Capítulo 2.

Versos 1-20: Depois de Jesus nascer

1. E quando Jesus nasceu em Belém da Judéia, nos dias do rei Herodes, eis que vieram magos do oriente para Jerusalém,

2. Dizendo: "Onde está Aquele que nasceu Rei dos Judeus? Pois vimos a Sua estrela no Oriente, e viemos adorá-Lo".

3. Mas tendo ouvido, Herodes, o rei, ficou perturbado, e toda Jerusalém com ele.

4. E quando reuniu todos os chefes dos sacerdotes e escribas do povo, perguntou-lhes onde Cristo deveria nascer.

5. E disseram-lhe: "Em Belém da Judeia; pois assim está escrito pelo profeta":

6. "E tu Belém, [da terra de Judá], não és de modo algum o menor entre os governadores de Judá, porque de ti sairá um governador, que pastoreará o meu povo Israel".

7. Então Herodes, chamando em privado os Magos, perguntou-lhes precisamente a que horas a estrela apareceu.

8. E enviando-os para Belém, disse: "Ide e procurai seriamente o Menino; e quando o tiverdes encontrado [Ele], apresentai-vos a mim, para que eu também possa vir e adorá-Lo".

9. E quando ouviram o rei, foram [para fora]; e eis que a estrela que viram no oriente ia à sua frente, até que chegou [e] se pôs sobre o lugar onde estava o Menino.

10. E, tendo visto a estrela, regozijaram-se com uma alegria muito grande.

11. E, entrando na casa, encontraram o Menino com Maria Sua mãe, e, caindo, adoraram-no; e abrindo os seus tesouros, ofereceram-lhe presentes: ouro, e incenso, e mirra.

12. E sendo avisados num sonho para não regressarem a Herodes, partiram para o seu próprio país por outra via.

13. E quando partiram, eis que o anjo do Senhor aparece num sonho a José, dizendo: "Levanta-te e toma o Menino e a sua mãe, e foge para o Egipto, e fica lá até que eu te diga; porque Herodes está prestes a procurar o Menino para o destruir".

14. E quando se levantou, tomou a criança pequena e a sua mãe à noite, e partiu para o Egipto,

15. E esteve lá até à morte de Herodes, para que se pudesse cumprir o que foi declarado pelo Senhor através do profeta, dizendo: "Do Egipto chamei o Meu Filho".

16. Então Herodes, quando viu que tinha sido ridicularizado pelos Magos, ficou extremamente irado, e enviou e matou todos os rapazes que estavam em Belém, e em todas as suas fronteiras, desde há dois anos e menos, de acordo com o tempo que tinha perguntado com precisão aos Magos.

17. Cumpriu-se então o que foi declarado por Jeremias, o profeta, dizendo,

18. "Uma voz foi ouvida em Rama, lamentando, e chorando, e muito uivando, Rachel chorando [pelos] seus filhos; e ela não estava disposta a ser consolada, porque eles não o são".

19. E quando Herodes estava morto, eis que o anjo do Senhor, num sonho, aparece a José no Egipto,

20. Dizendo: "Levanta-te, toma o Menino e a Sua mãe, e vai para a terra de Israel; pois estão mortos os que procuravam a alma do Menino".

A luta de José dentro de si mesmo - quanto a aceitar ou não Maria e a criança - representa a batalha espiritual que cada um de nós deve travar no decurso da nossa regeneração. Uma coisa é receber o Senhor no entendimento (representado por José), mas outra bem diferente é permitir-lhe ordenar as coisas da nossa vontade - representado pelo anjo que diz a José para tomar Maria como sua esposa. Esta é a batalha mais feroz que agora começa "depois do nascimento de Jesus".

O antagonista é Herodes, o rei da Judeia na altura do nascimento de Jesus. Confortável e seguro no seu papel de governante supremo da terra, Herodes está profundamente perturbado com o relatório dos Sábios que dizem: "Onde está Aquele que nasceu Rei dos Judeus? Espiritualmente visto, Herodes, como rei de Israel, representa a total egocentrismo, a nossa vontade hereditária corrupta, erigindo-se como o governante das nossas vidas. Este é o nosso estado após catorze gerações de cativeiro na Babilónia - um estado em que somos governados pelas nossas mais elementares emoções: ganância, controlo, raiva, medo, ódio e ciúme. Podemos estar certos de que sempre que nos encontramos num estado como este, Herodes está sentado confortavelmente e com segurança no seu trono. Ele é um governante tirânico, facilmente ameaçado, mas não facilmente destronado. A sua força motivadora é destruir o Senhor em nós - mesmo no Seu nascimento - em vez de abdicar do seu controlo sobre nós.

Deus sabe que precisamos de protecção divina contra a ira de Herodes, que representa o nosso desejo egoísta de controlar. Portanto, Deus fala a José (como nos fala) num sonho, dizendo "Levanta-te, leva a criança e a sua mãe, foge para o Egipto, e permanece lá até que eu te traga notícias; pois Herodes está prestes a procurar a criança para O destruir" (2:13).

O Egipto, nessa altura, era um centro mundial para a educação e aprendizagem. A medicina, a matemática, a poesia e muitas outras áreas de estudo eram florescentes. Assim, a fuga de Jesus para o Egipto representa a necessidade que todos nós temos de educação básica, não apenas os três "R" padrão, (leitura, 'rito, e 'ritmética') mas também o quarto "R" - as noções básicas da religião.

A verdade religiosa, especialmente a mais básica, pode ajudar a defender-nos contra as investidas de Herodes - o déspota da nossa natureza inferior, um tirano feroz que se esforça por assassinar tudo o que é verdade em nós, mesmo no seu início mais inocente. Isto é representado pelo massacre de Herodes contra as crianças do sexo masculino em Belém e arredores: "Então Herodes, ao ver que era ridicularizado pelos sábios, ficou excessivamente zangado; e enviou e matou todas as crianças do sexo masculino que estavam em Belém, e em todos os seus distritos, desde os dois anos de idade e menores" (Mateus 2:16; ênfase acrescentada).

O nome "Belém", vem de duas palavras hebraicas: "Beth" que significa "casa" e "lechem" que significa "pão". Portanto, Belém significa "Casa do Pão" - um lugar de alimento espiritual. No contexto deste episódio, a destruição por Herodes de todos os filhos homens de Belém, com dois anos e menos, representa como as inclinações malignas podem destruir os nossos primeiros impulsos para aprender a verdade. Estes desejos mais antigos de adquirir o conhecimento da verdade são simbolizados pelos bebés masculinos de Belém. Sempre que caímos em estados de cinismo e cepticismo, recusando aprender ou confiar nos ensinamentos simples da Palavra, sempre que nos encontramos sem vontade de procurar a verdade, e sempre que as distracções do mundo nos afastam da busca da sabedoria, podemos saber que "Herodes" se ergueu nos nossos corações. Começou um massacre. "Herodes em nós" está a lutar para assassinar as qualidades inocentes e ternas que nasceram na nossa Belém celestial.

Mas se fugirmos e ficarmos no Egipto (como Jesus), seremos protegidos. É o local onde começa a nossa instrução. Trata-se de uma parte temporária, mas essencial do nosso desenvolvimento espiritual; temporária porque devemos eventualmente regressar à terra de Canaã, onde a verdade será aplicada às nossas vidas; e essencial, porque estas verdades básicas e naturais são o único meio pelo qual podemos estar preparados para receber os conhecimentos superiores que eventualmente fluirão de cima. ¹

Para a maioria de nós, o período da nossa instrução em verdades básicas pode durar muitos anos, bem até à adolescência e para além dela. Na verdade, nunca termina realmente. Ao longo das nossas vidas continuaremos a adquirir conhecimentos, tanto mundanos como espirituais. Iremos, por assim dizer, "descer ao Egipto". E, ao fazê-lo, aprendendo a verdade e pondo-a nas nossas vidas, começaremos a ver como os ensinamentos literais da Escritura "se abrem" como nuvens separadoras, revelando cada vez mais as verdades interiores que elas contêm.

No próprio caso de Jesus, este processo de aquisição da verdade básica foi muito mais rápido. Embora Mateus não nos diga quanto tempo Jesus permaneceu no Egipto, podemos assumir com segurança que Ele ainda era bastante jovem quando partiu, pois um anjo do Senhor veio a José num sonho, dizendo: "Levanta-te, toma a criança e a sua mãe, e vai para a terra de Israel, pois aqueles que procuraram a alma da criança estão mortos" (Mateus 2:20; ênfase acrescentada).

Crescer em Nazaré

21. E ele levantou-se, [e] tomou o Menino e a Sua mãe, e veio para a terra de Israel.

22. E ao ouvir que Arquelau reinava na Judeia em vez do seu pai Herodes, temeu ir para lá; mas sendo avisado num sonho, partiu para as partes da Galileia.

23. E, chegando, habitou numa cidade chamada Nazaré, para que se cumprisse o que foi declarado pelos profetas, que Ele deveria ser chamado Nazareno.

Eventualmente, José, Maria e a jovem Criança decidem regressar à Judeia. Isto representa o próximo passo na nossa jornada espiritual. Uma vez aprendidas as verdades simples, básicas e mais literais da Palavra (permanência no Egipto), é tempo de regressar à Judeia. É tempo de sermos mais instruídos, e de ver o que está mais escondido no interior da letra da Palavra. Este é um passo necessário no desenvolvimento espiritual de cada pessoa. A carta da Palavra serve como uma história literal de pessoas e lugares; é uma introdução à verdade básica. Não revela, contudo, todos os detalhes da nossa viagem espiritual, nem proporciona o tipo de discernimento de que necessitamos para o refinamento das nossas almas. Ainda não, mas isso certamente virá quando estivermos prontos para receber mais instruções.

Entretanto, como a narrativa divina continua, José é "avisado por Deus num sonho" de que ainda não é tempo de regressar à sua casa. Embora Herodes esteja morto, o seu filho ainda está no poder. E assim Maria, José e o jovem Menino afastam-se para a região da Galileia, para uma cidade chamada Nazaré. Este é mais um passo na viagem de desenvolvimento espiritual. Na linguagem da Sagrada Escritura, poderia ser chamado, "crescer em Nazaré".

Mas o que significa "crescer em Nazaré"?

Nazaré da Galileia era uma região primitiva povoada principalmente por agricultores, pescadores e comerciantes sem instrução que conheciam muito pouco sobre a teologia ou as leis do templo.

Ao contrário dos bem educados (mas mal orientados) líderes religiosos da Judeia, o povo da Galileia não fazia parte do estabelecimento religioso da época. Embora tivessem uma forte crença em Deus, não estavam familiarizados com as principais doutrinas ensinadas pelos líderes religiosos ou com as tradições das autoridades do templo. No entanto, uma simples crença em Deus é frequentemente melhor do que um sistema de crenças mais complicado baseado na razão humana do que na revelação divina. A este respeito, o "mundo erudito" olha frequentemente para as pessoas que acreditam na simplicidade que existe um Deus, e que Deus é bom. ²

O povo simples, trabalhador e bom de Nazaré, portanto, simboliza a humildade e simplicidade de que precisamos para acreditar em Deus e viver de acordo com os Seus ensinamentos. É notável que quase todos os primeiros discípulos vieram da Galileia. Não foi a sua formação teológica que os tornou receptivos aos ensinamentos de Jesus - pois eles tinham muito pouco. De facto, pode dizer-se que foi a ausência de formação teológica - ou, para ser mais preciso, a ausência de teologia falsa e enganadora - que os tornou receptivos às palavras de Jesus. ³

A Galileia, então, e a cidade de Nazaré que estava na região da Galileia, representam a simplicidade de coração e a bondade da vida que pode receber Deus abertamente sem cepticismo ou negatividade. Porque os seus princípios religiosos são simples e sem complicações - ama a Deus, ama o teu próximo - estas pessoas podem receber os ensinamentos de Jesus prontamente e com alegria. Tudo isto está contido na declaração escriturística de que Jesus cresceu em Nazaré da Galileia, na "terra dos gentios". ⁴ Estas palavras falam de um estado em nós "onde Jesus cresce" - um estado em que estamos dispostos a receber verdades básicas de forma simples, acrítica, e com alegria.

Como veremos mais adiante na narrativa, o facto de Jesus crescer em Nazaré, na terra dos gentios, será mantido contra Ele. Os líderes religiosos considerá-lo-ão pobre e pouco instruído, sem formação nos seus princípios religiosos e, portanto, incapaz de compreender ou transmitir a verdade espiritual a qualquer pessoa. E no entanto, à medida que este episódio se encerrar, ficamos a saber que o Seu crescimento em Nazaré é o cumprimento da profecia, pois lemos: "E veio e habitou numa cidade chamada Nazaré, para que se cumprisse o que foi dito pelos profetas: 'Ele será chamado Nazareno'" (2:23).

Ao reflectirmos sobre este momento milagroso na vida inicial de Jesus, torna-se evidente que as verdades mais simples e básicas que aprendemos (Egipto) devem ser protegidas num lugar de confiança simples e de fé não ligada (Nazaré da Galileia). Esta é uma etapa necessária na qual as verdades primitivas da letra da Palavra podem aprofundar-se e desenvolver-se. É por isso que sentimos um desejo natural de proteger a inocência das crianças das influências corruptoras - Herodes, e o filho de Herodes. E é o mesmo com cada um de nós à medida que aprendemos novas verdades com a letra da Palavra, e permitimos que ela cresça dentro de nós num estado de fé simples.

V:

619. But in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey, signifies outwardly delightful. This is evident from the signification of "mouth," as being what is exterior; for this treats of the little book and eating it up, and "the little book" signifies the Word, and "eating it up" signifies perception and exploration; thence "the mouth," which first receives, means the external of the Word. It is evident also from the signification of "sweet as honey," as being the delight of natural good. The external of the Word was "sweet as honey," that is, thus delightful, because the external of the Word is such that it can be applied to any love whatever, or to any principle derived therefrom; and these can be confirmed by it. The external of the Word, which is the sense of its letter, is such because many things in it are written in accordance with the appearances presented to the natural man, and many appearances, when not interiorly understood, are fallacies, like the fallacies of the senses. Those, therefore, who love to live for the body and for the world, by means of these appearances draw over the external of the Word to confirm evils of life and falsities of faith.

[2] This was done especially by the sons of Jacob, who applied all things of the Word to themselves, and from the sense of the letter they held the belief, and also maintain it to this day, that they were chosen in preference to others, and therefore were a holy nation; that their Jerusalem, the temple there, the ark, the altar, the sacrifices, with innumerable other things, were holy of themselves; they did not know, and did not wish to know, that the holiness of all those things proceeded solely from this, that they represented things Divine proceeding from the Lord that are called celestial and spiritual, and are the holy things of heaven and the church, and that to think that these are holy of themselves, and not because of the Divine things they represent, would be to falsify and adulterate the Word by applying it to themselves and to their own loves. It was similar with their belief respecting the Messiah, that he would be king of the world, and would raise them above all other nations and peoples throughout the globe; not to mention other things which they gathered from the mere sense of the letter of the Word, which to them were sweet as honey in the mouth. This is why the things in the spiritual sense of the Word are undelightful, for in that sense are the truths themselves which are not according to appearances; as that the Jewish nation itself was not holy, but worse than every other nation, consequently that it was not chosen; that the city of Jerusalem merely signifies the Lord's church and doctrine respecting Him and the holy things of heaven and the church; and that the temple, the ark, the altar, and the sacrifices represented the Lord and the holy things that proceed from Him, and that for this and no other reason were they holy. These are truths that are stored up inwardly in the sense of the letter of the Word, that is, in its internal spiritual sense; and these truths they deny, because, as was said, they have falsified and adulterated the Word in the sense of the letter; and these things therefore are undelightful to them, like foods that are bitter in the belly.

