717. And upon his heads seven diadems.- That this signifies Divine truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, here those truths adulterated and profaned, is evident from the signification of the heads of the dragon, as denoting the truths scientific (vera scientifica) of the Word, which are adulterated and profaned (that they signify insanity in spiritual things, but still craftiness in deceiving and leading astray, may be seen above, n. 714); from the signification of diadems or precious stones, as denoting Divine truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of seven, as denoting all things, and as being used in reference to holy things, and, in the opposite sense, in reference to profane things (concerning which see above, n. 715), here it is said of profane things, because of the truths of the Word adulterated, and thus profaned. It is therefore plain that the seven diadems upon the heads of the dragon signify Divine truths in the ultimate of order, here those truths adulterated and profaned.

[2] Precious stones, which are diadems, signify Divine truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, because a stone signifies truth, therefore precious stones signify Divine truths. They mean Divine truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, because those truths are translucent; for there is in them a spiritual sense, and in that sense there is the light of heaven, from which all things of the sense of the letter of the Word are full of light, and are also variegated, according to the connection of things in the spiritual sense, from which arise modifications of heavenly light, that produce colours such as appear in the heavens, and thence in precious stones of various kinds.

[3] Diadems were seen upon the seven heads of the dragon, because the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word beam with light (lucent) wherever they are, both with the evil and with the good, for the spiritual light in them is not extinguished because they happen to be with the evil, for heaven still flows into those truths. But since the evil adulterate them, and consequently see in them nothing of the light of heaven, and yet believe them to be holy, for the reason that they use them to confirm the falsities of their religion, therefore, because they believe in their holiness, those truths still shine with light before them; and since this is the case, and since they secure communication with the heavens through those truths, they are at length deprived of them, and left to their own falsities in which there is no light, and this takes place when they are sent down into hell.

[4] That the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word appear as diadems is evident from the diadems in spiritual world. In the palaces of the angels in heaven there are many things that are refulgent with precious stones; and precious stones are also sometimes sent down into the lower parts, and are presented as a gift to those who have done some good thing; in fact, they are also sold there as in the world, especially by the Jews, who trade in them there. It is granted and allowed to the Jews in the spiritual world, as in the natural world, to trade in precious stones, because they look upon the sense of the letter of the Word as holy. For this reason also noble women below the heavens also adorn themselves with diadems just as is done in the world. And when it is asked where those diadems in heaven, and thus in the lower parts, are from, it is replied that they are from the Lord, and from the spiritual light which is from Him, and that they are the ultimates of that light which are called effects; also, it is said that they are forms representative of affections for truth from good, thus that they are Divine truths in the ultimate of order, such as are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word. Because precious stones are thence, therefore there are also some in the world of spirits who are allowed to make diadems by putting together certain truths from the sense of the letter of the Word, but these diadems are not genuine and not hard like crystal, because they are artificial.

[5] From these things the signification of diadems or precious stones is now evident in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"O afflicted, and tossed with tempests and not comforted! behold, I lay thy stones with stibium, and thy foundations in sapphires, and I will make thy suns a carbuncle, and thy gates into fiery stones (lapides pyropi), and all thy border into stones of desire, and all thy sons shall be taught of Jehovah" (54:11-13).

This is said of the barren who did not bear who should have many sons; the barren signify the nations, who had no Divine truths, because they had not the Word, therefore it is said, "O afflicted, and tossed with tempests and not comforted!" to be afflicted and tossed with tempests being said of falsities, by which such are infested and carried hither and thither. That when the Lord should come He would reveal to them Divine truths, and instruct them, is signified by, He will lay her stones with stibium, and her foundations in sapphires, and [will make thy] suns a carbuncle, and her gates into fiery stones, and her borders into stones of desire. That the precious stones here mentioned mean Divine truths in the ultimate of order, like those of the sense of the letter of the Word, in which internal truths are contained, such as those in the spiritual sense of the Word, is clear. For the foundations, gates, and borders which he will lay with those precious stones, signify ultimates; it therefore follows that, in the above passage, stones in general, and sapphires, carbuncles, and fiery stones (lapides pyropi) signify such truths as are in the sense of the letter of the Word, which are ultimate truths, because they are for the natural and sensual man. Because the instruction of the nations in Divine truths is meant by those words it is added, "And all thy sons shall be taught of Jehovah." But the specific signification of sapphire, carbuncle, and fiery stone does not require to be explained here, it being necessary merely to say, that precious stones in general signify ultimate truths.

[6] Since the city of the New Jerusalem signifies the doctrine of the New Church, the foundations of its wall ultimate Divine truths, and the gates introductory Divine truths, therefore the foundations are described by twelve precious stones, and the gates by pearls, in the Apocalypse:

"The foundations of the wall of the city" of the New Jerusalem "were adorned with every precious stone; the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprasus, the eleventh hyacinth, the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate was [one] pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass" (21:19-21).

These twelve precious stones, forming the foundations, and the twelve pearls, forming the gates, signify ultimate Divine truths, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, upon which the doctrine of that church is founded, and through which man is introduced as by gates. The foundations are said to be of precious stones, and the gates of pearls, because the sense of the letter of the Word contains in itself the spiritual sense, thus the light of heaven, from which the sense of the letter of the Word is transparent, as those stones are from light and from fire. But more will be said upon this subject when the details are explained.

[7] Similar things are signified by the precious stones which formed the breast-plate of judgment called Urim and Thummim, which was upon the ephod of Aaron, and also by those that were set upon the shoulders of the ephod, in Moses:

"They shall make the ephod of gold, purple, crimson, scarlet double-dyed, and fine twined linen, the work of the cunning workman. Thou shalt take two schoham stones, and shalt engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, the work of the engraver of stone, with the engravings of a seal thou shalt engrave the two stones above the names of the sons of Israel; thou shalt make them to be set in ouches of gold; and thou shalt put the two stones upon the shoulders of the ephod. And thou shalt make the breast-plate of judgment with the work of a cunning workman, like the work of the ephod shalt thou make it, and thou shalt fill it with filling of stones; there shall be four rows of stones. The first row a ruby, a topaz, a carbuncle; the second row a chrysoprasus, a sapphire, and a diamond; the third row a cyanus, an agate, and an amethyst; and the fourth row a beryl, a schoham, and a jasper. The stones shall be above the names of the sons of Israel, twelve upon their names, the engravings of a seal for every one above his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes." This was the breast-plate of judgment, Urim and Thummim. (Exodus 28:6-30).

What these things involve no one can know, unless it is known what Aaron represented, and thus what his garments signified, and the ephod in particular, for it was because his garments were significative that they were called the garments of holiness; also what the breast-plate upon the ephod, which was called "the breast-plate of judgment, Urim and Thummim," signified; also what the twelve tribes of Israel, and what the twelve stones above their names, signified. As to Aaron himself, he represented the Lord as to the priesthood, which is His celestial kingdom; but his garments in general represented the spiritual kingdom; for this in the heavens invests the celestial kingdom. For there are two kingdoms into which the heavens are divided, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. That is called the celestial kingdom where the Divine Good proceeding from the Lord is received, and that is called the spiritual kingdom where Divine Truth is received; therefore Divine Truth is signified by the garments of Aaron in general, and Divine Truth in ultimates by the ephod, since this was the ultimate clothing. That garments in general signify truths, and that the Lord's garments, which appeared bright as the light, when He was transfigured before the disciples, signified Divine Truth proceeding from Him, and similarly the garments divided by the soldiers, may be seen above (n. 64, 65, 195, 271, 395, 475, 476, 637). It is therefore evident that the twelve stones in the breast-plate of the ephod signified Divine truths in ultimates, the same as the twelve sons of Israel, and the twelve tribes; that both these signify in the Word the truths of the church in their whole extent, may be seen above (n. 431, 657).

[8] The reason why that breast-plate was composed of precious stones, under which were the names of the twelve sons of Israel, was, that by means of it answers might be received from heaven, these being shown in the breast-plate, and from it, by variegations of the colours beaming forth from those stones according to representations of Divine truths in the heavens; for the Divine truths that flow down from the Lord through the heavens towards the lower parts are shown there by variegations of colours. This makes it evident that those precious stones also signify Divine truths in ultimates. But these things are more fully explained in the Arcana Coelestia 9856-9909); concerning the two schoham stones which were upon the shoulders of the ephod, n. 9831-9855; that the ephod signified the external of the spiritual kingdom, which is Divine Truth in ultimates, n. 9824. But what is specifically signified by the ruby, the topaz, and the carbuncle is shown in n. 9865; what by the chrysoprasus, the sapphire, and the diamond in n. 9868; what by the cyanus, the agate, and the amethyst in n. 9870; and what by the beryl, the schoham, and the jasper in n. 9872.

[9] The precious stones by which the knowledge of the cognitions (scientia cognitionum) of truth and good, and thus the intelligence of the king of Tyre are described, have a similar signification in Ezekiel:

King of Tyre, "thou full of wisdom and perfect in beauty; thou hast been in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the ruby, the topaz, and the diamond, the beryl, the sardonyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, chrysoprasus, and the emerald, and gold. Thou wast the cherub, the spreading out of the covering, and I have set thee; thou hast been in the mountain of the holiness of God, thou hast walked in the midst of the stones of fire" (28:12-14).

Since the king of Tyre signifies the cognitions of the truth of the church from the Word, and indeed from its literal sense, it is therefore said that he was in Eden the garden of God, Eden the Garden of God signifying intelligence from the Lord through the Word; for Eden, like the East, denotes the Lord, and the garden of God intelligence from Him. And because true intelligence can be acquired, that is to say, is possible, only through cognitions of truth and good from the Word understood according to their genuine sense, it is therefore said every precious stone was thy covering, every precious stone signifying the cognitions of truth and good, and covering the external of the Word, which covers its internal; the external of the Word is the sense of its letter covering the internal, which is the spiritual sense. Because man has wisdom and intelligence from this, it is therefore said, "King of Tyre, thou full of wisdom and perfect in beauty," beauty signifying intelligence, for all beauty in the heavens is according to intelligence. The sense of the letter of the Word is also meant by "the cherub, the spreading out of the covering," for cherubim signify protection lest the Lord should be approached except through the good of love; and the sense of the letter of the Word, is what protects, since it covers its interiors. The mountain of holiness signifies the church as to the doctrine of love and charity; and the stones of fire, in the midst of which he walked, signify truths from the good of love, with which the life is in agreement. That precious stones here signify truths transparent from the light of heaven, which is Divine Truth, is clearly evident from this, that Tyre, in the Word, signifies the knowledges of truth and good, and these knowledges are ultimate truths, such as those of the sense of the letter of the Word. That Tyre signifies the knowledges of truth and good may be seen above (n. 514).

[10] In the same:

"Syria was thy trader by reason of the multitude of thy works, with chrysoprasus they gave crimson, and needle-work, and fine linen, and coral, and fiery-stone (pyropus), in thy tradings; the traders of Sheba and Raamah, these were thy traders by the chief of every spice, and by every precious stone, and gold" (27:16, 22).

This also is said of Tyre, which signifies the knowledges of the truth and good of the church from the Word, as above. Because Syria and Sheba and Raamah also signify the knowledges of truth and good, and tradings signify the acquisitions of these, it is therefore said that those nations gave precious stones in their tradings. Knowledges of truth and good are truths in ultimates, such as those of the sense of the letter and of the literal Word.

[11] In Job:

"The stones thereof are the place of sapphire, and it hath dust of gold. Where is wisdom found, and what is the place of intelligence? gold is not given in comparison with it, neither is silver weighed for the price of it; it cannot be valued with the gold of Ophir, the precious onyx and the sapphire; the gold and the diamond cannot vie with it, the coral and crystal shall not be mentioned with it, and the choice of wisdom is above pearls; the topaz of Ethiopia shall not vie with it. Behold, the fear of the Lord is wisdom, and to depart from evil is intelligence" (28:6, 12, 13, 15-19, 28).

Since all wisdom and intelligence comes from ultimate Divine truths spiritually understood, and those truths are signified by the precious stones here named, as the onyx, the sapphire, the diamond, the topaz, and pearls, and because these stones are formed of earthly materials, and are accounted precious in the world, but are of no account in regard to intelligence and wisdom, it is therefore said that those stones are not to be compared with intelligence and wisdom, neither are gold and silver. Comparisons are made with such things, because they are significative, otherwise they are comparatively of no account.

[12] In David:

"Thou, Jehovah, shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion, because thy servants desire the stones thereof" (Psalm 102:13, 14).

The stones of Zion which the servants of Jehovah desire mean Divine truths, for Zion, upon which Jehovah will have mercy, means the church which is in celestial love.

[13] In Zechariah:

"Behold, the stone which I have set before Joshua" the high priest, "upon one stone seven eyes; behold, I engrave the engraving of it. In that day ye shall cry out every man to his companion, under the vine and under the fig-tree" (3:9, 10).

This is said of the Lord's coming, and the stone set before Joshua the priest signifies Divine Truth, which is the Word; seven eyes in one stone signify Divine Wisdom and Intelligence, which pertain to Divine truth, thus to the Word, seven being used in reference to the holy things of heaven and the church, while eyes denote intelligence and wisdom. To engrave an engraving, signifies the representative and significative thereof; the vine and the fig-tree under which they shall come, signify the church and doctrine from internal and external truths; internal truths are those that are called spiritual, and external truths are those that are called natural, and the former are signified by the vine, and the latter by the fig-tree.

[14] In Moses:

"They saw the God of Israel, and under his feet as it were a work of sapphire stone, as the substance of heaven for purity" (Exodus 24:10). The God of Israel means the Lord, the work of a sapphire stone under His feet means Divine Truth in ultimates, such as the Word is in the letter; for the sole of the foot signifies the ultimate, which was all that the Jewish nation could see, since they were in the externals of the Word, of the church, and of worship, and not in internals. A sapphire stone signifies transparency from internal truths; as the substance of heaven, for purity, signifies the transparency of the angelic heaven. But these things are explained in the Arcana Coelestia 9406-9408). Since a precious stone signifies Divine Truth in ultimates transparent from interior truths, therefore the luminary ¹ of the city New Jerusalem is described in the Apocalypse as "Like unto a precious stone, as it were a jasper stone shining like crystal" (21:11).

And because by the white horse in the same book is signified the understanding of the Word, and by Him that sat upon the horse the Lord as to the Word, therefore

"Upon the head of him who sat upon the white horse were seen many diadems, and his name was called the Word of God" (Apoc. 19:12, 13).

[15] So far concerning precious stones with those who are in Divine Truths; something shall now be said about precious stones with those who are in infernal falsities. These have precious stones also while they live in the world, because they too have knowledges of truth and good from the natural sense of the Word, which is the sense of the letter; therefore precious stones or diadems are ascribed equally to them, as in the present case to the dragon, upon whose heads were seen seven diadems. The reason is, that the Word is still the Word, and its truths are still truths in themselves, whether possessed by the evil or by the good; for the perversion and falsification of them by the evil does not change their essence. This is the reason why, in the following parts of the Apocalypse, similar things were seen upon the woman sitting on the scarlet coloured beast, by whom Babylon is described. It is said that the woman sitting upon the scarlet coloured beast was full of names of blasphemy,

"and had seven heads and ten horns; she was clothed in crimson (purpura) and scarlet, and decked with gold and precious stone, and pearls, and upon her forehead a name written, Babylon the great" (Apoc. 17:3-5).

But more shall be said of this in what follows. Similarly elsewhere in the Apocalypse:

"The merchants of the earth shall weep and wail over Babylon the great, because no one buyeth her merchandize any more, the merchandize of gold and silver, and precious stone, and pearl and fine linen, and crimson (purpura), and silk and scarlet. And the merchants shall say, Woe, woe! the great city which was clothed in fine linen, and crimson, and scarlet, decked with gold, precious stone, and pearls" (18:11, 12, 15, 16).

