644. Verse 6. These have power to shut heaven that it rain no rain in the days of their prophecy, signifies that those who reject the goods and truths of heaven and the church that proceed from the Lord, receive no influx out of heaven. This is evident from the signification of "shutting heaven," as being lest any influx out of heaven be received (of which presently); also from the signification of "rain," as being truth fertilizing, which is truth from which there is good that flows down out of heaven (of which also presently); also from the signification of "their prophecy," as being prediction respecting the Lord and His coming, and respecting the good of love to Him and the truths of faith in Him. This revelation and the proclamation of this revelation at the end of the church is what is chiefly meant by "the days of the prophecy of the two witnesses." It is the Lord that is chiefly proclaimed at the end of the church by "the two witnesses," because "the two witnesses," which are the good of love to the Lord and the truth of faith in Him, are what chiefly bear witness of Him, therefore it is afterwards said that:

The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Revelation 19:10).

[2] "To shut heaven" means to prevent the reception of any influx out of heaven, because it is added, "that it rain no rain," which signifies influx of Divine truth out of heaven. For it is well known that every good of love and every truth of faith flows in out of heaven, that is, from the Lord through heaven, with man, and that it flows in continually; from which it follows that neither the good of love nor the truth of faith is in anywise man's, but is the Lord's with him. These both flow in so far as evil and falsity do not obstruct; it is these that shut heaven so that there is no influx; for evil and good, and falsity and truth, are opposites, consequently where the one is the other cannot be; for evil with man prevents the entrance of good, and falsity the entrance of truth; while good causes evil to be removed, and truth falsity; for these are opposites, as heaven and hell are opposites; therefore the one acts against the other with an unceasing endeavor to destroy, and the one that prevails destroys the other.

[3] Moreover, there are in every man two minds, an interior which is called the spiritual mind, and another, the exterior which is called the natural mind. The spiritual mind is created for the reception of light from heaven, but the natural mind for the reception of light from the world. The spiritual mind, therefore, which is man's interior mind, is heaven with him, and the natural mind, which is man's exterior mind, is the world with him. The interior mind, which is heaven with man, is opened so far as man acknowledges the Divine of the Lord, and man so far acknowledges this as he is in the good of love and charity and in the truths of doctrine and faith. But this interior mind, which is heaven with man, is unopened so far as man does not acknowledge the Divine of the Lord, and does not live the life of love and faith; and that mind is shut so far as man is in evils and in falsities therefrom; and when it is shut then the natural mind with man becomes a hell; for in the natural mind are evil and its falsity, consequently when the spiritual mind which is heaven with man is shut, the natural mind which is hell rules. From this it can be seen what is meant by "heaven is shut that it rain no rain. "

[4] It is said that the two witnesses have power "to shut heaven," but still these do not shut it, but the evil and falsity shut it that rule with the men of the church at its end. This is said of "the two witnesses," as was said above that "fire shall go forth out of their mouth and shall devour their enemies," and yet no fire goes forth from them and devours (as has been said in the two articles above). "That it rain no rain" signifies no influx of Divine truth out of heaven, because "water," which makes rain, signifies the truth of the Word, and the truth of doctrine and faith therefrom (See above, n. 71, 483, 518, 537, 538); and as rain water descends out of the clouds in heaven, so "to rain rain" signifies the influx of Divine truth from the Lord in heaven, and as rain fertilizes the earth, so "rain" signifies Divine truth fertilizing and making fruitful the church, for which reason "rain" signifies also spiritual blessing.

[5] That "rain" in the Word does not mean rain, but the inflowing Divine, which causes intelligence and wisdom, and also the good of love and the truth of faith in man, to grow and become fruitful, and that "to rain" signifies influx can be seen from the following passages. In Moses:

My doctrine shall flow down as the rain, My word shall distill as the dew, as the drops on the grass, and as the showers on the herb (Deuteronomy 32:2).

Doctrine is here compared to rain, because "rain" signifies the Divine truth proceeding, from which is everything of doctrine; for all comparisons in the Word are also from correspondences. Because "rain" signifies the Divine truth flowing down it is said, "My doctrine shall flow down as the rain." "Dew" signifies good, and since "word" has the same signification, therefore it is said, "My word shall distill as the dew." So intelligence and wisdom therefrom are signified by "the drops on the grass," and by "the showers on the herbs," for as the grass and herb of the field grow from the waters of the rain and dew, so do intelligence and wisdom by the influx of Divine truth from the Lord. This is first said by Moses, because in this chapter he is speaking of the twelve tribes of Israel, which signify in the spiritual sense all truths and goods of the church, and thus doctrine in the whole complex.

[6] In the same:

The land which ye shall pass over to possess it is a land of mountains and valleys, of the rain of heaven it drinketh waters. And I will give the rain of your land in its time, the former rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy new wine, and thine oil. But if ye shall serve other gods, and shall not walk in my statutes, the anger of Jehovah shall glow against you; He will shut heaven that there be no rain, and the land shall not yield her produce (Deuteronomy 11:11, 14, 16, 17).

This describes the land of Canaan and its fruitfulness; but as that land means in the spiritual sense the church, it follows that all things of this description signify such things as belong to the church, as "mountains," "valleys," "corn," "new wine," "oil," "produce," and "rain." "A land of mountains and valleys" signifies the higher and lower, or internal and external things of the church; the internal things of the church are with the internal man, which is also called the spiritual man, and the external things of the church are with the external man, which is called the natural man; that both these are such as to receive the influx of Divine truth is signified by "of the rain of heaven it drinketh waters." That Divine truth inflows in both states, that is, when the man of the church is in his spiritual state and when he is in his natural state, is signified by "the rain given in its time, the former rain and the latter rain;" for the man of the church is by turns in a spiritual state and in a natural state, and the influx and reception of Divine truth in a spiritual state is meant by "the former or morning rain," and in a natural state by "the latter or evening rain;" spiritual and celestial good and truth which the man of the church has therefrom is meant by the "corn," "new wine," and "oil," which they shall gather in; that the falsities of doctrine and of worship will prevent the influx and reception of Divine truth, and in consequence, the increase of spiritual life, is signified by "if ye shall serve other gods there shall be no rain, and the land will not yield her produce," "other gods" signifying the falsities of doctrine and of worship.

[7] In the same:

If ye walk in My statutes and keep My commandments and do them, the land shall yield its produce, and the tree of the field shall yield its fruit (Leviticus 26:3, 4).

Here "the rain that shall be given in its time, and the produce of the land," have a similar signification as above; and as the church was at that time an external church, representative of interior spiritual things, so when they walked in the statutes, and kept the commandments and did them, it came about that they had rain in its time, and the earth yielded its produce, and the tree of the field its fruit; and yet the rain and the produce thence were representative and significative, "rain" represented the Divine flowing in, "the produce," the truth of doctrine and the understanding of truth, and "the fruit of the tree," the good of love and the will of good.

