6377. 'He washes his clothing in wine' means that His Natural consists in Divine Truth from His Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'washing' as purifying, dealt with in 3147; from the meaning of 'wine' as the good of love towards the neighbour and the good of faith, and in the highest sense as Divine Truth from the Lord's Divine Good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'clothing' as the exterior which covers the interior, dealt with in 5248, thus the natural since this is exterior and covers the rational, which is interior. Therefore 'clothing' also means truth since this is exterior and covers good, which is interior, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5319, 5954.

[2] The fact that 'wine' means love towards the neighbour and the good of faith may be recognized from what has been shown regarding the bread and wine in the Holy Supper, in 2165, 2177, 3464, 4581, 5915. These paragraphs show that 'bread' is the good of celestial love, and that 'wine' is the good of spiritual love. The same may also be recognized from the minchah and the drink-offering in sacrifices. The minchah in them meant the good of love, and the drink-offering the good of faith. The minchah consisted of the kinds of things that meant the good of love, while the drink-offering consisted of wine that meant the good of faith. The sacrifices themselves were also called 'bread', 2165. For the use in sacrifices of a drink-offering consisting of wine, see Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 23:12-13, 18-19; Numbers 15:2-15; 28:6-7, 18-end; 29:1-7 and following verses.

[3] The meaning that 'wine' has of love towards the neighbour and the good of faith is also evident in Isaiah,

Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! And come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1.

No one can fail to see that they did not have to buy wine and milk, but that they were to acquire what is meant by 'wine and milk', which is love towards the neighbour and faith. These gifts come from the Lord 'without money and without price'.

[4] In Hosea,

Threshing-floor and winepress will not feed them, and new wine will be deceptive to her. ¹ Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean. They will not pour libations of wine to Jehovah, their sacrifices will not be pleasing to Him. Hosea 9:1-4.

Here also in the internal sense reference is made to the good of love and the good of faith, to the demise of them. The good of love is meant by 'threshing-floor' by virtue of the grain there and the bread made from it, while the good of faith is meant by 'winepress', 'new wine', and 'libation of wine'. 'Ephraim will return to Egypt' stands for the fact that the understanding would resort to factual knowledge for advice concerning the arcana of faith; 'in Assyria they will eat what is unclean' stands for that which is the outcome of consequent false reasoning - 'Ephraim' being the area of understanding in the Church, see 5754, 6112, 6238, 6267; 'Egypt' the area of factual knowledge, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 5702; and 'Assyria' that of reasoning, 1186. The line of thought in this passage also shows that the words used here contain something more than what one sees in the letter. For everything hangs together in the internal sense, but not so in the external sense, for example when it says that 'threshing-floor and winepress will not feed them, and new wine will be deceptive to her', immediately followed by 'Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean'. Moreover, without the internal sense what meaning would Ephraim's return to Egypt and their eating in Assyria what is unclean have?

[5] 'Winepress' and 'wine' are also used in Jeremiah to describe the demise of mutual love and the good of faith,

He who lays waste has fallen on your vintage, therefore joy and gladness have been plucked from Carmel, and from the land of Moab, for I have made the wine cease from the winepresses; none will tread the headed. ² Jeremiah 48:32-33.

[6] The fact that 'wine' means the good of mutual love and of faith is also evident in John,

I heard a voice from the midst of the four living creatures, saying, Do no harm to oil and wine. Revelation 6:6.

[7] 'Oil' stands for the good of celestial love, and 'wine' for the good of spiritual love.

'Oil' and 'wine' have a similar meaning in the Lord's parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke,

A certain Samaritan was journeying, and seeing him who had been wounded by the robbers was moved with compassion for him; going therefore to him, he bandaged his wounds, and poured on oil and wine. Luke 10:33-34.

'He poured on oil and wine' means that he performed the works of love and charity, 'oil' being the good of love, see 886, 3728. A like meaning was involved in the practice of the ancients, who poured oil and wine onto a pillar when they consecrated it, Genesis 35:14, 4581, 4582.

[8] The fact that 'wine' means the good of love and faith is evident from the words the Lord used when He instituted the Holy Supper. He said then regarding the wine,

I tell you that I shall not drink from now on of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom. Matthew 26:29; Luke 22:17-18.

Anyone can see that He was not about to drink wine in that kingdom, but that the good of love and faith is meant, which He was about to impart to those who belonged to His kingdom. Much the same is meant by 'wine' in Isaiah 24:9, 11; Lamentations 2:11-12; Hosea 14:7; Amos 9:13-14; Zechariah 9:15-16; Luke 5:37-39.

