403. As a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken by a mighty wind. That this signifies, which the natural man has laid waste by his reasonings, is plain from the signification of a fig-tree, as denoting the natural man, of which we shall speak presently; from the signification of its untimely figs, as denoting those things that are in the natural man, these being especially the knowledges implanted in the natural man from infancy, and are not yet mature, having been merely heard and thence received; and from the signification of, shaken by a mighty wind, as denoting, which the natural man has laid waste by reasonings. To be shaken by a mighty wind here signifies reasonings from the falsities of evil; for mighty in the Word is said of good and evil; wind, of truth and falsity; and to be shaken thereby, of reasoning thence. The reason why such things are signified by these words, although they are said comparatively, is, that all comparisons in the Word are significative, just as other things, for they are equally correspondences. With respect to these things, the case is this: every man is born natural from his parents, but becomes spiritual from the Lord; this is called to be born again, or regenerated. And because he is born natural, therefore the knowledges he imbibes from infancy, before he becomes spiritual, are implanted in his natural memory. But as he advances in years, and begins to view rationally the knowledges of good and truth he has imbibed from the Word or from preaching, if he then leads an evil life, he seizes upon and examines the falsities that are the opposite of and contrary to these knowledges; then as he is gifted with a talent for reasoning, he reasons from falsities against the knowledges of his infancy and childhood, and as a result these are cast out, and falsities succeed in their place. This, therefore, is what is signified by, "The stars shall fall to the earth, as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken by the wind."

[2] That the fig-tree signifies the natural man is from correspondence; for in heaven gardens and paradises appear, where there are trees of every kind, and every tree signifies something of the Divine, which is communicated to angels from the Lord. In general, the olive signifies the celestial which is of the good of love; the vine, the spiritual which is of the truth from that good; and the fig-tree, the natural, which is derived from the spiritual or the celestial. And because those trees signify such things, therefore they also signify the angel or man with whom such things exist; but in a general sense they signify a whole society, because every society in the heavens is formed so as to present the image of one man. But in the spiritual sense those trees signify the church; the olive, the celestial church; the vine, the spiritual church; and the fig-tree, the natural church, which is the external church corresponding to the internal. From these considerations it is evident why it is that the fig-tree is said to signify the natural man, that is, the Natural in man.

[3] That the fig-tree signifies this, and, in general, the external church, is also clear from other passages in the Word, where it is mentioned, as from the following. In Isaiah:

"All the host of the heavens shall be consumed, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all the host thereof shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as that which falleth from the fig-tree" (34:4).

These things are said concerning the day of the Last Judgment, which was about to come, and also came. For the Last Judgment predicted by the prophets of the Old Testament, was accomplished by the Lord when He was in the world; and because similar things then took place as in the Last Judgment, which was predicted in the Apocalypse, and which has at this day been accomplished by the Lord, therefore nearly similar things are said. As in the prophet Isaiah, that, all the host of the heavens shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as that which falleth from the fig-tree, also that the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll. In the Apocalypse, that the stars shall fall unto the earth, as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs, and that the heaven shall depart as a scroll rolled together. That all the host of the heavens shall be consumed, signifies that all the goods and truths of love and faith have been corrupted; for by the host of the heavens are meant all the goods and truths of love and faith; the sun, moon, and stars, by which those things are signified, being called the host of the heavens. The heavens being rolled together as a scroll, signifies their dissipation; that all the host shall fall down as the leaf from the vine, and as that which falleth from the fig-tree, signifies the laying waste from the falsities of evil.

[4] In Jeremiah:

"In consuming I will consume them; there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf shall fade" (8:13).

There being no grapes on the vine signifies that there is no spiritual good; for the vine signifies the spiritual man, and the grape, because it is its fruit, signifies the good of that [man], which is called spiritual good; nor figs on the fig-tree, signifies that there is no natural good, for the fig-tree signifies the natural man, and the fruit of the fig-tree signifies the good of that [man], which is called natural good. That the vine does not signify the vine, nor the fig-tree the fig-tree, is evident, for it is said, "In consuming I will consume them, there shall be no grapes on the vine, nor figs on the fig-tree," for they will not on that account be consumed. The vastation of the church is also treated of, as clearly appears from what precedes and follows there.

[5] In Hosea:

"I will also make all her joy to cease, her feast, her new moon, her sabbath. And I will devastate her vine and her fig-tree, whereof she hath said, These are the rewards of my whoredom; and I will make her a forest, and the wild beast of the field shall devour" (2:11, 12).

The churches are here treated of, and the falsification of truth therein. That it is said concerning the church, is clear from the second verse of this chapter, where it is said, contend with your mother; for she is not my wife, and I am not her husband. By a mother and by a wife is signified the church; the holy things of the church also, from which worship is performed, and the worship itself, are signified by the feast, the new moon, and the sabbath, which shall cease; therefore by, "I will devastate her vine and her fig-tree," is signified that both spiritual good and natural good would perish. That they shall be made a forest, and the wild beast of the field shall devour, signifies that both shall be merely natural, and that the spiritual shall be consumed by falsities and lusts; the forest signifying the merely natural, and the wild beast of the field, falsities and lusts. And inasmuch as falsities in the church are especially falsified truths, and these are treated of in this chapter, therefore it is said, "whereof she hath said, These are the rewards of my whoredom," the rewards of whoredom signifying falsification.

[6] In Joel:

"A nation shall come up upon my land, strong, and without number; its teeth are the teeth of a lion, and it hath the great grinding teeth of a lion. It hath reduced my vine to a waste, and my fig-tree to froth; the branches thereof are made white. The vine is dried up, and the fig-tree languisheth; the pomegranate-tree, and also the palm-tree, and the apple-tree, all the trees of the field are withered" (1:6, 7, 12).

In this whole chapter the devastated church is treated of; and by the nation, which comes up upon the land, which is strong and without number, which has the teeth of a lion, and the great grinding teeth of a lion, is not signified any nation of such a kind, but direful evil and the falsity thence. By the land upon which it comes up, is signified the church; by the teeth of a lion are signified the falsities of that evil; and because these destroy all the goods and truths of the church, they are called the great grinding teeth of a lion; a lion signifying that which destroys. Hence by, "He hath reduced my vine to a waste, and my fig-tree to froth," is signified that the church internal and external is thereby vastated; for the vine signifies the internal church, and the fig-tree the external; froth signifies where there is inwardly no truth; and by, "in making it bare he has made it bare, and cast it away," is signified that there is no longer any good or truth which is not destroyed; to make bare, namely, of fruits and leaves, denotes to deprive of goods and truths; and to cast away denotes entirely to destroy. By, "the branches thereof are made white," is signified, that there is no longer anything spiritual. By the pomegranate, the palm, and the apple, and all the trees of the field which are withered, are signified species of goods and truths of the church, and the knowledges thereof, which are consummated by evils and falsities; the trees of the field, in general, signifying the knowledges of good and truth.

[7] In the same:

"Be not afraid, ye beasts of my fields; for the dwelling-places of the wilderness are made grassy, for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine shall yield their strength" (2:22).

The establishment of the church is here treated of; therefore by the beasts of the field are not meant beasts of the field, but the affections of good in the natural man, consequently, those with whom such affections are. Who does not see that they are not beasts to whom it is said, "Be not afraid, ye beasts of my fields?" By, "the dwelling-places of the wilderness are made grassy," is signified that with such there will be knowledges of truth where there were none before; the dwelling-places of the wilderness denoting the interiors of the mind of those in whom they did not exist before; grassy signifies the increase and multiplication thereof; "for the tree beareth her fruit, the fig-tree and the vine shall yield their strength," signifies that they have natural good and spiritual good, for strength here denotes the production of fruit.

[8] In Amos:

"Your many gardens, and your vineyards, and your fig-trees, and your olive-trees, the canker-worm hath devoured; yet have ye not returned unto me" (4:9).

By gardens are signified all things of the church that constitute intelligence and wisdom; by vineyards, spiritual goods and truths; by fig-trees, natural goods and truths; by olive-trees, celestial goods and truths; the canker-worm denotes the falsity which destroys; the fig-tree, the vine, and the olive, properly signify the church, and the man of the church; but because the church is a church and a man is a man from goods and truths, therefore these also are signified by those trees, the goods by their fruits, and the truths by their branches and leaves.

[9] In Haggai:

"Set your heart from this day and henceforwards. Is there not yet seed in the barn, and even to the vine and fig-tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive-tree?" (2:18, 19).

By these words, in the spiritual sense, is meant that goods and truths are yet remaining; all goods and truths from primaries to ultimates are meant by the vine, the fig-tree, the pomegranate, and the olive-tree; by the vine, spiritual good and truth; by the fig-tree, natural good and truth; by the pomegranate, the knowing and perceptive faculty in general, and specifically the knowledges and perceptions of good and truth; and by the olive-tree, the perception of celestial good and truth; the barn signifies where those things are, either the church, or the man in whom the church is, or the mind of man, which is the subject.

[10] In Habakkuk:

"The fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall increase be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall deceive, and the fields shall yield no food" (3:17).

