458. And palms in their hands.- That this signifies that they are in the good of life according to those truths, is evident from the signification of a palm, as denoting the good of truth, or spiritual good, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of hands, as denoting power, and thence all ability in man; see above (n. 72, 79). Therefore their having palms in their hands signifies that the good of truth was in them, or that they were in the good of truth. The good of truth, when possessed by any one, is the good of life, for truth becomes good by a life in agreement with it, previously it is not good in anyone. For when truth is in the memory only and thence in the thought, it is not good, but it becomes good when it enters into the will, and thence into act, the will itself being that which transforms truth into good. This is evident from this fact, that what a man wills, he calls good, and what he thinks, he calls truth. For the interior will of man, which is the will of his spirit, is the receptacle of his love. For what a man loves from his spirit, he wills, and what he thence wills, this he does; wherefore the truth which is of his will is also of his love, and whatever pertains to his love, he calls good. From these things it is evident how good in man is formed by means of truths, and that all good, which is good in man, is good of the life. It is supposed that there is a good also of the thought, although it be not of the will, because a man can think that this or that is good; nevertheless it is not good there, but truth. To think what is good, is truth, and also to know and thence to think what is good are classed amongst truths; but if a man so loves that truth which is in the thought as to will, and from willing, to do it, then, because it is of the love, it becomes good.
[2] This may be illustrated by the following example. There were certain spirits, who, in the life of the body, believed charity to be the essential of the church, and consequently essential for salvation, and not faith alone, and yet the same spirits had not lived a life of charity, for they merely thought and concluded that it was so. But it was told them, that merely to think, and thence believe, that charity saves, was the same thing as believing that faith alone saves, if a man does not will and act; they were therefore rejected. Hence it was evident, that merely to think good, and not to will and do it, does not constitute good in any one. The case would be the same if a man knew truths and goods themselves, and merely from thought protested his belief in them, if he did not give his life to them by willing and doing them. These things are said, in order that it may be known that the good of truth, or spiritual good, when it is really in any one, is the good of life. This therefore, is what is signified by the palms in their hands.
[3] Because spiritual good was signified by palms, therefore in the temple built by Solomon, in addition to other things there were sculptured palms, as mentioned in the first book of Kings:
Solomon "carved all the walls of the house round about with the carved figures of cherubim and palm trees and open flowers, within and without," also upon the two doors (6:29, 32).
The walls of the house signify the ultimate things of heaven and of the church. Ultimates are effects proceeding from interior things, and the doors signify entrance into heaven and the church; the cherubim upon them signify celestial good, which is the good of the inmost heaven. Palms signify spiritual good, which is the good of the second heaven; and flowers, spiritual-natural good, which is the good of the ultimate heaven. Thus, these three things signify the goods of the three heavens in their order. But in the highest sense, cherubim signify the Divine Providence of the Lord, and also guardianship; palms, the Divine Wisdom of the Lord, and flowers, His Divine Intelligence. For Divine Good united to the Divine Truth, proceeding from the Lord, in the third or inmost heaven, is received as Divine Providence; in the second or middle heaven, as Divine Wisdom; and in the first or ultimate heaven, as Divine Intelligence. Similar things are signified by cherubs and palms in the new temple, in Ezekiel:
[4] In the new temple cherubim and palm trees were made, so that a palm tree was between cherub and cherub; and every cherub had two faces. From the ground unto above the door were made cherubim and palm trees, and on the walls and upon the doors (41:18-20, 25, 26).
The new temple here mentioned signifies the new church which was to be established by the Lord at His coming into the world. For the description of the new city, the new temple, and new earth, signifies all things pertaining to the new church, and thence to the new heaven, which are described by pure correspondences. Because the feast of tabernacles signified the implantation of good by means of truths, therefore it was commanded that they should take of the fruit of the tree of honour, branches of palm trees and the bough of a thick tree and willows of the brook, and should rejoice before Jehovah seven days (Leviticus 23:39, 40). The fruit of the tree of honour signifies celestial good; palms signify spiritual good, or the good of truth; the bough of a thick tree, scientific truth with its good; and the willows of the brook, the lowest goods and truths of the natural man, which belong to the sensual externals. Thus, those four things signify all goods and truths in their order, from primaries to ultimates in man.
[5] Because palms signify spiritual good, from which spiritual good all joy of heart springs, spiritual good being the very affection or love for spiritual truth, therefore by means of palms in their hands they used anciently to testify joy of heart, and also that they acted from good. This was signified by the circumstance that many who came to the feast, when they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord, the king of Israel" (John 12:12, 13).
[6] The palm also signifies spiritual good, or the good of truth, in the following passages:
In David:
"The just shall flourish like the palm tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They that are planted in the house of Jehovah shall shoot forth in the courts of our God" (Psalm 92:12, 13).
The just signify those who are in good, for by the just in the Word are meant those who are in the good of love, and by the holy, those who are in truths from that good, as may be seen above (n. 204). Hence it is said concerning the just, that he shall flourish like the palm tree, and grow like a cedar in Lebanon, for the fructification of good with him is meant by he shall flourish like a palm tree, and the multiplication of truth thence by he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon, the palm signifying spiritual good, the cedar the truth of that good, and Lebanon the spiritual church. The house of Jehovah in which they are planted, and the courts in which they shall shoot forth, signify heaven and the church, the house of Jehovah, the internal church, and the courts, the external church. Planting takes place in the interiors of man, where the good of love and of charity are, and shooting forth, in the exteriors of man, where the good of life is.
[7] In Joel:
"The vine is dried up, and the fig tree languisheth; the pomegranate tree, the palm tree also, and the apple tree, even all the trees of the field are withered; because joy is withered away from the sons of man" (1:12).
These words describe the desolation of truth and good in the church, and consequently the desolation of all joy of heart, that is, of spiritual joy. For the vine signifies the spiritual good and truth of the church; the fig tree, natural good and truth thence; and the pomegranate, sensual truth and good, which is the ultimate of the Natural. The palm signifies joy of heart from spiritual good; and the apple tree, the same from natural good thence. The trees of the field said to be withered, signify that there are no perceptions of good and cognitions of truth; and because spiritual joy, and natural joy thence, are signified by the palm tree and the apple tree, it is therefore said also, "joy is withered away from the sons of man." The sons of man, in the Word, mean those who are in truths from good; and joy signifies spiritual joy, which can exist only from good by means of truths. Who cannot see that the vine, the fig tree, the pomegranate, the palm, the apple tree, and the trees of the field, are not here meant? For how would it concern the Word, or the church, if those trees had been dried up and withered?
[8] In Jeremiah:
"One heweth wood out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. He decks it with silver and with gold; he fastens it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. It is compact as the palm tree (10:3, 4, 5).
These words describe natural good separated from spiritual, which is good from the proprium, but considered in itself it is not good, but the delight of desire arising chiefly from the love of self and of the world, which is perceived as good. How man forms this in himself, so that it appears as good, and persuades himself that it is good, is described by wood which one heweth out of the forest, and by the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. Wood signifies good, in the present case, good of such a quality; forest signifies the Natural; here the Natural separated from the Spiritual. The work of the hands of the workman with the axe, signifies that which is from the proprium, and from man's own intelligence; the confirmation thereof by means of truths and goods from the Word, which are thus falsified, is described by its being decked with silver and gold; silver denoting truth from the Word, and gold denoting good from the Word. The coherence resulting from confirmations from the proprium, is described by its being fastened with nails and with hammers, that it move not; its thence appearing like good formed by means of truths is signified by its being compact as the palm.
[9] Again, in Moses:
"They came to Elim, where were twelve fountains of waters, and three score and ten palm trees; and they encamped there by the waters" (Exodus 15:27; Num. 33:9).
These historical circumstances also contain a spiritual sense, for a spiritual sense is in all the historical parts of the Word. Their coming to Elim signifies a state of enlightenment and affection, and thus of consolation after temptations; twelve fountains of waters signify that they then had truths in perfect abundance; seventy palm trees signify that similarly they had the goods of truth; and their encamping by the waters signifies that truths are arranged by means of good after temptations. This passage may be seen further explained in the Arcana Coelestia 8366-8370).
[10] Because Jericho signifies the good of truth, therefore that city was called "the city of palm trees" (Deuteronomy 34:3; Judges 1:16; 3:13). The reason of this was that all the names of places and of cities in the Word signify such things of heaven and of the church, as are called spiritual things; and Jericho signifies the good of truth. On account of this signification of Jericho, the Lord also, in the parable concerning the Samaritan, said, that he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho (Luke 10:30), which signifies progression by truths to good. For Jerusalem signifies truth of doctrine, and Jericho, the good of truth, which is the good of life, and which was also manifested to the man wounded by thieves.
[11] And because Jericho signified that good, therefore Joshua when he was by Jericho saw a man standing with his sword drawn in his hand, and he said to Joshua,
"Loose thy shoe from off thy foot; for the place whereon thou standest is holy. And Joshua did so" (Joshua 5:13, 15).
Therefore when the sons of Israel had taken Jericho by bearing the ark around it, "they put the silver and the gold, and the vessels of brass and of iron," found there, "into the treasury of the house of Jehovah" (Joshua 6:24).
[12] From these references it is evident why Jericho was called the city of palm trees. Moreover, in the spiritual world, great numbers of palm trees are seen in the paradises where the angels are who are in spiritual good or in the good of truth, from which fact also it is evident that the palm signifies the good of truth; for all of the things seen in that world are representative of the state of life and of the affections, thus of good and truth with the angels.
