3652. According to the internal sense, the signification is as now follows.

When therefore ye shall see the abomination of desolation;

(Matthew 24:15) signifies the devastation of the church, which occurs when the Lord is no longer acknowledged; consequently when there is no love and no faith in Him; also when there is no longer any charity toward the neighbor; and consequently when there is not any faith of good and truth. When this is the case in the church, or rather in the region where the Word is in existence-that is, when men are such in the thoughts of the heart, even if not in the doctrine of their lips-then there is “desolation,” and the things just mentioned are its “abomination;” so that the words “when ye shall see the abomination of desolation” signify when anyone observes such things; and what is to be done in such a case is told in what now follows in verses 16 to 18.

[2] Which was told of by Daniel the prophet;

(Matthew 24:15) in the internal sense signifies by the prophets; for where any prophet is mentioned by name in the Word, it is not the prophet that is meant, but the prophetic Word itself; because names never penetrate into heaven (see n. 1876, 1888); and yet the same is not signified by one prophet as by another. What is signified by “Moses,” “Elias,” and “Elisha,” may be seen in the preface to chapter 18 and in n. 2762; but by “Daniel” is signified everything prophetic concerning the Lord’s advent, and concerning the state of the church; in the present case concerning its last state. The subject of devastation is largely treated of in the Prophets, and by it in the sense of the letter is signified the devastation of the Jewish and Israelitish Church, but in the internal sense there is signified the devastation of the church in general, thus also the devastation which is now at hand.

[3] Standing in the holy place;

(Matthew 24:15) signifies devastation as to all things which are of good and truth; the “holy place” is a state of love and faith (that “place” in the internal sense is state, see above, n. 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387); the holy of this state is the good which is of love, and the derivative truth which is of faith; and nothing else than these is meant by “holy” in the Word, because these things are from the Lord, who is the Holy itself, or the Sanctuary.

Let him that readeth understand;

(Matthew 24:15) signifies that these things are to be well observed by those who are in the church, especially by those who are in love and faith; who now come to be treated of.

[4] Then let them that are in Judea flee into the mountains;

(Matthew 24:16) signifies that they who are of the church will not look elsewhere than to the Lord, thus to love to Him, and to charity toward the neighbor (that by “Judea” is signified the church, will be shown below; that by a “mountain” is signified the Lord Himself, but by “mountains” love to Him, and charity toward the neighbor, may be seen above, n. 795, 796, 1430, 2722). According to the sense of the letter the meaning would be that when Jerusalem was besieged, as it came to be by the Romans, then they should not betake themselves thither, but to the mountains, according to what is written in Luke:

When ye see Jerusalem compassed with armies, then know that her devastation is at hand. Then let them that are in Judea flee upon the mountains; and let them that are in the midst of her depart out; and let not them that are in the regions enter therein (Luke 21:20-21);

[5] but in this passage the case is the same with Jerusalem, namely, that in the sense of the letter it is Jerusalem which is understood, while in the internal sense it is the Lord’s church (see n. 402, 2117); for each and all of the things recorded in the Word concerning the Jewish and Israelitish people are representative of the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, and of His kingdom on earth; that is, of the church, as has been often shown. Hence it is that by “Jerusalem” in the internal sense is nowhere meant Jerusalem, nor by “Judea,” Judea. But these matters were of such a nature as to be capable of representing the celestial and spiritual things of the Lord’s kingdom, and the events took place for the sake of the representation. In this way the Word could be so written as to be adapted to the apprehension of the man who should read it, and also to the understanding of the angels who are with the man. This likewise was the reason why the Lord spoke in the same manner; for had He spoken otherwise, His Word would not have been adapted to the understanding of those who read it, especially at that time; nor to the understanding of the angels; thus it would neither have been received by man, nor understood by the angels.

[6] Let him that is upon the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house;

(Matthew 24:17) signifies that such as are in the good of charity should not betake themselves to those things which belong to doctrinal matters of faith. In the Word the “housetop” signifies the higher state of man, thus his state as to good; but those things which are below it signify the lower state of man, thus his state as to truth (n. 710, 1708, 2233, 2234, 3142, 3538). As regards the state of a man of the church, the case is this: While he is being regenerated he learns truths for the sake of good, for he has the affection of truth on this account; but after he has been regenerated he acts from truth and good. After the man has arrived at this state he ought not to betake himself to his former state, for if he should do this he would reason from truth concerning the good in which he is, and would thereby pervert his state, for all reasoning ceases, and ought to cease, when a man is in a state to will what is true and good; for he then thinks and acts from the will, consequently from conscience, and not as before from the understanding; and if he should again think and act from this, he would fall into temptations in which he would succumb. This then is what is signified by “Let him that is upon the housetop not go down to take anything out of his house.”

[7] And let him that is in the field not return back to take his garment; (that is, his tunic), [Matthew 24:18], signifies that such as are in the good of truth should not betake themselves from the good thereof to what is doctrinal of truth. In the Word a “field” signifies this state of man in respect to good (what is meant by “field” may be seen above, n. 368, 2971, 3196, 3310, 3317, 3500, 3508); and a “garment” or “tunic” signifies that which clothes good, that is, what is doctrinal of truth, for this is as clothing to good (that a “garment” has this signification may be seen above, n. 297, 1073, 2576, 3301). Everyone can see that in these words deeper things are hidden than those which appear in the letter, for they were spoken by the Lord Himself.

118. And poverty, but thou art rich, signifies the acknowledgment that they know nothing from themselves. This is evident from the signification of "poverty," as being the acknowledgment of heart that they know nothing from themselves (of which presently); and from the signification of "but thou art rich," as being the affection of spiritual truth (of which also presently). That by "poverty" spiritual poverty is here meant, and that by "thou art rich" is meant to be spiritually rich, is clear, since these things are said to the church. To be spiritually poor, and yet to be rich, is to acknowledge in heart that one has no knowledge nor understanding nor wisdom from himself, but that he knows, understands, and is wise wholly from the Lord. In such acknowledgment are all the angels of heaven, wherefore they are also intelligent and wise, and this in the same degree in which they are in the acknowledgment and perception that this is the case. For they know and perceive that nothing of the truth that is called the truth of faith, and nothing of the good that is called the good of love, is from themselves, but that these are from the Lord; they also know and perceive that all things that they understand and in which they are wise have reference to the truth of faith and to the good of love; and from this again they know that all their intelligence and wisdom is from the Lord; and because they know and acknowledge this, and also wish and love it to be so, Divine truth from which are all intelligence and wisdom continually flows in from the Lord, and this they receive in the measure in which they are affected by it, that is, love it. But, on the other hand, the spirits of hell believe that all things which they think and will, and thence speak and do, are from themselves, and nothing from God; for they do not believe in a Divine; consequently, instead of intelligence and wisdom they have insanity and folly, for they think contrary to truth, and will contrary to good, and this is to be insane and foolish. Every man who is in the love of self does the same; he cannot do otherwise than attribute all things to self, because he looks only to self; and because he does this he is not in any acknowledgment that all intelligence and wisdom are from the Lord; consequently, when such persons think with themselves, they think contrary to the truths and goods of the church and of heaven, although when speaking with men they talk otherwise, from a fear of losing their reputation.

[2] From this it can be known what "poverty" in the spiritual sense means. He who is spiritually poor is nevertheless rich, because he is in the spiritual affection of truth; for into this affection intelligence and wisdom from the Lord flow; for everyone's affection receives and imbibes things congenial to it, as a sponge does water; therefore the spiritual affection of truth receives and imbibes spiritual truths, which are the truths of the church, from the Word. The spiritual affection of truth has no other source than the Lord, because the Lord is Divine truth in heaven and in the church, for Divine truth proceeds from Him. And as the Lord loves to lead everyone to Himself, and to save him, and this He can do only by the knowledges of good and truth from the Word, so the Lord loves to impart these to man, and make them of his life, for in this way and no other can He lead man to Himself and save him. From this it is manifest that all spiritual affection of truth is from the Lord, and that no one can be in that affection unless he acknowledges the Divine of the Lord in His Human, for by such acknowledgment there is conjunction, and according to conjunction there is reception. (On this more may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell, where it treats of The Wisdom of the Angels of Heaven, n. 265-275 ; and of The Wise and the Simple in Heaven, n. 346-356, and elsewhere in the same work, n. 13, 19, 25-26, 133, 139-140, 205, 297, 422, 523, 603; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 11-27; and above, in the explanation of Revelation, n. 6, 59, 112, 115, 117.

[3] In the Word, "the poor and needy" are mentioned here and there, also the "hungry and thirsty." By "the poor and needy" are signified those who believe that of themselves they know nothing; and also those who are destitute of knowledge because they have not the Word; and by the "hungry and thirsty" are signified those who continually long for truths, and long to be perfected by means of truths. These two classes are meant by the "poor," the "needy," the "hungry," and the "thirsty," in the following passages:

Blessed are the poor in spirit; for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness; for they shall be filled (Matthew 5:3, 6).

Blessed are the poor; for theirs is the kingdom of the heavens. Blessed are ye that hunger; for ye shall be filled (Luke 6:20, 21).

To the poor the Gospel shall be preached, and the poor hear the Gospel (Luke 7:22; Matthew 11:5).

The master of the house said to the servant that he should go out into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor (Luke 14:21).

Then the firstborn of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down with confidence (Isaiah 14:30).

I was an hungered and ye gave Me to eat; I was thirsty, and ye gave Me to drink (Matthew 25:35).

The poor and the needy seek water, and there is none, their tongue faileth for thirst, I, Jehovah, will answer them. I will open rivers on the heights, and fountains will I place in the midst of the valleys (Isaiah 41:17-18).

From this last passage it is clear that the "poor and needy" are those who long for the knowledges of good and truth, for the "water" that such seek is truth. (That "water" is the truth of faith, see above, n. 71.) Their longing is here described by "their tongue fainting for thirst," and the abundance they are to have by "rivers being opened on the heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys."

[4] Those who do not know that by the "rich" are signified those who have the Word and who thence can be in the knowledges of truth and good, and that by the "poor" are signified those who have not the Word, and yet long for truths, know no other than that by the "rich man" in Luke (Luke 16:19 seq.) "who was clothed in purple and fine linen," are meant the rich in the world, and that by the "poor man" who "was laid at his gate, and desired to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table," are meant the poor in this world. But by the "rich man" there the Jewish nation is meant, which had the Word, and might from it have been in the knowledges of truth and good; and by the "poor man" are there meant the Gentiles that had not the Word and yet longed for the knowledges of truth and good. The rich man is described as "clothed with purple and fine linen," because "purple" signifies genuine good (Arcana Coelestia 9467), and the "fine linen" genuine truth (Arcana Coelestia 5319, 9469, 9596, 9744), both from the Word. The poor man is described as "laid at the rich man's gate, and desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table," because by "to be laid at the gate" is meant to be rejected, and to be deprived of the opportunity to read and understand the Word; and "wishing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table" means to long for some truths from the Word, for "food" signifies the things of knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom and in general, good and truth (Arcana Coelestia 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 5576, 5582, 5588, 5655, 8562, 9003); and "table" signifies a receptacle for these (Arcana Coelestia 9527). As the poor man was in that longing, which is the same as the spiritual affection of truth, it is said of him that "he was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom," by which is signified to be raised into an angelic state in respect to intelligence and wisdom; "Abraham's bosom" is the Divine truth that is in heaven, for those who are in that are with the Lord. (That "Abraham" in the Word signifies the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia n. 2010, 2833, 2836, 3245, 3251, 3305, 3439, 3703, 6098, 6185, 6276, 6804, 6847)

[5] The like that is signified here by the "rich man" and the "poor man who hungered" is signified by the "rich" and the "hungry" in Luke:

The hungry He hath filled with good, and the rich He hath sent empty away (Luke 1:53).

(That by "riches" in the Word are meant spiritual riches, which are the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, see Arcana Coelestia 1694, 4508, 10227; and in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 365; and in a contrary sense, the knowledges of what is false and evil, which are confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word, Arcana Coelestia 1694.) That "riches" in the Word signify the knowledges of truth and good, and intelligence and wisdom therefrom, is from correspondence; for with the angels in heaven all things appear as if refulgent with gold, and silver, and precious stones; and this so far as they are in the intelligence of truth and in the wisdom of good. Also with the spirits who are below the heavens there are riches in appearance according to the reception of truth and good from the Lord with them.

5147. There was some of every kind of food for Pharaoh' means full of celestial good for nourishing the natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'food' as celestial good, dealt with below; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as the interior natural, dealt with in 5080, 5095, and also the natural in general, since the interior natural and the exterior natural make one when they correspond. And because food exists to provide nourishment, 'every kind of food for Pharaoh' means full of celestial good for nourishing the natural. It is said that this food was in the highest basket, meaning that the inmost degree of the will was full of celestial good. For good from the Lord flows in by way of the inmost degree in a person; and from there it passes degree by degree, so to speak down a flight of steps, to what is more exterior. For in relation to other degrees the inmost one exists in the most perfect state, and can therefore receive good from the Lord directly, in a way the lower ones cannot. If these were to receive good from the Lord directly, they would either obscure it or pervert it, since they are less perfect in comparison with the inmost degree.

[2] As regards the influx of celestial good from the Lord and the reception of it, it should be recognized that the will part of the human mind is the receiver of good and the understanding part is the receiver of truth. The understanding part cannot possibly receive truth so as to make this its own unless at the same time the will part receives good; and vice versa. For one flows as a result into the other and disposes that other to be receptive. All that constitutes the understanding may be compared to forms which are constantly varying, and all that constitutes the will may be compared to the harmonies resulting from those variations. Consequently truths may be compared to variations, and forms of good may be compared to the delights which those variations bring. And this being pre-eminently the case with truths and forms of good it is evident that one cannot exist without the other, as well as that one cannot be brought forth except by means of the other.

[3] The reason 'food' means celestial good is that angels' food consists in nothing else than forms of the good of love and charity, and that these serve to enliven angels and to rejuvenate them. Especially when they are expressed in action or practice do those forms of good cause angels to feel rejuvenated, for they are the desires they have; for it is a well known fact that when a person's desires are expressed in action he feels rejuvenated and enlivened. Those desires also nourish a person's spirit when material food supplies nourishment to his body, as may be recognized from the fact that when no delight is taken in food it is not very nutritious, but when delight is taken in it, it is nutritious. The delight taken in food is what opens the meatus or channels which serve to convey it into the blood, whereas the opposite closes them. Among angels those delights are forms of the good of love and charity, and from this one may deduce that these are spiritual kinds of food which correspond to earthly ones. Also, just as forms of good are meant by different kinds of food, so truths are meant by 'drink'.

[4] In the Word 'food' is mentioned in many places, yet someone unacquainted with the internal sense will inevitably suppose that in those places ordinary food is meant. In fact spiritual food is meant, as in Jeremiah,

All the people groan as they search for bread. They have given their desirable things for food to restore the soul. Lamentations 1:11.

In Isaiah,

Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters, and he who has no money, come, buy, and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1.

In Joel,

The day of Jehovah is near, and as destruction from the thunderbolt-hurler will it come. [s not the food cut off before our eyes, gladness and joy from the house of our God? The grains have rotted under their clods, the storehouses have been laid waste, the granaries have been destroyed, because the grain has failed. Joel 1:15-17.

In David,

Our storehouses are full, yielding food and still more food; our flocks are thousands, and ten thousands in our streets. There is no outcry in our streets. Blessed are the people for whom it is thus. Psalms 144:13-15.

In the same author,

They all look to You, that You may give them their food in due season. You give to them - they gather it up; You open Your hand - they are satisfied with good. Psalms 104:27-28.

[5] In these places celestial and spiritual food is meant in the internal sense when material food is referred to in the sense of the letter. From this one may see how the interior features of the Word and its exterior features correspond to one another, that is, how what belongs inwardly to its spirit and what belongs to its letter do so; so that while man understands those things according to the sense of the letter, the angels present with him understand the same things according to the spiritual sense. The Word has been written in such a way that it may serve not only the human race but heaven also, and for this reason all expressions are used to mean heavenly realities, and every matter described there is representative of these realities. This is so with the Word even to the tiniest jot.

[6] Furthermore the Lord Himself explicitly teaches that good is meant in the spiritual sense by 'food': In John,

Do not labour for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. John 6:27.

In the same gospel,

My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. John 6:55.

'Flesh' means Divine Good, 3813, and 'blood' Divine Truth, 4735. And in the same gospel,

Jesus said to the disciples, I have food to eat of which you do not know. The disciples said to one another, Has anyone brought Him [anything] to eat? Jesus said to them, My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me, and to finish His work. John 4:33-34.

'Doing the will of the Father and finishing His work' means Divine Good when expressed in actions or practice, which in the genuine sense is 'food', as stated above.