566. To this I will append the following accounts:

An argument arose among some spirits as to whether it is possible for someone to see a doctrinal, theological truth in the Word without doing so from the Lord. They all agreed that no one could without doing so from God, because "a person can obtain nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven" (John 3:27). Thus they were arguing over whether anyone could do so without directly approaching the Lord. Spirits on one side said that the Lord must be approached directly because He embodies the Word. Spirits on the other side said that doctrinal truth may be seen when one approaches God the Father directly. The argument therefore came down to this primarily, whether any Christian might approach God the Father directly and so climb up above the Lord, or whether this would be an improper and reckless act of arrogance and audacity, because the Lord says that no one comes to the Father except through Him (John 14:6).

They left this point, however, and said that a person could see doctrinal truth in the Word by the use of his own natural sight. But this point, too, was rejected. Therefore they insisted that those people could see it who pray to God the Father. Something from the Word was accordingly read to them, and then kneeling they prayed for God the Father to enlighten them. And in response to the words read to them from the Word, they said that such and such was the truth in them, though what they said was false. This experiment was repeated several times until they tired of it. Finally they confessed that it was not possible. Meanwhile the spirits on the other side, who approached the Lord directly, kept seeing the truths and informing them of them.

[2] After this argument thus came to an end, some spirits rose up from a pit who looked at first like locusts, but afterward as human. They were people who in the world had prayed to the Father and convinced themselves of justification by faith alone. They said that they saw with a clear sight and also from the Word that a person is justified by faith alone apart from works of the Law. They were asked what faith that was. They replied, "Faith in God the Father." But after they had been examined, they were told from heaven that they did not know even one doctrinal truth from the Word. At that they retorted that still they saw it clearly. They were then told that they saw it in an illusory light.

"What is an illusory light?" they asked.

They were informed that an illusory light is the light of a defense of falsity, and that that light corresponded to the kind of light had by owls and bats, for which darkness is light, and light darkness. They had this confirmed for them by the fact that when they looked upward to heaven, where real light is found, they saw darkness, and when they looked downward into the pit from where they had come, they saw light.

[3] Incensed at this confirmation, the spirits said that light and dark are therefore not something real, but are only conditions of the eye that cause people to say that light is light and that dark is dark.

They were shown, however, that theirs was an illusory light, namely, the light of a defense of falsity, and that their light was only an activity of their minds arising from the fire of their lusts, not unlike the light of cats, whose eyes in storerooms at night look like candles because of their burning appetite for rats and mice.

Hearing this, the spirits angrily said that they were not cats, or even like cats, because they could see if they wished. But because they were afraid to be asked why they did not wish to, they left and descended into their pit and into their own light.

The inhabitants there and others like them are also called owls and bats.

[4] When those spirits reached their fellows in the pit and told them that angels had said that they did not know any doctrinal truth, not even one, and that they had therefore called them bats and owls, a tumult arose there. And their fellows said, "We will pray to the Lord to be allowed to ascend, and we will clearly show that we have many doctrinal truths, which even archangels will acknowledge."

Then, because they prayed to the Lord, they were given permission, and as many as three hundred of them ascended. And on emerging above ground they said, "In the world we were celebrated and renowned, because we knew and taught the mysteries of justification by faith alone, and from our proofs we gained not only a clear sight, but also as it were brilliant flashes of light, as we continue to do currently in our chambers. And yet we have been told by our comrades who were in your company that this light is not light but darkness, because, as you said, we do not have any doctrinal truth from the Word.

"We know that every one of the Word's truths shines, and we have believed that our flashes of light come from them when we are deeply pondering our mysteries. We will show, therefore that we possess a great abundance of truths from the Word."

So they said, "Have we not this truth, that there is a Trinity of God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and that people must believe in the Trinity?

"Have we not this truth, that Christ is our Redeemer and Savior?

"Have we not this truth, that Christ alone is righteousness, and that He alone possess merit, and that any person who wishes to ascribe any of His merit and righteousness to himself is unrighteous and impious?

"Have we not this truth, that no mortal can do any spiritual good of himself, but that all good that is good in itself comes from God?

"Have we not this truth, that there is such a thing as merit-seeking good and also hypocritical good, and that these goods are evil?

"Have we not this truth, that no one can, by his own power, contribute anything to his salvation?

"Have we not this truth, that works of charity must still be done?

"Have we not this truth, that there is such a thing as faith, that people must believe, and that everyone has life in the measure of his belief? And so, too, many other truths from the Word.

"Who of you can deny any of these truths? And yet you have said that in our deliberations we do not have any truth, not even one. Have you not cast such accusations at us undeservedly?"

[5] But they were told in reply then, "Everything that you have cited is, in itself, true, but you have falsified those truths by using them to support a false principle, and therefore with you and in you they are truths falsified - truths which derive from the false principle the character of being themselves false.

"We will also demonstrate the reality of this visibly. Not far from here there is a place where light flows in directly from heaven. At the center of it is a table. When a piece of paper is placed on it on which a truth from the Word has been written, the piece of paper shines like a star because of the truth written on it. Write, therefore, your truths on a piece of paper and have it placed on the table, and you will see."

They did so and gave the piece of paper to a guard, who placed it on the table and said to them, "Move back and keep your eyes on the table."

So they moved back and watched, and lo, the piece of paper shone like a star.

Then the guard said, "You see that the things you wrote on the piece of paper are true. But come nearer and fix your gaze on the piece of paper."

They did so, and suddenly then the light disappeared and the piece of paper turned black, as though covered with the soot of a furnace.

And speaking again the guard said, "Touch the paper with your hands, but be careful not to touch the writing."

And when they did as bidden, a flame erupted and consumed the paper.

On seeing this the spirits fled away. And they were told, "If you had touched the writing, you would have heard a sharp report and burned your fingers."

Some bystanders then told them from behind, "You have seen now that the truths you abused to support the mysteries of your idea of justification are true in themselves, but in you are truths falsified.

The spirits then looked up, and the sky appeared to them as though blood-red, and after that as black. Moreover, they themselves appeared to the eyes of angelic spirits, some as bats, some as barn owls, some as moles, and some as eagle owls. And they fled away into their darkness, which to their eyes shone with an illusory light.

[6] The angelic spirits who were present were astonished, because they had not known anything about that place and table before. And then a voice spoke to them from the southern zone, saying, "Come over here, and you will see something even more marvelous."

So they went, and entered into a room whose walls shone as though with gold, and they saw a table there also, on which lay a copy of the Word, surrounded with precious stones in a heavenly pattern.

An angelic guard then said, "When the Word is opened, a beam of light radiates from it, of indescribable brilliance, and at the same time then a rainbow emanating from the precious stones appears above and around the Word. When an angel from the third heaven comes here and views the open Word, a multicolored rainbow appears above and around the Word against a red background. When an angel from the second heaven comes here and views it, the rainbow appears against a blue background. When an angel from the lowest heaven comes and views it, the rainbow appears against a white background. And when a good spirit comes and views it, a variegated light appears as though of marble."

The reality of this was also visibly shown to them.

The angelic guard said further, "If someone comes here who has falsified the Word, then first the radiance vanishes, and if he draws near and fixes his eyes on the Word, it becomes surrounded as though by blood, and he is warned to leave because he is in danger."

[7] One of the spirits, however, who in the world had been a leading authority on the doctrine of faith alone, boldly came forward and said, "When I was in the world I did not falsify the Word. Along with faith I also extolled charity, and I taught that a person is renewed, regenerated and sanctified in a state of faith in which he practices charity and its works. I said, too, that faith is not possible by itself, that is, without good works, as a tree is not possible without its fruit, the sun without its light, or fire without its warmth. Moreover, I also faulted those who said that good works are not necessary, and I stressed as well the importance of the Ten Commandments and also repentance. Thus in a marvelous way I applied everything in the Word to our article on faith, which I even so determined and showed to be alone saving."

Trusting in his assertion that he had not falsified the Word, the spirit went over to the table, and despite the angel's warning, touched the Word. And suddenly then fire and smoke poured from the Word, and there was an explosion and loud crash, which hurled the spirit to a corner of the room, and he lay there for a time as though dead.

The angelic spirits were surprised at this, but they were told that although that notable more than others had extolled the goods of charity as emanating from faith, still he meant only public works called moral and civic, which have to be done for the sake of the world and success in it, but not any of the works that must be done for God's sake and for the sake of salvation. Moreover they were told that he also substituted for those works the invisible works of the Holy Spirit of which a person is not at all aware, which are engendered in the act of faith in a state of faith.

[8] The angelic spirits then talked together about falsification of the Word, and they agreed that to falsify the Word is to take truths from it and use them to support falsities, which is to take them out of the Word and away from it and slay them. As for example, if someone takes this truth from the Word, that the neighbor is to be loved, and that good must be done to him out of a love for him for God's sake and for the sake of eternal life, and if he then establishes that it must be done, but not for the sake of salvation, because every good done by man is not good, then he takes that truth out of the Word and away from it and butchers it. For the Lord in His Word enjoins on everyone who wishes to be saved to do good to the neighbor as though of himself, and yet to believe that it comes from the Lord.

7643. 'Behold, I am bringing locusts into your border' means that falsity will take possession of their outermost parts. This is clear from the meaning of 'locusts' as falsity in outermost parts, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'border' as outermost parts; and from the meaning of 'bringing', since it is used in connection with falsity, as taking possession of. It says that Jehovah will bring the locusts, but by this their being brought - brought by evil - is meant. This is similar to the attribution made to Jehovah, that is, to the Lord, where it says that 'He made Pharaoh's heart stubborn'; in actual fact it is made such by man, by the evil within him, see above in 7632. Evil does not originate in the Lord but springs from man because man diverts towards himself the good that flows in from the Lord, and instead of regarding, in every single thing, the Lord and what is the Lord's regards himself. This self-regard gives rise to a craving to have dominion over all people and to possess all that others have; it gives rise to contempt for others, and hateful, vengeful, and cruel behaviour towards those who are not disposed to apply themselves to his interests; and also it gives rise to contempt for all things connected with faith and charity, for when these flow in from the Lord he focuses them onto himself and so away from the Lord.

[2] From all this one may see that man turns into evil the actual good that flows in from the Lord. It also goes to explain why in the next life the evil distance themselves from heaven as far away as they can get; for when heaven draws nearer to them, that is, when the inflow of goodness and truth becomes more forceful, they plunge with greater force into the opposite, that is, into evil and into falsity. Then to the extent that the evil and falsity increase, they drive truth out from themselves and bring about vastation within themselves. And to the same extent they also plunge into the evils brought by punishment; for in the next life evils and punishments are interconnected.

[3] The Lord is continually rearranging the heavens, and constantly adding new inhabitants of heaven whom He provides with dwellings and inheritances. When He does this heaven draws nearer, that is, flows in with greater force, as a consequence of which hellish spirits plunge with greater force into evils and falsities, and into the punishments that go with them; and since they plunge into evils and falsities, they bring about vastation within themselves, as has been stated. This process does not stop until they have brought about complete vastation and cast themselves deeply into the hells. From this it may be recognized that nothing but good emanates from the Lord, and that evil springs from those people themselves who are ruled by evil. From all this one may now see how to understand the statement that Jehovah, that is, the Lord, made Pharaoh's heart stubborn, and the statement here that He will bring locusts, by which falsity arising from evil in outermost parts is meant.

[4] In the Word, in those places in which the laying waste of evils is referred to, the locust and the bruchus ¹ are mentioned several times; and in those places 'locust' is used to mean in the internal sense falsity that lays waste the outermost parts. For as has been shown before, the human natural is interior and exterior. The falsity that is present in the outermost parts of the natural is meant by 'locust', and the evil there by 'bruchus'. Because 'locust' is used to mean falsity present in the outermost parts of the natural it says that the locusts will be brought 'into the border, and they will cover the surface of the land', and later on in verses 14-15.

The locusts came up over the land of Egypt, and rested at all the border of Egypt, and covered the surface of the whole land.

'The border' and 'the surface' mean the outermost and lowest parts, on which the more internal ones rest, that is, by which they are bounded.

[5] These things are what 'the locust' and 'the bruchus' are used to mean in David,

He sent among them swarms [of insects], which devoured them, and frogs which destroyed them; and He gave their crops to the bruchus, and their labour to the locust. Psalms 78:45-46.

And elsewhere,

He spoke so that the locust might come and the bruchus, so that it would be without number. Psalms 105:34.

These verses, which speak about Egypt, refer to 'the bruchus', but no mention is made of it in Moses, only of 'the locust'. The reason why 'the bruchus' also is referred to is that 'the bruchus' means evil and 'the locust' falsity, both of them in the outermost parts of the natural. But when 'the locust' alone is referred to it means both falsity and evil together, for 'the locust' is falsity arising from evil.

[6] In Nahum,

There the fire will devour you, the sword cut you off; it will devour you like the bruchus. Multiply yourself like the bruchus, multiply yourself like the locust; you have multiplied your merchants, more than the stars of the heavens. The bruchus has spread out, and flown away. Your monarchs are like the locust, your emperors like the locust of locusts. Nahum 3:15-17.

This refers to 'the city of blood', which means teachings that uphold falsity. And since falsity and evil are multiplied chiefly in the outermost parts of the natural (because of the presence there of the illusions of the senses arising from worldly and earthly objects, and of the sensory enjoyments resulting from various kinds of appetites), the multiplication of evil and falsity is for that reason described by 'the bruchus and locust', as it also is in Judges 6:5; 7:12; and in Jeremiah 46:23. With regard to the sensory level, which is the last and lowest of the natural, that it is utterly full of illusions and consequently of falsities, see 5084, 5089, 5094, 6310, 6711, 6313, 6318, 6598, 6612, 6614, 6621, 6624.

[7] In Joel,

What the caterpillar (eruca) left the locust has devoured, and what the locust left the beetle (melolontha) has devoured, and what the beetle left the bruchus has devoured. Awake, you drunkards, and weep; and wail, all you drinkers of wine, because of the new wine that has been cut off. For a nation will come up over My land, strong, and without number; and it will turn My vine into a waste, and My fig tree into froth. Joel 1:4-7.

In the same prophet,

The threshing floors are full of clear grain, and the presses overflow with new wine and oil. And I will recompense you for the years that the locust has consumed, the beetle (melolontha), the bruchus, and the caterpillar (eruca). Joel 2:24-25.

Here 'the locust' stands for falsity in the outermost parts which is laying waste truths and forms of good. In Moses,

You will carry much seed out into the field, but you will gather little, because the locust will consume it. You will plant vineyards, but you will not drink wine or gather [anything], for the worm will devour it. Deuteronomy 28:38-39.

Here 'the locust' stands for falsity arising from evil.

[8] In John,

Out of the smoke of the abyss that had been opened came locusts onto the earth, which were given power, as the scorpions of the earth have power. They were told not to harm the grass of the earth, or any tree, but men (homo) only who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads. They were not allowed to kill them, but to torment them for five months. The shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for war, and on their heads there were so to speak crowns like gold, their faces being like the faces of men (homo). They had hair like women's hair, and their teeth were like lions' teeth. They had breastplates like breastplates of iron, and the sound of their wings was like the sound of chariots with many horses running to war. Finally, they had tails like scorpions, and the stings were in their tails, so that they could do harm to men (homo) for five months. They have a king over them, the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon; but in Greek he has the name Apollyon. Revelation 9:3-11.

No one can see what all these things mean except from the internal sense. From each detail there viewed in accordance with the internal sense it is clear that 'locusts' means reasonings that are based on illusions and consequent falsities, and supported also by philosophical arguments. Thus in addition 'locusts' means the falsities which, being present in the outermost parts of the human mind and having a more earthly and bodily nature than all other falsities, can easily deceive and mislead people. For a person can embrace with ease ideas that agree with the senses, but with difficulty those that contradict them.

[9] To enable people to know that such things are meant by 'locusts', let the details of this passage be explained one by one. 'The abyss' out of which the locusts came is hell. 'The grass of the earth' which they were not to harm is factual knowledge, 'tree' recognition of what is good and true, and 'men' affections for what is good. Their being told to harm only men, not the grass of the earth or any tree, means that truth and good may come to be understood even when there is no living in accordance with them. 'Those who have the seal on their foreheads' are those who have been regenerated. Their being told to torment for five months those who did not have the seal of God on their foreheads means that they were to lay them waste. 'Locusts like horses prepared for war' are reasonings based on falsities that are used to fight against the Church's truths. 'On their heads crowns like gold' and 'faces like those of men' mean that the reasonings have a similar appearance to truth and in origin seem to be good. 'Hair like that of women' and 'teeth like the teeth of lions' are the external things of the natural or the level of the senses, that is, the illusions there which give the appearance of good. 'Breastplates of iron' are external things giving the appearance of truth. 'The sound of wings like that of chariots with many horses running to war' means the falsities of doctrinal teachings which they use to fight with and which they fight for. 'Tails like scorpions' and 'the stings in their tails' are the injuries such things can inflict. 'The king' of the abyss is hellish falsity, 'Abaddon' destruction, 'Apollyon' reasoning based on falsities that seems to be based on truth, especially if those deemed to be wise support those falsities with philosophical arguments completely misapplied; for blind admiration of their wisdom leads people to have faith in them.

[10] In the good sense 'locust' means fundamental and very general truth, and also the pleasure it gives. This was why John had locusts as his food, and wild honey, Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6. The reason why they were his food was that John represented the Word; and by his food as well as his clothing, which consisted of camel hair together with a skin girdle, he represented the Word in the external sense. For external pleasure is meant by 'locusts and wild honey', 5620, and external truth by a garment made of camel hair and by a skin girdle, 3301. This explains why John is understood to be the Elijah who is going to come and announce the Lord's Coming, 'Elijah' being the Word, see Preface to Chapter 18 of Genesis, and 2762, 5247 (end). And Leviticus 11:22 states that locusts were among the small creatures which people were allowed to eat.

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