3542. And upon the smooth of his neck. That this signifies that disjoining truth should not appear is evident from the predication of “smooth,” or of “smoothness” as being concerning truth (n. 3527); and from the signification of the “neck” as being that which conjoins (concerning which below); here, therefore, because the appearance was upon the smooth of his neck, the signification is that disjoining truth should not appear. How the case herein is can be seen from what was said and shown above (n. 3539), namely, that that good and those truths which flow forth from the understanding, and not at the same time from the will, are not good and not truths, however much they may so appear in the outward form; and if the will is of evil, the good and the truths disjoin instead of conjoining; but if anything of the will is of good, then they do not disjoin, but conjoin, although they are disposed in an inverted order, for by their means the man is being regenerated; and because when thus disposed they serve at first for the regeneration of man, it is said that thus disjoining truth should not appear; but more concerning these things below.

[2] The reason why the “neck” signifies that which conjoins, is that the higher things in man, which are of the head, communicate through the intervening neck with the lower things which are of his body; hence it is that both influx and communication, and consequently conjunction, are signified by this intermediate part; as may be seen still more conclusively from the correspondences of the grand man with the things of the human body, treated of at the ends of the chapters. From this comes a like signification of the “neck” in the Word, as in Isaiah:

His breath as an overflowing stream will divide even unto the neck (Isaiah 30:28); where an “overflowing stream” denotes falsity thus overflowing; “dividing even unto the neck” denotes falsity closing up and thus intercepting the communication and thus the conjunction of higher things with lower ones; which conjunction is precluded and intercepted when spiritual good and truth are not received.

[3] In Habakkuk:

Thou hast smitten the head out of the house of the wicked, laying bare the foundation even unto the neck (Hab. 3:13); where “smiting the head out of the house of the wicked” denotes destroying the principles of falsity; “laying bare the foundation even unto the neck” denotes intercepting the conjunction thereby.

In Jeremiah:

Transgressions knit together are come up upon my neck; he hath overthrown my forces; God hath given me into their hands, I am not able to rise up (Lam. 1:14);

“transgressions knit together ascending upon my neck” denote falsities ascending toward interior or rational things.

[4] Inasmuch as by the “neck” was signified this communication and conjunction, therefore by the bonds of the neck was signified interception, consequently the desolation of truth which comes forth when the spiritual things that continually flow in from the Lord are no longer admitted into the rational of man, and consequently not into his natural. This interception, or desolation, is what is represented in Jeremiah by the command that he should make unto himself bonds and yokes, and should put them upon his neck, and send them to the peoples, and should say that they were to serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and that they who did not yield their necks under his yoke should be visited by the sword, the famine, and the pestilence; but that those who bowed down their necks should be left upon the land (Jeremiah 27:2-3, 8, 11). To “put the neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon and serve him,” signifies to be desolated as to truth, and to be vastated as to good (that it is “Babel” which vastates, may be seen above, n. 1327; and that they are vastated lest holy things should be profaned, n. 301-303vvv2, 1327, 1328, 2426, 3398, 3399, 3402); and because when the influx of good and truth is intercepted, what is evil and false is served, therefore also to “put the neck under the yoke” signifies to serve.

[5] Again in the same Prophet:

Thus saith Jehovah, Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon within two years of days from off the neck of all the nations (Jeremiah 28:11);

signifying that they should be delivered from vastation.

In Isaiah:

Shake thyself from the dust; arise, sit thee down, O Jerusalem; open the bonds of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion (Isaiah 52:2); where “to open the bonds of the neck” signifies to admit and receive good and truth.

In Micah:

Behold against this family do I devise an evil from which ye shall not draw forth your necks, and ye shall not walk erect, for it is an evil time (Micah 2:3).

“Not to draw forth the neck from evil” is not to admit truth; “not to walk erect” is thereby not to look to higher things, that is, to those which are of heaven (n. 248).

3402. He that toucheth this man and his woman, dying he shall die. That this signifies that Divine truth and Divine good are not to be opened, and are not even to be approached in faith, from the danger of eternal damnation if they should be profaned, is evident from the signification of “touching this man and his woman,” as being to approach the Divine truth and Divine good which are represented by Isaac and Rebekah. Truth is here mentioned in the first place, and good in the second, because those are treated of who are in the spiritual church, who are able to adulterate and even profane truth, but not good, and for this reason it is said “man and woman” (n. 915, 2517); and also from the signification of “dying he shall die,” as being eternal damnation, which is spiritual death; here, from profanation, which is the subject treated of.

[2] (That it is of the Lord’s providence that no one should be admitted into good and truth-that is, into the acknowledgment and affection thereof-any further than he can remain in them, on account of the danger of eternal damnation, may be seen above, n. 3398.) The case with good and truth, as before stated and shown, is that in a man these betake themselves inward insofar as he is in evil and falsity; consequently that the angels who are with him from heaven insofar retire; and diabolical spirits from hell insofar approach. And the converse also is true. The removal of good and truth, consequently of the angels, from the man who is in evil and falsity is not apparent to him, because he is then in the persuasion that evil is good, and that falsity is truth, and this from the affection of them and the consequent delight; and when he is in this state it is impossible for him to know that good and truth have been removed from him. Good and truth, or the angels, are said to be removed from man when he is not affected by them, that is, when he is no longer delighted with them, but on the contrary is affected by the things that are of the love of self and the love of the world, that is, when these alone delight him.

[3] To know good and truth, that is, to hold them in the memory, and to talk about them, is not to possess them; but to possess them is to be affected by them from the heart; neither does anyone possess good and truth when he is affected by them for the sake of thereby gaining reputation and wealth; for in this case he is not affected by good and truth, but by honor and gain, and he makes the former the means of obtaining the latter. In the other life the goods and truths that such persons have known, and have even preached, are taken away from them, and there remains the love of self and of the world, from which is their life. From this it is evident how the case is with good and truth, namely, that no one is allowed to approach them with affection and faith, unless he is of such a character that he can continue in them to the end of his life. But they who profane are those who cannot be withheld from them.