9372. And He said unto Moses. That this signifies that which concerns the Word in general, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being the Word (of which below); and from the signification of “He said,” as involving those things which follow in this chapter, thus those which concern the Word (see n. 9370). (That Moses represents the Word, can be seen from what has been often shown before about Moses, as from the preface to Genesis 18; and n. 4859, 5922, 6723, 6752, 6771, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 8601, 8760, 8787, 8805.) Here Moses represents the Word in general, because it is said of him in what follows, that he alone should come near unto Jehovah (verse 2); and also that, being called unto out of the midst of the cloud, he entered into it, and went up the mount (verses 16-18).

[2] In the Word there are many who represent the Lord in respect to truth Divine, or in respect to the Word; but chief among them are Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and John the Baptist. That Moses does so, can be seen in the explications just cited above; that so do Elijah and Elisha, can be seen in the preface to Genesis 18; and n. 2762, 5247; and that John the Baptist does so is evident from the fact that he was “Elias who was to come.” He who does not know that John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, cannot know what all those things infold and signify which are said about him in the New Testament; and therefore in order that this secret may stand open, and that at the same time it may appear that Elias, and also Moses, who were seen when the Lord was transfigured, signified the Word, some things may here be quoted which are spoken about John the Baptist; as in Matthew:

After the messengers of John had departed, Jesus began to speak concerning John, saying, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? a reed shaken by the wind? But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft things are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, even more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, Behold I send Mine angel before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee. Verily I say unto you, Among those who are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist; nevertheless he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he. All the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye are willing to believe, he is Elias who was to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Matthew 11:7-15; and also Luke 7:24-28).

No one can know how these things are to be understood, unless he knows that this John represented the Lord as to the Word, and unless he also knows from the internal sense what is signified by “the wilderness” in which he was, also what by “a reed shaken by the wind,” and likewise by “soft raiment in kings’ houses;” and further what is signified by his being “more than a prophet,” and by “none among those who are born of women being greater than he, and nevertheless he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he,” and lastly by his being “Elias.” For without a deeper sense, all these words are uttered merely from some comparison, and not from anything of weight.

[3] But it is very different when by John is understood the Lord as to the Word, or the Word representatively. Then by “the wilderness of Judea in which John was” is signified the state in which the Word was at the time when the Lord came into the world, namely, that it was “in the wilderness,” that is, it was in obscurity so great that the Lord was not at all acknowledged, neither was anything known about His heavenly kingdom; when yet all the prophets prophesied about Him, and about His kingdom, that it was to endure forever. (That “a wilderness” denotes such obscurity, see n. 2708, 4736, 7313.) For this reason the Word is compared to “a reed shaken by the wind” when it is explained at pleasure; for in the internal sense “a reed” denotes truth in the ultimate, such as is the Word in the letter.

[4] That the Word in the ultimate, or in the letter, is crude and obscure in the sight of men; but that in the internal sense it is soft and shining, is signified by their “not seeing a man clothed in soft raiment, for behold those who wear soft things are in kings’ houses.” That such things are signified by these words, is plain from the signification of “raiment,” or “garments,” as being truths (n. 2132, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248, 6914, 6918, 9093); and for this reason the angels appear clothed in garments soft and shining according to the truths from good with them (n. 5248, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216). The same is evident from the signification of “kings’ houses,” as being the abodes of the angels, and in the universal sense, the heavens; for “houses” are so called from good (n. 2233, 2234, 3128, 3652, 3720, 4622, 4982, 7836, 7891, 7996, 7997); and “kings,” from truth (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148). Therefore by virtue of their reception of truth from the Lord, the angels are called “sons of the kingdom,” “sons of the king,” and also “kings.”

[5] That the Word is more than any doctrine in the world, and more than any truth in the world, is signified by “what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet;” and by, “there hath not arisen among those who are born of women a greater than John the Baptist;” for in the internal sense “a prophet” denotes doctrine (n. 2534, 7269); and “those who are born,” or are the sons, “of women” denote truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3704, 4257).

[6] That in the internal sense, or such as it is in heaven, the Word is in a degree above the Word in the external sense, or such as it is in the world, and such as John the Baptist taught, is signified by, “he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he;” for as perceived in heaven the Word is of wisdom so great that it transcends all human apprehension. That the prophecies about the Lord and His coming, and that the representatives of the Lord and of His kingdom, ceased when the Lord came into the world, is signified by, “all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” That the Word was represented by John, as by Elijah, is signified by his being “Elias who is to come.”

[7] The same is signified by these words in Matthew:

The disciples asked Jesus, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? He answered and said, Elias must needs first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, that Elias hath come already, and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they wished. Even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them. And they understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:10-13).

That “Elias hath come, and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they wished” signifies that the Word has indeed taught them that the Lord is to come, but that still they did not wish to comprehend, interpreting it in favor of the rule of self, and thus extinguishing what is Divine in it. That they would do the same with the truth Divine itself, is signified by “even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them.” (That “the Son of man” denotes the Lord as to truth Divine, see n. 2803, 2813, 3704)

[8] From all this it is now evident what is meant by the prophecy about John in Malachi:

Behold I send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh (Malachi 4:5).

Moreover, the Word in the ultimate, or such as it is in the external form in which it appears before man in the world, is described by the “clothing” and “food” of John the Baptist, in Matthew:

John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, had His clothing of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:1, 4).

In like manner it is described by Elijah in the second book of Kings:

He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins (2 Kings 1:8).

By “clothing,” or a “garment,” when said of the Word, is signified truth Divine there in the ultimate form; by “camel’s hair” are signified memory-truths such as appear there before a man in the world; by the “leathern girdle” is signified the external bond connecting and keeping in order all the interior things; by “food” is signified spiritual nourishment from the knowledges of truth and of good out of the Word; by “locusts” are signified ultimate or most general truths; and by “wild honey” their pleasantness.

[9] That such things are signified by “clothing” and “food” has its origin in the representatives of the other life, where all appear clothed according to truths from good, and where food also is represented according to the desires of acquiring knowledge and growing wise. From this it is that “clothing,” or a “garment,” denotes truth (as may be seen from the citations above; and that “food” or “meat” denotes spiritual nourishment, n. 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5576, 5579, 5915, 8562, 9003; that “a girdle” denotes a bond which gathers up and holds together interior things, n. 9341; that “leather” denotes what is external, n. 3540; and thus “a leathern girdle” denotes an external bond; that “hairs” denote ultimate or most general truths, n. 3301, 5569-5573; that “a camel” denotes memory-knowledge in general, n. 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145, 4156; that “a locust” denotes nourishing truth in the extremes, n. 7643; and that “honey” denotes the pleasantness thereof, n. 5620, 6857, 8056). It is called “wild honey,” or “honey of the field,” because by “a field” is signified the church (n. 2971, 3317, 3766, 7502, 7571, 9139, 9295). He who does not know that such things are signified, cannot possibly know why Elijah and John were so clothed. And yet that these things signified something peculiar to these prophets, can be thought by everyone who thinks well about the Word.

[10] Because John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, therefore also when he spoke of the Lord, who was the Word itself, he said of himself that he was “not Elias, nor the prophet,” and that he was “not worthy to loose the latchet of the Lord’s shoe,” as in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. The Jews from Jerusalem, priests and Levites, asked John who he was. And he confessed, and denied not, I am not the Christ. Therefore they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? But he said, I am not. Art thou the prophet? He answered, No. They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet. They said therefore, Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet? He answered, I baptize with water; in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not; He it is who is to come after me, who was before me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose. When he saw Jesus, he said, Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a man who was before me; for he was before me (John 1:1, 14, 19-30).

From these words it is plain that when John spoke about the Lord Himself, who was Truth Divine itself, or the Word, he said that he himself was not anything, because the shadow disappears when the light itself appears, that is, the representative disappears when the original itself makes its appearance. (That the representatives had in view holy things, and the Lord Himself, and not at all the person that represented, see n. 665, 1097, 1361, 3147, 3881, 4208, 4281, 4288, 4292, 4307, 4444, 4500, 6304, 7048, 7439, 8588, 8788, 8806.) One who does not know that representatives vanish like shadows at the presence of light, cannot know why John denied that he was Elias and the prophet.

[11] From all this it can now be seen what is signified by Moses and Elias, who were seen in glory, and who spoke with the Lord when transfigured, of His departure which He should accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:29-31); namely, that they signified the Word (“Moses” the historic Word, and “Elias” the prophetic Word), which in the internal sense throughout treats of the Lord, of His coming into the world, and of His departure out of the world; and therefore it is said that “Moses and Elias were seen in glory,” for “glory” denotes the internal sense of the Word, and the “cloud” its external sense (see the preface to Genesis 18, and n. 5922, 8427).

601. And cried with a great voice, as a lion roareth.- That this signifies testification of grievous lamentation on account of the desolation of Divine Truth in the church, is evident from the signification of crying with a great voice, as denoting testification of grievous lamentation, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of as a lion roareth, as denoting, on account of the desolation of Divine Truth in the church. For a lion signifies Divine Truth in its power, as may be seen above (n. 278), and roaring signifies the effect of grief, on account of the desolation thereof.

[2] That this is the signification of crying with a great voice as a lion roareth, is also evident from that which follows in this chapter, in which the desolation of Divine Truth in the church is treated of. For the strong angel coming down out of heaven, means the Lord as to the Word, which is Divine Truth, and it is afterwards said of him that he lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by Him that liveth unto the ages of the ages, that there should be time no longer. By there being time no longer is signified, that there should be no longer any understanding of Divine Truth, nor, consequently, any state of the church.

[3] And it is afterwards said, "In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, the mystery of God shall be consummated," which signifies the last judgment, which takes place when there is no longer any faith of Divine Truth, because there is not any good of charity. It is evident from these things, that by crying with a loud voice as when a lion roareth, signifies testification of grievous lamentation on account of the desolation of Divine Truth in the church.

[4] Moreover, in the Word, mention is frequently made of a lion; and a lion, in the highest sense, signifies the Lord as to Divine Truth, and also heaven and the church as to the same from the Lord, whence a lion also signifies the Divine Truth as to power. Concerning this signification of lion, see above (n. 278). It is therefore evident, that roaring, or the roaring of a lion, signifies ardent affection to defend heaven and the church, and thus save the angels of heaven and the men of the church, which is effected by destroying the falsities of evil by means of Divine Truth and its power. But in the opposite sense roaring, and the roaring of a lion, signify burning desire to destroy and devastate the church, which is effected by destroying Divine Truth by means of the falsities of evil. These things are signified by the roaring of a lion, because a lion roars when it is hungry and seeks its prey, and also when it is enraged against its enemies.

[5] That such things are signified in the Word by to roar and roaring, is evident from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

"Thus hath Jehovah spoken unto me, Like as the lion roareth and the young lion over his prey, when a multitude of shepherds runneth forth against him, he will not be afraid of their voice, nor abase himself for the noise of them; so shall Jehovah of hosts come down to fight upon mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof" (31:4).

Jehovah is compared to a lion roaring, because a lion signifies the Lord as to Divine Truth and its power, and roaring signifies the ardour of defending the church against evils and falsities, wherefore it is said, "so shall Jehovah of hosts come down to fight upon mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof." Mount Zion denotes the celestial church, and the hill thereof, or Jerusalem, the spiritual church; the prey over which the lion roareth, signifies deliverance from hell.

[6] So in Joel:

"Jehovah shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall tremble; but Jehovah will be a refuge for his people, and a defence of the sons of Israel" (3:16).

The defence of the faithful by the Lord, by means of Divine Truth, is described by Jehovah roaring out of Zion, and uttering His voice from Jerusalem. The vehement power of Divine Truth, and the terror arising therefrom, are described by the heavens and earth trembling; while salvation and defence are described by Jehovah being a refuge for His people, and a defence to the sons of Israel; the people of Jehovah and the sons of Israel denote the faithful who are of the church.

[7] And in Hosea:

"I will not return to destroy Ephraim. They shall go after Jehovah; he shall roar like a lion, because he shall roar, and with honour shall the sons from the sea draw near, with honour shall they come as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria; and I will cause them to dwell upon their houses, saith Jehovah" (11:9-11).

Ephraim signifies the church as to the understanding of truth, concerning which what follows is therefore said. To walk after Jehovah signifies to worship the Lord, and to live from Him. He shall roar like a lion, because he shall roar, signifies their defence by Divine Truth. With honour shall the sons from the sea draw near, signifies that those who are in natural good shall draw near to the church; with honour shall they come as a bird out of Egypt, signifies their natural thought from scientific truths (ex scientificis veris), a bird denoting thought, and Egypt what is scientific, which is natural truth. And as a dove out of the land of Assyria, signifies that they shall have rational good and truth, a dove denoting rational good, and the land of Assyria, the church as to rational truth. For with man there are both natural and rational good and truth; the Natural is lower or exterior, and looks to the world, the Rational is higher or interior, conjoining the Natural with the Spiritual. The Natural is signified by Egypt, the Rational by Assyria, and the Spiritual by Israel. And I will cause them to dwell upon their houses, signifies life from the will of good and from the understanding of truth; the human mind, which consists of these, is meant by house, and to live is signified by dwelling.

[8] Again, in Amos:

"The Lord Jehovih will not do a word without revealing his secret unto his servants the prophets. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord Jehovih hath spoken, who will not prophesy?" (3:7, 8).

Here by the Lord Jehovih not doing a word without revealing His secret to His servants the prophets, is signified, that the Lord opens the interior things of the Word and of doctrine to those who are in truths from good. By revealing His secret is signified to enlighten and to open the interior things of the Word; His servants the prophets signify those who are in the truths of doctrine and who receive. "The lion hath roared, who will not fear?" signifies a powerful revelation and manifestation of Divine Truth. "The Lord Jehovih hath spoken, who will not prophesy?" signifies the reception thereof, and manifestation. The Lord is called Lord Jehovih, when good is treated of.

[9] Again, in Zechariah:

"The voice of the howling of the shepherds because their magnificence is laid waste; a voice of the roaring of [young] lions because the pride of Jordan is laid waste" (11:3).

The voice of the howling of the shepherds because their magnificence is laid waste, signifies the grief of those who teach, because the good of the church has perished. Those who teach truth and by means of it lead to good of life, are called shepherds, and magnificence denotes the good of the church. The voice of the roaring of the young lions because the pride of Jordan is laid waste, signifies grief on account of the desolation of Divine Truth in the church. Those who are in Divine truths are called lions; roaring signifies grief; the pride of Jordan which is laid waste, signifies the church as to the Divine Truth introducing.

[10] Thus also in Job:

God "roareth with his voice, he thundereth with the voice of his majesty; nor yet doth he overthrow when his voice is heard. God thundereth marvellously with his voice" (37:4, 5).

By roaring and thundering with the voice is signified the power and efficacy of Divine Truth or the Word.

[11] In the passages quoted, roaring, in an extended sense, signifies the ardent affection to defend heaven and the church, or the angels of heaven and the men of the church which is effected by destroying the falsities of evil by means of Divine Truth, and its power. But by roaring, in the opposite sense, is signified the burning desire to ruin and destroy the church, which is done by destroying Divine Truth by means of the falsities of evil. In this sense "to roar" is mentioned in the following passages.

Thus in Jeremiah:

"Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling-place of dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing. They shall roar together like lions; they shall growl as lions' whelps; when they have become warm I will set their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may exult, and may sleep the sleep of an age, and not awake" (51:37, 38, 39).

The destruction of Babylon, so that truth or good shall be no longer found in her, is signified by, Babylon shall become heaps, a dwelling-place of dragons, an astonishment, and an hissing. Babylon signifies those who abuse holy things for the purpose of ruling by them. Their burning desire to destroy Divine Truth by means of the falsities of evil, is signified by, they shall roar together like lions; they shall growl as lions' whelps. The ardour of those banded together to effect this wickedness is signified by the words "when they have become warm I will set their feasts"; that such shall become insane from the falsities of evil is signified by, I will make them drunken that they may exult. That they will never understand any truth, and therefore will not see life, is signified by, that they may sleep the sleep of an age, and not awake.

[12] Again, in the same prophet:

"Is Israel a servant? Is he born of the house? Why has he become a prey? The young lions roar against him, they utter their voice, and make his land waste; his cities are burned, so that there is no inhabitant" (2:14, 15).

Is Israel a servant? Is he born of the house, signifies, the church which had been in truths and goods, and that hitherto it is not. Israel signifies the church; a servant, those who are in truths, and born of the house, those who are in goods. Why has he become a prey? signifies the devastation thereof. The young lions roar against him, and utter their voice, signifies the desolation of Divine Truth in the church by the falsities of evil; they make his land waste, signifies the destruction of the church itself by evils. His cities are burned so that there is no inhabitant, signifies the destruction of its doctrinals also by evils, so that no good of the church remains.

[13] And in Ezekiel:

"One of the cubs, a lioness, rose up; it became a young lion, but it learned to catch the prey; it devoured men, defiled widows, and laid waste the cities, and the land was laid waste, and the fulness thereof, by the voice of his roaring" (19:3, 7).

These things are said of the Jewish church, which is here meant by the mother of lions. The young lion signifies the falsity of evil eager to destroy the truth of the church. By catching the prey, is signified the destruction of the truth and good of the church. It devoured men, and defiled widows, and devastated the cities, signifies the destruction of all understanding of truth, and of good that desires truth, and also of doctrinals. Men signify the understanding of truth, widows, good desirous of truth, and cities, doctrinals. The land was laid waste and the fulness thereof, by the voice of his roaring, signifies the devastation of the church, and the extinction of all truth from the Word by the falsity of evil; land denoting the church, fulness denoting the truths thereof from the Word, and the voice of roaring denoting the destroying falsity of evil.

[14] Again, in Jeremiah:

"I call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth. Therefore say unto them, Jehovah shall roar from on high and utter his voice from the habitation of his holiness; in roaring he shall roar against their dwellings. A tumult shall come even to the end of the earth; for the strife of Jehovah is against the nations, judgment shall enter with all flesh; he will give the wicked to the sword" (25:29-31).

Here the vastation of the church is attributed to Jehovah, although men themselves are the cause of it. I call for a sword upon all the inhabitants of the earth, signifies falsity destroying every truth in the whole church. Jehovah shall roar from on high, and utter his voice from the habitation of his holiness, signifies testification of grief in heaven on account of the vastation of Divine Truth. In roaring he shall roar against their dwellings, signifies grievous sorrow and lamentation over all things of the church. A tumult shall come even to the end of the earth, signifies the disturbance of all things of the church from primaries to its ultimates. For the strife of Jehovah is against the nations, judgment shall enter with all flesh, signifies visitation and judgment upon all who are in evils. He will give the wicked to the sword, signifies their destruction from falsities.

[15] And in Amos:

"Jehovah will roar from Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; so that the habitations of the shepherds shall mourn, and the top of Carmel shall wither" (1:2).

By roaring from Zion, is signified grievous sorrow, and a voice from Jerusalem signifies lamentation. The mourning of the habitations of the shepherds, and the withering of the top of Carmel, signifies on account of the vastation of all the goods and truths of the church, the habitations of the shepherds signify all the goods of the church, the top of Carmel signifies all the truths thereof, and the mourning and withering denote vastation. The reason why the top of Carmel signifies the truths of the church is, that there were vineyards on Carmel, and the truth of the church is signified by wine (vinum).

[16] Again, in Isaiah:

"The anger of Jehovah is kindled against his people. He hath lifted up an ensign to the nations from far, and hath hissed unto them from the end of the earth. His roaring is like that of a lion, he roareth as the young lions; yea, he rageth and layeth hold of the prey, he seizeth and none taketh from him; and he rageth against them like the raging of the sea; and if one look unto the land, behold darkness and anxiety, and the light is darkened in the ruins thereof" (5:25-30).

Here also His roar like that of a lion, and as of young lions, signifies grief and lamentation over the vastation of Divine Truth in the church by the falsities of evil. By laying hold of the prey and none taking it from Him, is signified the liberation and salvation of those who are in truths from good. The vastation itself is described by, Behold darkness and anxiety, and the light is darkened in the ruins thereof. Darkness denotes falsities, anxiety evil, the darkening of the light denotes the disappearance of Divine Truth, and ruins signify total subversion.

[17] So in David:

"The enemy hath destroyed everything in the sanctuary. Enemies roared in the midst of the feast" (Psalm 74:3, 4).

Enemy signifies evil from hell, the sanctuary signifies the church, and the feast, worship. The signification of these words in a series is therefore evident. That roaring signifies grievous lamentation from grief of heart, is clear from these passages in David:

When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long (Psalm 32:3).

And again:

"I am feeble and sore broken; I have roared by reason of the roaring of my heart" (Psalm 38:8).

And in Job:

"My sighing cometh before my bread, and my roarings are poured out like the waters" (3:24).