1170. Verse 17. And every pilot, and all that are employed on ships, and sailors, and as many as work at sea, signifies all that have believed themselves to be in wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge, and have confirmed the falsities of that doctrine and religious persuasion by reasonings from the natural man. This is evident from the signification of "ships" as being the knowledges of truth and good, also doctrinals in both senses (See n. 514); and as wisdom, intelligence and knowledge are from the knowledges of truth and good, so a "pilot or ship master" signifies those who are in wisdom. "Those employed on ships" signify those who are in intelligence; and "sailors" signify those who are in knowledge. Wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge are mentioned, because they follow in that order with those who from knowledges become wise. Wisdom is in the third degree, intelligence in the second, and knowledge in the first or ultimate, and this is why they are mentioned in that order in the Word, as in Moses:

I have filled Bezaleel with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in intelligence, and in knowledge (Exodus 31:3; 35:31).

The above is evident also from the signification of "working at sea," as being to confirm by reasonings from the natural man, and here to confirm the falsities of that doctrine and religious persuasion, for "the sea" signifies the natural man, and "working" there signifies to reason, and by reasonings to confirm. Strictly, "to work at sea" signifies to acquire the things by which they may make gain, also to sell such things, and thus to make gain. But as gains were described above by "merchants and their merchandise," here "working at sea" has another signification, namely, to confirm by reasonings. That "pilots or ship masters" signify those who are wise can be seen in Ezekiel:

The wise men of Zidon and Arvad were thy pilots. The elders of Gebal and the wise men thereof were thy caulkers (Ezekiel 27:8, 9).

But these things may be seen explained above (n. 514).

(Continuation)

[2] There are two faculties of life in man, one called the understanding and the other the will. These faculties are entirely distinct from each other; but they were created to make one, and when they make one they are called one mind; but with man they are at first divided, and afterwards united.

They are distinct just as light and heat are. For the understanding is from the light of heaven which in its essence is the Divine truth or the Divine wisdom; and while man is in the world the understanding in him sees, thinks, reasons, and concludes from that light. Yet man is ignorant of this fact, since he knows nothing about that light or its origin. The will is from the heat of heaven, which in its essence is the Divine good or the Divine love; and while man is in the world the will in him loves from that heat, and has from it all its pleasure and delight. Of this fact also man is ignorant, since he knows nothing about that heat or its origin. Since, then, the understanding sees from the light of heaven, it is evidently the subject and receptacle of that light, and thus the subject and receptacle of truth and of wisdom therefrom. And since the will loves from the heat of heaven, it is evidently the subject and receptacle of that heat, and thus the subject and receptacle of good, that is, of love. From all this it can be clearly seen that these two faculties of man's life are distinct, as light and heat are, also as truth and good are, and as wisdom and love are.

[3] That these two faculties are at first divided in man, is plainly perceptible from the fact that man is capable of understanding truth, and good from truth, and of accepting it as good, even though he does not will it and from willing do it; for he understands what is true and thus what is good when he hears and reads about it, and understands so fully as to be able afterwards to teach it by preaching and writing. But when alone and thinking from his spirit he can apprehend that he does not will the truth, and even that he wills to act contrary to it, and does act contrary to it when not restrained by fears. Such are those who are able to speak intelligently, and yet live otherwise. This is "seeing one law in the spirit, and another in the flesh," "spirit" being the understanding, and "flesh" the will. This division between the understanding and the will is perceived especially by those who wish to be reformed, and but little by others.

[4] This division is possible because the understanding with man has not been destroyed, but the will has been destroyed. For the understanding is comparatively like the light of the world by which man is able to see with equal clearness in the winter season and summer season; while the will is comparatively like the heat of the world, which may be absent from the light or be present in the light. It is absent in the winter season and present in the summer season. But the fact is this, that nothing except the will destroys the understanding, as nothing except the absence of heat destroys the germinations of the earth. The understanding is destroyed by the will in those who are in evils of life when the two act as one, and not when they do not act as one. They act as one when man thinks by himself from his love, but they do not act as one when he is with others. When he is with others he conceals and thus sets aside his will's own love; and when this is set aside the understanding is raised up into higher light.

[5] This shall be shown by experience. I have occasionally heard spirits talking with one another and also with myself so wisely that an angel could scarcely have talked more wisely; and I was in consequence led to believe that they would soon be raised up into heaven; but after a while I saw them with the evil in hell, at which I wondered. But I was then permitted to hear them talking in a wholly different way, not in favor of truths as before, but against them, because they were now in the love of their own will and likewise of their own understanding, while before they were not in that love. It has also been granted me to see how what is man's own [proprium] is distinguished from what is not his own; for this may be seen in the light of heaven. What is man's own has its seat within, and what is not his own has its seat without; and the latter veils and conceals the former, and the former does not appear until this veil is taken away, as takes place with all after death. I have noticed also that many were amazed at what they saw and heard; but these were such as judge of the state of a man's soul from his conversation and writings, and not also from his acts which are from his own will. All this makes clear that these two faculties of life in man are at first divided.

[6] Something shall now be said about their union. They are united in those who are reformed, which is effected by combat against the evils of the will. When these evils have been removed the will of good acts as one with the understanding of truth. From this it follows that such as the will is such is the understanding, or, what is the same, such as the love is such is the wisdom. The wisdom is such as the love is because the love belonging to the will is the esse of man's life, and the wisdom belonging to the understanding is the existere of life therefrom; therefore the love, which belongs to the will, forms itself in the understanding, and the form it there takes on is what is called wisdom; for as love and wisdom have one essence it is clear that wisdom is the form of love, or love in form. When these faculties have thus been united by reformation the will's love increases daily, and it increases by spiritual nourishment in the understanding; for it has there its affection for truth and good, which is like an appetite that hungers and desires. From all this it is clear that it is the will that must be reformed, and as it is reformed the understanding sees, that is, grows wise; for as has been said, the will has been destroyed, but the understanding has not. The will and the understanding also make one with those who are not reformed, that is, in the evil, if not in the world yet after death; for after death man is not permitted to think from his understanding except in accordance with the love of his will. To this everyone is finally brought; and when he is brought to this condition the evil love of the will has its own form in the understanding, and as this form is from the falsities of evil it is insanity.

774. "Every kind of thyine wood, ¹ every kind of ivory vessel." This symbolically means that these Roman Catholics no longer have these because they do not have any of the natural goods and truths to which such things correspond.

This statement is similar to the ones explained in nos. 772 and 773 above, the only difference being that the valuables named first mean spiritual goods and truths (as explained in no. 772 above), and that those named second mean celestial goods and truths (as explained just above in no. 773), while those named now - thyine wood and ivory vessel - mean natural goods and truths.

[2] To explain: There are three degrees of wisdom and love, and so three degrees of truth and goodness. We call the first degree celestial, the second spiritual, and the third natural. These three degrees are present from birth in every person, and they are present in general also in heaven and in the church. Because of this there are three heavens, a highest one, an intermediate one, and a lowest one, altogether distinct from each other in accordance with these degrees. The same is true of the Lord's church on earth. But this is not the place to explain the nature of the church with people in the celestial degree, with people in the spiritual degree, and with people in the natural degree. See instead what we said about them in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom, Part Three, where we dealt with degrees. Here we will say only that in the case of people coming from Babylon, they have no spiritual goods and truths, no celestial goods and truths, and not even any natural goods and truths.

Spiritual goods and truths are mentioned first, because many of those coming from Babylon can be spiritual, provided they hold the Word holy at heart, as they do with the mouth. But they cannot become celestial, because they do not turn to the Lord, but turn to people living and dead and worship them. It is for this reason that celestial goods and truths are mentioned second.

[3] Thyine wood symbolizes natural good because wood in the Word symbolizes goodness, and stone truth, and thyine wood derives its name from a word meaning two, and the number two also symbolizes goodness.

The good symbolized is natural good, because wood is not a valuable material like gold, silver, precious stones, pearls, fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet. The same is true of stone. The case is similar with ivory, which symbolizes natural truth. Ivory symbolizes natural truth because it is white and can be polished, and because it protrudes from the mouth of an elephant and also constitutes its might. In order for ivory to symbolize the natural truth of the goodness symbolized by thyine wood, the text specifies a vessel of ivory, as a vessel symbolizes something that contains, here truth that contains good.

[4] That wood symbolizes goodness can be seen to some extent from the following considerations: That the bitter waters at Marah were made sweet by casting in something wooden (Exodus 15:25). That the tables of stone on which the Law was written were placed in an ark made of acacia wood (Exodus 25:10-16). That the Temple in Jerusalem was roofed with wood and paneled inside with wood (1 Kings 6:9, 15). And that the altar in the wilderness was made of wood (Exodus 27:1, 6).

It can be seen to some extent also from the following:

...the stone will cry out from the wall, and the beam from the wood answers it. (Habakkuk 2:11)

They will plunder your riches and pillage your merchandise..., and they will cast your stones and your timber... into the midst of the sea. (Ezekiel 26:12)

The prophet Ezekiel was told to take a piece of wood and write on it the names of Judah and the children of Israel, and also on another piece of wood the names of Joseph and Ephraim; and that the Lord Jehovih would make them into one piece of wood (Ezekiel 37:16, 19).

We drink our water in exchange for silver, and our wood comes at a price. (Lamentations 5:4)

If someone goes with his neighbor into a forest..., and the ax head (falls) from the wooden handle...(onto) his neighbor so that he dies, he shall flee to (a city of refuge). (Deuteronomy 19:5)

The latter is said because wood symbolizes goodness, and so because the person did not kill his neighbor out of evil or with evil intention, therefore, but by accident, being impelled by good. And so on elsewhere.

[5] In an opposite sense, however, wood symbolizes something evil or cursed. So for example, they made graven images out of wood and worshiped them (Deuteronomy 4:23-28; Isaiah 37:19; 40:20; Jeremiah 10:3, 8; Ezekiel 20:32). Also, being hanged from a tree was a curse (Deuteronomy 21:22-23).

That ivory symbolizes natural truth can be seen moreover from passages which mention ivory, such as Ezekiel 27:6, 15; Amos 3:15; 6:4; Psalms 45:8.

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