714. And behold a great red dragon, signifies all who are merely natural and sensual from the love of self, and yet have more or less knowledge from the Word, from doctrine therefrom or from preaching, and think to be saved by knowledge alone apart from life. This is evident from the signification of "dragon," as being a man who is merely natural and sensual, and yet has a knowledge of things in themselves spiritual, whether from the Word or from preaching or from religion (of which presently); also from the signification of "great red," as meaning to be in the love of self and in its evils; for "great" is predicated in the Word of good, and in the contrary sense of evil, as "many" is predicated of truths, and in the contrary sense of falsities (See above, n. 336, 337, 424), and "red" is predicated of love in both senses, namely, of celestial love, which is love to the Lord, and in the contrary sense of diabolical love, which is the love of self (of which also above, n. 364). This shows that "a great red dragon" means all who are merely natural and sensual from the love of self, and yet have more or less knowledge from the Word or from doctrine therefrom or from preaching, and who think to be saved by knowledge alone without the life of charity. Such think to be saved by knowledge alone without the life of charity, because all who live for the body and the world, and not for God and heaven, become merely natural and sensual; for everyone is inwardly formed according to his life, and to live for the body and the world is to live a natural and sensual life, while to live for God and heaven is to live a spiritual life.

[2] Every man is born sensual from his parents; and by his life in the world becomes natural more and more interiorly, that is, rational, according to his moral and civil life and the lumen acquired therefrom; afterwards he becomes a spiritual man by means of truths from the Word or from doctrine from the Word, and by a life according to these truths. From this it can be seen that one who knows the things taught in the Word or in doctrine or by a preacher, and does not live according to them, however learned and erudite he may appear, is nevertheless not spiritual but natural, and even sensual, for knowledge [scientia] and the ability to reason do not make man spiritual, but the life itself.

This is so because knowledge and the faculty of reasoning are merely natural, and can therefore also be with evil men, even with the worst of men; but truths from the Word with a life according to them are what make man spiritual, for life is willing truths and doing them from a love of them; this is not possible to the natural man alone, but must come from the spiritual, and from its influx into the natural; for to love truths and from love to will them and from that will to do them is from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord, and is in its nature celestial and Divine; this cannot flow in immediately into the natural mind, but only mediately through the spiritual mind, which is capable of being opened and formed for the reception of heavenly light and heat, that is, for the reception of Divine truth and Divine good. These cannot flow immediately into the natural mind, for the reason that man's hereditary evils, which belong to the love of self and the world, have their seat in that mind; therefore the natural man, viewed in itself, loves nothing but self and the world, and from love wills, and from will does those evils, and these block the way to the influx of anything out of heaven into the natural man, and its reception there; therefore it has been provided by the Lord that these evils can be removed, and for a place to be given for the truths and goods of spiritual love, namely, by the opening and formation of the spiritual mind which is above the natural mind, and by the influx of heaven from the Lord through that mind into the natural mind.

[3] This has been said that it may be known that to know the things that are of the Word and of the doctrine of the church does not make man spiritual, but a life according to those things that the Lord has commanded in the Word; therefore although such know many things from the Word they yet remain natural and sensual. Such are signified in the Word by "the dragon." They therefore are signified by "the dragon" because the dragon is a kind of serpent that not only creeps on the ground but also flies, and thence it appears in heaven; and it is because of this flying and appearing in heaven that the dragon means those who are in a knowledge of the truths from the Word, and not in a life according to them, "serpents" in general signifying the sensual things of man (See above, n. 581), and this is why "the dragon" (in the ninth verse of this chapter and in the second verse of the twentieth chapter) Revelation 12:9, 20:2, is called "the old serpent."

[4] Since in the rest of this chapter and also afterwards "the dragon" is treated of, it shall be told what sort of persons, in general and in particular, it signifies. In general it signifies those who are more or less natural, and yet are in a knowledge of spiritual things from the Word. But in particular it signifies those who have confirmed themselves by doctrine and life in a faith separated from charity. These constitute the head of the dragon. But those who from self-intelligence hatch out for themselves dogmas from the Word constitute its body, while those who study the Word without doctrine constitute its external parts. All these also falsify and adulterate the Word, since they are in the love of self, and thence in the pride of self-intelligence, from which they become merely natural, yea, even sensual, and the sensual man is unable to see the genuine truths of the Word because of fallacies, obscurity of perception, and the evils of the body residing therein; for the sensual clings to the body, from which such things come.

[5] 1. In the first place, "the dragon" means in general those who are more or less natural, and yet are in a knowledge of spiritual things from the Word, because "serpents" signify in general the sensual things in man, and thence sensual men; therefore "the dragon," which is a flying serpent, signifies the sensual man who yet flies towards heaven in that he talks and thinks from the Word or from doctrine from the Word. For the Word itself is spiritual, because it is in itself Divine, and is therefore in heaven. But since the mere knowledge of spiritual things from the Word does not make man spiritual, but a life according to those things that are in the Word, therefore all of those who are in knowledge from the Word and are not in a life according to that knowledge are natural and even sensual.

[6] The sensual who are meant by "the dragon" are those who do not see anything from the light of heaven, but only from the light of the world, and who from that light alone, when excited by the fire of the love of self and pride therefrom are able to talk about Divine things, and to reason keenly and readily about them; but yet they are unable to see whether these things be truths or not, calling that truth which they have imbibed from childhood from a master or preacher, and then from doctrine, and which they have afterwards confirmed by some passages of the Word not interiorly understood. Because they see nothing from the light of heaven they do not see truths, but in place of them falsities, which they call truths; for truths themselves can be seen only in the light of heaven, and not in the light of the world unless that light is illuminated by the light of heaven. These being such love no other than a bodily and worldly life; and as the pleasures and lusts of that life have their seat in the natural man the interiors of such are filthy and crowded with evils of every kind, which close up every way for the influx of the light and heat of heaven; consequently they are inwardly devils and satans, however much they may appear to be spiritual and to be Christians by their talk and simulated gestures. Such are merely sensual, for while they are able to talk outwardly about the holy things of the church, inwardly they believe nothing; and those who think they believe have only a historical and thence a persuasive belief derived from some teacher or from self-intelligence, which in itself is false, but which they believe for the sake of fame, honor, or gain. Such are meant in general by "dragons." But there are many that are signified in particular by the dragon, for there are some that have reference to the head, some to the body, and some to the external parts.

[7] 2. Those that have reference in particular to the head of the dragon are those who have confirmed themselves both by doctrine and by life in faith alone, which is faith separated from charity. These refer to the head of the dragon because most of them are erudite and are believed to be learned; for they have confirmed themselves in the belief that they are saved by simply thinking what the church teaches, which they call believing. But what their doctrine is and what their life is shall be told. Their doctrine is, that God the Father sent His Son, born from eternity, into the world, that He might become man, might fulfill all things of the law, might bear the iniquities of all and suffer the cross; and that thereby God the Father was reconciled and moved to compassion; and that those who from confidence were in a faith respecting these things would be received into heaven; and that the confidence of that faith, together with the Lord, would intercede and save; consequently that such a faith is given to mankind, who are separated from God the Father, as a medium of reception and salvation, because when Adam had eaten of the tree of knowledge man was no longer in a state to do good of himself, for he had thus lost, with the image of God, his free will; lastly, that these things are the Lord's merit, by which alone man can be saved. These in respect to doctrine are the primary things of faith with those who are in faith alone. Elsewhere, the Lord willing, it shall be explained and illustrated that no one can, from any spiritual sight, which is of the understanding, perceive and thus believe anything of this; but such things can be known and talked about only from the memory, without any understanding, thus that in that doctrine there is nothing of intelligence.

[8] Of what quality such as these are in respect to life shall also be stated. They teach that man is led of God by faith alone, even to the endeavor to do good, and that good itself in act contributes nothing to salvation, but faith alone does this, and that then nothing of evil condemns him, because he is in grace and is justified. Moreover, they have thought out the steps, which they call the progressions of faith alone, even to the last step of justification; the first is information as to the things that pertain to faith, especially those above mentioned; the second is confirmation from the Word or from preaching; the third is mental investigation whether it be so or not; and as doubt and consequent wavering, which is temptation, then flow in, there must be confirmation from the Word respecting the operation of faith, from which comes confidence, which is victory. They add that heed must be taken that the understanding be not allowed to go further than to secure confirmations from the Word respecting justification by faith alone; if it goes beyond this and is not kept in obedience to faith the man is overcome. The fourth and last step is an endeavor to do good; and this is an influx from God and not at all from man, and is the fruit of faith; for they say that after a man has thus been fully justified nothing of evil condemns him and nothing of good saves him, but faith alone. From this it is clear what such are in respect to life, namely, that they live for themselves and not for God, and for the world and not for heaven; for this follows from the belief that evils do not condemn and that goods do not save. Nor do they know that faith without the life of charity is not faith, and that man ought to shun evils and do good as of himself, and yet to believe that it is from the Lord, and that otherwise evils cannot be shaken off, nor goods appropriated. But more will be said also about this elsewhere.

[9] Such is the doctrine and the life with those who form the head of the dragon, who for the most part are the erudite leaders, but few are from the common people; and for the reason that the leaders regard these things as secrets of theology that cannot be comprehended by the common people because of their secular employments. These belong to the head of the dragon for the reason also that they pervert and falsify all the things of the Word which teach love, charity, and life; for the Word, viewed in itself, is simply the doctrine of love to the Lord and of charity toward the neighbor, and nowhere the doctrine of faith separate from charity. Such falsify the Word by calling them either faith or such fruit as is not eaten, because they give no thought to doing, and thus they are not nourished by that fruit. Moreover, they admit these principles no further than into the memory, and therefrom into the thought nearest to it, which is sensual thought, in which there is nothing spiritual, and this thought does not inquire whether a thing is true; therefore they guard against the entrance of anything into the interior sight which is of the understanding, being unwilling to know that all these things respecting their faith said above are contrary to an enlightened understanding, as they are contrary to the genuine sense of the Word. This is why those who constitute the head of the dragon have no genuine truth, for from a false principle, such as faith alone, nothing can flow forth except falsities in a continual series; nor indeed can there be any such thing as faith alone, for faith apart from charity is not faith, since charity is the soul of faith, therefore to speak of faith alone is to speak of what is without a soul, thus without life, which in itself is dead.

[10] 3. That those constitute the body of the dragon who have hatched out for themselves from self-intelligence dogmas from the Word can be seen from this, that all of such who study the Word and are in the love of self are also in the pride of self-intelligence, and all who are in this pride and at the same time excel in cleverness from natural lumen, hatch out dogmas therefrom for themselves; this is the origin of all the heresies and all the falsities in the Christian world. It shall be told what the intelligence is that is from man's own [proprium], and what the intelligence is that is not from man's own. Intelligence from man's own is from self, but intelligence not from man's own is from the Lord. All who are in the love of self have intelligence from what is their own, for love of self is man's very own [ipsum proprium]; and those are in the love of self who read the Word and gather up dogmas from it for the sake of fame, glory, and honor; and as such are unable to see any truths, but can see falsities only, they are in the body of the dragon; for they gather up and hatch out such things from the Word as favor their loves and the evils that flow from them, and such things as are contrary to their dogmas, which are truths from good, they either do not see or they pervert; but all who are in the spiritual affection of truth, that is, who love truth because it is truth and because it is serviceable to eternal life and to the life of men's souls, have intelligence from the Lord. It is said that their intelligence is not from their own [proprium] but from the Lord, because when such read the Word they are elevated above what is their own and even into the light of heaven, and are enlightened; in that light truth appears from truth itself, because the light of heaven is Divine truth. But they who are in the love of self and in the pride of self-intelligence therefrom cannot be elevated out of their own, for they look to self continually, thus in every least thing they do. Thence it is that they place everything of salvation in faith in their own dogmas, thus in knowing and thinking, and not at the same time in life, that is, not in willing and doing. These, therefore, constitute the body of the dragon. The heart of this body is the love of self, and the breath of its respiration, or of its spirit, is the pride of self-intelligence; from these two the dragon is called "great red," and the term "red" [rufus] in the original Greek text is from fiery-red, thus from love and pride.

[11] 4. Those who study the Word without doctrine and are at the same time in the love of self, constitute the externals of the draconic body. Externals are what proceed from the interiors, and involve, inclose, and contain them, like the skins, the scales, and the prominences on every part. Such constitute the externals of the dragon's body because they are without the intelligence of the spiritual things of the Word; for they only know the Word in respect to the sense of its letter, which is such that, unless doctrine lights the way, it may lead into errors and falsities of every kind; consequently those who study the Word without doctrine are able to confirm as many heresies as they will, and also to embrace them, and also to protect them by the loves of self and of the world and the evils arising therefrom. For the sense of the letter of the Word is the ultimate sense of Divine truth, thus it is for the natural and sensual man, adapted to its apprehension, and often so as to favor it; consequently unless it is read and viewed from doctrine, as from a lamp, it carries the mind away into darkness respecting many things that pertain to heaven and the church. And yet such believe themselves to be wise above all others, when in fact they are not wise at all.

[12] 5. All those who constitute the dragon adore God the Father, and look upon the Lord as a man like themselves, and not as God, or if as God they place His Divine above His Human, and not within it. This will be illustrated in what follows, where the combat of the dragon with Michael is treated of.

[13] 6. From this it can now be seen that the "tail" of the dragon means the falsification and adulteration of the Word by those who constitute its head, its body, and its extremities; for its tail, like the tail of every animal, is a continuation of the spine, which is an extension from the brain, and thus it is moved, bent, and vibrated, according to the appetites, lusts, and pleasures of the head and body, which it caresses, as it were. And inasmuch as all those that constitute the dragon falsify and adulterate the Word, because they are natural and sensual from the love of self and thence are in the pride of self-intelligence, therefore it is said that "the dragon with his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven and cast them unto the earth;" "the stars of heaven" signify the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, thence the truths from good therefrom, and "to cast them unto the earth" signifies to pervert and adulterate and thus destroy them.

[14] That those above described constitute the dragon, and that the adulteration and destruction of the truths of the Word are meant by "his tail," it has been given me to see in the spiritual world two or three times, for in that world all things that are seen are representative of things spiritual. When such persons are seen in the light of heaven they are seen as dragons with a long tail; and when many such are seen the tail appears extended from the south through the west into the north, and that tail is also seen to draw down as it were the stars from heaven and cast them unto the earth.

[15] As those above described are meant by "the dragon" and the falsification and adulteration of the Word by his "tail," the "habitation" and "bed" of dragons in the Word signify where there is nothing but falsity and evil, as in the following passages. In Isaiah:

The dry place shall become a pool, and the thirsty place springs of waters; in the habitation of dragons, its den, there shall be grass instead of the reed and rush (Isaiah 35:7).

This is said of the Lord's coming and of the establishment of a New Church by Him with the Gentiles; and these words mean that the truths and goods of the church shall be where they were not before, even where there were falsities and evils; where falsities and evils were before is signified by "the dry and thirsty place," and by "the habitation of dragons," also by "the reed and rush;" but the truths and goods that they will then have are signified by the "pool," the "springs of waters," the "den" where dragons were before, and the "grass."

[16] In Jeremiah:

I will make Jerusalem heaps, the habitation of dragons; and the cities of Judah will I reduce to a waste that there may be no inhabitant (Jeremiah 9:11).

The voice of a clamor, behold, a great tumult cometh from the land of the north, to reduce the cities of Judah to a waste, a habitation of dragons (Jeremiah 10:22).

"Jerusalem" means the church in respect to doctrine, and "the cities of Judah" doctrinals, which are truths from the Word; the falsification of truth and the adulteration of good, from which come mere falsities and evils, are signified by "making Jerusalem heaps," and by "reducing the cities of Judah to a waste, a habitation of dragons," for truth falsified is mere falsity, and good adulterated is mere evil; "the voice of a clamor and a great tumult from the land of the north" signifies falsities fighting against truths, and evils against goods; "the land of the north" means where those are who are in falsities of evil.

[17] In the same:

Hazor shall become a habitation of dragons, a desolation even forever; a man shall not dwell there, nor shall the son of man abide there (Jeremiah 49:33).

"Hazor" signifies spiritual treasures, which are the knowledges of truth and good from the Word; their devastation even until they are no more, but falsities and evils in their place, is signified by "Hazor shall become a habitation of dragons, a desolation even forever;" that there will be no truth of the church remaining is signified by "a man shall not dwell there, nor shall the son of man abide in her," "son of man" meaning the truth of the church.

[18] In Isaiah:

The thorn shall come up in her palaces, the thistle and bramble in her fortresses; that she may be a habitation of dragons, a court for the daughters of the owl (Isaiah 34:13).

This is said of Edom and of the nations, which mean those who are in falsities and evils; "the thorns, the thistle, and the bramble," signify the falsities and evils in which these are; the dogmas by which they are defended are signified by "palaces and fortresses;" the devastation of all good and truth is signified by "a habitation of dragons, and a court for the daughters of the owl," "owls" meaning those who see falsities as truths, and "their daughters" the lusts of falsifying truths.

[19] In the same:

The ijim shall answer in her palaces, and dragons in the temples (Isaiah 13:22).

This is said of Babylon, which signifies the adulteration and profanation of good and truth; "her palaces" in which are the ijim, and the "temples" in which are dragons, signify the goods and truths of the Word and of the church, which are adulterated and profaned, "ijim" signifying adulterated and profaned truths, and "dragons" adulterated and profaned goods.

[20] In Micah:

For this I will lament and howl, I will go stripped and naked; I will make a lamentation like dragons, and a mourning like the daughters of the owl (Mic. Micah 1:8).

This treats of the vastation of Samaria, which signifies the spiritual church in respect to doctrine, here that church vastated; devastation in respect to truth and good is signified by "going stripped and naked;" lamentation over it is signified by "lamenting and howling," lamentation over devastated good by "making a lamentation like dragons," and lamentation over devastated truth by "making a mourning like the daughters of the owl." The lamentation and mourning are said to be like that of "dragons and the daughters of the owl" in a representative sense; also "his going stripped and naked," "stripped" signifying, the like as the dragon, to be destitute of goods, and "naked," the like as the daughters of the owl, to be destitute of truths.

[21] In Jeremiah:

Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up as a whale, he hath filled his belly with my delicacies, he hath thrust me out. Let Babylon become a heap, a habitation of dragons, a hissing and an astonishment, without inhabitant (Jeremiah 51:34, 37). Here, too, "Babylon" and "Nebuchadnezzar" signify the adulteration and profanation of good and truth. The dispersion of all truth, and thence the destruction of all good, is signified by "he hath made me an empty vessel, he hath swallowed me up as a whale, he hath filled his belly with my delicacies, he hath thrust me out," "whale" having a similar signification as "dragon," the same word being used for both in the original tongue. The devastation of all truth and good by their adulteration and profanation is signified by "Babylon shall become a heap, a habitation of dragons, a hissing and an astonishment, without inhabitant," "without inhabitant" signifying no good in anyone.

[22] In Job:

I walked blackened without the sun, I stood in the assembly, I cried out, I am become a brother to dragons and a companion to the daughters of the screech owl (Job 30:28, 29).

This is said of his state in temptations, in which man thinks himself to be damned; therefore "to walk blackened without the sun" signifies to be like a devil, without the good of love; "to stand in the assembly and cry out" signifies to be among truths and yet in falsities; "to become a brother to dragons and a companion to the daughters of the screech owl" signifies to be conjoined with and to be one with those who are in evils without good and in falsities without truths, "dragons" meaning those who adulterate goods and pervert them into evils, and "the daughters of the screech owl" those who do the same to truths.

[23] In David:

Our heart is not turned away backward, neither hath our step declined from Thy way, though Thou hast crushed us in the place of dragons, and covered us over with the shadow of death (Psalms 44:18, 19).

This, too, treats of temptations. That being then shut off, like a sensual man, from influx out of heaven, he did not perceive what is good and what is true, is signified by "God hath crushed him in the place of dragons, and covered him over with the shadow of death," "the place of dragons" meaning where those who are dragons are in hell, that is, those who have destroyed every good in themselves; the falsity in which these are is called "the shadow of death."

[24] In the same:

Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the adder, the lion and the dragon shall he trample ¹ on; because he hath set his love upon Me I will rescue him, I will set him on high because he hath known My name (Psalms 91:13, 14).

To destroy the interior and exterior falsities that vastate the truths of the church is signified by "treading upon the lion and adder;" and to destroy the interior and exterior falsities that vastate the goods of the church is signified by "trampling on the lion and dragon;" to lead away from falsities and to lead to interior truths and goods one who is in doctrine from the Word is signified by "I will rescue him, I will set him on high, who ² hath known My name," "to rescue" meaning to lead away from falsities, "to set on high" to lead to interior truths, and "to know My name," to be in doctrine from the Word.

[25] In Malachi:

Esau I hated, and made his mountains a waste, and gave his heritage to the dragons of the wilderness (Malachi 1:3).

"Esau" means such as are in good in respect to the natural man, here such as are in evil in respect to the same, therefore it is said, "Esau I hated;" that the goods of love of the natural man will be destroyed is signified by "I made his mountains a waste;" and that the truths of that good will be destroyed by the falsities of the sensual man is signified by "I gave his heritage to the dragons of the wilderness."

[26] In Ezekiel:

Behold I am against thee, Pharaoh king of Egypt, the great dragon (or whale) that lieth in the midst of his rivers, that hath said, My river is mine own, and I have made myself (Ezekiel 29:3, 4; 32:2).

This describes the pride of self-intelligence of the natural and sensual man; "Pharaoh king of Egypt" signifies the natural and sensual man; "the dragon" (or whale) the same in respect to knowledges [scientifica] which are falsities or things falsified by the pride of self-intelligence (but this may be seen explained above, n. 513.

[27] In Moses:

Their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields ³ of Gomorrah; his grapes are grapes of gall, his ⁴ clusters of bitternesses. Their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruel gall of asps (Deuteronomy 32:32, 33).

This may be seen explained above n. 519. There, too, "their wine," which is called "the poison of dragons and the cruel gall of asps," signifies that the truth of the church with the posterity of Jacob was external, in which inwardly there were infernal evils and falsities; "dragons and asps" signify sensual things which are the ultimates of the natural man full of horrible evils and falsities confirming them, and for the reason that the natural then receives nothing through the spiritual mind from the Lord, consequently what it receives is from hell.

[28] That "the dragon" signifies such things as have been stated above can be seen more fully from what follows in this chapter, namely, from his enmity against the woman about to bring forth and fleeing into the wilderness; also from his combat with Michael; and still further in chapters Revelation 16:13-15, and Revelation 20:2, 7, 8, 10, 14, where it is said of him that "he was bound a thousand years, and afterwards being loosed he went forth to seduce the nations, and to gather Gog and Magog together to battle against the saints," and that afterwards "he was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone;" from all of which it can be seen that "the dragon" means those who possess no good of charity and love because they do not acknowledge it to be any medium serviceable to salvation, but make it a kind of knowledge [scientificum] which from persuasion they call faith; and when the good of charity and love is not implanted by the life of man there is evil in place of it, and where there is evil there is falsity.

