9857. And thou shalt make a breastplate of judgment. That this signifies that which has regard to Divine truth shining forth from Divine good, is evident from the signification of “the breastplate,” as being Divine truth shining forth from the Divine good of the Lord in ultimates (see n. 9823). It is called “a breastplate of judgment,” because it gave answers, and thereby revealed Divine truth. Moreover, by “judgment” in the Word is signified Divine truth, consequently doctrine and life according to doctrine. From this then it is that this breastplate is called “a breastplate of judgment,” and also “judgment,” in what follows in this chapter — “Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel upon his heart before Jehovah continually” (verse 30). And when Joshua was chosen to be leader over the people, it is said, “he shall stand before Eleazar the priest, who shall inquire for him by the judgment of Urim before Jehovah” (Numbers 27:21).

[2] That “judgment” denotes Divine truth and the intelligence thence derived, consequently that it denotes doctrine and life according to doctrine, is evident from many passages in the Word; as from the following, in Isaiah:

The vineyard of Jehovah Zebaoth is the house of Israel. He looked for judgment but behold an abscess; for righteousness, but behold a cry (Isaiah 5:7).

“To look for judgment” denotes intelligence from Divine truth, and a life according to the commandments. Again:

He sat upon a throne in truth, in the tabernacle of David, judging, and seeking judgment (Isaiah 16:5);

speaking of the coming of the Lord; “the throne upon which He was to sit” denotes the Divine truth proceeding from Him, and hence the spiritual kingdom (see n. 2129, 5313, 6397, 8625, 9039); “to judge judgment” denotes to teach Divine truth, and “to seek judgment” denotes its reception with man.

[3] Again:

In that day shall Jehovah be for a diadem of ornament to the remains of the people; and for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth upon judgment (Isaiah 28:5-6)

“A diadem of ornament,” when said of Jehovah, that is, the Lord, denotes Divine intelligence (see above, n. 9828); and “the spirit of judgment” denotes wisdom from Divine truth (n. 9818); “he that sitteth upon judgment” denotes one who instructs about Divine truth, that is, teaches it. Again:

Jehovah hath filled Zion with judgment and righteousness (Isaiah 33:5);

“Zion” denotes the celestial church; “being filled with judgment” denotes intelligence from Divine truth, and “being filled with righteousness” denotes wisdom from Divine good.

[4] Again:

Who hath directed the Spirit of Jehovah? With whom took He counsel, that he might make Him intelligent, and instruct Him in the way of judgment, and teach Him knowledge, and show Him the way of intelligence? (Isaiah 40:13-14);

“the Spirit of Jehovah” denotes the Divine truth (n. 9818); that “instructing Him in the way of judgment” denotes to render Him knowing, intelligent, and wise, is plain.

In Jeremiah:

The stork in heaven knoweth her appointed times, but the people of Jehovah know not the judgment of Jehovah. How say ye, We are wise, and the law of Jehovah is with us? (Jeremiah 8:7-8).

Here “not to know the judgment of Jehovah” denotes not to know Divine truth, from which is wisdom; therefore it is said, “how say ye, We are wise?”

[5] Again:

Woe to him that buildeth his house without righteousness, and his chambers without judgment (Jeremiah 22:13);

“to build chambers without judgment” denotes to be imbued with things not true.

In Hosea:

I will betroth thee to Me forever in righteousness and in judgment, and I will betroth thee to Me in truth (Hosea 2:19-20).

“To betroth in judgment” denotes to conjoin by means of Divine truth, thus by means of faith and a life of faith.

In Amos:

Let judgment flow like water, and righteousness as a mighty torrent (Amos 5:24).

Ye turn judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood (Amos 6:12); where also “judgment” denotes intelligence from Divine truth, and the consequent life.

[6] In Zephaniah:

In the morning will Jehovah give His judgment for light (Zephaniah 3:5);

“to give judgment for light” denotes to reveal Divine truth.

In Moses:

All the ways of Jehovah are judgment (Deuteronomy 32:4).

In David:

Thy truth, O Jehovah, reacheth unto the skies; Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God; Thy judgments are a great deep (Psalms 36:5-6).

Jehovah shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday (Psalms 37:6).

Hear my voice according to Thy mercy; O Jehovah, quicken me according to Thy judgments (Psalms 119:149).

In these passages “judgment,” and “judgments,” denote Divine truth.

[7] In Luke:

Woe unto you Pharisees, ye pass by judgment and the love of God; these ought ye to do (Luke 11:42).

“To pass by the judgment of God” denotes to pass by Divine truth; and “to pass by the love of God” denotes to pass by Divine good, and the life from both. As life also is meant, it is said “these things ought ye to do.”

In Isaiah:

Jehovah Zebaoth shall be exalted in judgment, and God shall be sanctified in righteousness (Isaiah 5:16).

Upon the throne of David, to establish the kingdom in judgment and in righteousness, from henceforth and even forever (Isaiah 9:7).

Bring forth counsel, do ye judgment; make thy shadow like the night in the midst of the noonday (Isaiah 16:3);

“to do judgment” denotes to act according to Divine truth.

[8] In Jeremiah:

I will raise unto David a righteous branch, and He shall do judgment and righteousness in the earth (Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15).

If a man be righteous, and do judgment and righteousness, and walk in My statutes, and keep My judgments, to do the truth; he is righteous, he shall surely live (Ezekiel 18:5, 9).

Seek ye Jehovah, all ye meek of the earth, who have done His judgment (Zephaniah 2:3).

“To do the judgment of God” denotes to do the Divine truth, that is, to do according to it.

In Isaiah:

I have put My Spirit upon Him, He shall bring forth judgment to the nations. He shall not extinguish, nor break, till He have set Judgment in the earth (Isaiah 42:1, 4);

speaking of the Lord; “to bring forth judgment to the nations,” and “to set judgment in the earth” denotes to teach Divine truth, and set it up in the church.

[9] Again:

A law shall go forth from Me, and I will raise up My judgment for a light of the peoples (Isaiah 51:4); where “judgment” denotes Divine truth, “for a light of the peoples” denotes for enlightenment.

In John:

For judgment I am come into this world, that those who see not may see; and that those who see may become blind (John 9:39).

“To come into the world for judgment” denotes to reveal Divine truth, which causes those to see who are wise from the Lord, and those to be blind who are wise from themselves, thus who pass for being learned.

[10] In Jeremiah:

Swear by the living Jehovah in truth, in judgment, and righteousness (Jeremiah 4:2).

There is none that judgeth judgment for health; thou hast no medicines for recovery (Jeremiah 30:13).

In David:

Righteousness and judgment are the support of Thy throne; mercy and truth are before Thy faces (Psalms 89:14); where “righteousness” denotes the good which is of mercy; and “judgment” the truth which is of faith; wherefore it is said, “mercy and truth.”

In Ezekiel:

Jerusalem hath changed My judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and My statutes more than the lands; therefore I will do judgments on thee in the eyes of the nations, and I will scatter all thy remains (Ezekiel 5:6-8, 10, 15).

“To change judgments” denotes the truths which are of the civil state (that these are signified by “judgments,” when “statutes” also are mentioned, see n. 8972); but “doing judgments” denotes to judge either to death, which is damnation; or to life, which is salvation. Salvation or damnation is also signified by “judgment,” where “the day of judgment,” or “hour of judgment,” is mentioned (Matthew 11:22, 2 11:24; 12:36, 41-42; Luke 10:14; 11:31-32; John 5:28-29; Revelation 14:7; 18:10); the same is also signified by “judgment,” where the office of a judge is treated of (Matthew 5:21-22; 7:1-2; 23:14, 33; John 5:24, 26-27; 7:24; 8:15-16; 12:31, 47-48; Luke 6:37; 12:13-14, 56-57; 19:21-22, 2 19:27; 20:47; 22:30; Mark 12:40; Isaiah 41:1; 3:14; Jeremiah 25:31; 48:21; Joel 3:12; Psalms 7:8-9; 9:4, 7-8; Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:16-17; 25:1; Revelation 17:1 18:10; 20:12-13).

3488. That the second state of the perversion of the church was described by the foregoing words of the Lord in the evangelist, is evident from their internal sense, which is as follows:

All these things are the beginning of sorrows;

signifies those things which precede-that is, which are of the first state of the perversion of the church-which as before said is that they would begin no longer to know what is good and what is true, but would dispute about it among themselves, from which would arise falsities, and therefore heresies. That such things perverted the church before many centuries had elapsed, is evident from the fact that the church in the Christian world was divided, and this according to opinions concerning good and truth; thus that the perversion of the church commenced long ago.

[2] Then shall they deliver you into tribulation, and shall kill you;

signifies that good and truth would perish, first by “tribulation,” that is, by perversion; afterwards by their “killing” them, that is, by denial. (That to “kill,” when predicated of good and truth, is not to receive, thus is to deny, may be seen above, n. 3387, 3395.) By “you,” that is, by the apostles, are signified all things of faith in one complex, thus its good as well as its truth. That these things are signified by the twelve apostles may be seen above (n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3354) and here the same is clearly evident; for it is not the preaching of the apostles that is treated of, but the consummation of the age.

[3] And ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake;

signifies contempt and aversion for all things which are of good and truth; “to hate” is to despise and hold in aversion, for this is of hatred; “of all nations” signifies by those who are in evil (that such are meant by “nations” may be seen above, n. 1259, 1260, 1849, 1868, 2588); “for My name’s sake” is on account of the Lord, thus on account of all things which are from Him (that the Lord’s “name” is everything in one complex by which He is worshiped, thus everything which is of His church, may be seen above (2724), n (3006). 2724, 3006).

[4] And then shall many be offended, and shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another;

signifies enmities on account of these things; “many shall be offended” denotes enmity in itself; the Human itself of the Lord is that against which there is enmity; that this would be an offense and a stumbling-block is here and there predicted in the Word; “they shall deliver up one another” denotes enmity among themselves from falsity against truth; “and shall hate one another” denotes enmity among themselves from evil against good.

[5] And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray;

signifies preachings of falsity (that “false prophets” are those who teach falsities, thus false doctrine, may be seen above, n. 2534) “and shall lead many astray” denotes that there should be derivations therefrom.

[6] And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the charity of many shall wax cold;

signifies the expiring of charity together with faith; “because iniquity shall be multiplied” denotes according to the falsities of faith; “the charity of many shall wax cold” denotes the expiring of charity, for they keep pace together; where faith is not, there charity is not, and where charity is not, faith is not; but charity is that which receives faith, and no charity is that which rejects faith: this is the origin of every falsity and every evil.

[7] But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved;

signifies the salvation of those who are in charity; “he that endureth to the end” is he who does not suffer himself to be led astray, thus who does not succumb in temptations.

[8] And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole inhabited earth, for a testimony unto all nations;

signifies that this should first become known in the Christian world; “shall be preached” denotes that it should be made known; “this gospel of the kingdom” is this truth that it is so; “gospel” denotes the annunciation; “kingdom” denotes truth (that “kingdom” denotes truth may be seen above, n. 1672, 2547); “in the whole inhabited earth” denotes the Christian world (that “earth” is the region where the church is, thus the Christian world, may be seen above, n. 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 2928, 3355). The church here is called “inhabited” from the life of faith, that is, from the good which is of truth; for in the internal sense “to inhabit” denotes to live; and the “inhabitants” are the goods of truth (n. 1293, 2268, 2451, 2712, 3384); “for a testimony” denotes that they may know, and not make a pretext that they have been ignorant; “to all nations” denotes to evils (n. 1259, 1260, 1849, 1868, 2588); for when they are in falsity and evil, they no longer know what is true and what is good; they then believe falsity to be truth, and evil to be good, and the reverse; and when the church is in this state, “then shall the end come.” In what now follows and what of the Lord’s Divine mercy will be unfolded prefatory to the next chapter of Genesis, that state of the church is treated of which is called the “abomination of desolation,” which is the third state.