196. And they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy, signifies their spiritual life, which they have by means of the knowledges of truth and good from the Word. This is evident from the signification of "to walk," as being to live (See above, n. 97 [1-2]); from the signification of "in white," as being in truths, for "whiteness" and "brightness" in the Word are predicated of truths (of which presently); therefore by these words, "they shall walk with me in white," is signified spiritual life, since spiritual life is the life of truth, that is, a life according to truths, or according to the precepts of the Lord in the Word. This is evident also from the signification of "for they are worthy," as being because they have spiritual life from the Lord. So far as anyone receives from the Lord he is worthy; but so far as he receives from self, that is, from what is his, or from what is his own [proprium] he is not worthy. Nothing else constitutes spiritual life with man but the knowledges of truth and good from the Word applied to life; and they are applied to life when man holds them as the laws of his life, for he then looks to the Lord in everything, and with such the Lord is present, and gives intelligence and wisdom and an affection for them and delight in them. For the Lord is in His truths with man, since every truth proceeds from the Lord, and what proceeds from the Lord that is His, even so that it is He; therefore the Lord says:

I am the truth and the life (John 14:6).

He that doeth the truth cometh to the light, [that his works may be made manifest] that they have been wrought in God (John 3:21).

The Word was with God, and God was the Word. In Him was life; and the life was the light of men. That was the true light, that lighteth every man. And the Word was made flesh (John 1:1, 4, 9, 14).

The Lord is called "the Word" because the Word signifies Divine truth; He is also called "the Light" because Divine truth is the light in the heavens; He is also called "the Life," because everything that lives, lives from that life; from that also angels have intelligence and wisdom, in which their life consists. He who would derive life from any other source than from the Divine that proceeds from the Lord, which in heaven is called Divine truth and is there seen as light, is greatly mistaken. From this it can be seen how it is to be understood that "God was the Word," and that "in Him was life, and that the life was the light of men. "

[2] "White" in the Word is predicated of truths, because Divine truth is the light of heaven, as was just said, and whiteness and brightness are from the light of heaven. From this it was:

That when the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, His face appeared as the sun, and His garments as the light (Matthew 17:2);

And as white, dazzling (Luke 9:29);

And glistering as snow, so as no fuller on earth could whiten (Mark 9:3);

That the angels at the Lord's sepulcher had raiment white as snow (Matthew 28:3);

(Luke 24:4)

And shining (Luke 24:4);

That there appeared to John seven angels from the temple clothed in linen clean and shining (Revelation 15:6);

That those who stood before the throne of the Lamb were clothed in white robes (Revelation 6:11; 7:9, 13-14; 19:8);

That the armies of the One sitting upon the white horse followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean (Revelation 14:14).

From this also it was:

That Aaron had garments of linen, and that he put them on when he went within the veil before the mercy-seat (Leviticus 16:1-5, 32).

"Linen" also signifies truth, because of its whiteness (Arcana Coelestia 7601, 9959). As "white" signifies truth, and truths are what disclose falsities and evil with man and thus purify him, it is said in David:

Behold, Thou desirest truth in the reins, and in the hidden part Thou makest me to know wisdom. Thou shalt purge me with hyssop that I may be made clean; Thou shalt wash me and I shall be whiter than snow (Psalms 51:6-7).

[3] Because the Nazirites represented the Lord in respect to Divine truth in ultimates, which on earth is the Word in the sense of the letter, and this with the Jews was falsified and perverted, it is said of them in Lamentations:

The Nazirites were whiter than snow, they were brighter than milk, their bones were more ruddy than pearls, their polishing was sapphire; but their form is darkened, that they are not known in the streets (Lamentations 4:7-8

(That "Nazirites" represented the Lord in respect to Divine truth, see Arcana Coelestia 6437; that "the crown of the head of the Nazirites" means Divine truths in ultimates, or the Word in the letter, n. 6437, 9407. That the "hair" which was of the Naziriteship, and was called "the crown of the head of the Nazirite," is Divine truth in ultimates, n. 3301, 5247, 10044. That Divine truth in ultimates has strength and power, n. 9836; that therefore the strength of Samson was in his hair, n. 3301.)

[4] From this it is clear what is signified by "the Nazirites were whiter than snow and brighter than milk," and "sapphire was the polishing of their bones; but their form was darkened, that they were not known in the streets;" for "whiteness" and "brightness" signify Divine truth in its light (as was said above); and "bones," as they are man's ultimates, being the supports of his whole body, correspond to ultimates in heaven. (For all things of man correspond, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 87-102; consequently "bones" signify the ultimates in the spiritual world, which are also the ultimates of Divine truth or the Word, Arcana Coelestia 5560-5564, 8005; that "sapphire" signifies what is translucent from truths, n. 9407; and "not to be known in the streets" signifies that Divine truth is no more seen, since "streets" signify where there are truths of doctrine, n. 2336.)

1201. That 'Sidon' means the exterior cognitions of spiritual things is clear from the fact that he is called 'Canaan's firstborn', for in the internal sense the firstborn of every Church is faith, see 352, 367. Here however, where faith does not exist because internal things are missing they are no more than exterior cognitions of spiritual things taking the place of faith, thus cognitions such as those with the Jews which are cognitions not only of the ceremonies of external worship but also of many other things belonging to that worship, such as matters of doctrine. That 'Sidon' has this meaning is also evident from the fact that Tyre and Sidon were the furthest limits of Philistia, and were in fact by the sea. 'Tyre' therefore meant interior cognitions, and 'Sidon' those which were exterior, and yet cognitions of spiritual things. This is also clear from the Word: in Jeremiah,

On the day that is coming to lay waste all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remains, for Jehovah is laying waste the Philistines, the remnants of the island of Caphtor. Jeremiah 47:4.

Here 'the Philistines' stands for knowledge of the cognitions of faith and charity, 'Tyre' for interior cognitions, and 'Sidon' for cognitions of spiritual things.

[2] In Joel,

What are you to Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the borders of Philistia? You have taken My silver and gold, and My good and desirable treasures you have carried into your temples. Joel 3:4-5.

Here 'Tyre' and 'Sidon' clearly stand for cognitions and are called 'the borders of Philistia', for 'gold and silver' and 'good and desirable treasures' are cognitions. In Ezekiel,

The princes of the north, all of them, and every Sidonian, who have gone down with the slain ¹ into the pit. He was made to lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those slain' by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude. Ezekiel 32:30, 32.

Here 'the Sidonian' stands for exterior cognitions, which when devoid of things that are internal are nothing else than facts, and it is for this reason that he is mentioned along with Pharaoh, or Egypt, who means facts. In Zechariah,

Hamath also will border on it, Tyre and Sidon, for it is exceedingly wise. Zechariah 9:2.

This refers to Damascus. 'Tyre and Sidon' stands for cognitions.

[3] In Ezekiel,

The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; your wise men, O Tyre, were in you, they were your pilots. Ezekiel 27:8.

Here 'Tyre' stands for interior cognitions, and therefore her wise men are called 'pilots', while 'Sidon' stands for exterior cognitions and her inhabitants are therefore called 'rowers', for such is the relationship of interior cognitions to exterior. In Isaiah,

The inhabitants of the island are silent, O merchant of Sidon passing over the sea; they have replenished you. But on the great waters the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the river, was her revenue, and was the merchandise of nations. Blush, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea saying, I have not gone into labour, nor have I given birth, nor reared young men, nor brought up virgins. Isaiah 23:2-5.

Here 'Sidon' stands for exterior cognitions which, because they have nothing internal within them are called 'the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the river, her revenue, the merchandise of the nations', and also 'the sea, the stronghold of the sea', and 'one that does not go into labour and give birth'. What these expressions may mean could never be discerned in the literal sense, but their meaning is perfectly plain in the internal sense, as with everything else in the Prophets. Since 'Sidon' means exterior cognitions it is also referred to as the region surrounding Israel, which is the spiritual Church, Ezekiel 28:24, 26, for exterior cognitions are like a surrounding region.

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