The fig-tree shall not blossom, signifies that there shall be no natural good; neither shall increase be in the vines, signifies that there shall be no spiritual good; the labour of the olive shall deceive signifies that there shall be no celestial good; the fields shall yield no food, signifies that there shall be no spiritual nourishment.

[11] In Moses:

"Jehovah God leadeth thee to a good land, a land of rivers of water, of fountains and depths that go out of valley and mountain; a land of wheat and barley, and of the vine and fig-tree and pomegranate; a land of oil olive, and honey" (Deuteronomy 8:7, 8).

By the good land to which they shall be led, is meant the land of Canaan, by which is signified the church, therefore here the same things are signified by the vine, the fig-tree, the pomegranate, and the olive, as now [explained] above. The other things may be seen explained before in n. 374. Because by the land of Canaan is signified the church, and by the vine, the fig-tree, and the pomegranate, are signified the internal and external things of the church, therefore it came to pass that the explorers of that land brought such things thence; concerning this it is thus written in Moses:

The explorers of the land of Canaan "came to the river Eshcol, and cut down from thence a branch with one cluster of grapes, which they bare between two upon a pole; [they brought] also of the pomegranate, and of the figs" (Num. 13:23).

[12] Because the vine and the fig-tree signify such things, therefore it is said in the Word of those who are in the goods and truths of the church, and thence in safety from evils and falsities, that they shall sit under their own vine, and under their own fig-tree in security, and none shall make them afraid; as in the first book of Kings:

"Judah and Israel dwelt safely, every man under his vine and under his fig-tree, from Dan even to Beersheba, all the days of Solomon" (4:25).

In Zechariah:

"I will remove the iniquity of this land in one day. In that day, ye shall call every man to his neighbour, to the vine and to the fig-tree" (3:9, 10).

And in Micah:

"In the end of the days the mountain of the house of Jehovah shall be established on the top of the mountains; and nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. But they shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig-tree; neither shall any make them afraid" (4:1, 3, 4).

These things are said of the Lord's kingdom, which is with those in the heavens, and on earth, who are in love to Him. The Lord's kingdom is signified by the mountain of Jehovah, which is established on the top of the mountains, for the mountain of Jehovah signifies the Lord's kingdom of those who are in love to Him; and because these dwell above the others in the heavens, it is said of that mountain, that it shall be established on the top of the mountains (see the work concerning Heaven and Hell 188). And because these have truths inscribed upon their hearts, and, therefore, do not debate concerning them, it is said that "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more," by which is signified, that in that kingdom there shall be no dispute about truths (as may be seen in the same work, n. Heaven and Hell 25, 26, 270, 271). That by the truths and goods which they possess, they shall be safe from evils and falsities, is signified by, they shall sit under their own vine and under their own fig-tree, none making them afraid.

[13] In Jeremiah:

"Lo, I will bring upon you a nation from afar, which shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread; it shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters; it shall eat up thy flock and thine herd; it shall eat up thy vine and thy fig-tree" (5:15, 17).

By a nation from afar is signified the evil opposed to celestial good; by from afar is signified distant and remote from goods and truths, also opposed; "which shall eat up thine harvest, and thy bread," signifies that it shall destroy all truths and goods by means of which there is spiritual nourishment; "it shall eat up thy sons and thy daughters," signifies all the spiritual affections of truth and good; "it shall eat up thy flock and thine herd," signifies truths and goods internal and external; "it shall eat up thy vine and thy fig-tree," signifies, thus the internal and external of the church.

[14] In Hosea:

"I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree in its first season" (9:10).

By Israel and the fathers here are not meant the fathers of the tribes from the sons of Jacob, but those who belonged to the Ancient Church, because they were in good (as may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 6050, 6075, 6846, 6876, 6884, 7648, 8055); because they were in good, but at the beginning in ignorance of the truth, by which, however, good is [formed], it is said, "I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the first-ripe in the fig-tree in its first season"; grapes signifying spiritual good, wilderness signifying ignorance of the truth; and the first-ripe in the fig-tree signifying natural good from spiritual good in infancy.

[15] In Luke:

"And when all these things begin to come to pass, look up, and lift up your heads. And he spake a parable; Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees; when they now have shot forth, ye see and shall know of your own selves that summer is now near. So also ye, when ye shall see these things, know that the kingdom of God is nigh" (21:28-31; Matthew 24:32; Mark 13:28, 29).

The subject here treated of is the consummation of the age, which is the Last Judgment, and the signs that precede are enumerated; these are meant by, "when all these things begin to come to pass." That a new church will then commence, which will be external in the beginning, is signified by, "Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees, when they have shot forth." This parable or similitude was related, because the fig-tree signifies the external church, and the trees signify the knowledges of truth and good. The kingdom of God, which then is near, signifies the Lord's New Church; for at the time of the Last Judgment, the old church perishes, and a new commences.

[16] In Luke:

"Every tree is known by his own fruit; for of thorns [men] do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they the grape" (6:44).

As by fruit is signified the good of life, and the good of life is external good from internal, or natural good from spiritual, and as man is known from this good, therefore the Lord says, "Every tree is known by his own fruit; of thorns [men] do not gather figs, nor of a bramble-bush gather they the grape," the fig here denoting the good of the external or natural man, and the grape denoting the good of the internal or spiritual man; the thorns and the bramble-bush denote the evils opposed to them.

[17] Because the kings of Judah and Israel represented the Lord as to Divine truth, and Divine truth is, as it were, tortured, and labours with man, when there is not a life according to it, and it does not become the good of life; but only when it becomes of the life, it lives; this was signified by the following:

That by command of Jehovah to Hezekiah king of Judah, when he was sick, they should bring a lump of figs, and lay it for a plaster, upon the boil, and so should he live (2 Kings 20:7; Isaiah 38:21).

From these things it is evident that the fig-tree, in the genuine sense, signifies the natural man as to good and truth, the fig itself as a tree, the natural man; the fig as a fruit, the good of the natural man; and its leaf, the truth of that good.

[18] But that the fig-tree in an opposite sense signifies the natural man as to evil and falsity, the fig as a tree, the natural man himself, the figs of it as fruit, the evil of that natural man; and its leaf, the falsity of that evil, is plain from the following passages.

In Jeremiah:

"Jehovah shewed me, and, behold, two baskets of figs were set before the temple of Jehovah. One basket [held] very good figs, as of fig-trees bearing the first-fruits; and the other basket [held] exceeding bad figs, which could not be eaten for badness. Jehovah said, As these figs are good, so will I acknowledge the migration of Judah into the land of the Chaldeans for good; and I will set mine eye upon them for good, and I will bring them back upon this land; and I will build them, and I will plant them. And like the figs that are bad; so will I give them that are left in this land, to commotion, and to evil in all nations; and I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, that they may be consumed" (24:1-10).

By the captivity of the Jews in the land of the Chaldeans, is signified the same as by the spiritual captivity, or the removal of the good from the evil in the spiritual world (according to what has been recorded above, n. 391, 392, 394, 397); namely, that the inwardly evil, who could nevertheless lead a moral life, like the spiritual life in externals, remained upon the earth in the spiritual world, and made themselves habitations there upon the higher places; and that the inwardly good were removed from them, and concealed by the Lord in the lower earth. This was represented by the carrying away of the Jews into the land of the Chaldeans, and by the continuance of the rest in the land; therefore it is said concerning those who suffered themselves to be carried away into the land of the Chaldeans, "I acknowledge the migration of Judah into the land of the Chaldeans for good; and I will set mine eye upon them for good, and I will bring them back upon this land; and I will build them, and I will plant them"; whereas, concerning those who remained, it is said, "I will give them that are left in this land, to commotion, and to evil in all nations; and I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, that they may be consumed." That these were the things represented, is plain also from this fact, that the temple of Solomon was destroyed before they were carried away, and that a new [temple] was built when they returned. By the temple is signified Divine worship; and by the new temple, that [worship] restored.

[19] From these things it is evident what is signified by the two baskets of figs set before the temple of Jehovah, in one of which were figs that were very good, as of fig-trees bearing the firstfruits, and in the other were figs exceeding bad, which could not be eaten for badness; namely, that those who are inwardly good, from whom a new heaven is to be formed, are meant by the basket of good figs, and those who are inwardly evil, who are to be cast down into hell, are meant by the basket of bad figs. Therefore it is said concerning the latter, that they could not be eaten for badness; by which is signified that they were inwardly evil; and concerning the former that they were as fig-trees bearing the first-fruits, by which is signified that they were inwardly good, so that a new heaven could be formed from them; for the fig, as a fruit, signifies the good of life in the internal, and at the same time in the external form, and, in an opposite sense, it signifies the good of life solely in the external form, which is evil of life, because it is inwardly evil; for every external derives its quality from the internal, for it is the effect of it. The reason why, with such persons, evil appears in the externals as good, is, because they feign what is good for the sake of the evil that is within, in order to obtain some end, to which apparent good serves as a means. The same is said of those who remained in the land of Canaan elsewhere in the same [prophet]:

"Thus said Jehovah of the king, and all the people that dwell in this city, that are not gone forth with you into captivity; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and I will make them like harsh figs, that cannot be eaten for badness" (29:16, 17).

