600. And he set his right foot upon the sea, and the left upon the earth.- That this signifies the sense of the letter, which is natural, in which are all things of heaven and the church, is evident from the signification of feet, when used in reference to the angel, who means the Lord as to the Word, as denoting the Divine Truth in ultimates, or the Word in the natural sense, which is the sense of the letter (see above, n. 65, 69); feet, in a general sense (communi sensu), signify natural things, because man, from the head to the soles of the feet, corresponds to heaven, which in its whole compass has reference to one Man (unum Hominem); the head corresponds to the inmost or third heaven, the angels of which are celestial; the breast even to the loins corresponds to the middle or second heaven, the angels of which are called spiritual, while the feet correspond to the ultimate or first heaven, the angels of which are celestial-natural and spiritual-natural; but the soles of the feet correspond to the world, in which everything is natural; the reason why the feet signify natural things, is evident from these facts. More may be seen concerning this correspondence, in Heaven and Hell 59-86, and 87-102).

[2] It is therefore evident, why the feet of the angel, by whom the Lord as to the Word is represented, signify the natural sense of the Word which is the sense of its letter; and from the signification of his right foot upon the sea, and the left foot upon the earth, as denoting all things of heaven and the church; for by the right are signified all things of good from which is truth, and by the left, all things of truth from good, and by the sea and the earth are signified all things exterior and interior, pertaining to heaven and the church, by the sea, exterior things, and by the earth, interior things. And because all things of heaven and the church have reference to good and to truth, and also to things exterior and interior, therefore these words signify generally all things pertaining to heaven and the church. The reason why the angel was seen to stand upon the sea, and upon the earth, is, that the outward appearance of things, in the spiritual world, is similar to that of things in the natural world; for example, in the former as in the latter there are seas, and also lands, circumflowing seas, and lands between them (see above, n. 275, 342, 538). From this fact it is clear, that by sea and earth are signified all things of heaven, and also of the church.

[3] Since right and left are mentioned in the Word throughout, and in some places, the right alone, or the left alone is named, I desire to explain, in a few words, the signification of each used separately, and of both together. This may be known by the position of the quarters in the spiritual world, where to the right is the south, to the left the north, in front the east, and behind the west. For an angel is continually turned to the Lord as the Sun, therefore before him is the Lord as the east, and behind him is the Lord as the west, and at his right hand is the south, and at his left hand the north. It is in consequence of this turning, that the right signifies truth in light, and the left, truth in shade; or, what is the same thing, that the right signifies spiritual good, which is truth in light, and the left spiritual truth, which is truth in shade; thus also the right signifies good from which is truth, and the left, truth from good. Such things are signified by all the right and left parts of the body, and also by the right and left parts of the head; as by the right and left eye, the right and left hand, the right and left foot, and so on, the signification peculiar to each member or part being still retained. The general and particular signification of right and left, in the Word of both the New and the Old Testaments, is clear from these few observations, as in the following places.

[4] Thus in Matthew:

"When thou doest thine alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth; that thine alms may be in secret" (6:3, 4).

These words signify that good must be done from good, and for the sake of good, and not for the sake of self and the world in order to be seen; by alms is meant every good work; and let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth, signifies that good must be done from good itself, and not without good, for otherwise it is not good. The right hand signifies good from which [is truth], and the left hand, truth from good, as stated above; these act as one with those who are in the good of love and charity, but not so with those who in their good actions consider themselves and the world, therefore the left hand here means to know, and to act without good. That thine alms may be in secret, signifies that it may not be for the sake of appearance.

[5] Again:

"And" the king "shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. And he shall say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. And he shall say unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels" (25:33, 34, 41).

He who does not know the signification of sheep and goats in the proper sense, may suppose, that sheep mean all the good, and goats all the evil; but in the proper sense, the sheep mean those who are in the good of charity towards their neighbour, and consequently in faith, and the goats those who are in faith separated from charity, thus all those upon whom judgment is to take place in the last time of the church.

For all those who were in the good of love to the Lord, and therefore in the good of charity and faith, were taken up into heaven before the Last Judgment, and all those who were not in the good of charity, and therefore not in faith, consequently all those who were interiorly and at the same time exteriorly evil, were cast down into hell before the Last Judgment; but those who were interiorly good and not equally so exteriorly, also those who were interiorly evil but exteriorly in good, were all left till the Last Judgment, then those who were interiorly good were taken up into heaven, and those who were interiorly evil were cast down into hell. See what is said upon this fact, from things heard and seen, in the small work on the Last Judgment. From these things it is evident, that goats mean those who were in faith separated from charity, and this is also meant by the he-goat in Daniel (8:5-25); and in Ezekiel (34:17). It is therefore evident, that by the right hand, where the sheep are, is meant the good of charity and of faith therefrom, and the left hand, where the goats are, means faith separated from charity. The reason why it is said to the sheep, that they should inherit the kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world, is, that, in the heavens, at the right hand is the south, where are all those who are in truths from good, for in the southern part the proceeding Divine itself is of such a quality, as is meant by the kingdom prepared from the foundation of the world, therefore they are also called "the blessed of my Father." By the Father is meant the Divine Good, from which are all things of heaven. It is not said of the goats at the left hand, "prepared from the foundation of the world," but "eternal fire, prepared for the devil and his angels," because the evil make hell for themselves. They are called cursed, because the cursed in the Word mean all those who turn themselves away from the Lord, for such reject the charity and faith of the church. The signification of eternal fire may be seen in Heaven and Hell 566, 575).

[6] The two robbers who were crucified, one on the right, and the other on the left of the Lord, have a similar signification to the sheep and the goats; therefore it was said to the one who acknowledged the Lord, that he should be with Him in paradise (Matthew 27:38; Mark 15:27; Luke 23:39-43). And in John,

Jesus said to His disciples who were fishing, "Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and were no longer able to draw it for the multitude of fishes" (21:6).

[7] Since fishing, in the Word, signifies the instruction and conversion of men who are in external or natural good, in which good most of the Gentiles were at that time, for fish signify the things pertaining to the natural man, and a ship signifies doctrine from the Word, therefore the right side of the ship signifies the good of life. It is therefore evident that the signification of the Lord's commanding them to cast the net on the right side of the ship, is, that they should teach the good of life. That thus they would convert the Gentiles to the church, is signified by their finding in such abundance that they could not draw the net for the multitude of fishes. It must be clear to every one, that the Lord would not have commanded them to cast the net on the right side of the ship, if the right side had not been significative.

[8] Again, in Matthew:

"And if thy right eye hath caused thee to stumble, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. And if thy right [hand] hath caused thee to stumble, cut it off, and cast it from thee" (Matthew 5:29, 30).

That by the right eye and the right hand the Lord did not mean the right eye and the right hand, every one can see from this fact, that the eye was to be plucked out, and the hand to be cut off, if they caused to stumble. But because the eye, in the spiritual sense, signifies everything pertaining to the understanding and thought therefrom, and the right hand everything pertaining to the will and affection thence, it is obvious that by plucking out the right eye, if it caused to stumble, is signified, that if evil be thought, it must be rejected from the thought; and that by cutting off the right hand, if it caused to stumble, is signified, that if evil be willed, it must be shaken off from the will. For neither the eye nor the right hand can cause to stumble, but the thought of the understanding and the affection of the will to which they correspond, can cause to stumble. The reason why the right eye and the right hand are mentioned, and not the left eye and the left hand, is, that by the right is signified good, and in the opposite sense evil, but by the left is signified truth, and, in the opposite sense falsity, and every cause of stumbling is from evil, but not from falsity, unless the falsity be the falsity of evil.

That these things are said concerning the internal man, whose function is to think and will, and not concerning the external, whose function is to see and act, is evident also from the words which immediately precede concerning the woman of another, that merely to look upon her to lust after her is to commit adultery.

[9] In the Gospels, the mother of the sons of Zebedee asked Jesus that one of her sons should sit on His right hand and the other on the left in His kingdom; "Jesus said, Ye know not what ye ask, to sit on my right hand, and on my left, is not mine to give, except to those whom it is granted by the Father" (Matthew 20:20-23; Mark 10:35-40).

The reason why the mother of Zebedee's children, James and John, made this request was, that by mother is meant the church, by James, charity, and by John, the good of charity in act. These two, or those who are in them, in heaven are at the right and left hand of the Lord. There to the right hand is the south, to the left the north, and in the south are those who are in the clear light of truth from good, while in the north are those who are in the obscure light of truth from good. The Divine itself, proceeding from the Lord as the Sun, produces a Divine sphere of such a nature in those quarters, on which account none can possibly dwell there but those who are in such truths from good. This is signified by its being said, that to sit on the right hand, and on the left hand of the Lord, is only for those to whom it is given or prepared by the Father. By the Father is meant the Divine Good of the Divine Love, from which is heaven, and everything pertaining to heaven. These words of the Lord therefore mean, that the Lord gives to sit on His right hand and on His left in the heavens to those for whom an inheritance in the south and north has been prepared from the foundation of the world.

[10] That the right hand means the south in the heavens, is evident in David:

"The heavens are thine, and the earth is thine; thou hast founded the world, and the fulness thereof. The north and the right hand thou hast created them" (Psalm 89:11, 12).

The heaven and the earth mean the higher and lower heavens, and also the internal and external church. The world and the fulness thereof, mean the heavens, and the church in general as to good and truth, the world means heaven and the church as to good, and the fulness thereof, heaven and the church as to truth. And because these, or those who are in them, are in the north and in the south, and the south is at the right hand of the Lord, therefore it is said, the north and the right hand; and since such is the quality of Divine Truth united to Divine Good in those quarters from the foundation of the world, as said above, it is therefore said, "thou hast founded" and "thou hast created."

[11] And in Isaiah:

"The Lord gave you the bread of adversity, and the waters of affliction, but shall not thy teachers be forced to fly away any more, and thine eyes shall again look to thy teachers; and thine ears shall hear the word saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye go to the right hand, and when ye go to the left" (30:20, 21).

These words treat of the state of those who are in temptations, and who, by means of temptations, and after they are past, admit and receive instruction in the truths of doctrine. The temptations themselves are signified by the bread of adversity, and the waters of affliction; by the bread of adversity are signified temptations as to the good of love, and by waters of affliction are signified temptations as to the truths of faith.

For temptations are of two kinds, as to good which is of love, and as to truth which is of faith; bread signifies the good of love, and waters signify the truths of faith, while adversity and affliction signify states of temptation. Instruction in the truths of doctrine is signified by, thine eyes shall again look to thy teachers, eyes denoting understanding and faith, and teachers doctrine. The good of life according to truths of doctrine is signified by, thine ears shall hear the word, ears denoting obedience, and since obedience is of the life, therefore by hearing the word is signified a life according to the truths of doctrine. Instruction and obedience are further described by the words, "saying, This is the way, walk, ye in it, when ye go to the right hand, and when ye go to the left;" by way is signified truth leading; truth leading to the south in heaven is meant by going to the right, and truth leading to the north there is signified by going to the left.

[12] Again, in the same prophet:

"Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thy habitations; hinder not, lengthen thy cords, and make firm thy nails; for thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the nations, and they shall cause the desolate cities to be inhabited" (54:2, 3).

The subject here treated of is the establishment of the church among the Gentiles. To enlarge the place of the tent, signifies the increase of the church in regard to worship from good. To stretch forth the curtains of the habitations, signifies the increase of the church as to truths of doctrine. To lengthen the cords, signifies the extension of those doctrines; to make firm the nails, signifies confirmation from the Word. By breaking forth on the right and on the left, is signified amplification as to the good of charity, and the truth of faith, on the right denoting as to the good of charity, and on the left, as to the truth of faith from that good. By the seed which shall inherit the nations, is signified truth by means of which there are goods, seed denoting truth, and nations goods; and by the desolate cities, which the nations shall cause to be inhabited, are signified truths from the goods of life, desolate cities denoting truths of doctrine, where truths did not exist before, nations denoting the goods of life from which are truths, and to dwell denoting to live.

[13] So again:

"In the wrath of Jehovah of hosts is the land darkened, and the people are become as fuel for the fire; they shall not spare a man (vir) his brother. And if he cut off on the right hand, he shall yet be hungry; and if he eat on the left hand, they shall not be satisfied; they shall eat a man (vir) the flesh of his own arm" (9:19-21).

These words describe the extinction of good by falsity, and of truth by evil; the extinction of all good and truth, however they may be enquired for, is signified by, if he cut off on the right hand, he shall yet be hungry, and if he eat on the left hand, they shall not be satisfied. The right hand denotes good from which truth comes; the left hand denotes truth from good; to cut and to eat towards those, signify inquiry; to be hungry and not to be satisfied, denotes not to be found, and if found, still not to be received. The rest of the passage is explained above (n. 386:2).

[14] And in Ezekiel:

"The likeness of the faces" of the cherubim, "they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side; and the face of an ox on the left side, and they four had the face of an eagle" (1:10).

The signification of the cherubim, and of their faces, which were as the face of a man, of a lion, of all ox, and of an eagle, may be seen above (n. 277-291). The reason why the face of a man and the face of a lion were seen on the right side, is, that by man is signified Divine Truth in light and intelligence, and by the lion, Divine Truth thence in power, such as it is in heaven in the south; and the face of the ox seen on the left side, signifies the good of truth in obscurity, for an ox signifies the good of the natural man, which is in obscurity with those who dwell in heaven to the north.

[15] So in Zechariah:

"In that day will I make the governors of Judah like a furnace of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf; and they may devour all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left; that Jerusalem may yet dwell under herself in Jerusalem" (12:6).

The subject here treated of is the establishment of the celestial church, or the church which will be in the good of love to the Lord, and which is meant by the house of Judah. Her governors mean the goods together with the truths of that church; the dispersion of evils and falsities by these is signified by their being made like a furnace of fire among the wood, and like a torch of fire in the sheaf, and by their devouring all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left. The evils that shall be dispersed by that church are signified by the words, "like a furnace among the wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf;" and the falsities that shall also be dispersed, are signified by the people round about, whom they shall devour or consume. That that church shall be safe from the infestation of evils and falsities, and shall live in the good of life according to truths of doctrine, is signified by the words, "that Jerusalem shall yet dwell under herself in Jerusalem." To dwell is used in reference to the good of life, and Jerusalem signifies the church as to the truths of doctrine.

[16] Again, in Ezekiel:

"I will set the point of the sword against all their gates; it is made into lightning, it is sharpened for the slaughter. Gather thyself, turn to the right hand, arrange thyself, turn to the left hand, whither thy faces nod" (21:15, 16).

These words describe the destruction of truth by deadly falsities. The sword signifies such falsity destroying truth, while the deadly character and enormity of such falsity is denoted by the sword made into lightning, sharpened for the slaughter. That those who are in such falsity are destitute of any good and truth, although they may make diligent enquiry, is signified by, Gather thyself, turn to the right hand, arrange thyself, turn to the left hand, whither thy faces nod.

[17] And in Zechariah:

"Woe to the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock! the sword upon his arm, and upon his right eye; his arm shall be clean dried up, and the eye of his right side shall be utterly darkened" (11:17).

By the worthless shepherd that leaveth the flock, are meant those who do not teach truth and by it lead to the good of life, and who do not care, whether that which they teach be true or false. By the sword being upon his arm is signified falsity destroying all the good of the will, and by its being upon the eye of his right side falsity destroying all the truth of the understanding. That they shall be deprived of all good and truth is signified by, his arm shall be clean dried up, and the eye of his right side shall be utterly darkened. These words are further explained (n. 131[b], 152).

[18] Since the right side of the body, and the members of the right side, signify good by means of which there is truth, therefore when Aaron and his sons were inaugurated into the priesthood, it was commanded, that the blood of the ram should be taken, and put upon the tip (auricula) of their right ear, upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot (Exodus 29:20).

This was commanded, because blood signified Divine Truth, by means of which is the good of love, for the latter was represented by Aaron, and the former by his sons; and because for the purpose of representing the Divine Good of love, all inauguration is effected by Divine truth, therefore blood was put upon the tip of the right ear, upon the thumb of the right hand, and upon the great toe of the right foot. The tip of the right ear signifies obedience from perception; the thumb of the right hand signifies good in the will, and the great toe of the right foot, good in act.

[19] Since leprosy signifies good consumed by falsities, the way in which this evil can be remedied by Divine means is described by the process of the cleansing of the leper, understood according to the spiritual sense. We shall give only a brief summary of this. The priest was to take of the blood of the offering for sin and put it upon the tip of the right ear of him that was to be cleansed, and upon the thumb of his right hand, and upon the great toe of his right foot, and the priest was to take of the oil from the log and pour it upon the palm of his left hand, and the priest was to dip his right finger in the oil which was in his left palm and sprinkle of the oil with his right finger seven times before Jehovah (Leviticus 14:14-17, 24-28). Similar things to those above are here signified by the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot. The same is also signified by the blood, that is, the Divine Truth, for this purifies man from the falsities which have destroyed the goods pertaining to him; and when he is purified from these, good may be brought forth by means of truths and the man be thus cured of his leprosy.

From what has been stated then it is clear that the right and left signify good from which is truth, and truth from good, as shown above. What other reason could there be for sprinkling the blood upon the right part of those members, and for pouring the oil into the left palm, and sprinkling with the right finger?

[20] Similarly the prophet Ezekiel was commanded to lie upon his left side, and lay the iniquity of the house of Israel upon it (Ezekiel 4:4). A prophet signifies one who teaches, and, in the abstract sense, the doctrine of the church. The left side signifies the doctrine of truth from good, and by means of truths from good, man is purified from his iniquities.

[21] Solomon placed the lavers,

"five near the shoulder of the house on the right hand, and five near the shoulder of the house on the left hand; and he set the" brazen "sea at the right shoulder of the house eastward over against the south" (1 Kings 7:39).

The reason of this was, that the house or temple represented heaven and the church, and the lavers represented purifications from falsities and evils, and thus preparations for entrance into heaven and the church. The right shoulder of the house signified the south in the heavens, where Divine Truth is in its light, and the left shoulder signified the north, where Divine Truth is in its shade. Thus the ten lavers signified all things pertaining to purification, and all who are purified, and by five on the one side, and five on the other, were signified those, or that kind of men, with whom Divine Truth is in light, and with whom it is in shade. For ten signifies all things and all persons, and five, one part or one kind; the brazen sea represented the common purifier (purificatorium), and the reason why this was placed at the right shoulder of the house eastward over against the south, was, that the Divine Truth, which purifies, proceeds from the Divine Love of the Lord, for the east is where the Lord appears as the Sun; and the Divine Truth, which is the light of heaven from that Sun, is in its clearness and brightness in the south. This was the reason why the common purifier was placed eastward over against the south. These interior things (arcana) of the Word cannot be understood in the world, except from a knowledge of the quarters in heaven, which are different from those in the world. Concerning the quarters in heaven, see what has been said from things seen and heard, in Heaven and Hell 141-153).

[22] In the spiritual world, every one enters and walks in ways which lead to those who are in a similar ruling love, and every one is free to go which way he desires, thus in that way into which, and by which, his love leads him, and the ways to the right and the left tend to the one or to the other love, that is, to that which is implanted; for this reason therefore the right and left also signify what is pleasant, free, and desired. Thus in the book of Genesis:

Abraham said unto Lot, "Separate thyself; if to the left hand, I will go to the right; if to the right hand, I will go to the left" (Genesis 13:9).

And again, when Abraham's servant asked Rebecca as a wife for Isaac, he said to Laban:

"Tell me, that I may look to the right hand, or to the left" (Genesis 24:49).

By not departing and going to the right or to the left, is also signified not to go any other way than that in which the Lord Himself leads, and in which the good and truth of heaven and the church lead, thus not to walk erroneously, as that they should not depart from the word of the priest the Levite, and the judge, nor from the precepts in the Word, to the right hand or to the left (Deuteronomy 17:11, 20; 28:14; Joshua 1:7; 2 Sam. 14:19), and that the sons of Israel should not turn to the right hand or to the left, but should go by the way of the king when they passed through the land of Edom, (Num. 20:17); and also when they passed through the land of the king of Sihon (Deuteronomy 2:27). That the right hand signifies complete power, and, when used in reference to the Lord, the Divine Omnipotence, may be seen above (n. 298).

2708. 'And dwelt in the wilderness' means that which is obscure comparatively. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in 2451, and from the meaning of 'a wilderness' as that which possesses little life, dealt with in 1927, here as that which is obscure comparatively. By that which is obscure comparatively is meant the state of the spiritual Church in comparison with the state of the celestial Church, that is, the state of those who are spiritual in comparison with the state of those who are celestial. Those who are celestial are moved by the affection for good, those who are spiritual by the affection for truth. Those who are celestial possess perception, whereas those who are spiritual possess the dictate of conscience. To those who are celestial the Lord appears as a Sun, but to those who are spiritual as a Moon, 1521, 1530, 1531, 2495. The light which the former have - enabling them to see good and truth from the Lord with their eyes as well as to perceive it - is like the light of the sun in the daytime; but the light which the latter have from the Lord is like the light of the moon at night, and so, compared with those who are celestial, these dwell in obscurity. The reason for this is that those who are celestial dwell in love to the Lord, and so in the Lord's life itself, whereas those who are spiritual dwell in charity towards the neighbour and in faith, and so, it is true, in the Lord's life but in a rather more obscure way. All this explains why those who are celestial never reason about faith or the truths of faith, but because a perception of truth from good exists with them, simply say, 'That is so', whereas those who are spiritual talk and reason about the truths of faith because a conscience for what is good received from truth exists with them. A further reason for this difference is that with those who are celestial the good of love has been implanted in the will part of their minds, where man's chief life resides, but with those who are spiritual it has been implanted in the understanding part, where man's secondary life resides. This is the reason why, compared with the celestial, the spiritual dwell in obscurity, see 81, 202, 337, 765, 784, 895, 1114-1125, 1155, 1577, 1824, 2048, 2088, 2227, 2454, 2507. This comparative obscurity is here called 'a wilderness'.

[2] In the Word 'a wilderness' can mean that which is sparsely inhabited and cultivated, or it can mean that which is totally uninhabited and uncultivated, and so is used in two senses. When it means that which is sparsely inhabited and cultivated, that is, where there are few dwellings, and where there are sheepfolds, pastures, and waters, it means that thing or those persons who, compared with others, have little life and light, as is the case with that which is spiritual or those who are spiritual in comparison with that which is celestial or those who are celestial. When however it means that which is totally uninhabited and uncultivated, that is, where there are no dwellings, sheepfolds, pastures, and waters, it means those who have undergone vastation as regards good and desolation as regards truth.

[3] That 'a wilderness' can mean that which, compared with other places, is sparsely inhabited and cultivated, that is, where there are few dwellings, and where there are sheepfolds, pastures, and waters, is clear from the following places: In Isaiah,

Sing to Jehovah a new song, His praise from the end of the earth, those that go down to the sea, and the fullness of it, the islands and their inhabitants. The wilderness and its cities will lift up [their voice]; Kedar will inhabit the settlements, ¹ the inhabitants of the rock will sing, they will shout from the top of the mountains. Isaiah 42:10-11.

In Ezekiel,

I will make with them a covenant of peace and I will banish the evil wild animal from the land, and they will dwell securely in the wilderness and sleep in the woods, and I will give them and the places around My hill a blessing. The tree of the field will give its fruit, and the earth will give its increase. ² Ezekiel 34:25-27.

This refers to those who are spiritual. In Hosea,

I will bring her into the wilderness and will speak tenderly to her; and I will give her her vineyards from it. Hosea 2:14-15.

This refers to the desolation of truth and to the comfort that follows later.

[4] In David,

The folds of the wilderness drip, and the hills gird themselves with rejoicing; the meadows clothe themselves with flocks, and the valleys are covered over with grain. Psalms 65:12-13.

In Isaiah,

I will make the wilderness into a pool of water, and the parched land into streams of water. I will put in the wilderness the shittim-cedar, and the myrtle, and the oil tree. I will set in the wilderness the fir, that men may see and know, and may consider and understand together, for the hand of Jehovah has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it. Isaiah 41:18-20.

This refers to the regeneration of those who have no knowledge of the truth, that is, gentiles, and to the enlightenment and teaching of those who have experienced desolation. 'The wilderness' is used in reference to these. 'The cedar, the myrtle, and the oil tree' stands for the truths and goods of the interior man, 'fir' for those of the exterior man. In David,

Jehovah turns rivers into a wilderness, and streams of waters into dryness. He turns a wilderness into a pool of water, and parched land into streams of water. Psalms 107:33, 35

Here the meaning is similar. In Isaiah,

The wilderness and the dry land will be glad for them, and the lonely place will rejoice and blossom like the rose. It will bud prolifically. Waters will break forth in the wilderness, and streams in the lonely place. Isaiah 35:1-2, 6.

In the same prophet,

You will be like a watered garden and like a spring of waters whose waters do not fail; and those that be of you will build the wilderness of old. Isaiah 58:11-12.

In the same prophet,

Until the spirit is poured out on us from on high, and the wilderness will become Carmel, and Carmel counted as a forest. And judgement will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness on Carmel. Isaiah 32:15-16.

This refers to the spiritual Church which, though inhabited and cultivated, is, in comparison [with the celestial Church], called 'a wilderness', for it is said that 'judgement will dwell in the wilderness and righteousness on Carmel'. It is evident from the places just quoted that 'a wilderness' means an obscure state compared with other states not only because it is described as 'a wilderness' but also as 'a woodland'; and an obscure state is plainly the meaning in Jeremiah,

O generation, observe the word of Jehovah. Have I been a wilderness to Israel, or a land of darkness? Jeremiah 2:31.

[5] That 'a wilderness' can mean that which is totally uninhabited and uncultivated, that is, where there are no dwellings, sheepfolds, pastures, and waters, and so can mean those who have experienced vastation as regards good and desolation as regards truth, is also clear from the Word. This kind of wilderness is used with two different meanings; that is to say, it may be used in reference to those who are subsequently reformed or in reference to those who are unable to be reformed. Regarding those who are subsequently reformed, such as Hagar and her son represent here, it is said in Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, I have remembered you, the mercy of the days of your youth, your going after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Jeremiah 2:2.

This refers to Jerusalem, which in this case means the Ancient Church that was spiritual. In Moses,

The portion of Jehovah is His people, Jacob is the line of His inheritance. He found him in a wilderness land and in the waste, the howling, the lonely place. He encompassed him, led him to understand, and kept him as the pupil of His eye. Deuteronomy 32:9-10.

In David,

They wandered in the wilderness, in a desolate way; they did not find an inhabited city. Psalms 107:4.

This refers to those who have experienced desolation of truth and are being reformed. In Ezekiel,

I will bring you to the wilderness of the peoples and I will enter into judgement with you there, as I entered into judgement with your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt. Ezekiel 20:35-36.

This likewise refers to the vastation and desolation of those who are being reformed.

[6] The travels and wanderings of the Israelites in the wilderness represented nothing else than the vastation and desolation prior to reformation of those who have faith. It consequently represented the temptation of them, for when people undergo spiritual temptations they experience vastation and desolation, as may also become clear from the following in Moses,

Jehovah carried you ³ along in the wilderness, as a man carries his son, in [all] the way [you went], until [you reached] this place. Deuteronomy 1:31.

And elsewhere in the same book,

You shall remember all the way in which Jehovah your God has led you forty years already in the wilderness to afflict you, to tempt you, and to know what is in your heart, whether you will keep His commandments or not. He afflicted you, caused you to hunger, caused you to eat manna which you do not know nor your fathers knew, so that you may recognize that man does not live by bread only but that man lives by all that goes out of the mouth of Jehovah. Deuteronomy 8:2-3.

And further on in the same chapter,

Do not forget that Jehovah led you in the great and terrible wilderness where there were serpents, fiery snakes, and scorpions, parched places where there was no water, and that He brought you water out of the rock of flint. He fed you in the wilderness with manna which your fathers did not know, that He might afflict you, tempt you, to do you good in the end. Deuteronomy 8:15-16.

Here 'wilderness' stands for the vastation and desolation such as people experience who undergo temptations. Their travels and wanderings in the wilderness for forty years describe every state of the Church militant - how when it is self-reliant it goes under but when it relies on the Lord it overcomes.

[7] The description in John of the woman who fled into the wilderness means nothing else than temptation experienced by the Church, referred to as follows,

The woman who brought forth the male child fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God. To the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, so that she might fly into the wilderness, into her own place. And the serpent poured water like a stream out of his mouth after the woman, to swallow her up in the river. But the earth helped the woman, for the earth opened its mouth and swallowed the stream which the dragon poured out of his mouth. Revelation 12:6, 14-16.

[8] That 'a wilderness' may be used in reference to a totally vastated Church and to people totally vastated as regards good and truth who are unable to be reformed may be seen in the following in Isaiah,

I will make the rivers a wilderness; their fish will stink for lack of water and will die of thirst; I will clothe the heavens with thick darkness. Isaiah 50:2-3.

In the same prophet,

The cities of Your holiness were a wilderness - Zion was a wilderness, Jerusalem lay waste. Isaiah 64:10,

In Jeremiah,

I looked, and behold, Carmel was a wilderness, and all its cities were destroyed from before Jehovah. Jeremiah 4:26.

In the same prophet,

Many shepherds have spoiled My vineyard, they have trampled down [My] portion, they have made the portion of My delight into a desolate wilderness. They have made it into a desolation; desolate, it has mourned over Me. The whole land has been made desolate, for nobody takes it to heart. On all the slopes in the wilderness those who lay waste have come. Jeremiah 12:10-12.

In Joel,

Fire has devoured the folds of the wilderness, and flame will burn up all the trees of the field. The streams of water have dried up, and fire has devoured the folds of the wilderness. Joel 1:19-20.

In Isaiah, He made the world like a wilderness and destroyed its cities. Isaiah 14:17.

This refers to Lucifer. In the same prophet,

The prophecy concerning the wilderness of the sea. Like storms in the south it comes from the wilderness, from a terrible land. Isaiah 21:1 and following verses.

'The wilderness of the sea' stands for truth that has been vastated by facts and by reasonings based on these.

[9] All these places show what is meant by the following reference to John the Baptist,

It was said by Isaiah, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare a way for the Lord, make His paths straight. Matthew 3:3; Mark 1:3; Luke 3:4; John 1:23; Isaiah 40:3.

These words imply that at that time the Church was so totally vastated that no good and no truth remained any longer. This is quite evident from the fact that nobody at that time knew of the existence in man of anything internal, or of anything internal in the Word, so that nobody knew that the Messiah or Christ was coming to save them for ever. The places quoted above also show what is meant by the statement that John was in the wilderness until the time of his manifestation to Israel, Luke 1:80, that he preached in the wilderness of Judea, Matthew 3:1 and following verses, and that he baptized in the wilderness, Mark 1:4; for by this he also represented the state of the Church. From the meaning of 'a wilderness' it may also be seen why the Lord retired so often into the wilderness, as in Matthew 4:1; Matthew 15:32-end; Mark 1:12-13, 35, 45; 6:31-36; Luke 4:1; 5:16; 9:10 and following verses; John 11:54; and also from the meaning of 'a mountain' why the Lord retired into the mountains, as in Matthew 14:23; 15:29-31; 17:1 and following verses; 28:16-17; Mark 3:13-14; 6:46; 9:2-9; Luke 6:12-13; 9:28; John 6:15.

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