THE EXPLANATION of Isaiah Chapter 14

(Note: Rev. Smithson's translation of the Isaiah text is appended below the explanation)

1. FOR Jehovah will have mercy on Jacob, and will again choose Israel; and He will place them in their own land: and the sojourner shall be joined unto them, and they shall cleave unto the house of Jacob.

VERSE 1. Jehovah will have mercy on Jacob, etc. - The Lord's love is pure rnercy towards the whole human race, which is of such a nature as to be desirous to save all, to make them eternally happy, and to bestow on them all things appertaining to itself; thus out of pure mercy to draw all, who are willing to follow, to heaven, - that is, to itself, by the powerful attraction of love. Arcana Coelestia 1735.

And will again choose Israel. - The chosen or the elect are those who are in the life of Good and Truth. (A. O. 3755.) It is surprising that anyone should at all believe that the Jewish nation was chosen [for salvation] in preference to others. Hence also it comes to pass that many confirm themselves in this belief, that the life is of no account, but that election is everything, and that consequently reception into heaven is of mercy alone, without any regard to the life, when yet everyone from sound reason is enabled to see that to think so is to think against the Divine Being, for He is Mercy itself; wherefore if heaven was of mercy, without regard to the life, all would be received into heaven, whatsoever might be their numbers; to cast down anyone in to hell, when yet he might be received into heaven, would be unmercifulness and not mercy, and to choose one in preference to another, would be injustice and not justice. Wherefore they who have believed, and who have confirmed themselves in the belief, that some are chosen and the rest not chosen, and that admission into heaven is merely out of mercy, without any regard to the life, are told, as I have also occasionally heard and seen, that heaven is in no case denied by the Lord to any one, and that if they desire it, they may know it from experience. Wherefore they are elevated into some society of heaven inhabited by those who have spent their life in the affection of good or in charity; but when they come thither, inasmuch as they are evil, they begin to be tormented and inwardly tortured, because their life is contrary, and when heavenly light appears, they appear in that light as devils, almost without the human form. Arcana Coelestia 5057.

[The Jews were said to be "chosen" or " elect", because they were chosen by the Lord to represent a church, not that they were chosen above all others for salvation, but to be types of a church established to represent the means and the process by which salvation is attained. It is chiefly from not making this distinction that the great error of predestination and of unconditional election has been so extensively believed.]

The sojourner shall be joined unto them, "Sojourners" denote those who are instructed in the Truth and Good of the church, and who receive those principles and live according to them. Arcana Coelestia 8007, 8013, 9196.

They shall cleave unto the house of Jacob. - That to "cleave to" or to adhere, signifies, in the proximate interior sense, conj unction, is evident without explanation. That to "cleave to", in the internal sense, is charity, is evident from this, that charity, or what is the same thing, mutual love, is spiritual conjunction; for it is a conjunction of affections which are of the will, and hence an agreement of thoughts which are of the understanding, thus a conjunction of minds as to both parts. Thus to "cleave unto the house of Jacob", signifies to bein the good of charity, in which those are who are signified by the "house of Jacob." Arcana Coelestia 3875.

Verses 1 - 25. Jehovah will have mercy on Jacob, etc. - All these things are said concerning Babel, and not concerning any devil who was created an angel of light, and from his primaeval state was called "the son of the morning", but becoming a devil was cast into hell. That Babel is here described appears from verses 4 and 22 of this chapter, where "Babel" and "the king of Babel" are mentioned, for it is said, "You shalt declare this parable concerning the king of Babel"; and afterwards, "I will cut off from Babel the name and the remnant." It is to be observed that by a "king", in the Word, is signified the same as by his "kingdom." The reason why Babel is called "Lucifer, the son of the morning", is, because, as was said above, "Babel" in the beginning is the church, which is in zeal for the Lord, for the good of love, and for the truths of faith, although inwardly in the zeal of her pastors there lies concealed a fire of the love of ruling, by the holy things of the church, over all whom they can subject to themselves; hence it is that Babel is called "Lucifer, the son of the morning"; for the same reason he is also called "the king of kings, into whose hand are given all things; and also the head of the statue which was gold"; (Dan. 2:37, 38) likewise, also, "the tree in the midst of the earth, great in height." (Dan. 4:10, 20)

Babel in its beginning is also understood by "the lion which had the wings of an eagle, and which afterwards appeared as a man, and a man's heart was given unto it"; (Dan. 7:4) and is called "the ornament of the kingdoms, and the glory of the magnificence of the Chaldeans"; (Isaiah Isaiah 13:19) it is also mentioned amongst "those that know Jehovah." (Psalm 87:4)

Now whereas by "Babel", in its beginning, is signified such a church, therefore the king of Babel is here called "Lucifer, the son of the rnorning"; "Lucifer", from the light of truth in which that church then is, and "son of the morning" [aurora], from the first beginning of light or of day, for the aurora or "morning dawn" is the church in its beginning. But still in that chapter is described that church as to its state in the end, when "Babylon became a harlot", (Apoc, xvii.] which is the state thereof when there is no longer any Good of love nor any Truth of faith remaining; this its state is what is understood by the destruction and condemnation thereof to hell. Their destruction, spoken of in the Word, is no other than that after death those are cast down into hell who have arrogated to themselves a divine power, and have exercised it, and for that end have held the people of the earth in dense darkness or blindness, and in idolatrous worship, especially those who have led men away from the worship of the Lord.

Inasmuch as these are the things which are described in that chapter, the passages which have been thence- adduced shall be briefly explained. "Jehovah shall have mercy upon Jacob, and shall yet choose Israel, to place them in their own land", signifies the New Church to be established by the Lord: after the end of "Babylon." "In that day you shalt declare this parable concerning the king of Babel, and shalt say, How has the oppressor ceased! the lust [or exactress] of gold ceased!" signifies liberation from the spiritual captivity and servitude, in which they were who were under the dominion of that church. "Jehovah has broken the staff of the wicked, the sceptre of the rulers", signifies that they have no longer any power by truths from good, because they are in mere falsities from evil; such is their impotence in the spiritual world. "The whole earth is at rest, it is quiet; they burst forth into singing; even the fir-trees rejoice over you, the cedars of Lebanon, saying, Since you art fallen, no feller has come up against us", signifies that they who are in the knowledges of good and truth, will no longer be infested by them; the "land or earth" is the New Church, which will be "quiet" from them; the "fir-trees and the cedars of Lebanon" are the knowledges of good and truth in the external and in the internal sense; "the feller not coming upon them" denotes no more infestation. "Hell from beneath is moved because of you to meet you at your coming : he rouseth for you the Rephaim, all the powerful ones of the earth; he makes to rise up from their thrones all the kings of the nations", signifies the delight of revenge of those who are in hell. "All of them shall answer and shall say unto you, Art you, even you become weak as we? art you made like unto us? Is then your magnificence brought down to hell; the sound of your viols?" signifies that the delight is from the consideration that it is become like to them, and in like manner in the falsities of evil. "How art you fallen from heaven, 0 Lucifer, son of the morning! how art you cut down to the earth, you that didst weaken the nations!" signifies scorning or mockery on account of its being such, although in the beginning it was in heaven, because in the good of love and in the truths of faith; these things are said by those who are in hell, because nothing is more delightful to those who are there than to draw any one down from heaven, and to destroy him by the falsities of evil. "For you didst say in your heart, I will ascend the heavens; above the stars of God I will exalt my throne: and I will sit upon the mount of the assembly, all the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High", are also words of scorn or mockery upon the pride of their dominion, that still they reach to heaven and arrogate to themselves divine power, and thereby subject all things of heaven and all things of the church to their own will, in order that they may be worshipped and adored as gods; the "mount of the assembly, on the sides of the north", denotes where there is ascent into the heavens; "above the stars, and above the heights of the clouds", denotes over divine Truth; "stars" denoting the knowledges of good and truth, and the "heights of the clouds", the interior truths of the Word.

"But you shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit; those that see you shall look attentively at you; they shall consider you, [saying] Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that shook the kingdoms; that made the world like a desert; that destroyed the cities thereof?" is a continuation of the scorning of those who are in hell, and also of the glorying thence tbat it is east down from heaven; the "sides of the pit" are the places in hell where are mere falsities of evil; by "the earth, the kingdoms, and the world", is signified the church, and by " cities" are signified doctrinals. "You art cast out of the sepulchre like an abominable shoot, like the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with the sword; like them that go down to the stones of the pit; like a trodden carcass", signifies the state of their condemnation; the garment of those that are slain, thrust through with the sword, and the trodden carcass", signify the condemnation of the profanation of truth. "You shalt not be joined unto them in the sepulchre, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people; the seed of evil-doers shall not be named for ever", signifies more grievous condemnation than of the rest, on account of having extinguished all things of the church. "Prepare you slaughter for his sons, for the iniquity of their fathers; that they may not rise, and possess the land, and fill the face of the world with cities", signifies the destruction of them for ever, "I will cut off from Babel the name and the remnant, and the son and the nephew", signifies total destruction, because they have no longer anything of Good and of Truth. "I will make it an inheritance for the bittern, and stagnant pools of waters: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction", signifies the infernal false by the destruction of truth. To "break Ashur or the Assyrian in My land, and to trample him on My mountains", signifies that in the New Ohurch there shall not exist any ratiocinations from falsities against truths and goods. Besides what has been here adduced, the things contained in this chapter may be seen more particularly explained in other parts of this work [adduced below], as Apocalypse Explained 215, 223, 304, 331, 386, 405, 539, 589, 594, 608, 659, 687, 697, 724, 727, 730, 741, 768, 811. Apocalypse Explained 1029.

BABYLON BABEL LUCIFER, A DESCRIPTION OF MODERN BABYLON.

As to Babylon in modern times, or as manifested in the Christian church at the present day, the merely natural man confirms himself against the Divine Providence, because in many kingdoms where the Christian religion is received, there are some who claim to themselves Divine power, and desire to be worshipped as gods; and because they invoke dead men. They say, indeed, that they have not arrogated to themselves divine power, and that they do not desire to be worshipped as gods; but yet they say that they can open and shut heaven, and remit and retain sins, consequently can save and condemn men, which is the prerogative of Divinity itself; for the Divine Providence has nothing for its end but the reformation and thereby the salvation of mankind. This is its continual operation with everyone; and salvation cannot be effected except by an acknowledgement of the Lord's Divinity, and confidence that it is wrought by Him, when a man lives according to His commandments. Who cannot see that this is the "Babylon" described in the Revelation, and the "Babel" treated of in many parts of the Prophets? That this also is meant by "Lucifer" in Isaiah xiv., is evident from the 4th and 22nd verses of that chapter, in which are the following words :

"You shalt take up this proverb against the king of Babel"; (verse 4.) and afterwards, " I will cut off from Babel the name and remnant"; (verse 22.) from which it is evident that Babel is there signified by "Lucifer", of whom it is said "How art you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! For you didst say in your heart, I will ascend the heavens; above the stars of God I will exalt my throne: and I will sit upon the mount of the assembly, on the sides of the north: I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High. (Isaiah 14:12-14)

That they invoke dead men, and pray to them for succour, is well known. It is affirmed that they invoke them, because the invocation of them is established by a papal, bull, confirming the decree of the Council of Trent, in which it is openly said that, they are to be invoked: yet who does not know that God alone ought to be invoked, and not any dead man? But it shall now be stated why the Lord has permitted such things. That He has permitted them for a certain end, which is salvation, cannot be denied; for it is well known that without the Lord there is no salvation. This being the case, there was a necessity that the Lord should be preached from the Word, and the Christian church; thereby established; but this could not be effected except by leaders who should act with zeal; and there were no others qualified, than such as were heated, as it were, with zeal, from the fire of self-love. This fire first excited them to preach the Lord and teach the Word;, and from this their primitive state it is, that Lucifer is called "the son of the morning." (verse 12.) But as they came to see that they should be able to obtain dominion by means of the holy things of the Word and the church, self-love, by which they were first excited to preach the Lord, broke out from within, and at length exalted itself to such a height, that they transferred all the divine power of the Lord to themselves, not leaving Him any. This could not be prevented by the Divine Providence of the Lord; for had it been prevented, they would have proclaimed the Lord not to be God, and the Word not to be sacred, and would have become Socinians or Arians, and thus have destroyed the whole church; which, whatever may be the character of its rulers, still remains among the people who are under them. For all those of that religion also, who approach the Lord, and shun evils as sins, are saved; for which reason there are many heavenly societies from them in the spiritual world; and it is also provided that there should be among them a nation which has not submitted to the yoke of such a dominion, and which considers the Word as sacred. This is the noble French nation. [In Swedenborg's time the Jansenists, who advocated the reading of the Word, and who resisted the Bull Unigenitus, prevailed in France; but now the Jesuits are predominant in that country.] But what was the consequence? When self-love which is "Lucifer", had exalted its dominion even unto the throne of the Lord, had removed Him thence, and placed itself upon it, it could not do otherwise" than profane all things appertaining to the Word and the church; and to prevent this, the Lord so ordered it of His Divine Providence, that those who were under its influence should depart from the worship of Him, invoke dead men, pray to their images, kiss their bones, prostrate themselves at their sepulchres, forbid the Word to be read, place the sanctity of divine worship in masses not understood by the vulgar, and sell salvation for money; because, if they had not done these things, they would have profaned the holy things of the Word and the church; for, as was shown in the preceding paragraph, none can profane things sacred but those who are acquainted with them. Therefore, that they may not profane the most Holy Supper, it is of the Divine Providence of the Lord that they should divide it, giving the bread to the people, and drinking the wine themselves; for the "wine" in the Holy Supper signifies holy Truth, and the "bread", holy Good; but when they are divided, the "wine" signifies Truth profaned, and the "bread", Good adulterated. It is provided, also, that they should [by the dogma of transubstantiation] make it corporeal and material, and account this doctrine to be a primary tenet of religion. He, who attends to these particulars, and considers them in some illumination of mind, may see the wonderful operation of the Divine Providence, in guarding the holy things of the church, and saving all who are capable of being saved, snatching as it were out of the fire those who will suffer themselves to be snatched away. Divine Providence 257.

2. And the peoples shall take them, and bring them into their own place; and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of Jehovah, as servants, and as handmaids: and they shall take them captive, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

3. And it shall be in that day, when Jehovah shall have given you rest from thine affliction, and from your fear, and from the hard bondage with which you wast made to serve,

4. That you shalt give utterance to this parable upon the king of Babel, and shalt say, How has the oppressor ceased! the exactress of gold ceased!

Verse 2. The peoples shall take them, and shall bring them into their own place, etc. Treating of the bringing back of the sons of Israel, by whom are understood the nations. That they who secluded others from truths and seduced them by falsities, are secluded from truths and seduced by falsities themselves, is signified by "they shall take them captive, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their exactors or oppressors." Apocalypse Explained 811.

As servants, and as handmaids. - When the intellectual principle is a "mistress", the affection of sciences and of knowledges, which is of the exterior man, is a "handmaid." (Arcana Coelestia 1895)

Things rational and scientific are " men-servants"; and their affections are" handmaids." Arcana Coelestia 2567.

5. Jehovah has broken the staff of the wicked, the sceptre of the rulers.

Verse 5. Jehovah has broken the staff of the wicked, the rod [or sceptre]of the rulers. - Whereas a "rod" and a "staff" signify the power of divine Truth, and thence divine Truth as to power; therefore they also signify, in the opposite sense, the power of the infernal false, and thence the infernal false as to power; in this sense they are mentioned in the above words.

By "breaking the staff of the wicked" is signified to destroy the power of the false from evil; and by "breaking the rod [or sceptre] of the rulers" is signified the rule of the false. And in David "The staff of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the just; that the just may not put forth their hands to iniquity." (Psalm 125:3)

The "staff of the wicked" signifies the power of the false from evil; "upon the lot of the just", signifies over truths from good, which are with the faithful, and especially with those who are in love to the Lord, for these, in the Word, are called the "just"; "lest the just put forth their hands to iniquity", signifies lest they falsify truths. Apocalypse Explained 727.

6. He that smote the peoples in wrath, with a stroke not curable; he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

Verse 6. He smote the peoples with a stroke not curable, etc. - In this passage "peoples" denote those who are against the truths of the spiritual church, thus who are ill falsities; and "nations", those who are against the goods of the celestial church, thus who are in evils. These things are also signified by the "peoples" and "nations" who were driven out of the land of Canaan. Apocalypse Explained 331.

7. The whole earth is at rest, it is quiet: they burst forth into singing.

8. Even the fir-trees rejoice over you, the cedars of Lebanon, [saying] Since you art fallen, no feller has come up against us.

9. Hell from beneath is moved because of you to meet you at your coming: he rouseth for you the Rephaim, all the powerful ones of the earth: he makes to rise up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

10. All of them shall answer and shall say unto you, Art you, even you, become weak as we? art you made like unto us ?

11. Is then your magnificence brought down to hell; the sound of your viols? is the worm become your couch, and the earth-worm your covering?

Verses 7, 9, 16, 17, 20, 21, 25. The whole earth is at rest, it is quiet; - hell rouseth for you the Rephaim, all-the powerful ones of the earth, etc. - These things are said concerning the "king of Babel", by whom is signified the destruction of Truth through the love of ruling over heaven and earth, to which love of rule the truths of the Word, or the things appertaining to the church, are made subservient as means. In this passage the condemnation of such is treated of. "The Rephaim whom hell rouseth", are those who are in a direful persuasion of the false, and are thence called "tho powerful ones of the earth." "To make the earth tremble, to shake kingdoms, to make the world a desert, and to destroy the cities thereof", signifies to pervert all things appertaining to the church; the "land" and the "world" denoting the church, the "kingdoms", the truths which constitute it, and the "cities", all things of doctrine. Hence it is evident what is signified by "you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people."

