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1 Samuel 4

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1 And the word of Samuel came to all Israel. Now Israel went out against the Philistines to battle, and encamped beside Eben-ezer: and the Philistines encamped in Aphek.

2 And the Philistines put themselves in array against Israel: and when they joined battle, Israel was smitten before the Philistines: and they slew of the army in the field about four thousand men.

3 And when the people had come into the camp, the elders of Israel said, Why hath the LORD smitten us to-day before the Philistines? Let us bring the ark of the covenant of the LORD out of Shiloh to us, that when it cometh among us, it may save us from the hand of our enemies.

4 So the people sent to Shiloh, that they might bring from thence the ark of the covenant of the LORD of hosts, who dwelleth between the cherubim: and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were there with the ark of the covenant of God.

5 And when the ark of the covenant of the LORD came into the camp, all Israel shouted with a great shout, so that the earth resounded.

6 And when the Philistines heard the noise of the shout, they said, What meaneth the noise of this great shout in the camp of the Hebrews? And they understood that the ark of the LORD had come into the camp.

7 And the Philistines were afraid, for they said, God hath come into the camp. And they said, Woe to us! for there hath not been such a thing heretofore.

8 Woe to us! Who shall deliver us out of the hand of these mighty Gods? these are the Gods that smote the Egyptians with all the plagues in the wilderness.

9 Be strong, and acquit yourselves like men, O ye Philistines, that ye may not be servants to the Hebrews, as they have been to you: acquit yourselves like men, and fight.

10 And the Philistines fought, and Israel was smitten, and they fled every man into his tent: and there was a very great slaughter, for there fell of Israel thirty thousand footmen.

11 And the ark of God was taken; and the two sons of Eli, Hophni and Phinehas, were slain.

12 And there ran a man of Benjamin out of the army, and came to Shiloh the same day with his clothes rent, and with earth upon his head.

13 And when he came, lo, Eli sat upon a seat by the way-side watching: for his heart trembled for the ark of God. And when the man came into the city, and told it, all the city cried out.

14 And when Eli heard the noise of the crying, he said, What meaneth the noise of this tumult? And the man came in hastily, and told Eli.

15 Now Eli was ninety and eight years old; and his eyes were dim, that he could not see.

16 And the man said to Eli, I am he that came out of the army, and I fled to-day out of the army. And he said, What is there done, my son?

17 And the messenger answered and said, Israel hath fled before the Philistines, and there hath been also a great slaughter among the people, and thy two sons also, Hophni and Phinehas, are dead, and the ark of God is taken.

18 And it came to pass, when he made mention of the ark of God, that he fell from off the seat backward by the side of the gate, and his neck broke, and he died: for he was an old man, and heavy. And he had judged Israel forty years.

19 And his daughter-in-law, the wife of Phinehas, was with child near to be delivered: and when she heard the tidings that the ark of God was taken, and that her father-in-law, and her husband were dead, she bowed herself, and travailed; for her pains came upon her.

20 And about the time of her death, the women that stood by her said to her, Fear not; for thou hast borne a son. But she answered not, neither did she regard it.

21 And she named the child I-chabod, saying, The glory hath departed from Israel. (Because the ark of God was taken, and because of her father-in-law and her husband.)

22 And she said, The glory hath departed from Israel: for the ark of God is taken.

   

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Apocalypse Explained # 277

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277. And in the midst of the throne and around the throne were four animals, full of eyes before and behind, signifies the Lord's guard and providence that the interior heavens be not approached except by the good of love and charity, that lower things depending thereon may be in the order. This is evident from the signification of "out of the midst of the throne," as being from the Lord, for the "One sitting upon the throne" was the Lord (See above, n. 268); also from the signification of "around the throne," as being the interior or higher heavens, for these are most nearly around the Lord; also from the signification of "four animals," which were cherubim, as being the Divine guard and providence that the interior or higher heavens be not approached except from the good of love and charity (of which in what follows); also from the signification of "eyes," of which they were full before and behind, as being the Lord's Divine Providence; for "eyes," in reference to man, signify the understanding, which is his internal sight; but when "eyes" are predicated of God, they signify the Divine Providence (See above, n. 68, 152). And since "eyes" here signify the Lord's Divine Providence that the higher heavens be not approached except from the good of love and of charity, therefore these cherubim were seen "full of eyes before and behind."

