741. Which seduceth the whole world.- That this signifies that they pervert all things of the church, is evident from the signification of the whole world, as denoting all things of the church, of which we shall speak presently; and as all things of the church are signified by the whole world, therefore to seduce it signifies to pervert those things. For all things of the church are perverted when the good of charity, which is the good of life, is separated and removed from faith, as not contributing to salvation or having anything to do with it; all things of the Word, and all things of the church are consequently falsified. For the Lord says, that the law and the prophets hang on these two commandments, to love God above all things, and the neighbour as oneself; and these two commandments signify to live and act according to the commandments of the Word; for to love is to will and act, since what a man loves interiorly, this he wills, and what he wills, this he does. The law and the prophets signify all things of the Word.

[2] There are two principles of evil and falsity into which the church successively falls. The one is the love of having dominion over all things of the church and of heaven, which dominion is meant in the Word by Babel or Babylonia - into this the church falls as a result of evil; the other is the separation of faith from charity, in consequence of which all the good of life perishes; this is meant in the Word by Philistea, and is signified by the he-goat in Daniel, and by the dragon in the Apocalypse; into this the church falls through falsity.

But since this chapter treats of the dragon, which primarily signifies the religion of faith separated from charity, I will refer to some of the methods by which the defenders of faith separated [from charity] lead the world astray. They lead the world astray particularly by teaching, that as no one from himself can do good, that in itself is good, and without placing merit therein, therefore good works can contribute nothing to salvation; they nevertheless say that goods ought to be done on account of the public good, and that these are the goods meant in the Word, in preachings therefrom, and in some of the prayers of the church. But how great an error this is shall now be explained. When a man does good from the Word, that is, because it is commanded by the Lord in the Word, he does not then do it from himself, but from the Lord, for the Lord is the Word (John 1:1, 14), and the Lord is in those things which man has from the Word, as He also teaches in these words in John:

"He that keepeth my word, I will come unto him, and will make my abode with him" (14:23).

This is why the Lord so often teaches that His words and commandments must be done and that those who do them shall have life eternal, also that every one will be judged according to his works. It follows from this that those who do good from the Word do good from the Lord; and good from the Lord is truly good, and so far as it is from the Lord, so far there is no merit in it.

[3] That good done from the Word, that is from the Lord, is truly good, is also clear from these words in the Apocalypse:

"Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if any one hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me" (3:20).

This shows that the Lord is ever and unceasingly present, and bestows upon man the effort to do good, but that man must open the door, that is, must receive the Lord; and he receives Him when he does good from His Word. Although this appears to man to be done as of himself, yet it is not of man, but of the Lord with him. It has this appearance to man, because he has no other feeling than that he thinks from himself, and acts from himself, although when he thinks and acts from the Word, he does so as of himself, therefore he then also believes that he does this from the Lord.

[4] From this it can be seen, that the good which a man does from the Word is spiritual good, and that it conjoins man to the Lord and to heaven. But the good which a man does for the sake of the world and for the sake of communities in the world, which is called civil and moral good, conjoins him to the world and not to heaven. Moreover, the conjunction of the truth of faith is with spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour, because faith in itself is spiritual, and what is spiritual cannot be conjoined with any other good than what is equally spiritual. But civil and moral good, separated from spiritual good, is not good in itself, because it is from man, in fact, so far as self and the world lie concealed in it, so far it is evil; this good therefore cannot be conjoined with faith, and if it were conjoined, faith would be dissipated.

[5] To seduce the whole world signifies to pervert all things of the church, because by world in general is signified the church as to all things pertaining to it, both goods and truths, but specifically it signifies the church as to good; and this is the signification of world (orbem) when earth (terra) also is mentioned. That the earth (terra) in the Word signifies the church, has been shown above (n. 304, 697); but when the world (orbis) also is mentioned, then the earth signifies the church as to truth. For there are two things that make the church, namely, truth and good, and these two are signified by earth and world in the following passages.

[6] In Isaiah:

"With my soul have I desired thee in the night; with my spirit also in the midst of me have I waited for thee in the morning; for when thou teachest the earth thy judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn justice" (26:9).

Night signifies a state when there is no light of truth, and morning a state when there is the light of truth; the latter state is from love, but the former exists when there is as yet no love. Therefore by the soul which desired Jehovah in the night is signified the life which is not yet in the light of truth, and by the spirit in the midst of him with which he waited for Jehovah in the morning, is signified the life which is in the light of truth, and consequently the words are added, "For when thou teachest the earth thy judgments, the inhabitants of the world learn justice," which signifies that the church is in truths from the Lord, and by means of truths in good, the earth signifying the church as to truths, and the world the church as to good. For judgment, in the Word, refers to truth, and justice to good, while inhabitants signify the men of the church, who are in goods of doctrine and thus of life. That judgment, in the Word, refers to truth, and justice to good, may be seen in theArcana Coelestia 2235, 9857); and that to dwell or inhabit signifies to live, and thence, inhabitants signify those who are in the good of doctrine and thus of life, may be seen above (n. 133, 479, 662).

[7] In Lamentations:

"The kings of the earth and all the inhabitants of the world believed not that the enemy and the foe would enter into the gates of Jerusalem" (4:12).

The kings of the earth signify the men of the church who are in truths, and the inhabitants of the world the men of the church who are in good. That kings signify those who are in truths, may be seen above (n. 31, 553, 625); and that inhabitants signify those who are in good has been shown just above. This makes it clear that the earth signifies the church as to truths, and the world the church as to good. And because all things of the doctrine of the church were destroyed by falsities and evils, it is said that they believed not that the enemy and the foe would enter into the gates of Jerusalem, the enemy signifying the falsities which destroyed the truths of the church, meant by the kings of the earth, and the foe signifying the evils which destroyed the goods of the church, meant by the inhabitants of the world, and Jerusalem signifying the church as to doctrine.

[8] And in David:

"Let all the earth fear Jehovah, let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him" (Psalm 33:8).

Here also by the earth are signified those who are in the truths of the church, and by the inhabitants of the world, those who are in the goods of the church.

In the same:

"The earth is Jehovah's, and the fulness thereof, the world and they that dwell therein; he hath founded it upon the seas, and established it upon the streams" (Psalm 24:1, 2).

The earth here again signifies the church as to truth, and the fulness thereof signifies all truths collectively; while the world signifies the church as to good, and the inhabitants thereof goods collectively. The signification of founding it upon the seas and establishing it upon the streams may be seen above (n. 275:9, 518:23).

[9] And in Isaiah:

"We have conceived, we have travailed, we have as it were brought forth wind; we have not wrought salvation in the earth, and the inhabitants of the world have [not] fallen" (26:18).

Here too the earth stands for the church as to truths, and the world for the church as to goods; the rest has been explained above (n. 721:4).

In the same:

"Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye people; let the earth hear and the fulness thereof, the world and all its offspring" (34:1).

That by nations are meant those who are in goods, and by people those who are in truths, may be seen above (n. 175, 331, 625); therefore it is said, "Let the earth hear, and the fulness thereof, the world and all its offspring"; for by the earth and the fulness thereof is signified the church as to all truths, and by the world and all its offspring, the church as to all goods.

[10] In the same:

"All ye inhabitants of the world and ye dwellers on the earth, when the sign of the mountains shall be lifted up, behold ye; and when the trumpet shall be sounded, hear ye" (18:3).

By the inhabitants of the world and the dwellers on the earth are signified all in the church who are in goods and truths, as above; the Lord's coming is signified by When the sign of the mountains shall be lifted up, behold ye, and when the trumpet shall be sounded, hear ye, - the sign upon the mountains and the sounding of the trumpet signifying a calling together to the church.

[11] In David:

"Before Jehovah, for he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth; he shall judge the world in justice and the peoples in truth" (Psalm 96:13; Psalm 98:9).

This treats of the Lord's coming, and the last judgment at that time. Because the world signifies those of the church who are in good, and peoples those who are in truths, therefore it is said that "he shall judge the world in justice and the peoples in truth"; justice as well as the world refers to good.

In the same:

"Before the mountains were brought forth, and the earth and the world were formed, from everlasting and even to everlasting, thou art God" (Psalm 90:2).

The mountains signify those who dwell upon mountains in the heavens, and these are such as are in celestial good, while the earth and the world signify the church from those who are in truths and in goods.

[12] In the same:

"Jehovah reigneth, he puts on majesty, Jehovah puts on strength, he girdeth himself; the world also shall be established, nor shall it be moved; thy throne is made firm from of old, thou art from eternity" (Psalm 93:1, 2).

This is said of the Lord who was about to come into the world; and because He has glory and power from the Human which He united to His Divine, it is said that He puts on majesty and strength, and that He girdeth Himself; for the Lord assumed the Human in order that He might have power to subjugate the hells. The church which He was about to establish, and protect for ever, is signified by the world which shall be established, and shall not be moved, and by the throne which shall be made firm; for by the world is signified heaven and the church as to the reception of Divine Good, and by the throne, heaven and the church as to the reception of Divine Truth.

[13] In the same:

"Say among the nations, Jehovah reigneth; the world also shall be established, neither shall it be moved; he shall judge the peoples in uprightness; the heavens shall be glad and the earth shall rejoice" (Psalm 96:10, 11).

This also is said of the Lord's coming, and concerning the church to be established by Him and protected to eternity, which is signified by the world that shall be established and shall not be moved, as above. And because the world, signifies the church as to good, therefore it is also said concerning the peoples whom He shall judge in uprightness; peoples, like the earth, signify those who are in the truths of the church, therefore they are called peoples of the earth, and inhabitants of the world; uprightness denotes truths. The joy of those who are in the church in the heavens and in the church on earth is signified by The heavens shall be glad and the earth shall rejoice.

[14] In the same:

Jehovah "shall judge the world in justice, he shall judge the peoples in uprightness" (Psalm 9:8).

Since the world means the church as to good, and "justice" is used in reference to good, therefore it is said, "Jehovah shall judge the world in justice;" and as those who are in truths are called peoples, and uprightness denotes truths as above, therefore it is said, "He shall judge the peoples in uprightness."

In Jeremiah:

"Jehovah maketh the earth by his power, and prepareth the world by his wisdom, and by his understanding he stretcheth out the heavens" (10:12; 51:15).

Jehovah maketh the earth by His power, signifies that the Lord establishes the church by the power of Divine Truth; He prepareth the world by His wisdom, signifies that the church which is in good He forms from Divine Good by means of Divine Truth; By His understanding He stretcheth out the heavens, signifies that thus He enlarges the heavens.

[15] In David:

"The heavens and the earth are thine, the world and the fulness thereof thou hast founded" (Psalm 89:11).

The heavens and the earth signify the church in the heavens and on earth, each as to truths, while the world and the fulness thereof signifies the church in the heavens and in the earths, each as to goods, fulness denoting goods and truths in their whole extent.

Again:

"If I should be hungry I would not tell thee, for the world is mine and the fulness thereof" (Psalm 50:12).

This is said of sacrifices, that the Lord does not delight in them, but in confession and works, for it is added, "Should I eat the flesh of the mighty, or drink the blood of goats? Sacrifice to God confession, and pay thy vows to the Most High" (verses 13, 14). Therefore, if I should be hungry, signifies if I should desire sacrifices; but because the Lord desires worship from goods and truths, it is said, "For the world is mine and the fulness thereof," fulness signifying goods and truths in their whole extent, as above. This is said indeed of the beasts which were sacrificed, but these signify in the spiritual sense various kinds of good and truth.

[16] In Matthew:

"This Gospel of the kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations, and then shall the end come" (24:14).

Since the world signifies the church as to good, therefore it is said that this Gospel shall be preached unto all nations, for the nations who are to hear and receive signify all those who are in good; moreover, nations also signify all those who are in evils, who also will hear; and then the world signifies the whole church when in evils; therefore it is also said that "then shall the end come."

[17] In the First Book of Samuel:

Jehovah "raiseth up the humbled out of the dust, he raiseth the needy from the dunghill, to cause them to sit with princes, and he shall make them to inherit a throne of glory, for the bases of the earth are Jehovah's, and he hath set the world upon them" (2:8).

This is the prophecy of Hannah the mother of Samuel. To raise up the humbled out of the dust, and the needy from the dunghill, signifies the instruction and enlightenment of the nations in interior truths, which would be revealed by the Lord, and thus removal from evils and falsities. The bases of the earth signify exterior truths, such as those of the sense of the letter of the Word, for interior truths are founded upon these; therefore the world which he hath set upon them signifies the church as to all its goods and truths. But concerning these things see above (n. 253, 304).

[18] In Isaiah:

"Jacob shall cause them that are to come to take root, Israel shall blossom and flourish, so that the faces of the world shall be filled with the produce" (27:6).

Jacob means the external church, and Israel the internal church; and because the internal of the church is founded upon its externals, and internals are thus multiplied and made fruitful, it is said that "Jacob shall cause them that are to come to take root, and that Israel shall blossom and flourish;" the resulting fructification of the church is signified by The faces of the world shall be filled with the produce.

[19] In the same:

"Is this the man that moveth the earth, that maketh kingdoms tremble, that hath turned the world into a wilderness and destroyed the cities thereof? Prepare slaughter for his sons, for the iniquity of their fathers, that they rise not up and possess the earth, and the faces of the world be filled with cities" (14:16, 17, 21).

This is said of Lucifer, by whom Babel is meant, that is, the love of ruling over heaven and over the earth; therefore to move the earth, to make kingdoms tremble, to turn the world into a wilderness and destroy the cities thereof, signifies to destroy all things of the church, the earth denoting the church as to truth, kingdoms the churches distinguished according to truths, the world the church as to good, and cities doctrinals. To prepare slaughter for his sons, for the iniquities of their fathers, signifies the destruction of the falsities that arise from their evils. Lest they possess the earth, and fill the faces of the world with cities, signifies lest falsities and evils, and doctrinals from them, take possession of the whole church.

[20] In the same:

"The earth shall mourn and be confounded, the world shall languish and be confounded, they shall languish, the loftiness of the people of the earth, and the earth itself shall be polluted under its inhabitants" (Isaiah 24:4, 5).

This describes the desolation of the church as to its truths and goods, on account of the pride of [man's] own intelligence, and the profanation of truths that are from good. The desolation is described by mourning, being confounded, and languishing; the church as to truths and as to goods is signified by the earth and by the world; the pride of [man's] own intelligence by The loftiness of the people of the earth, and the profanation of truths which are from good, by The earth shall be polluted under its inhabitants.

[21] In Nahum:

"The mountains shall tremble before him, and the hills shall melt; the earth shall be burnt up before him, and the world, and all that dwell therein" (1:5).

The signification of the mountains that shall tremble, and of the hills that shall melt, may be seen above (n. 400:7, 405). But the earth and the world, and all that dwell therein shall be burnt up, signifies that the church as to all its truths and goods will perish by infernal love.

[22] In David:

"The channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were disclosed, at thy rebuke, O Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of thy nostrils" (Psalm 18:15; 2 Sam. 22:16).

That all things of the church as to its truths and goods were overturned from their foundation, is signified by The channels of waters appeared, and the foundations of the world were disclosed, the channels of waters denoting the truths, and the foundations of the world its goods; and to appear and be disclosed denote to be overturned from the foundations. That this destruction arises from the hatred and fury of the evil against Divine things is signified by At Thy rebuke, O Jehovah, at the blast of the breath of Thy nostrils; the rebuke and the breath of the nostrils of Jehovah has the same signification as His anger and wrath, elsewhere mentioned in the Word. But because there is no anger or wrath in the Lord against the evil, but the evil cherish these against the Lord, and these appear to them when they perish to be from the Lord, therefore it is put in this way, according to the appearance; the blast of the breath of the nostrils of Jehovah means the east wind, which destroys by drought, and overturns by its penetrating power.

[23] In the same:

"The voice of thunder in the world; the lightnings lightened the world; the earth trembled and shook" (Psalm 77:18).

"His lightnings shall enlighten the world, the earth shall see and fear, the mountains shall melt like wax before Jehovah, before the Lord of the whole earth" (Psalm 97:4, 5).

This describes the state of the wicked on account of the Lord's presence in His Divine Truth, which state is similar to that of the sons of Israel when the Lord appeared to them upon mount Sinai. That they then heard thunders, saw lightnings, and that the mountain appeared in a consuming fire like that of a furnace, and that they feared exceedingly, is known from the Word. This was because they were evil in heart; for the Lord appears to every one according to his quality, to the good as a recreating fire, and to the evil as a consuming fire. This makes evident the signification of The voice of Thy thunder in the world, the lightnings lightened the world, the earth shook and trembled, and the mountains melted before Jehovah, the Lord of the whole earth; the world meaning all those of the church who are in goods, but here, those who are in evils, while the earth means all those of the church who are in truths, but here, those who are in falsities.

[24] In Isaiah:

"I will visit upon the world its wickedness, and upon the impious their iniquity" (13:11).

By the world here also are meant those of the church who are in evils, and the impious those who are in falsities. Therefore it is said, I will visit upon the world its wickedness, and upon the impious their iniquity, wickedness denoting evil, while iniquity is said of falsities.

[25] In Job:

"They shall drive him from light into darkness, and chase him out of the world" (18:18).

Since light signifies truth, and the world the good of the church, and since the impious when they depart from truth into falsity also cast themselves from good into evil, it is therefore, said They shall drive him from light into darkness, and shall chase him out of the world, darkness denoting falsities, and to chase out of the world denoting to cast out from the good of the church.

[26] In Luke:

"Men fainting through fear and for expectation of those things which shall come upon the world; for the powers of the heavens shall be shaken, and then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud" of the heavens "with power and much glory" (21:26, 27).

This is said of the consummation of the age, which is the last time of the church, when there is no longer any truth, because there is no good; the state of heaven at that time is described by the words, Men shall be faint through fear and expectation of those things which shall come upon the world. This describes the fear of those who are in the heavens, lest everything pertaining to the church as to its good, and thus as to its truths, should perish, and also expectation of help from the Lord, The tottering of the power of Divine Truth is signified by the shaking of the powers of the heavens, the powers of the heavens denoting Divine truths as to power. That the Lord will then make Divine Truth manifest, which possesses power, and from which comes intelligence, is signified by Then shall they see the Son of man coming in a cloud of the heavens with power and much glory.

[27] Similar things are signified by the earth and by the world in the following words in the Apocalypse:

"They are the spirits of demons doing signs to go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to war" (16:14).

It is said unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, because one thing of the church is signified by the earth, and another by the world. Since the world signifies the church as to good, therefore it also signifies all things of the church; for good is the essential of the church, consequently, where there is good there also is truth, for all good desires truth, and wishes to be conjoined with truth, and to be spiritually nourished by it; this also is mutual.

275. (Verse 6) And before the throne there was a glassy sea like unto crystal. That this signifies the appearance of truth in ultimates, in which are the general things thereof, translucent from the influx of Divine truth united to Divine good in primaries, is evident from the signification of before the throne, as being appearance; and from the signification of the sea as being the general things of truth, which will be explained in what follows; also from the signification of a sea of glass, as being translucence. It is said like unto crystal, in order to express translucence from the influx of Divine truth united to Divine good in primaries, which is signified by the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, as shown just above (n. 274). In the preceding passages, and in this passage, the state of the whole heaven arranged in order for judgment, and its ultimate, is described by a glassy sea like unto crystal. The reason why the truth of the ultimate heaven is signified by a glassy sea is that sea signifies the general things of truth, such as truth is in the ultimates of heaven and pertaining to man in his natural state, which is called scientific truth (verum scientificum.)

[2] The reason why sea has such a signification is that in the sea there is a gathering together of waters; and waters signify truths, as may be seen above (n. 71).

That the sea has such a signification is evident from many passages in the Word, of which some shall be here adduced. In Isaiah:

"I will shut up the Egyptians into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them; then the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up" (19:4, 5).

By the Egyptians are signified the knowledges (scientiae) belonging to the natural man; by the cruel lord into whose hands they should be shut up is signified the evil of the love of self; by a fierce king is signified the falsity therefrom; by the waters of the sea failing is signified that notwithstanding the abundance of knowledges, there were no truths therefrom; and by the river being wasted and dried up, is signified that there was no doctrine of truth and consequently no intelligence.

[3] Again:

"Jehovah will visit with his sword, hard, great and strong, upon leviathan, the stretched out serpent, and upon leviathan the crooked serpent, and will slay the whales which are in the sea" (27:1).

These things also are said concerning Egypt, by which are signified the knowledges (scientiae) of the natural man; by leviathan the stretched out serpent are signified those who reject every thing which they do not see with their natural eyes; thus the merely sensual, who are without faith, because they do not comprehend. By leviathan the crooked serpent are signified those who, for the same reason, do not believe, and yet say that they do believe. By a sword, hard, great and strong, with which they shall be visited, is signified the extinction of all truth; for sword signifies falsity destroying truth. By the whales in the sea which shall be slain, are signified scientifics (scientifica) in general. (That a whale has such a signification may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 7293.)

[4] In the same:

"The inhabitants of the isles are silent; the merchant of Zidon passing over the sea, they have filled thee. Blush O Zidon, because the sea hath said, The fortification of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, and I have not brought forth; I have not brought up young men, nor made the virgins to grow up; as with the report of Egypt, they shall be seized with pains at the report of Tyre" (23:2-5).

By Zidon and Tyre are signified the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth, therefore reference is made to the merchant of Zidon passing over the sea, a merchant denoting one who procures to himself those knowledges, and imparts them. That they procured to themselves nothing of good and truth thereby, is signified by the sea, saying, "I have not travailed and brought forth, I have not brought up young men, nor made the virgins to grow up." To travail, and to bring forth, is to produce something from knowledges; young men signify truths, and virgins goods. That consequently the use of knowledges and of sciences (scientiae) would perish, is signified by, as with the report of Egypt, they shall be seized with pains at the report of Tyre.

[5] In Ezekiel:

"All the princes of the sea shall descend from upon their thrones, and shall cast away their robes, and put off their vestments of embroidery; they shall be clothed with terrors. They shall take up a lamentation over thee, and shall say, How hast thou perished, thou that wast inhabited by seas, the renowned city which was strong in the sea; wherefore the islands in the sea shall be troubled at thy destruction" (Ezekiel 26:16-18).

These things are said of Tyre, by which are signified the knowledges of truth, the neglect and loss of which are thus described. By the princes of the sea who shall come down from their thrones, are meant primary knowledges (cognitiones); that they shall be left together with scientifics is signified by their casting away their robes, and putting off their vestments of embroidery; the embroidery is the Scientific (Scientificum); the renowned city strong in the sea signifies the full power of knowing; the seas signify collections of scientifics (scientifica); the islands in the sea signify the nations more remote from truths which desire knowledges, concerning which it is said, "the isles that are in the sea shall be troubled at thy destruction."

[6] In Isaiah:

"They shall not do evil, nor corrupt themselves, in all the mountain of my holiness; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea" (11:9).

Here the subject treated of is a new heaven and a new church, which are meant by the mountain of holiness in which they shall not do evil nor corrupt themselves; their understanding of truth from the Lord is described by the earth being full of the knowledge (scientia) of Jehovah; and because waters signify truths, and the sea fulness of them, it is therefore said, "as the waters cover the sea."

[7] In the same:

"At my rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; their fish shall be putrid, because there is no water, and shall die of thirst" (50:2).

To dry up the sea signifies an entire lack of the general knowledges (cognitiones) of truth; to make the rivers a wilderness signifies the deprivation of all truth, and consequently of intelligence; the fish becoming putrid signifies that the scientifics of the natural man shall be without any spiritual life, which takes place when they are applied to confirm falsities against the truths of the church; because there is no water signifies because there is not any truth; to die of thirst signifies the extinction of truth. (That rivers signify those things that pertain to intelligence may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 108, 2702, 3051: that desert signifies where there is no good because no truth, n. 2708, 4736, 7055; that fish signifies the Scientific of the natural man, n. 40, 991; that water signifies truth, n. 2702, 3424, 5668, 8568, and that to die of thirst signifies the deprivation of spiritual life from defect of truth, n. 8568, end.)

[8] In David:

"Jehovah, thou rulest the raging of the sea, when the waves thereof arise" (Psalms 89:9).

By sea is here signified the natural man, because in the natural man are the general things of truth; by the rising of its waves is signified its exalting itself against the Divine, denying the things of the church.

[9] Again:

"Jehovah hath founded" the world upon the seas, "and established it upon the rivers" (Psalms 24:2).

By the world is signified the church; by the seas the knowledges (cognitiones) in general which are in the natural man; and by rivers the truths of faith: upon both these the church is founded.

[10] In Amos:

Jehovah "who buildeth his steps in the heavens, and calleth the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the faces of the earth" (9:6).

By the steps which Jehovah buildeth in the heavens are signified interior truths, which are called spiritual; by the waters of the sea are signified exterior truths, which are natural because they are in the natural man; by pouring them out upon the faces of the earth, is signified upon the men of the church, for earth denotes the church.

[11] In David:

"By the Word of Jehovah were the heavens made, and all the host of them by the breath of his mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap; he giveth the depths for treasures" (Psalms 33:6, 7).

The Word of Jehovah by which the heavens were made, and the breath of His mouth by which all the host of them is made, signifies the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; the host of the heavens denoting all things of love and faith. The waters of the sea which He gathered together as an heap signify the knowledges of truth, and truths in general, which are together in the natural man; the depths which He gives for treasures signify sensual scientifics (scientifica sensualia), which are the most general, and the ultimate of the natural man, and in which at the same time are interior or higher truths, whence they are called treasures.

[12] Again:

Jehovah "hath founded the earth upon its foundations that it be not removed to eternity and for ever. Thou hast covered it with the deep as with a garment" (Psalms 104:5, 6).

By earth is here signified the church; the foundations on which Jehovah founded it for ever, are the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good. The deep which covered it as with a garment signifies the sensual Scientific, which is the ultimate of the natural man, and because it is such, Jehovah is said to have covered it as with a garment.

[13] Again:

Jehovah "thy way is in the sea, and thy path in many waters, yet thy footsteps are not known" (Psalms 77:19).

In Isaiah:

"Thus saith Jehovah, I have made a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters" (43:16).

That by sea in this passage is not meant the sea, nor by waters are meant waters is evident, because it is said that therein are the way and the path of Jehovah. Therefore, by the sea and by waters are meant those things in which Jehovah or the Lord is, these being the knowledges of truth in general from the Word, and truths therein. The sea denotes those knowledges, and the waters truths. Knowledges (cognitiones) and truths differ in this, that the former are of the natural man, and the latter of the spiritual man.

[14] In Jeremiah:

"I will plead thy cause, and will avenge thy avenging: and I will dry up the sea" of Babel, "and will make dry the springs thereof; the sea shall come up upon Babel, she shall be covered with the multitude of its waves" (51:36, 42).

By Babel are meant those who profane goods; the sea of Babel signifies their traditions, which are adulterations of good from the Word; the waves are the falsities thereof; their destruction at the Last Judgment is described by these things.

[15] In the same:

"A people coming from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be stirred up from the sides of the earth. Their voice maketh a tumult like the sea, and they ride upon horses" (50:41, 42).

