THE EXPLANATION of Isaiah Chapter 26

(Note: Rev. Smithson's translation of the Isaiah text is appended below the explanation)

1. In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; salvation shall He establish for walls and bulwarks.

Verse 1. In the Word. the things relating to the spiritual church are compared to a city, which has a wall, bulwarks, gates and bolts; and by the assaults of that city are described the assault of Truth by falsities on which account also a city signifies doctrinals, (see Arcana Coelestia 402, 2268) and a wall the truths of faith which, defend; and in the opposite sense, the falsities which are destroyed. That a wall signifies the truths of faith which defend, is evident from Isaiah 26:1:

"We have a strong city", etc.

Again,

"You shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise. (Isaiah 60:18; see also (Jeremiah 20:5; Lamentations 2:8, 9)

That a wall, in the opposite sense, signifies the falsities which are destroyed, see a above, Chapter 25:12, the Exposition. Arcana Coelestia 6419.

In that day shall this song be sung. etc. - As to singing, when mentioned in the Word, see Chapter 12:2, the Exposition.

Verses 1, 2. We have a strong city; salvation shall He establish for walls and bulwarks. Open you the gates, that the just nation keeping fidelities may enter. - A "strong city" here signifies the doctrine of genuine Truth, which falsities cannot destroy; "walls and bulwarks" signify truths for defence; "gates" signify admission, as may be seen above, Apocalypse Explained 208; a "just nation keeping fidelities" denotes those who are in goods, and thence in truths. Apocalypse Explained 223.

2. Open you the gates, that the just nation keeping fidelities may enter.

3. [Him] whose mind is staid [on You], You will keep in perfect peace: because he trusts in You.

Verse 2. According to the sense of the letter, it is here understood that they who are "just and faithful" should be admitted into those cities; but according to the internal sense, that such should be admitted into the church. For" gates" signify admission; a "just nation", those who are in good; "keeping fidelities", those who are thence in truths. Apocalypse Explained 208.

4. Trust you in Jehovah for ever: for in Jah Jehovah is the rock of eternity:

Verse 4. Here "Jehovah" and "Rock" are mentioned, because by "Jehovah" is understood the Lord as to Divine Good, and by "Rock" the Lord as to Divine Truth. Apocalypse Explained 411.

In Jah, Jehovah, etc. - As to the specific meaning of "Jah", see above, Chapter 12:2, the Exposition.

The Rock of eternity. - For the signification of "Rock", as applied to the Lord, see above, Chapter 16:1, the Exposition.

5. For He has humbled those that dwell on high; the lofty city, He has brought her down: He has brought her down to the ground; He has levelled her with the dust.

Verse 5. For He has humbled those that dwell on high, etc.

- See Chapter 2:12-17; 14:13, the Exposition. To "bring down to the ground and to level with the dust", denotes a state of condemnation, [or an entire separation from heaven.] Arcana Coelestia 258.

"Dust" denotes what is damned; and the reason is, because [in the spiritual world] the places where evil spirits are, appear as earth, and indeed as uncultivated and dry ground, under which are certain hells. That earth is what is called "damned earth", and the "dust" there signifies what is damned.

Occasionally it has been given me to see, that the evil spirits there shook off the dust from their feet when they were desirous to damn anyone. Hence then it is, that by "dust" is signified what is damned; and by "shaking off dust", damnation. It was in consequence of this signification that the disciples were commanded by the Lord to "shake off the dust from their feet", if they were not received. Arcana Coelestia 7418.

6. The foot shall trample upon her; the feet of the afflicted, the steps of the needy.

7. The way of the just is uprightness: the path of the just is straight; You make it level.

Verse 6. Your are called "poor" who have not the Word, and thus know nothing concerning the Lord, and yet desire to be instructed. Arcana Coelestia 9209.

[Their "trampling upon the lofty city", signifies that such as are in simple good, and desire to be instructed in truths, will rise above false doctrines which originate in self-intelligence.]

8. Yea, as to the way of Your judgments, O Jehovah, we have waited for You; to Your name, and to the remembrance of You is the desire of our soul.

