Apocalypse Explained #1044
1044. And pearls, signifies their appearance in externals to be in the cognitions [cognitiones] of good and truth, and yet in internals they are in the knowledge [scientia] of evil and falsity. This is evident from the signification of "pearls," as being the cognitions of good and truth (of which presently); therefore in the contrary sense "pearls" signify the knowledges of evil and falsity, which are the source of their craft and cunning. That the Babylonian nation is such, namely, that they wish to appear to be in sanctity, and thus in every good and truth and in the knowledges of these, and to appear in consequence to be intelligent above all others in the world, although in fact they are in no good or truth nor in any knowledges of these, and thus not in any intelligence or wisdom in spiritual things. That they are not in these, but are instead insane in respect to them, is clearly seen in the spiritual world, where the interiors of every man are laid bare and thus clearly appear. In the case of the monks, and especially the Jesuits, who from their cleverness were considered to be more intelligent than all others in the world, their interiors were found to be so empty and void that they did not know a single truth that leads to heaven. These have been explored, and have been found to be such.
[2] They appear in externals to be in goods, truths, knowledges, intelligence, and wisdom, because they have made subject to their dominion all the holy things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, and therefore from dominion they speak with the common people, persuading them that they hold the mysteries of heaven, and that their Pope utters his edicts from inspiration, like that of the prophets and apostles; and this they can declare in a haughty manner, because they speak from the authority of dominion over souls, and over heaven and hell; and from a persuasion of their holiness it can be accepted by the common people with no repugnance of heart, since the common people are kept for this very purpose in dense thick darkness respecting spiritual things. And in that thick darkness they inspire spurious goods and foolish truths, which they call Divine and heavenly; and in such thick darkness in which the common people are kept, they are even able to inspire devilish and infernal evils and falsities, and to induce a faith in them as if they were celestial and spiritual goods and truths; for thus and not otherwise can they be adored as deities, and subject countries and possessions to their command and disposal. Such are the things that lie hidden inwardly in them, while outwardly they appear as if "arrayed in purple and scarlet, and inwrought with gold, precious stones, and pearls."
[3] That "pearls" signify the knowledges of good and truth can be seen from the following passages. In Matthew:
The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one precious pearl, going away sold all that he had and bought it (Matthew 13:45-46).
"The kingdom of the heavens" means both heaven and the church; the "merchant" means those who acquire for themselves the goods and truths through which heaven and the church come; "pearls" signify the knowledges of good and truth, for these are the truths of the natural man; "the one precious pearl" means the knowledge respecting the Lord and His Divine; "going away he sold all that he had and bought it" signifies to reject what is one's own [proprium] in order to receive life from the Lord.
[4] In the same:
Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast your pearls before the swine, lest they trample on them with their feet, and turn and rend you (Matthew 7:6).
"Dogs" signify lusts and appetites; "swine" signify filthy loves, such as are those in the hells of adulterers. Because such are in the infernal marriage, which is the marriage of falsity and evil, they utterly reject goods and truths and the knowledges of these, and moreover treat them with scorn and scoffing; therefore it is said, "Cast not your pearls before the swine, lest they trample on them with their feet, and turn and rend you," "to trample with the feet" being to wholly reject as filth, and "to turn and rend" being to treat with scorn and scoffing.
[5] "Pearls" also signify the knowledges of good and truth in the following passages in Revelation:
The merchants of the earth shall weep and wail over Babylon, for no one buyeth their merchandise any more, merchandise of gold and silver, and of precious stone and pearl (Revelation 18:11-12).
Again:
The twelve gates of the wall of the New Jerusalem were twelve pearls; each one of the gates was one pearl (Revelation 21:21).
As "the gates to the New Jerusalem" signify such things of doctrine from the Word as introduce man into the church, and these are the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, so the gates were seen to be "of pearls."
Ezekiel 8:6-18
6
He said to me, Son of man, do you see what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel do commit here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? But you shall again see yet other great abominations.
7
He brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold, a hole in the wall.
8
Then he said to me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had dug in the wall, behold, a door.
9
He said to me, Go in, and see the wicked abominations that they do here.
10
So I went in and saw; and see, every form of creeping things, and abominable animals, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed around on the wall.
11
There stood before them seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel; and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, every man with his censer in his hand; and the odor of the cloud of incense went up.
12
Then he said to me, Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in his rooms of imagery? for they say, Yahweh doesn't see us; Yahweh has forsaken the land.
13
He said also to me, You shall again see yet other great abominations which they do.
14
Then he brought me to the door of the gate of Yahweh's house which was toward the north; and see, there sat the women weeping for Tammuz.
15
Then he said to me, Have you seen [this], son of man? You shall again see yet greater abominations than these.
16
He brought me into the inner court of Yahweh's house; and see, at the door of the temple of Yahweh, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs toward the temple of Yahweh, and their faces toward the east; and they were worshipping the sun toward the east.
17
Then he said to me, Have you seen [this], son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have turned again to provoke me to anger: and behold, they put the branch to their nose.
18
Therefore will I also deal in wrath; my eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity; and though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
