410. Hid themselves in the caves and in the rocks of the mountains. That this signifies those things destroyed by evils of life and by the falsities thence, is plain from the signification of hiding themselves as denoting their being destroyed, namely, internal and external goods and truths, or those that are in the natural and spiritual man, these being signified by the kings of the earth, the great men, the rich men, the chief captains, the mighty men, and by every bondservant and every freeman, as has been shown above. Hence it follows that by they hid themselves is signified that those things were destroyed, the things which are destroyed being also in concealment. From the signification of caves, as denoting evils of life, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of the rocks of the mountains, as denoting the falsities thence; for rocks signify the truths of faith, and in an opposite sense the falsities of faith; here the falsities from evils, for mountains signify evils flowing from the loves of self and of the world (as was shown just above, n. 405); but the signification of rocks will be seen in the article immediately following; here, [however, the signification] of caves.

[2] It was stated above, that in the spiritual world there are mountains, hills, rocks, valleys, and lands, as in our world, and that angels and spirits dwell on them; but in the spiritual world they have everywhere another appearance; on the mountains there those who are in the greatest light dwell; below them, on the same mountain, dwell those who are in less light; and beneath these, those who are in still less; and in the lowest parts dwell those who are in darkness and thick darkness respectively to the light which those possess who are above. The heavens, consequently, are in the higher part of the mountains, and the hells are in the lowest parts, thus the expanses of the mountain succeed each other as strata. The reason is, that the lower parts may be governed by the higher from the Lord; for the Lord flows in immediately from Himself into all things of the spiritual world, and mediately through the higher heavens into the lower, and through these into the hells. The reason for this arrangement is, that all may be kept in connection by influx; such a co-ordinate and sub-ordinate arrangement exists through the whole spiritual world.

Into the hells which are under the mountains and in the rocks, entrances open either in the lowest part of their sides, or through caverns from the valleys; and the entrances in the lower parts of the sides appear like entrances into caves where there are wild beasts, altogether dark, which are opened when evil spirits are let in, but are closed when they have been let in. These entrances are called in the Word the gates of hell. In the rocks, however, these entrances appear as clefts in the rock, and in some places as openings of differing magnitude. The darkness in those gates or doors appears as darkness to good spirits and angels, but as full of light to evil spirits; the reason is, that there is no light of heaven there, but a fatuous light, which is natural light without spiritual. Their light, however, is not like the light of the world in the day-time, but like the nocturnal light, which is for horned owls, moles, night owls, and bats, which see nothing in the light of day, and hence the light of day is darkness to them, whilst the darkness of the night is their light. Their sight is of such a nature, because it is formed of falsities and evils, which in themselves are darkness and thick darkness; wherefore also by darkness in the Word are signified falsities of every kind, and by thick darkness the falsities of evil. From these things it is evident what is signified by their hiding themselves in caves, namely, that [they were] in evils of life, goods with them having been destroyed. Evils of life are signified by caves, for the same reason that mountains signify goods of life, namely, because such is the quality of those who are there; for the spiritual sense regards only evils or goods apart from places and persons, such as they are in themselves and in those [persons], as has also been frequently shown above.

[3] From these things it is evident what is signified in the Word by caves, caverns, hollows, openings, clefts, and chinks of rocks and mountains, in the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Enter into the rock, and hide thee in the dust, for fear of Jehovah, and for the glory of his majesty. For the day of Jehovah of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up, and brought low; and upon all the cedars of Lebanon, that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, and upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every high tower, and upon every fenced wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish, and upon all the images of desire. And the pride of man (hominis) shall be bowed down, and the loftiness of men (virorum) shall be brought low; and Jehovah alone shall be exalted in that day. And the idols shall go away into smoke. And they shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the clefts of the dust, for fear of Jehovah, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to terrify the earth. In that day a man shall cast away his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made for themselves, to bow down to the moles and to the bats; to go into the rents of the rocks, and into the clefts of the rocks" (2:10-21).

No one can understand all these things except from the internal sense, and except he knows the nature of the appearance of things in the spiritual world. For without the internal sense, who would know what is denoted by, the day of Jehovah shall be upon the cedars of Lebanon and the oaks of Bashan, upon the mountains and hills, upon the tower and the fenced wall, upon the ships of Tarshish and the images of desire; and what is denoted by bowing down to moles and bats? And except from the appearance of things being known in the spiritual world, who would know what entering into the rock denotes, and hiding themselves in the dust, entering into the caves of the rocks, and into the clefts of the dust, likewise into the rents of the rocks, and the clefts of the rocks? But, from the internal sense, it is known that by all these things is described the state of those who are in the love of self and of the world, and thence in evils and falsities at the time of the Last Judgment. It is, therefore, said that the day of Jehovah shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up and brought low; the day of Jehovah denoting the Last Judgment; every proud and lofty one denoting those who are in the love of self and the world; and every one that is lifted up and brought low denoting those who are in the love of their own intelligence. This is further described by, "the day of Jehovah shall be upon all the cedars that are high and lifted up, and upon all the oaks of Bashan, upon all the high mountains and the hills that are lifted up, upon every high tower and fenced wall, and upon all the ships of Tarshish and the images of desire." By the cedars of Lebanon and by the oaks of Bashan is signified the pride of man's own intelligence; interior pride, by the cedars of Lebanon, and exterior, by the oaks of Bashan. By the mountains and hills are signified the loves of self and of the world, and the evils and falsities originating thence (as was shown above, n. 403). By the tower and the wall are signified falsities of doctrine confirmed. By the ships of Tarshish and the images of desire are signified knowledges and perceptions of falsity from evil; their worship from evils and falsities is signified by the idols which they made each one for himself to bow down to the moles and the bats. Worship from such things as are from one's own intelligence is signified by the idols which they made for themselves to bow down unto; the evils and falsities from which such worship springs are signified by the moles and the bats, because their sight is in the darkness, and they shun the light. The judgment upon them is described by, they shall go into the caves of the rocks, and into the clefts of the dust, likewise into the rents of the rocks, and into the clefts of the rocks; also by entering into the caves of the rocks and into the clefts of the dust, is signified the damnation of those who are in evils and falsities from the love of self and of the world, and in the pride of one's own intelligence; for the hells of such appear as caves in rocks, and the entrances into them as the rents of rocks and clefts of rocks; rocks (petroe et rupes) also signify the falsities of faith and doctrine, and dust signifies what is cursed.

[4] In Jeremiah:

"Thy dread hath deceived thee, the pride of thine heart, thou that dwellest in the openings of the rocks, that holdest the height of the hill; if thou shouldst exalt thy nest as the eagle, thence will I cast thee down" (49:16).

These things are said concerning Esau and Edom; and by Esau are here signified the love of self and the evil thence destroying the church, and by Edom the pride of man's own intelligence and the falsity thence destroying the church. That the love of self and such pride are meant, is evident from its being said, "the pride of thine heart hath deceived thee; if thou shouldst exalt thy nest as the eagle, thence will I cast thee down." Those who are in falsities from one's own intelligence, dwell in rocks below, and entrances to them appear as openings therein, which have also been seen by me; within, however, there are cells and chambers hollowed out, where they sit in their fantasies; but before they are cast in thither they appear above the mountains and hills, for they raise themselves into heights by fantasies, and not being in truths they suppose that they are there as to the body, when nevertheless they are as to the body in the caverns of the rocks; this, therefore, is what is meant by dwelling in the openings of the rocks, and holding the height of the hill. Hence it is plain what the quality of the Word is, namely, that in many places [it is written] according to aspects and appearances in the spiritual world, which are unknown to man, but known to spirits and angels; whence it is evident that the Word is written for them also.

[5] In Obadiah:

"The pride of thy heart hath deceived thee, thou that dwellest in the clefts of the rock, in the height of thy seat; that saith in his heart, Who shall bring me down to the ground? If thou exalt thyself as the eagle, and if thou set thy nest amongst the stars, thence will I bring thee down" (verses 3, 4).

These words also are said concerning Edom, by whom is here signified the pride of erudition which is from man's own intelligence, and the falsity thence destroying the church. Nearly similar things being here mentioned as just above, like things also are signified; by the clefts of the rock are signified the falsities of faith and of doctrine, because those dwell there who are in them [i.e. in falsities]; they are compared to an eagle, because by an eagle from its flight into the heights, is signified the pride of man's own intelligence; because also it is said a nest for habitation. To place it among the stars, signifies on the heights where they dwell who are in the knowledges of truth, for the knowledges of truth are signified by stars. In Job:

"To dwell in the clefts of the valleys, in the openings of the earth, and in the rocks" (30:6).

Here also by the clefts of the valleys, the openings of the earth, and the rocks, are signified the falsities of evil, for the falsities of evil are here treated of.

[6] In Isaiah:

"It shall come to pass in that day that Jehovah shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Assyria; which shall come, and shall rest all of them in the rivers of desolations, and in the clefts of the rocks, and on all the shoots, and in all the conduits" (7:18, 19).

Thus is described the church, vastated by scientifics falsely applied, and by the reasonings thence, by which the very knowledges of truth from the Word are perverted. The fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, signifies falsity in the extremes of the natural man; the extremes of the natural man are what are called sensual things, for the natural man is interior, middle, and exterior; the interior communicates with the spiritual man by the Rational, but the exterior with the world by the senses of the body, and the middle conjoins both. The exterior is what is called the Sensual, because it depends upon the senses of the body, and thence draws all that belongs to it. The falsities there and thence, are signified by the flies that are in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt. By the bee, however, in the land of Assyria are signified false reasonings thence; for by Assyria is signified the Rational, and by Egypt the scientific of the natural man; and because the Rational derives all that it has from the scientifics of the natural man, hence its reasonings are signified by bees, because bees suck out and derive their store from the flowers, so does the Rational from the scientifics of the natural man. Here, however, by bees are signified false reasonings, because the Rational collects what belongs to it from scientifics falsely applied. That these things are likened to flies and bees is also from correspondence; for in the spiritual world there appear flying things of various kinds, but they are appearances from the ideas of the thoughts of spirits, and the noxious flying things among them are flies and bees of such a kind. The flies in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt derive their correspondence from their birth out of the filth of rivers. It is said that they shall come and rest in the rivers of desolations, and in the clefts of the rocks, which signifies that the falsities of scientifics and the reasonings thence shall reside where there are no truths, and where there is a faith of falsity; the rivers of desolations denoting where there are no truths, and the clefts of the rocks where there is a faith of falsity. That [they shall rest] on all shoots and in all conduits, signifies that the knowledges and perceptions of truth are falsified by them; the shoots denoting the knowledges of truth, and conduits denoting the perceptions which become falsified by the falsities above mentioned, when they flow in. No one can see and know that these arcana are contained in these words, except from the internal sense, and at the same time from the spiritual world.

[7] In the same:

"The palace shall be a wilderness; the multitude of the city shall be forsaken; a summit and a beacon tower shall be upon the caves even for ever, a joy of wild asses and a pasture of flocks" (32:14).

By these words is described the total vastation of the church where there is no longer any good of life and truth of doctrine. No one, however, can know what those things involve, but him who knows the state of things in the spiritual world, and at the same time the internal sense. The devastation of the whole church is meant by, "The palace shall be a wilderness, and the multitude of the city forsaken." A palace signifies the whole church as to truths from good, and a wilderness signifies [where there is] no good because no truth; hence by, the palace shall be a wilderness, is signified the church devastated. The multitude of the city signifies all the truths of doctrine, for a city denotes doctrine, and multitude is said of truths, which are called forsaken when they do not exist. That a summit and a beacon tower shall be upon the caves for ever, signifies that the church shall no longer exist with them, because there is nothing but evil of life and falsity of doctrine. Caves signify such things, because such persons dwell in caves, as said above; and because such persons dwell in deep places in the spiritual world, and are covered above by summits and beacon towers, thus hidden from those who dwell upon lands there, therefore it is not only said that "a summit and a beacon tower shall be upon the caves," but also that [they shall be] "a joy of wild asses and a pasture of flocks." In that world also there are many hells in deep places altogether hidden by the earths, rocks, and hills above, or by summits and beacon towers, where there is grass, like a pasture for flocks; whence it is that they are unknown to those who dwell there upon the land. A joy of wild asses also signifies the affection or love of falsities, and a pasture of flocks, the nourishment of evils from falsities; and both the devastation of truth by falsities. From these things it may be seen what all arcanum lies hid in these words.

[8] In Jeremiah:

"Is this house, upon which my name is named, become a den of robbers?" (7:11).

By a den of robbers is signified evil of life from falsities of doctrine; and by the house "upon which my name is named," is signified the church where there is worship from goods of life by truths of doctrine; the house denotes the church; the name of Jehovah denotes all that by which He is worshipped, consequently, good and truth, the latter of doctrine, the former of life. The reason why the church, where there is evil of life from falsities of doctrine, is called a den of robbers, is, that a cave signifies that [evil], and those are called robbers who steal truths from the Word, and pervert and apply them to falsities and evils, and so extinguish them. From these things it is clear what is meant by the Lord's words in the Evangelists:

"It is written, my house shall be called the house of prayers; but ye have made it a den of robbers" (Matthew 21:13 Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46).

By house in a universal sense is here signified the church; and because worship was performed in the temple at Jerusalem, it is, therefore, called the house of prayers. (That the temple signifies the church may be seen, n. 3720; that prayers signify worship, above, n. 325; that to be called signifies the same as above; [by] to name my name upon them, in the Arcana Coelestia. n. 3421.)

[9] In Isaiah:

"The sucking child shall play on the hole of the adder, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the den of the basilisk" (11:8).

These words cannot be understood, unless it is known, from those things that appear in the spiritual world, what is meant by the hole of the adder, and the den of the basilisk. It was observed above, that the entrances to the hells appear as openings in the rocks, and as gaps opening to caves, such as belong to wild beasts in the forests; those who dwell therein, when they are viewed in the light of heaven, appear as monsters of various kinds, and also as wild beasts. Those who are in the hells where there are such as act craftily against innocence, appear like adders; and those who [act craftily] against the good of love, appear like basilisks; and as a suckling or sucking child signifies the good of innocence, therefore, it is said, the sucking child shall play on the hole of the adder; and as a weaned child, or an infant ceasing to have milk, signifies the good of love, therefore, it is said, "and the weaned child shall put his hand on the den of the basilisk." Hence there is signified thereby that those who are in the good of innocence, and in the good of love to the Lord, have no fear whatever of evils and falsities from hell, because they are protected by the Lord. (That by infants in the Word is signified the good of innocence and also by sucklings, may be seen, n. 430, 3183; and what adders and other poisonous serpents signify, n. 9013.)

[10] In Jeremiah:

"Take the girdle that thou hast bought thee, which is upon thy loins, and arise and go to Euphrates, and hide it there in a hole of the rock."

That he also did this:

And afterwards at the end of many days, he went there, and took it again, "and lo the girdle was marred, and was profitable for nothing" (Jeremiah 13:4-17).

