9371. THE INTERNAL SENSE.

Verses 1-2. And He said unto Moses, Come up unto Jehovah, thou and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and bow yourselves afar off; and Moses, he alone, shall come near unto Jehovah; and they shall not come near; and the people shall not come up with him. “And He said unto Moses,” signifies that which concerns the Word in general; “come up unto Jehovah,” signifies conjunction with the Lord; “thou and Aaron,” signifies the Word in the internal sense and the external sense; “Nadab and Abihu,” signifies doctrine from both senses; “and seventy of the elders of Israel,” signifies the chief truths of the church which are of the Word, or of doctrine, and which agree with good; “and bow yourselves afar off,” signifies humiliation and adoration from the heart, and then the influx of the Lord; “and Moses, he alone, shall come near unto Jehovah,” signifies the conjunction and presence of the Lord through the Word in general; “and they shall not come near,” signifies no separate conjunction and presence; “and the people shall not come up with him,” signifies no conjunction whatever with the external apart from the internal.

7643. Behold tomorrow I bring the locust into thy border. That this signifies that falsity will take possession of their extremes, ¹ is evident from the signification of “the locust,” as being falsities in the extremes (of which below); from the signification of “border,” as being the extremes; and from the signification of “bringing,” because predicated of falsity, as being to take possession of. It is said that “Jehovah will bring,” but thereby is meant that it will be brought, that is, by evil. The case is the same here as when it is attributed to Jehovah (that is, to the Lord) that He made heavy Pharaoh’s heart, when yet this is from man, from his evil in him, as shown above (n. 7632). That evil is not from the Lord, but that it arises from man, is because man turns to himself that good which flows in from the Lord, and instead of regarding the Lord and what is of the Lord in all things, he regards himself. Hence comes the concupiscence of reigning over all, and of possessing all that belongs to others; and hence come contempt for others, and hatred, revenge, and cruelty toward those who do not favor and be friendly to one’s self; hence also comes contempt for all things that are of faith and charity, because when these flow in from the Lord they are turned to self, thus away from the Lord.

[2] From all this it can be seen that man turns into evil the very good which flows in from the Lord. From this also it is that the evil in the other life remove as far as possible from heaven; for when heaven comes near them, that is, when good and truth flow in more strongly, they then rush the more strongly into the opposite, that is, into evil and falsity; and in the degree that evil and falsity increase, they expel truth from themselves, and devastate themselves; and then also in the same degree they rush into the evils of penalty, for in the other life evils and their penalties are joined together.

[3] The Lord is continually bringing the heavens into order, and is constantly receiving new residents of heaven, to whom He gives dwelling places and inheritances; and when He does this, heaven approaches, that is, flows in more strongly, causing the infernal spirits to rush more strongly into evils and falsities, and into the penalties of these; and in consequence of this rushing into evils and falsities, they as before said vastate themselves; and this does not cease with them until they have completely devastated themselves, and cast themselves deeply into the hells. From all this it can be seen that nothing else than good proceeds from the Lord, and that the evil is from those themselves who are in evil. All this shows how is to be understood what is said of Jehovah (that is, of the Lord), that “He made heavy Pharaoh’s heart,” and here that “He brings the locust,” by which is signified falsity from evil in the extremes.

[4] In the Word, where the vastation of the evil is treated of, mention is sometimes made of the “locust” and of the “caterpillar,” and by the “locust” in the internal sense is there meant the falsity which vastates the extremes. For as before shown, the natural with man is interior and exterior; the falsity which is in the extremes of the natural, being meant by the “locust,” and the evil therein by the “caterpillar.” As by the “locust” is meant the falsity which is in the extremes of the natural, therefore it is said that the locust would be brought “into the border,” and would “cover the surface of the earth;” and afterward (verse 14), “the locust went up upon the land of Egypt, and rested in all the border of Egypt, and it covered the surface of the whole land.” By the “border” and by the “surface” are signified the extremes and ultimates in which the interiors rest, that is, terminate.

[5] The same is meant by the “locust” and the “caterpillar” in David:

He sent among them swarms, which consumed them; and the frog, which destroyed them; and He gave their produce to the caterpillar, and their labor to the locust (Psalms 78:45-46).

He said that the locust should come, and the caterpillar, so that there was no number (Psalms 105:34).

These things are said of Egypt, and the “caterpillar” is mentioned, although there is no mention made of it in Moses, but only of the “locust.” The reason why the “caterpillar” also is mentioned, is that by it is signified evil; and by the “locust” falsity; each in the extremes of the natural. But when the “locust” alone is mentioned, it signifies both falsity and evil together, for the “locust” denotes falsity from evil.

[6] In Nahum:

There shall the fire devour thee, the sword shall cut thee off, it shall devour thee like the caterpillar; multiply thyself like the caterpillar, multiply thyself like the locust. Thou hast multiplied thy merchants above the stars of the heavens; the caterpillar hath spread himself, and hath flown away. Thy crowned ones are as the locust, thy commanders are as the locust of the locusts (Nah. 3:15-17).

The subject here treated of is the “city of bloods,” by which is signified the doctrine of falsity; and because falsity and evil are especially multiplied in the extremes of the natural, for therein are the fallacies of the senses that originate from the objects of the world, and of the earth, and also pleasures from various kinds of appetites, therefore the multiplication of evil and falsity is also described by “the caterpillar and the locust,” as also in the book of Judges (6:5; 7:12), and in Jeremiah (46:23). (That the sensuous, which is the lowest of the natural, is very full of fallacies and the derivative falsities, see n. 5084, 5089, 5094, 6310, 6311, 6313, 6318, 6598, 6612, 6614, 6622, 6624, 6948, 6949.)

[7] In Joel:

That which the palmerworm hath left hath the locust devoured; and that which the locust hath left hath the cankerworm devoured; and that which the cankerworm hath left hath the caterpillar devoured. Awake, ye drunkards, and weep; and howl, all ye drinkers of wine, because of the new wine, in that it is cut off. For a nation will come up upon My land, strong, and without number, and will reduce My vine into a waste, and My fig-tree into froth (Joel 1:4-7).

The threshing floors are full of pure grain, and the vats overflow with new wine and oil; and I will compensate to you the years that the locust hath consumed, the cankerworm, the caterpillar, and the palmerworm (Joel 2:24-25); where the “locust” denotes falsity in the extremes vastating truths and goods.

In Moses:

Thou shalt bring out much seed into the field, but shalt gather little, because the locust shall consume it. Thou shalt plant vineyards, but thou shalt neither drink the wine, nor gather; for the worm shall devour it (Deuteronomy 28:38-39); where the “locust” denotes falsity from evil.

[8] In John:

Out of the smoke of the opened abyss there went forth locusts on the earth; and power was given them, as the scorpions of the earth have power; and it was said unto them that they should not hurt the grass of the earth, nor any tree, but only such men as had not the seal of God upon their foreheads; and it was given them that they should not kill them, but should torment them five months; and the shapes of the locusts were like unto horses prepared for war; and upon their heads were as it were crowns like gold, and their faces were as it were the faces of men; and they had hair as the hair of women; and their teeth were as the teeth of lions; and they had breastplates, as it were of iron; and the voice of their wings was as the voice of the chariots of many horses running to war; and they had tails like scorpions; and stings were in their tails, that they might hurt men five months. They have over them a king, the angel of the abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, but in the Greek he hath the name Apollyon (Revelation 9:3-11);

what is signified by all these things no one can see except from the internal sense. From the details clearly seen therein according to the internal sense, it is evident that by “locusts” are there signified reasonings from fallacies and the falsities thence derived, also confirmed by philosophical things. Thus also by the “locusts” are signified the falsities which are in the extremes with man, and which are more earthly and corporeal than all other falsities; and by which man may be easily deceived and seduced, for he apprehends what is obvious to the senses, and with difficulty what is opposed to the senses.

[9] That it may be known that such is the signification of “locusts,” the contents of this passage may be set forth in detail. The “abyss out of which the locusts came up” denotes hell; the “grass of the earth which they were not to hurt” denotes memory-knowledge; the “tree” denotes the knowledges of good and truth; the “men” denote the affections of good; their “hurting these, and not the grass of the earth and the tree,” denotes that truth and good can be understood although the life is not in accordance therewith; “they who have the seal upon their foreheads” denotes those who have been regenerated; their “tormenting five months those who had not the seal of God upon their foreheads” denotes that they should vastate them; that “the locusts were like horses prepared for war,” denotes reasonings from falsities, whereby there is combat against the truths of the church; “crowns upon their heads like gold, and their faces as men’s faces,” denotes that the reasonings appear like truth, and as it were from good; “hair as of women, and teeth as the teeth of lions,” denotes the external things of the natural, that is, sensuous things, or the fallacies therein, which make an appearance of good; “breastplates of iron” denote external things which make an appearance of truth; “the voice of the wings like that of the chariots of many horses running to war,” denotes the falsities of doctrine from which and for which they fight; “tails like scorpions and stings in their tails” denote the harm which such things bring; the “king of the abyss” denotes infernal falsity; “Abaddon” denotes perdition; “Apollyon” denotes reasoning from falsities appearing as from truth, especially if by those who are believed wise it is confirmed by philosophical things wrongly applied, for the blind admiration of their wisdom leads to faith in them.

[10] By the “locust” in a good sense is signified ultimate and most general truth, and also its pleasantness; hence John’s food was “locusts and wild honey” (Matthew 3:4; Mark 1:6). These were his food for the reason that John represented the Word, and by his food, as also by his clothing which was of camel’s hair with a leathern girdle, he represented the Word in the external sense, for external pleasantness is signified by the “locust and wild honey” (see n. 5620); and external truth by the “garment of camel’s hair” and by the “leathern girdle” (n. 3301). Hence it is that by John is meant Elias, who was to come and announce the advent of the Lord. (That “Elias” denotes the Word, see the preface to the eighteenth chapter of Genesis, and n. 2762, 5247) That locusts are among the small animals to be eaten, see Leviticus 11:22.

Footnotes:

440. Of the tribe of Manasseh were sealed twelve thousand.- That this signifies the goods of life thence, is evident from the representation, and thence the signification of the tribe of Manasseh, which denotes the Voluntary (voluntarium) of the church, and thence the good of life. The good of life is signified, because this makes one with the Voluntary of the church, or of the men of the church. For a man does what he wills, when it is possible a deed being nothing else but the will (voluntas) acting as is evident from this fact that action ceases when the will ceases, and continues so long as the will remains. What the will of the regenerated man does, is called the good of life. Since then Manasseh and his tribe signify the Voluntary of the church, he also signifies the good of life. Also after regeneration good of life from charity towards the neighbour succeeds as an effect from its cause, and this is signified by Asher and Naphtali. For those who are in charity towards the neighbour are regenerated by the Lord, and those who are regenerated are in the good of life, for they act from charity, and every action from charity is good of life.

[2] The two things which make the church, are, truth of doctrine and good of life, and a man must possess both of these in order to be a man of the church. These two were represented, and thence are signified in the Word, by Ephraim and Manasseh; the truth of doctrine, by Ephraim, and the good of life, by Manasseh. Truth of doctrine is also called the Intellectual of the church, and the good of life its Voluntary (voluntarium). For truth is of the understanding (intellectus), and good of the will (voluntas); and therefore Ephraim and Manasseh signify the Intellectual and the Voluntary of the church, Ephraim signifying the Intellectual, and Manasseh the Voluntary. In order that such things might be represented, and thence signified by Ephraim and Manasseh, they were born to Joseph in the land of Egypt. For Joseph signifies the Celestial-Spiritual, or the spiritual kingdom itself, which is adjoined to the celestial kingdom, and the land of Egypt signifies the Natural. Therefore good of the will in the Natural, born from the Celestial-Spiritual, is signified by Manasseh, and truth of the understanding in the Natural, also born from the same, is signified by Ephraim. It is said of their nativity in Moses,

"And unto Joseph were born two sons before the year of famine came, whom Asenath the daughter of Potipherah, priest of On, bare unto him. And Joseph called the name of the first-born Manasseh; for God hath made me forget all my toil, and all my father's house. And the name of the second called he Ephraim; for God hath caused me to be fruitful in the land of my affliction" (Genesis 41:50-52).

What is meant by these words in the spiritual sense, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 5347-5356), namely, that by the name of the first-begotten, Manasseh, is meant the new Voluntary in the Natural, and its quality, and by the name of the second, Ephraim, the new Intellectual in the Natural and its quality, or what is the same, by Manasseh, the good of the new natural man, and by Ephraim, the truth thereof (see n. 5351, 5354).

[3] That Ephraim and Manasseh have this signification, is evident from the fact that they were adopted by Jacob as Reuben and Simeon, concerning which it is thus written in Moses:

"And Jacob said unto Joseph, Now thy two sons which were born unto thee in the land of Egypt, before I came unto thee into Egypt, are mine; Ephraim and Manasseh shall be mine as Reuben and Simeon; they shall be called after the name of their brethren in their inheritance" (Genesis 48:5, 6).

Because Reuben signifies truth in the understanding, which is the truth of doctrine, and Simeon, truth in the will, which is the good of life, therefore Jacob said that Ephraim and Manasseh should be to him as Reuben and Simeon, consequently Ephraim signifies intellectual truth, and Manasseh voluntary good. But these things are more fully explained in the Arcana Coelestia 6234-6241).

[4] The same is also evident from the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh by Jacob, at that time Israel, which is as follows:

"Israel blessed Joseph, and said, God, before whom my fathers, Abraham and Isaac, did walk, the God who hath fed me all my life long unto this day, the angel which redeemed me from all evil, bless the lads, and in them shall my name be called, and the name of my fathers, Abraham and Isaac; and let them grow into a multitude in the midst of the earth" (Genesis 48:15, 16).

That Ephraim here also means intellectual truth, and Manasseh, voluntary good, both of them in the natural man, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 6274-6285). Again, in the blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh by Moses, it is said of Joseph:

"In the firstling of his bullock he hath honour, and his horns the horns of a unicorn; with them he shall push the peoples together to the ends of the earth; and they are the myriads of Ephraim, and the thousands of Manasseh" (Deuteronomy 33:17).

The explanation of these words may be seen above (n. 316:23, 336:4).

That Ephraim signifies the understanding of truth, and Manasseh, the will of good, each in the natural man, is clear also from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Through the wrath of Jehovah of hosts is the land darkened and the people have become as fuel of fire; a man shall not spare his brother. And if he cut down 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 every man the flesh of his own arm; Manasseh, Ephraim; and Ephraim, Manasseh; they together against" Jehovah (9:19-21).

That by Manasseh eating Ephraim, and Ephraim, Manasseh, is here signified that all the good and truth of the church would perish, the good by falsity, and the truth by evil, may be seen above (n. 386:2), where these things are explained in detail.

[5] In David:

"Gilead is mine, and Manasseh is mine; Ephraim also is the strength of my head; Judah is my lawgiver" (Psalm 60:7; 108:8).

Manasseh here signifies the good of the church, Ephraim, its truth, and Gilead, the Natural; and because truth from good in the Natural possesses Divine power, it is therefore said, "Ephraim is the strength of my head." The reason why there is Divine power by means of truth from good in the Natural is, that the Natural is the ultimate into which interior things, which are celestial and spiritual, flow, and there they exist and subsist together; they are consequently there in their fulness, in which and from which is all Divine operation. Therefore the sense of the letter of the Word possesses Divine power, because it is natural; concerning this see above (n. 346), and in the Arcana Coelestia 9836). From these considerations the reason is evident why Ephraim is called the strength of the head of Jehovah. Judah is called His lawgiver, because by Judah is signified Divine Truth internal, or the Word in the spiritual sense, and similarly by lawgiver and law.

[6] In the same:

"Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel, thou that leadest Joseph like a flock; thou that sittest upon the cherubim, shine forth. Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up thy strength, and come and save us" (Psalm 80:1, 2).

It is plain from the spiritual sense that these words contain a supplication to the Lord to instruct those who are of the church, and lead them by truths to good, and so to heaven. The Lord is called "shepherd of Israel" because He instructs and leads; it is therefore said, "Thou that leadest Joseph like a flock," and by Joseph are meant those of the church who are in truths from good. Thou that dwellest between the cherubim, signifies the Lord above the heavens, whence He sends forth the light which enlightens the mind and therefore it is said "shine forth." Before Ephraim and Benjamin and Manasseh, stir up thy strength, signifies that the light of truth may penetrate even to those who are in natural truth and good, thus to the ultimates in the church. Ephraim means those who are in natural truth, such as the truth of the Word in the sense of the letter; Manasseh means those who are in natural good, which is the delight of doing good and learning truth; Benjamin means the conjunctive [principle] of good and truth, or the conjoining medium in the Natural; by stirring up strength is meant to penetrate even there with light. Come and save us, signifies that they should be saved.

[7] Because all the good which is in the natural man flows in from the Lord through the Spiritual, and apart from that influx no good can exist in the Natural, and because Manasseh represented, and thence signifies, good from a spiritual source in the natural man, therefore an inheritance was given to that tribe beyond or without the Jordan, and also on this side, or within the Jordan; to half of the tribe, beyond or without the Jordan, and to the other half, on this side, or within the Jordan (see Num. 32:33, 39, 40; Deuteronomy 3:13; Joshua 13:29-31; 17:5-13, 16-18). The land beyond, or without the Jordan, represented and signified the external church with men in the natural man, but the land on this side, or within the Jordan, represented and signified the internal church with men in the spiritual man. Concerning this distinction, see above (n. 434:11). And good is that which makes the church; this good flows in immediately out of the spiritual man into the natural; apart from this influx the church does not exist in man. This is the reason why an inheritance both within and without the Jordan was given to the tribe of Manasseh, which signified the good of the church. That spiritual good flows into natural good immediately, but into natural truth mediately, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia (3314, 3573, 3576, 3616, 3969, 3995, 4563); and that hence there is a parallelism between spiritual good and natural good, but not between spiritual truth and natural truth (1831, 1832, 3514, 3564).

[8] That Manasseh signifies the good of the church, or the good of life, which is the same with the good of the will, is evident from the representation and thence the signification of Ephraim, which denotes the truth of the church, or the truth of doctrine, and this is the same with truth of the understanding; for they were brethren, and good and truth are termed brethren in the Word. That Ephraim signifies the truth of doctrine, and thence the Intellectual of the church, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 5354), where many passages from the Word, in which Ephraim is mentioned, are quoted and explained; see also in the same work (n. 3969, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267, 6296).