THE EXPLANATION of Isaiah Chapter 6

(Note: Rev. Smithson's translation of the Isaiah text is appended below the explanation)

1. In the year in which Uzziah the king died I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and His skirts filled the temple.

VERSE 1. By a "throne high and lofty" upon which Adonai was seen to sit, is signified the Lord as to Divine Truth in the supreme heavens, but by the "skirts or borders of His garments" is signified His Divine Truth in the church; the "skirts of the garments", when predicated of the Lord, signify His Divine Truth in the ultimates. Apocalypse Explained 220.

"His skirts filling the temple" signifies that the Divine Proceeding filled the ultimate of heaven, and also the church; for by "the skirts of the Lord" is signified, in general, the Divine Proceeding, and specifically the Divine Truth" which is in the extremes of heaven and the church. - Apocalypse Explained 253.

That the "skirts" or borders of the robe denote the extremes where the natural principle is, is manifest from the passages in the Word, where "skirts" are named, as in Isaiah, "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lofty, and the skirts thereof filled the temple", (Isaiah 6:1) where, by the "throne" on which the Lord sat, is signified heaven, Arcana Coelestia 5313, 8625; by "skirts" are there signified divine Truths in ultimates, or in extremes, such as are the truths of the Word in the sense of the letter, which are said to "fill the temple" when they fill the church. The like is signified by the "skirts filling the temple", as by the "smoke and the cloud filling the tabernacle, and also the "temple", as occasionally spoken of in the Word, That by "smoke" is there signified divine Truths in ultimates, such as is the sense of the letter of the Word, see8910; and also by a "cloud", 4060. That the woman labouring with an issue of blood, when she "touched the border of the Lord's garment", was healed; (Matthew 9:20, 22) and in general, that as many as "touched the border of His garment", were healed, (Matthew 14:36;Mark 6:56) signified that from the Divine in the extremes or ultimates health went forth; for that in the ultimates of good and truth, which are from the Divine, there is strength and power, see 9836, and also that responses are there, 9905. And in Matthew, - Jesus said of the Scribes and Pharisees, that "they do all their works to be seen of men, that they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the skirts or borders of their robes." (Matthew 23:5)

In this passage it is very manifest that "skirts" of a robe denote external things which are extant to view, and that to "enlarge" them denotes to do works in externals, that they may appear or be seen.

And in Jeremiah,

"Jerusalem has sinned a sin, her uncleanness in her skirts or borders." (Lamentations 1:8, 9)

"Uncleanness in the skirts" denotes in deeds and words, thus in the extremes; for the extremes derive their essence from the interiors, wherefore when the interiors are unclean, the extremes are also unclean, although the uncleanness does not appear before men, by reason that men look at the external form., and thus do not see the interiors; nevertheless the uncleanness, which is in the interiors, appears before the angels; and is also detected with everyone in the other life, for externals are there removed; hence it is made evident what has been the quality of works in their essence.

And in Nahum:

"I will uncover your skirts upon your faces, and will show your nakedness to the nations." (Nahum 3:5)

To "uncover the skirts upon the faces" denotes to remove externals, that internals may appear; for the externals, which are of the natural man, by various methods conceal the internals, which are hypocrisies, deceits, lies, hatreds, revenges, adulteries, and other like things, wherefore when externals are taken away, internals appear in their uncleanness and filthiness. And in Jeremiah, "If you shalt say in thine heart, Wherefore have these things happened unto me? For the multitude of thine iniquity your skirts were discovered, your heels were violated. I will make bare your skirts upon your faces, that thine ignominies may be seen, thine adulteries"; (Jeremiah 13:22, 26) speaking of the abominations of Jerusalem.

To "discover the skirts", and to "make them bare", denotes to take away external things, which cover and hide, that the interiors may be seen; for man learns to feign what is good, what is honest and sincere, for the sake of reputation, of honour, and of gain, when yet inwardly he has evils and falsities of various kinds stored up; inasmuch as by "skirts" are signified external things, therefore also mention is made of the "heels", because the "heels" denote the lowest things of the natural principle, see Arcana Coelestia 259, 4938. From these considerations it is now manifest, that by the "skirts of the robe" are signified goods and truths in ultimates or extremes, which are in the natural world. Arcana Coelestia 9917.

Filled the temple. - That "temple", in the Word, signifies the Divine Human of the Lord, and in a respective sense heaven and the church, consequently also the Divine Truth, may appear from the following passages :

"The Jews said to Jesus, What sign do You show to us that You do this? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up again in three days; but He spoke of the temple of His Body."

That "temple" signifies the Divine Human of the Lord is here expressly said; for by the "dissolution of the temple", and its being "raised up again after three days", is understood His death, burial, and resurrection.

And in Malachi,

"Behold, I send Mine angel, who shall prepare the way before Me; and suddenly shall come to His temple the Lord, and the angel of the covenant whom you seek." (Malachi 3:1)

In this passage also by "temple" is meant the Divine Human of the Lord; for the subject there treated of is concerning the Lord's advent, wherefore by "coming to His temple", is signified to His Human. And in the Apocalypse, "I saw not a temple in the New Jerusalem, for the Lord God Omnipotent is its Temple, and the Lamb." (Revelation 21:22)

The subject here treated of is concerning the new heaven and the new earth, when they shall be in internals and not in externals; hence it is said that "there shall not be a temple, but the Lord God Omnipotent and the Lamb", "the Lord God Omnipotent" is the essential Divine of the Lord, and the "Lamb" is His Divine Human; whence also it is evident that His Divine Human in the heavens is understood by "temple."

And in Isaiah,

"I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and the skirts or borders of His garments filled the temple"; (Isaiah 6:1),

where, by a "throne high and lifted up", on which the Lord was seen to sit, is signified the Lord as to Divine Truth in the superior heavens; but by "the skirts or borders of His garments" is signified His Divine Truth in the church. That the "skirts or borders of the garments", when predicated of the Lord, signify His Divine Truth in ultimates, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 9917.

That "the veil of the temple was rent into two parts from the top to the bottom", after the Lord had suffered, (Matthew 27:51) signified the union of the Divine Human of the Lord with His Divine itself may be seen, n. 9671 of the same work. By" temple" is signified the Divine Human of the Lord, and at the same time heaven and the church, in the following passages :

"I will bow myself towards the temple of Your holiness, and will confess to Your name." (Psalm 138:2)

And, in Jonah,

"I said, I am expelled from before Thine eyes, but yet I will again look back to the temple of Your holiness; and my prayer came to You to the temple of Your holiness." (Jonah 2:5, 8)

And in Habakkuk,

"Jehovah is in the temple of His holiness." (Habakkuk 2:20)

And in Matthew,

"Woe to you, blind guides, who say Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing: but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, is guilty. You fools and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies the gold?" (Matthew 23:16, 17)

And in John,

"Jesus said to them who sold in the temple, 'Take these things hence; make not the house of My Father a house of merchandise.'" (John 2:16, 17)

Apocalypse Explained 220. See also Arcana Coelestia 6426, 9714, 10528.

2. Above Him stood Seraphims: each one of them had six wings; with two of them he covered his face, with two of them he covered his feet, and with two of them he did fly.

Verse 2. That "wings" denote spiritual truths, or the truths of faith, which has power from good, is manifest from other passages in the Word; wherefore, when "wings" are attributed to the Divine [Being], by them is signified the Divine Truth which has Omnipotence, as where they are ascribed to the cherubs, by which is signified the Providence of the Lord. Arcana Coelestia 8764.

By the "Seraphims" here mentioned are signified similar things as by the cherubs; and by the "throne high and lofty" is meant the Divine Proceeding, from which is heaven. By the "wings with which the Seraphim covered the faces and the feet, and with which he did fly", is signified the Divine Spiritual [Principle] in first principles and in ultimates, and the extension thereof on every side, thus the Omnipresence of the Lord.

By "holy, holy, holy", is signified Most Holy. That this is the Divine Truth which fills all things, is signified by "the fulness of the whole earth with His glory; and that the Lord is alone holy, and that holiness is predicated of the Divine Truth which proceeds from Him. Apocalypse Explained 285.

By "the wings with which he covered his face" is signified the spiritual affection of truth; by "the wings with which he covered his feet "the natural affection of truth thence derived; and by the wings, with which he did fly", circumspection and presence; in this case Omnipresence, because the "Seraphims signify the same as the Cherubims, that is, the Divine Providence as to guard. The reason why by "flying", when predicated of men, is signified circumspection, and at the same time presence, is because the sight is present with the object which it sees; that it appears afar off or distant is owing to intermediates, which appear at the same time, and can be measured as to spaces. This may be fully confirmed from the things which exist in the spiritual world. In that world spaces themselves are appearances arising from the diversity of affections and of thoughts thence derived; wherefore when any persons or things appear afar off, and an angel or spirit wills from intense affection to be with those who are there, or to view those things which are there, immediately he is there present. Similar is the case with the thought, which is the internal or spiritual sight of man; this sees those things which he saw in himself, without space, thus altogether as present; hence it is that "to fly" is predicated of the understanding and its intelligence, and that thereby is signified circumspection and presence. Apocalypse Explained 282.

The "glory of Jehovah", when predicated of the Word, denotes its internal sense. The reason why the interiors of the Word are called "glory" is because the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord as a sun is the light in heaven which gives sight to the angels there, and at the same time intelligence and wisdom: from that Divine light is all glory in heaven, which is such as to exceed all human apprehension. Hence it is evident from what ground it is that the internal sense is called "glory", for the internal sense of the Word is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord in heaven; thus the light from which all glory exists. Arcana Coelestia 9429.

That the term Lord [Adonai] is used, when Good is treated of, is evident from the Word of the Old Testament, where Jehovah is sometimes called Jehovah, sometimes God, sometimes Lord [Adonai], sometimes Jehovah God, sometimes the Lord Jehovih, sometimes Jehovah Zebaoth, and this from a mysterious ground, which can be known only from the internal sense. In general, when the subject treated of is concerning the celestial things of love, or concerning Good, then He is called Jehovah; but when the subject treated of is concerning the spiritual things of faith, or concerning Truth, then He is called God; but when concerning both together, then He is called Jehovah God; and when concerning the divine power of Good, or Omnipotence; then He is called Jehovah Zebaoth, or Jehovah of Hosts, and also Lord, so that Jehovah Zebaoth and Lord are of the same signification, hence, that is, from the power of Good. Also men and angels are called lords, and in an opposite sense they are servants, who have either no power, or only a power derived from their lords. Arcana Coelestia 2921.

3. And, one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of Hosts! the fulness of the whole earth is His glory!

4. And the pillars of the thresholds were shaken with the voice of him that cried; and the house was filled with smoke.

Verse 3. The whole earth is filled with His glory. "Glory", in the supreme sense, is the Lord as to Divine Truth, thus it is the Divine Truth which proceeds from the Lord; but "glory", in the representative sense, is the good of love towards the neighbour, or charity, which is the external good of the celestial kingdom, and the internal of the Lord's spiritual kingdom; for this good, in the genuine sense, is the Divine Truth in heaven. Arcana Coelestia 5922.

5. And I said, Woe is to me! I am cut off: for I am a man of unclean lips; and in the midst of a people of unclean lips do I dwell: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of Hosts.

Verses 5-7. By "lips" are denoted the interiors of man, consequently internal worship wherein is grounded adoration, which was here represented in the person of the prophet; everyone may see that the "touching of his lips, and the removal of his iniquity thereby, and the expiation of his sin was a representation of the interiors, which are signified by ""lips", and which are things appertaining to charity and the doctrine-thereof. (Arcana Coelestia 1286)

6. And one of the Seraphims came flying unto me, and in his hand was a burning coal, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

7. And he caused it to touch my mouth, and said, Lo! this has touched your lips; and thine iniquity is removed, and your sin is expiated.

Verses 6, 7. What these words signify in their series may be seen when it is known that the "altar" signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human [Principle]; the "fire upon it", the Divine Good of His Divine Love; the "mouth and lips of the prophet", the doctrine of Good and Truth; likewise that "to touch" signifies to communicate; the "iniquity" which departed, signifies the false, and the "sin", evil; for iniquity is predicated of the life of the false, or of a life contrary to Truth; and sin is predicated of the life of evil, or of a life contrary to Good. Apocalypse Explained 391.

[As to the specific meaning of "transgressions", "iniquities", and "sins", see above, Chapter 1:28, the Exposition.] , '

By "one of the Seraphims touching the mouth and lips of the prophet with a coal from the altar" is signified the interior purification, which is of the understanding and will, and thence inauguration into the gift of teaching; by the "coal from the altar" is signified the Divine Love, from which is all purification; and by the "mouth and lips", the thought and affection, or what amounts to the same, the understanding and will, by which a man is purified from iniquity and sin; wherefore it is said, "Therefore thine iniquity has departed and your sin is expiated"; that iniquity does not depart by the application of a coal to the mouth and lips may appear to everyone. Apocalypse Explained 580.

8. And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send; and who will go for us? And I said, Behold, here am I; send me.

9. And He said. Go, and say you to this people, And hear you indeed, but understand not; see you indeed, but perceive not.

10. Make fat the heart of this people; make their ears heavy, and besmear their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and be healed.

Verses 9, 10. Hear you indeed, but understand not; see you indeed, but perceive not: make fat the heart of this people, make their ears heavy, and besmear their eyes, etc. - "To besmear the eyes, lest peradventure they see with their eyes", is to darken their understanding, lest they should understand. Apocalypse Explained 152.

Man acquires a life to himself according to the persuasions which be embraces, that is, the things which he acknowledges and believes; whatever is not received by persuasion, or what he does not acknowledge and believe, does not at all affect his mind; and therefore no one can profane holy things unless he be so persuaded, as to acknowledge them, and still deny them; they who do not. acknowledge such things, may indeed know them, but then they are as if they did not know them, or as those who know things that are of no consequence. Such were the Jews about the time of the Lord's advent, and being such, they are said in the Word to be vastated, by which expression is implied that they have no longer any faith. In this case it does a people no injury to have the interior things of the Word unfolded to them, for then they are as persons seeing, who do not see; and as hearing, who do not hear; and who have an hardened encrusted heart, thus described by the Lord in Isaiah. - "Go and tell this people, Hear you indeed, but understand not; and see you indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and besmear their eyes", etc. Arcana Coelestia 303.

"Make their ears heavy and besmear their eyes", etc., denotes that it would be better they should be in falsities than in truths, because they were in the evil of life; in which case, supposing them to be instructed in truths, they would not only falsify them, but would also defile them with evils; truth therefore was concealed from the Jews, and this for the same reason that the men of Sodom were smitten with blindnesses, that is, because their doctrinals were full of falsities. Inasmuch as "blindness" signified what is false, therefore in the representative Jewish church it was forbidden to sacrifice anything blind. Arcana Coelestia 2383.

That by "seeing and not knowing" is signified to understand what is true and still not to acknowledge it, is evident; and that by "besmearing the eyes, lest they should see" is signified to deprive them of the understanding of truth; and that faith in the Lord is what is here signified by seeing, is plain from the Lord's words in Matthew 13:13, 14. Arcana Coelestia 3863.

The Divine Providence operates invisibly and incomprehensibly, to the intent that man from a free principle may ascribe it either to Providence or to chance; for if Providence acted visibly and comprehensibly, there would be danger lest man, from what is visible and comprehensible, should believe that it is of Providence, and afterwards should fall into a contrary belief; thus what is true and what is false would be joined together in the interior man, and the true would be profaned, which brings with it eternal damnation; therefore such a man is kept rather in unbelief, than admitted to a state of faith from which he would afterwards recede. This is what is meant in Isaiah 6:9, 10. Arcana Coelestia 5508.

11. And I said, How long, O Lord? And He said, Until the cities be laid waste, so that there be no inhabitant; and houses, so that there be no man, and the land be left utterly desolate:

12. Until Jehovah remove man far away; and there be a great desertion in the midst of the land.

Verse 11. Until the cities be laid waste, etc. - The total vastation of the church is here treated of; "cities" are truths of doctrine, "houses" are the goods thereof, the "land" is the church. Apocalypse Explained 223.

Verses 11, 12. And l said, How long, O Lord? And He said, until the cities be laid waste, so that there be no inhabitant; and houses, so that there be no man, and the land be left utterly desolate; until Jehovah remove man far away, and there be a great desertion in the midst of the land. - These things are not said concerning the vastation of the earth, that there should be no more any cities or houses therein, and that these should be without an inhabitant, and without a man; but they are said concerning the vastation of Good and Truth in the church.

By "cities" are there signified the truths of doctrine; by "inhabitant", the good of doctrine; by the "houses" are signified the interior things of man which appertain to his mind: and by a "man", the spiritual affection of truth, and thence wisdom; this is signified by the "houses being devastated, and without a man in them"; by the "land" which shall be reduced to a wilderness is signified the church. Hence it is evident what is signified by "removing man", and by "a great desertion [or desolation] in the midst of the land"; a "desert" signifies where there is no Good because there is no Truth. Apocalypse Explained 280.

That the mysteries of faith are not laid open before a people are reduced to a state of vastation, in which they have no longer any faith; by reason lest they should profane them, the Lord also plainly declares in the subsequent verses in the same prophet, "Then said I, How long, O Lord? And He answered, Until the cities be laid waste, so that there be no inhabitant; and houses, so that there be no man, and the land be left utterly desolate: and until the Lord have removed man far away." By" man" is meant he who is wise or acknowledges and believes. Apocalypse Explained 303.

the "man" whom Jehovah shall remove signifies him that is wise, and abstractedly wisdom; the "great desertion in the midst of the land" signifies that there shall be nothing of good, because nothing of truth; the "midst of the land" denoting where truth is in the greatest light; wherefore when the light is not there, darkness pervades the whole, thus there is nowhere any truth. Apocalypse Explained 304.

13. But yet in it shall be a tenth, which shall return and again be consumed; yet, as the terebinth and the oak, though cut down, has its stock remaining : so a holy seed shall be the stock thereof.

Verse 13. Yet in it shall be a tenth part, which shall return, etc. - The remnant, or remains of man or the church, were also represented by the "tenths" or "tithes", which were holy. Hence also the number ten was holy, on which account it is predicated of a remnant, or remains, as in Isaiah 6:13, where the remnant is called "a holy seed." Arcana Coelestia 468.

The "midst of the land" signifies the internal man; a "tenth part", the smallness of the remains. Arcana Coelestia 576.

"A holy seed shall be the stock thereof", signifying remains, which are holy, because from the Lord. Arcana Coelestia 1025.

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Isaiah Chapter 6

1. In the year in which Uzziah the king died I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and His skirts filled the temple.

2. Above Him stood Seraphims: each one of them had six wings; with two of them he covered his face, with two of them he covered his feet, and with two of them he did fly.

3. And, one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of Hosts! the fulness of the whole earth is His glory!

4. And the pillars of the thresholds were shaken with the voice of him that cried; and the house was filled with smoke.

5. And I said, Woe is to me! I am cut off: for I am a man of unclean lips; and in the midst of a people of unclean lips do I dwell: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of Hosts.

6. And one of the Seraphims came flying unto me, and in his hand was a burning coal, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

7. And he caused it to touch my mouth, and said, Lo! this has touched your lips; and thine iniquity is removed, and your sin is expiated.

8. And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send; and who will go for us? And I said, Behold, here am I; send me.

9. And He said. Go, and say you to this people, And hear you indeed, but understand not; see you indeed, but perceive not.

10. Make fat the heart of this people; make their ears heavy, and besmear their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and be healed.

11. And I said, How long, O Lord? And He said, Until the cities be laid waste, so that there be no inhabitant; and houses, so that there be no man, and the Iand be left utterly desolate:

12. Until Jehovah remove man far away; and there be a great desertion in the midst of the land.

13. But yet in it shall be a tenth, which shall return and again be consumed; yet, as the terebinth and the oak, though cut down, has its stock remaining : so a holy seed shall be the stock thereof.

131. These things saith He that hath the sharp two-edged sword, signifies the Lord, who alone combats in temptation. This is evident from the signification of "long sword" or "sword [romphaeae seu gladii]," as meaning truth combating against falsity, and in the opposite sense, falsity combating against truth. It is said to be "sharp two-edged," because it pierces on both sides. Because this is signified by "the long sword," dispersion of falsities is also signified by it, and also temptation. That it signifies dispersion of falsities, see above (n. 73). It signifies temptation, because in what is written to the angel of this church temptations are treated of. Moreover, "the long sword" also signifies temptation, because temptation is a combat of truth against falsity and of falsity against truth. (That spiritual temptation is such combat, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 187-201) By "these things saith He that hath the sharp long sword with two edges" is meant that the Lord alone combats in temptations, because in the preceding chapter (verse 16) it was said that:

Out of the mouth of the Son of man, walking in the midst of the seven lampstands, a sharp two-edged long sword was seen going forth (Revelation 1:16).

and by the "Son of man" is meant the Lord in respect to Divine truth (as may be seen above, n. 63. That the Lord alone combats in temptations, and not man at all, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 195-200.) By "long sword" or by "sword [romphaeam seu gladium]" is signified the combat of truth against falsity, and of falsity against truth, because by "wars" in the Word are signified spiritual wars, and spiritual wars are wars of truths against falsities and of falsities against truths; and as "wars" in the Word have such a signification, all weapons of war, as "sword," "spear," "bow," "arrows," "shield," and many others, signify each some special thing pertaining to spiritual combat; especially the "sword," because in wars they fight with swords. (That "wars" signify spiritual combats, see Arcana Coelestia 1659, 1664, 8295, 10455; consequently that each weapon of war signifies something pertaining to spiritual combat, see n. 1788, 2686)

[2] That "sword" in the Word signifies truth combating against falsity, and falsity against truth, and therefore the dispersion of falsities, and also spiritual temptation, can be seen from very many passages, of which I will introduce here only a few by way of confirmation. Thus in Matthew:

Jesus said that He came not to send peace on earth, but a sword (Matthew 10:34).

Here by "sword" is meant the combat of temptation. It was so said, because men at that time were in falsities, and the Lord uncovered interior truths, and only by combats from such truths can falsities be cast out.

[3] In Luke:

Jesus said to His disciples, Now he that hath a purse let him take it, likewise a wallet; and he that hath no sword let him sell his garments and buy one (Luke 22:35-38).

By "purse" and "wallet" spiritual knowledges, thus truths, are signified; "garments" signify what is their own; and by "sword" combat is signified.

[4] In Jeremiah:

A sword against the Chaldeans, and against the inhabitants of Babylon, and against her chiefs, and against her wise men. A sword against liars that they may become foolish; a sword against her mighty men that they may be dismayed; a sword against her horses and against her chariots; a sword against her treasures that they may be spoiled; a drought upon her waters that they may be dried up (Jeremiah 50:35-38).

By "sword" here dispersion and vastation of truth are signified; by each in particular against which the sword shall be, as the "Chaldeans," the "inhabitants of Babylon," her "chiefs" and "her wise men," "liars," "mighty men," "horses," "chariots," and "treasures," are signified the persons or things that will be vastated: as by "horses," things intellectual; by "chariots," doctrinals; and by "treasures," knowledges; it is said, therefore, "a drought upon her waters, that they may be dried up," for "waters" are the truths of the church, and "a drought that they may be dried up" is vastation. (That "drought" and "drying up" are where there is no truth, see Arcana Coelestia 8185; that "waters" are truths of the church, see above, n. 71; that "treasures" are knowledges, Arcana Coelestia, 1694, 4508, 10227; that "horses" are things intellectual, and "chariots" doctrinals, see White Horse 2-5.)

[5] In Isaiah:

Jehovah will plead, and with His sword with all flesh, and the slain of Jehovah shall be multiplied (Isaiah 66:16).

In Jeremiah:

Upon all the heights in the desert the devastators are come, because the sword of Jehovah devoureth from the end of the land even to the end of the land (Jeremiah 12:12).

In Ezekiel:

Prophesy and say, a sword sharpened and also furbished, it is sharpened to slay a slaughter, it is furbished that it may have luster; let the sword be doubled for the third time; the sword of the slain, the sword of great slaughter entering into the secret chambers that the heart may melt, and stumblings be multiplied; against all their gates will I set the point of the sword: Ah! It is made into lightning (Ezekiel 21:9-15, 28).

In Isaiah:

Bring waters to meet him that is thirsty, with bread prevent him that wandereth; for before the sword shall they wander, before the drawn sword, and before the bended bow, and for the grievousness of war (Isaiah 21:14, 15).

In Ezekiel:

They shall quake with fear when I shall make my sword to fly before their faces, that they may tremble every moment, a man for his own soul; by the swords of the mighty casting down their multitude (Ezekiel 32:10-12).

In David:

Let the saints exult in glory; let them sing upon their beds. Let the exaltations of God be in their throat, and a two-edged sword in their hand (Psalms 149:5, 6).

In the same:

Gird thy sword upon the thigh, O mighty one, in thy honor ascend the chariot, ride on the Word of truth, thy right hand shall teach thee wonderful things. Thine arrows are sharp (Psalms 45:3-5).

In Revelation:

There was given unto him that sat on the red horse a great sword (Revelation 6:4).

In another place:

Out of the mouth of him that sat on the white horse went forth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations. The rest were killed with the sword of him that sat upon the horse (Revelation 19:15, 21).

By "sword" in these passages is signified truth combating and destroying; this destruction is especially apparent in the spiritual world; there those that are in falsities cannot sustain the truth; when they come into the sphere of light, that is, where Divine truth is, they are in anguish, like those who are struggling with death; and thus also they are deprived of truths and are vastated.

[6] As most expressions in the Word have also a contrary sense, so also has "sword;" in that sense it signifies falsity combating against truth and destroying it. The vastations of the church, which take place when there are no longer any truths, but only falsities, are described in the Word by a "sword," as in the following passages:

They shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive into all nations; Jerusalem shall finally be trodden down by all nations, until the times of the nations shall be fulfilled (Luke 21:24).

The consummation of the age, which is here treated of, is the last time of the church, when falsities are to prevail. "To fall by the edge of the sword" denotes that truth will be destroyed by falsity; "nations" here are evils and "Jerusalem" is the church.

[7] In Isaiah:

I will make a man more rare than fine gold. Everyone that is found shall be thrust through; and everyone gathered in shall fall by the sword (Isaiah 13:12, 15).

"A man who is rare" for those that are in truths; "to be thrust through" and "to fall by the sword" means to be consumed by falsity.

[8] In the same:

In that day they shall cast away every man the idols of his silver and the idols of his gold, which your own hands have made unto you. Then shall Asshur fall by the sword, not of a man [viri]; and the sword not of a man [hominis] shall devour him; but he who fleeth for himself before the sword, his young man shall be for tribute (Isaiah 31:7, 8).

"The idols which the hands have made" are falsities from self-intelligence; "Asshur" is the rational by which [per quod]. "To fall by the sword not of a man" [viri], and "not of a man" [hominis], is not to be destroyed by any combat of truth against falsity. "He who fleeth for himself before the sword, his young man shall be for tribute," means that the truth which is not destroyed shall be subservient to falsities. That this is the meaning of these words does not appear in the sense of the letter, which shows how far distant the spiritual sense is from the sense of the letter.

[9] In Jeremiah:

In vain I have smitten your sons; they accepted not correction; your own sword hath devoured your prophets (Jeremiah 2:30).

Behold, the prophet say, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine. By sword and by famine shall the prophets be consumed. If I go forth into the field, behold the slain with the sword; and if I enter into the city, then behold the sickness of famine (Jeremiah 14:13-18).

Both these passages treat of the vastation of the church in respect to truth; "prophets" are those who teach truths; and "the sword that consumes them" is falsity combating and destroying; "the field" is the church; "the city" is doctrine; "the slain with the sword in the field" are those in the church with whom truths are destroyed; "the famine" that is in the city is dearth of all truth in doctrine.

[10] In the same:

They have denied Jehovah when they have said, It is not He; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword and famine (Jeremiah 5:12).

In the same:

The young men shall die by the sword; and their sons and their daughters shall die by famine (Jeremiah 11:22).

"Young men" are those who are in truths, and in the abstract, truths themselves; "to die by the sword" is to be destroyed by falsities; "sons and daughters" are the knowledges of truth and good; "famine" is a dearth of these.

[11] In Lamentations:

We get our bread with peril of our souls, because of the sword of the wilderness (Lamentations 5:9).

"The wilderness" is where there is no good because there is no truth; its "sword" is the destruction of truth; "bread" is good, which is got with "peril of souls," because all good is implanted in man by means of truth.

[12] In Ezekiel:

The sword is without, and pestilence and famine within; he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him (Ezekiel 7:15).

"The sword" is the destruction of truth; "pestilence" consequent extermination; and "famine" complete dearth. Similarly in other places (as in Jeremiah 21:7; 29:17, 18; 34:17).

[13] In Zechariah:

Woe to the shepherd of nought forsaking the flock; a sword upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm in drying up shall dry up, and his right eye in growing dim shall grow dim (Jeremiah 11:17).

"A sword upon the arm" is the destruction of the voluntary in respect to good; "a sword upon the right eye" is the destruction of the intellectual in respect to truth; that all good and all truth are to perish is signified by "the arm in drying up shall dry up; and the right eye in growing dim shall grow dim."

[14] In Isaiah:

Thus shall ye say to your lord, Fear not for the words that thou hast heard, wherewith the lads of the king of Asshur have blasphemed Jehovah. Behold, I will cause him to fall by the sword in his own land. And Senacherib, king of Asshur, returned; and it came to pass, when he bowed himself in the house of Nisroch his god, his two sons smote him with the sword (Isaiah 37:6, 7, 37, 38).

As it is the rational that acknowledges and that denies the Divine, and when it denies seizes upon every falsity instead of truth, and thus perishes, there was this representative occurrence, namely, that the king of Asshur, because he blasphemed Jehovah, was smitten with the sword by his sons, in the house of Nisroch his god. "Asshur" signifies the rational in either sense (Arcana Coelestia, n. 119, 1186); the "sons" of that king signify falsities, and the "sword" signifies destruction by falsities.

[15] In Moses:

[It was commanded that] the city that worshiped other gods should be smitten with the sword, and burned up with fire (Deuteronomy 13:12-16).

This was decreed because at that time all things were representative; "to worship other gods" is to worship from falsities; "to be smitten with the sword" is to perish by falsity; and "to be burned up with fire" is to perish by the evil of falsity.

[16] In the same:

Whosoever in the field toucheth one that is slain with the sword shall be unclean (Numbers 19:16, 18, 19).

"One in the field slain with the sword" represented those within the church who destroyed truths with themselves; "the field" here is the church.

[17] That "sword" signifies falsity destroying truth is manifest in David:

The sons of man are set on fire; their teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword (Psalms 57:4).

Behold, they belch out with their mouth, swords are in their lips (Psalms 59:7).

Workers of iniquity sharpen their tongues like a sword; they hurl their arrow with a bitter word (Psalms 64:3).

From this it is clear what is signified by the Lord's words to Peter:

All they that take the sword shall perish by the sword (Matthew 26:51-52);

namely, that those who believe falsities will perish by falsities.

[18] From this it is now evident what is signified in the Word by "the long sword," "the short sword," or the "sword" [romphaea, macharera, seu gladius] in both senses. Such things are signified by "sword" by reason also of appearance in the spiritual world. When spiritual combats take place there, which are combats of truth against falsity and of falsity against truth, various weapons of war, as swords, spears, shields, and the like are seen; not that the combats are maintained by these, but they are mere appearances, representative of spiritual combats. When falsities are fiercely combating truths, there sometimes appears from heaven the brightness or flashing of a sword vibrating every way, and causing great terror, by which those who are combating from falsities are dispersed.

[19] This makes clear what is meant by these words in Ezekiel:

They shall be horribly afraid when I shall brandish My sword before their faces, that they may tremble every moment for their soul (Ezekiel 32:10-12).

And in the same:

Prophesy and say, a sword, it is sharpened and also furbished, that it may have luster, that the heart may melt. Ah! It is made into lightning (Ezekiel 21:9-10, 15).

The sword causes so great terror because "iron," of which a sword is made, signifies truth in ultimates, and the brightness and flashing are from the light of heaven and from vibration of this light upon the sword. The light of heaven is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord. Divine truth thus falling upon those who are in falsities strikes terror.

[20] This also makes clear what is signified by this, that:

Cherubim, after Adam had been driven out, were made to dwell at the east of Eden, and the flame of a sword turning and vibrating every way, to guard the way to the tree of life (Genesis 3:24).

By the "tree of life" is signified celestial love, which is love to the Lord; by "cherubim" a guard; by the "flame of a sword turning every way" the terrific driving off and rejecting of all who are in falsities; the "east of Eden" is where the Lord's presence is in celestial love; by these words, therefore, is signified that every approach to the acknowledgement of the Lord alone is closed to him who does not live a life of love. That "sword" signifies falsity is clearly evident in Ezekiel, where it is said of the prince of Tyre:

They shall unsheathe the swords upon the beauty of thy wisdom (Ezekiel 28:7).

"The prince of Tyre" signifies intelligence from the knowledges of truth; because that is extinguished by falsities it is said that they should unsheathe their swords "upon wisdom," which could not have been said unless by "swords" falsities were meant.