8281. Ta droite, Jéhovah, est magnifiée en force, signifie que la toute-puissance du Seigneur s'est montrée : on le voit par la signification de la droite de Jéhovah, en ce que c'est la toute-puissance, ainsi qu'il va être exposé ; et par la signification de magnifiée en force, en ce que c'est qu'elle a été montrée ; en effet, la Divine puissance se montre par la force par laquelle elle est magnifiée. Que la droite de Jéhovah soit la Toute-puissance, c'est parce que la main dans la Parole signifie la puissance, et la droite une puissance éminente ; de là quand la main ou la droite se dit de Jéhovah, c'est la divine puissance ou la Toute-puissance ; on a vu ci-dessus que la main et la droite sont la puissance, numéros , 6292, 6947, 7188, 7189, 7518 ; et que, lorsqu'elles se disent de Jéhovah, elles sont la toute-puissance, numéros 3387, 7518, 7673, 8050, 8069, 8153. Que la droite de Jéhovah soit la Divine puissance ou la Toute-puissance, on le voit aussi dans la Parole par les passages suivants, dans Matthieu :

« Jésus dit : Désormais vous verrez le Fils de l'Homme assis à la droite de la puissance, et venant sur les nuées du ciel. » - Marc 14:62 :

Dans Luc :

« Désormais le Fils de l'Homme sera assis à droite de la vertu de Dieu. “ - Luc 22:69.

Et aussi dans David :

« parole de Jéhovah à mon Seigneur : Assieds-toi à ma droite, jusqu'à ce que j'aie mis tes ennemis pour escabeau de tes pieds : Toi, (tu es) prêtre pour l'éternité selon le mode de Malkisédeck ; le Seigneur (est) à ta droite, il a frappé au jour de sa colère les rois. » - Psaumes 110:1, 4, Matthieu 22:43-44.

Celui qui ne sait pas que la droite, quand elle se dit de Jéhovah, signifie la toute-puissance, ne peut d'après ces paroles du Seigneur saisir d'autre idée, sinon que le Seigneur sera assis à la droite de son Père, et aura la domination de même que celui qui est assis à la droite d'un roi sur la terre ; mais le sens interne montre ce qui est entendu dans ces passages par être assis à la droite, c'est-à-dire que c'est la toute-puissance Divine ; c'est de là aussi qu'il est dit être assis à droite de la puissance, et à droite de la vertu de Dieu. Que le Seigneur soit Celui qui a la toute-puissance, cela est évident, car cela est dit du Seigneur, et par le Seigneur dans David est entendu le Seigneur quant au Divin Vrai, et il l'est aussi par le Fils de l'homme dans les Évangélistes ; car c'est le Divin Vrai qui a la toute-puissance d'après le Divin Bien ; que le Divin Vrai ait la toute-puissance, on le voit numéros 6948, 8200 ; on a vu aussi qu'en général la puissance appartient au Vrai d'après le bien, numéro 3091, 3563, 4931, 6344, 6423 ; et que par suite la main se dit du vrai, numéro 3091, 4931, et que le Fils de l'homme est le Divin Vrai procédant du Seigneur, numéro 2159, 2803, 2813, 3704. La Puissance Divine ou la Toute-Puissance est aussi signifiée par la droite dans les passages suivants, dans David :

« Maintenant je connais que Jéhovah sauve son Oint ; il Lui répondra du Ciel par les vertus du salut de sa droite. “ - Psaumes 20:7.

Dans le Même :

« Jéhovah ! regarde des cieux, et vois, et visite ce cep, et le plant qu'a planté ta droite, sur le fils que tu T'étais fortifié. » - Psaumes 80:15, 16.

Dans le Même :

« A Toi un bras avec vigueur, forte est ta main, elle sera exaltée ta droite. » - Psaumes 89:14.

Dans le Même :

« Ma force et (mon) Cantique, (c'est) Jah ; il m'a été à salut ; une voix de jubilation et de salut (est) dans les tentes des justes ; la droite de Jéhovah a fait force, la :droite de Jéhovah a été élevée, la droite de Jéhovah a fait force : » - Psaumes 118:14-15, 16 ;

Dans ces passages la droite de Jéhovah est la toute-puissance, et, dans le sens suprême, le Seigneur quant au Divin Vrai ; cela est plus évident ailleurs dans David :

« Que ta main, Jéhovah, soit pour l'homme de ta droite, pour le fils de l'homme que tu T'es fortifié. » - Psaumes 80:18.

L'homme de la droite de Jéhovah et le fils de l'homme, c'est le Seigneur quant au Divin Vrai.

Dans le Même :

« Tu as par ta main chassé les nations ; par leur épée ils n'ont point possédé la terre, et leur bras ne les a point sauvés, mais ta droite, et ton bras, et la lumière de tes faces. » - Psaumes 44:3, 4.

La lumière des faces de Jéhovah est le Divin Vrai d'après le Divin Bien, ainsi le bras et la droite le sont aussi : et dans Ésaïe :

« Dieu a juré par sa droite, et par le bras de sa force. “ - Ésaïe 62:8.

Ici aussi la droite de Dieu et le bras de sa force, c'est le Seigneur quant au Divin Vrai, car Jéhovah ou le Seigneur ne peut pas jurer par un autre que par Soi, numéro 2842, ainsi par le Divin Vrai, car ce Vrai est Lui-Même, parce qu'il procède de Lui : de là vient que çà et là dans la Parole le Seigneur est appelé non-seulement la droite et le bras de Jéhovah, mais même la force par laquelle il écrase les ennemis, et aussi le Marteau, comme dans Jérémie 51:19-20, 21, [Il manque du texte ici], ,7518.

2686. That 'a bow' is the doctrine of faith is clear from its meaning. In the Word, wherever wars are the subject and wherever wars are mentioned, none but spiritual wars are meant in the internal sense, 1664. There were also in the Ancient Word ¹ books that were entitled The Wars of Jehovah, as is clear in Moses, in Numbers 21:14-16. These, which were written in the prophetical style, possessed an internal sense and had as their subject the Lord's conflicts and temptations, and also the Church's conflicts and temptations, and those of members of the Church. This is evident from the fact that some things were selected by Moses from those books, as well as from other books of that Church which were called The Books of the Utterers of Prophecies, ² referred to in Numbers 21:27-30, where almost the same words occur as in Jeremiah; compare Numbers 21:28 with Jeremiah 48:45. From this it may also be concluded that the Ancient Church had writings, historical and also prophetical, which were Divine and inspired and which in the internal sense had the Lord and His kingdom as their subject, and that for those people these writings were the Word as the historical and the prophetical books are for us, which in the sense of the letter have to do with the Jews and Israelites but in the internal sense with the Lord and with the things which are His.

[2] As in the Word, and also in the books of the Ancient Church, 'war' meant spiritual warfare, so all weapons such as the sword, spear, buckler, shield, arrows, shafts, and bows meant such things specifically as belong to the warfare that is meant in the spiritual sense. What is meant specifically by particular kinds of weapons will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated elsewhere. Here the meaning of 'the bow', namely the doctrine of truth, will be shown, and how this meaning is derived from arrows, shafts, or darts, which mean the things of doctrine from which and with which those in particular who are spiritual fight, who in former times were therefore called 'archers'.

[3] That 'the bow' means the doctrine of truth becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

The arrows of Jehovah are sharp, and all His bows are bent. His horses' hoofs are considered as flint, and His wheels as the whirlwind. Isaiah 5:28.

This refers to the truths of doctrine. 'arrows' are spiritual truths, 'bows' doctrine, 'horses' hoofs' natural truths, 'wheels' their doctrine. It is because such things are meant by them that those objects are attributed to Jehovah, to whom they cannot be attributed except in the spiritual sense, otherwise they would be words that are empty and not appropriate. In Jeremiah,

The Lord has bent His bow like an enemy, He has stood with His right hand like a foe, and has slain all things pleasant to the eye in the tent of the daughter of Zion, He has poured out His anger like fire. Lamentations 2:4.

'Bow' stands for the doctrine of truth, which is seen by those immersed in falsities as a foe and hostile. No other kind of bow can be spoken of in reference to the Lord. In Habakkuk,

O Jehovah, You ride on Your horses, Your chariots are salvation, Your bow will be made quite bare. Habakkuk 3:8-9.

Here also 'bow' means the doctrine of good and truth. In Moses,

The archers will exasperate him and shoot at him and hate him. He will sit in the strength of his bow, and the arms of his hands will be made strong by the hands of the Mighty One of Jacob; from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. Genesis 49:23-24.

This refers to Joseph, 'bow' standing for the doctrine of good and truth.

[4] In John,

I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; to him a crown was given. Revelation 6:2.

'A white horse' stands for wisdom, 'he who sat on it' for the Word, as is made explicit in Revelation 19:13, where the white horse is referred to again. And because 'he who sat on it' is the Word it is clear that 'a bow' means the doctrine of truth. In Isaiah,

Who stirred up righteousness from the east, called him to be His follower, gave nations before Him, and caused Him to have dominion over kings? He made them as dust to His sword, as driven stubble to His bow. Isaiah 41:2.

This refers to the Lord, 'sword' standing for truth, 'bow' for doctrine derived from Him. In the same prophet,

I will set a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan. Isaiah 66:19.

'Those who draw the bow' stands for teachers of doctrine. For what Tarshish means, see 1156; Lud, 1195, 1231; Tubal, 1151; Javan, 1152, 1153, 1155.

[5] In Jeremiah, At the noise of the horseman and of him who wields the bow the whole city takes to flight. They have entered clouds and climbed up on rocks. The whole city has been forsaken. Jeremiah 4:29.

'The horseman' stands for those who declare the truth, 'the bow' for the doctrine of truth, which they flee from or fear who are immersed in falsities. In the same prophet,

Set yourselves in array against Babylon round about; O all you who bend the bow, shoot at her, spare no arrow, for she has sinned against Jehovah. Jeremiah 50:14, 29; 51:2-3.

Here 'those who shoot and bend the bow' stands for declarers and teachers of the doctrine of truth.

[6] In Zechariah,

I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the battle bow will be cut off, and He will speak peace to the nations. Zechariah 9:10.

'Ephraim' stands for the Church's understanding of truth, 'bow' for doctrine. In Samuel,

David lamented with this lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan, his son, and told [them] to teach the children of Judah the bow. 2 Samuel 1:17-18.

Here 'the bow' is not the subject but doctrinal matters regarding faith. In Ezekiel,

The Lord Jehovih has said, This is the day of which I have spoken, and those who dwell in the cities of Israel will go out, and they will make fires of and burn the weapons, both shield and buckler, bow and arrows, both hand-staff and spear; and they will make a fire of them for seven years. Ezekiel 39:8-9.

The weapons mentioned here are all weapons for spiritual war. 'Bow and arrows' stands for doctrine and its truths. Furthermore when truths themselves separated from goods are represented visually in the next life they are seen as arrows.

[7] Just as 'the bow' means the doctrine of truth, so in the contrary sense it means the doctrine of falsity. In the Word things like these nearly always have a contrary sense, as stated and shown in various places; as in Jeremiah,

Behold, a people coming from the land in the north, and a mighty nation will be stirred up from the furthest parts of the earth. They lay hold on bow and spear; it is cruel and they will have no pity. Their voice will roar like the sea, they will ride upon horses, every one set in array as a man for battle, against you, O daughter of Zion! Jeremiah 6:22-23.

Here 'bow' stands for the doctrine of falsity. In the same prophet,

Behold, a people coming from the north, a mighty nation, and many kings will be stirred up from the furthest parts of the earth. They have hold of bow and spear; they are cruel and have no pity. Jeremiah 50:41-42.

Here the meaning is similar. In the same prophet,

They bend their tongue; their bow is a bow of lies and not used for truth. They grow strong in the land, for they have gone on from evil to evil and do not know Me. Jeremiah 9:2-3.

'A bow', it is quite evident, means the doctrine of falsity, for it is said that 'they bend their tongue, their bow is a bow of lies and not for truth'.

[8] In the same prophet,

Jehovah Zebaoth has said, Behold, I am breaking the bow of Elam, the chief of its might. Jeremiah 49:35.

In David,

Come, behold the works of Jehovah who makes desolations in the earth, making wars cease even to the end of the earth, He breaks the bow, shatters the spear, and burns the chariots ³ with fire. Psalms 46:8-9.

In the same author,

In Judah God is known, in Israel His name is great, and in Salem will His tabernacle be, and His dwelling-place in Zion. There He broke the bow's fiery darts, the shield and the sword, and war. Psalms 76:1-3.

In the same author;

Behold, the wicked bend the bow, they prepare their shafts upon the string to shoot in the darkness at the upright in heart. Psalms 11:2.

Here 'bow and shafts' plainly stands for matters of doctrine concerning falsity.

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