337. And the kings of the earth and the great men, the rich men and the commanders, and the powerful, and every slave and every freeman. (6:15) This symbolizes those people who before the separation had possessed an understanding of truth and good, a knowledge of their concepts, and learning, acquired from others or on their own, and yet who lacked a life in accordance with them.

All these things are symbolized in turn by these classes of people, and this no one can know but one who knows what kings, great men, rich men, commanders, the powerful, and a slave and a freeman mean symbolically. In the spiritual sense kings symbolize people who possess truths; great men, people who possess good qualities; rich men, people who possess concepts of truth; commanders, people who possess concepts of goodness; the powerful, people who possess learning; slaves, people who acquire these things from others, thus as a matter of memory; and freemen, people who acquire these things on their own, thus with judgment.

It would take too long, however, to confirm from the Word that these are the symbolic meanings of all these designations. We have previously shown what kings symbolize, in no. 20; and what rich men symbolize, in no. 206. What great men symbolize is apparent in Jeremiah 5:5, Nahum 3:10, Jonah 3:7; for greatness is predicated of goodness (nos. 896, 898). And we will see below that the powerful and slaves and freemen are people who possess learning, acquired from others or on their own.

We say that they possess these things and yet lack a life in accordance with them, since evil people, even the worst of them, can have a knowledge and understanding of concepts of truth and goodness, and a great deal of learning as well. But because they lack a life in accordance with them, they do not really possess them. For whatever resides in the intellect alone, and is not present at the same in a person's life, does not exist in the person, being outside of him, as though in a forecourt. But whatever is present at the same time in a person's life exists in the person, being within him as though in the house. Consequently these people are preserved and the former rejected.

206. "'Because you say, "I am rich and wealthy."'" (3:17) This symbolically means, because they believe they possess in great abundance concepts of goodness and truth having to do with the church and heaven.

To be rich and wealthy means, symbolically, nothing else here than to have full knowledge and understanding of such things as have to do with the church and heaven, things which are called spiritual and theological, because they are the subject here. Spiritual riches and wealth are nothing else.

People who base their beliefs on their own thinking, and not on the Lord through the Word, also believe that they know and understand everything. That is because their spiritual mind is closed and only their natural mind open, and without spiritual light the natural mind has no other sight.

That riches and wealth in the Word symbolize spiritual riches and wealth, which are concepts of truth and goodness, is apparent from the following passages:

By your wisdom and your intelligence you have gained riches for yourself..., gold and silver in your treasuries; by the increase of your wisdom... you have increased your riches... (Ezekiel 28:4-5)

This is said of Tyre, which symbolizes the church in respect to its concepts of truth and good. Similarly:

The daughter of Tyre (the daughter of the king) (will bring you) a gift; the rich among the people will seek to placate your face. (Psalms 45:12)

...(Jehovah) will impoverish (Tyre); He will destroy its wealth in the sea... (Zechariah 9:4)

They will plunder (O Tyre) your riches... (Ezekiel 26:12)

(Asshur said,) "By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I am intelligent...; (therefore) I... will plunder the treasures of the peoples... My hand will find... the wealth of the peoples...." (Isaiah 10:13-14)

Asshur symbolizes the rational faculty - here that it perverts the goods and truths of the church, which are the treasures and wealth of the peoples that it will plunder.

I will give you the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places... (Isaiah 45:3)

Blessed is the man who fears Jehovah... Wealth and riches will be in his house, and his righteousness endures forever. (Psalms 112:1, 3)

(God) has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. (Luke 1:53)

...woe to you who are rich, for you have received your joy. Woe to you who are filled, for you shall hunger. (Luke 6:24-25)

The rich here mean people who possessed concepts of truth and good because they had the Word, namely the Jews. So, too, the "rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen" (Luke 16:19).

The rich and riches have a similar meaning elsewhere, as in Isaiah 30:6; Jeremiah 17:11; Micah 4:13; 6:12; Zechariah 14:14; Matthew 12:35; 13:44; Luke 12:21.