817. And he spake as a dragon. That this signifies in affection, thought, doctrine, and preaching, similar to what prevails with those who separate faith from the life of faith, which is charity, is evident from the signification of speaking, as denoting affection, thought, doctrine, and preaching. The reason why speaking signifies these things is, that all of a man's speech is from affection and thought thence, the affection itself being expressed by the sound of the speech, and the thought by the words. That both the affection and the thought are in the speech, is evident to every one who reflects. Affection alone cannot speak, it can only make a noise and sing; nor can thought alone speak except as an automaton without life. For it is the affection which gives life to every expression of speech. This is also the reason why man is regarded by others according to the affection in his speech, and not according to the words. The reason why speaking also signifies preaching from doctrine, thus doctrine and preaching thence is, that it is said that the beast spake as a dragon; and by the dragon are meant those who are in faith separate from charity both in doctrine and in life (as may be seen above, n. 714). And by this beast are meant confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word in favour of the separation of faith from life, and the resulting falsifications of the Word. That religious persuasion, as to doctrine and as to preaching, is signified therefore by speaking as a dragon.

[2] Because by the dragon and by his two beasts is described faith separate from charity, and the resulting falsification of the Word, it shall be shown in this article, that a similar heresy is described in the Word by Cain, Reuben, and the Philistines; and is also meant by the he-goat in Daniel. For there have been several churches upon this earth - the Most Ancient, which was before the flood; the Ancient Church, which was after the flood; the Jewish, which succeeded the Ancient, and lastly the Christian Church. All these churches, in process of time, degenerated into two great errors, one which has adulterated all the goods of the church, and the other which has falsified all its truths. The church which has adulterated all the goods of the church is described in the Word by the Babylonians and Chaldeans; and the church which has falsified all the truths of the church is described by Cain, Reuben, and the Philistines; and also by the he-goat in Daniel, which fought with the ram and overcame it.

Concerning the adulteration of the good of the church, which is described by the Babylonians and Chaldeans, we shall speak in the following parts of this work, where Babylon is treated of in the Apocalypse. At present we shall confine ourselves to the subject of the falsification of truth, described here by the dragon and his two beasts. That the same is described also by Cain, and by the rest above-mentioned, shall now be explained.

[3] That those who separate the knowledges of truth and good from a life in agreement with them, and believe that they may be saved by these alone, were represented by Cain, has been briefly shown in the Arcana Coelestia, where Cain and Abel are treated of, to which we shall add the following observations. It is written of Cain,

That he was the first-born of Adam, and that he tilled the ground, and brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to Jehovah; and that Abel was a shepherd of the flock, and brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fatness thereof; also that Jehovah had respect unto the offering of Abel, and not unto the offering of Cain, wherefore anger was kindled in Cain, and he slew his brother; that Cain, was therefore accursed, and banished from the ground, and became a vagabond and fugitive on the earth; and that Jehovah set a mark upon Cain, lest he should be slain, and appointed that whoever should slay him, should have vengeance taken on him seven-fold (Genesis 4).

It is to be observed, that all the names of persons and places in the Word signify things and states of the church; and especially the names in the first chapters of Genesis, because the historicals in those chapters are constructed historicals, containing in them the deepest mysteries of heaven, but which are, nevertheless, most holy in the sense of the letter; because in every word there is a spiritual sense which unites the heavens with the men of the church. What those historicals involve in the spiritual sense, and what the names of the persons there signify, is explained in the Arcana Coelestia. By Cain are signified the knowledges of truth and good separate from a life in agreement with them, thus from heavenly love; and by Abel is signified heavenly love; or, what amounts to the same, by Cain is signified truth separate from good, and by Abel good conjoined to truth. And because truth is the primary thing of the church, every church being formed by truths, for from truths, or from the knowledges of truth and good, every church first commences - therefore Cain was the first-born, and was named a man (vir) of Jehovah; for by a man of Jehovah, in the Word, is signified the truth of heaven and the church; and by the ground which Cain tilled, is signified the church. The separation of truth from good is signified by the murder of Abel by Cain. For when every thing of the church is placed in truths or in knowledges, and not in goods, or in the affection of living according to truths; then good with its affections is slain. And because every thing of the church perishes when truth is separated from good; therefore Cain was banished from the ground, by which, as was said, is signified the church.

But because truths are the primary things of the church, for truths will teach men how to live, therefore a mark was set on Cain, lest any one should kill him; and it was appointed that if any one should kill him, he should be avenged seven-fold. And because truth without good is carried hither and thither, having nothing to lead it, consequently it successively wanders into falsities, and falls away from the way that leads to heaven; therefore Cain was banished from before the face of Jehovah, and became a vagabond and fugitive. The case is similar with respect to faith and charity, because faith belongs to truth, and charity to good. Thus the case is similar with respect to faith separate from charity as with what is said concerning Cain, that is, that it kills Abel its brother, which is charity, whence the church perishes. And this is signified by being banished from the ground, and becoming a vagabond and fugitive; for when faith is separated by charity then truth is successively turned into falsity, and so falls to decay.

[4] That Reuben, the first-born of Jacob, signified the light of truth, and thence the understanding of the Word, and thereby truth from good, or faith from charity, as was also the case with the apostle Peter; and that Reuben also, on the other hand, represented truth separated from good, or faith separated from charity; and that this faith is signified by his adultery with Bilhah his father's concubine, in consequence whereof the primogeniture was taken away from him and given to Joseph, may be seen above (n. 434). To these things is to be added, that all heresies, so far as they are adulterations and falsifications of the Word, correspond to adulteries and whoredoms of various kinds, which, because of such correspondence, are also actually perceived in the spiritual world, from those who are in heresies. The reason is, that marriages, such as they are in the heavens, derive their spiritual origin from the conjunction of good and truth; and, on the other hand, adulteries derive their origin from the conjunction of evil and falsity. This is why heaven, in the Word, is compared to marriage, and hell to adultery. And because in the hells there is a conjunction of evil and falsity, therefore a sphere of adultery continually exhales from them. This is the reason why adulteries and whoredoms, in the Word, signify adulterations of the good of the church and falsifications of the truth thereof (as may be seen above, n. 141, 161).

[5] Faith separate from charity is perceived in the spiritual world as the adultery of a son with a mother, and also with a mother-in-law. The reason is, that faith shuts out the good of charity; and this being so, the evil of the love of self and of the world succeeds in its place, and such faith conjoins itself with it. For all faith must necessarily conjoin itself with some love; wherefore when spiritual love, which is charity, is separated, then the faith conjoins itself with the love of self or the love of the world, these being the loves that rule in the natural man; this is why such a horrible adultery results from faith separated from charity. And it is evident therefore what the adultery of Reuben with Bilhah his father's concubine signifies, and why he was therefore rejected from the right of primogeniture. This is also meant by the prophecy of Israel concerning Reuben:

"Reuben, my first-born, thou art my might, and the beginning of my strength, excellent in dignity, and excellent in power. Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it; he went up to my couch" (Genesis 49:3, 4);

which words may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia 6341-6350).

That such adultery from faith separated from charity is perceived in the spiritual world, has been made evident to me from correspondences in that world; for as often as I have perceived from afar the sphere of adultery with a mother or mother-in-law, I have known at once that they were at hand who had confirmed themselves in faith alone both in doctrine and in life, and they were also then discovered; and being examined as to their quality, they were found to have been such in the world.

[6] Thus far concerning Reuben. Something shall now be said concerning the Philistines. These also in the Word represent faith separated from love. This is why they were called the uncircumcised; for to be uncircumcised signifies to be without spiritual love, and to be solely in natural love, with which love alone not anything of religion, much less anything of the church, can be conjoined. For everything pertaining to religion and the church regards the Divine, heaven, and spiritual life; and these cannot be conjoined with any other than a spiritual love, consequently, they cannot be conjoined with a natural love separate from a spiritual. For natural separate from spiritual love is man's proprium, which, in itself, is nothing but evil. All the wars which the sons of Israel waged with the Philistines represented the combats of the spiritual man with the natural man, and also the combats of truth conjoined to good, with truth separated from good, which in itself is not truth but falsity. For truth separated from good is falsified in the thought concerning it; the reason being, that there is nothing spiritual in the thought to impart enlightenment. This is also the reason why those who are in faith separated from charity have no truth, except that used in speech or preaching from the Word. For the idea of the truth perishes as soon as such people exercise their thought about it.

[7] Because this religion in the churches prevails with all those who love to live a natural life, therefore in the land of Canaan the Philistines were not subjugated, like the other nations of that land, and hence so many battles took place between them. For all the historicals of the Word are representative of such things as pertain to the church; and all the nations of the land of Canaan represented things heretical confirming either falsities of faith or evils of love; and the sons of Israel represented the truths of faith and the goods of love, consequently the church.

But what the wars represented which the inhabitants of the land of Canaan carried on will be shown in due course. Here we shall merely show that the Philistines represented a religious persuasion separated from spiritual good, such as that of faith alone separated from its life, which is charity. This is why as often as the sons of Israel departed from the worship of Jehovah to the worship of other gods, they were delivered up to their enemies, or were conquered by them. Thus they were delivered up to the Philistines, and served them eighteen years, and afterwards forty years (Judges 10; 13). This represented their receding from worship from the good of love and the truths of faith, to a worship from the evils of love and the falsities of faith. It is mentioned that they were conquered and brought into straits by the Philistines (1 Sam. 4; 13; 28; 29; 31); but when the sons of Israel returned to the worship of Jehovah, which was worship from the good of love and the truths of faith, they then conquered the Philistines (as 1 Sam. 7:14, 2 Samuel chapters 5, 8, 21, 23; 2 Kings 18). That those historicals involve such things, can only be seen from the series of things there described in the internal sense, which we have not the time here to explain. We shall adduce only one passage from the prophetical parts of the Word, from which it will be evident that such things as pertain to the church were represented in those historicals by the Philistines.

[8] Thus in Isaiah:

"Rejoice not, thou whole Philistea, because the rod that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall go forth a basilisk, whose fruit is a fiery flying serpent. Then the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. Howl, O gate; cry out, O city; thou, whole Philistea, art dissolved: for a smoke cometh from the north, and none shall be alone in thy assemblies. What shall one then answer, the messengers of the nation? That Jehovah hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it" (14:29-32).

Philistea, is here described, which signifies the church, or those in the church, who are indeed in truths from the sense of the letter of the Word, or from another revelation, and yet in filthy loves. Consequently their truths do not live; and truths that do not live are turned into falsities when they are brought from exterior thought, which is the thought next to the speech, into the interior thought, which is that of the understanding, and are there considered as to their origin, which those meant by the Philistines cannot see. The reason why they cannot see is, that all men, even the wicked, have the faculty of understanding, but not good of the will, which is the good of life; for this springs from love to God, and from love towards the neighbour, these loves causing that faculty to communicate with heaven and thence receive enlightenment.

In that chapter in Isaiah, therefore, those are described who are in truths without good, and it is shown how all the truths with them are turned into falsities.

[9] This, therefore, is the spiritual sense of these words, "Rejoice not, thou whole Philistea, that the rod of him that smites thee is broken." The signification is, that they should not rejoice on account of its being permitted them to remain in their heresy because of the fewness of those who are in truths from good. "For out of the serpent's root shall go forth a basilisk," signifies, that from the sensual man a dogma will arise destructive of all truth; the serpent's root denoting the Sensual, which is the ultimate of man's life, and the basilisk denoting the destruction of all truth. "Whose fruit is a fiery flying serpent," signifies, from which is produced a faith separate from charity. This is meant by a fiery flying serpent, because by reasonings and by confirmations from things revealed but not understood, it flies upwards, and thereby kills the things that are living. The same, therefore, is signified by the basilisk as by the dragon, which is also called a serpent; and the same by the fiery flying serpent as by the beasts ascending out of the sea and out of the earth, which are treated of in this chapter of the Apocalypse. "Then the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety," signifies, when that dogma is received by those who are natural and sensual men, and believe themselves to be more wise than others, then truths from good with those who desire truths and will goods, shall live. The first-born, in the Word, denoting truths born from good; the poor those who are not in truths but who still desire them; and the needy those who are not in goods, but who still in heart will them. "And I will kill thy root with famine," signifies, that all truths, from first to last, will perish by falsities. "Howl, O gate; cry out, O city," signifies, that neither will entrance be granted to any truth, and that doctrine will be made up of mere falsities, gate denoting entrance to the truths of doctrine, and city denoting doctrine. "Thou, whole Philistea, art dissolved," signifies, the destruction of that church by pure falsities. "For a smoke cometh from the north," signifies, that all falsity from evil will break in from hell; the north denoting hell, and smoke the falsity of evil. "And none shall be alone in thy assemblies," signifies, that there shall not be one truth remaining amongst their knowledges. "What shall one then answer, the messengers of the nation," signifies, the enlightenment of those who are in good of life from love to the Lord. "That Jehovah hath founded Zion," signifies, that a church shall be established from them. "And the poor of his people shall trust in it," signifies, that those who are not in wisdom from self, and who overcome in temptations against those falsities, shall have intelligence and salvation.

[10] The vastation of truth by falsities with those who are meant by the Philistines, is also described by Jeremiah (47:1-7); also in Ezekiel (25:15, 16); in Joel (3:4-6); in Amos (1:8). That the same persons falsify truths is meant in Ezekiel (16:27, 57; 2 Sam. 1:20), by the daughters of the Philistines, who there denote the affections of falsity. Their religious persuasion was also represented by their idol called Dagon, which was set up in Ashdod, and which, according to their description, was fashioned as a man from the head to the navel, and as a fish from the navel downwards. As a man from the head to the navel, represented the understanding derived from truths; and as a fish from the navel downwards, represented the Natural without the good of love; for the part below the navel as far as the knees, corresponds to celestial love, and fish, to the natural man, who is without spiritual good. That man (homo) signifies the affection of truth, may be seen above (n. 280). That his head signifies the understanding of truth and intelligence thence (n. 553). That fish signifies the natural man (n. 513). And that the genitals, from correspondence, signify celestial love, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 5050-5062).

[11] The emerods also with which the Philistines were smitten, when the ark of God was detained by them, signified truths defiled by evils of life; but these and other circumstances related concerning them in 1 Sam 5 may be seen explained above (n. 700).

Truth defiled by evil of life, is also signified by the uncircumcised

2 Samuel 1:20; Ezekiel 28:10; 31:18; 32:18, 19; 44:9.

For the foreskin corresponds to corporeal love, because the member which the foreskin covers corresponds to spiritual and celestial love. And because the Philistines represented those who are in the knowledge and cognitions of truth, without any spiritual and celestial good, therefore they were called the uncircumcised. And because the sons of Israel were actually such, therefore in order that they might, nevertheless, represent the church, which is in spiritual and celestial good, and in truths thence, it was commanded that they should be circumcised. From these considerations it is evident that the religious persuasion at this day, which separates charity from faith is, in a representative sense, Philistea.

[12] Thus far concerning the Philistines. Something shall now be said about the signification of the goats and sheep, upon which judgment shall be executed, according to the Lord's words in Matthew (25:31 to the end). The common opinion is, that by the goats there mentioned are meant all the wicked; and it has not been known hitherto, that by the goats are there meant those who separate faith from charity, or who are in such a faith; and by the sheep those who are in faith from charity. By goats, in the good sense, are meant those who are in natural good, and thence in truths, these truths being called the knowledges of truth and good from the natural sense of the Word. These, or that good and thence that truth, are signified by the goats which were sacrificed.

That sacrifices of goats were made also, is evident from Leviticus 4:23; 9:2-4, 8-23; 16:2-20; 23:18, 19; Numbers 15:22-29; 28:11-15, 18 to the end; 29, and elsewhere.

For all the beasts that were used in sacrifices signified such things as pertain to the church, all of which have reference to goods and truths. Celestial goods and truths therefrom, in which the angels in the third heaven are, were signified by lambs; but spiritual goods and truths, in which the angels in the middle heaven are, were signified by rams. And natural goods and truths therefrom, in which are the angels who are in the ultimate heaven, were signified by goats. Celestial goods and truths pertain to those who are in love to the Lord; but spiritual goods and truths pertain to those who are in love towards the neighbour; and natural goods and truths pertain to those who live well according to truths from natural affection. These are signified by these three kinds of beasts, in various parts of the Word,

As in Ezek. (27:21; Deuteronomy 32:14).

[13] But because most things in the Word have also an opposite sense, so have he-goats, which in that sense signify those who are in faith separate from charity, because he-goats are lascivious above all other animals; and also because by these, in the genuine sense, are signified those who are in natural good and in truth therefrom; and all those who are in faith separate from charity both in doctrine and life are merely natural. That such persons are meant in the Word by he-goats, has been shown me to the life in the spiritual world. Various beasts are seen there, but not like those in our world, that is, those which have been born beasts; on the contrary, they are correspondences of the affections and of the thoughts therefrom, of spirits and angels. Therefore as soon as those affections and the thoughts therefrom vary and cease, they vanish out of sight. In order that I might know that those who are in faith separate from charity, or rather that their affections, and consequently the thoughts derived from their faith, are represented by he-goats, it was granted me to see some of those spirits. They appeared before my eyes and the eyes of several others, entirely like he-goats with horns. Some rams and sheep were also sent amongst them, at which the goats rushed with great fury, and strove to throw them down, but in vain. For in the spiritual world the he-goats have no power against rams or sheep, wherefore the goats were put to flight. And afterwards I was permitted to see the same as men; by which it was further testified to me that the goats were the same as those who in the world had lived in faith separate from charity.

[14] From these things it is evident what is signified by the ram and the he-goat, and by the battle between them, as recorded in Daniel (8); namely, that by the ram are there meant those who are in faith from charity, and by the he-goat those who are in faith separate from charity. The future state of the church, therefore, is there described, that is, that faith separate would dissipate all charity, which is the good of life; and that falsity therefrom would rule in the Christian world. For the purpose of illustration, we will here, in a summary, adduce what is related concerning the ram and the he-goat in Daniel, which is as follows:

Daniel saw in vision a ram "which had two horns, one higher than the other, and the highest came up last, and made itself great: but then" a he-goat of the she-goats came from the west on the face of all the earth, "and rushed upon the ram, and smote him, and broke his two horns, and cast the ram down to the earth, and stamped upon him": the he-goat had a horn between his eyes, and when this was broken "there came up four horns in the place thereof, according to the four winds of the heavens; and out of one of them came forth one horn, which grew exceedingly, even to the host of the heavens, and cast down some of the host to the earth, and some of the stars, and stamped upon them; yea, it lifted up itself unto the prince of the host, and the daily [sacrifice] was taken away from him, and the dwelling place of his sanctuary thrown down; and he cast down the truth to the earth" (8:1-14 and the following verses).

That by the ram are there meant those who are in faith from charity, and by the he-goats those who are in faith separate from charity, may be seen above (n. 316 and n. 573), where the same things are explained; therefore it is unnecessary to explain them again in this place. [15] That by the he-goats also are meant those who are in faith separate from charity, and by the rams those who are in faith from charity, is evident also in Ezekiel:

"As for you, O my flock, behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, and between the rams and the he-goats" (34:17).

Also in Zechariah:

"Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the he-goats" (10:3).

It is therefore evident that no others are signified by the goats and sheep in Matthew (25:31 to the end); consequently also the works of charity only are there enumerated, which the sheep performed, but which the goats did not. The same was also proved to me when the Last Judgment was accomplished upon those who belonged to the Christian Church; for then all those who were in faith separate from charity both in doctrine and life, were cast into hell; and all who were in faith from charity were preserved.

3863. 'For she said, Because Jehovah has seen' in the highest sense means foresight, in the internal sense faith, in the interior sense understanding, and in the external sense sight - faith received from the Lord being meant here. This is clear from the meaning of 'seeing', dealt with below. What has been presented above shows that the twelve tribes, named after the twelve sons of Jacob, meant all things forming part of truth and good, or of faith and love, and so all aspects of the Church. It also shows that each tribe meant some universal division, and so the twelve tribes the twelve universal divisions which embrace and include within themselves every specific thing which is part of the Church, and in the universal sense everything that is part of the Lord's kingdom. The universal division meant by 'Reuben' is faith. The reason faith is the first universal division is that when a person is being regenerated, or becoming the Church, he must first learn and absorb aspects of faith, that is, of spiritual truth, for it is by means of doctrine about faith or truth that he is led into regeneration. For man is such that of himself he does not know what heavenly good is but has to learn about it from doctrine, which is called the doctrine of faith. Every doctrine of faith has life as the end in view, and because it has life it also has good in view, for good is the sum and substance of life.

[2] Controversy existed among the ancients over which was the firstborn of the Church, whether it was the truth of faith or whether it was the good of love. Those who said that the truth of faith was the firstborn based their conclusions on the outward appearance and decided that such truth was the firstborn because it is and must be learned first and because a person is led by means of it into good. But they did not know that good is essentially the firstborn and that it is instilled by the Lord through the internal man so that he may adopt and accept the truth which is brought in by way of the external. They did not know that good holds life from the Lord within it, or that truth does not possess any life except that which comes through good, so that good is the soul of truth by making truth its own and clothing itself with it as the soul does the body. From this it may be seen that to outward appearance truth occupies first place and is so to speak the firstborn while a person is being regenerated, though essentially good occupies first place and is the firstborn, and does actually come to occupy it once he has been regenerated. For the truth of this, see 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701.

[3] The subject in this and previous chapters being the regeneration of the natural - at this point its first state, which is a state of being led by means of truth into good - the first son of Jacob, who was Reuben, was so named from the phrase Jehovah seeing, which in the internal sense means faith originating in the Lord. Regarded in itself faith consists in faith in the understanding and faith in the will. Knowledge and understanding of the truth of faith is called faith in the understanding, but willing the truth of faith is called faith in the will. The former - faith in the understanding - is the faith meant by 'Reuben', but the latter - faith in the will - is that meant by 'Simeon'. It may be seen by anyone that faith existing in the understanding, or the ability to understand truth, comes before faith existing in the will, or the actual willing of it. For when a person does not know of something, such as heavenly good, he must first come to know of its existence and then to understand what it is before he is able to will it.

[4] 'Seeing' in the external sense means sight, as is clear without explanation. 'Seeing' in the interior sense means the understanding, as is likewise clear, for the sight that the internal man has is nothing else than the understanding, which also is why in everyday speech the understanding is called internal sight, and the word light is used in reference to it as well as to external sight and is called the light of the understanding. 'Seeing' in the internal sense means faith received from the Lord, as is clear from the consideration that interior understanding has no other objects than those of truth and good, for these are the objects of faith. This interior understanding, or internal sight, which has truths of faith as its objects, does not show itself so plainly as the understanding does which has truths to do with public and private life as its objects, the reason being that it exists inside this latter understanding and dwells in the light of heaven, which light is in obscurity as long as a person dwells in the light of the world. Nevertheless it does reveal itself with those who are regenerate, in particular by means of conscience. 'Seeing' in the highest sense clearly means foresight, for the intelligence spoken of in reference to the Lord is an infinite intelligence, which is nothing else than foresight.

[5] That 'seeing' after which Reuben was named means in the internal sense faith received from the Lord is evident from very many places in the Word, of which let the following be brought forward: In Moses,

Jehovah said to Moses, Make a serpent and set it on a standard, and it will be that everyone who has been bitten, when he sees it, will live. And Moses made a serpent of bronze and set it on a standard. And so it was, if a serpent had bitten a man, when he looked at the serpent of bronze, that he was restored to life again. Numbers 21:8-9.

'The bronze serpent' represented the Lord's external sensory perception, which is natural, see 197 - 'bronze' meaning that which is natural, 425, 1551. Faith in Him was represented by the restoration to life again of those who saw it, that is, looked at it, as the Lord Himself teaches in John,

As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may not perish but have eternal life. John 3:14-15.

[6] In Isaiah,

The Lord said, Go and say to this people, Hearing, hear - but do not understand; and seeing, see - but do not comprehend. Make the heart of this people fat and their ears heavy, and plaster over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes and hear with their ears, and their heart understands. Isaiah 6:9-10.

Here it is quite evident that 'seeing, see - but do not comprehend' means understanding what is true and yet not acknowledging. The words 'plastering over their eyes, lest they see with their eyes' means depriving them of the understanding of truth, faith in the Lord being meant in this case by 'seeing', as is clear from the Lord's words in Matthew 13:13-14, and in John 12:36-37, 39-40.

[7] In Ezekiel,

Son of man, you are dwelling in the midst of a rebellious house, who have eyes to see but they do not see, who have ears to hear but they do not hear. Ezekiel 12:2

'Eyes to see but they do not see' stands for their being able to understand the truths of faith but not willing them. They do not will them on account of evils, meant by 'a rebellious house', which bring an untrue light to falsities and darkness to truths, in accordance with the following in Isaiah,

They were a rebellious people, lying sons, sons who did not wish to hear the law of Jehovah, who said to the seers, Do not see; and to those who had visions, Do not see for us things that are right, tell us smooth things, see illusions. Isaiah 30:9-10.

In Isaiah,

This people walking in darkness have seen a great light; those dwelling in the land of the shadow of death, upon them has the light shone out. Isaiah 9:2.

'Seeing a great light' stands for receiving and believing the truths of faith. It is over those who have faith that heavenly 'light' is said 'to shine out', for the light which is shed in heaven is Divine Truth coming from Divine Good.

[8] In the same prophet,

Jehovah has poured out over you a spirit of slumber, and has closed your eyes, the prophets and your heads, the seers, He has covered. Isaiah 29:10.

'Closing the eyes' stands for closing the understanding of truth - 'the eye' meaning the understanding, see 2701. 'Covering the seers' stands for covering those who know and teach the truths of faith. 'Seers' in former times were called prophets, and prophets mean those who teach as well as meaning the truths of doctrine, see 2534. In the same prophet,

The priest and the prophet err through strong drink, they err among those who see, they are tottery in judgement. Isaiah 28:7.

Here the meaning is similar. 'The judgement in which they are tottery' means the truth of faith, see 2235. In the same prophet,

The eyes of those who see will not be closed, and the ears of those who hear will listen. Isaiah 32:3.

Here the meaning is similar.

[9] In the same prophet,

Your eyes will behold the king in his beauty, they will see a land stretching far. Isaiah 33:17.

'Beholding the king in his beauty' stands for beholding truths of faith which come from the Lord and are called beautiful by virtue of good. 'Seeing a land stretching far' stands for seeing the good of love. For 'the king' means the truth of faith, see 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, this being called beautiful by virtue of good, 553, 3080, 3821; and 'a land' means the good of love, 620, 636, 3368, 3379. In Matthew,

Blessed are the pure in heart, for these will see God. Matthew 5:8.

Here it is quite evident that 'seeing God' means believing in Him, and so seeing Him by faith, for people who possess faith, from faith see God, since God is within faith and is that within faith which constitutes true faith.

[10] In the same gospel,

If your eye causes you to stumble pluck it out. It is better for you to enter into life one-eyed than having two eyes to be thrown into the Gehenna of fire. Matthew 18:9.

Here, as is quite evident, 'the eye' does not mean the eye. Nor does it mean that the eye has to be plucked out, for it is not the eye that causes the stumbling but the understanding of truth meant here by 'the eye', 2701. The law that it is better not to know and grasp the truths of faith than to know and grasp them and yet to lead a life of evil is what is meant by 'better to enter into life one-eyed than having two eyes to be thrown into the Gehenna of fire'.

[11] In the same gospel,

Blessed are your eyes, for they see, and your ears, for they hear. Truly, I say to you, many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, but did not see. Matthew 13:13-17; John 12:40.

'Seeing' stands for knowing and understanding the things that constitute faith in the Lord, and so stands for faith. For it was not their seeing the Lord and seeing His miracles that made them 'blessed' but their believing, as becomes clear from the following words in John,

I said to you that you have both seen Me and not believed. This is the will of Him who sent Me, that everyone who sees the Son and believes in Him may have eternal life. No one has seen the Father except Him who is with the Father; He has seen the Father. Truly, truly, I say to you, He who believes in Me has eternal life. John 6:36, 40, 46-47.

'Seeing and not believing' stands for knowing the truths of faith and not accepting them, 'seeing and believing' for knowing them and accepting them. The words 'No one has seen the Father except Him who is with the Father' stands for not being able to acknowledge Divine Good except through Divine Truth - 'the Father' being Divine Good and 'the Son' Divine Truth, see 3704. Consequently the internal sense is that nobody is able to possess heavenly good unless he acknowledges the Lord.

[12] Similarly in the same gospel,

Nobody has ever seen God; the only begotten Son who is in the bosom of the Father, He has made Him known. John 1:18.

And in the same gospel,

Jesus said, He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as Light into the world in order that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness. John 12:45-46.

Here it is explicitly stated that 'seeing' means believing or possessing faith. And in the same gospel,

Jesus said, If you know Me you know My Father also. And from now you know Him and have seen Him. He who has seen Me has seen the Father. John 14:7, 9.

In the same gospel,

The Spirit of truth the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. I will not leave you orphans, I am coming to you. Yet a little while, the world will see Me no longer, but you will see Me; because I live you will live also. John 14:17-19.

'Seeing' stands for possessing faith, for it is solely through faith that the Lord is seen. Actually faith is the eye of love, since it is from love through faith that the Lord is seen, love being the life of faith. Hence His statement, 'You will see Me; because I live you will live also'.

[13] In the same gospel,

Jesus said, For judgement I came into this world, that those who do not see may see, but that those who see may become blind. The Pharisees said, Are we also blind? Jesus said to them, If you were blind you would have no sin; but now you say, 'We see', therefore your sin remains. John 9:39-41.

'Those who see' stands for those who imagine themselves to be more intelligent than everybody else. Of them it is said that they will become blind, that is, will not acquire faith. 'Not seeing' or being blind is used in reference to those immersed in falsities, and also to those who have no knowledge [of the truth], see 2383. In Luke,

To you it has been given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God, but for everyone else in parables, that seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not hear. Luke 8:10.

Here the meaning is similar. In the same gospel,

I tell you truly, There are some of those standing here who will not taste death until they see the kingdom of God. Luke 9:27; Mark 9:1.

'Seeing the kingdom of God' stands for believing. In the same gospel,

Jesus said to the disciples, The days will come when you will desire to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see. Luke 17:22.

This refers to the close of the age or last period of the Church when no faith exists any longer.

[14] In the same gospel,

It happened, when Jesus was at table with them, that He took the bread and said a blessing, and broke it and gave to them. Then their eyes were opened and they recognized Him. Luke 24:30-31.

The meaning of this event was that the Lord comes into sight through good, but not through truth devoid of good; for 'bread' means the good of love, 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3478, 3735, 3813. From these and many other places it is clear that 'seeing' in the internal sense means faith received from the Lord, for no other faith exists which is truly faith except faith which comes from the Lord. This is also the faith that enables a person to see, that is, to believe. But faith originating in self or a person's proprium is not truly faith, for it causes him to see falsities as truths and truths as falsities; or if he does see truths as truths he does not truly see them because he does not believe them. For in them he sees himself and not the Lord.

[15] That 'seeing' means possessing faith in the Lord is quite evident from what has been stated often about the light of heaven, namely that because it flows from the Lord the light of heaven holds intelligence and wisdom within it, and so holds faith in Him since faith in the Lord is inwardly present in intelligence and wisdom. Consequently seeing by that light, as angels do, can mean nothing else than faith in the Lord. The Lord Himself too is within that light because it proceeds from Him. That light is also the light which shines within the conscience of those who possess faith in Him, though no one is directly conscious of its doing so as long as he lives in the body, for during that time the light of the world is obscuring that light.