696. And to those that fear thy name, the small and the great.- That this signifies, and to all those, of whatever religion, who worship the Lord, is evident from the signification of fearing the name of the Lord God, as denoting to worship the Lord (of which presently); and from the signification of the small and the great, as denoting of whatever religion; for the small mean those who know little of the truths and goods of the church, and the great, those who know much, thus those who worship the Lord little and much. For so far as a man knows the truths of faith, and lives according to them, in so far does he worship the Lord, for worship is not from man, but from the truths from good that are in man, since these are from the Lord, and the Lord is in them. Those that fear Thy name, the small and the great, mean all who worship the Lord of whatever religion, because, just previously, mention is made of servants, prophets, and saints, by whom are meant all those within the church who are in truths of doctrine, and in a life according to them. Therefore by those that fear Thy name, the small and the great, are meant all those without the church who worship the Lord according to their religion; for those who worship the Lord, and live in any kind of faith and charity, according to their religion, also fear God's name. In fact, this verse treats of the Last Judgment upon all, both the evil and the good. A last judgment takes place upon all, both those within and those without the church, and then all those who, from their religion, fear God, and live in mutual love, in uprightness of heart and sincerity, are saved; for all such by all intuitive faith in God, and by a life of charity, are associated as to their souls with the angels of heaven, and are thus conjoined with the Lord and saved. For every one after death comes to his own in the spiritual world, with whom he was associated as to his spirit during his life in the natural world.

[2] The small and the great signify less or more, that is, those who worship the Lord less or more, thus those who are less or more in truths from good, because the spiritual sense of the Word has no reference to persons, having regard to nothing but the thing signified; and the expression the small and the great there does imply persons, for it means men who worship God. For this reason, instead of the small and the great, less or more are meant in the spiritual sense, thus those who worship less or more from genuine truths and goods. It is similar in respect to the servants, prophets, and saints, treated of just above, by whom, in the spiritual sense, are not meant prophets and saints, but, apart from persons, truths of doctrine and a life according to them. While these are meant, also all those who are in truths of doctrine and in a life according to them are included, for these things are in angels and men as their subjects. But in such case to think only of angels and men is natural, while to think of truths of doctrine and of life - these being the things that make angels and men - is spiritual. It is therefore evident how the spiritual sense, in which angels are, differs from the natural sense, in which men are, that is, in every particular which a man thinks, there inheres something of person, space, time, and matter, while angels think of things apart from these. For this reason, the speech of angels is incomprehensible to man, because it flows from intuition of the thing, and thus from wisdom separated from such things as are proper to the natural world, and thus respectively indeterminate in regard to such things.

[3] To fear Thy name signifies to worship the Lord, because to fear signifies to worship, and Thy name signifies the Lord; for in the preceding verse it is said, that the twenty-four elders gave thanks to the Lord God, Who is, and Who was, and Who is to come, therefore to fear Thy name means to worship the Lord. In the Word, both that of the Old and that of the New Testament, the expressions the name of Jehovah, the name of the Lord, the name of God, and the name of Jesus Christ are used, and in such cases name means all those things whereby He is worshipped, thus all things of love and of faith; and, in the highest sense, the Lord Himself is meant, because where He is, there also are all things of love and faith. That such is the signification of the name of Jehovah, of the Lord God, and of Jesus Christ, may be seen above (n. 102, 135, 224), and it is also evident from these words of the Lord:

"If two of you shall agree on earth in my name, as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by my Father, who is in the heavens; for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matthew 18:19, 20).

Here to agree together in the name of the Lord, and to be gathered together in His name, does not mean in the name alone, but in those things that belong to the Lord, which are truths of faith and goods of love, by means of which He is worshipped.

[4] To fear, when spoken of the Lord, signifies to worship and to reverence, because in worship, and in all things pertaining to it, there is a holy and reverential fear, which leads one to feel that He is to be honoured, and in no way to be grieved. For it is as with children towards their parents, parents towards their children, wives towards their husbands, and husbands towards their wives, similarly as with friends towards friends, in whom there is respect and a fear of giving offence; such fear and respect are in all love and in all friendship, so that love and friendship without such fear and respect are like unsalted food which is insipid. This now is the reason why to fear the Lord means to worship Him from such love.

[5] It is said that to fear Thy name signifies to worship the Lord, and yet those who fear Him mean, here, those who are without the church, to whom the Lord is unknown, because they do not possess the Word. Nevertheless all such as have, in regard to God, an idea of a Human, are accepted by the Lord, for God under the Human form is the Lord; but those, whether within or without the church, who do not think of God as a Man, on their coming into their spiritual life, which takes place after their departure out of this world, are not accepted by the Lord, because they have no determinate idea concerning God, but only an indeterminate one, which is no idea at all, or if it be it is nevertheless dissipated. This is the reason why all who come from the earths (e terris) into the spiritual world, are first explored in regard to what idea of God they have held and have brought with them. If they have no idea of Him as a Man, they are sent to places of instruction, and are taught that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that, when they think of God, they must think of the Lord, and that otherwise there can be no conjunction with God, nor consequently any association with angels. Then all those who have lived a life of charity receive instruction, and worship the Lord; but all those who declare that they have had faith, but who have not been in the life of faith, which is charity, do not receive instruction; they are therefore separated, and sent away into places below the heavens, some into the hells, and some into that part (terra) which is called in the Word "the lower earth," where they suffer severely. Still, however, the Gentiles, to whom the laws of religion are laws of life, receive doctrine concerning the Lord more readily than Christians, and they do so especially because their only idea of God has been that of a Divine Man. We have said these things in order that it may be known why it is that to fear Thy name means to worship the Lord.

[6] In many places in the Word the expression to fear Jehovah God is used, by which worship is meant; it therefore shall be explained in a few words what worship in particular is meant by fearing God. All worship of Jehovah God must be from the good of love by means of truths. Worship from the good of love alone is not worship, neither is that worship which is from truths alone without the good of love; but both are necessary. For the essential of worship is the good of love, but good exists and is formed by means of truths, and therefore all worship must be by means of truths from good. Because this is so, therefore in many passages in the Word, where it is said "to fear Jehovah God," it is also said "to keep " and "do His words and commandments." In these places therefore to fear signifies worship by means of truths, and to keep and do signifies worship from the good of love; for doing is of the will, thus of love and of good, and fearing is of the understanding, thus of faith and of truth, for all truth which is of faith belongs properly to the understanding, and all good which is of love belongs properly to the will. From this it can be seen, that the fear of Jehovah God has reference to worship by means of truths of doctrine, which are called also truths of faith. Such worship is meant by the fear of Jehovah God, because Divine Truth causes fear, for it condemns the evil to hell; but not so Divine Good, for so far as this is received by means of truths by men and angels, it takes away condemnation. It is consequently evident that so far as man is in the good of love there is the fear of God; and that in proportion as dread and terror pass away, and become a holy fear attended with reverence, so far man is in the good of love and in truths therefrom, that is, so far as there is good in his truths. It consequently follows, that fear in worship is varied with every one, according to the state of his life, and also that the sanctity attended with reverence that is in the fear of those who are in good, is also varied according to the reception of good in the will, and according to the reception of truth in the understanding, that is, according to the reception of good in the heart and the reception of truth in the soul.

[7] But what has just been stated will be more evident from the following passages in the Word.

In Moses:

"What doth Jehovah God require of thee, but to fear Jehovah thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve Jehovah thy God from thy whole heart, and from thy whole soul" (Deuteronomy 10:12, 20).

It is here said to fear Jehovah God, to walk in His ways, to love Him, and to serve Him, and by all these expressions worship by means of truths from good is described, worship by means of truths is meant by fearing Jehovah God and serving Him, and worship from good by walking in His ways and loving Him. Therefore it is also said, from the whole heart, and from the whole soul, heart signifying the good of love and of charity which pertains to the will, and soul the truth of doctrine, and of faith which pertains to the understanding. The heart corresponds to the good of love, and in man to his will; and soul corresponds to the truth of faith, and in man to his understanding; for soul (anima) means the animation or respiration of man, which is also called his spirit. That soul in the Word signifies the life of faith, and heart the life of love, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 2930, 9050, 9281).

[8] In the same:

"Ye shall go after Jehovah your God, and shall fear him, that ye may keep his precepts, and hear his voice and serve him, and cleave to him" (Deuteronomy 13:4).

To go after Jehovah God, to keep His precepts, and to cleave to him, signify the good of life, thus the good of love, from which is worship; and to fear Jehovah God, to hear His voice, and to serve Him, signify the truths of doctrine, thus the truths of faith by means of which there is worship. Since all worship of the Lord must be by means of truths from good, and not by means of truths without good, nor by means of good without truths, therefore in every particular of the Word there is a marriage of good and truth, as in the passages already cited, and also in the following. (Concerning the marriage of good and truth in the particulars of the Word, see above n.238 at the end, 288, 660).

[9] In the same:

"Thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God, him thou shalt serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and in his name thou shalt swear" (Deuteronomy 10:20).

