Water into Wine

1. And on the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

2. And both Jesus was called and His disciples to the wedding.

3. And when the wine was lacking, the mother of Jesus says to Him, They have no wine.

4. Jesus says to her, What [is there] to Me and to thee, woman? my hour is not yet come.

5. His mother says to those ministering, whatever He shall say to you, do.

6. And there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the purification of the Jews, containing two or three measures apiece.

7. Jesus says to them, Fill the waterpots with water. And they filled them up to the top.

8. And He says to them, Draw out now, and bring to the chief of the feast; and they brought [it].

9. And when the chief of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and knew not whence it was (but those ministering who drew the water knew), the chief of the feast calls the bridegroom,

10. And says to him, Every man first puts out the good wine, and when they have had enough, then the lesser; thou hast kept the good wine until now.

11. This beginning of signs did Jesus in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

A promise fulfilled

At the end of the previous chapter, Nathanael is described as “a man without deceit” (1:47). Amazed that Jesus knows all about him, Nathanael exclaims, “You are the Son of God. You are the King of Israel” (1:49). In response, Jesus promises Nathanael that he will see even greater things. “Did you believe because I saw you under the fig tree?” says Jesus. “You will see greater things than this. You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (1:51). This promise takes place in the spirit of everyone who, like Nathanael, is “without deceit,” recognizes that Jesus is the Son of God, and strives to live according to what Jesus teaches.

Accordingly, the next episode provides deeper insight about how this promise can take place in each of our lives. It begins with the words, “On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee” (2:1). A wedding, which celebrates one of the most significant transitions in human life, also represents a corresponding transition in our spiritual life. Just as a marriage begins when a man and a woman come before the Lord promising to be united in a life of love and faithfulness, spiritual life begins with a commitment to unite the truth we know with an effort to live according to it. Up to this point, truth may have been believed, but it was separated from goodness.

Gradually, however, as truth is put into practice, we come to see and feel the goodness of it. This is when the spiritual wedding takes place. What we once compelled ourselves to do, now becomes the desire of our heart. Truth and goodness are united. In other words, as we strive upwards to live according to the truth that we know, God descends into that truth with His goodness bringing about what is called the “heavenly marriage.” This wedding of truth ascending and goodness descending is what Jesus meant when He said to Nathanael, “You will see heaven opened and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man.”

It is also significant that the wedding at Cana takes place “on the third day.” While the phrase “on the third day,” often refers to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, it also refers to the process of spiritual development which can take place in every human being. The three stages of spiritual development are repentance, reformation, and regeneration.

Repentance involves both the acknowledgment of God and the recognition of our sins. In reformation we focus on learning truth from the Word of the Lord so that we might reform our understanding. Then, “on the third day” of our spiritual development, we enter the stage of regeneration. In this stage, we not only learn the truth but also apply it to our lives. In the process, the truth we have learned is united with goodness. In this stage, the Lord is working through our reformed understanding to build a new will within us.

“Whatever He says, do it”

In the original Greek, it is written that Jesus and His disciples were “called” to the wedding. This suggests that if we are to have an internal wedding of truth and goodness, we cannot do it by ourselves. We need to call upon the Lord, inviting Him to be present along with the many principles of truth and goodness represented by His disciples. In addition, it is written that “the mother of Jesus was there” (2:2). Her presence signifies the affection for truth in each of us. It is the desire to understand what is true so that we might do what is good.

At a certain point during the wedding celebration, Jesus’ mother turns to Him and says, “They have run out of wine” (2:3). The affection for truth in each of us, represented by Jesus’ “mother,” is that part of us that thirsts for true wisdom. It is, therefore, the first to notice when truth is lacking. In the language of sacred scripture, we have “run out of wine.” Jesus then replies, “What is that to Me or you, woman? My hour has not yet come” (2:3-4). When Jesus refers to Mary as “woman” rather than mother, He is referring to His divine rather than His human identity. And when He adds the words, “My hour has not yet come,” He is referring to a specific time when He will fully manifest His glory, revealing that He is no longer the son of Mary but the Son of God. Therefore, in calling His mother “woman,” Jesus is responding from His divine nature rather than from His human nature.