Verse 8. In many passages in the Word it is said, "For the sake of the name of Jehovah", "for 'the sake of the name of the Lord", "for the sake of the name of Jesus Christ", "that the name of God should be sanctified", and such like. They who do not think beyond the sense of the letter, are of opinion that name alone is understood, whereas name is not understood, but all that by which the Lord is worshipped, all which has relation to love and faith; hence by the "name" of the Lord, in the Word, are understood all things of love and of faith by which He is worshipped, but in this case the acknowledgement of the Lord, and of the knowledges of truth which respect Him, because this is said to those who only study knowledges. The reason why by the "name" of Jehovah, or of the Lord, is not understood the name itself, but all things of love and faith, originates in the spiritual world. In that world the names used on earth are not pronounced, but the names of the persons spoken of are formed from the idea of all things which are known concerning them, which things are summed up into one expression. Such is the pronunciation of names in the spiritual world; whence it is, that names in that world, as well as all other things, are spiritual; nor are the names of the Lord and of Jesus Christ pronounced there as on earth, but instead of these names, a "name" is formed from the idea of all things which are known and believed concerning Him, which idea is from all things of love and of faith in Him. The reason is, because these things in the complex are the Lord with them; for the Lord is with everyone in the goods of love and of faith which are from Him; this being the case, the quality of every one is there immediately known, as to his love and faith in the Lord, only from pronouncing in a spiritual expression, or a spiritual name the Lord or Jesus Christ. Hence also it is, that they who are not in any love or in any faith towards Him, cannot name Him, that is, form any spiritual "name" concerning Him. From these considerations it is now manifest whence it is that by the "name" of Jehovah, of the Lord, or of Jesus Christ, in the Word, is not understood the name, but all of love and of faith by which He is worshipped. Lest, therefore, the opinion should prevail which obtains among many, that the name alone of Jesus Christ, without love and faith in Him, thus without knowledges by which love and faith exist, contributes somewhat to salvation, I am desirous to adduce a few passages from the Word, where it is said "For the sake of His name", and "in His name", from which they who think more deeply may see that name alone is not understood, as in the following:

"Jesus said, You shall be hated by all for My name's sake." (Matthew 7:22; 24:9, 10) "'Where two or three are gathered together in My name, there I am in the midst of them." (Matthew 18:20) "As many as received Him, to them He gave power, that they might be the sons of God, believing on His name", (John 1:12) "When Jesus was in Jerusalem, many believed on His name", (John 2:23). Apocalypse Explained 102.

9. With my soul have I desired You in the night; yea, with my spirit within me in the morn have I sought You: for when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn justice.

10. Though mercy be shown to the wicked, he will not learn justice: in the land of uprightness he will act perversely, and will not regard the majesty of Jehovah.

11. O Jehovah, Your hand is lifted up, but they will not see: they shall see, and be ashamed at the envy of the people; yea, the fire of Thine, adversaries shall devour them,

Verse 9. By "night" is signified a state when there is no light of Truth, (see above, Chapter 15:1, the Exposition), and by "morning" a state in which there is the light of Truth. This state is from love, but that, when there is not yet love; wherefore by "the soul which desired Jehovah in the night" is signified a life which is not yet in the light of Truth; and by "my spirit within me have I sought Jehovah in the morn", a life which is in the light of Truth. Hence it follows "When Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn justice", by which is signified that the church from the Lord is in Truths, and by truths in Good; the "earth" signifies the church as to Truths, and the "world" the church as to Good; for "judgment", in the Word, is said of Truth, and "justice" of Good; and also "inhabitants" signify the men of the church who are in the goods of doctrine, and thence of life. That "judgment", in the Word, is said of Truth, and "justice" of Good, see Arcana Coelestia 2235, 9857; and that to "inhabit" signifies to live, and hence "inhabitants" those who are in the good of doctrine, and thence of life, see Apocalypse Explained 133, 479, 662. Apocalypse Explained 741.

"Soul", in this passage, stands for the affection of Truth and "spirit" for the affection of Good. Arcana Coelestia 2930.

Verse 11. They shall see, and be ashamed at the envy [or hatred] of the people; yea, the fire of Thine adversaries shall devour them.

The destruction of the evil, who are here understood by the "people" and by "adversaries", is described by "fire" and by "hatred" [or envy]. Apocalypse Explained 504.

12. O Jehovah. You will ordain peace for us: for all our works You have wrought in us.

Verse 12. Inasmuch as peace is from Jehovah, that is, from the Lord, and in doing good from Him, therefore it is said:

"Jehovah will ordain peace for us, for You have wrought all our works in us." Apocalypse Explained 365.

13. O Jehovah, our God! other lords besides You, have had dominion over us: by You only will we celebrate Your name.

Verse 13. To "celebrate" and to "call upon the name of Jehovah", is to worship Him from the goods of Love, and from the truths of Faith. Arcana Coelestia 2009.

["Other lords" are various kinds of evils, such as those represented by the Babylonians, which have the dominion over man when he is not in love to the Lord and his neighbour, or when he does not in his life celebrate the Lord's name,]

14. They are dead, they shall not live; the Rephaim shall not arise: therefore have You visited and. destroyed them, and made all remembrance of them to perish.

