52. VI. Daß Jehovah selbst, das ist der Herr, das WORT durch die Propheten gesprochen habe. Von den Propheten liest man, daß sie Gesichte gehabt haben, und daß Jehovah mit ihnen gesprochen habe. Wann sie Gesichte hatten, dann waren sie nicht in ihrem Körper, sondern in ihrem Geist, in welchem Zustand sie solche Dinge sahen, die sich im Himmel befinden; wenn aber Jehovah mit ihnen sprach, dann befanden sie sich in ihrem Körper, und hörten Jehovah sprechen. Diese zwei Zustände der Propheten sind wohl zu unterscheiden. Im Zustand des Gesichtes wurden die Augen ihres Geistes geöffnet, und die Augen ihres Körpers geschlossen, und dann schien es ihnen, als würden sie von einem Ort in einen anderen weggehoben, während ihr Körper in dem seinigen blieb. In diesem Zustand befanden sich zuweilen Hesekiel, Sacharias, Daniel und Johannes, als er die Offenbarung schrieb.

Und dann heißt es von ihnen, daß sie sich im Gesicht oder im Geiste befunden hätten, denn Hesekiel sagt: „Der Geist hob mich auf und brachte

Mich im Gesichte Gottes, im Geiste Gottes, nach Chaldäa zu den Gefangenen. So stieg über mir auf das Gesicht, welches ich sah“: Hesekiel 11:1, 24. „Er sagt, daß der Geist ihn weggehoben, und er hinter sich ein Erdbeben und andere Dinge gehört habe“: Hesekiel 3:12, 14. Dann, „daß ihn der Geist im Gesichte Gottes zwischen Himmel und Erde gebracht und nach Jerusalem geführt, und daß er greuliche Dinge gesehen habe“: Hesekiel 8:3f. Weswegen er ebenso im Gesichte Gottes oder im Geiste vier Tiere, welche Cherube waren, Hes. Kap. 1 und Kap. 10 und dann ein neues Land, einen neuen Tempel und einen Engel sah, der sie maß, wovon im Hes. Kap. 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48. Daß er damals göttliche Gesichte hatte, sagt er Hesekiel 40:2 und daß ihn dann der Geist weggehoben habe, Hesekiel 43:5.

Das Nämliche ging mit Sacharias vor, in dem damals ein Engel war, als er einen Mann unter den Myrten reiten sah“: Sacharja 1:8f. „Als er vier Hörner und hernach einen Mann sah, in dessen Hand eine Meßschnur war“: Sach.[1:18-21]; 2:1, 5f. „Als er Joschua, den Oberpriester sah“: Sacharja 3:1f. „Als er einen Leuchter und zwei Ölbäume sah“: Sacharja 4:1f. „Als er eine fliegende Buchrolle und ein Epha sah“: Sacharja 5:1, 6. „Und als er die vier Wagen, die zwischen zwei Bergen hervorgingen, und die Pferde sah“: Sacharja 6:1.

In einem ähnlichen Zustand befand sich Daniel, „als er die vier Tiere sah, die aus dem Meer aufstiegen“: Daniel 7:1f, und „als er den Streit des Widders mit dem Ziegenbock sah“: Daniel 8:1f. Daß er dies in den Gesichten gesehen habe, liest man Daniel 7:1-2, 7, 13; 8:2; 10:1, 7-8. „Daß der Engel Gabriel ihm im Gesicht erschienen sei, und mit ihm gesprochen habe“: Daniel 9:21.

Das Nämliche geschah dem Johannes, als er die Offenbarung schrieb. Er sagt, „daß er im Geist gewesen sei an des Herrn Tage“: Offenbarung 1:10. „Daß er in die Wüste versetzt worden sei im Geiste“: Offenbarung 17:3. „Auf einen hohen Berg im Geist“: Offenbarung 21 [10]. „Daß er Pferde gesehen habe im Geist“: Offenbarung 9:17 und anderswo, daß er das, was er geschrieben, gesehen habe, also im Geist oder im Gesicht: Offenbarung 1:12; 4:1; 5:1; 6:1 und in einzelnen Stellen, welche weiter folgen.

316. "And do not harm the oil and the wine." This symbolizes the Lord's provision that they not violate and profane the goods and truths concealed inwardly in the Word.

Oil symbolizes the goodness of love, and wine the truth springing from that goodness. Thus the oil here symbolizes sacred goodness, and the wine sacred truth. The Lord's provision that these not be violated and profaned is symbolized by the people's being told not to harm them. For this instruction came from the midst of the four living creatures, thus from the Lord (no. 314). Whatever the Lord says He also provides. That this is something He provides may be seen in nos. 314 and 255 above.

That oil symbolizes the goodness of love - this we will see in nos. 778, 779 below.

That wine symbolizes the truth springing from that goodness is clear from the following passages:

Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat. Yes..., buy wine and milk without money... (Isaiah 55:1)

It shall come to pass in that day that the mountains will drip new wine, and the hills flow with milk... (Joel 3:18, cf. Amos 9:13-14)

Joy is taken away... from Carmel, and in the vineyards there will be no singing... No treaders will tread out wine in the presses; I have made their shouting cease. (Isaiah 16:10, cf. Jeremiah 48:32-33)

Carmel symbolizes the spiritual church, because it had vineyards there.

[2] ...wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it has been cut off from your mouth... The vinedressers have wailed... (Joel 1:5, 10-11)

Almost the same images occur in Hosea 9:2-3.

He washes his clothing in wine, and His vesture in the blood of grapes. His eyes are red with wine... (Genesis 49:11-12)

The subject is the Lord, and the wine symbolizes Divine truth. That is why the Lord instituted the Holy Supper, in which the bread symbolizes the Lord in respect to Divine good, and the wine the Lord in respect to Divine truth; and in their recipients the bread symbolizes a sacred goodness, and the wine sacred truth, received from the Lord. Therefore He said,

I say to you, that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you... in My Father's kingdom. (Matthew 26:29, cf. Luke 22:18)

Because bread and wine have these symbolic meanings, so too Melchizedek, going to meet Abram, brought out bread and wine, he being a priest of God Most High, and he blessed Abram (Genesis 14:18-19).

[3] The grain offering and drink offering used in sacrifices had similar symbolic meanings, as described in Exodus 29:40, Leviticus 23:12-13, 18-19ff. The grain offering was an offering of wheat flour, thus taking the place of bread, and the drink offering was an offering of wine.

It can be seen from this what these words of the Lord symbolize:

Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins... But they put the... wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved. (Matthew 9:17, cf. Luke 5:37-38)

New wine is the Divine truth in the New Testament, thus in the New Church, and the old wine is the Divine truth in the Old Testament, thus in the old church.

A similar idea is symbolized by these words of the Lord at the wedding in Cana of Galilee:

Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when the guests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now! (John 2:1-10)

[4] Something similar is symbolized by the wine in the Lord's parable concerning the man wounded by thieves, on whose wound the Samaritan poured oil and wine (Luke 10:33-34); for the man wounded by thieves means people whom the Jews wounded spiritually by evils and falsities, and to whom the Samaritan brought aid by pouring oil and wine on their wounds, that is, by teaching them goodness and truth, and as far as possible, healing them.

Sacred truth is symbolized by wine and new wine also elsewhere in the Word, as in Isaiah 1:21-22; 25:6; 36:17.

[5] Because of this, a vineyard in the Word symbolizes a church that possesses truths from the Lord.

That wine symbolizes sacred truth can be seen also from its opposite meaning, in which it symbolizes truth falsified and profaned, as in the following places:

Harlotry, wine, and new wine have taken hold of the heart... Their wine is gone, they commit harlotry continually. (Hosea 4:11, 18)

Harlotry symbolizes the falsification of truth, and so, too, do the wine and new wine here.

...in the hand of Jehovah a cup, and He mixed it with wine; He filled it with the mixture and poured it out, and its dregs shall all the wicked of the earth, sucking, drink. (Psalms 75:8)

Babylon was a golden cup in Jehovah's hand, that made all the earth drunk. The nations drank her wine; therefore they are deranged. (Jeremiah 51:7)

Babylon has fallen..., because she has made all nations drink of the wine of the wrath of her fornication... If anyone worships the beast..., he shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is mixed with undiluted wine in the cup of the wrath (of God). (Revelation 14:8-10)

(Babylon has made) all the nations (drink) of the wine... of her fornication. (Revelation 18:3)

...great Babylon was remembered before God, to give her the cup of the wine of the fury of His wrath. (Revelation 16:19)

...the inhabitants of the earth were made drunk with the wine of her fornication. (Revelation 17:1-2)

[6] The wine that Belshazzar, the king of Babylon, and his lords and wives and concubines drank from the vessels of the Temple in Jerusalem, while they praised the gods of gold, silver, bronze, iron, wood, and stone (Daniel 5:2-4) - that wine symbolized nothing else but the sacred truth of the Word and church profaned, which is why the writing then appeared on the wall, and the king that very night was slain (Daniel 5:25, 30)

Wine symbolizes truth falsified also in Isaiah 5:11-12, 21-22; 28:1, 3, 7; 29:9; 56:11-12.

The drink offering that they poured out as an offering to idols has the same symbolic meaning in Isaiah 65:11; 57:6; Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-19; Ezekiel 20:28; Deuteronomy 32:38.

It is owing to its correspondence that wine symbolizes sacred truth, and in an opposite sense, truth profaned. For when a person reads "wine" in the Word, angels - who apprehend everything spiritually - have just this interpretation of it. Such is the correspondence between the natural thoughts of people and the spiritual thoughts of angels. The case is the same with the wine in the Holy Supper. That is why the Holy Supper occasions an introduction into heaven (no. 224 at the end).