[3] It is said that the little book was "in the mouth sweet as honey," because "honey" signifies the delight of natural good; that "honey" signifies that delight can be seen from the following passages. In Ezekiel:

It was said to the prophet, Open wide thy mouth and eat that I give thee. And I saw and behold, a hand was put forth unto me, and lo, the roll of a book was therein; and when he had spread it before me it was written in front and behind, and written thereon were dirges, moaning, and woe. Then he said unto me, Son of man, eat this roll, and go speak unto the house of Israel. Then he said unto me, Feed thy belly and fill thy bowels with this roll that I give thee; and when I ate it, it was in my mouth as honey for sweetness. And he said, Go to the house of Israel and speak my words unto them (Ezekiel 2:8-10; 3:1-4).

These things involve things altogether similar to those in Revelation. The command to the prophet Ezekiel "to eat the roll of the book" involves something similar as the command to John "to eat the little book," namely, to explore how the Divine truth which is in the Word is yet received, perceived, and appropriated by those who are of the church; for the prophet Ezekiel and John represent the doctrine of truth and the Word, therefore the exploration was made with them. It was made by eating a book, because "to eat" signifies to perceive and thus to appropriate, as has been shown above; and when this has been ascertained, namely, how the Word was still perceived, it is said to the prophet Ezekiel that "he should go to the house of Israel and speak to them the words of God;" also to the prophet John that "he must prophesy," that is, still teach the Word in the church; and this because the book was perceived to be "in his mouth sweet as honey," that is, because the Word in the sense of the letter is still delightful, but for the reason that this sense can be applied to any principles of falsity and to any loves of evil, and can thus serve them in confirming the delights of the natural life separated from the delights of the spiritual life; and when these are separated they become mere delights of the loves of the body and of the world whence are principles of falsity from fallacies.

[4] In Isaiah:

A virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name God-with-us. Butter and honey shall He eat, that He may know to reject the evil and to choose the good (Isaiah 7:14, 15).

That this was said of the Lord is proved in Matthew (Matthew 1:23). Anyone can see that "butter and honey" do not mean here butter and honey, but something Divine corresponding to them, for it is added, "that He may know to reject the evil and to choose the good," and that is not known by eating butter and honey; but "butter" signifies the delight of spiritual good, and "honey" the delight of natural good, consequently the two signify the Lord's Divine spiritual and Divine natural, and thus His Human, interior and exterior. That the Lord's Human is meant can be seen from its being said that "a virgin shall conceive and bear a son;" and that it is Divine from its being said, "and shall call His name God-with-us," "to call a name" signifying the quality of a thing, here what the Divine is, for He was to be called "God-with-us."

[5] "Butter and honey" also signify the delight of spiritual and natural good in these words in the same chapter:

Butter and honey shall everyone eat that remains in the land (verse 22).

"That remains" mean those that are inwardly and also outwardly good from the Lord, consequently who receive the good proceeding from the Lord in truths; the blessedness therefrom of the internal or spiritual man, and also of the external or natural man, is signified by "butter and honey."

[6] In Job:

He shall suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue shall slay him. He shall not see the streams, the flowings of the brooks of honey and butter (Job 20:16, 17).

This is said of hypocrites who talk well and smoothly about God, about the neighbor, and about heaven and the church, and yet think altogether otherwise; and because they cunningly contrive by these means to captivate minds, although in heart they cherish what is infernal, it is said, "He shall suck the poison of asps, the viper's tongue shall slay him." That such have no delight in natural good or spiritual good is meant by "He shall not see the streams, the flowings of the brooks of honey and butter," "streams" meaning the things of intelligence, and "the flowings of the brooks of honey and butter," the things therefrom that are of affection and love, which are the very delights of heavenly life. Every delight of life that abides to eternity is a delight of spiritual good and truth, and from that a delight of natural good and truth; but hypocritical delight is a natural delight separate from spiritual delight, and this delight is turned in the other life into what is direfully infernal. Evidently "butter and honey" do not mean here butter and honey, for where, in the world, can there be found "flowings of brooks of honey and butter"?

[7] "Milk and honey" have a similar signification as "butter and honey;" and as "milk" signifies the delight of spiritual good, and "honey" the delight of natural good, and these delights are with those who are of the Lord's church, therefore the land of Canaan, which signifies the church, was called:

A land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8, 17; Leviticus 20:24; Numbers 13:27; 14:8; Deuteronomy 6:3; 11:9; 26:9, 15; 27:3; 31:20; Joshua 5:6; Jeremiah 11:5; 32:22; Ezekiel 20:6).

That in the Word "the land of Canaan" means the church has been shown above (n. 29, 304, 431); and the church is with those only who are in spiritual good and at the same time in natural good; in such the church is formed by the Lord; for the church is in man and not outside of him, consequently is not with those with whom these goods are not. These goods with their delights are signified by "milk and honey."

[8] There was also much honey in the land of Canaan at that time, because at that time the church of the Lord was there, as can be seen from the first book of Samuel, where it is said:

That they came into the forest, where there was honey upon the face of the ground, and there was a stream of honey, and Jonathan's eyes were opened by tasting the honey (1 Samuel 14:25-27, 29).

"Jonathan's eyes were opened by tasting the honey" because "honey" corresponds to natural good and its delight, and this good gives intelligence and enlightens, from which Jonathan knew that he had done evil; as we read in Isaiah, "He shall eat butter and honey, that he may know to reject the evil and to choose the good." For at that time correspondences exhibited their effects outwardly, since all things of the Israelitish Church consisted of correspondences, which represented and signified things celestial and spiritual.

[9] Again, "oil and honey" have a similar signification as "butter and honey" in the following passages. In Moses:

He made him to ride on the high places of the earth, and fed him with the produce of the fields; he made him to suck honey out of the cliff, and oil out of the flint of the rock (Deuteronomy 32:13).

This is in the song of Moses, which treats of the church in its beginning, and afterward in its progress, and finally in its end. Those that constituted the Ancient Church are described by these words, not those however who constituted the Israelitish Church, for these were evil from the beginning even to the end, as can be seen from their fathers in Egypt, and afterwards in the wilderness; but the Ancient Church, the men of which are meant by "their fathers," was that which the Lord "made to ride on the high places of the earth, and fed with the produce of the fields." That to these the good of natural love and the good of spiritual love with their delights were given by means of truths, from which they had their intelligence and according to which they lived, is signified by "he made him to suck honey out of the cliff, and oil out of the flint of the rock," "honey" signifying the delight of natural love, "oil," the delight of spiritual love, and "the cliff" and "the flint of the rock," truth from the Lord. (That "oil" signifies the good of love and charity, may be seen above, n. 375; and that "cliffs" and "rocks" signify truth from the Lord, n. 411, 443)

[10] In David:

I fed ¹ them with the fat of wheat, and with honey out of the rock I satisfied them (Psalms 81:16).

"The fat of wheat" signifies the delight of spiritual good, and "honey out of the rock," the delight of natural good through truths from the Lord (as above). It is to be known that natural good is not good unless there is also spiritual good; for all good flows in through the spiritual man or mind into the natural man or mind, and so far as the natural man or mind receives the good of the spiritual man or mind so far man receives good; that there may be good there must be both, or the two sides, consequently natural good separated from spiritual good is in itself evil, although by man it is still perceived as good. Since there must be both, it is said in the passages cited and yet to be cited, "butter and honey," "milk and honey;" "fat and honey," as also "oil and honey;" and "butter," "milk," "fat," and "oil" signify the good of spiritual love, and "honey" the good of natural love, together with their delights.

[11] In Ezekiel:

Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver, and thy garments were fine linen and silk and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, honey, and oil, whence thou didst become exceeding beautiful, and didst prosper even to a kingdom. But my bread which I gave thee, and the fine flour and oil and honey with which I fed thee, thou didst set before idols as an odor of rest (Ezekiel 16:13, 19).

This is said about Jerusalem, which signifies the church, first the Ancient Church, and afterwards the Israelitish Church. Of the Ancient Church it is said "she was decked with gold and silver," which signifies the love of good and truth that the men of that Church had; "the garments of fine linen, silk, and broidered work," signify the knowledges of celestial, spiritual, and natural truth, "fine linen" signifying truth from a celestial origin, "silk" truth from a spiritual origin, and "broidered work" truth from a natural origin, which is called knowledge [scientificum]. "She ate fine flour, honey and oil," signifies the perception of natural and spiritual truth and good, and their appropriation, "to eat" signifying to be appropriated, "fine flour" truth, "honey" natural good, and "oil" spiritual good, which were appropriated to them by a life according to the truths above mentioned. "She became exceeding beautiful and prospered even to a kingdom" signifies to become intelligent and wise so as to constitute a church, "beauty" signifying intelligence and wisdom, and a "kingdom" the church. But of the Israelitish Church, which was merely in externals without internals, whence the men of that church were idolatrous, it is said that "they set the fine flour, honey, and oil before the images of a male, or idols, as an odor of rest," that is, they perverted the truths and goods of the church into falsities and evils, and thus profaned them.

[12] In the same:

Judah and the land of Israel were thy merchants in the wheats of Minnith and Pannag, and honey and oil and balsam they gave for thy merchandise (Ezekiel 27:17).

This is said of Tyre, which signifies the church in respect to the knowledges of truth and good; so, too, "Tyre" signifies the knowledges of truth and good themselves belonging to the church; "oil and honey" have a similar signification as above. What is meant here in the spiritual sense by "Judah and the land of Israel," by "the wheats of Minnith and Pannag," and by "balsam," also by "the merchandise of Tyre," may be seen explained above n. 433.

[13] In Moses:

A land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths going forth from the valley and mountain; a land of wheat and barley, and of vine and fig-tree and pomegranate; and of olive oil and honey (Deuteronomy 8:7, 8).

This is said of the land of Canaan, which means the church which is in celestial, spiritual, and natural good, and in truths therefrom; but the contents of this verse are explained above (n. 374, 403), showing that "oil and honey" here signify the good of love in the internal or spiritual man and in the external or natural man.

[14] In David:

The judgments of Jehovah are truth, they are righteous altogether; more desirable than gold and than much fine gold; and sweeter than honey and the dropping of honeycombs (Psalms 19:9, 10).

In the same:

I have not departed from Thy judgment; for Thou hast instructed me. How sweet are Thy words to my palate, more than honey to my mouth (Psalms 119:102, 103).

"Judgments" signify the truths and goods of worship, therefore it is said "the judgments of Jehovah are truth, they are righteous altogether;" "righteous" signifies the good of life and worship therefrom; and as good is also signified by "gold" and "fine gold," it is said that "they are more desirable than gold and than much fine gold," "gold" meaning celestial good, "fine gold" spiritual good, and "desirable" means what belongs to affection and love. Since the goods by which a man is affected are delightful it is said that they are "sweeter than honey and the dropping of honeycombs," and that "the words of Jehovah are sweet to the palate, more than honey to the mouth," "sweet" signifying what is delightful, "honey" natural good, and "the dropping of honeycombs" natural truth. And because "honey" means natural good, and the "mouth" signifies what is external, it is said "more than honey to my mouth," as in Revelation, that "the little book was sweet as honey in the mouth."

