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).

237. And knowest not that thou art wretched. That this signifies that they do not know that their falsities have no coherence with truths is evident from the signification of wretchedness, as denoting the breaking down of truth by falsities, and also no coherence; it is therefore plain what is meant by wretched. The reason why they are thus wretched is that their doctrine is founded upon two false principles, which are faith alone, and justification thereby; therefore falsities flow thence in a continuous series, and the truths which they adduce to confirm them from the letter of the Word are broken down and falsified; and falsified truths are essentially falsities. This is described in many passages in the Word, and is meant by the vanities which the prophets are said to see, and the lies which they are said to speak. The same is also described by the breaches made in walls and in houses, so that they fall; similarly, by the idols and graven images which the artificer is said to make and connect by chains that they may cohere; for by idols and graven images are signified falsities of doctrine. The same is also meant by breaches made in walls and in houses, and by the prophets seeing vanities and speaking lies; for by prophets are meant doctrines; by vanities, such things as are of no account; and by lies, falsities.

But as these things are mentioned in too many passages in the Word to be here adduced in full, we shall only quote some wherein mention is made of wretchedness, and of a wall, in order that it may be known that they signify the breaking down of truths by falsities, and thus no coherence.

[2] In Isaiah:

"Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath seduced thee; when thou saidst in thine heart, I, and none else beside me. Therefore shall wretchedness fall upon thee, and desolation shall come upon thee suddenly" (47:10, 11).

Here also are described those who believe that they know all things, and suppose themselves to be intelligent above all others, when yet they neither know nor understand anything of truth; therefore it follows that the understanding of truth is taken away from them. Their belief that they are more intelligent than all others is meant by Thy wisdom and thy knowledge, it hath seduced thee; when thou saidst in thine heart, I, and none else beside me; and the loss of all understanding of truth is meant by wretchedness shall fall upon thee, desolation shall come upon thee suddenly.

[3] In Ezekiel:

"Wretchedness shall come upon wretchedness; therefore shall they seek a vision from the prophets; but the law hath perished from the priest, and counsel from the elders; the king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with amazement" (7:26, 27).

The vastation of the church is here treated of, which takes place when there is none but falsified truth; falsity from falsity is meant by wretchedness upon wretchedness; a vision from the prophet denotes doctrine, and here, doctrine of falsity; the law hath perished from the priest, denotes that the Word is not understood; for the law signifies the Word, and the priest him that teaches it: counsel hath perished from the elders, denotes that what is right shall perish from the intelligent; counsel denoting what is right, and elders signifying the intelligent: the king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with amazement, denotes that there is no longer any truth; king signifying truth, and the prince truths primarily subservient.

[4] In David:

"What is right is not in their mouth; wretchedness is in the midst of them" (Psalms 5:9);

where wretchedness also signifies falsities not cohering with any truth. Similarly in Jeremiah:

"Howl! and wander among the walls; for their king goeth away into captivity, his priests and princes together" (49:3).

Here by wandering among the walls is meant amongst truths destroyed by falsities; by the king who goeth away into captivity is signified truth; and by his priests and princes together are denoted the goods and truths of life and doctrine, as above.

[5] In Ezekiel:

"When they build a wall [maceries], lo, they daub it with untempered [mortar]. Say unto them that daub with untempered [mortar] that the wall [paries] shall fall. Shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed?" (13:10-12).

The wall which they daubed with untempered [mortar] signifies the falsity which is assumed as a principle, and which, by application of the Word from the sense of the letter, they make to appear as truth. Daubing denotes application, and thence apparent confirmation; untempered [mortar] denotes what is falsified; and because the truth of the Word is thus destroyed, and confirmatory things become truths falsified, which in themselves are falsities, and these perish together with the false principle, therefore it is said, "Behold the wall shall fall; shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing with which ye have daubed?"

[6] In Hosea:

"Behold I hedge up thy way with thorns, and I will encompass wall with wall, that she shall not find thy paths" (2:6).

To hedge up the way with thorns is to obstruct all thoughts by falsities of evil, lest they should see truths; falsities of evil are signified by thorns. To encompass wall with wall is to heap falsities upon falsities; that she shall not find thy paths, denotes that nothing of truth can be seen. This comes to pass because truths can no more co-exist with falsities of evil than heaven can with hell, for truths are from heaven and falsities of evil from hell; therefore, when the latter have rule, communication with heaven is taken away, in which case the former cannot be seen, and if others utter them they are rejected. Hence it is, that those who are in false principles, as, for example, those who are in the principles of faith alone and justification thereby, cannot be in any truths, as may be seen above (n. 235, 236).

[7] But we shall now illustrate this subject by examples. When those who embrace faith alone and justification thereby as a principle of religion, read the Word, and see that the Lord teaches that man shall be rewarded according to his deeds and works, and that he who has done good shall enter heaven, and that he who has done evil shall be cast into hell, they then call the good which they do the fruit of faith, not knowing, or not being willing to know, that the goods which they call fruits of faith are all from charity, and none of them from faith separated from charity, which is called faith alone; for all good belongs to charity, and truth to faith therefrom. From this it is clear that they pervert the Word. But they do this because they cannot otherwise apply the truth to their principle, still believing that they may thus agree together; but truth perishes in consequence, and becomes falsity, and not only becomes falsity but also evil.

[8] That falsities thence follow in a continuous series is also clear; for they teach that the good works which man performs are merit-seeking, not being willing to understand that as faith and its truths are from the Lord, and thus not merit-seeking, so also are charity and its goods. They also teach that as soon as a man receives faith he is reconciled to God the Father by the Son, and that the evils which he afterwards does are not imputed, nor yet the evils which he had done before; for they say that all are saved, however they have lived, if they only receive faith, even in the hours before death. But these and many other things, which are derivations from a false principle, do not agree with truths from the Word, but destroy them, and truths destroyed are falsities, and such falsities as have a bad odour; a grievous smell is perceived from them in the other life, which is such that it cannot be sustained by any good spirit; it is like a stench from diseased lungs. Many other examples might be adduced, of which there is an abundance; for whatsoever is concluded from a false principle derives falsity therefrom, because therein is beheld the principle to which it adheres, because it flows therefrom, and is applied to it.

[9] The true quality of the religion of faith alone, and of justification thereby, may be concluded from this fact alone, that all those who have confirmed those tenets in themselves by doctrine and life, in the other life diffuse from themselves a sphere of abominable adultery, which is that of a mother, or a mother-in-law, with a son; this abominable adultery corresponds to them, and is also perceived from them wherever they go; I have a thousand times known their presence from that sphere. The reason why such a sphere flows forth from them is that they adulterate the goods of charity and of the Word; and adulteries correspond to the adulterations of good, and whoredoms to the falsifications of truth (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2466, 2729, 3399, 4865, 6348, 8904, 10648).

[10] The same is meant by Reuben's lying with Bilhah, of whom his father begat Dan and Naphthali (Genesis 35:22), therefore also he was accursed (Genesis 49:4); and because he polluted the couch of his father, the primogeniture was taken away from him and given to Joseph (1 Chron. 5:1); for by Reuben, in the Word, is meant faith, and in this case faith alone (see Arcana Coelestia 3325, 3861, 3866, 3870, 4601, 4605, 4731, 4734, 4761, 6342, 6350), and by Joseph is meant the good of that faith (see Arcana Coelestia 3969, 3971, 4669, 6417).

[11] That such things would take place at the end of the church is predicted in Daniel, where the statue which Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream is treated of, in these words:

"Whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves by the seed of man; but they shall not cohere one with the other, even as iron is not mingled with clay" (2:43).

By iron is meant truth without good; by miry clay, the falsity which is from man's own intelligence; by the seed of man, the Word of the Lord (see Matthew 13:24, 37). Their not cleaving one to another is meant by its being said, they shall not cohere, even as iron is not mingled with clay.