8311. The peoples have heard. That this signifies all who are in falsity from evil everywhere, is evident from the signification of “peoples,” as being those who are in truths from good, and in the opposite sense those who are in falsities from evil (see n. 1259, 1260, 3295, 3581, 4619). It is said “in falsities from evil,” to distinguish them from those who are in falsities and yet in good. In falsities and at the same time in good are, within the church, those who are in heresies and in a life of good; and, without the church, all who are in good. But with these, falsities do not condemn, unless they are such falsities as are opposed to good, and destroy the very life of good. But the falsities which are not opposed to good are indeed in themselves falsities, but relatively to the good of life, to which they are not opposed, they almost put off the quality of falsity, which is done through application to good. For such falsities can be applied to good, and they can be applied to evil. If they are applied to good, they become mild; but if to evil, they become hard; for falsities can be applied to good equally as truths can be applied to evil, for all truths whatever are falsified through applications to evil. Take as an example that faith alone saves. In itself this is a falsity, especially with the evil, who thus shut out the good of charity as contributing nothing at all to salvation. But this falsity becomes mild with those who are in the good of life, for they apply it to good, saying that faith alone saves, but that it is not faith except together with its fruit, consequently except where good is. So in all other cases.

[2] In what now follows, all those are treated of who had been in falsities from evil, and in evil from falsities, and who were cast into hell when the Lord came into the world. For there are very many kinds of evil, and consequently also of falsity, because every kind of evil has its falsity adjoined to it. For falsity is produced from evil, and is evil in form, just as the understanding with man is the form of his will; because the will shows itself in the light through what is of the understanding, and effigies and forms itself, and presents itself by means of images, and these by means of ideas, and these again by means of words. These things have been said that it may be known that there are many kinds of evil and of the derivative falsity. These were first described under the name of “the Egyptians;” and now in these verses under the name of “the inhabitants of Philistia,” under the name of “the leaders of Edom,” “the mighty ones of Moab,” and “the inhabitants of Canaan,” of all of whom it is said that consternation and terror had taken possession of them, because they had heard that those who were in faith separate from charity and in a life of evil, who were signified by “the Egyptians,” had been cast into hell, and that they in like manner were to be cast down into hell, in order that those who were in truth and good might pass through safe and unhurt, and be brought to heaven. This last is signified by the words of the following verses (16-17): “fright and dread are fallen upon them, in the greatness of Thine arm they shall be destroyed as a stone, until Thy people shall pass over, O Jehovah, until shall pass over this people which Thou hast taken possession of; Thou shall bring them in, and plant them in the mountain of Thine inheritance, the place of Thy dwelling.”

3580. And a multitude of corn. That this signifies the derivative natural good, and that “new wine” signifies the derivative natural truth, is evident from the signification of “corn,” as being good; and from the signification of “new wine,” as being truth; which when predicated of the natural signify natural good and truth, and then “bread and wine” are predicated of the rational. (That “bread” is celestial good, see above, n. 276, 680, 1798, 2165, 2177, 3464, 3478; and that “wine” is what is spiritual, thus truth from good, n. 1071, 1798.)

[2] That “corn and new wine” have this signification, may be seen also from the following passages in the Word.

In Haggai:

The heavens are closed from dew, and the earth is closed from her produce. And I called for a drought upon the land, and upon the mountains, and upon the corn, and upon the new wine; and upon that which the ground bringeth forth (Haggai 1:10-11); where “drought” denotes a lack of dew and of rain, thus a lack of truth derived from any good; “drought upon the corn” is a lack of good and “drought upon the new wine” is a lack of truth.

In Moses:

Israel shall dwell securely, alone at the fountain of Jacob in a land of corn and new wine; yea, his heavens shall drop down dew (Deuteronomy 33:28);

“alone” denotes those who are not infested by evils and falsities (n. 139, 471); a “land of corn and new wine” denotes the good and truth of the church.

[3] In Hosea:

I will be as the dew unto Israel; he shall bud forth as the lily, and shall fix his roots as Lebanon; his branches shall go forth, and his honor shall be as the olive tree, and his smell as Lebanon; they that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall vivify the corn, and blossom as the vine; his memory shall be as the wine of Lebanon (Hos. 14:5-7); where “corn” denotes spiritual good and wine,” spiritual truth.

In Isaiah:

The curse shall devour the earth. The new wine shall mourn, the vine shall languish, all the glad of heart shall sigh (Isaiah 24:6-7); where the vastation of the spiritual church is treated of; the “new wine mourning” denotes that truth shall cease.

[4] In Jeremiah:

Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob. And they shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together unto the goodness of Jehovah, to the corn and to the new wine, and to the oil, and to the sons of the flock and of the herd (Jeremiah 31:11-12).

The “corn and new wine” denote good and the derivative truth; “oil,” the good from which they come, and which is from them; “the sons of the flock and of the herd,” the truth which thus comes therefrom; and as these things have such a signification, they are called “the goodness of Jehovah.”

[5] In Hosea:

She did not know that I gave her the corn, and the new wine, and the oil, and multiplied unto her silver and gold which they made for Baal. Therefore will I return and take away My corn and My new wine in their appointed season, and I will pluck away My wool and My flax (Hos. 2:8-9); where the church perverted is treated of; and it is manifest that by “corn” is not meant corn; nor by “new wine,” new wine; neither by “oil,” “silver,” “gold,” “wool,” and “flax,” are such things meant, but those which are spiritual; that is, those of good and truth.

[6] In like manner where a new church is treated of, in the same Prophet:

I will betroth thee unto Me in faithfulness; and thou shalt know Jehovah. And it shall come to pass in that day that I will hearken to the heavens; and these shall hearken to the earth; and the earth shall hearken to the corn, and the new wine, and the oil; and these shall hearken to Jezreel (Hos. 2:20-22); where “Jezreel” denotes a new church.

In Joel:

Awake ye drunkards and weep, and howl all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, for it is cut off from your mouth. The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the corn is wasted, the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth (Joel 1:5, 10).

[7] Again:

Rejoice ye sons of Zion, and be glad in Jehovah your God; for He hath given you the early rain for righteousness; and He will cause to come down for you the rain, the early rain and the latter rain in the first. And the floors shall be filled with pure corn, and the vats shall overflow with new wine and oil (Joel 2:23-24).

Again in the same Prophet:

And it shall come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the brooks of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall go forth out of the house of Jehovah (Joel 3:18); where the Lord’s kingdom is treated of; and by “sweet wine,” by “milk,” and by “waters,” are signified spiritual things whose abundance is thus described.

[8] In Zechariah:

Jehovah their God shall save them in that day as the flock of His people. For how great is His goodness! and how great is His beauty! corn shall make the young men to flourish, and new wine the virgins (Zech. 9:16-17).

In David:

Thou dost visit the earth, and delightest in it; Thou greatly enrichest it; the stream of God is full of waters; Thou preparest them corn; the meadows are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing (Psalms 65:9, 13).

From all this we can see what is signified by “corn and new wine.”