34
Ihr Erlöser ist stark, Jehova der Heerscharen ist sein Name; er wird ihre Rechtssache gewißlich führen, auf daß er dem Lande Ruhe schaffe und die Bewohner von Babel erzittern mache.
Jeremia 50:34
Arcana Coelestia #8185
8185. 'And let the children of Israel come into the middle of the sea on dry ground' means in order that those belonging to the spiritual Church may pass through in safety and without falsity flowing in. This is clear from the meaning of 'coming into (or entering) the middle' as passing through; from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those belonging to the spiritual Church, dealt with often; and from the meaning of 'on dry ground' as in safety and without falsity flowing in. Falsities arising from evil are meant by 'the waters' of that sea, 8137, 8138, and therefore 'dry ground' means without falsity. 'Dry' and 'drying up' have a similar meaning in David,
You broke in pieces the heads of Leviathan, You split open fountain and river, You dried up rivers of strength. Psalms 74:14-15.
'Drying up rivers of strength' stands for dispersing quite powerful falsities.
[2] In Zechariah,
I will gather them, for I will redeem them. I will bring them back from the land of Egypt, and gather them from Assyria. And I will bring them to the land of Gilead and Lebanon. He will go through the sea of distress; but he will strike the waves in the sea, and dry up all the depths of the River. And the pride of Asshur will be thrown down, and the rod of Egypt will depart. And I will render them strong in Jehovah. Zechariah 10:8-end.
This refers to those who in spiritual matters trust in themselves and their own wisdom, also to the dispersing of falsities through temptations. 'The land of Egypt' stands for factual knowledge; 'Assyria' stands for reasonings based on that knowledge; 'going through the sea of distress' stands for temptations; 'striking the waves in the sea, and drying up the depths of the River' stands for dispersing falsities from there; and 'the pride of Asshur will be thrown down, and the rod of Egypt will depart' stands for trusting no longer in their own wisdom but in wisdom received from the Lord, which is meant by 'I will render them strong in Jehovah'.
[3] Likewise in Isaiah,
He who says to Jerusalem, You will be dwelt in, and to the cities of Judah, You will be built, and I will raise up her waste places. He who says to the abyss, Be dry! and I will dry up your rivers. Isaiah 44:26-27.
'Saying to the abyss, Be dry!' and 'drying up its rivers' stand for dispersing evils and falsities. But when 'waters' means truths, 'drying up' means a state that is truthless or devoid of truth, as in Isaiah,
I will pour out waters upon the thirsty land, and streams upon the dry. Isaiah 44:3.
'Waters' and 'streams' stand for truths, 'the dry land' for the place that is truthless.
[4] In Jeremiah,
O sword against the Chaldeans and against the inhabitants of Babel! O sword against its horses and against its chariots! A drought on its waters, in order that they may dry up! Jeremiah 50:35, 37-38.
'The Chaldeans' stands for those who render truths profane, and 'the inhabitants of Babel' for those who render forms of good profane, 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326. 'Sword' stands for truth fighting against falsity, or for falsity fighting against truth, and from this for vastation, 2799, 4499, 6353, 7102; 'horses' stands for the power of understanding, 2761, 2762, 3217, 5321, 6125, 6534; 'chariots' stands for doctrinal teachings, 5321, 8146, 8148; and 'a drought on its waters, in order that they may dry up' stands for truths with no life at all in them owing to falsification.
But when the expressions 'dry' or 'drying up' are used in the Word in connection with other things, such as trees, plants, harvest, or bones, those things take on a contrary meaning. Also, in relation to the sea actual land is called the dry land; and in that case 'the dry land' has reference to good, and 'the sea' to truth.
Isaiah 45
1
Thus says Yahweh to his anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have held, to subdue nations before him, and strip kings of their armor; to open the doors before him, and the gates shall not be shut:
2
"I will go before you, and make the rough places smooth. I will break the doors of brass in pieces, and cut apart the bars of iron.
3
I will give you the treasures of darkness, and hidden riches of secret places, that you may know that it is I, Yahweh, who call you by your name, even the God of Israel.
4
For Jacob my servant's sake, and Israel my chosen, I have called you by your name. I have surnamed you, though you have not known me.
5
I am Yahweh, and there is none else. Besides me, there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not known me;
6
that they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none besides me. I am Yahweh, and there is no one else.
7
I form the light, and create darkness. I make peace, and create calamity. I am Yahweh, who does all these things.
8
Distil, you heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness. Let the earth open, that it may bring forth salvation, and let it cause righteousness to spring up with it. I, Yahweh, have created it.
9
Woe to him who strives with his Maker-- a clay pot among the clay pots of the earth! Shall the clay ask him who fashions it, 'What are you making?' or your work, 'He has no hands?'
10
Woe to him who says to a father, 'What have you become the father of?' or to a mother, 'To what have you given birth?'"
11
Thus says Yahweh, the Holy One of Israel, and his Maker: "You ask me about the things that are to come, concerning my sons, and you command me concerning the work of my hands!
12
I have made the earth, and created man on it. I, even my hands, have stretched out the heavens; and I have commanded all their army.
13
I have raised him up in righteousness, and I will make straight all his ways. He shall build my city, and he shall let my exiles go free, not for price nor reward," says Yahweh of Armies.
14
Thus says Yahweh: "The labor of Egypt, and the merchandise of Ethiopia, and the Sabeans, men of stature, shall come over to you, and they shall be yours. They will go after you. They shall come over in chains; and they will bow down to you. They will make supplication to you: 'Surely God is in you; and there is none else. There is no other God.
15
Most certainly you are a God who hidden yourself, God of Israel, the Savior.'"
16
They will be disappointed, yes, confounded, all of them. Those who are makers of idols will go into confusion together.
17
Israel will be saved by Yahweh with an everlasting salvation. You will not be disappointed nor confounded to ages everlasting.
18
For thus says Yahweh who created the heavens, the God who formed the earth and made it, who established it and didn't create it a waste, who formed it to be inhabited: "I am Yahweh; and there is no other.
19
I have not spoken in secret, in a place of the land of darkness. I didn't say to the seed of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' I, Yahweh, speak righteousness. I declare things that are right.
20
"Assemble yourselves and come. Draw near together, you who have escaped from the nations. Those have no knowledge who carry the wood of their engraved image, and pray to a god that can't save.
21
Declare and present it. Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has shown this from ancient time? Who has declared it of old? Haven't I, Yahweh? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior; There is no one besides me.
22
"Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
23
I have sworn by myself, the word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and will not return, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.
24
They will say of me, 'There is righteousness and strength only in Yahweh.'" Even to him shall men come; and all those who were incensed against him shall be disappointed.
25
In Yahweh shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory.
