Apocalypse Explained#655
655. Where also our Lord was crucified.- That this signifies by means of which He was rejected and condemned, namely, by means of evils, and falsities therefrom springing from infernal love, is evident from this consideration, that evils themselves and their consequent falsities arising from infernal love are what reject and condemn the Lord, and these evils and the falsities therefrom are signified by Sodom and Egypt, therefore it is said concerning the city of Jerusalem that it is called so spiritually, for to be spiritually called signifies evil itself, and the falsity therefrom.
[2] The hells are separated into two kingdoms opposite the two kingdoms in the heavens; the kingdom opposite the celestial kingdom is at the back, and those who are there are called genii, and this kingdom is what is understood in the Word by "devil." But the kingdom opposite the spiritual kingdom is in front, and those who are there are called evil spirits; this kingdom is what is meant in the Word by "Satan." These hells, or these two kingdoms into which the hells are separated, are meant by Sodom and Egypt. Whether it is said evils and falsities therefrom, or those hells, it is the same thing, since from these all evils and falsities ascend.
[3] The Jews of Jerusalem crucifying the Lord signifies that the evils and the falsities therefrom which they loved crucified Him; for all things recorded in the Word concerning the Lord's passion represented the perverted state of the church with that nation. For although they accounted the Word holy, yet they perverted all things therein by their traditions until there was no longer any Divine Good and Truth remaining with them, and, when the Divine Good and Truth that are in the Word no longer remain, then evils and falsities from infernal love succeed in their place, and these are what crucify the Lord. That such things are signified by the Lord's passion, may be seen above (n. 83, 195:21, 627:16, at the end). The Lord is said to be slain because it signifies His being rejected and denied, as may be seen above (n. 328). Concerning the nature and quality of the Jews, see above (n. 122, 433:28, 619), and in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248).
[4] Since it is here said "where our Lord was crucified," it shall be explained what crucifixion, or suspension upon wood, signified with the Jews. There were two punishments of death with them, crucifixion and stoning; and by crucifixion was signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of good in the church, and by stoning was signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of truth in the church. Crucifixion signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of good in the church, because wood, upon which they were suspended, signified good, and, in the opposite sense, evil, both pertaining to the will. Stoning signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of truth in the church, because stone, with which stoning was effected, signified truth, and, in the opposite sense falsity, both pertaining to the understanding. For all things instituted with the Israelitish and Jewish nation were representative, and thence significative. That wood signifies good, and, in the opposite sense, evil, and that stone signifies truth, and, in the opposite sense, falsity, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 643, 3720, 8354). But because it has been hitherto unknown whence the punishment of the cross and of stoning came to the Jews and Israelites, and since it is nevertheless important that this should be known, I will also adduce confirmations from the Word to show that these two punishments also were representative.
[5] That suspension upon wood, or crucifixion, was inflicted on account of the destruction of good in the church, and that thus was represented evil from infernal love, from which comes condemnation and a curse is evident from the following passages.
In Moses:
"If there be a stubborn and rebellious son, obeying not the voice of his father and mother, all the men of the city shall stone him with stones that he die. And if there be in a man sin and judgment of death, and he be slain, thou shalt hang him upon wood; his carcase shall not remain all night upon wood, but burying thou shalt bury him the same day; for he that is hanged is the curse of God, and thou shalt not defile thy land." (Deuteronomy 21:18, 20-23.)
Not obeying the voice of father and mother, signifies in the spiritual sense, to live contrary to the precepts and truths of the church; the punishment for it was therefore stoning. The men of the city who shall stone him signify those who are in the doctrine of the church, a city denoting doctrine. If there be in a man sin and judgment of death, thou shalt hang him upon wood, means if one has done evil against the good of the Word and of the church. Because this was a capital crime, he was to be hung upon wood, for wood, in the Word, signifies good, and in the opposite sense evil. His carcase shall not remain all night upon the wood, but thou shalt bury him the same day, signifies lest there be a representative of eternal damnation. Thou shalt not defile thy land, signifies that it would be a scandal to the church.
[6] In Lamentations:
"Our skins are become black as an oven, because of the storms of famine; they ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah; their princes were hanged up by the hand, the faces of the elders are not honoured, the young men they have led away to grind, and the boys stumble under wood" (5:10-13).
Zion means the celestial church, which is in the good of love to the Lord; was represented by the Jewish nation. The virgins in the cities of Judah signify the affections for truth from the good of love; the perishing of truths from good by falsities from evil is signified by, their princes were hanged up by the hand. The faces of the elders which are not honoured signify the goods of wisdom; the young men who are led away to grind signify truths from good; and grinding signifies to acquire falsities and to confirm them from the Word; the boys who stumble under wood signify goods just springing up and perishing through evils.
[7] Since a baker, just as bread, signifies the good of love, and a butler, just as wine, signifies the truth of doctrine, therefore the baker was hanged on account of his crime against king Pharaoh. (Genesis 40:19-22; 41:13.) This may be seen explained in the Arcana Coelestia 5139-5169). Since Moab means those who adulterate the goods of the church, and Baalpeor signifies the adulteration of good, therefore it came to pass, that all the chiefs of the people were hung up before the sun, because the people committed whoredom with the daughters of Moab, and bowed themselves down to their gods, and joined themselves to Baalpeor (Numbers 25:1-4). To commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab signifies to adulterate the goods of the church; and to be hung up before the sun signifies condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of the good of the church.
[8] Because Ai signified knowledges of good and in the opposite sense, confirmations of evil, therefore the king of Ai was hanged on wood, and afterwards thrown down at the entrance of the gate of the city, and the city itself was burned (Joshua 8:26-29). And because the five kings of the Amorites signified evils and falsities therefrom, destroying the goods and truths of the church, therefore those kings were hanged by Joshua, and afterwards cast into the cave of Makkedah (Joshua 10:26, 27). The cave of Makkedah signifies direful falsity from evil.
[9] To be hung upon wood, or crucified, signifies the punishment of evil destroying the good of the church, in Matthew Jesus said,
"I send unto you prophets, wise men, and scribes; some of them ye will kill, crucify, and scourge in the synagogues, and persecute them from city to city" (23:34).
All things which the Lord spoke He spoke from the Divine, but the Divine things from which He spoke fell into the ideas of natural thought and the resulting expressions according to correspondences, like those here and elsewhere in the Evangelists; and as all the words have a spiritual sense, therefore in that sense, prophets, wise men, and scribes, are not meant, but instead of them the truth and good of doctrine and of the Word. For spiritual thought and speech therefrom, like that of the angels, is without the idea of person, therefore by a prophet is signified the truth of doctrine, by wise men the good of doctrine, and by scribes the Word from which is doctrine. It therefore follows, that to kill has reference to the truth of the doctrine of the church, which is meant by a prophet, to crucify has reference to the good of doctrine, which is meant by a wise man, and to scourge has reference to the Word, which is meant by a scribe and that thus "to kill" signifies to extinguish, "to crucify" to destroy, and "to scourge" to pervert. That they will wander from one falsity of doctrine to another is signified by persecuting them from city to city, a city denoting doctrine. This is the spiritual sense of the above words.
[10] In the same,
Jesus said unto the disciples that He must suffer at Jerusalem, and that the Son of Man must be delivered to the chief priests and scribes, and that "they shall condemn him, and deliver him up to the nations to be mocked, to be scourged, and to be crucified, and that on the third day he shall rise again" (Matthew 20:18, 19; Mark 10:32-34).
