817. And he spake as a dragon. That this signifies in affection, thought, doctrine, and preaching, similar to what prevails with those who separate faith from the life of faith, which is charity, is evident from the signification of speaking, as denoting affection, thought, doctrine, and preaching. The reason why speaking signifies these things is, that all of a man's speech is from affection and thought thence, the affection itself being expressed by the sound of the speech, and the thought by the words. That both the affection and the thought are in the speech, is evident to every one who reflects. Affection alone cannot speak, it can only make a noise and sing; nor can thought alone speak except as an automaton without life. For it is the affection which gives life to every expression of speech. This is also the reason why man is regarded by others according to the affection in his speech, and not according to the words. The reason why speaking also signifies preaching from doctrine, thus doctrine and preaching thence is, that it is said that the beast spake as a dragon; and by the dragon are meant those who are in faith separate from charity both in doctrine and in life (as may be seen above, n. 714). And by this beast are meant confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word in favour of the separation of faith from life, and the resulting falsifications of the Word. That religious persuasion, as to doctrine and as to preaching, is signified therefore by speaking as a dragon.

[2] Because by the dragon and by his two beasts is described faith separate from charity, and the resulting falsification of the Word, it shall be shown in this article, that a similar heresy is described in the Word by Cain, Reuben, and the Philistines; and is also meant by the he-goat in Daniel. For there have been several churches upon this earth - the Most Ancient, which was before the flood; the Ancient Church, which was after the flood; the Jewish, which succeeded the Ancient, and lastly the Christian Church. All these churches, in process of time, degenerated into two great errors, one which has adulterated all the goods of the church, and the other which has falsified all its truths. The church which has adulterated all the goods of the church is described in the Word by the Babylonians and Chaldeans; and the church which has falsified all the truths of the church is described by Cain, Reuben, and the Philistines; and also by the he-goat in Daniel, which fought with the ram and overcame it.

Concerning the adulteration of the good of the church, which is described by the Babylonians and Chaldeans, we shall speak in the following parts of this work, where Babylon is treated of in the Apocalypse. At present we shall confine ourselves to the subject of the falsification of truth, described here by the dragon and his two beasts. That the same is described also by Cain, and by the rest above-mentioned, shall now be explained.

[3] That those who separate the knowledges of truth and good from a life in agreement with them, and believe that they may be saved by these alone, were represented by Cain, has been briefly shown in the Arcana Coelestia, where Cain and Abel are treated of, to which we shall add the following observations. It is written of Cain,

That he was the first-born of Adam, and that he tilled the ground, and brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to Jehovah; and that Abel was a shepherd of the flock, and brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fatness thereof; also that Jehovah had respect unto the offering of Abel, and not unto the offering of Cain, wherefore anger was kindled in Cain, and he slew his brother; that Cain, was therefore accursed, and banished from the ground, and became a vagabond and fugitive on the earth; and that Jehovah set a mark upon Cain, lest he should be slain, and appointed that whoever should slay him, should have vengeance taken on him seven-fold (Genesis 4).

It is to be observed, that all the names of persons and places in the Word signify things and states of the church; and especially the names in the first chapters of Genesis, because the historicals in those chapters are constructed historicals, containing in them the deepest mysteries of heaven, but which are, nevertheless, most holy in the sense of the letter; because in every word there is a spiritual sense which unites the heavens with the men of the church. What those historicals involve in the spiritual sense, and what the names of the persons there signify, is explained in the Arcana Coelestia. By Cain are signified the knowledges of truth and good separate from a life in agreement with them, thus from heavenly love; and by Abel is signified heavenly love; or, what amounts to the same, by Cain is signified truth separate from good, and by Abel good conjoined to truth. And because truth is the primary thing of the church, every church being formed by truths, for from truths, or from the knowledges of truth and good, every church first commences - therefore Cain was the first-born, and was named a man (vir) of Jehovah; for by a man of Jehovah, in the Word, is signified the truth of heaven and the church; and by the ground which Cain tilled, is signified the church. The separation of truth from good is signified by the murder of Abel by Cain. For when every thing of the church is placed in truths or in knowledges, and not in goods, or in the affection of living according to truths; then good with its affections is slain. And because every thing of the church perishes when truth is separated from good; therefore Cain was banished from the ground, by which, as was said, is signified the church.

But because truths are the primary things of the church, for truths will teach men how to live, therefore a mark was set on Cain, lest any one should kill him; and it was appointed that if any one should kill him, he should be avenged seven-fold. And because truth without good is carried hither and thither, having nothing to lead it, consequently it successively wanders into falsities, and falls away from the way that leads to heaven; therefore Cain was banished from before the face of Jehovah, and became a vagabond and fugitive. The case is similar with respect to faith and charity, because faith belongs to truth, and charity to good. Thus the case is similar with respect to faith separate from charity as with what is said concerning Cain, that is, that it kills Abel its brother, which is charity, whence the church perishes. And this is signified by being banished from the ground, and becoming a vagabond and fugitive; for when faith is separated by charity then truth is successively turned into falsity, and so falls to decay.

