THE EXPLANATION of Isaiah Chapter 4

(Note: Rev. Smithson's translation of the Isaiah text is appended below the explanation)

1. AND seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, Our own bread will we eat, and with our own raiment will we be clothed: only let us be called by your name, to take away our reproach.

VERSE 1. The subject here treated of is concerning the end of the church, when there is no longer any truth, for these words precede, "Your men shall fall by the sword, and your strength in the war", by which is signified that the understanding of truth would be destroyed by falsities, so that there would be no longer resistance in combats; and it follows "In that day the Germ of Jehovah shall be for beauty and glory", which being said concerning the advent of the Lord, signifies that truth should spring up anew in the church; by "seven women taking hold of one man", is signified that from affection they would desire and seek Truth, but would not find it; "man" (ish) denoting Truth; "women", affections or desires for Truth and "seven", what is holy. That they would not find instruction in genuine Truths, and thereby spiritual nourishment, is signified by their saying - "Our own bread will we eat and with our own raiment will we be clothed"; "bread" denoting instruction and spiritual nourishment; and "raiment", truth clothing good. That it is only [genuine] Truth which can be applied, and by application conjoined, is signified by "only let us be called by your name", or "let your name be named upon us"; and inasmuch as all honour is from the spiritual affection of Truth and the conjunction thence derived, and as otherwise there is no honour, therefore it is said - "Take away our reproach." Apocalypse Explained 555.

Seven women. - The ground and reason why the number "seven" signifies holy things, or what is holy, and, in an opposite sense, what is profane, is from, the signification of numbers in the world of spirits. In that world every number involves something. Numbers both simple and compound have occasionally appeared visibly to me, once also in a long series, and I wondered what they signified, and it was said that they existed from angelic discourse. ["Women", whether called daughters or virgins, signify either the affections of Truth or of Good, according to the subject, whether Zion or Jerusalem, etc., with which they are mentioned. See above, Chapter 1:8, the Exposition.]

This was known to the most ancient people who were celestial men, and discoursed with angels, and hence they formed ecclesiastical computation by numbers, whereby they expressed as to universals those things which by words they expressed as to particulars. But what each number had involved, did not remain with posterity, only what was signified by the simple numbers, as two, three, six, seven, eight, twelve, and hence twenty-four, seventy-two, and seventy-seven, especially that by "seven" is signified what is most holy, namely, in the supreme sense, the Divine Itself, and, in the representative sense, the celestial principle of love. Hence it is that the state of the celestial man was signified by the "seventh" or Sabbath day, as shown above, Arcana Coelestia 84-87. Arcana Coelestia 5205.

Let us be called by your name. - To be called by a "name", in the Word, signifies to be imbued with the nature and quality of him by whose name we are called. Thus to be called a Christian means to be imbued with the nature and quality of Christ. Those who separate the name from the nature, or who live not in agreement with the precepts and nature of Him by whose name they are called, are Christians in name only and not in reality, and cannot have "their names (which means the quality of faith, and charity from the Lord, Arcana Coelestia 6674) written in heaven"; (Luke 10:20) that is, cannot, be saved, because by an evil life they have contracted a nature contrary to that which prevails in heaven. To have "the Lord's new name written upon us", (Revelation 3:12) is to be so imbued with His nature and spirit as to worship Him alone. See Apocalypse Revealed 196. See also Arcana Coelestia 2009. Apocalypse Explained 256, 436, 563, 806.

2. In that day shall the Germ of Jehovah be for beauty and glory, and the fruit of the land for magnificence and for adornment to the escaped of Israel.

Verse 2. The "Germ of Jehovah which shall be for beauty and glory", signifies the Truth of the church; and the "fruit of the land which shall be for magnificence and adornment", signifies the Good of the church: as "Israel" signifies the spiritual church, it is evident that it is Truth and Good, and not the "germ and fruit of the land" which shall be for "beauty, glory, magnificence, and adornment." When it is said that "Truth and Good are of the church", the truth of faith and the good of love are understood, for all truth is of faith and all good is of love. Apocalypse Explained 304.

For beauty and glory, for magnificence and adornments - It should be known that all things in the Lord's kingdom have relation either to Goodness or to Truth, that is, to those things which are of love, and which are of the faith which has charity for its ground. Those things which have relation to Goodness, or which are of love, are called celestial; but the things which have relation to Truth, or which are of faith springing from charity, are called spiritual. Inasmuch a in all things of the Word, even in the most minute particulars, the Lord's kingdom is treated of, and, in the supreme sense, the Lord Himself; and as the Lord's kingdom is the marriage of Goodness and Truth, which is the heavenly marriage, and as in the Lord is the Divine Marriage from which the heavenly marriage comes, therefore that marriage is in all things of the Word, which is especially obvious in the Prophets and in the Psalms, where repetitions of the same thing occur with only a change of expressions or words; such as "joy and gladness", "nations and peoples", "beauty and glory", "magnificence and adornment", etc. But these repetitions are by no means empty tautologies, for one expression signifies what is celestial, namely, that which is of love or goodness, and the other what is spiritual, namely, that which is of the faith of charity or of truth. Hence it is evident how the heavenly marriage, that is, the Lord's kingdom, is in every particular of the Word, and, in the supreme sense, the Divine Marriage itself, or the Lord. Arcana Coelestia 4137.

3. And it shall come to pass, whosoever is left in Zion, and remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy; every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem :

Verses 2, 3. The escaped of Israel, the left in Zion, and he that remains in Jerusalem, etc. Mention is made of "remains " and also of "residues" in the Word throughout, but by the former and the latter have been understood only remains and residues of a people or nation according to the letter, whilst it has been heretofore altogether unknown that, in the spiritual sense, they signify goods and truths in the interior man stored up by the Lord, as in the following passages: "In that day shall the Germ of Jehovah be for beauty and glory, and the fruit of the land for magnificence and for adornment to the escaped of Israel; and it shall come to pass, whosoever is left in Zion, and remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy; every one written for life, or among the living in Jerusalem." (Isaiah 4:2, 3) "They that were left in Zion, and they that remained in Jerusalem" were in no wise made "holy", nor more "written for life" or "among the living" than the rest; whence it is plain that by those who were "left" and who were "remaining", are meant the things that were "holy and written for life", or "among the living", which things are Goods conjoined to Truths in the interior man, stored up by the Lord. Arcana Coelestia 5897.

Deliverance is effected by remains, that is, by Goods and Truths stored up with man by the Lord; they who receive those Goods and Truths, that is, who suffer them to be implanted in their interiors, escape damnation, and are amongst the residues. Hence it is that mention is made of "the escaped" in the Word throughout, where "residues and remains" are spoken of, as in Isaiah 4:2, 3. Arcana Coelestia 5899.

[In respect to remains, see also above, Chapter 1:9, the Exposition.]

4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion; and shall have purged the bloods of Jerusalem from the midst of her, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

Verse 4. To "wash away the filth of the daughters of Zion", signifies to purify the affections of those who are of the celestial church from the evils of the love of self; "filth" denoting the evil of the love of self; "daughters", the affections; and "Zion", the church principled in love to the Lord, which is thence called the celestial church. To "purge the bloods of Jerusalem", signifies to purify the same from the falsities of evil; "by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning", signifies by the understanding of truth and by the affection of truth; "spirit" denoting the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord; the "spirit of judgment", the understanding of truth thence derived; and the "spirit of burning", the spiritual affection of truth, for it is this which produces expurgation. Apocalypse Explained 475.

Inasmuch as by "blood", in the genuine sense, is signified the holy [principle], so in the opposite sense, by "blood" and "bloods", are signified those things which occasion violence to it, and indeed from this ground, because by "shedding innocent blood" is signified to violate what is holy; on which account also wicked principles of life and profane principles of worship were called "bloods." That "blood" and "bloods" have such a signification, is evident from the following passage, Isaiah 4:4. Arcana Coelestia 4735 Arcana Coelestia 4735[1-15].

5. And Jehovah shall create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and upon all her assemblies, a cloud by day, and smoke; and the brightness of a flaming fire by night: and over all the Glory shall be a covering.

Verse 5. By "Zion" is also signified the church, as to the Word; the internal or spiritual sense of the Word, as to good, is understood by the "dwelling-place" thereof; the external or literal sense, as to truths, is understood by the "cloud by day", and as to good, by the "brightness of a flaming fire by night." This sense, forasmuch as it covers and is the repository of the spiritual sense, is called" a covering over all the Glory", denoting the spiritual sense. These are also said to be "created", because they are the truths of heaven and the church. Apocalypse Explained 294.

By the "dwelling-place of Mount Zion" is signified the good of the celestial church, and by the "assemblies" thereof are signified the truths of that good; the defence thereof lest it should be hurt from too much light or from too much shade, is signified by "the cloud in the daytime and by the smoke, and by the brightness of a flaming fire in the night"; and inasmuch as all spiritual good and truth is preserved from being hurt by natural good and truth, therefore it is said that "over all the Glory shall be a covering"; "glory" denoting spiritual good and truth. Apocalypse Explained 594.

6. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain.

Verse 6. As a "tabernacle" denotes the ultimate of Divine Truth which hides the interiors, its being , "for a shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge against inundation or storm and rain", denotes that man may be safe and not hurt. AC 9433.

Guard to prevent hurt from too much light or too much shade, is signified by "a cloud by day and by smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night"; wherefore it is said that "over all the Glory shall be a covering", and that "the tabernacle shall be for a shade during the day from heat"; lest falsities should break in, ill consequence of too much light or too much shade, is signified by its "being in refuge and covert against inundation or storm and rain"; "inundation" and "rain" denoting the irruption of falsities. Apocalypse Explained 504

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Isaiah Chapter 4

1. AND seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, Our own bread will we eat, and with our own raiment will we be clothed: only let us be called by your name, to take away our reproach.

2. In that day shall the Germ of Jehovah be for beauty and glory, and the fruit of the land for magnificence and for adornment to the escaped of Israel.

3. And it shall come to pass, whosoever is left in Zion, and remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy; every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem :

4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion; and shall have purged the bloods of Jerusalem from the midst of her, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

5. And Jehovah shall create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and upon all her assemblies, a cloud by day, and smoke; and the brightness of a flaming fire by night: and over all the Glory shall be a covering.

6. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain.

4735. 'Do not shed blood' means not to do violence to what is holy. This is clear from the meaning of 'blood' as that which is holy, dealt with below, and therefore 'shedding blood' means doing violence to it. Everything holy in heaven proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human, as consequently does everything holy in the Church. For this reason to prevent people from doing violence to that which is holy the Lord instituted the Holy Supper, in which it is explicitly declared that the bread there is His flesh and the wine His blood, thus that His Divine Human is the source of that which is holy in the Holy Supper. Among the Ancients 'flesh and blood' meant the human proprium, for that which is human consists of flesh and blood. This explains what the Lord said to Simon,

Blessed are you, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Matthew 16:17.

Therefore the flesh and blood meant in the Holy Supper by the bread and wine are the Lord's Human Proprium. The Lord's actual Proprium which He acquired to Himself by His own power is Divine. His Proprium was since His conception that which He had from Jehovah His Father and was Jehovah Himself, and therefore the Proprium which He acquired to Himself within the Human was Divine. It is this Divine Proprium within the Human that is called flesh and blood, 'flesh' being His Divine Good, 3813, 'blood' Divine Truth that goes with Divine Good.

[2] The Lord's Human, now that it has been glorified or made Divine, cannot be thought of as something merely human but as Divine Love within a human form. This is more true of Him than it is of angels, who - when they come to be seen, as I myself have seen them - are seen as forms of love and charity taking on a human appearance, the Lord enabling this to be so. For it was by Divine Love that the Lord made His Human Divine, even, as has been stated, as heavenly love serves to make someone an angel after death, so that he too is seen as a form of love and charity taking on a human appearance. From this it is evident that in the celestial sense the Lord's Divine Human means Divine Love itself, which is a love directed towards the whole human race whom He wishes to save, making them blessed and happy for ever, and to whom He wishes to impart, insofar as its members can accept it, what is His and is Divine, so that it becomes their own. This love, and man's reciprocated love to the Lord as well as his love towards the neighbour, are meant and represented in the Holy Supper, Divine celestial love by the flesh or bread in it and Divine spiritual love by the blood or wine.

[3] From all this one may now see what is meant by eating the Lord's flesh and drinking His blood in John,

I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread he will live for ever. But the bread which I shall give is My flesh. Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drank His blood you will have no life in you. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. This is the bread which came down from heaven. John 6:50-58.

Because 'flesh' and 'blood' mean the Divine Celestial and the Divine Spiritual that proceed from the Lord's Divine Human, as has been stated, or what amounts to the same, mean Divine Good and Divine Truth that proceed from His Love, 'eating' and 'drinking' mean making these things one's own. They become one's own through the life of love and charity which is also the life of faith. For 'eating' means making good one's own, and 'drinking' making truth one's own, see 2187, 3069, 3168, 3513, 3596, 3734, 3832, 4017, 4018.

[4] Because 'blood' in the celestial sense means the Divine Spiritual or Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human, it therefore means that which is holy, for Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human is Holiness itself. There is no other Holiness, nor any other source of it.

[5] As regards 'blood' meaning that Holiness, this may be seen from many places in the Word, of which let the following be quoted here: In Ezekiel,

Son of man, thus said the Lord Jehovih, Say to every bird of the air, to every wild animal of the field, Assemble and come, gather yourselves from all around to My sacrifice which I am sacrificing for you, a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, so that you may eat flesh and drink wine. You will eat the flesh of the mighty, and drink the blood of the princes of the earth - rams, lambs, and he-goats, all of them fatlings of Bashan. And you will eat fat till you are glutted and drink blood till you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I will sacrifice for you. You will be glutted at My table with horse and chariot, with the mighty, and with every man of war. Thus will I set My glory among the nations. Ezekiel 39:17-21.

This refers to the calling together of all people to the Lord's kingdom, and specifically to the establishment of the Church among gentiles. 'Eating flesh and drinking wine' means making Divine Good and Divine Truth one's own, and so making one's own the Holiness which proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human. Is there anyone who cannot see that here in the references to their eating the flesh of the mighty and drinking the blood of the princes of the earth, and their being glutted with horse, chariot, the mighty, and every man of war, 'flesh' is not used to mean flesh nor 'blood' to mean blood?

[6] Similarly in John,

I saw an angel standing in the sun, who called out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying in mid-heaven, Come, gather yourselves together to the supper of the Great God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and those seated on them, and the flesh of all, free men and slaves, small and great. Revelation 19:17-18.

Can anyone ever understand these things unless he knows what 'flesh' means in the internal sense, or what 'kings', 'captains', 'mighty men', 'horses', 'those seated on them', 'free men and slaves' mean?

[7] Also in Zechariah,

He will speak peace to the nations; His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River even to the ends of the earth As for you also, through the blood of your covenant I will let out your bound ones from the pit. Zechariah 9:10-11.

This refers to the Lord. 'The blood of the covenant' is Divine Truth proceeding from His Divine Human and is the Holiness itself which has gone out from Him since He was glorified. This Holiness is that which is also called the Holy Spirit, as is evident in John,

Jesus said, If anyone thirsts let him come to Me and drink. Whoever believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his belly will flow rivers of living water. This He said about the spirit which those believing in Him were to receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39.

As regards the holiness proceeding from the Lord being 'the spirit', see John 6:63.

[8] Further to 'blood' meaning the holiness proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human - in David,

From deceit and from violence He will redeem ¹ their soul, and precious will their blood be in His eyes. Psalms 72:14.

'Precious blood' stands for the holiness which they are to receive. In John,

These are they who are coming out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb. Revelation 7:14.

And in the same author,

They have conquered the dragon by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of their testimony; and they did not love their soul even to death. Revelation 12:11.

[9] The Church at the present day knows no more than this, that 'the blood of the Lamb' here means the Lord's passion, for it believes that people are saved solely through the Lord's passion and that it was to endure this that He was sent into the world, a belief which may be enough for the simple who are incapable of grasping interior arcana. The Lord's passion was the last stage of His temptation, by which He fully glorified His Humanity, Luke 24:26; John 12:23, 27-28; 13:31-32; 17:1, 4-5. But 'the blood of the Lamb' here in Revelation is the same as the Divine Truth or that which is holy proceeding from His Divine Human, and so is the same as 'the blood of the covenant' referred to just above, and also in Moses,

[10] Moses took the book of the covenant, and read it in the ears of the people, who said, All that Jehovah has spoken we will do and hear. Then Moses took the blood and sprinkled it over the people. and said, Behold the blood of the covenant which Jehovah has made with you, upon all these words. Exodus 24:7-8.

'The book of the covenant' was Divine Truth as it existed with them at that time, which Truth was corroborated by means of the blood that bore witness to the fact that such Truth proceeded from His Divine Human.

[11] In the ritual requirements of the Jewish Church 'blood' meant nothing other than the holiness proceeding from the Lord's Divine Human. When people were being consecrated blood was therefore used to effect this, as when Aaron was consecrated along with his sons. At that time the blood was sprinkled over the horns of the altar, the residue being poured out at the base of it. Some was also put on the tip of their right ear, on their right thumb and the big toe of their right foot, and on their vestments, Exodus 29:12, 16, 20-21; Leviticus 8:15, 19, 23, 30. And when Aaron went within the veil to the mercy-seat the blood had also to be sprinkled with his finger seven times over the east side of the mercy-seat, Leviticus 16:12-15. Likewise in all other consecrations, as well as expiations and cleansings, mentioned in Exodus 12:7, 13, 22; 30:10; Leviticus 1:5, 11, 15; 3:2 , 8, 13; 4:6-7, 17-18, 25, 30, 34; 5:9; 6:27-28; 14:14-19, 25-30; 16:12-15, 18-19; Deuteronomy 12:27.

[12] As 'blood' in the genuine sense means that which is holy, so in the contrary sense 'blood' and 'bloods' mean things which bring violence to it. This is because 'shedding innocent blood' means doing violence to that which is holy. For the same reason too infamous deeds in life and profane acts of worship are called 'blood'. The fact that such things are meant by 'blood' and 'bloods' is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

When the Lord will have washed the excrement of the daughters of Zion and washed away the blood of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgement and by a spirit of purging. Isaiah 4:4.

In the same prophet,

The waters of Dimon are full of blood. Isaiah 15:9.

In the same prophet,

Your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity. Isaiah 59:3, 7.

In Jeremiah,

Yes, in your skirts the blood of poor innocent souls is found. Jeremiah 2:34.

[13] In the same prophet,

For the sins of the prophets, the iniquities of the priests who shed in the midst of Jerusalem the blood of the righteous. They went astray blind in the streets, they are defiled with blood. Things which have no power they touch with their garments. Lamentations 4:13-14.

In Ezekiel,

I passed by you and saw you weltering in your blood, ² and I said to you, Live in your blood; ² I indeed said to you, Live in your blood'. I washed you with water and washed away your blood ² from upon you, and anointed you with oil. Ezekiel 16:6, 9.

In the same prophet,

You, son of man, will you dispute with the city of blood? ² Declare to her all her abominations. By your blood which you have shed you have become guilty, and by the idols which you have made you are defiled. Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his power, ³ have been among you and have shed blood. Men of intrigue have been among you, [ready] to shed blood, and among you have eaten on the mountains. Ezekiel 22:2-4, 6, 9.

In Moses,

If anyone sacrifices anywhere else than on the altar at the tent of meeting it shall be [regarded as] blood, and as though he had shed blood. Leviticus 17:1-9.

[14] Truth that has been falsified and rendered profane is meant in the following references to 'blood': In Joel,

I will give portents in the heavens and on earth, blood and fire, and columns of smoke. The sun will be turned into thick darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah comes. Joel 2:30-31.

In John,

The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon became like blood. Revelation 6:12.

In the same author,

The second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third part of the sea became blood. Revelation 8:8.

In the same author,

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of one dead, from which every living soul died in the sea. The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and into the fountains of water, and blood was made. Revelation 16:3-4.

[15] A similar meaning occurs in the turning of the rivers, pools and ponds in Egypt into blood, Exodus 7:15-22, for 'Egypt' means knowledge which enters of its own accord into heavenly arcana and as a consequence perverts Divine truths, refuses to accept them, and renders them profane, 1164, 1165, 1186. Being Divine ones, all the miracles performed in Egypt embodied the same kind of meanings. 'The rivers' which were turned into blood means the truths that go with intelligence and wisdom, 108, 109, 3051, as likewise do 'waters', 680, 2702, 3058, and 'springs', 2702, 3096, 3424. 'Seas' means factual truths taken as a single whole, 28. 'The moon', which, it is also said, is to be turned into blood, means Divine Truth, 1529-1531, 2495, 4060. From this it is evident that the turning of the moon, sea, springs, waters, and rivers into blood means Truth that has been falsified and rendered profane.

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