On this providence of the Lord, lower things, which are the lower heavens and also the church on earth, depend, that they may be in order, because the influx of the Lord is both immediate from Himself, and also mediate through the higher heavens into the lower heavens and into the church; consequently unless the higher heavens were in order the lower could not be in order. (On this influx see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 277-278.)

[2] That by "the four animals" here cherubim are meant is evident in Ezekiel, by whom like things were seen at the river Chebar, which are described by him in chap. 1 and in chap. 10, and in the latter called "cherubim" (Ezekiel 10:1-2, 4-9, 14, 16, 18-19), and it is said of them:

The cherubim mounted up; these are the animals that I saw by the river Chebar. These are the animals that I saw under the God of Israel by the river Chebar; and I knew that they were the cherubim (Ezekiel 10:15, 20).

These "four animals, that were cherubim," are thus described by that prophet:

Near the river Chebar appeared the likeness of four animals. This was their aspect: they had the likeness of a man, and each one had four faces, and each one of them had four wings. This was the likeness of their faces: the four of them had the face of a man and the face of a lion on the right side, and the four of them had the face of an ox on the left side, and the four of them had the face of an eagle. Their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of lamps; the same went up and down among the animals, so that the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning. Over the heads of the animals was an expanse of the appearance of a wonderful crystal. Above the expanse which was over their head was as it were the appearance of a sapphire stone, the likeness of a throne; and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness as the appearance of a man upon it. From the appearance of his loins and downwards I saw as it were an appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about, as the appearance of the bow that is in the cloud; so was the appearance of the brightness of Jehovah round about; this appearance was the likeness of the glory of Jehovah (Ezekiel 1:5-6, 10, 13, 22, 26-28).

By these representatives the Divine of the Lord in the higher heavens, and His Providence that they be not approached except from the good of love and charity, are described; and in this description are contained all the things that are mentioned in this chapter of Revelation respecting the arrangement of the heavens, and signified by "the throne on which was One sitting in aspect like a jasper stone and a sardius;" also by the "rainbow round about the throne," by the "lamps of fire burning before the throne," and the other things which it is not necessary therefore to explain here singly.

[3] It shall now be shown merely that "cherubim" in the Word signify the guard and providence of the Lord that the higher heavens be not approached except from the good of love and charity, that lower things may be in order. This is plainly seen by the cherubim placed before the garden of Eden, when man was driven from it, which are thus described in Moses:

When Jehovah God had driven out the man, He made to dwell on the east of Eden the cherubim, and the flame of a sword turning hither and thither, to guard the way of the tree of life (Genesis 3:24).

What is meant by the "man" and "his wife" in these chapters may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia, namely, that "man" here means the Most Ancient Church, which was a celestial church; and the celestial is distinguished from the spiritual church in this, that the celestial church is in the good of love to the Lord, but the spiritual in the good of charity towards the neighbor (See in the work onHeaven and Hell 20-28). Of the men who constitute these two churches on the earth the two higher heavens are formed. When, therefore, the celestial church, which was the most ancient and primary church on this earth, declined and began to recede from the good of love, it is said that "cherubim were made to dwell on the east of Eden, and the flame of a sword turning hither and thither, to guard the way of the tree of life." The "east of Eden" signifies where the good of celestial love enters; "the flame of a sword turning hither and thither" signifies truth from that good, protecting; and "the tree of life" signifies the Divine that is from the Lord in the higher heavens, which is the good of love and charity and heavenly joy therefrom. From this it is clear that "cherubim" signify guards that these heavens be not approached except through the good of love and charity; for this reason they are also said "to guard the way of the tree of life." (That the "east" signifies the good of love, see Arcana Coelestia 1250, 3708; that "Eden" signifies wisdom therefrom, n. 99, 100; that "sword" signifies truth combating against falsity and dispersing it, thus truth protecting, above, n. 73, 131; that "flame" signifies truth from celestial good, Arcana Coelestia 3222, 6832, 9570; that "the tree of life" signifies the good of love from the Lord and the heavenly joy therefrom, see above, n. 109, 110.)

[4] Because of this signification of "cherubim," two cherubim of solid gold were placed upon the mercy-seat which was upon the ark, thus described in Moses:

Thou shalt make cherubim, of solid gold thou shalt make them, from the two ends of the mercy-seat; out of the mercy-seat thou shalt make the cherubim. And the cherubim shall spread out their wings upwards, covering the mercy-seat with their wings; towards the mercy-seat shall be the faces of the cherubim. And thou shalt put the mercy-seat upon the ark. And there I will meet with thee, and I will speak with thee between the two cherubim (Exodus 25:18-22; 37:7-9).

The "ark" and the "tent" represented the higher heavens; the "ark," in which was the testimony or law, represented the inmost or third heaven; the "tabernacle," which was without the veil, the middle or second heaven; the "mercy-seat" the hearing and reception of all things of worship which are from the good of love and charity; the "cherubim" guards; and the "gold," of which they were made the good of love. From this it is also clear that the "two cherubim" represented guards that the higher heavens be not approached except through the good of love and charity. (That the "tabernacle" in general represented heaven where the Lord is, see Arcana Coelestia 9457, 9481, 10545; the "ark" the inmost or third heaven, n. 3478, 9485; the "testimony or law in the ark," the Lord in respect to the Word, n. 3382, 6752, 7463; the "habitation," that was without the veil, the middle or second heaven, n. 3478, 9457, 9481, 9485, 9594, 9596, 9632; the "mercy-seat," the hearing and reception of all things of worship that are from the good of love and charity from the Lord, n. 9506; and "gold" the good of love, n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881)

[5] Because "cherubim" signified those guards:

There were cherubim also upon the curtains of the tabernacle and upon the veil (Exodus 26:1, 31).

And for the same reason Solomon made in the oracle of the temple cherubim of olive wood, and set them in the midst of the interior house, and overlaid them with gold, and also carved all the walls of the house round about with carved figures of cherubim, and also the doors (1 Kings 6:23-29, 32-35).

The "temple" also signified heaven and the church, and its "oracle" the inmost of heaven and the church. The "olive wood," of which the cherubim were made, signifies the good of love; likewise the "gold" with which they were overlaid. The "walls" on which the cherubim were engraved, signify the ultimates of heaven and of the church, and the "cherubim" thereon signify guards. The "doors," on which also there were cherubim, signify entrance into heaven and the church. From this it is clear that "cherubim" signified guards that heaven be not approached except through the good of love and charity. And as "cherubim" signified such guards they also signify the Lord's Divine Providence, for these guards are from the Lord, and are His Divine Providence. (That the "temple" and the "house of God" signify heaven and the church, see above, n. 220; the "oracle" therefore signifies the inmost of these. That "olive wood" signifies the good of love, see Arcana Coelestia 886[1-2], 3728, 4582, 9780, 9954, 10261; likewise "gold," see above, n. 242. That "doors" signify approach and admission, see also above, n. 248)

[6] The new temple is likewise described as ornamented with cherubim, of which in Ezekiel:

There were made cherubim and palm-trees, so that a palm-tree was between a cherub and a cherub; thus it was made for all the house round about, from the ground unto above the door were cherubim and palm-trees made; and the wall of the temple (Ezekiel 41:18-20).

"Palm tree" signifies spiritual good which is the good of charity (See Arcana Coelestia 8369).

[7] Since Divine truth from Divine good is what protects, therefore the king of Tyre is called a "cherub;" for "king" signifies Divine truth, and "Tyre" knowledges; and therefore the "king of Tyre" signifies intelligence, of whom it is thus written in Ezekiel:

Thou, King of Tyre, hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering. Thou cherub, the spreading out of one that protects, I have set thee, on God's mountain of holiness wast thou; thou hast walked in the midst of the stones of fire. Thou wast perfect in thy ways in 1 the day that thou wast created (Ezekiel 28:12-16).

(That "king" signifies Divine truth, see above, n. 31; and "Tyre" knowledges, Arcana Coelestia 1201. That "precious stones" signify the truths and goods of heaven and the church, see n. 9863, 9865, 9868, 9873, 9905, which are called "stones of fire" because "fire" signifies the good of love, see n. 934, 4906, 5215, 6314, 6832.) Because the "king of Tyre" signifies intelligence from Divine truth, and this guards or protects, therefore the king of Tyre is called "a cherub, the spreading out of one that protects."

[8] Since the higher heavens cannot be approached except through the good of love and charity, that is, cannot be approached through worship and through prayers, except such as proceed from that good, therefore the Lord spoke with Moses and Aaron when they entered the habitation between the two cherubim that were upon the ark (Exodus 25:22). This also is made evident in Moses:

When Moses went into the tent of meeting, he heard the Voice speaking unto him from above the mercy-seat that was upon the ark of the Testimony, from between the two cherubim (Numbers 7:89).

Because it is the Divine proceeding from the Lord that provides and guards, therefore it is said of the Lord that:

He sitteth upon the cherubim (Isaiah 37:16; Psalms 18:9-10; 80:1; 99:1; 1 Samuel 4:4; 2 Samuel 6:2).

[9] Since the arrangement of all things for judgment is treated of in this chapter, the cherubim also are here treated of, that is, the Lord's guard and providence that the higher heavens be not approached except through the good of love and charity; for unless this had been done before the judgment, the veriest heavens, in which the true angels are, would have been endangered, because those heavens that were about to perish (See Revelation 21:1) were not in the good of love and charity, but only in some truths. For there were there from the Christian world those who were in the doctrine of faith alone, which some had confirmed by a number of passages from the Word, and thus obtained some conjunction with the ultimate heaven; but this conjunction was broken when the heaven called the former heaven (Revelation 21:1) was dissipated; and it was then ordered by the Lord that hereafter no one shall be conjoined with the heavens unless he be in the good of love to the Lord and in charity towards the neighbor. This is what is specifically meant by the things that now follow in this chapter. Whoever, therefore, believes that the heavens can hereafter be approached through the worship and prayers of those who are in faith alone, and not at the same time in the good of charity, is much mistaken. The worship of such is no longer received, nor are their prayers heard, but attention is directed only to their life's love. Those, therefore, in whom the love of self and the world rules, no matter in what external worship they may have been, are conjoined to the hells, and are also taken there after death, and not previously to any heaven that is to perish, as was the case hitherto.

Poznámky pod čarou:

1. For "in the day" the Hebrew has "from the day," as also found in Arcana Coelestia 114.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.

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Apocalypse Explained # 131

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131. These things saith He that hath the sharp two-edged sword, signifies the Lord, who alone combats in temptation. This is evident from the signification of "long sword" or "sword [romphaeae seu gladii]," as meaning truth combating against falsity, and in the opposite sense, falsity combating against truth. It is said to be "sharp two-edged," because it pierces on both sides. Because this is signified by "the long sword," dispersion of falsities is also signified by it, and also temptation. That it signifies dispersion of falsities, see above (n. 73). It signifies temptation, because in what is written to the angel of this church temptations are treated of. Moreover, "the long sword" also signifies temptation, because temptation is a combat of truth against falsity and of falsity against truth. (That spiritual temptation is such combat, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 187-201) By "these things saith He that hath the sharp long sword with two edges" is meant that the Lord alone combats in temptations, because in the preceding chapter (verse 16) it was said that:

Out of the mouth of the Son of man, walking in the midst of the seven lampstands, a sharp two-edged long sword was seen going forth (Revelation 1:16).

and by the "Son of man" is meant the Lord in respect to Divine truth (as may be seen above, n. 63. That the Lord alone combats in temptations, and not man at all, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 195-200.) By "long sword" or by "sword [romphaeam seu gladium]" is signified the combat of truth against falsity, and of falsity against truth, because by "wars" in the Word are signified spiritual wars, and spiritual wars are wars of truths against falsities and of falsities against truths; and as "wars" in the Word have such a signification, all weapons of war, as "sword," "spear," "bow," "arrows," "shield," and many others, signify each some special thing pertaining to spiritual combat; especially the "sword," because in wars they fight with swords. (That "wars" signify spiritual combats, see Arcana Coelestia 1659, 1664, 8295, 10455; consequently that each weapon of war signifies something pertaining to spiritual combat, see n. 1788, 2686)

[2] That "sword" in the Word signifies truth combating against falsity, and falsity against truth, and therefore the dispersion of falsities, and also spiritual temptation, can be seen from very many passages, of which I will introduce here only a few by way of confirmation. Thus in Matthew:

Jesus said that He came not to send peace on earth, but a sword (Matthew 10:34).

Here by "sword" is meant the combat of temptation. It was so said, because men at that time were in falsities, and the Lord uncovered interior truths, and only by combats from such truths can falsities be cast out.

[3] In Luke:

Jesus said to His disciples, Now he that hath a purse let him take it, likewise a wallet; and he that hath no sword let him sell his garments and buy one (Luke 22:35-38).

By "purse" and "wallet" spiritual knowledges, thus truths, are signified; "garments" signify what is their own; and by "sword" combat is signified.

[4] In Jeremiah:

A sword against the Chaldeans, and against the inhabitants of Babylon, and against her chiefs, and against her wise men. A sword against liars that they may become foolish; a sword against her mighty men that they may be dismayed; a sword against her horses and against her chariots; a sword against her treasures that they may be spoiled; a drought upon her waters that they may be dried up (Jeremiah 50:35-38).

By "sword" here dispersion and vastation of truth are signified; by each in particular against which the sword shall be, as the "Chaldeans," the "inhabitants of Babylon," her "chiefs" and "her wise men," "liars," "mighty men," "horses," "chariots," and "treasures," are signified the persons or things that will be vastated: as by "horses," things intellectual; by "chariots," doctrinals; and by "treasures," knowledges; it is said, therefore, "a drought upon her waters, that they may be dried up," for "waters" are the truths of the church, and "a drought that they may be dried up" is vastation. (That "drought" and "drying up" are where there is no truth, see Arcana Coelestia 8185; that "waters" are truths of the church, see above, n. 71; that "treasures" are knowledges, Arcana Coelestia, 1694, 4508, 10227; that "horses" are things intellectual, and "chariots" doctrinals, see White Horse 2-5.)

[5] In Isaiah:

Jehovah will plead, and with His sword with all flesh, and the slain of Jehovah shall be multiplied (Isaiah 66:16).

In Jeremiah:

Upon all the heights in the desert the devastators are come, because the sword of Jehovah devoureth from the end of the land even to the end of the land (Jeremiah 12:12).

In Ezekiel:

Prophesy and say, a sword sharpened and also furbished, it is sharpened to slay a slaughter, it is furbished that it may have luster; let the sword be doubled for the third time; the sword of the slain, the sword of great slaughter entering into the secret chambers that the heart may melt, and stumblings be multiplied; against all their gates will I set the point of the sword: Ah! It is made into lightning (Ezekiel 21:9-15, 28).

In Isaiah:

Bring waters to meet him that is thirsty, with bread prevent him that wandereth; for before the sword shall they wander, before the drawn sword, and before the bended bow, and for the grievousness of war (Isaiah 21:14, 15).

In Ezekiel:

They shall quake with fear when I shall make my sword to fly before their faces, that they may tremble every moment, a man for his own soul; by the swords of the mighty casting down their multitude (Ezekiel 32:10-12).

In David:

Let the saints exult in glory; let them sing upon their beds. Let the exaltations of God be in their throat, and a two-edged sword in their hand (Psalms 149:5, 6).

In the same:

Gird thy sword upon the thigh, O mighty one, in thy honor ascend the chariot, ride on the Word of truth, thy right hand shall teach thee wonderful things. Thine arrows are sharp (Psalms 45:3-5).

In Revelation:

There was given unto him that sat on the red horse a great sword (Revelation 6:4).

In another place:

Out of the mouth of him that sat on the white horse went forth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations. The rest were killed with the sword of him that sat upon the horse (Revelation 19:15, 21).

By "sword" in these passages is signified truth combating and destroying; this destruction is especially apparent in the spiritual world; there those that are in falsities cannot sustain the truth; when they come into the sphere of light, that is, where Divine truth is, they are in anguish, like those who are struggling with death; and thus also they are deprived of truths and are vastated.

[6] As most expressions in the Word have also a contrary sense, so also has "sword;" in that sense it signifies falsity combating against truth and destroying it. The vastations of the church, which take place when there are no longer any truths, but only falsities, are described in the Word by a "sword," as in the following passages:

They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all nations; Jerusalem shall finally be trodden down by all nations, until the times of the nations shall be fulfilled (Luke 21:24).

The consummation of the age, which is here treated of, is the last time of the church, when falsities are to prevail. "To fall by the edge of the sword" denotes that truth will be destroyed by falsity; "nations" here are evils and "Jerusalem" is the church.

[7] In Isaiah:

I will make a man more rare than fine gold. Everyone that is found shall be thrust through; and everyone gathered in shall fall by the sword (Isaiah 13:12, 15).

"A man who is rare" for those that are in truths; "to be thrust through" and "to fall by the sword" means to be consumed by falsity.

[8] In the same:

In that day they shall cast away every man the idols of his silver and the idols of his gold, which your own hands have made unto you. Then shall Asshur fall by the sword, not of a man [viri]; and the sword not of a man [hominis] shall devour him; but he who fleeth for himself before the sword, his young man shall be for tribute (Isaiah 31:7, 8).

"The idols which the hands have made" are falsities from self-intelligence; "Asshur" is the rational by which [per quod]. "To fall by the sword not of a man" [viri], and "not of a man" [hominis], is not to be destroyed by any combat of truth against falsity. "He who fleeth for himself before the sword, his young man shall be for tribute," means that the truth which is not destroyed shall be subservient to falsities. That this is the meaning of these words does not appear in the sense of the letter, which shows how far distant the spiritual sense is from the sense of the letter.

[9] In Jeremiah:

In vain I have smitten your sons; they accepted not correction; your own sword hath devoured your prophets (Jeremiah 2:30).

Behold, the prophet say, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine. By sword and by famine shall the prophets be consumed. If I go forth into the field, behold the slain with the sword; and if I enter into the city, then behold the sickness of famine (Jeremiah 14:13-18).

Both these passages treat of the vastation of the church in respect to truth; "prophets" are those who teach truths; and "the sword that consumes them" is falsity combating and destroying; "the field" is the church; "the city" is doctrine; "the slain with the sword in the field" are those in the church with whom truths are destroyed; "the famine" that is in the city is dearth of all truth in doctrine.

[10] In the same:

They have denied Jehovah when they have said, It is not He; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword and famine (Jeremiah 5:12).

In the same:

The young men shall die by the sword; and their sons and their daughters shall die by famine (Jeremiah 11:22).

"Young men" are those who are in truths, and in the abstract, truths themselves; "to die by the sword" is to be destroyed by falsities; "sons and daughters" are the knowledges of truth and good; "famine" is a dearth of these.

[11] In Lamentations:

We get our bread with peril of our souls, because of the sword of the wilderness (Lamentations 5:9).

"The wilderness" is where there is no good because there is no truth; its "sword" is the destruction of truth; "bread" is good, which is got with "peril of souls," because all good is implanted in man by means of truth.

[12] In Ezekiel:

The sword is without, and pestilence and famine within; he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him (Ezekiel 7:15).

"The sword" is the destruction of truth; "pestilence" consequent extermination; and "famine" complete dearth. Similarly in other places (as in Jeremiah 21:7; 29:17, 18; 34:17).

[13] In Zechariah:

Woe to the shepherd of nought forsaking the flock; a sword upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm in drying up shall dry up, and his right eye in growing dim shall grow dim (Jeremiah 11:17).

"A sword upon the arm" is the destruction of the voluntary in respect to good; "a sword upon the right eye" is the destruction of the intellectual in respect to truth; that all good and all truth are to perish is signified by "the arm in drying up shall dry up; and the right eye in growing dim shall grow dim."

[14] In Isaiah:

Thus shall ye say to your lord, Fear not for the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the lads of the king of Asshur have blasphemed Jehovah. Behold, I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. And Senacherib, king of Asshur, returned; and it came to pass, when he bowed himself in the house of Nisroch his god, his two sons smote him with the sword (Isaiah 37:6, 7, 37, 38).

As it is the rational that acknowledges and that denies the Divine, and when it denies seizes upon every falsity instead of truth, and thus perishes, there was this representative occurrence, namely, that the king of Asshur, because he blasphemed Jehovah, was smitten with the sword by his sons, in the house of Nisroch his god. "Asshur" signifies the rational in either sense (Arcana Coelestia, n. 119, 1186); the "sons" of that king signify falsities, and the "sword" signifies destruction by falsities.

[15] In Moses:

[It was commanded that] the city that worshiped other gods should be smitten with the sword, and burned up with fire (Deuteronomy 13:12-16).

This was decreed because at that time all things were representative; "to worship other gods" is to worship from falsities; "to be smitten with the sword" is to perish by falsity; and "to be burned up with fire" is to perish by the evil of falsity.

[16] In the same:

Whosoever in the field toucheth one that is slain with the sword shall be unclean (Numbers 19:16, 18, 19).

"One in the field slain with the sword" represented those within the church who destroyed truths with themselves; "the field" here is the church.

[17] That "sword" signifies falsity destroying truth is manifest in David:

The sons of man are set on fire; their teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword (Psalms 57:4).

Behold, they belch out with their mouth, swords are in their lips (Psalms 59:7).

Workers of iniquity sharpen their tongues like a sword; they hurl their arrow with a bitter word (Psalms 64:3).

From this it is clear what is signified by the Lord's words to Peter:

All they that take the sword shall perish by the sword (Matthew 26:51-52);

namely, that those who believe falsities will perish by falsities.

[18] From this it is now evident what is signified in the Word by "the long sword," "the short sword," or the "sword" [romphaea, macharera, seu gladius] in both senses. Such things are signified by "sword" by reason also of appearance in the spiritual world. When spiritual combats take place there, which are combats of truth against falsity and of falsity against truth, various weapons of war, as swords, spears, shields, and the like are seen; not that the combats are maintained by these, but they are mere appearances, representative of spiritual combats. When falsities are fiercely combating truths, there sometimes appears from heaven the brightness or flashing of a sword vibrating every way, and causing great terror, by which those who are combating from falsities are dispersed.

[19] This makes clear what is meant by these words in Ezekiel:

They shall be horribly afraid when I shall brandish My sword before their faces, that they may tremble every moment for their soul (Ezekiel 32:10-12).

And in the same:

Prophesy and say, a sword, it is sharpened and also furbished, that it may have luster, that the heart may melt. Ah! It is made into lightning (Ezekiel 21:9-10, 15).

The sword causes so great terror because "iron," of which a sword is made, signifies truth in ultimates, and the brightness and flashing are from the light of heaven and from vibration of this light upon the sword. The light of heaven is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord. Divine truth thus falling upon those who are in falsities strikes terror.

[20] This also makes clear what is signified by this, that:

Cherubim, after Adam had been driven out, were made to dwell at the east of Eden, and the flame of a sword turning and vibrating every way, to guard the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:24).

By the "tree of life" is signified celestial love, which is love to the Lord; by "cherubim" a guard; by the "flame of a sword turning every way" the terrific driving off and rejecting of all who are in falsities; the "east of Eden" is where the Lord's presence is in celestial love; by these words, therefore, is signified that every approach to the acknowledgement of the Lord alone is closed to him who does not live a life of love. That "sword" signifies falsity is clearly evident in Ezekiel, where it is said of the prince of Tyre:

They shall unsheathe the swords upon the beauty of thy wisdom (Ezekiel 28:7).

"The prince of Tyre" signifies intelligence from the knowledges of truth; because that is extinguished by falsities it is said that they should unsheathe their swords "upon wisdom," which could not have been said unless by "swords" falsities were meant.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for their permission to use this translation.