962. And there came a great and noxious sore. That this signifies evil works there, and consequent falsifications of truth, is evident from the signification of a sore, as denoting works that are done from man, thus from his proprium, and are evil; of these we shall treat presently. And that great is said of good, and, in the opposite sense, of evil, and noxious of what is falsified; therefore, by a great and noxious sore are signified evil works, and consequent falsifications of truth.

The reason why by sores are signified works from the proprium, and thence evils is, that from man's proprium nothing but evil can be produced. For a man's proprium is that into which he is born, and which he afterwards acquires by his own life. And because his proprium is thus, from its very birth, formed of mere evils, therefore a man must be, as it were, created anew, or regenerated, in order that he may be in good, and thus be received into heaven. When he is regenerated, then the evils from the proprium are removed, and in their place goods are implanted, and this is effected by truths. That evil works, and the falsifications of truths are with those who acknowledge faith alone in doctrine, and confirm it in life, is meant by what follows - that a great and noxious sore is upon the men who have the mark of the beast, and who worship his image.

That sores signify works from the proprium, is evident from the Word, where sores and wounds and various diseases are mentioned; as leprosies, fevers, hemorrhoids, and others; all of which correspond to lusts arising from evil loves, and thence signify them.

[2] What ulcers or wounds signify is further evident from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"From the sole of the foot even to the head there is no soundness in it; the wound, and scar, and fresh bruise have not been pressed out, nor bound up, nor mollified with oil. Your whole land is a desert, your cities burned with fire" (1:6, 7).

By these words it is declared that there is no good and, consequently, no truth in the church, but evil and the falsity therefrom. From the sole of the foot even to the head no soundness, signifies that both natural things and spiritual, these being the interiors of man and of his will, are destroyed. Wound and scar, and fresh bruise, signify evils of the will, and the falsities of the thought therefrom, continually abounding. Evils of the will are also evil works. Not bound up, nor mollified with oil, signifies not amended by repentance, nor tempered by good. Your land is a desert, your cities burned with fire, signifies the church devastated as to all truth, and the doctrinals thereof destroyed by a life according to lusts arising from an evil love.

[3] In Hosea:

"Ephraim saw his disease, and Judah his wound; and Ephraim went to Assyria, and sent to king Jareb, and he could not heal you; and he shall not cure you of your wound" (5:13).

By Ephraim is signified the church as to the understanding of truth; in this case, as to the understanding of falsity. And by Judah is signified the will of good, here, the will of evil. By Assyria and king Jareb is signified the Rational perverted, as to good and as to truth. The signification of those words in a series is evident, that is, that a man from his own intelligence cannot amend the falsities arising from evils of the will; evil of the will, which also is evil of the life, being meant by wound.

[4] In David:

"Mine iniquities have passed over my head, my wounds stink and are corrupt, by reason of my foolishness" (Psalms 38:4, 5).

Here also wounds signify evils of the will, which are evil works; these are said to stink and to be corrupt by reason of foolishness, when the delight of the will and of thought therefrom is to do them.

[5] In Isaiah:

"In the day that Jehovah bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the wound of their plague" (30:26).

By the breach of the people is signified falsity of doctrine; and by the wound of their plague, evil of life. The reformation of doctrine by means of truths is signified by Jehovah binding up the breach of His people; and reformation of the life by truths, is signified by healing the wound of their plague.

[6] "The Samaritan bound up the wounds of him who was wounded by robbers, and poured therein oil and wine" (Luke 10:33, 34).

This signified that those who are in the good of charity are desirous to amend the evils arising from falsities by means of truths from good. Thieves are those who infuse falsities, whence evils come; the Jews in particular. Wounds are those evils; oil is the good of love, and wine is the truth of the Word and of doctrine.

[7] But these things may be seen explained above (n. 376, 444). By

Lazarus who lay at the threshold of the rich man, full of sores (Luke 16:21),

are meant the nations, who were in falsities from ignorance of truth, and thence were not in goods. These are those who are thence called full of sores. By the rich man, at whose threshold he lay, is meant the Jewish nation, which might have been in truths from the Word which they possessed.

[8] That a sore breaking forth was one of the plagues in Egypt, is evident in Moses:

"Jehovah said unto Moses and unto Aaron, Take to you your hands full of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward heaven in the sight of Pharaoh, and it shall become dust upon all the land of Egypt. And they took the ashes of the furnace, and Moses sprinkled it towards heaven, and it became a sore breaking forth with boils in man and in beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses on account of the sore, because the sore was upon the magicians and upon all the Egyptians" (Exodus 9:8-11).

By Pharaoh and the Egyptians is signified the natural man obsessed by evils and falsities of every kind; and the love of dominion of the natural man over the spiritual, the spiritual man being there signified by the sons of Israel. By the miracles performed there, which were so many plagues, and also are called diseases, are signified so many evils and falsities infesting, devastating, and destroying the church with spiritual men. By the ashes of the furnace which Moses sprinkled toward heaven, are signified the falsities of lusts that are excited. By the dust in the land of Egypt, is signified damnation. By the sore breaking forth in boils, are signified the filthy things of the will together with blasphemies. But these things may be seen explained in detail in Arcana Coelestia 7516-7532).

[9] Similar things are also signified by these words in Moses:

"Jehovah will smite thee with the sore of Egypt, and with hemorrhoids, and with the scab and the itch, that thou canst not be healed, with which thou shalt become insane from the beholding of the eyes. Jehovah shall smite thee with an evil sore upon the knees and upon the thighs, of which thou canst not be healed" (Deuteronomy 28:27, 34-36).

By the plagues named there are signified evils and falsities of various kinds arising from the filthy loves of the natural man, for they correspond thereto. For sores and wounds exist from injury to the flesh and blood, and evils and falsities from the injury to Divine Good and Divine truth; and flesh corresponds to good, and therefore in the Word signifies it; and blood, to truth, and hence signifies it.

[10] Because leprosy signifies the profanation of truth; and the profanation of truth is various, and is, consequently, light and grievous, exterior and interior, and according to the quality of the truth profaned, therefore also its effects are various, these being signified by the appearances in leprosy; which were tumours, sores of tumours, white pustules, reddenings, abscesses, burnings, cutaneous eruption, scurf, etc. (Leviticus 13:1 to the end). Such things happened to the Jewish nation from correspondence, not only in their flesh, but also in their garments, houses, and vessels, on account of their profanations of the Word.

Continuation concerning the Second Precept:-

[11] Because by the name of God is meant the Divine truth, or the Word; and by its profanation denial of its sanctity, and thence contempt, rejection, and blasphemy, it follows that the name of God is interiorly profaned by a life contrary to the precepts of the Decalogue. For there is profanation interior and not exterior; and there is a profanation interior, and at the same time exterior. And there may be also somewhat of profanation which is exterior and not at the same time interior. Interior profanation is effected by the life, exterior by the speech. The interior profanation, by the life, becomes also exterior or by speech, after death. For then every one thinks and wills, and, as far as it is permitted, speaks and acts, according to his life; thus, not as he used in the world. In the world a man is accustomed to speak and act differently from his own life; he thinks and wills for the sake of the world, and to get fame. This is why, as was said, there is a profanation which is interior, and not at the same time exterior.

That there may be also somewhat of profanation which is exterior, and not at the same time interior, may result from the style of the Word, which is not at all the style of the world; and may consequently be to some extent despised from ignorance of its interior sanctity.

6435. 'Even as far as the desire of the everlasting hills' means as far as celestial mutual love. This is clear from the meaning of 'the everlasting hills' as aspects of mutual love, dealt with below; for the vision that the spiritual Church may arrive at that love is meant by 'even as far as the desire of the everlasting hills'. Before other places in the Word are introduced to show that mutual love is meant by 'the everlasting hills' something must be said first about what one means by mutual love, a goal which the member of the spiritual Church represented by 'Joseph' has more than enough to do to reach. What has often been stated and shown already shows that there are two kingdoms constituting heaven - the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. The difference between those two kingdoms is that the internal good of the celestial kingdom is the good of love to the Lord, while its external good is the good of mutual love. Members of that kingdom are governed by the good of love, not by truth that is called the truth of faith; for such truth is so integrated into the good of that kingdom that it cannot be seen in isolation from good. This being so, members of that kingdom cannot even utter the word faith, 202, 103, 4448; for with them the good of mutual love stands in place of the truth of faith. But in the spiritual kingdom the good of charity towards the neighbour constitutes the internal aspect of it and the truth of faith the external aspect.

[2] From all this one may see what the difference is between the two kingdoms, and also that they meet each other, in that the external aspect of the celestial kingdom coincides with the internal of the spiritual kingdom through an intermediary called the celestial of the spiritual. For as stated above, the external of the celestial kingdom is the good of mutual love, and the internal of the spiritual kingdom is the good of charity towards the neighbour. But the good of mutual love is more internal than the good of charity towards the neighbour, because the former springs from the rational, the latter from the natural. But although the good of mutual love, which is the external of the celestial Church, is more internal, while the good of charity towards the neighbour is more external, the Lord nevertheless joins the two kinds of good together through, as has just been stated, an intermediary, and in that way joins the two kingdoms together.

[3] To distinguish between the external good of the celestial Church and the internal good of the spiritual Church, let the former kind of good be called in what follows below the good of mutual love and let the latter kind be called the good of charity towards the neighbour - a difference that has not been observed in previous sections. Once these things are known, what is meant by 'even as far as the desire of the everlasting hills', one of Israel's blessings regarding this spiritual Church, can be stated, which is the vision that the spiritual kingdom may rise above the good of charity and reach even as far as the good of mutual love which belongs to the celestial kingdom, and thus the two kingdoms may be joined together at a very deep level. These are the things that are meant by those words.

[4] Very many places in the prophetical part of the Word mention mountains and hills, by which forms of the good of love are meant in the internal sense. 'Mountains' means the good of love to the Lord, which is the internal of the celestial kingdom, while 'hills' means the good of mutual love, which is the external of the same kingdom. But when the spiritual kingdom is the subject 'mountains' means the good of charity towards the neighbour, which is the internal of that kingdom, while 'hills' means the truth of faith, which is its external. It should be recognized that every one of the Lord's Churches is internal and external; and so too are both His kingdoms.

[5] This meaning of 'hills' becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

In the latter days it will be, that the mountain of Jehovah will be on the top of the mountains, and raised above the hills. Isaiah 2:2; Micah 4:1.

'The mountain of Jehovah', which is Zion, stands for the Lord's celestial kingdom, thus for the good of that kingdom, which is the good of love to the Lord, and so in the highest sense is the Lord Himself since all love and all good in the celestial kingdom are the Lord's.

[6] 'Mount Zion' has the same meaning in other places in the Word; and by 'its hill' is meant the good of mutual love, as in Isaiah,

Jehovah Zebaoth will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. Isaiah 31:4.

Here 'hill' stands for the good of mutual love; and since 'hill' means the good of mutual love, and 'mountain' the good of celestial love, which is that of love to the Lord, it says 'Jehovah will come down to fight on that mountain'. Jehovah does not fight actually on Mount Zion and its hill; rather, where the good of love exists, that is what the Lord, meant here by Jehovah, fights for, that is, He fights for those with whom that good exists. If He ever did fight for Zion and Jerusalem, it was because they represented the celestial Church. This also explains why Mount Zion was called holy, and so also why Jerusalem was termed holy, when in fact it was unclean, as is evident in the Prophets where its abominations are referred to.

[7] In David,

The mountains will bring peace, and the hills, in righteousness. Psalms 72:3.

In the same author,

Praise Jehovah, mountains and all hills. Psalms 148:9.

In the same author,

The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs. ¹ Psalms 104:4, 6.

In the same author,

A mountain of God is the mountain of Bashan; a mountain of hills is the mountain of Bashan. Why do you leap up, O mountains, hills of mountains? God desires to inhabit it; yes, Jehovah will inhabit it perpetually. Psalms 68:15-16.

In these places 'mountains' stands for celestial love, and 'hills' for spiritual love. Mountains are obviously not what is meant, nor hills, nor even those who were on mountains and hills.

[8] In Isaiah,

It will be that on every high mountain, and on every lofty hill, there will be brooks, streams of water. Isaiah 30:25.

'Streams of water' stands for cognitions of good and truth, which are said to be 'on every high mountain, and on every lofty hill', for those cognitions flow from forms of the good of celestial and spiritual love.

[9] In Habakkuk,

Jehovah stood and measured the earth; He looked and scattered the nations, because the eternal mountains were dissolved, the everlasting hills sank down. Habakkuk 3:6.

'The eternal mountains' stands for the good of love that existed with the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial, and 'the everlasting hills' for the good of mutual love that existed with that Church - the former good being its internal, the latter its external. When that Church is what is meant in the Word, there is frequently added, because it was the Most Ancient Church, the word 'eternal', as in the expression 'the eternal mountains' used here, and in the expression 'eternal days' or 'days of eternity' used elsewhere, 6239. Also added was the word 'everlasting', as in the expression 'the everlasting hills' used here, as well as 'as far as the desire of the everlasting hills' appearing in Israel's prophetic utterances. From this one may see that 'the everlasting hills' means forms of the good of mutual love belonging to the celestial Church or the Lord's celestial kingdom.

[10] Something similar occurs in Moses' prophetic utterance concerning Joseph,

. . . in regard to the first fruits of the mountains of the east, and to the precious things of the eternal hills . . . Let them come upon the head of Joseph. Deuteronomy 33:15-16.

In Isaiah,

The mountains and the hills will resound with song, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12.

In Joel,

On that day the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills will flow with milk, and all the streams of Judah will flow with water. Joel 3:18; Amos 9:13.

In Ezekiel,

My sheep wander in all the mountains and on every high hill, and over all the face of the earth they were dispersed. I will give them and the places around My hill a blessing, and I will send down the rain in its season. Ezekiel 34:6, 26.

In Jeremiah,

On all the hills in the wilderness those who cause devastation have come, for the sword of Jehovah is devouring. Jeremiah 11:12.

In these places forms of the good of celestial love are meant by 'the mountains', and much the same, but in a lower degree, by 'the hills'.

[11] Because mountains and hills were signs that meant things such as these, Divine worship as well took place in the Ancient Church on mountains and hills. And later still the Hebrew nation set up altars on mountains and hills, offering sacrifice and incense there; or where there were no hills they built high places. But that worship became idolatrous, owing to the fact that they considered the actual mountains and hills to be holy and gave no thought at all to the holy things that they were signs of; and because that worship had become idolatrous the Israelite and Jewish people were forbidden to practise it, for those people were extremely prone, more than all others, to engage in idolatrous worship. But so as to retain that representative feature of mountains and hills which had existed in ancient times, Mount Zion was selected, which in the highest sense represented the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love, and in the relative sense the Divine Celestial and Divine Spiritual in His kingdom.

[12] Since mountains and hills were signs meaning such things, Abraham was commanded to sacrifice his son on one of the mountains in the land of Moriah. it was also on a mountain that the Lord appeared to Moses, and from upon a mountain that the Law was proclaimed; for He appeared to Moses on Mount Horeb, and the Law was proclaimed on Mount Sinai. And in addition the temple in Jerusalem was built on a mountain.

[13] The fact that it was an age-old religious practice that led those people to celebrate sacred worship on mountains and hills, and that subsequently led the gentiles, also idolatrous Israelites and Jews, to offer sacrifice and incense on them, is evident in Jeremiah,

Your adulterous acts and your neighings, the wickedness of your whoredom committed on the hills, in the field - I have seen your abominations. Jeremiah 13:27.

This refers to Jerusalem. In Ezekiel,

When their slain will be in the midst of their idols, around their altars on every high hill, on all the mountain tops, and under every green tree, and under every entangled oak. Ezekiel 6:13.

In Jeremiah,

On every high hill, and under every green tree, you are a sinful prostitute. Jeremiah 2:20; 3:6.

And there are other places besides these - 1 Kings 14:23; 2 Kings 16:4; 17:10.

[14] Because idolatrous worship was performed on mountains and hills, the evils of self-love are meant by them in the contrary sense, as in Jeremiah,

[I saw] the mountains; and behold, they are shaken, and all the hills are overturned. I looked, and behold, there was no man, and every bird of the air had flown away. Jeremiah 4:24-25.

In Isaiah,

Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low. Isaiah 40:4.

In the same prophet,

Behold, I have made you into a new threshing-sledge ² provided with sharp points. You are to thresh the mountains and crush them, and you are to make the hills like chaff. Isaiah 41:15.

In the same prophet,

I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up every plant on them. Isaiah 42:15.

In Micah,

Hear now what Jehovah is saying, Arise, contend with the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice. Micah 6:1.

In Jeremiah,

Lost sheep have My people been, their shepherds have led them astray, O rebellious mountains. They have gone from mountain onto hill, they have forgotten their resting-place. ³ Jeremiah 50:6.

And there are other places besides these, such as Jeremiah 16:16; Nahum 1:5-6.

[15] The reason why 'mountains and hills meant forms of the good of celestial and spiritual love was that they were places that rose up above the earth, and places that rose up high meant things belonging to heaven, and in the highest sense those belonging to the Lord. For 'the land of Canaan' meant the Lord's heavenly kingdom, 1607, 3038, 3481, 3705, 4240, 4447; consequently everything in that land had a spiritual meaning, its mountains and hills meaning the kinds of things that are 'high'. For when the most ancient people, who belonged to the celestial Church, went up a mountain, the idea of height came to mind, and from height the idea of what was holy, for the reason that Jehovah or the Lord was said to live in the most high places, and also for the reason that 'height' in the spiritual sense was the good of love, 650.

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