1839. Behold a terror of great darkness falling upon him. That this signifies that the darkness was terrible, and that “darkness” means falsities, is evident from the signification of “darkness,” as being falsities, to be explained presently. The state of the church before its consummation, when the sun was “going down,” is described by the “terror of great darkness;” but its state when the sun had gone down is described by the “thick darkness” and the other things mentioned in verse 17.

[2] The same is thus described by the Lord in Matthew:

The sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (Matthew 24:29).

This does not mean that the sun of the world will be darkened, but the celestial which is of love and charity; nor the moon, but the spiritual which is of faith; nor that the stars will fall from heaven, but that the knowledges of good and truth with the man of the church will do so, for these are “the powers of the heavens;” nor will these things take place in heaven, but on earth; for heaven is never darkened.

[3] That “a terror of great darkness fell upon him,” means that the Lord was horrified at so great a vastation. So far as anyone is in the celestial things of love, so far does he feel horror when he perceives a consummation. So it was with the Lord, above all others; for He was in love itself, both celestial and Divine.

[4] That “darkness” signifies falsities is evident from very many passages in the Word; as in Isaiah:

Woe unto them that put darkness for light, and light for darkness (Isaiah 5:20);

“darkness” denotes falsities, and “light” truths. In the same:

He shall look onto the land, and behold darkness, distress, and the light is darkened (Isaiah 5:30);

“darkness” denoting falsities, and “the light darkened” the truth not appearing.

[5] In the same:

Behold, darkness covereth the earth, and thick darkness the peoples (Isaiah 60:2).

In Amos:

The day of Jehovah, it is darkness, and not light. Shall not the day of Jehovah be darkness, and not light? and thick darkness and no brightness in it? (Amos 5:18, 20).

In Zephaniah:

The great day of Jehovah is near; that day is a day of wrath, a day of straitness and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of cloud and shade (Zeph. 1:14-15).

In these passages, the “day of Jehovah” denotes the last time and state of the church; “darkness and thick darkness” falsities and evils.

[6] The Lord likewise calls falsities “darkness” in Matthew:

If thine eye be evil, thy whole body is ¹ darkened. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness (Matthew 6:33).

“Darkness” here denotes the falsities which take possession of those who are in knowledges; and the meaning is, how great is this darkness above that of others, or of the Gentiles, who have not knowledges.

[7] Again in Matthew:

The sons of the kingdom shall be cast out into the outer darkness (Matthew 8:12; 22:13).

“The outer darkness” denotes the more direful falsities of those who are in the church; for they darken the light, and bring up falsities against truths, which Gentiles cannot do.

In John:

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men; and the light appeareth in the darkness, but the darkness comprehended it not (John 1:4-5).

“The darkness” here denotes falsities within the church.

[8] Falsities outside of the church are also called “darkness,” but such as can be illuminated. Such are spoken of in Matthew:

The people that sat in darkness saw a great light, and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, did light spring up (Matthew 4:16);

“darkness” here denoting the falsities of ignorance, such as are those of the Gentiles.

[9] In John:

And this is the judgment, that the Light is come into the world, but men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their works were evil (John 3:19);

“the Light” denotes truths, and “the darkness” falsities; and “the Light” denotes the Lord, because all truth is from Him; and “the darkness” the hells, because all falsity is from them.

[10] Again:

Jesus said, I am the Light of the world; he that followeth Me shall not walk in the darkness (John 8:12).

And again:

Walk while ye have the light, lest darkness seize upon you, for he that walketh in the darkness knoweth not whither he goeth. I am come a light into the world, that whosoever believeth in Me may not abide in the darkness (John 12:35, 46).

“The light” denotes the Lord, from whom are all good and truth; “the darkness” falsities, which are dispersed by the Lord alone.

[11] The falsities of the last times, which are called “darkness” in the verse before us, or of which the “terror of great darkness” is predicated, were represented and signified by the darkness that came upon the whole earth, from the sixth hour to the ninth [at the crucifixion], and also by the sun being then darkened, by which was represented and signified that there was then no longer either love or faith (Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44-45).

Fußnoten:

9050. That “soul” signifies the spiritual life, is evident from the signification of “soul,” as being the life of man, but the life of his faith, which is spiritual life. In the Word throughout mention is made of “the heart” and of “the soul,” and by “the heart” is signified the life of love, and by “the soul” the life of faith. Man has two faculties receptive of life from the Lord, the one called the will, and the other the understanding. To the faculty which is called the will belongs love, for the goods of love make its life. But to the faculty which is called the understanding belongs faith, for the truths of faith make its life. But these two lives with man are nevertheless one, and when they are one, then the things which are of faith are also of love, for they are loved; and on the other hand the things which are of love are also of faith, because they are believed. Such is the life of all in heaven.

[2] The reason why the life of love, or what is the same thing, the will, is called in the Word “the heart;” and why the life of faith, or what is the same thing, the understanding, is called “the soul;” is that they who are in love to the Lord and are called celestial, constitute in the Grand Man or heaven the province of the heart; and they who are in faith in the Lord and thereby in charity toward the neighbor constitute the province of the lungs (see n. 3635, 3883-3896). From this it is that by “heart” in the Word is signified love, which is the life of the will, and by “soul” is signified faith, which is the life of the understanding (n. 2930, 7542, 8910); for in the original tongue “soul” is named from breathing, which is of the lungs.

[3] That faith pertains to the intellectual faculty, is because this faculty is enlightened by the Lord when man receives faith. From this he has light, or a perception of truth, in such things as are of faith, when he reads the Word. And that love pertains to the will faculty, is because this faculty is kindled by the Lord when the man receives love. From this he has the fire of life, and a sensitive perception of good.

[4] From all this it can be seen what is properly meant in the Word by “the heart,” and what by “the soul;” as in the following passages, in Moses:

Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God from all thy heart, and from all thy soul, and from all thy strength (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Thou shalt love Jehovah thy God, and shalt serve Him, from all thy heart and from all thy soul (Deuteronomy 10:12; 11:13).

These statutes and judgments thou shalt keep, and shalt do them, in all thy heart, and in all thy soul (Deuteronomy 26:16).

Jesus said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God from all thy heart, and in all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with thy thought (Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:30, 32; Luke 10:27).

“The heart” denotes the life of love; and “the soul,” the life of faith; “the strength,” those things which proceed from the life of love, thus which are from the heart or the will; and “the thought,” those things which proceed from the life of faith, thus which are from the soul, or an enlightened understanding.

[5] In like manner in Isaiah:

A deluded heart maketh him go astray, that he rescue not his soul, and say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? (Isaiah 44:20).

In Jeremiah:

I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in the land, in truth, with all My heart and with all My soul (Jeremiah 32:41);

speaking of Jehovah, that is, of the Lord; “the heart” is predicated of the Divine good, which is of love of mercy; and “the soul” is predicated of the Divine truth, which is of faith with man.

[6] That these things are signified by “heart” and “soul” in the Word, is at this day known to few within the church, for the reason that it has not been considered that man has two faculties distinct from each other, namely, the will and the understanding, and that these two faculties constitute one mind, in order that man may be truly man. Neither has it been considered that all things in the universe, both in heaven and in the world, bear relation to good and truth, and that they must be conjoined together in order that they may be anything, and produce anything. From ignorance of these things it has resulted that they have separated faith from love; for he who is ignorant of these universal laws cannot know that faith bears relation to truth, and love to good, and that unless these are conjoined together they are not anything; for faith without love is not faith, and love without faith is not love, because love has its quality from faith, and faith has its life from love; consequently faith without love is dead, and faith with love is alive. That this is so, can be seen from everything in the Word; for where faith is treated of, there also love is treated of, in order that in this way the marriage of good and truth, that is, that heaven, and in the supreme sense the Lord, may be in each and all things of the Word. (That there is such a marriage, see n. 683, 793, 801, 2516, 2712, 4138, 5138, 5502, 6343, 7945, 8339.) From all this it is now evident why the man of the church has not hitherto known what is meant in the Word by “heart,” and what by “soul.”

[7] That” soul” in the Word denotes the life of faith, can be plainly seen from the passages where “the soul” is mentioned, as in the following.

In Moses:

Thou shalt not take the mill or the upper millstone to pledge; for he taketh the soul to pledge (Deuteronomy 24:6).

It is said that “he who taketh a mill taketh the soul to pledge” because in the internal sense by “a mill” are signified those things which are of faith (n. 7780).

In Isaiah:

It shall be as when a hungry man dreameth, as if he were eating; but when he awaketh, his soul is fasting; or as when a thirsty man dreameth, as if he were drinking; but when he awaketh, behold he is weary, and his soul hath appetite (Isaiah 29:8).

“A fasting soul,” and “a soul that hath appetite,” denote the desire of learning the goods and truths of faith. In the same:

If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and sate the afflicted soul (Isaiah 58:10).

“To draw out thy soul to the hungry” denotes to be desirous to instruct in the truths of faith; and “to sate the afflicted soul” denotes to instruct in the good of faith.

[8] In Jeremiah:

Though thou clothest thyself with double-dyed, though thou deckest thee with ornament of gold, though thou rendest thine eyes with antimony, in vain shalt thou make thyself beauteous; thy lovers will abhor thee, they will seek thy soul (Jeremiah 4:30).

Here “soul” denotes the life of faith, consequently faith itself in man, because this makes his spiritual life. That faith is meant by “soul,” is plain from the particulars in this verse. In the same:

They shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together unto the good of Jehovah, to the wheat, and to the new wine, and to the oil, and to the sons of the flock and of the herd; and their soul shall become as a watered garden; I will water the weary soul, and every sorrowful soul (Jeremiah 31:12, 25).

“The soul” denotes the life of faith in the man of the church, who is said “to become as a garden,” because by “a garden” is signified the intelligence which is from the truths of faith (n. 100, 108, 2702 the soul is said to be “watered,” because by “being watered” is signified to be instructed.

[9] In the same:

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

“The peril of souls” denotes the danger of the loss of faith and consequently of spiritual life; for “the sword of the wilderness” denotes falsity fighting against the truths of faith (n. 2799, 4499, 6353, 7102, 8294).

In Ezekiel:

Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, these were thy traders, with the soul of man, and with vessels of brass, they furnished thy trading (Ezekiel 27:13).

“The soul of man” denotes the interior truth of faith from good; “vessels of brass,” exterior truths of faith from good; “vessels” denoting exterior truths or memory-truths (see n. 3068, 3079), and “brass,” the good of the natural (n. 425, 1551). Unless it were known that “the soul of man” denotes faith, it could not be understood what is signified by “trading with the soul of man, and with vessels of brass.”

[10] In the same:

Every living soul that creepeth, whithersoever the rivers shall come, shall live; whence is exceeding much fish; because these waters are come hither, and are healed (Ezekiel 47:9);

speaking of the new temple, that is, of a new spiritual church from the Lord; “the living soul that creepeth” denotes memory-truths which are of faith; “much fish from thence” denotes memory-knowledges (n. 40, 991); “rivers” denote the things that are of intelligence, which are from the truths of faith (n. 2702, 3051). Neither in this passage would it be known without the internal sense what is meant by “much fish” in consequence of the rivers coming thither. In David:

Save me, O God, for the waters are come even unto my soul (Psalms 69:1).

The waters compassed me about, even to my soul (Jon. 2:5).

In these passages “waters” denote falsities, and also temptations which are caused by injected falsities (n. 705, 739, 756, 790, 8137, 8138, 8368).

[11] In Jeremiah:

Jehovah said, Shall not My soul be avenged on such a nation as this? (Jeremiah 5:9, 29).

Admit chastisement, O Jerusalem, lest My soul be turned away from thee, and I make thee a waste (Jeremiah 6:8).

“The soul,” when predicated of the Lord, denotes Divine truth.

In John:

The second angel poured out his vial into the sea, and it became blood as of a dead man, whence every living soul died in the sea (Revelation 16:3).

“The sea” denotes memory-knowledges in the complex (n. 28); “blood,” the truths of faith from good, and in the opposite sense, the truths of faith falsified and profaned (n. 4735, 6978, 7317, 7326); consequently “living soul” denotes life derived from faith.

[12] In Matthew:

Be not anxious for your soul, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink (Matthew 6:25).

“Soul” denotes the truths of faith; “eating” and “drinking” denote to be instructed in the good and truth of faith, for here in the internal sense the subject treated of is spiritual life and its nourishment. Again:

Whoever will find his soul shall lose it, and whoever shall lose his soul for My sake shall find it (Matthew 10:39).

“The soul” denotes the life of faith such as it is with those who believe, and in the opposite sense the life not of faith such as it is with those who do not believe.

In Luke:

In your patience possess ye your souls (Luke 21:19).

“To possess the souls” denotes those things which are of faith and consequently of spiritual life. The signification is similar in very many other passages.