Chapter Eleven

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The Raising of Lazarus

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After Jesus escaped from those who wanted to seize Him, it is recorded that “He went away beyond the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing at first” (John 10:39-40). This location, which some manuscripts refer to as “Bethabara,” is situated about twenty miles east of Jerusalem, near the Jordan River. This is the place where John the Baptist began His ministry. At that time, John described himself as “the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” saying, “Make straight the way of the Lord” (John 1:23), and “There is One among you whom you do not know” (John 1:26). As it is written in the opening chapter of this gospel, “These things were done in Bethabara, beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing” (John 1:28).

When John the Baptist said, “There is One among you whom you do not know,” he was referring to Jesus. These words were truly spoken, for Jesus had not yet begun His public ministry. Since that time, however, three years have passed, and Jesus has gradually been making Himself known. He has preached to the multitudes, cast out demons, and performed many miracles. He has turned water into wine at Cana, healed a nobleman’s son in Capernaum, healed a paralytic at the Pool of Bethesda, fed five thousand on a mountain near Bethsaida, walked on the Sea of Galilee, and most recently, healed a blind man near the Pool of Siloam.

Every one of these miracles has testified in some way to Jesus’ divine nature. Along the way, there has been a gradual transition from seeing Jesus as a man among men, to recognizing Him as the Messiah, to believing that He is the Son of God. In this way, Jesus has been steadily and progressively making Himself known. This process, however, is not yet over. During His final days on earth, Jesus will continue to reveal His divine nature, especially in the next miracle which will surpass all preceding miracles. ¹

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The Report About Lazarus

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1.And a certain [one] was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, of the village of Mary and Martha her sister.

2. And it was Mary, who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.

3. Then the sisters sent to Him saying, Lord, see, he whom Thou lovest is sick.

4. But when Jesus heard, He said, This sickness is not to death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified by it.

5. And Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

6. When therefore He heard that he was sick, then He indeed remained two days in the place that He was.

7. Then after that He says to the disciples, Let us go into Judea again.

8. The disciples say to Him, Rabbi, the Jews just now sought to stone Thee, and goest Thou thither again?

9. Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours of the day? If anyone walk in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world.

10. But if anyone walk in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.

11. These things He said; and after this He says to them, Lazarus, our friend, slumbers; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

12. Then His disciples said, Lord, if he repose, he will be saved.

13. But Jesus had told about his death, but they thought, He is saying [something] about the repose of sleep.

14. Therefore Jesus then said to them openly, Lazarus is dead.

15. And I rejoice on your account that I was not there, that you may believe; but let us go to him.

16. Then said Thomas, who is called Didymus, to [his] fellow disciples, Let us go, we also, that we may die with Him.

This episode begins with the words, “Now a certain one was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, of the village of Mary and Martha her sister” (John 11:1). In an editorial aside, John tells us that the “Mary” who is mentioned in this episode is the same Mary who would soon anoint Jesus “with fragrant oil and wipe His feet with her hair” (John 11:2).

It is at this point that a messenger comes to Jesus with a report about Lazarus. The messenger, who has been sent by Martha and Mary, says to Jesus, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick” (John 11:3). Upon hearing the message, Jesus says, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified by it” (John 11:4).

It is important to contrast these words to the words that Jesus spoke just before His most recent miracle when He opened the eyes of a blind man. At that time, Jesus said, “Neither this man sinned, nor his parents, but that the works of God should be revealed in Him” (John 9:3). This time, however, Jesus says that this sickness is for “the glory of God” and adds that “the Son of God will be glorified by it.” In this regard, the message about Lazarus is not only an opportunity to demonstrate the works of God, but also an opportunity to glorify the Son of God.

In terms of the continuous spiritual sense of each gospel, the preceding miracle about the opening of blind eyes relates to the reformation of the understanding. As we shall see, this next miracle relates to the regeneration of the will. It is about being called from death into life; this is also referred to as the birth of a new will—a central theme in the Gospel According to John.

As the story continues, we read that Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and their brother, Lazarus. And yet, Jesus does not immediately rush to their aid. Instead, when Jesus hears that Lazarus is sick, He stays two more days in Bethabara. Then, after waiting for two days, Jesus says to His disciples, “Let us go to Judea again” (John 11:7). Judea is a large region, which not only includes Bethany but also Jerusalem. Remembering that Jerusalem is a place of danger for Jesus, and knowing that Bethany, the home of Lazarus, is on the outskirts of Jerusalem, the disciples say, “Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone You, and are You going there again?” (John 11:8). In response, Jesus assures them that there is nothing to fear. “Are there not twelve hours in the day,” He says. Therefore, “If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because He sees the light of the world” (John 11:9).

In the literal sense, Jesus is telling His disciples that a daytime journey will be safest because they will be walking in the light of the day. More deeply, Jesus is reminding them that He is the light of the world. As He said in a previous episode, “I am the light of the world. All who follow Me shall not walk in darkness but have the light of life” (John 8:12). In other words, as long as Jesus is with them, and His truth is in them, they have nothing to fear. They will be walking in the light. ²

After offering these words of reassurance, Jesus says to His disciples, “Lazarus, our friend, slumbers; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep” (John 11:11). Still hesitant to put themselves or Jesus in harm’s way, the disciples insist that the journey is unnecessary. “Lord,” they say, “if he sleeps, he will get well” (John 11:12). In those days, “sleeping” was a euphemism for death. To say that a person had gone to sleep was tantamount to saying that a person had passed away, or died. Therefore, Jesus clarifies His meaning. Putting it more plainly, He says, “Lazarus is dead” (John 11:14).

As always, there is more to Jesus’ use of language than meets the eye. In this case, the reference to “sleep” refers to a lack of understanding. In the Hebrew scriptures, David says, “Enlighten my eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death” (Psalms 13:3). To go through life without a proper understanding of spiritual truth is like walking in darkness. It is a “sleep of death.”

While the absence of understanding is one kind of death, there is an even more serious one. It is the death of the will. It is the death of any desire to walk in the path of the commandments. This is what Jesus means when He says that Lazarus is not just sleeping, which refers to an unenlightened intellect, but that Lazarus is dead. It is what is felt in the depths of despair when all hope is gone.

Regarding this kind of despair, which is represented by the death of Lazarus, Jesus says, “I rejoice for your sakes that I was not there” (John 11:15). Taken literally, these words can be confusing. At first glance, we might wonder why Jesus says, “I rejoice,” especially because it is written that Jesus loved Lazarus. But Jesus says, “I rejoice for your sakes.” In other words, Jesus knows that there is something about Lazarus’ death and their late arrival that will be good for the disciples to witness—so that they might believe. And then Jesus adds, “Nevertheless, let us go to him” (John 11:15).

Taking Jesus at His word, Thomas says to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with Him” (John 11:16). Despite the dangers that might await them in Jerusalem, and without understanding what he is about to witness, Thomas decides to trust in Jesus and follow Him, regardless of the outcome. As this episode ends, Jesus and His disciples are on their way to Bethany.

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A practical application

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Although Lazarus has died, Jesus is already foreseeing the good that may come from it. As you deal with your own losses, whether it be the loss of a wallet, a job, or a relationship, keep in mind that there is a natural and a spiritual side to every situation. The natural side is limited to a worldly perspective that focuses on the loss. It is the part of us that grieves. The spiritual side, however, has an eternal perspective. It understands that every misfortune can serve to deepen faith, and every loss can strengthen belief. No matter what is happening in your external world, whether it be the loss of a physical object, the end of a relationship, or the death of a dream, it can be a time to draw closer to God and allow God to strengthen you. At such times, keep in mind Jesus’ words, “This sickness is not unto death.” ³

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Arriving in Bethany

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17. Then Jesus, coming, found him having [been] already four days in the sepulcher.

18. And Bethany was near to Jerusalem, about fifteen stadia away.

19. And many of the Jews had come to the [women] around Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

20. Then Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him; but Mary was sitting in the house.

21. Then said Martha to Jesus, Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother would not be dead.

22. But even now I know that whatever Thou shalt ask of God, God will give to Thee.

23. Jesus said to her, Thy brother shall rise again.

24. Martha says to Him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection in the last day.

25. Jesus said to her, I am the Resurrection and the Life; he that believes in Me, even if he die, [yet] shall he live.

26. And everyone who lives and believes in Me shall not die to eternity. Believest thou this?

27. She says to Him, yes, Lord, I believe that Thou art the Christ, the Son of God, who should come into the world.

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Martha greets Jesus

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As Jesus and His disciples approach Bethany, they learn that Lazarus has already been in the tomb for four days (John 11:17). The death of Lazarus, which seems so final, represents something that takes place in each of our lives. There are times when we may feel that a dream has died, or a relationship has come to an end, or we have experienced a great loss.

At such times, it seems as though God has delayed His coming and left us without help. Our unbelief leads us downwards into anxiety, fear, discouragement, and despair. In the language of sacred scripture, when Jesus says, “Lazarus is dead,” He is referring to these times of despair when we believe that all hope is gone. These are the times when Lazarus has not just died. He has been dead for “four days,” meaning that there seems to be no hope for any kind of resurrection. ⁴

This is perhaps what Martha feels when she hears that Jesus is on the way to her house and rushes out to meet Him. Disappointed that Jesus has delayed His coming, she says to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Nevertheless, she continues to exhibit faith in Jesus’ ability to heal. As she puts it, “But even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give you” (John 11:22).

Jesus offers gentle assurance, saying, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha takes this to mean that Lazarus will rise again, but only at some time in the distant future. As it is written through the prophet Ezekiel, “My people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you back to the land of Israel” (Ezekiel 27:12). Isaiah writes, “Your dead shall live … they shall arise. Awake and sing, you who dwell in the dust … the earth shall cast out the dead” (Isaiah 26:19). In the light of passages like these, Martha interprets Jesus’ words literally. She says, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day” (John 11:24).

Martha’s limited understanding provides Jesus with an opportunity to make another “I AM” statement. Jesus has already declared that He is the “Water of Life” (John 4:14), the “Bread of Life” (John 6:35), the “Light of the World” (John 8:12), the “Door of the Sheep” (John 10:7), and the “Good Shepherd” (John 10:11). But now He goes even further. Jesus says to Martha, “I am the Resurrection and the Life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die” (John 11:25-26).

Clearly, in a progression of “I AM” statements that increasingly declare Jesus’ divine nature, this is the most powerful statement yet. It is at this point that Jesus pauses and asks Martha, very simply, “Do you believe this?” (John 11:26). In response, Martha says, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is come into the world” (John 11:26).

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A practical application

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It’s good to have willpower. It can accomplish a lot. But, as you may have discovered, human willpower cannot make you happy when you are feeling sad. Nor can it make you feel loving when you are feeling angry. When Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life,” He is promising you that no matter how dire your circumstances might be, He provides resurrection power. This is the power that can lift you out of your darkest states—right now, not at some distant time in the future. Do you believe this? If so, the next time you feel yourself sinking into discouragement, resentment, anger, self-pity, or despair, remember that human will power is not enough. This is the time for prayer; this is the time to bring divine truth to mind. This opens the way for the spirit of God to flow in, bringing new thoughts to your mind and new desires to your heart. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “Not by might, nor by power, but by my Spirit, says the Lord” (Zechariah 4:6). ⁵

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Mary is Called

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28. And when she had said these things she went away, and called Mary her sister privately, saying, The Teacher is here, and calls thee.

29. As she hears, she arises quickly and comes to Him.

30. And Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was in the place where Martha met Him.

31. The Jews, then, who were with her in the house, and who comforted her, seeing that Mary stood up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, She goes to the sepulcher to weep there.

32. Then when Mary came where Jesus was, seeing Him, she fell at His feet, saying to Him, Lord, if Thou hadst been here, my brother would not have died.

33. Jesus then, when He saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping who came with her, groaned in the spirit and was Himself disturbed,

34. And said, Where have you laid him? They say to Him, Lord, come and see.

35. Jesus wept.

36. Then the Jews said, See how He loved him.

37. And some of them said, Could not this [Man], who opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this [man] should not have died?

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The Teacher is calling

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After declaring her faith in Jesus, Martha goes back home to Mary and says to her, “The Teacher has come and is calling for you” (John 11:28). These words do not just apply to Mary. They also apply to something within us that is represented by Mary. As already noted in the beginning of this chapter, this is Mary of Bethany who will soon anoint Jesus with oil and wipe His feet with her hair. In this regard, she represents the part of us that loves and worships God with gratitude and devotion. Therefore, when Martha says to Mary, “The Teacher is calling for you,” it also means that God is calling to this aspect of our spiritual nature. It is the part of us that has the capacity to love and worship God.

When Mary hears that Jesus is calling for her, she rises quickly and goes out to meet Jesus. The mourners, however, reason that “she is going to the tomb to weep there”(John 11:31). The mourners, who have no idea that Jesus has come, see the world as filled with sorrow. They represent the part of us that sees the world without the presence of God. When we are lost in states of sorrow, it is difficult to hear God calling. It’s like being tuned in to a different channel. God’s call is still there, but we cannot hear it or respond to it.

Mary, on the other hand, hears that Jesus is calling and responds quickly. In the Gospel According to Luke, when Jesus visited Martha and Mary at their home in Bethany, Martha was “distracted with much serving” (Luke 10:40). She even complained that Mary, who was sitting at Jesus’ feet, listening to His words, was not helping. Noting that Martha was “worried and anxious about many things,” Jesus told her that her sister Mary had chosen “that good part, the one thing that is needed” (John 10:41-42).

During our commentary on the Gospel According to Luke, we noted that the story about Martha and Mary comes immediately after the parable of the Good Samaritan. While the emphasis of the Good Samaritan episode is upon service to the neighbor, the emphasis of the episode about Martha and Mary is about love to the Lord. At that time, we showed that this is another example of why the gospels must be read in sequential order. Otherwise, if our focus is only on the parable of the Good Samaritan, we can make service to the neighbor all important. On the other hand, if our focus is only on the story of Martha and Mary, we can make love to the Lord all important. While both are necessary, just as the two great commandments are necessary, love to the Lord is the supreme doctrine. It is what Jesus calls “that good part.” ⁶

Therefore, when Martha secretly tells Mary that Jesus is calling for her, it is a picture of the way Jesus is quietly calling to the part of us that not only acknowledges His divinity, as Martha does, but also worships Him, as Mary does. Although Mary repeats the same words of faith as Martha, saying “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died” (John 11:32), Mary does so on her knees, weeping. This is the kind of faith that rises quickly when the Teacher calls and humbly worships at His feet. This is heartfelt faith from love. ⁷

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Come and see

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As mentioned, when Mary came to Jesus, she fell down at His feet, weeping. The mourners who have followed her are also weeping. Seeing all of this, Jesus groans in His spirit and says, “Where have you laid Him?” In response, they say, “Come and see” (John 11:34). The words, “come and see” call to mind Jesus’ words to His disciples at the beginning of His ministry when they asked Him where He was staying. At that time, Jesus said to them, “Come and see” (John 1:39).

When Jesus invited His disciples to “come and see,” He was not referring to a place. Rather, He was referring to the way their spiritual eyes would be opened to a new way of life. Now, three years later, the mourners in this episode are using the same words, but with different meaning. While Jesus had said, “Come and see the way to life,” the mourners are saying, “Come and see the place of death.” In response, it is written that “Jesus wept” (John 11:35).

Like all of us, Jesus has a human side which can grieve and feel compassion. Some of the mourners who see Him weeping believe that He is weeping over the loss of His beloved friend, Lazarus. Therefore, they say, “See how He loved him” (John 11:36). But there are others who skeptically say, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying?” (John 11:37).

While it may be true that Jesus wept because of His love for Lazarus, there may be other reasons as well. He might also be weeping for all those who are still skeptical and caught in their unbelief, all those who are imprisoned by fear, all those who are misled by false teachings, and all those who are driven by selfish intentions. In this case, Jesus’ weeping might not be just for Lazarus but for all of humanity. The greater the love, the deeper the grief. ⁸

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“Take Away the Stone”

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38. Jesus then, again groaning in Himself, comes to the sepulcher; and it was a cave, and a stone lay on it.

39. Jesus says, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, says to Him, Lord, already he stinks, for [it] is the fourth [day].

40. Jesus says to her, Said I not to thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou wilt see the glory of God?

41. Then they took away the stone [from the place] where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up [His] eyes and said, Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me.

42. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always; but on account of the crowd standing around I said [it], that they may believe that Thou hast sent Me.

It is true that Jesus wept. But it is also true that He seizes this opportunity to demonstrate that the resurrection is not some distant last day, but rather that He is the resurrection. As Jesus said when He heard that Lazarus was sick, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified by it” (John 11:4). Accordingly, Jesus begins by approaching the tomb of Lazarus. It is a cave with a large stone covering the opening. Standing in front of the cave, Jesus says, “Take away the stone” (John 11:39).

In the literal sense, Jesus is speaking to the mourners who have assembled at the cave, believing that Lazarus has died and is now beyond hope. To these people Jesus says, “take away the stone.” More deeply, however, Jesus’ command transcends the historical moment and speaks to each of us about the need to remove whatever it is that blocks our belief in God’s presence and power. ⁹

“Take away the stone” Jesus says to each of us, calling us to remove whatever is false and hard-hearted in our lives. “Take away the stone,” He says, commanding us to remove our doubts, our misgivings, and our lack of trust in His saving presence. “Take away the stone,” He says, urging us to remove the pride that prevents us from experiencing His power in our lives. In sacred scripture, a “heart of stone” is the stubborn belief that we do not need God. It is the unwillingness to humble oneself before the Lord. It is to doubt the Lord’s power to save. ¹⁰

It is at this point that Martha objects. Although she has expressed faith in Jesus just a few moments ago, doubts now arise within her. She fears that if the stone is rolled away, Lazarus’ rotting corpse will give off a terrible odor. As Martha puts it, “Lord, by this time there is a stench for he has been dead for four days” (John 11:39).

In response, Jesus encourages her to have faith. He says to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God?” (John 11:40). Jesus’ words carry an important message for each of us. We should not wait for miracles to bring about belief in God. Rather, we should begin with belief. Only then shall we see God’s power making a difference in our lives. As Jesus puts it, “If you would believe, you would see the glory of God.”

