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122. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison. That this signifies that those who are in falsities from evil will attempt to deprive them of all truths from the Word, is evident from the signification of casting into prison, when said of those who are in the spiritual affection of truth, as being to attempt to deprive them of truths from the Word (concerning which we shall speak presently), and from the signification of the devil, as being the hells which are in evil and thence in falsities (concerning which see above, n. 120). The reason why to cast into prison, when said of those who are in the spiritual affection of truth, denotes to attempt to deprive them of truths from the Word is, because truths are in prison, as it were, when falsities break in; and so long as the latter are under the mind's view, truths cannot be seen, still less can they be set at liberty. Those who are in the spiritual affection of truth, that is, those who love truths because they are truths, are detained in such a prison as often as they do not understand the Word, and yet wish to understand it; the falsities which imprison them, rise up out of hell into the natural man, when the delights of the love of self and of the world rule there; for these delights are the origin of all evils and falsities therefrom (see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 65-83).
[2] This is what is meant in the spiritual sense by being cast by the devil into prison; for by the devil is meant hell, and from hell proceeds all evil; and it's influx is into the natural man, and not into the spiritual; therefore it thus affects all those who are in the delights of those loves, and subjects them to itself, and makes them its crew; for all who are in the hells are in evils and thence in falsities from the loves of self and of the world (see the work, Heaven and Hell 551-565); but that the delights of those loves are changed into corresponding things (the nature of which may be seen also in the same work, n. 485-490). This casting into prison by the devil is described in the Word, where it is said that the Jews and the wicked would persecute the disciples of the Lord, evil entreat, and kill them. For by the Lord's disciples are meant all who are in truths from good, thus who are in truths from the Lord; and when these are meant by the Lord's disciples, in a sense apart from persons (which sense is the very spiritual sense of the Word), truths and goods themselves, which are from the Lord by means of His Word, are also meant. (That by the Lord's twelve disciples are meant all things of faith and love in the aggregate, thus all the truths and goods of the church, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397; that the Word in heaven is understood apart from persons, may be seen above, n. 99, 100.)
[3] He who knows that by the Lord's disciples are meant all those who are in truths from good from the Lord, and in an abstract sense, the truths themselves from good and that by their being cast into prison by the devil is meant the endeavour of those who are in falsities from evil to deprive them of truths, and, in the abstract, detention or imprisonment of truths by falsities, as said above, will be able to understand what is signified in each of these senses in the following passages:
"They shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to synagogues and into prisons, for my name's sake" (Luke 21:12).
(That for the Lord's name's sake signifies on account of the goods of love and the truths of faith, from Him, may be seen above, n. Matthew 24:9, 11).
"They will deliver you up to councils, to synagogues, and they will scourge you, for my sake" (Matthew 10:17, 18; Mark 13:9).
"Behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men and scribes; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify, and some of them ye shall scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city" (Matthew 23:34).
"There was a certain householder, which planted a vineyard, and let it out to husbandmen. And when the time of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, that they might receive the fruits of it. And the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants, and they did unto them likewise: last of all, he sent unto them his son. But when the husbandmen saw the son, they said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and let us seize on his inheritance. And they took him, and cast him out of the vineyard, and slew him" (Matthew 21:33-44).
"The wisdom of God said, I will send them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall slay and persecute" (Luke 11:49).
(That by prophets in the Word are meant those who teach truths, and, in an abstract sense, the doctrine of truth, may be seen, Matthew 5:11, 12).
"Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake; for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets" (Luke 6:22, 23).
[4] Similar to this is the signification of the words of the Lord to His disciples, in which He exhorts them to take up their cross and follow Him; as in the following passages:
"Jesus said unto his disciples, If any one will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me" (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34);
to deny one's-self, is to reject the evils which are from the proprium.
"Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple" (Luke 14:27).
Jesus said to the young man who was rich:
"One thing thou lackest; go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and come, take up the cross and follow me" (Mark 10:21).
By this is meant, in the spiritual sense, that he should reject the falsities of Jewish doctrine, should receive the doctrine of truth from the Lord, and undergo assaults and temptations from falsities. They therefore are deceived who believe that those who desire to follow the Lord should sell their goods, and suffer the cross. Because the Lord is Divine truth itself, which (in John 1:1, 2, 3, 14) is called the Word, therefore by the Lord's suffering Himself to be scourged and crucified is signified, that Divine truth which is in the Word was so treated by the Jews (that all things related concerning the passion of the Lord in the Evangelists, involve and signify that the Jews so treated Divine truth, may be seen above, n. John 15:20).
[5] That the Jews in particular are meant by the devil who should cast the disciples of the Lord into prison, and that, in general, all who call themselves Jews, and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan, are meant, according to what was adduced above, n. The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248; that by the bound in prison are signified those who are in falsities from evil, see Arcana Coelestia 4958, 5096: that to be bound in prison signifies to be held back and separated from truths, n. 5037, 5038, 5086, 5096; and also to be tempted, n. 5037, 5038.)
[6] The reason why the Jews were of such a character was, that they were influenced by the love of self and of the world more than any other nation; and such persons, when they read the Word, apply everything to their own loves, and especially the Jews because they are so often named. The case is similar with others who are in those loves, for the love which rules turns the mind of him who reads to those things only which favour it. For love is like a fire, which gives light to such things, whilst all other things are either passed by as if unseen, or they are considered from the point of view of a sinister explanation, and are thus falsified. Both the latter and the former infest those who are in the spiritual affection of truth, and are what is meant by the devil, who casts into prison those who belong to the Lord's church; for from these all falsities from the spiritual world flow into those who desire truths, and hold them as if they were bound in prison. The same are also meant by those concerning whom the Lord says,
"I was in prison, and ye visited me not" (Matthew 25:43).
122. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, signifies that those who are in falsities from evil will set about to deprive them of all truth from the Word. This is evident from the signification of "casting into prison," as being, in reference to those who are in the spiritual affection of truth, to endeavor and to set about to deprive them of truths from the Word (of which presently); and from the signification of the "devil," as being the hells which are in evil and in falsities therefrom (of which above, n. 120. "To cast into prison," in reference to those who are in the spiritual affection of truth, is to endeavor and to set about to deprive them of truths from the Word, for the reason that truths are, as it were, in prison or in confinement when falsities break in; and so long as falsities are under view, truths cannot appear, still less can they be set at liberty. Those that are in the spiritual affection of truth, who are those that love truths because they are truths, are held in such confinement whenever they do not understand the Word and yet wish to understand it; the falsities that imprison rise up from hell into the natural man when the delights of the love of self and the world have rule therein, for these delights are the origins of all evils and of the falsities therefrom (See The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 65-83).
[2] This is meant, in the spiritual sense, by "being cast by the devil into prison;" for as the devil is hell, and out of hell every evil arises, and as the influx from hell is into the natural man, and not into the spiritual, so the devil affects all who are in the delights of these loves, and subjects them to himself and makes them his crew; for all who are in the hells are in evils and the falsities thence from the loves of self and of the world (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 551-565; but that the delights of those loves are changed into correspondences, the character of which may be seen there, n. 485-490).
This casting into prison by the devil is described in the Word, where it is said that the Jews and the evil will persecute the Lord's disciples, and will evil entreat and kill them; for by the "disciples of the Lord" are meant all who are in truths from good, thus who are in truths from the Lord; and as these are meant by the Lord's disciples, so in a sense abstracted from persons, which is the spiritual sense itself of the Word, truths and goods themselves, which are from the Lord through His Word, are meant. (That by the Lord's twelve disciples all things of faith and love in the complex, thus all the truths and goods of the church, are meant, see Arcana Coelestia 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397; that the Word in heaven is understood in a sense abstracted from persons, see above, n. 99, 100.)
[3] When one knows that by the "disciples of the Lord" all those who are in truths from good from the Lord are meant, and in an abstract sense truths themselves from good; and that by their being "cast into prison by the devil" is meant the endeavor of those who are in falsities from evil to deprive them of truths, and in a sense abstracted from persons, the detention or imprisonment of truths by falsities, as described above, he can understand what is signified in each of these senses in the following passages:
They shall lay hands on you and shall persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and prisons, for My name's sake (Luke 21:12).
That "for the sake of the Lord's name" signifies for the sake of the goods of love and the truths of faith, from Him, see above n. Matthew 24:9, 11).
They will deliver you up to councils and to synagogues, and they will scourge you for My sake (Matthew 10:17, 18; Mark 13:9).
Behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes; and some of them ye shall kill and crucify, and some of them ye shall scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city (Matthew 23:34).
A man that was a householder planted a vineyard, and let it out to husbandmen. When the season of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the husbandmen, to receive the fruits of it. But the husbandmen took his servants, and beat one, and killed another, and stoned another. Again, he sent other servants, and they did unto them likewise. At length he sent unto them his son. But the husbandmen, when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and possess his inheritance. And they took him, and cast him forth out of the vineyard, and killed him (Matthew 21:33-44).
The wisdom of God said, I will send unto them prophets and apostles, and some of them they shall kill and persecute (Luke 11:49).
(That by "prophets" in the Word are meant those who teach truths, and in a sense abstracted from persons the doctrine of truth, see Matthew 5:10-12).
Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you, and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man's sake; for in the same manner did their fathers unto the prophets (Luke 6:22, 23).
[4] Similar to this is the signification of the words of the Lord, that they should follow Him and take up their cross; as in the following passages:
Jesus said unto His disciples, If anyone will come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34);
"to deny oneself" is to put away evils that are from proprium [the self-life].
Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after Me, cannot be My disciple (Luke 14:27).
Jesus said to the young man who was rich, One thing thou lackest; go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and come, follow Me, bearing the cross (Mark 10:21).
By this is meant, in the spiritual sense, that he should put away the falsities that were of the Jewish doctrine, and accept the doctrine of truth from the Lord, and should undergo assaults and temptations from falsities. Those, therefore, are deceived who believe that those who wish to follow the Lord are to sell their goods and suffer the cross. Since the Lord was Divine truth itself, which in John 1:1-3, 14, is called the "Word," the Lord's suffering Himself to be scourged and crucified signifies that Divine truth which is in the Word was so treated by the Jews. (That all things related of the Lord's passion in the Evangelists involve and signify that the Jews so treated Divine truth, see above, n. John 15:20).
[5] That the Jews in particular are meant by the "devil" who was to cast the disciples of the Lord into prisons, and that, in general, all that call themselves "Jews, and are not, but are a synagogue of satan," are meant (according to the passages cited above, n. The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248; that the "bound in prison" signify those who are in falsities from evil, see the Arcana Coelestia 4958, 5096; "to be overcome 1in prison" signifies to be detained and separated from truths, n. 5037, 5038, 5083, 5086, 5096; and also to be tempted, n. 5037, 5038.)
[6] The Jews were such as are here described because they were in the love of self and the world more than other nations; and persons of that character, when they read the Word, apply all things of the Word to their own loves; and especially the Jews, because they are so frequently mentioned. It is similar with others who are in these loves, for the love that is dominant turns the mind of him who reads to those things only that favor the love; for love is like a fire, which lights up the things that favor it, while the rest are either passed by as if not seen, or drawn over to one's side by perverse explanation and thus falsified. Both infest those who are in the spiritual affection of truth, and both are meant by the "devil" who "casts into prison" those who are of the Lord's church; from them, indeed, all falsities from the spiritual world flow into those that long for truths, and hold them as if bound in confinement. The same are meant by those of whom the Lord says:
I was in prison and ye visited Me not (Matthew 25:43).
Footnotes:
1. Some of the Latin editors read vinciri for vinci, "bound" for "overcome."
122. "Ecce futurum ut conjiciat ex vobis diabolus in custodiam." - Quod significet quod qui in falsis ex malo sunt aggressuri deprivare illos omni vero ex Verbo, constat ex significatione "conjicere in custodiam", cum de illis qui in affectione veri spirituali sunt, quod sit conari et aggredi deprivare veris ex Verbo (de qua sequitur); et ex significatione "diaboli", quod sint inferna quae sunt in malo et inde falsis (de qua supra, n. 120).
Quod "conjicere in custodiam", cum de illis qui in affectione veri spirituali sunt, sit conari et aggredi deprivare veris ex Verbo, est quia vera sunt sicut in custodia aut in carcere cum falsa irrumpunt; et quamdiu haec sub intuitione sunt, vera non possunt apparere, minus in libertatem emitti: illi qui in affectione veri spirituali sunt, qui sunt qui amant vera quia vera sunt, in tali carcere toties detinentur quoties non intelligunt Verbum, et tamen volunt intelligere; falsa quae captivant, exsurgunt ab inferno in naturalem hominem, quando dominantur ibi jucunda amoris sui et mundi, haec enim jucunda sunt origines omnium malorum et inde falsorum (videatur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 65-83).
[2] Hoc in spirituali sensu intelligitur per "conjici a diabolo in custodiam"; diabolus enim quia est infernum, et ex inferno omne malum exsurgit, et ejus influxus est in naturalem hominem et non in spiritualem, ideo afficit omnes qui in illorum amorum jucundis sunt, et hos sibi subjicit et facit turbam suam; nam omnes qui in infernis sunt, in malis et inde falsis ex amoribus sui et mundi sunt. (Videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 551-565: sed quod jucunda illorum amorum vertantur in correspondentia, quae qualia sunt, videatur etiam ibi, n. 485-490.) Haec conjectio in custodiam a diabolo describitur in Verbo per quod Judaei et mali persecuturi sint discipulos Domini, illos probris affecturi et occisuri; nam per "discipulos Domini" intelliguntur omnes qui in veris ex bono sunt, ita qui in veris ex Domino; et cum illi per "discipulos Domini" intelliguntur, etiam in sensu abstracto a personis, qui sensus est ipse sensus spiritualis Verbi, intelliguntur ipsa vera et bona quae ex Domino per Verbum Ipsius. (Quod per "duodecim discipulos Domini" intelligantur omnia fidei et amoris in complexu, ita omnia vera et bona ecclesiae, videatur n. 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397; quod Verbum in caelo intelligatur abstracte a personis, supra, n. 99, 100.)
[3] Qui novit quod per "discipulos Domini" intelligantur omnes qui in veris ex bono a Domino sunt, et in sensu abstracto ipsa vera ex bono, et quod per "conjectionem illorum in custodiam a diabolo "intelligatur conatus illorum qui in falsis ex malo sunt deprivandi illos veris, ac in sensu abstracto a personis detentio et captivatio verorum a falsis, ut supra, illi intelligere possunt quid in utroque sensu significatur in sequentibus his locis:
"Injicient in vos manus et persequentur vos, tradentes vos in synagogas et custodias... propter nomen meum" (Luca 21:12);
quod "propter nomen Domini" significet propter bona amoris et vera fidei ab Ipso, videatur supra (n. 102).
"Tunc tradent Vos in tribulationem, et occident vos, et eritis odio habiti propter nomen meum (Matthaeus 24:9, 11);
"Tradent vos in synedria et in synagogas, et flagellabunt Vos propter Me" (Matthaeus 10:17, 18; Marcus 13:9);
"Ecce mitto ad vos prophetas et sapientes et scribas, et ex illis occidetis et crucifigetis, et ex illis flagellabitis in synagogis vestris, et persequemini ab urbe in urbem" (Matthaeus 23:34);
"Homo paterfamilias plantavit vineam... et locavit agricolis... Cum appropinquavit tempus fructuum, misit servos suos ad agricolas, ut acciperet fructus ejus; sed apprehendentes agricolae servos unum ceciderunt virgis, alterum occiderunt, alium lapidarunt. Iterum misit alios servos, sed fecerunt iis similiter. Tandem misit ad eos Filium suum;... sed agricolae Videntes Filium, dixerunt inter se, Hic est heres, Venite, occidamus Ipsum, et possideamus hereditatem Ipsius. Et apprehendentes Ipsum, ejecerunt extra vineam, et occiderunt" (Matthaeus 21:33-44);
"Dixit Sapientia Dei, Mittam ad illos prophetas et apostolos. et ex illis occident et persequentur" (Luca 11:49).
(Quod per "prophetas" in verbo intelligantur docentes vera, et in sensu abstracta personis doctrina veri, videatur n. 2534, 7269; et quod similia per "apostolos", supra, n. 100.)
"Beati cum probris affecerint vos, et persecuti fuerint, dixerintque omne verbum malum contra vos mentientes, propter Me; gaudete et exultate, quoniam merces vestra multa in caelis; sic enim persecuti sunt prophetas, qui ante Vos" ( 1
"Beati cum odio habuerint vos homines, et cum separaverint, et probro affecerint, et ejecerint nomen vestrum sicut malum, propter Filium hominis;... secundum hoc faciebant prophetis patres eorum" (Luca 6:22, 23).
[4] Simile quod in his locis, significatur etiam per verba Domini, quod secuturi Ipsum et portaturi crucem suam, in his sequentibus:
"Jesus dixit discipulis suis, Si quis vult post Me venire, abneget semet ipsum, et tollat crucem suam, et sequatur Me" (Matthaeus 16:24; Marcus 8:34);
"abnegare se ipsum" est rejicere mala quae ex proprio.
"Qui non portat crucem suam, et venit post Me, non potest meus esse discipulus" (Luca 14:27);
Jesus dixit ad adoiescentem divitem, "Unum tibi deest; abi, vende quaecunque habes, ... et veni, sequere Me, portans crucem" (Marcus 10:21);
per hoc in sensu spirituali intelligitur, quod rejecturus esset falsa quae erant doctrinae Judaicae, et accepturus doctrinam veri a Domino, et quod subiturus impugnationes et tentationes a falsis; quare falluntur qui credunt quod qui Dominum volunt sequi vendituri sint sua bona, et passuri crucem. Quoniam Dominus erat ipsum Divinum Verum, quod (apud Johannem, cap. 1:1-3, 14) vocatur "Verbum", ideo per quod Dominus passus sit Se flagellari et crucifigi, significatur quod a Judaeis ita factum sit cum Divino Vero quod in Verbo. (Quod omnia quae de Passione Domini apud Evangelistas memorantur, involvant et significent quod Judaei ita Divinum Verum tractaverint, videatur supra, n. 83.)
Quare dicit Dominus,
"Mementote sermonis mei... si Me persecuti sunt, etiam vos persequentur" (Johannes 15:20).
[5] Quod Judaei in specie intelligantur per "diabolum" qui conjecturus esset discipulos Domini in custodias, et quod in genere intelligantur omnes "qui se Judaeos vocant et non sunt, sed synagoga satanae" (secundum ea quae supra, n. 119, 120, allata sunt), patet a Domini verbis apud Johannem,
"Loquelam meam non cognoscitis, quia non potestis audire sermonem meum; vos ex patre diabolo estis, et desideria patris vestri vultis facere; ille homicida erat ab initio, et in veritate non stetit, quia non veritas in eo; cum loquitur mendacium, ex proprio loquitur, quia mendax est et pater ejus" (8:43, 44).
Quod ab initio fuerint contra vera, et in falsis ex malo, significatur per quod pater eorum esset "homicida ab initio", et "non veritas" sed "mendacium" in eo; "homicida" est destructor veri ecclesiae, et "pater" sunt priores.
(De gente Judiica qualis fuerat et quoque hodie est, videatur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 248. Quod per "vinctos in carcere" significentur qui in falsis ex malo, in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 2
vinciri in carcere" significetur detineri et separari a veris, n. 5037, (5038,) 5083, 5086, 5096; et quoque quod tentari, n. 5037, 5038.)
[6] Quod Judaei tales fuerint ut nunc descriptum est, erat quia in amore sui et mundi fuerunt prae aliis gentibus; et qui tales sunt, cum legunt Verbum omnia applicant suis amoribus; et Judaei imprimis, quia toties nominati sunt. Similiter fit cum aliis qui in illis amoribus sunt; nam is amor qui dominatur, mentem legentis vertit solum ad illa quae favent ei: amor enim est quasi ignis, ex quo lucent illa quae lavent; cetera vel praetereuntur sicut non visa, vel trahuntur in partes per sinistram explicationem, et sic falsificantur. Hi et illi infestant eos qui in affectione veri spirituali, et intelliguntur per "diabolum", qui illos qui ab ecclesia Domini sunt "injicit in custodiam"; ex his enim e mundo spirituali influunt omnia falsa apud illos qui desiderant vera, quae illos tenent quasi vinctos in carcere: intelliguntur etiam per eos de quibus Dominus dicit,
"In custodia fui et non visitastis Me" (Matthaeus 25:43).
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.
3. The editors made a correction or note here.