3391. 'That Abimelech the king of the Philistines looked through a window and saw' means the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational concepts held within cognitions. This is clear from the representation of 'Abimelech' as the doctrine of faith which has regard to rational concepts, dealt with in 2504, 2509, 2510, 2533; from the meaning of 'the king of the Philistines' as matters of doctrine, dealt with in 3365; and from the meaning of 'a window' as the understanding part of the mind, dealt with in 655, 658, and therefore internal sight, for this in former times was meant by 'windows'. Thus 'looking through a window' is perceiving things that are seen through internal sight. In general those things are cognitions which belong to the external man; but rational concepts - or what amounts to the same, appearances of truth, which are spiritual truths, 3368 - are not cognitions but are held within cognitions since they belong to the rational man, and so to the internal man. And it is characteristic of the internal man to regard the things belonging to the external man, and so to regard the truths held within cognitions. Since cognitions belong to the natural man they are consequently the recipient vessels for rational concepts. For Divine truths flow into the rational part of the mind and by way of the rational into the natural, where they present themselves like an image produced by many objects reflected in a mirror, see 3368.

[2] That 'windows' means the things that constitute internal sight, that is, the understanding, which are referred to by the single term 'intellectual concepts' is clear from the places in the Word introduced in 655, as well as from the following: In Joel,

They will run about the city, they will run on the wall, they will climb into the houses, they will go in through the windows like a thief. Joel 2:9.

This refers to the evils and falsities present in the final days of the Church. 'Climbing into the houses' stands for destroying goods which belong to the will - 'houses' being goods that belong to the will, see 710, 2233, 2234; and 'going in through the windows' for destroying truths and cognitions of those which belong to the understanding. In Zephaniah,

Jehovah will stretch out His hand over the north and will destroy Asshur. Herds will lie down in the midst of her, every wild beast of that nation. The spoonbill also and the duck will lodge in its pomegranates. ¹ A voice will sing in the window, dryness will be on the threshold, for the cedar has been laid bare. Zephaniah 2:13-14.

This refers to the destruction of the truths of faith by means of reasonings, meant by Asshur, 119, 1186. 'A voice will sing in the window' stands for the desolation of truth, and so of the ability to understand what is true.

[3] In the Book of Judges,

She looked through the window, and the mother of Sisera exclaimed through the lattices, Why is his chariot so long in coming? Judges 5:28.

These words come in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak and have to do with the resurgence of the spiritual Church. 'Looking through the window' stands for the reasonings of those who deny truths and in so doing destroy things that belong to the Church; for such reasonings are intellectual concepts in the contrary sense. In Jeremiah,

Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness, and his upper rooms without judgement, who says, I will build myself a wide house and spacious upper rooms, and he cuts out windows for himself, panelling it with cedar, and paints it with vermilion. Jeremiah 22:13-14.

'Building a house without righteousness, and upper rooms without judgement' stands for building a religion out of what is not good and not truth - 'righteousness and judgement' meaning good and truth, see 2235. 'Cutting out windows for oneself, panelling it with cedar, and painting it with vermilion' stands for falsifying truths, intellectual and spiritual. The windows of the Temple in Jerusalem represented nothing else than such things as constitute intellectual and thus spiritual concepts. The windows of the new temple that are mentioned in Ezekiel, 40:16, 22, 25, 33, 36; 41:16, 26, have a similar meaning, for anyone may see that the new temple, the new Jerusalem, and the new earth described in that prophet mean nothing else than the Lord's kingdom, and that accordingly the details mentioned concerning them are the kind of things that belong to that kingdom.

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1186. That 'Asshur' is reasoning is clear from the meaning of 'Asshur' or Assyria in the Word, where in every case it stands for those things that belong to reason. It stands for them in both senses, namely for rational things and for reasonings - reason and rational things being used strictly speaking to mean things that are true, and reasoning and reasonings to mean those that are false. Because 'Asshur' means reason and reasoning it is very frequently linked with Egypt, which means facts, for reason and reasoning are based on facts. That Asshur means reasoning is clear in Isaiah,

Woe to Asshur, the rod of My anger, he does not think what is right and his heart does not consider what is right He has said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have intelligence. Isaiah 10:5, 7, 13.

Here 'Asshur' stands for reasoning, and therefore he is referred to as 'not thinking and not considering what is right', and it is said that 'he acts by his own wisdom, for he has intelligence'.

[2] In Ezekiel,

Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredom in Egypt. In their youth they committed whoredom. One committed whoredom and doted on her lovers, on Asshur (the Assyrians), her neighbours, clothed in violet, leaders and governors, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses The sons of Babel came to her and they defiled her with their whoredom. Ezekiel 23:2-3, 5-6, 17.

Here 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning, 'the sons of Babel' for falsities springing from evil desires.

[3] In the same prophet,

Jerusalem, you committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt, you committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur, you multiplied your whoredom even into the land of Canaan towards Chaldaea. Ezekiel 16:26, 28-29.

Here likewise 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning. Reasoning, based on facts, concerning spiritual and celestial things is called 'whoredom' both here and elsewhere in the Word. Anyone may see that committing whoredom with Egyptians and with Assyrians is not the meaning.

[4] In Jeremiah,

Israel, what have you to do with the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? And what have you to do with the way to Asshur, to drink the waters of the River (the Euphrates)? Jeremiah 2:18, 36.

Here likewise 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning. In the same prophet,

Israel is a scattered flock; the lions have driven him away. First the king of Asshur has devoured him, and last this king of Babel has removed his bones. Jeremiah 50:17-18

'Asshur' stands for reasoning concerning spiritual things.

[5] In Micah,

And this will be peace, when Asshur comes into our land and when he treads our palaces, and we will set up over him seven shepherds and eight princes of men and they will rule the land of Asshur with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates; and he will deliver [us] from Asshur when he comes into our land and when he treads our border. Micah 5:5-6.

This refers to Israel, or the spiritual Church, concerning which it is said that 'Asshur will not enter in', that is, reasoning will not do so. 'The land of Nimrod' stands for the kind of worship meant by Nimrod, which has interior evils and falsities within it.

[6] The fact that in the Word 'Asshur' also means reason present with the member of the Church, by means of which reason he sees clearly what is true and what is good, is clear in Hosea,

They will tremble like a bird out of Egypt, and like a dove from the land of Asshur. Hosea 11:11.

Here 'Egypt' stands for the knowledge a member of the Church possesses, 'Asshur' for his reason. That 'a bird' means facts that are known and understood, and 'a dove' rational good, has been shown already.

[7] In Isaiah,

On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur will come into Egypt and Egypt into Asshur, and the Egyptians will serve Asshur. ¹ On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom Jehovah Zebaoth will bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage. Isaiah 19:23-25.

This refers to the spiritual Church, meant by Israel, 'Asshur' being its reason, and 'Egypt' its knowledge. These three constitute the intellectual powers of the member of the spiritual Church which come in that order one after another. In other places where Asshur is mentioned it means the rational, true or false, as in Isaiah 20:1-6; 23:13; 27:13; 30:31; 31:8; 36, 37; 52:4; Ezekiel 27:23-24; Ezekiel 31:3-18; 32:22; Micah 7:12; Zephaniah 2:13; Zechariah 10:11; Psalms 83:8. 'Asshur' stands for reasoning in Hosea 5:13; 7:11; 10:6; 11:5; 12:1; 14:3; and in Zechariah 10:10, where the reference is to Ephraim who means the intellectual part of the mind, though in this instance when perverted.

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