and teach the Word and doctrine, and, in a sense apart from persons, the Word and doctrine; and, in the opposite sense, those who pervert the Word, and teach falsities of doctrine, and, in the abstract, the perversion of the Word and falsity of doctrine.

[16] Thus in Isaiah:

"Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail. The old man and honourable he is the head; but the prophet the teacher of a lie, he is the tail" (9:14, 15).

Again, in the same prophet:

"Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets and your heads, the seers hath he covered" (29:10).

And in Jeremiah:

"They denied Jehovah, when they said, He is not, neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword or famine; but the prophets shall become wind, and the word is not in them" (5:12, 13).

And again:

"I have sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending them" (7:25).

And again, in the same prophet:

"Therefore thus saith Jehovah of hosts against the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall; for from the prophets of Jerusalem is hypocrisy gone forth into all the land. Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you; they make you vain; they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of Jehovah" (23:15, 16).

And again:

"The prophets that have been before me and before thee from an age prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence. The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, the prophet shall be known, that God hath sent him" (28:8, 9).

So in Matthew:

"Woe unto you," hypocrites and Pharisees! "because ye build the tombs of the prophets, and garnish the sepulchres of the just, and say, If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partakers with them in the blood of the prophets. Wherefore ye be witnesses against yourselves, that ye are the sons of them who killed the prophets. I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify; that upon you may come all the just blood shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just unto the blood of Zacharias, son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee" (23:29-37; Luke 11:47-51).

In these passages it appears as though the prophets mean simply the prophets through whom Jehovah, that is, the Lord, spoke, consequently that the Lord by "killing the prophets" meant only their death; but yet at the same time He meant the killing and extinction of Divine Truth, as a result of the falsification and adulteration of the Word. For by a person and his function, in the spiritual sense, is meant the thing itself which the person does and says, and thus by a prophet are meant Divine Truth or the Word, and doctrine therefrom. And because the function of a person makes one in act with the person, therefore the particular thing, which a prophet teaches, is meant by him. The shedding of blood also means to adulterate the truths of the Word; and because this was done by the Jewish nation, therefore it is said, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them that are sent unto thee." These words, in the spiritual sense, mean that they extinguish all Divine Truth which they have from the Word.

[17] Because a prophet means the Divine Truth, which is the Word, and from the Word in the church, and because this cannot be extinguished except by those who have Divine Truth or the Word, therefore the Lord said, "that it is not fitting that a prophet perish out of Jerusalem" (Luke 13:33); for by Jerusalem is meant the church as to the doctrine of truth. In the Word also frequent mention is made of priest and prophet, and by priest is there meant one who leads to a life according to Divine Truth, and by prophet, one who teaches it. In this sense priest and prophet are mentioned in the following passages of the Word.

Thus in Jeremiah:

"For the law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the Word from the prophet" (18:18).

Again, in the same prophet:

"In that day the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be astonished, and the prophets shall wonder" (4:9).

So in Ezekiel:

"They shall seek a vision from the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the elders. The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with astonishment" (7:26, 27).

By a vision from the prophet is meant the understanding of the Word; by the law from the priest are meant the precepts of life; by counsel from the elders is meant wisdom therefrom; the king and the princes mean intelligence by means of truths from good; such is the spiritual meaning of these words.

[18] And in Isaiah:

"The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are gone out of the way through strong drink; they err in vision, they stumble in judgment" (28:7).

Again, in Jeremiah:

"A wonderful and horrible thing is committed in the land; the prophets prophesy a lie, and the priests bear rule by their hands; and my people love to have it so" (5:30, 31).

Again:

"From the prophet even unto the priest every one maketh a lie" (8:10).

And again, in the same prophet:

"When the prophet, or the priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the prophetic saying of Jehovah? thou shalt then say unto them, I have forsaken you, both the prophet, and the priest" (23:33, 34).

And in Zephaniah:

"Her prophets are very fickle, men of treacheries; their priests profane what is holy, they do violence to the law" (3:4).

Again, in Jeremiah:

"The priests said not, Where is Jehovah? and they that handle the law have not acknowledged Me; and the prophets have prophesied by Baal, and walked after those that do not profit. The houses of Israel are ashamed; they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets" (2:8, 26).

In addition to the above there are many other passages, where prophets and priests are mentioned together, and by priests are therein meant those who teach life, and lead to good, and by prophets, those who teach truths by which men are to be led. But, in the abstract sense, priests, and the priesthood, mean the good of love, consequently also the good of life, and prophets mean the truth of doctrine, and therefore, the truth which leads to good of life. In a word, prophets must teach, and priests must lead.

[19] Again, in Zechariah:

"In that day, I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, that they may no more be remembered; and also I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land. And it shall come to pass, that when any man hath prophesied, his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live; nay, his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through. It shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed a man of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they put on a coat of hair that they may lie. And he shall say, I am no prophet, I am a man (vir) that tilleth the earth, for a man (homo) sold me from my boyhood" (Zechariah 13:2-5).

The subjects here treated of are the coming of the Lord into the world, and the abolition of representative worship, and also of the falsities with which the doctrine of the church then abounded. For the Jewish nation, with which that church was, placed all worship in externals, and nothing in internals, that is to say, in sacrifices and things external, and nothing in charity and faith, which are internal things, consequently their worship and doctrine consisted of mere falsities, and the nation itself, regarded in itself, was idolatrous. The abolition of such things by the Lord is described by the above words of the prophet. Therefore by, I will cut off the names of the idols out of the land, and they shall no more be remembered, is signified the abolition of idolatrous worship, that is, of worship merely external apart from internal. By, I will cause the prophets and the unclean spirit to pass out of the land, is signified the abolition of the falsities of doctrine. When any man hath prophesied, then his father and his mother that begat him shall say unto him, Thou shalt not live, signifies, that the church to be instituted by the Lord, and which will be an internal church, will altogether extinguish falsities of doctrines, if any one shall teach them. Prophesying signifies to teach falsities of doctrine; father and mother signify the church as to good and as to truth; father signifies the church as to good, and mother, the church as to truth. By, thou shalt not live, is signified to extinguish; this is also signified by, his father and his mother that begat him shall thrust him through. The abolition of falsities of doctrine is also meant by, the prophets shall be ashamed a man of his vision; neither shall they put on a coat of hair that they may lie. The prophets and their vision also here denote falsities of doctrine, and wearing a coat of hair, to lie, denotes to pervert the external things of the Word, such as are those in the sense of its letter; the coat of hair with the prophets represented the ultimate sense of the Word, like the clothing of John the Baptist, which was of camel's hair. By his saying, "I am a man (vir) that tilleth the earth, for a man sold me from boyhood," is signified, that this was the case with those of the Jewish church, which was merely external, and not internal, because they were born in it, and were therefore attached to it.

[20] In Daniel:

"Seventy weeks are determined upon thy people and upon thy city of holiness, to consummate the transgression, and to seal up sins, and to expiate iniquity, and to bring in the justice of the ages, and to seal up the vision and the prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies" (9:24).

These words refer to the coming of the Lord, when iniquity is consummated, or when good and truth no longer remain in the church. Upon thy people and upon thy city of holiness, signifies, upon the church and its doctrine, which are then altogether vastated and extinguished. To consummate the transgression, and to seal up sins, signifies, when all those who are in the church are in falsities of doctrine, and in evils of life; for, as shown in the beginning of this article, the Lord's coming and the last judgment therewith, do not take place until there is no longer any truth of doctrine or good of life remaining in the church, in order that, as above mentioned, the well disposed may be separated from the ill disposed. To bring in the justice of the ages, signifies the last judgment, when every one is rewarded according to his deeds. To seal up the vision and the prophet, signifies the end of the former church, and the beginning of a new church, or the end of the external church, which was representative of spiritual things, and the beginning of the internal church, which is spiritual, the vision and the prophet denoting falsities of doctrine. The same words also signify, that the Lord would fulfil all things prophesied of Him in the Word. To anoint the holy of holies, signifies the glorification of the Lord's Human by union with the Divine Itself; it signifies also all worship afterwards from love to Him.

[21] Thus also in Moses:

"Jehovah said unto Moses, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh; and Aaron thy brother shall be thy prophet" (Exodus 7:1).

The reason why the Lord said to Moses, that He had made him "a god to Pharaoh," was, that Moses represented the Law, by which is meant the Divine Truth, and this is also signified by god in the spiritual sense. For Moses received from the mouth of the Lord the words which he was to speak unto Pharaoh, and he who receives these is called a god; for this reason also the angels are also called gods, and therefore they also signify Divine truths. That Aaron should be his prophet, signifies, that he should teach the truth received by Moses and declare it to Pharaoh; for a prophet, as said above, signifies one that teaches truth, and in the abstract the doctrine of truth. These things are more fully explained in the Arcana Coelestia 7268, 7269).

[22] For this reason the prophets of the Old Testament represented the Lord as to the doctrine of Divine Truth, and the chief of them represented the Lord as to the Word itself from which the doctrine of Divine Truth is derived, as Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and John the Baptist; and because the Lord is the Word, that is, the Divine Truth, therefore He Himself, in the highest sense [of the Word], is called a prophet.

Since Moses, Elijah, and John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, therefore Moses and Elijah were seen speaking with the Lord, when He was transfigured (Matthew 17:3, 4; Mark 9:4, 5; Luke 9:30). Moses and Elijah there mean the Word both historical and prophetical; Moses means the historical Word, and Elijah, the prophetical, because the Lord, when transfigured, presented Himself in the form in which the Divine Truth is in heaven. That Elijah represented the Lord as to the Word is evident from the miracles wrought through him, all of which also signified those things that pertain to Divine Truth or the Word. And because John the Baptist similarly represented the Lord as to the Word, therefore he was called Elijah; as is plain in Malachi:

"Behold, I send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of Jehovah; and he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to their fathers, lest I come and smite the earth with a curse" (4:5, 6).

And also it is plainly declared that John was the Elijah here spoken of (Matthew 11:14; 17:10, 12; Mark 9:11, 13); not that he was Elijah, but that he represented the Word just as Elijah did. And because the Word teaches that the Lord would come into the world, and, even to the most minute details, everywhere treats of Him in the inmost sense, therefore John was sent before Him to teach them that the Lord would come, as may be seen (Matthew 11:9, 10; Luke 1:76; 7:26).

[23] From these things it is plain that the Lord was called a prophet because He Himself was the Word, or the Divine Truth itself, as is evident from John 1:1, 2, 14. That the Lord is called a prophet because He was the Word, is evident in Moses:

"Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken. I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto you everything that I command him. The man (vir) who will not hearken unto my words which he shall speak in my name, of him I will require it" (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).

It is said that Jehovah would raise up a prophet like unto Moses, because Moses represented the Lord as to the law, that is, as to the Word, as said above, therefore it is also said of Moses, that Jehovah spake with him mouth to mouth, and not as with other prophets by visions, dreams, and dark sayings (Num. 12:1-8); by which also the representation of the Lord by Moses is described. For the Lord spoke with himself from Jehovah, that is, from the Divine itself which was in Him from conception, and this is meant by the passage, "I will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto you everything that I command him," and this was also represented by Jehovah speaking with Moses mouth to mouth, and not as with other prophets. This is the reason, therefore, why the Lord is called a prophet also in Matthew 21:11; Luke 7:16; John 7:40, 41; 9:17.

696. And to those that fear thy name, the small and the great.- That this signifies, and to all those, of whatever religion, who worship the Lord, is evident from the signification of fearing the name of the Lord God, as denoting to worship the Lord (of which presently); and from the signification of the small and the great, as denoting of whatever religion; for the small mean those who know little of the truths and goods of the church, and the great, those who know much, thus those who worship the Lord little and much. For so far as a man knows the truths of faith, and lives according to them, in so far does he worship the Lord, for worship is not from man, but from the truths from good that are in man, since these are from the Lord, and the Lord is in them. Those that fear Thy name, the small and the great, mean all who worship the Lord of whatever religion, because, just previously, mention is made of servants, prophets, and saints, by whom are meant all those within the church who are in truths of doctrine, and in a life according to them. Therefore by those that fear Thy name, the small and the great, are meant all those without the church who worship the Lord according to their religion; for those who worship the Lord, and live in any kind of faith and charity, according to their religion, also fear God's name. In fact, this verse treats of the Last Judgment upon all, both the evil and the good. A last judgment takes place upon all, both those within and those without the church, and then all those who, from their religion, fear God, and live in mutual love, in uprightness of heart and sincerity, are saved; for all such by all intuitive faith in God, and by a life of charity, are associated as to their souls with the angels of heaven, and are thus conjoined with the Lord and saved. For every one after death comes to his own in the spiritual world, with whom he was associated as to his spirit during his life in the natural world.

[2] The small and the great signify less or more, that is, those who worship the Lord less or more, thus those who are less or more in truths from good, because the spiritual sense of the Word has no reference to persons, having regard to nothing but the thing signified; and the expression the small and the great there does imply persons, for it means men who worship God. For this reason, instead of the small and the great, less or more are meant in the spiritual sense, thus those who worship less or more from genuine truths and goods. It is similar in respect to the servants, prophets, and saints, treated of just above, by whom, in the spiritual sense, are not meant prophets and saints, but, apart from persons, truths of doctrine and a life according to them. While these are meant, also all those who are in truths of doctrine and in a life according to them are included, for these things are in angels and men as their subjects. But in such case to think only of angels and men is natural, while to think of truths of doctrine and of life - these being the things that make angels and men - is spiritual. It is therefore evident how the spiritual sense, in which angels are, differs from the natural sense, in which men are, that is, in every particular which a man thinks, there inheres something of person, space, time, and matter, while angels think of things apart from these. For this reason, the speech of angels is incomprehensible to man, because it flows from intuition of the thing, and thus from wisdom separated from such things as are proper to the natural world, and thus respectively indeterminate in regard to such things.

[3] To fear Thy name signifies to worship the Lord, because to fear signifies to worship, and Thy name signifies the Lord; for in the preceding verse it is said, that the twenty-four elders gave thanks to the Lord God, Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, therefore to fear Thy name means to worship the Lord. In the Word, both that of the Old and that of the New Testament, the expressions the name of Jehovah, the name of the Lord, the name of God, and the name of Jesus Christ are used, and in such cases name means all those things whereby He is worshipped, thus all things of love and of faith; and, in the highest sense, the Lord Himself is meant, because where He is, there also are all things of love and faith. That such is the signification of the name of Jehovah, of the Lord God, and of Jesus Christ, may be seen above (n. 102, 135, 224), and it is also evident from these words of the Lord:

"If two of you shall agree on earth in my name, as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father, who is in the heavens; for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:19, 20).

Here to agree together in the name of the Lord, and to be gathered together in His name, does not mean in the name alone, but in those things that belong to the Lord, which are truths of faith and goods of love, by means of which He is worshipped.

[4] To fear, when spoken of the Lord, signifies to worship and to reverence, because in worship, and in all things pertaining to it, there is a holy and reverential fear, which leads one to feel that He is to be honoured, and in no way to be grieved. For it is as with children towards their parents, parents towards their children, wives towards their husbands, and husbands towards their wives, similarly as with friends towards friends, in whom there is respect and a fear of giving offence; such fear and respect are in all love and in all friendship, so that love and friendship without such fear and respect are like unsalted food which is insipid. This now is the reason why to fear the Lord means to worship Him from such love.

[5] It is said that to fear Thy name signifies to worship the Lord, and yet those who fear Him mean, here, those who are without the church, to whom the Lord is unknown, because they do not possess the Word. Nevertheless all such as have, in regard to God, an idea of a Human, are accepted by the Lord, for God under the Human form is the Lord; but those, whether within or without the church, who do not think of God as a Man, on their coming into their spiritual life, which takes place after their departure out of this world, are not accepted by the Lord, because they have no determinate idea concerning God, but only an indeterminate one, which is no idea at all, or if it be it is nevertheless dissipated. This is the reason why all who come from the earths (e terris) into the spiritual world, are first explored in regard to what idea of God they have held and have brought with them. If they have no idea of Him as a Man, they are sent to places of instruction, and are taught that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that, when they think of God, they must think of the Lord, and that otherwise there can be no conjunction with God, nor consequently any association with angels. Then all those who have lived a life of charity receive instruction, and worship the Lord; but all those who declare that they have had faith, but who have not been in the life of faith, which is charity, do not receive instruction; they are therefore separated, and sent away into places below the heavens, some into the hells, and some into that part (terra) which is called in the Word "the lower earth," where they suffer severely. Still, however, the Gentiles, to whom the laws of religion are laws of life, receive doctrine concerning the Lord more readily than Christians, and they do so especially because their only idea of God has been that of a Divine Man. We have said these things in order that it may be known why it is that to fear Thy name means to worship the Lord.

[6] In many places in the Word the expression to fear Jehovah God is used, by which worship is meant; it therefore shall be explained in a few words what worship in particular is meant by fearing God. All worship of Jehovah God must be from the good of love by means of truths. Worship from the good of love alone is not worship, neither is that worship which is from truths alone without the good of love; but both are necessary. For the essential of worship is the good of love, but good exists and is formed by means of truths, and therefore all worship must be by means of truths from good. Because this is so, therefore in many passages in the Word, where it is said "to fear Jehovah God," it is also said "to keep " and "do His words and commandments." In these places therefore to fear signifies worship by means of truths, and to keep and do signifies worship from the good of love; for doing is of the will, thus of love and of good, and fearing is of the understanding, thus of faith and of truth, for all truth which is of faith belongs properly to the understanding, and all good which is of love belongs properly to the will. From this it can be seen, that the fear of Jehovah God has reference to worship by means of truths of doctrine, which are called also truths of faith. Such worship is meant by the fear of Jehovah God, because Divine Truth causes fear, for it condemns the evil to hell; but not so Divine Good, for so far as this is received by means of truths by men and angels, it takes away condemnation. It is consequently evident that so far as man is in the good of love there is the fear of God; and that in proportion as dread and terror pass away, and become a holy fear attended with reverence, so far man is in the good of love and in truths therefrom, that is, so far as there is good in his truths. It consequently follows, that fear in worship is varied with every one, according to the state of his life, and also that the sanctity attended with reverence that is in the fear of those who are in good, is also varied according to the reception of good in the will, and according to the reception of truth in the understanding, that is, according to the reception of good in the heart and the reception of truth in the soul.

[7] But what has just been stated will be more evident from the following passages in the Word.

In Moses:

"What doth Jehovah God require of thee, but to fear Jehovah thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Jehovah thy God from thy whole heart, and from thy whole soul" (Deuteronomy 10:12, 20).

It is here said to fear Jehovah God, to walk in His ways, to love Him, and to serve Him, and by all these expressions worship by means of truths from good is described, worship by means of truths is meant by fearing Jehovah God and serving Him, and worship from good by walking in His ways and loving Him. Therefore it is also said, from the whole heart, and from the whole soul, heart signifying the good of love and of charity which pertains to the will, and soul the truth of doctrine, and of faith which pertains to the understanding. The heart corresponds to the good of love, and in man to his will; and soul corresponds to the truth of faith, and in man to his understanding; for soul (anima) means the animation or respiration of man, which is also called his spirit. That soul in the Word signifies the life of faith, and heart the life of love, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 2930, 9050, 9281).

[8] In the same:

"Ye shall go after Jehovah your God, and shall fear him, that ye may keep his precepts, and hear his voice and serve him, and cleave to him" (Deuteronomy 13:4).

To go after Jehovah God, to keep His precepts, and to cleave to him, signify the good of life, thus the good of love, from which is worship; and to fear Jehovah God, to hear His voice, and to serve Him, signify the truths of doctrine, thus the truths of faith by means of which there is worship. Since all worship of the Lord must be by means of truths from good, and not by means of truths without good, nor by means of good without truths, therefore in every particular of the Word there is a marriage of good and truth, as in the passages already cited, and also in the following. (Concerning the marriage of good and truth in the particulars of the Word, see above n.238 at the end, 288, 660).

[9] In the same:

"Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God, him thou shalt serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and in his name thou shalt swear" (Deuteronomy 10:20).

Here also to fear Jehovah God, and to serve Him, involve truths of worship, and to cleave to Jehovah God, and to swear in His name, involve the good of worship. For to cleave to is an expression relating to the good of love, since he who loves also cleaves to; to swear in the name of Jehovah has a similar meaning, for what is about to be done is confirmed by that means. To serve involves truths of worship, because servants, in the Word, mean those who are in truths, and this for the reason that truths serve good, as may be seen above (n. 6, 409).

[10] In the same:

"That thou mayest fear Jehovah thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments; thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God, and him shalt thou serve, and in his name shalt thou swear, ye shall not go after other gods; Jehovah hath commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Jehovah our God" (Deuteronomy 6:2, 13, 14, 24).

Worship by means of truths from good, or by means of faith from love, is also described here. To fear Jehovah God and to serve Him, means worship, by means of truths of faith, and to keep and do his statutes and commandments, and to swear in the name of Jehovah, means worship from the good of love. For to keep and to do statutes and commandments is the good of life, which is the same as the good of love, since he who loves also lives. To swear in the name of Jehovah has a similar meaning, for to swear denotes to confirm by life. That to fear Jehovah and to serve Him, denotes worship according to truths of doctrine, has been shown above. For there are two things which constitute worship, namely, doctrine and life; doctrine without life does not constitute it, neither life without doctrine.

[11] Similarly in the following passages.

In Deuteronomy:

"Assemble the people that they may hear, and that they may learn and may fear Jehovah your God, and may observe to do all the words of the law" (Deuteronomy 31:12).

In the same:

"If thou wilt not observe to do all the commandments of this law, to fear this glorious and venerable name, Jehovah thy God" (Deuteronomy 28:58).

In the same:

The king "shall write for himself a copy of the law, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, wherein he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of the law, and the statutes to do them" (Deuteronomy 17:18, 19).

In the same:

"Thou shalt keep the commandments of Jehovah thy God, to go in his ways, and to fear him" (Deuteronomy 8:6).

And in the same:

"Who will give that they may have a heart to fear me, and to keep my commandments all the days?" (5:29).

In these passages fearing Jehovah God is connected with keeping and doing the commandments of the law, also with going in his ways, because as stated, all internal spiritual worship of God, consisting in the good of life, must be performed according to truths of doctrine, since these must teach. Worship according to truths of doctrine is signified by fearing Jehovah, and worship from the good of life by keeping His commandments and going in His ways, to go in the ways of Jehovah denoting to live according to truths of doctrine; and because worship according to truths of doctrine is meant by fearing Jehovah, therefore it is said that the fear of Jehovah shall be learned from the law. But let it be observed, that the fear of Jehovah denotes internal spiritual worship, which must be in external natural worship; for internal spiritual worship consists in thinking and understanding truths, thus in thinking reverently and in a holy manner of God, which is to fear Him, while external natural worship consists in doing those truths, that is, in keeping the commandments and words of the law.

[12] In David:

"Teach me, Jehovah, thy way, teach it me in truth, unite my heart to the fear of thy name" (Psalm 86:11).

To teach the way signifies to teach the truth in agreement with which the life ought to be lived, therefore it is said, teach it in truth. That good of love must be conjoined with truths of faith is signified by, unite my heart to the fear of Thy name, the heart signifying love, and fear the holiness of faith, which must be united, that is, must be together, in worship.

[13] Again:

"Blessed is every one that feareth Jehovah, that walketh in his ways" (Psalm 128:1).

To fear Jehovah here also denotes to think of God in a reverent and holy manner, and to walk in His ways denotes to live according to Divine truths. There is worship by means of both of these; but in external worship, which consists in living according to Divine truths, there must be internal worship, which is to fear Jehovah, therefore it is said that he feareth Jehovah who walketh in His ways.

Again:

"Blessed is the man who feareth Jehovah, who delighteth greatly in His commandments" (Psalm 112:1).

The signification here is similar to that of the verse above; for to delight greatly in the commandments of Jehovah is to love them, consequently to will and to do them.

[14] In Jeremiah:

"They feared not, neither walked they in my law, nor in my statutes" (44:10).

Not to fear denotes not to think of God from the truths of the Word, thus not reverently and in a holy manner; not to walk in the law of God, nor in His statutes, denotes not to live them, commandments denoting the laws of internal worship, and statutes the laws of external worship.

[15] In Malachi:

"If I be a Father, where is my honour; if I be Lord, where is the fear of me?" (1:6).

The terms honour and fear are used, because honour is said of worship from good, and fear of worship by means of truths. (That honour is used in reference to good, may be seen above, n. 288, 345); therefore also honour is said of Father, and fear of Lord, for Jehovah is called Father from Divine Good, and Lord, in this place, from Divine Truth.

[16] In the same prophet:

"My covenant was with" Levi, "of life and of peace, which I gave him with fear; and he feared me" (2:5).

Levi here means the Lord as to the Divine Human, and the covenant of life and of peace signifies the union of His Divine with Himself (cum Ipso), and fear and fearing signify holy truth, with which there is union.

[17] In Isaiah:

"The spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding; the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah, whence his offering of incense shall be in the fear of Jehovah" (11:2, 3).

These words are also said of the Lord, and they describe the Divine Truth, in which and from which are all wisdom and all understanding. The Divine Truth that was in the Lord, when He was in the world, and which since the glorification of His Human goes forth from Him, is meant by the spirit of Jehovah, which rested upon Him; that He has Divine Wisdom and Divine Power therefrom, is meant by the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and by the spirit of counsel and might. That thence He has omniscience and essential holiness in worship, is meant by the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah; and because fear signifies holiness of worship from Divine Truth, therefore it is said, whence His offering of incense shall be in the fear of Jehovah; for to offer incense signifies worship from the spiritual-Divine which is Divine Truth. That this is the signification of offering incense may be seen above (n. 324, 491, 492, 494, 567). It is said, the spirit of wisdom, understanding, knowledge and fear, for spirit means the proceeding Divine, the spirit of wisdom the celestial Divine, which is the proceeding Divine received by the angels of the inmost or third heaven; the spirit of understanding the spiritual Divine, which is the proceeding Divine received by the angels of the middle or second heaven; the spirit of knowledge the natural Divine, which is the proceeding Divine received by the angels of the ultimate or first heaven and the spirit of the fear of Jehovah means all the holiness of worship from these Divines.

[18] In Jeremiah:

"I will give them one heart and one way, to fear me all their days for good to them; and I will make with them the covenant of an age; and my fear will I put in their heart, that they may not depart from me" (32:39, 40).

I will give them one heart and one way to fear Me, signifies one will and one understanding to worship the Lord, the heart signifying the good of the will, way the truth of the understanding which leads, and fear the holy worship therefrom. I will make with them the covenant of an age, and My fear will I put in their heart, signifies conjunction by means of the good of love, and by means of the truth of that good in worship, covenant denoting conjunction, and fear in the heart, the holiness of worship from truth in the good of love; that they may not depart from Me, signifies for the sake of conjunction. Since conjunction with the Lord is effected by means of truths from good, and not by means of truths without good, nor by means of good without truths, therefore both are here mentioned.

[19] In David:

"O house of Aaron, trust ye in Jehovah, ye that fear Jehovah, trust in Jehovah" (Psalm 115:10, 11).

The house of Aaron signifies all those who are in the good of love, and those that fear Jehovah signify all those who are in truth from that good.

In the Apocalypse:

"The angel who had the eternal gospel said, Fear God, and give glory; adore him" (14:7).

To fear God and give glory to Him signifies to worship the Lord from holy truths; and to adore Him signifies from the good of love.

In David:

"Let all the earth fear before Jehovah; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. Behold the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear him, that wait for his mercy" (Psalm 33:8, 18).

In the same:

"The good pleasure of Jehovah is in them that fear him, in them that wait for his mercy" (Psalm 147:11).

Because the fear of Jehovah signifies the reception of Divine Truth, and mercy the reception of Divine Good, it is therefore said that the eye and the good pleasure of Jehovah are upon them that fear Him, upon them that wait for His mercy.

[20] In Isaiah:

"The mighty people shall honour thee, the city of the strong nations shall fear thee" (25:3).

Here also to honour signifies worship from good, for honour is said of the good of love; and worship from truths is signified by fearing the Lord, as said above. By mighty people are signified the men of the church who are in truths from good, for all power is therefrom; the city of the strong nations signifies those who are in truths of doctrine, and by means of these in the good of love; and as all spiritual power is from that source, therefore they are called strong nations. From these words also it is clear that there is a marriage of good and truth in every particular of the Word; for to honour is said of good, and to fear of truth, both of them in worship. The term people is used of those who are in truths, and by means of these in good, but nations of those who are in good, and from that in truths. And because all power in the spiritual world is from the conjunction of good and truth, therefore the people are called mighty, and the nations strong.

[21] The fear of Jehovah also in the following passages signifies worship in which there is holiness by means of truths.

In Isaiah:

"The heart" of the people "hath departed far from me, and their fear toward me hath become a commandment taught of men" (29:13).

In the same:

"Who among you feareth Jehovah, hearing the voice of his servant? He that walketh in darkness, and hath no brightness; that trusteth in the name of Jehovah, and leaneth upon his God" (50:10).

In Jeremiah:

"They shall bear all the good which I do unto them, that they may fear and be moved for all the good, and for all the peace which I will do unto it" (33:9).

In David:

"The angel of Jehovah encampeth round about them that fear him, to deliver them. Fear Jehovah, ye his saints, for there is no want to them that fear him" (Psalm 34:7, 9).

In the same:

"Who have no changes, neither fear they God" (Psalm 55:19).

In the same:

"The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom, a good understanding have all they that do them" (Psalm 111:10).

Because fear has reference to Divine Truth from which are holiness in worship, wisdom and intelligence, therefore it is said, the fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom, a good understanding, that is, intelligence, have all they that do them.

In the same:

"They that fear Jehovah shall praise him; all the seed of Jacob shall honour him, and all the seed of Israel shall fear him" (Psalm 22:23).

[22] In Luke:

"The mercy" of God "is unto generation of generations to them that fear him" (1:50).

That to fear Jehovah God means and therefore signifies to have a sense of holiness and reverence, consequently to worship him in a holy and reverent manner is also evident from these passages.

In Moses:

"Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and my sanctuary shall ye fear" (Leviticus 19:30);

"Ye shall reverence" (26:2).

In the same:

"The work of Jehovah, how is that to be feared (reverenced), which I will do" (Exodus 34:10).

In the same:

"And Jacob was afraid, and said, How [greatly] to be feared (reverenced) is this place; this is none other but the house of God, and the gate of heaven" (Genesis 28:17).

That to fear, when said of the Divine, and of the holiness of heaven and of the church, signifies to revere and to hold in reverence, is evident from the above passages, also from this fact, that the same word which in Hebrew signifies to fear, also signifies to revere and to venerate.

This is also evident from these words in Luke:

"There was a judge in a certain city who feared not God, neither reverenced man, who said within himself, Although I fear not God, nor reverence man" (18:2, 4).

It is said to fear God, and to reverence man, because to fear signifies to reverence in a higher degree.

[23] In Matthew:

Jesus said, "Fear not them who are able to kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna" (10:28; Luke 12:4, 5, 7).

Here however to fear signifies to stand in fear of dying spiritually, consequently natural fear, which is fearfulness and dread; but spiritual fear is a holy fear, that abides interiorly in all spiritual love variously according to the quality and extent of the love. In this fear is the spiritual man; he knows also that the Lord does not do evil to any one, much less does He destroy any one, as to body and soul in Gehenna, but that He does good to all, and desires to raise up every one, as to body and soul, into heaven to Himself. This is why the fear of the spiritual man is a holy fear, lest through evil of life and falsity of doctrine man should turn away from and thus injure that Divine love in himself. But natural fear is a fearfulness, dread, and terror of dangers, and punishment, and thus of hell; this fear abides in all corporeal love, and also variously according to the quality and extent of that love. The natural man who is in such fear knows no otherwise than that the Lord inflicts evil upon the evil, condemns them, casts them into hell, and punishes them, and on this account such persons are in fear and dread of the Lord. Most of the Jewish and Israelitish nation were in this fear, because they were natural men; for this reason the expression "to be afraid and to tremble before Jehovah" is so frequently used, and also "they were in fear and trembling;" for the same reason it is said of the sons of Israel that "they were sore afraid" when the Divine Law or Divine Truth was promulgated from Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:18-20; Deuteronomy 5:23-25).

[24] It is this fear that is meant in part by "The dread of Isaac" by whom Jacob sware to Laban (Genesis 31:42, 53); for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the Word, mean the Lord; Abraham means the Lord as to the celestial Divine, Isaac, as to the spiritual Divine, and Jacob, as to the natural Divine. The spiritual Divine signified by Isaac is the Divine Truth, which terrifies natural men, and because Laban was a natural man, it is therefore said, Jacob sware to him, by the dread or terror of Isaac. An almost similar fear is meant in Isaiah:

"Ye shall sanctify Jehovah Zebaoth, for he is your fear and your dread" (8:13).

Here fear has reference to the spiritual man, and dread to the natural man. As the spiritual man should not be in such fear as the natural man is in, it is therefore said, "Fear not."

In Isaiah:

Jacob and Israel "Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, calling thee by thy name, thou art mine" (43:1).

In Luke:

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (12:32);

and in Jeremiah:

"Fear not, Jacob my servant, and be not afraid, O Israel, for I will keep thee from afar; Jacob shall be tranquil and at rest, none making him afraid" (30:9, 10)

and in many other passages. Moreover, that fear, terror, consternation, and similar expressions signify various disturbances of the feelings (animi), and changes of the state of the mind, may be seen above (n. 667, 677).