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671. And their enemies saw them.- That this signifies cognition and acknowledgment with those who are interiorly opposed to the goods and truths of the Word and of the church, is evident from the signification of seeing, as denoting to understand, consequently to know and to acknowledge (concerning which see above 11, 37, 260, 354, 529); and from the signification of enemies, as denoting those who are opposed to the goods of love and the truths of doctrine, consequently those who are in evils and falsities, for these are meant, in the Word, in its spiritual sense by enemies (inimicos) and foes (hostes). It is therefore evident, that by their enemies saw them, is signified cognition and acknowledgment with those who are against the two witnesses, which are the goods of love and truths of doctrine.
[2] The interior truth involved is as follows: by enemies are here meant those who are interiorly, but yet not outwardly, opposed to the goods of love and the truths of doctrine, for with the lips they act as friends, but in heart as enemies. Therefore before the world they profess those things, but in their spirit, in which they are when engaged in meditating alone, they deny them. These, therefore, are the enemies who see; for when they are in corporeal-natural thought, which is the case when they are in the company of others, they see, that is, know and acknowledge goods and truths; but when they are in spiritual-natural thought, which is the case when they are alone, and think concerning the things of faith, then they do not acknowledge them. This is why it is said, that those two witnesses ascended into heaven in a cloud; for the cloud signifies the external of the Word, of the church, and of worship, which, and from which, they see. That the cloud there signifies this external, may be seen in the article just above.
[3] In numerous passages of the Word, mention is made of foes and enemies, and by them are meant evils and falsities, by foes (hostes), evils, and by enemies (inimici), falsities, for the Word in its bosom is spiritual; therefore in that sense foes and enemies mean only spiritual foes and enemies. That this is the case is evident from the following passages.
In David:
"Jehovah, how are my foes increased, many are they that rise up against me, that say of my soul, no safety (salus) for him in God" (Psalm 3:1, 2).
In the same:
"Make wonderful thy mercy, O Saviour of them that trust, from them that rise up against me; keep me by thy right hand, from the wicked who are against my soul, who compass me about" (Psalm 17:7-9).
In the same:
"Deliver me not up to the desire of my foes, for witnesses of a lie have risen up against me, who breathe out violence; unless I had trusted to see good in the land of life" (Psalm 27:12, 13).
In the same:
"Deliver me from my foes, O my God, from them that rise up against me, lift me up; deliver me from the workers of iniquity behold they lay snares for my soul" (Psalm 59:1-3).
In Isaiah:
"The wicked acteth perversely in the land of uprightness, but Jehovah, thine hand is lifted up, fire shall devour thine enemies" (26:10, 11).
Besides in many other places in the prophetic Word, where foes and enemies are mentioned, and also in the historic Word, where foes, wars, and battles are treated of. For as war signifies spiritual war, which is that between truths and falsities, and as the weapons of war, such as spears, bows, arrows, and swords, signify those things that pertain to spiritual war, so also do foes and enemies. That wars, in the Word, and also weapons of war, as bows, arrows, and swords, signify such things, has been frequently shown in the preceding pages.
671. And their enemies beheld them, signifies the knowledge and acknowledgment with those who are interiorly opposed to the goods and truths of the Word and of the church. This is evident from the signification of "to behold," as being to understand, consequently to know and to acknowledge (of which above, n. 11, 37, 260, 354, 529); also from the signification of "enemies," as being those who are opposed to the goods of love and the truths of doctrine, consequently those who are in evils and falsities, for these are meant in the Word in its spiritual sense by "enemies and adversaries." Thence it is clear that "their enemies beheld them" signifies the knowledge and acknowledgment with those who are against "the two witnesses," that is, against the goods of love and the truths of doctrine.
[2] The arcanum here involved is this: "Enemies" here mean those who are inwardly opposed to the goods of love and the truths of doctrine, but still not outwardly; for such with the mouth act like friends, but in heart they are enemies; therefore before the world they profess a belief in goods and truths, but in their spirit, in which they are when they meditate alone with themselves, they reject them. These are the "enemies who behold," for when such are in corporeal-natural thought, in which they are whenever they are in company with others, they see, that is, know and acknowledge, goods and truths. But when they are in their spiritual-natural thought, in which they are whenever they are alone and are thinking about matters of belief, they do not acknowledge. This is why it is said that "these two witnesses went up into heaven in the cloud;" for the "cloud" signifies the external of the Word, of the church, and of worship, which they see and from which they see. That the "cloud" here signifies this external may be seen in the article just above.
[3] In a multitude of passages in the Word, "adversaries" and "enemies" are mentioned, and by them evils and falsities are meant, evils by "adversaries," and falsities by "enemies;" for the Word in its bosom is spiritual, therefore in that sense no other than spiritual adversaries and enemies can be meant by "adversaries and enemies." That this is so can be seen from the following passages. In David:
Jehovah, how are my adversaries multiplied, many are they that rise up against me, that say of my soul, There is no salvation for him in God (Psalms 3:1, 2).
In the same:
Make wonderful Thy mercy, O Thou Savior of them that confide in Thee from them that rise up against me, 1keep me by Thy right hand from the wicked who are against my soul, who compass me about (Psalms 17:7-9).
In the same:
Give me not up to the desire of my adversaries, for witnesses of a lie are risen up against me, who puff out violence; unless I had believed to see good in the land of life (Psalms 27:12, 13).
In the same-
Deliver me from my adversaries, O my God, set me on high from them that rise against me, deliver me from the workers of iniquity; behold they lie in wait for my soul (Psalms 59:1-3).
In Isaiah:
The wicked man acteth perversely in the land of uprightness; but Jehovah, Thy hand is exalted, fire shall devour Thine enemies (Isaiah 26:10, 11);
besides many other passages in the prophetic Word, where "adversaries and enemies" are mentioned, and also in the historic Word, where "adversaries," "wars," and "battles" are treated of. For as "war" signifies spiritual war, which is between truths and falsities, and thence weapons of war, such as "spears," "bows," "arrows," and "swords," signify such things as belong to spiritual warfare, so also do "adversaries and enemies." (That "wars" in the Word have this signification, also weapons of war, such as "bows," "arrows," and "swords," has here and there been shown in the preceding pages.)
Footnotes:
1. The Hebrew has "that raise themselves up."
671. "Et viderunt illos inimici illorum." - Quod significet cognitionem et agnitionem apud illos qui interius contra bona et vera Verba et ecclesiae sunt, constat ex significatione "videre", quod sit intelligere, proinde cognoscere et agnoscere (de qua supra, n. 11, 37, 260 [a] , 354, 529); et ex significatione "inimicorum", quod sint qui contra bona amoris et vera doctrinae sunt, proinde qui in malis et in falsis; hi per "inimicos" et "hostes" in Verbo in spirituali ejus sensu intelliguntur: inde patet quod per "Viderunt illos inimici illorum" significetur cognitio et agnitio apud illos qui contra "binos testes", qui sunt bona amoris et vera doctrinae, sunt.
[2] Arcanum quod haec involvunt est hoc: per "inimicos" hic intelliguntur illi qui interius contra bona amoris et vera doctrinae sunt, sed usque non exterius; ore enim agunt amicos, sed corde inimicos; quare coram mundo profitentur illa, sed in spiritu, in quo sunt quando soli apud se meditantur, negant illa: hi itaque sunt "inimici" qui "vident"; nam cum in cogitatione naturali corporea sunt, in qua sunt quoties in societate cum aliis, tunc vident, hoc est, cognoscunt et agnoscunt illa; sed cum in cogitatione spirituali naturali sunt, in qua sunt quoties soli sunt, et cogitant de rebus fidei, tunc non agnoscunt. Inde est quod dicatur quod "bini illi testes ascenderint in caelum in nube"; per "nubem" enim significatur externum Verbi, ecclesiae et cultus, quod vident et ex quo vident; quod "nubes" ibi significet illud externum, videatur in mox superiori articulo.
[3] In Verbo permultis in locis nominantur "hostes" et "inimici", et ibi per illos intelliguntur mala et falsa, per "hostes" mala, et per "inimicos" falsa; Verbum enim in sinu suo est spirituale; quare non alia per "hostes" et "inimicos" in eo sensu possunt intelligi quam hostes et inimici spirituales. Quod ita sit, constare potest ex his locis:
- Apud Davidem,
"Jehovah, quantum multiplicati sunt hostes mei; multi insurgentes contra me, ..dicentes de anima mea, Non salus illi in Deo" (1, 2]);
apud eundem,
"Mirabilem fac misericordiam tuam, Salvator confidentium, ab insurgentibus contra me, per dextram tuam custodi me.... ab impiis qui [vastant me, hostibus meis qui] contra animam meam, circumdant me" (Psalms 17:7, 8 [, 9]);
apud eundem,
"Ne tradas me in desiderium hostium meorum, quia surrexerunt contra me testes mendacii, qui efflant violentiam, ne crederem videre bonum..in terra vitae" (Psalms 27:12, 13):
apud eundem,
"Libera me ab hostibus meis, Deus mi, ab insurgentibus contra me, exalta me, libera me ab operatoribus iniquitatis, .... ecce insidiantur animae meae" (Psalms 59:2, 3 [, 41-[3]);
apud Esaiam,
"Impius...in terra rectitudinum perverse agit; sed Jehovah, exaltata est manus tua ignis inimicos tuos comedet" (26:10, 11);
praeter ubique alibi in Verbo Prophetico, ubi nominantur "hostes" et "inimici", et quoque in Verbo Historico, ubi agitur de "hostibus", "bellis" et "pugnis": nam sicut "bellum" significat bellum spirituale, quod est inter vera et falsa, et inde "arma belli", sicut "hastae", "arcus", "sagittae" et "gladii", significant talia quae sunt belli spiritualis, ita quoque "hostes" et "inimici.
(Quod "bella" in Verbo talia significent, tum arma belli", sicut "arcus", "sagittae" et "gladii", in praecedentibus passim ostensum est.