[16] Because precious stones, crimson (purpura) and fine linen, signify the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, it is therefore said of "the rich man at whose gate lay Lazarus, that he was clothed with crimson and fine linen" (Luke 16:19, 20). The rich man means the Jewish nation, which, because it had the Word in which are Divine truths, is said to be clothed in crimson and fine linen; and Lazarus the poor man means the nations who had not the Word, and consequently no truths. It is thence evident why the rich man although he was evil, and was afterwards cast into hell, had garments of crimson (purpura) and fine linen.

[17] Similar things are also said in Daniel; concerning the king of the north, who made war against the king of the south.

"The king of the north shall honour as a god the fortresses upon his station, a god which his fathers knew not shall he honour with gold, silver, and precious stone, and desirable things; he shall make strongholds of fortresses with a strange god; whosoever shall acknowledge shall be greatly honoured" (11:38, 39).

This chapter treats of the war of the king of the north with the king of the south; and the king of the north means those who have knowledge from the Word, but do not live it, thus also those who are in faith alone so called, and yet not in charity, for they reject the latter as not conducing to salvation. But the king of the south means those who are in intelligence from the Word, because they are in charity; such are the king of the south, or pertain to king of the south; for the south signifies light, and light signifies intelligence. Those who are in charity, which is the life of faith, have the light of intelligence from the Word. But the king of the north, or those who pertain to the king of the north, are such as are described above, because the north signifies night, and also a cold light, like the light of winter, which does not cause fructification because devoid of heat; for spiritual heat is charity, and all germination takes place from heat by means of light. The war between those kings is described because the last time of the church is treated of, when everything of salvation is placed in knowledge (scientia) from the Word, and nothing in the life. The Jewish nation placed everything in the traditions by which they falsified the Word; and the truths of the Word become traditions when there is no life of charity; similarly the truths of the Word become falsities when faith is separated from charity. From this it is evident that the king of the north means those who are in faith alone, that is, in faith without charity.

[18] The same are also meant in Daniel by the he-goat which fought with the ram; and also by the dragon in this chapter, with this difference, that the dragon properly means the learned who have confirmed themselves by doctrine and life in faith separated from charity, for these have poison, like dragons, which destroys charity. For this reason the angel Michael is also mentioned in Daniel (12:1). That those pervert and falsify the truths of the Word who make everything of the church rest on a knowledge of cognitions (scientia cognitionum) from the Word and nothing upon life, is meant by the king of the north honouring a strange god which their fathers knew not, and by honouring him with gold, silver, precious stone, and pearls. His god means the truths of the Word falsified, since "God" when used in the Word means the Divine Truth, thus also the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, and when "Jehovah" is used, the Lord as to Divine Good is meant, thus also the Divine Good proceeding from the Lord. Therefore a strange god whom his fathers knew not, means the truths of the Word falsified, which in themselves are falsities, and are not acknowledged by those who were previously of the church. Those truths and goods of the Word themselves, although falsified, are signified by precious stones and by desirable things, as well as by silver and gold, for the truths of the Word do not change their essence when possessed by the evil. Fortresses upon the station, and strongholds of fortresses, signify such things as belong to [man's] own intelligence, confirmed by the sense of the letter of the Word, which is such, that, when not interiorly understood, it may be so construed as to confirm any heresies whatever. From these things the signification of the seven diadems upon the heads of the dragon is now evident.

Footnotes:

637. Clothed in sackcloth.- That this signifies in mourning because of the non-reception of Divine Good and Divine Truth, is evident from the signification of being clothed with sackcloth, as denoting mourning because of the vastation and desolation of Divine Good and Divine Truth, in this case, because they are not received. For the witnesses were seen clothed in sackcloth, and by the witnesses are signified the Divine Good, which is the source of all the good of love and of charity, and the Divine Truth, which is the source of all the truth of doctrine and of faith, and these appear in mourning when not received, but in joy when received.

[2] Similar expressions are used concerning the sun and the moon, which also signify the good of love and the truth of faith, as that

"The sun became black as a sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood" (Apoc. 6:12).

By this it is meant that all the good of love was separated, and all the truth of faith falsified, as may be seen above (n. 401). Not that the Sun in the angelic heaven, which is the Lord, ever becomes black, but that it appears to do so to those who do not receive any light from it.

[3] In ancient times, when the externals of the church consisted of pure correspondences, and thence representatives of spiritual things, mourning was represented by various significative actions; as sitting and lying on the ground, rolling themselves in the dust, putting ashes on the head, rending the garments, and putting on sackcloth. Rending the garments and putting on sackcloth signified mourning on account of the desolation of truth and good in the church, and on account of their non-reception. For garments in general signified the truths of the church, as may be seen above (n. 64, 65, 195, 271, 395, 475:1, 476), and therefore the rending of the garments signified grief on account of injury to the truths of the church, and because they were rent asunder, as it were, by falsities. The putting on of sackcloth signified mourning on account of the deprivation of good and truth, and the consequent vastation of the church;

[4] therefore when Hezekiah the king heard the words of Tartan, the captain of the king of Assyria,

"He rent his garments, and covered himself with sackcloth, and came to the house of Jehovah; and he sent Eliakim who was over the house, and Shebna the scribe, and the elders of the priests, covered with sackcloth, to Isaiah" (2 Kings 19:1, 2; Isaiah 37:1, 2).

This was done because the king of Assyria signifies there the perverted Rational, or the Rational which perverts the truths and goods of the church and destroys them by falsities, all the words of Tartan, the captain of the king of Assyria, involving such things. And because the desolation and vastation of the church was seen to be so imminent, therefore, in order to testify mourning and grief on account of it, they rent their garments and covered themselves with sackcloth.

[5] Similarly when Benhadad the king of Assyria besieged Samaria, and there came a great famine, "the king rent his garments, and as he passed by upon the wall, the people saw, that behold sackcloth was upon his flesh within" (2 Kings 6:30). The signification is the same here as above, namely, imminent desolation and devastation of the church, therefore the king rent his garments, and had sackcloth upon his flesh, these being representative signs of mourning and grief.

[6] Mourning, for similar reasons, is also signified by what is written in other places. As for example, Jacob, when he believed that Joseph was torn to pieces, rent his garments, put sackcloth upon his loins, and, mourned over his son many days (Genesis 37:34). Ahab, after he had taken away the vineyard of Naboth, by the advice of Jezebel his wife, and heard the severe words of the prophet concerning that matter, rent his garments, placed sackcloth upon his flesh, and fasted, and lay in sackcloth, and went softly (1 Kings 21:27). Again, the king of Nineveh, after he had heard the words of Jonah, rose up from his throne, laid aside his robe from him, covered himself with sackcloth, sat upon ashes, and proclaimed a fast, and that man and beast should be covered with sackcloth (Jonah 3:5, 6, 8). Also, Daniel set his face to the Lord God, to seek by supplication and prayer, in fasting, in sackcloth and ashes (Dan. 9:3). And after Abner was slain, David said to Joab and to all the people who were with him, that they should rend their garments and cover themselves with sackcloth, and lament before Abner; and David himself walked behind the bier (2 Sam. 3:31). From these passages it is evident that in the Jewish and Israelitish church mourning was represented by the rending of the garments and the putting on of sackcloth; and for the reason that grief of mind and mourning of heart, being interior, were at that time represented by external things, which were significative on account of their correspondence with spiritual things.

[7] That the representation of mourning by sackcloth especially signified mourning on account of the desolation of truth and the vastation of good in the church, and also, in particular, repentance, and then mourning of heart on account of evils, is further evident from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"The Lord Jehovih Zebaoth shall call in that day to weeping and to wailing and to baldness, and to the putting on of sackcloth" (22:12).

The subject treated of in that chapter is the vastation of the church as to Divine Truth, and mourning on account of it is described by baldness and the putting on of sackcloth.

[8] In Jeremiah:

"The lion is gone up out of the thicket, and the destroyer of the nations is on his way, he hath gone forth out of his place to reduce the land to wasteness; thy cities shall be destroyed, that there shall be no inhabitant, for this gird ye with sackcloth, wail, howl" (4:7, 8).

The lion out of the thicket signifies the falsity of evil destroying the truths of the church, and the destroyer of the nations signifies the evil of falsity destroying the good of the church; the land which they shall reduce to wasteness signifies the church, and by the cities which shall be destroyed are signified the truths of doctrine. By girding with sackcloth is signified mourning on account thereof, and therefore it is also added, wail and howl.

[9] In the same:

"O daughter of my people, gird thee with sackcloth, and roll thee in ashes; make to thee the mourning of an only son, a wailing of bitterness, for the vastator will come suddenly upon us" (6:26).

By the daughter of my people is meant the church; by girding herself with sackcloth and rolling herself in ashes is signified mourning on account of the destruction of the good and truth of the church; the destruction of these, or the vastation of the church, is meant by the vastator coming suddenly. That great mourning and grief on account of the destruction of the good and truth of the church is signified by girding with sackcloth and rolling in ashes, is evident, for it is added, "make to thee the mourning of an only son, a wailing of bitterness."

[10] Again:

"Howl, O Heshbon, because Ai is devastated; cry out, O daughters of Rabbah; gird ye with sackcloth, wail, and wander among the fences; because their king is gone into exile, his priests and princes together" (Jeremiah 49:3).

These things are said concerning the sons of Ammon, who signify those who are in natural good and falsify the truths of the church. Those in the church who are of such a character are described by "the daughters of Rabbah." Gird ye with sackcloth, wail, wander amongst the fences, signifies mourning on account of the destruction of truth by falsifications, fences denoting truths falsified. Because their king is gone into exile, signifies that the truth of the church consequently perished, king denoting the truth of the church, and to go into exile signifying to be destroyed; that also the goods of the church, and thence all truths perished, is signified by the priests and the princes together, priests denoting the goods of the church, and princes truths thence.

[11] In Lamentations:

"They sit upon the earth, the elders of the daughter of Zion keep silence, they have cast up dust upon their head, they have girded themselves with sackcloth; the virgins of Jerusalem have hung down their heads to the earth" (2:10).

To sit upon the earth, to keep silence, to cast up dust upon the head, and to hang down the head to the earth, were all signs representative of mourning and grief on account of the vastation of the church by evils and falsities. The elders of the daughter of Zion signify the wise and intelligent in the church, and, in the abstract, wisdom and intelligence. The daughters of Zion and the virgins of Jerusalem signify those in the church who are in the affection for good and truth, and, in the abstract, those affections themselves.

[12] In Ezekiel:

The shipmasters "shall make themselves bald for thee, and shall gird themselves with sackcloth, and they shall weep over thee with bitterness of soul, with a bitter wailing" (Ezekiel 27:3 1).

These words refer to Tyre, which signifies the church as to the knowledges of truth and good, consequently also the knowledges of truth and good that pertain to the church. Here mourning is described because those knowledges are lost. The shipmasters signify all those who bring and communicate those knowledges. To make bald signifies mourning because every thing pertaining to intelligence is destroyed; to gird with sackcloth signifies mourning because the cognition of truth also is destroyed. Because mourning is that which is described, it is therefore added, "they shall weep over thee with bitterness of soul, with bitter wailing."

[13] In the Evangelists:

Wo to thee, Chorazin, wo to thee, Bethsaida, for if the mighty works had been done in Tyre and Sidon, which have been done in you, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes (Matthew 11:21; Luke 10:13).

To repent in sackcloth and ashes means to grieve and mourn on account of the non-reception of Divine Truth, and on account of the falsities and evils which oppose.

[14] In Joel:

"Howl as a virgin girded with sackcloth over the bridegroom of her youth; gird yourselves about and wail, ye priests, howl ye ministers of the altar; come, pass the night in sackcloth, ye ministers of my God, because the meat-offering and the drink-offering are withholden from the house of your God" (1:8, 13).

Here also to be girded with sackcloth, and to pass the night in sackcloth, signifies mourning because the good and truth of the church are destroyed, for the meat-offering signifies the good of the church, and the drink-offering its truth.

[15] In Amos:

"I will bring up sackcloth upon all loins, and baldness upon every head, and I will make it as the mourning for an only son, and its end as a bitter day" (8:10).

Sackcloth upon the loins signifies mourning because the good of love is destroyed, for this is signified by the loins; and baldness upon the head signifies mourning because the understanding of truth is destroyed.

[16] In Isaiah:

“Upon all the heads" of Moab "baldness, every beard shaven; in the streets thereof they have girded themselves with sackcloth; upon the roofs thereof, and in the streets thereof, he shall howl, going down into weeping" (15:2, 3).

In Jeremiah:

"Every head baldness, and every beard shaven; upon all hands ashes, and upon the loins sackcloth; upon all the roofs of Moab, and in the streets thereof, mourning everywhere" (48:37, 38).

By Moab are signified those who are in natural good and adulterate the goods of the church. That they have no understanding of truth, nor knowledge of truth, is signified by baldness upon all the heads of Moab, and by every beard shaven, also by howling and mourning upon the roofs and in the streets. Ashes upon all hands signify things falsified; mourning on account of this is signified by girding on sackcloth, also by howling and going down into weeping.

[17] In Isaiah:

"It shall come to pass, instead of spices, shall be corruption, and instead of a girdle, a rent, and instead of braided work, baldness, and instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth, burning instead of beauty; thy men shall fall by the sword, and thy strength in the war" (3:24, 25).

These things are said of the daughters of Zion, who signify the church as to the affections for celestial good, consequently by the daughters of Zion are signified the affections for good pertaining to the celestial church. The loss and dissipation of these through the pride of [man's] own intelligence is there described by the various things with which those daughters adorn themselves. Instead of spices shall be corruption, instead of a girdle, a rent, instead of braided work, baldness, instead of a robe, a girding of sackcloth, and instead of beauty, burning, signifies the changing of their affections into those of a contrary and unbeautiful kind. By corruption is signified the perishing of what is vital. By a rent instead of a girdle is signified the dissipation of the perceptions of truth, instead of the union of them; by baldness instead of braided work is signified foolishness instead of knowledge; by burning instead of beauty is signified folly instead of intelligence, burning denoting the insanity that arises from pride in [one's] own intelligence, which is folly, while beauty denotes intelligence. Thy men shall fall by the sword and thy strength in the war signifies that the truths of the understanding would perish by means of falsities, until there would be no resistance against evils, the sword denoting falsity destroying the truth.

[18] Sackcloth signifies the same in the following passages; as in Ezekiel:

"All hands are let down, all knees go into waters, whence they shall gird themselves with sackcloth, and terror shall cover them, and upon all faces shall be shame, and upon all heads baldness" (7:17, 18).

In David:

"I, when they were sick, made my garment sackcloth, I afflicted my soul with hunger" (Psalm 35:13).

Again:

"When I wept in the fast of my soul, it became to me a reproach; when I made sackcloth my garment, I became a byword to them" (Psalm 69:10, 11).

In Job:

"I sewed sackcloth upon my skin, and put tiny horn in the dust; my face was troubled through weeping" (16:15, 16).

In Isaiah:

"I clothe the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering" (50:3).

And in David:

"Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing, thou hast opened my sackcloth, and hast girded me with joy" (Psalm 30:11).

In these passages also sackcloth signifies mourning and to gird sackcloth upon the body instead of a garment signifies mourning because the truth of the church is destroyed; and to gird sackcloth upon the loins and upon the flesh signifies mourning because the good of the church is destroyed. For a garment signifies the truth of the church, and the loins and flesh signify the good of the church.

[19] That to gird on sackcloth was merely representative and thence significative of mourning and repentance, but was not itself either mourning or repentance, is evident in Isaiah:

"Is it such a fast as this that I shall choose, a day for a man to afflict his soul, to bow down his head as a rush, and to lie down in sackcloth and ashes; wilt thou call this a fast, and an acceptable day to Jehovah? Is not this the fast that I choose, to loose the bonds of wickedness, to break thy bread to the hungry, and to bring the afflicted exiles to thy house, and when thou seest the naked that thou cover him?" (58:5-7).

In Joel:

"Turn ye unto me with your whole heart, and in fasting, and in weeping, and in wailing; and rend your heart, and not your garments" (2:12, 13).