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ⲠⲖⲀⲞⲤ ⲈⲦϨⲘⲞⲞⲤ ϨⲘ ⲠⲔⲀⲔⲈ ⲀϤⲚⲀⲨ ⲈⲨⲚⲞϬ ⲚⲞⲨⲞⲈⲒⲚ. ⲚⲈⲦⲞⲨⲎϨ ϨⲚ ⲦⲈⲬⲰⲢⲀ ⲘⲚ ⲐⲀⲒⲂⲈⲤ ⲘⲠⲘⲞⲨ ⲠⲞⲨⲞⲈⲒⲚ ⲀϤϢⲀ ⲚⲀⲨ.
Matthew 4:16
Arcana Coelestia # 1839
1839. That 'behold, a dread of great darkness was coming over him' means that it was a dreadful darkness, 'darkness' being falsities, is clear from the meaning of 'darkness' as falsities, to be dealt with immediately below. The state of the Church just before the close, or when the sun was going down, is described by 'the dread of great darkness', but the state when the sun had gone down is described by 'the thick darkness' and other details given in verse 17 below.
[2] The Lord spoke of it in the same way in Matthew,
The sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:29.
He did not mean that the sun of the world will be darkened but the celestial entity of love and charity. Nor will the moon be darkened but the spiritual entity of faith. Nor will the stars fall from heaven but the cognitions of good and truth with the member of the Church, which are 'the powers of the heavens'. Nor will these things take place in heaven but on earth, for heaven is never plunged into darkness.
[3] 'A dread of great darkness fell on him' means His horror at such great devastation. In the measure that the heavenly or celestial things of love find acceptance in anyone, so great is his horror when he perceives the close. This applied to the Lord more than anybody else, since His love was heavenly and Divine love itself.
[4] 'Darkness' means falsities, as is clear from very many places in the
Word, as in Isaiah,
Woe to those who put darkness for light, and light for darkness! Isaiah 5:20.
'Darkness' stands for falsities and 'light' for truths. In the same prophet, He will look to the land, and behold, darkness, distress; and the light has been darkened. Isaiah 5:30.
'Darkness' stands for falsities, 'darkened light' for the fact that truth does not appear.
[5] In the same prophet,
Behold, darkness is covering the earth, and thick darkness the peoples. Isaiah 60:2.
In Amos,
The day of Jehovah is that of darkness and not light. Is not the day of Jehovah darkness and not light, thick darkness and no brightness in it? Amos 5:18, 20.
In Zephaniah,
The great day of Jehovah is near. A day of wrath is that day, a day of anguish and repression, a day of vastation and desolation, a day of darkness and thick darkness, a day of cloud and shadow. Zephaniah 1:14-15.
Here 'the day of Jehovah' stands for the final period and state of the Church, while 'darkness and thick darkness' stands for falsities and evils.
[6] The Lord too calls falsities 'darkness', in Matthew,
If your eye has been evil, the whole body has been made full of darkness. If therefore the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! Matthew 6:23.
'Darkness' is used to mean falsities that have overtaken people who possess cognitions, a greater darkness than that found in those called gentiles, who have no cognitions.
[7] Similarly in the same gospel,
The sons of the kingdom will be thrown into outer darkness. Matthew 8:12; 22:13.
'Outer darkness' stands for the quite dreadful falsities of those inside the Church, for those people shut out the light and oppose truths with falsities, something gentiles are not able to do. In John,
In Him was life, and the life was the light of men; but the light appears in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:4-5.
'The darkness' stands for falsities inside the Church.
[8] Falsities outside the Church too are called 'darkness' but these are capable of receiving light. Of them it is said in Matthew,
The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light; and for those sitting in the region and shadow of death, the light has arisen. Matthew 4:16.
'Darkness' stands for falsities that go with not knowing, such as exist with gentiles.
[9] In John,
This is the judgement, that light has come into the world, but men have preferred darkness rather than light, for their deeds were evil. John 3:19.
'Light' stands for truths, and 'darkness' for falsities. 'The light' also stands for the Lord since He is the source of all truth, while 'darkness' stands for the hells since they are the source of all falsity.
[10] In the same gospel,
Jesus said, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk in darkness. John 8:12.
In the same gospel,
Walk, as long as you have the light, lest darkness overtakes you, for he who walks in the darkness does not know where he is going. I have come as light into the world in order that all who believe in Me may not remain in darkness. John 12:35, 46.
'Light' stands for the Lord, the source of all good and truth, 'darkness' for falsities, which are dispersed by the Lord alone.
[11] The falsities that prevail in the last times and which are called 'the darkness' here, that is, to which 'the dread of great darkness' has reference, were represented and meant by the darkness that came over the whole earth from the sixth to the ninth hour, and also by the sun's being darkened at that time, by which was represented and meant that no love, that is, no faith, existed any more, Matthew 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44-45.
John 2
1
The third day, there was a marriage in Cana of Galilee. Jesus' mother was there.
2
Jesus also was invited, with his disciples, to the marriage.
3
When the wine ran out, Jesus' mother said to him, "They have no wine."
4
Jesus said to her, "Woman, what does that have to do with you and me? My hour has not yet come."
5
His mother said to the servants, "Whatever he says to you, do it."
6
Now there were six water pots of stone set there after the Jews' way of purifying, containing two or three metretes apiece.
7
Jesus said to them, "Fill the water pots with water." They filled them up to the brim.
8
He said to them, "Now draw some out, and take it to the ruler of the feast." So they took it.
9
When the ruler of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and didn't know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the ruler of the feast called the bridegroom,
10
and said to him, "Everyone serves the good wine first, and when the guests have drunk freely, then that which is worse. You have kept the good wine until now!"
11
This beginning of his signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.
12
After this, he went down to Capernaum, he, and his mother, his brothers, and his disciples; and they stayed there a few days.
13
The Passover of the Jews was at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
14
He found in the temple those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the changers of money sitting.
15
He made a whip of cords, and threw all out of the temple, both the sheep and the oxen; and he poured out the changers' money, and overthrew their tables.
16
To those who sold the doves, he said, "Take these things out of here! Don't make my Father's house a marketplace!"
17
His disciples remembered that it was written, "Zeal for your house will eat me up."
18
The Jews therefore answered him, "What sign do you show us, seeing that you do these things?"
19
Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up."
20
The Jews therefore said, "It took forty-six years to build this temple! Will you raise it up in three days?"
21
But he spoke of the temple of his body.
22
When therefore he was raised from the dead, his disciples remembered that he said this, and they believed the Scripture, and the word which Jesus had said.
23
Now when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in his name, observing his signs which he did.
24
But Jesus didn't trust himself to them, because he knew everyone,
25
and because he didn't need for anyone to testify concerning man; for he himself knew what was in man.
