507. And all green grass was burnt up.- That this signifies that all scientific truth would perish through the desires of the same loves, is evident from the signification of grass, which denotes what is scientific (scientificum), of which more below; and from the signification of green, which denotes that it is true and living from truth, for as green grass serves as food to animals, so scientific truth (scientificum verum) as spiritual nourishment for men. For whatever is produced in fields, gardens, and plains, and serves for the nourishment either of man or beast, has a correspondence with such things as serve for the nourishment of the external (animus) and internal (mens) minds, which nourishment is called spiritual nourishment. Similar things also appear in the spiritual world, from the correspondence of spiritual things with natural things. And because the Word in the letter is natural, and written by correspondences, therefore it is here said, that the third part of the trees, and all green grass, were burnt up, by which is meant, in the spiritual sense, that all perception and cognition of truth and good, and also all scientific truth, perished through those two corporeal, earthly, and merely natural loves.
[2] By scientific truth is meant every scientific, by which spiritual truth is confirmed, and which has life from spiritual good. For a man may be wise by means of scientifics, or he may be insane. He becomes wise by means of scientifics when by them he confirms the truths and goods of the church, which are spiritual truths and goods; but he becomes insane by scientifics when by means of them he weakens and refutes the truths and goods of the church. When he confirms the truths and goods of the church by them, they are then called scientific truths, and are said to be living; but when by means of them he weakens and refutes the truths and goods of the church, they are called scientific falsities, and are as dead. Knowledges (scientiae) are only means to uses, and their quality is according to the uses which exist from them. They are living when man acquires intelligence and wisdom by means of them. All intelligence and wisdom is from truths that are from heaven, and such intelligence and wisdom being from heaven, that is, through heaven from the Lord, are living, because they are the very spiritual life of man; but intelligence and wisdom from falsities have no existence, and if they be supposed to exist with any one, they are nevertheless dead, because they are from hell.
[3] These things have been said in order that it may be known that green grass signifies the scientific truth that is living, but grass burnt up, the scientific falsity that is dead. When truth and good, which come from heaven, do not find a receptacle with man in cognitions and scientifics, but when evils and falsities, which come from hell do, then scientifics are not living, but dead, and correspond to grass withered and burnt up. The same is the case with man himself, for the quality of a man is according to the quality of the cognitions and knowledges (scientiae) which he has. For it is from living knowledges (scientiae) that he has intelligence; from knowledges that are not living he derives no intelligence; and if they are dead because of the confirmation of falsities by them, insanity and folly are the result.
[4] A man of such a character is, from correspondence, compared, in the Word, to grass; and he is also called grass in the following passages.
In Isaiah:
"Their inhabitants became like the grass of the field and as the green herb, as the grass on the house tops, and as a field blasted before the crop" (37:27; 2 Kings 19:26).
In David:
The evil "shall suddenly be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb" (Psalm 37:2).
Again:
"As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth" (Psalm 103:15).
And again:
The haters of Zion "shall be as the grass upon the house tops, which withereth before it is plucked up" (Psalm 129:6, 7).
In Isaiah:
"The glory of the Lord shall be revealed and they shall see. The voice said, Cry, and he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the holiness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the flower fadeth; because the spirit of Jehovah bloweth upon it; surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth; but the word of our God shall stand for ever" (40:5-8).
These things are said concerning the coming of the Lord, and the revelation of Divine Truth from Him, meant by "the glory of Jehovah shall be revealed, and they shall see." That then there would be neither scientific truth nor spiritual truth with man, is signified by "all flesh is grass, and all the holiness thereof is as the flower of the field: the grass withereth, the flower fadeth." Grass denotes scientific truth, and the flower of the field spiritual truth. That man is of such a nature, is meant by "all flesh is grass," and by "surely the people is grass, the grass withereth;" for all flesh denotes every man, and the people, those who were in truths, but are now in falsities.
[5] In the same:
"I am he that comforteth you; who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid of a man; he shall die, and of the son of man, he shall be as grass?" (51:12).
These words signify, that all things are from the Lord, and nothing from [man's] own intelligence and wisdom. Man signifies man as to wisdom, and the son of man signifies man as to intelligence; that the latter is only knowledge (scientia), is meant by the words, "he shall be made as grass."
[6] Again:
"I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring; and they shall spring up in the midst of the grass" (44:3, 4).
The spirit of Jehovah signifies the Divine Truth, and blessing signifies its multiplication and fructification. Intelligence therefore by means of scientific truths is signified by springing up in the midst of the grass.
[7] In David:
Jehovah who "causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man" (Psalm 104:14).
And again:
Jehovah who "prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains, who giveth to the beast his food" (Psalm 147:8, 9).
In Moses:
"My doctrine shall flow down as the rain, my word shall drop as the dew, as small rain upon the grass, and as the drops upon the herb" (Deuteronomy 32:2).
In these passages, grass signifies scientific truth, and the herb of the field, spiritual truth; for the herb of the field means what first springs up in a field or in newly tilled [land], wherefore it is called herb for the service of man. The reason why it is said, grass for the beast, and for food to the beast, is, that beast, in the Word, signifies the affection of the natural man, and scientific truth is to him for food and nourishment.
[8] In Job:
"Behold, behemoth, which I made with thee; he eateth grass as an ox" (40:15).
Behemoth has a similar meaning to beast in the Word, namely, man's natural affections, wherefore it is said, "Behold, now, behemoth, which I have made with thee." His spiritual food is scientific truth; this is meant by his devouring grass as an ox.
[9] That green signifies what is living or alive, is evident without further explication; for a plant when it grows or is alive is green, but when it ceases to grow or dies, then its green colour perishes. Wherefore green signifies what is living or alive; as is also the case in the following passages; Jeremiah 11:16; 17:8; Ezekiel 17:24; 20:7; Hosea 14:8; David, Psalm 37:35; 52:8; 92:10; and elsewhere.
