710# 启12:2.“她怀了孩子”表示从属天之爱的良善中新生的教义。这从“怀了孩子”的含义清楚可知，“怀了孩子”(或在子宫里怀上)当论及妇人所表示的教会时，是指从属天之爱的良善中新生的真理教义。因为“子宫”表示至内在的婚姻之爱，由此表示整体上或整个范围内的属天之爱；子宫里的胎儿表示来自属天之爱的良善的教义真理，因为它与妇人所生的“男孩子”具有相同的含义，启12:5描述了这个男孩子，它表示来自爱之良善的真理教义；但不同之处在于，胎儿还在子宫里，从纯真之良善中获得的比出生之后还多；因此，胎儿和男孩子两者都表示真理的教义，后者表示教义本身，而前者表示新生的教义。由此清楚可知，“怀了孩子”表示从属天之爱的良善中新生的真理教义。
“子宫”表示至内在的爱之良善，因为具有生殖功能的所有器官，无论男性的还是女性的，都表示婚姻之爱，“子宫”表示这爱的至内层，因为胎儿在那里被怀上并成长，直到出生；此外，它也是生殖器官的至内层，被称为“舐犊之爱”(storge，或亲情之爱)的母爱也源于它。由于正在重生的人也在被怀上，可以说被带到子宫里，并出生，还由于重生通过来自爱之良善的真理实现，所以“在子宫里怀上”在灵义上表示来自爱之良善的真理教义。子宫与至内在的爱之良善也有一种对应关系，因为整个天堂对应于人的一切事物(关于这种对应关系，可参看《天堂与地狱》，87–102节)；具有生殖功能的器官也是如此，这些器官对应于属天之爱。在怀孕期间，这爱的一切流注也从天堂出来进入母亲，还进入胎儿；婴儿与母亲的爱，以及婴儿身上的纯真就源于这种流注。这表明为何“子宫”表示至内在的爱之良善，“在子宫里怀上”表示从爱之良善新生的真理教义。
这就是“子宫”和“在子宫里怀上”的含义，这一点可从以下圣言中的经文清楚看出来。以赛亚书：
从子宫中被怀上，从母体中出生的雅各家、以色列家一切余剩的人哪，要听我；直到你们年老，我还是一样，直到你们发白，我仍怀上；我已制作，也必怀上，我必携带，也必搭救。(以赛亚书46:3, 4)
这些话论及主对教会的改革和对教会之人的重生。“雅各家”和“以色列家”表示教会，“雅各家”表示外在教会，“以色列家”表示内在教会。“从子宫中被怀上的”表示那些正在被主重生的人，“从母体中出生的”表示那些重生的人。由于正在重生的人首先被主怀上，接着出生，最后受教育并完善，还由于重生在这方面就像人的属世生产，所以“从子宫中被怀上”表示要重生的人从成孕到出生的状态；“从母体中出生；直到你们年老，我还是一样，直到你们发白，我仍怀上”表示出生本身，以及后来的教育和完善；“我已制作，也必怀上，我必携带，也必搭救”具有相同的含义；前者表示通过爱与仁之良善重生，后者表示通过来自这些良善的真理重生；“搭救”表示除去并移走来自地狱的邪恶和虚假。
何西阿书：
至于以法莲，他的荣耀必如鸟飞去，没有生产、肚子、成孕；纵然养大儿子，我却必使他们丧失人。耶和华啊，求你给他们坠胎的母体和干枯的乳房。以法莲被击打，他们的根枯干了，必不结果，即使他们生产，我必杀死他们的肚子所渴慕的。(何西阿书9:11, 12, 14, 16)
“以法莲”表示在对真理和良善的理解方面的教会；“至于以法莲，他的荣耀必如鸟飞去”表示教会将不再有对神性真理的任何理解，“荣耀”表示神性真理，“飞去”表示分散；经上用“飞去”这个词，是因为它论及鸟，经上提到鸟，是因为它表示诸如属于理解力和由此而来的思维的那类事物。“没有生产、肚子和成孕”表示驱散一切真理，从最后事物到最初事物，或说从其终端到初始，“生产”表示最后事物，或其终端，因为它表示已经出生的东西；“生产、肚子和成孕”表示出生之前的东西，因而表示从最后事物到最初事物，或从终端到初始的一切事物，因为当终端或最后事物灭亡时，在先的事物也相继脱落；“纵然养大儿子，我却必使他们丧失人”表示尽管他们已经为自己获得真理，但他们仍将没有聪明，“儿子”表示教会的真理，“人”表示聪明，因此“使他们丧失人”表示他们仍没有聪明。
“耶和华啊，求你给他们坠胎的母体和干枯的乳房”表示他们不再拥有来自任何良善的真理，只有来自邪恶的虚假；“坠胎的母体”表示来自邪恶的虚假取代了来自良善的真理，“干枯的乳房”具有同样的含义，但“母体”表示来自爱之良善的真理，“乳房”表示来自仁之良善的真理，在此则表示与这些真理相反的来自邪恶的虚假；“以法莲被击打，他们的根枯干了”表示甚至从最初事物或初始就不再有对真理的任何理解，“以法莲”在此和前面一样，表示对教会真理的理解，“根”表示它的最初或初始；“他们必不结果”表示没有良善，因为哪里没有真理，哪里就没有良善；“即使他们生产，我必杀死他们的肚子所渴慕的”表示尽管他们已经为自己获得真理，但他们仍将灭亡，“肚子所渴慕的”表示所获得的真理；经上说“肚子”，不说“子宫”，是因为怀孩子时，表面上看，肚子鼓了起来；然而，在论述真理的地方，经上就用“肚子或腹”这个词，在论述良善的地方，经上就用“子宫”。
诗篇：
因为你是叫我出子宫的，从我母亲的乳房里给我倚靠；我自出母腹就被交托于你，你就是我的神。(诗篇22:9, 10)
这段经文也通过诸如属于从母亲那里属世出生的那类事物描述了属灵人的重生；因此，“你是叫我出子宫的”表示被主重生，被作成教会之人；“你从我母亲的乳房里给我倚靠”表示后来被引导，并属灵地受教育，“母亲的乳房”表示在诸如属于教会的那类事物上的属灵滋养，“母亲”表示教会；“我自出子宫就被交托于你”表示主出于爱之良善做一切事，“我自出母腹，你就是我的神”表示祂通过真理做一切事，因为如前所述，在论述爱之良善的地方，经上就用“子宫”这个词，在论述来自这良善的真理的地方，经上就用“肚或腹”这个词；因此，经上说“你是我的神”，因为在论述爱之良善的地方，主被称为“耶和华”，在论述真理的地方，祂被称为“神”。
福音书：
在那些日子，怀孩子的和哺乳的有祸了。(马太福音24:19; 马可福音13:17; 路加福音21:23)
这些章节论述了时代的完结，时代的完结意味着当一次最后的审判发生时，教会的结束；因此，“在那些日子，怀孩子的和哺乳的” (因她们而有悲哀)表示那时，那些接受爱之良善和这良善的真理之人；“怀孩子的”表示那些接受爱之良善的人，“哺乳的”表示那些接受这良善的真理之人，因为所哺的“乳或奶”表示来自爱之良善的真理。经上说“她们有祸了”，是因为那些接受良善和真理的人不能持守它们；在这种状态下，地狱就会占上风，夺走良善和真理，亵渎由此产生。那时地狱占上风，是因为在教会结束时，邪恶之虚假掌权，并夺走良善之真理；事实上，人被保持在天堂与地狱之间，在最后审判之前，地狱所产生的东西胜过从天堂降下来的东西。关于这个主题，可参看《天堂与地狱》(540, 541, 546, 589–596节)和小著《最后的审判》(73, 74节)。
路加福音：
看哪，日子要到，人必说，不生育的、那没有生产过的肚子，和没有乳养过的乳房有福了。(路加福音23:29)
这些话具有相同的含义，因为它们也论及教会的末期；“不生育的”和“没有生产过的肚子”表示那些不接受纯正真理，也就是来自爱之良善的真理之人，“没有乳养过的乳房”表示那些不接受来自仁之良善的纯正真理的人。因为一切真理都来自良善；良善有两种，即属天良善，也就是对主之爱的良善，和属灵良善，也就是对邻之仁的良善；“乳房”和“奶”具有相同的含义，即表示来自良善的真理。
同一福音书：
人群中有个妇人提高声音论到耶稣说，怀你的腹和你所吮吸的乳房有福了；耶稣却说，是，却还不如听神的话而遵守的人有福。(路加福音11:27, 28)
由于“从腹中怀上”和“吮吸乳房”表示人的重生，如前所述，所以主回答说“听神的话而遵守的人有福”，这话描述了通过来自圣言的真理和照之的生活实现的重生；“听神的话”表示从圣言学习真理，“遵守(它)”表示照这些真理生活。
约翰福音：
尼哥底母说，人老了，怎能重生呢？他不能第二次进他母亲的子宫。耶稣回答，我实实在在地告诉你，人若不是从水和灵生的，就不能进天国。从肉身生的就是肉身，从灵生的就是灵。(约翰福音3:4–6)
显然，尼哥底母把主所说的属灵出生理解成了属世出生，所以主教导他关于重生的事，重生是通过来自圣言的真理和照之的生活实现的，这由“从水和灵生的”来表示，因为在灵义上，“水”是指来自圣言的真理，“灵”是指照之的生活。“从肉身生的就是肉身，从灵生的就是灵”表示人生来是属世的，通过照来自圣言的真理生活而变得属灵；“人若不是从水和灵生的，就不能进天国”表示属世人不能得救，除非他变得属灵。
710b.由于唯独主改造和重生人，所以在圣言中，祂被称为“从子宫中形成者”；如在以赛亚书：
耶和华，从子宫中造作你和形成你的，帮助你。(以赛亚书44:2, 24)
同一先知书：
耶和华从子宫中就呼召了我，从我母腹中就提我的名。耶和华，就是那从子宫中形成我做祂的仆人，将雅各带回到祂面前，使以色列被收聚到祂那里的如此说。(以赛亚书49:1, 5)
在圣言的许多经文中，主都被称为“创造者”、“造作者”(Maker)、“从子宫中形成者”，以及“救世主或救赎者”(Redeemer)；因为祂重新创造人，改造、重生并救赎他。人们可能会以为主被如此称呼，是因为祂在子宫里创造并形成人；然而，此处所指的，是属灵的创造和形成；因为圣言既是属世的，又是属灵的；对属世的世人来说，它是属世的；对属灵的天使来说，它是属灵的，这也可从以下事实看出来，此处所说的话论及以色列，在至高意义上论及主。“以色列”表示教会，因而表示每个教会之人；由于主知道每个人在爱之良善和信之真理方面是何性质，所以经上说：“耶和华从子宫中就呼召了我，从我母腹中就提我的名。”“呼召和知道某人的名”表示知道他是何性质；“从子宫中”表示知道在爱之良善方面的性质；“从我母腹中”表示知道在来自这良善的真理方面的性质；将被带回到祂面前的“雅各”和将被收聚到祂那里的“以色列”表示教会，“雅各”表示外在教会，“以色列”表示内在教会；内在教会在属灵人里面，外在教会在属世人里面。
耶利米书：
我在子宫里形成你以先，就认识你，你从子宫里出来之前，我已将你分别为圣；我要立你作列族的先知。(耶利米书1:5)
这些话论及先知耶利米，但“先知”在灵义上表示一个教导真理的人，在抽象意义上表示真理的教义；因此，“在子宫里形成”和“他从子宫里出来之前，就认识”表示预见，即一个人能通过重生处于来自良善的真理，因而一个人能接受并教导圣言。“分别为圣”和“立作列族的先知”具有相同的含义；“列族”是指那些处于良善，并从良善接受真理的人。
诗篇：
我从子宫中就倚赖你；使我出母腹的是你。(诗篇71:6)
这句话具有相同的含义。又：
看哪，儿子是耶和华的产业，腹中的果子是祂的赏赐。(诗篇127:3)
在此处和在圣言的别处一样，“儿子”表示那些从良善处于真理的人，“腹中的果子”表示那些通过真理处于良善的人，这些人拥有天堂，也就是“产业”和“赏赐”。
以赛亚书：
妇人焉能忘记她的婴孩，不怜悯她腹中的儿子？即或有忘记的，我却不忘记你。(以赛亚书49:15)
经上之所以说这些话，是因为所指的，是灵义上的重生，这就是为何经上拿妇人和她对婴孩的爱来作比较；这同样适用于一个被主重生的人。
诗篇：
耶和华凭真理向大卫起了誓，我要把你腹中的果子立在你的宝座上。(诗篇132:11)
“大卫”在此处和在别处一样，是指属灵国度方面的主，也就是祂的王权；因此，“把他腹中的果子立在他的宝座上”表示一个正在被主重生的人；这样一个人被称为“他腹中的果子”，是因为他处于真理和照之的生活；他要拥有的“宝座”表示天堂。这就是这些话在灵义上所表示的，但在至高意义上是指主及其荣耀。
又：
你主宰我的肺腑肾肠，在我母腹中就覆庇了我。(诗篇139:13)
“主宰肺腑肾肠”表示将真理从虚假中洁净出来(参看AE 167节)；“在母腹中覆庇”表示保护，免受来自地狱的邪恶之虚假伤害，这从重生开始起，然后一直持续下去。
又：
恶人从子宫中就疏远了，从腹中迷失了，说谎话。(诗篇58:3)
这句话的意思不是说，恶人从子宫中就疏远了，从腹中，也就是从出生时就迷失了；因为没有人自出生时就疏远神，并迷失；相反，“从子宫中就疏远”表示从一个人能被改造的第一天起，就从良善转向邪恶，“从腹中迷失”表示以同样的方式从真理转向虚假；“说谎话”表示相信虚假。之所以说这些人从他们能被改造的第一天起就转身离去，是因为主努力改造所有人，无论他们是谁，从童年时期就开始，经过青少年时期一直持续到青年时期，但那些不让自己被改造的人可以说立刻转身离去。
何西阿书：
以法莲的罪孽被捆在一起，他的罪收藏，产妇的剧痛必临到他身上；他是无智慧之子，因为他在儿子的子宫里没有延续他的时间。(何西阿书13:12, 13)
“以法莲”表示对真理的理解，在此表示扭曲的理解，也就是对虚假，而不是对真理的理解；“罪孽”表示它的虚假，“他的罪”表示虚假之邪恶；因此，他被称为“无智慧之子”；“产妇的剧痛必临到他身上”表示他不接受改造；“他在儿子的子宫里没有延续他的时间”表示他没有留在改造的状态。
以赛亚书：
我原知道你行事极其诡诈，从子宫中起，你就起名为悖逆者。(以赛亚书48:8)
这话论及“雅各家”，“雅各家”表示扭曲的教会；“行事诡诈”表示行事违背被揭示的真理；“从子宫中起，就起名为悖逆者”表示从一个人可以被改造的第一时间起，就转身离开真理；“起名”表示一个人在真理方面的品质。
何西阿书：
雅各在子宫中就取代了他的哥哥，壮年的时候与神较力。(何西阿书12:3)
没有人知道这些话在内义上是什么意思，除非知道雅各及其后代，甚至从他们的列祖往后就是纯属世的，从而反对天堂和教会的良善。因为凡属世，同时不属灵的人都反对这良善，因为这良善只有通过真理与良善的结合才能获得，首先在属灵人中，然后在属世人中获得；但“以扫”表示属灵人中的属世良善。由于雅各及其后代具有这种性质，他们弃绝一切这样的良善，并且从一开始就这样，所以经上论到雅各说：“雅各在子宫中就取代了他的哥哥。”此外，创世记(32:24-31)所描述的雅各与天使的争战描绘了他们坚持占有迦南地的韧性，这意味着一个教会要在他们中间建立；这场争战，以及何西阿书12:4所说的，就描述了这种韧性：
他与天使较力，向天使哭泣恳求。(何西阿书12:4)
“天使就将雅各的大腿窝摸了一把，他的大腿窝正在同那人摔跤的时候就扭了”(创世记32:24-31)表示但他们仍将缺乏属天和属灵之爱的任何良善。因为大腿表示良善与真理的结合，“大腿扭了”表示对雅各及其后代来说，没有真理与良善的结合；这就是“雅各与神较力”的意思。不过，关于这个主题，可参看《属天的奥秘》(4281节)，那里解释了这段经文。以色列和犹太民族不是被拣选的，而是由于他们列祖的固执和摩西的坚持才被接受，以代表教会(参看AC 4290, 4293, 7051, 7439, 10430, 10535, 10632节)。
摩西五经：
儿子们在利百加腹中相争；耶和华说，两族在你的子宫里，两民要从你腹中分立；这民必强于那民，大的必服侍小的。她生产的日子满了，看哪，她子宫里果然是双子；先出来的全身发红，如同毛衣；人就称他的名为以扫。随后他的兄弟也出来了，他的手抓住以扫的脚跟；人就称他的名为雅各。(创世记25:20–26)
这些历史陈述涉及刚才关于雅各及其后代所说的，即：他们是纯属世的，因而没有处于来自属灵之物的任何属世良善，这属世良善由“以扫”来表示。雅各从他母亲子宫里出来时，抓住以扫的脚跟，表示雅各的后代没有这良善，“脚跟”表示最低的属世之物。《属天的奥秘》解释了这些事。