[8] This can be seen from its being said:

That the rain was withheld, and consequently there was a famine in the land of Israel for three years and a half, under Ahab, because they served other gods and killed the prophets (1 Kings 17:1; (1_Kings 1 Kings 18:1);Luke 4:25).

This was a representative, and thus a significative, that no Divine truth flowing in out of heaven could be received because of the falsities of evil, which were signified by "other gods" and by "Baal," whom they worshiped. "Killing the prophets" signified also the destruction of the Divine, for a "prophet" signifies in the Word the doctrine of truth from the Word.

[9] In Isaiah:

I will lay waste My vineyard; it shall not be pruned nor hoed, that the briar and the bramble may come up; and I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it (Isaiah 5:6).

Here, too, it is said of Jehovah that He layeth waste His vineyard, "and commandeth the clouds that they rain no rain upon it;" and yet this is not done by Jehovah, that is, the Lord, for He always flows in both with the evil and with the good, which is meant by His "sending His rain upon the just and upon the unjust" (Matthew 5:45); but the cause is with the man of the church, that he does not receive any influx of Divine truth, for the man who does not receive closes up with himself the interiors of his mind, which receive; and when these are shut the inflowing Divine is rejected. The "vineyard" which is laid waste signifies the church; "it is not pruned nor hoed" signifies no ability to be cultivated and so prepared to receive; "the briar and bramble" which shall come up signify the falsities of evil; "to command the clouds that they rain no rain" signifies that no influx of Divine truth from heaven is received.

[10] In Jeremiah:

The showers have been withholden, and there hath been no latter rain; and still the forehead of a harlot woman remained to thee, thou didst refuse to be ashamed (Jeremiah 3:3).

They said not in their heart, Come, let us fear Jehovah our God; that giveth the rain, and the former and the latter rain in its time. He keepeth unto us the weeks, the stated times of harvest; your iniquities make these things to turn away (Jeremiah 5:24, 25).

In Amos:

I have withholden the rain from you, when there were yet three months to the harvest, so that I might cause it to rain upon one city, and not cause it to rain upon another city; one field received the rain, but the field upon which it did not rain dried up; therefore two, three cities wandered unto one city to drink waters, yet they were not satisfied; nevertheless ye have not returned unto Me (Amos 4:7, 8).

In Ezekiel:

Son of man, say, thou art a land that is not cleansed, that hath no rain in the day of anger; there is a conspiracy of her prophets in the midst of her (Ezekiel 22:24, 25).

In Zechariah:

Whosoever of the families of the land shall not go up to Jerusalem to worship Jehovah of Hosts, upon them there shall be no rain (Zechariah 14:17).

In these passages also "rain" signifies the reception of the influx of Divine truth, which is the source of spiritual intelligence; and that there is "no rain" signifies that no such intelligence is given by any influx because of the evils and falsities that refuse to receive and that reject it.

[11] In Jeremiah:

The nobles sent their little ones for water; they came to the pits and found no waters, because the land was broken, for there had been no rain upon the earth; the husbandmen were ashamed, they covered up the head (Jeremiah 14:3, 4).

"Nobles" mean those who teach and lead, and "little ones" those who are taught and led; "waters" signify the truths of doctrine; "pits in which there are no waters" signify doctrinals in which there are no truths; "there had been no rain upon the earth" signifies that no influx of Divine truth is received by reason of the falsities in the church; "the husbandmen were ashamed and covered up the head" signifies those who teach, and their grief.

[12] In Isaiah:

Then Jehovah shall give rain to thy seed with which thou sowest the land; and the bread of the increase of the land, and it shall be fat and rich; thy cattle shall feed in that day in a broad meadow (Isaiah 30:23).

This would be when the Lord should come. The influx of Divine truth proceeding from Him is signified by "the rain" which the Lord will then give to the seed, "rain" meaning Divine influx, and "seed" the truth of the Word; "to sow the land" signifies to plant and form the church in oneself; "the bread of the increase which Jehovah will give" signifies the good of love and charity, which is produced by the truths of the Word vivified by Divine influx; "fat and rich" signifies full of the good of love and truths therefrom, for "fat" is predicated of good, and "rich" of truths; "the cattle shall feed in that day in a broad meadow" signifies the extension and multiplication of good and truth by Divine influx, and consequent spiritual nourishment, "cattle" meaning the goods and truths in man, "that day" the Lord's coming, and "a broad meadow" the Word, through which is Divine influx and spiritual nourishment; "breadth" is predicated of the extension and multiplication of truth.

[13] In the same:

As the rain cometh down and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither but irrigateth the earth, and maketh it to bring forth and to bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall My Word be that goeth forth out of My mouth; it shall not return unto Me empty, but it shall do what I will, and it shall prosper in that to which I sent it (Isaiah 55:10, 11).

Here "the Word" which goeth forth out of the mouth of God is compared to the rain and snow from heaven, because "the Word" means Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, which with us flows in through the Word; "rain and snow coming down out of heaven" have a similar meaning, "rain" signifying spiritual truth, which has been appropriated to man, and "snow" natural truth, which is like snow when it is in the memory only; but it is made spiritual by love, as snow is made rain water by heat. "To irrigate the earth and to make it to bring forth and to bud" signifies to vivify the church that it may bring forth the truth of doctrine and of faith, and the good of love and of charity; the truth of doctrine and of faith is signified by "the seed that it gives to the sower," and the good of love and of charity by "the bread that it gives to the eater;" "it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall do what I will," signifies that it shall be received, and that by it man shall be led to look to the Lord.

[14] In Ezekiel:

I will give them and the circuits of My hill a blessing, and I will send down the rain in its time, they shall be rains of blessing; then the tree of the field shall give its fruit, and the land shall give its produce (Ezekiel 34:26, 27).

"The circuits of the hill of Jehovah" mean all who are in the truths of doctrine and thence in the good of charity; "to send down the rain in its time" signifies the influx of Divine truth adapted to the affection and will of the one receiving; and as the fructification of good and the multiplication of truth are therefrom, they are called "the rains of blessing," and it is said that "the tree of the field shall give its fruit, and the land shall give its produce;" "the tree of the field" and "the land" signifying the church and the man of the church, and "the fruit of the tree of the field" the fructification of good, and "the produce of the earth" the multiplication of its truth.

[15] In Joel:

Rejoice, ye sons of Zion, and be glad in Jehovah your God, for He shall give you the former rain in righteousness, yea, He shall cause to come down for you the rain, the former rain and the latter rain, in the first, that the floors may be full of pure grain, and the vats overflow with new wine and oil (Joel 2:23, 24).

"The sons of Zion" signify those who are in genuine truths through which they have the good of love, for "Zion" signifies the celestial church which is in the good of love to the Lord through genuine truths. That the Lord with such flows in with the good of love, and from that good into truths, is signified by "He shall give them the former rain in righteousness;" "righteousness" is predicated in the Word of the good of love, and "the righteous" mean those who are in that good (See above, n. 204). That the Lord continually flows into truths with the good of love is signified by "He shall cause to come down the former rain and the latter rain, in the first;" that from this they have the good of love towards a brother and companion is signified by "their floors are full of pure grain;" and that from this they have the truth and the good of love to the Lord is signified by "the vats overflow with new wine and oil." Those who are of the Lord's celestial church have the good of love towards a brother and companion; and this love, with those who are of the Lord's spiritual church, is called charity towards the neighbor.

[16] In Zechariah:

Ask of Jehovah the rain in its time; ¹ Jehovah will make mists and will give to them the shower of rain, to a man the herb in the field (Zechariah 10:1).

Here, too, "rain" signifies the influx of Divine truth from the Lord, from which man has spiritual intelligence; "the shower of rain" signifies Divine truth flowing in abundantly, and "to give the herb in the field" signifies the knowledge of truth and good from the Word and intelligence therefrom.

[17] In David:

Thou dost visit the earth and gladden it, thou greatly enrichest it; the stream of God is full of waters, thou preparest their grain, and so thou dost establish it. Water its furrows; settle its ridges; dissolve it with showers; bless its budding (Psalms 65:9, 10).

The "earth" signifies here the church; "the stream full of waters" signifies the doctrine full of truths; "to water its furrows, to settle its ridges, and to dissolve it with showers" signifies to fill with the knowledges of good and truth; "to prepare grain" signifies everything that nourishes the soul; therefore it is added, "so thou dost establish the earth," that is, the church; "to bless the budding" signifies to produce continually anew and to cause truths to spring forth.

[18] In the same:

O God, thou makest the rain of good will to drop down (Psalms 68:9).

In the same:

He shall come down like rain upon the herb of the meadow, like drops in the fissure of the earth; in his days shall the righteous flourish (Psalms 72:6, 7).

In these passages "rain" does not mean rain, but the influx of Divine truth with man, from which he has spiritual life. In Job:

My word they will not repeat, and my speech will drop upon them, and they will wait for me as for the rain, and they will open their mouth for the latter rain (Job 29:22, 23).

Evidently "rain" here means truth spoken by anyone, and flowing into another, for "word," "speech," and "opening the mouth" signify truth going forth from anyone by speech; this is why it is called "rain," and "latter rain," and is said "to drop," which here means to speak.

[19] In Jeremiah:

The Maker of the earth by His power prepareth the world, by His wisdom and by His understanding He stretcheth out the heavens; at the voice that He giveth forth there is a multitude of waters in the heavens; and He maketh the vapors to go up from the end of the earth; He maketh lightnings for the showers, and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasuries (Jeremiah 10:12, 13; 51:16; Psalms 135:7).

"The world which the Maker of the earth prepares by His power" signifies the church in the whole globe, "power" signifying the potency of Divine truth; "the heavens which He stretcheth out by wisdom and understanding" signify the church in the heavens corresponding to the church on earth, "wisdom and understanding" signifying the Divine proceeding, from which angels and men have the wisdom of good and the understanding of truth, and "to stretch out" signifying the formation and extension of the heavens in general, and the extension of understanding and wisdom with everyone who receives; "at the voice that He giveth forth there is a multitude of waters in the heavens" signifies that from the Divine proceeding there are spiritual truths in immeasurable abundance, "voice" signifying the Divine proceeding, "waters" truths, and "multitude" abundance; "He maketh the vapors to go up from the end of the earth" signifies truths in ultimates, such as the truths of the Word are in the sense of the letter, in which are spiritual truths, "the end of the earth" signifying the ultimates of the church, "vapors" truths for those who are in ultimates, and "to make them to go up" meaning to give spiritual truths from ultimates because they are in ultimates, for spiritual truths are what especially make the church fruitful; "He maketh lightning for the showers" signifies enlightenment from influx of Divine truth with them; "and bringeth forth the wind out of His treasuries" signifies spiritual things in the Word from heaven.

[20] In Luke:

When ye see a cloud rising in the west straightway it is said, There cometh a shower, and so it cometh to pass; and when ye see the south wind blowing it is said, There will be a scorching heat, and it cometh to pass. Ye hypocrites, ye know how to discern the face of the earth and of heaven, how is it that ye do not discern this time? (Luke 12:54-56)

By this comparison the Lord teaches that they see earthly things but not heavenly things; and the comparison itself, like all other comparisons in the Word, is derived from correspondences; for "a cloud rising in the west" signifies the Lord's coming at the end of the church predicted in the Word, "cloud" signifying the Word in the letter, "rising" the Lord's coming, and the "west" the end of the church; "straightway it is said, There cometh a shower" signifies that then there will be an influx of Divine truth; "and when ye see the south wind blowing" signifies the proclamation of His coming; "it is said, There will be a scorching heat" signifies that then there will be an influx of Divine good. The same words signify also contentions and combats of truth from good with falsities from evil, "shower and scorching heat" signifying also such contentions and combats; for this comparison follows the words of the Lord:

That He came not to give peace on the earth, but division, and that the father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father, the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother (Luke 12:51-53);

and these words signify such contention and combat; that "shower" also has this signification may be seen below. Because this comparison, regarded in its spiritual sense, implies the coming of the Lord, and because from blindness induced by falsities they did not acknowledge Him, although they might have known Him from the Word, it therefore follows:

Ye hypocrites, ye know how to discern the face of the earth and of heaven, but ye do not discern this time (verse 56);

that is, the time of His coming, and the conflict of the falsity of evil with the truth of good that then took place.

[21] In Hosea:

Let us know, and let us follow on to know Jehovah; His going forth is prepared as the clouds; and He shall come to us as the rain, as the latter rain that irrigateth the earth (Hosea 6:3).

This is said of the Lord and His coming; and as all Divine truth proceeds from Him, from which angels and men have life and salvation, it is said "He shall come to us as the rain, as the latter rain that irrigateth the earth," "to irrigate the earth" signifying to render fertile the church, which is said to be rendered fertile when truths are multiplied and thence intelligence increases, and when goods are made fruitful, and thence celestial love increases.

[22] In the second book of Samuel:

The rock of Israel spake to me; as the light of morning the sun riseth, of a morning without clouds; from the brightness after rain there is grass out of the earth (2 Samuel 23:3, 4).

This is said of the Lord, who from the Divine truth that proceeds from Him is called "the Rock of Israel." That Divine truth proceeds from His Divine good is meant by "as the light of the morning the sun riseth." There is a comparison with light because "light" signifies the Divine truth proceeding, and with the morning because "morning" signifies the Divine good, and with the rising sun because "rising" and the "sun" signify the Divine love; that these are without obscurity is signified by "the light of a morning without clouds;" the enlightenment of the man of the church by the reception and after the reception of Divine truth from the Lord's Divine good is signified by "from the brightness after rain," "brightness" signifying enlightenment, and "rain" influx and consequent reception. That those who are of the church have therefrom knowledge [scientia], intelligence, and wisdom, is signified by "the grass out of the earth," "grass," like "pasture," signifying spiritual nourishment, and thence knowledge [scientia], intelligence, and wisdom, which are spiritual food, and the "earth" signifying the church and the man of the church.

[23] In Matthew:

Love your enemies, bless ² them that curse you, bless them that hate you, and pray for them that hurt and persecute you; that ye may be sons of your Father who is in the heavens; who maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:44, 45).

Here first charity towards the neighbor, which is to wish good and do good even to enemies, is described by "loving them, blessing them, and praying for them," for genuine charity regards only the good of another. Here "to love" signifies charity, "to bless" instruction, and "to pray" intercession, and for the reason that inwardly in charity there is the end to do good. That this is the Divine itself with man, such as it is with regenerate men, is signified by "that ye may be sons of your Father in the heavens," "Father in the heavens" means the Divine proceeding, for all who receive this are called "sons of the Father," that is, of the Lord; "the sun that He maketh to rise on the evil and on the good" signifies the Divine good flowing in; and "the rain that He sendeth on the just and on the unjust" signifies the Divine truth flowing in; for the Divine proceeding which is "the Father in the heavens," flows in with the evil equally as with the good, but the reception of it must be on man's part, yet not on man's part as from man, but as if from man, for the ability to receive is given to man continually, and it also flows in to the extent that man removes the evils that oppose, and does this also from the ability that is continually given, the ability itself appearing to be man's, although it is of the Lord.

[24] From this it can now be seen that "rain" signifies in the Word the influx of the Divine truth from the Lord, from which man has spiritual life, and this because "waters," of which rain consists, signify the truth of doctrine and the truth of faith. But as "waters," in the contrary sense, signify the falsities of doctrine and of faith, so "showers of rain" or "a shower," as well as "inundations of waters" and a "flood," signify not only falsities destroying truths, but also temptations in which man either yields or conquers. This is the signification of shower [imber] in Matthew:

Everyone that heareth My words and doeth them I will liken to a prudent man who built his house upon a rock; and the shower descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, yet it fell not. But everyone that heareth My words and doeth them not shall be likened unto a foolish man who built his house upon the sand; and the shower descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it (Matthew 7:24-27).

Here "shower" and "rivers" mean temptations, in which man conquers or in which he yields; "waters" mean the falsities that usually inflow in temptations; and "rivers," which here are inundations of water from a shower, signify temptations; "the winds that blow and beat" signify the thoughts that arise therefrom, for temptations arise through the breaking in of falsities injected by evil spirits into the thoughts. The "house" they beat upon signifies man, strictly his mind, which consists of understanding or thought and of will or affection; he that receives the words of the Lord, that is, Divine truths, in one part of the mind only, which is that of the thought or understanding, and not at the same time in the other part, which is that of the affection or will, yields in temptations, and falls into grievous falsities, which are the falsities of evil; therefore it is said, "great was the fall of it;" but he who receives Divine truths in both parts, that is, both in the understanding and in the will, conquers in temptations. The "rock" upon which that house is founded signifies the Lord as to Divine truth, or Divine truth received by the soul and heart, that is, by faith and love, in other words, by the understanding and will; while the "sand" signifies Divine truth received only in the memory, and somewhat therefrom in the thought, and thus in a scattered and disconnected way, because intermixed with falsities, and falsified by notions. This makes clear what is meant by "hearing the words and not doing them." That this is the sense of these words can be seen more clearly from what precedes them.

[25] An "overflowing rain" or "shower" signifies an inundation of falsities also in Ezekiel:

Say unto them that daub on what is unfit that it shall fall, because an overflowing rain, because ³ ye, O hailstones, shall fall, and a wind of tempests shall break through. Thus said the Lord Jehovih, I will make a wind of tempest to break through in My wrath, and an overflowing rain in Mine anger, and hailstones in wrath for a consummation, and I will throw down the wall that ye have daubed with what is unfit (Ezekiel 13:11, 13, 14).

"Daubing with what is unfit" signifies the confirmation of falsity by fallacies, whereby falsity appears as truth; "hailstones" signify truths without good, thus without any spiritual life, which are all inwardly falsities, for ideas that are dead cause them to be merely shells, and like pictures in which there is nothing living; such truths merely known belong to the natural man, into which nothing from the spiritual flows. "The overflowing rain and the wind of tempests" signify falsities rushing in copiously, and things imaginary, and disputes about truths, which make it impossible for anything of truth to be seen, and which thus destroy man.

[26] In the same:

I will plead with Gog with pestilence and with blood, and I will rain an overflowing rain and hailstones, fire and brimstone, upon him and upon his troops, and upon the many people who are with him (Ezekiel 38:22).

"Gog" means such as are in external worship without any internal worship; and as such worship consists of what are like shells, the kernels of which are either rotten or have been eaten out by worms, these things are called "overflowing rain and hailstones," which signify falsities rushing in copiously and things imaginary which destroy man. The evils of falsity and the falsities of evil are signified by "fire and brimstone."

[27] The "flood of waters," of which it is said:

That it overflowed the whole earth and destroyed all except Noah and his sons (Genesis 7, Genesis 8),

also signifies the flood of falsities by which the Most Ancient Church was finally destroyed; "Noah and his sons" signify a new church, which is to be called the Ancient Church, and the establishment of that church after the Most Ancient Church had been devastated. (But the particulars of the description in these chapters of the flood and of the salvation of the family of Noah, may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia. That "waters" signify truths, and in the contrary sense, falsities, may be seen above, n.71, 483, 518, 537, 538; and that "the overflowings of waters" signify the overflowings of falsities and temptations, see also above, n. 518 .)

Poznámky pod čarou:

518. And it fell upon the third part of the rivers and upon the fountains of the waters, signifies that consequently all understanding of truth perished and thereby the doctrine of the church. This is evident from the signification of "falling" from heaven, as being, in reference to stars, to perish (of which presently); also from the signification of "the third part," as being everything (of which above, n. 506, here all, because it is said of the understanding of truth and of doctrine, which are signified by "rivers" and "fountains of waters;" also from the signification of "rivers," as being the understanding of truth (of which presently); and from the signification of "fountains of waters," as being the Word and doctrine from the Word, thus "fountains" mean the truths of the Word and doctrinals (of which above, n. 483).

