3652. According to the internal sense, the signification is as now follows.

When therefore ye shall see the abomination of desolation;

(Matthew 24:15) signifies the devastation of the church, which occurs when the Lord is no longer acknowledged; consequently when there is no love and no faith in Him; also when there is no longer any charity toward the neighbor; and consequently when there is not any faith of good and truth. When this is the case in the church, or rather in the region where the Word is in existence-that is, when men are such in the thoughts of the heart, even if not in the doctrine of their lips-then there is “desolation,” and the things just mentioned are its “abomination;” so that the words “when ye shall see the abomination of desolation” signify when anyone observes such things; and what is to be done in such a case is told in what now follows in verses 16 to 18.

[2] Which was told of by Daniel the prophet;

(Matthew 24:15) in the internal sense signifies by the prophets; for where any prophet is mentioned by name in the Word, it is not the prophet that is meant, but the prophetic Word itself; because names never penetrate into heaven (see n. 1876, 1888); and yet the same is not signified by one prophet as by another. What is signified by “Moses,” “Elias,” and “Elisha,” may be seen in the preface to chapter 18 and in n. 2762; but by “Daniel” is signified everything prophetic concerning the Lord’s advent, and concerning the state of the church; in the present case concerning its last state. The subject of devastation is largely treated of in the Prophets, and by it in the sense of the letter is signified the devastation of the Jewish and Israelitish Church, but in the internal sense there is signified the devastation of the church in general, thus also the devastation which is now at hand.

[3] Standing in the holy place;

(Matthew 24:15) signifies devastation as to all things which are of good and truth; the “holy place” is a state of love and faith (that “place” in the internal sense is state, see above, n. 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387); the holy of this state is the good which is of love, and the derivative truth which is of faith; and nothing else than these is meant by “holy” in the Word, because these things are from the Lord, who is the Holy itself, or the Sanctuary.

Let him that readeth understand;

(Matthew 24:15) signifies that these things are to be well observed by those who are in the church, especially by those who are in love and faith; who now come to be treated of.

[4] Then let them that are in Judea flee into the mountains;

(Matthew 24:16) signifies that they who are of the church will not look elsewhere than to the Lord, thus to love to Him, and to charity toward the neighbor (that by “Judea” is signified the church, will be shown below; that by a “mountain” is signified the Lord Himself, but by “mountains” love to Him, and charity toward the neighbor, may be seen above, n. 795, 796, 1430, 2722). According to the sense of the letter the meaning would be that when Jerusalem was besieged, as it came to be by the Romans, then they should not betake themselves thither, but to the mountains, according to what is written in Luke:

When ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that her devastation is at hand. Then let them that are in Judea flee upon the mountains; and let them that are in the midst of her depart out; and let not them that are in the regions enter therein (Luke 21:20-21);

[5] but in this passage the case is the same with Jerusalem, namely, that in the sense of the letter it is Jerusalem which is understood, while in the internal sense it is the Lord’s church (see n. 402, 2117); for each and all of the things recorded in the Word concerning the Jewish and Israelitish people are representative of the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, and of His kingdom on earth; that is, of the church, as has been often shown. Hence it is that by “Jerusalem” in the internal sense is nowhere meant Jerusalem, nor by “Judea,” Judea. But these matters were of such a nature as to be capable of representing the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord’s kingdom, and the events took place for the sake of the representation. In this way the Word could be so written as to be adapted to the apprehension of the man who should read it, and also to the understanding of the angels who are with the man. This likewise was the reason why the Lord spoke in the same manner; for had He spoken otherwise, His Word would not have been adapted to the understanding of those who read it, especially at that time; nor to the understanding of the angels; thus it would neither have been received by man, nor understood by the angels.

[6] Let him that is upon the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house;

(Matthew 24:17) signifies that such as are in the good of charity should not betake themselves to those things which belong to doctrinal matters of faith. In the Word the “housetop” signifies the higher state of man, thus his state as to good; but those things which are below it signify the lower state of man, thus his state as to truth (n. 710, 1708, 2233, 2234, 3142, 3538). As regards the state of a man of the church, the case is this: While he is being regenerated he learns truths for the sake of good, for he has the affection of truth on this account; but after he has been regenerated he acts from truth and good. After the man has arrived at this state he ought not to betake himself to his former state, for if he should do this he would reason from truth concerning the good in which he is, and would thereby pervert his state, for all reasoning ceases, and ought to cease, when a man is in a state to will what is true and good; for he then thinks and acts from the will, consequently from conscience, and not as before from the understanding; and if he should again think and act from this, he would fall into temptations in which he would succumb. This then is what is signified by “Let him that is upon the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.”

[7] And let him that is in the field not return back to take his garment; (that is, his tunic), [Matthew 24:18], signifies that such as are in the good of truth should not betake themselves from the good thereof to what is doctrinal of truth. In the Word a “field” signifies this state of man in respect to good (what is meant by “field” may be seen above, n. 368, 2971, 3196, 3310, 3317, 3500, 3508); and a “garment” or “tunic” signifies that which clothes good, that is, what is doctrinal of truth, for this is as clothing to good (that a “garment” has this signification may be seen above, n. 297, 1073, 2576, 3301). Everyone can see that in these words deeper things are hidden than those which appear in the letter, for they were spoken by the Lord Himself.

1108. That ye become not partakers of her sins, signifies lest ye come into their evils which are from the love of self and from the love of the world. This is evident from the signification of "becoming partakers," as being in reference to sins to come into them, and thus to become guilty of them. Also from the signification of "sins," as being here the evils that spring from the love of self and the love of the world. Such evils are here meant because the Babylonish nation is in those loves, and consequently in the evils that arise from them. That that nation is in such evils is evident, for those of that nation extend their dominion not only over all things of the church but also over heaven; nor are they content with that; they have extended their dominion over the Lord Himself, for they have transferred to themselves His power over the souls of men to save them, which power is the Lord's very Divine power, since it was for this end that the Lord came into the world and glorified His Human, that is, made it Divine, that He might thereby save men. They have evidently extended their dominion over the Lord Himself, for having transferred to themselves His Divine power, which is the power to save men, they believe that the Lord will do what they wish, and not that they are to do what the Lord wishes; thus their will rules and the Lord's will serves; in a word, they have drawn down the Lord from His throne, and set themselves upon it, saying in their hearts, like Lucifer:

And thou hast said in thine heart, I will ascend into the heavens, I will exalt my throne above the stars of heaven, I will ascend above the heights of the cloud, I will become like the Most High (Isaiah 14:13-14).

That "Lucifer" here means Babylon may be seen above (n. 1029), but the modern Babylon has made herself not merely like the Most High, but even higher. Now as those who are meant by "Babylon" are in the loves of self and of the world above all others in the whole globe, and as all evils spring from these two loves, and the worst evils are from such a love of ruling, there is here an exhortation that they go out or depart from them "lest they become partakers of her sins." (That all evils spring from these two loves, namely, love of self and love of the world, may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem n.65-83; and that these loves reign in hell, (Heaven and Hell 551-565)

(Continuation respecting the Athanasian Faith)

[2] Now as to the agreement of the Athanasian doctrine with this truth, that the Lord's Human is Divine from the Divine that was in Him from conception. That the Lord's Human is Divine appears as if it were not in the Athanasian doctrine, and yet it is, as is evident from these words in the doctrine: "Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and Man; Who although he be God and Man, yet He is not two but one Christ; One altogether by unity of Person" (others, because they are one Person). For as the reasonable soul and body are one man, so God and Man is one Christ." Now as the soul and body are one man, and thus one Person, and such as the soul is such is the body, it follows that as His soul from the Father was Divine, His body also, which is His Human, is Divine. He took, indeed, a body or a human from the mother, but this He put off in the world and put on a Human from the Father, and this is the Divine Human. It is said in the doctrine, "Equal to the Father as touching the Divine, and inferior to the Father as touching the Human." This, too, agrees with the truth when the human from the mother is meant, as it is here. Again, in the doctrine it is said, "God and Man is one Christ, one not by conversion of the Divine essence into the Human, but by the taking of the Human essence into the Divine. One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of Person." This, too, agrees with the truth, since the soul does not change itself into body, nor so mingle itself with body as to become body, but it takes a body to itself. Thus soul and body, although the two are distinct, are still one man, and in respect to the Lord, one Christ, that is, one Man who is God. More will be said on the Lord's Divine Human in what follows.