Arcana Coelestia # 5895
5895. Wherein is no plowing and harvest. That this signifies that meanwhile good and the derivative truth will not appear, is evident from the signification of “plowing,” as being preparation by good for receiving truths (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “harvest,” as being truths from good-for harvest is the already ripe crop when it is being gathered, hence “harvest” is the truth which is from good. Before this truth comes into existence, truths indeed appear, but they are truths through which is good, and not truths from good. A man who acts from truth is in truths through which is good, but he who acts from good is in truths which are from good. That “plowing” is said to denote good, is because a “field” which is plowed signifies the church as to good (n. 2971), thus good which is of the church (n. 3310, 3317, 4982). Thus “plowing” is preparation by good for receiving truths; moreover the oxen which were used in plowing signify goods in the natural (n. 2180, 2566, 2781).
[2] As this was the signification of “plowing,” it was forbidden in the representative church “to plow with an ox and an ass together” (Deuteronomy 22:10), which never would have been forbidden except for some reason from within, thus from the spiritual world. For otherwise what harm could there be in their plowing together? and what the worthiness of such a law in the Word? The reason from within, or from the spiritual world, is that “plowing with an ox” signifies good in the natural, and “plowing with an ass” signifies truth therein. (That an “ass” denotes the truth of memory-knowledge, thus truth in the natural, may be seen n. 5492, 5741.) The interior or spiritual reason of this command was that the angels could not have a separate idea of good and truth, but they must be conjoined and make a one; and therefore they were not willing to view such plowing by an ox and an ass. The celestial angels are not even willing to think of truth separate from good, for all the truth with them is in good; thus also to them truth is good. For the same reason it was forbidden “to wear a mixed garment, of wool and linen together” (Deut 22:11), for “wool” signifies good, and “linen” truth.
[3] That “to plow” and also “to harrow,” “to sow” and “to reap,” signify such things as belong to good and its truth, is manifest in Hosea:
I will make Ephraim ride; Judah shall plow, Jacob shall harrow for him; sow for yourselves according to righteousness, reap according to piety; break up for you the fallow ground: and it is time to seek Jehovah, till He come and teach righteousness (Hos. 5:11-12);
“to ride” is predicated of Ephraim because “to ride” is to enjoy understanding; and “Ephraim” is the intellectual of the church; but “to plow” is predicated of Judah because “Judah” is the good of the church.
[4] In Amos:
Shall horses run on the rock? will one plow with oxen? that ye have turned judgment into gall, and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood (Amos 6:12);
“shall horses run on the rock?” denotes shall the truth of faith be understood? for “rock” in the spiritual sense is faith (see preface to Genesis 22); and “horses” are those things which are of the understanding (n. 2761, 2762, 3217, 5321); “will one plow with oxen?” denotes shall he do good? “oxen” being good in the natural (n. 2180, 2566, 2781). That this could not be done is signified by the words which follow: “because ye have turned judgment into gall and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood.”
[5] In Luke:
Jesus said, No man putting his hand to the plow, but looking backward, is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62).
These words signify the same as those which the Lord speaks in Matthew:
He that is upon the house, let him not go down to take anything out of his house; and he that is in the field, let him not return back to take his garments (Matthew 24:17-18).
The sense of these words is: he who is in good shall not betake himself therefrom to the things that belong to the doctrinals of faith (see above, w here these words were unfolded n. 3652). Thus “he who puts his hand to the plow” is he who is in good; “but looking backward” is he who then looks to the doctrinal things of faith, and thus forsakes good. It was on this account that Elijah was displeased that Elisha, who was plowing in the field, when called, asked that he might first kiss his father and mother; for Elijah said, “Go, return; for what have I done to thee?” (1 Kings 19:19-21). In the opposite sense “plowing” signifies the evil which blots out good, thus vastation; as in Jeremiah:
Zion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall be heaps, and the mountain of the house as the lofty places of the forest (Jeremiah 26:18; Mic. 3:12).
Jeremiah 26
1
In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, came this word from Yahweh, saying,
2
Thus says Yahweh: Stand in the court of Yahweh's house, and speak to all the cities of Judah, which come to worship in Yahweh's house, all the words that I command you to speak to them; don't diminish a word.
3
It may be they will listen, and turn every man from his evil way; that I may repent me of the evil which I purpose to do to them because of the evil of their doings.
4
You shall tell them, Thus says Yahweh: If you will not listen to me, to walk in my law, which I have set before you,
5
to listen to the words of my servants the prophets, whom I send to you, even rising up early and sending them, but you have not listened;
6
then will I make this house like Shiloh, and will make this city a curse to all the nations of the earth.
7
The priests and the prophets and all the people heard Jeremiah speaking these words in the house of Yahweh.
8
It happened, when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking all that Yahweh had commanded him to speak to all the people, that the priests and the prophets and all the people laid hold on him, saying, You shall surely die.
9
Why have you prophesied in the name of Yahweh, saying, This house shall be like Shiloh, and this city shall be desolate, without inhabitant? All the people were gathered to Jeremiah in the house of Yahweh.
10
When the princes of Judah heard these things, they came up from the king's house to the house of Yahweh; and they sat in the entry of the new gate of Yahweh's [house].
11
Then spoke the priests and the prophets to the princes and to all the people, saying, This man is worthy of death; for he has prophesied against this city, as you have heard with your ears.
12
Then spoke Jeremiah to all the princes and to all the people, saying, Yahweh sent me to prophesy against this house and against this city all the words that you have heard.
13
Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of Yahweh your God; and Yahweh will repent him of the evil that he has pronounced against you.
14
But as for me, behold, I am in your hand: do with me as is good and right in your eyes.
15
Only know for certain that, if you put me to death, you will bring innocent blood on yourselves, and on this city, and on its inhabitants; for of a truth Yahweh has sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.
16
Then the princes and all the people said to the priests and to the prophets: This man is not worthy of death; for he has spoken to us in the name of Yahweh our God.
17
Then rose up certain of the elders of the land, and spoke to all the assembly of the people, saying,
18
Micah the Morashtite prophesied in the days of Hezekiah king of Judah; and he spoke to all the people of Judah, saying, Thus says Yahweh of Armies: Zion shall be plowed as a field, and Jerusalem shall become heaps, and the mountain of the house as the high places of a forest.
19
Did Hezekiah king of Judah and all Judah put him to death? Didn't he fear Yahweh, and entreat the favor of Yahweh, and Yahweh relented of the disaster which he had pronounced against them? Thus should we commit great evil against our own souls.
20
There was also a man who prophesied in the name of Yahweh, Uriah the son of Shemaiah of Kiriath Jearim; and he prophesied against this city and against this land according to all the words of Jeremiah:
21
and when Jehoiakim the king, with all his mighty men, and all the princes, heard his words, the king sought to put him to death; but when Uriah heard it, he was afraid, and fled, and went into Egypt:
22
and Jehoiakim the king sent men into Egypt, [namely], Elnathan the son of Achbor, and certain men with him, into Egypt;
23
and they fetched forth Uriah out of Egypt, and brought him to Jehoiakim the king, who killed him with the sword, and cast his dead body into the graves of the common people.
24
But the hand of Ahikam the son of Shaphan was with Jeremiah, that they should not give him into the hand of the people to put him to death.
