323. Having every one of them harps. That this signifies confession from spiritual truths, is evident from the signification of the harp, as denoting confession from spiritual truths. Harps, signify this because the harp was a stringed instrument, and such instruments signify spiritual things, or those of truth; whereas wind instruments signify celestial things, or those of good. Such things are signified by musical instruments, from the sounds, for sound corresponds to the affections, and from sounds also affections are perceived in heaven. And because there are various affections, and various sounds are uttered by musical instruments, therefore the latter, from correspondence, and thence agreement, signify the former. In general, stringed instruments signify such things as belong to the affections of truth, and wind instruments such as belong to the affections of good; or, what is the same thing, some instruments belong to the spiritual class, and some to the celestial class. That sounds correspond to affections, has been made clear to me from much experience, and also musical sounds, and that the angels are affected according to the sounds and their varieties; but to adduce all such experience would be tedious in this place. That only which has been generally observed, I desire to record, namely, that discrete sounds arouse the affections of truth, or that those who are in the affections of truth are affected by them; and that continuous sounds arouse the affections of good, or that those who are in affections of good are affected by them. Whether you say the affections of truth or spiritual things, it amounts to the same, or whether you say the affections of good or celestial things, it is also the same. But these things can be better comprehended from what has been said from experience concerning sounds and their correspondence with the affections, in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 241. From these considerations it is now evident, why, in the Word, and chiefly in David, so many kinds of musical instruments are mentioned, as psalteries, harps, flutes, cymbals, timbrels, horns, organs, and others, namely, that it is on account of correspondence with the affections, and at the same time with the articulations, which are expressions that contain things, and flow therefrom.

[2] That especially harps signify the affections of truth, because they arouse them, consequently also the confession which is made from spiritual truths with a merry heart, is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah:

"The new wine shall mourn, the vine shall languish, all the merry-hearted shall sigh. The joy of timbrels shall cease, the noise of the merry shall cease; the joy of the harp shall cease. They shall not drink wine with a song" (24:7, 8, 9).

The subject here treated of is the vastation of the spiritual church, or the good and truth thereof. Spiritual good that would cease, is signified by, the new wine shall mourn and the joy of timbrels shall cease; and that its truth would cease, is signified by, the vine shall languish, and the joy of the harp shall cease; for by new wine is signified spiritual good, and its joy by the timbrel; and by the vine is signified spiritual truth, and its joy by the harp. Because it is the affection of those things which would cease, it is therefore said, "All the merry-hearted shall sigh, the noise of the merry shall cease." By gladness and mirth in the Word are signified spiritual gladness and mirth, all of which are from the affections of truth and good. It is added, they shall not drink wine with a song, because by a song is signified testification of gladness from the affection of truth, and by wine is signified truth.

[3] In David:

"Confess unto Jehovah upon the harp; sing unto him upon a psaltery of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play excellently with a loud noise. For the Word of Jehovah is right; and all his work [is done] in truth" (Psalms 33:2, 3, 4).

Because the harp signifies confession from spiritual truths, it is therefore said, Confess unto Jehovah upon the harp. A psaltery of ten strings signifies corresponding spiritual good; therefore it is said, Sing unto him upon a psaltery of ten strings; and on this account also it is said, For the Word of Jehovah is right, and all his work [is done] in truth, the truth of good being signified by, the Word of Jehovah is right, and the good of truth by, all His work is done in truth; the truth of good is the truth which proceeds from good, and the good of truth is the good which is produced by truth.

[4] In the same:

"Send thy light and thy truth; let them lead me; let them bring me unto the mountain of thy holiness, and to thy habitations, that I may confess unto thee upon the harp, O God, my God" (Psalms 43:3, 4).

That the harp signifies confession from spiritual truths is evident, for it is said, "I will confess unto thee upon the harp, O God, my God; and it is also premised, send "Thy light and thy truth; let them lead me."

[5] In the same:

"I will confess unto thee upon the psaltery, even thy truth, O my God; unto thee will I sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel" (Psalms 71:22).

Because by the psaltery is signified spiritual good or the good of truth, and by the harp spiritual truth or the truth of good, and confession is made from each, therefore it is said, "I will confess unto thee upon the psaltery; unto thee will I sing with the harp."

[6] In the same:

"I will sing and play. Awake me my glory, awake me, psaltery and harp. I will confess unto thee, O Lord, among the nations, I will praise thee among the peoples" (Psalms 57:8, 9; 108:2, 3).

Confession and glorification from the good of truth or from spiritual good, and from the truth of good or from spiritual truth, are expressed in the particulars of this passage. The good of truth is expressed by singing, by being awaked by the psaltery, and by praising among the nations; and the truth of good by praising, by being awaked by the harp, and by praising among the peoples; for nations in the Word mean those who are in good, and peoples those who are in truth; in this case those who are in spiritual truth. It is so said, because where good is treated of in the Word, truth also is treated of, and this on account of their marriage in the particulars thereof (concerning which see above, n. 238, at end, 288).

[7] In the same:

"Answer unto Jehovah with confession; sing praise upon the harp unto our God" (Psalms 147:7).

Here also confession from spiritual good and from spiritual truth is expressed by answering unto Jehovah with confession, and by playing upon the harp unto our God; from spiritual good, by answering unto Jehovah; and from spiritual truth, by playing upon the harp unto God. Jehovah is also mentioned where the subject treated of is concerning good, and God where it is treated concerning truth. (As may be seen, n. 709, 732, 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4287, 4402, 7010, 9167.)

[8] In Ezekiel:

"And I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of thy harps shall be no more heard. And I will give thee to the dryness of the rock" (26:13, 14).

This is said respecting Tyre, by which is signified the church as to the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth. Its vastation is described by these words; vastation as to knowledges of good by, I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and vastation as to knowledges of truth by, "The sound of harps shall be no more heard"; the desolation of all truth by, "I will give thee to the dryness of the rock"; a rock signifying truth, and its dryness desolation.

[9] In David:

"Make a loud noise unto Jehovah, all the earth; resound, rejoice, and sing. Sing unto Jehovah with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a song. With trumpets and the sound of a horn, make a loud noise before Jehovah, the King" (Psalms 98:4-6).

The various kinds of affections from which confession and glorification of the Lord are made, are here expressed by the various kinds of sounds and instruments; by the various kinds of sounds, by making a loud noise, resounding, rejoicing, and singing; and by the various kinds of instruments, by harps, trumpets, and horns; but to expound the signification of each does not belong to this place, only what relates to the harp. To "Sing unto Jehovah with the harp, with the harp and the voice of a song," signifies confession from the affection of spiritual good and truth; for every affection, because it belongs to love, when it falls into sound, sounds agreeably to itself; whence also from the sound that is in speech, and in which the expressions of speech flow, as it were, the affection of another is heard, which also is thence known to an associate, and manifestly in the spiritual world, where all sounds of the speech indicate the affections.

[10] Also elsewhere in David, as the following passages:

"Rejoice in God our strength; cry aloud unto the God of Jacob. Lift up the song and strike the timbrel, the pleasant harp, with the psaltery. Blow the horn at the new moon, at the time appointed, on the day of our solemn festival" (Psalms 81:1, 2, 3).

"[It is] good to confess unto Jehovah, and to sing unto thy name, O Most High; upon an instrument of ten strings, and upon the psaltery upon the harp with a solemn sound" (Psalms 92:1, 3).

"Let the sons of Zion exult in their King; let them praise his name in the dance; let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp" (Psalms 149:2, 3).

"Praise God with the sound of the horn; praise him with the psaltery and harp; praise him with the timbrel and dance; praise him with the stringed instruments and the organ. Praise him with cymbals of soft sound; praise him with cymbals of loud sound" (Psalms 150:3-5).

[11] Because musical instruments and also dances signify joys and gladnesses, which spring from the affections, and also the affections of the mind themselves, which their sounds produce both in what is simple and in what is compound, therefore

"David and the whole house of Israel played before Jehovah upon wooden instruments of every kind, and upon harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels, and on cornets, and on cymbals" (2 Sam. 6:5).

[12] Because the harp signifies confession from spiritual truths; and spiritual truths are those by which the angels who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom are affected, and which dissipate the falsities of evil, and with them the spirits themselves who are in them, therefore,

When the evil spirit was upon Saul, "David took a harp, and played with his hand; and thus rest was given to Saul, and the evil spirit departed from him" (1 Sam. 16:23).

This was done because kings represented the Lord as to the spiritual kingdom, and thence signified spiritual truths (as may been seen, n. 31); but Saul then represented the falsities opposed to those truths, - falsities that were dissipated by the sound of the harp, because the harp signified the spiritual affection of truth. This circumstance took place at that time, because with the sons of Israel all things were representative, and thence significative; it is otherwise at this day. From the passages which have now been adduced, it is clear what the harp signifies, besides also in other places (as Isaiah 30:31, 32; Psalms 49:3, 4; Psalms 137:1, 2; 1 Sam. 10:5; Rev. 14:2; 18:22; Job 30:31).

[13] Because most things in the Word also signify the opposite, so also do musical instruments, in which sense they signify gladnesses and joys springing from the affections of falsity and evil; thus the harp also [signifies] the confession of falsity, and thence exultation over the destruction of truth. As in Isaiah:

"At the end of seventy years the song of Tyre shall be even as the song of a harlot; take the harp, walk in the city, thou harlot delivered to forgetfulness; play elegantly, increase the singing" (23:15, 16).

By Tyre is signified the church as to the cognitions of spiritual truth and good, as was said above, in this case the church in which these are falsified; a harlot signifies the falsification of truth (as may be seen above, n. 141); and by taking a harp, walking about the city, playing elegantly, and increasing the singing, is signified the exultation and boasting of falsity over the destruction of truth.

[14] And in the same:

"Woe to them that rise in the morning at dawn that they may follow strong drink; to them that tarry until twilight, till wine inflame him. And the harp, and the psaltery, and the timbrel, and pipe, and wine are at their feasts; but the), do not examine the work of Jehovah, and see not the operation of his hands" (5:11, 12).

Here the harp, the psaltery, the timbrel, the pipe, and also wine, are meant in the opposite sense, in which they signify exultations and boastings from the falsities of evil. That such things are signified, is evident, for it is said, Woe to them; they do not examine the work of Jehovah, and they see not the operation of his hands.

288. (Verse 9) And when the animals gave glory and honour and thanks. That this signifies Divine truth, Divine good and glorification, is evident from the signification of glory and honour, when said of the Lord, as being Divine truth and Divine good; glory denotes Divine truth, and honour Divine good, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of thanks, as being glorification. What is here meant by glorification shall be first explained. Glorification, when from the Lord, is the perpetual influx of Divine good united to Divine truth with angels and with men; and with both the former and the latter, glorification of the Lord is reception and acknowledgment in heart that all good and truth are from the Lord, and consequently all intelligence, wisdom and happiness; this is signified, in the spiritual sense, by giving thanks. All glorification also of the Lord which comes from the angels of heaven and the members of the church, is not from themselves, but flows into them from the Lord. The glorification which is from men and not from the Lord is not from the heart, but only from the activity of the memory, and so from the mouth; and what proceeds only from the memory and the mouth, and not by means of them from the heart, is not heard in heaven, consequently is not received by the Lord, but passes into the world like any other sonorous words. This glorification is not acknowledgment in heart that all good and all truth are from the Lord. It is said acknowledgment in heart, by which is meant from the life of the love; for the heart, in the Word signifies love, and love is a life according to the Lord's precepts. When man is in this life, then there is glorification of the Lord, which is the acknowledgment from the heart that all good and all truth are from the Lord.

This is also meant by being glorified in these words in John:

"If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and that ye shall be my disciples" (15:7, 8).

[2] The reason why the four animals, which were cherubim, gave glory and honour and thanks, is that Divine truth and Divine good and glorification, which are signified by glory, honour and thanks, proceed and flow-in from the Lord; for those cherubim signify the Lord as to providence and guardianship (see above, n. 277). They were in the midst of the throne and about the throne (as is clear from the 6th verse of this chapter) and upon the throne was the Lord (verse 2). It is therefore evident that those things were from the Lord. But reception and acknowledgment in heart are meant by the words of the verse following, where it is said, that after these things were heard, "The four-and-twenty elders fell down before him that sat upon the throne, and worshipped him that liveth unto the ages of the ages, and cast their crowns before the throne."

[3] In the Word mention is frequently made of glory and honour, and glory everywhere signifies truth, and honour good. The reason why they are mentioned together is because in each particular of the Word there is the heavenly marriage, which is the conjunction of truth and good. And the reason why such marriage is in each particular of the Word is that the Divine which proceeds from the Lord is Divine truth united to Divine good; and because these together constitute heaven, and also the church, therefore they are together in every particular of the Word, and similarly, the Divine from the Lord, and the Lord Himself. This is why the Word is most holy. (That there is such a marriage in all things of the Word, may be seen above, n. 238, and in Arcana Coelestia 2516, 2712, 3004, 3005, 3009, 4138, 5138, 5194, 5502, 6343, 7022, 7945, 8339, 9263, 9314). That glory signifies Divine truth from the Lord, may be seen above (n. 33).

[4] That honour signifies Divine good, follows from what has been said concerning the heavenly marriage in every part of the Word; as is also evident from the following passages. In David:

"Jehovah made the heavens, glory and honour are before him, strength and beauty are in his sanctuary" (Psalms 96:5, 6).

By the heavens is meant the Divine which proceeds from the Lord, because the heavens are from that; and because the Divine which proceeds, and which constitutes the heavens, is Divine truth and Divine good, it is therefore said, "glory and honour are before him"; by sanctuary is meant the church; the Divine good and the Divine truth therein are meant by strength and beauty. (That the Divine of the Lord constitutes the heavens, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 7-12, and that the Divine of the Lord in the heavens is Divine truth and Divine good, n. 7, 13, 133, 137, 139, 140).

[5] Again:

"O Jehovah, God very great; thou art clothed with glory and honour" (Psalms 104:1).

By being clothed with glory and honour, when said of Jehovah, is signified His girding Himself with Divine truth and Divine good, for these proceed from Him, and thence gird Him, and thus constitute the heavens; therefore in the Word they are called His garments and covering (as may be seen above, n. 65 and 271).

[6] Again:

"The works of Jehovah are great. Glory and honour are his work" (Psalms 111:2, 3).

By the works of Jehovah are meant all things that proceed from, and are effected by Him; and because they have reference to Divine truth and good, it is therefore said, "Glory and honour are his work."

[7] Again:

"Generation to generation shall praise thy works, and shall declare thy virtues. I will speak of the honour of the magnificence of thy glory, and will meditate on the words of thy wonders, and I will make known to the sons of men his virtues, and the glory of the honour of his kingdom" (Psalms 145:4, 5, 12).

The honour of the magnificence of Thy glory, denotes the Divine good united to the Divine truth, and the glory of the honour, denotes the Divine truth united to the Divine good. The reason of this form of expression is that the union is reciprocal. For from the Lord proceeds the Divine good united to the Divine truth; but by the angels in heaven, and by men in the church, Divine truth is received, and is united to Divine good; hence it is said, the glory of the honour of his kingdom; for by His kingdom are meant heaven and the church.

[8] Again:

"Glory and honour thou wilt lay upon him. For thou makest him a blessing for ever" (Psalms 21:5, 6).

These things are spoken concerning the Lord, and by glory and honour upon Him are meant all Divine truth and Divine good.

[9] Again:

"Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O powerful one, in thy glory and thine honour; in thine honour mount, ride upon the word of truth" (Psalms 45:3, 4).

This passage treats also of the Lord; and to gird the sword upon the thigh signifies Divine truth fighting from Divine good (that this is signified by a sword upon the thigh, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 10488). And because from Divine truth He subjugated the hells, and brought the heavens into order, therefore it is said, O powerful one in glory and honour, and also, in honour mount and ride upon the word of truth. In honour mount and ride upon the word of truth signifies to act from Divine good by means of Divine truth.

[10] Again:

"Thou hast made him to lack a little of the angels, but thou hast crowned him with glory and honour" (Psalms 8:5).

This also is spoken of the Lord. His state of humiliation is described by causing Him to lack a little of the angels, His state of glorification by His being crowned with glory and honour. By glorifying is meant the uniting of the Lord's Divine itself with His Human, and the making this latter also Divine.

[11] In Isaiah:

"Be glad ye wilderness and dry place, and let the plain of the wilderness exult and flourish as a rose, in flourishing let it flourish and exult; the glory of Lebanon is given to it, the honour of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of Jehovah and the honour of our God" (35:1, 2).

Here the enlightenment of the nations is treated of; their ignorance of truth and good is signified by the wilderness and the dry place; their joy in consequence of instruction in truths and enlightenment therefrom is signified by being glad, exulting and flourishing; the glory of Lebanon which shall be given to them signifies Divine truth; and the honour of Carmel and Sharon signifies the Divine good which they receive. It is therefore said that they shall see the glory of Jehovah and the honour of our God.

[12] Again, in the Apocalypse:

"And the nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth do bring their glory and honour into it. And they shall bring the glory and honour of the nations into it" (21:24, 26).

This is said of the New Jerusalem, by which is signified the New Church in the heavens and on earth. By the nations therefore are signified all those who are in good; and by the kings of the earth are signified all those who are in truths from good; concerning both of these it is said that "they shall bring their glory and honour into it," by which is meant worship from the good of love to the Lord, and from the truths of faith which are from the good of charity towards the neighbour.