727. "Rod and staff" signify power, and indeed, the power of Divine truth, chiefly for the reason that they were branches or boughs of trees, and these signify the knowledges of truth and good, which are the truths of the natural man; and as they also supported the body, they signified power. This is still more true of an "iron rod," because iron likewise signifies the truth of the natural man, and because of its hardness it signifies power that cannot be resisted. That "rods and staffs" thence signify the power of Divine truth is derived from correspondence. Therefore in the spiritual world, where all things that appear are correspondences, the use of staffs is a representative of the power of those that use them. It was similar in the Jewish Church, which, like the ancient churches, was a representative church. This is why Moses wrought miracles and signs in Egypt, and afterwards in the desert, by stretching forth his staff, as that:

The waters smitten with the staff were turned into blood (Exodus 7:1-21).

Frogs came up from the rivers and pools, over which the staff was stretched forth (Exodus 8:1).

From the dust smitten with the staff there came lice (Exodus 8:12).

When the staff was stretched toward heaven there came thunders and hail (Exodus 9:23.).

Locusts came forth (Exodus 10:12 seq.).

The Sea Suph when the staff was stretched forth over it was divided, and afterwards returned (Exodus 14:16, 21, 26).

From the rock in Horeb, smitten with the staff, waters came forth (Exodus 17:5; Numbers 20:7-13).

Joshua prevailed over Amelek when Moses held up his hand with the staff, and Amelek prevailed when Moses let it down (Exodus 17:9-12).

Also fire went up out of the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes which Gideon offered, when the angel of Jehovah touched it with the end of his staff (Judges 6:21).

These miracles were wrought by the stretching forth of a staff, because a "staff" from correspondence signifies the power of the Lord through Divine truth (which power was treated of in the article immediately preceding).

[2] Divine truth in respect to power is signified elsewhere in the Word by "rods" and "staffs," as can be seen from the following passages.

In David:

Yea, when I shall walk in the shady valley I will fear no evil to me; Thy rod and Thy staff will comfort me; Thou wilt make ready before me a table in the presence of mine enemies; and Thou wilt make fat my head with oil and my cup will abound (Psalms 23:4, 5).

"To walk in a shady valley" signifies in the spiritual sense an obscure understanding that does not see truths from light; "Thy rod and Thy staff will comfort me" signifies that spiritual Divine truth together with natural Divine truth will protect, for these have power; "rod" meaning spiritual Divine truth, "staff" natural Divine truth, the two together meaning these in respect to their power to protect, for "to comfort" means to protect. As "rod and staff" signify Divine truth in respect to power, it is next said, "Thou wilt make ready before me a table, Thou wilt make fat my head with oil, my cup will abound," which signifies spiritual nourishment through Divine truth; for "to make ready a table" signifies to be nourished spiritually; "to make fat the head with oil" signifies with the good of love, and "cup" signifies with the truth of doctrine from the Word, "cup" standing here for "wine."

[3] In Ezekiel:

Thy mother was like a vine planted by the waters, whence she had rods of strength, as scepters for them that rule; but she lifted herself on high in her stature among the thick boughs; therefore she was plucked up in wrath, she was cast down to the earth and the east wind dried up her fruit; the rods of her strength were broken off and dried up, the fire devoured everyone. Now she is planted in the wilderness, in a land of drought and thirst; a fire hath gone out from the rod of her branches, and hath devoured her fruit, and so there is not in her a rod of strength, a scepter of them that rule ¹ (Ezekiel 19:10-14).

This describes the desolation of all truth in the Jewish church; the "princes" against whom is the lamentation signify truths, and the "mother" who was made a lioness signifies the church; about these this is said, "Thy mother was like a vine planted by the waters" signifies that the spiritual church, from its establishment had been instructed in truths; "mother" meaning the church in general; "vine" the spiritual church in particular; "waters" truths, and "to be planted" to be established. "Whence she had rods of strength as scepters for them that rule" signifies that the church had Divine truth in its power, and thus dominion over the falsities of evil which are from hell, "rods of strength" signifying Divine truth in respect to power, and "scepters" Divine truth in respect to dominion, for the scepters of kings were short staffs from a significative tree, here from the vine; "but she lifted herself on high in her stature among the thick boughs" signifies the pride of self-intelligence from knowledges [scientifica] of the natural man; this pride is signified by "she lifted herself on high in her stature," and the knowledges [scientifica] of the natural man are signified by the "thick boughs." "She was plucked up in wrath, she was cast down to the earth," signifies the destruction of the church by the falsities of evil; "the east wind dried up her fruit" signifies the destruction of its good, "east wind" signifying destruction, and "fruit" good; the good that those have, remaining from the Word, who are in the falsities of evil, is here meant, and its destruction is signified by "the drying up of the fruit by an east wind." "The rods of her strength were broken off and dried up" signifies that all Divine truth was dispersed, consequently that the church had no power against the hells. "The fire consumed everyone" signifies pride from the love of self, which destroyed; "now she is planted in the wilderness, in a land of drought and thirst," signifies that the church is desolated until there is no good of truth or truth of good. "A fire hath gone out from the rod of her branches," signifies pride in every particular of it; "it hath devoured her fruit" signifies the consumption of good; "so that there is not in her a rod of strength, a scepter of them that rule," signifies the desolation of Divine truth in respect to power and in respect to dominion, as above.

[4] In Jeremiah:

Say ye, How is the staff of strength broken, the staff of splendor! Come down from thy glory and sit in thirst, O thou daughter that dwellest in Dibon; for the devastator of Moab hath come up against thee and hath destroyed thy fortresses! (Jeremiah 48:17, 18).

"The daughter of Dibon" signifies the external of the church, and thence the external of the Word, which is the sense of its letter; and "the devastator of Moab" signifies its adulteration. From this it is clear what is signified by "the staff of strength is broken, the staff of splendor," namely, that they have no Divine truth in its power, "staff of strength" meaning Divine truth in the natural sense, and "staff of splendor" meaning Divine truth in the spiritual sense; "come down from thy glory and sit in thirst, O thou daughter that dwellest in Dibon," signifies the deprivation and lack of Divine truth; "to come down from glory" meaning the deprivation of it; "glory" Divine truth in light, and "thirst" the lack of it. "For the devastator of Moab hath come up against thee" signifies the adulteration of the Word, in respect to its literal sense; "and hath destroyed thy fortresses," signifies the taking away of defense; "fortress" meaning defense against falsities and evils; the literal sense of the Word is that defense.

[5] In David:

Jehovah shall send the staff of thy strength out of Zion (Psalms 110:2).

Here also "staff of strength" signifies Divine truth in its power, and "Zion" the church that is in love to the Lord, and is therefore called a celestial church.

[6] In Micah:

Feed Thy people with Thy rod, the flock of Thine heritage; they shall feed in Bashan and Gilead according to the days of an age (Micah 7:14).

"Feed Thy people with Thy rod" signifies the instruction of those who are of the church in Divine truths from the Word; "to feed" signifying to instruct; "people" meaning those who are of the church in truths, and "rod" where the Word is because it is Divine truth. "The flock of heritage" signifies those of the church who are in the spiritual things of the Word, which are the truths of its internal sense; "they shall feed in Bashan and Gilead" signifies instruction in the goods of the church and in its truths from the natural sense of the Word.

[7] In Isaiah:

He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked (Isaiah 11:4).

Here "the rod of Jehovah's mouth" signifies Divine truth or the Word in its natural sense; and "the breath of His lips" signifies Divine truth or the Word in the spiritual sense, both destroying the falsities of evil in the church, which is signified by "smiting the earth and slaying the wicked."

To smite with a rod (Micah 5:1);

And to pierce with his staffs the head of the unfaithful (Habakkuk 3:14);

have a like signification.

[8] In Moses:

Israel sang a song respecting the fountain in Beer; O fountain the princes digged, the nobles of the people digged out, by the Lawgiver, with their staffs (Numbers 21:17, 18).

"The fountain in Beer" here signifies doctrine from the Word, "Beer" meaning in the original tongue a fountain; the "princes" who digged, and "the nobles of the people" who digged out, signify those who are intelligent and those who are wise from the Lord, who is here "the Lawgiver." The "staffs" with which they digged and digged out signify the understanding enlightened in Divine truths.

[9] In Zechariah:

There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and a man in whose hand is a staff because of the multitude of days (Zechariah 8:4).

"Old men and old women" signify those who are intelligent from doctrine and from the affection of truth; "the man in whose hand is a staff [scipio] because of the multitude of days" signifies the wise who trust in the Lord alone and not at all in themselves; that these will be in the church that has the doctrine of genuine truth is signified by "in the streets of Jerusalem," "Jerusalem" meaning the church in respect to doctrine, and "streets" the truths of doctrine, here genuine truths.

[10] In Jeremiah:

Every man has become brutish by knowledge, every refiner is put to shame by the graven image; the portion of Jacob is not like these; but He is the Former of all things, and Israel is the staff of His heritage, Jehovah of Hosts is His name (Jeremiah 10:14, 16; 51:19).

"Every man has become brutish by knowledge" signifies by the knowledges [scientifica] of the natural man separated from the spiritual; "every refiner is put to shame by the graven image" signifies by falsities that are from self-intelligence, "but He is the Former of all things" signifies the Lord from whom is all intelligence of truth; "Israel is the staff of his heritage" signifies the church that has Divine truth, and its power against falsities; and because this treats of intelligence through Divine truth it is added, "Jehovah of Hosts is His name;" the Lord is called "Jehovah of Hosts" from Divine truths in the whole complex, for "hosts" mean armies, and "armies" signify all the truths and goods of heaven and the church.

[11] When the sons of Israel murmured in the desert against Moses and Aaron on account of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, because they were swallowed by the earth, it was commanded that:

The princes of the twelve tribes should place their staffs in the Tent of meeting, before the testimony; and when this was done the staff of Aaron blossomed and brought forth almonds (Numbers 17:2-10).

This was done because they murmured against Jehovah, that is, against the Lord, and indeed against Divine truth which is from Him; for Moses and Aaron represented the Lord in respect to the law, which is the Word; for this reason it was commanded that "the princes of the twelve tribes should place their staffs in the Tent of meeting before the testimony;" for "the twelve tribes," and in particular "their princes," and likewise "their twelve staffs," signified the truths of the church in the whole complex; and "Tent of meeting" represented and thence signified heaven, from which are the truths of the church, and the "testimony" the Lord Himself. "The staff of Aaron" blossomed and brought forth almonds, because his "staff" represented and thence signified truth from the good of love; and because truth from the good of love alone brings forth fruit, which is the good of charity, it was his staff that blossomed and brought forth almonds, "almonds," like as "the tribe of Levi," signifying that good (See above, n. 444. It is be known that "tribe" "staff" are expressed by the same word (as in Numbers 1:16; 2:5, 7); therefore "the twelve staffs" have a like signification as "the twelve tribes," namely, the Divine truth of the church in the whole complex. (On the twelve tribes see above, n. 39, 430, 431, 657.)

[12] As a "staff" signifies the power of Divine truth, it signifies also the power to resist evils and falsities. In Isaiah:

Behold the Lord Jehovih of Hosts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the staff and the stay, the whole staff of bread, and the whole staff of water, the mighty one and the man of war, the judge and the prophet (Isaiah 3:1, 2).

Here "to take away the whole staff of bread and the whole staff of water" signifies to take away every good and truth of the church, and when these are taken away there is no longer any power to resist evils and falsities, so as to hinder their free entrance; "bread" signifies the good of the church, "water" its truth, and "staff" the same as to their power to resist evils and falsities; therefore it follows that "the mighty one and the man of war, the judge and the prophet," who will also be taken away, "the mighty one and the man of war" signifying truth combating against evil and falsity, and "judge and prophet" the doctrine of good and truth.

[13] In Ezekiel:

Behold I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they shall eat bread by weight and in carefulness, and drink waters by measure and with astonishment (Ezekiel 4:16).

"To break the staff of bread" signifies that good and truth shall fail in the church, for "bread" here signifies good and truth; therefore it follows "they shall eat bread by weight and in carefulness, and drink waters by measure," which signifies a lack of good and truth, and thus of the power to resist evils and falsities:

Breaking the staff of bread and of water (Ezekiel 5:16; 14:13; Psalms 105:16; Leviticus 26:26);

has a like signification.

[14] As "rod and staff" signify the power of Divine truth, and thus Divine truth in respect to power, so in the contrary sense "rod and staff" also signify the power of infernal falsity, and thence infernal falsity in respect to power. In this sense "rod and staff" are mentioned in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Jehovah has broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of them that rule (Isaiah 14:5).

"To break the staff of the wicked" signifies to destroy the power of falsity from evil; and "to break the rod of them that rule" signifies to destroy the rule of falsity.

[15] In David:

The staff of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous, that the righteous put not forth their hands to perversity (Psalms 125:3).

"The staff of wickedness" signifies the power of falsity from evil; "upon the lot of the righteous" signifies over truths from good, which the faithful have, and especially with those who are in love to the Lord, for these in the Word are called the "righteous;" "lest the righteous put forth their hands to perversity" signifies lest they falsify truths.

[16] In Lamentations:

I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of His fury; He hath led me in darkness, and not into light (Lamentations 3:1, 2).

This is said of the devastation of the church; and "the rod of fury" signifies the rule of infernal falsity; "he hath led me and brought me in darkness and not into light" signifies into mere falsities, and thus not to truths.

[17] In Isaiah:

Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his exactor (Isaiah 9:4).

This is said of the Gentiles who were in falsities from ignorance, because they did not have the Word, and therefore did not know the Lord. The evil by which they were oppressed and the falsities by which they were infested are signified by "the yoke of the burden, the staff of the shoulder, and the rod of the exactor," "to break" signifies to destroy these, for "to break" is predicated of a yoke, a staff, and a rod, and to destroy, of evil and falsity, which heavily weigh upon and powerfully persuade and compel to obedience.

[18] In the same:

At the voice of Jehovah Asshur shall be dismayed, he shall be smitten with a staff; then every passage of the rod of foundation upon which Jehovah shall cause to rest shall be with timbrels and harps (Isaiah 30:31, 32).

This is said of the time of the Last Judgment, when there shall be a New Church. "Asshur, who shall be dismayed at the voice of Jehovah, and shall be smitten with a staff" signifies reasoning from falsities that will be dispersed by Divine truth. That the truths of the literal sense of the Word will then be understood and received with joy, is signified by "then the passage of the rod of the foundation shall be with timbrels and harps," "passage" signifying the opening and free reception, and "timbrels and harps" signifying the delights of the affection of truth. The truths of the literal sense of the Word are signified by "the rod of the foundation," because that sense is a foundation for the truths of its spiritual sense; and as the spiritual sense rests upon the literal, it is said "upon which Jehovah shall cause to rest."

[19] In Zechariah:

The pride of Asshur shall be brought down, and the staff of Egypt shall depart (Zechariah 10:11).

"The pride of Asshur" signifies the pride of self-intelligence, and "the staff of Egypt" signifies its power from the confirmation of its falsities by the knowledges [scientifica] of the natural man.

[20] In Isaiah:

Woe to Asshur, the rod of Mine anger and the staff of Mine indignation, which is in their hand; O My people that dwellest in Zion, fear not Asshur that he smite thee with a rod, and lift up his staff upon thee in the way of Egypt (Isaiah 10:5, 24, 26).

Here, too, "Asshur" signifies the reasonings from self-intelligence by which truths are perverted and falsified; the consequent falsities and the perversions of truth are signified by "the rod of Mine anger and the staff of Mine indignation, which is in their hand." That truths will not be perverted with those of the church who are in celestial love and in truths therefrom is signified by "Thou that dwellest in Zion, fear not." That falsity urges and excites and strives to pervert by means of such things as pertain to the natural man is signified by "that he smite thee with a rod, and lift up a staff upon thee in the way of Egypt," "the way of Egypt," signifying the knowledges [scientifica] of the natural man, from which come reasonings. Since "Egypt" signifies the natural man with the things that are in it, and the natural man when separated from the spiritual is in mere falsities:

Egypt is called the staff of a bruised reed, which goeth into and pierceth the hand when one leaneth upon it (Ezekiel 29:6, 7; Isaiah 36:6).

This may be seen explained above n. 627.

[21] In Isaiah:

Be not glad O Philistia, because the rod that smiteth thee ² is broken; for from the serpent's root shall come forth a basilisk, whose fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent (Isaiah 14:29).

That "Philistia" signifies the religion of faith separated from charity, "the serpent's root" that false principle, "the basilisk" the destruction of the good and truth of the church, and "the fiery flying serpent" reasonings from the falsities of evil, may be seen above n. 386; thus these serpents have a similar signification as "the dragon" in this chapter of Revelation. That "Philistia should not be glad because the rod of him that smiteth her is broken" signifies that she should not boast that the dominion of that falsity is not yet destroyed.

[22] In Hosea:

My people question the wood, and their staff answereth them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath seduced them, and they have committed whoredom under their God (Hosea 4:12).

This is said of the falsification of the Word. "To question the wood or an idol of wood" signifies to consult the intelligence that is from what is one's own [proprium] that favors its loves; "the staff answereth them" signifies the falsity in which one has faith, for when the selfhood [proprium] is consulted falsity responds; the selfhood is of the will, thus of the love, and the falsity thence is of the understanding, thus of the thought. "The spirit of whoredoms that has seduced" signifies the lust of falsifying; "to commit whoredom under their God" signifies to falsify the truths of the Word.

[23] From this now it is clear what "rod and staff" signify in both senses; and from this it can be known what is meant by "the iron rod with which the son, the male is to tend all nations;" likewise by these words in Revelation:

Out of the mouth of Him who sat upon the white horse goeth forth a sharp sword, that with it He may smite the nations; and He shall tend them with an iron rod (Revelation 19:15).

Also by these words above:

He that shall overcome I will give him power over the nations, that he may rule them with an iron rod; as a potter's vessels shall they be broken (Revelation 2:26, 27).

The explanation of this may be seen above n. 176. Like things are signified by these words in David:

Thou shalt break them in pieces with an iron rod, thou shalt shatter them like a potter's vessel (Psalms 2:9).

Poznámky pod čarou:

5354. 'And the name of the second he called Ephraim' means a new area of understanding within the natural, and the essential nature of it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the name' and 'calling the name' as the essential nature, dealt with in 144, 145, 1754, 1896, 2009, 2724, 3006, 3421; and from the representation of 'Ephraim' as the area of understanding within the natural, dealt with below. What the new area of understanding and what the new area of will are, meant by 'Ephraim and Manasseh', must be stated first. It is indeed well known in the Church that a person must be born again, that is, be regenerated, so that he may enter the kingdom of God. This is well known because the Lord has declared it quite explicitly in John 3:3, 5; yet What being born again implies is still known to only a few. And the reason for this is that few know what good and evil are. The reason people do not know what good and evil are is that they do not know what charity towards the neighbour is. If they did know what this was they would also know what good was, and from good what evil was; for everything is good that springs out of genuine charity towards the neighbour.

[2] But with no one can this good have its origin in the person himself, for it is something utterly heavenly flowing into him from the Lord. This heavenly good is flowing in constantly, but evils and falsities stand in the way and prevent the reception of it. So that it may be received therefore it is necessary for the person to remove the evils and, so far as he possibly can do so, the falsities too, and thereby bring himself into a condition to receive that good flowing in. When, after evils have been removed, he accepts the inflow of good he acquires a new will and a new understanding. The new will enables him to feel a sense of delight in doing good to his neighbour without any selfish end in view, and the new understanding enables him to take delight in learning what goodness and truth are for their own sakes and for the sake of the life he should lead. Because this new understanding and new will are brought into being by what flows in from the Lord, the person who has been regenerated therefore acknowledges and believes that the goodness and truth for which he feels an affection do not originate in himself but in the Lord, and also that what does originate in himself or is properly his own is nothing but evil.

[3] From all this one may see what is meant by being born again, and also what is meant by a new will and a new understanding. But regeneration, which brings the new will and the new understanding into being, does not take place in a single instant. Rather, it is taking place from earliest childhood through to the final phase of life, and after that for ever in the next life; and it is accomplished by Divine means that are countless and beyond description. In himself the human being is nothing but evil which is constantly radiating from him as if from a furnace and is constantly trying to smother good while it is still being born. The removal of that kind of evil and the firm implantation of good in its place cannot be effected except through the whole course of a person's life; nor can it be effected except by Divine means which are countless and beyond description. At the present time scarcely anything is known about these means, for the reason that people do not allow themselves to be regenerated. Nor do they believe that regeneration is anything, because they do not believe in a life after death. The process by which regeneration takes place, a process involving things beyond description, constitutes the major part of angelic wisdom; and that process is of such a nature that no angel can ever completely exhaust all there is to know about it. This is the reason why in the internal sense of the Word it is the chief matter that is dealt with.

[4] It is evident from very many places in the Word that 'Ephraim' means a new understanding within the natural, above all in the prophet Hosea, who makes many references to Ephraim, the following among them,

I know Ephraim, and Israel is not hidden from Me, that you have altogether committed whoredom, O Ephraim; Israel has been defiled. Israel and Ephraim will collapse through their iniquity; Judah also will collapse with them. Ephraim will become a lonely place on the day of reproach. ¹ And I will be like a moth to Ephraim, and like a worm to the house of Joseph. And Ephraim saw his sickness, and Judah his wound; and Ephraim went to Assyria and sent to King Jareb, and he could not cure you. Hosea 9:3, 5, 9, 11-13.

After this in the same prophet,

When I healed Israel the iniquity of Ephraim was revealed, and the evils of Samaria; for they practised a lie, and a thief came, a band spread itself outside. And Ephraim was like a silly dove with no heart; they called on Egypt, they went away to Assyria. When they go I will stretch My net over them. Hosea 7:1, 11-12 and following verses.

[5] And further on in the same prophet,

Israel has been swallowed up, now they are going to be among the gentiles, like a vessel in which there is no desire. When they went up to Assyria [they were like] a wild ass alone by himself; Ephraim procures lovers ² with a prostitute's hire. Hosea 8:8-9.

Israel will not dwell in Jehovah's land, but Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean. Hosea 9:3.

Ephraim has encompassed Me with a lie, and the house of Israel with deceit; and Judah will have dominion still with God and with the saints of the Faithful One. ³ Ephraim feeds the wind, and pursues the east wind. All the day long he multiplies lies and devastation and they make a covenant with the Assyrian, and oil is carried down into Egypt. Hosea 11:11; 12:1.

[6] Ephraim is referred to by this prophet in many other places besides these, such as Hosea 4:16-18; 5:3, 5, 9, 11-13; 7:8-9; 9:8, 11, 13, 16; 10:6, 11; 11:3, 8-9; 12:8, 14; 13:1, 12; 14:8. In all these places 'Ephraim' is used to mean the area of understanding within the Church, Israel' the spiritual area within it, and 'Judah' the celestial area. Also, since the area of understanding within the Church is meant by 'Ephraim', frequent reference is therefore made to Ephraim going away into Egypt or into Assyria. This is because 'Egypt' means factual knowledge and 'Assyria' reasonings based on this; and factual knowledge and reasonings are things associated with the understanding. For the meaning of Egypt' as factual knowledge, see 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 2588, 3325, 4749, 4964, 4966; and for that of 'Asshur' or 'Assyria' as reason or reasoning, 119, 1186.

[7] The understanding area of the Church is meant in a similar way by 'Ephraim' in the following places: In Zechariah,

Exult greatly, O daughter of Zion! Make a noise, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king comes to you. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and I will cut off the battle bow; on the other hand he will speak peace to the nations. And his dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the river even to the ends of the earth. I will bend Judah for Me, I will fill Ephraim with the bow; and I will rouse your sons, O Zion, together with your sons, O Javan. Zechariah 9:9-10, 13.

This refers to the Lord's Coming, also to the Church among the gentiles. 'Cutting off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem' stands for the entire understanding which the Church possesses. 'Filling Ephraim with the bow' stands for imparting a new understanding. For 'the chariot' means doctrinal teaching, see 5321; 'the horse' means the power of understanding, 2760-2762, 3217, 5321; and 'the bow' too means doctrinal teaching, 2685, 2686, 2709. Doctrinal teaching is dependent on the power of understanding, for to the extent that a person understands it, he believes it; his understanding of doctrinal teaching determines what his faith is like.

[8] For this reason the children of Ephraim are called 'archers' in David,

The children of Ephraim who were armed (they were archers) turned back on the day of battle. Psalms 78:9.

In Ezekiel,

Son of man, take a stick and write on it, For Judah and for the children of Israel, his companions. Then take another stick and write on it, Joseph's - the stick of Ephraim and of the whole house of Israel, his companions. After that join them together, one to the other into one stick for you, that both may be one in your ⁴ hand. Behold, I am about to take the stick of Joseph which is in the hands of Ephraim and of the tribes of Israel his companions, and I will add them who are on it to the stick of Judah, and will make them into one stick, that they may be one stick in My hand. Ezekiel 37:16-17, 19.

