923. And there came out blood from the wine-press, even to the horses' bridles. That this signifies falsifications of the Word, even to dominion over the understanding, flowing forth from evil, is evident from the signification of coming out from the wine-press, as denoting to be produced, or to flow forth, from evil (concerning which see the articles above, n. 920, 922); and from the signification of blood, as denoting the falsification of the Word. For by blood, in the genuine sense, is signified the Divine truth; but, in the opposite sense, violence offered to the Divine truth or the Word, which is the falsification of it (concerning which signification of blood, see above, n. 329); and from the signification of even to the horses' bridles, as denoting even to dominion over the understanding. For horses signify the understanding, and their bridles, government and dominion. For he who sits on horses governs them by the bridle, and rules over them. That horses signify the understanding of truth from the Word may be seen above (n. 355, 364); and that bridles [signify] government and dominion will be seen below.

[2] With respect to dominion over the understanding, it is the understanding of truth in the Word that is meant. For when falsities of religion are confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word, then the understanding no longer sees the truth. For every one who is in the spiritual affection of truth is enlightened by the Lord, when he reads the Word, and it is the understanding that is enlightened. But he who is not in the spiritual affection of truth cannot be enlightened as to the understanding; for he sees truth as in the night, and falsity as in the light. And because the church is such at its end, the understanding of truth then perishes to such a degree that it cannot be enlightened. For the falsities of religion are then confirmed to that degree from the Word; that is, the Word is falsified. This is the case with those meant by Babylon (ver. 8), and by the beast (ver. 10, of this chapter). For it is said of Babylon, "that she made all nations drink of the wine of the anger of her whoredom"; and of the beast there, "that he who adored the beast, shall drink of the wine of the anger of God mixed pure in the cup of his wrath." That the falsifications of the Word are thereby signified, may be seen above (n. 881 887).

[3] The reason why the understanding of truth in the Word perishes with such as are meant by the inhabitants of Babylon, and by the worshippers of the beast is, that they have not any spiritual good; and this good, which is the good of charity from the Lord, is what alone opens the spiritual mind, by which the Lord flows in and enlightens. And without the opening of that mind, enlightenment cannot take place, nor, consequently, the understanding of truth. He who believes that he can see any truth of the church from the light (lumen) of reason alone is much deceived. He may indeed know it from another, but he cannot see it in the light. While he desires to see it, or follow it in thought, mere shadows from falsities are in the way; these arise from fallacies, and from man's proprium, which cause blindness. From these things it is evident what is meant by falsifications of the Word even to dominion over the understanding, flowing forth from evil, signified by the blood coming out of the wine-press, even to the horses' bridles.

[4] In the Word the bridle is mentioned in many passages; and by it, in the spiritual sense, is signified restraint and government. And it is said of the understanding and its thought, because a bridle belongs to horses; and horses signify the understanding; and with those who have no understanding, they signify reasonings from falsities. It is therefore evident what is signified by the bridle mentioned in Isaiah:

"I will put my hook in thy nose, and my bridle into thy lips; and I will bring thee back by the way by which thou camest" (37:29).

These things are said of the king of Assyria, who signifies reasoning from falsities. For by Asshur, in the good sense, is signified the Rational. Because that king then besieged Jerusalem, and blasphemed God, it was said to him, that a hook should be put into his nose, which signifies that stupidity and foolishness should possess him. For the nose signifies perception; and the hook, its extraction - properly immersion into the corporeal Sensual, which, separated from the Rational, is stupid. It was also said, that a bridle should be put into his lips, which signifies senselessness as to the understanding of truth. For the lips signify thought from the understanding, and the bridle the restraining of it. To bring him back into the way by which he came, signifies into the falsities by which he was about to perish. Wherefore his army, by which falsities are signified, perished by a great slaughter.

In the same:

"The lips of Jehovah are full of indignation. His tongue is as a devouring fire, and his spirit as an inundating stream; he shall halve, even to the neck, to sift the nations with the sieve of vanity, and a bridle that causeth to err upon the jaws of the peoples" (30:27, 28).

The lips, tongue, and spirit of Jehovah, signify Divine truth, which is the Word, from its ultimates to its inmost. This is said to be full of indignation, as a devouring fire, and as an inundating stream, when it is adulterated and falsified; because its adulteration and falsification closes heaven to man, and devastates him. From the appearance that heaven does this - or what is the same, the Divine truth from which is heaven - it is said that it has indignation, that it is a devouring fire, and an inundating stream. He shall halve even to the neck, signifies the devastation thereof by falsities to such a degree that it is not understood. For by the neck is signified conjunction, which perishes when that which is beneath is taken away. To sift the nations with the sieve of vanity, signifies the adulteration of the Word by fictitious matters by those who are in evils. And a bridle that causeth to err upon the jaws of the peoples, signifies the falsification of the truth in the Word by those who are in falsities. A bridle causing to err properly denotes the withdrawing from the understanding of truth. The jaws denote thoughts from the corporeal Sensual, thus from fallacies. Peoples are said of those who are in falsities; and nations of those who are in evils.

Those who are not acquainted with correspondences may suppose that horses' bridles signify government over the understanding from the comparison only, but it is from correspondence. And this is clearly evident from the consideration that, in the spiritual world, horses variously harnessed and caparisoned appear; and these, with everything on them, are correspondences.

918. Saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the vintage of the clusters of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. That this signifies that the collecting and separation of the good from the evil may take place, because there are no longer any truths of faith, since there is no spiritual good, which is charity, is evident from the signification of thrusting in the sharp sickle and gathering the vintage, as denoting to collect the good and to separate them from the evil (concerning which see above, n. 911). The same is here signified by gathering the vintage as above by reaping. But gathering the vintage is spoken of, because it relates to clusters and grapes; and reaping is spoken of because it relates to the harvest; and by each is signified to devastate and make an end of the church, which is signified both by the harvest and vintage. And when the church is devastated, and thereby brought to its end, then the good are collected and separated from the evil. What is further signified by gathering the vintage, will be seen in what follows; and from the signification of clusters, as denoting the goods of faith and the truths therefrom, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of, for her grapes are fully ripe, as denoting, because there are no longer any goods of charity, thus because it is the end of the church. From these things it is evident that by, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vintage of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe, is signified that the collecting and separation of the good from the evil may take place, because there are no longer any goods and truths of faith, since there is no spiritual good, which is charity. The reason why there are no truths of faith is that there is no good of charity, and that truth is not possible without good; for truth derives its essence or its life from good. Whence it follows that truths and the faith thereof have no existence, if there is no good or charity.

[2] What charity is, which is the same as spiritual good, shall be briefly explained. Charity, or spiritual good, consists in doing good because it is truth; that is, it is to do truth. And to do truth is to do those things which the Lord has commanded in His Word. It is evident, therefore, that charity is spiritual good. And when a man does good because it is truth, or does truth, then charity becomes moral good, which, in the external form, is like the good that is done at this day with every man who is a moral and civil man. But there is this difference, that genuine moral good is good from the spiritual good from which it proceeds. For spiritual good is from the Lord, but moral good is from man. Therefore, unless the good from man is from the Lord, that is, through man from the Lord, it is not good. The end for the sake of which [a thing is done], declares its quality. Moral good separated from spiritual good, regards man, his honour, profit, and pleasure, as the end for which it is done. But moral good from spiritual good has regard to the Lord, heaven, and eternal life, as the end. These things are said, in order that it may be known, why it is that there is no truth of faith where there is no good of charity; consequently, that where these two do not exist, the church is devastated; this is the subject treated of here and in what now follows in the Apocalypse. That there is no faith where there is no charity, may be seen also in the small work concerning the Last Judgment 33-39).

[3] That clusters and grapes signify the good of charity, is evident from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned, as in the following.

In Jeremiah:

"Consuming I will consume them; there shall be no grapes on the vine, neither figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf shall fall off; and I will give them to those who pass by over them" (8:13).

No grapes on the vine, signifies that there is no spiritual good in man. No figs on the fig-tree, signifies that there is no natural good in him. The vine and the fig-tree signify man as to the church, thus the church with him. But these may be seen further explained above (n. 403).

[4] In Isaiah:

"My beloved had a vineyard in the horn of a son of oil, which he fenced about, and gathered out the stones thereof; and he planted it with a noble vine, and built a tower in the midst of it; also he hewed out a wine-press in it, and he waited for it to bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes" (5:1, 2, 4).

By the vineyard of the beloved, is signified the spiritual church, which was instituted with the sons of Israel. In the horn of a son of oil, signifies, which had truths from the good of charity. Which he fenced about, and gathered out the stones, signifies the guarding it from falsities and evils. He planted it with a noble vine, signifies that it was gifted with genuine truths. He built a tower in the midst of it, signifies the interior things, which receive influx, and by which there is communication with heaven. Also he hewed out a wine-press in it, signifies the production of truth from good. And he waited for it to bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes, signifies the hope of the fructification of those things from the good of charity; but in vain, because there was iniquity in the place of good.

[5] In Micah:

"Woe is me, I am become as the gatherings of the summer, as the gleanings of the vintage; not a cluster to eat; my soul desireth the first-fruits. The holy one has perished from the earth, and the upright one amongst men; all lie in wait for bloods" (7:1, 2).

Grief because of the vastation of good and the truth therefrom in the church, is meant and described by, Woe is me, I am become as the gatherings of the summer, as the gleanings of the vintage. That there is no longer any spiritual good, nor natural good, from which the Lord is worshipped, is signified by, there is no cluster to eat, my soul desireth the first-fruits. That there is no longer spiritual or natural truth, is signified by the holy one has perished, and the upright one amongst men. That the truths and goods of the Word, and thence of the Church, are destroyed by falsities and evils, is signified by, all lie in wait for bloods.

[6] In Hosea:

"I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness: as the first-fruit on the fig-tree in the beginning. I saw your fathers" (9:10).

These things are said concerning the Ancient Church, and its establishment. That church is here meant by Israel; its first state by, in the wilderness, and in the beginning; and the spiritual good with them, by grapes; and the good therefrom arising in the natural man, by the first-fruit in the fig-tree. That the men of the Ancient Church are there meant by Israel in the wilderness, and by their fathers in the beginning, and not the sons of Jacob, is evident in Moses:

[7] "Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, clusters of bitterness to them" (Deuteronomy 32:32).

Here the sons of Jacob are described, such as they were in the wilderness. That religion with them was infernal, because they worshipped the gods and idols of the nations, is signified by their vine being of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah. That instead of the goods of charity, they were given to hatred and to the falsities breaking forth therefrom, instead of truths. This is signified by, their grapes are grapes of gall, clusters of bitterness to them.

[8] In Moses:

"He tieth to the vine his ass, and to the choice vine the son of his she-ass; he washeth his garment in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes" (Genesis 49:11).

These form the last address of the father of Israel to his sons, here [spoken] to Judah, by whom, in the highest sense, is meant the Lord as to the celestial church, and the Word. And by the blood of grapes is signified the Divine truth from His Divine good; and, in a relative sense, the good of charity. But this and the rest may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia 6375-6379).

[9] By the blood of the grapes is also signified truth from spiritual good, the same as by wine (also Deuteronomy 22:14). The reason why grapes signify the good of charity is, that by a vineyard is signified the spiritual church, and by a vine the man of that church. Therefore, by clusters or bunches, and by grapes, which are the fruits, are signified the goods which constitute that church; these are called spiritual goods, and also goods of charity. And because all truth is from good, as all wine is from grapes, therefore by wine, in the Word, is signified truth from good. Concerning this signification of wine see above (n. 219, 376). But by clusters or bunches are properly signified the variations of the state of spiritual good, or of the good of charity, because in them many grapes cohere in series. But what is meant by variations of the state of good will be explained elsewhere.

[10] Because the land of Canaan represented and thence signified the church, and the church being a church from spiritual good - for this is the mark of the church, therefore

those who went to explore that land brought from it a cluster of grapes of a remarkable size, which was carried on a staff by two (Numbers 13:23, 24).

This was a representative sign of the church signified by the land of Canaan. The reason why the church is a church from the good of charity is, that this good, strictly considered, is the good of life arising from love to the Lord; consequently, it is the effect of that love. By the good of charity is meant justice, sincerity, and uprightness in every work and in every function, from the love of justice, sincerity, and uprightness; this love comes solely from the Lord.

[11] Because it has been hitherto unknown, what was represented by the Nazarite, and what was signified by his abstaining from grapes and from wine, and by making the hair of his head to grow, it is permitted here to make it known. Concerning his abstinence from grapes and from wine it is thus written:

"He shall abstain from wine and strong drink, vinegar of wine and vinegar of strong drink he shall not drink, yea, he shall not drink any bruising of grapes; the grapes also either fresh or dry he shall not eat. All the days of his Nazariteship, he shall not eat anything that is made of the grape of the vine, from the kernels even to the skin" (Numbers 6:3, 4).

This law was for the Nazarite before he fulfilled the days of his Nazariteship, because he then represented the Lord as to His first state. The Lord, like every man, passed through a first state which was sensual. For every man is first sensual; afterwards he is made natural and rational, then, spiritual; and lastly, if the third degree is opened in him, he becomes celestial, such as an angel of the third heaven becomes. The Sensual of man is signified by the hair of the head (concerning which see above, n. 66, 555). And because the Sensual is the most external of man's life, where all power resides, therefore the Nazarites had such great strength. That all power resides in the extremes or ultimates, consequently, in the ultimate sense of the Word, this being the sense of the letter, which also corresponds to and signifies hair, may be seen above (n. 346, 417, 567, 666, 726). Such power pertained to the Lord in His childhood, by which He overcame and subjugated the most direful hells, where all are sensual.

This state of the Lord was represented by the days of fulfilment with the Nazarites, which being fulfilled, the Lord entered from the sensual and natural into the spiritual and celestial Divine. Now because that state, together with its good and truth, is signified by grapes and wine, therefore it was not lawful for the Nazarite to eat grapes and drink wine, before he had fulfilled those days.

[12] That afterwards it was lawful for him is evident from the twentieth verse of that chapter, where it is said,

"And after that the Nazarite may drink wine."

That at the end of the days of fulfilment,

he should shave his head, and put the hair of his head upon the fire, which was under the sacrifice of the peace offerings (ver. 18),

represented the sensual, then new, from the celestial Divine; for new hair grew afterwards upon the Nazarite. This also represented that the Lord from ultimate Divine truth, which is the sense of the letter, entered into interior Divine truth, which is the Word in the internal sense, even to the highest there. For the Lord, while He was in the world, was the Word, because He was the Divine truth, and that more interiorly by degrees, as He grew up, even to the highest, which is purely Divine, entirely above the perceptions of the angels.

It must be known that the Lord, during His abode in the world, from infancy to the last day there, successively advanced to union with the very Divine that was in Him from conception (concerning this successive progression see the Arcana Coelestia 1864, 2033, 2632, 3141, 4585, 7014, 10076). From these considerations it is evident, what was represented by its not being granted to the Nazarite to eat anything of the grape, nor to drink anything of wine, before the fulfilment of the days of his Nazariteship.