By this was represented the quality of the Jewish Church, that it was without all good of life and truth of doctrine. For the girdle upon the loins of the prophet signified the conjunction of the Lord with the church by means of the Word; by Euphrates is signified the all of the church as to good, here, as to evil; and by the rock, the all of the church as to truth, here, as to falsity, for it is said, a hole of the rock. That the girdle was marred, so as to be profitable for nothing, signified that there was not any conjunction whatever of the church with the Lord, consequently, that there was no church.

[11] The same is signified by a cave in the prophetical parts of the Word as in the historical parts; for the historical parts of the Word equally with the prophetical parts of the Word contain an internal sense. Thus it is recorded of Lot, that after the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah by fire,

He dwelt in a cave of the mountain, with his two daughters, who made him drunk, and lay with him; whence were born Moab and Ammon (Genesis 19:30-33 at the end).

By this was represented and signified the same as by Moab and Ammon in the Word, for by Moab is signified the adulteration of the good of the church, and by Ammon the falsification of the truth of the church (as may be seen, n. 2468, 8315); for by adulteries and whoredoms are signified, in general, the adulterations of good and the falsifications of truth (as may be seen above, n. 141, 161); and by the various kinds of adulteries and whoredoms which are related in Leviticus (18:6-30), are signified various kinds of adulterations and falsifications of good and truth. And hence it is, that Lot is then called a dweller in a cave; such abominable [wickedness] also is signified here by a cave of the mountain. In the book of Judges it is said:

The sons of Israel did evil in the eyes of Jehovah: and therefore they were delivered into the hand of Midian. And the hand of Midian prevailed against Israel: and because of Midian they made for themselves dens in the mountains, and caverns, and stronghold (6:1, 2).

By the evil which the children of Israel did, is meant the perversion of good and truth, as is evident from the following verses there, and also from the signification of Midian (see n. 3242); on account of whom they made for themselves dens in the mountains, and caverns; for the sons of Israel were possessed by the evil which is signified by Midian; for, because of Midian, signifies, on account of that evil. Similar was the case when the sons of Israel fled on account of the Philistines (1 Sam. 13:6).

403. As a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken by a mighty wind. That this signifies, which the natural man has laid waste by his reasonings, is plain from the signification of a fig-tree, as denoting the natural man, of which we shall speak presently; from the signification of its untimely figs, as denoting those things that are in the natural man, these being especially the knowledges implanted in the natural man from infancy, and are not yet mature, having been merely heard and thence received; and from the signification of, shaken by a mighty wind, as denoting, which the natural man has laid waste by reasonings. To be shaken by a mighty wind here signifies reasonings from the falsities of evil; for mighty in the Word is said of good and evil; wind, of truth and falsity; and to be shaken thereby, of reasoning thence. The reason why such things are signified by these words, although they are said comparatively, is, that all comparisons in the Word are significative, just as other things, for they are equally correspondences. With respect to these things, the case is this: every man is born natural from his parents, but becomes spiritual from the Lord; this is called to be born again, or regenerated. And because he is born natural, therefore the knowledges he imbibes from infancy, before he becomes spiritual, are implanted in his natural memory. But as he advances in years, and begins to view rationally the knowledges of good and truth he has imbibed from the Word or from preaching, if he then leads an evil life, he seizes upon and examines the falsities that are the opposite of and contrary to these knowledges; then as he is gifted with a talent for reasoning, he reasons from falsities against the knowledges of his infancy and childhood, and as a result these are cast out, and falsities succeed in their place. This, therefore, is what is signified by, "The stars shall fall to the earth, as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken by the wind."

[2] That the fig-tree signifies the natural man is from correspondence; for in heaven gardens and paradises appear, where there are trees of every kind, and every tree signifies something of the Divine, which is communicated to angels from the Lord. In general, the olive signifies the celestial which is of the good of love; the vine, the spiritual which is of the truth from that good; and the fig-tree, the natural, which is derived from the spiritual or the celestial. And because those trees signify such things, therefore they also signify the angel or man with whom such things exist; but in a general sense they signify a whole society, because every society in the heavens is formed so as to present the image of one man. But in the spiritual sense those trees signify the church; the olive, the celestial church; the vine, the spiritual church; and the fig-tree, the natural church, which is the external church corresponding to the internal. From these considerations it is evident why it is that the fig-tree is said to signify the natural man, that is, the Natural in man.

[3] That the fig-tree signifies this, and, in general, the external church, is also clear from other passages in the Word, where it is mentioned, as from the following. In Isaiah:

"All the host of the heavens shall be consumed, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all the host thereof shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as that which falleth from the fig-tree" (34:4).

These things are said concerning the day of the Last Judgment, which was about to come, and also came. For the Last Judgment predicted by the prophets of the Old Testament, was accomplished by the Lord when He was in the world; and because similar things then took place as in the Last Judgment, which was predicted in the Apocalypse, and which has at this day been accomplished by the Lord, therefore nearly similar things are said. As in the prophet Isaiah, that, all the host of the heavens shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as that which falleth from the fig-tree, also that the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll. In the Apocalypse, that the stars shall fall unto the earth, as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, and that the heaven shall depart as a scroll rolled together. That all the host of the heavens shall be consumed, signifies that all the goods and truths of love and faith have been corrupted; for by the host of the heavens are meant all the goods and truths of love and faith; the sun, moon, and stars, by which those things are signified, being called the host of the heavens. The heavens being rolled together as a scroll, signifies their dissipation; that all the host shall fall down as the leaf from the vine, and as that which falleth from the fig-tree, signifies the laying waste from the falsities of evil.

[4] In Jeremiah:

"In consuming I will consume them; there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf shall fade" (8:13).

There being no grapes on the vine signifies that there is no spiritual good; for the vine signifies the spiritual man, and the grape, because it is its fruit, signifies the good of that [man], which is called spiritual good; nor figs on the fig-tree, signifies that there is no natural good, for the fig-tree signifies the natural man, and the fruit of the fig-tree signifies the good of that [man], which is called natural good. That the vine does not signify the vine, nor the fig-tree the fig-tree, is evident, for it is said, "In consuming I will consume them, there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree," for they will not on that account be consumed. The vastation of the church is also treated of, as clearly appears from what precedes and follows there.

[5] In Hosea:

"I will also make all her joy to cease, her feast, her new moon, her sabbath. And I will devastate her vine and her fig-tree, whereof she hath said, These are the rewards of my whoredom; and I will make her a forest, and the wild beast of the field shall devour" (2:11, 12).

The churches are here treated of, and the falsification of truth therein. That it is said concerning the church, is clear from the second verse of this chapter, where it is said, contend with your mother; for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband. By a mother and by a wife is signified the church; the holy things of the church also, from which worship is performed, and the worship itself, are signified by the feast, the new moon, and the sabbath, which shall cease; therefore by, "I will devastate her vine and her fig-tree," is signified that both spiritual good and natural good would perish. That they shall be made a forest, and the wild beast of the field shall devour, signifies that both shall be merely natural, and that the spiritual shall be consumed by falsities and lusts; the forest signifying the merely natural, and the wild beast of the field, falsities and lusts. And inasmuch as falsities in the church are especially falsified truths, and these are treated of in this chapter, therefore it is said, "whereof she hath said, These are the rewards of my whoredom," the rewards of whoredom signifying falsification.

[6] In Joel:

"A nation shall come up upon my land, strong, and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it hath the great grinding teeth of a lion. It hath reduced my vine to a waste, and my fig-tree to froth; the branches thereof are made white. The vine is dried up, and the fig-tree languisheth; the pomegranate-tree, and also the palm-tree, and the apple-tree, all the trees of the field are withered" (1:6, 7, 12).

In this whole chapter the devastated church is treated of; and by the nation, which comes up upon the land, which is strong and without number, which has the teeth of a lion, and the great grinding teeth of a lion, is not signified any nation of such a kind, but direful evil and the falsity thence. By the land upon which it comes up, is signified the church; by the teeth of a lion are signified the falsities of that evil; and because these destroy all the goods and truths of the church, they are called the great grinding teeth of a lion; a lion signifying that which destroys. Hence by, "He hath reduced my vine to a waste, and my fig-tree to froth," is signified that the church internal and external is thereby vastated; for the vine signifies the internal church, and the fig-tree the external; froth signifies where there is inwardly no truth; and by, "in making it bare he has made it bare, and cast it away," is signified that there is no longer any good or truth which is not destroyed; to make bare, namely, of fruits and leaves, denotes to deprive of goods and truths; and to cast away denotes entirely to destroy. By, "the branches thereof are made white," is signified, that there is no longer anything spiritual. By the pomegranate, the palm, and the apple, and all the trees of the field which are withered, are signified species of goods and truths of the church, and the knowledges thereof, which are consummated by evils and falsities; the trees of the field, in general, signifying the knowledges of good and truth.

[7] In the same:

"Be not afraid, ye beasts of my fields; for the dwelling-places of the wilderness are made grassy, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine shall yield their strength" (2:22).

The establishment of the church is here treated of; therefore by the beasts of the field are not meant beasts of the field, but the affections of good in the natural man, consequently, those with whom such affections are. Who does not see that they are not beasts to whom it is said, "Be not afraid, ye beasts of my fields?" By, "the dwelling-places of the wilderness are made grassy," is signified that with such there will be knowledges of truth where there were none before; the dwelling-places of the wilderness denoting the interiors of the mind of those in whom they did not exist before; grassy signifies the increase and multiplication thereof; "for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine shall yield their strength," signifies that they have natural good and spiritual good, for strength here denotes the production of fruit.

[8] In Amos:

"Your many gardens, and your vineyards, and your fig-trees, and your olive-trees, the canker-worm hath devoured; yet have ye not returned unto me" (4:9).

By gardens are signified all things of the church that constitute intelligence and wisdom; by vineyards, spiritual goods and truths; by fig-trees, natural goods and truths; by olive-trees, celestial goods and truths; the canker-worm denotes the falsity which destroys; the fig-tree, the vine, and the olive, properly signify the church, and the man of the church; but because the church is a church and a man is a man from goods and truths, therefore these also are signified by those trees, the goods by their fruits, and the truths by their branches and leaves.

[9] In Haggai:

"Set your heart from this day and henceforwards. Is there not yet seed in the barn, and even to the vine and fig-tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive-tree?" (2:18, 19).

By these words, in the spiritual sense, is meant that goods and truths are yet remaining; all goods and truths from primaries to ultimates are meant by the vine, the fig-tree, the pomegranate, and the olive-tree; by the vine, spiritual good and truth; by the fig-tree, natural good and truth; by the pomegranate, the knowing and perceptive faculty in general, and specifically the knowledges and perceptions of good and truth; and by the olive-tree, the perception of celestial good and truth; the barn signifies where those things are, either the church, or the man in whom the church is, or the mind of man, which is the subject.

[10] In Habakkuk:

"The fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall increase be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall deceive, and the fields shall yield no food" (3:17).

The fig-tree shall not blossom, signifies that there shall be no natural good; neither shall increase be in the vines, signifies that there shall be no spiritual good; the labour of the olive shall deceive signifies that there shall be no celestial good; the fields shall yield no food, signifies that there shall be no spiritual nourishment.

[11] In Moses:

"Jehovah God leadeth thee to a good land, a land of rivers of water, of fountains and depths that go out of valley and mountain; a land of wheat and barley, and of the vine and fig-tree and pomegranate; a land of oil olive, and honey" (Deuteronomy 8:7, 8).

By the good land to which they shall be led, is meant the land of Canaan, by which is signified the church, therefore here the same things are signified by the vine, the fig-tree, the pomegranate, and the olive, as now [explained] above. The other things may be seen explained before in n. 374. Because by the land of Canaan is signified the church, and by the vine, the fig-tree, and the pomegranate, are signified the internal and external things of the church, therefore it came to pass that the explorers of that land brought such things thence; concerning this it is thus written in Moses:

The explorers of the land of Canaan "came to the river Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, which they bare between two upon a pole; [they brought] also of the pomegranate, and of the figs" (Num. 13:23).

[12] Because the vine and the fig-tree signify such things, therefore it is said in the Word of those who are in the goods and truths of the church, and thence in safety from evils and falsities, that they shall sit under their own vine, and under their own fig-tree in security, and none shall make them afraid; as in the first book of Kings:

"Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon" (4:25).

In Zechariah:

"I will remove the iniquity of this land in one day. In that day, ye shall call every man to his neighbour, to the vine and to the fig-tree" (3:9, 10).

And in Micah:

"In the end of the days the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established on the top of the mountains; and nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; neither shall any make them afraid" (4:1, 3, 4).

These things are said of the Lord's kingdom, which is with those in the heavens, and on earth, who are in love to Him. The Lord's kingdom is signified by the mountain of Jehovah, which is established on the top of the mountains, for the mountain of Jehovah signifies the Lord's kingdom of those who are in love to Him; and because these dwell above the others in the heavens, it is said of that mountain, that it shall be established on the top of the mountains (see the work concerning Heaven and Hell 188). And because these have truths inscribed upon their hearts, and, therefore, do not debate concerning them, it is said that "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more," by which is signified, that in that kingdom there shall be no dispute about truths (as may be seen in the same work, n. Heaven and Hell 25, 26, 270, 271). That by the truths and goods which they possess, they shall be safe from evils and falsities, is signified by, they shall sit under their own vine and under their own fig-tree, none making them afraid.

[13] In Jeremiah:

"Lo, I will bring upon you a nation from afar, which shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread; it shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters; it shall eat up thy flock and thine herd; it shall eat up thy vine and thy fig-tree" (5:15, 17).

By a nation from afar is signified the evil opposed to celestial good; by from afar is signified distant and remote from goods and truths, also opposed; "which shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread," signifies that it shall destroy all truths and goods by means of which there is spiritual nourishment; "it shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters," signifies all the spiritual affections of truth and good; "it shall eat up thy flock and thine herd," signifies truths and goods internal and external; "it shall eat up thy vine and thy fig-tree," signifies, thus the internal and external of the church.

[14] In Hosea:

"I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree in its first season" (9:10).

By Israel and the fathers here are not meant the fathers of the tribes from the sons of Jacob, but those who belonged to the Ancient Church, because they were in good (as may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 6050, 6075, 6846, 6876, 6884, 7648, 8055); because they were in good, but at the beginning in ignorance of the truth, by which, however, good is [formed], it is said, "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree in its first season"; grapes signifying spiritual good, wilderness signifying ignorance of the truth; and the first-ripe in the fig-tree signifying natural good from spiritual good in infancy.

[15] In Luke:

"And when all these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads. And he spake a parable; Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees; when they now have shot forth, ye see and shall know of your own selves that summer is now near. So also ye, when ye shall see these things, know that the kingdom of God is nigh" (21:28-31; Matthew 24:32; Mark 13:28, 29).

The subject here treated of is the consummation of the age, which is the Last Judgment, and the signs that precede are enumerated; these are meant by, "when all these things begin to come to pass." That a new church will then commence, which will be external in the beginning, is signified by, "Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees, when they have shot forth." This parable or similitude was related, because the fig-tree signifies the external church, and the trees signify the knowledges of truth and good. The kingdom of God, which then is near, signifies the Lord's New Church; for at the time of the Last Judgment, the old church perishes, and a new commences.

