696. And to them that fear Thy name, the small and the great, signifies and to all of whatever religion who worship the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "fearing the name" of the Lord God, as being to worship the Lord (of which presently); also from the signification of "the small and the great," as being of whatever religion; for "the small" mean those who have but little knowledge of the truths and goods of the church, and "the great" those who know much, thus those who worship the Lord little and much; for in the measure that a man knows the truths of faith and lives according to them does he worship the Lord, for worship is not from man but from the truths from good that are with man, since these are from the Lord, and the Lord is in them. "They that fear Thy name, the small and the great," mean all of whatever religion who worship the Lord, because just before "the servants, the prophets and the saints," are mentioned, meaning all within the church who are in the truths of doctrine and in a life according to them; therefore "they that fear Thy name, the small and the great," mean all without the church who worship the Lord according to their religion, for those who are in the worship of the Lord, and live in any faith and charity, according to their religious principle, also fear God's name. In fact, this verse treats of the Last Judgment upon all, both the evil and the good; and the Last Judgment is executed upon all, both those within the church and those outside of it; and then all are saved who fear God and live in mutual love, in uprightness of heart and in sincerity from a religious principle, for all such, by an intuitive faith in God and by a life of charity, are consociated as to their souls with the angels of heaven, and are thus conjoined to the Lord and saved. For after death everyone comes to his own in the spiritual world, with whom he was closely consociated as to his spirit while he was living in the natural world.

[2] "The small and the great" signify less or more, that is, those who worship the Lord less or more, thus who are less or more in truths from good, because the spiritual sense of the Word is abstracted from all regard to persons, contemplating the thing nakedly; and the expression "the small and the great" has regard to person, for it means men who worship God; for this reason instead of these less and more are meant in the spiritual sense, thus those who worship less or more from genuine truths and goods. It is similar with "the servants, the prophets and the saints," just above, by whom in the spiritual sense prophets and saints are not meant, but, apart from persons, the truths of doctrine and a life according to them. But while these are meant, all who are in the truths of doctrine and a life according to them are also included, for such truths and life are in subjects which are angels and men; but in such case to think of angels and men only is natural, while to think of the truths of doctrine and life, which make angels and men, is spiritual. Thence it may be clear how the spiritual sense in which the angels are, differs from the natural sense in which men are, namely, that in every particular that a man thinks there inheres something of person, space, time and matter, while angels think things abstractly from all these. Thence it is that the speech of angels is incomprehensible to man, because it is from the intuition of the thing, and thus from a wisdom abstracted from things that are proper to the natural world, and therefore comparatively undetermined to such things.

[3] "To fear Thy name" signifies to worship the Lord, because "to fear" signifies to worship, and "Thy name" signifies the Lord. In a preceding verse it is said that the twenty-four elders gave thanks to the Lord God, "who is, and who was, and who is to come;" wherefore "to fear Thy name" means to worship the Lord. In the Word both of the Old and New Testaments, "the name of Jehovah," "the name of the Lord," "the name of God," and "the name of Jesus Christ" are mentioned, and "name" here means all things whereby He is worshipped, thus all things of love and faith, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself is meant, because where He is, there also are all things of love and faith. That such is the signification of "the name of Jehovah," "the Lord God," and "Jesus Christ," may be seen above (n. 102, 135, 224), and is also evident from these words of the Lord:

If two of you shall agree on earth In My name respecting anything that they shall ask it shall be done for them by My Father who is in the heavens. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:19, 20).

Here "to agree in the Lord's name" and "to be gathered together in His name" means not in mere name, but in those things that belong to the Lord, which are the truths of faith and the goods of love by which He is worshipped.

[4] "To fear," in reference to the Lord, signifies to worship and reverence, because in worship and in all things of worship there is a holy and reverential fear, which is that the Lord is to be honored and in no way injured; for it is as with children towards parents and parents towards children, with wives towards husbands and husbands towards wives, also as with friends towards friends, in whom there is a fear of injuring and also respect; such a fear with respect is in all love and in all friendship, so that love and friendship without such a fear and respect is like food not salted, which is insipid. This is why "to fear the Lord" means to worship Him from such love.

[5] It is said that "to fear Thy name" signifies to worship the Lord, and yet "those who fear Him" mean here all those who are outside of the church, to whom the Lord is unknown, because they do not have the Word; nevertheless, all such as in respect to God have an idea of the Human are still accepted by the Lord, for God under the Human form is the Lord; but all, whether within or without the church, who do not think of God as Man, when they come into their own spiritual life, which takes place after their departure out of this world, are not accepted by the Lord, because they have no determinate idea of God, but only an indeterminate idea, which is no idea at all, or if it be any is nevertheless dissipated. This is why all who come from the earths into the spiritual world are first explored, as to what idea of God they have had and have brought with them. If they have no idea of Him as Man they are sent to places of instruction, where they are taught that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that when they think of God they must think of the Lord, and that otherwise there can be no conjunction with God, and thus no consociation with angels. Then all who have lived a life of charity receive instruction and worship the Lord. But all those who say that they have had faith, but have not been in the life of faith, which is charity, do not accept instruction; consequently they are separated and sent away into places below the heavens, some into the hells, some into the earth that is called in the Word "the lower earth," where they suffer hard things. Still the Gentiles who have made the laws of religion laws of life receive the doctrine respecting the Lord more readily than Christians, and this especially because they had no other idea of God than that of the Divine Man. This has been said that it may be known why it is that "to fear Thy name" means to worship the Lord.

[6] In many passages in the Word the expression "to fear Jehovah God" is used, and this means to worship Him; therefore it shall be told in a few words what worship in particular is meant by "fearing God." All worship of Jehovah God must be from the good of love by means of truths. Worship that is from the good of love alone is not worship, neither is worship that is from truths alone, without the good of love, worship; there must be both, since the good of love is the essential of worship, but good has its existence and form by means of truths, therefore all worship must be from good by means of truths. For this reason, in many passages in the Word where the expression "to fear Jehovah God" is used it is added, "to keep and to do His words and commandments;" consequently in these places "to fear" signifies worship by means of truths, and "to keep and do" signifies worship from the good of love, for doing is of the will, thus of the love and of good, but "fearing" is of the understanding, thus of faith and of truth, since every truth that is of faith belongs properly to the understanding, and every good that is of love belongs properly to the will. From this it can be seen that "the fear of Jehovah God" is predicated of worship by means of the truths of doctrine, which are also called truths of faith. Such worship is meant by "the fear of Jehovah God," because Divine truth causes fear in that it condemns the evil to hell; but Divine good does not, since so far as it is received through truths by man and angel it takes away condemnation. Thence it may be seen that so far as man is in the good of love there is fear of God; also that dread and terror disappear and become a holy fear attended with reverence so far as man is in the good of love and in truths therefrom, that is, so far as there is good in his truths. From this it follows that fear in worship varies with each one according to the state of his life; and also that the sanctity attended with reverence that there is in fear with those that are in good, varies also according to the reception of good in the will and according to the reception of truth in the understanding, that is, according to the reception of good in the heart and the reception of truth in the soul.

[7] But what has now been said can be seen more clearly from the following passages in the Word. In Moses:

What doth Jehovah thy God ask of thee but to fear Jehovah thy God, to walk in all His ways and to love Him, and to serve Jehovah thy God with thy whole heart and with thy whole soul? (Deuteronomy 10:12, 20)

The expressions "to fear Jehovah God," "to walk in His ways," "to love Him," and "to serve Him," are here used, and by all these worship by truths from good is described; worship by truths is meant by "fearing Jehovah God" and by "serving Him," and worship from good by "walking in His ways" and by "loving Him;" therefore it is also said "with the whole heart and with the whole soul," "heart" signifying the good of love and charity that belongs to the will, and "soul" the truth of doctrine and faith that belongs to the understanding; for "heart" corresponds to the good of love, and in man to his will, and "soul" corresponds to the truth of faith, and in man to his understanding, for soul [anima] means the breathing or respiration of man, which is also called his spirit. (That "soul" signifies in the Word the life of faith, and "heart" the life of love, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 2930, 9050, 9281.)

[8] In the same:

Ye shall go after Jehovah your God and ye shall fear Him, that ye may keep His commandments and hear His voice and serve Him and cleave unto Him (Deuteronomy 13:4).

"To go after Jehovah God, to keep His commandments, and to cleave unto Him," signifies the good of life, thus the good of love from which is worship; and "to fear Jehovah God, to hear His voice, and to serve Him," signifies the truths of doctrine, thus the truths of faith by means of which is worship. As all worship of the Lord must be by means of truths from good, and not by means of truths without good, nor by means of good without truths, therefore in every particular of the Word there is a marriage of good and truth, as in the passages already cited, and also in the following. (On the marriage of good and truth, in the particulars of the Word, see above, n. 238 at the end, 288, 660.)

[9] In the same:

Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God, Him shalt thou serve, and to Him shalt thou cleave, and in His name shalt thou swear (Deuteronomy 10:20).

Here also "to fear Jehovah God and to serve Him," has reference to the truths of worship, and "to cleave unto Jehovah God and to swear in His name" has reference to the good of worship; for "to cleave to" is a word of the good of love, since one who loves cleaves to; "to swear in the name of Jehovah" in like manner, since the doing of something is confirmed by it. "To serve" has reference to the truths of worship, because in the Word "servants" mean those who are in truths, and for the reason that truths serve good (See above, n. 6, 409).

[10] In the same:

That thou mayest fear Jehovah thy God, to keep all his statutes and His commandments. Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God and Him shalt thou serve, and shalt swear in His name. Ye shall not go after other gods. Jehovah hath commanded us to do all these statutes to fear Jehovah our God (Deuteronomy 6:2, 13, 14, 24).

Here, too, in like manner worship by means of truths from good, or by means of faith from love is described; "to fear Jehovah God and to serve Him" means worship by means of the truths of faith; and "to keep and do His statutes and commandments, and to swear in the name of Jehovah," means worship from the good of love; for to keep and do statutes and commandments is the good of life, which is the same as the good of love, since he lives that loves; "to swear in the name of Jehovah" has a like meaning, for "to swear" means to confirm by life. It has already been said above that "to fear Jehovah and to serve Him" means worship according to the truths of doctrine. For there are two things that constitute worship, namely, doctrine and life; doctrine without life does not constitute it, neither does life without doctrine.

[11] The like is taught in the following passages. In Deuteronomy:

Assemble the people that they may hear, and that they may learn and fear Jehovah your God, and may observe to do all the words of the law (Deuteronomy 31:12).

In the same:

If thou wilt not observe to do all the precepts of this law, to fear this glorious and venerable name, Jehovah thy God (Deuteronomy 28:58).

In the same:

The king shall write for himself a copy of the law, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, whereby he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of the law, and the statutes to do them (Deuteronomy 17:18, 19).

Thou shalt keep the commandments of Jehovah thy God, to walk in His ways and to fear Him (Deuteronomy 8:6).

In the same:

Who will give that they may have a heart to fear Me, and to keep all My commandments all the days (Deuteronomy 5:29).

In these passages where is mentioned "fearing Jehovah God" there is adjoined "keeping and doing the commandments of the law," also "walking in His ways," for the reason, as has been said, that all internal spiritual worship of God, which consists in the good of life, must be according to the truths of doctrine, because these must teach. Worship according to the truths of doctrine is signified by "fearing Jehovah," and worship from the good of life by "keeping His commandments and walking in his ways," "to walk in the ways of Jehovah" meaning to live according to the truths of doctrine; and as worship according to the truths of doctrine is meant by "fearing Jehovah," therefore it is said that the fear of Jehovah must be learned from the law. But let it be known that "the fear of Jehovah" means the internal spiritual worship that must be in external natural worship, for internal spiritual worship is thinking and understanding truths, thus thinking in a reverent and holy way about God, which is "fearing Him," and external natural worship is doing truths, that is, keeping the commandments and words of the law.

[12] In David:

Teach me Thy way, O Jehovah, teach it ¹ in truth, unite my heart to the fear of Thy name (Psalms 86:11).

"To teach the way" signifies to teach the truth according to which man must live; therefore it is said "teach it in truth." That the good of love must be conjoined with the truths of faith is signified by "unite my heart to the fear of Thy name," "heart" signifying the love, "fear" the holiness of faith, and these must be "united," that is, be together in worship.

[13] In the same:

Blessed is everyone that feareth Jehovah, that walketh in His ways (Psalms 128:1).

Here again, "to fear Jehovah" means to think in a reverent and holy way about God, and "to walk in His ways" means to live according to the Divine truths; it is by means of these two that there is worship. But in external worship, which is living according to Divine truths, there must be internal worship, which is fearing Jehovah; and this is why it is said that "he that feareth Jehovah walketh in His ways." In the same:

Blessed is the man that feareth Jehovah, that delighteth exceedingly in His commandments (Psalms 112:1).

The signification of this is similar as above; for "to delight exceedingly in Jehovah's commandments" is to love them, thus to will and to do them.

[14] In Jeremiah:

They feared not, neither did they go in My law and in My statutes (Jeremiah 44:10).

"Not fearing" stands for not thinking about God from the truths of the Word, thus not thinking in a holy and reverent way; "not to go in God's law and in His statutes," stands for not living according to them, "commandments" meaning the laws of internal worship, and "statutes" the laws of external worship.

[15] In Malachi:

If I be a Father, where is My honor? If I be a Lord, where is the fear of Me? (Malachi 1:6)

The terms "honor" and "fear" are used because "honor" is predicated of the worship from good, and "fear" of the worship by means of truths (that "honor" is predicated of good may be seen above, n. 288, 345; therefore "honor" is also predicated of Father, and "fear" of Lord, for Jehovah is called "Father" from Divine good, and "Lord" here from Divine truth.

[16] In the same:

My covenant was with Levi of life and of peace, which I gave him with fear, and he feared Me (Malachi 2:5).

"Levi" means here the Lord in relation to the Divine Human, and "the covenant of life and peace" signifies the union of His Divine with Himself, and "fear" and "to fear" signify holy truth, with which there is union.

[17] In Isaiah:

The spirit of Jehovah resteth upon Him, the spirit of wisdom and intelligence, the spirit of counsel and of might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah, whence his offering of incense shall be in the fear of Jehovah (Isaiah 11:2, 3).

This, too, is said of the Lord, and these words describe Divine truth, in which and from which is all wisdom and all intelligence. The Divine truth that was in the Lord when He was in the world, and that since the glorification of His Human proceeds from Him, is meant by "the spirit of Jehovah that rested upon Him;" that thence He has Divine wisdom and Divine power from that source is meant by "the spirit of wisdom and intelligence; and the spirit of council and of might;" that He has omniscience and essential holiness in worship from that source is meant by "the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah;" and as "fear" signifies the holiness of worship from Divine truth it is added "whence His offering of incense shall be in the fear of Jehovah," "to offer incense" signifying worship from the Divine spiritual, which is Divine truth. (That this is what "offering incense" signifies see above, n. 324, 491, 492, 494, 567.) It is said "the spirit of wisdom, intelligence, knowledge, and fear," for "spirit" means the Divine proceeding, "the spirit of wisdom" the celestial Divine, which is the Divine proceeding as received by the angels of the kingdom of the inmost or third heaven, "the spirit of intelligence" the spiritual Divine which is the Divine proceeding as received by the angels of the middle or second heaven, "the spirit of knowledge" the natural Divine, which is the Divine proceeding as received by the angels of the lowest or first heaven, and "the spirit of the fear of Jehovah" all holiness of worship from the celestial, spiritual, and natural Divine.

[18] In Jeremiah:

I will give them one heart and one way, to fear Me all the days for good to them; and I will make with them the covenant of an age; and My fear will I give into their heart that they may not depart from with Me (Jeremiah 32:39, 40).

"I will give them one heart and one way to fear Me" signifies one will and one understanding to worship the Lord, "heart" signifying the good of the will, "way" the truth of the understanding which leads, and "fear" holy worship therefrom. "I will make with them the covenant of an age, and My fear will I give into their heart," signifies conjunction through the good of love and through the truth of that good in worship, "covenant" meaning conjunction, and "fear in the heart" the holiness of worship from truth in the good of love; "that they may not depart from with Me" signifies for the sake of conjunction. Because conjunction with the Lord is effected by means of truths from good, and not by means of truth without good, nor by means of good without truths, both are here mentioned.

[19] In David:

O house of Aaron trust ye in Jehovah, ye that fear Jehovah trust in Jehovah (Psalms 115:10, 11).

"House of Aaron" signifies all who are in the good of love, and "those that fear Jehovah" signify all who are in truth from that good. In Revelation:

The angel who had the eternal Gospel said, Fear ye God and give Him glory, worship Him (Revelation 14:7).

"To fear God and to give Him glory" signifies to worship the Lord from holy truths; and "to worship Him" signifies from the good of love. In David:

Let all the earth fear Jehovah; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him. Behold, the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear Him, that wait for His mercy (Psalms 33:8, 18).

The good pleasure of Jehovah is in them that fear Him, in them that wait for His mercy (Psalms 147:11).

Because "the fear of Jehovah" signifies the reception of Divine truth, and "mercy" the reception of Divine good, it is said that "the eye" and "the good pleasure of Jehovah are upon them that fear Him, that wait for His mercy."

[20] In Isaiah:

The strong people shall honor Thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear Thee (Isaiah 25:3).

Here again, worship from good is signified by "to honor," for "honor" is predicated of the good of love; and worship from truths is signified by "fearing the Lord," as has been said above. "The strong people" signifies men of the church who are in truths from good, wherefrom is all power; "the city of the terrible nations" signifies those who are in truths of doctrine, and through these in the good of love; and as all spiritual power is therefrom they are called "terrible nations." These words, too, show clearly that there is a marriage of good and truth in every particular of the Word; for "to honor" is predicated of good, "to fear" of truth, both in worship; the term "people" is used of those who are in truths, and through these in good, but the term "nations" of those who are in good, and from good in truths; and as all power in the spiritual world is from the conjunction of good and truth, the people are called "strong," and the nations are called "terrible."

[21] "The fear of Jehovah" signifies worship in which there is holiness through truths, in the following passages also. In Isaiah:

The heart of the people hath departed far from Me, and their fear toward Me hath become a commandment taught of men (Isaiah 29:13).

In the same

Who among you feareth Jehovah, heareth the voice of His servant? He that walketh in darkness, and hath no brightness, that trusteth in the name of Jehovah, and leaneth upon his God (Isaiah 50:10).

In Jeremiah:

They shall hear every good that I do unto them, that they may dread and tremble for all the good and for all the peace that I am about to do unto them (Jeremiah 33:9).

In David:

The angel of Jehovah encampeth about them that fear Him to deliver them. Fear Jehovah, ye His saints, for there is no want to them that fear Him (Psalms 34:7, 9).

In the same:

Who have no changes, neither fear they God (Psalms 55:19).