Here also to fear Jehovah God, and to serve Him, involve truths of worship, and to cleave to Jehovah God, and to swear in His name, involve the good of worship. For to cleave to is an expression relating to the good of love, since he who loves also cleaves to; to swear in the name of Jehovah has a similar meaning, for what is about to be done is confirmed by that means. To serve involves truths of worship, because servants, in the Word, mean those who are in truths, and this for the reason that truths serve good, as may be seen above (n. 6, 409).

[10] In the same:

"That thou mayest fear Jehovah thy God, to keep all his statutes and his commandments; thou shalt fear Jehovah thy God, and him shalt thou serve, and in his name shalt thou swear, ye shall not go after other gods; Jehovah hath commanded us to do all these statutes, to fear Jehovah our God" (Deuteronomy 6:2, 13, 14, 24).

Worship by means of truths from good, or by means of faith from love, is also described here. To fear Jehovah God and to serve Him, means worship, by means of truths of faith, and to keep and do his statutes and commandments, and to swear in the name of Jehovah, means worship from the good of love. For to keep and to do statutes and commandments is the good of life, which is the same as the good of love, since he who loves also lives. To swear in the name of Jehovah has a similar meaning, for to swear denotes to confirm by life. That to fear Jehovah and to serve Him, denotes worship according to truths of doctrine, has been shown above. For there are two things which constitute worship, namely, doctrine and life; doctrine without life does not constitute it, neither life without doctrine.

[11] Similarly in the following passages.

In Deuteronomy:

"Assemble the people that they may hear, and that they may learn and may fear Jehovah your God, and may observe to do all the words of the law" (Deuteronomy 31:12).

In the same:

"If thou wilt not observe to do all the commandments of this law, to fear this glorious and venerable name, Jehovah thy God" (Deuteronomy 28:58).

In the same:

The king "shall write for himself a copy of the law, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, wherein he may learn to fear Jehovah his God, to keep all the words of the law, and the statutes to do them" (Deuteronomy 17:18, 19).

In the same:

"Thou shalt keep the commandments of Jehovah thy God, to go in his ways, and to fear him" (Deuteronomy 8:6).

And in the same:

"Who will give that they may have a heart to fear me, and to keep my commandments all the days?" (5:29).

In these passages fearing Jehovah God is connected with keeping and doing the commandments of the law, also with going in his ways, because as stated, all internal spiritual worship of God, consisting in the good of life, must be performed according to truths of doctrine, since these must teach. Worship according to truths of doctrine is signified by fearing Jehovah, and worship from the good of life by keeping His commandments and going in His ways, to go in the ways of Jehovah denoting to live according to truths of doctrine; and because worship according to truths of doctrine is meant by fearing Jehovah, therefore it is said that the fear of Jehovah shall be learned from the law. But let it be observed, that the fear of Jehovah denotes internal spiritual worship, which must be in external natural worship; for internal spiritual worship consists in thinking and understanding truths, thus in thinking reverently and in a holy manner of God, which is to fear Him, while external natural worship consists in doing those truths, that is, in keeping the commandments and words of the law.

[12] In David:

"Teach me, Jehovah, thy way, teach it me in truth, unite my heart to the fear of thy name" (Psalm 86:11).

To teach the way signifies to teach the truth in agreement with which the life ought to be lived, therefore it is said, teach it in truth. That good of love must be conjoined with truths of faith is signified by, unite my heart to the fear of Thy name, the heart signifying love, and fear the holiness of faith, which must be united, that is, must be together, in worship.

[13] Again:

"Blessed is every one that feareth Jehovah, that walketh in his ways" (Psalm 128:1).

To fear Jehovah here also denotes to think of God in a reverent and holy manner, and to walk in His ways denotes to live according to Divine truths. There is worship by means of both of these; but in external worship, which consists in living according to Divine truths, there must be internal worship, which is to fear Jehovah, therefore it is said that he feareth Jehovah who walketh in His ways.

Again:

"Blessed is the man who feareth Jehovah, who delighteth greatly in His commandments" (Psalm 112:1).

The signification here is similar to that of the verse above; for to delight greatly in the commandments of Jehovah is to love them, consequently to will and to do them.

[14] In Jeremiah:

"They feared not, neither walked they in my law, nor in my statutes" (44:10).

Not to fear denotes not to think of God from the truths of the Word, thus not reverently and in a holy manner; not to walk in the law of God, nor in His statutes, denotes not to live them, commandments denoting the laws of internal worship, and statutes the laws of external worship.

[15] In Malachi:

"If I be a Father, where is my honour; if I be Lord, where is the fear of me?" (1:6).

The terms honour and fear are used, because honour is said of worship from good, and fear of worship by means of truths. (That honour is used in reference to good, may be seen above, n. 288, 345); therefore also honour is said of Father, and fear of Lord, for Jehovah is called Father from Divine Good, and Lord, in this place, from Divine Truth.

[16] In the same prophet:

"My covenant was with" Levi, "of life and of peace, which I gave him with fear; and he feared me" (2:5).

Levi here means the Lord as to the Divine Human, and the covenant of life and of peace signifies the union of His Divine with Himself (cum Ipso), and fear and fearing signify holy truth, with which there is union.

[17] In Isaiah:

"The spirit of Jehovah shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding; the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah, whence his offering of incense shall be in the fear of Jehovah" (11:2, 3).

These words are also said of the Lord, and they describe the Divine Truth, in which and from which are all wisdom and all understanding. The Divine Truth that was in the Lord, when He was in the world, and which since the glorification of His Human goes forth from Him, is meant by the spirit of Jehovah, which rested upon Him; that He has Divine Wisdom and Divine Power therefrom, is meant by the spirit of wisdom and understanding, and by the spirit of counsel and might. That thence He has omniscience and essential holiness in worship, is meant by the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of Jehovah; and because fear signifies holiness of worship from Divine Truth, therefore it is said, whence His offering of incense shall be in the fear of Jehovah; for to offer incense signifies worship from the spiritual-Divine which is Divine Truth. That this is the signification of offering incense may be seen above (n. 324, 491, 492, 494, 567). It is said, the spirit of wisdom, understanding, knowledge and fear, for spirit means the proceeding Divine, the spirit of wisdom the celestial Divine, which is the proceeding Divine received by the angels of the inmost or third heaven; the spirit of understanding the spiritual Divine, which is the proceeding Divine received by the angels of the middle or second heaven; the spirit of knowledge the natural Divine, which is the proceeding Divine received by the angels of the ultimate or first heaven and the spirit of the fear of Jehovah means all the holiness of worship from these Divines.

[18] In Jeremiah:

"I will give them one heart and one way, to fear me all their days for good to them; and I will make with them the covenant of an age; and my fear will I put in their heart, that they may not depart from me" (32:39, 40).

I will give them one heart and one way to fear Me, signifies one will and one understanding to worship the Lord, the heart signifying the good of the will, way the truth of the understanding which leads, and fear the holy worship therefrom. I will make with them the covenant of an age, and My fear will I put in their heart, signifies conjunction by means of the good of love, and by means of the truth of that good in worship, covenant denoting conjunction, and fear in the heart, the holiness of worship from truth in the good of love; that they may not depart from Me, signifies for the sake of conjunction. Since conjunction with the Lord is effected by means of truths from good, and not by means of truths without good, nor by means of good without truths, therefore both are here mentioned.

[19] In David:

"O house of Aaron, trust ye in Jehovah, ye that fear Jehovah, trust in Jehovah" (Psalm 115:10, 11).

The house of Aaron signifies all those who are in the good of love, and those that fear Jehovah signify all those who are in truth from that good.

In the Apocalypse:

"The angel who had the eternal gospel said, Fear God, and give glory; adore him" (14:7).

To fear God and give glory to Him signifies to worship the Lord from holy truths; and to adore Him signifies from the good of love.

In David:

"Let all the earth fear before Jehovah; let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him. Behold the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear him, that wait for his mercy" (Psalm 33:8, 18).

In the same:

"The good pleasure of Jehovah is in them that fear him, in them that wait for his mercy" (Psalm 147:11).

Because the fear of Jehovah signifies the reception of Divine Truth, and mercy the reception of Divine Good, it is therefore said that the eye and the good pleasure of Jehovah are upon them that fear Him, upon them that wait for His mercy.

[20] In Isaiah:

"The mighty people shall honour thee, the city of the strong nations shall fear thee" (25:3).

Here also to honour signifies worship from good, for honour is said of the good of love; and worship from truths is signified by fearing the Lord, as said above. By mighty people are signified the men of the church who are in truths from good, for all power is therefrom; the city of the strong nations signifies those who are in truths of doctrine, and by means of these in the good of love; and as all spiritual power is from that source, therefore they are called strong nations. From these words also it is clear that there is a marriage of good and truth in every particular of the Word; for to honour is said of good, and to fear of truth, both of them in worship. The term people is used of those who are in truths, and by means of these in good, but nations of those who are in good, and from that in truths. And because all power in the spiritual world is from the conjunction of good and truth, therefore the people are called mighty, and the nations strong.

[21] The fear of Jehovah also in the following passages signifies worship in which there is holiness by means of truths.

In Isaiah:

"The heart" of the people "hath departed far from me, and their fear toward me hath become a commandment taught of men" (29:13).

In the same:

"Who among you feareth Jehovah, hearing the voice of his servant? He that walketh in darkness, and hath no brightness; that trusteth in the name of Jehovah, and leaneth upon his God" (50:10).

In Jeremiah:

"They shall bear all the good which I do unto them, that they may fear and be moved for all the good, and for all the peace which I will do unto it" (33:9).

In David:

"The angel of Jehovah encampeth round about them that fear him, to deliver them. Fear Jehovah, ye his saints, for there is no want to them that fear him" (Psalm 34:7, 9).

In the same:

"Who have no changes, neither fear they God" (Psalm 55:19).

In the same:

"The fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom, a good understanding have all they that do them" (Psalm 111:10).

Because fear has reference to Divine Truth from which are holiness in worship, wisdom and intelligence, therefore it is said, the fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom, a good understanding, that is, intelligence, have all they that do them.

In the same:

"They that fear Jehovah shall praise him; all the seed of Jacob shall honour him, and all the seed of Israel shall fear him" (Psalm 22:23).

[22] In Luke:

"The mercy" of God "is unto generation of generations to them that fear him" (1:50).

That to fear Jehovah God means and therefore signifies to have a sense of holiness and reverence, consequently to worship him in a holy and reverent manner is also evident from these passages.

In Moses:

"Ye shall keep my Sabbaths, and my sanctuary shall ye fear" (Leviticus 19:30);

"Ye shall reverence" (26:2).

In the same:

"The work of Jehovah, how is that to be feared (reverenced), which I will do" (Exodus 34:10).

In the same:

"And Jacob was afraid, and said, How [greatly] to be feared (reverenced) is this place; this is none other but the house of God, and the gate of heaven" (Genesis 28:17).

That to fear, when said of the Divine, and of the holiness of heaven and of the church, signifies to revere and to hold in reverence, is evident from the above passages, also from this fact, that the same word which in Hebrew signifies to fear, also signifies to revere and to venerate.

This is also evident from these words in Luke:

"There was a judge in a certain city who feared not God, neither reverenced man, who said within himself, Although I fear not God, nor reverence man" (18:2, 4).

It is said to fear God, and to reverence man, because to fear signifies to reverence in a higher degree.

[23] In Matthew:

Jesus said, "Fear not them who are able to kill the body, but are not able to kill the soul; rather fear him who is able to destroy both soul and body in Gehenna" (10:28; Luke 12:4, 5, 7).

Here however to fear signifies to stand in fear of dying spiritually, consequently natural fear, which is fearfulness and dread; but spiritual fear is a holy fear, that abides interiorly in all spiritual love variously according to the quality and extent of the love. In this fear is the spiritual man; he knows also that the Lord does not do evil to any one, much less does He destroy any one, as to body and soul in Gehenna, but that He does good to all, and desires to raise up every one, as to body and soul, into heaven to Himself. This is why the fear of the spiritual man is a holy fear, lest through evil of life and falsity of doctrine man should turn away from and thus injure that Divine love in himself. But natural fear is a fearfulness, dread, and terror of dangers, and punishment, and thus of hell; this fear abides in all corporeal love, and also variously according to the quality and extent of that love. The natural man who is in such fear knows no otherwise than that the Lord inflicts evil upon the evil, condemns them, casts them into hell, and punishes them, and on this account such persons are in fear and dread of the Lord. Most of the Jewish and Israelitish nation were in this fear, because they were natural men; for this reason the expression "to be afraid and to tremble before Jehovah" is so frequently used, and also "they were in fear and trembling;" for the same reason it is said of the sons of Israel that "they were sore afraid" when the Divine Law or Divine Truth was promulgated from Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:18-20; Deuteronomy 5:23-25).

[24] It is this fear that is meant in part by "The dread of Isaac" by whom Jacob sware to Laban (Genesis 31:42, 53); for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the Word, mean the Lord; Abraham means the Lord as to the celestial Divine, Isaac, as to the spiritual Divine, and Jacob, as to the natural Divine. The spiritual Divine signified by Isaac is the Divine Truth, which terrifies natural men, and because Laban was a natural man, it is therefore said, Jacob sware to him, by the dread or terror of Isaac. An almost similar fear is meant in Isaiah:

"Ye shall sanctify Jehovah Zebaoth, for he is your fear and your dread" (8:13).

Here fear has reference to the spiritual man, and dread to the natural man. As the spiritual man should not be in such fear as the natural man is in, it is therefore said, "Fear not."

In Isaiah:

Jacob and Israel "Fear not, for I have redeemed thee, calling thee by thy name, thou art mine" (43:1).

In Luke:

"Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom" (12:32);

and in Jeremiah:

"Fear not, Jacob my servant, and be not afraid, O Israel, for I will keep thee from afar; Jacob shall be tranquil and at rest, none making him afraid" (30:9, 10)

and in many other passages. Moreover, that fear, terror, consternation, and similar expressions signify various disturbances of the feelings (animi), and changes of the state of the mind, may be seen above (n. 667, 677).

417. Four angels standing on the four corners of the earth. That this signifies the Divine proceeding from the Lord in the whole spiritual world, is plain from the signification of angels, for they denote the Divine which proceeds from the Lord; concerning which see above, n. 130, 200, 302; and from the signification of the four corners of the earth, which denote the whole spiritual world. By four corners is signified the spiritual world, because there are lands there just as on our globe; for in that world, as is the case on our earth, there are mountains, hills, rocks, plains, valleys, and many other things. This has been often stated above. And as the Last Judgment upon all in the spiritual world is treated of in the Apocalypse, and in this place the separation of the good from the evil, therefore that world is meant by the earth. The reason why the earth also signifies the church, as frequently stated before, is, that the appearance of the land (terra) in the spiritual world is exactly in agreement with the state of the church with spirits and angels there. The appearance is the most beautiful where the angels of the superior heavens dwell, and beautiful also where the angels of the lower heavens dwell, but it is totally wanting in beauty where evil spirits dwell. For where the angels dwell, are gardens, fruit gardens, flower-beds, palaces, and everything in heavenly form and harmony, whence pleasantnesses issue forth, imparting inmost delight to the mind; but where evil spirits are, every place is marshy, stony, and barren, and they live in huts of a vile appearance, and also in caverns and dens.

[2] These things are mentioned to show that "the earth," in the proximate sense, means the spiritual world; nor could any other earth (terra) appear to John, for it was seen by him when he was in the spirit. Man also, when in the spirit, cannot see any thing on our Earth (tellus), but only what is in the spiritual world. Therefore John saw four angels, and they were standing on the four corners of that earth. Four angels were seen, because by their standing on four corners is signified the Divine which proceeds from the Lord in the whole spiritual world, for that entire world has four quarters; these are the eastern, western, southern, and northern, that world being thus divided. Those who are in the good of love to the Lord dwell in the eastern quarter, and also in the western, but the former in the clear good of love because they are in the interior [good of love]; the latter, in the obscure good of love, because they are in the exterior [good of love]; in the southern quarter dwell those who are in the clear light of truth, and in the northern those who are in an obscure light of truth. Concerning these quarters see Heaven and Hell 141-153, where they are treated of. And since all things have reference to the good of love, and to the truth from that good, or generally to good and truth, therefore by those four quarters are also meant all things of heaven and the church. Those quarters are also meant in the Word by the four winds, here also by the four corners. It is therefore evident, that the angels were not seen standing on the four corners of the earth, but in the four quarters. They are called the four corners, because corners signify the extremes, and the extremes signify all things, because they include all.

[3] That corners signify quarters is evident from these passages in the Word, where quarters are described by corners, as in the following:

In Moses:

"For the tabernacle thou shalt make twenty boards for the south corner southwards. And for the second side of the tabernacle, towards the north corner, twenty boards," and so forth (Exodus 26:18, 20; 27:9, 11; 36:21, 23, 25).

Here the south corner denotes the southern quarter, and towards the north corner, the northern quarter, for there were twenty boards for each side.

So in Ezekiel:

"By the border of Dan, from the east corner unto the west corner, Asher one. And thence by the border of Asher, from the east corner even unto the corner towards the west," and company (48:1-8).

In the same prophet:

"These the measures; the north corner four thousand and five hundred, and the south corner as many, and the east corner as many, and the west corner as many, by the boundary to the east corner towards the west, and so forth" (48:16, 17, 23-25, 26, 27, 28, 33, 34; also 47:17-20).

Again, in Moses:

"Ye shall measure from without the city the corner towards the east two thousand cubits, and the south corner as many, and the west corner as many, and the north corner as many" (Num. 35:5; also in Joshua 15:5; 18:12, 14, 15, 20).

In these passages, by the east, the south, the west, and the north corners are meant the sides facing the eastern, southern, western, and northern quarters; from which it is evident, that by the four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, is not meant upon its four corners, but in its four quarters. Similarly in another passage in the Apocalypse, it is said:

Satan "shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth" (20:8).

[4] The reason why four corners are mentioned, and not the four quarters, is that corners signify all things, since they are the extremes; for the extremes embrace all things from the centre to the ultimate circumferences; for they are the ultimate boundaries. It was for this reason that horns were placed upon the four corners of the altar, and that blood was poured on them, and thus the whole altar expiated; as is evident from Exodus 27:2; 29:12; 30:2, 3, 10; 38:2; Leviticus 4:7, 18, 25, 30, 34; 16:18, 19; Ezekiel 41:22; 43:20.

[5] That corners signify all things, because they signify the extremes, for the reason stated above, that the extremes include and embrace all things, is clearly evident from certain statutes given to the sons of Israel; as for instance, that they should not round off or shave the corner of their head (Leviticus 19:27). That they should not cut off the corner of their beards (Leviticus 19:27; 21:5).

Again:

And when they reaped the harvest of their land, they should not wholly reap the corner of the field (19:9; 23:22).

Why such statutes were given them cannot be understood, unless it be known what the hair of the head, the beard, a field, and also a corner mean. The hair of the head, and the beard, signify the ultimate of the life of man, which is called the Corporeal Sensual; a field signifies the Church; and reaping, the truth of doctrine. Wherefore, by these [statutes], it was represented that the extremes should be preserved, because they signify all things; for unless there are extremes, intermediates cannot be held together, but are dissipated, just as the interiors of man would be scattered unless they were enclosed by the skin. The same is the case in every thing and therefore also in regard to the signification of the hair of the head, the beard, and the harvest of the field. That the hair of the head signifies the extreme of the life of man, which is called the Corporeal Sensual, may be seen above (n. 66), and that the same is signified by the beard, see the Arcana Coelestia 9660); that extremes or ultimates, signify all things in the aggregate, thus the whole (n. 10044, 10329, 10335). Now since a field signifies the church, and harvest the truths of the church, therefore by their not wholly reaping the corner of the field when they reaped the harvest, is meant the preservation of all those things which are signified by the harvests of the field.

[6] That corners signify all things because they are extremes, is also evident from the following passages in Moses:

"I will cast them into the farthest corners, I will make the remembrance of them cease from among men" (Deuteronomy 32:26).

To cast into the farthest corners signifies to deprive of all good and truth; therefore it is also said, "I will make the remembrance of them to cease from among men," which signifies, that they no longer possess any thing of spiritual life, which comes to pass when man remains only in the ultimates of life, called the Corporeal Sensual; in this condition are very many, who have not attained to anything of spiritual life. Such persons then become not unlike beasts, which have no other life, with this difference, that a man, because he is born a man, can speak and reason, but he does this from the fallacies of the senses, or of the outermost things of nature, the world, and the body. This is what is meant here by being cast into the farthest corners.

[7] In Jeremiah:

"And their camels shall be a prey, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil; and I will scatter them into every wind into the cut off of the corner; and I will bring their destruction from all the passages thereof, saith Jehovah" (49:32).

These things are said concerning the devastation of Arabia and Hazor by the king of Babylon, and by Arabia and Hazor are signified the knowledges of good and truth, and by the king of Babylon evil and falsity vastating. The vastation of all confirmatory scientifics and of the knowledges of good and truth, is signified by their camels being a prey, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil; for camels denote confirmatory scientifics, and cattle the knowledges of good and truth. The vastation of all things pertaining to good and truth, until none remains, is signified by, "I will scatter them into every wind into the cut off of the corner;" the cut off of the corner denoting the extremes where good and truth no longer exist. That evils and falsities will then break in on every side, is signified by, "I will bring their destruction from all the passages thereof." For in the spiritual world, where the evil are, ways from the hells lie open on all sides, and through these, evils and falsities therefrom break in; and all who are in similar evils and falsities pass through the same ways, and associate with them. These things are said in order that it may be known what is meant by "I will bring their destruction from all the passages." By their becoming a prey and a spoil, as well as by being scattered and destroyed, is signified devastation.

[8] In the same prophet:

"Behold, the days come, in which I will punish all them which are circumcised in their uncircumcision; Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the sons of Ammon, and Moab, and all the utmost of the corner, that dwell in the wilderness; for all these nations are uncircumcised, and all the house of Israel are uncircumcised in the heart" (9:25, 26).

Here, by "all the utmost of the corner," are signified those who are in the ultimates of the church separated from interior things, interior things being spiritual, therefore, those who are in sensual things only, which are the ultimates of the natural man. Concerning the nature and quality of those who are merely sensual, see the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem. (n. 50).

These are signified by the cut off of the corner, because corners signify the quarters of the spiritual world, and those quarters signify all the goods and truths of heaven and the church, as previously stated. The dwellings of spirits and angels in that world, are so arranged, that those who possess the greatest wisdom and intelligence dwell in the midst, and those who are successively in less and less, from the midst even to the outmost boundaries, and this gradation proceeds accurately according to distances from the centre. In the outermost parts are those who have no wisdom and intelligence, and beyond these those who are in evils and the falsities thence. The latter are those denoted by the cut off of the corner; and because there are deserts there they are said to dwell in the wilderness. Concerning these gradations in the spiritual world, see Heaven and Hell 43, 50, 189). The same are signified by the uncircumcised nations, and by the house of Israel uncircumcised in heart; for the uncircumcised signify those who, being without love and charity, and therefore without good, are consequently in the loves of self and of the world; and those who are in these loves are in the ultimates of the natural man, which are altogether separated from spiritual things; they are therefore "the cut off of the corner that dwell in the wilderness." By Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon and Moab, are meant all those who by means of those loves have separated themselves from the goods and truths of the church; therefore they are beyond the influence of these truths, and are thus the cut off of the corner. The same is signified by the cut off of the corner in Jeremiah (25:23).

[9] Again, in Moses:

"There shall come a star out of Jacob, and a sceptre shall rise out of Israel, and shall break in pieces the corners of Moab" (Num. 24:17).

By the corners of Moab are meant all things signified by Moab. By Moab are signified those who are in the ultimates of the Word, of the church, and of worship; and in the opposite sense, those who adulterate such things by looking to themselves, and regarding their own honour in every one of these things. The corners of Moab, therefore, mean adulterations of the Word, and consequently of the church and worship, as they exist with those who are of such a character. Similar things are signified by the corner of Moab in Jeremiah (48:45).

[10] In Zephaniah:

"A day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high corners" (1:16).

Here, "a day of the trumpet and alarm," signifies spiritual combat against evils and falsities. The fenced cities signify confirmatory false doctrinals, and the high corners those things which favour their loves. Hence the signification of "a day of the trumpet and alarm against the fenced cities, and against the high corners" is evident.

Again:

"I will cut off the nations; their corners shall be laid waste; I will make desolate their streets, that none passeth by; and I will lay waste their cities, so that there is no inhabitant" (3:6).

The destruction of all the goods of the church, is signified by "I will cut off the nations" and "their corners shall be laid waste." Nations mean the goods of the church, and corners, being the extremes (as above), all things belonging to it. By "I will make desolate their streets," and by "their cities shall be laid waste," is signified the destruction of the truths of doctrine; streets denoting truths and cities doctrinals; the total destruction, until no good and truth remain, is signified by there being no inhabitant, none to pass by; for to pass by is used in the Word of truths, and to inhabit of goods.

[11] In the book of Judges:

"Then all the sons of Israel went out, and the congregation was gathered together as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba, and the corners of all the people, even all the tribes of Israel, stood together in the assembly of the people of God" (20:1, 2).

That "the corners of all the people stood together in the assembly of the people of God," signifies all from every side, or from every quarter, is evident from its being said, that all the sons and all the tribes of Israel went out, and that the congregation was gathered together from Dan even to Beersheba. But in the spiritual sense, by "the corners of all the people" are meant all the goods and truths of the church; and similarly also by all the tribes of Israel from Dan even to Beersheba, are signified those things from ultimates to primaries (prima), and by the assembly of the people of God, is signified consultation concerning the things of the church. For in the historical parts of the Word, equally as in the prophetical, there is everywhere a spiritual sense. Therefore in the historical sense, by corners are signified quarters, such as are in the spiritual world; but in the spiritual sense, for the reason stated above, they signify all the truths and goods of the church.

[12] From these considerations the signification of corner stone in the following passages is evident:-

In Isaiah:

"He will lay in Zion a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone of sure foundation" (28:16).

In Jeremiah:

"And they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone of foundations" (51:26).

In Zechariah:

Out of Judah, "the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the battle bow" (10:4).

In David:

"The stone which they rejected is become the head of the corner" (Psalm 118:22). Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10, 11; Luke 20:17, 18.

Corner stone signifies all Divine Truth upon which heaven and the church are founded, thus every foundation; and, because the foundation is the basis upon which a house or temple rests, it therefore signifies all things. Because by corner stone are signified all things upon which the church is founded, it is therefore said, "He will lay in Zion a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone of sure foundation." It is also called a stone for a corner and a stone of foundations; and because corner stone signifies all Divine Truth upon which the church is founded, it therefore also signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human because from That all Divine Truth proceeds. The builders, or architects, who rejected that stone, as we read in the Evangelists, mean those who are of the church, in this case, of the Jewish church, which rejected the Lord, and together with Him all Divine Truth; for there remained with them nothing but vain traditions from the sense of the letter of the Word, in which the very truths of the Word were falsified, and its goods adulterated. That ultimates signify all things, and the reason of this signification, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 634, 5897, 6239, 6451, 6465, 9216, 9824, 9828, 9836, 9905, 10044, 10099, 10329, 10335, 10548).