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).

1672. And the kings that were with him. That this signifies the apparent truth which is of that good, is evident from the signification of “kings” in the Word. “Kings,” “kingdoms,” and “peoples,” in the historical and the prophetical parts of the Word, signify truths and the things which are of truths, as may be abundantly confirmed. In the Word an accurate distinction is made between a “people” and a “nation;” by a “people” are signified truths, and by a “nation” goods, as before shown (n. 1259, 1260). “Kings” are predicated of peoples, but not so much of nations. Before the sons of Israel sought for kings, they were a nation, and represented good, or the celestial; but after they desired a king, and received one, they became a people, and did not represent good or the celestial, but truth or the spiritual; which was the reason why this was imputed to them as a fault (see 1 Samuel 8:7-22, concerning which subject, of the Lord’s Divine mercy elsewhere). As Chedorlaomer is named here, and it is added, “the kings that were with him,” both good and truth are signified; by “Chedorlaomer,” good, and by “the kings,” truth. But what was the quality of the good and truth at the beginning of the Lord’s temptations has already been stated.

922. (Verse 20) And the wine-press was trodden without the city. That this signifies the production of falsity from evil from hell, is evident from the signification of treading the wine-press, as denoting to produce truth from good; and, in the opposite sense, to produce falsity from evil. For grapes, of which wine is made in the wine-press, signify the good of charity; and, in the opposite sense, evil. And from good is produced truth, and from evil falsity. That these things, as well as the falsifications of the Word, are signified by the wine-press of the wrath of God, may be seen from the article just preceding (n. 920); and from the signification of without the city, as denoting from hell. For by a city is signified the doctrine of truth from the Word; as may be seen above (n. 223); but without the city, the doctrine of falsity, from the Word falsified. And because the falsification of the Word is from hell, therefore by without the city denotes from hell. By city, in the Word, is signified doctrine; but by the city of David or Zion, and by the city of Jerusalem, are signified the church as to the Word, and as to doctrine from the Word. Hence by without the city is signified, not from the Word and doctrine therefrom; and the things which are not from the Word and doctrine therefrom are from hell. Without the city signifies the same as, without the camp, of the sons in the wilderness. For by their camp was signified heaven and the church; and by without the camp, was signified hell. For this reason the lepers, and all that were unclean, were sent out of the camp (Leviticus 13:46; Numbers 5:1-6); and also the excrements, by which infernal things were signified, were carried outside the camp (Deuteronomy 23:13, 14).

[2] That the wine-press and treading it, signify the production of falsity from evil, and the production of truth from good, is evident from the Word, where wine-press is mentioned. That it signifies the production of falsity from evil, is seen from the following passages. As in Lamentations:

"The Lord hath prostrated all my mighty ones in the midst of me; he hath proclaimed against me, the time appointed to break the young men: the Lord hath trodden the wine-press of the daughter of Judah" (1:15).

The subject there treated of is the end of the church with the Jewish nation. And by the mighty ones whom the Lord has prostrated in the midst thereof, is signified the destruction of the love of good - those who are in the love of good being in the Word called mighty; because good from the love of it prevails against the hells, and thence is mighty. In the midst, signifies all, and everywhere. By breaking the young men, is signified the destruction of all understanding of truth. The time appointed denotes, when both the goods and truths of the church were devastated with that nation. This time was when the Lord came into the world, and is meant by the fulness of times. Hence by the Lord hath trodden the wine-press of the daughter of Judah, is signified the perversion of the church, and the adulteration of the Word, produced from evils of life and falsities of doctrine, the daughter of Judah denoting the church from the doctrine of truth from the Word, and the wine-press denoting the production of falsity from evil, and the consequent adulteration of the Word and the overturning of the church. This is attributed to the Lord in the sense of the letter; but it is inverted in the spiritual sense, in which it is meant that it would be done by that nation itself.

[3] In Joel:

"Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get ye down, for the wine-press is full, the vats overflowed; for their wickedness is great" (3:13).

The devastation of the church as to good and truth is thus described. And by the wine-press being full and the vats overflowing, is signified that there was nothing but falsities from evil. The rest may be seen explained (n. 911).

In Hosea:

"Rejoice not, O Israel, over a likeness, as the nations, because thou hast committed whoredom under thy God, thou hast loved the reward of whoredom upon all corn-floors; the threshing floor and the wine-press shall not feed them, and the must shall fail in her" (9:1, 2).

This treats of the falsification of the Word. The threshing and the wine-press shall not feed them, signifies that they will not imbibe from the Word the goods and truths which nourish the soul; but this passage also has been explained before (n. 695).

[4] In Jeremiah

"The spoiler hath fallen upon thy vintage, whence gladness is gathered and joy out of Carmel, and out of the land of Moab: and I have made the wine to cease from the wine-presses; none shall tread with shouting; shouting shall be no shouting" (48:33, 34).

What is signified by the vintage, upon which the spoiler hath fallen, and what by gladness and joy which are gathered, may be seen above (n. 919). That there is no longer any truth because there is no good, is signified by making the wine to cease from the wine-presses. And that there is no longer joy from any spiritual love, is signified by none shall tread with shouting; the triumph of those who tread the wine-press being meant by shouting.

[5] In Isaiah:

"Who is this that cometh from Edom, sprinkled as to his garments from Bozrah, this that is honourable in his apparel, walking in the multitude of his strength? I who speak in justice, mighty to save. Wherefore art thou red as to thy garment, and thy garments as of him that treadeth in the wine-press? I have trodden the wine-press alone; and of the people not a man with me: wherefore I have trodden them in mine anger, and trampled them in my wrath; therefore their victory is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have polluted all my raiment" (63:1-3).

These things are said of the Lord, and His combats against all the hells. And because He fought against them from the Human in which was the Divine itself, it is said, who is this that cometh from Edom, sprinkled as to his garments from Bozrah; by which is signified combating from the good of love and from truth, which are from the Divine. For Edom signifies what is red, and Bozrah the vintaging; and red is said of good, and vintaging of truth. And because those things are signified by Edom and by Bozrah, therefore in what follows, it is said, "red, and as one treading in the wine-press." And since the Divine Good and Divine truth, which are here meant, is the Word in the letter, and this is signified by the garments of the Lord, therefore it is said, "sprinkled as to his garments;" also who is honourable in his apparel. And because all strength is contained in the Word in the letter, therefore it is said, "walking in the multitude of his strength." Judgment from His Divine upon the good and upon the evil, and salvation in consequence, is meant by, "I who speak in justice, mighty to save." The violence offered to the Word by the Jewish nation, is signified by, wherefore art thou red as to thy garment, and thy garments as of him that treadeth in the wine-press; red as to the garment, being said of the violence offered to the Divine Good of the Word, which was meant above by Edom; and the garments as of him that treadeth in the wine-press, being said of the violence offered to Divine truth therein, meant above by Bozrah. The garments of the Lord signify the Word in the letter, to which violence was offered by the adulterations and falsifications thereof. The prostration of the hells and of the falsities therefrom, from his own proper power, is signified by, I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people not a man with me. The casting down into the hells of those who were in direful evils and the falsities therefrom, is signified by, I have trodden them in mine anger, and trampled them in my wrath - anger being said of evils and wrath of falsities. And these are ascribed to the Lord, although it is those who are in evils and the falsities therefrom, that are angry and wrathful with the Lord. And because the judgment by which the hells were subjugated was accomplished by the Lord by means of temptations admitted into His Human, even to the last, which was the passion of the cross; consequently it is said, therefore their victory is sprinkled upon my garments, and I have polluted all my raiment. For the Lord, by all things of His passion, and by the last upon the cross, represented the violence offered by the Jewish nation to the Word, or to the Divine truth (concerning which see above, n. 183, 195 at the end, 627 at the end, 655, 805).

[6] That by the wine-press and the treading thereof, is signified the production of truth from good, because the grape signifies spiritual good, and the wine (vinum) from the grape the truth from that good, is clear from the following passages.

In Joel:

"Sons of Zion, rejoice. The floors are full of corn, and the wine-presses overflow with must (mustum) and oil" (2:23, 24).

The sons of Zion signify those who are in wisdom from Divine truth. The floors are full of corn, signifies that they have celestial good in abundance. The wine-presses overflow with must and oil, signifies that from the good of charity they have truth and its delight.

[7] In Matthew:

"A man, the father of a family, planted a vineyard and set a hedge about it, and digged a wine-press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen" who slew the servants sent to them, and lastly his son (21:33).

By the vineyard which the father of the family planted, is signified the church instituted with the sons of Jacob. By the hedge which he set about it, is signified a guard from the falsities of evil, which are from hell. And digged a wine-press in it, signifies that it had spiritual good. And built a tower, signifies interior truths from that good which looked to heaven. And let it out to husbandmen, signifies to that people. Who slew the servants that were sent to them, signifies the prophets. And lastly his son, signifies the Lord.

In Isaiah:

"My beloved had a vineyard in the horn of a son of oil, which he fenced about, and gathered out the stones thereof; and he planted it with a noble vine, and built a tower in the midst of it; also he hewed out a wine-press in it, and he waited for it to bring forth grapes; but it brought forth wild grapes" (5:1, 2).

By the vineyard, tower, and wine-press are here signified things similar to those explained just above, in Matthew; the rest may be seen explained (n. 918).

In most passages where vintage and wine-press are mentioned, the harvest and corn-floor are also mentioned at the same time;

As in Hosea 9:1, 2; Joel 3:13; Numbers 18:26-30; Deuteronomy 15:14; 16:13; 2 Kings 6:27.

The reason of this is, that the harvest and corn-floor signify, from the corn and bread, the good of celestial love, which is love to the Lord; and the vintage and wine-press signify, from the grape and the wine, the good of spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbour. For those two loves make one as the efficient cause and the effect. These things are mentioned, because in this part of the Apocalypse the harvest, and afterwards the vintage, are similarly referred to - of the harvest (vers. 14, 15), and of the vintage (ver. 19).