223. (7) THE POWER OF THE WORD IN ULTIMATES WAS REPRESENTED BY THE NAZIRITES. ¹

We read in the Book of Judges concerning Samson, that he was a Nazirite from his mother's womb, and that his strength lay in his hair. Moreover, by Nazirite and Naziriteship is signified hair. He himself made it clear that his strength lay in his hair, when he said:

"There hath not come a razor upon mine head; for I have been a Nazirite from my mother's womb: if I be shaven, then my strength will go from me, and I shall become weak, and be like any other man" Judges 16:17.

No one can possibly know why the Naziriteship, by which is signified hair, was instituted, and why Samson's strength lay in his hair, unless he knows what is signified by the head in the Word. The head signifies intelligence, which angels and men possess from the Lord by means of Divine Truth. Hair, therefore, signifies intelligence from Divine Truth in ultimates or extremes. Because this was signified by hair it was therefore ordained as a law for the Nazirites,

that they should not shave the hair of their head, because it was the Naziriteship of God upon their head. Numbers 6:1-21.

For the same reason it was also ordained:

the High Priest and his son should not shave their head, lest they should die, and wrath should come upon the whole house of Israel. Leviticus 10:8.

Since the hair, on account of this signification grounded in correspondence, was so holy, therefore the Son of Man, who is the Lord as to the Word, is described even to His hairs, which:

"were white like wool, as white as snow" Revelation 1:14.

So also the Ancient of Days is described, in Daniel 7:9.

Since the hair signifies truth in ultimates, thus the sense of the Letter of the Word, therefore those who despise the Word in the spiritual world become bald; while on the contrary, those who have honored the Word and regarded it as holy, appear with beautiful hair. It was on account of this correspondence:

the forty-two children who called Elisha bald-head, were torn to pieces by two she-bears. 2 Kings 2:23-24.

For Elisha represented the Church as to doctrine from the Word, and she-bears signify the power of truth in ultimates. The power of Divine Truth, or the Word, is in the sense of the Letter, because the Word in that sense is in its fulness, and the angels of the Lord's two kingdoms and men are simultaneously in that sense.

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384. (2) Those in Christendom have no faith who reject the Lord and the Word, although they live morally, and speak, teach, and write rationally, even about faith. This follows as a result from all that precedes, for it has been shown that the one true faith is faith in the Lord and from Him; and that which is not faith in Him and from Him is not spiritual but natural faith; and merely natural faith has not the essence of faith in it. Moreover, faith is derived from the Word, and can have no other source; for the Word is from the Lord, and consequently the Lord Himself is in the Word; therefore He says:

He is the Word, John 1:1-2.

Hence it follows that those who reject the Word, reject the Lord also, because the Word and the Lord form an indissoluble unity. Again, those who reject either the Word or the Lord, reject also the Church, because the Church exists from the Lord by means of the Word. Further, those who reject the Church, shut themselves out of heaven, for the Church introduces into heaven; and those who are shut out of heaven are among the condemned, who have no faith.

Those who reject the Lord and the Word have no faith, although their lives are moral, and they speak, teach and write rationally, even about faith, because their moral life and their rational mind are not spiritual but natural;

and merely natural morality and rationality are in themselves dead, and consequently they, being as dead, have no faith. The man, who is merely natural and dead as to faith, can indeed speak and teach concerning faith, charity and God, but not from faith, charity and God. That they alone have faith who believe on the Lord, and that others have no faith, is evident from the following passages:

"He that believeth on the Son (A.V., on Him) is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" John 3:18

"He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him" John 3:36.

Jesus said, when the Spirit of truth is come "He will reprove the world of sin... because they believe not on me" John 16:8-9;

and to the Jews He said,

"If ye believe not that I AM... ye shall die in your sins" John 8:24.

David therefore says:

"I will declare the decree: JEHOVAH hath said... Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee... Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish from the way... Blessed are all they that put their trust in Him" Psalms 2:7, 12.

The Lord foretells in the Evangelists that at the conclusion of the age, that is, when the last days of the Church have come, there will be no faith, because there will be none in the Lord as the Son of God, as the God of heaven and earth and one with the Father. He says:

there shall be abomination of desolation, and "tribulation, such as was not... nor ever shall be... the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven"Matthew 24:15, 21, 29;

and in the Revelation:

"Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth... the number of whom is as the sand of the sea" Revelation 20:7-8.

As the Lord foresaw that this would happen, He also said,

"Nevertheless when the Son of Man cometh, shall He find faith on the earth?" Luke 18:8.