631. For it is given to the nations, signifies since it has been perverted by evils of life and falsities of doctrine. This is evident from the signification of "the nations," as being those who are in evils in respect to life and thence in falsities in respect to doctrine, and in the abstract sense evils of life and falsities of doctrine. (That evils and falsities are signified by "nations" see above, n. 175, 331, 625.) The external of the Word and thence of the church and of worship is perverted by evils of life and falsities of doctrine, because the external of the Word, which is called the sense of its letter, is written according to appearances in the world, because it is for children and the simple-minded, who have no perception of anything contrary to appearances, therefore as these advance in age they are introduced by the sense of the letter, in which are appearances of truth, into interior truths, and thus appearances are put off by degrees, and in their place interior truths are implanted. This may be illustrated by numberless examples; as that we should pray to God not to lead us into temptations; this is said because it appears as if God so leads, and yet God leads no one into temptations; again, it is said that God is angry, punishes, casts into hell, brings evil upon the wicked, and many other like things, and yet God is never angry, never punishes or casts into hell, nor does He at all do evil to anyone, but the wrongdoer himself does this to himself by his evils, for in evils themselves are the evils of punishment. These things are nevertheless said in many passages in the Word, because it so appears. As another example, it is said that:

No one should call his father, Father; nor his master, Master (Matthew 23:8-10).

Yet they ought to be so called; but this is said because the "Father" means the Lord, who creates and begets us anew, and because He alone teaches and instructs; so when man is in a spiritual idea he will think of the Lord alone as the Father and Master; but it is otherwise when man is in a natural idea. Moreover, in the spiritual world or in heaven, no one knows any other father, teacher, or master than the Lord, because from Him is spiritual life. So in other instances.

[2] From this it can be seen that the external of the Word, and thence the external of the church and of worship, consists of apparent truths, therefore those who are in evils in respect to life apply it to favor their own loves and the principles conceived therefrom. This is why it is said that the "court," which signifies the external of the Word, "is given to the nations," and afterwards that "they shall trample down the holy city." This comes to pass in the end of the church, when men are so far worldly, natural, and corporeal that they are wholly unable to see interior truths, which are called spiritual truths; and from this it follows that they then wholly pervert the external of the Word, which is the sense of its letter. Such perversion of the sense of the letter of the Word took place also with the Jews at the end of the church with them, which is meant in the spiritual sense by:

The soldiers dividing the garments of the Lord, but not the tunic (John 19:23, 24),

which signifies that those who were of the church perverted all things of the Word in respect to the sense of its letter, but not the Word in respect to the spiritual sense, because this they did not know. (That this is what these things mean in the spiritual sense may be seen above, n. 64.) It is similar in the church at this day, because this is its end; for at this day the Word is not explained according to spiritual truths, but according to the appearances of the sense of the letter, which are applied to confirm both evils of life and falsities of doctrine; and because interior truths, which are spiritual truths, are unknown and are not received, it follows that the sense of the letter of the Word is perverted by evils of the will and falsities of thought therefrom. This, therefore, is what is meant by "the court is given to the nations."

270. Verse 4. And around the throne were four and twenty thrones, and upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders sitting, signifies all truths from good in the higher heavens, arranged by the Lord before judgment. This is evident from the signification of "throne" on which was "One sitting," as being the Lord in respect to the Last Judgment (on which see just above, n. 267; and that "throne" signifies judgment, see n. 253. Also from the signification of "the four and twenty thrones around it, and four and twenty elders on them," as being all the truths of heaven in the complex, arranged before judgment. "Four and twenty" signifies all, "thrones" judgment, and "elders" those who are in truths from good, and abstractly truths from good. The higher heavens are here meant, because all who are in them are in truths from the good of love, and because the lower heavens are treated of in what immediately follows. ("Twenty-four" signifies all, because that number signifies the like with the number "twelve," and "twelve" signifies all, and is predicated of truths, see Arcana Coelestia 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913. The number "twenty-four" signifies the like with the number "twelve," because it is the double thereof, and the double of a number signifies something similar as the number from which it arises by multiplication, as may be seen, n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973.)

[2] The like is signified by "the thrones upon which the twelve apostles were to sit," of which in Matthew:

Ye who have followed Me in the regeneration, when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of His glory, ye also shall sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30);

the "twelve apostles" signifying all truths in the complex. Likewise in the following words in Revelation:

I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them (Revelation 20:4).

"Judgment was given to those who sat upon thrones" signifies that judgment belongs to the Lord alone, for "elders" in the Word signify all who are in truths from good, and abstractly, truths from good by which is judgment. He who supposes that "elders" and "apostles" in the Word mean elders and apostles is much mistaken; in the spiritual sense of the Word no persons are perceived, but things abstractly from persons, for what is spiritual has nothing in common with persons. It is otherwise in the sense of the letter of the Word, which is natural; in that sense not only are persons mentioned, but the idea of person is implied in many expressions, in order that the Word in its ultimates may be natural, and thus be a basis for the spiritual sense. It is the same with the signification of "elders" as with that of "infants," "children," "young men," "old men," "virgins," "women," and many words of that kind; in the natural sense these are all thought of simply as persons; but in the spiritual sense "infants" mean innocence, "children" charity, "young men" intelligence, "old men" wisdom, "virgins" the affection of truth and good, and "women" the goods of the church; and so in other cases.

The same is true of the natural and spiritual senses of "neighbor;" in the natural sense "neighbor" means any man whatever; but in the spiritual sense the good, truth, sincerity, and justice itself that are in the person. Everyone who reflects can see that this is the neighbor in the spiritual sense; for who loves a person for any other reason? For good and truth make the man, and cause him to be loved, and not the countenance and body.

[3] But to return to the signification of "elders." That "elders" signify truths from good can be seen from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned. In Isaiah:

Then the moon shall blush, and the sun be ashamed, and Jehovah of Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem; and before His elders shall be glory (Isaiah 24:23).

The "moon" and "sun" mean their idolatrous worship and the falsity of faith and the evil of love; "Mount Zion" and "Jerusalem" mean heaven and the church; "the elders" mean truths from good; it is therefore said, "before them shall be glory," for "glory" signifies Divine truth in heaven (See above n. 33).

[4] In Lamentations:

My virgins and my young men have gone into captivity. I have cried to my lovers, they have deceived me; and mine elders expired in the city (Lamentations 1:18-19).

Here the vastation of the church is treated of, over which there is lamentation; there is such vastation when there is no longer any spiritual affection of truth, and thence no intelligence in such things as pertain to the church, and when there is then no truth. The "virgins," that are gone into captivity, mean the spiritual affection of truth, "the young men" intelligence; "captivity" is removal from this affection and intelligence; the "elders," who expired, mean the truths of the church.

[5] In Ezekiel:

Slay to destruction the old man, the young man, and the virgin, and the infant and the women; begin from My sanctuary; therefore they began from the elders who were before the house (Ezekiel 9:6).

Here too, the vastation of the church is treated of; an "old man" and "young man" mean wisdom and intelligence; "virgin" means the affection of truth and good; "infant" innocence; "women" the goods of the church; "to slay to destruction" signifies devastation; the "sanctuary," from which they should begin, is the church in respect to the good of love and the truth of faith, which are "the elders who are before the house."

[6] In Lamentations:

The faces of the old men were not honored. The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music (Lamentations 5:12, 14).

"Old men" signify the wisdom that is of good; "elders," the truths that are from good; "young men," intelligence. That the God of Israel was seen:

Under His feet as a work of sapphire, by Moses, Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy elders, and not by the rest (Exodus 24:1, 9-12);

signified that the Lord is seen solely by those who are in good and in truths from good (See the explanation of the passage in The Arcana Coelestia 9403-9411). This is what the seventy elders of Israel represented, and what the "four and twenty elders" sitting upon as many thrones signified; this also is what the "twelve apostles" signify, of whom it is said that "they are to sit upon thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."

(That the "twelve apostles" signify all truths from good, Arcana Coelestia 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397;

that the "twelve tribes of Israel" have a like signification, n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335;

likewise the "elders of Israel," n. 6524, 6525, 6890, 7912, 8578, 8585, 9376, 9404)