919. (Verse 19) And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the vineyard of the earth. That this signifies that this was done, is evident from what has been just said in the above article.

That vineyard signifies the spiritual church is evident from the passages in the Word, where vineyard is mentioned:

As in Isaiah 1:8; 3:14; 5:1-10; 16:10; 36:17; 37:30; 65:21; Jeremiah 12:10; 32:15; 35:7, 9; 39:10; Ezekiel 28:26; Hosea 2:15; Amos 4:9; 5:11, 17; 9:14; Micah 1:6; Zephaniah 1:13; 1 Sam. 8:14, 15; Psalm 107:37; Matthew 20:1-8; 21:28, 38-41; Mark 12:1-9; Luke 13:6, 7; 20:9-16. And concerning a vine, see John 15:1-12.

Besides, in the historical parts of the Word. From which it is clearly evident that by a vineyard the church is meant; see also above (n. 376, 403, 638, 918), where many passages in which vineyard is mentioned are explained.

From the signification of vineyard it is evident, that by gathering the vintage, is signified to collect for uses those things that are to be serviceable to the understanding, and to impart intelligence and wisdom; and, in the opposite sense, to devastate the church as to spiritual good, and consequently as to the affection and understanding of truth. In this opposite sense, vintage and to gather the vintage are mentioned when there are no longer any clusters or grapes remaining; which, in the spiritual sense, signifies that all spiritual good, and thence all truth which in itself is truth, is destroyed; and this is chiefly effected in the church by falsifications of the Word. Also when evil of life corrupts all good, and then the falsity of doctrine perverts all truth; this is described also by devastators and thieves. That, therefore, by gathering the vintage is signified devastation, is evident from the following passages.

[2] In Isaiah:

"A cry over the wine in the streets; all joy shall be commingled; the gladness of the earth shall be banished. The remainder in the city shall be wasteness, and the gate shall be smitten even to devastation. For so shall it be in the midst of the earth, as the shaking of the olive tree, as the gleanings when the vintage is done" (24:11, 12, 13).

By these words mourning over the devastation of the church as to celestial good, and as to spiritual good, is described; which, in its essence, is truth from celestial good. Devastation is compared to the shaking of an olive tree, and to the gleanings when the vintage is done; but the particulars of this passage may be seen explained above (n. 313, 638).

[3] In the same:

"Ye confident daughters in your ears perceive my word; year upon year shall ye be moved, ye confident; for the vintage is ended, the gathering shall not come" (32:9, 10).

By confident daughters are signified those in the church who love falsities more than truths. That truths with them are successively diminished and in every state, is signified by being moved year upon year. The devastation of all truth even till there is nothing remaining, is signified by the vintage being ended, and the gathering not coming.

[4] In Jeremiah:

"Upon thy fruits of autumn, and upon thy vintage, hath the spoiler fallen, whence gladness is gathered and joy out of Carmel" (48:32, 33).

By the fruits of autumn are signified the goods of the church, by the vintage are signified the truths thereof; for bread, which is there meant by the fruit of autumn, signifies the good of the church, and wine, which is of the vintage, signifies the truth thereof. By the spoiler who fell upon them, is signified evil and falsity therefrom. That the delight of spiritual and celestial love, which is the very joy of the heart, is about to perish, is signified by gladness and joy being gathered out of Carmel.

[5] In Micah:

"Woe is me! I am become as the gatherings of the summer, as the gleanings of the vintage: not a cluster to eat: my soul desireth the first-fruit" (7:1).

As the gleanings of the vintage, not a cluster to eat, signifies the devastation of the church being such that there is no longer any good and truth. The rest may be seen explained in the article just preceding.

In Jeremiah:

"If the grape-gatherers come to thee, they will not leave any gleanings: if thieves in the night, they will destroy sufficiency" (49:9).

In Obadiah:

"If thieves come to thee, if destroyers by night, when thou shalt be cut off, will they not steal till they have enough? if the grape-gatherers come to thee, will they leave any clusters?" (vers. 4, 5).

By the grape-gatherers are signified falsities, and by thieves evils, which devastate the truths and goods of the church. But by destroyers are signified both falsities and evils. By their not leaving any clusters, is signified there not being any goods because there are no truths. But by gathering the vintage, is signified to gather for uses such things especially as are to be serviceable to the understanding,

In Jeremiah 6:9; Leviticus 19:10; 26:5; Deuteronomy 20:6, 7; 24:21.

2632. 'Abraham circumcised his son Isaac' means purification of the rational. This is clear from the meaning of 'being circumcised' as being purified, dealt with in 2039, and from the representation of 'Isaac' as the Divine Rational, dealt with in 2630.

[2] The Lord's first rational was born in the way it is with others, that is to say, by means of facts and cognitions. This has been stated already where Ishmael, who represents that rational, is the subject. Because it was born, as with others, by means of facts and cognitions, thus by the external way, which is that of the senses, this rational inevitably included many things that were worldly in origin, for it is from those things that the ideas which the rational possesses are acquired. This was even more so the case with the Lord on account of the heredity He had from the mother. It was those worldly things and this heredity which the Lord gradually cast out of His rational until it was such that it was able to receive the Divine, 2624, 2625. At this point the Lord's Divine Rational, represented by 'Isaac', was born, 2630, not indeed by the external way, which is that of the senses - as was the case with the previous rational - but by the internal way from the Divine itself, 2628, 2629. As this was not accomplished all at once but gradually, 1690, 2033, the rational was purified, and constantly so. It is this purification that is meant by 'Abraham circumcised his son, a son eight days old'. That the Lord gradually made His Rational Divine and purified it constantly is clear also in John,

Jesus said, Father, glorify Your name. A voice therefore came from heaven, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. John 12:28.

'Glorifying' is making Divine, see 1603, 1999.

[3] In the Ancient Church nothing else was represented and meant by circumcision than that a person should be purified from self-love and love of the world, which is also effected gradually and constantly, see 2039, 2046 (end), 2049, 2056, especially when a person has been born anew or regenerated. For at that time the Lord is flowing in by the internal way, that is, through the good that forms part of conscience; and He gradually and constantly separates the things which cling to that person both as a result of hereditary evil and of the evil of his own doing.