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Mark 11:15-18 : Jesus Cleanses the Temple (Gospel of Mark)

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15 And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves;

16 And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

17 And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves.

18 And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine.

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Exploring the Meaning of Mark 11

Av Ray and Star Silverman

Chapter Eleven

The Triumphal Entry

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1. And when they drew near unto Jerusalem, unto Bethphage and Bethany, at the Mount of Olives, He sends out two of His disciples,

2. And says to them, “Go into the village opposite you; and straightway going into it, you shall find a colt tied, on which no man has sat; having loosed him, bring [him].

3. And if anyone say to you, ‘Why are you doing this?’ say ye that the Lord has need of him; and straightway he will send him here.”

4. And they went and found the colt tied at the door outside, where two ways met; and they loose him.

5. And some of those that stood there said to them, “What do you do, loosing the colt?”

6. And they said to them as Jesus had commanded; and they let them go.

7. And they led the colt to Jesus and cast their garments on it; and He sat upon it.

8. And many spread their garments in the way; and others cut branches from the trees, and spread [them] in the way.

9. And they that went before, and they that followed, cried, saying, “Hosanna! Blessed [is] He that comes in the name of the Lord!

10. Blessed [is] the kingdom of our father David, that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!”

11. And Jesus entered into Jerusalem, and into the temple; and when He had looked around at all [things], and already the eventide was come, He went out to Bethany with the twelve.

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It has been three years since Jesus first gathered together His disciples. During that time Jesus has traveled throughout Israel and the surrounding lands, preaching the gospel, opening blind eyes, healing diseases, casting out demons, feeding multitudes, and inspiring people with hope. No one in world history had ever caused such a sensation or worked so many miracles. Wherever He went, the people were amazed and astonished, grateful that Jesus had come to them.

Everyone, that is, except the religious leaders who resented Jesus’ growing popularity with the people. As their resentment grew into hatred, they became determined to put Him to death. As long as Jesus and His disciples stayed clear of Jerusalem, confining their ministry to other areas, they had been reasonably safe. But now, as Jesus enters Jerusalem at the cusp of His popularity, the religious leaders take it as a blatant challenge to their authority. Jesus knows what the result will be. He has already told His disciples on three occasions. He will be mocked, scourged, spit upon, and finally crucified.

So why is He going there? And what about the disciples? Are they merely going along for the ride, dreaming of high positions and honor for themselves when Jesus becomes king? After all, the ancient prophecies speak of a Messiah, one who will become a mighty king of Israel. The Hebrew scriptures, for example, prophesied that the Messiah would be called a great and wonderful ruler who would not only protect the meek and the poor but would also “strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and slay the wicked with the breath of His lips” (Isaiah 11:4). And in another place it is written that “There shall be no end to the increase of His government” (Isaiah 9:7).

The disciples do not interpret these prophecies spiritually; they do not understand that the power of truth, spoken through the lips of Jesus, will overcome the power of hell, conquering evil and falsity. Rather, they take it all literally, fully expecting that Jesus, as the promised Messiah, will take up His power and reign, as prophesied by Zechariah: “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, lowly and riding on a donkey, a colt the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9).

This is the dramatic background as Jesus and His disciples enter Jerusalem. Imagine the breathless anticipation. The people are wondering, Will this be the moment when Jesus announces before the people that He is the Messiah? It certainly looks that way, especially when He tells two disciples to “Go into the village … find a colt on which no one has sat, loose it, and bring it to Me” (Mark 11:2). Five hundred years earlier, Zechariah had prophesied that a King — a Messiah — would come riding into Jerusalem “on a colt, the foal of a donkey” (Zechariah 9:9). And now, on this day, as ancient prophecy becomes contemporary reality, “they went their way and found the colt . . . and they brought the colt to Jesus and threw their garments on it, and He sat on it” (Mark 11:4, 7).

The image of the Jesus sitting on the garments while riding on the back of a colt is deeply symbolic. On one level it is the literal fulfillment of Zechariah’s prophecy. But on a deeper level it pictures three levels of spiritual order. The highest level is the realm of love. This is Jesus, the very incarnation of divine love. Secondly, Jesus is sitting upon the garments of the disciples. Just as garments protect the body, truth protects the soul. Even so, our rational understanding of truth (the garments of the disciples) must always be subordinated to the rule of love (Jesus sitting on the garments). This is because truth serves as a vehicle through which love can express itself. On the lowest level is the colt, a simple beast of burden who represents our natural actions — those things that we do from love (highest level) through truth (middle level) so as to be useful in the world (lowest level). 1

And so, Jesus makes His triumphal entry into Jerusalem riding upon a colt. Even though these more interior meanings are far from the understanding of the people, they could still sense that something momentous was taking place. Following the ancient protocol, which was to hail the coming king, they spread their garments on the road, along with leafy branches so that Jesus could ride His colt over them. These actions continue the imagery of subordination, representing the desire to lay everything we have before the Lord, even our very lives.

It should be pointed out, however, that subordination to God is not groveling submission. Rather, it should be done with the greatest willingness and joy. In subordinating ourselves to the rule of God, we are hailing a King who will wisely reign over us and lead us to victory over our spiritual enemies. Jesus’ triumphal entry, therefore, represents the moment when true believers welcome “King Jesus” into their life, shouting with the people of Jerusalem, “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9).

This is the triumphal entry of Jesus, not only into the city of Jerusalem, but into the inner recesses of the human mind. We read, therefore, that “Jesus went into Jerusalem and into the temple” (Mark 11:11). As Jesus comes into our mind (our spiritual “temple”) with the truths of His Word, He gives us the ability to see through His eyes so that we might carefully examine our thoughts and intentions. In fact, He gives us a thorough opportunity to look around at everything. As it is written, “After He looked around at all things, as it was evening, He went out to Bethany with the twelve” (Mark 11:11).

Not the Season for Figs

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12. And on the next day, when they were coming out from Bethany, He was hungry;

13. And seeing a fig tree far off having leaves, He came, if perhaps He might find anything on it; and coming to it, He found nothing except leaves; for it was not the time of figs.

14. And Jesus answering said to it, “Let no one eat fruit of thee hereafter for an age.” And His disciples heard.

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On the next day, Jesus and His disciples left Bethany and began their trip back to Jerusalem. But along the way Jesus “was hungry” (Mark 11:12). Jesus’ hunger symbolizes His desire to see people living useful, productive lives. The story continues: “And seeing afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it” (Mark 11:13).

In the previous episode we noted that when Jesus came into Jerusalem, and especially “into the temple,” it corresponds to the way He comes into our minds to “look around and see all things.” Similarly, we are invited to use the truths of His Word to “look around at all things” in our mind, to explore our thoughts and intentions and be willing to root out anything contrary to the Lord’s will. Otherwise, we are like fruit trees that produce leaves, perhaps many beautiful leaves, but no fruit. 2

When Jesus gets closer to the tree, He finds that it has “nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs.” In response, He says, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again” (Mark 11:13-14).

At first glance, Jesus’ curse on the fig-tree seems impetuous and unfair. If it is “not the season for figs,” it is understandable that no figs would be on the tree. Why would Jesus curse a tree before it even had the chance to blossom and bear fruit? Taken literally, this part of the episode is difficult to understand. But when we look more interiorly, we come to realize that Jesus is not talking about fig trees, but rather about human lives. He is using the fig tree as an image of what it looks like when people know the truth, but do not live accordingly. This is particularly important for people who might tend to get caught up in the “leaves” — learning truth — without producing fruit in their own lives. We all need to practice what we preach. Life is not just about leaves. Leaves are important, even essential, but the goal is the fruit — a useful life.

In terms of the historical context, the image of the fruitless tree is a picture of the religious establishment in Jesus’ day. In Jerusalem, and especially in the temple, the chief priests and scribes knew religious truths, but did not use them to improve their own lives or to help others.

Instead, they used their knowledge of truth to enhance their status, wield power over others, and acquire worldly wealth. Although the scriptures taught them to give glory to God in all things, they selfishly arrogated that glory to themselves, while living in luxury and enjoying their positions of honor. Even if they gave credit to God with their lips, their hearts were set on their own glory.

In brief, the religious leaders had stolen from God what belongs to Him alone. In this context, the assertion in the divine narrative that “It was not the season for figs” takes on new meaning. The religious leaders of that day had become so corrupt, so wholly focused on themselves and their own glory, that God could no longer work through them. They had descended to such a low level that they felt no shame, made no excuses for their corrupt practices, and were even proud of themselves. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “They felt no shame at all, even when they did abominable things. Therefore, I will utterly destroy them…. There will be no figs on the fig tree, and the leaves will fall off” (Jeremiah 8:12-13). Because things could not get any worse, the religious leaders of the day and the organization they represented were finished. The only hope for the human race was to establish a new way of loving God and serving the neighbor — a way that would indeed bear fruit. That new way — or new church — had not yet commenced. It was not yet the season for figs. But that time, and that church, were coming. It would be a new religious era. 3

The Beginning of the End

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15. And they came into Jerusalem; and Jesus having entered into the temple began to cast out those that sold and bought in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those that sold doves;

16. And would not let anyone carry a vessel through the temple.

17. And He taught, saying to them, “Is it not written, ‘My house shall be called the house of prayer for all nations?’ But you have made it a cave of robbers.”

18. And the scribes and the chief priests heard, and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, for all the crowd wondered over His teaching.

19. And when it was evening, He went out of the city.

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The title of this section, “The beginning of the end,” may sound rather ominous. It is true that endings are often sad occasions, whether they are the end of a friendship, or the end of a life. But endings can also be occasions for celebration, as, for example, when we come to the end of an illness, or the end of suffering. As we continue to unfold the internal sense of these perfectly connected gospel episodes, it becomes clear that “a season for figs” was about to commence — but not before the old, corrupt tree — the self-serving religious establishment of Jesus’ day — was exposed for what it was, uprooted, and then allowed to wither away.

Before we get too carried away with this interpretation, showering contempt on a self-serving religious organization that existed in history, we need to remember that the Word of God is not about history — it is about eternity. Every incident in the Word mirrors some aspect of our own lives. If we feel incensed about the corruption of religious leaders who do not practice what they preach, we need to look at ourselves to see if we are behaving similarly. For example, if we do not use truth to first examine our own lives and then do good for others, we are no better than the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, who merely symbolize this tendency in ourselves.

The purpose of revelation, therefore, is not to increase our contempt for historical personages or institutions, but to utilize these stories as precious tools for rooting out similar tendencies in ourselves. It is to lead us to become the people God intends us to be. When we come to the end of all of our selfishness, something new begins to dawn: a new church arises within us.

The first step in this process is to examine whatever might be false and corrupt in our own minds. This is illustrated the next day when Jesus “went into the temple and began to drive out those who bought and sold in the temple and overturned the tables of the moneychangers and the seats of those who sold doves” (Mark 11:15). Our minds can be compared to sacred temples; they are designed to be “houses of prayer” where we can dedicate our lives to the service of God, thinking continually about how we can best serve others and thereby glorify God without taking credit for our actions.

But what actually goes on in our minds? What takes place in what should be our “house of prayer”? Are these “houses of prayer” sometimes filled with cunning thieves who steal our joy and take away our trust in God? How long do we allow these thieves and robbers to desecrate our temples before we cast them out? These are the kinds of questions we must ask ourselves when we engage in the self-examination that Jesus invites us to practice. And when we do, He is right there beside us, overturning the tables of the money changers, chasing out those who sell doves, and not allowing anyone to sell merchandise in our temple (Mark 11:16). To each of these secret invaders He says, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations. But you have made it a den of thieves” (Mark 11:17).

The battle to clear our mind of thieves and robbers is not won in a day. There will be times when our attempts to “cleanse the temple” will be met with hostility and resistance. The demons of our inner world do not give up without a fight. As it is written, “And the scribes and the chief priests heard it and sought how they might destroy Him; for they feared Him, because all the people were astonished at His teaching” (Mark 11:18).

It is indeed the beginning of the end: “And when evening had come, He went out of the city” (Mark 11:19).

A New Day

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20. And in the morning, as they went by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

21. And Peter remembering says to Him, “Rabbi, see, the fig tree which Thou didst curse is dried up.”

22. And Jesus answering says to them, “Have the faith of God.

23. For amen I say to you, that whoever shall say to this mountain, Be thou taken up, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he says shall come to pass, he shall have whatever he says.

24. Therefore I say to you, All [things] whatever you ask for, having prayed, believe that you shall receive, and it shall be [done] to you.

25. And when you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, that your Father also who is in the heavens may forgive you your trespasses.

26. But if you forgive not, neither will your Father who is in the heavens forgive your trespasses.”

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While the previous episode ends with the words, “when evening had come,” the next episode begins with the words, “Now in the morning” (Mark 11:20). As we shall see, the end of one state in us is also the beginning of a new one. As we have mentioned, the lessons of the fig tree without leaves and the temple filled with robbers both refer to the end of a corrupt religious organization that served itself rather than others and glorified itself rather than God. But we also noted that we should use this historical imagery to look at ways in which we are self-serving, seeking our own glory rather than glorifying God. To the extent that we acknowledge and desist from selfish thoughts and behaviors, it is the end of the “old church” in us and the beginning of a “new church.” In the language of the Hebrew scriptures, we have “ceased to do evil” and we are “learning to do good” (Isaiah 1:16). It is the dawn of a new day.

This idea, that the end of the old precedes the beginning of the new is beautifully captured in this next episode. As the story continues, Jesus and His disciples pass by the place where the fig tree was uprooted. Peter, noticing that the fig tree has now dried up from the roots, says to Jesus, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away” (Mark 11:21). The withered fig tree is a powerful symbol of what Jesus can do within us, rooting out our negative thought patterns and destructive desires to the point where they seem to wither away and die — from the roots. This marks the end of the old self — the person we used to be, and the beginning the new self — the person we are becoming.

Mountain moving faith

Jesus now describes the power that can be done through this new self. “Have faith in God,” says Jesus. “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will come to pass, he will have whatever he says” (Mark 11:23). In other words, Jesus is saying that faith in God will give us tremendous spiritual power. It will not just be the power to remove minor irritations (uproot fig trees), but also the power to remove the major character defects that are as large and seemingly immoveable as mountains. In fact, Jesus promises that such mountains will not only be uprooted from their places like the fig tree, but they will be “cast into the sea.”

This kind of teaching heralds a new day for each of us, but we will not get there on our own. In order to uproot fig trees, cleanse temples, and cast mountains into the sea, we will need to turn to God in prayer, having faith in Him who alone can do these things for us and through us. Therefore, Jesus says, “Whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them” (Mark 11:24).

Among the many things that we can ask for, believing, is the willingness to let go of all the grudges and grievances we have accumulated in a lifetime. When memories of past hurts arise and refuse to be moved, it is as though a mountain of unforgiveness stands in the way of our new life. Knowing this, Jesus says: “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (Mark 11:25-26).

This brief lesson on forgiveness reminds us that Jesus has never departed from His central message to His disciples. If they are truly to proclaim the gospel in His name, they will need to send the mountains of pride and self-love back into the sea, back to the hell from which they came. If they can only do this, they will receive that which flows in from heaven: humility, tender-heartedness, a child-like willingness to be taught and led, and, of course, forgiveness. “If you have anything against anyone” says Jesus, “forgive him.”

Jesus also adds a warning: “If you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive you.” Jesus is speaking to the limited understanding of His disciples, using an explanation that they can grasp. They did not yet understand that God is forgiveness itself and that the forgiveness of God is unconditional. They did not know, because they had not been taught, that the only thing that prevents the reception of God’s forgiveness is an unrepentant, unforgiving heart. In other words, it’s not a question of God withholding forgiveness; rather, it’s a question of our not being able to receive God’s forgiveness because our heart remains hardened against it. 4

In Jesus’ day, this was a revolutionary teaching. At that time, God was seen as vengeful and angry; the breaking of any commandment was punishable by death, and God was seen as a stern parent who would never forgive his stubborn children. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “The Lord will never be willing to forgive them; His wrath and zeal will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will fall on them, and the Lord will blot out their names from under heaven” (Deuteronomy 29:20). People believed that they had to beg for the Lord’s forgiveness and mercy. As it is written, “Lord, do not withhold your mercy from me” (Psalms 40:11).

Teachings like these helped to solidify the idea that anger and wrath, not forgiveness and mercy, were defining characteristics of God. But everything was beginning to change as the old way of understanding was dying out and a new day was dawning. Jesus was bringing forgiveness from heaven to earth, and with it a new and truer idea of God. Jesus said to His disciples, “If you have anything against anyone, forgive him.” Surely, a new day was beginning.

A Question of Authority

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27. And they come again to Jerusalem; and as He is walking in the temple, there come to Him the chief priests, and the scribes, and the elders,

28. And say to Him, “By what authority doest Thou these things? And who gave Thee this authority to do these things?”

29. But Jesus answering said to them, “I will also ask you one thing, and answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things.

30. The baptism of John, was [it] from heaven, or from men? Answer Me.”

31. And they reasoned with themselves, saying, “If we shall say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

32. But if we shall say, ‘From men’” — they feared the people, for all held that John was truly a prophet.

33. And they answering said to Jesus, “We know not.” And Jesus answering says to them, “Neither do I say to you with what authority I do these things.”

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A house of prayer for all nations

As we have seen, Jesus teaches many things that seemed to contradict the orthodox understanding of religion in biblical times. He gave a new way of understanding marriage and divorce, a new way of understanding wealth and riches, and in the previous episode, He taught a new way of understanding the central importance of forgiveness in religious life. Jesus was indeed introducing the teachings that would help to usher in a new religious era.

One of the most distinctive aspects of these new teachings was a new attituded towards people of other faiths. At that time, the temple in Jerusalem was exclusively for people of the Jewish faith, even though the Lord had said through Jeremiah, “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations” (Isaiah, 56:7; emphasis added). People did not take this to mean that the temple would be open for people of every nation and every religious persuasion. Instead, they took it to mean that all people would eventually convert to the one true religion — the religion that was practiced by the religious leaders in Jerusalem.

In this regard, it’s interesting that although both Matthew and Mark repeat the words of Isaiah, in Matthew it is simply “My house shall be called a house of prayer” (Matthew 21:13), while in Mark it is written that “My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations”(11:17; emphasis added). What might be the reason for this difference? It could be that in Matthew, the words “for all nations” are omitted because Matthew focuses more on the gradual realization of the Jesus’ divinity in one’s life. In Mark, however, there is a movement from the individual’s reception of Jesus’ divinity to making this truth known to everyone who will receive. It is a proclamation “for all nations” — not just for one group of people.

Whether Jesus was speaking about a new approach to marriage, a new approach to wealth, or a new approach to worship, He was continually providing new ways to look at the spiritual dimension of religious life. Just as He overturned the tables of the money changers, He was also overturning the way people were thinking about religion. All of this, was met with fierce hostility from the religious leaders who were determined to destroy Jesus and curtail His rising influence. Therefore, as this next episode begins, the religious leaders approach Jesus as He is walking in the temple and say, “By what authority are You doing these things? And who gave You the authority to do these things?” (Mark 11:28).

Dealing with doubt

As we have mentioned, the temple signifies the human mind. In a previous episode Jesus was re-ordering the temple, casting things out that didn’t belong there. This is an image of how He re-orders our minds through the process of repentance, casting out self-love, arrogance, resentment, and hatred while flowing in with the desire to serve others, humility, and — as we just saw in the previous episode — forgiveness. This is when the religious leaders arise in our minds; these are the doubts about the authority and divinity of Jesus’ message. “By what authority are You doing these things?” they say.

This is a key moment in our spiritual development. Jesus has just told His disciples that if they had faith in God and did not doubt they would be able to move mountains. But the key was to have faith in God and not doubt. In this next episode, however, the religious leaders enter with their doubts. “By what authority do you do this?” they say. It’s an old question — one that arises to keep us questioning our faith. In this regard, the religious leaders represent the messages that seek to enter our mind insinuating doubts. “Is Jesus really divine?” they ask. “Is Jesus really the incarnation of God in human form?” “Are the words that Jesus speaks holy and divine?” And even if we answer, “Yes, I believe so,” the doubts and questions continue. “Who says so?” they ask. “How do you know?” and “What makes Jesus your authority?”

Jesus, however, refuses to answer them directly. Instead, He responds with a question of His own: “I also ask you one question; then answer Me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things: the baptism of John — was it from heaven. Or from men? Answer Me” (Mark 11:29-30). The religious leaders do not dare say “from heaven,” for then they would be admitting that what John said about Jesus is true — that Jesus is, indeed, the Messiah. On the other hand, they don’t dare to say that John’s baptism is “from men” because they fear the people who regard John as an inspired prophet. Therefore, they simply say, “We do not know” (Mark 11:33).

At a more interior level, the “baptism of John” refers to the letter of the Word. The question that Jesus raises, then, is about the divinity of the letter of the Word. Is it divine, or is it merely a product of human imagination? This becomes a crucial consideration when dealing with literal statements in the Word that reveal more about the nature of the people of that time than they do about God. One does not have to read too far to see that the scriptures are filled with statements about the “wrath” and "anger” of God, even though we know that God is never angry or wrathful. For example, the Hebrew scriptures say that “The wrath of the Lord will scorch the earth and the people will be fuel for the fire” (Isaiah 9:19). Are these words from heaven or are they from men?

This is a vital question, for it involves deep issues of faith. It is true that there are many stories and statements in the Word that cannot be taken literally, but this does not make the Word less holy. In fact, every story, every parable, and every teaching in the Word is holy because it contains divine wisdom in finite form. It is similar to what it means to be human. We are human not because we have an earthly covering of flesh, but because we have a human soul. Similarly, the Word of God is from heaven, not because it has an earthly covering of human language, but because this covering contains the infinite love and wisdom of God accommodated to human minds. 5

“The baptism of John,” says Jesus. “Was it from heaven or from men?” In other words, do we believe that the truths contained in the letter of the Word are from heaven or are they from men? Our answer will determine everything. If we believe that they are “from men,” it will raise doubts in our mind, and along with the doubts the words of scripture will have little power to influence our lives. If, however, we believe that these truths are from heaven, and do not doubt, we will have the power to move mountains. The religious leaders who raise doubts in our minds will no longer have an authority over us. Instead our only authority will be the one who enters our life, as He entered Jerusalem, speaking words that are from heaven — words that can become our ultimate authority on earth. 6

Fotnoter:

1Arcana Coelestia 2781:9: “From all this it is now evident that all and everything in the church of that period was representative of the Lord, and therefore of the celestial and spiritual things that are in His kingdom, even to the female donkey and the colt of a female donkey…. The reason for the representation was that the natural [in a person] ought to serve the rational, and this the spiritual, this the celestial, and this the Lord: such is the order of subordination.”

2True Christian Religion 527: “Those who know what sin is, and still more those who know many things from the Word and teach them, and yet do not examine themselves, and consequently see no sin in themselves, may be likened to those who scrape up wealth and lay it up in chests and coffers, making no further use of it than to look at it and count it; also to those who gather into their treasuries jewels of gold and silver, or hide them in vaults, for the mere sake of being rich…. Such are like fig trees full of leaves but bearing no fruit.”

3Apocalypse Explained 386:29 “It is said that ‘it was not the season for figs,’ and this means that the church was not yet begun.” See also Arcana Coelestia 217: “Jesus seeing a fig tree in the way, came to it, but found nothing thereon save leaves only, and He said unto it, ‘Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever.’ This means that no goodness at all, not even natural goodness [external works of charity], was to be found upon the earth…. All goodness, both spiritual and natural, had died out such that people no longer felt any shame. They were like people today who have evil within them but are so far from feeling shame that they brag about it.”

4Arcana Coelestia 8573:2: “The Lord continually excuses, and continually forgives, for He continually feels compassion.” See also Arcana Coelestia 9014:3: “The Lord forgives the sins of everyone because He is mercy itself. Nevertheless, sins are not thereby forgiven unless a person performs serious repentance, desists from evils, and afterward lives a life of faith and charity, and this even to the end of life. When this is done, the person receives from the Lord spiritual life, which is called new life…. When a person begins a new life by abstaining from evils and abhorring them, sins are forgiven.”

5Arcana Coelestia 3: “It is the same with the Word as it is with a human being … who is both internal and external. The external if parted from the internal is just a body and therefore dead. It is the internal which lives and imparts life to the external. The internal is the soul of the external. The same applies to the Word which as to the letter alone is like the body without a soul.”

6True Christian Religion 195: “The Word of the Lord is similar in nature to heaven. In its literal sense it is natural, in its interior sense it is spiritual, and in its inmost sense it is celestial; and in each of these senses it is divine. It is therefore accommodated to the angels of the three heavens, and also to people on earth.”

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Apocalypse Explained #386

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386. And with famine, signifies by the deprivation, lack, and ignorance of the knowledges of truth and good. This is evident from the signification of "famine," as being the deprivation of the knowledges of truth and good, also the lack and ignorance of them. These are signified by "famine" in the Word. This is the signification of "famine" because "food and drink" signify all things that nourish and sustain spiritual life, and these in general are the knowledges of truth and good. The spiritual life itself needs nourishment and support just as much as the natural life does; so it is said to be famished when a man is deprived of these knowledges, or when they fail, or when they are unknown and yet are desired. Moreover, natural foods correspond to spiritual foods, as bread to the good of love, wine to the truths therefrom, and other foods and drinks to particular goods and truths, which have been treated of in several places before, and will be treated of in what follows. It is said that "famine" signifies 1. the deprivation of the knowledges of truth and good, 2. lack, and 3. ignorance of them, since there is deprivation with those who are in evils and in falsities therefrom; lack with those who cannot know them, because they are not in the church or in its doctrine; and ignorance with those who know that there are knowledges, and therefore desire them; these three things are signified by "famine" in the Word, as can be seen from the passages there in which "famine," "the hungry," "thirst," and "the thirsty," are mentioned.

[2] 1. That "famine" signifies the deprivation of the knowledges of truth and good which exists with those who are in evils and thence in falsities, is evident from the following passages. In Isaiah:

In the fury of Jehovah of Hosts is the land obscured, and the people are become as the food of the fire; a man shall not pity his brother. And if he shall cut down on the right hand he shall be hungry, and if he shall eat on the left hand they shall not be satisfied; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm; Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh; they together against Judah 1 (Isaiah 9:19-21).

Except from the internal sense no one can understand this, nor can even know what is treated of. This treats of the extinction of good by falsity, and of truth by evil. The perversion of the church through falsity is meant by "in the fury of Jehovah of Hosts is the land obscured;" and the perversion of it through evil is meant by "the people are become as the food of the fire;" "the land obscured" signifies the church where there is no truth, but only falsity; and "the food of the fire" signifies the consumption of the truth by the love of evil, "fire" meaning the love of evil. That falsity destroys good is meant by "a man shall not pity his brother," "man" [vir] and "brother" signifying truth and good, here "man" signifies falsity, and "brother" good, because it is said that "he shall not pity him." The consequent deprivation of all good and of all truth, however much it may be sought, is meant by "if he shall cut down on the right hand he shall be hungry, and if he shall eat on the left hand they shall not be satisfied," "right hand" signifying good from which is truth, and "left hand" truth from good, "to cut down, 2 and to eat these" signifies to seek, and "to be hungry and not be satisfied" means to be deprived of; that evil extinguishes all truth and falsity all good is meant by "they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm," "flesh of the arm" meaning the power of good through truth, "man" falsity, and "to eat" to extinguish. That thence all the will of good and the understanding of truth perishes is meant by "Manasseh shall eat Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh." (That "Manasseh" means the will of good, and "Ephraim" the understanding of truth, see Arcana Coelestia 3969, 5354, 6222, 6234, 6238, 6267, 6296.) That this is with those who are in evils and falsities is meant by "they together against Judah;" for when the will is in good and the understanding in truth these are with Jehovah, since they are both from Him; but when the will is in evil and the understanding in falsity they are against Jehovah.

[3] In the same:

Be not glad, O Philistia, all of thee, because the rod that smiteth thee is broken; for from the serpent's root shall come forth a basilisk, and his fruit shall be a fiery-flying serpent. I will cause thy root to die with famine, and it shall slay thy remnant (Isaiah 14:29-30).

Nearly the like is meant by this in the internal sense; but here those are treated of who believe that faith is merely the interior sight of the natural man, and that they are justified and saved by such sight or faith, thus denying that the good of charity has any effect. Such as these are meant by "the Philistines," and a collection of them by "Philistia" (See Arcana Coelestia 3412, 3413, 8093, 8313). That this false principle, which is faith alone or faith separated from charity, destroys every good and truth of the church is meant by "from the serpent's root shall come forth a basilisk," the "serpent's root" meaning that false principle, and "basilisk" the destruction of the good and truth of the church thereby. That reasoning from mere falsities springs from this is meant by "his fruit shall be a fiery-flying serpent," "fiery-flying serpent" meaning reasoning from falsities. The deprivation of all truth and thence of all good is meant by "I will cause thy root to die with famine, and famine shall slay thy remnant," meaning all things hatched out of that principle. That such is the meaning has been made evident also by experience itself. Those who in doctrine and in life have confirmed themselves in the principle of faith alone are seen in the spiritual world as basilisks, and their reasonings as fiery-flying serpents.

[4] In the same:

Who formeth a god, and casteth a molten image, and it profiteth not? he fashioneth iron with the tongs, and worketh it in the coal, and formeth it with sharp hammers; so he worketh it by the arm of his power; yea, he is hungry until there is no power, neither doth he drink, until he is weary (Isaiah 44:10, 12).

This describes the formation of doctrine both from one's own understanding and from one's own love. "To form a god" signifies doctrine from one's own understanding; and "to cast a molten image," from one's own love; "he fashioneth the iron with the tongs, and worketh it in the coal" signifies the falsity that he calls truth and the evil that he calls good, "iron" meaning falsity, and "the fire of coal" the evil of one's own love; "he formeth it with sharp hammers" signifies by ingenious reasonings from falsities so that they may seem to hold together; "so he worketh it by the arm of his power" signifies from what is his own; "yea, he is hungry until there is no power, neither doth he drink, until he is weary" signifies that there is nothing whatever of good or of truth, "to be hungry" signifies the deprivation of good, and "not to drink" the deprivation of truth, "until there is no power," and "until he is weary" signify till there is nothing of good and nothing of truth left. Who that looks at the Word from the sense of the letter only, can see in this anything but a description of the formation of a molten image? Yet he must see that there is nothing spiritual involved in such a description of the formation of a molten image; also that there is no need of saying that "he is hungry until there is no power, neither doth he drink until he is weary;" nevertheless not only here but elsewhere in many places in the Word, the formation of a religion and of the doctrine of falsity is described by "idols," "graven images" and "molten images." (That these signify the falsities of religion, and of doctrine originating from one's own understanding, and from one's own love, see Arcana Coelestia 8869, 8932, 8941, 9424, 10406, 10503)

[5] In the same:

These two things have met thee; who shall be sorry for thee? devastation and a breach, and famine and sword (Isaiah 51:19).

Here, too, "famine" means the deprivation of the knowledges of good, even till there is no more good; and "sword" the deprivation of the knowledges of truth, even till there is no more truth; therefore "devastation" and "breach" are mentioned, "devastation" signifying that there is no more good, and "breach" that there is no more truth.

[6] In the same:

Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Behold, My servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry; My servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty; behold, My servants shall be glad, but ye shall be ashamed (Isaiah 65:13).

Here, also, "to be hungry and thirsty" means to be deprived of the good of love and the truths of faith, "to be hungry" to be deprived of the good of love, and "to be thirsty" to be deprived of the truths of faith; "to eat and to drink" signifies communication and appropriation of goods and truths; and "the servants of the Lord Jehovih," those who receive goods and truths from the Lord; this makes clear what is signified by "Behold, My servants shall eat, but ye shall be hungry; My servants shall drink, but ye shall be thirsty;" that the Lord's servants shall have eternal happiness, but the others unhappiness is signified by "Behold, My servants shall be glad, but ye shall be ashamed."

[7] In Jeremiah:

By the sword, by famine, and by pestilence I consume them; Yet I said, Ah Lord Jehovih! behold the prophets say unto them, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shall ye have famine. Therefore thus said Jehovah against the prophets prophesying in My name, although I sent them not, yet they say, Sword and famine shall not be in this land. By sword and by famine shall these prophets come to an end; the people to whom they prophesy shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, and there shall be no one to bury them (Jeremiah 14:12-13, 15-16).

"Sword, famine, and pestilence," signifies the deprivation of truth and of good, and thus of spiritual life through falsities and evils; "sword" signifying the deprivation of truth through falsities, "famine" the deprivation of good through evils, and "pestilence" the deprivation of spiritual life. "Prophets" mean those who teach the truths of doctrine, and in an abstract sense, the doctrinals of truth. This makes clear what is signified by all this, namely, that those who teach the doctrine of falsity and evil shall perish through these things that are signified by "sword and famine;" and that those who receive the doctrine from them are separated from every truth of the church, and are damned, is signified by "they shall be cast out in the streets of Jerusalem, there shall be no one to bury them," "the streets of Jerusalem" meaning the truths of the church, "to be cast out in them" meaning to be separated from those truths, and "not to be buried" meaning to be damned.

[8] "Sword, famine, and pestilence," have a like signification in the following passages, "sword" signifying the deprivation of truth through falsities, "famine" the deprivation of good through evils, and "pestilence" the consequent deprivation of spiritual life. In Jeremiah:

They shall be consumed by the sword and by famine, that their carcass may be for food to the fowl of the heavens and to the beast of the earth (Jeremiah 16:4);

"their carcass may be for food to the fowl of the heavens" signifying damnation by falsities, and "for food to the beast of the earth" damnation by evils. In the same:

They have denied Jehovah when they said, It is not He; neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword and famine (Jeremiah 5:12).

In the same:

Behold I will visit upon them; the young men shall die by the sword, their sons and their daughters shall die by famine (Jeremiah 11:22).

In the same:

Give their 3 sons to the famine, and make them flow down upon the hands of the sword, that their wives may become bereaved and widows, and their men be slain by death, their young men smitten by the sword in war (Jeremiah 18:21).

In the same:

I will send upon them sword, famine, and pestilence, and will make them like the horrible figs, that cannot be eaten for badness. And I will pursue after them with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence (Jeremiah 29:17-18).

In the same:

I will send against them the sword, famine, and pestilence, until they come to an end from upon the ground that I gave to them and to their fathers (Jeremiah 24:10).

In the same:

I proclaim to you a liberty, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will give you up for commotion by all the kingdoms of the earth (Jeremiah 34:17).

In the Gospels:

Nation shall be roused against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; and there shall be pestilences, and famines, and earthquakes, in diverse places (Matthew 24:17; Mark 13:8; Luke 21:11).

In Ezekiel:

Because thou hast defiled My sanctuary, a third part of thee shall die with the pestilence, and with famine shall they be consumed in the midst of thee; and a third part shall fall by the sword round about thee; and a third part I will disperse to every wind. When I shall send upon them the evil arrows of famine, that shall be for destruction, when I shall send them to destroy you; but yet I will increase the famine upon you, until I have broken for you the staff of bread. And I will send upon you famine and the evil wild beast, and I will make thee bereaved; and pestilence and blood shall pass through thee (Ezekiel 5:11-12, 5:16-17).

In the same:

The sword without, and pestilence and famine within; he that is in the field shall die by the sword, but he that is in the city famine and pestilence shall devour him (Ezekiel 7:15).

In the same:

Because of all the evil abominations, they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. He that is far off shall die by pestilence; he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is preserved shall die by famine (Ezekiel 6:11-12).

In Jeremiah:

But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, that ye may not obey the voice of Jehovah your God; saying No, but we will come into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, and shall not hear the sound of the trumpet, and shall not hunger for bread, and there will we dwell: hear ye the word of Jehovah, If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and come to sojourn there, it shall come to pass that the sword that ye fear shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine about which ye were solicitous shall cleave to you there in Egypt, and there ye shall die. And they shall die there by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence; neither shall one of them remain, because of the evil that I will bring upon you. 4 And ye shall be for an execration and an astonishment, and for a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more. Now therefore know certainly, that ye shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence in the place whither ye have desired to come to sojourn there (Jeremiah 42:13-18, 42:22; 44:12-13, 44:27).

"Egypt" here signifies the natural, and "to come into Egypt and to sojourn there" signifies to become natural. (That "Egypt" means the knowing faculty [scientificum] that belongs to the natural man, and thus the natural, and "the land of Egypt" means the natural mind, see Arcana Coelestia 4967, 5079-5080, 5095, 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301, 5160, 5799, 6015, 6147, 6252, 7353, 7648, 9340, 9391 and that "to sojourn" means to be instructed, and to live, n. 1463, 2025, 3672.) From this it can be seen what is signified in the spiritual sense by "their not going into Egypt, and their dying then by the sword, the famine, and the pestilence," namely, that if they became merely natural, they would be deprived of all truth and good and spiritual life; for the natural man separate from the spiritual is in falsities and evils, and thus in infernal life. (That the natural man separate from the spiritual is such, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 47-48.) Therefore it is said that if they went into Egypt "they should be for an execration and an astonishment and a reproach, neither would they see this place;" "the place they would not see" meaning the state of the spiritual man, the same as "the land of Canaan." Like things are signified by the murmurings of the sons of Israel in the wilderness, because they so often desired to return into Egypt; therefore manna was also given to them, which signifies spiritual nourishment (Exodus 16:2-3, 16:7-9, 16:22).

[9] In Ezekiel:

When I shall stretch out Mine hand against the house of Israel to break for it the staff of bread, and send famine upon it, and cut off from it man and beast; then I will cause the evil wild beast to pass through the land, and will bereave it, that it may become a desolation; then I will send my four evil judgments upon Jerusalem, sword and famine, and the evil wild beast, and pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast (Ezekiel 14:13, 15, 21).

This describes the vastation of the church; "the house of Israel" and "Jerusalem" meaning the church; "to break the staff of bread" signifies to destroy everything celestial and spiritual by which the church should be nourished, for "bread" involves everything belonging to heaven and the church, or all spiritual nourishment; "to cut off man and beast" signifies every spiritual and natural affection; therefore "the sword, the famine, the evil wild beast, and the pestilence," signify the destruction of truth by falsity, of good by evil, of the affection of truth and good by the lusts arising from evil loves, and the consequent extinction of spiritual life. These are called "the four evil judgments," and are also meant by "the sword, famine, death, and the evil wild beast," in this verse of Revelation. Evidently it is the vastation of the church that is thus described.

[10] The three evils that are signified by "famine, sword, and pestilence" the prophet Gad also announced to David when he had numbered the people (2 Samuel 24:13). No one can know why David was threatened with these because of his numbering the people unless he knows that the people of Israel represented and thence signified the church in respect to all its truths and goods, and that "to number" signifies to know the quality thereof, and afterwards to arrange and dispose them according to it. Because no one but the Lord knows and does this, and because the man who does it deprives himself of all good and truth and of spiritual life, and because David did this representatively, therefore these three evils were offered him, one of which he might choose. Who cannot see that there was nothing wrong in numbering the people, and that the evil on account of which David and the people were punished was hidden interiorly, that is, in the representatives in which the church then was? In the passages that have been cited, "famine" signifies the deprivation of the knowledges of truth and good, and the consequent loss of all truth and good.

[11] 2. That "famine" signifies also the lack of knowledges with those who cannot know them because they are not in the church or in the doctrine thereof, is evident from the following passages. In Amos:

Behold, the days shall come in which I will send a famine into the land, not a famine for bread, nor a thirst for waters, but for hearing the words of Jehovah; that they may wander from sea to sea, from the north to the sunrise, they may run to and fro seeking the word of Jehovah, and shall not find it. In that day shall the beautiful virgins and the youths faint for thirst (Amos 8:11-13).

This explains what is meant by "famine" and "thirst," namely, that a famine for bread is not meant, nor a thirst for waters, but for hearing the word of Jehovah, thus that it is a lack of the knowledges of good and truth that is meant; and that these are not in the church or in its doctrine is described by the words, "they shall go from sea to sea, and from the north to the sunrise, seeking the word of Jehovah, and shall not find it," "from sea to sea" signifying on every side, for the outmost boundaries in the spiritual world, where truths and goods begin and terminate appear like seas; consequently "seas" in the Word signify the cognitions of truth and good, also knowledges [scientifica] in general; "from the north to the sunrise" signifies also on every side where truth and good are, "the north" meaning where truth is in obscurity, and "the sunrise" where good is. Because "famine and thirst" signify a lack of the knowledges of good and truth, therefore it is also said "in that day shall the beautiful virgins and the youths faint for thirst," "the beautiful virgins" meaning the affections of truth from good, and "youths" the truths themselves that are from good, "the thirst for which they shall faint" meaning the lack of these. (That "virgins" signify the affections of good and truth, see Arcana Coelestia 2362, 3963, 6729, 6775, 6788; and "youths" the truths themselves, and intelligence, Arcana Coelestia 7668[1-4])

[12] In Isaiah:

Therefore My people shall be carried away for the lack of knowledge; and the glory thereof shall be men of famine, and the multitude thereof shall be parched with thirst (Isaiah 5:13).

The desolation or destruction of the church from lack of the knowledges of good and truth is signified by, "My people shall be carried away for lack of knowledge." The Divine truth that constitutes the church is signified by "glory;" that this is not, and consequently good is not, is signified by "the glory thereof shall be men of famine," "men of famine" meaning those who are in no perception of good, and in no knowledges of truth; and that consequently there is no truth is signified by "the multitude thereof shall be parched with thirst," "to be parched with thirst" meaning the lack of truth, "multitude" in the Word being predicated of truths.

[13] In the same:

The people shall seek after their God, the law, and the testimony; for they shall pass through it perplexed and famished; and it shall come to pass that when they shall hunger they shall rage, and shall curse their king and their gods, and shall look upwards; they shall look also to the earth, but behold distress and thick darkness (Isaiah 8:19-22).

This treats of those who are in falsities from lack of the knowledges of truth and good, and their indignation on that account; the lack is described by "they shall look upwards, and they shall look also to the earth, but behold distress and thick darkness," "to look upwards and to look to the earth" means to look everywhere for goods and truths; "but behold distress and thick darkness" means that these are nowhere to be found, but mere falsities only, "thick darkness" meaning dense falsity. Their indignation on this account is meant by "it shall come to pass that when they shall hunger they shall rage, and shall curse their king and their gods," "to hunger" meaning to desire to know, "king" falsity, "the gods" the falsities of worship therefrom, and "to curse" to detest.

[14] In Lamentations:

Lift up thy hands to the Lord respecting the soul of thy babes, who have fainted for famine at the head of all the streets (Lamentations 2:19).

Lamentation over those who ought to be instructed in the knowledges of good and truth, by which they may have spiritual life, is described by "Lift up thy hands to the Lord respecting the soul of thy babes;" and the lack of these knowledges is described by "who have fainted for famine at the head of all the streets," "famine" meaning lack, "streets" the truths of doctrine, "to faint at the head of them" meaning that there are no truths.

[15] In the same:

Servants have ruled over us, there is no one to free us out of their hand. We bring in our bread with the peril of our souls because of the sword of the wilderness. Our skins are black like an oven because of the tempests of famine (Lamentations 5:8-10).

"Servants that have ruled with no one to free us out of their hand" signify the evils of life and the falsities of doctrine, in general, evil loves and false principles; "we bring in our bread with the peril of our souls because of the sword of the wilderness" signifies that there is no good from which there may be spiritual life itself, because of the falsity everywhere reigning; "bread" means the good from which there may be spiritual life; "sword" falsity destroying; and "the wilderness" where there is no good because no truth; for all good with man is formed by truths, therefore where there are no truths but only falsities there is no good; "our skins are black like an oven because of the tempests of famine" signifies that because of the lack of the knowledges of good and truth the natural man is in its own evil love; "the skin," from correspondence with the Greatest Man or heaven, signifies the natural man; "to be black like an oven" signifies to be in one's own evil from falsities; and "tempests of famine" signify a complete lack of the knowledges of good and truth.

[16] In Luke:

Woe unto you that are full! for ye shall hunger (Luke 6:25).

"The full" in the Word mean those who have the Word, in which are all the knowledges of good and truth; and "to hunger" means to lack these, and also to be deprived of them. In Job:

Blessed is the man whom God hath chastened; therefore reject not the discipline of Schaddai. In famine He shall redeem thee from death; and in war from the hands of the sword (Job 5:17, 20).

This treats of those who are in temptations; temptations are signified by "whom God hath chastened," and by "the discipline of Schaddai." "The Almighty (Schaddai)" signifies temptations, deliverance from them, and consolation after them (See Arcana Coelestia 1992, 3667, 4572, 5628, 6229). "The famine in which he shall be redeemed" signifies temptation in respect to the perception of good, in which he shall be delivered from evil; "to redeem" meaning to deliver; and "the hand of the sword in war" signifies temptations in respect to the understanding of truth, "war" also meaning temptation or combat against falsities.

[17] 3. That "famine" in the Word also signifies ignorance of the knowledges of truth and good, such as are with those who know that there are knowledges and therefore desire them, is evident from the following passages. In Matthew:

Blessed are they that hunger after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied (Matthew 5:6).

"To hunger after righteousness" signifies to desire good, for in the Word "righteousness" is predicated of good. In Luke:

God hath filled the hungry with good things; and the rich He hath sent empty away (Luke 1:53).

"The hungry" are those who are ignorant of the knowledges of truth and good, and yet desire them; and "the rich" are those who have an abundance of them, but no desire for them. That the former are enriched is signified by "God hath filled them with good things;" and that the latter are deprived of them is signified by "The rich He hath sent away empty."

[18] In David:

Behold, the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear Him, to deliver their soul from death, and to keep them alive in famine (Psalms 33:18-19).

"Those that fear Jehovah" mean those who love to do His commandments; "to deliver the soul from death" signifies from evils and falsities, and thus from damnation; and "to keep them alive in famine" signifies to give spiritual life according to desire. A desire for the knowledges of truth and good is a spiritual affection of truth, which is given only to those who are in the good of life, that is, who do the Lord's commandments; and these, as has been said, are meant by "those that fear Jehovah."

[19] In the same:

Let them confess to Jehovah His mercy, for He satisfieth the longing soul, and the hungry soul He filleth with good (Psalms 107:8-9).

"To satisfy the longing soul, and to fill with good the hungry soul," applies to those who long for truths and goods, "the longing soul" signifying those who long for truths, and "the hungry soul" those who long for goods. In the same:

There is no want to them that fear Jehovah. The young lions shall lack, and suffer hunger; but they that seek Jehovah shall not want any good (Psalms 34:9-10).

Here, too, "those that fear Jehovah to whom there is no want," signify those who love to do the Lord's commandments; and "they that seek Jehovah who shall not want any good," signify those who in consequence are loved by the Lord, and receive truths and goods from Him. "The young lions that lack and suffer hunger", signify those who have knowledge and wisdom from themselves, "to lack and suffer hunger" meaning that they have neither truth nor good. (What "lions" in both senses signify, see n. 278)

[20] In the same:

Jehovah who executeth judgment for the oppressed; who giveth bread to the hungry; Jehovah, who looseth the bound (Psalms 146:7).

The "oppressed" here mean those who are in falsities from ignorance; such are oppressed by spirits who are in falsities; therefore it is said that "Jehovah executeth judgment for them," by rescuing them from those that oppress. "The hungry" mean those who desire goods; and as such are nourished by the Lord, it is said "Jehovah giveth bread to the hungry," "to give bread" meaning to nourish, and spiritual nourishment is knowledge, intelligence, and wisdom. "The bound" mean those who desire truths but are withheld from them by the falsities of doctrine or by ignorance, because they have not the Word; therefore "to loose the bound" means to free from falsities. (That such are called "bound," see Arcana Coeles (Arcana Coelestia 5037[1-6], 5086, 5096) tia, n. 5037, 5086, 5096.)

[21] In the same:

Jehovah turneth the wilderness into a pool of waters, and a land of drought into a springing forth of waters. And there He maketh the hungry to dwell, that they may prepare a city of habitation, and sow fields, and plant vineyards, and make fruit of increase (Psalms 107:35-37).

The meaning of these words is wholly different from the sense of the letter, namely, that those who are ignorant of the knowledges of truth and yet desire to know them shall be enriched and abundantly supplied with them; for "Jehovah turneth the wilderness into a pool of water" signifies that in place of ignorance of truth there shall be abundance of truth, "wilderness" meaning when there is ignorance of truth, and "a pool of waters" abundance of it; "to turn a land of drought into a springing forth of waters" signifies the like in the natural man, for "a land of drought" means where there is ignorance of truth, "the springing forth of waters" is abundance, the natural man is "the springing forth," and "waters" are truths; "there He maketh the hungry to dwell" signifies those who desire truth, "to dwell" meaning to live, and "the hungry" those who desire; "that they may prepare a city of habitation" signifies that they form for themselves a doctrine of life, "city" meaning doctrine, and "habitation" life; "that they may sow fields and plant vineyards, and make fruit of increase," signifies to receive truths, to understand them, and to do them; "to sow fields" meaning to be instructed and to receive truths; "to plant vineyards" meaning to receive truths in the understanding, that is, in the spirit, for "vineyards" mean spiritual truths; therefore "to plant" them means to receive them spiritually, that is, to understand them; "to make fruit of increase" means to do them and to receive goods, for "fruits" are the deeds and goods of charity.

[22] In the same:

Jehovah knoweth the days of the perfect, and He shall be their inheritance forever. They shall not be ashamed in the time of evil; and in the days of famine they shall be satisfied (Psalms 37:18-19).

"The days of the perfect" signify the states of those who are in good and in truths therefrom, or those who are in charity and in faith therefrom. "Jehovah shall be their inheritance forever" signifies that they are His own and are in heaven; "they shall not be ashamed in the time of evil" signifies that they shall conquer when they are tempted by evils; and "in the days of famine they shall be satisfied" signifies that they shall be upheld by truths when they are tempted and infested by falsities, "time of evil" and "days of famine" signifying the states of temptations, and temptations are from evils and falsities.

[23] In the first book of Samuel:

The bows of the mighty are broken, but they who had stumbled have girded strength about them; they that are full have hired themselves for bread; and they that are hungry have ceased; even until the barren hath borne seven, and she that hath many sons hath failed (1 Samuel 2:4-5).

"They that are full have hired themselves for bread, and they that are hungry have ceased," signify those who wish for and long for goods and truths. The rest may be seen explained above (n. 257, 357).

[24] In Isaiah:

For the fool speaketh foolishness, and his heart doeth iniquity, to practice hypocrisy, and to speak error against Jehovah, to make empty the hungry soul, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail (Isaiah 32:6).

He is here called "a fool" who is in falsities and evils from the love of self, consequently from self-intelligence. Falsities are meant by the "foolishness" that he speaks; and evils by the "iniquity" that his heart does. The evils that he speaks against goods are meant by "the hypocrisy" that he practices; and the falsities that he speaks against truths, by the "error" that he speaks against Jehovah; "to make empty the hungry soul, and to cause the drink of the thirsty to fail" means to persuade and destroy those who desire goods and truths, "the hungry soul" meaning those who desire goods, and "he that thirsteth for drink" meaning those who desire truths.

[25] In the same:

If thou shalt draw out thy soul to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted soul, thy light shall arise in darkness and thy thick darkness be as the noonday (Isaiah 58:10).

This describes charity towards the neighbor, here towards those who are in ignorance, but at the same time in a desire to know truths, and in grief on account of the falsities that possess them, and signifies that with those who are in such charity falsities are dispersed and truths shine and become radiant. Charity towards those that are in ignorance and at the same time in a desire to know truths is meant by "If thou shalt draw out thy soul to the hungry," "the hungry" meaning those who desire, and "the soul" is the understanding of truth instructing. This being done to those who are in grief because of the falsities that possess them is meant by "if thou shalt satisfy the afflicted soul;" that ignorance is dispelled and truths shine and become radiant with those who are in such charity is meant by "thy light shall arise in darkness, and thy thick darkness be as the noon day;" "darkness" signifying the ignorance of the spiritual mind, and "thick darkness" the ignorance of the natural mind, "light" truth in light, "noonday" the like. Such illustration those have who from charity or spiritual affection instruct such as are in falsities from ignorance; for such charity is a receptacle of the influx of light or of truth from the Lord.

[26] In the same:

Is not this the fast that I choose, to break thy bread to the hungry, and to bring the afflicted outcasts into thy house, when thou shalt see the naked and shalt cover him? (Isaiah 58:6-7).

These words have a like meaning, for "to break bread to the hungry" signifies from charity to communicate to and instruct those who are in ignorance and at the same time in a desire to know truths; "to bring the afflicted outcasts into the house" signifies to correct and reform those who are in falsities, and thence in grief, "afflicted outcasts" meaning those who are in grief from falsities; for those who are in falsities stand without, while those who are in truths are in the house, "house" meaning the intellectual mind, into which truths only are admitted, since that mind is opened by means of truths from good. Because this is what is signified it is added, "when thou shalt see the naked and shalt cover him," the "naked" signifying those that are without truths, and "to cover" signifying to instruct; for "garments" in the Word signify truths investing (See above, n. 195).

[27] In the same:

They shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor the sun smite them; for He that hath compassion on them leadeth them forth, even unto the springs of waters shall He guide them (Isaiah 49:10).

That "they shall not hunger nor thirst" does not mean that they are not to hunger nor thirst for natural food and drink; and "neither shall the heat nor sun smite them" does not mean that they will not become heated by these; the same is true of their being led unto the springs of waters. Who that thinks about it does not see that something else is here meant? "To hunger and thirst" therefore signifies to hunger and thirst for such things as pertain to eternal life or give that life, and these, in general, have reference to the good of love and the truth of faith, "hunger" to the good of love, and "thirst" to the truth of faith; "heat" and "sun" signify the heat from the principles of falsity and the love of evil, for these take away all spiritual hunger and thirst; "the springs of waters, unto which the Lord will guide them" signify illustration in all truth, "spring" or "fountain" meaning the Word, and also the doctrine from the Word, "waters" truths, and "to guide" in reference to the Lord, meaning to illustrate. From this the significance can be seen of the Lord's words in John:

I am the bread of life; he that cometh to Me shall not hunger, and he that believeth on Me shall never thirst (John 6:35).

Here evidently "to hunger" is to come to the Lord, and "to thirst" is to believe on Him; to come to the Lord is to do His commandments.

[28] This signification of "hungering and thirsting" makes evident also the signification of the Lord's words in Matthew:

The king said to them on the right hand, I was an hungered, and ye gave me to eat, I was thirsty and ye gave me to drink, I was a sojourner and ye took me in. And He said to them on the left hand, that He was an hungered and they gave Him not to eat, and He was thirsty and they gave Him not to drink; that He was a sojourner and they took Him not in (Matthew 25:34-35, 37, 41-44).

"To hunger and to thirst" signifies to be in ignorance and in spiritual want, and "to give to eat and drink" signifies to instruct and to illustrate from spiritual affection or charity; it is therefore also said, "I was a sojourner and ye took me not in," "sojourner" signifying those who are out of the church, but who wish to be instructed and to receive the doctrinals of the church and to live according to them (See Arcana Coelestia 1463[1-3], 4444, 7908, 8007, 8013, 9196).

Furthermore, we read in the Word that the Lord hungered and thirsted, which means that from His Divine love He willed and desired the salvation of the human race.

[29] That He hungered we read in Mark:

When they were come from Bethany, Jesus hungered; and seeing a fig-tree afar off having leaves, He came, if haply He might find anything thereon; but when He had come to it He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. Therefore He said unto it, No one eat any fruit of thee forever. And the disciples in the morning as they passed by, saw the fig-tree dried up from the roots (Mark 11:12-14, 20; Matthew 21:19-20).

One who does not know that all things of the Word contain a spiritual sense, may believe that the Lord did this to the fig-tree from indignation because He was hungry; but "fig-tree" means here not a fig-tree, but the church in relation to natural good, in particular, the Jewish Church. That there was no natural good in that church, because nothing spiritual, but only some truths from the sense of the letter of the Word, is signified by "Jesus seeing a fig-tree afar off having leaves, came, if haply He might find anything thereon; but when He had come to it He found nothing but leaves," "leaves" signifying the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word. That with that nation, because they were in dense falsities and in evil loves, nothing whatever of the natural good of the church would ever exist is signified by "Jesus said, No one eat any fruit of thee forever, and the fig-tree was dried up from the roots." It is also said that "it was not the season for figs," and this means that the church was not yet begun; that the beginning of a new church is meant by "a fig-tree," is clear from the Lord's words (Matthew 24:32, 33; Mark 13:28, 29, and in Luke 21:28-31). From this it can be seen what "hungering" here signifies. (That "a fig-tree" signifies the natural good of the church, see Arcana Coelestia 217, 4231, 5113; and that "leaves" signify the truths of the natural man, see above, n. 109.)

[30] That the Lord thirsted we read in John:

Jesus, knowing that all things were now finished, that the Scripture might be fulfilled said, I thirst. And there had been placed a vessel full of vinegar; and they filled a sponge and placed it upon hyssop, and put it to His mouth. And when Jesus had received the vinegar He said, It is finished (John 19:28-30).

Those who think of these things only naturally and not spiritually may believe that they involve nothing more than that the Lord thirsted, and that vinegar was then given Him; but it was because all things that the Scriptures said of Him were then finished, and because He came into the world to save mankind that He said, "I thirst," which means that from Divine love He willed and desired the salvation of the human race; and that "vinegar was given Him" signifies that in the coming church there would be no genuine truth, but truth mixed with falsities, such as there is with those who separate faith from charity or truth from good; this is what "vinegar" signifies; "they placed it upon hyssop" signifies some kind of purification by it, for "hyssop" signifies an external means of purification (See Arcana Coelestia 7918). That every particular related in the Word respecting the Lord's passion involves and signifies Divine celestial and Divine spiritual things, may be seen above n. 83. From the passages cited above it can be seen what "famine" signifies in the Word. Let them be examined and considered, and it will be seen by those who are in any interior thought that natural famine, hunger, and thirst, can by no means be meant, but spiritual famine, hunger, and thirst.

Fotnoter:

1. The photolithograph has "Jehovah," as is also found in AE 440. Hebrew has "Judah," which is also found in AC 5354.

2. The photolithograph has "fall."

3. The photolithograph has "his." Hebrew "their (sons," and "their men").

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