5433. To see the nakedness of the land ye are come. That this signifies that they would like nothing better than to know in themselves that there are no truths, is evident from the signification of “coming to see,” as being to desire to know that it is so, thus that they would like nothing better than to know; from the signification of “nakedness,” as being to be without truths, thus that there are no truths (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “land,” as being the church (see n. 566, 662, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4447, 4535); here therefore the “nakedness of the land” denotes no truths in the church. That “nakedness” signifies deprived of truths, or without truths, is because “garments” in general signify truths, and each specific garment signifies some particular truth (see n. 2576, 3301, 4545, 4677, 4741, 4742, 4763, 5248, 5319). Hence “nakedness” signifies being without truths, as will also be seen below from passages taken from the Word.

[2] How the case herein is, is plain from what was said just above (n. 5432), that they who learn truths not for the sake of truth and of life, but for the sake of gain, cannot but think within themselves that the truths of the church are not truths. The reason is that the affection of gain is an earthly affection, and the affection of truth is a spiritual affection. One or the other must have the dominion, for no man can serve two masters. Therefore where one affection is, the other is not; thus where there is the affection of truth, there is not the affection of gain; and where there is the affection of gain, there is not the affection of truth. Consequently, if the affection of gain has dominion, it must needs be that nothing is more desired than that truths should not be truths, and also that they should be believed to be truths by others; for if the internal man looks downward to earthly things, and vests everything in them, it is impossible for him to look upward, and to vest anything in heavenly things, because the earthly things completely absorb and stifle the heavenly things. The reason is that the angels of heaven cannot be with man in earthly things, and therefore they draw back, and the infernal spirits then come near, who cannot be with man in heavenly things. The result is that heavenly things are naught to him, and earthly things are everything; and when earthly things are everything to him, he believes himself to be more learned and wise than anyone else, in that to himself he denies the truths of the church, saying at heart that they are for the simple. Man must therefore be either in earthly affection or in heavenly affection, for he cannot be at the same time with the angels of heaven and with the infernals; because he would then hang between heaven and hell. But when he is in the affection of truth for the sake of truth, that is, for the sake of the Lord’s kingdom, where the Divine truth is, thus for the sake of the Lord Himself, he is then among angels, nor does he then despise gain so far as it is useful for his life in the world; but he has as the end, not gain, but uses therefrom, which he looks upon as mediate ends to the final heavenly end; thus by no means does he set his heart upon gain.

[3] That “nakedness” signifies to be without truths, may be seen from other passages in the Word, as in the Revelation:

To the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, Because thou sayest I am rich, and have been enriched, so that I have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched and miserable and needy and blind and naked (Revelation 3:17); where “naked” denotes penury of truth. In the same:

I counsel thee to buy of Me gold purified in the fire, that thou mayest be rich, and white garments, that thou mayest be clothed, and the shame of thy nakedness be not made manifest (Revelation 3:18);

“to buy gold” denotes to procure and appropriate good to one’s self; “that thou mayest be rich,” denotes being in celestial and spiritual good; “white garments” denote spiritual truths; the “shame of thy nakedness” denotes being without goods and truths. (That “to buy” is to procure and to appropriate to one’s self may be seen above, n. 5374; also that “gold” is celestial and spiritual good, n. 1551, 1552; that “garments” are truths, n. 1073, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248, 5319; and that “white” is predicated of truth, because from the light of heaven, n. 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319)

[4] Again:

Behold I come as a thief, blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked (Revelation 16:15);

“he that keepeth his garments” denotes him that keepeth truths; “lest he walk naked,” denotes being without truths.

In Matthew:

The King shall say unto them on His right hand, I was naked, and ye clothed Me; and to them on His left, I was naked, and ye clothed Me not (Matthew 25:36, 43); where “naked” denotes the good who acknowledge that there is nothing of good and truth in themselves (n. 4958).

[5] In Isaiah:

Is not this the fast, to break thy bread to the hungry, and that thou bring the afflicted that are cast out into thy house? When thou seest the naked that thou cover him? (Isaiah 58:7); where the meaning is similar.

In Jeremiah:

Jerusalem hath sinned a sin; therefore she hath become a menstruous woman; all that honored her despise her, because they have seen her nakedness (Lam. 1:8); where “nakedness” denotes without truths.

In Ezekiel:

Thou hast come into comelinesses of comelinesses, the paps have been made firm, and thy hair was grown, yet thou wast naked and bare. I spread My skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness. Thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, when thou wast naked and bare (Ezekiel 16:7-8, 22);

[6] this is said of Jerusalem, by which is meant the Ancient Church, as it was when set up, and as it afterward became, namely, that at first it was without truths, but afterward was instructed in them, and at last rejected them. Again:

If a just man who hath done judgment and justice give his bread to the hungry, and cover the naked with a garment (Ezekiel 18:5, 7); where “to cover the naked with a garment” denotes to instruct in truths those who desire them.

In Hosea:

Lest I strip her naked, and show her as in the day that she was born, and make her as a wilderness, and set her like a land of drought, and slay her with thirst (Hos. 2:3); where “stripping naked” denotes to deprive of truths.

In Nahum:

I will show the nations thy nakedness, and the kingdoms thy shame (Nah. 3:5); where “showing the nations the nakedness” denotes to show the ugliness; for all ugliness is from want of truths, and all beauty is from truths (n. 4985, 5199).

607. But the character of this church will be described hereafter. That an idea of it may be presented here, it shall be briefly said that the Most Ancient Church was celestial, as already shown, but this church became spiritual. The Most Ancient Church had a perception of good and truth; this, or the Ancient Church, had not perception, but in its place another kind of dictate, which may be called conscience.

[2] But what is as yet unknown in the world, and is perhaps difficult to believe, is that the men of the Most Ancient Church had internal respiration, and only tacit external respiration. Thus they spoke not so much by words, as afterwards and as at this day, but by ideas, as angels do; and these they could express by innumerable changes of the looks and face, especially of the lips. In the lips there are countless series of muscular fibers which at this day are not set free, but being free with the men of that time, they could so present, signify, and represent ideas by them as to express in a minute’s time what at this day it would require an hour to say by articulate sounds and words, and they could do this more fully and clearly to the apprehension and understanding of those present than is possible by words, or series of words in combination. This may perhaps seem incredible, but yet it is true. And there are many others, not of this earth, who have spoken and at this day speak in a similar manner; concerning whom, of the Lord’s Divine mercy hereafter.

[3] It has been given me to know the nature of that internal respiration, and how in process of time it was changed. As these most ancient people had a respiration such as the angels have, who breathe in a similar manner, they were in profound ideas of thought, and were able to have such perception as cannot be described; and even if it could be described such as it really was, it would not be believed, because it would not be comprehended. But in their posterity this internal respiration little by little came to an end; and with those who were possessed with dreadful persuasions and phantasies, it became such that they could no longer present any idea of thought except the most debased, the effect of which was that they could not survive, and therefore all became extinct.