919. (Verse 19) And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the vineyard of the earth. That this signifies that this was done, is evident from what has been just said in the above article.

That vineyard signifies the spiritual church is evident from the passages in the Word, where vineyard is mentioned:

As in Isaiah 1:8; 3:14; 5:1-10; 16:10; 36:17; 37:30; 65:21; Jeremiah 12:10; 32:15; 35:7, 9; 39:10; Ezekiel 28:26; Hosea 2:15; Amos 4:9; 5:11, 17; 9:14; Micah 1:6; Zephaniah 1:13; 1 Sam. 8:14, 15; Psalm 107:37; Matthew 20:1-8; 21:28, 38-41; Mark 12:1-9; Luke 13:6, 7; 20:9-16. And concerning a vine, see John 15:1-12.

Besides, in the historical parts of the Word. From which it is clearly evident that by a vineyard the church is meant; see also above (n. 376, 403, 638, 918), where many passages in which vineyard is mentioned are explained.

From the signification of vineyard it is evident, that by gathering the vintage, is signified to collect for uses those things that are to be serviceable to the understanding, and to impart intelligence and wisdom; and, in the opposite sense, to devastate the church as to spiritual good, and consequently as to the affection and understanding of truth. In this opposite sense, vintage and to gather the vintage are mentioned when there are no longer any clusters or grapes remaining; which, in the spiritual sense, signifies that all spiritual good, and thence all truth which in itself is truth, is destroyed; and this is chiefly effected in the church by falsifications of the Word. Also when evil of life corrupts all good, and then the falsity of doctrine perverts all truth; this is described also by devastators and thieves. That, therefore, by gathering the vintage is signified devastation, is evident from the following passages.

[2] In Isaiah:

"A cry over the wine in the streets; all joy shall be commingled; the gladness of the earth shall be banished. The remainder in the city shall be wasteness, and the gate shall be smitten even to devastation. For so shall it be in the midst of the earth, as the shaking of the olive tree, as the gleanings when the vintage is done" (24:11, 12, 13).

By these words mourning over the devastation of the church as to celestial good, and as to spiritual good, is described; which, in its essence, is truth from celestial good. Devastation is compared to the shaking of an olive tree, and to the gleanings when the vintage is done; but the particulars of this passage may be seen explained above (n. 313, 638).

[3] In the same:

"Ye confident daughters in your ears perceive my word; year upon year shall ye be moved, ye confident; for the vintage is ended, the gathering shall not come" (32:9, 10).

By confident daughters are signified those in the church who love falsities more than truths. That truths with them are successively diminished and in every state, is signified by being moved year upon year. The devastation of all truth even till there is nothing remaining, is signified by the vintage being ended, and the gathering not coming.

[4] In Jeremiah:

"Upon thy fruits of autumn, and upon thy vintage, hath the spoiler fallen, whence gladness is gathered and joy out of Carmel" (48:32, 33).

By the fruits of autumn are signified the goods of the church, by the vintage are signified the truths thereof; for bread, which is there meant by the fruit of autumn, signifies the good of the church, and wine, which is of the vintage, signifies the truth thereof. By the spoiler who fell upon them, is signified evil and falsity therefrom. That the delight of spiritual and celestial love, which is the very joy of the heart, is about to perish, is signified by gladness and joy being gathered out of Carmel.

[5] In Micah:

"Woe is me! I am become as the gatherings of the summer, as the gleanings of the vintage: not a cluster to eat: my soul desireth the first-fruit" (7:1).

As the gleanings of the vintage, not a cluster to eat, signifies the devastation of the church being such that there is no longer any good and truth. The rest may be seen explained in the article just preceding.

In Jeremiah:

"If the grape-gatherers come to thee, they will not leave any gleanings: if thieves in the night, they will destroy sufficiency" (49:9).

In Obadiah:

"If thieves come to thee, if destroyers by night, when thou shalt be cut off, will they not steal till they have enough? if the grape-gatherers come to thee, will they leave any clusters?" (vers. 4, 5).

By the grape-gatherers are signified falsities, and by thieves evils, which devastate the truths and goods of the church. But by destroyers are signified both falsities and evils. By their not leaving any clusters, is signified there not being any goods because there are no truths. But by gathering the vintage, is signified to gather for uses such things especially as are to be serviceable to the understanding,

In Jeremiah 6:9; Leviticus 19:10; 26:5; Deuteronomy 20:6, 7; 24:21.

1865. 'Saying, To your seed I will give this land' means the comfort experienced after these temptations and their horrors, to the effect that people who have charity and faith in Him will become His heirs. This is clear from the meaning of 'seed' and from the meaning of 'land'. 'The seed of Abram' means love and faith that flows from love, as shown already in 255, 256, 1025, and consequently all who have charity and faith in the Lord. 'The land of Canaan' however means the Lord's kingdom, and therefore 'giving the land to your seed' means that the heavenly kingdom would be given as an inheritance to those who from charity have faith in Him.

[2] That these things brought comfort to the Lord following temptations and their horrors becomes clear without explanation. For after those grim events which He had witnessed - that is to say, after He had put to flight the evils and falsities meant by 'the birds of prey that came down on the carcasses and that Abram drove away', described in verse 11 - gross falsities nevertheless entered into Him, such as horrified Him, meant by 'the dread of a great darkness which came over Abram in a deep sleep', described in verse 12. This, together with the fact that in the end sheer falsities and evils took possession of the human race - meant by 'the smoking furnace and flaming torch which passed' between the pieces', referred to in verse 17 - inevitably caused Him distress and grief. Comfort therefore follows now, like that in verses 4 and 5 above, namely that His seed will inherit the land, that is, those who have charity and faith in Him will become heirs of His kingdom. The salvation of the human race was for Him the only comfort, for He was moved by Divine and celestial love and became, even as regards the Human Essence, that Divine and celestial love, in which solely the love for all is countenanced and entertained.

[3] That such is the nature of Divine love becomes clear from the love of parents towards their children, in that it increases with every descending degree of affinity, that is, it becomes greater towards later descendants than towards immediate offspring. Nothing ever exists without a cause or origin, and therefore this love towards descendants, present in the human race and ever increasing with each successive generation, cannot exist without them. The cause and origin of that love are attributable solely to the Lord, from whom all conjugial love and love of parents towards children flow. The source of that love is His love, which is such that He loves all as a father loves his sons, and wishes to make all his heirs, and provides an inheritance for those yet to be born, as he does for those born already.