817. And he spake as a dragon. That this signifies in affection, thought, doctrine, and preaching, similar to what prevails with those who separate faith from the life of faith, which is charity, is evident from the signification of speaking, as denoting affection, thought, doctrine, and preaching. The reason why speaking signifies these things is, that all of a man's speech is from affection and thought thence, the affection itself being expressed by the sound of the speech, and the thought by the words. That both the affection and the thought are in the speech, is evident to every one who reflects. Affection alone cannot speak, it can only make a noise and sing; nor can thought alone speak except as an automaton without life. For it is the affection which gives life to every expression of speech. This is also the reason why man is regarded by others according to the affection in his speech, and not according to the words. The reason why speaking also signifies preaching from doctrine, thus doctrine and preaching thence is, that it is said that the beast spake as a dragon; and by the dragon are meant those who are in faith separate from charity both in doctrine and in life (as may be seen above, n. 714). And by this beast are meant confirmations from the sense of the letter of the Word in favour of the separation of faith from life, and the resulting falsifications of the Word. That religious persuasion, as to doctrine and as to preaching, is signified therefore by speaking as a dragon.

[2] Because by the dragon and by his two beasts is described faith separate from charity, and the resulting falsification of the Word, it shall be shown in this article, that a similar heresy is described in the Word by Cain, Reuben, and the Philistines; and is also meant by the he-goat in Daniel. For there have been several churches upon this earth - the Most Ancient, which was before the flood; the Ancient Church, which was after the flood; the Jewish, which succeeded the Ancient, and lastly the Christian Church. All these churches, in process of time, degenerated into two great errors, one which has adulterated all the goods of the church, and the other which has falsified all its truths. The church which has adulterated all the goods of the church is described in the Word by the Babylonians and Chaldeans; and the church which has falsified all the truths of the church is described by Cain, Reuben, and the Philistines; and also by the he-goat in Daniel, which fought with the ram and overcame it.

Concerning the adulteration of the good of the church, which is described by the Babylonians and Chaldeans, we shall speak in the following parts of this work, where Babylon is treated of in the Apocalypse. At present we shall confine ourselves to the subject of the falsification of truth, described here by the dragon and his two beasts. That the same is described also by Cain, and by the rest above-mentioned, shall now be explained.

[3] That those who separate the knowledges of truth and good from a life in agreement with them, and believe that they may be saved by these alone, were represented by Cain, has been briefly shown in the Arcana Coelestia, where Cain and Abel are treated of, to which we shall add the following observations. It is written of Cain,

That he was the first-born of Adam, and that he tilled the ground, and brought of the fruit of the ground an offering to Jehovah; and that Abel was a shepherd of the flock, and brought of the firstlings of his flock, and of the fatness thereof; also that Jehovah had respect unto the offering of Abel, and not unto the offering of Cain, wherefore anger was kindled in Cain, and he slew his brother; that Cain, was therefore accursed, and banished from the ground, and became a vagabond and fugitive on the earth; and that Jehovah set a mark upon Cain, lest he should be slain, and appointed that whoever should slay him, should have vengeance taken on him seven-fold (Genesis 4).

It is to be observed, that all the names of persons and places in the Word signify things and states of the church; and especially the names in the first chapters of Genesis, because the historicals in those chapters are constructed historicals, containing in them the deepest mysteries of heaven, but which are, nevertheless, most holy in the sense of the letter; because in every word there is a spiritual sense which unites the heavens with the men of the church. What those historicals involve in the spiritual sense, and what the names of the persons there signify, is explained in the Arcana Coelestia. By Cain are signified the knowledges of truth and good separate from a life in agreement with them, thus from heavenly love; and by Abel is signified heavenly love; or, what amounts to the same, by Cain is signified truth separate from good, and by Abel good conjoined to truth. And because truth is the primary thing of the church, every church being formed by truths, for from truths, or from the knowledges of truth and good, every church first commences - therefore Cain was the first-born, and was named a man (vir) of Jehovah; for by a man of Jehovah, in the Word, is signified the truth of heaven and the church; and by the ground which Cain tilled, is signified the church. The separation of truth from good is signified by the murder of Abel by Cain. For when every thing of the church is placed in truths or in knowledges, and not in goods, or in the affection of living according to truths; then good with its affections is slain. And because every thing of the church perishes when truth is separated from good; therefore Cain was banished from the ground, by which, as was said, is signified the church.

But because truths are the primary things of the church, for truths will teach men how to live, therefore a mark was set on Cain, lest any one should kill him; and it was appointed that if any one should kill him, he should be avenged seven-fold. And because truth without good is carried hither and thither, having nothing to lead it, consequently it successively wanders into falsities, and falls away from the way that leads to heaven; therefore Cain was banished from before the face of Jehovah, and became a vagabond and fugitive. The case is similar with respect to faith and charity, because faith belongs to truth, and charity to good. Thus the case is similar with respect to faith separate from charity as with what is said concerning Cain, that is, that it kills Abel its brother, which is charity, whence the church perishes. And this is signified by being banished from the ground, and becoming a vagabond and fugitive; for when faith is separated by charity then truth is successively turned into falsity, and so falls to decay.

[4] That Reuben, the first-born of Jacob, signified the light of truth, and thence the understanding of the Word, and thereby truth from good, or faith from charity, as was also the case with the apostle Peter; and that Reuben also, on the other hand, represented truth separated from good, or faith separated from charity; and that this faith is signified by his adultery with Bilhah his father's concubine, in consequence whereof the primogeniture was taken away from him and given to Joseph, may be seen above (n. 434). To these things is to be added, that all heresies, so far as they are adulterations and falsifications of the Word, correspond to adulteries and whoredoms of various kinds, which, because of such correspondence, are also actually perceived in the spiritual world, from those who are in heresies. The reason is, that marriages, such as they are in the heavens, derive their spiritual origin from the conjunction of good and truth; and, on the other hand, adulteries derive their origin from the conjunction of evil and falsity. This is why heaven, in the Word, is compared to marriage, and hell to adultery. And because in the hells there is a conjunction of evil and falsity, therefore a sphere of adultery continually exhales from them. This is the reason why adulteries and whoredoms, in the Word, signify adulterations of the good of the church and falsifications of the truth thereof (as may be seen above, n. 141, 161).

[5] Faith separate from charity is perceived in the spiritual world as the adultery of a son with a mother, and also with a mother-in-law. The reason is, that faith shuts out the good of charity; and this being so, the evil of the love of self and of the world succeeds in its place, and such faith conjoins itself with it. For all faith must necessarily conjoin itself with some love; wherefore when spiritual love, which is charity, is separated, then the faith conjoins itself with the love of self or the love of the world, these being the loves that rule in the natural man; this is why such a horrible adultery results from faith separated from charity. And it is evident therefore what the adultery of Reuben with Bilhah his father's concubine signifies, and why he was therefore rejected from the right of primogeniture. This is also meant by the prophecy of Israel concerning Reuben:

"Reuben, my first-born, thou art my might, and the beginning of my strength, excellent in dignity, and excellent in power. Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel, because thou wentest up to thy father's bed; then defiledst thou it; he went up to my couch" (Genesis 49:3, 4);

which words may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia 6341-6350).

That such adultery from faith separated from charity is perceived in the spiritual world, has been made evident to me from correspondences in that world; for as often as I have perceived from afar the sphere of adultery with a mother or mother-in-law, I have known at once that they were at hand who had confirmed themselves in faith alone both in doctrine and in life, and they were also then discovered; and being examined as to their quality, they were found to have been such in the world.

[6] Thus far concerning Reuben. Something shall now be said concerning the Philistines. These also in the Word represent faith separated from love. This is why they were called the uncircumcised; for to be uncircumcised signifies to be without spiritual love, and to be solely in natural love, with which love alone not anything of religion, much less anything of the church, can be conjoined. For everything pertaining to religion and the church regards the Divine, heaven, and spiritual life; and these cannot be conjoined with any other than a spiritual love, consequently, they cannot be conjoined with a natural love separate from a spiritual. For natural separate from spiritual love is man's proprium, which, in itself, is nothing but evil. All the wars which the sons of Israel waged with the Philistines represented the combats of the spiritual man with the natural man, and also the combats of truth conjoined to good, with truth separated from good, which in itself is not truth but falsity. For truth separated from good is falsified in the thought concerning it; the reason being, that there is nothing spiritual in the thought to impart enlightenment. This is also the reason why those who are in faith separated from charity have no truth, except that used in speech or preaching from the Word. For the idea of the truth perishes as soon as such people exercise their thought about it.

[7] Because this religion in the churches prevails with all those who love to live a natural life, therefore in the land of Canaan the Philistines were not subjugated, like the other nations of that land, and hence so many battles took place between them. For all the historicals of the Word are representative of such things as pertain to the church; and all the nations of the land of Canaan represented things heretical confirming either falsities of faith or evils of love; and the sons of Israel represented the truths of faith and the goods of love, consequently the church.

But what the wars represented which the inhabitants of the land of Canaan carried on will be shown in due course. Here we shall merely show that the Philistines represented a religious persuasion separated from spiritual good, such as that of faith alone separated from its life, which is charity. This is why as often as the sons of Israel departed from the worship of Jehovah to the worship of other gods, they were delivered up to their enemies, or were conquered by them. Thus they were delivered up to the Philistines, and served them eighteen years, and afterwards forty years (Judges 10; 13). This represented their receding from worship from the good of love and the truths of faith, to a worship from the evils of love and the falsities of faith. It is mentioned that they were conquered and brought into straits by the Philistines (1 Sam. 4; 13; 28; 29; 31); but when the sons of Israel returned to the worship of Jehovah, which was worship from the good of love and the truths of faith, they then conquered the Philistines (as 1 Sam. 7:14, 2 Samuel chapters 5, 8, 21, 23; 2 Kings 18). That those historicals involve such things, can only be seen from the series of things there described in the internal sense, which we have not the time here to explain. We shall adduce only one passage from the prophetical parts of the Word, from which it will be evident that such things as pertain to the church were represented in those historicals by the Philistines.

[8] Thus in Isaiah:

"Rejoice not, thou whole Philistea, because the rod that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall go forth a basilisk, whose fruit is a fiery flying serpent. Then the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety; and I will kill thy root with famine, and he shall slay thy remnant. Howl, O gate; cry out, O city; thou, whole Philistea, art dissolved: for a smoke cometh from the north, and none shall be alone in thy assemblies. What shall one then answer, the messengers of the nation? That Jehovah hath founded Zion, and the poor of his people shall trust in it" (14:29-32).

Philistea, is here described, which signifies the church, or those in the church, who are indeed in truths from the sense of the letter of the Word, or from another revelation, and yet in filthy loves. Consequently their truths do not live; and truths that do not live are turned into falsities when they are brought from exterior thought, which is the thought next to the speech, into the interior thought, which is that of the understanding, and are there considered as to their origin, which those meant by the Philistines cannot see. The reason why they cannot see is, that all men, even the wicked, have the faculty of understanding, but not good of the will, which is the good of life; for this springs from love to God, and from love towards the neighbour, these loves causing that faculty to communicate with heaven and thence receive enlightenment.

In that chapter in Isaiah, therefore, those are described who are in truths without good, and it is shown how all the truths with them are turned into falsities.

[9] This, therefore, is the spiritual sense of these words, "Rejoice not, thou whole Philistea, that the rod of him that smites thee is broken." The signification is, that they should not rejoice on account of its being permitted them to remain in their heresy because of the fewness of those who are in truths from good. "For out of the serpent's root shall go forth a basilisk," signifies, that from the sensual man a dogma will arise destructive of all truth; the serpent's root denoting the Sensual, which is the ultimate of man's life, and the basilisk denoting the destruction of all truth. "Whose fruit is a fiery flying serpent," signifies, from which is produced a faith separate from charity. This is meant by a fiery flying serpent, because by reasonings and by confirmations from things revealed but not understood, it flies upwards, and thereby kills the things that are living. The same, therefore, is signified by the basilisk as by the dragon, which is also called a serpent; and the same by the fiery flying serpent as by the beasts ascending out of the sea and out of the earth, which are treated of in this chapter of the Apocalypse. "Then the first-born of the poor shall feed, and the needy shall lie down in safety," signifies, when that dogma is received by those who are natural and sensual men, and believe themselves to be more wise than others, then truths from good with those who desire truths and will goods, shall live. The first-born, in the Word, denoting truths born from good; the poor those who are not in truths but who still desire them; and the needy those who are not in goods, but who still in heart will them. "And I will kill thy root with famine," signifies, that all truths, from first to last, will perish by falsities. "Howl, O gate; cry out, O city," signifies, that neither will entrance be granted to any truth, and that doctrine will be made up of mere falsities, gate denoting entrance to the truths of doctrine, and city denoting doctrine. "Thou, whole Philistea, art dissolved," signifies, the destruction of that church by pure falsities. "For a smoke cometh from the north," signifies, that all falsity from evil will break in from hell; the north denoting hell, and smoke the falsity of evil. "And none shall be alone in thy assemblies," signifies, that there shall not be one truth remaining amongst their knowledges. "What shall one then answer, the messengers of the nation," signifies, the enlightenment of those who are in good of life from love to the Lord. "That Jehovah hath founded Zion," signifies, that a church shall be established from them. "And the poor of his people shall trust in it," signifies, that those who are not in wisdom from self, and who overcome in temptations against those falsities, shall have intelligence and salvation.

[10] The vastation of truth by falsities with those who are meant by the Philistines, is also described by Jeremiah (47:1-7); also in Ezekiel (25:15, 16); in Joel (3:4-6); in Amos (1:8). That the same persons falsify truths is meant in Ezekiel (16:27, 57; 2 Sam. 1:20), by the daughters of the Philistines, who there denote the affections of falsity. Their religious persuasion was also represented by their idol called Dagon, which was set up in Ashdod, and which, according to their description, was fashioned as a man from the head to the navel, and as a fish from the navel downwards. As a man from the head to the navel, represented the understanding derived from truths; and as a fish from the navel downwards, represented the Natural without the good of love; for the part below the navel as far as the knees, corresponds to celestial love, and fish, to the natural man, who is without spiritual good. That man (homo) signifies the affection of truth, may be seen above (n. 280). That his head signifies the understanding of truth and intelligence thence (n. 553). That fish signifies the natural man (n. 513). And that the genitals, from correspondence, signify celestial love, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 5050-5062).

[11] The emerods also with which the Philistines were smitten, when the ark of God was detained by them, signified truths defiled by evils of life; but these and other circumstances related concerning them in 1 Sam 5 may be seen explained above (n. 700).

Truth defiled by evil of life, is also signified by the uncircumcised

2 Samuel 1:20; Ezekiel 28:10; 31:18; 32:18, 19; 44:9.

For the foreskin corresponds to corporeal love, because the member which the foreskin covers corresponds to spiritual and celestial love. And because the Philistines represented those who are in the knowledge and cognitions of truth, without any spiritual and celestial good, therefore they were called the uncircumcised. And because the sons of Israel were actually such, therefore in order that they might, nevertheless, represent the church, which is in spiritual and celestial good, and in truths thence, it was commanded that they should be circumcised. From these considerations it is evident that the religious persuasion at this day, which separates charity from faith is, in a representative sense, Philistea.

[12] Thus far concerning the Philistines. Something shall now be said about the signification of the goats and sheep, upon which judgment shall be executed, according to the Lord's words in Matthew (25:31 to the end). The common opinion is, that by the goats there mentioned are meant all the wicked; and it has not been known hitherto, that by the goats are there meant those who separate faith from charity, or who are in such a faith; and by the sheep those who are in faith from charity. By goats, in the good sense, are meant those who are in natural good, and thence in truths, these truths being called the knowledges of truth and good from the natural sense of the Word. These, or that good and thence that truth, are signified by the goats which were sacrificed.

That sacrifices of goats were made also, is evident from Leviticus 4:23; 9:2-4, 8-23; 16:2-20; 23:18, 19; Numbers 15:22-29; 28:11-15, 18 to the end; 29, and elsewhere.

For all the beasts that were used in sacrifices signified such things as pertain to the church, all of which have reference to goods and truths. Celestial goods and truths therefrom, in which the angels in the third heaven are, were signified by lambs; but spiritual goods and truths, in which the angels in the middle heaven are, were signified by rams. And natural goods and truths therefrom, in which are the angels who are in the ultimate heaven, were signified by goats. Celestial goods and truths pertain to those who are in love to the Lord; but spiritual goods and truths pertain to those who are in love towards the neighbour; and natural goods and truths pertain to those who live well according to truths from natural affection. These are signified by these three kinds of beasts, in various parts of the Word,

As in Ezek. (27:21; Deuteronomy 32:14).

[13] But because most things in the Word have also an opposite sense, so have he-goats, which in that sense signify those who are in faith separate from charity, because he-goats are lascivious above all other animals; and also because by these, in the genuine sense, are signified those who are in natural good and in truth therefrom; and all those who are in faith separate from charity both in doctrine and life are merely natural. That such persons are meant in the Word by he-goats, has been shown me to the life in the spiritual world. Various beasts are seen there, but not like those in our world, that is, those which have been born beasts; on the contrary, they are correspondences of the affections and of the thoughts therefrom, of spirits and angels. Therefore as soon as those affections and the thoughts therefrom vary and cease, they vanish out of sight. In order that I might know that those who are in faith separate from charity, or rather that their affections, and consequently the thoughts derived from their faith, are represented by he-goats, it was granted me to see some of those spirits. They appeared before my eyes and the eyes of several others, entirely like he-goats with horns. Some rams and sheep were also sent amongst them, at which the goats rushed with great fury, and strove to throw them down, but in vain. For in the spiritual world the he-goats have no power against rams or sheep, wherefore the goats were put to flight. And afterwards I was permitted to see the same as men; by which it was further testified to me that the goats were the same as those who in the world had lived in faith separate from charity.

[14] From these things it is evident what is signified by the ram and the he-goat, and by the battle between them, as recorded in Daniel (8); namely, that by the ram are there meant those who are in faith from charity, and by the he-goat those who are in faith separate from charity. The future state of the church, therefore, is there described, that is, that faith separate would dissipate all charity, which is the good of life; and that falsity therefrom would rule in the Christian world. For the purpose of illustration, we will here, in a summary, adduce what is related concerning the ram and the he-goat in Daniel, which is as follows:

Daniel saw in vision a ram "which had two horns, one higher than the other, and the highest came up last, and made itself great: but then" a he-goat of the she-goats came from the west on the face of all the earth, "and rushed upon the ram, and smote him, and broke his two horns, and cast the ram down to the earth, and stamped upon him": the he-goat had a horn between his eyes, and when this was broken "there came up four horns in the place thereof, according to the four winds of the heavens; and out of one of them came forth one horn, which grew exceedingly, even to the host of the heavens, and cast down some of the host to the earth, and some of the stars, and stamped upon them; yea, it lifted up itself unto the prince of the host, and the daily [sacrifice] was taken away from him, and the dwelling place of his sanctuary thrown down; and he cast down the truth to the earth" (8:1-14 and the following verses).

That by the ram are there meant those who are in faith from charity, and by the he-goats those who are in faith separate from charity, may be seen above (n. 316 and n. 573), where the same things are explained; therefore it is unnecessary to explain them again in this place. [15] That by the he-goats also are meant those who are in faith separate from charity, and by the rams those who are in faith from charity, is evident also in Ezekiel:

"As for you, O my flock, behold, I judge between cattle and cattle, and between the rams and the he-goats" (34:17).

Also in Zechariah:

"Mine anger was kindled against the shepherds, and I punished the he-goats" (10:3).

It is therefore evident that no others are signified by the goats and sheep in Matthew (25:31 to the end); consequently also the works of charity only are there enumerated, which the sheep performed, but which the goats did not. The same was also proved to me when the Last Judgment was accomplished upon those who belonged to the Christian Church; for then all those who were in faith separate from charity both in doctrine and life, were cast into hell; and all who were in faith from charity were preserved.

326. (5:9) And they sang a new song. That this signifies acknowledgment and confession from joy of heart, appears from the signification of a song, as denoting acknowledgment and confession from joy of heart, here acknowledgment and confession that the Lord, as to the Divine Human has all power in the heavens and on the earths. The reason why confession has reference to it, is, because it is the subject treated of here. The reason why to sing a song signifies confession from joy of heart, is, because joy of heart puts itself forth by singing, when it is in its fulness; and the reason that this is done by singing is because when the heart is full of joy and thence the thought also, it then pours itself forth in singing - the very joy of the heart in the sound of the singing, and the joy of the thought thence in the song. The quality of the joy of the thought is presented by the expressions of the song, that are conformable and agreeable to what is in the thought from the heart; and the quality of the joy of the heart, by the harmony; and the amount of the joy thereof, by the elevation of the sound and of the expressions therein. All these things flow as it were spontaneously from the joy itself, and for this reason, that the whole heaven is formed according to the affections of good and truth, the highest heaven according to the affections of good, and the middle heaven according to the affections of truth; consequently, it is also formed according to joys, for all joy is from affection or from love; hence it is that in all angelic discourse there is a certain harmony. (But these things can be better known and proved from what is said and shown in the work concerning Heaven and Hell, namely, that the thoughts and affections of angels proceed according to the form of heaven, n. 200-212, and 265-275; and that hence there is a certain harmony in their speech, n. 242; also that the sound of the speech of angels corresponds to their affections, and the articulations of sound, which are the expressions, correspond to the ideas of the thought that is from the affection, n. 236, 241; and, moreover, in the Arcana Coelestia 1648, 1649, 2595, [2596] ¹ , 3350, 5182, 8115.) Hence it is clear that the harmony of singing, and also the musical art, which can express the various kinds of affections, and be applied to things or circumstances, are from the spiritual world, and not from the natural, as is supposed (concerning which see also the work concerning Heaven and Hell 241).

[2] This is the reason that many kinds of musical instruments were used in sacred worship among the Jewish and Israelitish nation, of which some had reference to the affections of celestial good, and some to the affections of spiritual good, and to the joys thence, which were spread abroad. The stringed instruments had reference to the affections of spiritual good, and the wind instruments to the affections of celestial good, to which also singing with songs was associated, by which things agreeing with the sounds of the affections were formed. All the psalms of David were of this nature, therefore they are called psalms (psalmi), from playing, (psallere), and also songs. From these considerations it may also be evident why it is said that the four animals and twenty-four elders had harps, and also sang this song.

[3] That singing and to sing a song, signify acknowledgment and confession from joy of heart, appears from the following passages. In Isaiah:

"In that day thou shalt say, I will confess Jehovah, O God of my salvation, I will trust, I will not be afraid; for Jah is my strength and song; Jehovah was my salvation. Then ye shall draw waters out of the wells of salvation. And in that day ye shall say, Confess Jehovah, call upon his name, sing unto Jehovah. Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee" (12:1-6).

Thus is described confession from joy of heart on account of the Lord's advent, and His Divine power in saving the human race. That it denotes confession is evident, for it is first said, I will confess Jehovah, and also, afterwards, confess Jehovah. The confession, that the Lord from His Divine power would save mankind, is described by these words, "God of my salvation, I will trust, I will not be afraid, for he is my strength, he also was my salvation. Then ye shall draw waters out of the wells of salvation in that day; great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee." In that day, denotes when the Lord shall come; the Holy One of Israel is the Lord; the joy thence, which is the joy of confession, is described by, Sing unto Jehovah, cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; the inhabitant and daughter of Zion denote the church, where the Lord is worshipped. The song Jah, signifies the celebration and glorification of the Lord.

[4] In the same:

"Sing unto Jehovah a new song, his praise, O end of the earth. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up their voice, let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains" (42:10, 11).

Here also the Lord's advent is treated of, and the establishment of the church among those who were outside the church or with those where the Word was not, and the Lord was not before known. To sing a new song, signifies confession from joy of heart; to sing praise, O end of the earth, signifies the confession of those who are remote from the church; the end of the earth is where that which pertains to the church terminates, the earth denoting the church; the wilderness and the cities thereof which lift up the voice, signify those with whom there is no good because there is no truth, which they nevertheless desire; the inhabitants of the rock, signify the good of faith pertaining to them; the top of the mountains, signifies the good of love pertaining to them; to sing and to shout, signify confession thence from joy of mind and heart.

[5] In the same:

"Jehovah shall comfort Zion; he will comfort all her waste places; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her solitude like the garden of Jehovah; joy and gladness shall be found therein, confession and the voice of singing" (51:3; 52:8, 9).

These words also refer to the Lord's advent and the establishment of the church, which at that time was vastated or destroyed. By Zion is signified the church where the Lord is to be worshipped; by her waste places is signified a lack of truth and good from a want of knowledge; by making her wilderness like Eden, and her solitude like the garden of Jehovah, is signified that they shall have truth and good in abundance; wilderness is predicated of the want of good, and solitude of the want of truth; Eden signifies good in abundance, and the garden of Jehovah signifies truth in abundance. Because singing and a song signify confession from joy of heart, therefore it is said joy and gladness shall be therein, confession and the voice of singing; the voice of singing denoting [the same as] a song.

[6] In Lamentations:

"The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from singing. The joy of our heart has ceased" (5:14, 15).

The elders have ceased from the gate, signifies that those who are in truths from good, or, in the abstract, truths from good, by which introduction into the church takes place, are no more; the young men have ceased from singing, signifies that truths themselves are deprived of their spiritual affection, and thence of their joy; and because this is signified it is said, "The joy of our heart has ceased."

[7] In Ezekiel:

"I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease; and the sound of the harps shall be no more heard" (26:13).

The noise of the songs signifies the joys of confessions; the sound of the harps signifies gladness from spiritual truths and goods.

[8] In David:

"Jehovah is my strength and my shield; my heart rejoiceth, and with my song will I confess him" (28:7).

Because a song signifies confession from joy of heart, therefore it is said, "my heart rejoiceth, and with my song will I confess him."

[9] In the same:

"Sing, ye just in Jehovah. Confess Jehovah upon the harp; sing unto him with an instrument of ten strings. Sing unto him a new song; play excellently with a loud noise" (Psalms 33:1-3).

Because joy of heart arises from celestial and spiritual love, it is therefore said, "Sing, ye just in Jehovah; confess Jehovah upon the harp; sing unto him with an instrument of ten strings." Sing, ye just is predicated of those who are in celestial love; confess upon the harp and play upon the psaltery, of those who are in spiritual love. That they are called just who are in celestial love, may be seen above, n. 204, and that the harp and psaltery are predicated of those who are in spiritual good, n. 323. And because singing denotes confession from the joy arising from those loves, therefore it is said, "Confess Jehovah, sing unto him a new song." The exaltation of joy from its fulness is signified by play excellently with a loud noise.

[10] In the same:

"I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him by confession" (Psalms 69:30).

Again:

"When I shall have gone with them to the house of God with the voice of singing and confession; the multitude keeping holiday" (Psalms 42:4).

Again:

"Confess ye Jehovah; call upon his name. Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him" (Psalms 105:1, 2; 149:1).

Again:

"I will confess Jehovah according to his justice; and I will sing unto the name of Jehovah most high" (Psalms 7:17).

Again:

"My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is prepared; I will praise. Awake, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp. I will confess thee, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing unto thee among the peoples" (Psalms 57:7-9).

Because to sing a song signifies confession from joy of heart, therefore in these passages two expressions are used, to confess and to sing, confession and a song, the voice of singing and of confession.

[11] Where the Lord's advent is treated of a new song is spoken of, and that the earth, the sea, the field, the forest, the trees, Lebanon, the wilderness, and many other things, should rejoice and exult, as in the following passages: In David:

"O sing unto Jehovah a new song. Make a loud noise unto Jehovah, all the earth; play, rejoice, and sing, with the harp and the voice of a song; with trumpets, and with the sound of the horn, make a loud noise before Jehovah the King. Let the sea and all the fulness thereof give forth a sound; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands; let the mountains be joyful together" (Psalms 98:1, 4-8).

Again:

"O sing unto Jehovah a new song; sing unto Jehovah, all the earth. Sing unto Jehovah, bless his name; make known his salvation from day to day. The heavens shall be glad and the earth shall rejoice; the sea shall be moved and all the fulness thereof; the field shall exult and all that is therein, then shall all the trees of the forest sing" (Psalms 96:1, 2, 11, 12).

Again:

"Sing unto Jehovah a new song, his praise in the congregation of the saints. Let Israel rejoice in his makers, the sons of Zion in their King. Let them praise his name in the dance; let them sing praises unto him with the timbrel and harp" (Psalms 149:1-3).

In Isaiah:

"Sing unto Jehovah a new song; his praise, ye ends of the earth. Let the wilderness and the cities thereof lift up the voice " (Isaiah 43:10, 11).

Again:

"Sing, O ye heavens, for Jehovah hath done it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth; break forth into singing, ye mountains, forest, and every tree therein; for Jehovah hath redeemed Jacob, and hath shown himself glorious in Israel" (44:23; 49:13).

The subjects treated of in these passages are the Lord, His advent, and salvation by Him; and because these things were about to take place, therefore a new song is mentioned; the joy thence arising is described not only by singing, playing, making a loud noise, being joyful, clapping the hands, but also by various musical instruments, which in sound are in agreement. So also that the rivers, the sea, the field, the forests, the trees therein, Lebanon, the wilderness, the mountains, and many other things, should rejoice, exult, be joyful, sing, clap the hands, and cry aloud together.

The reason why similar things are predicated of those objects is, because they signify such things as pertain to the church, and, consequently, such things as the man of the church possesses; the rivers, the things of intelligence; the sea, the things of science, which are in agreement with truths and goods; the field, the good of the church; forests, the truths of the natural man; the trees, knowledges; Lebanon, spiritual truth and good; the wilderness, the desire of truth that thence good may be attained; and the mountains, the goods of love. All these things are said to sing, to make a loud noise, to rejoice, to cry aloud and clap the hands, when they are from heaven, for then heavenly joy is in them, and thereby in man; for man is not in heavenly joy unless those things which he possesses, which are truths and goods, are from heaven, hence the joy of heart, which is truly joy, and the joy of the man with whom these things are. It is, consequently, evident why it is that the same is said of them as of man, namely, because joy is in them and thereby in man; such joy is in every spiritual and celestial good, and thence in those with whom those goods are; for heaven flows in with its joy, that is, the Lord through heaven, into the goods and the truths thence, which are from Him with man, and thereby into the man, and not into the man destitute of or without them. Those goods and the truths thence are what from influx out of heaven exult, rejoice, make a loud noise, sing, play, that is, are glad, and thence [affect] the heart of man.

[12] Because there are various affections of good and truth, and each expresses itself by an appropriate sound, therefore in the Word, especially in David, various kinds of instruments are mentioned, by which similar affections are signified. He who has become acquainted with the internal sense of the Word, and at the same time with the sounds of the instruments there named, may know the particular affection that is there signified and described; the angels know this from the mention of them alone, and at the same time from the thing described there in its own expressions, when one reads the Word. Thus, for example, in David:

"Clap your hands, all ye peoples; sing together unto God with the voice of a song; God is gone up with a shout, Jehovah with the voice of a trumpet; Sing unto God, sing unto our King, for God is the King of all the earth; sing ye with understanding" (Psalms 47:1, 5-7).

Again:

"They have seen thy goings, O God; the goings of my God. The singers went before, the players on instruments after, in the midst of the virgins playing with timbrels" (Psalms 68:24, 25).

Again:

"Shout unto God our strength; call unto the God of Jacob. Raise a song, and strike the timbrel, the pleasant harp with the psaltery. Blow the trumpet in the month" (Psalms 81:1-3).

Again:

"Praise God with the sound of the trumpet; with the psaltery and harp; with the timbrel and dance; with the lute and the organ, with the soft cymbals; and with the loud cymbals" (Psalms 150:1, 3-5).

All the instruments here mentioned signify affections, each its own, and this from the agreement of their sound; for it is the affections that produce the varieties of sounds with men, whence the affections are also known from the sounds, as said above in this article.

[13] To these observations I will add an Arcanum: the angels who in heaven constitute the Lord's celestial kingdom, draw the internal sense of the Word from the affection alone of a man when he reads the Word; this results also from the sound of the expressions in the original tongue. But the angels who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, draw the internal sense from the truths which the expressions contain; hence from the celestial kingdom, the man who is in spiritual affection has joy of heart; and from the spiritual kingdom, confession from that joy. The sounds of the musical instruments that are there mentioned, elevate the affection, and the truths from it. That this is so, those skilled in the art of music know. For this reason the Psalms of David are called psalms (psalmi) from playing (psallere), and also songs from singing; for they were played and sung with the sounds of various instruments. That they were called Psalms by David is known, because several of them are so inscribed. Those, however, that are called songs, are the following: Psalms 18:1; 33:1, 2; 45:1; 46:1; 48:1; 65:1; 66:1; 67:1; 68:1; 75:1; 76:1; [83:1;] 87:1; 88:1; 92:1; 96:1; 98:1; 108:1; 120:1; 121:1; 122:1; 123:1; 124:1 125:1; 126:1; 127:1; 128:1; 129:1; 130:1; 131:1; 132:1; 133:1; 134:1. Many other passages might be adduced from the Word respecting singing and a song, and it might be shown that they signify confessions from joy of heart; they are omitted because of their number; those adduced are sufficient.

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