The Crucifixion

1. And all the multitude of them stood up and led Him to Pilate.

2. And they began to accuse Him, saying, We found this [Man] perverting the nation, and forbidding to give tribute to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ a King.

3. But Pilate asked Him, saying, Art Thou the King of the Jews? And He answering him declared, Thou sayest.

4. And Pilate said to the chief priests and the crowds, I find no guilt in this man.

5. But they were urgent, saying, He stirs up the people, teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee even to here.

6. And when Pilate heard of Galilee, he asked whether the Man were a Galilean.

7. And when he knew that He was from Herod’s authority, he sent Him to Herod, who himself also was in Jerusalem in those days.

8. And Herod, seeing Jesus, rejoiced exceedingly, because for a considerable [time] he was desiring to see Him, since he had heard many things about Him, and hoped to see some sign done by Him.

9. And he asked Him with a considerable [number of] words; but He answered him nothing.

10. And the chief priests and scribes stood vehemently accusing Him.

11. And Herod, making Him as nothing with his armies, and mocking, arrayed Him in a splendid cloak, [and] sent Him again to Pilate.

12. And in the same day Pilate and Herod became friends with one another, for before they were at enmity between themselves.

At the end of the previous episode, Jesus was under interrogation by the council of chief priests and elders. Their intent was to get a confession from Jesus, something that would enable them to convict Him of blasphemy. So, they asked Jesus, “Are you the Son of God?” Jesus’ reply was simply, “You say that I am.” This was enough for them to go forward with their conviction. According to the Hebrew scriptures, the punishment for blasphemy was death (Leviticus 24:16).

At that time, however, all decisions about capital punishment were in the hands of the Roman government. Therefore, the religious leaders, who were subject to Roman law, did not have the authority to kill Jesus. They would need to take Jesus to Pilate, the chief Roman official at that time. Pilate’s job is to maintain civil order, not resolve religious disputes. Therefore, instead of accusing Jesus of blasphemy, which is a religious offense, the religious leaders accuse Jesus of inciting a rebellion against the Roman government, which is a political crime worthy of the death penalty.

This is where this next episode begins. As it is written, “the whole multitude of them arose and led Jesus to Pilate” (Luke 23:1). Not only does Pilate have the authority to collect taxes, but he also has the power to punish criminals, even, if necessary, by death. In this regard, Pilate can determine whether or not a particular person is an enemy of the state, and if so, that person can be crucified for treason. It is for this reason that when the religious leaders bring Jesus to Pilate, they say nothing about the claim that He is the Son of God. Instead, they say, “We found this man perverting the nation, and forbidding us to pay taxes to Caesar, saying that He Himself is Christ, a King” (Luke 23:2).

We know, of course, that this allegation is simply not true. Jesus never said that they should not pay taxes to Caesar, nor did He ever declare that His kingdom would replace Caesar’s. What He did say was, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Luke 20:25), and also, “The kingdom of God is within you” (Luke 17:21). But the allegation is effective. After all, it’s Pilate’s job to preserve order in the kingdom, and not allow for rebellion. If Jesus is in fact a rebel, challenging civil authority, Pilate will have to deal with Him severely. Therefore, Pilate turns to Jesus and asks, “Are You the King of the Jews?” (Luke 23:3). Once again, Jesus responds with the ambiguous statement, “You say” (Luke 23:3). This is almost the same wording that Jesus used when the high priest asked Jesus if He were the Son of God. Jesus said, “You say that I am” (Luke 22:70).

Pilate is not upset by Jesus’ response, nor does He interpret it as a confession. He simply says to the chief priests and to the crowd, “I find no fault in this man” (Luke 23:4). Jesus’ accusers, however, are not willing to be put off. They are adamant about having Jesus condemned, and their words become fierce as they accuse Him of being a rabble rouser: “He stirs up the people,” they say, “teaching throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee to this place” (Luke 23:5).

The mention of Galilee catches Pilate’s attention because that area is not under Pilate’s jurisdiction. That district belongs to Herod Antipas. Therefore, Pilate asks if Jesus is a Galilean. When Pilate discovers that Jesus is indeed from Galilee, he sends Jesus to Herod, who happens to be in Jerusalem at that time. Interestingly, we read that when Herod sees Jesus, “He rejoiced exceedingly, because for a considerable [time] Herod was desiring to see Jesus, since he had heard many things about Him, and hoped to see some miracle done by Him” (Luke 23:8).

Curious about the signs and miracles that have been attributed to Jesus, Herod questions Him at great length. Jesus, however, remains silent, and gives no answer, fulfilling the prophecy, “Like a lamb led to the slaughter … He did not open his mouth” (Luke 23:9; Isaiah 53:7).

Jesus’s silence enrages the religious leaders who are standing nearby. As it is written, “the religious leaders began to vehemently accuse Him” (Luke 23:10). As Jesus stands there, saying nothing, the religious leaders together with Herod and his soldiers heap scorn and ridicule upon Jesus. As it is written, “Then Herod, with his soldiers, treated Jesus with contempt, mocked Him, put a gorgeous robe on Him and sent Him back to Pilate” (Luke 23:11).

Following this contemptuous mockery of Jesus, it is written that “Herod and Pilate became friends with each other that very day, for before that they had been enemies” (Luke 23:12). This is a powerful picture of an unholy alliance of evil and falsity. Even robbers can appear to be friends when temporarily united in a common effort to steal and destroy. In this regard, the temporary friendship between Herod and Pilate represents the way evil desires and false thinking can make common cause in ridiculing truth and destroying goodness. ¹

A practical application

Although Jesus has been mocked and ridiculed, neither Pilate nor Herod is eager to have Him executed. Whether Jesus is crucified or set free, there will be consequences—someone will be upset. That’s why Pilate and Herod find it most expedient to pass Jesus back and forth between them. Similarly, there is a tendency in each of us to avoid making the tough decisions that conscience demands. Instead of living by what we know to be true, we can succumb to the inclination to drift with the crowd and yield to popular opinion. As a spiritual practice, notice Herod and Pilate teaming up in you, getting you to avoid tough decisions—especially those decisions that might make you unpopular. The need to be accepted by others is a powerful one, but it should never replace the deliberate decision to live by the teachings of the Lord’s Word, spiritually understood, and taken to heart. ²

Pilate’s Decision

13. And Pilate, having called together the chief priests, and the rulers, and the people,

14. Said to them, you have brought to me this Man as one that turns away the people, and behold, I, having examined [Him] before you, have found no guilt in this Man concerning those things of which you accuse Him.

15. But neither [did] Herod, for I sent you to him, and behold, nothing worthy of death has been committed by Him.

16. Therefore, having chastised Him, I will release [Him].

17. And of necessity he must release one to them at [the] festival.

18. But they cried out all at once, saying, Take this [Man] away, and release unto us Barabbas;

19. Who for a certain insurrection which was made in the city, and [for] murder, had been cast into prison.

20. Again, therefore, Pilate summoned [them], willing to release Jesus.

21. But they cried out, saying, Crucify, crucify Him!

22. And he said to them a third [time], Why? What evil has He done? I have found no guilt of death in Him; therefore, having chastised Him, I will release [Him].

23. But they pressed upon [him] with loud voices, asking that He might be crucified; and the voices of them and of the chief priests prevailed;

24. And Pilate assented that it should be as they required.

25. And he released to them him who for insurrection and murder had been cast into prison, whom they had asked; but he delivered up Jesus to their will.

As we have seen, Pilate has been unwilling to convict Jesus, saying rather, “I find no fault in Him” (Luke 23:4). The truth of the matter is that Jesus has done nothing wrong. He has come to teach and to heal; He has come to offer a new way to understand God and a new way to serve the neighbor. Everything He does has been motivated by the deepest love. At this point, Pilate finds no fault in Jesus (Luke 23:4). Therefore, Pilate calls together the religious leaders and the people, and presents his case to them, saying, “You have brought this man to me as one who has been inciting a rebellion. However, having examined Him in your presence, I have found no fault in this man regarding the charges you have made against Him” (Luke 23:14). Pilate then says that both he and Herod have found that Jesus “has done nothing deserving of death” (Luke 23:15). To this he adds that he will “punish Jesus and release Him” (Luke 23:16).

The crowd, however, does not agree. “Away with this man,” they cry out, “and release to us Barabbas” (Luke 23:18). Barabbas is a well-known criminal who has been imprisoned for insurrection and murder (Luke 23:19). As the chief Roman official in that jurisdiction, Pilate is surely aware of Barabbas’ criminal record, and would therefore be reluctant to release him. Therefore, he calls out to the crowd a second time, suggesting that Jesus be set free. But the crowd becomes even more insistent, shouting, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” (Luke 23:21).

The relentless crowd, in this case, represents the relentless demands of our lower nature. This is a picture of how our unregenerate will can overwhelm our understanding. Again and again, we might offer up our reasons for doing the right thing, but if our corrupt will is adamant, reason and understanding will be overpowered. This clash between an insistent lower nature, represented by the crowd, and our understanding, represented by Pilate, is a continual one. Therefore, we read that Pilate says to the crowd a third time, “Why, what evil has He done? I have found no reason for death in Him. I will therefore punish Him and let Him go” (Luke 23:22).

There is a part of us that has no desire to harm what is true and good. It could be called “reason” or “common sense.” But if reason is not well-developed and led by truth from the Word of God, it will crumble when challenged by an assertive and aggressive lower nature. If we drop our guard, just a little, the desires of our lower nature will inundate, overwhelm, and shout down our understanding. As it is written, “But the crowd was insistent, demanding with loud voices that He be crucified. And the voices of these men and the chief priests prevailed” (Luke 23:23). ³

As a result, Pilate relented and gave in to the insistent demands of the crowd. Not only did he agree to crucify Jesus, but he also agreed to release the known criminal, Barabbas (Luke 23:24). As it is written, “So Pilate released to them the one who for rebellion and murder had been thrown into prison, and he delivered Jesus to their will” (Luke 23:25).

A practical application

Barabbas, who was imprisoned for rebellion and murder, represents those parts of ourselves that are determined to rebel against divine order and destroy what is good and true. Whenever we succumb to the promptings of our lower nature, we “release Barabbas” and “crucify Jesus.” Instead of doing God’s will, we do whatever our lower nature demands. And so, this episode concludes with the chilling words that describe Pilate’s final decision: “He delivered Jesus to their will” (Luke 23:25). With this in mind, refuse to be bullied by the unregenerate will of your lower nature, even when it cries with a loud voice, “Release Barabbas.” When the inner crowd makes this demand, remain steadfast in higher truth, keeping Barabbas locked up. Instead, “Release Jesus.”

Taking Up The Cross

26. And as they led Him away, taking [hold] on one Simon, a Cyrenian, coming out of the field, they laid the cross on him to bring [it] after Jesus.

27. And there followed Him a multitude of many people and of women, who also bewailed and lamented Him.

28. But Jesus turning to them said, Daughters of Jerusalem, weep not over Me, but weep over yourselves and over your children.

29. For behold, the days are coming, in which they shall say, Happy [are] the barren, and the wombs which have not given birth, and the breasts which have not nursed.

30. Then shall they begin to say to the mountains, Fall on us; and to the hills, Cover us.

31. For if they do these things in the moist tree, what shall be done in the withered?

Jesus has been very clear about the significance of the cross. Earlier in this gospel, Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23). And, again, shortly after telling the parable of the great supper, Jesus said, “Whoever does not bear his cross and come after Me cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:27). Jesus is saying that we will each have many trials and temptations, signified by “the cross.” During these times of spiritual combat, we must “follow Him,” meaning that we must remain steadfast, following the truth that He teaches. This is the only way to overcome in temptation. ⁴

As we have mentioned, Jesus has been undergoing spiritual combats during the course of His entire life. As the final and most grievous temptation approaches, Jesus is physically depleted. After being arrested on the Mount of Olives, He was taken to the high priest’s house where He was blindfolded, mocked, and beaten throughout the night. When morning came, He was interrogated by the council of chief priests and elders who delivered Him to Pilate for further questioning. Pilate then passed Jesus on to Herod where He was treated contemptuously by Herod’s soldiers, and then sent back to Pilate. At this point, Jesus is weary, so weary that He cannot physically carry His own cross. This is perhaps why the soldiers took hold of a certain man who was coming in from the country, and laid the cross on him (Luke 23:26). ⁵

The man who carries Jesus’ cross is named “Simon.” His name comes from the Hebrew word Shim'on [ שִׁמְעוֹן ] which means “to hear.” Little is known about this man except that he is a Cyrenian and is “from the country.” His role in the divine narrative suggests that he represents those people who have a simple, uncomplicated faith in Jesus. Although they are “from the country,” they have heard Jesus’ message, and have been drawn to Him. Through them—the Simons of the world—the message of the cross, and the truth it represents, will be carried on.

At a deeper level, however, Jesus is still carrying His cross. He is still bearing the suffering, feeling the agony, and fighting off despair as He undergoes the severest temptations. For Jesus, as for each of us, times of temptation reveal our essential character. During these times, our true nature is revealed in how we respond, what we say, and what we do. This is how each of us bears our cross.

As Jesus continues to make His way to the place of crucifixion, a multitude of people, including many women, are following Him. The women are deeply grieving what is happening to Jesus. (Luke 23:27). Turning to the women, Jesus tells them not to weep for Him. He knows that this crucifixion is not just about Him, but, more deeply, it is about the denial and rejection of the truth He came to teach. Without that truth to lead and guide humanity, there will be nothing to control or subdue the unregenerate human will. Instead, it will reign supreme, unleashing greed, hatred, revenge, cruelty, and chaos. Therefore, Jesus says to them, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves and for your children” (Luke 23:28).

This is a low point for Jesus. In His weakened state, His vulnerable, infirm humanity feels the deepest despair, not for Himself, but for the future of the human race. In a world without truth to guide and protect it, hell would most certainly flood the land with fury, producing limitless suffering for people. ⁶

A new spiritual era

Nevertheless, even as Jesus approaches His crucifixion, fully aware of the devastation that will follow, He also foresees the birth of a new spiritual era based on the truth He has been teaching. It will be a time when people who are good at heart but without spiritual guidance will eagerly receive the genuine truths of religion. In sacred scripture, these good people who are without truth, yet yearn for it, are called the “barren.” When the long-awaited truth comes to them, and especially when they live their lives according to that truth, they will give birth to works of love and charity. They will be blessed. Therefore, Jesus says, “Indeed, the days are coming when people will say, ‘Blessed are the barren, the wombs that never bore, and the breasts which never nursed’” (Luke 23:29). ⁷

These “new births” of love and charity are spiritual offspring. They refer to what can be produced through us when a new understanding based on the inner meaning of the Lord’s Word, and a new will based on a life according to those truths, are united in us. The result, so to speak, is a “new church” or a “new temple”—that is, the union of goodness and truth in an individual. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “I will make this new temple more glorious than the first” (Haggai 2:9). ⁸

People in whom this new church or new temple exists will feel the Lord’s power working through them. Evil desires and false beliefs that had held them captive for so long will run for cover. Tormented and tortured by the light of truth, those evil desires and false thoughts will seek refuge in the lowest places they can find. As Jesus puts it, “Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’” (Luke 23:30). This is a physical description of how far evil and falsity will be flee from us and run for cover when we live in the powerful and protective light of divine truth. ⁹

A world without truth

After Jesus prophesies the coming of a new religious era when the truth He teaches will be received and lived, He describes the opposite—a world without His presence and without the truth He came to teach. As Jesus puts it, “For if they do these things in the green wood, what will be done in the dry?” (Luke 23:31). In other words, if they do these things to Him while He is still alive and present with them, what horrors will take place when Jesus is no longer there, that is, when the truth is rejected? ¹⁰

To understand the deeper meaning of Jesus’ words, we need to reflect on the meaning of a well-watered green wood as opposed to a dry one. In sacred scripture, water corresponds to truth. Just as water cleanses, refreshes, and nourishes the body, truth does the same for the soul. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, in regard to those who remain rooted in the nourishing truths of the Lord’s Word, “They shall be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It is not anxious in a time of drought and never fails to bear fruit” (Jeremiah 17:8). ¹¹

As long as Jesus was with His people, teaching truth, their inner lives could remain fresh, green, and well-watered through the truth they were willing to receive. But not all were willing to receive. As Jesus has told His disciples, “the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, chief priests, and scribes” (Luke 9:22). Also, “the Son of Man must first suffer many things and be rejected by this generation ” (Luke 17:25). In this regard, the crucifixion of Jesus represents the way truth is falsified and rejected.

They Know Not What They Do

32. And there were also others, two malefactors, led with Him to be slain.

33. And when they had come to a place called Skull, there they crucified Him and the malefactors, one on the right hand and the other on the left.

34. And Jesus was saying, Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do. And dividing His garments, they cast lots.

35. And the people stood beholding. And the rulers with them also derided, saying, He saved others; let Him save Himself, if He be the Christ, the chosen of God.

36. And the soldiers also mocked Him, coming and offering Him vinegar,

37. And saying, If Thou be the King of the Jews, save Thyself.

38. And an inscription was also written over Him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew: This is the King of the Jews.

39. And one of the malefactors who were hanging [beside Him] blasphemed Him, saying, If Thou be the Christ, save Thyself and us.

40. But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, Dost thou not fear God, because thou art in the same judgment?

41. And we indeed justly, for we receive the [things] [of which we are] worthy for what we have committed, but this [Man] has committed nothing amiss.

42. And he said to Jesus, Remember me, Lord, when Thou comest in Thy kingdom.

43. And Jesus said to him, Amen I say to thee, today thou shalt be with Me in paradise.

As Jesus is led to the place of crucifixion, two criminals are led along with Him. (Luke 23:32). As it is written, “When they came to the place called the Skull, they crucified Him and the criminals there, one at His right hand, the other at his left” (Luke 23:33). It is at this point, as Jesus is being nailed to the cross, that He says, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

In both the Gospel According to Matthew and the Gospel According to Mark, Jesus’ last words are, ‘My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 15:34). But in Luke, Jesus says, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” These are very different statements. In Matthew and Mark, Jesus’ sense of being separate from His inner divinity is extreme. His anguished expression, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” is comparable to those states of despair in us when we feel abandoned by God.

But in Luke, we find a very different response. Jesus does not call out to “God,” but rather to His “Father”—a more intimate term. Moreover, there is no indication of abandonment or separation, but rather a close relationship similar to that which takes place between a father and a son. In addition, Jesus’ plea for forgiveness contains one of the major themes of the Gospel According to Luke: it is the importance of a developed understanding. We need knowledge, we need instruction, we need to know what we are doing. Therefore, Jesus says, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” ¹²

Meanwhile, at the foot of the cross, the soldiers are gambling for Jesus’ clothing, paying little attention to His suffering. This callous attitude represents a place within each of us that is primarily concerned with the demands of our lower nature and the acquisition of material goods. As it is written, “And they threw dice, dividing up His garments among themselves” (Luke 23:34). Their insensitivity is especially poignant in the light of the fact that Jesus has just cried out, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.”

Leaders, soldiers, and criminals at the cross

As Jesus hangs on the cross, slowly dying the painful death of crucifixion, three groups of people revile Him. The first group of people are the leaders who sneer at Him, saying, “He saved others; let Him save Himself if He is the Christ, the chosen of God” (Luke 23:35). These leaders have already judged and condemned Jesus for claiming to be the Son of God. Now, even as Jesus hangs on the cross, they continue to challenge Him. Their taunting words and cruel sneers represent the part of us that demands that God come down to our level and do our will; it is not interested in humbly learning the truth so that we might do God’s will.

The next group of people are the soldiers. Following the example of the leaders who have begun the taunting, they also mock Jesus, offer Him sour wine, and say, ‘If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself’” (Luke 23:37). These soldiers represent the tendency to turn religion into a joke and make a mockery of what is true. This is the tendency to take pleasure in ridiculing, deriding, and making fun of both people and the sacred. This is evidenced by the scornful, sarcastic inscription the soldiers place over Jesus’ head as He hangs on the cross: “This is the King of the Jews” (Luke 23:38). ¹³

The third and final group is the one represented by the two criminals who are crucified on the left and right side of Jesus. The first criminal taunts Jesus as did the first two groups, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself,” and then he adds, “and us” (Luke 23:39). He represents the part of ourselves which is willing to believe, but only if we can get something out of it. This is the tendency to promote our own self-interest rather than to use truth as a means through which goodness can be expressed. ¹⁴

The second criminal, however, has a different response. Turning towards the first criminal, he rebukes him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation?” (Luke 23:40). This second criminal believes not only that he is guilty and deserves to die, but also that Jesus is innocent and deserves to live. As He puts it, “We receive the due reward for our deeds. But this Man has done nothing wrong” (Luke 23:41). Then, humbly turning to Jesus, he says, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom” (Luke 23:42).

It is significant that this second criminal is the only individual who does not ask Jesus to come down from the cross, or to prove that He is the Christ. Instead, he first of all acknowledges his own guilt, and then turns to Jesus. While Jesus has not responded to the taunts of the leaders, the soldiers, or the first criminal, He does respond to the request of the man who acknowledges his guilt and asks to be remembered. Jesus says to him, “Assuredly, today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

A practical application

The second criminal represents that aspect of ourselves which is willing to do the work of self-examination, including acknowledging our sins. This is the aspect of ourselves that sincerely turns to God for help and support, asking Him to be mindful of our needs. Here, in the simple story of a humble criminal who acknowledges his guilt, we see a practical application for our lives: we must first humbly acknowledge our guilt, take responsibility for what we have done, and then, turn to God so that we might start a new life in His kingdom—a life that can begin today.

The Final Agony

44. And it was about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour.

It should not be forgotten that the mocking of the leaders, the bitter ridicule of the soldiers, the blasphemous taunts of the first criminal, and the repentant request of the second criminal all took place while Jesus hung on the cross. While little is said about Jesus’ physical agony, which must have been extreme, we are given prophetic glimpses of it in the psalms. As it is written, “I am poured out like water, and all of My bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax. It has melted within Me. My strength has dried up like baked clay…. They pierce My hands and My feet” (Psalm 22:17-18). This physical agony is representative of the deeper torments that Jesus is experiencing during His final temptation.

Of all the temptations going through Jesus’ mind, one of the most severe must have been the temptation to abandon His mission, save Himself, and come down from the cross. In this regard, consider the way Jesus was taunted by each group. The first group said, “He saved others; let Him save Himself.” The second group said, “If You are the King of the Jews, save yourself.” And the first criminal said, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself, and us.”

These taunts bring to mind the struggle that Jesus had gone through on the Mount of Olives. At that time, He entertained a moment of doubt about His divine mission, saying, “Father, if it is Your will, remove this cup from Me.” Then, He added, “Nevertheless, not My will but Yours be done” (Luke 22:42). Through the pain, through the grief, through the doubt, through it all, Jesus remains steadfast, entering ever more deeply into the divine love within Him. ¹⁵

The sixth hour

As Jesus enters the final agony, it is the sixth hour, and there is darkness over all the earth until the ninth hour” (Luke 23:44). The “sixth” hour in biblical times is noon, and the “ninth hour” is three PM. These words fulfill the prophecy given in the Hebrew scriptures: “‘It shall come to pass in that day,’ says the Lord God, ‘that I will make the sun go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in broad daylight’” (Amos 8:9).

The darkening of the earth at mid-day represents the darkness and depravity into which humanity had fallen, even while the light of truth was with them. People had sunk so low that they were willing to crucify the very One who had come to save them. The utter darkness that filled the land, even when it should have been broad daylight, represents the ignorance, disbelief, and false teachings that had prevented people from understanding the truth that Jesus taught. ¹⁶

The Triumph

45. And the sun was darkened, and the veil of the temple was ripped in the midst.

46. And calling [out] with a great voice, Jesus said, Father, into thy hands I commend My spirit. And having said these things, He let out the spirit.

Despite the appearance that all is lost and that His mission has failed, despite the most diabolical onslaughts of hell urging Him to abandon His mission and come down from the cross, Jesus remains steadfast. Beyond the feelings of despair that are attacking Him and the false messages that are assailing Him, Jesus summons the love that has been within Him from the Father, and from that love He chooses to forgive those who know not what they are doing. This decision is not the parting words of a defeated victim. Rather, it is the beginning of Jesus’ final triumph. Every onslaught, every pain, every torment is driving Him deeper within, helping Him to become united with the divinity that is His own soul.

As we have already seen, three groups of people taunted Jesus to come down from the cross. “Come down,” they said, again and again. But each time Jesus refuses because coming down is the very opposite of Jesus’ mission. His mission is to use every temptation and every onslaught of hell as an opportunity to ascend to a higher place—to move closer to the divine within Him. In the same proportion that devils of hell endeavor to pour their wrath upon Him, Jesus draws from the Father within Him the power to conquer and subjugate these diabolical forces. These are the same forces that have been destroying humanity, possessing people’s minds with destructive thoughts, and controlling their wills with selfish desires. If Jesus can overcome in these temptations, there is hope for humanity.

Even as the darkness deepens, every word that Jesus utters from the cross gives hope. “Forgive them for they know not what they do,” He says as He calls upon His Father. “Assuredly, today you will be with Me in paradise,” He says to the criminal on the cross. Even in the darkness, Jesus refuses to give in to temptation. He will not come down. Instead, He continues to rise higher, even until the ninth hour.

The veil of the temple

It was at this moment that “the veil of the temple was torn in two” (Luke 23:45). In the tabernacle, the veil hung between the Holy of Holies and the Holy Place. It divided the Most Holy place, where the Ten Commandments were kept, from the Holy Place, which was the place of prayer. It was sixty feet high, thirty feet wide, and four inches thick. When this veil was suddenly and miraculously torn in two, there was no longer any separation between the Most Holy Place and the Holy Place. On the spiritual level, this means that there would no longer be any separation between the life of prayer (the Holy Place) and the life of service (the Most Holy Place). Also, there would no longer be any separation between knowing the truth and living according to it.

More deeply, there would no longer be any separation between the Son and the Father. Our idea of God would no longer be that of a distant, angry deity who thundered from the mountaintop. Rather, God could now be seen as an approachable, loving Father, who is among us as one who serves (Luke 22:27). ¹⁷

Through His struggles to overcome every temptation, Jesus had triumphed. Again and again, He drew power from His infinite soul, casting out every demon and every selfish passion as He became united with the divinity that was within Him. It was at this point that He cried out in a loud voice, “Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit” (Luke 23:46). This was the fulfillment of the prophecy given through David a thousand years earlier, “In You, O Lord, I put My trust…. You are My strength. Into Your hand I commit My spirit; You have redeemed Me, O Lord God of truth” (Psalm 31:1, 5).

It was only then that the struggle was over. As it is written, “And having said this, He breathed His last” (Luke 23:46).

A practical application

When hardships, temptations and adversity arise, people tend to respond in a variety of ways. They might fight back in anger, run away in fear, become frustrated, get anxious, or sink into despair. Jesus, however, demonstrates that there is another way. He uses temptation to draw closer to His inner divinity. We can do something similar. We can call upon God in prayer, allowing Him to bring truth to our remembrance. Then we can respond to the situation from love guided by truth. If we do this during the lesser temptations, it will strengthen us for the greater ones. This is how we build “spiritual muscle.” Therefore, whenever irritation, anxiety, defensiveness, or discouragement arises, use it as a signal to go higher. Choose to draw closer to God. Say to yourself, “This is an opportunity for me to become a finer person.” Like Jesus, refuse to come down. Rise higher.

Caring for Jesus’ Body

47. But when the centurion saw what came to pass, he glorified God, saying, Truly this was a just Man.

48. And all the crowds who came together to that sight, beholding the things that were done, striking their chests, returned.

49. And all His acquaintances, and the women who followed with Him from Galilee, stood afar off, beholding these things.

50. And behold, [there was] a man named Joseph, a counselor, being a good and just man,

51. Who had not consented to the counsel and deed of them; [he was] of Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who also himself was waiting for the kingdom of God.

52. This [man], going to Pilate, asked for the body of Jesus;

53. And taking it down, he wrapped it in a cloth, and placed it in a sepulcher that was hewn in stone, where no one had yet been laid.

54. And that day was the Preparation, and a Sabbath began to dawn.

55. And the women also, who came together [with] Him from Galilee, followed after and observed the sepulcher, and how His body was laid.

56. And returning, they prepared spices and ointments. And indeed they were quiet for the Sabbath according to the commandment.

The people who witnessed the crucifixion saw an innocent Man who was able to rise above the taunts and jeers of the crowd, forgive His accusers, promise eternal life to a repentant criminal, and express His complete trust in God. Many were deeply moved. One of the Roman soldiers who stood guard at the foot of the cross exclaimed, “Certainly this was a righteous Man” (Luke 23:47). The crowds who had witnessed the crucifixion beat their breasts in sorrow. Others stood by in silence, stunned by what had just happened. As it is written, some “beat their breasts” while others “stood afar, beholding these things” (Luke 23:48-49).

While some beat their breasts and others stand afar, a man named Joseph of Arimathea is moved to act. After Jesus “breathed His last,” Joseph goes to Pilate, seeking permission to take Jesus’ body from the cross. Although this incident appears in every gospel, only in Luke is Joseph described as a “good and just man” (Luke 23:50). Moreover, only in Luke do we discover that although Joseph was a member of the council of chief priests and elders who convicted Jesus, “he had not consented” to the decision of the council to convict Jesus of blasphemy (Luke 23:51).

In dissenting from the decision of the majority, Joseph of Arimathea represents the use of reason and understanding to rise above the demands of the selfish will. While the selfish will demands that it should be served, Jesus teaches unselfish service and sacrifice. While the selfish will demands anger and revenge, Jesus teaches love and forgiveness. The process of reformation begins when the understanding of higher truth is used to subordinate the demands of the selfish will. ¹⁸

Joseph of Arimathea, then, in refusing to concur with the scornful, self-serving demands of the council, represents this higher understanding. In doing so, he becomes a living example of what is taught in the Hebrew scriptures: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the council of the ungodly, nor sets foot on the path of sinners, nor sits in the seat of the scornful” (Psalm 1:1). Also, “You shall not follow a multitude to do evil” (Exodus 23:2).

When Joseph of Arimathea asked Pilate for Jesus’ body, he was demonstrating his loyalty to Jesus. At the same time, He was obeying Mosaic law which specified that dead bodies were not allowed to remain on the cross overnight. The crucified person must be buried the same day (See Deuteronomy 21:22-23). And so, after obtaining permission to take Jesus’ body, Joseph “took it down, wrapped it in linen cloth, and placed it in a new tomb cut out of a rock, where no one had ever lain” (Luke 23:53). Joseph of Arimathea, this good and just man, the one who dissented from the council and had been waiting for the kingdom of God, gave Jesus an honorable burial.

In addition, it is written that “the women who had come with Jesus from Galilee followed after, and observed the tomb and how His body was laid” (Luke 23:55). It was late in the day, sunset was approaching, and the Sabbath was drawing near. These women, who represent the tender affection for truth in each of us, could only observe Joseph’s actions and how Jesus was laid in the tomb. For the moment, there is no time to anoint Jesus’ body with fragrant spices and oils, representing the respect and love they have for Jesus’ life and teaching. But they would return, after the Sabbath, to do so (Luke 23:56). ¹⁹

It had been a difficult time. Jesus had been crucified, placed in a tomb, and laid to rest. He had defeated the enemy, subjugated hell, and glorified His humanity. It was time, at least for the moment, to rest. Therefore, this episode closes with the words, “And they rested on the Sabbath according to the commandment” (Luke 23:56). ²⁰

脚注:

401. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, signifies that all the good of love was separated, and thence all the truth of faith falsified. This is evident from the signification of "sun" as being in the highest sense the Lord in respect to Divine love, and thence with man the good of love to the Lord from the Lord (of which presently); also from the signification of "black as sackcloth of hair," as being separated; "black" is predicated of thick darkness, thus of what does not appear from any light. It is said "as sackcloth of hair," because it means the sensual of man, which is the lowest of the natural, and is thus round about the interiors, in which it induces thick darkness. Man has two minds, a spiritual and a natural; the spiritual mind thinks and perceives from the light of heaven, but the natural mind thinks and perceives from the light of the world; from the latter, man has a light that is called natural light [lumen]. This natural mind is what is called the natural man, but the spiritual mind is what is called the spiritual man. As the natural mind is below or outside of the spiritual mind it is also round about it, for it enwraps it on every side; therefore it is called "sackcloth of hair" or "hairy;" for when the spiritual mind, which is the higher and interior mind, is closed, then the natural mind, which is the lower and exterior, is in thick darkness in respect to all things of heaven and the church; for all the light that the natural mind has, and that constitutes its intelligence, is from the light of his spiritual mind, and this light is the light of heaven. The sensual, which is the ultimate of the natural, is also in the light of heaven like something hairy; from this it is that "hair" signifies the ultimate of the natural man, which is the sensual (See Arcana Coelestia n. 3301, 5247, 5569-5573). These things have been said that it may be known why it is that "the sun became black as sackcloth of hair."

[2] The above is evident also from the signification of the "moon" as being spiritual truth, which is called the truth of faith (of which presently); also from the signification of "became as blood," as being that truth was falsified; for "blood" in the genuine sense signifies Divine truth, and in the contrary sense, violence offered to Divine truth, thus Divine truth falsified (that this is the signification of "blood" in the Word, see above, n.329; this makes clear what "the moon became as blood" signifies. "The sun" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine love, and thus with man the good of love to the Lord from the Lord, and "the moon" signifies spiritual truth, because the Lord in the heaven of celestial angels appears as a sun, and in the heaven of spiritual angels as a moon. His appearing as a sun is from His Divine love, for Divine love appears as a fire, from which angels in the heavens have their heat; consequently celestial and spiritual "fire" in the Word mean love. The Lord's appearing as a moon is from the light that is from that sun, for the moon derives her light [lumen] from that sun, and light in heaven is Divine truth, consequently "light" in the Word signifies Divine truth. (But of the Sun and the Moon in the Heavens, and the Heat and Light Therefrom, see what is shown in the work on Heaven and Hell (116-125, 126-140)

[3] That in the Word "sun" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine love, and with man the good of love to the Lord, and the "moon" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth spiritual, is evident from the following passages. In Matthew:

When Jesus was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, His face did shine as the sun, and His garments became as light (Matthew 17:1-2).

Because the Lord was then seen in His Divine, He appeared in respect to His face "as the sun," and in respect to His garments "as the light," because the face corresponds to love, and "garments" correspond to truths; and "His face did shine as the sun" because Divine love was in Him, and "His garments became as light" because Divine truth was from Him; for the light in Heaven is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord as a sun. (That "the face" in reference to the Lord means love and every good, see Arcana Coelestia 5585, 9306, 9546, 9888; and that "garments" in reference to the Lord signify Divine truth, see above, n. 64, 195.) In like manner the Lord appears in heaven before the angels when He presents Himself before them, but He then appears out of the sun. He was therefore seen in like manner by John when he was in the spirit, as appears in Revelation, where it is said that:

The face of the Son of man was seen as the sun shineth in his power (Revelation 1:16).

It was evidently the Lord who was seen (See above, n. 63).

[4] Likewise when the Lord was seen by John as an angel, respecting which we read:

And I saw a strong angel coming down out of heaven, encompassed with a cloud, and a rainbow about his head, and his face was as the sun (Revelation 10:1);

for "angels" in the Word in its spiritual sense do not mean angels, but something Divine from the Lord, since the Divine that appears from them is not theirs, but the Lord's with them. So, too, the Divine truth they speak, which is full of wisdom, they do not speak from themselves, but from the Lord, for they have been men, and men have all wisdom and intelligence from the Lord. This makes clear that in the Word "angel" means the Lord, who also then appeared as a sun. (That in the Word, "angel" means something Divine from the Lord, seeArcana Coelestia 1925, 2821, 3039, 4085, 6280, 8192; that this is why in the Word angels are called gods, n.4295, 4402, 7268, 7873, 8301, 8192.)

[5] So, too, when the church was represented as a woman, the sun also then appeared around her; which is thus described in Revelation:

A great sign was seen in heaven; a woman encompassed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars (Revelation 12:1).

That "the woman" here signifies the church will be seen in the explanation that will be given in what follows. (That "woman" signifies the church, see Arcana Coelestia 252, 253, 749, 770.) And because the church is from the Lord she was seen encompassed with the sun. What is signified by "the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars," will also be shown in that explanation.

[6] It is therefore said by David:

The God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spoke to me, As the light of the morning, when the sun riseth, a morning without clouds, from the brightness after rain (2 Samuel 23:3-4

"The God of Israel" and "Rock of Israel" here mean the Lord in relation to the church, and in relation to Divine truth therein, "the God of Israel" in relation to the church, and "Rock of Israel" in relation to Divine truth therein; and as the Lord is the sun of the angelic heaven, and the Divine truth proceeding from Him is the light of that heaven, therefore it is said of the Divine which He spoke, which is Divine truth, that it is "as the light of the morning when the sun riseth;" because this is pure, and proceeds from His Divine love, it is added, "a morning without clouds, from brightness after rain," for the brightness of the light, or of Divine truth proceeding from Him, is from Divine love; "after rain" signifies after communication and reception, for its brightness is then with angels and men to whom it is communicated and by whom it is received. (That "the Rock of Israel," and "the Stone of Israel," mean the Lord in relation to Divine truth, see Arcana Coelestia 6426, 8581, 10580; and that "light" is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord as a sun, thus out of His Divine love, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 126-140.)

[7] In like manner it is said of those who love Jehovah, in the book of Judges:

Let them that love Him be as the going forth of the sun in his might (Judges 5:31).

That in the Word "Jehovah" means the Lord in relation to the Divine good of the Divine love may be seen in theArcana Coelestia 1736, 2921, 3035, 5041, 6303, 6281, 8864, 9315, 9373, 10146). Of those who love Him it is said, "as the going forth of the sun in his might," which signifies the Lord's Divine love in them. Of such it is also said that "they shall shine as the sun," in Matthew:

The righteous shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of My ¹ Father (Matthew 13:43).

In the Word those are called "righteous" who love the Lord, that is, from love do His commandments; and in respect to their faces they shine with an effulgence like that of the sun, because the Lord's Divine love is communicated to them and received by them, whereby the Lord is in their midst, that is, in their interiors, which manifest themselves in the face. (That those who are in good of love to the Lord are called "righteous," see above, n.204)

[8] In David:

His seed shall be to eternity, and His throne as the sun before Me. It shall be established as the moon to eternity, and as a faithful witness in the clouds (Psalms 89:36-37).

This is said of the Lord, and of His heaven and church, for by "David," who is here treated of in the sense of the letter, is meant the Lord (See above, n. 205); "his seed which shall be to eternity" signifies Divine truth, and also those who receive it; "his throne as the sun before Me" signifies the heaven and church of the Lord, which are in celestial good, which is the good of love; "the throne established as the moon to eternity" signifies the heaven and the church that are in spiritual good, which is Divine truth; "a faithful witness in the clouds" signifies the Word in the sense of the letter, which is called "a witness" because it witnesses, "clouds" meaning the sense of the letter of the Word.

[9] In the same:

They shall fear Thee with the sun and before the moon, a generation of generations. In His days shall the righteous flourish; and much peace till the moon be no more. His name shall be to eternity; before the sun shall He have the name of Son; and all nations shall be blessed in Him (Psalms 72:5, 7, 17).

This, too, is said of the Lord, for this whole Psalm treats of Him; and as the Lord appears in heaven to those who are in His celestial kingdom as a sun, and to those who are in His spiritual kingdom as a moon, it is said "they shall fear Thee with the sun and before the moon, a generation of generations;" "in that day the righteous shall flourish, and much peace till the moon be no more," signifies that those who are in love to the Lord will be in truths from that good, for with those who are in the celestial kingdom, that is, in love to the Lord, truths are implanted; those are called "righteous" who are in the good of love, and "peace" is predicated of that good. But that it may be known how this is to be understood, "till the moon be no more," it shall be told. The light proceeding from the Lord as a sun differs from the light proceeding from the Lord as a moon in the heavens, as the light of the sun in the world by day differs from the light of the moon in the world by night; the intelligence of those who are in the light of the sun of heaven differs in like manner from the intelligence of those who are in the light of the moon there; wherefore those who are in the light of the sun there are in pure Divine truth; but those who are in the light of the moon there are not in pure Divine truth, for they are in many falsities, which they have derived from the sense of the letter of the Word not understood, and yet these falsities appear to them as truths. From this it can be seen that "till the moon be no more" signifies till there no longer exists with them falsity appearing as truth, but pure truth which makes one with the good of love. It must be known however, that the falsities of those who are in the light of the moon in the heavens are falsities in which there is no evil, and that such falsities, therefore, are accepted by the Lord as if they were truths (respecting these falsities, see in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 21). This, therefore, is what is signified by "till the moon be no more," that is, with those who are meant by "the righteous in whom there is much peace." But in the highest sense, by these words the Lord in relation to His Divine Human, that this shall be the Divine good of the Divine love, is meant, therefore it is also added, "before the sun He shall have the name of Son," "Son" meaning the Lord's Divine Human. And as "nations" mean all who are in good, or who receive the good of love from the Lord, it is said, "and all nations shall be blessed in Him." (That "nations" signify those who are in good, and "peoples" those who are in truths, may be seen above, n. 331.)

[10] In Isaiah:

There shall be upon every high mountain and upon every lofty hill streams, rivulets of waters, in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers shall fall. And the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days (Isaiah 30:25-26).

This is said of the Last Judgment, which is meant by "the day of great slaughter, when the towers shall fall," "the towers that shall fall" meaning those who are in evils and in falsities therefrom, in particular, those who are in the love of ruling by means of the holy things of the church (See in the work on The Last Judgment 56, 58). That to those who are in love to the Lord and in charity towards the neighbor it shall then be given to understand truths, is signified by "there shall be upon every high mountain and upon every lofty hill streams, rivulets of waters." Those "upon a high mountain" mean those who are in the good of love to the Lord, "high mountain" signifying that good; those "upon the lofty hill" mean those who are in the good of charity towards the neighbor, "hill" signifying that good; "streams, rivulets of water" signify intelligence from truths. That there shall then be truth in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, as before there was truth in the celestial kingdom, and that the truth in the celestial kingdom shall then become the good of love is meant by "the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days;" for "light" means Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, "the light of the moon" Divine truth in the spiritual kingdom, and "the light of the sun" Divine truth in the celestial kingdom; "sevenfold" signifies full and perfect, and truth is full and perfect when it becomes good, or good in form. It can be seen that this means, not the sun and moon on the earth, but the sun and moon in the heavens. It is to be known that when a last judgment is being effected the Lord appears in the heavens in much greater effulgence and splendor than at other times, and this because the angels there must be more powerfully defended; for lower things, with which the exteriors of the angels have communication, are then in a state of disturbance. Therefore, as the Last Judgment is here treated of, it is said, "the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days;" and therefore it is also said that "there shall be streams, rivulets of waters, upon every high mountain, and upon every lofty hill," which signifies abundant intelligence with those who are upon the higher mountains and higher hills, for on the lower mountains and hills is where the judgment then takes place. (That the Lord appears to those who are in His celestial kingdom as a sun, and to those who are in his spiritual kingdom as a moon, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 116-125; and that the light from these is Divine truth, n. 127-140)

[11] In the same:

Thy sun shall no more go down, and thy moon shall not withdraw; for Jehovah shall be unto thee for a light of eternity, and the days of thy mourning shall be fulfilled (Isaiah 60:20).

This treats of the Lord, and of the new heaven and new earth, that is, of the church to be established by Him. That to those in that church the good of love to the Lord and the good of charity towards the neighbor should not perish is meant by "thy sun shall no more go down, and thy moon shall not withdraw;" for to those who are in the good of love to the Lord He appears as a sun, and to those who are in truths from the good of charity towards the neighbor He appears as a moon; so "thy sun" signifies the good of love to the Lord, and "thy moon" the good of charity, which, in its essence, is truth from good. That they shall continue to eternity in truths from the good of love, and in truths from the good of charity is meant by "Jehovah shall be unto thee for a light of eternity, and the days of thy mourning shall be fulfilled," "the light of eternity" is predicated of those who are in the good of love to the Lord, and "fulfilling the days of mourning" of those who are in the good of charity towards the neighbor, or in truths from good; for with those who were of the ancient churches, "mourning" represented grief on account of the loss or destruction of truth and good; "fulfilled" signifies ended, thus that they shall be in truths from good. From this the signification of "the sun became as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood," can be seen, namely, that the good of love to the Lord was separated, and thus truth was falsified.

[12] Nearly the same is signified in the following passages. In Isaiah:

Behold the day of Jehovah cometh, cruel with indignation and the glow of anger, to lay the earth waste; and He shall destroy its sinners out of it. For the stars of the heavens and the constellations thereof do not shine with their light; the sun is darkened in its rising, and the moon maketh not her light to be bright. I will visit evil upon the world, and upon the wicked their iniquity (Isaiah 13:9-11).

"The day of Jehovah, cruel with indignation and the glow of anger," signifies the day of the Last Judgment; "the stars of the heavens and the constellations thereof do not shine with their light, the sun is darkened in its rising, and the moon maketh not her light to be bright," signifies that the knowledges of good and truth have perished, as well as the good of love to the Lord, and the good of charity towards the neighbor, and thence the truth that is called the truth of faith; for "stars" signify the knowledges of good, "constellations" the knowledges of truth, "the sun" the good of love to the Lord, and "the moon" the good of charity towards the neighbor, which, in its essence, is truth from good, and is called the truth of faith. The sun is said "to be darkened in its rising," and the moon "not to make her light to be bright;" not that the sun and moon in the angelic heavens are darkened, for the sun there is always in its effulgence, and the moon in its splendor; but before those who are in evils and in falsities therefrom, goods and truths are thus obscured; it is therefore according to the appearance that it is so said, for those who are in evils and in falsities therefrom turn themselves away from the good of love and charity, consequently from the Lord, and then they will nothing but evil and think nothing but falsity, and those who will and think no other, see nothing but thick darkness and darkness in such things as pertain to heaven and the church. Because such are meant by those with whom "the sun is darkened, and the moon maketh not her light to be bright," it is said, "to lay the earth waste, and He shall destroy its sinners out of it," and afterwards, "I will visit evil upon the world, and upon the wicked their iniquity," "earth" and "world" signifying the church, "laying it waste" signifying that there is no longer any good, and "visiting evil upon the world, and upon the wicked their iniquity," signifying the Last Judgment.

[13] In Ezekiel:

When I shall extinguish thee I will cover the heavens and make the stars thereof black; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine; all the luminaries of light in the heavens will I make black over thee, and I will give darkness upon thy land (Ezekiel 32:7-8).

This is said of Pharaoh king of Egypt, by whom is here signified the natural man separate from the spiritual; which when it is separated is wholly in thick darkness and in darkness in regard to all things of heaven and the church, and so far as it is separated denies them; for the natural man sees nothing in such things from itself, but only through the spiritual man from the Lord, since the natural man is in the heat and light of the world, while the spiritual man is in the heat and light of heaven. From this it is clear what is meant by the particulars here, namely, "When I extinguish thee I will cover the heavens" signifies the interiors, which are in the light of heaven; "I will make the stars thereof black" signifies the knowledges of good and truth; "I will cover the sun with a cloud" signifies the good of love to the Lord; "the moon shall not make her light to shine" signifies the good of charity towards the neighbor and the truth of faith therefrom; "all the luminaries of light will I make black over thee" signifies all truths; and "I will give darkness upon thy land" signifies falsities.

[14] In Joel:

The day of Jehovah cometh. A day of darkness and of thick darkness, a day of cloud and obscurity. Before Him the earth trembleth, the sun and the moon were black, and the stars withdrew their brightness (Joel 2:1-2, 10).

In the same:

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh (Joel 2:31).

In the same:

The day of Jehovah is near in the valley cut off. The sun and the moon were made black, and the stars withdrew their brightness (Joel 3:14-15).

In the Gospels:

Immediately after the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven (Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24-25).

In Revelation:

The fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; and the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for the third part of it, and the night likewise (Revelation 8:12).

In another place:

Out of the pit of the abyss there went up a smoke as the smoke of a great furnace; and the sun was darkened and the air by the smoke (Revelation 9:2).

It is clear from what has been said above, that in these passages "the sun and moon made black and darkened" means that there was no longer any good or any truth; therefore they are not further explained.

[15] Because such things are signified by "the sun darkened," therefore the sun was darkened when the Lord was upon the cross, because He was entirely rejected by the church that then was with the Jews, who were consequently in dense darkness, or in falsities. This is thus described in Luke:

At the sixth hour darkness came over all the land until the ninth hour, for the sun was darkened (Luke 23:44-45).

This was done as a sign and token that the Lord was denied, and that thence there was no good nor truth with those who were of the church; for with them all signs from the heavens represented and signified such things as are of the church, because the church with them was a representative church, or consisted of such things in externals as represented and thus signified the internal things of the church. That "darkness came over all the land" signified that with those who were of the church there was nothing except the falsities of evil, "all the land" meaning all the church, and "darkness" signifying falsities; that it continued for three hours, namely, "from the sixth to the ninth hour," signifies that there remained mere falsity, and no truth whatever, for "three" signifies full, whole, and entirely, and "six" and "nine" signify all things in the complex, here falsities and evils; and because there were falsities and evils with them, from the Lord's having been denied, therefore it is said, "and darkness came, and the sun was darkened;" "the sun" that was obscured, meaning the Lord, who is said to be "obscured" when falsities so prevail in the church that He is not acknowledged, and evils so prevail that He is crucified. (That each and every thing related in the Word concerning the Lord's passion is significative may be seen above, n.64, 83, 195c at the end.)

[16] In Micah:

Jehovah said against the prophets that cause the people to err, It shall be night unto you for vision; and darkness shall be to you for divination; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall grow black over them (Micah 3:5-6).

What these words signify in the spiritual sense, may be seen above n. 372, where they are explained. In Amos:

It shall come to pass in that day, that I will cause the sun to set at noon, and I will darken the earth in a day of light (Amos 8:9).

This signifies that in the church, where the Word is from which it might be known what is good and true, there is nevertheless nothing but evil and falsity. "To cause the sun to set," and "to darken the earth" signify the evil of life, and the falsity of doctrine in the church; for "the rising of the sun" signifies the good of love, which is the good of the life, and "the setting of the sun" signifies the evil of love, which is the evil of the life; and "the darkening of the earth" signifies the consequent falsity of doctrine, "darkness" signifying falsities, and "the earth" the church; "at noon," and "in the day of light" signify when there might be the knowledges of good and truth, because they have the Word, "noon" signifying where there are the knowledges of good, and the "day of light" where there are the knowledges of truth. Such knowledges as are from the Word are meant, because it is the church where the Word is that is here treated of.

[17] In Habakkuk:

The mountains were moved; the overflowing of waters passed by. Sun and moon stood in their habitation; Thine arrows go forth in light, the lightning of Thy spear in brightness (Habakkuk 3:10-11).

This chapter treats of the Lord's coming and of the Last Judgment then accomplished by Him; "the mountains were moved, the overflowing of waters passed by" signifies that those who were in the love of self and the world were cast out by the falsities of evil into which they were let; "mountains" signifying the loves of self and the world, and "the overflowing of waters" to be let into falsities from those loves, "waters" meaning falsities, and "overflowing" to be let into them. That by those in that state genuine truths and goods are not seen, but instead of these, fatuous truths and goods, which in themselves are falsities and evils is signified by, "Thine arrows go forth in light, the lightning of Thy spear in brightness;" "arrows" or "lightnings" signifying fatuous truths, which in themselves are falsities, and "the lightning of the spear" signifying fatuous goods which in themselves are the evils of falsity. Moreover, such signs appear in the spiritual world, in the case of those who are in falsities from the loves of self and the world, when the Last Judgment takes place, and these are cast out.

[18] As in this prophecy it is said, "Sun and moon stood in their habitation," the significance of the sun's resting in Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Aijalon shall also be explained, which is thus described in Joshua:

Then spoke Joshua to Jehovah, and he said in the eyes of Israel, Sun, rest thou in Gibeon; and thou, moon, in the valley of Aijalon; and the sun rested, and the moon stayed, until the nation was avenged upon its enemies. Is not this written upon the book of the Upright? And the sun stood in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day (Jos. Joshua 10:12-13).

That the sun is said to have stood in Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Aijalon, signifies that the church was altogether vastated in respect to all good and truth, for a battle was then going on against the king of Jerusalem and the kings of the Amorites; and "the king of Jerusalem" signifies the truth of the church wholly vastated by falsities, and "the kings of the Amorites" signify the good of the church vastated by evils; therefore those kings were smitten with hailstones, which signify the dire falsities of evil. It is said that the sun and the moon stood in their place, that is, before the sons of Israel, that they might see their enemies; but this, although it is told as history is a prophecy, as is evident from its being said, "Is not this written upon the book of the Upright?" which was a prophetical book from which this was taken; so it was from the same book that it was said, "Until the nation was avenged upon its enemies," and not, "Until the sons of Israel were avenged upon their enemies," the term "nation" being used prophetically. This is evident also from the fact that if this miracle had occurred altogether in this way, the whole nature of the world would have been inverted, which is not the case with the other miracles in the Word. That it might be known, therefore, that this was said prophetically, it is added, "Is not this written upon the book of the Upright?" And yet it is not to be doubted, that there was given to them a light out of heaven, a light in Gibeon like that of the sun, and a light in the valley of Aijalon like that of the moon.

[19] In Jeremiah:

She that hath borne seven shall languish, she shall breathe out her soul; her sun shall go down while it is yet day, it shall be ashamed and blush; and the remnant of them will I give to the sword before their enemies (Jeremiah 15:9).

"She that hath borne seven shall languish, she shall breathe out her soul," signifies that the church to which the Word is given and through it all truths, is about to perish; "to bear seven" meaning to be gifted with all the truths of the church (as in the first book of Samuel, 1 Samuel 2:5, see above, n. 257. "Her sun shall go down while it is yet day" signifies that the good of the church is about to perish, although the church has the Word, and might through the Word be in light; "it, namely, the sun, shall be ashamed and blush" signifies because good and truth are not received, but evil and falsity (as is evident also from the next quotation from Isaiah); "the remnant of them will I give to the sword before their enemies" signifies that all the remaining good and truth will perish through the falsity from evil; "remnant" meaning all that remains; "to be given to the sword" meaning to perish on account of falsities; "enemies" meaning evils.

[20] In Isaiah:

Jehovah will visit upon the host of the height in the height, and upon the Kings of the earth who are upon the earth. Then the moon shall blush, and the sun be ashamed (Isaiah 24:21, 23).

"To visit" signifies to destroy, because visitation precedes judgment, when those who are in evils and in falsities therefrom are destroyed; "the host of the height in the height" signifies all evils that are from the love of self, "host" signifying all evils; "the kings of the earth" falsities of every kind, and "the earth" the church. This makes clear the signification of "Jehovah will visit upon the host of the height in the height, and upon the kings of the earth who are upon the earth." It is said "upon the host of the height in the height" because those who are in the love of self seek in the spiritual world high places; "then the moon shall blush, and the sun be ashamed," signifies that there is no longer any reception of Divine truth and Divine good, "moon" and "sun" signifying the truth of faith and the good of love, and these are said "to blush and be ashamed" when they are no longer received, but falsity and evil are received in their place.

[21] In David:

Jehovah, who hath made the heavens by His intelligence, who hath spread out the earth upon the waters; who hath made great luminaries, the sun for rule by day, the moon and stars for rule by night: Who hath smitten Egypt in their firstborn, and hath brought out Israel from the midst of them (Psalms 136:5-11).

He who knows nothing of the spiritual sense of the Word must suppose that there is nothing involved in these words except what appears in the sense of the letter; and yet every particular involves such things as pertain to angelic wisdom, which are all celestial Divine and spiritual Divine things. This describes the new creation, or regeneration of the men of the church, of whom the church consists; "the heavens" which Jehovah hath made by His intelligence, signify the internal things of the men of the church, which, in one expression, are called the spiritual man, where intelligence has its seat, and where their heaven is; "the earth" which He hath spread out upon the waters, signifies the external of the church, which in one expression, is called the natural man; this is said to be "spread out upon the waters" because there the truths are by which man is regenerated, "waters" meaning truths; "the great luminaries, the sun, moon, and stars," signify the good of love, truth from that good, and the knowledges of good and truth, "the sun," the good of love, "the moon" truth from that good, and "the stars" the knowledges of good and truth. The sun is said to have been made "for rule by day," because "day" signifies the light of the spiritual man, for the spiritual man has illustration and perception from the good of love; the moon and the stars are said to have been made "for rule by night," because "night" signifies the light of the natural man, and its light, as compared with the light of the spiritual man, is like the light of night from the moon and the stars as compared with the light of day from the sun. Because this treats of the regeneration of the men of the church it follows, "who hath smitten Egypt in their firstborn, and hath brought out Israel from the midst of them;" "Egypt" signifying the natural man, such as it is by birth, namely, in mere falsities from evil; "their firstborn" mean primary things; the destruction of these while man is being regenerated is meant by "who hath smitten Egypt in their firstborn;" "Israel" signifies the spiritual man; and "to bring him out from the midst of them" signifies to open the spiritual man, and thus to regenerate; for the Lord regenerates the man of the church by dispersing the falsities from evils that are in the natural man, and by opening the spiritual man, and this is effected by the Lord by means of spiritual light, which is Divine truth.

[22] Like things are signified by these words in Genesis:

God made two great luminaries; the great luminary to rule by day, and the lesser luminary to rule by night, and the stars (Genesis 1:16).

For that chapter treats of the new creation, or the regeneration of the men of whom the Most Ancient Church consisted, and this is described in the sense of the letter, by the creation of heaven and earth. Like things are signified, too, by these words in Jeremiah:

Thus said the Lord Jehovih ² who giveth the sun for light by day, the statutes of the moon and stars for light by night (Jeremiah 31:35).

"The statutes of the moon and stars" signify all things that are done in the natural man according to the laws of order.

[23] In David:

Praise ye Jehovah, all His angels; praise ye Him, all His hosts; praise ye Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all ye stars of light; praise Him, ye heavens of heavens (Psalms 148:2-4).

"To praise Jehovah" signifies to worship Him; "angels" signify those who are in Divine truths from the good of love, for such are angels; "all the hosts" signify goods and truths in the whole complex; "sun and moon" signify the good of love and the truth from that good; "the stars of light" signify the knowledges of truth from good; "the heavens of heavens" signify goods and truths both internal and external; and as man worships the Lord from those things that are with him from the Lord, thus from the goods and truths that are with him, and as man is a man from these, therefore it is said to them, namely, to the sun, moon, and stars, which signify goods and truths, that they "shall praise," that is, worship, Jehovah. Who does not know that the sun, moon, and stars do not praise, that is, worship?

[24] In Moses:

Of Joseph he said, Blessed of Jehovah be His land, for the precious things of heaven, for the dew, and for the deep that lieth beneath, and for the precious things of the increase of the sun, and for the precious things of the produce of the months (Deuteronomy 33:13, 14).

This is said in the blessing of the sons of Israel by Moses; and because "Joseph" means the spiritual-celestial, who are those that are highest in the spiritual kingdom, and thus most closely communicate with those who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom, "His land" signifies that spiritual kingdom, likewise the church that consists of such; "the precious things of heaven, the dew, and the deep also that lieth beneath" signify things spiritual-celestial in the internal and the external man; "the precious things of the increase of the sun, and the precious things of the produce of the months," signify all things that proceed from the Lord's celestial kingdom, and all things that proceed from His spiritual kingdom, thus the goods and truths therefrom, "the sun" signifying the good of love to the Lord from the Lord which is the good that those have who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom, "its increase" signifying all things that proceed from it; "the produce of the months" signifies all things that proceed from the Lord's spiritual kingdom, "months" here signifying the like as "the moon," namely, truths from good, for the same word is used for both in the original. But this that has been said must seem obscure to one who knows nothing about the two kingdoms of heaven, the celestial and the spiritual, and about their conjunction by intermediates. (But respecting these kingdoms and the intermediates, see what is said in Heaven and Hell 20-28.)

[25] In Isaiah:

I will make thy suns a ruby, and thy gates of stones of carbuncles, and all thy border of stones of desire (Isaiah 54:12).

This is said of the nations outside of the church, from whom a new church was to be established by the Lord. "I will make thy suns a ruby" signifies that goods will be brilliant from the fire of love, "suns" here meaning the goods of love, and "the ruby" meaning a brilliance as from fire; "I will make thy gates of stones of carbuncles" signifies that truths will be resplendent from good, "gates" meaning introductory truths, in particular the doctrines that are from good, for all truths of doctrine that are genuine proceed from good, and are of good; and "stones of carbuncles" signify their brightness from good; in fact, all precious stones signify truths from good, and their color, brightness, and fire indicate the quality of the truth from good. "I will make all their border of stones of desire" signifies that true knowledges [scientifica], which belong to the natural man, will be pleasant and enjoyable from good; for "border" has the same meaning as "foundation," and this means the natural man, for in the things in it the goods and truths of the spiritual man are terminated, and "stones of desire" mean truths pleasant and enjoyable from good; by these are meant the goods and truths of the Word which those who constitute the new church will have, and which will be such. That the "sun" signifies the good of love is evident, too, from their being called "suns," in the plural.

[26] In Job:

Was I glad because my means were great, and because my hand had found much? did I behold the light that it shone, and the moon that it walked in brightness? and hath my heart secretly misled itself, and my hand kissed my mouth? (Job 31:25-28).

These words mean in the spiritual sense that he had not acquired for himself intelligence from what was his own [ex proprio], and had taken no merit to himself for his intelligence, and had not gloried in it; for "Was I glad because my means were great, and because my hand had found much?" signifies, had he gloried over having intelligence, and having acquired it for himself from what was his own [ex propria]? "means" signify the knowledges of good and truth, by which intelligence is gained; "and because my hand had found much" signifies to have acquired from what is one's own [ex propria]; "did I behold the light that it shone, and the moon that it walked in brightness" signifies to have spiritual truths, which constitute intelligence, "light" and the "moon" signifying spiritual truths; "hath my heart secretly misled itself, and my hand kissed my mouth?" signifies, have I therefore gloried inwardly, and have I claimed them to myself?

[27] In Matthew:

That ye may be sons of your Father who is in the heavens; who maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust (Matthew 5:45).

This treats of charity towards the neighbor, as is evident from what there precedes and follows, and, in particular of the Jews, who accounted the Gentiles as enemies, and their own people as friends. That they ought to love the Gentiles the same as their own people the Lord makes clear by this comparison; but as all comparisons in the Word are from correspondences, and from that are significative, as other things are that are not said comparatively, so it is with this comparison; and "the Father in the heavens maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust" signifies that the Lord flows in from heaven with the Divine good of love and with Divine truth, with those who are outside of the Jewish church as much as with those who are within it, "sun" also here signifying the good of love, and "rain" the Divine truth. "The evil and the unjust" signify in the internal sense those who were of the Jewish Church, since they did not receive; and "the good and the just" signify those who were outside of that church and did receive. In general, all the evil and the good, and the just and the unjust, are here meant, for the Lord flows in with good and truth equally with all, but all do not receive equally.

[28] Because "the sun" signifies the Lord in relation to Divine love, He is called "the Sun of righteousness (in Malachi 4:2); and "a Sun and Shield" (in David, Psalms 84:11). Because "the sun" signifies the good of love to the Lord with man, "from the rising of the sun unto its going down" signifies all who are in the good of love to the Lord, from the first to the last; "from the rising of the sun" meaning from the first, and "unto the going down of the sun" meaning to the last, as in the following passages. In Malachi:

From the rising of the sun even unto its going down is My name great among the nations (Malachi 1:11).

In David:

From the rising of the sun unto its going down the name of Jehovah is to be praised (Psalms 113:3).

In the same:

God, Jehovah God speaketh, and shall call the earth from the rising of the sun unto its going down (Psalms 50:1).

In Isaiah:

That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from its going down, that there is none beside Me (Isaiah 45:6).

In the same:

From the going down of the sun shall they fear the name of Jehovah, and His glory from the rising of the sun (Isaiah 59:19).

I shall raise up one that shall come from the north, and from the rising of the sun one who shall call upon My name (Isaiah 41:25).

"From the rising of the sun unto its going down" signifies all, from the first to the last, who are in the good of love to the Lord, because all in heaven dwell according to quarters. Those who are in the good of love to the Lord dwell from the east to the west; those who dwell in the east are those who are in a clear good of love, and those who dwell in the west are those who are in an obscure good of love. This is why "from the rising of the sun unto its going down" signifies all, from the first to the last, who are in the good of love. The words in Isaiah, "I will raise up one that will come from the north and from the rising of the sun" signify those who are outside of the church, and those who are inside of it; for "the north" signifies the obscurity of truth, thus those who are outside of the church, because they are in obscurity in regard to truths from not having the Word, and thence not knowing anything about the Lord; and "the rising of the sun" signifies those who are within the church, because they have the Word, in which the Lord is always present, and so in His rising. (That "the east" or "the rising of the sun," and "the west" or "the setting of the sun," mean the good of love in clearness and the good of love in obscurity, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 141, 148-150; and that "the north" means truth in obscurity, in the same chapter, n 148-150; for the Four Quarters in the Spiritual World are there treated of.)

Again, "the setting of the sun" signifies the state of the church when it is in ignorance, which is its first state; and "the rising of the sun" signifies its state when it is in light. "The setting of the sun" also signifies the state of the church when it is in evils and falsities therefrom; and "the rising of the sun" when it is in goods and in truths therefrom.

[29] The first state of the church, when it is still in ignorance, is signified by the commencement of the passover in the evening when the sun was set, according to these words of Moses:

Thou shalt sacrifice the passover at even, when the sun shall have set in the stated time of thy going forth out of Egypt (Deuteronomy 16:6).

For "the feast of the passover" signified the celebration of the Lord on account of deliverance from damnation, which is effected by regeneration; and in the highest sense a remembrance of the glorification of the Lord's Human, because deliverance is from that (See Arcana Coelestia 7093, 7867, 9286-9292, 10655). And because the first state of regeneration is a state of ignorance, the beginning of that feast was "at even, when the sun had set." Again, that state is signified by "the going forth of the sons of Israel out of Egypt," for in Egypt they were in a servile state, and thus in a state of ignorance; therefore it is said, "in the stated time of the going forth out of Egypt."

[30] The last state of the church, when the church is in falsities and evils, for this state is its last, is signified by "the setting of the sun" in Moses:

When the sun was about setting, a deep sleep fell upon Abram; and lo, a horror and great darkness fell upon him. At length, when the sun had set, and it had become dark, behold, a furnace of smoke, and a torch of fire that passed through between these pieces (Genesis 15:12, 17).

These things are said of the posterity of Abram from Jacob, that is, of the Israelitish and Jewish nation; and "when the sun was about setting," and "at length, when the sun had set," signify the last state of the church in that nation, that they were in mere falsities and evils; "great darkness" and "a furnace of smoke," signify falsities from evil; and "a torch of fire" signifies the dire love of self, from which came their evils and falsities.

[31] As most things in the Word have also a contrary sense, so have "sun" and "moon" and in that sense "sun" signifies the love of self, and "moon," the falsities therefrom. "Sun and moon" have this signification because those who are in natural thought only, and not in spiritual thought, do not think beyond nature; therefore when they see that from these two luminaries, or from their light and heat, all things arise and, as it were, live upon the earth, they suppose that these luminaries rule the universe; above this they do not raise their thoughts. This all do who are in the love of self and in the evils and falsities therefrom, for such are merely natural and sensual men, and the merely natural and sensual man does not think beyond nature, for what he does not see and touch he believes to be nothing.

With the ancients, all things of the church consisted of the representatives of spiritual things in natural; with them therefore, "the sun" signified the Lord in relation to Divine good, and "the moon" the Lord in relation to Divine truth, consequently in worship they turned their faces to the rising of the sun; and those among them who were in the love of self, and were therefore merely natural and sensual, began to worship as their highest gods the sun and the moon that they saw with their eyes; but because those alone did this, or persuaded others to do it, who were in the love of self and in the evils and falsities therefrom, therefore "the sun" signifies the love of self, and "the moon" the falsity therefrom. This becomes still more evident in the case of spirits in the other life who in the world had been such; these turn the face away from the Lord, and turn it towards something there that is dark and in thick darkness, which is in the place of the sun and moon of the world, over against the sun and moon of the angelic heaven (on which more may be seen in the work onHeaven and Hell 122, 123). By persons like this the worship of the sun and moon was instituted in ancient times, when all Divine worship was representative; but at this day, when representatives have ceased, the worship of the sun and moon does not exist in the Christian world, but in its place the worship of self, which exists with those in whom the love of ruling predominates. This makes clear the signification of "sun and moon" in the contrary sense.

[32] That in ancient times the sun and moon were worshiped is evident from the fact that the Gentiles dedicated shrines to them, which are spoken of in many histories. That the Egyptians as well as the Jews and Israelites worshiped the sun and moon is evident from the Word. That the Egyptians did, see in Jeremiah:

The King of Babylon shall come, and shall smite the land of Egypt, and shall break in pieces the pillars of the house of the sun in the land of Egypt (Jeremiah 43:11, 13).

That the Jews and Israelites did, see in Ezekiel:

I beheld their faces towards the east; and the same bowed themselves towards the rising of the sun (Ezekiel 8:16).

This treats of the abominations of Jerusalem. In the second book of Kings:

Josiah ³ the King put down the idolatrous priests, them that burned incense unto Baal, to the sun, to the moon, and to the stars, and to all of the hosts of the heavens. He furthermore took away the horses that the kings of Judah had set up to the sun at the entering in of the house of Jehovah, and burned the chariots of the sun with fire (2 Kings 23:5, 11).

In Jeremiah:

They shall bring out the bones of the kings of Judah, the bones of his princes, and the bones of his priests, and the bones of his prophets, and the bones of the inhabitants of Jerusalem; and they shall spread them to the sun and the moon and all the host of the heavens, which they have loved, and which they have served (Jeremiah 8:1-2);

and also Jeremiah 44:17-19, 25; Deuteronomy 4:19; 17:3, 5.

[33] Because "Moab" in the Word signifies those who are in a life of falsity from the love of self, and their worship signifies the worship of self, therefore when the Israelitish people drew near to the worship of the Moabitish people, it was commanded that the chiefs of the people should be hung up before the sun; respecting which it is thus written in Moses:

The daughters of Moab called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods; and the people did eat, and bowed down to their gods. Especially did Israel join himself unto Baalpeor; therefore Jehovah said unto Moses, Take all the chiefs of the people, and hang them up before the sun (Numbers 25:1-4).

"Moab" signifies those who are in a life of falsity from the love of self, and who consequently adulterate the goods of the church (See Arcana Coelestia 2468, 8315).

[34] From this it is also clear that the sun of the world signifies the love of self. Because the love of self lets man down into what is his own [proprium] and holds him there, for it looks continually to self, and man's own is nothing but evil, and from evil comes every falsity, therefore "the heat of the sun" signifies adulterated truth, which in its essence is the falsity of evil. This is signified by "the heat of the sun" in the following passages. In Revelation:

The fourth angel poured out his bowl upon the sun; and it was given unto him to scorch men with fire (Revelation 16:8).

And elsewhere:

They shall hunger no more, neither shall the sun fall on them, nor any heat (Revelation 7:16).

In David:

The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. Jehovah shall keep thee from all evil, He shall keep thy soul (Psalms 121:6, 7).

The "sun" here means the love of self, and the "moon" the falsity therefrom; because from that love is all evil, and from evil all falsity, therefore it is said, "Jehovah shall keep thee from all evil, and He shall keep thy soul," "soul" signifying the life of truth.

[35] In Matthew:

Other seeds fell upon the rocky places, where they had not much earth; and when the sun was risen they were scorched, and because they had no root they withered away (Matthew 13:5-6; Mark 4:5-6).

"Seeds" signify the truths from the Word, that is, the truths man receives from the Lord, for it is afterwards said, that it is "the Son of man that soweth." "Rocky places" signify a historical faith, which is another's faith in oneself, which is believing a thing to be true, not because one sees it in himself, but because another in whom he has confidence has said it. "Earth" signifies spiritual good, because this receives truths as soil does seeds; "the sun's rising" signifies the love of self; and "to be scorched" and "to wither away" signify to be adulterated and to perish. This makes clear what is signified by these words of the Lord in series, namely, that the truths that are implanted from infancy from the Word or from preaching, when man begins to think from himself, are adulterated and perish by lusts from the love of self. All things in the Word are, indeed, truths, but they are adulterated by the ideas of thought concerning them, and by the way they are applied, consequently with such persons truths are not truths except in respect to the mere utterance of them. This is so because all the life of truth is from spiritual good, and spiritual good has its seat in the higher or interior mind, which is called the spiritual mind. This mind cannot be opened with those who are in the love of self, for in everything they look to self. If they lift their eyes to heaven, still the thought of their spirit is held in the consideration of self; consequently from the fire of its own glory it incites the external and corporeal sensual things which have been taught from childhood, to the imitation of such affections as belong to the spiritual man.

[36] It is written in Jonah that "the gourd that came up over him withered, and that the sun beat upon his head, so that he fell sick." As this cannot be understood without explanation by the internal sense, it shall be explained in a few words. It is thus told in Jonah:

Jehovah prepared a gourd that came up over Jonah, that it might be a shadow over his head to deliver him from his evil, and Jonah was glad over the gourd. And God prepared a worm, when the dawn came up the following day, and it smote the gourd that it dried up. And it came to pass when the sun arose that God prepared a scorching east wind; and the sun smote upon the head of Jonah, and he fell sick so that he asked that his soul might die. Then God said to Jonah, is it well for thee to be angry over the gourd? He said, It is well for me to be angry, even unto death. Jehovah said, Thou wouldest spare the gourd, for which thou hast not labored, nor didst thou make it grow up, because thou didst become the son of the night ⁴ and the son of night perisheth; shall not I spare Nineveh, the great city, in which are more than twelve myriads ⁵ of men? (Jonah 4:6-11).

This is a description of the genius of the Jewish nation, that they are in the love of self and in falsities therefrom. Jonah was of that nation, and therefore also was sent to Nineveh; for the Jewish nation had the Word, and was therefore able to teach those who were outside of the church and who are called Gentiles; these are signified by "Nineveh." Because the Jewish nation was, above others, in the love of self and in the falsities from that love, they did not wish well to any but themselves, thus not to the Gentiles, but these they hated. Because that nation was such, and Jonah represented it, he was very angry that Jehovah should spare Nineveh, for it is said:

Jonah was ill with a great illness, so that he was angry, and from the illness of anger he said, Take, O Jehovah, my soul from me, for my death is better than my life (Jonah 4:1, 3).

This evil in that nation is signified by the gourd which the worm smote so that it dried up. "The sun that smote upon the head of Jonah" signifies the love of self which was in that nation; and "the scorching east wind" the falsity therefrom; and "the worm that smote the gourd" signifies the destruction of this evil and the falsity thence. That this is the signification of "the gourd" is evident from its being said in this description that Jonah at first "was glad over the gourd," and after the gourd had been smitten by the worm and had dried up that "he was angry over it, even unto death," and also from its being said that "he had pity over the gourd." That the Jewish nation, because it was in such a love and in such falsity therefrom was liable to damnation is meant by these words to Jonah, "thou didst not cause it to grow up, because thou didst become a son of night, ⁶ and a son of night perisheth." (That such was the Jewish nation, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248.)

[37] The love of self is signified here and in the preceding passages, because "the sun" in the genuine spiritual sense signifies love to the Lord, and the love of self is the opposite of this love.

Moreover, the Lord's Divine love, which is present with everyone, is turned into the love of self with the evil; for everything that flows in is changed in the recipient subject into what agrees with its own nature; as the pure heat of the sun is turned into an offensive smell in subjects of such a nature, and the pure light of the sun into hideous colors in objects of such reception; this is why "the sun that smote upon the head of Jonah" signifies the love of self that is in him; likewise "the sun that was risen" by which the seeds were scorched upon the rocky places, mentioned in Matthew.

[38] In Revelation:

The city New Jerusalem hath no need of the sun and moon to shine in it, for the glory of God doth lighten it, and the Lamb is the lamp thereof (Revelation 21:23; 22:5).

"The sun" here, of which the city New Jerusalem shall have no need, signifies natural love, which, viewed in itself is the love of self and the world; and "the moon" signifies natural light, for natural light, viewed in itself is from natural love, and the quality of the light is according to the quality of the love; while spiritual love and spiritual light are signified by "the glory of God shall lighten it, and the Lamb is the lamp thereof."

[39] That such is the sense of these words is very evident from the following from Isaiah:

The sun shall be no more a light to thee by day, and for brightness the moon shall not give light unto thee; but Jehovah shall be unto thee for a light of eternity, and thy God for thine adornment. Thy sun shall no more go down, and thy moon shall not withdraw; for Jehovah shall be unto thee for a light of eternity, and the days of thy mourning shall be fulfilled (Isaiah 60:19-20).

In the first part of this passage "the sun and moon" have the same meaning as above in Revelation, namely, "the sun" signifies merely natural love, and "the moon" natural light therefrom; but in the latter part of the passage "the sun and moon" mean the sun and moon of the angelic heaven, and that sun signifies the Lord's Divine love, and the moon Divine truth, as was explained above. For it is first said, "the sun shall be no more a light to thee by day, and for brightness the moon shall not give light unto thee;" and afterwards it is said, "thy sun shall no more go down, and thy moon shall not withdraw." From all this it is now evident what "sun and moon" signify in both senses.

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