[20] That the fig as a tree, in the opposite sense, signifies the merely natural man, and the church from such, or those with whom there is no natural good, because there is no inward good, is plain in Luke:

Jesus "spake this parable: A certain man had a fig-tree planted in his vineyard; he therefore came seeking fruit thereon, but found none. He said unto the vine-dresser, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig-tree, but find none, cut it down, for wherefore also maketh it the ground unfruitful? But he answering said, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: if only it bear fruit, [well]; if not at all, after that thou shalt cut it down" (13:6-9).

By the vineyard, in which the fig-tree was, is signified the church, where also those are who are in externals; for there is both an internal and an external in the Lord's church; the internal of the church consists of charity and the faith thence, but the external of the church consists of the good of life. Because the works of charity and faith, which constitute the good of life, pertain to the natural man, and charity itself and the faith thence to the spiritual man, hence by the vineyard is signified the internal of the church, and by the fig-tree its external. With the Jewish nation there was only the external of the church, because it was in external representative worship; therefore by the fig-tree is meant the church with that nation; but because they were in external and in no internal worship, for they were inwardly evil, and since external worship without internal is no worship, and with the evil is evil worship, therefore with them there was nothing of natural good. Hence it is said, that for three years he had not found fruit on the fig-tree, and that he commanded the vinedresser to cut it down; by which is signified, that from beginning to end there was not any natural good with that nation; for by three years is signified a whole period, or a time from beginning to end; and by the fruit of the fig-tree is signified natural good; by natural good is meant spiritual-natural good, or good in the natural from the spiritual. And because a church composed of such as are not in natural good, as was the Jewish nation, is not a church, therefore it is also said of the fig-tree, "wherefore also maketh it the ground unfruitful?" the earth denoting the church. That the vine-dresser begged that it should still be left, and that he would dig about it, signifies that [the nation] should remain, and that hereafter they should be instructed by the Christians, in the midst of whom they would be; but because no answer was made to this, it is meant that the fig-tree would still produce no fruit; that is, that the Jewish nation would do no good that proceeds from anything spiritual.

[21] This is signified by the fig-tree which withered away on account of the Lord's finding no fruit thereon.

In Matthew:

"In the morning, Jesus returning into the city, hungered. And seeing a fig-tree in the way, he came to it, but found nothing thereon but leaves, therefore he said unto it, Let nothing grow on thee henceforward for ever; whence the fig-tree from that time withered away" (21:18, 19; Mark 11:12-14).

By the fig-tree is here also meant the church with the Jewish nation. That with that nation there was no natural good, but only truth falsified, which is in itself falsity, is signified by, the Lord came to the fig-tree, but found nothing thereon but leaves; the fruit, which He did not find, signifies natural good such as was described above; and the leaf signifies truth falsified, which in itself is falsity; for leaf, in the Word, signifies truth, but the leaf of a tree which is without fruit signifies falsity, and with that nation, truth falsified, because they had the Word, in which truths are, but which they falsified by application to themselves, whence [arose] their traditions. That that nation would never do any natural good from a spiritual origin called spiritual natural [good], is signified by the words which the Lord spoke concerning it, "Let nothing grow on thee henceforward for ever," whence from that time it withered away; to wither away signifies that there were no longer good and truth. The reason why the Lord saw [the fig-tree] and said this, when He was returning into the city, and hungered, is, because by the city of Jerusalem is signified the church; and by hungering, when said of the Lord, is signified to desire good in the church (as may be seen above, n. 386). He who does not know what the fig-tree signifies, and that by that fig-tree was meant the church with that nation, can think no otherwise than that this was done by the Lord from indignation, because He hungered; whereas it was not done on this account, but that the quality of the Jewish nation might be thereby signified. For all the Lord's miracles involve and signify such things as belong to heaven and the church, whence those miracles were Divine (as may be seen, n. 7337, 8364, 9031 at the end).

[22] The perverted church, or the perverted man of the church as to his natural or external man, is also signified by the fig-tree, in David:

"He gave them hail for rain, a fire of flames in their land and he smote their vines and their fig-trees; he brake the tree of their border" (Psalms 105:32, 33).

These things are said concerning Egypt, by which is signified the natural man who is in falsities and evils; and by the vine, the fig-tree, and the tree of the border, are signified all things of the church; by the vine, the internal or spiritual things thereof; by the fig-tree, the external or natural things thereof; and by the tree of the border, every thing of the cognitive and perceptive faculty; the border signifying the ultimate in which interior things terminate, and in which they are together, and the trees [signifying] knowledges and perceptions. Because all these things were perverted and therefore damned, it is said that they were smitten and broken, by which is signified destruction and damnation. That [this was] from the falsities of evil that originate in the love of the world, is signified by, "hail for rain, a fire of flames in their land"; rain as hail signifies the falsities of evil, and a fire of flames signifies the love of the world.

[23] In Nahum:

All thy strongholds [shall be] like fig-trees with the first ripe figs if they are shaken, they fall upon the mouth of the eater (3:12).

This is said of the city of bloods, by which is signified doctrine in which truths are falsified and goods adulterated. This is compared to fig-trees with their first-fruits, which, if they be shaken, fall upon the mouth of the eater, and by this is signified that the goods therein are not goods, however much they appear as goods; and that they are not received, and if they are received, they are received only in the memory and not in the heart. That they fall when they are shaken, signifies that they are not goods although they appear as goods, because they are the first-fruits; and upon the mouth of the eater signifies non-reception, not even in the memory. That the mouth of the eater signifies not to receive, is plain from appearances in the spiritual world; for those who commit any thing to the memory appear to receive with the mouth; therefore to fall upon the mouth signifies, not to receive even in the memory, but only to hear, and also if they do receive, that it is only in the memory, and not in the heart. By fig-trees with their first-fruits can also be understood genuine goods, with which the same is accomplished with those who are in falsities of evil.

395. (Verse 11) And white robes were given unto every one. That this signifies Divine truth from the Lord with them, and protection, is plain from the signification of a white robe, as denoting Divine truth from the Lord; for a robe signifies truth in general, because it is the general covering; and white is said of truths from the Lord, for whiteness is characteristic of light, and the light proceeding from the Lord as a Sun is in its essence Divine truth. That by the white robes given to every one, is also signified protection, will be explained below. First, however, it shall be explained why a white robe signifies Divine truth from the Lord. All spirits and angels are clothed according to their intelligence, or according to the reception of truth in the life, for this is intelligence, and the light of their intelligence is formed into garments, which, when they are thence formed, not only appear as garments, but also are garments. For all things that exist in the spiritual world, and appear before their eyes, exist from the light and heat that proceed from the Lord as a Sun. From this origin not only are all things in the spiritual world created and formed, but also all things in the natural world; for the natural world exists and subsists from the Lord through the spiritual world. Hence it is evident that appearances in heaven before the angels, are altogether real; similarly also the garments. Because spirits and angels are clothed according to intelligence, and all intelligence belongs to truth, and angelic intelligence is from Divine truth, therefore they are clothed according to truths. On this account garments signify truths; garments that are next to the body, and thence interior, signify interior truths; and the garments that are around and enclose the former, signify exterior truths; whence a robe, a gown, and a cloak, which are general coverings, signify truths in general, and the white robe which they have from the Lord, the Divine truth in general. (But see what has been shown concerning the garments with which the angels are clothed, in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 177-182; and what has been said above concerning the signification of garments, n. 64, 65, 195, 271.)

[2] The white robes given to those who were under the altar, also signify protection by the Lord, because the white robes given to them, represented the Lord's presence with the Divine truth around them; and the Lord by means of Divine truth protects His own, for He surrounds them with a sphere of light, from which they have white robes; and when they are thus encompassed, they can no longer be infested by evil spirits; for, as said above, they were infested by them, and, therefore, were hidden by the Lord. This also takes place with those who are raised by the Lord into heaven. They are then clothed with white robes, which is an indication that they are in Divine truth, and thus in safety. But concerning those who are clothed in white robes, more will be seen in the explanation of the chapter which follows, at verses 9, 13-17.

[3] That a robe, a gown, and a cloak, signify Divine truth in general is evident also from the following passages. In Zechariah:

"The prophets shall be ashamed every one on account of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a mantle of hair to deceive" (13:4).

By prophets are signified those who teach truths from the Word, and in an abstract sense, truths of doctrine from the Word, and because these things were signified by prophets, therefore, these were clothed with a mantle of hair; for by a mantle of hair was signified Divine truth in ultimates, which is Divine truth in general, for the ultimate contains all things interior, hair also signifies the ultimate. Hence it was, that Elijah from his mantle was also called a hairy man (2 Kings 1:7, 8); and that John the Baptist, who was like Elias, by reason of a similar representation, had a garment of camel's hair (Matthew 3:4). From these things it is evident what is signified by the prophets not wearing a mantle of hair to deceive, namely, that they shall not declare truths to be falsities, and falsities to be truths, this being signified by deceiving.

[4] Because Elijah represented the Lord as to the Word, which is the very doctrine of truth, and Elisha continued the representation; and because a mantle signified Divine truth in general, which is the Word in ultimates, therefore, the mantle of Elijah passed to Elisha; and by Elijah's mantle also the waters of Jordan were divided, according, to these statements in the books of the Kings:

When Elijah found Elisha "he cast his mantle upon him" (1 Kings 19:19).

"Elijah took his mantle, and wrapped it together, and smote the waters" of Jordan, "which were divided hither and thither, and they two went over on dry ground."

Elisha seeing "when Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven," took up the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and went back, and stood by the bank of Jordan; and he took the mantle and smote the waters, which parted hither and thither; and he went over" (2 Kings 2:8, 11-14).

That Elijah cast his mantle upon Elisha, signified that he transferred to Elisha the representation of the Lord as to the Word; and the mantle falling from Elijah, when he was taken away, and being taken up by Elisha, signified that that representation was transferred to Elisha, for Elijah and Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word, and were clothed according to what they represented; the mantle signifying the Word in ultimates, which is Divine truth in general, or Divine truth in its whole extent. The waters of Jordan being divided by Elijah's mantle, first by Elijah and afterwards by Elisha, signified the power of Divine truth in ultimates. The waters of Jordan also signified the first truths which introduce into the church, and these first [truths] are those in the ultimates of the Word. Hence also it is evident that a mantle and robe signify Divine Truth in general. (That Elijah represented the Lord as to the Word, and similarly Elisha, may be seen, n. 2762, 5247. That the ultimate contains the interior things, and thence signifies all things in general, n. 634, 6239, 6465, 9215, 9216, 9828; that hence strength and power are in ultimates, n. 9836; that Jordan signifies entrance into the church, and that hence the waters of Jordan signify the first truths by which there is entrance, n. 1585, 4255; and that waters denote truths, see above, n. 71.) The first truths are also ultimate truths, such as are those in the sense of the letter of the Word; for by these entrance is effected, for they are first learnt, and in them are all the interior things that constitute the internal sense of the Word.

[5] He who does not know what a robe or mantle signifies, does not know what a cloak signifies; for a cloak, the same as a mantle, was a general garment, because it encompassed the waistcoat, or inner garment, whence it has also the same signification; consequently, neither does he know what was signified by Saul's rending the skirt of Samuel's cloak; by David's cutting off the skirt of Saul's cloak; by Jonathan's giving David his cloak and garments; and by the daughters of a king, being arrayed in cloaks of divers colours, and many other cases in which cloaks are mentioned in the Word. Concerning Saul's rending the skirt of Samuel's cloak, we read thus:

"Samuel turned about to go away, but he laid hold upon the skirt of his cloak, and it rent. And Samuel said, Jehovah hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day, and hath given it to thy companion, who is better than thou" (1 Sam. 15:27, 28).

From the words of Samuel it is evident that the rending of the skirt of the cloak signified the rending of the kingdom from Saul, for he said, after it was done, "Jehovah hath rent the kingdom of Israel from thee this day." For by a king and his kingdom is signified the Divine truth of the church; and by the skirt of his cloak is signified Divine truth in ultimates, or all [Divine truth] in general; for the kings over the sons of Israel represented the Lord as to Divine truth, and their kingdom signified the church as to this; therefore by that historical circumstance is signified that king Saul was become such that he could no longer represent the Lord, and that otherwise the representative of the church would perish. (That kings represented the Lord as to Divine truth, and that a kingdom thence signified the church as to that, may be seen above, n. 29, 31.)

[6] The same is signified by David's cutting off the skirt of Saul's cloak, concerning which we read thus:

David entered into the cave where Saul was, and cut off the skirt of Saul's cloak, and when thereafter he showed it to Saul, Saul said, "Now I know that thou shalt reign, and the kingdom of Israel shall be established in thy hand" (1 Sam. 24:4, 6, 12, 21).

This was done by David of the Divine Providence, that the same thing might be represented as above, for by the skirt of the cloak, and by king Saul and his kingdom, similar things are signified.

[7] The same is also signified by Jonathan, the son of Saul, stripping himself of his cloak and his garments, and giving them to David, concerning which we read thus:

"Jonathan stripped himself of the cloak that was upon him, and gave it to David, and his garments, and even to his sword and to his bow and to his girdle" (1 Sam. 18:4).

By this was signified, that Jonathan, the heir of the kingdom, transferred all his right to David; for all the things that Jonathan gave to David were representative of the kingdom, that is of the Divine truth of the church, which Saul represented; for, as said above, all the kings who reigned over the sons of Israel represented the Lord as to Divine truth, and their kingdom, the church as to that [truth].

[8] Because cloaks and mantles signified Divine truth in general, therefore:

"Virgins, the king's daughters, were apparelled with mantles of divers colours" (2 Sam. 13:18).

Virgins, the king's daughters, signified the affections of truth, and thence the church, as is evident from a thousand passages in the Word where a king's daughter, the daughter of Zion, and the daughter of Jerusalem, and also the virgin Zion, and the virgin Jerusalem, are mentioned; therefore the king's daughters also represented the truths of that affection by garments, and in general by mantles, which thence were variegated with divers colours. So also truths from good, or truths from affection, are represented by the garments of virgins in heaven; which truths are more fully described by the garments of the king's daughters, in David (Psalms 45:8, 9, 13, 14).

[9] Because mourning in the ancient churches signified spiritual mourning, which is on account of the deprivation of truth, therefore, this was then represented in mourning, by their rending their mantles or cloaks, as is clear in Job:

When Job had lost everything, "then he arose, rent his mantle, and said, Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return" (1:20, 21).

And in another place:

Job's three friends, when they saw him, wept "and rent their cloaks" (2:12).

(That to rend the garments was representative of mourning on account of truth being injured or destroyed, may be seen, n. 4763.)

And again, in Ezekiel:

"All the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and shall cast away their cloaks, and put off their embroidered garments; they shall be clothed with terrors; they shall sit upon the ground" (26:16).

These things are said of Tyre, by which is signified the church as to the knowledges (cognitions) of truth and good; in this passage the church where these are destroyed. That they have no longer any truths by which the church is formed, is signified by, all the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, the princes of the sea denoting primary scientific truths, to come down from the thrones, signifying that they were destroyed, and, consequently, that there is no intelligence. The same is signified by their casting away their cloaks, and putting off their embroidered garments, robes denoting truths in general, and embroidered garments the knowledges (cognitions) of truth. Condemnation thence is signified by, "they shall be clothed with terrors; they shall sit upon the ground."

[10] In Micah:

"My people have accounted every one as an enemy to them for the sake of a garment, ye draw off the mantle from them that pass securely, that are returning from the war" (2:8).

By these words is not signified that the sons of Israel have accounted any for an enemy for the sake of a garment, and that they drew off the mantle of those that passed by securely; but that they held as enemies those who spoke truths, and deprived of all truth those who lived well, and shook off falsities; garment denoting truth; robe denoting all truth, because denoting truth in general. To pass by securely, denotes to live well; men returning from war, denote those who have shaken off falsities, war denoting the combat of truth against falsity. Who cannot see that such is the spiritual meaning of the Word; and that the people of Israel did not account any one as an enemy for a garment, or draw off the mantle from those who passed by?

[11] In Matthew:

The scribes and Pharisees "do all their works that they may be seen of men; they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments" (23:5).

These things the scribes and Pharisees did, but still, thereby was represented and signified that they spoke many things from the ultimates of the Word, and applied them to life, and to their traditions, in order that they might appear holy and learned. By their phylacteries, which they make broad, are signified goods in the outward form, for the phylacteries were worn upon the hands, and by the hands are signified actions, because the hands are employed to act. By the borders of their garments which they enlarge, are signified external truths, external truths are those in the ultimate sense of the letter; mantles denoting truths in general, and borders their ultimates. (That the borders of the mantles signify such truths, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 9917.)

[12] In Isaiah:

"I will greatly rejoice in Jehovah, my soul shall exult in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation; he hath covered me with a cloak of justice" (61:10).

To rejoice in Jehovah, signifies to rejoice in Divine good; to exult in God, signifies, in the Divine truth; for the Lord is called Jehovah from Divine good, and God from Divine truth; and all spiritual joy is from them. To clothe with the garments of salvation, signifies to instruct and gift with truths; and to cover with a cloak of justice, signifies to fill with every truth from good, a cloak denoting all truth because it denotes truth in general, justice being said of good.

[13] In the same:

"He put on the garments of vengeance, and clothed himself with zeal as a cloak" (59:17).

These things are said of the Lord, and of His combat with the hells; for when He was in the world He reduced all things in the hells and in the heavens to order, and this by Divine truth from the Divine love. The garments of vengeance signify the truths by which [He fought]; zeal, as a cloak, signifies the Divine love from which [He fought]; a cloak is mentioned, because it is signified by Divine truths from the Divine love. (But what the cloak of the ephod signifies, with which Aaron was wrapped around, and upon the borders of which were pomegranates and bells, of which [mention is made] in Exodus 27:31-35; Leviticus 8:7, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 9910-9928.)