587. And idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and wood.- That this signifies false doctrinals, which are from [man's] own intelligence, and favour the loves of the body and of the world, and the principles arising therefrom, is evident from the signification of idols, as denoting falsities of doctrine, religion, and worship, which are from [man's] own intelligence. But what idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, signify in particular, is clear from the signification of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood. Gold signifies spiritual good; silver, spiritual truth; brass, natural good; stone, natural truth, and wood, sensual good; all these goods and truths enter into genuine doctrine, because it is drawn from both the spiritual sense and the natural sense of the Word. When a false doctrinal is confirmed by the spiritual things of the Word, it then becomes an idol of gold and an idol of silver; but when it is confirmed by the natural things of the Word, such as those of the sense of the letter are, it then becomes an idol of brass and stone; and when it is confirmed by the mere sense of the letter, it becomes an idol of wood. For the senses of the Word, both the interior or spiritual, and the exterior or natural, may be used to confirm falsities, as is evident from the numberless heresies which are all confirmed therefrom.
[2] Confirmations of falsities arise through the genuine sense of the Word not being understood; and the reason of this is that the loves of the proprium rule, and consequently the principles which spring from them; and when these rule man sees nothing from the light of heaven, but whatever he sees is from the light of the world separated from the light of heaven; and when the light of the world is separated from the light of heaven, then there is thick darkness in spiritual things.
It must be observed that the sons of Israel brought with them from Egypt, and also from the surrounding nations, the abominable custom of worshipping idols; and as they were merely external men, that worship was also implanted in them from natural inclination, as is evident from the idolatries of so many of the kings of Judah and Israel related in the Word, and also from the idolatry of Solomon himself, who was the wisest of them. But still the idols which they made for themselves, and worshipped, where mentioned in the Word, signify, in the spiritual sense, false doctrinals from [man's] own intelligence, from which, and according to which, worship is performed.
[3] This signification of idols also derives its cause from the spiritual world; there the evil spirits, who contrive for themselves falsity of doctrine, appear as it were to fashion idols, and mark them in various ways, until they appear in the human form as it were. They also make selections from various representatives, and so unite them as to cause them to cohere, and thus produce a resemblance of that form in external things. I have been permitted to see the formation of such idols by the leaders of the church, who had persuaded themselves that falsities were truths; and being very ingenious they could industriously connect together and dress up the details. I have seen such an idol made by the English, by means of which they represented that faith alone is essential to salvation, and produces the goods of charity, without any co-operation on man's part. The reason why idols are formed in the spiritual world by those who are in falsities of doctrine which are from [man's] own intelligence, is that Divine truths, from which is the genuine doctrine of the church, induce upon angels the human form, therefore also angels, in the Word, signify Divine truths; hence it is, that falsities of doctrine, which are confirmed from the Word, are embodied as idols in the human form; the truths of the Word, which are falsified, and which they use for purposes of confirmation, induce that form, but because the truths are falsified, an idol having no life is embodied.
[4] That idols, graven and molten images, signify the falsities of doctrine, of religion, and of worship, is plain from the following passages in the Word.
Thus in Isaiah:
"The workman casteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and forgeth silver chains. He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation, chooseth wood that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a wise artificer to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved" (40:19, 20).
These words describe how doctrine is contrived and put together by means of falsities, thus by means of such things as are from [man's] own intelligence, for these are all falsities. The workman, the goldsmith, and the wise artificer whom he chooses, mean one who contrives and fashions such doctrine. That it may appear as good in the external form, is signified by covering it over with gold; that falsities may cohere and appear as truths, is signified by forging chains of silver; that thus it may be acknowledged, and the falsity not be seen, is signified by choosing wood that will not rot, and by preparing a graven image that shall not be moved.
[5] So in Jeremiah:
"Every man is become foolish from his knowledge; every goldsmith is confounded by the graven image; for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. They are vanity, and the work of errors; in the time of their visitation they shall perish" (10:14, 15; 51:17, 18).
Because a graven image signifies the falsity of doctrine, of religion, and of worship, therefore it is said, "every man is become foolish from his knowledge, every goldsmith is confounded by the graven image." The knowledge by which man becomes foolish signifies [man's] own intelligence, while the falsity therefrom is signified by the graven image; the same falsity is also meant by the molten image being a falsehood, vanity, and the work of errors. That there is no spiritual life in falsities, or in those things that are from [man's] own intelligence, is meant by there being no breath in them; for life is solely in Divine truths, or in truths that are from the Lord, as He teaches when He says:
"The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63).
[6] Again, in Jeremiah:
"For one cutteth wood out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with an axe. He decketh it with silver and with gold; and fasteneth it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are rigid like the palm-tree, but they speak not; they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. But they are altogether deluded and foolish; the wood is a teaching of vanities. Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the goldsmith; purple (hyacinthinum) and crimson (purpura) is their clothing; they are all the work of wise men. But Jehovah is the God of truth, he is the living God, and the king" of an age (10:3-10).
Here the graven image means falsity of doctrine, of religion, and of worship, ingeniously contrived and fashioned by [man's] own intelligence, as is evident from the details of the description considered in the spiritual sense. [Man's] own intelligence, by which the image is cut out and fashioned, is signified by the work of the hands with the axe, and by the work of the workman, and of the hands of the goldsmith, also by the work of wise men; that the work of the hands of the workman and artificer signifies what is from [man's] own intelligence, was shown in the preceding article. The falsities therefrom are signified by their being altogether deluded and foolish, and the wood a teaching of vanities. That they have no life is signified by their being rigid as the palm tree, and by their being able neither to speak nor to go; to speak and to go denoting to live, while to live signifies to live spiritually. Confirmations from the Word are signified by silver spread into plates which is brought from Tarshish, and by gold from Uphaz, also by their clothing of purple and crimson. Silver from Tarshish signifies the truth of the Word, and gold from Uphaz the good of the Word, both falsified; similarly purple and crimson. That all the truth of doctrine, of religion, and of worship, is from Jehovah, that is from the Lord, is meant by Jehovah is the God of truth, he is the living God, and the king of an age, for the Lord is called God, also the living God, and a king from Divine Truth.
[7] Again, in Isaiah:
"They that make a graven image are all of them vanity, and their most desirable things do not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, neither do they know; for all his fellows shall be ashamed; and the workmen themselves. He fabricateth iron with the tongs, and worketh it in the coals, and with sharp hammers formeth it, so he worketh it by the arm of his strength; he also hungereth until he hath not strength, he drinketh no waters until he is faint. He fabricateth woods, he stretcheth out the line, and describeth it with a rule; he maketh it to his angles, and by a circle he determineth it, that he may make it in the form of a man (vir) according to the beauty of a man (homo), to dwell in his house. To cut out for himself cedars, or he taketh the box-tree, or the oak, and although it be for a man to burn, and he taketh of them to warm himself, and also kindleth it to bake bread, yet he maketh a god, and boweth himself down, he maketh of it a graven image, and adoreth it. They know not, neither do they understand, for they have forgotten, so that their eyes do not see, and their hearts do not understand. And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge and understanding, nor doth he say, Is there not a lie in my right hand?" (44:9-20).
By the whole of this description of the graven image is meant the formation of doctrine from [man's] own intelligence, and the details of the description signify the particular parts of such formation. For were this not the case what need would there be for such a minute description of the making of a mere graven image? That there was nothing but falsity, because from [man's] own intelligence, is meant by they that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their most desirable things do not profit; also by neither is there knowledge and understanding in them, nor doth he say, is there not a lie in my right hand? [Man's] own intelligence from which the falsity of doctrine is formed, is described by he fabricateth iron with the tongs, and worketh it in the coals, by the arm of his strength. To fabricate iron with the tongs and to work it in the coals, denotes the production of falsities that favour [man's own] loves. The conjoining of falsities to falsities by means of fallacies, by which they appear as truths, is described by he stretcheth out the line, and describeth it with a rule, he maketh it to his angles, and by a circle he determineth it, that he may make it in the form of a man, according to the beauty of a man, to dwell in his house. By the form of a man (vir) is signified the appearance of truth, and by the beauty of a man (homo), the appearance of intelligence therefrom, and by dwelling in the house is signified the appearance of spiritual life thence. That there was no life of intelligence, and of the perception of truth and good, is signified by, they know not, neither do they understand, for they have forgotten, so that their eyes do not see, and their hearts do not understand. Time does not permit a detailed explanation of this description to be given; enough has been said to enable every one to see that something wiser and more interior is signified than the mere making of a graven image. Let it be understood, that the heavenly wisdom contained in this description is ineffable, and in this wisdom the angels are when it is read by man, although man thinks of nothing but a graven image and the making of it. For there are as many correspondences and interior things of wisdom in the above passage as there are expressions (voces).
[8] So in Habakkuk:
"What profiteth the graven image? that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and the teacher of a lie? for the fabricator of his own lie trusteth therein, because he maketh dumb gods. Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath in the midst of it. But Jehovah is in the temple of his holiness" (2:18, 19, 20).
Since a graven image means the falsity of doctrine, of religion, and of worship, in which there is no spiritual life, because from [man's] own intelligence, therefore it is said, "What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; [the molten image,] and the teacher of a lie? the fabricator of a lie trusteth therein." A lie signifies falsity, and the teacher and fabricator of a lie signifies him who forges it; that there is no intelligence and life therein, or derived therefrom, is signified by making dumb gods, and by there being no breath in the midst of it. That all the truth of doctrine, of the church, and of worship, is from the Lord alone, is signified by Jehovah is in the temple of his holiness. The temple of His holiness is heaven, where Divine Truth is, and whence it proceeds.
[9] Again, in David:
"Their idols are silver and gold, the work of man's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not" (Psalm 115:4, 5; 135:15, 16).
Their idols being silver and gold, signifies external worship without internal, confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word not understood, and also from the fallacies of the senses; the work of man's hands signifies from [man's] own intelligence. That the work of man's hands is that which is from man's own intelligence may be seen in the preceding article. They have mouths, but they speak not, eyes have they, but they see not, signifies that from these they have neither any thought nor any understanding of truth. The reason why nothing can proceed thence but falsity, is, that the proprium of man is nothing but evil, for it favours his own love and his own intelligence, wherefore they do not study truths for the sake of truths, but only for the sake of fame, of a name, glory, and gain; and when these rule, heaven cannot flow in with its light, and open the sight and impart enlightenment, wherefore such persons see like birds of night, moles, and bats in the dark, according to what is said in Isaiah:
[10] "In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made for themselves to worship, to the moles and to the bats" (Isaiah 2:20).
And in Jeremiah:
"A drought upon waters; and they shall be dried up; for it is the land of graven images, and they glory in horrible things. Therefore tziim and ijim shall dwell there, and the daughters of the bird of night shall dwell therein" (50:38, 39).
A drought upon her waters signifies that there is no truth; the tziim and ijim signify infernal falsities and evils, and the daughters of the bird of night signify the affections for falsity. These things are said concerning the land of Chaldea and Babylon, which signify the profanations of truth and good by falsities that favour evils, and which they fashion for themselves for the sake of dominion.
[11] So in Hosea:
"They have made them a molten image of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsmen; sacrificing man, they kiss calves" (13:2).
Because a molten image signifies a doctrinal from [man's] own intelligence, it is therefore said, "They have made them a molten image of their silver, and idols according to their own understanding, all of it the work of the craftsman. And because by this means they destroy spiritual life, and live a merely natural life, it is said "sacrificing man, they kiss calves," to sacrifice man [homo] denoting to destroy spiritual life, and to kiss calves denoting to become utterly natural.
[12] Again, in Isaiah:
"Behold they are all iniquity, their works are nothing; their molten images are wind and emptiness" (41:29).
Here by they are all iniquity, their works are nothing, are signified the evils of doctrine, of religion, and of worship; and falsities are signified by their molten images are wind and emptiness, wind and emptiness being used in the Word in reference to falsities from the proprium.
And in Jeremiah:
"Why have they provoked me to anger with their graven images, and with their vanities of strangers?" (8:19).
The vanities of strangers also signify, like graven images, the falsities of religion, it is therefore said, "with their graven images, and the vanities of strangers."
[13] And in Ezekiel:
"Every man of the house of Israel who shall have caused idols to ascend upon his heart, and shall have put the stumbling-block of iniquity before his faces, shall yet come to the prophet, shall I Jehovah answer him that cometh with the multitude of his idols?" (14:3-6).
Here also idols denote the falsities of doctrine that are from [man's] own intelligence; to receive and acknowledge those falsities is signified by causing idols to ascend upon his heart; and to be influenced by them, and live according to them, is signified by putting the stumbling-block of iniquity before his faces. That the Lord cannot reveal genuine truths of doctrine to such persons, so long as they are in those falsities, is signified by if he shall come to the prophet, shall I Jehovah answer him that cometh with the multitude of his idols? The prophet here means one who teaches truths, and, in the abstract sense, the doctrine of genuine truth which is from the Lord, and by the multitude of idols are signified falsities in abundance, for falsities proceed in abundance from a single falsity assumed as a principle, together with falsities united together in a series, wherefore they are called, in the plural, idols, and a multitude of them.
[14] Again, in the same prophet:
"I will sprinkle clean waters upon you, and ye shall be cleansed from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols will I cleanse you" (36:25).
Because idols signify falsities of doctrine, it is therefore said, "I will sprinkle clean waters upon you," for by clean waters are signified genuine truths, and by sprinkling these upon them, is signified to purify from falsities; those falsities are also called uncleannesses, because they are falsities from evil, and falsities that produce evil.
[15] So in Micah:
"Therefore I will make Samaria as a heap of the field, and I will make its stones to flow down into the valley, and I will discover the foundations thereof. Then all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the rewards of her whoredom shall be burned with fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate; for she gathered it from the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot" (1:6, 7).
Samaria, after it became idolatrous, represented the church vastated as to truths of doctrine, and as to goods of life, or destroyed by falsities of doctrine and by evils of life. Devastation as to all the truths of the church, is signified by, it shall be made as a heap of the field; and the stones thereof shall flow down into the valley, and the foundations thereof shall be discovered. The field denotes the church, the heap of the field the devastation thereof; stones denote the truths of the church, and foundations, the natural truths upon which it is founded; the total devastation of these is signified by the stones flowing down into the valley, and the foundations being discovered. The destruction of the church by falsities of doctrine, is signified by the graven images being beaten to pieces, and the idols laid desolate. The rewards of whoredom, which shall be burned with the fire, signify the falsification of truth by its being used to favour the loves of self and of the world.
[16] The signification of graven images, molten images, and idols, in the following passages is similar.
Thus in Isaiah:
"As my hand hath found the kingdoms of the idols, and their graven images of Jerusalem and Samaria; shall I not, as I have done unto Samaria and her idols, so do to Jerusalem and her idols?" (10:10, 11).
Again:
"Ye shall judge the unclean covering of the graven images of thy silver, and the clothing of the molten image of thy gold; thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt call it dung" (30:22).
And again:
"In that day every man shall cast away the idols of his silver, and the idols of his gold, which your own hands have made unto you for a sin" (31:7).
And again:
"Lest thou should say, Mine idol hath done this, and my graven image, and my molten image, hath commanded this" (48:5).
And again:
"They shall turn back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, [Ye are] our gods" (42:17).
So again:
"He said a lion upon the watch tower, Babylon is fallen, is fallen; and all the graven images of her gods he hath broken unto the ground" (21:8, 9).
And in Ezekiel:
"Your altars shall be destroyed, and your sun statues shall be broken; and I will make your slain men to fall before your idols. And I will lay the carcases of the sons of Israel before their idols" (6:4, 5).
And in Micah:
"Thy graven images also will I cut off in that day, and thy standing images out of the midst of thee; and thou shalt no more worship the work of thy hands" (5:10, 13).
And in Moses:
"And I will cast your bodies upon the bodies of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you" (Leviticus 26:30).
Again:
"The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire; thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee; for it is an abomination unto thy God" (Deuteronomy 7:25).
And again:
"Cursed be the man that shall make any graven and molten image, an abomination unto Jehovah, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and shall put it in a secret place" (Deuteronomy 27:15).
[17] The signification of idols of gold, silver, brass, stone, and wood, is also similar to that of "the gods of gold, of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of the stone," which king Belshazzar praised, when, with his nobles and wives, he drank wine out of the vessels of gold and silver, which were from the temple of Jerusalem; on account of which the hand-writing appeared on the wall, and the king himself was driven from man, and became like a beast (Dan. 5:1, and following verses). The vessels of gold and silver of the temple at Jerusalem, signify the holy goods and truths of the church; the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone, which the king of Babylon then praised, mean the same as idols made of such things, and signify the evils and falsities of doctrine and worship, to praise denoting to worship. By drinking out of the vessels of the temple at Jerusalem and at the same time by praising or worshipping the gods, is signified the profanation of good and truth through evils and falsities in worship. And because everything spiritual pertaining to man perishes by profanation, and, without the Spiritual, man is not man, therefore for this reason he was driven out from men, and became like a beast.
[18] Since the external without the internal is not to be worshipped, but the external from the internal, thus the internal in the external, therefore it was forbidden to make any graven image in the likeness of any thing living on the earth. Thus in Moses:
"Lest ye make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth under heaven, the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the earth, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters under the earth" (Deuteronomy 4:16-18; 5:8).
The reason of this prohibition was, that the Jewish nation, above every other, was in externals without internals, and therefore in the worship of all the external things, which the Gentiles called holy. And to worship external things, except those which represented heavenly things, which were the altar, the sacrifice upon it, the tent of the assembly, and the temple, was idolatrous. These things, indeed, were also idolatrously worshipped by the Jews; but still, because the church with them was representative, their worship was accepted on account of the representation, although it had no influence on their souls, as is evident from the various things stated concerning that nation in the Arcana Coelestia, of which a selection may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248). And to worship the external elsewhere than where it was commanded, which was near the tent in the wilderness, and near the temple, and in the temple in Jerusalem, was to worship the representative itself without any perception of the thing represented, thus it was to worship the earthly alone without the heavenly. This therefore was prohibited them, and even to such an extent that they were not allowed to make to themselves graven images of such things; for that nation was of such a character that they worshipped them as soon as they saw them made.
[19] The idolatrous worship of images, not only of men, but also of various beasts, birds, and reptiles, that prevailed amongst the Gentiles, took its rise from the knowledge, which they possessed from the ancients, that things celestial and spiritual were signified by them; as for example, that beasts signified affections, birds thoughts thence, and reptiles and fishes the same in the sensual natural man. For this reason when those who were in external worship without internal, heard that the holy things of heaven and the church were signified by such things they began to worship them; as for example the Egyptians, and thence the sons of Israel in the wilderness, and afterwards in Samaria, worshipped calves, because calves signified with the ancients the good affections of the natural man.
