918# “说伸出锋利的镰刀来，收取地上的串串葡萄，因为她的葡萄完全熟了”表示从恶人当中收集善人，以及善人与恶人的分离必定发生，因为由于没有属灵良善，也就是没有仁爱而不再有任何信之真理了。这从“伸出镰刀来收取”、“串串”和“因为她的葡萄完全熟了”的含义清楚可知：“伸出镰刀来收取”是指从恶人当中收集善人，并把他们与恶人分离(参看AE911节)。“收取”(gather)在此与前面的“收割”(reap)具有相同的含义，但“收取”论及串串(果实)和葡萄，而“收割”论及庄稼；这两者都表示教会的毁灭和结束，而“庄稼”和“葡萄园”都表示教会；当教会被摧毁，从而结束时，善人被收集，并与恶人分离。在接下来的内容中会看到，“收取”(gather)进一步表示什么。“串串”是指信之良善及其真理(对此，我们稍后会提到)。“因为她的葡萄完全熟了”是指因为不再有任何仁之良善，因而因为教会已经走到尽头。由此可见，“伸出锋利的镰刀来，收取地上的串串葡萄，因为她的葡萄完全熟了”表示从恶人当中收集善人，以及善人与恶人分离必定发生，因为由于没有属灵良善，也就是没有仁爱而不再有任何信之良善或真理了。没有仁之良善，就没有信之真理，因为没有良善，真理不可能被赐下；事实上，真理从良善中获得自己的本质或生命。由此可知，没有良善或仁爱，就没有真理和对真理的信仰。
简要解释一下什么是仁爱，仁爱与属灵良善是一样的。仁爱或属灵良善就是实行良善，因为这是真理；也就是说，这就是实行真理，实行真理就是实行主在祂的圣言中所吩咐的。由此明显可知，仁爱就是属灵良善。当一个人实行良善，因为这是真理，或实行真理时，仁爱就变成道德良善，道德良善在外在形式上就像如今凡身为道德和文明人的人所行的良善。但却有这样一个区别：纯正的道德良善是来自属灵良善的良善，它是从这属灵良善发出的。因为属灵良善来自主，而道德良善来自人。因此，除非人所行的良善来自主，也就是说，经由人从主而来，否则它不是良善。做一件事的目的决定了这件事的品质。与属灵良善分离的道德良善将人，他的名誉、利益和快乐视为实行道德良善的目的；而属灵良善则将主、天堂和永生视为它的目的。说这些话是为了让人们知道，为何没有仁之良善，就没有信之真理；因此，没有这两者，教会就会荒废或毁灭，这是启示录在这里和接下来的经文中所论述的主题。没有仁爱，就没有信仰，这一点可见于小著《最后的审判》(33–39节)。
“串或挂”和“葡萄”表示仁之良善，这一点可从圣言中提到它们的经文明显看出来，如以下经文。耶利米书：
我必使他们全然灭绝；葡萄树上必没有葡萄，无花果树上必没有无花果，叶子也必枯干；我要把它们交给经过它们的人。(耶利米书8:13)
“葡萄树上没有葡萄”表示人里面没有属灵良善；“无花果树上没有无花果”表示人里面没有属世良善，“葡萄树”和“无花果树”表示教会方面的人，因而表示他里面的教会。不过，这一切可参看前面的解释(AE403b节)。
以赛亚书：我所亲爱的有葡萄园在油之子的角中，他刨挖园子，捡去石头，栽种上等的葡萄树，在它中间盖了一座塔楼，又在其中凿出压酒池；指望它结葡萄，反倒结了野葡萄。(以赛亚书5:1,2,4)所亲爱的所拥有的“葡萄园”表示建立在以色列人中间的属灵教会；“在油之子的角中”表示它拥有来自仁之良善的真理；“他刨挖园子，捡去石头”表示保护它免受虚假和邪恶伤害；“栽种上等的葡萄树”表示它拥有纯正的真理；“在它中间盖了一座塔楼”表示接受流注的内在事物，通过内在事物而有与天堂的交流；“又在其中凿出压酒池”表示真理从良善中产生；“指望它结葡萄，反倒结了野葡萄”表示希望来自仁之良善的真理结实，但却徒劳无功，因为有罪孽取代了良善。
弥迦书：我有祸了，我变得像夏天采摘果实，又像收获了葡萄所剩下的；没有一挂可吃的；我的灵魂渴望初熟的果子。圣者从地上灭亡，人间也没有正直的人；所有人都为血埋伏。(弥迦书7:1,2)“我有祸了，我变得像夏天采摘果实，又像收获了葡萄所剩下的”是指并描述了因教会中的良善和由此而来的真理荒废而悲伤。“没有一挂可吃的；我的灵魂渴望初熟的果子”表示不再有任何属灵良善，也不再有任何属世良善，而对主的敬拜来自属灵良善或属世良善；“圣者灭亡，人间也没有正直的人”表示不再有任何属灵真理或属世真理；“所有人都为血埋伏”表示圣言的真理和良善，因而教会的真理和良善都被虚假和邪恶摧毁了。
何西阿书：我遇见以色列如葡萄在旷野；我看见你们的列祖一开始如无花果树上的初熟果子。(何西阿书9:10)
这些话论及古教会及其建立。“以色列”在此是指古教会；“在旷野”和“一开始”表示它的最初状态；“葡萄”表示他们中间的属灵良善；“无花果树上的初熟果子”表示在属世人里面所产生的源于它的良善。“在旷野的以色列”和“一开始他们的列祖”在此是指古教会的人，而不是雅各的子孙。这一点明显可见于摩西五经：
他们的葡萄树出自所多玛的葡萄树，来自蛾摩拉的田园；他们的葡萄是苦胆葡萄，全挂都是苦的。(申命记32:32)
经上在此描述了雅各的子孙，就是他们在旷野的样子。“他们的葡萄树出自所多玛的葡萄树，来自蛾摩拉的田园”表示他们的宗教是地狱的，因为他们拜列族的神和偶像。“他们的葡萄是苦胆葡萄，全挂都是苦的”表示他们没有仁之良善，而是有仇恨，没有真理，而是有从仇恨中爆发出来的虚假。摩西五经：
犹大把驴驹拴在葡萄树上,把母驴的崽子拴在上好的葡萄树上；他在葡萄酒中洗了衣服,在葡萄血中洗了袍褂。(创世记49:11)
这些话就在父亲以色列对他儿子们的最后一次讲话中，在此是对犹大说的，犹大在至高意义上是指属天教会和圣言方面的主；“葡萄血”表示来自祂的神性良善的神性真理，在相对意义上表示仁之良善。不过，此处所说的这句话和其余的话可参看《属天的奥秘》(6375–6379节)中的解释。“葡萄血”和“酒”(申命记32:14)一样，也表示来自属灵良善的真理。
“葡萄”之所以表示仁之良善，是因为“葡萄园”表示属灵教会，“葡萄树”表示属灵教会的人；因此，“挂”或“串”和“葡萄”，也就是它的果实，表示构成属灵教会的良善，这些良善被称为属灵良善，还被称为仁之良善。由于所有真理都来自良善，就像所有的(葡萄)酒都来自葡萄，所以在圣言中，“(葡萄)酒”表示来自良善的真理(关于“酒”的这种含义，可参看AE220b,376节)。但严格来说，“挂”或“串”表示属灵良善或仁之良善的状态变化，因为在它们里面，许多葡萄依次串连在一起。别的地方会解释良善的状态变化是什么意思。
由于“迦南地”代表、因而表示教会，教会凭属灵良善而为一个教会，属灵良善是教会的标志，所以：
迦南地的探子从那里带来一挂异常大的葡萄，两个人用杠抬着。(民数记13:23,24)
这是“迦南地”所表示的教会的代表性标志。教会凭仁之良善而为一个教会，因为就本身而言，仁之良善就是源于对主之爱的良善；因此，它是这爱的一个结果。仁之良善是指出于对公义、诚实和正直的爱而在每项工作和每项职能中的公义、诚实和正直；这爱唯独来自主。
由于迄今为止，没有人知道“拿细耳人”代表什么，他戒除葡萄和酒，使头发长长表示什么，所以此处可以揭开这一切。关于他戒除葡萄和酒，经上说：
他要戒除清酒和烈酒；也不可喝清酒作的醋或烈酒作的醋，不可喝任何葡萄汁，也不可吃鲜葡萄或干葡萄；尽他作拿细耳的一切日子，他都不可吃葡萄树上的葡萄，自核至皮所作的物。(民数记6:3,4)
这是给拿细耳人的律法，直到他满了作拿细耳人的日子，因为那时，他代表在其最初状态方面的主。主的最初状态和每个人的一样，是一种感官状态。因为每个人首先都是感官的，后来变得属世和理性，然后变得属灵，最后如果第三层级在他里面打开，那么他就变得属天，就像第三层天堂的天使。人的感官层由“头发”来表示(对此，可参看AE66,555节)。由于感官层是人生命的最外在部分，一切能力都居于其中，所以拿细耳人拥有如此大的力量。一切能力都居于最外在的事物中，或居于终端，因而居于圣言的终端意义，也就是字义中，这就是“头发”所对应和表示的(可参看AE346,417,567,666,726节)。当主还是个孩童时，祂就拥有这种能力，祂凭这种能力战胜并征服最可怕的地狱，在那里，所有人都是感官的。主的这种状态由拿细耳人“满了日子”来代表，当这些日子满了时，主就从感官和属世神性进入属灵和属天神性。由于“葡萄”和“酒”表示这种状态及其良善和真理，所以拿细耳人不可吃葡萄，或喝酒，直到他满了这些日子。以后他是可以的，这一点从民数记6:20明显看出来，在那里，经上说：“然后拿细耳人可以喝酒。”
日子满了之后：拿细耳人要剃头，把头发放在平安祭下的火上。(民数记6:18)这代表此时来自属天神性的新感官层，因为后来拿细耳人长出新头发。
这也代表主从终端神性真理，也就是字义，进入内在神性真理，也就是内义上的圣言，甚至直达那里的至高层。当主在世时，祂就是圣言，因为祂是神性真理，并且随着祂长大，逐渐越发内在，甚至直达至高层，这至高层就是纯粹的神性，完全在天使的感知之上。要知道，当主在世时，从婴孩直到世上的最后一日，祂逐渐发展，直到与自成孕时就在祂里面的神性本身合一(关于这种逐渐发展，可参看《属天的奥秘》，1864,2033,2632,3141,4585,7014,10076节)。这清楚表明，拿细耳人不可吃葡萄上的任何东西，或喝任何酒，直到他作拿细耳人的日子满了代表什么。
918. Saying, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the vintage of the clusters of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe. That this signifies that the collecting and separation of the good from the evil may take place, because there are no longer any truths of faith, since there is no spiritual good, which is charity, is evident from the signification of thrusting in the sharp sickle and gathering the vintage, as denoting to collect the good and to separate them from the evil (concerning which see above, n. 911). The same is here signified by gathering the vintage as above by reaping. But gathering the vintage is spoken of, because it relates to clusters and grapes; and reaping is spoken of because it relates to the harvest; and by each is signified to devastate and make an end of the church, which is signified both by the harvest and vintage. And when the church is devastated, and thereby brought to its end, then the good are collected and separated from the evil. What is further signified by gathering the vintage, will be seen in what follows; and from the signification of clusters, as denoting the goods of faith and the truths therefrom, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of, for her grapes are fully ripe, as denoting, because there are no longer any goods of charity, thus because it is the end of the church. From these things it is evident that by, Thrust in thy sharp sickle, and gather the clusters of the vintage of the earth; for her grapes are fully ripe, is signified that the collecting and separation of the good from the evil may take place, because there are no longer any goods and truths of faith, since there is no spiritual good, which is charity. The reason why there are no truths of faith is that there is no good of charity, and that truth is not possible without good; for truth derives its essence or its life from good. Whence it follows that truths and the faith thereof have no existence, if there is no good or charity.
[2] What charity is, which is the same as spiritual good, shall be briefly explained. Charity, or spiritual good, consists in doing good because it is truth; that is, it is to do truth. And to do truth is to do those things which the Lord has commanded in His Word. It is evident, therefore, that charity is spiritual good. And when a man does good because it is truth, or does truth, then charity becomes moral good, which, in the external form, is like the good that is done at this day with every man who is a moral and civil man. But there is this difference, that genuine moral good is good from the spiritual good from which it proceeds. For spiritual good is from the Lord, but moral good is from man. Therefore, unless the good from man is from the Lord, that is, through man from the Lord, it is not good. The end for the sake of which [a thing is done], declares its quality. Moral good separated from spiritual good, regards man, his honour, profit, and pleasure, as the end for which it is done. But moral good from spiritual good has regard to the Lord, heaven, and eternal life, as the end. These things are said, in order that it may be known, why it is that there is no truth of faith where there is no good of charity; consequently, that where these two do not exist, the church is devastated; this is the subject treated of here and in what now follows in the Apocalypse. That there is no faith where there is no charity, may be seen also in the small work concerning the Last Judgment 33-39).
[3] That clusters and grapes signify the good of charity, is evident from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned, as in the following.
In Jeremiah:
"Consuming I will consume them; there shall be no grapes on the vine, neither figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf shall fall off; and I will give them to those who pass by over them" (403).
[4] In Isaiah:
"My beloved had a vineyard in the horn of a son of oil, which he fenced about, and gathered out the stones thereof; and he planted it with a noble vine, and built a tower in the midst of it; also he hewed out a wine-press in it, and he waited for it to bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes" (5:1, 2, 4).
By the vineyard of the beloved, is signified the spiritual church, which was instituted with the sons of Israel. In the horn of a son of oil, signifies, which had truths from the good of charity. Which he fenced about, and gathered out the stones, signifies the guarding it from falsities and evils. He planted it with a noble vine, signifies that it was gifted with genuine truths. He built a tower in the midst of it, signifies the interior things, which receive influx, and by which there is communication with heaven. Also he hewed out a wine-press in it, signifies the production of truth from good. And he waited for it to bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes, signifies the hope of the fructification of those things from the good of charity; but in vain, because there was iniquity in the place of good.
[5] In Micah:
"Woe is me, I am become as the gatherings of the summer, as the gleanings of the vintage; not a cluster to eat; my soul desireth the first-fruits. The holy one has perished from the earth, and the upright one amongst men; all lie in wait for bloods" (7:1, 2).
Grief because of the vastation of good and the truth therefrom in the church, is meant and described by, Woe is me, I am become as the gatherings of the summer, as the gleanings of the vintage. That there is no longer any spiritual good, nor natural good, from which the Lord is worshipped, is signified by, there is no cluster to eat, my soul desireth the first-fruits. That there is no longer spiritual or natural truth, is signified by the holy one has perished, and the upright one amongst men. That the truths and goods of the Word, and thence of the Church, are destroyed by falsities and evils, is signified by, all lie in wait for bloods.
[6] In Hosea:
"I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; as the first-fruit on the fig-tree in the beginning. I saw your fathers" (9:10).
These things are said concerning the Ancient Church, and its establishment. That church is here meant by Israel; its first state by, in the wilderness, and in the beginning; and the spiritual good with them, by grapes; and the good therefrom arising in the natural man, by the first-fruit in the fig-tree. That the men of the Ancient Church are there meant by Israel in the wilderness, and by their fathers in the beginning, and not the sons of Jacob, is evident in Moses:
[7] "Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, clusters of bitterness to them" (Deuteronomy 32:32).
Here the sons of Jacob are described, such as they were in the wilderness. That religion with them was infernal, because they worshipped the gods and idols of the nations, is signified by their vine being of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah. That instead of the goods of charity, they were given to hatred and to the falsities breaking forth therefrom, instead of truths. This is signified by, their grapes are grapes of gall, clusters of bitterness to them.
[8] In Moses:
"He tieth to the vine his ass, and to the choice vine the son of his she-ass; he washeth his garment in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes" (Arcana Coelestia 6375-6379).
[9] By the blood of the grapes is also signified truth from spiritual good, the same as by wine (also 219, 376). But by clusters or bunches are properly signified the variations of the state of spiritual good, or of the good of charity, because in them many grapes cohere in series. But what is meant by variations of the state of good will be explained elsewhere.
[10] Because the land of Canaan represented and thence signified the church, and the church being a church from spiritual good - for this is the mark of the church, therefore
those who went to explore that land brought from it a cluster of grapes of a remarkable size, which was carried on a staff by two (Numbers 13:23, 24).
This was a representative sign of the church signified by the land of Canaan. The reason why the church is a church from the good of charity is, that this good, strictly considered, is the good of life arising from love to the Lord; consequently, it is the effect of that love. By the good of charity is meant justice, sincerity, and uprightness in every work and in every function, from the love of justice, sincerity, and uprightness; this love comes solely from the Lord.
[11] Because it has been hitherto unknown, what was represented by the Nazarite, and what was signified by his abstaining from grapes and from wine, and by making the hair of his head to grow, it is permitted here to make it known. Concerning his abstinence from grapes and from wine it is thus written:
"He shall abstain from wine and strong drink, vinegar of wine and vinegar of strong drink he shall not drink, yea, he shall not drink any bruising of grapes; the grapes also either fresh or dry he shall not eat. All the days of his Nazariteship, he shall not eat anything that is made of the grape of the vine, from the kernels even to the skin" (66, 555). And because the Sensual is the most external of man's life, where all power resides, therefore the Nazarites had such great strength. That all power resides in the extremes or ultimates, consequently, in the ultimate sense of the Word, this being the sense of the letter, which also corresponds to and signifies hair, may be seen above (n. 340, 417, 567, 666, 726). Such power pertained to the Lord in His childhood, by which He overcame and subjugated the most direful hells, where all are sensual.
This state of the Lord was represented by the days of fulfilment with the Nazarites, which being fulfilled, the Lord entered from the sensual and natural into the spiritual and celestial Divine. Now because that state, together with its good and truth, is signified by grapes and wine, therefore it was not lawful for the Nazarite to eat grapes and drink wine, before he had fulfilled those days.
[12] That afterwards it was lawful for him is evident from the twentieth verse of that chapter, where it is said,
"And after that the Nazarite may drink wine."
That at the end of the days of fulfilment,
he should shave his head, and put the hair of his head upon the fire, which was under the sacrifice of the peace offerings (ver. 18),
represented the sensual, then new, from the celestial Divine; for new hair grew afterwards upon the Nazarite. This also represented that the Lord from ultimate Divine truth, which is the sense of the letter, entered into interior Divine truth, which is the Word in the internal sense, even to the highest there. For the Lord, while He was in the world, was the Word, because He was the Divine truth, and that more interiorly by degrees, as He grew up, even to the highest, which is purely Divine, entirely above the perceptions of the angels.
It must be known that the Lord, during His abode in the world, from infancy to the last day there, successively advanced to union with the very Divine that was in Him from conception (concerning this successive progression see the Arcana Coelestia 1864, 2033, 2632, 3141, 4585, 7014, 10076). From these considerations it is evident, what was represented by its not being granted to the Nazarite to eat anything of the grape, nor to drink anything of wine, before the fulfilment of the days of his Nazariteship.
918. Saying, Send thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripened, signifies that the collection and the separation of the good from the evil must take place, since there are no longer any truths of faith because there is no spiritual good, which is charity. This is evident from the signification of "sending the sharp sickle and gathering," as being to collect the good and to separate them from the evil (See above, n. 911). "To gather" has here the same signification as "to reap" above, but "to gather" has reference to clusters and grapes, and "to reap" has reference to the harvest; and both signify to devastate and make an end of the church, which is signified both by "harvest" and "vineyard;" and when the church is devastated, and thus brought to an end, the good are collected and separated from the evil. What is further signified by "gathering" will be seen in what follows. The above is evident also from the signification of "clusters," as being the goods of faith and their truths (of which presently). Also from the signification of "for her grapes are fully ripened," as being, because there are no longer any goods of charity, thus because the church is at its end. From all this it can be seen that "send thy sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripened," signifies that the collection and the separation of the good from the evil must take place, since there are no longer any goods or truths of faith because there is no spiritual good, which is charity. There are no truths of faith when there is no good of charity, because truth is not given without good, since truth derives its essence or its life from good; from which it follows that there are no truths and no faith in truths when there is no good or charity.
[2] What charity is, which is the same as spiritual good, shall be told briefly. Charity or spiritual good is to do good because it is true; thus it is to do truth, and to do truth is to do what the Lord has commanded in His Word. This shows that charity is spiritual good. And when a man does what is good because it is true, that is, does what is true, charity becomes moral good; and this is similar in external form to the good that every man who is a moral and civil man does at the present day, but with this difference, that genuine moral good is good from the spiritual good from which it proceeds. For spiritual good is from the Lord, but moral good is from man, consequently unless the good that man does is from the Lord, that is, through man from the Lord, it is not good, the end for the sake of which it is done determines its quality. Moral good separated from spiritual good has regard to man, his honor, gain, and pleasure, as the end for which it is done; while moral good from spiritual good has regard to the Lord, heaven, and eternal life, as its end. This has been said to make known why there is no truth of faith where there is no good of charity; consequently where these two are not, the church is laid waste, which is the subject treated of here and in what now follows in Revelation. (That there is no faith where there is no charity can be seen in the small work on The Last Judgment 33-39.)
[3] That "clusters" and "grapes" signify the good of charity can be seen from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned, as in the following. In Jeremiah:
In consuming I will consume them; there shall be no grapes on the vine, neither figs on the fig-tree, and the leaf shall fade; and I will give them to those who pass over them (403.
[4] In Isaiah:
My beloved had a vineyard in the horn of a son of oil, which he fenced, and gathered out the stones, and planted it with a noble vine, and built a tower in the midst of it, and also hewed out a wine-press in it; and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes (Isaiah 5:1, 2, 4).
The "vineyard" that the beloved had signifies the spiritual church which was instituted with the sons of Israel; "in the horn of a son of oil" signifies that it had truths from the good of charity; "which he fenced, and gathered out the stones," signifies that it was protected from falsities and evils; "he planted it with a noble vine" signifies that it had genuine truths; "he built a tower in the midst of it" signifies the interior things that receive influx, and through which there is communication with heaven; "he also hewed out a wine-press in it" signifies bringing forth truth from good; "and he looked that it should bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes," signifies a hope of the fructification of truths from the good of charity, but in vain, because there was iniquity in the place of good.
[5] In Micah:
Woe is me, I am become as the gatherings of the summer, as the gleanings of the vintage; there is no cluster to eat; my soul desireth the first ripe fruit. The holy one has perished from the earth, and the upright one among men; all lie in wait for bloods (Micah 7:1, 2).
Grief because of the vastation of good and of truth therefrom in the church is meant and described by "Woe is me, I am become as the gatherings of the summer, as the gleanings of the vintage." That there is no longer any spiritual good or natural good from which the Lord is worshiped is signified by "there is no cluster to eat; my soul desireth the first ripe fruit;" that there is no longer any spiritual or natural truth is signified by "the holy one has perished, and the upright one among men;" that the truths and goods of the Word and thus of the church are destroyed by falsities and evils is signified by "all lie in wait for bloods."
[6] In Hosea:
I found Israel like grapes in the desert; I saw your fathers like the first ripe fruit on a fig-tree in its beginning (Hosea 9:10).
This is said of the Ancient Church, and its establishment. That church is here meant by "Israel;" its first state by "in the desert," and "in the beginning;" and the spiritual good with them by "grapes;" and the good springing from it in the natural man by "the first ripe fruit on the fig-tree."
[7] That the men of the Ancient Church, and not the sons of Jacob, are here meant by "Israel in the desert," and by "their fathers in the beginning," is evident in Moses:
Their vine was of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes were grapes of gall, their clusters were of bitternesses (Deuteronomy 32:32).
Here the sons of Jacob, such as they were in the desert, are described. That their religion was infernal, because they worshiped the gods and idols of the nations, is signified by "their vine was of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah." That instead of the goods of charity they had hatred, and falsities breaking forth therefrom instead of truths, is signified by "their grapes were grapes of gall, their clusters were of bitternesses."
[8] In Moses:
He bindeth his foal to the vine, and the son of his she-ass unto the choice vine; he washeth his garment in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes (Genesis 49:11).
This is in the last address of the father Israel to his sons; this was said to Judah, by whom is meant in the highest sense the Lord as to the celestial church and as to the Word; and the "blood of grapes" signifies the Divine truth from His Divine good, and in the relative sense the good of charity. (But this and the other things here said may be seen explained in Deuteronomy 32:14).
[9] The "grapes" signify the good of charity because a "vineyard" signifies the spiritual church, and "vine" the man of that church; and therefore "clusters" or "bunches," and "grapes," which are its fruits, signify the goods which make that church, which are called spiritual goods and also goods of charity. And as all truth is from good, as all wine is from grapes, so "wine" signifies in the Word truth from good. (On this signification of "wine" see above, n. 220, 376) But "clusters" or "bunches" signify strictly the variations of the state of spiritual good, or of the good of charity, because in them many grapes are connected together in order. What is meant by variations of the state of good will be told elsewhere.
[10] As "the land of Canaan" represented and thus signified the church, and the church is a church from spiritual good, for this is the mark of the church, therefore:
The explorers of that land brought back a cluster of grapes of a remarkable size, carried on a pole by two (Numbers 13:23, 24).
This was a representative sign of the church that was signified by "the land of Canaan." The church is a church from the good of charity because that good regarded in itself is the good of life arising from love to the Lord; consequently it is an effect of that love. The good of charity means justice, sincerity, and uprightness in every work and in every function from a love of justice, sincerity, and uprightness, which love is solely from the Lord.
[11] As it has not heretofore been known what was represented by the "Nazirite," and what was signified by his abstaining from grapes and from wine, and making the hair of his head to grow, it may be disclosed here. Of his abstinence from grapes and from wine it is said:
He shall abstain from wine and strong drink, he shall drink no vinegar of wine or vinegar of strong drink, yea, he shall not drink any maceration of grapes, nor eat fresh grapes or dried; all the days of his Naziriteship he shall eat nothing that is made of the grape of the vine, from the kernels even to the skin (66, 555). And as the sensual is the most external part of man's life, and in that all power resides, therefore the Nazirites had so great strength. That all power resides in the most external or ultimate things, consequently in the ultimate sense of the Word, which is the sense of the letter, and that this is what "hair" corresponds to and signifies, may be seen above (n. 346, 417, 567, 666, 726). Such power the Lord had when He was a boy, and by it He conquered and subjugated the most direful hells, where all are sensual. This state of the Lord was represented by "the days of fulfillment" with the Nazirites, and when these were fulfilled the Lord entered from the sensual and natural into the spiritual and celestial Divine. Now as that state, with its good and truth, is signified by "grapes" and "wine," it was not lawful for the Nazirite to eat grapes or to drink wine until he had fulfilled those days. That it was lawful for him afterwards is evident from the twentieth verse of that chapter, where it is said, "And after that the Nazirite may drink wine."
[12] At the end of the days of fulfillment:
He should shave his head, and put the hair of his head on the fire that was under the sacrifice of peace-offerings (Arcana Coelestia 1864, 2033, 2632, 3141, 4585, 7014, 10076.) This makes clear what was represented by the Nazirite not being allowed to eat anything from the grape, or to drink any kind of wine, until the days of his Naziriteship were fulfilled.
918. "Dicens, Mitte tuam falcem acutam, et vindemia botros terrae, quia maturuerunt uvae ejus." Quod significet quod collectio et separatio bonorum a malis fiet, quia non amplius sunt vera fidei, ex causa quia non bonum spirituale, quod est charitas, constat ex significatione "mittere falcem acutam, ac videmiare", quod sit colligere bonos et separare illos a malis (de qua supra, n. 911); (simile per "vindemiare" hic significatur quod supra per "metere", sed "vindemiare" dicitur quia de botris et uvis, et "metere" quia de messe, et per utrumque significatur devastare et finire ecclesiam, quae tam per "messem" quam per "vineam" significatur; et cum ecclesia devastata est et sic finita, tunc fit collectio bonorum, et separatio illorum a malis; quid porro per "vindemiare" significatur, videbitur in sequentibus;) ex significatione "botrorum", quod sint bona et inde vera fidei (de qua sequitur); et ex significatione "quia maturuerunt uvae ejus", quod sit quia non amplius bona charitatis, ita quia finis ecclesiae est: ex his constare potest quod per "Mitte falcem tuam acutam, et vindemia botros terrae, quia maturuerunt uvae ejus", significetur quod collectio et separatio bonorum a malis fiet, quia non amplius bona et vera fidei, ex causa quia non bonum spirituale, quod est charitas.
[2] Quod non vera fidei sint, quia non bonum charitatis, est quia verum non datur absque bono; nam verum trahit suam essentiam seu suam vitam a bono; inde sequitur quod non vera et eorum fides sint, si non bonum seu charitas. Quid charitas, quae idem est cum bono spirituali, paucis dicetur: charitas, seu bonum spirituale, est facere bonum quia verum est, ita est facere verum; ac facere verum est facere illa quae mandata sunt a Domino in Ipsius Verbo; inde patet quod charitas sit bonum spirituale; et cum homo facit bonum quia verum est, seu facit verum, tunc charitas fit bonum morale, quod in externa forma est simile bono, quod apud omnem hominem, qui moralis et civilis homo est, hodie fit; sed differentia est quod bonum morale genuinum sit bonum ex bono spirituali, a quo illud procedit; bonum spirituale enim est ex Domino, at bonum morale est ex homine; quare nisi bonum ex homine sit ex Domino, ita per hominem a Domino, non est bonum; finis propter quem declarat quale est: bonum morale separatum a bono spirituali spectat hominem, ejus honorem, lucrum et voluptatem, ut fines propter quos; at bonum morale ex bono spirituali spectat Dominum, caelum, et vitam aeternam pro fine. Haec dicta sunt ut sciatur unde est quod non verum fidei sit ubi non bonum charitatis; consequenter, quod ubi illa duo non sunt ecclesia devastata sit, de qua re hic et in nunc sequentibus in Apocalypsi agitur. (Quod non fides sit ubi non charitas, videatur in opusculo De Ultimo Judicio 33-39.)
[3] Quod "botrus "et "uva" significent bonum charitatis, constare potest a locis in Verbo ubi nominantur, ut in sequentibus: Apud Jeremiam,
"Consumendo consumam eos, ..non uvae in vite, neque ficus in ficu, et folium defluens, et dabo illis qui transeunt super illos" (8:13):
"non uvae in vite", significat quod non bonum spirituale apud hominem; "non ficus in ficu", significat quod non bonum naturale apud illum; "vitis" et "ficus" significant hominem quoad ecclesiam, ita ecclesiam apud illum; sed haec videantur supra (n. 403 [b]) explicata.
[4] Apud Esaiam,
"Vinea fuit dilecto meo in cornu filii olei; quam circumdedit et elapidavit eam, et plantavit eam vite nobili, ac aedificavit turrim in medio ejus, etiam torcular excidit in ea, et exspectavit ut faceret uvas, sed fecit labruscas" (5:1, 2, 4):
per "vineam" quae fuit dilecto, significatur ecclesia spiritualis, quae apud filios Israelis instituta fuit; "in cornu filii olei", significat cui fuerunt vera ex bono charitatis; "quam circumdedit et elapidavit", significat custoditam a falsis et malis; "plantavit vite nobili", significat cui vera genuina; "aedificavit turrim in medio ejus", significat interiora in quae influxus et per quae communicatio cum caelo; "etiam torcular excidit in ea", significat productionem veri ex bono: "exspectavit ut faceret uvas, sed fecit labruscas", significat spem fructificationis illorum ex bono charitatis, sed incassum, quia iniquum loco boni.
[5] Apud Micham,
"Vae mihi, ..factus sum sicut collectiones aestatis, sicut racemationes vindemiae, non botrus ad comedendum, primitivum desiderat anima mea; periit sanctus e terra, et rectus inter homines [non] ; omnes sanguinibus insidiantur" (7:1, 2):
dolor propter vastationem boni et inde veri in ecclesia intelligitur et describitur per "Vae mihi, factus sum sicut collectiones aestatis, sicut racemationes vindemiae"; quod non bonum spirituale, nec bonum naturale amplius, ex quibus colatur Dominus, significatur per quod "non botrus ad comedendum, primitivum desiderat anima mea"; quod non amplius verum spirituale, nec naturale, significatur per "Periit sanctus, et rectus inter homines non"; quod vera et bona Verbi, et inde ecclesiae, destruantur per falsa et mala, significatur per "Omnes sanguinibus insidiantur."
[6] Apud Hoscheam,
"Sicut uvas in deserto inveni Israelem, sicut primitivum in ficu in initio ejus vidi patres vestros" (9:10):
haec de Ecclesia Antiqua, et de ejus instauratione; illa ecclesia hic intelligitur per "Israelem", primus ejus status intelligitur per "in deserto" ac "in initio", ac bonum spirituaie quod apud illos per "uvas"; ac bonum inde oriundum in naturali homine per "primitivum in ficu."
[7] Quod homines Antiquae Ecclesiae ibi per "Israelem in deserto" ac per "patres in initio" intelligantur, et non filii Jacobi, constat apud Mosen,
"De vite sodomae vitis eorum, et de agris Gomorrhae; uvae 1
eorum uvae fellis, botri amaritudinum illis" (Deuteronomius 32:32):
hic filii Jacobi, quales fuerunt in deserto, describuntur; quod apud illos religio infernalis fuerit, quia gentium deos et idola coluerunt, significatur per quod "vitis Sodomae fuerit vitis eorum, et de agris Gomorrhae"; quod pro bonis charitatis illis fuerint odia, ac pro veris falsa inde erumpentia, significatur per quod "uvae eorum uvae fellis, botri amaritudinum illis."
[8] Apud Mosen,
"Alligat ad vitem asellum suum, et ad vitem praestantem filium asinae suae, lavat in vino vestimentum suum, et in sanguine uvarum velamen suum" (Genesis 49:11):
haec in ultimo sermone Israelis patris ad filios suos; hic ad Jehudam, per quem in sensu supremo intelligitur Dominus quoad ecclesiam caelestem et quoad Verbum; et per "sanguinem uvarum" significatur Divinum Verum ex Divino Bono Ipsius, et in sensu respectivo bonum charitatis. (Sed haec et reliqua, in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 6375-6379, explicata videantur.)
Per "sanguinem uvarum", verum ex bono spirituali, simile quod per "vinum", significatur etiam Deuteronomius 32:14.
[9] Quod "uvae" significent bonum charitatis, est quia per "vineam" significatur ecclesia spiritualis, et per "vitem" homo illius ecclesiae; ideo per "botros" seu " racemos", et per "uvas", quae sunt fructus, significantur bona quae faciunt illam ecclesiam, quae bona vocantur bona spiritualia, et quoque bona charitatis; et quia ex bono omne verum est, sicut ex uvis omne vinum, ideo per "vinum" in Verbo significatur verum ex bono (de qua "vini" significatione videatur supra, n. 2
220 [b] , 376). Per "botros" autem seu "racemos" proprie significantur variationes status boni spiritualis seu boni charitatis, quia in illis plures uvae in serie cohaerent; quid autem per variationes status boni intelligitur, alibi dicetur.
[10] Quoniam per terram Canaanem repraesentabatur et inde significabatur ecclesia, et ecclesia est ecclesia ex bono spirituali, hoc enim est character ecclesiae, ideo
Exploratores ex terra illa retulerunt botrum uvarum magnitudine insigni, portatum in vecte per duos (Numeri 13:23, 24):
hoc signum repraesentativum ecclesiae, per "terram Canaanem" [significatae] , fuit. Quod ecclesia sit ecclesia ex bono charitatis, est quia hoc bonum in se spectatum est bonum vitae oriundum ex amore in Dominum, consequenter est effectus amoris illius. Per bonum charitatis intelligitur justum, sincerum et rectum in omni opere et in omni functione, ex amore justi, sinceri et recti; qui amor unice est a Domino.
[11] Quoniam adhuc ignotum est quid repraesentabatur per Naziraeum, et quid significabatur per quod abstineret ab uvis et a vino, et quod crescere faceret comam capitis sui, licet illud hic detegere. De abstinentia ab uvis et a vino ita legitur,
"A vino et sicera abstinebit se, acetum vini et acetum sicerae non bibet, immo omnem macerationem uvarum non bibet: uvas quoque recentes aut aridas non comedet: omnibus diebus naziraeatus sui, ab omni quod ex uva fit vini, ab acinis usque ad cutem, non comedet" (Numeri 6:3, 4):
haec lex fuit Naziraeo, antequam impleverat dies naziraeatus sui, quia tunc repraesentabat Dominum quoad primum Ipsius statum: primus status fuit Domino, sicut est omni homini, quod fuerit sensualis; omnis enim homo primum est sensualis, postea fit naturalis et rationalis, dein spiritualis, et demum, si tertius gradus apud illum aperitur, fit caelestis, qualis est angelus tertii caeli. Sensuale hominis significatur per "crinem capitis" (videatur supra, n. 66, 555). Et quia sensuale est extremum vitae hominis, ac in extremo residet omnis potentia, ideo Naziraeis fuit tantum robur. Quod in extremis seu ultimis resideat omnis potentia, consequenter in sensu ultimo Verbi, qui est sensus litterae, qui etiam comae correspondet et illam significat, videatur supra (n. 346, 417, 567, 666, 726). Talis potentia fuit Domino cum fuit puer, qua devicit et subjugavit inferna dirissima, ubi omnes sensuales sunt. Hic status Domini repraesentabatur per dies impletionis apud Naziraeos, quibus impletis intravit Dominus a sensuali et naturali in Divinum spirituale et caeleste. Nunc quia ille status ac ejus bonum et verum significatur per "uvas et per "vinum", ideo non licitum fuit Naziraeo comedere uvas et bibere vinum antequam impleverat illos dies; quod postea ei licitum fuerit, patet ex versu 20 illius capitis, ubi dicitur, "Deinceps bibet Naziraeus vinum."
[12] Quod in fine dierum impletionis
Tonderet caput, et daret crinem capitis super ignem qui sub sacrificio pacificorum (vers. 18),
repraesentabat sensuale tunc novum ex Divino caelesti, novus enim crinis postea Naziraeo crevit: et quoque repraesentabat quod Dominus ex Divino Vero ultimo, quod est sensus litterae, intraverit in Divinum Verum interius, quod est Verbum in sensu interno, usque ad supremum ibi: nam Dominus, dum in mundo erat, fuit Verbum, quia Divinum Verum, ac illud interius per gradus sicut adolevit, usque ad supremum ejus, quod est pure Divinum, prorsus supra angelorum perceptiones. Sciendum est quod Dominus, dum fuit in mundo, ab infantia usque ad ultimum diem ibi, successive progressus sit ad unionem cum ipso Divino, quod in Ipso fuit ex conceptione. (De qua successiva progressione videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 1864, 2033, 2632, 3141, 4585, 7014, 10076.) Ex his constare potest quid repraesentabat, quod Naziraeo non concessum fuerit comedere aliquid ex uva, nec bibere aliquid ex vino, ante impletionem dierum naziraeatus sui.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.