702. And there were lightnings, voices, and thunders.- That this signifies that at that time, in the lower places where the evil are, there were conflicts and disturbances of thought, and reasonings from evils and falsities concerning goods and truths, is evident from the signification of lightnings, voices, and thunders, as denoting enlightenment, thoughts, and perceptions (concerning which see above, n. 273); and, in the opposite sense, as here, conflicts and disturbances of thought, and reasonings from evils and falsities concerning the goods and truths of the church (concerning which also see above, n. 498). In a strict sense, lightnings signify darkenings of the understanding, voices, reasonings, while thunderings signify conclusions of falsity from evil; and since, according to the state of the interiors of those with whom they are, there then arise conflicts and disturbances of affections and thoughts, and consequent reasonings from evils and falsities concerning the goods and truths of the church, therefore this is the signification of these words in their logical connection with what precedes. That the lightnings, voices, and thunders, as well as the earthquake and the great hail, were in the lower parts, is clear. For it was in the higher parts that the temple and the ark of the covenant in the temple were seen, which signify the manifestation of a new heaven where there is worship of the Lord, and a representation of Divine Truth through which conjunction takes place, as is evident from the explanations of the preceding particulars. That such things took place in the lower parts through influx out of the higher heavens has been already made clear. But since these things are such as not to fall into any one's understanding except by living revelation, and consequent knowledge respecting the influx of higher things into lower things in the spiritual world, and because these things have been revealed to me, and thus made known, I will briefly explain this interior fact (arcanum).

[2] In the spiritual world - by which both the heavens and the hells are meant - the arrangement is such, that the heavens are like expanses one above the other, and under the heavens is the world of spirits, and under this are the hells, one below another. Influx from the Lord takes place according to this successive arrangement, thus through the inmost heaven into the middle, and through this into the ultimate, and from these in their order into the hells which lie beneath. The world of spirits is in the midst, and receives influx from both the heavens and the hells, each one there according to the state of his life.

[3] But this arrangement of the heavens and the hells underwent changes from one judgment to another, for the reason that the men who passed from the earths, of whom the heavens and the hells are constituted, were various in their affections, some being more or less spiritual or internal, and some more or less natural or external. And because the Lord does evil to none, but good to all, therefore He permitted those who had lived a moral and apparently spiritual life in externals from custom and habit in the world, however interiorly they were conjoined with hell, to form for themselves, in the world of spirits, a similitude of heaven in various places. And then the heavens above them, and the hells below them, were so arranged, that their interiors, through which they were conjoined with hell, might as far as possible be kept closed, while their exteriors, through which they were conjoined with the ultimate heaven, be kept open. And then it was provided that the higher heavens should not flow in immediately, for by such immediate influx their interiors, which were infernal, would be opened, and their exteriors, which were apparently spiritual, closed; for the influx of the higher heavens is into the interiors, which are the spirits' own, and not into the exteriors, which are not really their own. But when such apparent heavens had increased to such an extent that the influx from the hells had begun to prevail over the influx from the heavens, and that consequently the ultimate heaven, which was conjoined with them, had begun to totter, then the Last Judgment was at hand, and by degrees a separation of the evil from the good in those new apparent heavens took place, and this by immediate influx from the higher heavens; and by such influx their interiors, which were infernal, were opened, and their exteriors, which were apparently spiritual, were closed, as stated above.

From these things it is now clear why the temple appeared and the ark in the temple, which signifies the Divine Truth, by which the higher heavens were enlightened, in order that from them influx might pass into the lower parts, where the evil had their abode. From this influx it resulted that, in the lower parts where the evil were, lightnings were seen, and voices and thunders heard. Also there was a great earthquake, and hail fell. The influx out of the heavens, that is, through the heavens from the Lord, is nothing else but an influx of the love of good and of affection for truth; but with the evil it is turned into such things as correspond to their evils, and to the falsities therefrom, or as correspond to their love of evil and affection for falsity. And because the conflicts and disturbances of thought, and reasonings from evils and falsities concerning the goods and truths of the church, in which they were, correspond to lightnings, voices, and thunders, therefore they are here signified by these. For the subject here treated of is the state of heaven, such as it was about to become immediately before the Last Judgment. The existence of conflicts and disturbances of thought, and of reasonings from evils and falsities concerning the goods and truths of the church with those who are interiorly evil, and appear outwardly good after their interiors have been opened and their exteriors closed, arises from the conflict of their interiors with their exteriors in the first state of separation. But as soon as the exteriors have been completely closed, and they are left to their own interiors, then the conflict ceases, for then they are entirely in the love of their own evil, and in the affection for their own falsity, and thus in the delight of their life; therefore they then cast themselves down into hell to their like, which takes place at the time of a last judgment.

205. He that hath the key of David. That this signifies who has power by means of Divine truth is evident from the signification of key, as being the power of opening and shutting, in this case heaven and hell; for it follows, he that openeth and no man shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth. Hence by key is here meant the power of saving (as may be seen above, n. 86), because to open heaven, and to shut hell, is to save; also from the representation of David, as being the Lord as to Divine truth. The reason why by David in the Word is meant the Lord, is, that in the Word the Lord is represented as to Divine truth by kings, and by priests as to Divine good, and especially by king David, because he had much care respecting the things of the church, and also wrote the Psalms. (That by kings in the Word is signified Divine truth, and by priests Divine good, may be seen above, n. 31. And, moreover, that by all names of persons and places in the Word spiritual things are signified, which are things pertaining to the church and to heaven, see above, n. 19, 50, 102.) The reason why it is said, he that hath the key of David is, because by David, as just said, is represented the Lord as to Divine truth; and the Lord has all power in the heavens and on earth from Divine good by means of Divine truth; for, in general, good has no power without truth, neither has truth any power without good, for good acts by means of truth. This is why Divine good and Divine truth proceed unitedly from the Lord, and in proportion as they are thus received by the angels, in the same proportion have the angels power: this, therefore, is the reason why the key of David is mentioned. (That all power pertains to truth from good may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 228-233, where the power of the angels of heaven is treated of; and also n. 539, in the same work.)

[2] That by David in the Word is meant the Lord is clearly evident from several passages where he is named in the prophets; as in Ezekiel:

"They shall be to me for a people, and I will be to them for a God, and my servant David king over them, that they may all have one shepherd. They shall dwell upon the earth, they and their sons, and the sons of their sons even to eternity; and David my servant shall be a prince to them to eternity" (37:23-25).

Again, in Hosea:

"The sons of Israel shall return and shall seek Jehovah their God, and David their king; and with fear shall they come to Jehovah and to his goodness in the end of days" (3:5).

It is said, "they shall seek Jehovah their God, and David their king," because by Jehovah in the Word is meant the Lord as to Divine good, which is the Divine as Being (esse), and by David a king, the Lord as to Divine truth, which is the Divine Manifestation (existere). (That by Jehovah in the Word is meant the Lord as to Divine good, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 732, 2586, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4253, 4402, 7010, 9167, 9315.)

[3] In Zechariah:

"Jehovah shall preserve the tents of Judah first, that the glory of the house of David and the glory of the inhabitant of Jerusalem may not extol itself above Judah. In that day shall Jehovah protect the inhabitant of Jerusalem; and the house of David shall be as God, as the angel of Jehovah before them. And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitant of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace. In that day there shall be a fountain open to the house of David, and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem" (12:7, 8, 10; 13:1).

The coming of the Lord is here treated of, and the salvation of those who belong to His spiritual kingdom. By the tents of Judah is meant the celestial kingdom; and by the house of David and the inhabitant of Jerusalem, the spiritual kingdom. The spiritual kingdom is formed of those in heaven and on earth who are in Divine truth, and the celestial kingdom of those who are in Divine good (as may be seen just above).

From these considerations it is plain that these words mean that those two kingdoms should act as one, nor should one exalt itself above the other (concerning these two kingdoms, see what is said in the work, Heaven and Hell 20-28). That by Judah is signified the Lord as to celestial love, and the celestial kingdom of the Lord, may be seen above (n. 119). And that by Jerusalem is signified the spiritual kingdom of the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia 402, 3654, 9166). The same is therefore signified by the house of David; therefore it is there said, "the house of David shall be as God, and as the angel of Jehovah;" by God also is meant the Lord as to Divine truth (see n. 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4287, 4402, 7010, 9167); similarly by the angel of Jehovah (see above, n. 130, 200). David and his house have also a similar signification in the following passages.

[4] In Isaiah:

"Incline your ear, and come unto me; hear, and your soul shall live; and I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a prince and a legislator to the nations" (55:3, 4).

These things are said concerning the Lord, who is here signified by David. In David:

"In the heavens thou shalt confirm thy truth: I have made a covenant with my chosen; I have sworn to David my servant, Even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and I will build up thy throne to generation and generation; and the heavens shall confess thy wonder, O Jehovah, and thy truth in the congregation of the holy ones" (Psalms 89:2-5).

These things also are spoken of the Lord, and not of David; for it is said, "I have sworn to David my servant, even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and build up thy throne to generation and generation"; which is not applicable to David, whose seed and throne are not established to eternity, and yet Jehovah sware; and an oath from Jehovah is irrevocable confirmation by the Divine (see Arcana Coelestia 2842). By the seed of David, in the spiritual sense, are meant those who are in truths from good from the Lord, and, in an abstract sense, truths themselves which are from good (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia, 3373, 3380, 10249, 10445), and by throne is meant the spiritual kingdom of the Lord (n. 5313, 6397, 8625). The reason why David is here called a servant, as also above in Ezekiel is, that the term servant is used in the Word of all persons and things that serve and minister (see Arcana Coelestia 3441, 7143, 8241), and the Divine truth proceeding serves and ministers to the Divine good from which it proceeds. That it is the Lord as to Divine truth, or that it is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, which is meant by David, is clear; for it is said, "in the heavens thou shalt confirm thy truth, and the heavens shall confess thy wonder, thy truth in the congregation of the holy ones." That they are also called holy who are in Divine truths, may be seen just above.

[5] Again:

"I will not profane my covenant; and what is pronounced by my lips will I not change. Once have I sworn by my holiness that I will not lie unto David. His seed shall be to eternity, and his throne as the sun before me, as the moon to eternity, as a faithful witness in the clouds" (Psalms 89:34-37).

That these things are said of the Lord, is evident from the whole of the psalm; for His coming is there treated of, and afterwards the rejection of Him by the Jewish nation. That the Lord is there treated of, and that He is meant by David, is evident from these words in the same Psalm:

"I have found David my servant; with the oil of my holiness have I anointed him. I will set his hand also in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers. He shall call me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the rock of my salvation. I also will make him my first-born, higher than the kings of the earth. I will set his throne as the days of the heavens" (vers. 20, 25-27, 29).

By David, by anointed, and by king, as in other passages of the Psalms, the Lord is meant. This may be seen clearly by those who understand the Word spiritually, but obscurely by those who understand it only naturally. The same is clear in the same:

"Thy priests shall be clothed with justice, and thy saints shall sing for joy; for thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of thine anointed; there will I make the horn of David to bud: I will ordain a lamp for mine anointed, upon himself shall his crown flourish" (Psalm 132:9, 10, 17, 18).

Here also the Lord is meant by David and by anointed; for He is treated of in this Psalm; as is plain from what goes before, where it is said:

"He sware unto Jehovah, I will not give sleep to mine eyes until I find out a place for Jehovah, habitations for the mighty One of Jacob; lo, we have heard of it at Ephratah" (Bethlehem). "We will go into his habitations, we will worship at his footstool" (ver. 2, 4-7).

[6] In order that David might represent the Lord as to Divine truth, the Lord willed to be born of the house of David, and also to be called the son of Jesse; but when He put off the Human from the mother, and put on that from the Father, which is the Divine Human, He was then no longer David's son. This is meant by the words of the Lord to the Pharisees: Jesus said to the Pharisees,

"What think ye of the Christ? whose Son is he? They said unto him, David's. He saith unto them, How then doth David by the spirit call him Lord, saying, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand till I make thine enemies thy footsool? If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?" (Matthew 22:42-45; Luke 20:41-44).

That the Lord glorified His Human, that is, put off the human from the mother, and put on the Human from the Father, which is the Divine Human, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 293-295, 298-310.) Hence it is that He was not the son of David, just as He was not the son of Mary, whom therefore He did not call His mother, but "woman" as may be seen, Matthew 12:46-49; Mark 3:31 to the end; Luke 8:19-21; John 2:4, 19:25, 26. That the same is meant by the keys given to Peter as by the key of David - that the Lord has all power, and that He has this power by means of His Divine truth, will be seen in the article which now follows.