[29] Because "serpents" signify sensual things, which are the ultimates of the natural man, and these are not evil except with those who are evil, and because the word in the Hebrew that means dragon [tannin] is the same as that which means serpents not venemous, so when such serpents are meant by "dragons" they signify in the Word sensual things not evil, or as applied to persons, sensual men who are not evil. That the same word in Hebrew means dragons and such serpents can be seen in Moses:

When he was commanded out of the bush to cast his rod to the earth, and when it was changed to a serpent, he took hold of its tail, and thereby it was changed again into a rod (Exodus 4:3, 4).

Moses took the rod and cast it down before Pharaoh, and it became a serpent [dragon], and the magicians did the like with their rods; but the rod of Moses, then a serpent [dragon], swallowed up the rods, the serpents [dragons], of the magicians (Exodus 7:9-12).

The word rendered serpent in the former passage and the one so rendered in the latter in the original language are different; in the former passage the word generally employed in other parts of the Word for serpent is used, but in the latter it is the same word as is translated "dragon;" thus it might also be rendered that when Moses' rod was cast before Pharaoh it was changed into a dragon. From this it follows that "dragon," the same as "serpent," signifies in a good sense the sensual which is the ultimate of the natural man when it is not evil or not wicked.

[30] It is in this milder sense that "dragons" are also mentioned in Isaiah:

The wild beast of the field shall honor Me, the dragons and the daughters of the owl, because I will give waters in the wilderness, rivers in the solitude, to give drink to My people, My chosen (Isaiah 43:20).

And in Jeremiah:

The hind brought forth in the field, but forsook it, because there was no grass; and the wild asses stood upon the hills, they pant for wind like dragons, their eyes were consumed because there was no herb (Jeremiah 14:5, 6).

In these passages the word translated "dragons" is the same word commonly translated "serpents," and is also translated "whales" in the sea, and these have a similar signification, namely, man's natural in general which is the sensual; so the last passage might be translated, "they breathed out the wind like whales." (Likewise in Isaiah 51:9; Jeremiah 51:34; in Ezekiel 29:3, 4; and in David, Psalms 74:13, 14.) Moreover, there are men merely sensual who are good.

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8904. Tu ne commettras point adultère, signifie que les choses qui appartiennent à la doctrine de la foi et de la charité ne. doivent point être perverties ; ainsi, la Parole ne point être appliquée à confirmer les maux et les faux ; ni les lois de l'ordre ne point être retournées : on le voit par la signification de commettre adultère, de se prostituer et de se livrer à la scortation, en ce que dans le sens spirituel ou interne c'est pervertir les biens et falsifier les vrais qui appartiennent à la doctrine de la foi et de la charité ; et comme commettre adultère a cette signification, il signifie aussi appliquer la Parole à confirmer les maux et les faux, car la Parole est la doctrine même de la foi et de la charité, et la perversion du vrai et du bien dans la Parole est l'application aux faux et aux maux : que cela soit signifié dans le, sens spirituel par commettre adultère, et par se prostituer, à peine quelqu'un aujourd'hui le soit-il ; et cela, parce qu'aujourd’hui au dedans de l'Église peu de personnes savent ce que c'est que le spirituel, et par quelle qualité il diffère du naturel, et à peine quelqu'un soit-il qu'il y a une correspondance entre l'un et l'autre, dixième une correspondance telle, que l'image de l'un se présente dans l'autre, c'est-à-dire que le spirituel est représenté dans le naturel ; que par conséquent le spirituel est comme l'âme, et que le naturel en est comme le corps, et qu'ainsi ils font un par influx et par conjonction, comme dans l'homme régénéré son homme interne qui est aussi appelé spirituel, et son homme externe qui est aussi appelé naturel : comme ces choses sont ignorées aujourd'hui, on ne peut pas par conséquent savoir ce que commettre adultère signifie de plus qu'une conjonction illégitime quant au corps. Puisque ces choses, comme il vient d'être dit, sont ignorées aujourd'hui, je vais dire la raison pour laquelle commettre adultère, dans le sens spirituel, signifie pervertir ce qui appartient à la doctrine de la foi et de la charité, ainsi adultérer les biens et et falsifier les vrais ; la raison, qui est aujourd'hui cachée, c'est que l'amour conjugal descend du mariage du bien et du vrai, mariage qui est appelé céleste ; l'amour qui influe du Seigneur, et qui existe entre le bien et le vrai dans le ciel, est changé en amour conjugal sur la terre, et cela par correspondance ; de là vient que la falsification du vrai est une scortation, et que la perversion du bien est une adultération dans le sens interne ; de là vient aussi que ceux qui ne sont pas dans le bien et le vrai de la foi, ne peuvent pas être non plus dans l'amour conjugal réel ; et que ceux qui prennent le plaisir de la vie dans les adultères, ne peuvent plus rien recevoir de ce qui appartient à la foi ; j'ai entendu dire par des Anges que, dès que quelqu'un commet un adultère sur la terre, et qu'il y prend plaisir, le ciel lui est fermé, c'est-à-dire qu'il refuse d'en recevoir à l'avenir rien de la foi ni de la charité : si aujourd'hui dans les royaumes où est l'Église les adultères sont réputés pour rien par le plus grand nombre, c'est parce que l'Église est à sa fin, et qu'ainsi il n'y a plus de foi, parce qu'il n'y a pas de charité ; en effet, l'un correspond à l'autre ; où il n'y a point de foi, le faux prend la place du vrai, et le mal prend celle du bien, et de là résulte que les adultères ne sont plus considérés comme des crimes ; car le ciel étant fermé Chez l'homme, de telles choses influent de l'Enfer : voir ce qui en a déjà été dit et montré, numéros , 4434, 4835, 4837. Que se prostituer et commettre adultère, dans le sens interne ou spirituel, ce soit falsifier et pervertir les vrais et les biens de la foi et de la charité, par conséquent aussi confirmer le faux et le mal par de perverses applications d'après la Parole, on peut le voir par chacun des passages de la Parole où il est parlé d'adultère, de prostitution et de scortation, ce qui va devenir bien évident par ceux qui suivent, comme dans Ézéchiel :

« Fils de l'homme, fais connaître à Jérusalem ses abominations : Tu t'es livrée à la scortation à cause de ton nom, et tu as répandu tes scortations sur chaque passant : tu as pris de tes vêtements, et tu t'en es t'ait des hauts lieux bigarrés, et tu t'y es livrée à la scortation : tu as pris les vases de ta parure de mon or et de mon argent que je t'avais donnés, et tu t'en es fait des images de mâles , tu t'es livrée à la scortation avec elles : tu as pris tes fils et tes filles, que tu m'avais enfantés, et tu les a sacrifiés ; est-ce peu de chose que tes scortations ? Tu t'es livrée à la scortation avec les fils de l'Egypte, tes voisins, grands en chair, et tu as multiplié ta scortation pour M'irriter : et tu t'es livrée à fa scortation avec les fils d'Aschur, parce que pour toi point de satiété, et même après qu'avec eux tu te fus livrée à la scortation, tu n'étais pas cependant assouvie : et tu as multiplié ta scortation jusque dans la terre du négoce, la Chaldée, et cependant en cela tu n'as pas été assouvie. La femme adultère sous son mari reçoit les étrangers : à toutes les prostituées on donne un salaire, mais toi tu as donné des salaires à tous tes amants, et tu les as rémunérés pour qu'ils vinssent vers toi d'alentour pour tes scortations : c'est pourquoi, prostituée, écoute la Parole de Jéhovah : Je te jugerai des jugements des adultères, et de celles qui répandent le sang. » - et suivants ;

Qui ne peut voir qu'ici par les scortations sont signifiées les falsifications du vrai et les adultérations du bien ? et qui peut ici comprendre le moindre mot, s'il ne sait pas que la scortation signifie de telles choses, puis s'il ne sait pas ce que signifient les fils de l'Egypte, les fils d'Aschur, la Chaldée, avec lesquels Jérusalem est dite s'être livrée à la scortation ? qu'elle ne se soit point livrée à la scortation avec ces peuples eux-mêmes, cela est évident ; il faut donc dire ce qui est signifié par la dans le sens interne : Par Jérusalem est entendue l'Église pervertie ; les vêtements y sont les vrais qui sont pervertis ; de là, les faux qui sont reconnus sont les hauts lieux bigarrés ; les fils de l'Egypte sont les scientifiques, les fils d'Aschur les rationnels, la Chaldée la profanation du vrai ; que les vêtements soient les vrais, on le voit, numéros 1073, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248, 5319, 5954, 6914, 6918 ; elles hauts lieux le culte, ici les hauts lieux bigarrés le culte du faux, numéro 796 ; les vases de parure d'or et d'argent sont les connaissances du bien et du vrai, car les vases sont les connaissances, numéros 3068, 3079, l'or est le bien, numéros 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, et l'argent le vrai du bien, numéros 1551, 2048, 2954, 5658 ; les images de mâles signifient les apparences et les ressemblances du vrai, numéro 2046 ; les fils et les filles qu'elle a enfantés sont les vrais et les biens qu'on a pervertis, car les fils sont les vrais, numéros 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373, , 489, 2362, 3024 ; les fils d'Aschur sont les scientifiques par lesquels il y a eu perversion, numéros 1164, 1165, , 1462, 2588 (fin), 4749, 4964, 4967, 5700, 5702, 6004, 6015, 6125, 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692, 6750, 7296, 7779, 7926 ; et Aschur est le raisonnement par lequel ; au moyen des scientifiques, les vrais de la foi ont été pervertis, et les biens de la foi ont été adultérés, numeros 119, 1186 ; multiplier la scortation jusque dans la terre de la Chaldée, c'est jusqu'à la profanation du vrai, car la Chaldée est la profanation du vrai, numéro 1368 ; de là, on voit clairement pourquoi il est dit femme adultère, puis prostituée : il en est de même de Babylone dans Apocalypse :

« Et il vint un des sept anges qui avaient les sept coupes, et il me parla, en disant : Viens, je te montrerai le jugement de la grande prostituée qui est assise sur beaucoup d'eaux, avec laquelle se sont livrés à la scortation les rois de la terre, et se sont enivrés du vin de sa scortation ceux qui habitent la terre : c'était la grande Babylone, la mère des scortations et des abominations de la terre. » - Apocalypse 17:1-2, ;

Que Babylone soit ceux qui pervertissent les vrais et les biens de l'Église dans le but de dominer et de s'enrichir, et cela jusqu'à profaner, on le voit par la signification de Babel, numéros 1182, 1283, 1205, 1304, 1306, 1307, 1308, 1321, 1322, 1326, 1327 (fin). ; de là vient que Babylone est appelée prostituée et mère des scortations ; ceux qui ne savent rien du sens interne, croiront que les rois de la terre qui se sont livrés à la scortation avec elle, signifient les rois sur la terre ou les royaumes, cependant ils ne signifient ni les rois ni les royaumes, mais ils signifient les vrais de la foi de l'Église, et se livrer à la scortation avec eux, c'est les pervertir ; que les rois soient les vrais de la foi, on le voit, numéros 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148 ; et que la terre soit l'Église, on le voit, numéros 566, 662, 1067, 1262, 1413, 1607, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (fin), 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577, 8011, 8732 ; les habitants de la terre enivrés du vin de la scortation, signifient que ceux qui sont au dedans de l'Église ont été entraînés dans les erreurs et dans le délire par les faux provenant du mal ; car s'enivrer, c'est être conduit dans les erreurs par les faux raisonnements et par les mauvaises interprétations de la Parole, numéro 1072 ; le vin est le faux provenant du mal, numéro 6377 ; de là, le vin de la scortation est le faux provenant de la perversion du vrai ; que la terre soit l'Église, cela vient d'être montré ; elle est dite assise sur beaucoup d'eaux, parce que c'est sur les faux car les eaux dans le sens réel sont les vrais, et dans le sens opposé les faux, numéros 729, 790, 8137, 8138, 8568. Que commettre adultère, et se livrer à la scortation, ce soit pervertir les biens et les vrais de l'Église, on le voit clairement ailleurs dans Ézéchiel.

« Deux femmes, filles d'une même mère, se sont livrées à la scortation en Egypte ; dans leur adolescence elles se sont livrées à la scortation ; Oholah, Samarie ; et Oholibah, Jérusalem ; à la scortation s'est livrée Oholah sous moi, et elle a aimé ses amants, les Assyriens ses voisins, vêtus d'hyacinthe, préfets et généraux, jeunes-gens de désirs, tous, cavaliers chevauchant sur des chevaux ; elle a mis ses scortations sur eux, élite de tons les fils d'Aschur : toutefois à ses scortations d'Egypte elle n'a point renoncé ; car avec elle ils ont couché dans son adolescence : Oholibah a corrompu son amour plus qu'elle, et ses scortations au-dessus des scortations de sa sœur ; les fils d'Aschur elle a aimé ; elle a ajouté à ses scortations, quand elle voyait des hommes peints sur la muraille, des images de Chaldéens, peints au vermillon, et elle les a aimés du regard de ses yeux ; et sont venus vers elle les fils de Babel au lit de ses amours ; ils l'ont souillée par leur scortation ; cependant elle a multiplié ses scortations, jusqu'à se ressouvenir des jours de son adolescence, pendant lesquels elle s'était livrée à la scortation dans la terre d'Egypte, elle les a aimés plus que leurs courtisanes. » - , et suivants ;

Dans ces passages aussi chacun peut voir que par les scortations sont entendues des scortations spirituelles, c'est-à-dire, des perversions du bien et des falsifications du vrai, bien et vrai qui appartiennent à l'Église ; et que ce qui est contenu dans le sens interne ne se manifeste pas, à moins qu'on ne sache ce qui est signifié par les fils de l'Egypte, par les Assyriens ou les fils d'Aschur, par la Chaldée et par Babel ; en effet, il est évident que ce ne sont pas ces nations qui sont entendues, mais que ce sont des choses qui appartiennent au faux, car les habitants de Samarie et de Jérusalem ne se sont pas livrés à la scortation avec elles ; quant à ce qui est signifié par l'Egypte, par Aschur, par la Chaldée et par Babel, on vient de le voir ci-dessus. D'après ce qui suit on voit aussi que les scortations et les adultères dans le sens interne sont les falsifications et les perversions du bien et du vrai, ainsi les adultérations de l'un et de l'autre ; comme dans Osée :

« Plaidez avec votre mère, plaidez ; car elle n'est point

« mon épouse, et Moi je ne suis point son mari ; qu'elle éloigne ses scortations de ses faces, et ses adultères d'entre ses mamelles ; de ses fils je n'aurai pas compassion, parce que fils de scortations, eux, puisque la scortation s'est livrée leur mère, en disant : J'irai après mes amants, qui me donnent mon pain et mes eaux, ma laine et mon lin, mon huile et mes boissons : » mais je dévasterai son cep et son figuier, desquels elle a dit : c'est là mon salaire de prostitution, que m'ont donné mes amants. » - .

Ici, par la mère dans le sens interne est entendue l'Église, numéros 289, 2691, 2717, 4257, 5581, 8897 ; pareillement par l'épouse, numéros 252, 253, 409, 749, 770 ; elle est dite n'être point l'épouse, parce qu'elle est dans les vrais pervertis, c'est-à-dire, dans les faux -, par les fils sont entendus les vrais de l'Église, ici les faux, parce qu'ils sont dits fils de scortations , numéros 489, 491, 533, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373, 3704, 4257 ; ce que c'est que le pain, l'eau, la laine et le lin, l'huile et les boissons, et aussi le cep et le figuier, cela a été expliqué en leurs lieux, à savoir, que ce sont les biens de l'amour et de la charité, et aussi les biens et les vrais de la foi intérieurs et extérieurs, mais dans le sens opposé les maux et les faux, car les biens deviennent maux et les vrais deviennent faux quand ils sont pervertis ; voir ce que c'est que le pain, numéros 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478, 3735, 3813, 4217, 4735, 4976, 5915, 6118, 6409 ; ce que c'est que les eaux, numéros 739, 790, 8137, 8138, 8568 ; ce que c'est que le lin, numéro 7601 ; ce que c'est que l'huile, numéros 886, 3728, 4582, ce que c'est que les boissons, numéros 3069, 3168, 3772, 8562, ce que c'est que le cep, numéros 1069, 5113, 6376 ; ce que c'est que le figuier, numéros 4231, 5113 ; le salaire de prostitution est le faux de la doctrine qu'on vante comme vrai.

Dans le Même :

« Mon » peuple interroge son bois, et son bâton lui répond ; car un esprit de scortation les a séduits, et ils se sont livrés à la scortation de dessous leur Dieu ; sur les sommets des montagnes ils sacrifient, et sur les collines ils font des parfums ; c'est pourquoi à la scortation se livrent vos filles, et vos brus commettent adultère : si tu te livres à la scortation, toi, Israël ! que coupable ne devienne pas Jehudah ; est-ce que je ne ferai pas la visite sur vos filles puisqu'elles se livrent à la scortation, et sur vos brus puisqu'elles commettent adultère ? car celles-ci avec les débauchées partagent, et avec les prostituées elles sacrifient. » - Osée 4:11 [Il manque du texte ici] ,2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 4295, 4402, , 7010, 7268, 7873, 8301, 8867 ; les montagnes et les collines sont les amours, ici les amours de soi et du monde, numéros 795, 796, 1691, 2722, 6435 ; le bois qui est interrogé est le bien du plaisir de quelque cupidité, numéro 643 ; le bâton qui répond est la puissance imaginaire d'après le propre intellectuel, numéros 4013, 4015, 4876, 4936, 7011, 7026 ; comme les Dieux signifient dans le sens réel les vrais, et dans le sens opposé les faux, c'est pour cela que falsifier les vrais et adultérer les biens est signifié par

« Ceux qui se livrent à la scortation après des Dieux étrangers, comme après Baal, après Molech, après les idoles, » - Lévitique 20:5, et ailleurs.

D'après cela, on peut voir maintenant ce qui est entendu par les adultères et par les scortations dans les passages suivants ; dans Ésaïe :

« Vous, approchez ici, fils de la prestigiatrice, semence d'adultère, et elle s'est livrée à la scortation ; contre qui plaisantez-vous ? contre qui élargissez-vous la bouche, et tirez-vous la langue ? n'êtes-vous pas des enfants de prévarication, une semenée de mensonge, qui vous êtes échauffés pour des Dieux sous tout arbre verdoyant ? " - Ésaïe 57:3-4, 5.

Dans le Même :

« Et il arrivera qu'à la fin des soixante-dix années Jéhovah visitera Tyr, afin qu'elle retourne à son salaire de prostitution, et qu'elle se livre à la scortation avec tous les royaumes de ta terre sur les faces de l'humus. " - Ésaïe 23:17-18.

Dans Jérémie :

« Voici, un homme a renvoyé son épouse, et elle s'en est allée d'avec lui, et elle a été avec un autre homme ; elle s'est livrée à la scortation avec plusieurs compagnons ; tu as profané la terre par tes scortations et par ta malice : as-tu vu ce qu'a fait la perverse Israël ? elle s'en est allée sur toute montagne élevée, et sous tout arbre verdoyant ; et tu t'y livrais à la scortation ! et aussi la perfide Jehudah sa sœur ; elle s'en est allée, et elle s'est livrée à la scortation aussi, elle ; tellement que par la voix de sa scortation elle a profané la terre ; elle a commis adultère avec la pierre et avec le bois. » - .

Dans le Même :

« Voilà ton sort, parce que tu M'as oublié et que tu t'es confiée dans le mensonge ; tes adultères et tes hennissements, le crime de ta scortation, sur les collines dans le champ j'ai vu tes abominations ; malheur à toi Jérusalem ! » - Jérémie 13:25, 27.

Dans le Même :

« Contre les Prophètes : D'adultères pleine est la terre, parce que, à cause de la malédiction, dans le deuil est la terre, flétris ont été les pâturages du désert 5 parce que, tant Prophète que Prêtre, l'hypocrisie ils exercent.

Dans les Prophètes de Jérusalem aussi j'ai vu une obstination horrible à commettre adultère et à aller dans le mensonge ; ils ont fortifié les mains des méchants ; la vision de leur cœur ils prononcent, non de la bouche de Jéhovah. » - Jérémie 23:9-10, et suivants.

Dans le Même

« Ils ont pratiqué la folie en Israël, et ils ont commis adultère avec les épouses de leurs compagnons, et ils ont prononcé la Parole en mon Nom en mentant, ce que je ne leur ai point ordonné. » - Jérémie 29:23.

D’après ces passages il est bien évident que commettre adultère et se livrer à la débauche, c'est expliquer et pervertir les vrais de la Parole d'après son cœur, c'est-à-dire, d'après le propre, ainsi comme le persuadent les amours de soi et du monde ; par conséquent c'est prononcer des mensonges, c'est-à-dire, des faux, comme il est dit ouvertement. Et encore dans Osée :

« Ne te réjouis pas, Israël, de ce que tu t'es livré à la scortation de dessous ton Dieu ; tu as aimé le salaire de prostitution sur toutes les aires de blé. » - Osée 9:1.

Dans le Même :

« Jéhovah dit à Hosée : Va, prends-toi une femme de scortations, et des enfants de scortations, car en scortation s'est livrée à la scortation la terre par derrière Jéhovah. » - Osée 1:2.

Dans Nahum :

« Malheur à la ville de Sangs ! à cause de la multitude des scortations de la débauchée, belle de grâce, maîtresse de prestiges, qui vend les nations par ses scortations, et les familles, par ses prestiges. » - , ,Nombres 1, A.

Comme les falsifications du vrai et les adultérations du bien correspondaient aux scortations sur la terre, c'est pour cela que

« La peine de mort était infligée aux adultères. » - Lévitique 20:10.

Et que

« Si la fille d'un homme prêtre se profanait en se livrant à la scortation, elle devait être brûlée au feu ; » - Lévitique 21:9.

Et aussi

« Qu’aucune fille en Israël ne devait être exposée à la scortation ; » - Lévitique 19:29 ;

-pareillement,

« Que le bâtard ne devait pas venir dans l'assemblée de Jéhovah, pas même sa dixième génération ; » - Deutéronome 23:3 :

Et que le salaire de prostitution ne devait pas être porté dans la maison de Jéhovah, parce que c'était une abomination. » - Deutéronome 23:19. -Maintenant, d'après ces passages, on peut voir pleinement ce qui est signifié par commettre adultère, c'est-à-dire que c'est, dans le sens externe, commettre des adultères, et dans le sens interne représentatif adorer les idoles et les autres Dieux par des choses qui appartiennent à l'Église, conséquemment par des idolâtries externes et internes ; mais que dans le sens interne spirituel, ce sont les adultérations du bien et les perversions du vrai : d'après cela on voit clairement d'où vient que les adultères sont en eux-mêmes si affreux, et sont appelés abominations, c'est-à-dire que cela vient de ce qu'ils correspondent au mariage du faux et du mal, qui est le mariage infernal ; et vice versa on voit clairement pourquoi les Mariages réels sont saints, c'est-à-dire que cela vient de ce qu'ils correspondent au Mariage du bien et du vrai, qui est le Mariage Céleste ; en un mot, l'amour conjugal réel descend du mariage du bien et du vrai, ainsi du ciel, c'est-à-dire, du Seigneur par le Ciel ; et l'amour de l'adultère descend du mariage du faux et du mal, ainsi de l'enfer, c'est-à-dire , du diable.