10071. 'And the tail' means all truth there. This is clear from the meaning of 'the ram's tail' as truth. 'The tail' means truth because it comes last, and truth resides in last or lowest things, 9959 ¹ . The tail is also the last part of the cerebrum and cerebellum, for these extend into the spinal cord, and this also terminates in the tail, which is for that reason the appendage at the end of all three. Therefore Leviticus 3:9 says that in sacrifices the tail should be removed next to the backbone. The fact that 'the tail' means truth in last or lowest things, and in the contrary sense falsity, is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

Jehovah will cut off from Israel head and tail. The old and the honourable [in face] is the head, but the prophet, the teacher of a lie, is the tail. Isaiah 9:14-15.

In the spiritual sense 'cutting off head and tail' means severing good and truth; for the subject is the Church, and when this has been laid waste 'the head' means evil and 'the tail' falsity. 'The head' means good, see 4938, 4939, 5328, 9913, 9914, as does 'the old', 6524, 9404; and 'the prophet' means a teacher of truth, and so in the abstract sense [without reference to persons] truth itself, 2534, 7269. In the contrary sense therefore 'the head' means evil, as do 'the old' and 'the honourable' who will perform it, while 'the tail' means falsity, as does 'the prophet', who is for that reason called 'the prophet of a lie'; for 'a lie' means falsity. In the same prophet,

There will not be for Egypt [any] work which the head and tail may do. Isaiah 19:15.

'Egypt' stands for those who, desiring to enter into the truths and forms of the good of faith, use reasonings based on factual knowledge, and not on revealed truths, thus not on belief in these, 1164, 1165, 1186. The lack of 'work which the head and tail may do' stands for the fact that they have neither good nor truth. The fact that 'the tail' means truth in last or lowest things is evident from its meaning in the contrary sense, in which 'the tail' means falsity. In John,

The locusts had tails like scorpions, and stings were in their tails, and they had power to harm people. Revelation 9:10.

'Tails like scorpions, and stings in their tails' are cunning reasonings based on falsities which they use to convince and thereby damage someone, which is why it says that they had power to harm people. Furthermore falsity in outermost things is meant by 'locust', see 7643. In the same book,

The horses' tails were like serpents, having heads; and by means of them they do harm. Revelation 9:19.

'Tails like serpents' here also stands for reasonings based on falsities which are used to cause harm. In the same book,

The dragon's tail drew a third part of the stars of heaven, and cast them down to the earth. Revelation 12:4.

'The dragon's tail' stands for truths that have been falsified, in particular through the application of them to evils; 'the stars' are cognitions or knowledge of truth and good which has been falsified; and 'casting them down to the earth' means destroying them.

Poznámky pod čarou:

8480. 'And some did leave part of it until the morning' means the abuse of God's goodness, in that they wished to obtain it of themselves. This is clear from the meaning of 'leaving it until the morning' as being anxious to acquire good of themselves, dealt with above in 8478, which is therefore the abuse of God's goodness. It is called an abuse when something of a like nature to outward appearances arises, yet springs from a contrary origin. Good arises from a contrary origin when it springs from man, not from the Lord. For the Lord is absolute Good and therefore the source of all good. Good that originates in Him has the Divine within it, and so is good right through to its inmost or prime being. But good that originates in man is not good, because in himself man is nothing but evil. Consequently good originating in him is primarily and in essence evil, though to outward appearance it may look like good. These things are like flowers portrayed in a picture compared to flowers that grow in the garden. The latter flowers are beautiful through to their inmost parts, for the more they open out the more beautiful they become. But flowers portrayed in a picture are beautiful merely in outward appearance; for inwardly they are nothing other than clay and a mass of particles of earth lying in disorder within it. This is also what the Lord teaches when He says,

Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of the lilies of the field. Matthew 6:29.

[2] So it is with good that originates in man and good that originates in the Lord. Man cannot know that those kinds of good are so greatly different from each other because he judges by external appearances. But angels have a clear perception of where man's good originates and what it is therefore like. The angels with a person are present and so to speak dwelling in good originating in the Lord. They are unable to be present in good originating in man; they get as far away from it as they can, since inmostly it is evil. For good originating in the Lord has heaven within it; that good images the form of heaven, concealing in itself inmostly the Lord Himself. For in all good that comes from the Lord there is a likeness of Him and therefore a likeness of heaven. But in all good that comes from man there is a likeness of man; and since man in himself is nothing but evil it is a likeness of hell. This is how greatly different good originating in the Lord is from good originating in man.

Good originating in the Lord exists with those who love the Lord above all things and their neighbour as themselves; but good originating in man exists with those who love themselves above all things and despise their neighbour in comparison with themselves. The latter are also those who are concerned for the morrow because they trust in themselves, whereas the former are those who are unconcerned for the morrow because they trust in the Lord, a matter dealt with above in 8478. Those who trust in the Lord are constantly receiving good from Him; for whatever happens to them, whether it seems to be advantageous or not advantageous, is nevertheless good, for it serves as a means contributing to their eternal happiness. But those who trust in themselves are constantly bringing evil on themselves, for whatever happens to them, even if it seems to be advantageous and fortunate, is nevertheless bad, and consequently acts as a means contributing to their eternal unhappiness. These are the things that are meant when it says that they were to leave none of the manna till the morning, and that any they did leave bred worms and putrified.