620. 14:4 These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins. This symbolically means that they did not adulterate the church's truths or defile them with the falsities of their faith, but loved the truths because they are true.

A woman symbolizes the church from an affection for truth, and so in an opposite sense the church from an affection for falsity, as may be seen in nos. 434, 533 above - here the church from an affection for truth, because we are told that they were not defiled with women. Being defiled with women has the same symbolic meaning as committing adultery and behaving licentiously. To commit adultery and behave licentiously means, symbolically, to adulterate and falsify the Word, as may be seen in no. 134 above.

For they are virgins means, symbolically, because they have loved truths because they are true, thus loving them from a spiritual affection. These are meant by virgins because a virgin symbolizes the church as a bride who desires to be conjoined with the Lord and to become a wife; and a church that desires to be conjoined with the Lord loves truths because they are true. For truths bring about conjunction when people live in accordance with them.

That is why Israel, Zion and Jerusalem are called in the Word virgins and daughters; for Israel, Zion and Jerusalem symbolize the church.

[2] People in the Lord's church who are of such a character are all meant by virgins, whether they are maidens or youths, wives or husbands, boys or old men, girls or old ladies, and this can be seen from places in the Word where virgins are mentioned, such as the virgin of Israel (Jeremiah 18:13; 31:4, 21, Amos 5:2, Joel 1:8); the virgin daughter of Judah (Lamentations 1:15); the virgin daughter of Zion (2 Kings 19:21, Isaiah 37:22, Lamentations 1:4; 2:13); the virgins of Jerusalem (Lamentations 2:10); the virgin of My people (Jeremiah 14:17).

For that reason the Lord likened the church to ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-13), and we read in Jeremiah:

...I will build you, that you may be rebuilt, O virgin of Israel! You shall again... go forth in the dances of those who rejoice. (Jeremiah 31:4, 13)

And in the book of Psalms:

They have seen Your goings, O God, the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary..., in the midst of maidens playing timbrels. (Psalms 68:24-25)

And elsewhere:

Kings' daughters are among Your precious ones; at Your right hand stands the queen in pure gold from Ophir.

Listen, O daughter, and see... The King will delight in your beauty... The daughter of Tyre also will bring a gift; the rich among the people will appease Your face.

The King's daughter is all precious within; her clothing is woven with gold. She shall be brought to the King in embroidered garments. The virgins after her, her companions, shall come... into the palace of the King. (Psalms 45:9-15)

The King there means the Lord; the queen the church as a wife; and the daughters and virgins affections for goodness and truth.

[3] Similar affections are symbolically meant by virgins elsewhere in the Word in places where young men are mentioned at the same time, because young men symbolize truths, and virgins affections for those truths. For instance, in the following places:

Behold, the days are coming... that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of Jehovah... In that day the fair virgins and young men shall faint from thirst. (Amos 8:11, 13)

Be ashamed, O Sidon; ...the sea has said..., "I have not travailed or given birth; neither have I reared young men or brought up virgins." (Isaiah 33:4)

The Lord trampled a winepress for the virgin daughter of Zion... Behold my sorrow; the virgins and the young men have gone into captivity. (Lamentations 1:4, 15, 18)

...how great is His goodness, and how great His beauty! Grain shall make the young men grow up, and new wine the young women. (Zechariah 9:17)

The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in My streets. (Zechariah 8:5)

They sit on the ground..., the virgins of Jerusalem... To what shall I liken you..., O virgin daughter of Zion... ...They lay... in the streets..., My virgins and My young men... (Lamentations 2:10, 13, 21)

And so on elsewhere, as in Jeremiah 51:20-23, Lamentations 5:11, 13, 14, Ezekiel 9:4, 6, Psalms 78:62-64, Deuteronomy 32:25.

128. "'And charity and ministry.'" This symbolizes the spiritual affection called charity, and the practice of it.

Charity is a spiritual affection because charity is love for the neighbor, and a love for the neighbor is that affection.

Ministry is the practice of it, because in the Word those are called ministers who put into practice things that are matters of charity.

In the Word, a worshiper of God is called sometimes a servant, sometimes a minister; and a servant of God is the term used for one who is governed by truths, and a minister of God for one who is governed by goods. The reason is that truth serves good, and good ministers to truth. That servant is a term used for someone governed by truths, see no. 3 above. That minister, on the other hand, is a term used for someone governed by good is apparent from the following passages:

You shall be named the priests of Jehovah, ...the ministers of our God. (Isaiah 61:6)

...My covenant will also be broken... with the Levites..., My ministers. (Jeremiah 33:21)

They are called ministers because priests represented the Lord in relation to Divine good.

Bless Jehovah, all you His hosts, His ministers who do His will. (Psalms 103:21)

(Jehovah) makes His angels spirits, His ministers a flame of fire. (Psalms 104:4)

Angel spirits are ones who are governed by truths, and angel ministers are ones who are governed by goods. A flame of fire also symbolizes the goodness of love.

(Jesus said,) "whoever desires to become great..., let him be your minister. And whoever desires to be first..., let him be your servant." (Matthew 20:26-27, cf. 23:11-12)

"Minister" there refers to good, and "servant" to truth.

Ministering and ministry have the same symbolic meaning in Isaiah 56:6, John 12:26, Luke 12:37, and elsewhere.

It is apparent from this that charity and ministry symbolize the spiritual affection called charity and the practice of it. For good is connected with charity, and truth with faith.