In the same:

The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom; a good understanding have all they that do them [Hi s commandments] (Psalms 111:10).

Because "fear" has respect to Divine truth, from which is holiness in worship and wisdom and intelligence, therefore it is said, "the fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom, a good understanding, that is intelligence, have all they that do them." In the same:

They that fear Jehovah shall praise Him, all the seed of Jacob shall honor Him, and all the seed of Israel shall fear Him (Psalms 22:23).

In Luke:

The mercy of God is unto generation of generations to them that fear Him (Luke 1:50).

[22] That "to fear Jehovah God" involves and thence signifies to have a sense of holiness and reverence and accordingly to worship with holiness and reverence, can be seen from these passages. In Moses:

Ye shall keep My Sabbaths, and My sanctuary ye shall fear; ye shall reverence (Leviticus 19:30;26:2).

In the same:

A work of Jehovah, how is that to be feared [reverenced] which I will do (Exodus 34:10).

In the same:

And Jacob feared and said, How to be feared [reverenced] is this place; this is none other than the house of God, and the gate of heaven (Genesis 28:17).

That in reference to the Divine and the holiness of heaven and the church, "to fear" signifies to revere and to hold in reverence, is evident from these passages, also from this, that the same word in the Hebrew that means "to fear" means also to revere and to venerate. This is evident, too, from those words in Luke:

There was a judge in a certain city who feared not God and reverenced not man. And he said within himself, Although I fear not God and reverence not man. .. (Luke 18:2, 4).

It is said "to fear God" and "to reverence man" because fearing means reverencing in a higher degree.

[23] In Matthew:

Jesus said, Fear not them who are able to kill the body but are not able to kill the soul; rather fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in Gehenna (Matthew 10:28; Luke 12:4, 5, 7).

Here, however, "to fear" signifies to have a fear of dying spiritually, thence a natural fear, which is fearfulness and dread; but spiritual fear is a holy fear that abides within every spiritual love variously according to the quality and quantity of the love. In such a fear is the spiritual man, and he knows that the Lord does not do evil to anyone, much less does He destroy anyone as to body and soul in Gehenna, but that He does good to all and desires to raise up everyone as to body and soul into heaven to Himself. This is why the fear of the spiritual man is a holy fear lest by the evil of life and the falsity of doctrine man should turn away, and thus do harm to that Divine love in himself. But natural fear is a fearfulness, dread, and terror of dangers and punishments, and thus of hell; this fear abides within every corporeal love, also variously according to the quality and quantity of the love. The natural man who has such fear does not know otherwise than that the Lord does evil to the evil, condemns them, casts them into hell, and punishes them, and on this account such persons are in fear and dread of the Lord. In this fear were most of the Jewish and Israelitish nation, because they were natural men; and this is why they are so often said in the Word "to be afraid of" and "to tremble before Jehovah," and also "to be in fear and trembling;" and for the same reason it is said of the sons of Israel that they were "sore afraid" when the Divine law or Divine truth was promulgated from Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:18-20; Deuteronomy 5:23-25).

[24] This fear is what is meant in part by:

The dread of Isaac by which Jacob sware to Laban (Genesis 31:42, 53);

for "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," mean in the Word the Lord, "Abraham," the Lord in respect to the celestial Divine, "Isaac," in respect to the spiritual Divine, and "Jacob," in respect to the natural Divine; the spiritual Divine which "Isaac" signifies is the Divine truth, which terrifies the natural man, and as "Laban" was a natural man, so Jacob sware to him "by the dread or terror of Isaac." Nearly the same fear is meant in Isaiah:

Ye shall sanctify Jehovah of Hosts, for He is your fear and your dread (Isaiah 8:13).

Here the term "fear" has reference to the spiritual man, and "dread" to the natural man. That the spiritual man may not be in such fear as the natural man is in, it is said "Fear not." In Isaiah:

Jacob and Israel, Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, calling thee by thy name, thou art Mine (Isaiah 43:1).

In Luke:

Fear not, little flock; for it hath pleased your Father to give you the kingdom (Luke 12:32).

And in Jeremiah:

Fear not, O Jacob, My servant, and be not dismayed, O Israel, for I will save thee from afar; Jacob shall be tranquil and quiet, none shall make him afraid (Jeremiah 30:9, 10).

And in many other passages. Moreover, that "fear," "terror," "consternation," and the like, signify various commotions of the disposition and changes of state of the mind, may be seen above (n. 667, 677).

Poznámky pod čarou:

768. And went away to make war with the remnant of her seed, signifies and an ardent effort, springing from a life of evil, to assault the truths of doctrine of that church. This is evident from the signification of "going away," as being an ardent effort from a life of evil (of which presently); also from the signification of "making war," as being to assault and to wish to destroy (of which above n. 573, 734); also from the signification of "her seed," as being the truths of doctrine of the church (of which also presently). It is said "the remnant of her seed" because it means those who are in these truths, and in an abstract sense the truths of that church, which they believe themselves capable of assaulting and destroying. "To go away" signifies an ardent effort from a life of evil, because "to go" signifies in the spiritual sense to live, therefore in the Word the expressions "going with the Lord," and "walking with Him" and "after Him," are used, and these signify to live from the Lord; but when "going" is predicated of the dragon, whose life is a life of evil, it signifies to make an effort from that life; and because that effort is an effort from hatred, which is signified by "his anger" (See above, n. 754, 758), so an ardent effort is signified because he who makes an effort from hatred makes an ardent effort.

[2] As the hatred of those who are meant by "the dragon" is a hatred against those who are in the truths of doctrine of the church which is the New Jerusalem, therefore it is a hatred against the truths of doctrine that such have. For those who are in love towards anyone, as also those who are in hatred against anyone, are indeed in love towards a person or in hatred against a person with whom those things are which they either love or hate, and these are the truths of doctrine with them, therefore the truths of doctrine are signified by "the remnant of her seed." This shows that in the spiritual sense of the Word person is not regarded, but a thing abstracted from person, as here a thing that is with the person. This may be further illustrated by the saying in the Word that the neighbor must be loved as one loves himself, but in the spiritual sense this does not mean that the neighbor is thus to be loved in respect to person, but those things are to be loved which are from the Lord with the person; for a person is not actually loved because of his being a person or a man, but because of his being such as he is; thus the person is loved because of his quality, consequently that quality is meant by "neighbor," and that is the spiritual neighbor or the neighbor in the spiritual sense that must be loved; and this with those who are of the Lord's church is everything that proceeds from the Lord; and this in general refers to all good, spiritual, moral, and civil; therefore those who are in these goods love those who are in the same goods; and this therefore is to love one's neighbor as oneself.

[3] From this it can be seen that "the remnant of her seed," namely, of the woman who signifies the church, means those who are in the truths of doctrine of that church; and in a sense abstracted from persons which is the genuine spiritual sense, the truths of the doctrine of that church are meant.

Likewise elsewhere in the Word, as in the following passages. In Moses:

I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and the woman's seed. He shall trample on thy head and thou shalt wound his heel (Genesis 3:15).

This is a prophecy respecting the Lord. The "serpent" here signifies the sensual of man, where what is man's own has its seat, which in itself is nothing but evil; and the "woman" signifies the spiritual church, or the church which is in Divine truths. And as the sensual of man has been destroyed, and when the man of the church becomes spiritual he is elevated out of the sensual, it is said, "there shall be enmity between thee and the woman." "The seed of the serpent" signifies all falsity from evil, and "the seed of the woman" all truth from good, and in the highest degree Divine truth; and as all Divine truth is from the Lord, and as by it the Lord destroys falsity from evil, it is said "He shall trample on thy head, "He" meaning the Lord, and "head" all falsity from evil. That the sensual would still do injury to Divine truth in its ultimates, which is the Word in the sense of the letter, is signified by "He shall wound the heel;" "the heel" signifying that ultimate and that sense. That the ultimate of truth and the sense of the letter have suffered and do still suffer hurt from the sensual, can be seen from this single example, that the papists understand the woman here to mean Mary and the worship of her; therefore in their Bibles the reading is not "He," but "it" and "she." So in a thousand other passages.

[4] In Jeremiah:

Behold the days shall come in which I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast (Jeremiah 31:27).

This is said of the Lord, and of the New Church from Him. His coming is signified by "Behold the days shall come;" "to sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah" signifies to reform those who will be of that church, "the house of Israel" signifying the spiritual church, and "the house of Judah" the celestial church; and as reformation is effected by means of spiritual truths and by means of natural truths therefrom, it is said "with the seed of man and with the seed of beast;" "the seed of man" signifying spiritual truth from which man has intelligence, and "the seed of beast" signifying natural truth from which man has knowledge, also life according to it, both of these from the affection of good. That "man" signifies the affection of spiritual truth and good may be seen above (n. 280); and "beast" natural affection (n. 650); thus "the seed of man and the seed of beast" signify the truths of those affections.

In Malachi:

There is not one who doeth this who hath the spirit; is there one that seeketh the seed of God? (Malachi 2:15)

"Is there one that seeketh the seed of God?" signifies that no one seeks Divine truth; evidently "the seed of God" here signifies Divine truth; so "the born of God" mean those who are regenerated by the Lord by means of Divine truth, and a life according thereto.

[5] In Isaiah:

Jehovah willed to bruise Him, He hath weakened Him; if Thou shalt make His soul a guilt offering, He shall see seed, He shall prolong days, and the will of Jehovah shall prosper by His hand (Isaiah 53:10).

This is said of the Lord, and the whole of this chapter treats of His temptations, by means of which He subjugated the hells. The increasing grievousness of His temptations is described by "Jehovah willed to bruise Him, and to weaken Him;" the most grievous temptation, which was the passion of the cross, is signified by "if Thou shalt make His soul a guilt offering;" "to make His soul a guilt offering" signifies the last temptation, by which He fully subjugated the hells and fully glorified His Human, which is the means of redemption. The Divine truth that afterwards proceeded from His Divine Human, and the salvation of all who receive Divine truth from Him, is signified by "He shall see seed;" that this will continue forever is signified by "He shall prolong days;" "to prolong" signifying in reference to the Lord to continue forever, and "days" signifying states of light, which are states of the enlightenment of all by Divine truth; that this is from His Divine for the salvation of the human race is signified by "the will of Jehovah shall prosper by His hand."

[6] In the same:

Fear not, for I am with thee; I will bring thy seed from the sunrise, and I will bring thee together from the west; I will say to the north, Give, and to the south, Hold not back; bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the end of the earth (Isaiah 43:5, 6).

This is supposed to refer to the bringing back of the sons of Israel into the land of Canaan; but this is not the meaning here; but it means the salvation by the Lord of all who receive Divine truth from Him; and of whom the New Church consists; this is what is signified by "His seed which shall be brought from the sunrise, and brought together from the west, and which the north shall give and the south ¹ shall not hold back," therefore it also follows: "Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the end of the earth;" "sons" signifying those who are in the truths of the church, and "daughters" those who are in its goods. (But these words may be seen explained above, n. 422, 724)

[7] In the same:

On the right hand and on the left thou shalt break forth, and thy seed shall inherit the nations and make the desolate cities to be inhabited (Isaiah 54:3).

This is said of the church from the Lord with the Gentiles, which church is here meant by "the barren woman that did not bear," who should have many sons (verse 1). "The seed that shall inherit the nations" signifies the Divine truth that shall be given to the Gentiles; "to break forth on the right hand and on the left" signifies extension and multiplication; the "right hand" signifying truth in light, and the "left hand" truth in the shade, for the reason that in the spiritual world to the right hand is the south where those are who are in the clear light of truth, and to the left is the north where those are who are in an obscure light of truth. "To make the desolate cities to be inhabited" signifies their life according to Divine truths, which before this had been lost; "cities" meaning the truths of doctrine from the Word; "to be inhabited" signifying to live according to truths, and "desolate cities" those truths heretofore lost, that is, with the Jewish nation.

[8] In the same:

Their seed shall become known among the nations and their offspring in the midst of the peoples; all that see them shall acknowledge them that they are the seed that Jehovah hath blessed (Isaiah 61:9).

This, too, is said of the church to be established by the Lord. "The seed that shall become known among the nations" signifies Divine truth that will be received by those who are in the good of life; "and the offspring in the midst of the peoples" signifies life according to Divine truth; "those that see them and shall acknowledge that they are the seed" signifies enlightenment, that it is the genuine truth that they receive; "that Jehovah hath blessed" signifies that it is from the Lord. But such is the signification of these words in a sense abstracted from persons, but in a strict sense those are meant who will receive Divine truth from the Lord.

[9] In the same:

They are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them (Isaiah 65:23).

This, also, is said of the church from the Lord; and "the seed of the blessed of Jehovah" means those who will receive Divine truth from the Lord; and "their offspring," those who live according to it; but in the sense abstracted from persons, which is the genuine spiritual sense, "seed" means Divine truth, and "offspring," a life according to it (as just above). "Offspring" mean those who live according to Divine truth, and in an abstract sense life according to it, because the word in the original rendered "offspring" means going out or proceeding, and that which goes out or proceeds from Divine truth received is a life according to Divine truth.

[10] In the same:

As the new heavens and the new earth which I am about to make shall stand before Me, so shall your seed and your name stand (Isaiah 66:22).

This, too, is said of the Lord, and of the salvation of the faithful by Him; the New Church from Him is meant by "new heavens and a new earth;" by "new heavens" an internal church, and by "a new earth" an external church; that Divine truth and its quality shall endure is signified by "your seed and your name shall stand;" "seed" signifying Divine truth, which also is the truth of doctrine from the Word, and "name" signifying its quality. (That "name" signifies the quality of a thing and of a state, may be seen above, n. 148)

[11] In David:

Thou hast founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Thy hands; they shall perish, and Thou shalt stand; they shall all wax old like garments, like a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed; but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall have no end; the sons of Thy servants shall dwell, and their seed shall be established before Thee (Psalms 102:25-28).

"The earth" which God formed, and "the heavens the work of His hands," which shall perish, have a similar signification as "the former earth and the former heaven" that passed away (in Revelation 21:1; about which, see there); and as the face of the earth and heavens in the spiritual world will be altogether changed at the day of the Last Judgment, and there will be a new earth and new heavens in place of the former, it is said "they shall all wax old like garments, like a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed;" they are likened to garments because garments signify external truths, such as those had who were in the former heavens and the former earth, which were not permanent because they were not in internal truths. The state of Divine truth that shall endure from the Lord to eternity is signified by "Thou shalt stand," and "Thou art the same, and Thy years shall have no end;" "the years of God" signifying the states of Divine truth. "The sons of Thy servants shall dwell, and their seed shall be established before Thee," signifies that angels and men, who are recipients of Divine truth, shall have eternal life, and that truths of doctrine shall endure with them to eternity; "the sons of the servants of God" meaning angels and men who are recipients of Divine truth, and "their seed" meaning truths of doctrine.

[12] In the same:

A seed that shall serve Him shall be counted to the Lord for a generation (Psalms 22:30).

This also is said of the Lord; and "the seed that shall serve Him" means those who are in the truths of doctrine from the Word; and "it shall be counted to the Lord for a generation" signifies that they shall be His to eternity; "to be counted" signifying to be arranged and disposed in order, here to be numbered with or added to, thus to be His.

[13] In many passages in the Word mention is made of "the seed of Abraham," "of Isaac," and "of Jacob," likewise of "the seed of Israel," and in the historical sense of the letter their posterity is meant; but in the spiritual sense Divine truth and the truth of doctrine from the Word are meant, for the reason that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel, mean in that sense the Lord, as can be seen from passages in the Word where they are mentioned; as where it is said:

That they shall come from the east and from the west, and shall recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 8:11);

which means the enjoyment of celestial good from the Lord. So also elsewhere. And as the Lord is meant by them in the internal sense, "their seed" signifies Divine truth which is from the Lord, and thus also the truth of doctrine from the Word; as in these passages. In Moses:

Jehovah said to Abram, All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed forever; and I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth (Genesis 13:15, 16).

Look up towards the heavens and number the stars, so shall thy seed be (Genesis 15:5).

In thy seed shall all the nations be blessed (Genesis 22:18).

To Isaac:

To thee and to thy seed will I give all these lands; and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed (Genesis 26:3-5).

To Jacob:

Unto thy seed after thee will I give this land (Genesis 35:12).

The land given to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and to their seed after them (Deuteronomy 1:8).

The seed of your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deuteronomy 4:37; 10:15; 11:9).

Since, as has been said, the Lord is meant by "Abraham," "Isaac," and "Jacob;" by "Abraham" the Lord in reference to the celestial Divine of the church; by "Isaac" in reference to the spiritual Divine of the church, and by "Jacob" in reference to the natural Divine of the church, so their "seed" signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; "the seed of Abraham" signifying celestial Divine truth; "the seed of Isaac" spiritual Divine truth, and "the seed of Jacob" natural Divine truth; consequently those also are meant who are in Divine truth from the Lord. But the "land which the Lord will give to them" means the church which is in Divine truth from Him; and thence it may be known what is signified by "in their seed shall all nations be blessed;" for they could not be blessed in their posterity, namely, in the Jewish and Israelitish nation, but they were to be blessed in the Lord and from the Lord by the reception of Divine truth from Him.

[14] That "the seed of Abraham" does not mean the Jews is evident from the Lord's words in John:

The Jews answered, We are Abraham's seed, and have never been servants to any man. Jesus answered, I know that ye are Abraham's seed; yet ye seek to kill Me, because My word hath no place in you; ye are of your father the devil (John 8:33, 34, 37, 44).

From this it is evident that the Jews are not meant by "the seed of Abraham," but that "Abraham" means the Lord, and "the seed of Abraham" Divine truth from the Lord, which is the Word; for it is said, "I know that ye are Abraham's seed; yet ye seek to kill Me, because My word hath no place in you." The Lord's saying "I know that ye are Abraham's seed" signifies that He knew that the truth of the church, which is the Word, was with them; but that they nevertheless rejected the Lord is signified by "ye seek to kill Me;" and that they were not in Divine truths from the Lord is signified by "because My word hath no place in you;" that there was with them nothing but evil and falsity therefrom is signified by "ye are of your father the devil, and the truth is not in him;" and afterwards, "when he speaketh a lie he speaketh from his own;" "lie" signifying Divine truth, or the Word, adulterated. The Lord said "I know that ye are Abraham's seed" for the further reason that "Judah" signifies the Lord in reference to the Word (as may be seen above, n. 119, 433).

[15] In David:

He will make them to fall in the wilderness, and will make their seed to fall among the nations and will scatter them in the lands (Psalms 106:26, 27).

"To make their seed to fall among the nations and to scatter them in the lands" signifies that Divine truth would perish with them by evils and falsities. "The seed of Israel" has a similar signification in these passages:

Thou Israel My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend, whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 41:8, 9).

I will pour out My spirit upon the seed of Israel and Jacob, and My blessing upon their offspring (Isaiah 44:3).

In Jehovah all the seed of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory (Isaiah 45:25).

Jehovah who brought up and who brought back the seed of the house of Israel out of the land ² towards the north, and out of all the lands whither I have driven them, that they may dwell upon their own land (Jeremiah 23:8).

In the highest sense "Israel" means the Lord in relation to the internal of the church, therefore "his seed" similarly signifies the Divine truth that is with those who are of the church that is signified by "Israel." "Israel" means the church with those who are interiorly natural, and have truths therein from a spiritual origin. For this reason "Israel" signifies the church that is spiritual-natural.

[16] Since "David" in the Word means the Lord in reference to royalty, and the Lord's royalty means Divine truth in the church, so his "seed" means those who are in the truths of the church from the Word, who are called "the sons of the king" and "the sons of the kingdom;" it means also that Divine truth is with them, as in the following passages:

As the host of the heavens shall not be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the seed of David and the Levites My ministers (Jeremiah 33:22).

I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to David My servant, Even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and will build up thy throne to generation and generation. I will set his seed forever, and his throne as the days of the heavens. His seed shall be to eternity, and his throne as the sun before Me (Psalms 89:3, 4, 29, 36).

That "David" means in the Word the Lord in reference to royalty, which is Divine truth in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, may be seen above (n. 205); therefore "his seed" signifies that Divine truth with those who are in truths from good, thus also who are in the truths of doctrine from the Word; for truths of doctrine from the Word, or the truths of the Word, are all from good; and as these are meant by "the seed of David," so in an abstract sense the truth of the Word or the truth of the doctrine from the Word is meant by it. That "the seed of David" does not mean his posterity anyone can see, for it is said that "his seed shall be multiplied as the host of the heavens and the sand of the sea," and that "it shall be established and set to eternity," also that "his throne shall be built up to generation and generation," and "shall be as the days of the heavens," and "as the sun," which cannot at all be said of the seed of David, that is, of his posterity and of his throne, for where now are his seed and throne to be found? But all these things harmonize when "David" is taken to mean the Lord, "his throne" heaven and the church, and "his seed" the truth of heaven and of the church.

[17] In Jeremiah:

If I shall not have set My covenant of day and night, the statutes of heaven and of earth, I will also reject the seed of Jacob and of David My servant, that I will not take of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will cause their captivity to return, and will have compassion on them (Jeremiah 33:25, 26).

In the same:

Jehovah said, who giveth the sun for a light by day, the statutes of the moon and stars for a light by night. If these statutes shall remove from before Me, the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me all the days (Jeremiah 31:35, 36).

In these passages, again, "the seed of Jacob" and of "David," likewise "the seed of Israel," mean those who are in Divine truths; but "the seed of Jacob" means those who are in natural Divine truth, "David" those who are in spiritual Divine truth, and "Israel" those who are in natural-spiritual Divine truth, which is mediate between natural Divine truth and spiritual Divine truth. For there are degrees of Divine truth, as there are degrees of its reception in the three heavens by the angels and in the church. "The covenant of day and night, and the statutes of heaven and earth," signifying the conjunction of the Lord with those who are in Divine truths in the heavens, and with those who are in Divine truths on the earth, "covenant" signifying conjunction, and "statutes" the laws of conjunction, which are also the laws of order, and the laws of order are Divine truths; while "day" signifies such light of truth as the angels in the heavens have; and "night" such light of truth as men on the earth have, likewise such light of truth as those have who are in the heavens and on the earth under the Lord as a moon; therefore it is added, "who giveth the sun for a light by day, and the statutes of the moon and stars for a light by night." But here "the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," mean all who are of the Lord's church, in every degree; of these and of the seed of Jacob and David it is said that if they acknowledge not the Lord, and receive not Divine truth from Him, the Lord will not reign over them.

[18] In the same:

No one of his seed shall prosper who sitteth upon the throne of David and ruleth anymore in Judah (Jeremiah 22:30).

This is said of Coniah, king of Judah, who is here called "a despised and worthless idol," and it is said of him:

That he and his seed shall be taken away and cast unto the earth (verse 28).

This king has a similar signification as Satan, and "his seed" signifies infernal falsity; that this shall not rule in the Lord's church, in which is celestial Divine truth, is signified by "no one of his seed shall sit upon the throne of David or shall rule anymore in Judah;" "Judah" here meaning the celestial church in which the Lord reigns.

[19] As "David" represented the Lord's royalty, so "Aaron" represented his priesthood; therefore "the seed of Aaron" means those who are in the affection of genuine truth which is from celestial good. Because of this representation this statute was given for Aaron:

The high priest shall not take a widow, or one divorced, or one polluted, a harlot, but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife, lest he profane his seed among his people; I Jehovah do sanctify him (Leviticus 21:14, 15).

As "man and wife" in the Word in its spiritual sense signify the understanding of truth and the will of good, and as thought is of the understanding and affection is of the will, so "man and wife" also signify the thought of truth and the affection of good, likewise truth and good. Thence it is clear what is signified by a "widow," by "one divorced," and by "one polluted" and "a harlot;" "a widow" signifies good without truth, because left by truth, which is the man; "one divorced" signifies good rejected by truth, thus discordant good; and "one polluted, a harlot," signifies good adulterated by falsities, which is no longer good but evil. Because of this signification of these women the high priest was forbidden to take any of them to wife, because he represented the Lord in reference to the priesthood, which signified the Divine good. And as a "virgin" signifies the will or affection of genuine truth, and genuine truth makes one with and is in harmony with Divine good, and these two are conjoined in heaven and in the church, and their conjunction is called the heavenly marriage, therefore it was required that the high priest should take a virgin to wife. And as the truth of doctrine is born of this marriage, while the falsity of doctrine is born of a marriage with such as are signified by "a widow," "one divorced," and "one polluted, a harlot," it is said, "lest he profane his seed among his peoples," "seed" signifying the genuine truth of doctrine, and thus also the doctrine of genuine truth from the good of celestial love, and "his peoples" signifying those who are of the church in which there is the doctrine of genuine truth from the Word. Also as this was a representative of the heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of the Lord with the church, therefore it is said, "I Jehovah do sanctify him."

[20] Since the high priest represented the Lord in reference to Divine good, and his "seed" signified Divine truth, which is the same as the genuine truth of doctrine, it was also made a statute:

That no man a stranger, who was not of the seed of Aaron, shall come near to burn incense before Jehovah (Numbers 16:40).

"A man a stranger" signifies the falsity of doctrine, and "burning incense" signifies worship from spiritual good, which in its essence is genuine truth; and "the seed of the high priest" signifies Divine truth from a celestial origin; therefore it was decreed by law that no stranger who was not of the seed of Aaron should burn incense in the Tent of meeting before Jehovah.

[21] When it is known what of heaven and the church was represented also by other persons mentioned in the Word, what is signified by "their seed" will also be known, as by the seed of Noah, Ephraim, and Caleb, in the following passages. Of Noah:

I establish My covenant with you and with your seed after you (Genesis 9:9).

Israel said of Ephraim:

His seed shall be the fullness of the earth ³ (Genesis 48:19).

And Jehovah said of Caleb:

His seed shall inherit the earth (Numbers 14:24).

What "Noah" and "Ephraim" represented and signified has been explained in the Arcana Coelestia. But "Caleb" represented those who are to be introduced into the church; therefore their "seed" signifies the truth of the doctrine of the church.

[22] The "seed of the field" has a similar signification as the "seed of man," because a "field," the same as "man," signifies the church; for this reason the terms "seed" and also "sowing" are in some passages applied to the people of the earth the same as they are applied to a field, as in the following. In Jeremiah:

I had planted thee a noble vine, a seed of truth; how art thou turned into branches of a strange vine unto Me! (Jeremiah 2:21).

In David:

Their fruit will I ⁴ destroy from the earth, and their seed from the sons of man (Psalms 21:10).

In Hosea:

I will sow Israel unto Me in the earth (Hosea 2:23).

In Zechariah:

I will sow Judah and Joseph among the peoples, and they shall remember Me in remote places (Zechariah 10:9).

In Ezekiel:

I will look again to you, that ye may be tilled and sown; then will I multiply man upon you, all the house of Israel, the whole of it (Ezekiel 36:9).

In Jeremiah:

Behold the days shall come in which I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast (Jeremiah 31:27).

In Matthew:

The seed sown are the sons of the kingdom (Matthew 13:38).

But it is not necessary to show here that the seed of the field has a similar meaning as the seed of man, for here only what is signified by "the seed of the woman" is what is to be explained and confirmed from the Word.

[23] Since "seed" signifies the truth of doctrine from the Word, and in the highest sense Divine truth, so in the contrary sense "seed" signifies the falsity of doctrine and infernal falsity. As in Isaiah:

Draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, ye seed of the adulterer, and thou that hast ⁵ committed whoredom. Against whom do ye sport yourselves, against whom do ye make wide the mouth and lengthen the tongue? Are ye not children of transgression, the seed of a lie? (Isaiah 57:3, 4)

"The sons of the sorceress and the seed of an adulterer" signify falsities from the Word when it has been falsified and adulterated, "the sons of the sorceress" meaning the falsities from the Word falsified, and "the seed of an adulterer," falsities from the Word adulterated. The Word is said to be falsified when its truths are perverted, and to be adulterated when its goods are perverted, as also when truths are applied to the loves of self. "Children of transgression and seed of a lie" signify falsities flowing from such prior falsities. "To sport themselves" signifies to take delight in things falsified; "to make wide the mouth" signifies delight in the thought therefrom; and "to lengthen the tongue" delight in teaching and propagating such falsities.

[24] In Isaiah:

Woe to the sinful nation, a people heavy with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, sons that are corrupters; they have forsaken Jehovah, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel, they have estranged themselves backwards (Isaiah 1:4).

"The sinful nation" signifies those who are in evils, and "a people heavy with iniquity" those who are in the falsities therefrom, for "nation" is predicated in the Word of evils, and "people" of falsities (See above, 331, 625). The falsity of those who are in evils is signified by "a seed of evildoers," and the falsities of those who are in the falsities from that evil are signified by "sons that are corrupters." (That "sons" signify those who are in truths, and in the contrary sense those who are in falsities, and in an abstract sense truths and falsities, may be seen above, n. 724 "They have forsaken Jehovah and have provoked the Holy One of Israel" signifies that they have rejected Divine good and Divine truth; "Jehovah" meaning the Lord in relation to Divine good, and "the Holy One of Israel," the Lord in relation to Divine truth; "their estranging themselves backwards" signifies that they wholly departed from good and truth, and went away to infernal evil and falsity, for those in the spiritual world who are in evils and falsities turn themselves backward from the Lord (See in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 123). In the same:

Thou shalt not be joined with them in the sepulcher, for thou hast corrupted thy land, thou hast slain thy people; the seed of the evil shall not be named forever (Isaiah 14:20).

This is said of Lucifer, by whom Babylon is meant; and "the seed of the evil which shall not be named forever" signifies the direful falsity of evil which is from hell. (The rest may be seen explained above, n. 589, 659, 697)

[25] In Moses:

He that hath given of his seed to Molech dying shall die, the people of the land shall stone him with stones. I will set My faces against that man, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, because he hath given of his seed to Molech, to defile My sanctuary and to profane the name of My holiness (Leviticus 20:3; Leviticus 18:21).

"To give of his seed to Molech" signifies to destroy the truth of the Word and of the doctrine of the church therefrom, by application to the filthy loves of the body, as murders, hatreds, revenges, adulteries, and the like, which leads to the acceptance of infernal falsities instead of things Divine; such falsities are signified by "the seed given to Molech." Molech was the god of the sons of Ammon (1 Kings 11:7); and was set up in the valley of Hinnom, which was called Topheth, where they burned up their sons and daughters (2 Kings 23:10); the above mentioned loves are signified by that fire; and as "seed given to Molech" signifies such infernal falsity, and stoning was the punishment of death for the injury and destruction of the truth of the Word and of doctrine therefrom, it is said that the man that "hath given of his seed to Molech dying shall die, and the people of the land shall stone him with stones." (That stoning was the punishment for injuring or destroying truth may be seen above, n. 655.) That such falsity is destructive of every good of the Word and of the church is signified by "I will set My faces against that man, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, because he hath defiled My sanctuary and profaned the name of My holiness," "sanctuary" signifying the truth of heaven and the church, and "the name of holiness" all that it is. From the passages quoted it can now be seen that "seed" means in the highest sense Divine truth which is from the Lord, and thence the truth of the Word and of the doctrine of the church which is from the Word; while in the evil sense it means infernal falsity which is the opposite of that truth.

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