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187. (Verse 2) Be wakeful. That this signifies that they should procure for themselves life is evident from the signification of being wakeful, as denoting to be in spiritual life, but here, because those whose life is merely moral and not spiritual are treated of, the expression be wakeful denotes that they should procure for themselves spiritual life. The reason why awake and being wakeful signifies this life, is, that spiritual life is to moral life without spiritual as wakefulness is to sleep, or as noon day light is to evening, indeed, to darkness. But that this is the case is neither known nor perceived by those who are in natural life alone, nor by those who are in moral life without spiritual, for this life is also natural life. The reason why such neither know nor perceive this is, that they are in natural light alone, and this light in respect to spiritual light is as the darkness of evening to the light of noon-day, and the darkness of evening appears to them as light; for their interior sight, which is that of the thought, is formed for that darkness just as the sight of owls, bats, and other birds which fly by night, is formed for the shade; hence it is that they believe themselves to be in the light because they can reason, when nevertheless they are in darkness. That this is the case is quite evident from the state of such people after death, when they become spirits; then, when they are with their own, they believe that they are in light, because they then not only see all the things that are around them, but also because they can think and speak of anything whatever; but, still, when the light of heaven flows into them, their light is changed into darkness, and they become so blind as to the understanding that they cannot even think. The angels also, in the heavens, when they look down on those who are in such light, see nothing but absolute darkness. That spiritual life, in respect to moral life without it, is as wakefulness to sleep, is still further evident from the fact that those who are in spiritual life are in angelic wisdom and intelligence, which is of such a nature as to be incomprehensible and ineffable to those who are in natural light alone; and this is not only the case with men whilst they live in the world, but also after death when they become spirits, and when intelligence and wisdom constitute wakefulness.
From these considerations it is now evident that, be wakeful signifies here that they should procure for themselves spiritual life.
[2] To watch, has a similar signification in the following passages. In Matthew:
"Watch therefore, for ye know not in what hour your Lord shall come" (Arcana Coelestia 3056, 3197, 3833, 8431, 10134, 10135; that night is a state when there is no faith and charity, n. 221, 709, 2353, 6000, 7870, 7947; and that daybreak before morning, or cock-crowing, signifies a state of commencing faith and charity, n. 10134.)
[3] In Luke:
"Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord, when he cometh, shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to recline, and will come forth and serve them. Be ye therefore ready also for the Son of man cometh at an hour when ye think not" (12:37, 40).
Here also, by those that are watching are meant spiritual watchers, these being those who receive spiritual life from the Lord, for such come into the light of intelligence and wisdom concerning Divine truths, but those who do not receive spiritual life remain in the shade and in darkness concerning those truths; therefore the latter are in a state of sleep, but the former in a state of wakefulness. By the Lord's girding Himself, making them recline, and coming forth to serve them, is signified that He will communicate to them the goods of heaven, all of which are from the Lord.
[4] In Matthew:
"The kingdom is like ten virgins; five were prudent, and five were foolish. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept. But when the bridegroom came, they all trimmed their lamps." And when the foolish came, which had no oil in their lamps, and said, "Lord, Lord, open to us," the Lord said, "I say unto you, I know you not. Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh" (Arcana Coelestia 4635-4638.)
[5] In Luke:
"Watch, therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man" (21:36).
Here also, to watch means to receive spiritual life: to pray always signifies to prepare themselves.
[6] In the Apocalypse:
"Behold, I come as a thief; blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked" (195), and that by being naked is signified the deprivation of them, see Arcana Coelestia 1073, 5433, 5954, 9960).
[7] In Lamentations:
"Arise, cry out in the night, in the beginning of the watches; lift up thy hands to the Lord upon the souls of thy young children who have fainted through hunger, at the head of every street" (1460, 3364, 5277, 5279, 5281, 5300, 5360, 5376, 5893; and that streets denote truths of doctrine, n. 2336.)
[8] Because being wakeful signifies the reception of spiritual life, it follows that sleeping signifies natural life without spiritual, since natural life compared with spiritual is as sleep to wakefulness, as said above. In this sense the word sleeping is used in Matthew:
"The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man which sowed good seed in his field. But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat" (The White Horse 1-5.)
187. Verse 2. Be wakeful, signifies that they should acquire for themselves life. This is evident from the signification of "being wakeful," as meaning to be in spiritual life; but here, since those whose life is moral and not yet spiritual are treated of, "Be wakeful" is that they should acquire for themselves spiritual life. This life is meant by "wakefulness" and "being awake," because spiritual life is to moral life, apart from spiritual life, as wakefulness is to sleep, or as noonday light is to the evening, yea, to darkness. But that this is so is not known or perceived by those who are in natural life alone, neither by those who are in moral life apart from spiritual life, for this life also is natural life. They do not know or perceive this, because they are in natural lumen only, and this lumen in comparison with spiritual light is as the darkness of evening to the light of noonday. Moreover, to such the darkness of evening seems like light; for their interior sight, which is that of the thought, is adapted to that darkness, just as the sight of owls, bats, and other birds that fly by night, is adapted to the shade. Consequently they believe themselves to be in light because they are able to reason, when yet they are in darkness. That this is so is manifest from the state of such after death, when they become spirits. They then believe, when with their companions, that they are in light, because they not only see all things that are about them, but also are able to think and speak about any matter whatever; and yet their light, when the light of heaven flows in with them, is changed into darkness, and they become so blind in respect to the understanding as not to be able to think at all. Moreover, when angels who are in the heavens look down on those who are in such lumen, they see nothing there but mere darkness. That spiritual life compared with moral life apart from spiritual life is as wakefulness compared with sleep, can be further seen from this, that those who are in spiritual light are in angelic wisdom and intelligence, which is such as to be incomprehensible and ineffable to those who are in natural lumen alone, and this not only with men while living in the world, but also with the same when after death they become spirits; and when intelligence and wisdom constitute wakefulness. From this it can now be seen that "Be wakeful" here signifies that they should procure for themselves spiritual life.
[2] To "be awake" has a similar signification in the following passages. In Matthew:
Be awake, therefore, for ye know not in what hour your Lord cometh (Matthew 24:42).
In Mark:
Be ye awake, for ye know not when the lord of the house cometh, at evening, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing; 1lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. What I say unto you I say unto all, Be awake (Arcana Coelestia 3056, 3197, 3833, 8431, 10134, 10135; "night" a state of no faith or charity, n. 221, 709, 2353, 6000, 7870, 7947; and "daybreak" before morning, or "cock-crowing," the state when faith and charity are beginning, n. 10134.)
[3] In Luke:
Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when He cometh shall find awake; verily I say unto you, He shall gird himself, and make them recline to eat, and drawing near will minister unto them. Be ye ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man will come (Luke 12:37, 40).
Here also, those that "are awake" mean those who are spiritually awake, that is, those who receive spiritual life from the Lord, for these come into the light of intelligence and wisdom respecting Divine truths; but those who do not receive spiritual life remain in obscurity and thick darkness respecting those truths; these, therefore, are asleep, while the former are awake. His "girding himself, making them recline to eat, and drawing near to minister unto them," signifies to communicate to them the goods of heaven, which are all from the Lord.
[4] In Matthew:
The kingdom of the heavens is like unto ten virgins, five of them were prudent, and five were foolish. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept; but the bridegroom coming, they all arose and trimmed their lamps. And when the foolish came, who had no oil in their lamps, and said, Lord, Lord, open to us, the Lord answered, I say unto you, I know you not. Be awake, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh (Arcana Coelestia 4635-4638.)
[5] In Luke:
Be wakeful, therefore, praying at every season, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man (Luke 21:36).
Here, also, "to be wakeful" means to receive spiritual life; "to pray at every season" signifies to prepare oneself.
[6] In Revelation:
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that is awake, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked (195, and that by "naked" is signified the deprivation of these, see Arcana Coelestia 1073, 5433, 5954, 9960)
[7] In Lamentations:
Arise, cry aloud in the night, at the beginning of the watches; lift up thy hands to the Lord respecting the soul of thy babes, who have fainted through hunger at the head of every street (Arcana Coelestia 1460 Arcana Coelestia 1460[1-4], 3364, 5277, 5279, 5281, 5300, 5360, 5376, 5893; and that "streets" are the truths of doctrine, 2336)
[8] Because "to be awake" signifies to receive spiritual life, therefore "sleeping" signifies natural life apart from spiritual life, since natural life compared with spiritual life is as sleep compared with wakefulness, as has been said above. This is what "sleeping" signifies in Matthew:
The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man that sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat (Matthew 13:24-25).
In Jeremiah:
When they have grown warm, I will set their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may sleep the sleep of an age, and not awake (Jeremiah 51:39, 57).
In David:
Look! answer me, Jehovah my God! lighten Thine eyes 2lest I sleep death (The White Horse 1-5.)
Footnotes:
1. For "cock-crowing" the Latin has "belonging to chickens."
2. For "thine" the Hebrew has "mine," as found in Apocalypse Explained 152; Arcana Coelestia 212, 6119.
187. a. (Vers. 2.) "Esto vigilans." - Quod significet ut vitam sibi comparent, constat ex significatione "vigil esse", quod sit in vita spirituali esse; hic autem, quia agitur de illis qui in vita morali sunt et nondum in spirituali, "Esto vigilans" est ut comparent sibi vitam spiritualem; quod "vigil" et "vigilare" hanc vitam significet, est quia vita spiritualis ad vitam moralem absque illa est sicut vigilia ad somnum, aut sicut lux meridiana ad vesperam, immo ad tenebras: sed quod ita sit, non sciunt et percipiunt illi qui in sola vita naturali sunt, nec qui in vita morali absque spirituali, nam haec vita est quoque vita naturalis. Causa quod illi id non sciant et percipiant, est quia in solo lumine naturali sunt; et hoc lumen respective ad lucem spiritualem est sicut tenebrae vesperae ad lucem meridiei, ac tenebrae vesperae illis apparent sicut lux; est enim visus eorum interior, qui cogitationis, ad illas formatus, plane sicut visus noctuarum, vespertilionum, et ceterarum avium quae volant noctu, ad umbras. Inde est quod ipsi credant quod in luce sint, quia ratiocinari possunt, cum tamen in tenebris sunt. Quod ita sit, clare constat a talibus post mortem cum fiunt spiritus; tunc quando apud suos sunt, credunt quod in luce sint, quia non solum vident omnia quae circum se sunt, sed etiam quia cogitare et loqui possunt de re quacunque; sed tamen cum lux caeli apud illos influit, tunc lux eorum vertitur in tenebras, et illi quoad intellectum ita occaecantur ut non aliquid cogitare possint. Etiam angeli qui in caelis sunt, cum despiciunt ad illos qui in tali lumine sunt, non vident ibi nisi meras tenebras. Quod vita spiritualis respective ad vitam moralem absque illa sit sicut vigilia ad somnum, adhuc constare potest ex eo, quod illi qui in vita spirituali sunt, in sapientia et intelligentia angelica sint; quae talis est ut sit incomprehensibilis et ineffabilis illis qui in solo lumine naturali sunt, et hoc non solum hominibus dum in mundo vivunt, sed etiam iisdem post mortem cum fiunt spiritus, ac intelligentia et sapientia faciunt vigiliam. Ex his nunc constare potest quod per "Esto vigilans" hic significetur ut comparent sibi vitam spiritualem.
[2] Simile per "vigilare" significatur in sequentibus his locis:
- Apud Matthaeum,
"Vigilate ergo, quia nescitis qua hora Dominus vester venturus est" (24:42);
apud Marcum,
"Vigilate, nescitis enim quando Dominus domus veniet, vespere, an media nocte, an in 1
gallicinio, .... ne cum repente venerit, inveniat vos dormientes: quae dico vobis, omnibus dico, vigilate" (13:35-37);
qui non scit sensum internum Verbi, credet quod ultimum judicium per illa intelligatur, et quod quisque paratus ad id esse debeat; sed per illa intelligitur status hominis quoad amorem et fidem quando moritur, nam tunc etiam est judicium ejus: "vespera", "nox", et " 2
gallicinium" significant illos status; "vespera" statum desinentis fidei et charitatis, qui est quando homo sui judicii fit et exstinguit illa quae in pueritia hausit; "nox" est status nullius fidei et charitatis; " 3
gallicinium" seu "diluculum" est status incohantis fidei et charitatis, qui est quando homo amat vera et reformationem per illa: in quo statu homo moritur, in illo manet et secundum illum judicatur: inde patet quid intelligitur per "Vigilate, ne Dominus cum repente venerit inveniat vos dormientes; quae dico vobis omnibus dico, vigilate"; quod nempe per "vigilare" intelligatur vitam recipere a Domino, quae vita est vita spiritualis, et per "dormire" intelligatur vitam naturalem absque spirituali agere.
(Quod "vespera" significet statum desinentis fidei et charitatis, videatur n. 3056, 3197, 3833, 8431, 10134, 10135; quod "nox" statum nullius fidei et charitatis, n. 221, 709, 2353, 6000, 7870, 7947; et quod "diluculum" ante mane, seu " 4
gallicinium", statum incohantis fidei et charitatis, n. 10134.)
[3] Apud Lucam,
"Beati servi quos, cum venerit Dominus, invenerit eos vigilantes; amen dico vobis, praecinget Se, et faciet ut discumbant, et accedens ministrabit illis: .... estote parati, quia qua hora non putatis Filius hominis Veniet" (12:37, 40);
hic quoque per "vigilantes" intelliguntur qui spiritualiter vigiles sunt, qui sunt qui spiritualem vitam a Domino recipiunt; nam hi in lucem intelligentiae et sapientiae de Divinis veris veniunt; at qui non recipiunt manent in umbra et caligine de illis, quare hi sunt in somno, illi autem in vigilia; per "praecingere Se, facere ut discumbant, et accedens ministrare", significatur communicare illis bona caeli, quae omnia sunt a Domino.
[4] Apud Matthaeum,
"Simile est regnum (caelorum) decem virginibus; .... quinque erant prudentes et quinque stultae: .... morante Sponso dormierunt omnes et dormitaverunt; .... sed veniente Sponso, surrexerunt omnes et adornaverunt lampades suos." Et cum venerunt stultae quae non oleum habebant in lampadibus, et dixerunt, "Domine, Domine aperi nobis", respondit Dominus, "Dico vobis, Non novi vos: vigilate itaque, quia neque illum diem, neque illam horam scitis, qua Filius hominis venit" ( 5
25:1-13);
per "decem virgines" intelliguntur omnes qui ab ecclesia, per "quinque" intelliguntur quidam ex illis; hoc numeri illi significant; per "lampades" significantur illa quae fidei sunt, per "oleum" illa quae amoris: inde per "quinque virgines prudentes" intelliguntur qui in amore sunt et inde fide; per "quinque stultas" autem, qui in nullo amore, sed in sola fide: hi quia in nulla vita spirituali sunt, (nam vita spiritualis est illis qui in amore et charitate sunt, quoniam hi sunt qui in fide, ) ideo, quia exclusi sunt e caelo, illis dicitur, "Dico vobis, Non novi vos." Inde manifeste patet quid significatur per "Vigilate itaque, quia neque illum diem neque illam horam scitis qua Filius hominis venit", quod nempe ut recipiant vitam spiritualem, quae illis est qui in amore et inde fide sunt. (Sed haec plenius explicata videantur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 4635-4638.)
[5] Apud Lucam,
"Vigilate igitur, omni tempore orantes, ut digni habeamini effugere omnia illa quae futura sunt, et ut consistatis coram Filio hominis" (21:36);
"vigilare" etiam hic pro recipere vitam spiritualem; "omni tempore orare" est se praeparare.
[6] In Apocalypsi,
"Ecce venio sicut fur; beatus qui vigilat et servat vestimenta sua, ne nudus ambulet" (16:15);
quod hic "vigilare" significet vitam spiritualem a Domino recipere, patet ex eo, quod dicatur "Beatus qui vigilat et servat vestimenta sua ne nudus ambulet"; "vestimenta" significant cognitiones veri et boni per quas homini vita spiritualis, et "nudus ambulare" significat vitam absque illis ut mediis, ita vitam non spiritualem sed mere naturalem.
(Quod "vestimenta" significent cognitiones veri et boni, videatur infra, n. 195; et quod "nudus" significat deprivatum illis, in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 1073, 5433, 6
[7] In Threnis,
"Surge, vociferare in nocte, ad principium vigiliarum; .... tolle ad Dominum manus tuas super animas infantum tuorum, qui defecerunt per famem in capite omnium platearum" (2:19);
"nox" hic significat statum nullius fidei (ut supra); "principium vigiliarum" significat statum cum incohat fides, ita statum illustrationis, qui est quando homo spiritualis fit; per "infantes" intelliguntur illi qui vera amant et illa desiderant; "deficere per famem in capite omnium platearum", est privari vita spirituali ob defectum cognitionum veri et boni.
(Quod "fames" sit defectus illarum, et desiderium ad illas, videatur n. 1460, 3364, 5277, 5279, 5281, 5300, 5360, 5376, 5893; et quod "plateae" sint vera doctrinae, n. 2336.)
[8] Quia "vigilare" significat recipere vitam spiritualem, inde "dormire" significat vitam naturalem absque spirituali, quoniam haec vita ad illam est sicut somnus ad vigiliam, ut supra dictum est. Hoc per "dormire" significatur apud Matthaeum,
"Simile est regnum caelorum homini serenti bonum semen in agro suo; cum autem dormirent homines, venit inimicus et sevit zizania inter triticum" (13:24, 25);
apud Jeremiam,
"Cum incaluerint, ponam convivia eorum, et inebriabo eos ut dormiant somnum saeculi, nec evigilent" (51:39, 57);
apud Davidem,
"Respice, exaudi me, Jehovah Deus mi; illumina oculos 7
meos, ne forte dormiam mortem" (Psalms 13:4 [B.A. 3]);
apud eundem,
"Praeda facti sunt fortes corde, dormitarunt somnum suum; .... prae increpatione tua obdormivit et currus et equus" (Psalm. 76:6, 7 [B.A. 5, 6]);
"currus et equus" significant ecclesiae doctrinam et ejus intellectum, quae "obdormire" dicuntur cum absque veris sunt, et inde homo ecclesiae absque vita spirituali per illa.
(Quod "currus et equi" in Verbo significent doctrinam et intellectuale, videatur in opusculo De Equo Albo 1-5.)
Footnotes:
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