创世记：
从你父亲的神那里，祂必帮助你，与沙代一起将上面来的天福，伏于下面的深渊之福，以及乳房子宫之福，都赐福给你。(创世记49:25)
这是约瑟的父亲以色列给约瑟的祝福，《属天的奥秘》(6428–6434节)也解释了这祝福，那里说明，“乳房之福”表示对良善与真理的情感，“子宫之福”表示良善与真理的结合，因而表示重生。
申命记：
为叫耶和华可以爱你，赐福与你，使你增多，可以赐福与你腹中的果子和你地上的果子，并你的五谷、新酒和油，以及你的牛和羊群中公羊的幼崽。(申命记7:13)
又：
你腹中的果子和你地上的果子，并你的牛和羊群中绵羊的幼崽都必蒙福。(申命记28:4)
这些话是对雅各的儿子们说的，他们只属世地理解这些话，也就是说，照着字义来理解，因为他们是纯属世的，一点也不属灵。但这些“祝福”表示属灵的祝福，属灵的祝福属于天堂，因而属于永生，“腹中的果子”表示爱之良善和这良善的真理；“地上的果子”表示教会的一切；“五谷、新酒”表示属世人中的一切良善和真理；“牛和羊群中绵羊的幼崽”表示对良善和真理的情感，无论外在的还是内在的。总体上这一切事物表示真理和良善的结实或繁殖和增多。
710c.以赛亚书：
看哪，我必激起玛代人攻击他们，玛代人并不看重银子，也不喜爱金子；他们的弓必击碎少年人，他们必不怜悯腹中的果子；他们的眼也不顾惜儿子。(以赛亚书13:17, 18)
“玛代人”表示那些轻视教会的真理和良善，摧毁由此而来的理解和爱的事物之人；他们所不看重的“银子”和他们所不喜爱的“金子”表示天堂和教会的真理和良善，“银子”表示他们的真理，“金子”表示他们的良善。“他们的弓必击碎少年人，他们必不怜悯腹中的果子”表示教义的虚假将摧毁对真理的一切理解和爱的一切良善；“弓”表示教义的虚假，“少年人”表示对真理的理解，“腹中的果子”表示爱之良善；“他们的眼也不顾惜儿子”表示他们扭曲的理解和疯狂将使教会的一切真理都荒废，“儿子”表示真理，“眼”表示扭曲的理解，也就是疯狂。要知道，“玛代人”不是指玛代人，而是指教会里那些使教会荒废的人和事物。
马太福音：
法利赛人说，无论什么缘故，人休妻都合法吗？耶稣回答说，难道你们没有读过，那从起初造人的，造男造女，说，因此，人要离开父母，与妻子连合，他们二人成为一体吗？既然如此，他们就不再是两个，乃是一体了。所以，神配合的，人不可分开。摩西因为你们的心硬，所以许你们休妻，但从起初就不是这样。我告诉你们，凡休妻另娶的，若不是为淫乱的缘故，就是犯通奸罪了；凡娶被休的，也是犯通奸罪。门徒说，人和妻子既是这样，倒不如不娶。但耶稣说，这话不是所有人都能领受的，惟独赐给谁，谁才能领受；因为有阉人从母亲子宫里生下来就是这样，有阉人是被人阉的，也有阉人是为神国的缘故自阉的。能领受的，就让他领受吧。(马太福音19:3–12)
这些话包含内在奥秘，这一点可从主的话清楚看出来，即：“这话不是所有人都能领受的，惟独赐给谁，谁才能领受。”世人几乎不理解主所说的这些话包含的内在奥秘，但天上的所有天使都理解，因为他们属灵地感知主的这些话，它们所包含的奥秘也是属灵的。这些奥秘是，天上和地上一样有婚姻；但天上的婚姻属于同类与同类。因为男人生来就出于理解行事，而女人则出于情感行事，男人的理解是对真理和良善的理解，女人的情感是对真理和良善的情感；由于一切理解都从情感获得自己的生命，所以在天上，这两者就像属于意愿的情感与属于理解力的相对应的思维一样结合在一起。因为每个人的理解都是不同的，就像构成理解的真理是不同的一样。总体来说，有属天真理，属灵真理，道德真理和文明真理，甚至还有属世真理；真理的每一类都有无数种类和品种。因此，一个人的理解永远不会和另一个人的理解一样，一个人的情感也永远不会和另一个人的情感一样；然而，为叫理解和情感可以行如一体，它们在天上被如此结合在一起，以至于女人的相对应的情感与男人的相对应的理解结合在一起。这就是为何这二人通过对应都拥有充满爱的生活。由于两种不同的情感不可能对应于一个理解，所以在天上，一个男人没有，也永远不可能有一个以上的妻子。
由此可以看出并推断出，主的这些话的属灵意思是什么；如“人要离开父母，与妻子连合，他们要成为一体”是什么意思，即：男人必须离开他从其宗教那里所拥有并玷污其理解，因而从父母那里所获得的邪恶和虚假，他的理解因离开这些邪恶和虚假，故必须与妻子相对应的情感结合；通过这种方式，这两者成为一种对真理和良善的情感。这就是二人必须成为的“一体”的意思，“(肉)体”在灵义上表示属于爱或情感的良善。“既然如此，他们就不再是两个，乃是一体了”表示因此，对真理和良善的理解，与对良善和真理的情感不是二，而是一了，就像理解力与意愿的确是二，但却是一一样；这同样适用于真理和良善，信和仁，它们虽是二，但却是一；也就是说，当真理属于良善，良善属于真理时是一，当信属于仁，仁属于信时也是如此；这也是婚姻之爱的源头。
摩西因他们的心硬，故许他们无论什么缘故，都可以休妻，因为以色列人和犹太人都是属世的，不是属灵的，那些纯属世之人的心也是硬的，他们并未处于婚姻之爱，而是处于淫乱之爱，就是诸如对通奸的那种爱。经上说“凡休妻另娶的，若不是为淫乱的缘故，就是犯通奸罪了”，因为淫乱表示虚假，对一个女人来说，则表示对邪恶和虚假的情感，因而表示与对真理和良善的理解根本不一致的情感；由于这种不和谐一致，属于真理和良善，因而就是人里面的天堂和教会的婚姻之爱完全灭亡了；因为当属于心智和性情的内在结合不复存在时，婚姻就解体了。“凡娶被休的，也是犯通奸罪”，因为一个由于淫乱而被休的人表示对邪恶和虚假的情感，如前所述，这种情感决不可与对真理和良善的任何理解结合，因为通过这种方式，理解就被扭曲，成为对虚假和邪恶的理解；虚假与邪恶的结合就是属灵的通奸，正如真理与良善的结合是属灵的婚姻。
主后来之所以谈到阉人，是因为门徒说“人和妻子既是这样，倒不如不娶”，还因为犹太民族因处于来自邪恶的虚假而是一个心硬的民族，对这个民族来说，婚姻不是婚姻，从灵义上来理解，就是通奸，故这个民族被主称为“通奸的世代”。这就是为何主谈到阉人，“阉人”表示那些不想结婚，也就是不想与对邪恶的情感结合的人，因为如此对真理和良善的理解就会被扭曲和消散。因此，“阉人”是指对真理和良善的理解与对真理和良善的情感结合的人，既有结婚的，也有未结婚的。这些人被称为“阉人”，是因为他们没有淫乱，就是没有诸如那些出于犹太人所具有的心硬，娶了不止一个妻子，并因种种原因休了她们的人所拥有的那种淫乱。
首先要知道，一般来说，对真理和良善的理解与对真理和良善的情感的婚姻具有三重起源，因而在三重层级中。在最高层级里有那些被称为属天之人的婚姻，在较低层级里有那些被称为属灵之人的婚姻，在最低层级里则有那些属世之人的婚姻；因为人的内层有三个层级，由此天堂也有三层；在最高层天堂的人被称为属天的，在较低层天堂的人被称为属灵的，在最低层天堂的人被称为属世的。“从母亲子宫里生下来就是阉人的阉人”表示那些属天之人的对真理和良善的理解与对真理和良善的情感的婚姻，因为当这些人正在重生时，他们立即通过对真理的爱在生活上接受真理；因此，他们从真理本身知道真理；“在子宫里被阉”，因而没有通奸的淫乱，表示他们通过对主之爱被主重生。
“被人阉的阉人”表示那些属灵之人的对真理和良善的理解与对真理和良善的情感的婚姻，因为这些人不是在子宫里重生的，也就是说，不是通过爱，而是通过首先在记忆里领受，然后在思维中理智地领受，最后通过某种属灵情感而在生活中领受的真理重生的；经上说这些人“被人阉”，是因为他们出于记忆通过理解被改造；“(男)人”表示这种理解，如前所述，那里提到“人与妻子”。但“自阉的阉人”表示那些属世之人的对真理和良善的理解与对真理和良善的情感的婚姻，因为那些属世的人通过认知和知识或科学为自己获得一种属世之光，并通过与这些知识相符的生活良善获得情感，从而获得良心。由于这些人只知道他自己如此行(因为属世人既不享有属灵人的聪明，也不享有属天人的感知)，所以这些人由“自阉”的人来表示；但这话是从表象，从他们模糊的信仰说的。因此，这就是“为神国的缘故成为阉人”的意思。很少有人理解这些事，所以主说：“能领受的，就让他领受吧。”关于这个主题的说明，可参看《天堂与地狱》关于以下内容所说的：天堂所划分成的两个国度；按照人的内层的三个层级来划分的三层天堂(HH 20–40节)；天上的婚姻(HH 366–386节)。
经上论到施洗约翰说：
他在母亲的子宫里就被圣灵充满，一听马利亚问安，婴儿就在子宫里跳动。(路加福音1:15, 41, 44)
这表示他要代表圣言方面的主，和以利亚一样；因为圣言，也就是神性真理处处都有神性良善与神性真理的婚姻在里面，与神性真理合一的神性良善就是从主发出的神性，被称为圣灵。“一听马利亚问安，就在子宫里跳动”代表由良善与真理的结合之爱产生的喜乐，因而表示天上的婚姻之爱的喜乐，该婚姻就在圣言的每个细节中。施洗约翰和以利亚一样，代表圣言方面的主(参看《属天的奥秘》，7643, 9372节)。
710d.还要说明“首先打开子宫的男性(或雄性、公的)”表示什么。对此，摩西五经上说：
当耶和华将你领进迦南地时，你要将凡打开子宫的和牲畜中头生的都归给耶和华；公的都要属耶和华。凡你儿子中头生的人，你都要赎回。明日你的儿子问你说，这是什么意思？你就对他说，耶和华用强有力的手将我们从埃及为奴之家领出来，那时祂把这地所有头生的，从头生的人到头生的牲畜，都杀了；因此，我把一切打开子宫的，若为公，都献给耶和华为祭；但将我一切头生的儿子都赎出来。(出埃及记13:11–15; 34:19, 20)
在民数记中，我们看到，利未人被接纳，以取代这些人：
看哪，我从以色列人中选了利未人，代替以色列人中所有打开子宫的长子，好叫利未人属于我，因为凡头生的都是我的，我在埃及地击杀一切头生的那日，就把以色列中一切头生的，连人带牲畜都分别为圣归我，他们定要属我。(民数记3:12, 13; 8:16, 17)
隐藏在这个律例中的灵义不会显现，直到知道属世的生产和降生表示属灵的生产和降生；还知道一切生殖器官都对应于属天之爱及其产物，这些产物就是功用，被称为这爱的真理。由于情况是这样，还由于婚姻在灵义上表示真理与良善的婚姻，如前所述，所以“一个打开子宫的人，或头生子”在灵义上表示什么，就显而易见了。“一个打开子宫的人，或头生子”表示从属天之爱，从对良善与真理的感知中头生的；这明显是来自良善的真理，这真理是接下来的东西的一个开始；它本质上是属灵良善，因为这良善在其形式上是来自良善的真理，或也可说，来自良善的真理本质上是属灵良善。这由“一个打开子宫的人，或头生子”来表示，因为“子宫”对应于至内在的婚姻之爱，这爱本质上是属天之爱，属灵良善就是从这爱中产生的，在其形式上是来自良善的真理，尤其是作为接下来的东西的一个开始的来自良善的真理。作为一个开始的东西就其本质而言，是随后出现的事物中的一切，因为这就是在它们里面掌权的东西。由于这就是“一个打开子宫的人或头生子”的含义，所以它被分别为圣归于耶和华，一切后续的产物也因它被分别为圣。
要知道，天堂和教会的良善具有三个层级；至内在层级、因而至内层天堂的良善被称为属天之爱的良善；较低层级的良善，也就是中间天堂的良善，被称为属灵之爱的良善；最低层级的良善，也就是最低层天堂的良善，被称为属世良善。这些良善，正如它们按次序相随，也按次序生出。属世之爱的良善是从属灵之爱的良善中生出的，属灵之爱的良善是从属天之爱的良善中生出的；因此，“一个打开子宫的人或头生子”表示从属天之爱的良善中生出的属灵之爱的良善。
由于“牲畜或走兽”表示情感，“牛群中的牲畜”表示外在情感，“羊群中的牲畜”表示内在情感，所以这些中的头生的也被分别成圣。情况就是这样，这一点也可从以下事实明显看出来：利未人被接受取代一切头生的；因为“利未”(因而利未人)表示来自属天良善的属灵良善；因此，表示属天良善的祭司职分被赐给亚伦和他的儿子，表示来自良善的真理的这良善之事工被赐给利未人。这就是利未支派的含义(参看AE 444节)。关于头生者的律例因埃及的一切头生的被杀了而被赐给以色列人，因为“埃及头生的”表示与来自良善的真理相反，或反对这些真理的来自邪恶的虚假，因而表示与属灵良善相反，或反对这良善的地狱虚假；当人里面来自邪恶的这些虚假被杀，也就是被移走时，来自良善的真理(也就是属灵良善)就从主流入，并被人接受。由此明显可知，这个律法在灵义上代表并表示什么。至于神因亚伯拉罕的妻子撒拉的缘故关闭了亚比米勒家的一切子宫，亚伯拉罕为他们祷告之后，神就医好了亚比米勒和他的妻子，并他们的众女仆，她们便生产了(创世记20:17, 18)表示什么，可参看《属天的奥秘》，那里解释了这段经文。
710. And she being with child.- That this signifies nascent doctrine from the good of celestial love, is evident from the signification of being with child (or bearing in the womb), when stated of the church, which is signified by the woman, as denoting nascent doctrine of truth from the good of celestial love. For the womb signifies inmost conjugial love, and thus celestial love in its whole extent, and the embryo in the womb, truth of doctrine from the good of celestial love, for it has the same signification as the male child which the woman brought forth, which is described in the fifth verse and which signifies doctrine of truth from the good of love, with this difference, that the embryo, being yet in the womb, derives more from the good of innocence than after birth, therefore by embryo is signified the doctrine of truth equally as by son; but the latter signifies the doctrine itself, while the former signifies nascent doctrine. From these things it is evident that to be with child (or to bear in the womb) signifies nascent doctrine of truth from the good of celestial love.
[2] The womb signifies the inmost good of love, because all the organs whose function is generation, both with males and females, signify conjugial love, and the womb, the inmost thereof, because there the foetus is conceived, and developed until birth; it is also the inmost of the genital organs, and from it also the maternal love called storge is derived. Since a man who is being regenerated is also conceived, and carried as it were in the womb and born, and since regeneration is effected by means of truths from the good of love, therefore to bear in the womb, in the spiritual sense, signifies the doctrine of truth from the good of love. There is also a correspondence of the womb with the inmost good of love; for the whole heaven corresponds to all things with man, concerning which correspondence see Heaven and Hell 87-102); this is also the case with the organs whose function is generation, these correspond there to celestial love. There is also all influx of this love out of heaven into mothers during the time of gestation, and also into embryos; and from this springs the love of their infants with mothers, and innocence with infants. From these things it is evident why the womb signifies the inmost good of love, and to bear in the womb signifies nascent doctrine of truth from the good of love.
[3] That this is the signification of the womb, and of bearing in the womb, is evident from the following passages in the Word.
In Isaiah:
"Attend unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the remains of the house of Israel carried from the womb, borne from the matrix, even unto old age I am the same, and even to hoariness I will carry; I have made, I will carry, and I will bear and deliver" (46:3, 4).
This is said of the reformation of the church, and of the regeneration of the men of the church by the Lord. The church is signified by the house of Jacob and by the house of Israel, the external church by the house of Jacob, and the internal by the house of Israel. Those carried from the womb signify those who are being regenerated by the Lord, and those borne from the matrix (vulva) signify those who are regenerated. Because the man who is being regenerated is first conceived by the Lord, and is afterwards born, and lastly educated and perfected, and because regeneration is similar in this respect to the natural generation of man, therefore to be carried from the womb signifies the state of the man who is to be regenerated from conception to birth. Birth itself, and afterwards education and perfection, are signified by to be borne from the matrix; even unto old age I am the same, and even, to hoariness I will carry. I have made, I will carry, and I will bear and deliver, has a similar signification, the former meaning regeneration by means of the goods of love and of charity, and the latter regeneration by means of truths from those goods. To deliver means to take away and remove evils and falsities which are from hell.
[4] In Hosea:
"Ephraim, his glory shall fly away as a bird, and from the birth, and from the belly, and from conception; yea, though they have brought up their sons, yet will I make them bereaved of man. Give to them, O Jehovah, a miscarrying matrix and dry breasts. Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall not bear fruit; even when they have begotten I will slay the desires of their belly" (9:11, 12, 14, 16).
Ephraim means the church as to the understanding of truth and good. That there would be no longer any understanding of Divine Truth in the church is signified by "Ephraim, his glory shall fly away as a bird," glory signifying Divine Truth, and to fly away signifying to be scattered. The expression to fly away is used because it is said of a bird, and mention is made of a bird because a bird signifies such things as belong to the understanding and to thought therefrom. From the birth, and from the belly, and from conception, signifies the dispersion of all truth from its ultimates to primaries, birth signifying its ultimates, because it signifies what has been born; from the belly and from conception signifies what is before birth, thus all things from ultimates to primaries, for when ultimates perish, things prior also successively fall away. Though they have brought up their sons, yet I will make them bereaved of man, signifies although they have procured for themselves truths, nevertheless they will be without intelligence, sons denoting the truths of the church, and man intelligence; therefore to make them bereaved of man signifies that still they have no intelligence.
[5] Give them, O Jehovah, a miscarrying matrix and dry breasts, signifies that they have no longer truths from any good, but falsities from evil, a miscarrying matrix signifying falsities from evil in the place of truth from good, dry breasts have a similar signification, but matrix signifies truths from the good of love, and breasts truths from the good of charity, here falsities from evil contrary to truths. Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, signifies that there was no more any understanding of truth even from primaries, Ephraim here, as above, meaning the understanding of the truth of the church, and root its primary. They shall not bear fruit, signifies not any good, for where there are no truths good does not exist. Even when they have begotten, I will slay the desires of their belly, signifies though they have procured for themselves truths that yet they will perish, the desires of the belly signifying truths procured. It is said the belly instead of the womb, because the belly has the appearance of distention in those who are with child, but yet the term belly is used where truths are treated of, and the womb where good is treated of.
[6] In David:
"For thou art he who took me out of the womb, giving me trust from my mother's breasts; upon thee I was cast from my mother's belly, thou art my God" (Psalm 22:9, 10).
Here also the spiritual regeneration of man is described by such things as belong to natural generation from the mother; therefore Thou art He who took me out of the womb signifies to be regenerated by the Lord, and made a man of the church. Thou givest me trust from my mother's breasts, signifies to be afterwards led and spiritually educated, the mother's breasts signifying spiritual nourishment in such things as belong to the church, mother meaning the church. I was cast upon thee from the womb, signifies that the Lord has done all things from the good of love; and from my mother's belly Thou art my God, signifies that He has done all things by means of truths. For, as said above, where the subject treated of is the good of love, the term womb (uterus) is used, and where truths from that good are treated of, the term belly is used; it is therefore said, "Thou art my God," for where the good of love is treated of, the Lord is called Jehovah, and where truths are treated of, He is called God.
[7] In the Evangelists:
"Woe to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days" (Heaven and Hell 538, 540, 541, 546, 589-596); and the small work concerning the Last Judgment (73, 74).
[8] In Luke:
"Behold, the days shall come, in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren, and the bellies which have not borne, and the breasts which have not given suck" (23:29).
These words have a similar signification, they are also spoken of the last time of the church; the barren, and the bellies that have not borne, signify those who have not received genuine truths, that is, truths from the good of love, and the breasts that have not given suck signify those who have not received genuine truths from the good of charity. For all truths are from good; and goods are of a twofold kind, celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord, and spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour, and breasts have a similar signification to that of milk, namely, truth from good.
[9] In the same:
"A woman lifting up her voice from the people said" concerning Jesus, "Blessed is the belly which bare thee, and the breasts which thou hast sucked; but 'Jesus' said, Yea, rather, blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it" (11:27, 28).
Since to bear in the belly, and to give suck with the breast, signify the regeneration of man, as said above, therefore the Lord answered, Blessed are they who hear the Word of God and keep it, which describes the regeneration effected by means of truths from the Word, and by a life according to them; to hear the Word of God signifies to learn truths from the Word, and to keep it signifies to live according to them.
[10] In John:
"Nicodemus said, How can a man be born when he is old? he cannot enter into his mother's womb a second time? Jesus answered, Verily, I say unto you, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of the heavens. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit" (3:4-6).
That Nicodemus was thinking of natural instead of spiritual generation, concerning which the Lord spoke, is evident, therefore the Lord teaches him concerning regeneration, that it is effected by means of truths from the Word, and by a life according to them, and this is signified by being born of water and of the spirit; for water, in the spiritual sense, is truth from the Word, and the spirit is life according to it. That man is born natural, and becomes spiritual by a life according to truths from the Word, is signified by "that which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit"; that the natural man, unless he becomes spiritual, cannot be saved, is meant by the words, "except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of the heavens."
[11] Since the Lord alone reforms and regenerates man, therefore in the Word He is called the Former from the womb; as in Isaiah:
"Jehovah, thy Maker and Former from the womb, helpeth thee" (44:2, 24).
In the same:
"Jehovah hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother he hath remembered my name. Thus saith Jehovah, my Former from the womb, to be his servant, to bring back Jacob unto him," and Israel shall be gathered to Him (49:1, 5).
In many passages of the Word the Lord is called Creator, Maker, and Former from the womb, and also Redeemer, for the reason that He creates man anew, reforms, regenerates, and redeems. It may be supposed that the Lord is so called because He created man and forms him in the womb, but still it is a spiritual creation and formation which is there meant. For the Word is not only natural, but also spiritual; it is natural for men, who are natural, and spiritual for angels, who are spiritual, as also is evident from this, that the things here said are said of Israel, and, in the highest sense, of the Lord. Israel means the church, thus every man of the church; and because the Lord knows what every one is as to the good of love and truth of faith, therefore it is said, "Jehovah hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother he hath remembered my name"; to call and to know the name of any one signifies to know what he is; from the womb denotes as to the good of love, and from the bowels of my mother, as to truths from that good. Jacob who shall be brought back unto Him, and Israel who shall be gathered to Him, signify the church; Jacob signifies the external church, and Israel the internal church, the latter being in the spiritual, the former in the natural man.
[12] In Jeremiah:
"Before I formed thee in the womb I knew thee, and before thou camest forth from the womb I sanctified thee; I will give thee as a prophet unto the nations" (1:5).
This is said of the prophet Jeremiah, but a prophet, in the spiritual sense, means one that teaches truth, and, in the abstract sense, doctrine of truth; therefore to form in the womb, and to know him before he came forth from the womb, signify the foreseeing that one may be in truths from good by regeneration, thus that one may be able to receive and teach the Word. To sanctify and to give as a prophet to the nations have the same meaning, the nations denoting those who are in good, and who from good receive truths.
[13] In David:
"I have been laid upon thee from the womb; thou art he that brought me forth from my mother's bowels" (Psalm 71:6).
This has a similar meaning.
In the same:
"Lo, sons are the heritage of Jehovah, the fruit of the belly a reward" (Psalm 127:3).
Here sons mean those who are in truths from good, as also elsewhere in the Word; and the fruit of the belly means those who are in good by means of truths, and these have heaven, which is a heritage and also a reward.
[14] In Isaiah:
"Can a woman forget her sucking child and not have compassion on the son of her belly? yea, though these forget, yet will not I forget thee" (49:15).
This is said, because in the spiritual sense regeneration is meant, therefore a comparison is made with a woman, and her love towards her sucking child; the case is similar with one who is regenerated by the Lord.
[15] In David:
"Jehovah hath sworn unto David in truth, Of the fruit of thy belly will I set upon thy throne" (Psalm 132:11).
David here, as also elsewhere, means the Lord as to the spiritual kingdom, which is His royalty, therefore to set the fruit of His belly upon the throne means one who is being regenerated by Him; such a man is called the fruit of His belly, because he is in truths and in a life according to them; the throne which he shall have means heaven. This is the signification of the above words in their spiritual sense, but in the highest sense the Lord and His glorification are meant.
In the same:
"Thou possessest my reins, thou hast covered me in my mother's belly" (Psalm 139:13).
[16] To possess the reins signifies to purify truths from falsities, as may be seen above (n. 167), and to cover in the mother's belly signifies to defend from the falsities of evil which are from hell, and this from the beginning of
regeneration and continually afterwards.
[17] In the same:
"The wicked are estranged from the womb, they go astray from the belly, speaking a lie" (Psalm 58:3).
This does not mean that the wicked are estranged from the womb, and that they go astray from the belly, that is, from birth, for no one from birth is estranged from God and goes astray; but to be estranged from the womb signifies that they go back from good to evil from the first day when one could be reformed, and to go astray from the belly signifies to go back in a similar manner from truths to falsities; to speak a lie also signifies to believe falsities. Such are said to go back from the first day when they could be reformed, because the Lord strives to reform all, whoever they may be, beginning from childhood and continuing through boyhood to youth; but those who do not suffer themselves to be reformed, at once turn back.
[18] In Hosea:
"The iniquity of Ephraim is bound up, his sin is hidden, the pains of a travailing woman shall come upon him; he is a son not wise, because he doth not continue his time in the womb of sons" (13:12, 13).
Ephraim signifies the understanding of truth, here the understanding perverted, which is that of falsity instead of truth; it's falsity is signified by iniquity, and the evil of falsity by his sin; he is therefore called a son not wise; his not accepting reformation is signified by "the pains of a travailing woman shall come upon him"; "he doth not continue his time in the womb of sons," signifies that he doth not remain in a state of reformation.
[19] In Isaiah:
"I knew that, in dealing treacherously, thou wouldest deal treacherously, and thou wast called by the name of a transgressor from the womb" (48:8).
This is said of the house of Jacob, which signifies the church perverted; to deal treacherously, signifies to act contrary to revealed truths; and to be called by the name of a transgressor from the womb, signifies to turn back from truths from the first time when reformation might be effected; to be called by a name, signifies one's quality as to truths.
[20] In Hosea:
Jacob "supplanted his brother in the womb, and in his strength he fought powerfully with God" (Arcana Coelestia 4281). That the Israelitish and Jewish nation was not chosen, but was accepted in order to represent a church, because of the stubbornness with which their fathers and Moses persisted, may be seen in the same work (n. 4290, 4293, 7051, 7439, 10430, 10535, 10632).
[21] In Moses:
The sons strove with each other in the belly of Rebecca; and "Jehovah said, Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels, and people shall prevail over people, and the elder shall serve the younger. And the days were fulfilled to bring forth, and, lo, twins were in her womb; and the first came forth red all over, like a hairy garment, and they called his name Esau; and afterwards his brother came forth, and his hand had hold of the heel of Esau, and he called his name Jacob" (Genesis 25:20-26).
These historical statements involve what has just been said above concerning Jacob and his posterity, - that they were merely natural, and thus not in any natural good from what is spiritual, which is signified by Esau. That Jacob's posterity had not that good is signified by Jacob, as he came forth out of his mother's womb taking hold of the heel of Esau, the heel signifying the ultimate Natural. But these things are also explained in the Arcana Coelestia.
[22] In the same:
"From the God of thy father, and he will help thee, and with the Almighty (Schaddai), and he will bless thee, with the blessings of heaven from above, with the blessings of the abyss lying beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb" (6428-6434), where it is shown that the blessings of the breasts signify the affections for good and truth, and the blessings of the womb the conjunction of good and truth, thus regeneration.
[23] In the same:
"That" Jehovah "may love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee, that he may bless the fruit of thy belly, and the fruit of thy ground, thy corn, and thy new wine, thy oil, the young of thine oxen, and the rams of thy flock" (Deuteronomy 7:13).
And in another place:
"Blessed be the fruit of thy belly, and the fruit of thy ground, the young of thine oxen, and of the sheep of thy flock" (Deuteronomy 28:4).
These words were spoken to the sons of Jacob, who understood them only naturally, that is, according to the sense of the letter, because they were completely natural, and not in the least degree spiritual. But those blessings signify spiritual blessings, which pertain to heaven, and thus to eternal life - the fruit of the belly signifying the good of love and the truth of that good; the fruit of the ground, everything pertaining to the church; the corn and new wine (mustum), all good and truth in the natural man; the young of oxen, and of the sheep of the flock, their affections, exterior and interior. In general all those things signify the fructification and multiplication of truth and good.
[24] In Isaiah:
"Behold, I stir up against them the Medes, who will not esteem silver, and in gold they will not take delight, whose bows shall dash in pieces the young men, and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the belly; their eye shall not spare the sons" (13:17, 18).
The Medes mean those who make no account of the truth and good of the church, and who destroy those things of the understanding and love that are therefrom - the silver, which they will not esteem, and the gold, in which they will not take delight, signifying the truth and good of heaven and of the church, silver their truth, and gold their good. Their bows shall dash in pieces the young men, and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the belly, signifies that falsities of doctrine will destroy all the understanding of truth and all the good of love; bow signifying falsity of doctrine, young men the understanding of truth, and the fruit of the belly the good of love. Their eye shall not spare the sons, signifies that their perverted understanding and their insanity will lay waste all the truth of the church, sons denoting truths, and the eye the understanding perverted, which is insanity. It must be observed that the Medes do not mean the Medes, but those persons and things in the church that lay it waste.
[25] In Matthew:
The Pharisees said, "Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? Jesus answering, said, Have ye not read, that he who made them from the beginning made them male, and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they two shall be one flesh? Therefore they are no more two but one flesh; what therefore God hath joined together, no man shall put asunder. Moses, for the hardness of your heart, suffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery, and whosoever marrieth her that is put away, committeth adultery. The disciples said, If the case of a man with his wife be so, it is not expedient to marry. But Jesus said, All do not receive this word, but those to whom it is given; for there are eunuchs who are so born from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God. He who is able to receive, let him receive" (19:3-12).
That there are interior arcana contained in these words is evident from the Lord's saying, that all do not receive these words, but those to whom it is given. Men have scarcely any understanding of the interior arcanum contained in the above words spoken by the Lord, but all the angels in heaven understand it, because they perceive the words of the Lord spiritually, and the arcana contained therein are spiritual, namely, that there are marriages in the heavens equally as on earth, but in the heavens marriages are of like with like. For man is born to act from the understanding, but woman from affection, and the understanding with men is the understanding of truth and good, and affection with women is the affection for truth and good; and as all understanding derives its life from affection, therefore the two there are conjoined just as affection which is of the will is conjoined with a correspondent thought belonging to the understanding. For the understanding is different with every one just as the truths from which the understanding is formed are different.
In general there are celestial truths, spiritual truths, moral truths, civil truths, and in fact natural truths, and of every kind of truth there are species and varieties innumerable. And in consequence of this the understanding of one person is never like the understanding of another, or the affection of one like that of another; still, in order that understanding and affection may act unitedly, they are so conjoined in heaven that the correspondent affection of the woman is conjoined with the correspondent understanding of the man. This is the reason why the life of each, from correspondence, is full of love. Now, because two different affections cannot correspond to one understanding, a man never has and never can have more than one wife in heaven.
[26] From these things what is spiritually meant by the above words of the Lord can be seen and inferred; for example by "a man shall leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh," is meant that a man will leave the evil and falsity which he has from his religion and which defile his understanding, thus that which he has from father and mother, and that his understanding, being separated from these, will be conjoined with the correspondent affection of the wife; by this means the two become one affection for truth and good. This is meant by the one flesh, in which the two will be; for flesh, in the spiritual sense, signifies the good which belongs to love or affection. Therefore, they are no more two but one flesh, signifies that thus the understanding of truth and good, and the affection for good and truth, are not two, but one, just as the understanding and the will, being indeed two, are nevertheless one; and as truth and good, and faith and charity, being two are nevertheless one; that is to say, when truth is of good, and good is of truth, also when faith is of charity, and charity is of faith; this also is the source of love conjugial.
[27] Moses for the hardness of their hearts suffered them to put away a wife for every cause, because the Israelites and Jews were natural and not spiritual, and those who are completely natural are also hard in heart, because they are not in conjugial love, but in lascivious love, such as is that of adultery. It is said that whosoever shall put away a wife, except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery, because fornication signifies falsity, and with a woman the affection for evil and falsity, thus all affection which does not at all agree with the understanding of truth and good; and on account of that discordance, conjugial love, which is of truth and good, and thus is heaven and the church with man, entirely perishes; for when there is no interior conjunction, which is that of minds and dispositions, the marriage is dissolved. He who marries her that is put away also commits adultery, because she that is put away on account of fornication means an affection for evil and falsity, as said above, which must not be conjoined with any understanding of truth and good, for by such means the understanding is perverted, and also becomes an understanding of falsity and evil; and the conjunction of falsity and evil is spiritual adultery, as the conjunction of truth and good is spiritual marriage.
[28] The reason why the Lord afterwards spoke concerning eunuchs, was that the disciples said, "If the case of a man with his wife be so, it is not expedient to marry;" and since marriages among the Jewish nation, which was a nation hard in heart because in falsities from evil, were not marriages, but, understood in a spiritual sense, were adulteries, therefore also that nation was called by the Lord an adulterous generation. This is why the Lord spoke concerning eunuchs, who mean those who do not desire to enter into marriage, that is, to be conjoined with affection for evil, because by that means the understanding of truth and good would be perverted and dissipated. Thus eunuchs mean both the married and the unmarried, in whom the understanding of truth and good is conjoined with affection for truth and good. They are called eunuchs, because they have no lasciviousness such as those have, who, from hardness of heart, in which the Jews were, have married more than one wife, and divorced them for every cause.
[29] It must be first observed that the marriage of the understanding of truth and good with affection for truth and good has, in general, a threefold origin, and thus is in a threefold degree. In the highest degree there is the marriage of those who are called celestial, in a lower degree, of those who are spiritual, and in the lowest degree, of those who are natural; for there are three degrees of man's interiors, and thus there are three heavens; those who are in the highest heaven are called celestial, those in the lower, spiritual, and those in the lowest, natural.
The marriage of the understanding of truth and good with the affection for truth and good in the Celestial is meant by the eunuchs who are born eunuchs from their mother's womb, because, when such are being regenerated, they receive truths immediately in the life, through the love of truths; for this reason they know truths from truths themselves; and their regeneration from the Lord through love to Him is signified by being made eunuchs in the womb, thus being free from the lasciviousness of adultery.
[30] But the marriage of the understanding of truth and good with the affection for truth and good with the spiritual, is meant by eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, for these are not regenerated in the womb, that is, through love, but by means of truths first received in the memory, afterwards intelligently in the thought, and so finally in the life through a certain spiritual affection. These are said to be made eunuchs by men, because they are reformed from the memory through the understanding; and man signifies that understanding, as also above, where man and wife are mentioned. But the marriage of the understanding of truth and good with the affection for truth and good with the natural, is meant by the eunuchs who make themselves eunuchs; for the natural, by means of cognitions and knowledges (scientiae), get to themselves a natural light (lumen), and by means of the good of life according to these they acquire affection, and thus conscience. And as these know no otherwise than that they themselves do this - for the natural man does not enjoy the intelligence of the spiritual man, or the perception of the celestial man - therefore they are meant by those who make themselves eunuchs, but this is so said from appearance, and from their obscure faith. This, therefore, is the meaning of becoming eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God. And because few apprehend these things, the Lord says, He who is able to receive, let him receive. But for the illustration of this subject see what is said in Heaven and Hell concerning the two kingdoms into which the heavens are distinguished, and concerning the three heavens according to the three degrees of the interiors of man (n. 20-40), and concerning marriages in heaven (n. 366-386).
[31] It is said of John the Baptist, that he was filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother's womb; and that [the babe] leaped in the womb at the salutation of Mary (Arcana Coelestia 7643, 9372).
[32] The signification of the male that first opened the womb shall also be stated. Of this it is said in Moses:
"When Jehovah hath brought thee into the land of Canaan, thou shalt cause to pass over to Jehovah every one that shall open the womb, and every firstling that cometh of a beast, as many males as thou hast shall be Jehovah's. But every first born among thy sons thou shalt redeem. And it shall come to pass that if thy son shall ask thee in time to come, saying, What is this? thou shalt say unto him, By might of hand Jehovah brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of servants, when he slew all the first-born in the land, from the first-born of man even to the first-born of beast; therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah every one that shall open the womb, males; and all the first-born of my sons I redeem" (Exodus 13:11, 15; 34:19, 20).
That the Levites were accepted in the place of these, also in the same:
"Behold, I have accepted the Levites out of the midst of the sons of Israel, instead of all the first-born that openeth the womb among the sons of Israel, that the Levites may be mine; because every first-born is mine, in the day when I smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt, I sanctified to me all the first-born in Israel; from man even to beast they shall be mine" (Numbers 3:12, 13; 8:16, 17).
The spiritual meaning that lies concealed in this statute does not appear, until it is known that natural generations and nativities signify spiritual generations and nativities; also, that all the organs of generation correspond to celestial love and its productions, which are uses, and are called the truths of that love. Because this is the case, and because marriage in the spiritual sense signifies the marriage of good and truth, as stated above, therefore the signification, in the same sense, of him that openeth the womb, or the first-born male is evident. By him that openeth the womb, or the first-born male is signified that which is first born from celestial love, and from the perception of good and truth; and this is evidently truth from good, which serves as a beginning to what follows; this in its essence is spiritual good, for such good, in its form, is truth from good, or, what is the same, truth from good, in its essence, is spiritual good. This is signified by him that openeth the womb, the first-born male, because the womb corresponds to inmost conjugial love, which in its essence is celestial love; and from this love spiritual good is produced, which in its form is truth from good, and specifically, that truth from good which serves as a beginning to what follows. That which serves as a beginning is everything, as regards their essential, in the things which succeed, because it is that which rules in them. As this is the signification of him that openeth the womb, or the first-born male, therefore it was sanctified to Jehovah, and by it all the subsequent offspring were also sanctified.
[33] It must be understood that the goods of heaven and of the church are of three degrees; the good of the inmost degree, thus also of the inmost heaven, is called the good of celestial love; the good of the lower degree, which is also the good of the middle heaven, is called the good of spiritual love; and the good of the lowest degree, which is also the good of the ultimate heaven, is called natural good. These goods, as they follow in order, so are also born in order. The good of natural love is born from the good of spiritual love, and the good of spiritual love is born from the good of celestial love. This is the reason that by him that openeth the womb, the first-born male, is signified the good of spiritual love born from the good of celestial love.
[34] Since beasts signify affections, beasts of the herd exterior affections, and beasts of the flock interior affections, therefore also the first-born of these were sanctified. That this is the case is also evident from this, that the Levites were received in the place of all the first-born. For Levi - and thus the Levite - signifies spiritual good from celestial good; consequently the priesthood, which signifies celestial good, was given to Aaron and his sons, and the ministry of that good, which signifies truth from good, was given to the Levites. That this was the signification of the tribe of Levi, may be seen above (n. Genesis 20:17, 18), may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia, where the passage is explained.
710. Verse 2. And being with child, signifies nascent doctrine from the good of celestial love. This is evident from the signification of "being with child" [or having in the womb] as being, in reference to the church, which the woman signifies, the nascent doctrine of truth from the good of celestial love. For the "womb" signifies inmost conjugial love, and thence celestial love in the whole complex; and the embryo in the womb signifies the truth of doctrine from the good of celestial love, for it has a similar signification as "the son a male" which the woman brought forth, described in the fifth verse, which signifies the doctrine of truth from the good of love, but with the difference that the embryo, being yet in the womb, partakes more from the good of innocence than after it is born, therefore the embryo and the son a male both signify the doctrine of truth, the latter doctrine itself, but the former nascent doctrine. From this it is clear that "being with child" signifies the nascent doctrine of truth from the good of celestial love.
[2] The "womb" signifies the inmost good of love, because all the members devoted to generation, both with males and with females, signify conjugial love, and "the womb" its inmost, because there the fetus is conceived and grows, until it is born; moreover, it is the inmost of the genital organs, and from it is also derived the maternal love that is called "storge." Because the man who is regenerating is also conceived, and as it were carried in the womb and born, and because regeneration is effected by truths from the good of love, so "to bear in the womb" signifies in the spiritual sense the doctrine of truth from the good of love. There is also a correspondence of the womb with the inmost good of love, since the whole heaven corresponds to all things with man (of which correspondence see in the work on Heaven and Hell 87-102); and thus also the members devoted to generation; these correspond there to celestial love. There is also an influx of that love out of heaven with mothers during the time of gestation, and into the embryos; and from it springs the love of the babe with mothers, and innocence with babes. This shows why the "womb" signifies the inmost good of love, and "to bear in the womb" signifies the nascent doctrine of truth from the good of love.
[3] That this is the signification of the "womb," and of "bearing in the womb," can be seen from the following passages in the Word. In Isaiah:
Hearken unto Me, O house of Jacob, and all the remnant of the house of Israel carried from the womb, borne from the matrix; even unto old age I am the same, and even to hoariness I will carry; I have made, I will carry, and I will bear and will deliver (Isaiah 46:3, 4).
This is said of the reformation of the church, and of the regeneration of the men of the church by the Lord. The church is signified by "the house of Jacob" and "the house of Israel," the external church by "the house of Jacob," and the internal by "the house of Israel." "Those carried from the womb" signify those who are being regenerated by the Lord, and "those borne from the matrix" signify those who are regenerated. Because the man who is being regenerated is first conceived by the Lord, and next is born, and lastly is educated and perfected, and because regeneration is in this respect like the natural generation of man, so "to be carried from the womb" signifies the state of the man who is to be regenerated from conception to birth; the birth itself and afterwards education and perfection, is signified by "to be borne from the matrix; even unto old age I am the same, and even to hoariness I will carry;" "I have made, I will carry, and I will bear and will deliver," have like significations; the former meaning regeneration by the goods of love and charity, and the latter regeneration by the truths from those goods; "to deliver" means to take away and remove evils and falsities that are from hell.
[4] In Hosea:
Ephraim, as a bird shall his glory fly away, from the birth and from the belly and from conception; yea, if they have brought up their sons, yet I will make them bereaved of man. Give to them, O Jehovah, a miscarrying matrix and dry breasts. Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up, they shall yield no fruit, even when they have borne I will kill the desires of their belly (Hosea 9:11, 12, 14, 16).
"Ephraim" means the church in respect to the understanding of truth and good; that there will be no longer any understanding of Divine truth in the church is signified by "Ephraim, as a bird shall his glory fly away," "glory" signifying Divine truth, and "to fly away" signifying to be scattered; the expression "to fly away" is used because it is said of a bird, and a bird is mentioned because it signifies things belonging to the understanding and to thought therefrom; "from the birth and from the belly and from conception" signifies the dispersion of all truth from things last to things first, "birth" signifying things last, because it signifies what has been born; "from the belly and from conception" signifies what is before birth, thus all things from things last to things first, for when last things perish things prior also successively fall away; "if they have brought up their sons, yet I will make them bereaved of man," signifies that although they have acquired for themselves truths, yet they will be without intelligence, "sons" signifying the truths of the church, and "man" intelligence, therefore "to make them bereaved of man" signifies that still they have no intelligence.
[5] "Give them, O Jehovah, a miscarrying matrix and dry breasts," signifies that they have no longer truths from any good, but falsities from evil; "a miscarrying matrix" signifying falsities from evil in the place of truth from good, "dry breasts" have a like meaning, but "matrix" signifies truths from the good of love, and "breasts" truths from the good of charity, here falsities from evil contrary to those truths; "Ephraim is smitten, their root is dried up," signifies there is no longer any understanding of truth even from things first, Ephraim here as above meaning the understanding of the truth of the church, and "root" its first; "they shall yield no fruit" signifies no good, for where there are no truths there is no good; "even when they have borne, I will kill the desires of their belly," signifies that although they have acquired for themselves truths, they will nevertheless perish, "desires of the belly" signifying truths acquired; it is said the "belly" instead of the womb, because the belly seems to swell in childbearing, and yet the term "belly" is used where truths are treated of, and "womb" where good is treated of.
[6] In David:
For thou art He that took me out of the womb, giving me trust from my mother's breasts; I was cast upon Thee; Thou art my God from my mother's belly (Psalms 22:9, 10).
This, too, describes the regeneration of the spiritual man by such things as belong to natural generation from the mother; therefore "Thou art He that took me out of the womb" signifies that one is regenerated by the Lord and made a man of the church; "Thou dost give me trust from my mother's breasts" signifies that one is afterwards led and spiritually educated, "the mother's breasts" signifying spiritual nourishment in such things as belong to the church, "mother" meaning the church; "I was cast upon thee from the womb" signifies that the Lord has done all things from the good of love, and "Thou art my God from my mother's belly" signifies that He has done all things by means of truths, for, as has been said above, where the good of love is treated of the term "womb" is used, and where truths from that good are treated of the term "belly" is used; therefore it is said, "Thou art my God," for where the good of love is treated of the Lord is called "Jehovah," and where truths are treated of He is called "God."
[7] In the Gospels:
Woe to them that bear in the womb, and to them that give suck in those days (Heaven and Hell 538, 540, 541, 546, 589-596; and in the small work on The Last Judgment 73, 74.)
[8] In Luke:
Behold, the days shall come in which they shall say, Blessed are the barren and the bellies that have not borne, and the breasts that have not given suck (Luke 23:29).
This has a like signification, for it is said of the last time of the church; and "the barren," and "the bellies that have not borne," signify those who have not received genuine truths, that is, truths from the good of love, and "the breasts that have not given suck" signify those who have not received genuine truths from the good of charity. For all truths are from good; and goods are of two kinds, celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord, and spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbor; "breasts" have a similar signification as "milk," namely, truth from good.
[9] In the same:
A woman lifting up her voice out of the throng said of Jesus, Blessed is the belly that bare Thee, and the breasts that Thou hath sucked; but Jesus said, Yea, rather blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it (Luke 11:27, 28).
Because "to bear in the belly" and "to give suck with the breasts" signify the regeneration of man, as has been said above, the Lord answered, "Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it," which describes the regeneration that is effected by truths from the Word and a life according to them; "to hear the Word of God" signifies to learn truths from the Word, and "to keep it" signifies to live according to those truths.
[10] In John:
Nicodemus said, How can a man be born when he is old? he cannot enter a second time into his mother's womb. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except one be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of the heavens. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit (John 3:4-6).
Nicodemus evidently understood natural generation instead of the spiritual generation, of which the Lord spoke, therefore the Lord teaches him concerning regeneration, which is effected by truths from the Word, and by a life according to them, and this is signified by "being born of water and of the spirit," for "water" means in the spiritual sense the truth from the Word, and "the life is spirit" 1according to it. That man is born natural and becomes spiritual by a life according to truths from the Word, is signified by "that which is born of the flesh is flesh, but that which is born of the spirit is spirit;" that the natural man cannot be saved unless he becomes spiritual is meant by "except one be born of water and of the spirit he cannot enter into the kingdom of the heavens."
[11] Because it is the Lord alone who reforms and regenerates man, He is called in the Word "the Former from the womb," as in Isaiah:
Jehovah, thy Maker and thy Former from the womb, helpeth thee (Isaiah 44:2, 24).
In the same:
Jehovah hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother doth He make mention of my name. Thus said Jehovah, my Former from the womb, to be His servant, to bring back Jacob to Him, and that Israel be gathered to Him (Isaiah 49:1, 5).
In many passages in the Word the Lord is called "Creator," "Maker," and "Former from the womb," and also "Redeemer;" for the reason that He creates man anew, reforms, regenerates, and has redeemed him. It may be believed that the Lord is so called because He created man and forms him in the womb, but yet it is the spiritual creation and formation that is here meant; for the Word is both natural and spiritual; it is natural for men, who are natural, and spiritual for angels, who are spiritual, as can also be seen from this, that what is here said is said of Israel, and in the highest sense of the Lord. "Israel" means the church, thus every man of the church; and because the Lord knows what the nature of every man is in respect to the good of love and the truth of faith it is said, "Jehovah hath called me from the womb, from the bowels of my mother doth He make mention of my name;" 2"to call and to know the name" of anyone signifies to know of what nature he is; "from the womb" means to know this in respect to the good of love; and "from the bowels of my mother" in respect to the truths from that good; "Jacob" who shall be brought again to Him, and "Israel" who shall be gathered to Him, signify the church, "Jacob" the external church, and "Israel" the internal church; the internal church is in the spiritual man, the external in the natural.
[12] In Jeremiah:
Before I formed thee in the womb I knew thee, and before thou camest forth from the womb I sanctified thee; I will give thee as a prophet unto the nations (Jeremiah 1:5).
This is said of the prophet Jeremiah, but yet "prophet" means in the spiritual sense one who teaches truth, and in the abstract sense the doctrine of truth; therefore "to form in the womb," and "to know before he came forth from the womb," signify a foreseeing that one can be in truths from good by regeneration, thus that one can receive and teach the Word. "To sanctify" and "to give as a prophet to the nations" have the same meaning; "nations" are those who are in good, and who from good receive truths.
[13] In David:
Upon Thee have I been laid from the womb. Thou art He that took me out of my mother's bowels (Psalms 71:6).
This has a like meaning. In the same:
Lo, sons are the heritage of Jehovah, the fruit of the belly is his reward (Psalms 127:3).
Here, as elsewhere in the Word, "sons" mean those who are in truths from good, and "fruit of the belly" means those who are in good by truths, who have heaven, which is a "heritage" and also a "reward."
[14] In Isaiah:
Can a woman forget her infant, that she may not have compassion on the son of her belly? Yea, though these may forget, yet will not I forget thee (Isaiah 49:15).
This is said because in the spiritual sense regeneration is meant, and this is why there is a comparison made with a woman and her love for her infant; the like is true of one who is regenerated by the Lord.
[15] In David:
Jehovah hath sworn truth unto David, Of the fruit of thy belly will I set upon thy throne (Psalms 132:11).
By "David," here as elsewhere, the Lord in relation to the spiritual kingdom, which is his royalty, is meant, therefore "to set of the fruit of his belly upon his throne" means one who is being regenerated by the Lord; such a man is called "the fruit of his belly" because he is in truths and in a life according to them; the "throne" which he shall have means heaven. This is what is signified by these words in the spiritual sense, but in the highest sense the Lord and His glorification are meant.
[16] In the same:
Thou dost possess my reins, Thou hast covered me in my mother's belly (167); and "to cover in the mother's belly" signifies to defend from the falsities of evil which are from hell, and this from the beginning of regeneration and afterwards continually.
[17] In the same:
The wicked are estranged from the womb, they go astray from the belly, speaking falsehood (Psalms 58:3).
This does not mean that the wicked are estranged from the womb, and go astray from the belly, that is, from birth; for no one is estranged from God and goes astray from birth; but "to be estranged from the womb" signifies to turn away from good to evil from the first day when one could be reformed, and "to go astray from the belly" signifies to turn away in like manner from truths to falsities; and "to speak falsehood" signifies to believe falsities. Such are said to turn away from the first day when they could be reformed, because the Lord strives to reform all, whoever they may be, beginning from childhood and continuing through adolescence to youth, but those who do not suffer themselves to be reformed are said to turn away at once.
[18] In Hosea:
The iniquity of Ephraim is tied together, his sin is hidden away, the throes of a woman in travail shall come upon him; he is a son not wise, for he doth not stay his time in the womb of sons (Hosea 13:12, 13).
"Ephraim" signifies the understanding of truth, here the understanding perverted, which is the understanding of falsity instead of truth; its falsity is signified by "iniquity," and the evil of falsity by "his sin;" therefore he is called "a son not wise;" his not accepting reformation is signified by "the throes of a woman in travail shall come upon him," and by "he doth not stay his time in the womb of sons," this signifying that he does not remain in a state of reformation.
[19] In Isaiah:
I knew that in dealing treacherously thou wouldst deal treacherously, and the name of a transgressor was given thee from the womb (Isaiah 48:8).
This is said of "the house of Jacob," which means the perverted church; "to deal treacherously" signifies to act contrary to revealed truths; and "to have the name of a transgressor given from the womb" signifies a turning away from truths from the first time when one might be reformed; "to be called by name" signifies of what quality one is in respect to truths.
[20] In Hosea:
Jacob supplanted his brother in the womb, and in his vigor he struggled powerfully with God (Arcana Coelestia 4281, where it is explained. That the Israelitish and Jewish nation was not chosen, but was accepted to represent a church, because of the tenacity with which their fathers and Moses persisted, see n. 4290, 4293, 7051, 7439, 10430, 10535, 10632)
[21] In Moses:
The sons strove with each other in the belly of Rebecca; and Jehovah said, Two nations are in thy womb, and two peoples shall be separated from thy bowels, and the one people shall prevail over the other people, and the greater shall serve the less. And the days for bringing forth were fulfilled, and behold twins were in her womb; and the first came forth red all over like a hairy garment, and they called his name Esau. And afterwards his brother came forth, and his hand had seized Esau's heel, and he called his name Jacob (Genesis 25:20-26).
These historical statements involve what has just been said about Jacob and his posterity, namely, that they were merely natural, and thus were in no natural good from spiritual, which is signified by "Esau." That Jacob's posterity was without that good is signified by Jacob's seizing Esau's heel when he came forth out of his mother's womb, the "heel" signifying the lowest natural. (But this, too, is explained in Arcana Coelestia.)
[22] In the same:
From the God of thy father and He shall help thee, and with Shaddai and He shall bless thee, with the blessings of heaven from above, with the blessings of the abyss lying beneath, with the blessings of the breasts and of the womb (Arcana Coelestia 6428-6434), where it is shown that "the blessings of the breasts" signify the affections of good and truth, and "the blessings of the womb" the conjunction of good and truth, thus regeneration.
[23] In the same:
That Jehovah may love thee and bless thee and multiply thee, that He may bless the fruit of thy belly and the fruit of thy land, thy corn and thy new wine, thine oil, the young of thy kine and the rams of thy flock (Deuteronomy 7:13).
And elsewhere:
Blessed shall be the fruit of thy belly and the fruit of thy land, the young of thy kine and of the herd of thy flock (Deuteronomy 28:4)
This was said to the sons of Jacob, who understood it only in a natural way, that is, according to the sense of the letter, because they were merely natural, and not in the least spiritual; but these "blessings" signify spiritual blessings, which are of heaven, and thence of eternal life, "the fruit of the belly" signifying the good of love and the truth of that good; "the fruit of the land" everything of the church; "the corn and new wine" all good and truth in the natural man; "the young of kine and of the herd of the flock" the affections of good and truth exterior and interior. In general all this signifies the fructification and multiplication of truth and good.
[24] In Isaiah:
Behold, I stir up against them the Mede, who will not esteem silver, and in gold they will not delight; whose bows will dash in pieces the young men, and they will have no compassion on the fruit of the belly; their eye shall not spare the sons (Isaiah 13:17, 18).
The "Mede" means those who make no account of the truth and good of the church, and who destroy the things of the understanding and love that are therefrom; the "silver" that they will not esteem, and the "gold" they will not delight in signify the truth and good of heaven and of the church, "silver" the truth and "gold" the good of these; "their bows will dash in pieces the young men, and they will have no compassion on the fruit of the belly," signifies that the falsities of doctrine will destroy all the understanding of truth and all the good of love; "the bow" meaning the falsity of doctrine, "the young men" the understanding of truth, and "the fruit of the belly" the good of love; "their eye shall not spare the sons" signifies that their perverted understanding and insanity will lay waste every truth of the church, "sons" meaning truths, and the "eye" the perverted understanding, which is insanity. It is to be known that the "Mede," does not mean the Mede, but such persons and things in the church as devastate it.
[25] In Matthew:
The Pharisees said, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? Jesus, answering, said, Have ye not read that He who made them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they twain shall become one flesh? Therefore they are no more twain but one flesh. What, therefore, God hath joined together let not man put asunder. Moses for the hardness of your heart suffered you to put away your wives, but from the beginning it was not so. I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery; and whosoever marrieth her that is put away committeth adultery. The disciples said, If the case of the man is so with his wife, it is not expedient to contract matrimony. But Jesus said, All do not receive this word, but they to whom it is given; for there are eunuchs who were so born from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who have made themselves eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God. He that is able to receive let him receive (Matthew 19:3-12).
That this contains interior arcana can be seen from the Lord's saying that "all do not receive these words, but they to whom it is given." The interior arcanum contained in these words spoken by the Lord is but little apprehended by men, but it is apprehended by all angels in heaven, because they perceive these words of the Lord spiritually, and the arcana contained in them are spiritual. These arcana are, that there are marriages in the heavens even as on earth, but in the heavens the marriages are of like with like; for man is born to act from the understanding, but woman from affection, and the understanding with men is the understanding of truth and good, and the affection with women is the affection of truth and good; and as all understanding derives its life from affection, therefore the two there are joined together, as the affection which belongs to the will is joined with the correspondent thought which belongs to the understanding. For the understanding is different with everyone, as the truths that constitute the understanding are different. In general there are celestial truths, spiritual truths, moral truths, civil truths, and even natural truths; and of every kind of truth there are species and varieties innumerable; and since in consequence of this the understanding of one is never like the understanding of another, nor the affection of one like that of another, yet, in order that the understanding and affection may act as one, they are so joined together in heaven that the correspondent affection, which belongs to the woman, is conjoined with the correspondent understanding which belongs to the man; and as a result, both by correspondence have a life that is full of love. Now because two different affections cannot correspond to one understanding, therefore in heaven one man never has and never can have several wives.
[26] From this it can be seen and concluded what these words of the Lord also mean spiritually, as what is meant by "a man shall leave father and mother and shall cleave to his wife, and they shall be one flesh," namely, that man must leave that evil and falsity that he has from his religion, and that defiles his understanding, that is, that he has from father and mother, and his understanding separated from such evil and falsity must be conjoined with the correspondent affection which belongs to the wife, thus the two become one affection of truth and good; this is meant by "one flesh" which the two must become, "flesh" signifying in the spiritual sense good which is of love or affection. "Therefore they are no more twain but one flesh" signifies that thus the understanding of good and truth and the affection of good and truth are not two but one, in like manner as while will and understanding are two they are nevertheless one; and the like is true of truth and good and of faith and charity, which indeed are two but yet one, that is, when truth is of good and good is of truth, so also when faith is of charity and charity is of faith; and this also is the source of conjugial love.
[27] "Moses for the hardness of their heart suffered them to put away a wife for every cause," because the Israelites and Jews were natural and not spiritual, and those who are purely natural are also hard in heart, since they are not in any conjugial love but in lascivious love, such as is the love of adultery. It is said that "whosoever shall put away a wife except for fornication, and shall marry another, committeth adultery," because fornication signifies falsity, and with a woman the affection of evil and falsity, thus an affection that does not at all agree with the understanding of truth and good; and since by such discordance conjugial love, which is of truth and good, and thence is heaven and the church with man, is entirely destroyed, for when the interior conjunction which is of the minds and dispositions is no more, marriage is dissolved. "Whosoever marrieth her that is put away committeth adultery," because one put away on account of fornication means the affection of evil and falsity, as above, and this must not be joined with any understanding of truth and good, for thereby the understanding is perverted, and becomes an understanding of falsity and evil, and the conjunction of falsity and evil is spiritual adultery, as the conjunction of truth and good is spiritual marriage.
[28] The Lord afterwards spoke of eunuchs because the disciples said, "If the case of the man is so with the wife, it is not expedient to contract matrimony;" also because with the Jewish nation, which was a nation hard in heart because they were in falsities from evil, marriages were not marriages, but understood in the spiritual sense were adulteries, and therefore that nation was called by the Lord "an adulterous generation." This was why the Lord spoke of eunuchs, "eunuchs" meaning those who have no desire to enter into marriage, that is, to be conjoined with the affection of evil, because the understanding of truth and good would thus be perverted and dissipated; thus "eunuchs" mean both the married and the unmarried in whom the understanding of truth and good is conjoined with the affection of truth and good. Such are called "eunuchs" because they have no lasciviousness, such as those have who, from the hardness of heart in which the Jews were, take several wives, and divorce them for every cause.
[29] It is to be known, in the first place, that the marriage of the understanding of truth and good with the affection of truth and good has in general a threefold origin, and thus is in a threefold degree. In the highest degree is the marriage of those who are called celestial, in a lower degree the marriage between those who are spiritual, and in the lowest degree between those who are natural; for there are three degrees of man's interiors, and thence there are three heavens; those in the highest heaven are called celestial, those in the lower, spiritual, and those in the lowest natural. The marriage of the understanding of truth and good with the affection of truth and good with the celestial is meant by "the eunuchs who are born eunuchs from the mother's womb," because these when they are becoming regenerate, receive truths immediately in the life through love of truths, consequently they know truths from truths themselves; the regeneration of these by the Lord through love to Him is signified by "being made eunuchs in the womb," thus without the lasciviousness of adultery.
[30] The marriage of the understanding of truth and good with the affection of truth and good of those who are spiritual is meant by "the eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men," for such do not become regenerate in the womb, that is, through love, but through truths first received in the memory, and afterwards intellectually in the thought, and so finally in the life through a certain spiritual affection; these are said "to be made eunuchs by men" because they are reformed through the understanding from the memory, and "man" signifies that understanding, as also above, where "man and wife" are mentioned. But the marriage of truth and good with the affection of truth and good with those who are natural is meant by "eunuchs who make themselves eunuchs," for those who are natural acquire for themselves by means of cognitions and knowledges a natural lumen, and through the good of life according to these knowledges they acquire affection and thence conscience; and as these know no otherwise than that they themselves do this, for the natural man does not enjoy the intelligence of the spiritual man, nor does he enjoy the perception of the celestial man, so these are meant by those who "make themselves eunuchs;" but this is said from the appearance, and from the obscure faith with them. This, therefore, is the meaning of "becoming eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of God." And as there are but few who apprehend these things the Lord says, "He that is able to receive let him receive." (But in illustration of this subject see what is said in the work on Heaven and Hell, under the heads, The Two Kingdoms into Which the Heavens are Divided, and The Three Heavens According to the Three Degrees of Man's Interiors, n 20-40, and Marriages in Heaven, n 366-386)
[31] It is said of John the Baptist:
That he was filled with the Holy Spirit in his mother's womb; and that the babe leaped in the womb at the salutation of Mary (Arcana Coelestia 7643, 9372.)
[32] What is signified by "the male that first opened the womb" shall also be told. Of this it is said in Moses:
When Jehovah shall have brought thee into the land of Canaan, thou shalt cause to pass over to Jehovah everyone that shall open the womb, and every firstling that cometh of beast, as many males as thou hast shall be Jehovah's. But every firstborn among thy sons thou shalt redeem. And it shall be that if thy son shall ask thee on the morrow, saying, What is this? thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand Jehovah brought us out of Egypt, out of the house of servants, when he slew all the firstborn in the land, from the firstborn of men even to the firstborn of beast; therefore I sacrifice to Jehovah everyone that openeth the womb, the males; but all the firstborn of my sons I redeem (Exodus 13:11-15; 34:19, 20).
That the Levites were accepted in place of these, see in the same:
Behold, I have taken the Levites from among the sons of Israel instead of all the firstborn that openeth the womb among the sons of Israel, that the Levites may be Mine, for every firstborn is Mine, in the day when I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me all the firstborn in Israel, from man even to beast they shall be Mine (Numbers 3:12, 13; 8:16, 17).
The spiritual meaning that lies concealed in this statute does not appear until it is known that natural generations and nativities signify spiritual generations and nativities; also that all the organs of generation correspond to celestial love and its products, which are uses, and are called the truths of that love. Because this is so, and because marriage signifies in the spiritual sense the marriage of truth and good, as has been said above, it can be seen thence what is signified in the same sense by "the one that openeth the womb, or the firstborn male." "The one that openeth the womb or the firstborn male" signifies that which is firstborn from celestial love and from the perception of good and truth; and this evidently is truth from good, which serves as a beginning to what follows; in its essence this is spiritual good, since that good in its form is truth from good, or, what is the same, truth from good in its essence is spiritual good. This is signified by "the one that openeth the womb, the firstborn male," because "the womb" corresponds to inmost conjugial love, which in its essence is celestial love, and from that love spiritual good comes forth, which in its form is truth from good, and in particular, that truth from good which is in place of a beginning to what follows; that which is in the place of a beginning is everything as regards their essential in the things that succeed, because that is what rules in them. As this is what is signified by "the one that openeth the womb (or the firstborn male)" therefore this was made holy to Jehovah, and by it also all the subsequent offspring were sanctified.
[33] It is to be known that the goods of heaven and the church are of three degrees; the good of the inmost degree, thus also of the inmost heaven, is called the good of celestial love; the good of the lower degree, which is also the good of the middle heaven, is called the good of spiritual love; and the good of the lowest degree, which is the good of the lowest heaven, is called natural good. These goods, as they follow in order, are also born in order. The good of natural love is born from the good of spiritual love, and the good of spiritual love is born from the good of celestial love; and for this reason "the one that openeth the womb, the firstborn male," signifies the good of spiritual love born from the good of celestial love.
[34] Because "beasts" signify affections, "beasts of the herd" exterior affections, and "beasts of the flock" interior affections, so the firstborn of these were made holy. That this is so is also evident from this, that the Levites were taken in place of all the firstborn; for "Levi" (and thence the Levite) signifies spiritual good from celestial good; consequently the priesthood, which signifies celestial good, was given to Aaron and his sons, and the ministry of that good which signifies truth from good, was given to the Levites. (That this was the signification of the tribe of Levi see above, n. Genesis 20:17, 18),
may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia, where it is explained.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin has "life is spirit," for "spirit is a life," etc.
2. The Latin has "man" for "name."
710. [Vers. 2.] "Et in utero habens." - Quod significet nascentem doctrinam ex bono amoris caelestis, constat ex significatione "in utero habere", cum de ecclesia, quae significatur per "mulierem", quod sit nascens doctrina veri ex bono amoris caelestis; per "uterum" enim significatur amor conjugialis intimus, et inde amor caelestis in omni complexu; et per "embryonem qui in utero", verum doctrinae ex bono amoris caelestis, per illum enim simile significatur quod per "filium masculum" quem peperit, de quo in versu quinto sequenti, per quem doctrina veri ex bono amoris significatur, cum differentia quod embryo, quia adhuc in utero, plus trahat a bono innocentiae quam postquam natus est; inde per illum aeque significatur doctrina veri ac per "filium", sed per hunc significatur ipsa doctrina, per illum autem nascens doctrina: ex his patet quod per "in utero habere" significetur nascens doctrina veri ex bono amoris caelestis.
[2] Quod "uterus" significet bonum amoris intimum, est quia omnia membra generationi dicata, tam apud mares quam apud feminas, significent amorem conjugialem, ac "uterus ejus intimum, quia ibi fetus concipitur, et incrementa capit, usque dum nascitur; est etiam intimum membrorum genitalium; ex eo etiam derivatur amor maternus, qui vocatur storge. Quoniam homo qui regeneratur etiam concipitur, et quasi in utero gestatur, et nascitur, et quoniam regeneratio fit per vera ex bono amoris, inde per "in utero gestare" in spirituali sensu significatur doctrina veri ex bono amoris; est etiam correspondentia uteri cum bono amoris intimo; universum enim caelum correspondet omnibus apud hominem (de qua correspondentia videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 87-102); ita quoque membra generationi dicata; haec ibi correspondent amori caelesti: hic amor e caelo etiam influit apud matres quae in utero gestant, et quoque embryones; inde apud matres existit amor infantis, et apud infantes innocentia. Ex his constare potest unde est quod "uterus" significet bonum amoris intimum, et quod "gestare in utero" significet doctrinam veri nascentem ex bono amoris.
[3] Quod talia per "uterum", et per "gestare in utero" significentur, constare potest ex sequentibus locis in Verbo:
- Apud Esaiam,
"Attendite ad Me, domus Jacobi, et omnes reliquiae domus Israelis, portati ab utero, lati a vulva; usque ad senectutem Ego idem, et usque ad canitiem Ego portabo: Ego feci, Ego portabo, et Ego feram atque eripiam" (46:3, 4):
haec de reformatione ecclesiae, et de regeneratione hominum ibi a Domino: ecclesia significatur per "domum Jacobi" et per "domum Israelis", externa per "domum Jacobi" et interna per "domum Israelis", per "portatos ab utero" significantur qui a Domino regenerantur, et per "latos a vulva" significantur regenerati: quia homo qui regeneratur primum a Domino concipitur, et postea nascitur, et demum educatur et perficitur, et quia regeneratio similis est in eo generationi naturali hominis, ideo per "portari ab utero" significatur status hominis regenerandi a conceptione ad nativitatem; ipsa nativitas, et postea educatio et perfectio, significatur per "ferri a vulva; usque ad senectutem Ego idem, et usque ad canitiem Ego portabo": similia significantur per "Ego feci, Ego portabo, et Ego feram atque eripiam"; sed per priora intelligitur regeneratio per bona amoris et charitatis, et per posteriora intelligitur regeneratio per vera ex illis bonis; per "eripere" intelligitur auferre et removere mala et falsa quae ab inferno.
[4] Apud Hoscheam,
"Ephraim sicut avis avolabit gloria ejus, a partu, et a Ventre, et a conceptione: immo si educaverint filios suos, tum orbos faciam eos ab homine. .... Da illis, Jehovah, vulvam abortientem, et ubera arentia. .... Percussus est Ephraim, radix eorum exaruit; fructum non facient, etiam cum generaverint, occidam desideria ventris eorum" (9:11, 12, 14, 16):
per "Ephraim" intelligitur ecclesia quoad intellectum veri et boni; quod non amplius aliquis intellectus Divini Veri in ecclesia futurus sit, significatur per quod "Ephraim sicut avis avolabit gloria ejus"; per "gloriam" significatur Divinum Verum, per "avolare" significatur dissipari; dicitur "avolare" quia dicitur "avis", et "avis" quia per "avem" significantur talia quae intellectus et inde cogitationis sunt: "a partu, et a ventre et a conceptione", significat dissipationem omnis veri ab ultimis ejus ad prima; "partus" significat ultima ejus, quia id quod natum est; "a ventre et a conceptione" significat quod ante nativitatem; ita omnia ab ultimis ad prima, nam cum ultima pereunt etiam priora successive dilabuntur: "si educaverint filios suos, tum orbos faciam eos ab homine", significat tametsi comparaverint sibi vera, usque tamen futuri absque intelligentia; per "filios" significantur vera ecclesiae, per "hominem" significatur intelligentia; inde per "orbos facere ab homine" significatur quod usque non intelligentia:
[5] "Da illis, Jehovah, vulvam abortientem et ubera arentia", significat quod illis non amplius vera ex aliquo bono, sed falsa ex malo; "vulva abortiens" significat falsa ex malo loco veri ex bono; similiter "ubera arentia", sed "vulva" significat vera ex bono amoris, et "ubera" vera ex bono charitatis, hic falsa ex malo illis contraria: "Percussus est Ephraim, radix eorum exaruit", significat quod non amplius aliquis intellectus veri usque a primis; "Ephraim" hic ut supra est intellectus veri eccleSiae, et "radix" est primum ejus: "fructum non facient" significat non aliquod bonum, nam ubi non vera ibi non bonum: "etiam cum generaverint, occidam desideria ventris eorum", significat si vera sibi comparaverint quod usque peritura sint; "desideria ventris" significant vera comparata; "venter" pro utero dicitur ex apparentia tumescentiae ventris apud gravidas, sed usque "venter" dicitur ubi agitur de veris, ac "uterus" ubi de bono.
[6] Apud Davidem,
"Quoniam Tu eductor meus ex utero, fiduciam mihi faciens ex uberibus matris meae; super Te projectus sum [ab utero,] a ventre matris meae Deus meus Tu" (Psalms 22:10, 11 [B.A. 9, 10]):
etiam hic describitur regeneratio spiritualis hominis per talia quae sunt generationis naturalis ex matre; inde per "Tu eductor meus ab utero" significatur quod a Domino regeneratus sit et factus homo ecclesiae: per "fiduciam mihi facis ex uberibus matris meae" significatur quod ductus sit postea, et spiritualiter educatus; "ubera matris" significant nutritionem spiritualem in talibus quae ecclesiae sunt ("mater" est ecclesia): per "super Te projectus sum ad utero", significatur quod Dominus operatus sit omnia ex bono amoris; et per "a ventre matris meae Deus meus Tu" significatur quod operatus sit omnia per vera; nam, ut supra dictum est, "uterus" dicitur ubi agitur de bono amoris, ac "venter" ubi de veris ex illo bono; inde dicitur "Deus meus Tu", nam ubi agitur de bono amoris, vocatur Dominus "Jehovah", et ubi de veris, vocatur "Deus."
[7] Apud Evangelistas,
"Vae in utero gerentibus et lactantibus in diebus illis" (Matthaeus 24:19; Marcus 13:17; Luca 21:23):
agitur in illis capitibus de consummatione saeculi, per quam intelligitur finis ecclesiae, quando ultimum judicium: inde per "gerentes in utero" et per "lactantes diebus illis", super quibus lamentatio, intelliguntur illi qui tunc recipiunt bona amoris, et vera illius boni; "gerentes [in] utero" sunt qui recipiunt bonum amoris, et "lactantes" sunt qui recipiunt vera illius boni, nam "lac" quod lactatur significat verum ex bono amoris; quod dicatur "Vae illis", est quia non possunt custodire bona et vera illi qui recipiunt, praevalet enim tunc infernum, et aufert illa, unde profanatio; quod tunc praevaleat infernum, est quia in fine ecclesiae falsa mali regnant, et auferunt vera boni; homo enim tenetur in medio inter caelum et infernum, et ante ultimum judicium praevalet id quod ex inferno exsurgit super id quod e caelo descendit. (De qua re videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 538, 540, 541, 546, 589-596; et in opusculo De Ultimo Judicio 73, 74.)
[8] Apud Lucam,
"Ecce venient dies in quibus dicent, 1
Beatae steriles, et ventres qui non genuerunt, et ubera quae non lactarunt" (23:29):
haec similia significant, quia etiam de ultimo tempore ecclesiae dicta sunt; ac per "steriles" et per "ventres qui non genuerunt" significantur qui non genuina vera, hoc est, vera ex bono amoris, receperunt; et per "ubera quae non lactarunt" significantur qui non genuina vera ex bono charitatis: omnia enim vera sunt ex bono; ac bona sunt duplicis generis, bonum caeleste, quod est bonum amoris in Dominum, ac bonum spirituale quod est bonum charitatis erga proximum; simile per "ubera" significatur quod per "lac", nempe verum ex bono.
[9] Apud eundem,
"Mulier tollens vocem ex populo, dixit" de Jesu, "Beatus venter qui gestavit Te, et ubera quae lactasti: at" Jesus "dixit, Verum tamen beati qui audiunt Verbum Dei, et custodiunt illud" (11:27, 28):
quoniam "ventre gestare" et "ubera lactare" significant regenerationem hominis, ut supra dictum est, ideo respondit Dominus, "Beati qui audiunt Verbum Dei et custodiunt illud"; per quae describitur regeneratio quae fit per vera ex Verbo, et per vitam secundum illa; per "audire Verbum Dei" significatur discere vera ex Verbo, et per "custodire illud" significatur vivere secundum illa.
[10] Apud Johannem,
"Dixit... Nicodemus, Quomodo potest homo generari cum senex est? 2
Non potest in uterum matris suae secundum ingredi. Respondit Jesus, Amen. . dico tibi, nisi quis generatus fuerit ex aqua et spiritu, non potest ingredi in regnum" caelorum; "quod natum est ex carne caro est, sed quod generatum est a spiritu spiritus est" (3:4-6):
quod Nicodemus pro generatione spirituali, de qua Dominus locutus est, intellexerit generationem naturalem, patet; quare Dominus docet illum de regeneratione, quod illa fiat per vera ex Verbo et per vitam secundum illa, quod significatur per "generari aqua et spiritu"; "aqua" enim in spirituali sensu est verum ex Verbo, et " 3
spiritus" est vita secundum illa: quod homo nascatur naturalis, et fiat spiritualis per vitam secundum vera ex Verbo, significatur per "quod natum est ex carne caro est, sed quod generatum est a spiritu spiritus est": quod naturalis homo, nisi fiat spiritualis, non salvari possit, intelligitur per "Nisi quis generatus est ex aqua et spiritu, non possit ingredi in regnum caelorum."
[11] Quoniam Dominus solus reformat et regenerat hominem, ideo in Verbo vocatur "Formator ex utero":
- Ut apud Esaiam,
"Jehovah, Factor tuus et Formator.. ex utero, adjuvat te" (44:2, 24);
apud eundem,
"Jehovah ab utero vocavit me, a visceribus matris meae meminit nominis mei. .... Dixit Jehovah, Formator meus ab utero, in servum suum, ad redigendum Jacobum ad Ipsum, et Israel Ipsi congregetur" (49:1, 5).
Dominus multis in locis in Verbo vocatur "Creator", "Factor" et "Formator ab utero", et quoque "Redemptor", ex eo quod hominem e novo creet, reformet, regeneret et redemerit: credi potest quod Dominus ita vocetur ex eo, quod creaverit hominem et quod formet illum in utero, sed usque est spiritualis creatio et formatio quae ibi intelligitur; nam Verbum non modo est naturale, sed etiam spirituale; naturale pro hominibus qui naturales sunt, et spirituale pro angelis qui spirituales sunt; ut quoque constare potest ex eo, quod haec, quae dicta sunt, de Israele dicta sint, et in sensu supremo de Domino: per "Israelem" intelligitur ecclesia, ita omnis homo ecclesiae; et quia Dominus novit quale cujusvis quoad bonum amoris et verum fidei, ideo dicitur, "Jehovah ab utero vocavit me, a visceribus matris meae meminit 4
nominis mei"; per "vocare" et "scire nomen" alicujus, significatur nosse qualis est; quoad bonum amoris est "ab utero", et quoad vera illius boni est "a visceribus matris meae": per "Jacobum" qui ad Ipsum redigetur, et per "Israelem" qui Ipsi congregabitur, significatur ecclesia; per "Jacobum" ecclesia externa, et per "Israelem" ecclesia interna; haec est in spirituali homine, illa in naturali.
[12] Apud Jeremiam,
"Priusquam formarem te in utero, noveram te; et priusquam exires ex utero, sanctificabam te, prophetam gentibus dabam te" (1:5 5
):
haec quidem dicta sunt de propheta Jeremia, sed usque per "prophetam" in sensu spirituali intelligitur docens verum, et in sensu abstracto doctrina veri; inde per "formare in utero", et "nosse antequam exiret ex utero", significatur praevidentia quod in veris ex bono per regenerationem possit esse, ita quod Verbum recipere et docere possit: hoc quoque est "sanctificare et dare prophetam gentibus"; "gentes" sunt qui in bono et ex bono recipiunt vera.
[13] Apud Davidem,
"Super Te impositus sum ab utero, e visceribus matris meae Tu eductor meus" (Psalms 71:6);
per haec similia significantur.
Apud eundem,
"Ecce hereditas Jehovae filii, merces fructus ventris" (Psalms 127:3):
hic per "filios" intelliguntur illi qui in veris ex bono sunt, ut quoque alibi in Verbo: et per "fructum ventris" intelliguntur qui in bono sunt per vera, quibus caelum, quod est "hereditas" et quoque "merces."
[14] Apud Esaiam,
"Num obliviscitur mulier infantis sui, ut non misereatur filii ventris sui? etiam si 6
hi obliviscerentur, Ego tamen non obliviscar tui" (49:15):
hoc dicitur, quia in sensu spirituali intelligitur regeneratio; quare comparatio fit cum muliere, et ejus amore erga infantem suum; simile fit cum regenerato a Domino.
[15] Apud 7
Davidem,
"Juravit Jehovah Davidi Veritatem De fructu Ventris tui ponam super thronum tibi" (Psalms 132:11):
per "Davidem" hic, ut quoque alibi, intelligitur Dominus quoad regnum spirituale, quod est regium Ipsius; quare per "ponere super thronum de fructu ventris ejus", intelligitur qui ab Ipso regeneratur; is vocatur "fructus ventris ejus" ex eo, quia est in veris et in vita secundum illa; per "thronum", qui ei erit, intelligitur caelum: haec sunt quae in sensu spirituali per illa verba significantur; in sensu autem supremo per illa intelligitur Dominus ac Ipsius glorificatio.
[16] Apud eundem,
"Tu possides renes meos, obtexisti me in ventre matris meae" (Psalms 139:13):
per "possidere renes" significatur purificare vera a falsis (videatur supra, n. 167); et per "obtegere in ventre matris" significatur tutari a falsis mali quae ab inferno, et a principio regenerationis et dein continue.
[17] Apud eundem,
"Abalienati sunt impii ab utero, aberrant a ventre loquentes mendacium" (Psalms 58:4 [B.A. 3]):
hic non intelligitur quod impii abalienati sint ab utero, et quod aberrent a ventre, hoc est, a prima nativitate, nam nemo ex ea abalienatur a Deo et aberrat; sed "abalienari ab utero" significat quod recesserint a bono ad malum a primo die quando reformari possunt; et "aberrare a ventre" significat quod recesserint a veris ad falsa similiter; "loqui mendacium" etiam significat credere falsa: quod recesserint a primo die quando reformari possunt, est quia Dominus omnes, quicunque sint, conatur reformare, incipiendo a pueritia et continuando per adolescentiam in juventutem; sed quod illi statim recesserint, non passi se reformari.
[18] Apud Hoscheam,
"Ligata est iniquitas Ephraimi, reconditum peccatum ejus: dolores parturientis venient illi; ille filius non sapiens, quia tempus non stat in utero filiorum" (13:12, 13):
per "Ephraimum" significatur intellectus veri, hic intellectus perversus, qui est falsi pro vero; falsum ejus significantur per "iniquitatem", ac malum falsi per "peccatum ejus"; inde vocatur "filius non sapiens": quod reformationem non recipiat, significatur per quod "dolores parturientis venient illi", et per quod "tempus non stet in utero filiorum"; per "tempus non stat in utero filiorum" significatur quod non permaneat in statu reformationis.
[19] Apud Esaiam,
"Novi perfide agendo perfide acturus esses, et praevaricatoris nomine ab utero vocatum est tibi" (48:8):
haec de domo Jacobi, per quam intelligitur ecclesia perversa; "perfide agere" significat contra vera revelata; "et praevaricatoris nomine ab utero vocari" significat recessionem a veris a primo tempore quo reformari posset; per "vocari nomine" significatur quale ejus quoad illa.
[3]):
quid per haec in sensu interno significatur, nemo scire potest, nisi qui scit quod Jacob et ejuS posteri usque a patribus eorum fuerint mere naturales, inde contra bonum caeli et ecclesiae; nam qui naturalis est et non simul spiritualis, ille est contra bonum illud; hoc enim comparatur solum per conjunctionem veri et boni primum in spirituali homine, et dein in naturali; per "Esavum" autem significatur bonum naturale in spirituali: nunc quia Jacob et posteri ejus tales fuerunt, et quia omne bonum tale rejecerunt, et hoc a primo tempore, ideo dicitur de Jacobo quod "in utero supplantaverit fratrem suum." Praeterea per "pugnam Jacobi Cum angelo" (de qua agitur Genesis 32:25-3224-[314] ] :
sed quod usque futuri absque aliquo bono amoris caelestis et spiritualis, intelligitur per
Quod angelus tetigerit volam femoris Jacobi, et quod luxata sit vola femoris ejus in luctando cum angelo (Genesis 32:25, 3224, [31]):
per "femur" enim significatur conjunctio boni et veri, et per "luxationem" ejus, quod nulla conjunctio veri cum bono esset Jacobo et posteris ejus; hoc intelligitur per quod "Jacob potenter pugnaverit cum Deo." (Sed de his videantur Arcana Caelestia, n. 4281, ubi explicata sunt. Quod gens Israelitica et Judaica non electa fuerit, sed recepta ut ecclesiam repraesentaret, ob contumaciam qua patres eorum et Moses institerunt, ibi n. 4290, 4293, 7051, 7439, 10430, 10535, 10632.)
[21] Apud Mosen,
Collidebant filii inter se in ventre Rebeccae: et "dixit Jehovah, Duae gentes in utero tuo, et duo populi e visceribus tuis separabuntur, et populus prae populo valebit, et major 8
serviet minori. Et impleti sunt dies ad pariendum, et ecce gemini in utero ejus, et exivit primus rufus totus, sicut tunica pilosa, et vocabant nomen ejus Esau: et post ita exivit frater ejus, et manus ejus prehendens in calcaneum Esavi, et vocabat nomen ejus Jacob" (Genesis 25:20-26):
haec historica involvunt illa quae nunc supra de Jacobo et ejus posteris dicta sunt; quod nempe mere naturales essent, et inde non in aliquo bono naturali ex spirituali, quod significatur per "Esavum"; quod Jacobi posteri absque illo essent, significatur per quod "Jacob exiens ex utero matris prehenderit calcaneum Esavi"; per "calcaneum" significatur ultimum naturale. (Sed haec quoque explicata sunt in Arcanis Caelestibus.)
[22] Apud eundem,
"A Deo patris tui et juvabit te, et cum Schaddai et benedicet tibi, bene dictionibus caeli desuper, benedictionibus abyssi cubantis infra, benedictionibus uberum et uteri" (Genesis 49:25):
haec benedictio Josephi a patre Israele, de qua etiam in Arcanis Caelestibus (n. 6428-6434); et ibi quod "benedictiones uberum" significent affectiones boni et veri, et "benedictiones uteri" conjunctionem boni et veri, ita regenerationem.
[23] Apud eundem,
"Ut" Jehovah "amet te, et benedicat tibi, et multiplicet te, benedicat fructui ventris tui, et fructui terrae tuae, frumento tuo et musto tuo, oleo tuo, fetui boum tuorum, et arietum gregis tui." (Deuteronomius 7:13);
et alibi,
"Benedictus fructus ventris tui, et fructus terrae tuae, .... fetus bonum tuorum, et pecorum gregis tui" (Deuteronomius 28:4):
haec ad filios Jacobi, qui non aliter illa intellexerunt quam naturaliter, hoc est, secundum sensum litterae, quia mere naturales erant, et prorsus non spirituales; at per "benedictiones" illas significantur benedictiones spirituales, quae sunt caeli et inde vitae aeternae: nam per "fructum ventris" significatur bonum amoris et verum illius boni; per "fructum terrae" significatur omne ecclesiae; per "frumentum et mustum" significatur omne bonum et verum in naturali homine; per "fetum boum et pecorum gregis" significantur affectiones illorum exteriores et interiores; in genere per omnia illa significatur fructificatio et multiplicatio illorum.
[24] Apud Esaiam,
"Ecce Ego excitans contra eos Medum, qui argentum non aestimabunt, et auro non delectabuntur, quorum arcus juvenes allident, et fructus ventris non miserabuntur, filiorum non parcet oculus eorum" (13:17, 18):
per "Medum" intelliguntur illi qui nihili faciunt verum et bonum ecclesiae, et 9
illa quae inde intellectus et amoris sunt, destruunt; per "argentum" quod non aestimabunt, et per "aurum" quo non delectabuntur, significatur verum et bonum caeli et ecclesiae, per "argentum" verum et per "aurum" bonum eorum: quod "arcus illorum juvenes allident, et fructus ventris non miserabuntur", significat quod falsa doctrinae destruent omnem intellectum veri, et omne bonum amoris; per "arcum" significatur falsum doctrinae, per "juvenes" intelligentia veri, et per "fructum ventris" bonum amoris: quod "filiorum non parcet oculus eorum" significat quod perverSus eorum intellectus ac insania omne verum ecclesiae devastabit; "filii" sunt vera, et "oculus" est perversus intellectus qui insania. Sciendum est quod per "Medum" non intelligatur Medus, sed tales et talia in ecclesia quae devastant illam.
[25] Apud Matthaeum,
Pharisaei dicebant, "Licetne homini dimittere uxorem suam quavis ex causa? Respondens" Jesus, "dixit.., Annon legistis, quod Is qui fecit ab initio, masculum et feminam fecit eos, et dixit, Propterea deseret homo patrem et matrem, et adhaerebit uxori suae, et erunt duo in carnem unam? quare non amplius sunt duo, sed una caro: quod ergo Deus copulavit, homo non separabit. .... Moses ob duritiem cordis vestri permisit dimittere uxores vestras; ab initio non fuit sic: dico vobis, quod quicunque dimiserit uxorem suam nisi ob fornicationem, et aliam duxerit, adulterium committat; et quicunque dimissam ducat, adulterium committat. Dixerunt.. discipuli.., Si sic causa cum uxore sua, non expedit matrimonium contrahere; sed dixit Jesus..., Non omnes capiunt verbum hoc, sed ii quibus datum est; sunt enim eunuchi qui ex utero matris nati sunt sic; et sunt eunuchi qui eunuchi facti sunt ab hominibus; et sunt eunuchi qui eunuchos fecerunt se ipsos propter regnum Dei: qui potest capere, ille capiat" (19:3-12):
quod arcana interiora his insint, constare potest ex Domini verbis, quod non omnes capiant verba haec, sed ii quibus datum est. Arcanum interius, quod illis quae a Domino dicta sunt, inest, homines parum capiunt, sed omnes angeli in caelo; causa est, quia hi illa Domini verba spiritualiter percipiunt, et arcana, quae insunt, spiritualia sunt: nempe, in caelis aeque ac in terris conjugia sunt, sed in caelis conjugia similium cum similibus fiunt; vir enim natus est ut ex intellectu agat, mulier autem ut ex affectione; ac intellectus apud viros est intellectus veri et boni, et affectio apud mulieres est affectio veri et boni; et quia omnis intellectus vitam trahit ex affectione, ideo copulantur ibi sicut copulatur affectio quae voluntatis cum correspondente cogitatione quae intellectus: intellectus enim apud unumquemvis est varius, sicut vera, ex quibus intellectus, sunt varia; in genere sunt vera caelestia, sunt vera spiritualia, sunt vera moralia, sunt vera civilia, immo sunt vera naturalia; et cujusvis veri sunt species et sunt varietates innumerabiles; et quia inde est quod nusquam unius intellectus sit similis alterius, nec unius affectio similis alterius, ut tamen usque intellectus et affectio unum agant, ideo copulantur in caelo ita ut correspondens affectio quae est mulieris conjungatur cum correspondente intellectu qui est viri: inde est [quod] vita utrique sit ex correspondentia, plena amore. Quia nunc binae affectiones variae non correspondere possunt uni intellectui, inde in caelo nusquam datur, nec dari potest, quod plures uxores sint uni viro.
[26] Ex his videri et concludi potest quid per illa Domini verba etiam spiritualiter intelligitur; ut quid per quod "vir relinquet patrem et matrem et adhaerebit uxori suae, et erunt in carnem unam"; nempe, quod vir relinquet id malum et falsum quod ei ex religione est, et inquinat intellectum ejus, ita ex patre et matre; et quod intellectus ejus ab illis separatus conjungetur cum correspondente affectione quae uxoris; inde duo fiunt una affectio veri et boni; hoc intelligitur per "carnem unam", in qua duo erunt, "caro" enim in spirituali sensu significat bonum quod est amoris seu affectionis: "quare non amplius sunt duo, sed una caro", significat quod sic intellectus boni et veri ac affectio boni et veri non duo sed unum sint, similiter ac voluntas et intellectus quidem duo sunt, sed usque unum; et similiter ac verum et bonum, tum fides et charitas, quae quidem duo sunt, sed usque unum; nempe, quando verum est boni ac bonum est veri, tum quando fides est charitatis ac charitas est fidei; est etiam inde amor conjugialis:
[27] quod "Moses ob duritiem cordis permiserit dimittere uxorem ex quacunque causa", erat quia Israelitae et Judaei naturales erant, et non spirituales; et qui mere naturales sunt, illi etiam duri corde sunt, quia non in aliquo amore conjugiali, sed in lascivo, quale est adulterii: quod "quicunque dimiserit uxorem nisi ob fornicationem, et aliam duxerit, adulterium committat", est quia fornicatio significat falsum, et apud mulierem affectionem mali et falsi, ita affectionem quae nullatenus concordat cum intellectu veri et boni; et quia ex illa discordantia amor conjugialis, qui est veri et boni, et inde caelum et ecclesia apud hominem, prorsus perit; nam cum conjunctio interior, quae est mentium et animorum, nulla est, conjugium dissolvitur: quod "qui dimissam ducit etiam adulterium committat", est quia per "dimissam propter fornicationem" intelligitur affectio mali et falsi, ut supra, quae non copulanda est cum aliquo intellectu veri et boni; inde enim intellectus pervertitur, et quoque fit falSi et mali, et conjunctio falsi et mali est adulterium spirituale, sicut conjunctio veri et boni est conjugium spirituale.
[28] Quod Dominus postea locutus sit de eunuchis, erat quia discipuli dixerunt, "Si sic est causa hominis cum uxore, non expedit matrimonium contrahere"; et quia conjugia apud gentem Judaicam, quae dura corde fuit ex eo quod in falsis ex malo essent, non erant conjugia sed adulteria in spirituali sensu intellecta, quare etiam illa gens a Domino "gens adultera" vocata est, ideo locutus est Dominus de "eunuchis", per quos intellecti sunt qui non volunt conjugium inire, hoc est, conjungi, cum affectione mali, quia sic intellectus veri et boni perverteretur et dissiparetur; ita per "eunuchos" intelliguntur tam nupti quam non nupti, apud quos conjunctus est intellectus veri et boni cum affectione veri et boni: quod "eunuchi" dicantur est quia non illis lascivum est, quale est illis qui ex duritie cordis, in qua fuerunt Judaei, plures uxores duxerunt, et quamlibet ex causa quacunque repudiarunt.
[29] Prius sciendum est quod conjugium intellectus veri et boni cum affectione veri et boni sit in genere ex triplici origine, et inde in triplici gradu; in supremo gradu est conjugium illorum qui caelestes vocantur, in inferiori inter illos qui spirituales, et in infimo inter illos qui naturales; tot enim gradus sunt interiorum hominis: inde tres caeli sunt; qui in supremo caelo sunt vocantur caelestes, qui in inferiori spirituales, et qui in infimo naturales. Conjugium intellectus veri et boni cum affectione veri et boni apud caelestes, intelligitur per "eunuchos qui in utero matris nati sunt eunuchi"; ex causa quia illi, dum regenerantur, recipiunt vera statim in vita per amorem eorum, inde est quod illi sciant vera ex ipsis veris: regeneratio eorum a Domino per amorem in Ipsum significatur per "in utero fieri 10
eunuchos", ita absque lascivo adulterii.
[30] Conjugium autem intellectus veri et boni cum affectione veri et boni apud Spirituales, intelligitur per "eunuchos qui ab hominibus facti sunt eunuchi"; hi enim non in utero, hoc est, per amorem, regenerantur, sed per vera primum recepta in memoria, et dein intellectualiter in cogitatione, et sic demum in vita per quandam affectionem spiritualem; hi dicuntur "fieri eunuchi ex hominibus", quia per intellectum ex memoria reformantur, et "homo" significat illum intellectum, ut quoque supra, ubi dicitur "homo et uxor." Conjugium autem [intellectus] veri et boni cum affectione veri et boni apud naturales, intelligitur per "eunuchos qui Se ipsos faciunt eunuchos"; naturales enim per cognitiones et scientias sibi comparant lumen naturale, et per bonum vitae secundum illas affectionem, et inde conscientiam; et quia hi non aliud sciunt quam quod ipsi hoc faciant, nam naturalis homo non gaudet intelligentia qua spiritualis homo, nec gaudet perceptione qua caelestis homo, inde est quod illi sint qui se ipsos faciant; sed ita dicitur ex apparentia et ex fide obscura apud illos. Haec itaque sunt quae intelliguntur per "fieri eunuchos propter regnum Dei": et quia pauci haec capiunt, dicitur a Domino, "Qui potest capere, capiat." (Sed ad illustrationem hujus rei, videantur quae in opere De Caelo et Inferno, De duobus Regnis, in quae Caeli distincti sunt; tum De tribus Caelis secundum tres Gradus interiorum Hominis, n. 20-40; et quae De Conjugiis in Caelo, n. 366-386, dicta et ostensa sunt.)
[31] Dicitur de Johanne Baptista,
Quod impletus sit Spiritu sancto in utero matris: et quod embyro in utero ad salutationem Mariae exultaverit (Luca 1:15, 41, 44):
sed per hoc significabatur quod ille repraesentaturus esset Dominum quoad verbum, sicut Elias; in Verbo enim, quod est Divinum Verum, est ubivis conjugium Divini Boni ac Divini Veri, ac Divinum Bonum unitum Divino Vero est Divinum a Domino procedens, quod vocatur "Spiritus sanctus": "exultatio in utero" ad salutationem Mariae repraesentabat gaudium ex amore conjunctionis Boni et Veri, ita gaudium amoris conjugialis caelestiS, qui est in Singulis Verbi. (Quod Johannes Baptista, sicut Elias, repraesentaverit Dominum quoad Verbum, videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 7643, 9372.)
[32] Quid significat "masculus qui primo aperit uterum" etiam dicetur; de illo ita legitur apud Mosen,
"Cum deduxerit te Jehovah in terram 11
Canaanem, .... transire facies omnem aperturam uteri Jehovae, et omnem aperturam fetus bestiae, quotquot erunt tibi masculi, Jehovae: .... sed omnem primogenitum.. inter filios tuos redimes. Quod si fiat, ut interroget te filius tuus cras, dicendo, Quid hoc? dices ad eum, Per fortitudinem manus eduxit nos Jehovah ex Aegypto, e domo servorum; .... dum occidit omnem primogenitum in terra, a primogenito hominis usque ad primogenitum bestiae; propterea ego sacrifico Jehovae omnem aperturam uteri, masculos, et omnem primogenitum filiorum meorum redimo" (Exodus 13:11-15; 34:19, 20).
Quod loco eorum accepti sint Levitae, apud eundem,
"Ecce accepi Levitas e medio filiorum Israelis loco omnis primogeniti, aperturae uteri, de filiis Israelis, ut sint Mihi Levitae: quia Mihi omne primogenitum in die quo percussi omne primogenitum in terra Aegypti, sanctificavi Mihi omne primogenitum in Israele, ab homine usque ad bestiam Mihi erunt" (Numeri 3:12, 13; 8:16, 17):
spirituale quod in hoc statuto reconditum latet, non patet, nisi sciatur quod "generationes" et "nativitates" naturales significent generationes et nativitates spirituales; tum etiam quod omnia membra generationis correspondeant amori caelesti et ejus productis, quae sunt usus, qui vocantur vera illius amoris. Quia ita est, et quia "conjugium" in sensu spirituali significat conjugium boni et veri, ut supra dictum est, inde constare potest quid in eodem sensu significatur per "aperturam uteri", seu "primogenitum masculum": per "aperturam uteri", seu per "primogenitum masculum", significatur id quod primum nascitur ex amore caelesti et perceptione boni et veri; quod hoc sit verum ex bono, quod loco principii est reliquis, patet; hoc in sua essentia est bonum spirituale, nam hoc bonum in sua forma est verum ex bono; seu, quod idem est, verum ex bono in sua essentia est bonum spirituale. Hoc significatur per "aperturam uteri", "primogenitum masculum", ex causa quia uterus correspondet intimo amori conjugiali, qui in sua essentia est amor caelestis; et ex hoc amore producitur bonum spirituale, quod in sua forma est verum ex bono, ac in specie id verum ex bono quod principii loco est reliquis; quod principii loco est, id in succedentibus est omne quoad essentiale illorum, quia id in his est regnans. Quoniam hoc significatur per "aperturam uteri", seu "primogenitum masculum", ideo id sanctificatum est Jehovae, et per id etiam sanctificati fuerunt omnes fetus sequentes.
[33] Sciendum est quod bona caeli et ecclesiae trium graduum sint; bonum intimi gradus, ita quoque intimi caeli, vocatur bonum amoris caelestis; bonum inferioris gradus, quod etiam est bonum medii caeli, vocatur bonum amoris spiritualis; et bonum infimi gradus, quod etiam est bonum ultimi caeli, vocatur bonum naturale: haec bona sicut ordine Sequuntur ita quoque ordine nascuntur; bonum amoris naturalis nascitur ex bono amoris spiritualis, et bonum amoris spiritualiS nascitur ex bono amoris caelestis; inde est, quod per "aperturam uteri", "primogenitum masculum", significetur bonum amoris spiritualis natum 12
ex bono amoris caelestis.
[34] Quoniam per "bestias" significantur affectiones, per "bestias" ex armento affectiones exteriores, et per "bestias ex grege" affectiones interiores, ideo etiam illarum primogenita sanctificata sunt. Quod ita sit etiam constare potest ex eo, quod Levitae loco omnium primogenitorum recepti sint, per "Levin" enim et inde per "Levitam" significatur bonum spirituale ex bono caelesti; inde etiam sacerdotium, per quod significatur bonum caeleste, datum est Aharoni et filiis ejus, ac ministerium hujus 13
boni, per quod significatur verum ex bono, datum est Levitis. (Quod illa per "tribum Levi" significata fuerint, videatur supra, n. 444.) Quod statutum de primogenitis datum sit filiis Israelis, quia occisa sunt omnia primogenita in Aegypto, erat quia per "primogenita" ibi significantur falsa ex malo contraria seu opposita veris ex bono, ita malum infernale contrarium seu oppositum bono spirituali; et quia cum illa falsa ex malo apud hominem sunt occisa, hoc est, remota, tunc primum vera ex bono, seu bonum spirituale, a Domino influit, et ab homine recipitur. Ex his constare potest quid per id statutum repraesentatum est, et in sensu spirituali significatum. Quid significatum est per
Quod Deus clauserit omnem uterum domus Abimelechi propter Saram, uxorem Abrahami; et postquam Abraham oraverat pro illis, Deus sanaverit Abimelechum, uxorem ejus, et ancillas eorum, ut pepererint (Genesis 20:17, 18),
videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, ubi illa explicata sunt.
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