Chapter 17.

Glimpses of Heaven

1. And after six days Jesus takes Peter, and James, and John his brother, and brings them up into a high mountain by themselves,

2. And was transformed before them; and His face shone as the sun, and His garments became white as the light.

3. And behold, there was seen by them Moses and Elijah, speaking with Him.

4. And Peter answering said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if Thou willest, let us make here three tabernacles: one for Thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”

5. While he was yet speaking, behold, an illuminated cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice out of the cloud, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him.”

6. And the disciples, hearing, fell on their face, and feared exceedingly.

7. And Jesus coming touched them, and said, “Arise, and be not afraid.”

8. And lifting up their eyes, they saw no one, except Jesus only.

At the end of the previous episode, Jesus promised that “there are some standing here who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” In this next episode, He fulfills His promise — but not in the way that the disciples had expected. While they are thinking about a natural kingdom with thrones, imperial status, and political power, Jesus is preparing them for a spiritual kingdom that is governed by divine truth and filled with divine love. In this next episode, Jesus gives a few of His disciples a glimpse of that kingdom.

The disciples chosen for this special privilege are Peter, James and John. Leaving Caesarea Philippi, which is situated at the foot of Mt. Hermon, Jesus now takes these three disciples to the top of that mountain and there reveals Himself to them: “Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother and brought them up on a high mountain by themselves, and was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light” (17:1-2). ¹

This mountain-top moment, known as “the Transfiguration,” is the spiritual fulfillment of what Jesus promised at the end of the preceding episode This is “the Son of Man coming in His kingdom.” It is a picture of what it is like to be in the presence of divine truth (“the Son of Man”) as it shines forth from the Word. The words “His face shone like the sun” is an image of God’s love, and “His clothes became as white as light” is an image of the truth that shines forth from that love. It is at moments like this that doubts about the divinity of the Word and the divinity of the Lord are overcome. The truth of Jesus’ divinity shines forth in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy: “In that day … the light of the sun shall be as the light of seven days” (Isaiah 30:26).

This glimpse of divinity is granted everyone who undergoes the combats of temptation. It is granted to all who willingly lay down their life in the service of love and wisdom, and therefore find their life. In the Word, the labors of temptation are represented by the number “six.” As it is written, “Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh is the Sabbath” (Exodus 20:9). And as this episode begins, we read “After six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, his brother, and brought them up on a high mountain.” ²

In the preceding episodes, Jesus has been teaching His disciples about the necessity of temptation, and preparing them for it. Jesus Himself will have to go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things before He will be raised up again. Similarly, we also must go through temptations so that our lower nature may be humbled and our higher nature “raised up.” These are the struggles that give us the opportunity to lay aside our selfish concerns. While the struggle can be difficult and arduous, it leads to mountain-top states. In the language of sacred scripture, this peak experience is described as “being on a high mountain with Jesus.”

When Jesus told His disciples that some of them “would not taste of death” until they saw Him coming in His kingdom, they could not have known that He was referring to Peter, James, and John. The question arises, therefore, why were these three selected, and not the others? Was it because they were specially favored? Or was it, perhaps, because of what they represented? As mentioned earlier, every disciple represents a specific spiritual principle. In this case, Peter, James, and John represent the three leading principles of our awakening spiritual life: Peter represents the principle of faith; James represents the principle of charity; and John,, who is the brother of James, represents the works of charity — that is, useful service to others. Note how closely related charity and the works of charity are: they are brothers. Since these are the three leading principles of our spiritual life, they are described as being separate from all the others: “He brought them up on a high mountain by themselves.” ³

Jesus now begins to perform another great wonder. Temporarily withdrawing them from the concerns of the body and the world, He opens their spiritual sight so that they might see heavenly things. ⁴ We, too, are sometimes granted an unearned glimpse of heaven so that we may be inspired to continue our journey. In this case, Peter, James, and John, are brought into an elevated spiritual state because Jesus wants to prepare them and strengthen them for the eventual temptations they will endure. Glimpses of heaven, such as this, are necessary in the beginning of regeneration. It is like the beginning of marriage when people experience a pure, heavenly love for their partner. They are convinced that they have found their true love, and will do anything for that person — even lay down their life. Recalling these glimpses of heaven can strengthen them when temptations arise. ⁵

On the mountain, Peter, James, and John are given a fleeting glimpse of Jesus in His Divine Humanity. The memory of this miraculous moment will serve them well throughout the temptations that lay ahead. It will also be important for them to know that Jesus is intimately connected to the Hebrew scriptures. We read therefore that “Moses and Elijah were seen along with Jesus, talking with Him” (17:3). This is a wonderful picture of the Law (Moses), the Prophets (Elijah) and Gospels (Jesus), now together as the complete Word of God — “speaking together.” In our temptation combats we need more than pleasant and delightful memories. We need more than “glimpses” of heaven. We also need the living truth of the Word, active in our minds, the law of Moses, the words of the Prophets, and the teachings of Jesus. And we need to see essential agreement among these teachings; we need to see them “speaking together.”

Peter, amazed and overwhelmed by this wonderful vision, expresses his desire to enshrine this memory in his heart forever: “Lord,” he says, “It is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles; one for You; one for Moses, and one for Elijah” (17:4). But even while Peter is still speaking, a response comes from heaven, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him’” (17:5). The voice from heaven does not say, “These are my three prophets. Hear them.” It says, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him.”

The seamless connection of every episode — even very sentence — becomes especially clear in moments like this. Our spiritual rebirth may begin with seeing some truth shining from Word — the Son of Man coming in His kingdom. But the birth process cannot stop there. It’s not just about seeing the truth; it’s about hearing the truth. “Hear Him” says the voice.

The sense of hearing surpasses the sense of sight in that what is heard goes beyond what is seen. If we say to someone, “I hear you,” it means that we not only understand the meaning of the words; we also feel the affection behind the words. In scripture, “hearing the Word of the Lord,” is not just about listening; it’s also about having an inner perception of the truth and, at the same time, a worshipful desire to obey what has been heard. ⁶

Accordingly, when the disciples hear this voice from heaven, they fall on their faces and are greatly afraid (17:7). True adoration and worship is from a state of profoundest humility. It is the awe one feels in the presence of divinity. In states like this we experience something akin to reverential fear — the sense of how great God is, and how humbling it feels to be in His presence. It is from this state of utmost humility that we can be touched by the warmth and light of heaven. Therefore, we read, “Jesus came and touched them and said, ‘Arise, do not be afraid’” (17:7). They obey, and immediately they experience the profoundest, most interior moment of all. We read, “When they had lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only” (17:8). ⁷

The words, “They saw no one, but Jesus only” indicates that the whole Word points to Jesus only. In the words and life of Jesus, the whole of the law and the whole of the prophets is not only fulfilled but also infilled with more interior wisdom. Jesus becomes the way in which we understand the sacred truths contained within the Hebrew scriptures. As we read those scriptures in the light of Jesus’ teachings — lifting up our eyes — we are not just reading the words, we are hearing from the author Himself.

The Faith that Moves Mountains

9. And as they came down from the mountain, Jesus commanded them, saying, “Tell the vision to no one, until the Son of Man rise again from the dead.”

10. And His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then say the scribes that Elijah must first come?”

11. And Jesus answering said to them, “Elijah indeed comes first, and shall restore all things.

12. But I say unto you that Elijah has already come, and they did not know him, but have done unto him whatever they willed; so also the Son of Man is about to suffer by them”.

13. Then understood the disciples that He spoke to them concerning John the Baptist.

14. And when they had come to the crowd, there came to Him a man kneeling before Him, and saying,

15. “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic, and suffers badly; for often he falls into the fire, and often into the water.

16. And I brought him to Thy disciples, and they could not cure him.”

17. And Jesus answering said, “O faithless and perverse generation, till when shall I be with you? Till when shall I bear with you? Bring him hither to Me.”

18. And Jesus rebuked him; and the demon came out of him; and the boy was cured from that [very] hour.

19. Then the disciples, coming to Jesus by themselves, said, “Why could not we cast him out?”

20. And Jesus said to them, “Because of your unbelief; for amen I say to you, If you have faith as a grain of mustard seed, you shall say unto this mountain, ‘Pass on from here to there’; and it shall pass on; and nothing shall be impossible to you.

21. But this kind goes not out, except by prayer and fasting.”

When Peter, James and John “lifted up their eyes” and saw “Jesus only” it was the end of their mountain-top vision. While it was merely a glimpse of heaven, it was an essential part of their preparation for the spiritual combats that they would soon have to undergo. It was now time to come down from the mountain and take on the normal routines of daily life.

The case is similar in our own lives. From time to time God allows us to experience “mountaintop states” in which we catch a glimpse of how wonderfully He has been working in our lives. Perhaps some truth from the Word shines forth with great glory, and we feel uplifted and inspired. Or maybe in a moment of reflection — whether it be on a mountaintop, or even in front of the mirror while brushing our teeth — we are given an insight which brings together a number of questions that have been on our mind. We feel elevated, and lifted to new heights.

But we cannot remain there. We need to take these new insights with us as we descend the mountain, and resume our lives in the world. While Peter wants to remain on the mountain and build a tabernacle there, the reality is that the true tabernacle is in our hearts, and remains with us wherever we go. It is a living tabernacle of flesh and blood and spirit. It is an inner tabernacle that, according to Isaiah, “will not be taken down, nor shall one of its stakes ever be removed, nor any of its cords be broken” (Isaiah 33:20).

The goal, then, is to come down from the mountain without losing our inspiration. The mountaintop vision should become an integral part of us as we reach out in useful service to others. This is, of course, what Jesus has in mind for His disciples, but He cautions them about the importance of keeping this experience confidential. As they come down from the mountain, Jesus says, “Tell the vision to no one until the Son of Man is risen from the dead” (17:9).

This is not the first time that Jesus tells His disciples to be quiet about their knowledge of His divinity. Just after Peter has confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, Jesus commands the disciples to tell no one about it (16:20). And here He says something similar: “Tell the vision to no one.” Peter’s confession of faith at Caesarea Philippi and the vision on the mountaintop are important moments in the gradual revelation of Jesus’ divinity, but the disciples have still not undergone any serious spiritual challenges. They have not experienced the “sign of the prophet Jonah” — spiritual resurrection — in their own hearts. Neither have they experienced “the Son of man rising from the dead” — not just Jesus’ physical resurrection, but also some truth that Jesus has taught them rising up within them to give them life. Therefore, while they have witnessed amazing miracles and seen great visions, this is not the testimony Jesus is seeking. The only testimony He seeks from them — and from us — is the testimony which comes from a purified heart after the struggles of temptation. ⁸

This is why we must continually return to the plain of our everyday lives, no matter how high we have climbed in the mountains of elevated insight, no matter what kind of “emotional high” we may have experienced. No matter how high we have risen, we must return to the world of application and service. And so, as Jesus and His three disciples return from their mountaintop adventure, they are immediately given an opportunity to be useful: a man approaches the disciples and asks them to heal his son. The disciples, who have been given the power to heal and the cast out demons, are unsuccessful: “I brought him to your disciples,” the man says to Jesus, “But they were unable to cure him” (17:16).

This is the first time that the disciples have attempted to cure someone — and this first attempt is a failure. ⁹ Jesus appears to be displeased with them: “O faithless and perverse generation,” He says, “How long shall I be with you? How long shall I bear with you?” (17:17). Jesus then cures the boy instantly: “And Jesus rebuked the demon, and he came out of him; and the child was cured from that very hour” (17:18).

It seems as though Jesus is upset with the disciples, calling them “faithless” and “perverse” — rather strong language — simply because they are unable to cure the demon-possessed child. What can this mean? They have just come down from a mountaintop experience where they have been given a special glimpse of Jesus’ divinity. Their faith must have been at an all-time high. Earlier, Jesus promised to give them “power over unclean spirits, to cast them out” and He commanded them to “heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, and cast out demons” (10:8). Why, then, could they not do so now?

Speaking privately with Jesus, they ask: “Why could we not cast him out?” And Jesus answers, “Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you” (17:20).

The story of enlightenment on the mountain followed by failure in the valley contains a vital spiritual lesson. If enlightenment is not followed by strong faith in the source of that enlightenment, the experience can lead to feelings of conceit, of being specially chosen, of being highly privileged, and therefore of being better than others. True enlightenment is just the opposite. It is always attended with a sense of humility and gratitude. It reveals to us our essentially sinful nature. We come to see that we are less worthy than others, and that we deserve hell rather than heaven. This is enlightenment. While Peter, James, and John caught a glimpse of this on the mountaintop when they fell on their faces in reverential fear, it is a lesson in humility that the disciples would still need to learn. ¹⁰

The power of humility, which is the only thing that can receive the Lord’s power, can move mountains — mountains of self-love, inordinate pride, and superiority. But this takes a special kind of faith, the faith that we have no power at all from ourselves, and that all power is from the Lord alone. ¹¹

Jesus then explains how this faith should be practiced. Referring to the demons that had been possessing the boy, Jesus says, “This kind only goes out by prayer and fasting” (17:21). “Prayer,” in essence, is turning to the Lord and receiving the good and truth that flow in from Him; “fasting” is refusing to accept the evil and falsity that flow in from hell. ¹²

This is the faith that not only casts out demons, but also moves mountains.

Paying Taxes

22. And while they were occupied in Galilee, Jesus said to them, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered up into the hands of men;

23. And they shall kill Him; and on the third day He shall be raised up.” And they sorrowed greatly.

24. And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received the didrachma came to Peter, and said, “Does not your Teacher pay the didrachma?”

25. He says, “Yes.” And when he had come into the house, Jesus came before him, saying, “What thinkest thou, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take tribute or duty? From their own sons, or from strangers?”

26. Peter says to Him, “From strangers.” Jesus declares to him, “Therefore the sons are free.

27. But lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, cast a hook, and take up the fish that first comes up, and when thou hast opened its mouth, thou shalt find a stater; that take, and give unto them for Me and thee.”

As we descend the mountain of enlightenment, and enter daily life, there will not only be demons to cast out, but also civic duties to fulfill. A simple duty that awaits us when we “come down from the mountain” is that of paying taxes. Although tax-paying cannot compare with the majesty of our mountaintop states, or the essential work of removing evils, it still must be done. True spirituality involves all aspects of life, spiritual like as well as natural life. While we are in this world, we cannot be purely spiritual beings without also caring for temporal and worldly things. In fact, a responsible civic life provides a firm foundation for a spiritual life, even as the body provides a solid structure through which the spirit can operate. ¹³

Therefore, it is fitting that in the next episode Jesus is confronted with the question of whether or not it is appropriate for Him and His disciples to pay the temple tax. This was an annual tax, required of all Israelites, for the support and maintenance of the temple in Jerusalem. Since Jesus and His disciples were under the constant criticism of the corrupt temple authorities, the question of whether Jesus should pay the temple tax, or refuse to do so, is an important one. Should Jesus and His disciples continue to support a corrupt religious establishment?

Jesus is planning to pay the temple tax, but in a way that demonstrates that He does not directly support what the religious leaders have been doing. Moreover, He will use this situation as an opportunity to teach an enduring spiritual lesson about how the cares and concerns of everyday life must be subordinated to more interior, spiritual principles. In other words, spiritual values should never be ruled over, or be submissive to, materialistic concerns. The higher must rule over the lower — and never the other way around.

This is the interior lesson contained in Jesus’ words to Peter. “Go to the sea,” He says, “cast in a hook, and take the first fish that comes up. And when you open the fish’s mouth, you will find a coin” (17:27). Peter does so, and, miraculously, out of the sea containing thousands of fish, the first fish he catches has a coin in its mouth. Moreover,

the coin is exactly the amount needed to pay the temple tax for both Jesus and Peter. “Take the coin,” says Jesus, “and give it to them for Me and for you” (17:27).

This is a further manifestation of Jesus’ divinity. How could He have known that a coin would be in the mouth of a fish, and that the value of the coin would be exactly enough to pay the temple tax for Him and for Peter? And, at a more interior level, how could He have had the wisdom to provide an incident that perfectly answers the difficult question about paying the temple tax?

The question is answered on two levels. First, on the most external level, Jesus seems to be saying that the Lord will always provide, even in the most miraculous of ways. Therefore, there is never any need to worry. But at a more interior level Jesus is saying that natural life, represented by a fish in the water, must serve the higher, spiritual principles of our life represented by Jesus and Peter. The fact that neither Jesus nor Peter is directly providing that support — but rather paying indirectly from a fish caught in the water — demonstrates that neither Jesus (who represents that which is Divine) and Peter (who represents faith in that which is Divine) directly supports the temple. ¹⁴

A further wonder contained in this incident involves the details of the fishing incident. These include going fishing in the sea, the hook used to catch the fish, opening the mouth of the fish, and the silver coin that is extracted from the fish’s mouth. Whenever we go to the Word and search for some truth, we are “going fishing.” The “hook” that we use is our sincere desire to be enlightened so that we might discover some truth that will help us lead better lives. The “fish” that we catch is a literal teaching from the Word; and the silver coin that we extract from the fish’s mouth is the more interior truth contained within that literal teaching; this more interior truth shines forth, like bright silver, with a direct application to our lives.

In all of this, however, we should keep in mind the most general teaching of this entire sequence episodes, beginning with the transfiguration on the mountaintop. No matter how high we rise spiritually, it all must be brought down into practical life. While this chapter begins on the mountaintop where Jesus reveals Himself to the disciples in His transfigured glory, it ends by the sea, in a simple rustic scene describing a coin found in the mouth of a fish. In this closing scene, Jesus reveals both His omniscience and His omnipotence, demonstrating that His shining glory on the mountaintop is as universal as His splendor by the sea. It is everywhere, filling the universe, and providing for each of us at every moment.

One of the more obvious takeaways is that Peter would not have to worry about the temple tax; in his case, the funds would be miraculously provided. While this should not be interpreted to mean that the Lord will always cover our financial obligations, it does provide assurance that He will abundantly fill our spiritual needs in ways that are often surprising — even as the disciples found a coin in the mouth of a fish. In His omniscience, God is guiding us at all times, arranging the circumstances of our life in every least detail — from the top of the mountain to the bottom of the sea — so as to lead us into the greatest joy we can possibly receive.

In His omniscience, the Lord perceives the possible outcomes of every decision we make. Because of this, He is with us every step of the way; He foresees the possibilities of wrong turns we might take, while simultaneously leading us — if we are willing to follow — into paths that lead to greatest joy. As the psalmist writes, “Thou wilt show me the path of life. In Thy presence is fullness of joy; at Thy right hand there are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). ¹⁵

In the miracle of the coin in the fish’s mouth, Jesus reveals the omniscience of God — a divine omniscience that both foresees and provides a wonderful pathway for each of us to follow. The awareness of this profound truth can lead us into surrender to the Lord’s will, faith in His leading, and, finally, into states of profoundest humility. ¹⁶

脚注:

406. Thus far it has been shown what "mountain" signifies; it remains to be shown what "island" signifies, for it is said, "Every mountain and island were moved out of their places;" and elsewhere:

Every island fled away, and the mountains were not found (Revelation 16:20).

"Islands" in the Word do not mean islands nor those who dwell upon islands, but the natural man in respect to the truths that are in it is meant, and thus, in an abstract sense, the truths of the natural man are signified. The truths of the natural man are true knowledges [scientifica], which are under the intuition of the rational man, and the cognitions of truth which are under the intuition of the spiritual man; the cognitions of truth are such as the natural man knows from the Word, while true knowledges [scientifica] are such as the natural man sees from the rational, and by which he is accustomed to confirm the truths of the church. There are with man two minds, one higher or interior, which is called the spiritual mind; and the other lower or exterior, which is called the natural mind. The natural mind is first opened and cultivated with men, because this most nearly stands forth in the world; and afterwards the spiritual mind is opened and cultivated, but only to the extent that man receives in the life the cognitions of truth from the Word, or from doctrine from the Word; consequently with those who do not apply knowledges to the life it is not opened. But when the spiritual mind is opened the light of heaven flows in through that mind into the natural mind and enlightens it, whereby the natural mind becomes spiritual-natural; for the spiritual mind then sees in the natural almost as a man sees his face in a mirror, and acknowledges the things that are in agreement with itself. But when the spiritual mind is not opened, as is the case with those who do not apply to their life the cognitions of truth and good that are in the Word, there is nevertheless formed in man a mind in the interior part of the natural; but this mind consists of mere falsities and evils; because the spiritual mind, by which the light of heaven is let into the natural by a direct way is not opened; but [light is let in] only through chinks round about; from this a man has the faculty to think, reason, and speak, and also the faculty to understand truths, but not the faculty to love them, or to do them from affection. For the faculty to love truths because they are truths is given only through an influx of the light of heaven through the spiritual mind; for the light of heaven through the spiritual mind is conjoined with the heat of heaven, which is love, which is comparatively like the light of the world in the time of spring; but the light of heaven flowing only through chinks into the natural is a light separated from the heat of heaven which is love, and this light is comparatively like the light of the world in the time of winter. This makes clear that a man in whom the spiritual mind is opened is like a garden and a paradise; but a man in whom the spiritual mind is not opened is like a wilderness, and like land covered with snow. Because the mind makes the man (the mind consisting of understanding and will) it is the same whether you say the mind or the man, thus whether you say the spiritual and natural mind or the spiritual and natural man.

The natural mind or natural man, in respect to its truths and its falsities, is signified by "islands" in the Word, in respect to truths with those in whom the spiritual mind is opened, and in respect to falsities with those in whom the spiritual mind is closed.

[2] That these are signified by "islands" can be seen from the following passages in the Word. In Ezekiel:

Thus said the Lord Jehovih to Tyre: Shall not the islands quake at the sound of thy fall, when the wounded shall groan, when the slaughter shall be accomplished in the midst of thee? And all the princes of the sea shall come down from ¹ their thrones. The islands shall tremble in the day of thy fall, and the islands that are in the sea shall be affrighted at thy departure. All the inhabitants of the islands were astonished at thee, and their kings shuddered shuddering, their faces were troubled (Ezekiel 26:15-16, 18; 27:35).

These two chapters treat of Tyre, which signifies the church in respect to the knowledges of truth and good, and in an abstract sense the knowledges of truth and good. In the first place the intelligence and wisdom of the men of the church through the knowledges of truth and good from the Word is treated of, and afterwards the church vastated in respect to these. The church vastated in respect to these, or where the knowledges of truth and good have perished is described by what is said by the prophet in these verses; the vastation of the knowledges of truth and good by "when the wounded shall groan, and when the slaughter shall be accomplished in the midst of thee," "the wounded" meaning those in whom truths are extinguished, and "slaughter" meaning the very extinction of truth and good.

That all knowledges that man from his infancy has imbibed from the Word, also all true knowledges by which he has confirmed them, are then disturbed, moved out of their place, and recede is signified by "the islands shall tremble, and all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones," also by "the islands shall tremble in the day of thy fall, and the islands that are in the sea shall be affrighted," "islands" meaning these cognitions and knowledges in the natural man; "the princes of the sea" primary things therein, "sea" signifying the natural man and all things therein in general. That all goods of truth of the natural man, because of the vastation of the knowledges of truth, shall be changed as to their state is signified by "all the inhabitants of the islands were astonished at thee, and their kings shuddered, their faces were troubled;" "the inhabitants of the islands" mean the goods of truth of the natural man, for "to inhabit," in the Word, signifies to live, and "inhabitants" the goods of life; "kings" mean all truths from good; "faces" signify the interiors and the affections; "to be astonished," "affrighted," and "troubled" signify to be entirely changed as to state. This makes clear what these things involve in the internal sense, namely, that all cognitions of truth and good and the confirming knowledges that man from infancy has imbibed from the Word and from teachers, will change their places and their state in the natural man and perish out of sight when falsities enter.

[3] In Isaiah:

The king of Assyria shall lead the captivity of Egypt and the crowd of Cush that is to be carried away; then shall they be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their expectation, and because of Egypt their adornment; and the inhabitant of this island shall say in that day, Behold, such is our expectation, whither we flee for help to be delivered from before the king of Assyria; and how shall we escape? (Isaiah 20:4-6).

No one can perceive anything about the church in these words, but only something obscurely historical, which is not known to have occurred, as that the king of Assyria will lead away Egypt and Cush into captivity, and that the dwellers of some island would grieve in heart over it; yet, here as elsewhere, some matter of the church is treated of, and this matter becomes manifest when it is known that "the king of Assyria" signifies the rational perverted, and thence the reasoning from false knowledges which favor the delight of natural loves, over which the natural man grieves because it is perverted thereby; for "the king of Assyria shall lead the captivity of Egypt and the crowd of Cush that is to be carried away" signifies that the perverted rational will claim to itself the knowledges of the natural man, and will confirm itself by these and by its delights, which these favor, "the king of Assyria" meaning the rational perverted, "to lead the captivity" and "to carry away the crowd" meaning to claim for itself and to confirm itself by reasonings, "Egypt" meaning the knowing faculty of the natural man, and "Cush" the delight which it favors.

That the goods of truth of the natural man grieve on this account, or that the natural man, in which are the goods of truth, grieves is signified by all the things that follow, namely, that "they shall be dismayed and ashamed because of Cush their expectation, and because of Egypt their adornment; and the inhabitant of the island shall say in that day," and what follows; "the inhabitant of the island" meaning the good of truth, of the natural man, or the natural man in whom is the good of truth, "inhabitant" signifying good, and "island" truth, both in the natural man (as above). That there is such a sense in these words can hardly be believed, and yet it is there.

[4] In the same:

These shall lift up their voice, they shall shout for joy; for the majesty of Jehovah they shall cry aloud from the sea; therefore glorify Jehovah in Urim, the name of [Jehovah] the God of Israel in the islands of the sea (Isaiah 24:14-15).

This chapter treats of the vastation of the church, and in these verses of the establishment of a new church among the gentiles; the joy of these is described by "they shall lift up their voice, they shall shout for joy; for the majesty of Jehovah they shall cry aloud from the sea," or from the west; "the sea" when it means the west signifying the natural, for the reason that those who dwell in the western quarter in the spiritual world are in natural good, while those who dwell in the eastern quarter are in celestial good; and as the Gentiles of whom the church was constituted were in natural good it is said "glorify Jehovah in Urim, the name of the God of Israel in the islands of the sea," which signifies that they were to worship the Lord from the goods and truths in the natural man, for "Urim" means a fire and a hearth, and these signify the good of love of the natural man; "the islands of the sea" signify the knowledges of truth and good, which are the truths of the natural man; and "to glorify" signifies to worship and adore; "Jehovah" and "God of Israel" mean the Lord, who is called "Jehovah" where good is treated of, and "the God of Israel" where truth is treated of; it is therefore said "glorify Jehovah in Urim," that is, from good, "and the name of the God of Israel in the islands of the sea," that is, from truths. This makes clear that "islands of the sea" signify the truths of the natural man.

[5] In the same:

He shall not quench nor break till He have set judgment in the earth; and the islands shall hope in His law. Sing unto Jehovah a new song, His praise, the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, its fullness, ye islands and the inhabitants thereof. Let the wilderness and its cities extol, the villages that Arabia doth inhabit; let the inhabitants of the cliff sing aloud, let them cry aloud from the top of the mountains. Let them give glory unto Jehovah, and declare His praise in the islands (Isaiah 42:4, 10-12).

This, too, treats of the Lord and of a new church to be established by Him, and "islands" mean those who are merely in truths from the natural man, and are therefore as yet remote from true worship; so, "till He have set judgment in the earth, and the islands shall hope in His law," signifies until He shall have given intelligence to those who are of the church, and the knowledges of truth to those who are more remote from the church; "to set judgment" meaning to give intelligence; "to hope in the law" meaning to give the knowledges of truth, for "the earth" signifies those who are of the church, and in an abstract sense the church itself in respect to intelligence from spiritual truths, and "the islands" signify those who are remote from the church, and in an abstract sense the church in respect to the knowledges of truth and good, or the church in respect to the truths of the natural man that correspond to spiritual truths; "sing unto Jehovah a new song, His praise, the end of the earth, ye that go down to the sea, and its fullness, ye islands and the inhabitants thereof," signifies the worship of the Lord by those who are remote from the church, and in an abstract sense, the worship of the natural man from truths and goods; "to sing a song" and "to praise" signify worship from a glad mind; "the end of the earth" signifies those who are in the ultimates of the church, and in an abstract sense its ultimates; "the sea and its fullness" signify the natural man and all things therein; "islands and inhabitants" signify the truths and goods of the natural man, "islands" its truths, and "inhabitants" its goods (as above). What is signified by "let the wilderness and its cities extol, and the villages that Arabia doth inhabit; let the inhabitants of the cliff sing aloud, let them cry aloud from the top of the mountains," see above n. 405, where this is explained; "let them give glory unto Jehovah, and let the islands declare His praise," signifies worship from internals and externals; "to give glory" meaning worship from internals, and "to declare praise" worship from externals, for externals declare, and "islands" mean the truths of the natural man from which is worship.

[6] In the same:

Attend unto Me, My people, and give ears unto Me, O My nation; for the law shall go forth from Me, and I will arouse My judgment for a light of the peoples. My righteousness is near, My salvation is gone forth, and Mine arms shall judge the peoples; the islands shall hope in Me, and on Mine arm shall they trust (Isaiah 51:4-5).

This is said of the Lord; "Attend unto Me, My people, and give ears unto Me, O My nation," signifies all who are of the church who are in truths and goods, "people" meaning those who are in truths and "nation" those who are in goods. It is said "attend" and "give ears," in the plural, because all are meant; "the law shall go forth from Me, and I will arouse My judgment for a light of the peoples," signifies that from Him are Divine good and Divine truth, from which is illustration; "law" signifying the Divine good of the Word, and "judgment" the Divine truth of the Word, "for a light of the people" signifying illustration; "My righteousness is near, My salvation is gone forth," signifies the judgment, when those who are in the good of love and in truths therefrom are saved, "righteousness" having reference to the salvation of those who are in good at the day of judgment, and "salvation" of those who are in truths; "Mine arms shall judge the peoples" signifies judgment upon those of the church who are in falsities, "peoples" here having the contrary sense; "the islands shall hope in Me, and on Mine arm shall they trust," signifies the approach of those to the church who are remote from the truths of the church, and their trust in the Lord; "the islands" signifying those who are remote from the truths of the church because they are in natural light and not yet in spiritual light from the Word, and "to trust on His arm" signifies trust in the Lord who has all power, "arm" in reference to the Lord meaning omnipotence.

[7] In the same:

Hear, O islands, and attend ye peoples from afar (Isaiah 49:1).

"The islands" stand for those who are in truths, and "the peoples from afar" for those who are in goods, and in an abstract sense, truths and goods, both in the natural man; "from afar" is predicated of the goods that are in the natural man, while "near" is predicated of the goods that are in the spiritual man. "Peoples" here signify goods, because in the original a different word is used from that which signifies truths; for this word is also applied to nations, whereby goods are signified (as is evident from the same word in Genesis 25:23).

[8] In Jeremiah:

Hear the word of Jehovah, ye nations, and declare it in the islands afar off (Jeremiah 31:10).

"Nations" stand for those who are in goods, and in an abstract sense for goods; and "islands" for those who are in truths, and in an abstract sense, for truths in the natural man; "afar off" signifies remote from the truths of the church, which are spiritual (that "afar off" has this signification, see Arcana Coelestia 8918). But these words in a purely spiritual sense, signify that the internal man shall teach the external, or the spiritual the whole natural man, the truths of the Word, for it is this that "the nations declare in the islands afar off;" but this pure sense, which is for angels, is with difficulty perceived by men, for it is with difficulty that men can think abstractedly from persons and places, for the reason that the thought of men is natural, and natural thought differs from spiritual thought in this, that it is tied down to places and persons and is consequently more limited than the spiritual. And this is why many things that have been explained will perhaps with difficulty fall into the ideas of the thought of those who keep the sight of the mind fixed on the sense of the words.

[9] In David:

The kings of Tarshish and of the islands shall bring an offering; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer a gift (Psalms 72:10).

This is said of the Lord, and "to bring and offer a gift" means to worship; and "kings of Tarshish and of the islands" mean the interior and exterior truths of the natural man, "the kings of Tarshish" its interior truths, and "islands" its exterior truths; "the kings of Sheba and Seba" mean the interior and exterior goods of the natural man, "Sheba" its interior goods, and "Seba" its exterior goods. By the truths of the natural man the knowledges of truth are meant, and by the goods of the natural man the knowledges of good are meant. (That these are meant by "Sheba and Seba," see Arcana Coelestia, n. 1171, 3240; and that the interior truths of the natural man are meant by "Tarshish," see just below.) And because these are meant, those who are in the knowledges of truth and good are also meant.

[10] In Isaiah:

Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as doves to their windows? Because the islands shall trust in Me, and the ships of Tarshish in the beginning, to bring thy sons from far (Isaiah 60:8-9).

This, too, is said of the Lord, and it signifies that those will receive and acknowledge Him who are in simple truth and good, who are such as perceive the truths of the Word in a natural way, that is, according to the sense of the letter, and do them, "the islands" signifying those who perceive the Word in a natural way, that is, according to the sense of the letter, "the ships of Tarshish in the beginning" meaning the goods that they bring forth and do, for "Tarshish" signifies the natural man in respect to knowledges, and "Tarshish in the beginning" the natural man in respect to the knowledges of good, because Tarshish abounded in gold and silver, and these the ships brought away thence (1 Kings 10:22); at first, gold, which signifies good; and as truths are from good it is also said "to bring thy sons from far." And as "islands" and "ships of Tarshish" signify the knowledges of truth and good of the natural man, it is said, "Who are these that fly as a cloud and as doves to their windows?" "cloud" signifying the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, "doves" the goods therein, and "windows" truths from good in light. (That "ships" signify the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, see Arcana Coelestia 1977, 6385; and that "windows" signify truths in light, and therefore the intellectual, n. 655, 658, 3391)

[11] In the same:

Howl, ye ships of Tarshish; for Tyre is laid waste, so that there is no house, nor doth anyone enter; from the land of Kittim it shall plainly come to them. The inhabitants of the island are still, the merchant of Zidon passeth over the sea, they have filled thee. Be ashamed, O Zidon, for the sea saith, the stronghold of the sea, I have not travailed, neither brought forth; I have not trained up young men, I have not brought up virgins. When the report comes from Egypt they shall be in travail, as at the report respecting Tyre. Pass ye over into Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the island (Isaiah 23:1-2, 4-6).

This describes the desolation of truth in the church; for "the ships of Tarshish" signify the knowledges of good from the Word, and "Tyre" the knowledges of truth therefrom. That there is no good because there are no truths is signified by "howl, ye ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, so that there is no house, nor doth anyone enter," that falsities then enter until there are no longer any goods of truth and truths of good in the natural man, is signified by "from the land of Kittim it shall plainly come to them; the inhabitants of the island are still, the merchant of Zidon passeth over the sea, they have filled thee;" "the land of Kittim" signifies falsities; "the inhabitants of the island" signify the goods of truth in the natural man (as above); "the merchant of Zidon" signifies the knowledges from the Word; "passeth over the sea" signifies which are in the natural man; "they have filled thee" (that is, the ships of Tarshish) signifies, they have enriched thee by them. The vastation of truth and good in the natural man is further described by "Be ashamed, O Zidon, for the sea said, the stronghold of the sea, I have not travailed, neither brought forth; I have not trained up young men, I have not brought up virgins;" "Zidon," as well as "Tyre," signifies the knowledges of truth and good in the church; "the sea, the stronghold of the sea," signifies the whole natural man; "I have not travailed, neither brought forth," signifies that there is nothing of the church conceived or generated; "young men" signify the affections of truth, and "virgins" the affections of good. This took place because cognitions from the Word and confirming knowledges [scientifica] were applied to falsities and evils which is signified by "when the report comes from Egypt they shall be in travail, as at the report respecting Tyre;" "Egypt" signifying knowledges [scientifica]; "Tyre," the cognitions from the Word, here those vastated by the falsities and evils to which they have been applied; and as there is lamentation on this account it is said "they shall be in travail." That all good in the natural man and all truth there would thus perish is signified by "pass ye over into Tarshish; howl, ye inhabitants of the island;" "Tarshish" signifying interior goods and truths in the natural man; "the inhabitants of the island" signifying exterior goods and truths therein (as above), "to howl" signifying grief on account of vastation.

[12] In Jeremiah:

I took the cup out of Jehovah's hand, and made all the nations to drink, unto whom Jehovah sent me, all the kings of Tyre, and all the kings of Zidon, and the kings of the island which is in the crossing (beyond) the sea (Jeremiah 25:17, 22).

Many nations are enumerated in this chapter that are not cited here, all of which signify the goods and truths of the church in general and in particular that are vastated; and "the kings of Tyre and Zidon" signify the knowledges of truth and good from the Word in the natural man; for all the knowledges of truth and good, so far as they are knowledges, are in the natural man; they become truths and goods when men live according to them, because it is by means of the life that they are received in the spiritual man; "the kings of the island which is in the crossing beyond the sea" signify the knowledges of truth in the ultimate of the natural man, which is called the natural-sensual, because through this there is a crossing into the interiors of the natural man, "sea" signifying the natural man in general (See above, n. 275, 342). The vastation of these things is meant by "the cup of Jehovah which the prophet made the nations to drink."

[13] In the same:

Because of the day that cometh to devastate all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Zidon every residue that helpeth; for Jehovah devastates the Philistines, the remnant of the island of Caphtor (Jeremiah 47:4).

"The Philistines" mean those who are in faith alone, or in faith separate from charity, therefore they are also called "the uncircumcised," which signifies that they have no charity (See Arcana Coelestia 2049, 3412, 3413, 8093, 8313); "to cut off from Tyre and Zidon every residue that helpeth" signifies that they have no knowledge of truth and good; "the residue that helpeth" signifying that they are no longer concordant; "the remnant of the island of Caphtor" has a like signification.

[14] In the same:

Pass over into the islands of the Kittim and see; send into Arabia and consider well, and see whether there hath been such a thing, whether a nation hath changed gods (Jeremiah 2:10-11).

"To pass over and to send into the islands of the Kittim and into Arabia" does not signify to send to those places, but to all who live naturally in truths and goods according to their religious principle; "the islands of the Kittim" meaning where those are who live naturally in truths, and "Arabia" where those are who live naturally in goods, that is, according to their religious principle; "the Kittim" and "Arabia" signify such persons and things; for all who do not have the Word or any revelation from heaven, and live according to their religious principle, live naturally; for to live spiritually is to live solely in accordance with truths and goods from the Word and from revelation out of heaven.

[15] In Zephaniah:

Jehovah will be fearful upon them; for He will make lean all the gods of the earth, ² that they may worship Him, every man from his place, all the islands of the nations, ye Kushites also, slain by my sword shall they be (Zephaniah 2:11-12).

This, in the internal sense, signifies that the falsities of evil will be dispersed, and truths and goods given to those who are in falsities indeed, but not in the falsities of evil; "the gods of the nations that He will make lean" signify the falsities of evil, "gods" signifying falsities, "nations" evils, and "to make lean" to remove evils from falsities; "the islands of the nations" and "the Kushites" signify those who are in falsities indeed, but not in the falsities of evil; and in an abstract sense they signify falsities, but not falsities of evil; and as falsities not of evil are in the natural man, therefore "the islands of the nations" signify the natural man in respect to such falsities, or in respect to falsities in the natural man; these falsities are signified by "slain by my sword." (Respecting the falsities of evil, and the falsities not of evil, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 21.)

[16] In David:

He shall have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river even unto the uttermost parts of the earth. The islands shall bow low before Him; and His enemies shall lick the dust (Psalms 72:8-9).

This is said respecting the Lord; and "to have dominion from sea to sea, and from the river even unto the uttermost parts of the earth," means His dominion over all things of heaven and the church; for the boundaries in the spiritual world are seas, and the intermediate regions are lands, where there are habitations for angels and spirits; therefore "from sea to sea" signifies all things of heaven, and because all things of heaven, it signifies also all things of the church; for the goods of love and the truths therefrom are what constitute both heaven and also the church, so "from sea to sea" signifies also all things of the church.

All things of heaven and of the church are signified by "from the river even unto the uttermost parts of the earth;" but this signifies all things of heaven and of the church in respect to truths, while "from sea to sea" signifies all things of heaven and of the church in respect to goods; for in the spiritual world the seas are the boundaries of the land east and west, and in the lands from the east to the west those dwell who are in the good of love; while "the river" means the first boundary, and "the uttermost parts of the earth" the last boundaries from south to north, where those dwell who are in truths from good; these boundaries were represented in respect to the land of Canaan by the rivers Jordan and Euphrates. Because the places that are about the last boundaries are meant by "islands," these signify truths in last things; and these, although they are not truths, are accepted as truths; for genuine truths are diminished from the midst towards the borders, since those who are about the borders are in natural light, and not so much in spiritual light. "Enemies" signify evils, of whom it is said that they "shall lick the dust," that is, that they are damned.

[17] In the same:

Jehovah reigneth; the earth shall exult; many islands shall be glad (Psalms 97:1).

This signifies that the church where the Word is and the church where the Word is not, consequently those who are in spiritual truths and those who are in truths not spiritual, shall rejoice on account of the Lord's kingdom. "The earth" signifies the church where the Word is, and "the islands" the church where the Word is not, consequently those who are far away from spiritual truths; for the truths of the Word only are spiritual, whereas those who are outside the church, as they do not have the truths of the Word, have only natural truths; this is why they are called "islands."

[18] By "islands" in the Word certain islands of the sea are not meant, but places in the spiritual world inhabited by those who have a natural knowledge of cognitions that in some measure agree with the cognitions of truth and good that are in the Word; and these places sometimes appear there as islands in a sea; so in an abstract sense "islands" signify the truths of the natural man. This is so called from a sea in which there are islands, for "the sea" signifies the generals of truth, or the truths of the natural man in general. This is the signification of "islands" in Genesis:

The sons of Javan were Elisha and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim. From these were the islands of the nations separated in their lands; everyone after his tongue, after their families, in their nations (Genesis 10:4-5).

And in Isaiah:

He will come to gather all nations and tongues that they may come and see My glory; and I will set a sign among them, and I will send those of them that escape unto the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the islands afar off, that have not heard My fame, neither have seen My glory; and they shall declare My glory among the nations (Isaiah 66:18-19; likewise Isaiah 11:10-11).

[19] As most things in the Word have also a contrary sense, so have islands; and in this sense "islands" signify the falsities opposed to the truths in the natural man. In this sense "islands" are mentioned in the following passages. In Isaiah:

I will make waste mountains and hills and dry up all their herbs; and I will make the rivers islands, and I will dry up the pools (Isaiah 42:15-16).

This may be seen explained in the preceding article, n. 405. In Ezekiel:

I will send a fire upon Magog, and upon the secure inhabitants of the islands (Ezekiel 39:6).

In Isaiah:

[He will repay] wrath to His adversaries, retribution to His enemies; to the islands He will repay retribution (Isaiah 59:18).

Behold, the nations are as a drop from a bucket, and are reckoned as the dust of the balance; behold, He taketh up the islands as a very little thing (Isaiah 40:15).

"Nations" here stand for evils, and "the islands" for falsities. In the same:

Keep silence, O islands; let the peoples renew power; let them draw near, then let them speak; let us come near together for judgment. The islands saw and feared; the ends of the earth trembled (Isaiah 41:1, 5).

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