4697. 'And the eleven stars' means cognitions of good and truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'stars' as cognitions of good and truth. The reason 'stars' in the Word means those cognitions is that they are tiny sources of light shining in the night, which send out flickers of light at that time into our sky, even as cognitions transmit glimmers of goodness and truth. This meaning of 'stars' as those cognitions may be seen from many places in the Word, as in Jeremiah,

[Thus] said Jehovah who gives the sun for light by day and the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for light by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar. Jeremiah 31:35.

This refers to a new Church. 'Giving the sun for light by day' means good flowing from love and charity, and 'the ordinances of the moon and of the stars for light by night' means truth and cognitions.

[2] Similarly in David,

Jehovah who made the great lights, the sun to have dominion by day, the moon and stars to have dominion by night. Psalms 136:7-9.

Anyone unacquainted with the internal sense of the Word will presume that here 'the sun' is used to mean the sun of this world, and 'the moon and stars' to mean the moon and the stars, but no spiritual and heavenly meaning comes out of that presumption. Yet the Word in every individual part is heavenly. From this it is also evident that it is the goods of love and charity, and the truths of faith, together with cognitions of these, that are meant.

[3] This is similar to what occurs in Chapter 1 of Genesis, where the new creation of the heavenly man is the subject,

God said, Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens, to make a distinction between the day and the night; and they will be for signs, and for set times, and for days and for years. And they will be for lights in the expanse of the heavens, to give light upon the earth; and it was so. And God made the two great lights, the greater light to have dominion over the day, and the lesser light to have dominion over the night, and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth, and to have dominion over the day and the night, and to make a distinction between the light and the darkness. Genesis 1:14-18.

See [in Volume One, paragraphs] 30-38.

[4] In Matthew,

Immediately after the affliction of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:29.

Here 'the sun' and 'the moon' mean love and charity, or good and truth, while 'stars' means cognitions - see 4060; and because the last day or last state of the Church is the subject here, 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light' means that at that time the good of love and charity will perish, and 'the stars will fall from heaven' means that the cognitions of good and truth will perish too. That these things are meant is evident from the prophetical parts of the Word where similar descriptions occur regarding the day or state of the Church.

[5] As in Isaiah,

Behold, the day of Jehovah will come, cruel, to make the earth a waste, and He will destroy sinners from it. For the stars of the heavens and their constellations will not shine with their light. The sun will be obscured in its rising, and the moon will not give its light. Isaiah 13:9-10.

In Joel,

The day of Jehovah is near. The sun and the moon have been darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their shining. Joel 3:14-15.

In Ezekiel,

When I have blotted you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars, I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the bright lights in heaven I will make dark over you, and I will put darkness over your land. Ezekiel 32:7-8.

And in John,

The fourth angel sounded, and a third part of the sun was struck, and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, so that a third part of them was darkened and the day did not shine for a third part of it; and the night likewise. Revelation 8:12.

[6] This meaning of 'stars' as cognitions of good and truth is in addition evident from the following places: In Daniel,

Out of one horn of the he-goat of the she-goats there grew one small-sized horn and it grew exceedingly towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]; and it grew even towards the hosts of heaven, and it cast down to the earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them. Daniel 8:9-10.

And in John,

The great dragon drew with his tail a third part of the stars of heaven and cast them down to the earth. Revelation 12:4.

Clearly the actual stars are not meant here, the subject in Daniel and John being the state of the Church in the last times.

[7] Similarly in David,

Jehovah counts the number of stars; He gives names to them all. Psalms 147:4.

In the same author,

Praise Jehovah, sun and moon; praise Him, all stars of light. Psalms 148:3.

In John,

A great sign was seen in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. Revelation 12:1.

[8] Since cognitions of good and truth are meant by 'stars', the teachings of the Church are meant too, since these are cognitions. Teaching to do with faith separated from charity in the last times is described as 'a star' in the following verses in John,

The third angel sounded, and a great star fell from heaven, burning like a torch, and It fell onto a third part of the rivers, and onto the fountains of waters. The name of the star is called Wormwood; and a third part of the waters became wormwood, and many people died in the waters, because they were made bitter. Revelation 8:10-11.

'The waters' which were made bitter by that star are truths, and 'the rivers' and 'the fountains of waters' are intelligence imparted by those truths, and wisdom from the Word. For 'waters' meaning truths, see 2702, 3058, 3424; for 'rivers' intelligence, 3051; and for 'fountains' wisdom from the Word, 2702, 3424.

118. And poverty (but thou art rich). That this signifies acknowledgment that they know nothing from themselves, is evident from the signification of poverty, as being acknowledgment of the heart that they know nothing from themselves, concerning which we shall speak presently. That by poverty is here meant spiritual poverty, and that by thou art rich is meant to be spiritually rich, is evident, because these things are said to the church. To be spiritually poor and nevertheless to be rich, is to acknowledge in heart that a man of himself knows nothing, that he has neither understanding nor wisdom, but that all knowledge, understanding and wisdom are from the Lord. In such acknowledgment are all the angels of heaven; therefore they are intelligent and wise, and this in a degree corresponding to their acknowledgment and perception that this is the case; for they know and perceive that nothing of the truth which is called the truth of faith, and nothing of the good which is called the good of love, is from themselves, but from the Lord; they know also that all things which they understand, and in which they are wise, have reference to the truth of faith and to the good of love. They also know that all their intelligence and wisdom are from the Lord. And because they know and acknowledge this, and also because they desire and love it to be so, therefore Divine truth continually flows into them from the Lord, from whom they have all intelligence and wisdom, which they receive in proportion as they are affected by it, that is, in proportion as they love it. But, on the other hand, infernal spirits believe that everything they think, will and thence speak and do, is from themselves, and not from God; for they do not believe in the Divine; consequently, also, instead of being intelligent and wise, they are insane and foolish; for they think contrary to the truth, and will contrary to good, which is to be insane and foolish. Every man who is in the love of self acts in a similar way; because he looks only to himself, he cannot do otherwise than attribute every thing to himself, and he does this because he does not acknowledge that all intelligence and wisdom are from the Lord. Consequently, when such persons think in themselves, they do so against the goods and truths of the church and of heaven, although when speaking with men they say otherwise, from a fear of losing their reputation.

[2] From these considerations it may be known what is meant by poverty in the spiritual sense. The reason why he who is spiritually poor, nevertheless is rich, is, that he is in the spiritual affection of truth; for intelligence and wisdom flow from the Lord into this affection. Every one's affection receives and takes in things congenial to itself, as a sponge absorbs water: thus the spiritual affection of truth receives and takes in spiritual truths, which are the truths of the church derived from the Word. The reason why the spiritual affection of truth is from the Lord alone is, that the Lord is Divine truth in heaven and in the church, for it proceeds from Him; and because the Lord loves to lead every one to Himself, and to save him, and this can only be effected by the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth from the Word, therefore He loves to implant these in man, and to make them principles of his life; for in this and in no other way can he lead man to Himself and save him. It is therefore clear that all spiritual affection of truth is from the Lord, and that no one can be in that affection unless he acknowledges the Divine of the Lord in His Human; for by this acknowledgment there is conjunction, and according to conjunction there is reception. (On this subject more may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell, where it treats of the wisdom of the angels of heaven, n. 265-275; and concerning the wise and the simple in heaven, n. 346-356, and in the same work, n. 13, 19, 25, 26, 133, 139, 140, 205, 297, 422, 523, 603, and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 11-27; and above, n. 6, 59, 112, 115, 117.)

[3] Throughout the Word frequent mention is made of the poor and needy, and also of the hungry and thirsty. By the poor and needy are signified those who believe that they know nothing of themselves, and also those who do not know, because they have not the Word. By the hungry and thirsty are signified those who continually desire to possess truths, and to be perfected by them. Both the latter and the former are meant by the poor, the needy, the hungry, and thirsty, in the following passages:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled" (Matthew 5:3, 6).

"Blessed be ye poor; for yours is the kingdom of the heavens. Blessed are ye that hunger; for ye shall be filled" (Luke 6:20, 21).

"To the poor the gospel shall be preached," and "the poor hear the gospel" (Luke 7:22; Matthew 11:5).

"The master of the house said to his servant, Go out into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor" (Luke 14:21).

"Then the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety" (Isaiah 14:30).

"I was an hungered, and ye gave me to eat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me to drink" (Matthew 25:35).

"The poor and needy seek water, and there is none; their tongue faileth for thirst. I, Jehovah, will hear them. I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys" (Isaiah 41:17, 18).

From this last passage it is evident that by the poor and needy are meant those who desire the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth; for the water which they seek denotes truth. (That water denotes the truth of faith, may be seen above, n. 71.) Their desire is here described by their tongue failing for thirst; and the abundance which they should have, by rivers being opened in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys.

[4] Those who do not know that by the rich are signified those who have the Word, and who can therefore have the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good, and that by the poor are signified those who have not the Word and yet desire truths, cannot but suppose that by the rich man in Luke (16:19, and following verses), who was clothed in crimson and fine linen, are meant the rich in the world, and that by the poor man who lay at his gate, and desired to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table, are meant the poor in the world. But here, by the rich man is meant the Jewish nation, which possessed the Word, and could therefore be in the knowledges of truth and good; and by the poor man are meant the Gentiles, who had not the Word, and yet desired the knowledges of truth and good. The reason why the rich man is described as being clothed with crimson and fine linen, is, that crimson signifies genuine good (see Arcana Coelestia 9467), and fine linen signifies genuine truth (see Arcana Coelestia 5319, 9469, 9596, 9744), both from the Word. The reason why the poor man is described as being laid at the rich man's gate, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from his table, is, that to be laid at the gate denotes to be cast out, and to be deprived of reading and understanding the Word; and to wish to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table denotes to desire some truths therefrom, for food signifies the things of knowledge (scientia), intelligence and wisdom, and in general, good and truth (see Arcana Coelestia 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 5576, 5582, 5588, 5655, 8562, 9003), and a table signifies that which receives such things (see Arcana Coelestia 9527). Because the poor man had that desire, which is the same thing as being in the spiritual affection of truth, therefore it is said of him that he was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom, by which is signified that he was raised up into an angelic state of intelligence and wisdom; the bosom of Abraham denoting the Divine truth which is in heaven; for those who are therein are with the Lord. (That Abraham in the Word signifies the Lord, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2010, 2833, 2836, 3245, 3251, 3305, 3439, 3703, 6098, 6185, 6276, 6804, 6847.)

[5] What is here signified by the rich man, and by the poor man who hungered, is also signified by the rich and the hungry in Luke:

"He hath filled the hungry with good, and the rich he hath sent empty away" (1:53).

(That by riches in the Word, are signified spiritual riches, which are the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good from the Word, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 1694, 4508, 10227; and in the work, Heaven and Hell 365; and in the opposite sense, the knowledges of falsity and evil, which they confirm from the sense of the letter of the Word, Arcana Coelestia 1694. That riches in the Word signify the knowledges of truth and good, and therefore intelligence and wisdom, is the result of correspondence; for with the angels in heaven all things appear shining, as it were from gold, silver, and precious stones; and this according as they are in the intelligence of truth and in the wisdom of good: with spirits also who are below the heavens, there are riches in appearance according to their reception of truth and good from the Lord.)