9780. And let them take unto thee olive oil. That this signifies the good of charity and of faith, is evident from the signification of “olive oil,” as being the good of celestial love (see n. 886), but here the good of spiritual love, which is the good of charity toward the neighbor and the good of faith. That this good is here signified by “olive oil,” is because it was for the luminary, that is, for the lampstand, and by the “lampstand” is signified the spiritual heaven (n. 9548). The spiritual heaven on earth is the spiritual church. “Oil,” and “the olive-tree,” in the Word signify both celestial good and spiritual good; celestial good where the subject treated of is the celestial kingdom or the celestial church, and spiritual good where it is the spiritual kingdom or the spiritual church. These kingdoms or churches are distinguished by their goods. The goods of the celestial kingdom, or of the celestial church, are the good of love to the Lord and the good of mutual love; and the goods of the spiritual kingdom, or of the spiritual church, are the good of charity toward the neighbor and the good of faith (n. 9741). These goods and the truths therefrom are treated of in the Word throughout, for the Word is the doctrine of good, because it is the doctrine of love to the Lord and of love toward the neighbor (see Matthew 22:35-40); and all good is of love, even the good of faith, for this comes forth from the good of love, and not without it.

[2] As the Word is the doctrine of good, therefore in order that the Word may be understood, it must be known what good is; and no one knows what good is unless he lives in good according to the Word; for when anyone lives in good according to the Word, then the Lord instills good into his life, from which the man perceives it and feels it, and consequently apprehends the nature of it; otherwise it does not appear, because it is not perceived. From this it can be seen in what state they are who merely know what is in the Word, and persuade themselves that it is so, and yet do not do it. They have no knowledge of good, consequently none of truth; for truth is known from good, and never without good, except as memory-knowledge devoid of life, which perishes in the other life.

[3] That “oil” and also “the olive” denote good, is evident from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned, as in Zechariah:

I saw a lampstand of gold. Two olive-trees were beside it; one on the right side of the flask, and the other on the left side thereof. These are the two sons of oil that stand beside the Lord of the whole earth (Zech. 4:2-3, 14); where “the two olive-trees,” and “the two sons of oil,” denote the good of love to the Lord, which is on His right, and the good of charity toward the neighbor, which is on His left. In like manner in John:

The two witnesses prophesied a thousand two hundred and sixty days. These are the two olive-trees and the two lampstands that stand before the God of the earth (Rev 11:3-4); where “the two olive-trees and the two lampstands” denote these same goods, which, being from the Lord, are called “the two witnesses.”

[4] Again:

I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, Hurt not the oil and the wine (Revelation 6:6); where “the oil” denotes the good of love and charity, and “the wine,” the good and truth of faith. Again:

I will set in the wilderness the cedar of Shittah, and the myrtle, and the wood of oil (Isaiah 41:19).

They shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together unto the good of Jehovah, to the wheat, and to the new wine, and to the oil (Jeremiah 31:12).

The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the grain is wasted, the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth (Joel 1:10).

The floors are full of pure grain, and the presses overflow with new wine and oil (Joel 2:24).

I will give the rain of your land in its season, that thou mayest gather in thy grain, thy new wine, and thine oil (Deuteronomy 11:14).

[5] “Grain, new wine, and oil” are here spoken of, but that these things are not meant can be seen by everyone who considers; for the Word, being Divine, is spiritual, not worldly, and therefore it does not treat of the grain, the new wine, and the oil of the earth, insofar as these are of service to the body for foods, but insofar as they are of service to the soul; for all foods in the Word signify heavenly foods, as do the bread and the wine in the Holy Supper. What “the grain” and “the new wine” signify in the passages here quoted, may be seen above (n. 3580, 5295, 5410, 5959); from this it is evident what “the oil” signifies.

[6] The case is the same with all things spoken by the Lord while He was in the world, as when He said of the Samaritan that “he came to the man who was wounded by thieves, and bound up his wounds and poured in oil and wine” (Luke 10:33-34). Here are not meant oil and wine, but the good of love and of charity, by “oil” the good of love, and by “wine” the good of charity and of faith; for the subject treated of, is the neighbor, thus charity toward him (that “wine” has this signification, see n. 6377).

[7] In like manner what the Lord said of the ten virgins, of whom “five took their lamps and no oil with them, and five took also oil,” and that the latter were admitted into heaven, but the former rejected (Matthew 25:3-4, and following verses); “oil in the lamps” denotes the good of love and of charity in the truths of faith; “the virgins who took their lamps and no oil” denote those who hear the Word, read it, and say that they believe, and yet do no good in consequence, and if they do any good, it is not done from the love of good or of truth, but from the love of self and of the world.

[8] As “oil” signified the good of charity, therefore also the sick were anointed with oil and were healed, as we read of the Lord’s disciples, who “went forth and cast out demons, and anointed with oil them that were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6:13). And in David:

Thou wilt make fat my head with oil; my cup shall run over (Psalms 23:5); where “to make fat the head with oil” denotes to endow with celestial good.

In Moses:

Jehovah fed him with the produce of the fields; He made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the stone of the rock (Deuteronomy 32:13);

speaking of the Ancient Church; where “sucking oil out of the stone of the rock” denotes to be imbued with good through the truths of faith.

[9] In Habakkuk:

The fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall produce be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall lie, and the fields shall yield no food (Hab. 3:17);

here neither fig-tree, nor vine, nor olive, nor fields are meant, but heavenly things to which they correspond; as also everyone is able to acknowledge from himself who acknowledges that the Word treats of such things as belong to heaven and the church, thus as belong to the soul. But they who think of nothing but worldly, earthly, and bodily things, do not see the internal things, and even do not wish to see them, for they say within themselves, What are spiritual things? What are celestial things? and so, What is heavenly food? That these are such things as belong to intelligence and wisdom they indeed know when it is so said; but that they belong to faith and love, they do not desire; for the reason that they do not imbue their life with such things, and therefore do not attain to the intelligence and wisdom of heavenly truths and goodnesses.

[10] In Ezekiel:

I washed thee with waters, and I washed away thy bloods from upon thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee with broidered work. Thy garments were fine linen, silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil. But thou didst take thy broidered garments, and coveredst images; and didst set Mine oil and Mine incense before them (Ezekiel 16:9-10, 13, 18).

Who cannot see that in this passage are not meant garments of broidered work, fine linen, and silk, nor oil, honey, or fine flour; but Divine things which are of heaven and the church; for the subject treated of is Jerusalem, by which is meant the church; and therefore by the several things mentioned are meant such things as are of the church. That by each particular is meant some special thing of the church, is evident; for in the Word, which is Divine, there is not a word that is worthless. (That “Jerusalem” denotes the church, see n. 3654; also what is meant by “broidered work,” n. 9688; by “fine linen,” n. 5319, 9469; by “fine flour,” n. 2177; by “honey,” n. 5620, 6857; by “washing with waters,” n. 3147, 5954, 9088 and by “washing away bloods,” n. 4735, 9127)

[11] In Hosea:

Ephraim feedeth on wind, they make a covenant with the Assyrian, and oil is carried down into Egypt (Hos. 12:1).

These things are quite unintelligible unless it is known what is meant by “Ephraim,” what by “the Assyrian,” and what by “Egypt;” yet there is here described the understanding of the man of the church, which is perverted through reasonings from memory-knowledges; for “Ephraim” denotes this understanding (n. 3969, 5354, 6222, 6238, 6267); “the Assyrian,” reasoning (n. 1186); and “Egypt,” memory-knowledge (n. 9391); consequently “to carry down oil into Egypt” denotes to defile in this way the good of the church.

[12] That the Lord so often went up the Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37; 22:39), was because “oil” and “the olive” signified the good of love, as also does a “mountain” (n. 6435, 8758). The reason was that while the Lord was in the world all things respecting Him were representative of heaven; for thereby the universal heaven was adjoined to Him; wherefore whatever He did and whatever He said was Divine and heavenly, and the ultimate things were representative. The Mount of Olives represented heaven in respect to the good of love and of charity; as also can be seen in Zechariah:

Jehovah shall go forth, and fight against the nations. His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before the faces of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives shall be cleft asunder, that a part thereof shall recede toward the east, and toward the sea, with a great valley; and a part of the mountain shall recede toward the north, and a part of it toward the south (Zech. 14:3-4).

[13] Here the Lord and His coming are the subject treated of; by “the Mount of Olives” is signified the good of love and of charity; thus the church, for these goods make the church. That the church would recede from the Jewish nation, and would be set up among the Gentiles, is signified by “the mountain being cleft asunder toward the east, toward the sea, and toward the north, and the south;” in like manner as by the words of the Lord in Luke:

Ye shall be cast down outside; whereas they shall come from the east, and the west, and from the north, and the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God (Luke 13:28-29).

In a universal sense by “Jehovah going forth and fighting against the nations,” and by “His feet standing upon the Mount of Olives which is before the faces of Jerusalem,” is meant that the Lord from Divine love would fight against the hells; for “the nations” denote evils which are from the hells (n. 1868, 6306), and “the Mount of Olives,” on which were His feet, denotes the Divine love.

1861. And behold a furnace of smoke and a torch of fire. That “a furnace of smoke” signifies the densest falsity, and “a torch of fire” the burning heat of cupidities, is evident from the signification of “a furnace of smoke” as being dense falsity, and from the signification of “a torch of fire” as being the burning heat of cupidities. It is said “a furnace of smoke,” because a man, especially a man of the church, who has a knowledge of the truth and still does not acknowledge, but in heart denies it, and indeed passes his life in things contrary to the truth, appears no otherwise than as a furnace of smoke-himself as the furnace, and the falsity from his hatreds as the smoke. The cupidities from which are the falsities appear as torches of fire from such a furnace, as is evident also from the representatives in the other life (described from experience, n. 814, 1528). It is cupidities of hatred, revenge, cruelties, adulteries-and still more when these are mingled with deceits-that appear and become such things.

[2] That by a “furnace,” “smoke,” and “fire” such things are signified in the Word may be seen from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

Everyone is a hypocrite and a wicked one, and every mouth speaketh folly. For wickedness burneth as the fire, it devoureth the briars and thorns, and kindleth in the thickets of the forest, and they mount up as the rising of smoke. In the wrath of Jehovah Zebaoth is the land darkened, and the people is become like food for fire; a man shall not spare his brother (Isaiah 9:17-19).

Here “fire” denotes hatreds and “the rising of smoke” from it such falsities; hatred is described by “no man sparing his brother;” for when such men are looked upon by the angels they appear no otherwise than as here described.

[3] In Joel:

I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come (Joel 2:30-31).

Here “fire” denotes hatred; “pillars of smoke” falsities; “the sun” charity; and “the moon” faith.

[4] In Isaiah:

The land shall become burning pitch; it shall not be quenched night nor day; the smoke thereof shall go up to eternity (Isaiah 34:9-10).

“Burning pitch” denotes direful cupidities; and “smoke” falsities.

[5] In Malachi:

Behold the day cometh burning as a furnace, and all the proud and everyone that worketh wickedness shall be stubble, and the day that cometh shall set them on fire, it shall leave them neither root nor branch (Malachi 4:1).

A “burning furnace” here denotes the same as before; the “root” denotes charity; the “branch” truth, which shall not be left.

[6] In Hosea:

Ephraim became guilty in Baal, he shall be as the chaff that is driven with the whirlwind out of the threshing-floor, and as the smoke out of the chimney (Hos. 13:1, 3).

“Ephraim” denotes an intelligent man who becomes such.

[7] In Isaiah:

The strong shall be as tow, and his work as a spark; and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them (Isaiah 1:31);

meaning those who are in the love of self, or what is the same, in hatred against the neighbor, in that they shall be thus kindled by their own cupidities.

In John:

Babylon is become a habitation of demons. They cried out when they saw the smoke of her burning. Her smoke goeth up for ever and ever (Revelation 18:2, 18; 19:3).

[8] In the same:

He opened the pit of the abyss, and there went up a smoke out of the pit, as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun was darkened, and the air, from the smoke of the pit (Revelation 9:2).

In the same:

Out of the mouths of the horses went forth fire and smoke and brimstone. By these was the third part of men killed, by the fire and the smoke and the brimstone, that went forth out of their mouth (Revelation 9:17-18).

In the same:

He that worshipeth the beast shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, poured out unmixed in the cup of His anger, and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone (Revelation 14:9-10).

In the same:

The fourth angel poured out his vial upon the sun, and it was given to him to scorch men with fire; and men were scorched with great heat, and blasphemed the name of God (Revelation 16:8-9).

In like manner it is said that

They were cast into the lake of fire burning with brimstone (Revelation 19:20; 20:14-15; 21:8).

[9] In these passages “fire” denotes the cupidities, and “smoke” the falsities that will reign in the last times. These things were seen by John when his interior sight was opened, just as they appear in the other life. Similar things are also seen by spirits, and by souls after death. Hence it may be seen what hell fire is, that it is nothing but hatred, revenge, and cruelty, or what is the same, the love of self; for such do these become. During his life in the body, any man of such a quality, however he might appear outwardly, if inspected closely by the angels would appear no otherwise in their eyes, that is, his hatreds would appear as torches of fire, and the falsities derived from them as furnaces of smoke.

[10] Concerning this fire the Lord thus speaks in Matthew:

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire (Matthew 3:10; Luke 3:9);

by “good fruit” is meant charity: he who deprives himself of this cuts himself down, and casts himself into such fire. Again:

The Son of man shall send forth His angels, and they shall gather out of His kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire (Matthew 13:41-42, 50),

with a like meaning. And again:

The king saith unto those on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41).

[11] That they should be “sent into the eternal fire,” “the Gehenna of fire,” and that “their worm should not die, and their fire should not be quenched” (Matthew 18:8-9; Mark 9:43-49), have a like meaning.

In Luke:

Send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame (Luke 16:24),

with a like meaning.

[12] They who are not acquainted with the arcana of the Lord’s kingdom suppose that the Lord casts the wicked into hell, or into such fire, which, as before said, is that of hatreds; but the case is very different, for it is the man himself, or the diabolical spirit himself, who casts himself down. But because it so appears it has been expressed in the Word according to the appearance, and indeed according to the fallacies of the senses; and especially was this necessary in the case of the Jews, who were unwilling to accept anything at all unless it were in accordance with the senses, whatever might be the fallacies thus involved. On this account the sense of the letter, especially in the prophecies, is full of such things.

[13] As in Jeremiah:

Thus said Jehovah, Judge judgment in the morning, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor, lest My fury go forth like fire, and burn, and there be none to quench it, because of the wickedness of their works (Jeremiah 21:12).

To “judge judgment” is to speak truth; to “deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor,” is to do the good of charity; “fire” denotes the infernal punishment of those who do not do these things, that is, who pass their lives in the falsity of hatred. In the sense of the letter such “fire” and “fury” are attributed to Jehovah, but in the internal sense it is quite the contrary.

[14] In like manner in Joel:

The day of Jehovah: a fire devoureth before Him, and behind Him a flame burneth (Joel 2:1, 3).

In David:

There went up a smoke out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth devoured, coals did burn from Him, and thick darkness was under His feet (Psalms 18:8-9).

In Moses:

A fire is kindled in Mine anger, and it shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall devour the earth and her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains (Deuteronomy 32:22),

where “fire” denotes the hatreds, and “smoke” the falsities which are in men, which are attributed to Jehovah or the Lord for the reasons that have been given. In the hells also the appearance is that Jehovah or the Lord does this, but it is quite the contrary; they do it to themselves, because they are in the fires of hatred. Hence it is manifest how easily a man may fall into phantasies if the internal sense of the Word is not known.

[15] It was similar with the “smoke” and “fire” that were seen by the people on Mount Sinai when the law was promulgated. For Jehovah, or the Lord, appears to everyone according to his quality-to celestial angels as a Sun, to spiritual angels as a Moon, to all the good as a Light of varied delight and pleasantness; but to the evil as a smoke and as a consuming fire. And as when the Law was promulgated, the Jews had nothing of charity, but the love of self and of the world prevailed in them, and thus nothing but evils and falsities, He therefore appeared to them as a smoke and fire, when at the same instant He appeared to the angels as the Sun and Light of heaven.

[16] That He so appeared to the Jews because they were of such a character, is evident in Moses:

The glory of Jehovah abode upon Mount Sinai, and the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mount, in the eyes of the sons of Israel (Exodus 24:16-17).

Again:

And Mount Sinai was all of it smoking, because Jehovah descended upon it in fire, and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mount quaked greatly (Exodus 19:18).

And elsewhere:

Ye came near and stood under the mountain, and the mountain burned with fire, even to the heart of heaven; darkness, cloud, and thick darkness; and Jehovah spake unto you out of the midst of the fire (Deuteronomy 4:11-12; 5:22).

Also:

It came to pass when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain did burn with fire, that ye came near unto me, and ye said, Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us; if we hear the voice of Jehovah our God any more, then we shall die (Deuteronomy 5:23-25).

[17] Just so would it be with anyone else who should see the Lord, and who has passed his life in hatred and in the foul things of hatreds, for he could see Him no otherwise than from his hatred and its foulnesses, these being the recipients of the rays of good and truth from the Lord, and they would turn these rays into such fire, smoke, and thick darkness. From the same passages it is also plain what the “smoke of the furnace” is, and what the “torch of fire,” namely, the most dense falsity and most filthy evil, that would in the last times take possession of the church.