208. Behold I have set before thee an open door, and no one is able to shut it. That this signifies that they will be admitted into heaven, and that it will be denied to no one who is of such a quality is evident from the signification of setting before them an open door, as being to admit into heaven, of which we shall treat in what follows; and from the signification of no one is able to shut it, as being that entrance will not be denied; for when a door is shut, entrance is denied, and when it is not shut it is not denied. The reason why it is open to those who are in charity is, that these are treated of in what is written to this church (see above, n. 203). Hence it is evident that by I have set before thee an open door, and no one is able to shut it is signified, that all such will be admitted into heaven, and that it will be denied to none of them. That to set before them an open door signifies to admit them into heaven is evident indeed from common speech, but nevertheless it is from correspondence; for a house and all things belonging to a house correspond to the interiors of man's mind, and from that correspondence they also signify such things in the Word. That this is the case is evident from representatives and appearances in heaven, where there are palaces, houses, rooms, bed-chambers, vestibules, courts, and within them various things for use. These things the angels have from correspondence; whence it is that the wiser angels have palaces more magnificent than those enjoyed by those who are less wise. (But concerning these things, see the work, Heaven and Hell 183-190, where the habitations of the angels of heaven are treated of.) And because palaces, houses, and all the things belonging to a house correspond, it is also evident that outer doors, inner doors, and gates correspond also, and that they correspond to entrance and admission; also when a door is seen open, it is a sign that there is permission to enter, and when it is shut, that there is not.

[2] Moreover, when novitiate spirits are introduced into a heavenly society, a way is opened to them by the Lord which leads to it; and when they come thither a gate is seen with a door at the side, where there are keepers who admit them, and afterwards there are others who receive and introduce them.

From these considerations, it is evident that outer doors (januae), and inner doors (ostia), and gates in the Word signify introduction into heaven; and because the church is the Lord's heaven on earth, they also signify introduction into the church; and because heaven or the church is in man, therefore they also signify approach and entrance with man, concerning which something shall be said presently. And because all the things that signify heaven and the church also signify the things pertaining to heaven and the church, and here introductory things which are truths from good, these being from the Lord; and because those things are from the Lord, and hence are His, indeed are Himself in them, therefore by outer door (janua), inner door (ostium), and gate to heaven and the church, in the highest sense, is meant the Lord. Hence it is evident what the words of the Lord signify in John:

Jesus said: "Verily I say unto you, he that entereth not by the door (janua) into the sheepfold, but climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. But he that entereth in by the door is the shepherd of the sheep; to him the porter openeth. I am the door (ostium) of the sheep, by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out and find pasture" (10:1, 2, 3, 7, 9).

That to enter in by the door (ostium) here denotes to enter in by the Lord, is evident, for it is said, "I am the door of the sheep." To enter in by the Lord is to approach Him, to acknowledge Him, to believe in Him, and to love Him, as He Himself teaches in many passages. Thus is a man admitted into heaven, and in no other way; therefore the Lord says, "By me if any man enter in, he shall be saved"; and also "he who climbeth up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber."

[3] He therefore who approaches the Lord, acknowledges Him and believes in Him, is said to open the door (ostium) to the Lord, that He may enter in; as in the Apocalypse:

"Behold I stand at the door (ostium) and knock; if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (3:20).

How these things are to be understood, will be explained in the following pages, where the things mentioned are treated of. Here we shall only say something concerning the doors (ostia) or gates in man, because it is said, I stand at the door and knock.

There are two ways which lead to man's Rational, one from heaven and the other from the world; by the way from heaven good is introduced, by the way from the world truth is introduced. In proportion as the way from heaven is opened to a man, in the same proportion he is affected with truth, and becomes rational, that is, in the same proportion he sees truth by the light of truth; but if the way from heaven is shut, he does not become rational, because he does not see truth, and yet truth from the light of truth constitutes the Rational. A man may indeed reason concerning truth, and from reasoning or from memory he may speak of it; but he is not able to see whether it is truth or not. To think well concerning the Lord and the neighbour, opens the way from heaven; but to think otherwise shuts that way. Because there are two ways which lead into man, there are also two doors (januae) or gates by which influx enters: by the door or gate which is open from heaven, the spiritual affection of truth from the Lord enters, because good enters by that door, as said above, and all spiritual affection of truth is from good; but by the door or gate which is open from the world, enter all knowledge from the Word, and from preaching thence, because thereby truth enters, as also said above, for knowledges from the Word and from preaching thence are truths. The spiritual affection of truth adjoined to those knowledges constitutes man's Rational, and enlightens it according to the quality of the truth conjoined with good, and according to the quality of the conjunction.

[4] These few observations may be sufficient for the present concerning the gates or doors pertaining to man. Because outer doors (januae), inner doors (ostia), and gates signify admission into heaven and into the church, therefore they also signify truths from good which are from the Lord, because by means of them this admission is effected, as is evident from the following passages. Thus in Isaiah:

"Open ye the gates that the just nation that keepeth faithfulnesses may enter in" (26:2).

According to the sense of the letter it is here meant that those who are just and faithful should be admitted into those cities, but according to the internal sense, that such should be admitted into the church: for gates signify admission; a just nation signifies those who are in good; keeping faithfulnesses signifies those who are thence in truths.

[5] Again:

"Thy gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day nor night; to bring unto thee the hosts of the nations, and their kings shall be brought down. And the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish. Thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise" (60:11, 12, 18).

The subject here treated of is the Lord and the church which He was about to establish; and by the above particulars is described the perpetual admission into it of those who are in good and thence in truths. By the gates being open continually, and not shut day nor night, is signified perpetual admission; by the host of the nations are signified those who are in good, and by kings those who are in truths; and that all should serve the Lord is meant by the nation and kingdom that will not serve thee shall perish. (That nation or nations signify those who are in good, may be seen above, n. 175, and that kings signify those who are in truths, n. 31.)

[6] Again:

"Thus said Jehovah to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him; that I may loose the loins of kings, to open before him the doors (januae) that the gates may not be shut; I will give him the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places" (45:1, 3).

Here also the Lord is treated of, and the church to be established by Him. By opening the doors (januae), and by the gates not being shut, is signified perpetual admission; by nations and kings are signified those who are in goods and truths, and, in the abstract, goods and truths, as said above; by treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places, is signified interior intelligence and wisdom from heaven; for the things that enter by the gate which is open from heaven, and of which we have spoken above, come in secretly, and influence all the things that are with man, whence arises the spiritual affection of truth, whereby things before unknown are revealed.

[7] In Jeremiah:

"If ye bring in no burden through the gates of this city on the Sabbath day, but hallow the Sabbath day, then shall there enter through the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding upon the chariot and on horses, and the city shall be inhabited to eternity" (17:24, 25).

Any one may see what is meant by these things in the sense of the letter; nevertheless it can be known that something more holy is contained in them, because they form part of the Word; and everything in the Word contains those things that pertain to heaven and the church, and these alone are holy; thus what is holy in this passage can only be known from the internal sense. By the Sabbath day in that sense is meant the conjunction of the Divine Human of the Lord with heaven and the church; by the city mentioned in this passage is meant Jerusalem, that is, the church: by bringing in no burden through the gates of the city is meant that they should not admit that which is from man's proprium, but that which is from the Lord. By kings and princes entering into the gates of the city are meant Divine truths, which should then be revealed to them; by their sitting upon the throne of David is meant that these truths are from the Lord. By riding upon the chariot and on horses is meant that thence they would be in the doctrine of truth and in intelligence; and by dwelling there to eternity is meant life and eternal salvation. (That by Sabbath, is signified the conjunction of the Divine Human of the Lord with heaven and the church, may be seen,Arcana Coelestia 8494, 8495, 8510, 10356, 10360, 10367, 10370, 10374, 10668, 10730. That by Jerusalem is signified the church, 402, 3654, 9166. That by burden or work on the Sabbath day is signified not to be led by the Lord but by the proprium, n. 7893, 8495, 10360, 10362, 10365. That by kings and princes are signified those who are in Divine truths, and, in the abstract, Divine truths, see above, n. 29, 31. That by chariot is signified the doctrine of truth, and by horses the Intellectual, see the small work, The White Horse 1-5.)

[8] Again, in the Apocalypse, it is said of the New Jerusalem,

"Having a wall great and high, twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon which are the names of the twelve tribes of the sons of Israel; the twelve gates were twelve pearls; the gates of it shall not be shut" (21:12, 21, 25).

That gates signify Divine truths introductory to the New Church, thus those who are in truths from good from the Lord is evident from the explanation of these words in the small work, The New Jerusalem 1, etc.); which is also evident from this consideration, that it is said there were twelve gates, twelve angels upon the gates, and the names of the twelve tribes written thereon, and that the twelve gates were twelve pearls. By twelve are signified all, and is said of truths from good, see Arcana Coelestia 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913, similarly by angels, see above, n. 130, 200; also by the twelve tribes of Israel, Arcana Coelestia 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335; and also by pearls.)

[9] In Jeremiah:

"Out of the north evil shall be opened that they may come, and every one set his throne at the door (ostium) of the gates of Jerusalem, and at all its walls round about, because they have forsaken me" (1:14, 15, 16).

The subject here treated of is the destruction of the church: the north signifies falsity, in this case the falsity from which evil is derived; to come and set every one his throne at the door of the gates of Jerusalem, is to destroy the introductory truths of the church by falsities; and at all the walls round about, denotes all the truths that are for a defence.

[10] In Isaiah:

"Howl, O gate; cry, O city; thou, whole Philistia, art dissolved because, from the north cometh smoke" (14:31).

Again:

"The choicest of thy valleys shall be filled with the chariot; and the horsemen shall set themselves in array even to the gate, he hath made bare the covering of Judah" (22:7, 8).

In these passages also the destruction of the Church is treated of; and by the gates there mentioned introductory truths are signified, which are destroyed; those truths are called the covering of Judah, because by Judah is signified celestial love, as may be seen above (n. 119), and those truths cover and protect that love. Again

"The remnant in the city is wasteness, and the gate is smitten even to devastation" (24:12).

[11] In Jeremiah:

"Judah mourned, and the gates thereof languished" (14:2).

In the book of Judges:

"The villages ceased in Israel: he hath chosen new gods; then to assault the gates" (5:7, 8).

In Ezekiel:

"Tyrus hath said over Jerusalem, Aha, she is broken, the doors (januae) of the peoples, she is brought over to me" (26:2).

Here also the subject treated of is the destruction of the church. By Tyrus are signified the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good, which are introductory truths; and by Jerusalem is signified the church as to the doctrine of truth. It is therefore evident why Jerusalem is here called the doors (januae) of the peoples; also what is signified by Tyrus saying, "Aha, she is broken, the doors of the peoples; she is brought over to me, I shall be filled."

[12] Since, as said above, by doors (januae) and by gates is signified admission, and, specifically, introductory truths are signified, which are truths from good from the Lord, it is evident what is signified by these in the following places. In David

"Lift up your heads, O ye gates; and be ye lift up, ye doors (ostia) of the world, that the king of glory may come in" (Psalms 24:7, 9).

Again:

Recount the praises of Jehovah "in the gates of the daughter of Zion" (Psalms 9:14).

Again:

"Jehovah loveth the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob" (Psalms 87:2).

By Zion and by the daughter of Zion is meant the celestial church. Again, in Isaiah:

"Thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth he is called. I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles" (54:5, 12).

In Matthew:

The five prudent virgins entered into the marriage, "and the door (ostium) was shut," and the five foolish virgins came and knocked, but the door was not opened to them (25:10, 11, 12).

In Luke:

Jesus said "Strive to enter in at the strait gate (portam) for many will seek to enter in, and will not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door (januam), then shall ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door (januam), saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; but he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are" (13:24, 25).

In these two passages the state of man after death is treated of, that those who are in faith alone, and not in love, cannot be admitted into heaven, even although they should then desire it, and this in consequence of the nature of their faith. And this is what is signified by the door being shut, and their being refused admission when they knocked.

[13] Because gates signify introductory truths, therefore it was ordained among the statutes,

That the elders should sit at the gates and judge (Deuteronomy 21:19; 22:15-21; Amos. 5:12, 15; Zech. 8:16).

It was also therefore commanded, that "They should write the precepts upon the posts and gates" (Deuteronomy 6:8, 9).

And it was also among the statutes,

That the ear of the servant who was not willing to go out free in the seventh year, should be bored through at the door (januam) (Exodus 21:6; Deuteronomy 15:17).

By servants of the sons of Israel were signified those who were in truths and not in good; and by freemen, those who were in good and thence in truths. By the ear being bored through at the door was signified perpetual obedience and servitude, because they were not desirous to be introduced into good by means of truths; for those who are in truth and not in good, are perpetually in a servile state, not being in the spiritual affection of truth; for it is the affection of love that makes man free (as may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 141-149). Moreover introductory truths as to their quality are described by the covering of the door of the tent, and by the covering of the door of the tabernacle (Exodus 26:14, 36, 37; 38:18); also by the numerical measurements of the doors and gates of the house of God and of the temple in Ezekiel (40:6, 8-11, 13-15, 18, 19, 20, 24, 27, 28, 32, 35, 37; 41:1-3, 11, 17-20, 23-25; 42:2, 12, 15; 43:1-4; 44:1-3, 17; 46:1-3, 8, 12, 19; 47:1, 2; 48:31-34). He who knows what the particular numbers there mentioned signify, may know many arcana concerning those truths. Mention is also made of the gates of the house of Jehovah towards the north and towards the east, in the same prophet (8:3, 5; 10:19).

10669. 'In ploughing and harvesting you shall rest' means so far as the implanting of truth in good and the reception of that truth are concerned. This is clear from the meaning of 'ploughing' as the implanting of truth in good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'harvesting' as the reception of truth in good. 'Harvesting' has this meaning because 'standing grain' means truth in the process of being conceived, 9146, and 'an ear' means truth, the container [of good], while 'wheat' or 'barley' in the ear means good, receiving and also received by [truth]. What should be understood at present however is that human labour involved in this kind of harvesting will cease, since it says, 'In ploughing and harvesting you shall rest'. For by 'rest' on the sabbath day the second state of regeneration is meant, when a person experiences peace, abides in heaven, and is led by the Lord, at which stage those things are brought about without labour or effort on man's part.

'Harvest' means the reception of truth by good, see 9295.

'The sabbath' means a state of peace, when a person is led by the Lord, in the places referred to in 10668.

[2] The reason why 'ploughing' means the implanting of truth in good is that the Church in respect of good, thus also the Church's good, is meant by 'the field', and the truth of faith by 'the seed' that is sown in it.

'The field' means the Church in respect of good, see 2971, 3196, 3310, 3317, 7502, 9139, 9141, 9295.

'Seed' means the truth of faith, 1940, 3310, 3373, 3671, 6158.

[3] Reference is made very many times in the Word to earth or land, ground, field, seedtime, harvest, standing grain, threshing-floor, grain, wheat, and barley; and in those places they mean the kinds of things that are involved in the establishment of the Church and that are involved in the regeneration of a person who is in the Church, thus the kinds of things that are connected with the truth of faith and the good of love which constitute the Church. The reason why those kinds of things are meant lies in correspondence; for all things on this planet, including those in its vegetable kingdom, correspond to spiritual realities that exist in heaven, as is plainly evident from the things which appear there. For in heaven newly ploughed fields, open ones, gardens of flowers, fields ready to be harvested, land planted with trees, and similar things such as exist on earth are seen; and it is well known to those who are there that the realities composing heaven, thus those composing the Church, are what appear before their eyes in this kind of way.

[4] A person reading the Word thinks that such things there are no more than metaphors. But they should be seen to be real correspondences, as with the following in Isaiah,

Listen and hear my voice. Is it all day that the ploughman will plough to sow? That he will open and harrow his ground? When he has levelled its surface ¹ does he not scatter the black cummin and sow the cummin? So [the reaper] stores away the measured wheat, the designated barley, and his appointed spelt. So He trains him for judgement, his God teaches him. Isaiah 28:23-26.

These things look like metaphors, but they are real correspondences, which serve to describe the reformation and regeneration of a member of the Church; and this is why it goes on to say, 'So He trains him for judgement, his God teaches him'. 'Training him for judgement' means endowing him with intelligence, for 'judgement' means an intelligent understanding of truth, 2235, and 'teaching him', when done by God, means endowing him with wisdom. From this it may be seen what 'ploughing', 'harrowing', 'scattering the black cummin', 'sowing the cummin', and 'storing away wheat, barley, and spelt' mean, namely this: 'Ploughing' means implanting truth in good; 'harrowing' setting those things in order; 'black cummin' and 'cummin' factual knowledge, this being what a person acquires first, in order that he may receive intelligence; 'wheat' the good of love in the internal man, see 3941, 7605; 'barley' the good of love in the external man, 7602; and 'spelt' the truth which goes with that good, 7605.

[5] Correspondence, not the use of metaphor, gives 'ploughing' its meaning as the first phase of the Church in general and also in particular with each person who is being regenerated or becoming an embodiment of the Church, as is evident from the following words in Moses,

You shall not sow your vineyard with mixed seed. You shall not plough with an ox and an ass together. You shall not wear a garment made of wool and flax mixed together ² . Deuteronomy 22:9-11.

These words imply that states of goodness and truth are not to be mixed up one with another. For 'vineyard' means the Church in respect of truth, whereas 'field' means the Church in respect of good. 'Ploughing with an ox' means making ready by means of good, 'ploughing with an ass' doing so by means of truth; and 'wool' too means good, whereas 'flax' means truth. The situation is this: Those in the Lord's celestial kingdom live in a state of good, whereas those in His spiritual kingdom live in a state of truth; those who live in one state cannot do so in the other. Can anyone fail to see that those words serve to mean a higher level of things? If they did not do so what harm would there be in sowing a vineyard with mixed seed, ploughing with an ox and ass together, or wearing a garment made of wool and flax mixed together?

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