The people coming from the north denote those who are falsities from evil; the great nation denotes evils, and many kings denote falsities; the sides of the earth denote the things of the church, and also those not of the church, for the earth denotes the church; their voice making a tumult like the sea, denotes falsity from the natural man exalting itself against the truth of the church; the horses upon which they ride, are reasonings from the fallacies of the senses.

[16] Again:

"Jehovah, who giveth the sun for a light of the day, the statutes of the moon and of the stars for a light of the night, stirring up the sea so that the waves thereof are tumultuous" (31:35).

By the sun from which is the light of the day, is signified the good of celestial love, from which comes the perception of truth; by the ordinances of the moon and the stars, from which comes the light of the night, are signified truths from spiritual good and from knowledges, from which comes intelligence; by the sea which is stirred up, and by the waves which are tumultuous, are signified the generals of truth in the natural man, and scientifics.

[17] In Isaiah.

"The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt" (57:20).

By the troubled sea, which is said of the wicked, are signified reasonings from falsities; by the waters which cast up mire and dirt are signified the falsities themselves, from which come evils of life and falsities of doctrine.

[18] In Ezekiel:

"I will stretch out mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites, and destroy the remnant of the sea coasts" (25:16).

By the Philistines are signified those who are in the doctrine of faith alone; and by the remnant of the sea coasts, which shall be destroyed, are signified all things pertaining to truth.

[19] In Hosea:

"I will not return to destroy Ephraim. They shall go after Jehovah; and with honour the sons shall draw near from the sea, with honour shall they come as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria" (Hosea 11:9-11).

By Ephraim is here signified the church as to the understanding of truth; by the sons from the sea who shall draw near are signified truths from their common fount, which is the Word; by a bird out of Egypt is signified the Scientific in agreement therewith; and by a dove out of the land of Assyria is signified the Rational.

[20] In Zechariah:

"In that day living waters shall go out from Jerusalem, part of them to the eastern sea, and part of them to the hinder sea" (14:8).

By living waters going out from Jerusalem are signified truths from a spiritual origin in the church, which are the truths received by man when he is enlightened from the Lord while reading the Word; Jerusalem signifies the church as to doctrine. By the sea is signified the natural man into which those things descend that are in the spiritual man; by the eastern sea is signified the natural man as to good, and by the hinder sea the same as to truth; and because the natural man is in the general things of truth, therefore by sea are also signified things of truth.

[21] Those who are ignorant of what is meant by the spiritual man, and by the truths and goods therein, may suppose that the truths that are in the natural man, and are called knowledges and scientifics, are not merely the generals of truth, but that they are all things of truth pertaining to man. But be it known that the truths that are in the spiritual man, and from which those that are in the natural are derived, exceed them enormously. Those, however, that are in the spiritual man do not come within the perception of the natural man until he enters the spiritual world, which is after death; for then man puts off the natural, and puts on the spiritual. That this is the case is evident from this fact only, that the angels are in intelligence and wisdom ineffable in comparison with man, and yet the angels are all from the human race. (That the angels are from the human race may be seen in the small work, The Last Judgment 14-22, and 23-27.) Because the sea signifies the generals of truth, therefore the great vessel, which was for washing in common, was called the brazen sea (1 Kings 7:23-26). For washing represented purifications from falsities and evils, and waters signify truths, by which purifications are effected. And because all truths are from good, therefore the whole vessel was made of brass; therefore it was called the brazen sea, for brass signifies good. Spiritual purification, which is purification from falsities and evils, is there fully described by the measurements of that vessel, and by the bases thereof, understood in the spiritual sense. From the considerations now adduced, it is evident that by sea are signified the generals of truth, or the knowledges of truth together and collectively. But what is further signified by the sea will be shown in the explanation of the following part of this book. For the sea is mentioned in various senses; as in chap. 5:13; 7:1-3; 8:8, 9; 10:2, 8; 12:12; 13:1; 14:7; 15:2; 16:3; 18:17, 19, 21; 20:13; 21:1.