741. That seduceth the whole world, signifies that pervert all things of the church. This is evident from the signification of "the whole world," as being all things of the church (of which presently); and as all things of the church are signified by "the whole world," so "to seduce it" signifies to pervert those things; for all things of the church are perverted when the good of charity, which is the good of life, is separated and removed from faith as not contributing and effecting anything to salvation. Thereby all things of the Word and thence all things of the church are falsified, for the Lord says that the law and the prophets ¹ hang on these two commandments, "To love God above all things, and the neighbor as thyself." These two commandments signify to live and act according to the commandments of the Word; for to love is to will and to do, since what a man interiorly loves, that he wills, and what he wills that he does. "The law and the prophets" signify all things of the Word.

[2] There are two principles of evil and falsity into which the church successively falls. One is dominion over all things of the church and of heaven, which dominion is meant in the Word by "Babel" or "Babylonia;" into this the church falls by reason of evil; the other is the separation of faith from charity, in consequence of which separation all the good of life perishes; this is meant in the Word by "Philistia," and is signified by "the he-goat" in Daniel, and by "the dragon" in Revelation; into this the church falls by reason of falsity. But since this chapter treats of "the dragon," which especially signifies the religion of faith separate from charity, I will mention in passing some things whereby the defenders of faith separate seduce the world. They especially seduce by teaching that as from oneself no one can do good that is in itself good, or can do good without placing merit in it, so good works can contribute nothing to salvation; nevertheless, goods should be done on account of use for the public good; and these are the goods that are meant in the Word and thence in preachings, and in some of the prayers of the church. How great an error this is shall now be told. When a man does good from the Word, that is, because it is commanded by the Lord in the Word, he does it not from himself but from the Lord, for the Lord is the Word (John 1:1, 14), and the Lord is in those things that man has from the Word, as He teaches in these words in John:

He that keepeth My word, I will come unto him and will make My abode with him (John 14:23).

This is why the Lord so often commands that His words and commandments must be done; and that those who do them shall have eternal life; so also that everyone will be judged according to his works. From this it then follows that those who do good from the Word do good from the Lord, and good from the Lord is truly good, and so far as it is from the Lord there is no merit in it.

[3] That good from the Word, thus from the Lord, is truly good, is evident also from these words in Revelation:

I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hear My voice and open the door, I will come in to him and will sup with him and he with Me (Revelation 3:20).

This shows that the Lord is always and continually present and bestows the effort to do good, but that man must open the door, that is, must receive the Lord; and he receives Him when he does good from His Word. Although this appears to man to be done as of himself, yet it is not of man but of the Lord in him. It so appears to man because he has no other feeling than that he thinks from himself and acts from himself; and yet when he thinks and acts from the Word he does it as if of himself, therefore he then also believes that he does it of the Lord.

[4] From this it can be seen that the good that a man does from the Word is spiritual good, and that this conjoins man to the Lord and to heaven. But the good that a man does for the world's sake and for the sake of the communities in the world, which is called civil and moral good, conjoins him to the world and not to heaven. Moreover, the conjunction of the truth of faith is with spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbor, because faith in itself is spiritual, and what is spiritual cannot be conjoined with any other good than what is equally spiritual. But civil and moral good, separate from spiritual good, is not good in itself, because it is from man; yea, so far as self and the world lie concealed in it, it is evil; this good, therefore, cannot be conjoined with faith, yea, if it were to be conjoined faith would be dissipated.

[5] "To seduce the whole world" signifies to pervert all things of the church, because "the world" signifies in general the church as to all things of it, both goods and truths; but in particular it signifies the church in respect to good; this is the signification of "world" when "the earth" also is mentioned. That "the earth" in the Word signifies the church has been shown above (n. 304, 697); but when "the world" is also mentioned "the earth" signifies the church in respect to truth. For there are two things that constitute the church, namely, truth and good, and these two are signified by "earth" and "world" in the following passages.

[6] In Isaiah:

With my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit in the midst of me have I early waited for Thee; for when Thou teachest the earth Thy judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness (Isaiah 26:9).

"Night" signifies a state in which there is no light of truth, and "morning" a state in which there is the light of truth; the latter state is from love, but the former is when there is as yet no love. So "the soul that desired Jehovah in the night" signifies a life that is not yet in the light of truth; and "the spirit in the midst of him with which he waited for Jehovah in the morning" signifies a life that is in the light of truth; so it is added, "for when Thou teachest the earth Thy judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn righteousness," which signifies that the church is in truths from the Lord, and by means of truths is in good; "earth" signifying the church in respect to truths, and "world," the church in respect to good; for "judgment" in the Word is predicated of truth, and "righteousness" of good, and "inhabitants" signifying the men of the church who are in the goods of doctrine and thence of life. (That "judgment" in the Word is predicated of truth, and "righteousness" of good, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 2235, 9857; and that "to inhabit" signifies to live, and thence "inhabitants" those who are in the good of doctrine and thus of life, may be seen above, n. 133, 479, 662)

[7] In Lamentations:

The kings of the earth believed not, and all the inhabitants of the world, that the enemy and the adversary would come into the gates of Jerusalem (Lamentations 4:12).

"The kings of the earth" signify the men of the church who are in truths, and "the inhabitants of the world" the men of the church who are in good; that "kings" signify those who are in truths may be seen above (n. 31, 553, 625); and that "the inhabitants" signify those who are in good has been shown just above. Thence it is clear that the "earth" signifies the church in respect to truths, and the "world" the church in respect to good. And as all things of the doctrine of the church were destroyed by falsities and evils, it is said that "they believed not that the enemy and the adversary would come into the gates of Jerusalem;" "enemy" signifying the falsities that destroyed the truths of the church, which are meant by "the kings of the earth," and "adversary" signifying the evils that destroyed the goods of the church, which are meant by "the inhabitants of the world;" "Jerusalem" meaning the church in respect to doctrine.

[8] In David:

Let all the earth fear Jehovah, let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him (Psalms 33:8).

Here, too, the "earth" signifies those who are in the truths of the church, and "the inhabitants of the world" those who are in the goods of the church. In the same:

The earth is Jehovah's and the fullness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein; He hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers (Psalms 24:1, 2).

Here, also, the "earth" signifies the church in respect to truth, and "the fullness thereof" signifies all truths in the complex; and the "world" signifies the church in respect to good, and "they that dwell" signify goods in the complex. What is signified by "founding it upon the seas and establishing it upon the rivers" may be seen above (n. 275, 518).

[9] In Isaiah:

We have conceived, we have travailed, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought salvation in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world ² have fallen ³ (Isaiah 26:18).

Here, again, the "earth" stands for the church in respect to truths, and the "world" for the church in respect to goods. (The rest may be seen explained above, n. 721.) In the same:

Come near, ye nations, to hear, and attend ye people; let the earth hear and the fullness thereof, the world and all its offspring (Isaiah 34:1).

That "nations" mean those who are in goods, and "peoples" those who are in truths, may be seen above (n. 175, 331, 625); therefore it is added, "let the earth hear and the fullness thereof, the world and all its offspring," "the earth and the fullness thereof" signifying the church in respect to all truths, and "the world and all its offspring" the church in respect to all goods.

[10] In the same:

All ye inhabitants of the world and ye dwellers on the earth, when the ensign of the mountains shall be lifted up, see ye, and when the trumpet shall be sounded, hear ye (Isaiah 18:3).

"The inhabitants of the world and the dwellers on the earth" signify all in the church who are in goods and truths, as above; the Lord's coming is signified by "when the ensign of the mountains shall be lifted up, see ye, and when the trumpet shall be sounded, hear ye;" "the ensign upon the mountains," as well as "the sounding of the trumpet," signify a calling together to the church.

[11] In David:

Before Jehovah, for He cometh, for He cometh to judge the earth; He shall judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in truth (Psalms 96:13; 98:9).

This treats of the Lord's coming, and the last judgment at that time. Because the "world" signifies those of the church who are in good, and "peoples" those who are in truths, it is said that "He shall judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in truth;" "righteousness" as well as the "world" refers to good. In the same:

Before the mountains were brought forth, and before the earth and the world were formed, from everlasting and even to everlasting Thou art God (Psalms 90:2).

"Mountains" signify those who dwell upon mountains in the heavens, who are those that are in celestial good, while "the earth and the world" signify the church consisting of those who are in truths and in goods.

[12] In the same:

Jehovah reigneth, He is clothed with majesty, Jehovah is clothed with strength, He girdeth Himself; the world also shall be established, nor shall it be moved; Thy throne is established from then, Thou art from eternity (Psalms 93:1, 2).

This is said of the Lord when about to come into the world; and as He has glory and power from the Human that He united to His Divine, it is said that "He is clothed with majesty and strength," and that "He girdeth Himself;" for the Lord assumed the Human that He might have power to subjugate the hells. The church that He was about to establish and protect forever is signified by "the world that shall be established and shall not be moved," and "the throne that shall be established;" for the "world" signifies heaven and the church as to the reception of Divine good, and "throne" heaven and the church as to the reception of Divine truth.

[13] In the same:

Say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth; the world also shall be established, neither shall it be moved; He shall judge the peoples in uprightness; the heavens shall be glad and the earth shall rejoice (Psalms 96:10, 11).

This, too, is said of the Lord about to come, and of the church to be established by Him and protected to eternity, which is signified by "the world that shall be established and not moved," as above; and as the "world" signifies the church in respect to good it is added that "He shall judge the peoples in uprightness;" the "peoples," like "earth," signify those who are in the truths of the church, therefore it is said "the peoples of the earth," but "the inhabitants of the world;" "uprightness" also means truths. The joy of those who are in the church in the heavens and in the church on earth is signified by "the heavens shall be glad and the earth shall rejoice."

[14] In the same:

Jehovah shall judge the world in righteousness, He shall judge the peoples in uprightness (Psalms 9:8).

Because the "world" means the church in respect to good, and "righteousness" is predicated of good, it is said "Jehovah shall judge the world in righteousness;" and as those are called "peoples" who are in truths, and "uprightness" means truths, as above, it is said, "He shall judge the peoples in uprightness." In Jeremiah:

Jehovah maketh the earth by His power, and prepareth the world by His wisdom, and by His intelligence He stretcheth out the heavens (Jeremiah 10:12; 51:15).

"Jehovah maketh the earth by His power" signifies that the Lord establishes the church by the power of Divine truth; "He prepareth the world by His wisdom" signifies that He forms the church that is in good from Divine good by means of Divine truth; "by His intelligence He stretcheth out the heavens" signifies that thus He enlarges the heavens.

[15] In David:

The heavens are Thine and the earth is Thine, the world and the fullness thereof Thou hast founded (Psalms 89:11).

"The heavens and the earth" signify the church in the heavens and in the earths, both in respect to truths, and "the world and the fullness thereof" signifies the church in the heavens and in the earths, both in respect to goods, "fullness" meaning goods and truths in the whole complex. In the same:

If I were hungry I would not tell thee, for the world is Mine and the fullness thereof (Psalms 50:12).

This is said of sacrifices, that the Lord does not delight in them, but in confession and works, for it is added:

Should I eat the flesh of the stout ones, or drink the blood of he-goats? Sacrifice unto God confession, and pay thy vows to the Most High (Psalms 50:13-14).

So "if I should be hungry" signifies if I should desire sacrifices; but as the Lord desires worship from goods and truths it is said "for the world is Mine and the fullness thereof;" "fullness" signifying goods and truths in the whole complex, as above. This is said of the beasts that were sacrificed, but these signify in the spiritual sense various kinds of good and truth.

[16] In Matthew:

These good tidings of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all, and then shall the end come (Matthew 24:14).

Because the "world" signifies the church in respect to good it is said that "these good tidings shall be preached unto all nations," for the "nations" who are to hear and receive signify all who are in good. Moreover, "nations" signify all who are in evils, who also will hear; but then the "world" signifies the whole church when it is already in evils; therefore it is said that "then shall the end come."

[17] In the first book of Samuel:

Jehovah raiseth up the depressed out of the dust, He exalteth the needy from the dunghill, to make them sit with princes, and He shall make them to inherit the throne of glory; for the bases of the earth are Jehovah's, and He hath set the world upon them (1 Samuel 2:8).

This is the prophecy of Hannah the mother of Samuel. "To raise up the depressed out of the dust and the needy from the dunghill" signifies the instruction of the Gentiles, and the enlightenment in interior truths which would be revealed by the Lord, and thus the removal from evils and falsities. "The bases of the earth" signify exterior truths, such as those of the sense of the letter of the Word, for on those truths interior truths have their foundation; therefore the "world" which He hath set upon them signifies the church in respect to all its goods and truths. (But as to this see above, n. 253, 304)

[18] In Isaiah:

Jacob shall cause them that are to come to take root, Israel shall blossom and bud, so that the faces of the world shall be filled with the increase (Isaiah 27:6).

"Jacob" means the external church, and "Israel" the internal church; and as the internal of the church is founded upon its externals, and internals are thereby multiplied and made fruitful, it is said that "Jacob shall cause them that are to come to take root, and Israel shall blossom and bud;" the consequent fructification of the church is signified by "the faces of the world shall be filled with the increase."

[19] In the same:

Is this the man that maketh the earth to tremble, that maketh the kingdoms to quake, that hath made the world a wilderness, and thrown down the cities thereof? Prepare slaughter for his sons for the iniquity of their fathers, that they rise not up and possess the earth and the faces of the world be filled with cities (Isaiah 14:16, 17, 21).

This is said of Lucifer, by whom "Babylon" is meant, that is, the love of ruling over heaven and over the earth; therefore "to make the earth to tremble, to make the kingdoms to quake, to make the world a wilderness and throw down the cities thereof," signifies to destroy all things of the church; the "earth" meaning the church in respect to truth; "kingdoms," churches distinguished according to truths; the "world" the church in respect to good, and "cities" doctrinals. "To prepare slaughter for the sons for the iniquity of their fathers" signifies the destruction of the falsities that arise from their evils; "that they possess not the earth and fill the faces of the world with cities" signifies lest falsities and evils, and doctrinals from them, take possession of the whole church.

[20] In the same:

The earth shall mourn and be confounded, the world shall languish and be confounded, the exaltation of the people of the earth shall languish, and the earth itself shall be profaned under its inhabitants (Isaiah 24:4, 5).

This describes the desolation of the church in respect to its truths and goods by reason of the pride of self-intelligence, and the profanation of truths that are from good. The desolation is described by "mourning, being confounded, and languishing;" the church in respect to truths and goods is signified by "the earth and the world;" the pride of self-intelligence by "the exaltation of the people of the earth," and the profanation of truths that are from good by "the earth shall be profaned under its inhabitants."

[21] In Nahum:

The mountains shall quake before Him, and the hills shall melt; the earth shall be burnt up before Him, and the world and all that dwell therein (Nahum 1:5).

What is signified by the "mountains" that shall quake, and the "hills" that shall melt, may be seen above (n. 400, 405). But "the earth and the world and they that dwell therein shall be burnt up" signifies that the church in respect to all its truths and goods will be destroyed by infernal love.

[22] In David:

The channels of waters appeared and the foundations of the world were revealed at Thy rebuke, O Jehovah, at the breath of the spirit of Thy nostrils (Psalms 18:15; 2 Samuel 22:16).

That all things of the church in respect to its truths and goods were overturned from the foundation is signified by "the channels of waters appeared and the foundations of the world were revealed;" "the channels of waters" meaning the truths, and "the foundations of the world" its goods, and "to appear" and "to be revealed" meaning to be overturned from the foundation. That this destruction is from the hatred and fury of the evil against Divine things is signified by "at Thy rebuke, O Jehovah, at the breath of the spirit of Thy nostrils;" the "rebuke" and "the spirit of Jehovah's nostrils" have a similar signification as "His anger and wrath" mentioned elsewhere in the Word. But since the Lord has no anger or wrath against the evil, while the evil have against the Lord, and as anger and wrath appear to the evil when they perish to be from the Lord, therefore this is so said according to that appearance. "The breath of the spirit of Jehovah's nostrils" means also the east wind, which destroys by drought, and overturns by its penetrating power.

[23] In the same:

The voice of Thy thunder is in the world, the lightnings enlightened the world, the earth trembled and quaked (Psalms 77:18).

His lightnings shall enlighten the world; the earth shall see and fear, the mountains shall melt like wax before Jehovah, before the Lord of the whole earth (Psalms 97:4, 5).

This describes the state of the wicked because of the Lord's presence in His Divine truth, which state is like that of the sons of Israel when the Lord appeared to them upon Mount Sinai. That they then heard thunders, saw lightnings, and that the mountain appeared to be in a consuming fire as of a furnace, and they feared exceedingly, is known from the Word. This was because they were evil in heart; for the Lord appears to everyone according to what is his quality, to the good as a recreating fire, and to the evil as a consuming fire. From this it is clear what is signified by "the voice of Thy thunder is in the world, the lightnings enlightened the world, the earth trembled and quaked;" and "the mountains shall melt before Jehovah, the Lord of the whole earth;" "the world" meaning all that are of the church who are in goods, but here who are in evils, and the "earth" all that are of the church who are in truths, but here who are in falsities.

[24] In Isaiah:

I will visit malice upon the world, and upon the wicked their iniquity (Isaiah 13:11).

Here, too, the "world" means those that are of the church who are in evils, and the "wicked" those who are in falsities, therefore it is said "I will visit malice upon the world, and upon the wicked their iniquity;" "malice" means evil, and "iniquity" is predicated of falsities.

[25] In Job:

They shall thrust him away from light unto darkness, and chase him out of the world (Job 18:18).

Because "light" signifies the truth, and the "world" the good of the church, and when the wicked man casts himself from truth into falsity he also casts himself from good into evil, it is said "they shall thrust him away from light into darkness, and chase him out of the world," "darkness" meaning falsities, and "to chase out of the world" meaning to cast out from the good of the church.

[26] In Luke:

Men will faint for fear and for expectation of the things coming upon the whole world; for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken; and then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud of the heavens with power and much glory (Luke 21:26, 27).

This is said of the consummation of the age, which is the last time of the church, when there is no longer any truth because there is no good; the state of heaven at that time is described by these words, that "men will faint for fear and for expectation of the things coming upon the whole world;" this describes the fear of those who are in the heavens, that everything of the church in respect to its good and therefore in respect to its truths would perish, and the expectation of help from the Lord. That the power of Divine truth is weakened is signified by "the shaking of the powers of the heavens;" "the powers of the heavens" meaning Divine truths in respect to power; that the Lord will then make evident Divine truth, which has power and from which is intelligence, is signified by "then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud of the heavens, with power and much glory."

[27] "The earth and the world" have a like signification in the following passage in Revelation:

They are the spirits of demons doing signs to go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together unto the war (Revelation 16:14).

It is said "unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world," because one thing of the church is signified by "earth," and another by "world." As the "world" signifies the church in respect to good it also signifies all things of the church, for good is the essential of the church; therefore where there is good there is also truth, for every good desires truth and wishes to be conjoined to truth and to be spiritually nourished by it, thus also reciprocally.

Poznámky pod čarou:

252. And will sup with him, and he with Me, signifies communicating to them the felicities of heaven. This is evident from the signification of "supping," as being to communicate the goods of heaven. "To sup" means to communicate, because "banquets," "feasts," "dinners," and "suppers" in the Word signify consociations by love, and thus a communication of love's delights, for all delights are of love. These things derive their signification from that of bread and of wine, which signify the good of love, celestial and spiritual; and from that of eating together, which signifies communication and appropriation. This was formerly signified by the paschal supper, and is at this day signified by the holy supper (See above, n. 146); and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 210-222). Mention is made of "supping," because weddings were celebrated at supper time, and weddings signify the conjunction of good and truth, and the consequent communication of delights. It is therefore said in Revelation:

Blessed are they which are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Revelation 19:9);

and afterwards:

Come and be gathered together unto the supper of the great God (Revelation 19:17).

[2] As suppers signify consociations by love, and consequent communication of delights, therefore the Lord compared the church and heaven to a "supper," and also to a "wedding;" to a "supper" in Luke:

The master of the house made a great supper, and bade many; but all those that were called excused themselves. Therefore, being angry, he ordered his servant to bring in the poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind; saying of those called, that none of them should taste of the supper (Luke 14:16-24).

(Nearly the same is meant by the wedding to which invitations were given in Matthew 22:1-15.) "Supper" here means heaven and the church; "those called who excused themselves" mean the Jews with whom the church then was; for the church specifically is where the Word is, and where the Lord is known through the Word. "The poor, the maimed, the halt, and the blind," mean those who are spiritually such, and who were then outside the church. Heaven and the church are here likened to "a supper" and to "a wedding," because heaven is the conjunction of angels with the Lord by love, and their consociation among themselves by charity, and the consequent communication of all delights and felicities; the like is true of the church, since the church is the Lord's heaven on the earth. (That heaven is the conjunction of the angels with the Lord by love, and also their mutual consociation by charity, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 13-19, and a consequent communication of all delights and felicities, n. 396-400)

[3] In the Word it is said in many places that in heaven they will "eat together;" and this means in the spiritual sense that they are to enjoy blessedness and felicity; thus "eating together" has here a like significance as "supping." Thus in Luke:

They shall come from the east and the west, and from the north and the south, and shall recline to eat in the kingdom of God (Luke 13:29).

And in Matthew:

Many shall come from the east and the west, and shall recline to eat with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 8:11).

Those who are to "come from the east, the west, the north and the south," are all who are in the good of love, and in the truths of faith therefrom. (That the "four quarters" in the Word have such a signification, may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell. n. 141-153: that "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," mean the Lord in respect to the Divine Itself and the Divine Human,Arcana Coelestia 1893, 4615, 6098, 6185, 6276, 6804, 6847; consequently "to recline to eat with them" means to be conjoined with the Lord, and to be consociated one to another by love, and by such conjunction and consociation to enjoy eternal blessedness and felicity, and this from the Lord alone.)

[4] In Luke:

Jesus said, Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning, and be ye yourselves like unto men waiting for their Lord when He shall return from the wedding, that when He cometh and knocketh they may open unto Him. Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching; verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them to recline to eat, and drawing near, He will minister to them (Luke 12:35).

"The loins that are to be girded" mean the good of love (Arcana Coelestia 3021[1-8], 4280, 9961); "the lamps that are to be burning" signify the truths of faith from the good of love (Arcana Coelestia 9548, 9551, 9783); "girding Himself, making them to recline to eat, and ministering to them," signifies to bestow upon them every good.

[5] In the same:

Ye are they which have continued with Me in My temptations; I appoint unto you, even as My Father hath appointed unto Me, a kingdom, that ye may eat and drink at My table in the kingdom (Luke 22:28-30).

"To eat and drink at the Lord's table in the kingdom of God" is to be conjoined to the Lord by love and faith, and to enjoy heavenly blessedness.

[6] In Matthew:

Jesus said, I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this product of the vine, until that day when I will drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom (Matthew 26:29).

These words were spoken by the Lord after He instituted the Holy Supper; and "the product of the vine" signifies Divine truth from Divine good, and blessedness and felicity therefrom.

[7] The signification of "feast" is like that of "supper," in Isaiah:

In this mountain shall Jehovah make unto all peoples a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees (Isaiah 25:6);

here the coming of the Lord is treated of, and "a feast of fat things" signifies the appropriation and communication of goods, and "a feast of wines on the lees," or the best wine, the appropriation of truths. (That "fat things" signify the goods of love, see Arcana Coelestia 353, 5943, 10033; and also the delights of love, n. 6409; and that "wine" signifies the good of charity, which in its essence is truth, n. 1071, 1798, 6377)

[8] The "wedding to which the ten virgins were invited" has a like meaning, of which in Matthew:

The kingdom of the heavens is like unto ten virgins, who took their lamps and went forth to meet the bridegroom. And five of them were prudent, and five were foolish. The foolish, when they took their lamps, took no oil with them; but the prudent took oil in their vessels with their lamps. Now while the bridegroom tarried they all slumbered and slept. But at midnight a cry arose, Behold the bridegroom cometh; go ye out to meet him. Then all those virgins arose, and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said unto the prudent, Give us of your oil; for our lamps are going out. But the prudent answered, saying, Peradventure there will not be enough for us and you; go ye rather to them that sell, and buy for yourselves. And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came; and they that were ready went in with him to the wedding, and the door was shut. Afterward came the other virgins, saying, lord, lord, open to us. But he answered and said, Verily I say to you, I know you not (Matthew 25:1-12).

This treats of conjunction with the Lord by love and faith; this the "wedding" moreover signifies; "oil" signifies the good of love, and "lamps" the truth of faith. To make clear that in every particular that the Lord spoke there is a spiritual sense, I will lay open the particulars of the spiritual sense of this parable. "The kingdom of the heavens," to which the ten virgins are likened, means heaven and the church; "the ten virgins" signify all who are of the church ("ten" all, and "virgins" those who are in the affection of spiritual truth and good, which affection constitutes the church), therefore "Zion" and "Jerusalem," by which the church is signified, are called in the Word "virgins," as "the virgin Zion," and "the virgin Jerusalem," and in Revelation it is said that "virgins follow the Lamb." "The lamps that they took to go forth to meet the bridegroom" signify the truths of faith; "the bridegroom" means the Lord in respect to conjunction with heaven and the church by love and faith; for "a wedding" is treated of, which signifies that conjunction. "The five prudent virgins" and "the five foolish" signify those of the church who are in faith from love, and those who are in faith apart from love (the same as "the prudent and foolish" in Matthew 7:24, 26). "Midnight, when the cry arose," signifies the Last Judgment, and in general the end of man's life, when he will be adjudged either to heaven or to hell; "the foolish virgins then saying to the prudent, Give us of your oil, and the prudent answering that they should go to them who sell," signifies the state of all after death-that those who have not the good of love in faith, or the truth of faith from the good of love, then wish to acquire it for themselves, but in vain, since such as man's life has been in the world such he remains. From this it is clear what is signified by "the prudent virgins" going in to the marriage, and that the foolish who said, "Lord, Lord, open to us," received for answer, "Verily I say unto you, I know you not." "I know you not" signifies that the Lord was not conjoined to them, since spiritual love conjoins, and not faith without love; for the Lord has His abode with those who are in love, and in faith therefrom, and these He knows because He Himself is there.