419. That the wind should not blow. - That this signifies lest the good should be hurt, and the evil rejected before the day, is evident from the signification of wind as denoting the proceeding Divine, which is the Divine Good united with the Divine Truth; therefore, that "the wind should not blow," signifies that it might flow in softly and gently. "That that wind should not blow upon the earth" signifies that the good should not be injured, and the evil rejected before the day, for the reason that separations of the good from the evil, and castings out of the evil, in the spiritual world, are effected by various degrees of modification and of intensity of the Divine which proceeds from the Lord as the Sun. When this flows in gently, then the good are separated from the evil; and when powerfully, the evil are rejected. The reason for this is that when the Divine from the Lord flows in gently, there is everywhere a state of calm and serenity, in which every one appears such as he is as to the state of his good, for then every one stands forth in the light; wherefore, those who are in good from a spiritual origin are then separated from those who are in good from a natural origin only; for the Lord looks upon those who are in spiritual good, leads them, and thus separates them. Those who are in good from a spiritual origin, are they of whom it is afterwards said, that they are sealed upon their foreheads, for they are spiritual, and angels of heaven; but those who are in good from a natural origin only, are not good, because they are not spiritual, for the good which they seem to have is evil, because it regards itself and the world as an end. They do good in an external form for their own glory, honour, and gain, and not for their neighbour's good; and, therefore, they do good only to gain the respect of men. The merely natural are those who are not sealed, and who are afterwards rejected. But when the Divine from the Lord flows in powerfully, then the goods which the evil have are dissipated, because in themselves they are not goods, but evils, and evils cannot sustain the influx of the Divine; therefore it comes to pass, that their exteriors are closed, and this being the case, their interiors are opened, in which there is nothing but evils and the falsities thence; and so they come into grief, anguish, and torment, and, on account of these, cast themselves down into the hells, where there are similar evils and falsities.

[2] When the influx of the Divine is intensified, which is the case when the evil are to be removed, then lower down in the spiritual world there arises a strong wind, like a storm or tempest; this wind is what is called in the Word the east wind, which we shall also speak of presently. Hence also the casting down of the evil is described in the Word by strong and impetuous winds, by storms and tempests. By the wind of Jehovah is signified the same as by the spirit of Jehovah, for the wind of respiration is meant, which is also called breath; therefore in the Hebrew tongue, and in many other languages, spirit and wind are expressed by the same word. This is the reason why the greater part of men have no other idea of spirit and of spirits, than as of wind, such as the wind of respiration; and so the opinion prevails in the learned world also that spirits and angels are like wind, possessing only the power of thought. This also is the reason why few suffer themselves to be convinced that spirits and angels are men, possessing a body, face, and organs of sensation, like men in this world. The reason why by wind and breath, when used in reference to man, is signified the life of truth, or a life according to the truths or precepts of the Lord, is that respiration, which is the function of the lungs, corresponds to that life, while the heart and its motion correspond to the life of good; for there are two lives, which make one in man, the life of truth, and the life of good. The life of truth is the life of his understanding, but the life of good is the life of his will; for truths reside in the understanding, because they constitute the understanding, but goods reside in the will, because they constitute the will. The same is signified in the Word by the soul and heart, when they are mentioned together.

[3] From these considerations it is evident that the wind and spirit of Jehovah mean the Divine Truth; and the four winds, the Divine Truth united with Divine Good. Since wind means the wind or breath of respiration, which signifies Divine Truth and spiritual life in those who receive it, therefore that wind is also called the breath of the nostrils of Jehovah, the breath of his mouth, and respiration, as is evident from the following passages.

In Ezekiel:

"I beheld, and sinews and flesh came up" upon the dry bones, "and the skin covered them above, but there was no breath in them. Then said he unto me, Prophesy unto the spirit, prophesy, son of man, and say to the spirit, Thus saith the Lord Jehovih; Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live" (37:8, 9).

It was shewn in the preceding article, that dry bones here denote those in whom there is no spiritual life, or in whom there is not any life by means of the Divine Truth. The inbreathing of it by the Lord, is signified by, "Prophesy unto the spirit, and say to the spirit, Come from the four winds, O spirit, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live." It is evident that by the spirit here named is meant the spirit of respiration, for there were nerves, flesh, and skin, but as yet there was no respiration; therefore it is said, "Say unto the spirit, Breathe upon these." Hence it is evident that spirit or wind signifies spiritual life. That common respiration is not meant, is plain from the fact that it is said, that those dry bones were the house of Israel, that is, that it was destitute of spiritual life; and from its being afterwards said of them, "I will put my spirit in you, that ye may live, and I will place you in your own land" (Ezekiel 37:14); which signifies that they were to be regenerated in order that a church might be formed from them. Regeneration is effected by a life according to Divine Truth, from which there is spiritual life; and to be placed in their own land, signifies to become a church, the land of Canaan signifying the church.

[4] In Moses:

Jehovah "breathed into his nostrils the breath of lives, and man became a living soul" (Genesis 2:7).

Here also, in the sense of the letter, is meant the wind of respiration, since it is said he breathed into his nostrils; but that spiritual life is meant, which is the life of intelligence and wisdom by means of Divine Truth, is evident from its being said that He breathed the breath of lives, and that man thus became a living soul. The breath of lives and living soul denote spiritual life; for, without this soul man is called dead, although he lives so far as the body and the senses are concerned. It is therefore plain that soul, spirit, and wind, in the Word, mean spiritual life.

[5] In John:

Jesus said to the disciples, "Peace be unto you; as the Father hath sent me, even so send I you. And when he had said this, he breathed on them, and saith unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit" (20:21, 22).

By the Lord's breathing and saying to them, "Receive ye the Holy Spirit," is signified the same as by Jehovah breathing into Adam's nostrils the breath of lives, which means spiritual life; for the Holy Spirit signifies Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, from which arises spiritual life. That they should teach this from the Lord, is signified by these words: "As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you." For the Lord when in the world was the Divine Truth itself, which He taught from His Divine Good which was in Him from conception. This Divine is what the Lord here and in other places calls the Father; and because, when He went out of the world, He united Divine Truth with Divine Good, in order that they might be one in Himself, and as the Divine Truth then proceeded from Him, He therefore said, "As the Father hath sent me, even so send I you." That the wind of respiration signifies spiritual life, and this from correspondence, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 3883-3896). All who are in the spiritual world also are known as to their quality from their respiration alone. Those who are in the life of the respiration of heaven, are amongst the angels; but those who are not in that respiration, cannot breathe if they come into heaven, and so they suffer pain as though from suffocation. Concerning this fact, see Arcana Coelestia 1119, 3887, 3889, 3892, 3893). It is in agreement with this correspondence that the term inspiration is used, that the prophets are said to be inspired, and the Word divinely inspired.

[6] From these observations the signification of these words of the Lord in John is evident:

"Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Ye must be born again. The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth; so is every one that is born of the spirit" (John 3:5, 7, 8).

To be born again means to be regenerated; and because man is regenerated by a life according to Divine Truth, and all Divine Truth by which he is regenerated proceeds from the Lord, and flows into man without his knowledge, it is therefore said, "The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth." Thus is described the life of the spirit of man, which he has by regeneration; wind denoting the Divine Truth, by which that life is acquired. Man during his abode in the world, does not at all know how this flows in from the Lord, for he then thinks from his natural man, and has a faint perception only of anything which flows from the spiritual man into the natural, therefore this is what is meant by "Thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, and whither it goeth." The water of which man is born signifies truth from the Word, and the spirit a life according to it.

[7] That water signifies truth, may be seen above (n. 71).

In Lamentations:

"The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations" (4:20).

By the anointed of Jehovah is here meant the Lord as the Divine Truth, for the anointed of Jehovah signifies the same as king. That a king in the highest sense signifies the Lord as to Divine Truth, may be seen above (n. 31), and that the anointed of Jehovah signifies the same, see above (n. 375). Hence it is said, "the breath of our nostrils, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live;" for breath and wind of the nostrils, in the highest sense, signify the Divine Truth, as said above. That the Divine Truth perished by means of the falsities of evil, is signified by being taken in their pits, pits denoting the falsities of evil.

[8] Again, in Lamentations:

"Thou hast heard my voice," Jehovah "hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry" (3:56).

"To hide thine ear at my breathing, at my cry," signifies, in regard to worship, confession, and prayers, which are from truths and goods, for all worship, confession, and prayer must be from both truths and goods, in order to be heard. If from truths alone, they are not heard, because there is no life in them, for the life of truth is from good. Breathing is there spoken of truths, and cry, of goods. That cry is spoken of goods will be seen elsewhere.

[9] Again, in Moses:

"All in whose nostrils was the breath of the spirit of lives, of all that was upon the dry land, died" (Genesis 7:22).

Every one can see that these words in the sense of the letter mean, that every thing upon the earth was destroyed by the flood, thus all men, except Noah and his sons; but what they signify in the spiritual sense, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 805, 806), where it is shewn that by the breath of the spirit of lives in the nostrils is meant spiritual life, such as the men of the Most Ancient Church had; for the flood signifies the end of that church and a last judgment, which took place at the time when everything of the church had become extinct.

So in David:

"They have ears, but they hear not; yea, there is no breath in their mouth" (Psalm 135:17).

No breath in their mouth, signifies that there was no truth in their thought, for mouth signifies thought.

[10] Again, in Jeremiah:

"And the wild asses breathed out the wind like whales; their eyes are consumed because there is no herb" (14:5, 6).

To breathe out the wind like whales, signifies, that no truth was granted them; and "because there is no herb," denotes that there was no truth in the church. Since the evil are cast down by a more vehement influx of Divine Truth and Good, proceeding from the Lord as the Sun, as stated above, therefore, also, the casting down of those who are in the falsities of evil is described by the breath of the nostrils of Jehovah; as in Isaiah:

"For Tophet is prepared of old; the pile thereof is fire and much wood; the breath of Jehovah like a stream of brimstone doth kindle them" (30:33).

In David:

"The channels of waters were seen, and the foundations of the world were laid bare at the rebuke of Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils" (Psalm 18:15).

In Moses:

"And with the blast of thy nostrils the waters were heaped up together. Thou didst blow with thy wind, the sea covered them" (Exodus 15:8, 10).

And in Job:

"They that plough iniquity, by the blast of God they perish, and by the breath of his nostrils are they consumed" (Job 4:8, 9).

By the blast, breath, and breathing of the nostrils of Jehovah, is meant the proceeding Divine, by which the evil are dispersed and cast down, when it flows in strongly and with intensity. But this influx will be spoken of in what follows, where storms, tempests, and the east wind, are treated of.

[11] That the wind of the earth signifies the proceeding Divine, arises also from correspondence with the winds in the spiritual world. For winds also exist in the spiritual world, arising from the direction of the influx of the Divine, and they extend to the lower parts of the earth there. In the heavens rarely any but gentle winds are perceived; but they are frequently perceived with those who dwell below upon the lands (terroe), for they increase in proportion to descent. Their directions are from the quarters into which the Divine flows, especially from the north; and because the winds there have a spiritual origin, they therefore also signify spiritual things, in general the Divine Truth, from which they exist. Thus, in David:

Jehovah "layeth his chambers in the waters; he maketh the clouds his chariot; he walketh upon the wings of the wind; he maketh his angels winds; his ministers a flaming fire" (Psalm 104:3, 4).

By waters, clouds, and wings of the wind, is signified Divine Truth in ultimates, which is the truth of the sense of the letter of the Word; because this is in ultimates it is said, "He layeth his chambers in the waters; he maketh the clouds his chariot; he walketh upon the wings of the wind;" waters denoting truth in ultimates, and similarly clouds and wings of the wind; chariot signifies truth of doctrine. "He maketh his angels winds, his ministers a flaming fire," signifies that He makes them recipients of Divine Truth and Divine Good. By angels are meant those who are in the spiritual kingdom of the Lord, and because they are recipients of Divine Truth, it is said, He maketh them winds. By ministers are meant those who are in the celestial kingdom of the Lord, and because they are recipients of the Divine Good, it is said, He maketh them a flaming fire, a flaming fire denoting the good of love and thence truth. That those who are in the spiritual kingdom of the Lord are recipients of the Divine truth, and those who are in the celestial kingdom recipients of the Divine Good, may be seen in the Heaven and Hell 20-28). That angels are called angels from the reception of Divine Truth, may be seen above (n. 130:2, 412:7), and that ministers are called ministers from the reception of Divine Good, may also be seen above (n. 155); and that fire signifies the good of love (n. 68).

[12] Again, in David:

Jehovah "Bowed the heavens, and came down; and thick darkness was under his feet. And he rode upon a cherub, and did fly; yea, he was borne upon the wings of the wind" (Psalm 18:9, 10).

By Jehovah bowing to the heavens and coming down, is signified the visitation, which precedes a last judgment; by the thick darkness under His feet, are signified falsities of evil in the lower parts; by His riding upon a cherub, His flying, and being carried upon the wings of the wind is signified Omnipresence with the Divine, and the wings of the wind denote Divine Truth in ultimates, as above.

[13] Again, in Jeremiah:

"He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his understanding. When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the end of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries" (10:12, 13; 51:15, 16).

And again, in David:

"He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries" (Psalm 135:7).

These things in the spiritual sense, describe the reformation of man, and the establishment of the church. From this reformation and this establishment the Lord is called the Maker of the earth, and elsewhere the Former and Creator; earth denoting the church. The Divine Good by means of which reformation is effected, is signified by His establishing the world by His wisdom; world denotes the church, and has reference to good. The Divine Truth by means of which this is also effected, is signified by, the voice which he uttereth, a multitude of waters in the heavens. The voice which he uttereth, signifies the influx of the Divine Truth; the multitude of waters in the heavens, signifies reception, waters denoting truths. Ultimate truths, which are knowledges from the sense of the letter of the Word, are signified by vapours from the end of the earth; spiritual things thence are signified by lightnings for the rain, lightnings having reference to the light of heaven, and rain to influx; reformation thence by means of Divine Truth from the Lord, is signified by, "He bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries." All these things are in this way understood in the heavens.

[14] Again, in David:

"He casteth forth his hail like morsels: who can stand before his cold? He sendeth out his Word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow. He declareth his Word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel" (Psalm 147:17-19).

By these words also, reformation is described, but in regard to the natural man; the scientifics therein, and the knowledges which a man possesses before reformation are signified by, "Hail like morsels; who can stand before his cold?" For man previous to reformation is altogether cold, and that cold is also distinctly felt when the Divine flows in out of heaven; and because such cold is dissipated when the Divine Good and the Divine Truth are received, that is when reformation takes place, it is therefore said, "He sendeth out his Word, and melteth them; he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow." By the Word is signified the Divine Good united with the Divine Truth; by the wind is signified Divine Truth, and by the waters flowing, the reception of truth; and because this is the signification of the above words, it is therefore added, "He declareth his Word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel." Jacob and Israel signify the church, the former, the church which is in good, the latter, the church which is in truths. Statutes and judgments denote external and internal truths from good.

[15] So again:

"Praise Jehovah; fire, and hail; snow, and vapour; stormy wind fulfilling his Word" (Psalm 148:7, 8).

It is evident that fire and hail, snow and vapour, and wind signify things different from these; for what purpose could be served in the Divine Word by saying that they should praise Jehovah? But by fire and hail, snow and vapours, are signified the delights of the loves of the natural man, and his scientifics and knowledges; for these, before man is reformed and made spiritual, are fire, and hail, and snow and vapour; and the sphere of their life, when it flows forth from them causes similar things to appear in the spiritual world. To worship the Lord from those things, is signified by their praising Jehovah, for to praise is to worship. But by the stormy wind is signified the Divine Truth as to reception; wherefore it is also said, stormy wind fulfilling his Word. To fulfil His Word signifies to receive in the life the things pertaining to doctrine.

[16] Because everything in the Word has also an opposite sense, so also has wind, and in that sense it signifies falsity, as in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Behold they are all iniquity, their works are naught; their molten images are wind and emptiness" (41:29).

Wind and emptiness denote the falsities of evil, and the evils of falsity; wind denotes the falsities of evil, and emptiness, the evils of falsity; for where there is emptiness and vacuity, or, in other words, where there is neither good nor truth, there are evil and falsity. That falsities are there signified by wind is plain, from the fact that it is said, "They are all iniquity, their works are naught"; and also because it is said, "their molten images are wind and emptiness"; for molten images signify the things which man brings forth from his own intelligence, all of which are evils and falsities.

In Jeremiah:

"The prophets shall become wind, and the Word is not in them" (5:13).

Prophets signify those who teach truths, and in the abstract, truths of doctrine, but in this case falsities of doctrine which are signified by wind; therefore it is also said, "the Word is not in them," the Word signifying the Divine Truth.

[17] Again:

"I will scatter them as the stubble that passeth away unto the wind of the desert" (13:24).

The wind of the desert signifies where there is no truth, consequently, where there is only falsity; for desert in the Word signifies where there is no good, because there is no truth.

Again in the same prophet:

"The wind shall feed all thy shepherds, and thy lovers shall go into captivity" (22:22).

Shepherds in the Word signify those who teach the good of life and lead to it, this being accomplished by means of truths, but in this case, by shepherds are meant those who do not teach the good of life, still less lead to it, because they are in falsities; this is meant by, "the wind shall feed all thy shepherds," wind denoting the falsity which they seize upon and love. The lovers who shall go into captivity signify the delights of the love of self and the love of the world, and therefore the delights of the evil; lovers denote those delights, and captivity denotes detention in the hells.

[18] Again in Hosea:

"Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind; he daily multiplieth lies and desolation; and they make a covenant with the Assyrian, and oil is carried into Egypt" (12:1).

Ephraim signifies the Intellectual of the church; the Assyrian, reasoning; and Egypt, the Scientific; therefore by, "Ephraim feedeth on wind, and followeth after the east wind," is signified that those in the church who are intelligent take up with falsities by means of which truths are completely driven out, for wind denotes what is false, and the east wind falsity withering and dissipating truths. Because of this signification of wind and the east wind, it is also said, "he daily multiplieth lies and desolation," a lie denoting falsity, and desolation the dissipation of truth. By their making a covenant with the Assyrian, and by oil being carried into Egypt, is signified, that by reasoning from scientifics falsely applied, they pervert the truths and goods of the church. To make a covenant with the Assyrian, signifies to reason from falsities and to destroy truths, and to carry oil into Egypt, signifies to destroy the good of the church by means of scientifics. For he who is in principles of falsity applies to them the scientifics which he has received from childhood, for his understanding sees nothing else, since the understanding is formed from either truths or falsities; if from truths, then a man sees truths, if from falsities, then he sees falsities, and these he sees in the natural man, in whose memory scientifics reside, from which he selects such as favour his ideas, and those which do not favour them are either perverted or rejected.

[19] Again, in the same prophet:

"Ephraim is joined to idols. Their wine is gone; they have committed whoredom continually; they have loved; they have added shame to her shield. The wind hath bound her up in its wings, and they shall be ashamed because of their sacrifices" (Hosea 4:17-19).

Ephraim signifies the church in regard to the understanding of truth; but in the present case, the understanding of that which is not true but false, falsities of the church being meant by idols; the signification of "Ephraim is joined to idols," is therefore evident. By the wind in its wings is signified reasoning from fallacies, from which falsities arise. The signification of the rest is explained above (n. 283:16 and 376:38). The same is signified in Zechariah by the wind in the wings (5:9).

So in Jeremiah:

"And their camels shall be a booty, and the multitude of their cattle a spoil; and I will scatter them unto every wind, the cut off of the corner" (49:32).

By dispersing them into every wind is signified into every kind of falsity and evil, truths and goods having been dissipated. The rest of the prophecy is explained above (n. 417:7).

[20] Again, in Ezekiel:

"And a third part thou shalt scatter to the wind, and I will draw out a sword after them" (5:2, 12).

This is said concerning the hair of the head and of the beard, which the prophet was commanded to shave with a razor; and hair signifies the ultimate of truth in the church, for the entire heaven and the entire church in the sight of the Lord are as one man, and therefore all things of heaven and the church correspond to all things of man, both those without and those within him. See Heaven and Hell 87-102). The hair of the head and the hair of the beard being the ultimates of man, correspond to the ultimates of truth and good. The ultimates of truth and good are of such a quality as the ultimate truths of the sense of the letter of the Word. That these ultimates were perverted, falsified, and adulterated by the Jews, is signified by what is stated here concerning the hair of the head and of the beard of the prophet. A third part of the hair being scattered into every wind signifies the dissipation of all truth; when this is the case mere falsities are seized upon, and it is therefore said, "I will draw out a sword after them," a sword signifying the destruction of truth by falsity. See above (n. 131). Without the knowledge of this signification of the hair, who could understand what is involved in the command given to the prophet, that he should shave off the hair of his head and of his beard, burn a third part of it with fire in the midst of the city, take a third part and smite about it with a sword, and scatter a third part into every wind, and draw out a sword after them?

[21] That the falsification of truth by the Jews is signified by these things is very evident from what follows in the same chapter, where, among other things, it is said, "This is Jerusalem. And she hath changed my judgments into wickedness more than the nations, and my statutes more than the countries that are round about her" (Ezekiel 5:5, 6).

In the same:

"And I will scatter to every wind all his hands; and I will draw out the sword after them" (Ezekiel 12:14).

These words have a similar meaning.

In Matthew:

"And the rain descended, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not; for it was founded upon a rock" (Matthew 7:25).

Here, by the rain descending, and the winds blowing, are signified temptations, and consequently also falsities rushing in; for as spiritual temptations are nothing else but infestations of the mind by falsities and evils, therefore winds also here signify falsities. The rest is explained above (n. 411).

[22] It has been before stated, that in the spiritual world, just as in the natural world, strong winds and storms exist; but the storms in the spiritual world exist from the influx of the Divine into the lower parts where those are who are in evils and falsities. That influx, as it descends out of the heavens towards the lands (terroe), which are below, becomes denser and has the appearance of clouds which with the evil are dense and opaque, according to the degree and quality of their evil. These clouds are appearances of falsity from evil, and arise from the spheres of their life, for every angel and every spirit is encompassed by the sphere of his life. When the Divine goes forth powerfully from the Lord as the Sun, and flows into these dense and opaque clouds, a storm arises which is seen by the spirits there just as storms are seen by men on the earth. I was sometimes permitted to have experience of these storms, and also of the east wind, by which the evil were dispersed and cast into the hells, at the time when the Last Judgment was taking place. It is clear from these considerations what storms, tempests, and impetuous winds signify in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Thou shalt scatter them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall disperse them" (Isaiah 41:16).

And in Jeremiah:

"Behold, the tempest of Jehovah, his fury has gone forth, even a grievous whirlwind; it shall burst upon the head of the wicked" (Jeremiah 23:19; 30:23).

And in David:

"I will hasten my escape from the stormy wind and tempest" (Psalm 55:8).

Again:

"O my God, pursue them with thy tempest, and terrify them with thy storm" (Psalm 83:13, 15).

And in Ezekiel:

"I will make the storm-winds to burst through in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower, in mine anger, for a consummation" (Ezekiel 13:13).

And in Jeremiah:

"Evil shall go forth from nation to nation, and a great tempest shall be raised up from the sides of the earth" (Jeremiah 25:32).

Again in Isaiah:

"Thou shalt be visited by Jehovah of hosts with storm and tempest, and the flame of devouring fire" (Isaiah 29:6).

And in Amos:

"I will kindle a fire in the wall of Rahab, and it shall devour the palaces thereof, with a tempest in the day of the storm" (Amos 1:14).

And in Zechariah:

"The Lord Jehovih shall blow the trumpet, and shall go with the tempests of the south" (Zechariah 9:14).

In Nahum:

"Jehovah hath his way in the tempest and in the storm" (Nahum 1:3).

In David:

"Upon the wicked, the wind of the tempests, the portion of the cup of the wicked" (Psalm 11:6).

Again:

"God shall come and shall not keep silence; and it shall be very tempestuous round about him" (Psalm 50:3).

And in Hosea:

"They sow the wind, and they shall reap the tempest" (Hosea 8:7).

In these passages storms and tempests signify the dispersion of falsities and evils, because those who are in falsities of evil are cast down into hell by a stormy wind.

[23] In David:

"They who go down to the sea in ships, that do business in great waters. For he commandeth, and raiseth the stormy wind, and lifteth up the waves thereof. He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still" (Psalm 107:23, 25, 29).

These things refer to temptations and liberation from them; the stormy wind, and the lifting up of the waves of the sea signify temptations, because spiritual temptations are caused by falsities rushing into the thoughts, from which arise pains of conscience and grief of mind and soul, and these are signified by "He raiseth the stormy wind and lifteth up the waves thereof." Liberation from them is signified by, "He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still."

[24] The same is signified by these words in Mark:

"And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow; and they awoke him, and say unto him, Carest thou not that we perish? And he awoke, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm" (Mark 4:37-39).

Also in Luke:

"As they sailed he fell asleep; and there came down a storm of wind on the lake, and they were filled with water and were in jeopardy. And they came to him and awoke him, saying Master, Master, we perish. Then he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging of the water; and they ceased, and there was a calm" (Luke 8:23, 24).

This, like all the miracles of the Lord, contains arcana of heaven, and interior things of the church. Divine miracles differ from those that are not divine in this, that Divine miracles also signify Divine things, because the Divine is in them, but miracles not divine have no signification, because there is nothing of the Divine in them. And, moreover, in the description of the Divine miracles in the Word, and in every detail of it, there is a spiritual sense. The above miracle refers to spiritual temptations. The great storm of wind that caused the waves to beat into the ship, so that it was full, signifies those temptations; and deliverance from these is signified by Jesus awakening when they were in great fear, rebuking the wind, and saying to the sea, "Peace, be still;" and by the ceasing of the wind, and the great calm. Every word contains a spiritual sense. We shall not here however explain it in detail, but merely say that a whirlwind and a tempest signify temptations, which are irruptions of falsities, or inundations of the mind by falsities. This is also evident from the fact that the wind and the waves were rebuked, and from the Lord's words to the sea, "Peace, be still," as being said to those things, or to those who induce temptations.

[25] Moreover the winds in the spiritual world, appear to arise from different quarters, some from the south, some from the north, and some from the east. Those which come from the south disperse truths with those who are in falsities, and those which come from the east disperse goods with those who are in evils. The reason why winds disperse these, is, that winds exist from a strong and powerful influx of the Divine through the heavens into the lower parts, [of the world of spirits], and where the influx reaches, it fills truths and goods, that is the minds and souls of those who are in truths and goods, with the Divine. Therefore those whose minds and souls are merely falsities and evils as to the interiors, and truths mingled with falsities, and goods with evils as to the exteriors, cannot sustain such influx from the Divine, and consequently they betake themselves to their own falsities and evils which they actually love, and reject the truths and goods which they love merely for the sake of themselves and of appearances.

[26] The effect produced by the wind coming from the east, called the east wind, is evident from what we have stated, for it disperses all the goods and truths of which the evil had made an external display before the world, and talked about for the sake of appearance, therefore withering and drying up are ascribed to this wind. "Withered" signifies a state in which there is no good, and "dried up" a state in which there is no truth. This is evident from those passages of the Word, where this wind is mentioned.

Thus, in Ezekiel:

Behold the planted vine. "Shall it not utterly wither, when the east wind toucheth it?" (Ezekiel 17:10).

Again, in the same:

The vine "was plucked up in fury, she was cast down to the ground, and the east wind dried up her fruit; the rods of her strength were broken and withered" (Ezekiel 19:12).

And in Hosea:

Ephraim, "fruitful among his brethren, an east wind shall come, the wind of Jehovah shall come up from the wilderness, and his spring shall become dry, and his fountain shall be dried up; it shall spoil the treasure of every vessel of desire" (Hosea 13:15).

And in Jonah:

"And it came to pass when the sun arose, that God prepared a withering east wind" (Jonah 4:8).

[27] That the east wind also destroys everything where the evil are, their lands (terroe), their dwellings, and their treasures, may be seen in the small work on The Last Judgment 61). The reason why this destruction takes place is that lands, dwellings, and treasures, in the spiritual world, are correspondences, therefore, when these perish, the things which correspond perish also, and consequently when the land where the evil dwell in that world is destroyed, the face of a new land appears for the good. Because the east wind in the spiritual world has such power, therefore, on account of its correspondence an east wind arose which divided the Sea Suph (Red Sea) (Exodus 14:21); which brought the locust (Exodus 10:13). It is called a rough wind (Isaiah 27:8) breaking the ships of Tarshish (Psalm 48:7); breaking in the heart of the seas (Ezekiel 27:26); and scattering enemies (Jeremiah 18:17).

391. I saw under the altar. That this signifies those who were reserved under heaven, is plain from the signification of seeing, as denoting to make manifest (as above, n. 351); and from the signification of altar, as denoting, in the proximate sense, worship from the good of love to the Lord; in the sense more interior, heaven and the church which are in that love; and, in the inmost sense, the Lord's Divine Human as to the Divine good of the Divine love. The reason why by under the altar are signified those who were reserved under heaven, is, that it is said that he saw under the altar the souls of them that were slain for the Word of God, and for the testimony which they held, and by them are meant those who were reserved under heaven until the Last Judgment. But as this is a circumstance not yet known in the world, I desire to tell how and when it happened. In the little work concerning the Last Judgment it has been shown, that before the Last Judgment took place, there was a resemblance of heaven, which is meant by the former heaven that passed away (Apoc. 21:1); and that this heaven consisted of those who were in external worship without internal, and who thence lived an external moral life, although they were merely natural and not spiritual. Those who constituted this heaven before the Last Judgment were seen above the earth, also upon mountains, hills, and rocks in the spiritual world, and thence they fancied themselves to be in heaven; but those who constituted this heaven, because they were only in an external moral life, and not at the same time in an internal spiritual one, were cast down; and when they were cast down, then all those who were reserved by the Lord, and concealed here and there, for the most part, in the lower earth, were raised up and transferred into the same places, that is, upon the mountains, hills, and rocks where the former had been; and from these a new heaven was formed. The latter who were reserved and then raised up, were from those in the world who had lived a life of charity, and who were in the spiritual affection of truth. The elevation of the latter into the place of the former was frequently seen by me. These are those meant by the souls of the slain seen under the altar; and because they were kept by the Lord in the lower earth, which earth is under heaven, hence by, "I saw under the altar," are signified those who were reserved under heaven; but these will be treated of specifically in the Apocalypse 20:4, 5, 12, 13, where more must be related concerning them. In the meantime, concerning the former heaven which passed away, and concerning the new heaven which was formed by the Lord after the Last Judgment, see what is said in the small work upon the Last Judgment 65-72). These few [remarks] may be a sufficient illustration for understanding what is said in the two following verses, namely, that

Those who were under the altar "Cried with a great voice, saying, How long, O Lord, who art holy and true, dost thou not judge and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the earth? And white robes were given unto them; and it was said unto them, that they should rest yet a little time, until both their fellow-servants and their brethren, that should be killed as they were, should be fulfilled."

[2] The reason why under the altar signifies under heaven, is that the altar, in the highest sense, signifies the Lord, and, in a relative sense, heaven and the church, inasmuch as the Lord is heaven and the church, for the all of heaven and the church, or the all of love and faith which make them, with angels and men, are from Him, and, consequently, are His; but, in a general sense, the altar signifies all worship of the Lord, and specifically representative worship, such as existed among the sons of Israel. The reason why the altar signifies all worship, is that the worship in that church principally consisted in offering burnt-offerings and sacrifices; for these were offered for every sin and guilt, also from the desire to please Jehovah, - such sacrifices were called eucharistic or free-will, - and also for cleansings of every kind. By burnt-offerings and sacrifices inaugurations were also effected into everything holy pertaining to the church, as is plain from the sacrifices at the consecration of Aaron and his sons to the priesthood, the consecration of the tabernacle of the congregation, and afterwards of the temple. And because the worship of Jehovah, that is of the Lord, principally consisted in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, therefore, they were offered also daily, namely, every morning and evening, which in one expression was called perpetual, besides [those offered] in great abundance on every feast; hence in the Word, perpetual signifies all representative worship. From these considerations it is evident that worship, and specifically the representative worship of that nation, principally consisted in burnt-offerings and sacrifices; hence it is that the altar upon which they were performed, and which contained them, signifies in the Word all worship in general. By worship is not meant external worship only, but also internal worship, and internal worship embraces every thing of love, and every thing of faith, consequently, every thing constituting the church or heaven with man, in a word, causing the Lord to be in him.

The reason why heaven was represented before John by an altar, is also that the whole Word was written by representatives, and by such representatives as existed with the sons of Israel; therefore, that the Word should be alike in both Testaments, similar things were seen by John and are recorded in this book, as also elsewhere, namely, that the altar of incense was seen, the incense itself with the censers, also the tabernacle, the ark, and other things of a like nature; but at this day such things never appear to any angel, nor to any man whose sight is opened into heaven. The reason why an altar, the ark, and like things do not appear at the present day in heaven is, that sacrifices were unknown to the ancients, and that after the Lord's advent, they were entirely abolished. For they were begun by Eber, and were afterwards continued among his posterity, who were called Hebrews, and were tolerated among the sons of Israel who were descended from Eber, especially for this reason, that worship once begun and rooted in the mind, is not removed by the Lord, but is bent to signify what is holy in religion. (Concerning which see theArcana Coelestia 1343, 2180, 2818, 10042.)

[3] That an altar signifies, in the highest sense, the Lord's Divine Human as to the Divine good of the Divine love, and that, in a relative sense, it signifies heaven and the church, and in general all worship, and, specifically, representative worship, is quite clear from the following passages in the Word.

In David:

"Send out thy light and thy truth; let them lead me; let them lead me to the mountain of thy holiness, and to thy habitations; that I may approach unto the altar of God, even unto God" (Psalms 43:3, 4).

That by the altar of God is here meant the Lord as to the Divine Human, is plainly evident, for the way to heaven and to the Lord there, is the subject here treated of. The way to heaven is meant by, "send out thy light and truth; let them lead me"; light denoting enlightenment in which truths appear; heaven, into which it leads, is meant by, "let them lead me unto the mountain of holiness, and to thy habitations"; the mountain of holiness denoting heaven where the Lord's celestial kingdom is, in which the good of love rules. Habitations are spoken of that heaven, where the Lord's spiritual kingdom is, in which the truth from that good rules, and because both are meant, therefore it is said, that I may approach unto the altar of God, even unto God; and by the altar of God is meant where the Lord is in the good of love, and by God is meant where the Lord is in the truth from that good; for the Lord is called God from Divine truth, and Jehovah from Divine good. In the Jewish Church there were two things, which, in the highest sense, signified His Divine Human, namely, the altar and the temple; the altar, the Divine Human as to Divine good; the temple, as to Divine truth proceeding from that good. The reason why those two signified the Lord as to His Divine Human, was, that all things of worship in that church represented Divine things proceeding from the Lord, called celestial and spiritual, and the worship itself was principally performed upon the altar and in the temple, therefore by those two the Lord Himself was represented.

[4] That the temple represented His Divine Human He Himself teaches in clear terms in John:

"The Jews said, What sign showest thou that thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. But he spake of the temple of his body" (2:18-23; likewise Matthew 26:61, and elsewhere).

When the disciples showed Him the buildings of the temple, the Lord said,

that "A stone shall not be left upon a stone, that shall not be thrown down" (Matthew 24:1, 2).

This signified that the Lord was altogether denied among them, on which account also the temple was utterly destroyed.

[5] That the altar also signified the Lord's Divine Human, may be concluded from the Lord's words in Matthew:

"Woe unto you, ye blind guides, because ye say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is guilty. Fools and blind! whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? Likewise, whosoever shall swear by the altar, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gift that is upon it, he is guilty. Fools and blind! whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift? For he that sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by everything thereon. And he that sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon" (23:16-22).

It is said that the temple sanctifieth the gold that is in it, and that the altar sanctifies the gift that is upon it; and thus that the temple and the altar, from which is all sanctification, were most holy. Therefore, by the temple and altar is signified the Lord as to the Divine Human, for from this proceeds everything holy of heaven and the church. Neither the temple nor the altar, unless this is meant, could sanctify anything; nor can worship itself, but the Lord alone to whom the worship [is directed], and from whom the good and truth of worship [proceed]; therefore it is said that the gift does not sanctify, but the altar. By the gift are meant the sacrifices which constituted the worship; and because the Jews did not understand this, but taught otherwise, therefore, they are called by the Lord fools and blind.

[6] Because this was signified by the altar, therefore, all who touched it were made holy, as is plain in Moses:

"Seven days shalt thou sanctify the altar; that the altar may be the holy of holies; whosoever toucheth the altar shall be sanctified" (Exodus 29:37).

By touching is signified to communicate, to transfer, and to receive (as may be seen, n. 10130), here, the Divine which proceeds from the Lord; and because this was signified by touching, and those who touched were sanctified, it follows that the Lord Himself, in the highest sense, is signified by the altar, for there is nothing holy from any other source. All worship also is worship of the Lord, and from the Lord; and because worship in that church consisted principally in burnt-offerings and sacrifices, therefore also by the altar was signified the Divine itself, from which [are all things]; and this Divine is the Lord's Divine Human.

[7] Hence also it was thus commanded: That the fire upon the altar should burn continually, and should never be put out (Leviticus 6:13); and that from that fire the lamps were lighted in the tabernacle of the congregation, and that from the same they took and burned in the censers; for by fire was signified the Divine love, which is in the Lord alone (see above, n. 68).

[8] Because the fire of the altar signifies the Divine love, therefore, the prophet Isaiah was sanctified by it:

"One of the seraphim flew unto me, in whose hand was a burning coal of fire, which he had taken from off the altar, and he touched my mouth, and said, This hath touched thy lips; therefore, thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin is expiated" (6:6, 7).

What these words signify in their series may be seen, when it is known that the altar signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human; and the fire upon it, the Divine good of His Divine love; that the mouth and lips of the prophet signify the doctrine of good and truth; and that to touch signifies to communicate. The iniquity which was taken away signifies falsity, and sin evil; for iniquity is said of a life of falsity, or of a life contrary to truths; and sin, of a life of evil, or of a life contrary to good.

[9] In Isaiah:

"All the cattle of Arabia shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee; they shall come up to my well-pleasing altar; thus will I adorn the house of my grace" (60:7).

The subject here treated of is the Lord's advent, and these words are said of the Lord Himself. By all the cattle of Arabia which shall be gathered together, and by the rams of Nebaioth, which shall minister, are signified all spiritual goods, external and internal. By cattle are signified external goods; and by rams, internal goods; and by Arabia and Nebaioth, things spiritual. "They shall come up to my well-pleasing altar, thus will I adorn the house of my grace," signifies the Lord's Divine Human, in which those things will be; the altar signifies His Divine Human as to Divine good, and the house of His grace signifies the same as to Divine truth. That the Lord as to the Divine Human is here meant, is plain from the preceding parts of this chapter, where it is said that upon thee Jehovah shall arise, and His glory shall be seen upon thee, as also from what follows, by which is described the Divine Wisdom with which the Lord as to His Human will be filled.

[10] Because by the altar, in the highest sense, is signified the Lord's Divine Human, therefore by the altar also is signified heaven and the church; for the angelic heaven, considered in itself, is from the Divine which proceeds from the Lord's Divine Human, whence it is that the angelic heaven in the aggregate is as one man; therefore also that heaven is called the greatest man (Maximus Homo). (Concerning this see what is shown in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 59-86; similarly the church, n. 57, in the same work.) And because all worship is from the Lord, for it is the Divine in which the Lord Himself is, which is communicated to man from the Lord, hence by the altar is also signified, in general, the all of worship which proceeds from the good of love; and by the temple, the worship which proceeds from the truths of that good; for all worship is either from love or from faith, either from good or from truth; worship from the good of love is such as exists in the Lord's celestial kingdom, and worship from truths from that good, which truths are also called truths of faith, is such as exists in the Lord's spiritual kingdom (concerning which see also in the same work, n. 20-28).

[11] From these considerations it is now evident what is signified by altar in the following passages. In David:

"How amiable are thy dwelling-places, O Jehovah of hosts! My soul hath desired, yea, it is consumed towards, the courts of Jehovah; my heart and my flesh cry out towards the living God. Yea, the bird hath found a house, and the swallow a nest for herself, even thine altars, O Jehovah of hosts, my King and my God! Blessed are they that dwell in thy house" (Psalms 84:1-4).

By altars here are meant the heavens, for it is said, "How amiable are thy dwelling-places. My soul hath desired, yea, it is consumed towards, the courts of Jehovah"; and afterwards it is said, "even thine altars, O Jehovah of hosts." By dwellings are meant the higher heavens, and by courts the lower heavens where there is entrance; which are also called altars, from worship; and because all worship is from the good of love by truths, it is therefore said, "even thine altars, O Jehovah of hosts, my King and my God"; for the Lord is called Jehovah from Divine good, and King and God from Divine truth; and because the heavens are meant, it is also said, "Blessed are they that dwell in thy house"; the house of Jehovah God denoting heaven in the aggregate. The reason why it is also said, "Yea, the bird hath found a house, and the swallow her nest," is, that a bird signifies spiritual truth, and a swallow natural truth, by means of which there is worship; and because all truth by means of which there is worship is from the good of love, there is therefore said previously, "my heart and my flesh cry out towards the living God"; heart and flesh signifying the good of love, and to cry out signifying worship from the delight of good.

[12] Heaven and the church are also meant by altar in these passages in the Apocalypse:

"There was given me a reed like unto a rod; and the angel stood and said unto me, Rise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein" (11:1).

And afterwards:

"I heard another angel out of the altar say, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are thy judgments" (16:7).

In David:

"I wash mine hands in innocency; and compass thine altar, O Jehovah, that I may make the voice of confession to be heard " (Psalms 26:6, 7).

To wash the hands in innocency signifies to be purified from evils and falsities; to compass Thine altar, O Jehovah, signifies conjunction with the Lord by worship from the good of love, of which worship, because it is performed by means of truths from good, it is therefore added, "that I may make the voice of confession to be heard"; to make the voice of confession to be heard denoting worship from truths. The reason why to compass Thine altar, O Jehovah, signifies the Lord's conjunction by worship from the good of love, is, that Jehovah is predicated of the good of love, and to compass signifies to embrace in worship, consequently, to be conjoined.

[13] In Isaiah:

"In that day there shall be five cities in the land of Egypt, speaking with the lips of Canaan, and swearing to Jehovah of hosts; every one of them shall be called Ir Heres. In that day there shall be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a statue to Jehovah in the border thereof" (19:18, 19).

By Egypt is signified the natural man and its Scientific; in that day, signifies the Lord's coming and the state of those who shall then be in true scientifics from the Lord; the five cities in the land of Egypt speaking with the lips of Canaan, signify several truths of doctrine, which the church maintains as genuine; five denoting several, cities denoting truths of doctrine, and the lips of Canaan the genuine doctrinals of the church. Swearing to Jehovah of hosts signifies confession of the Lord. Jehovah of hosts is mentioned here, and in many other passages of the Word, in which the Lord is meant as to all good and truth; for Zebaoth, in the original tongue, signifies armies, and armies, in the spiritual sense, signify all the goods and truths of heaven and the church (see n. 3448, 7236, 7988, 8019). This, therefore, is Jehovah Zebaoth, or Jehovah of hosts. "Every one of them shall be called Ir Heres," signifies doctrine shining from spiritual truths in the Natural. For Ir is a city, and a city signifies doctrine, Heres is a flashing, as that of the sun. "In that day shall there be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt," signifies that then there shall be worship of the Lord from the good of love by the true scientifics which are in the natural man. The "altar to Jehovah" signifies the worship of the Lord from the good of love; in the midst of the land of Egypt, signifies by the true scientifics which are in the natural man, true scientifics denoting also the knowledges from the sense of the letter of the Word; "and a statue at the border to Jehovah," signifies the worship of the Lord from the truths of faith; a statue signifying worship from the truths of faith, and the border of Egypt signifying the ultimate things; the ultimate things of the natural man are sensual things.

[14] In the same prophet:

"When he shall lay all the stones of the altar as stones of chalk dispersed; the groves and sun images shall not rise again" (27:9).

These things are said concerning Jacob and Israel, by whom the church is signified, here that which is to be destroyed; the destruction thereof as to the truths of worship is described by laying the stones of the altar as stones of chalk dispersed, the stones of the altar denoting the truths of worship, as stones of chalk dispersed, denoting as falsities not cohering; "the groves and sun images shall not rise again," signifies that there shall no longer be any worship from spiritual and natural truths, groves signifying worship from spiritual truths, and sun images worship from natural truths.

[15] In Lamentations:

"The Lord hath forsaken his altar; he hath abhorred his sanctuary; he hath shut up in the hands of the enemy the walls of her palaces" (2:7).

This is a lamentation over the vastation of all things of the church. That the church is vastated as to all goods, is signified by "The Lord hath forsaken his altar; "that it is vastated as to all truths, is signified by, "He hath abhorred his sanctuary," That sanctuary is said of the church as to truths, may be seen above (n. 204). That falsities and evils had entered into all things of the church, is signified by, "He hath shut up in the hands of the enemy the walls of her palaces”; the enemy signifying evil and falsity; to shut up in His hands, signifying that they had entered and taken possession; the walls of the palaces signifying all protecting truths; palaces denoting things of doctrine.

[16] In Isaiah:

"Whosoever keepeth the sabbath, and observeth my covenant; them will I bring upon the mountain of my holiness, and will make them joyful in the house of my prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be well-pleasing upon my altar" (56:6, 7).

By the sabbath is signified the conjunction of the Lord with heaven and the church, thus with those who are therein; therefore by keeping the sabbath is signified to be in conjunction with the Lord; and by observing His covenant is signified conjunction by a life according to the Lord's precepts; a covenant denoting, conjunction, and a life according to the precepts conjoins, whence the precepts of the decalogue were called a covenant. "I will bring them upon the mountain of holiness," signifies that He would impart to them the good of love, the mountain of holiness signifying that heaven in which the good of love to the Lord prevails, consequently, also the good of love according to its quality there. "I will make them joyful in the house of my prayer," signifies that He would impart to them spiritual truths, the house of prayer, or the temple, signifying the heaven where spiritual truths are, and thus also spiritual truths according to their quality there. "Their burnt-offerings and sacrifices shall be well-pleasing upon my altar," signifies acceptable worship from the good of love by means of spiritual truths, burnt-offerings signifying worship from the good of love, and sacrifices worship from truths from that good; truths from good are those called spiritual truths; upon the altar, signifies, in heaven and the church.

[17] In David:

"Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion; build thou the walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou be delighted with the sacrifices of justice, and in the burnt-offering; then shall they cause bullocks to ascend upon thine altar" (Psalms 51:18,19).

By Zion is meant the church that is in the good of love, and by Jerusalem the church that is in the truths of doctrine; hence by doing good in good pleasure unto Zion, and building the walls of Jerusalem, is signified to restore the church by leading it into the good of love and by instructing it in the truths of doctrine. Worship from the good of love in this case is signified by,

"Then shalt thou be delighted with the sacrifices of justice, and with burnt-offering"; justice being said of celestial good, and burnt-offering signifying love; and worship in such case, from the good of charity, is signified by, "then shall they cause bullocks to ascend upon thine altar," bullocks signifying natural-spiritual good, which good is the good of charity.

[18] Again:

"God Jehovah who enlighteneth us; bind the feast with cords, even unto the horns of the altar. Thou art my God" (Psalms 118:27, 28).

To enlighten signifies to enlighten in truths; by binding the feast with cords, even unto the horns of the altar, is signified to conjoin all things of worship, to bind with cords denoting to conjoin; the feast at the horns of the altar denoting all things of worship; horns denoting all things because [they are] ultimates; and feast and altar denoting worship. All things of worship are conjoined when externals [are conjoined] with internals, and when goods [are conjoined] with truths.

[19] In Luke:

"The blood of all the prophets shed from the foundation of the world, shall be required of this generation; from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, slain between the altar and the temple" (11:50, 51).

By these words it is not meant that the blood of all the prophets from the foundation of the world, from the blood of Abel, shall be required of the Jewish nation, for blood is not required of any one but of him who sheds it; but by those words is meant, that by that nation all truth was falsified, and all good adulterated; for the blood of all the prophets, shed from the foundation of the world, signifies the falsification of all truth that was ever in the church, blood denoting falsification, prophets denoting truths of doctrine, and, "from the foundation of the world," denoting, that was ever in the church, the foundation of the world denoting the establishment of the church. "From the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zacharias, slain between the altar and the temple," signifies the adulteration of all good, and thence the extinction of the worship of the Lord; the blood of Abel unto Zacharias, denoting the adulteration of all good; to be slain between the altar and the temple, denoting the extinction of all good and truth in worship; for altar signifies worship from good, and temple worship from truth, as has been shown above; between both, denotes, where there is conjunction; and where there is not conjunction there is neither good nor truth. The altar was outside the tent of assembly, and outside the temple. That therefore what was done between both signified communication and conjunction, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 10001, 10025; and that Abel signifies the good of charity, n. 342, 374, 1179, 3325. That neither Abel nor Zacharias is here meant in the spiritual sense, is plain from the fact, that names in the Word signify things.

[20] In Matthew:

Jesus said, "If thou offer thy gift upon the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; leave the gift before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming offer thy gift" (5:23, 24).

By offering a gift upon the altar, in the spiritual sense, is meant to worship God; and by worshipping God is meant worship both internal and external, namely, that which is of love and faith, and of the life thence; this is meant because worship in the Jewish Church principally consisted in offering sacrifices or gifts upon the altar; and the principal is taken for the whole. From these considerations it is evident what is meant, in the spiritual sense, by these words of the Lord, namely, that Divine worship primarily consists in charity towards the neighbour, and not in piety without it. To offer a gift upon the altar denotes worship from piety; and to be reconciled to a brother denotes worship from charity, and that the latter is truly worship, and that according to the quality of the latter, such is the former. (Concerning this subject, see the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 123-129; and the work concerning Heaven and Hell 222, 224, 358-360, 529, 535; and above, n. 325.)

[21] That, "if thou offer thy gift upon the altar," signifies in the whole of worship, is evident from the Lord's words in Luke 17:4; [Matthew 18:22]; where it is said, that the brother or neighbour must be forgiven every time, seventy times seven there signifying continually. Because such things are signified by the altar, therefore, the altar was made either of wood, or of earth, or of whole stones, upon which iron had not been moved; it was also encompassed with brass. The reason of the altar being made of wood, was, because wood signified good; and similarly of earth, for earth signifies the same; the reason of its being of whole stones, was, because those stones signified truths formed from good, or good in form, and it was forbidden to prepare those stones by hammer, axe, or iron, lest anything of one's own intelligence should enter into the formation thereof; its being encompassed with brass signified that it represented good everywhere, for brass signifies good in externals.

[22] That the altar was made of wood is plain in Moses:

"Thou shalt make an altar of shittim-woods, five cubits long and broad; it shall be four-square. And thou shalt make the horns to it. And thou shalt make for it a grate of network of brass, the floor of it shall be hollow" (Exodus 27:1-8).

And in Ezekiel:

"The altar was of wood three cubits high, and the length thereof two cubits; to which were corners, the length thereof, and the walls thereof, were of wood; then he said unto me, This is the table that is before Jehovah" (41:22).

The altar being made of wood, and overlaid with brass, was also for the sake of use, that it might be carried about, and removed from place to place in the wilderness, where the sons of Israel then were; likewise because wood signifies good, and shittim-wood, the good of justice, or of the Lord's merit. (That wood signifies good may be seen, n. 643, 3720, 8354; and that shittim-wood signifies the good of justice or merit, which is the Lord's alone, n. 9472, 9486, 9528, 9715, 10178.) That the altar was also built of earth, and if of stones of whole stones, not hewn by any instrument of iron, appears also in Moses:

"An altar [of earth] thou shalt make unto me, that thou mayest sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings, and peace-offerings. If thou makest to me an altar of stones, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up a tool upon it, thou wilt profane it" (Exodus 20:24, 25; and elsewhere).

And in another place it is said:

If an altar of stones be built, no iron shall be used upon the stones (Deuteronomy 27:5, 6).

[23] Hitherto it has been shown what is signified by an altar in the genuine sense; whence it is evident what is signified by an altar in the opposite sense, namely, idolatrous worship or infernal worship, which has place only with those who indeed profess religion, but still love and thus worship themselves and the world above all things; and, when this is the case, they love evil and falsity; therefore by the altar, when said of such, is signified worship from evil; and by their statutes, worship from falsity, consequently, also hell. That this is signified by the altar, in the opposite sense, is plain from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"At that day shall a man have respect to his Maker, and his eyes shall look to the Holy One of Israel. And he shall not have respect to altars, the work of his hands, and they shall [not] look to that which their fingers have made, either to the groves or the sun images" (17:7. 8).

These words treat of the establishment of a new church by the Lord; that they shall then be led into the goods of life, and be informed in the truths of doctrine, is meant by a man at that day having respect to his Maker, and his eyes looking to the Holy One of Israel. The Lord is called Maker, from His leading into goods of life, for these make a man; and the Holy One of Israel, from His teaching the truths of doctrine; therefore it is also said, a man shall have respect, and his eyes shall look, a man being called man [homo] from the good of life, and eyes being said of the understanding of truth, thus of the truths of doctrine. That worship, then, is not from the love of self from which evils of life are, nor from man's own intelligence, from which are falsities of doctrine, is signified by his not having respect to altars, the work of his hands, and not looking to what his fingers have made. By the altars, the work of his hands, is meant worship from the love of self, from which are evils of life; and by what his fingers have made, is meant worship from man's own intelligence, from which are falsities of doctrine. By the groves and sun images, is signified a religious persuasion from falsities, and the evils thence; by groves, a religious persuasion from falsities; and by sun images, from the evils of falsity.

[24] In Jeremiah:

"The sin of Judah is written with a pen of iron, with the point of a diamond; it is written upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of your altars; as I remember their sons, their altars, and their groves, with the green tree upon the high hills" (17:1, 2).

By these words is described the idolatrous worship of the Jewish nation, which was so deeply rooted that it could not be removed. That it was so deeply rooted that it could not be removed, is signified by the sin of Judah being written with a pen of iron, with the point of a diamond, graven upon the table of their heart, and upon the horns of their altars; deeply rooted falsity is meant by its being written with a pen of iron, and with the point of a diamond, and deeply rooted evil is meant by its being graven upon the table of the heart, and upon the horns of their altars. It is said upon the horns of the altars, because idolatrous worship is meant. By the sons whom He remembers, are signified the falsities of evil; by the altars, that worship from evil; by the groves with the green tree, that worship from falsity; upon the high hills, are signified the adulteration of good, and the falsification of truth. For at that time, when all things of worship were representatives of celestial and spiritual things, they had worship in groves, and upon hills; because trees, of which groves consist, signify knowledges (cognitions) and perceptions of truth and good, and this according to the species of the trees; and because hills signified the goods of charity, in which are the spiritual angels, who dwell upon hills in the spiritual world, hence it was that in ancient times worship was performed upon hills; but this was forbidden to the Jewish and Israelitish nation, lest they should profane the holy things represented; for that nation was only in externals as to worship, their internal being merely idolatrous. (That trees signify knowledges and perceptions of truth and good, according to their species, may be seen, n.2163, 2682, 2722, 2972, 7692; that hence the ancients worshipped in groves under trees, according to their significations, n. 2722, 4552; that this was forbidden to the Jewish and Israelitish nations, and the reason thereof, n. 2722; that hills signify the goods of charity, and the reason thereof, n. 6435, 10438.)

[25] In Hosea:

"Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit like unto himself; when his fruit is great he multiplieth altars; when his land is well they make goodly statues. Their heart is flattered, already are they desolated; he shall overturn their altars, he shall spoil their statues" (10:1, 2).

Israel here signifies the church, which is called an empty vine, when there is no longer any truth in it; the worship thereof from evils is meant by the altars which he multiplies; and worship from falsities is meant by the goodly statues which he makes. That they do this in proportion as they abound, is signified by, when great is his fruit, and when his land is well. That worship from evils and falsities shall be destroyed, is signified by, "He shall overturn their altars, and shall spoil their statues." That statues signified worship from truths, and, in an opposite sense, worship from falsities, thus idolatrous [worship] may be seen, n. 3727, 4580, 10643.

[26] In Ezekiel:

"Thus said the Lord Jehovih to the mountains and to the hills; to the channels and to the valleys, I, bringing the sword upon you, will also destroy your high places; and your altars shall be destroyed; your sun images shall be broken; yea, I will make your slain to fall before your idols" (6:3, 4, 6, 13).

By the Lord Jehovih said to the mountains, hills, channels, and valleys, is not signified to all who dwell there, but to all idolaters, namely, those who instituted worship upon mountains and hills, and at channels and in valleys, which they did on account of the representations and thence the significations thereof. To bring upon them the sword, and to destroy the high places, and to destroy the altars, and to break the sun images, signifies to destroy all things of idolatrous worship by means of falsities and evils, for idolatrous worship destroys itself by those things; for the sword signifies falsities destroying; high places, idolatrous worship in general; altars, the same from evil loves, and the sun images, the same from falsities of doctrine. To make the slain fall before their idols, signifies the damnation of those who perish by falsities; the slain signify those who perish by falsities; idols signify the falsities of worship in general; and to fall signifies to be damned.

[27] In Hosea:

"Ephraim hath multiplied altars to sin, they were for him altars to sin" (8:11).

By Ephraim is signified the Intellectual of the church, here the Intellectual perverted; to multiply altars to sin, signifies to pervert worship by falsities; and to make altars to sin, signifies to pervert worship by evils; for in the Word, to multiply is said of truths, and, in the opposite sense, of falsities; and to make is predicated of good, and, in the opposite sense, of evil; hence it is that both are mentioned, and yet it is not a vain repetition.

[28] In the same:

"Samaria is slain, her king, is as the foam upon the faces of the waters; and the high places of Aven, the sin of Israel, shall be destroyed; the bramble and the thorn come up on their altars" (10:8).

By Samaria was signified the spiritual church, or the church in which charity and faith make one; but after it became perverted, then by Samaria was signified the church in which charity is separated from faith, and the latter even pronounced to be the essential; therefore by it then was also signified where there is no longer any truth, because there is no good, but evil of life in place of good, and falsity of doctrine in place of truth. This is what is here signified by Samaria being cut off; the falsity of its doctrine is signified by her king being as the foam upon the faces of the waters, king signifying truth, and, in the opposite sense, as here, falsity. The foam upon the faces of the waters, signifies what is empty and separated from truths, waters denoting truths. By the high places of Aven shall be destroyed, is signified the destruction of the principles of falsity, and the reasonings thence, of those who are in that worship, which, viewed in itself, is interiorly idolatrous; for those who are in evil of life and falsities of doctrine, worship themselves and the world. By the bramble and the thorn shall come up on their altars, are signified truth falsified, and the evil thence in all their worship, altars denoting all worship.

[29] In Amos:

"In the day that I shall visit the transgressions of Israel upon him, I will visit upon the altars of Bethel, that the horns of the altar may be cut off, and fall to the ground" (3:14).

By visiting the transgressions of Israel upon him, is signified their last state, in the spiritual sense, their state after death, when they are to be judged; it is said to visit, instead of to judge, because visitation always precedes judgment; by the altars of Bethel is signified worship from evil; by the horns of the altar is signified worship from falsities; thus by these are signified all things of worship, and that these should be destroyed, is signified by the horns shall be cut off and fall to the ground. Visitation is said to be made upon the altars of Bethel, because Jeroboam separated the Israelites from the Jews, and erected two altars, one in Bethel and another in Dan; and because by Bethel and Dan are signified the last things in the church; and the last things in the man of the church are called natural-sensual things, or natural-worldly and corporeal. These, therefore, are signified by Bethel and Dan; by Bethel, the ultimate of good, and by Dan the ultimate of truth; hence by those two altars is signified worship in ultimates or in the extremes, as is the quality of the worship with those who separate charity from faith, and acknowledge this alone as the means of salvation. Hence such persons think of religion in the Natural-Sensual; therefore they neither understand nor desire to understand the things that they profess to believe, asserting that the understanding must be under obedience to faith. And those who are such were represented by the Israelites separated from the Jews, or by Samaria separated from Jerusalem. Their worship also was represented by the altars in Bethel and Dan; which worship, so far as it is separated from charity, is no worship, for therein the mouth speaks without the understanding and the will, or without the mind; without the understanding, because they say that [their creed] ought to be believed, although they do not understand; and without the will, because they remove deeds or goods of charity.

[30] That such worship is no worship, is signified by these words in the first book of Kings:

"When Jeroboam stood by the altar in Bethel, the man of God cried to him, that the altar should be rent, and the ashes poured out; which also came to pass" (13:1-5).

By the altar being rent and the ashes poured out, is signified that there was altogether no worship. That faith separated from charity is thence signified by Samaria, is, because the Jewish kingdom signified the celestial church, or the church which is in the good of love, and the Israelitish kingdom signified the spiritual church, which is in truths from that good. This was signified by the Jewish and Israelitish kingdom, when they were under one king, or when they were conjoined; but when they were separated, then, by the Israelitish kingdom was signified truth separated from good, or, what is the same, faith separated from charity. Moreover, worship is signified by the altar, because [it was signified] by the burnt-offerings and sacrifices that were offered upon it, in many other passages that are not adduced on account of their abundance; and because idolatrous worship was signified by the altars of the Gentiles, therefore it was commanded that they should be everywhere destroyed (see Deuteronomy 7:5; 12:3; Judges 2:2; and elsewhere).

[31] Hence it is evident that altars were in use among all the posterity of Eber, thus among all those who were called Hebrews, who, for the most part, were in the land of Canaan, and near round about it; likewise also in Syria, whence Abram [came]. That altars were in the land of Canaan, and near round about it, is plain from the altars here mentioned and destroyed, that they were in Syria is plain from the altars built by Balaam, who was from Syria (Num. 23:1); and from the altar in Damascus (2 Kings 16:10-15); and from the fact that the Egyptians abominated the Hebrews because of their sacrifices (Exodus 8:22); even so that they would not eat bread with them (Genesis 43:32). The reason was, that the Ancient Church, which was a representative church, and extended through a great part of the Asiatic world, was ignorant of sacrifices, and when they were instituted by Eber, looked upon them as to be abhorred, because they were desirous of appeasing God by the slaughter of different animals, and thus by blood. Among those who were of the Ancient Church, were also the Egyptians; but because they used representatives for magical purposes, that church was extinguished among them. The reason why they would not eat bread with them, [that is, with the Hebrews,] was, that at that time by dinners and by suppers was represented, and thence signified, spiritual association, which is association and conjunction by those things that pertain to the church; and by bread in general was signified all spiritual food, and thence by dining and supping all conjunction.

[32] That the Ancient Church was extended through a great part of the Asiatic world, namely, through Assyria, Mesopotamia, Syria, Ethiopia, Arabia, Lybia, Egypt, Philistia, even to Tyre and Zidon, through the land of Canaan, on this side and beyond Jordan, may be seen, n. 1238, 2385; that it was a representative church, n. 519, 521, 2896. Concerning the church instituted by Eber, which was called the Hebrew Church, see n. 1238, 1241, 1343, 4516, 4517. That sacrifices were first begun by Eber, and afterwards in use with his posterity, n. 1128, 1343, 2180, 10042. That sacrifices were not commanded, but only permitted, shown from the Word; the reason why they are said to be commanded, n. 922, 2180, 2818; and because the Word was written in that nation, and the historical Word concerning that nation, altars and sacrifices required of necessity to be mentioned, and that Divine worship was signified by them, n. 10453, 10461, 10603, 10604.