THE EXPLANATION of Isaiah Chapter 64

(Note: Rev. Smithson's translation of the Isaiah text is appended below the explanation.)

1. O THAT You wouldst rend the heavens, that You wouldst come down, that the mountains might flow down before You!

2. As the fire kindles the stubble; as the fire causes the waters to boil: so make Your name known to Thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble before You!

3. When You didst terrible things which we did not expect; You didst come down, and the mountains flowed down before You!

4. For from eternity [men] have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen, O God, beside You, what He has done for such as hope in Him,

VERSE 1. To "rend the heavens", is to descend with power and strength: in this way "the mountains flow down", namely, those are dispersed who think that they have the victory. (Swedenborg's Notes on Isaiah, p. 154.)

That You wouldst come down. - To "come down" is predicated of Jehovah, because He is called "the Most High", or because He is said to be "on high"; but this is spoken according to appearance, since He is not in the highest parts, but in the inmost; wherefore " highest" and "inmost" have the same signification in the Word. Jehovah, or the Lord, is everywhere present, and knows all things from eternity; wherefore it cannot be said of Him that "He comes down to see", except in the literal sense only, the language of which is framed according to appearances with man; but in the internal sense it is not so, for in that sense things are exhibited, not as they are according to appearances, but as they are in themselves: wherefore, in the present case, to "come down" signifies judgment. Judgment is spoken of as taking place when evil is brought to its height; or, as it is expressed in the Word, when "it is come to its consummation", or when "iniquity is consummated." The case herein is this. All evil has its boundaries or limits as far as which it is permitted to go; but, when it is carried beyond these limits, the guilty party runs into the punishment of evil, and this both in general and in particular cases. The punishment of evil is what is then called "judgment"; and as it appears at first as if the Lord did not see or notice the existence of evil (for when man does evil with impunity, he supposes that the Lord does not regard it, but when he comes to suffer punishment, he then first thinks that the Lord sees him, yea, that the Lord punishes him), therefore it is said, according to such appearances, that "Jehovah came down to see."

Judgment, or the punishment of evil, is exhibited as taking place in the lower and lowest parts, and therefore Jehovah is said to "come down", as in David:

"Bow the heavens, O Jehovah, and come down; touch the mountains, and they shall smoke; cast forth Your lightning, and scatter them"; (Psalm 144:5, 6),

where also is described the punishment of evil, or judgment.

So in Isaiah:

"Jehovah of Hosts shall come down to fight upon Mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof." (Isaiah 31:4)

Again, in the same Prophet:

"O that You wouldst rend the heavens, that You wouldst come down that the mountains might flow down before You"; (Isaiah 64:1),

where to "come down", in like manner, denotes punishment or judgment upon evil. Arcana Coelestia 1311.

Verses 1, 3. That the mountains might flow down before You, etc. In Nahum we read similar words:

"The mountains tremble before Him, and the hills melt, and the earth is burned up at His presence yea, the world and all that dwell therein." (Nahum 1:5)

"Mountains", in a good sense, signify the church where love to the Lord is, and "hills" the church in which love towards the neighbour is. The reason is, because the angels who are in love to the Lord dwell upon mountains and those who are in love to the neighbour upon hills.

When, in the place of love to the Lord, there prevails the love of self and in the place of love to the neighbour, there prevails the love of the world then these mountains are said to "tremble", and the hills to "melt"; for thus it happens in the spiritual world; not, however, with the angels who are in heaven, but with the spirits who had made to themselves [in the world of spirits] a semblance of heaven upon mountains and hills before the Last Judgment.

Since the love of self and of the world is here understood, therefore it is said that "they melt", and also that "the earth is burned up before Him, and the world and all that dwell therein", and that "His wrath is poured out like fire"; for "fire" signifies those loves, and to "melt" and to be "burned up" signifies to perish by them. Apocalypse Explained 400.

As to "mountains" and "hills", in a bad sense, and their destruction at the time of Judgment in the world of spirits, see Chapter 2:12-17, the Exposition; and what they signify, in a good sense, see in the same Chapter, verses 1-5, the Exposition.

5. You meet him that rejoices and works justice; [even those] who remember You in Your ways: behold, You art wroth, for we have sinned; the world is in sins; but we shall be saved.

Verse 5. [It does not appear that Swedenborg has quoted this verse, but from the internal sense in the margin the meaning may appear to be this - that at the period of Judgment "those who rejoice in doing justice, and who remember the Lord in His ways, will, as the "remnants", or those who escape or as the "sheep on the right hand", be saved; whereas those who notwithstanding the semblance of holiness in the external, are discovered, when the Internals are opened, to be in evils and sins will be condemned.]

6. But, we are all of us as an unclean thing, and all our, deeds of righteousness are as a menstruous cloth; and we are all withered away like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

Verse 6. [This verse is quoted by Swedenborg only in the Adversaria, or Notes; and it evidently involves, in the spiritual sense, the confession of those who at the period of Judgment in the world of spirits, can be saved, and who acknowledge that, in themselves, they are nothing but uncleanness and iniquity.]

A "menstruous cloth" signifies things unclean; specifically scientifics which do not as yet correspond to interior Truths. Arcana Coelestia 4161. See also Chapter 30:22, the Exposition.

These words, together with what is said at the end of the former verse, prove that in man [prior to regeneration] there is nothing but what is unclean and unjust, so that "all his deeds of justice [or righteousness]" are, as it were, a "menstruous cloth"; from which it is abundantly evident of what quality they are who wish to justify themselves, on which account "their sins carry them entirely away." (Swedenborg's Notes on Isaiah, p. 154.)

7. And there is none that calls upon Your name; that stirs up himself to take hold of You: wherefore You have hidden Your face from us, and You have melted us away by the hand of our iniquities.

8. But now, O Jehovah, You art our Father; we are the clay, and You our Potter; and we are all the work of Thine hands.

Verse. 7. Wherefore You have hidden Your face from us, etc. - What is meant by Jehovah "hiding His face", see Chapter live 8, the Exposition.

Verse18. That "clay" signifies the Good of which is formed the mind, or man of the church, appears also from the Word, as in Isaiah:

"But now, O Jehovah, You art our Father; we are the clay, and You our Potter; and we are all the work of Thine hands"; (Isaiah 64:8) where by "clay" is signified the man of the church himself, who is formed by the Lord; consequently, the Good of charity, which is the means of every man's formation, that is, reformation and regeneration."

So in Jeremiah:

"As the clay is in the hand of the potter, so are you in My hand, O house of Israel"; (Jeremiah 18:6) where the signification of "clay" is similar to what it was in the preceding passage. Whether we speak of building by "clay", or of formation thereby, it amounts to the same. Arcana Coelestia 1300.

The ground and reason why the "vessel of a potter" or an "earthen vessel", signifies [in a bad sense] the false, is, because a potter is one who forms, and a vessel is what is formed; when man forms it, it is falsity; but when the Lord forms it with man, it is Truth. Hence it is that the "potter's vessel", in the Word, signifies either the false or the True, and a "potter" the former. The Lord Himself is, in the Word, called a "Potter", from the formation of man by Truths, as in the above words. Apocalypse Explained 177.

9. Be not, O Jehovah, so grievously angry, and remember not our iniquity for ever: behold! look, we beseech You; we are all of us Your people.

Verse 9. As to "anger", when it is predicated of Jehovah, see Chapter 9:12, 17, 21, the Exposition.

In the Word it is said of Jehovah that "He remembers", and that "He doth not remember", as in Isaiah 64:9, and by it is signified that in such case it is done from Mercy, whether it be preservation or deliverance; in like manner as that "He sees", "hears", "knows", that "He doth not see", ", doth not hear", and "doth not know", by which expressions also are signified compassions and non-compassions. The reason why it is so expressed is grounded in what passes in a similar way with man, and in appearance; for when man averts himself from the Lord from the Lord, as is the case when he does evil, then, because the Lord is to his back, it appears to him as if the Lord does not see him, does not hear and know him, neither remembers him, when yet this is what appertains to the man, and hence from appearance it is so expressed in the Word. But the case is changed when man turns himself to the Lord, as he does when he acts well; see the passages cited, Arcana Coelestia 9306. Everyone may know that "recollection " or "remembrance" cannot be predicated of the Lord, inasmuch as things past and future in Him are eternal, that is, are present from eternity to eternity. That to "remember", when predicated concerning the Lord, denotes to have compassion, and thus to preserve or deliver from a principle of Mercy, is manifest from the following passages:

"He has remembered His mercy and His truth toward the house of Israel." (Psalm 98:3) "Who remembered us in our low estate: for His mercy endures for ever. (Psalm 136:23) Arcana Coelestia 9849.

10. The cities of Your holiness are a wilderness; Zion is a wilderness; Jerusalem a desolation.

Verse 10. These words imply that the doctrines of the church are reduced to a state in which there is no Truth, because there is no Good. What is meant by a "wilderness", see above, Chapter 35:6; 40:3, 4; 41:19 Exposition.

11. The house of our holiness and of our beauty, in which our fathers praised You, is become a burning of fire; and all our desirable things are a devastation.

12. For these things, O Jehovah, will You restrain Yourself? will You be silent? and will You so grievously afflict us?

Verse 11. The "house of holiness and of beauty", signifies the celestial and the spiritual church, - the "house of holiness" the celestial church, and of "beauty" the spiritual church; "in which our fathers praised You", signifies the worship of the ancient church; to "praise" denoting to worship, and "fathers" those who are of the ancient church. To become the "burning of fire", signifies that all the Goods of that church were turned into evil, by which the Goods were consumed, and perished; and "all our desirable things are a devastation", signifies all Truths being consumed in like manner, "desirable things", in the Word, denoting the Truths of the church. Apocalypse Explained 504.

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Isaiah Chapter 64

1. O THAT You wouldst rend the heavens, that You wouldst come down, that the mountains might flow down before You!

2. As the fire kindles the stubble; as the fire causes the waters to boil: so make Your name known to Thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble before You!

3. When You didst terrible things which we did not expect; You didst come down, and the mountains flowed down before You!

4. For from eternity [men] have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, nor has the eye seen, O God, beside You, what He has done for such as hope in Him,

5. You meet him that rejoices and works justice; [even those] who remember You in Your ways: behold, You art wroth, for we have sinned; the world is in sins; but we shall be saved.

6. But, we are all of us as an unclean thing, and all our, deeds of righteousness are as a menstruous cloth; and we are all withered away like a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

7. And there is none that calls upon Your name; that stirs up himself to take hold of You: wherefore You have hidden Your face from us, and You have melted us away by the hand of our iniquities.

8. But now, O Jehovah, You art our Father; we are the clay, and You our Potter; and we are all the work of Thine hands.

9. Be not, O Jehovah, so grievously angry, and remember not our iniquity for ever: behold! look, we beseech You; we are all of us Your people.

10. The cities of Your holiness are a wilderness; Zion is a wilderness; Jerusalem a desolation.

11. The house of our holiness and of our beauty, in which our fathers praised You, is become a burning of fire; and all our desirable things are a devastation.

12. For these things, O Jehovah, will You restrain Yourself? will You be silent? and will You so grievously afflict us?

2447. 'From Jehovah out of heaven' means from the laws of order in regard to truth, because they separate themselves from good. This does not become clear except from the internal sense, by means of which the truth of the matter regarding forms of punishment and condemnation is disclosed, namely that the author of these is in no sense Jehovah or the Lord, but man, evil spirit, or devil himself; and this is so from the laws of order in regard to truth because they separate themselves from good.

[2] All order begins in Jehovah, that is, in the Lord, and it is in accordance with that order that He rules over every single thing. But there is much variation to His rule; that is to say, it may be His Will, or His Good Pleasure, or His Consent, or His Permission from which He rules. Things that have their origin in His will or in His good pleasure are products of laws of order which have regard to what is good, as also do many things that exist by His consent, and even some that do so by His permission. But when a person separates himself from good he subjects himself to the laws of order which are those of truth separated from good and which are such as condemn. For all truth condemns a person and casts him down into hell; but out of good, that is, out of mercy, the Lord rescues him and raises him up into heaven. From this it is clear that it is a person himself who condemns himself.

[3] Things that are the result of permission are for the most part of this nature - for example, besides countless others, the fact that one devil punishes and torments another. These things are from the laws of order in regard to truth separated from good, for there is no other way in which such devils could be kept under control and prevented from rushing on all the good and upright and destroying them eternally. The prevention of their doing this is the good which the Lord has in view. This is similar to what happens on earth where a benign and compassionate ruler exists who intends and does nothing but good. If he did not allow his laws to punish evil and criminal persons - though he himself punishes nobody but instead grieves that those people are such that their evils must punish them - he would leave his kingdom itself open to plunder by such people; and this would be a manifestation of a complete lack of benignity and compassion.

[4] From these considerations it is evident that Jehovah in no way rained down brimstone and fire, that is, condemned to hell, but that those subject to evil and to falsity which arises out of this did so, the reason being that they separated themselves from good and in so doing put themselves under the laws of order deriving from truth alone. From all this it follows that such is the internal sense of these words.

[5] In the Word, evil, punishment, cursing, condemnation, and many other things are attributed to Jehovah or the Lord, similar to the attribution here that He rained brimstone and fire: in Ezekiel,

I will dispute with him with pestilence and blood; fire and brimstone will I rain on him. Ezekiel 38:22.

In Isaiah,

The breath of Jehovah is like a stream of burning brimstone. Isaiah 30:33.

In David,

Jehovah will rain on the wicked snares, fire and brimstone. Psalms 11:6.

In the same author,

Smoke went up out of His nose, and fire out of His mouth devoured; glowing coals flamed forth from Him. Psalms 18:8-9.

In Jeremiah,

Lest My wrath go forth like fire, and burn with none to quench it. Jeremiah 21:12.

In Moses,

Fire has flared up in My anger, and will burn right down to the lowest hell. Deuteronomy 32:22.

Similar attributions occur in many other places besides these. Why in the Word such things are attributed, as has been stated, to Jehovah or the Lord has been explained in Volume One, in 223, 245, 589, 592, 696, 735, 1093, 1683, 1874. The idea that such things come from the Lord is as remote from the truth as good is from evil, or heaven from hell, or what is Divine from what is of the devil. Evil, hell, and the devil do those things, and in no way the Lord who is mercy itself and good itself. But because those things do seem to come from Him, for reasons presented in the paragraphs just quoted, they are attributed to Him.

[6] From the wording of this verse, 'Jehovah rained from Jehovah out of heaven', it seems in the sense of the letter as though there were two of Them - one on earth, and one in heaven. But the internal sense teaches how this matter is to be understood, namely as follows: The Jehovah mentioned first means the Lord's Divine Human and His Holy proceeding, which in this chapter are meant by 'the two men', while the Jehovah mentioned second means the Divine itself, called the Father, who is referred to in the previous chapter. The internal sense also teaches that this Trinity exists within the Lord, as He Himself says in John,

He who has seen Me has seen the Father. Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me. John 14:9-11.

And referring to the Holy proceeding He says in the same gospel,

The Paraclete will not speak from Himself. He will receive it from what is Mine and declare it to you. John 16:13-15.

Thus there is but one Jehovah even though two are mentioned here. Two are mentioned because all laws of order spring from the Lord's Divine itself, Divine Human, and Holy proceeding.