[9] Since 'wine' means the good of love and faith, Divine Truth from the Lord's Divine Good is therefore meant in the highest sense, for that Truth, when it flows into a person and is accepted by him, brings him the good of love and faith.

[10] Since most things in the Word also have a contrary meaning, so too does 'wine', the contrary meaning of which is falsity from evil, as in Isaiah,

Woe to those who rise in the morning around dawn, and then follow strong drink, who continue into dusk, so that wine may inflame them! Woe to heroes at drinking wine, and to valiant men in mixing strong drink! Isaiah 5:11, 22

In the same prophet,

Also these err through wine, and go astray through strong drink. The priest and the prophet err through strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine, they go astray through strong drink. They err among the seers, they are tottery in judgement. Isaiah 28:7.

In the same prophet,

The shepherds know no understanding, they all look to their own way. Come, I will get wine, and we will be drunken from strong drink; and let there be tomorrow, as there is this day, great abundance. Isaiah 56:11-12.

In addition to these places 'wine' is used with the contrary meaning in Jeremiah 13:12; Hosea 4:11; 7:5; Amos 2:8; Micah 2:11; Psalms 75:8; Deuteronomy 32:33.

Falsity from evil is also meant by the cup of the wine of wrath in Jeremiah 25:15-16; Revelation 14:8, 10; 16:19; the winepress of the wrath of God's anger, Revelation 19:15; and the wine of whoredom, Revelation 17:2; 18:3.

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863. For they are virgins, signifies for the reason that they are in the affection of truth for the sake of truth. This is evident from the signification of "virgins," as being affections of truth, which are called spiritual affections of truth. For there are natural affections of truth which exist in almost everyone, especially during childhood and youth. But natural affections of truth have reward as an end, at first reputation, and afterwards honor and gain. These are not the affections here meant by "virgins," but spiritual affections of truth are meant, which are such as have for their end eternal life and the uses of that life. Those who are in such affections love truths because they are truths, thus apart from the world's glory, honors, and gains; and those who love truths apart from such considerations love the Lord; for the Lord is with man in the truths that are from good. For that which proceeds from the Lord as a Sun is the Divine truth, and that which proceeds from the Lord is the Lord; consequently he that receives truth from spiritual love because it is truth receives the Lord. Therefore of such it is said "these are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth." Moreover, such are meant by the Lord in these words in Matthew:

The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a treasure hidden in a field, which a man having found hideth, and in his joy goeth and selleth all things whatsoever he hath, and buyeth the field. Again, the kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man, a merchant, seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one precious pearl, went and sold all that he had, and bought it (Matthew 13:44-46).

"The treasure hidden in a field" and "the pearls" signify the truths of heaven and the church; and the "one precious pearl" signifies the acknowledgment of the Lord. The affection of truths because they are truths is meant by "the man went in his joy and sold all that he had, and bought the field" in which the treasure was hidden, also by "the merchant's going and selling all that he had, and buying the precious pearl."

[2] Those who are in the spiritual affection of truth are called "virgins" from the marriage of good and truth from which is conjugial love; for a "wife" is the affection of good, and a "husband" the understanding of truth; moreover, females and males are born such. Now because virgins love to be conjoined to men with whom is the understanding of truth, therefore they signify the affections of truth. (But on this see more fully in the work on Heaven and Hell 366-386, where "Marriages in the Spiritual World" are treated of.) This makes clear what "virgins" signify in the following passages in the Word.

In Lamentations:

The ways of Zion do mourn because they come not to the feast; all her gates are devastated, her priests moan, her virgins are sad, and she herself is in bitterness. The Lord hath cast down all my mighty in the midst of me; He hath proclaimed against me an appointed time for breaking my youths. The Lord hath trodden the wine-press for the virgin daughter of Zion. ¹ Hear, I pray, all ye people, and behold my grief; my virgins and my youths have gone into captivity (Lamentations 1:4, 15, 18).

This describes the devastation of Divine truth in the church, "Zion" of which this is said signifying the church, where the Lord reigns by the Divine truth. "The ways of Zion do mourn" signifies that Divine truths are no longer sought; "no one comes to the feast" signifies that there is at that time no worship; "all her gates are desolated" signifies that there is no approach to truths; "her priests moan, her virgins are sad," signifies that affections of good and affections of truth are destroyed; "He hath cast down all my mighty in the midst of me" signifies that all power of truth against falsities has perished; "He hath proclaimed against me an appointed time" signifies its last state, when the Lord is about to come; "for breaking my youths" signifies when there is no longer any understanding of truth; "the Lord hath trodden the wine-press for the virgin daughter of Zion" ¹ signifies when all the truths of the Word are falsified; "my virgins and my youths have gone into captivity" signifies when all the affection of truth and the understanding of truth have perished by falsities.

[3] In the same:

The elders of the daughter of Zion sit on the earth; they keep silence; they have cast up dust upon their head; they have girded themselves with sackcloth; the virgins of Jerusalem have made their head to go down to the earth. What shall I testify unto thee, to what shall I liken thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? They have lain in the streets, the boy and the old man; my virgins and my youths have fallen by the sword (Lamentations 2:10, 13, 21).

These words, too, describe the devastation of Divine truth in the church, "the daughter of Zion" being the church in which the Lord reigns by Divine truth; grief on account of its devastation is described by "sitting on the earth," "the elders being silent," "casting up dust upon the head," "girding themselves with sackcloth," and "making the head to go down to the earth." "The elders of the daughter of Zion" signify those who have been in Divine truths; "the virgins of Jerusalem" signify those who have taught truths from the affection of truth; "they have lain in the streets, the boy and the old man," signifies that innocence and wisdom have been destroyed, together with Divine truths; "my virgins and my youths have fallen by the sword" signifies that all the affection of truth and all the understanding of truth have perished by falsities, "virgin" being the affection of truth, "youth" the understanding of truth, and "to fall by the sword" is to perish through falsities.

[4] In the same:

Our skins are become black like an oven because of the tempests of famine; the women in Zion have been ravished, the virgins in the cities of Judah; the princes have been hanged up by their hand; the faces of the elders have not been honored (Lamentations 5:10-12).

In this like things are involved. What is signified by "the women in Zion," "the virgins in the cities of Judah," and "the princes and old men," has been explained above (n. 540, 555, 655).

In Amos:

Behold the days shall come in which I will send a famine in the land, not a famine for bread nor a thirst for waters, but for hearing the words of Jehovah. In that day shall the beautiful virgins and the youths faint for thirst (Amos 8:11, 13).

This describes the lack of Divine truth. That lack is meant by "famine" and by "thirst;" therefore it is said, "not a famine for bread nor a thirst for waters, but for hearing the words of Jehovah." That the affection of truth and the understanding of truth will cease because of this lack is signified by "in that day shall the beautiful virgins and the youths faint for thirst."

[5] In Isaiah:

Blush, O Zidon, the sea hath said, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, neither brought forth; I have not trained up youths, I have not brought up virgins (Isaiah 23:4).

"Zidon and Tyre" mean the church as to the knowledges of good and truth; and the "sea" and "the stronghold of the sea" mean the natural where such knowledges are. That none are reformed by those knowledges is signified by "I have not travailed, neither brought forth;" and that consequently there is no understanding of truth and no affection of truth is signified by "I have not trained up youths, I have not brought up virgins."

[6] In David:

God shut up His people to the sword, and was wroth with His inheritance. The fire hath devoured her youths, and her virgins are not wedded. Her priests have fallen by the sword (Psalms 78:62-64).

This, too, treats of the devastation of the church by falsities and evils. "God shut up His people to the sword, and was wroth with His inheritance," signifies that the church perished through falsities and evils, the "sword" signifies the destruction of truth by falsities, "to be wroth" destruction by evils, the "people" those of the church who are in truths, and "inheritance" those who are in goods, but here those who are in falsities and evils. "The fire hath devoured her youths" signifies that the love of self and thence the pride of self-intelligence have destroyed the understanding of truth; "her virgins are not wedded" signifies that the affections of truth have perished through non-understanding of truth; "her priests have fallen by the sword" signifies that the goods of the church, which are the goods of works, of charity, and of life, have been destroyed by falsities.

[7] In Moses:

Without shall the sword bereave, and from the chambers terror, both the youth and the virgin, the suckling with the old man (Deuteronomy 32:25).

"Without shall the sword bereave, and from the chambers terror," signifies that falsity and evil, which are from within, shall devastate both the natural and the rational man; "the youth and the virgin" signify the understanding of truth and the affection of it; "the suckling with the old man" signifies innocence and wisdom.

[8] In Jeremiah:

By thee I will scatter nations, and by thee I will destroy kingdoms; by thee I will scatter the horse and his rider; by thee I will scatter the chariot and him that is carried therein; by thee I will scatter the old man and the boy; by thee I will scatter the youth and the virgin; by thee I will scatter the shepherd and his flock; by thee I will scatter the husbandman and his team; by thee I will scatter the governors and the leaders (Jeremiah 51:20-23).

This is said of Jacob and Israel, by whom is meant in the highest sense the Lord, who was to destroy the evils and falsities that bore rule in the church about the time of His coming; the "nations" and "kingdoms" that He will scatter signify evils and falsities in general; "the horse and his rider" signify reasonings from falsities against truths; "the chariot and him who is carried therein" signify falsities of doctrine; "the old man and the boy" signify falsities confirmed and not confirmed; "the youth and the virgin" signify the understanding of falsity and the affection of it; "the shepherd and his flock" signify those who teach and those who learn; "the husbandman and his team" have a like signification; "governors and leaders" signify the principles of falsity and evil.

[9] In Ezekiel:

Jehovah said, Go through the midst of the city, and through the midst of Jerusalem. Slay to destruction the old man, the youth and the virgin, and the infant and the women; but come not against any man upon whom is the sign (Ezekiel 9:4, 6).

This describes the devastation of all things pertaining to the church; "Jerusalem" signifies the church; "the old man, youth, virgin, infant, and women," signify all things of the church, the "old man" wisdom, the "youth" intelligence, the "virgin" the affection of truth, the "infant" innocence, "women" good conjoined to truths; "to slay to destruction" signifies to destroy utterly. That these things did not happen, but were merely seen by the prophet when he was in the spirit, is evident from the preceding verses, in which the abominations of the house of Israel and Judah are set forth under various forms and objects; and as these things did not happen, but were merely seen, it is clearly evident that "old man, youth, virgin, infant, and women," have this signification. What is signified by "come not against any man upon whom is the sign" may be seen above n. 427.

[10] In Joel:

They have cast lots upon my people, and they have given a boy for a harlot, and have sold a girl for wine which they drank (Joel 3:3).

"To cast lots upon the people" signifies to disperse the truths of the church by falsities; "to give a boy for a harlot" signifies to falsify the truths of the Word; "to sell a girl for wine" signifies to falsify the goods of the Word; "which they drank" signifies becoming imbued with falsity.

[11] In Zechariah:

The streets of the city were filled with boys and girls playing in its ² streets (Zechariah 8:5).

"Boys and girls" signify the truths and goods of innocence, such as are the truths and goods of the Word, which essentially constitute the church; "streets of the city" signify doctrinals, for which reason the ancients taught in the streets; and "to play in the streets" signifies to be glad and rejoice from doctrinals.

[12] In Jeremiah:

Again will I build thee, O virgin Israel; then shall the virgin be glad in her dance, and the young men and old men together (Jeremiah 31:4, 13).

"The virgin Israel" signifies the church from the affection of truth; "then shall the virgin be glad in the dance" signifies the gladness of heart of those who are in the spiritual affection of truth, since all spiritual gladness is from the affection of truth; and this is why the expressions "to play," "to dance," "to sing," and the like, are used in the Word in reference to virgins and girls.

[13] Because the church is a church from the spiritual affection of truth, which is the love of truth for the sake of truth, the following expressions are frequently used in the Word:

The virgin of Israel (Jeremiah 18:13; 31:4, 21; Amos 5:2);

The virgin daughter of Zion (2 Kings 19:21; Isaiah 37:22; Lamentations 1:4; 2:13);

The virgin daughter of my people (Jeremiah 14:17);

The virgin daughter of Zidon (Isaiah 23:12);

The virgin daughter of Egypt (Jeremiah 46:11);

Also the virgin daughter of Babylon (Isaiah 47:1).

In David:

They have seen thy goings, O God, the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary. The singers went before, the minstrels after, in the midst of virgins playing on timbrels (Psalms 68:24, 25).

This is said of the Lord, who is here meant by "my God" and "my King," and His coming is meant by "His goings in the sanctuary," "the singers, minstrels, and players on timbrels," signify all who are of the Lord's spiritual and celestial kingdom, "the virgins singing," those who are of His spiritual kingdom, and "the minstrels and players on timbrels" those who are of His celestial kingdom; they are called "virgins" from the affection of truth and good; and "to sing, to play on instruments and on timbrels" describes the gladness and joy of their heart, for instruments played by beating and by blowing depict the joy of those who are of the celestial kingdom; while stringed instruments and singing depict the gladness of those who are of the spiritual kingdom.

[14] In the same:

King's daughters are among thy precious ones; on thy right hand standeth the queen in the best gold of Ophir. Hear, O daughter and see, incline thine ear. Then shall the king delight in thy beauty; for he is thy lord, therefore bow thyself down to him. The daughter of Tyre also with an offering, the rich of the people shall entreat thy faces. The king's daughter is all precious within, her clothing is inwrought with gold; she shall be brought unto the king in broidered work; the virgins that follow her, her companions, shall be brought unto him; with joy and exultation they shall be brought, they shall come into the king's palace (Psalms 45:9-15).

It is evident from the verses that precede (Psalms 45:2-8), and from those that follow (Psalms 45:16, 17), that this is said of the Lord. "King's daughters" signify the affections of Divine truth; "the queen that was at his right hand in the best gold of Ophir" signifies heaven and the church, which are in Divine truths from Divine good; "to hear, to see, and to incline the ear," which is said of the king's daughter, signifies to hearken, to perceive, and to obey, thus to understand, to do, and to be wise, from the Lord. That she will then be acceptable to the Lord is signified by "then shall the king delight in thy beauty," "beauty" is predicated of the affection of truth, for this is what constitutes the beauty of angels; "therefore bow thyself down to him" signifies worship from a humble heart. "And the daughter of Tyre shall send an offering" signifies worship by those who are in the knowledges of truth; "the rich of the people shall entreat thy faces" signifies adoration by those who are in intelligence from these knowledges; "the king's daughter is all glorious within" signifies the spiritual affection of truth, which is called "glorious" from abundance of truth, while "within" signifies what is spiritual; "her clothing is inwrought with gold" signifies investing truths formed from the good of love; "she shall be brought unto the king in broidered work" signifies the appearances of truth, such as are in the sense of the letter of the Word; "the virgins that follow her, her companions," signify the spiritual-natural affections of truth which serve; "with joy and exultation they shall be brought, they shall come into the king's palace," signifies with heavenly joy into heaven, where the Lord is.

[15] Because "king's daughters" signified the spiritual affections of truth, and their "garments" signified truths in the ultimate of order, such as the truths of the Word are in the sense of its letter, therefore:

The king's daughters that were virgins were formerly clothed in robes of diverse colors, as is said of Tamar the daughter of David (2 Samuel 13:18).

In Zechariah:

How great is His goodness, and how great is His beauty! Corn maketh the young men to grow, and new wine the virgins (Zechariah 9:17).

This, too, is said of the Lord; and "His goodness and beauty" mean the Divine good and the Divine truth. "Corn maketh the young men to grow, and new wine the virgins," signifies that the understanding of truth and the affection of truth are formed by good and truth from Him. It is evident from these passages that "virgins" signify in the Word the affections of truth, likewise from other passages (as Isaiah 62:5; Jeremiah 2:32; Joel 1:7, 8; Psalms 148:12; Judges 5:30).

[16] Because a "virgin" signified the affection of the genuine truth of the church, which is wholly in accord with the good of love, it was commanded:

That the high priest should not take to wife a widow, or one divorced, or one polluted, a harlot, but a virgin of his own people, lest he profane his seed (Leviticus 21:13-15; also Ezekiel 44:22).

The particulars of this may be seen explained above n. 768. It was because "virgin" signifies the affection of genuine truth, and her defilement signifies falsification of Divine truth, that to commit whoredom was so severely forbidden, that:

If anyone should entice a virgin and lie with her he should pay her a dowry to be a wife for himself; but if her father should refuse to give her he should weigh him silver according to the dowry of virgins (Exodus 22:16, 17; Deuteronomy 22:28, 29).

This may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia 9181-9186.

[17] Because the affection of truth and the understanding of truth constitute a marriage, like that of a virgin espoused and married to a man, and these afterwards make one, like will and understanding, or affection and thought, or good and truth, in every man, and because diverse affections cannot be conjoined to one and the same thought, or diverse wills to one and the same understanding, or diverse truths of the church to one and the same good of love, without causing falsifications and dispersions of truth, so lying with a virgin who was betrothed was made a crime punishable with death, according to this command in Moses:

If a man lie in a city with a damsel that is a virgin betrothed to a man, both shall be stoned; but if in the field the man alone shall die, to the damsel there is no crime of death (Deuteronomy 22:23-27).

"Lying together in the city" signifies the adulteration of the good and truth of doctrine from the Word, for a "city" means doctrine, and "stoning" was a punishment for harm done to the truth of doctrine. But "lying together in the field" signifies the falsification of the truth of the church before it has been accepted as a doctrinal; and this is not the adulteration of its good, since a "field" means the church, in which truth at first is implanted and afterwards grows and at length becomes a matter of doctrine; and for this reason the man only should die. From this it can also be seen that "virginity" signifies the undefiled affection of truth (as in Leviticus 21:13; Deuteronomy 22:13-21; Ezekiel 23:3, 8.

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