[16] In Luke:

"Every tree is known by his own fruit; for of thorns [men] do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they the grape" (6:44).

As by fruit is signified the good of life, and the good of life is external good from internal, or natural good from spiritual, and as man is known from this good, therefore the Lord says, "Every tree is known by his own fruit; of thorns [men] do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they the grape," the fig here denoting the good of the external or natural man, and the grape denoting the good of the internal or spiritual man; the thorns and the bramble-bush denote the evils opposed to them.

[17] Because the kings of Judah and Israel represented the Lord as to Divine truth, and Divine truth is, as it were, tortured, and labours with man, when there is not a life according to it, and it does not become the good of life; but only when it becomes of the life, it lives; this was signified by the following:

That by command of Jehovah to Hezekiah king of Judah, when he was sick, they should bring a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaster, upon the boil, and so should he live (2 Kings 20:7; Isaiah 38:21).

From these things it is evident that the fig-tree, in the genuine sense, signifies the natural man as to good and truth, the fig itself as a tree, the natural man; the fig as a fruit, the good of the natural man; and its leaf, the truth of that good.

[18] But that the fig-tree in an opposite sense signifies the natural man as to evil and falsity, the fig as a tree, the natural man himself, the figs of it as fruit, the evil of that natural man; and its leaf, the falsity of that evil, is plain from the following passages.

In Jeremiah:

"Jehovah shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of Jehovah. One basket [held] very good figs, as of fig-trees bearing the first-fruits; and the other basket [held] exceeding bad figs, which could not be eaten for badness. Jehovah said, As these figs are good, so will I acknowledge the migration of Judah into the land of the Chaldeans for good; and I will set mine eye upon them for good, and I will bring them back upon this land; and I will build them, and I will plant them. And like the figs that are bad; so will I give them that are left in this land, to commotion, and to evil in all nations; and I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, that they may be consumed" (24:1-10).

By the captivity of the Jews in the land of the Chaldeans, is signified the same as by the spiritual captivity, or the removal of the good from the evil in the spiritual world (according to what has been recorded above, n. 391, 392, 394, 397); namely, that the inwardly evil, who could nevertheless lead a moral life, like the spiritual life in externals, remained upon the earth in the spiritual world, and made themselves habitations there upon the higher places; and that the inwardly good were removed from them, and concealed by the Lord in the lower earth. This was represented by the carrying away of the Jews into the land of the Chaldeans, and by the continuance of the rest in the land; therefore it is said concerning those who suffered themselves to be carried away into the land of the Chaldeans, "I acknowledge the migration of Judah into the land of the Chaldeans for good; and I will set mine eye upon them for good, and I will bring them back upon this land; and I will build them, and I will plant them"; whereas, concerning those who remained, it is said, "I will give them that are left in this land, to commotion, and to evil in all nations; and I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, that they may be consumed." That these were the things represented, is plain also from this fact, that the temple of Solomon was destroyed before they were carried away, and that a new [temple] was built when they returned. By the temple is signified Divine worship; and by the new temple, that [worship] restored.

[19] From these things it is evident what is signified by the two baskets of figs set before the temple of Jehovah, in one of which were figs that were very good, as of fig-trees bearing the firstfruits, and in the other were figs exceeding bad, which could not be eaten for badness; namely, that those who are inwardly good, from whom a new heaven is to be formed, are meant by the basket of good figs, and those who are inwardly evil, who are to be cast down into hell, are meant by the basket of bad figs. Therefore it is said concerning the latter, that they could not be eaten for badness; by which is signified that they were inwardly evil; and concerning the former that they were as fig-trees bearing the first-fruits, by which is signified that they were inwardly good, so that a new heaven could be formed from them; for the fig, as a fruit, signifies the good of life in the internal, and at the same time in the external form, and, in an opposite sense, it signifies the good of life solely in the external form, which is evil of life, because it is inwardly evil; for every external derives its quality from the internal, for it is the effect of it. The reason why, with such persons, evil appears in the externals as good, is, because they feign what is good for the sake of the evil that is within, in order to obtain some end, to which apparent good serves as a means. The same is said of those who remained in the land of Canaan elsewhere in the same [prophet]:

"Thus said Jehovah of the king, and all the people that dwell in this city, that are not gone forth with you into captivity; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I will make them like harsh figs, that cannot be eaten for badness" (29:16, 17).

[20] That the fig as a tree, in the opposite sense, signifies the merely natural man, and the church from such, or those with whom there is no natural good, because there is no inward good, is plain in Luke:

Jesus "spake this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; he therefore came seeking fruit thereon, but found none. He said unto the vine-dresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, but find none, cut it down, for wherefore also maketh it the ground unfruitful? But he answering said, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: if only it bear fruit, [well]; if not at all, after that thou shalt cut it down" (13:6-9).

By the vineyard, in which the fig-tree was, is signified the church, where also those are who are in externals; for there is both an internal and an external in the Lord's church; the internal of the church consists of charity and the faith thence, but the external of the church consists of the good of life. Because the works of charity and faith, which constitute the good of life, pertain to the natural man, and charity itself and the faith thence to the spiritual man, hence by the vineyard is signified the internal of the church, and by the fig-tree its external. With the Jewish nation there was only the external of the church, because it was in external representative worship; therefore by the fig-tree is meant the church with that nation; but because they were in external and in no internal worship, for they were inwardly evil, and since external worship without internal is no worship, and with the evil is evil worship, therefore with them there was nothing of natural good. Hence it is said, that for three years he had not found fruit on the fig-tree, and that he commanded the vinedresser to cut it down; by which is signified, that from beginning to end there was not any natural good with that nation; for by three years is signified a whole period, or a time from beginning to end; and by the fruit of the fig-tree is signified natural good; by natural good is meant spiritual-natural good, or good in the natural from the spiritual. And because a church composed of such as are not in natural good, as was the Jewish nation, is not a church, therefore it is also said of the fig-tree, "wherefore also maketh it the ground unfruitful?" the earth denoting the church. That the vine-dresser begged that it should still be left, and that he would dig about it, signifies that [the nation] should remain, and that hereafter they should be instructed by the Christians, in the midst of whom they would be; but because no answer was made to this, it is meant that the fig-tree would still produce no fruit; that is, that the Jewish nation would do no good that proceeds from anything spiritual.

[21] This is signified by the fig-tree which withered away on account of the Lord's finding no fruit thereon.

In Matthew:

"In the morning, Jesus returning into the city, hungered. And seeing a fig-tree in the way, he came to it, but found nothing thereon but leaves, therefore he said unto it, Let nothing grow on thee henceforward for ever; whence the fig-tree from that time withered away" (21:18, 19; Mark 11:12-14).

By the fig-tree is here also meant the church with the Jewish nation. That with that nation there was no natural good, but only truth falsified, which is in itself falsity, is signified by, the Lord came to the fig-tree, but found nothing thereon but leaves; the fruit, which He did not find, signifies natural good such as was described above; and the leaf signifies truth falsified, which in itself is falsity; for leaf, in the Word, signifies truth, but the leaf of a tree which is without fruit signifies falsity, and with that nation, truth falsified, because they had the Word, in which truths are, but which they falsified by application to themselves, whence [arose] their traditions. That that nation would never do any natural good from a spiritual origin called spiritual natural [good], is signified by the words which the Lord spoke concerning it, "Let nothing grow on thee henceforward for ever," whence from that time it withered away; to wither away signifies that there were no longer good and truth. The reason why the Lord saw [the fig-tree] and said this, when He was returning into the city, and hungered, is, because by the city of Jerusalem is signified the church; and by hungering, when said of the Lord, is signified to desire good in the church (as may be seen above, n. 386). He who does not know what the fig-tree signifies, and that by that fig-tree was meant the church with that nation, can think no otherwise than that this was done by the Lord from indignation, because He hungered; whereas it was not done on this account, but that the quality of the Jewish nation might be thereby signified. For all the Lord's miracles involve and signify such things as belong to heaven and the church, whence those miracles were Divine (as may be seen, n. 7337, 8364, 9031 at the end).

[22] The perverted church, or the perverted man of the church as to his natural or external man, is also signified by the fig-tree, in David:

"He gave them hail for rain, a fire of flames in their land and he smote their vines and their fig-trees; he brake the tree of their border" (Psalms 105:32, 33).

These things are said concerning Egypt, by which is signified the natural man who is in falsities and evils; and by the vine, the fig-tree, and the tree of the border, are signified all things of the church; by the vine, the internal or spiritual things thereof; by the fig-tree, the external or natural things thereof; and by the tree of the border, every thing of the cognitive and perceptive faculty; the border signifying the ultimate in which interior things terminate, and in which they are together, and the trees [signifying] knowledges and perceptions. Because all these things were perverted and therefore damned, it is said that they were smitten and broken, by which is signified destruction and damnation. That [this was] from the falsities of evil that originate in the love of the world, is signified by, "hail for rain, a fire of flames in their land"; rain as hail signifies the falsities of evil, and a fire of flames signifies the love of the world.

[23] In Nahum:

All thy strongholds [shall be] like fig-trees with the first ripe figs if they are shaken, they fall upon the mouth of the eater (3:12).

This is said of the city of bloods, by which is signified doctrine in which truths are falsified and goods adulterated. This is compared to fig-trees with their first-fruits, which, if they be shaken, fall upon the mouth of the eater, and by this is signified that the goods therein are not goods, however much they appear as goods; and that they are not received, and if they are received, they are received only in the memory and not in the heart. That they fall when they are shaken, signifies that they are not goods although they appear as goods, because they are the first-fruits; and upon the mouth of the eater signifies non-reception, not even in the memory. That the mouth of the eater signifies not to receive, is plain from appearances in the spiritual world; for those who commit any thing to the memory appear to receive with the mouth; therefore to fall upon the mouth signifies, not to receive even in the memory, but only to hear, and also if they do receive, that it is only in the memory, and not in the heart. By fig-trees with their first-fruits can also be understood genuine goods, with which the same is accomplished with those who are in falsities of evil.