459. Et les idoles d'or, et d'argent, et d'airain, et de pierre, et de bois, signifie qu'ainsi ils sont dans un culte d'après de purs faux. Par les idoles, dans la Parole, sont signifiés les faux du culte, et par suite adorer les idoles signifie le culte d'après les faux, et adorer les idoles d'or, d'argent, d'airain, de pierre et de bois, signifie le culte d'après des faux de tout genre, et quand les idoles sont prises collectivement, c'est le culte d'après de purs faux ; les matières, les formes et les vêtements des idoles chez les Anciens représentaient aussi les faux de la religion, d'après lesquels existait leur culte ; les idoles d'or signifiaient les faux sur les Divins, les idoles d'argent les faux sur les spirituels, les idoles d'airain les faux sur la charité, les idoles de pierre les faux sur la foi, et les idoles de bois les faux sur les bonnes œuvres : tous ces faux sont chez ceux qui ne font point pénitence, c'est-à-dire, qui ne fuient point les maux comme péchés contre Dieu. Ces faux sont signifiés dans le sens spirituel par les idoles, qui étaient des images taillées et des images de fonte, dans les passages suivants :

— « Insensé est devenu tout homme par la science, de honte a été couvert tout fondeur par l'image taillée ; car mensonge, son image de fonte, et point d'esprit en elles ; vanité, elles ; ouvrage d'erreurs ; au temps de leur visite elles périront. » — Jérémie 10:14-15 ; 51:17-18.

— « Les images taillées sont œuvre de mains de sculpteur ; elles ne parlent point ; ensemble ils s'infatuent et deviennent fous, enseignement de vanités est ce Bois, ouvrage de sages, tout cela. » — Jérémie 10:3-4, 5, 8-9, 10.

— « De quoi sert l'image taillée, parce que son sculpteur l'a taillée ? et le docteur de mensonge ? parce que le fabricateur du mensonge s'est confié sur lui ? d'esprit point en son milieu. » — Habakuk 2:18, 19, 20.

— « En ce jour-là, l'homme jettera les idoles de son argent, et les idoles de son or, qu'ils se sont faites, pour se prosterner devant les taupes et les chauves-souris. » — Ésaïe 2:18, 20.

— « Ils se sont fait image de fonte de leur argent ; dans leur intelligence, des idoles, ouvrage d'artistes, tout cela. » — Hosée 13:2.

— « Je répandrai sur vous des eaux pures, afin que vous soyez purifiés de toutes vos impuretés, et de toutes vos idoles. » — Ézéchiel 36:25.

— les eaux pures sont les vrais, les idoles sont les faux du culte. « Impure vous jugerez la couverture des images taillées de ton argent, et le revêtement de l'image de fonte de ton or ; tu les disperseras comme des menstrues ; ordure tu appelleras cela. » — Ésaïe 30:22.

— Il n'est pas non plus signifié autre chose que des faux de la religion et du culte par « les dieux d'or, d'argent, d'airain, de fer, de bois et de pierre, que louait (adorait) le Roi de Babel Belthchassar, quand, avec ses magnats, ses épouses et ses concubines, il but le vin dans les vases d'or et d'argent du Temple de Jérusalem. » — Daniel 5:1-5 et suivants ; — et, en outre, dans beaucoup d'autres passages ; par exemple, — Ésaïe 10:10-11 ; 21:9 ; 31:7 ; 40:19-20 ; 41:29 ; 42:17 ; 48:5 ; Jérémie 8:19 ; 50:38-39 ; Ézéchiel 6:4-5 ; 14:3-5, 6 ; Michée 1:7, 5:11 ; Psaumes 115:4-5 ; Psaumes 135:15-16 ; Lévitique 26:30.

— Par les Idoles sont particulièrement signifiés les faux du culte d'après la propre intelligence ; comment l'homme les invente, et ensuite les accommode, afin qu'ils apparaissent comme vrais, cela est pleinement décrit dans Ésaïe, Chapitre 44:9-20

3816. 'Should you serve me for nothing? Tell me, what shall your reward be?' means that there must be a means by which they are joined together. This is clear from the meaning of 'serving for nothing' as without any binding agreement, and from the meaning of 'reward' as the means by which they were joined together. The expression 'reward' is used frequently in the Word, and in the places where it occurs nothing else is meant in the internal sense than a means by which things are joined together. The reason for this is that angels utterly refuse to listen to any talk of reward being due on account of anything in themselves. Indeed they utterly loathe the very idea of a reward for the sake of any good or good action. For they know that with everyone the proprium, or that which is his own, is nothing but evil, and this being so, that whatever they do from the proprium or what is their own would hold the reverse of any reward within it. Angels also know that all good originates in the Lord, and that it flows in from Him, and solely out of mercy. Thus it is not on account of that which begins in themselves that they think about reward; indeed good itself ceases to be good when there is thought of reward on account of it, for a selfish end in view then instantly attaches itself. And to the extent this end attaches itself it introduces a denial that good originates in the Lord and is imparted out of mercy. This therefore removes the influx of good and consequently removes heaven and the blessedness present in good and in the affection for good. The affection for good, that is, love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbour, includes blessing and happiness within it. These are present in the affection or love itself. Doing something for reasons of affection and the blessing it brings and doing it at the same time for the sake of reward are utterly contrary motives. This is why angels do not perceive any reward at all when reward is mentioned in the Word but that which the Lord grants them for nothing and out of mercy.

[2] But reward serves as a means to join together in the case of those who have not yet reached that point; for those who have not yet been brought into good and the affection for it, that is, who are not yet wholly regenerate, inevitably think of reward as well; for they do not do the good they do from an affection for good but from an affection for their own blessedness and happiness, and at the same time from fear of hell. But when a person is being regenerated this is reversed and becomes an affection for good. And when it is an affection for good he no longer has reward in view.

[3] This may be illustrated from aspects of public life. Someone who loves his country and is so governed by an affection for it that he desires out of goodwill to further its welfare would be hurt if prevented from doing so and would plead to be given an opportunity to further its welfare. For such is the object of his affection and consequently of his desire and blessedness. Indeed such a person receives honours and is promoted to important positions because these are the means by which he serves his country even though those honours and positions are called rewards. But people who have no affection for their country, only for themselves and for the world, act for the sake of position and wealth, which are also their ends in view. Such people put themselves before their country, that is, their own good before the common good, and in comparison with the others are sordid. And yet more than all others they want it to be seen that they do what they do from a love that is sincere. But when they think about this on their own they deny that anyone acts from such love, and are amazed that anyone is able to do so. Those whose attitude during their lifetime is such towards their country or the public good have the same attitude in the next life towards the Lord's kingdom, for a person's affection or love follows him, since affection or love constitute the life of everyone.