The spiritual sense of these words is, that Divine Truth, in the church where mere falsities of doctrine and evils of life reign, shall be blasphemed, its truth perverted, and its good destroyed. The Son of Man signifies Divine Truth, which is the Word, and Jerusalem signifies the church where mere falsities and evils reign. The chief priests and scribes signify the adulterations of good and falsifications of truth, both of them from infernal love. By condemning and delivering Him to the nations is signified to relegate Divine Truth and Divine Good to hell, and to deliver them to the evils and falsities which are therefrom, the nations signifying the evils which are from hell and which destroy the goods of the church. To be mocked, to be scourged, and to be crucified, signifies to blaspheme, falsify, and pervert the truth, and to adulterate and destroy the good of the church and of the Word (as above). And the third day He shall rise again, signifies the complete glorification of the Lord's Human.
[11] From these things it is evident what is signified in the spiritual sense by the crucifixion of the Lord, also what is signified by the various mockings on that occasion, as that they set a crown of thorns upon His head; that they smote Him with a reed, and that they spat in His face, besides other things related in the Evangelists, signifying that the Jewish nation thus impiously treated the Divine Truth and Good itself, which the Lord was. For the Lord suffered the impious state of that church to be represented in Himself; this also was signified by His bearing their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11). For it was a common thing for a prophet to take upon himself the representation of the impious states of the church. Thus the prophet Isaiah was commanded to go naked and barefoot three years, in order to represent the church as destitute of good and truth (Isaiah 20:3, 4). The prophet Ezekiel bound in cords laid siege against a tile, on which Jerusalem was portrayed, and ate a cake of barley made with the dung of an ox, to represent that the truth and good of the church were thus besieged by falsities and polluted by evils (Ezekiel 4:1-13). The prophet Hosea was commanded to take to himself a harlot for a woman, and children of whoredoms, in order to represent what was then the quality of the church (Hosea 1:1-11); besides other things of a similar nature. That this was bearing the iniquities of the house of Israel or the church is openly declared in Ezekiel (chap. 4:5, 6). From these things it is evident that everything recorded concerning the Lord's passion was representative of the state of the church with the Jewish nation at that time.
[12] Thus much concerning the punishment of suspension upon wood, or crucifixion. It does not belong to this place to confirm from the Word that the other punishment of death, which was stoning, signified condemnation and a curse on account of the destruction of the truth of the church, still it is evident from the passages in the Word where stoning is mentioned, as in Exodus 21:28-33; Leviticus 24:10-17, 23; Numbers 15:32-37; Deuteronomy 13:10; 17:5-7; 22:20, 21, 24; Ezekiel 16:39-41; 23:45-47; Matthew 23:37; Luke 13:34; 20:6; John 8:7; 10:31, 32; and elsewhere.
Genesis第27章
1
It happened, that when Isaac was old, and his eyes were dim, so that he could not see, he called Esau his elder son, and said to him, "My son?" He said to him, "Here I am."
2
He said, "See now, I am old. I don't know the day of my death.
3
Now therefore, please take your weapons, your quiver and your bow, and go out to the field, and take me venison.
4
Make me savory food, such as I love, and bring it to me, that I may eat, and that my soul may bless you before I die."
5
Rebekah heard when Isaac spoke to Esau his son. Esau went to the field to hunt for venison, and to bring it.
6
Rebekah spoke to Jacob her son, saying, "Behold, I heard your father speak to Esau your brother, saying,
7
'Bring me venison, and make me savory food, that I may eat, and bless you before Yahweh before my death.'
8
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice according to that which I command you.
9
Go now to the flock, and get me from there two good young goats. I will make them savory food for your father, such as he loves.
10
You shall bring it to your father, that he may eat, so that he may bless you before his death."
11
Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, "Behold, Esau my brother is a hairy man, and I am a smooth man.
12
What if my father touches me? I will seem to him as a deceiver, and I would bring a curse on myself, and not a blessing."
13
His mother said to him, "Let your curse be on me, my son. Only obey my voice, and go get them for me."
14
He went, and got them, and brought them to his mother. His mother made savory food, such as his father loved.
15
Rebekah took the good clothes of Esau, her elder son, which were with her in the house, and put them on Jacob, her younger son.
16
She put the skins of the young goats on his hands, and on the smooth of his neck.
17
She gave the savory food and the bread, which she had prepared, into the hand of her son Jacob.
18
He came to his father, and said, "My father?" He said, "Here I am. Who are you, my son?"
19
Jacob said to his father, "I am Esau your firstborn. I have done what you asked me to do. Please arise, sit and eat of my venison, that your soul may bless me."
20
Isaac said to his son, "How is it that you have found it so quickly, my son?" He said, "Because Yahweh your God gave me success."
21
Isaac said to Jacob, "Please come near, that I may feel you, my son, whether you are really my son Esau or not."
22
Jacob went near to Isaac his father. He felt him, and said, "The voice is Jacob's voice, but the hands are the hands of Esau."
23
He didn't recognize him, because his hands were hairy, like his brother, Esau's hands. So he blessed him.
24
He said, "Are you really my son Esau?" He said, "I am."
25
He said, "Bring it near to me, and I will eat of my son's venison, that my soul may bless you." He brought it near to him, and he ate. He brought him wine, and he drank.
26
His father Isaac said to him, "Come near now, and kiss me, my son."
27
He came near, and kissed him. He smelled the smell of his clothing, and blessed him, and said, "Behold, the smell of my son is as the smell of a field which Yahweh has blessed.
28
God give you of the dew of the sky, of the fatness of the earth, and plenty of grain and new wine.
29
Let peoples serve you, and nations bow down to you. Be lord over your brothers. Let your mother's sons bow down to you. Cursed be everyone who curses you. Blessed be everyone who blesses you."
30
It happened, as soon as Isaac had made an end of blessing Jacob, and Jacob had just gone out from the presence of Isaac his father, that Esau his brother came in from his hunting.
31
He also made savory food, and brought it to his father. He said to his father, "Let my father arise, and eat of his son's venison, that your soul may bless me."
32
Isaac his father said to him, "Who are you?" He said, "I am your son, your firstborn, Esau."
33
Isaac trembled violently, and said, "Who, then, is he who has taken venison, and brought it me, and I have eaten of all before you came, and have blessed him? Yes, he will be blessed."
34
When Esau heard the words of his father, he cried with an exceeding great and bitter cry, and said to his father, "Bless me, even me also, my father."
35
He said, "Your brother came with deceit, and has taken away your blessing."
36
He said, "Isn't he rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times. He took away my birthright. See, now he has taken away my blessing." He said, "Haven't you reserved a blessing for me?"
37
Isaac answered Esau, "Behold, I have made him your lord, and all his brothers have I given to him for servants. With grain and new wine have I sustained him. What then will I do for you, my son?"
38
Esau said to his father, "Have you but one blessing, my father? Bless me, even me also, my father." Esau lifted up his voice, and wept.
39
Isaac his father answered him, "Behold, of the fatness of the earth will be your dwelling, and of the dew of the sky from above.
40
By your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother. It will happen, when you will break loose, that you shall shake his yoke from off your neck."
41
Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him. Esau said in his heart, "The days of mourning for my father are at hand. Then I will kill my brother Jacob."
42
The words of Esau, her elder son, were told to Rebekah. She sent and called Jacob, her younger son, and said to him, "Behold, your brother Esau comforts himself about you by planning to kill you.
43
Now therefore, my son, obey my voice. Arise, flee to Laban, my brother, in Haran.
44
Stay with him a few days, until your brother's fury turns away;
45
until your brother's anger turn away from you, and he forgets what you have done to him. Then I will send, and get you from there. Why should I be bereaved of you both in one day?"
46
Rebekah said to Isaac, "I am weary of my life because of the daughters of Heth. If Jacob takes a wife of the daughters of Heth, such as these, of the daughters of the land, what good will my life do me?"