[4] That Reuben, the first-born of Jacob, signified the light of truth, and thence the understanding of the Word, and thereby truth from good, or faith from charity, as was also the case with the apostle Peter; and that Reuben also, on the other hand, represented truth separated from good, or faith separated from charity; and that this faith is signified by his adultery with Bilhah his father's concubine, in consequence whereof the primogeniture was taken away from him and given to Joseph, may be seen above (n. 434). To these things is to be added, that all heresies, so far as they are adulterations and falsifications of the Word, correspond to adulteries and whoredoms of various kinds, which, because of such correspondence, are also actually perceived in the spiritual world, from those who are in heresies. The reason is, that marriages, such as they are in the heavens, derive their spiritual origin from the conjunction of good and truth; and, on the other hand, adulteries derive their origin from the conjunction of evil and falsity. This is why heaven, in the Word, is compared to marriage, and hell to adultery. And because in the hells there is a conjunction of evil and falsity, therefore a sphere of adultery continually exhales from them. This is the reason why adulteries and whoredoms, in the Word, signify adulterations of the good of the church and falsifications of the truth thereof (as may be seen above, n. 141, 161).

[5] Faith separate from charity is perceived in the spiritual world as the adultery of a son with a mother, and also with a mother-in-law. The reason is, that faith shuts out the good of charity; and this being so, the evil of the love of self and of the world succeeds in its place, and such faith conjoins itself with it. For all faith must necessarily conjoin itself with some love; wherefore when spiritual love, which is charity, is separated, then the faith conjoins itself with the love of self or the love of the world, these being the loves that rule in the natural man; this is why such a horrible adultery results from faith separated from charity. And it is evident therefore what the adultery of Reuben with Bilhah his father's concubine signifies, and why he was therefore rejected from the right of primogeniture. This is also meant by the prophecy of Israel concerning Reuben:

"Reuben, my first-born, thou art my might, and the beginning of my strength, excellent in dignity, and excellent in power. Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it; he went up to my couch" (Genesis 49:3, 4);

which words may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia 6341-6350).

That such adultery from faith separated from charity is perceived in the spiritual world, has been made evident to me from correspondences in that world; for as often as I have perceived from afar the sphere of adultery with a mother or mother-in-law, I have known at once that they were at hand who had confirmed themselves in faith alone both in doctrine and in life, and they were also then discovered; and being examined as to their quality, they were found to have been such in the world.

[6] Thus far concerning Reuben. Something shall now be said concerning the Philistines. These also in the Word represent faith separated from love. This is why they were called the uncircumcised; for to be uncircumcised signifies to be without spiritual love, and to be solely in natural love, with which love alone not anything of religion, much less anything of the church, can be conjoined. For everything pertaining to religion and the church regards the Divine, heaven, and spiritual life; and these cannot be conjoined with any other than a spiritual love, consequently, they cannot be conjoined with a natural love separate from a spiritual. For natural separate from spiritual love is man's proprium, which, in itself, is nothing but evil. All the wars which the sons of Israel waged with the Philistines represented the combats of the spiritual man with the natural man, and also the combats of truth conjoined to good, with truth separated from good, which in itself is not truth but falsity. For truth separated from good is falsified in the thought concerning it; the reason being, that there is nothing spiritual in the thought to impart enlightenment. This is also the reason why those who are in faith separated from charity have no truth, except that used in speech or preaching from the Word. For the idea of the truth perishes as soon as such people exercise their thought about it.

[7] Because this religion in the churches prevails with all those who love to live a natural life, therefore in the land of Canaan the Philistines were not subjugated, like the other nations of that land, and hence so many battles took place between them. For all the historicals of the Word are representative of such things as pertain to the church; and all the nations of the land of Canaan represented things heretical confirming either falsities of faith or evils of love; and the sons of Israel represented the truths of faith and the goods of love, consequently the church.

But what the wars represented which the inhabitants of the land of Canaan carried on will be shown in due course. Here we shall merely show that the Philistines represented a religious persuasion separated from spiritual good, such as that of faith alone separated from its life, which is charity. This is why as often as the sons of Israel departed from the worship of Jehovah to the worship of other gods, they were delivered up to their enemies, or were conquered by them. Thus they were delivered up to the Philistines, and served them eighteen years, and afterwards forty years (Judges 10; 13). This represented their receding from worship from the good of love and the truths of faith, to a worship from the evils of love and the falsities of faith. It is mentioned that they were conquered and brought into straits by the Philistines (1 Sam. 4; 13; 28; 29; 31); but when the sons of Israel returned to the worship of Jehovah, which was worship from the good of love and the truths of faith, they then conquered the Philistines (as 1 Sam. 7:14, 2 Samuel chapters 5, 8, 21, 23; 2 Kings 18). That those historicals involve such things, can only be seen from the series of things there described in the internal sense, which we have not the time here to explain. We shall adduce only one passage from the prophetical parts of the Word, from which it will be evident that such things as pertain to the church were represented in those historicals by the Philistines.

[8] Thus in Isaiah:

"Rejoice not, thou whole Philistea, because the rod that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall go forth a basilisk, whose fruit is a fiery flying serpent. Then the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. Howl, O gate; cry out, O city; thou, whole Philistea, art dissolved: for a smoke cometh from the north, and none shall be alone in thy assemblies. What shall one then answer, the messengers of the nation? That Jehovah hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it" (14:29-32).

Philistea, is here described, which signifies the church, or those in the church, who are indeed in truths from the sense of the letter of the Word, or from another revelation, and yet in filthy loves. Consequently their truths do not live; and truths that do not live are turned into falsities when they are brought from exterior thought, which is the thought next to the speech, into the interior thought, which is that of the understanding, and are there considered as to their origin, which those meant by the Philistines cannot see. The reason why they cannot see is, that all men, even the wicked, have the faculty of understanding, but not good of the will, which is the good of life; for this springs from love to God, and from love towards the neighbour, these loves causing that faculty to communicate with heaven and thence receive enlightenment.

In that chapter in Isaiah, therefore, those are described who are in truths without good, and it is shown how all the truths with them are turned into falsities.

[9] This, therefore, is the spiritual sense of these words, "Rejoice not, thou whole Philistea, that the rod of him that smites thee is broken." The signification is, that they should not rejoice on account of its being permitted them to remain in their heresy because of the fewness of those who are in truths from good. "For out of the serpent's root shall go forth a basilisk," signifies, that from the sensual man a dogma will arise destructive of all truth; the serpent's root denoting the Sensual, which is the ultimate of man's life, and the basilisk denoting the destruction of all truth. "Whose fruit is a fiery flying serpent," signifies, from which is produced a faith separate from charity. This is meant by a fiery flying serpent, because by reasonings and by confirmations from things revealed but not understood, it flies upwards, and thereby kills the things that are living. The same, therefore, is signified by the basilisk as by the dragon, which is also called a serpent; and the same by the fiery flying serpent as by the beasts ascending out of the sea and out of the earth, which are treated of in this chapter of the Apocalypse. "Then the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety," signifies, when that dogma is received by those who are natural and sensual men, and believe themselves to be more wise than others, then truths from good with those who desire truths and will goods, shall live. The first-born, in the Word, denoting truths born from good; the poor those who are not in truths but who still desire them; and the needy those who are not in goods, but who still in heart will them. "And I will kill thy root with famine," signifies, that all truths, from first to last, will perish by falsities. "Howl, O gate; cry out, O city," signifies, that neither will entrance be granted to any truth, and that doctrine will be made up of mere falsities, gate denoting entrance to the truths of doctrine, and city denoting doctrine. "Thou, whole Philistea, art dissolved," signifies, the destruction of that church by pure falsities. "For a smoke cometh from the north," signifies, that all falsity from evil will break in from hell; the north denoting hell, and smoke the falsity of evil. "And none shall be alone in thy assemblies," signifies, that there shall not be one truth remaining amongst their knowledges. "What shall one then answer, the messengers of the nation," signifies, the enlightenment of those who are in good of life from love to the Lord. "That Jehovah hath founded Zion," signifies, that a church shall be established from them. "And the poor of his people shall trust in it," signifies, that those who are not in wisdom from self, and who overcome in temptations against those falsities, shall have intelligence and salvation.

[10] The vastation of truth by falsities with those who are meant by the Philistines, is also described by Jeremiah (47:1-7); also in Ezekiel (25:15, 16); in Joel (3:4-6); in Amos (1:8). That the same persons falsify truths is meant in Ezekiel (16:27, 57; 2 Sam. 1:20), by the daughters of the Philistines, who there denote the affections of falsity. Their religious persuasion was also represented by their idol called Dagon, which was set up in Ashdod, and which, according to their description, was fashioned as a man from the head to the navel, and as a fish from the navel downwards. As a man from the head to the navel, represented the understanding derived from truths; and as a fish from the navel downwards, represented the Natural without the good of love; for the part below the navel as far as the knees, corresponds to celestial love, and fish, to the natural man, who is without spiritual good. That man (homo) signifies the affection of truth, may be seen above (n. 280). That his head signifies the understanding of truth and intelligence thence (n. 553). That fish signifies the natural man (n. 513). And that the genitals, from correspondence, signify celestial love, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 5050-5062).

[11] The emerods also with which the Philistines were smitten, when the ark of God was detained by them, signified truths defiled by evils of life; but these and other circumstances related concerning them in 1 Sam 5 may be seen explained above (n. 700).

Truth defiled by evil of life, is also signified by the uncircumcised

2 Samuel 1:20; Ezekiel 28:10; 31:18; 32:18, 19; 44:9.

For the foreskin corresponds to corporeal love, because the member which the foreskin covers corresponds to spiritual and celestial love. And because the Philistines represented those who are in the knowledge and cognitions of truth, without any spiritual and celestial good, therefore they were called the uncircumcised. And because the sons of Israel were actually such, therefore in order that they might, nevertheless, represent the church, which is in spiritual and celestial good, and in truths thence, it was commanded that they should be circumcised. From these considerations it is evident that the religious persuasion at this day, which separates charity from faith is, in a representative sense, Philistea.

[12] Thus far concerning the Philistines. Something shall now be said about the signification of the goats and sheep, upon which judgment shall be executed, according to the Lord's words in Matthew (25:31 to the end). The common opinion is, that by the goats there mentioned are meant all the wicked; and it has not been known hitherto, that by the goats are there meant those who separate faith from charity, or who are in such a faith; and by the sheep those who are in faith from charity. By goats, in the good sense, are meant those who are in natural good, and thence in truths, these truths being called the knowledges of truth and good from the natural sense of the Word. These, or that good and thence that truth, are signified by the goats which were sacrificed.

That sacrifices of goats were made also, is evident from Leviticus 4:23; 9:2-4, 8-23; 16:2-20; 23:18, 19; Numbers 15:22-29; 28:11-15, 18 to the end; 29, and elsewhere.

For all the beasts that were used in sacrifices signified such things as pertain to the church, all of which have reference to goods and truths. Celestial goods and truths therefrom, in which the angels in the third heaven are, were signified by lambs; but spiritual goods and truths, in which the angels in the middle heaven are, were signified by rams. And natural goods and truths therefrom, in which are the angels who are in the ultimate heaven, were signified by goats. Celestial goods and truths pertain to those who are in love to the Lord; but spiritual goods and truths pertain to those who are in love towards the neighbour; and natural goods and truths pertain to those who live well according to truths from natural affection. These are signified by these three kinds of beasts, in various parts of the Word,

As in Ezek. (27:21; Deuteronomy 32:14).

[13] But because most things in the Word have also an opposite sense, so have he-goats, which in that sense signify those who are in faith separate from charity, because he-goats are lascivious above all other animals; and also because by these, in the genuine sense, are signified those who are in natural good and in truth therefrom; and all those who are in faith separate from charity both in doctrine and life are merely natural. That such persons are meant in the Word by he-goats, has been shown me to the life in the spiritual world. Various beasts are seen there, but not like those in our world, that is, those which have been born beasts; on the contrary, they are correspondences of the affections and of the thoughts therefrom, of spirits and angels. Therefore as soon as those affections and the thoughts therefrom vary and cease, they vanish out of sight. In order that I might know that those who are in faith separate from charity, or rather that their affections, and consequently the thoughts derived from their faith, are represented by he-goats, it was granted me to see some of those spirits. They appeared before my eyes and the eyes of several others, entirely like he-goats with horns. Some rams and sheep were also sent amongst them, at which the goats rushed with great fury, and strove to throw them down, but in vain. For in the spiritual world the he-goats have no power against rams or sheep, wherefore the goats were put to flight. And afterwards I was permitted to see the same as men; by which it was further testified to me that the goats were the same as those who in the world had lived in faith separate from charity.

[14] From these things it is evident what is signified by the ram and the he-goat, and by the battle between them, as recorded in Daniel (8); namely, that by the ram are there meant those who are in faith from charity, and by the he-goat those who are in faith separate from charity. The future state of the church, therefore, is there described, that is, that faith separate would dissipate all charity, which is the good of life; and that falsity therefrom would rule in the Christian world. For the purpose of illustration, we will here, in a summary, adduce what is related concerning the ram and the he-goat in Daniel, which is as follows:

Daniel saw in vision a ram "which had two horns, one higher than the other, and the highest came up last, and made itself great: but then" a he-goat of the she-goats came from the west on the face of all the earth, "and rushed upon the ram, and smote him, and broke his two horns, and cast the ram down to the earth, and stamped upon him": the he-goat had a horn between his eyes, and when this was broken "there came up four horns in the place thereof, according to the four winds of the heavens; and out of one of them came forth one horn, which grew exceedingly, even to the host of the heavens, and cast down some of the host to the earth, and some of the stars, and stamped upon them; yea, it lifted up itself unto the prince of the host, and the daily [sacrifice] was taken away from him, and the dwelling place of his sanctuary thrown down; and he cast down the truth to the earth" (8:1-14 and the following verses).

That by the ram are there meant those who are in faith from charity, and by the he-goats those who are in faith separate from charity, may be seen above (n. 316 and n. 573), where the same things are explained; therefore it is unnecessary to explain them again in this place. [15] That by the he-goats also are meant those who are in faith separate from charity, and by the rams those who are in faith from charity, is evident also in Ezekiel:

"As for you, O my flock, behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, and between the rams and the he-goats" (34:17).

Also in Zechariah:

"Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the he-goats" (10:3).

It is therefore evident that no others are signified by the goats and sheep in Matthew (25:31 to the end); consequently also the works of charity only are there enumerated, which the sheep performed, but which the goats did not. The same was also proved to me when the Last Judgment was accomplished upon those who belonged to the Christian Church; for then all those who were in faith separate from charity both in doctrine and life, were cast into hell; and all who were in faith from charity were preserved.

594. Encompassed with a cloud.- That this signifies the ultimate of the Word, is evident from the signification of being encompassed, as denoting what is outside of one, for that which is around is also outside, since it is beyond in the circumference; in this case therefore it denotes the ultimate; and from the signification of a cloud, as denoting Divine Truth in the ultimates, consequently the Word in the sense of the letter. This signification of cloud is evident from appearances in the spiritual world; also from the Word, where clouds are mentioned. From appearances in the spiritual world, as follows; the whole angelic heaven consists solely of the Divine Truth which proceeds from the Lord, the reception of which makes angels. In the highest heaven this truth appears like the pure aura which is called ether; in the lower heaven, as less pure, almost like the atmosphere, which is called air; in the lowest heaven it appears like a thin watery element, upon which vapour rests like a cloud. Such is the appearance of Divine Truth according to degrees in descent. A similar appearance is seen when the angels of the higher heavens speak concerning Divine truths, their discourse, in such case, appearing to the sight of those who are in the lowest heaven under the aspect of a cloud, which flies hither and thither, while the more intelligent among them know from its motion, brightness, and form, what the angels of the higher heavens are mutually discoursing about. The reason why a cloud signifies Divine Truth in ultimates is therefore evident. Because many expressions in the Word are chosen from appearances in the spiritual world, and consequently have a similar signification, therefore this is the case also with respect to clouds.

[2] That a cloud signifies in the Word the sense of the letter, which is Divine Truth in ultimates, is evident from the following passages.

Thus in Matthew:

"Jesus taketh Peter, James, and John up to a high mountain, and was transfigured before them; and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light. And, behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elias talking with him. While Peter "was yet speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them; and, behold, a voice out of the cloud, which said, This is my beloved Son, hear ye him" (17:1-10; Mark 9:1-11).

And in Luke:

While "Peter was thus speaking, there came a cloud, and overshadowed them; and they feared as they entered the cloud. And there came a voice out of the cloud, saying, This is my beloved Son; hear ye him" (9:34, 35).

The Lord in this transfiguration also represented the Divine Truth, which is the Word. For the Lord, when He was in the world, made His Human Divine Truth, and when He departed out of the world, He made His Human Divine Good by union with the Divine itself, which was in Him from conception. That the Lord made His Human Divine Truth when He was in the world, and afterwards Divine Good, may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 303, 304, 305, 306), and that the Lord is the Word (n. 263). For this reason all the circumstances of the transfiguration of the Lord, signify Divine Truth proceeding from the Divine Good of the Lord. The Divine Good of the Divine Love, which was in Him, and from which was the Divine Truth in His Human, was represented by His face shining as the sun, for the face represents the interiors, therefore these shine forth through the face, and the sun signifies the Divine Love; see above (n. 401:3, 412:1-10). The Divine Truth was represented by the Lord's garments which were like the light. Garments in the Word signify truths, and the garments of the Lord the Divine Truth; see above (n. 64, 271, 395); on this account also they appeared like the light; for Divine Truth is the cause of light in the angelic heaven, and is therefore signified by light in the Word; concerning which more may be seen in Heaven and Hell 126-140). Because the Word, which is the Divine Truth, was represented, therefore Moses and Elias were seen speaking with him, Moses and Elias signifying the Word, Moses the historical, and Elias the prophetical Word; but the Word in the letter was represented by the cloud which overshadowed the disciples, and into which they entered. For the disciples, in the Word, represented the church, which, at that time and afterwards, was only in truths from the sense of the letter. And because revelation and responses are given by means of the Divine Truth in ultimates, as stated in the article above, and this truth is the truth of the sense of the letter of the Word, therefore a voice was heard out of the cloud, saying, "This is my beloved Son, hear ye him," denoting that He is the Divine Truth, or the Word.

[3] He who does not know that a cloud in the spiritual sense of the Word means the Word in the letter, cannot know the interior truth involved in these words; That in the consummation of the age "they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory" (Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; 14:61, 62; Luke 21:27).

And in the Apocalypse:

"Behold," Jesus Christ "cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him" (1:7).

And again:

"And I looked, and behold a white cloud, and upon the cloud one sat like unto the Son of man" (14:14).

And in Daniel:

"I saw in visions of the night, and behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of the heavens" (7:13).

He who is ignorant of the fact that clouds signify the truths of the Word in the sense of the letter, cannot but suppose that in the consummation of the age, that is, in the end of the church, the Lord will come in the clouds of heaven, and manifest himself to the world. But it is well known that since the giving of the Word, the Lord manifests Himself by means of that alone, for the Word, which is the Divine Truth, is the Lord Himself in heaven and in the church. From this it is first evident, that the manifestation there predicted signifies His manifestation in the Word; and the manifestation of the Lord in the Word was accomplished by His opening and revealing its internal or spiritual sense, for in this sense is the Divine Truth itself, such as it is in heaven, and the Divine Truth in heaven is the Lord Himself there. It is now therefore evident that by the Lord's coming in the clouds of heaven with glory, is signified the revelation of Him in the sense of the letter of the Word from its spiritual sense. The clouds of heaven signify those things that are of the sense of the letter, and glory those that are of the spiritual sense, as may be seen in Heaven and Hell 1); and the revelation itself of the spiritual sense, in the White Horse; the Son of man also signifies the Lord as to Divine Truth, as may be seen above (n. 63, 151).

[4] That a cloud signifies the Divine Truth in ultimates, consequently the Word in the sense of the letter, is still further evident from the following passages.

Thus in Isaiah:

"Behold, Jehovah rideth upon a light cloud, and cometh into Egypt; and the idols of Egypt are put in commotion before Him, and the heart of the Egyptian melteth in the midst of him " (19:1).

By Egypt in these words is not meant Egypt, but the natural man separated from the spiritual, which is then in falsities and evils, and by means of these perverts all the truths and goods of the church. That those falsities and evils destroy it, when truth from good flows in from the Lord, is described by these words of the prophet understood in the internal sense. Jehovah riding upon a light cloud, signifies the Lord enlightening the understanding with truths, to ride, when used in reference to Jehovah, or the Lord, denoting to enlighten the understanding, and a light cloud denoting truth; that then the idols of Egypt are put in commotion, and the heart of the Egyptian melteth, signifies, that the evils and falsities of the natural man separated from the spiritual, then destroy him, idols denoting falsities, the heart denoting evils, and Egypt, the natural man.

[5] So in Moses:

"There is none like unto the God of Jeshurun, who rideth in heaven and in his magnificence upon the clouds, the dwelling-place of the God of antiquity, and underneath (are) the arms of the world" (Deuteronomy 33:26, 27).

Here also by riding in the heaven on the clouds, is signified to enlighten the understanding by the influx of spiritual truth into natural truth, which is the truth of the sense of the letter of the Word. Because the Divine Truth in the heavens is spiritual, and the Divine Truth in the earths (terris) is natural, and the latter is enlightened by the former, therefore it is said, "and in his magnificence upon the clouds." "The dwelling-place of the God of antiquity," denotes the Divine Truth with the angels, while the expression "the arms of the world" denotes truths with men; the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word are meant by the arms of the world, for that sense is the very strength of Divine Truth, arms signifying strength. That the strength of Divine Truth is in the sense of the letter of the Word may be seen in the article above.

[6] So in David:

God "rode upon a cherub, and did fly; yea he was carried upon the wings of the wind. He made darkness his hiding-place; his pavilion round about him, darkness of waters, clouds of the heavens. At the brightness before him the clouds passed" (Psalm 18:10-12).

Here also the enlightenment of the Word is described, and thence the enlightenment of the church. Enlightenment by the influx of Divine Truth out of the heavens is signified by, he rode upon a cherub, and did fly. Divine truth in ultimates, which is enlightened, is signified by the wings of the wind, darkness of waters, and clouds of the heavens; the various degrees of the understanding which receives enlightenment are signified by those things. That the obscurities of the ultimate sense are consequently removed, is meant by, at the brightness before him the clouds passed.

[7] So again:

"Sing unto God, praise his name; extol him that rideth upon the clouds" (Psalm 68:4).

By Him that rideth upon the clouds, is here also meant the Lord as to enlightenment. Clouds denote truths in the ultimates, which are enlightened, and this enlightenment takes place by the influx of light, which is Divine Truth, out of the spiritual world or heaven.

[8] So in Nahum:

"The way of Jehovah is in storms and tempest, and the clouds are the dust of his feet" (1:3).

Truth in ultimates, which is the truth of the sense of the letter of the Word, is called the clouds, the dust of the feet of Jehovah, because it is the natural and lowest [truth], in which the Divine Truth in heaven, which is spiritual, terminates, and upon which also it subsists. Divine Truth in ultimates, because little understood unless it be enlightened out of heaven, and therefore a ground of disputation and controversy, is meant by the storm and the tempest, in which is the way of Jehovah, spiritual storm and tempest denoting disputation concerning the genuine sense [of the Word], which nevertheless the Lord enlightens by influx in the case of those who desire the truth.

[9] So in David:

"His seed shall be for ever, and his throne as the sun before thee. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in the clouds" (89:36, 37).

These things are said of the Lord, and by the seed which shall endure for ever, is signified the Divine Truth from Him. His throne which shall be as the sun, and as the moon, signifies heaven and the church, as to the good of love, and as to the truth of faith; throne signifies heaven and the church, "as the sun" signifies as to the good of love, and "as the moon" signifies as to the truth of faith. A faithful witness in the clouds, signifies that He is the Divine Truth; for "witness," when used in reference to the Lord, signifies that which goes forth from Him, and this bears witness concerning Him because it is of Him.

[10] Again:

Jehovah "layeth his chambers in the waters; who maketh the clouds his chariot; who walketh upon the wings of the wind" (Psalm 104:3).

These few words are descriptive of heaven and the church, and at the same time of doctrine from the Word. Jehovah layeth his chambers in the waters, signifies that the Lord forms heaven and the church from Divine Truths; waters signify Divine Truths, the chambers of Jehovah signify the heavens and the church, and to lay, signifies to form. Who maketh the clouds his chariot, signifies doctrine from ultimate Divine Truths, clouds denoting ultimate Divine Truths, such as are in the sense of the letter of the Word, and a chariot denoting doctrine; this is said because everything of the doctrine of the church must be formed from, and confirmed by the sense of the letter of the Word. Who walketh upon the wings of the wind, signifies life communicated to doctrine from spiritual influx, to walk signifying to live, and, when used in reference to the Lord, life itself, the wings of the wind denoting the spiritual things of the Word. That waters signify truths, may be seen above (n.71, 483, 518, 537, 538).

[11] So in Isaiah:

"I will lay" my vineyard "waste; I will even command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it" (5:5, 6).

These words mean that then there shall be no understanding of Divine Truth or the Word in the church; the vineyard denotes the church, clouds denote the Word in the letter, and by their raining no rain, is meant that there shall be no understanding of Divine Truth from the Word.

[12] Again, in David:

Jehovah, "who covereth the heavens with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains" (Psalm 147:8).

To cover the heavens with clouds, signifies to defend and keep together the spiritual things of the Word which are in the heavens, by natural truths such as are in the sense of the letter of the Word. Who prepareth rain for the earth, signifies instruction thence for the church; who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains, signifies nourishment by means of it for those who are in the good of love.

[13] The same is signified by the following words in Isaiah:

"Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds pour down with justice; let the earth open, and bring forth salvation" (45:8).

And in Judges:

"Jehovah, when thou wentest out of Seir, when thou marchedest out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, and the heavens also dropped, the clouds also dropped waters" (5:4).

Going forth out of Seir, and marching out of the field of Edom, signifies in reference to Jehovah, the enlightenment of the Gentiles by the Lord, when He assumed the Human. By the earth trembling, is signified the completely changed state of the church at that time. By the heavens dropping, and the clouds dropping waters, are signified instruction, influx, and the perception of Divine Truth; to drop signifies instruction and influx, water denotes truths, the heavens denote the interior things of truth, and clouds, the exterior, such as they are in the sense of the letter of the Word.

[14] Again, in David:

"The clouds dropped waters; the skies uttered a voice, thy darts also went forth" (Psalms 77:17).

By the clouds dropping waters, is signified that genuine truths are from the sense of the letter of the Word; by the skies uttering a voice is signified influx from the heavens; by thy darts also went forth, are signified Divine Truths therefrom.

So in Job:

God "bindeth up the waters in his clouds; and the cloud is not rent under them. He spreadeth his cloud upon" his throne (26:8, 9).

Here, also, clouds denote ultimate truths in order, and because these contain in themselves and include spiritual truths, so that they may not be dissipated, this is expressed and signified by God binding up the waters in His clouds, and by the cloud not being rent. Because exterior truths which are called natural, also encompass and enclose interior truths, which are called spiritual, and are proper to the angels of the heavens, this fact is expressed and signified by, "He spreadeth his cloud upon his throne."

[15] And in Isaiah:

"Jehovah said, I will take my rest, and I will behold in my dwelling-place as a clear heat upon light, and like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest" (18:4).

A cloud of dew signifies truth fructifying from good.

Again, in the same prophet:

"Jehovah will create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and upon all her assemblies, a cloud by day, and the smoke and shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory shall be a covering" (4:5).

Here the dwelling-place of Mount Zion signifies the good of the celestial church, and her assemblies signify the truths of that good; its defence, lest it should be injured from too much light or from too much shade, is signified by the cloud by day, and the smoke and shining of a flaming fire by night. And since all spiritual good and truth are preserved by natural good and truth from being injured, it is therefore said that upon all the glory shall be a covering, glory denoting spiritual good and truth.

[16] The same is signified by, "The cloud upon the tabernacle by day and the fire by night" (Exodus 40:36-38; Num. 9:15-17 to end; 10:11, 12, 34; 14:14; Deuteronomy 1:33). Also by Jehovah going before them by day in a pillar of a cloud, and by night in a pillar of fire (Exodus 13:21), and by the pillar of a cloud that stood between the camp of the sons of Israel and the camp of the Egyptians (Exodus 14:19-21).

And in David:

God “led them in a cloud by day, and all the night in the light of fire” (Psalm 78:14).

And again:

"Egypt was glad when they departed; for the fear of them fell upon them. He spread a cloud for a covering; and fire to give them light in the night" (Psalm 105:38, 39).

The reason why a cloud was upon the tabernacle by day, and a fire by night, was, that the tabernacle represented heaven and the church, the cloud, the presence of the Lord by means of Divine Truth, and the fire, His presence by means of Divine Good, which is called the good of faith, each ultimate in order, therefore they were as coverings for the tabernacle; on this account it is said in the passages adduced above from David and Isaiah: "Over all the glory shall be a covering and, "be spread a cloud for a covering."

The same is signified by the cloud which covered Mount Horeb, and into which Moses entered; also by the cloud in which Jehovah descended on Mount Sinai, and by the pillar of a cloud which stood at the door of the tent of Moses (Exodus 24:15-17, 18; 19:16, 18; 34:5; 33:9, 10).

[17] This is also the signification of the cloud in the following passages in Ezekiel:

"I looked, and behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire infolding itself, and a brightness was about it" (1:4).

And again:

"The cherubim stood on the right side of the house, when the man went in; and the cloud filled the inner court. Then the glory of Jehovah went up from the cherub, and stood over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was full of the brightness of Jehovah's glory" (10:3, 4).

The cherubim here signify the Lord's care, that he may not be approached except through the good of love; hence cherubim signify the heavens, particularly, the inmost or third heaven, because the angels of that heaven receive Divine Truth in the good of love, therefore it is Divine Truth that defends, which, in its essence, is the good of love. This Divine Truth, as it descends out of the inmost heaven into the lower heavens, and at length into the world where men are, from being pure becomes gradually denser. This is the reason why it appears in the lowest degree like a cloud, which signifies the Divine Truth accommodated to the apprehension of the angels in the lowest heaven, who are spiritual-natural, and, lastly, to the apprehension of men in the natural world. And because the Divine Truth in this degree is similar to the Divine Truth as it is in the sense of the letter of the Word, therefore a cloud signifies the Word as to the sense of the letter. This Divine Truth is that which filled the court like a cloud, and lastly the house, at the right side of which the cherubim stood. And because this Divine Truth is interiorly spiritual, and shines from celestial light, therefore it is called glory, and it is said that the court was filled with the brightness of the glory of Jehovah. Hence also it is said in Job:

"When" "God causeth the light of his cloud to shine?" (Job 36:15).

[18] Since the higher heavens appear to the eyes of those who are in the lower heavens as though covered over with a thin bright cloud, because the lower angels cannot behold the higher or interior Divine except according to their quality, therefore also the Divine Truth in the higher heavens, or what is the same thing, the higher heavens themselves, are in some passages of the Word meant by clouds. For whether we say Divine Truth, or the heavens, it is the same thing, since the heavens are heavens from the Divine Truth, and the angels there are angels from the reception of it. In this sense clouds are mentioned in Isaiah:

Lucifer, "thou saidst in thine heart, I will ascend above the heights of the cloud; I will become like the Most High" (14:14).

And in Jeremiah:

"Forsake" Babylon, "and let us go everyone into his own land; for her judgment hath reached unto the heavens, and she hath lifted up herself even to the clouds" (51:9).

And in David:

"Ascribe ye strength unto God; over Israel is his majesty, and his strength is in the clouds" (Psalm 68:34).

In these passages clouds signify the same thing as the waters above the firmament (Genesis 1:7), and the waters above the heavens (Psalm 148:4); for clouds are formed of water. That waters signify Divine Truth, may be seen above (n. 7, 483, 518).

[19] Since there are clouds of a thinner and brighter quality, and also of a denser and darker kind, and because the thinner and brighter appear beneath the heavens, but the denser and darker about many of the hells, it is therefore evident that, in the opposite sense, clouds also signify the falsities of evil, which are contrary to truths from good; as in the following passages.

Thus in Ezekiel:

As for Egypt, "a cloud shall cover her, and her daughters shall go into captivity" (30:18).

Again, in the same prophet:

He shall ascend, "like a cloud to cover the land" (38:9).

And again:

The sheep "scattered in the day of cloud and thick darkness" (34:12).

Hence also the last judgment, when those who are in falsities of evil are about to perish, is called "A day of cloud and obscurity" (Joel 2:2; Zephaniah 1:15). The signification of "the cloud, and thick darkness," which appeared to the sons of Israel when the law was given from Mount Sinai, is similar (Deuteronomy 4:11, 12, 15; 5:22, 26). For although Jehovah, that is, the Lord, descended upon that mountain in a bright cloud, yet it appeared before the eyes of the people, who were in falsities of evil, like a gloomy cloud; see the Arcana Coelestia 1861, 6832, 8814, 8819, 9434, 10551).