Verse 14. The Rephaim stand for the posterity of the most ancient church, which was before the flood, who were also called "Nephelim" and "Enakim." (See Arcana Coelestia 567, 581, 1673) "You have visited and, destroyed or extinguished the Rephaim", means the last time of that church, and also their being cast into hell; concerning which, see Arcana Coelestia 1265-1272. Arcana Coelestia 6588.

The Rephaim shall not arise, etc.

- As to the "Rephaim", see above, Chapter 14:9; 17:5, notes.

15. You have added to the nation, O Jehovah; You have added to the nation; You art glorified: You have far removed all the extremities of the earth.

Verse 15. The "nation" to which Jehovah has added, signifies, those who are in the good of love, whom He has addicted to Himself; the "extremities of the earth" which He has removed, signify falsities and evils which infest the church, from which He has purified them. Apocalypse Explained 304.

16. O Jehovah, in distress have they sought You; they poured out supplication when Your chastisement was upon them.

17. As a woman that is pregnant, when her delivery approaches, is in pain and cries out in her pangs; thus have we been before You, O Jehovah.

18. We have been pregnant; we have been in pain; we have, as it were, brought forth wind: we have not wrought deliverance for the land; neither have, the inhabitants of the world fallen.

19. Your dead shall live; My dead body; they shall arise. Awake and sing, you that dwell in the dust! for your dew is as the dew of herbs; and the earth shall cast forth the Rephaim.

Verses 16-19. These things are said of the last times of the church, when falsities and evils so far increase, that men cannot be reformed and regenerated; this state is understood by the "chastisement of Jehovah" upon them. That then the perception and acquisition of any degree of Truth is effected with difficulty, is signified by "a pregnant woman, who draws near to her delivery, crying out in her pangs." That in the place of truths they imbibe vanities, in which there are no truths, is signified by "We have been pregnant; we have been in pain; we have, as it 'were, brought forth wind"; "wind" denoting such vanities. That no uses of life are from them, is signified by "We have not wrought deliverance for the land." That still, when the Lord should come, they should be taught and regenerated by truths from Him, is signified by "Your dead shall live", and by the things which follow. Apocalypse Explained 721.

Verse 19. [We have given the exact rendering of this verse from the Hebrew, without any interpolation in italics, as in the Bible version. The passage does not teach as demonstrated in the note, that the dead bodies of men will rise again; but by these words is meant that at the Lord's coming, all, though dead as to the real principles of the church, in whom there are any "remains" of Goodness and Truth, will be raised up at the time of Judgment. They are called Your dead, that, is the Lord's dead, because they are amongst the dead of a consummated church, in which, nevertheless, there is always a remnant that can be saved; and they are called the Lord's dead body, (for the pronouns "Your", and "My" evidently relate to the Lord), To indicate, that a consummated church is, as it were, a "dead body"; (Matthew 24:28) and it is called "My dead body", to intimate that though the church, which is called "the Body of Christ, is dead or consummated, there are, nevertheless, some amongst them who have "remains" of Goodness, which can be restored, when instructed in Truths to spiritual life. These "remains" are meant by "they shall arise", which being in the plural involves those of the consummated church, or of the "dead body", who can thus be saved.

The "dead" in the first clause of the verse, are those who, although in falsities, can have them dispersed, and receive Truths", which is to "live"; and those of the "dead body who shall arise, are such as have been in the evils of false principles or doctrines, but not in evil intentions, and who are, therefore, reclaimable by vastations. (See above, Chapter 24:22, the Exposition.) A fulfilment of this divine prophecy may be seen at the Lord's resurrection, when He arose with his whole natural Body complete, but which was then "no longer material but Divine-Substantial." (Doctrine of the Lord 35, ) "having rejected by burial the residue of the Human from the mother", (Doctrine of the Lord 16, at the end), and consequently everything that was material, infirm, and finite. In this Glorious Body "He ascended far above all heavens, that He might fill all things."

The Lord clearly points out the difference between His own resurrection in a Divine-Natural Body, and the resurrection of all other men in a spiritual body only, when He says, "Behold My hands and My feet, , that it is. I Myself; handle Me, and see; for a spirit [who is a man, risen from, the dead] has not flesh and bones [that is, a natural body] as you see Me have." (Luke 24:39)

Those, then, who think that because the Lord arose as to His natural Body, therefore, all others will also arise as to their natural bodies, are much mistaken, and do not think according to the Truth. All others arise like Lazarus and the Rich Man in the Parable, immediately after death, in their spiritual bodies; and not, as is commonly supposed, at some future period, in their natural bodies. Now, as a consequence of the Lord's resurrection, "many bodies of the saints who slept arose, and came out of the graves, and went into the holy CIty. (Matthew 27:52, 53).

This was an event which took place not in the natural world, but in the world of spirits; and the "graves" out of which they came were the places of vastation in the lower earth of that world; for the places where such spirits are detained until they are finally delivered from vastations appear, from correspondences, like pits, graves, and prisons. (See the Exposition of Isaiah Chapter 24:22.)

Their coming forth out of these places by the power of the Lord's resurrection, would appear in that world like coming forth out of graves, - as from a state of spiritual death to a life of righteousness in heaven. These were "the spirits to whom the Lord went after His crucifixion to preach", (1 Peter 3:19), and who, by the power of His Resurrection, through the full glorification of His Humanity, were raised up by Him from these places of vastation, and received up into heaven. See Apocalypse Explained 659, 89; Arcana Coelestia 2915, 8018, 9229; also Apocalypse Revealed 845.]

Your dead shall live, etc.

- Here the resurrection of the dead is treated of, namely; of those who arise in the life of the body, and at the same time concerning those who arise after the life of the body; for it is a law that he who, in the life of the body, arises [to spiritual life], will also arise after the life of the body [to spiritual or heavenly life]. The resurrection, like the kingdom of God Messiah; begins in man whilst he lives in the body, for he is [then] prepared for life, and he enters into it whilst he lives in the world; the death of the body is only a continuation of the heavenly life. (Swedenborg's Notes on Isaiah, p. 70.)

The earth shall cast forth the Rephaim [or giants]. - What is meant by being "cast out of the sepulchre", see above, Chapter 14:10; 20, the Exposition.

20. Come, O My people; enter into your chambers, and shut your doors after you: hide yourself for a little while, for a moment, until the indignation be overpast.

Verse 20. It was a customary form of speech amongst the ancients to talk of "entering into a bedchamber", and also of "shutting the door" on the occasion, when they meant to do anything which should not appear. This form of speech was derived from significatives in the ancient church, for by "house", in the spiritual sense, they understood a man, (Arcana Coelestia 3128); by the "closets" and the "bedchambers" they understood the interiors of man; hence to "come or enter into the bedchamber" was significative; therefore mention is made of it in the Word throughout, as in Isaiah:

"Come, O My people! enter into your chambers, and shut your doors after you", etc.

That to "enter into the chambers", in this passage, does hot denote entering into chambers, is very manifest, but to keep themselves in secret and in themselves.

And in Ezekiel:

"He said unto me, Have you seen, O son of man what the elders of the House of Israel are doing in the darkness, a man [vir] in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, Jehovah doth not see us." (Ezekiel 8:12)

To "do in darkness, a man in the chambers of his imagery"; denotes inwardly in themselves in the thoughts; the interiors of their thought and affection were represented to the prophet by chambers, and were called "the chambers of imagery."

And in Moses:

"Abroad the sword shall bereave, and from the chambers terror, both the youth and the virgin, the suckling with the man of old age." (Deuteronomy 32:25)

The "sword" denotes vastation of truth, and the punishment of the false, Arcana Coelestia 2799; "terror from the chambers" denotes the interiors of man; that "chambers"; in this passage, do not mean merely chambers, is also evident.

So in David:

"Who waters the mountains from His chambers", (Psalm 104:13)

To "water the mountains", in the spiritual sense, is to bless those who are principled in love to the Lord and in love towards the neighbour: that "mountain" denotes the celestial principle of love, see Arcana Coelestia 795, 1430, 4210; hence "from His chambers" denotes from the interiors of heaven.

So in Luke:

"Whatsoever things you have said in darkness, shall be heard in light; and what you have spoken into the ear in chambers, shall be preached on the tops of houses"; (Luke 12:3)

where "chambers" also denote the interiors of man, that is, what he had thought, what he had intended, and what he had attempted.

And in Matthew:

"When you prayest, enter into your chamber, and shut your door; and pray in secret." (Matthew 6:6)

To "enter into the chamber, and pray", denotes not apparently; for this was said from what is representative. Arcana Coelestia 5694. See also 7353.

Shut your doors after you, etc.

To "shut the door after you, until the indignation be overpast", signifies to have no communication with evils, which are denoted by "indignation" or anger, as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 3614, 5034, and in many other places. Arcana Coelestia 8989. See also Chapter 9:12, 17, 21, the Exposition.

21. For, behold, Jehovah cometh forth from His place to visit, for his iniquity, the inhabitant of the earth: and the earth shall disclose her bloods, and shall no longer cover her slain.

