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).

7439. Let My people go, that they may serve Me. That this signifies that they should release those who are of the spiritual church in order that they may worship their God in freedom, is evident from the signification of “letting go,” as being to release; from the representation of the sons of Israel, here “My people,” as being those who are of the spiritual church (n. 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223); and from the signification of “serving Jehovah,” as being to worship. That they should worship in freedom is plain from what follows (verses 21-23), and also from the fact that all worship which is truly worship must be in freedom.

[2] The sons of Israel being called “the people of Jehovah” was not because they were better than other nations, but because they represented the people of Jehovah, that is, those who are of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom. That they were not better than other nations is plain from their life in the wilderness, in that they did not at all believe in Jehovah, but in their hearts believed in the gods of the Egyptians, as is evident from the golden calf which they made for themselves, and which they called their gods who had brought them forth out of the land of Egypt (Exodus 32:8). The same is evident also from their subsequent life in the land of Canaan, as described in the historicals of the Word, and from what was said of them by the prophets, and finally from what was said of them by the Lord.

[3] For this reason also few of them are in heaven, for they have received their lot in the other life according to their life. Therefore do not believe that they were elected to heaven in preference to others; for whoever so believes, does not believe that everyone’s life remains with him after death, nor that man must be prepared for heaven by his whole life in the world, and that this is done of the Lord’s mercy, and that none are admitted into heaven from mercy alone, regardless of how they have lived in the world. Such an opinion about heaven and the Lord’s mercy is induced by the doctrine of faith alone, and of salvation by faith alone without good works; for those who hold this doctrine have no concern about the life, and so believe that evils can be washed away like dirt by water, and thus that man can in a moment pass into the life of good, and consequently be admitted into heaven. For they do not know that if the life of evil were taken away from the evil, they would have no life whatever, and that if they who are in a life of evil were admitted into heaven, they would feel hell in themselves, and this the more grievously, the more interiorly they were admitted into heaven.

[4] From all this it can now be seen that the Israelites and Jews were by no means elected, but only accepted to represent the things that belong to heaven; and that this must needs be done in the land of Canaan, because the Lord’s church had been there from the most ancient times, and from this all the places there became representative of heavenly and Divine things. In this way also the Word could be written, and the names in it could signify such things as belong to the Lord and His kingdom.

652. And their bodies [are] upon the street of the great city.- That this signifies their extinction by evils and falsities of doctrine, is evident from the signification of bodies, as denoting that the good of love and the truth of doctrine, signified by the two witnesses, were extinguished; for to be killed signifies to be extinguished, in this case spiritually, because with those who have altogether destroyed those things in themselves. Similarly it is said concerning the Lord that He is slain and dead, which signifies that the Divine proceeding from Him, which is the Divine Good and Divine Truth, is rejected; thus the Lord, with those by whom it is rejected, is slain and dead, as may be seen above (n. 83); and from the signification of the street of the great city, as denoting the truth and good of doctrine, and, in the opposite sense, the falsity and evil of doctrine. For by street is signified, in a good sense, truth leading and, in the opposite sense, falsity leading, of which we shall speak presently, and by city is signified doctrine, concerning which see above (n. 223). It is said "the great city," because great is said of good, and, in the opposite sense, of evil; and many is said of truth, and, in the opposite sense, of falsity, as may be seen above (n. 223, [336], 337). From these things it is now evident that by the bodies of the two witnesses upon the street of the great city is signified the extinction of the good of love and of charity, and of the truth of doctrine and of faith, by falsities and evils of doctrine. Because evils and falsities of doctrine are signified, these words follow, "which great city is spiritually called Sodom and Egypt," and by Sodom are signified evils of the love, and by Egypt falsities thence, each of these pertaining to doctrine, which destroy the church at its end, concerning which we shall speak further in the articles that follow.

[2] The reason why street signifies the truth of doctrine, and, in the opposite sense, its falsity, is, that way in the spiritual sense signifies truth leading to good, and, in the opposite sense, falsity leading to evil, as may be seen above (n. 97); and streets are ways in a city. And because city signifies doctrine, therefore by street is signified the truth and falsity of doctrine. In the spiritual world also there are cities, and streets in them as in the cities of the world; and the quality of every one as to the affection for truth and thence intelligence is known merely from the places where they dwell, and also from the streets in which they walk. Those who are in a clear perception of truth dwell in the southern quarter of the city, and also walk there; those who are in a clear affection for the good of love dwell in the eastern quarter, and also walk there; those who are in an obscure affection for the good of love dwell in the western quarter, and also walk there; and those who are in an obscure perception of truth dwell in the northern quarter, and also walk there; but it is the contrary in the cities where those have their abode who are in the persuasion of falsity from evil. From these things it is evident whence it is that street signifies truth or falsity leading.

[3] That such things are signified by streets is evident from the following passages.

In Jeremiah:

"Run ye through the streets of Jerusalem, and see, I pray, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man that doeth judgment, seeking truth; then will I pardon her" (5:1).

Since the streets in Jerusalem, and the broad places thereof, signify truths of doctrine, according to the states of the affection and perception of those who are of the church, and as by Jerusalem is signified the church as to doctrine, therefore it is said, "Run ye through the streets of Jerusalem, and see and know, and seek in the broad places thereof." And since judgment is said of truths, because all judgment is effected from laws and precepts, which are truths, and because by truth is signified the truth of doctrine and of faith, therefore it is said, "If ye can find a man that doeth judgment and that seeketh truth." The broad places specifically signify the corners of the city, thus the quarters where they dwell; and because every one dwells in the cities in the spiritual world according to clear and obscure affection for good and perception of truth, therefore by broad places are signified truths and goods according to every one's affection and perception.

[4] In Isaiah:

"Judgment hath been driven back, and justice stood afar off; for truth hath stumbled in the street, and rectitude cannot enter" (59:14).

By judgment and justice, in the Word, are signified truth and good; that these are no longer is signified by judgment being driven back and justice standing afar off, that they wandered from the truths of doctrine, and that thence there was no truth in the life, which is good of life, is signified by, truth hath stumbled in the street, and rectitude cannot enter. For all of the good of life is procured by means of truths of doctrine, as man learns from these how he ought to live. Because street signifies where truth leads, therefore it is said, truth hath stumbled in the street.

[5] In Nahum:

The chariots raged in the streets, they ran in the broad places (2:4).

Because chariots signify doctrinals of truth, and streets and broad places, according to every one's affection and perception, as above, therefore it is said, "The chariots raged in the streets, they ran in the broad places"; to rage signifies, to call falsities truths, and to run signifies to wander.

[6] In the book of Judges:

"In the days of Jael the ways ceased, they that go in paths went crooked ways, they ceased, the broad places in Israel ceased" (5:6, 7).

These words are in the song of Deborah and Barak, in which the desolation of truth in the church is treated of, and afterwards its restitution; the desolation is described by the words, "The ways ceased, they that go in paths went crooked ways, the broad places in Israel ceased." Ways and paths have a similar signification to streets and broad places, namely, truths of doctrine leading; and to go crooked ways signifies wandering from truths.

[7] In Isaiah:

"The city of emptiness shall be broken down, every house shall be shut that no one may enter; there shall be a cry over wine in the streets, all joy shall be mingled together; the gladness of the earth shall be banished" (24:10, 11).

By the city of emptiness is signified doctrine in which there is no truth but falsity; by house is signified good of the will and thence of the life. It is therefore evident what is signified by the city of emptiness shall be broken down, every house shall be shut that no one may enter. By a cry over wine in the streets is signified lamentation on account of the defect of truth and of the intermingling of it with falsity, wine signifying the truth of the church from the Word; therefore it is said, "in the streets," because a street also signifies truth, and where truth is sought. Joy and gladness are named, because joy is said of delight from the affection for good, and gladness of the delight from the affection for truth; that those delights will cease is signified by, all joy shall be mingled together, the gladness of the earth shall be banished, earth denoting the church.

[8] Again in Jeremiah:

"How is the city of glory [not] forsaken, the city of my joy wherefore the young men shall fall in the streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off" (49:25, 26; 50:30.).

The city of glory signifies the doctrine of Divine Truth, and the city of joy signifies delight from affection for good and truth therein; by the young men are signified those that have become intelligent through truths and that the understanding of truth would perish is signified by, the young men shall fall in the streets. By the men of war are signified truths combating against falsities; and that there would be no defence of truth against falsities is signified by, all the men of war shall be cut off.

[9] Again in Ezekiel:

"Ye have multiplied your slain in this city, so that you have filled the streets thereof with the slain" (11:6).

The slain, in the Word, mean those who perish by falsities, for the sword with which they are slain signifies falsity destroying truth; the city signifies here, as above, the doctrine of truth; the signification of the slain in the city is therefore evident. By filling the streets with the slain is signified the devastation of truth by falsities.

[10] In Lamentations:

"They that did eat delicacies are devastated in the streets; and they that were brought up in crimson (purpura) have embraced dunghills. The form" of the Nazarites "is darker than blackness, they are not known in the streets. They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood. They have hunted our steps so that we cannot go in the streets" (4:5, 8, 14, 18).

Streets here also signify truths of doctrine leading to the good of life, or truths according to which the life is to be formed. This treats of the church where the Word is, and its devastation as to truths; therefore they that did eat delicacies are devastated in the streets signifies that those who have imbibed genuine truths from the Word have no longer any truths, delicacies denoting genuine truths from the Word. By they that were brought up in crimson have embraced dunghills is signified that those who received genuine goods from the Word have nothing but falsities of evil, crimson denoting the genuine good of the Word, specifically the celestial love for truth, and dunghills signifying falsities of evil. By the form of the Nazarites is darker than blackness, they are not known in the streets, is signified that Divine Truth is in such obscurity that it does not appear to any one; for the Nazarites represented the Lord as to Divine Truth, therefore they signify Divine Truth from the Lord. By they wandered as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood, is signified that the truths of the Word are no more seen, because they are falsified, the blind signifying those who do not see truths. By they have hunted our steps, so that we cannot go in the streets, is signified to lead astray, so that it is not known how to live, to hunt the steps denoting to lead astray by means of falsities, and to go denoting to live, therefore to go in the streets signifies to live according to truths.

[11] In Zephaniah:

"I will cut off the nations; their corners shall be devastated; I will lay waste their streets, that none shall pass through; their cities shall be devastated, that there shall be no man (vir), and no inhabitant" (3:6).

The nations which shall be cut off signify the goods of the church; the corners which shall be devastated signify its truths and goods in their whole compass; that these are signified by corners, may be seen above (n. 417). The streets which shall be desolate, that no one shall pass through, signify truths of doctrine; for the cities which shall be devastated, that there shall be no man and no inhabitant, signify doctrinals, while man and inhabitants, in the spiritual sense of the Word, mean all who are in truths and in goods, thus, in an abstract sense, truths and goods.

[12] In Zechariah:

"I will return to Zion, and I will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem, whence Jerusalem shall be called the city of truth; old men and women shall yet dwell in the streets of Jerusalem, and the streets shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof" (8:3-5).

These things are said concerning the coming of the Lord, and concerning a new church to be established by Him. Zion means the church as to the good of love, and Jerusalem the church as to the truths of doctrine, therefore Jerusalem is called the city of truth. By the old men and women who shall dwell in the streets of Jerusalem are meant those that are intelligent and wise by means of truths of doctrine; by the boys and girls playing in the streets, with whom the streets of the city shall be filled, are signified affections for truth and good and their delights, in which those shall abound who live in truths of doctrine.

[13] In Jeremiah:

"According to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to shame, altars to burn incense to Baal" (11:13).

According to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah, signifies that there were as many falsities as doctrinals, cities denoting doctrinals, and gods the falsities of religion. According to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye set up altars to shame, signifies as many kinds of worship as falsities of doctrine, streets here signifying falsities of doctrine, and altars worship. Worship from falsities is here understood, because by altars are meant altars of incense, for it is said, altars to burn incense to Baal, for incense signifies spiritual good, which, in its essence, is truth from good, and in the opposite sense, falsity from evil. That incense and altar signify these things may be seen above (n. 324, 491, 492, 567).

[14] In the same:

"Seest thou not what they do in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem? the sons gather wood, and the fathers kindle the fire, the women knead the mass to make cakes to the queen of the heavens, at the same time to pour out drink-offerings to other gods; I will cause to cease in the cities of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem the voice of joy and the voice of gladness" (7:17, 18, 34).

The signification of these words in the spiritual sense may be seen fully explained above (n. 555:17); and that the cities of Judah signify the doctrinals of the church, and the streets of Jerusalem the truths of its doctrine.

[15] Again:

"Have ye forgotten the evils which they did in the land of Judah and in the streets of Jerusalem?" (44:9).

The land of Judah signifies the church as to good, here as to evil; and the streets of Jerusalem signify the truths of doctrine, here the falsities of its doctrine.

[16] In Ezekiel:

"With the hoofs of his horses shall" Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, "tread down all thy streets; he shall slay thy people with the sword, and he shall bring down the statues of strength to the earth; they shall plunder thy wealth" (26:11, 12).

Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babel, signifies the profanation of truth and its consequent destruction. With the hoofs of his horses he shall tread down all thy streets signifies that he will destroy all the truths of the church by the fallacies of the sensual man; he will slay the people with the sword signifies that he will destroy truths by falsities; that so also he will destroy all worship from truths, is signified by, he shall bring down the statues of strength to the earth, for statues signify holy worship from truths, and because all power belongs to truth from good, they are called statues of strength; that knowledges of truth also would be destroyed is signified by, they shall plunder thy wealth. That wealth and riches denote knowledges of truth may be seen (n. 236).

[17] In the same:

"Thou hast built thee a lofty place, and thou hast made thee a high place in every street; upon every head of the way thou hast made thee thy lofty place, and thou hast made thy beauty abominable" (16:24, 25, 31).

High and lofty places, with the ancients, signified heaven, whence came the rite of sacrificing upon high mountains, and instead of these upon lofty structures, therefore worship from evils and falsities of doctrine is signified by making a lofty and high place in every street, and upon every head of the way. And because that worship became idolatrous, it is said that they made their beauty abominable; by beauty is meant truth and intelligence thence, for every one in the spiritual world is beautiful according to truths from good, and intelligence thence.

[18] In Amos:

"In all the streets shall be wailing and in all the broad places they shall say, Alas, alas! and they shall call the husbandman to mourning" (5:16).

In all the streets mourning, and in all the broad places they shall say, Alas, alas! signifies grief on account of truth and good everywhere devastated; and they shall call the husbandman to mourning signifies the grief of the men of the church on account thereof, husbandman signifies the man of the church, because a field signifies the church as to the implantation of truth.

[19] Again in David:

"Our garners are full, yielding from food to food, our flocks are thousands and ten thousands in our streets; our oxen are laden, no breach or fleeing away, or outcry in our broad places" (Psalm 144:13, 14).

The garners full of food signify doctrinals from the Word, thus the Word where are all the truths of doctrine from which are instruction and spiritual nourishment. By the flocks being thousands and ten thousands in the streets are signified spiritual goods and truths; by thousands of flocks goods, and by ten thousands truths; by oxen laden are signified natural goods and their affections; by no breach is signified their coherence. By none fleeing away is signified no loss of any; by no outcry in the broad places is signified no lamentation anywhere over the want of them.

[20] In Job:

God "who giveth rain upon the faces of the earth, and who sendeth waters upon the faces of the streets" (5:10).

To give rain upon the faces of the earth signifies the influx of Divine Truth into all things with those who are of the church; and to send waters upon the faces of the streets signifies the Divine influx into truths of doctrine in order to render man spiritual by means of them.

[21] In Isaiah:

"In her streets they have girded themselves with sackcloth, upon her roofs and in her streets he shall howl, going down into weeping" (15:3).

The things are said of the city of Ar in the land of Moab, by which is signified the doctrine of those who are in truths from the natural man; grief over the falsities of their doctrine, from primaries to ultimates, is signified by girding on sackcloth, and by howling upon the roofs and in the streets, roofs denoting interior things, and streets exterior things with them.

[22] In Jeremiah:

"Upon all the roofs of Moab, and in the streets thereof, a general lamentation" (48:38).

Similar things are here signified as by those above.

In Daniel:

"Know and perceive from the going forth of the word even to restoring and building of Jerusalem, unto Messiah the Prince, [seven weeks]; after sixty and two weeks the street and ditch shall be restored and built, but in straitness of times" (9:25).

He who is not acquainted with the spiritual sense of the Word may suppose that by Jerusalem is here signified Jerusalem, and that this is to be restored and built; also that by the street and ditch, of which it is likewise said that it shall be restored and built, is understood the street and ditch of that city. But by Jerusalem is meant the church which will be established by the Lord, and by the street and ditch is meant the truth of doctrine; by street truth, and by ditch doctrine. This is not the place to explain the signification of the number of weeks.

[23] From these considerations it is now evident that the signification of the street of the New Jerusalem in the following passages in the Apocalypse is similar:

"The twelve gates were twelve pearls, and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass" (21:21);

and afterwards:

"He shewed me a pure river of water of life, bright as crystal, going forth out of the throne of God and of the Lamb; in the midst of the street thereof and of the river, on either side, was the tree of life, bearing twelve fruits" (22:1, 2):

but these passages will be explained hereafter.

[24] In Isaiah:

"Thy sons have fainted, they have lain at the head of all the streets, as an antelope in a net" (51:20).

These things also are said of Jerusalem, that is, of the church vastated as to doctrine. Sons mean those who are in truths of doctrine; to faint and to lie at the head of all the streets signifies to be deprived of all truth, the head or beginning of the streets denoting the entrance to truth, consequently all truth.

[25] In Lamentations:

"The infant and suckling faint in the streets of the city; lift up thy hands to" the Lord "over the souls of thine infants, who have fainted through hunger at the head of all the streets" (2:11, 19).

The infant and the suckling signify innocence, and also the goods and truths which are first born and vivified by knowledges from the Word with men who are being regenerated, and which, being the first, are also guiltless and harmless; the complete defect of them is signified by, they have fainted in the streets of the city, and at the head of all the streets. It is said through hunger because hunger signifies deprivation, defect, ignorance, and at the same time the desire for knowledges (see above, n. 386).

[26] In Nahum:

"Her infants were dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets, and over her honourable ones they cast lots, and all her great men were bound in chains" (3:10).

Infants, here also mean truths which are first born and vivified; and by being dashed in pieces at the head of all the streets is signified to be dispersed and to perish. By the honourable ones are signified the goods of love; by casting lots over them is signified to be dissipated; by great men are signified the truths of good; and by being bound in chains is signified to be bound by falsities, so that truths cannot come forth. These things are said concerning the city of bloods, which signifies doctrine in which the truths of the Word are falsified.

[27] In Jeremiah:

"Death is come up through our windows, it is come into our palaces, to cut off the infant from the street, the young men from the broad places" (9:21).

Death here means spiritual death, which takes place when falsity is believed to be truth, and the truth to be falsity; and the life is according to such belief. Windows signify thoughts from the understanding; palaces the interior and thence more sublime things of the human mind (mens); the signification of death ascending through the windows and coming into the palaces is therefore evident. Infant signifies here, as above, the truths which are first born through knowledges from the Word; the young men signify truths acquired, from which comes intelligence; while streets and broad places signify truths of doctrine and truths of life, which lead to intelligence and wisdom. The signification therefore of cutting off the infant from the street, the young men from the broad places, is evident.