[2] When "to fall" is predicated of stars, which mean the knowledges of truth and good from the Word (as above), it signifies to perish, because when Divine truth in the spiritual world falls out of heaven to the earth there, where the evil are, it is turned into falsity, and when Divine truth becomes falsity it perishes. This is signified also by:

The stars shall fall from heaven (Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:25);

namely, that in the last time of the church the knowledges of truth and good will perish. That when Divine truth in the spiritual world falls out of heaven to the earth there, where the evil are, it is changed into falsity and thus perishes, may be seen above (n. 413, 418, 419, 489); for Divine truth is changed into falsity of the same character as the evil belonging to those into whom it flows. This becomes evident from the following experience: It has been granted me to observe carefully how Divine truth was changed into falsity while it was passing down deep into hell, and it was perceived that it was changed successively as it flowed down, at length even into what was most false.

[3] "Rivers" signify the understanding of truth, likewise intelligence, because "waters" signify truths, and the understanding is the receptacle and complex of truths, as a river is of waters, and because thought from the understanding, which is intelligence, is like a stream of truth. From the same origin, namely, from the signification of "waters" as being truths, a "fountain" signifies the Word and the doctrine of truth, and "pools," "lakes," and "seas," signify the knowledges of truth in the complex. That "waters" signify truths, and "living waters" truths from the Lord, may be seen above (n. 71, 483); and also in the following passages in this article.

[4] That "rivers" and "streams" signify the understanding of truth and intelligence can be seen from the Word where "rivers" and "streams" are mentioned. Thus in Isaiah:

Then shall the lame leap as a hart, and the tongue of the dumb shall sing; for waters shall break out in the wilderness, and brooks in the plain of the desert (Isaiah 35:6).

This is said of the Lord, also of the reformation of the Gentiles, and of the establishment of the church among them. "The lame who shall leap as a hart" signifies one who is not in genuine good because he is not in the knowledges of truth and good; "the tongue of the dumb which shall sing" signifies confession of the Lord by those who are in ignorance of the truth; "waters shall break out in the wilderness" signifies that there shall be truths where there were none before; "and brooks in the plain of the desert" signifies that there shall be intelligence where there was none before, "wilderness" meaning where there is no truth, and "plain of the desert" where there is no intelligence; "waters" mean truths, and "brooks" intelligence.

[5] In the same:

I will open rivers on the heights, and fountains will I place in the midst of the valleys, I will make the wilderness into a pool of waters, and the dry land into springs of waters (Isaiah 41:18).

This is said of the salvation of the Gentiles by the Lord; "to open rivers on the heights" means to bestow interior intelligence; and "to place fountains in the midst of valleys" means to instruct the external man in truths. (The rest may be seen explained in n. 483.)

[6] In the same:

Behold I am doing a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even place a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 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 43:19, 20).

This treats of the Lord and of a new church to be established by Him, which is meant by "Behold I am doing a new thing; now it shall spring forth;" "to place a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert" signifies that there shall be truth and the understanding of truth where there were none before, "way" meaning truth leading to heaven, and "rivers" understanding; "to give drink to the people" signifies to instruct those who desire it; "the wild beast of the field, the dragons, and the daughters of the owl" signify those who know truths and goods merely from memory, and do not understand and perceive them; these speak about truth with no idea of truth, depending solely upon others.

[7] In the same:

I will pour out waters upon him that is thirsty, and streams upon the dry ground; I will pour out My spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring (Isaiah 44:3).

"To pour out waters upon him that is thirsty" signifies to instruct in truths those who are in the affection of truth; "to pour streams upon the dry land" signifies to give intelligence to those who are in a desire for truth from good; the like is signified by "pouring out the spirit and the blessing;" for God's "spirit" signifies Divine truth, and "blessing" its multiplication and fructification, thus intelligence. Who does not see that here and above, waters and streams, wilderness and desert, are not meant, but such things as pertain to the church? Therefore it is here added, "I will pour out My spirit upon thy seed, and My blessing upon thine offspring."

[8] In Moses:

For Jehovah leadeth thee to a land of brooks of water, of fountains, of depths flowing forth in valley and mountain (Deuteronomy 8:7).

The land of Canaan, to which Jehovah was to lead them, signifies the church, therefore "brooks of water, fountains, and depths flowing forth in valley and mountain," signify such things as belong to the church; "brooks of water" signifying the understanding of truth, "fountains" doctrinals from the Word, and "depths flowing forth in valley and mountain" the knowledges of truth and good in the natural and in the spiritual man.

[9] In Isaiah:

Look upon Zion and Jerusalem, where the glorious Jehovah will be with us a place of rivers, of streams, of breadth of spaces; no ship of oar shall go therein, and no magnificent ship shall pass through it (Isaiah 33:20, 21).

Here, too, "a place of rivers and streams" signifies wisdom and intelligence (the signification of the rest is explained above, n. 514.

[10] In Joel:

In that day the mountains shall drop down must, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the watercourses of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall go forth out of the house of Jehovah and shall water the brook of Shittim (Joel 3:18).

(This also has been explained above, n. 433, 483.) "The fountain that shall go forth out of the house of Jehovah" signifies the truth of doctrine out of heaven from the Lord; and "the brook of Shittim that it shall water," signifies the illustration of the understanding.

[11] In Ezekiel:

The waters issued out from under the threshold of the house of God towards the east. The man led me and brought me back upon the bank of the river. When I returned, behold upon the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. He said, Every living soul that creepeth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live; whence there are exceeding many fish, because these waters come thither and are healed, that everything may live whither the river cometh. And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, cometh up every tree for food, whose leaf falleth not, neither is the fruit thereof consumed; it is renewed in its months, because its waters flow out of the sanctuary (Ezekiel 47:1-12).

This, too, has been explained above (n. 422, 513), which makes evident that "the waters flowing out of the house of God towards the east" signify Divine truth proceeding from the Lord and flowing in with those who are in the good of love; and that "the river, upon the bank of which was every tree for food, and by the waters of which every soul that creepeth lived, whence there were many fish," signifies intelligence from the reception of Divine truth, from which all things with man, his affections and perceptions, as well as his cognitions and knowledges and the thoughts therefrom acquire spiritual life.

[12] In Jeremiah:

Blessed is the man that trusteth in Jehovah; He shall be like a tree planted by the waters and that sendeth forth his roots by the stream, and he shall not see when the heat shall come, his leaf shall be green (Jeremiah 17:7, 8).

"The tree planted by the waters" means a man with whom there are truths from the Lord; "he sendeth forth his roots by the stream" means the extension of intelligence from the spiritual man into the natural. (The rest may be seen explained above, n. 481.)

Where trees and gardens are treated of in the Word, waters and rivers to water them are also mentioned, for the reason that "trees" signify perceptions and knowledges, and "waters" and "rivers" truths and understanding therefrom; for without the understanding of truths man is like a garden where there is no water, whose trees wither away.