As soon as Jesus says these words to Martha, the people roll away the stone. As it is written, “Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying” (John 11:41). While they are doing this, Jesus lifts His eyes in prayer, saying, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by, I said this that they may believe that You sent Me” (John 11:41-42).

Jesus wants them to know that He is the anointed One who has been sent by God. He wants them to believe that He is not just a human miracle worker, but rather that He is “the resurrection and the life.” This is the faith that can take away the stone, allowing them to see the glory of God.

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A practical application

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The command to “take away the stone” is given to those who have gathered around the tomb—to the mourners and observers. But it is also given to each of us. Jesus is asking us to take away the stone of disbelief, to take away the stone of doubt, to take away the stone of distrust in God, to take away the stone of hard-hearted pride so that we might begin to hear the voice of God more clearly and see Him more visibly. Whenever we begin with belief, the stone is rolled away. It is then that we hear His voice and see His glory as we come forth into new life. As a practical application, believe that God can change your life, beginning with this present moment. Roll away the stone of disbelief and see what happens. As Jesus puts it, “Take away the stone.”

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Lazarus Comes Forth

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43. And having said these things, He cried out with a great voice, Lazarus, come out!

44. And he that was dead came forth, bound feet and hands with grave-clothes, and his face was bound around with a napkin. Jesus says to them, Loose him, and let him go.

Once the stone is rolled away, Jesus cries out with a great voice, “Lazarus, come forth” (John 11:43). The name, “Lazarus,” is a combination of two Hebrew words, El [God] +ʿāzār [help] meaning “God is my help” or “God has helped.” Therefore, the name, “Lazarus,” refers to a quality that says, “I am willing to listen. I am willing to learn. I am willing to do God’s will, for I know that God is my help.”

Jesus’ calling Lazarus by name follows from the previous chapter where it is written that “The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out” (John 10:3). With the stone rolled away, Lazarus is now able to hear Jesus calling his name, summoning him to come forth from the tomb. As it is written, “He who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth” (John 11:44).

Although Lazarus has heard Jesus calling Him by name, and although this is sufficient to cause him to rise from the dead and walk out of the tomb, Lazarus is still bound hand and foot in grave clothes. Spiritually understood, the grave clothes represent the false ideas and limiting beliefs that prevent each of us from living fully in accordance with God’s will. Whenever we are bound by false ideas, we cannot think clearly about God’s teachings, nor can we walk easily in the path of His commandments. Although we want to do the right thing, we feel powerless. It feels as though we are still “bound hand and foot.”

It is for this reason that Jesus now turns to the people and says, “Loose him, and let him go” (John 11:44). The old grave clothes must be removed before new clothes can be put on. There must be a cleansing and purifying process where we become free of underlying attitudes and limiting beliefs. In other words, each of us must be willing to recognize and give up old patterns of false thinking, so that we can be clothed in new garments—true ideas that will strengthen all that is good and noble within us. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion. Put on your beautiful garments … loose yourself from that which binds you” (Isaiah 52:1). ¹¹

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A practical application

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When Lazarus hears Jesus calling his name, he comes forth from the cave. But his grave clothes still cling to him. To the extent that you freely choose to use the gift of reason to understand scripture, God will remove your “old grave clothes” and give you a new understanding. Similarly, to the extent that you freely choose to exercise your free will, living in accordance with your new understanding, God will form a new will in you. You will no longer be “bound hand and foot” by false ideas and selfish desires. But this is always a matter of free choice. As a practical application, consider the moment-to-moment choices you make throughout the day. Listen for the voice of God who says to you through His Word, “Come forth and live.” As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, that you and your children may live” (Deuteronomy 30:19). ¹²

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The Response of the Religious Leaders

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45. Then many of the Jews who came to Mary, and observed the things which Jesus did, believed in Him.

46. But some of them went away to the Pharisees, and told them what [things] Jesus had done.

47. Then the chief priests and Pharisees gathered a council, and said, What do we do? For this man does many signs.

48. If we leave Him thus, all will believe in Him, and the Romans will come, and take away both our place and nation.

49. And a certain one of them, Caiaphas, being chief priest that year, said to them, you know not anything,

50. Neither do you reason that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and that the whole nation perish not.

51. But this he said not of himself; but being chief priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation;

52. And not for the nation only, but that He should also gather together into one the children of God that were scattered abroad.

53. Then from that day they consulted together, that they might kill Him.

54. Jesus therefore walked no more openly among the Jews, but came away from there into the country near the wilderness, into a city called Ephraim, and there tarried with His disciples.

55. And the Passover of the Jews was near, and many went up to Jerusalem out of the country before the Passover, that they might purify themselves.

56. Then they sought Jesus, and said to one another as they stood in the temple, What think you, that He will not come to the festival?

57. And both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should show [it], so that they might lay hold of Him.

The raising of Lazarus from the grave is perhaps the greatest miracle that Jesus has performed so far in His ministry. While Matthew and Mark say nothing about Jesus’ ability to resurrect people from the dead, Luke records two instances of this happening. The first instance involves a young man, already in his casket and headed for burial. Jesus simply touches the casket and says, “Young man, I say to you ‘arise,’” and the young man sits up (see Luke 7:11-17). The second instance involves a young girl who has been sick and then dies in her bed. Jesus simply takes her by the hand and says, “Little child, arise,” and her spirit returns (see Luke 8:55).

The resurrection of Lazarus, however, involves an even greater display of power. When Jesus arrives, Lazarus is no longer in his bed, having died of a sickness. Nor is he in a casket on the way to his burial. Rather, Lazarus has been dead for four days, and is buried in a cave, sealed with a stone. Nevertheless, Jesus raises Lazarus from death and bids him to come forth from the tomb. This glorious demonstration of divine power is the fulfillment of Jesus’ words, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified by it” (John 11:4).

As a result of this great miracle, many went away believing in Jesus, but not everyone. As it is written, “others went away to the Pharisees and told them the things that Jesus did” (John 11:45). When the religious leaders hear the report about the raising of Lazarus, they are upset and deeply concerned. Convening an emergency meeting, they say, “What shall we do, for this man works many signs? If we let Him alone, everyone will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation” (John 11:47-48).

The religious leaders are ruled by their fears. They suspect that as Jesus’ popularity grows, the people will want to set Him up as their king. If that becomes the case, the allegiance of the people will no longer be towards them or towards Rome, but rather towards Jesus. The religious leaders fear that the Roman government will see this as a revolution and, in retaliation, will crack down on the Jewish people with a vengeance, possibly taking away their already limited freedoms, increasing their taxes, destroying their synagogues, and murdering their citizens. The religious leaders fear that all of this would be part of Roman retribution against the Jewish people for following Jesus as their king.

It is at this moment that Caiaphas, the high priest that year, steps in with his point of view. “You know nothing at all,” he says to the other religious leaders. “Nor do you consider that it is expedient that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish” (John 11:49-50). Caiaphas’ solution is a brief and brutal one: Jesus must be put to death. After all, according to Caiaphas’ reasoning, it would be far better to kill Jesus than to see the whole Jewish nation perish.

Interestingly, John tells us that Caiaphas’ words are prophetic, even though Caiaphas is unaware of it. As John puts it, Caiaphas did not say this of his own accord, “but being chief priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus was about to die for the nation. And not for the nation only, but that He should also gather together into one the children of God that were scattered abroad” (John 11:51-52).

In Caiaphas’ mind, the death of Jesus would somehow unify the Jewish people who had been scattered throughout many countries. This prophecy eventually turned out to be true. Jesus’ death would unify “the children of God,” but not in the way that Caiaphas had intended.

Immediately after Caiaphas’ prophecy, the religious leaders reach agreement. As it is written, “Then from that day they consulted together, that they might kill Him” (John 11:53). Because of this, Jesus leaves Jerusalem and goes to a city called Ephraim, north of Jerusalem, at the edge of the wilderness (see John 11:54). In this context, where it is clear that Jesus is being persecuted, the name of this city has a special significance. As it is written in Hebrew scriptures, Joseph named his second son, “Ephraim,” saying, “God has made me fruitful in the land of my affliction” (Genesis 41:52).

Somehow, in spite of the plot to kill Jesus, and in spite of the suffering that Jesus will experience, Jesus’ taking refuge in Ephraim suggests that Jesus will be fruitful, even in the land of His affliction. In other words, all the evil that the religious leaders intend, and every affliction that Jesus will endure will eventually serve to bring about the greatest amount of good. This was prophesied long ago when Joseph said to His brothers who sold him into slavery, “You intended evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about as it is this day, to cause many people to live” (Genesis 50:20). ¹³

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Preparing for the Passover

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In the previous episode, we noted that “loosing Lazarus from his grave clothes” represents the cleansing and purifying process that is necessary before receiving new truth. Old attitudes and false beliefs must first be removed, like old grave clothes, before new attitudes and true beliefs can be received and put on. Just as a garden must be cleared of noxious weeds before good seeds can be planted, tainted motives and corrupt ideas must first be removed before nobler aspirations can be introduced. This is an essential part of the purification process.

As we turn to this next episode, the religious leaders are about to celebrate the Passover. It begins with many people going up to Jerusalem “to purify themselves” (John 11:55). The religious leaders are also preparing for the Passover celebration, but they are not described as purifying themselves. Instead, they are busily trying to figure out how they might capture Jesus. As it is written, “They sought Jesus, and spoke among themselves as they stood in the temple, saying to one another, ‘What do you think—that He will not come to the [Passover] feast?’” (John 11:56). Although they are in the temple, they are not engaged in prayer, praise, or purification. Instead, they are wondering how they might capture Jesus.

It is becoming quite clear that as Jesus continues to reveal His divine identity, the schemes of the religious leaders are becoming increasingly treacherous. The great miracle of bringing Lazarus back from the dead has had no positive effect on them, nor does it make them believers. Rather, it intensifies their fear and their determination to destroy Jesus. As they see it, this miracle will cause the people to follow Jesus more so than ever before. For the religious leaders, this means that they will lose their influence over the people who believe in Jesus and His teachings.

Fearing that Jesus is a direct threat to their power and control, and afraid of Roman retaliation, the religious leaders are firmly resolved that Jesus must die. Spiritually speaking, something similar can occur in each of our lives. Whenever we begin to place our faith in Jesus and follow Him, evil spirits will attack, firmly resolved to destroy our growing faith. Therefore, this episode concludes with the words, “Now both the chief priests and the Pharisees had given a command, that if anyone knew where He was, he should report it, that they might seize Him” (John 11:57). ¹⁴

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A practical application

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Resurrection is one of the central messages of this chapter. It is, in the deepest sense, the belief that God can provide new attitudes, grant new ways of seeing things, bring deep comfort, and lift you into higher states of consciousness. Even if you find yourself in the depths of despair, God can bring about a resurrection of your spirit. This means that God can gift you with a sense of inner peace, comfort, gratitude, or even joy—to the extent that you trust in Him. We must also be aware of hellish influences who want to rush in and destroy our faith by insinuating fears and doubts. If this should happen, remain faithful to God and continue to believe that God has the power to save and lift you up. It is for this reason that Jesus says, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live” (John 11:25). Regardless of the circumstance, remember to pray, believing that God has resurrection power—the power to give you new life. ¹⁵

Footnotes:

376. It has thus far been shown that "oil" signifies celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord; it shall now be shown that "wine" signifies spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbor and the good of faith; and as this good in its essence is truth, it is said in the general explanation that "the oil and the wine hurt not," which signifies that there must no harm be done to the internal or spiritual sense of the Word in respect either to good or to truth, or what is the same, that there must no harm be done to the goods and truths which are in the internal or spiritual sense of the Word. The good of charity and the good of faith in their essence are truth, because that good is implanted by the Lord in man's intellectual part by means of the truths that are called the truths of faith, and when man lives according to these truths they become goods; for by means of truths a new will is formed in that part, and whatever proceeds from the will is called good. This will, moreover, is the same as conscience, and conscience is a conscience of truth, for it is formed by truths of every kind from the doctrine of the church, and from the sense of the letter of the Word (but on this subject see further in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 130-138; and the extracts from the Arcana Coelestia 139-141). From this now it is that "wine" signifies truth.

[2] Furthermore, there are goods and truths internal and external; internal goods and truths are signified by "the oil and the wine" that must not be hurt; but external goods and truths are signified by "wheat and barley." External goods and truths are those that are in the sense of the letter of the Word, while internal goods and truths are those that are in the internal or spiritual sense of the Word; or external goods and truths are such as are in the lower heavens with the angels there, that is, in the ultimates of heaven, while internal goods and truths are such as are in the higher heavens with the angels there, that is, in the third and second heavens. These goods and truths are genuine goods and truths themselves, but the former are truths and goods because they correspond, thus are correspondences; internal goods and truths have immediate communication with the angels of heaven, while external goods and truths have not an immediate but a mediate communication through correspondences. This is why the Jews, because they were only in the sense of the letter and had no knowledge of the signification of things in the spiritual sense, were unable to do harm to the spiritual sense in respect either to good or to truth, and consequently were unable to do harm to genuine goods and truths. So the Christian Church at this day is unable to do harm to the genuine goods and truths which are in the spiritual sense of the Word, for it has been ignorant of that sense, and at the same time ignorant of genuine goods and truths.

[3] The spiritual sense of the Word was not disclosed to Christians, because genuine goods and truths, such as are in the higher heavens, lie concealed in the spiritual sense of the Word; and so long as these goods and truths were unperceived and unknown that sense could not be opened, since these goods and truths could not be seen. In the Christian churches genuine goods and truths have not been perceived and known for the reason that those churches have been divided, in general, into the Papal and the Evangelical; and those in the Papal Church are utterly ignorant of truths, because they do not depend upon the Word, thus upon the Lord who is the Word, that is, Divine truth, but upon the pope, from whose mouth scarcely anything proceeds except what is from the love of ruling, and that love is from hell; therefore with them scarcely a single truth of the church exists; while in the Evangelical churches faith alone has been assumed as the essential means of salvation, and as a consequence the good of love and charity has been rejected as nonessential, and where good is rejected no truth which is truth in itself can exist, since all truth is from good; for the Lord flows into man's good, and by means of good illustrates him and gives him the light to perceive truths, therefore without that light, which is man's very spiritual life, there is no truth, however much it may sound like truth because it is from the Word; it is truth falsified by the ideas that are held in respect to it; for from faith separate from charity, or from truths without good, no other result can follow. This is why the spiritual sense of the Word could not be disclosed to the Christian churches, for if it had been disclosed, they would have falsified and perverted it by ideas from fallacies, and thus would have profaned it. This also is why no one will ever hereafter be admitted into the spiritual sense of the Word unless he is in genuine truths from good, and no one can be in genuine truths from good unless in heart he acknowledges the Lord alone as the God of heaven and earth, for from Him is every good and thence every truth. The spiritual sense of the Word is at this day opened, and therewith also genuine truths and goods are disclosed, because the Last Judgment has been accomplished by the Lord, and thus all things in the heavens and in the hells have been reduced to order; and for this reason it can be provided by the Lord that no harm can be done to genuine truths and goods, which are in the spiritual sense of the Word, and this could not have been provided before (See in the small work on The Last Judgment 73).

[4] That "wine" signifies spiritual good, or the good of charity and the good of faith, which in its essence is truth, can be seen from the following passages in the Word. In Isaiah:

Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters; and he that hath no silver; come ye, buy and eat; buy wine and milk without silver and without price (Isaiah 55:1).

Anyone can see that this does not mean that wine and milk may be bought without silver, "wine and milk" therefore signify things spiritual, namely, "wine" spiritual good, which in its essence is truth, as was said above, but "milk" the good of that truth. That these are given by the Lord freely to those who are ignorant of truth and good, and yet in a desire for these, is signified by "he that hath no silver, come ye, buy and eat; buy without silver;" "to buy" signifies to acquire for oneself, and "to eat" signifies to make one's own, which is done by application as from oneself. Those who are ignorant of truth and good, and yet are in a desire for them, are evidently meant, for it is said, "Ho, everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters," "to thirst" signifying to desire, and "waters" signifying truths, here the Word where truths are.

[5] In Joel:

It shall come to pass in that day, the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and the hills shall flow with milk; all the water-courses of Judah shall flow with waters (Joel 3:18).

This treats of the Lord's coming, and of the new heaven and the new church from Him. It is well known that the mountains in the land of Canaan, or in Judea, did not then drop down sweet wine, nor the hills flow with milk, nor the water-courses of Judah flow with waters more than before, therefore these words must mean something else than new wine, milk, and waters, or than mountains, hills, and water-courses, namely, "that the mountains shall drop down sweet wine" [mustum] or wine [vinum], means that from the good of love to the Lord there shall be genuine truth; "the hills shall flow with milk" means that from the good of charity towards the neighbor there shall be spiritual life; and "all the water-courses of Judah shall flow with waters" means that from the particulars of the Word there shall be truths. (For "Judah" signifies the Lord's celestial kingdom, and also the Word, see Arcana Coelestia 3881[1-11], 6363; therefore "its water-courses" signify the particulars of the Word; that "mountains" signify the good of love to the Lord, n. Arcana Coelestia 795, 4210, 6435, 8327, 8758, 10438, 10608; and "hills" the good of charity towards the neighbor, n. 6435, 10438; and this because in heaven those who are in the good of love to the Lord dwell upon mountains, and those who are in the good of charity towards the neighbor dwell upon hills, n. Arcana Coelestia 10438, and Heaven and Hell, n. 188.)

[6] In Amos:

Behold the days come, that the ploughman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that draweth forth seed; and the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and all the hills shall dissolve. I will bring back the captivity of My people Israel, and they shall build the waste cities; and they shall inhabit them, and they shall plant vineyards and drink the wine thereof, and they shall make gardens and eat the fruit of them. Then will I plant them upon their ground (Amos 9:13-15).

This chapter treats first of the vastation of the church, and then of its restoration by the Lord; and "the people Israel" do not mean that people, but those with whom the church was to be established; and "the ploughman shall overtake the reaper, and the treader of grapes him that draweth forth the seed," signifies that he who receives good and truth shall also perform uses, or bear fruit, thus that with the man of the church the two shall be present at the same time; "the mountains shall drop down sweet wine, and all the hills shall dissolve," signifies, as just above, that from the good of love to the Lord and from the good of charity towards the neighbor there shall be truths in abundance, "sweet wine" here, or "wine," meaning truth; that "the captivity of the people Israel shall be brought back" signifies the restoration of the church among the Gentiles, for "captivity" means spiritual captivity, in which those are who are remote from goods and truths, and yet in a desire for them (See Arcana Coelestia 9164). "The waste cities that they shall build" signify the doctrinals of truth and good from the Word, before destroyed and at that time to be restored; "the vineyards which they shall plant," and "the wine of which they shall drink," signify all things of the church from which there is intelligence, "a vineyard" signifies the spiritual church, and therefore "vineyards" signify all things of the church; "wine" signifies the truth of the church in general, and "to drink it" signifies to be instructed and become intelligent, thus intelligence; and "the gardens which they shall make, and the fruit of which they shall eat," signifies wisdom, "gardens" meaning all things of intelligence, and their "fruit" signifying the goods of life, thus "to eat their fruit" signifies the appropriation of good, thus wisdom, for wisdom comes when truths are committed to the life; and because this is what is meant, therefore it is said of Israel, "I will plant them upon their ground."

[7] In Moses:

He bindeth his foal to the vine, the son of his she-ass unto the noble vine; he washeth his vesture in wine, and his covering in the blood of the grapes. His eyes are red with wine, and his teeth white with milk (Genesis 49:1, 12).

This is in the prophecy of Israel the father respecting Judah, by whom here Judah is not meant, but the Lord in relation to the celestial kingdom; and "wine" and the "blood of grapes" mean the Divine truth. (What the rest signifies, and that "wine" signifies Divine truth, because this has reference to the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia 6375-6381.)

[8] In the same:

Jacob brought of his venison to his father Isaac, and he did eat; and he brought him wine, and he drank. And Isaac blessed him, saying, God give thee of the dew of heaven, and of the fatnesses of the earth, and plenty of corn and new wine (Genesis 27:25, 27-28, 37).

Those who do not know that the Word is spiritual in its particulars may suppose that by "Isaac" here is meant Isaac, and by "Jacob" Jacob, and therefore that by "the fatnesses of the earth," and "the corn and new wine," no other and deeper things are meant; but "Isaac" here represents the Lord, and "Jacob" the church; thence the "fatnesses of the earth" mean the celestial things that are of the good of love; and "corn and new wine" every good and truth of the church. (But these words may also be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia n. 3570, 3579, 3580.)

[9] In the same:

If ye shall harken to My commandments, I will give rain to your land in its time, the former rain and the latter rain; and thou shall gather in thy corn, and thy new wine, and thy fresh oil (Deuteronomy 11:13-14).

These blessings of the earth were promised to the sons of Israel if they would hear and do the commandments of Jehovah, and the blessings followed because with them the church was representative, and the things that were said and commanded by Jehovah corresponded to things spiritual, thus these blessings of the earth to the blessings of heaven. The blessings of heaven, to which the blessings of the earth correspond, all have reference to the things that are of the good of love and the truth of faith; these blessings therefore are signified by "the former rain and the latter rain," for "rain" in particular signifies Divine truth flowing in out of heaven, from which all things of the church and heaven with man are born, grow, and are brought forth; therefore "the corn, new wine, and oil, which they should gather in," signify every good and truth of the external and internal man.

[10] In the same:

Thus Israel dwelt securely, alone by the fountain of Jacob, in a land of corn and new wine; yea, his heavens shall drop down dew (Deuteronomy 33:28).

This was the conclusion of the blessings of the sons of Israel by Moses, which were all prophetical, and every son or every tribe of Israel signified something of the church (as in Genesis 49); and here "Israel" signifies the church itself; and "to dwell securely, alone by the fountain of Jacob," signifies to live without infestation from evils and falsities, and to be led by the Lord alone through Divine truth, the "fountain of Jacob" meaning Divine truth and the Word; and "to live in a land of corn and new wine" signifies in every good and truth of the church; and "yea, his heavens shall drop down dew," signifies influx out of heaven.

[11] In the same:

He made him ride upon the high places of the earth, and gave him butter of the herd, and milk of the flock, with the fat of lambs, and of rams, the sons of Bashan, and of he-goats, with the fat of the kidneys of wheat; and thou drinkest the blood of the grape, unmixed wine (Deuteronomy 32:13-14).

These things are said of the Ancient Church, which was the church previous to the Israelitish Church, and was in the good of charity and in truths of faith. The goods of every kind, in which it was, are meant by these things, namely, the "butter of the herd," the "milk of the flock," "the fat of lambs," "the fat of rams," "the fat of goats," "the fat of the kidneys of wheat;" and spiritual truths are meant by "the blood of the grape" and "unmixed wine."

[12] In Jeremiah:

They shall come and sing aloud in the height of Zion, and shall flow together unto the good of Jehovah, to the corn, and to the new wine, and to the fresh oil, and to the sons of the flock and of the herd (Jeremiah 31:12).

"Corn," "new wine," and "fresh oil," signify goods and truth of every kind (what these mean in particular, see above, n. 374). In Isaiah:

Jehovah hath sworn by His right hand, and by the arm of His strength, Surely I will no longer give thy corn to be food for thine enemies, and the sons of the alien shall not drink thy new wine for which thou hast labored; but they that gather it shall eat it and praise Jehovah, and they that bring it together shall drink it in the courts of holiness (Isaiah 62:8-9).

This is said of Jerusalem, which signifies the church in relation to doctrine; therefore "the corn that shall no longer be given as food for the enemies, and the new wine that the sons of the alien shall not drink" signify in general the good and truth of the church, which shall no longer be consumed by evils and falsities; "enemies" here meaning evils, and "the sons of the alien" falsities, and "to eat," or "to have food given them," and "to drink," mean to consume. That goods and truths will remain with those who receive them, and thence make use of them, is signified by "they that gather it shall eat it," and "they that bring it together shall drink it;" worship from these is signified by "praising Jehovah," and "drinking in the courts of holiness."

[13] In the same:

Gladness is taken away, and exultation from Carmel; and in the vineyards there is no singing aloud, no shouting for joy; the treader treadeth not out the wine in the wine-vats; I have made the vintage-shouting to cease (Isaiah 16:10).

This describes the taking away of the heavenly enjoyment that is from good and its truths, because good and truth itself is taken away; the good of the church is meant by "Carmel," and its truths by "vineyards" and by "treading out the wine in the wine-vats;" the enjoyments thereof that are taken away are meant by "gladness," "exultation," "singing aloud," "shouting," and "vintage-shouting," for it was a custom to sing in the vineyards, and in the winepresses when the grape was trodden into wine, that enjoyments from truths, which were signified by "wine," might be represented.

[14] In Jeremiah:

With more than the weeping of Jazer I will weep for thee, O vine of Sibmah; thy shoots are passed over the sea, they reach even to the sea of Jazer; upon thy autumn fruits, and upon thy vintage the devastator is fallen. Whence gladness and exultation is gathered out of Carmel, and out of the land of Moab; and I have caused the wine to cease in the wine-vats; none shall tread with shouting; their shouting shall be no shouting (Jeremiah 48:32-33).

This also treats of the taking away of the heavenly enjoyment that is from the good of love and the truths thence, for all heavenly enjoyment is in these and from these. Lamentation over it is meant by "weeping" [flere fletum]; deprivation of it is meant by "gladness and exultation is gathered out of Carmel," likewise by "the devastator falling upon it," "the wine failing," and "the shouting being no shouting;" the good that was taken away, for which there was lamentation, is meant by "the autumn fruits;" and the truths of good that were taken away are meant by "the vintage," and by "the wine in the wine-vats." That truths were banished, and that they perished through knowledges [scientifica] is meant by "the vine of Sibmah," and by its "shoots that have gone over the sea, even to the sea of Jazer," "sea" signifying the knowing faculty [scientificum].

[15] In Lamentations:

The infant and the suckling faint in the broad places of the city. They say to their mothers, Where is the corn and the wine? when they faint as one pierced in the broad places of the city, when their soul is poured out upon their mother's bosom (Lam. 2:11-12).

These words contain a lamentation over the Jewish Church, that every good and truth thereof has perished; and the lamentation is described by "the infant and the suckling who faint in the broad places of the city, and say to their mothers, Where is the corn and the wine?" The "infant and the suckling" signify those who are in the good of innocence, and in an abstract sense, the good of innocence itself; by this good every good of the church is meant, since it is the essential of all its goods (See in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 276-283, 285, 288, 341, 382). "The broad places of the city" signify the truths of doctrine; "mothers" all things of the church; "corn and wine" all the good and truth of the church in general. It is said that "they faint as one pierced in the broad places of the city, when their soul is poured out upon their mother's bosom," because "one pierced" signifies those who perish spiritually from the deprivation of truth, and "soul" signifies spiritual life. (That "the broad places of the city, in which they faint," signify the truths of doctrine, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 2336; and that "the mother, into whose bosom the soul is poured out," signifies the church, n. 2691, 2717, 3703, 4257, 5581, 8897)

[16] In Zephaniah:

Their wealth shall be for plunder, and their houses for a waste, that they may build houses but not inhabit them, and plant vineyards but not drink the wine thereof (Zephaniah 1:13).

The "wealth that shall be for plunder" signifies spiritual wealth, which is the knowledges of good and truth; "the houses that shall be for devastation" signify the things of the church in man; that from these when devastated one profits nothing and receives nothing, even though he listens to them, and sees them in the Word, is signified by "building and not inhabiting, and planting vineyards and not drinking the wine thereof," "houses" meaning the goods of the church, and "vineyards" with "wine" its truths.

[17] Like things are meant in Micah:

Thou shalt sow but shalt not reap; thou shalt tread the olive but shalt not anoint thee with oil, and the new wine but shall not drink wine (Micah 6:15).

In Amos:

Vineyards of desire shall ye plant, but ye shall not drink the wine of them (Amos 5:11).

And in Hosea:

The threshing-floor and the wine-vat shall not feed them, and the new wine shall dissemble unto them. They shall not pour forth wine to Jehovah, and these shall not be agreeable unto Him (Hosea 9:2, 4).

The "threshing-floor and the wine-vat" signify the same as "corn and wine," because corn and wine are there collected; that they will not profit by what they hear is signified by "they shall not feed them, and the new wine shall dissemble unto them;" and that thence their worship is not accepted is signified by "they shall not pour forth wine to Jehovah, and these (that is, the offerings) shall not be agreeable unto Him."

[18] In Joel:

Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the sweet wine which is cut off from your mouth. The field is devastated, the ground mourned, for the corn was devastated, the new wine was dried up, the fresh oil languisheth; the husbandmen were ashamed; the vine-dressers howled (Joel 1:5, 10-11).

What these words signify in the spiritual sense, may be seen above n. 374, where they are explained; "wine" and "sweet wine" meaning the truth of the church, and "vine-dressers" those who are in truths and teach them. This treats of a devastated church, in which goods and truths have perished.

[19] In Ezekiel:

Damascus was thy trader in the multitude of thy works, in the multitude of all riches, in the wine of Heshbon ¹ and the wool of Zachar (Ezekiel 27:18).

This is said of Tyre, which signifies the church in relation to the knowledges of good and truth; and "Damascus," which was a city in Syria, signifies the concordant knowing faculty [scientificum]; and the "tradings" referred to in this chapter signify the acquisition and communication and also the use of these. Because "Damascus" signifies the concordant knowing faculty, it is called a "trader in the multitude of all works and riches," "works" by which uses are effected, signifying the knowledges of good, and "riches" the knowledges of truth; and as the knowledges of truth and good are in the natural man, for therein is everything pertaining to cognition and knowing that is perceptible, therefore it is said "in the wine of Heshbon and the wool of Zachar," the "wine of Heshbon" signifying natural truth, and the "wool of Zachar" natural good.

[20] In Isaiah:

A malediction shall devour the earth; the new wine shall mourn, the vine shall languish, all the glad of heart shall sigh. They shall not drink wine with a song; strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it. The city of voidness shall be broken down; every house shall be shut, that no one come in (Isaiah 24:6-7, 9-10).

These words describe the perversion of the church, which takes place when falsity rules in place of truth, whence there is no longer any good; for man has good by means of truths. "The earth that the malediction will devour" signifies the church, "malediction" meaning its perversion; the "new wine that will mourn," and the "vine that will languish," signify all truth of the church, "to mourn" and "to languish" signifying deprivation of it; that there shall no longer be any heavenly enjoyment and blessedness is signified by "all the glad of heart shall sigh, they shall not drink wine with a song;" that they shall turn away from all things that agree with truths is signified by "strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it," "strong drink" signifying the things that are from truths and agree with them. But that the doctrine of falsity shall be destroyed is signified by "the city of voidness shall be broken down," "city" meaning doctrine, and "a void" falsity; and that there shall no longer be any good or wisdom with man is signified by "every house shall be shut, that no one come in," which takes place when there is no truth, but only falsity.

[21] In Amos:

Who drink out of bowls of wine, and anoint themselves with the firstfruits of the oils; but they are not grieved for the breach of Joseph (Amos 6:6).

This and what precedes in that chapter describes those who are in external worship without internal, such as the Jews were formerly and still are; the "bowls of wine out of which they drink" are the externals of truth from which is worship; and the "firstfruits of the oils with which they anoint themselves" are the externals of good, from which also is worship; "Joseph" signifies the internal of the church or its spiritual; not being affected because this perishes is signified by "they are not grieved for his breach." (That external worship without internal is no worship, see Arcana Coelestia 1094, 1175, 7724; that the Jews were formerly and still are in external worship without internal, n. 1200, 3147, 3479, 8871; that "Joseph" signifies the spiritual church, thus also the spiritual of the church, n. 3969, 3971, 4669, 6417)

[22] In Zechariah:

I will render the house of Judah mighty and I will save the house of Joseph; on this account they shall be as the mighty Ephraim, and their heart shall be glad as if with wine (Zechariah 10:6-7).

"The house of Judah" signifies the Lord's celestial church, and the "house of Joseph" the Lord's spiritual church; and "to render mighty their houses" signifies to multiply with them truths from good, for all might is of truth from good; therefore it is said, "they shall be as the mighty Ephraim;" "Ephraim" signifying the understanding of truth from good, which is called mighty from its multiplication; heavenly enjoyment therefrom is signified by "their heart shall be glad as if with wine," "wine" meaning truth from good from which that enjoyment comes. (That truths have all power from good, see in the work o n Heaven and Hell 228-233; and also above, n. 209, 333; that "Judah" in the Word signifies the Lord's celestial kingdom, Arcana Coelestia 3881[1-11], 6363; and "Ephraim" the intellectual of the church, n. 3969, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267, 6296.)

[23] In Daniel:

Belshazzar king of Babylon, and his magnates, and his wives, and his concubines, drank wine out of vessels of the temple of Jerusalem, and praised the gods of silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone. Therefore there was written on the wall, Numbered, weighed, and divided. And then he [Nebuchadnezzar] was driven out from the sons of man, and his dwelling was with the wild asses (Daniel 5:2-5, 21).

In the internal sense this describes the profanation of good and truth, which also is meant by "Babel" or "Babylon;" for "to drink wine out of the vessels of the temple of Jerusalem" signifies to draw the truths of the church from the Word, "to drink wine" meaning to draw truths, and "the vessels of the temple of Jerusalem" meaning the truths that belong to the doctrine of the church from the Word; and "to praise the gods of gold, silver, brass, iron, wood, and stone" signifies worship from the love of self and the world; for these gods signify idolatrous worship of every kind, and profanation; that it was therefore written on the wall, "numbered, weighed, divided" signifies separation from all things of heaven and the church. That afterwards "the king was driven out from the sons of man, and his dwelling was with the wild asses" signifies separation from all truth, and the allotment of his life with the infernals, "sons of man" meaning the truths of the church, "wild asses" those who are in dire falsities like those in the hells, and "dwelling" meaning the allotment of the life.

[24] In Joel:

They have cast a lot upon My people; for they have given a boy for a harlot, and sold a girl for wine, which they drank (Joel 3:3).

"To cast lots upon the people" signifies to dissipate the truths of the church, "to cast a lot" signifying to dissipate, and "people" signifying the church in relation to truths, thus also the truths of the church; "to give a boy for a harlot" signifies to falsify truth, "boy" meaning the truth of the church, and "harlot" falsity; and "to sell a girl for wine, which they drank" signifies to pervert the good of the church by truth falsified, "girl" meaning the good of the church, and "wine" truth falsified.

[25] Because "wine" signified the truth of the church that is from good, it was commanded that, with the sacrifices upon the altar, a meal-offering and a drink-offering should be offered, and the meal-offering was bread, and the drink-offering wine; these signified worship of the Lord from the good of love, and from the truths therefrom; for all worship is from these. (On the drink-offerings, the portions of wine with them at the different sacrifices, see Exodus 29:40, 41; Leviticus 23:13, 18; Numbers 6:1-4, 15, 17; 15:4-7, 10, 24; 28:7-10, 24, 31; 29:6, 11, 16, 19, 22, 25, 27, 28, 31, 34, 38, 39; and besides Genesis 35:14) This makes clear what is signified in Joel:

The meal-offering and the drink-offering was cut off from the house of Jehovah; the priests, the ministers (of the altar), mourned (Joel 1:9);

namely, that worship from the good of love, and from the truths therefrom, had perished. Who cannot see that the meal-offering and the drink-offering, which were bread and wine, were not pleasing to Jehovah in worship, unless they had signified such things as are of heaven and the church?

[26] From this it can now be seen what the bread and wine in the Holy Supper involve, namely, the bread, the good of love to the Lord from the Lord, and the wine, the good of faith, which in its essence is truth. (But on the Holy Supper and the bread and wine of it, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 210-222.) Because "wine" signifies the good of faith, which in its essence is truth, when the Lord instituted the sacrament of the supper, He said:

I say unto you, I will not drink henceforth of this product of the vine until that day when I will drink it with you new in My Father's kingdom (Matthew 26:29).

I say unto you, I will not drink of the product of the vine until the kingdom of God shall come (Luke 22:18).

"The product of the vine," that is, "wine," which the Lord "would drink with them new in His Father's kingdom," or "when the kingdom of God should come," means that all Divine truth in heaven and the church would then be from His Divine Human; He therefore calls it "new," and also He calls it "the new testament in his blood" (Luke 22:20); for "the Lord's blood" has a like signification as "wine" (See above, n. 30, 328, 329). And as everything Divine, since the Lord has risen, proceeds from Him, He says that He will drink it with them when the kingdom of God shall come, and it came when He reduced all things to order in the heavens and in the hells. That the kingdom of God came at the same time with the Lord and that it is from Him can be seen from Matthew 3:2; 4:8; 10:7; 12:28; 16:28; Mark 1:14, 15; 9:1; Luke 1:32, 33; 9:11, 27, 60; 10:11; 16:16; 17:20, 21; 23:42, 51; John 18:36. Now, because "bread" signifies the good of love, and "wine" the good of faith, which in its essence is the truth from that good, and in the highest sense, "bread" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine good, and "wine" the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and because there is a correspondence between spiritual things and natural, (and such a correspondence that when "bread" and "wine" are in man's thought, the good of love and the good of faith are in the angels' thoughts), and because all things of heaven and the church have reference to the good of love and the good of faith, therefore the Lord instituted the Holy Supper in order that by means of it there might be a conjunction of the angels of heaven with the men of the church.

[27] Because such things are meant by "bread and wine" in heaven, therefore:

Melchizedek, king of Salem, going out to meet Abram, brought out bread and wine; and he was a priest to God Most High. And he blessed Abram (Genesis 14:18-19).

"Melchizedek" here represents the Lord in relation to Divine good and in relation to Divine truth, as priest in relation to Divine good, and as king to Divine truth; therefore he "brought out bread and wine," "bread" signifying Divine good, and "wine" Divine truth; or when applied to man, "bread" signifying the good of love to the Lord, and "wine" the good of faith, which is from the reception of Divine truth.

[28] The "wine" spoken of by the Lord in the following passages has a like signification:

They do not put new wine into old wine-skins, else the skins burst, and the wine is spilled; but they put [new] wine into fresh wine-skins, and both are preserved (Matthew 9:17).

And no man having drunk old wine straightway desireth new; for he saith, The old is more useful (Luke 5:39).

This comparison, like all others in the Word, is from correspondences, "wine" signifying truth, "old wine" the truth of the old or Jewish Church, and "wine-skins" things that contain, "old wine-skins" the statutes and judgments of the Jewish Church, and "fresh wine-skins" the precepts and commandments of the Lord. That the statutes and judgments of the Jewish Church, which related especially to sacrifices and representative worship, are not in agreement with the truths of the Christian Church is meant by "they do not put new wine into old wine-skins, else the wine-skins burst and the wine is spilled; but they put [new] wine into fresh wine-skins, and both are preserved together." That those who have been born and educated in the externals of the Jewish Church cannot be brought immediately into the internals belonging to the Christian Church is signified by "no man having drunk old wine straightway desireth new; for he saith, "The old is more useful."

[29] The same is signified by "the water turned into wine at Cana of Galilee," thus described in John:

At the wedding in Cana of Galilee, when the wine failed, there were six water-pots of stone set there, according to the cleansing of the Jews. Jesus said, Fill the water-pots; and they filled them to the brim. Then he said unto them Draw out now, and bear unto the ruler of the feast; and they bare it. While the ruler of the feast tasted the water that was made wine, he calleth the bridegroom, and saith unto him, Every man setteth on first the good wine; and when they have had enough, the inferior; thou hast kept the good wine until now (John 2:1-10).

It should be known that all the miracles done by the Lord, as well as all the miracles by Him spoken of in the Old Testament, signified, that is, contained within them, such things as belong to heaven and the church, and that thence His miracles were Divine (See Arcana Coelestia 7337, 8364, 9051). So with this miracle; here, as elsewhere in the Word, "a wedding" signifies the church; "in Cana of Galilee" means among the Gentiles; "water" the truth of the external church, such as was the truth of the Jewish Church from the sense of the letter of the Word, and "wine" the truth of the internal church, such as is the truth of the Christian Church; therefore the Lord's "making the water wine" signifies that of the truths of the external church He will make truths of the internal church by opening the internal things that have lain concealed in them. "The six water-pots of stone, set there according to the cleansing of the Jews," signify all these truths in the Word, and thence in the Jewish Church and its worship; these were all representative and significative of things Divine in the Lord and from the Lord, which contained things eternal. For this reason there were "six water-pots of stone, set for the cleansing of the Jews;" the number "six" signifies all, and is predicated of truths; "stone" signifies truth, and "the cleansing of the Jews" purification from sins; thus all things of the Jewish Church are signified, since that church regards purification from sins as its all, for so far as anyone is purified from sins, so far he becomes a church. "The ruler of the feast" means those who are in the knowledges of truth; his saying to the bridegroom, "every man setteth on first the good wine; and when men have had enough, the inferior; thou hast kept the good wine until now," signifies that every church has its beginning in truths from good, but falls away into truths not of good, but that now, at the end of the church, truth from good, or genuine truth, is granted, namely by the Lord.

[30] It is because "wine" signifies the truth of the church, and "oil" the good of the church, that the Lord says, in the parable of the man who was wounded by thieves:

That the Samaritan poured oil and wine into his wounds (Luke 10:33-34);

where "the man wounded by thieves" means those who are infested and have their conscience hurt by evil men, who are "robbers;" and "the Samaritan" means the Gentiles that are in the good of charity; therefore "his pouring into his wounds oil and wine" signifies the spiritual things that heal a man thus injured, "oil" meaning the good of love, and "wine" the good of faith, or truth. What the rest signifies, namely, "that he set him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn, and told them to take care of him," may be seen above (n. 375[8]), where they are explained. That "wine" signifies the truth of the church can be seen not only from the passages cited, but also from others in the Word (as Isaiah 1:21, 22; 25:6; 36:17; Hosea 7:4, 5, 14; 14:5-7; Amos 2:8; Zechariah 9:15, 17; Psalms 104:14-16).

[31] As most things in the Word have also a contrary sense, so, too, has "wine," and in that sense it signifies truth falsified, and also falsity, as in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim, to the flower of his fading adornment, which is on the head of the valley of the fat ones frenzied with wine; the crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, they shall be trampled under the feet; these go astray through wine, and through strong drink they err; the priest and the prophet go astray through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they err through wine, ² they go astray among the seeing, they waver in judgment (Isaiah 28:1, 3, 7).

This is said of those who are insane in things spiritual because they believe themselves to be intelligent of themselves, and glory in it; the state of such is here described by pure correspondences; those who are insane in things spiritual or in truths are meant by "the drunkards," and those who thence believe themselves intelligent by "Ephraim," and hence glorying in intelligence or learning is meant by the "crown of pride;" for those who are in falsities of doctrine and have confirmed themselves in them, when they are illustrated and see truths, in the other life become like drunkards. The learned who have confirmed themselves in falsities become such, and to confirm oneself in falsities is to confirm from oneself and not from the Lord. This makes clear what is signified by "woe to the crown of pride, to the drunkards of Ephraim;" "the flower of the fading adornment that is on the head of the valley of the fat ones frenzied with wine" signifies the truth of the church destroyed even as it is born by the glorying of the self-intelligence that is of the natural man separated from the spiritual, when falsity is seen instead of truth, "the flower of the adornment" meaning truth as it is born declining or perished; "the head of the valley of the fat ones" means the intelligence of the natural man; "frenzied with wine" means those who see falsity in place of truth; "the crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim, they shall be trampled under the feet," signifies that this intelligence shall utterly perish; "these go astray through wine, and through strong drink they err," signifies through falsities and through such things as are from falsities; "the priest and the prophet go astray through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they are gone astray through strong drink," signifies that such are those who ought to be in the doctrine of good and truth, and in a sense abstracted from persons that such is their doctrine itself; "they go astray among the seeing, they waver in judgment," signifies that they do not see the truths of intelligence. That these words have such a signification no one can see except from the spiritual sense; without that it could not be known that "crown" and "head" signify intelligence, that "drunkards" signify those who are insane in things spiritual, that "Ephraim" signifies here man's own understanding, or that which is from himself, that "valley" signifies the lower things of the mind, which are natural and sensual, and that "priest and prophet" signify the doctrine of good and truth.

[32] In the same:

Linger ye, wonder, be astounded, and cry out; they are drunken, but not with wine; they stagger, but not with strong drink; for Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed up your eyes; the prophets and your heads, the seers hath He covered (Isaiah 29:9-10).

This is said of those who can see nothing of truth when they hear or read it from the Word; those who are such are called "drunken but not with wine," and "they stagger, but not with strong drink," "wine" signifying in particular the truth of the spiritual and thus of the rational man, and "strong drink" the truth of the natural man therefrom. Because such are meant it is said, "Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed up your eyes," "the spirit of deep sleep" meaning no perception, and the "eyes closed up" no understanding. "The prophets and your heads [the seers] hath He covered," signifies those who are in the doctrine of truth and were wise and intelligent thence; "prophets" signify those who are in the doctrine of truth, and in an abstract sense, doctrine itself, "heads" signify the wise, and in an abstract sense, wisdom, and "seers" signify the intelligent, and in an abstract sense, intelligence. Wonder at such gross stupidity is described by "Linger ye, wonder, be astounded," and lamentation over it by "cry out." Such are those who are in a life of evil, and at the same time in the principles of falsity, however learned they are believed to be; for a life of evil shuts out the perception of good by which thought has life and light, and the principles of falsity shut out the understanding of truth, on which account they see from the sensual man only, and not at all from the spiritual.

[33] In the same:

The dogs are strong of soul, they know not satiety; and they are shepherds who know not intelligence. Come, I will take wine and we will be drunk with strong drink (Isaiah 56:11-12).

This is said of those who care for nothing but worldly and earthly things, which close the internal spiritual man. These, from having no perception of good and no understanding of truth, are called "dogs strong of soul, they know not satiety," that is, they are unable to receive good, "to know" here signifies to be able, and "satiety" reception of good, for satiety is predicated of food, by which spiritual nourishment is signified. That they have no understanding of truth is meant by "they are shepherds who know not intelligence;" those are called "shepherds" who believe themselves able to instruct others, for "to feed" means to instruct; and because such persons love falsities and things falsified, it is added, "Come, I will take wine, and we will be drunk with strong drink."

[34] In Jeremiah:

Thus said Jehovah, God of Israel, Every bottle shall be filled with wine. Behold I fill all the inhabitants of this land, and the kings sitting for David upon his throne, and the priests and the prophets, all the inhabitants of Jerusalem with drunkenness (Jeremiah 13:12-13).

Here, too, "wine" signifies falsity, and "every bottle that shall be filled with wine" signifies the mind of man, since the mind is a recipient of truth or of falsity, as a bottle is of wine; "the kings sitting for David upon his throne" signify those who would otherwise be in Divine truths, "priests" those who would be in Divine goods, "prophets," those who would be in doctrine, "the inhabitants of Jerusalem" all who are of the church; and "the drunkenness with which they shall be filled" signifies insanity in spiritual things.

[35] In the same:

I am become like a drunkard, and like a man into whom wine hath passed, because of Jehovah, and because of the words of His Holiness. For the land is full of adulterers (Jeremiah 23:9-10).

This is a lamentation over the adulteration of good and falsification of truth in the church, which is signified by "the land is full of adulterers;" these are meant by "adulteries," and the church by "land." Insanity in spiritual things through reasonings from evils against Divine goods and from falsities against Divine truth is signified by, "I am become like a drunkard, and like a man into whom wine has passed, because of Jehovah, and because of the words of His Holiness;" "to become like a drunkard and like a man into whom wine hath passed" signifies confusion of mind and insanity by reasoning from evils and falsities; "because of Jehovah" signifies because of Divine goods, and "because of the words of his holiness" signifies because of Divine truths.

[36] In Isaiah:

Hear now this, thou afflicted, and drunken but not with wine (Isaiah 51:21).

The "drunken but not with wine," mean here those who are in falsities from ignorance of truth. That:

Noah drank of the wine and was drunken, and therefore lay naked in the midst of his tent (Genesis 9:21);

means in the spiritual sense, something entirely different from the meaning in the letter; likewise:

Lot's being made drunken by his daughters, and their then lying with him (Genesis 19:32-34).

What is meant by the drunkenness of Noah in the spiritual sense may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 1070-1081); and what by the drunkenness of Lot (n. 2465 end). "Drunkenness" also elsewhere in the Word signifies insanity in spiritual things, and lapsing into errors (Isaiah 19:11, 12, 14; Jeremiah 25:27; Joel 1:5-7; Jeremiah 51:7; Leviticus 10:8, 9).

[37] That "wine" in a contrary sense signifies falsity, is also evident from Isaiah:

Woe unto them that rise early in the morning, that follow strong drink; to them that delay until twilight till wine inflames them. But they do not look upon the work of Jehovah, and they see not the working of His hands. Woe to the wise in their own eyes, and the intelligent before their own faces. Woe unto the mighty in drinking wine, and to men of strength to mingle strong drink (Isaiah 5:11-12, 21-22).

This is said of those who frame for themselves doctrinals from self-intelligence not from the Lord, or from Him out of the Word, which consequently are mere falsities. "Woe unto them who rise early in the morning, who follow strong drink, to them who delay until twilight till wine inflame them; but they do not look upon the work of Jehovah, and they see not the working of His hands" signifies therefore the perverted states of those who believe that they are illustrated of themselves, whence they are in falsities of doctrine, and care not for the Word, from which they might know goods and truths of life and of doctrine. "To rise early in the morning," and "to delay until twilight" signifies to be illustrated; and "to follow strong drink," and "to be inflamed with wine" signifies to hatch out doctrinals of themselves; "not to look upon the work of Jehovah," and "not to see the working of His hands" signifies not to care for the Word, or the goods of life and the truths of doctrine there disclosed; "the work of Jehovah" is predicated of the goods of life, and "the working of His hands" of the truths of doctrine, both from the Word; because such persons are meant, therefore it is said, "Woe to the wise in their own eyes, and the intelligent before their own faces;" "the wise in their own eyes" signifying those who are wise from their own intelligence, and "the intelligent before their own faces" signifying those who are intelligent from their own affection, "eyes" signifying the understanding, and "face" affection. And "woe unto the mighty in drinking wine, and to men of strength to mingle strong drink," signifies unto such as aspire after great things, and are ingenious in confirming the falsities that favor the loves of self and their own principles; "the mighty" are those who aspire to great things; "men of strength" those who are ingenious, and seem to themselves to be intelligent; "to drink wine" means to imbibe falsities, and "to mingle strong drink" means to confirm them. Such are all those who are in the love of self, and who seek after the reputation for learning, for such are in what is their own, and cannot be elevated above it; therefore their own thought is in the corporeal sensual, by which no truth is seen, and no spiritual good is perceived. But those who are not in the love of self, and who seek intelligence for the sake of the uses of life, are elevated by the Lord from what is their own into the light of heaven, and though not themselves aware of it, are illustrated.

[38] In Hosea:

Whoredom and new wine have taken up the heart. My people ask the wood, and their rod answereth them; for the spirit of whoredom hath led them astray, and they have committed whoredom under their God. Ephraim is joined to idols; their wine is gone; in whoring they commit whoredom (Hosea 4:11-12, 17-18).

This treats of those who falsify truths; the falsification of truth is signified by "whoredom," and the falsity therefrom by "new wine." This makes clear what is signified by "whoredom and new wine have taken up the heart; the spirit of whoredoms hath seduced them, they have committed whoredom under their God, and the wine hath departed, in whoring they commit whoredom," namely, that such falsify Divine truths, and consequently have no truth at all, "to commit whoredom under their God" signifies to falsify Divine truths, and "the wine hath departed" signifies that consequently they have no truth at all; "Ephraim, who is joined to idols" signifies those who are in self-intelligence, and the "idols to which he is joined" signify the falsities of religion. "My people ask the wood, and their rod answereth them" signifies that they consult their self-love, and favor it from self-intelligence; for "wood" or an idol of wood, which they ask, signifies self-love, and "the rod that answers" signifies power from what is one's own, thus intelligence.

[39] In Revelation:

Babylon is fallen is fallen, the great city, because of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom she hath made all nations to drink. If anyone worshipeth the beast he shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which hath been mingled unmixed in the cup of the anger [of God]; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone (Revelation 14:8-10);

I will show thee the judgment of the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters, with whom the kings of the earth committed whoredom, and they that dwell in the earth were made drunk from the wine of her whoredom (Revelation 17:1-2).

For of the wine of the wrath of her whoredom have all nations drunk, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her (Revelation 18:3).

"The wine of the anger of God" signifies the falsity of evil, and "the wine of whoredom" signifies truth falsified; what the rest means will appear in the explanation of it, likewise what these words mean in Revelation:

Babylon the great was remembered before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the wrath of God's anger (Revelation 16:19);

"The wine of God's anger" having the same meaning as "the chalice, or cup, of God's anger."

[40] In Jeremiah:

Babylon hath been a cup of gold in the hand of Jehovah, making the whole earth drunken; the nations have drunk of her wine, therefore the nations are mad (Jeremiah 51:7).

And in David:

There is a cup in the hand of Jehovah, and He hath mingled the wine, hath filled it with mixture, and hath poured out; but the lees of it all the wicked of the earth shall suck out and drink (Psalms 75:8).

As the "meal-offering" and the "drink-offering," which were bread and wine, signify worship from the good of love and the truths of faith, so in a contrary sense, the "meal-offering" and "drink-offering" signify worship from the evils that are of the love of evil, and from the falsities of faith; this was signified by the "meal-offering" and "drink-offering" that were offered to idols and to the gods (Isaiah 57:6; 65:11; Jeremiah 7:18; 44:17-19; Ezekiel 20:28; Deuteronomy 32:38). From the signification of "wine" it can be seen what "vineyard," "vine," its "branches," and "grapes" signify in the Word, namely, that "a vineyard" signifies the spiritual church, that is, the church that is in the truths and goods of doctrine from the Lord, "a vine" the doctrine itself, its "branches" truths from which doctrine is formed, and "the grapes" which are the fruit of vineyards and of vines, the goods of charity and the goods of faith (but of these elsewhere).

Footnotes: