1081. And shall make her desolate and naked. That this signifies rejection of the falsities thereof, which are falsified truths, and then manifestation that they are destitute of all truth, is evident from the signification of making desolate and naked, as denoting to reject the falsities thereof, which are falsified truths. And, because, when these are rejected, it is manifested that they are without any truth, therefore this also is signified. By being desolate and naked is signified to be destitute of all truth, for spiritual desolation and nakedness is signified. And spiritual desolation is like that in a wilderness, where there are neither corn nor fruit-trees, and spiritual nakedness is like that of a man who is without garments. Corn and fruit-trees also signify the knowledges of truth and good, and garments signify truths clothing. Wherefore, to be without the latter and the former is to be without any truth. That nakedness denotes the deprivation of truth may be seen (n. 240, 1008); and that desolation, such as is in the wilderness, denotes where there is no truth may be seen (n. 730).

Continuation concerning the Word:-

[2] What is the nature of the Word as to influx and as to correspondences can now be illustrated. It is said in John:

"He hath blinded their eyes, and hardened their heart, lest they should see with their eyes, and understand with the heart, and should turn, and I should heal them" (12:40).

By the eyes which are blinded are signified the understanding and the faith of truth; by the heart which is hardened is signified the will and the love of good; and by being healed is signified to be reformed. The reason of their not being turned and healed was, lest they should profane; for the wicked man who is healed, and returns to his evil and falsity, profanes; and so it would have been with the Jewish nation.

[3] In Matthew:

"Blessed are your eyes, for they see; and your ears, for they hear" (13:16).

By the eyes here also are signified the understanding and the faith of truth; thus, by seeing is signified to understand and believe, and by the ears is signified obedience, thus a life according to the truths of faith, and by hearing is signified to obey and live. For no one is blessed because he sees and hears, but because he understands, believes, obeys, and lives.

[4] In the same:

"The lamp of the body is the eye; if the eye be entire, the whole body is lucid; if the eye be evil, the whole body is darkened. If therefore the light be darkness, how great is the darkness" (6:22, 23).

Here, also, by the eye is signified the understanding and the faith of truth, which is called a lamp from the light of truth, which man has from understanding and faith. And because from the understanding and faith of truth a man becomes wise, it is said, if the eye be entire, the whole body is lucid. The body is the man, and to be lucid is to be wise. But it is the reverse with the evil eye, that is, the understanding and the faith of falsity. Darkness denotes falsities. If the light be darkness, signifies, if the truth be false or falsified. And because truth falsified is worse than every other falsity, it is said, if the light be darkness, how great is the darkness.

[5] From these few examples it is evident what correspondence and influx are, namely, that the eye is a correspondence of the understanding and faith; the heart, a correspondence of the will and love; the ears, a correspondence of obedience; the lamp and light, correspondences of truth; and darkness, a correspondence of the false, and so on. And because the one is spiritual, and the other natural, and the spiritual acts into the natural, and forms it to a likeness of itself that it may appear before the eyes, or before the world, therefore that action is influx. Such is the Word in all and every part.

1186. That 'Asshur' is reasoning is clear from the meaning of 'Asshur' or Assyria in the Word, where in every case it stands for those things that belong to reason. It stands for them in both senses, namely for rational things and for reasonings - reason and rational things being used strictly speaking to mean things that are true, and reasoning and reasonings to mean those that are false. Because 'Asshur' means reason and reasoning it is very frequently linked with Egypt, which means facts, for reason and reasoning are based on facts. That Asshur means reasoning is clear in Isaiah,

Woe to Asshur, the rod of My anger, he does not think what is right and his heart does not consider what is right He has said, By the strength of my hand I have done it, and by my wisdom, for I have intelligence. Isaiah 10:5, 7, 13.

Here 'Asshur' stands for reasoning, and therefore he is referred to as 'not thinking and not considering what is right', and it is said that 'he acts by his own wisdom, for he has intelligence'.

[2] In Ezekiel,

Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredom in Egypt. In their youth they committed whoredom. One committed whoredom and doted on her lovers, on Asshur (the Assyrians), her neighbours, clothed in violet, leaders and governors, all of them desirable young men, horsemen riding on horses The sons of Babel came to her and they defiled her with their whoredom. Ezekiel 23:2-3, 5-6, 17.

Here 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning, 'the sons of Babel' for falsities springing from evil desires.

[3] In the same prophet,

Jerusalem, you committed whoredom with the sons of Egypt, you committed whoredom with the sons of Asshur, you multiplied your whoredom even into the land of Canaan towards Chaldaea. Ezekiel 16:26, 28-29.

Here likewise 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning. Reasoning, based on facts, concerning spiritual and celestial things is called 'whoredom' both here and elsewhere in the Word. Anyone may see that committing whoredom with Egyptians and with Assyrians is not the meaning.

[4] In Jeremiah,

Israel, what have you to do with the way to Egypt, to drink the waters of Shihor? And what have you to do with the way to Asshur, to drink the waters of the River (the Euphrates)? Jeremiah 2:18, 36.

Here likewise 'Egypt' stands for facts, 'Asshur' for reasoning. In the same prophet,

Israel is a scattered flock; the lions have driven him away. First the king of Asshur has devoured him, and last this king of Babel has removed his bones. Jeremiah 50:17-18

'Asshur' stands for reasoning concerning spiritual things.

[5] In Micah,

And this will be peace, when Asshur comes into our land and when he treads our palaces, and we will set up over him seven shepherds and eight princes of men and they will rule the land of Asshur with the sword, and the land of Nimrod in its gates; and he will deliver [us] from Asshur when he comes into our land and when he treads our border. Micah 5:5-6.

This refers to Israel, or the spiritual Church, concerning which it is said that 'Asshur will not enter in', that is, reasoning will not do so. 'The land of Nimrod' stands for the kind of worship meant by Nimrod, which has interior evils and falsities within it.

[6] The fact that in the Word 'Asshur' also means reason present with the member of the Church, by means of which reason he sees clearly what is true and what is good, is clear in Hosea,

They will tremble like a bird out of Egypt, and like a dove from the land of Asshur. Hosea 11:11.

Here 'Egypt' stands for the knowledge a member of the Church possesses, 'Asshur' for his reason. That 'a bird' means facts that are known and understood, and 'a dove' rational good, has been shown already.

[7] In Isaiah,

On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur will come into Egypt and Egypt into Asshur, and the Egyptians will serve Asshur. ¹ On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom Jehovah Zebaoth will bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage. Isaiah 19:23-25.

This refers to the spiritual Church, meant by Israel, 'Asshur' being its reason, and 'Egypt' its knowledge. These three constitute the intellectual powers of the member of the spiritual Church which come in that order one after another. In other places where Asshur is mentioned it means the rational, true or false, as in Isaiah 20:1-6; 23:13; 27:13; 30:31; 31:8; 36, 37; 52:4; Ezekiel 27:23-24; Ezekiel 31:3-18; 32:22; Micah 7:12; Zephaniah 2:13; Zechariah 10:11; Psalms 83:8. 'Asshur' stands for reasoning in Hosea 5:13; 7:11; 10:6; 11:5; 12:1; 14:3; and in Zechariah 10:10, where the reference is to Ephraim who means the intellectual part of the mind, though in this instance when perverted.

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