387. And with death, signifies the consequent extinction of spiritual life. This is evident from the signification of "death," as being the extinction of spiritual life (See above, n. 78, 186). That this is what "death" here signifies is evident from the series of things in the internal sense; for it is said that "there was given unto them power to kill with sword, with famine, and with death;" and "sword" signifies falsity destroying truth, "famine" the deprivation of the knowledges of truth and good; thence "death" signifies the extinction of spiritual life; for where falsity reigns, and where there are no knowledges of truth and good, there is no spiritual life, for spiritual life is acquired by means of the knowledges of truth and good applied to the uses of life. For man is born into all evil and falsity from evil; he is therefore born also into an entire ignorance of all spiritual knowledges; therefore in order that he may be led away from the evils and consequent falsities into which he is born, and be led into the life of heaven and be saved, he must needs acquire the knowledges of truth and good, by means of which he can be led into spiritual life and become spiritual. From this series of things in the internal sense it is evident that "death" here signifies the extinction of spiritual life; this is meant, too, by spiritual death.

216. As government from good which is the kind of government in the Lord's celestial kingdom is called justice, and government from truth which is the kind of government in the Lord's spiritual kingdom is called judgment, so in the Word, justice and judgment are used when heaven and the Church are treated of, justice signifying celestial good, and judgment spiritual good, which good, as has been said above, is, in its essence, truth, as in the following passages:

Of peace there shall be no end upon the throne of David and upon His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it in judgment and in justice, even for ever. Isaiah 20.

By "David" there, is meant the Lord, ¹ and by "His kingdom", heaven, as is evident from the following passage:

I will raise unto David a just branch, and he shall reign as King, and shall deal intelligently and shall do judgment and justice in the earth. Jeremiah 23:5.

Jehovah is exalted, for He dwelleth on high; He hath filled Zion with judgment and justice. Isaiah 33:5.

By Zion also is meant heaven and the Church: ²

I, Jehovah, doing. . . judgment and justice in the earth, for in these things I delight. Jeremiah 9:24.

I will betroth thee unto Me for ever, and I will betroth thee unto Me in justice and judgment. Hosea 2:19.

O Jehovah, in the heavens . . . Thy justice is like the mountains of God, and Thy judgments are like the great deep. Psalm 36:5-6.

They ask of Me the judgments of justice, they long for an approach unto God. Isaiah 58:2.

And in other passages.

Footnotes: