811.That captivity, in the Word, signifies spiritual captivity, which is to be shut out from Divine truths, that is, from the understanding of them in the Word; also destruction by falsities of evil and by evils arising from falsity, is evident from the passages in the Word where captivity is mentioned; as in the following places:

In Luke:

"They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and they shall be made captive amongst all nations; at length Jerusalem shall be trodden under foot" (21:24).

The subject of that chapter is the Consummation of the Age, by which is signified the last time of the church, when there is no longer any truth remaining. By their falling by the edge of the sword is signified the destruction of truth by falsities - sword signifying the combat of falsity against the truth, and also the destruction of truth by falsities. By being made captive amongst all nations, are signified persuasions, and obsessions therefrom, by evils of every kind. For when truths are destroyed, falsities take their place, and not only falsities but evils. All nations signify evils of every kind. By Jerusalem being trodden under foot is signified the full destruction and perversion of the doctrine of the church - Jerusalem denoting the church as to doctrine - and to be trodden under foot denoting to be altogether destroyed; this is done chiefly by falsifications and adulterations of the Word.

[2] In Ezekiel:

"They shall be made captive amongst the nations, and the altars shall be devastated, and the idols shall be broken, and the slain shall fall in the midst of you" (6:1-10).

By the altars being devastated, is signified that all worship from the good of love shall perish. By the idols being broken, is signified that all worship from the truths of that good shall also perish. And by the slain falling in the midst of them, is signified that they shall perish by falsities. To be slain by the sword has this signification.

[3] In Lamentations:

"Hear all ye people, and see ye my grief; my virgins and my young men are gone into captivity" (1:18).

This is a lamentation over the devastation of all truth in the church. The lamentation is described by, hear all ye people, and see ye my grief. That all affection of truth is destroyed, is signified by, my virgins are gone into captivity, a virgin denoting the affection of truth. And that all understanding of truth is destroyed, is signified by, my young men are gone into captivity, young men denoting the understanding of truth and intelligence.

[4] In Amos:

"If they have gone into captivity before their enemies, thence do I command the sword that it may slay them" (9:4).

If they have gone into captivity before their enemies, signifies, if they have suffered evils to take possession of them, enemies denoting evils, and to go into captivity denoting to be possessed by them. Thence do I command the sword that it may slay them, signifies that falsities will shut them out from understanding truths, and destroy them.

[5] In David:

God "forsook the habitation of Shiloh, the tent which he placed amongst men; and he delivered his strength into captivity, his gracefulness into the hand of the enemy" (Psalm 78:60, 61).

By the habitation of Shiloh is signified the church which is in the good of love, and by the tent is signified the church which is in truths of doctrine. Hence it is evident that by God forsaking the habitation of Shiloh, the tent which He placed amongst men, is signified, that the goods of love and the truths of doctrine were destroyed. By the strength which He delivered into captivity, is signified spiritual truth from celestial good; and by captivity, is signified a shutting out thereof from the understanding, and so destruction by falsities. And by the gracefulness which He delivered into the hand of the enemy, is signified natural truth from spiritual; this being signified by gracefulness, and the destruction thereof by evils being signified by delivering it into the hand of the enemy.

[6] In Ezekiel:

The prophet was commanded to depart out of the place, and to bring out the vessels of removal through the wall before their eyes, to bring them out under the darkness, and to cover his face that he might not see the earth: and say, "I am your prodigy; even as I have done, so shall it be done to them; into exile, into captivity, they shall go" (12:1-12).

The prophet by these things represented the state of the church at that time, which was, that there were no longer any truths remaining that were not destroyed by falsities. For all the prophets represented the church as to doctrine from the Word. His departing out of the place, and bringing out the vessels of removal through the wall under darkness, and covering his face that he might not see the earth, represented the rejection of all the truths of doctrine from the Word. By departing out of the place is signified rejection. By the vessels of removal are signified the truths of doctrine. By the wall, through which he brought them out, is signified the ultimate that encompasses and defends truths; and the ultimate of doctrine is the sense of the letter of the Word, which is called a wall by reason of its containing and including the spiritual sense. By the darkness under which he was to bring them out, are signified falsities. By covering his face that he might not see the earth, is signified the truths of good being no longer seen in the church. Because the prophet represented these things, therefore it is said, "As I have done, so shall it be done to them; into exile and captivity shall they go." It is therefore evident that to go into exile signifies the dispersion of truth, and that to go into captivity signifies to be taken possession of by falsities.

[7] In Habakkuk:

"I will raise up the Chaldeans, a nation going to the breadths of the earth; they shall gather the captivity as the sand; they shall mock at kings, and rulers shall be laughter to them" (1:6, 9, 10).

By the Chaldeans are signified those who destroy the truths of the church. By the breadths of the earth are signified the truths thereof. That they will destroy all truths by falsities, is signified by gathering the captivity as the sand. That they will deride and blaspheme the truths and goods of the Word, is signified by mocking at kings, and rulers being laughter to them. Kings signify the truths of the Word, and rulers the goods thereof.

[8] In Jeremiah:

Nebuchadnezzar "shall come and shall smite the land of Egypt; those who are for death to death; those who are for captivity to captivity; those who are for the sword to the sword: and I will kindle a fire in the houses of Egypt, that it may burn them, and he shall carry them away captive; at length he shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment" (43:11, 12).

By Nebuchadnezzar, or by the king of Babel, in the Word, are meant those who destroy everything of the church by evils; and by the Chaldeans are meant those who destroy everything of the church by falsities. In the abstract sense, by the king of Babel are signified the evils which destroy, and by the Chaldeans their falsities. Nebuchadnezzar's coming and smiting the land of Egypt, signifies the destruction of the natural man as to all goods and truths thence from the Word.

Those who are for death to death, signifies destruction by evils. Those who are for captivity to captivity, signifies destruction by the shutting out from and deprivation of truth. Those who are for the sword to the sword, signifies destruction by falsities therefrom. By kindling a fire in the houses of Egypt to burn them, and by taking them captive, is signified that the loves of self and of the world will destroy all things of the natural man by evils, and falsities. Fire signifies those loves; the houses of Egypt signify all things of the natural man; to burn them signifies to destroy by evil loves; and to take them captive signifies to destroy by falsities thence. At length he shall array himself with the land of Egypt as a shepherd putteth on his garment, signifies that the falsities of evil and the evils of falsity will occupy the whole natural man. This is compared to the garment of a shepherd, because a garment signifies truth investing good; but in this case falsity investing evil. For the natural man is as a garment to the spiritual man, for it encompasses and encloses it.

[9] In Jeremiah:

"Those who are for death to death; those who are for famine to famine; and those who are for captivity to captivity" (15:2).

By these words is described the total vastation of good and truth in the church; for in the verse preceding it is said, "If Moses and Samuel stood before me, my soul could not be towards this people; cast them out before my face, that they may go forth." Therefore those who are for death to death, signifies that those who reject goods perish by evils. Those who are for famine to famine, signifies that those who reject truths perish by falsities. Those who are for captivity to captivity, signifies that those who love evils and falsities are taken possession of by them.

[10] In Isaiah:

"As my servant Isaiah went naked and barefoot three years, so shall the king of Assyria lead the captivity of Egypt, and the multitude of Cush, to be carried away, boys and old men, naked and barefoot, even the buttocks uncovered, the nakedness of Egypt" (20:3, 4).

By the king of Assyria is signified reasoning from the scientifics of the natural man; and by Egypt is signified the natural man. Hence by the king of Assyria leading the captivity of Egypt, is signified that reasoning from falsities will destroy all truths in the natural man, such as are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word. The rest may be seen explained above (n. 532).

[11] In Daniel:

"He shall also carry away captive into Egypt their gods with their princes, with their vessels of desire, and the silver and the gold; and he shall stop more years than the king of the north. The intelligent of the people shall instruct many, although they shall fall together by sword and flame, and captivity and depredation, [many] days" (11:8, 33).

The subject here is the war between the king of the north and the king of the south. By the king of the north is signified falsity ruling in the church; by the king of the south the truth defending the church against falsity. That still falsities will predominate in the church in the end of the days is there predicted and described. By their gods and their princes, the vessels of desire; and the gold and silver, which shall be led captive into Egypt is signified that truth protecting shall take away all the truths and goods of the church from those who are in falsities. Its spiritual truths are signified by their gods and princes, natural truths by their vessels of desire, and all truth and good in general by silver and gold. And their taking away and protection is signified by leading into captivity to Egypt. By falling by the sword and flame, is signified to perish by falsities and evils therefrom. And by captivity and depredation is signified the deprivation of all things of truth and good.

[12] In Jeremiah:

After that the prophet was delivered up to prison, he prophesied that all Judah should be transported into captivity to Babel, and should there die and be buried (20:1-6; 27:1 to end).

By that prophet, as by prophet in general, is signified the doctrine of the church from the Word. By his being delivered up to prison was represented that the like should come to pass with the church and its doctrine, which is signified by all Judah being carried away into captivity to Babel. The captivity of the tribe of Judah in Babel seventy years represented the full destruction of truth and the devastation of the church.

[13] In the same:

"The wind shall feed all thy shepherds, and thy lovers shall go into captivity; then shalt thou be ashamed and disgraced for all thy wickedness" (22:22).

By shepherds, in the abstract sense, are signified the goods of the church, and by lovers the truths thereof. The wind which shall feed the shepherds, signifies the hollowness and emptiness of doctrine. The captivity into which the lovers shall go, signifies a shutting out from all truths and from the understanding thereof. To be ashamed and disgraced signifies to be destitute of all good and truth; for thus, when they come amongst the angels, are they affected with shame and disgrace.

[14] In Moses:

"I will make mine arrows drunk with blood, and my sword shall devour flesh, with the blood of the slain and captivity, with the gall of the revenges of the enemy" (Deuteronomy 32:42).

To make the arrows drunk with blood, signifies delirium of the mind from the Word falsified. The sword shall devour flesh, signifies that falsities shall destroy everything of good. With the blood of the slain and of captivity, signifies the extinction and shutting out of all truth, the slain denoting the extinction of truth by falsities, and captivity the shutting out of truth by falsities. With the gall of the revenges of the enemy, signifies with the malice and cruelty of hell, the gall of revenges denoting malice and cruelty, and the enemy denoting hell.

[15] In Isaiah:

"Bel boweth down, Nebo stoopeth, their idols are wild beasts and beasts, they stoop, they bow down together, and their soul shall go into captivity" (46:1, 2).

Their idols are wild beasts and beasts, signifies that their falsities are infernal falsities, and evils therefrom. They stoop, they bow down together, signifies that they fall away. Their soul shall go into captivity, signifies that they shall go into hell, where they will be shut out from all truth.

[16] In Obadiah:

"In that day aliens led his strength captive, and strangers entered his gates and cast lots upon Jerusalem" (1:11).