Verse 21. Speaking of the day of visitation or of judgment, when the iniquities of all shall be discovered, which is understood by "Then the earth. shall disclose her bloods, and shall no longer cover her slain." The "earth" signifies the church, in this case, the evil therein; "bloods" denote evils which have destroyed the goods thereof; and the "slain" denote falsities which have destroyed the truths thereof. Whether it be said that the "slain" signify falsities, or those who are in falsities, it amounts to the same, inasmuch as they are in falsities, and falsities in them; and the falsities in them are what destroy. Apocalypse Explained 315.

The earth shall disclose her bloods, and shall no longer cover her slain.

- By the "bloods" which the earth shall disclose, are signified all the falsities and evils which have destroyed the truths and goods of the church; the "earth denoting the church where those things are; by the "slain" are signified those who perish by them. That the "slain" signify those who have perished by falsities and evils, may be seen above, Apocalypse Explained 315. Apocalypse Explained 329.

Temptation is here treated of, which appears like "indignation"; for the Lord, in temptation, visits the iniquity of a man, that it may be taken away, for all [evils] are then manifested, and they come forth [to the perception of man], which is here expressed by "disclosing or revealing bloods", and by " not concealing the slain." (Swedenborg's Notes on Isaiah, p. 71.)

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Isaiah Chapter 26

1. In that day shall this song be sung in the land of Judah: We have a strong city; salvation shall He establish for walls and bulwarks.

2. Open you the gates, that the just nation keeping fidelities may enter.

3. [Him] whose mind is staid [on You], You will keep in perfect peace: because he trusts in You.

4. Trust you in Jehovah for ever: for in Jah Jehovah is the rock of eternity:

5. For He has humbled those that dwell on high; the lofty city, He has brought her down: He has brought her down to the ground; He has levelled her with the dust.

6. The foot shall trample upon her; the feet of the afflicted, the steps of the needy.

7. The way of the just is uprightness: the path of the just is straight; You make it level.

8. Yea, as to the way of Your judgments, O Jehovah, we have waited for You; to Your name, and to the remembrance of You is the desire of our soul.

9. With my soul have I desired You in the night; yea, with my spirit within me in the morn have I sought You: for when Your judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world learn justice.

10. Though mercy be shown to the wicked, he will not learn justice: in the land of uprightness he will act perversely, and will not regard the majesty of Jehovah.

11. O Jehovah, Your hand is lifted up, but they will not see: they shall see, and be ashamed at the envy of the people; yea, the fire of Thine, adversaries shall devour them,

12. O Jehovah. You will ordain peace for us: for all our works You have wrought in us.

13. O Jehovah, our God! other lords besides You, have had dominion over us: by You only will we celebrate Your name.

14. They are dead, they shall not live; the Rephaim shall not arise: therefore have You visited and. destroyed them, and made all remembrance of them to perish.

15. You have added to the nation, O Jehovah; You have added to the nation; You art glorified: You have far removed all the extremities of the earth.

16. O Jehovah, in distress have they sought You; they poured out supplication when Your chastisement was upon them.

17. As a woman that is pregnant, when her delivery approaches, is in pain and cries out in her pangs; thus have we been before You, O Jehovah.

18. We have been pregnant; we have been in pain; we have, as it were, brought forth wind: we have not wrought deliverance for the land; neither have, the inhabitants of the world fallen.

19. Your dead shall live; My dead body; they shall arise. Awake and sing, you that dwell in the dust! for your dew is as the dew of herbs; and the earth shall cast forth the Rephaim.

20. Come, O My people; enter into your chambers, and shut your doors after you: hide yourself for a little while, for a moment, until the indignation be overpast.

21. For, behold, Jehovah cometh forth from His place to visit, for his iniquity, the inhabitant of the earth: and the earth shall disclose her bloods, and shall no longer cover her slain.

175. I will give him power over the nations, signifies over the evils within him, which will then be scattered by the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "nations," as being evils (of which presently); and from the signification of "giving power over them," as being that these (the evils) will then be dispersed by the Lord. "To have power," in reference to "over the nations," means to scatter in reference to evils; thus there is an adaptation of words to their subjects. It is said that evils will be scattered by the Lord, for the Lord scatters evils by means of truths. He first discovers them to man by means of truths, and when man acknowledges the evils, the Lord scatters them. (That the Lord alone does this, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 200.) "Nations and peoples" are often mentioned in the Word, and those who know nothing of the spiritual or internal sense of the Word, believe that peoples and nations are to be understood. But "peoples" mean those who are in truths, or in the contrary sense those who are in falsities, and "nations" those who are in goods, or in the contrary sense, those who are in evils. And as such are meant by "peoples" and by "nations," so abstractly from persons "peoples" mean truths or falsities, and "nations" goods and evils; for the true spiritual sense is abstracted from persons, spaces, times, and like things, that are proper to nature.

[2] With these the natural sense of the Word, which is the sense of its letter, is at one; and the sense that is at one with these serves as a basis to the sense that is apart from them. For all things that are in nature are ultimates of Divine order, and the Divine does not rest in the middle, but flows down even to its ultimates, and there subsists. From this it is that the Word in the letter is such as it is, and unless it were such it would not serve as a basis for the wisdom of angels who are spiritual. It can be seen from this how mistaken those are who despise the Word on account of its style. "Nations" signify those who are in good, and in the abstract, goods, because men who lived in ancient times were divided into nations, families, and houses; and they then loved each other mutually; and the father of a nation loved the whole nation which was from him; thus the good of love reigned among them. For this reason "nations" signified goods. But when men came into the opposite state, which took place in the following ages when empires were established, then "nations" signified evils. (See further on this subject in the small work on The Earths in the Universe 49, 90, 173, 174.)

[3] That "nations" in the Word signify either goods or evils, and "people" either truths or falsities, can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

Nations shall walk to Thy light, and kings to the brightness of Thy rising. Then shalt Thou see and flow together, and Thine heart shall be enlarged, because the multitude of the sea is converted unto Thee, the army of the nations come unto Thee; Thy gates shall be opened continually, they shall not be shut by day and by night, that men may bring unto Thee the army of the nations, and their kings shall be brought; for the nation or kingdom that will not serve Thee shall perish; and the nations by wasting shall be wasted. Thou shalt suck the milk of nations, even the breasts of kings shalt Thou suck. The little one shall become a thousand, and the few a numerous nation (Isaiah 60:3, 5, 11-12, 16, 22).

Here the Lord is treated of; and by "nations" all who are in the good of love to Him are meant, and by "kings" all who are in the truths of faith in Him. From this it is manifest who are meant by the "nations" that "shall walk to Thy light;" and by "the army of the nations that shall be brought;" also, who are meant by "the kings" that "shall walk to the brightness of Thy rising;" and by "the kings of the nations" that "shall be brought;" also, what is meant by "Thou shalt suck the milk of nations and the breasts of kings" ("milk" is the delight of the good of love, likewise "breasts," for milk is from them). The multiplication of truth and the fructification of good are described by the "little one shall become a thousand, and the few a numerous nation." But by "the nations that shall be wasted" are meant all that are in evils, and also the evils themselves.

[4] In the same:

Behold I will lift up My hand towards the nations, and set up Mine ensign towards the peoples, that they may bring thy sons in the bosom, and carry thy daughters upon the shoulder; and kings shall be thy nourishers and the chief women thy sucklers; with the face to the earth shall they bow down to thee (Isaiah 49:22, 23).

Here also the Lord is treated of, and those who shall worship and adore Him. To "lift up His hand towards the nations, and His ensign towards the peoples, " ¹ is to join to Himself all who are in the goods of love and in truths therefrom; of these it is said that "they shall bring thy sons in the bosom, and carry thy daughters upon the shoulder;" "sons" are the affections of truth, and "daughters" the affections of good (See above, n. 166). And of these it is said that their "kings shall be thy nourishers, and the chief women thy sucklers." "Kings" are truths themselves, "chief women" are the goods thereof; and as man is regenerated by both of these, and also nourished, it is said that they shall be "nourishers" and "sucklers." (That man is regenerated by means of truths and a life according to them, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 23, 24, 27, 186.) This is the internal sense of these words; without that sense who could understand them?

[5] In the same:

Jehovah said, Behold I spread out upon Jerusalem peace as a river, and as a torrent the glory of the nations, that ye may suck. He will come to gather all nations and tongues, that they may come and see My glory. They shall declare My glory among the nations; then shall they bring your brethren out of all nations, as a gift to Jehovah, upon horses and upon the chariot, to the mountain of My holiness (Isaiah 66:12, 18-20).

Here "Jerusalem" is the Lord's church in the heavens and on the earth; it is said the church in the heavens, for the church is there also (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 221-227). By "nations and tongues" all who are in the goods of love and in truths therefrom are meant. It is said that "they shall bring out of all nations a gift to Jehovah, upon horses and upon the chariot;" "a gift to Jehovah" is worship from the good of love; "horses and chariots" are intellectuals and doctrinals, for these are the source and foundation of worship. (That this is what "horses and chariots" signify, see The White Horse 1-5.)

[6] In the same:

It shall be in that day that a Root of Jesse, which shall stand for a sign of the people, the nations shall seek (Isaiah 11:10). "The root of Jesse" is the Lord; "to stand for a sign of the people" means that it may be seen by those who are in truths; "the nations which shall seek," are those who are in the good of love. It is believed that "nations" here mean the nations that are to approach and acknowledge the Lord, from which is to be the church that is called the church of the Gentiles; but these are not meant by "nation" but all who are in love to the Lord and faith in Him, whether within the church or out of it (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 308, 318-328).

[7] In the same:

A strong people shall honor Thee, the city of the powerful nations shall fear thee (Isaiah 25:3).

In the same:

Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation may enter in. Thou hast increased the nation, O Jehovah, Thou hast increased the nation, Thou art glorified (Isaiah 26:2, 15).

In the same:

Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye peoples (Isaiah 34:1).

In the same:

I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, for a covenant to the people, for a light of the nations (Isaiah 42:6).

In Jeremiah:

The nations shall bless themselves in Him, and in Him shall they glory (Jeremiah 4:2).

In the same:

Who will not fear Thee, O king of nations? and in all their kingdom there is none like unto Thee (Jeremiah 10:7).

In Daniel:

I was seeing in the night visions, and behold with the clouds of heaven One like the Son of man. And there was given Him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom; and all peoples, nations, and tongues shall worship Him (Daniel 7:13, 14).

In David:

The peoples shall give thanks unto Thee, O God; all the peoples shall give thanks unto Thee. Let the nations be glad and sing for joy; for Thou shalt judge the peoples with equity, and shalt lead the nations upon the earth (Psalms 67:3, 4).

In the same:

That I may see the good of Thy chosen, and be glad in the joy of Thy nations (Psalms 106:5).

In Revelation:

The glory and honor of the nations shall be brought into the New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:26).

In Isaiah:

Ye shall be called priests of Jehovah; ministers of your ² God, it shall be said to you. Ye shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory shall ye glory (Isaiah 61:6).

In the Lamentations:

The breath of our nostrils, the Anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits; of whom we had said, In His shadow we shall live among the nations (Lamentations 4:20).

In these passages, by "nations" all who are in love to the Lord, whether within the church where the Word is or outside it, are meant.

[8] That by "nations" in a contrary sense those who are in evils are meant, and in the abstract, evils themselves, can be seen from the following passages. In Jeremiah:

I will bring a nation upon you from far, it is a mighty nation; it is a nation of an age, a nation whose tongue thou shalt not know. It shall eat up thy harvest and thy bread; it shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters; it shall eat up thy vine and thy fig-tree; it shall impoverish the cities with the sword (Jeremiah 5:15, 17).

The vastation of the church is here treated of; and by "nation" is meant the evil that will consummate it; it is therefore said, that "it shall eat up the harvest and the bread," "the sons and daughters," "the vine and the fig-tree," and "shall impoverish the cities with the sword;" by which all the goods of love and the truths of faith are signified; by "harvest" a state of the reception of truth from good (See Arcana Coelestia 9295); by "bread" the good of love (See in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 218); by "sons and daughters" the affections of truth and good (See above, n. 166); by "vine" the internal church, thus the internal things of the church (See Arcana Coelestia 1069, 5113, 6376, 9277); by "fig-tree" the external church, thus the external things of the church (Arcana Coelestia 5113); by "cities" doctrines (Arcana Coelestia 402, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493); by "sword" falsity destroying (See above, n. 73, 131). From this it can be seen that by "nations" is signified the evil that destroys all these.

[9] In the same:

Behold I lay stumbling-blocks before this people, that they may stumble upon them, the fathers and the sons together. Behold, a people cometh from the land of the north, and a great nation from the sides of the earth. They have no compassion, their voice roareth like the sea, and they ride upon horses (Jeremiah 6:21-23).

Here also "nation" means evil, and "peoples" falsities, "the stumbling-blocks upon which the fathers and the sons stumble" are the perversions of good and truth ("fathers" are goods, and "sons" truths therefrom). It is said, "a people from the land of the north, and a nation from the sides of the earth," for the "north" signifies falsity from evil, and "the sides of the earth" signify what is outside of the church, thus evils remote from the goods of the church. "To roar like the sea, and to ride upon horses," is to persuade by fallacies of the senses, and by reasonings therefrom.

[10] In Ezekiel:

The land is full of the judgment of bloods, and the city is full of violence, wherefore I will bring the worst of the nations, that they may occupy their houses; the king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with stupor (Ezekiel 7:23-24, 27).

The "land" is the church; "full of the judgment of bloods" is to be in falsities that destroy goods; "city" is doctrine; "full of violence" is to use force against the good of charity; "the worst of the nations" are direful falsities from evil; "to occupy their houses" is to possess their minds; "the king who shall mourn" is the truth of the church; "the prince who shall be clothed with stupor," is subservient truth. (That the "land" is the church, see Arcana Coelestia 662, 1066, 1068, 1262, 1413, 1607, 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577, 8011, 9325, 9643; that "bloods" are falsities destroying good, n. 374, 1005, 4735, 5476, 9127; that "city" is doctrine, n. 2268, 2449, 2451, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493; that "violence" is using force against the good of charity, n. 6353; that "houses" are the things of man that belong to his mind, n. 710, 2231, 2233, 2559, 3128, 3538, 4973, 5023, 6690, 7353, 7848, 7910, 7929, 9150; that "the king who shall mourn" is the truth of the church, see above n. 31.)

[11] In David:

Jehovah bringeth the counsel of the nations to naught, He overthroweth the thoughts of the peoples (Psalms 33:10).

"Nations" mean those who are in evils, and "peoples" those who are in falsities; and because both are signified, it is said that "Jehovah bringeth the counsel of the nations to naught, and overthroweth the thoughts of the peoples," which are two expressions, as it were, of one thing, yet they are distinct in the internal sense, in which "nations" signify one thing, and "peoples" another.

[12] In Luke:

Then they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive among all nations, and at length Jerusalem shall be trodden down by the nations, until the time of the nations be fulfilled. Then there shall be signs in sun, moon, and stars, and upon the earth anguish of nations, the sea and the waves roaring (Luke 21:24-25).

The consummation of the age is here treated of, which is the last time of the church, when there is no longer any faith because there is no charity, or no truth because there is no good. This is here described by correspondences: "to fall by the edge of the sword" is to be destroyed by falsities; "to be led captive among all nations" is to be possessed by evils of every kind; "Jerusalem, which shall be trodden down," is the church; the "sun" is love to the Lord; the "moon" faith in Him; the "stars" the knowledges of good and truth; the "signs" in them mean that these are to perish; "the sea and the waves that shall roar" are fallacies and reasonings therefrom.

[13] In Matthew:

Nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. And they shall deliver you unto affliction, and ye shall be hated of all the nations for My name's sake (Matthew 24:7, 9; Luke 21:10, 11).

These things also were said by the Lord respecting the last time of the church; and by "nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom" is signified that there will be conflicts of evils and falsities among themselves; by "famines and pestilences" are signified the failure and wasting of truths; by "earthquakes" the perversion of the church; by "being hated of all nations" is signified to be hated by all who are in evil; "the name of the Lord," for the sake of which they shall be hated, signifies all things of love and faith whereby the Lord is worshiped (See above, n. 102, 135).

[14] In Ezekiel:

Behold Asshur a cedar in Lebanon. He has become high, and his branches have been multiplied. In his branches have all the fowl of the heavens built their nests, and under his branches all the beasts of the field have brought forth, and in his shade have dwelt all great nations. But his heart is lifted up in his height; therefore I will give him into the hand of the strong one of the nations, strangers shall cut him off, the violent of the nations, and they shall cast him down; whence all peoples of the earth have gone down from his shadow, and have abandoned him (Ezekiel 31:3, 5, 6, 10-12).

These things no one can understand unless he has a knowledge of the spiritual or internal sense of the Word. He will believe them to be mere comparisons, in which there is no spiritual signification; when yet all the particulars therein signify things of heaven and the church; therefore they shall be explained briefly. "Asshur" is the rational of the man of the church which is illustrated; this is called "a cedar in Lebanon," because a "cedar" has the same signification as "Asshur," specifically truth from good in the rational; and "Lebanon" is the mind where the rational resides, because there were cedars in Lebanon.

By "his branches that were multiplied" are meant truths therefrom; "the fowl of the heavens that built their nests in his branches" are the affections of truth; and "the beasts of the field that brought forth under his branches" are the affections of good; the "great nations that dwelt in his shade" are the goods of love; "his heart lifted up in his height" is the love of self; "to be given into the hands of the strong one of the nations," and "to be cast down by the violent of the nations," means that evils from that love will destroy goods and truths; "the peoples of the earth that went down from his shadow and abandoned him" are all truths of the church. From this it is manifest that "nations" signify goods, and in the contrary sense evils; by "the nations that dwelt in his shade," goods; and by "the nations that cut him off, and cast him down," evils. (See, moreover, what is said and shown about nations and their signification in Arcana Coelestia, namely, that by "nations" in the Word are meant those who are in good, and consequently goods themselves, n. 1059, 1159, 1258, 1260, 1416, 1849, 6005; "the assembly of the nations," truths and goods, n. 4574, 7830; "the holy nation," the spiritual kingdom, n. 9255, 9256; when it is said "nation and people," by "nation" those who are in celestial good are meant, and by "people" those who are in spiritual good, n. 10288. That by "nations," especially the nations of the land of Canaan, evils and falsities of every kind are meant, n. 1059, 1205, 1868, 6306, 8054, 8317, 9320, 9327).

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