721. And the dragon stood before the woman who was about to bring forth, signifies the hatred of those who are meant by "the dragon" against the church with those who will be in the doctrine, and thence in the light of love and charity from the Lord. This is evident from the signification of the "dragon," as being those who have a knowledge [scientia] of the cognitions of truth from the sense of the letter of the Word, and are not in a life according to it (See above, n. 714); and from the signification of "the woman," as being the church that is in the doctrine and thence in the life of love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor (See above, n. 707). The hatred of those who are signified by "the dragon" against that church and its doctrine, is meant by "standing before the woman about to bring forth and wishing to devour the offspring." Also from the signification of "bringing forth," as being to bring forth such things as pertain to the church, which are doctrinals, here respecting love to the Lord and charity towards the neighbor, for "the son, a male" that the woman brought forth signifies the doctrine of that church. Such things are signified by "bringing forth," because generations, births, and nativities mean in the Word spiritual generations, births, and nativities, which are effected by truths and a life according to them.

[2] For this reason where spiritual generation, which is called regeneration, is treated of in the Word it is described by natural generation and birth. As in John:

Jesus said to Nicodemus, Except one be begotten anew he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus said, How can a man be begotten when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be begotten? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except one be begotten of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is begotten of the spirit isspirit. (John 3:3-6).

As Nicodemus did not understand the spiritual sense of the Lord's words "that a man must be begotten anew," the Lord explained that "to be begotten" means "to be begotten of water and of the spirit," thus to be regenerated, that is, by means of truths from the Word and a life according to them, for "water" signifies truths, and "spirit" a life according to them. But elsewhere in the Word, where "to travail," "to bring forth," "to produce," and "to beget" are mentioned, there is no explanation, and yet spiritual travail, birth, nativity, and generation are meant, since the Word in the letter is natural, but in its bosom is spiritual. "To bring forth" signifies to bring forth spiritually, because when a man is regenerating he is likewise as it were conceived, carried in the womb, born, and educated, as a man is conceived of his father, carried in the womb and born of his mother, and afterwards educated.

[3] To confirm that births and nativities signify in the Word spiritual births and nativities, some passages shall be cited from it. In Isaiah:

Be ashamed, O Zidon, the sea hath said, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, neither brought forth, I have not trained up young men, I have not brought up virgins; when the report comes from Egypt they shall be seized with pain as at the report respecting Tyre (Isaiah 23:4, 5).

"Zidon" and "Tyre" signify the knowledges of good and truth from the Word; that the church has not acquired through these anything of intelligence and wisdom, and has not done any uses, is signified by "not travailing," "not bringing forth," "not training up young men," "not bringing up virgins," "young men" meaning the truths of the church, and "virgins" its goods. (But this may be seen explained above, n. 275.)

[4] In the same:

Thy chastening is upon them, as a woman with child that draweth near to her delivery; she crieth out in her pangs; so have we done ¹ before Thee, O Jehovah; we have conceived, we have travailed, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought salvation to the earth, neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen; thy dead shall live (Isaiah 26:16-19).

This is said of the last times of the church, when falsities and evils so far increase that there can be no reformation and regeneration; this state is meant by "the chastening of Jehovah upon them;" that it will then be difficult to perceive and acquire any truth is signified by "as a woman with child that draweth near to her delivery; she crieth out in her pangs;" that in the place of truths they imbibe vanities in which there are no truths is signified by "we have conceived, we have travailed, we have as it were brought forth wind," "wind" signifying such vanities; that from these no uses of life come is signified by "we have not wrought salvation" to Jehovah; ² that still, when the Lord shall come into the world they are to be taught and regenerated by truths from Him is signified by "thy dead shall live," and by the words that follow.

[5] In the same:

Sing aloud O barren, thou that didst not bear, break forth into singing and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail, for more are the sons of the desolate than the sons of the married one (Isaiah 54:1).

This treats of the Lord's coming and of the New Church to be established by Him with the Gentiles; these are signified by "the barren that did not bear," and by "the desolate" who shall have many sons; they are called "barren" because they did not know the Lord, and did not have the Word where truths are, and therefore could not be regenerated, "sons" meaning truths from the Lord through the Word. The church that has the Word, from which the Lord is known, is meant by "the married one" that has no sons; the joy of those who are of the New Church that before had no truths, is signified by "break forth into singing and cry aloud, thou that didst not travail," "to travail" meaning to bear in the womb.

[6] In the first book of Samuel:

They who have been driven away have been girded with strength; they that are sated, have hired themselves for bread, and they that are hungry have ceased, even until the barren hath borne seven, and she that hath many sons languisheth (1 Samuel 2:4, 5).

This is the prophetic song of Hannah, the mother of Samuel. "Those driven away that are to be girded with strength" mean the Gentiles with whom the church is to be, who are called "driven away" from a lack of the knowledges of truth, and who are therefore rejected by those of the church, at that time the Jewish church; "to be girded with strength" signifies that such have truth from good, and thence power; "they that are sated, who have hired themselves for bread;" and "they that are hungry who have ceased," mean those who were of the Jewish Church, who are said to be "sated" because they had truths in abundance, and "to be hired for bread" because they could only be led to learn truths and do them as hirelings; that they did not desire to know them is signified by "they that are hungry have ceased." The same church is also meant by "she that hath many sons languisheth." But the Gentiles that are to acknowledge the Lord and receive the Word, and thus suffer themselves to be regenerated into the church, are meant by "the barren that shall bear seven;" "seven" signifies all and many, and is predicated of the holy things of the church.

[7] In Jeremiah:

She that hath borne seven shall languish, she shall breathe out her soul; her sun shall go down while it is yet day (Jeremiah 15:9).

This signifies that a church that has all truths because it has the Word shall perish, even so that nothing of truth and good will remain; "to bear seven" signifies to be gifted with all truths from the Word; "to languish, and to have the sun go down," signifies to perish successively and at length wholly; "to breathe out the soul" signifies to perish in respect to all truths, and "the sun going down" signifies to perish in respect to all the goods of love; "while it is as yet day" signifies while the Word is still acknowledged.

[8] In Isaiah:

Before she travailed she brought forth; before her pangs came she was delivered of a male child. Who hath heard a thing like this? Who hath seen a thing like this? Hath the earth travailed in one day? Shall a nation be begotten at once? As soon as Zion travailed she brought forth her sons. Shall I break and not bring forth, saith Jehovah, shall I that cause to bring forth restrain? Rejoice with Jerusalem, exult in her, all ye that love her, that ye may suck and be satisfied from the breast of her consolations (Isaiah 66:7-11).

This, too, treats of the Lord's coming and of the establishment of a church with the Gentiles. Their reformation and regeneration are described by "travailing," "bringing forth," "being delivered of a male child," and by "breaking the matrix" and "begetting;" for, as has been said above, a man who is begotten anew is likewise as it were conceived, carried in the womb, born, educated, and grows up, as from a father and mother.

"Zion" and "Jerusalem" mean the church and its doctrine; and "to suck and be satisfied with the breast of her consolations" signifies to be fully instructed in truths from good from the delight of love according to desire; the "one day" in which these things shall take place signifies the Lord's coming.

[9] In David:

From before the Lord thou art in travail, O earth, from before the God of Israel ³ (Psalms 114:7).

"Thou art in travail, O earth," signifies the establishment of the church, or the reformation of those who will be of the church, "to travail" meaning to receive truths and be reformed, and "the earth" meaning the church. It is said "from before the Lord" and "from before the God of Jacob," because reformation in respect to good and truth is meant, for the Lord is called "Lord" from good, and "God" from truth.

[10] In Jeremiah:

Behold, I bring them from the land of the north, and I will gather them together from the sides of the earth; among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child, and she that is bringing forth together, a great assembly shall they return hither (Jeremiah 31:8).

This, again, treats of the restoration of the church with the Gentiles by the Lord. The Gentiles who are in falsities and in the appearances of truth such as the truths of the Word are in the sense of its letter, are meant by "the land of the north" and by "the sides of the earth," the "north" signifying falsities, and "the sides of the earth" such ultimate truths; therefore it is also said, "among them the blind and the lame, the woman with child and she that is bringing forth," the "blind" meaning those who are not in truths, and the "lame" those who are not in goods, "the woman with child" those who receive truths, and "she who is bringing forth" those who do them. That from such the church will be established is signified by "Behold, I bring them, I will gather them together and a great assembly shall they return hither."

[11] In Isaiah:

Look unto the rock out of which ye were hewn, and to the digging out of the pit out of which ye were digged; look unto Abraham, your father, and unto Sarah that bare you; for I called him alone, and I will bless him and will multiply him; for Jehovah will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places, and He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her solitude like the garden of Jehovah (Isaiah 51:1-3).

This, too, is said of the Lord, and of the New Church from Him. The Lord in relation to Divine truth and in relation to the doctrine of truth is meant by "the rock out of which they were hewn and the pit out of which they were digged" (See above, n. 411). But the Lord in relation to the Divine, from which is reformation, is meant by "Abraham" to whom they shall look, and by "Sarah" that bare them; for by "Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," in the Word, those persons are not meant, but the Lord in relation to the Divine Itself and the Divine Human, as may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 1893, 2833, 2836, 3245, 3251, 3305, 3439, 3703, 4615, 6098, 6095, 6185, 6276, 6804, 6847); but the heavenly marriage which is that of Divine good and Divine truth, from which is all reformation and thus the church, is signified by "Abraham" and by "Sarah that bare them." Because the Lord is meant by "Abraham" it is said, "I called him alone, and I will bless him and will multiply him," and afterwards that "Jehovah will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places," "Zion" meaning the New Church, "waste places" truths destroyed, and "to comfort" to restore the church. That those who will be of that church will acknowledge the Lord, and will receive love to Him and thence wisdom, is signified by "her wilderness shall be made like Eden, and her solitude like the garden of Jehovah," "Eden" signifying love to the Lord, and "the garden of Jehovah" wisdom therefrom.

[12] In Micah:

O height of the daughter of Zion, unto thee shall come and shall return the kingdom, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem. Now why dost thou shout in shouting? Is there no king in thee; hath thy counselor perished, that pangs take hold of thee as a woman in travail? Be in travail and bring forth, O daughter of Zion, for now thou shalt go out from the city and shalt dwell in the field (Micah 4:8-10).

This treats of the spiritual captivity in which the faithful are when they remain in a church in which there is no more truth and good; their lamentation that they are in that church is signified by "why dost thou shout in shouting?" Also by "that pangs take hold of thee as a woman in travail;" when yet they have truths of doctrine and also the understanding of them, which is signified by "Is there no king in thee; hath thy counselor perished?" "king" signifying the truth of doctrine from the Word, and "counselor" the understanding of it. That with those who are in the good of charity and thence in the truths of doctrine there will be a church is signified by "the daughter of Zion to whom the kingdom shall come," and by "the daughter of Jerusalem," "kingdom" also signifying the church. The establishment of the church and reformation of those who are of the church is meant by "be in travail, bring forth, O daughter of Zion;" "for now thou shalt go out from the city and shalt dwell in the field" signifies that they will withdraw from a doctrine in which there is no longer any truth or good, and will abide where these abound; "city" meaning the doctrine from which they will withdraw; "field" meaning where truths and goods abound, and "to go out" meaning to withdraw, namely, from that doctrine, and to be thus delivered from spiritual captivity.

[13] In David:

Jehovah raiseth the crushed out of the dust, He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill, to place him with princes, with the princes of His people; He maketh the barren to dwell in a house, to be a glad mother of sons (Psalms 113:7-9).

That those who are in falsities from ignorance, and thus are not in goods, are to be instructed by the Lord in truths, is signified by "Jehovah raiseth the crushed out of the dust, He lifteth up the needy from the dunghill," "the crushed" and "the needy" meaning those who are in falsities from ignorance, and thus not in goods. The primary truths of the church in which they must be instructed are signified by "the princes, the princes of the people," with whom they are to be placed. That those who did not before have life from the marriage of truth and good will have it is signified by "making the barren to dwell in a house, to be a glad mother of sons;" "to dwell" signifying to live; "the house of the barren" signifying where there is no marriage of truth and good, and "a glad mother of sons" the church where there are nascent truths from good.

[14] In Hosea:

As to Ephraim, as a bird shall his glory fly away, from the birth and from the belly and from conception (Hosea 9:11).

That this signifies that all understanding of truth from ultimates to firsts will perish, may be seen above n. 710, where it is explained. In Luke:

Woe to them that are with child and to them that give suck in those days; for there shall be great anguish and anger upon this people (Luke 21:23).

And in the same:

Behold the days shall come in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren and the bellies that have not borne, and the breasts that have not given suck (Luke 23:29; also in Matthew 24:19; Mark 13:17).

That this is said of those who live at the end of the church, when there are no genuine truths to be received that are not falsified, may be seen above n. 710.

[15] In Jeremiah:

The partridge gathereth but bringeth not forth; he that maketh riches but not with judgment, in the midst of his days he forsaketh them, and in his latter end he shall become foolish (Jeremiah 17:11).

A "partridge" means such as learn many things from the Word and from the doctrines of the church, but not for the sake of the uses of life, "to bring forth" means to perform uses, that is, to live and thus to be reformed; the "riches" that he maketh not with judgment signify spiritual riches, which are the knowledges of truth and good; to acquire these not for the sake of uses of life is "to make riches not with judgment;" that such knowledges as are not made to be of the life perish is signified by "in the midst of his days he shall forsake them;" that finally they will have no knowledges of truth that are not falsified is signified by "in his latter end he shall become foolish."

[16] Since a "mother" signifies the church, and "sons and daughters" its truths and goods, and in the ancient churches, and afterwards in the Jewish church, all things were representative and thence significative, it was a reproach and disgrace for women to be barren, therefore:

Rachel was angry with Jacob that she bare no children, and when she brought forth Joseph she said, God hath gathered up my reproach (Genesis 30:1, 23).

For the same reason, when Elizabeth had conceived she said:

Thus hath the Lord done unto me, in the days wherein He looked upon me to take away my reproach among men (Luke 1:24, 25).

Thus it is evident that "to travail," "to bring forth," and "to beget," signify the procreation of such things as pertain to the church.

[17] In Isaiah:

Woe to him that saith unto the father, What begettest thou? or to the woman, With what travailest thou? (Isaiah 45:10)

This is said of man's reformation, that it is from the Lord and not from man. In the same:

King Hezekiah said, when he heard the words of Rabshakeh, This day is a day of distress, and of reproving, and of reproach, and the sons are come to the mouth of the matrix and there is not strength to bring forth (Isaiah 37:3).

That truths from the Word will be heard and known, and yet reformation will not be effected by them, is signified by "the sons are come to the matrix and there is not strength to bring forth," "to bring forth" signifying to make truths fruitful by doing them, from which comes reformation. That this was a grief of heart and mind, and a reproach to the church, is signified by "a day of distress, of reproving and of reproach."

[18] In Ezekiel:

I will pour out my wrath upon Sin, the strength of Egypt, and will cut off the multitude of No; I will set a fire in Egypt; Sin shall travail, and there shall not be ⁴ for the breaking through (Ezekiel 30:15, 16).

"Egypt," "Sin," and "No," signify the knowledges and fallacies of the natural man, which hinder the reformation of man by means of truths from the Word; that truths will be known and yet will not be received in the life, and thus there can be no reformation, is signified by "Sin in travailing shall travail, but there shall not be for the breaking through," that is, of the matrix. Since "to travail" signifies to receive the truths of the Word by hearing or reading, and "to bring forth" signifies to make them fruitful and bring them forth in act, which is to live according to them, and thus be reformed, so when these things are done with distress and difficulty because of the falsities and evils that rule in the church, and that hinder and which pervert its truths and goods, then it is said that "they are seized with pangs as of a woman in travail;" and as this takes place at the end of the church, therefore it is said in the Word of those who live at that time, as in this chapter of Revelation:

That a woman being with child, cried out, travailing, and pained to be delivered (verse 2); which signifies that spiritual truths and goods, which are from the Word, can be received only with the greatest difficulty and with distress, because of the opposing evils and falsities that then exist in the church and occupy the minds of those who are devoted to religion.

[19] This is signified by "the pangs as of a woman in travail" in Jeremiah:

I have heard a voice as of one sick, as of one in travail with her first born, the voice of the daughter of Zion; she sigheth, she spreadeth forth her hands. Woe to me now, for my soul is made desolate by the slayers (Jeremiah 4:31).

"The daughter of Zion" means the church that is in the truths of doctrine from the good of love; this is said "to sigh and to spread forth the hands, because her soul is made desolate by the slayers," "slayers" meaning those who destroy man's spiritual life by falsities and evils; and because on this account spiritual truths and goods can be received only with distress and difficulty, there is said to be lamentation "as of one sick and in travail with her firstborn," "firstborn" signifying the first thing of the church, from which the rest flow as from their beginning.

[20] In the same:

We have heard the fame of a people coming from the land of the north, our hands are slackened, distress has taken hold of us, pangs as of one in travail; go not forth into the field, and go not in the way, for there is the sword of the adversary, terror on every side (Jeremiah 6:24, 25).

"A people coming from the land of the north" means those who are in the falsities of evil, and in an abstract sense the falsities of evil that are in the church at that time vastated. That truths will then be received in faith and in love with the greatest difficulty, because of the opposing falsities of evil, and that there will be in consequence torment and pain of mind and heart, is signified by "the hands are slackened, distress has taken hold of them, and pangs as of one in travail;" that at such a time the things of the church and of its doctrine will not be considered, in taking thought for oneself, is signified by "Go not forth into the field, go not in the way," "field" meaning the church, and "way" doctrine; and this for the reason that falsity from hell rushes in, by which truth is falsified and extinguished, which is signified by "the sword of the adversary, terror on every side," "sword" meaning falsity destroying truth, "adversary" hell, and "terror" spiritual death.

[21] From this it is evident what is meant by the Lord's words in Matthew:

Then let him that is on the house not come down to take anything out of the house, and let him that is in the field not return back. Woe to them that bear in the womb and to them that give suck in those days. Then shall be great affliction, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now (Matthew 24:17-19, 21).

This, too, is said of the state of the church near its end, when falsities of evil and evils of falsity have rule, and the truths of the Word are not received except when falsified and adulterated; this is meant by "Woe to them that bear in the womb and to them that give suck in those days," and also by "great affliction." (But this with the rest of that chapter may be seen explained consecutively in Arcana Coelestia.)

[22] In Jeremiah:

Ask and see whether a male doth bring forth. Wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins as a woman in travail, and all faces are turned into paleness? For that day is great, so that none is like it (Jeremiah 30:6, 7).

This also is said of the last state of the church, when the Last Judgment takes place; "the great day" is the Lord's coming and judgment by Him at that time; "ask and see whether a male doth bring forth" signifies whether the truth of the Word without the good of life can bring forth anything of the church, since everything of the church is brought forth by the marriage of good and truth, "the male" signifying the truth of the church, and "the wife" the good of the church; "wherefore do I see every man with his hands on his loins as a woman in travail?" signifies why is it thought that truth without good will bring forth such things as belong to the church? "Loins" signify marriage, in the spiritual sense the marriage of truth and good, but "the loins of a man as of a woman in travail" signify, as if there could be a marriage of truth alone without good; "all faces are turned into paleness" signifies that there is nothing of good because there is nothing of love and charity; the "face" means the affections that are of the love of good, therefore "paleness" signifies those affections extinguished.

[23] In Isaiah:

My loins are filled with great pain, pains seize upon me as the pains of a woman in travail (Isaiah 21:3).

This, too, is said of the last state of the church, when its truths and goods can be received only with the most painful effort, because of the evils and falsities that then oppose; "the loins that are said to be filled with pain," signify the marriage of good and truth from which is heaven and the church, and these are said to be "filled with pain" when truth cannot be conjoined with good; therefore this is the signification of "the pains as of a woman in travail," that seize.

[24] "Pain as of a woman in travail" is also said of those who are unable anymore to receive truths because of the falsities conjoined with evils of life, and yet they wish to receive them when destruction threatens, especially in the spiritual world, when the Last Judgment is at hand, but with a fruitless endeavor and effort; this is signified by "the pains of a woman in travail" in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Howl ye, for the day of Jehovah is nigh. Therefore all hands are slackened, and every heart of man doth melt, and they are dismayed; throes and pangs seize upon them, they are in travail like a woman bringing forth, a man is amazed at his companion, their faces are faces of flames (Isaiah 13:6-8).

"The day of Jehovah" that is near signifies the Last Judgment which the Lord accomplished when He was in the world; their terror at that time on account of threatening destruction is signified by "all hands are slackened, and every heart of man doth melt, and they are about to perish;" ⁵ that their ability to receive the truths and goods of heaven and the church is then in vain because of the falsities of evil in which they have been and then are in, is signified by "throes and pangs seize upon them, they are in travail like a woman bringing forth;" that they are in the evils of hatred and anger is signified by "their faces are faces of flames."

[25] In Jeremiah:

She that dwelleth in Lebanon, having her nest in the cedars, what grace wilt thou find when pangs come upon thee, pain as of a woman in travail? I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy soul (Jeremiah 22:23, 25).

This treats of those that have the Word, and thus truths and the understanding of them, who are said "to dwell in Lebanon and to have a nest in the cedars;" their destruction at the Last Judgment, and their effort then to receive truths, but in vain, because of the opposing falsities of evil, is signified by "what grace wilt thou find when pangs come upon thee, pain as of a woman in travail;" that they will then be carried away by the falsities of evil from hell is signified by "I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy soul."

[26] In the same:

Damascus is become feeble, she hath turned herself to flee, and horror hath taken hold of her, distress and pangs have seized her as of a woman in travail (Jeremiah 49:24).

The king of Babylon heard the fame of the people coming from the north; thence his hands are relaxed, distress hath taken hold of him, pain as of a woman in travail (Jeremiah 50:43).

In Moses:

The peoples heard, the pain of a travailing woman hath seized upon the inhabitants of Philistia (Exodus 15:14).

"The pains of a woman in travail" have a similar signification as in the passages above. In Hosea:

The pangs of a woman in travail shall come upon Ephraim, he is a son not wise, for he doth not stay his time in the womb of sons (Hosea 13:13).

This may be seen explained above n. 710. In Moses:

Jehovah God said to the woman, In multiplying I will multiply thy pain and thy conception; in pain shalt thou bring forth sons; and thy obedience shall be to thy man, and he shall rule over thee (Genesis 3:16).

This does not mean that women are to bring forth sons in pain, but "the woman" means the church that from celestial has become natural; "eating of the tree of knowledge" signifies this. That the man of the church cannot easily be regenerated by means of truths and a life according to them, and that he must endure temptations that truths may be implanted and conjoined to good, is signified by "pain and conception shall be multiplied," and by "she shall bring forth sons in pain," "conception" signifying the reception of truth that is from good, and "to bring forth sons" signifying to bring forth truths from the marriage of truth and good. Because the natural man is full of lusts from the love of self and of the world, and these can be removed only by means of truths, therefore it is said "thy obedience shall be to thy man, and he shall rule over thee," "man" signifying here as elsewhere in the Word the truth of the church. That man is reformed and regenerated by means of truths and a life according to them has been shown above. From this it can now be seen that conceptions, births, nativities, and generations signify in the Word spiritual conceptions, births, nativities, and generations.

각주:

411. Verse 16. And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, signifies to be covered over by evils and by falsities therefrom. This is evident from the signification of "mountains," as being the evils that flow from the loves of self and of the world (of which above, n. 405; also from the signification of "rocks," as being the falsities from evil (of which below); also from the signification of "fall on us," as being to be covered by them. These things, too, are to be illustrated by such things as occur in the spiritual world when the Last Judgment takes place; for they are said respecting the Last Judgment, as is evident from the following verse, where it is said, "For the great day of His anger is come, and who is able to stand?" that "day" meaning the time and state of the Last Judgment. The state of the wicked then is such that from the mountains and rocks upon which they have made their habitations they cast themselves down into the hells, more or less deeply according to the atrocity of the evils and falsities with them; and this they themselves do, because they cannot endure Divine good and Divine truth, the higher heavens then being opened, from which the light of heaven flows in, which is Divine truth united to Divine good, by which light their pretended goods and truths are constricted, and these being constricted their evils and falsities are loosened; and as evils and falsities cannot endure the light of heaven, for they are pained and tortured by it, these spirits cast themselves from the mountains and rocks into the hells, more or less deeply according to the quality of their evil and falsity; some into gaps and caves, and some into holes and rocks, which then stand open before them; but as soon as they have cast themselves in, the openings are closed up. In this way the casting out of evil spirits from the mountains and hills which they have occupied is effected (See above, n. 391-392, 392, 394); and when they are in the caves and among the rocks the pains and torments they suffered from the influx of the light of heaven cease; for they find rest in their evils and in the falsities therefrom, because these had been their delights; for the delights of his life remain with everyone after death, and the delights of life are the delights of their loves, for every delight of life is from love.

[2] From this the signification of their "calling to the mountains and the rocks to fall on them" can be seen; likewise what is signified in Hosea:

They shall say to the mountains, Cover us, and to the hills, Fall on us (Hosea 10:8).

And in Luke:

Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us, and to the hills, Hide us (Luke 23:30).

This, too, treats of the Last Judgment. The light of heaven, which is Divine truth united to Divine good, by the influx and presence of which the evil who cast themselves down are pained and tormented, is meant by the words immediately following in this verse; "hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the anger of the Lamb;" it is said "the anger O the Lamb" because they are in torment; but their torment is not from that, but from the evils of their loves and from the falsities of their faith; and because these evils and falsities have formed all the interiors of their mind (for each one's mind is formed by his love and its faith, even so as to be a likeness of these in form), and because the interiors of the mind of those who are in evils and in falsities therefrom are turned away in a contrary direction, or to a quarter opposite to Divine goods and truths, therefore when Divine truth flows in and endeavors to reverse the action of the interiors of their mind, and thereby to lead them into heaven (for this is what Divine truth proceeding from the Lord does everywhere where it flows in), and they are unwilling to abandon the delights of their loves, they suffer anguish and torment; but these cease when they come into the hells where like delights or like loves prevail.

[3] Having shown above n. 405 what "mountains and hills" signify, it shall now be shown what "rocks" signify, namely, that they signify truth from spiritual good, also the truth and good of faith, but in the contrary sense the falsity of faith. This signification of "rocks" is also from appearances in the spiritual world; for rocks and crags are seen there as mountains and hills are seen, as was shown above, and upon the rocks there those dwell who are in truths from spiritual good, and who are in the truth and good of faith. The difference between the mountains and hills, and the rocks and crags, is that the former are of soil, and the latter of stone, and "soil" corresponds to and thus signifies the good of love, and "stone" corresponds to and thus signifies the truth of faith. And as most things in the Word have also a contrary sense, so do "rocks," and in that sense they signify the falsity of faith, and this also from correspondence; for those who are in the falsities of faith dwell there within the rocks in caverns.

[4] That "rock" signifies truth from good and the truth of faith, and in the highest sense the Lord in respect to these, is evident from the following passages. In Daniel:

Thou sawest ¹ till that a stone was cut out, not by hands, and it smote the image upon his feet, that were iron and clay. And the stone that smote the image became a great rock and filled the whole earth (Daniel 2:34-35).

This was said of the image that Nebuchadnezzar saw in his dream. "The stone that became a great rock" means the Lord, as is evident from the particulars there. But first let the signification of what precedes be told; "the head of the image" which was gold, signifies the Most Ancient Church, which was a celestial church, or a church in which the good of love to the Lord reigned; this good is signified in the Word by "gold," and also by "the head;" "the breast" and "the arms" which were silver, signify the Ancient Church, which succeeded the Most Ancient, and this church was a spiritual church, or a church in which the good of charity towards the neighbor, and truth from that good, reigned; this truth and good are signified by "silver," and also by "the breast" and "the arms;" "the belly and the thighs which were brass" signify the church that succeeded the ancient spiritual church and which may be called spiritual-natural; in this church the good of faith and the truth from that good reigned; this good is signified in the Word by "brass," and also by "the belly" and "the thighs;" but "the legs and the feet, which were part iron and part clay," signify the Israelitish and Jewish Church, which was an external church without any internal, and which therefore had no truth and good, but truth falsified which in itself is falsity, and good adulterated which in itself is evil; therefore it is said respecting it in this chapter:

Whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of man; but they shall not cohere one with the other, even as iron doth not mingle with clay (Daniel 2:43).

"Iron" signifies natural truth, and "miry clay" natural good; "the feet and legs" have a like meaning; but here "clay" signifies good adulterated, and "iron" such truth as there is in the external sense of the Word; for "the seed of man" means the Word where there are goods and truths, the adulterations and falsifications of which are described by "iron mixed with clay, which do not cohere one with the other." (That there have been four churches, one after another, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 247, 248 .) "The stone" that smote the image means Divine truth from the Lord; that "it became a great rock and filled the whole earth" signifies that the Lord by Divine truth is to rule over heaven and the church; "the earth" here meaning the church and also heaven; therefore it is added that this kingdom "shall stand forever" (verse Daniel 2:44), "kingdom" also signifying the church and heaven, for there is the kingdom of God. That Divine truth is here meant by "stone," and the Lord in respect to Divine truth by "rock," is evident from the signification of "stone" in the Word when predicated of the Lord (as in Genesis 49:24; Psalms 118:22-23; Isaiah 28:16; Matthew 21:42, 21:44; Mark 12:10-11; Luke 20:17-18). Whether you say the Lord or Divine truth it is the same, since all Divine truth is from Him, and thence He is in it; and it is from this that the Lord is called "the Word," for the Word is Divine truth. (That "stone" in the highest sense signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and thence in a lower sense truth from good, see Arcana Coelestia 643[1-4], 1298, 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376)

[5] That "rock" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth, is plain from:

The rock in Horeb from which waters were given to the Israelitish people (Exodus 17:5-6);

and that it was commanded:

That Moses and Aaron should speak unto the cliff, and thus should sanctify Jehovah in the eyes of the sons of Israel; but that Moses smote it with a staff two times, therefore it was declared to Moses and Aaron that they should not bring the people into the land of Canaan (Numbers 20:8-13).

It is known in the church that this "rock" signified the Lord; but it is not known that it had this signification because "rock" in the Word signifies the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord; this was why Moses and Aaron were commanded to speak to it, and thus to sanctify Jehovah in the eyes of the sons of Israel. Also "the waters" that flowed forth signify Divine truth; and "the people drinking of them" signifies to nourish spiritually, which is done by instructing and teaching. (That "waters" signify truths, see above, n. 71; and that "to drink," and "to be given to drink," signify to be instructed and to be taught, see Arcana Coelestia, n. (Arcana Coelestia 3069, 3772, 4017-4018, 8562, 9412) The like is signified by "rock" in Isaiah:

They shall not thirst; He will lead them in desolate places; He will cause the waters to flow out of the rock for them, when He cleaveth the rock that the waters may issue (Isaiah 48:21).

In David:

He clave the rocks in the wilderness, and made them to drink of the great depths; and He brought streams out of the cliff; and they remembered that God was their Rock, and the most high God their Redeemer (Psalms 78:15-16, 20, 35).

In the same:

He opened the rock that the waters might issue out; they flowed in the dry places, a river (Psalms 105:41).

In the same:

Before the Lord thou art in travail, O earth, before the God of Jacob, who turned the rock into a pool of waters, the flint into a fountain of waters (Psalms 114:7-8).

That "rock" in these passages signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth, or what is the same, Divine truth from the Lord, is evident from what has been said above, also from the fact that these two passages in David treat of the redemption and the regeneration of the men of the church, and this is effected by means of Divine truth from the Lord. Redemption is treated of in these words, "they remembered that God was their Rock, and the most high God their Redeemer;" regeneration in these words, "Before the Lord thou art in travail, O earth;" "to be in travail" when predicated of the church, signifying to be reformed and regenerated.

[6] In Isaiah:

Hearken unto me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek Jehovah; look unto the rock out of which ye were hewn, and to the digging out of the pit out of which ye were digged (Isaiah 51:1).

The "rock" means the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and the "pit" signifies the Word, as also in other places; "to be hewn out of the rock" and "to be digged out of the pit," signify to be regenerated by Divine truths and Divine goods, thus by truths from good from the Lord; for "stones," that are cut out of a rock, signify truths from the Lord; and "soil," that is dug out of a pit, signifies good from the Lord, therefore it is called "the digging out of the pit."

[7] In Moses:

Give ye greatness unto our God; the rock, whose work is perfect, and all His ways are judgment. He made him to ride on the high places of the earth, and feedeth him with the increase of the fields; He maketh him to suck honey out of the cliff, and oil out of the flint of the rock. The rock that begat thee hast thou given to forgetfulness, and hast forgotten God thy Former. Is it not because their rock hath sold them, and Jehovah hath shut them up? For their rock is not as our rock, neither are our enemies judges (Deuteronomy 32:3-4, 13, 18, 30-31).

This is said of the Ancient Church, which was a church that was in truths from good; therefore truths from good are described by various things that correspond, as "He made him to ride on the high places of the earth, He fed him with the increase of the fields; He made him to suck honey out of the cliff, and oil out of the flint of the rock." Intelligence in the spiritual things of this church is signified by "He made him to ride on the high places of the earth;" "to ride" signifying to understand; "the high places of the earth" meaning the spiritual things of the church; spiritual nourishment therefrom is signified by "He fed him with the increase of the fields;" "to feed" meaning to nourish, and "the increase of the fields" meaning all things of the church. That they had natural good and spiritual good through Divine truth from the Lord is signified by "He made him to suck honey out of the cliff, and oil out of the flint of the rock;" "honey" meaning natural good, "oil" spiritual good; "cliff" external Divine truth from the Lord which is for the natural man, and "flint of the rock" internal Divine truth from the Lord which is for the spiritual man. The Jewish Church, which was not in any Divine truth, is next treated of, and respecting this it is said, "the rock that begat thee hast thou given to forgetfulness, and hast forgotten God thy Former," which signifies that the Lord, and thence Divine truth, by which the church is reformed, were rejected; "rock" meaning the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and "that begat thee," and "God the Former" signifying to be reformed by the Lord by means of Divine truth. That they were altogether deprived of truth and good is signified by "their rock hath sold them, and Jehovah hath shut them up," "rock" having reference to truth, and "Jehovah" to good; "to sell" and "to shut up" means to be deprived of. That they would be in falsity from evil is signified by "their rock is not as our rock, neither are our enemies judges" "their rock" meaning falsity, "our enemies" evils, "not judges" signifying not truths and goods. From this it can be seen that "rock" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and in the contrary sense, falsity.

[8] In the second book of Samuel:

The spirit of Jehovah spoke in me, and His speech was upon my tongue. The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke [to me]. He that ruleth over the righteous man, that ruleth over the fear of God (2 Samuel 23:2-3).

"Rock" here manifestly stands for the Lord, for in the Word "the God of Israel" means the Lord; therefore it is said "the spirit of Jehovah spoke in me, and His speech was upon my tongue," also "the God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me." The "spirit of Jehovah" and "His speech" signify Divine truth, and the Lord is called "the God of Israel" from worship, and "the Rock of Israel" from Divine truth, from which is worship. Because it is the Lord who is meant, it is said that "the Rock of Israel spoke." His dominion over those who are in good and those who are in truth is signified by "He that ruleth over the righteous man, that ruleth over him that hath the fear of God;" righteousness" is predicated of good, and "fear of God" of truth; for this Psalm of David treats of the Lord, which makes clear that the Lord is meant by "the God of Israel," and "the Rock of Israel."

[9] In David:

O that My people may hearken unto Me, that Israel might walk in My ways! I would feed ² them with the fat of wheat; and with honey out of the rock I would satisfy them (Psalms 81:13, 16).

Here, too, "rock" means the Lord in respect to Divine truth (as may be seen above, n. 374, where this is explained). In the same:

Who is God save Jehovah, or who is a Rock besides my ³ God? Jehovah liveth: and blessed be my Rock; and the God of my salvation shall be exalted (Psalms 18:2, 31, 46; 2 Samuel 22:2-3, 32, 47).

It is said, "Who is God save Jehovah, and who is a Rock besides my God?" because where Divine good is treated of the Lord is called "Jehovah," and where Divine truth is treated of he is called "God," and also "Rock," as here; so afterwards, "Jehovah liveth, and blessed be my Rock;" "the God of my salvation shall be exalted" signifies that He must be worshiped by means of truths from good, from which is salvation; "to be exalted," in reference to God is predicated of worship from good by means of truths.

[10] In the same:

Let the sayings of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be well pleasing before Thee, O Jehovah, my Rock and my Redeemer (Psalms 19:14).

"Jehovah the Rock" has a like signification as "Jehovah God," namely, the Lord in respect to Divine good and Divine truth; and He is called "Redeemer" from regeneration, which is effected by Divine truth; "sayings of the mouth" signify the understanding of truth, and "the meditation of the heart" the perception of good. In the same:

I say unto God my Rock, Why hast Thou forgotten me? (Psalms 42:9).

"God the Rock" means the Lord in respect to Divine truth, here in respect to defense. In the same:

Unto Thee do I call, O Jehovah my Rock; be not silent from me; lest Thou be silent from me (Psalms 28:1).

Here, too, "Jehovah" and "Rock" are mentioned, because "Jehovah" means the Lord in respect to Divine good, and "Rock" the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and as both are meant it is twice said, "be not silent from me," "lest Thou be silent from me;" one having reference to Divine good, the other to Divine truth, for in the Word there is a heavenly marriage in every particular, which is the marriage of good and truth. In Habakkuk:

O Jehovah, Thou hast placed him for judgment; and thou, O Rock, hast founded him for correction (Habakkuk 1:12).

In Isaiah:

Trust ye in Jehovah forevermore; for in Jah Jehovah is the Rock of Eternity (Isaiah 26:4).

Ye shall have a song as of the night of celebrating the feast; and gladness of heart as of one going with a pipe to come into the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel (Isaiah 30:29).

Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no Rock, I know not any (Isaiah 44:8).

In David:

We will make a joyful noise unto the Rock of our salvation; we will come before His faces with confession (Psalms 95:1-2

In the first book of Samuel:

There is none holy as Jehovah; and there is no Rock like our God (1 Samuel 2:2).

In David:

Upright is Jehovah my Rock (Psalms 92:15).

He shall call me, Thou art my Father, my God, the Rock of my salvation. I also will make Him the firstborn, high above the kings of the earth (Psalms 89:26-27).

[11] In these passages, "rock" means Divine truth from the Lord and the Lord Himself, as well as in other passages. As in the gospels:

Everyone that heareth My words and doeth them, I will liken him to a prudent man, who built his house upon a rock; and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house, yet it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock (Matthew 7:24-25; Luke 6:48).

"The house founded upon a rock" means the church and the man of the church who has founded his doctrine and life upon the Divine truth, which is from the Lord, thus upon those things that are in the Word, consequently one who is in truths from good from the Lord. It is said, "who is in truths from good," because Divine truth is not received by anyone who is not in good. To be in good is to be in the good of life, which is charity; therefore it is said "he that heareth My words and doeth them;" "doing the Lord's words" is the good of life, for truth, when a man does it, becomes good because it then enters the will and love, and whatever becomes of the will and love is called good. Temptations, in which such a man of the church does not fall but conquers, are signified by "the rain descended, the floods came, the winds blew, and beat upon the house, and yet it fell not, for it was founded upon a rock;" for in the Word "floods of waters" and "rains," and also "tempests of wind," signify temptations. This, to be sure, is a comparison, but it should be known that all comparisons in the Word are as much according to correspondences as are the things not said comparatively (See above, n. 69; and Arcana Coelestia 3579, 8989).

This makes plainly evident that "rock" in the Word signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth, or Divine truth from the Lord.

[12] From this it can be seen what is signified by the Lord's words to Peter, in Matthew:

Jesus said to the disciples, But who say ye that I am? Simon Peter answered, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Jesus answering said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon son of Jonah; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father who is in the heavens. I say unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, that whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in the heavens, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in the heavens (Matthew 16:15-19).

"Peter" here does not mean Peter, but Divine truth from the Lord (as in the passages cited above) for all the Lord's disciples together represented the church; and each one of them some constituent of the church; "Peter" the truth of the church, "James" its good, and "John" good in act, that is, works; the rest of the disciples represented the truths and goods that are derived from these, just as the twelve tribes of Israel. That this is so will be seen in what follows, where the tribes and the disciples are treated of. This is why these three disciples are mentioned in the Word more than the others.

[13] The Lord addressed these words to Peter because he then confessed, saying, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God," which in the spiritual sense signifies that He is the Divine truth; this is signified by "Christ," also by "the Son of God." (That this is signified by "Christ" see Arcana Coelestia 3004, 3005, 3009; and by "the Son of God" above, n. 63, 151, 166.) By virtue of this confession "Peter" represented Divine truth from the Lord in the church, and for this reason he was called "a rock" [petra], and it is said "thou art a rock [petra], upon this rock [petra] I will build My church," which signifies upon Divine truth from the Lord, or what is the same, upon truths from good, for upon these the church is built. That Peter might represent this in the church he was called by the Lord "a rock [petra]." as is evident in John:

Jesus looking upon him said unto him, Thou art Simon, the son of Jonah; thou shalt be called Cephas, which is, by interpretation, a rock [petra] (John 1:42).

Cephas in the Syriac language means a rock, and so Peter in that version is everywhere called "Cephas;" moreover, the same word in the Hebrew means a rock (as is evident in Jeremiah 4:29; andJob Job 30:6, where "rocks" are mentioned in the plural number); but Peter is not called a rock [petra] in the Greek and Latin because the name was bestowed upon him as a personal name.

[14] The Lord said "Simon son of Jonah" and afterwards he was called "a rock," because "Simon son of Jonah" signifies truth from good, or faith from charity; and as truth from good or faith from charity is granted only to those who are in Divine truth from the Lord, and Peter then confessed [the Lord], so he is called "a rock," not himself as a person, but that Divine truth which was from the Lord with him in his confession. That this was from the Lord is meant by the Lord's words, "flesh and blood has not revealed it unto thee, but My Father who is in the heavens;" "the Father in the heavens" meaning the Divine in the Lord, since the Father was in Him, and He in the Father and they were one (John 14:7-11; 10:30, 38). That "Simon" signifies truth in the will, see in the following chapter; and that "dove," which is what "Jonah" means, signifies spiritual good, see Arcana Coelestia 870[1-3], 1826, 1827); consequently "Simon son of Jonah" signifies the truth of good or truth from good. Because the hells have no power against Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, or against any man in whom there is Divine truth from the Lord, therefore the Lord says that "the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."

[15] The Lord further said, "I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in the heavens, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in the heavens," which signifies that all things are possible to those who are in truths from good from the Lord, in full agreement with these words:

All things whatsoever ye ask for, praying, believe that ye are to receive, then shall it be done unto you (Mark 11:24; Matthew 7:8; Luke 11:9).

How these words are to be understood see above (n. 405i), namely, that to ask from the faith of charity is to ask not from self but from the Lord, for whatever anyone asks not from self but from the Lord he receives. That such is the signification of these words, "whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in the heavens, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in the heavens," is clear from the Lord's words to the disciples and to all who are in truths from good from the Lord, in Matthew:

Verily I say unto you, What things soever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and what things soever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in the heavens (Matthew 18:18).

[16] These words were spoken to all, thus not to Peter only, as the Lord immediately declares in that chapter in these words:

I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth in My name respecting anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them by My Father, who is in the heavens. For where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I in the midst of them (Matthew 18:19-20).

"The Lord's name" means everything by which He is worshiped; and as He is worshiped by means of truth from good, which is from Him, so this is meant by "His name." (That this is what is meant by the "Lord's name," see above, n. 102, 135.) So "every thing they shall ask on earth shall be done for them in the heavens" has a similar signification as "whatsoever ye shall bind and shall loose on earth shall be bound and shall be loosed in the heavens," for the Lord explains the former words by the latter. One who knows the spiritual sense of the Word can know also why it is said "if two agree," and afterwards, "where there are two or three," namely, because "two" is predicated of good, and "three" of truth, consequently "two and three" of all who are in truths from good. (That Divine truth from the Lord has all power in the heavens and on earth, see above, n. 209, 333; and in the work on Heaven and Hell 230-231, 539; and Arcana Coelestia 3091, 3563, 6344, 6423, 6948, 8200, 8304, 9643, 10019, 10182. "Two" is predicated of good because it signifies conjunction by love, n. 1686, 5194, 8423; "three" is predicated of truths because it signifies all truths in the complex, in like manner as "twelve," n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913; therefore when "two" and "three" are mentioned in the spiritual world, two and three, are not meant, but all who are in truths from good. That "Peter" signifies truth from good, which is from the Lord, see in the small work on The Last Judgment 57.)

[17] Thus far it has been shown what "rock" signifies in this sense; it shall now be shown what "rock" signifies in the contrary sense. In the contrary sense "rock" signifies infernal falsity that is trusted in; as in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Hewing out ⁴ thy sepulcher in the height, graving for himself a habitation in the cliff (Isaiah 22:16).

This chapter treats of "the valley of vision," which signifies the falsity of doctrine confirmed by the sense of the letter of the Word; the love of falsity is signified by "the sepulcher in the height," and the belief of falsity by "the habitation in the cliff;" their making such things for themselves is signified by "hewing out" and "graving for themselves."

[18] In the same:

In that day they shall reject every man the idols of his silver and the idols of his gold which your hands make for you; then shall Asshur fall by the sword not of a man [vir], and the sword not of a man [homo] shall devour him: and his cliff shall pass away for awe, and his princes shall be dismayed at the banner (Isaiah 31:7-9).

This treats of judgment upon those who from self-intelligence believe themselves to be wise in Divine things. Such are those who are in the love of self and the world, and who seek after a reputation for learning for the sake of self; these, because they are unable to see truths, seize on falsities and proclaim them as truths. The falsities that favor their principles and their loves are signified by "the idols of silver and the idols of gold;" that these are from self-intelligence is signified by "which your hands have made for you;" that they will perish by their own falsities is signified by "then shall Asshur fall by the sword not of a man [vir], and the sword not of a man [homo] shall devour him;" "Asshur" meaning the rational perverted, and thence those who are in falsities from self-intelligence; "to fall and to be devoured by the sword" meaning to perish. This was represented also by the king of Assyria in that he was slain by his own sons (Isaiah 37:38); "his sons" there signifying his own falsities by which he perished; "his cliff, which shall pass away for awe," signifies all falsity in general, in which such have trusted; and "the princes, who shall be dismayed at the banner," signify the primary falsities; it is said "at the banner," because such falsities are dispersed not by any combat with truths, but by a mere sign of combat, which a banner is. I have seen such cast down from the rocks upon which they were by the waving of an ensign.

[19] In Jeremiah:

The whole city fleeth before the voice of the horseman and the shooter of the bow; they entered the clouds and went up into the rocks, the whole city is forsaken, not a man [vir] dwelleth therein (Jeremiah 4:29).

This describes the church desolated in respect to truths. The desolation of all the truth of doctrine by false reasonings and false doctrinals therefrom is signified by "the whole city fleeth before the voice of the horseman and of the shooter of the bow;" "the voice of the horseman" signifying false reasonings, and "the voice of the shooter of the bow" false doctrinals; "the whole city fleeth" signifies the desolation of all the truth of doctrine, "city" meaning doctrine. That no truth is acknowledged, but falsity alone, is signified by "they entered the clouds and went up into the rocks;" "to enter the clouds" signifying into the non-acknowledgment of truth, and "to go up into the rocks" signifying into mere falsity.

[20] I have also seen rocks that consisted of stones heaped together, with no level place where verdure grew as elsewhere upon rocks; upon these were spirits who while they lived in the world as men had been in faith separate from charity, which is called faith alone, and had confirmed themselves therein both in doctrine and in life. This is what is meant by "the dryness of the rock," in Ezekiel:

She set ⁵ it upon the dryness of the cliff; she poured it not upon the earth that dust might cover it (Ezekiel 24:7).

And in the same:

I will cause many nations to come up against thee; and they shall destroy the walls of Tyre and throw down her towers; and I will purge her dust from her, and make her the dryness of a cliff (Ezekiel 26:3-4, 14).

"Dust" in these two passages means the soil, which signifies the good of the church. When there is no soil on the rocks, but the rocks are dry, that is, consist of mere heaps of stones, as was said above, it is a sign that there is no good, and where there is no good there is mere falsity; so this is what is signified by "the dryness of a cliff," and "she poured it not upon the earth, that the dust might cover it," and "I will purge her dust from her." This makes evident what is signified by the Lord's words in the Gospels:

Other seed fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much soil; and straightway they sprang up because they had no depth of earth; and they dried up (Matthew 13:5-6).

This may be seen explained above n. 401.

[21] Most of those in the spiritual world who have their light from the moon there, dwell upon rocks. Those who are spiritual-natural dwell upon rocks that are covered with a thin surface of soil, where consequently there are level places, verdure, and shrubberies, but not such as are upon the mountains and hills where those dwell who receive light from the sun of heaven; while those who are not spiritual-natural, but merely natural, are not at this day upon the rocks, but in caverns in the rocks there; and those who are in falsities from evil, dwell among heaps of stones there; all these things are correspondences.

[22] In Jeremiah:

Behold, I am against thee, O mountain destroying the whole earth; and I will stretch out Mine hand against thee and roll thee down from the cliffs, and will make thee a mountain of burning (Jeremiah 51:25).

This is said of Babylon, whose damnation through falsities is signified by "I will roll thee down from the cliffs," and whose damnation through evils is signified by "I will make thee a mountain of burning" (but this may be seen more fully explained above, n. 405.

[23] In the same:

O ye inhabitants of Moab, forsake the cities and dwell in the cliff, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the passages of the mouth of the pit (Jeremiah 48:28).

This is said of Moab, which signifies the adulteration of good and truth, and thus those who pervert the good and truth of the Word. "Forsake the cities" signifies to leave the truths of doctrine; "dwell in the cliff" signifies in falsities and the doctrine of falsities; "be like the dove that maketh her nest in the passages of the mouth of the pit" signifies looking at truth from without and not from within, for "a pit" signifies the Word where truths are; "to make a nest in the passages of its mouth" means outside of it and not within, "to make a nest" having the same signification as to dwell, namely, to live a life; but "to build a nest" is predicated of a bird, and "to dwell" of man. What it is to regard the Word from without and not from within may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 10549-10551), namely, to look at it not from doctrine but from the mere letter; and in consequence of this men wander in every direction whither the disposition, thought, and affection may lead; they are sure of nothing, whence come the perpetual adulterations that are signified by "Moab." This is the case with those who study the Word for the sake of glory and honor; because such regard themselves in everything when studying the Word, they remain outside of the Word; while those who love truth and good from the Word are within the Word, for they look at it not from self, but from the Lord. This makes clear what is signified by "O ye inhabitants of Moab, forsake the cities and dwell in the cliff, and be like the dove that maketh her nest in the passages of the mouth of the pit."

[24] In the same:

Is not My word like as fire? and like a hammer that scattereth the cliff? (Jeremiah 23:29.)

The Word is said to be "like a fire and like a hammer" because "fire" signifies the good of love, and "hammer" the truth of faith, for "the hammer" has a similar signification as "iron," and "iron" signifies truth in ultimates, and the truth of faith. Both are mentioned, namely, "fire" and "hammer," and accordingly good and truth, because of the marriage of good and truth in every particular of the Word. "The cliff that is scattered" signifies the falsity in the whole complex and the doctrine of falsity; and these are scattered or destroyed, when man with whom they exist is judged.

[25] In Nahum:

Who shall stand before His indignation? or who shall stand up in the glowing of His anger? His wrath is poured out like fire, and the rocks shall be overturned before Him (Nahum 1:6).

That the "indignation," "wrath," and "anger" of Jehovah signify the Last Judgment, and the state of damnation of those who are in evils and in falsities therefrom will be seen in the following articles. The damnation of evils is signified by "His wrath, which is poured out like fire;" and the damnation of falsities from evils by "His anger," and "the rocks shall be overturned before Him;" "fire" also signifying the evils of the loves of self and of the world, and "rocks" the falsities therefrom, and "to be overturned" signifies to perish. Moreover, the rocks, upon which are those who are in the principles of falsity and thus in falsities of every kind, are visibly overturned, and those who are upon them are thus cast down into hell; but this occurs in the spiritual world, where all have their dwelling places according to the quality of their interiors to which their externals correspond.

[26] In Isaiah:

Ye that have heated yourselves with gods under every green tree, that slaughter the children in the brooks under the shelves of the cliffs (Isaiah 57:5).

What is meant by "heating oneself with gods under every green tree, and slaughtering the children in the brooks under the shelves of the cliffs," no one can know except from the internal sense. In that sense "to heat oneself with gods under every green tree" signifies to worship God from every falsity that occurs; "to heat oneself with gods" means ardent worship, and "every green tree" means every falsity that occurs, for "tree" signifies knowledges and perceptions, here the knowledges and perceptions of falsity; and "to slaughter the children in the brooks, under the shelves of the cliffs" signifies to extinguish truths by falsities from self-intelligence; "children" meaning truths, "brooks" self-intelligence, "shelves of the cliffs" falsities; "under the shelves of these" signifies from the sensual, in which there is the ultimate natural light, for those who are in that light only stand under precipitous rocks and do not see any truth, and if it is told them they do not perceive it. In such a position I also have seen them in the spiritual world. This makes evident that "to slaughter the children" means not to slay children, but to extinguish truths.

[27] So in David:

Happy is he who shall seize and shatter thy babes against the cliff (Psalms 137:9).

"Babes" mean here not babes but falsities springing up; for Babylon is here treated of, which signifies the falsities of evil destroying the truths of good of the church; the destruction of these is signified by "shattering them against the cliff;" "cliff" meaning the ruling falsity of evil, and "to shatter" meaning to destroy. He who abides in the mere sense of the letter of the Word and does not think beyond it, can easily be led to believe that he is called "happy" who does this with the babes of his enemies, when yet that would be an enormous crime; but he is called "happy" who disperses the falsities of evil springing up in the church, which are here signified by "the babes of Babylon. "

[28] In Jeremiah:

Who hath heard such a thing as this? The virgin of Israel hath done a horrible thing. Shall the snow of Lebanon from the rock leave My fields? Shall the strange cold waters flowing down be snatched away? My people have forgotten Me, they have burned incense to vanity (Jeremiah 18:13-15).

"The virgin of Israel" means here and elsewhere the spiritual church, for this the Israelites represented; "the horrible thing that they did" means that they turned the goods of the church into evils, and the truths of the church into falsities, and from these evils and falsities worshiped Jehovah. The evils from which is such worship are signified by "My people have forgotten Me," for he who forgets God is in evils; and the falsities from which is such worship are signified by "they have burned incense to vanity," "vanity" meaning falsity, and "to burn incense" worship; "shall the snow of Lebanon from the rock leave My fields?" signifies, have they not the truths of the church from the Word? "rock" here signifies the Word, because it signifies Divine truth (as above); "the snow of Lebanon" signifies the truths of the church therefrom. Here "snow" has a similar signification as water, namely, truths, but "snow" signifies cold truths, because a cold church is here treated of. "Lebanon" means the church from which these are, and "fields" mean all goods and truths of the church; "the strange cold waters flowing down," signify the falsities in which there is no good; "strange waters" meaning falsities, and "cold" meaning in which there is no good, for truths have all their heat from the good of love.

[29] In the same:

Behold, I am against thee, thou inhabitant of the valley, thou rock of the plain; that say, Who shall descend against us, and who shall enter into our abodes? (Jeremiah 21:13).

"The inhabitant of the valley" and "the rock of the plain" signify those who are in the ultimates of the Word, and do not permit themselves to be illustrated from the interior; and such do not see truths, but falsities instead; for all the light of truth, because it is out of heaven from the Lord, comes from the interior and descends. Such are meant by "the inhabitant of the valley" and "the rock of the plain;" "valley" and "plain" meaning the ultimates of the Word in which they are; and "inhabitant" and "rock" signifying falsities, "inhabitant" the falsity of life, and "rock" the falsity of doctrine. The belief in falsity and evil in which such are firmly fixed, believing falsity and evil to be truths and goods, is signified by their saying, "Who shall descend against us, and who shall enter into our abodes?"

[30] In Isaiah:

Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for the dread of Jehovah (Isaiah 2:10).

"To enter into the rock" means into falsity, and "to hide themselves in the dust" means in evil. This treats of the Last Judgment, when those who are in the falsities of evil and in the evils of falsity cast themselves into the hells which are in the rocks and under the lands in the spiritual world. (But these things may be seen more fully brought out and explained in the preceding article.) In Job:

The mountain falling passeth away, and the rock is removed out of its place (Job 14:18).

"Mountain" signifies the love of evil; and "rock" the belief of falsity; and "to melt away" and "be removed out of its place" signifies to perish.

[31] In David:

Let their judges be cast down by the sides of the cliff (Psalms 141:6).

"Judges" signify those who are in falsities, and in an abstract sense, the falsities of thought and of doctrine. "Judges" in the Word have a similar signification as "judgments," and "judgments" signify the truths from which judgments are formed and in the contrary sense falsities. Because those who are in falsities dwell in the spiritual world in cliffs it is said, "let them be cast down by the sides of the cliff," which signifies that they should be let into their falsities and dwell in the hells corresponding to their falsities. In Job:

To dwell in the cleft of the valleys, in holes of the earth, and in the rocks (Job 30:6).

This treats of those who are in the hells, because they are in evils and in falsities therefrom; the hells of those who are in evils in respect to life are under valleys and in caves there; and the hells of those who are in falsities from evil are in rocks. This makes clear what is signified by "dwelling in the cleft of the valleys, in holes of the earth, and in rocks." (But respecting the caverns and caves in which those dwell who are in the hells, and the clefts and holes by which these are entered, see the article just preceding, n. 410.)

[32] These things have been adduced to make known that "rock" in the contrary sense signifies falsity in general; and this signification of "rock" is from correspondence, as can be seen from the appearances and phenomena in the spiritual world, where all dwell according to the correspondences of the interiors of their mind and life. Consequently those who are in wisdom and intelligence, because they are in love to the Lord and in charity towards the neighbor, and thence in the spiritual affection of truth, dwell upon mountains and hills of earth, where there are paradises, gardens, rose-beds, and lawns; but those who are in the belief in the doctrinals of their church and in some degree of charity, dwell upon rocks where there are level places upon which are some groves and some trees and grassy places; while those who have been in faith alone, as it is called, in respect to doctrine and life, and thence in falsities of faith and evils of life, dwell within the rocks, in caverns and cells there.

[33] This signification of "rock" is from the correspondence spoken of. But there is a signification of "rock" from its hardness, as in the following passages.

In Jeremiah:

They have made their faces harder than a rock (Jeremiah 5:3).

In Ezekiel:

As an adamant stronger than rock have I made thy forehead; fear not (Ezekiel 3:9).

In Job:

They shall be graven with an iron pen and with lead in the rock forevermore (Job 19:24).

In Isaiah:

The hoofs of the horses are accounted as rock (Isaiah 5:28).

Hardness is expressed by "rock" from the correspondence of rock with truth from good, for truth from good has all power, as has been said above; but when truth acts against falsity from evil then good is blunted, and truth then remaining acts with hardness, according to the above words in Ezekiel, "As an adamant stronger than rock have I made thy forehead." Truth without good is also hard, but still is easily broken. But what has been here adduced respecting rocks will be more fully elucidated by what will be said hereafter respecting the signification of stones.

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