THE EXPLANATION of Isaiah Chapter 4

(Note: Rev. Smithson's translation of the Isaiah text is appended below the explanation)

1. AND seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, Our own bread will we eat, and with our own raiment will we be clothed: only let us be called by your name, to take away our reproach.

VERSE 1. The subject here treated of is concerning the end of the church, when there is no longer any truth, for these words precede, "Your men shall fall by the sword, and your strength in the war", by which is signified that the understanding of truth would be destroyed by falsities, so that there would be no longer resistance in combats; and it follows "In that day the Germ of Jehovah shall be for beauty and glory", which being said concerning the advent of the Lord, signifies that truth should spring up anew in the church; by "seven women taking hold of one man", is signified that from affection they would desire and seek Truth, but would not find it; "man" (ish) denoting Truth; "women", affections or desires for Truth and "seven", what is holy. That they would not find instruction in genuine Truths, and thereby spiritual nourishment, is signified by their saying - "Our own bread will we eat and with our own raiment will we be clothed"; "bread" denoting instruction and spiritual nourishment; and "raiment", truth clothing good. That it is only [genuine] Truth which can be applied, and by application conjoined, is signified by "only let us be called by your name", or "let your name be named upon us"; and inasmuch as all honour is from the spiritual affection of Truth and the conjunction thence derived, and as otherwise there is no honour, therefore it is said - "Take away our reproach." Apocalypse Explained 555.

Seven women. - The ground and reason why the number "seven" signifies holy things, or what is holy, and, in an opposite sense, what is profane, is from, the signification of numbers in the world of spirits. In that world every number involves something. Numbers both simple and compound have occasionally appeared visibly to me, once also in a long series, and I wondered what they signified, and it was said that they existed from angelic discourse. ["Women", whether called daughters or virgins, signify either the affections of Truth or of Good, according to the subject, whether Zion or Jerusalem, etc., with which they are mentioned. See above, Chapter 1:8, the Exposition.]

This was known to the most ancient people who were celestial men, and discoursed with angels, and hence they formed ecclesiastical computation by numbers, whereby they expressed as to universals those things which by words they expressed as to particulars. But what each number had involved, did not remain with posterity, only what was signified by the simple numbers, as two, three, six, seven, eight, twelve, and hence twenty-four, seventy-two, and seventy-seven, especially that by "seven" is signified what is most holy, namely, in the supreme sense, the Divine Itself, and, in the representative sense, the celestial principle of love. Hence it is that the state of the celestial man was signified by the "seventh" or Sabbath day, as shown above, Arcana Coelestia 84-87. Arcana Coelestia 5205.

Let us be called by your name. - To be called by a "name", in the Word, signifies to be imbued with the nature and quality of him by whose name we are called. Thus to be called a Christian means to be imbued with the nature and quality of Christ. Those who separate the name from the nature, or who live not in agreement with the precepts and nature of Him by whose name they are called, are Christians in name only and not in reality, and cannot have "their names (which means the quality of faith, and charity from the Lord, Arcana Coelestia 6674) written in heaven"; (Luke 10:20) that is, cannot, be saved, because by an evil life they have contracted a nature contrary to that which prevails in heaven. To have "the Lord's new name written upon us", (Revelation 3:12) is to be so imbued with His nature and spirit as to worship Him alone. See Apocalypse Revealed 196. See also Arcana Coelestia 2009. Apocalypse Explained 256, 436, 563, 806.

2. In that day shall the Germ of Jehovah be for beauty and glory, and the fruit of the land for magnificence and for adornment to the escaped of Israel.

Verse 2. The "Germ of Jehovah which shall be for beauty and glory", signifies the Truth of the church; and the "fruit of the land which shall be for magnificence and adornment", signifies the Good of the church: as "Israel" signifies the spiritual church, it is evident that it is Truth and Good, and not the "germ and fruit of the land" which shall be for "beauty, glory, magnificence, and adornment." When it is said that "Truth and Good are of the church", the truth of faith and the good of love are understood, for all truth is of faith and all good is of love. Apocalypse Explained 304.

For beauty and glory, for magnificence and adornments - It should be known that all things in the Lord's kingdom have relation either to Goodness or to Truth, that is, to those things which are of love, and which are of the faith which has charity for its ground. Those things which have relation to Goodness, or which are of love, are called celestial; but the things which have relation to Truth, or which are of faith springing from charity, are called spiritual. Inasmuch a in all things of the Word, even in the most minute particulars, the Lord's kingdom is treated of, and, in the supreme sense, the Lord Himself; and as the Lord's kingdom is the marriage of Goodness and Truth, which is the heavenly marriage, and as in the Lord is the Divine Marriage from which the heavenly marriage comes, therefore that marriage is in all things of the Word, which is especially obvious in the Prophets and in the Psalms, where repetitions of the same thing occur with only a change of expressions or words; such as "joy and gladness", "nations and peoples", "beauty and glory", "magnificence and adornment", etc. But these repetitions are by no means empty tautologies, for one expression signifies what is celestial, namely, that which is of love or goodness, and the other what is spiritual, namely, that which is of the faith of charity or of truth. Hence it is evident how the heavenly marriage, that is, the Lord's kingdom, is in every particular of the Word, and, in the supreme sense, the Divine Marriage itself, or the Lord. Arcana Coelestia 4137.

3. And it shall come to pass, whosoever is left in Zion, and remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy; every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem :

Verses 2, 3. The escaped of Israel, the left in Zion, and he that remains in Jerusalem, etc. Mention is made of "remains " and also of "residues" in the Word throughout, but by the former and the latter have been understood only remains and residues of a people or nation according to the letter, whilst it has been heretofore altogether unknown that, in the spiritual sense, they signify goods and truths in the interior man stored up by the Lord, as in the following passages: "In that day shall the Germ of Jehovah be for beauty and glory, and the fruit of the land for magnificence and for adornment to the escaped of Israel; and it shall come to pass, whosoever is left in Zion, and remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy; every one written for life, or among the living in Jerusalem." (Isaiah 4:2, 3) "They that were left in Zion, and they that remained in Jerusalem" were in no wise made "holy", nor more "written for life" or "among the living" than the rest; whence it is plain that by those who were "left" and who were "remaining", are meant the things that were "holy and written for life", or "among the living", which things are Goods conjoined to Truths in the interior man, stored up by the Lord. Arcana Coelestia 5897.

Deliverance is effected by remains, that is, by Goods and Truths stored up with man by the Lord; they who receive those Goods and Truths, that is, who suffer them to be implanted in their interiors, escape damnation, and are amongst the residues. Hence it is that mention is made of "the escaped" in the Word throughout, where "residues and remains" are spoken of, as in Isaiah 4:2, 3. Arcana Coelestia 5899.

[In respect to remains, see also above, Chapter 1:9, the Exposition.]

4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion; and shall have purged the bloods of Jerusalem from the midst of her, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

Verse 4. To "wash away the filth of the daughters of Zion", signifies to purify the affections of those who are of the celestial church from the evils of the love of self; "filth" denoting the evil of the love of self; "daughters", the affections; and "Zion", the church principled in love to the Lord, which is thence called the celestial church. To "purge the bloods of Jerusalem", signifies to purify the same from the falsities of evil; "by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning", signifies by the understanding of truth and by the affection of truth; "spirit" denoting the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord; the "spirit of judgment", the understanding of truth thence derived; and the "spirit of burning", the spiritual affection of truth, for it is this which produces expurgation. Apocalypse Explained 475.

Inasmuch as by "blood", in the genuine sense, is signified the holy [principle], so in the opposite sense, by "blood" and "bloods", are signified those things which occasion violence to it, and indeed from this ground, because by "shedding innocent blood" is signified to violate what is holy; on which account also wicked principles of life and profane principles of worship were called "bloods." That "blood" and "bloods" have such a signification, is evident from the following passage, Isaiah 4:4. Arcana Coelestia 4735 Arcana Coelestia 4735[1-15].

5. And Jehovah shall create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and upon all her assemblies, a cloud by day, and smoke; and the brightness of a flaming fire by night: and over all the Glory shall be a covering.

Verse 5. By "Zion" is also signified the church, as to the Word; the internal or spiritual sense of the Word, as to good, is understood by the "dwelling-place" thereof; the external or literal sense, as to truths, is understood by the "cloud by day", and as to good, by the "brightness of a flaming fire by night." This sense, forasmuch as it covers and is the repository of the spiritual sense, is called" a covering over all the Glory", denoting the spiritual sense. These are also said to be "created", because they are the truths of heaven and the church. Apocalypse Explained 294.

By the "dwelling-place of Mount Zion" is signified the good of the celestial church, and by the "assemblies" thereof are signified the truths of that good; the defence thereof lest it should be hurt from too much light or from too much shade, is signified by "the cloud in the daytime and by the smoke, and by the brightness of a flaming fire in the night"; and inasmuch as all spiritual good and truth is preserved from being hurt by natural good and truth, therefore it is said that "over all the Glory shall be a covering"; "glory" denoting spiritual good and truth. Apocalypse Explained 594.

6. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain.

Verse 6. As a "tabernacle" denotes the ultimate of Divine Truth which hides the interiors, its being , "for a shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge against inundation or storm and rain", denotes that man may be safe and not hurt. AC 9433.

Guard to prevent hurt from too much light or too much shade, is signified by "a cloud by day and by smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night"; wherefore it is said that "over all the Glory shall be a covering", and that "the tabernacle shall be for a shade during the day from heat"; lest falsities should break in, ill consequence of too much light or too much shade, is signified by its "being in refuge and covert against inundation or storm and rain"; "inundation" and "rain" denoting the irruption of falsities. Apocalypse Explained 504

---

Isaiah Chapter 4

1. AND seven women shall take hold of one man in that day, saying, Our own bread will we eat, and with our own raiment will we be clothed: only let us be called by your name, to take away our reproach.

2. In that day shall the Germ of Jehovah be for beauty and glory, and the fruit of the land for magnificence and for adornment to the escaped of Israel.

3. And it shall come to pass, whosoever is left in Zion, and remains in Jerusalem, shall be called holy; every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem :

4. When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion; and shall have purged the bloods of Jerusalem from the midst of her, by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

5. And Jehovah shall create upon every dwelling-place of Mount Zion, and upon all her assemblies, a cloud by day, and smoke; and the brightness of a flaming fire by night: and over all the Glory shall be a covering.

6. And there shall be a tabernacle for a shade by day from the heat, and for a refuge, and a covert from storm and from rain.

4137. 'For I might have sent you away with gladness and with songs' means the state in which - thinking from the proprium - it had believed itself to be as regards truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'I might have sent you away' as that it would have separated itself in freedom. But the fact that it had not separated itself when in that state is clear from what has been stated already in 4113. From this it is evident that these words were uttered by Laban in the state in which - thinking from the proprium - he had believed himself to be. For when a person's belief is based on his own thought it is not the truth, whereas when it is not based on his own thought but is received from the Lord it is based on the truth. The state referred to at this point is a state as regards truths, and this is meant by 'sending away with gladness and with songs', for gladness and songs have reference to truths.

[2] In the Word the expressions 'gladness' and 'joy' are used in various places, sometimes the two appearing together. But 'gladness' is used when truth or the affection for truth is the subject, and 'joy' when good or the affection for good is, as in Isaiah,

Behold, joy and gladness consist in slaying oxen and killing sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. Isaiah 22:13.

Here 'joy' has reference to good and 'gladness' to truth. In the same prophet,

There will be an outcry in the streets over [the lack of] wine, all gladness will be made desolate, and the joy of the earth ¹ will be banished. Isaiah 24:11.

In the same prophet,

The ransomed of Jehovah will return, and come to Zion with song, and everlasting joy upon their heads; they will obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing will flee away. Isaiah 35:10; 51:11.

In the same prophet,

Jehovah will comfort Zion. Joy and gladness will be found in her, confession and the voice of song. Isaiah 51:3.

In Jeremiah,

I will make to cease from the cities of Judah and from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, for the land will become a waste. Jeremiah 7:34; 25:10.

In the same prophet,

The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of those that say, Give thanks ² to Jehovah Zebaoth. Jeremiah 33:11.

In the same prophet,

Joy and exultation have been plucked from Carmel, and from the land of Moab. Jeremiah 48:33

In Joel,

Is not the food cut off before our eyes, gladness and exultation from the house of our God? Joel 1:16.

In Zechariah, The fast will be to the house of Judah one of joy and gladness and good feasts. Zechariah 8:19.

[3] Anyone who does not know that the heavenly marriage, that is, the marriage of good and truth, is present in every detail of the Word might suppose that these two - joy and gladness - are exactly the same as each other and that both are used merely for the sake of greater emphasis, so that one of them is superfluous. But this is not the case, for not even the smallest part of an expression is used which lacks the spiritual sense. In the places that have been quoted, and in others too, 'joy' has reference to good and 'gladness' to truth, see also 3118. The fact that 'songs' also has reference to truths is clear from many places in the Word where songs are mentioned, for example Isaiah 5:1; 24:9; 26:1; 30:29; 42:10; Ezekiel 26:13; Amos 5:23; and elsewhere.

[4] It should be recognized that everything in the Lord's kingdom has reference either to good or to truth, that is, to the things that are aspects of love or to those that are aspects of faith wedded to charity. Those which have reference to good or aspects of love are called celestial, while those which have reference to truth or aspects of faith wedded to charity are called spiritual. Since in every single detail of the Word the Lord's kingdom is the subject and in the highest sense the Lord Himself; and since the Lord's kingdom consists in a marriage of goodness and truth, or the heavenly marriage, and the Lord Himself is the one in whom the Divine marriage exists and from whom the heavenly marriage derives, that marriage is present in every single part of the Word. It stands out in particular in the Prophets where repetitions of one and the same thing occur with merely a change of words. In no case however are those repetitions pointless, for one expression means that which is celestial, that is, which has to do with love or good, and the other that which is spiritual, that is, which has to do with faith wedded to charity, or with truth. These considerations show how the heavenly marriage, that is, the Lord's kingdom, is present in every detail of the Word, and how in the highest sense the Divine marriage itself or the Lord is present there.

Примітки: