5694. And he came to the bed-chamber, and wept there. That this signifies in itself, not apparently, is evident from the signification of “coming to the bed-chamber,” as being in one’s self, so as not to appear. It was customary with the ancients to speak of “entering into the chamber,” and also of then “shutting the door,” when they meant the doing of anything that was not to appear. This form of speaking was derived from the significatives in the Ancient Church; for by “house” in the spiritual sense they understood man (see n. 3128), and by the “rooms” and “bed-chambers” they understood man’s interiors. Therefore “coming or entering into the chamber” signified to be in one’s self, consequently so as not to appear; and because “entering the chamber” was significative, it is therefore frequently mentioned in the Word, as in Isaiah:

Go, My people, enter into thy bed-chambers, and shut thy door after thee; hide thyself as it were for a little moment, until the anger be overpast (Isaiah 26:20).

That “entering into the bed-chambers” does not here mean to do so literally, but to keep one’s self in concealment, and in one’s self, is very evident.

[2] In Ezekiel:

He said unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his image? For they say, Jehovah seeth us not (Ezekiel 8:12); where “to do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his image” denotes inwardly within themselves, in the thoughts. The interior things of their thought and affection were represented to the prophet by chambers, and were called “chambers of the image.”

[3] In Moses:

Abroad shall the sword bereave, and out of the chambers terror, both young man and virgin, the suckling with the old man (Deuteronomy 32:25); where the “sword” denotes the vastation of truth and the punishment of falsity (see n. 2799); “terror out of the chambers” denotes out of man’s interiors. That the “chambers” here are not the chambers that are meant is evident.

[4] In David:

Who watereth the mountains from His chambers (Psalms 104:13);

“to water the mountains” in the spiritual sense is to bless those who are in love to the Lord, and in love toward the neighbor (that a “mountain” is the celestial of love, see n. 795, 1430, 4210); hence “from His chambers” is from the interiors of heaven.

In Luke:

Whatsoever ye have spoken in the darkness shall be heard in the light, and that which ye have spoken in the ear in the bed-chambers shall be proclaimed upon the roofs (Luke 12:3); where also “bed-chambers” denote the interiors of man, namely, what he has thought, what he has purposed, and what he has endeavored to do.

In Matthew:

When thou prayest, enter into thy bed-chamber, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray in secret (Matthew 6:6);

“to enter into the bed-chamber and pray” means not in the outward appearance; for this was said representatively.

795. All the high mountains that were under the whole heaven were covered. That this signifies that all the goods of charity were extinguished, is evident from the signification of mountains among the most ancient people. With them mountains signified the Lord, for the reason that they held their worship of Him on mountains, because these were the highest places on earth. Hence “mountains” signified celestial things (which also were called the “highest”), consequently love and charity, and thereby the goods of love and charity, which are celestial. And in the opposite sense those also are called “mountains” who are vainglorious; and therefore a “mountain” stands for the very love of self. The Most Ancient Church is also signified in the Word by “mountains” from these being elevated above the earth and nearer as it were to heaven, to the beginnings of things.

[2] That “mountains” signify the Lord, and all things celestial from Him, or the goods of love and charity, is evident from the following passages in the Word, from which it is plain what they signify in particular cases, for all things in the Word, both in general and in particular, have a signification according to the subject to which they are applied.

In David:

The mountains shall bring peace, and the hills, in righteousness (Psalms 72:3).

“Mountains” denote here love to the Lord; “hills” love toward the neighbor, such as was with the Most Ancient Church, which because of this character is also signified in the Word by “mountains” and “hills.”

In Ezekiel:

In the mountain of My holiness, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord Jehovih, there shall all the house of Israel serve Me, that whole land (Ezekiel 20:40).

The “mountain of holiness” here denotes love to the Lord; the “mountain of the height of Israel” charity toward the neighbor.

In Isaiah:

It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills (Isaiah 2:2),

where “mountains” denote the Lord, and thence all that is celestial.

Again:

In this mountain shall Jehovah Zebaoth make unto all peoples a feast of fat things, and He will take away in this mountain the face of the covering (Isaiah 25:6-7).

“Mountain” here denotes the Lord, and hence all that is celestial.

[3] Again:

And there shall be upon every lofty mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers, streams of waters (Isaiah 30:25),

where “mountains” denote goods of love; “hills” goods of charity, from which are truths of faith, which are the “rivers and streams of waters.” Again:

Ye shall have a song, as in the night when a holy feast is kept; and gladness of heart, as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountain of Jehovah, to the rock of Israel (Isaiah 30:29).

The “mountain of Jehovah” here denotes the Lord with reference to the goods of love; the “Rock of Israel” the Lord with reference to the goods of charity. Again:

Jehovah Zebaoth shall come down to fight upon Mount Zion and upon the hill thereof (Isaiah 31:4).

“Mount Zion” here and elsewhere in many places, denotes the Lord, and hence all that is celestial and which is love; and “hills” denote what is celestial of lower degree, which is charity.

[4] Again:

O Zion that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength (Isaiah 40:9).

To “go up into the high mountain and bring good tidings” is to worship the Lord from love and charity, which are inmost, and are therefore also called “highest” because what is inmost is called highest. Again:

Let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains (Isaiah 42:11).

The “inhabitants of the rock” denote those who are in charity; to “shout from the top of the mountains” is to worship the Lord from love. Again:

How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation (Isaiah 52:7).

To “bring good tidings upon the mountains” is likewise to preach the Lord from the doctrine of love and charity, and from these to worship Him. Again:

The mountains and the hills shall break forth before you into singing, and all the trees of the field shall clap their hands (Isaiah 55:12);

denoting worship of the Lord from love and charity, which are “the mountains and the hills;” and from the faith thence derived, which are the “trees of the field.”

[5] Again:

I will make all My mountains a way, and My highways shall be exalted (Isaiah 49:11); where “mountains” denote love and charity; and “way” and “highways” the truths of faith thence derived, which are said to be “exalted” when they are from love and charity as their inmost.

Again:

He that putteth his trust in Me shall possess the land as a heritage, and shall inherit the mountain of My holiness (Isaiah 57:13); denoting the Lord’s kingdom, wherein is nothing but love and charity.

Again:

I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an inheritor of My mountains, and Mine elect shall possess it (Isaiah 65:9).

“Mountains” here denote the Lord’s kingdom and celestial goods; “Judah” the celestial church.

And again:

Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is holy, I dwell in the high and holy place (Isaiah 57:15).

“High” here denotes what is holy; and hence it is that on account of their height above the earth, mountains signify the Lord and His holy celestial things. And it was for this reason that the Lord promulgated the Law from Mount Sinai. Love and charity are also meant by the Lord, by “mountains” where, speaking of the consummation of the age, He says:

Then let them that are in Judea flee into the mountains (Matthew 24:16; Luke 21:21; Mark 13:14), where “Judea” denotes the vastated church.