650. The beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, signifies assault from infernal love. This is evident from the signification of "beast," as being the affection of the natural man in both senses (of which presently; also from the signification of "the abyss," as being hell (of which above, n. 538; also from the signification of "to make war," as being to assault, for by "wars," in the Word, such wars as are in our world are not meant, but such as are in the spiritual world, all of which are combats of falsities from evil against truths from good; that such is the signification of "wars" in the Word will appear in what follows, where wars are again mentioned. From this it can be seen that "the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them," that is, the witnesses, signifies that infernal love from the falsities of evil shall assault the truths of good.

[2] It has been shown before that a "beast" signifies a love or affection of the natural man; let something now be said about assault. Infernal love is especially the love of self, for the love of self is the love of what is man's own [proprium], and what is man's own is nothing but evil; consequently so far as a man is in that love he is against the Lord, and thus against the good of love and charity, and against the truth of doctrine and faith, thus against these "two witnesses;" for this reason, the hells where the love of self reigns are more direful and malignant than others, and are directly opposed to the Lord, and thence unceasingly assault the goods of love and faith, because these are from the Lord alone, and are the Lord with man and angel. That these hells are more direful than the others can be seen from this, that they continually breathe forth the destruction of those who confess the Divine of the Lord, therefore of those who are in the good of love and the good of faith in the Lord from the Lord.

[3] These hells are more malignant than the rest because so far as man is in the love of self, and at the same time in the love of self-intelligence, his natural lumen is in a kind of brightness, as it were, for the love of self is like a fire that kindles that lumen; it is from this that men can ingeniously think and reason against the Divine and against all things of heaven and the church. I have sometimes been astonished when I have listened to such, and have thought that they above all others were capable of being led to receive faith, but I perceived that this was impossible, for so far as they were enlightened in corporeal, worldly, and natural things they were in thick darkness in respect to celestial and spiritual things. This thick darkness was seen to be exceedingly dusky, with something fiery intermixed. This I could confirm by much experience, if this were the place for describing experiences. The love of self is what is here meant in particular by "the beast coming up out of the abyss," which made war with the two witnesses and killed them.

[4] That a "beast" signifies the love and affection of the natural man in both senses can be seen from very many passages in the Word; and this has heretofore been unknown, and as it may seem strange that "beasts" should signify the love or affection of the natural man, it is necessary to confirm this from the Word. Natural affections are signified by "beasts" because these affections are altogether similar to the affections of beasts, consequently a man who ¹ is not imbued with spiritual affections through the goods and truths of heaven differs little from beasts. For man has above the beasts the superadded faculty to think and thence to will spiritually, which gives him the eminent faculty to see and perceive abstract things; but if this spiritual faculty is not vivified by the knowledges of truth and good, and afterwards by faith and the life of faith, he is no better than the beasts, except merely that by virtue of that higher faculty he is able to think and speak.

[5] Because the affections of the natural man are signified by "beasts," when those affections are presented to be seen in the spiritual world in forms like those animals, they appear altogether as the forms of various beasts; as for instance, lambs, sheep, she-goats, kids, he-goats, young cattle, oxen, cows; also as camels, horses, mules, asses; and also as bears, tigers, leopards, lions; likewise as dogs and serpents of various kinds. But such things are only appearances of the affections that are with spirits; and when these are made apparent it is also known there not only that the appearances are from these affections, but also from whom they are; but as soon as the affections with such cease, these appearances also cease. From this it can also be seen why "beasts" are so often mentioned in the Word.

[6] But let us proceed to the confirmations from the Word. In David:

Thou madest him to have dominion over the works of Thy hands. Thou hast put all things under His feet, the flock and herds, yea, the beasts of the fields, the bird of heaven, and the fishes of the sea (Psalms 8:6-8).

This whole psalm treats of the Lord and His dominion over all things of heaven and the church; the things of heaven and the church are meant here and elsewhere in the Word by "the works of the hands of Jehovah;" and as it is over these things that the Lord has dominion, and as spiritual things in the Word are expressed by natural things, for the Word in its bosom is spiritual, so by "flock," "herds," "the beasts of the field," "the birds of heaven," and "the fishes of the sea," these are not meant, but the spiritual things of heaven and the church. "Flock and herds" signify spiritual things and natural things that are from a spiritual origin, a "flock," that is, lambs, kids, she-goats, sheep, and rams, signifying spiritual things, and "herds," which are bullocks, oxen, cows, and camels, natural things from spiritual things; "beasts of the field" signify the affections of the natural man, "birds of the heavens" thoughts therefrom, and "fishes of the sea," the knowledges [scientifica] of the sensual-natural man. Except for this meaning, why should the Lord's dominion over these be described?

[7] In the same:

O God, Thou makest the rain of good will to drop down; Thou shalt strengthen Thine inheritance when it is weary; Thy wild beast (Thy congregation) shall dwell in it (Psalms 68:9, 10).

Here evidently "wild beast" stands for a people that receives the influx of Divine truth from the Lord, for of God's "inheritance," which signifies the church, it is said, "Thy wild beast (Thy congregation) shall dwell in it;" "the rain of good will" signifies the influx of Divine truth from Divine clemency.

[8] In the same:

Jehovah, who sendeth forth springs into the brooks; they run between the mountains, they give drink to every wild beast; the wild asses quench their thirst, by them the bird of the heavens dwells, from among the boughs they give forth their voice; who causeth the grass to spring forth for the beast, and the herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth bread out of the earth. Thou appointest the darkness that there may be night, in which every wild beast of the forest goeth forth. The sea great and wide in spaces, wherein is the creeping thing without number, the wild beasts, the small with the great (Psalms 104:10-12, 14, 20, 25).

This, too, is said of the Lord, and these words describe the establishment of the church among the nations; therefore "wild beasts," "beasts," and "birds" signify such things as are with the man of the church.

[9] It is to be known that in many passages sometimes it is said "beast," and sometimes "wild beast," also that the term "wild beast" is not to be understood as it is commonly understood, for in the Hebrew "wild beast" [fera] is derived from a word that means life, therefore in some passages "animal" would be a better rendering than "wild beast," as can be seen from this, that the four animals that were seen as cherubim and that signify Divine Providence and protection in Ezekiel (chaps. 1, and 10) are called "animals" [ferae]; likewise the cherubim are meant by "the four animals about the throne" which are described by John in Revelation. Nevertheless, in the Word "beast" and "wild beast" are carefully distinguished, "beasts" signifying the affections of the natural man that belong to man's will, and "wild beasts" the affections of the natural man that belong to man's understanding. As in the Hebrew "wild beast" is derived from a word that means life, Eve the wife of Adam had her name from the same word. This is said that it may be known what "wild beast" and "beast" signify in the proper sense.

[10] What is signified by "Jehovah sendeth forth springs into the brooks, to run between the mountains, and give drink to every wild beast of the fields, the wild asses quench their thirst, and by them the bird of the heavens dwells," has been explained above n. 483. "Jehovah causeth the grass to spring forth for the beast, and the herb for the service of man, that he may bring forth bread out of the earth," signifies the instruction and nourishment of the natural and spiritual man by truths from the Word, that he may have thereby the good of love and charity; "grass" signifies the truth of the natural man, which is true knowledge (See above, n. 507; "beast" signifies affection for it which wishes to be instructed and spiritually nourished; "herb" signifies the truth of the spiritual man; "man" signifies intelligence therefrom and "bread" signifies the good of love and charity, which is nourished by truths. As "darkness" and "night" signify the lumen of the natural man, which compared to the light of the spiritual man is like night, "the wild beast of the forest" signifies the affection of knowledges [scientifica], "the sea great and wide in spaces" the natural itself, "the creeping thing without number" knowledge [scientifica] therein, and "the wild beasts great and small" the various affections, it is evident what is signified by "Thou appointest the darkness that there may be night, in which every wild beast of the forest goeth forth; the sea great and wide in its spaces, wherein is the creeping thing without number, wild beasts the small with the great."

[11] In the same:

They shall sow fields and plant vineyards, and make fruit of increase, and He shall bless them so that they may be multiplied exceedingly; and He shall not diminish their beast; yet are they diminished and bowed down because of the vehemence of wickedness and grief (Psalms 107:37-39).

This entire psalm treats of the Lord's coming and of redemption by Him; that they will then have truths, by which the church will be implanted in them, is signified by "They shall sow fields and plant vineyards;" that in consequence they will have the goods of the church, and thence truths will increase, is signified by "shall make fruit of increase," and by "Jehovah shall bless them so that they shall be multiplied exceedingly;" that then every good affection of the natural man will remain with them is signified by "He shall not diminish their beast;" that otherwise these affections would not be destroyed by evils is signified by "they are diminished and bowed down because of the vehemence of wickedness and grief."

[12] In the same:

Praise Jehovah, ye whales and all deeps, wild beast and every beast, creeping thing and every bird of wing (Psalms 148:7, 10).

In this psalm very many things in the world that have no life, but that shall praise Jehovah, are enumerated, as "fire," "hail," "snow," "vapor," "the wind of tempest," "mountains," "hills," "trees," "fruits," "cedars," as also here, "wild beasts," "beasts," "creeping things," and "birds," which nevertheless cannot praise Jehovah. Who cannot see that the enumeration of such things in the Divine Word would be wholly unmeaning unless they signified something with man that can praise, that is, worship Jehovah? From a knowledge of correspondences it is known that "whales" signify the knowledges of the natural man in general, "deeps" and "seas" the natural itself where the knowledges are, "wild beast" and "beasts," the affections of the natural man as well those which belong to his understanding as those of his will, "the creeping things" the sensual, which is the ultimate of the natural man, and "birds of wing" the thinking faculty therefrom.

[13] In the same:

Jehovah who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to spring forth upon the mountains, who giveth to the beast his food, to the sons of the raven which call (Psalms 147:8, 9).

These particulars too, signify the spiritual things belonging to heaven and the church. Why else should the Word (which is given solely to teach man the way to heaven, by teaching him the truths of faith and the goods of love), speak of Jehovah as "preparing rain for the earth, making grass to spring forth upon the mountains, giving to the beast his food, and to the sons of the raven which call upon Him?" These things, however, are worthy of the Divine Word, when by "rain" the influx of Divine truth is meant, by "mountains" the good of love, by "making grass to spring forth" the instruction of the natural man by the knowledges from the Word, by "beasts" the affections of the natural man, which desire to be thus nourished. "To give food" signifies nourishment; and since "the sons of the raven" signify natural men who are in an obscure lumen from fallacies respecting Divine truths, as were many of the nations, it is said "He giveth to the sons of the raven which call," for such can call upon Jehovah, but not the sons of a raven.

[14] In the same:

Every wild beast of the forest is Mine, the beasts upon a thousand mountains. I know every bird of the mountains, and the wild beast of My fields is with Me (Psalms 50:10, 11).

This is said of sacrifices, that the Lord does not delight in them, but in the confession of heart and calling upon Him; yet "the wild beast of the forest," "the beasts upon the mountains," and "the bird of the mountains," and "the wild beast of the fields," have a similar signification as above, namely, things pertaining to the man of the church.

[15] In the same:

Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God, Thy judgments are a great deep; O Jehovah, Thou preservest man and beast (Psalms 36:6).

"Man and beast" signify interior affection, which is spiritual, from which is intelligence, and exterior affection, which is natural, from which is knowledge [scientia] corresponding to intelligence.

[16] "Man and beast" have a like signification in the following passages.

In Jeremiah:

The God of Israel said, I have made the earth, the man and the beast that are upon the faces of the earth, by My great power (Jeremiah 27:5; 36:29).

In the same:

Behold the days shall come in which I will sow the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast (Jeremiah 31:27).

In the same:

Yet again in this place, concerning which ye say, It is devastated so that there is no man nor beast, and in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem that are devastated, so that there is no man, and no inhabitant, and no beast, there shall be heard the voice of joy and the voice of gladness (Jeremiah 33:10-12).

In the same:

The whole land shall be a desolation, so that there shall not be man or beast (Jeremiah 32:43).

In the same:

I will smite the inhabitants of this city, both man and beast; they shall die of a great pestilence (Jeremiah 21:6).

In the same:

A nation from the north cometh up against Babylon; this shall make her land a desolation, so that none shall dwell therein; from man even to beast they are dispersed, they have gone away (Jeremiah 50:3).

In the same:

My anger and My wrath is poured out upon this place, upon man and upon beast (Jeremiah 7:20).

In Ezekiel:

When the land shall sin against Me, I will break its staff of bread and I will send into it famine, and I will cut off from it man and beast (Ezekiel 14:13, 17, 19).

In the same:

I will stretch out My hand over Edom and will cut off from it man and beast (Ezekiel 25:13).

In the same:

I will destroy every beast of Egypt over many waters, so that the foot of man shall trouble them no more, nor shall the hoof of beast trouble them (Ezekiel 32:13).

In the same:

I will multiply upon you man and beast, that they may increase and be fruitful (Ezekiel 36:11).

In Zephaniah:

In consuming I will consume all things from upon the faces of the land. I will consume man and beast, I will consume the bird of the heavens and the fishes of the sea, and the stumbling-blocks with the wicked, and I will cut off man from the faces of the earth (Zephaniah 1:2, 3).

In Zechariah:

The angel who came to measure Jerusalem said, Run, speak, saying, Jerusalem shall inhabit the suburbs, by reason of the multitude of man and of the beast in the midst of it (Zechariah 2:3, 4).

Let your hands be strong, for the temple shall be built; for before those days there was no price for man nor any price for beast, for to him that went out and to him that came in there was no peace from the enemy (Zechariah 8:9, 10).

[17] In these passages "man and beast" ² signifies what is interior or spiritual, and "beast" what is exterior or natural; and therefore "man" signifies the spiritual affection of truth, from which is all intelligence, and "beast" the natural affection corresponding to the spiritual. What is exterior or natural is signified by "beast," because man, in respect to his external or natural man is nothing but a beast; for he enjoys like desires and also pleasures, appetites and senses, so that in these respects man is entirely similar to the beast; therefore the natural man may be called the animal man. But what is internal or spiritual is signified by "man," because it is in respect to his internal or spiritual that man is man; this enjoys the affections of good and truth such as are with the angels of heaven, also because by means of this with him man rules his natural or animal man, which is a beast.

[18] Because the spiritual man and the natural man are signified by "man and beast" in the history of creation (Genesis 1), it is related that the beasts and also man were created on the same day, namely, the sixth; and afterwards, that to man was given dominion over the beasts. Of the creation of the beasts and man on the same day, and of man's dominion over the beasts, we thus read in Genesis:

God said, Let the earth bring forth the living soul according to its kind, and what moveth itself, and the wild beast of the earth according to its kind; and it was so. And God made the wild beast of the earth according to its kind, and the beast according to its kind, and everything that creepeth upon the ground according to its kind. And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and they shall have dominion over the fishes of the sea, and over the bird of the heavens, and over the beast, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. And there was evening and there was morning, the third ³ day (Genesis 1:24-31).

In the spiritual sense of this chapter, by "the creation of heaven and earth" the new creation or regeneration of the man of the Most Ancient Church is described; for this reason "beast" here signifies the external or natural man, and "man" the internal spiritual, and "dominion over the beasts" here means the dominion of the spiritual man over the natural.

[19] That it was granted to the man of that church to know all the affections of the natural man, in order that he might have dominion over them, is signified by these words in Genesis:

Out of the ground Jehovah God formed every beast of the field, and every bird of the heavens, and brought unto the man, to see what he would call it; and whatsoever man called it, the living soul, that was its name; and the man called the names to every beast, and to the bird of the heavens, and to every wild beast of the field (Genesis 2:19, 20).

"To call the name" signifies in the spiritual sense to know the quality of a thing, or what it is, so here to know the qualities of all the affections, desires, pleasures, appetites, also the thoughts and inclinations of the natural man, and how they agree and correspond to the affections and perceptions of the spiritual man. For it was granted to the spiritual man from creation to see all things of the natural man, and at the same time to perceive its agreement or disagreement with the spiritual, in order that he might rule the natural and accept such things as agree and reject those that disagree, and thus might become spiritual even as to effects, which are wrought by means of the natural man. (But this may be seen more fully explained in Arcana Coelestia 142-146.)

[20] Because "man" in the Word signifies properly the internal or spiritual man, and "beast" the external or natural man, by command of God all beasts and birds were brought into the ark with Noah; of which it is thus written in Genesis:

Jehovah said to Noah, Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee seven and seven, male and female; and of the beast that is not clean two, male and female. And he took of the beast that was clean, and of the beast not clean, and of the bird, and of everything that creepeth upon the earth; two and two entered unto Noah into the ark, male and female (Genesis 7:1-9).

"Noah's flood" describes in the spiritual sense the destruction of the Most Ancient Church, and also the Last Judgment upon the men of that church; and by "Noah and his sons" in the same sense, the church that followed is meant and described, which is called the Ancient Church. From this it follows that the "beasts" brought into the ark with Noah mean the affections of the natural man, corresponding to spiritual affection, which the men of that church had (but these things may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia).

[21] Since "man" signifies the internal spiritual man, and "beast" signifies the external or natural, and "Egypt" signifies the natural man separated from the spiritual, which has altogether perished and is no longer a man but a beast, so where the destruction of Egypt is treated of it is related that:

Jehovah made hail to rain with which fire was mingled, and smote everything that was in the fields, from man even to beast (Exodus 9:22-25).

(See respecting this also in Arcana Coelestia.) For the purpose of representing and thus signifying the same thing it is also written that:

Jehovah smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from man even to beast (Exodus 12:12, 29).

But on the other hand, the sons of Israel, by whom the church was represented, were commanded:

To sacrifice to Jehovah all the firstborn of man and of beast (Numbers 18:15).

Because such things were represented and thus signified by "man and beast," from a holy rite received in the Ancient Church:

The king of Nineveh proclaimed a fast, and commanded that neither man nor beast should taste or drink anything, and that man and beast should be covered with sackcloth (Jonah 3:7, 8).

[22] Because "beasts" signify the affections in both senses it was forbidden to make the figure of any beast; of which it is thus written in Moses:

Ye shall not make to you the figure of any beast that is on the earth, the figure of any winged bird that flieth under heaven, the figure of anything that creepeth on the ground, the figure of any fish that is in the waters under the earth (Deuteronomy 4:17, 18).

This was because the posterity of Jacob, who were called, because of the representation of the church with them, "the sons of Israel," were in externals without an internal, that is, were for the most part merely natural; if, therefore, they had made to themselves the figure of any beast or bird, which signified the affections and the like, they would have made idols for themselves, and would have worshiped them. This, too, was why the Egyptians, who had more knowledge of representatives than any other people, made for themselves figures of beasts, as of calves, serpents, and many other kinds; yet at first not with reference to worship, but on account of their signification; but their posterity, who from internal became external, and thus merely natural, did not look upon these as representative and significative, but as holy things of the church, and thus they offered to them idolatrous worship. It was for this reason that the posterity of Jacob, who were altogether external men, and thence in heart idolatrous, were forbidden to make to themselves any figure of these things.

[23] As for example: they worshiped calves in Egypt, and afterwards in the wilderness, because a "calf" signifies the first affections of the natural man, together with its good of innocence. The Gentiles here and there worshiped serpents because a "serpent" signifies the sensual, which is the ultimate of the natural man and its prudence, and so with the rest.

[24] Because "beasts" signified the various things of the natural man it was also sometimes commanded when cities or regions were given to the curse that the beasts also should be slaughtered, for the reason that "the beasts" represented the evil and profane things with the men who were given to the curse. Because all kinds of beasts signify the various things pertaining to the men of the church, laws were enacted respecting beasts, which ones might be eaten and which might not be eaten (Leviticus 11). Those that might be eaten signified goods, and those that might not be eaten signified evils; for the church at that time was a representative church, and therefore every particular prescribed for them was representative and significative, especially the beasts; of this we thus read in Moses:

Ye shall distinguish between the clean beast and the unclean, and between the unclean bird and the clean, that ye may not make your souls abominable by beast or by bird; and ye shall be holy unto Me (Leviticus 20:25, 26).

[25] From this it can now be seen why sacrifices of beasts of various kinds were permitted, as of lambs, sheep, kids, goats, bullocks, oxen, also of pigeons and turtledoves; namely, because they signified things spiritual, and things natural from a spiritual origin; as "lambs" innocence, "sheep" charity, "bullocks and oxen" the affections of the natural man corresponding to the affections of the spiritual man. It was on this account that the beasts for the sacrifices varied according to the reasons for which they were offered; this would not have been unless each particular sacrifice of beasts had signified something belonging to the church.

[26] As the man of the church at the present day can hardly be led to believe that "beasts" and "wild beasts" signify in the Word the affections of good and truth which belong to the man of the church, and this because it seems so strange that anything belonging to beasts should signify anything belonging to man, I will here cite more passages from the Word in the way of confirmation.

In Ezekiel:

Speak unto the king of Egypt and to his multitude, Whom art thou like in thy stature? Behold Asshur, a cedar in Lebanon, beautiful in branch and with shady foliage; his stature was higher than all the trees of the field, and his branches were multiplied because of many waters; in his branches all the birds of the heavens built their nests; and under his branches every wild beast of the field has brought forth, and in his shade have dwelt all great nations; he was beautiful in his greatness. But because thou art lifted up in height he should be cut down; upon his ruin every bird of the heavens shall dwell, and every wild beast of the field shall be upon his branches (Ezekiel 31:2, 3, 5-7, 10, 12, 13).

"The king of Egypt and his multitude" signify the natural man with the knowledges [scientifica] therein; "Asshur, the cedar in Lebanon," signifies the rational which is formed by knowledges [scientifica] on the one part and by the influx of spiritual truth on the other; "beautiful in branch and with shady foliage" signifies intelligence through rational truths by means of knowledges [scientifica].

[27] "His stature was higher than all the trees of the field" signifies elevation even to the interior rational which is from the spiritual; "branches multiplied because of many waters" signify abundance through spiritual truths which are from the cognitions of truth from the Word; "the fowl of the heavens that built their nests in his branches" signify spiritual thoughts in things rational, for the rational is the medium between the internal spiritual man and the external natural; "every wild beast of the field that brought forth under his branches" signifies the affections of knowledges [scientifica] rationally perceived.

[28] "The great nations" that dwelt in his shade signify the goods of the affections in the natural man; "beautiful in greatness" signifies intelligence; while "the bird of the heavens and the wild beast of the field that shall dwell upon his ruin and in his branches" signify the falsities of thoughts, and the evils of desires which one has because he is "lifted up in height," that is, has become proud from the love of self-intelligence. Thoughts of truth and affections for it are signified evidently by "birds of the heavens and the wild beasts of the field," for it is said that "great nations dwelt in his shade."

[29] In Daniel:

Behold a tree in the midst of the earth, and the height thereof was great; it reached even to heaven, and the sight thereof unto the end of the earth; the leaf thereof was fair, and the flower thereof much, and in it was food for all; the beast of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of heaven dwelt in its branches; and all flesh was nourished from it. A watcher and holy one came down from heaven, crying, Hew down the tree and cut off his branches, shake off his leaf, scatter his flower; let the beast flee from under him, and the birds from his branches; but leave the stump of his roots in the earth, even with a band of iron and brass, with the herbage of the field; and let him be wet with the dew of the heavens, and let his portion be with the beast in the grass of the earth; they shall change his heart from man's and the heart of a beast shall be given to him (Daniel 4:10-16).

This was the dream of Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and it describes the establishment of the celestial church and its increase even to its culmination, and afterwards its overthrow because of its domination even over the holy things of the church, and its claiming to itself a right over heaven.

[30] "The tree in the midst of the earth" signifies that church; its "height" signifies the extension of perception and thus of wisdom; "its sight unto the end of the earth" signifies its extension even to the ultimates of the church; "the leaf thereof was fair, and the flower thereof much," signifies the knowledges and affections of truth and good, and intelligence therefrom; "in it was food for all" signifies heavenly nourishment which is from good and from truths thence; "the beast of the field had shadow under it, and the birds of the heavens dwelt in its branches," signifies the affections of good and the consequent thoughts and perceptions of truth; and as these pertain to spiritual food it is said that "all flesh was nourished from it."

[31] But because of its domination, from the love of self, over the holy things of heaven and the church, which the Babylonians at length claimed control of, a description of its overthrow follows: "A watcher and holy one came down from heaven, crying, Hew down the tree and cut off his branches, shake off the leaf, scatter the flower; let the beast flee from under him and the birds from his branches;" for the love of self and the consequent elation of mind increases with such even to their claiming a right over the holy things of the church, yea, over heaven itself; and when this is done everything of the church perishes, even all perception and the knowledge of good and truth; for the internal of the mind where the spiritual resides is closed up, and the external where the natural resides has dominion, and thus man becomes sensual, until he differs but little from the beasts.

[32] The "stump of the roots which should be left in the earth" signifies the Word, only the letter of which is understood, and which is merely something known, held in the memory and going forth therefrom into speech; "bands of iron and brass" signify the interior truths and goods closed up and held bound in ultimates, "iron" meaning truth in ultimates, and "brass" good in ultimates, and these when separated from the interiors are falsities and evils. And as the man of the church then becomes almost like a beast in respect to the understanding and to the will, since the evils of the affections and the falsities of the thoughts have rule, it is said that "his portion shall be with the beast in the grass of the earth, and his heart shall be changed from man's, and the heart of a beast shall be given him." That this change and inversion took place on account of their claiming the right over the holy things of the church, and at length over heaven, is evident from verses 30-32 of this chapter, where are these words:

The king said, Is not this the great Babylon which I have built for the house of the kingdom by the might of my power and for the glory of mine honor? While the word was in the king's mouth there fell a voice from the heavens, saying, The kingdom shall pass away from thee, and they shall drive thee from man, and thy dwelling shall be with the beast of the field; they shall make thee to eat the herb as oxen, until thou dost know that the Most High ruleth in the kingdom of man, and giveth it to whomsoever He will.

[33] That "Nebuchadnezzar," as king of Babylon, signifies in the beginning a celestial church and its increase even to the pinnacle of wisdom, is evident also from Daniel, where treating of the statue seen by Nebuchadnezzar in a dream it is said:

The God of the heavens hath given into thine hand the sons of man, the beast of the field, and the bird of the heavens, and hath made thee to rule over all; thou art the head of the statue which is of gold (Daniel 2:37, 38).

"The head of the statue, which was of gold," signifies the celestial church, which is the first of all. That church is signified by "the king of Babylon" at first, because the church that finally becomes Babylon or Babylonia begins with the worship of the Lord and from love to Him, and there then prevails with it a zeal for extending and perfecting the church by means of the holy goods and truths of heaven, but this from a motive as yet hidden, namely, a love of exercising dominion, which however breaks forth only by degrees. But more will be said about this when Babylon is treated of.

[34] In Hosea:

In that day will I make a covenant for them with the wild beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens and with the creeping thing of the earth, and I will break the bow and the sword and the war from the earth, and I will make them to lie down securely; and I will betroth thee to Me forever (Hosea 2:18, 19).

This is said of the establishment of a new church by the Lord, which is here treated of. Evidently Jehovah, that is, the Lord, will then make a covenant, not with the wild beast of the field, the bird of the heavens, and the creeping thing of the earth, but with the men in whom the church will be established. These things, therefore, signify such things as are with man, namely, the "wild beast of the field" the affection of the knowledges of truth, the "bird of the heavens" rational thought from what is spiritual, the "creeping thing of the earth" the knowledge [scientificum] of the natural man, in particular sensual knowledge. That He will then "break the bow and the sword from the earth" signifies that He will destroy the falsities that fight against the truths of doctrine; and that there will be no longer any contention between truths and falsities and goods and evils is signified by "I will betroth thee to Me forever."

[35] 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 and rivers in the desert, to give drink to My people, My chosen (Isaiah 43:20).

Evidently "the wild beast of the field," "the dragons," and "the daughters of the owl," do not mean here a wild beast of the field, dragons and owls, for these cannot honor Jehovah. That the men of the church are meant is clear from what follows, since it is said, "to give drink to My people, My chosen." "The wild beast of the field" signifies therefore the affections of the knowledges of truth, "dragons" natural ideas, and "daughters of the owl" sensual affections; for the sensual is affected by truths and sees them in the darkness as owls see objects at night.

[36] This being the signification, it is evident that the Gentiles with whom a new church was to be established are meant, for before they were reformed these were in such obscure affection and natural thought. "To give waters in the wilderness and rivers in the desert" signifies to imbue with truths and thence with intelligence those who before were in ignorance, "waters" meaning truths, "rivers" intelligence, and "wilderness and desert" ignorance; "to give drink to the people of Jehovah and to His chosen" signifies to instruct those who are in the truths of faith and in the good of charity; those who are in the truths of faith are called "people," and those who are in the good of charity are called "chosen. "

[37] In Joel:

Is not the food cut off before our eyes from the house of our God, gladness and joy? The beast groaneth, the droves of cattle are perplexed, because they have no pasture; also the droves of the flock are made desolate. The beast of the field panteth after thee, because the channels of waters are dried up, and fire hath devoured the habitations of the wilderness (Joel 1:16, 18, 20).

This describes the state of the church when there are no longer in it any truths of doctrine or good of life. "The food cut off from the house of God" signifies spiritual nourishment, which is from truths that are from good, "the house of God" signifying the church; "the beast groaneth, the droves of cattle are perplexed" signifies the lack of the affections of truth and thence of knowledges in the natural man, and grief on that account, "droves of cattle" signifying the things of the natural man in the whole complex.

[38] That there is "no pasture" signifies no instruction; "the droves of the flock are made desolate" signifies the lack of spiritual truth and good which are of faith and charity; "the beast of the field panteth after thee" signifies the grief of those who are in natural affection, and consequently in a longing for the knowledges of truth and good; "the channels of waters are dried up" signifies the truths of doctrine dissipated by natural love; "fire hath devoured the habitations of the wilderness" signifies that love and thence the destruction of the knowledges of truth, "the habitations of the wilderness" meaning the things of the understanding and the will in such a man, which would otherwise receive the truths and goods of the church.

[39] In the same:

Fear, ⁴ O earth, rejoice and be glad, for Jehovah hath done great things; fear not, ye beasts of My fields, for the habitations of the wilderness are made full of herbs, for the tree shall bear her fruit, the fig tree and the vine shall yield their strength. Sons of Zion, rejoice and be glad in Jehovah (Joel 2:21-23).

This is said of the establishment of the church by the Lord; and the "earth which will fear, but rejoice and be glad" signifies the church and its delight; its establishment by the Lord is signified by "Jehovah hath done great things;" therefore "the beasts of His fields" mean those who are in the affections of good and long for instruction from the Word, "beasts" meaning those who are in the affections of good belonging to the natural man, and "fields" the doctrinals from the Word.

[40] "The habitations of the wilderness are made full of herbs" signifies that there will be the knowledges of truth and good with those with whom there were none before; "the tree shall bear her fruit" signifies the bringing forth of the good of life through these knowledges, for a "tree" signifies the man of the church, and in particular a mind imbued with knowledges, and "fruit" signifies the good of life; "the fig tree and the vine shall yield their strength" signifies the bringing forth of the effect from natural good and spiritual good together. Because "beasts of the fields," "tree," "fig tree," and "vine," signify such things as are with the man of the church it is said, "Sons of Zion, rejoice and be glad in Jehovah," "sons of Zion" meaning those who are of the celestial church, while "to rejoice" is predicated of the delight of good; and "to be glad" of the pleasantness of truth.

[41] In Ezekiel:

In that day Gog shall come upon the land of Israel; and then shall be a great earthquake upon the land of Israel; and the fishes of the sea, and the bird of the heavens, and the wild beast of the field, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth, and every man who is upon the faces of the earth, shall tremble before Me (Ezekiel 38:18-20).

"Gog" signifies external holiness without internal holiness, thus those who are in such holiness; an "earthquake" signifies a change of the state of the church; "the fishes of the sea, and the bird of the heavens, the wild beast of the field, the creeping thing of the earth, and every man, shall tremble" signifies that all things of man, in respect to what belongs to the church with him, shall be changed; "the fishes of the sea" meaning the knowledges [scientifica], "the birds of the heavens" thoughts therefrom, "the wild beasts of the field" the affections therefrom, "the creeping thing of the earth" the thoughts and affections in the corporeal-sensual, and "man" all these from first to last. Why otherwise should these be said to tremble before Jehovah?

[42] In Zechariah:

There shall be in that day a great tumult, Judah shall fight against Jerusalem and so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of every beast that shall be in those camps; afterwards everyone remaining shall go up to Jerusalem (Zechariah 14:13-15).

This describes the last state of the old church, and the beginning of the new. The last state of the old church is described by "a great tumult, when Judah shall fight against Jerusalem," which means the change at that time, and the fight of the love of evil against the truths of the doctrine of the church; "the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, of the ass, and of every beast" signify such things as hurt and destroy the church and the spiritual life of the men of the church, "horses, mules, camels, and asses" signifying the things of their understanding and of their will, thus the things of their knowledges and affections. But what is signified in particular by "horse, mule, camel, and ass," has been told elsewhere; here it is stated merely that "beast" signifies the affection of the natural man, and "the plague of beast" the hurting and destroying of that affection.

[43] In Jeremiah:

How long shall the land mourn, and the herb of every field dry up? For the wickedness of them that rule ⁵ therein the beasts and the bird shall be consumed (Jeremiah 12:4).

The "land" means the church; "the herb of the field" signifies the truth of the church that has sprung up and that is springing up; "to mourn and to dry up" signifies to perish and to be dissipated by lusts; "the beasts and the bird that shall be consumed" signify the affections of good and the thoughts of truth therefrom. The result is that these will perish by reason of the evils in the church; therefore it is said, "for the wickedness of them that dwell in the land."

[44] In Isaiah:

The bird of the mountains and the beast of the earth shall be left together; ⁶ but the bird shall loathe it, and every beast of the earth shall despise it (Isaiah 18:6).

This is said of "the land shadowed with wings," by which the church is meant which, because of the obscurity it is in, catches at imaginary things for spiritual truths, and thus from ignorance comes into a denial of these truths. "Bird and beast" signify here the thoughts of truth and the affections of good, both rational and natural, which are said "to loathe and despise." Evidently it is not the bird and every beast that will loathe and despise, but the affections of good and the thoughts of truth, that is, those who are in these.

[45] In Hosea:

They commit robbery, bloods touch bloods, and everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish, even to the wild beast of the field and the bird of the heavens, yea, the fishes of the sea shall be gathered up (Hosea 4:2, 3).

Here again "the wild beast of the field," "the bird of the heavens," and "the fishes of the sea," have a similar signification as above.

[46] In Ezekiel:

Thou son of man, say to every bird of every wing, and to every wild beast of the field, Gather yourselves together and come, gather yourselves from every side to My sacrifice that I sacrifice for you, a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, that ye may eat flesh and drink blood; ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth, rams, lambs, and kids, ⁷ the bullocks, all of them fatlings of Bashan; ye shall eat fat to satiety, and drink blood to drunkenness, of My sacrifice which I sacrifice for you; and ye shall be satiated at My table with horse and chariot, with the mighty, and with every man of war; so will I give My glory among the nations (Ezekiel 39:17-21).

This is said of the calling together of the Gentiles to the church, and the reception by them of the truth of doctrine in the good of love, which is the good of life, and of their consequent intelligence in spiritual things. Therefore "the bird of every wing and every wild beast of the field" which shall be gathered from every side to the great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, mean all in whatever state they may be in respect to the perception of truth and the affection of good, "the bird of every wing" meaning all in whatever kind of perception of truth they may be, and "every wild beast of the field" all in whatever kind of affection of good they may be; "to gather together from every side" signifies those outside the church from every quarter.

[47] "The great sacrifice" signifies the worship of the Lord from faith and love, for that is what "sacrifices" in general represented; and "the mountains of Israel" signify the goods of spiritual love. "To eat flesh and drink blood" signifies to appropriate to oneself the good of love and the truth of that good; "to eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth" signifies such appropriation, "the mighty" (or oxen) signifying the affections of the natural man, and "the princes of the earth" the chief truths of the church; "rams, lambs, kids, ⁷ bullocks, fatlings of Bashan" signify all things of innocence, love, charity, and good, "the fatlings of Bashan" meaning the goods of the natural man from a spiritual origin.

[48] From this it is clear what is signified by "eating flesh to satiety, and drinking blood to drunkenness," namely, to be filled with every good of love and truth of faith; "to be satiated at the table of the Lord with horse and chariot, with the mighty, and with every man of war" signifies to be fully instructed from the Word, "horse" signifying the understanding of truth, "chariot" the doctrine of truth, "the mighty and the man of war" the truth of good fighting against the falsity of evil, and destroying it. Because this is said of the calling together of the Gentiles to the church of the Lord, it is added, "so will I give my glory among the nations," "glory" signifying the Divine truth in light.

[49] That such is the signification of "bird of every wing and beast of the field" can be seen from passages before explained, also from these words in Isaiah:

The saying of the Lord Jehovih, who gathereth the outcasts of Israel, I will yet gather them to his gathered ones; every wild beast of My fields, come ye to devour, every wild beast in the forest (Isaiah 56:8, 9).

"The outcasts of Israel," whom the Lord will gather, signify all in the church who are in truths from good separated from those therein who are in falsities from evil; these are meant also by "the wild beasts of the fields of the Lord Jehovih," "fields" signifying the church in reference to the implantation of the truth of doctrine; but the Gentiles that are without the church are signified by "the wild beast in the forest," the "forest" signifying the natural and sensual man, and "the wild beast" its knowledge [scientia] and obscure intelligence therefrom. This evidently is the signification of "the wild beast of the field" and "the wild beast in the forest," for it is said, "Come ye to devour, every wild beast of My fields and every wild beast in the forest," "to devour" signifying instruction and appropriation.

[50] As most things in the Word have also a contrary sense, so also have "beast" and "wild beast," in which sense "beasts" signify evil affections, which are the cupidities of adulterating and destroying the goods of the church, and "wild beasts" the cupidities of falsifying and thus destroying the truths of the church.

[51] In this sense "beasts" and "wild beasts" are mentioned in the following passages. In Ezekiel:

I will raise up over them one shepherd, who shall feed them, My servant David; he shall be to them for a shepherd; then I will make with them a covenant of peace, and will cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land, that they may dwell trustingly in the wilderness and sleep in the forest; they shall be no more a prey to the nations, and the wild beast of the earth shall not devour them, but they shall dwell trustingly, and none shall make afraid (Ezekiel 34:23, 25, 28).

This is said of the Lord's coming and of the blessed state of heaven and of those of the church who will come into the new heaven. "The servant David, the shepherd whom Jehovah will raise up," means the Lord, who is called a "servant" from serving and ministering, that is, performing uses (See above, n. 409; "to make with them a covenant of peace" signifies conjunction with the Lord through the Divine things proceeding from Him, which are the goods of love and the truths of doctrine from the Word, thus through the Word; "to cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land" signifies that evil cupidities and lusts will no more invade and destroy them.

[52] "To dwell trustingly in the wilderness and to sleep in the forests" signifies that they will be safe from infestation by cupidities and lusts, although they are in them and among them, "wilderness" and "forest" meaning where such things and such persons are (these having a similar meaning as in Isaiah 11:7-9). Because the man of the church is destroyed by the cupidities of evil and falsity it is said "they shall no more be a prey to the nations, and the evil wild beast shall not devour them," "nations" signifying the cupidities of evil, and "wild beasts of the earth" the cupidities of falsity.

[53] In Jeremiah:

Mine heritage is become as a lion in the forest, she hath given forth her voice against Me, therefore I have hated her; the bird Zabuah is Mine heritage, about it is the bird; gather together every wild beast of the field, come ye to devour; many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard (Jeremiah 12:8-10).

This is said of the vastation of the church by the falsities of evil. "Heritage" signifies the church; "the lion out of the forest which hath given forth his voice against God" signifies the falsity of evil in the whole complex; "the bird Zabuah" signifies reasonings from falsities; "the wild beast of the field which shall be gathered to devour" signifies the cupidities of destroying the truths of the church by falsities; and because the church that is so destroyed is meant it is said, "many shepherds have destroyed My vineyard," "vineyard" signifying the spiritual church, or the church in reference to the affection of truth; and as a "vineyard" signifies the church it follows that "a wild beast of the field" signifies the cupidity of falsifying and thus destroying the truths of the church.

[54] In Isaiah:

No lion shall be there, the ravenous of the wild beast shall not go up thereon, it shall not be found there (Isaiah 35:9).

This treats of the Lord's coming and of His kingdom in the heavens and on the earths; and the "lion" and "the ravenous of the wild beasts" have a similar signification as above. It must be clear to everyone that "wild beast" here does not mean a wild beast.

[55] In Hosea:

I will encounter them as a bear that is bereaved, and I will rend the caul of their heart, and I will devour them like a huge lion; the wild beast of the field shall tear them (Hosea 13:8).

Here again, "lion" and "the wild beast of the field" have a similar signification as above.

[56] In Zephaniah:

Jehovah will stretch out His hand over the north and will destroy Assyria, and will make Nineveh a waste, a dry place like the wilderness; and the droves shall lie down in the midst of her, every wild beast of the nation; both the pelican and the bittern shall lodge nightly in her chapiters; a voice shall sing in the window, a drought shall be in the threshold, because the cedar thereof shall be made bare; such is the rejoicing city that dwelleth securely, saying in her heart, I and none other besides me. How is she become a waste, a place for the wild beast to lie down in; everyone that passeth over her hisseth and moveth his hand (Zephaniah 2:13-15).

This describes the vastation of the church by the falsities of doctrine which are from self-intelligence. The "north over which Jehovah will stretch out His hand" signifies the church that is in falsities; "Assyria which Jehovah will destroy" signifies the reasonings from falsities; "Nineveh which He shall make a waste, a dry place like the wilderness" signifies the falsities of doctrine; "droves," "the wild beast of the nation," the "pelican," and the "bittern," signify the affections of falsities, and falsities themselves interior and exterior.

[57] The "chapiters in which these shall rest" signify the knowledges of truth from the Word falsified; "the voice in the window" signifies the proclamation of falsity; "the drought in the threshold" signifies the total desolation of truth; the "cedar which is made bare" signifies the rational destroyed; "the rejoicing city dwelling securely" signifies the doctrine of falsity, with which they are delighted and in which they rest; "saying in her heart, I and none other besides me" signifies the pride of self-intelligence; "the place for the wild beast to lie down in" signifies the state of the church vastated in respect to truths; "everyone that passeth over her hisseth and moveth his hand" signifies contempt for such and rejection of them by those who are in truths and goods of doctrine.

[58] In Moses:

I will give peace in the land, so that ye may lie down securely and none make afraid, and I will cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land, and the sword shall not pass through your land (Leviticus 26:6).

"Peace in the land, so that they may lie down securely and none make afraid" signifies protection by trust in the Lord from the breaking in of falsity into the church; "to cause the evil wild beast to cease out of the land" signifies freedom from the affection and cupidity of falsity; and "the sword shall not pass through the land" signifies that falsity shall no longer destroy truth.

[59] In the same:

I will send the hornet before thee, and it shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, the Hittite before thee; I will not drive him out from before thee in one year, lest the land be a solitude, and the wild beast of the field be multiplied upon thee; by little and little will I drive him out from before thee, until thou be fruitful and inherit the land (Exodus 23:28-30.)

"I will send the hornet before thee" signifies the dread of those who are in falsities from evil; "and it shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite" signifies the flight of falsities that are from evils; "I will not drive him out from before thee in one year" signifies a hasty flight or removal of these; "lest the land be desolate" signifies lest there be a lack of spiritual life or but little of it; "and the wild beast of the field be multiplied upon thee" signifies a flowing in of falsities from the delights of the love of self and of the world; "by little and little will I drive him out from before thee" signifies removal by degrees according to order; "until thou be fruitful" signifies according to the increase of good; "and inherit the land" signifies when one is in good and is regenerated. (But these things may be seen further explained in Arcana Coelestia 9331-9338.)

[60] There is a like signification in these words in Moses:

Jehovah God will drive out these nations from before thee by little and little; thou canst not destroy them at once, lest the wild beast of the field be multiplied against thee (Deuteronomy 7:22).

The "nations" driven out and to be driven out of the land of Canaan by the sons of Israel signify evils and falsities of every kind, "the land of Canaan" signifying the church, and "the sons of Israel" the men of the church; therefore "the wild beast of the field" which would be multiplied against them signify the cupidities of falsity from evil; for a man who is reformed and regenerated to the extent that the church may be in him is reformed and regenerated by little and little; for he is conceived anew, is born, and is educated, and this is done so far as the evils and their falsities that are in him from birth and hereditarily are removed, which is not effected in a moment, but through a considerable course of life. This makes clear what is signified in the spiritual sense by "the nations shall not be driven out in one year, but by little and little, lest the wild beast of the field be multiplied against thee;" for if evils and the falsities thence were removed all at once man would have scarcely any life, since the life into which he is born is a life of evil and consequent falsity from cupidities, which are removed only so far as goods and truths enter, for by these they are removed.

[61] Because "wild beast" signifies ⁸ in the spiritual sense the cupidities of falsity from evil, and "birds" signify thoughts and reasonings from them, and because through these the man of the church spiritually perishes, so here and there in the Word, where the vastation of the church is treated of, it is said that "they were given to the wild beasts and the birds to be devoured," as in the following passages. In David:

The boar in the forest treadeth under foot the vine, and the wild beast of the fields doth feed on it (Psalms 80:13).

In Hosea:

I will lay waste her vine and her fig tree, and I will make them a forest, and the wild beast of the field shall devour them (Hosea 2:12).

In Ezekiel:

I will send upon you famine and the evil wild beast, and they shall make thee bereaved (Ezekiel 5:17).

This is said of Jerusalem, by which the church is meant. In the same:

I will give him to the wild beast to be devoured (Ezekiel 33:27).

In the same:

The sheep were scattered, without a shepherd, and were for food for every wild beast of the field (Ezekiel 34:5, 8).

In the same:

I have given thee for food to the wild beast of the land and to the bird of the heavens (Ezekiel 29:5).

In the same:

I will cast thee forth upon the faces of the field, and I will cause every bird of the heavens to dwell upon thee, and with thee I will satisfy the wild beast of all the earth (Ezekiel 32:4).

In Jeremiah:

Their carcass shall be for food to the bird of the heavens and to the beast of the earth (Jeremiah 16:4; 19:7; 34:20).

In Ezekiel:

I have given thee for food to the swift bird of every wing, and to the wild beast of the field (Ezekiel 39:4).

In David:

The dead body of Thy servant have they given to the bird of the heavens, the flesh of Thy saint to the wild beast of the earth (Psalms 79:2).

In Jeremiah:

I will visit upon them with four kinds, with the sword to kill, and with dogs to drag about, and with birds of the heavens and with the beasts of the earth to devour and to destroy (Jeremiah 15:3).

[62] In these passages, "wild beasts and birds" signify falsities from the cupidity of evil and from reasoning. And as the "nations" in the land of Canaan signify the evils and falsities of religion and of worship, the sons of Jacob did not bury the dead bodies of the nations which they slew in war, but left them to be devoured by birds and wild beasts; but this was not by Divine command, but from the inborn cruelty of that people, thus by permission, in order that such things might be represented.

[63] In David:

The enemy hath reproached Jehovah, and a foolish people hath contemned Thy name. Give not the soul of Thy turtledove unto the beast; forget not the life of Thine afflicted ones perpetually (Psalms 74:18, 19).

The "enemy" who reproached Jehovah signifies hell and evil therefrom; the "foolish people" who contemned His name signify the falsities which are opposed to the truths of doctrine; those who are in truths are called a "people," and in the contrary sense those who are in falsities, and these are a "foolish people;" the "name of Jehovah" signifies every truth of doctrine and of the church; "give not the soul of Thy turtledove to the beast" signifies not to give spiritual good to those who are in the cupidities of evil; "the life of Thine afflicted ones" signifies spiritual life oppressed by evils and falsities.

[64] In Habakkuk:

The violence of Lebanon hath covered thee, and the devastation of the beasts shall dismay them, because of the blood of men and the violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein (Habakkuk 2:17).

The "violence of Lebanon" signifies the violence done to the truths perceived by the rational man from the Word, for "Lebanon" signifies the church in respect to the perception of truth from the rational man; "the devastation of the beasts" which shall dismay them signifies the destruction of truths by the cupidities of evil; "bloods" signify the violence offered to the truths of the Word by evils; and "violence of the land, of the city, and of all that dwell therein" signifies violence done to the truths and goods of the church and to its doctrine from the Word by falsities.

[65] In Moses:

The tooth of beasts I will send upon them, with the poison of the creeping things of the earth (Deuteronomy 32:24).

"The tooth of beasts" signifies the sensual in respect to the cupidities of evil, for "tooth" corresponds to the ultimate of man's life, which is the sensual; "the poison of the creeping things of the earth" signifies the falsities therefrom, which cunningly pervert truths by means of the fallacies of the sensual man.

[66] In Ezekiel:

When I went in and I saw an abomination, and behold every form of creeping thing and of beast, and all the idols of the house of Israel painted upon the wall round about (Ezekiel 8:10).

These and many other things that were shown to the prophet signify the direful cupidities and falsities in which the Israelites were, because they were in externals and not at all in internals; and those who were such turned all representatives into things idolatrous; this was the source of their idolatries and also of the idolatries of many other nations; and then the "beasts and creeping things," images of which they made for themselves because these signified the affections of good and of prudence, became the representatives of the direful cupidities of evil and falsity. This is what takes place when the natural man separated from the spiritual looks upon things holy; this is why these are called the "idols of the house of Israel." "The wall round about" upon which they were seen painted signifies the interiors everywhere in the natural man, for the "roof" signifies the inmost, the "floor" or "pavement" the outmost, the "walls" the interiors, and the "house" the man himself in respect to the things of his mind. The natural man is interior and exterior, and the interior natural is where the filthy things of man reside and these the exterior does not divulge but puts on the semblance of things good, just, and sincere.

[67] As "wild beasts" and "beasts" signify the goods of the understanding and the goods of the will which are of the affections, and as the ancients who knew correspondences made representative and significative figures of these, which at first they did not worship, but their posterity, who from internal became merely external, worshiped them as divine in themselves, so wild beasts and beasts became idols. This is evident in Isaiah:

Bel bowed down, Nebo stooped, their idols are to the wild beast and to the beast (Isaiah 46:1).

In Isaiah there is a prophecy respecting:

The beasts of the south (Isaiah 30:6, et seq.);

which signify the adulterations of good and the falsifications of truth, from which arise evils and falsities of every kind with those of the church who are merely in externals; they are called "the beasts of the south" because they are with those who have the Word, from which they are able to be in the light of truth from the Word, and this is the "south."

[68] In Daniel:

He saw in vision, when it was night, four beasts coming up out of the sea; the first was like a lion but had eagle's wings, the second like a bear, the third like a leopard which had four wings, and the fourth was dreadful and terrible (Daniel 7:2-7).

"The beast out of the sea" here signifies the love of dominion, which the holy things of the Word and the church are made to serve as means; and "the four beasts" signify the gradual increase of the love of dominion, therefore the last beast is called "dreadful and terrible." (But this may be seen explained in part above, n. 316, 556.)

[69] Nearly the like things are signified in Revelation by:

The beast coming up out of the sea (Revelation 13:1-10);

The beast coming up out of the earth (Revelation 13:11-18);

The scarlet beast (Revelation 17:3);

The beast out of the abyss (Revelation 17:8).

(Respecting these beasts more is said in Revelation 19:19, 20, and Revelation 20:10.)

But what cupidities of evil and falsity each beast signifies will be seen below, where these beasts are treated of.

[70] From this it will now appear what is meant by these words in Mark:

The spirit urging Jesus caused Him to go into the wilderness, and He was in the wilderness forty days; and He was with the beasts, and angels ministered unto Him (Mark 1:12, 13).

The Lord's being in the wilderness forty days represented the duration of all those most direful temptations which He, above all others in the whole world, endured and withstood; for "forty days" signify the entire period and duration of temptations, thus not that He was tempted at that time only, but from childhood even to the end of His life in the world; His last temptation was in Gethsemane. For by temptations He subjugated all the hells and also glorified His Human (but respecting the Lord's temptations seeThe Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 302). Because temptations arise through evil spirits and genii who are from hell, thus through the hells, from which evils and falsities and their cupidities and lusts arise, so the "beasts" here, with which the Lord was, do not mean beasts, but the hells and the evils that rise out of them; and the "angels" who ministered unto Him do not mean angels, but Divine truths, through which from His own power He overcame and subjugated the hells. (That "angels" signify in the Word Divine truth, see above, n. 130, 200, 302, 593)

Poznámky pod čarou:

768. And went away to make war with the remnant of her seed, signifies and an ardent effort, springing from a life of evil, to assault the truths of doctrine of that church. This is evident from the signification of "going away," as being an ardent effort from a life of evil (of which presently); also from the signification of "making war," as being to assault and to wish to destroy (of which above n. 573, 734); also from the signification of "her seed," as being the truths of doctrine of the church (of which also presently). It is said "the remnant of her seed" because it means those who are in these truths, and in an abstract sense the truths of that church, which they believe themselves capable of assaulting and destroying. "To go away" signifies an ardent effort from a life of evil, because "to go" signifies in the spiritual sense to live, therefore in the Word the expressions "going with the Lord," and "walking with Him" and "after Him," are used, and these signify to live from the Lord; but when "going" is predicated of the dragon, whose life is a life of evil, it signifies to make an effort from that life; and because that effort is an effort from hatred, which is signified by "his anger" (See above, n. 754, 758), so an ardent effort is signified because he who makes an effort from hatred makes an ardent effort.

[2] As the hatred of those who are meant by "the dragon" is a hatred against those who are in the truths of doctrine of the church which is the New Jerusalem, therefore it is a hatred against the truths of doctrine that such have. For those who are in love towards anyone, as also those who are in hatred against anyone, are indeed in love towards a person or in hatred against a person with whom those things are which they either love or hate, and these are the truths of doctrine with them, therefore the truths of doctrine are signified by "the remnant of her seed." This shows that in the spiritual sense of the Word person is not regarded, but a thing abstracted from person, as here a thing that is with the person. This may be further illustrated by the saying in the Word that the neighbor must be loved as one loves himself, but in the spiritual sense this does not mean that the neighbor is thus to be loved in respect to person, but those things are to be loved which are from the Lord with the person; for a person is not actually loved because of his being a person or a man, but because of his being such as he is; thus the person is loved because of his quality, consequently that quality is meant by "neighbor," and that is the spiritual neighbor or the neighbor in the spiritual sense that must be loved; and this with those who are of the Lord's church is everything that proceeds from the Lord; and this in general refers to all good, spiritual, moral, and civil; therefore those who are in these goods love those who are in the same goods; and this therefore is to love one's neighbor as oneself.

[3] From this it can be seen that "the remnant of her seed," namely, of the woman who signifies the church, means those who are in the truths of doctrine of that church; and in a sense abstracted from persons which is the genuine spiritual sense, the truths of the doctrine of that church are meant.

Likewise elsewhere in the Word, as in the following passages. In Moses:

I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and the woman's seed. He shall trample on thy head and thou shalt wound his heel (Genesis 3:15).

This is a prophecy respecting the Lord. The "serpent" here signifies the sensual of man, where what is man's own has its seat, which in itself is nothing but evil; and the "woman" signifies the spiritual church, or the church which is in Divine truths. And as the sensual of man has been destroyed, and when the man of the church becomes spiritual he is elevated out of the sensual, it is said, "there shall be enmity between thee and the woman." "The seed of the serpent" signifies all falsity from evil, and "the seed of the woman" all truth from good, and in the highest degree Divine truth; and as all Divine truth is from the Lord, and as by it the Lord destroys falsity from evil, it is said "He shall trample on thy head, "He" meaning the Lord, and "head" all falsity from evil. That the sensual would still do injury to Divine truth in its ultimates, which is the Word in the sense of the letter, is signified by "He shall wound the heel;" "the heel" signifying that ultimate and that sense. That the ultimate of truth and the sense of the letter have suffered and do still suffer hurt from the sensual, can be seen from this single example, that the papists understand the woman here to mean Mary and the worship of her; therefore in their Bibles the reading is not "He," but "it" and "she." So in a thousand other passages.

[4] In Jeremiah:

Behold the days shall come in which I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast (Jeremiah 31:27).

This is said of the Lord, and of the New Church from Him. His coming is signified by "Behold the days shall come;" "to sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah" signifies to reform those who will be of that church, "the house of Israel" signifying the spiritual church, and "the house of Judah" the celestial church; and as reformation is effected by means of spiritual truths and by means of natural truths therefrom, it is said "with the seed of man and with the seed of beast;" "the seed of man" signifying spiritual truth from which man has intelligence, and "the seed of beast" signifying natural truth from which man has knowledge, also life according to it, both of these from the affection of good. That "man" signifies the affection of spiritual truth and good may be seen above (n. 280); and "beast" natural affection (n. 650); thus "the seed of man and the seed of beast" signify the truths of those affections.

In Malachi:

There is not one who doeth this who hath the spirit; is there one that seeketh the seed of God? (Malachi 2:15)

"Is there one that seeketh the seed of God?" signifies that no one seeks Divine truth; evidently "the seed of God" here signifies Divine truth; so "the born of God" mean those who are regenerated by the Lord by means of Divine truth, and a life according thereto.

[5] In Isaiah:

Jehovah willed to bruise Him, He hath weakened Him; if Thou shalt make His soul a guilt offering, He shall see seed, He shall prolong days, and the will of Jehovah shall prosper by His hand (Isaiah 53:10).

This is said of the Lord, and the whole of this chapter treats of His temptations, by means of which He subjugated the hells. The increasing grievousness of His temptations is described by "Jehovah willed to bruise Him, and to weaken Him;" the most grievous temptation, which was the passion of the cross, is signified by "if Thou shalt make His soul a guilt offering;" "to make His soul a guilt offering" signifies the last temptation, by which He fully subjugated the hells and fully glorified His Human, which is the means of redemption. The Divine truth that afterwards proceeded from His Divine Human, and the salvation of all who receive Divine truth from Him, is signified by "He shall see seed;" that this will continue forever is signified by "He shall prolong days;" "to prolong" signifying in reference to the Lord to continue forever, and "days" signifying states of light, which are states of the enlightenment of all by Divine truth; that this is from His Divine for the salvation of the human race is signified by "the will of Jehovah shall prosper by His hand."

[6] In the same:

Fear not, for I am with thee; I will bring thy seed from the sunrise, and I will bring thee together from the west; I will say to the north, Give, and to the south, Hold not back; bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the end of the earth (Isaiah 43:5, 6).

This is supposed to refer to the bringing back of the sons of Israel into the land of Canaan; but this is not the meaning here; but it means the salvation by the Lord of all who receive Divine truth from Him; and of whom the New Church consists; this is what is signified by "His seed which shall be brought from the sunrise, and brought together from the west, and which the north shall give and the south ¹ shall not hold back," therefore it also follows: "Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the end of the earth;" "sons" signifying those who are in the truths of the church, and "daughters" those who are in its goods. (But these words may be seen explained above, n. 422, 724)

[7] In the same:

On the right hand and on the left thou shalt break forth, and thy seed shall inherit the nations and make the desolate cities to be inhabited (Isaiah 54:3).

This is said of the church from the Lord with the Gentiles, which church is here meant by "the barren woman that did not bear," who should have many sons (verse 1). "The seed that shall inherit the nations" signifies the Divine truth that shall be given to the Gentiles; "to break forth on the right hand and on the left" signifies extension and multiplication; the "right hand" signifying truth in light, and the "left hand" truth in the shade, for the reason that in the spiritual world to the right hand is the south where those are who are in the clear light of truth, and to the left is the north where those are who are in an obscure light of truth. "To make the desolate cities to be inhabited" signifies their life according to Divine truths, which before this had been lost; "cities" meaning the truths of doctrine from the Word; "to be inhabited" signifying to live according to truths, and "desolate cities" those truths heretofore lost, that is, with the Jewish nation.

[8] In the same:

Their seed shall become known among the nations and their offspring in the midst of the peoples; all that see them shall acknowledge them that they are the seed that Jehovah hath blessed (Isaiah 61:9).

This, too, is said of the church to be established by the Lord. "The seed that shall become known among the nations" signifies Divine truth that will be received by those who are in the good of life; "and the offspring in the midst of the peoples" signifies life according to Divine truth; "those that see them and shall acknowledge that they are the seed" signifies enlightenment, that it is the genuine truth that they receive; "that Jehovah hath blessed" signifies that it is from the Lord. But such is the signification of these words in a sense abstracted from persons, but in a strict sense those are meant who will receive Divine truth from the Lord.

[9] In the same:

They are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them (Isaiah 65:23).

This, also, is said of the church from the Lord; and "the seed of the blessed of Jehovah" means those who will receive Divine truth from the Lord; and "their offspring," those who live according to it; but in the sense abstracted from persons, which is the genuine spiritual sense, "seed" means Divine truth, and "offspring," a life according to it (as just above). "Offspring" mean those who live according to Divine truth, and in an abstract sense life according to it, because the word in the original rendered "offspring" means going out or proceeding, and that which goes out or proceeds from Divine truth received is a life according to Divine truth.

[10] In the same:

As the new heavens and the new earth which I am about to make shall stand before Me, so shall your seed and your name stand (Isaiah 66:22).

This, too, is said of the Lord, and of the salvation of the faithful by Him; the New Church from Him is meant by "new heavens and a new earth;" by "new heavens" an internal church, and by "a new earth" an external church; that Divine truth and its quality shall endure is signified by "your seed and your name shall stand;" "seed" signifying Divine truth, which also is the truth of doctrine from the Word, and "name" signifying its quality. (That "name" signifies the quality of a thing and of a state, may be seen above, n. 148)

[11] In David:

Thou hast founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Thy hands; they shall perish, and Thou shalt stand; they shall all wax old like garments, like a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed; but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall have no end; the sons of Thy servants shall dwell, and their seed shall be established before Thee (Psalms 102:25-28).

"The earth" which God formed, and "the heavens the work of His hands," which shall perish, have a similar signification as "the former earth and the former heaven" that passed away (in Revelation 21:1; about which, see there); and as the face of the earth and heavens in the spiritual world will be altogether changed at the day of the Last Judgment, and there will be a new earth and new heavens in place of the former, it is said "they shall all wax old like garments, like a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed;" they are likened to garments because garments signify external truths, such as those had who were in the former heavens and the former earth, which were not permanent because they were not in internal truths. The state of Divine truth that shall endure from the Lord to eternity is signified by "Thou shalt stand," and "Thou art the same, and Thy years shall have no end;" "the years of God" signifying the states of Divine truth. "The sons of Thy servants shall dwell, and their seed shall be established before Thee," signifies that angels and men, who are recipients of Divine truth, shall have eternal life, and that truths of doctrine shall endure with them to eternity; "the sons of the servants of God" meaning angels and men who are recipients of Divine truth, and "their seed" meaning truths of doctrine.

[12] In the same:

A seed that shall serve Him shall be counted to the Lord for a generation (Psalms 22:30).

This also is said of the Lord; and "the seed that shall serve Him" means those who are in the truths of doctrine from the Word; and "it shall be counted to the Lord for a generation" signifies that they shall be His to eternity; "to be counted" signifying to be arranged and disposed in order, here to be numbered with or added to, thus to be His.

[13] In many passages in the Word mention is made of "the seed of Abraham," "of Isaac," and "of Jacob," likewise of "the seed of Israel," and in the historical sense of the letter their posterity is meant; but in the spiritual sense Divine truth and the truth of doctrine from the Word are meant, for the reason that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel, mean in that sense the Lord, as can be seen from passages in the Word where they are mentioned; as where it is said:

That they shall come from the east and from the west, and shall recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 8:11);

which means the enjoyment of celestial good from the Lord. So also elsewhere. And as the Lord is meant by them in the internal sense, "their seed" signifies Divine truth which is from the Lord, and thus also the truth of doctrine from the Word; as in these passages. In Moses:

Jehovah said to Abram, All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed forever; and I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth (Genesis 13:15, 16).

Look up towards the heavens and number the stars, so shall thy seed be (Genesis 15:5).

In thy seed shall all the nations be blessed (Genesis 22:18).

To Isaac:

To thee and to thy seed will I give all these lands; and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed (Genesis 26:3-5).

To Jacob:

Unto thy seed after thee will I give this land (Genesis 35:12).

The land given to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and to their seed after them (Deuteronomy 1:8).

The seed of your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deuteronomy 4:37; 10:15; 11:9).

Since, as has been said, the Lord is meant by "Abraham," "Isaac," and "Jacob;" by "Abraham" the Lord in reference to the celestial Divine of the church; by "Isaac" in reference to the spiritual Divine of the church, and by "Jacob" in reference to the natural Divine of the church, so their "seed" signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; "the seed of Abraham" signifying celestial Divine truth; "the seed of Isaac" spiritual Divine truth, and "the seed of Jacob" natural Divine truth; consequently those also are meant who are in Divine truth from the Lord. But the "land which the Lord will give to them" means the church which is in Divine truth from Him; and thence it may be known what is signified by "in their seed shall all nations be blessed;" for they could not be blessed in their posterity, namely, in the Jewish and Israelitish nation, but they were to be blessed in the Lord and from the Lord by the reception of Divine truth from Him.

[14] That "the seed of Abraham" does not mean the Jews is evident from the Lord's words in John:

The Jews answered, We are Abraham's seed, and have never been servants to any man. Jesus answered, I know that ye are Abraham's seed; yet ye seek to kill Me, because My word hath no place in you; ye are of your father the devil (John 8:33, 34, 37, 44).

From this it is evident that the Jews are not meant by "the seed of Abraham," but that "Abraham" means the Lord, and "the seed of Abraham" Divine truth from the Lord, which is the Word; for it is said, "I know that ye are Abraham's seed; yet ye seek to kill Me, because My word hath no place in you." The Lord's saying "I know that ye are Abraham's seed" signifies that He knew that the truth of the church, which is the Word, was with them; but that they nevertheless rejected the Lord is signified by "ye seek to kill Me;" and that they were not in Divine truths from the Lord is signified by "because My word hath no place in you;" that there was with them nothing but evil and falsity therefrom is signified by "ye are of your father the devil, and the truth is not in him;" and afterwards, "when he speaketh a lie he speaketh from his own;" "lie" signifying Divine truth, or the Word, adulterated. The Lord said "I know that ye are Abraham's seed" for the further reason that "Judah" signifies the Lord in reference to the Word (as may be seen above, n. 119, 433).

[15] In David:

He will make them to fall in the wilderness, and will make their seed to fall among the nations and will scatter them in the lands (Psalms 106:26, 27).

"To make their seed to fall among the nations and to scatter them in the lands" signifies that Divine truth would perish with them by evils and falsities. "The seed of Israel" has a similar signification in these passages:

Thou Israel My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend, whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 41:8, 9).

I will pour out My spirit upon the seed of Israel and Jacob, and My blessing upon their offspring (Isaiah 44:3).

In Jehovah all the seed of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory (Isaiah 45:25).

Jehovah who brought up and who brought back the seed of the house of Israel out of the land ² towards the north, and out of all the lands whither I have driven them, that they may dwell upon their own land (Jeremiah 23:8).

In the highest sense "Israel" means the Lord in relation to the internal of the church, therefore "his seed" similarly signifies the Divine truth that is with those who are of the church that is signified by "Israel." "Israel" means the church with those who are interiorly natural, and have truths therein from a spiritual origin. For this reason "Israel" signifies the church that is spiritual-natural.

[16] Since "David" in the Word means the Lord in reference to royalty, and the Lord's royalty means Divine truth in the church, so his "seed" means those who are in the truths of the church from the Word, who are called "the sons of the king" and "the sons of the kingdom;" it means also that Divine truth is with them, as in the following passages:

As the host of the heavens shall not be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the seed of David and the Levites My ministers (Jeremiah 33:22).

I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to David My servant, Even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and will build up thy throne to generation and generation. I will set his seed forever, and his throne as the days of the heavens. His seed shall be to eternity, and his throne as the sun before Me (Psalms 89:3, 4, 29, 36).

That "David" means in the Word the Lord in reference to royalty, which is Divine truth in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, may be seen above (n. 205); therefore "his seed" signifies that Divine truth with those who are in truths from good, thus also who are in the truths of doctrine from the Word; for truths of doctrine from the Word, or the truths of the Word, are all from good; and as these are meant by "the seed of David," so in an abstract sense the truth of the Word or the truth of the doctrine from the Word is meant by it. That "the seed of David" does not mean his posterity anyone can see, for it is said that "his seed shall be multiplied as the host of the heavens and the sand of the sea," and that "it shall be established and set to eternity," also that "his throne shall be built up to generation and generation," and "shall be as the days of the heavens," and "as the sun," which cannot at all be said of the seed of David, that is, of his posterity and of his throne, for where now are his seed and throne to be found? But all these things harmonize when "David" is taken to mean the Lord, "his throne" heaven and the church, and "his seed" the truth of heaven and of the church.

[17] In Jeremiah:

If I shall not have set My covenant of day and night, the statutes of heaven and of earth, I will also reject the seed of Jacob and of David My servant, that I will not take of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will cause their captivity to return, and will have compassion on them (Jeremiah 33:25, 26).

In the same:

Jehovah said, who giveth the sun for a light by day, the statutes of the moon and stars for a light by night. If these statutes shall remove from before Me, the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me all the days (Jeremiah 31:35, 36).

In these passages, again, "the seed of Jacob" and of "David," likewise "the seed of Israel," mean those who are in Divine truths; but "the seed of Jacob" means those who are in natural Divine truth, "David" those who are in spiritual Divine truth, and "Israel" those who are in natural-spiritual Divine truth, which is mediate between natural Divine truth and spiritual Divine truth. For there are degrees of Divine truth, as there are degrees of its reception in the three heavens by the angels and in the church. "The covenant of day and night, and the statutes of heaven and earth," signifying the conjunction of the Lord with those who are in Divine truths in the heavens, and with those who are in Divine truths on the earth, "covenant" signifying conjunction, and "statutes" the laws of conjunction, which are also the laws of order, and the laws of order are Divine truths; while "day" signifies such light of truth as the angels in the heavens have; and "night" such light of truth as men on the earth have, likewise such light of truth as those have who are in the heavens and on the earth under the Lord as a moon; therefore it is added, "who giveth the sun for a light by day, and the statutes of the moon and stars for a light by night." But here "the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," mean all who are of the Lord's church, in every degree; of these and of the seed of Jacob and David it is said that if they acknowledge not the Lord, and receive not Divine truth from Him, the Lord will not reign over them.

[18] In the same:

No one of his seed shall prosper who sitteth upon the throne of David and ruleth anymore in Judah (Jeremiah 22:30).

This is said of Coniah, king of Judah, who is here called "a despised and worthless idol," and it is said of him:

That he and his seed shall be taken away and cast unto the earth (verse 28).

This king has a similar signification as Satan, and "his seed" signifies infernal falsity; that this shall not rule in the Lord's church, in which is celestial Divine truth, is signified by "no one of his seed shall sit upon the throne of David or shall rule anymore in Judah;" "Judah" here meaning the celestial church in which the Lord reigns.

[19] As "David" represented the Lord's royalty, so "Aaron" represented his priesthood; therefore "the seed of Aaron" means those who are in the affection of genuine truth which is from celestial good. Because of this representation this statute was given for Aaron:

The high priest shall not take a widow, or one divorced, or one polluted, a harlot, but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife, lest he profane his seed among his people; I Jehovah do sanctify him (Leviticus 21:14, 15).

As "man and wife" in the Word in its spiritual sense signify the understanding of truth and the will of good, and as thought is of the understanding and affection is of the will, so "man and wife" also signify the thought of truth and the affection of good, likewise truth and good. Thence it is clear what is signified by a "widow," by "one divorced," and by "one polluted" and "a harlot;" "a widow" signifies good without truth, because left by truth, which is the man; "one divorced" signifies good rejected by truth, thus discordant good; and "one polluted, a harlot," signifies good adulterated by falsities, which is no longer good but evil. Because of this signification of these women the high priest was forbidden to take any of them to wife, because he represented the Lord in reference to the priesthood, which signified the Divine good. And as a "virgin" signifies the will or affection of genuine truth, and genuine truth makes one with and is in harmony with Divine good, and these two are conjoined in heaven and in the church, and their conjunction is called the heavenly marriage, therefore it was required that the high priest should take a virgin to wife. And as the truth of doctrine is born of this marriage, while the falsity of doctrine is born of a marriage with such as are signified by "a widow," "one divorced," and "one polluted, a harlot," it is said, "lest he profane his seed among his peoples," "seed" signifying the genuine truth of doctrine, and thus also the doctrine of genuine truth from the good of celestial love, and "his peoples" signifying those who are of the church in which there is the doctrine of genuine truth from the Word. Also as this was a representative of the heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of the Lord with the church, therefore it is said, "I Jehovah do sanctify him."

[20] Since the high priest represented the Lord in reference to Divine good, and his "seed" signified Divine truth, which is the same as the genuine truth of doctrine, it was also made a statute:

That no man a stranger, who was not of the seed of Aaron, shall come near to burn incense before Jehovah (Numbers 16:40).

"A man a stranger" signifies the falsity of doctrine, and "burning incense" signifies worship from spiritual good, which in its essence is genuine truth; and "the seed of the high priest" signifies Divine truth from a celestial origin; therefore it was decreed by law that no stranger who was not of the seed of Aaron should burn incense in the Tent of meeting before Jehovah.

[21] When it is known what of heaven and the church was represented also by other persons mentioned in the Word, what is signified by "their seed" will also be known, as by the seed of Noah, Ephraim, and Caleb, in the following passages. Of Noah:

I establish My covenant with you and with your seed after you (Genesis 9:9).

Israel said of Ephraim:

His seed shall be the fullness of the earth ³ (Genesis 48:19).

And Jehovah said of Caleb:

His seed shall inherit the earth (Numbers 14:24).

What "Noah" and "Ephraim" represented and signified has been explained in the Arcana Coelestia. But "Caleb" represented those who are to be introduced into the church; therefore their "seed" signifies the truth of the doctrine of the church.

[22] The "seed of the field" has a similar signification as the "seed of man," because a "field," the same as "man," signifies the church; for this reason the terms "seed" and also "sowing" are in some passages applied to the people of the earth the same as they are applied to a field, as in the following. In Jeremiah:

I had planted thee a noble vine, a seed of truth; how art thou turned into branches of a strange vine unto Me! (Jeremiah 2:21).

In David:

Their fruit will I ⁴ destroy from the earth, and their seed from the sons of man (Psalms 21:10).

In Hosea:

I will sow Israel unto Me in the earth (Hosea 2:23).

In Zechariah:

I will sow Judah and Joseph among the peoples, and they shall remember Me in remote places (Zechariah 10:9).

In Ezekiel:

I will look again to you, that ye may be tilled and sown; then will I multiply man upon you, all the house of Israel, the whole of it (Ezekiel 36:9).

In Jeremiah:

Behold the days shall come in which I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast (Jeremiah 31:27).

In Matthew:

The seed sown are the sons of the kingdom (Matthew 13:38).

But it is not necessary to show here that the seed of the field has a similar meaning as the seed of man, for here only what is signified by "the seed of the woman" is what is to be explained and confirmed from the Word.

[23] Since "seed" signifies the truth of doctrine from the Word, and in the highest sense Divine truth, so in the contrary sense "seed" signifies the falsity of doctrine and infernal falsity. As in Isaiah:

Draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, ye seed of the adulterer, and thou that hast ⁵ committed whoredom. Against whom do ye sport yourselves, against whom do ye make wide the mouth and lengthen the tongue? Are ye not children of transgression, the seed of a lie? (Isaiah 57:3, 4)

"The sons of the sorceress and the seed of an adulterer" signify falsities from the Word when it has been falsified and adulterated, "the sons of the sorceress" meaning the falsities from the Word falsified, and "the seed of an adulterer," falsities from the Word adulterated. The Word is said to be falsified when its truths are perverted, and to be adulterated when its goods are perverted, as also when truths are applied to the loves of self. "Children of transgression and seed of a lie" signify falsities flowing from such prior falsities. "To sport themselves" signifies to take delight in things falsified; "to make wide the mouth" signifies delight in the thought therefrom; and "to lengthen the tongue" delight in teaching and propagating such falsities.

[24] In Isaiah:

Woe to the sinful nation, a people heavy with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, sons that are corrupters; they have forsaken Jehovah, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel, they have estranged themselves backwards (Isaiah 1:4).

"The sinful nation" signifies those who are in evils, and "a people heavy with iniquity" those who are in the falsities therefrom, for "nation" is predicated in the Word of evils, and "people" of falsities (See above, 331, 625). The falsity of those who are in evils is signified by "a seed of evildoers," and the falsities of those who are in the falsities from that evil are signified by "sons that are corrupters." (That "sons" signify those who are in truths, and in the contrary sense those who are in falsities, and in an abstract sense truths and falsities, may be seen above, n. 724 "They have forsaken Jehovah and have provoked the Holy One of Israel" signifies that they have rejected Divine good and Divine truth; "Jehovah" meaning the Lord in relation to Divine good, and "the Holy One of Israel," the Lord in relation to Divine truth; "their estranging themselves backwards" signifies that they wholly departed from good and truth, and went away to infernal evil and falsity, for those in the spiritual world who are in evils and falsities turn themselves backward from the Lord (See in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 123). In the same:

Thou shalt not be joined with them in the sepulcher, for thou hast corrupted thy land, thou hast slain thy people; the seed of the evil shall not be named forever (Isaiah 14:20).

This is said of Lucifer, by whom Babylon is meant; and "the seed of the evil which shall not be named forever" signifies the direful falsity of evil which is from hell. (The rest may be seen explained above, n. 589, 659, 697)

[25] In Moses:

He that hath given of his seed to Molech dying shall die, the people of the land shall stone him with stones. I will set My faces against that man, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, because he hath given of his seed to Molech, to defile My sanctuary and to profane the name of My holiness (Leviticus 20:3; Leviticus 18:21).

"To give of his seed to Molech" signifies to destroy the truth of the Word and of the doctrine of the church therefrom, by application to the filthy loves of the body, as murders, hatreds, revenges, adulteries, and the like, which leads to the acceptance of infernal falsities instead of things Divine; such falsities are signified by "the seed given to Molech." Molech was the god of the sons of Ammon (1 Kings 11:7); and was set up in the valley of Hinnom, which was called Topheth, where they burned up their sons and daughters (2 Kings 23:10); the above mentioned loves are signified by that fire; and as "seed given to Molech" signifies such infernal falsity, and stoning was the punishment of death for the injury and destruction of the truth of the Word and of doctrine therefrom, it is said that the man that "hath given of his seed to Molech dying shall die, and the people of the land shall stone him with stones." (That stoning was the punishment for injuring or destroying truth may be seen above, n. 655.) That such falsity is destructive of every good of the Word and of the church is signified by "I will set My faces against that man, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, because he hath defiled My sanctuary and profaned the name of My holiness," "sanctuary" signifying the truth of heaven and the church, and "the name of holiness" all that it is. From the passages quoted it can now be seen that "seed" means in the highest sense Divine truth which is from the Lord, and thence the truth of the Word and of the doctrine of the church which is from the Word; while in the evil sense it means infernal falsity which is the opposite of that truth.

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