11. Hoofdstuk 1. Over het Goede en het Ware.

Alle dingen in het heelal, die volgens de Goddelijke Orde zijn, hebben betrekking op het Goede en het Ware. Er bestaat niets in de hemel en niets in de wereld, dat niet op die twee betrekking heeft. De oorzaak hiervan is dat beide, zowel het goede als het ware, voortgaan uit het Goddelijke, waaruit alle dingen zijn.

384. And there was given unto them power over the fourth part of the earth, to kill, signifies the deprivation of every good and thence of every truth from the Word, and in consequence in the doctrine of their church from the Word. This is evident from the signification of "power," as being effect, since to be able means to effect; from the signification of "to kill" or "to slay," as being to deprive of good and truth (of which above, n. 366; from the signification of "fourth part," as being every good and thence every truth (of which presently); and from the signification of "earth," as being the church and everything thereof (of which above, n. 29, 304). And as a church is a church from doctrine there, and from life according to it, and as every doctrine of the church must be from the Word, so the doctrine of the church from the Word is at the same time signified. From this it can be seen that "there was given unto them power over the fourth part of the earth to kill" signifies the deprivation of every good and thus of every truth from the Word, and in consequence in the doctrine of the church from the Word. It is said that "power was given unto them," meaning to evils and to falsities therefrom, and these are signified also by "death and hell." That those who are in evils and falsities deprive themselves of all the perception of good and the understanding of truth from the Word, and in consequence in the doctrine of their church from the Word, is clearly evident in the case of those who are in falsities of doctrine from evils of life. Such, although they read the Word, either do not see the truths that are in it or they falsify them by applying them to the falsities of their own opinions and to the evils of their own loves; for the sense of the letter of the Word is such that those who are in good see truths in it, and those who are in evil see falsities, for the sense of the letter is according to the apprehension of little children, boys, and the simple, and is therefore according to appearance; but still in that sense truths lie hidden that are not seen by any except those who are in good, those who are in evil not wishing to see them, but they draw all things by perverse interpretations to the evils of their loves and to the falsities of their opinions, as is plainly evident from so many heresies existing within the church, especially the heinous Babylonian heresy, and also from the Jewish heresy.

[2] "A fourth part" signifies every good and thence every truth, because the number "four" signifies the conjunction of good and truth, and therefore "a fourth part" or "a fourth" signifies everything of conjunction. In the Word "a third part" and also "a fourth part" are often mentioned, and those who do not know that all numbers signify things may believe that "a third part" means a third part, and "a fourth part" a fourth part, or that they signify some portion; but "a third part" signifies all truth, and "a fourth part" all good; and as all truth is from good, "a fourth part" signifies all good and the truth therefrom, here the deprivation of these, because it is said "there was given to them power over the fourth part of the earth to kill." That "three" and thence "a third part" are predicated of truths, will be seen hereafter, where that number is mentioned. But "four" and thence "a fourth part" are predicated of goods and the truths therefrom, because they signify the conjunction of good and truth. This has been made evident to me by much experience from the spiritual world; for when angels spoke there of the conjunction of good and truth, or of love and faith, and their speech was determined into numbers, the number four was exhibited, and sometimes also the number two, or the number eight, or the number sixteen, because these numbers have a like signification, for numbers multiplied or divided by themselves have a like signification as the numbers with which they are multiplied or divided (See Arcana Coelestia 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973). That angelic speech falls also into numbers, may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 263). That "four" signifies the conjunction of good and truth has its origin from the four quarters in heaven, in two of which, namely, in the east and the west, those dwell who are in the good of love, and in the other two, namely, in the south and the north, those who are in truths therefrom (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 141-153). Consequently "the four quarters," or "the four winds," signify all good and the truth therefrom, and "four" their conjunction. "A fourth part" signifies everything of conjunction of good and truth, because here "a fourth" constitutes all, and "a fourth" is significative of conjunction; therefore "killing a fourth part" signifies all of conjunction, consequently every good and truth; for where no conjunction of good and truth exists, there they are not; for there can be no good without truth, nor truth without good; they are in their essence one, since truth is of good, and good is of truth (as can be seen from what is said, and the passages cited respecting good and truth in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 11-27).

137. Even in the days wherein Antipas was My faithful martyr who was slain among you, signifies in that time and state in which all are hated who openly acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "day," as being time and state (on which see Arcana Coelestia 23,488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850, 10656); consequently "in the days in which" signifies in that time and state; also from the signification of "Antipas My faithful martyr," as being those who openly acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord (of which more in what follows); also from the signification of "being slain," as being to be hated. "To be slain," is to be hated, because he who hates is unceasingly slaying; he cherishes in his thought nothing else and purposes nothing else than to slay, and he would also slay if the laws did not prevent. This lies concealed in hatred; he, therefore, who hates the neighbor, when in the other life external bonds are removed from him, is continually breathing the murder of some one. This has been testified to me by much experience.

[2] "Antipas the faithful martyr" signifies those who are hated because of their acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine Human, for the reason that at that time one Antipas was slain on that account; by "Antipas," therefore, all who are hated on that account are meant; just as by "Lazarus," who lay at the rich man's gate and longed to be fed with the crumbs that fell from his table, are meant all whom the Lord loves because they long for truths from spiritual affection (See above, n. 118). That the Lord loved a certain one named Lazarus, whom also He raised from the dead, is manifest in John (chap. 11:3, 5, 36) and that he reclined with the Lord at table, (chap. 12), on which account he was called "Lazarus," by the Lord, who longed to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man's table, whereby is signified a longing for truths from spiritual affection (as shown above, n. 118). As "Lazarus" was so named on that account, so was "Antipas" because he was made a martyr for the name of the Lord, that is, for the acknowledgment of His Divine Human.

[3] That such as he are hated by all who do not think of the Lord's Divine and of His Human at the same time, cannot be known from those who are in the world; but it can be known from the same in the other life, where they all burn with such hatred against those who approach the Lord alone as cannot be described in a few words; they desire nothing more eagerly than to murder them. The reason is, that all who are in the hells are against the Lord, and all who are in the heavens are with the Lord; and those who are of the church and who do not acknowledge the Lord's Divine in His Human act as one with the hells, and it is from the hells that they have such hatred. They have frequently been told that they are doing wrong, since they know from the Word:

That the Lord has all power in the heavens and on earth (Matthew 28:18);

thus that He is the God of heaven and earth; likewise:

That He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one cometh unto the Father but by Him (John 14:6);

Also that he who seeth the Lord seeth the Father, because He is in the Father, and the Father in Him (John 14:7-11);

And that no one hath seen the Father's shape, nor heard His voice, and that it is the Lord alone, who is in His bosom, and who is one with Him (John 1:18; 5:37). (Besides many other places.)

When they hear these truths they turn away, for they cannot deny them; but they are offended, and breathe forth the murder of all who openly acknowledge the Lord, as was just said, because hatred is inrooted in them (See above, n. 114).

[4] That they will hate all such for the Lord's sake, He has predicted in several passages; as in Matthew:

In the consummation of the age, they shall deliver you up unto affliction, and shall kill you; and ye shall be hated of all [the nations] for My name's sake (Matthew 24:9-10).

In John:

Jesus said, If the world hateth you, know that it hated Me before it hated you. If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. All these things will they do unto you for My name's sake (John 15:18-25).

(See besides the passages cited above from the Word, n. 122.) These things have been said that it may be known that by "Antipas My faithful martyr, who was slain among you," those are meant who are hated because they openly acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human.