THE EXPLANATION of Isaiah Chapter 23

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

1. THE burden of Tyre. Howl, O you ships of Tarshish! for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no one entering in: from the land of Chittim it is made manifest unto them.

VERSES 1, 2. Tyre and Zidon were the ultimate borders of Philistia, and were near the sea; whence by "Tyre" are signified interior knowledges, and by "Zidon" exterior knowledges, and this of things spiritual, which also appears from the Word, as in Jeremiah:

"Because of the day that cometh to spoil all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Zidon every helper that remains; for Jehovah will spoil the Philistines, the remains of the island of Caphtor"; (Jeremiah 47:4),

where by the "Philistines" are signified the sciences of the knowledges of faith and charity; by "Tyre" the interior knowledges, and by Zidon the exterior knowledges of things spiritual.

So in Joel:

"What have you to do with Me, O Tyre and Zidon, and all the borders of Philistia? Because you have taken My silver and gold, and have carried into your temples My desirable good things"; (Joel 3:4, 5),

where "Tyre and Zidon" manifestly denote knowledges, and are called the "borders of Philistia"; for "silver and gold, and desirable good things, are knowledges.

So in Ezekiel:

"The princes of the north, all of them, and all the Zidonians, who have gone down with the slain. He shall be laid in the midst of the uncircumcised, with the slain with the sword, Pharaoh and all his company"; (Ezekiel 32:30, 32),

where the "Zidonians ' signify exterior knowledges, which, without internal, are nothing but mere scientifics; wherefore they are mentioned together with "Pharaoh", or Egypt, by whom are signified scientifics.

So in Zechariah:

"Hamath also shall have its border thereby; Tyre and Zidon, for he was very wise"; (Zechariah 9:2) speaking of Damascus; "Tyre and Zidon" denote knowledges.

So in Ezekiel:

"The inhabitants of Zidon and of Arvad were your mariners: your wise ones, O Tyre, that were in you, were your pilots"; (Ezekiel 27:8),

where "Tyre" denotes interior knowledges, wherefore her wise ones are called "pilots"; and "Zidon" denotes exterior knowledges, wherefore her inhabitants are called "mariners " [rowers], for such is the relation of interior knowledges to exterior.

So in Isaiah:

"The inhabitants of the island are silent; the merchants of Zidon, they that pass over the sea, have replenished you. And by great waters the seed of Sihor, the harvest of the river, was her revenue; and she was the mart of the nations. Be you ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea has spoken, even the fortress of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, nor brought forth children; neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins"; (Isaiah 23:2-4),

where "Zidon" denotes exterior knowledges, which, having nothing internal in them, are called "the seed of Sihor", "the harvest of the river, her revenue", "a mart of the nations", and also "the sea", and "the fortress of the sea".

It is said that "she does not travail, nor bring forth"; which expressions, in the literal sense, seem without meaning, but in the internal sense they have a clear signification, as is the case with other passages in the Prophets.

Because "Zidon" signifies exterior knowledges, it is called "they that are round about Israel", or the spiritual church; (Ezekiel 28:24, 26) for exterior knowledges are like things that are around. Arcana Coelestia 1201.

As to the knowledges of Truth and Good, and their indispensable necessity to the regeneration and salvation of man, see above, Chapter 17:1, the Exposition.

Verses 1-3. Howl, O you ships of Tarshish! for it [TyreJ is laid waste, etc. - The holy things of the church, which are here described, no one can know except from the internal sense. Every one knows that the holy things of heaven and the church are everywhere in the Word, and that it is from this that the Word is holy. In the sense of the letter the subject treated of is concerning the merchandise of Tyre and Zidon, which are not holy, without a more interior sense, which is holy.

But what, in this sense, is signified by the "merchandise of Tyro", will be evident when explained. The "ships of Tarshish" are the doctrinals of Truth and Good. "Tyre and Zidon" are the knowledges of Good and Truth; "no house, and no one entering in", signifies that there is no longer any Good, into which Truth can be implanted. "The inhabitants of the island who are silent", are the more remote goods; "the seed of Sihor" is scientific truth"; the harvest of the river [or the Nile], her revenue", is the good which is hence out of the church. Arcana Coelestia 9295.

Ships of Tarshish. - As to the spiritual signification of the "ships of Tarshish" see also above, Chapter 2:12-17, the Exposition.

Verses 1-5. The burden of Tyre; - the inhabitants of the island are silent; the merchants of Zidon, they that pass over the sea, have replenished you etc. - By "Tyre" and "Zidon" are signified the knowledges of Good and Truth, wherefore it is said "The merchants of Zidon, they that pass over the sea"; a "merchant" denoting one who procures to himself those knowledges and communicates them. That they procured to themselves nothing of Good and Truth thereby, is signified by "The sea has spoken, saying, I have not travailed, nor brought forth children; neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins"; for to "travail" and to "bring forth is to produce something from knowledges; "young men" are truths, and "virgins" goods. That thence the use of knowledges and of sciences would perish, is signified by these words, "As at the tidings out of Egypt, so shall they be seized with pain at the tidings of Tyre. Apocalypse Explained 275

Verses 1, 2, 4, 5, 6. Howl, O you ships of Tarshish! for it [Tyre] is laid waste, so that there is no house, no one entering in: from the land of Chittim it is made manifest unto them, etc. - The desolation of Truth in the church is described in these words; for by the "ships of Tarshish" are signified the knowledges of Good from the Word, and by "Tyre" the knowledges of Truth thence. That there is no good in consequence of there being no truths, is signified by "Howl, O you ships of Tarshish! for Tyre is laid waste, so that there is no house, no one entering in." That falsities then enter, until there are no more any goods of Truth and truths of Good in the natural man, is signified by "From the land of Chittim it is made manifest unto them, the inhabitants of the island are silent; the merchants of Zidon, they that pass over the sea, have replenished you." The "land of Chittim" signifies falsities; the "inhabitants of the island", the goods of Truth in the natural man, as was explained above; the "merchants of Zidon" signify knowledges from the Word; ''passing over the sea" means which are in the natural man; " who [that is, the merchants of Zidon] have replenished you", signifies those who have enriched you therewith. The devastation of Truth and of Good in the natural man is further described by "Be you ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea has spoken, even the fortress of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, nor brought forth children; neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins." By "Zidon", as well as by "Tyre, are signified the knowledges of Good and Truth in the church; By. "the sea, and the fortress of the sea", is signified the whole natural man, by I have not travailed, nor brought forth", is signified that there is not anything of the church conceived or generated; by "young men. are signified the affections of Truth, and by "virgins" the affections of Good. That this was the case in consequence of knowledges from the Lord, and confirming scientifics being applied to falsities and evils, is signified by "As at the tidings out of Egypt, so shall they be seized with pain at the tidings of Tyre." "Egypt signifies scientifics; "Tyre", knowledges from the Word, - in the present case, devastated by falsities and evils to which they are applied; and inasmuch as there is lamentation on account thereof, it is therefore said that "they shall be seized with pain. That all Good and Truth in the natural man would thus perish, is signified by "Pass you over to Tarshish; howl, O you inhabitants of the Island!" "Tarshish" signifies the interior goods and truths in the natural man; the "inhabitants of the island", the exterior goods and truths in the same; and to "howl", signifies grief by reason of devastation. Apocalypse Explained 406.

2.The inhabitants of the island are silent; the merchants of Zidon, they that pass over the sea, have replenished you.

3. And by great waters the seed of Sichor, the harvest of the river [Nile], was her revenue; and she was the mart of the nations.

Verse 2. The merchants of Zidon, etc. - The Lord likened the kingdom of heaven to a "merchant man", (Matthew 13:45) to teach us that "merchants", when mentioned in the Word, are those who procure to themselves the knowledges of Truth and Good, and thence intelligence and wisdom. By "pearls" are signified knowledges, and also truths themselves; and by "the pearl exceedingly precious", is signified the acknowledgement of the Lord. And by "the man selling all that he had", is signified to alienate all things which are of self-love; and by "buying it" is signified to procure to himself that divine Truth. Apocalypse Explained 480. See also Arcana Coelestia 2967, 5886; Apocalypse Revealed 726, 916.

Verses 2, 14. They that pass over the sea have replenished you; - your stronghold is laid waste, etc. - By the "ships of Tarshish " are understood doctrinals from the Word, for those ships carried "gold" and "silver", by which are signified goods and truths, and the knowledges thereof from the Word; and because by "Tyre" is signified the church as to the knowledges of Truth and Good, - in this passage, devastated, hence it is said "Howl, O you ships of Tarshish! for Tyre is laid waste. By "the inhabitants of the island" are understood those who are in the goods of life, according to their doctrinal principles. By "the merchants of Zidon" are signified those who are in Truths from the Word, concerning which it is said, that", they have replenished you." By "your stronghold", or fortress, is signified doctrine from the Word, which guards or protects [like a fortress]; and by its being laid waste is signified that there is no perception of it, and hence no Truth, for truths are falsified by ideas not just concerning them: Apocalypse Explained 514.

4. Be you ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea has spoken; even the fortress of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, nor brought forth children; neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins.

5. As at the tidings out of Egypt, so shall they be seized with pain at the tidings of Tyre.

6. Pass you over to Tarshish; howl, O you inhabitants of the island!

7. Is this your joyous [city], whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall bear her far away to sojourn.

Verse 4. The sea has spoken even the fortress of the sea, saying, I have travailed; etc. - By "the sea, and the fortress of the sea", is signified the natural principle, where the knowledges signified by Tyre and Zidon" are. That not any have been reformed by those knowledges, is signified by "I have not travailed, nor brought forth children"; and that there is consequently no understanding of Truth and no affectIon of Truth, is signified by "neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins." Apocalypse Explained 865.

8. Who has counselled this against Tyre, the crowning [city], whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honoured of the earth?

9. Jehovah of Hosts has counselled it; to pollute the pride of all [her] beauty; to make contemptible all the honoured of the earth.

10. Pass through your land, like a river, O daughter of Tarshish; the girdle is no more.

11. He has stretched out His hand over the sea; He has shaken the kingdoms: Jehovah has commanded concerning Canaan, that they should destroy her strong places.

Verse 8. Who has counselled this against Tyre, the crowning [city], whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honoured of the earth!

Again in Ezekiel:

"All the ships in the sea were for the trading of your trading; Tarshish was your trader in silver, iron, tin and lead; they gave your markets. Javan, Tubal, and Meshch, these were your merchants, with the soul of man and vessels of brass they gave your trading. The sons of Dedan were your merchants; many islands, the merchants of your hand. Syria was your trader with chrysoprasus. But your wealth and your tradings, your markets, and they who trade your trading, shall fall into the heart of the seas in the day of your fall." (Ezekiel 27:1, to the end.)

Who cannot see that by the "tradings" and "merchandise" there mentioned are not understood tradings and merchandise, for what has the Word, which in itself is divine and celestial and teaches man concerning God, heaven, and the church, concerning eternal life, and the like, in common with such things?

Hence it may be evident to every one that all the particular things there mentioned signify things spiritual, which appertain to heaven and the church, not only the names of the places with which the tradings were transacted, but also the particular merchandise thereof. But to expound all the particulars in the spiritual sense would be too prolix in this place; it is sufficient for the present purpose that it be known that the "tradings" there mentioned signify the acquisitions and communications of the knowledges of Truth and Good, and that the "merchandise", or wares, signify those knowledges themselves which are multifarious. Apocalypse Explained 840.

The crowning city. - A "crown" signifies wisdom, intelligence, and eternal felicity, as may be seen from those passages in the Word where "crown" is mentioned. Apocalypse Explained 125, 152, 195.

[It hence follows that Tyre is called a "crowning city", because all intelligence and wisdom come from the knowledge of revealed Truth, or the Word, and from their right application.]

Verses 1, 10, 13, 17. Howl, O you ships of Tarshish! from the land of Chittim it is made manifest unto them, etc. - That neither the ships of Tarshish, nor Tyre, nor the land of Chittim, nor the land of the Chaldeans, nor the Assyrian, are here understood, may appear from every particular thing contained in this chapter. But by the "ships of Tarshish" are understood the knowledges of Truth and Good, and likewise by "Tyre", by the "land of Chittim", what is idolatrous; by the "land of the Chaldeans", the profanation and destruction of Truth; and by the "Assyrian", ratiocination from falsities.

Hence it is evident what is signified by the "ships of Tarshish howling because Tyre is devastated", namely, that there are no more any knowledges of Truth.

That "it shall be made manifest unto them from the land of Chittim", signifies that what is idolatrous is from thence.

"The girdle is no more" signifies that there is no more coherence of Truth with Good. "To the land of the Chaldeans", signifies that so there is profanation and destruction of Truth.

"The Assyrian has laid the foundation into heaps", signifies that ratiocination from falsities has destroyed. To "return to her meretricious gain", and to "commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the earth that are upon the face of the ground", signifies falsification of all the Truths of the church. Apocalypse Explained 304.

12. And He bath said, You shalt rejoice no more, O you oppressed virgin, the daughter of Zidon! Arise, pass over to Chittim; even there you shalt have no rest.

Verse 12. O you oppressed virgin, the daughter of Zidon! - As to the meaning of "daughter" and "virgin", see above, Chapter 16:2. Exposition.

The girdle is no more. - For the spiritual signification of a "girdle", see Chapter 3:18-25; 11:5, the Exposition.

13. Behold the land of the Chaldeans! this is not a people; the Assyrian has laid the foundation into heaps: they raised the watchtowers, they set up the palaces thereof; this people has reduced her to a ruin.

14. Howl, you ships of Tarshish: for your stronghold is laid waste.

Verse 13. Behold the land of the Chaldeans! this is not a people.

"The land of the Chaldeans: this is not a people", signifies falsities.

"The Assyrian has founded it [into heaps]" for reasonings; "watchtowers" here signify phantasies. Arcana Coelestia 1368.

15. And it shall be in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: at the end of seventy years it shall be to Tyre as the song of a harlot.

16. Take the harp, go about the city, O harlot forgotten; strike sweetly the harp; multiply the song, that you mayest be remembered.

Verses 15, 10. At the end of seventy years it shall be to Tyre as the song of a harlot, etc.

By "Tyre" is signified the church as to the knowledges of spiritual Truth and Good, as was said above - in this case, the church in which those knowledges are falsified. A "harlot" signifies the falsification of Truth, as may be seen above, Apocalypse Explained 141;. and by "taking the harp, going about the city, playing sweetly", etc., the exultation and boasting of the false over the destruction of Truth. Apocalypse Explained 323.

As to the spiritual signification of a "harlot" and of "fornication", so often mentioned in the Prophets, see above, Chapter 1:21, the Exposition.

Verses 15, 17. Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one King, etc. - That all numbers in the Word are significative, and that they signify things, see Arcana Coelestia 1963, 1988; and that numbers multiplied signify the same with the simple ones from which they are compounded, see Arcana Coelestia 5291, 5335.

Thus "seventy" the same as "seven" [only in greater fulness]. That "seventy" denotes an entire period, thus a full state, is evident from the following passages.

"Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one King: at the end of seventy years it shall be unto Tyre as the song of a harlot; and it shall be at the end of seventy years that Jehovah will visit Tyre." (Isaiah 24:15, 17)

"Seventy years" denote an entire period from beginning to end, [In this case, the entire period of the devastation of Tyre.]

"According to the days of one King" signifies the state of Truth within the church; for " days" are states, Arcana Coelestia 6505, and "King" is Truth, Arcana Coelestia 1672, 2015.

Everyone who well considers this passage, may see that by "Tyre" is not meant Tyre, and that without the internal sense it cannot be understood what it is for "Tyre to be forgotten, or to be given to oblivion seventy years", and what it is for this to be "according to the days of one King."

See also Jeremiah 25:11, 12; 29:10; and Daniel 9:24; where it is plain that "seventy years" and "seventy weeks" signify a full or complete state of the subject treated of, [and not seventy years or weeks in a literal sense.] Arcana Coelestia 6508.

As to the spiritual signification of the number "seven" see above Chapter 4:1, the Exposition.

["One King" does not signify any one given king, but the number "one", like the number "seventy", has its spiritual meaning, and signifies what is perfect, entire, and genuine. (Apocalypse Explained 374)

Thus "Tyre shall be forgotten, or given to oblivion seventy years according to the days of one King", implies that Tyre, or that state of the church which perverts the knowledges of what is True and Good from the Word, would be destroyed as to the states of all genuine Truth; "days": signifying states, "one" what is genuine and perfect, and "King" Truth.

That the number "one" does not signify numerically one, is evident from what is said in Psalm 27:4 :

"One [thing] have I desired", etc., which is a genuine or perfect state of worship, denoted by the things which follow, namely, - "That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the Lord, and to inquire in His temple."

Again, when the Lord says, "One [thing] you lack", (Mark 10:21), He did not mean simply one thing, but a perfect state of love to God and of charity to his neighbour, denoted by the things which follow, namely, "That he should sell what he had", that is, renounce his proprium and deny himself; "give to the poor", a life of charity; and "come and follow Him", to acknowledge and worship the Lord; - by which his state would become one, that is, genuine and perfect.]

17. And it shall be at the end of seventy years, that Jehovah will visit Tyre: and she shall return to her meretricious gain; and she shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the earth that are upon the face of the ground.

Verses 17, 18. And it shall be at the end of seventy years, that Jehovah will visit Tyre, etc.

"Tyre", in the Word, is the church as to the knowledges of Truth and Good, the "meretricious gain" denotes the same knowledges applied to evils and falsities by perversion; her ''merchandise" is the selling thereof; to "commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the earth", denotes with all the truths of the church.

The reason why it is said that "her merchandise and her meretricious gain shall at length be holy to Jehovah", is because thereby are signified knowledges of Truth and Good by them applied to falsities and evils, and man, by the knowledges themselves, viewed in their true nature and quality; may become wise; for knowledges are the means of becoming wise, and they are also the means of becoming insane, when they are falsified by applications to evils and falsities.

Similar things are signified where it is said that "they should make to themselves friends of the unjust mammon"; (Luke 16:9) and by its being commanded that "the sons of Israel should borrow from the Egyptians gold, silver, and raiment, and take them away with them"; (Exodus 3:21, 22; 12:35, 36) for by the "Egyptians" are signified scientifics of every kind, which they applied to falsify truths. Apocalypse Explained 141.

The knowledges of what is True and Good from the Word, signified by "Tyre", are called "meretricious gain" when they are taught for for the sake of gain, honour and fame; for in this way they are, as it were, sold, and are not taught for the sake of Truth itself. This, in the Word, is called "meretriciousness and whoredom." To "commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the earth", is thus to act with all the truths of the church; "upon the faces of the ground", signifies wheresoever the church is." Arcana Coelestia 10570.

18. But her merchandise and her meretricious gain shall be holy to Jehovah: it shall not be treasured up, nor shall it be kept in store; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before Jehovah, for food sufficient, and for clothing [as of] old.

Verse 18. But her merchandise and her meretricious gain shall be holy to Jehovah, etc. - The "merchandise" and "meretricious gain" are the knowledges of what is Good and True from the Word applied to evil uses. That these knowledges should be given to the good who apply them to good uses, is meant by "her merchandise being for them that dwell before Jehovah, for food sufficient, and for clothing themselves as of old." The case is this: the knowledges of what is Good and True, with the evil, are applied to evil uses; and the same knowledges, with the good, are, applied to good uses. The knowledges are the same, but the application of them to uses makes their quality, whether good or bad, with each individual. These knowledges, as spiritual treasures, are like worldly riches, which by one person are applied to good uses, and by another to evil uses. Hence it is that riches, with each person, are of such a nature as the uses to which they are applied. From this it is clear that the same knowledges, like the same riches, which were in the possession of the evil, can be in the possession of the good, and be made subservient to good uses. Hence it may be seen what was represented by the command that "the sons of Israel should borrow of the Egyptians vessels of gold and of silver", etc., (Exodus 11:2, 3) and should thus spoil or rob them. Such robbing would never have been commanded by Jehovah, unless it had represented in the spiritual world such things, namely, the taking away, at the time of Judgment, of the treasures of knowledge from the evil, and transferring them to the good. Thus the Lord says, in respect to the wicked servant" Take therefore the talent from him, and give it to him that has ten talents; for unto everyone that has shall be given, and he shall have abundance; but from him that has not shall be taken away even that which he has." (Matthew 25:28, 29) Arcana Coelestia 7770.

The merchandise of Tyre shall before them that dwell before Jehovah, for food sufficient, etc. - By the "merchandise of Tyre" are signified the knowledges of Good and Truth of every kind; to "dwell before Jehovah" signifies to live from the Lord; to have "food sufficient" signifies to receive, perceive, and appropriate the knowledges of Good sufficiently for the nourishment of the soul; to "clothe himself as of old" [or, with what is ancient], signifies to imbibe the knowledges of genuine Truth; for to cover is predicated of truths, because "garments" signify truths, "clothing" good, and "old" [or ancient] is predicated of what is genuine, inasmuch as genuine Truths were with the ancients. Apocalypse Explained 617. See also above, in respect to "the kings of antiquity", Chapter 19:11, the Exposition.

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Isaiah Chapter 23.

1. THE burden of Tyre. Howl, O you ships of Tarshish! for it is laid waste, so that there is no house, no one entering in: from the land of Chittim it is made manifest unto them.

2. The inhabitants of the island are silent; the merchants of Zidon, they that pass over the sea, have replenished you.

3. And by great waters the seed of Sichor, the harvest of the river [Nile], was her revenue; and she was the mart of the nations.

4. Be you ashamed, O Zidon: for the sea has spoken; even the fortress of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, nor brought forth children; neither have I nourished young men, nor brought up virgins.

5. As at the tidings out of Egypt, so shall they be seized with pain at the tidings of Tyre.

6. Pass you over to Tarshish; howl, O you inhabitants of the island!

7. Is this your joyous [city], whose antiquity is of ancient days? her own feet shall bear her far away to sojourn.

8. Who has counselled this against Tyre, the crowning [city], whose merchants were princes, whose traders were the honoured of the earth?

9. Jehovah of Hosts has counselled it; to pollute the pride of all [her] beauty; to make contemptible all the honoured of the earth.

10. Pass through your land, like a river, O daughter of Tarshish; the girdle is no more.

11. He has stretched out His hand over the sea; He has shaken the kingdoms: Jehovah has commanded concerning Canaan, that they should destroy her strong places.

12. And He bath said, You shalt rejoice no more, O you oppressed virgin, the daughter of Zidon! Arise, pass over to Chittim; even there you shalt have no rest.

13. Behold the land of the Chaldeans! this is not a people; the Assyrian has laid the foundation into heaps: they raised the watchtowers, they set up the palaces thereof; this people has reduced her to a ruin.

14. Howl, you ships of Tarshish: for your stronghold is laid waste.

15. And it shall be in that day, that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king: at the end of seventy years it shall be to Tyre as the song of a harlot.

16. Take the harp, go about the city, O harlot forgotten; strike sweetly the harp; multiply the song, that you mayest be remembered.

17. And it shall be at the end of seventy years, that Jehovah will visit Tyre: and she shall return to her meretricious gain; and she shall commit fornication with all the kingdoms of the earth that are upon the face of the ground.

18. But her merchandise and her meretricious gain shall be holy to Jehovah: it shall not be treasured up, nor shall it be kept in store; for her merchandise shall be for them that dwell before Jehovah, for food sufficient, and for clothing [as of] old.

9295. This second feast, which was called 'the feast of the harvest of the firstfruits of works', also 'of the firstfruits of wheat' as well as 'the feast of weeks', means the planting of truth in good. This is clear from the establishment of it, spoken of in Moses as follows,

Say to the children of Israel, When you have come into the land which I am giving you, and you reap its harvest, you shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest to the priest, who shall wave the sheaf before Jehovah, so that you may be acceptable; on the day after the sabbath the priest shall wave it. And you shall offer on that day a he-lamb ¹ as a burnt offering, also a minchah and a drink-offering. But you shall not eat bread or parched ears or green ones until that very day. After this you shall count for yourselves from the day after the sabbath, from the day you bring the sheaf of the wave-offering, seven sabbaths shall there be complete. Until the day after the seventh sabbath you shall count fifty days, and offer a new gift to Jehovah. You shall bring from your dwellings the bread of the wave-offering; it shall be baked with yeast, as firstfruits to Jehovah. Besides the bread you shall offer seven lambs, one young bull, and two rams, as a burnt offering, together with their minchah and drink-offering. Leviticus 23:10-21; Deuteronomy 16:9-12.

[2] No one can know what the meaning is of these details except from their internal sense. In that sense the seeds which are sown in the field are truths of faith which are planted in good. Harvest means their growing ripe when forms of good develop from them; for wheat and barley are forms of good, and ears containing them are truths accordingly linked to good. A sheaf is an ordered sequence and bringing together of such truths; for the truths have been arranged into sheaf-like groups. Waving means giving life to, for truths with a person are not living ones until they are rooted in good. The priest who waved the sheaf, that is, who gave life to forms of the good of truth, represented the Lord; for He is the Source of life in its entirety. Doing this on the day after the sabbath meant the holiness of goodness and truth joined together. Their not being permitted before then to eat bread, parched ears, or green ones meant not making the life of good their own before then, bread being the good of love, parched ears the good of charity, green ones the good of truth, and eating making one's own. The requirement that from then seven sabbaths were to be counted until the feast, which therefore was held on the fiftieth day, meant a complete planting of truth in good until the first phase of a new state. Bread made with yeast which was offered then meant good not as yet completely purified. The waving of it meant giving it life. The burnt offering of the lambs, young bull, and rams, together with minchah and drink-offerings meant worship of the Lord that has all the essential characteristics of that good. These are the things that are meant by this feast and what happened then. And from all this it is evident that a second state in deliverance from damnation was meant, which was a state when truth was planted in good.

[3] Since this feast was called the feast of the firstfruits of harvest one needs to know what 'harvest' means in the Word. In a broad sense 'the field' that contains the harvest means the whole human race or the whole world, in a less broad sense the Church, in a narrower sense a member of the Church, and in an even narrower sense the good present in a member of the Church since this good receives the truths of faith as the field receives seeds. From the meaning of 'the field' it is evident what 'harvest' means. That is to say, in the broadest sense it means the state of the whole human race in respect of its reception of good through truth, in a less broad sense the state of the Church in respect of the reception of the truths of faith in good, in a narrower sense the state of a member of the Church in respect of that reception, and in a still narrower sense the state of good in respect of the reception of truth, and so the planting of truth in good.

[4] All this shows what 'harvest' means in the following places, as in Matthew,

He who sows the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the seed is the sons of the kingdom; the tares are the sons of the kingdom of the evil one; ² the enemy who sows them is the devil; but the harvest is the close of the age, while the harvesters are the angels. Matthew 13:37-39.

'The good seed' is the truths of faith received from the Lord; 'the Son of Man' is the Lord in respect of the Church's truths; 'the world' which 'the field' stands for is the entire human race; 'the sons of the kingdom' whom 'the seed' stands for are the Church's truths of faith; 'the sons of the kingdom of the evil one' whom 'the tares' stand for are the Church's falsities of faith; 'the devil' whom 'the enemy' stands for and who sows them is hell; 'the close of the age' which 'the harvest' stands for is the final state of the Church in respect of the reception of the truths of faith in good; and 'the angels' whom 'the harvesters' stand for are truths from the Lord. That such things are meant by those words spoken by the Lord may be recognized from their internal sense indicated throughout this explanation of them. All this also shows the manner in which the Lord spoke when He was in the world, namely by the use of images that carried a spiritual meaning, and the reason why He did so was in order that the Word might exist not only for the world but also for heaven.

[5] In Revelation,

An angel came out of the temple, crying with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, Thrust in ³ your sickle and reap, for the hour of harvesting has come for you; for the harvest of the earth has become dry. The one sitting on the cloud therefore thrust ⁴ his sickle into the earth, and the earth was harvested. Revelation 14:15-16.

'The harvest' here also stands for the final state of the Church in respect of the reception of the truths of faith in good. In Joel,

The priests have been mourning, the ministers of Jehovah. The field has been devastated, the land has been mourning because the grain has been laid waste, the new wine has failed, the oil languishes. Farmers have been put to shame, vinedressers have wailed over the wheat and over the barley, for the reason that the harvest of the field has perished. Joel 1:9-11.

This describes the ruination of the Church in respect of truths of faith and forms of the good of charity by means of such things as belong to the field, vineyard, and olive-grove. The Church itself is 'the field', and its final state, which the Lord called 'the close of the age', is 'the harvest'.

[6] In the same prophet,

Send out the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down, for the winepress is full, the vats overflow - for great is their wickedness. Joel 3:13.

Here also 'the harvest' means the close of the age or final state of a Church laid waste. In Jeremiah,

Cut off the sower from Babel, and the one handling the sickle in the time of harvest. Jeremiah 50:16.

In the same prophet,

The daughter of Babel is like a threshing-floor; it is time to thresh her. Only a little while, and the time of harvest comes [to her]. Jeremiah 51:33.

'The time of harvest' stands for the final state of the Church there.

[7] In Isaiah,

Wail, O ships of Tarshish! For Tyre has been laid waste, so that there is no house nor anyone to go in. The inhabitants of the island are silent, O merchant of Sidon passing over the sea; they have replenished you. And through the great waters the seed of Shihor is the harvest of the Nile, her produce, to be the merchandise of nations. Isaiah 23:1-3.

The holy things of the Church that are described in these verses cannot be known to anyone except from the internal sense. Everyone knows that the holy things of heaven and of the Church are present throughout the Word, and that for this reason the Word is holy. The literal sense of those verses describes things connected with the commerce of Tyre and Sidon, but without a holy and more internal sense those descriptions are not holy. What their meaning is in this more internal sense is evident if they are brought to the surface. 'Ships of Tarshish' are doctrinal teachings about truth and good; 'Tyre and Sidon' are cognitions or knowledge of goodness and truth; 'no house, so that there is not anyone to go in' means that there is no longer any good in which truth can be planted; 'the inhabitants of the island who are silent' are more remote forms of good; 'the seed of Shihor' is true factual knowledge; and 'the harvest of the Nile, her produce' is good resulting from that knowledge, outside the Church.

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