557. Verse 9. (Revelation 9:9) And they had breastplates as iron breastplates, signifies the persuasions with which they gird themselves for combats, against which the truths of the rational-spiritual man prevail not. This is evident from the signification of "breastplates" (or coats of mail), as being defenses against evils and falsities in combats, but here defenses of evils and falsities against goods and truths, because this treats of those who are in the falsities of evil in opposition to truths. Here "breastplates" signify persuasions, because sensual men who are in the falsities of evil, who are here described, do not fight against truths from reason, for they do not see truths, but falsities only, and are therefore in the persuasion that falsities are truths, consequently they fight solely from the persuasion of falsity, and with them this persuasion is such that the truths brought forth by the spiritual-rational man are of no avail, for they are repelled as a sword is from a breastplate or coat of mail. So "breastplates as iron breastplates" signify persuasions against which truths are of no avail. That the persuasiveness with such is so infatuating and suffocating that the spiritual-rational is of no avail against it may be seen above (n. 544, 549, 556). Moreover, breastplates or coats of mail, cover that part of the body called the breast or thorax, and this signifies the spiritual affection of truth; also all affection is contained in the sound which comes forth from the breast with the speech. But those who are here signified by "locusts," who are such sensual men as are in falsities, have no other affection than that of the love of self, and because that affection is full of self-confidence and full of the persuasion that their falsity is truth, and because that affection is in the sound which comes forth from the breast with the speech, so the locusts appeared in "breastplates which were as iron breastplates." Moreover, "iron" signifies truth in ultimates, and likewise falsity there, and at the same time what is hard; and the persuasiveness that they have causes the falsity to be so hard that the truths opposed to it rebound, as if they were of no account or avail. Because the persuasion of sensual men who are in falsities from self-confidence is such, and with spirits is so powerful that it suffocates and extinguishes the rational of other spirits with whom they converse in the world of spirits, it is severely prohibited, and those who make use of it are sent among spirits where they are distressed even to swooning by other spirits by means of still stronger persuasions, and this until they desist.

[2] Because breastplates or coats of mail were in use in wars, and to put them on signified to gird oneself for war and thus to fight, therefore in the Word those who were girt for fighting are said to have put on coats of mail. Thus in Jeremiah:

Harness the horses, and go up, ye horsemen; and stand ye forth in helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the coats of mail (46 Jeremiah 46:4).

These words do not mean the combat of one army against another, but the combat of the spiritual-rational man against the natural man who, from knowledges [scientifica] falsely applied, fights against truths and goods. For this is said of the army of Pharaoh king of Egypt, whom the king of Babylon smote, and "Pharaoh king of Egypt" means such a natural man, and "the king of Babylon," near the Euphrates, means the spiritual-rational man, therefore "Harness the horses, go up, ye horsemen, and stand ye forth in helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the coats of mail," signifies such things as relate to the combat of the spiritual-rational man against the natural man who is in falsities; "horses" mean the things of the understanding, "chariots to which they were harnessed" the things of doctrine, "horsemen" the intelligent, "helmets" the things of reason, "spears" truths combating, and "coats of mail" force and strength in fighting and resisting. A "coat of mail" has this meaning because it girds the breast, and from the breast through the arms is all the strength in fighting and resisting.

[3] In the same:

Against Babylon let him bend, let him that bendeth bend his bow; against her he shall lift himself up in his coat of mail (Jeremiah 51:3).

Here, too, "coat of mail" stands for the power to fight and resist. In Isaiah:

He put on righteousness as a coat of mail, and the helmet of salvation upon His head (Isaiah 59:17).

This treats of the Lord, and of the subjugation of the hells by Him; and "righteousness as a coat of mail" signifies the zeal for rescuing the faithful from hell and the Divine love of saving the human race; and as it was from the zeal of Divine love and power therefrom that the Lord fought and conquered, so righteousness is called a "coat of mail;" while the "helmet of salvation" signifies Divine truth from Divine good, by means of which is salvation, for a "helmet" has a similar signification as the head, because it is worn on the head; that the "head" in reference to the Lord signifies Divine truth and Divine wisdom will be seen in what follows.

1050. Ces mots, Et entre toute âme vivante dans toute chair, signifient tout le genre humain : c'est ce qui résulte de la signification de l'âme vivante dans toute chair. Tout homme, en raison de ce qu'il y a de vivant chez lui, est appelé âme vivante : aucun homme ne peut vivre, ni encore moins vivre comme homme, s'il n'a chez lui quelque chose de vivant, c'est-à-dire, s'il n'a quelque innocence, quelque charité, quelque miséricorde, ou quelque chose de semblable ou qui en approche. L'homme reçoit du Seigneur ce peu d'innocence, de charité et de miséricorde, quand il est dans la première enfance et quand il est dans l'âge puéril, comme on peut le remarquer par les états du premier et du second âge de l'enfance. Ce que l'homme reçoit alors est conservé chez l'homme ; les choses qui sont conservés sont appelées, dans la Parole, restes (reliquae), et appartiennent au Seigneur Seul chez l'homme ; ce sont ces choses, ainsi conservés, qui font que l'homme, quand il arrive à l'âge adulte, peut être homme. Voir, au sujet de ces Reliquiae ce que j'en ai dit, numéros 468, 530, , 576. Une preuve évidente que les états d'innocence, de charité et de miséricorde, que l'homme a eu dans le premier et le second âge de l'enfance, font que l'homme peut être homme, c'est que l'homme ne nait dans aucun exercice de la vie, comme naissent les animaux bruts, mais il apprend tout en général et particulier, et ce qu'il apprend devient alors par l'exercice une habitude et comme une nature : l'homme ne peut pas même marcher, à moins qu'il ne l'apprenne ; il ne peut pas non plus parler, et il en est ainsi de tout le reste ; tout cela lui devient comme naturel par l'usage. Il en est de même des états d'innocence, de charité et de miséricorde dont l'homme est pareillement imbu dès l'enfance ; si ces états n'étaient pas introduits chez lui, il serait bien plus vil que la brute ; mais ces états, l'homme ne les acquiert pas, il les reçoit de la gratitude du Seigneur, et le Seigneur les conserve chez lui. Ce sont ces états qui, joints aux vérités de la foi, sont appelés Reliquiae et appartiennent au Seigneur Seul. Autant l'homme, dans l'âge adulte, détruit ces états, autant il devient mort. Lorsque l'homme se régénère, ces états sont les principes de la régénération, et c'est en eux qu'elle est introduite ; car le Seigneur, comme je l'ai dit, opère par les Reliquiae. Ces Reliquiae, chez chaque homme, sont ce qu'on appelle ici l'Ame vivante dans toute chair. Il est évident, d'après la signification que le mot chair a de tout côté dans la Parole, que toute chair signifie tout homme, et par conséquent tout le genre humain ; voir ce qui a été expliqué, numéro 574, et pour exemple les passages suivants, dans Matthieu :

« Si ces jours » n'étaient abrégés, aucune Chair ne serait sauvée. » 7- Matthieu 24:22 ; Marc 13:20.

Dans Jean :

« Jésus dit : Père, glorifie » Ton Fils ; comme tu Lui as donné puissance sur toute Chair. » - Jean 17:2.

Dans Ésaïe :

« La gloire de Jéhovah sera révélée, et toute Chair verra. » - Ésaïe 40:5.

Dans la Même :

« Toute chair connaîtra que Moi Jéhovah (je suis) ton Sauveur. » - Ésaïe 49:26.