[28] In the same:

"I am full of the anger of Jehovah, I am weary with holding in; pour out upon the infant in the street, and upon the assembly of young men; for even the man (vir) with the woman shall be taken, the old man with him that is full of days" (6:11).

Here by the infant in the street and by the young men similar things to those above are signified. Man and woman signify truth conjoined to good and thence intelligence, and by the old man and him that is full of days is signified wisdom.

[29] Since street signifies the truth of doctrine leading, and, in the opposite sense, falsity, therefore in the following passages mire of the streets, dirt and dung, signify falsity of the love of evil.

In Isaiah:

"Their carcase has become dung of the streets" (5:25).

In the same:

"He shall make him a treading down like the mire of the streets" (10:6).

In Micah:

"She shall be for a treading down like the mire of the streets" (7:10).

In David:

"I will beat them small as the dust before the faces of the wind, like the dirt of the streets I will spread them out" (Psalm 18:42).

These things are also from appearances in the spiritual world; in the cities there in which falsities from evil reign, the streets appear full of dung, dirt, and mire. It is evident from these things what is signified by "The Lord commanding the seventy, whom he sent to preach the Gospel, into whatever city ye enter, and they receive you not, go out into the streets thereof, and say, Even the dust of your city, that cleaveth unto us, do we shake off against you" (Luke 10:10, 11).

[30] Because the streets of a city signify truths of doctrine, according to which man should live, therefore it was customary to teach and to pray in the streets.

Thus in the Second Book of Samuel:

"Tell it not in Gath, publish it not in the streets of Askelon, lest peradventure the daughters of the Philistines rejoice" (1:20).

In Matthew:

"When thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do, in the synagogues and in the broad places, that they may have glory of men. And if thou pray thou shalt not be as the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues, and in the corners of the streets, where they may be seen of men" (6:2, 5).

And in Luke:

"Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets; but he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are" (13:26, 27).

[31] From the signification of street, as denoting the truth of doctrine, it is also clear why the Lord said in the parable that the householder commanded his servants, that they should go quickly into the streets and broad places of the city, and bring in the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind (Luke 14:21).

The poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, do not mean such in a natural sense, but such in a spiritual sense, namely, those who, not having the Word, were in ignorance of truth, and therefore in want of good, but who still desired truths by means of which they might attain to good; such were the nations of whom the church of the Lord was afterwards established.

[32] Since the street of a city signified truth as well as falsity teaching and leading, therefore the angels who came to Sodom, said that they would tarry all night in the street (Genesis 19:2). And therefore, also, it was commanded that if the sons of Israel observed that those in any city served other gods, they should smite the inhabitants of the city with the sword, utterly destroying the city, and that they should bring all the spoil of it into the midst of the street, and burn the city and all the spoil with fire (Deuteronomy 13:14, 16, 17). By other gods are signified the falsities of worship; by the sword, the destruction of falsity by truths; by the spoil, the falsification of truth; and by fire, the punishment of the love of evil and its destruction.

[33] From these passages cited from the Word it is evident what is signified by the bodies of the two witnesses being cast upon the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, and afterwards by their not being permitted to be laid in the tombs. For it was a custom with the Jewish and Israelitish nation to cast out their enemies that were slain into the ways and streets, and not to bury them, as a sign of their hatred; but this represented that they were infernal evils and falsities which could not be raised again to life, that is, those who were in evils and falsities.

[34] This is also evident in Jeremiah:

The prophets prophesy, saying, "Sword and famine shall not be in this land; by the sword and famine shall these prophets be consumed, and the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out into the streets of Jerusalem, and there shall be none to bury them" (14:15, 16).

A prophet means the doctrine of truth, but here the doctrine of falsity, because they prophesied falsities and because streets signified where falsities are, therefore it is said that they shall be cast out into the streets of Jerusalem.