On another level, Jesus is saying that He cannot perform miracles within us unless we also do our part. His “hour” comes as soon as we take the first step. This first step begins when Jesus’ mother turns to the servants and says to them, “Whatever He says, do it” (2:5). These five words contain a timeless message. As it was stated in the first chapter of this gospel, Jesus is “the Word made flesh” (1:14). To do whatever Jesus says is to do whatever the Word teaches. Each of us begins our spiritual journey in simple obedience. Eventually, faithful obedience turns into loving obedience, and finally into a life of loving to do what the Word teaches. This is when we become fully human. But at this point in the episode, we are not there yet. At this point, which is an initial state, our task is simply to do what Jesus teaches. Therefore, Mary says to the servants, “Whatever He says, do it.” ¹

“Fill the waterpots with water”

It is at this point in the divine narrative that we learn more about the wedding venue. As it is written, “And there were set there six waterpots of stone for the Jewish rites of purification, containing twenty to thirty gallons apiece” (2:6). In biblical times, it was customary to wash one’s hands and feet before entering someone’s home or attending a celebration. This historical ritual of purification represented the eternal need for spiritual purification, that is, the removal of evil desires and false thoughts. In the context of eternity, the large stone vessels, each able to contain up to twenty to thirty gallons of water, signify the foundational truths of the Word, the most general truths that serve as divine containers for more specific truths. These are the truths that are “set in stone.” They are the immoveable, timeless truths that cannot be shaken. They are the Ten Commandments given through Moses at Mount Sinai, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, the two Great Commandments, and every truth that leads us to spiritual purification.

These perennial truths, when taken into the human mind, serve as rugged stone vessels that are able to contain more specific truths, just as stone pots contain water. When we understand that the stone water pots signify the human mind filled with foundational truths, and water signifies cleansing truth from the Word of the Lord, we are prepared to see the significance of Jesus’ first command. He says, “Fill the waterpots with water” (2:7). Accordingly, the servants fill the waterpots to the brim. This represents the way each of us should keep our minds “filled to the brim” with teachings from the Lord’s Word. ²

“Draw some out and take it to the master of the feast”

While it is wonderful to have our minds filled to the brim with truth from the Word of the Lord, this is not the end of the process. Therefore, Jesus’ next command is, “Draw some out and take it to master of the feast” (2:8). In the literal narrative, the master of the feast is the person who rules over the feast, making sure that all arrangements are in place and that the guests are supplied with plenty of food and wine. In the highest sense, however, this wedding corresponds to the heavenly marriage of goodness and truth to which we are all invited, a wedding where there is plenty of spiritual food and where the wine never runs out. The “ruler” at this wedding, or to use the language of the divine narrative, “the master of the feast,” is the Lord Himself.

With this in mind, the words “take it to the master of the feast” take on greater significance. They remind us that every time we draw out some truth from the Word, striving to put it to use, we must first ask for the Lord’s blessing on our efforts. Otherwise, we might tend to believe that the true thoughts we think and the good things we do are self-generated. This is why it is necessary to take it to “the Master of the Feast”—the Lord Himself—asking for His blessing. As it written in the Hebrew scriptures, “May the favor of the Lord our God be upon us to confirm the work of our hands” (Psalms 90:17).

Whenever we do this, the Lord’s love and guidance flows into the truth that we know and the efforts that we make to put that truth into our lives. As Jesus said to Nathanael, “You will see heaven opened” (1:51). We see new applications that we would not have seen before, we feel a surge of renewed energy that we did not think we had, and we experience a change of heart. It is at this point in our lives that we realize that something truly miraculous has happened. The water of our natural lives has been transformed into the wine of spiritual life. ³

“You have saved the good wine until now”

In the literal narrative, the servants did exactly what Jesus said. They drew out the water and took it to the master of the feast. When he tastes the water, he discovers that it is not water at all, but rather a most exquisite wine. Not knowing where the wine came from, or how the water in the stone pots had been turned into wine, he assumes that the bridegroom has saved the best wine for last. So, he summons the bridegroom and says to him, “Everyone sets out the good wine first, and then sets out the inferior wine after the guests have had too much to drink. But you have saved the good wine until now” (2:10).

This miracle shows what can happen within every human being when the truths of the literal sense of the Word are transformed into spiritual truths. This is when the Word of God reveals its deeper meaning to us, and we see the goodness within the truth. This episode, then, teaches us that when we fill our mind to the brim with truth from the Lord’s Word, draw some out for spiritual cleansing, and take it to the Lord for His blessing, the water of natural life will be turned into the wine of spiritual life. As it is written in the closing words of this episode, “You have kept the good wine until now.” ⁴

The beginning of signs

After the turning of water into wine, it is written that “This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him” (2:11). It is important to note that the Gospel According to John consistently uses the Greek word σημεῖον [say-mi'-on] which means “sign” instead of the Greek word δύναμις [doo'-nam-is] which means “miracle” or “miraculous power.” In this regard, a sign is not the same as a miracle. While a miracle can amaze and dazzle us momentarily, a sign points to a deeper truth about Jesus and about our inner lives. Signs testify to what the Lord can do not only in the outer world, but also in our inner life.

To put it briefly, miracles may astonish us, but signs teach us. Signs, as the term itself suggests, signify a deeper spiritual reality. Miracles, then, have a certain external power. They can get our attention. But if we are good at heart, we allow these miracles to become signs that point us toward deeper realities. They can teach us about our inner world, cause us to examine ourselves, and lead us to deeper understanding. We begin to see signs that the Lord is working within us. ⁵

A practical application

While external miracles can serve to get our attention, the Lord wants us to believe in Him because He performs inner miracles—changes in our inner life. It’s as if the Lord is saying to each of us, “I want you to believe in Me because you have heard my teachings, lived according to them, asked for My blessing, and, as a result, you have seen your life being transformed.” With this in mind, notice those times when you have good thoughts about the Lord and about the neighbor. Notice those times when thoughts about doing kind things or performing useful services arise in you, and you act on them. Notice those times when you feel genuine empathy for others, especially those who suffer physically and spiritually, and you do something to help. Notice, especially, those times when you have conquered in temptation because the Lord has been fighting for you, and within you. These are all precious moments when Jesus is turning the water of natural life into the wine of spiritual life. This is how the Lord manifests His glory in you. And, like the early disciples, you may find yourself believing in Him ever more deeply, even as good wine becomes finer and finer over the years. ⁶

Cleansing the Temple

12. After this He came down into Capernaum, He, and His mother, and His brothers, and His disciples; and there they remained not many days.

13. And the Passover of the Jews was near; and Jesus went up to Jerusalem,

14. And found in the temple those who sold oxen and sheep and doves, and the coin merchants, sitting.

15. And having made a whip out of cords, He cast them all out of the temple, and the sheep, and the oxen, and spilled out the coin of the moneychangers, and overturned the tables.

16. And to those selling doves, He said, Take these away from here! Make not My Fathers house a house of merchandise.

17. And His disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of thy house has eaten me up.

18. Then answered the Jews and said to Him, What sign dost Thou show us that Thou doest these things?

19. Jesus answered and said to them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up.

20. Then the Jews said, Forty and six years was this temple in building, and wilt Thou raise it up in three days?

21. But He was speaking of the temple of His body.

22. When therefore He was risen from [the] dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.

After attending the wedding ceremony in Cana of Galilee, Jesus goes down to Capernaum for a few days and then up to Jerusalem and into the temple to celebrate the Passover. The temple in Jerusalem is the place where people went to read, study, and discuss the Word. It is where sacrifices were practiced and rituals took place, all in an effort to worship the Lord. Over time, however, the temple leaders allowed merchants to sell animals for sacrificial rituals, turning the temple into a house of merchandise rather than a house of prayer. Worship was no longer a time for holy sacrifices but rather a time for business transactions. As it is written, “In the temple, Jesus found the people selling cattle, sheep, and doves, and the money changers seated at their tables” (2:13).

Seeing this, Jesus makes a whip of cords, drives the animals out of the temple along with the merchants, and overturns the tables of the moneychangers. Addressing those who are selling doves, He says, “Take these things away! Do not make My Father’s house a house of merchandise” (2:16).

As we have pointed out, the temple signifies the human mind. While it should be a house of prayer, a holy place where we learn truth and act on it, our minds are sometimes occupied by selfish and worldly concerns, symbolized by the moneychangers. To the extent that we dwell on these lower, more external things, forgetting to praise and honor God, our mind becomes “a house of merchandise,” a place of business rather than a house of God. ⁷

The picture of Jesus driving out the animals with a whip of cords and overturning the tables of the moneychangers is a powerful one. This is another side of the omniscient Jesus who welcomed Nathanael as a disciple. It is also another side of the omnipotent Jesus who transformed water into wine. This time we see a very zealous Jesus who is greatly concerned about what is happening in the temple. Noticing this, His disciples remember the words of Psalms 69. As it written, “Zeal for Your House has eaten Me up” (2:16; Psalms 69:9). In that same psalm, David goes on to say, “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify Him with thanksgiving. This will please the Lord better than an ox or a bull” (Psalms 69:30-31).

David’s words are prophetic. They point to a time when God will be worshipped in song, thanksgiving, praise, and, most importantly, through a life of useful service—not through the sacrifice of innocent animals. Jesus’ zealous action, therefore, is a powerful indication that the time of animal sacrifice is over, and that a new era is beginning. Shocked and confused by Jesus’ behavior, the people say, “What sign are you going to show us to prove Your authority to do these things” (2:18). In response, Jesus says to them, “Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up” (2:19).

The people, as yet, do not understand. They think Jesus is referring to the physical temple which took forty-six years to build. They can’t understand how Jesus could rebuild that temple in three days. They do not understand that Jesus is “speaking of the temple of His body” (2:21). In the literal sense, this is a reference to His resurrection “on the third day” after His crucifixion. It is written, therefore, that “when He had risen from the dead, His disciples remembered that He had said this to them; and they believed the scriptures and the word which Jesus had said” (2:22).

More deeply, when Jesus says that He will “raise up the temple in three days,” He is not only speaking about His resurrection after three days. He is also speaking about the establishment of a “new temple” or a “new church” in each of us—a temple that will take “three days” to establish. The phrase, “three days,” as we have mentioned, refers to the three essential stages of our spiritual development. This is the process of repentance, reformation, and regeneration. It is a process that takes place within each of us as we turn to the Lord, learn truth from His Word, and begin a new life. This wondrous process begins when we decide to cooperate with the Lord in driving out the evils of our lower nature so that the He might enter the temple of our minds and dwell in the sanctuary of our hearts. ⁸

A practical application

One of the main activities of temple worship was animal sacrifice. More specifically, it involved the sacrifice of several different kinds of animals such as lambs, doves, rams, goats, bulls, and oxen. Every sacrificed animal represented a specific evil or a falsity that needed to be given up so that the person making the sacrifice could be purified from that sin. Of course, we realize that the sacrifice of an animal can never take away human sin. True sacrifice has nothing to do with the slaughter of innocent animals. In fact, the word “sacrifice” comes from two Latin words that mean “to make holy” [sacre = holy + facere = to make]. Therefore, we make a sacrifice whenever we give up selfish desires, false beliefs, and ego concerns. You can start today by clearing the temple of whatever prevents the Lord from being fully present in your life. Just as Jesus used a whip to drive out the oxen, you will need to use powerful truths to drive out the stubborn attitudes and persistent desires of your lower/animal nature. This would be a true and holy sacrifice, the kind we are called to make in the temple of our inner spirit.

