6385. 'And he will be at the haven of ships' means in which teachings drawn from the Word are present. This is clear from the meaning of 'the haven' as the resting-place, as immediately above in 6384, thus the place where those teachings are present; and from the meaning of 'ships' as teachings drawn from the Word. The reason why they are meant by 'ships' is that ships sail across seas and along rivers, carrying commodities used to support life. For 'seas' and 'rivers' mean different kinds of knowledge; the commodities used to support life which the ships carry are teachings as well as actual truths drawn from the Word. The fact that such teachings and truths are meant by 'ships' is evident from the following places: In Isaiah,

The islands will put their trust in Me, and the ships of Tarshish at their head, to bring your sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them. Isaiah 60:9.

'The ships of Tarshish' stands for teachings and truths drawn from the Word. This is why it says that they would bring their sons, their silver and gold; for 'sons' means those in possession of truths, 'silver' truth itself, and 'gold' good. Anyone can see that the ships of Tarshish are not really meant here, and that sons, silver, and gold are not really meant either.

[2] In Ezekiel,

In the heart of the sea are your borders, your architects have perfected your beauty. Of fir trees from Senir they built for you all the boards; they took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. Of oaks from Bashan they made oars; your plank they made of ivory, a daughter of steps ¹ from the isles of Kittim. Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be to you an ensign; violet and purple from the islands of Elishah was your covering. The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; your wise men, O Tyre, who were in you were your pilots. Elders of Gebal and its wisemen were in you, remedying your cracks. All the ships of the sea and their sailors were in you, to conduct your trade. Ezekiel 17:4-9.

This refers to Tyre, which means cognitions of good and truth, 1201. Those cognitions are described by means of the aspects of a ship - its boards, mast, oars, plank, sail, covering, rowers, pilots, and sailors. Who can fail to see that one must not take all these things literally? But when the cognitions of truth and good, which are 'Tyre', together with teachings drawn from the Word, are understood by 'ships', all things go beautifully together.

[3] In David,

How many are your works, O Jehovah! In wisdom You have made them all. This sea, great and wide on both hands ² - there the ships sail, the sea monster whom you have formed to play in it. Psalms 104:24-26.

In the same author,

Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of confession, and declare Jehovah's works in a triumphant shout. Those who go down to the sea with ships, doing work in many waters - these saw the works of Jehovah, and His marvels in the deep. Psalms 107:21-24.

Here also 'ships' stands for cognitions and religious teachings, 'the sea monster' for the general sources of known facts, 42. And since 'ships' are cognitions and those teachings, the words 'those who go down to the sea with ships - these saw the works of Jehovah, and His marvels in the deep' are used; for those who know those cognitions and teachings drawn from the Word see those works and marvels.

[4] In John,

The second angel sounded, and so to speak a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. And a third part of the sea became blood, with the result that a third part of creatures died who had their being ³ in the sea. And a third part of the ships was destroyed. Revelation 8:8-9.

'A great mountain burning with fire' stands for self-love, 1691; 'the sea stands for the natural where factual knowledge resides, 28; 'blood' stands for violence done to charity, 374, 1005; 'the creatures who had their being in the sea' stands for truths contained in factual knowledge, together with forms of good; 'a third part' stands for something not yet complete, 2788 (end). They 'died' stands for the fact that they had no spiritual life, 6119, and therefore 'a third part of the ships was destroyed' stands for the fact that the truths and forms of good presented in teachings drawn from the Word were falsified. From all this one may see what is meant by this prophetic description.

[5] But in the contrary sense 'ships' means cognitions and teachings that present falsity and evil, as in Daniel,

At the time of the end the king of the south will clash with him; therefore the king of the north will rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter into countries, and will overflow and penetrate. Daniel 11:40.

'The king of the south' stands for truths that spring from good, 'the king of the north' for falsities that spring from evil, 'chariots with horsemen and with ships' for teachings that present falsity. 'Countries' stands for Churches, which - it is foretold - falsities springing from evils will overflow and penetrate 'at the time of the end'.

[6] In John,

Every shipmaster, and everyone on board ships, and sailors, and all who trade on the sea, stood at a distance and were crying out as they saw the smoke of Babylon's burning, saying, What [city] is like the great city? Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who have ships on the sea have been made rich by her wealth. ⁴ Revelation 18:17-19.

Here it may be seen that 'ships' are cognitions and teachings that present falsity and evil because 'Babylon' describes worship which to outward appearance is holy but inwardly is profane. Once again no one can fail to see that 'ships' means something other than ships.

The same is so in Isaiah,

Thus says Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, For your sake I have sent to Babel, so that I may break down all the bars, and the Chaldeans in whose ships there is shouting. Isaiah 43:14.

In addition to these places falsities springing from evil are also meant by 'ships' in Isaiah 2:16; 23:1, 14; Psalms 48:7.

Footnotes:

1691. That 'a mountain' means self-love and love of the world becomes clear from the meaning of 'a mountain', dealt with immediately below. All evil and falsity arise from self-love and love of the world; they have no other origin. Indeed self-love and love of the world are the reverse of celestial and spiritual love. And being the reverse they are loves which endeavour all the time to destroy the celestial and spiritual things of God's kingdom. From self-love and love of the world all kinds of hatred arise, and from hatred all kinds of revenge and cruelty, and from both the former and the latter all kinds of deception, in short, all the hells.

[2] That 'mountains' in the Word means self-love and love of the world becomes clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

The eyes of man's (homo) loftiness will be humbled, and the height of men (homo) brought low; the day of Jehovah Zebaoth will be against everyone that is lofty and high, against all high mountains, and against all hills that are lifted up, and against every lofty tower. Isaiah 2:11-12, 14-15.

'High mountains' plainly stands for self-love, and 'hills that are lifted up' for love of the world.

[3] In the same prophet,

Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill made low. Isaiah 40:4.

This too plainly stands for self-love and love of the world. In the same prophet,

I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up every plant on them. Isaiah 42:15.

Here similarly 'mountains' stands for self-love, and 'hills' for love of the world. In Ezekiel,

The mountains will be overturned, and the terraced ridges will fall, and every wall will fall to the ground. Ezekiel 38:20.

[4] In Jeremiah,

Behold, I am against you, O destroying mountain, destroying the whole earth, and I will stretch out My hand against you and roll you down from the rocks and make you into a mountain of burning. Jeremiah 51:25.

This refers to Babel and Chaldea, which, as shown already, mean self-love and love of the world. In the Song of Moses,

A fire has flared up in My anger, and will burn right down to the lowest hell, and will devour the land and its increase, and will set on fire the foundations of the mountains. Deuteronomy 32:22.

'The foundations of the mountains' stands for the hells, as is explicitly stated. They are called 'the foundations of the mountains' because self-love and love of the world reign there and have their origin in them.

[5] In Jonah,

The waters surrounded me, even to my soul, the deep closed around me, seaweed was wrapped about my head. I went down to the bottoms of the mountains; the bars of the land were upon me for ever. Yet You brought up my life ¹ from the pit, O Jehovah my God. Jonah 2:5-6.

The Lord's temptations against the hells are described in this prophetic manner by Jonah when in the stomach of the great fish, as also in other parts of the Word, especially in David. A person undergoing temptation is within the hells. Being in the hells is not at all a question of place but of state.

[6] Since 'mountains' and 'towers' mean self-love and love of the world, it may therefore become clear what is meant by the reference to the Lord being led by the devil on to a high mountain and on to the pinnacle of the temple, namely that He was led into conflicts that constitute temptations - the most extreme conflicts of all - against self-love and love of the world, that is, against the hells. Mountains are also used, as is usual, in the contrary sense; in that sense they mean celestial and spiritual love, as shown already in 795, 796.

Footnotes: