10402. Tear off the golden earrings that are in the ears of your women, of your sons, and of your daughters. That this signifies the drawing out from the sense of the letter of the Word of such things as favor external loves and the principles thence derived, is evident from the signification of “tearing off,” as being to draw out, here from the sense of the letter of the Word, because this is the subject treated of; from the signification of “the golden earrings that were in their ears,” as being representative tokens of obedience and of the noticing of the delights of external loves; for by the “ears” is signified obedience and noticing; by “gold,” the good of love, here the delight of external loves, wherefore golden earrings are representative tokens of these loves. (That by the “ears” is signified obedience and noticing, see n. 2542, 4652-4660, 8990, 9397, 10061; and that by “gold” is signified the good of love, n. 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881.) Therefore when it is predicated of external loves, which are the loves of self and of the world, by “gold” is signified the delight of these loves, thus evil (n. 8932); and that from this “earrings” are representative tokens of obedience and of noticing, see n. 4551. From the signification of “women,” as being the goods of the church (n. 3160, 4823, 6014, 7022, 8337), consequently in the opposite sense its evils (n. 409); from the signification of “sons,” as being truths, and in the opposite sense falsities (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373, 3704, 4257, 6583, 6584, 9807); and from the signification of “daughters,” as being the affections of truth and good, and therefore in the opposite sense the affections of falsity and evil (see n. 2362, 3963, 6729). From this it is evident that by, “tear off the golden earrings that are in the ears of your women, of your sons, and of your daughters,” is signified the drawing out from the literal sense of the Word of such things as are noticed to obey or favor the delights of external loves and the principles thence derived.

[2] That earrings are tokens of obedience and of noticing is evident in Hosea:

Strive with your mother, for she is not My wife, that she may put away her whoredoms from her faces, lest perchance I strip her naked, and make her as a wilderness, and have no pity on her sons. For she said, I will go after my lovers, that give me my bread and my waters, my wool and my flax. For she had not known that I gave her the grain, and the new wine, and the oil, and multiplied unto her the silver; and the gold they made into a baal. And I will lay waste her vine and her fig-tree; and I will visit upon her the days of the baals to which she burned incense, and put on her earring and her adornment, and went after her lovers, and forgot Me (Hos. 2:1-13);

“to burn incense, and to put on an earring to the baals,” denotes to worship the baal gods and to obey them.

[3] The things that precede in this chapter have also been adduced to the end that it may thereby be known what is the nature of the external sense of the Word without the internal, and what it is together with the internal, thus in what manner those perceive the Word who are in externals without an internal, and in what manner those perceive it who are in externals from an internal. Those who are in externals separate from what is internal cannot apprehend these words otherwise than according to the letter, which is, that they should strive with the mother of the sons of Israel, that she was no longer loved by Jehovah as a wife, and that if she put not away her whoredoms from her she would be stripped naked and be made as a wilderness, and Jehovah would have no pity on her sons, because she said that she would go after her lovers who give her bread and water, wool and flax, and that she knew not that Jehovah gave her grain, wine, and oil, and multiplied her silver, that they made gold into a baal; and that on this account her vine was laid waste and her fig-tree, and that it will be visited upon her because she burned incense to the baals, and put on her earring and adornment, and went after her lovers or adulterers, forgetting Jehovah.

[4] This is the sense of the letter, and so is the Word understood by those who are in externals without what is internal, for so it is understood by the Jews at this day, and also by some Christians. But that this is not the sense of the Word can be seen by all those who are in some enlightenment. When these persons, by the “mother” of whom all those things are said, do not understand a mother, but the church, such as it was with that nation, they then comprehend that something of the church is signified by all the particulars which are said of her (for these are such as follow in order from the first thing said, or from the first subject); as by “whoredoms,” by “lovers,” by “sons,” and by “bread,” “water,” “wool,” “flax,” “grain,” “new wine,” “oil,” “silver,” “gold,” and by “vine and fig-tree,” and likewise by “incense” and by “earring.”

[5] What each of these things signifies cannot be known from any other source than the internal sense, in which by “mother” and “wife” is signified the church; by “making her naked, and as a wilderness,” is signified to be without the goods of love and the truths of faith. The truths of faith and the goods of love, of which she shall be bereaved, are signified by “sons,” by “bread and water,” by “wool and flax,” by “grain,” “new wine,” “oil,” “silver,” “gold,” and finally by “vine and fig-tree.” The worship itself from obedience to falsities and evils, which succeed in the place of truths and goods, is signified by “burning incense and putting on her earring and adornment for the baals.” (That “mother” denotes the church, see n. 289, 2691, 2717, 4257, 5581; also a “wife,” n. 252, 253, 409, 749, 770, 7022; that “to be made naked” denotes to be deprived of the goods of love and the truths of faith, n. 9960; that a “wilderness” denotes a state devoid of the truth and good of the church, n. 2708, 3900, 4736, 7055; that “whoredoms” denote falsifications of truth, n. 2466, 2729, 4865, 8904, consequently “lovers” denote those who falsify; that “sons” denote truths and in the opposite sense falsities, n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373, 3704, 4257, 6583, 6584, 9807; that “bread and water” denote the good of love and the truth of faith, n. 9323; that “wool” denotes good in the external man, n. 9470; “flax” truth therein, n. 7601, 9959; “grain” the good from which is truth, n. 5295, 5410, 5959; “new wine” the truth thence derived, n. 3580; and “oil” celestial good, n. 9780, 10261; that “silver” denotes truth, and “gold” good in general, n. 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9881; that a “vine” denotes the internal spiritual church, n. 1069, 6376, 9277; and a “fig-tree” the external good of this church, n. 217, 4231, 5113; that “to burn incense” denotes worship, n. 10177, 10298; and that an “earring” is a representative token of obedience, n. 4551; consequently “to put it on” denotes to obey.)

[6] When these things are understood instead of the literal statements, or together with them, it is then apparent what is the nature of the Word when it is spiritually perceived, thus what its nature is in respect to its spirit. In this sense all who read the Word are kept by the Lord, but it is not received by any except those with whom the interiors have been opened; and as it is received in knowledges, therefore it is received according to their understanding, in the degree and in the manner that this can be enlightened by means of the knowledges they have. Besides this, they are affected in a general way with the holy influence that comes from the Word.

3900. Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo here is the Christ, or there; believe it not;

signifies an exhortation to beware of their doctrine. “The Christ” is the Lord as to Divine truth, and hence as to the Word and as to doctrine from the Word. That here the contrary is meant, namely, Divine truth falsified, or the doctrine of falsity is evident. (That “Jesus” is Divine good, and “Christ” Divine truth, may be seen above, n. 3004, 3005, 3008, 3009.)

[2] For there shall arise false Christs and false prophets;

signifies the falsities of that doctrine. That “false Christs” are doctrinal things from the Word falsified, or truths not Divine, is manifest from what has been said just above (see also n. 3010, 3732 at the end); and that “false prophets” are those who teach such falsities (n. 2534). In the Christian world they who teach falsities are especially those who have as their end their own pre-eminence, and the riches of the world; for they pervert the truths of the Word in their own favor; for when the love of self and of the world is the end, nothing else is thought of. These are “false Christs and false prophets.”

[3] And they shall give great signs and wonders;

signifies things that confirm and persuade from external appearances and fallacies, by which the simple suffer themselves to be led astray. That this is “giving signs and wonders,” will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be shown elsewhere.

[4] To lead astray if possible even the elect;

signifies those who are in the life of good and truth, and are consequently with the Lord. These are they who in the Word are called the “elect.” In the company of those who veil over profane worship with what is holy, such are rarely seen; or if seen, they are not known; for the Lord hides them, and thus protects them. For before they have been confirmed they suffer themselves to be easily led away by external sanctities; but after they have been confirmed they remain steadfast, being kept by the Lord in the company of angels, without knowing it; and it is then impossible for them to be led astray by that wicked crew.

[5] Behold, I have told you before;

signifies an exhortation to prudence, that is, to beware; for they are among false prophets, who appear in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves (Matthew 7:15). The “false prophets” are the sons of the age, who are more prudent in their generation (that is, more crafty) than the sons of light (as described in Luke 16:8). For which reason the Lord exhorts them in the words, “Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves; be ye therefore prudent as serpents and simple as doves” (Matthew 10:16).

[6] If therefore they shall say unto you, Behold He is in the desert, go not forth; Behold He is in the inner chambers, believe it not;

signifies that what they say about truth, and what they say about good, as well as many other things, are not to be believed. That this is what is signified, no one can see except the man who is acquainted with the internal sense. That a mystery is contained in these words may be known from the fact that the Lord spoke them, and that without any other sense more interiorly hidden the words amount to nothing-namely, that if they should say that the Christ was in the desert they were not to go forth; and if they should say that He was in the inner chambers, they were not to believe it. But it is vastated truth that is signified by the “desert;” and vastated good by the “inner chambers,” or secret recesses. The reason why vastated truth is signified by the “desert,” is that when the church is vastated (that is, when there is no longer any Divine truth in it, because there is no longer any good, or love to the Lord and charity toward the neighbor), it is then said to be a “desert,” or to be in a “desert;” for by a “desert” or “wilderness” is meant whatever is not cultivated or inhabited (n. 2708); also whatever has little life (n. 1927), as is then the case with truth in the church. This shows that the “desert” here is a church in which there is no truth.

[7] But the “inner chambers,” or secret recesses, in the internal sense signify the church as to good, and also simply good. The church that is in good is called the “house of God.” The “inner chambers,” and the things within the house, are goods. (That the “house of God” is Divine good; and a “house” in general, the good of love and charity, may be seen above, n. 2233, 2234, 2559, 3142, 3652, 3720.) The reason why that which men say about truth, and what they say about good, is not to be believed, is that they call falsity truth, and evil good; for they who regard themselves and the world as their end, understand nothing else by truth and good than that they themselves are to be adored, and are to receive benefits; and if they breathe forth piety, it is that they may appear in sheep’s clothing.

[8] Moreover, as the Word spoken by the Lord contains innumerable things within it, and as “desert” or “wilderness” is a word of wide signification, for all that is called a “wilderness” which is not cultivated and inhabited, and all interior things are called “inner chambers,” therefore by a “desert” is also signified the Word of the Old Testament, because this is regarded as abrogated; and by “inner chambers” the Word of the New Testament, because this teaches interior things, or those which concern the internal man. So also the whole Word is called a “desert,” because it no longer serves for doctrinal things; and human institutions are called “inner chambers,” which, because they depart from the precepts and institutes of the Word, make the Word to be a “desert.” This is also known in the Christian world; for they who are in holy external and in profane internal worship, for the sake of innovations which look to their pre-eminence over all and their opulence above all as the ends in view, abrogate the Word, and this so far as not even to permit it to be read by others. And although they who are not in such profane worship hold the Word to be holy, and permit it to be among the people, they nevertheless bend and explain all things therein in favor of their doctrinal matters, which causes the rest of what is in the Word, and which is not in accordance with their doctrinal matters, to be a “desert.”

This may be sufficiently evident from the case of those who make salvation to consist in faith alone, and hold in contempt the works of charity. All that the Lord Himself has spoken in the New Testament, and so many times in the Old, concerning love and charity, they make as a “desert;” and all the things that belong to faith without works, they make as “inner chambers.” It is manifest from this what is signified by the words, “If they say unto you, Behold He is in the desert, go not forth; Behold He is in the inner chambers, believe it not.”

[9] For as the lightning cometh forth from the east, and appeareth even unto the west, so shall also the coming of the Son of man be;

signifies that it was with the internal worship of the Lord as with lightning, which is instantly dissipated. For by the “lightning” is signified that which is of heavenly light, and thus that which is preached about love and faith, because these are of heavenly light. In the supreme sense the “east” is the Lord; and in the internal sense, the good of love, of charity, and of faith from the Lord (see n. 101, 1250, 3249). But the “west” in the internal sense is that which has gone down or has ceased to be; thus it signifies no acknowledgment of the Lord, nor of the good of love, charity, and faith; and so the lightning that cometh out of the east and appeareth even unto the west denotes dissipation. The coming of the Lord is not according to the letter, that He is to appear again in the world; but it is His presence in everyone; and this exists whenever the gospel is preached and what is holy is thought of.

[10] For wheresoever the carcass is, there will the eagles be gathered together;

signifies that confirmations of falsity by means of reasonings will be multiplied in the vastated church. When the church is without the good and consequently without the truth of faith (that is, when it has been vastated), it is said to be “dead,” for its life is from good and truth; and hence when dead it is compared to a “carcass.” Reasonings concerning goods and truths that make these out to be nothing except insofar as they are apprehended, and confirmations of evil and falsity thereby, are the “eagles,” as is evident from that which now follows. That the “carcass” here is the church devoid of the life of charity and faith, is manifest from the words of the Lord in Luke, where He speaks of the consummation of the age:

The disciples said, Where Lord? (that is, the consummation of the age, or the Last Judgment). And He said unto them, Where the body is, thither will the eagles also be gathered together (Luke 17:37).

“Body” here stands in place of “carcass,” for it is a dead body that is meant, and it signifies the church; for that the Judgment was to commence from the house of God or from the church, is evident from various passages in the Word. This is what is signified in the internal sense by the Lord’s words now adduced and unfolded. That they are in a most beautiful series, although this does not appear in the sense of the letter, must be evident to anyone who contemplates them in their connection according to the explication.