Arcana Coelestia #6377
6377. 'He washes his clothing in wine' means that His Natural consists in Divine Truth from His Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'washing' as purifying, dealt with in 3147; from the meaning of 'wine' as the good of love towards the neighbour and the good of faith, and in the highest sense as Divine Truth from the Lord's Divine Good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'clothing' as the exterior which covers the interior, dealt with in 5248, thus the natural since this is exterior and covers the rational, which is interior. Therefore 'clothing' also means truth since this is exterior and covers good, which is interior, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5319, 5954.
[2] The fact that 'wine' means love towards the neighbour and the good of faith may be recognized from what has been shown regarding the bread and wine in the Holy Supper, in 2165, 2177, 3464, 4581, 5915. These paragraphs show that 'bread' is the good of celestial love, and that 'wine' is the good of spiritual love. The same may also be recognized from the minchah and the drink-offering in sacrifices. The minchah in them meant the good of love, and the drink-offering the good of faith. The minchah consisted of the kinds of things that meant the good of love, while the drink-offering consisted of wine that meant the good of faith. The sacrifices themselves were also called 'bread', 2165. For the use in sacrifices of a drink-offering consisting of wine, see Exodus 29:40; Leviticus 23:12-13, 18-19; Numbers 15:2-15; 28:6-7, 18-end; 29:1-7 and following verses.
[3] The meaning that 'wine' has of love towards the neighbour and the good of faith is also evident in Isaiah,
Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! And come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1.
No one can fail to see that they did not have to buy wine and milk, but that they were to acquire what is meant by 'wine and milk', which is love towards the neighbour and faith. These gifts come from the Lord 'without money and without price'.
[4] In Hosea,
Threshing-floor and winepress will not feed them, and new wine will be deceptive to her. 1 Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean. They will not pour libations of wine to Jehovah, their sacrifices will not be pleasing to Him. Hosea 9:1-4.
Here also in the internal sense reference is made to the good of love and the good of faith, to the demise of them. The good of love is meant by 'threshing-floor' by virtue of the grain there and the bread made from it, while the good of faith is meant by 'winepress', 'new wine', and 'libation of wine'. 'Ephraim will return to Egypt' stands for the fact that the understanding would resort to factual knowledge for advice concerning the arcana of faith; 'in Assyria they will eat what is unclean' stands for that which is the outcome of consequent false reasoning - 'Ephraim' being the area of understanding in the Church, see 5754, 6112, 6238, 6267; 'Egypt' the area of factual knowledge, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 5702; and 'Assyria' that of reasoning, 1186. The line of thought in this passage also shows that the words used here contain something more than what one sees in the letter. For everything hangs together in the internal sense, but not so in the external sense, for example when it says that 'threshing-floor and winepress will not feed them, and new wine will be deceptive to her', immediately followed by 'Ephraim will return to Egypt, and in Assyria they will eat what is unclean'. Moreover, without the internal sense what meaning would Ephraim's return to Egypt and their eating in Assyria what is unclean have?
[5] 'Winepress' and 'wine' are also used in Jeremiah to describe the demise of mutual love and the good of faith,
He who lays waste has fallen on your vintage, therefore joy and gladness have been plucked from Carmel, and from the land of Moab, for I have made the wine cease from the winepresses; none will tread the headed. 2 Jeremiah 48:32-33.
[6] The fact that 'wine' means the good of mutual love and of faith is also evident in John,
I heard a voice from the midst of the four living creatures, saying, Do no harm to oil and wine. Revelation 6:6.
[7] 'Oil' stands for the good of celestial love, and 'wine' for the good of spiritual love.
'Oil' and 'wine' have a similar meaning in the Lord's parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke,
A certain Samaritan was journeying, and seeing him who had been wounded by the robbers was moved with compassion for him; going therefore to him, he bandaged his wounds, and poured on oil and wine. Luke 10:33-34.
'He poured on oil and wine' means that he performed the works of love and charity, 'oil' being the good of love, see 886, 3728. A like meaning was involved in the practice of the ancients, who poured oil and wine onto a pillar when they consecrated it, Genesis 35:14, 4581, 4582.
[8] The fact that 'wine' means the good of love and faith is evident from the words the Lord used when He instituted the Holy Supper. He said then regarding the wine,
I tell you that I shall not drink from now on of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in My Father's kingdom. Matthew 26:29; Luke 22:17-18.
Anyone can see that He was not about to drink wine in that kingdom, but that the good of love and faith is meant, which He was about to impart to those who belonged to His kingdom. Much the same is meant by 'wine' in Isaiah 24:9, 11; Lamentations 2:11-12; Hosea 14:7; Amos 9:13-14; Zechariah 9:15-16; Luke 5:37-39.
[9] Since 'wine' means the good of love and faith, Divine Truth from the Lord's Divine Good is therefore meant in the highest sense, for that Truth, when it flows into a person and is accepted by him, brings him the good of love and faith.
[10] Since most things in the Word also have a contrary meaning, so too does 'wine', the contrary meaning of which is falsity from evil, as in Isaiah,
Woe to those who rise in the morning around dawn, and then follow strong drink, who continue into dusk, so that wine may inflame them! Woe to heroes at drinking wine, and to valiant men in mixing strong drink! Isaiah 5:11, 22
In the same prophet,
Also these err through wine, and go astray through strong drink. The priest and the prophet err through strong drink. They are swallowed up by wine, they go astray through strong drink. They err among the seers, they are tottery in judgement. Isaiah 28:7.
In the same prophet,
The shepherds know no understanding, they all look to their own way. Come, I will get wine, and we will be drunken from strong drink; and let there be tomorrow, as there is this day, great abundance. Isaiah 56:11-12.
In addition to these places 'wine' is used with the contrary meaning in Jeremiah 13:12; Hosea 4:11; 7:5; Amos 2:8; Micah 2:11; Psalms 75:8; Deuteronomy 32:33.
Falsity from evil is also meant by the cup of the wine of wrath in Jeremiah 25:15-16; Revelation 14:8, 10; 16:19; the winepress of the wrath of God's anger, Revelation 19:15; and the wine of whoredom, Revelation 17:2; 18:3.
Фусноти:
1. The Latin means them but the Hebrew means her, which Swedenborg has in other places where he quotes this verse, as well as possibly here in his rough draft.
Luke 23
1
The whole company of them rose up and brought him before Pilate.
2
They began to accuse him, saying, "We found this man perverting the nation, forbidding paying taxes to Caesar, and saying that he himself is Christ, a king."
3
Pilate asked him, "Are you the King of the Jews?" He answered him, "So you say."
4
Pilate said to the chief priests and the multitudes, "I find no basis for a charge against this man."
5
But they insisted, saying, "He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to this place."
6
But when Pilate heard Galilee mentioned, he asked if the man was a Galilean.
7
When he found out that he was in Herod's jurisdiction, he sent him to Herod, who was also in Jerusalem during those days.
8
Now when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceedingly glad, for he had wanted to see him for a long time, because he had heard many things about him. He hoped to see some miracle done by him.
9
He questioned him with many words, but he gave no answers.
10
The chief priests and the scribes stood, vehemently accusing him.
11
Herod with his soldiers humiliated him and mocked him. Dressing him in luxurious clothing, they sent him back to Pilate.
12
Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before that they were enemies with each other.
13
Pilate called together the chief priests and the rulers and the people,
14
and said to them, "You brought this man to me as one that perverts the people, and see, I have examined him before you, and found no basis for a charge against this man concerning those things of which you accuse him.
15
Neither has Herod, for I sent you to him, and see, nothing worthy of death has been done by him.
16
I will therefore chastise him and release him."
17
Now he had to release one prisoner to them at the feast.
18
But they all cried out together, saying, "Away with this man! Release to us Barabbas!"--
19
one who was thrown into prison for a certain revolt in the city, and for murder.
20
Then Pilate spoke to them again, wanting to release Jesus,
21
but they shouted, saying, "Crucify! Crucify him!"
22
He said to them the third time, "Why? What evil has this man done? I have found no capital crime in him. I will therefore chastise him and release him."
23
But they were urgent with loud voices, asking that he might be crucified. Their voices and the voices of the chief priests prevailed.
24
Pilate decreed that what they asked for should be done.
25
He released him who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, for whom they asked, but he delivered Jesus up to their will.
26
When they led him away, they grabbed one Simon of Cyrene, coming from the country, and laid on him the cross, to carry it after Jesus.
27
A great multitude of the people followed him, including women who also mourned and lamented him.
28
But Jesus, turning to them, said, "Daughters of Jerusalem, don't weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children.
29
For behold, the days are coming in which they will say, 'Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts that never nursed.'
30
Then they will begin to tell the mountains, 'Fall on us!' and tell the hills, 'Cover us.'
31
For if they do these things in the green tree, what will be done in the dry?"
32
There were also others, two criminals, led with him to be put to death.
33
When they came to the place that is called The Skull, they crucified him there with the criminals, one on the right and the other on the left.
34
Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." Dividing his garments among them, they cast lots.
35
The people stood watching. The rulers with them also scoffed at him, saying, "He saved others. Let him save himself, if this is the Christ of God, his chosen one!"
36
The soldiers also mocked him, coming to him and offering him vinegar,
37
and saying, "If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!"
38
An inscription was also written over him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew: "THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS."
39
One of the criminals who was hanged insulted him, saying, "If you are the Christ, save yourself and us!"
40
But the other answered, and rebuking him said, "Don't you even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?
41
And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward for our deeds, but this man has done nothing wrong."
42
He said to Jesus, "Lord, remember me when you come into your Kingdom."
43
Jesus said to him, "Assuredly I tell you, today you will be with me in Paradise."
44
It was now about the sixth hour, and darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour.
45
The sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was torn in two.
46
Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!" Having said this, he breathed his last.
47
When the centurion saw what was done, he glorified God, saying, "Certainly this was a righteous man."
48
All the multitudes that came together to see this, when they saw the things that were done, returned home beating their breasts.
49
All his acquaintances, and the women who followed with him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
50
Behold, a man named Joseph, who was a member of the council, a good and righteous man
51
(he had not consented to their counsel and deed), from Arimathaea, a city of the Jews, who was also waiting for the Kingdom of God:
52
this man went to Pilate, and asked for Jesus' body.
53
He took it down, and wrapped it in a linen cloth, and laid him in a tomb that was cut in stone, where no one had ever been laid.
54
It was the day of the Preparation, and the Sabbath was drawing near.
55
The women, who had come with him out of Galilee, followed after, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid.
56
They returned, and prepared spices and ointments. On the Sabbath they rested according to the commandment.
