684. It is said that "The kingdoms of the world are become our Lord's and His Christ's," and this signifies that Divine Good and Divine Truth are received, when the evil have been separated from the good and cast into hell; for then both the higher and lower heavens can be in enlightenment, and thence in the perception of good and truth, which could not be the case, so long as the evil were conjoined with the good, because so long as that conjunction exists, the interiors of the angels, who are in the lower heavens, cannot be opened, but only the exteriors; and the Lord does not reign with spirits and men in externals separated from internals, but in internals, and from these in externals. For this reason before the interiors of the angels of the ultimate heaven were opened, which are spiritual and celestial, that heaven did not become the kingdom of the Lord as it did after the separation of the evil from them.

[2] It is said, "the kingdoms of the world are become our Lord's and His Christ's," and Lord here means the same as Jehovah in the Old Testament, and Father in the New, namely, the Lord as to the Divine itself and also as to the Divine Good; and Christ means the same as God in the Old Testament, and Son of God in the New, namely, the Lord as to the Divine Human and also as to the Divine Truth. For "Christ" has a signification similar to that of Anointed, Messiah, and King; and Anointed, Messiah, and King, mean the Lord as to the Divine Truth, and also as to the Divine Human when He was in the world, for then the Lord, as to His Human, was Divine Truth. The signification therefore of the Anointed of Jehovah is similar; for the Divine itself, which is called Jehovah and Father, and was in its essence the Divine Good of the Divine Love, anointed the Divine Human, which is called the Son of God, and which in its essence, while it was in the world, was Divine Truth; for anointing signified that the Divine Human of the Lord proceeded from His very Divine, and consequently was the Divine Truth from His Divine Good.

[3] It is evident therefore that the Lord alone, as to the Divine Human, was essentially the Anointed of Jehovah, but that kings and priests were called representatively the anointed of Jehovah, for the oil with which the anointing was performed, signified the Divine Good of the Divine Love. Now, because the Divine Truth with the Lord was that which was anointed by the Divine Good, therefore Christ, and similarly Messiah and Anointed, and also King, signify the Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Good of the Divine Love of the Lord. That this is the case is evident from passages in the Word where Christ, Messiah, and Anointed are mentioned.

[4] That Christ is the Messiah or Anointed is evident in John:

Andrew "findeth his brother Simon, and saith unto him, We have found the Messiah, which is, when interpreted, Christ" (John 1:41).

And in the same:

The woman of Samaria said, "I know that Messiah cometh, who is called Christ" (4:25).

From these passages it is evident that the Lord is called Christ because he was the Messiah, whose coming was predicted in the Word of the Old Testament; for Anointed is "Christ" in the Greek tongue, and "Messiah" in the Hebrew, and a King is one anointed. It is for this reason that the Lord was called King of Israel, and King of the Jews, which He also confessed before Pilate. "The King of the Jews," therefore, was written upon the cross (Matthew 27:11, 29, 37, 42; Luke 23:1-4, 35-40).

And in John:

"Nathanael said, Thou art the Son of God, the King of Israel" (1:49).

[5] And because Anointed, Messiah, Christ, and King are synonymous terms, so also has Son of God the same meaning, and each of these names in the spiritual sense signifies the Divine Truth; that King has this signification may be seen above (n. 31, 553, 625). Son of God also has the same meaning, because sons, in the Word, signify truths, and thus Son of God signifies Divine Truth; that sons signify truths may be seen above (n. 166).

[6] The signification of Christ and Messiah is also similar. That Christ signifies the Divine Truth, is evident in Matthew:

"Be not ye called Rabbi, one is your teacher, Christ" (23:8).

Rabbi and teacher signify one who teaches truth, thus, in the abstract, the doctrine of truth, and, in the highest sense, the Divine Truth, which is Christ; that the Lord alone is the Divine Truth, is therefore meant by, be not ye called Rabbi, one is your teacher, Christ.

[7] In the same:

"See that no one seduce you; for many shall come in my name, saying, I am the Christ, and shall seduce many. If any one say to you, Lo, here is Christ, or there, believe it not, for there will arise false Christs and false prophets" (24:4, 5, 23, 24; Mark 13:21-23).

This must not be understood as meaning that there will arise those who will call themselves the Christ or Christs, but those who will falsify the Word, and say that this or that is Divine Truth when it is not. Those who confirm falsities from the Word are meant by false Christs, and those who propagate falsities of doctrine are meant by false prophets. For these two chapters treat of the successive vastation of the church, thus of the falsification of the Word, and at length of the profanation of truth therefrom. But these things may be seen further explained in the Arcana Coelestia 3353-3356, and n. 3897-3901).

[8] And because the Son of God also signifies the Divine Truth, as just said, therefore He is sometimes called Christ the Son of God (as in Matthew 26:63; Mark 14:61; Luke 4:41; 22:66 to the end; John 6:69; 11:26, 27; 20:31). In a word, the Lord, when He was in the world, was called Christ, Messiah, Anointed, and King, because in Him alone was the Divine Good of the Divine Love, from which proceeds the Divine Truth, and this was represented by anointing. For the oil with which anointing was performed signified the Divine Good of the Divine Love, and the king who was anointed, the Divine Truth; therefore kings, when they were anointed, represented the Lord, and were called the anointed of Jehovah. But yet the Lord alone as to His Divine Human, was the Anointed of Jehovah since the Divine Good of the Divine Love was in Him, and this was Jehovah and the Father from whom the Lord had the esse of life. For it is well known that He was conceived of Jehovah, consequently it was from the Divine Good of the Divine Love, which was in Him from conception, that the Lord was Divine Truth as to His Human as long as He was in the world. From this it is evident that the Lord alone was essentially the Anointed of Jehovah, but that kings were representatively called the anointed of Jehovah. For this reason then the Lord, as to His Divine Human, was called Messiah and Christ, that is, Anointed.

[9] This is also evident from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"The spirit of the Lord Jehovih is upon me, therefore Jehovah hath anointed me to declare good tidings to the poor, he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to preach liberty to the captives, to the bound, to the blind, to proclaim the year of the good pleasure of Jehovah, and the day of vengeance for our God, to comfort all that mourn" (61:1, 2).

This plainly is said of the Lord; it means that the Lord Jehovih anointed His Divine Human to declare good tidings to the poor, and sent it to bind up the broken hearted, and so on, for these things the Lord performed from His Human. But the particulars of this passage may be seen explained above (n. 183, 375:15, 612).

[10] In the same:

"Why have the nations raised a tumult, and the peoples meditated vanity? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers consulted together against Jehovah and against his anointed. I have anointed my king upon Zion, the mountain of my holiness. I will declare the decree, Jehovah hath said unto me, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee; ask of me and I will give the nations for thine inheritance, and the ends of the earth for thy possession. Kiss the son, lest he be angry, and ye perish in the way, for his anger will kindle shortly; blessed are all they that trust in him" (Psalm 2:1, 2, 6-8, 12).

That the Anointed of Jehovah means here the Lord as to the Divine Human is clear, for it is said, "Jehovah hath said unto me, thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, kiss the Son lest ye perish, blessed are all they that trust in him." This, in the sense of the letter, is indeed said of David, but David, in the Word, means the Lord as to the Divine Truth, or as King, as may be seen above (n. 205). It is also evident that the Lord's coming, and after that a last judgment by Him, and finally His sovereignty over all things of the world are there treated of.

[11] The spiritual things which lie hidden, and are signified in the particulars of this passage are as follows: The nations have raised a tumult, and the peoples have meditated vanity, signifies the state of the church and of the former heaven that was to pass away, nations denoting those who are in evils, and peoples those who are in falsities, as may be seen above (n. 175, 331:10, 625). The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers consulted together against Jehovah, and against His Anointed, signifies the falsities of the church and its evils, as being altogether opposed to the Divine Good and the Divine Truth, and thus opposed to the Lord, the kings of the earth denoting the falsities of the church, and the rulers its evils, while Jehovah denotes the Lord as to the Divine itself, thus as to the Divine Good, and Anointed the Lord as to the Divine Human, thus as to the Divine Truth.

[12] I have anointed my king upon Zion, the mountain of my holiness, signifies the Human of the Lord as to Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Good of His Divine Love, and thence His sovereignty over all things of heaven and the church, Zion and the mountain of holiness denoting heaven and the church, consequently also all things of heaven and the church. I will declare the decree signifies an arcanum of the Divine Will and Providence. Jehovah hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee, signifies the Lord as the Anointed, Messiah, Christ, and King, thus as to His Human conceived and afterwards born of the Divine itself or Jehovah; this day signifies what is decreed from eternity, and looks therefrom to the conjunction and union accomplished in time.

[13] Ask of me, and I will give the nations for thine inheritance and the ends of the earth for thy possession, signifies His sovereignty and dominion over all things of heaven and the church, which shall be His. Kiss the Son signifies conjunction with the Lord by love, to kiss signifying conjunction from love; lest He be angry, and ye perish in the way, signifies lest evils come upon you and ye be condemned, for to be angry, when stated of the Lord, signifies the turning away of men from Him, consequently their anger and not the Lord's; and evils are what turn themselves away, and then become angry. For his anger will kindle shortly signifies the Last Judgment, and the casting down of the evil into hell. Blessed are all they that trust in him signifies salvation by love to the Lord and faith in Him.

[14] Again:

"Thou art fairer than the sons of men, grace is poured upon thy lips. Gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O mighty one, in thy glory and thine honour; and in thine honour mount, ride upon the word of truth, and of the meekness of justice, and thy right hand shall teach thee wonderful things; thy darts are sharp, the peoples shall fall under thee, the enemies of the king from the heart. Thy throne, O God, for an age and to eternity; a sceptre of rectitude is the sceptre of thy kingdom; Thou hast loved justice and hated evil; therefore God hath anointed thee, thy God, with the oil of joy above thy companions, with myrrh, aloes, and cassia, all thy garments; the daughters of kings are among thy precious women; the queen standeth at thy right hand in best gold of Ophir" (Psalm 45:2-9).

That these things also are said of the Lord is evident from all the particulars of that Psalm, and consequently that it is Himself of whom it is said, "God hath anointed thee, thy God, with the oil of joy, with myrrh, aloes, and cassia, all thy garments." What these things signify is evident from their connection, as follows. That He has Divine Wisdom, and that the doctrine of Divine Truth is from Him, is signified by, Thou art fairer than the sons of men, grace is poured upon thy lips; to be fair signifies to be wise, the sons of men signify those that are intelligent in Divine truths, and lips signify doctrinals.

[15] His Omnipotence from the Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Good, and thence the destruction of falsities and evils, and the subjugation of the hells is signified by, gird thy sword upon thy thigh, O mighty One, in thy glory and thine honour, and in thine honour mount, ride upon the word of truth, thy right hand shall teach thee wonderful things; thy darts are sharp, the people shall fall under thee, the enemies of the king from the heart. Sword signifies truth combating against falsity, and destroying it; a chariot just as word of truth signifies the doctrine of truth; to ride signifies to instruct and combat; the right hand signifies omnipotence; darts signify truths combating, peoples those who are in falsities of evil, and the enemies of the king those who are opposed to truths, thus the hells.

[16] That thence the sovereignty and dominion would be His to eternity, is signified by Thy throne, O God, for an age and to eternity; a sceptre of rectitude is the sceptre of thy kingdom, sceptre of rectitude denoting the Divine Truth to which belongs power and sovereignty. That as He delivered the good from damnation by destroying the evil, so therefore did the Divine itself unite itself to His Human is signified by, Thou hast loved justice and hated evil, therefore God hath anointed thee, thy God, with the oil of joy above thy companions. To love justice and to hate evil signifies to deliver the good from damnation by destroying the evil; to anoint with the oil of joy signifies to unite Himself by victories in temptations, God, thy God, signifies the reciprocal union of the Human with the Divine and of the Divine with the Human.

[17] Divine truths united to Divine goods are signified by, He hath anointed with myrrh, and aloes, and cassia, all thy garments; myrrh signifies good of the ultimate degree, aloes good of the second, and cassia good of the third degree, as also do those three spices when mixed with the oil of olive, out of which the oil of holiness for anointing was made (Exodus 30:23, 24), and that oil signified the Divine Good of the Divine Love, and the garments which were anointed signified Divine truths.

[18] That those who have spiritual affections for truth form His kingdom is signified by, the daughters of kings are amongst thy precious women, daughters of kings denoting the spiritual affections for truth, which are called precious when truths are genuine. And that heaven and the church are in His protection and are conjoined to Him, because in love to Him from Him, is signified by, the queen standeth at thy right hand in best gold of Ophir, queen signifying heaven and the church, at thy right hand signifying in His protection from conjunction with Him, and best gold of Ophir the good of love to the Lord.

[19] In the same:

"I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn to David my servant, I will establish thy seed even to eternity, and I will build up thy throne to generation and generation. Thou hast spoken in vision to thine Holy One, and hast said, I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chosen out of the people; I have found David my servant, with the oil of my holiness have I anointed him, with whom my hand shall be established; mine arm also shall strengthen him. I will beat down his enemies before him, and will smite them that hate him. I will set his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers; he shall cry unto me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation; also I will make him my first-born, high above the kings of the earth; and my covenant shall be steadfast for him, and I will establish his seed to eternity, and his throne as the days of the heavens. Once have I sworn by my holiness I will not lie unto David, his seed shall endure to eternity, and his throne as the sun before me, as the moon it shall be established to eternity, a faithful witness in the clouds" (Psalm 89:3, 4, 19-21, 23, 25-29, 35-37).

That by David here is not meant David, but the Lord, as to His kingship, which is the spiritual Divine, and is called the Divine Truth, is evident from all that is here said of David, namely, that his seed and throne shall be as the days of the heavens, and as the sun and the moon to eternity, that he shall set his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers, and that he shall call Jehovah Father, and shall be [His] first-born, high above the kings of the earth, with other things that could not be said of David, and his sons, and his throne. That by David in the Word is meant the Lord, may be seen above (n. 205).

[20] But to proceed to particulars. I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn to David my servant, signifies the union of His Divine with the Human, to make a covenant signifying to be united, to swear signifying to confirm the union, while chosen is said of good, and servant of truth. I will establish thy seed even to eternity, and I will build up thy throne to generation and generation, signifies the Divine Truth, and heaven and the church from Him, seed denoting the Divine Truth and those who receive it, and throne, heaven and the church.

[21] Thou hast spoken in vision to thine Holy One, signifies a prophetic interior truth (arcanum) concerning the Lord. I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chosen out of the people, signifies the Divine Truth through which the Divine Good performs all things, which is called a help upon one that is mighty, and, elsewhere, the right hand of Jehovah; Divine majesty and power therefrom is signified by the exaltation of one chosen out of the people. I have found David my servant, with the oil of holiness have I anointed him, signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human and union with the Divine itself, which union is called, in the Word of the New Testament, glorification. This union is meant by being anointed with the oil of holiness, for the oil of holiness signifies the Divine Good of the Divine Love, and to be anointed signifies to be united to the Divine Truth, which was of the Lord's Human in the world.

[22] With whom my hand shall be established, mine arm also shall strengthen him, signifies omnipotence therefrom, the hand denoting the omnipotence of truth from good, and the arm the omnipotence of good by means of truth. I will beat down his enemies before him, and will smite them that hate him, signifies combat with victory against falsities and evils, thus against the hells. I will set his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers, signifies the extension of His dominion and kingdom over all things of heaven and the church; for seas and rivers are the ultimates of heaven, and the ultimates signify all things.

[23] He shall cry unto me, thou art my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation, signifies the Divine Human which is the Son of God, who was conceived of Him, and afterwards born, and because the Lord's Human had Divine Truth and Divine Power therefrom it is also called God and the Rock of salvation. Also I will make him my first-born, high above the kings of the earth, signifies, that He is above all the good and truth of heaven and the church, because the goods and truths therein are from Him; and my covenant shall be steadfast for Him, signifies eternal union; I will establish his seed to eternity, and his throne as the days of the heavens, has the same signification here as above, days of the heavens denoting the states of the whole heaven, which are from His Divine.

[24] Once have I sworn by my holiness, I will not lie unto David, signifies eternal confirmation, because from the Divine, concerning the Lord, and concerning the union of His Human with the Divine itself; his seed shall endure to eternity, and his throne as the sun before me, as the moon it shall be established to eternity has the same signification as above, where seed and throne are named. It is said as the sun and moon, because eternity as to the Divine Good is stated of the sun, and as to the Divine Truth of the moon, for these are signified by the sun and the moon. A faithful witness in the clouds, signifies acknowledgment and confession from the Word concerning the Divine in the Human of the Lord; that this is a witness in the clouds, may be seen above (n. 10, 27, 228, 392, 649).

[25] In the same:

"O Jehovah, remember David, all his affliction who sware unto Jehovah, and vowed to the mighty one of Jacob, surely I will not enter within the tent of my house, nor go up upon the couch of my bed, until I find out a place for Jehovah, habitations for the mighty one of Jacob. Lo, we have heard of him in Ephratah, we found him in the fields of the wood; we will enter into his habitations, we will bow down ourselves at his footstool. Arise, Jehovah, to thy rest, thou and the ark of thy strength. Let thy priests be clothed with justice, and let thy saints shout for joy; for thy servant David's sake, turn not away the face of thine anointed." In Zion "will I make the horn of David to bud, I will set a lamp for mine anointed, his enemies will I clothe with shame, but upon himself shall his crown flourish" (Psalm 132:1-3, 5-10, 17, 18).

Here also David and Anointed or Christ do not mean David, but the Lord as to the Divine Human, for it is said, that his habitations, that is, of the Mighty One of Jacob, are found in Ephratah, which is Bethlehem, and that they would bow themselves down at his footstool; but that this is so will appear better from the explanation of the details in their order.

[26] Who sware to Jehovah, and vowed to the mighty one of Jacob, signifies irrevocable affirmation before the Lord, who is called Jehovah, from the Divine in primaries, and the Mighty One of Jacob, from the Divine in ultimates, in which the Divine power is in its fulness. Surely I will not enter within the tent of my house, nor go up upon the couch of my bed, signifies not to enter into and know the things which pertain to the church and its doctrine, the tent of the house denoting the holy things of the church, and the couch of a bed, its doctrine; until I find out a place for Jehovah, habitations for the Mighty One of Jacob, signifies, before I shall know of the coming of the Lord, and the interior truths (arcana) concerning the union of His Human with the Divine; these things are, in the highest sense, the place of Jehovah, and the habitations of the Lord's Divine Human.

[27] Lo, we have heard of him in Ephratah, we found him in the fields of the wood, signifies in the spiritual sense of the Word, and also in the natural; for Ephratah and Bethlehem signify the spiritual-natural, and the fields of the wood the natural, both pertaining to the Word, for there the Lord is found. We will enter into his habitations, we will bow down ourselves at his footstool, signifies that He is there found, for He is the Word. His habitations here mean the things of the spiritual sense of the Word, and are thus the heavens, since these are in the spiritual sense of the Word; and his footstool denotes the things of the natural sense of the Word, thus also the church, since in the church Divine truths are in their ultimates, which to the spiritual things of the Word and of the heavens, thus to the Lord Himself who dwells therein, serve as a footstool.

[28] Arise, Jehovah, to thy rest, thou and the ark of thy strength, signifies the union of the Divine itself, with the Human in the Lord, and peace therefrom to all in heaven and the church, the rest of Jehovah denoting that union, and the ark of his strength heaven and the church. Let thy priests be clothed with justice, and let thy saints shout for joy, signifies worship thence from love with those who are in celestial good, and worship from charity with those who are in spiritual good; for priests denote those who are in the celestial kingdom of the Lord, while those who are in the spiritual kingdom are called saints.

[29] For thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed, signifies that they may be enkindled by love and enlightened by the light of truth, when Divine Truth has been united with Divine Good in the Lord, thus the Divine itself with the Human and the Human with the Divine. For David as a servant signifies the Human of the Lord as to Divine Truth, and Anointed signifies the same united with Divine Good, and His face signifies Divine Love and enlightenment therefrom. In Zion will I make the horn of David to bud, signifies the power of Divine Truth from Him in heaven and in the church. I will set a lamp for mine anointed, signifies the enlightenment of Divine Truth from the union of the Divine and the Human in the Lord, lamp denoting Divine Truth as to enlightenment. His enemies will I clothe with shame, signifies the subjugation of the hells, and the consequent dispersion of evils. But upon himself shall his crown flourish, signifies perpetual and eternal victory over them.

[30] From the passages quoted from the Word, it is evident that the Lord is called Anointed, that is Messiah or Christ, from the union of Divine Good with Divine Truth in His Human, for from that union the Lord's Human is meant by the Anointed of Jehovah.

[31] Similarly in the First Book of Samuel:

"Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth, and will give strength unto his king, and exalt the horn of his anointed" (2:10).

This is contained in the prophetic [song] of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, before there was any king or anointed over Israel, therefore by King and Anointed is here meant the Lord, to whom strength is given, and whose horn is exalted when the Divine is united with the Human. Strength signifies the power of good over evil, and horn the power of truth over falsity; and truth is said to be exalted when it becomes interior, and in the same degree also it becomes more powerful.

[32] The anointed has a similar meaning in Lamentations:

"The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits, of whom we had said, In his shadow shall we live amongst the nations" (4:20).

The anointed of Jehovah, in the sense of the letter, means here the king who was made captive, but in the spiritual sense the Lord is meant, therefore it is said, the breath of our nostrils, that is, the life of the perception of good and truth. Taken in the pits, signifies rejection by those who are in falsities of evil, pits denoting falsities of doctrine. To live in his shadow, signifies to be under His protection against the falsities of evil, which are signified by nations.

[33] Since the Anointed, Messiah, or Christ, signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human, thus as to Divine Good united with Divine Truth, therefore by anointing, that union is signified concerning which the Lord says:

"I am in the Father and the Father in me; believe me that I am in the Father and the Father in me" (John 14:7-11);

and elsewhere,

"The Father and I are one; know ye and believe, that I am in the Father and the Father in me" (John 10:30, 38).

And because this was represented by the anointing of Aaron and his sons, therefore the holy things of the sons of Israel which belonged to Jehovah Himself, were given to Aaron and his sons for the anointing (Numbers 18:8). These holy things belonging to Jehovah, which were given to Aaron and his sons are enumerated from verses 9 to 19 of that chapter. But see what has been said before (n. 375:13, 15) concerning anointings, namely, that the Lord alone, as to the Divine Human, was the Anointed of Jehovah, because in Him was the Divine Good of Divine Love, which was signified by oil, and that all other anointings with oil were only representative of Him. We have said these things concerning the Anointed of Jehovah, since the Anointed of Jehovah is Christ, in order that it may be known that by the Lord and His Christ, in this passage in the Apocalypse, are not meant two, but one, that is they are one, as are the Anointed of Jehovah and the Lord's Christ (Luke 2:26).

[34] Because the Lord is treated of here, it is important that an explanation should be given of what is said of the Messiah in Daniel, in order to make it clear why He was called Christ, that is, Messiah or Anointed.

"Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people, and upon thy city of holiness, to finish the transgression, and to seal up sins, and to expiate iniquity, and to bring in the justice of the ages, and to seal up the vision and the prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies. Know, therefore, and understand, from the going forth of the word to restore and to build Jerusalem, even to Messiah the prince, shall be seven weeks; afterwards in sixty and two weeks, the street and the ditch shall be restored and built, but in straitness of times. But after sixty and two weeks Messiah shall be cut off, but not for himself. Then the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, so that the end thereof shall be with a flood, and even unto the end of the war desolations are determined. Yet he shall confirm a covenant with many for one week, but in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and meal-offering to cease. At length upon the bird of abominations desolation, and even to the consummation and decision it shall drop upon the devastation" (Dan. 9:24-27).

The meaning of these words has been examined and explained by many learned men, as to the literal sense only, but not yet as to the spiritual sense, for this sense has not been hitherto known in the Christian world. In this sense the above words have the following signification. Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people, signifies the time and state of the church which then existed with the Jews, even to its end, "seven" and "seventy" signifying fulness from beginning to end, and people those who then belonged to the church; and upon thy city of holiness, signifies the time and state of the end of the church as to the doctrine of truth from the Word, city signifying doctrine of truth, and the city of holiness Divine Truth, which is the Word.

[35] To finish the transgression, and to seal up sins, and to expiate iniquity, signifies when there is nothing but falsities and evils in the church, thus when iniquity is fulfilled and consummated; for the end does not come until this is done; the reason of this is given in the Last Judgment. For if the end came before this, the simple - good who are conjoined as to externals with those who simulate truths and goods, and hypocritically make a display of them in externals - would perish; therefore it is added, "to bring in the justice of the ages," which signifies to save those who are in the good of faith and of charity. And to seal up the vision and the prophet, signifies to fulfil all things contained in the Word; to anoint the holy of holies, signifies to unite the Divine Itself with the Human in the Lord, for this is the holy of holies.

[36] Know, therefore, and understand from the going forth of the Word, signifies from the end of the Word of the Old Testament, since this had to be fulfilled in the Lord; for all things of the Word of the Old Testament treat in the highest sense of the Lord, and of the glorification of His Human, and thus of His dominion over all things of heaven and of the world. To restore and build Jerusalem, signifies when the new church was to be established, Jerusalem signifying that church, and to build signifying to establish anew; even to Messiah the Prince, signifies even to the Lord and Divine Truth in Him and from Him; for the Lord is called the Messiah from the Divine Human and Prince from Divine Truth.

[37] Seven weeks signify a full time and state; afterwards in sixty and two weeks the street and the ditch shall be restored and built, signifies the full time and state after His coming until the church with its truths and doctrine is established, sixty, like three or six, signifying a full time and state for the implantation of truth, and two signifying those things as to good, thus sixty and two together signify the marriage of truth with a little good; street signifies truth of doctrine, and ditch, doctrine - the signification of street may be seen above (n. 652), and of ditch or well (n. 537). But in straitness of times, signifies scarcely and with difficulty, because with nations that have little perception of spiritual truth.

[38] But after sixty and two weeks, signifies after a full time and state of the church established as to truth and as to good; Messiah shall be cut off, signifies that they shall fall away from the Lord, and this took place chiefly with the Babylonians, through their transferring the Divine power of the Lord to the Popes, and thus through not acknowledging the Divine in His Human; but not for himself, signifies that yet the power is His and the Divine is His.

[39] Then the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, signifies that thus doctrine and the church will perish through falsities, city signifying doctrine, sanctuary, the church, and the prince that shall come, the reigning falsity. So that the end thereof shall be with a flood, and even to the end of the war desolations are determined, signifies the falsification of truth, even until there is no longer any combat between truth and falsity; a flood signifies the falsification of truth, war, the combat between truth and falsity, and desolation, the last state of the church, when there is no longer any truth, but merely falsity.

[40] Yet he shall confirm a covenant [with many] for one week, signifies the period of the Reformation when the Word was again read, and the Lord acknowledged, that is, the Divine in His Human; this acknowledgment, and conjunction therefrom with the Lord by means of the Word, is signified by covenant, and the period of the Reformation by one week. But in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the meal-offering to cease, signifies that still interiorly with those Reformed there will be no truth and good in worship, sacrifice signifying worship from truths, and the meal-offering worship from goods. The midst of the week does not signify the midst of that time, but the inmost of the state of the Reformed, for midst signifies inmost, and week, the state of the church. There was no truth and good interiorly in worship after the Reformation, because they adopted faith as the essential of the church, and separated it from charity, and when faith is separated from charity, then in the inmost of worship there is neither truth nor good, for the inmost of worship is the good of charity, and from that the truth of faith proceeds.

[41] At length upon the bird of abominations desolation, signifies the extinction of all truth by the separation of faith from charity, the bird of abominations signifying faith alone, thus faith separated from charity. For a bird signifies thought concerning the truths of the Word and the understanding of them, which becomes a bird of abominations when there is no spiritual affection for truth, which enlightens and teaches truth, but only a natural affection, which is for the sake of reputation, glory, honour, and gain; and this affection, because it is infernal, is abominable, since it is the source of falsities only. And even to the consummation and decision it shall drop upon the devastation, signifies its last [state], when there is no longer anything of truth and faith remaining, and when a last judgment takes place.

[42] That these last words in Daniel were a prediction concerning the end of the Christian church, is evident from the Lord's words in Matthew:

"When ye shall see the abomination of desolation foretold by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, let him who readeth understand" (24:15).

For the subject treated of in that chapter is the consummation of the age, thus the gradual vastation of the Christian church; therefore the devastation of that church is meant by those words in Daniel; but what they signify in the spiritual sense, has been explained in the Arcana Coelestia 3652). From this it is now evident what is signified by the kingdoms of the world are become the Lord's and His Christ's; also what is signified by the Lord's Christ, or the Christ of the Lord, in Luke, where Simeon was promised "by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death, before he had seen the Christ of the Lord" (2:26).

5113. 'And behold, a vine before me' means the understanding part. This is clear from the meaning of 'a vine' as the understanding part of the mind as it exists in the spiritual Church, dealt with below. Because 'the cupbearer' means the sensory powers that are subject to the understanding part, and because the subject here is the flow of the understanding into the sensory powers subordinate to it, there appeared in the dream therefore a vine with shoots, blossom, clusters, and grapes, which are used to describe its flow into those powers and the rebirth of them. With regard to the understanding part as it exists in the spiritual Church, it should be recognized that when that Church is the subject in the Word, its understanding is in many instances dealt with too, for the reason that it is the understanding part which is regenerated and made the Church in the case of one belonging to that Church.

[2] There are in general two Churches - the celestial and the spiritual. The celestial Church exists with the person in whom the will part of the mind can be regenerated or made the Church, whereas the spiritual Church exists with one in whom, as stated, solely the understanding part can be regenerated. The Most Ancient Church before the Flood was a celestial one because there existed with those who belonged to it some degree of wholeness in the will part, whereas the Ancient Church after the Flood was a spiritual one because among those who belonged to it no degree of wholeness existed in the will part, only in the understanding part. This explains why, when the spiritual Church is dealt with in the Word, its understanding is dealt with in many instances too. Regarding these Churches, see 640, 641, 765, 863, 875, 895, 927, 928, 1023, 1043, 1044, 1555, 2124, 2256, 2669, 4328, 4493. As regards its being the understanding part that is regenerated in the case of those who belong to the spiritual Church, this may also be recognized from the fact that the member of that Church does not have any good from which he may perceive truth, as those who belonged to the celestial Church had. Rather, he must first learn the truth of faith and absorb it into his understanding, and so come to recognize with the aid of truth what good is. Once truth enables him to recognize what good is, he can think about it, then desire it, and at length put it into practice, in which case he now has a new will formed by the Lord in the understanding part of his mind. The Lord then uses this to raise the spiritual man up to heaven, though evil still remains in the will that is properly his own, which at this point is miraculously set aside. This is accomplished by a higher power which withholds him from evil and maintains him in good.

[3] In the case of the member of the celestial Church however the will part was regenerated. From earliest childhood he was absorbing the good of charity, and once he could see with perception what that good was, he was led on to perceive what love to the Lord was. Consequently all the truths of faith were seen by him in his understanding as if in a mirror. His understanding and will formed one complete mind; for those truths enabled him to perceive in his understanding that which existed as a desire in his will. This is what the wholeness of that first human being consisted in, by whom the celestial Church is meant.

[4] As regards 'the vine' meaning the understanding part in the case of the spiritual Church, this is clear from many other places in the Word, as in Jeremiah,

What have you to do with the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? Or what have you to do with the way to Assyria, to drink the waters of the River? Yet I have planted you as a wholly choice vine, a seed of truth. How therefore have you turned from Me into the degenerate branches of a strange vine? Jeremiah 2:18, 21.

This refers to Israel, which means the spiritual Church, 3654, 4286. 'Egypt' and 'the waters of Shihor' stand for factual knowledge which leads to perversion, 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462; 'Assyria' and 'the waters of the River' stand for reasoning based on this, that is, on factual knowledge, against the good of life and the truth of faith, 119, 1186. 'A choice vine' stands for the member of the spiritual Church, who is called 'a vine' because of his understanding, while 'the degenerate branches of a strange vine' stands for someone belonging to the perverted Church.

[5] In Ezekiel,

A riddle and a parable about the house of Israel. A great eagle took some of the seed of the land and planted it in a seed field. It sprouted and became a spreading vine, low in height, so that its branches turned towards him and its roots were under him. So it became a vine which brought forth branches and sent out shoots towards the eagle. This vine directed its roots and sent its branches towards him in a good field by many waters. It was planted to produce a branch, that it might be a magnificent vine. Ezekiel 17:1, 3, 5-8.

An eagle' stands for rational thought, 3901,'the seed of the land' for truth known to the Church, 1025, 1447, 1610, 1940, 2848, 3038, 3310, 3373. Its becoming 'a spreading vine' and 'a magnificent vine' stands for becoming a spiritual Church, which is called 'a vine' because wine is obtained from it - 'wine' meaning spiritual good or the good of charity, the source of the truth of faith implanted in the understanding part.

[6] In the same prophet,

Your mother was like a vine in your likeness, planted beside the waters, fruitful, and made full of branches by reason of many waters. Consequently it had strong rods as sceptres for those who had dominion, and its stature rose up among entangled boughs, so that it was seen in its height amid the multitude of its branches. Ezekiel 19:10-11.

This too refers to Israel, by whom the spiritual Church is meant, which Church is compared to 'a vine' for a similar reason to that mentioned immediately above. It is a description of its derivatives even to the final ones in the natural man, that is to say, even to factual knowledge based on sensory impressions, meant by 'entangled boughs', 2831.

[7] In Hosea,

I will be as the dew of Israel. His branches will go out, and his beauty will be like the olive's, and his odour like that of Lebanon. Those dwelling in its shadow will turn back, they will quicken the grain and will blossom as the vine; the memory of it will be as the wine of Lebanon. O Ephraim, what have I to do any more with idols? Hosea 14:5-8.

'Israel' stands for the spiritual Church, the blossoming of which is compared to 'the vine', and the memory of it to 'the wine of Lebanon', because of the good of faith when that good has been implanted in the understanding part. 'Ephraim' means the understanding part as it exists in the spiritual Church, 3969.

[8] In Zechariah,

The remnant of the people will be the seed of peace; the vine will give its fruit, and the land will give its increase, and the heavens will give their dew. Zechariah 8:11-12.

'The remnant of the people' stands for truths stored away by the Lord within the interior man, 468, 530, 560, 561, 660, 798, 1050, 1738, 1906, 2284. 'The seed of peace' stands for good there, 'the vine' for the understanding part.

[9] In Malachi,

I will rebuke the devourer for you, so that he does not ruin for you the fruit of the land, nor will the vine in the field fail you. Malachi 3:11-12.

'The vine' stands for the understanding part. The expression 'a vine that does not fail' is used when the understanding part is not left bereft of the truths and goods of faith; on the other hand 'an empty vine' is used when falsities exist there together with derivative evils, as in Hosea,

Israel is an empty vine, it bears fruit like itself. Hosea 10:1.

[10] In Moses,

He will bind his ass's colt to the vine, and the foal of his she-ass to a choice vine, after he has washed his clothing in wine, and his garment in the blood of grapes. Genesis 49:11.

This is the prophecy of Jacob, who by then was Israel, regarding his twelve sons, in this case regarding 'Judah', who represents the Lord, 7881. 'The vine' here stands for the understanding part as it exists in the spiritual Church, and 'a choice vine' for the understanding part as it exists in the celestial Church.

[11] In David,

O Jehovah, You caused a vine to journey out of Egypt. You cast out the nations, and You planted it. You cleared the way in front of it and caused its roots to be rooted, so that it might fill the land. The mountains were covered with the shadow of it, and the cedars of God with its branches. You sent out its shoots even to the sea, and its little branches to the Euphrates. The boar out of the forest tramples on it, and the wild animal of the fields feeds on it. Psalms 80:8-11, 13.

'A vine out of Egypt' stands in the highest sense for the Lord, the glorification of His Human being described by it and its shoots. In the internal sense 'a vine' here means the spiritual Church and the member of that Church - what he is like when the understanding and will parts of him have been made new or regenerated by the Lord. 'The boar in the forest' means falsity, and 'the wild animal of the fields' evil, which destroy the Church and faith in the Lord.

[12] In John,

The angel sent his sickle into the earth and harvested the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. The winepress was trodden outside the city, and the blood went out of the winepress up to the horses' bridles. Revelation 14:19-20.

'Harvesting the vine of the earth' stands for destroying the understanding part in the Church. And since 'the vine' means that understanding part it is also said that 'the blood went out of the winepress up to the horses' bridles'; for the powers of understanding are meant by 'horses', 2761, 2762, 3217. In Isaiah,

It will happen on that day, that every place in which there have been a thousand vines, worth a thousand [shekels] of silver, will be briers and brambles. Isaiah 7:23.

In the same prophet,

The inhabitants of the land will be scorched and hardly any men (homo) left. The new wine will mourn, and the vine will languish. Isaiah 14:6-7.

In the same prophet,

They beat themselves on their breasts for the fields of unmixed wine, for the fruitful vine; for over the land of My people the them, the prickle is coming up. Isaiah 32:12-14.

In these places the subject is the spiritual Church when laid waste as regards the good and truth of faith, and so as regards the understanding part, since, as stated above, the truth and the good of faith exist in the understanding part of the mind of the member of that Church. Anyone may see that in these places 'the vine' is not used to mean the vine, nor 'the land' to mean the land, but some feature of the Church.

[13] In the genuine sense 'the vine' means good present in the understanding part, and 'the fig' good present in the natural part; or what amounts to the same, 'the vine' means good present in the interior man, and 'the fig' good present in the exterior man. This being so, when the vine is mentioned in the Word, so also on many occasions is the fig, as in the following places: In Jeremiah,

I will completely devour them. There will be no grapes on the vine or figs on the fig tree; and its leaf has come down. Jeremiah 8:13.

In the same prophet,

I will bring upon you a nation from afar, O house of Israel, which will devour your vine and your fig tree. Jeremiah 5:17.

In Hosea,

I will lay waste her vine and her fig tree. Hosea 2:12.

In Joel,

A nation has come up over the land. It has turned My vine into a waste, and My fig tree into froth. It has stripped it completely bare and cast it aside; its branches have been made white. The vine has withered and the fig tree languishes. Joel 1:6-7, 12.

In the same prophet,

Fear not, you beasts of My fields, for the dwelling places of the wilderness have been made green; for the tree will bear its fruit, and the fig tree and the vine will give their full yield. Joel 2:12, 23.

In David,

He smote their vines and their fig trees, and broke to pieces the trees of their borders. Psalms 105:33.

In Habakkuk,

The fig tree will not blossom; neither will there be any yield on the vines. Habakkuk 3:17.

In Micah,

Out of Zion will go forth teaching, and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem. They will sit every one under his vine and under his fig tree, unafraid. Micah 4:1, 4.

In Zechariah,

On that day you will shout, each to his companion, under his vine and under his fig tree. Zechariah 3:10.

In the first Book of Kings,

In Solomon's time there was peace from all the border-crossings round about, and Judah and Israel dwelt with confidence, every one under his vine and under his fig tree. 1 Kings 4:24-25.

The fig tree' means the good of the natural or exterior man, see 217.

[14] 'The vine' may also mean an understanding part that has been made new or regenerated by means of good obtained from truth and of truth obtained from good. This is clear from the Lord's words addressed to the disciples after He instituted the Holy Supper, in Matthew,

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.

The good obtained from truth and the truth obtained from good, by means of which the understanding is made new, that is, by which a person is made spiritual, is meant by 'the fruit of the vine', while making such one's own is meant by 'drinking'. For 'drinking' means making one's own, and is used in reference to truth, see 3168. The fact that this is fully accomplished only in the next life is meant by 'until that day when I drink it new with you. In My Father's kingdom'; for 'the fruit of the vine', it is quite plain, is not used to mean new wine or matured wine but something of a heavenly nature belonging to the Lord's kingdom.

[15] Because the understanding part of the spiritual man's mind is made new and regenerated by means of truth which comes solely from the Lord, the Lord therefore compares Himself to 'the vine'. He then compares those who are secure in the truth which comes from Him and consequently is His to 'the branches', and the good produced by them to 'the fruit', in John,

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, but every one that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I him, he it is that bears much fruit; for apart from Me you cannot do anything. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:1-5, 12.

[16] Because in the highest sense 'the vine' means the Lord as regards Divine Truth, and from this it means, in the internal sense, a member of the spiritual Church, 'a vineyard' therefore means the spiritual Church itself, 1069, 3220.

[17] Since 'the Nazirite' represented the celestial man - who is regenerated by means of the good of love and not, like the spiritual man, by means of the truth of faith, so that, as may be seen stated above, it is not in the understanding part but in the will part of the celestial man's mind that the regeneration takes place - the Nazirite was therefore forbidden to eat anything that came from the vine and so was forbidden to drink wine, Numbers 6:3-4; Judges 13:14. From this also it is evident that 'the vine', as has been shown, means the understanding part, which belongs to the spiritual man. For details about 'the Nazirite' representing the celestial man, see 3301. From this one may also see that nobody can possibly know why the Nazirite was forbidden anything that came from the vine, and many other things besides, unless he knows what 'the vine' means in the proper sense, and also unless he knows of the existence of a celestial Church and of a spiritual Church, and that the member of the celestial Church is regenerated in a different way from a member of the spiritual Church. The former is regenerated by means of seed implanted in the will part, the latter by seed implanted in the understanding part. These are the kinds of arcana stored away in the internal sense of the Word.