Arcana Coelestia#9182
9182. 'When a man persuades a virgin who is not betrothed' means good that has not been joined to truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'persuading', when said in reference to a man and a virgin, as his enticing her to be joined to him; from the meaning of 'a man' as truth, dealt with in 3134, 7716, 9007; from the meaning of 'a virgin' as the Church in respect of good, dealt with in 3081, 4638, thus the good which the Church is; and from the meaning of 'being betrothed' as being joined to. Something brief must be stated here about the law regarding a wrongful joining together, which is the subject at present - about where the cause and origin of that law lie. The cause of all the laws laid down for the children of Israel lies in heaven; and the laws of order there are the origin from which they spring. The laws of order in heaven all spring from Divine Truth and Goodness which emanate from the Lord, and therefore are laws concerning the good of love and the truth of faith. Goodness and truth joined together in heaven is called the heavenly marriage; and this marriage is represented in marriages on earth. It is also meant in the Word by marriages. From this one can see what is implied by wrongful joinings together, and also by cases of whoredom or adultery. The present two verses deal with a wrongful joining together which later on is either made rightful or else dissolved. A wrongful joining together which later on is made rightful is the subject in the present verse, and a wrongful joining together which later on is dissolved is the subject in the next.
[2] A wrongful joining together is one that takes place not as a result of a desire for marriage, but as a result of some other desire, such as an interest in good looks, monetary gain, or personal status, or else it is one that takes place as a result of sexual lust. Any such joining together is wrongful initially; it is wrongful because they are external attractions that draw the two people together and not at the same time internal ones. Nevertheless those external attractions may subsequently serve as the means towards a rightful joining together, which takes place when the two people are of one mind. They may also be the means of preventing a subsequent joining together from taking place if the two people are not of one mind. This is a matter commonly known in the world.
[3] A rightful joining together, which is a joining of minds, takes place when similar goodness and similar truth exist with both persons; for goodness and truth constitute a person's life, goodness and truth on the level of private and public behaviour constituting the life of the external man, and goodness and truth on a spiritual level constituting the life of the internal man. It should be recognized that a person's life springs from no other source than goodness and truth; for everything the person loves is called good, and everything the person believes is called truth. Or what amounts to the same thing, everything the person wills is called good, and everything the person understands is called truth. From this it is evident that a rightful joining together takes place when truth exists with one person in a marriage and the good which complements that truth exists in the other person. For when this is their relationship the heavenly marriage, which is a marriage of goodness and truth, is represented in the two of them. So it is that conjugial love descends from that marriage, see 2727-2759, 2803, 3132, 4434, 4835.
[4] From all this, mentioned by way of introduction, anyone may recognize the nature of the joinings together dealt with in the present verse and the one following. Betrothal before marriage has been a custom since ancient times; it represented a first joining together, which is that of the internal man without the external. The actual marriage following it represented a second joining together, which is that of the internal man together with the external. For when a person is being regenerated by forms of the good and the truths of faith, the internal man is regenerated first and the external man afterwards, since the external man is regenerated from the internal, 3286, 3321, 3493, 3882, 8746.
[5] This shows what is meant in the Word by 'betrothal' and 'being betrothed', and also what is meant by 'bridegroom' and 'bride'. It shows that 'betrothal' means the joining together of truth and good in the internal man, and that where the Lord and the Church are the subject 'bridegroom' means good and 'bride' truth, as in the following places: In Jeremiah,
I have remembered for you the mercy of your youth, the love of your betrothals, when you went out after Me in the wilderness, in a land not sown. Jeremiah 2:2.
This refers to the Ancient Church and its establishment by the Lord. 'The love of betrothals' is the affection belonging to spiritual life that is received from the truths of faith and the good of love. A state of desire, when they were still without knowledge of those truths and lacked that good, is meant by 'going out after Me in the wilderness' and 'in a land not sown'.
[6] In Hosea,
I will make for them a covenant on that day with the wild animals of the field, and with the birds of the air, and the creeping things of the earth. And I will abolish 1 the bow, and the sword, and war from the land. And I will betroth you to Me in righteousness and in judgement, and in mercy and in compassion. 2 Hosea 2:18-19.
This refers to the establishment of a new Church. 'Making a covenant with the wild animals of the field, with the birds, and with the creeping things of the earth' means a joining together which the Lord accomplishes by means of the goodness and truth, internal and external, present with a person.
'A covenant' is a joining together, 665, 666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778. 'The wild animals of the field' are the life derived from good, 841, 908. 'The birds' are the life of truth, 40, 745, 776, 991, 3219, 5149, 7441. 'The creeping things of the earth' are the forms of good and the truths among the sensory perceptions of the external man, 746, 909.
'Abolishing the bow, the sword, and war' means destroying the teachings and powers of falsity.
'The bow' is teachings that present falsity, 2686, 2709.
'The sword' is falsity engaged in conflict against truth, 2799, 4499, 6353,
7102.
'War' is the conflict itself, or spiritual conflict, 1664, 2686, 8273.
'Abolishing' these means destroying them.
[7] 'Betrothing in righteousness and in judgement' means being joined to the Lord in goodness and truth - 'betrothing' is joining to oneself, and 'righteousness' has reference to good, 'judgement' to truth, 2235. 'Betrothing in mercy and in compassion' means doing so out of love towards those governed by good, and in love towards those guided by truths - the Lord's 'mercy' has reference to His love towards those who lack good but nevertheless desire it, and His 'compassion' to His love towards those who have no knowledge of truth but nevertheless desire it. From all this it is evident that 'betrothal' means the joining together by the Lord of goodness and truth present with a person. Anyone can see that matters such as these are meant in those verses in Hosea, for when their contents are looked at in nothing brighter than natural light it is evident that Jehovah does not make a covenant with the wild animals of the field, the birds, and the creeping things of the earth, but with those possessing the goodness and truth of faith, thus with the goodness and truth present with a person, and therefore that such matters lie within this prophetic utterance.
[8] In Malachi,
Judah has acted faithlessly, for he has profaned the holiness of Jehovah, for he loved and betrothed to himself the daughter of a foreign god. Malachi 2:11.
'Betrothing the daughter of a foreign god' means being joined to the evil of falsity, 'a foreign god' being falsity, 4402 (end), 4544, 7873.
[9] As regards the meaning of 'bridegroom' as good, where the Lord and the Church are the subject, and of 'bride' as truth, this may be seen in Isaiah,
Jehovah has clothed me with the garments of salvation, with the robe of righteousness has He covered me, as a bridegroom puts on his priestly tiara, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 3 Isaiah 61:10.
In John,
I saw the Holy City, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. Revelation 21:1-2.
In the same book,
The angel said, Come, I will show you the bride, the Lamb's wife. Revelation 21:9; 22:17.
Here 'bride' stands for the Church.
[10] In Matthew,
Jesus said to John's disciples, Can the sons of the wedding mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? But the days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. Matthew 9:15; Luke 5:34-35.
The expression 'the sons of the wedding' refers to those who adhere to the truths of the Church and receive good, good which comes from the Lord being 'the bridegroom'. 'The sons of the wedding do not mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them' implies that they are in a state of bliss and happiness, and so are with the Lord, when they adhere to the truths joined to their good. 'They will fast when the bridegroom is taken away from them' implies that they are in a state of unhappiness when good is no longer joined to the truths. The latter state is the final state of the Church, whereas the former is the first state.
[11] Something similar is meant in Matthew 25:1-12 by the bridegroom, whom the ten virgins went out to meet. For the virgins who had oil in their lamps are people who have good within their truths; but the virgins who did not have oil in their lamps are people who do not have good within their truths, see 4638, 'oil' being the good of love, 886, 3722, 4582.
[12] In John,
John said, I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before Him. He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears Him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice. John 3:28-29.
'The bride' stands for the truth that composes the Church's faith, and 'the bridegroom' for the good that composes the Church's love, both of which come from the Lord, and so stand for a member of the Church with whom good has been joined to truths. 'The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears' stands for faith consisting of truth, and 'who rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice' stands for an affection for the truth composing faith. All this also shows what is meant in the internal sense by the joy and voice of the bridegroom and the bride in Isaiah 62:5; Jeremiah 7:34; 16:9; 25:10; 33:11; Revelation 18:23, namely heaven and the happiness that result from the joining together of goodness and truth present with man and angel.
脚注:
Matthew第26章
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It happened, when Jesus had finished all these words, that he said to his disciples,
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"You know that after two days the Passover is coming, and the Son of Man will be delivered up to be crucified."
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Then the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders of the people were gathered together in the court of the high priest, who was called Caiaphas.
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They took counsel together that they might take Jesus by deceit, and kill him.
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But they said, "Not during the feast, lest a riot occur among the people."
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Now when Jesus was in Bethany, in the house of Simon the leper,
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a woman came to him having an alabaster jar of very expensive ointment, and she poured it on his head as he sat at the table.
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But when his disciples saw this, they were indignant, saying, "Why this waste?
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For this ointment might have been sold for much, and given to the poor."
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However, knowing this, Jesus said to them, "Why do you trouble the woman? Because she has done a good work for me.
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For you always have the poor with you; but you don't always have me.
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For in pouring this ointment on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial.
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Most certainly I tell you, wherever this Good News is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done will also be spoken of as a memorial of her."
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Then one of the twelve, who was called Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests,
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and said, "What are you willing to give me, that I should deliver him to you?" They weighed out for him thirty pieces of silver.
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From that time he sought opportunity to betray him.
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Now on the first day of unleavened bread, the disciples came to Jesus, saying to him, "Where do you want us to prepare for you to eat the Passover?"
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He said, "Go into the city to a certain person, and tell him, 'The Teacher says, "My time is at hand. I will keep the Passover at your house with my disciples."'"
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The disciples did as Jesus commanded them, and they prepared the Passover.
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Now when evening had come, he was reclining at the table with the twelve disciples.
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As they were eating, he said, "Most certainly I tell you that one of you will betray me."
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They were exceedingly sorrowful, and each began to ask him, "It isn't me, is it, Lord?"
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He answered, "He who dipped his hand with me in the dish, the same will betray me.
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The Son of Man goes, even as it is written of him, but woe to that man through whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had not been born."
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Judas, who betrayed him, answered, "It isn't me, is it, Rabbi?" He said to him, "You said it."
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As they were eating, Jesus took bread, gave thanks for it, and broke it. He gave to the disciples, and said, "Take, eat; this is my body."
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He took the cup, gave thanks, and gave to them, saying, "All of you drink it,
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for this is my blood of the new covenant, which is poured out for many for the remission of sins.
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But I tell you that I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on, until that day when I drink it anew with you in my Father's Kingdom."
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When they had sung a hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives.
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Then Jesus said to them, "All of you will be made to stumble because of me tonight, for it is written, 'I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.'
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But after I am raised up, I will go before you into Galilee."
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But Peter answered him, "Even if all will be made to stumble because of you, I will never be made to stumble."
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Jesus said to him, "Most certainly I tell you that tonight, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times."
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Peter said to him, "Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you." All of the disciples also said likewise.
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Then Jesus came with them to a place called Gethsemane, and said to his disciples, "Sit here, while I go there and pray."
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He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and severely troubled.
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Then he said to them, "My soul is exceedingly sorrowful, even to death. Stay here, and watch with me."
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He went forward a little, fell on his face, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass away from me; nevertheless, not what I desire, but what you desire."
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He came to the disciples, and found them sleeping, and said to Peter, "What, couldn't you watch with me for one hour?
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Watch and pray, that you don't enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."
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Again, a second time he went away, and prayed, saying, "My Father, if this cup can't pass away from me unless I drink it, your desire be done."
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He came again and found them sleeping, for their eyes were heavy.
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He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time, saying the same words.
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Then he came to his disciples, and said to them, "Sleep on now, and take your rest. Behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
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Arise, let's be going. Behold, he who betrays me is at hand."
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While he was still speaking, behold, Judas, one of the twelve, came, and with him a great multitude with swords and clubs, from the chief priest and elders of the people.
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Now he who betrayed him gave them a sign, saying, "Whoever I kiss, he is the one. Seize him."
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Immediately he came to Jesus, and said, "Hail, Rabbi!" and kissed him.
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Jesus said to him, "Friend, why are you here?" Then they came and laid hands on Jesus, and took him.
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Behold, one of those who were with Jesus stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck the servant of the high priest, and struck off his ear.
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Then Jesus said to him, "Put your sword back into its place, for all those who take the sword will die by the sword.
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Or do you think that I couldn't ask my Father, and he would even now send me more than twelve legions of angels?
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How then would the Scriptures be fulfilled that it must be so?"
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In that hour Jesus said to the multitudes, "Have you come out as against a robber with swords and clubs to seize me? I sat daily in the temple teaching, and you didn't arrest me.
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But all this has happened, that the Scriptures of the prophets might be fulfilled." Then all the disciples left him, and fled.
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Those who had taken Jesus led him away to Caiaphas the high priest, where the scribes and the elders were gathered together.
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But Peter followed him from a distance, to the court of the high priest, and entered in and sat with the officers, to see the end.
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Now the chief priests, the elders, and the whole council sought false testimony against Jesus, that they might put him to death;
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and they found none. Even though many false witnesses came forward, they found none. But at last two false witnesses came forward,
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and said, "This man said, 'I am able to destroy the temple of God, and to build it in three days.'"
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The high priest stood up, and said to him, "Have you no answer? What is this that these testify against you?"
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But Jesus held his peace. The high priest answered him, "I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God."
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Jesus said to him, "You have said it. Nevertheless, I tell you, after this you will see the Son of Man sitting at the right hand of Power, and coming on the clouds of the sky."
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Then the high priest tore his clothing, saying, "He has spoken blasphemy! Why do we need any more witnesses? Behold, now you have heard his blasphemy.
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What do you think?" They answered, "He is worthy of death!"
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Then they spit in his face and beat him with their fists, and some slapped him,
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saying, "Prophesy to us, you Christ! Who hit you?"
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Now Peter was sitting outside in the court, and a maid came to him, saying, "You were also with Jesus, the Galilean!"
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But he denied it before them all, saying, "I don't know what you are talking about."
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When he had gone out onto the porch, someone else saw him, and said to those who were there, "This man also was with Jesus of Nazareth."
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Again he denied it with an oath, "I don't know the man."
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After a little while those who stood by came and said to Peter, "Surely you are also one of them, for your speech makes you known."
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Then he began to curse and to swear, "I don't know the man!" Immediately the rooster crowed.
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Peter remembered the word which Jesus had said to him, "Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times." He went out and wept bitterly.
