420. On the earth, nor on the sea, nor on any tree.- That this signifies everywhere in the spiritual world, even to its ultimates, with those in whom there is any perception, is evident from the signification of "the earth," as denoting the whole spiritual world, and therefore, all the angels and spirits there; for earth in its general and most evident meaning, has this signification, because in the spiritual world just as in the natural, there are lands (terroe), mountains, hills, plains, valleys, and also seas; concerning which see above (n. 304:3, 342:3, 413:4), and from the signification of "the sea," as denoting the ultimates of the land (terra) in the spiritual world, because the ultimate boundaries there are seas, concerning which see above (n. 342), and from the signification of a tree, as denoting perception and also knowledge, of which we shall speak presently. Because the earth, the sea, and a tree, signify such things, therefore all three, embraced under one meaning, signify everything in the spiritual world, even to its ultimates, with those in whom there is any perception. A tree signifies in general, perception and cognition, because a garden signifies intelligence, and all intelligence is proportionate to cognitions and the perception of them, and therefore each distinct species of trees signifies something pertaining to knowledge (scientia) and intelligence. Since a tree in general signifies perception and cognition, it therefore also signifies the interiors of man's mind, and also the whole man, for a man's quality is such as the interiors of his mind are, and these are according to his perception from cognitions. That a tree signifies the interiors of man's mind, and also the man himself, may be seen above (n. 109, 110); that a tree signifies perception and cognition, see, Arcana Coelestia 103, 2163, 2682, 2722, 2972, 7692). That the ancients had divine worship in groves under trees, according to their significations (n. 2722, 4552); that this was not allowed to the Jewish nation, and the reasons (n. 2722); that paradises and gardens signify intelligence (n. 100, 108, 3220); also in Heaven and Hell (n. 176), and above (n. 110).

2682. 'And she put the boy under one of the shrubs' means despair that no truth or good at all was perceived. This is clear from the meaning of 'the boy' as spiritual truth, dealt with in 2669, 2677, and from the meaning of 'a shrub' or a bush as perception, yet so small as to be scarcely anything at all - that smallness being the reason for the use of the expression, 'under one of the shrubs' (for by 'shrubs' the same is meant, though in a minor degree, as by trees, which mean perceptions, see 103, 2163) - and also from the feeling expressed in the action, which is the feeling of despair. From this it is evident that 'she put the boy under one of the shrubs' means despair that no truth or good at all was perceived. That being put under one of the shrubs means being left desolate so far as truth and good are concerned, to the point of despair, is evident in Job,

In poverty and in hunger, one all alone. They were fleeing to the drought, to the previous night's desolation and devastation, picking mallows on the shrub; in the cleft of the valleys to dwell, in holes of the dust and rocks; among the shrubs they were groaning, under the wild thistle they were joined together. Job 30:3-4, 6-7.

This is a reference to the desolation of truth, which is described by means of expressions used commonly in the Ancient Church - for the Book of Job is a book of the Ancient Church - such as 'in poverty and in hunger, one all alone', 'fleeing to the drought, the previous night's desolation and devastation', 'in the clefts of valleys and rocks to dwell', as well as 'picking mallows on the shrubs', and 'groaning among the shrubs'. So also in Isaiah,

They will come and all of them will rest in rivers of desolations, in the clefts of rocks, and on all bushes, and in all water-courses. Isaiah 7:19.

This also is a reference to desolation, which is described by means of similar forms of expression, namely 'resting in rivers of desolations, in the clefts of rocks, and on bushes'.

[2] In this present verse the subject is the second state of those who are being reformed, which is a state when they are reduced to ignorance, so that they do not know any truth at all, even to the point of despair. The reason they are reduced to such ignorance is so that the persuasive light which shines from the proprium may be extinguished. This light is such that it illuminates falsities as much as it does truths and so leads to a belief in what is false by means of truths and a belief in what is true by means of falsities, and at the same time to trust in themselves. They are also reduced to such ignorance in order that they may be led through actual experience into a recognition of the fact that no good or truth at all originates in themselves or what is properly their own but in the Lord. Those who are being reformed are reduced to ignorance, even to the state of despair, at which point they receive comfort and enlightenment, as is clear from what follows. For the light of truth from the Lord cannot flow into the persuasive thinking that originates in the proprium; indeed its nature is such as to extinguish that light. In the next life that persuasive thinking presents itself as the light in winter, but with the approach of the light of heaven a kind of darkness consisting in ignorance of all truth takes the place of that wintry light. This state with those who are being reformed is called a state of desolation of truth, and is also frequently the subject in the internal sense of the Word.

[3] But few are able to know about that state because few at the present day are being regenerated. To people who are not being regenerated, it is all the same whether they know the truth or whether they do not, and also whether what they do know is the truth or whether it is not, provided that they can pass a thing off as the truth. But people who are being regenerated give much thought to doctrine and to life since they give much thought to eternal salvation. Consequently if truth deserts them, they grieve at heart because truth is the object of all their thought and affection. The nature of the state of those who are being regenerated and the nature of those who are not may become clear from the following consideration: While in the body a person lives as to his spirit in heaven and as to his body in the world. He is born into both and has been so created that he is in effect able as to his spirit to be with angels, and at the same time to be with men through the things which belong to the body. But since those who believe that they have a spirit which will continue to live after death are few in number those who are being regenerated are few. To those who do believe that they have a spirit the next life forms the whole of their thought and affection, and the world in comparison none at all. But to those who do not believe that they have a spirit the world forms the whole of their thought and affection and the next life in comparison none at all. The former are those who can be regenerated, but the latter those who cannot.