6419. Of a daughter, she marcheth upon the wall. That this signifies for fighting against falsity, is evident from the signification of a “daughter,” as being the church (see n. 2362, 3963); here the spiritual church, because this is the subject here treated of; and from the signification of “marching upon the wall,” as being for fighting against falsity, as is plain from what follows: “the archers embitter him, and shoot at him, and hate him, and he shall sit in the strength of his bow,” whereby is signified the fighting of falsity against truth.

[2] “To march upon the wall” is said because in the internal sense the subject treated of is assault on truth by falsities, and defense of truth against falsity; for the spiritual church, which is represented by Joseph, is continually being assaulted, but the Lord continually defends it. Hence in the Word what belongs to this church is compared to a city, which has a wall, outworks, gates, and bars; and by the assaults on that city are described the assaults on truth by falsities; hence also a “city” signifies doctrinal things (n. 402, 2268, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493), and its “wall” the truths of faith which defend it, and in the opposite sense the falsities which are being destroyed. That a “wall” signifies the truths of faith which defend, is plain in Isaiah:

We have a strong city; salvation will He appoint for walls and bulwark. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth faithfulnesses may enter in (Isaiah 26:1).

Again:

Thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise (Isaiah 60:18).

Again:

Behold I have graven thee upon the hands, thy walls are continually before Me (Isaiah 49:16);

“walls” denote the truths of faith. Again:

I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem; they shall not be silent all the day and the night, keeping Jehovah in mind (Isaiah 62:6); where the sense is the same.

In Jeremiah:

Thus said Jehovah Zebaoth, I will turn back the weapons of war wherewith ye fight with the king of Babylon, besieging you without the wall. I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand (Jeremiah 21:4-5 (Jeremiah 21:6)).

Again:

Jehovah hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion; He hath made the rampart and wall to lament; they languish together. Her gates have sunk into the earth; He hath destroyed and broken her bars (Lam. 2:8-9).

In Ezekiel:

The sons of Arvad and thine army were upon thy walls round about; and the Gammadim were in thy towers; they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about, they have perfected thy beauty (Ezekiel 27:11);

speaking of Tyre, by which are signified the knowledges of good and truth.

[3] That such things are signified by a “city” and “walls,” is very evident from the description of the holy Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, which was seen by John. That a new church is signified thereby is plain from all the details; and by the “wall” thereof, the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord. It is written of this in John:

The holy Jerusalem coming down from heaven, having a wall great and high; having twelve gates. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. He that spake with me measured the city and its gates, and the wall thereof. The wall thereof was a hundred forty and four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The building of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like unto pure glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone (Revelation 21:10-19);

[4] that the “wall” is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and hence the truth of faith from the good of charity, is plain from everything said about the wall, that it “had twelve foundations and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb,” for by “twelve” are signified all (see n. 3272, 3858, 3913); by the “wall” and its “foundations,” the truths of faith, in like manner as by the “twelve apostles” (n. 3488, 3858, 6397); also that the “wall was one hundred and forty-four cubits,” for by this number the like is signified as by “twelve,” namely all, for it is twelve multiplied into twelve, and because this number when applied to a wall signifies all the truths and goods of faith, it is added that it is the “measure of a man, that is, of an angel;” and also that the “building of the wall was jasper, and its foundations were adorned with every precious stone,” for by “jasper” and “precious stones” are signified the truths of faith (n. 114).

[5] That in the opposite sense a “wall” signifies falsities which are being destroyed, is plain from the following:

A day of tumult in the valley of vision; the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth destroyeth the wall, and there is a shout toward the mountain; for Elam hath borne the quiver, with chariot of man, with horsemen, the horsemen placing have placed themselves even at the gate (Isaiah 22:5-7).

Again:

The fortress of the refuge of thy walls shall He depress, cast down, throw to the earth, even to the dust (Isaiah 25:12).

In Jeremiah:

Go ye up on her walls, and cast down (Jeremiah 5:10).

Again:

I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad (Jeremiah 49:27).

Again:

Lift up a standard against the walls of Babylon, keep the watch, set the watchmen (Jeremiah 51:12).

In Ezekiel:

They shall overthrow the walls of Tyre, and destroy her towers; and I will scrape her dust from her, and make her the dryness of a rock (Ezekiel 26:4).

3488. That the second state of the perversion of the church was described by the foregoing words of the Lord in the evangelist, is evident from their internal sense, which is as follows:

All these things are the beginning of sorrows;

signifies those things which precede-that is, which are of the first state of the perversion of the church-which as before said is that they would begin no longer to know what is good and what is true, but would dispute about it among themselves, from which would arise falsities, and therefore heresies. That such things perverted the church before many centuries had elapsed, is evident from the fact that the church in the Christian world was divided, and this according to opinions concerning good and truth; thus that the perversion of the church commenced long ago.

[2] Then shall they deliver you into tribulation, and shall kill you;

signifies that good and truth would perish, first by “tribulation,” that is, by perversion; afterwards by their “killing” them, that is, by denial. (That to “kill,” when predicated of good and truth, is not to receive, thus is to deny, may be seen above, n. 3387, 3395.) By “you,” that is, by the apostles, are signified all things of faith in one complex, thus its good as well as its truth. That these things are signified by the twelve apostles may be seen above (n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3354) and here the same is clearly evident; for it is not the preaching of the apostles that is treated of, but the consummation of the age.

[3] And ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake;

signifies contempt and aversion for all things which are of good and truth; “to hate” is to despise and hold in aversion, for this is of hatred; “of all nations” signifies by those who are in evil (that such are meant by “nations” may be seen above, n. 1259, 1260, 1849, 1868, 2588); “for My name’s sake” is on account of the Lord, thus on account of all things which are from Him (that the Lord’s “name” is everything in one complex by which He is worshiped, thus everything which is of His church, may be seen above (2724), n (3006). 2724, 3006).

[4] And then shall many be offended, and shall deliver up one another, and shall hate one another;

signifies enmities on account of these things; “many shall be offended” denotes enmity in itself; the Human itself of the Lord is that against which there is enmity; that this would be an offense and a stumbling-block is here and there predicted in the Word; “they shall deliver up one another” denotes enmity among themselves from falsity against truth; “and shall hate one another” denotes enmity among themselves from evil against good.

[5] And many false prophets shall arise, and shall lead many astray;

signifies preachings of falsity (that “false prophets” are those who teach falsities, thus false doctrine, may be seen above, n. 2534) “and shall lead many astray” denotes that there should be derivations therefrom.

[6] And because iniquity shall be multiplied, the charity of many shall wax cold;

signifies the expiring of charity together with faith; “because iniquity shall be multiplied” denotes according to the falsities of faith; “the charity of many shall wax cold” denotes the expiring of charity, for they keep pace together; where faith is not, there charity is not, and where charity is not, faith is not; but charity is that which receives faith, and no charity is that which rejects faith: this is the origin of every falsity and every evil.

[7] But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved;

signifies the salvation of those who are in charity; “he that endureth to the end” is he who does not suffer himself to be led astray, thus who does not succumb in temptations.

[8] And this gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in the whole inhabited earth, for a testimony unto all nations;

signifies that this should first become known in the Christian world; “shall be preached” denotes that it should be made known; “this gospel of the kingdom” is this truth that it is so; “gospel” denotes the annunciation; “kingdom” denotes truth (that “kingdom” denotes truth may be seen above, n. 1672, 2547); “in the whole inhabited earth” denotes the Christian world (that “earth” is the region where the church is, thus the Christian world, may be seen above, n. 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 2928, 3355). The church here is called “inhabited” from the life of faith, that is, from the good which is of truth; for in the internal sense “to inhabit” denotes to live; and the “inhabitants” are the goods of truth (n. 1293, 2268, 2451, 2712, 3384); “for a testimony” denotes that they may know, and not make a pretext that they have been ignorant; “to all nations” denotes to evils (n. 1259, 1260, 1849, 1868, 2588); for when they are in falsity and evil, they no longer know what is true and what is good; they then believe falsity to be truth, and evil to be good, and the reverse; and when the church is in this state, “then shall the end come.” In what now follows and what of the Lord’s Divine mercy will be unfolded prefatory to the next chapter of Genesis, that state of the church is treated of which is called the “abomination of desolation,” which is the third state.