556. And their teeth were as the teeth of lions.- That this signifies that sensual things, which are the ultimates of the intellectual life, are to them apparently powerful over all things, is evident from the signification of teeth, which denote things sensual, which are the ultimates of the natural life as to the understanding, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of lions, which denote the truths of the church as to power, but which in this case, denote falsities destroying truths, thus also as to power, see above (n. 278). Falsities are here denoted, because by the locusts are signified the corporeal sensual who are in the falsities of evil. The reason why they appear to themselves to be in understanding, and thence in power over all things, is, that the persuasive [power] itself, treated of above, resides in the Sensual, which is the ultimate of the natural life. For this [Sensual], or the sensual man, is in self-confidence, and in the belief that he is wiser than others, for he cannot weigh and explore himself, because he does not think interiorly; and when he is persuaded of this, then this confidence and belief are in every thing which he utters. Hence because the tone of his utterance is derived from these, it fascinates and infatuates the minds of others, for the tone of confidence and belief produces such an effect which is particularly manifest in the spiritual world, where a man speaks from his spirit. For the affection of self-confidence, and of the belief derived therefrom that a thing is so, is in the spirit of man, and the spirit of man speaks from affection. It is otherwise in the natural world, in which the spirit of man speaks by means of the body; and, on account of the world, brings forth such things as are not from the affection of his spirit, which he rarely manifests, lest the quality thereof should be known. This is the reason that it is not known in the world, that there exists a persuasive [power] of such an infatuating and suffocating quality as is in the spirit of the sensual man, who believes himself to be wise above others. From these things it is evident why by their teeth being like the teeth of lions is signified that sensual men appear to themselves to be as it were in understanding, and thence in power over all things. That teeth signify things sensual, which are the ultimates of the natural life as to knowledge (scientia), is evident from the correspondence of teeth, upon which see Heaven and Hell 575), and the Arcana Coelestia 5565-5568).

[2] That teeth have this signification is also evident from the following passages of the Word;

as in David:

"My soul, I lie down in the midst of lions; whose teeth are spear and darts, and their tongue a sharp sword" (Psalm 57:4).

Lions signify those who by means of falsities destroy the truths of the church; their teeth, which are spear and darts, signify the scientifics (scientifica) which they apply to confirm falsities and evils, and so to destroy the truths and goods of the church. Their tongue a sharp sword, signifies crafty reasons from falsities, which are called a sharp sword, because a sword signifies falsity destroying truth.

[3] Again:

"O God, destroy their teeth, in their mouth; break out the jaw teeth of the young lions" (Psalm 58:6).

Their teeth in their mouth signify the scientifics from which they produce falsities; the jaw teeth of the young lions signify the truths of the Word falsified, which in themselves are falsities, and by means of which they are especially capable of destroying the truths of the church.

[4] So in Joel:

"A nation is come up upon my land, strong, and without number, whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, and he hath the jaw teeth of a great lion. It reduces my vine to wasteness, and my fig-tree into foam" (1:6, 7).

By a nation coming up upon the land is here signified evil devastating the church, a nation denoting evil, and land denoting the church; by their being strong, and without number, is meant that they are powerful and manifold, the term strong being used of the power of evil, and without number, of the power of falsity; whose teeth are the teeth of a lion, signifies destroying falsities; the jaw teeth of a great lion, signify [truths] falsified; by reducing the vine to wasteness and the fig-tree into foam, is signified the destruction of truths spiritual and truths natural, truths spiritual are those of the spiritual sense of the Word, and truths natural those of the sense of its letter; see also above (n. 403.6), where this is explained. The teeth of lions in these passages, signify the same things as the teeth as of lions here in the Apocalypse. Teeth properly signify those things which are in the memory only, and which are brought forth thence; for those things which are in the memory of the sensual man correspond to the bones and teeth.

[5] Again, in Daniel:

"A second beast like to a bear," came up from the sea, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it; and it was said unto it, Arise, devour much flesh. Afterwards, a fourth beast came up, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly; and it had great iron teeth; it devoured and ground in pieces, and trampled the residue with the feet of it" (7:5, 7).

The beast which came up from the sea, means the love of dominion to which holy things serve as the means, and the four beasts signify the successive increase thereof.

This second beast, like a bear, signifies the second state, when such dominion is confirmed by means of the Word. Those who do this also appear in the spiritual world like bears. The three ribs in the mouth between the teeth, signify all things of the Word, which they apply, and which they understand only according to the letter. The three ribs denote all things of the Word, in the mouth, denotes which they apply in teaching, between the teeth of it, denotes which they only understand as to the letter, that is, according to the quality of the sensual man. And it was said unto it, Arise, devour much flesh, signifies, that they applied many things, and thereby destroyed the genuine sense of the Word. By the fourth beast which came up from the sea, dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly, is signified the fourth and last state, when, by holy things, as means, they established for themselves a dominion over heaven and earth. This state being profane, and of a powerful nature, is called dreadful and terrible, and strong exceedingly. Its great iron teeth signify falsities from the sensual man, which are hard against the truths and goods of the church. By devouring and grinding in pieces, is signified, that they perverted and destroyed; and by trampling the residue with the feet, is signified, that what they could not pervert and destroy they defiled and blotted out through the evils of natural and corporeal loves; the other details concerning these beasts, are explained above (n. 316:15).

[6] Again, in Moses:

"I will also send the tooth of beasts upon them, with the poison of the crawling things of the earth" (Deuteronomy 32:24).

The Israelitish and Jewish people were threatened with this amongst many other evils, if they did not keep and do the statutes and commandments. By the tooth of beasts, are signified falsities from evils of every kind; and the poison of the crawling things of the earth, signifies those who kill, and altogether extinguish spiritual life. Beasts, in the Word, signify such things as pertain to the natural man, and crawling things of the earth, the things that pertain to the sensual man; and when these are separated from the spiritual man, they are simply falsities from evils, because they are such things as belong to the body only, to which they adhere, and to the world, to which they are closely related; and in spiritual things all thick darkness arises from the body and the world.

[7] Again, in David:

"Arise, O Jehovah; save me, O my God; for thou smitest all mine enemies upon the cheek; thou breakest the teeth of the ungodly" (Psalm 3:7).

Here, by smiting the enemies on the cheek, is signified the destruction of the interior falsities of those who are against the goods and truths of the church, such persons, with their falsities of evil, being meant by enemies in the Word. To break the teeth of the ungodly signifies to destroy exterior falsities, which are founded upon the fallacies of the senses, and confirmed by them.

[8] Since in David the expressions to smite the cheek, and break the teeth occur, and by them is signified to destroy interior and exterior falsities, the meaning of smiting on the cheek in Matthew is evident:

"Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil; but whosoever shall smite thee on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat (tunica = chiton), let him have thy robe (pallium = imation) also; and, whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to every one that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away" (5:38-42).

That these words are not to be understood according to the letter, is evident to every one. For who is bound by Christian love, to turn the left cheek to him who smites the right, and to give the robe to him who would take away the coat? In a word, who is there who is not allowed to resist evil? But because all things which the Lord uttered, were in themselves celestial Divine, it is evident that these words, as well as the rest which the Lord spoke, contain a celestial sense. The reason why the law was given to the sons of Israel, that they should give an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth (Exodus 21:23, 24; Leviticus 24:20; Deuteronomy 19:21), was, that they were external men, and were consequently only in the representatives of things celestial, and not in celestial things themselves, and therefore they were not in charity, in mercy, in patience, or in any spiritual good, and hence were in the law of retaliation. For the heavenly law, and consequently the Christian law, which the Lord taught in the Evangelists, is:

"All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them; this is the law and the prophets" (Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31).

Because this is the law in heaven, and from heaven in the church, therefore also every evil has with itself a corresponding punishment, called the punishment of evil, which is in the evil, as if conjoined with it. From this proceeds the punishment of retaliation, which was prescribed to the sons of Israel, because they were external and not internal men.

Internal men, as the angels of heaven are, do not desire to retaliate evil for evil, but from heavenly charity they forgive, for they know that the Lord defends against the evil all who are in good, that He defends according to the good which they possess, and that He would not defend, if, on account of the evil done to them, they were to be fired by enmity, hatred, and revenge, for these things turn protection aside. These, therefore, are the things involved in the above words of the Lord, but their signification shall be given in order.

[9] An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth, signifies, that in the measure that one takes away from another the understanding of truth, and the sense of truth, in the same measure they are taken away from himself, the eye signifying the understanding of truth, and a tooth, the sense of truth, for the tooth denotes truth and falsity, as found in the sensual man. That he who is in Christian-good, will permit an evil person to take those things away as far as he can, is described in the reply which the Lord gives upon the same subject; the precept not to resist evil, signifies, that it is not to be resisted with violence, nor retaliated, for the angels do not fight with the evil, much less do they return evil for evil, but they permit them to do it, because they are defended by the Lord, and hence no evil from hell can possibly hurt them. But whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also, signifies, that if any one shall desire to injure the perception and understanding of interior truth, it should be permitted so far as he makes the attempt, the cheek signifying the perception and understanding of interior truth, the right cheek the affection, and thence perception thereof, and the left, the understanding thereof, and because the cheek is mentioned, therefore also smiting is named, by which is meant to injure. For all things connected with the mouth, as the throat, the mouth itself, the lips, the cheek bones, the teeth, signify such things as pertain to the perception and understanding of truth, because they correspond to them, therefore they are used to express such things in the sense of the letter of the Word, which consists of pure correspondences. If any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy robe also, signifies that, if any one desire to take away the interior truth in thee, that he shall be allowed also to take away exterior truth, the coat (tunica = chiton), signifying truth interior, and the robe (pallium = imation), truth exterior. This also the angels do when they are with the evil, for the evil cannot take away any thing of truth and good from the angels, but they can from those, who on that account burn with enmity, hatred and revenge, for these evils avert and reject the protection which is from the Lord. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain, signifies, if any one desire to lead away from truth to falsity, and from good to evil, that he shall not be opposed, because he is not able to accomplish it, a mile signifying the same as a way, namely, that which leads away and leads. Give to every one that asketh thee, signifies that it should be permitted; and from him that would borrow of thee turn thou not away, signifies, to instruct if any one desire to be instructed, for the evil desire this in order that they may pervert and deprive, which, however, they cannot do. This is the spiritual sense of the above words, wherein those things now explained lie deeply hidden, which are more especially for the angels, who perceive the Word only according to its spiritual sense; they are also for men in the world who are in good, when the evil try to seduce them. That the evil opposed to those whom the Lord defends are such, I have been permitted to know by much experience; for they have continually laboured with all their might, and in every possible way, to deprive me of truths and goods, but in vain.