Here also 'Judah' is used to mean the celestial area within the Church, 'Israel' the spiritual area within it, and 'Ephraim' the understanding area. The idea that these will be made one through the good of charity is meant by the promise that one stick will be made out of two. For 'a stick' means good which is the good of charity and of works motivated by charity, see 1110, 2784, 2812, 3720, 4943.

[9] In Jeremiah,

It is a day [when] the watchmen will cry from mount Ephraim, Arise, let us go up to Zion, to Jehovah our God. I will be a father to Israel, and Ephraim will be My firstborn. Jeremiah 31:6, 9.

In the same prophet,

I have surely heard Ephraim bewailing, You have chastised me and I was chastised, like an unruly calf. Direct me, that I may be directed. Is not Ephraim a precious son to Me? Is he not a delightful child? For after I have spoken against him I will surely remember him again. Jeremiah 31:18, 20.

In the same prophet,

I will bring back Israel to his own habitation so that he may feed on Carmel and Bashan; and on mount Ephraim and in Gilead his soul will be satisfied. Jeremiah 50:19

In Isaiah,

Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, to the falling flower and the glory of its beauty, which is on the head of a valley of fat ones confused by wine. Isaiah 28:1.

[10] In all these places too 'Ephraim' means the area of understanding within the Church. The area of understanding within the Church is that understanding which members of the Church have about truth and goodness, that is, about matters of doctrine regarding faith and charity. Thus it is the notions, conceptions, or ideas which they possess about these matters. Truth forms the spiritual area of the Church, and good the celestial area. But one member's understanding of truth and goodness is different from another's, and therefore the nature of each member's understanding of truth determines the kind of truth known to him. And the same is so with each person's understanding of goodness.

[11] What the Church's area of will, meant by 'Manasseh', is exactly can be recognized from the area of understanding, which is 'Ephraim'. The nature of the Church's will is similar to that of its understanding in that it varies from one member to another. 'Manasseh' means that area of will in Isaiah,

Through the wrath of Jehovah Zebaoth the earth has been darkened, and the people have become as fuel for the fire; a man will not spare his brother. A man will eat the flesh of his own arm; Manasseh [will consume] Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh, and together they are against Judah.

'A man will eat the flesh of his own arm, Manasseh [will consume] Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh' stands for the member of the Church when his will acts in opposition to the activity of his understanding, and his understanding acts in opposition to the activity of his will.

[12] In David,

God has spoken by means of His holiness, I will exalt, I will divide up Shechem and portion out the valley of Succoth. Gilead is Mine, and Manasseh is Mine; and Ephraim is the strength of My head. Psalms 60:6-7.

In the same author,

Turn Your ear, O Shepherd of Israel, You who lead ⁵ Joseph like a flock; You who are seated upon the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh stir up Your power. Psalms 80:1-2.

Here also 'Ephraim' stands for the area of understanding within the Church and 'Manasseh' for the area of will there. The same meaning is also evident from the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh by Jacob before he died, and in addition from the fact that Jacob accepted Ephraim in place of Reuben, and Manasseh in place of Simeon, Genesis 48:3, 5. For Reuben had represented the Church's area of understanding, which is faith in the understanding, or doctrine, 3861, 3866. Also, Simeon had represented faith in action - or obedience and the will to put truth into practice - from which charity springs and through which charity expresses itself; thus he represented truth realized in action, which is good belonging to the new will, 3869-3872.

[13] The reason why Jacob, who by then was Israel, blessed Ephraim more fully than Manasseh, by placing his right hand on the former and his left on the latter, Genesis 48:13-20, was the same as the one involved in Jacob's procurement for himself of Esau's birthright. It was also the same as what was involved in the birth of Perez and Zerah, Judah's sons by Tamar; though he was the firstborn, Zerah nevertheless came out after Perez, Genesis 38:18-30. The reason this happened was that the truth of faith, which belongs to the understanding, seems to occupy the first place while a person is being regenerated, and the good of charity, which belongs to the will, seems to occupy the second. But in actual fact good occupies the first place, as is plain to see once the person has been regenerated. On this subject, see 3314, 3539, 3548, 3556, 3563, 3570, 3576, 3603, 3701, 4243, 4244, 4247, 4337, 4925, 4926.

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