Apocalypse Explained #1186
1186. And no craftsman of whatsoever craft shall be found in thee any more, signifies no more wisdom, intelligence, or knowledge. This is evident from the signification of "craftsman of whatsoever craft," as being everything belonging to the understanding, consequently wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge, for these belong to the understanding, the inmost of which is wisdom, the middle intelligence, and the lowest is knowledge. This is the signification of "craftsman of whatsoever craft," because these are endowments of the understanding, and its endowments are signified by "crafts." As these are signified by "crafts," so in the Word where the construction of the tabernacle is treated of, also the garments of Aaron, which were of gold, blue, purple, scarlet double-dyed, and fine twined linen, it is said that they were to be the work of the "craftsman," elsewhere "a work of a contriver" (Exodus 26:1, 31; 28:6; 39:8; and elsewhere). The things of which these were made, and which are here mentioned, signify things of wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge; therefore of Bezaleel and Oholiab, who were the craftsmen, and who made these things, it is said:
They were filled with wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge (Exodus 31:3; 36:1-2).
[2] That "craftsman" signifies intelligence from what is one's own [proprium] is evident in Hosea:
They make them a molten image of their silver, and idols in their intelligence, all of it the work of the craftsmen (Hosea 13:2).
"Molten image" and "idol" signify worship according to doctrine that is from self-intelligence; "silver" signifies the falsity from which such doctrine comes; therefore it is said "that in their intelligence they make them an idol, all of it the work of craftsmen." So in Isaiah:
The craftsman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth chains of silver; he seeketh a wise craftsman (Isaiah 40:19-20).
And in Jeremiah:
Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the founder, hyacinthine and garments, all of it the work of the wise (Jeremiah 10:3, 9).
Here and in many passages elsewhere self-intelligence is described by "idols," and "sculptured and molten images" (See n. 587, 827).
(Continuation)
[3] End, mediate causes, and effect, are called also the chief end, intermediate ends, and the final end. Intermediate and final ends are called ends, because the chief end produces them, is everything in them, is their esse and is their soul. The chief end is the will's love in man, the intermediate ends are subordinate loves, and the final end is the love of the will existing as it were in its effigy. As the chief end is the love of the will it follows that intermediate ends, being subordinate loves, are foreseen, provided, and produced through the understanding, and that the final end is the use foreseen, provided, and produced by the love of the will through the understanding, for everything that love produces is a use. This must be premised in order that what has just been said may be perceived, namely, that eminence and riches may be blessings or that they may be curses.
Isaiah 41
1
Keep silence before me, O islands; and let the people renew their strength: let them come near; then let them speak: let us come near together to judgment.
2
Who raised up the righteous man from the east, called him to his foot, gave the nations before him, and made him rule over kings? he gave them as the dust to his sword, and as driven stubble to his bow.
3
He pursued them, and passed safely; even by the way that he had not gone with his feet.
4
Who hath wrought and done it, calling the generations from the beginning? I the LORD, the first, and with the last; I am he.
5
The isles saw it, and feared; the ends of the earth were afraid, drew near, and came.
6
They helped every one his neighbour; and every one said to his brother, Be of good courage.
7
So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smootheth with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the sodering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
8
But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
9
Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away.
10
Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
11
Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish.
12
Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
13
For I the LORD thy God will hold thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I will help thee.
14
Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD, and thy redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.
15
Behold, I will make thee a new sharp threshing instrument having teeth: thou shalt thresh the mountains, and beat them small, and shalt make the hills as chaff.
16
Thou shalt fan them, and the wind shall carry them away, and the whirlwind shall scatter them: and thou shalt rejoice in the LORD, and shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel.
17
When the poor and needy seek water, and there is none, and their tongue faileth for thirst, I the LORD will hear them, I the God of Israel will not forsake them.
18
I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys: I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water.
19
I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the shittah tree, and the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the fir tree, and the pine, and the box tree together:
20
That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
21
Produce your cause, saith the LORD; bring forth your strong reasons, saith the King of Jacob.
22
Let them bring them forth, and shew us what shall happen: let them shew the former things, what they be, that we may consider them, and know the latter end of them; or declare us things for to come.
23
Shew the things that are to come hereafter, that we may know that ye are gods: yea, do good, or do evil, that we may be dismayed, and behold it together.
24
Behold, ye are of nothing, and your work of nought: an abomination is he that chooseth you.
25
I have raised up one from the north, and he shall come: from the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name: and he shall come upon princes as upon morter, and as the potter treadeth clay.
26
Who hath declared from the beginning, that we may know? and beforetime, that we may say, He is righteous? yea, there is none that sheweth, yea, there is none that declareth, yea, there is none that heareth your words.
27
The first shall say to Zion, Behold, behold them: and I will give to Jerusalem one that bringeth good tidings.
28
For I beheld, and there was no man; even among them, and there was no counseller, that, when I asked of them, could answer a word.
29
Behold, they are all vanity; their works are nothing: their molten images are wind and confusion.
