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.

342. Verse 13. And every created thing that is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, signifies the acknowledgment and consequent glorification of the Lord by the angels that are in the lowest parts of heaven. This is evident from the signification of "every created thing" as being all who are reformed. That "to be created" signifies to be reformed and regenerated, see above (n. 294); therefore "created thing" signifies what is reformed and regenerated; but in reference to the angels, of whom these things are said, it signifies those who were reformed in the world, that is, created anew, for all such are in heaven. "Created thing" here has a like meaning as "creature" in Mark:

Jesus said to the disciples, Go into all the world, preach ye the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15);

where "every creature" means all who receive the gospel and can be reformed by it; the rest are not meant by "creatures," because they do not receive, but hear and reject.

[2] From this the nature of the Word in the sense of the letter can be seen, namely, why the term "creature" is used, and why it is said "every created thing that is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are in the sea, and all that are in them." He who does not know that the sense of the letter is made up of such things as appear before the eyes, and that these signify spiritual things, may easily be led to believe that "every created thing that is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are in the sea, and all that are in them," mean the birds that fly in the sky, the beasts that walk on the earth, and the fishes that are in the sea; and the more because in various other passages in the Word, like things are said of "the birds of heaven," the "beasts of the earth," and also of "whales" and "fishes" (as in Ezekiel 39:17; Psalms 148:7; Job 12:7, 8; Revelation 19:17). Still those whose minds can be somewhat elevated above the sense of the letter instantly perceive by interior sight that these things mean the angels and spirits who are in heaven and under heaven, and that it was these whom John heard when he was in the spirit; for it is said, "heard I saying, Unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing, and the honor, and the glory, and the might, unto the ages of the ages;" from which it can be seen that "every created thing" therein means the angels that are in the lowest parts of heaven; moreover, this follows from the fact that the preceding verses treat of the angels of the higher heavens and of the angels of the lower heavens, that they acknowledged and glorified the Lord (See above, n. 322, 335).

[3] It shall now be explained who are meant by those "in heaven," who by those "on the earth and under the earth," and who by those "in the sea." All these mean those who are in the ultimates of heaven, those "in heaven" meaning the higher there, those "on the earth and under the earth" the lower there, and those "in the sea" the lowest there. There are three heavens, and each heaven is divided into three degrees; the same is true of the angels who are in them; consequently in each heaven there are higher, middle, and lower angels; these three degrees of the lowest heaven are meant by those "in heaven," those "on the earth," and those "in the sea." (Respecting this division of the heavens and of each heaven, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 4938, 4939, 9992, 10005, 10017, 10068; and respecting the lowest degree, n. 3293, 3294, 3793, 4570, 5118, 5126, 5497, 5649, 9216; and in the work on Heaven and Hell 29-40.)

It should be known, that in the spiritual world, where spirits and angels are, all things have the same appearance as in the natural world where men are, namely, there are mountains, hills, lands, and seas (See above, n. 304). The angels who are in the third or inmost heaven dwell upon the mountains, those who are in the second or middle heaven dwell upon the hills, and those who are in the first or lowest heaven dwell upon the earth and under the earth, and in the seas. But the seas in which the lowest of that heaven dwell are not like the seas in which the evil dwell; their waters are different. The waters of the seas in which the well-disposed in the lowest heaven dwell are rare and pure; but the waters of the seas in which the evil dwell are gross and impure; thus they are entirely different seas.

[4] These seas I have several times been permitted to see, and also to converse with those who are in them; and it was found that those were there who had been in the world merely sensual, and yet well-disposed; and because they were sensual they were unable to understand what the spiritual is, but only what the natural is; nor could they apprehend the Word and the doctrine of the church from the Word except sensually. All these appear to be as if in a sea; but those who are in it do not seem to themselves to be in a sea, but as it were in an atmosphere like that in which they had lived while in the world; they appear to be in a sea only to those who are above them. At this day there is an immense number there, because so many at this day are sensual. This lowest part of heaven corresponds to the soles of the feet. This is the reason why seas are so often mentioned in the Word, and also fishes therein, "seas" there signifying the generals of truth which belong to the natural man, and "fishes" the sensual knowledges [scientifica sensualia], which are the lowest things of the natural man, consequently such persons, that is, those who are in these knowledges, are signified. (What sensual things and what sensual men are, and that they may be either good or evil, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 50 .) From this it can be known what is meant by "every created thing that is in the heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are in the sea, and all that are in them."

[5] Like things are signified in the following passages by "seas," and by the things that are in them, which are called "fishes" and "whales." In David:

Let heaven and earth praise Jehovah, the seas, and every thing that creepeth therein. For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah (Psalms 69:34-35).

It is said also "every thing that creepeth therein," meaning those who are sensual. "Zion, which God will save," and "the cities of Judah, which He will build," mean the celestial church and its doctrine, "Zion" that church, and "cities" the doctrine. There is a like meaning in these words in David:

Praise Jehovah from the earth, ye whales and all deeps (Psalms 148:7); "whales" meaning the same. For this reason Egypt also is called a "whale" (Ezekiel 29:3);

for "Egypt" signifies the knowing faculty in the natural man, and "whale" knowing in general.

[6] These things have a like signification also elsewhere in the same:

Thou madest him to rule over the works of Thy hands; Thou hast put all things under his feet; the flock and all herds, and also the beasts of the field, the bird of heaven, and the fishes of the sea (Psalms 8:6-8).

This treats of the Lord, and His Divine power over heaven and earth; and "the flocks and the herds, the beasts of the field, the bird of heaven, and the fishes of the sea," mean the men, spirits, and angels, in respect to spiritual and natural things pertaining to them; and the "fishes of the sea" meaning those who are in the ultimates of heaven (as above).

In Job:

Ask, I pray, the beasts, and they shall teach thee, or the birds of heaven, and they shall tell thee, or the shrub of the earth, and it shall teach thee; and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee. Who knoweth not from all these that the hand of Jehovah doeth this? (Job 12:7-10).

[7] In Ezekiel:

The angel brought me back unto the entrance of the house; where behold, waters went out from under the threshold of the house towards the east. Then he said unto me, These waters go out toward the eastern border, and go down into the plain, and come towards the sea; they are sent forth into the sea that the waters may be healed; whence it cometh to pass that every living soul that creepeth, whithersoever the brooks come, shall live; whence it is that there are exceeding many fish, because these waters come thither, and they are healed, that everything may live whither the brook cometh. According to their kind shall the fish be, as the fish of the great sea, exceeding many. The miry places thereof and the marshes thereof are not healed; they are given to the salt (Ezekiel 47:1, 8-11).

"The waters going out from under the threshold of the house towards the east" signify truths from a celestial origin, "waters" meaning truths, "the east" the good of heavenly love, and "house" heaven and the church; the "plain into which the waters go down," and "the sea into which they come," signify the ultimates of heaven and the church, consequently those who are in ultimates (of whom above), namely, those who are only in the knowledges of truth from the outmost sense of the Word, and apprehend those knowledges naturally and sensually. When such are in simple good, they receive the influx of the higher heavens, whence it is that they also receive in their knowledges what is spiritual, and thus some spiritual life. This is meant by "the waters are sent forth into the sea, that the waters may be healed; whence it cometh to pass that every living soul that creepeth, whithersoever the brooks come, shall live;" likewise by these words, "whence it cometh that there are exceeding many fish, because these waters come thither, and they are healed." But those who are such, and are not good, are meant by these words, "The miry places thereof and the marshes thereof are not healed; they are given to salt;" "to be given to salt" signifying not to receive spiritual life, but to remain in a life merely natural, which, separate from spiritual life, is defiled by falsities and evils, which are "miry places" and "marshes."

[8] Like things are signified by "sea," and by "fishes of the sea," in Isaiah:

Behold, at My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers into a wilderness; their fish stinketh because there is no water, and dieth of thirst (Isaiah 50:2).

"Rebuke" signifies the desolation of all truth; "sea" signifies where truth is in its outmost; "water" signifies truth from a spiritual origin; "to die for thirst" signifies desolation from lack of that truth; "fishes of the sea" signify those who are in the ultimates of truth, in whom there is no life from a spiritual origin.

[9] "Fishes of the sea" have a like signification in Ezekiel:

In My zeal, in the fire of My fury I will speak; that the fishes of the sea, and the fowl of the heavens, and the wild beast of the field, and every creeping thing that creepeth upon the ground may quake before Me (Ezekiel 38:19-20).

In Hosea:

They commit robbery, and bloods touch bloods; therefore the land shall mourn, and everyone that dwelleth therein shall languish; as to the wild beast of the field, and as to the fowl of the heavens, and also the fishes of the sea shall be gathered together (Hosea 4:2-3).

And in Zephaniah:

In taking away I will take away all things from upon the faces of the ground; I will take away man and beast; I will take away the fowl of the heavens, and the fishes of the sea (Zephaniah 1:2-3).

"Man and beast" when mentioned together signify the interior and exterior affections of good (See Arcana Coelestia 7424, 7523, 7872); and "the fowl of the heavens and the fishes of the sea" signify the affections of truth and the thoughts spiritual and natural, but in the passages here cited, that these are about to perish.

[10] This significance of "sea" and "fishes" comes from the appearance in the spiritual world; all societies there appear surrounded by an atmosphere corresponding to their affections and thoughts; those in the third heaven appear in an atmosphere pure as the ethereal atmosphere; those in the second heaven appear in an atmosphere less pure, like the aerial; while the societies in the lowest part of heaven appear surrounded by an atmosphere, as it were watery; but those in the hells appear surrounded by gross and impure atmospheres, some of them as if in black waters, and others in other ways. It is the affections and the thoughts therefrom that produce these appearances around them; for spheres are exhaled from all, and these spheres are changed into such appearances. (Of these spheres, see Arcana Coelestia 2489, 4464, 5179, 7454, 8630.) It is also from the appearance in the spiritual world that those who are in spiritual affection and in thought therefrom are signified by "the birds of heaven," and those who are in natural affection and in thought therefrom by "fishes;" for both birds and fishes appear there, birds over the lands, and fishes in the seas. The affections and consequent thoughts of those who are there are what so appear; this is known to all who are in that world; and both the birds and the fishes have been many times seen by me: this appearance is from correspondence. From this it can be seen why "seas" signify the generals of truth, and "whales" and "fishes" the affections and thoughts of those who are in the generals of truth. That "seas" signify the generals of truth has been shown above n. 275.

[11] The quality of those in the spiritual world who dwell in that watery atmosphere which is meant by "seas," I will illustrate by a single example. When such read these words in David:

Everything that Jehovah willeth He doeth, in heaven and on earth, in the seas and all deeps (Psalms 135:6);

they do not know otherwise than that "heaven" means the heaven that is visible before our eyes, and "earth" the habitable earth, and "seas" and "deeps" the seas and deeps, thus that Jehovah does in these whatsoever He wills; and they cannot be led to believe that "heaven" means the angelic heaven; "earth" those there who are below, and "seas" and "depths" those there who are in the lowest parts. Because these things are spiritual, and above the sense of the letter, they are not willing and are scarcely able to perceive them because they see all things naturally and sensually.

[12] For this reason, from these words in Revelation:

I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away (Revelation 21:1).

It has been understood heretofore that the visible heaven and the habitable earth were to perish, and that a new heaven and a new earth were to arise. That "heaven" here means the heaven where angels are, and "earth" means the church where men are, and that these are to become new, those who think merely naturally and sensually are not willing to admit, and therefore do not understand; for they do not suffer their mind to be elevated out of the natural light into spiritual light. With such this is difficult, so much so that they can hardly bear that the Word should have any meaning beyond what the letter in its own sense declares and the natural man apprehends. Such persons are not unlike those birds that see and sing in dark places, but in the light of day blink with their eyes and see but little. The good among such are like these birds, and also like flying fishes; but the evil of this class are like night owls and horned owls, which altogether shun the light of day, or like fishes that cannot be elevated into the air without loss of life. The reason is that with the good of this class the internal spiritual man receives some little spiritual influx from heaven, consequently some perception that a thing is so although they do not see it; while with the evil of this class the internal spiritual man is entirely closed up. For everyone has an internal and an external man, or a spiritual and a natural; the internal or spiritual man sees from the light of heaven, but the external or natural man sees from the light of the world.