433. Verse 5. Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed, signifies love to the Lord, and that all who are in that love are in heaven, and come into heaven. This is evident from the representation and consequent signification of "Judah" and his tribe, as being love to the Lord (of which presently); also from the signification of "twelve thousand," as being all persons and all things (of which see above, n. 430, here all who are in that love; also from the signification of the "sealed," as being those who are distinguished and separated from such as are in evil; in other words, those who are in good (of which also see above, n. 427. It follows that those who are in heaven and who come into heaven are meant, for these "were sealed in their foreheads," that is, separated from the evil; for these are the ones of whom it is said:

A Lamb was standing on the Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having the Father's name written on their foreheads. These are they who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins, bought from among men, the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb (Revelation 14:1, 3, 4).

"The Mount Zion" signifies the heaven in which there is love to the Lord; for all those signified by "the twelve thousand out of each tribe," or by "the hundred and forty-four thousand sealed on their foreheads," are such as acknowledge the Lord and love Him; and for this reason the first tribe named is the tribe of Judah, which tribe signifies love to the Lord; for (as was said above, n. 431 the representation of heaven is determined by the order in which the tribes are named, and the first name, or the tribe first named, is that from which are derived the determinations and significations of those that follow, with variations.

[2] Furthermore, no one is admitted into heaven except by the Lord, for the universal heaven is His, consequently no one is in heaven, or comes to it, unless he acknowledges the Lord and loves Him. To love the Lord is not to love Him in respect to person but to live according to His commandments, as the Lord also teaches in plain words in John:

In that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you. He that hath My commandments and doeth them, he it is that loveth Me. If anyone loveth Me he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him and make Our abode with him. He that loveth Me not keepeth not My words (John 14:20, 21, 23, 24).

Those love the Lord who do and keep His commandments and His words, because His commandments and words signify Divine truths, and all Divine truth proceeds from Him, and that which proceeds from Him is Himself; when, therefore, a man is in that truth in respect to his life the Lord is in him and he in the Lord; this is why it is said "ye in Me and I in you," and "We will come and make Our abode with him;" this, therefore, is loving Him. To love means also to be conjoined, for love is spiritual conjunction, and conjunction is effected by the reception of Divine truth in doctrine and in life.

[3] Before showing from the Word that "Judah," or the tribe named from Judah, signifies love to the Lord, it shall be told what "Judah" signifies in each sense in the Word. In the highest sense "Judah" signifies the Lord in respect to celestial love; in the internal sense the Lord's celestial kingdom, and the Word; and in the external sense doctrine from the Word belonging to the celestial kingdom. Because in the highest sense the Lord in respect to celestial love is signified, and in the internal sense the celestial kingdom, love to the Lord also is signified, for that is the reciprocal love in man, and reigns in the Lord's celestial kingdom. There are two kingdoms into which the universal heaven is divided, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom; the celestial kingdom consists of those who are in love to the Lord, and the spiritual kingdom of those who are in love towards the neighbor; from this can be seen what is meant by celestial love and by spiritual love (on these kingdoms, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 20-28). These two kingdoms the Jews and Israelites represented, the Jews the celestial kingdom and the Israelites the spiritual kingdom. Again, "Judah" signifies the Word because the Lord is the Word, and He took on the Human in that tribe that He might be the Word in respect even to the Human, as it is said in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14).

"The Word" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth proceeding from His Divine love; consequently those who love the Divine truth that is in the Word by doing it are in the Lord's love.

[4] That "Judah" signifies the Lord in respect to celestial love, and thus love to the Lord, and also the Word, can be seen from the following passages. In Moses:

Thou art Judah, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; thy father's sons shall bow down to thee. Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, art thou gone up; he stooped down, he crouched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The scepter shall not be removed from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and the obedience of the peoples shall be to him. He shall bind his young ass to the vine, and the son of his she-ass to the noble vine; he washeth his vesture in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes; his eyes shall be red from wine, and his teeth white from milk (Genesis 49:8-12).

Here by "Judah" in the spiritual sense the Lord's celestial kingdom and the Lord Himself in respect to celestial love are described. Celestial love is the Lord's love received in the celestial kingdom, and spiritual love is the Lord's love received in the spiritual kingdom. The signification of these words is as follows: "Thy brethren shall praise thee" signifies that the celestial church is eminent above all others; for "the brethren," or the tribes named from Jacob's sons, who were Judah's brethren, signify the church; "thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies" signifies that the infernal and devilish crew shall be thrust out and held back, "enemies" meaning those who are from hell; "thy father's sons shall bow down to thee" signifies the submission of all truths of the church, "to bow down" meaning to submit themselves, and "his father's sons" all truths of the church; for in those who are in love to the Lord, and thence in the celestial kingdom, all truths of the church are implanted; "Judah is a lion's whelp" signifies innocence with innate powers; for love to the Lord, viewed in itself, is innocence, and this is signified by "whelp," and its innate powers are signified by a "lion;" "from the prey, my son, thou art gone up," signifies the deliverance of many from hell; "he stooped down, he crouched as a lion, and as an old lion," signifies the good of love and truth therefrom in its power; for "to stoop down," in reference to a lion, means to put himself into power; "who shall rouse him up?" signifies that this good is safe wherever it is, and that it cannot be moved by the hells.

"The scepter shall not be removed from Judah" signifies that power shall not depart from the good of celestial love; "nor a lawgiver from between his feet" signifies, nor shall the truths of the Word disappear from its ultimate sense; "until Shiloh come" signifies the Lord's coming and the tranquillity of peace at that time; "the obedience of the peoples shall be to him" signifies truths from Him, and conjunction thereby; "he shall bind his young ass to the vine" signifies the external church and its truths from the Lord; "and the son of his she-ass to the noble vine" signifies the internal church and its truths from the Lord; "he washeth his vesture in wine" signifies the Lord's external or natural Human, which is Divine truth from His Divine love; "and his covering in the blood of grapes," signifies the Lord's internal or rational Human, which is Divine good from His Divine love; "his eyes shall be red from wine" signifies that the internal or rational Human is nothing but good; "and his teeth white from milk" signifies that the external or natural Human is nothing but the good of truth. Thus from each particular in this description it can be seen that "Judah" does not mean Judah, but that it is some preeminently heavenly thing that is thus described. (But the particulars may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia 6363-6381.)

[5] In Ezekiel:

Thou son of man, take thee one stick and write upon it, For Judah and for the sons of Israel his fellows; then take another stick and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and of all the house of Israel; and then join them for thee one with another into one stick, that they both may be one in thy ¹ hand. I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim and of the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will bring upon it with the stick of Judah, and I will make them one stick. I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations whither they are gone, and will bring them together from round about, and will bring them upon their own land; and will make them into one nation upon the land in the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be to them all for a king, and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore at all. My servant David shall be king over them, that they all may have one shepherd; and they shall walk in My judgments and keep My statutes, and do them. Then shall they ² dwell upon the land that I have given unto Jacob My servant, wherein your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell upon it, they and their sons and their sons' sons to eternity; and David My servant shall be their prince to eternity. And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be a covenant of eternity with them; and I will give them, and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in the midst of them forever. So shall My tabernacle be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people (Ezekiel 37:16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24-27).

What this signifies no one can know unless he knows what "Judah" and "Israel," and "Joseph" and "Ephraim" signify. Evidently Judah and Israel are not meant, nor Joseph and Ephraim; for it is said that the tribes of Israel scattered among the nations should be gathered together and brought into the land of Canaan, and that David should be their king and prince, and that they were to dwell with him forever. Who does not know that the tribes of Israel could not be gathered, and that David could no more be king over them? Let it be known, then, what is signified in the spiritual sense by "Judah," by "the sons of Israel," by "Joseph" and "Ephraim," and further what by "David," and by "the land of Canaan." "Judah," in the spiritual sense, signifies the Lord's celestial kingdom; "the sons of Israel" the Lord's spiritual kingdom; "Joseph" and "Ephraim," and "the scattered tribes of Israel that are to be gathered together," mean those who are below these kingdoms, being neither celestial nor spiritual but natural, and yet are in the good of life according to their religious principle.

[6] These are meant also by the Lord in John:

Other sheep also I have, which are not of this fold; them also must I bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd (John 10:16);

for these were not in heaven before the Lord's coming, but were introduced by Him after He had glorified His Human, and for the reason that until then the Divine proceeding could not extend to them. When this is known, and when it is known that "David" means the Lord in respect to Divine truth proceeding from His Divine Human, it can be known what the particulars here mean in series. These things were written upon two sticks, and the two sticks were joined into one stick, because a "stick" (or wood) signifies the good of life, and all conjunction in heaven is effected by means of good and according to it. (That "wood" signifies the good of life see Arcana Coelestia 643, 2784, 3720, 8354)

[7] In Isaiah:

Then the Lord shall lift up an ensign for the nations, and shall gather together the outcasts of Israel, and shall bring together the scattered of Judah from the four wings of the earth. Then the envy of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not distress Ephraim; but they shall fly on the shoulder of the Philistines towards the sea (Isaiah 11:12-14).

This is said of the salvation of the Gentiles, which are also signified by "the outcasts of Israel" and "the scattered of Judah," for it is said that "the Lord shall lift up an ensign for the nations;" "the outcasts of Israel" mean those who are not in truths, but still are in the desire to learn them; and "the scattered of Judah" mean those who are in the good of life, and thereby in love to the Lord; for those who love to do good love the Lord; for the Lord is in such good, since it is from Him. "Ephraim" means the intellectual, here in agreement with the good of love; and that these shall not be at variance with each other is meant by "the envy of Ephraim shall depart;" "Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not distress Ephraim." That they shall be separated from those who are in faith separate from charity is signified by "they shall fly on the shoulder of the Philistines towards the sea;" "the philistines towards the sea" meaning those who separate faith from charity, that is from the good of life; "the sea" meaning the ultimate of heaven where it comes to an end; and "to fly on the shoulder" meaning to reject, and thus to separate themselves.

[8] In Zechariah:

Exult, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee; He is just and faithful. ³ I will bend Judah for Me, I will fill the bow with Ephraim, and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion (Zechariah 9:9, 13).

This treats of the Lord's coming and the establishment of the church by Him with those who are in the good of love and in the truths of doctrine therefrom. "The daughter of Zion" and "the daughter of Jerusalem" signify the church with such; "thy King who cometh, just and faithful," is the Lord, from whom are the good of love and the truth of doctrine; "I will bend Judah for Me, I will fill the bow with Ephraim," signifies that the church is to be established with such as are in the good of love to the Lord, and in the truths of doctrine therefrom; "Judah" here meaning those who are in the good of love to the Lord, and "Ephraim" the truths of doctrine, for "Ephraim" signifies the intellectual of the church, and "bow" the doctrine of truth (that "bow" signifies doctrine see above, n. 357, where this is also explained); such as these are "sons of Zion." Evidently the Jewish nation is not here meant by "Judah," nor Ephraim by "Ephraim;" for the Lord's church was not established with the Jewish nation, for it was not received by that nation, and the tribe of Ephraim did not then exist.

[9] In the same:

Jehovah of Hosts shall visit His drove, the house of Judah, and shall set them as the horse of His glory in war. Out of him shall be the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the bow of war. And I will render the house of Judah mighty, and I will save the house of Joseph, and will make them to dwell. Hence they shall be as the mighty Ephraim, and their heart shall be glad as if with wine (Zechariah 10:3, 4, 6, 7).

Here, too, "the house of Judah" means the Lord's celestial kingdom, which consists of those who are in love to Him, and "Ephraim" means those who are in the truths of doctrine from that love; for all who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom are in the truths of doctrine, since such have truths, as it were, implanted in and inscribed upon their hearts (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 25, 26. The rest may be seen explained above, n. 355, 376).

[10] In the same:

Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for lo I come that I may dwell in the midst of thee. Then many nations shall conjoin themselves to Jehovah in that day, and shall be to Me for a people. Jehovah shall make Judah an heritage for Himself, His part, in the land of holiness, and shall again choose Jerusalem (Zechariah 2:10-12).

Very evidently "Judah" here does not mean the Jewish nation, nor does "Jerusalem" mean Jerusalem; for the Lord's coming is here treated of, at which time that nation had wholly receded, and afterwards Jerusalem was destroyed; and yet it is said that "Jehovah shall make Judah an heritage for Himself, and His part in the land of holiness, and shall again choose Jerusalem;" therefore "Judah" means those who are in love to the Lord, and "Jerusalem" the church with such in respect to doctrine.

[11] In Nahum:

Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that proclaimeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! Celebrate thy feasts, O Judah, render thy vows; for Belial shall never more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off (Nahum 1:15).

This, too, is said of the Lord; His coming is meant by "Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that proclaimeth good tidings, that publisheth peace!" "To celebrate feasts" and "to render vows" signify to rejoice in His coming and then to worship Him; "Belial shall never more pass through Judah, he is utterly cut off," signifies that evil shall be no more with them because they are in the Lord. This could not be said of the Jewish nation, but may be said of those who are in love to the Lord; which makes clear that such are meant by "Judah."

[12] In Malachi:

Behold I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me; and the Lord shall suddenly come to His temple. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be agreeable unto Jehovah, according to the days of an age, and according to the former years (Joel 3:1, 4).

It is known in the church that this is said of the Lord's coming, and that "the messenger who shall prepare the way before Him" means John the Baptist. "The offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be agreeable unto Jehovah" signifies that then there will be acceptable worship from the good of love to the Lord, "the offering of Judah" signifying such worship; it is evident that the worship of the Jewish nation and of Jerusalem was not acceptable, for they did not acknowledge the Lord, but utterly rejected Him; "according to the days of an age, and according to former years," signifies according to the worship in the ancient churches; the Most Ancient Church, that was before the flood, and was in love to the Lord, is signified by "the days of an age," or of eternity, and the Ancient Church, that was after the flood, and was a spiritual church, is signified by "former years."

[13] In Joel:

It shall come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drop down must, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the water-courses of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall go forth out of the house of Jehovah, and shall water the brook of Shittim. Egypt shall be a waste, and Edom shall be a waste wilderness, because of the violence to the sons of Judah, whose innocent blood they have shed in their land. But Judah shall sit to eternity, and Jerusalem to generation and generation (Joel 3:18-20).

Here, too, the Lord's coming and a new heaven and a new earth at that time are treated of. "The mountains shall drop down must" signifies that all truth will be from the good of love (that "mountains" signify the good of love see above n. 405; and that "wine" and "must" signify truth see also above, n. 376). "The hills shall flow with milk" signifies that spiritual life will be from the good of charity towards the neighbor; and "all the watercourses of Judah shall flow with waters" signifies that from the particulars of the Word there will be truths, through which there will be intelligence; "a fountain shall go forth out of the house of Jehovah, and shall water the brook of Shittim," signifies that out of heaven from the Lord there will be truth of doctrine that will illustrate those who are in cognitions and knowledges; "Egypt shall be a waste, and Edom shall be a waste wilderness" signifies that false principles, and the evils of the love of self, both from the natural man, will be destroyed; "because of the violence to the sons of Judah, whose innocent blood they have shed in their land," signifies because of the truths of the Word falsified and its goods adulterated, which they have corrupted and destroyed; "Judah shall sit to eternity, and Jerusalem to generation and generation," signifies that the Word and the doctrine of genuine truth therefrom will remain to eternity with those who are in love to the Lord. This makes clear that "Judah" does not here mean Judah, nor "Jerusalem" Jerusalem.

[14] In the same:

O Tyre and Zidon, and all the boundaries of the Philistines, I will quickly return a recompense upon your head; because ye have taken My silver and My gold, and the desirable things of My goods ye have brought into your temples; and the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem ye have sold to the sons of the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their boundaries (Joel 3:4-6).

By "Tyre and Zidon" and by "the Philistines" are understood those who have falsified the truths and goods of the Word; "my silver and my gold" signify these truths and goods, and "to bring them into their temples" signifies to falsify and profane them; "to sell the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem to the sons of the Grecians" signifies to pervert and falsify all the truths and goods of the Word; "the sons of Judah" meaning the goods of the Word, "the sons of Jerusalem" its truths, and "the sons of the Grecians" falsities; "to remove them far from their boundaries" signifies far from the truths themselves. One who does not know the spiritual sense of the Word might believe that those who were in Tyre and Zidon and in Philistia sold the sons of Judah and Jerusalem to the Grecians; but this is a prophecy in which the nations which are named signify the things of the church.

[15] In Jeremiah:

In those days the house of Judah shall go unto ⁴ the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north unto the land that I gave for an inheritance unto your fathers (Jeremiah 3:18).

This, too, treats of the Lord's coming and of a new church from Him. His coming is meant by "in those days," and a new church by "the house of Judah and the house of Israel," a church from those who are in love to the Lord by "the house of Judah," and a church from those who are in charity towards the neighbor, which is called a spiritual church, by "the house of Israel." "They shall come together out of the land of the north unto the land that I gave for an inheritance unto your fathers" signifies that they shall come out of ignorance and falsities, in which they then were, into knowledges and the light of truth of the church; "the land of the north" signifying a state of ignorance and of the falsity of religion and "the land given for an inheritance to their fathers" a church that is in knowledges and the light of truth. These things were said of the nations from whom a new church is to be established. It is well known that the house of Judah and the house of Israel did not then come out of the land of the north, namely at the time when the Lord was in the world; for the Jews were then in the land of Canaan, and the Israelites were dispersed.

[16] In the same:

Behold the days come when I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and He shall reign as King, and shall prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the land. In His days shall Judah be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is His name which they shall call Him, Jehovah our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:5, 6; 33:15, 16).

This is plainly said of the Lord; He is "the Branch of David," He "shall reign as a King, and He shall be called Jehovah our Righteousness." "In His days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely," signifies that those will be saved who are in love to Him and in charity towards the neighbor (as above). It is evident that Judah was not saved, and that Israel was not recalled, and could not be recalled so as to dwell safely, that is, without infestation from evils and falsities.

[17] In the same:

I will bring Israel again to his habitation, that he may feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon Mount Ephraim and in Gilead. In those days and in that time the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found (Jeremiah 50:19, 20).

This, too, is said of the establishment by the Lord of a church among the Gentiles that are meant by "Israel," who is said to be brought back to his habitation, and "Judah" whose sins are not to be found. That these are to be led by the Lord and instructed in the good of charity is meant by "they shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and upon Mount Ephraim and in Gilead."

[18] In Zechariah:

In that day I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness; and I will open Mine eye upon the house of Judah. In that day will I make the leaders of Judah like a furnace of fire among wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf, that they may devour all the peoples round about, on the right and on the left, that Jerusalem may yet dwell in her own place, even in Jerusalem. Jehovah shall save the tents of Judah first (Zechariah 12:4, 6, 7).

This treats of the devastation of the former church and of the establishment of a new church by the Lord; the devastation of the former church is described by "In that day I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness," for "horse" signifies the understanding of truth with man, and "the rider" intelligence (See above, n. 355; "the house of Judah" signifies the church with those who are in the good of love to the Lord; of this it is said that the Lord "will open His eye upon it." That evils from hell and also falsities will be dispersed by such and with such, is signified by "In that day will I make the leaders of Judah like a furnace of fire among wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf, that they may devour all the peoples round about, on the right and on the left." That that church will be safe from the infestation of evils and falsities is signified by "Jerusalem shall dwell in her own place, even in Jerusalem;" and that the Lord will wholly save those who are in love to Him is signified by "Jehovah shall save the tents of Judah first."

[19] In Isaiah:

The word of Jehovah respecting Judah and Jerusalem: It shall come to pass in the latter end of days that the mountain of Jehovah shall be firm on the top of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it, and many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will instruct us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths (Isaiah 2:1-3).

This, too, is said of a new church to be established by the Lord; "the mountain of Jehovah that will then be firm on the top of the mountains" means Zion, and signifies the celestial church, and love to the Lord, which those have who are of that church. That this is the primary thing of the church, and that it is to increase and gain strength, is signified by "it shall be on the top of the mountains, and be lifted up above the hills;" that those who are in good will acknowledge the Lord and will draw near to the church is signified by "all nations shall flow unto that mountain," "nations" signifying those who are in celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord, and "peoples" those who are in spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbor; of these latter it is said, "many peoples shall go and say, Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob." (That "nations" signify those who are in celestial good, and "peoples" those who are in spiritual good, see above, n. 331)

[20] In the same:

Jehovah thy Redeemer, and thy Former from the womb, that establisheth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers, saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited, and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places thereof (Isaiah 44:24, 26).

This, too, treats of the Lord's coming, who is "Jehovah thy Redeemer, and thy Former from the womb;" He is called "Redeemer" because He delivered from hell; and "the Former from the womb" because He regenerates man. A prediction by the prophets respecting Him and respecting the salvation of man is meant by "that establisheth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers;" that those who are of His church will be saved, and will be instructed in the truths of celestial doctrine is meant by "saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited, and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built;" "Jerusalem" meaning the church, and "the cities of Judah" the truths of celestial doctrine. That the falsities that destroy the church shall be shaken off is meant by "I will raise up the waste places thereof." It is not said by the Lord that Jerusalem would be inhabited and the cities of Judah built, but that Jerusalem would be destroyed, which was done as is well known.

[21] In the same:

And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an Inheri-tor of My mountains; that My chosen may possess it, and My servants dwell there (Isaiah 65:9).

Here "Jacob" and "Judah" do not mean a people from Jacob and a nation from Judah, but a church to be established by the Lord; "Jacob" means the church that is in the good of life, and "Judah" the church that is the good of love to the Lord; thus "Jacob" an external church, and "Judah" an internal church. "Seed" means charity and faith, and "mountains" the goods of love. Those who are in charity are called "chosen," and those who are in truths from the good of love are called "servants," therefore it is said "that My chosen may possess it, and My servants dwell there."

[22] In Ezekiel:

Judah and the land of Israel were thy traders; they traded in thy market with wheats of Minnith and Pannag, and with honey and oil, and balsam (Ezekiel 27:17).

This was said of Tyre, which signifies the church in respect to the knowledges of truth and good, and thus "Tyre" signifies the knowledges of truth and good belonging to the church; its merchandise and tradings are here treated of, which describe how these knowledges are acquired, here such of them as are acquired from Judah and the land of Israel; and as "Judah" signifies the good of love, and "Israel" the truths from that good, its tradings are said to be with "wheats of Minnith and Pannag, and in honey, and oil, and balsam," because "wheats of Minnith and Pannag" signify truths and goods of the church of all kinds, "honey" signifies the good of love in the natural man, "oil" the good of love in the spiritual man, and "balsam" truths that are grateful from good (See above, n. 375), where this is more fully explained). From the merchandise mentioned in this chapter, when understood in the spiritual sense, what is signified by the different nations there mentioned becomes very evident, thus what is meant by "Judah" and by "Israel," for the merchandise indicates the spiritual meaning.

[23] That "Judah" does not mean the Jewish nation can be seen in Ezekiel 48:8-22, which treats of a new land that was to be distributed among the twelve tribes of Israel, and these tribes are there named, and what part of the land each one was to possess; and much is there said about the tribe of Judah, and that "the sanctuary should be in the midst of it" (verses 8-22); which makes clear that the tribes there mentioned do not mean those tribes, for eleven of them had been scattered, and had become Gentiles, from whom they could not be distinguished, for they had been carried away into perpetual exile. It is evident also that the land there mentioned does not mean a land, but a church, and consequently the tribes there mentioned mean such things as pertain to the church, and "Judah" there means the celestial church, or the church that is in love to the Lord, in which therefore, is the sanctuary.

[24] The like is meant by "Judah" and "Israel" in David:

Judah became His sanctuary, and Israel His domain (Psalms 114:2).

"Sanctuary" signifies in the highest sense the Lord Himself, and in a relative sense the worship of Him from the good of love; "Israel" signifies the truth of the church from that good; and because truths from good, that is, good by means of truths, have all power, therefore it is said "Israel became His domain." Because "Judah" signifies the Lord's celestial kingdom, and "Israel" the Lord's spiritual kingdom (as was said above), and the celestial kingdom is what constitutes the priesthood of the Lord in heaven, and the spiritual kingdom the royalty of the Lord (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 24, 226), so in the Word the Lord is called a "King," and in the Gospels:

King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2; John 18:33, 37; 19:19);

and the Lord as "King of the Jews" means the Lord in respect to Divine truth proceeding from the Divine good of His Divine love; therefore "kings" in the Word signify truths that are from good (See above, n. 31).

[25] In Jeremiah:

Behold the days come that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of the beast; and in which I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, I will give My law in the midst of them, and will write it upon their heart; and I will be to them for God, and they shall be to Me for a people (Jeremiah 31:27, 31, 33, 34).

Here, too, "the days to come" mean the Lord's coming; therefore it is not meant that a new covenant would then be made with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, but with a new church to be established by the Lord, which is meant by "the house of Israel and the house of Judah," in the midst of whom the law should be given, and should be written on the heart. Everyone knows that this was not done with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, for they utterly rejected the covenant with the Lord and likewise do so to this day. "Covenant" signifies conjunction with the Lord through love to Him, from which conjunction there is given the law or Divine truth in them, both in their doctrine and in their life, and this is the law in the midst and written ⁵ on the heart. "To sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast" signifies to reform those who are of the new church through truths and goods that are of intelligence and affection, "seed" meaning truth, "man" intelligence, and "beast" the good of affection. That this is the signification of "beast" will be shown in what follows.

[26] In Zechariah:

Many peoples and numerous nations shall come to seek Jehovah of Hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the faces of Jehovah. In those days, ⁶ ten men out of all the tongues of the nations shall take hold of the skirt of a man that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you (Zechariah 8:22, 23).

One who does not know that a "Jew" means such as are in love to the Lord and in the truths of doctrine therefrom can easily be led to believe that these things are said of the Jews, and of bringing them into the land of Canaan, and that all others who desire to be saved will then take hold of the skirt of their raiment, praying to be allowed to go with them. But when it is known that this is not said of any introduction into the land of Canaan, to Jerusalem there, and that a "Jew" does not mean those who are of that nation, but that "Jerusalem" means a new church to be established by the Lord, and a "Jew" everyone who is in the good of love to the Lord, and "the skirt of a Jew" means truth from that good, then the signification of all things in this chapter and of these words in particular can be known, for this treats of the calling together of the nations and their drawing near to the church, and a "Jew" means those who acknowledge and love the Lord, and "to take hold of his skirt" signifies a longing to know truth from the Lord, and "ten men out of all the tongues of the nations" mean all, of whatever religion, "ten men" signifying all, and "tongues of the nations" their religious principles.

[27] From this it can be seen how far from the truth those have wandered, who believe that at the end of time the Jews will be converted to the Lord and brought back into the land of Canaan. These believe that "land," "Jerusalem," "Israel," and "Judah" mean in the Word the land of Canaan, the city of Jerusalem, the Israelitish people, and the Jewish nation. Those who have hitherto so believed are excusable, because they have known nothing of the spiritual sense of the Word, and therefore have not known that the "land" signifies the church, "Jerusalem" the church in respect to doctrine, "Israel" those who are of the spiritual church, and "Judah" those who are of the celestial church; also that where bringing them into the land of Canaan is treated of in the prophets, bringing the faithful into heaven and into the church is meant. This also took place when the Lord came into the world, for then all those who had lived in the good of charity and had worshiped God under a human form were brought into heaven; these had been preserved under heaven until the Lord came, and when He had glorified His Human they were brought in. These are the ones meant in many passages in the prophetic Word that treat of the captivity of the sons of Israel and Judah, and their being brought back into their land. In these passages those also are meant who were to be brought into the church, and thence into heaven from the earth after the Lord came, not only where the Christian religion is received but everywhere else. Both of these classes are meant in many passages where Israel, Judah and Jerusalem are mentioned, and their being brought into the land is treated of (as in the following: Isaiah 10:21, 22; 11:11, 12; 43:5, 6; 49:10-26; 56:8; 60:4; 61:1-5, 9; Jeremiah 3:12-20; 16:15, 16; 23:7, 8; 30:2-11; 31:1-14, 23-40; 33:6-18; Ezekiel 16:60-62; 20:40-42; 34:11-16; 37:21-28; 39:21-29; Hosea 3:5; Joel 2:18-27; 2:32; Amos 9:12-15 elsewhere).

[28] The two following may be taken as examples of passages whereby the Jews have persuaded themselves, and also Christians have come to believe, that the Jewish nation is to return into the land of Canaan, and be saved before others. In Isaiah:

Then shall they bring all your brethren out of all nations, an offering unto Jehovah, upon horses, and upon the chariot, and upon covered wagons, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to the mountain of My holiness, Jerusalem. As the new heavens and the new earth which I am about to make shall stand before Me, so shall your seed and your name stand (Isaiah 66:20, 22).

(What this signifies see above, n. 355, 405, where they are explained.) "The new heaven and the new earth" mean the heaven and the church formed of those who were to be saved by the Lord, when He had glorified His Human, as was said above.

[29] In the same:

I will lift up My hand towards the nations, and elevate My ensign to the peoples, that they may bring thy sons in the bosom, and carry thy daughters upon the shoulder. Kings shall be thy nourishers, and princesses thy sucklers; with the face to the earth shall they bow down to thee, and lick the dust of thy feet (Isaiah 49:22, 23).

This whole chapter treats of the coming of the Lord and the salvation of those who receive Him, as is clearly evident from verses 6-9 chapter; consequently it does not treat of the salvation of the Jews, much less of their restoration to the land of Canaan. That the Jewish nation is not meant in the above passages can be seen from the fact that it was the worst nation and at heart idolatrous, and that it was brought back into the land of Canaan not because of any goodness or righteousness of heart, but because of the promise made to their fathers; also that they had no truths and goods of the church, but only falsities and evils, and that for this reason they were rejected and driven out of the land of Canaan; as can be seen from all those passages in the Word in which that nation is described.

[30] Of what quality that nation was, and what it was to become, namely, that it was the very worst, is described by Moses in his song in these words:

I will hide My face from them, I will see what their posterity will be; for they are ⁷ a generation of perversions, sons in whom is no faithfulness. I have said, I will hurl them into the extreme corners, I will make the remembrance of them to cease from man. For they are a nation lost of counsel, neither is there any intelligence in them. Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are of bitternesses. Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel gall of asps. Is this not ⁸ laid up in store with Me, sealed up among My treasures? Mine is vengeance and requital (Deuteronomy 32:20-35).

This describes what the nature of the church is with the Jews, namely that it is in dire falsities from evil. What the church is with them is meant by "their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah," "vine" signifying the church. The falsities from evil that they possess are meant by "their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are of bitternesses, their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruel gall of asps;" "grapes" signify the goods of the church, but "grapes of gall" and "clusters of bitternesses" signify evils from dire falsities; their falsities themselves are meant by "their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruel gall of asps;" "wine" signifies truth from the Word, but "the poison of dragons" and "the gall of asps" signify the monstrous falsity that springs from the falsified truths of the Word. In like manner is that nation described in other parts of the Word (as in Deuteronomy, in the book of Judges, and in the prophets, as in Jeremiah 5:20-31; 7:8-34; 9:2-26; 11:6-17; 13:9-27; 19; 32:30-35; 44:2-24). That this nation was at heart idolatrous is evident from the passages cited, and from many others, as in Jeremiah:

According to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye ⁹ set up altars to burn incense unto Baal (Jeremiah 2:28, 11:13).

[31] That they were not brought into the land of Canaan on account of any goodness or righteousness of heart, but on account of the promise made to their fathers, see in Moses:

Not for thy righteousness nor for the uprightness of thy heart dost thou come to possess the land, but to establish the word that Jehovah sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Know therefore, that Jehovah thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people (Deuteronomy 9:5, 6).

[32] That they had no truths and goods of the church, but only falsities and evils is evident from the Word, where their whoredoms and adulteries are treated of (in Jeremiah 3 end; Ezekiel 23 the end). "Whoredoms and adulteries" mean in the Word falsifications of truth and adulterations of good (See above, n. 141, 161); consequently the Lord says that they are:

An adulterous generation (Matthew 12:39; Mark 8:38);

Also that they are full of hypocrisy, iniquity, and uncleanness (Matthew 23:27, 28);

Also that they have falsified the Word by their traditions (Matthew 15:1-6; Mark 7:1-14).

And in plain words in John:

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie he speaketh from his own, for he is a liar and the father thereof (John 8:44).

"A lie" means falsity from evil; "the devil" the extinction of all good; "a murderer" the extinction of all truth; "father" means both those who are from hell and those who lived from that generation back to the earliest times; "to speak from his own" means to speak from what is innate.

[33] That thus everything of the church with them was destroyed, and they were therefore rejected, is evident from Isaiah:

The Lord Jehovih of Hosts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread and the whole stay ¹⁰ of water, the mighty one and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, and the diviner and the old man. For Jerusalem hath stumbled, and Judah hath fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah to rebel against the eyes of His glory (Isaiah 3:1, 2, 8).

"To take away the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water" signifies to take away all the good of love, and the truth of faith by which there is spiritual life; "bread" meaning the good of love, and "water" the truth of faith, and "stay" and "staff" powers, and from these are all things of spiritual life; "to take away the mighty one and the man of war" signifies to take away all resistance to evils and falsities; "to take away the judge and the prophet" signifies all good and truth of doctrine; "to take away the diviner and the old man" signifies all intelligence and wisdom; "their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, to rebel against the eyes of His glory" signifies that everything of their doctrine and of their life is utterly opposed to Divine truth; "tongue" meaning doctrine, "doings" life, and "the eyes of Jehovah's glory" the Divine truth; "to rebel" means to be opposed to it.

[34] In the same:

What could have been done more to My vineyard? Judge between Me and My vineyard. What could have been done more to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Therefore I expected that it would bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. Now I will make known to you what I will do to My vineyard; in taking away its hedge that it may be eaten up, in breaking down its wall that it may be trampled down, I will lay it waste, that there may come up the brier and the bramble; I will even command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it (Isaiah 5:3-6).

The "vineyard" here means the church with that nation; "I expected that it would bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes," signifies that with that nation in place of the goods of truth of the church there were the evils of falsity; "to take away its hedge that it may be eaten up, to break down the wall that it may be trampled down," signifies the destruction of the church in respect to goods and truths, so that evils and falsities rush in, which are "the brier and the bramble" that should come up; "I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it" signifies that with them there is no more any reception of truth and good through the Word out of heaven.

[35] The destruction of the church with that nation is also treated of in Isaiah (Isaiah 7:17-19, and following verses), in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:15), and in many other passages. For this reason that nation was driven out of the land of Canaan, first the Israelitish nation and afterwards the Jewish nation; and this because the land of Canaan signifies the heavenly Canaan, which is heaven and the church. The quality of each of these nations is fully described in the internal sense in Exodus 32 and 33, where the golden calf that they made for themselves is treated of, on account of which Jehovah wished to consume them, and to raise up from Moses another generation (all of which may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia 10393-10512, and n. 10523-10557).

[36] What the quality of the Jewish nation was is described also in the internal sense of Genesis 38, which treats of their origin, which was from a Canaanitish woman, and from whoredom with a daughter-in-law; for there were three stocks of that nation, one from the Canaanitish woman whom Judah took to himself for a wife, and two from Tamar his daughter-in-law, with whom he lay as with a harlot (for Arcana Coelestia 4813-4930 the explanation of which see Arcana Coelestia 4813-4930).

[37] What the quality of that nation was is also described by what is said of Judas Iscariot, for he represented the Jewish nation in respect to the church. For the Lord's twelve disciples represented the church of the Lord in general, and each one of them some universal essential of it, and Judas Iscariot represented it such as it was with the Jews. (Besides the above, see what has been written respecting that nation in Arcana Coelestia, as follows: a representative church was instituted with the Jewish nation, but in that nation itself there was no church, n. 4899, 4912, 6304.) Consequently in respect to the nation itself, there was a representative of a church, but not a church, n. 4281, 4288, 4311, 4500, 6304, 7048, 9320, 10396, 10526, 10531, 10698. The Israelitish and Jewish nation was not chosen, but was accepted to represent a church, because of the persistency with which their fathers and Moses urged it, n. 4290, 4293, 7051, 7439, 10430, 10535, 10632. Their worship was merely external, without any internal worship, n. 1200, 3147, 3479, 8871. They knew not at all the internals of worship, nor did they wish to know, n. 301-303, 3479, 4429, 4433, 4680, 4844, 4847, 10396, 10401, 10407, 10694, 10701, 10707. How they regard the internal things of worship, of the church, and of the Word, n. 4865. Their interiors, which are of thought and affection, were filthy, full of the loves of self and the world, and of avarice, n. 3480, 9962, 10454-10457, 10462-10466, 10575. Therefore the internals of the church were not disclosed to them, because they would have profaned them, n. 2520, 3398, 3479, 4289. The Word was altogether closed to them, and is yet, n. 3769. They see the Word from without, and not from within, n. 10549-10551. Consequently when they were in worship their internal was closed, n. 8788, 8806, 9320, 9377, 9380, 9962, 10396, 10401, 10407, 10492, 10498, 10500, 10575, 10629, 10694. Still that nation excelled all others in the ability to keep up a holy external, although the internal was closed, n. 4293, 4311, 4903, 9373, 9377, 9380. Their state at that time, n. Arcana Coelestia 4311. They were preserved for the sake of the Word in the original tongue, and because they could be kept in such a state, n. 3479. Their holy external was miraculously raised up into heaven by the Lord, and in this way the interiors of worship, of the church, and of the Word, were there perceived, n. 3480, 4307, 4311, 6304, 8588, 10493, 10499, 10500, 10602. That this might be done they were forced by external means to observe strictly the rituals and statutes in external form, n. 3147, 4281, 10149. Because of their ability to be in a holy external, without the internal, they were able to represent the holy things of heaven and the church, n. 3479, 3881, 4208, 6306, 6589, 9377, 10430, 10500, 10570. Yet they themselves were not affected by the holy things, n. 3479. It does not matter of what quality the person is who represents, since representation has respect to the thing, not to the person, n. 665, 1097, 1361, 3147, 3881, 4208, 4281, 4288, 4292, 4307, 4444, 4500, 6304, 7048, 7439, 8588, 8788, 8806.

That nation was worse than other nations, their quality described from the Word of both Testaments, n. 4314, 4316, 4317, 4444, 4503, 4750, 4751, 4815, 4820, 4832, 5057, 5998, 7248, 8819, 9320, 10454-10457, 10462-10466. The tribe of Judah sank into worse evil than the other tribes, n. Arcana Coelestia 4815. How cruelly from delight they treated the nations, n. 5057, 7248, 9320. That nation was idolatrous in heart, and worshiped other gods more than others, n. 3732, 4208, 4444, 4825, 5998, 6877, 7401, 8301, 8871, 8882. Their worship viewed in regard to the nation itself, was also idolatrous, being external, without any internal, n. 4281, 4825, 8871, 8882. They worshipped Jehovah only in name, n. 6877, 10559-10561, 10566; and solely because of miracles, n. Arcana Coelestia 4299. Those are mistaken who believe that the Jews are to be converted at the end of the church, and brought back into the land of Canaan, n. 4847, 7051, 8301. Many passages cited from the Word concerning this, which must however be understood according to the internal sense, thus not according to the letter, n. Arcana Coelestia 7051. The Word in respect to the external sense was changed because of that nation, but not in respect to the internal sense, n. 10453, 10461, 10603, 10604. Jehovah appeared to them from Mount Sinai according to their quality, in a consuming fire, in a dense cloud, and in smoke as of a furnace, n. 1861, 6832, 8814, 8819, 9434. The Lord appears to everyone according to his quality, as a vivifying and recreating fire to those who are in good, and as a consuming fire to those who are in evil, n. 934, 1861, 6832, 8814, 8819, 9434, 10551. One origin of this nation was from a Canaanite woman, and the other two from whoredom with a daughter-in-law, n. 1167, 4818, 4820, 4825, 4874, 4899, 4913. These origins signified what their conjunction with the church was, namely, that it was like that with a Canaanite woman and by whoredom with a daughter-in-law, n. 4868, 4874, 4899, 4911, 4913, of their state in another life, n. 939, 940, 5057. Because that nation, although it was such, represented the church, and the Word was written with that nation and respecting it, therefore Divine celestial things were signified by their names, as by Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Ephraim, Joseph, and the rest; "Judah" in the internal sense signifying the Lord in respect to celestial love, and His celestial kingdom, n. 3654, 3881, 5583, 5603, 5782, 6363. The prophesy of Israel respecting Judah (Genesis 49:8-12), in which the Lord is treated of, explained, n. 6362-6381. The tribe of Judah, and Judea, signify the celestial church, n. 3654, 6364. The twelve tribes represented and thus signified all things of love and faith in the complex, n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335; consequently also heaven and the church, n. 6337, 6637, 7836, 7891. Their signification is according to the order in which they are named, n. 3862, 3926, 3939, 4603, et seq., 6337, 6640. The twelve tribes were divided into two kingdoms, that the Jews might represent the celestial kingdom, and the Israelites the spiritual kingdom, n. 8770, 9320. "The seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," signifies the goods and truths of the church, n. 3373, 10445.

Poznámky pod čarou:

329. Since it is said, "thou didst redeem us to God in thy blood," and since this is understood within the church entirely according to the sense of the letter, and not according to any spiritual sense, I will also show that "blood" does not mean blood, or the Lord's suffering on the cross, but Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and the reception of it by man; thus that "thou didst redeem us in Thy blood" means that He has delivered and freed from hell those who acknowledge Him, and receive Divine truth from Him (as was said above, n. 328. In illustration of this matter I will cite the following. Because all things that were commanded in the Israelitish Church were representative of things celestial and spiritual, and not the least thing was not so, it was also commanded, when the paschal supper was first instituted:

That they shall take of the blood, and put it on the two side posts and on the lintel upon the houses wherein they shall eat [the paschal lamb]; and the blood shall be for you for a sign upon the houses where ye are; and when I see the blood I will pass over you, nor shall there be a plague upon you from the destroyer when I shall smite the land of Egypt. And further: Ye shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and shall touch the lintel and the two side posts with the blood that is in the basin; and not a man of you shall go out of the entrance of his house until the morning. And Jehovah will pass through to smite Egypt; and when he shall see the blood upon the lintel and upon the two side posts, Jehovah will pass over the door, and will not suffer the smiter to come into your houses to strike you (Exodus 12:7, 13, 22-23).

He who does not know that there is a spiritual sense in the Word believes that "blood" here signifies the Lord's blood upon the cross; but this is not at all the meaning in heaven; but to the angels there the paschal supper here described has a like meaning as the holy supper instituted by the Lord, in which, in place of the paschal lamb, there are the bread and the wine; and the Lord then said that the bread was His flesh and the wine was His blood; and everyone knows, or may know, that bread and wine are what nourish the body, bread as food and wine as drink, and that in the Word, which in its bosom is spiritual, these things also must be spiritually understood, "bread" standing for all spiritual food, and "wine" for all spiritual drink.

[2] Spiritual food is all the good that is communicated and given to man by the Lord, and spiritual drink is all the truth that is communicated and given to man by the Lord. These two, namely, good and truth, or love and faith, make man spiritual; it is said, or love and faith, because all good is of love, and all truth is of faith. From this it can be seen that "bread" means the Divine good of the Lord's Divine love, and in reference to man, this good received by him; also that "wine" means the Divine truth that proceeds from the Divine good of the Lord's Divine love, and in reference to man, this truth received by him. Since the Lord says that His flesh is bread, and His blood is wine, it can be seen that "the Lord's flesh" means the Divine good of His Divine love, and "to eat" it means to receive it, and make it one's own, and thus to be conjoined to the Lord; and that "the Lord's blood" means the Divine truth that proceeds from the Divine good of His Divine love, and that "drinking" it means to receive that truth and make it one's own, and thus be conjoined to the Lord.

[3] Again, spiritual nourishment is from the good and truth that proceed from the Lord, as all nourishment of the body is from food and drink; their correspondence also is from this, which is such that where anything of food, or that serves for food, is mentioned in the Word, good is meant, and where anything of drink, or that serves for drink, is mentioned, truth is meant. From this it can be seen that the "blood" from the Paschal Lamb, which the sons of Israel were commanded to put upon the two side posts and upon the lintel of their houses, means Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; this, when received in faith and life, protects man against the evils that rise up out of hell; for in His Divine truth the Lord is with man, for this is the Lord's own with man, yea, it is Himself with man. Who that thinks from sound reason cannot see that the Lord is with a man not in His blood, but in His Divine, which is the good of love and the good of faith received by man. (But what the particulars here signify, namely, "the two side posts" and "the lintel," "the destroyer" and "smiter," and "Egypt," and many other things in this chapter, can be seen in Arcana Coelestia, where they are explained.)

[4] From what has now been said, without further explanation, the significance of the Lord's words when He instituted the Holy Supper is evident:

As they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, broke, and gave to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is My body. And He took the cup, and having given thanks, He gave to them, saying, Drink of it, all of you; for this is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many. I say unto you that I will not drink henceforth of this product of the vine until that day when I shall drink it with you in the kingdom of God (Matthew 26:26-29; Mark 14:22-25; Luke 22:15-20).

As "wine" means Divine truth nourishing the spiritual life, therefore the Lord says to them, "I say unto you that I will not drink henceforth of this product of the vine until that day when I shall drink it with you new in the kingdom of God," which shows clearly that something spiritual is meant, for He says that "He is to drink with them," and "in the kingdom of God," or in heaven, and also that "He is to eat" with them of the Paschal Lamb there (Luke 22:16).

[5] What has now been said also makes clear what is signified by these words of the Lord:

The bread that I will give is My flesh. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink His blood, ye have not life in you. He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood abideth in Me, and I in him. This is the bread that cometh down out of heaven (John 6:51-58).

That the Lord's "flesh" is Divine good, and His "blood" Divine truth, both of them from Him, can be seen from this, that these are what nourish the soul; it is therefore said, "My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink." And as a man is conjoined to the Lord by Divine good and truth, therefore it is further said, "He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood shall have eternal life, and he abideth in Me and I in him." The Lord spoke in this way, namely, saying His "flesh" and His "blood," and not His Divine good and His Divine truth, in order that the sense of the letter of the Word might be made up of such things as correspond to things spiritual, in which the angels are; thus and in no other way could there be, by means of the Word, a conjunction of the men of the church with the angels (See The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 252, 258-262; and Heaven and Hell 303-310).

[6] Since "blood" signifies the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and conjunction with the Lord is effected by man's reception of it, therefore blood is called "the blood of the covenant," for "covenant" signifies conjunction. Blood is called "the blood of the covenant" by the Lord when He instituted the Holy Supper, for He said:

Drink of it, all of you; for this is My blood of the new covenant [or testament] (Matthew 26:27, 28; Mark 14:24; Luke 22:20).

It is also called "the blood of the covenant" in Moses, where is the following:

Moses came from Mount Sinai, and told the people all the words of Jehovah, and all the judgments. And Moses wrote all the words of Jehovah, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mount. And he sent young men of the sons of Israel, and they offered up burnt-offerings, and sacrificed bullocks as peace-offerings unto Jehovah. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins; and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar. And he took the book of the covenant, and read in the ears of the people; and they said, All that Jehovah hath spoken will we do and hear. And he took the blood and sprinkled it on the people, and said, Behold the blood of the covenant that Jehovah hath concluded with you upon all these words. And they saw the God of Israel, and under His feet as it were a work of sapphire stone, and as the substance of the heavens for purity (Exodus 24:3-11).

That "blood" here signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord and received by man, and conjunction therefrom, is evident, for half of it was sprinkled on the altar and half on the people; for the "altar" signified all worship that is from the good of love, and the "people" those who offer worship and receive the good of love by means of truths; for all reception of Divine good is effected by truths made truths of life, and consequent conjunction is by means of the good in such truths. That there is conjunction by means of the good in such truths, that is, by means of truths made truths of life, and that "blood" was a representative thereof, is very clear from the words there, for this was done when Moses descended from Mount Sinai, from which the law was promulgated, and also the statutes and judgments that were to be observed; and it is said that "Moses wrote all these words of Jehovah, and read them in the ears of the people," who said, "All that Jehovah hath spoken will we do and hear," which words they said twice (See verses 3 and 7).

[7] Words or truths become truths of life by doing; and as Moses wrote these words, he called them, "The Book of the Covenant," which signifies that there is conjunction by means of them. The law promulgated by Jehovah from Mount Sinai, and the statutes and judgments that were also commanded at that time, signified all Divine truth, or the Divine truth in its whole complex. This is why they are called "the Book of the Covenant," and why the ark in which was that book is called "The Ark of the Covenant," "covenant" signifying conjunction. Because Divine truth, by which there is conjunction, proceeds from the Lord, the Lord appeared to the people "under the feet as it were a work of sapphire stone;" that He so appeared "under the feet" signifying that Divine truth is such in ultimates. Divine truth in ultimates is Divine truth in the sense of the letter of the Word; "work of sapphire stone" signifies the translucence of this sense from Divine truth in the internal or spiritual sense; "the God of Israel" is the Lord. (That "sapphire stone" signifies translucence from internal truths, see Arcana Coelestia 9407; and that "the God of Israel" is the Lord in respect to the Divine Human, see above, n. 328.) From this it is now clear that a "covenant" or conjunction is effected by means of Divine truth, and that the blood sprinkled on the altar and half of it on the people was a representative of it, since "blood" signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord and received by man, as was said above.

(That "covenant" signifies conjunction, see Arcana Coelestia 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778, 9396, 10632.

That the law in a strict sense means the ten commandments of the Decalogue, and in a broad sense, the whole Word, thus all Divine truth, n. 2606, 3382, 6752, 7463, 9417.

That from this "Mount Sinai" signifies heaven where the Lord is, from whom is Divine truth, or from whom is the law, both in the strict and the broad sense, n. 8399, 8753, 8793, 8805, 9420; and that the altar was the principal representative of the Lord, and of the worship from the good of love, n. 921, 2777, 2811, 4489, 4541, 8935, 8940, 9388-9389, 9714, 9963-9964, 10123, 10151, 10242, 10245, 10642.)

[8] Since "blood" signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord and received by man, from which is conjunction, therefore all things that were representative of things Divine proceeding from the Lord which are called celestial and spiritual were inaugurated by oil and by blood, and were then called holy. They were inaugurated by oil and blood that they might be representative, because "oil" signified the Divine good of the Divine love, and "blood" the Divine truth proceeding therefrom, for truth proceeds from good. That inaugurations and sanctifications were made by means of oil will be seen in what follows, where they are treated of in their paragraph. Here let some things in which blood was used be mentioned, as:

When Aaron and his sons were to be sanctified, blood was sprinkled upon the horns of the altar, and round about the altar, and upon Aaron and his sons, and upon their garments (Exodus 29:12, 16, 20-21; Leviticus 8:24).

Blood was sprinkled seven times before the veil that was over the ark, and upon the horns of the altar of incense (Leviticus 4:6-7, 17-18).

Before Aaron entered within the veil to the mercy-seat, he should sacrifice and burn incense, and should sprinkle the blood with the finger seven times upon the mercy-seat eastward (Leviticus 16:12-15).

The blood of the burnt-offering and of the sacrifice should be sprinkled upon the altar, around the altar, and at the base of the altar (Leviticus 1:5, 1:11, 15; 3:2, 8, 13; 4:25, 30, 34; 5:9; 8:15, 24; 17:6; Numbers 18:17; Deuteronomy 12:27).

The blood should be sprinkled upon the horns of the altar and thus expiation should be made for the altar (Exodus 30:10; Leviticus 16:18-19).

Blood from the burnt-offerings and sacrifices was sprinkled and poured out upon the altar, around the altar, or at its base, because the altar with the burnt-offerings and sacrifices upon it represented and thence signified all worship from the good of love and the truths therefrom; and as truths proceed from good, therefore the blood was sprinkled on and poured out around the altar, for "around" signifies proceeding.

[9] (But these things can be better seen from what has been shown respecting burnt offerings and sacrifices in the Arcana Coelestia, as follows: "burnt-offerings" and "sacrifices" signified all things of worship from the good of love, and the truths therefrom, n. 923, 6905, 8680, 8936, 10042. Therefore burnt-offerings and sacrifices were called bread, n. 2165, because "bread" signifies everything that nourishes the spiritual life, n. 2165, 3478, 4976, 5147, 5915, 6118, 8410, 8418, 9323, 10686. Burnt-offerings and sacrifices signified celestial Divine and spiritual Divine things, which are the internals of the church, from which are all things of worship, n. 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830, 3519; with a difference according to the differences of worship, n. 2805, 6905, 8936. Therefore there were many kinds of burnt-offerings and sacrifices, and in them various processes and consisting also of various animals, n. 2830, 9391, 9990. The various things they specially signified can be known from the particulars of the procedure unfolded by the internal sense, n. Arcana Coelestia 10042. The rituals and procedures of the sacrifices contain arcana of heaven, n. Arcana Coelestia 10057. In general they contain the arcana of the glorification of the Lord's Human, and in a relative sense, the arcana of man's regeneration and his purification from evils and falsities, n. 9990, 10022, 10042, 10053, 10057. What was signified by the "meal-offerings," which were bread and cakes, which were also sacrificed, n. Arcana Coelestia 10079; what by the "drink-offering," which was wine, n. 4581, 10137)

[10] When these things are understood it can be known that "the blood of the sacrifice" in other places also in the Word signifies Divine truth, as in Ezekiel:

Say to the bird of every wing and to the beast of the field, Come together and come; gather yourselves from round about to My sacrifice that I do sacrifice for you, a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel; that ye may eat flesh and drink blood. Ye shall eat the flesh of the mighty and drink the blood of the princes of the earth. And ye shall eat fat to satiety, and drink blood to drunkenness, of My sacrifice which I sacrifice for you. And ye shall be satiated at My table with horse, with chariot, with every man of war. So will I give My glory among the nations (Ezekiel 39:17-21).

This treats of the restoration of the church; and "Israel" and "Jacob" mean all who are of the church, respecting whom these things therefore are said; "a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel" signifies all things of their worship; "flesh" and "fat" signify the good of love, and "blood" the truth from that good; worship is from these; an abundance of both is described by their "eating flesh and fat to satiety," and "drinking blood to drunkenness," and this "of the sacrifice;" it is therefore further said, "Ye shall be satiated at My table with horse, chariot, and every man of war," for "horse" signifies the understanding of truth, "chariot" doctrine, and the "man of war" truth fighting against falsity and destroying it. Who cannot see that "blood" here does not mean blood, as that they "should drink the blood of the princes of the earth," and "drink blood even to drunkenness, of the sacrifice?" "The princes of the earth" signify the principal truths of the church; therefore their "blood" signifies spiritual nourishment from those truths. Because such things are signified, therefore it is also said, at the end of this chapter, respecting Israel, by whom the church is signified:

Then will I not hide My faces any more from them; for I will pour out My spirit upon Israel (Ezekiel 39:29).

It is said, "Say to the bird of every wing and to the beast of the field," because "bird of every wing" signifies spiritual truth in the whole complex, and "beast of the field" the affection of good. (That "birds" in the Word signify things spiritual, n. 745, 776, 866, 988, 991, 3219, 5149, 7441; likewise "wings," n. 8764, 9514; that "beasts" signify affections, and "beasts of the field" the affections of good, n. 2180, 3218, 3519, 5198, 9090, 9280, 10609; and that both birds and beasts were for this reason used in sacrifices, n. 1823, 3519, 7523, 9280)

[11] In confirmation that the "beast of the field" and "bird" signify such things, I will quote here one passage only from the Word:

In that day I will make a covenant for them with the beast of the field, and with the bird of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the earth; and I will break the bow and the sword and war from the earth. And I will betroth thee unto Me for ever; and I will betroth thee unto Me in justice and in judgment, and in mercy and in compassions, and I will betroth thee unto Me in truth (Hosea 2:18-20).

"To make a covenant with the beast of the field and with the bird of the heavens" signifies with the affections of good and with spiritual truths, for with these the Lord is conjoined to man, since the Lord is in these with man; therefore it is called "a covenant" with them, "covenant" meaning conjunction. That "beasts" signify the affections of good, and "birds" things spiritual, will be fully shown in their paragraphs in what follows.

[12] Because "fat" in sacrifices signified Divine good, and "blood" Divine truth, both from the Lord, and because by both when received by man conjunction was effected, therefore the posterity of Jacob, that is, the Jews and Israelites, were forbidden to eat any fat or any blood (See Leviticus 3:17; 7:23-27; 17:11-14; Deut. 12:17, 12:23-25; 15:23). This was because that nation was not in any good of love, nor in any truth of good, but in the falsities of evil; and "to eat fat and blood" signified with them the mingling of truth from good with the falsity from evil, which is profanation; from which also it can be seen that "blood" signifies Divine truth. (That "fat" or "fatness" in the Word signifies the good of love, see Arcana Coelestia 353, 5943, 6409, 10033; and that the Jews and Israelites were solely in things external and not in things internal, and consequently not in spiritual truths and good, but in the falsities of evil; and that all things of their worship were external separated from what is internal, and that still by things external they could represent the internal things of worship, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248 .)

[13] Because "blood" in the sacrifices signified Divine truth, therefore also:

They were forbidden to sacrifice the blood of the sacrifice upon what was leavened (Exodus 23:18; 34:25);

for "leaven" signifies falsity, and "what was leavened" truth falsified (See Arcana Coelestia 2342, 7906, 8051, 9992).

[14] The Lord's "flesh" signifies the Divine good of the Divine love, and His "blood" signifies the Divine truth proceeding from that good, because there are two things that proceed from the Lord's Divine Human, namely, Divine good and Divine truth, the latter is His blood, and the former His flesh. That which proceeds is the celestial Divine and the spiritual Divine; and these constitute the heavens in general and in particular. (But this can be seen better from what has been shown in the work on Heaven and Hell, under the following heads. The Divine of the Lord makes Heaven, n. 7-12; the Divine of the Lord in Heaven is Love to Him and Charity towards the Neighbor, n. 13-19; The Whole Heaven, therefore, as a Whole and in Its Parts, answers to One Man, n 59-77; This is from the Lord's Divine Human, n 78-87 and further from what is said of The Sun in Heaven, and Light and Heat therefrom, and that Heat is the Divine Good, and Light Divine Truth, both proceeding from the Lord, n 116-140) From this it can in some measure be comprehended why the Divine proceeding is meant by the "flesh and blood," that is, the Divine good by "flesh," and the Divine truth by "blood."

[15] With man also there are two things that constitute his spiritual life, namely the good of love and the truth of faith. With him the will is the receptacle of the good of love, and the understanding is the receptacle of the truth of faith. All things belonging to the mind, that is, belonging to the will and understanding, have a correspondence with all things belonging to the body, consequently the latter are moved at the nod of the former. In general, the correspondence of the will is with the flesh, and the correspondence of the understanding with the blood; consequently the voluntary that is man's own [proprium voluntarium] is meant in the Word by "flesh," and the intellectual that is his own [proprium intellectuale] by "blood," as in Matthew:

Jesus said to Simon, blessed art thou, for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee (Matthew 16:17).

These things are mentioned that it may be known that in the Word things voluntary and intellectual, that is, spiritual things, are meant by "flesh and blood" when man is referred to, and things Divine when the Lord is referred to. But these things are for those whose minds can be elevated above natural ideas and can see causes.

[16] This also is what is signified by the "blood and water" that issued out of the Lord's breast; which is described as follows in John:

One of the soldiers pierced His side, and straightway there came out blood and water. And he that saw beareth witness, and his witness is true; he knoweth that he saith true things, that ye also may believe (John 19:34-35).

These things were done to signify the Lord's conjunction with the human race through Divine truth proceeding from the Divine good of His love; "breast" signifies Divine love; "blood and water" signify Divine truth proceeding, "blood" the Divine truth that is for the spiritual man, and "water" the Divine truth that is for the natural man; for all things that are related in the Word respecting the Lord's passion are also significative (See above, n. 83, 195). And because these things signify His love, and man's salvation by means of Divine truth proceeding from Him, therefore the evangelist adds, "He that saw beareth witness, and his witness is true; he knoweth that he saith true things, that ye also may believe."

[17] To what has already been mentioned I will add the following from the Word.

In Zechariah:

Exult exceedingly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh. And He shall speak peace unto the Gentiles; and His dominion shall be from sea even to sea, and from the river even to the uttermost parts of the earth. As for thee also, by the blood of thy covenant I will send forth thy bound ones out of the pit wherein is no water (Zechariah 9:9-11).

This is said of the Lord, and of the establishment of the church by Him among the nations; "the blood of the covenant" here meaning Divine truth, by means of which there is conjunction of the Lord with those who are to be of His church (as above); it is therefore further said, "I will send forth thy bound ones out of the pit wherein is no water," for by these the nations that are in falsities from ignorance are signified; "the pit wherein is no water" signifying where there is no truth, and "sending them forth" signifying to free them from falsities. That "water" signifies the truth of the church, see above (n. 71); and that "the bound in the pit" signifies those who are in falsities from ignorance, and yet in a desire to know truths, see Arcana Coelestia 4728[1-8], 4744, 5038, 6854, 7950).

[18] In David:

God shall save the souls of the needy; He shall redeem their soul from fraud and violence; and precious shall their blood be in His eyes. And he shall live, and to him shall He give of the gold of Sheba, and shall pray for him continually; all the day shall He bless him. Upon the top of the mountains his fruit shall be shaken (Psalms 72:13-16);

this treats of the "needy," by whom those who desire truths from spiritual affection are signified; of these it is said, that "He shall redeem their soul from fraud and violence," which signifies their liberation from evils and falsities, which destroy the goods of love and the truths of faith. The reception of Divine truth by them as being acceptable and grateful, is signified by "precious shall their blood be in His eyes," "blood" here meaning Divine truth received. Their reformation is described by "he shall live, and to him shall He give of the gold of Sheba, and shall pray for him continually; all the day shall He bless him;" the "gold of Sheba" meaning the good of charity; "to pray for him continually" signifying that they shall be continually withheld from falsities and kept in truths, and "He shall bless him" signifying that they shall be continually in the good of charity and faith; it is therefore said further, "upon the top of the mountains his fruit shall be shaken;" the "top of the mountains" signifying heaven, from which they have the good of love from the Lord, which is "fruit."

[19] In Moses:

The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; who shall bind to the vine his ass's foal, and to the noble vine the son of his she-ass, whilst he shall wash his vesture in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes (Genesis 49:10-11).

This prophecy treats of the Lord, of whom it is said, "he shall bind to the vine his ass's foal, and to the noble vine the son of his she-ass," and "he shall wash his vesture in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes;" "vine" signifying the church, and "wine" and the "blood of grapes" Divine truth. (For what the other things signify, see the explanation of these words in Arcana Coelestia 6371-6377.) The like is meant by the "blood of grapes" in Deuteronomy (Deuteronomy 32:14); where the ancient church reformed by Divine truth is treated of.

[20] From what has been shown in this and the preceding article it can be seen by those who acknowledge the spiritual sense of the Word that "Thou didst redeem us to God in Thy blood" means conjunction with the Divine by the acknowledgment of the Lord, and by the reception of Divine truth from Him; also that the like is meant by "blood" in the twelfth chapter of this prophetic book, where it is said:

That Michael and his angels overcame the dragon by the blood of the Lamb, and by the word of their ³ testimony (Revelation 12:11).

It is said, "the blood of the Lamb" and "the word of testimony," because "the blood of the Lamb" signifies the reception of Divine truth from the Lord, and "the word of testimony" the acknowledgment of His Divine Human.

[21] That "blood" signifies Divine truth is still further evident from its contrary sense, in which "blood" signifies violence offered to Divine truth by the falsities of evil, and its destruction by these; and as what is signified in the genuine sense is also manifested by these contrary meanings, I will cite some passages in which "blood" and "bloods" have that significance. It is to be known that most things in the Word have also a contrary sense, and that from that sense it can be known what is signified in the genuine sense. The following will serve for illustration. In Revelation:

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became as the blood of one dead, and every living animal in the sea died. And the third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and into the fountains of the waters, and they became blood (Revelation 16:3-4).

And elsewhere:

The two witnesses have power over the waters to turn them into blood (Revelation 11:6).

In Isaiah:

The waters of Nimrim shall be desolations; and the waters of Dimon are full of blood (Isaiah 15:6, 9).

In David:

He sent darkness and made it dark. He turned their waters into blood, and made their fish to die (Psalms 105:28-29).

It is clear from these passages what "blood" signifies in the contrary sense; for blood in the genuine sense signifies Divine truth, and with those who receive it truth from good; so in the contrary sense it signifies violence offered to Divine truth, and with those who do that, it signifies falsity from evil. This contrary meaning is clear from its being said that the "waters" of "the sea," of "rivers," and of "fountains," "were turned into blood;" for "waters" signify truths, therefore "blood" here signifies falsities that destroy truths. The "living animal in the sea," and the "fish," signify truths known [vera scientifica]; so their "dying" and "being slain" by blood signify such truths also destroyed. (That "waters" signify truths, see above, n. 71; and that "fish" signify truths known [vera scientifica] of the natural man, see Arcana Coelestia 40, 991)

[22] Again in Revelation:

I saw when He had opened the sixth seal, and behold there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth, and the whole moon became blood (Revelation 6:12).

In Joel:

I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth; blood, and fire, and columns of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great day of Jehovah come (Joel 2:30-31).

Here also it is known from the contrary meaning that "blood" signifies violence offered to the Divine truth; for "sun" in the Word signifies the celestial Divine, which is the Divine good, and "moon" signifies the spiritual Divine, which is the Divine truth; it is therefore said that "the moon shall be turned into blood." (That this is the signification of "moon" see in the work on Heaven and Hell 118, 119.)

[23] In Isaiah:

He that walketh in righteousness, and speaketh uprightness, that stoppeth his ear lest he hear bloods, and shutteth his eyes lest he see evil (Isaiah 33:15);

"to stop the ear lest he hear bloods" meaning evidently not to hear falsities from evil. In David:

Thou wilt destroy those that speak falsehood; the man of blood and deceit Jehovah abhorreth (Psalms 5:6);

"the man of blood and deceit" meaning those who are in falsities from evil; it is therefore said, "Thou wilt destroy those that speak falsehood," "falsehood" in the Word signifying falsities. In Isaiah:

And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion and he that remaineth in Jerusalem shall be called holy to Him, everyone that is written unto life in Jerusalem. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have washed away the bloods of Jerusalem out of the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment and by the spirit of cleansing [burning] (Isaiah 4:3-4).

Because "Jerusalem" signifies the church in respect to doctrine, therefore it is said, "When He shall have washed away its blood out of the midst thereof," "bloods" signifying the falsities of evil. The "spirit of judgment" signifies Divine truth, and because this purifies it is said, "by the spirit of cleansing" [burning].

[24] In Ezekiel:

In the day wherein thou wast born I passed by beside thee, and I saw thee trodden down in thy bloods, and I said unto thee, In thy bloods, live; yea, I said unto thee, In thy bloods live. I washed thee, and I washed away thy bloods from upon thee, and I anointed thee with oil (Ezekiel 16:5-6, 9, 22, 36, 38).

This also treats of Jerusalem, which signifies the church in respect to the doctrine of truth, here first of the falsities of evil in which it was before it was reformed, and afterwards of its reformation; the falsities of evil are signified by its being seen "trodden down in bloods;" and its reformation by "he washed, and washed away the bloods, and anointed with oil;" "to wash" signifying to purify by truths; "to wash away bloods" signifying to remove the falsities of evil; and "to anoint with oil" signifying to endow with the good of love.

[25] In Lamentations:

For the sins of the prophets of Jerusalem, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her. They have wandered blind in the streets, they have been polluted with blood, what they cannot pollute they touch with their garments (Lamentations 4:13-14).

"Prophets of Jerusalem" signify those who are to teach the truths of doctrine, and "priests" those who are to lead by truths to good; here mentioned in a contrary sense, since it is said, "for their sins;" "to shed the blood of the just" signifies to falsify truths and adulterate goods; it is therefore said, "they have wandered blind in the streets, they have been polluted with blood, what they cannot pollute they touch with their garments;" "to wander blind in the streets" signifies not to see truths at all, "streets" meaning truths; "polluted with bloods" signifies to be wholly in falsities; "what they cannot pollute they touch with their garments" signifies that what they cannot pervert they nevertheless falsify, "garments" meaning the truths that invest interior things, which truths are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word.

In Isaiah:

All uproar shall be whirled about by the earthquake, and the garment is polluted with bloods (Isaiah 9:5);

"earthquake" signifying the perversion of the church by the falsification of truth, and the "garment polluted with bloods" the falsification of the sense of the letter of the Word.

[26] In Jeremiah:

Thou hast taught evils thy ways; also in thy skirts is found the blood of the souls of the innocents; I found them not in digging through, but upon all these (Jeremiah 2:33-34).

Here "blood found in the skirts" signifies the like as above by "what they cannot pollute they touch with their garments," "skirts" are the "garments." "I found them not in digging through, but upon all these" signifies that they dared not destroy the truths themselves, but that they falsified the truths of the sense of the letter, "skirts" signifying those truths.

[27] In Isaiah:

Your hands are full of bloods (Isaiah 1:15).

Your hands are polluted with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue hath meditated perverseness. Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity (Isaiah 59:3, 7).

"Hands polluted with blood, and fingers with iniquity" signifies that in all things belonging to them there is falsity and the evil of falsity; "hands" and "fingers" signify power, thus all things with them that have power. Because this is the meaning it is also said, "your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue hath meditated perverseness," "lies" meaning falsities, and "perverseness" the evil of falsity; "their feet make haste to shed innocent blood" signifies their hastening to destroy the good of love and charity; this is signified by "shedding innocent blood." The good of innocence is that from which is every good and truth of heaven and the church (See Heaven and Hell 276-283). From this it can be seen what is signified in a general sense by "bloods," in the plural, namely, violence offered both to the truths and the goods of the Word and of the church.

As "shedding innocent blood" signifies to destroy the good of love and of charity, every kind of precaution was taken that innocent blood should not be shed; and if it were shed:

That expiation shall be made for the land (Deuteronomy 19:10, 13; 21:1-9);

for the "land" signifies the church.

[28] In Isaiah:

Jehovah goeth forth from His place to visit the iniquity of the earth; then shall the earth reveal her bloods, and shall no more cover her slain (Isaiah 26:21).

The "bloods" that the earth shall reveal signify all the falsities and evils that have destroyed the truths and goods of the church, the "earth" being the church where these are; the "slain" signify those that have perished by falsities and evils. (That the "slain" signify those that have perished by falsities and evils, see above, n. 315.) In Revelation:

In Babylon was found the blood of prophets and of saints, and of all that have been slain upon the earth (Revelation 18:24);

"the blood of prophets and of saints" meaning truths and goods extinguished; and the "slain" those who have perished by falsities and evils (as just above).

[29] The like is meant by:

The blood of the prophets which was shed upon the earth, from the blood of Abel the just even to the blood of Zachariah, the son of Barachiah, whom they slew between the temple and the altar (Matthew 23:30, 34-35; Luke 11:50-51).

In the spiritual sense, by "Abel" those who are in the good of charity are meant, and, abstractly from person, that good itself; and by "Cain" those who make faith alone the sole means of salvation, and the good of charity of no account, thus rejecting and slaying it; and by "Zachariah" those who are in the truths of doctrine are meant, and abstractly from person the truth itself of doctrine; therefore the "blood" of these two signifies the extinction of all good and truth; "whom they slew between the temple and the altar" signifies in the spiritual sense every kind of rejection of the Lord; for "temple" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and "altar" the Lord in respect to Divine good, and "between them" signifies both together.

(That "Abel" in a representative sense is the good of charity, see Arcana Coelestia 342, 354, 1179, 3325; and that "Cain" is faith alone, separated from charity, n. 340, 347, 1179[1], 3325. That "prophet" signifies the doctrine of truth, n. 2534, 7269. That "temple" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and "altar" the Lord in respect to Divine good, and in a relative sense the Lord's kingdom and church in respect to truth and good, n. 2777, 3720, 9714, 10642. That "between" the two signifies where there is a marriage of Divine truth and Divine good, n. 10001, 10025.)

[30] In the Word it is often said of those condemned to death, that "their bloods should be upon them," which means, in the spiritual sense, that damnation should be upon them because of the falsities and evils by which they had destroyed the truths and goods of the church; for in general "bloods" signify all the falsities of doctrine, of life, and of worship, by means of which come the evils that destroy the church. These evils are in part enumerated in Ezekiel (Ezekiel 18:10-13); these are also signified by "bloods" in John:

As many as received Him, to them gave He power to become sons of God, to them that believe on His name; who were born, not of bloods nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God (John 1:12, 13).

"The Lord's name" means all truths and goods by which He is to be worshiped; "bloods" mean all the falsities and evils that destroy; "the will of the flesh" and "the will of man" signify all the evils of love and the falsities of faith, for "flesh" signifies the voluntary that is man's own [proprium volutarium] from which is every evil, and "man" [vir] signifies the intellectual that is man's own [proprium intellectuale], from which is every falsity, "will" meaning where these things are; "to be born of God" is to be regenerated by means of the truths of faith, and by means of a life according to them.