Saving Faith

23. And when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, at the festival, many believed in His name, beholding His signs which He did.

24. But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, because He knew all [men],

25. And needed not that any should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.

The next episode begins with the words, “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did” (2:23). This describes an initial, but shallow, stage of faith. As it is written, “many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did.” Faith that is based on miracles may be useful in the beginning of our spiritual development, but it is not genuine faith or what is called “saving faith.” In the initial stages of faith, we are like innocent children who believe because we hear how God created the world, parted the Red Sea, saved Jonah from the belly of a whale, and rescued Daniel from the mouth of the lions.

In this initial stage, we accept the Word as literally true, without question. Even a statement like “many believed in His name” is taken at face value, meaning that the mere belief in the Lord’s name can bring about salvation. In this regard, when a child is taught to “call upon the name of Jesus,” it can be understood to mean that the name “Jesus” must be used frequently, that the name “Jesus” has the power to frighten away bad spirits, and that the recitation of the name “Jesus” has the power to unlock the doors of heaven. There are numerous teachings from the literal sense of the Word that tend to support this interpretation. As Paul says in his letter to the Romans, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).

As faith develops, we move from a simple child-like belief in the name “Jesus” to a more mature belief in what it means to call upon the name of the Lord. We begin to understand that to “believe in His name,” means to believe in the qualities that are signified by a name. This includes every divine quality that is available to us. For example, when we pray for the quality called “patience,” we are calling upon the name of the Lord. When we pray for the quality called “forgiveness,” we are calling upon the name of the Lord. When we pray for the quality called “tranquility,” we are calling upon the name of the Lord. These qualities are always present, available for the asking, and should never be taken in vain. And when we strive to live according to these qualities, practicing patience, forgiveness, and peace, these qualities can become a part of our character. This is what it means to “believe in His name.” ⁹

Similarly, as our faith deepens, we begin to see that every biblical event, even every word, has a deeper meaning that relates to our spiritual development. Just as the word “name” has deeper meaning, so too, do the stories. We begin to understand that the days of creation are not just about the physical creation of the universe, but rather about the successive states of our internal growth; we begin to see that the miraculous parting of the Red Sea is not just about the Lord leading the children of Israel out of Egypt, but rather about how the Lord leads us through seemingly impossible situations. We begin to realize that Jonah being saved from the whale or Daniel being delivered from the lions are not just stories about how the Lord saves faithful people from physical danger, but, more deeply, how the Lord, through His Word, is continually saving us from being swallowed up by falsity or eaten up by resentment. ¹⁰

As our understanding deepens through application of truth to our life, so, too, does our faith. We begin to see that these stories are not just about people who lived long ago. They are also stories about the wonders that the Lord can work within us when we live according to His teachings. ¹¹

Doing our part

As we have pointed out, true faith arises when we first do our part. It begins by turning to the Lord, repenting of our sins, allowing the Lord to reform our understanding through the truths of His Word, and then doing the good things that the Word teaches. In the language of sacred scripture, and in the divinely ordered sequence of episodes in this chapter, this means that we must first “fill the waterpots to the brim,” then “cleanse the inner temple,” and finally, live a life of charity towards others. When this happens, a faith based on external miracles becomes a faith based on personal transformation. We believe, not because of the external miracles that we have seen or heard about. Rather, we believe because we have been willing to be led by the Lord, have striven to put His truth into our lives, and, as a result, have seen miraculous changes within ourselves. This is called “saving faith.” And we can only experience it when we have done our part. ¹²

The testimony of man vs the testimony of God

In the verse that follows, it is written that Jesus “did not commit himself to them because He knew all men and had no need that anyone should testify of man because He knew what was in man” (2:24-25). The “testimony of man” is inconsistent, and fickle. As long as everything is going well, and our physical needs are being met, we have no complaints. We trust in God and believe that we are honoring His name.

But when things do not go according to our plans, when our ambitious desires seem to be thwarted, and our prayers for material prosperity are not being answered, our faith wavers. The same people who initially believed in Jesus because of the miraculous signs eventually turned on Him when He failed to provide the material prosperity they were seeking. They wanted an earthly king, not a heavenly one. They believed in His miracles, but did not believe in Him. They believed in His “name,” but not in living according to the qualities signified by His name.

It is written, therefore, that Jesus “did not entrust Himself to them because He knew all men” (2:24). Just as Jesus knew the heart of Nathanael, He knows the hearts of all men. He knows how unreliable and inconsistent people can be, how people can honor Him one moment and despise Him the next. It is for this reason that Jesus “did not entrust Himself to them.” This case is similar with each of us. If we truly desire a relationship with God, we must be trustworthy. Whatever happens, whether it appears to be according to our wishes or against them—for better or for worse—we must remain constant in our faith, trusting that the Lord is leading us to a good end. ¹³

Whenever we do this, living in the assurance that God will never leave us or abandon us, we will be able to provide a true testimony. Rather than being a “testimony of man,” about how the Lord has satisfied our worldly ambitions, it will be a “testimony of God.” This is a humbler testimony about how God has delivered us from the evil of our lower nature, inspired us with His truth, and empowered us to do good in His name.

Genuine testimony, then, is about the wonderful ways that God is working within us as we strive to live according to His teachings. The result of this kind of inner work is truly “of God” and not “of man.” It is about the gradual but wondrous changes that takes place within us as we persevere in keeping the commandments. ¹⁴

A practical application

As you continue to keep the commandments, trusting in God to give you the power to do so, notice the way God’s qualities begin to arise within you as if they are your own. For example, notice how you are becoming more patient, even in trying circumstances. Notice how you can remain peaceful, even when you are in the midst of an emotional storm. Notice how your confidence in the Lord remains firm, even when your plans are upset, and the outcomes you desire are not achieved. Notice how quickly you can recover from an emotional upset, apologize for your part, and, without defensiveness, resolve to be better next time. Pay attention to these quiet miracles that point to the significant changes that are taking place within you. Add your own examples to the list of how the Lord is giving you the power to break old patterns and start new practices. ¹⁵

Footnotes:

2781. 'And saddled [his] ass' means the natural man which He prepared. This is clear from the meaning of 'an ass', dealt with below. In man there are things of the will and there are those of the understanding; with the former go those things which spring from good, with the latter those which spring from truth. There are various kinds of animals, by which things of the will springing from good are meant, such as lambs, sheep, goats, she-goats, young bulls, and oxen, see 1823, 2179, 2180; and there are also those by which are meant things of the understanding springing from truth, namely horses, mules, wild asses, camels, and asses, in addition to birds. 'A horse' means the understanding part of the mind, as has been shown above in 2761, 2762; 'a wild ass' means rational truth separated from good, see 1949; and 'a camel' means factual knowledge in general, and 'an ass' factual knowledge in particular, see 1486.

[2] There are two elements which constitute the natural degree of man's mind, or what amounts to the same, the natural man - natural good and natural truth. Natural good is the delight that flows forth from charity and faith, natural truth is knowledge of these. That natural truth is what is meant by 'an ass', and rational truth by 'a mule', becomes clear from the following places:In Isaiah,

A prophecy of the beasts of the south. In the land of distress and repression are the lion and the tiger, and from them come the viper and the flying fiery-serpent. They will bear their riches on the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures on the humps of camels - on a people [who] will not be any use [to them]; for the Egyptians will help in vain and to no advantage. Isaiah 30:6-7.

The expression 'the beasts of the south' is used of those who possess cognitions of good and truth but who make them matters of knowledge, not of life. In reference to those beasts it is said that those people 'bear their riches on the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures on the humps of camels', for the reason that 'young asses' means facts in particular, and 'camels' facts in general. 'The Egyptians', of whom it is said that they will help in vain and to no advantage, means knowledge, see 1164, 1165, 1186. It is evident to anyone that this prophecy has an internal sense and that without this it is understood by nobody, for without the internal sense no one can know what 'the prophecy of the beasts of the south' is, or what 'the lion and the tiger', or what 'the viper and the flying fiery-serpent', or what is meant by the words that 'those beasts were to bear their riches on the shoulders of young asses, and their treasures on the humps of camels', or why the assertion immediately follows that 'the Egyptians will help in vain and to no advantage'. 'Ass' is used with a like meaning in Israel's prophecy concerning Issachar, in Moses,

Issachar is a bony ass lying down between burdens. Genesis 49:14.

[3] In Zechariah,

This will be the plague with which Jehovah will smite all the peoples that wage war against Jerusalem. It will be a plague of the horse, the mule, the camel, and the ass, and every beast. Zechariah 14:12, 15.

'The horse, the mule, the camel, and the ass' means things of the understanding residing in man which will suffer from the plague. This is clear from every single detail before and after those verses, for the subject there is the plagues which are to precede the Last Judgement or. Close of the Age and to which John makes much reference in Revelation, as do the rest of the Prophets in various places. Those who are going to wage war at that time against Jerusalem, that is, against the Lord's spiritual Church and its truths, are meant by those animals. It will be the things of the understanding that will suffer from such plagues

[4] In Isaiah,

Blessed are you who sow beside all waters, who send forth the foot of the ox and the ass. Isaiah 32:20.

'Sowing beside all waters' stands for those who allow themselves to be taught spiritual things - 'waters' meaning spiritual things and so things that constitute an understanding of truth, see 680, 739, 2702. 'Who send forth the foot of the ox and the ass' stands for natural things that are to be of service, 'ox' meaning the natural as regards good, 2180, 2566, 'ass' the natural as regards truth.

[5] In Moses,

Binding his young ass to the vine and the foal ¹ of his she-ass to the choice vine. He washes his vesture in wine and his cloak in the blood of grapes. Genesis 49:11.

This is the prophecy of Jacob, by then Israel, concerning the Lord. 'The vine' and 'the choice vine' stand for the spiritual Church, external and internal, 1069. 'Young ass' stands for natural truth, 'the foal of a she-ass' for rational truth. The reason 'the foal of a she-ass' means rational truth is that 'a she ass' means the affection for natural truth, 1486, while her foal means rational truth, see 1895, 1896, 1902, 1910.

[6] In former times a judge used to ride on a she-ass and his sons on young asses, the reason being that judges represented the goods of the Church and their sons truths derived from those goods. A king however used to ride on a she-mule and his sons on mules, the reason being that kings and their sons represented the truths of the Church, see 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069. The fact that a judge rode on a she-ass is clear in the Book of Judges,

My heart goes out to the law-givers of Israel offering themselves willingly among the people. Bless Jehovah, you who ride on white she-asses, you who sit on Middin. ² Judges 5:9-10.

The fact that judges' sons rode on young asses,

Jair the judge over Israel had thirty sons who rode on thirty young asses. Judges 10:3-4.

And elsewhere in the same book,

Abdon the judge of Israel had forty sons and thirty grandsons who rode on seventy young asses. Judges 12:14.

David said to them, Take with you the servants of your lord and cause Solomon my son to ride on the she-mule which is mine. And they caused Solomon to ride on King David's she-mule. And Zadok the priest and Nathan the prophet anointed him king in Gihon. 1 Kings 1:33, 38, 44-45.

The fact that the king's sons rode on mules,

All King David's sons arose, and they rode each on his mule and fled because of Absalom. 2 Samuel 13:29.

[7] From all this it is evident that riding on a she-ass indicated the judge, and riding on a she-mule the king; riding on a young ass indicated the judge's sons, and doing so on a mule the king's sons. They indicated these personages because, as has been stated, 'a she-ass' represented and meant the affection for natural good and truth, 'a she-mule' the affection for rational truth, 'an ass or young ass' natural truth itself, and 'a mule' as well as 'the foal of a she-ass' rational truth. This shows what is meant by the prophetical words that refer to the Lord, in Zechariah,

Exult, O daughter of Zion! Rejoice, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King will come to you. He is just and having salvation, humble and riding on an ass, and on a young ass, the foal of she-asses. His dominion will be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth. Zechariah 9:9-10.

The fact that the Lord wished to ride on these when He was about to enter Jerusalem is well known from the Gospels. The event is referred to in Matthew as follows,

Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, Go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a she-ass tied, and a colt with her; untie them and bring them to Me. This took place to fulfil what was spoken by the prophet saying, Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your King is coming to you, meek seated on a she-ass, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. And they brought the she-ass and the colt and laid their garments on them and set Him on them. Matthew 21:2, 4-5, 7.

[8] 'Riding on an ass' served to indicate that the natural was subordinate, and 'riding on a colt, the foal of a she-ass' that the rational was so; for 'the foal of a she-ass' is similar in meaning to 'a mule', as has been shown above, where Genesis 49:11 is referred to. ³ From this - the spiritual meaning of these animals - and because it was the right of the supreme judge and of the king to ride on them, and at the same time so that He might fulfil the representatives of the Church, the Lord was pleased to ride in this way. His doing so is described in John as follows,

The next day a great crowd who had come to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went to meet Him, and cried, Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, even the King of Israel! Jesus found a young ass and sat on it, as it is written, Fear not, daughter of Zion; behold, your King is coming, sitting on a she-ass's colt! These things however His disciples had not understood at first, but when Jesus was glorified, then they remembered that these things had been written of Him, and that they had done these things for Him. John 12:12-16; Mark 11:1-12; Luke 19:28-41.

[9] From an this it may now be clear that every single thing in the Church of that period was representative of the Lord, and consequently of the celestial and spiritual things that are in His kingdom; even the she-ass and the colt of the she-ass were so, which represented the natural man as regards good and truth. The reason for the representation was that the natural man ought to serve the rational, and the rational to serve the spiritual; but the spiritual ought to serve the celestial, and the celestial to serve the Lord. This is the order in which one is subordinated to another.

[10] Because 'an ox and an ass' meant the natural man as regards good and truth many laws were therefore laid down in which oxen and asses are mentioned. At first glance these laws do not seem to be worthy of mention in the Divine Word, but when they are interpreted as to their internal sense, that which is spiritual and of great importance is seen within these laws, such as the following laws in Moses,

If anyone opens a pit, or if anyone digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or an ass falls into it, the owner of the pit shall recompense its owner with silver, and the dead animal shall be his. Exodus 21:33-34.

If you meet your enemy's ox or his ass going astray you shall certainly lead it back to him. If you see the ass of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you are disinclined to remove it, you shall certainly help to remove it from it. Exodus 23:4-5; Deuteronomy 22:1, 3.

You shall not see your brother's ass or ox falling down in the road and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly help to lift them. Deuteronomy 22:4.

You shall not plough with an ox and an ass together. You shall not wear mingled material made of wool and linen together. Deuteronomy 22:10-11.

Six days you shall do your works, and on the seventh day you shall rest, in order that your ox and your ass may rest, and the son of your woman servant, and the settler. Exodus 23:12.

Here 'ox and ass' in the spiritual sense means nothing other than natural good and truth.

Footnotes: