815. (Verse 11) And I saw another beast coming up out of the earth. That this signifies confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word in favour of faith separated from life, and thence falsifications of the truth of the church, is evident from the signification of the two beasts treated of in this chapter, as denoting what confirm those things that are signified by the dragon, for by the dragon is chiefly signified faith alone (as may be seen above, n. 714). And by the beast ascending out of the sea are signified reasonings from the natural man confirming the separation of faith from life (as may be seen also above, n. 774). By this beast therefore are signified confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word in favour of faith separate from life, and thence falsifications of the truth of the church. That the dragon is further described by these two beasts is evident from verses 2, 4, 11, of this chapter.

There are also two means by which any heretical dogma may be confirmed - reasonings from the natural man, and confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word; these two means therefore are signified by these two beasts. The reason why by the former beast are signified reasonings from the natural man is, that by the sea, out of which that beast ascended, is signified the Natural of man; but the reason why by this beast are signified confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word is, that by the earth, out of which he ascended, is signified the church where the Word is. That the falsifications of the Word are also signified by this beast is, that the Word can never confirm any false dogma, unless it be itself falsified. For all things in the Word are truths; therefore all truths can be confirmed from the Word, but falsities not at all; as is very evident from what has been said above, and will be evident from what remains to be said in this chapter.

[2] Because above (n. 785), passages have been quoted from the Word where works, deeds, working, and doing, are mentioned, we will now bring forward passages where faith and believing are mentioned, but these from the Gospels only, and not from the Epistles of the Apostles, because in the Gospels are the Lord's own words, all of which contain a spiritual sense, by which there is immediate communication with heaven; but in the writings of the Apostles there is no such sense, although they are books that are useful to the church.

[3] The passages where faith and believing are mentioned in the Gospels are the following:

In Matthew:

There came a centurion to the Lord, saying, "Lord, I am not fit that thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed. Jesus hearing, wondered, and said to them that followed him, Verily, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith in Israel. And he said unto the centurion, Go thy way; and as thou hast believed, be it done unto thee; and his servant was healed in that hour" (8:8, 10, 13).

The reason why the Lord healed this person and others according to their faith was, that the first and primary [thing] of the church then to be established was, that they should believe the Lord to be God Almighty, for without that belief no church could have been established. For the Lord was the God of heaven and the God of earth with whom no conjunction is possible except by the acknowledgment of His Divinity, which acknowledgment is faith. That the centurion acknowledged the Lord as God Almighty is evident; for he said, "I am not fit that thou shouldest come under my roof; but speak the word only, and my servant shall be healed."

[4] In the same:

"A woman labouring with an issue of blood, touched the hem of" Jesus' "garment; for she said within herself, If I may only touch the hem of his garment, I shall be healed. Jesus turning about and seeing her, said, Daughter, be of good comfort, thy faith hath made thee whole; and she was healed in that hour" (9:20-22).

Again:

"They brought unto him a paralytic lying upon a bed. Jesus, seeing their faith, said unto the paralytic, Be of good comfort, thy sins are remitted; arise, take up thy bed, and go to thine house" (9:2-7; Luke 5:19-25).

In the same:

"Two blind men cried, saying, Have mercy upon us, thou Son of David; Jesus said unto them, Believe ye that I am able to do this? They say unto him, Yea, Lord: then he touched their eyes, saying, According to your faith, be it unto you; and their eyes were opened" (9:27-29).

By this faith, whereby the sick were healed, no other faith is meant than that which is called historical, this being also at that time miraculous. By that faith therefore many then performed miracles. The faith was, that the Lord was Almighty because He was able to perform miracles of Himself; therefore He also allowed Himself to be worshipped, which was not the case with the prophets of the Old Testament, who were not worshipped. But this historical faith in all cases precedes before it becomes saving faith. Historical faith becomes saving in a man, when he learns truths from the Word, and lives according to them.

[5] In the same:

A woman of Canaan, whose daughter was troubled by a demon, "came and worshipped" Jesus, "saying, Lord help me: Jesus said unto her, Great is thy faith; be it unto thee as thou wilt: and her daughter was healed" (15:22-28).

In John:

"A ruler, whose son was sick," entreated Jesus to heal his son before he died. "Jesus said unto him, Go thy way, thy son liveth: and the man believed in the word which Jesus said unto him, and his servants met him, saying, Thy son liveth; therefore he believed, and his whole house" (4:46-53).

In the same:

"Jesus finding the man born blind, whom he healed, said unto him, Believest thou then in the Son of God? He answered him and said, Who is he, Lord, that I may believe in him? He said unto him, Thou also hast seen him, and he who speaketh with thee, is he; he said, Lord, I believe; and he worshipped him" (9:35-38).

In Luke:

Jesus said to the ruler of the synagogue, whose daughter was dead, "Fear not, only believe, and she shall be made whole," and she rose up (8:50, 55).

In the same:

One of the ten lepers that were healed by the Lord returned, he was a Samaritan, and fell upon his face at the feet of Jesus; and Jesus "said unto him, Arise, go thy way; thy faith hath made thee whole" (17:19).

In the same:

Jesus said to the blind man, "Thy faith hath made thee whole; and immediately his sight was restored" (18:42, 43).

In Mark:

Jesus said to the disciples when they were unable to heal a certain man's son who had a dumb spirit; to whom Jesus said, "If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth; the father of the child crying out with tears, said, Lord, I believe, help thou mine unbelief"; and he was healed (9:17, 23, 24).

There were three reasons why faith in the Lord healed them. The first was that they acknowledged His Divine Omnipotence, and that He was God. The second was, that faith is acknowledgment, and from acknowledgment comes intuition; and all intuition from acknowledgment causes another to be present, which is a common thing in the spiritual world. In this case, therefore, the intuition was from the acknowledgment of the Lord's Omnipotence. And it was from this acknowledgment that they were first of all to have an intuition of the Lord, when a new church was to be established by Him. Hence it is evident, what is meant there by faith. The third reason was, that all the diseases which the Lord healed, represented and thence signified spiritual diseases, to which natural diseases correspond; and spiritual diseases cannot be healed except by the Lord, and indeed by looking to His Divine Omnipotence, and by repentance of life. Therefore also He sometimes said,

"Thy sins are forgiven thee; go and sin no more."

This faith was also represented and signified by their miraculous faith. But the faith whereby spiritual diseases are healed by the Lord, is only possible by truths from the Word, and by a life according to them, the truths themselves and the life according to them constituting the quality of the faith. Upon this subject, however, more will be said in what follows.

[6] In John:

The sister of Lazarus, who was now dead, said to Jesus, Lord, by this time he stinketh: Jesus saith unto her, "Said I not unto thee, if thou wouldst believe thou shouldst see the glory of God" (11:39, 40).

In Luke:

"Jesus said to the woman who was a sinner, and who made his feet wet with her tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head, and kissed his feet, which she also anointed with oil, Thy sins are remitted thee; thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace" (7:38, 48, 50).

From these words also it is evident, that faith in the Lord's Omnipotence healed them, and also that the same faith remitted, that is, removed, their sins. The reason was that the woman not only had faith in the Lord's Divine Omnipotence, but also loved Him; for she kissed His feet, and therefore the Lord said, Thy sins are remitted thee; thy faith hath made thee whole. For faith causes the Divine of the Lord to be present, and love conjoins. For it is possible for the Lord to be present and not conjoined; it is evident therefore that faith from love saves.

[7] Again:

Jesus said to the disciples in the ship, "Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith; then he arose, and rebuked the wind and the sea, and there was a great calm" (Matthew 8:26; Mark 4:39, 41; Luke 8:24, 25).

Peter, at the bidding of Jesus, descended out of the ship, and walked upon the waters; but when the wind became boisterous, "he feared greatly, and, beginning to sink, cried out, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and said, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" (Matthew 14:28-31).

When the disciples could not heal the lunatic, Jesus said unto them, "O faithless and perverse generation, how long shall I be with you?" And Jesus healed him. And he told the disciples, that they could not heal him by reason of their unbelief (Matthew 27:14, and following verses).

Jesus came into his own country, and they were there "offended in him, he said, A prophet is not without honour save in his own country, and in his own house. And he did not many mighty works there, because of their unbelief" (Matthew 13:57, 58).

The reason why the Lord called the disciples men of little faith when they could not perform miracles in His name, and why He could not perform miracles in His own country on account of their unbelief was, that the disciples did indeed believe the Lord to be the Messiah or Christ, the Son of God, and the prophet of whom it was written in the Word. They did not yet, however, believe in Him as God Omnipotent, and that Jehovah the Father was in Him; and so far as they believed Him to be a man, and not at the same time God, His Divine, to which Omnipotence belonged, could not be present with the disciples by faith. For faith causes the Lord to be present, as said above; but faith in Him, as a man only, does not cause His Divine Omnipotence to be present. This also is the reason why those cannot be saved, who, at this day in the world, look to His Human only and not at the same time to His Divine; as is the case with Socinians and Arians.

[8] It was for a similar reason that the Lord could not perform miracles in His own country, for they there saw Him from infancy, as any other man; and therefore they could not attach to this the idea of His Divinity; and if this idea is not present, the Lord is indeed present in a man, but not with Divine Omnipotence; for it is faith that causes the presence of the Lord in man according to the nature of the perception concerning Him. Other things a man does not acknowledge, and so he rejects them. For, in order that the Lord may accomplish any thing in man by faith, His Divine must be present in man, and not out of Him.

In John:

"Many of the people believed on" Jesus; "and said, When Christ cometh, will he do more miracles than these which this man hath done?" (7:31).

In Mark:

"These signs shall follow them that believe; In my name they shall cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick and they shall recover. They went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following" (16:17-20).

[9] That it is a miraculous and not a saving faith which is there meant is evident also from this fact, that the Jewish nation believed in Jehovah only on account of His miracles. For they were external men; and these are moved to Divine worship only by external things, such as miracles, and these strike their minds. A miraculous faith was also the primary faith with those among whom a new church was to be established; and it is also the primary faith with all in the Christian world at this day, therefore the miracles performed by the Lord were described, and are also preached. For the primary faith with all is a historical faith, which afterwards becomes saving when a man by his life becomes spiritual. For it is first of all to be believed, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that He is omnipotent, omnipresent, omniscient, infinite, and one with the Father. It is necessary that these things should be known; and so far as they are mere knowledge, they are historical; and historical faith causes the Lord to be present, because it is an intuition of the Lord from the nature of His Divinity. But still that faith does not save, until a man lives the life of faith, which is charity; for he then wills and does what he believes. And to will and to do pertains to the love; and Him whom faith causes to be present love conjoins. What those miracles which the disciples were to do signified, and those which were done by them in the beginning of the church, as the casting out of demons, speaking with new tongues, and others, may be seen above (n. 706).

[10] In Matthew:

"Jesus said, Verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say to this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you" (17:14-20).

In Mark:

"Have the faith of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatever he saith. Therefore I say unto you, All things whatsoever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them" (11:22, 23, 24).

In Matthew:

Jesus said unto the disciples, "If ye have faith, and doubt not, ye shall not only do this which is done to the fig-tree; but also if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. Indeed all things whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing" in me "ye shall receive" (21:21, 22).

In Luke:

"If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, and shall say unto this sycamine tree, Be thou plucked up by the root, and be thou planted in the sea; and it shall obey you" (17:6).

That these things are not to be understood according to the words, is evident from this, that it was said to the disciples, that if they had faith as a grain of mustard seed, they would be able to pluck up mountains and sycamine trees, and cast them into the sea; also that all things whatsoever they asked they should receive; when, nevertheless, it is not of Divine Order that every one should receive whatever he asks, if he only has faith; also that they should pluck up a mountain and a tree from their place, and cast them into the sea. But by faith here is meant faith from the Lord; therefore it is called the faith of God. And those who are in faith from the Lord ask for nothing but what conduces to the Lord's kingdom and their own salvation. Other things they do not desire; for they say in their hearts, "Why should we ask for anything that is not of such use?" Wherefore it is not possible to have the faith of God, or faith from the Lord, in asking any thing but what it is granted them from the Lord to ask. Indeed it is impossible for the angels of heaven to desire, and consequently to ask, any thing else; and if they did, they could not possibly believe that they would receive it.

The reason why the Lord compared such faith to the ability and power of casting a mountain or a sycamine tree into the sea was, that the Lord in this, as well as in other parts of the Word, spoke by correspondences; therefore those words are also to be understood spiritually. For by a mountain is signified the love of self and of the world, thus the love of evil; and by a sycamine tree the faith of that love, which is a faith of falsity from evil. And by the sea is signified hell. Therefore by plucking up a mountain, and casting it into the sea by the faith of God, is signified to cast those loves - in themselves diabolical - into hell; and similarly the faith of falsity from evil; this is effected by faith from the Lord. A further reason of this comparison of the ability and power of faith from the Lord with plucking up and casting a mountain and a sycamine tree into the sea is, that in the spiritual world such things actually take place; for there those loves of evil sometimes appear as mountains, and the faith of falsity from evil as a sycamine tree. An angel can, by faith from the Lord, root up both and cast them into hell. That by a mountain is signified love to the Lord, and, in the opposite sense, the love of self, may be seen above (n. 405, 510); and that the fig-tree, or sycamine, signifies the natural man as to the goods and truths therein; and, in the opposite sense, the same as to evils and falsities, may be seen above (n. 403).

[11] So far concerning miraculous faith. It remains now to adduce some passages from the evangelists concerning saving faith, which is the faith of truth from love to the Lord.

In John:

"As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so also must the Son of man be lifted up, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life. He who believeth in him, is not judged, but he who believeth not, is already judged, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (3:14-19).

In the same:

"The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand; he who believeth in the Son hath eternal life, but he who believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him" (3:35, 36).

In the same:

"Unless ye believe that I am he, ye shall die in your sins (8:24).

In the same:

"They said unto" Jesus, "What shall we do that we may work the works of God? Jesus answering said, This is the work of God, that ye believe in him whom the" Father "hath sent. I am the bread of life; he who cometh to me shall not hunger, and he who believeth in me shall never thirst. This is the will of him who sent me, that every one who seeth the Son, and believeth in him, may have eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. No one hath seen the Father, save he who is with the Father, He hath seen the Father: verily I say unto you, he who believeth in me, hath eternal life; I am the bread of life " (6:28, 29, 33, 35, 36, 40, 46-48).

In the same:

Jesus said, "He who heareth my word and believeth him who sent me, hath eternal life, and shall not come into judgment, but is passed from death into life; verily I say unto you, that the hour cometh, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live; even as the Father hath life in himself, so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself" (5:24-26).

In the same:

"Jesus cried saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me and drink; whosoever believeth in me, as the Scripture saith, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water; these things said he of the spirit, which they who believe in him should receive" (John 7:37-39).

In the same:

"Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; but whosoever liveth and believeth in me, shall never die" (11:25-27).

In the same:

"Jesus cried and said, He who believeth in me, believeth not in me but in him that sent me; I am come a light into the world, that every one who believeth in me may not abide in darkness: and if any one hear my words, and yet believe not, I do not judge him; he who despiseth me; and doth not receive my words, hath one that judgeth him, the word which I have spoken, shall judge him at the last day" (12:44-48).

In the same:

"As long as ye have the light, believe in the light, that ye may be the children of light" (12:36).

In the same:

"Let not your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in me" (14:1).

In the same:

"As many as received Jesus, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe in his name" (1:12).

In the same:

"Many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did" (2:23).

In the same:

"These things are written that ye may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name" (20:31).

In Mark:

Jesus said unto his disciples, "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be condemned" (16:15, 16).

In these and other passages saving faith is described, which is to believe in the Lord; and to believe in Him is also to believe in the Father; because He and the Father are one. By believing in the Lord is signified not only to adore and worship Him, but also to live from Him. And a man lives from Him when he lives according to the Word which is from Him. Therefore, to believe in Him is to believe that He regenerates man, and gives eternal life to those who are regenerated by Him.

[12] What is signified by believing in Him is also signified by believing in His name. For the name of the Lord signifies all the quality of faith and love by which He is to be worshipped, and by which man is saved by Him. The reason why this is signified by His name is, that no other names are given to persons in the spiritual world than those that are expressive of the quality of their affection and life; whence the quality of every one is known from his name alone. Hence when the name of any one is pronounced by another, and the quality which is understood by the name is loved, he then becomes present, and they are conjoined as companions and brethren. But the quality of the Lord is everything of faith and love, by which He saves man; for this quality is the essence which proceeds from Him. Consequently, when this quality is thought of by man, the Lord is then present with him, and when it is loved, the Lord is then conjoined to him. This is why those who believe in His name have eternal life. It is evident therefore how necessary it is that a man should know the quality of faith and love, which is the Lord's name; and should love that quality; this is effected by the doing of those things which the Lord commanded.

The names Jesus and Christ also involve that quality. For Jesus signifies salvation, and Christ or Messiah signifies Divine truth; which comprehends everything of faith and love as to knowledges, doctrine, and life. When therefore those names are mentioned, their quality should be thought of, and the life framed according thereto. This is meant by the words of the Lord in Matthew:

Jesus said, "If two of you shall agree in my name upon earth concerning any thing whatsoever ye shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father who is in the heavens; for where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (18:19, 20).

The presence of the Lord is indeed with all, and also His love is towards all; but still a man cannot be led and saved by the Lord, except according to his reception of the Lord, by love and faith towards Him.

[13] From these things also it is further evident, how necessary it is for a man to know the quality of that faith and love which is the name of the Lord, and also to love that quality; for the Lord cannot be loved except through His quality. That the Lord and not the Father, is to be approached, and is to be worshipped, according to the quality of the faith and love which is laid down in the Word, the Lord Himself teaches, saying,

That no one hath ever seen the Father, but that the Son brings him forth to view (John 1:18).

Then that no one cometh to the Father but by him (John 14:6).

As also because the Father and he are one (John 10:30).

Wherefore to approach the Father and not the Lord, is to make two out of one, and so to worship the Divine outside the Lord, which notwithstanding is in Him. In this way, also, the idea of the Lord's Divinity perishes with man. From these things the truth is again evident,

"That he who believeth in the Son hath eternal life" (John 3:36).

[14] That to believe in the Lord is to believe in the Father, the Lord Himself also teaches in John:

"He who believeth in me, believeth not in me but in him that sent me; and he that seeth me, seeth him that sent me" (12:44, 45).

By these words is meant, that he who believes in the Lord, does not believe in Him separate from the Father, but also in the Father; therefore it is added, "He who seeth me, seeth him that sent me."

Also in another passage in John:

"Believe in God, believe in me" (John 14:1).

In the same:

Believest thou not, Philip, "that I am in the Father and the Father in me? believe me, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me: verily I say unto you, he that believeth in me, the works which I do, he shall do also, because I go to my Father" (14:10-12).

In the same:

"In that day ye shall ask in my name; and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you. For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came forth from God. I came forth from the Father, and am come into the world: and again, I leave the world and go to the Father. His disciples said unto him, By this we believe that thou camest forth from God" (16:26-28, 30).

To come forth from the Father signifies to be conceived of Him; and to go to the Father signifies to be fully united to Him. That to come forth from the Father denotes being conceived of Him, is quite clear from what is said in Matthew concerning the Lord's conception (1:18-25); and in Luke (1:34, 35). And that to go to the Father denotes being fully united to Him, is clear from the glorification of His Human by the passion of the cross, of which we have spoken above. Therefore it is said,

"In that day ye shall ask in my name," and no more in the name of the Father.

[15] In the same:

Jesus said unto Thomas, "Because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed; blessed are they that do not see, and believe." And Thomas said, "My Lord and my God" (John 20:28, 29).

Because the Lord was now fully united to the very Divine which is called the Father, therefore Thomas calls him his Lord and his God.

Similarly elsewhere in the same:

"Say ye of him whom the Father hath sanctified and sent into the world, Thou blasphemest, because I said, I am the Son of God? If I do not the works of my Father, believe me not; although ye believe not me, believe the works, that ye may know and believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father" (10:36-38).

That the Jews did not believe, is clear in John 5:14-47; 10:24-26; 12:37-49; Matthew 21:31, 32. The reason of their incredulity was, that they wanted a Messiah who should exalt them to glory above all the nations of the earth, and because they were altogether natural and not spiritual; also because they had falsified the Word, especially where it treats of the Lord and themselves. That these were the causes of their unbelief is also evident from the faith of the Jews at this day, who are altogether natural, and scarcely know, or wish to know, anything about the Lord's kingdom in the heavens. That neither would they in the Christian world at this day believe that the Lord is one with the Father, and thence the God of heaven and earth, is meant by the Lord's words in Luke:

"When the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?" (18:8).

But on this subject, the Lord willing, we shall treat elsewhere.

403. As a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken by a mighty wind. That this signifies, which the natural man has laid waste by his reasonings, is plain from the signification of a fig-tree, as denoting the natural man, of which we shall speak presently; from the signification of its untimely figs, as denoting those things that are in the natural man, these being especially the knowledges implanted in the natural man from infancy, and are not yet mature, having been merely heard and thence received; and from the signification of, shaken by a mighty wind, as denoting, which the natural man has laid waste by reasonings. To be shaken by a mighty wind here signifies reasonings from the falsities of evil; for mighty in the Word is said of good and evil; wind, of truth and falsity; and to be shaken thereby, of reasoning thence. The reason why such things are signified by these words, although they are said comparatively, is, that all comparisons in the Word are significative, just as other things, for they are equally correspondences. With respect to these things, the case is this: every man is born natural from his parents, but becomes spiritual from the Lord; this is called to be born again, or regenerated. And because he is born natural, therefore the knowledges he imbibes from infancy, before he becomes spiritual, are implanted in his natural memory. But as he advances in years, and begins to view rationally the knowledges of good and truth he has imbibed from the Word or from preaching, if he then leads an evil life, he seizes upon and examines the falsities that are the opposite of and contrary to these knowledges; then as he is gifted with a talent for reasoning, he reasons from falsities against the knowledges of his infancy and childhood, and as a result these are cast out, and falsities succeed in their place. This, therefore, is what is signified by, "The stars shall fall to the earth, as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken by the wind."

[2] That the fig-tree signifies the natural man is from correspondence; for in heaven gardens and paradises appear, where there are trees of every kind, and every tree signifies something of the Divine, which is communicated to angels from the Lord. In general, the olive signifies the celestial which is of the good of love; the vine, the spiritual which is of the truth from that good; and the fig-tree, the natural, which is derived from the spiritual or the celestial. And because those trees signify such things, therefore they also signify the angel or man with whom such things exist; but in a general sense they signify a whole society, because every society in the heavens is formed so as to present the image of one man. But in the spiritual sense those trees signify the church; the olive, the celestial church; the vine, the spiritual church; and the fig-tree, the natural church, which is the external church corresponding to the internal. From these considerations it is evident why it is that the fig-tree is said to signify the natural man, that is, the Natural in man.

[3] That the fig-tree signifies this, and, in general, the external church, is also clear from other passages in the Word, where it is mentioned, as from the following. In Isaiah:

"All the host of the heavens shall be consumed, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all the host thereof shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as that which falleth from the fig-tree" (34:4).

These things are said concerning the day of the Last Judgment, which was about to come, and also came. For the Last Judgment predicted by the prophets of the Old Testament, was accomplished by the Lord when He was in the world; and because similar things then took place as in the Last Judgment, which was predicted in the Apocalypse, and which has at this day been accomplished by the Lord, therefore nearly similar things are said. As in the prophet Isaiah, that, all the host of the heavens shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as that which falleth from the fig-tree, also that the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll. In the Apocalypse, that the stars shall fall unto the earth, as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, and that the heaven shall depart as a scroll rolled together. That all the host of the heavens shall be consumed, signifies that all the goods and truths of love and faith have been corrupted; for by the host of the heavens are meant all the goods and truths of love and faith; the sun, moon, and stars, by which those things are signified, being called the host of the heavens. The heavens being rolled together as a scroll, signifies their dissipation; that all the host shall fall down as the leaf from the vine, and as that which falleth from the fig-tree, signifies the laying waste from the falsities of evil.

[4] In Jeremiah:

"In consuming I will consume them; there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf shall fade" (8:13).

There being no grapes on the vine signifies that there is no spiritual good; for the vine signifies the spiritual man, and the grape, because it is its fruit, signifies the good of that [man], which is called spiritual good; nor figs on the fig-tree, signifies that there is no natural good, for the fig-tree signifies the natural man, and the fruit of the fig-tree signifies the good of that [man], which is called natural good. That the vine does not signify the vine, nor the fig-tree the fig-tree, is evident, for it is said, "In consuming I will consume them, there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree," for they will not on that account be consumed. The vastation of the church is also treated of, as clearly appears from what precedes and follows there.

[5] In Hosea:

"I will also make all her joy to cease, her feast, her new moon, her sabbath. And I will devastate her vine and her fig-tree, whereof she hath said, These are the rewards of my whoredom; and I will make her a forest, and the wild beast of the field shall devour" (2:11, 12).

The churches are here treated of, and the falsification of truth therein. That it is said concerning the church, is clear from the second verse of this chapter, where it is said, contend with your mother; for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband. By a mother and by a wife is signified the church; the holy things of the church also, from which worship is performed, and the worship itself, are signified by the feast, the new moon, and the sabbath, which shall cease; therefore by, "I will devastate her vine and her fig-tree," is signified that both spiritual good and natural good would perish. That they shall be made a forest, and the wild beast of the field shall devour, signifies that both shall be merely natural, and that the spiritual shall be consumed by falsities and lusts; the forest signifying the merely natural, and the wild beast of the field, falsities and lusts. And inasmuch as falsities in the church are especially falsified truths, and these are treated of in this chapter, therefore it is said, "whereof she hath said, These are the rewards of my whoredom," the rewards of whoredom signifying falsification.

[6] In Joel:

"A nation shall come up upon my land, strong, and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it hath the great grinding teeth of a lion. It hath reduced my vine to a waste, and my fig-tree to froth; the branches thereof are made white. The vine is dried up, and the fig-tree languisheth; the pomegranate-tree, and also the palm-tree, and the apple-tree, all the trees of the field are withered" (1:6, 7, 12).

In this whole chapter the devastated church is treated of; and by the nation, which comes up upon the land, which is strong and without number, which has the teeth of a lion, and the great grinding teeth of a lion, is not signified any nation of such a kind, but direful evil and the falsity thence. By the land upon which it comes up, is signified the church; by the teeth of a lion are signified the falsities of that evil; and because these destroy all the goods and truths of the church, they are called the great grinding teeth of a lion; a lion signifying that which destroys. Hence by, "He hath reduced my vine to a waste, and my fig-tree to froth," is signified that the church internal and external is thereby vastated; for the vine signifies the internal church, and the fig-tree the external; froth signifies where there is inwardly no truth; and by, "in making it bare he has made it bare, and cast it away," is signified that there is no longer any good or truth which is not destroyed; to make bare, namely, of fruits and leaves, denotes to deprive of goods and truths; and to cast away denotes entirely to destroy. By, "the branches thereof are made white," is signified, that there is no longer anything spiritual. By the pomegranate, the palm, and the apple, and all the trees of the field which are withered, are signified species of goods and truths of the church, and the knowledges thereof, which are consummated by evils and falsities; the trees of the field, in general, signifying the knowledges of good and truth.

[7] In the same:

"Be not afraid, ye beasts of my fields; for the dwelling-places of the wilderness are made grassy, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine shall yield their strength" (2:22).

The establishment of the church is here treated of; therefore by the beasts of the field are not meant beasts of the field, but the affections of good in the natural man, consequently, those with whom such affections are. Who does not see that they are not beasts to whom it is said, "Be not afraid, ye beasts of my fields?" By, "the dwelling-places of the wilderness are made grassy," is signified that with such there will be knowledges of truth where there were none before; the dwelling-places of the wilderness denoting the interiors of the mind of those in whom they did not exist before; grassy signifies the increase and multiplication thereof; "for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine shall yield their strength," signifies that they have natural good and spiritual good, for strength here denotes the production of fruit.

[8] In Amos:

"Your many gardens, and your vineyards, and your fig-trees, and your olive-trees, the canker-worm hath devoured; yet have ye not returned unto me" (4:9).

By gardens are signified all things of the church that constitute intelligence and wisdom; by vineyards, spiritual goods and truths; by fig-trees, natural goods and truths; by olive-trees, celestial goods and truths; the canker-worm denotes the falsity which destroys; the fig-tree, the vine, and the olive, properly signify the church, and the man of the church; but because the church is a church and a man is a man from goods and truths, therefore these also are signified by those trees, the goods by their fruits, and the truths by their branches and leaves.

[9] In Haggai:

"Set your heart from this day and henceforwards. Is there not yet seed in the barn, and even to the vine and fig-tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive-tree?" (2:18, 19).

By these words, in the spiritual sense, is meant that goods and truths are yet remaining; all goods and truths from primaries to ultimates are meant by the vine, the fig-tree, the pomegranate, and the olive-tree; by the vine, spiritual good and truth; by the fig-tree, natural good and truth; by the pomegranate, the knowing and perceptive faculty in general, and specifically the knowledges and perceptions of good and truth; and by the olive-tree, the perception of celestial good and truth; the barn signifies where those things are, either the church, or the man in whom the church is, or the mind of man, which is the subject.

[10] In Habakkuk:

"The fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall increase be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall deceive, and the fields shall yield no food" (3:17).

The fig-tree shall not blossom, signifies that there shall be no natural good; neither shall increase be in the vines, signifies that there shall be no spiritual good; the labour of the olive shall deceive signifies that there shall be no celestial good; the fields shall yield no food, signifies that there shall be no spiritual nourishment.

[11] In Moses:

"Jehovah God leadeth thee to a good land, a land of rivers of water, of fountains and depths that go out of valley and mountain; a land of wheat and barley, and of the vine and fig-tree and pomegranate; a land of oil olive, and honey" (Deuteronomy 8:7, 8).

By the good land to which they shall be led, is meant the land of Canaan, by which is signified the church, therefore here the same things are signified by the vine, the fig-tree, the pomegranate, and the olive, as now [explained] above. The other things may be seen explained before in n. 374. Because by the land of Canaan is signified the church, and by the vine, the fig-tree, and the pomegranate, are signified the internal and external things of the church, therefore it came to pass that the explorers of that land brought such things thence; concerning this it is thus written in Moses:

The explorers of the land of Canaan "came to the river Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, which they bare between two upon a pole; [they brought] also of the pomegranate, and of the figs" (Num. 13:23).

[12] Because the vine and the fig-tree signify such things, therefore it is said in the Word of those who are in the goods and truths of the church, and thence in safety from evils and falsities, that they shall sit under their own vine, and under their own fig-tree in security, and none shall make them afraid; as in the first book of Kings:

"Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon" (4:25).

In Zechariah:

"I will remove the iniquity of this land in one day. In that day, ye shall call every man to his neighbour, to the vine and to the fig-tree" (3:9, 10).

And in Micah:

"In the end of the days the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established on the top of the mountains; and nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; neither shall any make them afraid" (4:1, 3, 4).

These things are said of the Lord's kingdom, which is with those in the heavens, and on earth, who are in love to Him. The Lord's kingdom is signified by the mountain of Jehovah, which is established on the top of the mountains, for the mountain of Jehovah signifies the Lord's kingdom of those who are in love to Him; and because these dwell above the others in the heavens, it is said of that mountain, that it shall be established on the top of the mountains (see the work concerning Heaven and Hell 188). And because these have truths inscribed upon their hearts, and, therefore, do not debate concerning them, it is said that "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more," by which is signified, that in that kingdom there shall be no dispute about truths (as may be seen in the same work, n. Heaven and Hell 25, 26, 270, 271). That by the truths and goods which they possess, they shall be safe from evils and falsities, is signified by, they shall sit under their own vine and under their own fig-tree, none making them afraid.

[13] In Jeremiah:

"Lo, I will bring upon you a nation from afar, which shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread; it shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters; it shall eat up thy flock and thine herd; it shall eat up thy vine and thy fig-tree" (5:15, 17).

By a nation from afar is signified the evil opposed to celestial good; by from afar is signified distant and remote from goods and truths, also opposed; "which shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread," signifies that it shall destroy all truths and goods by means of which there is spiritual nourishment; "it shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters," signifies all the spiritual affections of truth and good; "it shall eat up thy flock and thine herd," signifies truths and goods internal and external; "it shall eat up thy vine and thy fig-tree," signifies, thus the internal and external of the church.

[14] In Hosea:

"I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree in its first season" (9:10).

By Israel and the fathers here are not meant the fathers of the tribes from the sons of Jacob, but those who belonged to the Ancient Church, because they were in good (as may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 6050, 6075, 6846, 6876, 6884, 7648, 8055); because they were in good, but at the beginning in ignorance of the truth, by which, however, good is [formed], it is said, "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree in its first season"; grapes signifying spiritual good, wilderness signifying ignorance of the truth; and the first-ripe in the fig-tree signifying natural good from spiritual good in infancy.

[15] In Luke:

"And when all these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads. And he spake a parable; Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees; when they now have shot forth, ye see and shall know of your own selves that summer is now near. So also ye, when ye shall see these things, know that the kingdom of God is nigh" (21:28-31; Matthew 24:32; Mark 13:28, 29).

The subject here treated of is the consummation of the age, which is the Last Judgment, and the signs that precede are enumerated; these are meant by, "when all these things begin to come to pass." That a new church will then commence, which will be external in the beginning, is signified by, "Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees, when they have shot forth." This parable or similitude was related, because the fig-tree signifies the external church, and the trees signify the knowledges of truth and good. The kingdom of God, which then is near, signifies the Lord's New Church; for at the time of the Last Judgment, the old church perishes, and a new commences.

[16] In Luke:

"Every tree is known by his own fruit; for of thorns [men] do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they the grape" (6:44).

As by fruit is signified the good of life, and the good of life is external good from internal, or natural good from spiritual, and as man is known from this good, therefore the Lord says, "Every tree is known by his own fruit; of thorns [men] do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they the grape," the fig here denoting the good of the external or natural man, and the grape denoting the good of the internal or spiritual man; the thorns and the bramble-bush denote the evils opposed to them.

[17] Because the kings of Judah and Israel represented the Lord as to Divine truth, and Divine truth is, as it were, tortured, and labours with man, when there is not a life according to it, and it does not become the good of life; but only when it becomes of the life, it lives; this was signified by the following:

That by command of Jehovah to Hezekiah king of Judah, when he was sick, they should bring a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaster, upon the boil, and so should he live (2 Kings 20:7; Isaiah 38:21).

From these things it is evident that the fig-tree, in the genuine sense, signifies the natural man as to good and truth, the fig itself as a tree, the natural man; the fig as a fruit, the good of the natural man; and its leaf, the truth of that good.

[18] But that the fig-tree in an opposite sense signifies the natural man as to evil and falsity, the fig as a tree, the natural man himself, the figs of it as fruit, the evil of that natural man; and its leaf, the falsity of that evil, is plain from the following passages.

In Jeremiah:

"Jehovah shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of Jehovah. One basket [held] very good figs, as of fig-trees bearing the first-fruits; and the other basket [held] exceeding bad figs, which could not be eaten for badness. Jehovah said, As these figs are good, so will I acknowledge the migration of Judah into the land of the Chaldeans for good; and I will set mine eye upon them for good, and I will bring them back upon this land; and I will build them, and I will plant them. And like the figs that are bad; so will I give them that are left in this land, to commotion, and to evil in all nations; and I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, that they may be consumed" (24:1-10).

By the captivity of the Jews in the land of the Chaldeans, is signified the same as by the spiritual captivity, or the removal of the good from the evil in the spiritual world (according to what has been recorded above, n. 391, 392, 394, 397); namely, that the inwardly evil, who could nevertheless lead a moral life, like the spiritual life in externals, remained upon the earth in the spiritual world, and made themselves habitations there upon the higher places; and that the inwardly good were removed from them, and concealed by the Lord in the lower earth. This was represented by the carrying away of the Jews into the land of the Chaldeans, and by the continuance of the rest in the land; therefore it is said concerning those who suffered themselves to be carried away into the land of the Chaldeans, "I acknowledge the migration of Judah into the land of the Chaldeans for good; and I will set mine eye upon them for good, and I will bring them back upon this land; and I will build them, and I will plant them"; whereas, concerning those who remained, it is said, "I will give them that are left in this land, to commotion, and to evil in all nations; and I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, that they may be consumed." That these were the things represented, is plain also from this fact, that the temple of Solomon was destroyed before they were carried away, and that a new [temple] was built when they returned. By the temple is signified Divine worship; and by the new temple, that [worship] restored.

[19] From these things it is evident what is signified by the two baskets of figs set before the temple of Jehovah, in one of which were figs that were very good, as of fig-trees bearing the firstfruits, and in the other were figs exceeding bad, which could not be eaten for badness; namely, that those who are inwardly good, from whom a new heaven is to be formed, are meant by the basket of good figs, and those who are inwardly evil, who are to be cast down into hell, are meant by the basket of bad figs. Therefore it is said concerning the latter, that they could not be eaten for badness; by which is signified that they were inwardly evil; and concerning the former that they were as fig-trees bearing the first-fruits, by which is signified that they were inwardly good, so that a new heaven could be formed from them; for the fig, as a fruit, signifies the good of life in the internal, and at the same time in the external form, and, in an opposite sense, it signifies the good of life solely in the external form, which is evil of life, because it is inwardly evil; for every external derives its quality from the internal, for it is the effect of it. The reason why, with such persons, evil appears in the externals as good, is, because they feign what is good for the sake of the evil that is within, in order to obtain some end, to which apparent good serves as a means. The same is said of those who remained in the land of Canaan elsewhere in the same [prophet]:

"Thus said Jehovah of the king, and all the people that dwell in this city, that are not gone forth with you into captivity; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I will make them like harsh figs, that cannot be eaten for badness" (29:16, 17).

[20] That the fig as a tree, in the opposite sense, signifies the merely natural man, and the church from such, or those with whom there is no natural good, because there is no inward good, is plain in Luke:

Jesus "spake this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; he therefore came seeking fruit thereon, but found none. He said unto the vine-dresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, but find none, cut it down, for wherefore also maketh it the ground unfruitful? But he answering said, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: if only it bear fruit, [well]; if not at all, after that thou shalt cut it down" (13:6-9).

By the vineyard, in which the fig-tree was, is signified the church, where also those are who are in externals; for there is both an internal and an external in the Lord's church; the internal of the church consists of charity and the faith thence, but the external of the church consists of the good of life. Because the works of charity and faith, which constitute the good of life, pertain to the natural man, and charity itself and the faith thence to the spiritual man, hence by the vineyard is signified the internal of the church, and by the fig-tree its external. With the Jewish nation there was only the external of the church, because it was in external representative worship; therefore by the fig-tree is meant the church with that nation; but because they were in external and in no internal worship, for they were inwardly evil, and since external worship without internal is no worship, and with the evil is evil worship, therefore with them there was nothing of natural good. Hence it is said, that for three years he had not found fruit on the fig-tree, and that he commanded the vinedresser to cut it down; by which is signified, that from beginning to end there was not any natural good with that nation; for by three years is signified a whole period, or a time from beginning to end; and by the fruit of the fig-tree is signified natural good; by natural good is meant spiritual-natural good, or good in the natural from the spiritual. And because a church composed of such as are not in natural good, as was the Jewish nation, is not a church, therefore it is also said of the fig-tree, "wherefore also maketh it the ground unfruitful?" the earth denoting the church. That the vine-dresser begged that it should still be left, and that he would dig about it, signifies that [the nation] should remain, and that hereafter they should be instructed by the Christians, in the midst of whom they would be; but because no answer was made to this, it is meant that the fig-tree would still produce no fruit; that is, that the Jewish nation would do no good that proceeds from anything spiritual.

[21] This is signified by the fig-tree which withered away on account of the Lord's finding no fruit thereon.

In Matthew:

"In the morning, Jesus returning into the city, hungered. And seeing a fig-tree in the way, he came to it, but found nothing thereon but leaves, therefore he said unto it, Let nothing grow on thee henceforward for ever; whence the fig-tree from that time withered away" (21:18, 19; Mark 11:12-14).

By the fig-tree is here also meant the church with the Jewish nation. That with that nation there was no natural good, but only truth falsified, which is in itself falsity, is signified by, the Lord came to the fig-tree, but found nothing thereon but leaves; the fruit, which He did not find, signifies natural good such as was described above; and the leaf signifies truth falsified, which in itself is falsity; for leaf, in the Word, signifies truth, but the leaf of a tree which is without fruit signifies falsity, and with that nation, truth falsified, because they had the Word, in which truths are, but which they falsified by application to themselves, whence [arose] their traditions. That that nation would never do any natural good from a spiritual origin called spiritual natural [good], is signified by the words which the Lord spoke concerning it, "Let nothing grow on thee henceforward for ever," whence from that time it withered away; to wither away signifies that there were no longer good and truth. The reason why the Lord saw [the fig-tree] and said this, when He was returning into the city, and hungered, is, because by the city of Jerusalem is signified the church; and by hungering, when said of the Lord, is signified to desire good in the church (as may be seen above, n. 386). He who does not know what the fig-tree signifies, and that by that fig-tree was meant the church with that nation, can think no otherwise than that this was done by the Lord from indignation, because He hungered; whereas it was not done on this account, but that the quality of the Jewish nation might be thereby signified. For all the Lord's miracles involve and signify such things as belong to heaven and the church, whence those miracles were Divine (as may be seen, n. 7337, 8364, 9031 at the end).

[22] The perverted church, or the perverted man of the church as to his natural or external man, is also signified by the fig-tree, in David:

"He gave them hail for rain, a fire of flames in their land and he smote their vines and their fig-trees; he brake the tree of their border" (Psalms 105:32, 33).

These things are said concerning Egypt, by which is signified the natural man who is in falsities and evils; and by the vine, the fig-tree, and the tree of the border, are signified all things of the church; by the vine, the internal or spiritual things thereof; by the fig-tree, the external or natural things thereof; and by the tree of the border, every thing of the cognitive and perceptive faculty; the border signifying the ultimate in which interior things terminate, and in which they are together, and the trees [signifying] knowledges and perceptions. Because all these things were perverted and therefore damned, it is said that they were smitten and broken, by which is signified destruction and damnation. That [this was] from the falsities of evil that originate in the love of the world, is signified by, "hail for rain, a fire of flames in their land"; rain as hail signifies the falsities of evil, and a fire of flames signifies the love of the world.

[23] In Nahum:

All thy strongholds [shall be] like fig-trees with the first ripe figs if they are shaken, they fall upon the mouth of the eater (3:12).

This is said of the city of bloods, by which is signified doctrine in which truths are falsified and goods adulterated. This is compared to fig-trees with their first-fruits, which, if they be shaken, fall upon the mouth of the eater, and by this is signified that the goods therein are not goods, however much they appear as goods; and that they are not received, and if they are received, they are received only in the memory and not in the heart. That they fall when they are shaken, signifies that they are not goods although they appear as goods, because they are the first-fruits; and upon the mouth of the eater signifies non-reception, not even in the memory. That the mouth of the eater signifies not to receive, is plain from appearances in the spiritual world; for those who commit any thing to the memory appear to receive with the mouth; therefore to fall upon the mouth signifies, not to receive even in the memory, but only to hear, and also if they do receive, that it is only in the memory, and not in the heart. By fig-trees with their first-fruits can also be understood genuine goods, with which the same is accomplished with those who are in falsities of evil.