9144. And shall catch hold of thorns. That this signifies which betakes itself into falsities, is evident from the signification of “to catch hold of,” when said of the anger which arises from the affection of evil, as being to betake itself, and thus to kindle; and from the signification of “thorns,” as being falsities (of which in what follows). Something shall first be said to show how the case herein is. The loves in a man are the Fires of his life (see n. 9055). Evil loves, which are the loves of self and of the world, are consuming Fires, for they consume the goods and truths which belong to the life itself. These fires make the life of man’s will, and the light from these fires makes the life of his understanding. So long as the Fires of evil are kept shut up in the will, the understanding is in light, and consequently is able to perceive good and truth. But when these Fires pour forth their light into the understanding, then the former light is dissipated, and the man is darkened in respect to the perception of good and truth, and this the more in proportion as the loves of self and of the world, which are these fires, receive increase; until finally these loves stifle and extinguish all truth, together with all good.

[2] When these loves are assailed, then fire from the will breaks forth into the understanding, and kindles a flame there. This flame is what is called “anger.” Hence it is that when he is angry, a man is said to “become heated,” to “take fire,” and to be “inflamed.” This flame assails the truths and the goods that are in the understanding, and not only hides, but also consumes them; and (this is a secret) when this evil fire breaks forth from the will into the understanding, the latter is closed above and opened below; that is, is closed where it looks toward heaven, and is opened where it looks toward hell. From this it is that when an evil man takes fire with anger, evils and falsities flow in, which kindle into flame. The case herein is like that of a fiber in the body, which, if touched with the point of a needle, instantly contracts and closes itself, and thus prevents the injury from penetrating further, and attacking the life in its first principles. Moreover, when falsity is presented to the sight, it has the appearance of being sharp-pointed.

[3] The state of an evil man when angered, resembles that of smoke, which, when fire is applied to it, kindles into flame; for the falsity of evil in the understanding is like smoke; and anger is like the flame of the ignited smoke. There is also a correspondence between them, and therefore in the Word “smoke” denotes what is false; and its “flame” denotes anger; as in David:

There went up smoke out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth; coals did burn in Him (Psalms 18:5).

And in Isaiah:

Wickedness burneth as the fire, it devoureth the briers and thorns, and kindleth the thickets of the forest, and they mount up as the rising of smoke, in the wrath of Jehovah Zebaoth (Isaiah 9:18-19); where “smoke” denotes falsity, from the “kindling” of which there arises anger. (That “smoke” denotes falsity, see n. 1861.)

[4] From all this it is now clear what is signified in the internal sense by “when fire shall go forth, and shall catch hold of thorns, and a stack is consumed, or the standing crop,” namely, that if the affection of evil breaks forth into anger, and betakes itself into the falsities of concupiscences, and consumes the truths and goods of faith. Every thinking person can see that there is some reason for this law which lies hidden within and does not appear; for nowhere has a law been enacted about fire catching hold of thorns, and thereby consuming a stack, or the standing crop; because such a thing very rarely happens; whereas it is of daily occurrence that the fire of wickedness and anger lays hold of and sets on Fire the falsities of concupiscences, and thus consumes the truths and goods of the church.

[5] That “thorns” denote the falsities of concupiscences, is evident from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

Upon the land of My people cometh up thorn and brier (Isaiah 32:13);

“the land” denotes the church; “the thorn and brier” denote falsities, and the consequent evils. Again:

As for your spirit, a fire shall consume you, so the peoples shall be burned into lime, as thorns cut down that are kindled with fire (Isaiah 33:11-12).

The “thorns that are kindled with fire” denote falsities which break into flame, and consume truths and goods.

[6] In Ezekiel:

There shall be no more a pricking brier to the house of Israel, nor a thorn causing grief (Ezekiel 28:24);

“a pricking brier” denotes falsity of the concupiscences of the love of self; “a thorn,” falsity of the concupiscences of the love of the world.

In Hosea:

Your mother hath played the harlot; therefore I hedge up thy way with thorns, and she shall not find her paths (Hos. 2:5-6);

“ways” and “paths” denote truths; and “thorns,” falsities in place of truths.

[7] Again:

The high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed; the thistle and the thorn shall come up on their altars (Hos. 10:8);

“the thistle and the thorn” denote evil and falsity that lay waste the goods and truths of worship.

In David:

They compassed me about like bees; they go out like a fire of thorns (Psalms 118:12);

“a fire of thorns” denotes the concupiscence of evil.

In Matthew:

By their fruits ye shall know them. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? (Matthew 7:16);

“gathering grapes of thorns” denotes deriving the goods of faith and of charity from the falsities of concupiscences (that “grapes” denote these goods, see n. 1071, 5117, 6378).

[8] In Mark:

Other seed fell among thorns, but the thorns came up, and choked it, that it yielded no fruit. They that are sown among the thorns, are they that hear the word; but the cares of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the concupiscences of other things entering in, choke the word, so that it becometh unfruitful (Mark 4:7, 18-19);

here there is explained what is meant by being “sown among thorns,” thus what by “thorns.” The same is signified by “sowing among thorns,” and “reaping thorns,” in Jeremiah:

Thus said Jehovah to the man of Judah, and to Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns (Jeremiah 4:3).

They have sown wheat, and have reaped thorns (Jeremiah 12:13).

[9] The falsities of concupiscences, which are signified by “thorns,” are falsities which confirm those things which are of the world and its pleasures, for more than all other falsities these take fire and blaze up, because they are from those concupiscences in the body which are felt; wherefore also they close the internal man, so that there is no appreciation of that which concerns the salvation of the soul, and eternal life.

[10] That:

They put a crown plaited of thorns upon the Lord’s head when He was crucified, and that then He was hailed King of the Jews, and said, Behold the Man (John 19:2-3, 5),

represented the condition of the Divine Word at that time in the Jewish church; namely, that it was stifled by the falsities of concupiscences. The “King of the Jews,” as He was then hailed by them, signified truth Divine. (That by a “king” in the Word is signified truth from the Divine, see n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148; and that the like is signified by “the Anointed,” which in the Hebrew idiom is “the Messiah,” and in the Greek “the Christ,” n. 3004, 3008, 3009, 3732.) By “Judah” in the supreme sense is meant the Lord as to Divine good, and in the internal sense as to the Word, and thus as to doctrine from the Word (n. 3881); and that when such a crown was upon His head the Lord said “Behold the Man,” signified, Behold the Divine truth such as it now is in the church. For the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord in heaven is a Man; consequently heaven is the Grand Man, and this by influx and by correspondence, as has been shown at the end of many chapters (see n. 1871, 1276, 2996, 2998, 3624-3649, 3741-3750, 7396, 8547, 8988). From this also the Lord’s celestial church was called “Man” (see n. 478, 479), this church being that which the Jews represented (n. 6363, 6364, 8770). From this it is evident what was signified by the “crown of thorns,” and by His being hailed “King of the Jews,” by “behold the Man,” and also by the inscription on the cross, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews” (John 19:19-20); namely, that Divine truth, or the Word, was so regarded and so treated by the Jews, among whom was the church. (That all things done to the Lord by the Jews at His crucifixion signified the states of their church with respect to truth Divine, or the Word, see n. 9093.) That the Lord was the Word, is evident in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt in us, and we beheld His glory (John 1:1, 14);

“the Word” denotes the Divine truth.

5954. And to all of them he gave each changes of garments. That this signifies truths initiated in good, is evident from the signification of “garments” as being truths (of which below). Thus “changes of garments” are truths which are new; and truths become new when they are initiated in good, because they then receive life. For the subject treated of is the conjunction of the natural man with the spiritual, or of the external man with the internal. When the conjunction is being effected, then truths are changed and become new, for they receive life from the influx of good (as just above, n. 5951). (That to change the garments was representative of holy truths being put on, and that hence came changes of garments, see n. 4545.)

[2] That by “garments” in the Word are signified truths, is because truths clothe good almost as the vessels do the blood, and the fibers the [animal] spirit. That a “garment” is a significative of truth is because spirits and also angels appear clothed in garments, and each according to the truths appertaining to him. Those appear in white garments who are in the truths of faith through which is good, but those appear in bright shining garments who are in the truths of faith that are from good; for good shines through the truth, and gives the resplendence (see n. 5248).

[3] That spirits and angels appear in garments can also be seen from the Word, where it is mentioned that angels were seen, as in Matthew:

The appearance of the angel sitting at the Lord’s sepulcher was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow (Matthew 28:3).

In John:

Upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, clothed in white garments (Revelation 4:4).

In the same:

He that sat upon the white horse was clothed in a garment dipped in blood; and His name is called The Word of God. His armies which are in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean (Revelation 19:11, 13-14);

“garments white as snow,” and “fine white linen,” signify holy truths, for whiteness and shining white are predicated of truths (n. 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319), for the reason that they approach nearest to light, and the light which is from the Lord is Divine truth; and therefore when the Lord was transfigured, His garments appeared as the light, of which in Matthew:

When Jesus was transfigured His face did shine as the sun, and His garments became as the light (Matthew 17:2).

That “light” is Divine truth is known in the church, and that it is compared to a “garment” is evident in David:

Jehovah covereth Himself with light as with a garment (Psalms 104:2).

[4] That “garments” are truths is plain from many passages in the Word, as in Matthew:

When the king came in to see the guests, he saw there a man not clad with a wedding garment; and he said to him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? wherefore he was cast out into the outer darkness (Matthew 22:11-13);

who are meant by “him not clad in a wedding-garment” may be seen at n. 2132.

In Isaiah:

Wake up! wake up! put on thy strength, O Zion; put on the garments of thine ornament, O Jerusalem, the city of holiness; because there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean (Isaiah 52:1);

“garments of ornament” denote truths from good.

[5] In Ezekiel:

I clothed thee with broidered work, and shod thee with badger (taxo), and I girded thee with fine linen, and covered thee with silk. Thy garments were of fine linen, and silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, honey, and oil (Ezekiel 16:10, 13);

speaking of Jerusalem, by which is there meant the Ancient spiritual Church which was set up by the Lord after the Most Ancient celestial Church had expired. The truths with which this church was endowed are described by the “garments;” “broidered work” is memory-knowledge, which when genuine also appears in the other life like broidered work, and like lace, as also it has been given to see; “fine linen and silk” are truths from good; but in heaven, being in the light there, these are intensely bright and are transparent.

[6] In the same:

Fine linen in broidered work from Egypt was thy sail; blue and crimson from the isles of Elishah were thy covering (Ezekiel 27:7);

speaking of Tyre, by which are represented the knowledges of truth and good (n. 1201), which when genuine are “fine linen in broidered work from Egypt;” the derivative good, or good of truth, is the “blue and crimson.”

[7] In David:

The king’s daughter is all glorious; of inweavings of gold is her garment; in embroideries shall she be brought to the king (Psalms 45:13-14).

The “king’s daughter” denotes the affection of truth; “of inweavings of gold is her garment” denotes the truths wherein is good; “embroideries” denote the lowest truths.

In John:

Thou hast a few names in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white ones, because they are worthy. He that overcometh shall be clothed in white garments (Revelation 3:4-5);

“not to defile the garments” denotes not to befoul truths with falsities.

[8] In the same:

Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, that he walk not naked, and they see his shame (Revelation 16:15);

“garments” in like manner denote truths. It is the truths of faith from the Word which are properly signified by “garments.” He who has not acquired these from that source, or he who has not acquired truths or semblances of truths from his religiosity, as the Gentiles, and applied them to life, is not in good, howsoever he supposes himself to be. For as he has no truths from the Word, or from his religiosity, he suffers himself to be led by means of reasonings equally by evil spirits as by good spirits, and thus cannot be defended by the angels. This is meant by the exhortation “to watch and to keep his garments, that he walk not naked and they see his shame.”

[9] In Zechariah:

Joshua was in defiled garments; thus he stood before the angel, who said to those who stood before him, Remove the defiled garments from before him. And unto him he said, See I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee, and am clothing thee with changes of garments (Zech. 3:3-4);

“defiled garments” denote truths polluted by falsities which are from evil; wherefore when these garments are removed, and others are put on, it is said, “See, I have caused thine iniquity to pass from thee.” Anyone can know that iniquity does not pass away by a change of garments, and hence also anyone can conclude that a change of garments was representative, as was also the washing of garments, which was commanded when the people were being purified, as when they came near unto Mount Sinai (Exodus 19:14), and when they were being cleansed from things impure (Leviticus 11:25, 40; 14:8-9; Numbers 8:6-7; 19:21; 31:19-24).

[10] For cleansings from things impure are effected through the truths of faith, because these teach what good is, what charity, what the neighbor, what faith, that there is a Lord, that there is a heaven, that there is eternal life. Without truths which teach, it is not known what these things are, nor even that they are. Who from himself knows otherwise than that the good of the love of self and of the world is the only good appertaining to man; for both are the delight of his life? And who can know except from the truths of faith that there is another good which can be applied to man, namely, the good of love to God and the good of charity toward the neighbor, and that in these goods is heavenly life; and also that this good flows in through heaven from the Lord insofar as the man does not love himself more than others, and insofar as he does not love the world more than heaven? From all this it is evident that the purification which was represented by the washing of garments is effected through the truths of faith.