9033. The invalidation of spiritual truth, that is, of the truth of the doctrine of faith of the church, has been treated of in the two preceding verses; and in the two verses which follow, the subject treated of is the invalidation of memory-truth, which is the truth of the literal sense of the Word. This truth indeed appears like the former, but still it is not like it; and therefore here for the sake of elucidation take this example. It is a spiritual truth, or a genuine truth of the doctrine of faith of the church, that the Lord punishes no one, because He is mercy itself; and therefore whatsoever He does, He does from mercy, and by no means from anger and revenge; and yet the Lord says in Matthew:

Be ye not afraid of those who are able to kill the body, but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both body and soul in Gehenna (Matthew 10:28).

Here it is said of God that He is “to be feared,” because He “is able to destroy body and soul in Gehenna,” when yet He destroys no one. Nevertheless this is a truth; and therefore it is not to be extinguished, that is, denied; for if it is denied, faith in the Word perishes; and if this perishes, man cannot spiritually live, for man has spiritual life through faith from the Word.

[2] The case herein is this. It is a law of Divine order that good should have its recompense-thus heaven-within itself; and it is from this that evil has in itself its punishment, thus hell. The former law is from the Lord, because the Lord wills good to all; but the latter law not so, because the Lord wills evil to no one. Nevertheless so it is done; not from the Lord, but from the man who is in evil, consequently from evil. Yet this is attributed to the Lord in the sense of the letter of the Word, because it so appears. Therefore, because it is an apparent truth, it must not be denied, that is, extinguished; for thus faith in the Word would be extinguished, which faith is for the simple (see n. 2447, 6071, 6991, 6997, 7533, 7632, 7643, 7679, 7710, 7877, 7926, 8197, 8227, 8228, 8282, 8483, 8631, 8632, 9010).

7679. And Jehovah brought an east wind upon the land. That this signifies the means of destruction, is evident from the signification of “an east wind,” as being a means of destruction. That an “east wind” has this signification is because it was dry and tempestuous, and consequently dried up the productions of that land, and by its force broke in pieces trees, and ships on the sea; from this, by it as a means is described the effect of Divine power. Moreover, by the “east” is signified the good of love and of charity, because in the supreme sense the Lord is signified (n. 101, 1250, 3708). And in its origin, being Divine, the good of love and of charity is most gentle, consequently it is so in its advance into heaven; but when it sinks down to the hells, it becomes harsh and severe, because it is turned into this by those who are there. Therefore the influx and presence of this Divine good there not only torments, but also devastates them. From all this also it is that by a “wind from the east,” or an “east wind” is signified a means of destruction.

[2] That by this “wind” is signified a means of destruction, is plain from the passages in the Word where it is mentioned, as in Jeremiah:

Like an east wind I will scatter them before the enemy (Jeremiah 18:17).

The vine that is planted shall not prosper: shall it not utterly wither when the east wind toucheth it? (Ezekiel 17:10).

That vine was plucked up in anger, she was cast down to the earth, and the east wind dried up her fruit (Ezekiel 19:12).

He is fierce among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of Jehovah, coming up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up (Hos. 13:15).

With the east wind thou wilt break the ships of Tarshish (Psalms 48:7).

They that despise ¹ thee have brought thee into many waters, the east wind hath broken thee in the heart of the seas (Ezekiel 27:26).

From these passages it is evident that an “east wind” signifies a means of destruction, because it was dry and tempestuous; whence also it signifies a means of devastation, as in Hosea:

Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind; every day he multiplieth a lie and vastation (Hos. 12:1); where “Ephraim” denotes the intellectual of the church (n. 5354, 6222, 6238); “to feed on wind” is “to multiply a lie;” “and to pursue the east wind” is “to multiply vastation.” A state of vastation and temptation is also called “the day of the east wind” in Isaiah 27:7-8.

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