9371. THE INTERNAL SENSE.

Verses 1-2. And He said unto Moses, Come up unto Jehovah, thou and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and bow yourselves afar off; and Moses, he alone, shall come near unto Jehovah; and they shall not come near; and the people shall not come up with him. “And He said unto Moses,” signifies that which concerns the Word in general; “come up unto Jehovah,” signifies conjunction with the Lord; “thou and Aaron,” signifies the Word in the internal sense and the external sense; “Nadab and Abihu,” signifies doctrine from both senses; “and seventy of the elders of Israel,” signifies the chief truths of the church which are of the Word, or of doctrine, and which agree with good; “and bow yourselves afar off,” signifies humiliation and adoration from the heart, and then the influx of the Lord; “and Moses, he alone, shall come near unto Jehovah,” signifies the conjunction and presence of the Lord through the Word in general; “and they shall not come near,” signifies no separate conjunction and presence; “and the people shall not come up with him,” signifies no conjunction whatever with the external apart from the internal.

426. Verse3. Saying, hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, signifies lest the good perish with the evil wherever they are. This is evident from the signification of "hurt not," as being lest they perish (of which presently); also from the signification of "the earth, the sea, and the trees," as being everywhere in the spiritual world, even to its ultimates, with those who have any perception (See above, n. 420), consequently the good with the evil, wherever they are. That this is the meaning of these words is evident from the series of things in the spiritual sense; for what now follows treats of the separation of the good from the evil, and this separation is signified by "the sealing of the servants of God on their foreheads," and by the "twelve thousand out of every tribe," and by those who were seen "clothed in white robes," for this chapter treats of all these. By both the latter and the former the good are meant who are to be separated from the evil before the evil are cast down into hell. And as the separation of the good from the evil and the casting out of the evil into hell is effected by Divine influx from the Lord as a sun, the separation of the good from the evil by a gentle and moderate influx, and the casting down of the evil into hell by a strong and intense influx (as may be seen above, n. 413, 418, 419), so these three verses treat of the former influx by which the good are separated from the evil, while the good who are separated are treated of in the rest of the chapter even to the end.

[2] But something shall first be said on this point, that unless the good were separated from the evil before the evil were cast down into hell, the good would perish with the evil. For the good who are not yet raised up into heaven, but are to be raised up after the evil have been cast out, have a very close communication with the evil through the external worship of the evil. For (as was said above, and also in the small work on The Last Judgment 59, 70) the evil, who were allowed to remain till the Last Judgment, were in external worship but in no internal worship, for they made a show and simulation of the holy things of the church with the mouth and gestures, but not from the soul and heart; and by means of this external worship they maintained communication also with those who were inwardly good. Because of this communication the evil could not be cast down until the good had been separated from them, for if they had been left together, the good with whom the evil had been conjoined by external worship would have been hurt, that is, would have perished, for the evil would have drawn them away with themselves.

[3] This, too, is foretold by the Lord in Matthew:

The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man that sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept his enemy came and sowed tares [among the wheat], and went away. But when the blade sprang up and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also. But the servants of the householder coming said unto him, Lord, didst thou not sow good seed in thy field? whence then hath it tares? He said unto them, A foe hath done this. But the servants said unto him, Wilt thou then that we going gather them up? But he said, Nay, lest haply while ye gather up the tares ye root up at the same time the wheat with them. Let both grow together until the harvest; and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them; but gather the wheat into my barn (Matthew 13:24-30).

"The man that sowed" means the Lord; the "field" means the spiritual world and the church, in which there are both good and evil; the "good seed" and the "wheat" mean the good, and the "tares" mean the evil; that they could not be separated until the time of the Last Judgment, because of the conjunction described above, is meant by the answer to the servants who wished to gather up the tares before, meaning to separate the evil from the good, namely, "lest haply while ye gather up the tares ye root up at the same time the wheat with them; let both grow together until the harvest," the "harvest" meaning the Last Judgment. That this is the signification the Lord Himself teaches in the same chapter where He says:

He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the [good] seed are the sons of the kingdom; the tares are the sons of the evil one; the harvest is the consummation of the age. As then the tares are gathered up and burned with fire, so shall it be in the consummation of the age (Matthew 13:37-40).

This makes evident that "the householder that sowed the good seed" means the Lord, who here calls Himself "the Son of man;" and that "the field is the world" means the spiritual world and the church, in which there are both good and evil. It is clear that this means the spiritual world from its being said "The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man that sowed good seed in his field;" "the kingdom of the heavens" meaning the spiritual world and the church; it is clear from this also, that this is said of the Last Judgment, and the Last Judgment is accomplished not in our world but in the spiritual world, as can be seen in the little work on The Last Judgment. This latter passage makes evident also that the "good seed" and the "wheat" mean the good, who are here called "the sons of the kingdom;" and that the "tares" mean the evil, who are called "the sons of the evil one;" also that the "harvest," when the separation is to be effected, means the time of the Last Judgment, for it is said "the harvest is the consummation of the age." ("The consummation of the age" means the time of the Last Judgment, as may be seen above, n.397.) That "then the tares shall be gathered into bundles to be burned, and the wheat be gathered into the barn," signifies that the evil, according to the genera and species of the evil that is with them, are to be gathered up and cast into hell; this takes place with the evil when they are cast out, and is meant by "gathering into bundles;" that the good are to be preserved is meant by "gathering the wheat into the barn," the "barn" meaning where the good are collected.

From this it can be seen that a complete separation of the good from the evil takes place at the time of the Last Judgment, and that it cannot take place before because of the conjunction described above, and that otherwise the good would perish with the evil; for it is said "lest haply while ye gather up the tares ye root up at the same time the wheat with them;" and it is further said "let both grow together until the harvest," that is, until the consummation of the age. Now, because the separation of the good from the evil is effected by a gentle and moderate influx of the Divine proceeding from the Lord, while the casting out of the evil into hell is effected by a powerful and intense influx of the Divine, it can be seen how all the particulars contained in the first three verses of this chapter are to be understood, when it is known from the spiritual sense what is signified by the "winds" that were to be held back, that earth, sea, and tree be not hurt until the servants of God had been sealed on their foreheads.

[4] A few words shall be said about how this separation is effected. When the good are separated from the evil, which is done by the Lord by means of a moderate influx of His Divine, and by a looking into those things that are of spiritual affection with angels and spirits, then the Lord causes those who are interiorly and thence also exteriorly good, to turn themselves to Him, and thus to turn themselves away from the evil, and when they so turn themselves they become invisible to the evil; for this is a common thing in the spiritual world, that when anyone turns himself away from another he becomes invisible to him. When this is done the evil are separated from the good, and at the same time from the sanctity that they had simulated in externals; and thus they look towards hell, into which they are presently cast. (Concerning this turning about more may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 17, 123, 142, 144, 145, 151, 153, 251, 255, 272, 510, 548, 561; that the evil who were able to continue in external worship, or in external piety and sanctity, although not in any internal, were allowed to remain till the Last Judgment, and no longer, and why, may be seen in the small work on The Last Judgment 59-70.)

3147. And water to wash his feet. That this signifies purification there, is evident from the signification of “water for washing,” or of washing with water, as being to purify (concerning which presently); and from the signification of “feet,” as being natural things, or what is the same, the things in the natural man (see n. 2162). In the representative church it was customary to wash the feet with water, and thereby to signify that the unclean things of the natural man were washed away. The unclean things of the natural man are all those things which are of the love of self and of the love of the world; and when these unclean things have been washed away, then goods and truths flow in, for it is solely these unclean things that hinder the influx of good and truth from the Lord.

[2] For good is continually flowing in from the Lord, but when it comes through the internal or spiritual man to his external or natural man, it is there either perverted, turned back, or suffocated. But when the things which are of the love of self and of the love of the world are removed, then good is received there and is made fruitful; for then man practices the works of charity. This is evident from many considerations; as when in misfortune, distress, and sickness, the things that belong to the external or natural man are merely lulled, the man forthwith begins to think piously and to will what is good, and also to practice works of piety insofar as he is able; but when the state is changed, there is a change also in all this.

[3] These things were signified by the washings in the Ancient Church, and the same were represented in the Jewish Church, The reason why they were signified in the Ancient Church, but represented in the Jewish church, was that the man of the Ancient Church regarded the rite as a something external in worship, and did not believe that he was purified by that washing, but by the washing away of the impurities of the natural man, which as before said are the things which are of the love of self and of the world. But the man of the Jewish Church believed that he was purified by that washing; neither knowing nor desiring to know that the purification of the interiors was signified.

[4] That by “washing” is signified a cleansing from the impurities referred to, is evident in Isaiah:

Wash you, make you clean, put away the evil of your doings from before Mine eyes, cease to do evil (Isaiah 1:16); where it is evident that to “wash themselves” means to make themselves pure and to put away evils. Again:

When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof, in the spirit of judgment and in the spirit of expurgation (Isaiah 4:4); where “washing away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and purging the blood of Jerusalem,” denotes purifying from evils and falsities.

In Jeremiah:

O Jerusalem, wash thy heart from wickedness, that thou mayest be saved. How long shall the thoughts of thine iniquity lodge within thee? (Jeremiah 4:14).

[5] In Ezekiel:

I washed thee with water, and I washed away thy bloods from upon thee, and anointed thee with oil (Jeremiah 16:9 [NCBSW: Ezekiel 16:9]); concerning Jerusalem, by which is there meant the Ancient Church; “washing with waters” denotes purifying from falsities; “washing away bloods” denotes purging from evils; “anointing with oil” denotes filling then with good.

In David:

Wash me from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow (Psalms 51:2, 7).

Here “being washed” plainly denotes being purified from evils and their falsities.

[6] These are the things that were signified by “washing” in the representative church; and it was commanded for the sake of the representation that when they had become unclean they should wash the skin, the hands, the feet, and also the garments, and should be cleansed; by all which things were signified those which are of the natural man. Lavers also, of brass, were placed outside the temple, namely, the brazen sea and the ten brazen lavers (1 Kings 7:23-39); and a laver of brass at which Aaron and his sons were to wash was placed between the tent of meeting and the altar; and thus outside the tent (Exodus 30:18-19, 21); by which also was signified that only external or natural things were to be purified; for unless these have been purified, that is, unless the things that are of the love of self and of the world have been removed, the internal things which are of love to the Lord and toward the neighbor cannot possibly flow in, as before said.

[7] For the better understanding of how these things are circumstanced, namely, that external things are to be purified, take as an example and illustration good works, or what is the same, the goods of charity which at this day are called the fruits of faith; these are external things, because they are the exercises of charity. Good works are evil works unless those things are removed which are of the love of self and of the world; for when works are done before these have been removed, they indeed appear good outwardly, but are inwardly evil; for they are done either for the sake of reputation, or for gain, or for the sake of one’s honor, or for recompense, thus they are either self-meritorious ¹ or hypocritical; for that which is of the love of self and the world causes the works to be such. But when these evils are removed, the works then become good; and they are goods of charity; that is, in them there is not regard to self, to the world, to reputation, to recompense; thus they are neither self-meritorious nor hypocritical; for then celestial love and spiritual love flow in from the Lord into the works and cause them to be love and charity in act; and then the Lord through these loves also purifies the natural or external man, and disposes it into order, so as to receive correspondently the celestial and spiritual things that flow in.

