725# “男孩子”之所以表示给被称为“新耶路撒冷”的教会的真理教义，是因为“(儿)子”表示真理，如刚才所示，“男孩子”表示来自圣言的教义真理，因而表示给教会的纯正真理的教义。它表示给被称为新耶路撒冷的教会的教义，因为“生了一个男孩子”的妇人表示这个教会，如刚才所示。在以下经文中，“男性”也表示给教会的真理教义。摩西五经：
神就照着自己的形像创造人，乃是照着神的形像创造他；祂创造了他们，有男性有女性。(创世记1:27)
创世记：
祂创造他们，有男性有女性，当他们被创造的日子，祂赐福给他们，给他们起名叫人。(创世记5:2)
若不藉着灵义，没有人能知道创世记第一章关于天地的创造，伊甸园，吃知识(科学)树所讲述的涉及什么，因为这些历史细节都是虚构的历史；然而，它们仍是神圣的，因为它们所包含的一切最小细节从内在，或在其内部都是属灵的。
那里所描述的主题是上古教会的建立，在这个地球上，上古教会超越一切教会；天地的创造表示它的建立，伊甸园表示它的聪明和智慧，吃知识(科学)树表示它的衰落和衰亡。由此清楚可知，被称为“亚当和夏娃”的“人”表示这个教会，因为经上说“祂创造他们，有男性有女性，给他们起名叫人”；由于这两者表示上古教会，所以可知，“男性”表示它的真理，“女性”表示它的良善；因此，“男性”也表示教义，“女性”表示生活，因为真理的教义也是爱与仁的教义，因而是生活的教义；良善的生活也是爱与仁的生活，因而是教义的生活，也就是遵行教义的生活。这两者由“男性(和女性)”来表示，合起来并在婚姻中结合的两者被称为“人”(Homo)，也构成“人”所表示的教会，如前所述。再者，亚当源自表示土地的一个词，土地凭它接受种子而表示教义真理方面的教会，因为在圣言中，“种子”表示真理；而夏娃源自表示生活的一个词，经上说：
因为她是众生之母。(创世记3:20)
这两者，即教义与生活，当合起来，可以说在婚姻中结合时，就被称为“人”，也构成教义，因为人凭对真理的理解和对良善的意愿，因此凭生活的教义而为人，这属于理解力，并从生活属于教义，因为这属于意愿。教会也一样，因为教会在人里面，就是人自己。
“男性女性或男女”所表示的这两者不是二，乃为一，主在福音书教导了这一点：
耶稣说，难道你们没有读过，那从起初造人的，造男造女，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。(马太福音19:4–6; 马可福音10:6, 8)
和圣言的每个细节一样，我们也必须不仅属世地理解这段经文，还要属灵地理解它；除非也属灵地理解它，否则没有人能知道“男性女性或男女，或丈夫和妻子不再是两个，乃是一体了”表示什么，如经上在创世记(2:24)所说的。在此处和前面一样，“男女”在灵义上表示真理和良善，因而表示真理的教义，也就是生活的教义，和真理的生活，也就是教义的生活；这些决不可为二，而是为一，因为没有生活的良善，人里面的真理不会变成真理，而没有教义的真理，对任何人来说，良善都不会变成良善，因为只有通过真理，良善才变成属灵良善，属灵良善是良善，而没有属灵良善的属世良善不是良善。当这些为一时，真理属于良善，良善属于真理，这一由“一体”来表示。教义与生活也是这种情况；当生活的教义和教义的生活在他里面结合时，这些也构成一个教会之人，因为教义教导一个人必须如何生活和行事，生活则活出并实行教义。由此也可以看出，“男孩子”表示爱与仁之教义，因而表示生活的教义。
725b.由于“男性或公的”表示教义的真理或真理的教义，所以经上赐下这条律法：一切打开子宫的，公的归耶和华为圣(出埃及记13:12, 15; 申命记15:19; 路加福音2:23)。事实上，真理和良善是从如前所述，男人和女人的婚姻在灵义上所表示的真理和良善的婚姻中出生的，因此这些在灵义上由“儿女”来表示，“儿子”表示真理，“女儿”表示良善；由于每个人都通过真理被改造和重生，没有真理，人就不知道什么是良善，或良善的性质，因而不知道通往天堂的道路，所以真理，也就是那从真理与良善的婚姻中头生的，被分别为圣归于耶和华。这头生的真理也是真理的教义，因为首先之物是随后之物的全部，因而在一切真理中，一切真理都是教义。但必须注意的是，“头生的”表示属于仁之良善的真理，因而表示在其形式和品质中的仁之良善，因此表示真理。因为真理是良善的形式和良善的品质。这仁之良善由“头生的”来表示，因为从子宫和子宫里的婴儿所表示的爱之良善只能生出仁之良善；这良善不会变成良善，直到它被形成并赋予品质，也就是直到它处于其品质所居于的形式，它的形式被称为真理，但仍是形式上的良善。
从前面所说的可以看出，为何经上吩咐：
一切的男丁要一年三次朝见主耶和华的面。(出埃及记23:17; 34:23; 申命记16:16)
即三个节期朝见主耶和华的面，三个节期表示重生的一切，从其最初到最后；由于重生的一切都通过被主变成生活真理的教义真理实现，所以表示真理的一切男丁都要在主面前显现，好叫他们可以被祂洁净，然后被祂引导。此外，“一年三次”表示不断地，“耶和华的面”表示神性之爱，人被神性之爱引导。这样做是因为“耶路撒冷”表示教义方面的教会，因而也表示教会的教义。
由于“燔祭和祭牲”表示属天和属灵事物，“燔祭”表示属天事物，“祭牲”表示属灵事物，所以有一条律法被赐下，即：燔祭要公的，没有残疾的，要么来自羊群，要么来自牛群；但祭牲可以要么是公的，要么是母的(利未记1:2, 3; 3:1, 6)。原因在于，属天事物是那些属于对主之爱，因而属于良善与真理的婚姻的事物，但属灵事物是那些属于对邻之仁，因而不属于婚姻，而是属于真理与良善的血亲关系的事物；具有血亲关系的真理和良善就像姐妹和弟兄，但在婚姻中的真理和良善就像丈夫和妻子。这就是为何燔祭要公的，没有残疾的，“公的，没有残疾的”表示来自圣言，或来自取自圣言的教义的纯正真理，这些真理已经与对主之爱的良善结合，这良善由“祭坛和坛上的火”来表示。祭牲要么是公的，要么是母的，是因为“公的”表示真理，“母的”表示良善，但没有通过婚姻，而是通过血亲关系结合在一起；由于这两者像弟兄和姐妹一样同出于一父母，所以出于真理的敬拜和出于良善的敬拜一样蒙悦纳，也就是说，出于公的和出于母的都一样。
由于一切属灵的滋养都来自源于良善的真理，所以也有一条律法被赐下：祭司当中的男丁可以吃圣物(利未记6:18, 29; 7:6)。这是律法，因为“男丁或公的”表示教义的真理，也就是教义，如前所述，“祭司”表示爱之良善，也就是生活的良善，“他们吃属于亚伦及其子孙的圣物”表示属灵的滋养。
摩西五经：
他们临近一座城、要与它交战的时候，要邀请它和平；若它不接受，你就要用剑刃击杀一切男丁，但你可以取妇女、小孩子、牲畜和掠物。(申命记20:10–14)
在一座城中，凡不接受和平的男丁都要被剑刃击杀，但妇女、小孩子和牲畜不会，因为“城”表示教义，“迦南地列族的城市”表示虚假的教义，该城的男丁也是如此；“不接受和平”表示不与教会的真理和良善一致，这些真理和良善由“以色列人”来表示；击杀男丁的“剑刃”表示摧毁虚假的真理。由于唯独虚假与真理和良善交战，并摧毁它们，没有虚假的邪恶不会，所以因属于列族或外邦人而表示邪恶的“妇女、小孩子、牲畜”没有被击杀，因为邪恶能通过真理被征服、修正和改造。
耶利米书：
那向他父亲报喜信说，给你生了一个男孩子，叫他异常高兴的，那人是可诅咒的；愿那人像耶和华所倾覆的城邑。(耶利米书20:15, 16)
这些话论及那些在已毁灭的教会中的人，在该教会，只有虚假被接受并掌权；因此，“那向他父亲报喜信说，给你生了一个男孩子的”表示一个承认虚假，宣称它是真理的人，因而表示取代真理教义的虚假教义；“叫他异常高兴”表示出于对虚假的情感来接受；“愿那人像耶和华所倾覆的城邑”表示它必在来自主从教会所消灭的纯粹虚假的教义中间，如同在祂所摧毁的迦南民族的城市中间一样；以城作对比，是因为“城”表示教义。
以西结书：
你拿我所给你为装饰的金银器皿，为自己制造男性的像，与它们行淫。(以西结书16:17)
这段经文论述了耶路撒冷的可憎之事，这些可憎之事是指对圣言的歪曲和玷污，因为圣言被用于肉体和世俗之爱的欲望；主所“装饰的金银器皿”表示良善和真理的知识，也就是圣言字义的良善和真理；这些被称为“器皿”，是因为它们包含属灵的真理和良善在里面，被称为“装饰的器皿”，是因为它们都是表象，因而是内层事物的形式；属金子的东西表示那些来自良善的事物，属银子的东西表示那些来自真理的事物；“为自己制造男性的像，与它们行淫”表示看似教义真理的虚假，因为这些真理被歪曲了；“男性的像”表示真理的表象，而这些表象却是虚假，“行淫”表示歪曲。
玛拉基书：
行诡诈的人在羊群中有公羊，他许愿却用有残疾的祭献给主，这人是可咒诅的。(玛拉基书1:14)
“羊群中的公羊”表示来自圣言的教义的纯正真理；“残疾的”表示被歪曲的；“许愿、祭献”表示敬拜，因而表示当知道真理时，出于被歪曲的东西敬拜；“行诡诈的人是可咒诅的”表示这种敬拜因是欺诈的而属地狱。由现在从圣言关于“男丁或公的”和“儿子”的含义所说明的可以看出，身披日头，头戴十二星冠冕的妇人所生的“男孩子”表示真理的教义，因而表示给被称为新耶路撒冷的教会的爱与仁之教义，本书第21章论述了该教会。
725. The reason why a male child signifies the doctrine of truth for the church which is called the New Jerusalem, is, that son signifies truth as we have just shown above, and a male child truth of doctrine from the Word, consequently the doctrine of genuine truth which is for the church. It means doctrine for the church which is called the New Jerusalem, because the woman who brought forth the male child, means that church, as also shown above. The doctrine of truth which is for the church, is also signified by male in the following passages.
In Moses:
"God created man into his image; into the image of God created he him, male and female created he them" (Genesis 1:27):
"Male and female created he them, and blessed them, and called their name man (homo), in the day in which they were created" (Genesis 5:2).
What is involved in the things that are related in the first chapter of Genesis concerning the creation of heaven and earth, paradise, and the eating of the tree of knowledge (scientia), no one can know except from the spiritual sense, for these particulars are in the form of history; still they are holy, because all the particulars contained in them are interiorly, and in their bosom, spiritual.
[2] The subject there described is the establishment of the Most Ancient Church, which was the most excellent of all the churches on this earth; its establishment is meant by the creation of heaven and earth, its intelligence and wisdom are meant by the garden of Eden, and its decline and fall by eating of the tree of knowledge. It is therefore evident that man, who is called Adam and Eve, means that church, for it is said, Male and female created He them, and called their name Man; and as that church is meant by both, it follows that male means its truth, and female its good. So also male means doctrine, and female life, since the doctrine of truth is also the doctrine of love and of charity, thus the doctrine of life; and the life of good is also the life of love and of charity, thus a life of doctrine, that is, a life according to doctrine. These two are meant by male [and female], and, taken together and conjoined in marriage, they are called Man, and they also make the church, which, as said above, is meant by man. Again, Adam was so called from a word that means ground, and ground, from its reception of seeds, signifies the church as to truths of doctrine, for in the Word seeds signify truths; while Eve is from a word that means life, "Because she was to be the mother of all living" (Genesis 3:20). These two, doctrine and life, taken together and conjoined as it were in marriage, are called Man (homo), and also make the church, because man is man from the understanding of truth and from the will of good, consequently from the doctrine of life, since this is of the understanding and from the life of doctrine, because this is of the will. The case is similar with the church, for the church is in man, and is the man himself.
[3] That these two, which are signified by male and female, are not to be two but one, the Lord teaches in the Evangelists;
"Jesus said, Have ye not read, that He who made them from the beginning of creation made them male and female, and they two shall be one flesh? Therefore, they are no more two but one flesh" (Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6-8).
This also, as is the case with every part of the Word, is to be understood not only naturally, but also spiritually; and unless it is understood spiritually no one can know what is signified by male and female, or husband and wife, being no more two but one flesh, as is also said in Genesis 2:24. Here, as above, male and female signify, in the spiritual sense, truth and good, consequently also the doctrine of truth, which is the doctrine of life, and the life of truth, which is the life of doctrine. These must not be two but one, since truth does not become truth in man without the good of life, nor does good become good with any one without the truth of doctrine; for good becomes spiritual good only by means of truths, and spiritual good is good, but not natural good, without it. When these are one, then truth is of good and good is of truth, and this oneness is meant by one flesh. The case is similar with doctrine and life; these also make a man of the church one, when the doctrine of life and the life of doctrine are conjoined in him, for doctrine teaches how he must live and act, and the life lives it and does it. From these things also it is evident, that a male child signifies the doctrine of love and of charity, consequently, the doctrine of life.
[4] Since the truth of doctrine, or the doctrine of truth, is signified by a male, therefore a law was made that every male opening the womb should be holy to Jehovah (Exodus 13:12, 15; Deuteronomy 15:19; Luke 2:23). For from the marriage of truth and good, meant in the spiritual sense by the marriage of man and woman, as said above, truths and goods are born, and these are consequently signified in that sense by sons and daughters, truths by sons, and goods by daughters. And as every man is reformed and regenerated by means of truths - for without truths man does not know what good is, and what its nature is, nor, consequently, the way to heaven - this is the reason why the truth which is born first from the marriage of truth and good was sanctified to Jehovah. This truth which is first born is also the doctrine of truth, for that which is first is the all in what follows, thus it is all truth, and all truth is doctrine. But it must be carefully observed that the first-born signifies truth that belongs to the good of charity, it therefore signifies the good of charity in its own form and in its own quality, therefore truth; for the form of good and the quality of good are truth. The reason why this is signified by the first-born, is, that from the good of love, which is signified by the womb and the child therein, nothing else can be born but the good of charity; and this good does not become good until it is formed and qualified, that is until it is in the form in which its quality resides, and its form is called truth, but still is good in form.
[5] From what has been said above, it is evident why it was that every male should appear three times in the year before the face of the Lord Jehovah (Exodus 23:17; 34:23; Deuteronomy 16:16), namely, at the three feasts, which signified everything of regeneration from first to last. And as everything of regeneration is effected by means of truths of doctrine that become those of life from the Lord, therefore all the males, by whom truths were signified, had to present themselves before the Lord, that they might be cleansed by Him and afterwards led by Him. By three times in the year, is also signified continually, and by the face of Jehovah, the Divine Love by which man is led. And this was done because Jerusalem signified the church as to doctrine, and thus also the doctrine of the church.
[6] Since burnt-offerings and sacrifices signified celestial and spiritual things, burnt-offerings celestial things, and sacrifices spiritual things; therefore the law was given, that burnt-offerings should be of males that were without blemish, either from the flock or from the herd; but sacrifices might be either of males or females (Leviticus 1:2, 3; 3:1, 6). The reasons were, that celestial things are those that pertain to love to the Lord, thus to the marriage of good and truth, but spiritual things are those that pertain to charity towards the neighbour, thus not to the marriage but to the consanguinity of truth with good; and truths and goods in consanguinity are like sisters and brothers, but in marriage truths and goods are like husband and wife. This is why burnt-offerings were of males that were without blemish, which signify genuine truths from the Word, or from doctrine from the Word, which have been conjoined to the good of love to the Lord, this good being signified by the altar and its fire. The sacrifices were either of males or females, because males signify truths, and females goods, not conjoined by marriage but by consanguinity; and as both of these, like brothers and sisters, are from one parent, worship from truths was accepted equally as from goods, that is, from males equally as from females.
[7] Since all spiritual nourishment is from truths that are from good, therefore there was a law that a male among the priests should eat the holy things (Leviticus 6:18, 29; 7:6). The reason of this statute was, that males signify truths of doctrine, which are doctrinals (as above) and priests the goods of love, which are goods of the life; and their eating of the holy things that belonged to Aaron and his sons, signified spiritual nourishment.
[8] In Moses:
When they draw near "unto a city to fight against it, thou shalt invite it to peace"; if it accept not, "thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword, but the women, the little ones, the beasts, and the booty, thou shalt take" (Deuteronomy 20:10-14).
Every male in a city that did not accept, peace was to be smitten with the edge of the sword, but not the women, the little ones, and beasts, because a city signifies doctrine, and a city of the Gentiles in the land of Canaan, doctrine of falsity, similarly the males of that city; and not to accept peace signifies not to agree with the truths and goods of the church, which were signified by the sons of Israel. The edge of the sword, with which the males were to be smitten, signifies truth destroying falsity. And because falsities alone fight against truths and goods, and destroy them, but not evils without falsities; therefore the women, the little ones, and the beasts, which as belonging to the Gentiles signified evils, were not smitten, since evils can be subdued, amended, and reformed by means of truths.
[9] In Jeremiah:
"Cursed be the man who brought glad tidings to his father, saying, A male child is born to thee, in gladdening he hath made him glad; let that man be as the cities that Jehovah overthrew" (20:15, 16).
This is said of those who are in a devastated church, in which nothing but falsities are accepted and rule; therefore Cursed be the man who brought glad tidings to his father, saying, A male child is born to thee, signifies he who acknowledges falsity and proclaims it as truth, thus the doctrine of falsity in place of the doctrine of truth; in gladdening he made him glad, signifies acceptance from affection for falsity. Let that man be as the cities that Jehovah overthrew, signifies that it shall be with the doctrines that are from mere falsities, which the Lord exterminated from the church, and destroyed as it was with the cities of the Canaanitish race which He destroyed; comparison is made with cities, because cities also signify doctrines.
[10] In Ezekiel:
"Thou didst take the vessels of thine adorning, of my gold and of my silver, which I had given thee, and madest thee images of a male with which thou hast committed whoredom" (16:17).
This treats of the abominations of Jerusalem, which signify falsifications and adulterations of the Word, resulting from the application of it to the desires of corporeal and worldly loves. Vessels of adorning from the gold and silver of the Lord, signify knowledges of good and truth, which are the goods and truths of the sense of the letter of the Word. These are called vessels, because they contain in themselves spiritual truths and goods, and vessels of adorning, because they are the manifestations (apparentiae), and thus the forms of interior things; those things which are of gold signify those that are from good, and those of silver those that are from truth. Thou madest to thee images of a male with which thou hast committed whoredom, signifies falsities appearing as truths of doctrine, which are falsified, images of a male denoting appearances of truth which are nevertheless falsities, and to commit whoredom denoting to falsify.
[11] In Malachi:
"Cursed be the defrauder in whose flock is a male, and he voweth and sacrificeth unto the Lord a blemished thing" (1:14).
A male in the flock signifies genuine truth of doctrine from the Word; a blemished thing signifies what is falsified; and to vow and sacrifice signifies to worship, thus from things falsified when the truth is known; that such a worship, being fraudulent worship, is infernal, is signified by Cursed be the defrauder. From what has been now shown from the Word concerning the signification of a male, and concerning the signification of a son, it is evident that the male child, which the woman encompassed with the sun, and upon whose head was a crown of twelve stars, brought forth, signifies the doctrine of truth, thus the doctrine of love and charity for the church which is called the New Jerusalem, and which is treated of in the twenty-first chapter of this book.
725. "A son, a male" signifies the doctrine of truth for the church which is called "the New Jerusalem," because "son" signifies truth (as has been shown just above), and "a son, a male" signifies the truth of doctrine from the Word, consequently the doctrine of genuine truth which is for the church. It means the doctrine for the church which is called the New Jerusalem, because "the woman that brought forth a son, a male" means that church (as has also been shown above). The doctrine of truth which is for the church is also signified by "male" in the following passages. In Moses:
God created man into His image, into the image of God created He him. Male and female created He them (Genesis 1:27).
Male and female created He them, and blessed them, and called their name Man, in the day when they were created (Genesis 5:2).
What is involved in the things that are related in the first chapters of Genesis respecting the creation of heaven and earth, paradise, and eating from the tree of knowledge, no one can know except from the spiritual sense, for these historical things are made-up historicals, and yet they are holy, because every least particular is inwardly or in its bosom spiritual.
[2] It describes the establishment of the Most Ancient Church, which surpassed all the churches on this earth; its establishment is meant by the creation of heaven and earth, its intelligence and wisdom by the garden in Eden, and its decline and fall by eating from the tree of knowledge. From this it is clear that "Man," who is called "Adam and Eve," means that church, for it is said "male and female created He them, and called their name Man;" and as that church is meant by the two, it follows that "the male" means its truth, and "the female" its good, so too, "male" means doctrine, and "female," the life, since the doctrine of truth is also the doctrine of love and charity, thus the doctrine of life; and the life of good is also the life of love and charity, thus the life of doctrine, that is, life according to doctrine. These two are meant by "male [and female]," and these taken together and conjoined in marriage are called "Man" [Homo], and also constitute the church, which is meant by "Man," as has been said above. So, again, Adam is from a word that means ground, and ground from its reception of seeds signifies the church in respect to the truths of doctrine, for in the Word seeds signify truths; while Eve is from a word that means life, as it is said:
Because she was to be the mother of all living (Genesis 3:20).
These two, doctrine and life, when taken together and joined as it were in marriage, are called "Man," and also constitute the church, because man is man from the understanding of truth and from the will of good, consequently from the doctrine of life, since this is of the understanding, and from the life of doctrine, because this is of the will. It is similar with the church, for the church is in man, and is the man himself.
[3] That these two, which are signified by "male and female," are not to be two but one, the Lord teaches in the Gospels:
Jesus said, Have ye not read that He who made them from the beginning of creation made them male and female, and they twain shall be one flesh? Therefore they are no more twain, but one flesh (Matthew 19:4-6; Mark 10:6, 8).
This, like every particular of the Word, must be understood not only naturally, but also spiritually, and unless it is also understood spiritually no one can know what is signified by "male and female [or husband and wife] shall be no more twain but one flesh" (as it is also said in Genesis 2:24). Here, as above, "male and female" signify in the spiritual sense truth and good, consequently the doctrine of truth, which is the doctrine of life, and the life of truth, which is the life of doctrine; these must be not two but one, since truth does not become truth with man without the good of life, nor does good become good with anyone without the truth of doctrine, for good becomes spiritual good only by means of truths, and spiritual good is good, but natural good without it is not good. When these are one, then truth is of good and good is of truth, and this one is meant by "one flesh." It is similar with doctrine and life; these also constitute one man of the church when the doctrine of life and the life of doctrine are conjoined with him, for doctrine teaches how one must live and do, and life lives the doctrine and does it. From this it can also be seen that "a son, a male" signifies the doctrine of love and charity, consequently the doctrine of life.
[4] Since the truth of doctrine or the doctrine of truth is signified by the "male," the law was given:
That every male opening the womb should be holy to Jehovah (Exodus 13:12, 15; Deuteronomy 15:19; Luke 2:23).
For from the marriage of truth and good, which, as has been said above, is meant in the spiritual sense by the marriage of man and woman, truths and goods are born, consequently these are signified in that sense by "sons and daughters," truths by "sons," and goods by "daughters;" and as every man is reformed and regenerated by means of truths, for without truths man does not know what is good, or what is the nature of good, thus does not know the way to heaven, so truth, which is what is first born from the marriage of truth and good, was sanctified to Jehovah. This truth first born is also the doctrine of truth, for that which is first is the all in what follows, thus is in all truth, and all truth is doctrine. But it must be carefully noted that "the firstborn" signifies the truth that is of the good of charity, consequently it signifies the good of charity in its form and in its quality, and therefore truth. For truth is the form of good and the quality of good. This is signified by "the firstborn," because from the good of love, which is signified by the womb and the infant in it, nothing else can be born but the good of charity; and this good does not become good until it has been formed and qualified, that is, until it is in the form in which it has its quality, and its form is called truth, and yet it is good in form.
[5] From what has now been said it can be seen why it was commanded:
That every male should appear three times in the year before the face of the Lord Jehovah (Exodus 23:17; 34:23; Deuteronomy 16:16);
namely, at the three feasts, which signified everything of regeneration, from its first to its last; and as everything of regeneration is effected by the truths of doctrine that are made by the Lord to be of the life, so all males, by whom truths were signified, were to present themselves before the Lord that they might be made clean by Him and afterwards be led by Him. Moreover, "three times in the year" signifies continually, and "the face of Jehovah" the Divine love, by which man is led. And this was done because "Jerusalem" signified the church in respect to doctrine, and thence also the doctrine of the church.
[6] Because "burnt-offerings and sacrifices" signified celestial and spiritual things, "burnt-offerings" celestial things, and "sacrifices" spiritual things, the law was given:
That burnt-offerings should be of males without blemish, either from the flock or from the herd; but sacrifices might be either of males or females (Leviticus 1:2, 3; 3:1, 6).
The reasons were that celestial things are such as are of the love to the Lord, thus of the marriage of good and truth, but spiritual things are such as are of charity towards the neighbor, thus not of marriage but of the blood relationship of truth with good; and truths and goods in blood relationship are like sisters and brothers, but in marriage truths and goods are like husband and wife. This is why the burnt-offerings were "of males without blemish," which signify genuine truths from the Word, or from doctrine out of the Word, which have been conjoined to the good of love to the Lord, which good was signified by "the altar and its fire." The sacrifices were "either of males or females," because "males" signified truths, and "females" goods, conjoined not by marriage but by blood relationship; and as both of these, like brothers and sisters, are of one parent, worship was equally well pleasing from truths and from goods, that is, from males and from females.
[7] As all spiritual nourishment is from truths that are from good, the law was also given:
That the male among the priests might eat the holy things (Leviticus 6:18, 29; 7:6).
This was the law because "males" signify the truths of doctrine, which are doctrinals, as above, and "priests" the goods of love, which are the goods of life, and "their eating of the holy things" that belonged to Aaron and his sons signified spiritual nourishment.
[8] In Moses:
When thou draw near unto a city to fight against it, thou shalt invite it to peace; if it does not accept, thou shalt smite every male thereof with the edge of the sword, but the women, the little ones, the beasts, and the prey thou shalt take (Deuteronomy 20:10-14).
Every male in a city that did not accept peace should be smitten with the edge of the sword, but not the women, little ones, and beasts, because "city" signifies doctrine, and "a city of the nations in the land of Canaan" the doctrine of falsity, likewise the males of that city; and "not to accept peace" signifies not to agree with the truths and goods of the church, which were signified by "the sons of Israel;" "the edge of the sword," with which the males should be smitten, signifies truth destroying falsity. And because falsities alone fight against truths and goods and destroy them, but not evils without falsities, "the women, little ones, and beasts," which, with the nations, signified evils, were not smitten, since evils can be subdued, amended, and reformed by means of truths.
[9] In Jeremiah:
Cursed be the man who brought glad tidings to his father, saying, A son, a male is born to thee, in gladdening he hath made him glad; let that man be as the cities that Jehovah overthrew (Jeremiah 20:15, 16).
This is said of those who are in the devastated church, in which nothing but falsities rule and are accepted; therefore "cursed be the man who brought glad tidings to his father, saying, A male is born to thee," signifies one who acknowledges falsity and proclaims it as truth, thus the doctrine of falsity in place of the doctrine of truth; "in gladdening he hath made him glad" signifies the accepting from affection of falsity; "let that man be as the cities that Jehovah overthrew" signifies that it shall be with the doctrines that are from mere falsities, which the Lord exterminated from the church, and as with the cities of the Canaanitish nation that He destroyed; the comparison is with cities because "cities" signify doctrines.
[10] In Ezekiel:
Thou didst take the vessels of thine adorning, of My gold and of My silver which I had given to thee, and madest for thee images of a male with which thou didst commit whoredom (Ezekiel 16:17).
This is said of "the abominations of Jerusalem," which signify the falsifications and adulterations of the Word, which are made by applications to the cupidities of corporeal and earthly loves; "vessels of adorning from the gold and silver of the Lord" signify the knowledges of good and truth, which are the goods and truths of the sense of the letter of the Word; these are called "vessels" because they contain in them spiritual truths and goods, and are called "vessels of adorning" because they are the appearances and thus forms of things interior; the things that are of "gold" signify those that are from good, and those of "silver" those that are from truth; "thou madest for thee images of a male, with which thou didst commit whoredom," signifies falsities appearing as truths of doctrine, but which are falsified; "the images of a male" meaning the appearances of truth, which nevertheless are falsities, and "to commit whoredom" meaning to falsify.
[11] In Malachi:
Cursed be the defrauder in whose flock is a male and he voweth and sacrificeth to the Lord a corrupted thing (Malachi 1:14).
"A male in the flock" signifies the genuine truth of doctrine from the Word; "a corrupted thing" signifies what is falsified; and "to vow and sacrifice" signifies to worship, thus from things falsified when truth is known; that this worship being fraudulent is infernal is signified by "cursed be the defrauder." From what has now been shown from the Word respecting the signification of "male" and of "sons," it can be seen that "the son, a male that was brought forth by the woman arrayed with the sun, and upon whose head was a crown of twelve stars," signifies the doctrine of truth, thus the doctrine of love and charity for the church which is called the New Jerusalem (which is treated of in the twenty-first chapter of this book).
725. Quod "filius masculus" significet doctrinam veri pro ecclesia quae Nova Hierosolyma vocatur, est quia per "filium" significatur verum (ut nunc supra ostensum est), et per "filium masculum" significatur verum doctrinae ex Verbo, proinde doctrina genuini veri quae pro ecclesia; quod sit doctrina pro ecclesia quae Nova Hierosolyma vocatur, est quia per "mulierem quae peperit filium masculum" intelligitur illa ecclesia (ut quoque supra ostensum est). Doctrina veri quae pro ecclesia, etiam per "masculum" significatur in sequentibus locis:Apud Mosen,
"Creavit Deus hominem in imaginem Ipsius, in imaginem Dei creavit illum, masculum et feminam creavit illos" (Genesis 1:27);
"Masculum et feminam creavit illos, et benedixit illis, et vocavit nomen illorum Nomo, die quo creati sunt" (Genesis 5:2):
quid illa, quae in primis capitibus Geneseos, de creatione caeli et terrae, de paradiso, de esu ex arbore scientiae memorantur, involvunt, nemo scire potest nisi ex sensu spirituali, sunt enim historica illa historica facta, sed usque sancta, quia singula intus ac in sinu spiritualia sunt.
[2] Describitur per illa instauratio Ecclesiae Antiquissimae, quae fuit omnium praestantissima in hac tellure; ejus instauratio per "creationem caeli et terrae", ejus intelligentia et sapientia per "hortum in Edene", et ejus decrescentia et lapsus per "esum ex arbore scientiae." Inde patet quod per "Hominem", qui vocatus est "Adam et Chavah", intelligatur illa ecclesia; nam dicitur, "Masculum et feminam creavit illos, et vocavit nomen illorum Homo": et quia ecclesia illa per utrumque intelligitur, sequitur quod per "masculum" intelligatur verum ejus et per "feminam" bonum ejus; ita quoque per "masculum" doctrina, et per "feminam" vita; quoniam doctrina veri est quoque doctrina amoris et charitatis, ita doctrina vitae, et vita boni est quoque vita amoris et charitatis, ita vita doctrinae, hoc est, vita secundum doctrinam. Haec duo intelliguntur per "masculum [et feminam] ", et simul sumpti ac conjugio conjuncti vocantur "Homo", et quoque faciunt ecclesiam, quae per "Hominem" (ut supra dictum est) intelligitur. Ideo quoque Adam dictus est ab humo; et "humus", ex receptione seminum, significat ecclesiam quoad vera doctrinae, "semina" enim in Verbo significant vera; et Chavah dicta est a vita,
"Quia futura est mater omnis viventis" (ut dicitur, Genesis 3:20).
Quod illae duae, nempe doctrina et vita, simul sumptae, et conjugio quasi conjunctae, dicantur "Homo", et quoque faciant ecclesiam, est quia homo est homo ex intellectu veri et ex voluntate boni; proinde ex doctrina vitae quia haec intellectus est, et ex vita doctrinae quia haec voluntatis est: simile est cum ecclesia; est enim ecclesia in homine, et est ipse homo.
[3] Quod illa duo, quae significantur per "masculum et feminam", non erunt duo, sed unum, docet Dominus apud Evangelistas,
"Jesus dixit, Nonne legistis quod is qui fecit ah initio creationis, masculum et feminam fecerit illos et erunt duo in carnem unam? Quare non amplius sunt duo sed una caro" (Matthaeus 19:4-6; Marcus 10:6 [, 8]):
haec quoque, prout singula Verbi, non solum naturaliter sed etiam spiritualiter intelligenda sunt; et si non etiam spiritualiter, nemo scit quid significat quod "masculus et femina", seu maritus et uxor, "non amplius sint duo, sed una caro" (ut quoque dicitur Genesis 2:24): per "masculum et feminam" in spirituali sensu significatur hic, ut supra, verum et bonum; proinde etiam doctrina veri, quae est doctrina vitae, et vita veri, quae est vita doctrinae; haec non duo erunt sed unum, quoniam verum non fit verum apud hominem absque bono vitae, nec bonum fit bonum apud aliquem absque vero doctrinae; nam bonum non fit bonum spirituale nisi per vera, ac bonum spirituale est bonum, non autem bonum naturale absque illo: quando illa unum sunt, tunc verum est boni, et bonum est veri; hoc unum intelligitur per "unam carnem": simile est cum doctrina et vita; hae quoque faciunt unum hominem ecclesiae quando doctrina vitae ac vita doctrinae apud illum conjunctae sunt; doctrina enim docet quomodo vivendum et faciendum, ac vita vivit illud et facit illud. Ex his quoque constare potest quod per "filium masculum" significetur doctrina amoris et charitatis, proinde doctrina vitae.
[4] Quoniam verum doctrinae seu doctrina veri significatur per "masculum", ideo lex lata est
Quod omnis masculus aperiens uterum, sanctum Jehovae esset (Exodus 13:12, 15; Deuteronomius 15:19; Luca 2:23);
ex conjugio enim veri et boni, quod in sensu spirituali intelligitur per conjugium viri et mulieris, ut supra dictum est, nascuntur vera et bona, quae inde in eo sensu significantur per "filios et filias", vera per "filios" et bona per "filias"; et quia omnis homo reformatur et regeneratur per vera, nam absque veris homo non scit quid et quale bonum est, ita non scit viam ad caelum, inde est quod verum, primo natum ex conjugio veri et boni, sanctificatum sit Jehovae; verum primo natum est quoque doctrina veri, nam id quod primum est, in sequentibus est omne, ita est omne verum, et omne verum est doctrina. At probe sciendum est quod per "primogenitum" significetur verum quod est boni charitatis, proinde bonum charitatis in sua forma et in suo quali, ita verum; nam forma boni et quale boni est verum: quod id per "primogenitum" significetur, est quia ex bono amoris, quod per "uterum" et "infantem" ibi significatur, non aliud potest nasci quam bonum charitatis; et hoc bonum non fit bonum nisi dum formatum et qualificatum est, ita nisi sit in forma, in qua suum quale habet; et forma ejus vocatur verum, sed usque est bonum in forma.
[5] Ex supradictis etiam constare potest quare mandatum est
Quod omnis masculus compareret tribus vicibus in anno ante faciem Domini Jehovae (Exod. 23 1
nempe in tribus festis, per quae significabatur omne regenerationis a primo ejus ad ultimum; et quia omne regenerationis fit per vera doctrinae facta vitae a Domino, ideo "omnes masculi", per quos significabantur vera, se sisterent Domino, ut ab Ipso lustrentur et dein ducantur: per "tres vices in anno" etiam significatur jugiter, et per "faciem Jehovae" Divinus Amor, ex quo homo ducitur: etiam id factum est quia per "Hierosolymam" significabatur ecclesia quoad doctrinam, et inde quoque doctrina ecclesiae.
[6] Quoniam "holocausta et sacrificia" significabant caelestia et spiritualia, "holocausta" caelestia, et "sacrificia" spiritualia, ideo lex lata erat,
Ut holocausta fierent ex masculis integris, vel ex grege vel ex armento: at sacrificia vel ex masculis vel ex femellis (Leviticus 1:2, 3; 3:1, 6):
causae erant quia caelestia sunt quae amoris in Dominum, ita conjugii boni et veri; at spiritualia sunt quae charitatis erga proximum, ita non conjugii, sed consanguinitatis veri cum bono; in consanguinitate sunt vera et bona sicut sorores et fratres, in conjugio autem sunt vera et bona sicut maritus et uxor; inde erat, quod holocausta essent "ex masculis integris", per quos significantur genuina vera ex Verbo, aut ex doctrina e Verbo, quae conjuncta erant bono amoris in Dominum, quod bonum per "altare" et ejus "ignem" significabatur: quod sacrificia fierent vel "ex masculis vel ex femellis", erat quia per "masculos" significabantur vera et per "femellas" bona, at non conjugio sed consanguinitate conjuncta; et quia utraque, sicut fratres et sorores, ex uno parente sunt, placuit cultus ex veris aeque ac ex bonis, hoc est, ex masculis aeque ac ex femellis.
[7] Quia omnis nutritio spiritualis fit ex veris quae a bono, ideo etiam lex lata est
Quod masculus inter sacerdotes ederet sancta (Levi 6:11, 2218, [29] ; cap. 7:6):
hoc statutum fuit quia per "masculos" significantur vera doctrinae, quae sunt doctrinalia (ut supra), et per "sacerdotes" bona amoris, quae sunt bona vitae, ac per "comessationes ex sanctis", quae erant Aharoni et filiis ejus, significabatur nutritio spiritualis.
[8] Apud Mosen,
Cum accederent "ad urbem ad oppugnandum illam, invitabis eam ad pacem"; si non acceptat, "percuties omnem masculum ejus ore gladii, at mulieres, infantes, bestias et... praedam assumes" (Deuteronomius 20:10-14):
causa quod omnis masculus in urbe, quae non acceptabat pacem, percuteretur ore gladii, non autem mulieres, infantes et bestiae, erat quia per "urbem" significatur doctrina, et per "urbem gentium in terra Canaane" doctrina falsi, similiter per "masculos" illius urbis; et per "non acceptare pacem" significatur non concordare cum veris et bonis ecclesiae, quae per "filios Israelis" significabantur: per "os gladii", quo percuterentur masculi, significatur verum destruens falsum: et quia falsa unice pugnant contra vera et bona, et ea destruunt, non autem mala absque falsis, ideo "mulieres", "infantes" et "bestiae", per quae apud gentes significabantur mala, non percutiebantur; mala enim per vera possunt domari, emendari, et reformari.
[9] Apud Jeremiam,
"Maledictus vir qui evangelizavit patri suo, dicendo, Natus est tibi filius masculus; laetificando laetificavit eum: sit vir hic sicut urbes quas evertit Jehovah" (20:15, 16):
haec de illis qui in ecclesia devastata sunt, in qua non nisi quam falsa regnant et acceptantur; inde per "Maledictus vir qui evangelizavit patri suo, dicendo, Natus est tibi masculus", significatur qui falsum agnoscit et declarat pro vero, ita doctrinam falsi pro doctrina veri: per "laetificando laetificavit" significatur acceptatio ex affectione falsi: "sit vir hic sicut urbes quas evertit Jehovah" significat quod sit sicut cum doctrinis quae ex meris falsis sunt, quas Dominus ab ecclesia exterminavit, et sicut urbes in gente Canaane destruxit; comparatio fit cum urbibus, quia "urbes" etiam significant doctrinas.
[10] Apud Ezechielem,
"Accepisti vasa ornatus tui ex auro meo, et ex argento meo, quod dederam tibi, et fecisti tibi imagines masculi, cum quibus scortareris" (16:17):
haec de "abominationibus Hierosolymae", per quas significantur falsificationes et adulterationes Verbi, quae factae per applicationes ad cupiditates amorum corporeorum et terrestrium: "vasa ornatus ex auro et ex argento Domini" significant cognitiones boni et veri, quae sunt bona et vera sensus litterae Verbi; illa dicuntur "vasa" quia in se continent vera et bona spiritualia, et "vasa ornatus" quia sunt apparentiae et sic formae interiorum; illa quae "ex auro" significant quae ex bono, et "ex argento" quae ex vero: "fecisti tibi imagines masculi, cum quibus scortareris", significat falsa apparentia sicut vera doctrinae, quae falsificata; "imagines masculi" sunt apparentiae veri, et tamen falsa, et "scortari" est falsificare.
[11] Apud Malachiam,
"Maledictus defraudans cujus in grege masculus, ac vovens et sacrificans corruptum Domino" (1:14):
per "masculum in grege" significatur genuinum verum doctrinae ex Verbo; per "corruptum" significatur falsificatum; ac per "vovere et sacrificare" significatur colere, ita ex falsificatis, quando scitur verum: quod cultus ille, quia fraudulentus, infernalis sit, significatur per "maledictus defraudans." Ex his et illis, quae de significatione "masculi" et de significatione "filii" ex Verbo ostensa sunt, constare potest quod per "filium masculum", quem "peperit mulier circumdata sole, et super cujus capite corona stellarum duodecim", significetur doctrina veri; ita doctrina amoris et charitatis pro ecclesia quae vocatur Nova Hierosolyma (de qua in cap. 21 hujus Libri).
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.