5149. 'And the birds were eating them out of the basket, from upon my head' means that falsity originating in evil would consume it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the birds' as intellectual concepts and also thoughts, and consequently the things which flow from them - in the genuine sense truths of every kind, and in the contrary sense falsities - dealt with in 40, 745, 776, 778, 866, 988, 7219; from the meaning of eating' as consuming (in the original language the verb to eat also denotes to consume); and from the meaning of 'the basket' as the will part of the mind, dealt with in 5144, 5146, in this case evil coming from the will part since the basket has holes in it, 5145. From this it follows that 'the birds were eating them out of the basket, from upon his head' means that falsity originating in evil would consume it.

[2] Falsity has two different origins, doctrine and evil. Falsity originating in doctrine does not consume any form of good, for a person can have such falsity in his mind and yet desire what is good, which is why people taught any kind of doctrine, including gentiles, can be saved. But falsity originating in evil is falsity which does consume good. Evil itself is opposed to good; yet it does not by itself consume any good but relies on falsity to do so. For falsity attacks the truths which are the defenders of good, those truths being so to speak the ramparts behind which good resides. Falsity is used to attack those ramparts, and once this has been done, good is given over to destruction.

[3] Anyone unacquainted with the fact that 'birds' means intellectual concepts will inevitably suppose that when mentioned in the Word the expression 'birds' is either used to mean birds literally or else is used, as in everyday speech, in a figurative sense. Except from the internal sense no one can know that 'birds' means things belonging to the understanding, such as thoughts, ideas, reasonings, basic assumptions, and consequently truths or falsities, as in Luke,

The kingdom of God is like a grain of mustard seed, which someone took and sowed in his garden, and it grew and became a big tree so that the birds of the air dwelt in its branches. Luke 13:19.

'The birds of the air' here stands for truths.

[4] In Ezekiel,

It will turn into a noble cedar, and under it will dwell every bird of every sort; ¹ in the shade of its branches they will dwell. Ezekiel 17:23.

'Bird of every sort' stands for truths of every kind. In the same prophet,

Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon. In its branches all the birds of the air made their nests, and under its branches every beast of the field brought forth, and in its shadow dwelt all great nations. Ezekiel 31:3, 6.

'The birds of the air' stands in a similar way for truths.

[5] In the same prophet,

Upon its ruin will dwell every bird of the air, and on its branches will be every wild animal of the field. Ezekiel 31:13.

'Bird of the air' stands for falsities. In Daniel,

Nebuchadnezzar saw in a dream. Behold, a tree in the midst of the earth; under it the beasts of the field had shade, and in its branches dwelt the birds of the air. Daniel 4:10, 12, 14, 21.

Here also 'the birds of the air' stands for falsities.

[6] In Jeremiah,

I looked, and behold, there was no man; and every bird of the air had flown away. Jeremiah 4:25.

'No man' stands for no good, 4287, 'the birds of the air which had flown away' for the fact that truths had been dispersed. In the same prophet,

From bird of the air even to beast they have flown away, they have gone away. Jeremiah 9:10.

Here the meaning is the same. In Matthew,

A sower went out to sow; and some fell on the pathway, and the birds came and devoured it. Matthew 13:3-4.

Here 'the birds of the air' stands for reasonings, and also for falsities. The same meaning may be seen in many other places.

Notas de rodapé:

1069. That 'he planted a vineyard' means a Church resulting from this, 'vineyard' being the spiritual Church, is clear from the meaning of 'a vineyard'. In the Word Churches are frequently described as 'gardens' and also as 'the trees of a garden', and are actually named such as well. They are so described from the fruits which the trees bear, which mean the things belonging to love or charity. Hence the saying that a man is known by his fruit. Comparisons of Churches to gardens, trees, and fruits have their origins in the representations in heaven, where also gardens of indescribable beauty are sometimes manifested in accordance with the spheres of faith. This also why the celestial Church was described as a paradisal garden containing trees of every kind. 'The trees of the garden' meant the perceptions of that Church, and 'the fruit' of every kind the goods that stem from love. The Ancient Church however, being spiritual, is described as 'a vineyard' on account of its fruit, namely grapes, which represent and mean charitable works. This is quite clear from many places in the Word, as in Isaiah,

[2] I will sing for My beloved a song of My beloved concerning his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a very fertile hill, ¹ and He enclosed it, and surrounded it with stones, and planted it with the choicest vine, and built a tower in the midst of it and also hewed out a winepress in it. And He looked for it to yield grapes, and it yielded wild grapes. And now, O inhabitant of Jerusalem and man of Judah, judge, I pray you, between Me and My vineyard. The vineyard of Jehovah Zebaoth is the house of Israel. Isaiah 5:1-3, 7.

Here 'a vineyard' means the Ancient, and so the spiritual, Church, which is referred to explicitly as 'the house of Israel', for 'Israel' in the Word means the spiritual Church, whereas 'Judah' means the celestial Church. In Jeremiah,

Again I will build you, and you will be built, O virgin of Israel! Again you will adorn yourself with your timbrels and will go forth in the dance of the merrymakers. Again you will plant vineyards on the mountains of Samaria. Jeremiah 31:4-5.

Here 'vineyard' stands for the spiritual Church, the subject being Israel, which, as stated, means the spiritual Church.

[3] In Ezekiel,

When I gather the house of Israel from the peoples, they will dwell securely upon the land, and they will build houses and plant vineyards. Ezekiel 28:15, 16.

Here 'vineyard' stands for the spiritual Church, which is Israel. 'Planting vineyards' stands for being furnished with truths and goods of faith. In Amos,

I smote you with blight and mildew; your very many gardens, and your vineyards, and your fig trees and your olive groves the locust will devour. Thus will I do to you, O Israel. Amos 4:9, 12.

'Gardens' stands for the things of the Church; 'vineyards' stands for the spiritual things of the Church, 'fig trees' for the natural things, 'olive groves' for the celestial things - and so for the things of the spiritual Church, which is Israel. In the same prophet,

I will bring again the captivity; of My people Israel, and they will build the ruined cities and inhabit them. And they will plant vineyards and drink their wine, and they will make gardens and eat their fruit. Amos 9:14.

'Planting vineyards' stands for the planting of the spiritual Church, and so 'a vineyard' stands for the spiritual Church, which is Israel.

[4] As 'a vineyard' means the spiritual Church so also does 'the vine', for the vine is part of the vineyard. They are as Church and member of the Church, and therefore have the same meaning. In Jeremiah,

Is Israel a slave? Is he a home-born [servant]? Why has he become a prey? I had planted you, a wholly choice vine, a seed of truth. How have you turned from Me into the degraded branches of a strange vine? Jeremiah 2:14, 21.

'Vine' stands for the spiritual Church, which is Israel. In Ezekiel,

Take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel Your mother was like a vine in your likeness, planted beside the waters, fruitful and full of branches by reason of many waters. Ezekiel 19:1, 10.

'Vine' stands for the Ancient spiritual Church, meant by 'mother', and so for Israel; hence also the expression 'in your likeness'. In Hosea,

Israel is an empty vine, it bears fruit like itself. Hosea 10:1.

'Vine' stands for the spiritual Church, or Israel, in this case a desolated Church. In the same prophet,

Return, O Israel, to Jehovah your God. I will be as the dew to Israel. Those dwelling under His shadow will return, they will give life to the grain, and they will blossom out as the vine, the memory of it will be as the wine of Lebanon. Hosea 14:1, 5, 7.

Here 'vine' stands for the spiritual Church, which is Israel. In Moses,

Until Shiloh comes . . . binding his colt to the vine, and the foal of his she-ass to a choice vine. Genesis 49:10-11.

This is a prophecy concerning the Lord. 'Vine' and 'choice vine' stand for spiritual Churches.

[5] The Lord's parables about workers in vineyards similarly meant spiritual Churches, Matthew 20:1-16; Mark 12:1-12; Luke 20:9-18; Matthew 21:33-44.

Since 'the vine' means the spiritual Church, and the chief thing of the spiritual Church is charity within which the Lord is present, by means of which He joins Himself to man, and by means of which He alone works everything good, the Lord therefore compares Himself to the vine, and describes the member of the Church, that is, describes the spiritual Church, in the following way in John,

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, but every one that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you cannot do anything. This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. John 15:1-5, 12.

From this it is clear what the spiritual Church is.

Notas de rodapé: