9093. And they shall divide the silver of it. That this signifies that the truth thereof shall be dissipated, is evident from the signification of “dividing,” as being to banish and dissipate (see n. 6360, 6361); and from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (n. 1551, 2048, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 7999). That “to divide” denotes to dissipate, is because if those things which have been associated together are divided, they are also scattered, as he who divides his mind destroys it. For the mind of man is an association of two parts, one part being called the understanding, the other the will. He who divides these two parts scatters the things which belong to one part, for one part must live from the other; consequently the other also perishes. It is the same with him who divides truth from good, or what is the same, faith from charity. He who does this destroys both. In a word, all things which ought to be united in a one, if divided perish.

[2] This division is meant by the Lord’s words in Luke:

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will prefer the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Luke 16:13).

That is, by faith serve the Lord, and by love the world; thus acknowledge truth, and do evil. He who does this has a divided mind, from which comes its destruction. From all this it is evident whence it is that “to divide” denotes to dissipate; as is also evident in Matthew:

The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not, and shall divide him, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites (Matthew 24:50-51); where “to divide” denotes to separate and remove from goods and truths (n. 4424), thus to dissipate.

[3] In Moses:

Cursed be their anger, for it was vehement; and their wrath, for it was hard. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel (Genesis 49:7); where Israel speaks prophetically of Simeon and Levi. By Simeon and Leviticus are there represented those who are in faith separate from charity (n. 6352), by Jacob and Israel the church external and internal, and also the external and internal man (n. 4286, 4598, 5973, 6360, 6361). “To divide them in Jacob” denotes to expel them from the external church; and “to scatter them in Israel” denotes from the internal church; thus to dissipate the goods and the truths of the church appertaining to them.

[4] That “dividing” has this signification is also plain from the words written on the wall when Belshazzar king of Babel, together with his lords, his wives, and his concubines, drank wine from the vessels of gold and of silver which belonged to the temple that was at Jerusalem. The writing was:

Numbered, numbered, weighed, and divided (Daniel 5:2-4, 25-28); where “divided” means separated from the kingdom. In this passage it is plain how all things were at that time representative. In it is described the profanation of good and truth, which is signified by “Babel” (that Babel” denotes profanation, see n. 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326); “vessels of gold and of silver” denote the goods of love and the truths of faith from the the Lord, (n. 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917). Profanation is signified by “drinking therefrom, and at the same time praising the gods of gold, of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone,” as we read in the fourth verse of the chapter, which denote evils and falsities in a series (n. 4402, 4544, 7873, 8941). By the “temple at Jerusalem” from which the vessels came, is signified in the supreme sense the Lord, in the representative sense His kingdom and church (n. 3720). The kingdom of Belshazzar being “divided” signified the dissipation of good and truth, and he himself being “slain that night” signified the loss of the life of truth and good, thus damnation; for “to be divided” denotes to be dissipated; “a king” denotes the truth of good (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148); the like is signified by “kingdom” (n. 1672, 2547, 4691); “to be slain” denotes to be deprived of the life of truth and good (n. 3607, 6767, 8902); and the “night” in which he was slain denotes a state of evil and falsity (n. 2353, 7776, 7851, 7870, 7947). From this it is plain that all things there were representative.

[5] It says in David:

They divided My garments among them, and upon My vesture did they cast a lot (Psalms 22:18).

They divided His garments, casting a lot; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet (Matthew 27:35).

The soldiers took His garments, and made four parts; and the tunic, the tunic was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore, Let us not divide it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be; that the Scripture might be fulfilled (John 19:23-24).

He who reads these words and knows nothing of the internal sense of the Word, is not aware that anything secret lies hidden in them, when yet in each word there is a Divine secret. The secret was that Divine truths had been dissipated by the Jews, for the Lord was the Divine truth; and hence He is called “the Word” (John 1). “The Word” denotes Divine truth; His garments represented truths in the external form; and His tunic, truths in the internal form; the division of the garments represented the dissipation of the truths of faith by the Jews. (That “garments” denote truths in the external form, see n. 2576, 5248, 5954, 6918; also that “a tunic” denotes truth in the internal form, n. 4677.) Truths in the external form are such as are those of the Word in the literal sense; but truths in the internal form are such as are those of the Word in the spiritual sense. The division of the garments into four parts signified total dissipation, in like manner as the division in Zechariah 14:4, and in other passages; likewise the division into two parts, as we read of the veil of the temple (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38). The rending of the rocks also at that time (Matthew 27:51) represented the dissipation of all things of faith, for a “rock” denotes the Lord as to faith, consequently it denotes faith from the Lord.

6588. 'And God will certainly visit you' means that the final period is about to come. This is clear from the meaning of 'being visited' as the final period, here that of the oppression of the children of Israel in Egypt, which in the internal sense is the final period of the old Church and the first of the new. In the Word this final period is called 'visitation', and this is used in reference both to the Church collectively and to those within the Church individually. It is used in reference to a new Church that is being born and an old one that is breathing its last, and to the individual member of the Church who is being saved, as well as to one who is damned.

[2] The fact that these things are meant in the Word by 'visitation' and 'the day of visitation' may be seen from the following places: In Luke,

Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and brought deliverance to His people, through the heart ¹ of mercy of our God, by which the risen sun from on high has visited us, to appear to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death. Luke 1:68, 78-79.

In this prophecy of Zechariah regarding the Lord, telling what would happen after He had been born, 'being visited' stands for the raising up from death of a new Church and the enlightenment at that time of those who had no knowledge of the truth and good of faith, thus the deliverance of them. It is for this reason that the words 'He has visited and brought deliverance to His people, . . . has visited [us], to appear to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death' are used.

[3] In Moses,

Jehovah said to Moses, Gather the elders of Israel and say to them, Jehovah, the God of your fathers, has appeared to me, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, I will certainly visit you and what has been done to you in Egypt. Exodus 3:16.

And in the same author,

The people believed and heard that Jehovah had visited the children of Israel. Exodus 4:31.

'Being visited' here stands for the final period when the Church has gone out of existence and for the first period when it comes into existence - for the final period among the Egyptians, and for the first among the children of Israel, and so for the deliverance of them too.

[4] In Jeremiah,

They will be carried away to Babel, and there they will be until the day [ visit them. Then I will cause the vessels of the house of God to come up, and I will bring them back to this place. Jeremiah 27:22.

In the same prophet,

When seventy years have been completed at Babel I will visit you and fulfill My promise ² to you and bring you back to this place. Jeremiah 29:10.

'Visiting' stands for delivering, in general for the final period of captivity and desolation.

[5] 'Visitation' and 'the day of visitation' stand for the final period of the Church in Isaiah,

What will you do on the day of visitation and devastation? It will come from afar. To whom will you flee for help? Isaiah 10:3.

In the same prophet,

Behold, the day of Jehovah comes, cruel, and one of indignation and wrath and anger, to make the earth a waste. I will visit the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. Isaiah 13:9, 11.

In Jeremiah,

They will fall among those who fall, and in the time of their visitation they will stumble. Jeremiah 8:12.

In Hosea,

The days of visitation have come, the days of recompense have come. Hosea 9:7.

In Moses,

Jehovah said to Moses, All the same, go, lead this people to [the place] of which I have spoken to you; behold, My angel will go before you. But on the day of My visiting, I will visit them for their sin. Exodus 32:34.

In Luke,

Jesus said regarding Jerusalem, They will not leave in you stone upon stone, because you did not recognize the time of your visitation. Luke 19:44.

'The day of visitation' stands for the Lord's Coming, and enlightenment at that time. But in reference to the Jewish nation - seeing that it did not recognize His Coming - 'the day of visitation' stands for the final period of the representative acts of the Church among them. For once Jerusalem was destroyed sacrifices came to an end and that nation was scattered abroad.

[6] In Ezekiel,

A loud voice called out in my ears, saying, The visitations of the city have drawn near, and each man has his weapon of destruction in his hand. Ezekiel 9:1.

Here the meaning is similar. In Isaiah,

The Rephaim will not rise. To that end You have visited them, You have wiped them out. Isaiah 16:14.

'The Rephaim' stands for descendants of the Most Ancient Church which existed before the Flood. They are also called the Nephilim and the Anakim, regarding whom see 567, 581, 1673. 'You have visited and wiped out the Rephaim' stands for the final period of that Church; it also stands for the casting of them into hell, regarding which see 1265-1272. 'Visitation' stands for retribution, thus for damnation, in Jeremiah,

Shall I not visit them on account of this? Or will not My soul be avenged on a nation which is like this? Jeremiah 5:9.

In the same prophet,

I will bring the disaster of Esau upon him, at the time I visit him. Jeremiah 49:8.

In Hosea,

I will visit upon him his ways, and requite his works. Hosea 4:9.

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