627. And there was given to me a reed like a staff.- That this signifies the mode of visitation, that is, of exploring the quality of the church as to truth and as to good, is evident from the signification of a reed, which denotes the means by which quality is explored; for by measuring is signified to explore, and by measure, the quality of a thing. The reed, therefore, by means of which the temple and the altar were measured, as now follows, or the measuring reed, signifies the mode of exploring quality. The mode of exploring the quality of the church as to truth and as to good is denoted, because, according to what follows, the temple and the altar were measured and those adoring therein, which signifies the church as to truth and as to good, and therefore as to worship.

[2] The reed also signifies visitation, because visitation is the exploration of the quality of the men of the church, and because visitation precedes a Last Judgment, which is afterwards treated of. The nature of that visitation or exploration is evident from the visitation in Sodom. Angels were first sent there, and by means of them visitation or exploration was made in regard to the quality of their reception, that is, in regard to the quality of the reception of Divine Truth and Divine Good, for those angels represented the Lord as to the proceeding Divine; and after its exploration - because none in Sodom except Lot desired to receive them but wished to do them injury - their destruction came, which means their final judgment.

[3] The reason why the measurement was taken by means of a reed, is, that a reed or cane signifies Divine Truth in the ultimate of order, and a staff, which the reed resembled, signifies power, and by means of truth in the ultimate of order and its power, all visitation or exploration takes place. For all truths even from primaries (primis) are simultaneous, or co-exist in the ultimate; therefore all things effected from the Divine take place from primaries by means of ultimates, in this case visitation or exploration, and this truth is signified by a reed or cane.

[4] Similarly it is said in the Apocalypse that one of the seven angels had a golden reed, with which he measured the city Jerusalem, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof; and that he measured the city with a reed twelve thousand furlongs (Apoc. 21:15, 16). And in Ezekiel it is said that in the hand of the angel there was a line of flax and a measuring reed; the reed was of six cubits, and with it he measured the length, the breadth, and the height of the building, the gate, the porch, the court, the temple, and many other things (40:3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 13, 17, and following verses; 41:1-5, 13, 14, 22; 42:1 to end). That the measuring reed here also means the mode of exploring the church in regard to truth and good, is evident from this fact, that the angel measured the length, breadth, and height of the temple in detail. And by length is signified good, by breadth, truth, and by height, the degrees of good and truth from highest or inmost to lowest or ultimate things. Concerning this signification of length and breadth, see Heaven and Hell 197). That a reed signifies truth in ultimates, by means of which exploration takes place, is also evident from the fact that there was a line of flax in the hand of the angel, which also signifies truth; similarly from the length of the reed being six cubits, six signifying the same as three, that is, truths in their entire compass, as may be seen above (n. 384, 532). That to measure signifies to explore the quality of a thing, will be seen in the following article.

[5] Ultimate truth, or truth in the ultimate of order, means sensual truth, such as truth is in the sense of the letter of the Word to those who are merely sensual. Divine Truth in its descent proceeds according to degrees, from the highest or inmost to the lowest or ultimate. Divine Truth in the highest degree is such as the Divine is that goes forth immediately from the Lord, thus the Divine Truth above the heavens, and this, being infinite, cannot come to the perception of any angel. But the Divine Truth of the first degree is that which comes to the perception of the angels of the inmost or third heaven, and is called the celestial Divine Truth; from this comes the wisdom of those angels. The Divine Truth of the second degree is that which comes to the perception of the angels of the middle or second heaven, and is the cause of their wisdom and intelligence; it is called spiritual Divine Truth. The Divine Truth of the third degree is that which comes to the perception of the angels of the ultimate or first heaven, and is the source of their intelligence and knowledge (scientia); it is called celestial-natural and spiritual-natural Divine Truth. But the Divine Truth of the fourth degree is that which comes to the perception of the men of the church living in the world; it is the source of their intelligence and knowledge; this is called natural Divine Truth, and the ultimate of this is called sensual Divine Truth.

[6] These Divine truths, according to their degrees in order, are in the Word, and the Divine Truth in the ultimate degree, or in the ultimate of order, is such as the Divine Truth is in the sense of the letter of the Word, which is for children and the very simple, and these are sensual. It is this Divine Truth that is signified by a reed or cane and because explorations with every one take place by means of this ultimate Divine Truth, as stated above, therefore measurements and weights, in the representative churches, were taken by means of reeds or canes, which signify that Divine Truth. That measurements were taken by means of reeds, has been shown just above; that weights were calculated by means of the same, is evident in Isaiah, "They weigh silver with a reed" (46:6).

[7] Since a reed signifies truth in the ultimates, suitable for the simple and children, who are not spiritual but sensual-natural, therefore it is also said in Isaiah,

"A bruised reed will he not break, and smoking flax will he not quench, and he will bring forth truth into judgment" (42:3).

The subject here is the Lord. He will not break the bruised reed signifies that He will not hurt sensual Divine Truth with the simple and children. The smoking flax will he not quench signifies that He will not destroy the Divine Truth which with the simple and children begins to live from a little good of love; for flax denotes truth, and smoking denotes that it lives from some little degree of love. And because both the reed and the flax signify truth, therefore it is also said of the Lord, that He will bring forth truth into judgment, which means, that He will bring forth intelligence in them, judgment denoting intelligence.

[8] A reed also signifies sensual or ultimate truth, such as pertains to natural men, even the evil; as in the same prophet:

"The dry place shall become a pool, and there shall be grass instead of the reed and rush" (35:7).

This is said concerning the establishment of the church by the Lord. That those who before had no intelligence shall then come into the possession of it by means of spiritual Divine Truth, is signified by the dry place shall become a pool. That then there shall be knowledge (scientia) by means of natural Divine Truth for those who previously possessed only sensual truth is signified by grass, instead of the reed and rush, grass denoting knowledge from a spiritual origin, or that by means of which spiritual truth is confirmed, while reed and rush denote knowledge from a sensual origin, or that by means of which the fallacies of the senses are confirmed. This latter knowledge considered in itself is only the lowest natural knowledge (scientia), which must be designated material and corporeal, in which there is little or nothing of life.

[9] Again:

"The streams shall recede, the rivers of Egypt shall be diminished and dried up, the reed and the flag shall wither" (19:6).

These words, in the spiritual sense, mean that all understanding of Divine Truth will perish. The streams shall recede, signifies that everything connected with spiritual intelligence will depart. The rivers of Egypt shall be diminished and dried up, signifies that everything of natural intelligence shall perish. The reed and the flag shall wither, signifies that ultimate truth, called sensual and which is merely scientific, will vanish. Streams and rivers denote those things that pertain to intelligence, Egypt denotes the Natural, reed and flag, denote truth or the sensual-Scientific, and to recede, to be diminished, to be dried up, and to wither, denote to perish and disappear.

[10] Again:

"Thou hast trusted on the staff of this bruised reed, on Egypt, upon which, when a man leaneth, it entereth into his hand, and pierceth it; so is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust on him" (Isaiah 36:6).

Egypt signifies the natural man separated from the spiritual, and the scientific thereof, and the latter, when separated from the intelligence of the spiritual man, becomes foolish, and is used to confirm evils of every kind; it is therefore a false scientific. This then is what is called the staff of a bruised reed; reed, as was said, denoting truth in the ultimate of order, which is sensual-scientific; its being bruised, signifies that it is broken and does not cohere with any interior truth so as to produce consistency; staff denotes the power therefrom of perceiving and reasoning about truths. This then is the meaning of "when a man leaneth upon it, it entereth into his hand, and pierceth it." To lean upon that staff, denotes to trust in one's own power of perceiving truths, and of reasoning about them from the proprium; while to enter into the hand and pierce it, signifies to destroy all intellectual power, and to see and lay hold of mere falsities instead of truths. So is Pharaoh king of Egypt to all that trust on him, signifies that such is the natural man, separated from the spiritual, in regard to its scientifics, intelligence therefrom, and reasoning from that intelligence.

[11] So in Job:

"Let my shoulder blade fall from the shoulder, and mine arm be thence broken by a reed, because the dread of the destruction of God is upon me, and by reason of his majesty I have no power. Have I made gold my hope, and said to pure gold, My confidence?" (31:22-24).

Here also the subject is concerning the confidence of [man's] own intelligence, from which, as declared in these words in their spiritual sense, nothing of truth can be seen, but mere falsity which does not cohere with any truth. Non-coherence is signified by let my shoulder blade fall from the shoulder, and my arm be thence broken by a reed; the shoulder blade, the shoulder, and the arm, signify power, here, the power to understand and perceive truth. To fall from the shoulder, and to be broken by a reed, signifies to be cut off from the spiritual power of perceiving truth, and to be consequently deceived by the sensual-corporeal man, and to perish by means of falsity. Reed denotes truth in the ultimate of order, which is called sensual-scientific, and which becomes mere falsity when it is of the natural man alone separated from the spiritual. The dread of the destruction of God signifies the loss of the understanding of all truth; by reason of his majesty to have no power, signifies that nothing pertaining to the understanding and perception of truth is from man's proprium, but all from God. To make gold a hope, and to say to pure gold, My confidence, signifies that he did not trust in himself, so as to imagine that anything of good was from himself.

[12] In Ezekiel:

"In order that all the inhabitants of Egypt may know that I am Jehovah, because they have been a staff of a reed to the house of Israel; when they took hold of thee by the hand thou didst break, and didst rend through all their shoulder; and when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest, and madest all their loins to be at a stand" (29:6, 7).

Things similar to those above are here said concerning Egypt. Egypt in this place also signifies the natural man separated from the spiritual, and also its knowledge, which, when applied to evils, is mere falsity. These things are said concerning those in the church who trust in their own intelligence. The sons of Israel signify those who are of the church; their confidence is signified by the staff of a reed; that all power to perceive truth consequently perished with them, is signified by the words, when they took hold of thee by the hand, thou didst break and didst rend through all their shoulder, the shoulder denoting the power or faculty of understanding truth; the loss of this is signified by, "when they leaned upon thee, thou brakest." That consequently all the good of love and charity was destroyed and dissipated, is signified by, "thou madest all their loins to be at a stand," loins denoting the marriage of truth and good, in this case that truth was not united to good. Truth united to good makes the good of love and charity, for all the good of love and charity is formed by truths.

[13] So in David:

"Rebuke the wild beast of the reed" or cane, "the congregation of the strong, among the calves of the people; treading upon plates of silver, he hath scattered the peoples, he desireth wars; the fat ones shall come out of Egypt, Ethiopia shall stretch out quickly her hands to God" (Psalm 68:30, 31).

Here the subject is the kingdom of the Lord. To beware of false knowledge (scientificum), or knowledge out of the natural man separated from the spiritual falsely applied, is meant by, rebuke the wild beast of the reed, or cane. Because those knowledges, proceeding as they do from the fallacies of the senses, strongly persuade, they are called the congregation of the strong. The calves of the people denote the goods of the church in the natural man; the plates of silver denote the truths of the church; to tread upon and disperse denotes to destroy and dissipate, and this is done by those who are natural and sensual, and who think naturally and sensually, and not at the same time spiritually, thus who think from the natural and sensual man separated from the spiritual; this man is meant by the wild beast of the reed, or cane. To desire wars, signifies reasonings against truths; fat ones from Egypt and Ethiopia denote those who are in the knowledge (scientia) of spiritual things, and in the cognitions of truth and good, who will draw near to the kingdom of the Lord, because they are in light from the spiritual man.

[14] So in the First Book of Kings:

"Jehovah shall smite Israel as a reed noddeth in the waters, and he shall root up Israel out of this good land" (14:15).

The vastation of the church with the sons of Israel is compared to the nodding of a reed or cane in the waters, because the reed or cane signifies the truth of the sensual man, which is ultimate truth, and when this truth is separated from the light of the spiritual man it is falsity. For the sensual man derives every thing which it possesses from appearances in the world, and therefore reasonings from these concerning spiritual things are pure fallacies and from fallacies come falsities. What the fallacies of the senses are in spiritual things, and that falsities proceed therefrom, may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 53); also in the explanation above (n. 575); and that sensual scientifics are pure fallacies, when the sensual man reasons from them (n. 569, 581); also, what the Sensual is, and the quality of the sensual man, may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 50).

[15] It is said in the Evangelists, that they placed a reed in the right hand of the Lord, and that afterwards they took the reed, and smote Him with it on the head (Matthew 27:29, 30; Mark 15:19); and also, that they put a sponge upon the reed and gave Him vinegar to drink (Matthew 27:48; Mark 15:36).

Those who have no knowledge of the spiritual sense of the Word may suppose that these and many other things related concerning the passion of the Lord, refer merely to common modes of derision; for they placed a crown of thorns upon His head, they parted His garments among them but not the tunic, and bent the knee before Him in mockery; also, as stated here, they placed a reed in His right hand and afterwards smote His head with it; they also filled a sponge with vinegar, or myrrhed wine, and placed it upon a reed, and gave Him to drink.

[16] But it must be understood that every thing related concerning the passion of the Lord, signifies the mockery of Divine Truth, and therefore the falsification and adulteration of the Word, because the Lord, when in the world, was the Divine Truth itself, which is the Word in the church. For this reason He permitted the Jews to treat Him in the same way that they treated Divine Truth, or the Word, by its falsification and adulteration; for they applied every thing in the Word to their own loves, and ridiculed every truth that did not agree with their loves, just as they did the Messiah Himself, because He did not become king over the whole world, and exalt them, according to their interpretation and religion, in glory above all peoples and nations. That every thing related concerning the passion of the Lord signifies such things, may be seen above (n. 64, 83, 195). By their placing a reed in the hand of the Lord and afterwards smiting His head with it, is signified that they falsified the Divine Truth or the Word, and utterly derided Divine wisdom and the understanding of truth. By a reed is signified falsity in extremes, as above, and by smiting the head is signified to reject and deride Divine wisdom and the understanding of truth, for the head of the Lord signifies Divine wisdom; and because they gave the Lord vinegar to drink, which signifies what is falsified, therefore they also filled a sponge with it, and placed it upon a reed, by which is signified falsities in extremes, which is falsity sustaining.

581. For their tails were like unto serpents, and had heads.- That this signifies that they reason craftily from sensual scientifics, which are fallacies, is evident from the signification of tails, here the tails of horses, as denoting the scientifics which are called sensual, because they are the ultimates of the understanding (see above, n. 559); and from the signification of serpents, as denoting the craftiness of the sensual man, of which in what follows; and from the signification of having heads, as denoting to reason by means of those scientifics. For the head signifies intelligence, therefore to have a head signifies to be intelligent. Reasoning by means of those scientifics, is meant, because "head," when used in reference to the sensual man, signifies knowledge (scientia), and illusory thought thence, as may be seen above (n.577:2), consequently also reasoning by means of sensual scientifics. From these things it is evident that by the tails of the horses being like serpents, and having heads, is signified, that they reason craftily from sensual scientifics, which are fallacies. It is said, that they are fallacies, because sensual scientifics become fallacies when man reasons from them concerning spiritual things; as for example, that dignities and wealth are real blessings; that the glory possessed by the great in the world is heavenly blessedness; and that the Lord desires adoration from man for the sake of His own glory; with other things of a similar nature, and these are fallacies, when they are applied to spiritual things. For the sensual man, not being endued with intelligence, thus thinks, for he cannot possibly know otherwise.

[2] That serpents, in the Word, signify the craftiness and prudence of the sensual man, is evident from the following passages. In Moses:

"The serpent was more subtle than any wild beast of the field which Jehovah God had made" (Genesis 3:1).

Here the serpent does not mean a serpent, but the sensual man, and in a general sense, the Sensual itself, which is the ultimate of the human understanding. The man and his wife, signify the Most Ancient Church, which fell away when the men of that Church began to reason concerning Divine things from sensual scientifics, and such reasoning is signified by their eating of the tree of knowledge (scientia); their craftiness in reasoning concerning Divine things from the Sensual, is described by the reasoning of the serpent with the wife of Adam, by which they were deceived. The reason why the serpent was said to be more subtle than any wild beast of the field, is that it is poisonous, and its bite therefore deadly, and that it conceals itself in hiding places. Poison signifies craft and treachery, and thence the bite of the serpent, deadly hurt; and the lurking places from which it bites, and in which it conceals itself, signify craftiness.

[3] It must be observed, that all beasts signify affections pertaining to man, and serpents signify the affections of the sensual man, because they move over the ground upon the belly just like the Sensual of man, for this is in the lowest place, and as it were creeps upon the ground beneath the rest [of the faculties]. Sensual men also, in the spiritual world, dwell in the lower parts, for they cannot be elevated towards the higher, since they are in externals, and form their judgments and conclusions about everything from externals. The evil also, who are in the hells, are mostly sensual, and many of them crafty, wherefore when they are seen from the light of heaven, they appear like serpents of various kinds, and hence it is, that the devil is called a serpent. The reason why the infernals are also crafty, is, that evil conceals in itself every kind of craftiness and cunning, just as good conceals every kind of prudence and wisdom. More may be seen upon this subject in Heaven and Hell 576-581), where the cunning and wicked arts of infernal spirits are treated of.

[4] Hence now it is that the devil or hell is called a serpent in the following passages.

In the Apocalypse:

"The dragon, the old serpent, called the devil, and satan, which deceiveth the whole world" (12:9, 14, 15; 20:2).

And in David:

"They have sharpened their tongues like a serpent; the poison of an asp is under their lips" (Psalm 140:3).

These words signify their crafty and treacherous deception.

Again:

"Their poison is like the poison of a serpent," (Psalm 58:4).

And in Job:

"He shall suck the poison of asps; the viper's tongue shall slay him" (20:16).

And in Isaiah:

"They hatched eggs of an asp, and wove the spider's web; he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and when any one crusheth it there breaketh out a viper" (59:5).

This is said of evil men, who by treachery and craft seduce others in spiritual things. The secret evils to which they allure by their craftiness, are signified by the eggs of the asp, which they are said to hatch; their treacherous falsities are signified by the spider's web which they are said to weave; the deadly hurt which they cause if they are received, is signified by "he that eateth of their eggs dieth, and when any one crusheth it there breaketh out a viper."

[5] Because the Pharisees were of such a character, therefore they are called by the Lord, "serpents, a generation of vipers" (Matthew 23:33). That the craftiness and cunning of such could inflict no injury upon those whom the Lord protects, is signified by the following words in Isaiah:

"The sucking child shall play on the hole of the viper, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the basilisk's den" (11:8).

The sucking child and the weaned child in these words signify those who are in the good of innocence, that is, those who are in love to the Lord. The hole of the viper and the den of the basilisk mean hells where treacherous and crafty spirits are, and the entrances into them also appear like dusky holes, and within, like dens.

[6] That the craftiness and cunning of infernal spirits should not hurt those whom the Lord protects, is also signified by the words of the Lord, that He would give them power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy (Luke 10:19); also that they should take up serpents; and if they drank any deadly thing, it should not hurt them (Mark 16:18). To tread on serpents, signifies to despise and make light of the treacheries, craft, and wicked arts of the infernal crew; therefore it is also said, "and over all the power of the enemy," the enemy denoting the infernal crew, and his power, craftiness.

[7] The cunning and craftiness of infernal spirits, who are called collectively the devil and satan, are also meant by serpents in the following passages.

Thus in Moses:

Jehovah God "led thee through that great and terrible wilderness, of the serpent, the fiery flying serpent, and scorpion" (Deuteronomy 8:15).

The journeyings of the sons of Israel in the wilderness, represented, and thence signified, the temptations of the faithful; the infestations which then take place from the hells by means of evil spirits and genii, are signified by the serpents, fiery flying serpents, and scorpions.

[8] Again in Isaiah:

"Rejoice not thou, whole Philisthea, that the rod of him that smote thee is broken; for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a basilisk, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent" (14:29).

Philisthea here signifies faith separated from charity; the turning aside of many by the deceptive arguments by which that faith is confirmed, is signified by out of the serpent's root shall come forth a basilisk, and his fruit shall be a flying fiery serpent.

Again in Jeremiah:

"Behold, I send serpents, basilisks, among you, which will not be charmed, and they shall bite you" (8:17).

Again:

"The voice thereof shall go like a serpent" (46:22).

And in Amos:

"Though they be hid from my sight in the bottom of the sea, thence will I command the serpent, and he shall bite them" (9:3).

Craftiness is also signified in Isaiah by "Leviathan, that crooked serpent" (27:1).

[9] That serpents, in the Word, signify the craft, and also the prudence of sensual men, is evident from the words of the Lord in Matthew:

"Be ye prudent (wise) as serpents, and harmless as doves" (10:16).

Those who are in good are called prudent, and those who are in evil, are called crafty, for prudence is of truth from good, and craftiness is of falsity from evil; and since these words were spoken to those who were in truths from good, therefore by serpents, in this place, is meant prudence. Because the craftiness of the evil is diabolical, therefore those who practise it are said to eat the dust.

[10] Thus in Moses:

It was said to the serpent," Thou art cursed above every beast, and above every wild beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life" (Genesis 3:14).

And in Isaiah:

"Dust shall be the serpent's bread" (Isaiah 65:2 5).

And in Micah:

"They shall lick the dust like a serpent" (7:17).

Dust signifies what is cursed; and going upon the belly signifies the Sensual, which is the ultimate of the life of man; and since it is the ultimate of the life, it therefore does not possess intelligence and wisdom, but craft and cunning, which are contrary to intelligence and wisdom.

[11] Again, in Moses:

"Dan shall be a serpent by the way, an arrow-serpent on the path, biting the horse's heels, and its rider shall fall backwards" (Genesis 49:17).

No one can know the signification of this prophecy concerning Dan unless he understand the signification of a horse and its heels, and also of a serpent. A horse signifies the understanding of truth, and a rider, intelligence; a serpent signifies the Sensual, which is the ultimate of the intellectual life; the heels of a horse signify truths in ultimates, which are sensual scientifics. That the Sensual, by reasonings from fallacies, hurts the understanding and leads it astray, is signified by the serpent biting the heels of the horse, and the horseman falling backwards. These things are said concerning Dan, because the tribe named after him was the last of the tribes, and therefore signified the ultimates of truth and good, consequently the ultimates of the church, as may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 1710, 3923, 6396, 10335), where this prophecy is explained.

[12] The Sensual, which is the ultimate of the intellectual life, is also signified by the crooked serpent, in Isaiah (27:1); Job (26:13); also by the serpent into which the rod of Moses was turned (Exodus 4:3, 4; 7:9-12); see in the Arcana Coelestia 6949, 7293). The sensual things also, which are the ultimates of the life of man, are signified by "the fiery flying serpents" sent amongst the people, who desired to return to Egypt; but the healing of the wound made by such serpents by the Divine Sensual of the Lord, is signified by the "brazen serpent," placed upon a pole, at the sight of which they revived (Num. 21:5-9). It is said the Divine Sensual of the Lord, because the Lord, when in the world, glorified, that is made Divine, His whole Human, even to the ultimate thereof, as is evident from this fact, that He left nothing in the sepulchre, and that He said unto His disciples, that He had flesh and bones, which a spirit had not (Luke 24:39). The ultimate Sensual, which the Lord also glorified or made Divine, is signified by the brazen serpent set upon a pole, of which the Lord Himself thus spoke in John:

"As Moses lifted up the serpent, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (3:14, 15).

The Lord was represented by this sign before the Israelitish and Jewish people, because they were utterly sensual, and the sensual man cannot raise his thought, when directed to the Lord, beyond and above the Sensual. For every one looks at the Lord according to the elevation of his understanding; the spiritual man looks to the Divine Rational, and so on. It is evident from these considerations, that the brazen serpent also signifies the Sensual, but the glorified or Divine Sensual of the Lord.