9294. And the feast of the harvest of the firstfruits of thy works, which thou sowedst in the field. That this signifies the worship of the Lord and thanksgiving on account of the implantation of truth in good, is evident from the signification of “a feast,” as being the worship of the Lord and thanksgiving (of which above, n. 9286, 9287); from the signification of “the harvest,” as being the fruitification of truth, and thus the implantation of it in good; from the signification of “the first fruits,” or the beginnings of the works, as being those things which are the last of instruction and the first of life (of which below); from the signification of “sowing,” as being instructing (n. 9272); and from the signification of “the field,” as being the church as to good, thus the good of the church (n. 2971, 3500, 3766, 7502, 9139, 9141). From all which it is evident that by “the feast of the harvest of the firstfruits of thy works which thou hast sown in the field,” is signified the worship of the Lord and thanksgiving on account of the implantation of truth in good.

[2] That these things are signified by this feast, is evident from what was said above (n. 9286), namely, that three feasts were instituted on account of the liberation of man from damnation, thus on account of his regeneration; for by regeneration man is liberated from hell and introduced into heaven. And therefore the first feast, which was called “the feast of unleavened things,” signifies purification from falsities; consequently this second feast signifies the implantation of truth in good; and the third feast, the implantation of good. For during man’s regeneration he is first purified from the falsities which spring from the evil of the loves of self and of the world, which is effected by his receiving instruction concerning evil, hell, and damnation, and also concerning good, heaven, and eternal happiness; and by his thus suffering himself to be withheld from doing, willing, and thinking evils. When the soil has been thus prepared, then the truths of faith are sown, for before this they are not received. But the truths which are sown must be implanted in good, because they have no soil anywhere else, nor can they strike root anywhere else. They are implanted in good when the man wills the truth, loves it, and does it. This state of regeneration, or of liberation from damnation, is signified by this feast, which is called “the feast of the harvest of the first fruits of thy works;” for “harvest” signifies truths producing good.

[3] When truths have been implanted in good, the man is no longer led of the Lord by means of truths, but by means of good, which is effected when he wills good and does good from the affection of love, that is, from charity. This state of regeneration, or of liberation from damnation, is signified by the third feast, which is called “the feast of ingathering.”

[4] These three feasts were also called “the feast of the passover,” “the feast of weeks,” and “the feast of tabernacles” (see Exodus 34:18-23; Leviticus 23; Deuteronomy 16:1-17). Similar things to those represented by these three feasts were represented by the bringing out of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt, by their introduction into the land of Canaan, and by their dwelling there. For by the bringing out of the sons of Israel from the land of Egypt the like was represented as by the first feast, which was called “the passover.” That this is so may be seen from what has been shown concerning the passover (n. 7093, 7867, 7995); for the bringing out of the sons of Israel, on account of which this feast was instituted, signified the liberation of those who were of the spiritual church from the falsities whereby they were infested (n. 7240, 7317, 9197).

[5] And by the introduction of the sons of Israel into the land of Canaan the like was represented as by this second feast, which was called “the feast of the firstfruits of works,” and also “the feast of weeks,” namely, the implantation of truth in good; for “the land of Canaan” denotes the church in respect to good, thus the good of the church (n. 1607, 3038, 3481, 3686, 3705, 4240, 4447, 4517, 5136, 6516); and abstractedly from persons “the sons of Israel” denote spiritual truths (n. 5414, 5879, 5951).

[6] The like was represented by the dwelling of the sons of Israel in the land of Canaan as by the third feast, which was called “the feast of the ingathering of the fruits of the earth, and of the ingathering from the threshing-floor and the wine-press,” called also “the feast of tabernacles,” namely, the implantation of good, and therefore life in heaven. From all this it is now evident why the three feasts were instituted, namely, that it was for the sake of the bringing out from hell of the human race, that wishes to receive new life from the Lord, and their introduction into heaven. This was effected by the Lord through His coming into the world.

7093. That they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness. That this signifies that from a glad mind they may worship the Lord in the obscurity of faith in which they are, is evident from the signification of “holding a feast,” as being worship from a glad mind (of which presently), that it is the Lord to whom they were to hold the feast, and who is here meant by “Me,” or by “Jehovah,” may be seen above, n. 7091; and from the signification of a “wilderness,” as being the obscurity of faith (n. 2708, 7055). (That they who are of the spiritual church are relatively in obscurity of faith, see n. 2708, 2715, 2716, 2718, 2831, 2849, 2935, 2937, 3241, 3246, 3833, 6289, 6500, 6945)

[2] The reason why “holding a feast” signifies worship from a glad mind, is that the feast was to be held at a way of three days from Egypt, thus in a state of no infestation by falsities, that is, in a state of liberty; for he who is being liberated from falsities and from the distress in which he then is, from a glad mind gives thanks to God; thus “holds a feast.” Moreover, the feasts which were instituted with that people, and which were three every year, are likewise said to have been instituted in memory of their liberation from slavery in Egypt; that is, in the spiritual sense, in memory of liberation from infestation by falsities, through the Lord’s coming into the world. Therefore it was also commanded that on those occasions they should be glad, as is manifest in Moses in regard to the feast of tabernacles:

In the feast of tabernacles, they shall take on the first day the fruit of the tree of honor, spathes ¹ of palm-trees, and a branch of a dense tree, and willows of the torrent; and ye shall be glad before Jehovah your God seven days (Leviticus 23:40);

[3] by “the fruit of the tree of honor, spathes ¹ of palm-trees, a branch of a dense tree, and willows of the torrent,” is signified joy from good and truth from man’s inmost to his external. The good of love, which is inmost, is signified by the “fruit of the tree of honor;” the good of faith by the “spathes ¹ of palm trees;” the truth of memory-knowledge, by the “branch of a dense tree;” and sensuous truth, which is most external, by the “willows of the torrent.” These things could not have been ordered to be taken without a reason from the spiritual world, which reason cannot possibly appear to anyone except from the internal sense.

[4] That they were to be glad in the feast of weeks is also evident in Moses:

Thou shalt make the feast of weeks to Jehovah thy God, and thou shalt be glad before Jehovah thy God, thou and thy son, and thy daughter, and thy manservant, and thy maidservant, and the Levite who is in thy gates (Deuteronomy 16:10-11); by these words also, in the internal sense, is signified gladness from good and truth from the inmost to the external.

[5] That there was to be gladness in the feasts, and thus that “to hold a feast” is to worship from a glad mind, is also plain from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

Ye shall have a song as in the nights when a feast is hallowed (Isaiah 30:29).

In Nahum:

Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! Keep thy feasts, O Judah, render thy vows; for Belial shall no longer pass through thee; he is wholly cut off (Nah. 1:15).

In Zechariah:

The fasts shall be to the house of Judah for joy and for gladness, and for good feasts; only love ye truth and peace (Zech. 8:19).

In Hosea:

I will cause all her joy to cease, her feast, her new moon (Hos. 2:11).

And in Amos:

I will turn your feasts into mourning, and all your songs into a lament (Amos 8:10).

[6] That “to hold a feast” denotes worship from a glad mind, because they had been liberated from servitude in Egypt, that is, in the spiritual sense, because they had been liberated from infestation by falsities, is manifest from the feast of the passover. This was commanded to be celebrated yearly on the day when they went forth out of Egypt, and this on account of the liberation of the sons of Israel from servitude, that is, on account of the liberation of those who are of the spiritual church from falsities, thus from damnation; and as the Lord liberated them by His coming, and lifted them up with Him into heaven when He rose again, therefore this was also done at the passover. This is likewise signified by the Lord’s words in John:

Now is the judgment of this world, now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all unto Me (John 12:31-32).

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