195. (Verse 4) Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments. That this signifies those whose life has been moral from a spiritual origin, through having applied the knowledges of truth and good from the Word to the uses of their life, is evident from the signification of name, as denoting the quality of the state of a man's life (concerning which see above, n. 148) - here, therefore, names signify men who are of such a quality - and from the signification of the church in Sardis, as being those whose life is moral but not spiritual, because they lightly esteem the knowledges of truth and good from the Word (concerning which also see above, n. 148) - here, however, those are meant who live morally from a spiritual origin, for it is said, Who have not defiled their garments - and from the signification of garments, as denoting the scientific truths (scientifica vera) and knowledges (cognitiones) in the natural man, of which we shall speak presently. Hence by not defiling their garments is signified that they live morally not for the sake of self and the world, that is, for the sake of the body only and its life, but for the sake of the Lord and of heaven, that is, for the sake of the soul and its life. It is therefore evident that by these words, "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments," are signified those who are of such a quality that they live morally from a spiritual origin, by applying the knowledges of truth and good from the Word to their life.

[2] But because few know what it is thus to live, and what it is to apply the knowledges of truth and good from the Word to the uses of life, the matter shall therefore be explained. Man lives morally from a spiritual origin, when he lives from religion, thus when he thinks, when what is evil, insincere or unjust occurs to him, that it ought not to be done because it is contrary to the Divine laws. He who does this, since he abstains from what is wrong on account of the Divine laws, procures to himself spiritual life, and then his moral life is from the spiritual. For by such thought and faith he communicates with the angels of heaven, and by such communication his internal spiritual man is opened, the mind of which is a higher mind, being such as the angels of heaven have; and he is thence filled with heavenly intelligence and wisdom.

It is therefore evident that to live morally from a spiritual origin, is to act from religion, and within the church from the Word. For those who thus live from religion and from the Word, are raised up above their natural man, and thus above their proprium, and are led by the Lord by means of heaven. This is why they possess faith, the fear of God and conscience, and also the spiritual affection of truth, which is an affection of the knowledges of truth and good derived from the Word; for to them these are Divine laws, according to which they live. Such a moral life, many of the Gentiles live; for they think that evil ought not to be done because it is contrary to their religion. This is the reason why so many of them are saved.

[3] But, on the other hand, to live a moral life which is not from religion, but only from the fear of law in the world, from the fear of the loss of reputation of honour, and of gain, is not from a spiritual, but from a natural origin, and therefore those who live in this way have no communication with heaven. And because they think insincerely and unjustly of their neighbour, although they speak and act otherwise, the internal of their spiritual man is closed, and only the internal natural man opened; which being opened they are in the light of the world, but not in the light of heaven; therefore they lightly esteem Divine and heavenly things, and some deny them, believing nature and the world to be everything.

From these considerations it is now evident what it is to lead a moral life from a spiritual origin, and what it is to lead it from a natural origin. (But these things may be seen expounded in clearer light in the work, Heaven, and Hell, n. 528-535.) Concerning those whose life is moral from a natural origin only, it is said that they defile their garments, for by garments is meant that which is outside the man himself and invests him, thus his natural man with what it contains, which are scientifics (scientifica) and knowledges (cognitiones); these, when from the Word, are defiled by the fact that he earns and retains them solely for the sake of reputation, that he may be accounted learned and well informed, or that he may thereby acquire honours and gain wealth; were it not for these ends he would care nothing about them. Thus are knowledges from the Word polluted and defiled by the loves of self and of the world, for they have their abode together with the evils and falsities that flow forth from these loves as from their own founts.

[4] It was said above, that a man becomes spiritual by means of knowledges of good and truth from the Word applied to the uses of life; but why he becomes spiritual by means of those knowledges which are from the Word, and not by any other, shall now be explained. All things in the Word are Divine, and this because they contain in them a spiritual sense: and because by means of that sense they communicate with heaven, and with the angels there, therefore, when a man possesses knowledges from the Word, and applies them to his life, he has communication through them with heaven, and by that communication he becomes spiritual; for a man becomes spiritual by the fact that he is in similar or correspondent truths with the angels of heaven. It is said in correspondent truths, because all things in the sense of the letter of the Word are correspondences, for they correspond to the truths which the angels have. But knowledges from other books which teach, and by various things confirm the doctrinals of the church, do not bring about communication with heaven, unless those knowledges are from the Word. These knowledges do open a communication if they are properly understood, and are not applied to faith alone, but to life. That this is the case, any one may know from this consideration that the Word in itself is Divine, and that which is Divine in itself may become Divine in man if he applies it to life. By its becoming Divine in man is to be understood that the Lord can therein have His abode with him (John 14:23), thus can dwell with him in that which is His own. (That the Lord dwells in His own both with men and angels, and not in their proprium, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 12). And the Lord dwells in His own when in those things with man which are from the Word; for the Lord is the Word (John 1:1, 2, 14); and the words which He himself spoke, that is, which are in the Word, are "spirit and life" (John 6:63, 68; 12:50).

[5] The signification of garments as denoting those things that are in the natural man, which are scientific truths, or falsities, or knowledges (scientifica vera aut falsa aut cognitiones) is derived from the spiritual world. For there all, however many they are, appear clothed according to their moral life. Those, therefore, whose life has been moral from a spiritual origin appear clothed in shining-white garments, as it were of fine linen; but those whose moral life has been from a natural origin alone appear according to its quality: those who have polluted their life with evils and falsities appear in garments of a dark colour, vile, torn and foul to the sight (concerning which see in the work, Heaven and Hell 177-182). Hence then it is that garments in the Word signify truths from good, and, in the opposite sense, falsities from evil, and both the one and the other in the natural man, in which truths and falsities are called scientifics and knowledges.

[6] That garments in the Word signify truths or falsities, is quite evident in the following passages. In Isaiah:

"Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion, put on the garments of thy gracefulness, O Jerusalem; for henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean" (52:1).

Zion in the Word signifies the celestial kingdom of the Lord, thus also the celestial church, and Jerusalem the spiritual kingdom and the spiritual church. (What the celestial kingdom is, and what the spiritual kingdom, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 20-28.) The garments of gracefulness which Jerusalem should put on are Divine truths; the uncircumcised and the unclean, which shall no more come into her, are those who are in evils and falsities.

[7] In Ezekiel:

Jerusalem, "I have clothed thee with embroidery; I have shod thee with badger's skin, I have begirt thee with fine linen and adorned thee with ornament, and I have put bracelets upon thine hands and a chain on thy throat (guttur), and a jewel upon thy nose, and ear-rings upon thine ears, yea, a crown of ornament upon thy head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver, and thy garments fine linen, silk and embroidery, whence thou wast made exceedingly beautiful, and didst prosper into a kingdom. But thou hast taken of thy garments, and hast made to thee variegated heights, that thou mightest commit whoredom upon them; thou hast also taken the garments of thy embroidery, and hast covered" images of a male, with which thou hast committed whoredom (16:10-14, 16-18).

Here the church is described as to its quality when it is first established by the Lord, the garments mentioned signify truths from good; embroidery is scientific truth (verum scientificum), fine linen and silk signify truths from a celestial origin. The bracelets, the chain, the jewel, the ear-rings and the crown, are decorations which signify things spiritual of various kinds; the gold and silver with which she was decked, signify the good of love and its truth. In what follows is described the same church perverted by taking of the garments, and making to herself variegated heights, whereby are signified truths falsified and by taking the garments of embroidery and covering images of a male, is signified that they applied the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word to confirm falsities, so as to give them the appearance of truths. To commit whoredom with them, and under them, signifies to contrive doctrine and worship from falsities. (That this is to commit whoredom, may be seen above, n. 141, 161. That Jerusalem is the church where there is true doctrine, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 402, 3654, 9166. That embroidery is scientific truth, n. 9688. That fine linen is truth from a celestial origin, n. 5319, 9469. That bracelets are truths and goods of the church, n. 3103, 3105. That a necklace, is a representative of the conjunction of the interiors and exteriors, n. 5320; that jewels for the nose, and ear-rings, are representatives of perception and obedience, n. 4551. That a crown denotes wisdom, see above, n. 126. That gold is the good of love, see Arcana Coelestia 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881; that silver is truth from that good, n. 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658; that variegated heights are truths falsified, n. 796, 4005; that a male or the masculine is truth, n. 749, 2016, 4005, 7838; hence images of a male are appearances of truth.)

[8] In the same:

"Fine linen in broidered work from Egypt was thy spreading forth; blue and crimson from the isles of Elisha was thy covering, Syria was thy merchant in crimson, and broidered work, and fine linen, with the chrysoprasus. Dedan was thy merchant with garments of liberty for the chariot; Asshur and Chilmad with balls of blue and of embroidery, and with treasures of precious garment" (27:7, 16, 20, 23, 24).

Here Tyre and her merchandises are treated of, and by Tyre are signified the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good, and by merchandise and trading are signified procuring and communicating those knowledges; by crimson and blue is signified the celestial love of good and truth; by Egypt the Scientific of the natural man, and the same by embroidery. By Syria is signified the church as to the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth, and by Asshur the Rational of that church. By Dedan are signified those who are in the knowledges (cognitiones) of celestial things. It is therefore evident that by the merchandise of Tyre, which is treated of in the whole of this chapter, is not meant natural merchandise, but that by all things there mentioned are signified spiritual things, which must be procured, stored up in the mind, and communicated. (That Tyre signifies the knowledges of good and truth may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 1201. That Egypt signifies the Scientific of the natural man, n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 5700, 5702, 6015, 6651, 6679, 6682, 6683, 6692, 7296, 9340, 9391. That Syria denotes the church as to the knowledges of truth and good, n. 1232, 1234, 3664, 3680, 4112. That Dedan signifies those who are in the knowledges of celestial things, n. 3240, 3241. That Asshur denotes the Rational thence derived, n. 119, 1186. That crimson denotes the celestial love of good, n. 9467. That blue denotes the celestial love of truth, n. 9466, 9687, 9833; so also does chrysoprasus, n. 9898. The signification of fine linen and embroidery may be seen just above.)

[9] Again, in David:

"The king's daughter is all glorious within, her clothing is embroidered with gold. She shall be brought unto the king in embroidery" (Psalms 45:13, 14).

By the king's daughter is signified the spiritual affection of truth, and hence the church from those who are in that affection; the king signifies the Lord as to Divine truth; clothing embroidered with gold signifies intelligence and wisdom from that truth; the embroidery in which she should be brought to the king signifies the knowledges of truth. (That daughter signifies the affection of truth, and the church therefrom, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2362, 2623, 3373, 3963, 4257, 6729, 6775, 6779, 8649, 9055, 9807. That king signifies the Lord as to Divine truth, may be seen above, n. 31.)

[10] In the second book of Samuel:

"Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with dainty things, who put on ornaments of gold upon your apparel" (1:24).

This is the lamentation of David over Saul, which he wrote to teach the sons of Judah the bow (verse 18): by a bow is signified truth combating against falsities (see Arcana Coelestia 2686, 2709). By Saul as a king, is signified that truth; by the sons of Judah are signified those who are in truths from good; by clothing the daughters of Israel in scarlet, and by putting ornaments of gold upon their apparel, is signified to impart intelligence and wisdom to those who are in the spiritual affection of truth.

[11] In Matthew:

"When the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man which had not on a wedding garment. And he said unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment? And he was speechless. Then said the king to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into outer darkness" (22:11-13).

By a wedding garment is signified the intelligence of the spiritual man, which is from the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good; but by him who had not on a wedding garment is signified a hypocrite, who by a moral life feigns a spiritual, when yet it is merely natural. To bind hand and foot, signifies deprivation of knowledges from the Word, by which such a man has counterfeited the spiritual man; to be cast into outer darkness signifies amongst those who are in falsities from evil; for outer darkness signifies falsities from evils.

[12] In Zephaniah:

"I will visit upon the princes, and upon the sons of the king, and upon all who are clothed with the garments of the alien" (1:8).

Princes and king's sons signify those who are in truths, and, in the opposite sense, as here, those who are in falsities; these are said to be clothed with the garments of the alien, because a garment signifies falsity, and an alien those who are out of the church, and do not acknowledge its truth.

[13] In Matthew:

"Beware of false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing; inwardly they are ravening wolves" (7:15).

False prophets in sheep's clothing who inwardly are ravening wolves, are those who teach falsities as if they were truths, and in appearance live morally, but who, when they are left to themselves, think of nothing but themselves and the world, and study to deprive others of truths.

[14] In John:

Jesus said to Peter "When thou wast younger, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thine hands, and another shall gird thee, and lead thee whither thou wouldest not" (21:18).

The spiritual signification of these words may be seen above (n. 9); which is, that by Peter is meant the faith of the church; by his being younger and girding himself and walking whither he would is meant the faith of the church at its beginning when its members are in the good of charity, that they then think from the spiritual man concerning the truths of the church, that is, from their own spirit, thus from the spiritual affection of truth, which is from freedom. But by Peter, when he should be old, stretching forth his hands, and another girding him is meant the faith of the church at its end, when faith would be without charity, that then they would think nothing concerning the truths of the church from themselves, but from others, thus from doctrine only, and not from the Word, which state respectively is a state of servitude. For to believe what another says is servile, but to believe what one thinks oneself from the Word is freedom, according to the words of the Lord in John,

"If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples. And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (8:31, 32).

[15] In Luke:

"No man putteth a piece of a new garment upon an old; otherwise, the new maketh a rent, and the piece that was taken out of the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old wineskins; else the new wine will burst the skins, and be spilled, and the skins will perish" (5:36-38; Matthew 9:16, 17; Mark 2:21, 22).

Because a garment signifies truth, therefore the Lord compared the truths of the former church, which was a church representative of spiritual things, to a piece of an old garment, and the truths of the New Church, which were essentially spiritual truths, to a piece of a new garment: He also compared them to wine-skins, because by wine in like manner is signified truth, and by skins the knowledges which contain truth. (That wine in the Word signifies truth, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 219.)

[16] From these considerations it is now evident what is signified by garments in other parts of the Word, where they are often mentioned; as in the following passages in the Apocalypse:

"Upon the thrones four-and-twenty elders sitting, clothed in white garments" (4:4).

Again,

The armies of him sitting upon the white horse "followed him, clothed in fine linen, white and clean" (19:14).

Again,

Those who stood before the throne, and before the Lamb, were "clothed in white robes" (7:9).

Again,

The seven angels came out of the temple, "clothed in linen clean and shining" (15:6).

Again,

"And white robes were given unto every one of those" who were under the altar (6:11).

Again,

"Buy of me gold and white garments" (3:18).

[17] In Ezekiel:

"Let him give his bread to the hungry, and let him cover the naked with a garment" (18:16).

To give bread to the hungry in the spiritual sense is from the good of charity to instruct those who desire to obtain truths; to cover the naked with a garment, signifies, to treat in the same manner those who are not in truth. In the same:

The enemies "shall strip thee of thy garments, and shall take the jewels of thine adorning" (23:26).

And in Zechariah:

"Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and stood thus before the angel, who said unto those that stood before him, Take away the filthy garments from upon him. And he said, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from upon thee, in clothing thee with changed garments" (3:3, 4, 5).

In Lamentations:

"They have wandered blind in the streets, they are polluted with blood, what they cannot, they touch with their garments" (4:14).

From the signification of garments it can be known what is meant by several statutes amongst the sons of Israel; as

That they should not be clothed with mixed garments (Leviticus 19:19; Deuteronomy 22:11);

That a woman should not put on the armour of a man, nor a man be clothed with the garments of a woman (Deuteronomy 22:5)

That the garments should be washed that they might be purified, and thus sanctified (Exodus 19:14; Leviticus 11:25, 28, 40; 14:8, 9; Numbers 19:11 to the end),

and elsewhere;

That in mourning for their transgression against Divine truths they should put off their garments and put on sackcloth (Isaiah 15:3; 22:12; 37:1, 2; Jeremiah 4:8; 6:26; 48:37; 49:3; Lamentations 2:10; Ezekiel 27:31; Amos 8:10; Jonah 3:5, 6, 8):

And that they should rend their garments (Isaiah 37:1, and elsewhere).

It may also be known what is signified

By the disciples laying their garments upon the she-ass and the colt when the Lord was going to Jerusalem, and the people then strawing their garments in the way (Matthew 21:7, 8, 9; Mark 11:7, 8; Luke 19:35, 36);

which may be seen explained above (n. 31).

[18] The reason why garments signify truths is, that the light of heaven is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord as the Sun there; and everything that exists in the heavens exists from that light, as is the case also with the garments in which the angels are seen clothed. Hence it is

That the raiment of the angels who sat at the sepulchre of the Lord was "white as snow" (Matthew 28:3);

And that their garments were shining (Luke 24:4).

(That the garments in which the angels are seen clothed correspond to their intelligence, and that their intelligence is according to their reception of Divine truth from the Lord, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 177-182; and that Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is light in heaven, n. 126-135.) It is therefore evident that garments, when spoken of the Lord, signify the Divine truth proceeding from Him; and because Divine truth is signified, the Word is also signified; for the Word is Divine truth from the Lord on earth and in the heavens. This was represented by the garments of the Lord when He was transfigured before Peter, James and John, concerning which it is thus written in the Evangelists:

When Jesus was transfigured "his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light" (Matthew 17:2);

And his raiment was "white, glistering" (Luke 9:29);

And "his raiment became exceeding white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can white them" (Mark 9:3).

The like is said of the Ancient of Days, in Daniel:

"The Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow" (7:9).

The Ancient of Days is the Lord from eternity. Because light is Divine truth, and this is signified by garments when the Lord is spoken of, therefore it is said in David,

Jehovah "covereth himself with light as with a garment" (Psalms 104:2).

[19] From these considerations it is evident what is signified by the garments of the Lord elsewhere in the Word. As in David:

"All thy garments are anointed with myrrh, and aloes, and cassia" (Psalms 45:7, 8);

where the Lord is treated of. In Moses:

"He washed his garment in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes" (Genesis 49:11).

This is also spoken of the Lord. Wine and blood of grapes signify Divine truth. Because the garments of the Lord signified Divine truth, therefore also

Those who touched the border of His garment were healed (see Matthew 9:20, 21; Mark 5:27, 28, 30; 6:56; Luke 8:44).

In Isaiah:

"Who is this that cometh from Edom, with garments sprinkled from Bozra? this that is honourable in his apparel? Wherefore art thou red as to thy garment, and thy garments like those of him that treadeth in the wine press? Their victory is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have polluted all my raiment" (63:1-3).

These things also are said of the Lord. By garments here is signified the Word, which, as has been said, is Divine truth from the Lord on earth and in the heavens; the violence offered to Divine truth, or the Word, by those who formed the church, is described by the Lord's garment being red as that of one treading in the wine-press, and by victory being sprinkled upon His garments, and by His raiment being polluted.

[20] Again in the Apocalypse, it is said,

He who sat on the white horse "was clothed with a vesture dipped in blood: and his name is called the Word of God" (19:13).

Here it is clearly said that He who sat on the white horse was called the Word of God; and that the same is the Lord is evident, for it immediately follows, concerning Him,

"He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written, King of Kings, and Lord of Lords" (ver. 16).

It is therefore the Word in the letter which is signified by the vesture dipped in blood, because violence was done to it, but not to the Word in the spiritual sense: to this violence could not be done, since they knew nothing about it.

[21] That violence was done to the Word in the sense of the letter, but not to the Word in the spiritual sense, is also signified by the soldiers dividing the garments of the Lord, but not His tunic, of which it is thus written in John:

"The soldiers took his garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part; and also his tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore among themselves, Let us not rend it, but let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be. These things therefore the soldiers did" (19:23, 24).

And, in David:

"They parted my garments, and cast lots upon my vesture" (Psalms 22:18).

By the Lord's garments which they parted is signified the Word in the letter; by his tunic the Word in the spiritual sense; by soldiers are signified those who belong to the church who fight on behalf of Divine truth; and hence it is said, These things therefore the soldiers did.

(That tunic signifies Divine truth, or the Word, in the spiritual sense, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 9826, 9942; that soldiers signify those who belong to the church, and enter into warfare for Divine truth, may be seen above, n. 64, at the end, where these things are more fully explained.) It should be known that the particular things related in the Evangelist concerning the Lord's passion involve and signify how the church, at that time, which was amongst the Jews, treated Divine truth, thus the Word, for this was Divine truth with them, and the Lord was the Word, because He was Divine truth (see John 1:1, 2, 14); but what those particulars involve and signify can be known from only the internal sense. In this place it is explained only what the garments of the Lord signified, because the signification of garments is the subject here treated of, namely, that they signify truths, and when said of the Lord, Divine truth.

[22] Similarly the things signified by the garments of the Lord are also signified by the garments of Aaron and his sons, because they represented the Lord as to Divine good, and their garments, the Lord as to Divine truth. (But these things may be seen explained and shown in Arcana Coelestia; as that Aaron represented the Lord as to Divine good, n. 9806, 9946, 10017; also what each of the garments signified, as the breast-plate, the ephod, the cloak, the coat wrought with chequer work, the mitre and the belt, n. 9814, 9823-9828, and the following numbers.)

141. To eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. That this signifies that they may acquire evils and thence falsities is evident from the signification of to eat, as denoting to appropriate to themselves, and to consociate (concerning which see n. 2187, 2343, 3168, 3513, 5643, 8001); thus also to acquire; and from the signification of things sacrificed to idols, which are things sanctified to idols, as denoting evils of every kind (concerning which more will be said in what follows); and from the signification of committing fornication, as denoting to falsify truths (concerning which also more will be said presently). That Balaam consulted with Balak that he might invite the sons of Israel to the sacrifices of his gods is evident from what was shown in the preceding article, and from these words of Moses:

"Israel abode in Shittim, where the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. For they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. Especially did he join himself to Baal-peor; therefore the anger of Jehovah was kindled against Israel, and twenty and four thousand were slain" (Numbers 25:1-3, 9).

It was among the statutes when sacrifices were instituted, that some part of the sacrifices, especially the eucharistic, should be burnt upon the altar, and some part should be eaten in the holy place. The sacrifices themselves signified worship grounded in love and faith, and the eating of them together, signified appropriations of that good. (That sacrifices signified all things of worship from the good of love and faith, may be seen, n. 923, 6905, 8680, 8936, 10042; and that eating together signified the appropriation of good, n. 10109.) Because the eating together of things sanctified to Jehovah signified the appropriation of good, therefore the eating together of the sacrifices which were for the gods of the Gentiles, and which were called things sacrificed to idols, signified the appropriation of evil.

[2] That to commit whoredom, in the spiritual sense, signifies to acquire falsities and also to falsify truths is evident from several passages in the Word. The same was signified by the whoredoms of the sons of Israel with the daughters of Moab; for all the historicals of the Word involve and signify spiritual things (as is evident from the explanations of Genesis and Exodus, which are called Arcana Coelestia). And because the sons of Israel eating of things sacrificed to idols, and their whoredoms with the daughters of Moab, involved also such things (for what they signify they also involve), therefore it was commanded that the heads of the people should be hung up to Jehovah before the sun; and therefore also Phinehas the son of Eleazar thrust through a man of Israel and a Midianitish woman in a tent, on account of which he was also blessed; and for the same reason there were slain of Israel twenty and four thousand, as may be seen, Numbers 25:1 to the end. Such punishments and plagues would by no means have been commanded solely because of their eating of the idolatrous sacrifices, and committing whoredom with the women of another nation, unless these things involved things unlawful against heaven and the church, which are not evident in the literal sense of the Word, but only in its spiritual sense. The unlawful things involved were the profanation at the same time of the goods and truths of the church, which, as said above, was the appropriation of evil and falsity.

[3] That adulteries and whoredoms involve such things is evident from numerous passages in the Word, where they are referred to, from which it is clear that by them are signified the adulterations of good and the falsifications of truth. In Ezekiel:

Jerusalem, "thou hast trusted in thy beauty, and hast played the harlot because of thy renown, so that thou hast poured out thy fornications on every one that passed by. Thou hast committed fornication with the sons of Egypt thy neighbours, great of flesh, and hast multiplied thy whoredoms. Thou hast played the whore with the sons of Asshur, when there was no satiety to thee, with whom thou committedst whoredom. Thou hast multiplied thy fornication even to Chaldea, the land of merchandise. An adulterous woman receiveth strangers under her own husband. All others give reward to their harlots, but thou hast given reward to all thy lovers, and hast rewarded them that they may come unto thee on every side in thy whoredoms. Wherefore, O harlot! hear the word of Jehovah" (16:15, 26, 28, 29, 32, 33, 35, and following verses).

Who cannot see, that by the whoredoms here mentioned are not meant whoredoms in an ordinary natural sense? For the church in which all the truths of the Word are falsified is here treated of; these things are what are meant by whoredoms; for whoredoms, in the spiritual sense, or spiritual whoredoms, are nothing but falsifications of truth. Jerusalem, there, is the church; the sons of Egypt with whom she committed whoredom, are scientifics (scientifica) and knowledges (cognitiones) of every kind, perversely applied to confirm falsities. The sons of Asshur, are fallacious reasonings therefrom; Chaldea, the land of merchandize, signifies the profanation of truth; the rewards which she gave to her lovers, signify the selling of falsities. From the adulteration of good by means of the falsification of truth, that church is called a woman adulterous under her own husband.

[4] In the same:

"Two women, the daughters of one mother, have committed whoredoms in Egypt; they committed whoredoms in their youth." One "committed whoredom under me, and chose for lovers the Assyrians her neighbours: she gave her whoredoms upon them, nevertheless she hath not deserted her whoredoms in Egypt." The other "hath corrupted her love more than she, and her whoredoms above the whoredoms of her sister: she added to her whoredoms, she loved the Chaldeans the sons of Babel came to her to the bed of loves, and they defiled her with their whoredom" (23:2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 11, 14, 16, 17, and following verses).

That by whoredoms are here also meant spiritual whoredoms, is evident from the particulars mentioned. The two women, daughters of one mother, are the two churches, the Israelitish and the Jewish; their whoredoms with the Egyptians, the Assyrians and Chaldeans signify things similar to what were explained above; the bed of loves with the sons of Babel is the profanation of good.

[5] In Jeremiah:

"Thou hast played the harlot with many companions, thou hast profaned the land with thy whoredoms, and with thy wickedness. Hast thou seen that which backsliding Israel hath done? Going away upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and there hast thou played the harlot: perfidious Judah also hath gone away and played the harlot, so that by the voice of her whoredom she hath profaned the land; she hath committed adultery with stone and with wood" (3:1, 2, 6, 8, 9).

Israel is the church which is in truth, Judah is the church which is in good, for they represented these two churches; the falsifications of truth are signified by the whoredoms of Israel, and the adulterations of good by the whoredoms of Judah. To go away upon every high mountain and under every green tree, and commit whoredom, is to inquire into all the knowledges of good and truth, even from the Word, and to falsify them; to commit adultery with stone and wood, is to pervert and profane all truth and good; stone signifies truth, and wood signifies good.

[6] In the same:

"Run ye through the streets of Jerusalem, and seek in the broad ways thereof, if ye can find a man (vir), if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth. When I fed them to the full, they committed whoredom and came by troops to the house of the harlot" (5:1, 7).

To run through the streets, and to seek in the broad ways of Jerusalem is, to see and examine the doctrinals of that church; for Jerusalem is the church, and streets and broad ways are doctrinals. If thou canst find a man (vir), if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth denotes whether there be any truth in the church. When I had fed them to the full they committed whoredom denotes, that when truths were revealed to them they falsified them; such a church, as to doctrine, is the house of the harlot, into which they came by troops.

[7] In the same:

"Thine adulteries, and thy neighings, the crime of thy whoredom, and thine abominations on the hills in the field have I seen. Woe unto thee, O Jerusalem! thou wilt not be made clean" (13:27).

Neighings denote profanations of truth, because a horse signifies the Intellectual where truth dwells; the hills in the field signify the goods of truth in the church, which are perverted.

[8] In the same:

"I have seen in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible obstinacy, in committing adultery and going in a lie" (Jeremiah 23:14).

In the same:

"They have done foolishness in Israel, and have committed adultery with the wives of their companions, and have spoken my word in my name lyingly" (29:23).

To adulterate and to commit adultery here clearly denote to pervert truths; the prophets signify those who teach truths from the Word; for it is said, in committing adultery and going in a lie, and they have spoken my word lyingly. A lie, in the Word, signifies what is false.

[9] In Moses::

"Your sons were feeding in the desert forty years; and they bore your whoredoms even till their bodies were consumed in the desert" (Numbers 14:33).

That the sons of Israel were not consumed in the wilderness because they bore whoredoms, but because they rejected heavenly truths is evident from the fact that this was said to them because they were not willing to enter into the land of Canaan, but wished to return into Egypt. For by the land of Canaan is signified heaven and the church, with its truths; and by Egypt are signified those things falsified, and turned into magic.

[10] In Micah:

"All the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the rewards of whoredom shall be burned in the fire; and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate, for she hath gathered them from the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot" (1:7).

Graven images and idols signify the falsities which are from man's own intelligence; the hire of a harlot denotes the knowledges of truth and good which they applied to falsities and evils, and thus perverted.

[11] And in Hosea:

Jehovah said to the prophet, "Take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms, for the land doth commit great whoredom in departing from Jehovah" (1:2).

By this was represented that the quality of the church was such that it was wholly immersed in falsities.

[12] In the same:

"They sinned against me; I will change their glory into shame; they committed whoredom, because they have quite forsaken Jehovah. Whoredom, wine and new wine, occupied the heart. Your daughters commit whoredom, and your daughters-in-law commit adultery" (4:7, 10, 11, 13).

Whoredom, wine and new wine, are falsified truths. Whoredom is the falsification itself, wine is interior falsity, new wine is exterior falsity; the daughters who commit whoredom are the goods of truth perverted; the daughters-in-law who commit adultery are evils conjoined with falsities therefrom.

[13] In Isaiah:

"It shall come to pass after the end of seventy years that Jehovah will visit Tyre, that she may return to her meretricious hire, and commit fornication with all the kings of the earth upon the faces of the world; at length her merchandize shall be holy to Jehovah" (23:17, 18).

Tyre, in the Word, signifies the church with respect to the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good; the meretricious hire spoken of denotes the same knowledges applied to evils and falsities by perversion; her merchandize is the selling thereof. To commit fornication with all the kings of the earth, denotes with everyone of the truths of the church. The reason why it is said that her merchandize and her meretricious hire shall be holy to Jehovah, is, that by these are signified knowledges of truth and good applied by them to falsities and evils. And a man, by definite knowledges, may become wise; for they are the means of becoming wise; they are also a means of becoming insane when they are falsified by application to evils and falsities.

The same is signified where it is said that

they should make to themselves friends of the mammon of unrighteousness (Luke 16:9);

and where it is commanded that

the sons of Israel should borrow from the Egyptians gold, silver and raiment, and take them away with them (Exodus 3:22; 12:35, 36);

for by the Egyptians are signified scientifics (scientifica) of every kind, which they applied to falsify truths.

[14] In Moses::

"I will cut off the soul which looketh back to such as have familiar spirits, and to wizards, to go a whoring after them" (Leviticus 20:5).

In Isaiah:

"He entereth into peace, he walketh in uprightness. But draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, the seed of the adulterer and the whore" (57:2, 3).

In Nahum:

"Woe to the city of bloods, full of lies; the horseman ascendeth, and the glitter of the sword, and the sheen of the spear, the multitude of the slain, above the multitude of the whoredoms of the harlot, of the mistress of sorceries, selling the nations by her whoredoms" (3:1, 3, 4).

In Moses:

A covenant was not to be made with the inhabitants of the land, lest their sons and their daughters go a whoring after their gods (Exodus 34:15).

In the same:

"That ye may remember all the commandments of Jehovah, and do them: and that ye seek not after your own heart and your own eyes, after which ye used to go a whoring" (Numbers 15:39).

In the Apocalypse:

Babylon "hath made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication" (14:8).

The angel said: "I will show the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters: with whom the kings of the earth have committed fornication" (17:1, 2).

Babylon "all nations have drunk of the wine of the wrath of her fornication, and the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her" (18:3).

"He hath judged the great harlot, which did corrupt the earth with her fornication" (19:2).

[15] That in these passages by whoredoms are meant falsifications of truth, is evident. Because such things are signified by whoredoms and adulteries, and as they have the same signification in heaven, therefore, in the Israelitish church, which was a representative church in which all things were significative, the following commands were given:

That there should not be a whore nor a whoremonger in Israel (Deuteronomy 23:17).

That the man who committed adultery with the wife of a man, and he who committed adultery with the wife of his companion, should be put to death (Leviticus 20:10).

That the gift of a whore should not be brought into the house of Jehovah with any vow (Deuteronomy 23:18).

That the sons of Aaron should not take a harlot to wife, nor a woman put away by her husband. That the high priest should take a virgin to wife. That the daughter of a priest, if she profaned herself by committing whoredom, should be burned with fire (Leviticus 21:7, 9, 13, 14), besides many other passages.

[16] That whoredoms and adulteries involve such things, has been testified to me from much experience in the other life. The spheres of spirits who have been of such a quality, manifest those things. From the presence of spirits who have confirmed in themselves falsities, and applied truth from the sense of the letter of the Word to confirm them, there goes forth an abominable sphere of whoredom; such spheres correspond to all the prohibited degrees (concerning which see Leviticus 20:11-21), with differences according to the application of truths to falsities, and according to the conjunction of falsities with evils, especially with the evils flowing from the love of self (concerning which more may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 384, 385, 386).