[15] In Luke:

Jesus said to the disciples, who believed that they saw a spirit, See My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; feel of Me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me having. Then He said to them, Have ye here anything to eat? And they gave Him a piece of a broiled fish and of a honeycomb. And He took it and did eat it before them (Luke 24:39, 41-43).

From the series of these words regarded in the spiritual sense it is very evident that "honeycomb" and "honey" signify natural good, for the Lord disclosed to His disciples that He had glorified or made Divine His whole Human, even to its natural and sensual; this is signified by "hands and feet" and by "flesh and bones," which they saw and felt, "hands and feet" signifying the ultimate of man which is called the natural, "flesh" its good, and "bones" its truth; for all things that are in the human body correspond to spiritual things, the "flesh" corresponding to the good of the natural man, and the "bones" to its truths. (On this correspondence, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 87-102.) And this the Lord confirmed by eating before the disciples of the broiled fish and honeycomb; "the broiled fish" signifying the truth of good of the natural and sensual man, and "the honeycomb," the good of the truth of the same. The Lord, therefore, by letting them feel of Him, showed and confirmed that His whole Human, even to its ultimates, was glorified, that is, made Divine; and this He showed, too, by the eating, in that "He ate before them a piece of broiled fish and of a honeycomb."

[16] As "honey" signifies the good of the natural man, so also:

John the Baptist had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6).

For John the Baptist represented something similar as Elijah; wherefore it is also said that "Elijah should come," by whom John is meant. Elijah represented the Lord in relation to the Word, or the Word from the Lord; John had a similar representation; and as the Word teaches that the Messiah or the Lord was about to come, John was sent before to preach respecting the Lord's coming, according to the predictions in the Word. And as John represented the Word, therefore he represented the ultimates of the Word, which are natural, by his raiment and also by his food, namely, by his raiment of camel's hair and the leathern girdle about his loins; "camel's hair" signifying the ultimates of the natural man, such as are the exterior things of the Word, and "the leathern girdle about the loins," the external bond and connection of these with the interior things of the Word, which are spiritual. "Locust and wild honey" have a like signification, "locust" signifying the truth of the natural man, and "wild honey" its good. It is the same whether you say the truth and good of the natural man or natural truth and good, such as the Word is in its ultimate sense, which is called the sense of the letter or the natural sense, for this was what John represented by his raiment and food.

[17] That:

No leaven and no honey were to be offered in the offerings made by fire to Jehovah (Leviticus 2:11);

because "leaven" signifies the falsity of the natural man, and "honey" the delight of good of the natural man, and in the contrary sense the delight of its evil; this is also like leaven when it is mixed with such things as signify things interiorly holy, for natural delight draws its own from the delights of the love of self and of the world; and as the Israelitish nation was in such delights more than other nations, therefore they were forbidden to use honey in their sacrifices. (On the signification of "honey," as meaning the delight of the good of the natural man, see Arcana Coelestia 5650, 6857, 8056, 10137, 10530)

[18] That:

When Samson had rent the young lion he found in its carcass a swarm of bees and honey, when he was about to take a wife from the Philistine nation (Judges 14:8);

signified the dissipation of faith separated from charity, which the Philistine nation represented; for this reason the Philistines were called "uncircumcised," and this term signified that they were without spiritual love and charity and only in natural love, which is the love of self and of the world. Because such a faith destroys the good of charity it was represented by a young lion that attacked Samson with intent to tear him in pieces, but as Samson was a Nazirite, and by his Naziriteship represented the Lord in respect to His ultimate natural, he rent the lion, and afterwards found in its carcass "a swarm of bees and honey," and this signifies that when such faith has been dissipated, the good of charity succeeds in its place. The other things related of Samson in the book of Judges have a like signification; for there is nothing written in the Word that does not represent and signify such things as belong to heaven and the church, and these can be known only by a knowledge of correspondences, and thus from the spiritual sense of the Word.

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