629. Rise, measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein, signifies that he should explore the church, what is its quality in respect to the reception of Divine truth and Divine good, and thence in respect to the worship of the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "to measure," as being to explore what the quality of a thing is (of which presently); from the signification of "temple," as being in the highest sense the Lord's Divine Human in relation to Divine truth, and in a relative sense heaven and the church in respect to Divine truth proceeding from the Lord (of which above, n. 220); from the signification of "altar," as being in the highest sense the Lord's Divine Human in relation to divine good, and in a relative sense heaven and the church in respect to Divine good proceeding from the Lord (of which also above, n. 391, 490, 496); and from the signification of "them that worship," as being worship. "They that worship" signifies the worship of the Lord, because worship consists in the adoration of the Lord, and because in the spiritual sense nothing of person is meant, but only the thing abstracted from persons (of which see above, n. 99, 100, 270, 325, 625); this is why "they that worship" signifies adoration and worship. From this it can be seen that "Rise, measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein," signifies to explore the church, what is its quality in respect to the reception of Divine truth and Divine good proceeding from the Lord, and thence in respect to worship.

[2] Evidently "to measure" in the spiritual sense does not mean to measure, for it was commanded to measure not only the temple and the altar, but also them that worship therein; therefore "to measure the temple and the altar" must involve that which is signified by their measures, thus that which is signified by the "length," the "breadth," and the "height," for the expression "to measure them that worship in the temple," cannot be used unless "to measure [trientali]" signifies to explore the quality of the persons or of the thing.

[3] That "to measure" signifies to explore the quality of a thing, and to designate it, can be seen from the passages in the Word where "to measure" and "measures" are mentioned, as in the following in Ezekiel:

The man that had the line of flax and the measuring reed in his hand measured the building, likewise the threshold of the gate, the porch of the gate in the house, the porch of the gate from the house, the door of the gate, the gate from the roof of the bedchamber, and many other things which he measured as to breadth, length, and height (Ezekiel 40:3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 13, 17, et seq.);

and afterwards:

He measured the temple, the lintel over the door, the wall of the house, and the house itself, as to breadth and length (Ezekiel 41:1-5, 13, 14, 22);

again:

He measured the inner court, and the things of that court (Ezekiel 42);

finally:

He measured the altar and the things of the altar (Ezekiel 43:13, et seq.).

Moreover, the measures were designated in numbers, that is, how many reeds, how many cubits, and how many palms; which shows that "to measure" these does not mean to measure but to designate the quality of the thing, and this is designated by the several things measured, namely, the "building," the "gate," the "porch," the "temple," the "upper lintel," the "wall," the "court," and the "altar." "The building, the house, and the temple," signify the church; "the door and the gate" signify truth that introduces; and "the porch and court" signify all things that are without the church and yet look to it, and these are all things with the man of the church that are in his natural man; for the church itself with man is in the internal or spiritual man or mind, thus inwardly with him; while all things that are in the external or natural man or mind, thus that reside without, correspond to the things that are of the church itself, which, as was said, are in the internal or spiritual man or mind. These external things are what are signified by the "porch" without the house, and by "the court." What the qualities of these things were to be is here designated by measures and numbers; for these chapters treat of the Lord's church that was to come, and that is called the internal church, and this is thus described. Anyone can see that such measurements would be of no account unless each measurement signified something; but what each signifies can be seen from the signification of the thing measured, and its quality from the signification of the measure as expressed in number.

[4] There are only three things that are measured, namely, breadth, length, and height; and "breadth" signifies the truth of the church, "length" the good of the church, and "height" both of these as to degrees; the degrees of truth and good are the quality of truth and good as interior or higher and as exterior or lower. Such is the signification of these three dimensions, because breadth is predicated of heaven from south to north, and length from east to west, and height from the third heaven which is in things highest to the first heaven which is in things lowest. And as those in heaven who dwell from south to north are in the truths of doctrine, so "breadth" signifies the truth of heaven or of the church; and as those who dwell in heaven from east to west are in the good of love, so "length" signifies the good of heaven or of the church; and as those who dwell in the third heaven, who are the most wise, are in things highest, while those who dwell in the first heaven, who are relatively simple, are in things lowest, so "height" signifies wisdom and intelligence as to their degrees. These things therefore are what are designated by measurements in general.

[5] In the same:

Son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities, and may measure the form when they have been ashamed of all things that they have done; the form of the house and the arrangement thereof, and the goings out thereof and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, also teach them all the statutes thereof, and all the arrangements thereof, and all the laws thereof, and write them before their eyes, that they may keep all the form thereof and all the statutes thereof, and do them (Ezekiel 43:10, 11).

That "to measure the temple" or "house" signifies to investigate and explore what is the quality of the church in respect to truth and good, can be seen from its being said "that they may measure the form of the house, the goings out and the comings in thereof;" also "that they may keep all the form thereof;" which cannot mean the form of the temple merely in respect to form, but in respect to those things that are signified by the temple; for it is added "that they may be ashamed of their iniquities that they have done," which signifies shame for departing from the laws and statutes of the church; therefore it is added, "that he may teach them all the statutes thereof, all the descriptions, ¹ and all the laws thereof;" which shows that the "temple" signifies the church with its truths and goods, for these are the things that are to be kept, and this is signified by "keeping all the form of the house" or "temple." The "temple" signifies in the Word the church in respect to truth, and "the house of God" the church in respect to good; for the temple was of stone, but the house of God in ancient times was of wood; and "stones" signify truths, and "wood" signifies good.

[6] In Zechariah:

I lifted up mine eyes and saw, and behold a man in whose hand was a measuring line; and I said, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, to see how great is the breadth thereof, and how great is the length thereof; and he said Jerusalem shall inhabit the suburbs by reason of the multitude of men and beasts in the midst of it (Zechariah 2:1, 2, 4).

This is said of the Lord's coming and of the establishment of a New Church by Him, as can be seen from verses 10 and 11 of the same chapter. "Jerusalem" signifies that New Church, and "to measure" it signifies to explore and thus to know what and how great it will be; "breadth" signifies the truth of its doctrine, and "length" the good of its love (as just above); therefore it is said "To measure Jerusalem, to see how great is the breadth thereof, and how great is the length thereof." Evidently "Jerusalem" here means the church, and not the city Jerusalem, for about the time of the Lord's coming Jerusalem was not so great and such as is here described, that is, that "Jerusalem should inhabit the suburbs by reason of the multitude of men and beasts in the midst of it;" but this means the multitude of the nations that will be added to the church, "Jerusalem, in the midst of it," signifying the church consisting of those who will receive interiorly the Divine proceeding from the Lord, and "suburbs" the church consisting of those who will receive it exteriorly. For the church of the Lord is internal and external; in the internal church are those who are in intelligence and wisdom, and thus in the higher heavens, but in the external church are those who are in knowledges and cognitions of truth and good from the Word, and in no interior intelligence and wisdom, and who are therefore in the lower heavens; the former are called spiritual, the latter spiritual-natural, and the spiritual are meant by those who are "in the midst of Jerusalem," and the spiritual-natural by those who are "in the suburbs." "Men and beasts" mean those who are in intelligence and thence in the good of life, "men" those who are in intelligence, and "beasts" those who are in the natural affection of good, and thus in the good of life.

[7] Like things are signified by these words in Revelation:

The angel who talked with me had a golden reed, to measure the city the New Jerusalem, the gates thereof and the wall thereof; and he measured the wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel (Revelation 21:15, 17).

Here, too, "the New Jerusalem" means a New Church, and the "city" its doctrine, "its wall" signifies Divine truth defending, the number "one hundred and forty-four" signifies all truths and goods in the complex; this number is said to be "the measure of a man, that is, of an angel," which could not be said unless "measure" signified quality. But this will be explained in its proper place hereafter.

[8] In Ezekiel:

When the man went out toward the east, in whose hand was the line, he measured a thousand by the cubit, then he made me to pass through the waters, the waters were to the ankles; again he measured a thousand and made me to pass through the waters, waters to the knees; and he measured a thousand and made me to pass through the waters, waters to the loins; again he measured a thousand, it was a river that I could not pass through because the waters were high, waters of swimming, a river that was not passed through. And behold, on the bank of the river were many trees on this side and on that side; and every living soul that creepeth, and whithersoever the river cometh, shall live; whence there is much fish (Ezekiel 47:3-5, 7, 9).

This describes how intelligence, which those have who are of the church, increases by the reception of Divine truth proceeding from the Lord. Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is signified by "the waters issuing from under the threshold of the house towards the east, and going down from the right side of the house from the south of the altar," as is said in verse 1 of this chapter; the "east" signifies love to the Lord, since the east in heaven is where the Lord appears as a sun; and thence the "right side" is where Divine truth is received in the greatest light, and that side is called the south; therefore it is added "from the south of the altar." How intelligence increases by the reception of Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is described by the "waters" which the prophet passed through, which first reached "to the ankles," afterwards "to the knees," then "to the loins," and at length were so high that they "could not be passed through;" "the waters to the ankles" signify such intelligence as the sensual and natural man has, for "ankles" signify what is sensual and natural; "the waters to the knees" signify such intelligence as the spiritual-natural man has, for "knees" signify what is spiritual-natural; "the waters to the loins" signify such intelligence as the spiritual man has, for the "loins" signify the marriage of truth and good, which is spiritual; "the waters that could not be passed through" signify celestial intelligence, which is called wisdom, such as the celestial man or an angel of the third heaven has; and because this is ineffable, it is said to be "a river that could not be passed through," and because it is far above the natural man, these waters are called "waters of swimming."

The "river" which is from these waters signifies intelligence and wisdom; the cognitions of truth and good and also perceptions are signified by "many trees on the bank of the river on this side and on that side," "trees" signifying cognitions and perceptions; life therefrom to all things in the natural man, both cognitions and knowledges, is signified by "every living soul that creepeth shall live," and by "there shall be much fish," "the soul that creepeth" and "the fish" signifying the things that are in the natural man, which are called cognitions from the Word, also natural knowledges [scientiae] whereby spiritual things are confirmed, and "to live" signifying the influx of the Lord into these cognitions and knowledges through the spiritual man and his intelligence. (That "waters" signify the truths of doctrine from the Word, through which comes intelligence, see above, n. 71, 483, 518.)

[9] In Habakkuk:

He stood and measured the earth; He saw and drove asunder the nations; for the mountains of eternity were scattered, the hills of the age did bow, His goings are of an age (Habakkuk 3:6).

This is said of visitation and the Last Judgment by the Lord when He should come into the world. "He stood and measured the earth" means exploring at that time of what quality the church is, "to measure" signifying to explore, and "the earth" the church; "He saw and drove asunder the nations" signifies the casting down into hell of all who are in evils and in falsities therefrom, "to drive asunder" signifying to cast into hell, and "nations" those who are in evils and in falsities therefrom; "the mountains of eternity were scattered" signifies that the celestial church, such as was with the most ancient people, who were in love to the Lord, had perished, "the mountains of eternity" signifying that church and that love; "the hills of the age did bow" signifies that the spiritual church perished, such as was with the ancient people after the flood, who were in love towards the neighbor, "the hills of the age" signifying that church and that love; "His goings are of an age" signifies according to the state of the church at that time, which was a perverted state.

[10] In Isaiah:

Behold the Lord Jehovih cometh in strength, and His arm shall rule for Him. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out the heavens with a span, and embraced the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in a scale, and the hills in a balance? (Isaiah 40:10, 12)

This, too, is said of the Lord and of Divine truth, from which are heaven and the church, and from which is wisdom. The Lord's coming, and the arrangement of all things in the heavens by Him from His own power at that time, is signified by "Behold the Lord Jehovih cometh in strength, and His arm shall rule for Him," "His arm that shall rule" signifying His own power. The arrangement of all things in the heavens by His own power by means of Divine truth, is signified by "Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out the heavens with a span, and embraced the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in a scale, and the hills in a balance?" "To measure waters" signifies to define Divine truths; "to mete out the heavens with a span" signifies thence to arrange the heavens; "to embrace the dust of the earth in a measure [trientali]" signifies to arrange lower things; "the hollow of the hand," "the span," and "the measure" have a similar signification as "measures" and also the "hand," namely, the quality of a thing and one's own power; "to weigh the mountains in a scale and the hills in a balance" signifies to subordinate and equilibrate all things, "scale and balance" signifying right equilibration, and "mountains and hills" the higher heavens, "mountains" meaning those heavens which are in love to the Lord, and "hills" those which are in charity towards the neighbor (as above).

[11] In Job:

Where wast thou when I founded the earth? Declare, if thou knowest understanding. Who determined the measures thereof? if thou knowest; and who stretched out the line upon it? upon what are its bases sunk? who laid the cornerstone thereof? (Job 38:4-6)

The "earth" here means the church; "to found it" and "to determine its measures" signify to establish it and to define its quality, "measure" meaning the quality of a thing; "to stretch out the line upon it" signifies to maintain it in its quality; "upon what are its bases sunk? and who laid the cornerstone thereof?" signifies to found it upon those things that are in the natural man, the "cornerstone" meaning the truth of the natural man, which is called true knowledge [scientificum], upon which the truth of the spiritual man or spiritual truth is founded.

[12] In Jeremiah:

If these statutes shall depart from before Me, the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me all the days. If the heavens shall be measured upwards, and the foundations be searched out downwards, I also will reject all the seed of Israel because of all that they have done (Jeremiah 31:36, 37).

"Statutes" signify here all the things of the church that were commanded to the sons of Israel, thus all things of worship; if they do not keep these there will be no church among them, is what is signified by "If these statutes shall depart from before Me the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me all the days," "Israel" signifying the church, and "the seed of Israel" the truth of the church; and that although a new heaven and a New Church will come into existence, yet there will be nothing of heaven and the church with that nation, is signified by "If the heavens shall be measured upwards, and the foundations shall be searched out downwards, I also will reject all the seed of Israel because of all that they have done."

[13] "To mete" and "to measure" signifies to define and determine what a thing is, also to explore it, because "measure" signifies what a thing is, or quality. That this is the signification of "measure" can be seen from the following passages. In Revelation:

The angel measured the wall of the city New Jerusalem, a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel (Revelation 21:17).

It is clearly evident that here "measure" signifies the quality of the thing that is meant by "the wall of the city New Jerusalem;" for what else could be meant by "the measure of the wall, a hundred and forty-four cubits, being the measure of a man, that is, of an angel"? In Matthew:

Judge not that ye be not condemned ² for with what judgment ye judge ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye measure it shall be measured to you (Matthew 7:1, 2).

In Luke:

Judge not that ye be not judged; condemn not that ye be not condemned; remit and it shall be remitted to you; give and it shall be given to you, good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, shall they give into your bosom; for with what measure ye measure they shall measure to you again (Luke 6:37, 38). This may be seen explained in the work Heaven and Hell 349.

And in Mark:

With what measure ye measure it shall be measured to you again; and to you that hear, more shall be added. Whosoever hath, to him shall be given; but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath (Mark 4:24, 25).

[14] Thus charity towards the neighbor, or the spiritual affection of truth and good, is described, namely, that in the measure and after the manner that anyone is in such charity or in such affection in the world, so he comes into it after death. That we should not think evil of good and truth is meant by the words, "Judge not that ye be not judged, and condemn not that ye be not condemned;" to think evil of what is evil and false is permitted to everyone, but not of good and truth, for these in the spiritual sense are the neighbor. Because it is charity toward the neighbor that is meant it is added, "Remit and it shall be remitted to you, give and it shall be given unto you." That the spiritual affection, which is called charity, will continue after death according to its measure and quality, is meant by "With what measure ye measure it shall be measured to you again;" and that this measure and quality will be infilled to eternity is meant by "to you that hear a measure shall be added," also by "good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, shall be given into your bosom," "measure" here meaning the measure and quality of affection or charity, which will be increased to eternity within or according to its degree in the world (See as above in the work Heaven and Hell 349).

That this will come to pass with those who practice charity is meant by "to you that hear more shall be added," "those that hear" signifying those who obey and do. That "to love the neighbor" is to love what is true and good, likewise what is sincere and just, may be seen in the New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine (n. 84-106). That no other thought or judgment is here meant than concerning the spiritual life of another can be seen from this, that it is permissible to everyone to think about the moral and civil life of another, and to judge of it; without such thought and judgment concerning others no civil society could subsist; therefore "not to judge and condemn" signifies not to think evil of the neighbor spiritually understood, that is, of his faith and love, which belong to man's spiritual life, for these lie concealed in his interiors, and therefore are unknown to anyone except the Lord alone.

[15] In John:

He whom the Father hath sent speaketh the words of God, for not by measure hath God given the spirit unto Him (John 3:24).

The "spirit" that God giveth signifies Divine truth, and intelligence and wisdom therefrom; "not by measure" signifies above every measure and quality of men, therefore infinitely, for the infinity that belongs to the Lord is without measure or quality, for measure and quality are properties of the finite, since measure and quality determine what is finite and set limits to it, but what is without limit is infinite. From this it follows that "measure" also here signifies quality, since "not by measure" signifies not predicating what a thing is, or its quality.

[16] In David:

Make known to me, Jehovah, my end, and the measure of my days what it is, that I may know how transitory I am; behold Thou hast given my days as handbreadths, and my time is as nothing before Thee (Psalms 39:4, 5).

It appears as if by these words times of life only are meant, the limit of which he wishes to know, and that these times pass away quickly; but in the spiritual sense times are not meant, but states of life instead; so "Make known to me, Jehovah, my end, the measure of my days what it is," signifies that he might know the state of his life and its quality, thus what kind of life he would continue in. "Behold Thou hast given my days as handbreadths" signifies that it is of very little consequence what the state of one's life is; "and my time is as nothing before Thee" signifies that the state of one's life is of no value; for "time and day" signify states of life in respect to truth and good, and thence in respect to intelligence and wisdom; so it is here meant that all these, so far as they are from oneself, are of no value. That there is such a meaning in these words cannot be seen by those who think only naturally, because natural thought cannot be separated from the idea of time. But spiritual thought, like that of angels, has nothing in common with time or space or with person.

[17] As "measures" signify the quality of a thing, it is clear what is signified:

By the house of measures (Jeremiah 22:14);

By the portion of measures (Jeremiah 13:25);

Also by men of measures (Isaiah 45:14);

where "measures" signify quality in the whole complex. In Moses:

Ye shall not act perversely in judgment, in measure, in weight, or in dimension; balances of justice, stones of justice, an ephah of justice, and a hin of justice, shall ye have (Leviticus 19:35, 36).

In the same:

Thou shalt not have in thy bag divers stones, great and small; thou shalt not have in thy house divers ephahs, great and small; a perfect and a just stone shalt thou have, a perfect and a just ephah shalt thou have (Deuteronomy 25:13-15).

And in Ezekiel:

Ye shall have balances of justice, and an ephah of justice, and a bath of justice (Ezekiel 45:10).

That these measures and these weights signify the estimation of a thing according to the quality of truth and good may be seen above n. 373.

Poznámky pod čarou:

374. Verse 6. A measure of wheat for a denarius, and three measures of barley for a denarius, signifies that the genuine good of the church, as also the genuine truth of the church, is of no account to them. This is evident from the signification of "measure" [choenix] (which was the Greek measure for wheat and barley), as being the quality of estimation, for "measures" in the Word (as was said in the article above), signify the quality of a thing in respect to good and in respect to truth. It is evident also from the signification of "wheat," as being the good of the church in general (of which presently); also from the signification of "barley," as being the truth of that good (of which presently); and from the signification of "a denarius," the standard of estimation, as being as of no account. Because this was the smallest coin, it signifies the least worth, but here as of no account. The reason for this is that "the red horse" (mentioned above), signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to good, and "the black horse" the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to truth (See above, n. 364, 372); and when the understanding of the Word in respect to good and in respect to truth has been destroyed, then the genuine good and the genuine truth of the church are estimated as of no account. The "denarius" is here taken as the standard of estimation, because some piece of money must be taken that some price may be expressed in the sense of the letter, since it is said that "a balance was in the hand of him that sat upon the horse," and that "the wheat and the barley were measured;" consequently the smallest coin of all was taken as the standard of the estimation of the price; and as there was no longer any understanding of the Word in respect to good and in respect to truth, a "denarius" in the spiritual sense here signifies as of no account.

[2] It is said, "a measure of wheat and three measures of barley," because "one" is predicated of good, and "three" of truths; and "one," when predicated of good, signifies what is perfect, thus also what is genuine; and "three," when predicated of truths, signifies what is full, thus also what is genuine; consequently "a measure of wheat and three measures of barley" signify the genuine good and the genuine truth of the church. "Wheat" signifies good, and "barley" its truth, because all things belonging to the field signify the things that belong to the church; and things belonging to the field, as crops of various kinds, serve for food; and things for food and for the nourishment of the body signify in the spiritual sense such things as nourish the soul or mind, all of which have relation to the good of love and the truth of faith; thus especially wheat and barley, because bread is made from them. (That foods of every kind signify spiritual food, thus the things of knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom, consequently the good and truth from which these are, see Arcana Coelestia 3114, 4459, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 5576, 5582, 5588, 5655, 5915, 8408, 8562, 9003. Of "bread" in general, see the work on The New Jerusalem, n. 218; that "field" signifies the church, seeArcana Coelestia 2971, 3766, 9139.)

That "wheat" and "barley" have such a signification is from correspondence, as is evident from the things that appear in the spiritual world, where all appearances are correspondences. There plains, fields, crops of various kinds, and also bread appear; from this is the knowledge that they are correspondences, and consequently that they have significations according to correspondences.

[3] That "wheat" and "barley" signify the good and truth of the church, "wheat" its good, and "barley" its truth, can be seen also from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned, as from the following. In Jeremiah:

Jehovah, who hath dispersed Israel, will bring him together and will keep him as a shepherd doth his drove; for Jehovah hath ransomed Jacob, and hath redeemed him out of the hand of him that was stronger than he. Therefore shall they come and sing aloud in the height of Zion, and shall flow together unto the good of Jehovah, to the wheat, to the new wine, and to the oil, and to the sons of the flock, and of the herd; and their soul shall become as a watered garden (Jeremiah 31:10-12).

This treats of the establishment of a new church; "Israel" and "Jacob" signify that church, "Israel" the internal spiritual church, and "Jacob" the external; for every church is internal and external. Its establishment is described by "Jehovah will bring him together and will keep him as a shepherd doth his drove, for He hath ransomed Jacob, and hath redeemed him out of the hand of him that was stronger than he;" "to redeem" signifies to reform (See above, n. 328; "out of the hand of him that was stronger than he" signifies out of evil and falsity, which before had possession; the internal joy or joy of heart arising from celestial good and truths therefrom that such have, is signified by "therefore shall they come and sing aloud in the height of Zion, and shall flow together unto the good of Jehovah, to the wheat, to the new wine, and to the oil, and to the sons of the flock and of the herd," "to sing in the height of Zion" signifying internal celestial joy, or such as is in the Lord's celestial kingdom, "to sing aloud" meaning that joy (See above, n. 326, "height" what is internal, and "Zion" the celestial kingdom; "wheat" signifies the good of the natural man, "new wine" its truth; "oil" the good of the spiritual man, "the sons of the flock" spiritual truths, and "the sons of the herd" natural truths; because these are what are signified they are called "the good of Jehovah." That such have intelligence and wisdom from this source is signified by "their soul shall become as a watered garden," for "garden" in the Word signifies intelligence, and "watered" continual growth. "Wheat," "new wine," "oil," "the sons of a flock and of the herd," are plainly not here meant, for it is said, "Jehovah hath ransomed Jacob, and their soul shall become as a watered garden. "

[4] In Joel:

The field was devastated, the ground mourned; for the corn was devastated, the new wine was dried up, the oil languished. The husbandmen were ashamed, the vine-dressers howled for the wheat and for the barley, because the harvest of the field hath perished (Joel 1:10, 11).

This is not said of a field and its barrenness, but of the church and its vastation; therefore "field," "ground," "corn," "new wine," and "oil" do not mean these things themselves, but "field" and "ground" mean the church, "field" the church in relation to the reception and bringing forth of truth and good, and "ground" the church in respect to the nation that is in it; "corn" means good of every kind in the external man; "new wine" the truth also therein; "oil" the good in the internal man; "the husbandmen that were ashamed," and "the vine-dressers that howled for the wheat and for the barley" signify those who are of the church, "wheat" and "barley" signifying the good and truth of the church; and "the harvest of the field that thus perished" signifying all worship from good and truth.

[5] In Jeremiah:

Upon all the heights in the wilderness the devastators have come; because the sword of Jehovah devoureth from the end of the land even to the end of the land; no flesh hath peace. They have sown wheat and have reaped thorns (Jeremiah 12:12-13).

This, too is said of the church and its vastation; "the heights in the wilderness upon which the devastators have come" signify that every good of charity has perished through evils and falsities, "heights" in the Word signifying where there is the good of charity, and in an abstract sense that good itself, "wilderness" signifies where there is no good because no truth, and "devastators" signify the evils and falsities through which good and truth perish; "the sword of Jehovah devoureth from the end of the land even to the end of the land" signifies falsity destroying all things of the church, "the sword devouring" meaning falsity destroying, and "from the end of the land even to the end of the land" signifying all things of the church; "no flesh hath peace" signifies that there is no longer internal rest, because of the dominion of evil and falsity; "they have sown wheat and have reaped thorns" signifies that instead of the goods of truth there are the evils of falsity, "wheat" meaning the goods of truth, and "thorns" the evils of falsity.

[6] In the same:

Ishmael, who was of the seed of the kingdom, slew Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land, and all the Jews who were with him, and the Chaldeans, also the men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria; but ten men were found among them who said unto Ishmael, Put us not to death, for we have things hid in the field, wheat and barley, and oil and honey. So he forbare, and put them not to death (Jeremiah 41:1-8).

These historical statements describe, in the internal sense, the damnation of those who profane holy things; for "Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon appointed over the land," and "the Jews who were with him," and "the Chaldeans," and "the men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria," mean those who profane, and in the abstract sense, profanations of every kind, "the king of Babylon" signifying the profanation of good and truth. Their damnation is signified by their being put to death, for "to be put to death" signifies to be slain spiritually (See n. 315; but "the ten men who said to Ishmael, put us not to death for we have things hid in the field, wheat and barley, and oil and honey," mean those who have not profaned the holy things of the church, because inwardly they have good and truth; for those who profane have nothing of good and truth inwardly, but only outwardly when they speak and preach, while those who do not profane have good and truth inwardly; this is meant by their saying that "they have things hid in the field, wheat, barley, oil, and honey," "wheat and barley" signifying the goods and truths of the external man, "oil" the good of the internal man, and "honey" the delight thereof; "ten men" signify all who are such, "ten" signifying all persons and all things; that "he forbare and put them not to death" signifies that they were not profane, thus not damned; "Ishmael" represents those who are in the genuine truths of the church, which is also signified by "the seed of the kingdom," of which he was. Such are the things involved in this history, the histories in the Word equally with the prophecies having an internal sense.

[7] In Moses:

Jehovah thy God bringeth thee into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths going forth in valley and mountain; a land of wheat and barley, and of vine, and fig-tree, and pomegranate; a land of oil olive and honey (Deuteronomy 8:7-8

In the sense of the letter this is a description of the land of Canaan, but in the spiritual sense the Lord's church is described, since this is meant in that sense by "the land of Canaan;" and all kinds of good and truth pertaining to the church are enumerated. The land is called "a land of brooks of water," because "brooks of water" signify the doctrinals of truth; "fountains and depths going forth in valley and mountain" signify interior and exterior truths from the Word, "fountains," interior truths therefrom, and "depths" exterior truths. The latter are said to go forth "out of the valley," because "a valley" signifies what is lower and exterior, where such truths are; and the former are said "to go forth out of the mountain," because a "mountain" signifies what is higher and interior, where truths of that kind are; "a land of wheat and barley, and of vine and fig-tree, and pomegranate," signifies the church in respect to good and truth of every kind, "wheat and barley" signifying good and truth from a celestial origin, "vine and fig-tree" good and truth from a spiritual origin, and "pomegranate" knowledges of good and truth; and "a land of oil olive and honey" signifies the church in respect to the good of love and its enjoyment. One who does not know the spiritual sense of the Word believes no otherwise than that this merely describes the land of Canaan; but in that case the Word would be merely natural, and not spiritual, and yet the Word everywhere is in its bosom spiritual, and it is spiritual when by these words are understood the spiritual things they signify, namely, goods and truths of every kind. (But what "brooks," "fountains," "depths," "valley," "mountain," "vine," "fig-tree," "pomegranate," "olive," "oil" and "honey" signify is shown in Arcana Coelestia, all of which would be too extended to cite here; but many of these things have been shown and will be shown in this explanation of Revelation, and these may be consulted in their places.)

[8] In Job:

If I have eaten the strength (of the earth) without silver, and have made the soul of its [masters] to expire, let the thorn come forth instead of wheat, and the wild vine instead of barley (Job 31:39-40).

"To eat the strength of the earth without silver" signifies to appropriate to oneself the good of the church without the truth, "earth" meaning the church, and "silver" truth; and "to make the soul of its [masters] to expire" signifies thus to empty out the spiritual life; "let the thorn come forth instead of wheat, and the wild vine instead of barley" signifies that evil will be held for good, and falsity for truth, "wheat" meaning good, "thorn" evil, "barley" truth, and "wild vine" falsity; for good can be acquired only by means of truths.

[9] In Isaiah:

I have heard a consummation and decision from the Lord Jehovih of Hosts upon the whole earth. Will the ploughman plough all day for sowing? will he open and harrow his ground? when he hath made plain the faces thereof doth he not scatter the fennel? and doth he not put in the measured wheat and the appointed barley and the appointed spelt? Thus doth he chasten him for judgment, his God doth instruct him (Isaiah 28:22, 24-26).

This in the spiritual sense describes the total destruction of the church with the Jewish and Israelitish nation, and teaches that it is of no avail to learn and know the Word except for the purpose of applying its good and truth to the use of life; from this source and no other is intelligence from the Lord. That the church with that nation was wholly destroyed is meant by "I have heard a consummation and decision from the Lord Jehovih of Hosts upon the whole earth," "consummation and decision" meaning the complete destruction, and "the whole earth," the whole church, that is, every thing of it; that it is of no avail to learn and know the Word is signified by "will the ploughman plough all day for sowing? Will he open and harrow his ground?" "to plough for sowing" meaning to learn, and "to harrow the ground" meaning to deposit in the memory. That the good and truth of the Word should be applied to the use of life is signified by "when he hath made plain the faces thereof, doth he not scatter the fennel, and put in the measured wheat and the appointed barley and the appointed spelt?" "When he hath made plain the faces of the ground he scattereth the fennel" signifies when there is preparation by the Word; "the measured wheat and the appointed barley and the appointed spelt" signify the application of good and truth to the use of life, "wheat" meaning good, "barley" truth, and "spelt" knowledges; and that from this source and no other is intelligence from the Lord is signified by "thus doth he chasten for judgment, his God doth instruct him," "judgment" signifying intelligence, and "his God doth instruct him" signifying that it is from the Lord.

[10] In Moses:

Jehovah made him ride upon the high places of the earth, and fed him with the increase of the fields; He made him to suck honey out of the cliff, and oil out of the flint of the rock; butter of the herd and milk of the flock, with the fat of lambs, and of rams, the sons of Bashan, and of he-goats, with the fat of the kidneys of wheat; and thou drinkest the blood of grapes, unmixed wine (Deuteronomy 32:13-14).

This is said of the Ancient Church established by the Lord after the flood, which was in intelligence and wisdom, because it was in the good of charity and in the faith therefrom. This intelligence and wisdom from the Lord is signified by "Jehovah made him to ride upon the high places of the earth, and fed him with the increase of the fields;" the celestial and spiritual goods that they received through truths are described by "He made him to suck honey out of the cliff, and oil out of the flint of the rock; butter of the herd and milk of the flock, with the fat of lambs, and of rams, the sons of Bashan, and of he-goats, with the fat of the kidneys of wheat; and thou drinkest the blood of grapes, unmixed wine," "wheat" signifying here in a general sense all good, and "blood of grapes" and "unmixed wine" all truth therefrom.

[11] In David:

O that My people would hearken unto Me, and Israel would walk in My ways! I would feed ¹ them with the fat of wheat; and with honey out of the rock I would satisfy them (Psalms 81:13, 16).

"Fat of wheat," and "honey out of the rock with which they would be fed and satisfied" signify good of every kind from celestial good and enjoyment thereof from the Lord; for "fat" signifies celestial good, "wheat" good of every kind, "honey" the enjoyment of good, and "rock" the Lord. That those who live according to the Lord's commandments will possess these things is meant by "O that My people would hearken unto me, and Israel would walk in My ways!" "Ways" in the Word signifying truths and also commandments, and "to walk" signifying to live.

[12] In the same:

Celebrate Jehovah, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion. For He strengtheneth the bars of thy gates, He blesseth thy sons in the midst of thee. He maketh thy border peace, and satisfieth thee with the fat of wheat (Psalms 147:12-14).

"Jerusalem" and "Zion" mean the church; "Jerusalem" the church in respect to the truths of doctrine, and "Zion" the church in respect to the goods of love; "He maketh thy border peace" signifies all things of heaven and the church, for "border" signifies all these things; "He satisfieth thee with the fat of wheat" signifies with every good of love and with wisdom, "fat" signifying the good of love, and "wheat" all things from it, which are goods because they are from good; these things being signified, it is said, "the fat of wheat."

[13] In Hosea:

Jehovah said to the prophet, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her companion, and an adulteress, even as the love of Jehovah to the sons of Israel, who regard other gods, and love flagons of grapes. And I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for a homer of barley, and a half homer of barley (Hosea 3:1-2).

This represented what the Jewish and Israelitish church was in respect to doctrine and worship, namely that by vain traditions it had falsified all things of the Word, though worshiping it as holy; "a woman beloved of her companion, and an adulteress whom the prophet should love" signifies such a church, "a woman" signifying the church, and "beloved of her companion and an adulteress" the falsification of truth and the adulteration of good; "even as the love of Jehovah to the sons of Israel, who regard other gods" signifies the falsities of doctrine and the evils of worship; these are signified by "regarding other gods;" "loving flagons of grapes" signifies the Word in the sense of the letter alone, for "wine" signifies the truths of doctrine from the Word, "grapes" its goods from which are truths, and "a flagon" signifies that which contains, thus the ultimate sense of the Word, which is the sense of the letter, and which they apply to their falsities and evils. "He bought her to him for fifteen pieces of silver" signifies for a small price, "fifteen" meaning very little; "a homer of barley" and "half a homer of barley" signifying so little of good and truths as to be scarcely any.

[14] In Matthew:

John said of Jesus, He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire; whose fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His floor; and will gather the wheat into the garner; but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire (Matthew 3:11-12).

"To baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire" signifies to reform the church and to regenerate the man of the church by means of Divine truth and Divine good; "to baptize" signifying to reform and to regenerate, "the Holy Spirit" Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and "fire" the Divine good of His Divine love. "The wheat that He will gather into the garner" signifies good of every kind that is of heavenly origin, which He is to preserve to eternity, thus those who are in good; and "the chaff that He will burn with unquenchable fire" signifies falsity of every kind that is of infernal origin, which He is to destroy, thus those who are in falsity; and because "wheat," "garner," and "chaff" are mentioned, "fan" and "floor" are also mentioned, "fan" signifying separation, and "floor" signifying where separation is effected.

[15] In the same:

Jesus said, The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man that sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares, and went away. But when the blade sprang up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. And the servants of the householder coming said unto him, Lord, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares? Then he said unto them, A man, an enemy hath done this. But the servants said, wilt thou then that we going out gather them up? But he said, Nay; lest haply while ye gather up the tares, ye root up at the same time the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the season of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye first the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn (Matthew 13:24-30).

What these words involve is very clear from the spiritual sense, for the particulars here are correspondences. For when the Lord was in the world, He spoke by pure correspondences, because He spoke from the Divine. Here the Last Judgment is treated of when there must be a separation of the good from the evil, and the good are to come into heaven, and the evil into hell. "The good seed in the field that the man sowed" signifies the truths of the church that are from good, "field" signifying the church where these are, and "sowing" signifying influx and reception, thus also instruction; "the man who sowed" means the Lord through the Word, in which are all the truths of the church; "while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares, and went away," signifies that with natural men the falsities of evil flow in from hell, and are received; for "to sleep" signifies to live a natural life separated from the spiritual life (See above 187), and "enemy" signifies hell, and "tares" signify the evils of falsity. What the remainder to the end signifies, can be seen from what is presented in the small work on The Last Judgment 70); for it involves arcana that are there explained; here it need only be said that "wheat" signifies the good of truth, and therefore those who are in good through truths; and that "tares" signify the evil of falsity, and therefore those who are in evil through falsities. That these things are said of the Last Judgment is evident from what follows in the same chapter, where it is said:

He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the seed are the sons of the kingdom; the tares are the sons of the evil one; the enemy is the devil; the harvest is the consummation of the age (Matthew 13:37-39).

"The consummation of the age" is the last time of the church when judgment takes place. From these passages quoted from the Word it can be seen that "wheat" signifies the good of the church in general, and "barley" its truth.

Poznámky pod čarou: