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176. (Verse 27) And he shall rule them with a rod of iron. That this signifies that He is about to chastise evils by means of truths which are in the natural man is evident from the signification of ruling, as being to chastise, for it is added that He would break them in pieces as a potter's vessels, and the evils which are thereby signified are chastised by means of truths; also from the signification of a rod of iron, as being truths in the natural man. By a rod or staff is signified power, by means of which chastisement is effected, and by iron, truths in the natural man which chastise. (That a rod or staff denotes power, may be seen, n. 4013, 4015, 4876, 4936, 6947, 7011, 7026, 7568, 7572; that hence it is that kings have a sceptre, which is a short staff, n. 4581, 4876.) The reason why iron signifies truths in the natural man is, that metals, as well as all other things on earth, from correspondence, signify things spiritual and celestial, all of which have reference to truths and goods. Gold signifies the good of the internal man, silver its truths; copper or brass the good of the external or natural man, iron its truth. This is the reason why the ancients called the Ages by the names of metals - golden, silver, copper and iron: golden from the most ancient men, who lived in the good of love; silver from the ancients after them, who lived in truths from that good; copper from their posterity, who were in external or natural good; iron from the posterity of the latter, who were in natural truth alone without good. Natural truth is truth in the memory, and not in the life; truth which is of the life is good. (But more may be seen concerning this correspondence in the work, Heaven and Hell 104, 115.)
[2] The successive states of the church, even until the coming of the Lord, are meant by the gold, the silver, the brass, and the iron of which the statue seen by Nebuchadnezzar in a dream was composed, as it is thus recorded in Daniel:
"His head was fine gold, his breast and his arms silver, his belly and his thighs brass, his legs iron, his feet part of iron and part of clay. And a stone was cut out" of the rock, "and smote the image upon his feet, that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Whereas thou sawest the feet, part of potter's clay and part of iron," it signifies that "the kingdom shall be divided; the kingdom shall be partly strong and partly broken. Whereas thou sawest iron mixed with clay of mire, they shall mingle themselves by the seed of man; but they shall not cohere the one with the other, even as iron is not mixed with clay" (n. 32-34, 41-43).
By the head which was fine gold is meant the first state of the church, when men were in the good of love to the Lord; by the breast and arms, which were silver is meant the second state of the church, when they were in truth from that good. By the belly and thighs which were of brass, the following or third state of the church, when men were no longer in spiritual but in natural good, for brass signifies that good; by the legs which were of iron is meant the fourth state of the church, when there was no longer natural good, but only truth; but by the feet which were of iron and clay is meant the last state of the church, when there are truth and falsity: truth in the Word and falsity in doctrine. When the truths of the Word are falsified, and doctrine is drawn from falsified truth, then the state of the church is part iron and part clay, and thus the kingdom is partly strong and partly broken. The kingdom in this passage denotes the church; therefore the church is also called the kingdom of God. That truths are thus mixed with falsities, but that still they do not cohere, is meant by Whereas thou sawest iron mixed with clay of mire, they shall mingle themselves by the seed of man, but they shall not cohere one with the other, even as iron is not mixed with clay. The seed of man denotes Divine truth which is in the Word. (That this is signified by seed, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 3038, 3337, 10248, 10249; that man signifies the Lord, from whom is the Word and also the church, see n. 768, 4287, 7424, 7523, 8547, 9276.) That potter's clay signifies the falsities that are in the natural man, will be seen presently in the following article, no. 177. By the stone cut out of the rock, which smote the image, upon his feet is meant the Lord by means of Divine truth, and the destruction of falsities not cohering with truths from the Word. (That stone signifies truth, and that the stone of Israel is the Lord as to Divine truth, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 643, 1298, 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376; that rock also signifies the n. 8581, 10580, and in the small work, The Last Judgement n. 57.) Because iron signifies truths in the natural man, therefore the feet of the statue were of iron, for feet signify the Natural (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952).
[3] Similar things are signified by gold, silver, brass, and iron, in the prophet Isaiah:
"For brass I will bring gold, for iron silver, for wood brass, and for stones iron" (Arcana Coelestia 425, 426.)
[4] These things are adduced, in order that it may be known that a rod of iron signifies power, by means of which the Lord chastises the evils and disperses the falsities that are in the natural man. For a rod or staff signifies power, as was said above, and iron signifies truths in the natural man. The reason why the Lord chastises evils and disperses falsities by means of truths in the natural man is, that all evils and the falsities therefrom reside therein, but none in the spiritual or internal man. The internal man does not receive evils and falsities, but is closed against them; and because these all reside in the natural man, therefore they must be chastised and dispersed by the things that are also there, which are truths. Truths in the natural man are scientifics (scientifica) and knowledges cognitiones), from which man can think, reason and conclude naturally concerning the truths and goods of the church, and concerning the falsities and evils which are opposed to them, and thence be in some natural enlightenment when he reads the Word: for the Word in the letter is not intelligible without enlightenment, and this is either spiritual or natural. Spiritual enlightenment is only granted to those who are spiritual, who are those who are in the good of love and of charity, and consequently in truths; but natural enlightenment alone is granted to those who are natural (which may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 153, 425, and n. 140, above). To those also who are spiritual while they live in the world, there is granted enlightenment in the Natural; but this exists from the enlightenment in the Spiritual; for with them the Lord flows in through the spiritual or internal man into the natural or external, and thus enlightens the latter. From this enlightenment man sees what is true and good, and what is false and evil; and when he sees these things, then the Lord disperses the evils and falsities which are in the natural man by means of the truths and goods which are also there, and which make one with the goods and truths in the spiritual or internal man. (Further particulars concerning sciences (scientiis) and knowledges (cognitionibus), and what they effect, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 51, and concerning influx, n. 277, 278.)
[5] From these considerations it may now be seen, what is signified by the rod of iron with which the Lord shall rule the nations, that is, will chastise the evils in the natural man. These things are said to the angel of this church because the subject treated of in what is written to this angel is the internal and external man, and their conjunction. For, when the internal and external, or the Spiritual and Natural are conjoined, then the Lord chastises the evils and falsities that are in the natural man, and this by means of the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good. But in the case of those in whom the internal and external man are not conjoined, evils and falsities cannot be chastised and expelled, because they receive nothing through the spiritual man from heaven, but everything they receive is from the world, which their Rational favours, and for which it furnishes confirmations.
Things similar to those here signified by a rod of iron, are also signified in the following passages; as in David:
"Thou shalt bruise" the nations "with a sceptre of iron; as a potter's vessel shalt thou disperse them" (Arcana Coelestia 2362, 9055; that horn denotes the power of truth from good in the natural man, n. 2832, 9081, 9719-9721, 10182, 10186; and that hoofs are the scientifics of the sensual man, which are truths in the ultimate of order, n. 7729.)
176. Verse 27.And He shall rule them with an iron rod, signifies that He is about to chastise evils by means of truths that are in the natural man. This is evident from the signification of "ruling," as being to chastise, for it is added that "He would shiver them as pottery vessels," and the evils which are signified are chastised by means of truths. It is evident also from the signification of "an iron rod," as being truths that are in the natural man; a "rod" or "staff" signifies the power by which chastisement is effected; and "iron" truths in the natural man which chastise. (That a "rod" or "staff:" is power, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 4013, 4015, 4876, 4936, 6947, 7011, 7026, 7568, 7572; that it is for this reason that kings have a scepter, which is a short staff, n. 4581, 4876.)
"Iron" signifies truths in the natural man, because metals, as well as the other things of the earth, by correspondence signify things spiritual and celestial, all of which have reference to truths and goods. "Gold" signifies the good of the internal man; "silver" its truth; "copper" or "brass" the good of the external or natural man; "iron" its truth. For this reason the ages were called by the ancients after the names of the metals, namely, Golden, Silver, Copper, and Iron; the Golden Age from the most ancient men, who lived in the good of love; the Silver Age from the ancients after them who lived in truths from that good; the Copper Age from their posterity who were in external or natural good; the Iron Age from the posterity of these who were in natural truth alone without good. Natural truth is truth in the memory, not in the life; truth of life is good. (But more about this correspondence in the work on Heaven and (Heaven and Hell 104) Hell, n (Heaven and Hell 115). 104, 115.)
[2] The successive states of the church, even until the coming of the Lord, are meant by the "gold," the "silver," the "brass," and the "iron," of which the statue seen by Nebuchadnezzar in a dream was composed, which is thus described in Daniel:
His head was good gold, his breast and his arms silver, his belly and his thighs brass, his legs iron, his feet part iron and part clay. A stone was cut out of the rock, and it smote the image upon his feet that were iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Whereas thou sawest the feet partly of potter's clay and partly of iron, it signifies that the kingdom shall be divided; the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. Whereas thou sawest the iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves by the seed of man; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron doth not mingle with clay (Arcana Coelestia 3038, 3373, 10248, 10249; that "man" signifies the Lord, from whom is the Word, and also signifies the church, see n. 768, 4287, 7424, 7523, 8547, 9276.) That "potter's clay" signifies the falsities that are in the natural man, will be seen in the following article n. 177. By "the stone cut of the rock," which "smote the image upon his feet," the Lord by means of Divine truth is meant, and the destruction of falsities not cohering with truths from the Word. (That a "stone" is truth, and that "the stone of Israel" is the Lord in respect to Divine truth, see Arcana Coelestia 643 Arcana Coelestia 643[1-4], 1298, 3720, 6426, 8609, 10376; that "rock" likewise signifies the Lord, 8581, 10580, and in the small work on The Last Judgement, n. 57.) Because "iron" signifies truths in the natural man, "the feet of the statue" were seen to be "of iron," for "feet" signify the natural (See Arcana Coelestia 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952).
[3] Like things are signified by "gold," "silver," "brass," and "iron," in these words in Isaiah:
For brass I will bring gold, for iron I will bring silver, for woods brass, and for stones iron (Arcana Coelestia 425, 426.)
[4] These passages are cited that it may be known what is meant by the "iron rod," namely, the power whereby the Lord chastises the evils and disperses the falsities that are in the natural man; for a "rod" or "staff" signifies power (as was said above), and "iron" signifies truths in the natural man. The Lord chastises evils and disperses falsities by means of truths in the natural man, because all evils and the falsities therefrom have their seat in the natural man, and none in the spiritual or internal man. The internal man does not receive evils and falsities, but is closed against them. And as all evils and falsities have their seat in the natural man, they must needs be chastised and dispersed by means of such things as are there, which are truths in the natural man. Truths in the natural man are knowledges and cognitions, from which man can think, reason, and conclude naturally respecting the truths and goods of the church, and the falsities and evils which are opposed to these, and can consequently be in some natural illustration when he reads the Word. For the Word in the letter is not understood without illustration; and illustration is either spiritual or natural. Spiritual illustration is only with those who are spiritual; and the spiritual are those that are of the good of love and charity and in truths therefrom; while mere natural illustration is with those who are natural (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 153, 425, 455; and above, n. 140. Moreover, those who are spiritual have, whilst they live in the world, illustration in the natural; but this springs from illustration in the spiritual; for with them the Lord flows in through the spiritual or internal man into the natural or external, and thus illustrates it, from which enlightenment man can see what is true and good, and what is false and evil, and when he sees that, the Lord scatters the evils and the falsities that are in the natural man, by means of the truths and goods that are also there and that make one with the goods and truths in the spiritual or internal man (See in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, on sciences and knowledges, what they effect, n. 51, and on Influx, n . 277, 278).
[5] From this it can now be seen what is signified by "the iron rod," with which the Lord is to rule the nations, that is, chastise the evils that are in the natural man. These things are said to the angel of this church, because in what is written to this angel the internal and external man and their conjunction are treated of; for when the internal and the external or the spiritual and the natural are conjoined, the Lord chastises the evils and falsities that are in the natural man, and this by means of the knowledges of truth and good. But with those with whom the internal and external man are not conjoined, evils and falsities cannot be chastised and scattered, since they receive nothing from heaven through the spiritual man, but all things they receive are from the world; and these their rational favors, and supplies confirmations. Things similar to those here signified by "the iron rod" are also signified in the following passages. In David:
Thou shalt bruise [the nations] with an iron scepter; as a potter's vessel Thou shalt dash them in pieces (2362, 9055; that "horn" is the power of truth from good in the natural man, n. 2832, 9081, 9719, 9720, 9721, 10182, 10186; and that "hoofs" are the knowledges of the sensual man, which are truths in the ultimate of order, n. 7729.)
176. (Vers. 27.) "Et reget eas virga ferrea." - Quod significet quod castigaturus sit mala per vera quae sunt in naturali homine, constat ex significatione "regere", quod sit castigare, nam sequitur quod "confringeret eas sicut vasa figulina", et mala, quae significantur, per vera castigantur; et ex significatione "virgae ferreae", quod sint vera quae sunt in naturali homine; per "virgam" seu "baculum" significatur potentia qua castigatur, et per "ferrum" vera in naturali. homine quae castigant.
(Quod "virga" seu "baculus" sit potentia, videatur n. 4013, 4015, 4876, 4936, 6947, 7011, 7026, 7568, 7572; quod inde sit quod regibus sit sceptrum, quod est curtus baculus, n. 4581, 4876.) Quod "ferrum", significet vera in naturali homine, est quia metalla, aeque ac reliqua telluris, ex correspondentia significant spiritualia et caelestia, quae omnia se referunt ad vera et bona: "aurum" significat bonum interni hominis, "argentum" ejus verum, "cuprum" seu "aes" bonum externi seu naturalis hominis, "ferrum" ejus verum; inde est, quod ab antiquis Saecula vocata sint a metallis, nempe "Aurea", "Argentea", "Cuprea" et "Ferrea"; "Aurea" ex hominibus antiquissimis qui vixerunt in bono amoris; "Argentea" ex antiquis post illos qui vixerunt in veris ex illo bono; "Cuprea" ex posteris horum qui in bono externo seu naturali; "Ferrea" ex horum posteris, qui erant in solo vero naturali absque bono; verum naturale est verum memoria et non vita; verum vitae est bonum. (Sed plura de hac correspondentia videantur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 104 et 115.)
[2] Successivi status ecclesiae usque ad adventum Domini, intellecti sunt per "aurum", "argentum", "aes", et "ferrum", ex quibus erat statua Nebuchadnezari in somnio visa, de qua ita apud Danielem,
"Caput ejus erat aurum bonum, pectus et brachia argentum, venter et femora aes, crura ferrum, pedes ex parte ferrum ex parte argilla: .... et excisus est lapis" ex petra, "et percussit statuam super pedes ejus, qui ferrum et argilla, et contrivit eos.... . Quod vidisti pedes.... ex parte argilla figuli, et ex parte ferrum", significat quod "regnum divisum erit" .... ex parte regnum erit validum, et ex parte erit fractum: quod vidisti ferrum mixtum cum argilla luti, commiscebunt se per semen hominis, sed non cohaerebunt unum cum altero, quemadmodum ferrum non commiscetur cum argilla" (2:32-34, 41-43);
per "caput" quod erat "aurum bonum", intelligitur primus status ecclesiae, quando in bono amoris in Dominum fuerunt; per "pectus et brachia", quae erant "argentum", intelligitur secundus status ecclesiae, quando in veris ex illo bono fuerunt; per "ventrem et femora", quae "ex aere", sequens tertius status ecclesiae, quando non amplius in bono spirituali sed in bono naturali erant, nam "aes" significat id bonum; per "crura", quae erant "ex ferro", intelligitur quartus status ecclesiae, quando non bonum naturale amplius, sed modo verum; per "pedes", autem, qui "ex ferro et ex argilla", intelligitur ultimus status ecclesiae, quando verum et falsum, verum in Verbo et falsum in doctrina; cum vera Verbi falsificantur, et ex falsificatis fit doctrina, tunc status ecclesiae est "ex parte ferrum ex parte argilla", et sic regnum "ex parte validum et ex parte fractum"; "regnum" ibi est ecclesia, quare etiam "regnum
Dei" vocatur; quod sic mixta sint vera falsis, sed quod usque non cohaereant, intelligitur per ea verba, "quod vidisti ferrum mixtum cum argilla luti, commiscebunt se per semen hominis, sed non cohaerebunt unum cum altero, quemadmodum ferrum non commiscetur cum argilla"; "semen hominis" est Divinum Verum quod in Verbo; (quod "semen" illud significet, videatur n. 3038, 3373, 10248, 10249; quod "Homo" Dominum a quo Verbum, et quoque ecclesiam, n. 768, 4287, 7424, 7523, 8547, 9276); quod "argilla figuli" significet falsa quae in naturali, homine, videatur in mox sequente articulo (n. 177): per "lapidem excisum e petra, qui percussit statuam ad pedes ejus", intelligitur Dominus per Divinum Verum, et destructio falsorum non cohaerentium cum veris ex Verbo; (quod "lapis" sit verum, et quod "lapis Israelis" sit Dominus quoad Divinum Verum, videatur n. 643, 1298, 3720, 6246, 8609, 10376: similiter "Petra", n. 8581, 10580, et in opusculo De Ultimo Judicio 57): quia "ferrum" significat vera in naturali homine, ideo visum est quod pedes statuae essent "ex ferro" nam "pedes" significant naturale (videatur n. 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952).
[3] Similia per "aurum", "argentum", "aes" et "ferrum" significantur per haec apud Esaiam,
"Pro aere adducam aurum, pro ferro argentum, pro lignis aes, et pro lapidibus ferrum" (60:17);
"pro aere adducere aurum", est pro naturali bono caeleste bonum; "pro ferro argentum", est pro naturali vero caeleste verum; "pro lignis aes et pro lapidibus ferrum", est naturale bonum et verum tali copia qua sunt ligna et lapides; agitur ibi de statu caelesti ecclesiae. (Porro quod ferrum" significet verum in naturali homine videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 425, 426.)
[4] Haec allata sunt ut sciatur quid significatur per "virgam ferream", quod nempe potentia qua Dominus castigat mala et dispergit falsa quae in naturali homine; "virga" enim seu "baculus" significat potentiam, ut supra dictum est, et "ferrum" significat vera in naturali homine. Quod Dominus castiget mala et dispergat falsa per vera in naturali homine, est quia omnia mala et inde falsa ibi resident, nulla autem in spirituali seu interno homine; hic non recipit mala et falsa, sed ad mala et falsa clauditur. Et quia omnia mala et falsa in naturali homine resident, ideo illa castigari et dispergi debent per talia quae etiam ibi, quae sunt vera in naturali homine. Vera in naturali homine sunt scientifica et cognitiones, ex quibus homo naturaliter cogitare, ratiocinari, et concludere potest de veris et bonis ecclesiae, et de falsis et malis quae illis opposita sunt, et inde in quadam illustratione naturali esse cum legit Verbum. Verbum enim in littera absque illustratione non intelligitur, et illustratio est vel spiritualis vel naturalis; illustratio spiritualis modo, datur apud illos qui spirituales sunt, qui sunt qui in bono amoris et charitatis sunt et inde in veris; at illustratio solum naturalis apud illos qui naturales sunt (videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 153, 425, [455,] et supra, n. 140).
Apud illos etiam qui spirituales sunt, dum vivunt in mundo, est illustratio in naturali, sed existit illa ab illustratione in spirituali; nam apud illos influit Dominus per spiritualem seu internum hominem in naturalem seu externum, et sic illuminat hunc; ex qua illuminatione homo videt quid verum et bonum et quid falsum et malum; et cum homo videt illa, tunc Dominus discutit mala et falsa quae in naturali homine per vera et bona quae etiam ibi sunt et unum faciunt cum bonis et veris in spirituali seu interno homine. (Cetera videantur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, De Scientiis et Cognitionibus, quid efficiant, n. 51; et De Influxu, n. 277, 278.)
[5] Ex his nunc videri potest quid significatur per "virgam ferream", qua Dominus recturus est gentes, hoc est, castigaturus mala quae in naturali homine. Haec dicta sunt ad angelum hujus ecclesiae, quia in scriptis ad illum agitur de interno et externo homine, et de eorum conjunctione; nam cum internum et externum seu spirituale et naturale conjuncta sunt, tunc Dominus castigat mala et falsa quae in naturali homine, et hoc per cognitiones veri et boni.
Apud illos autem apud quos internus et externus homo non conjuncti sunt, mala et falsa castigari et discuti nequeunt, quoniam nihil recipiunt per spiritualem hominem e caelo, sed omnia quae recipiunt sunt e mundo, quibus rationale eorum favet, et subministrat confirmationes. Similia quae per "virgam ferream" hic, etiam significantur in sequentibus locis:
- Apud Davidem,
"Conteres" gentes "sceptro ferreo; sicut vas figuli disperges eas" (Psalms 2:9);
apud Esaiam,
"Percutiet terram virga oris sui, et spiritu labiorum suorum occidet impium" (11:4):
in Apocalypsi,
Mulier "peperit filium masculum, recturum omnes gentes Virga ferrea" (12:5);
Ex ore Sedentis super Equo albo prodibat romphaea acuta, ut ea percuteret gentes; Ipse enim reget eas virga ferrea" (19:15);
et apud Micham,
"Surge .... Filia Zionis quia cornu tuum faciam ferrum, et ungulas tuas faciam aes, ut comminuas populos multos" (4:13 1
);
"Filia Zionis" est ecclesia caelestis; "cornu" est potentia in naturali homine; "ungulae" sunt ultima ibi, quae vocantur scientifica sensualia; inde patet quid sit "facere cornu ferrum et ungulas aes."
(Quod "Filia Zionis" sit ecclesia caelestis, videatur n. 2362, 9055; quod "cornu" sit potentia veri ex bono in naturali homine, n. 2832, 9081, 9719, 9720, 9721, 10182, 10186; et quod "ungulae" sint scientifica sensualis hominis, quae sunt vera in ultimo ordinis, n. 7729.)
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.