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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447. Of the tribe of Zebulun were sealed twelve thousand.- That this signifies the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the third heaven is evident from the representation and thence the signification of Zebulun and the tribe named after him, as denoting the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the third heaven. For the name Zebulun in Hebrew is derived from [a word meaning] cohabitation, and cohabitation in the spiritual sense signifies conjunction, such as exists with those who love each other. Zebulun here signifies the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the third heaven, because the nine preceding tribes signify all those who are in the heavens and come into the heavens; and there are three heavens, the inmost, the middle, and the ultimate, and none come into heaven but those whom the Lord conjoins to Himself, therefore the three tribes last named signify conjunction with the Lord. The tribe of Zebulun signifies the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the third heaven; the tribe of Joseph, the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the second heaven; and the tribe of Benjamin, the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the ultimate heaven.

[2] In the highest sense, Zebulun signifies the union of the Divine itself and the Divine Human in the Lord; in the internal sense, the conjunction of the Lord with heaven and the church, and specifically, the conjunction of good and truth therein, since this conjunction is the cause of the conjunction with the Lord of those who are in the three heavens, and in the church. For the Lord flows into them with the good of love and charity, and conjoins it to the truths which they have, and by means of it He conjoins men and angels to Himself. These are the things signified by "cohabitation," from which Zebulun is named. That these things are signified by Zebulun may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 3960, 3961), where the words of his mother Leah when she brought him forth are explained, which are these:

"And Leah conceived, and bare a sixth son to Jacob. And Leah said, God hath endowed me with a good dowry; now will my husband cohabit with me, because I have borne him six sons; and she called his name Zebulun" (Genesis 30:19, 20).

[3] From these significations of Zebulun, it is evident what is signified by him in the following passages; as in the prophecy of Israel concerning his sons:

"Zebulun shall dwell at the haven of the seas; and he shall be for a haven of ships; and his border shall be over unto Zidon" (Genesis 49:13).

Here, Zebulun signifies the conjunction of good and truth, which is also called the heavenly marriage. To dwell at the haven of the seas, signifies the conjunction of spiritual things with natural truths, for the sea denotes scientifics, which are natural truths. To dwell at a haven of ships, signifies spiritual conjunction with doctrinals from the Word, ships denoting doctrinals and knowledges of all kinds. His border being over unto Zidon, signifies extension to the knowledges of good and truth from the celestial kingdom. These things may be seen more fully explained in the Arcana Coelestia 6382-6386).

[4] Similarly in the prophecy of Moses concerning the sons of Israel:

"Of Zebulun he said, Rejoice, Zebulun, in thy going forth; and Issachar, in thy tents. They shall call the people unto the mountain; there they shall sacrifice sacrifices of justice; for they shall suck the abundance of the sea, and the hidden treasures of the sand" (Deuteronomy 33:18, 19).

That Zebulun here also signifies the conjunction of good and truth, may be seen in a previous article (n. 445:5), where this prophecy is explained. Similarly in the prophecy of Deborah and Barak in the book of Judges:

"Out of Machir, shall come down legislators, and out of Zebulun they who handle the staff of the scribe. Zebulun a people that devoted the soul to die, and Naphtali upon the high places of the field. The kings came, they fought, then fought the kings of Canaan in Taanach by the waters of Megiddo; they took no gain of silver. They fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought against Sisera" (5:14, 18, 19, 20).

The subject in this prophecy is the combat of truth from good against falsity from evil. The king of Canaan, who reigned in Hazor, and Sisera, the chief of his army, who fought against Barak and Deborah, signify the falsity of evil; Barak and Deborah, the truth of good. And because the tribes of Naphtali and Zebulun signified combat from the truth which is from good, the tribe of Naphtali, combat, and the tribe of Zebulun, the conjunction of good and truth, therefore these two tribes only and not the other tribes were chosen to go into the combat (Judges 4:6). That this combat signified such things, is evident from the prophecy pronounced by Deborah and Barak, which treats in the spiritual sense of the victory of truth from good over falsity from evil, and of the purification and reformation of the church. Here therefore, Out of Machir shall come down legislators, signifies, that the truths of good shall flow from the good of life, for Machir has a signification similar to that of Manasseh, for he was the son of Manasseh (Genesis 50:23; Josh. 13:31); and legislators signify those who are in the truths of good, and in the abstract, the truths of good itself. And out of Zebulun they who handle the staff of the scribe, signifies intelligence from the conjunction of truth and good, for Zebulun signifies here, as above, the conjunction of truth and good, and the staff of the scribe, intelligence. Zebulun a people that devoted the soul to die, and Naphtali upon the high places of the field, signifies combat in the natural man by means of truths from the spiritual man, and from its influx and conjunction; the high places of the field signify the interior things of the spiritual man, from which the natural man fights. The kings came, they fought, then fought the kings of Canaan, signifies the falsities of evil against which there is combat. In Taanach by the waters of Megiddo, signifies those falsities and their nature. They took no gain of silver, signifies that they took and carried away nothing of truth from good, silver denoting truth from good. They fought from heaven, the stars in their courses fought against Sisera, signifies combat by means of the knowledges of truth and good, which come through heaven from the Lord, stars denoting such knowledges, and courses denoting truths.

[5] Zebulun and Naphtali also signify the conjunction of truth and good by combat against falsities and evils, and consequent reformation, in these words in Matthew:

Jesus "leaving Nazareth, came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, The land of Zebulun, and the land of Naphtali, by the way of the sea, beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles; the people which sat in darkness saw a great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up. From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand" (4:13-17; Isaiah 9:1, 2).

That these words in Isaiah were spoken concerning the Lord, is evident, for it is said, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet "wherefore the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, also Galilee of the Gentiles," signify the establishment of the church with the Gentiles, who are in the good of life and receive truths, and are thus in the conjunction thereof, and in combat against evil and falsities. That the establishment of the church and the reformation of such Gentiles are there meant, is also evident from the statement that it was "beyond Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles," and also that the people who sat in darkness saw a great light, and that to them that sat in the region and shadow of death light sprang up.

[6] Zebulun and Naphtali, in the highest sense, signify the union of the Divine itself with the Divine Human of the Lord by means of temptations admitted into Himself, and the victories which He obtained by His own power; as in David (Psalm 68:27-29) explained above (no. 439:5). Because such things were signified by Zebulun, therefore, the tribe of Judah, together with the tribes of Issachar and Zebulun, encamped to the east about the tent of the congregation (Num. 2:3-10). For the encampments of the sons of Israel around the tent of the congregation represented and thence signified the arrangement of the angelic societies in heaven; and those who are in conjunction with the Lord through love to Him are there in the east. The tribe of Judah represented love to the Lord, and the tribe of Zebulun, conjunction with Him.