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646. And to smite the earth with every plague.- That this signifies that the church with them perishes through the concupiscences of evil, is evident from the signification of the earth, as denoting the church, concerning which we have frequently spoken above; and from the signification of plague, as denoting such things as destroy spiritual life, consequently the church, which chiefly have reference to the desires of the love of self and of the world, thus to the lusts of evil. Concerning this see also above (n. 584). Therefore by turning the waters into blood is signified that, with those who wish to hurt and to inflict injury upon the two witnesses - which are the goods and truths of heaven and the church, which acknowledge and confess the Lord - goods are turned into evils and thence truths into falsities.
[2] That this is the case any one may see and conclude from this fact, that all the good of love and truth of faith is from the Lord, and that those who do not acknowledge and confess the Lord cannot receive any good of love and truth of faith; for by non-acknowledgment and denial they close heaven against themselves, that is, reject all influx of good and truth from heaven, or through heaven from the Lord. Hence they remain in their proprium, which considered in itself is nothing but evil and thence falsity; therefore, because they think and will from their proprium or from themselves, they cannot either think or will anything that does not flow from the love of self, from the love of the world, and from the lusts of those loves, nor anything whatever from love to the Lord, and from love towards the neighbour. And those who will and think from the loves of self and of the world and their lusts alone, cannot do otherwise than will evils and think falsities. That this is the case may be seen and concluded by every one that knows that all good and truth is from the Lord, and all evil and falsity from man's proprium.
[3] It must be understood that, so far as man acknowledges the Lord and lives according to His precepts, so far he is elevated above his proprium; this elevation is out of the light of the world into the light of heaven. Man does not know that he is raised above his proprium while he lives in the world, because he does not sensibly perceive this, but still there is an elevation, or attraction as it were, of the interior understanding and interior will of man to the Lord, and thence there is a turning of man's face as to his spirit unto Him. This, however, is made clear to the good man after death, for then the turning of the face to the Lord is perpetual, and there is as it were an attraction to Him as to a common centre. Concerning this turning see what is said in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 17, 123, 142-145, 253, 272, 552, 561.
[4] But because it is according to Divine order, that where attraction exists impulsion must exist - for there is no attraction without impulsion - it is therefore according to Divine order that impulsion also exists with man, which, although it is in him from the Lord, still it appears as though it were from him, and the appearance causes it to seem to belong to him. This impulsion as if from man, corresponding to the attraction from the Lord, is acknowledgment, thus reception grounded in the acknowledgment and confession of the Lord, and in a life according to His precepts. This must take place on man's part, and from the liberty of his life; but yet man must acknowledge that this also is from the Lord, although, from the obscurity of perception in which he is, he perceives it to be no otherwise than from himself. These things are said in order that it may be known that the man who denies the Lord cannot be otherwise than in evils and falsities, because he cannot be drawn away from his proprium, that is, be elevated above it; nor can he be in any attraction from the Lord, and thence in the turning of the interiors of his mind unto the Lord.
646. And to smite the earth with every plague, signifies that the church with such is destroyed by the lusts of evil. This is evident from the signification of "earth," as being the church (of which often above); also from the signification of "plague," as being such things as destroy the spiritual life and thus the church, which in brief have reference to the lusts of the love of self and the world, thus to the lusts of evil (See also above, n. 584); therefore "to turn waters into blood" signifies that goods are turned into evils, and thence truths into falsities with those who wish to hurt and do harm to the "two witnesses," that is, to the goods and truths of heaven and the church which are what acknowledge and confess the Lord.
[2] That this is done anyone can see and conclude from this, that every good of love and truth of faith is from the Lord, and that those who do not acknowledge and confess the Lord are unable to receive any good of love or truth of faith; for by non-acknowledgment and denial they shut heaven to themselves, that is, they reject all the influx of good and truth from heaven, or through heaven from the Lord; consequently they are in what is their own [suum proprium], which regarded in itself is nothing but evil and falsity therefrom; and for this reason, because they think and will from what is their own [proprium], that is, from self, they are unable to think or to will anything that does not flow forth from the love of self and the love of the world, and from the lusts of those loves, thus are unable to think or will anything whatever that is from love to the Lord or from love towards the neighbor; and those who will and think from the loves of self and of the world and their lusts only are unable to will anything but evils or think anything but falsities. That this is so can be seen and concluded by anyone who knows that all good and truth is from the Lord, and all evil and falsity is from what is man's own [proprium].
[3] It is to be known that, so far as man acknowledges the Lord and lives according to His commandments, he is elevated above what is his own [proprium]; which elevation is out of the light of the world into the light of heaven. So long as man lives in the world he does not know that he is raised up above what is his own [proprium], because he does not feel it, and yet there is an elevation or as it were a drawing of man's interior understanding and interior will towards the Lord, and thus a turning of man's face in respect to his spirit towards the Lord. After death this is made clear to the good man, for then there is a constant turning of his face to the Lord, and as it were a drawing towards Him as to a common center (of this turning see in the work on Heaven and Hell 17, 123, 142-145, 253, 272, 552, 561).
[4] But since it is according to Divine order that where there is a drawing there must be an impelling force, for without this there can be no drawing, so it is according to Divine order that there be with man an impelling force; and although this is from the Lord, yet it appears as if it were from man, and the appearance causes it to be as if it were man's. This impelling force as if from man, corresponding to the drawing that is from the Lord, is acknowledgment, thus reception from acknowledgment and confession of the Lord and from a life according to His commandments. There must be this on man's part and from his life's freedom, and yet man must acknowledge that even this is from the Lord, although from the obscurity of perception in which man is he has no other feeling than that it is as if from himself. These things are said to make known that a man who denies the Lord cannot be in anything but evils and in falsities therefrom, because he cannot be drawn away from what is his own [proprium], that is, be elevated above it; neither can he be influenced by any drawing from the Lord, and consequent turning of the interiors of his mind towards the Lord.
646. "Et percutere terram omni plaga." - Quod significet quod ecclesia apud illos per concupiscentias mali pereat, constat ex significatione "terrae", quod sit ecclesia (de qua supra pluries); et ex significatione "plagae", quod sint talia quae destruunt vitam spiritualem, proinde ecclesiam, quae in summa se referunt ad cupiditates amoris sui et mundi, ita ad concupiscentias mali (de qua etiam supra, n. 584): inde per " 1
convertere aquas in sanguinem" 2
significatur quod apud illos qui nocere et damnum inferre volunt "binis testibus", qui sunt bona et vera caeli et ecclesiae quae agnoscunt et confitentur Dominum, vertantur bona in mala et inde vera in falsa:
[2] quod ita fiat, quisque potest videre et concludere ex eo, quod omne bonum amoris et verum fidei sit a Domino, et quod illi qui non agnoscunt et confitentur Dominum non possint aliquod bonum amoris et verum fidei recipere; nam per non agnitionem et per negationem claudunt sibi caelum, hoc est rejiciunt omnem influxum boni et veri e caelo, seu per caelum a Domino; inde est quod in suo proprio sint, quod in se spectatum non est nisi quam malum et inde falsum; quare non aliud possunt cogitare nec aliud velle, quia ex suo proprio seu ex se, quam quod ex amore sui et ex amore mundi, et ex illorum concupiscentiis, scaturit, et prorsus nihil quod ex amore in Dominum et ex amore erga proximum; et qui ex amoribus sui et mundi et illorum concupiscentiis solis volunt et cogitant, non possunt aliter quam mala velle et falsa cogitare. Quod ita sit, videri et concludi potest a quolibet qui scit quod omne bonum et verum sit a Domino, ac omne malum et falsum a proprio hominis.
[3] Sciendum est quod quantum homo agnoscit Dominum, et vivit secundum praecepta Ipsius, tantum elevetur supra proprium suum; elevatio est e luce mundi in lucem caeli. Quod homo elevetur supra suum proprium, ille, dum in mundo vivit, nescit, quia non sentit; sed usque est elevatio, aut sicut attractio interioris intellectus et interioris voluntatis hominis ad Dominum, et inde est conversio faciei hominis quoad spiritum suum ad Ipsum: hoc tamen manifestatur homini bono post mortem, nam tunc conversio faciei ejus perpetua est ad Dominum, et sicut attractio ad Ipsum ut ad centrum commune (de qua conversione videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 17, 123, 142-145, 3
[4] Sed quia secundum Divinum ordinem est, quod ubi attractio ibi debeat esse impulsio, nam attractio absque impulsione non datur, ideo secundum Divinum ordinem est ut apud hominem etiam sit impulsio; quae tametsi ibi est a Domino, usque apparet sicut foret ab homine, et apparentia facit ut sit sicut hominis. Impulsio illa quasi ab homine correspondens attractioni a Domino est agnitio, ita receptio ex agnitione et confessione Domini, et ex vita secundum praecepta Domini: hoc a parte hominis et ejus vitae libero erit; sed usque homo agnoscet quod etiam hoc sit a Domino, tametsi ex obscuro perceptionis, in quo homo est, non id aliter sentit quam sicut a se. Haec dicta sunt ut sciatur quod homo, qui negat Dominum, non aliter possit quam in malis et inde falsis esse, quia non potest subduci a proprio, hoc est, elevari supra id; nec in aliqua attractione a Domino, et inde in conversione quoad interiora quae mentis ejus sunt ad Dominum.
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.