727. "Rod and staff" signify power, and indeed, the power of Divine truth, chiefly for the reason that they were branches or boughs of trees, and these signify the knowledges of truth and good, which are the truths of the natural man; and as they also supported the body, they signified power. This is still more true of an "iron rod," because iron likewise signifies the truth of the natural man, and because of its hardness it signifies power that cannot be resisted. That "rods and staffs" thence signify the power of Divine truth is derived from correspondence. Therefore in the spiritual world, where all things that appear are correspondences, the use of staffs is a representative of the power of those that use them. It was similar in the Jewish Church, which, like the ancient churches, was a representative church. This is why Moses wrought miracles and signs in Egypt, and afterwards in the desert, by stretching forth his staff, as that:

The waters smitten with the staff were turned into blood (Exodus 7:1-21).

Frogs came up from the rivers and pools, over which the staff was stretched forth (Exodus 8:1).

From the dust smitten with the staff there came lice (Exodus 8:12).

When the staff was stretched toward heaven there came thunders and hail (Exodus 9:23.).

Locusts came forth (Exodus 10:12 seq.).

The Sea Suph when the staff was stretched forth over it was divided, and afterwards returned (Exodus 14:16, 21, 26).

From the rock in Horeb, smitten with the staff, waters came forth (Exodus 17:5; Numbers 20:7-13).

Joshua prevailed over Amelek when Moses held up his hand with the staff, and Amelek prevailed when Moses let it down (Exodus 17:9-12).

Also fire went up out of the rock and consumed the flesh and the unleavened cakes which Gideon offered, when the angel of Jehovah touched it with the end of his staff (Judges 6:21).

These miracles were wrought by the stretching forth of a staff, because a "staff" from correspondence signifies the power of the Lord through Divine truth (which power was treated of in the article immediately preceding).

[2] Divine truth in respect to power is signified elsewhere in the Word by "rods" and "staffs," as can be seen from the following passages.

In David:

Yea, when I shall walk in the shady valley I will fear no evil to me; Thy rod and Thy staff will comfort me; Thou wilt make ready before me a table in the presence of mine enemies; and Thou wilt make fat my head with oil and my cup will abound (Psalms 23:4, 5).

"To walk in a shady valley" signifies in the spiritual sense an obscure understanding that does not see truths from light; "Thy rod and Thy staff will comfort me" signifies that spiritual Divine truth together with natural Divine truth will protect, for these have power; "rod" meaning spiritual Divine truth, "staff" natural Divine truth, the two together meaning these in respect to their power to protect, for "to comfort" means to protect. As "rod and staff" signify Divine truth in respect to power, it is next said, "Thou wilt make ready before me a table, Thou wilt make fat my head with oil, my cup will abound," which signifies spiritual nourishment through Divine truth; for "to make ready a table" signifies to be nourished spiritually; "to make fat the head with oil" signifies with the good of love, and "cup" signifies with the truth of doctrine from the Word, "cup" standing here for "wine."

[3] In Ezekiel:

Thy mother was like a vine planted by the waters, whence she had rods of strength, as scepters for them that rule; but she lifted herself on high in her stature among the thick boughs; therefore she was plucked up in wrath, she was cast down to the earth and the east wind dried up her fruit; the rods of her strength were broken off and dried up, the fire devoured everyone. Now she is planted in the wilderness, in a land of drought and thirst; a fire hath gone out from the rod of her branches, and hath devoured her fruit, and so there is not in her a rod of strength, a scepter of them that rule ¹ (Ezekiel 19:10-14).

This describes the desolation of all truth in the Jewish church; the "princes" against whom is the lamentation signify truths, and the "mother" who was made a lioness signifies the church; about these this is said, "Thy mother was like a vine planted by the waters" signifies that the spiritual church, from its establishment had been instructed in truths; "mother" meaning the church in general; "vine" the spiritual church in particular; "waters" truths, and "to be planted" to be established. "Whence she had rods of strength as scepters for them that rule" signifies that the church had Divine truth in its power, and thus dominion over the falsities of evil which are from hell, "rods of strength" signifying Divine truth in respect to power, and "scepters" Divine truth in respect to dominion, for the scepters of kings were short staffs from a significative tree, here from the vine; "but she lifted herself on high in her stature among the thick boughs" signifies the pride of self-intelligence from knowledges [scientifica] of the natural man; this pride is signified by "she lifted herself on high in her stature," and the knowledges [scientifica] of the natural man are signified by the "thick boughs." "She was plucked up in wrath, she was cast down to the earth," signifies the destruction of the church by the falsities of evil; "the east wind dried up her fruit" signifies the destruction of its good, "east wind" signifying destruction, and "fruit" good; the good that those have, remaining from the Word, who are in the falsities of evil, is here meant, and its destruction is signified by "the drying up of the fruit by an east wind." "The rods of her strength were broken off and dried up" signifies that all Divine truth was dispersed, consequently that the church had no power against the hells. "The fire consumed everyone" signifies pride from the love of self, which destroyed; "now she is planted in the wilderness, in a land of drought and thirst," signifies that the church is desolated until there is no good of truth or truth of good. "A fire hath gone out from the rod of her branches," signifies pride in every particular of it; "it hath devoured her fruit" signifies the consumption of good; "so that there is not in her a rod of strength, a scepter of them that rule," signifies the desolation of Divine truth in respect to power and in respect to dominion, as above.

[4] In Jeremiah:

Say ye, How is the staff of strength broken, the staff of splendor! Come down from thy glory and sit in thirst, O thou daughter that dwellest in Dibon; for the devastator of Moab hath come up against thee and hath destroyed thy fortresses! (Jeremiah 48:17, 18).

"The daughter of Dibon" signifies the external of the church, and thence the external of the Word, which is the sense of its letter; and "the devastator of Moab" signifies its adulteration. From this it is clear what is signified by "the staff of strength is broken, the staff of splendor," namely, that they have no Divine truth in its power, "staff of strength" meaning Divine truth in the natural sense, and "staff of splendor" meaning Divine truth in the spiritual sense; "come down from thy glory and sit in thirst, O thou daughter that dwellest in Dibon," signifies the deprivation and lack of Divine truth; "to come down from glory" meaning the deprivation of it; "glory" Divine truth in light, and "thirst" the lack of it. "For the devastator of Moab hath come up against thee" signifies the adulteration of the Word, in respect to its literal sense; "and hath destroyed thy fortresses," signifies the taking away of defense; "fortress" meaning defense against falsities and evils; the literal sense of the Word is that defense.

[5] In David:

Jehovah shall send the staff of thy strength out of Zion (Psalms 110:2).

Here also "staff of strength" signifies Divine truth in its power, and "Zion" the church that is in love to the Lord, and is therefore called a celestial church.

[6] In Micah:

Feed Thy people with Thy rod, the flock of Thine heritage; they shall feed in Bashan and Gilead according to the days of an age (Micah 7:14).

"Feed Thy people with Thy rod" signifies the instruction of those who are of the church in Divine truths from the Word; "to feed" signifying to instruct; "people" meaning those who are of the church in truths, and "rod" where the Word is because it is Divine truth. "The flock of heritage" signifies those of the church who are in the spiritual things of the Word, which are the truths of its internal sense; "they shall feed in Bashan and Gilead" signifies instruction in the goods of the church and in its truths from the natural sense of the Word.

[7] In Isaiah:

He shall smite the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked (Isaiah 11:4).

Here "the rod of Jehovah's mouth" signifies Divine truth or the Word in its natural sense; and "the breath of His lips" signifies Divine truth or the Word in the spiritual sense, both destroying the falsities of evil in the church, which is signified by "smiting the earth and slaying the wicked."

To smite with a rod (Micah 5:1);

And to pierce with his staffs the head of the unfaithful (Habakkuk 3:14);

have a like signification.

[8] In Moses:

Israel sang a song respecting the fountain in Beer; O fountain the princes digged, the nobles of the people digged out, by the Lawgiver, with their staffs (Numbers 21:17, 18).

"The fountain in Beer" here signifies doctrine from the Word, "Beer" meaning in the original tongue a fountain; the "princes" who digged, and "the nobles of the people" who digged out, signify those who are intelligent and those who are wise from the Lord, who is here "the Lawgiver." The "staffs" with which they digged and digged out signify the understanding enlightened in Divine truths.

[9] In Zechariah:

There shall yet old men and old women dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and a man in whose hand is a staff because of the multitude of days (Zechariah 8:4).

"Old men and old women" signify those who are intelligent from doctrine and from the affection of truth; "the man in whose hand is a staff [scipio] because of the multitude of days" signifies the wise who trust in the Lord alone and not at all in themselves; that these will be in the church that has the doctrine of genuine truth is signified by "in the streets of Jerusalem," "Jerusalem" meaning the church in respect to doctrine, and "streets" the truths of doctrine, here genuine truths.

[10] In Jeremiah:

Every man has become brutish by knowledge, every refiner is put to shame by the graven image; the portion of Jacob is not like these; but He is the Former of all things, and Israel is the staff of His heritage, Jehovah of Hosts is His name (Jeremiah 10:14, 16; 51:19).

"Every man has become brutish by knowledge" signifies by the knowledges [scientifica] of the natural man separated from the spiritual; "every refiner is put to shame by the graven image" signifies by falsities that are from self-intelligence, "but He is the Former of all things" signifies the Lord from whom is all intelligence of truth; "Israel is the staff of his heritage" signifies the church that has Divine truth, and its power against falsities; and because this treats of intelligence through Divine truth it is added, "Jehovah of Hosts is His name;" the Lord is called "Jehovah of Hosts" from Divine truths in the whole complex, for "hosts" mean armies, and "armies" signify all the truths and goods of heaven and the church.

[11] When the sons of Israel murmured in the desert against Moses and Aaron on account of Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, because they were swallowed by the earth, it was commanded that:

The princes of the twelve tribes should place their staffs in the Tent of meeting, before the testimony; and when this was done the staff of Aaron blossomed and brought forth almonds (Numbers 17:2-10).

This was done because they murmured against Jehovah, that is, against the Lord, and indeed against Divine truth which is from Him; for Moses and Aaron represented the Lord in respect to the law, which is the Word; for this reason it was commanded that "the princes of the twelve tribes should place their staffs in the Tent of meeting before the testimony;" for "the twelve tribes," and in particular "their princes," and likewise "their twelve staffs," signified the truths of the church in the whole complex; and "Tent of meeting" represented and thence signified heaven, from which are the truths of the church, and the "testimony" the Lord Himself. "The staff of Aaron" blossomed and brought forth almonds, because his "staff" represented and thence signified truth from the good of love; and because truth from the good of love alone brings forth fruit, which is the good of charity, it was his staff that blossomed and brought forth almonds, "almonds," like as "the tribe of Levi," signifying that good (See above, n. 444. It is be known that "tribe" "staff" are expressed by the same word (as in Numbers 1:16; 2:5, 7); therefore "the twelve staffs" have a like signification as "the twelve tribes," namely, the Divine truth of the church in the whole complex. (On the twelve tribes see above, n. 39, 430, 431, 657.)

[12] As a "staff" signifies the power of Divine truth, it signifies also the power to resist evils and falsities. In Isaiah:

Behold the Lord Jehovih of Hosts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the staff and the stay, the whole staff of bread, and the whole staff of water, the mighty one and the man of war, the judge and the prophet (Isaiah 3:1, 2).

Here "to take away the whole staff of bread and the whole staff of water" signifies to take away every good and truth of the church, and when these are taken away there is no longer any power to resist evils and falsities, so as to hinder their free entrance; "bread" signifies the good of the church, "water" its truth, and "staff" the same as to their power to resist evils and falsities; therefore it follows that "the mighty one and the man of war, the judge and the prophet," who will also be taken away, "the mighty one and the man of war" signifying truth combating against evil and falsity, and "judge and prophet" the doctrine of good and truth.

[13] In Ezekiel:

Behold I will break the staff of bread in Jerusalem, and they shall eat bread by weight and in carefulness, and drink waters by measure and with astonishment (Ezekiel 4:16).

"To break the staff of bread" signifies that good and truth shall fail in the church, for "bread" here signifies good and truth; therefore it follows "they shall eat bread by weight and in carefulness, and drink waters by measure," which signifies a lack of good and truth, and thus of the power to resist evils and falsities:

Breaking the staff of bread and of water (Ezekiel 5:16; 14:13; Psalms 105:16; Leviticus 26:26);

has a like signification.

[14] As "rod and staff" signify the power of Divine truth, and thus Divine truth in respect to power, so in the contrary sense "rod and staff" also signify the power of infernal falsity, and thence infernal falsity in respect to power. In this sense "rod and staff" are mentioned in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Jehovah has broken the staff of the wicked, the rod of them that rule (Isaiah 14:5).

"To break the staff of the wicked" signifies to destroy the power of falsity from evil; and "to break the rod of them that rule" signifies to destroy the rule of falsity.

[15] In David:

The staff of wickedness shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous, that the righteous put not forth their hands to perversity (Psalms 125:3).

"The staff of wickedness" signifies the power of falsity from evil; "upon the lot of the righteous" signifies over truths from good, which the faithful have, and especially with those who are in love to the Lord, for these in the Word are called the "righteous;" "lest the righteous put forth their hands to perversity" signifies lest they falsify truths.

[16] In Lamentations:

I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of His fury; He hath led me in darkness, and not into light (Lamentations 3:1, 2).

This is said of the devastation of the church; and "the rod of fury" signifies the rule of infernal falsity; "he hath led me and brought me in darkness and not into light" signifies into mere falsities, and thus not to truths.

[17] In Isaiah:

Thou hast broken the yoke of his burden and the staff of his shoulder, the rod of his exactor (Isaiah 9:4).

This is said of the Gentiles who were in falsities from ignorance, because they did not have the Word, and therefore did not know the Lord. The evil by which they were oppressed and the falsities by which they were infested are signified by "the yoke of the burden, the staff of the shoulder, and the rod of the exactor," "to break" signifies to destroy these, for "to break" is predicated of a yoke, a staff, and a rod, and to destroy, of evil and falsity, which heavily weigh upon and powerfully persuade and compel to obedience.

[18] In the same:

At the voice of Jehovah Asshur shall be dismayed, he shall be smitten with a staff; then every passage of the rod of foundation upon which Jehovah shall cause to rest shall be with timbrels and harps (Isaiah 30:31, 32).

This is said of the time of the Last Judgment, when there shall be a New Church. "Asshur, who shall be dismayed at the voice of Jehovah, and shall be smitten with a staff" signifies reasoning from falsities that will be dispersed by Divine truth. That the truths of the literal sense of the Word will then be understood and received with joy, is signified by "then the passage of the rod of the foundation shall be with timbrels and harps," "passage" signifying the opening and free reception, and "timbrels and harps" signifying the delights of the affection of truth. The truths of the literal sense of the Word are signified by "the rod of the foundation," because that sense is a foundation for the truths of its spiritual sense; and as the spiritual sense rests upon the literal, it is said "upon which Jehovah shall cause to rest."

[19] In Zechariah:

The pride of Asshur shall be brought down, and the staff of Egypt shall depart (Zechariah 10:11).

"The pride of Asshur" signifies the pride of self-intelligence, and "the staff of Egypt" signifies its power from the confirmation of its falsities by the knowledges [scientifica] of the natural man.

[20] In Isaiah:

Woe to Asshur, the rod of Mine anger and the staff of Mine indignation, which is in their hand; O My people that dwellest in Zion, fear not Asshur that he smite thee with a rod, and lift up his staff upon thee in the way of Egypt (Isaiah 10:5, 24, 26).

Here, too, "Asshur" signifies the reasonings from self-intelligence by which truths are perverted and falsified; the consequent falsities and the perversions of truth are signified by "the rod of Mine anger and the staff of Mine indignation, which is in their hand." That truths will not be perverted with those of the church who are in celestial love and in truths therefrom is signified by "Thou that dwellest in Zion, fear not." That falsity urges and excites and strives to pervert by means of such things as pertain to the natural man is signified by "that he smite thee with a rod, and lift up a staff upon thee in the way of Egypt," "the way of Egypt," signifying the knowledges [scientifica] of the natural man, from which come reasonings. Since "Egypt" signifies the natural man with the things that are in it, and the natural man when separated from the spiritual is in mere falsities:

Egypt is called the staff of a bruised reed, which goeth into and pierceth the hand when one leaneth upon it (Ezekiel 29:6, 7; Isaiah 36:6).

This may be seen explained above n. 627.

[21] In Isaiah:

Be not glad O Philistia, because the rod that smiteth thee ² is broken; for from the serpent's root shall come forth a basilisk, whose fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent (Isaiah 14:29).

That "Philistia" signifies the religion of faith separated from charity, "the serpent's root" that false principle, "the basilisk" the destruction of the good and truth of the church, and "the fiery flying serpent" reasonings from the falsities of evil, may be seen above n. 386; thus these serpents have a similar signification as "the dragon" in this chapter of Revelation. That "Philistia should not be glad because the rod of him that smiteth her is broken" signifies that she should not boast that the dominion of that falsity is not yet destroyed.

[22] In Hosea:

My people question the wood, and their staff answereth them, for the spirit of whoredoms hath seduced them, and they have committed whoredom under their God (Hosea 4:12).

This is said of the falsification of the Word. "To question the wood or an idol of wood" signifies to consult the intelligence that is from what is one's own [proprium] that favors its loves; "the staff answereth them" signifies the falsity in which one has faith, for when the selfhood [proprium] is consulted falsity responds; the selfhood is of the will, thus of the love, and the falsity thence is of the understanding, thus of the thought. "The spirit of whoredoms that has seduced" signifies the lust of falsifying; "to commit whoredom under their God" signifies to falsify the truths of the Word.

[23] From this now it is clear what "rod and staff" signify in both senses; and from this it can be known what is meant by "the iron rod with which the son, the male is to tend all nations;" likewise by these words in Revelation:

Out of the mouth of Him who sat upon the white horse goeth forth a sharp sword, that with it He may smite the nations; and He shall tend them with an iron rod (Revelation 19:15).

Also by these words above:

He that shall overcome I will give him power over the nations, that he may rule them with an iron rod; as a potter's vessels shall they be broken (Revelation 2:26, 27).

The explanation of this may be seen above n. 176. Like things are signified by these words in David:

Thou shalt break them in pieces with an iron rod, thou shalt shatter them like a potter's vessel (Psalms 2:9).

Notes de bas de page:

417. Four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, signifies the Divine proceeding from the Lord in the whole spiritual world. This is evident from the signification of "angels," as being the Divine proceeding from the Lord (See above, n. 130, 200, 302); and from the signification of "the four corners of the earth," as being the whole spiritual world; for "the four corners" signify the spiritual world because there are lands there as well as on our globe; for there, as here, there are mountains, hills, rocks, plains, valleys, and other things, as has been several times said above; and as the Last Judgment on all in the spiritual world is treated of in Revelation, and here the separation of the good from the evil there, therefore "the earth" means that world. "The earth" signifies the church, as has been frequently said before, because the face of the earth in the spiritual world is exactly like the face of the church with the spirits and angels there; the face of the earth is most beautiful where the angels of the higher heavens dwell, and also beautiful where the angels of the lower heavens dwell, but unbeautiful where evil spirits dwell; for where the angels dwell there are paradises, gardens, flower beds, palaces, and all things in heavenly form and harmony, from which enjoyments flow and inmostly delight the mind; but with the evil spirits all places are marshy, or stony, or barren, and they dwell in huts of a vile appearance, and also in caverns and caves.

[2] This has been said to make known that "the earth," in the nearest sense, means the spiritual world; nor could any other earth appear to John, since it was seen by him when he was in the spirit; and when man is in the spirit he sees nothing on our globe, but only what is in the spiritual world. This is why John saw four angels, and these were standing upon the four corners of that earth. There were four angels seen, because these standing "on four corners" signify the Divine proceeding from the Lord in the whole spiritual world, for the four quarters, namely, the eastern, western, southern, and northern, constitute the whole of that world, for that world is thus divided; and those who are in the good of love to the Lord dwell in the eastern quarter, likewise in the western, the former in clear because interior good of love, the latter in obscure because exterior good of love; those who are in the clear light of truth dwell in the southern quarter, and those who are in the obscure light of truth in the northern. (But on these quarters see in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 141-153, where they are treated of.) And because all things have reference to the good of love and to the truth from that good, or in general to good and truth, therefore these four quarters also mean all things of heaven and the church. These quarters are meant also in the Word by "the four winds," and here by "the four corners." It is evident, therefore, that the angels were not seen standing on the four corners of the earth, but in the four quarters. The quarters are called "the four corners" because "corners" signify the outermost parts, and the outermost parts signify all things, because they include all.

[3] That "corners" signify quarters is evident from the passages in the Word, where quarters are designated as "corners," as in the following. In Moses:

Thou shalt make for the tabernacle twenty boards for the south corner southward. And for the second side of the tabernacle, towards the north corner, twenty boards (Exodus 26:18, 20; 27:9, 11; 36:21, 23, 25).

"For the south corner" means for the southern quarter; and "towards the north corner" means towards the northern quarter, for there were twenty boards for each side. So in Ezekiel:

Next the border of Dan, from the east corner even to the west corner, Asher one. And thence next the border of Asher, from the east corner even unto the corner towards the west (4 Ezekiel 48:1-8).

In the same:

These shall be the measures: the north corner four thousand and five hundred, and the south corner the same, and from the east corner the same, and the west corner the same, next the border to the east corner towards the west (Ezekiel 48:16, 17, 23-28, 33, 34; also Ezekiel 47:17-20).

In Moses:

Ye shall measure without the city the corner towards the east two thousand cubits, and the south corner the same, and the west corner and the north corner the same (Numbers 35:5).

Also in Joshua (Joshua 15:5; 18:12, 14, 15, 20). Here the east, south, west, and north corners mean the sides towards the east, south, west, and north quarters. This makes clear that the "four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth" mean not upon its four corners, but in its four quarters. So elsewhere in Revelation:

Satan shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth (Revelation 20:8).

[4] "Four corners" are mentioned, and not four quarters, because "corners" also signify all things, since they are outermost parts, for the outermost parts comprehend all things from the center to the last circumferences, for they are the last borders. This is why four horns were placed on the four corners of the altar, and upon them the blood was poured, and thus expiation was made for the whole altar (as is evident from Exodus 27:2; 29:12; 30:2, 3, 10; 38:2; Leviticus 4:7, 18, 25, 30, 34; 16:18, 19; Ezekiel 41:22; 43:20).

[5] That "corners" signify all things because the outermost parts (for the reason stated above, that the outermost parts include and comprehend all things) is clearly evident from some of the statutes given to the sons of Israel, as:

That they should not round or shave the corner of their head (Leviticus 19:27).

That they should not shave off the corner of their beard (Leviticus 19:27; 21:5).

And that they should not wholly finish the corners of their field when they reaped (Leviticus 19:9; 23:22).

Why such statutes were given them cannot be known unless it is known what is signified by "the hair of the head," by "the beard," by "the field," and also by "the corner;" "the hair of the head," and "the beard" signify the ultimate of man's life, which is called the corporeal sensual; and "field" signifies the church, and "reaping" the truth of doctrine. By these statutes, therefore, it was represented that the ultimates must be preserved because they signify all things; for unless there are outermost things, the middle things are not kept together, but are dispersed, comparatively as the interior parts of man would be dispersed if he were not encompassed by skins. It is similar in everything, thus in what is signified by "the hair of the head," by "the beard," and by "the harvest of the field." (That "the hair of the head" signifies the outermost of man's life, which is called the corporeal sensual, may be seen above, n. 66; and that "the beard" has a like signification, see Arcana Coelestia 9960; that the outermosts or ultimates signify all things in the complex, thus the whole, n. 10044, 10329, 10335.) And as "a field" signified the church, and "harvest" its truths, so "not to finish wholly the corners of thy field when thou reapest" signifies the conservation of all things that are signified by "the harvest of the field."

[6] That "corners" signify all things because they signify outermost things can be seen also from the following passages. In Moses:

I will hurl them into the extreme corners; I will make the remembrance of them to cease from man (Deuteronomy 32:26).

"To hurl into the extreme corners" signifies to be deprived of all good and truth; it is therefore added, "I will make the remembrance of them to cease from a man," which signifies that they would no longer have anything of spiritual life, which comes to pass when man is merely in the ultimates of life, called the corporeal sensual, in which alone most of those are who acquire nothing of spiritual life; for such then become not unlike the beasts, for this is the kind of life beasts have, but with this difference, that as man is born a man he is able to speak and to reason, but this he does from the fallacies of the senses, or of the outermost things of nature, of the world, and of the body; this is what is meant here by "being hurled into the extreme corners."

[7] In Jeremiah:

Their camels shall be for a prey, and the multitude of their cattle for a spoil; and I will disperse them unto every wind among the cut off of the corner; and from all the passages thereof I will bring calamity (Jeremiah 49:32).

This is said of the devastation of Arabia and Hazor by the king of Babylon; and "Arabia" and "Hazor" signify the knowledges of good and truth, and "the king of Babylon" signifies evil and falsity laying waste. The vastation of all confirming knowledges (scientifica), and cognitions of good and truth is signified by "their camels shall be for a prey, and the multitude of their cattle for a spoil;" "camels" meaning confirming knowledges (scientifica), and "cattle" the cognitions of good and truth. Vastation in respect to all things of good and truth, so that there is nothing left, is signified by "I will disperse them unto every wind, among the cut off of the corner;" "the cut off of the corner" meaning the outermost parts where there is no longer any good and truth. That evils and falsities will then break in on every side is signified by "from all the passages thereof I will bring calamity;" for in the spiritual world where the evil are, on every side ways from the hells are open, and evils and their falsities break in through these; and all who are in like evils and falsities go through these ways and consociate themselves with the evil there. This has been said to make known what is signified by "from all the passages I will bring calamity;" "to be for a prey and a spoil," and "to disperse and to bring calamity" signify devastation.

[8] In the same:

Behold, the days come in which I will visit upon everyone that is circumcised in the foreskin; Egypt, and Judah, and Edom, and the sons of Ammon, and Moab, and all the cut off of the corner that dwell in the wilderness; for all nations are uncircumcised, and the whole house of Israel is uncircumcised in heart (Jeremiah 9:25, 26).

Here "the cut off of the corner" signify those who are in the ultimates of the church separate from the interiors, which are spiritual, thus those who are only in things sensual, which are the ultimates of the natural man. (Respecting those who are merely sensual, who and of what quality they are see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 50.) These are signified by "the cut off of the corner," because "corners" signify the quarters of the spiritual world, and the quarters of the spiritual world signify all the goods and truths of heaven and the church, as has been said previously. The habitations of spirits and angels in that world succeed in such an order that those who are in the highest wisdom and intelligence are in the midst, and from the midst even to the last circumferences those in less and less degree; and these diminutions are in exact accord with the distances from the midst; in the ultimates are those who are in no wisdom or intelligence, and outside of these are those who are in evils and falsities therefrom. These are the ones meant by "the cut off of the corner;" and as these are desert places, they are said "to dwell in the wilderness." (On these diminutions in the spiritual world, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 43, 50, 189.) The same are meant by "the uncircumcised nations" and "the house of Israel uncircumcised in heart;" "the uncircumcised" signifying those who are without love and charity, thus without good, and therefore in the loves of self and of the world; and those who are in these loves are in the ultimates of the natural man wholly separate from things spiritual; therefore they are "the cut off of the corner that dwell in the wilderness;" "Egypt, Judah, Edom, the sons of Ammon, and Moab," mean all who, through these loves, have separated from themselves the goods and truths of the church, consequently are outside of these, and thus are "the cut off of the corner":

The cut off of the corners (Jeremiah 25:23);

have a similar signification.

[9] In Moses:

There shall arise a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall arise out of Israel, which shall break in pieces the corners of Moab (Numbers 24:17).

"The corners of Moab" mean all things that are signified by "Moab;" and "Moab" signifies those who are in the ultimates of the Word, of the church, and of worship; and in the contrary sense those who adulterate these by turning themselves towards self, and having regard to their own honor in every particular of these; therefore "the corners of Moab" mean adulterations of the Word, and thence of the church and of worship, such as are with those of that character:

The corner of Moab (Jeremiah 48:45);

has a similar signification.

[10] In Zephaniah:

A day of the trumpet and alarm upon the fenced cities and upon the high corners (Zephaniah 1:16).

"A day of the trumpet and alarm" signifies spiritual combat, which is against falsities and evils; "fenced cities" signify false doctrinals that have been confirmed; and "high corners" signify those things that favor their loves. This makes clear what is signified by "a day of the trumpet and alarm upon the fenced cities and upon the high corners." In the same:

I will cut off the nations; their corners shall be laid waste; I will make desolate their streets that none may pass by; and I will lay waste their cities so that there is no inhabitant (Zephaniah 3:6).

The destruction of all the goods of the church is signified by "I will cut off the nations, and their corners shall be laid waste;" "nations" meaning the goods of the church, and "corners" all things of it, because its outermost parts (as above). The destruction of the truths of doctrine is signified by "I will make desolate their streets and I will lay waste their cities;" "streets" meaning truths, and "cities" doctrinals; total destruction even until there is no truth and good left is signified by "that none pass by, and there is no inhabitant;" for "to pass by" in the Word is predicated of truths, and "to dwell" of goods.

[11] In the book of Judges:

All the sons of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled as one man, from Dan even to Beersheba. And the corners of all the people, all the tribes of Israel presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God (Judges 20:1, 2).

"The corners of all the people presented themselves in the assembly of the people of God" signifies all on every side, or from every quarter, as is clearly evident from its being said that "all the sons of Israel and all the tribes of Israel went out, and the congregation was assembled from Dan to Beersheba;" but in the spiritual sense, "the corners of all the people" signify all the truths and goods of the church; so, too, "all the tribes of Israel, from Dan even to Beersheba," signify all these from the last to the first, and "the assembly of the people of God" signifies consideration of the things of the church; for in the histories of the Word, as well as in the prophecies, there is everywhere a spiritual sense; therefore in the historical sense "corners" signify quarters, such as are in the spiritual world; but in the spiritual sense they signify all the truths and goods of the church, for the reason given above.

[12] From this what is signified by "corner stone" in the following passages becomes evident. In Isaiah:

I will lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a proved stone, a precious corner stone, of a foundation that is founded (Isaiah 28:16).

In Jeremiah:

They shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone of foundations (Jeremiah 51:26).

In Zechariah:

Out of Judah the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the bow of war (Zechariah 10:4).

In David:

The stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner (Psalms 118:22; see also Matthew 21:42; Mark 12:10, 11; Luke 20:17, 18).

"The stone of the corner" signifies all Divine truth upon which heaven and the church are founded, thus every foundation; and as the foundation is the ultimate upon which a house or temple rests, therefore it signifies all things. Because "the stone of the corner" signifies all things upon which the church is founded it is said "I will lay in Zion for a foundation a stone, a proved stone, a precious cornerstone, of a foundation that is founded;" and it is called also "a stone for a corner" and "a stone of foundations;" and because "the stone of the corner" signifies all Divine truth upon which the church is founded, it also signifies the Lord in respect to His Divine Human; because all Divine truth proceeds from that; "the builders" (or architects) who rejected that stone, as is read in the Gospels, are those who are of the church, here of the Jewish Church, which rejected the Lord, and with Him all Divine truth; for with them there was nothing but vain traditions drawn from the sense of the letter of the Word in which the truths themselves of the Word were falsified and its goods adulterated. (That ultimates signify all things, see Arcana Coelestia 634, 5897, 6239, 6451, 6465, 9216, 9824, 9828, 9836, 9905, 10044, 10099, 10329, 10335, 10548)