[8] This is clearly evident from what the Lord taught when He washed the feet of the disciples, as we read in John:

Then cometh He to Simon Peter; and Peter saith unto Him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now, but thou shalt know hereafter. Peter saith unto Him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with Me. Simon Peter saith unto Him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that hath been washed, needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit; ye are clean already, but not all (John 13:4-17).

“He that hath been washed, needeth not save to wash his feet” signifies that he who has been reformed, has need only to be cleansed as to natural things, that is, has need that evils and falsities should be removed from them; and then all things are disposed into order by the influx of spiritual things from the Lord. Moreover to wash the feet was an office of charity, as meaning not to reflect on the evils of another; and it was also an office of humility, as meaning to cleanse another from evils as from impurities; as also is evident from the Lord’s words in the passage just quoted (verses 12-17; also Luke 7:37-38, 44, 46; John 11:2; 1 Samuel 25:41).

[9] Everybody can see that washing himself does not purify anyone from evils and falsities, but only from the impurities that cling to him; nevertheless, as washing was among the rites commanded in the church, it follows that it involves something special, namely, spiritual washing, that is, purification from the uncleannesses which inwardly adhere to man. Therefore they who knew these things in that church, and thought about the purification of the heart, or the removal of the evils of the love of self and of the love of the world from the natural man, and who endeavored to effect this with all diligence, observed the rite of washing as external worship according to commandment; but those who did not know this and did not desire to know it, but thought that the mere rite of washing their garments, skin, hands, and feet, would purify them, and that provided they did these things they might be allowed to live in avarice, hatreds, revenge, unmercifulness, and cruelties, which are spiritual impurity, practiced this rite as an idolatrous one. Nevertheless they could represent by it, and by representation exhibit something of the church, whereby there might be some conjunction of heaven with man before the Lord’s advent; yet such conjunction as affected the man of the church little or not at all.

[10] The Jews and Israelites were such that they had no thought about the internal man, nor willingness to know anything about it; thus none at all concerning celestial and spiritual things, relating to the life after death. But yet lest all communication with heaven and thus with the Lord should perish, they were bound to external rites, whereby internal things were signified. All their captivities and plagues were in general for the end that external rites might be strictly observed for the sake of the representation.

Hence then it was that Moses washed Aaron and his sons with water at the door of the tent, that they might be sanctified (Exodus 29:4 40:12; Leviticus 8:6); that Aaron and his sons were to wash their hands and feet before they entered into the tent of meeting and came near to the altar to minister, that they might not die; and that this was to be to them a statute forever (Exodus 30:18-21; 40:30-31); that Aaron was to wash his flesh before he put on the garments of ministry (Leviticus 16:4, 24); that the Levites were to be purified by being sprinkled with the water of expiation; and that they were to cause a razor to pass over their flesh, and to wash their garments, and thus should be pure (Numbers 8:6-7); that whoever should eat the carcass even of a clean beast, or one that was torn, should wash his garments, and bathe himself in water; and if he did not wash himself and bathe his flesh, he should bear his iniquity (Leviticus 17:15-16); that whoever touched the bed of one affected with the flux, or who sat upon a vessel on which he had sat, and whoever touched his flesh, should wash his garments, and bathe himself with water, and should be unclean till the evening (Leviticus 15:5-7, 10; 15:10-12); that whoever let go the he-goat, as a scape-goat, should wash his flesh (Leviticus 16:26); that when a leprous person was cleansed, he was to wash his garments, shave off all his hair, and wash himself with water, and he should be clean (Leviticus 14:8-9); nay, that the very vessels which were made unclean by the touch of things unclean, should be passed through water, and should be unclean until evening (Leviticus 11:32). From these things it may be seen that no one was made clean or pure as to internal things by the rite of washing, but only represented one pure or spiritually clean, for the reason given above. That this is so, the Lord teaches plainly in Matthew (15:1-2, 20), and (Matthew 15:20) in Mark (7:1-23).

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