Chapter 4.

Tempted by the Devil

1. Then was Jesus led away into the wilderness by the Spirit, to be tempted by the Devil.

2. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, He afterwards hungered.

3. And when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If Thou be the Son of God, say that these stones be made bread.”

4. But He answering said, “It is written, Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every saying that goes out through the mouth of God.”

5. Then the Devil takes Him into the holy city, and stands Him on a pinnacle of the temple;

6. And says to Him, “If Thou be the Son of God, cast Thyself down; for it is written that He shall command His angels concerning Thee, and in [their] hands they shall take Thee up, lest Thou ever dash Thy foot against a stone.”

7. Jesus declared to him, “Again, it is written, ‘Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.’”

8. Again, the Devil takes Him to an exceedingly high mountain, and shows Him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them;

9. And says to Him, “All these things I will give Thee, if, falling down, Thou wilt worship me.”

10. Then says Jesus unto him, “Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, ‘Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve’”.

11. Then the Devil leaves Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

The word “repent” means literally to change the way we think. ¹ But there is a difference between changing the way we think and changing the way we feel. Understanding truth can produce a change of mind; but only a life according to that truth can produce a change of heart. It is necessary, therefore, and most appropriate that the next step in our spiritual development be a trial by fire — actual experiences in our life in which we have the opportunity to apply truth to our lives. And this is precisely what happens to Jesus as the narrative continues, for we read that Jesus is led up by the Spirit into the wilderness “to be tempted by the devil” (4:1).

Jesus’ temptations in the wilderness provide the basic model for how we are to meet and overcome every possible temptation. The devil tempts Jesus first on the level of His natural, bodily life — the level of the five senses. Knowing that Jesus is hungry after a forty-day fast, the devil says, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” However hungry He might be, Jesus will not do what the devil demands. Instead, He replies by quoting scripture: “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God’” (Matthew 4:3; see also Deuteronomy 8:3).

The second temptation regards the spiritual plane of our minds, represented by a temple in the Holy City — a place of spiritual instruction. The devil now sets Jesus on the pinnacle of the temple and says to Him “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge concerning You. And in their hands they shall bear You up, lest You dash Your foot against a stone.’” (Matthew 4:6; see also Psalm 91:11, 12).

It is to be noted that the devil himself can quote scripture — but for his own selfish purposes. Similarly, as we move from the natural to the spiritual level of our lives, we too can learn to quote scripture. In our early development, however, we are sometimes tempted to use scripture to promote our own selfish interests, to feel superior to others, and to become infatuated with our own intelligence. ² We seem to be above others, secure in our self-intelligence, seated at “the pinnacle of the temple in the Holy City.”

One aspect of this form of self-intelligence is the belief that as long as we have faith, we can do whatever we want, for we are safe, secure, and “saved.” The danger of this false persuasion is represented by the devil suggesting that Jesus throw Himself down from the top of the temple. According to this kind of reasoning, if God has promised to protect us no matter what, then it really doesn’t matter what we do. Jesus, however, does not succumb to this second temptation. Instead, He again quotes scripture, this time saying, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God’” (Matthew 4:7; Deuteronomy 6:16). Faith must not be separated from life. Mere faith, apart from a life according to it, cannot save us.

We should note here that while the first temptation regards the physical plane (the level of natural hunger) the second temptation regards the mental plane — the level of intellectual faith. But merely believing in God without living according to God’s order is not true faith. People under the influence of a powerful delusion, can begin to believe that they are free of earthly constraints. Captivated by their delusional thinking, they take foolish risks, even defying the laws of gravity and sometimes plunging into disaster and death.

But there are less dramatic, more subtle versions of this inclination towards faith alone. Believing that we are saved by our faith, and not by a life in accordance with faith, we may be tempted to live outside the order of God’s commandments; there is a temptation to believe that since we are already saved, and cannot lose our salvation, our actions do not matter.

This is an alluring idea. But it is not a part of God’s order. In Deuteronomy, where it is written, “You shall not tempt the Lord your God,” the very next verse reads, “You shall diligently keep the commandments of the Lord, His testimonies, and His statutes which He has commanded you. And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord that it may go well with you” (Deuteronomy 6:17-18). ³ Taking foolish risks in the name of “faith” is really a denial of faith — not a testimony to faith. True faith is manifested in a life according to the commandments.

Unable to tempt Jesus at the physical or intellectual levels, the devil now proceeds to tempt Him at the highest level of all. This is suggested by the devil taking Jesus up onto an exceedingly high mountain. As a temple in the Holy City symbolizes the mental plane of our lives, involving matters of faith and belief, a mountain represents an even higher plane — the plane of our highest, and therefore inmost love to the Lord. ⁴ If Jesus will forsake this love, the devil promises to give Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. The only thing that Jesus will have to do is fall down and worship the devil.

This could be considered a tempting offer. After all, who wouldn’t want to possess the entire world, with all its kingdoms and all its glory? Honor, fame, and wealth! Power, prestige, and profit! All very alluring. But there is a catch: in order to obtain all of this, one must worship Satan instead of God.

Jesus is not fooled by Satan’s empty offer. First of all, the world does not, never did, and never will belong to Satan. “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof” (Psalm 24:1). So it is not Satan’s to give away anyway! Secondly, Jesus did not come to tyrannically rule over people, to make people slavishly serve Him, or even to force people to love Him. On the contrary, Jesus came to free people from all forms of tyranny, especially the tyranny of self-love which desires to rule over others — to be the ruler of all the kingdoms of the world.

Sometimes referred to as “the love of dominion” or simply the desire to have one’s own way, this “love of ruling” is an inner drive which destroys relationships and reduces people to being either the master or the slave. While we do not always recognize it as “the love of ruling,” it manifests as the desire to control what others love, think and do. Whether it be the relationship between an employer and an employee, a parent and a child, a teacher and a student, or a husband and wife, the covetous desire to control others and to make people do as we wish — when based on self-love rather than on mutual respect — is always destructive. ⁵

This then, is the third temptation with which Jesus is confronted. For Him it is the highest, most difficult temptation of all. From His Divine Power He could have easily ruled the world and forced all to love Him and keep His commandments. But this kind of external compulsion is antithetical to God’s love. This then, is the inner reason why Jesus chooses to resist this third and inmost temptation. God’s love for us, as manifested in Jesus, is so great that He even gives us the freedom to reject that love if we so choose. He will not force us to believe in Him, or to love Him, even though He knows that therein lies our greatest happiness. He will not succumb to the temptation to be the ruler of “all the kingdoms of the world,” nor does He desire to obtain “their glory.”

Instead He will forever preserve and protect our freedom to either reject or receive the blessings that flow from Him. ⁶ This is the reason that Jesus, again quoting scripture, rejects Satan’s offer, saying, “Away with you, Satan. For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only shall you serve’” (Matthew 4:10; see also Deuteronomy 6:13).

In each case, whether it is a temptation of the body (bread), mind (temple), or spirit (mountain), Jesus is able to resist the devil through employing the power of sacred scripture. While the devil uses scripture to justify evil, Jesus uses scripture to resist it. Each time Jesus is tempted, he responds with the words “It is written.” The devils of hell cannot resist the power of scripture. Temporarily defeated, they give up and depart, allowing angels to approach with consolation. Therefore we read, “Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him” (4:11). ⁷

Through the story of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness, we see the power of sacred scripture in overcoming temptation. This ordeal is a necessary and essential step in Jesus’ spiritual development. Baptized in the waters of truth, He immediately undergoes the fires of spiritual temptation. In this way, He gradually becomes one with the truth itself.

As for Jesus, so for us; temptation is an essential step on the path of our spiritual development. As we call upon and use the truth of sacred scripture in the combats of temptation, we make them our own, and these truths become a part of who we are. Through using truth from the letter of the Word, we open the way for the angels to flow in through those truths and minister to us: “Then the devil left Him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto Him” (4:11).

Bringing the Word to the Gentiles

12. And Jesus, having heard that John was delivered up [into custody], departed into Galilee;

13. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is on the seacoast, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali,

14. That it might be fulfilled which was declared by Isaiah the prophet, saying,

15. “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles;

16. The people who sat in darkness saw great light; and to them that sat in the country and shadow of death, light has risen.”

17. From then Jesus began to preach, and to say, “Repent ye, for the kingdom of the heavens is near.”

18. And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers.

19. And He says to them, “Come after Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

20. And straightway they left [their] nets and followed Him.

21. And advancing from thence, He saw two other brothers, James [the son] of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them.

22. And straightway, leaving the ship and their father, they followed Him.

23. And Jesus went around all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and curing every malady and every disease in the people.

24. And the report of Him went into the whole of Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, having different diseases and torments besetting [them], and the demon-possessed, and the lunatics, and those sick of the palsy; and He cured them.

25. And many crowds followed Him from Galilee, and Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and [from] across the Jordan.

Emerging from His temptations, Jesus is more deeply aware of the power of scripture. Having used it successfully during the three temptations in the wilderness, He realizes that it will be the primary means through which He will be able to save the human race. That, in fact, is his mission — nothing less than the salvation of the human race. And it is all the more urgent now, because John the Baptist (representing the literal truths of the Word) has been captured and put in prison. Therefore, Jesus resolves to carry on the work of John the Baptist, crying out, even as John did, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (4:17).

Jesus’ actions now are swift and deliberate. There is no time to waste. He immediately gathers together His first disciples, saying “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men” (4:19). After gathering together His disciples, He travels throughout Galilee, teaching, preaching, and healing. “And as He journeyed, His fame increased, and people came to see Him, and hear Him, bringing with them people who were sick, and demon-possessed, and paralyzed. And Jesus healed them all” (4:24).

What is happening here, and how does this relate to the divine arrangement of these episodes? We need to remember that Jesus has just been baptized and then tempted in the wilderness. Not only did He learn the truth (symbolized by receiving the waters of baptism), but He immediately put it to use in overcoming three successive temptations. This symbolizes the great power that flows into us after we have learned the truth and used it to be victorious in temptation. In Jesus’ case, he uses this power to heal all manner of disease, and to do so instantly. In our case it is the power to love our neighbor as ourselves, to do good to others, and to serve them with no thought of selfish gain. To the extent that we do so, putting aside all selfish motivation, while believing that it is God alone who does good through us, we come into states of peace.

This is the peace, joy and the gladness of mind that is always available to us — and which we most perceptibly experience after a spiritual struggle. It is also noteworthy that Jesus does not begin his public ministry after his baptism. Rather, He begins His ministry after a series of grueling temptations. Something similar can take place in each of our lives. We, too, can become a healing presence for others — not because we have learned truth (baptism), but because we have brought that truth into our life, used it in the combats of temptation, and given the glory to God. Only then do we experience true inner peace. ⁸

But the process does not end there. It is quite natural to want to share that peace with others, and to find ways to do so. In Jesus’ case, He immediately goes to Galilee to begin His public ministry. We, too, will find ways to share our experience with others. After all, “we have seen a great light.” Though we may have been experiencing our own “shadow of death,” we also experienced the quiet inner joy that comes to those who are victorious in temptation.

The experience of such inner peace is too wonderful to keep to ourselves. Something deep within us desires to reach out to others so that the words of the prophet might be fulfilled, “The people which sat in darkness have seen a great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death, light has sprung up (Matthew 4:16; Isaiah 9:2).

Poznámky pod čarou:

2799. 'And he took in his hand the fire and the knife' means the good of love and the truth of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'the fire' as the good of love, dealt with in 934, and from the meaning of 'the knife' as the truth of faith. As regards 'the knife' used on the victims in sacrifices meaning the truth of faith, this may be seen from the meaning of 'a sword' or 'a small sword' in the Word, for the expression 'small sword' is used instead of 'knife'. Both have the same meaning, the only difference being that 'a knife' which was used on sacrificial victims meant the truth of faith, whereas 'a sword' meant truth engaged in conflict. Now since the word 'knife' occurs but rarely in the Word, for a hidden reason given below, ¹ let the meaning of 'a sword' be shown. In the internal sense 'a sword' means the truth of faith engaged in conflict, and also the vastation of truth; and in the contrary sense it means falsity engaged in conflict and the punishment of falsity.

[2] A sword means the truth of faith engaged in conflict This becomes clear from the following places: In David,

Gird Your sword on Your thigh, O Mighty One; prosper in Your glory and honour, ride on the word of truth, and Your right hand will teach You marvellous things. Psalms 45:3-4.

This refers to the Lord. 'Sword' stands for truth engaged in conflict. In the same author,

The merciful will exalt in glory, they will sing on their beds. The high praises of God will be in their throats and an extremely sharp sword in their hand. Psalms 149:5-6.

In Isaiah,

Jehovah called Me from the womb, from My mother's body ² He made mention of My name, and made My mouth like a sharp sword, and made Me into a polished arrow. Isaiah 49:1-2.

'A sharp sword' stands for truth engaged in conflict, 'a polished arrow' for the truth of doctrine, see 2686, 2709. In the same prophet,

Asshur will fall by a sword, not of man (vir); a sword, not of man (homo), will devour him; and he will flee before the sword, and his young men will become tributary. Isaiah 31:8.

'Asshur' stands for reasoning in Divine things, 119, 1186, 'a sword, not of man (vir)' and 'not of man (homo)' stand for falsity, 'the sword before which he will flee' stands for truth engaged in conflict.

[3] In Zechariah,

Turn to the stronghold, O prisoners of hope; even today I declare I will render double to you - I who have bent for Myself Judah as a bow, I have filled Ephraim, and have roused your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Javan; and I will set you as the sword of one who is mighty, and Jehovah will appear over them, and His arrow will go forth like lightning. Zechariah 9:12-14.

'The sword of one who is mighty' stands for truth engaged in conflict. In John,

In the midst of the seven lampstands one like the Son of Man was holding in His right hand seven stars; out of His mouth a sharp two-edged sword was going forth, and His countenance was like the sun shining in full strength. Revelation 1:13, 16.

And further on,

These things says He who has the sharp two-edged sword, I will come to you quickly and engage in conflict with them with the sword of My mouth. Revelation 2:12, 16.

'A sharp two-edged sword' plainly stands for truth engaged in conflict, which was therefore represented as 'a sword going out of His mouth'.

[4] In the same book,

Out of the mouth of Him who sat on the white horse went forth a sharp sword, and with it He is to smite the nations. And they were slain by the sword of Him sitting on the horse, which went out of His mouth. Revelation 19:15, 21.

Here it is plain that 'a sword going out of His mouth' means truth engaged in conflict. The one 'sitting on the white horse' is the Word, and thus the Lord who is the Word; see above 2760-2763. This explains what the Lord says in Matthew,

Do not think that I have come to bring peace on to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. Matthew 10:34.

And in Luke,

Now he who has a purse, let him take it, and likewise a bag. But he who has none, let him sell his garments and buy a sword. They said to Him, Behold, Lord, here are two swords. And Jesus said, It is enough. Luke 22:36-38.

'A sword' here is used to mean nothing else than the truth, from which and for which they were to engage in conflict.

[5] In Hosea,

I will make for them a covenant on that day with the wild animals of the field, and with the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the ground. And I will abolish ³ the bow, and the sword, and war from the land, and I will make them lie down in safety. Hosea 2:18.

Here the subject is the Lord's kingdom. 'Abolishing the bow, the sword, and war' means the absence of any conflict there over doctrine and truth. In Joshua,

Joshua lifted up his eyes and saw, and behold, a man was standing before him, with a sword drawn in his hand. He said to Joshua, I am the Prince of the army of Jehovah; and Joshua fell on his face to the earth. Joshua 5:13-14.

These words, which refer to the time when Joshua together with the children of Israel entered the land of Canaan, are used to mean the entry - of those who have faith - into the Lord's kingdom. Truth engaged in conflict, which is the Church's, is 'the sword drawn in the hand of the Prince of the army of Jehovah'.

[6] But as for 'small swords' or 'knives' meaning the truth of faith, this becomes clear from the fact that they were used not only in sacrifices but also in circumcision. Those used in circumcision were made of flint and were called 'small swords of flint', as is evident in Joshua,

Jehovah said to Joshua, Make small swords of flint for yourself; and again, circumcise the children of Israel a second time. And Joshua made small swords of flint for himself, and circumcised the children of Israel on the hill of the foreskins. Joshua 5:2-3.

'Circumcision' was a representative of purification from self-love and love of the world, see 2039, 2632. And because such purification is achieved by means of the truths of faith, 'small swords of flint' were therefore used, 2039 (end), 2046 (end).

[7] II A sword means the vastation of truth This is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

These two will happen to you; who is to condole with you? Vastation and demolition, and famine and sword; who is to comfort you? Your sons fainted, they lay at the head of every street. Isaiah 51:19-20.

'Famine' stands for vastation of good, and 'sword' for vastation of truth. 'Lying at the head of every street' stands for being deprived of all truth. 'Street' means truth, 2336; and for what vastation is, see 301-304, 407, 408, 410, 411. In the same prophet,

I will destine ⁴ you for the sword, and all of you will bow down to the slaughter, because I called but you did not answer, I spoke but you did not listen. Isaiah 65:12.

[8] In the same prophet,

By fire Jehovah will judge, and by sword, all flesh; and the slain of Jehovah will be many. Isaiah 66:16.

'The slain of Jehovah' stands for those who have undergone vastation. In Jeremiah,

On all the hills in the wilderness those who cause devastation have come, for the sword of Jehovah is devouring from one end of the land even to the other end of the land. There is no peace for any flesh. They have sown wheat and reaped thorns. Jeremiah 12:12-13.

'The sword of Jehovah' plainly stands for the vastation of truth. In the same prophet,

They have lied against Jehovah and said, It is not He; and no evil will come upon us; neither shall we see sword and famine. And the prophets will become wind, and there is no utterance in them. Jeremiah 5:12-13.

[9] In the same prophet,

I am visiting them; the young men will die by the sword; their sons and their daughters will die by famine. Jeremiah 11:22.

In the same prophet,

When they offer burnt offering and minchah I will not accept them, for I am consuming them by sword and by famine and by pestilence. And I said, Ah, Lord Jehovih, behold, the prophets say to them, You will not see the sword, nor will you have famine. Jeremiah 14:12-13.

In the same prophet,

The city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans fighting against it, in face of the sword, and famine, and pestilence. Jeremiah 32:24, 36.

In the same prophet,

I will send sword, famine, and pestilence upon them, until they are consumed from the ground which I gave to them and their fathers. Jeremiah 24:10.

[10] In these places vastation is described as 'sword, famine, and pestilence'. 'Sword' describes the vastation of truth, 'famine' the vastation of good, and 'pestilence' preying upon even to destruction. In Ezekiel,

Son of man, Take a sharp sword, use it as a barber's razor and pass it over your head and over your beard. And you are to take balances and you are to divide the hair. A third part you are to burn with fire in the midst of the city; a third part you are to strike with the sword round about it; and a third part you are to scatter to the wind, and I will unsheathe the sword after them. A third part will die of pestilence, and be consumed with famine in the midst [of you], and a third part will fall by the sword round about [you], and a third part I will scatter to every wind; and I will unsheathe the sword after them. Ezekiel 5:1-2, 12, 17.

This refers to the vastation of natural truth, which is described in this fashion. In the same prophet,

The sword is without, and pestilence and famine within; he that is in the field will die by the sword, and him that is in the city famine and pestilence will devour. Ezekiel 7:15.

[11] In the same prophet,

Say to the land of Israel, Thus said Jehovah, Behold, I am against you, and will draw My sword out of its sheath, and will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked. Because I will cut off from you the righteous and the wicked, therefore My sword will go out of its sheath against all flesh from south to north; and all flesh will know that I Jehovah have drawn My sword out of its sheath, and it will not return any more. The word of Jehovah came to me, saying, Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus said Jehovah, Say: A sword, a sword has been sharpened and also polished, sharpened, for great slaughter, so that it is polished to flash like lightning! Son of man, prophesy and say, Thus said the Lord Jehovih against the children of Ammon, and against their reproach, Say: A sword, a sword is bared for the slaughter, and polished to consume because [polished to shine like] lightning - while they see vanity for you, while they divine a lie for you. Ezekiel 21:3-5, 8-20, 28-29.

Here 'a sword' means nothing other than vastation, as is evident in the internal sense from each detail included here.

[12] In the same prophet,

The king of Babel will destroy your towers with his swords. By reason of the abundance of horses their dust will cover you; by reason of the noise of horsemen, and wheels, and chariots, your walls will be shaken. With the hoofs of his horses he will trample all your streets. Ezekiel 26:9-11.

What 'Babel' is, see 1326, and that it causes vastation, 1327. In David, If he does not turn back God will whet His sword, bend His bow, and make it ready. Psalms 7:12.

In Jeremiah,

I said, Ah, Lord, truly You have utterly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, You will have peace; but the sword has reached even to the soul. Jeremiah 4:10.

[13] In the same prophet,

Declare in Egypt, and cause it to be heard in Migdol, Stand up and prepare yourself, for the sword will devour round about you. Jeremiah 46:14.

In the same prophet,

A sword over the Chaldeans and against the inhabitants of Babel, and against her rulers, and against her wise men! A sword against the boasters, and they will become insane! A sword against her mighty men, and they will be dismayed! A sword against her horses, and against her chariots, and against the whole mingled crowd in her midst, and they will become as women! A sword against her treasures, and they will be plundered! A drought on her waters, and they will dry up! Jeremiah 50:35-38.

'A sword' plainly stands for the vastation of truth, for it is said to be 'a sword against the wise men, against the boasters, against the mighty men, against the horses and chariots, against the treasures', and that there will be 'a drought on the waters and they will dry up'.

[14] In the same prophet,

We have given the hand to Egypt, to Asshur to be satisfied with bread. Slaves have had dominion over us; there is nobody to free us from their hand. In [peril of] our souls we acquired our bread, in face of the sword of the wilderness. Lamentations 5:6, 8-9.

In Hosea,

He will not return to the land of Egypt, and Asshur will be his king, because they have refused to return to Me. And the sword will come down on his cities, and consume his bars, and devour because of their counsels. Hosea 11:5-6.

In Amos.

I have sent the pestilence upon you in the way of Egypt, I have slain your young men with the sword, along with your captured horses. ⁵ Amos 4:10.

'In the way of Egypt' stands for the facts which cause vastation when, on the basis of these, people reason in Divine things. 'Captured horses' stands for the understanding when stripped of its own inherent qualities.

[15] III A sword in the contrary sense means falsity engaged in conflict. This becomes clear in David,

As to my soul, I lie in the midst of lions setting on fire the children of men; their teeth are spear and arrows, and their tongues a sharp sword. Psalms 57:4.

In the same author,

Behold, they belch out with their mouths, swords are in their lips - for who hears? Psalms 59:7.

In Isaiah,

You are cast out from your sepulchre like an abominable stock, a garment of the slain pierced by the sword, who go down to the stones of the pit like a dead body trodden underfoot. Isaiah 14:19

This refers to Lucifer. In Jeremiah,

In vain have I smitten your sons, they took no correction Your own sword is devouring your prophets, like a ravaging lion. O generation, observe the Word of Jehovah, Have I been a wilderness to Israel? Jeremiah 2:30-31.

[16] In the same prophet,

Do not go out into the field, and do not walk on the road, for the enemy has a sword, terror is all around. Jeremiah 6:25-26.

In the same prophet,

Take the cup of the wine of wrath and make all the nations to which I send you drink it. And they will drink and reel, and go mad in face of the sword which I am sending among them. Drink and get drunk, and vomit, and fall, and do not get up again in face of the sword. Jeremiah 25:15-16, 27.

In the same prophet,

Go up, O horses; rage, O chariots; let the mighty men go forth, Cush and Put, that handle the shield, and the Ludim that handle and bend the bow. And that day is to the Lord Jehovih of hosts a day of vengeance. And the sword will devour, and be sated, and become drunk on their blood. Jeremiah 46:9-10.

[17] In Ezekiel,

They will strip you of your garments, and take the jewels ⁶ of your glory, and leave you naked and bare. And they will bring up an assembly upon you, and they will stone you with stones; they will run you through with their swords. Ezekiel 16:39-40.

