1186. And no craftsman of whatsoever craft shall be found in thee any more, signifies no more wisdom, intelligence, or knowledge. This is evident from the signification of "craftsman of whatsoever craft," as being everything belonging to the understanding, consequently wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge, for these belong to the understanding, the inmost of which is wisdom, the middle intelligence, and the lowest is knowledge. This is the signification of "craftsman of whatsoever craft," because these are endowments of the understanding, and its endowments are signified by "crafts." As these are signified by "crafts," so in the Word where the construction of the tabernacle is treated of, also the garments of Aaron, which were of gold, blue, purple, scarlet double-dyed, and fine twined linen, it is said that they were to be the work of the "craftsman," elsewhere "a work of a contriver" (Exodus 26:1, 31; 28:6; 39:8; and elsewhere). The things of which these were made, and which are here mentioned, signify things of wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge; therefore of Bezaleel and Oholiab, who were the craftsmen, and who made these things, it is said:

They were filled with wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge (Exodus 31:3; 36:1-2).

[2] That "craftsman" signifies intelligence from what is one's own [proprium] is evident in Hosea:

They make them a molten image of their silver, and idols in their intelligence, all of it the work of the craftsmen (Hosea 13:2).

"Molten image" and "idol" signify worship according to doctrine that is from self-intelligence; "silver" signifies the falsity from which such doctrine comes; therefore it is said "that in their intelligence they make them an idol, all of it the work of craftsmen." So in Isaiah:

The craftsman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth chains of silver; he seeketh a wise craftsman (Isaiah 40:19-20).

And in Jeremiah:

Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the founder, hyacinthine and garments, all of it the work of the wise (Jeremiah 10:3, 9).

Here and in many passages elsewhere self-intelligence is described by "idols," and "sculptured and molten images" (See n. 587, 827).

(Continuation)

[3] End, mediate causes, and effect, are called also the chief end, intermediate ends, and the final end. Intermediate and final ends are called ends, because the chief end produces them, is everything in them, is their esse and is their soul. The chief end is the will's love in man, the intermediate ends are subordinate loves, and the final end is the love of the will existing as it were in its effigy. As the chief end is the love of the will it follows that intermediate ends, being subordinate loves, are foreseen, provided, and produced through the understanding, and that the final end is the use foreseen, provided, and produced by the love of the will through the understanding, for everything that love produces is a use. This must be premised in order that what has just been said may be perceived, namely, that eminence and riches may be blessings or that they may be curses.

4904. 'And also, behold, she is pregnant owing to acts of whoredom' means, or to say anything can be brought forth from this. This is clear from the meaning of carrying in the womb or 'being pregnant' as bringing something forth (for 'seed' means the truth of faith and 'conception' the reception of it, and therefore carrying in the womb or 'being pregnant' means bringing forth); and from the meaning of 'whoredom' as falsity, that is to say, from their semblance of religion, as above in 4903. From this it is evident that 'saying, Tamar your daughter-in-law has committed whoredom, and also, behold, she is pregnant owing to acts of whoredom' means the perception that it is a falsity to say that anything of marriage exists between them, or that anything can be brought forth from it. In reference to the Church, 'being brought forth' is used to describe the good which is brought forth by means of truth, that good being actually brought forth when truth passes by way of the understanding into the will, and from the will into action. For as stated above, 'seed' means the truth of faith, and 'conception' the reception of it; and reception takes place when truth present in the understanding passes into good present in the will - that is, when truth that is the truth of faith passes into good that is the good of charity. When present in the will good is in its own womb and is first brought forth; but when it is present in a person's action - that is, when the will, and so delight and freedom, lead him to bring forth good - that good leaves the womb and is born. The expressions 'being born again' and 'being regenerated' are also used with the same meaning. All this shows what is meant in the internal sense by 'being pregnant', though here the contrary is meant - that no good at all could be brought forth since no truth at all, only falsity, existed among that nation which is the subject here, because no internal aspect of the Church existed among them.

[2] That nation had no knowledge at all of rebirth or regeneration, that is, of becoming an internal man, and as a consequence saw this as 'a harlot'. Such ignorance may be seen from Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews, in John 3:1-13, for he said,

How can a person be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born? John 3:4.

It is well known that the Lord revealed the internal truths of His kingdom and of His Church. Even so, those truths had been known to the ancients, such as the truth that a person needed to be born again, so that he could enter into life; the truth that in this case he needed to cast aside the old man, that is, self-love and love of the world together with their lusts, and to put on the new man, that is, love towards the neighbour and towards God; and the truth that heaven needed to exist within the regenerate person; and many more truths that were internal ones. Those who belonged to the Ancient Church knew these truths, but they were led to know them through external representatives. However, because among the Jewish nation such truths had become completely lost the Lord presented those same truths in His teaching. Actual representatives were done away with by Him since the majority of them had regard to Himself; for the image must pass away when the actual likeness presents itself.

[3] The Lord therefore established a new Church which was not to be led to know internal truths, as that former Church had been led, by means of representatives but was to know them without the help of representatives. In place of these representatives He ordained certain external forms, baptism and the Holy Supper. Baptism was ordained so that it might enable people to call regeneration to mind, and the Holy Supper so that it might enable them to bring to mind the Lord and His love towards the entire human race, and man's reciprocation of His love. These matters have been mentioned so that it may be recognized that the internal truths of the Church which the Lord taught had been known to the ancients but that among the Jewish nation they had become completely lost, so completely that they were regarded to be nothing else than falsities.