10238. 'And put water in it' means the truths of faith by means of which purification in the natural is accomplished. This is clear from the meaning of 'water' as the truths of faith, dealt with in 28, 739, 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 8568, 9323; and from the meaning of 'the laver' as the natural, dealt with above in 10235. Anyone who does not know that 'water' means the truths of faith will fail to grasp the meaning of very many statements in the Word, such as unless a person is born of water and the spirit he cannot enter the kingdom of God, John 3:5. Those who take water here to mean nothing other than water think that the water of baptism is the means by which a person is regenerated. But in fact the water does nothing towards regeneration, only the truth of faith and the good of love do so; for water washes away solely dirt that is on the body and by no means evils present in the heart.

[2] Anyone who does not know that 'water' means the truths of faith cannot know what baptism means, either. He thinks that the external act saves a person, when in fact the external act does not accomplish anything, only the inner reality meant by it, namely regeneration by means of the truths of faith. Baptism makes people belonging to the Church different from everyone else throughout the world, because unlike those outside the Church they are able to be regenerated by means of the truths of faith. For the Word, which contains the truths of faith, exists within the Church.

[3] Nor can anyone who does not know that 'water' means the truths of faith know what is meant in Genesis 1:6-10 by the waters above the expanse and the waters under the expanse. Truths of faith within the internal man are meant by 'the waters above the expanse', and truths of faith in the external by 'the waters under the expanse'; for the subject in that chapter is the new creation, thus the regeneration, of members of the Most Ancient Church.

[4] Nor can anyone who does not know that 'water' means the truths of faith know what is meant by 'water' in John,

He who drinks of the water that I shall give will never thirst. But the water that I shall give will become in him a spring of water welling up into eternal life. John 4:13-14.

And in Isaiah,

The poor and the needy are seeking water, but there is none; their tongue is parched with thirst. I will open streams on the sloping heights, and I will place springs in the midst of valleys; I will make the wilderness into a pool of water, and the dry land into wellsprings of water. Isaiah 41:17-18.

And again in the same prophet,

They will not thirst. He will make water flow for them from the rock; and He will cleave the rock so that water flows out. Isaiah 48:20-21.

And in very many other places. But see what has been stated and shown previously on these matters,

Purification from evils and falsities is accomplished by means of the truths of faith, 2799, 5954(end), 7044, 7918, 9089, 10229.

So too is regeneration, see the places referred to in 9959.

'Baptism' means regeneration by means of the truths of faith, 4255, 5120(end), 9089.

Purification is accomplished within the natural, 3147, 9572.

And so is regeneration, see the places referred to in 9325.

137. Even in the days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you. That this signifies in that time and state wherein all are hated who acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord, is evident from the signification of day, as denoting time and state (concerning which see Arcana Coelestia 23, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850, 10656); hence, in the days in which, signifies, in that time and state. And the same is evident from the signification of Antipas, my faithful martyr, as being those who acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord, concerning which more will be said in what follows; and also from the signification of being slain, as being to be hated. The reason why this is denoted by being slain, is, that he who hates is perpetually endeavouring to kill; for he thinks of nothing else and desires nothing else but to kill, and also he would kill if the laws did not restrain him. This is concealed in hatred; therefore, those who hate their neighbour, in the other life, when external bonds are removed, continually breathe out murder; this has been made known to me from much experience.

[2] The reason why "Antipas, my faithful martyr," signifies those who are hated because of their acknowledgment of the Divine Human of the Lord is that at that time one Antipas was on this account slain, therefore by him are meant all those who are hated on that account: just as by Lazarus, who lay at the rich man's gate, and desired to be fed with the crumbs which fell from his table, are meant all those whom the Lord loves because they desire truths from spiritual affection (as may be seen above, n. 118). That the Lord loved a certain person called Lazarus, whom also He raised from the dead is evident in John (11:3, 5, 36), and that he sat with the Lord at table (chapter 12), therefore, he who desired to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table, by which is signified a desire for truths from spiritual affection, was called by the Lord Lazarus. As he was named Lazarus on that account, so Antipas is here mentioned because he became a martyr for the name of the Lord, that is, because of the acknowledgment of His Divine Human.

[3] That such are hated by all those who do not think of the Divine of the Lord at the same time as they do of His Human, cannot be known from their conduct while they are in the world, but they make it clear in the other life, where they burn with so much hatred against those who approach the Lord alone as cannot be described in words; there is nothing which they more eagerly desire than to murder them. The reason is that all who are in the hells are against the Lord, and all who are in the heavens are in favour of the Lord; and those who belong to the church, and do not acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, act as one with the hells, hence they entertain such great hatred. It has been often told them that they do evil, because they know from the Word,

that the Lord hath all power in the heavens and on earth (Matthew 28:18);

thus that He is the God of heaven and earth: also

that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one cometh to the Father but by Him (John 14:6);

as also that

he who seeth the Lord seeth the Father, because He is in the Father and the Father in Him (John 14:7-11);

and

that no one hath seen the Father's shape, nor heard His voice, but the Lord alone, who is in His bosom, and is one with Him (John 1:18; 5:37);

besides many other places.

When they hear these truths they turn themselves away, for they cannot deny them, but are offended, and even breathe out murder against all those who acknowledge them, because hatred is rooted in them (as may be seen above, n. 114). That such persons would hate all those who thus acknowledge the Lord, was foretold by the Lord Himself in several passages, as in Matthew:

In the consummation of the age, "they shall deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake" (24:9, 10).

And in John:

Jesus said, "If the world hate you, know ye that it hated me before it hated you. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. All these things will they do unto you for my name's sake" (15:18-25).

(See moreover the passages adduced above from the Word, n. 122.) These things are said, that it may be known that by "Antipas, my faithful martyr, who was slain among you," is meant those who are hated because they acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord.