Apocalypse Explained # 540
540. Since it is said that the smoke arose out of the well like the smoke of a great furnace, and it has been so far shown that smoke signifies dense falsity, it is of importance also to show that a furnace signifies the evils of earthly and corporeal loves, and thus that smoke as the smoke of a great furnace, signifies dense falsities from those loves. This signification of a furnace is also from appearances in the spiritual world. For when the hells in which those loves reign are looked into, they appear like furnaces glowing with fire, and smoke appears over them like that which ascends from furnaces and from places on fire; hence it is that, in the Word, furnaces signify either the hells, or a company of men, or man himself, in whom such loves and disorderly desires reign, or what is the same thing, where the evils are which flow from them.
[2] These things are signified by furnaces (fornaces et amini), and ovens (furni et clibani) in the following passages;
thus in Matthew:
"The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire. In the consummation of the age the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (13:41, 42, 49, 50).
It is evident that a furnace of fire (caminus seu fornax) here means the hells. The consummation of the age signifies the last time of the church, when judgment takes place; that the evil have then to be separated from the good and cast into hell, is signified by the angels shall gather all things that cause stumbling and them that do iniquity, and shall separate the evil from among the just, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire. Hell is called a furnace of fire, because it appears fiery from the loves of self and of the world. That the torment arising from these loves is meant by infernal fire may be seen in Heaven and Hell 566-575).
[3] So in Malachi:
"Behold, the day cometh, burning as an oven; in which all who sin insolently, and every worker of wickedness, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall set them on fire" (4:1).
This also is said concerning the last time of the church, and the last judgment then to take place, both of which are signified by the day that cometh. An oven also means the hell where those are, who confirm themselves in falsities, by doctrine and by a life in evils from earthly and corporeal loves; that they will perish from their own loves, is meant by all who sin insolently, and every worker of wickedness shall be stubble, and the oven shall set them on fire. All who sin insolently are those who, by doctrine, confirm themselves in falsities; and the worker of wickedness, signifies those who by life confirm themselves in evils.
[4] So in Hosea:
"They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies. They are all adulterers; as an oven heated by the baker, the raiser ceaseth from kneading the dough until it be fermented. For they have turned their mind like an oven while they lie in wait; their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning he burneth as a flaming fire. They all wax hot as an oven, and they will devour their judges; all their kings will fall; there is none among them that calleth unto me. Ephraim is a cake not turned" (7:3-8).
By these words, in the spiritual sense, are described the sons of Jacob, and that from the love of self and of the world they turned all good into evil, and thence all truth into falsity. The king whom they make glad by their wickedness, signifies all falsity from evil, for a king signifies truth from good, and, in the opposite sense, falsity from evil; the princes whom they make glad with lies signify the chief falsities. That from their loves they perverted goods and truths, is signified by, They are all adulterers as an oven heated by the baker. To adulterate denotes to pervert good and thence truth, and this is compared to an oven heated by the baker, because falsities that favour their loves they combine together as it were into dough. And because evils and falsities are not separated from the goods and truths derived from the sense of the letter of the Word, but cohere together, it is therefore said, the raiser ceaseth from kneading the dough until it be fermented. Fermentation denotes separation, but here non-separation, for it is said, "He ceaseth from kneading the dough until it be fermented." The same is signified by Ephraim is a cake not turned, Ephraim denoting the understanding of truth; that hence there remains nothing but the evils which pertain to those loves that falsities favour, is signified by, their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning he burneth as a flaming fire, they all wax hot as an oven. A comparison is made to a baker and an oven, because they combine doctrine together from falsities, just as a baker makes bread and cakes in his oven; that thus they destroy all the goods and truths which they derive from the Word, is signified by, they will devour their judges and all their kings will fall, judges denoting the goods of truth, and kings, the truths themselves. That this is the consequence of their desiring to be wise of themselves, and not from the Lord, is signified by, there is none among them that calleth unto me. That similar things are meant by those words may be seen merely from common intuition, but that the details signify and describe such things can be seen only by means of the internal sense; thus that kings, princes, judges, and adulterers, as well as an oven and a baker, signify such things as have been stated. Moreover, those who combine truths or falsities together so that they cohere, appear in the spiritual world like bankers kneading dough, with an oven near them.
[5] So in Lamentations:
"Our skins are blackened as an oven, on account of the storms of famine" (5:10).
This is a lamentation over the deprivation of truth, and the inundation of falsity; famine signifies the want and deprivation of truth, as may be seen above (n. 386:15), and the storms of famine signify extreme want and also the inundation of falsity, for where there are no truths there are falsities, and storms in the Word have the same signification as inundation. "Our skins are blackened as an oven," signifies that the natural man is without the light of truth, and thence in the darkness of falsity; here also an oven signifies the fabrication of doctrine from falsities and not from truths. But this is more fully explained above (n. 386:15).
[6] So in Ezekiel:
"The house of Israel is become dross unto me; all they are brass, and tin, and iron and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they have become the dross of silver. Behold, I gather you into the midst of Jerusalem, a gathering of silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin." I will gather you "into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof" (22:18-22).
By these words are described the false doctrinals which the Jews and Israelites put together from the sense of the letter of the Word, and which they applied to themselves alone, and their own loves. Such doctrines are called the dross of silver, because silver signifies the truth of the Word, and dross, nothing of truth, or that which is withdrawn from truth that is rejected. Those things which are of the sense of the letter of the Word, are signified by brass, iron, tin, and lead, because these things signify the goods and truths of the natural man, for whom are the things contained in the sense of the letter of the Word. And because from this sense they put together their false doctrinals which were traditions, it is said that they shall be melted together; and since they were applied to their loves, which were the love of self and the love of the world, it is said that Jehovah would gather them into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it, fire signifying those loves; and since their doctrinals also are meant, it is said that he would gather them together into the midst of Jerusalem, Jerusalem signifying the church as to doctrine, thus also the doctrine of the church.
[7] So again, in Moses:
"The sun went down, and there was thick darkness, and behold a smoking furnace, and a torch of fire that passed between those pieces" (Genesis 15:17).
That the falsities of evil, and the evils of falsity bursting forth from the filthy loves of the Jewish and Israelitish nation, are meant here by the smoking furnace, and by the torch of fire which passed between the pieces, may be seen in the article above. For Abraham desired that his posterity should rule over the whole land of Canaan, and because the Lord foresaw that the church would be instituted with that nation, He therefore made a covenant with Abraham. Nevertheless what their quality would be, is predicted in that vision.
[8] So in Nahum:
"Draw thee waters for the siege, strengthen thy strongholds, enter into the mire, and tread the pitch, make strong the brick kiln. There shall the fire devour thee, the sword shall cut thee off" (3:14, 15).
These words describe the destruction of truth by the falsities of evil; the waters for the siege denote the falsities by which they endeavour to destroy truths. By strengthening the strongholds, is signified to fortify them by such things as appear like truths; by going into the mire, and treading the pitch, is signified to make them appear to cohere together, pitch denoting falsity from evil conjoining. By making strong the brick kiln is signified to repair doctrine formed of falsified truths and fictions, for bricks signify falsities invented and not cohering with truths. By fire shall devour thee, is signified that they shall perish by the evils of their own loves, and by the sword shall cut thee off, is signified that they shall perish by falsities.
[9] Again, in Jeremiah:
"Take great stones in thy hand, and hide them in the brick kiln, which is at the door of Pharaoh's house. I will take the king of Babel, and will set his throne upon these stones that thou hast hid. He shall come and smite the land of Egypt. And I will kindle a fire in the houses [of the gods] of Egypt and he at length shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment (43:9-12).
By these things was represented the profanation of truth by reasonings from scientifics falsely applied. The great stones hidden in the brick kiln signify the truths of the Word falsified by fictions originating in [man's] own intelligence, stones denoting the truths of the Word, and the brick kiln, doctrine formed of things fictitious. The house of Pharaoh signifies the natural man as to the scientifics therein; the door denotes the Sensual Scientific by means of which there is entrance into the natural man, and by means of which falsifications are contrived. The king of Babel signifies the profanation of truth his throne being set upon these stones, and his smiting Egypt, and kindling a fire in the houses thereof, signifies that by the scientifics of the natural man he would pervert all the truths of doctrine, and profane them. That he would subject the natural man to himself as to all things therein, which takes place by means of confirmations of falsities from scientifics, is signified by his arraying himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; that all things of the natural man would thus perish by the evils of earthly and corporeal loves, is signified by, I will kindle a fire in the houses of Egypt.
[10] Because Egypt signifies the natural man as to the scientific there, and is also signified by a furnace of iron, therefore, in the Word, Egypt is called a furnace of iron;
as in Jeremiah:
"In the day that I brought them forth out of Egypt, out of the furnace of iron" (11:4).
And in Moses:
"He hath brought you forth out of the furnace of iron, out of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 4:20).
Again, in the 1st Book of Kings:
"Thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron" (8:51).
And in David:
"I removed the shoulder of Israel from the burden of Egypt, his hands passed away from the furnace" (81:6).
The natural man as to the Scientific is signified by the furnace of iron, the furnace denoting the natural man, and iron, the scientific, in this case the false scientific, because it is said, that they were brought out of it. For unless the natural man be led by the spiritual man, it is in falsities and evils, by reason that it has not any light from heaven, for light from heaven flows through the spiritual man into the natural, and enlightens, teaches, and leads. The case is altogether different, when the natural man does not think and act under the guidance of the spiritual man; in such case a man is in a state of servitude, for he thinks and acts from falsities and evils, which are from hell, and therefore in treating of the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt, it is also said that they were brought out of the house of bondage. For all freedom of thinking and acting is from the spiritual man, because this man thinks and wills from the Lord out of heaven; and to be led by the Lord is freedom. From these things it is evident whence it is that Egypt is called a furnace of iron, and also a house of bondage; this bondage is also signified by the words, "I removed the shoulder of Israel from the burden of Egypt." That iron signifies the Scientific pertaining to the natural man, may be seen above (n. 176).
[11] As most things in the Word have also an apposite sense, so also has an oven;
thus in Isaiah:
"Saith Jehovah, whose hearth is in Zion, and his oven in Jerusalem" (31:9).
Here by the hearth is signified the good of love, and by an oven, truth from that good, thus the truth of doctrine. Similar things are also signified by Zion and Jerusalem; Zion signifies the church as to the good of love, and Jerusalem the church as to the truth of doctrine. The oven has a similar signification in Moses where the meat-offering is directed to be prepared in an oven, a baking-pan or a frying-pan (Leviticus 2:4-7).
This is explained in the Arcana Coelestia. A furnace has a similar meaning in the Apocalypse where it is said the feet of the Son of man were like unto burnished brass as if glowing in a furnace (1:15), (see above, n. 69).
1 Kings 8
1
Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel, and all the heads of the tribes, the princes of the fathers' [houses] of the children of Israel, to king Solomon in Jerusalem, to bring up the ark of the covenant of Yahweh out of the city of David, which is Zion.
2
All the men of Israel assembled themselves to king Solomon at the feast, in the month Ethanim, which is the seventh month.
3
All the elders of Israel came, and the priests took up the ark.
4
They brought up the ark of Yahweh, and the Tent of Meeting, and all the holy vessels that were in the Tent; even these did the priests and the Levites bring up.
5
King Solomon and all the congregation of Israel, who were assembled to him, were with him before the ark, sacrificing sheep and cattle, that could not be counted nor numbered for multitude.
6
The priests brought in the ark of the covenant of Yahweh to its place, into the oracle of the house, to the most holy place, even under the wings of the cherubim.
7
For the cherubim spread forth their wings over the place of the ark, and the cherubim covered the ark and its poles above.
8
The poles were so long that the ends of the poles were seen from the holy place before the oracle; but they were not seen outside: and there they are to this day.
9
There was nothing in the ark except the two tables of stone which Moses put there at Horeb, when Yahweh made a covenant with the children of Israel, when they came out of the land of Egypt.
10
It came to pass, when the priests were come out of the holy place, that the cloud filled the house of Yahweh,
11
so that the priests could not stand to minister by reason of the cloud; for the glory of Yahweh filled the house of Yahweh.
12
Then Solomon said, "Yahweh has said that he would dwell in the thick darkness.
13
I have surely built you a house of habitation, a place for you to dwell in forever."
14
The king turned his face about, and blessed all the assembly of Israel: and all the assembly of Israel stood.
15
He said, "Blessed is Yahweh, the God of Israel, who spoke with his mouth to David your father, and has with his hand fulfilled it, saying,
16
'Since the day that I brought forth my people Israel out of Egypt, I chose no city out of all the tribes of Israel to build a house, that my name might be there; but I chose David to be over my people Israel.'
17
"Now it was in the heart of David my father to build a house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
18
But Yahweh said to David my father, 'Whereas it was in your heart to build a house for my name, you did well that it was in your heart.
19
Nevertheless, you shall not build the house; but your son who shall come forth out of your body, he shall build the house for my name.'
20
Yahweh has established his word that he spoke; for I have risen up in the place of David my father, and I sit on the throne of Israel, as Yahweh promised, and have built the house for the name of Yahweh, the God of Israel.
21
There I have set a place for the ark, in which is the covenant of Yahweh, which he made with our fathers, when he brought them out of the land of Egypt."
22
Solomon stood before the altar of Yahweh in the presence of all the assembly of Israel, and spread forth his hands toward heaven;
23
and he said, "Yahweh, the God of Israel, there is no God like you, in heaven above, or on earth beneath; who keep covenant and loving kindness with your servants, who walk before you with all their heart;
24
who have kept with your servant David my father that which you promised him. Yes, you spoke with your mouth, and have fulfilled it with your hand, as it is this day.
25
Now therefore, may Yahweh, the God of Israel, keep with your servant David my father that which you have promised him, saying, 'There shall not fail you a man in my sight to sit on the throne of Israel, if only your children take heed to their way, to walk before me as you have walked before me.'
26
"Now therefore, God of Israel, please let your word be verified, which you spoke to your servant David my father.
27
But will God in very deed dwell on the earth? Behold, heaven and the heaven of heavens can't contain you; how much less this house that I have built!
28
Yet have respect for the prayer of your servant, and for his supplication, Yahweh my God, to listen to the cry and to the prayer which your servant prays before you this day;
29
that your eyes may be open toward this house night and day, even toward the place of which you have said, 'My name shall be there;' to listen to the prayer which your servant shall pray toward this place.
30
Listen to the supplication of your servant, and of your people Israel, when they shall pray toward this place. Yes, hear in heaven, your dwelling place; and when you hear, forgive.
31
"If a man sins against his neighbor, and an oath is laid on him to cause him to swear, and he comes and swear before your altar in this house;
32
then hear in heaven, and do, and judge your servants, condemning the wicked, to bring his way on his own head, and justifying the righteous, to give him according to his righteousness.
33
"When your people Israel are struck down before the enemy, because they have sinned against you; if they turn again to you, and confess your name, and pray and make supplication to you in this house:
34
then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your people Israel, and bring them again to the land which you gave to their fathers.
35
"When the sky is shut up, and there is no rain, because they have sinned against you; if they pray toward this place, and confess your name, and turn from their sin, when you afflict them:
36
then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of your servants, and of your people Israel, when you teach them the good way in which they should walk; and send rain on your land, which you have given to your people for an inheritance.
37
"If there is famine in the land, if there is pestilence, if there is blight, mildew, locust or caterpillar; if their enemy besieges them in the land of their cities; whatever plague, whatever sickness there is;
38
whatever prayer and supplication is made by any man, or by all your people Israel, who shall each know the plague of his own heart, and spread forth his hands toward this house:
39
then hear in heaven, your dwelling place, and forgive, and do, and render to every man according to all his ways, whose heart you know; (for you, even you only, know the hearts of all the children of men;)
40
that they may fear you all the days that they live in the land which you gave to our fathers.
41
"Moreover concerning the foreigner, who is not of your people Israel, when he shall come out of a far country for your name's sake
42
(for they shall hear of your great name, and of your mighty hand, and of your outstretched arm); when he shall come and pray toward this house;
43
hear in heaven, your dwelling place, and do according to all that the foreigner calls to you for; that all the peoples of the earth may know your name, to fear you, as do your people Israel, and that they may know that this house which I have built is called by your name.
44
"If your people go out to battle against their enemy, by whatever way you shall send them, and they pray to Yahweh toward the city which you have chosen, and toward the house which I have built for your name;
45
then hear in heaven their prayer and their supplication, and maintain their cause.
46
If they sin against you (for there is no man who doesn't sin), and you are angry with them, and deliver them to the enemy, so that they carry them away captive to the land of the enemy, far off or near;
47
yet if they shall repent in the land where they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication to you in the land of those who carried them captive, saying, 'We have sinned, and have done perversely; we have dealt wickedly;'
48
if they return to you with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray to you toward their land, which you gave to their fathers, the city which you have chosen, and the house which I have built for your name:
49
then hear their prayer and their supplication in heaven, your dwelling place, and maintain their cause;
50
and forgive your people who have sinned against you, and all their transgressions in which they have transgressed against you; and give them compassion before those who carried them captive, that they may have compassion on them
51
(for they are your people, and your inheritance, which you brought forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron);
52
that your eyes may be open to the supplication of your servant, and to the supplication of your people Israel, to listen to them whenever they cry to you.
53
For you separated them from among all the peoples of the earth, to be your inheritance, as you spoke by Moses your servant, when you brought our fathers out of Egypt, Lord Yahweh."
54
It was so, that when Solomon had made an end of praying all this prayer and supplication to Yahweh, he arose from before the altar of Yahweh, from kneeling on his knees with his hands spread forth toward heaven.
55
He stood, and blessed all the assembly of Israel with a loud voice, saying,
56
"Blessed be Yahweh, who has given rest to his people Israel, according to all that he promised. There has not failed one word of all his good promise, which he promised by Moses his servant.
57
May Yahweh our God be with us, as he was with our fathers. Let him not leave us, nor forsake us;
58
that he may incline our hearts to him, to walk in all his ways, and to keep his commandments, and his statutes, and his ordinances, which he commanded our fathers.
59
Let these my words, with which I have made supplication before Yahweh, be near to Yahweh our God day and night, that he may maintain the cause of his servant, and the cause of his people Israel, as every day shall require;
60
that all the peoples of the earth may know that Yahweh, he is God. There is none else.
61
"Let your heart therefore be perfect with Yahweh our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day."
62
The king, and all Israel with him, offered sacrifice before Yahweh.
63
Solomon offered for the sacrifice of peace offerings, which he offered to Yahweh, two and twenty thousand head of cattle, and one hundred twenty thousand sheep. So the king and all the children of Israel dedicated the house of Yahweh.
64
The same day did the king make the middle of the court holy that was before the house of Yahweh; for there he offered the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat of the peace offerings, because the bronze altar that was before Yahweh was too little to receive the burnt offering, and the meal offering, and the fat of the peace offerings.
65
So Solomon held the feast at that time, and all Israel with him, a great assembly, from the entrance of Hamath to the brook of Egypt, before Yahweh our God, seven days and seven days, even fourteen days.
66
On the eighth day he sent the people away; and they blessed the king, and went to their tents joyful and glad of heart for all the goodness that Yahweh had shown to David his servant, and to Israel his people.