This refers to the abominations of Jerusalem. In Zechariah,

Woe to the worthless shepherd, the deserter of the flock! The sword will fall upon his arm and upon his right eye. His arm will be wholly withered, and his right eye utterly darkened. Zechariah 11:17.

In Hosea,

They thought what was evil against Me. Their princes will fall by the sword for the rage of their tongue. This will be their derision in the land of Egypt. Hosea 7:15-16.

[18] In Luke,

There will be great distress over the earth, and wrath on that people; for they will fall by the edge of the sword, and will be led captive among all the gentiles; ⁷ at length Jerusalem will be trodden down by the gentiles. ⁷ Luke 21:23-24.

Here the Lord was referring to the close of the age - in the sense of the letter to the dispersion of the Jews and the destruction of Jerusalem, but in the internal sense to the final state of the Church. 'Falling by the edge of the sword' means that there was no truth any longer, but merely falsity. 'All the gentiles' means every kind of evil among which 'they will be led captive'. 'The gentiles' - or 'the nations' - means evils, see 1259, 1260, 1849, 1868, and 'Jerusalem' means the Church, 2117, which will be so 'trodden down' by them.

[19] IV A sword also means the punishment of falsity

This is clear in Isaiah,

On that day Jehovah will make a visitation with His hard and great and strong sword upon Leviathan the full-length serpent, ⁸ and upon Leviathan the twisting serpent, and He will slay the monsters that are in the sea. Isaiah 27:1.

This refers to those who by means of reasonings based on sensory evidence and factual knowledge enter into the mysteries of faith. 'The hard, great, and strong sword' stands for the punishments of the falsity that results from those reasonings.

[20] When one reads about people being put to, and being slain by, the edge of the sword, sometimes including 'both men and women, young people and old, oxen, sheep, and asses', the meaning in the internal sense is punishment consisting in the condemnation of falsity, as in Joshua 6:21; 8:24-25; 10:28, 30, 37, 39; 11:10-12, 14; 13:22; 19:47; Judges 1:8, 25; 4:15-16; 18:27; 20:37; 1 Samuel 15:8; 2 Kings 10:25; and elsewhere. This also explains why it was commanded to put to the sword any city which worshipped other gods, and to destroy it utterly and to burn it with fire, and to let it remain a heap for ever, Deuteronomy 13:12-18. 'The sword' stands for the punishment of falsity, 'fire' for the punishment of evil. The angel of Jehovah with a drawn sword who stood in the path against Balaam, Numbers 22:22, 31, meant the truth which stood in the way of the falsity which possessed Balaam. For that reason also he was slain with a sword, Numbers 31:8.

[21] The meaning of 'a sword' in the genuine sense as truth engaged in conflict, and in the contrary sense as falsity engaged in it, also the vastation of truth and the punishment of falsity, has its origin in the representatives that occur in the next life. For in that life, when anyone utters that which he knows to be false, daggers so to speak instantly come down over his head and strike terror, while truth engaged in conflict is represented there as well by objects which have sharp points like the tips of swords; for such is the nature of truth if it is devoid of good, but if it exists together with good it is rounded and gentle. Such being the origin of the meaning of a sword, therefore with angels, whenever a knife, spear, small sword, or sword is mentioned in the Word, truth engaged in conflict comes to mind.

[22] The reason why a knife is hardly mentioned at all in the Word is that in the next life there are evil spirits who are called 'knifers'. They seem to have knives hanging by their sides, and the reason for this is that they possess so brutal a nature that they wish to cut everyone's throat with their knife. This is why knives are not mentioned, but small swords and swords, for the latter being implements normally used in battle give rise to the idea of war and so of truth engaged in conflict.

[23] Because it was well known to the ancients that a small sword, a lance, and a knife meant truth, the gentiles, who received the practice through tradition, were therefore accustomed during sacrifices to stab and slash themselves, even until they bled, with small swords, lances, or knives, as one reads of the priests of Baal,

The priests of Baal cried out with a loud voice and cut themselves after their custom with swords and lances, until blood gushed out. 1 Kings 18:28.

As regards all weapons of war in the Word meaning things that have to do with spiritual conflict, each one having some specific meaning, see 2686.

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