557. And they had breast-plates, as it were breast-plates of iron.- That this signifies the persuasions with which they gird themselves for combats, against which the truths of the spiritual rational man do not prevail, is evident from the signification of breast-plates, or coats of mail, which denote defences against evils and falsities in combats, but here defences of evils and falsities against goods and truths, because the subject treated of has reference to those who are in falsities of evil against truths. Persuasions are here signified by breast-plates, because sensual men, who are in the falsities of evil, and who are here described, do not fight from reason against truths, for they do not see truths but only falsities, and therefore they are in the persuasion that falsities are truths, consequently they fight solely from the persuasion of falsity, and this persuasion with them is of such a nature, that the truths which the spiritual-rational man brings forth are of no avail, for they are repelled as a sword from a breast-plate or coat of mail. Hence by breast-plates as it were breast-plates of iron, are signified persuasions against which truths do not prevail. That the persuasive influence with sensual men is of such an infatuating and suffocating nature, that the spiritual Rational cannot prevail against it, may be seen above (n. 544, 549, 556). Moreover, breast-plates, or coats of mail, cover that part of the body which is called the breast, or thorax, which signifies the spiritual affection for truth. All affection also is indicated in the tone of the voice, which together with the speech goes forth from the breast. But those signified by locusts, and who are sensual men that are in falsities, have no other affection than the affection of the love of self. This affection is full of self-confidence and of the persuasion that their falsity is the truth, and because this is indicated in the tone of the voice which together with the speech goes forth from the breast, therefore the locusts appeared in breast-plates which were as breast-plates of iron. Iron also signifies truth in ultimates, and also what is false there, and at the same time hard; and the persuasive power therein, causes the falsity to be so hard that the truths opposed to it rebound, as though they were of no account or avail. Because the persuasion of sensual men, who are in falsities from self-confidence, is of such a nature, and with spirits is so powerful, as to suffocate and extinguish the Rational of other spirits with whom they converse, therefore in the world of spirits it is severely prohibited, and those who make use of it are sent amongst spirits where they are harassed even to swooning by persuasions still stronger from other spirits, and this until they desist.

[2] Since breast-plates, or coats of mail, were used in wars, and to put them on signified to gird themselves for war and thus to fight, therefore, in the Word, they who were girt for battle are said to put on coats of mail.

Thus in Jeremiah:

"Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen; and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on coats of mail" (46:4).

By these words is not meant the combat of one army against another, but the combat of the spiritual-rational man against the natural man, who, from scientifics falsely applied, fights against truths and goods. For the subject here treated of is the army of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, whom the king of Babylon smote, and by Pharaoh king of Egypt is meant the natural man, and by the king of Babylon near Euphrates is meant the spiritual-rational man, wherefore, Harness the horses; and get up, ye horsemen, and stand forth with your helmets; furbish the spears, and put on the coats of mail, signifies such things as relate to the combat of the spiritual-rational man against the natural man who is in falsities. Horses denote those things that pertain to the understanding, the chariots to which they are harnessed, those things that pertain to doctrine. Horsemen denote the intelligent, helmets things pertaining to reason, spears truths combating, and the coats of mail the might and strength of combating and resisting; these are denoted by the coats of mail, because they gird the breast, and all the strength to combat and resist is from the breast by means of the arms.

[3] Again, in the same prophet:

"Against Babel let him bend, let the archer bend his bow, against [her] he will lift himself up in his coat of mail" (51:3).

Here also the coat of mail is used for the power of combating and resisting.

So in Isaiah:

"He put on justice as a coat of mail, and a helmet of salvation upon his head" (59:17).

These words treat of the Lord, and of the subjugation of the hells by Him. His putting on justice as a coat of mail, signifies His zeal to deliver the faithful from hell, and the Divine Love of saving the human race. And since it was from the zeal of Divine Love, and the power thence, that the Lord fought and conquered, therefore His justice is called a coat of mail. But the helmet of salvation signifies the Divine Truth from the Divine Good, by means of which there is salvation, for a helmet signifies the same as the head, because it is put on the head. That the head, when used in reference to the Lord, signifies the Divine Truth and the Divine Wisdom, will be seen in the following pages.

545. And it was said to them, that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, neither any green thing, neither any tree.- That this signifies that they should not injure any true and living scientific from the sense of the letter of the Word, nor any cognitions of truth and good therein, is evident from the signification of not hurting, which denotes not to injure; and from the signification of grass, which denotes the true scientific; and from the signification of green thing as denoting the living scientific; concerning which see above (n.507). And as every scientific is true and living from the Word, therefore by not hurting the grass of the earth, nor any green thing, is signified the true and living scientific from the Word; and from the signification of trees, as denoting the cognitions of truth and good, also from the Word; concerning which see above (n. 109, 420).

[2] By scientifics from the Word are meant all things of the sense of the letter, in which what is doctrinal does not appear; but by the cognitions of truth and good are meant all things of the sense of the letter of the Word, in which and from which doctrinal things are. That they should not injure any true and living scientific, nor the cognitions of truth and good from the Word, means that the sensual man, by his persuasive [power], shall not pervert any sense of the letter of the Word, by denying it to be true, for if he does this, all is lost with him, since there is then no hope of his reformation, nor has he any power to understand the truth of the church. For he who denies the Word to be Divine in the entire sense of the letter, breaks off his connection with heaven, since the conjunction of man with heaven is by means of the Word; as may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 303-310). The quality of the state of the man of the church when near its end is here described, namely, that from internal or spiritual he becomes external and sensual. But still, lest he should altogether perish, it is provided, and care is taken, by the Lord, that he may not injure any thing in the sense of the letter of the Word by denying it to be true and living, that is, Divine, although by the sense of the letter he confirms his own falsities and evils. For so long as he does not deny the Divine in the Word, he still hears or reads it, and by that means is in some kind of conjunction with heaven. It is therefore evident, that these words signify, that this [principle] of the church would still remain; but by the following words he should hurt those men only who had not the seal of God in their foreheads, is signified that that ultimate Sensual should only do injury to the understanding of truth with those who are not in truths from good from the Lord.