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1 Mosebok 49:2

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2 Kommen tillhopa och hören, I Jakobs söner; hören på eder fader Israel.

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Arcana Coelestia #6419

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6419. Of a daughter, she marcheth upon the wall. That this signifies for fighting against falsity, is evident from the signification of a “daughter,” as being the church (see n. 2362, 3963); here the spiritual church, because this is the subject here treated of; and from the signification of “marching upon the wall,” as being for fighting against falsity, as is plain from what follows: “the archers embitter him, and shoot at him, and hate him, and he shall sit in the strength of his bow,” whereby is signified the fighting of falsity against truth.

[2] “To march upon the wall” is said because in the internal sense the subject treated of is assault on truth by falsities, and defense of truth against falsity; for the spiritual church, which is represented by Joseph, is continually being assaulted, but the Lord continually defends it. Hence in the Word what belongs to this church is compared to a city, which has a wall, outworks, gates, and bars; and by the assaults on that city are described the assaults on truth by falsities; hence also a “city” signifies doctrinal things (n. 402, 2268, 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493), and its “wall” the truths of faith which defend it, and in the opposite sense the falsities which are being destroyed. That a “wall” signifies the truths of faith which defend, is plain in Isaiah:

We have a strong city; salvation will He appoint for walls and bulwark. Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation which keepeth faithfulnesses may enter in (Isaiah 26:1).

Again:

Thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise (Isaiah 60:18).

Again:

Behold I have graven thee upon the hands, thy walls are continually before Me (Isaiah 49:16);

“walls” denote the truths of faith. Again:

I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem; they shall not be silent all the day and the night, keeping Jehovah in mind (Isaiah 62:6); where the sense is the same.

In Jeremiah:

Thus said Jehovah Zebaoth, I will turn back the weapons of war wherewith ye fight with the king of Babylon, besieging you without the wall. I myself will fight against you with an outstretched hand (Jeremiah 21:4-5 (Jeremiah 21:6)).

Again:

Jehovah hath purposed to destroy the wall of the daughter of Zion; He hath made the rampart and wall to lament; they languish together. Her gates have sunk into the earth; He hath destroyed and broken her bars (Lam. 2:8-9).

In Ezekiel:

The sons of Arvad and thine army were upon thy walls round about; and the Gammadim were in thy towers; they hanged their shields upon thy walls round about, they have perfected thy beauty (Ezekiel 27:11);

speaking of Tyre, by which are signified the knowledges of good and truth.

[3] That such things are signified by a “city” and “walls,” is very evident from the description of the holy Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, which was seen by John. That a new church is signified thereby is plain from all the details; and by the “wall” thereof, the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord. It is written of this in John:

The holy Jerusalem coming down from heaven, having a wall great and high; having twelve gates. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. He that spake with me measured the city and its gates, and the wall thereof. The wall thereof was a hundred forty and four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel. The building of the wall was jasper; and the city was pure gold, like unto pure glass. The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone (Revelation 21:10-19);

[4] that the “wall” is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and hence the truth of faith from the good of charity, is plain from everything said about the wall, that it “had twelve foundations and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb,” for by “twelve” are signified all (see n. 3272, 3858, 3913); by the “wall” and its “foundations,” the truths of faith, in like manner as by the “twelve apostles” (n. 3488, 3858, 6397); also that the “wall was one hundred and forty-four cubits,” for by this number the like is signified as by “twelve,” namely all, for it is twelve multiplied into twelve, and because this number when applied to a wall signifies all the truths and goods of faith, it is added that it is the “measure of a man, that is, of an angel;” and also that the “building of the wall was jasper, and its foundations were adorned with every precious stone,” for by “jasper” and “precious stones” are signified the truths of faith (n. 114).

[5] That in the opposite sense a “wall” signifies falsities which are being destroyed, is plain from the following:

A day of tumult in the valley of vision; the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth destroyeth the wall, and there is a shout toward the mountain; for Elam hath borne the quiver, with chariot of man, with horsemen, the horsemen placing have placed themselves even at the gate (Isaiah 22:5-7).

Again:

The fortress of the refuge of thy walls shall He depress, cast down, throw to the earth, even to the dust (Isaiah 25:12).

In Jeremiah:

Go ye up on her walls, and cast down (Jeremiah 5:10).

Again:

I will kindle a fire in the wall of Damascus which shall devour the palaces of Benhadad (Jeremiah 49:27).

Again:

Lift up a standard against the walls of Babylon, keep the watch, set the watchmen (Jeremiah 51:12).

In Ezekiel:

They shall overthrow the walls of Tyre, and destroy her towers; and I will scrape her dust from her, and make her the dryness of a rock (Ezekiel 26:4).

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.

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Arcana Coelestia #2362

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2362. Behold I pray I have two daughters who have not known man. That this signifies the affections of good and of truth, is evident from the signification of “daughters,” as being affections (see n. 489-491). Their “not having known man” signifies that falsity had not contaminated them; for “man” [vir] signifies rational truth, as also in the opposite sense falsity (n. 265, 749, 1007). There are two affections, namely, of good and of truth (see n. 1997). The former, or the affection of good, constitutes the celestial church, and is called in the Word the “daughter of Zion,” and also the “virgin daughter of Zion;” but the latter, or the affection of truth, constitutes the spiritual church, and is called in the Word the “daughter of Jerusalem.”

[2] As in Isaiah:

The virgin daughter of Zion hath despised thee, hath mocked at thee; after thee hath the daughter of Jerusalem shaken her head (Isaiah 37:22; 2 Kings 19:21).

In Jeremiah:

What shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem; what shall I equal to thee, and comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion (Lam. 2:13).

In Micah:

Thou, O tower of the flock, the hill of the daughter of Zion, even to thee shall it come, and the former dominion shall come, the kingdom of the daughter of Jerusalem (Micah 4:8).

In Zephaniah:

Shout, O daughter of Zion; make a loud noise, O Israel; be glad and rejoice with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem (Zeph. 3:14).

In Zechariah:

Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; make a loud noise, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King shall come unto thee (Zech. 9:9; Matthew 21:5; John 12:15).

[3] That the celestial church, or the Lord’s celestial kingdom, is called the “daughter of Zion” from the affection of good, that is, from love to the Lord Himself, may be seen further in Isaiah (10:32; 16:1; 52:2; 62:11; Jeremiah 4:31; 6:2, 23; Lam. 1:6; 2:1, 4, 8, 10; Micah 4:10, 13; Zech. 2:10; Psalms 9:14). And that the spiritual church, or the Lord’s spiritual kingdom, is called the “daughter of Jerusalem” from the affection of truth, and thus from charity toward the neighbor, may be seen in Jeremiah (Lam. 2:15). Both of these churches and their characteristics have been treated of many times in Part First.

[4] From the fact that the celestial church is from love to the Lord in love toward the neighbor, it is likened especially to an unmarried daughter or virgin, and indeed is also called a “virgin,” as in John:

These are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins; these are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth, for they are without spot before the throne of God (Revelation 14:4-5).

That this might be represented in the Jewish Church also, it was enjoined upon the priests that they should not take widows, but virgins, for wives (Leviticus 21:13-15; Ezekiel 44:22).

[5] From the things contained in this verse it can be seen how pure is the Word in the internal sense, although it may not so appear in the letter; for when these words are read: “Behold I pray I have two daughters who have not known man; let me I pray bring them out unto you, and ye may do unto them as is good in your eyes, only unto these men do not anything,” nothing but what is impure enters the ideas, especially the ideas of those who are in a life of evil. And yet how chaste these words are in the internal sense, is manifest from the explication, by which it is shown that they signify the affections of good and of truth, and the blessedness which they who do no violence to the Lord’s Divine and Holy perceive from the enjoyment of them.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.