746. For the accuser of our brethren is cast down, signifies when those have been separated from heaven and condemned to hell who have assaulted the life of faith, which is charity. This is evident from the signification of "cast down," as being, in reference to the dragon, that those who are meant by "the dragon" have been separated from heaven and condemned to hell (of which above, n. 739, 742); also from the signification of "the accuser of our brethren," as being those who have assaulted the life of faith, which is charity, for an "accuser" signifies one who attacks, denounces, and reproaches, for he that accuses also attacks, denounces, and reproaches. Moreover, the same term in the original tongue means an adversary and one who reproaches; and what is wonderful, those who are "dragons," although they make no account of the life, yet in the spiritual world they accuse the faithful if they observe any evil of ignorance, for they inquire into their life for the purpose of arraigning and condemning, and thence they are called accusers.

[2] But "the brethren" whom they accuse mean all who are in the heavens as well as all on the earth who are in the good of charity; such are called "brethren" because they all have one Father, namely, the Lord, and those who are in the good of love to the Lord and in the good of charity towards the neighbor are His sons, and are called "sons of God," "sons of the kingdom," and "heirs." It follows, therefore, that as they are the sons of one Father they are brethren. Moreover, it is the primary commandment of the Lord, the Father, that they should mutually love one another, consequently it is love from which they are brethren; and love also is spiritual conjunction. From this it came that with the ancient people in the churches in which charity was the essential, all were called brethren, so likewise in our Christian Church at its beginning. This is why "brother" in the spiritual sense signifies charity. That formerly all who were of one church called themselves brethren and that the Lord calls those brethren who are in love to Him and in charity towards the neighbor, can be seen from many passages in the Word. But in order that what is signified by "brother" may be distinctly perceived it shall be illustrated from the Word.

[3] 1. That all who were of the Israelitish Church called themselves "brethren" can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

Then shall they bring all your brethren out of all nations an offering unto Jehovah (Isaiah 66:20).

In Jeremiah:

No one shall cause a Jew to serve his brother (Jeremiah 34:9).

In Ezekiel:

Son of man, thy brethren, thy brethren, the sons ¹ of thy kindred, and the whole house of Israel (Ezekiel 11:15).

In Micah:

Until the remnant of his brethren return unto the sons of Israel (Micah 5:3).

In Moses:

Moses went out unto his brethren that he might see their burdens (Exodus 2:11).

Moses said unto Jethro his father-in-law, Let me return to my brethren that are in Egypt (Exodus 4:18).

When thy brother shall be waxen poor (Leviticus 25:25, 35, 47).

But in reference to your brethren, the sons of Israel, a man shall not rule over his brother with rigor (Leviticus 25:46).

Would that we had died when our brethren died before Jehovah (Numbers 20:3).

Behold a man of the sons of Israel came and brought unto his brethren a Midianitish woman (Numbers 25:6).

Thou shalt open thine hand to thy brother; when thy brother, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, shall be sold to thee he shall serve thee six years (Deuteronomy 15:11, 12).

If anyone shall steal a soul of his brethren, and he shall make gain of him (Deuteronomy 24:7).

Forty times thou shalt strike ² him, and he shall not add, lest thy brother be accounted vile in thine eyes (Deuteronomy 25:3; and elsewhere).

From this it can be seen that all the sons of Israel were called brethren among themselves; the primary reason of their being so called was that they were all descendants of Jacob, who was their common father; but the remote reason was that "brother" signifies the good of charity, and as this good is the essential of the church, all are also spiritually conjoined by it. Another reason is that "Israel" in the highest sense signifies the Lord, and thence "the sons of Israel" signify the church.

[4] 2. They also called themselves "man and brother," likewise "companion and brother," as in the following passages. In Isaiah:

The land has been darkened, and the people have become as food of the fire; they shall not spare a man his brother; they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm, Manasseh Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh (Isaiah 9:19-21).

"Man and brother" signify truth and good, and in the contrary sense falsity and evil, therefore it is said "Manasseh shall eat Ephraim, and Ephraim Manasseh," for "Manasseh" signifies voluntary good, and "Ephraim" intellectual truth, both of the external church, and in the contrary sense evil and falsity. (But this may be seen explained above, n. 386, 440, 600, 617.)

[5] In the same:

I will commingle Egypt with Egypt, that they may fight a man against his brother and a man against his companion, city against city, and kingdom against kingdom (Isaiah 19:2).

"Egypt" here signifies the natural man separated from the spiritual; and because this is in no light of truth it is continually contending about good and evil and truth and falsity, and this contention is signified by "I will commingle Egypt with Egypt, that they may fight a man against his brother and a man against his companion," "brother and companion" signifying good from which is truth and truth from good, and in the contrary sense evil from which is falsity and falsity from evil; therefore it is added, "city against city, and kingdom against kingdom;" "city" signifying doctrine, and "kingdom" the church from doctrine, which will contend in like manner.

[6] In the same:

They help a man his companion, and he saith to his brother, Be strong (Isaiah 41:6).

"Companion and brother" have here a similar signification as above. In Jeremiah:

Take ye heed a man of his companion, and trust ye not in any brother; for every brother supplanteth, and every companion doth slander (Jeremiah 9:4).

In the same:

I will scatter them, a man with his brother (Jeremiah 13:14).

In the same:

Thus shall ye say a man to his companion and a man to his brother, What hath Jehovah answered? (Jeremiah 23:35)

In the same:

Ye have not hearkened unto Me, to proclaim liberty a man to his brother and a man to his companion (Jeremiah 34:9, 17).

In Ezekiel:

A man's sword shall be against his brother (Ezekiel 38:21).

In Joel:

They shall not thrust forward a man his brother (Joel 2:8).

In Micah:

They all lie in wait for bloods, they hunt a man his brother with a net (Mic. Micah 7:2).

In Zechariah:

Do mercy and compassion a man with his brother (Zechariah 7:9).

In Malachi:

Wherefore do we deal treacherously a man against his brother? (Malachi 2:10)

In Moses:

There was thick darkness of darkness over all the land of Egypt; a man saw ³ not his brother (Exodus 10:22, 23).

In the same:

At the end of seven years every creditor shall remit his hand when he hath loaned anything to his companion, and he shall not exact from his companion or his brother (Deuteronomy 15:1, 2);

and elsewhere. In the nearest sense a "man" means everyone, and "brother" one of the same tribe because in blood-relationship, "and companion" one of another tribe because allied only by affinity; but in the spiritual sense "man" signifies anyone who is in truths, then also anyone who is in falsities; "brother" signifies anyone who is in the good of charity, and in an abstract sense that good itself, and "companion" anyone who is in truth from that good, and in an abstract sense that truth itself; and in the contrary sense these signify the evil opposite to the good of charity and the falsity opposite to the truth from that good. Both terms, "brother" and "companion," are used because ⁴ there are two things, namely, charity and faith, that constitute the church, as there are two things that make up the life of man, will and understanding; so there are two parts that act as one, as the two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, two hands, two feet, two lobes of the lungs, two chambers of the heart, two hemispheres of the brain, and so on, of which the one has reference to good from which is truth, and the other to truth from good. This is why it is said "brother and companion," and why "brother" signifies good, and "companion" its truth.

[7] 3. The Lord calls those of His church "brethren" who are in the good of charity, as can be seen from the following passages. In the Gospels:

Jesus stretching out His hand over His disciples said, Behold My mother and My brethren; whosoever shall do the will of My Father, he is My brother and sister and mother (Matthew 12:49, 50; Mark 3:33-35).

The "disciples" over whom the Lord stretched out his hand signify all who are of His church; "His brethren" signify those who are in the good of charity from Him, "sisters" those who are in truths from that good, and "mother" the church constituted of these.

[8] In Matthew:

Jesus said to Mary Magdalene and to the other Mary, Fear not; go tell My brethren to go into Galilee, and there shall they see Me (Matthew 28:10).

Here, too, "brethren" mean the disciples by whom are signified all those of the church who are in the good of charity. In John:

Jesus said to Mary, Go to My brethren, and say unto them, I ascend unto My Father (John 20:17).

The disciples are here again called "brethren" because "disciples," the same as "brethren," signify all those of His church who are in the good of charity.

[9] In Matthew:

The King answering said unto them, I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these My brethren ye did it unto Me (Matthew 25:40).

It is evident from what there precedes that those whom the Lord here calls "brethren" are such as have done the good works of charity; but let it be known that although the Lord is their Father He still calls them "brethren;" He is their Father from the Divine love, but brother from the Divine that proceeds from Him. This is because all in the heavens are recipients of the Divine that proceeds from Him; and the Divine that proceeds from the Lord, of which they are recipients, is the Lord in heaven and also in the church; and this is not of angel or man, but is of the Lord with them; consequently the good of charity itself with them, which is the Lord's, He calls brother, in like manner also angels and men, because they are the recipient subjects of that good. In a word, the Divine proceeding, which is the Divine of the Lord in the heavens, is the Divine born of the Lord in heaven; from that Divine, therefore, angels who are recipients of it are called "sons of God," and as these are brethren because of that Divine received in themselves, it is the Lord in them who says "brother," for when angels speak from the good of charity they speak not from themselves but from the Lord. This, then, is why the Lord says, "Inasmuch as ye did it unto one of the least of these My brethren ye did it unto Me." So in the spiritual sense the brethren of the Lord are the goods of charity that are enumerated in the verses preceding, and these are called by the Lord "brethren" for the reason just given. Moreover, "the King," who so calls them, signifies the Divine proceeding, which in one word is called Divine truth or the Divine spiritual, which in its essence is the good of charity.

[10] It is therefore to be kept in mind that the Lord did not call them "brethren" because He was a man like them, according to an opinion that is received in the Christian world; and for this reason it is not allowable for any man to call the Lord "brother," for He is God even in respect to the Human, and God is not a brother, but the Father. In the churches on the earth the Lord is called brother, because the idea of His Human which they have formed is the same as their idea of any other man's human, when yet the Lord's Human is Divine.

[11] As "kings" formerly represented the Lord in relation to Divine truth, and as Divine truth received by angels in the Lord's spiritual kingdom is the same as Divine spiritual good, and as spiritual good is the good of charity, therefore the kings appointed over the sons of Israel called their subjects "brethren," although on the other hand the subjects were not permitted to call their king "brother," still less should the Lord be so called, who is the King of kings and Lord of lords. So in David:

I will declare Thy name to my brethren; in the midst of the congregation will I praise Thee (Psalms 22:22).

In the same:

I am become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien to my mother's sons (Psalms 69:8).

In the same:

For the sake of my brethren and companions I will speak, Peace be in thee (Psalms 122:8).

This was said by David as if respecting himself, and yet in the representative spiritual sense David here means the Lord. In Moses:

Out of the midst of thy brethren shalt thou set a king over them; ⁵ thou mayest not put a man that is an alien over them, who is not thy brother; but let him not exalt his heart above his brethren (Deuteronomy 17:15, 20).

The "brethren" from whom a king might be set over them signify all who are of the church, for it is said, "Thou mayest not put over them a man that is an alien;" "a man that is an alien" and a "stranger" signifying one who is not of the church.

[12] In the same:

Jehovah thy God will raise up unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren like unto me; unto him shall ye hearken (Deuteronomy 18:15, 18).

This is a prophecy respecting the Lord, who is meant by "the prophet" that Jehovah God will raise up of the brethren. They are called "thy brethren," that is, of Moses, because "Moses" means in a representative sense the Lord in relation to the Word, and a "prophet" means one who teaches the Word; thus also the Word and doctrine from the Word are meant, and this is why it is said, "like unto me." (That "Moses" represented the Lord in relation to the law, thus in relation to the Word, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 4859 at the end, 5922, 6723, 6752, 6771, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 9372, 10234.)

[13] 4. That all those are called "brethren" by the Lord who acknowledge Him and are in the good of charity from Him, follows from this, that the Lord is the Father of all and the Teacher of all, and from Him as Father is every good of charity, and from Him as Teacher is every truth of that good. Therefore the Lord says in Matthew:

Be ye not called teacher, for one is your Teacher, Christ; but all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon earth, for one is your Father who is in the heavens (Matthew 23:8, 9).

From this it is clearly evident that the words of the Lord must be understood spiritually; for who that is a teacher may not be called teacher? Or who that is a father may not be called father? But as "father" signifies good, and "the Father in the heavens" Divine good, and as "teacher" or "rabbi" signifies truth, and "the Teacher, Christ," Divine truth, so on account of the spiritual sense in all things of the Word it is said, "Call no man your father upon earth, nor anyone teacher," that is, in the spiritual sense, not in the natural sense. In the natural sense men may be called teachers and fathers, but representatively; that is to say, teachers in the world teach truths indeed, but from the Lord, not from themselves, and fathers in the world are good, and lead their children to good, but from the Lord, not from themselves. From this it follows that although they are called teachers and fathers still they are not teachers and fathers, but the Lord alone is Teacher and Father. "To call" and "to call by a name" signifies in the Word to recognize the quality of anyone. Because all in heaven and in the church are disciples and sons of the Lord, who is their Teacher and their Father, the Lord says, "all ye are brethren;" for the Lord calls all in heaven and in the church "sons and heirs" from their consociation by love from Him, and thus by mutual love, which is charity; therefore it is from the Lord that they are brethren. In this way the common saying that all are brethren in the Lord is to be understood.

[14] From this also it is clear whom the Lord means by "brethren," namely, all who acknowledge Him and are in the good of charity from Him, consequently who are of His church. Such are meant by the Lord by "brethren" in the following passages. In Luke:

Jesus said to Peter, When thou shalt be converted strengthen thy brethren (Luke 22:32).

The term "brethren" here does not mean the Jews, but it means all who acknowledge the Lord and are in good from charity and faith, thus all who were to receive the gospel through Peter, both Jews and Gentiles, for "Peter" in the Word of the Gospels means truth from good, thus also faith from charity; but here "Peter" means faith separated from charity, for just before it is said of him:

Simon, behold Satan demanded you that he might sift you as wheat. But I prayed for you that your faith fail not (Luke 22:31-32);

and afterwards it is said to him:

I tell thee, Peter, the cock shall not crow this day until thou hast thrice denied that thou knowest Me (Luke 22:34).

Such is faith without charity. But "Peter converted" signifies truth from good, which is from the Lord, or faith from charity, which is from the Lord; therefore it is said, "When thou shalt have been converted strengthen thy brethren. "

[15] In Matthew:

Peter said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me and I should forgive him? (Matthew 18:21)

In the same:

So also shall My heavenly Father do to you if ye from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses (Matthew 18:35).

In the same:

If thy brother hath sinned against thee go and reprove him between thee and him alone; if he hear thee thou hast gained thy brother (Matthew 18:15).

Here "brother" means the neighbor in general, thus every man; but in particular it means one who is in the good of charity and thence in faith from the Lord, whoever he may be; for these passages treat of the good of charity, since to forgive one who sins against you is of charity; also it is said, "if he hear, thou hast gained thy brother," which signifies, if he acknowledges his trespasses and is converted.

[16] In the same:

Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye? Or how wilt thou say unto thy brother, Let me cast out the mote out of thine eye, when yet there is a beam in thine own eye? Thou hypocrite, cast out first the beam out of thine own eye, and then thou shalt see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's eye (Matthew 7:3-5).

Here too, because this treats of charity the term "brother" is used, for "to cast out the mote out of a brother's eye" signifies to instruct respecting falsity and evil, and to reform. It is said by the Lord, "a mote out of the brother's eye," and "a beam out of one's own eye," because of the spiritual sense in every particular of what the Lord said; for without that sense, of what consequence would it be to see a mote in the eye of another and not consider a beam in one's own eye, or to cast a beam out of one's own eye before he casts a mote out of another's eye? A "mote" signifies a slight falsity of evil, and a "beam" a great falsity of evil, and the "eye" signifies the understanding and also faith. "Mote" and "beam" signify the falsity of evil, because "wood" signifies good; and thus a "beam" signifies the truth of good, and in the contrary sense the falsity of evil, and the "eye" signifies the understanding and faith. This shows what is signified by "seeing the mote and the beam," and by "casting them out of the eye." (That "wood" signifies good, and in the contrary sense evil, may be seen in (Arcana Coelestia 643[1-4] Arcana Coelestia 643[1-4], 3720, 4943, 8354, 8740; and that the "eye" signifies the understanding, and also faith, n. 2701, 4403-4421, 4523-4534, 9051, 10569; also above, n. 37, 152) Moreover, in some passages "beam" is mentioned, and it signifies the falsity of evil (as in Genesis 19:8; 2 Kings 6:2, 5, 6; Habakkuk 2:11; Song of Solomon 1:17).

[17] In the same:

Whosoever doeth and teacheth, he shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens. I say unto you, Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees ye shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens. Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill, but whosoever shall kill shall be liable to the judgment. But I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be liable to the judgment; but whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be liable to the council; but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be liable to the hell of fire. If thou offer thy gift upon the altar, and shalt there remember that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there ⁶ the gift before the altar, and go, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming offer thy gift (Matthew 5:19-24).

This whole chapter treats of the interior life of man, which is the life of his soul, consequently of his will and thought therefrom; thus it treats of the life of charity, which is the spiritual moral life. This life the sons of Jacob knew nothing about before, because from their fathers down they were external men. For this reason also they were kept in the observance of external worship, according to statutes that were external, representing the internal things of worship and of the church. But in this chapter the Lord teaches that the interior things of the church must not only be represented by external acts, but must also be loved and done from the soul and heart; therefore "whosoever doeth and teacheth, he shall be called great in the kingdom of the heavens," signifies that he will be saved who from interior life does and teaches the external things of the church. "Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees ye shall not enter into the kingdom of the heavens," signifies that unless the life is internal, and from that is external, heaven is not in man and man is not received into heaven; "righteousness" signifies the good of life from the good of charity, and "to exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees" signifies that the life must be internal, and not external without internal. The scribes and Pharisees were only in representative externals, and not in internals. External life from the internal is taught in the commandment of the Decalogue, "Thou shalt not kill;" but they did not know that wishing to kill a man is killing him; therefore it is first said, "Ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, Thou shalt not kill, and whosoever shall kill shall be liable to the judgment;" for the doctrine had prevailed with the Jews from ancient time, that it was admissible to kill those who injured them, especially the Gentiles, and that they were to be punished for this lightly or grievously according to the circumstances of the hostility, consequently in reference to the body only and not as to the soul; this is meant by "he shall be liable to the judgment."

[18] That one who thinks ill of his neighbor without adequate cause, and turns himself away from the good of charity, will be punished lightly as to his soul, is signified by "Whosoever is angry with his brother without cause shall be liable to the judgment;" "to be angry," signifies to think ill, for it is distinguished from "saying Raca," and "saying, Thou fool." "Brother" means the neighbor, and also the good of charity, and "to be liable to the judgment" means to be examined and to be punished according to circumstances. That one who from wrong thought slanders the neighbor, and thus despises the good of charity as of little value, will be punished grievously, is signified by "whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be liable to the council," for "to say Raca" signifies to slander the neighbor from evil thought, thus to hold the good of charity to be of little value, for "to say Raca" means to hold as useless and as of little value, and "brother" means the good of charity. That one who hates the neighbor, that is, one who is altogether averse to the good of charity, is condemned to hell, is signified by "whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be liable to the hell of fire," to say "Thou fool" meaning to be altogether averse to, "brother" meaning the good of charity, and "the hell of fire" the hell where those are who hate that good and thence the neighbor. These three describe three degrees of hatred: the first is from evil thought, which is "to be angry," the second is from consequent evil intention, which is "to say Raca," and the third is from an evil will, which is "to say Thou fool." All these are degrees of hatred against the good of charity, for hatred is the opposite of the good of charity. The three degrees of punishment are signified by "the judgment," "the council," and "the hell of fire;" the punishments for lighter evils are signified by "the judgment," the punishments for the more grievous evils, by "the council," and the punishments for the most grievous evils, by "the hell of fire."

[19] As the universal heaven is in the good of charity towards the neighbor, and the universal hell is in anger, enmity, and hatred against the neighbor, and hence these are the opposites of that good; and as worship of the Lord because it is internal is worship from heaven, but it is no worship if anything of it is from hell, and yet external worship without internal is from hell, therefore it is said, "If thou offer thy gift upon the altar, and shalt there remember that thy brother hath aught against thee, go, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming offer thy gift upon the altar;" "the gift upon the altar" signifying the worship of the Lord from love and charity, "brother" meaning the neighbor, and in an abstract sense the good of charity; "having aught against thee" signifying anger, enmity, or hatred, and "to be reconciled" the dispersion of these and the consequent conjunction by love.

[20] From this it can be seen that the Lord means by "brother" the like as by "neighbor," and "neighbor" signifies in the spiritual sense good in the whole complex, and good in the whole complex is the good of charity. "Brother" has a similar meaning in the spiritual sense in many passages in the Old Testament. As in Moses:

Thou shalt not hate thy brother in thy heart (Leviticus 19:17).

In David:

Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity (Psalms 133:1).

In this sense, also:

Lot called the inhabitants of Sodom brethren (Genesis 19:7).

And this is meant by:

The covenant of brethren between the sons of Israel and Edom (Amos 1:9).

And by the brotherhood between Judah and Israel (Zechariah 11:14).

For by "the sons of Israel and Edom," as also by "Judah and Israel," these are not meant in the spiritual sense, but the goods and truths of heaven and the church, all of which are conjoined with each other.

脚注:

275. Verse 6. And in sight of the throne a glassy sea like crystal, signifies the appearance of [Divine] truth in ultimates where its generals are, and its pellucidity by virtue of the influx of Divine truth united to Divine good in firsts. This is evident from the signification of "in sight of the throne," as being appearance; also from the signification of "glassy," as being pellucid. It is also said "like crystal," that pellucidity from the influx of Divine truth united to Divine good in firsts may be described; this is signified by "the seven lamps of fire burning before the throne" (as shown just above, n. 274. In this and what precedes, the state of the whole heaven arranged in order for judgment is described, and its ultimate is meant by "the glassy sea like crystal." The truth of the ultimate heaven is signified by "a glassy sea" because "sea" signifies the generals of truth, such truth as exists in the ultimates of heaven, and with man in the natural man, which truth is called knowledge [scientificum]. The "sea" signifies such truths because in the sea is the gathering together of waters, and "waters" signify truths (See above, n. 71).

[2] That this is the signification of "sea" is evident from many passages in the Word, a number of which I will cite here. In Isaiah:

I will shut up the Egyptians into the land of a hard lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them. Then the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall dry up and become dry (Isaiah 19:4, 6).

By "the Egyptians" knowledges [scientiae] that are of the natural man are meant; "the hard lord into whose hands they should be shut up" signifies the evil of self-love; "a fierce king" signifies falsity therefrom; "the waters shall fail from the sea" signifies that with all the abundance of knowledges [scientiarum] there still are no truths; and "the river shall dry up and become dry" signifies that there is no doctrine of truth and no intelligence therefrom.

[3] In the same:

Jehovah will visit with His sword, hard, great, and strong, upon leviathan the stretched out serpent, and leviathan the crooked serpent, and will slay the whales that are in the sea (Isaiah 27:1).

This is also said of "Egypt," by which knowledges [scientiae] that are of the natural man are signified; "leviathan the stretched out serpent" signifies those who reject all things which they do not see with the eyes, thus the merely sensual, who are without faith, because they do not comprehend. "Leviathan the crooked serpent" signifies those who, for the same reason, do not believe, and yet say that they believe. "The sword, hard, and great, and strong, with which they shall be visited," signifies the extinction of all truth, for "sword" signifies falsity destroying truth. "The whales in the sea," that shall be slain, signify knowledges [scientifica] in general. (That these are signified by "whales," see Arcana Coelestia 7293.)

[4] In the same:

Let the inhabitants of the isle be still; thou merchant of Zidon passing over the sea, they have filled thee. Blush, O Zidon, for the sea hath said, the stronghold of the sea, saying, I have not travailed, and I have not brought forth, and I have not brought up young men, and have not raised up virgins; when the report comes to Egypt they shall be seized with grief, as by the report respecting Tyre (Isaiah 23:2-5).

"Zidon" and "Tyre" signify the knowledges of good and truth; therefore it is said "the merchant of Zidon passing over the sea," "merchant" meaning one who acquires these knowledges for himself and communicates them. That they acquired for themselves thereby nothing of good and truth is signified by "the sea said, I have not travailed and I have not brought forth, I have not brought up young men, and have not raised up virgins;" "to travail and bring forth" is to produce something from knowledges; "young men" mean truths, and "virgins" goods. That the use of cognitions and knowledges (cognitionum et scientiarum) would therefore perish, is signified by "when the report comes to Egypt they shall be seized with grief, as by the report respecting Tyre."

[5] In Ezekiel:

All the princes of the sea shall come down from their thrones, and cast away their robes, and strip off their broidered garments, they shall be clothed with terrors. They shall take up a lamentation over thee, and shall say, How hast thou perished, thou that dwelt by the seas, the renowned city which was strong in the sea; therefore the islands in the sea shall be dismayed at thy outcome (Ezekiel 26:15-18).

These things are said of "Tyre," which signifies the cognitions of truth, the neglect and loss of which are thus described; the "princes of the sea that shall come down from their thrones" signify primary cognitions; that these together with knowledges [scientificis] shall be abandoned is signified by "they shall cast away their robes, and strip off their broidered garments;" "broidered work," is knowledges [scientificum]; "the city that dwelt by the seas and was strong in the sea" signifies the power of knowing in all abundance ("seas" signify collections); "the islands in the sea" signify nations more remote from truths that long for cognitions, of which it is said "therefore the islands in the sea shall be dismayed at thy outcome."

[6] In Isaiah:

They shall not do evil nor corrupt themselves in all the mountain of My holiness; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge [scientifia] of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9).

This treats of a new heaven and a new church, which are meant by "mountain of holiness," in which "they shall not do evil nor corrupt themselves;" their understanding of truth from the Lord is described by "the earth shall be full of the knowledge [scientia] of Jehovah; "and as waters" signify truths, and the "sea" the fullness of them, it is said, "as the waters cover the sea."

[7] In the same:

By My rebuke I dry up the sea, I make the rivers a wilderness; their fish shall become putrid because there is no water, and shall die of thirst (Isaiah 50:2).

"To dry up the sea" signifies an entire lack of the general knowledges of truth; "to make the rivers a wilderness" signifies the deprivation of all truth and of intelligence therefrom; "the fish shall become putrid" signifies that the knowledges [scientifica] pertaining to the natural man shall be without any spiritual life; this takes place when they are applied to confirm falsities in opposition to the truths of the church; "by cause there is no water" signifies because there is no truth; "to die of thirst" signifies the extinction of truth. (That "rivers" signify the things of intelligence, see Arcana Coelestia 108, 2702[1-17], Arcana Coelestia 2702[1-17], 3051; that "wilderness" signifies where there is no good because there is no truth, n. 2708, 4736, 7055; that "fish" signifies the knowledge [scientificum] pertaining to the natural man, n. 40, 991; that "water" signifies truth, n. 2702, 3058, 3424, 5668, 8568; and that "to die of thirst" signifies the absence of spiritual life from lack of truth, n. Arcana Coelestia 8568[1-10].

[8] In David:

O Jehovah, Thou rulest in the uprising of the sea; when it raiseth up its waves (Psalms 89:9).

The "sea" here signifies the natural man, because in the natural man are the generals of truth; "the uprising of the sea" signifies its exalting itself against the Divine, denying the things that are of the church; the "waves" which it raiseth up signify falsities.

[9] In the same:

Jehovah hath founded the world upon the seas, and established it upon the rivers (Psalms 24:2).

The "world" signifies the church; the "seas" knowledges in general which are in the natural man; and "rivers" the truths of faith; upon these two the church has its foundation.

[10] In Amos:

Jehovah, who buildeth His steps in the heavens, and calleth the waters of the sea, and poureth them out upon the faces of the earth (Amos 9:6).

"The steps that Jehovah buildeth in the heavens" signify interior truths which are called spiritual; "the waters of the sea" signify exterior truths, which are natural because they are in the natural man; "to pour them out upon the faces of the earth" signifies upon the men of the church, for the "earth" is the church.

[11] In David:

By the word of Jehovah were the heavens made; and all the hosts of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathereth the waters of the sea together as an heap; He giveth the deeps in treasuries (Psalms 33:6-7).

"The word of Jehovah by which the heavens were made," and "the breath of His mouth by which all the hosts of them were made," signify Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; "the hosts of the heavens" are all things of love and faith; "the waters of the sea that He gathereth together as an heap" signify the knowledges of truth, and truths in general, which are together in the natural man; "the deeps that He gives in treasuries" signify sensual knowledges [scientifica sensualia], which are the most general and ultimate things of the natural man, and in which at the same time are interior or higher truths, therefore they are called "treasures."

[12] In the same:

Jehovah hath founded the earth upon its bases, that it be not removed for ever and ever. Thou hast covered it with the deep as with a vesture (Psalms 104:5-6).

The "earth" signifies the church; "the bases on which Jehovah hath founded it for ever" are the knowledges of truth and good; "the deep with which He hath covered it as with a vesture" signifies sensual knowledge [scientificum sensuale], which is the ultimate of the natural man, and being the ultimate, it is said that "He covered it as with a vesture."

[13] In the same:

Jehovah, Thy way is in the sea, and Thy path in many waters, yet Thy footsteps have not been known (Psalms 77:19).

In Isaiah:

Thus saith Jehovah, I who have given a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters (Isaiah 43:16).

That "sea" here does not mean the sea, nor "waters" the waters, is clear, since it is said that therein "are the way and the path of Jehovah;" therefore by "sea" and by "waters" are meant such things as Jehovah or the Lord is in, which are the knowledges of truth in general from the Word, and the truths therein; "the sea" being such knowledges, and "waters" truths. Knowledges and truths differ in this, that knowledges are of the natural man, and truths of the spiritual man.

[14] In Jeremiah:

Behold, I will plead thy cause, and will revenge thy revenging; that I may dry up the sea of Babylon, and make dry her fountain. The sea shall come up upon Babylon, she shall be covered with the multitude of its waves (Jeremiah 51:36, 42).

By "Babylon" those who profane goods are meant; "the sea of Babylon" means their traditions, which are the adulterations of good from the Word; "the waves" are the falsities from these; their destruction at the Last Judgment is hereby described.

[15] In the same:

A people coming from the north, and a great nation and many kings shall be stirred up from the sides of the earth. Their voice maketh a tumult like the sea, and they ride upon horses (Jeremiah 50:41, 42).

"A people coming from the north" are those who are in falsities from evil; "the great nation" means evils; and "many kings" falsities; "the sides of the earth" are the things outside of the church, and those that are not of the church, for the "earth" means the church; "their voice maketh a tumult like the sea" means falsity from the natural man exalting itself against the truth of the church; "the horses upon which they ride" are reasonings from the fallacies of the senses.

[16] In the same:

Jehovah giveth the sun for light by day, the statutes of the moon and stars for light by night, stirring up the sea so that the waves thereof roar (Jeremiah 31:35).

"The sun from which is the light of day" signifies the good of celestial love, from which is the perception of truth; "the statutes of the moon and stars, from which is the light of night," signify truths from spiritual good and from knowledges, by which there is intelligence; "the sea that is stirred up, and the waves that roar," signify the generals of truth in the natural man, and knowledges [scientifica].

[17] In Isaiah:

The wicked are like the troubled sea when it cannot be quiet, but its waters cast up filth and mire (Isaiah 57:20).

"The troubled sea which is like the wicked," signifies reasonings from falsities; "the waters that cast up filth and mire," signify the falsities themselves, from which come evils of life and falsities of doctrine.

[18] In Ezekiel:

I will stretch out Mine hand upon the Philistines, and I will cut off the Cherethites, and destroy the remnant of the sea coast (Ezekiel 25:16).

"The Philistines" signify those who are in the doctrine of faith alone, and "the remnant of the sea coast that shall be destroyed," signifies all things of truth.

[19] In Hosea:

I will not return to destroy Ephraim. They shall go after Jehovah; and the sons from the sea shall draw near with honor, with honor shall they come as a bird out of Egypt, and as a dove out of the land of Assyria (Hosea 11:9-11).

"Ephraim" signifies the church in respect to the understanding of truth; "the sons from the sea, who shall draw near," signify truths from a common fountain, which is the Word; "a bird out of Egypt" signifies knowledge [scientificum] agreeing; and "a dove out of the land of Assyria" signifies the rational.

[20] In Zechariah:

In that day living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; part of them to the eastern sea, and part of them to the hinder sea (Zechariah 14:8).

"Living waters from Jerusalem" signify truths from a spiritual origin in the church, which are the truths that are received by man when he is illustrated by the Lord while he is reading the Word. "Jerusalem" is the church in respect to doctrine, the "sea" signifies the natural man, into which those things that are in the spiritual man descend; the "eastern sea" signifies the natural man in respect to good; and the "hinder sea" the natural man in respect to truth; and as the natural man is in the generals of truth, "sea" also signifies the general of truth.

[21] He who knows nothing about the spiritual man, and the truths and goods that are therein, may suppose that the truths that are in the natural man, and are called cognitions and knowledges [scientifica] are not merely the generals of truth, but are all there is of truth with man. But let him know that the truths in the spiritual man, from which those are that are in the natural, are incomparably more numerous; but these truths in the spiritual man do not come to the perception of the natural man until he enters the spiritual world, which is after death; for then man puts off the natural and puts on the spiritual. That this is so can be seen from this fact alone, that angels are in intelligence and wisdom ineffable as compared with man, and yet they are from the human race. (That angels are from the human race, see in the small work onThe Last Judgment 14-22 and 23-27)

[22] As the "sea" signifies the generals of truth, therefore the great vessel, which was for general washing, was called "the brazen sea" (1 Kings 7:23-26); for the "washings" represented purifications from falsities and evils, and "waters" signify truths, by which purifications are effected; and as all truths are from good, the containing vessel was made of brass, and was therefore called "the barren sea," for brass signifies good. Spiritual purification, which is called purification from falsities and evils, is there fully described by the measurements of that vessel, and by the bases thereof, understood in a spiritual sense. From what has been brought forward it can be seen that "sea" signifies the generals of truth or the knowledges of truth together and collectively. But what further is signified by "sea" will be shown in the explanation of what follows, for "sea" is used in various senses (as in Revelation 5:13; 7:1-3; 8:8, 9; 10:2, 8; 12:12; 13:1; 14:7; 15:2; 16:3; 18:17, 19, 21; 20:13; 21:1).