[13] As in Moses:

As the valleys are they planted, as gardens by the river, as lign-aloes – three times which Jehovah hath planted, and as cedar-trees beside the waters (Numbers 24:6).

This is said of the sons of Israel, by whom the church is signified which was then to be planted. This church is compared to valleys which are planted, and to a garden by the river, because "valleys" signify the intelligence of the natural man, and a "garden" the intelligence of the spiritual man, and it is compared to lign-aloes – three times and cedar-trees, because "lign-aloes – three times" signify the things of the natural man, and "cedar-trees" the things of the rational man; since these all live from the influx of Divine truth from the Lord they are said to be planted "by the river and beside the waters," which signifies Divine truth flowing in, from which is intelligence.

[14] As "the garden in Eden" or "paradise" means the wisdom and intelligence that the most ancient people had who lived before the flood, so where their wisdom is described, the influx of Divine truth, and of intelligence thence, is also described in these words:

A river went forth from Eden to water the garden, and from thence it was parted and was in four heads (Genesis 2:10, et seq.). "A river from Eden" signifies wisdom from love, which is Eden; "to water the garden" means to bestow intelligence; intelligence is described by the four rivers there treated of. (This may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia 107-121.)

[15] In Ezekiel:

Asshur, a cedar in Lebanon. The waters made it grow, the abyss made it high, so that with its rivers it went round about its plant, and sent out its conduits unto all the trees of the field (Ezekiel 31:3, 4).

"Asshur" signifies the rational man, or the rational of man, likewise "the cedar in Lebanon;" and because the genuine rational is perfected by the knowledges of truth and good it is said that "the waters made it grow, and the abyss made it high," "waters" meaning truths, and "the abyss" the knowledges of truth in the natural man; the increase of intelligence is signified by "with its rivers it went round about its plant;" and the multiplication of the knowledges of truth by "it sent out its conduits unto all the trees of the field."

[16] In David:

Thou hast caused a vine to go forth out of Egypt. Thou hast sent out its boughs unto the sea, and its shoots unto the river (Psalms 80:8, 11).

"A vine out of Egypt" means the sons of Israel, who are called a "vine" because they represented the spiritual church, which is what "vine" signifies in the Word; their tarrying in Egypt represented their first initiation into the things of the church, for "Egypt" signified the knowledges [scientifica] subservient to the things of the church when, therefore, "the vine" signifies the church, and "Egypt" the knowledge serving it, it is evident what is signified in the spiritual sense by "Thou hast caused a vine to go forth out of Egypt." The extension of the intelligence of the church even to things known and things rational is signified by "Thou hast sent out its boughs unto the sea, and its shoots unto the river;" "to send out boughs and shoots" meaning multiplication and extension, the "sea" knowledge []scientificum]; and the "river," which here is the Euphrates, the rational. The extension of the church and the multiplication of its truths and of intelligence therefrom are described by the extension of the land of Canaan to the Sea Suph, to the sea of the Philistines, and to the river Euphrates.

[17] In Moses:

And I will set thy border from the Sea Suph even to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness even to the river (Exodus 23:31).

"The borders of the land of Canaan" signify the ultimates of the church, which are true knowledges [scientifica vera], cognitions of truth and good from the Word, and things rational. "The Sea Suph" signifies true knowledge; "the sea of the Philistines," where Tyre and Sidon were, signifies the knowledges of truth and good from the sense of the letter of the Word; and "the river Euphrates" signifies the rational; for knowledges [scientifica] serve the cognitions of truth and good from the Word, and both these serve the rational, and the rational serves intelligence, which is given by means of spiritual truths joined to spiritual good.

[18] The like that is here said of the church and its extension is said of the Lord's power over all things of heaven and the church, in David:

I will set his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers (Psalms 89:25).

This is said of David, by whom is here meant the Lord; the Lord's power, even to the ultimates of heaven and the church, thus over the whole heaven, and over everything of the church, is signified by "setting the hand in the sea, and the right hand in the rivers," "hand" and "right hand" signify power, and the "sea" and "rivers" the ultimates of heaven and the church. The ultimates of heaven are seas and rivers, as has been several times said above. These were represented by the two seas and by the two rivers that formed the boundaries of the land of Canaan. The two seas were the sea of Egypt and the sea of the Philistines, where were Tyre and Sidon; and the two rivers were the Euphrates and the Jordan. But the Jordan was the boundary between the interior land of Canaan and the exterior; in the exterior were the tribes of Reuben and Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh. Likewise in Zechariah:

His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth (Zechariah 9:10).

This, too, is said of the Lord, and has a like meaning; His dominion even to the ultimates of heaven and the church means over all things of heaven and the church, for the ultimates are the boundaries.

[19] In David:

Thy throne is established from then; Thou art from everlasting. The rivers have lifted up, O Jehovah, the rivers have lifted up their voice; the rivers have lifted up their roaring. More than the voices of many glorious waters, more than the waves of the sea, Jehovah is glorious (Psalms 93:2-4).

This, too, is said of the Lord; His dominion from eternity to eternity over heaven and earth is signified by "Thy throne is established from then; Thou art from everlasting." The glorification of the Lord because of His coming and because of the consequent salvation of mankind is signified by "the rivers have lifted up their voice (and their roaring);" for "rivers," here three times mentioned, signify all things of man's intelligence, both in the internal and in the external man. Divine truth from the Lord, through which there is power and through which there is salvation, is signified by "more than the voices of many glorious waters, more than the waves of the sea," "waters" meaning truths, and "the voices of many glorious waters" Divine truths.

[20] The glorification and celebration of the Lord from joy of heart are thus described elsewhere in David:

Let the sea and the fullness thereof give forth a sound, the world and they that dwell therein. Let the rivers clap their hands; let the mountains sing aloud together (Psalms 98:7, 8).

The glorification of the Lord by the universal heaven is signified by these words. The glorification from its ultimates is signified by "Let the sea and the fullness thereof give forth a sound;" the glorification from the whole heaven is signified by "let the world and they that dwell therein give forth a sound," "the world" signifying the universal heaven in respect to its truths, and "they that dwell therein" signifying the universal heaven in respect to its goods; for "inhabitants" signify in the Word those who are in the goods of heaven and the church, and thus the goods of such. The glorification of the Lord by the truths of intelligence and by the goods of love, is signified by "let the rivers clap their hands, let the mountains sing aloud together," "rivers" meaning the truths of intelligence, and "mountains" the goods of love.

[21] Divine truth from the Lord, the reception of which is the source of intelligence, is signified by "the waters from the rock in Horeb" (Exodus 17:6), thus spoken of in David:

He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and made them to drink out of the great abysses, and He brought flowing waters out of the rock, and made the waters to run down like rivers. He smote the rock, so that the waters gushed out and the brooks overflowed (Psalms 78:15, 16, 20).

And again:

He opened the rock that the waters might flow; the rivers ran in the dry places (Psalms 105:41).

The "rock" here means the Lord; and the "waters that flowed out therefrom" mean Divine truth from Him; and the "rivers" signify intelligence and wisdom therefrom; "to drink of the great abysses" signifies to imbibe and perceive the arcana of wisdom.

[22] In John:

Jesus said, If anyone thirst, let him come unto Me and drink. He that cometh unto Me, as the Scripture saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. This saith He of the Spirit, which they that believe on Him were to receive (John 7:37-39).

"To come to the Lord and drink" signifies to receive from Him the truths of doctrine and belief therein; that spiritual intelligence is therefrom is signified by "out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water," "living water" being Divine truth which is from the Lord alone, "rivers" the things belonging to intelligence, and the "belly" thought from memory, for to this the belly corresponds; and as "rivers of living water" signify intelligence through Divine truth from the Lord it is added, "this saith He of the spirit which they that believe on Him were to receive," "the spirit that they were to receive from the Lord," meaning Divine truth and intelligence therefrom; so, too, the Lord called the spirit that they received "the spirit of truth" (John 14:16-18; 16:7-15).

[23] In David:

Jehovah hath founded the world upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers (Psalms 24:2).

The "world" signifies heaven and the church in the whole complex, the "seas" signify cognitions and knowledges which are the ultimates of the church, and in particular, the cognitions of truth and good, such as are in the sense of the letter of the Word; "rivers" signify introduction through knowledges into heavenly intelligence. This makes clear the meaning of these words in the spiritual sense, namely, that the interior things of heaven and the church, which are called celestial and spiritual, are founded upon the cognitions of truth and good which are in the sense of the letter of the Word rationally understood. It is said, "He hath founded the world upon the seas and established it upon the rivers," because there are seas and rivers in the boundaries of heaven, represented by the Sea Suph, the sea of the Philistines, the river Euphrates, and the river Jordan, which were the boundaries of the land of Canaan; and because what is ultimate means in the Word what is lowest, it is said that Jehovah "founded" and "established" upon these. Evidently the earth is not founded upon seas and rivers.

[24] In the same:

The Lord at thy right hand hath stricken through kings in the day of His anger, He hath judged among the nations, He hath filled with dead bodies, He hath stricken through the head over many a land. He drinketh out of the brook in the way; therefore shall He exalt the head (Psalms 110:5-7).

This is said of the Lord, and of His combat against falsities and evils from the hells, and of their subjugation. "Kings" mean falsities from hell, and "nations" evils therefrom. The Lord's Divine power is meant by "the Lord at the right hand;" "He hath stricken through them in the day of His anger, He hath judged among the nations, and He hath filled with dead bodies," signifies the subjugation and destruction of evils and falsities from the hells; "the head that He hath stricken through in many a land," means the love of self, which is the source of all evils and falsities; "to strike through in many a land" signifies total destruction and damnation; "the brook out of which the head drinketh," and because of which "it shall be exalted," signifies the Word in the letter, "to drink out of it" meaning to learn something from it, and "to lift up the head" meaning to resist for a time; for all those who are in falsities from evil cannot be cast down into hell until the things that they know from the Word are taken away from them, since all things of the Word communicate with heaven, by which communication they exalt the head; but when these are taken away they are cast down into hell. This is the meaning of these words, which no one can see except by means of the spiritual sense and a knowledge of the quality of the Word.

[25] In Habakkuk:

Was Jehovah displeased with the rivers? Was Thine anger against the rivers? Was Thy wrath against the sea? Because Thou ridest upon Thy horses, Thy chariots are salvation (Habakkuk 3:8).

This is a supplication that the church may be guarded and not perish; the "rivers" and the "sea" signify all things of the church, because they are its ultimates (as above); "to ride upon horses," in reference to Jehovah, that is, the Lord, signifies the Divine wisdom which is in the Word; and "chariots" signify doctrinals therefrom.

[26] In David:

We will not fear when the earth shall be changed, and when the mountains shall be moved from ¹ the heart of the seas; the waters thereof shall be in tumult, shall be made turbid, the mountains shall quake in the pride thereof. There is a river the streams whereof shall make glad the holy city of God, the dwelling places of the Most High; God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved (Psalms 46:2-5).

This involves in the spiritual sense, that although the church and all things thereof perish, still the Word and the Divine truth it contains shall not perish; for the "earth" signifies the church; "mountains" signify the goods of love; "waters" truths; and "to be changed," "to be moved," "to be in tumult" "to be made turbid" and "to quake" signify the states of these when they perish, and falsities and evils enter in their place, consequently the states of the church when it is vastated in respect to goods and desolated in respect to truths (See above, n. 304, 405, where this is more completely explained). That the Word or Divine truth for the church is not to perish is signified by "There is a river the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God; she shall not be changed;" "river" signifying here the like as "fountain," namely, the Word, because "streams" are predicated of it, by which are signified truths; the "city of God" signifies the church in respect to doctrine; "to make glad" signifies influx and reception from joy of heart, and "not to be changed" signifies not to perish in any respect.

[27] In Isaiah:

Then the waters shall fail in ² the sea, and the river shall dry up and become dry, and the rivers shall recede; the rivers of Egypt shall be minished and dried up, the reed and flag shall wither; the paper reeds by the stream near the mouth of the stream, and all seed of the stream shall become dry, be driven away, and be no more (Isaiah 19:5-7).

This is said of Egypt, which signifies the knowing faculty [scientificum] of the natural man, and its "stream" the cognition and apperception of truth, and in the contrary sense the apperception of falsity; that these are to perish is signified by "the stream shall dry up and become dry;" that thus there would be no longer truths, not even natural and sensual truths, which are the lowest, is signified by "the reed and flag shall wither, the paper reeds by the stream, and all the seed of the stream shall become dry, be driven away, and be no more."

[28] In the same:

I have digged and have drunk waters; and with the sole of my steps have I dried up all the streams of Egypt (Isaiah 37:25).

These are the words of Senacherib, the king of Assyria, by whom the perverted rational destroying all knowledge and apperception of truth is signified; this is signified by his "drying up with the sole of his steps all the streams of Egypt." The "streams of Egypt" signify knowledges and apperceptions of truth, because "Egypt" signifies the natural man in respect to knowledges (scientifica), and cognition and apperception belong to the natural man, as intelligence does to the spiritual man.

[29] In Ezekiel:

They shall draw out their swords against Egypt, to fill the land with the slain. Then will I make the rivers dry land, and will sell the land into the hand of evil ones; and I will make the land waste, and the fullness thereof, by the hand of strangers (Ezekiel 30:11, 12).

"Egypt" signifies the knowing faculty [scientificum] of the natural man serving the intelligence of the rational and spiritual man. The destruction of true knowledges [scientifica] by falsities is signified by "They shall draw out their swords against Egypt," "swords" signifying falsities destroying truths; the "slain" signify those who are destroyed by falsities; "to make the rivers dry land" signifies that there shall no longer be any cognition or apperception of truth; "to sell the land into the hand of evil ones and to make it waste by the hand of strangers," signifies to destroy by evils and by falsities, "strangers" signifying falsities.

[30] In Zechariah:

All the depths of the river shall be dried up, and the pride of Assyria shall be cast down, and the staff of Egypt shall depart away (Zechariah 10:11).

"All the depths of the river (namely, the Euphrates) shall be dried up" signifies that all the acute reasonings from self-intelligence shall perish; the "pride of Assyria" signifies the self-intelligence of the perverted rational; "the staff of Egypt shall depart away" signifies that the knowledges [scientifica] that serve such reasonings shall be of no avail.

[31] In Isaiah:

I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herb; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools (Isaiah 42:15).

"I will lay waste mountains and hills" signifies that the goods of love and charity will perish; "and dry up all their herb" signifies that the truths that are from those goods will perish; "I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools," signifies that intelligence and knowledge of truth will perish.

[32] In the same:

Behold, at My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers into a wilderness; their fish shall rot because there is no water, and shall die (Isaiah 50:2).

(See above, n. 342), where this is explained.)

In Nahum:

He rebuketh the sea and maketh it dry, and drieth up all the rivers (Nahum 1:4).

In David:

Jehovah maketh rivers into a wilderness, and water springs into dry ground (Psalms 107:33).

In Job:

A man giveth up the ghost, and where is he? The waters depart from the sea, and the river drieth up and becometh dry (Job14:10, 11).

[33] It has been shown thus far that "rivers" signify the understanding of truth and intelligence. In the contrary sense "rivers" signify the understanding of falsity and reasoning from self-intelligence which is in favor of falsities and opposes truths, as is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah:

He shall send ambassadors by the sea to a nation meted out and trodden down, whose land the rivers have spoiled (1 Isaiah 18:2).

"Rivers" here signify the falsities of self-intelligence that destroy. (What the rest signifies see explained above, n. 304, 331.) In the same:

When thou shalt pass through the waters I will be with thee; and through the rivers they shall not overflow thee (Isaiah 43:2).

"To pass through waters and through rivers and not be overflowed" signifies that falsities and reasonings from falsities against truths shall not corrupt.

[34] In Jeremiah:

Behold waters rising up out of the north, which like ³ an overflowing stream shall overflow the land and its fullness (Jeremiah 47:2).

"Waters out of the north" signify the falsities of doctrine from self-intelligence; these are compared to "a stream overflowing the land," because a "stream" signifies reasoning from falsities, the "land" the church, and "its overflow by a stream" its destruction by falsities.

[35] In David:

Unless Jehovah were for us when man rises up against us, then the waters had overflowed us, the river had gone over our soul; then the waters of the proud had gone over our soul (Psalms 124:2, 4, 5).

The "waters of the proud" here mentioned, signify falsities favoring the love of self and confirming it, also the falsities of doctrine from self-intelligence; the "river" signifies reasoning from falsities against truths; this makes clear what is meant by "Unless Jehovah were for us, when man rises up against us," namely, when man from himself, from self-love, and from self-intelligence, rises up and endeavors to destroy the truths of the church; for this treats of Israel, by whom the church is signified; the "waters that had overflowed them," and the "rivers that had gone over their soul," signify falsities and reasonings from falsities, and the consequent destruction of the spiritual life that man has through truths and through a life according to them; "waters" signify falsities, "rivers" reasonings from them, and "overflowing and going over the soul" signifies the destruction of spiritual life.

[36] In Isaiah:

Behold, the Lord will make to go up upon them the waters of the river, strong and many, the king of Assyria and all his glory; and he shall go up over all his channels, and shall go over all his banks; and he shall go through Judah, and shall overflow (Isaiah 8:7, 8).

"Assyria" and its king signify in the Word the rational, here the rational perverted; so "his river" which was the Euphrates, means reasoning, and "the waters of the river" mean falsities confirmed by reasonings; these therefore are signified by "the waters of the river, strong and many," which are called "strong" from cupidity, and "many" from falsity; the abundance of falsities from evil destroying the truths of the good of the church is signified by "the waters of the river shall go up over all his channels, and over all his banks," also "he shall go through Judah, and shall overflow," "Judah" signifying the church where the Word is.

[37] In Jeremiah:

What hast thou to do with the way of Egypt, to drink the waters of Sihor? Or what hast thou to do with the way of Assyria, to drink the waters of the river? (Jeremiah 2:18).

The "waters of Sihor," or of Egypt, signify false knowledges, or knowledges confirming falsities, and "the waters of the river" signify false reasonings from these, thus such as are from self-intelligence; that such falsities and reasonings must not be imbibed is what these words signify.

[38] In the same:

Towards the north, by the bank of the river Euphrates, have they stumbled and fallen. Who is this that cometh up like a stream, whose waters are tossed like the streams? Egypt cometh up like a stream, and his waters are tossed like streams; for he saith, I will come up, I will cover the earth, I will destroy the city and those that dwell in it (Jeremiah 46:6-8).

This signifies the destruction of the church and of its truths by false reasonings from confirming knowledges [scientifica]; the "north" signifies those in whom and from whom there is falsity, the "river Euphrates" false reasonings, "Egypt" confirming knowledges, the "waters that are tossed" falsities themselves, and "to come up, to cover the earth, to destroy the city and those that dwell in it," signifies the destruction of the church and of its doctrine, the "earth" meaning the church, the "city" doctrine of truth, and "those that dwell in it" its goods. Like things are signified by the Nile, "the river of Egypt," and by the Euphrates, "the river of Assyria," elsewhere in the Word (as in Isaiah 7:18, 19; 11:15, 16; Ezekiel 29:3-5, 10; 31:15; 32:2; Psalms 74:14, 15; 78:44; Exodus 7:17-21); also by "the rivers of Babylon" (Psalms 137:1). As all spiritual temptations come through falsities that break into the thoughts and infest the interior mind, thus through reasonings from falsities, so temptations are signified by the inundations of waters and by the irruptions of rivers and torrents. As in Jonah:

Thou hadst cast me into the depths, even into the heart of the seas; and the river was round about me; all Thy waves and Thy billows passed over me (Jonah 2:3).

In David:

The cords of death compassed me, and the brooks of Belial terrified me (Psalms 18:4).

In Matthew:

And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and beat upon that house; yet it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock (Matthew 7:25, 27).

In Luke:

When a flood arose, the stream dashed against that house and could not shake it; for it had been founded upon a rock (Luke 6:48, 49).

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