725. "A son, a male" signifies the doctrine of truth for the church which is called "the New Jerusalem," because "son" signifies truth (as has been shown just above), and "a son, a male" signifies the truth of doctrine from the Word, consequently the doctrine of genuine truth which is for the church. It means the doctrine for the church which is called the New Jerusalem, because "the woman that brought forth a son, a male" means that church (as has also been shown above). The doctrine of truth which is for the church is also signified by "male" in the following passages. In Moses:

God created man into His image, into the image of God created He him. Male and female created He them (Genesis 1:27).

Male and female created He them, and blessed them, and called their name Man, in the day when they were created (Genesis 5:2).

What is involved in the things that are related in the first chapters of Genesis respecting the creation of heaven and earth, paradise, and eating from the tree of knowledge, no one can know except from the spiritual sense, for these historical things are made-up historicals, and yet they are holy, because every least particular is inwardly or in its bosom spiritual.

[2] It describes the establishment of the Most Ancient Church, which surpassed all the churches on this earth; its establishment is meant by the creation of heaven and earth, its intelligence and wisdom by the garden in Eden, and its decline and fall by eating from the tree of knowledge. From this it is clear that "Man," who is called "Adam and Eve," means that church, for it is said "male and female created He them, and called their name Man;" and as that church is meant by the two, it follows that "the male" means its truth, and "the female" its good, so too, "male" means doctrine, and "female," the life, since the doctrine of truth is also the doctrine of love and charity, thus the doctrine of life; and the life of good is also the life of love and charity, thus the life of doctrine, that is, life according to doctrine. These two are meant by "male [and female]," and these taken together and conjoined in marriage are called "Man" [Homo], and also constitute the church, which is meant by "Man," as has been said above. So, again, Adam is from a word that means ground, and ground from its reception of seeds signifies the church in respect to the truths of doctrine, for in the Word seeds signify truths; while Eve is from a word that means life, as it is said:

Because she was to be the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20).

These two, doctrine and life, when taken together and joined as it were in marriage, are called "Man," and also constitute the church, because man is man from the understanding of truth and from the will of good, consequently from the doctrine of life, since this is of the understanding, and from the life of doctrine, because this is of the will. It is similar with the church, for the church is in man, and is the man himself.

[3] That these two, which are signified by "male and female," are not to be two but one, the Lord teaches in the Gospels:

Jesus said, Have ye not read that He who made them from the beginning of creation made them male and female, and they twain shall be one flesh? Therefore they are no more twain, but one flesh (Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6, 8).

This, like every particular of the Word, must be understood not only naturally, but also spiritually, and unless it is also understood spiritually no one can know what is signified by "male and female [or husband and wife] shall be no more twain but one flesh" (as it is also said in Genesis 2:24). Here, as above, "male and female" signify in the spiritual sense truth and good, consequently the doctrine of truth, which is the doctrine of life, and the life of truth, which is the life of doctrine; these must be not two but one, since truth does not become truth with man without the good of life, nor does good become good with anyone without the truth of doctrine, for good becomes spiritual good only by means of truths, and spiritual good is good, but natural good without it is not good. When these are one, then truth is of good and good is of truth, and this one is meant by "one flesh." It is similar with doctrine and life; these also constitute one man of the church when the doctrine of life and the life of doctrine are conjoined with him, for doctrine teaches how one must live and do, and life lives the doctrine and does it. From this it can also be seen that "a son, a male" signifies the doctrine of love and charity, consequently the doctrine of life.

[4] Since the truth of doctrine or the doctrine of truth is signified by the "male," the law was given:

That every male opening the womb should be holy to Jehovah (Exodus 13:12, 15; Deuteronomy 15:19; Luke 2:23).

For from the marriage of truth and good, which, as has been said above, is meant in the spiritual sense by the marriage of man and woman, truths and goods are born, consequently these are signified in that sense by "sons and daughters," truths by "sons," and goods by "daughters;" and as every man is reformed and regenerated by means of truths, for without truths man does not know what is good, or what is the nature of good, thus does not know the way to heaven, so truth, which is what is first born from the marriage of truth and good, was sanctified to Jehovah. This truth first born is also the doctrine of truth, for that which is first is the all in what follows, thus is in all truth, and all truth is doctrine. But it must be carefully noted that "the firstborn" signifies the truth that is of the good of charity, consequently it signifies the good of charity in its form and in its quality, and therefore truth. For truth is the form of good and the quality of good. This is signified by "the firstborn," because from the good of love, which is signified by the womb and the infant in it, nothing else can be born but the good of charity; and this good does not become good until it has been formed and qualified, that is, until it is in the form in which it has its quality, and its form is called truth, and yet it is good in form.

