724. And she brought forth a male child.- That this signifies the doctrine of truth, which is for the New Church, which is called the New Jerusalem, is plain from the signification of a son, as denoting truth, and of a male (masculus) child, as denoting the genuine truth of the church, consequently its doctrine, for the truth of the church from the Word is its doctrine, since doctrine contains the truths that are for the church. But the genuine doctrine of the church is the doctrine of good, that is the doctrine of life, which is that of love to the Lord and of charity towards the neighbour; still it is doctrine of truth, for doctrine teaches life, love, and charity, and so far as it teaches these it is truth. For when a man knows and understands what good is, what life is, what love is, and what charity is, he then knows and understands those things as truths, since he knows and understands what good is, how he ought to live, what love and charity are, and what kind of man he is who is in the life of love and charity. And as long as these things are matters of knowledge (scientia) and of the understanding, they are merely truths, and thus doctrines; but as soon as they, from being knowledge and understanding, pass over into the will, and thus into act, they are then no longer truths but goods, for interiorly man wills nothing but what he loves, and that which he loves is to him good.

From these things it is evident, that every doctrine of the church is a doctrine of truth, and that the truth of doctrine becomes good, and becomes that of love and charity, when from doctrine it passes into life.

[2] This doctrine, signified here by a male child, is especially the doctrine of love to the Lord, and of charity towards the neighbour, thus it is the doctrine of the good of life, but which is yet the doctrine of truth. That the doctrine of the good of love, and thence of life, is here signified by a male child, is evident from this, that the woman, who brought forth the son, was seen encompassed with the sun, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And the sun signifies love to the Lord, and the crown of twelve stars signifies the knowledges of good and truth; and from such a woman and mother, nothing could be born except what pertains to love and good, thus doctrine concerning them. This therefore is the male (masculus) child.

[3] That doctrine is for the New Church, which is called the New Jerusalem, because the woman treated of in this chapter is the one that is called the bride, the Lamb's wife, which was the holy city Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God (21:9, 10). This is why she was seen encompassed with the sun, for the sun means the Lord as to Divine Love, as may be seen above (n. 401, 525, 527, 708). The male child also signifies the doctrine of the church, because a son, in the Word, signifies truth, and the doctrine of the church is truth in its whole extent.

That a son, in the Word, signifies truth, is evident from what has been said before concerning the woman, the womb, and bringing forth, namely, that woman signifies the church, womb the inmost of love and the reception of truth from good, while to bring forth signifies the production and fructification of these. See above concerning woman (n. 707); the womb (n. 710); and bringing forth (n. 721). From this it follows that sons and daughters, since they are births, signify the truths and goods of the church, sons its truths, and daughters its goods; in a word, that all terms relating to marriage and thus to procreation on earth, signify such things as belong to the marriage of good and truth, thus father, mother, sons, daughters, sons-in-law, daughters-in-law, grandsons, and several other terms, signify goods and truths procreating, and goods and truths procreated, and in fact derivative goods and truths in their order.

[4] But it must be understood that goods and truths procreating are in the spiritual man, and those which are procreated are in the natural man; and that those which are in the spiritual man are like the father and mother, and those which are from these in the natural man are like brothers and sisters; and again that the truths and goods that are further procreated as if from sons married within marriageable limits, and from daughters married also within the same, are in the natural man, after these, as parents, have been raised up into the spiritual man. For all conception, and all travail or gestation in the womb take place in the spiritual man, but birth itself takes place in the natural man. The spiritual man is therefore continually enriched by the elevation into it out of the natural man, of truths and goods, which, like parents, will procreate anew; therein also all things are associated like the societies of heaven, according to the affections for truth and good, and their relationships and affinities. It is therefore clear that those spiritual procreations, like the natural procreations from a father and mother, are multiplied like families and houses on earth, and are made fruitful like trees from seeds, from which arise in the spiritual man gardens, called paradises, but groves and orchards in the natural, and shady forests in the sensual man.

[5] But because sons are mentioned in many places in the Word, and since it has not yet been known that they signify the truths of the church and of doctrine, out of many passages I will cite only the following for the purpose of proof.

In the Evangelists:

Jesus said, "He who leaveth houses, brethren, sisters, father, mother, wife, children, lands, for my name's sake, shall receive a hundredfold, and shall obtain the inheritance of life eternal" (Matthew 19:29; Mark 10:29, 30).

"Every one who cometh to me, and hateth not his father, mother, wife, children, brethren, and sisters, yea, his own soul, is not my disciple" (Luke 14:26).

Who cannot see that father, mother, wife, children, brethren, and sisters, also houses and lands, are not here meant, but such things as belong to man himself, and are called his own? For these things a man must leave and hate, if he desires to worship the Lord, to be His disciple, to receive a hundredfold, and to obtain the inheritance of life eternal. The things that are a man's own are those that are of his love, and thus of his life into which he is born, consequently they are evils and falsities of every kind; and because these are of his love and life, it is therefore said that he must also hate his own soul. These evils and falsities are signified by father and mother, wife, children, brethren, and sisters; for all those things, which belong to the love and life of man, or to the affection and the thought therefrom, or to the will and thus to the understanding, are formed and conjoined like generations, descending from one father and one mother, and are also distinguished as into families and houses. The love of self and consequent love of the world are their father and mother, and the desires arising therefrom, and their evils and falsities are the children, which are brethren and sisters. That this is the meaning is clearly evident from this, that the Lord could not desire that any one should hate his father and mother, or wife or children, or brethren or sisters, since this would be contrary to the spiritual love implanted in every one from heaven, which is that of parents for their children, of children for their parents, and also contrary to conjugial love, which is that of the husband for his wife, and of the wife for her husband, also contrary to mutual love, which is that of brothers and sisters for one another; in fact, the Lord even teaches that enemies must not be hated, but loved. It is evident from these things that the terms denoting consanguinities, affinities, and relationships in the Word, mean consanguinities, affinities, and relationships in a spiritual sense.

[6] In the same:

Jesus said to His disciples, "The brother shall deliver the brother to death, the father the son, and children shall rise up against their parents, and shall deliver them to death" (Matthew 10:21; Mark 13:12).

"The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, the mother-in-law against the daughter-in-law, and the daughter-in-law against the mother-in-law" (Luke 12:53).

That these things are not to be understood according to the letter is clear from what precedes, where Jesus says that He came not to give peace upon the earth, but division; and that "there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three," which signifies that falsities and evils will fight against truths and goods, and truths and goods against falsities and evils - which is the case when man comes into temptations and is being reformed; this combat is signified by division and rising up. That "the father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father," signifies that evil will fight against truth, and truth against evil, the father there denoting the evil, which is man's proprium, and the son the truth which man has from the Lord. That the desire for falsity will fight against affection for truth, and affection for truth against the desire for falsity, is signified by "the mother shall be divided against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother," mother here denoting the desire for falsity, and daughter affection for truth; and so on. That this is the meaning is also evident from the words of the Lord elsewhere, where He says, that in Him "they shall have peace," thus not division (John 14:27; 16:33).

[7] In Luke, the angel said to Zechariah concerning John,

"He shall go before" the Lord "in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the sons" (1:17).

And in Malachi:

"I will send to you Elijah the prophet, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh, that he may 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).

John the Baptist was sent before to prepare the people for the reception of the Lord by baptism, for baptism represented and signified purification from evils and falsities, and also regeneration through the Word by the Lord. Unless this representation had preceded, the Lord could not have manifested Himself and taught and lived in Judea and Jerusalem, since He was God of heaven and God of earth under a human form, and could not have been in the midst of a nation which was in mere falsities as to doctrine, and in mere evils as to life. Unless therefore that nation had been prepared for the reception of the Lord by a representative of purification from falsities and evils by baptism, it would have been destroyed by diseases of every kind at the presence of the Divine Itself. This then is the signification of the words, "Lest I come and smite the earth with a curse." That this would have been the case is well known in the spiritual world, for there those who are in falsities and evils are direfully tormented and spiritually die at the presence of the Lord.

[8] The baptism of John was able to produce such an effect, because the Jewish church was a representative church, and with them all conjunction of heaven was effected by representatives, as is also evident from the washings commanded therein. As for example all who became unclean had to wash themselves and their garments, and were then regarded as clean; similarly the priests and Levites washed themselves before they entered the tent of assembly and afterwards the temple, to perform their sacred duties; also Naaman was cleansed from leprosy by washing in Jordan. Washing and baptism did not themselves purify them from falsities and evils, but they only represented, and thus signified, purification from these; nevertheless this was received in heaven, as though they themselves had been purified. It was in this way that heaven was conjoined with the people of that church through the baptism of John; and when heaven was thus conjoined to them, the Lord, who was the God of heaven, could manifest Himself to them, teach them, and dwell among them. That Jerusalem and all Judea, and all the region about Jordan went out to John, and were baptized by him in Jordan, confessing their sins, is evident in Matthew (chap. 3:5, 6), and that he said to them,

"O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come" (Luke 3:7).

That the Jews and Israelites were conjoined to heaven by means of representatives may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248).

This now was the reason why John was sent before to prepare the way of the Lord, and to prepare the people for Him. It may be concluded from these things what is signified by turning the heart of the fathers to the sons, and the heart of the sons to the fathers, namely, that it means to induce a representation of the conjunction of spiritual goods with truths, and of truths with goods, thus of regeneration by the Lord by means of the Word. For regeneration is the conjunction of goods with truths, and of truths with goods, and it is the Lord who regenerates, and the Word which teaches.

[9] It was said of this John that he should go before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, and that he was Elijah, because John, like Elijah, represented the Lord as to the Word, and thus signified the Word, which is from the Lord; and as there is Divine Wisdom and Divine Power in the Word, these are meant by the spirit and power of Elijah. That the Word is of such a nature may be seen in Heaven and Hell 303-310), and in the small work on the White Horse.

[10] That sons signify truths from the Word, is also evident from the following passages.

In David:

"Lo, sons are a heritage of Jehovah, the fruit of the belly a reward; as darts in the hand of a mighty man, so are sons of youth; happy is the man who hath his quiver full of them, they shall not be ashamed when they speak with enemies in the gate" (Psalm 127:3-5).

Sons who are a heritage of Jehovah, and the fruit of the belly which is a reward, mean the truths and goods of the church; sons mean truths, and the fruit of the belly means goods, for both of these are a reward and a heritage of Jehovah, that is, heaven, which is from truths and goods, namely, from the reception of them. Sons of youth, who are as darts in the hands of a mighty man, signify the truths of the Ancient Church, which were natural truths from a spiritual source; this church is meant by youth. And because these truths have all power against evils and falsities, it is therefore said, "As darts in the hand of a mighty man," darts signifying truths destroying falsities. Doctrine from truths is signified by quiver because it is also signified by bow; and as those who are in doctrine from those truths fear nothing from falsities, it is said, "Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them; they shall not be ashamed when they speak with enemies in the gate;" not to be ashamed denoting not to be conquered, and enemies in the gate the falsities of evil which are from hell.

[11] In the same:

"Deliver me out of the hand of the sons of the stranger, whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is the right hand of a lie; for our sons are as plants, become great in their youth, and our daughters as cornerstones hewn out in the model of a palace" (Psalm 144:11, 12).

That the sons of the stranger here mean falsities is plain, for it is said, "Whose mouth speaketh vanity, and their right hand is the right hand of a lie;" and that our sons signify truths is also plain, for it is said, "They are as plants, become [great] in their youth," plants also denoting truths, and youth denoting here, as above, the Ancient Church, which possessed genuine truths. Our daughters signify the affections for truth, which are therefore compared to cornerstones hewn out in the model of a palace, because a palace is a representative of the understanding in which truths are in a beautiful form, and they are in a beautiful form when they are from affection for truth.

[12] In Micah:

"Make thee bald and poll thee, because of the sons of thy delights; enlarge thy baldness as the eagle, for they have gone away from thee" (1:16).

Mourning because the truths of the church are destroyed is described by making bald, and by polling themselves, for the hair signifies truths in ultimates, and those who are without truths in ultimates are also without internal truths; for this reason those in the spiritual world who have no truths from good appear bald. That truths are destroyed is signified by "the sons of thy delights have gone away from thee"; they are called sons of delights from the love of truths and consequent delights.

[13] In Zechariah:

"He saw two olive trees at the right hand of the lampstand and at the left, and he said, These are the two sons of the olive standing by the Lord of the whole earth" (4:11, 14).

The two olive trees signify the two churches, the celestial church and the spiritual church, the former at the right hand of the lampstand, and the latter at the left; the sons of the olive signify the truths of those churches, which are doctrinals.

[14] In the same:

"I will bend Judah for me, I will fill Ephraim with the bow, and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion, with thy sons, O Javan; and I will set thee as the sword of a mighty man" (9:13).

The sons of Zion and the sons of Javan signify the internal and external truths of the Word, the sons of Zion internal truths, and the sons of Javan external truths. The signification of the rest of the passage may be seen above (n. 357:1, 433:8), where it is explained. Because sons signify truths, it is said, that they shall be set as the sword of a mighty man, the sword of a mighty man signifying truth effectually destroying falsity.

[15] In Isaiah:

"I will raise up against them the Medes, whose bows shall dash in pieces the young men, and they will have no pity on the fruit of the belly, their eye will not spare the sons" (13:17, 18).

Because the Medes mean those who make no account of the truths and goods of the church, it is also therefore, said, "Their eye will not spare the sons," for sons denote the truths of the Word and of the church; but these things may be seen explained above (n. 710:24).

[16] In Jeremiah:

"My tent is laid waste, and all my cords plucked away; my sons have departed from me, and they are not" (10:20).

The tent which is laid waste, signifies the church as to the good of love and worship from it, for all worship in ancient times was performed in tents, and afterwards in the tent of assembly, in memory of which the feast of tents or tabernacles was instituted. All my cords are plucked away, signifies that there is no conjunction of truth with good, or of truths with each other, which thus fall apart; and consequently no conjunction of heaven with the church. My sons have departed from me, and they are not, signifies that the truths of the church from the Word have been dissipated, and that man has thus removed himself from the Lord.

[17] In the same:

"Behold, I bring back the captivity of the tents of Jacob, and I will have pity on his dwelling-places, that the city may be built upon her own heap, and the palace shall be inhabited after its own manner, and his sons shall be as aforetime, and his congregation shall be established before me" (30:18, 20).

The tents of Jacob and his dwelling-places, signify all things of the church and its doctrine; tents signify its goods, and dwelling-places its truths; their captivity signifies spiritual captivity which exists when the truths and goods of the Word cannot be perceived, because of the dominion of falsities. To shake off falsities and to teach truths is signified by bringing back the captivity. That the city may be built upon its own heap, signifies doctrine from truths, which has become a ruin through falsities, city meaning doctrine; and the palace shall be inhabited after its manner, signifies the spiritual understanding of truths, as was the case with the ancients, palace denoting the understanding of spiritual truths; for in the understanding there are spiritual truths in their own forms, which appear like palaces when they are presented to the sight. His sons shall be as aforetime, and his congregation shall be established before Me, signifies that the truths of the church shall be as they were with the ancients, and that their forms shall remain as they did with them in a restored conjunction, sons here denoting truths, and congregation their conjunction and arrangement into forms, such as exists in the understanding of the man of the church, from which he has intelligence; after its manner and aforetime, mean as with the ancients.

[18] In Lamentations:

"Mine eye runneth down with waters, because the counsellor who refresheth my soul is far from me; my sons are made desolate, because the enemy hath prevailed" (1:16).

Mourning because the church is devastated is meant by Mine eye runneth down with waters; its devastation as to truths is signified by My sons are made desolate; that this is done by the falsities of evil, is signified by The enemy hath prevailed, - the enemy denoting falsity of evil and the hell from which it springs.

[19] In Isaiah:

"Awake, awake, rise up, O Jerusalem, who hast drunk out of the hand of Jehovah the cup of his anger; thou hast sucked out the dregs of the cup of trembling; there is none to lead her of all the sons whom she hath brought forth, nor any to take her by the hand of all the sons whom she hath brought up. Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets" (51:17, 18, 20).

The restoration of the church, which had fallen into mere falsities of evil, is signified by Awake, awake, rise up, O Jerusalem, who hast drunk out of the hand of Jehovah the cup of His anger, thou hast sucked out the dregs of the cup of trembling. Jerusalem denotes the church as to doctrine, to awake and rise up denotes its restoration, to drink the cup of anger denotes falsity, and the dregs of the cup mere falsities from which are evils, and to attract these is signified by drinking and sucking. There is none to lead her of all the sons whom she hath brought forth, nor any to take her by the hand of all the sons whom she hath brought up, signifies that none of the truths of the Word which she has learned and imbibed will lead her away from falsities, sons here meaning truths. Thy sons have fainted, they lie at the head of all the streets, signifies that truths are dispersed by falsities of every kind; because sons denote truths, fainting signifies to be dissipated, and to lie at the head of all the streets signifies by means of falsities of every kind, for the streets of a city signify true doctrinals, here false doctrinals.

[20] In the same:

"Fear not, Jacob, I will bring thy seed from the east, and I will gather thee from the west; I will say to the north, Give up, and to the south, Keep not back, bring my sons from afar, my daughters from the end of the earth" (43:5-6).

This is not said of the posterity of Jacob, but of the Gentiles, of whom the church is to be formed. Jacob and his seed mean those who will be of that church. That it must be formed of those who are in falsities from ignorance, and thus in obscurity as to truths, is signified by I will gather thee from the west, and I will say to the north, Give up; and that these must not be repelled but accepted by those who are in the good of love and in the truths of doctrine in their lucidity, is signified by I will bring thy seed from the east, and I will say to the south, Keep not back; for the east signifies the good of love in lucidity, the south the truth of doctrine in lucidity, the west the good of love in obscurity, and the north the truth of doctrine in obscurity, such as those are in who, from ignorance of truth, are in falsities, and yet desire truths. Those quarters have such significations, because, in the spiritual world, all dwell distinctly in those quarters according to the light of truth and the affection for good in which they are. These things have a similar signification in Matthew, where it is said that the elect are to be gathered together "from the four winds, from the ends of the heavens, even to the ends of them" (24:31). That all those who are in falsities from ignorance, and yet in the desire for truth, are to be brought into that church, is signified by Bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the end of the earth; sons denoting those who are in truths, and daughters those who are in affection for truths; thus also, in a sense removed from persons, they signify truths and their affections; and afar off and the end of the earth signify removal from the light of truth, because they are in falsities from ignorance, through not possessing the Word, and having no understanding of its meaning.

[21] In the same prophet:

"They shall hasten thy sons; thy destroyers and they that lay thee waste shall go out from thee; behold, I will lift up my hand towards the nations, and towards the peoples will I raise up my sign, that they may bring thy sons in the bosom, and carry thy daughters upon the shoulder" (Isaiah 49:17, 22).

This also treats of the establishment of a new church by the Lord. The sons whom they shall hasten, and whom they shall bring in the bosom, and the daughters whom they shall carry upon the shoulder, mean all those who are in truths and in affection for them, and in a sense removed from persons, truths themselves and affections for them with those who will be of the new church; destroyers and they that lay waste signify falsities of evil; that these must be removed is signified by They shall go out from thee.

[22] In the same:

"The isles shall trust in me, and the ships of Tarshish in the beginning, to bring thy sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them" (60:9).

This also is said of the church of the Gentiles; and the sons who shall be brought, signify those who will receive truths. The rest of the passage may be seen explained above (n. 50, 406:10, 514:5).

In Hosea:

"I will not destroy Ephraim, they shall go after Jehovah, like a lion he shall roar, because he shall roar, and with honour shall sons approach from the sea; with honour they shall come, as a bird from Egypt, and as a dove from the land of Assyria, and I will cause them to dwell in their own houses" (11:9-11).

Sons from the sea, signify truths scientific (vera scientifica) and rational truths; it is therefore said that "they shall come as a bird from Egypt, and as a dove from the land of Assyria"; Egypt signifying the Natural, and Assyria the Rational, both of them as to truths; but these things have also been explained above (n. 275:19, 601:7, 654:22).

[23] And in David:

"Hear this, all ye peoples, perceive in the ear, all ye inhabitants of the age, both the sons of man (homo) and the sons of man (vir), the rich and the poor together; my mouth shall speak wisdoms, and the meditation of my heart intelligences" (Psalm 49:1-3).

The sons of man (homo), signify spiritual truths which are from the Lord through the Word, and these are doctrinals, while the sons of man (vir), signify rational and natural truths, which are from the understanding, thus they signify the understanding of the Word; the rich and the poor, signify those who are wise from these in many things, and those who are wise in few things.

[24] In the same:

Jehovah, "return, look down from the heavens, and see and visit this vine, and the shoot which thy right hand hath planted, and upon the son whom thou hast made strong for thyself; let thy hand be for the man (vir) of thy right hand, for the son of man (homo) whom thou hast made strong for thyself" (Psalm 80:14, 15, 17).

This David said of the church and of himself, which is the sense of the letter, for by the shoot and by the son he meant himself; but in the spiritual sense, the vine and the shoot which Jehovah planted signify the spiritual church, represented by the sons of Israel. The son whom He made strong for Himself, signifies the truth of doctrine from the Word; the man of the right hand, for whom is the hand, and the son of man, whom He had made strong for Himself, signify the truth of the Word in the natural sense, which is the sense of the letter, and the truth of the Word in the spiritual sense, which is the internal sense.

[25] In Ezekiel:

"Behold, I will profane my sanctuary, the greatness of my strength, the desire of your eyes, and the fondness of your soul; and your sons and your daughters, whom ye have left, shall fall by the sword" (24:21, 25).

This describes the devastation of all truth which those have who are of the church. The sanctuary which He will profane signifies the Word from which is the church, for this is the sanctuary itself, since it is Divine Truth; from its power against falsities and evils, which are from hell, it is called The greatness of the strength of Jehovah; from intelligence and heavenly life therefrom, it is called The desire of your eyes, and the fondness of your soul. That all truths with affection for them will perish through falsities is signified by Your sons and your daughters shall fall by the sword, - sons denoting truths, daughters, affections for truth, and the sword, falsity destroying the truth.

[26] In Moses:

"When the Most High gave the nations an inheritance, when he separated the sons of man, he set the bounds of the people, according to the number of the sons of Israel" (Deuteronomy 32:8).

This is said of the ancient churches which preceded the Israelitish, and of the establishment of these by the Lord; the nations mean those who were in the good of love, and the sons of man those who were in truths of doctrine from that good; that these had all truths and goods is signified by He set the bounds of the people, according to the number of the sons of Israel. That the twelve sons of Israel, or the twelve tribes, represented and thus signified the church as to all truths and goods, may be seen above (n. 39, 430, 657).

[27] In Jeremiah:

"Shame hath devoured the labour of our fathers from our childhood, their flocks and their herds, their sons and their daughters; we lie down in our shame, and our reproach doth cover us" (3:24, 25).

In the same:

"Behold, I bring upon you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, which shall devour thy harvest and thy bread; it shall devour thy sons and thy daughters, it shall devour thy flock and thy herd, it shall devour thy vine and thy fig tree, it shall impoverish thy fortified [cities] in which thou trustest, with the sword" (5:15, 17).

These words in the spiritual sense, describe the devastation of all things of the church with the Israelites. The nation from afar, signifies the falsity of evil, which is the falsity of the sensual man, destroying truths; harvest, bread, sons, daughters, flock, herd, vine, and fig-tree, which that nation will devour, signify all things of the church; harvest and bread, its truths and goods in regard to nourishment; sons and daughters, its truths and goods in regard to generation; flock and herd, spiritual and natural truths and goods; vine and fig-tree, the internal and external spiritual church therefrom.

[28] In Ezekiel:

"Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in the midst of it, as I live, if they delivered their sons or their daughters, they only shall be delivered, and the land shall become a desolation; I will bring a sword upon the land, and I will cut off from it man and beast" (14:14, 16-18, 20).

By these words the devastation of the church is also described as to all the truths of good and the goods of truth, except with those who are reformed by means of truths from the Word, and by temptations; these are signified by Noah, Daniel, and Job. That with the rest all the truths of good and goods of truth will perish is signified by They should not deliver their sons or their daughters, but they only would be delivered; the devastation of the church by falsities is signified by The land shall become a desolation, and I will bring a sword upon the land, - land denoting the church, and sword falsity destroying truth. That all spiritual and natural truth will be destroyed, and that all intelligence and knowledge (scientia) of truth will consequently perish, is signified by I will cut off from it man and beast.

[29] In the same:

"The fathers shall eat the sons in the midst of thee, and the sons shall eat their fathers; I will execute judgments in thee, and all thy remnant I will scatter unto every wind" (5:10).

In Moses:

"[It was said] among the curses, that they should eat the flesh of their sons and of their daughters" (Leviticus 26:29).

The fathers shall eat the sons, and the sons the fathers, signifies that evils will destroy truths, and falsities goods, fathers denoting evils and goods, and sons falsities and truths; and because everything of spiritual life with man thus perishes, it is said that judgments will be executed, and the remnant scattered unto every wind, the remnant denoting the truths and goods stored up by the Lord in man from his infancy and childhood.

[30] We read also, that they led away their sons to idols to be devoured, and for food, and through the fire; as in the following passages.

In Ezekiel:

"Thou hast taken thy sons [and thy daughters] whom thou hast brought forth to me, and these thou hast sacrificed unto them to be devoured. Is this of thy whoredoms a small matter? Thou hast slaughtered my sons, and hast delivered them up, when thou madest them to pass through unto them. Thou art thy mother's daughter, and the sister of thy sisters, they loathed their husbands and their sons" (16:20, 21, 45).

These things are said of the abominations of Jerusalem. And by sacrificing their sons and daughters to idols to be devoured is signified to destroy and consume all the truths and goods of the church; to do this to truths from the Word, is signified by slaughtering the sons, and making them to pass through unto them; that the truths and goods of the Word are destroyed by falsifications and adulterations, is signified by whoredoms here and elsewhere in that chapter.

[31] In the same:

"I will pollute them with their gifts, in that they led through [the fire] every opening of the womb, that I might make them desolate. Wherefore ye offer gifts, when ye led your sons through the fire ye are polluted by all your idols" (20:26, 31).

To destroy truths by the evils of the love of self, and by desires from the proprium, is signified by leading the sons through the fire and [to destroy them] by falsities, is signified by being polluted with idols. That idols signify falsities of doctrine, and worship from [man's] own intelligence, may be seen above (n. 587).

[32] In the same:

Oholah and Oholibah "committed whoredom, and blood was in their hands, and with their idols they committed whoredom; their sons also whom they begat to me they led through unto them for food" (Ezekiel 23:37).

Oholah and Oholibah mean Samaria and Jerusalem, Samaria means the spiritual church, and Jerusalem the celestial, each as to doctrine. Falsifications and adulterations of the Word are signified by their committing whoredom, and by blood being in their hands; the falsities which thence spring up from [their] own intelligence are signified by their idols with which they committed whoredom; the signification of leading their sons through [the fire] to the idols for food, namely, that they destroyed the truths of the Word by falsities is therefore evident.

[33] As sons signify truths, therefore "the seeds which fell into the good ground" are called by the Lord "sons of the kingdom; " and "the tares" which denote falsities, sons of the evil (Matthew 13:38). Also those who are in truths are called "sons of light" (John 12:36); those who are in the marriage of truth and good from the Lord, are called "sons of the nuptials" (Mark 2:19); and those who are regenerated, "sons of God" (John 1:11-13). Because stones, in the Word, signify truths, John the Baptist said, "God is able of these stones to raise up sons unto Abraham" (Luke 3:8). That stones signify the truths upon which interior truths are based may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 643, 1298, 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376).

[34] As sons signify truths, so in the opposite sense they also signify falsities, as in some of the passages quoted above, also in these words of Isaiah:

"Prepare the slaughter for her sons, for the iniquity of their fathers; that they may not rise and possess the land, and the faces of the earth be filled with cities. I will rise against them, and I will cut off from Babel the name and the residue, and the son and the grandson; and I will make her a heritage for the bittern, and pools of waters, and I will sweep her with the besom of destruction" (14:21-23).

This is said of Babel, which signifies adulteration of the Word and profanation. Here the total vastation of truth with those who are meant by Babel is treated of. That truths with them were utterly destroyed through adulteration of the Word is signified by Prepare the slaughter for her sons, that they may not rise and possess the land, and the faces of the earth be filled with cities; the land means the church in which there are truths, and cities mean doctrinals from mere falsities. That all truths from primaries to ultimates would perish, is signified by cutting off from Babel the name and the residue, the son and the grandson; that nothing whatever of truth would remain, is signified by she shall be swept with the besom of destruction.

[35] It must be understood that sons, in the passages above quoted, signify those who are in truths, or those who are in falsities. But because the spiritual sense of the Word has nothing in common with persons, therefore in that sense sons signify truths or falsities apart from the idea of personality. The spiritual sense is of such a nature, because the idea of person limits thought and its extension into heaven in every direction; for all thought that proceeds from affection for truth extends through heaven on all sides, nor has it any termination except like light into shade; but when a person is at the same time thought of, then the idea together with intelligence has its termination, where the person is; this is why sons, in the spiritual sense, signify truths or falsities considered apart from personality.

654. That Egypt here signifies the natural man separated from the spiritual, and thus falsities flowing forth from the evils of the love of self, consequently, from the pride of [man's] own intelligence, shall now be explained. For when the Natural of man is separated from the Spiritual, which takes place chiefly from the love of self, then from the evils of that love falsities flow forth, all falsity being derived from evil. For falsity is the defence of evil, and the evil of the will is formed in the understanding by means of the ideas of thought; these ideas are called falsities, and because falsities flowing forth from the evils of the love of self are attended with pride, since a man then thinks from his proprium; therefore also Egypt here signifies the pride of [man's] own intelligence.

[2] But since Egypt signifies the natural man in both senses, that is both when it is conjoined with the spiritual man and when separated from it, thus in a good sense and in a bad sense, therefore the various things of the natural man are also signified by Egypt, and these in general have reference to knowledges and scientifics (cognitiones et scientifica). For the truths and falsities of the natural man are called knowledges and scientifics (cognitiones et scientifica). But when the truths themselves have acquired life, which is effected by means of a life of faith, which is charity, they then pertain to the spiritual man. These with their affections and pleasures do not appear to man's manifest sense and sight, as do the knowledges and scientifics of the natural man, because man, so long as he lives in the world, thinks naturally and speaks naturally, and a man feels and perceives this by a kind of sight belonging to his understanding. But his spiritual thought, which is conjoined to the affection for truth or for falsity is not apparent until a man has put off the natural body, and put on the spiritual body, which takes place after his death or departure from this world, and his entrance into the spiritual world; then he thinks spiritually and speaks spiritually, and no longer naturally as before. This takes place with every man, whether he be merely natural or at the same time spiritual; and thought with the merely natural man after death is still spiritual, but gross without the understanding of truth or affection for good, for it consists of corresponding ideas, which, indeed, appear to be material, but still are not material. But, the Lord being willing, more will be said elsewhere concerning the spiritual thought and also the speech therefrom of merely natural men in the spiritual world.

[3] Egypt, in the Word, signifies the natural man in both senses, good and bad, consequently everything that properly belongs to the natural man, because in Egypt knowledges (scientiae) were cultivated, especially the knowledge (scientia) of correspondences and representations, at the time when churches were representative. But, because they made for themselves images according to correspondences, and began to worship these with holy rites and make idols of them when from internal they became altogether external, therefore they turned the representatives of spiritual and celestial things into idolatrous things, and also into magical things, and thus Egypt, in the Word, in a bad sense, which is the opposite of the former, signifies the false scientific of the natural man, and also what is idolatrous and magical.

[4] That such things are signified by Egypt is evident from many places in the Word; but before we prove this from the Word it should be known that with every man there is an internal that sees from the light of heaven, which is called the internal-spiritual man, or the internal-spiritual mind, and an external that sees from the light of the world, which is called the external-natural man, or the external-natural mind. With every man of the church the internal must be conjoined with the external, or the internal-spiritual man with the external-natural man; and when they are conjoined, then the spiritual man, because it is in the light of heaven, has dominion over the natural man, which is in the light of the world, and rules it as a master rules his servant, and teaches it as a master his pupils. A man is a man of the church and an angel from this conjunction. But when the natural man is not conjoined with the spiritual and subject to it, as is especially the case when the spiritual man is closed - and it is closed with those who deny the Divine things of the Word and of the church, for such see nothing from the light of heaven - then the natural man is in blindness as to spiritual things, and by means of his Rational perverts all the truths of the church, and by means of his ideas of these turns them into falsities. The question of the conjunction of the spiritual man with the natural, and the separation of the natural man from the spiritual, is much treated of in the Word, especially where Egypt is spoken of, since Egypt signifies the natural man both conjoined with the spiritual man and separated from it. And where the natural man separated from the spiritual is treated of, Egypt is censured and rejected;

[5] and because Egypt, in a broad sense, signifies the natural man, therefore Egypt also signifies the true scientific (scientificum verum) and the false scientific, for truths and falsities in the natural man are called scientifics. And because true and false scientifics are signified by Egypt, faith also is signified by it, and since faith is of truth, and truth is of faith, therefore faith conjoined with charity is also signified by Egypt in a good sense, and faith separated from charity in a bad sense. For faith is conjoined with charity when the spiritual man is conjoined with the natural, and then Egypt signifies true scientifics; but faith is separated from charity when the natural man is separated from the spiritual, and then Egypt signifies the false scientific. For when the natural man is separated from the spiritual man, then man has no truths, and if he draws truths from the Word, or from the doctrine of the church, still he falsifies them by the ideas of his thought; therefore all truth with such a man of the church becomes falsity.

[6] So far concerning the signification of Egypt in the Word. It shall now therefore be first proved from the Word itself that Egypt signifies the natural man conjoined with the spiritual, or the scientific vivified by the influx of spiritual light, or, what is the same, faith conjoined with charity, which is in itself faith. Afterwards it shall be proved that Egypt, in the opposite sense, signifies the natural man separated from the spiritual, or the scientific not vivified by any influx of spiritual life, or, what is the same thing, faith separated from charity, which in itself is not faith. That Egypt signifies the natural man conjoined with the spiritual, also the scientific vivified by the influx of spiritual light, which in itself is the true scientific, or the truth of the natural man, and what is similar, faith conjoined with charity, which in itself is faith, is evident from the following passages.

[7] In Isaiah:

"In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt, speaking with the lip of Canaan, and swearing to Jehovah Zebaoth; every one shall be called the city of Cheres. In that day there shall be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a statue at the boundary thereof to Jehovah. They shall cry unto Jehovah on account of oppressions, who shall send unto them a Saviour and Prince. Then shall Jehovah become known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know Jehovah in that day, and shall make the sacrifice and meal-offering. So Jehovah shall smite Egypt, smiting and healing, whence they shall turn themselves unto Jehovah, who shall be entreated of them, and shall heal them. In that day there shall be a highway from Egypt into Assyria, and Assyria shall come into Egypt, and Egypt into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with Assyria; in that day Israel shall be a third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land, which Jehovah Zebaoth will bless, saying, Blessed be my people Egypt, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance" (19:18-25).

Here Egypt is put for the natural man conjoined with the spiritual, thus for the nations and peoples who were outside the church, and these, not being in truths, were natural men, but having heard the Gospel, they acknowledged the Lord, and being instructed therefrom in the truths of doctrine, they received faith. The coming of the Lord is meant by the term "in that day," which is here five times used. In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt, speaking with the lip of Canaan, signifies that there shall be with them many doctrinals agreeing with the truths of the doctrine of the church itself, five denoting many, cities doctrinals, the land of Egypt the church of such nations, and the lip of Canaan the truths of the doctrine of the church. Every one shall be called the city Cheres signifies the doctrine of the good of charity in every one, city denoting doctrine, and Cheres - which in the Hebrew means the sun and its brightness - denoting the good of charity and faith therefrom.

[8] In that day there shall be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a statue at the boundary thereof to Jehovah, signifies that then there shall be the worship of the Lord from the goods of charity, and thence from the truths of faith in all things pertaining to the natural man. The altar to Jehovah signifies worship from the good of charity, and the statue, worship from the truths of faith; in the midst of the land of Egypt signifies every where and in all things of the natural man, and the boundary signifies truth scientific (verum scientificum).

[9] They shall cry unto Jehovah on account of oppressions, who shall send to them a Saviour and Prince, signifies their grief because of the defect of truth, and of spiritual good therefrom, and the advent of the Lord from whom they will receive them; to cry signifying grief, oppressions the want of truth and spiritual good therefrom, and Saviour and Prince the Lord, who is called preserver or Saviour from the good of love, and Prince from the truth of faith. Then shall Jehovah become known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know Jehovah in that day, signifies the acknowledgment of the Lord and of His Divine. And they shall make the sacrifice and meal-offering, signifies the worship of the Lord according to His precepts from the Word, thus from truths of doctrine and from the good of love. So Jehovah shall smite Egypt, smiting and healing, whence they shall turn themselves unto Jehovah, and He shall be entreated of them and shall heal them, signifies temptations and thus conversion, and healing from falsities by means of truths.

[10] In that day there shall be a highway from Egypt into Assyria, so that Assyria may come into Egypt and Egypt into Assyria, signifies that then the Rational shall be opened in them by means of truths scientific (vera scientifica), and so that man may regard the scientifics of the natural man rationally, and thus intelligently. Egypt denotes the Scientific of the natural man, and Assyria denotes the Rational. In that day Israel shall be a third with Egypt and with Assyria, a blessing in the midst of the land, signifies influx into each from spiritual light, Israel being the spiritual man, which has light from heaven, Egypt the natural man, which has light from the world, and Asshur the rational man, which is the middle, and which, receiving light from the Spiritual, transmits it into the Natural and illustrates it. Which Jehovah shall bless, signifies influx from the Lord; saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, signifies the natural man enlightened; and Assyria the work of my hands signifies the rational man, rational not from self but from the Lord; and Israel mine inheritance signifies the spiritual man, called an inheritance because the entire Spiritual is of the Lord, for it is His proceeding Divine from which are heaven and the church. Who could understand these prophecies without the spiritual sense?

[11] In Micah:

"This is the day in which they shall come even unto thee from Assyria and the cities of Egypt, and thence from Egypt unto the river, and from sea to sea, and from mountain to mountain" (7:12).

These things are also said concerning the establishment of a church by the Lord with the nations, and by these words are described the extension of that church from one end to the other. One extremity of the land of Canaan was the river Euphrates, and the other was the river of Egypt; the extension of truth from one end to the other is signified by from sea to sea, and the extension of good from one end to the other, by from mountain to mountain.

[12] That the extension of the land of Canaan, which signifies the church, was from the river of Egypt to the river of Assyria (Euphrates), is evident in Moses:

"In this day Jehovah made a covenant with Abram, saying, To thy seed will I give this land, from the river of Egypt even to the great river, the river Euphrates" (Genesis 15:18).

And in the First Book of Kings:

"Solomon was ruler over all the kingdoms from the river" Euphrates "to the land of the Philistines, and even to the lands" (4:21).

For the church, which in itself is spiritual, terminates in the natural man, that is, in its Rational and Scientific, for the Rational is in the interior-natural man, and is its understanding; in it also is the Scientific. The Rational is born by means of scientifics, for in these it sees its conclusions as in a mirror, and, confirms itself by means of them, but yet from the Spiritual, without which man can neither have the Rational nor a true Scientific, but in place of the Rational ability to reason, and instead of a true Scientific a false Scientific. These two therefore form the boundaries of the spiritual church, which is signified by the land of Canaan.

[13] In Ezekiel:

"Son of man, say unto Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and unto his multitude, Whom art thou like in thy greatness? Behold Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon, beautiful in branch, and a shady forest, and high in stature, and its shoot was among the interwoven boughs; the waters caused it to grow, the deep made it high so that with its rivers it went about the plant, and sent out its conduits to all the trees of the field, whence its stature became high, and its branches became long, because of the many waters which it sent out. In its branches all the birds of the heavens made their nests, and under its branches every beast of the field brought forth, and in its shade dwelt all great nations; it was beautiful in its greatness, in the length of its branches, for its root was with many waters. The cedars in the garden of God hide it not; the fir trees were not equal to its branches; nor was any tree in the garden of God equal to it in beauty; they made it beautiful by the multitude of its branches, and all the trees of Eden which are in the garden of God envied it" (31:2-9).

Because Pharaoh, king of Egypt, signifies the Intellectual of the natural man, which is born and formed from truths scientific (vera scientifica) rationally seen, he is therefore here called Asshur, which signifies the Rational, and is described by a cedar and its height, and the length and multitude of its branches; and this because a cedar also, in the Word, signifies the Rational. But the greater part of this passage has been explained above (650:26). Because the Rational is of such a nature and quality as to intellectual truths, and thence the Natural is such as to scientific truths, therefore it is said that the cedars in the garden of God hide it not, that the fir trees were not equal to its branches, nor any tree in the garden of God equal to it in beauty. The garden of God signifies the intelligence which the man of the church has, who is in genuine truths; the cedar signifies his Rational which is from a spiritual origin; the fir tree the perceptive [faculty] of the natural man; and beauty signifies affection for truth, and intelligence therefrom. By making it fair by the multitude of branches is signified abundance of scientific truths rationally perceived; all the trees of Eden in the garden of God envied it signifies the perceptions of truth from celestial good, whence comes wisdom, trees signifying perceptions, where the celestial man is treated of, cognitions where the spiritual man is treated of, and Eden in the garden of God the wisdom which is from the good of love. That Pharaoh and Egypt are here meant and described by Asshur and the cedar is evident also from the last verse of the same chapter, where it is said, "This is Pharaoh and all his multitude."

Since all the intelligence and wisdom of the spiritual man becomes ultimated in the natural man, and there renders itself visible, therefore, in the passage above cited, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who signifies the Intellectual which is born and formed in the natural man from scientific truths, is compared to a cedar in the garden of God; consequently it is the land of Egypt that is meant by the garden of God, similarly as in Moses:

"Lot lifted up his eyes, and saw all the plain of the Jordan, that the whole of it was well watered, as the garden of Jehovah, as the land of Egypt, in coming to Zoar" (Genesis 13:10).

[14] The natural man as to his Intellectual, as described above in Ezekiel, is also described by Sennacherib, the chief captain of the king of Assyria, but by his blasphemies, in these words:

"By the hand of thy messengers thou hast insulted the Lord, and hast said, By the multitude of my chariots I am come up to the height of the mountains, the sides of Lebanon, where I will cut down the height of the cedars thereof, the choice of the fir trees thereof, and I will come on to the lodging-place of his border, the forest of his fruitful field; I have digged and drunk strange waters, and I will dry up with the sole of my footsteps all the rivers of Egypt" (2 Kings 19:23, 24).

Similar things are here signified as in the passage cited above, namely, the rational things appertaining to the men of the church formed from scientific truths, and illustrated from the spiritual Divine, which still the king of Assyria, who here signifies the perverted rational, desired to destroy, for he made war upon Hezekiah, king of Judah. But because he blasphemed those things, and threatened to destroy all things of the church from first to last which is formed in man from the Spiritual in his Rational and Natural, therefore in that night a hundred and eighty-five thousand were smitten in his camp by the angel of Jehovah (ver. 35). Here the multitude of chariots of the king of Assyria signifies falsities of doctrine; the height of the mountains, and the sides of Lebanon which he wished to ascend, signify all the goods and truths of the church which he desired to destroy. The height of the cedars and the choice of fir trees which he wished to cut down signify rational and natural truths as to perception; the forest of the fruitful field signifies scientifics. The rivers of Egypt which he would dry up with the sole of his footsteps signify the knowledge (scientia) of the natural man from a spiritual origin, which he would annihilate and blot out by means of his Sensual, the sole of the footsteps of the king of Assyria denoting the Sensual and reasoning therefrom, which is from fallacies alone; and the rivers of Egypt denote the intelligence of the natural man from the scientifics that are from a spiritual origin, when they are applied to confirm the truths of the church, which are spiritual.

[15] Every man in whom the church is to be implanted must first be instructed in scientifics, for unless the natural man be instructed by means of scientifics, which consist of various experiences from worldly things and associations, a man cannot become rational, and if he does not become rational he cannot become spiritual, for the Rational of man conjoins itself on one side with the Spiritual, that is, with heaven, and on the other side with the Natural, that is, with the world. For this reason and because the church was to be instituted with the sons of Israel therefore the natural man with them had first to be instructed, that is, in truths naturally and also scientifically understood.

In order that this might be represented and signified, it came to pass that Abraham, whose posterity was to represent the church, and himself to be the head thereof, sojourned in Egypt with his wife, and abode there for a time, (Genesis 12:10, and following verses); and afterwards, Jacob with his sons, who were then called the sons of Israel, went by command into Egypt, and dwelt in Goshen, which was the best of the lands of Egypt, and remained there a long time (Genesis 46, and following chapters).

[16] This was done to the intent that they might first be instructed in truths scientifically and naturally, before being instructed spiritually. For by truths scientifically and naturally understood every one procures to himself a Rational into which the spiritual can flow and become operative; for man receives the light of heaven, which is spiritual light, through the Rational, which belongs to his understanding, and through the Rational enlightened from the Spiritual he surveys knowledges and scientifics, selecting such as are in agreement with the genuine truths and goods of heaven and the church, which are spiritual, and rejecting those which do not agree. Thus does a man establish the church in himself. This is the reason it is said of Abraham and Jacob, that on account of the famine in the land of Canaan they went to Egypt to sojourn there; it is said on account of the famine, because a famine signifies a deficiency of the knowledges of truth and good, and also an ardent desire for them, and to sojourn, in the Word, signifies to be instructed.

[17] From this it is evident what is meant by these words in David:

"Thou hast caused a vine to go forth out of Egypt, thou hast driven out the nations, and hast planted it, thou hast made clean before it, and caused it to take root, so that it filled the land; thou hast sent out its shoots unto the sea, and its little branches to the river" (Psalm 80:8, 9, 11).

The vine out of Egypt signifies the church, which the sons of Israel represented. By driving out the nations is signified to expel the evils of the natural man, which are expelled by means of truths; by planting it, making clean before it, and causing it to take root, is signified to instruct according to order, that is to embue with knowledges and scientifics, then to be as in a wilderness and be tempted, and afterwards to be introduced into the land of Canaan, that is, into the church; these things are signified in their order by thou hast planted it, thou hast made clean before it, thou hast caused it to take root, so that it filled the earth. By sending out the shoots thereof even to the sea is signified the increase of intelligence and its extension to the ultimates of the good and truth of the church; and by sending out the little branches unto the river is signified unto the Rational. That the river, namely, the Euphrates, signifies the Rational may be seen above (n. 569).

[18] In Hosea:

"When Israel was a boy, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt" (11:1).

Israel, in the spiritual sense, signifies the church, and in the highest sense the Lord, who, as He is the all of heaven, is also the all of the church. And because the sons of Israel were to represent the church, and it was according to Divine order that they should first be instructed in such things as might serve the Rational and by means of this the Spiritual, therefore they first sojourned in Egypt, and afterwards were led into the wilderness that they might undergo temptations, and that the natural man by means of these might be subdued. For man does not become rational until useless and false scientifics are removed, and the natural man is thus purified, which takes place chiefly by means of temptations.

[19] Since Israel, in the highest sense, means the Lord, therefore also the Lord Himself, when an infant, was carried down into Egypt, according to these words in Matthew:

"An angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, take the boy, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word; and he arose and took the boy and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, Out of Egypt have I called my son" (2:13-15).

This also signifies the first instruction of the Lord; for the Lord was instructed like any other man, but by virtue of His Divine He received all things more intelligently and wisely than all others. But this departure into Egypt only represented instruction; for as all the representatives of the Jewish and Israelitish church looked to Him, therefore He also represented them in Himself and accomplished them, for thus He fulfilled all things of the Law. Since representatives were the ultimates of heaven and of the church, and since all prior things - which are rational, spiritual, and celestial things - enter into ultimates and are in them, therefore it was that the Lord was in ultimates by means of them. And because all strength resides in ultimates, therefore from primaries by means of ultimates He subjugated all the hells, and reduced to order all things in the heavens. For this reason the entire life of the Lord in the world was representative, even also as to all things related by the Evangelists concerning His passion, which represented the quality of the church at that time as being contrary to the Divine, and opposed to all the goods and truths of heaven and of the church.

[20] From these things it is evident what is meant by Egypt, where the church to be established by the Lord is treated of in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Thus said Jehovah: The labour of Egypt and the merchandize of Cush and of the Sabeans, men of length, shall come over unto thee, and they shall be thine; they shall come after thee, in bonds shall they come over unto thee, so that they shall bow themselves down towards thee, they shall pray towards thee; only in thee is God, and there is no God beside" (45:14).

These things are said of the Lord, who is treated of in the whole of that chapter. By the labour of Egypt, and by the merchandize of Cush and of the Sabeans, is signified the delight of natural love arising from the acquisition of the knowledges of truth and good; those knowledges themselves are signified by the Sabeans, who are called men of length from good, for length signifies good and its quality, and breadth truth and its quality. That they will be added to the church, and acknowledge and worship the Lord, is signified by they shall come over unto thee, they shall be thine, they shall bow themselves down towards thee. That the natural man in them will serve the spiritual, and thus the Lord, is signified by the words, in bonds shall they come over, for those are said to come in bonds, in whom the desires of the natural man are restrained; that they shall acknowledge the Lord alone to be God is meant by the words, they shall pray towards Him, only in Him is God, and there is no God beside.

[21] In David:

"Those that are fat shall come out of Egypt, Cush shall hasten her hands unto God; sing to God, ye kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord" (Psalm 68:31, 32).

Those that are fat out of Egypt signify the nations who are in the affection of knowing truths, and Cush signifies those who imbibe them from the delight of the natural man. This signification of Cush is evident from other passages in the Word where it is mentioned, as in Genesis 2:13; Zeph. 3:5, 9, 10; Dan. 11:43. That the nations will receive the goods and truths of heaven and of the church from the Lord is signified by the words, "Sing to God, ye kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord."

[22] In Hosea:

"With honour shall they come as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove from the land of Assyria, and I will cause them to dwell upon their houses" (11:11).

These things are also said of the Lord as about to establish a church with the nations. It is said, as a bird out of Egypt, because a bird signifies thoughts from scientific truths; and as a dove from the land of Assyria, because a dove signifies rational good from spiritual, and Assyria the Rational itself. By causing them to dwell upon their houses are signified the interiors of the mind formed by means of truths from good, and thus safe from infestation by falsities of evil.

[23] In Isaiah:

"It shall come to pass in that day Jehovah shall beat out from the spike of the river unto the river of Egypt; and ye shall be gathered one to another, O sons of Israel; moreover it shall come to pass in that day that the great trumpet shall sound, and the perishing in the land of Assyria shall come, and the outcasts from the land of Egypt, and they shall bow themselves down to Jehovah in the mountain of holiness, in Jerusalem" (27:12, 13).

In that day signifies the coming of the Lord; from the spike of the river unto the river of Egypt which Jehovah shall beat out signifies all rational and scientific truth subservient to spiritual; it is said, from the spike, because it contains the corn, which signifies the truth and good that serve the spiritual man for nourishment. In that day the great trumpet shall sound, signifies a calling together unto the church by the Lord; that those shall be added to the church who otherwise would have perished by reasonings from scientifics applied to confirm falsities, is signified by the perishing in the land of Assyria shall come, and the outcasts from the land of Egypt. They shall bow themselves down to Jehovah in the mountain of holiness in Jerusalem, signifies that they will worship the Lord, and that a church will be formed from them, the mountain of holiness signifying the church as to the good of life, and Jerusalem the church as to truth of doctrine. These things are said of the sons of Israel who were held captive in Assyria and Egypt; but by the sons of Israel there and also elsewhere are meant the nations who were to form the church, and by their captivity in Assyria and Egypt is signified the spiritual captivity which a man is in from falsities of religion.

[24] In Zechariah:

"I will bring them back out of the land of Egypt, and I will gather them together out of Assyria, and I will lead them to the land of Gilead and Lebanon. He shall pass through the sea of affliction, but he shall smite the waves in the sea, and the pride of Asshur shall be cast down, and the staff of Egypt shall depart" (10:10, 11).

These things also treat of the restoration of the church by the Lord. By bringing back out of the land of Egypt, and gathering them together out of Assyria, are signified things similar to those in the above passage in Isaiah, which have been explained. The land of Gilead and Lebanon signify the goods and truths of the church in the natural man. He shall pass through the sea of affliction, but shall smite the waves in the sea, and the pride of Asshur shall be cast down, and the staff of Egypt shall depart, signifies that the evils and falsities of the natural man shall be dispersed, and the reasonings from scientifics which confirm them. To pass through the sea of affliction signifies temptations; waves signify falsities and evils; the pride of Asshur signifies reasonings from the pride of [one's] own intelligence; and the staff of Egypt signifies the confirmatory scientific.

[25] In Ezekiel:

"At the end of forty years I will gather together Egypt from the peoples, whither they were scattered, and I will bring them back into the land of Pathros, upon the land of their trading, that they may be there a humble kingdom, that thou mayest not exalt thyself any more over the nations; and I will diminish them so that they shall not rule over the nations" (29:13-16).

Egypt here signifies the church with those who are in a moral life from natural light (naturali lumine). The temptations which such must endure in order that the natural man may not rule over the spiritual, is signified by forty years; the scientifics by which they confirmed falsities are signified by Egypt which Jehovah will gather from the peoples among whom they were scattered; their enlightenment by the knowledges of truth is signified by, I will bring them back into the land of Pathros, which is called the land of their trading, from the knowledges which such will procure for themselves, for to trade signifies to procure and communicate knowledges. They shall be a humble kingdom, that thou mayest not exalt thyself any more over the nations; and I will diminish them so that they shall not rule over the nations, signifies that the scientifics of the natural man shall not be puffed up, and in their elation do evil to the truths and goods of the church, and rule over them. The nations first mentioned signify the truths of the church, and the nations last mentioned signify its goods.

[26] In Zechariah:

"Every one that is left of all the nations that come against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to adore the king, Jehovah Zebaoth, and to keep the feast of tabernacles; whoso shall not go up, upon them there shall be no rain; and if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, nor be with them, there shall be a plague with which Jehovah will smite the nations" (14:16-18).

These words also are said of the coming of the Lord, and the establishment of the church by Him. The king, Jehovah Zebaoth, whom they shall adore, means the Lord; the feast of tabernacles signifies the implantation of good by means of truths. Whoso shall not go up, upon them there shall be no rain, signifies that there is no influx of truth and good from the Lord with those who do not come to His church. That those who are in natural light from scientifics only, and with whom good cannot be implanted by means of truths, will be in evils and falsities of every kind, is signified by, "if the family of Egypt go not up, there shall be a plague with which Jehovah will smite the nations."

[27] In Isaiah:

"I am Jehovah thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour; I have given Egypt a ransom for thee, Cush and Sheba, in place of thee; I will give a man in place of thee, and a people for thy soul" (43:3, 4).

These things also are said of the Lord and the redemption of those who acknowledge Him and from affection receive truths from Him; redemption is signified by "ransom," "in place of thee," and "for thy soul." The natural affection for knowing truths from spiritual affection is signified by Egypt, Cush, and Sheba; their intelligence thence is signified by a man; and the church from them, by a people.

[28] Since Egypt signifies the natural man, and all the intelligence of the spiritual man has its end and foundation in the natural man, and in its knowledges and scientifics, therefore a man without them is not intelligent or wise, nor indeed rational, for the spiritual man must act as one with the natural man, as cause with effect, and he acts as one by correspondences. This is the reason why in ancient times, when there was a representative church also in Egypt, that the king of Egypt, or Pharaoh, was called "the son of the wise," and "the son of the kings of olden time" (Is. 19:11); and Egypt "the corner-stone of the tribes" (ver. 13), for the tribes signify all the truths and goods of the church collectively, and the corner-stone signifies their foundation.

[29] So also it is said of Solomon, who represented the Lord as to His celestial kingdom and His spiritual kingdom, that "his wisdom excelled the wisdom of all the sons of the East, and all the wisdom of the Egyptians" (1 Kings 4:30). The sons of the East mean all those who at that time were in the knowledges of truth and good, and became wise through these. The Egyptians mean all those who were learned in knowledges (scientiis), especially in the knowledge (scientia) of correspondences, and were consequently in intelligence. The knowledges of the Egyptians are therefore called "the hidden things of gold and silver," and "desirable things," in Daniel:

The king of the north "shall put forth his hands over the lands, and the land of Egypt shall not escape, for he shall have power over the treasures of gold and silver, and over all the desirable things of Egypt" (11:42, 43).

[30] On this account also the sons of Israel, when they went out of Egypt, were commanded to borrow of the Egyptians vessels of gold and vessels of silver and raiment, which they took away out of Egypt" (Exodus 12:35, 36). Vessels of gold and silver, and raiment, signified the knowledges and cognitions of truth and good, which were taken away from Egypt, because the Egyptians applied them to confirm evils and falsities, and perverted them to idolatrous and magical purposes. When, therefore, the Egyptians were deprived of them, and thus became merely natural, they were shortly afterwards drowned in the sea Suph (Red Sea), which represented the lot of those who make an improper use of knowledges (scientiae) to confirm evils and falsities; for after death they are deprived of all cognition of truth and good, and, when this is accomplished, they are cast down into hell, and this was also represented by the drowning of the Egyptians in the sea Suph (Red Sea).

[31] Because Egypt signifies knowledge (scientia), from which man has intelligence, therefore where Tyre is treated of it is said that fine linen with broidered work from Egypt was her sail, and that it was to her for a sign (Ezekiel 27:7). Tyre signifies the cognitions of truth, and fine linen with broidered work from Egypt signifies knowledge from spiritual truth, broidered work denoting knowledge, and fine linen, spiritual truth. A sail and a sign signify manifestation, spiritual truths being made manifest by means of knowledges (scientias), for by means of these they appear to the sight and perception of the natural man.

[32] Since all scientifics that serve the spiritual man for the confirmation of truths are from the Lord, that is, all the application of them to confirm the truths and goods of heaven and the church, therefore Joseph was carried down into Egypt, and was there made ruler of the whole land (Genesis 41). For Joseph, in the highest sense, means the Lord as to the spiritual Divine, and thus also the truth of doctrine, which is based upon the scientifics of the natural man, as was said above (448). And because the natural man, or the Natural of man, must be subordinate to the spiritual, that it may be serviceable for confirming and executing the decisions of the spiritual man, therefore Joseph, on account of the representation of that dominion, was made ruler over Egypt, and, under his direction, Egypt had provision or corn in abundance so that the neighbouring countries were supplied therefrom, and the land of Canaan itself.

[33] Since Solomon represented the Lord as to both the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom, and as all in both kingdoms are in intelligence and wisdom by means of the cognitions of truth and good and by means of the scientifics which confirm them, therefore Solomon took the daughter of Pharaoh to wife, and brought her into the city of David (1 Kings 3:1); and also afterwards built for the daughter of Pharaoh a house like unto the porch (1 Kings 7:8); this also represented, that knowledge (scientia) all intelligence and wisdom is founded, is signified by Egypt in a good sense. And because every man of the church has a Spiritual, a Rational and a Natural, therefore Solomon built three houses, the house of God, or the temple, representing the Spiritual, the house of the forest of Lebanon the Rational - for the cedar, and thence Lebanon, signifies the Rational - and the house of the daughter of Pharaoh the Natural. These interior truths (arcana) do not appear in the historical sense of the Word, but still they lie concealed in its spiritual sense.

[34] So far we have treated of the signification of Egypt in a good sense, now also the signification of Egypt in a bad or opposite sense must be treated of. In this sense Egypt signifies the natural man separated from the spiritual, or truth scientific separated from spiritual good, which in itself is falsity; or, what is the same thing, faith separated from charity, which in itself is not faith. For man is born natural, and at first acquires scientifics from his teachers and parents, also from the reading of books, and at the same time from his life in the world; and unless he becomes spiritual, that is, is born anew, he applies the scientifics which he has acquired to justify the appetites and pleasures of the natural man - in a word, his loves, which are all contrary to Divine order. It is this natural man that is signified by Egypt, in the opposite sense, as is evident from the following passages:

[35] In Ezekiel:

"Because" Pharaoh "is lifted up in stature, and hath set his top among the interwoven boughs, and his heart is lifted up in his height, I will give him into the hand of the strong one of the nations; according to his impiety I have rejected him, wherefore strangers shall cut him off, the violent of the nations, and shall cast him down; upon the mountains and the valleys have his branches fallen; whence all the peoples of the earth are gone down from his shadow and have forsaken him; upon his ruin shall dwell every bird of the heavens, and every wild beast of the field shall be upon his branches; all shall be delivered up to death, unto the lower earth, in the midst of the sons of man, unto them that go down into the pit. In the day that he shall go down into hell (infernum = Hebrew, sheol) I will cover over him the abyss, and I will restrain the streams thereof, that the great waters may be shut up, and I will darken Lebanon over him, and all the trees of the field shall languish over him. To whom art thou thus become like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden? when thou shalt be brought down with the trees of Eden into the lower earth, when thou shalt be in the midst of the uncircumcised, with them that are slain with the sword. This is Pharaoh, and all his multitude" (31:10-18).

Pharaoh here signifies the same as Egypt, namely, the natural man as to knowledge (scientia) and intelligence therefrom. The pride of (man's) own intelligence from knowledge is meant by his being lifted up in stature, and setting his top amongst the interwoven boughs, and by his heart being lifted up in his height; the interwoven boughs signify the scientifics of the natural man. I will give him into the hand of the strong one of the nations signifies that scientifics were applied to justify desires for evil and falsity, the strong one of the nations denoting the falsity of evil. That the falsities of evil will destroy him is signified by the strangers shall cut him off, the violent of the nations shall cast him down.

[36] Upon the mountains and the valleys have his branches fallen signifies that all scientific and rational truths were dispersed by evils and falsities. That all the truths of the church were driven away is signified by, all the peoples of the earth are gone down from his shadow, and have forsaken him; that the thoughts of and affections for falsity succeed in the place of these is signified by, upon his ruin shall dwell every bird of the heavens, and every wild beast of the field shall be upon his branches. That all things are damned and infernal is signified by, all shall be delivered up to death, unto the lower earth, in the midst of the sons of man, unto them that go down into the pit; the sons of man denote those who are in [their] own intelligence, and the pit means where those are who are in falsities of doctrine; the prevention of any scientific and rational truths from entering is signified by, I will cover over him the abyss, and I will restrain the streams thereof; the same is meant of spiritual truths by, the great waters shall be shut up; that he shall have no Rational is signified by, I will darken over him Lebanon.

[37] That he shall have no knowledges of truth pertaining to the church is signified by, all the trees of the field shall languish over him. To whom art thou thus become like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden, signifies that he shall no longer have any understanding of truth, nor any perception of the knowledges of good, on account of the pride of [his] own intelligence. When thou shalt be brought down with the trees of Eden into the lower earth, signifies because the knowledges of good were utterly perverted by application to evil, the trees of Eden denoting knowledges of good from the Word, which the natural man has perverted and falsified. That they shall be among those in hell who by a faith separated from the life of charity have extinguished in themselves all truth, is signified by the words, when thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with them that are slain with the sword, the slain with the sword denoting in the Word those who have extinguished truths in themselves by falsities; that all these things are said of the natural man deprived of light from the spiritual man is signified by, this is Pharaoh and all his multitude, Pharaoh denoting the natural man, and his multitude every scientific therein.

[38] In the same prophet:

"Son of man, prophesy and say, Howl ye, Alas, the day, a day of cloud, it shall be the time of the nations, in which a sword shall come into Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and shall overturn her foundations; and they that uphold Egypt shall fall, and the pride of her strength shall come down, from the tower of Seveneh they shall fall in it by the sword; then shall they be devastated in the midst of the lands that are devastated, and the cities thereof shall be in the midst of the cities that are wasted; that they may know that I am Jehovah, when I have set a fire in Egypt that all her helpers may be broken; and I will cause the multitude of Egypt to cease by the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, he and his people with him, the violent of the nations, who shall be brought to destroy the land; and they shall draw their sword against Egypt, and shall fill the land with the slain; then will I make the rivers dry land, and I will sell the land into the hand of the wicked, and I will lay waste the land and the fulness thereof by the hand of strangers, there shall no more be a prince out of the land of Egypt; I will set a fire in Egypt, and I will scatter Egypt among the nations, and I will disperse them through the lands" (30:1 to end).

This is an abstract of that chapter. It is a lamentation over the vastation of the church by falsities which favour the evils of the natural man; for from the natural man separated from the spiritual flow all evils, and falsities therefrom, which pervert and destroy the truths and goods of the church. Lamentation over that vastation is signified by, howl ye, Alas, the day, a day of cloud, it shall be the time of the nations, a day of cloud denoting the state of the church from truths not understood, consequently from falsities, and the time of the nations denotes the state of the church from evils. That falsity will destroy the whole natural man, and all things that are therein by application to evils, is signified by, a sword shall come into Egypt, and they shall take away her multitude, and shall overturn her foundations.

[39] That there will be no confirmations and corroborations of truth by the scientifics of the natural man is signified by, they that uphold Egypt shall fall, and the pride of her strength shall come down. That falsities will destroy the understanding of truth is signified by the words, from the tower of Seveneh, they shall fall in it by the sword. That all things of the church and of the doctrine of the church will perish is signified by, then shall they be devastated in the midst of the lands that are devastated, and the cities thereof [shall be] in the midst of the cities that are wasted. The evil desires from the natural man are signified by the fire which Jehovah will set in Egypt. That there will be no longer any confirmations of truth from the natural man is signified by, all her helpers shall be broken. That the desires of the love of self and falsities therefrom will devastate is signified by, the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, of him and his people.

[40] That thus the church will be devastated by the falsities of evil doing violence to the goods of charity and the truths of faith, is signified by the violent of the nations being brought to destroy the land, and drawing their sword against Egypt, and filling the land with the slain. That thus truth is not understood is signified by, I will make the rivers dry land; because, instead of good in the church there is evil, and instead of truth falsity, is signified by, I will sell the land into the hand of the wicked, and I will lay waste the land and the fulness thereof by the hand of strangers. That there will be no truth as chief, and consequently no truth of life from the Lord, is signified by, there shall be no more, a prince out of the land of Egypt. That nothing but evils from the love of self will occupy the natural man is signified by, I will set fire in Egypt, and I will scatter Egypt among the nations; that hence all things of the church will be dissipated is signified by, I will disperse them through the lands.

[41] In Isaiah:

"The prophecy of the beasts of the south; in a land of distress and anguish, the young lion and the old lion are before them, the viper and the fiery flying serpent; they carry their wealth upon the shoulder of asses, and their treasures upon the back of camels, unto a people that shall not profit, and Egypt, vanity and emptiness, will be their help" (30:6, 7).

The beasts of the south signify the desires, which are from the natural man, extinguishing the light which the man of the church ought to possess from the Word. The land of distress and anguish signifies the church where there will be no good of charity nor truth of faith. The young lion and the old lion that were before them signify the power of falsity destroying the truth and good of the church; the viper and fiery flying serpent signify the Sensual reasoning subtly and craftily. They carry their wealth upon the shoulder of asses, and their treasures upon the back of camels, signifies the scientifics of the sensual and natural man, from which they draw all their conclusions, wealth and treasures denoting the knowledge of truth and good from the Word, but in this case false scientifics, because from [man's] own intelligence, asses denoting the things of the sensual man, and camels those of the natural. Egypt, which is vanity and emptiness, signifies both the Sensual and the Natural, which regarded in themselves are without good and without truths.

[42] In the same prophet:

"Woe to them that go down into Egypt for help, and stay on horses, and trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very mighty; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, and seek not Jehovah; for Egypt is man and not a god, and his horses are flesh and not spirit" (31:1, 3).

These words describe the state of those who desire to be wise from themselves, consequently from [their] own intelligence, and not from the Lord, in those things which pertain to heaven and the church, and because such are merely natural, and therefore take up every thing from the fallacies of the senses, and from scientifics wrongly applied, and pervert and falsify the truths and goods of the church, therefore it is said of them, Woe to them that go down into Egypt for help, and look not unto the Holy One of Israel, and seek not Jehovah. Things of the imagination from the fallacies of the senses are signified by the horses of Egypt on which they stay; falsities of doctrine confirmed from scientifics in great abundance are signified by their trusting in chariots, because they are many; and the reasonings therefrom with which they fight against truths are signified by the horsemen in whom they trust because they are very mighty. That the natural man has no understanding of Divine things from himself is signified by, Egypt is man and not a god; that his intelligence is from the proprium, in which there is no life, is signified by, his horses are flesh and not spirit, the horses of Egypt denoting things of the imagination, which in themselves are dead, because they are fallacies, flesh denoting the proprium of man, and spirit life from the Lord.

[43] In Jeremiah:

"Against Egypt, against the army of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, which was by the river Euphrates, which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, smote. Who is this that cometh up like a stream, whose waters are tossed like the streams? Egypt cometh up like a stream, and like streams his waters are tossed; for he saith, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and the inhabitants therein; go up ye horses, and rage, ye chariots, and come forth, ye mighty men; the sword shall devour and be satisfied, and shall be made drunk with their blood. Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O virgin daughter of Egypt, in vain hast thou multiplied medicines, there is no healing for thee" (46:2, 7-11, and also 14-26).

It is clear from all these details when seen in the spiritual sense that Egypt here also signifies the natural man with its scientifics, when separated from the spiritual, which results from the pride of [man's] own intelligence, which destroys the truths and goods of the church by reasonings from scientifics. For the army of the king of Egypt which was by the river Euphrates signifies scientifics falsely applied and reasonings from them; which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, smote signifies the destruction of these by the pride of [man's] own intelligence. Who is this that cometh up like a stream, whose waters are tossed like the streams? signifies [man's] own intelligence and its falsities endeavouring to destroy the truths of the church. Egypt cometh up like a stream, and like streams his waters are tossed, signifies the natural man reasoning from himself, or from the proprium, against the truths of the church. For he said, I will go up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and the inhabitants therein, signifies the effort and desire to destroy the church, and the truths and goods of its doctrine. Go up, ye horses, and rage, ye chariots, and go forth, ye mighty men, signifies by means of imaginary things from fallacies, and by means of falsities of doctrine confirmed from scientifics, from which they appear to themselves to be strong.

[44] The sword shall devour and be satisfied, and shall be made drunk with their blood, signifies the total destruction of the natural man by falsities and by falsifications of truth. Go up to Gilead, and take balm, O daughter of Egypt, signifies the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, also reasoning and protection therefrom, Gilead signifying reasoning from the sense of the letter of the Word by which falsities are confirmed; for Gilead was not far from the Euphrates, and wax, balm, and myrrh came from there, and it was made the inheritance of the sons of Manasseh and the half tribe of Gad (Genesis 31:21; 37:25; Numbers 32:29; Joshua 13:25). Gilead therefore, in addition to other things, signifies reasonings from the sense of the letter of the Word; by balm is signified the application and thence confirmation of falsity, and by the daughter of Egypt the affection for falsity pertaining to such a church. In vain hast thou multiplied medicines, there is no feeling for thee, signifies that such things afford no help, however great their abundance, since truths themselves are thus falsified.

[45] In Moses:

"The Egyptians pursued the sons of Israel, and came behind them, all the horses of Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen, into the midst of the sea; but Jehovah looking unto the camp of the Egyptians, disturbed them, and took off the wheel of their chariots, and the waters returned, and covered the chariots and horsemen, with the whole army of Pharaoh" (Exodus 14:23-25, 28; 15:19, 21).

The horses of Pharaoh signify imaginary things since they are fallacies, which are scientifics from the perverted Intellectual, applied to confirm falsities; by his chariots are signified doctrinals of falsity, and by horsemen reasonings therefrom; by the wheel of the chariots is signified the faculty of reasoning. But these things are explained in the Arcana Coelestia 8208-8219, 8332-8335, 8343).

[46] Because of such signification of the horses of Egypt, it was directed through Moses, that if the people desire a king, a king shall be set over them, whom Jehovah God shall choose out of the midst of the sons of Israel, a man, a stranger who is not thy brother, shall not be set over them,

"only he shall not multiply to himself horses, nor bring back the people into Egypt, that he may multiply horses; for Jehovah hath said to you, Ye shall not return this way any more: neither shall he multiply to himself wives that his heart may not turn back, neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold" (Deuteronomy 17:15-17).

What these directions to a king signify cannot possibly be seen, unless it be known what is signified in the spiritual sense by a king, by the sons of Israel, by Egypt and its horses, also by wives, and by silver and gold. A king signifies truth from good, Egypt the natural man; his horses signify scientifics, wives the affections for truth and good, and silver and gold the truths and goods of the church, and in the opposite sense, its falsities and evils. And because a king signifies truth from good, and the sons of Israel signify the church from those who are in truths from good, therefore it is said that if the people desire it, a king shall be set over them, whom Jehovah God shall choose out of the midst of the sons of Israel, and that a man, a stranger who is not a brother, shall not be set over them, a man, a stranger who is not a brother, denoting a non-concordant religion; also falsity in which there is no good.

[47] And as Egypt signifies the natural man, and horses signify false scientifics which are imaginary things, it is therefore said, "only he shall not multiply to himself horses, nor bring back the people into Egypt that he may multiply horses." As wives signify affections for truth and good, which become affections for evil and falsity when one man has several wives, it is therefore said, "Neither shall he multiply to himself wives that his heart may not turn back;" and because silver and gold signify the truths and goods of the church, but here falsities and evils since they are regarded only by the natural man, it is therefore said, "Neither shall he greatly multiply to himself silver and gold." But to come nearer to the point, these words prescribe that truth shall not have rule over good, as is the case when the natural man rules over the spiritual; that this must not be done is signified by he shall not bring back the people into Egypt and thence multiply horses, nor take several wives, for wife and husband signify the affection for good corresponding to the affection for truth, which correspondence exists in the marriage of a man with one wife, but not with several. Other things of a similar nature are prescribed in the law of a king (1 Sam, 8:10-18). Because Solomon not only procured horses for himself from Egypt, but also multiplied wives, and heaped up silver and gold, therefore he became idolatrous, and after his death the kingdom was divided.

[48] In Isaiah:

"The prophecy concerning Egypt: Jehovah rideth upon a light cloud, and cometh into Egypt, whence the idols of Egypt shall be moved before him, and the heart of the Egyptian shall melt in the midst of him. I will shut up Egypt in the hand of a hard lord, and a fierce king shall rule over them. Then the waters shall fail in the sea, and the river shall dry up and become quite dry, and the streams shall recede, and the rivers of Egypt shall be dried up, the reed and the flag shall wither. Therefore the fishers shall mourn, and all that cast the hook into the stream shall be sad, and they that spread the net upon the faces of the waters shall languish; they also that make the thread of silks, and the weavers of curtains, shall be ashamed. How say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of the kings of olden time? Where now are thy wise men that they may declare? Come now; and let them know what Jehovah hath purposed upon Egypt. The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are carried away, and they have seduced Egypt the corner-stone of his tribes; there shall be no work for Egypt, that may make head and tail, branch and rush" (19:1-15).

That Egypt signifies the Natural of man separated from his Spiritual is evident also from these words considered in their spiritual sense. And man becomes merely natural when in his life he does not look to the Lord, but only to himself and to the world, consequently he is in the pride of [his] own intelligence - a common thing among the learned; and this perverts their Rational, and closes up the spiritual mind. In order that it may be known that the natural man is signified by Egypt, [man's] own intelligence by its river, and that falsities are signified by the waters of the river of Egypt, I will explain in their connection the things summarily cited from that chapter. Jehovah rideth upon a light cloud, and cometh into Egypt, signifies the visitation of the natural man from spiritual-natural Divine Truth, for visitation is an examination into the quality of a man, and examination is made by means of Divine Truth; a light cloud denotes spiritual-natural Divine Truth, from which the quality of man as to his Natural becomes evident. Whence the idols of Egypt shall be moved before Him, and the heart of the Egyptian shall melt in the midst of Him, signifies a mass and crowd of falsities in the natural man from which worship exists, and its terror on account of visitation.

[49] I will shut up Egypt in the hand of a hard lord, and a fierce king shall rule over them, signifies that the evil of falsity and the falsity of evil will reign therein, a hard lord denoting the evil of falsity, and a fierce king the falsity of evil. Then, the waters shall fail in the sea, and the river shall dry up and become quite dry, signifies that there will be no truths in the natural man, nor any intelligence therefrom. And the streams shall recede and the rivers of Egypt shall be dried up, signifies that it will turn from truths to falsities, and that consequently intelligence, being without truths from the light of the spiritual man, will become dead. The reed and the flag shall wither, signifies that all perception of truth and good from the sense of the letter of the Word which the sensual man would otherwise possess will vanish. Therefore the fishers shall mourn, and all that cast the hook into the stream shall be sad, and they that spread the net upon the faces of the waters shall languish, signifies that those who teach and instruct will labour in vain to reform the natural man by means of truths from the Word, fishermen and those who spread the net upon the faces of the waters signifying those that teach and instruct natural men from the Word, specifically from the sense of its letter; fish signify knowledges therefrom, and to be sad and to languish signifies to labour.

[50] They that make the thread of silks, and the weavers of curtains, shall be ashamed, signifies those who teach spiritual truths in a natural manner, thread of silks denoting spiritual truth, curtains denoting natural truths from a spiritual origin, and to make and weave these denoting to teach. How say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of the kings of olden time, where now are thy wise men? signifies that the wisdom and intelligence of the natural from the spiritual man have perished; for the natural man is formed to receive intelligence and wisdom from the spiritual man, and this takes place when both act as one, like cause and effect. The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are carried away, signifies that the truths of wisdom and intelligence from spiritual light in the natural man are turned into the falsities of insanity. Zoan and Noph were in the land of Egypt, and signified the enlightenment of the natural man from spiritual light. And they have seduced Egypt the corner-stone of the tribes, signifies that the natural man has been perverted; and in the natural man, nevertheless, all the truths and goods of the church have their foundation. There shall be no work for Egypt, that may make head and tail, branch and rush, signifies that they no longer have any intelligence, or knowledge (scientia) of truth, consequently no truth either spiritual or natural.

[51] In Ezekiel:

"Son of man, set thy faces against Pharaoh, king of Egypt, and prophesy against him, and against all Egypt; speak and say, Thus saith the Lord Jehovih, Behold I am against thee, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the great whale, that lieth in the midst of his rivers, who hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it for myself; wherefore I will put hooks into thy jaws, and I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, and I will leave thee in the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers; upon the faces of the field thou shalt fall, thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered; to the wild beast of the earth and to the bird of heaven have I given thee for food, that all the inhabitants of Egypt may know that I am Jehovah, because they have been a staff of a reed to the house of Israel; when they took hold of thee by the hand, thou wast broken, and thou piercedst through all their shoulder, and when they leaned upon thee, thou wast broken, and didst make all their loins to be at a stand. Behold I bring against thee the sword, and I will cut off from thee man and beast, that the land of Egypt may become a desert and a waste, because he hath said, The river is mine, and I have made it; therefore I am against thee, and against thy rivers, and I will give the land of Egypt unto desolations from the tower of Seveneh unto the border of Cush, and her cities shall be a desert forty years" (29:2-12).

These words also describe the natural man deprived of all truth and good through pride of knowledge and of [its] own intelligence therefrom. And because Pharaoh, king of Egypt, signifies the knowledge of the natural man, and [its] own intelligence therefrom, it is therefore said, "Behold I am against thee, Pharaoh, king of Egypt, the great whale, that lieth in the midst of his rivers;" by the great whale is signified the scientific of the natural man in general, in this case the false scientific, and by the river is signified [man's] own intelligence. Who hath said, the river is mine, and I have made it for myself, signifies that intelligence is from one's self (ex me) and not from the Lord, thus these words involve the pride of [man's] own intelligence. Wherefore I will put a hook into thy jaws, signifies false speaking and chastisement in consequence of it. And I will cause the fish of thy rivers to stick unto thy scales, signifies false scientifics of the lowest kind which are from the fallacies of the senses, fishes denoting scientifics, and scales the fallacies of the senses, which are scientifics of the lowest kind.

[52] And I will leave thee in the wilderness, thee and all the fish of thy rivers, signifies to be deprived of truths together with all scientifics from which intelligence comes. Upon the faces of the field shalt thou fall, thou shalt not be brought together, nor gathered, signifies a religion without any coherence and which cannot be re-established. To the wild beast of the earth and to the bird of heaven have I given thee for food, signifies to be consumed by the affections for and thoughts of falsity. That all the inhabitants of Egypt may know that I am Jehovah, signifies that they may know and believe that all truth and good, even in the natural man, are from the Lord. Because they have been a staff of a reed to the house of Israel, signifies confidence in the scientifics of the sensual man, which are fallacies in the men of the church; that staff of a reed signifies such confidence may be seen above (n. 627). When they took hold of thee by the hand thou wast broken and thou piercedst through all their shoulder, signifies that by such faith all the power of truth perishes; and when they leaned upon thee thou wast broken, and didst make all their loins to be at a stand, signifies that by confidence in them the faculty of receiving the good of love perishes.

[53] Behold I will bring against thee the sword, and I will cut off from thee man and beast, signifies that falsity will destroy all intelligence of truth and affection for good in the natural man. That the land of Egypt may become a desert and a waste, signifies that the natural man will thence be destitute of all truth and of all good. Because he said, The river is mine, and I have made it, signifies on account of the pride of [its] own intelligence. And I will give the land of Egypt unto desolation from the tower of Seveneh unto the border of Cush, signifies the destruction of the church from primaries to ultimates in the natural man. Her cities shall be a desert forty years, signifies doctrinals from pure falsities until no truth remains, forty years signifying the entire period of the vastation of the church, and also the entire duration of temptations.

[54] In the Second Book of Kings:

"Thou hast trusted thyself upon the staff of a bruised reed, upon Egypt, upon which if a man lean it entereth into his hand, and pierceth it; so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust in him" (18:21).

By the staff of a reed and by leaning upon it similar things to those above are signified. Therefore also Egypt is called in David, "The wild beast of the reed, the company of the strong, which scattereth the peoples" (Psalm 68:30). The wild beast of the reed signifies the affection or desire for falsity from the scientifics of the sensual man, which are fallacies; these are called the company of the strong, because they strongly persuade; and because they disperse the truths of the church, it is said, "which scattereth the people."

[55] In Hosea:

"Ephraim shall be as a silly dove, without heart; they have called Egypt, they have gone to Assyria; woe unto them, because they have wandered from me, devastation to them, because they have transgressed against me; their princes shall fall by the sword, for the rage of their tongue; this is their derision in the land of Egypt" (7:11, 13, 16).

The subject there treated of is the pride of Israel, by which the pride of [man's] own intelligence in such things as pertain to the church is signified. That Egypt signifies the natural man, and its knowledge, is evident from the mention made of Ephraim, of which this prophet speaks much, and which signifies the Intellectual of the church and the truth of its doctrine in the Natural. That Ephraim has this meaning may be seen above (n. 440). Therefore by, Ephraim shall be as a silly dove, without heart, is signified that now there will be no Intellectual, because no truth, and no affection for truth and good. They have called Egypt and gone to Assyria, signifies their confiding in the scientifics of the natural man and in reasonings therefrom, which deceive. Woe unto them, because they have wandered from me, signifies aversion from truths from the Word. Devastation to them, because they have transgressed against me, signifies deprivation of all truth because of their falling away. Their princes shall fall by the sword, signifies that primary truths will be destroyed by falsities. For the rage of their tongue, this is their derision in the land of Egypt, signifies the condemnation of doctrine by the natural man, and contempt for it.

[56] In the same:

"Israel, thou hast gone a whoring under thy God; they shall not dwell in the land of Jehovah, and Ephraim shall return into Egypt, and they shall eat the unclean thing in Assyria; lo, they are gone away because of devastation; Egypt shall gather them, Moph shall bury them; the desirable [things] for their silver the thistle shall possess them; the thorn shall be in their tents" (9:1, 3, 6).

The subject treated of in the whole of that chapter is the understanding of the Word destroyed, which is here signified by Ephraim. Israel gone a whoring under thy God signifies the falsified truth of the Word. They shall not dwell in the land of Jehovah, signifies that they shall not possess the life of good, such as it is in heaven; and Ephraim shall return into Egypt, signifies the understanding of truth destroyed, in consequence of which they become natural. And they shall eat the unclean thing in Assyria, signifies the Rational swarming with falsities of evil. Lo, they are gone away because of devastation, signifies a turning away from the Lord through the falsification of truth. Egypt shall gather them, signifies that they have become merely natural; Moph shall bury them, signifies spiritual death through the application of the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word to falsities of evil. The desirable [things] for their silver, signify the knowledges of truth; the thistle shall possess them, signifies that evil shall pervert them; the thorn shall be in their tents, signifies the falsity of evil in worship.

[57] In the same:

"Israel shall not return into Egypt, the Assyrian, he is their king " (11:5).

Israel shall not return to Egypt, signifies that, the man of the church having become spiritual shall not become natural; the Assyrian, he is their king, signifies that reasonings from falsities will then rule. The man of the church from spiritual becomes natural when he separates faith from charity, that is, believes the Word, and does not live according to its precepts; also when he claims to himself intelligence, and does not ascribe it to the Lord, thence springs the pride, from which man becomes natural. For man is first natural, afterwards he becomes rational, and lastly spiritual. When a man is natural, he is then in Egypt, when he becomes rational, he is then in Assyria, and when he becomes spiritual, he is then in the land of Canaan, thus in the church.

[58] In the same:

"Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind; every day he multiplieth falsehood and desolation, and they make a covenant with Assyria, and oil is carried down into Egypt" (12:1).

Ephraim signifies the church, in which the understanding of truth is destroyed; feeding on wind signifies to imbibe falsity; the east wind which he followeth after signifies the drying up and dispersion of truth; oil is carried down into Egypt signifies that the good of love is perverted by the scientifics of the natural man. But these words are more fully explained above (419:18).

[59] In Isaiah:

"Woe to the refractory sons, that take counsel but not of me, and that make a molten image but not by my spirit, that they may add sin to sin; who depart to go down into Egypt, but have not asked at my mouth, and to confide in the shadow of Egypt; therefore the strength of Pharaoh shall become a shame, and trust in the shadow of Egypt a disgrace" (30:1-3).

Woe to the refractory [sons], signifies lamentation concerning the damnation of those who turn themselves away; taking counsel but not of me signifies thoughts and conclusions concerning the things of heaven from self and not from the Lord; and that make a molten image but not by my spirit, signifies worship from infernal falsity, and not from Divine Truth. Who depart to go down into Egypt, but have not asked at my mouth, signifies from the proprium of the natural man, and not from the Word; and to confide in the shadow of Egypt signifies lest they have faith and confidence in such things as are suggested by the natural man, which is not in the light of heaven. Therefore the strength of Pharaoh shall become a shame, and confidence in the shadow of Egypt a disgrace, signifies that there will be no ability to resist evils from [man's] own intelligence, nor from the knowledge (scientia) of the natural man, shame and disgrace signifying the state of such, when on account of evils they are reputed vile.

[60] In Jeremiah:

"Thou didst forsake Jehovah thy God, in the time when he led thee into the way; what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? and what hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? why goest thou actively about to change thy way? thou shalt also be ashamed of Egypt, as thou wast ashamed of Assyria" (2:17, 18, 36).

These words also treat of the man of the church who by falsities of doctrine and evils of life therefrom becomes external and merely natural. Thou didst forsake Jehovah at the time when he led thee into the way, signifies a turning away from being reformed by the Lord by means of truths that lead; what hast thou to do in the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? signifies instruction solely from the natural man, whence come mere falsities. What hast thou to do in the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? signifies reasonings therefrom, whence come falsities of faith. Why goest thou actively about to change the way, signifies strong resistance to being so reformed as to become spiritual; thou shalt also be ashamed of Egypt as thou wast ashamed of Assyria, signifies that it is a perverse and vile state to be led by the natural man, and by reasonings therefrom, because this is to be led by falsities and evils from the proprium.

[61] In Lamentations:

"Our inheritance is turned unto strangers, our houses unto aliens; we drink our waters for silver; our wood cometh for a price; we have given the hand to Egypt, to Assyria, that we may be satisfied with bread; servants rule over us, no one delivereth us out of their hands" (5:2, 4, 6, 8).

Our inheritance is turned unto strangers, signifies the truths of the church changed into falsities; our houses unto aliens, signifies the goods of the church turned into evils; we drink our waters for silver, signifies instruction from ourselves, whence come mere falsities; our wood cometh for a price, signifies instruction also from ourselves, whence come mere evils, since man is freely instructed and reformed, that is, without silver and price, by the Lord (Isaiah 55:1), therefore to drink for silver and to procure wood for a price, and thence to grow warm, signifies from ourselves; and as to be instructed from ourselves is to be instructed from the natural man and its scientifics and conclusions therefrom, therefore it is said, We have given the hand to Egypt, to Assyria, that we may be satisfied with bread; by Egypt is signified the natural man, from which falsities come, and by Assyria, the natural man reasoning from falsities, from which evils come. And because the things pertaining to the natural man are respectively things of service - for the natural man was formed to serve the spiritual - therefore when it rules over the spiritual, then the servants have dominion, and this is what is meant by, servants rule over us, no one delivereth us out of their hands.

[62] In Jeremiah:

"If ye say, We will not dwell in this land, saying, No, but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall not see war, and shall not hear the sound of the trumpet, and shall not hunger for bread, and there will we dwell. But if ye set your faces to go to Egypt, and go to sojourn there, it shall come to pass that the sword of which ye were afraid, shall there overtake you in the land of Egypt [and the famine of which ye were afraid shall cleave to you there in Egypt] and there shall ye die; and all the men who set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, none of them shall remain or escape, and ye shall be for a curse, an astonishment, an execration, and a reproach, neither shall ye see this place any more" (42:13-18, and following verses).

We frequently read, in both the historical and prophetical parts of the Word, that the people of Israel were inflamed with a desire to return into Egypt, and that this was forbidden them, and that they were threatened with plagues and punishment if they did so; but no one has heretofore known the reason for this. The reason was, that the sons of Israel were to represent the church from its first beginning to its end; and the church with man is first formed by means of knowledges (scientiae) and cognitions in the natural man, which is first cultivated by means of these. For every man is born natural, therefore the natural man must first be cultivated in order that it may also ultimately serve as a basis for man's intelligence and wisdom. Afterwards, by means of the knowledges (scientiae) and cognitions which are implanted in the natural man, the Intellectual is formed in order that man may become rational. But in order that from rational he may become spiritual, be must of necessity undergo temptations, for by means of these the Rational is so subdued that it cannot call forth from the Natural such things as favour lusts (concupiscentiae) and destroy the Rational. Finally, when man has in this way been made rational, he then becomes spiritual, for the Rational is the medium between the Spiritual and the Natural, therefore the Spiritual flows into the Rational, and by means of this into the Natural.

[63] In a word, man must first enrich the memory with knowledges (scientiae), afterwards his understanding, and finally the will, must be cultivated by means of these. Memory belongs to the natural, the understanding to the rational, and the will to the spiritual man; this is the way of man's reformation and regeneration. It was for this reason that the sons of Israel were first led into Egypt, afterwards into the wilderness to undergo temptations, and, finally, into the land of Canaan; for, as stated, they were to represent the church from its first rise to its final end. Their abiding and sojourning in Egypt represented the instruction of the natural man; their wanderings for forty years in the wilderness represented temptations, by which the rational man is formed; and the land of Canaan, into which they were finally brought, represented the church, which, considered in itself, is spiritual.

[64] But those who are not willing to be reformed and regenerated stop at the first stage, and remain natural. Therefore the sons of Israel, because they were not willing, desired so often to return into Egypt, of which desire so much is said in the Book of Exodus; for they were natural, and were hardly capable of becoming spiritual, but still they could represent those things which belong to the spiritual church, and for this reason they were led into Egypt, and afterwards into the wilderness, and finally into the land of Canaan, and this represented the rise, progress, and final establishment of the church in man.

From these things it is evident why the sons of Israel were so severely forbidden to return into Egypt; for had they done so they would have represented that from spiritual they had become natural; and when a spiritual man becomes natural, then he no longer sees any truths or perceives goods, but falls into falsities and evils of every kind.

[65] But let us proceed to the explanation of the words themselves. If ye say, We will not dwell in this land, saying No, but we will go into the land of Egypt, signifies a turning away from the spiritual state, in which those are who are of the church, and a longing for a natural state, and for those things that pertain to the natural man. Where we shall not see war, and shall not hear the sound of the trumpet, and shall not hunger for bread, signifies that there will then be no infestation from falsities and evils and no temptations; war signifies infestation and combat from falsities and evils, and not to hunger for bread signifies not to desire good, which is the case with those who are in falsities and evils, consequently with those who are merely natural; evils and falsities do not infest these, because they are in them, and do not know anything concerning truths and goods.

[66] And there will we dwell signifies natural life. But if ye set your faces to go to Egypt, and go to sojourn there, signifies if from love they desire natural life; it shall come to pass that the sword of which ye were afraid shall there overtake you in the land of Egypt, signifies falsities destroying truths; and the famine of which ye were afraid, shall cleave to you there in Egypt, signifies the deficiency of the knowledges of truth and good; and there shall ye die, signifies the consequent desolation of the church and damnation. And all the men who set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, signifies similar things as before, pestilence denoting the vastation of all good and truth; none of them shall remain or escape, signifies that nothing at all of truth and good shall remain; and ye shall be for a curse, an astonishment, an execration, and a reproach, signifies all things pertaining to damnation; neither shall ye see this place any more, signifies that there shall be nothing of the church with them any more.

[67] In Ezekiel:

"There were two women, the daughters of one mother, who committed whoredom in Egypt; their names were Ohola, the elder, which is Samaria, and Oholibah, which is Jerusalem; Ohola committed whoredom while under me, and loved the Assyrians her neighbours, and bestowed her whoredoms upon the choice of all the sons of Asshur; nevertheless she forsook not her whoredoms from Egypt, for they lay with her in her youth; therefore I delivered her into the hand of her lovers, the sons of Asshur, they uncovered her nakedness, they took her sons and her daughters, and at length slew her with the sword. Her sister Oholibah saw and corrupted her love more than she, and her whoredoms above the whoredoms of her sister; she doted upon the sons of Asshur. For she added to her whoredoms when she saw men painted upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans painted with vermilion, all having the semblance of princes, the likeness of the sons of Babel, of the Chaldeans. And the sons of Babel came to her to the couch of loves, and they polluted her by their whoredom. She multiplied her whoredoms while she remembered the days of her youth, in which she committed whoredom in the land of Egypt; she doted upon their concubines, because their flesh was the flesh of asses, and their issue the issue of horses. Thus didst thou favour the wickedness of thy youth, when thou adornedst thy paps from Egypt; therefore Oholibah, I will stir up thy lovers against thee, the sons of Babel, and all the Chaldeans and all the Assyrians with them; they shall take thy sons and thy daughters, and thy posterity shall be consumed by fire. They shall strip thee of thy garments, and shall take the vessels of thine adorning; thus will I cause thy wickedness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom from the land of Egypt, that thou mayest not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more; thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sadness, with the cup of wasting and desolation" (23:2-33, and further on to the end).

In order that it may be known that Egypt signifies the natural man, in this case separated from the spiritual, and Asshur the rational, here reasoning from those things which pertain to the natural man, I will give a summary explanation of the above words. There were two women, the daughters of one mother, who committed whoredom in Egypt, signifies the falsifications of truth and good; and because the sons of Jacob were merely natural men, they imbibed the idolatries of the Egyptians, which signified that they falsified all the truths of the church. Their names were Ohola, the elder, which is Samaria, and Oholibah, which is Jerusalem, signifies the spiritual church and the celestial church, which the descendants of Jacob represented; the Israelites who were in Samaria representing the spiritual church, and the Jews who were in Jerusalem the celestial church, both from the same mother, which is Divine Truth.

[68] Ohola committed whoredom while under me signifies the falsification of Divine Truth which is in the Word; and she loved the Assyrians her neighbours, and bestowed her whoredoms upon the choice of all the sons of Asshur, signifies confirmations by many reasonings; nevertheless she forsook not her whoredoms from Egypt, for they lay with her in her youth, signifies that they still pursued their idolatries. Therefore I delivered her into the hand of her lovers the sons of Asshur, signifies reasonings confirming idolatries; they uncovered her nakedness, they took her sons and her daughters, and at length slew her with the sword, signifies deprivation of all truth and good and consequent extinction of the church with them, nakedness denoting deprivation, sons and daughters truths and goods, and Ohola, the church. Her sister Oholibah saw, and corrupted her love more than she, and her whoredoms above the whoredoms of her sister, signifies the devastation of the celestial church represented by the Jewish nation in Jerusalem, which is said to have corrupted her love more than her sister, when she perverted and adulterated the goods of the Word and of doctrine thence, for he who corrupts or perverts and adulterates the goods of the church commits a greater sin than he who does the same to its truths.

[69] She doted upon the sons of Asshur, signifies by reasonings against truths and goods; she added to her whoredoms, when she saw men painted upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans painted with vermilion, signifies fancies from the fallacies of the senses, which are of the sensual man, and argumentations therefrom whence come falsifications; all having the semblance of princes, the likeness of the sons of Babel, of the Chaldeans, signifies the appearance of being as it were pre-eminent truths to be preferred to all others. And the sons of Babel came to her, and polluted her by their whoredom, signifies conjunction with the falsities of evil from the love of self. She multiplied her whoredoms, while she remembered the days of her youth, in which she committed whoredom in the land of Egypt, signifies confirmation of their idolatries, and of the falsities of evil imbibed from the natural man, and thus increase of their falsifications. She doted upon their concubines, because their flesh was the flesh of asses, and their issue the issue of horses, signifies the desires of love for those things, because from their voluntary proprium, and thus from their intellectual proprium, the flesh of asses denoting the voluntary proprium, and the issue of horses the intellectual proprium therefrom, which pervert all things.

[70] Thus didst thou favour the wickedness of thy youth, when thou adornedst thy paps from Egypt, signifies the love of falsity implanted from the earliest age, and enjoyment therefrom. Therefore Oholibah, I will stir up thy lovers against thee, the sons of Babel, and all the Chaldeans, and the Assyrians with them, signifies the destruction of the church by evils from the love of self, and by falsities from the pride of [their] own intelligence, wherein there is a deadly hatred against the goods and truths of doctrine. They shall take thy sons and thy daughters, signifies the truths and goods of the church, which they will destroy; and thy posterity shall be consumed by fire signifies that the remaining things therefrom shall perish through earthly loves. They shall strip thee of thy garments, and take the vessels of thine adorning, signifies the deprivation of all intelligence and knowledge (scientia), which are the adornment of the church. Thus will I cause thy wickedness to cease from thee, and thy whoredom from the land of Egypt, signifies that so truths can no longer be falsified. That thou mayest not lift up thine eyes unto them, nor remember Egypt any more, signifies when there is no longer any understanding of truth, or knowledge of truth. Thou shalt be filled with drunkenness and sadness, signifies insanity in, and a turning away from, spiritual things; with the cup of wasting and desolation, signifies the falsities of evil which entirely devastate and desolate all the goods and truths of the church.

[71] In the same:

"Thou hast committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt thy neighbours, great of flesh, and hast multiplied thy whoredom, and thou hast committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur, and there was no satiety in thee; and thou hast multiplied thy whoredom even to Chaldea, the land of thy trading, but neither then wast thou satiated" (16:26, 28, 29).

This is said of the abominations of Jerusalem, which signifies the church as to doctrine; and whoredoms signify the falsifications of the truth of doctrine and of the Word. Therefore thou committedst whoredom with the sons of Egypt thy neighbours, great of flesh, signifies falsifications by the natural man, in which are all evils and falsities, flesh denoting the proprium of man, which resides in the natural man, and in itself is nothing but evil and falsity therefrom. And thou hast committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur, signifies falsifications by means of reasonings. And there was no satiety in thee, signifies the desire of falsifying truths without end. And thou hast multiplied thy whoredom even unto Chaldea, the land of thy trading, signifies falsifications from the sensual man, where are mere fallacies, from which man altogether rejects and denies, and also blasphemes truths, the land of trading signifying whence all falsities are procured; and the Sensual is the source of all evils and of falsities therefrom. Man also is born at first sensual, afterwards he becomes natural, then rational, and at length spiritual, and he who falsifies the truths of the church becomes again natural, and at length sensual. But neither wast thou satiated with this signifies a measureless desire of destroying the truths of the church.

[72] In Joel:

"Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom a wilderness of desolation, because of violence to the sons of Judah, whose innocent blood they shed in their land" (3:19).

Egypt shall be a desolation, signifies that the natural man will be without truths, and thence in mere falsities; and Edom a wilderness of desolation, signifies that the natural man will be without goods, and thence in mere evils; because of violence to the sons of Judah, whose innocent blood they shed, signifies because they offered violence to the truths and goods of the Word, which they perverted.

Similar things are involved in the wars between the sons of Israel and the Egyptians; also in those between the sons of Israel and the Assyrians, and in those between the Assyrians and Egyptians, (2 Kings 23:29-37; 24; Is. 10:3-5).

[73] In the First Book of Kings it is said, that under king Rehoboam, the king of Egypt came up against Jerusalem, and took the treasures of the house of Jehovah and the treasures of the house of the king; and that he took the shields which Solomon had made, and many other things (14:25, 26). In all the historical as well as in the prophetical parts of the Word, there is a spiritual sense, for all the historical details of the Word are representative of spiritual and celestial things pertaining to heaven and the church, and the words here are significative. Thus by the king of Egypt taking the treasures of the house of Jehovah, and of the house of the king, and many other things, was represented the devastation of the church as to the cognitions of good and truth by scientifics in the natural man falsely applied.

[74] The quality of the natural man, when subject to the spiritual, and when separated from it, is fully described in the internal sense of Exodus. The quality of the natural man when subject to, and thus conjoined to the spiritual, is described where it treats of Joseph and of the sons of Israel called thither by Joseph, and dwelling in the land of Goshen, which was the best of the lands of Egypt. Where Joseph is treated of, the dominion of the Lord over the natural man is described, for by Joseph, in the spiritual sense, is meant the Lord, by Egypt the natural man, and by the sons of Israel the spiritual man. But afterwards the quality of the natural man, when separated from the spiritual, is described by Pharaoh's making the sons of Israel to serve grievously; and its vastation afterwards as to all the truths and goods of the church is described by the miracles performed there, which were so many plagues; and, lastly, its destruction, by the drowning of Pharaoh and all his host in the Sea Suph (Red Sea). The miracles by which the vastation of the natural man separated from the spiritual is described in the spiritual sense, were these:

[75] The staff of Aaron was turned into a serpent; the waters in the river were turned into blood, so that the fish died, and the river stank (Exodus 7). From the rivers and pools were brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt; the dust of the earth as turned into lice; swarms of noxious flying things were sent into the houses of Pharaoh and of his servants, and into all the land of Egypt (Exodus 8). There was a boil breaking forth with blains upon man and upon beast; a rain of grievous hail mingled with fire rained upon the land of Egypt (Exodus 9). Locusts were sent upon the land, which devoured the herb, and all the fruit of the trees; a thick darkness came over all the land of Egypt (Exodus 10). All the first-born in the land of Egypt died (Exodus 11). Finally, after the sons of Israel had borrowed of them, and thus spoiled them of their vessels of gold and silver, and their raiment, (which signify the knowledges of good and truth) the Egyptians were drowned in the Sea Suph (Exodus 14:28), which signifies hell. By all those things is described how the natural man is vastated, which takes place when he casts away from himself all the truths and goods of the church, and imbibes falsities and evils, until there is no longer any truth and good of the church remaining. But all these things may be seen explained at large as to their spiritual sense in the Arcana Coelestia, where the Book of Exodus is unfolded. It is then clear what is signified by the plagues and diseases of Egypt (Deuteronomy 7:15; 28:60); also by being drowned in the river of Egypt (Amos 8:8; 9:5) and why it is that Egypt is also called "a land of bondage" (Micah 6:4); "the land of Ham" (Psalm 105:23); and a "furnace of iron," (Deuteronomy 4:20; 1 Kings 8:51). These things are said of Egypt. From these things it is clear that Egypt signifies the natural man in both senses.