From what has been stated, it may be in some degree evident that by a tooth is signified truth or falsity in the Sensual, which is the ultimate of the intellectual life of man. That this is signified by a tooth, is evident from the Lord's reply, where in the perception and understanding of truth are treated of, which the evil try to take away from the good.

[10] That teeth have this signification is further evident from the following passages; as in Jeremiah:

"In those days they shall say no more, The fathers have eaten the wild grape, and the teeth of the sons are made blunt. But every one shall die for his own iniquity; every man that eateth the wild grape, his teeth shall be made blunt" (31:29, 30; Ezekiel 18:2, 3, 4).

That this means that the sons and descendants shall not incur punishment for the evils of their parents, but every one for his own evil, is clear. By eating the wild grape is signified to appropriate to themselves the falsity of evil, for a wild grape, which is a bitter and bad grape, denotes the falsity of evil, and to eat, signifies to appropriate to oneself; and by the teeth being made blunt, is signified to be thence in the falsity of evil. For the teeth here, as above, signify falsities in ultimates, or in the sensual man, in which the evils of the parents, which are called hereditary, principally lie concealed with the children, and to be made blunt, signifies the appropriation of falsity from evil. For man is not punished on account of hereditary evils, but for his own, and if he causes hereditary evil to become actual evil in himself, wherefore it is said, "Every man shall die for his own iniquity; every man that eateth the wild grape, his teeth shall be made blunt."

[11] So in Job:

"All men abhor me; my bone cleaveth to my skin and to my flesh, and I am escaped with the skin of my teeth" (19:19, 20).

These words, in the sense of the letter, mean, that he became both lank and lean; but the spiritual sense, signifies that temptations so suppressed the interiors of his mind, that he became sensual, and thought only in things most external, but still did not think falsities but truths; this is signified by escaping with the skin of his teeth, teeth without skin denoting falsities, but with skin, not falsities, because still in some degree clothed.

[12] So in Amos:

"I have given to you emptiness of teeth in all your cities, and want of bread in all your places" (4:6).

By emptiness of teeth in cities, is denoted a scarcity of truth in doctrines; and by want of bread in [all] places, a scarcity of good from these in the life.

[13] So in Zechariah:

"I will take away her bloods out of her mouth, and her abominations from between her teeth" (9:7).

This is spoken concerning Tyre and Zidon, which signify the cognitions of truth and good, here, these falsified. By taking away bloods from the mouth is signified the falsifications of the cognitions of truth; and by abominations from between the teeth, are signified the adulterations of the cognitions of good; the cognitions of good are also truths, for to know good is from the understanding, and the understanding is of truth.

[14] So in David:

"The waters had overwhelmed us, the waters of the proud had gone over our soul. Blessed be Jehovah, who hath not given us a prey to their teeth" (Psalm 124:4, 5, 6).

By waters overwhelming, are signified the falsities which inundate, and, as it were, overwhelm man when he is in temptations; hence, it is said, "Blessed be Jehovah, who hath not given us a prey to their teeth," that is, to the hells which, by means of falsities, destroy truths, thus, to destroying falsities.

[15] Again, in Job:

"I brake the jaw teeth of the wicked, and plucked the spoil out of his teeth" (29:17).

These words of Job are spoken concerning himself, and by his saying, "I brake the jaw teeth of the wicked," is signified that he fought against falsities, and conquered them, the jaw teeth of the wicked signifying scientifics from the sense of the letter of the Word, applied to confirm falsities by means of which truths are destroyed. His delivering others from falsities by instructing them, is signified by, I plucked the spoil out of his teeth.

[16] Since the teeth signify falsities in things outermost, by gnashing of teeth is signified, to combat with vehemence and anger from falsities against truths, in the following passages.

Thus in Job:

"He teareth me in his wrath and hateth me; mine enemy gnasheth against me with his teeth; he sharpeneth his eyes against me" (16:9).

And in David:

"The lame whom I knew not are gathered together against me, they tear me, nor are they silent. They gnashed against me with their teeth" (Psalm 35:15, 16).

Again:

"The wicked plotteth evil against the just, and gnasheth upon him with his teeth" (Psalm 37:12).

Again:

"The wicked shall see, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth and melt away" (Psalm 112:10).

And in Micah:

"Against the prophets that make my people err, that bite with their teeth" (3:5).

And in Lamentations:

"All thine enemies have opened their mouth against thee," O daughter of Jerusalem; "they have hissed and gnashed with the tooth" (2:16).

And in Mark:

A certain one said to Jesus, "I have brought unto thee my son, who hath a dumb spirit; and wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him; and he foameth and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away; I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not." And Jesus said unto him, "Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him" (9:17, 18, 25).

He who does not know the spiritual sense of the Word, may suppose that it is said in the above passages that they gnashed their teeth, merely for the reason that they were angry and intended evil, because they then pressed their teeth together; but it is said that they gnashed their teeth because the endeavour to destroy and the act of destroying truths by means of falsities are meant; this is said in the Word because the teeth signify falsities in outermost things, and gnashing signifies eagerness in fighting on behalf of them. This effort and act are also from correspondence.

[17] Such also was the deaf and dumb spirit which the Lord cast out; for all spirits are from the human race, and this spirit was from that kind of men, who had fought eagerly for falsities against truths; for this reason he who was obsessed by him foamed, and gnashed with his teeth. He is called by the Lord deaf and dumb, because he did not wish to perceive and understand truth, for such are signified by the deaf and dumb. And being firm and obstinate against truths, and having confirmed himself in falsities, therefore that spirit could not be cast out by the disciples; for they could not dissipate the falsities for which he had fought, since they were not yet in the fitting state, therefore the disciples were on that account rebuked by the Lord. That this spirit was of such a nature, but not the one obsessed by him, is signified by the spirit tearing him, and by the obsessed pining away, and also by the fact that the Lord commanded the spirit to enter no more into him.

[18] From these considerations it is evident what is signified by gnashing of teeth, mentioned in Matthew 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28. By the gnashing of teeth in the hells is meant the continual disputation and combating of falsities amongst themselves, and against truths, consequently of those who are in falsities, conjoined with contempt of others, enmity, derision, scorning, blaspheming and these also break forth into attempts to tear each other in pieces, for every one fights for his own falsity from the love of self, of erudition, and of fame. These disputations and combats are heard outside those hells as gnashings of teeth, and are also turned into gnashings of teeth when truths flow in thither out of heaven; more may be seen upon this subject in the Heaven and Hell 575).

[19] It is from this fact that the teeth of the evil correspond to falsities in the ultimates of their intellectual life, which are called corporeal sensual, that the spirits who are of such a nature appear deformed in the face, of which the teeth form a prominent part, standing out and extended like a grating in a kind of a gaping grin, and this because such grinning of teeth corresponds to the love and desire of fighting on behalf of falsities against truths.

[20] Teeth correspond to the ultimates of the intellectual life of man, which are called sensual, and these are in falsities of evil when they are separated from the truths of the interior understanding, which are called spiritual, but they correspond to truths of good in the Sensual when these are not separated, therefore, in the Word, they also signify ultimate truths, as in Job (19:19, 20); Amos (4:6), explained above.

[21] And because the Lord glorified His whole Human, that is, made it Divine, therefore it is said of Him, in Moses,

"Red in the eyes from wine, and white in the teeth from milk" (Genesis 49:12).

By red in the eyes from wine, signifies that His Intellectual was Divine Truth from Divine Good; and by white in the teeth from milk, is signified that His Sensual similarly was Divine Truth from Divine Good; for by Shiloh in that chapter [Genesis 5:10] is meant the Lord.

[22] Because teeth correspond to the ultimates of the intellectual life, which are called sensual, therefore good spirits and angels have teeth equally as men, but with them they correspond to truths in the ultimate Sensual, for the Sensual with them is not separated from the truths of the interior understanding which are called spiritual.

403. As a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken by a mighty wind. That this signifies, which the natural man has laid waste by his reasonings, is plain from the signification of a fig-tree, as denoting the natural man, of which we shall speak presently; from the signification of its untimely figs, as denoting those things that are in the natural man, these being especially the knowledges implanted in the natural man from infancy, and are not yet mature, having been merely heard and thence received; and from the signification of, shaken by a mighty wind, as denoting, which the natural man has laid waste by reasonings. To be shaken by a mighty wind here signifies reasonings from the falsities of evil; for mighty in the Word is said of good and evil; wind, of truth and falsity; and to be shaken thereby, of reasoning thence. The reason why such things are signified by these words, although they are said comparatively, is, that all comparisons in the Word are significative, just as other things, for they are equally correspondences. With respect to these things, the case is this: every man is born natural from his parents, but becomes spiritual from the Lord; this is called to be born again, or regenerated. And because he is born natural, therefore the knowledges he imbibes from infancy, before he becomes spiritual, are implanted in his natural memory. But as he advances in years, and begins to view rationally the knowledges of good and truth he has imbibed from the Word or from preaching, if he then leads an evil life, he seizes upon and examines the falsities that are the opposite of and contrary to these knowledges; then as he is gifted with a talent for reasoning, he reasons from falsities against the knowledges of his infancy and childhood, and as a result these are cast out, and falsities succeed in their place. This, therefore, is what is signified by, "The stars shall fall to the earth, as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken by the wind."

[2] That the fig-tree signifies the natural man is from correspondence; for in heaven gardens and paradises appear, where there are trees of every kind, and every tree signifies something of the Divine, which is communicated to angels from the Lord. In general, the olive signifies the celestial which is of the good of love; the vine, the spiritual which is of the truth from that good; and the fig-tree, the natural, which is derived from the spiritual or the celestial. And because those trees signify such things, therefore they also signify the angel or man with whom such things exist; but in a general sense they signify a whole society, because every society in the heavens is formed so as to present the image of one man. But in the spiritual sense those trees signify the church; the olive, the celestial church; the vine, the spiritual church; and the fig-tree, the natural church, which is the external church corresponding to the internal. From these considerations it is evident why it is that the fig-tree is said to signify the natural man, that is, the Natural in man.

[3] That the fig-tree signifies this, and, in general, the external church, is also clear from other passages in the Word, where it is mentioned, as from the following. In Isaiah:

"All the host of the heavens shall be consumed, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all the host thereof shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as that which falleth from the fig-tree" (34:4).

These things are said concerning the day of the Last Judgment, which was about to come, and also came. For the Last Judgment predicted by the prophets of the Old Testament, was accomplished by the Lord when He was in the world; and because similar things then took place as in the Last Judgment, which was predicted in the Apocalypse, and which has at this day been accomplished by the Lord, therefore nearly similar things are said. As in the prophet Isaiah, that, all the host of the heavens shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as that which falleth from the fig-tree, also that the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll. In the Apocalypse, that the stars shall fall unto the earth, as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, and that the heaven shall depart as a scroll rolled together. That all the host of the heavens shall be consumed, signifies that all the goods and truths of love and faith have been corrupted; for by the host of the heavens are meant all the goods and truths of love and faith; the sun, moon, and stars, by which those things are signified, being called the host of the heavens. The heavens being rolled together as a scroll, signifies their dissipation; that all the host shall fall down as the leaf from the vine, and as that which falleth from the fig-tree, signifies the laying waste from the falsities of evil.

[4] In Jeremiah:

"In consuming I will consume them; there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf shall fade" (8:13).

There being no grapes on the vine signifies that there is no spiritual good; for the vine signifies the spiritual man, and the grape, because it is its fruit, signifies the good of that [man], which is called spiritual good; nor figs on the fig-tree, signifies that there is no natural good, for the fig-tree signifies the natural man, and the fruit of the fig-tree signifies the good of that [man], which is called natural good. That the vine does not signify the vine, nor the fig-tree the fig-tree, is evident, for it is said, "In consuming I will consume them, there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree," for they will not on that account be consumed. The vastation of the church is also treated of, as clearly appears from what precedes and follows there.

[5] In Hosea:

"I will also make all her joy to cease, her feast, her new moon, her sabbath. And I will devastate her vine and her fig-tree, whereof she hath said, These are the rewards of my whoredom; and I will make her a forest, and the wild beast of the field shall devour" (2:11, 12).

The churches are here treated of, and the falsification of truth therein. That it is said concerning the church, is clear from the second verse of this chapter, where it is said, contend with your mother; for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband. By a mother and by a wife is signified the church; the holy things of the church also, from which worship is performed, and the worship itself, are signified by the feast, the new moon, and the sabbath, which shall cease; therefore by, "I will devastate her vine and her fig-tree," is signified that both spiritual good and natural good would perish. That they shall be made a forest, and the wild beast of the field shall devour, signifies that both shall be merely natural, and that the spiritual shall be consumed by falsities and lusts; the forest signifying the merely natural, and the wild beast of the field, falsities and lusts. And inasmuch as falsities in the church are especially falsified truths, and these are treated of in this chapter, therefore it is said, "whereof she hath said, These are the rewards of my whoredom," the rewards of whoredom signifying falsification.

[6] In Joel:

"A nation shall come up upon my land, strong, and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it hath the great grinding teeth of a lion. It hath reduced my vine to a waste, and my fig-tree to froth; the branches thereof are made white. The vine is dried up, and the fig-tree languisheth; the pomegranate-tree, and also the palm-tree, and the apple-tree, all the trees of the field are withered" (1:6, 7, 12).

In this whole chapter the devastated church is treated of; and by the nation, which comes up upon the land, which is strong and without number, which has the teeth of a lion, and the great grinding teeth of a lion, is not signified any nation of such a kind, but direful evil and the falsity thence. By the land upon which it comes up, is signified the church; by the teeth of a lion are signified the falsities of that evil; and because these destroy all the goods and truths of the church, they are called the great grinding teeth of a lion; a lion signifying that which destroys. Hence by, "He hath reduced my vine to a waste, and my fig-tree to froth," is signified that the church internal and external is thereby vastated; for the vine signifies the internal church, and the fig-tree the external; froth signifies where there is inwardly no truth; and by, "in making it bare he has made it bare, and cast it away," is signified that there is no longer any good or truth which is not destroyed; to make bare, namely, of fruits and leaves, denotes to deprive of goods and truths; and to cast away denotes entirely to destroy. By, "the branches thereof are made white," is signified, that there is no longer anything spiritual. By the pomegranate, the palm, and the apple, and all the trees of the field which are withered, are signified species of goods and truths of the church, and the knowledges thereof, which are consummated by evils and falsities; the trees of the field, in general, signifying the knowledges of good and truth.

[7] In the same:

"Be not afraid, ye beasts of my fields; for the dwelling-places of the wilderness are made grassy, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine shall yield their strength" (2:22).

The establishment of the church is here treated of; therefore by the beasts of the field are not meant beasts of the field, but the affections of good in the natural man, consequently, those with whom such affections are. Who does not see that they are not beasts to whom it is said, "Be not afraid, ye beasts of my fields?" By, "the dwelling-places of the wilderness are made grassy," is signified that with such there will be knowledges of truth where there were none before; the dwelling-places of the wilderness denoting the interiors of the mind of those in whom they did not exist before; grassy signifies the increase and multiplication thereof; "for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine shall yield their strength," signifies that they have natural good and spiritual good, for strength here denotes the production of fruit.

[8] In Amos:

"Your many gardens, and your vineyards, and your fig-trees, and your olive-trees, the canker-worm hath devoured; yet have ye not returned unto me" (4:9).

By gardens are signified all things of the church that constitute intelligence and wisdom; by vineyards, spiritual goods and truths; by fig-trees, natural goods and truths; by olive-trees, celestial goods and truths; the canker-worm denotes the falsity which destroys; the fig-tree, the vine, and the olive, properly signify the church, and the man of the church; but because the church is a church and a man is a man from goods and truths, therefore these also are signified by those trees, the goods by their fruits, and the truths by their branches and leaves.

[9] In Haggai:

"Set your heart from this day and henceforwards. Is there not yet seed in the barn, and even to the vine and fig-tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive-tree?" (2:18, 19).

By these words, in the spiritual sense, is meant that goods and truths are yet remaining; all goods and truths from primaries to ultimates are meant by the vine, the fig-tree, the pomegranate, and the olive-tree; by the vine, spiritual good and truth; by the fig-tree, natural good and truth; by the pomegranate, the knowing and perceptive faculty in general, and specifically the knowledges and perceptions of good and truth; and by the olive-tree, the perception of celestial good and truth; the barn signifies where those things are, either the church, or the man in whom the church is, or the mind of man, which is the subject.

[10] In Habakkuk:

"The fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall increase be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall deceive, and the fields shall yield no food" (3:17).

The fig-tree shall not blossom, signifies that there shall be no natural good; neither shall increase be in the vines, signifies that there shall be no spiritual good; the labour of the olive shall deceive signifies that there shall be no celestial good; the fields shall yield no food, signifies that there shall be no spiritual nourishment.

[11] In Moses:

"Jehovah God leadeth thee to a good land, a land of rivers of water, of fountains and depths that go out of valley and mountain; a land of wheat and barley, and of the vine and fig-tree and pomegranate; a land of oil olive, and honey" (Deuteronomy 8:7, 8).

By the good land to which they shall be led, is meant the land of Canaan, by which is signified the church, therefore here the same things are signified by the vine, the fig-tree, the pomegranate, and the olive, as now [explained] above. The other things may be seen explained before in n. 374. Because by the land of Canaan is signified the church, and by the vine, the fig-tree, and the pomegranate, are signified the internal and external things of the church, therefore it came to pass that the explorers of that land brought such things thence; concerning this it is thus written in Moses:

The explorers of the land of Canaan "came to the river Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, which they bare between two upon a pole; [they brought] also of the pomegranate, and of the figs" (Num. 13:23).

[12] Because the vine and the fig-tree signify such things, therefore it is said in the Word of those who are in the goods and truths of the church, and thence in safety from evils and falsities, that they shall sit under their own vine, and under their own fig-tree in security, and none shall make them afraid; as in the first book of Kings:

"Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon" (4:25).

In Zechariah:

"I will remove the iniquity of this land in one day. In that day, ye shall call every man to his neighbour, to the vine and to the fig-tree" (3:9, 10).

And in Micah:

"In the end of the days the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established on the top of the mountains; and nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; neither shall any make them afraid" (4:1, 3, 4).

These things are said of the Lord's kingdom, which is with those in the heavens, and on earth, who are in love to Him. The Lord's kingdom is signified by the mountain of Jehovah, which is established on the top of the mountains, for the mountain of Jehovah signifies the Lord's kingdom of those who are in love to Him; and because these dwell above the others in the heavens, it is said of that mountain, that it shall be established on the top of the mountains (see the work concerning Heaven and Hell 188). And because these have truths inscribed upon their hearts, and, therefore, do not debate concerning them, it is said that "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more," by which is signified, that in that kingdom there shall be no dispute about truths (as may be seen in the same work, n. Heaven and Hell 25, 26, 270, 271). That by the truths and goods which they possess, they shall be safe from evils and falsities, is signified by, they shall sit under their own vine and under their own fig-tree, none making them afraid.

[13] In Jeremiah:

"Lo, I will bring upon you a nation from afar, which shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread; it shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters; it shall eat up thy flock and thine herd; it shall eat up thy vine and thy fig-tree" (5:15, 17).

By a nation from afar is signified the evil opposed to celestial good; by from afar is signified distant and remote from goods and truths, also opposed; "which shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread," signifies that it shall destroy all truths and goods by means of which there is spiritual nourishment; "it shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters," signifies all the spiritual affections of truth and good; "it shall eat up thy flock and thine herd," signifies truths and goods internal and external; "it shall eat up thy vine and thy fig-tree," signifies, thus the internal and external of the church.

[14] In Hosea:

"I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree in its first season" (9:10).

By Israel and the fathers here are not meant the fathers of the tribes from the sons of Jacob, but those who belonged to the Ancient Church, because they were in good (as may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 6050, 6075, 6846, 6876, 6884, 7648, 8055); because they were in good, but at the beginning in ignorance of the truth, by which, however, good is [formed], it is said, "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree in its first season"; grapes signifying spiritual good, wilderness signifying ignorance of the truth; and the first-ripe in the fig-tree signifying natural good from spiritual good in infancy.

[15] In Luke:

"And when all these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads. And he spake a parable; Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees; when they now have shot forth, ye see and shall know of your own selves that summer is now near. So also ye, when ye shall see these things, know that the kingdom of God is nigh" (21:28-31; Matthew 24:32; Mark 13:28, 29).

The subject here treated of is the consummation of the age, which is the Last Judgment, and the signs that precede are enumerated; these are meant by, "when all these things begin to come to pass." That a new church will then commence, which will be external in the beginning, is signified by, "Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees, when they have shot forth." This parable or similitude was related, because the fig-tree signifies the external church, and the trees signify the knowledges of truth and good. The kingdom of God, which then is near, signifies the Lord's New Church; for at the time of the Last Judgment, the old church perishes, and a new commences.

[16] In Luke:

"Every tree is known by his own fruit; for of thorns [men] do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they the grape" (6:44).

As by fruit is signified the good of life, and the good of life is external good from internal, or natural good from spiritual, and as man is known from this good, therefore the Lord says, "Every tree is known by his own fruit; of thorns [men] do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they the grape," the fig here denoting the good of the external or natural man, and the grape denoting the good of the internal or spiritual man; the thorns and the bramble-bush denote the evils opposed to them.

[17] Because the kings of Judah and Israel represented the Lord as to Divine truth, and Divine truth is, as it were, tortured, and labours with man, when there is not a life according to it, and it does not become the good of life; but only when it becomes of the life, it lives; this was signified by the following:

That by command of Jehovah to Hezekiah king of Judah, when he was sick, they should bring a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaster, upon the boil, and so should he live (2 Kings 20:7; Isaiah 38:21).

From these things it is evident that the fig-tree, in the genuine sense, signifies the natural man as to good and truth, the fig itself as a tree, the natural man; the fig as a fruit, the good of the natural man; and its leaf, the truth of that good.

[18] But that the fig-tree in an opposite sense signifies the natural man as to evil and falsity, the fig as a tree, the natural man himself, the figs of it as fruit, the evil of that natural man; and its leaf, the falsity of that evil, is plain from the following passages.

In Jeremiah:

"Jehovah shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of Jehovah. One basket [held] very good figs, as of fig-trees bearing the first-fruits; and the other basket [held] exceeding bad figs, which could not be eaten for badness. Jehovah said, As these figs are good, so will I acknowledge the migration of Judah into the land of the Chaldeans for good; and I will set mine eye upon them for good, and I will bring them back upon this land; and I will build them, and I will plant them. And like the figs that are bad; so will I give them that are left in this land, to commotion, and to evil in all nations; and I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, that they may be consumed" (24:1-10).

By the captivity of the Jews in the land of the Chaldeans, is signified the same as by the spiritual captivity, or the removal of the good from the evil in the spiritual world (according to what has been recorded above, n. 391, 392, 394, 397); namely, that the inwardly evil, who could nevertheless lead a moral life, like the spiritual life in externals, remained upon the earth in the spiritual world, and made themselves habitations there upon the higher places; and that the inwardly good were removed from them, and concealed by the Lord in the lower earth. This was represented by the carrying away of the Jews into the land of the Chaldeans, and by the continuance of the rest in the land; therefore it is said concerning those who suffered themselves to be carried away into the land of the Chaldeans, "I acknowledge the migration of Judah into the land of the Chaldeans for good; and I will set mine eye upon them for good, and I will bring them back upon this land; and I will build them, and I will plant them"; whereas, concerning those who remained, it is said, "I will give them that are left in this land, to commotion, and to evil in all nations; and I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, that they may be consumed." That these were the things represented, is plain also from this fact, that the temple of Solomon was destroyed before they were carried away, and that a new [temple] was built when they returned. By the temple is signified Divine worship; and by the new temple, that [worship] restored.

[19] From these things it is evident what is signified by the two baskets of figs set before the temple of Jehovah, in one of which were figs that were very good, as of fig-trees bearing the firstfruits, and in the other were figs exceeding bad, which could not be eaten for badness; namely, that those who are inwardly good, from whom a new heaven is to be formed, are meant by the basket of good figs, and those who are inwardly evil, who are to be cast down into hell, are meant by the basket of bad figs. Therefore it is said concerning the latter, that they could not be eaten for badness; by which is signified that they were inwardly evil; and concerning the former that they were as fig-trees bearing the first-fruits, by which is signified that they were inwardly good, so that a new heaven could be formed from them; for the fig, as a fruit, signifies the good of life in the internal, and at the same time in the external form, and, in an opposite sense, it signifies the good of life solely in the external form, which is evil of life, because it is inwardly evil; for every external derives its quality from the internal, for it is the effect of it. The reason why, with such persons, evil appears in the externals as good, is, because they feign what is good for the sake of the evil that is within, in order to obtain some end, to which apparent good serves as a means. The same is said of those who remained in the land of Canaan elsewhere in the same [prophet]:

"Thus said Jehovah of the king, and all the people that dwell in this city, that are not gone forth with you into captivity; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I will make them like harsh figs, that cannot be eaten for badness" (29:16, 17).

[20] That the fig as a tree, in the opposite sense, signifies the merely natural man, and the church from such, or those with whom there is no natural good, because there is no inward good, is plain in Luke:

Jesus "spake this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; he therefore came seeking fruit thereon, but found none. He said unto the vine-dresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, but find none, cut it down, for wherefore also maketh it the ground unfruitful? But he answering said, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: if only it bear fruit, [well]; if not at all, after that thou shalt cut it down" (13:6-9).

By the vineyard, in which the fig-tree was, is signified the church, where also those are who are in externals; for there is both an internal and an external in the Lord's church; the internal of the church consists of charity and the faith thence, but the external of the church consists of the good of life. Because the works of charity and faith, which constitute the good of life, pertain to the natural man, and charity itself and the faith thence to the spiritual man, hence by the vineyard is signified the internal of the church, and by the fig-tree its external. With the Jewish nation there was only the external of the church, because it was in external representative worship; therefore by the fig-tree is meant the church with that nation; but because they were in external and in no internal worship, for they were inwardly evil, and since external worship without internal is no worship, and with the evil is evil worship, therefore with them there was nothing of natural good. Hence it is said, that for three years he had not found fruit on the fig-tree, and that he commanded the vinedresser to cut it down; by which is signified, that from beginning to end there was not any natural good with that nation; for by three years is signified a whole period, or a time from beginning to end; and by the fruit of the fig-tree is signified natural good; by natural good is meant spiritual-natural good, or good in the natural from the spiritual. And because a church composed of such as are not in natural good, as was the Jewish nation, is not a church, therefore it is also said of the fig-tree, "wherefore also maketh it the ground unfruitful?" the earth denoting the church. That the vine-dresser begged that it should still be left, and that he would dig about it, signifies that [the nation] should remain, and that hereafter they should be instructed by the Christians, in the midst of whom they would be; but because no answer was made to this, it is meant that the fig-tree would still produce no fruit; that is, that the Jewish nation would do no good that proceeds from anything spiritual.

[21] This is signified by the fig-tree which withered away on account of the Lord's finding no fruit thereon.

In Matthew:

"In the morning, Jesus returning into the city, hungered. And seeing a fig-tree in the way, he came to it, but found nothing thereon but leaves, therefore he said unto it, Let nothing grow on thee henceforward for ever; whence the fig-tree from that time withered away" (21:18, 19; Mark 11:12-14).

By the fig-tree is here also meant the church with the Jewish nation. That with that nation there was no natural good, but only truth falsified, which is in itself falsity, is signified by, the Lord came to the fig-tree, but found nothing thereon but leaves; the fruit, which He did not find, signifies natural good such as was described above; and the leaf signifies truth falsified, which in itself is falsity; for leaf, in the Word, signifies truth, but the leaf of a tree which is without fruit signifies falsity, and with that nation, truth falsified, because they had the Word, in which truths are, but which they falsified by application to themselves, whence [arose] their traditions. That that nation would never do any natural good from a spiritual origin called spiritual natural [good], is signified by the words which the Lord spoke concerning it, "Let nothing grow on thee henceforward for ever," whence from that time it withered away; to wither away signifies that there were no longer good and truth. The reason why the Lord saw [the fig-tree] and said this, when He was returning into the city, and hungered, is, because by the city of Jerusalem is signified the church; and by hungering, when said of the Lord, is signified to desire good in the church (as may be seen above, n. 386). He who does not know what the fig-tree signifies, and that by that fig-tree was meant the church with that nation, can think no otherwise than that this was done by the Lord from indignation, because He hungered; whereas it was not done on this account, but that the quality of the Jewish nation might be thereby signified. For all the Lord's miracles involve and signify such things as belong to heaven and the church, whence those miracles were Divine (as may be seen, n. 7337, 8364, 9031 at the end).

[22] The perverted church, or the perverted man of the church as to his natural or external man, is also signified by the fig-tree, in David:

"He gave them hail for rain, a fire of flames in their land and he smote their vines and their fig-trees; he brake the tree of their border" (Psalms 105:32, 33).

These things are said concerning Egypt, by which is signified the natural man who is in falsities and evils; and by the vine, the fig-tree, and the tree of the border, are signified all things of the church; by the vine, the internal or spiritual things thereof; by the fig-tree, the external or natural things thereof; and by the tree of the border, every thing of the cognitive and perceptive faculty; the border signifying the ultimate in which interior things terminate, and in which they are together, and the trees [signifying] knowledges and perceptions. Because all these things were perverted and therefore damned, it is said that they were smitten and broken, by which is signified destruction and damnation. That [this was] from the falsities of evil that originate in the love of the world, is signified by, "hail for rain, a fire of flames in their land"; rain as hail signifies the falsities of evil, and a fire of flames signifies the love of the world.

[23] In Nahum:

All thy strongholds [shall be] like fig-trees with the first ripe figs if they are shaken, they fall upon the mouth of the eater (3:12).

This is said of the city of bloods, by which is signified doctrine in which truths are falsified and goods adulterated. This is compared to fig-trees with their first-fruits, which, if they be shaken, fall upon the mouth of the eater, and by this is signified that the goods therein are not goods, however much they appear as goods; and that they are not received, and if they are received, they are received only in the memory and not in the heart. That they fall when they are shaken, signifies that they are not goods although they appear as goods, because they are the first-fruits; and upon the mouth of the eater signifies non-reception, not even in the memory. That the mouth of the eater signifies not to receive, is plain from appearances in the spiritual world; for those who commit any thing to the memory appear to receive with the mouth; therefore to fall upon the mouth signifies, not to receive even in the memory, but only to hear, and also if they do receive, that it is only in the memory, and not in the heart. By fig-trees with their first-fruits can also be understood genuine goods, with which the same is accomplished with those who are in falsities of evil.