[5] From what has now been said it can be seen why it was commanded:

That every male should appear three times in the year before the face of the Lord Jehovah (Exodus 23:17; 34:23; Deuteronomy 16:16);

namely, at the three feasts, which signified everything of regeneration, from its first to its last; and as everything of regeneration is effected by the truths of doctrine that are made by the Lord to be of the life, so all males, by whom truths were signified, were to present themselves before the Lord that they might be made clean by Him and afterwards be led by Him. Moreover, "three times in the year" signifies continually, and "the face of Jehovah" the Divine love, by which man is led. And this was done because "Jerusalem" signified the church in respect to doctrine, and thence also the doctrine of the church.

[6] Because "burnt-offerings and sacrifices" signified celestial and spiritual things, "burnt-offerings" celestial things, and "sacrifices" spiritual things, the law was given:

That burnt-offerings should be of males without blemish, either from the flock or from the herd; but sacrifices might be either of males or females (Leviticus 1:2, 3; 3:1, 6).

The reasons were that celestial things are such as are of the love to the Lord, thus of the marriage of good and truth, but spiritual things are such as are of charity towards the neighbor, thus not of marriage but of the blood relationship of truth with good; and truths and goods in blood relationship are like sisters and brothers, but in marriage truths and goods are like husband and wife. This is why the burnt-offerings were "of males without blemish," which signify genuine truths from the Word, or from doctrine out of the Word, which have been conjoined to the good of love to the Lord, which good was signified by "the altar and its fire." The sacrifices were "either of males or females," because "males" signified truths, and "females" goods, conjoined not by marriage but by blood relationship; and as both of these, like brothers and sisters, are of one parent, worship was equally well pleasing from truths and from goods, that is, from males and from females.

[7] As all spiritual nourishment is from truths that are from good, the law was also given:

That the male among the priests might eat the holy things (Leviticus 6:18, 29; 7:6).

This was the law because "males" signify the truths of doctrine, which are doctrinals, as above, and "priests" the goods of love, which are the goods of life, and "their eating of the holy things" that belonged to Aaron and his sons signified spiritual nourishment.

[8] In Moses:

When thou draw near unto a city to fight against it, thou shalt invite it to peace; if it does not accept, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword, but the women, the little ones, the beasts, and the prey thou shalt take (Deuteronomy 20:10-14).

Every male in a city that did not accept peace should be smitten with the edge of the sword, but not the women, little ones, and beasts, because "city" signifies doctrine, and "a city of the nations in the land of Canaan" the doctrine of falsity, likewise the males of that city; and "not to accept peace" signifies not to agree with the truths and goods of the church, which were signified by "the sons of Israel;" "the edge of the sword," with which the males should be smitten, signifies truth destroying falsity. And because falsities alone fight against truths and goods and destroy them, but not evils without falsities, "the women, little ones, and beasts," which, with the nations, signified evils, were not smitten, since evils can be subdued, amended, and reformed by means of truths.

[9] In Jeremiah:

Cursed be the man who brought glad tidings to his father, saying, A son, a male is born to thee, in gladdening he hath made him glad; let that man be as the cities that Jehovah overthrew (Jeremiah 20:15, 16).

This is said of those who are in the devastated church, in which nothing but falsities rule and are accepted; therefore "cursed be the man who brought glad tidings to his father, saying, A male is born to thee," signifies one who acknowledges falsity and proclaims it as truth, thus the doctrine of falsity in place of the doctrine of truth; "in gladdening he hath made him glad" signifies the accepting from affection of falsity; "let that man be as the cities that Jehovah overthrew" signifies that it shall be with the doctrines that are from mere falsities, which the Lord exterminated from the church, and as with the cities of the Canaanitish nation that He destroyed; the comparison is with cities because "cities" signify doctrines.

[10] In Ezekiel:

Thou didst take the vessels of thine adorning, of My gold and of My silver which I had given to thee, and madest for thee images of a male with which thou didst commit whoredom (Ezekiel 16:17).

This is said of "the abominations of Jerusalem," which signify the falsifications and adulterations of the Word, which are made by applications to the cupidities of corporeal and earthly loves; "vessels of adorning from the gold and silver of the Lord" signify the knowledges of good and truth, which are the goods and truths of the sense of the letter of the Word; these are called "vessels" because they contain in them spiritual truths and goods, and are called "vessels of adorning" because they are the appearances and thus forms of things interior; the things that are of "gold" signify those that are from good, and those of "silver" those that are from truth; "thou madest for thee images of a male, with which thou didst commit whoredom," signifies falsities appearing as truths of doctrine, but which are falsified; "the images of a male" meaning the appearances of truth, which nevertheless are falsities, and "to commit whoredom" meaning to falsify.

[11] In Malachi:

Cursed be the defrauder in whose flock is a male and he voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupted thing (Malachi 1:14).

"A male in the flock" signifies the genuine truth of doctrine from the Word; "a corrupted thing" signifies what is falsified; and "to vow and sacrifice" signifies to worship, thus from things falsified when truth is known; that this worship being fraudulent is infernal is signified by "cursed be the defrauder." From what has now been shown from the Word respecting the signification of "male" and of "sons," it can be seen that "the son, a male that was brought forth by the woman arrayed with the sun, and upon whose head was a crown of twelve stars," signifies the doctrine of truth, thus the doctrine of love and charity for the church which is called the New Jerusalem (which is treated of in the twenty-first chapter of this book).

395. (Verse 11) And white robes were given unto every one. That this signifies Divine truth from the Lord with them, and protection, is plain from the signification of a white robe, as denoting Divine truth from the Lord; for a robe signifies truth in general, because it is the general covering; and white is said of truths from the Lord, for whiteness is characteristic of light, and the light proceeding from the Lord as a Sun is in its essence Divine truth. That by the white robes given to every one, is also signified protection, will be explained below. First, however, it shall be explained why a white robe signifies Divine truth from the Lord. All spirits and angels are clothed according to their intelligence, or according to the reception of truth in the life, for this is intelligence, and the light of their intelligence is formed into garments, which, when they are thence formed, not only appear as garments, but also are garments. For all things that exist in the spiritual world, and appear before their eyes, exist from the light and heat that proceed from the Lord as a Sun. From this origin not only are all things in the spiritual world created and formed, but also all things in the natural world; for the natural world exists and subsists from the Lord through the spiritual world. Hence it is evident that appearances in heaven before the angels, are altogether real; similarly also the garments. Because spirits and angels are clothed according to intelligence, and all intelligence belongs to truth, and angelic intelligence is from Divine truth, therefore they are clothed according to truths. On this account garments signify truths; garments that are next to the body, and thence interior, signify interior truths; and the garments that are around and enclose the former, signify exterior truths; whence a robe, a gown, and a cloak, which are general coverings, signify truths in general, and the white robe which they have from the Lord, the Divine truth in general. (But see what has been shown concerning the garments with which the angels are clothed, in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 177-182; and what has been said above concerning the signification of garments, n. 64, 65, 195, 271.)

[2] The white robes given to those who were under the altar, also signify protection by the Lord, because the white robes given to them, represented the Lord's presence with the Divine truth around them; and the Lord by means of Divine truth protects His own, for He surrounds them with a sphere of light, from which they have white robes; and when they are thus encompassed, they can no longer be infested by evil spirits; for, as said above, they were infested by them, and, therefore, were hidden by the Lord. This also takes place with those who are raised by the Lord into heaven. They are then clothed with white robes, which is an indication that they are in Divine truth, and thus in safety. But concerning those who are clothed in white robes, more will be seen in the explanation of the chapter which follows, at verses 9, 13-17.

[3] That a robe, a gown, and a cloak, signify Divine truth in general is evident also from the following passages. In Zechariah:

"The prophets shall be ashamed every one on account of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a mantle of hair to deceive" (13:4).

By prophets are signified those who teach truths from the Word, and in an abstract sense, truths of doctrine from the Word, and because these things were signified by prophets, therefore, these were clothed with a mantle of hair; for by a mantle of hair was signified Divine truth in ultimates, which is Divine truth in general, for the ultimate contains all things interior, hair also signifies the ultimate. Hence it was, that Elijah from his mantle was also called a hairy man (2 Kings 1:7, 8); and that John the Baptist, who was like Elias, by reason of a similar representation, had a garment of camel's hair (Matthew 3:4). From these things it is evident what is signified by the prophets not wearing a mantle of hair to deceive, namely, that they shall not declare truths to be falsities, and falsities to be truths, this being signified by deceiving.

[4] Because Elijah represented the Lord as to the Word, which is the very doctrine of truth, and Elisha continued the representation; and because a mantle signified Divine truth in general, which is the Word in ultimates, therefore, the mantle of Elijah passed to Elisha; and by Elijah's mantle also the waters of Jordan were divided, according, to these statements in the books of the Kings:

When Elijah found Elisha "he cast his mantle upon him" (1 Kings 19:19).

"Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters" of Jordan, "which were divided hither and thither, and they two went over on dry ground."

Elisha seeing "when Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven," took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; and he took the mantle and smote the waters, which parted hither and thither; and he went over" (2 Kings 2:8, 11-14).

That Elijah cast his mantle upon Elisha, signified that he transferred to Elisha the representation of the Lord as to the Word; and the mantle falling from Elijah, when he was taken away, and being taken up by Elisha, signified that that representation was transferred to Elisha, for Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word, and were clothed according to what they represented; the mantle signifying the Word in ultimates, which is Divine truth in general, or Divine truth in its whole extent. The waters of Jordan being divided by Elijah's mantle, first by Elijah and afterwards by Elisha, signified the power of Divine truth in ultimates. The waters of Jordan also signified the first truths which introduce into the church, and these first [truths] are those in the ultimates of the Word. Hence also it is evident that a mantle and robe signify Divine Truth in general. (That Elijah represented the Lord as to the Word, and similarly Elisha, may be seen, n. 2762, 5247. That the ultimate contains the interior things, and thence signifies all things in general, n. 634, 6239, 6465, 9215, 9216, 9828; that hence strength and power are in ultimates, n. 9836; that Jordan signifies entrance into the church, and that hence the waters of Jordan signify the first truths by which there is entrance, n. 1585, 4255; and that waters denote truths, see above, n. 71.) The first truths are also ultimate truths, such as are those in the sense of the letter of the Word; for by these entrance is effected, for they are first learnt, and in them are all the interior things that constitute the internal sense of the Word.

[5] He who does not know what a robe or mantle signifies, does not know what a cloak signifies; for a cloak, the same as a mantle, was a general garment, because it encompassed the waistcoat, or inner garment, whence it has also the same signification; consequently, neither does he know what was signified by Saul's rending the skirt of Samuel's cloak; by David's cutting off the skirt of Saul's cloak; by Jonathan's giving David his cloak and garments; and by the daughters of a king, being arrayed in cloaks of divers colours, and many other cases in which cloaks are mentioned in the Word. Concerning Saul's rending the skirt of Samuel's cloak, we read thus:

"Samuel turned about to go away, but he laid hold upon the skirt of his cloak, and it rent. And Samuel said, Jehovah hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to thy companion, who is better than thou" (1 Sam. 15:27, 28).

From the words of Samuel it is evident that the rending of the skirt of the cloak signified the rending of the kingdom from Saul, for he said, after it was done, "Jehovah hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day." For by a king and his kingdom is signified the Divine truth of the church; and by the skirt of his cloak is signified Divine truth in ultimates, or all [Divine truth] in general; for the kings over the sons of Israel represented the Lord as to Divine truth, and their kingdom signified the church as to this; therefore by that historical circumstance is signified that king Saul was become such that he could no longer represent the Lord, and that otherwise the representative of the church would perish. (That kings represented the Lord as to Divine truth, and that a kingdom thence signified the church as to that, may be seen above, n. 29, 31.)

[6] The same is signified by David's cutting off the skirt of Saul's cloak, concerning which we read thus:

David entered into the cave where Saul was, and cut off the skirt of Saul's cloak, and when thereafter he showed it to Saul, Saul said, "Now I know that thou shalt reign, and the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand" (1 Sam. 24:4, 6, 12, 21).

This was done by David of the Divine Providence, that the same thing might be represented as above, for by the skirt of the cloak, and by king Saul and his kingdom, similar things are signified.

[7] The same is also signified by Jonathan, the son of Saul, stripping himself of his cloak and his garments, and giving them to David, concerning which we read thus:

"Jonathan stripped himself of the cloak that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, and even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle" (1 Sam. 18:4).

By this was signified, that Jonathan, the heir of the kingdom, transferred all his right to David; for all the things that Jonathan gave to David were representative of the kingdom, that is of the Divine truth of the church, which Saul represented; for, as said above, all the kings who reigned over the sons of Israel represented the Lord as to Divine truth, and their kingdom, the church as to that [truth].

[8] Because cloaks and mantles signified Divine truth in general, therefore:

"Virgins, the king's daughters, were apparelled with mantles of divers colours" (2 Sam. 13:18).

Virgins, the king's daughters, signified the affections of truth, and thence the church, as is evident from a thousand passages in the Word where a king's daughter, the daughter of Zion, and the daughter of Jerusalem, and also the virgin Zion, and the virgin Jerusalem, are mentioned; therefore the king's daughters also represented the truths of that affection by garments, and in general by mantles, which thence were variegated with divers colours. So also truths from good, or truths from affection, are represented by the garments of virgins in heaven; which truths are more fully described by the garments of the king's daughters, in David (Psalms 45:8, 9, 13, 14).

[9] Because mourning in the ancient churches signified spiritual mourning, which is on account of the deprivation of truth, therefore, this was then represented in mourning, by their rending their mantles or cloaks, as is clear in Job:

When Job had lost everything, "then he arose, rent his mantle, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return" (1:20, 21).

And in another place:

Job's three friends, when they saw him, wept "and rent their cloaks" (2:12).

(That to rend the garments was representative of mourning on account of truth being injured or destroyed, may be seen, n. 4763.)

And again, in Ezekiel:

"All the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and shall cast away their cloaks, and put off their embroidered garments; they shall be clothed with terrors; they shall sit upon the ground" (26:16).

These things are said of Tyre, by which is signified the church as to the knowledges (cognitions) of truth and good; in this passage the church where these are destroyed. That they have no longer any truths by which the church is formed, is signified by, all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, the princes of the sea denoting primary scientific truths, to come down from the thrones, signifying that they were destroyed, and, consequently, that there is no intelligence. The same is signified by their casting away their cloaks, and putting off their embroidered garments, robes denoting truths in general, and embroidered garments the knowledges (cognitions) of truth. Condemnation thence is signified by, "they shall be clothed with terrors; they shall sit upon the ground."

[10] In Micah:

"My people have accounted every one as an enemy to them for the sake of a garment, ye draw off the mantle from them that pass securely, that are returning from the war" (2:8).

By these words is not signified that the sons of Israel have accounted any for an enemy for the sake of a garment, and that they drew off the mantle of those that passed by securely; but that they held as enemies those who spoke truths, and deprived of all truth those who lived well, and shook off falsities; garment denoting truth; robe denoting all truth, because denoting truth in general. To pass by securely, denotes to live well; men returning from war, denote those who have shaken off falsities, war denoting the combat of truth against falsity. Who cannot see that such is the spiritual meaning of the Word; and that the people of Israel did not account any one as an enemy for a garment, or draw off the mantle from those who passed by?

[11] In Matthew:

The scribes and Pharisees "do all their works that they may be seen of men; they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments" (23:5).

These things the scribes and Pharisees did, but still, thereby was represented and signified that they spoke many things from the ultimates of the Word, and applied them to life, and to their traditions, in order that they might appear holy and learned. By their phylacteries, which they make broad, are signified goods in the outward form, for the phylacteries were worn upon the hands, and by the hands are signified actions, because the hands are employed to act. By the borders of their garments which they enlarge, are signified external truths, external truths are those in the ultimate sense of the letter; mantles denoting truths in general, and borders their ultimates. (That the borders of the mantles signify such truths, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 9917.)

[12] In Isaiah:

"I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah, my soul shall exult in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation; he hath covered me with a cloak of justice" (61:10).

To rejoice in Jehovah, signifies to rejoice in Divine good; to exult in God, signifies, in the Divine truth; for the Lord is called Jehovah from Divine good, and God from Divine truth; and all spiritual joy is from them. To clothe with the garments of salvation, signifies to instruct and gift with truths; and to cover with a cloak of justice, signifies to fill with every truth from good, a cloak denoting all truth because it denotes truth in general, justice being said of good.

[13] In the same:

"He put on the garments of vengeance, and clothed himself with zeal as a cloak" (59:17).

These things are said of the Lord, and of His combat with the hells; for when He was in the world He reduced all things in the hells and in the heavens to order, and this by Divine truth from the Divine love. The garments of vengeance signify the truths by which [He fought]; zeal, as a cloak, signifies the Divine love from which [He fought]; a cloak is mentioned, because it is signified by Divine truths from the Divine love. (But what the cloak of the ephod signifies, with which Aaron was wrapped around, and upon the borders of which were pomegranates and bells, of which [mention is made] in Exodus 27:31-35; Leviticus 8:7, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 9910-9928.)