10407. ‘Et fecit illud vitulum fusilis’: quod significet secundum jucundum amorum illius gentis, constat ex significatione ‘vituli’ quod sit bonum externum seu naturale, de qua sequitur, et ex significatione ‘fusilis’ quod sit cultus factus ad favorem amorum externorum, de qua mox supra n. 10406; et quia de gente Israelitica in hoc capite agitur, et illa erat in externis absque interno, ita in amoribus ¹ externis, ideo dicitur secundum jucundum amorum illius gentis; per ‘vitulum’ enim, ² ut idolum, significatur id jucundum.

[2] Antiqui qui in cultu repraesentativo erant sciebant quid per varia genera animalium significabatur, nam quodlibet animal significationem suam habet, secundum quam etiam apparent in caelo, consequenter secundum quam nominantur in Verbo, et quoque secundum quam adhibita fuerunt in holocaustis et sacrificiis; per ‘vitulum’ significatur bonum innocentiae et charitatis in externo seu naturali homine, videatur n. 9391, 9990, 10132; at cum non ³ bonum innocentiae et charitatis est, ut apud illos qui in externis sunt absque interno, tunc per ‘vitulum’ significatur jucundum naturale et sensuale, quod jucundum est jucundum voluptatum, cupiditatum, et amorum sui et mundi; ⁴ hoc jucundum est in quo illi qui in externis absque interno sunt, et quod colunt, nam homo quod amat super omnia, hoc colit; ⁵ quidem dicunt quod colant Deum universi, sed hoc ⁶ dicunt ore et non corde; qui tales sunt intelliguntur per illos qui colunt vitulum fusilis.

[3] Aegyptii prae aliis fuerunt tales qui quia in scientia correspondentiarum et repraesentationum erant prae aliis gentibus, ideo sibi varia idola fecerunt, ut patet ex idolis Aegyptiacis quae adhuc exstant; sed primarium illis idolum fuit vitulus, per quem significare volebant bonum externum eorum in cultu; sed cum scientia correspondentiarum et repraesentationum, in qua erant prae aliis, apud illos versa fuit in magiam, tunc vitulus induebat significationem contrariam, quae est jucundi amorum externorum; et cum vitulus in templis ponebatur, et pro deo colebatur, significabat tale jucundum in cultu;

[4] gens Israelitica quia ex Aegypto secum ferebat idololatricum illud, ideo applicate ad illam gentem per vitulum, cum pro deo ab illis colebatur, significatur jucundum amorum illius gentis in cultu; quales ejus amores fuerunt, constare potest ex illis quae ostensa sunt in locis citatis supra n. 10396; fuerunt enim tunc sicut hodie, in amore sui et in amore mundi prae omnibus aliis; quod hodie sint in amore maxime terrestri, notum est, amant enim argentum et aurum non propter aliquem usum sed propter ipsum argentum et aurum, qui amor est omnium maxime terrestris, nam est sordida avaritia; amor sui non exstat apud illos, ut appareat, sed latet intus in corde eorum, ut solet apud omnes sordide avaros; quod nullus amor proximi ⁷ apud illos sit, etiam notum est, et quantum nullus amor proximi est apud aliquem, tantum est ei amor sui.

[5] Ex his nunc constare potest quid per vitulum fusilis ab Aharone pro gente illa factum significatur; simile per illum ⁸ significatur in his locis: apud Jeremiam,

Vitula pulcherrima Aegyptus, excidium e septentrione venit, ac mercenarii ejus in medio ejus sicut vituli saginarii, 46:20, 21:

apud Davidem,

Fecerunt vitulum in Chorebo, et incurvaverunt se fusili, et permutarunt gloriam in effigiem bovis comedentis herbam, Ps. 106:19, 20:

apud Hoscheam,

Addunt peccare, et faciunt sibi fusile ex argento suo, in intelligentia sua idola, opus artificum totum, illis dicentes, Sacrificant hominem, vitulos osculantur, 13:2:

apud Esaiam,

Descendent unicornes cum illis, et ⁹ vituli cum robustis, et ebria fiet terra eorum a sanguine, et pulvis eorum ab adipe pinguefiet, 34:7:

apud eundem,

Urbs munita solitaria, habitaculum dimissum et derelictum, ibi pascet vitulus, et ibi cubabit, et consumet ramos ejus, et exarescet messis ejus, 27:10 [, 11]:

[6] apud Davidem,

Increpa feram ¹⁰ arundinis, congregationem fortium, inter vitulos populorum, conculcans fragmenta argenti, dispersit populos, Ps. 68:31 [KJV Ps. 68:30]:

apud Jeremiam,

Dabo viros transgressos foedus Meum, qui non stabiliverunt verba foederis, quod ferierunt coram Me, vituli, quem conciderunt in duas, ut transirent inter partes ejus, principes Jehudae, et principes Hierosolymae, ministros regios, et sacerdotes, et omnem populum terrae, transeuntes inter partes vituli; et dabo illos in manum hostium illorum, ut sit cadaver eorum in cibum avi caelorum et bestiae terrae, 34:18-20:

et apud Hoscheam,

Regem fecerunt et non a Me, principes fecerunt et non novi; argentum et aurum suum fecerunt idola, ut excidatur; deseruit vitulus tuus, Samaria, nam ex Israele etiam ille, faber fecit eum, et non deus ille, quia in ¹¹ frusta fiet vitulus Samariae, 8:4-6;

haec omnia explicata videantur n. 9391.

Footnotes:

9. When one knows that all names in the Word signify things, and that the names of the twelve sons of Jacob, or of the twelve tribes, signify all truths and goods of the church in the complex; and in like manner, the names of the twelve disciples of the Lord; and that "Peter," "James," and "John" signify faith, charity, and the good of charity; he can see many arcana in the Word; as for example, why:

The Lord gave the name Peter to Simon, and to James and John the name Boanerges, which means sons of thunder (Mark 3:16-17).

For "Peter," like petra [rock], signifies the Lord as to truth from good, or faith from charity; and "sons of thunder" signify those who from affection, which is of love, receive the truths of heaven. (That "rock" signifies the Lord in respect to truth from good, or faith from charity, see Arcana Coelestia 8581, 10580; in like manner the "stone of Israel," n. 6426; that "thunders" signify Divine truths from heaven 7573, 8914; and "lightning" the splendors thereof, n. 8813; whence thunders were also called "voices," 7573, 8914)

[2] I will here mention some arcana that may be seen by those who are aware that "Peter" signifies faith, and "John" the good of charity. First, why the Lord said to Peter:

I also say unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build My church; and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 16:18-19).

It appears from the letter, as if that power was given to Peter, when in fact no power was given to Peter; but it was so said to him because "Peter" signified truth from good, which is from the Lord; and truth from good, which is from the Lord, has all power, thus the Lord has all power from good through truth. (That this is so may be seen illustrated in the small work on The Last Judgment 57.) A second arcanum that may be seen, when it is known that "Peter" signifies faith, is, why the Lord said to him, that:

Before the cock crowed, he would deny Him thrice; which also came to pass (Matthew 26:34).

By these words is signified, that in the last time of the church there would be no faith in the Lord, because no charity; for "cock-crowing," as well as "twilight," signifies the last time of the church (n. Arcana Coelestia 10134); and "three" or "thrice," signifies what is complete to the end (n. Arcana Coelestia 2788, 4495, 5159, 9198, 10127. That the end of the church is when there is no faith, because no charity, see in the small work on The Last Judgment 33-39, seq.).

[3] A third arcanum that may be seen is what is signified by the following words concerning Peter and John:

Jesus saith to Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs. He saith to him again a second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Tend My sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, Lovest thou Me? And he saith unto Him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love Thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed My sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou wast younger, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shall be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and bear thee whither thou wouldest not. And when He had thus spoken, He saith unto him, Follow Me. Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved, following, and he saith, Lord, What shall this one [do]? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me (John 21:15-22).

What these things signify no one can know unless he knows the internal sense, and knows that "Peter" signifies faith, and "John" the good of charity, thus that "Peter" signifies those in the church who are in faith, and "John" those who are in the good of charity.

That Jesus said to Peter three times, "Lovest thou Me?" and that Peter said three times, "Thou knowest that I love Thee," and that Jesus then said, "Feed My lambs," and "Feed My sheep," signifies that those who are in faith from love, ought to instruct those who are in the good of love to the Lord, and in the good of charity towards the neighbor; for those who are in faith from love are also in truths, and those who from this are in truths, instruct concerning good, and lead to good; for all spiritual good that a man has, is gained and implanted by truths.

(That "lambs" signify those who are in the good of innocence and of love to the Lord, may be seen inArcana Coelestia 3994, 10132; that "sheep" signify those who are in the good of charity towards the neighbor, n. 4169, 4809; and that "to feed" is to instruct, n. 5201, 6078)

[4] Faith, as it was to be in the first period of the church and as it was to be in the last, is then described by the Lord. The first period of the church is meant by "when thou wast younger," and its last by "when thou shalt be old." That when Peter "was younger he girded himself and walked whither he would," signifies that in the first period of the church men would imbibe truths from the good of charity and would act from freedom; for to act from freedom is to act from the affection of truth from good. "When thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee and lead thee whither thou wouldest not," signifies that in the last period of the church they would no longer imbibe truths from the good of charity, thus would not know them in any other way than as declared by another; and thus would be in a servile state; for a servile state ensues when good does not lead. (That "garments" signify truths, see Arcana Coelestia 1073, 2576, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216, 9952, 10536; and that therefore to "gird oneself" denotes to imbibe and perceive truths, n. 9952. That to "walk" is to act and live; to act from freedom is to act from love or affection, since what a man loves that he does freely, n. 2870, 3158, 8987, 8990, 9585, 9591. That every church begins from charity, but that in process of time it turns aside to faith, and at length to faith alone, n. 1834, 1835, 2231, 4683, 8094.)

[5] Since, in the last period of the church, faith becomes such that it rejects the good of charity, saying that faith alone constitutes the church and is saving, and not the good of life which is charity, Jesus said to Peter, by whom such faith is here meant, "Follow Me; and Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved, following; and he saith, Lord, what shall this one [do]?" By this is signified that faith, in the last period of the church, would turn itself away from the Lord; for it is said of Peter, by whom such faith is signified, that "turning about, he saw;" also that he said of the disciple whom Jesus loved, or of John, by whom is signified the good of charity, "what shall this one [do]?" that is, that he is not anything. But Jesus said to him, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me." By this is signified that the good of charity will follow the Lord, and will acknowledge Him, even to the last period of the old church, and the first of the new. (That the last period of the old church is called "the consummation of the age," and the beginning of the new church "the coming of the Lord," see Arcana Coelestia 4535, 10622) A fourth arcanum that may be seen is, why the Lord loved John above the rest of the disciples, and consequently why John lay on the breast or in the bosom of the Lord (John 13:23; 21:20); namely, because the good of love was what the Lord saw when He beheld John, who represented and signified that good; since it is that good that constitutes heaven and the church (See the work on Heaven and Hell 13-19). A fifth arcanum is manifest when it is known that John represented the good of love, namely, what is signified by the words of the Lord from the cross to the mother Mary and to John:

When Jesus therefore seeth His mother, and the disciple standing by whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son. Then He saith to the disciple, Behold thy mother. And from that hour the disciple took her unto his own home (John 19:26, 27).

By "mother" and by "woman" is here meant the church, and by "John" the good of charity; and by the things here said, that the church will be where the good of charity is. (That by "woman," in the Word, is meant the church, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 252-253, 749, 770, 3160, 6014, 7337, 8994; that the like is signified by "mother," n. 289, 2691, 2717, 3703, 4257, 5581, 8897, 10490. That to "take her unto his own home" is that these should dwell together, is evident.)

From this it can now be seen how great arcana lie concealed in the Word, which are laid open to those only who know its internal or spiritual sense. Apart from that sense it cannot be known, moreover, what is signified when it is said:

That the apostles shall sit upon twelve thrones, and shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30).

By "apostles" here are meant not apostles, but all truths from good, which are from the Lord; thus by these words is signified that the Lord alone will judge all from truths that are from good, thus that everyone will be judged according to those truths.