655. Where also our Lord was crucified.- That this signifies by means of which He was rejected and condemned, namely, by means of evils, and falsities therefrom springing from infernal love, is evident from this consideration, that evils themselves and their consequent falsities arising from infernal love are what reject and condemn the Lord, and these evils and the falsities therefrom are signified by Sodom and Egypt, therefore it is said concerning the city of Jerusalem that it is called so spiritually, for to be spiritually called signifies evil itself, and the falsity therefrom.

[2] The hells are separated into two kingdoms opposite the two kingdoms in the heavens; the kingdom opposite the celestial kingdom is at the back, and those who are there are called genii, and this kingdom is what is understood in the Word by "devil." But the kingdom opposite the spiritual kingdom is in front, and those who are there are called evil spirits; this kingdom is what is meant in the Word by "Satan." These hells, or these two kingdoms into which the hells are separated, are meant by Sodom and Egypt. Whether it is said evils and falsities therefrom, or those hells, it is the same thing, since from these all evils and falsities ascend.

[3] The Jews of Jerusalem crucifying the Lord signifies that the evils and the falsities therefrom which they loved crucified Him; for all things recorded in the Word concerning the Lord's passion represented the perverted state of the church with that nation. For although they accounted the Word holy, yet they perverted all things therein by their traditions until there was no longer any Divine Good and Truth remaining with them, and, when the Divine Good and Truth that are in the Word no longer remain, then evils and falsities from infernal love succeed in their place, and these are what crucify the Lord. That such things are signified by the Lord's passion, may be seen above (n. 83, 195:21, 627:16, at the end). The Lord is said to be slain because it signifies His being rejected and denied, as may be seen above (n. 328). Concerning the nature and quality of the Jews, see above (n. 122, 433:28, 619), and in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248).

[4] Since it is here said "where our Lord was crucified," it shall be explained what crucifixion, or suspension upon wood, signified with the Jews. There were two punishments of death with them, crucifixion and stoning; and by crucifixion was signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of good in the church, and by stoning was signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of truth in the church. Crucifixion signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of good in the church, because wood, upon which they were suspended, signified good, and, in the opposite sense, evil, both pertaining to the will. Stoning signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of truth in the church, because stone, with which stoning was effected, signified truth, and, in the opposite sense falsity, both pertaining to the understanding. For all things instituted with the Israelitish and Jewish nation were representative, and thence significative. That wood signifies good, and, in the opposite sense, evil, and that stone signifies truth, and, in the opposite sense, falsity, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 643, 3720, 8354). But because it has been hitherto unknown whence the punishment of the cross and of stoning came to the Jews and Israelites, and since it is nevertheless important that this should be known, I will also adduce confirmations from the Word to show that these two punishments also were representative.

[5] That suspension upon wood, or crucifixion, was inflicted on account of the destruction of good in the church, and that thus was represented evil from infernal love, from which comes condemnation and a curse is evident from the following passages.

In Moses:

"If there be a stubborn and rebellious son, obeying not the voice of his father and mother, all the men of the city shall stone him with stones that he die. And if there be in a man sin and judgment of death, and he be slain, thou shalt hang him upon wood; his carcase shall not remain all night upon wood, but burying thou shalt bury him the same day; for he that is hanged is the curse of God, and thou shalt not defile thy land." (Deuteronomy 21:18, 20-23.)

Not obeying the voice of father and mother, signifies in the spiritual sense, to live contrary to the precepts and truths of the church; the punishment for it was therefore stoning. The men of the city who shall stone him signify those who are in the doctrine of the church, a city denoting doctrine. If there be in a man sin and judgment of death, thou shalt hang him upon wood, means if one has done evil against the good of the Word and of the church. Because this was a capital crime, he was to be hung upon wood, for wood, in the Word, signifies good, and in the opposite sense evil. His carcase shall not remain all night upon the wood, but thou shalt bury him the same day, signifies lest there be a representative of eternal damnation. Thou shalt not defile thy land, signifies that it would be a scandal to the church.

[6] In Lamentations:

"Our skins are become black as an oven, because of the storms of famine; they ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah; their princes were hanged up by the hand, the faces of the elders are not honoured, the young men they have led away to grind, and the boys stumble under wood" (5:10-13).

Zion means the celestial church, which is in the good of love to the Lord; was represented by the Jewish nation. The virgins in the cities of Judah signify the affections for truth from the good of love; the perishing of truths from good by falsities from evil is signified by, their princes were hanged up by the hand. The faces of the elders which are not honoured signify the goods of wisdom; the young men who are led away to grind signify truths from good; and grinding signifies to acquire falsities and to confirm them from the Word; the boys who stumble under wood signify goods just springing up and perishing through evils.

[7] Since a baker, just as bread, signifies the good of love, and a butler, just as wine, signifies the truth of doctrine, therefore the baker was hanged on account of his crime against king Pharaoh. (Genesis 40:19-22; 41:13.) This may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia 5139-5169). Since Moab means those who adulterate the goods of the church, and Baalpeor signifies the adulteration of good, therefore it came to pass, that all the chiefs of the people were hung up before the sun, because the people committed whoredom with the daughters of Moab, and bowed themselves down to their gods, and joined themselves to Baalpeor (Numbers 25:1-4). To commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab signifies to adulterate the goods of the church; and to be hung up before the sun signifies condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of the good of the church.

[8] Because Ai signified knowledges of good and in the opposite sense, confirmations of evil, therefore the king of Ai was hanged on wood, and afterwards thrown down at the entrance of the gate of the city, and the city itself was burned (Joshua 8:26-29). And because the five kings of the Amorites signified evils and falsities therefrom, destroying the goods and truths of the church, therefore those kings were hanged by Joshua, and afterwards cast into the cave of Makkedah (Joshua 10:26, 27). The cave of Makkedah signifies direful falsity from evil.

[9] To be hung upon wood, or crucified, signifies the punishment of evil destroying the good of the church, in Matthew Jesus said,

"I send unto you prophets, wise men, and scribes; some of them ye will kill, crucify, and scourge in the synagogues, and persecute them from city to city" (23:34).

All things which the Lord spoke He spoke from the Divine, but the Divine things from which He spoke fell into the ideas of natural thought and the resulting expressions according to correspondences, like those here and elsewhere in the Evangelists; and as all the words have a spiritual sense, therefore in that sense, prophets, wise men, and scribes, are not meant, but instead of them the truth and good of doctrine and of the Word. For spiritual thought and speech therefrom, like that of the angels, is without the idea of person, therefore by a prophet is signified the truth of doctrine, by wise men the good of doctrine, and by scribes the Word from which is doctrine. It therefore follows, that to kill has reference to the truth of the doctrine of the church, which is meant by a prophet, to crucify has reference to the good of doctrine, which is meant by a wise man, and to scourge has reference to the Word, which is meant by a scribe and that thus "to kill" signifies to extinguish, "to crucify" to destroy, and "to scourge" to pervert. That they will wander from one falsity of doctrine to another is signified by persecuting them from city to city, a city denoting doctrine. This is the spiritual sense of the above words.

[10] In the same,

Jesus said unto the disciples that He must suffer at Jerusalem, and that the Son of Man must be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and that "they shall condemn him, and deliver him up to the nations to be mocked, to be scourged, and to be crucified, and that on the third day he shall rise again" (Matthew 20:18, 19; Mark 10:32-34).

The spiritual sense of these words is, that Divine Truth, in the church where mere falsities of doctrine and evils of life reign, shall be blasphemed, its truth perverted, and its good destroyed. The Son of Man signifies Divine Truth, which is the Word, and Jerusalem signifies the church where mere falsities and evils reign. The chief priests and scribes signify the adulterations of good and falsifications of truth, both of them from infernal love. By condemning and delivering Him to the nations is signified to relegate Divine Truth and Divine Good to hell, and to deliver them to the evils and falsities which are therefrom, the nations signifying the evils which are from hell and which destroy the goods of the church. To be mocked, to be scourged, and to be crucified, signifies to blaspheme, falsify, and pervert the truth, and to adulterate and destroy the good of the church and of the Word (as above). And the third day He shall rise again, signifies the complete glorification of the Lord's Human.

[11] From these things it is evident what is signified in the spiritual sense by the crucifixion of the Lord, also what is signified by the various mockings on that occasion, as that they set a crown of thorns upon His head; that they smote Him with a reed, and that they spat in His face, besides other things related in the Evangelists, signifying that the Jewish nation thus impiously treated the Divine Truth and Good itself, which the Lord was. For the Lord suffered the impious state of that church to be represented in Himself; this also was signified by His bearing their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11). For it was a common thing for a prophet to take upon himself the representation of the impious states of the church. Thus the prophet Isaiah was commanded to go naked and barefoot three years, in order to represent the church as destitute of good and truth (Isaiah 20:3, 4). The prophet Ezekiel bound in cords laid siege against a tile, on which Jerusalem was portrayed, and ate a cake of barley made with the dung of an ox, to represent that the truth and good of the church were thus besieged by falsities and polluted by evils (Ezekiel 4:1-13). The prophet Hosea was commanded to take to himself a harlot for a woman, and children of whoredoms, in order to represent what was then the quality of the church (Hosea 1:1-11); besides other things of a similar nature. That this was bearing the iniquities of the house of Israel or the church is openly declared in Ezekiel (chap. 4:5, 6). From these things it is evident that everything recorded concerning the Lord's passion was representative of the state of the church with the Jewish nation at that time.

[12] Thus much concerning the punishment of suspension upon wood, or crucifixion. It does not belong to this place to confirm from the Word that the other punishment of death, which was stoning, signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of the truth of the church, still it is evident from the passages in the Word where stoning is mentioned, as in Exodus 21:28-33; Leviticus 24:10-17, 23; Numbers 15:32-37; Deuteronomy 13:10; 17:5-7; 22:20, 21, 24; Ezekiel 16:39-41; 23:45-47; Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34; 20:6; John 8:7; 10:31, 32; and elsewhere.

4060. Therefore the words quoted above [in 4056] mean the state of the Church at that time as regards good, that is, as regards charity towards the neighbour and love to the Lord. This is clear from the internal sense of these words, which is as follows:

But immediately after the affliction of those days means the state of the Church as regards the truth of faith, which is dealt with in the verses immediately before this. In the Word desolation of truth is called 'affliction' in various places - 'days' being states, see 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785. From this it is evident that these words mean that once faith no longer exists neither will any charity exist. For faith leads to charity because it teaches what charity is, and charity acquires its particular character from the truths of faith. The truths of faith however receive their essence and life from charity, as has been shown many times in previous volumes.

[2] The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light means love to the Lord, which is 'the sun', and charity towards the neighbour, which is 'the moon'. 'Being darkened' and 'not giving light' mean that that love and charity will not be in evidence and so will disappear. For 'the sun' means the celestial kind of love and 'the moon' the spiritual kind; that is, 'the sun' means love to the Lord, and 'the moon' charity towards the neighbour which comes through faith, see 1053, 1529, 1530, 2120, 2441, 2495. The reason why the sun and the moon have these meanings is that the Lord is seen in the next life as a sun by those in heaven who are governed by love to Him and are called celestial, and as a moon by those who are governed by charity towards the neighbour and are referred to as spiritual, see 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 3636, 3643.

[3] The sun and the moon in heaven, or the Lord, are never darkened, nor do they lose their light but are shining unceasingly. Thus in heaven there is no darkening or loss of light in the love which celestial angels have for the Lord or in the charity which spiritual angels show towards the neighbour. Nor on earth is there any in people with whom angels are present, that is, in people who are governed by love and charity. But those who are not governed by any love or charity, only by self-love and love of the world, and consequently by feelings of hatred and revenge, bring that kind of obscurity to themselves. It is like the sun of this world which is shining constantly; yet when clouds intervene the sun is not visible, see 2441.

[4] And the stars will fall from heaven means that cognitions of good and truth will perish. When mentioned in the Word 'stars' have no other meaning than those cognitions, 1808, 2849.

And the powers of the heavens will be shaken means the foundations of the Church which are said to be shaken and jolted when those cognitions perish. This is because the Church on earth is heaven's foundation; for the influx of good and truth from the Lord through the heavens culminates ultimately in the goods and truths present with the member of the Church. Consequently when the state of the member of the Church is so perverse that he no longer allows good or truth to flow into him 'the powers of the heavens' are in that case said 'to be shaken'. That being so, the Lord always provides for some vestige of the Church to be left. And when the old Church perishes a new one is established.

[5] And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven means the manifestation of Divine truth - 'sign' meaning a manifestation, 'the Son of Man' the Lord as regards Divine truth, see 2803, 2813, 3704. This manifestation, or this 'sign', is what the disciples asked for when they said to the Lord,

Tell us, when will those things take place; what especially will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age? Matthew 24:3.

For they knew from the Word that when the age drew to a close the Lord would come, and they knew from the Lord that He would be coming again, by which they understood the Lord's coming a second time into the world since they were not yet aware of the fact that the Lord had come as often as the Church had been brought to ruin. Not that any of these comings had been a coming in person, as was the case when, through birth in the world, He took on the Human and made this Divine. Rather, those comings had been made through appearances or manifestations of Himself, such as when He appeared in Mamre to Abraham, in the bush to Moses, on Mount Sinai to the Israelites, and to Joshua when he entered the land of Canaan. There were other comings of a less visible nature, such as those at times when inspiration was received and the Word was given by means of it, and later on through the Word itself. For the Word has the Lord present within it; every detail there comes from Him and has reference to Him, as may be recognized from what has been shown many times up to now. This is the kind of appearance that is meant here by 'the sign of the Son of Man' and is the subject in the present verse under consideration.

[6] And then all the tribes of the earth will mourn means that all in whom the good of love and the truth of faith dwell will experience grief. This is what is meant by 'mourning', see Zechariah 12:10-14; and 'the tribes' means all aspects of good and truth, that is, of love and faith, 3858, 3926, and so consequently those in whom these things dwell. The phrase 'the tribes of the earth' is used because those inside the Church are meant - 'the earth' being the Church, see 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2928,

[7] And they will see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory means that at that time a revelation of the internal sense of the Word - the sense in which the Lord is present - will take place. 'The Son of Man' means Divine truth within the Word, 2803, 2813, 3704, 'the clouds' the literal sense. 'Power' has reference to the good and 'glory' to the truth present there. For this meaning of 'seeing the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven', see Preface to Genesis 18. This is the kind of coming of the Lord that is meant here, not a literal manifestation of Him in clouds. Next follows a reference to the establishment of a new Church, which takes place once the old has been brought to ruin and cast aside.

[8] He will send out His angels with a trumpet and a loud voice means election - not by visible angels, still less by trumpets and by loud voices, but by an influx of holy good and of holy truth from the Lord through angels, so that the expression 'angels' in the Word means something essentially the Lord's, 1925, 2821, 3039. In this instance it means things which come from the Lord and have reference to the Lord. 'A trumpet and a loud voice' means the proclamation of the Gospel, as in other places in the Word.

[9] And they will gather the elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other end of them means the establishment of a new Church, 'the elect' being people in whom the good of love and faith dwell, 3755 (end), 3900, 'the four winds' from which they will be gathered being all states of good and truth, 3708, and 'one end of the heavens to the other' the internal and the external features of the Church. These are the considerations that are meant by these words spoken by the Lord.