Spoken of Edom, by whom is signified the truth of the natural man, but in this case falsity. By the aliens who led captive his strength, are signified the falsities of the church destroying its truths, strength signifying truth, because all spiritual strength consists in truths. By the strangers who entered the gates, are signified falsities of doctrine destroying the truths by which entrance into interior truths is possible. By Jerusalem upon which they cast lots, is signified the doctrine of the church from the Word thus dissipated, to cast lots denoting to dissipate.

[17] In Jeremiah:

"Woe to thee, Moab, the people of Chemosh perisheth, for thy sons are taken into captivity, and thy daughters into captivity; yet I will bring back the captivity of Moab" (48:46, 47).

By Moab are meant those who are in natural delight, and who therefore adulterate the goods of the Word. By the people of Chemosh are meant those who are in natural truth. By sons and daughters being taken into captivity, is signified that the truths and goods of their church are shut out by falsities and evils, sons denoting truths, and daughters goods. I will bring back the captivity of Moab in the end of the days, signifies that truths shall be opened to those who are meant by Moab; and that they shall be instructed therein, the end of the days signifying the Coming of the Lord. Mention is frequently made in the Word of captives who are to be brought back, and by these are meant the Gentiles, who are called captives by reason of their being shut out from truths, which, however, shall be opened to them by the Lord.

[18] In Isaiah:

"Jehovah hath anointed me to preach glad tidings to the poor; he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted; to preach liberty to the captives, and to them that are bound, to him whose eyes are holden" (61:1).

These things are said of the Lord. By the poor to whom Jehovah anointed Him to preach good tidings, are signified those who are in few truths, and yet desire them, that their soul may be thereby sustained. By the broken-hearted are signified those who are consequently in grief. By the captives to whom He should preach liberty are signified those who are shut out from truths and therefore from goods; to whom truths shall be opened, by means of which they shall be imbued with goods. By them that are bound and him whose eyes are holden, are signified those to whom it was denied to see truths; thus the Gentiles are meant, who afterwards received truths from the Lord.

[19] In the same:

"I have raised him up in justice, and all his ways will I make straight: he shall build my city, and shall let go my captivity, not for price, neither for reward" (45:13).

This also is said of the Lord. And by the justice in which Jehovah hath raised Him up, is signified the good of love; and by His ways, which He will make straight, are signified truths proceeding from good. By the city which He shall build, is signified the doctrine of the church; and by the captivity which He shall let go, is signified the opening and revelation of Divine truths among those who had been hitherto shut out from them. That the Lord will do these things freely is signified by, not for price, neither for reward.

[20] In Jeremiah:

"The children of Israel and the children of Judah are oppressed together, and all that take them captive, hold them fast, and refuse to let them go; their Redeemer is strong, striving he will strive in their dispute, and will give rest to the land" (50:33, 34).

This is also said of the Lord who is the Redeemer that is strong. By striving in their dispute, is signified visitation and judgment upon those who oppress them by falsities, and liberation thereby from them. By giving rest to the land, is signified protection from falsities. By the children of Israel and the children of Judah, who are said to be oppressed, are not meant the sons of Israel and of Judah, but the nations that are in truths and goods from the Lord; who, being detained by those who deceive them and shut out truths from them, it is said that those who take them captive hold them fast, and refuse to let them go.

[21] In David:

"Thou hast ascended upon high; thou hast led captivity captive" (Psalm 68:18).

Here also the Lord is treated of. And by leading captivity captive, is signified to liberate from falsities those who were thereby held captive.

In Isaiah:

"Shall the capture be taken from the mighty, or the captivity of the just be snatched away? For thus saith Jehovah, Even the captivity of the mighty shall be taken, and the capture of the violent shall be snatched away" (49:24, 25).

This is also spoken of the Lord, and of the bringing back the sons of Zion from captivity. But by the sons of Zion are meant those who are in love to the Lord, and thence in truths. That they were shut out from truths by those who strenuously confirmed falsities, and that nevertheless they were liberated by the Lord, is signified by, shall the capture be taken from the mighty, and shall the captivity of the just be snatched away?

[22] In David:

"Who will give out of Zion the salvation of Israel? When Jehovah bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall exult, Israel shall be glad" (Psalm 14:7; 53:6).

By Zion are here also meant those who are in the good of love from the Lord. Liberation from evils by the Lord, and salvation, are meant by, who will give out of Zion the salvation of Israel? By bringing back the captivity of His people, is meant deliverance from falsities and evils. By Jacob shall exult, Israel shall be glad, is meant joy on account of deliverance with those who are in the external and internal church. Those who belong to the external church are meant by Jacob, and those who are of the internal church by Israel; and the Gentiles are meant by both.

[23] In Jeremiah:

"Fear not, my servant Jacob, and be not dismayed, O Israel; behold I keep thee from afar off, and thy seed from the land of thy captivity, so that Jacob may return, and rest, and be at ease, and none shall make him afraid" (46:27; 30:10).

By Jacob and Israel here also are meant the Gentiles. By Jacob those who belong to the external church, and by Israel those who belong to the internal church. To keep them from afar off, signifies to save them, although they are far from salvation. From the land of captivity, signifies to liberate them from falsities, whereby they were shut out from the truths and goods of heaven and the church. By returning, and by resting at ease, and none shall make him afraid, is signified to be protected from falsities which are from hell.

[24] In the same:

"All that devour thee shall be devoured, and all thine adversaries, they shall also go into captivity; and they that preyed upon thee shall be for a prey; and all that plundered thee will I give for plunder. I will bring back the captivity of the tents of Jacob; and I will have mercy on his dwelling-places; the city may be built upon its own heap; and the palace inhabited after its own manner" (30:16, 18).

All that devour thee shall be devoured; all thine adversaries shall go into captivity; they that preyed upon thee shall be for a prey; and all that plundered thee will I give for plunder, signifies things similar to the words in the Apocalypse now explained, that is, if any one leads into captivity, he shall go into captivity; and if any one kills with the sword, he must be killed by the sword. What the rest signifies was explained above (n. 799).

[25] In the same:

"I shall be found of you, and I will bring back your captivity, and I will gather you out of all nations, and I will bring you back to the place whence I caused you to depart" (29:14).

By these words also is described the liberation of the Gentiles from spiritual captivity, which is a shutting out from the truths and goods of heaven and the church, whereby salvation is effected.

In Zephaniah:

"At that time I will bring you, even in time to gather you unto me; for I will give you for a name and a praise to all the people of the earth, when I bring back your captivity before your eyes" (3:20).

By these words also is meant the bringing back of the Gentiles from spiritual captivity.

In Amos:

"I will bring back the captivity of my people Israel, and they shall build their devastated cities, and shall sit and plant vineyards, and drink the wine thereof, and they shall make gardens, and eat the fruit of them" (9:14).

This passage may be seen explained above (n. 376, 405).

[26] In Isaiah:

"Put on thy strength, O Zion; put on the garments of thy gracefulness, O Jerusalem, the city of holiness: for there shall not add to come any more into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean; shake thyself from the dust; sit, O Jerusalem; to open the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion" (52:1, 2).

By Zion is meant the church that is in the good of love to the Lord; the truth from that good being signified by the strength which Zion shall put on; and the truths of the doctrine of that church by the garments of gracefulness which Jerusalem shall put on. By the uncircumcised and the unclean who shall not add to come in any more, are signified the evils of earthly loves, and their falsities. By shaking herself from the dust, arising and sitting, when said of Jerusalem, is signified liberation from infernal falsities, and elevation to the truths of heaven. By to open the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion, is signified deliverance from a state of detention from truths through falsities, which hinder the reception of influx out of heaven. The daughter of Zion denotes those who are in the affection of truth from the good of love from the Lord. In the following verses of that chapter it is said of the children of Israel, that they went down to sojourn in Egypt, and that Assyria oppressed them; by which is signified that they were shut out from truths by reasonings from scientifics of the natural man.

[27] In the same:

"The people shall take them, and shall lead them to their place; and the house of Israel shall possess them for a heritage upon the land of Jehovah, for man servants and maid servants; so that they shall take them captive whose captives they were, and they shall rule over their exactors" (14:2).

These words also treat of the bringing back of the sons of Israel, by whom are meant the nations. That those who have shut out [others] from truths, and deceived by means of falsities, are also shut out from truths and deceived by means of falsities, is signified by, they shall take them captive whose captives they were, and they shall rule over their exactors.

[28] In Hosea:

"In the house of Israel I have seen a foul thing; there is the whoredom of Ephraim, Israel is polluted; and, O Judah, he hath set a harvest for thee, when I shall bring back the captivity of my people" (6:10, 11).

These things are said of the state of the church among the Jews about the time of the Lord's Advent. The whoredom of Ephraim, which is the foul thing in the house of Israel, signifies the falsification of the Word, whoredom denoting falsification, and Ephraim the understanding of the Word. Israel is polluted, and, O Judah, he hath set a harvest for thee, signifies that the church was in absolute falsities, and that they applied the Word to confirm them. By Judah is signified the Word, and by harvest, the abundance of such things there which they applied. That this would be the state of the Jewish Church when truths should be opened before the Gentiles, who should thereby be delivered from falsities, is signified by, when I shall bring back the captivity of my people.

[29] Similar things are signified in the historical parts of the Word by the captivities of the sons of Israel by various enemies, and by their deliverances; as,

That they were forced to serve Kushan, king of Syria, and were liberated by Othniel (Judges 3).

That they served Eglon, king of Moab, and were liberated by Ehud (Judges 3).

That they were delivered to Jabin, king of Canaan, and liberated by Deborah (Judges 4).

That they were delivered up to the Midianites, and liberated by Gideon (Judges 6).

That they were delivered up to the Philistines and Ammonites, and liberated by Jephthah (Judges 10; 11).

[30] Similar things were signified,

By the captivity of the Jews, seventy years, in Babel (2 Kings 25).

For the historical parts of the Word are all representative of such things as pertain to the church, and the expressions by which the historical circumstances are described are all significative.

Similar things are also signified in the Word by them that are bound, as in the following passages:

"They shall be gathered together, they who are bound in a pit, and they shall be shut up in a prison; but after a multitude of days they shall be visited" (Isaiah 24:22).

"By the blood of thy covenant I will send forth the bound out of the pit in which there is no water" (Zech. 9:11).

"The sighing of the bound shall come before thee" (Psalm 79:11).

"He made the world a wilderness and destroyed their cities, he opened not the house for his bound ones" (Isaiah 14:17).

"To open the blind eyes, to bring the bound out of prison, them that sit in darkness out of the prison house" (Isaiah 42:7).

The King said, "I was in prison, and ye came not unto me" (Matthew 25:36).

Jesus said, "Ought not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, to be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" (Luke 13:16).

328. For thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God in thy blood. That this signifies the separation of all from the Divine, and conjunction with the Divine by the acknowledgment of Him, and by the reception of Divine truth from Him, is evident from the signification of being slain, when predicated of the Lord, as denoting the separation of all from the Divine, for to be slain in the Word signifies to be spiritually slain, that is, to perish by evils and falsities, as may be seen above, n. 315; and because the Lord also is not with them, for He is denied, therefore by being slain, when said of the Lord, is signified not to be acknowledged (as above, n. 315), and also to be denied; and when the Lord is denied, He is, as it were, slain with them, and they are thereby separated from the Divine. For those who deny the Lord, that is, His Divine, separate themselves altogether from the Divine, for He is the God of the universe, and He is one with the Father, also the Father is in Him and He in the Father, and no one cometh to the Father but by Him, as the Lord Himself teaches; therefore those in the church who do not acknowledge His Divine, are altogether separated from the Divine, and more so they who in heart deny it.

[2] To deny it is here meant by slaying Him in themselves. This is also meant in the internal sense of the Word by their crucifying the Lord (as may be seen above, n. 83, 195); for the Jews, with whom the church then was, denied that He was the Christ, and consequently separated themselves from the Divine, and therefore they put Him to death, or crucified Him. Even at this day those do this who deny His Divine; whence it is a common remark of preachers, that they who lead an evil life, and blaspheme Him, crucify Him in themselves. This, therefore, is what is here signified by, "Thou wast slain"; and from the signification of, "Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood," as denoting that He would conjoin us to the Divine by the acknowledgment of Him, and by the reception of Divine truth from Him. For that to redeem signifies to liberate from hell, and thereby to take them to Himself, and thus conjoin them to the Divine, will be evident from the passages in the Word, where to redeem and redemption are mentioned, which will be adduced below; and the Lord's blood signifies the Divine truth proceeding from Him; and because a man by the reception of Divine truth from the Lord is liberated from hell and conjoined to Him, therefore by, "Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood," there is signified conjunction with the Divine by the reception of the Divine truth from Him.

[3] That this sense is concealed in those words, no one can see who confines himself to the sense of the letter, for in that sense nothing else can be seen, except that by, "Thou wast slain," is meant crucified; and by, "Thou hast redeemed by thy blood," is meant that He has reconciled us to His Father by the passion of the cross; and because that sense is the sense of the letter, and it has remained unknown hitherto, that in every particular of the Word there is an internal sense which is spiritual, therefore from the sense of the letter they have made it a doctrine of the church, that the essential Divine which they call the Father, rejected the whole human race, and that the Lord, by the passion of the cross, made reconciliation, and thus that those for whom He intercedes are saved. How can he, whose understanding is in some measure enlightened, help seeing that this doctrinal is contrary to the Divine itself? For the Divine never rejects any man, for He loves all, and thence desires the salvation of all. And it is also contrary to the Divine itself to be reconciled by the shedding of blood, and to be brought back to mercy through the consideration of the passion of the cross which His own Son sustained, and that thence He has mercy, and not from Himself; and although this is contrary to the Divine essence, still they call it essential faith or justifying faith to believe this.

[4] Who also from enlightened reason can suppose that the sins of the whole world were transferred to the Lord, and taken away from every one who has that faith alone? And yet this is the doctrine of those who do not think beyond the sense of the letter. But yet, the angels who are with men, do not perceive it according to that sense, but according to the spiritual sense, for they are spiritual, and hence they think spiritually and not naturally. By redeeming man by His blood, they understand the freeing man from hell, and so claiming and conjoining him to Himself by the acknowledgment of Him, and by the reception of Divine truth from Him. That this is the case the church also may know; for it may know that no one can be conjoined to the Divine by blood, but by the reception of the Divine truth, and the application of it to the life.

[5] The Lord's deliverance [of man] from hell was accomplished by His assuming the Human, and thereby subjugating the hells, and reducing all things in the heavens into order, which could have been done in no other way than from the Human, for the Divine operates from primaries by means of ultimates, thus from Himself by those things that are from Himself in ultimates, these being in the Human. This is the operation of the Divine power in heaven and in the world. (But concerning this matter some particulars may be seen above, n. 41; also in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 315; and in the Arcana Coelestia 5897, 6239, 6451, 6465, 8603, 9215, 9216, 9824, 9828, 9836, 10044, 10099, 10329, 10335, 10548.) The Lord's deliverance [of man] from hell was also accomplished by His glorifying His Human, that is, by making it Divine, for thus and in no other way could the hells be kept in subjection for ever; and because the subjugation of the hells and the glorification of His Human was accomplished by temptations admitted into His Human, the passion of His cross was the last temptation and complete victory. By bearing the sins of all, is signified that He admitted into Himself all the hells when tempted, for all sins and evils come up therefrom, and enter into and are with man; therefore by bearing them is signified His admitting the hells into Himself when tempted; and by His taking away sins, is signified that He subjugated the hells, in order that evils may thence no more arise in those who acknowledge the Lord and receive Him, that is, the Divine truth proceeding from Him in faith and life, and are thus conjoined to the Lord. It is said that by "Thou hast redeemed us to God by thy blood," is signified conjunction with the Divine by the acknowledgment of Him, and the reception of Divine truth from Him; and because the church is founded upon this, I wish in a few words to state how conjunction is thereby effected.

[6] The chief thing is to acknowledge the Lord, His Divine in the Human, and His Omnipotence in saving the human race; for by that acknowledgment man is conjoined to the Divine, because there is no Divine elsewhere; for there is the Father, the Father being in Him, and He in the Father, as the Lord Himself teaches; therefore those who look to another Divine near Him, or at His side, as those are accustomed to do who pray to the Father to have mercy for the sake of the Son, turn aside from the way and worship a Divine elsewhere than in Him. And, moreover, they think nothing at that time concerning the Lord's Divine, but solely concerning His Human, which nevertheless cannot be separated, for the Divine and the Human are not two but a single person conjoined like soul and body, according to the doctrine received by the churches from the Athanasian Creed. To acknowledge the Divine in the Lord's Human, or the Divine Human, is the chief thing of the church, by this there is conjunction; and because it is the primary it is also the first thing of the church. Because this is the first thing of the church, the Lord therefore, when He was in the world, so often asked those whom He healed, "Believest thou that I am able to do this?" and when they answered that they did believe, He said, "Be it done according to your faith." This He so often asked that they might first believe that He had Divine Omnipotence from His Divine Human, for without that faith the church could not be begun, and without that faith they could not be conjoined with the Divine, but must have been separated from it, and, consequently, they could not receive any thing good from Him.

[7] Afterwards the Lord taught how they would be saved, namely, that they should receive Divine truth from Him; and this is received, when it is applied to, and implanted in, the life by doing it; therefore the Lord so often said, that they should do His words. From these considerations it is evident that these two things, namely, to believe in the Lord and to do His words, make one, and that they can by no means be separated; for he who does not the Lord's words does not believe in Him; nor also does he believe in Him who supposes that he does believe in Him and does not do His words; for the Lord is in His words, that is, in His truths, and from them the Lord imparts faith to man. From these few remarks, it can be known that conjunction with the Divine is effected by the acknowledgment of the Lord and by the reception of Divine truth from Him. This, therefore, is what is signified by the Lamb redeeming us to God by His blood. That by the Lamb is signified the Lord as to the Divine Human, may be seen above, n. 314. Concerning this circumstance more may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-297; and from the Arcana Coelestia there, n. 300-306, as also at the end of this work, where the Lord is particularly treated of. That blood signifies the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and that salvation through His blood signifies through the reception of Divine truth from Him, will be explained in the following article.

[8] That to redeem, however, signifies to deliver and set free, and when predicated of the Lord to deliver and free from hell, and thus to claim and conjoin to Himself, is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah:

"Who cometh from Edom, travelling in the multitude of his strength? I who speak in justice, mighty to save. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come. In all their want he suffered want, and the angel of his faces preserved them; in his love and his pity he redeemed them; and he took them, and carried them all the days of eternity" (63:1, 4, 9).

The Lord is here treated of, and His temptation-combats, by which He subjugated the hells. By Edom, from which He cometh, is signified His Human, and also by the angel of His faces. His Divine power from which He fought, is signified by travelling in the multitude of His strength; the casting down into hell of those who rose up against Him, and the elevation of the good into heaven, are meant by justice, therefore, by these words, "I who speak in justice, mighty to save. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed is come." His Divine love from which He did those things, is described by, "In all their want he suffered want, and the angel of his faces preserved them; in his love and his pity he redeemed them; and he took them, and carried them all the days of eternity." Hence it is evident that by the redeemed and by those whom He redeemed, are signified those whom He delivered and saved from the fury of those who are from hell.

[9] In the same:

"Thus said Jehovah thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Former, O Israel; [Fear not;] for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine" (43:1).

That by redeeming is signified to free from hell, and to claim and conjoin to Himself, so that they may be His, is evident; for it is said, "I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine," because this is effected by reformation and regeneration from the Lord, it is therefore said, "Jehovah thy Creator, O Jacob, and thy Former, O Israel." He is called Creator because by to create in the Word is signified to regenerate, as may be seen above, n. 294. Jacob and Israel signify those who belong to the church, and are in truths from good.

[10] In the same:

"Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold! thy salvation cometh; behold! His reward is with him, and the worth of the trouble is before him; And they shall call them, A people of holiness, the redeemed of Jehovah" (62:11, 12).

Here also the Lord's advent is treated of, and the establishment of the church by Him. The daughter of Zion signifies the church which is in love to the Lord; His advent is meant by "Behold! thy salvation cometh; behold! his reward is with him, and the worth of the trouble is before him"; those who are reformed and regenerated by Him are meant by the redeemed of Jehovah.

[11] The reason why they are called the redeemed is, because they are freed through regeneration from evils, and are claimed by and conjoined to the Lord. In the same:

"No lion shall be there, and the ravenous of the wild beasts shall not be found therein; but the redeemed shall walk there. Thus the redeemed of Jehovah shall return, and come to Zion with singing, the joy of eternity upon their head" (35:9, 10).

Here also the Lord's advent is treated of, and the salvation of those who suffer themselves to be regenerated by the Lord. That there shall not be with them falsity destroying truth, nor evil destroying good, is signified by "no lion shall be there, and the ravenous of the wild beasts shall not be found therein"; that they are delivered from evils and freed from falsities is signified by, "the redeemed shall walk there; thus the redeemed of Jehovah shall return"; their eternal felicity is signified by, "They shall come to Zion with singing, and the joy of eternity upon their head"; Zion denotes the church. What singing signifies may be seen just above, n. 326. There are two words in the original tongue by which to redeem is expressed; one signifies deliverance from evils, the other liberation from falsities; those two expressions are here. Hence it is said, the redeemed shall walk, and the redeemed of Jehovah shall return. Those two expressions are also used in Hosea (13:14); and in David (Psalms 69:18; 107:6).

[12] That to redeem signifies to deliver from evils and to free from falsities, and also to deliver and free from hell, is, because all the evils and falsities with a man arise from hell; and because they are removed through reformation and regeneration by the Lord, reformation and regeneration also are signified by to redeem or by redemption; as in the following passages.

[13] In David:

"Arise for our help, and redeem us for thy mercy's sake" (Psalms 44:26).

To redeem [is here used] for to set free and to reform.

Again:

"God hath redeemed my soul out of the hand of hell; and he shall receive me" (Psalms 49:15).

To redeem from the power of hell, means to free; to receive me, to claim and to conjoin to Himself, or to make them His, as servants sold and redeemed.

In Hosea:

"Out of the hand of hell will I redeem them; I will redeem them from death" (13:14).

To redeem means to deliver and free from damnation.

In David:

"Bless Jehovah, O my soul, bless his holy name; who hath redeemed thy life from the pit" (Psalms 103:1-4).

To redeem from the pit, means to free from damnation, the pit denoting damnation.

Again:

"Draw nigh unto my soul, redeem it, and because of mine enemies redeem me" (Psalms 69:18).

To draw nigh to the soul signifies to conjoin it to Himself; to redeem it signifies to deliver from evils; redeem me because of mine enemies, signifies to free from falsities, enemies denoting falsities.

Again:

"Let the redeemed of Jehovah say so, whom he hath redeemed out of the hand of the restraining enemy" (Psalms 107:2).

The redeemed of Jehovah are those who are delivered from evils; "whom he hath redeemed out of the hand of the restraining enemy," are those whom He has freed from falsities.

In Jeremiah:

"I am with thee, to keep thee and to deliver thee; and I will deliver thee out of the hand of the evil, and I will redeem thee from the hand of the violent" (15:20, 21).

To redeem out of the hand of the violent means to liberate from falsities which offer violence to the good of charity; the violent signify those falsities, consequently, also those who are in them.

[14] In David

"Let Israel hope in Jehovah, for with Jehovah there is mercy, and in him is plenteous redemption, and he shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities" (Psalms 130:7, 8).

Redemption here means liberation; Israel, the church; and to reform those who are of the church, and free them from falsities, is signified by, "He shall redeem Israel from all his iniquities."

Again:

"Let integrity and uprightness guard me; for I have waited for thee. Redeem Israel, O God, out of all his distresses" (Psalms 25:21, 22).

To redeem Israel from distresses, means also here to free those who belong to the church from falsities which cause distress.

In Isaiah:

"Is my hand shortened, that there is no redemption, or is there no power in me to deliver?" (50:2).

That redemption denotes liberation is evident, for it is also said, "Is my hand shortened, or is there no power in me to deliver?" In David:

"God shall hear my voice; he shall redeem my soul with peace " (Psalms 55:16-18).

To redeem here means to free.

Again:

"Unto thee will I sing with the harp, thou Holy One of Israel. My lips shall praise; and my soul, which thou hast redeemed" (Psalms 71:22, 23).

To redeem the soul here means to free from falsities; for by soul in the Word is signified the life of faith, and by heart the life of love; therefore to redeem the soul signifies to free from falsities, and to give the life of faith.

[15] And again:

"Redeem me from the oppression of man, that I may keep thy commandments" (Psalms 119:134).

To deliver from the oppression of man signifies to free from the falsities of evil, for man signifies the spiritual affection of truth and thence wisdom, and in the opposite sense, as here, the lust of falsity, and thence insanity; the oppression thereof, signifies the destruction of truth by falsities.

So again:

"Into thine hand I commend my spirit; thou hast redeemed me, O Jehovah, God of truth" (Psalms 31:5).

To redeem here means to free from falsities and to reform by truths. Because this is signified by to redeem, therefore it is also said, "O Jehovah, God of truth."

And again:

"Mischief is in the hands of sinners, and their right hand is full of bribes. But as for me, I walk in mine integrity; redeem me, and be merciful unto me" (Psalms 26:9-11).

To redeem here means to free from falsities, and to reform.

So again:

"He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence; and precious shall their blood be in his eyes. And he shall live, and he shall give him of the gold of Sheba; and he shall pray for him continually; daily shall he bless him" (Psalms 72:14, 15).

The needy are here treated of, by whom are signified those who desire truths from a spiritual affection. Concerning them it is said, that "He shall redeem their soul from deceit and violence," by which is signified liberation from evils and falsities which destroy the goods of love and the truths of faith; the reception of Divine truth by them is signified by, "precious shall their blood be in his eyes"; their reformation is described by, "He shall live, and he shall give him of the gold of Sheba; and he shall pray for him continually; daily shall he bless him." The gold of Sheba denotes the good of charity; to pray for him continually, signifies that they shall continually be withheld from falsities and kept in truths; and daily shall he bless him, signifies that they shall continually be in the good of charity and faith, for this is the Divine benediction, and this is to pray for him continually.

[16] In Isaiah:

"Thus said Jehovah, Ye are sold for nought, and ye shall not be redeemed by silver; into Egypt have my people descended to dwell there as strangers, but Asshur oppressed them for nothing" (52:3, 4).

The desolation of truths by scientifics, and by the reasonings of the natural man from them, is here treated of; for by, "into Egypt have my people descended to dwell there as strangers," is signified the instruction of the natural man by means of scientifics and by the knowledges of truth. Egypt signifies scientifics and also knowledges, but such as are from the sense of the letter of the Word; and to dwell as a stranger signifies to be instructed. By Assyria oppressing them for nothing, is signified the falsification of those things by the reasonings of the natural man. Assyria signifies reasonings, and to oppress for nothing signifies falsification; for falsities are nothing, because there is nothing of truth in them, which is the case when the natural man, separate from the spiritual, draws conclusions; hence it is that it is preceded by, "Ye are sold for nought; and ye shall not be redeemed by silver." To be sold for nought signifies, from himself, or from the proprium, to alienate oneself, and to renounce falsities; and not to be redeemed by silver, signifies that they could not be delivered from the falsities of evil by truth; money signifies truth, and to be redeemed signifies to be delivered from the falsities of evil, and to be reformed.

[17] In Zechariah:

"I will gather them together, because I will redeem them; then shall they be multiplied; and I will sow them among the peoples; and I will bring them back out of the land [of Egypt], and will gather them together out of Assyria, and to the land of Gilead, and to Lebanon will I bring them" (10:8-10).

The subject here treated of is the restoration of the church, and reformation by means of truths from good; and by, "I will gather them, because I will redeem them," is signified the dispersion of falsities, and reformation by truths; therefore it is said, "they shall be multiplied, and I will sow them among the peoples," by which is signified the multiplication and insemination of truth from good; to bring them back out of the land of Egypt, and to gather them from Assyria, signifies, to lead them away from the falsification of the truth which they have by means of reasonings from scientifics (as may be seen above). "To bring them to the land of Gilead, and to Lebanon," signifies, to the good of the church, which is the good of charity, and to the good and truth of faith; the former is the land of Gilead, and the latter Lebanon.

[18] From these things it is evident what is signified, in the spiritual sense, by Jehovah leading the people out of Egypt and redeeming them; as in Moses:

"I will free you from bondage; and I will redeem you with a stretched-out arm, and with great judgments" (Exodus 6:6).

So again:

"I brought you out of Egypt with a stretched-out arm, and I redeemed you out of the house of servants" (Deuteronomy 9:26-29; 13:5; 15:15; 24:18).

"Thou in thy mercy hast led forth thy people whom thou hast redeemed; thou hast brought them in the strength of thy hand to the dwelling of thy holiness" (Exodus 15:13).

And in Micah:

"I made thee ascend out of the land of Egypt, and I redeemed thee out of the house of bondage" (6:4).

In the sense of the letter it means here that they were, by the Divine power, brought out of Egypt, where they had been made servants; but, in the internal or spiritual sense, no such thing is meant, but that those who belong to the church, who are those who are reformed by the Lord, by truths and by a life according to them, are delivered and freed from evils and the falsities thence, for these are the things that make man a slave; this is the spiritual sense of those words, in which the angels are, while man is in the sense of the letter.

[19] The angels also by redemption understand deliverance from evils, and liberation from falsities, in the following passages.

In Moses:

"I will put redemption between my people and Pharaoh's people" (Exodus 8:23).

In David:

"He hath sent redemption unto his people; he hath commanded his covenant for ever; holy and reverend is his name" (Psalms 111:9).

In Matthew:

"What is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, but shall lose his soul? or what shall a man give as a price sufficient for the redemption of his soul?" (16:26; Mark 8:36, 37).

[20] Redemption here means deliverance from damnation. From these considerations it is evident what is signified by the Lord redeeming mankind, namely, that He has delivered and freed them from hell, and from the evils and falsities which thence continually rise up and bring man into condemnation, and that He continually delivers them and frees them. This deliverance and liberation was brought about by His subjugating the hells; and the continual deliverance and liberation, by His having glorified His Human, that is, having made it Divine, for thereby He keeps the hells continually in subjection; this, therefore, is what is signified by His redeeming man, and by His being called in the Word a Redeemer; as in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Fear not, thou worm of Jacob, and ye dying men of Israel; I am he who helpeth thee, and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel" (41:14).

In the same prophet:

"Thus said Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One, because of Jehovah that is faithful, the Holy One of Israel, who hath chosen thee" (49:7).

Again:

"Our Redeemer is Jehovah Zebaoth; his name, the Holy One of Israel" (47:4).

Again:

"Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel" (43:14).

Again:

"That all flesh may know that I Jehovah am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob" (49:26).

Again:

"That thou mayest know that I Jehovah am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob" (60:16).

By the Holy One of Israel, and by the Mighty One of Jacob, who in these passages is called the Redeemer, is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human, and by Jehovah His essential Divine. The reason why the Lord as to His Divine Human is called the Holy One of Israel, and the Strong and Mighty One of Jacob, is, because Israel and Jacob signify the church, thus those who are regenerated and reformed, that is, who are redeemed by the Lord, for these alone belong to the church, or constitute the Lord's church.

[21] That the Lord's Divine Human is what is called holy, is evident in Luke:

The angel said unto Mary, "The Holy Spirit shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee; therefore that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God" (1:35).

And that the Lord as to the Divine Human is the Strong and Mighty One of Jacob, in the same:

The angel said unto Mary, "Behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son. He shall be great, and he shall reign in the house of Jacob for ever, and of His Kingdom there shall be no end" (1:30-33).

By the house of Jacob is meant the Lord's church; that it is not the Jewish nation, is evident.

[22] Because the Lord's Human was equally Divine as His essential Divine, which assumed the Human, therefore also Jehovah is called the Redeemer in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Thus said Jehovah thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, I am Jehovah thy God" (48:17).

And again:

"Jehovah of hosts is his name; and thy Redeemer the Holy One of Israel; the God of the whole earth shall he be called" (54:5).

In David:

"O Jehovah my Rock, and my Redeemer" (Psalms 19:14).

In Jeremiah:

"Their Redeemer is strong; Jehovah of hosts is his name" (50:34).

In Isaiah:

"Thou, O Jehovah, art our Father, our Redeemer; thy name is from everlasting" (63:16).

From these considerations it is now evident how what the Lord said is to be understood:

The Son of man hath come "that he may give his soul a redemption for many" (Matthew 20:28; Mark 10:45).

That is, that they might be freed and delivered from hell; for the passion of the cross was the last combat and full victory, by which He subjugated the hells, and by which He glorified His Human. (As may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-297; and 300-306)