By "Ashur who shall be broken in the land, and be trampled upon the mountains", is signified ratiocinations from falsities against truths; to be "broken" is to be dissipated, and to be "trampled" is to be altogether destroyed; the "mountains " upon which this is done, signify where the Good of love and charity reigns, for there, or with those who are there, all ratiocination from falsities is dissipated or destroyed. Apocalypse Explained 304.

12. How art you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art you cut down to the earth, you that didst weaken the nations!

Verses 12, 17, 21. How art you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer! that made the world like a desert, etc. - By "Lucifer" is here understood Babel, where all the truth of the doctrine appertaining to the church was either falsified or annihilated; by "the world which he made like a desert, and the cities thereof which he destroyed", are signified the church and its doctrinals. "Prepare you slaughter for his sons, that they may not rise", signifies that its falsities may be destroyed; and "lest they possess the land, and fill the face of the world with cities", signifies that they may not establish a church [such as Babel] and its doctrines. Apocalypse Explained 223. See also 607, 741.

Son of the morning [dawn]. - For the signification of the "dawn" or the aurora, see Chapter 8:20, the Exposition.

13. For you didst say in your heart, I will ascend the heavens; above the stars of God I will exalt my throne: and I will sit upon the mount of the assembly, on the sides of the north:

Verse 13. For you [Lucifer] didst say in your heart, I will ascend the heavens, above the stars, etc.. By "Lucifer" is understood Babel, as is evident from what precedes and from what follows in that chapter. His love of ruling over heaven and the church is described by his saying, "I will ascend the heavens; above the stars of God I will exalt my throne"; whereby is understood the affectation of dominion over those heavens which constitute the spiritual kingdom of the Lord, for truths and the knowledges of truth with them appear as "stars."

By " I will sit upon the mount of the assembly, on the sides of the north", is signified the affectation of dominion over the heavens which constitute the celestial kingdom of the Lord; for "the mount of the assembly" and "the sides of the north" denote the goods and truths in those heavens, as was said above. Inasmuch as the mountain of Zion and of Jerusalem was built as much as possible according to the form of heaven, it may appear what is signified by the words adduced from David, "The mountain of Zion, the sides of the north, the city of the great King." (Psalm 48:2) Apocalypse Explained 405. See also Arcana Coelestia 3387.

4. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.

15. But you shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

16. Those that see you shall look attentively at you; they shall consider you, [saying] Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that shook the kingdoms;

17. That made the world like a desert; that destroyed the cities thereof; that dismissed not his captives to their home?

18. All the kings of the nations, all of them, lie down in glory, each in his own house:

19. But you art cast out of the sepulchre, like an abominable shoot; like the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with the sword; like them that go down to the stones of the pit; like a trodden carcase.

Verses 14, 15. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; but you shalt be brought down to hell, etc. - By "Babel " are understood those who in externals are holy but in internals profane, thus those who employ the holy things of the church as means by which they may be adored as gods. All those do this who endeavour, by means of the holy things of the church, to procure dignities and wealth above others as the ends and objects of their life. With such persons it is similar in the other life; they there also in their hearts deny the Divine Being, and by wicked arts strive to make themselves gods. They place themselves [in the world of spirits] high up on the mountains, and proclaim a certain one from amongst them as a god, and also worship him. But when they are in that profane worship, the mountain opens itself into a gulf, and they are swallowed up, and are thus cast down into hell. That this is the case, it has sometimes been given me to see. Arcana Coelestia 10412.

20. You shalt not be joined unto them in the sepulchre, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people: the seed of evil-doers shall not be named for ever.

Verses 19, 20. You art cast out of the sepulchre, like an abominable shoot, etc. - Those things are said concerning the "king of Babel", by whom is signified the profanation of divine Truth; wherefore by "you art cast out of the sepulchre", is signified condemnation to hell; "like an abominable shoot, like the raiment of the slain, thrust through with the sword", signifies the falsification of Truth, and the profanation thereof; an "abominable shoot" denoting Truth falsified, and "the raiment of the slain, thrust through with the sword", Truth adulterated and altogether destroyed by dire falsities; "like them that go down to the stones of the pit, like a trodden carcase", signifies to the hell where are the falsities of evil; a "trodden carcase" denoting the infernal spirit with whom everything is spiritually dead, by reason of Good being altogether destroyed. "You shalt not be joined unto them in the sepulchre", signifies no consociation with those who rise again to life, for to be "laid in the sepulchre", or to be "buried", signifies that resurrection, and, on the other hand, to be "cast out of the sepulchre", signifies condemnation. Since "to be buried" and "burial" signify resurrection to life and also regeneration, therefore by "not being buried", and by "being cast out of the graves" (Jeremiah 8:1, 2), is signified non-resurrection to heaven, and non-regeneration, but resurrection to hell and consequent damnation, as may be proved from many passages in the Word, "You have destroyed your land, you have slain your people", signifies the destruction of the church, and of those therein who were in truths from good, by the falsities of evil:

"the seed of evil-doers shall not be named for ever", signifies eternal dissociation and separation. Apocalypse Explained 659. See also Arcana Coelestia 6767, 8902.

"The seed of evil-doers shall not be named for ever", signifies that the dire false of evil [signified by Babel] shall not rise again. Apocalypse Explained 768.

21. Prepare you slaughter for his sons, for the iniquity of their fathers; that they may not rise, and possess the land, and fill the face of the world with cities.

22. For I will rise up against them, says Jehovah of Hosts: and I will cut off from Babel the name, and the remnant; and the son, and the nephew, says Jehovah.

23. And I will make it an inheritance for the bittern, and stagnant pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, says Jehovah of Hosts.

Verses 21-23. Prepare you slaughter for his sons; - 1 will cut off from Babel the name and the remnant, and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, etc. - The subject here treated of is concerning the total devastation of Truth amongst those who are understood by Babel. That truths are entirely destroyed amongst them by the adulteration of the Word, is signified by "Prepare you slaughter for his sons that they may not rise and possess the land, and fill the face of the world with cities"; by "land" is understood the church in which are truths, and by "cities" are understood doctrinals from mere falsities. That all truths from first principles to ultimates will perish, is signified by "the name and the remnant, the son and the nephew, being cut off from Babel"; and nothing whatever of Truth will remain, is signified by its being "swept with the besom of destruction. It is to be observed that by "sons", in the passage above adduced, are signified those who are in truths, or those who are in falsities; but whereas-the spiritual sense of the Word has not anything In common with persons, therefore in that sense by "sons" are signified truths and falsities abstracted from the idea of person. The reason why the spiritual sense is of such a quality, is because the idea of person confines the thought and the extension thereof into heaven in every direction; for all thought which proceeds from the affection of truth, makes its way through heaven on all sides, nor is it terminated except as light into shade; but when person is at the same time thought of, then the idea is terminated where the person is, and therewith also intelligence. This is the reason why by "sons", in the spiritual sense, are signified truths or falsities abstractedly. Apocalypse Explained 724.

24. Jehovah of Hosts has sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it be; and what I have purposed, that shall stand:

Verse. 24. Jehovah God or the Lord never swears, for it is not suitable to God Himself, or the Divine Truth, to swear; but when God, or the Divine Truth, wills to have anything confirmed before men then that confirmation, in its descent to the natural sphere, falls into an oath, or into the form of an oath, as used in the world. Hence it is evident that although God never swears, yet in the literal sense: of the Word, which is the natural sense, it may be said that He swears. This therefore is what is signified by "swearing", when predicated of Jehovah or the Lord, in this and in other passages. Apocalypse Explained 608.

25. To break the Assyrian in My land, and to trample him on My mountains: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden shall depart from off their shoulder.

26. This is the purpose which is determined on the whole earth: and this the hand which is stretched out over, all the nations.

27. For Jehovah of Hosts has purposed, and who shall disannul it? and it is His hand that is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

28. In the year in which Ahaz the king died was this burden [or prophecy].

Verse 25. To break the Assyrian in My land, etc. - See above, Chapter 10:24, 26, the Exposition.

Verses 26, 27. The hand stretched out, etc. - See above, Chapter 5:25, the Exposition.

Verse 28. The burden [or prophecy] concerning Philistia. - . Those who are in Faith separated from Charity, are represented in the Word by the "Philistines." In the Word, by the names of nations and people, also of persons and places, are signified things relating to the church; the church itself by "Israel" and "Judah", because it was established among them, and various religious persuasions are signified by the nations and people round about them; the religious persuasions which accord with the Truth, are signified by the good nations, and those which do not accord with the Truth, by the wicked nations. There are two evil religious persuasions into which every church degenerates in process of time: the one consists in adulterating its Goods, and the other in falsifying its Truths. That which adulterates the Goods of the church, derives its origin from the love of rule; and the other, which falsifies the Truths of the church, derives its origin from the pride of self-derived intelligence. The religious persuasion which takes its origin from the love of rule, is meant in the Word by "Babylon"; and that which takes its origin from the pride of self-derived intelligence, is meant in the Word by "Philistia." It is well known who those of Babylon are at this day; but it is not known who those of Pliilistia are. Those are of "Philistia" [in a bad sense], who are in faith and not in charity.

That those are of "Philistia" who are in faith and not in charity, may appear from various things which are said of them in the Word, when understood in the spiritual sense; as well from their disputes with the servants of Abraham and Isaac, as recorded in Genesis xxi. and xxvi., as from their wars with the children of Israel, related in the book of Judges, and in the books of Samuel and of Kings; for all the "wars" described in the Word, involve and signify, in the spiritual sense, spiritual wars. And because this religious persuasion, which consists in faith separated from charity, continually desires to invade the church, therefore the Philistines remained in the land of Canaan, and frequently infested the children of Israel.

Because the "Philistines" represented those who are in faith separated from charity, therefore they were called the uncircumcised, and by the "uncircumcised" are meant those who are without spiritual love, and thence are only in natural love. Spiritual love is charity. The reason why these are called the uncircumcised, is, because by the "circumcised" are meant those who are in spiritual love. That the "Philistines" are called the uncircumcised, may be seen, 1 Samuel 17:20, 36; 2 Samuel 1:20; and in other places.

That those who are in faith separated from charity were represented by the "Philistines", is manifest not only from their wars with the children of Israel, but also from many other circumstances which are recorded of them in the Word: as from those which are related of Dagon their idol; as of the hemorrhoids and mice with which they were smitten and infested for placing the ark in the temple of their idol; and from the other things which occurred at the same time, and are mentioned, 1 Samuel 5, 6: likewise from the history of Goliath, who was a Philistine, and was slain by David, as related, 1 Samuel 17. For "Dagon", their idol, was above like a man, and below like a fish, by which was represented their religion, which by reason of faith, was as it were spiritual, but, from having no charity, was merely natural. By the "emerods", or hemorrhoids, with which they were smitten, were signified their filthy loves. By the "mice" with which they were infested, was signified the devastation of the church by falsifications of the Truth. And by "Goliath", who was slain by David, was represented the pride of their self-derived intelligence.

That those who are in faith separated from charity were represented by the "Philistines", appears also from the prophetic parts of the Word, where they are treated of; as from these following,

In Jeremiah -

"Against the Philistines; - Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein; so that the men shall cry, and every inhabitant of the land shall howl. Jehovah shall spoil [vastate] all the Philistines." (Jeremiah 47:1, 2, 4)

"Waters rising out of the north" are falsities from hell; "which shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land, and all that is therein", signifies the devastation by them of all things of the church; the city, and them that dwell therein, signifies the devastation of all its truths of doctrine; "so that the men shall cry, and every inhabitant of the earth shall howl", signifies a want of all truth and goodness in the church; "Jehovah shall spoil [vastate] all the Philistines", signifies their destruction.

In Isaiah -

"Rejoice not, you whole Philistia, that the rod of him that smites you is broken: for from the root of the serpent shall come forth a basilisk, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent." (Isaiah 14:29)

"Rejoice not, you whole Philistia", signifies, let not them who are in faith separated from charity rejoice that they still remain; "for from the root of the serpent shall come forth a basilisk", signifies that from the pride of self-derived, intelligence will proceed the destruction of all truth among them; "and his fruit shall be a a fiery flying serpent, signifies reasonings from false principles originating in evil, against the truths and goods of the church.

That by "circumcision" is represented purification from the evils of love merely natural, appears from these passages:

"Circumcise yourselves to Jehovah, and take away the foreskins. of your heart, lest My fury come forth, because of the evil of your doings, (Jeremiah 4:4)

"Circumcise the foreskin of your heart, and be no more stiff necked." (Deuteronomy 10:16)

To "circumcise the heart", or the "foreskin of the heart", is to purify themselves from evils. Hence, on the contrary, by the "uncircumcised" are meant those who are not purified from the evils of love merely natural, thus who are not in charity. And because the unclean at heart is meant by the "uncircumcised", it is said "No stranger that is uncircumcised in heart, or uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into My sanctuary." (Ezekiel 44:9)

"None that is uncircumcised shall eat the passover." (Exodus 12:48)

And that such are condemned, is declared in Ezekiel 28:10; 31:18; 32:19. Divine Providence 49-54.

29. Rejoice not, you whole Philistia, that the rod of him that smites you is broken: for from the root of the serpent shall come forth a basilisk, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

30. And the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: but I will kill your root with famine; and your remnant he will slay.

Verses 29, 30. The subject here treated of is concerning those who believe the interior sight alone, appertaining to the natural man, to be faith, and that by such sight or faith they are justified and saved, thus denying that the good of charity is of any efficacy: such persons are understood by the "Philistines", and a company of them by "Philistia", as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 3412, 3413. That this false principle, which is faith alone, or faith separated from charity, destroys all the Good and Truth of the church, is understood by its being said, "from the root of the serpent shall come forth a basilisk"; the "root of the serpent" denoting that false principle, and the "basilisk" denoting the destruction of the Good and Truth of the church thereby; that hence there arises ratiocination from mere falsities, is understood by "his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent"; a "fiery flying serpent" denoting ratiocination from falsities. The deprivation of all Truth, and thence of all Good, is understood by "I will kill your root with famine, and your remnant he will slay"; "famine" denoting deprivation of Truth and Good, and "remains" things which are hatched from that principle. That such things are here signified, has also been made evident to me from much experience; they who have confirmed themselves in the doctrine concerning faith alone, both in doctrine and in life, appear in the spiritual world as "basilisks", and their reasonings as "fiery flying serpents." Apocalypse Explained 386.

From the root of the serpent shall come forth a basilisk, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. - By a "fiery flying serpent" is meant evil shining from infernal fire: the same as is meant by the "fiery flying serpent" in Isaiah 14:29. Such an evil flies in the church when there is faith in momentaneous salvation from immediate mercy; for thereby:

1. Religion is abolished;

2. Security is induced; and

3. Condemnation is imputed to the Lord.

As to what concerns the First, that thereby religion is abolished; there are two essentials and at the same time universals of religion, an acknowledgement of a God, and repentance. These two essentials are useless to those who think to be saved barely from mercy, without regard to their lives; for what need have they of anything more than to say "God have mercy upon me "? As to everything else appertaining to religion, they are in the dark, indeed they love darkness. Of the first essential of the church, which is an acknowledgement of God, they only think, "What is God? Who ever saw Him ?" If it is affirmed that there is a God, and that He is one, they assent that He is one; if it is affirmed that there are three, they also say that there are three, but that these three are to be called one. This is their acknowledgement of God. Of the other essential of the church, which is repentance, they think nothing at all, and consequently. nothing of sin, and at length do not know that there is such a thing as sin. They then hear, and imbibe it with pleasure, that the law does not condemn, because, a Christian is not under its yoke. If you only say, "God have mercy upon me for Your Son's sake", you will be saved. This is repentance of life with them, But remove repentance, or what amounts to the same, separate life from religion, and what remains but the words, "Have mercy upon me "? Hence it is that they cannot conceive otherwise but that salvation is effected in a moment by means of those words, if not before, yet at the hour of death. In such case, what is the Word to them but like an obscure and enigmatic voice uttered from a tripod in a cave? or like an unintelligible response from the oracle of an idol? In a word, if you remove repentance, that is, separate life from religion, what else is a man but evil shining from infernal fire, or a "fiery flying serpent" - in the church? for without repentance, a man is in evil and evil is hell.

Secondly, That by faith in momentaneous salvation from pure mercy alone, security of life is induced. Security of life arises either from the belief of the impious that there is no life after death, or from the belief of those who separate life from salvation. A person of the latter description, although he believe in eternal life, still thinks, "Whether I live well, or live ill, I can be saved, because salvation is pure mercy, and the mercy of God is universal, and He wills not the death of anyone." If haply a thought occurs that mercy is to be implored by a form of words agreeable to the commonly received faith, he may think that this, if not before, can be done at the hour of death. Every man that is in such a state of security, makes light of adulteries, frauds, injustice, violence, blasphemies, and revenge; and gives a loose to his flesh and his spirit in the commission of all these evils. Nor does he know what spiritual evil is, and its concupiscences. If he hears anything thereof out of the Word, may be compared to something falling upon ebony and rebounding, or to something which falls into a ditch and is swallowed up.

Thirdly, That by such a faith. condemnation is imputed to the Lord. Who but must conclude, that if he is not saved, it is not the man's fault, but the Lord's, when everyone can be saved from pure mercy? If it be affirmed that faith is the means of salvation, he will urge, "What man is there to whom such faith may not be given, as it only consists in thought, which can be infused in every state of the spirit abstracted from worldly things, even with confidence?" He may further urge, "I cannot take it of myself; if therefore it is not given, and a man is condemned, what else can the condemned think, but that it is the Lord's fault, who could save him and would not?" And would not this be to call the Lord unmerciful ? Besides, in the warmth of his faith, he may ask, "Why can the Lord see so many condemned in hell, when He is nevertheless able to save all in a moment from a principle of pure mercy ?"-not to mention other suggestions of a similar nature, which can be called nothing but impious impeachments of the Divinity. Hence then it may appear that faith in momentaneous salvation from pure mercy, is the "fiery flying serpent" in the church. Divine Providence 340.

Verses 29-32. Rejoice not, you whole Philistia, etc. - "Philistia" is here described, which signifies the church, or those in the church, who are indeed in truths from the literal sense of the Word, or from revelation, and yet in filthy loves; whence their truths do not live, and the truths which do not live are turned into falsities, when they are brought from the exterior thought, which is the thought next to the speech, into the interior thought, which is of the understanding, and are there considered as to their origin, which they who are understood by the "Philistines" cannot see. The reason why they cannot see, is; because every man, even a wicked man, has the faculty of understanding, but not good of will, which is good of life, for this arises from love to God, and from love towards the neighbour, and these loves are what cause that faculty to communicate with heaven and thence to receive illustration. In these verses, therefore, are described those who are In truths without good, and that all the truths with them are turned into falsities. The spiritual sense therefore is as follows:

"Rejoice not, you whole Philistia, that the rod of him that smites you is broken", signifies that they should not rejoice on account of its being permitted them to remain in their heresy by reason of the fewness of those who are in truths from good. "For from the root of the serpent shall come forth a basilisk", signifies that from the sensual man will arise a dogma destructive of all truth; the "Root of the serpent" denoting the sensual principle, which is the ultimate of the life of man, and the "basilisk" denoting the destruction of all truth;. "and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent", signifies, from which is produced a faith separate from charity; this is understood by a "fiery flying serpent", because by reasonings and by confirmations derived from things revealed, but not understood, it flies upwards, and thereby kills the things which are living. The same is therefore signified by the "basilisk" as by the "dragon", which is also called a "serpent", and the same by the "fiery flying serpent" as by the "beasts ascending out of the sea and out of the earth" which are treated of in the 13th chapter of the Apocalypse. Then "the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety", signifies that when that dogma is received by those who are natural and sensual men, and believe themselves to be more wise than others, then truths derived from good with those who desire truth and who will good, shall live; the "first-born " in the Word denoting truths born from good, the "poor" those who are not in truths but still desire them, and the "needy" those who are not in goods, but who still in heart will them. "But I will kill your root with famine, signifies that all truths, from first to last, with those who are in faith alone, will perish by falsities. "Howl, O gate! cry out, O city! signifies that neither will entrance be given to any truth, and that the doctrine will be composed of mere falsities; "gate" denoting entrance to the truths of doctrine, and "city" denotIng doctrine. "O Philistia, you art altogether dissolved, "signifies the destruction of that church by mere falsities; "for from the north cometh a smoke" signifies that all the false from evil will break in from hell; the "north" denoting hell, and "smoke" the false of evil, "and there is not a solitary one among his assemblies", signifies that there shall not be one truth remaining amongst their knowledges. "What answer dhall be given to the messengers of the nation?" signifies the illustration of those who are in the good of life from love to the Lord. "That Jehovah has founded Zion", signifies that a church shall be established from them; "and that in her the miserable of His people shall find refuge", signifies that they who are not in self-wisdom, and who overcome in temptations against those falsities, shall have intelligence and salvation. Apocalypse Explained 817. See also Arcana Coelestia 5897.

31. Howl, O gate! cry out, O city! O Philistia, you art altogether dissolved: for from the north cometh a smoke; and there is not a solitary one among his assemblies.

32. And what answer shall be given to the messengers of the nation? That Jehovah has founded Zion; and that in her the miserable of His people shall find refuge.

Verse 31. Howl, O gate! cry out, O city! O Philistia, you art altogether dissolved; for from the north cometh a smoke, etc. - By "gate" is signified the introductory truth of the church; by "city", doctrine; by "Philistia", faith. Hence by "Howl, O gate! cry out, O city! O Philistia, you art altogether dissolved", is signified the devastation of the church as to the truth of doctrine, and thence as to faith; by the "north" is signified the hell where and whence are the falsities of doctrine, and the falsities of faith; and by the "smoke", those falsities; hence by the "smoke coming out of the north", is signified the false devastating from the hells. Apocalypse Explained 539.

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Isaiah Chapter 14

1. FOR Jehovah will have mercy on Jacob, and will again choose Israel; and He will place them in their own land: and the sojourner shall be joined unto them, and they shall cleave unto the house of Jacob.

2. And the peoples shall take them, and bring them into their own place; and the house of Israel shall possess them in the land of Jehovah, as servants, and as handmaids: and they shall take them captive, whose captives they were; and they shall rule over their oppressors.

3. And it shall be in that day, when Jehovah shall have given you rest from thine affliction, and from your fear, and from the hard bondage with which you wast made to serve,

4. That you shalt give utterance to this parable upon the king of Babel, and shalt say, How has the oppressor ceased! the exactress of gold ceased!

5. Jehovah has broken the staff of the wicked, the sceptre of the rulers.

6. He that smote the peoples in wrath, with a stroke not curable; he that ruled the nations in anger, is persecuted, and none hindereth.

7. The whole earth is at rest, it is quiet: they burst forth into singing.

8. Even the fir-trees rejoice over you, the cedars of Lebanon, [saying] Since you art fallen, no feller has come up against us.

9. Hell from beneath is moved because of you to meet you at your coming: he rouseth for you the Rephaim, all the powerful ones of the earth: he makes to rise up from their thrones all the kings of the nations.

10. All of them shall answer and shall say unto you, Art you, even you, become weak as we? art you made like unto us ?

11. Is then your magnificence brought down to hell; the sound of your viols? is the worm become your couch, and the earth-worm your covering?

12. How art you fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! how art you cut down to the earth, you that didst weaken the nations!

13. For you didst say in your heart, I will ascend the heavens; above the stars of God I will exalt my throne: and I will sit upon the mount of the assembly, on the sides of the north:

14. I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will be like the Most High.

15. But you shalt be brought down to hell, to the sides of the pit.

16. Those that see you shall look attentively at you; they shall consider you, [saying] Is this the man that made the earth to tremble, that shook the kingdoms;

17. That made the world like a desert; that destroyed the cities thereof; that dismissed not his captives to their home?

18. All the kings of the nations, all of them, lie down in glory, each in his own house:

19. But you art cast out of the sepulchre, like an abominable shoot; like the raiment of those that are slain, thrust through with the sword; like them that go down to the stones of the pit; like a trodden carcase.

20. You shalt not be joined unto them in the sepulchre, because you have destroyed your land, you have slain your people: the seed of evil-doers shall not be named for ever.

21. Prepare you slaughter for his sons, for the iniquity of their fathers; that they may not rise, and possess the land, and fill the face of the world with cities.

22. For I will rise up against them, says Jehovah of Hosts: and I will cut off from Babel the name, and the remnant; and the son, and the nephew, says Jehovah.

23. And I will make it an inheritance for the bittern, and stagnant pools of water: and I will sweep it with the besom of destruction, says Jehovah of Hosts.

24. Jehovah of Hosts has sworn, saying, Surely as I have thought, so shall it be; and what I have purposed, that shall stand:

25. To break the Assyrian in My land, and to trample him on My mountains: then shall his yoke depart from off them, and his burden shall depart from off their shoulder.

26. This is the purpose which is determined on the whole earth: and this the hand which is stretched out over, all the nations.

27. For Jehovah of Hosts has purposed, and who shall disannul it? and it is His hand that is stretched out, and who shall turn it back?

28. In the year in which Ahaz the king died was this burden [or prophecy].

29. Rejoice not, you whole Philistia, that the rod of him that smites you is broken: for from the root of the serpent shall come forth a basilisk, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent.

30. And the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety: but I will kill your root with famine; and your remnant he will slay.

31. Howl, O gate! cry out, O city! O Philistia, you art altogether dissolved: for from the north cometh a smoke; and there is not a solitary one among his assemblies.

32. And what answer shall be given to the messengers of the nation? That Jehovah has founded Zion; and that in her the miserable of His people shall find refuge.

768. And went away to make war with the remnant of her seed, signifies and an ardent effort, springing from a life of evil, to assault the truths of doctrine of that church. This is evident from the signification of "going away," as being an ardent effort from a life of evil (of which presently); also from the signification of "making war," as being to assault and to wish to destroy (of which above n. 573, 734); also from the signification of "her seed," as being the truths of doctrine of the church (of which also presently). It is said "the remnant of her seed" because it means those who are in these truths, and in an abstract sense the truths of that church, which they believe themselves capable of assaulting and destroying. "To go away" signifies an ardent effort from a life of evil, because "to go" signifies in the spiritual sense to live, therefore in the Word the expressions "going with the Lord," and "walking with Him" and "after Him," are used, and these signify to live from the Lord; but when "going" is predicated of the dragon, whose life is a life of evil, it signifies to make an effort from that life; and because that effort is an effort from hatred, which is signified by "his anger" (See above, n. 754, 758), so an ardent effort is signified because he who makes an effort from hatred makes an ardent effort.

[2] As the hatred of those who are meant by "the dragon" is a hatred against those who are in the truths of doctrine of the church which is the New Jerusalem, therefore it is a hatred against the truths of doctrine that such have. For those who are in love towards anyone, as also those who are in hatred against anyone, are indeed in love towards a person or in hatred against a person with whom those things are which they either love or hate, and these are the truths of doctrine with them, therefore the truths of doctrine are signified by "the remnant of her seed." This shows that in the spiritual sense of the Word person is not regarded, but a thing abstracted from person, as here a thing that is with the person. This may be further illustrated by the saying in the Word that the neighbor must be loved as one loves himself, but in the spiritual sense this does not mean that the neighbor is thus to be loved in respect to person, but those things are to be loved which are from the Lord with the person; for a person is not actually loved because of his being a person or a man, but because of his being such as he is; thus the person is loved because of his quality, consequently that quality is meant by "neighbor," and that is the spiritual neighbor or the neighbor in the spiritual sense that must be loved; and this with those who are of the Lord's church is everything that proceeds from the Lord; and this in general refers to all good, spiritual, moral, and civil; therefore those who are in these goods love those who are in the same goods; and this therefore is to love one's neighbor as oneself.

[3] From this it can be seen that "the remnant of her seed," namely, of the woman who signifies the church, means those who are in the truths of doctrine of that church; and in a sense abstracted from persons which is the genuine spiritual sense, the truths of the doctrine of that church are meant.

Likewise elsewhere in the Word, as in the following passages. In Moses:

I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and the woman's seed. He shall trample on thy head and thou shalt wound his heel (Genesis 3:15).

This is a prophecy respecting the Lord. The "serpent" here signifies the sensual of man, where what is man's own has its seat, which in itself is nothing but evil; and the "woman" signifies the spiritual church, or the church which is in Divine truths. And as the sensual of man has been destroyed, and when the man of the church becomes spiritual he is elevated out of the sensual, it is said, "there shall be enmity between thee and the woman." "The seed of the serpent" signifies all falsity from evil, and "the seed of the woman" all truth from good, and in the highest degree Divine truth; and as all Divine truth is from the Lord, and as by it the Lord destroys falsity from evil, it is said "He shall trample on thy head, "He" meaning the Lord, and "head" all falsity from evil. That the sensual would still do injury to Divine truth in its ultimates, which is the Word in the sense of the letter, is signified by "He shall wound the heel;" "the heel" signifying that ultimate and that sense. That the ultimate of truth and the sense of the letter have suffered and do still suffer hurt from the sensual, can be seen from this single example, that the papists understand the woman here to mean Mary and the worship of her; therefore in their Bibles the reading is not "He," but "it" and "she." So in a thousand other passages.

[4] In Jeremiah:

Behold the days shall come in which I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast (Jeremiah 31:27).

This is said of the Lord, and of the New Church from Him. His coming is signified by "Behold the days shall come;" "to sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah" signifies to reform those who will be of that church, "the house of Israel" signifying the spiritual church, and "the house of Judah" the celestial church; and as reformation is effected by means of spiritual truths and by means of natural truths therefrom, it is said "with the seed of man and with the seed of beast;" "the seed of man" signifying spiritual truth from which man has intelligence, and "the seed of beast" signifying natural truth from which man has knowledge, also life according to it, both of these from the affection of good. That "man" signifies the affection of spiritual truth and good may be seen above (n. 280); and "beast" natural affection (n. 650); thus "the seed of man and the seed of beast" signify the truths of those affections.

In Malachi:

There is not one who doeth this who hath the spirit; is there one that seeketh the seed of God? (Malachi 2:15)

"Is there one that seeketh the seed of God?" signifies that no one seeks Divine truth; evidently "the seed of God" here signifies Divine truth; so "the born of God" mean those who are regenerated by the Lord by means of Divine truth, and a life according thereto.

[5] In Isaiah:

Jehovah willed to bruise Him, He hath weakened Him; if Thou shalt make His soul a guilt offering, He shall see seed, He shall prolong days, and the will of Jehovah shall prosper by His hand (Isaiah 53:10).

This is said of the Lord, and the whole of this chapter treats of His temptations, by means of which He subjugated the hells. The increasing grievousness of His temptations is described by "Jehovah willed to bruise Him, and to weaken Him;" the most grievous temptation, which was the passion of the cross, is signified by "if Thou shalt make His soul a guilt offering;" "to make His soul a guilt offering" signifies the last temptation, by which He fully subjugated the hells and fully glorified His Human, which is the means of redemption. The Divine truth that afterwards proceeded from His Divine Human, and the salvation of all who receive Divine truth from Him, is signified by "He shall see seed;" that this will continue forever is signified by "He shall prolong days;" "to prolong" signifying in reference to the Lord to continue forever, and "days" signifying states of light, which are states of the enlightenment of all by Divine truth; that this is from His Divine for the salvation of the human race is signified by "the will of Jehovah shall prosper by His hand."

[6] In the same:

Fear not, for I am with thee; I will bring thy seed from the sunrise, and I will bring thee together from the west; I will say to the north, Give, and to the south, Hold not back; bring my sons from afar, and my daughters from the end of the earth (Isaiah 43:5, 6).

This is supposed to refer to the bringing back of the sons of Israel into the land of Canaan; but this is not the meaning here; but it means the salvation by the Lord of all who receive Divine truth from Him; and of whom the New Church consists; this is what is signified by "His seed which shall be brought from the sunrise, and brought together from the west, and which the north shall give and the south ¹ shall not hold back," therefore it also follows: "Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the end of the earth;" "sons" signifying those who are in the truths of the church, and "daughters" those who are in its goods. (But these words may be seen explained above, n. 422, 724)

[7] In the same:

On the right hand and on the left thou shalt break forth, and thy seed shall inherit the nations and make the desolate cities to be inhabited (Isaiah 54:3).

This is said of the church from the Lord with the Gentiles, which church is here meant by "the barren woman that did not bear," who should have many sons (verse 1). "The seed that shall inherit the nations" signifies the Divine truth that shall be given to the Gentiles; "to break forth on the right hand and on the left" signifies extension and multiplication; the "right hand" signifying truth in light, and the "left hand" truth in the shade, for the reason that in the spiritual world to the right hand is the south where those are who are in the clear light of truth, and to the left is the north where those are who are in an obscure light of truth. "To make the desolate cities to be inhabited" signifies their life according to Divine truths, which before this had been lost; "cities" meaning the truths of doctrine from the Word; "to be inhabited" signifying to live according to truths, and "desolate cities" those truths heretofore lost, that is, with the Jewish nation.

[8] In the same:

Their seed shall become known among the nations and their offspring in the midst of the peoples; all that see them shall acknowledge them that they are the seed that Jehovah hath blessed (Isaiah 61:9).

This, too, is said of the church to be established by the Lord. "The seed that shall become known among the nations" signifies Divine truth that will be received by those who are in the good of life; "and the offspring in the midst of the peoples" signifies life according to Divine truth; "those that see them and shall acknowledge that they are the seed" signifies enlightenment, that it is the genuine truth that they receive; "that Jehovah hath blessed" signifies that it is from the Lord. But such is the signification of these words in a sense abstracted from persons, but in a strict sense those are meant who will receive Divine truth from the Lord.

[9] In the same:

They are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them (Isaiah 65:23).

This, also, is said of the church from the Lord; and "the seed of the blessed of Jehovah" means those who will receive Divine truth from the Lord; and "their offspring," those who live according to it; but in the sense abstracted from persons, which is the genuine spiritual sense, "seed" means Divine truth, and "offspring," a life according to it (as just above). "Offspring" mean those who live according to Divine truth, and in an abstract sense life according to it, because the word in the original rendered "offspring" means going out or proceeding, and that which goes out or proceeds from Divine truth received is a life according to Divine truth.

[10] In the same:

As the new heavens and the new earth which I am about to make shall stand before Me, so shall your seed and your name stand (Isaiah 66:22).

This, too, is said of the Lord, and of the salvation of the faithful by Him; the New Church from Him is meant by "new heavens and a new earth;" by "new heavens" an internal church, and by "a new earth" an external church; that Divine truth and its quality shall endure is signified by "your seed and your name shall stand;" "seed" signifying Divine truth, which also is the truth of doctrine from the Word, and "name" signifying its quality. (That "name" signifies the quality of a thing and of a state, may be seen above, n. 148)

[11] In David:

Thou hast founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Thy hands; they shall perish, and Thou shalt stand; they shall all wax old like garments, like a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed; but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall have no end; the sons of Thy servants shall dwell, and their seed shall be established before Thee (Psalms 102:25-28).

"The earth" which God formed, and "the heavens the work of His hands," which shall perish, have a similar signification as "the former earth and the former heaven" that passed away (in Revelation 21:1; about which, see there); and as the face of the earth and heavens in the spiritual world will be altogether changed at the day of the Last Judgment, and there will be a new earth and new heavens in place of the former, it is said "they shall all wax old like garments, like a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed;" they are likened to garments because garments signify external truths, such as those had who were in the former heavens and the former earth, which were not permanent because they were not in internal truths. The state of Divine truth that shall endure from the Lord to eternity is signified by "Thou shalt stand," and "Thou art the same, and Thy years shall have no end;" "the years of God" signifying the states of Divine truth. "The sons of Thy servants shall dwell, and their seed shall be established before Thee," signifies that angels and men, who are recipients of Divine truth, shall have eternal life, and that truths of doctrine shall endure with them to eternity; "the sons of the servants of God" meaning angels and men who are recipients of Divine truth, and "their seed" meaning truths of doctrine.

[12] In the same:

A seed that shall serve Him shall be counted to the Lord for a generation (Psalms 22:30).

This also is said of the Lord; and "the seed that shall serve Him" means those who are in the truths of doctrine from the Word; and "it shall be counted to the Lord for a generation" signifies that they shall be His to eternity; "to be counted" signifying to be arranged and disposed in order, here to be numbered with or added to, thus to be His.

[13] In many passages in the Word mention is made of "the seed of Abraham," "of Isaac," and "of Jacob," likewise of "the seed of Israel," and in the historical sense of the letter their posterity is meant; but in the spiritual sense Divine truth and the truth of doctrine from the Word are meant, for the reason that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Israel, mean in that sense the Lord, as can be seen from passages in the Word where they are mentioned; as where it is said:

That they shall come from the east and from the west, and shall recline with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 8:11);

which means the enjoyment of celestial good from the Lord. So also elsewhere. And as the Lord is meant by them in the internal sense, "their seed" signifies Divine truth which is from the Lord, and thus also the truth of doctrine from the Word; as in these passages. In Moses:

Jehovah said to Abram, All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it and to thy seed forever; and I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth (Genesis 13:15, 16).

Look up towards the heavens and number the stars, so shall thy seed be (Genesis 15:5).

In thy seed shall all the nations be blessed (Genesis 22:18).

To Isaac:

To thee and to thy seed will I give all these lands; and I will multiply thy seed as the stars of heaven; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed (Genesis 26:3-5).

To Jacob:

Unto thy seed after thee will I give this land (Genesis 35:12).

The land given to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, and to their seed after them (Deuteronomy 1:8).

The seed of your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Deuteronomy 4:37; 10:15; 11:9).

Since, as has been said, the Lord is meant by "Abraham," "Isaac," and "Jacob;" by "Abraham" the Lord in reference to the celestial Divine of the church; by "Isaac" in reference to the spiritual Divine of the church, and by "Jacob" in reference to the natural Divine of the church, so their "seed" signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; "the seed of Abraham" signifying celestial Divine truth; "the seed of Isaac" spiritual Divine truth, and "the seed of Jacob" natural Divine truth; consequently those also are meant who are in Divine truth from the Lord. But the "land which the Lord will give to them" means the church which is in Divine truth from Him; and thence it may be known what is signified by "in their seed shall all nations be blessed;" for they could not be blessed in their posterity, namely, in the Jewish and Israelitish nation, but they were to be blessed in the Lord and from the Lord by the reception of Divine truth from Him.

[14] That "the seed of Abraham" does not mean the Jews is evident from the Lord's words in John:

The Jews answered, We are Abraham's seed, and have never been servants to any man. Jesus answered, I know that ye are Abraham's seed; yet ye seek to kill Me, because My word hath no place in you; ye are of your father the devil (John 8:33, 34, 37, 44).

From this it is evident that the Jews are not meant by "the seed of Abraham," but that "Abraham" means the Lord, and "the seed of Abraham" Divine truth from the Lord, which is the Word; for it is said, "I know that ye are Abraham's seed; yet ye seek to kill Me, because My word hath no place in you." The Lord's saying "I know that ye are Abraham's seed" signifies that He knew that the truth of the church, which is the Word, was with them; but that they nevertheless rejected the Lord is signified by "ye seek to kill Me;" and that they were not in Divine truths from the Lord is signified by "because My word hath no place in you;" that there was with them nothing but evil and falsity therefrom is signified by "ye are of your father the devil, and the truth is not in him;" and afterwards, "when he speaketh a lie he speaketh from his own;" "lie" signifying Divine truth, or the Word, adulterated. The Lord said "I know that ye are Abraham's seed" for the further reason that "Judah" signifies the Lord in reference to the Word (as may be seen above, n. 119, 433).

[15] In David:

He will make them to fall in the wilderness, and will make their seed to fall among the nations and will scatter them in the lands (Psalms 106:26, 27).

"To make their seed to fall among the nations and to scatter them in the lands" signifies that Divine truth would perish with them by evils and falsities. "The seed of Israel" has a similar signification in these passages:

Thou Israel My servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham My friend, whom I have taken hold of from the ends of the earth (Isaiah 41:8, 9).

I will pour out My spirit upon the seed of Israel and Jacob, and My blessing upon their offspring (Isaiah 44:3).

In Jehovah all the seed of Israel shall be justified, and shall glory (Isaiah 45:25).

Jehovah who brought up and who brought back the seed of the house of Israel out of the land ² towards the north, and out of all the lands whither I have driven them, that they may dwell upon their own land (Jeremiah 23:8).

In the highest sense "Israel" means the Lord in relation to the internal of the church, therefore "his seed" similarly signifies the Divine truth that is with those who are of the church that is signified by "Israel." "Israel" means the church with those who are interiorly natural, and have truths therein from a spiritual origin. For this reason "Israel" signifies the church that is spiritual-natural.

[16] Since "David" in the Word means the Lord in reference to royalty, and the Lord's royalty means Divine truth in the church, so his "seed" means those who are in the truths of the church from the Word, who are called "the sons of the king" and "the sons of the kingdom;" it means also that Divine truth is with them, as in the following passages:

As the host of the heavens shall not be numbered, nor the sand of the sea measured, so will I multiply the seed of David and the Levites My ministers (Jeremiah 33:22).

I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to David My servant, Even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and will build up thy throne to generation and generation. I will set his seed forever, and his throne as the days of the heavens. His seed shall be to eternity, and his throne as the sun before Me (Psalms 89:3, 4, 29, 36).

That "David" means in the Word the Lord in reference to royalty, which is Divine truth in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, may be seen above (n. 205); therefore "his seed" signifies that Divine truth with those who are in truths from good, thus also who are in the truths of doctrine from the Word; for truths of doctrine from the Word, or the truths of the Word, are all from good; and as these are meant by "the seed of David," so in an abstract sense the truth of the Word or the truth of the doctrine from the Word is meant by it. That "the seed of David" does not mean his posterity anyone can see, for it is said that "his seed shall be multiplied as the host of the heavens and the sand of the sea," and that "it shall be established and set to eternity," also that "his throne shall be built up to generation and generation," and "shall be as the days of the heavens," and "as the sun," which cannot at all be said of the seed of David, that is, of his posterity and of his throne, for where now are his seed and throne to be found? But all these things harmonize when "David" is taken to mean the Lord, "his throne" heaven and the church, and "his seed" the truth of heaven and of the church.

[17] In Jeremiah:

If I shall not have set My covenant of day and night, the statutes of heaven and of earth, I will also reject the seed of Jacob and of David My servant, that I will not take of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; and I will cause their captivity to return, and will have compassion on them (Jeremiah 33:25, 26).

In the same:

Jehovah said, who giveth the sun for a light by day, the statutes of the moon and stars for a light by night. If these statutes shall remove from before Me, the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before Me all the days (Jeremiah 31:35, 36).

In these passages, again, "the seed of Jacob" and of "David," likewise "the seed of Israel," mean those who are in Divine truths; but "the seed of Jacob" means those who are in natural Divine truth, "David" those who are in spiritual Divine truth, and "Israel" those who are in natural-spiritual Divine truth, which is mediate between natural Divine truth and spiritual Divine truth. For there are degrees of Divine truth, as there are degrees of its reception in the three heavens by the angels and in the church. "The covenant of day and night, and the statutes of heaven and earth," signifying the conjunction of the Lord with those who are in Divine truths in the heavens, and with those who are in Divine truths on the earth, "covenant" signifying conjunction, and "statutes" the laws of conjunction, which are also the laws of order, and the laws of order are Divine truths; while "day" signifies such light of truth as the angels in the heavens have; and "night" such light of truth as men on the earth have, likewise such light of truth as those have who are in the heavens and on the earth under the Lord as a moon; therefore it is added, "who giveth the sun for a light by day, and the statutes of the moon and stars for a light by night." But here "the seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," mean all who are of the Lord's church, in every degree; of these and of the seed of Jacob and David it is said that if they acknowledge not the Lord, and receive not Divine truth from Him, the Lord will not reign over them.

[18] In the same:

No one of his seed shall prosper who sitteth upon the throne of David and ruleth anymore in Judah (Jeremiah 22:30).

This is said of Coniah, king of Judah, who is here called "a despised and worthless idol," and it is said of him:

That he and his seed shall be taken away and cast unto the earth (verse 28).

This king has a similar signification as Satan, and "his seed" signifies infernal falsity; that this shall not rule in the Lord's church, in which is celestial Divine truth, is signified by "no one of his seed shall sit upon the throne of David or shall rule anymore in Judah;" "Judah" here meaning the celestial church in which the Lord reigns.

[19] As "David" represented the Lord's royalty, so "Aaron" represented his priesthood; therefore "the seed of Aaron" means those who are in the affection of genuine truth which is from celestial good. Because of this representation this statute was given for Aaron:

The high priest shall not take a widow, or one divorced, or one polluted, a harlot, but he shall take a virgin of his own people to wife, lest he profane his seed among his people; I Jehovah do sanctify him (Leviticus 21:14, 15).

As "man and wife" in the Word in its spiritual sense signify the understanding of truth and the will of good, and as thought is of the understanding and affection is of the will, so "man and wife" also signify the thought of truth and the affection of good, likewise truth and good. Thence it is clear what is signified by a "widow," by "one divorced," and by "one polluted" and "a harlot;" "a widow" signifies good without truth, because left by truth, which is the man; "one divorced" signifies good rejected by truth, thus discordant good; and "one polluted, a harlot," signifies good adulterated by falsities, which is no longer good but evil. Because of this signification of these women the high priest was forbidden to take any of them to wife, because he represented the Lord in reference to the priesthood, which signified the Divine good. And as a "virgin" signifies the will or affection of genuine truth, and genuine truth makes one with and is in harmony with Divine good, and these two are conjoined in heaven and in the church, and their conjunction is called the heavenly marriage, therefore it was required that the high priest should take a virgin to wife. And as the truth of doctrine is born of this marriage, while the falsity of doctrine is born of a marriage with such as are signified by "a widow," "one divorced," and "one polluted, a harlot," it is said, "lest he profane his seed among his peoples," "seed" signifying the genuine truth of doctrine, and thus also the doctrine of genuine truth from the good of celestial love, and "his peoples" signifying those who are of the church in which there is the doctrine of genuine truth from the Word. Also as this was a representative of the heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of the Lord with the church, therefore it is said, "I Jehovah do sanctify him."

[20] Since the high priest represented the Lord in reference to Divine good, and his "seed" signified Divine truth, which is the same as the genuine truth of doctrine, it was also made a statute:

That no man a stranger, who was not of the seed of Aaron, shall come near to burn incense before Jehovah (Numbers 16:40).

"A man a stranger" signifies the falsity of doctrine, and "burning incense" signifies worship from spiritual good, which in its essence is genuine truth; and "the seed of the high priest" signifies Divine truth from a celestial origin; therefore it was decreed by law that no stranger who was not of the seed of Aaron should burn incense in the Tent of meeting before Jehovah.

[21] When it is known what of heaven and the church was represented also by other persons mentioned in the Word, what is signified by "their seed" will also be known, as by the seed of Noah, Ephraim, and Caleb, in the following passages. Of Noah:

I establish My covenant with you and with your seed after you (Genesis 9:9).

Israel said of Ephraim:

His seed shall be the fullness of the earth ³ (Genesis 48:19).

And Jehovah said of Caleb:

His seed shall inherit the earth (Numbers 14:24).

What "Noah" and "Ephraim" represented and signified has been explained in the Arcana Coelestia. But "Caleb" represented those who are to be introduced into the church; therefore their "seed" signifies the truth of the doctrine of the church.

[22] The "seed of the field" has a similar signification as the "seed of man," because a "field," the same as "man," signifies the church; for this reason the terms "seed" and also "sowing" are in some passages applied to the people of the earth the same as they are applied to a field, as in the following. In Jeremiah:

I had planted thee a noble vine, a seed of truth; how art thou turned into branches of a strange vine unto Me! (Jeremiah 2:21).

In David:

Their fruit will I ⁴ destroy from the earth, and their seed from the sons of man (Psalms 21:10).

In Hosea:

I will sow Israel unto Me in the earth (Hosea 2:23).

In Zechariah:

I will sow Judah and Joseph among the peoples, and they shall remember Me in remote places (Zechariah 10:9).

In Ezekiel:

I will look again to you, that ye may be tilled and sown; then will I multiply man upon you, all the house of Israel, the whole of it (Ezekiel 36:9).

In Jeremiah:

Behold the days shall come in which I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast (Jeremiah 31:27).

In Matthew:

The seed sown are the sons of the kingdom (Matthew 13:38).

But it is not necessary to show here that the seed of the field has a similar meaning as the seed of man, for here only what is signified by "the seed of the woman" is what is to be explained and confirmed from the Word.

[23] Since "seed" signifies the truth of doctrine from the Word, and in the highest sense Divine truth, so in the contrary sense "seed" signifies the falsity of doctrine and infernal falsity. As in Isaiah:

Draw near hither, ye sons of the sorceress, ye seed of the adulterer, and thou that hast ⁵ committed whoredom. Against whom do ye sport yourselves, against whom do ye make wide the mouth and lengthen the tongue? Are ye not children of transgression, the seed of a lie? (Isaiah 57:3, 4)

"The sons of the sorceress and the seed of an adulterer" signify falsities from the Word when it has been falsified and adulterated, "the sons of the sorceress" meaning the falsities from the Word falsified, and "the seed of an adulterer," falsities from the Word adulterated. The Word is said to be falsified when its truths are perverted, and to be adulterated when its goods are perverted, as also when truths are applied to the loves of self. "Children of transgression and seed of a lie" signify falsities flowing from such prior falsities. "To sport themselves" signifies to take delight in things falsified; "to make wide the mouth" signifies delight in the thought therefrom; and "to lengthen the tongue" delight in teaching and propagating such falsities.

[24] In Isaiah:

Woe to the sinful nation, a people heavy with iniquity, a seed of evil-doers, sons that are corrupters; they have forsaken Jehovah, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel, they have estranged themselves backwards (Isaiah 1:4).

"The sinful nation" signifies those who are in evils, and "a people heavy with iniquity" those who are in the falsities therefrom, for "nation" is predicated in the Word of evils, and "people" of falsities (See above, 331, 625). The falsity of those who are in evils is signified by "a seed of evildoers," and the falsities of those who are in the falsities from that evil are signified by "sons that are corrupters." (That "sons" signify those who are in truths, and in the contrary sense those who are in falsities, and in an abstract sense truths and falsities, may be seen above, n. 724 "They have forsaken Jehovah and have provoked the Holy One of Israel" signifies that they have rejected Divine good and Divine truth; "Jehovah" meaning the Lord in relation to Divine good, and "the Holy One of Israel," the Lord in relation to Divine truth; "their estranging themselves backwards" signifies that they wholly departed from good and truth, and went away to infernal evil and falsity, for those in the spiritual world who are in evils and falsities turn themselves backward from the Lord (See in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 123). In the same:

Thou shalt not be joined with them in the sepulcher, for thou hast corrupted thy land, thou hast slain thy people; the seed of the evil shall not be named forever (Isaiah 14:20).

This is said of Lucifer, by whom Babylon is meant; and "the seed of the evil which shall not be named forever" signifies the direful falsity of evil which is from hell. (The rest may be seen explained above, n. 589, 659, 697)

[25] In Moses:

He that hath given of his seed to Molech dying shall die, the people of the land shall stone him with stones. I will set My faces against that man, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, because he hath given of his seed to Molech, to defile My sanctuary and to profane the name of My holiness (Leviticus 20:3; Leviticus 18:21).

"To give of his seed to Molech" signifies to destroy the truth of the Word and of the doctrine of the church therefrom, by application to the filthy loves of the body, as murders, hatreds, revenges, adulteries, and the like, which leads to the acceptance of infernal falsities instead of things Divine; such falsities are signified by "the seed given to Molech." Molech was the god of the sons of Ammon (1 Kings 11:7); and was set up in the valley of Hinnom, which was called Topheth, where they burned up their sons and daughters (2 Kings 23:10); the above mentioned loves are signified by that fire; and as "seed given to Molech" signifies such infernal falsity, and stoning was the punishment of death for the injury and destruction of the truth of the Word and of doctrine therefrom, it is said that the man that "hath given of his seed to Molech dying shall die, and the people of the land shall stone him with stones." (That stoning was the punishment for injuring or destroying truth may be seen above, n. 655.) That such falsity is destructive of every good of the Word and of the church is signified by "I will set My faces against that man, and I will cut him off from the midst of his people, because he hath defiled My sanctuary and profaned the name of My holiness," "sanctuary" signifying the truth of heaven and the church, and "the name of holiness" all that it is. From the passages quoted it can now be seen that "seed" means in the highest sense Divine truth which is from the Lord, and thence the truth of the Word and of the doctrine of the church which is from the Word; while in the evil sense it means infernal falsity which is the opposite of that truth.

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