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734. And there was war in heaven.- That this signifies combat of falsity against truth, and of truth against falsity, is evident from the signification [of war as denoting spiritual war, that is,] of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity, of which we shall speak presently. The falsity here meant is falsity from evil, while the truth is truth from good; for many kinds of falsities exist, but those only which are from evil fight against truths from good, since evil is opposed to good, and all truth is of good. All those are in the falsities of evil who in their life have given no thought to heaven and the Lord, but have thought only of themselves and the world. To think of heaven and the Lord in the life, is to think that one ought to act in such or such a manner, because the Word so teaches and commands; those who do this, since they live from the Word, live from the Lord and heaven. But to think only of oneself and the world, is to think that one ought to act in this or that manner because of the laws of the country, and for the sake of reputation, honours and gain. Such persons do not live for the Lord and heaven, but for themselves and the world; these are in evil as to life, and from evils in falsities; and those who are in falsities from this source fight against truths. But these do not fight against the Word, for they call it holy and Divine, but they fight against the genuine truths of the Word; they confirm their falsities by the Word, but by the sense of its letter only, which in some passages is of such a nature that it may be interpreted to confirm the most heretical principles, for the reason that the Word in that sense is adapted to the apprehension of children and the simple minded; these for the most part are sensual, and the sensual receive only those things that they see. And because the Word is such in the letter, therefore those who are in falsities from evil of life confirm their falsities by the Word, and thus falsify the Word. In fact those who separate faith from charity, so falsify the Word that wherever mention is made of acting or of deeds and works, they explain such passages - of which there are thousands - so as to make it appear that not the doing of deeds or works is meant, but only believing and faith; and so in other cases. These things have been said in order that the reader may know who are meant by those who are in falsities from evil, and who made war with Michael and his angels, as treated of in the following article.
[2] That war, in the Word, signifies spiritual war, which is that of falsity from evil against truth from good, and of truth from good against falsity from evil, or what is the same thing, that which is waged by those who are in falsities from evil against those who are in truths from good, is evident from a number of passages in the Word, of which we shall cite only the following.
In Isaiah:
"Many peoples shall go and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob, who will teach us of his ways, that we may go in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem; that he may judge among the nations, and rebuke peoples, who shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up the sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. O house of Jacob, come ye, and we will go in the light of Jehovah" (2:3-5; Micah 4:3).
This treats of the Lord's coming, and of the fact that those who will be of His New Church are to be instructed in truths, by which they will be led to heaven. The mountain of Jehovah and the house of Jacob signify the church in which there are love to the Lord and worship from that love. The call to that church, and thus to the Lord, is signified by Many peoples shall go and say, Come, and let us go up to that mountain. That they are to be instructed in the truths by which they will be led, is signified by the words He will teach us of His ways, that we may go in His paths, - ways denoting truths, and paths precepts of life. That they will be taught by means of the doctrine of the good of love, and the doctrine of truth from that good, which are for the church out of heaven from the Lord, is signified by Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word from Jerusalem, - the law denoting the doctrine of the good of love, and the Word, truth from that good. That evils of life and falsities of doctrine will then be dissipated is signified by He will judge among the nations and rebuke peoples, - nations signifying those who are in evils, and peoples those who are in falsities, thus, in an abstract sense, evils of life and falsities of doctrine.
[3] That, by common consent, combats will then cease is signified by They shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks, - swords and spears denoting falsities from evil fighting against truths from good, and truths from good against falsities from evil, ploughshares denoting the goods of the church cultivated by means of truths. For a field that is tilled by the ploughshare denotes the church as to the good of life, and pruning-hooks denote truths of doctrine, because trees in gardens signify perceptions and cognitions of truth. The signification of Nation shall not lift the sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more is similar, war signifying combats in their whole extent. Come ye, and we will go in the light of Jehovah, signifies that such will live a life of wisdom, the light of Jehovah denoting the Divine Truth, and to go in it denoting to live according to it, thus a life of wisdom. That war here signifies spiritual war, which is that of falsities against truths and goods, and conversely, and that swords and spears, which are arms of war, signify such things as are used in spiritual combats, is manifestly evident, for the Lord, the church to be established by Him, and also the doctrine for that church, is the subject dealt with here, therefore it is said, "He shall teach us of his ways, that we may go in his paths;" also,
"Come ye, and we will go in the light of Jehovah."
[4] In Hosea:
"In that day I will make for them a covenant with the wild beast of the field, and with the bird of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the earth; and the bow, and the sword, and the war, will I break off from the earth, and I will cause them to lie down securely" (388:27, 701:20), where it is also shown that by breaking the bow, the sword, and the war, is signified to cease from all combat between falsity and truth, therefore it is added, "And I will cause them to lie down securely," which means security from the infestations of evils and falsities from hell.
[5] In Zechariah:
"I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war shall be cut off; and he will speak peace to the nations" (357:28).
[6] In the same:
God "breaketh the flashings (scintillas) of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the war" (357:4).
[7] In David:
"Strive, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me, fight against them that fight against me, take hold of shield and buckler and rise up for mine help, draw out the spear, and stop the way against my pursuers; say unto my soul, I am thy salvation" (Psalm 35:1-3).
Here to fight, to take hold of shield and buckler, and to draw out the spear, does not mean to use those arms of war, since this is said of Jehovah, but it is so said, because all arms of war signify such things as pertain to spiritual war. A shield, because it protects the head, signifies protection against falsities which destroy the understanding of truth; a buckler, because it protects the breast, signifies protection against the falsities which destroy charity, which is the will of good; while a spear, as it protects all parts of the body, signifies protection in general. Because such things are signified, it is therefore added, "Say to my soul, I am thy salvation."
[8] Since Jehovah, that is, the Lord, protects man from the hells, that is, from the evils and falsities which continually arise therefrom, therefore he is called Jehovah Zebaoth, that is Jehovah of armies (or hosts), and armies signify the truths and goods of heaven, and thus of the church in their whole extent, by means of which the Lord removes the hells in general, and with each one individually. This is why it is attributed to Jehovah that He fights and carries on war as a hero and man of war in battles, as is evident from the following passages.
In Isaiah:
"Jehovah Zebaoth shall come down to fight upon Mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof" (31:4).
In Zechariah:
"Jehovah shall go forth and fight against the nations, as on the day of his fighting in the day of battle" (14:3).
In Isaiah:
"Jehovah shall go forth as a hero; as a man of war he shall stir up zeal, he shall prevail over his enemies" (42:13).
In Moses:
"War of Jehovah against Amalek from generation to generation" (Exodus 17:16).
This is said because by Amalek are signified those falsities of evil which continually infest the truths and goods of the church.
[9] Moreover, the wars described in the historical parts of the Word, both those which are related in the books of Moses, and those in the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and the Kings, signify spiritual wars; as for example, the wars against the Assyrians, Syrians, Egyptians, Philistines, and, in the beginning, those against the idolatrous nations in the land of Canaan beyond and on this side Jordan. But the signification of those wars becomes plain when it is known what kind of evil and falsity is signified by the Assyrians, the Babylonians, and Chaldeans, also by the Egyptians, Syrians, Philistines, and the rest. For all the nations and peoples who waged war with the sons of Israel represented the hells, which wished to do violence to the church represented by the sons of Israel. Those wars nevertheless actually took place as they are described, still they represented, and thus signified, spiritual wars, since nothing is said in the Word that is not interiorly spiritual, for the Word is Divine, and what proceeds from the Divine is spiritual, and is terminated in what is natural.
[10] That the ancients also possessed a Word both prophetical and historical, now lost, is evident in Moses (Numbers xxi.), where its prophecies are mentioned, which are there called Enunciations, and also its historical parts, which are called the Wars of Jehovah (verses 14 and 27). Those historical parts are called the Wars of Jehovah, because they signify the wars of the Lord with the hells, as is the case also with the wars in the historical parts of our Word. This, then, is why enemies, foes, assailants, pursuers, those that rise up, and moreover all arms of war, such as the spear, the buckler, the shield, the sword, the bow, arrows and the chariot, signify in the Word such things as pertain to combat and protection against the hells.
[11] In Moses:
"When thou goest out to war against the enemy, and seest the horse and the chariot, a people more than thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them, because Jehovah thy God is with thee." The priest shall say to them, when they draw near to the battle, "Ye draw near this day to the battle against your enemies, let not your heart soften, neither fear ye, nor tremble, nor be dismayed before them, for Jehovah your God goeth with you, to fight for you against your enemies, and to save you" (Deuteronomy 20:1-4).
He who does not know that there is a spiritual sense in every particular of the Word may suppose that nothing more interior is meant here than that which appears in the letter; and yet war, as elsewhere, signifies spiritual war, and therefore horse, chariot, and much people, signify the falsities of religion in which they trust, and from which they fight against the truths of the church, horse denoting the falsities of the understanding and reasonings therefrom, chariot, falsities of doctrine, and much people, falsities in general. Whether you say falsities, or those who are in falsities, it amounts to the same. They were not to be afraid of these or tremble, because they are in the truths of the church from the Lord. And because the Lord is in these truths with man, and thus from them fights for man against the hells, which are meant by enemies in the spiritual sense, therefore it is said, because Jehovah God is with thee, and goeth with thee to fight for you with your enemies, and to keep you. These two senses, the natural and the spiritual, make one by the correspondences which exist between all things of the world and all things of heaven, consequently there is a conjunction of heaven with man through the Word. But the spiritual sense which lies hidden in the historical parts of the Word is less easily seen than that in the prophetical parts, because the historical facts keep the mind fixed in themselves, and thus withdraw it from thinking of any other sense than that which appears in the letter; yet all the historical parts of the Word are representative of heavenly things, and the words, are significative.
[12] That all those who were in truths of doctrine, and thus had become men of the church, and not those that had not so become, were to fight, is signified by the following words in the same chapter:
"Afterwards the governors shall speak to the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house, and hath not dedicated it? let him go and return unto his house, lest peradventure he die in the war, and another man dedicate it. Or what man is there that hath planted a vineyard, and hath not completed and gathered the fruits of it? let him go and return unto his house, lest peradventure he die in the war, and another man complete and gather the fruits of it. Or what man is there that hath betrothed a wife, and hath not taken her? let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the war, and another man take her. What man is timid and faint in heart? let him go and return unto his house, lest the heart of his brethren melt as his heart" (Deuteronomy 20:5-8).
That those that had built new houses, and had not yet dedicated them, and those that had planted vineyards, and not yet gathered the fruits of them, and those that had betrothed wives, and not yet taken them, should remain at home, lest they should die in the war, and other men should dedicate their houses, gather the fruits of their vineyards, and take their wives, was commanded and sanctioned from causes in the spiritual world; and these no one can understand, except he knows the signification of building a house, planting a vineyard, and taking a wife, and also of dying in war. To build a house signifies to establish the church, and the same is meant by planting a vineyard; but a house signifies the church as to good, and a vineyard the church as to truth, for both good and truth must be implanted in man, in order that the church may be in him. The conjunction of these two, namely, of good and truth, is signified by betrothing and taking a wife; and war signifies spiritual war, which is a combat against evils and falsities from hell; while to die in the war, signifies to yield, before the church is implanted by means of those things, this also being effected by means of temptations, which are also signified in the Word by wars.
[13] From these things it may be understood what is signified by those statutes in the spiritual sense, namely, that the men of the church, that is, men in whom is the church, who are signified by the sons of Israel going out to the war, are those who are to fight against enemies, which are the hells, that is to say, those in whom is the church, and not those who have not yet become men of the church; therefore it is said that those that have built houses, and not yet dedicated them, also those that have planted vineyards, and not yet gathered the fruits of them, also those that have betrothed wives, and have not yet taken them, shall not go out to the war; for all these signify those in whom the church has not yet been implanted, that is those who have not yet become men of the church. And it is said that they should go and return to their houses, lest they should die in the war, which means that such will not prevail over their enemies, but their enemies over them, since those alone prevail over their spiritual enemies who are in truths from good, or with whom truth is conjoined with good. It is said also, lest another man dedicate the house, gather the fruit of the vineyard, and take the wife, which signifies lest falsities and evils conjoin themselves with good, or truth of another kind with the affection for good; for another man signifies falsity, also other truth, thus truth that is not concordant. That the timid and faint in heart should also return home signifies those who were not yet in the goods and truths of the church and by means of these in confidence in the Lord, for such fear the evil, and also cause others to fear them, and this is signified by Lest the heart of his brethren melt. These now are the interior reasons, or reasons from the spiritual world, why these things were commanded.
[14] That war signifies spiritual war, which is war against infernal things, is manifestly evident from this, that the offices and ministries of the Levites in connection with the tent of meeting were called military service, as is plain from these things in Moses:
"It was commanded Moses that the Levites should be numbered, from a son of thirty years to a son of fifty years, to do military service, to do the work in the tent of the assembly" (Numbers 4:23, 35, 39, 43, 47).
And in another place:
"This is the office of the Levites; from a son of twenty-five years and upwards he shall come to do military service in the ministry of the tent of meeting, but from a son of fifty years he shall cease from the military service of the ministry, neither shall he minister any more" (Numbers 8:24, 25).
The labours and ministry of the Levites in connection with the tent of meeting are called military service, because the Levites represented the truths of the church, and Aaron, to whom the Levites were given and assigned for service, represented the Lord as to the good of love, and as to the work of salvation. And as the Lord from the good of love by means of truths from the Word regenerates and saves men, and also removes evils and falsities which are from hell, against which He continually fights, therefore the offices and ministries of the Levites were called a military service. The same thing is further evident from this that their ministries were called a military service, although they did not go out to war against the enemies of the land. This shows that the priesthood is a military service, but a military service against evils and falsities. It is for this reason that the church at this day is called a church militant.
[15] In Isaiah:
"The voice of a multitude in the mountains, like that of a great people, a tumultuous noise of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together; Jehovah Zebaoth numbereth the host of war" (13:4).
These words have been explained above (n. 28:5, 6).
This is said of those who are in the pride of [their] own intelligence, and who are meant in the first verse by the crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim. That those who are not in that pride shall have intelligence from the Lord, is signified by Jehovah shall be for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth in judgment, judgment denoting the understanding of truth, thus intelligence. Jehovah shall be for strength to those who repel war from the gate, signifies that the Lord gives power to those who defend the Word and doctrine from the Word, and who endeavour to prevent them from suffering violence, a city denoting doctrine, and the gate which gives entrance to it denoting natural truths. This was the reason why the elders sat in the gates of the city to judge.
[16] And in Jeremiah:
"Sanctify ye the war" against the daughter of Zion; "arise and let us go up at noon, arise and let us go up in the night, and destroy her palaces. Cast up a mound against Jerusalem. Behold a people cometh from the land of the north, a cruel people, and they have no mercy; their voice resoundeth like the sea, they ride upon horses prepared as a man for war, against thee, O daughter of Zion" (6:3-6, 22, 23).
The subject there treated of is the falsification of the Word by those who are in [their] own intelligence, and who are meant by the people coming from the land of the north, for such persons in the spiritual world dwell in the north, because they are in falsifications from which truths cannot be seen; but a church which is in genuine truths is meant by the daughter of Zion. The attack upon truth and the destruction of the church by such is signified by Sanctify ye the war against the daughter of Zion, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem, - Jerusalem denoting the church as to doctrine, and thus the doctrine of the church. The effort to destroy truths openly is signified by Arise, let us go up at noon; and the effort to destroy them secretly is signified by Arise, let us go up in the night. The effort to destroy the understanding of truth is signified by Let us destroy her palaces; that they are wholly destitute of the love of truth, and have a love of falsity, is signified by A cruel people, and they have no mercy. That they reason from knowledges (scientia), and from [their] own intelligence, is signified by Their voice resoundeth like the sea, they ride upon horses; that they fight against truth is signified by their being prepared as a man for war.
[17] In David:
"Deliver me from the evil man, and save me from the man of violences, who think evils in the heart; all the day they gather together for war, they have sharpened their tongue like serpents" (Psalm 140:1-3).
The evil man and the man of violences signify those who pervert the truths of the Word; he is called a man of violences who from wicked intention offers violence to the truths of the Word, by perverting them; such wicked intention is further described by thinking evils in the heart, while the perversion of the truths of the Word is meant by gathering themselves together all the day for war; the reasonings by which they prevail are signified by wars, therefore it is also added, "They have sharpened their tongue like serpents."
[18] In Zechariah:
"They shall be as mighty men treading under foot the mire of the streets in the war, and they shall engage in battle, because Jehovah is with them, and they that ride upon horses shall be ashamed" (10:5).
This treats of the Lord's coming, and of those who are in truths from good from Him; of these it is said, that They shall be as mighty men treading under the foot the mire of the streets in the war, - which signifies that they will dissipate and utterly destroy falsities of doctrine, the mire of the streets denoting that falsity, because a city signifies doctrine, the streets of a city its truths, and the mire in them falsity from truth falsified. And they shall fight because Jehovah is with them, signifies that they will attack and overcome those falsities by power from the Lord; and they that ride upon horses shall be ashamed, signifies that everything of [their] own intelligence shall succumb; to be made ashamed denotes to succumb, because it is said of those who are conquered, while to ride upon horses denotes to trust in [their] own intelligence.
[19] In Hosea:
"I will have mercy on the house of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God; and I will not save them by the bow, nor by the sword, nor by warrior by horses, nor by horsemen" (1:7).
The house of Judah signifies the celestial church; to have compassion and to save them by Jehovah their God signifies salvation from the Lord. I will not save them by the bow, nor by the sword, nor by the war, nor by horses, nor by horsemen, signifies not by such things as belong to [man's] own intelligence. The signification of bow, sword, horses and horsemen, has been shown above in various places; war signifies combat from such things.
[20] In Ezekiel:
"Ye have not gone up into the breaches, neither made up the fence for the house of Israel, that ye might stand in the war in the day of Jehovah" (13:5).
This was said of the foolish prophets, who signify falsities of doctrine from the Word when it is falsified. That they were not able to correct the apostacies of the church, or amend anything of it is signified by Ye have not gone up into the breaches, neither made up the fence for the house of Israel, - the breaches of the house of Israel denoting the falling away of the church, and its fence that which prevents the invasion of falsity, and thus produces amendment. Not to stand in the war in the day of Jehovah, signifies not to fight against falsities of evil, which are from hell, in the day of a last judgment.
[21] And in Jeremiah:
"How is the city of glory not forsaken, the city of my joy? Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day" (49:25, 26; 50:30).
The doctrine of truth from the Word is meant by the city of glory, and by the city of the joy of Jehovah; that this is changed into a doctrine of falsity by falsifications of truth is signified by being forsaken or deserted. That all understanding of truth, and thus all intelligence, would perish, is signified by Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, - young men denoting the understanding of truth, and the streets, of that city falsities of doctrine. That there will no longer remain any truths fighting against falsities is signified by All the men of war shall be cut off, - men of war denoting those who are in truths, and who fight from them against falsities, and, in an abstract sense, truths themselves fighting against falsities.
[22] In Isaiah:
"Thy slain (confossi) are not slain with the sword, neither killed in war" (22:2).
This is said of the valley of vision, which signifies the sensual man, which looks at everything from the fallacies of the bodily senses; because it does not understand truths, and seizes upon falsities in the place of them, it is therefore said Thy slain are not slain with the sword, neither killed in war, - which signifies that truths have not been destroyed by reasonings from falsities, nor by any combats of falsity against truths, but from themselves, because from fallacies, in consequence of which truths are not seen.
[23] In the same:
"I will mingle Egypt against Egypt, that a man shall fight against his brother, and a man against his companion, city against city, kingdom against kingdom" (19:2).
This is said of the natural separated from the spiritual man, which is signified by Egypt. The crowd of falsities in the natural man reasoning and fighting against the truths and goods of the spiritual man is signified by I will mingle Egypt against Egypt, and a man shall fight against his brother, and a man against his companion, - a man and a brother signifying truth and good, and, in the opposite sense, falsity and evil, and a man and his companion truths among themselves, and, in the opposite sense, falsities among themselves. This division, and combat, take place when falsities rule, since falsities continually contend with falsities, but truths do not contend with truths. That there will be similar contentions of doctrines among themselves, or of churches among themselves, is signified by City shall fight against city, and kingdom against kingdom, - city denoting doctrine, and kingdom the church therefrom.
[24] From these things it is evident what is signified by the Lord's words in the Evangelists;
"Many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ, and shall lead many astray. But ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars; see that ye be not troubled; for nation shall rise up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes" (Matthew 24:5-7; Mark 13:6-8; Luke 21:8-11).
This was said by the Lord to the disciples concerning the consummation of the age, which signifies the state of the church at its end, which is described in those chapters, therefore it also means the successive perversion and falsification of the truth and good of the Word, until nothing remains but falsity and evil therefrom. Those who shall come in His name and call themselves Christ, and shall lead many astray, signify that those shall come who will say that this is Divine Truth, when nevertheless it is truth falsified, which in itself is falsity; for by Christ is meant the Lord as to Divine Truth, but here, in the opposite sense, truth falsified. That they shall hear of wars and rumours of wars, signifies that there will be discussions and contentions about truths, and consequent falsifications. Nation shall rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, signifies that evil will fight against evil, and falsity against falsity, for evils never agree among themselves, nor falsities among themselves; this is why churches are divided, and why so many heresies have arisen; nation signifies those who are in evils, and kingdom those who are in falsities, and of these the church consists. There shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes, signifies that there will no longer be any knowledges of truth and good, and the state of the church will be changed by the falsities that will corrupt it, famine denoting a lack of the knowledges of truth and good, pestilences, corruptions by falsities, and earthquakes, the changes in the church.
[25] Since wars signify, in the Word, spiritual wars which are combats of falsity against truth, and of truth against falsity, therefore such combats are described by the war between the king of the north and the king of the south, and by the battle of the he-goat against the ram, in Daniel, - the war between the king of the north and the king of the south in chapter eleven, and the combat of the he-goat against the ram in chapter eight. And there the king of the north means those who are in falsities, and the king of the south those who are in truths. The he-goat signifies those who are in falsities of doctrine, because they are in evil of life, and the ram those who are in truths of doctrine, because they are in good of life.
[26] It is evident, from these things what is signified by war in other passages of the Apocalypse, as in the following:
When the witnesses "shall have finished their testimony, the beast coming up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and conquer them, and kill them" (11:7).
Again,
"The spirits of demons doing signs to go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the war of that great day of God Almighty" (16:14):
And again,
"Satan shall go forth to lead the nations astray, Gog and Magog, that he may gather them together to war" (20:8).
In these passages also, war signifies spiritual war, which is that of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity. It is called a war of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity, but it must be understood that those who are in falsities fight against truths, but those who are in truths do not fight against falsities, for it is always those who are in falsities that attack while those who are in truths only defend, and in reference to the Lord, He does not even resist, but only protects truths. But we shall speak further upon this subject elsewhere.
734. Verse 7. And there was war in heaven, signifies the combat of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity. This is evident from the signification [of "war," as being spiritual war, that is, 1] of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity (of which presently). The falsity here meant is falsity from evil, and the truth truth from good; for there exist many kinds of falsities, but those falsities only that are from evil fight against truths from good, since evil is opposed to good, and all truth is of good. All those are in the falsities of evil who in their life have given no thought to heaven and the Lord, but have thought only of self and the world. To think of heaven and the Lord in the life is to think that this or that must be done because the Word so teaches and commands; those who do this, since they live from the Word, live from the Lord and heaven. But to think only of self and the world is to think that this or that must be done because of the laws of the country, and for the sake of reputation, honor and gain; such do not live for the Lord and heaven, but for self and the world. These in respect to life are in evil, and from evil in falsities; and those who are in falsities from this origin fight against truths. But these do not fight against the Word, for they call it holy and Divine, but they fight against the genuine truths of the Word, for they confirm their falsities from the Word, but only from the sense of its letter, which in some passages is such that it may be drawn to confirm the most heretical principles, for the reason that the Word in that sense is adapted to the apprehension of children and the simple, who for the most part are sensual, and they receive only such things as are apparent to the eyes; and as the Word is such in the letter, therefore those who are in falsities from evil of life confirm their falsities from the Word, and thus falsify the Word. Yea, they who separate faith from charity so falsify the Word that wherever mention is made of doing or of deeds and works, such passages, of which there are thousands, are explained as if nothing of doing or of deeds or works were meant, but only believing and faith; and so in other cases. This has been said to make known who are meant by those who are in falsities from evil, who "made war with Michael and his angels," as described in the following article.
[2] That "war" signifies in the Word spiritual war, which is the war of falsity from evil against truth from good, and of truth from good against falsity from evil, or what is the same, which is carried on by those who are in falsities from evil against those who are in truths from good, is evident from many passages in the Word, of which the following only need be cited. In Isaiah:
Many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us of His ways that we may go in His paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word of Jehovah from Jerusalem; that He may judge between the nations, and reprove peoples; and they shall beat their swords into hoes, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore. O house of Jacob, come ye, and we will go in the light of Jehovah (Isaiah 2:3-5; Mic. Micah 4:2-3).
This treats of the Lord's coming, and that those who will be of His New Church are to be instructed in truths, by which they will be led to heaven. "The mountain of Jehovah" and "the house of Jacob" signify the church in which is love to the Lord and worship from that love; a summoning to that church, and thus to the Lord, is signified by "Many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to that mountain;" that they will be instructed in truths by which they will be led is signified by "He will teach us of His ways that we may go in His paths," "ways" meaning truths and "paths" the precepts of life; that they will be led by the doctrine of the good of love and by the doctrine of truth from that good, which are for the church out of heaven from the Lord, is signified by "out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the Word from Jerusalem," "the law" meaning the doctrine of the good of love, and "the Word" truth from that good; that evils of life and falsities of doctrine will then be dissipated is signified by "He will judge between the nations and reprove the peoples," "nations" signifying those who are in evils, and "peoples" those who are in falsities, thus in an abstract sense evils of life and falsities of doctrine.
[3] That by the consent of all, combats will then cease is signified by "they shall beat their swords into hoes and their spears into pruning hooks," "sword" and "spear" meaning falsities from evil fighting against truths from good, and truths from good against falsities from evil; "hoes" meaning the goods of the church which are cultivated by truths, for "a field that is tilled by the hoe" means the church in respect to the good of life; and "pruning hooks" mean truths of doctrine, because trees in gardens signify the perceptions and knowledges of truths. Like things are signified by "nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore," "war" signifying combats in the whole complex. That they will live a life of wisdom is signified by "Come ye, and we will go in the light of Jehovah," "the light of Jehovah" meaning Divine truth, and "to go in it" meaning to live according to it, thus in a life of wisdom. That "war" here signifies spiritual war, which is that of falsities against truths and goods, and conversely, and that "swords and spears," which are arms of war, signify such things as are used in spiritual combats, is clearly evident, for the Lord and the church to be established by Him and doctrine for that church are here treated of, and it is said, "He will teach us of His ways that we may go in His paths;" also "Come ye, and we will go in the light of Jehovah."
[4] In Hosea:
In that day I will make a covenant for them with the wild beast of the field, and with the bird of the heavens, and with the creeping thing of the earth; and I will break the bow, and the sword, and the war, from the earth; and I will make them to lie down securely (388, 701), also that "breaking the bow, the sword, and the war," signifies to cease from all combat between falsity and truth; therefore it is added, "and I will make them to lie down securely," which means security from the infestations from evils and falsities that are from hell.
[5] In Zechariah:
I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim, and the horse from Jerusalem, and the bow of war shall be cut off; but he shall speak peace to the nations (357).
[6] In the same:
God breaketh the flashes of the bow, the shield, and the sword, and the war (131, 357), also that the "grievousness of war" signifies because of the strong assault of falsities against the knowledges of good, which are here signified by "Arabia" or "Kedar."
In David:
Jehovah who teacheth my hands war, that a bow of brass may be let down upon his arms 2(357.
[7] In the same:
Strive, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me, fight against them that fight against me, take hold of shield and buckler and rise up for mine help, draw out the spear, and stop the way against my pursuers; say unto my soul, I am thy salvation (Psalms 35:1-3).
Here "to fight," "to take hold of shield and buckler," and "to draw out the spear," does not mean to grasp these arms of war, since this is said of Jehovah, but it is so said because all arms of war signify such things as pertain to spiritual war. A "shield," because it protects the head, signifies protection against the falsities that destroy the understanding of truth; a "buckler," because it protects the breast, signifies protection against the falsities that destroy charity, which is the will of good; and a "spear," because it protects all parts of the body, signifies protection in general. Because such things are signified it is added, "say unto my soul, I am thy salvation. "
[8] Because Jehovah, that is, the Lord, protects man from the hells, that is, from the evils and falsities that continually rise up out of the hells, therefore He is called "Jehovah Zebaoth," that is, Jehovah of Hosts, and "hosts" signify the truths and goods of heaven, and thus of the church in the whole complex, by which the Lord removes the hells in general, and with each one individually; this is why it is attributed to Jehovah that He fights and wages war as a hero and man of war in battles, as can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:
Jehovah of Hosts shall come down to fight upon Mount Zion, and upon the hill thereof (Isaiah 31:4).
In Zechariah:
Jehovah shall go forth and fight against the nations, as on the day of His fighting in the day of battle (Zechariah 14:3).
In Isaiah:
Jehovah shall go forth as a hero, He shall stir up zeal like a man of wars, He shall prevail over his enemies (Isaiah 42:13).
In Moses:
Jehovah hath war against Amalek from generation to generation (Exodus 17:16).
This is said because "Amalek" signifies those falsities of evil that continually infest the truths and goods of the church.
[9] Moreover, the wars that are described in the historicals of the Word, both in the books of Moses and in the books of Joshua, Judges, Samuel, and Kings, signify spiritual wars; as the wars against the Assyrians, Syrians, Egyptians, Philistines, and, in the beginning, against the idolatrous nations in the land of Canaan beyond and on this side Jordan. What these wars signify becomes evident when it is known what and of what kind are the evil and falsity signified by "the Assyrians," "the Babylonians and the Chaldeans," also by "the Egyptians," "the Syrians," "the Philistines," and the rest; for all nations and peoples that waged war with the sons of Israel represented the hells, which were desirous of doing violence to the church represented by the sons of Israel. Nevertheless, the wars actually took place as they are described, yet they represented and thence signified spiritual wars, since nothing is said in the Word that is not inwardly spiritual, for the Word is Divine, and what proceeds from the Divine is spiritual, and is terminated in what is natural.
[10] That the ancient people also had a Word, both prophetical and historical, that is now lost, is evident from Moses (Numbers 21), where its prophecies are referred to, and are there called "Enunciations;" also the historical books, which are called "The Wars of Jehovah" (verses 1 Numbers 21:14 and 27). Those historical books are called "The Wars of Jehovah" because they signify the wars of the Lord with the hells, as also do the wars in the historical books of our Word. This, then, is why "adversaries," "enemies," "assailants," "pursuers," "those that rise up," as also all the arms of war, as the spear, the buckler, the shield, the sword, the bow, arrows, the chariot, signify in the Word such things as pertain to combats with the hells and protection against them.
[11] In Moses:
When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies and seest the horse and the chariot, a people more than thou, thou shalt not be afraid of them, for Jehovah thy God is with thee. The priest shall say to them when they draw near to battle, Ye draw nigh this day unto battle against your enemies; let not your heart soften, neither fear ye, nor tremble, nor be terrified before them, for Jehovah your God goeth with you to fight for you against your enemies, to save you (Deuteronomy 20:1-4).
He who does not know that there is a spiritual sense in every particular of the Word might believe that nothing more interior is here meant than what is meant in the letter; and yet "war" here as elsewhere signifies spiritual war, and therefore "horse," "chariot," and "much people" signify the falsities of religion in which they trust, and from which they fight against the truths of the church, "horse" meaning the falsities of the understanding and reasonings therefrom, "chariot" falsities of doctrine, and "much people" falsities in general. Whether you say falsities or those who are in falsities it amounts to the same. They were not to be afraid of these nor tremble because they were in the truths of the church from the Lord and because the Lord is in these truths with man, and thus from them fights for man against the hells, which are the enemies in the spiritual sense; therefore it is said, "for Jehovah God is with you, and goeth with you to fight for you against your enemies, to save you." These two senses, the natural and the spiritual, make one by the correspondences that exist between all things of the world and all things of heaven; consequently there is a conjunction of heaven with man by means of the Word. But the spiritual sense that lies hidden in the historical books of the Word is less easily seen than that in the prophetical things, because the historical facts keep the mind fixed in themselves, and thus prevent its thinking anything except what appears in the letter; and still all the historical facts of the Word are representative of heavenly things, and the words are significative.
[12] That all those who were in the truths of doctrine, and thus had become men of the church, and not those that had not yet so become, were to fight, is signified by the following words in the same chapter:
Afterwards the officers shall speak unto the people, saying, What man is there that hath built a new house and hath not dedicated it, let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the war and another man dedicate it. Or what man is there that hath planted a vineyard and hath not completed and gathered the fruits of it, let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the war and another man complete and gather the fruits of it. Or what man is there that hath betrothed a wife and hath not taken her, let him go and return unto his house, lest he die in the war and another man take her. What man is fearful and soft in heart, let him go and return unto his house, lest the heart of his brethren melt as his heart (Deuteronomy 20:5-8).
That "those that had built new houses and had not yet dedicated them," and "those that had planted vineyards and had not yet gathered the fruits of them," and "those that had betrothed wives and had not yet taken them," should remain at home, lest they should die in the war and other men should dedicate their houses, gather the fruits of their vineyards, and take their wives, was commanded and sanctioned from causes in the spiritual world, which no one can see unless he knows what is signified by "building a house," "planting a vineyard," and "taking a wife," also by "dying in war." "To build a house" signifies to establish the church; the like is meant by "planting a vineyard," but a "house" signifies the church in respect to good, and a "vineyard" the church in respect to truth, for both good and truth must be implanted in man, that the church may be in him. The conjunction of these two, namely, of good and truth, is signified by "betrothing and taking a wife;" and "war" signifies spiritual war, which is combat against evils and falsities from hell; and "to die in the war" signifies to succumb before the church is implanted by these means; this is done also by means of temptations, which are also signified by "wars" in the Word.
[13] From this it can be concluded what these statutes signify in the spiritual sense, namely, that the men of the church, that is, the men in whom the church is, who are signified by "the sons of Israel going out to the war," are the ones to fight against enemies, which are the hells, and not those who have not yet become men of the church or men in whom the church is; therefore it is said that those "that have built houses and have not yet dedicated them," also those "that have planted vineyards and have not yet gathered the fruits of them," also those "that have betrothed wives and have not yet taken them," shall not go out to the war, for all these signify those in whom the church has not yet been implanted, thus who have not yet become men of the church; and it is said that such "should go and return to their house, lest they should die in the war," which means that such will not prevail over their enemies, but their enemies over them, since those only prevail over spiritual enemies who are in truths from good, or in whom truth is conjoined to good. It is also said, "lest another man dedicate the house," "gather the fruit of the vineyard," and "take the wife," which signifies lest falsities and evils conjoin themselves with good, or truth of another kind with the affection of good; for "another man" signifies falsity, and also other truth, thus truth that is not concordant. That "the fearful and soft of heart" should also return home signified such as were not yet in the truths and goods of the church and thereby in confidence in the Lord, for such fear the evil, and also cause others to fear them, which is signified by "lest they cause the heart of their brethren to melt." These then are the interior reasons, or reasons from the spiritual world, why these things were commanded.
[14] That "war" signifies spiritual war, which is against things infernal, is clearly evident from this, that the offices and ministries of the Levites about the Tent of meeting were called "military service," as is evident from these words of Moses:
It was commanded Moses that the Levites should be numbered from a son of thirty years to a son of fifty years, to do military service, to do the work in the Tent of meeting (Numbers 4:23, 35, 39, 43, 47).
And elsewhere:
This is the office of the Levites; from a son of twenty-five years and upward he shall come to do military service in the ministry of the Tent of meeting, but from a son of fifty years he shall cease from the military service of the ministry and shall minister no more (Numbers 8:24, 25).
The works and ministries of the Levites about the Tent of meeting are called "military service" because the Levites represented the truths of the church, and Aaron, to whom the Levites were given and assigned for service, represented the Lord in relation to the good of love and in reference to the work of salvation, and as the Lord from the good of love by means of truths from the Word regenerates and saves men, and also removes the evils and falsities that are from hell, against which He continually fights, therefore the functions and ministries of the Levites were called "military service." The same is evident from this also, that their ministries were called "military service" although the Levites did not war against the enemies of the land. This shows that the priesthood is a military service, but against falsities and evils. For the same reason the church at this day is called the church militant.
[15] In Isaiah:
The voice of a multitude in the mountains, like as of a great people, the voice of a tumult of the kingdoms of the nations gathered together; Jehovah of Hosts numbereth the host of war (Isaiah 13:4).
This may be seen explained above n. Isaiah 28:5, 6).
This is said in reference to those who are in the pride of self-intelligence, who are meant in verse 1 by "the crown of pride, the drunkards of Ephraim." Of those who are not in that pride this is said; that they shall have intelligence from the Lord is signified by "Jehovah shall be for a spirit of judgment to him that sitteth on judgment;" "judgment" signifying the understanding of truth, thus intelligence; "Jehovah shall be for might to those who turn back the war from the gate" signifies that the Lord gives power to those who defend the Word and doctrine from the Word, and who prevent violence being done to them; a "city" meaning doctrine, and "gate" which gives entrance to it meaning natural truths. This was why the elders sat for judging in the gates of the city.
[16] In Jeremiah:
Sanctify ye the war against the daughter of Zion; arise and let us go up at noon, arise and let us go up in the night and let us destroy her palaces. Cast up a mound against Jerusalem. Behold a people cometh from the land of the north, cruel and they have no pity; their voice resoundeth like the sea; they ride upon horses prepared as a man for war, against thee, O daughter of Zion (Jeremiah 6:3-6, 22, 23).
This treats of the falsification of the Word by those who are in self-intelligence; such are meant by "a people coming from the land of the north," for such in the spiritual world dwell in the north, because they are in falsifications from which truths are not seen; but the church that is in genuine truths is meant by "the daughter of Zion." The assault upon truth and the destruction of the church by such is signified by "Sanctify ye the war against the daughter of Zion, and cast up a mound against Jerusalem;" "Jerusalem" meaning the church in respect to doctrine, and thence the doctrine of the church. The effort to destroy truths openly is signified by "arise, let us go up at noon;" and the effort to destroy them secretly is signified by "arise, let us go up in the night;" the effort to destroy the understanding of truth is signified by "let us destroy her palaces;" that they are not at all in the love of truth, but in the love of falsity, is signified by "a cruel people, and they have no pity;" that they reason from knowledges [scientiae] and from self-intelligence is signified by "their voice resoundeth like the sea, they ride upon horses;" that they assault the truth is signified by "they are prepared as a man for war."
[17] In David:
Free me from the evil man, and preserve me from the man of violences, who think evils in the heart; all the day they gather together for war; they have sharpened their tongue like serpents (Psalms 140:1-3).
"Evil man" and "man of violences" signify those who pervert the truths of the Word; he is called "a man of violences" who from a depraved intention offers violence to the truths of the Word by perverting them. The depraved intention is further described by "thinking evils in the heart;" and perverting the truths of the Word is meant by "gathering themselves together all the day for war;" the reasonings by which they prevail are signified by "wars," and therefore it is added, "they have sharpened their tongue like serpents."
[18] In Zechariah:
They shall be as the mighty ones treading down the mire of the streets in the war, and they shall fight because Jehovah is with them, and they that ride upon horses shall be ashamed (Zechariah 10:5).
This treats of the Lord's coming and of those who are in truths from good from Him; of these it is said that "they shall be as the mighty ones treading down the mire of the streets in the war," which signifies that they will dissipate and wholly destroy the falsities of doctrine; "the mire of the streets" signifying that falsity, because a "city" signifies doctrine, "the streets of a city" its truths, and the "mire" in them falsity from truth falsified; "and they shall fight because Jehovah is with them" signifies that from the Lord they will attack and overcome those falsities; "and they that ride upon horses shall be ashamed" signifies that everything of self-intelligence will succumb; "to be ashamed" means to succumb because it is said of those who are overcome, and "to ride upon horses" signifies to trust in self-intelligence.
[19] In Hosea:
I will have pity on the house of Judah, and will save them by Jehovah their God; and I will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by war, nor by horses, nor by horsemen (Hosea 1:7).
"The house of Judah" signifies the celestial church; "to have pity and to save them by Jehovah their God" signifies salvation from the Lord; "I will not save them by the bow, the sword, war, horses, and horsemen," signifies not by such things as are of self-intelligence; what "bow," "sword," "horses" and "horsemen" signify has been shown above in various places; "war" signifies combat from such things.
[20] In Ezekiel:
Ye have not gone up into the breaches, neither fenced with a fence for the house of Israel, that ye might stand in the war in the day of Jehovah (Ezekiel 13:5).
This was said of "the foolish prophets," that signify the falsities of doctrine from the Word falsified; that they were not able to correct the backslidings of the church, or amend anything of it, is signified by "Ye have not gone up into the breaches, neither fenced with a fence for the house of Israel;" "the breaches of the house of Israel" meaning the backslidings of the church, and its "fence" what wards off the invasion of falsity, and thus amends; "not to stand in the war in the day of Jehovah" signifies not to fight against the falsities of evil, which are from hell, in the day of the Last Judgment.
[21] In Jeremiah:
How is the city of glory not forsaken, the city of my joy? Therefore her young men shall fall in her streets, and all the men of war shall be cut off in that day (Jeremiah 49:25, 26; 50:30).
The doctrine of truth from the Word is meant by "the city of glory," and by "the city of the joy of Jehovah;" that this is turned into the doctrine of falsity by falsifications of truth is signified by "being forsaken or deserted;" that all understanding of truth and thus all intelligence would perish is signified by "therefore her young men shall fall in her streets;" "young men" meaning the understanding of truth, and the "streets of that city" the falsities of doctrine. That there will no longer remain any truths combating against falsities is signified by "all the men of war shall be cut off;" "the men of war" meaning those who are in truths and who fight from them against falsities, and in an abstract sense truths fighting against falsities.
[22] In Isaiah:
Thy slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they killed in the war (Isaiah 22:2).
This is said of "the valley of vision," which signifies the sensual man that sees all things from the fallacies of the senses of the body; because it does not understand truths, and therefore seizes upon falsities instead, it is said "thy slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they killed in the war," which signifies that the truths have not been destroyed by reasonings from falsities, neither by any combats of falsity against truths, but from themselves, because from fallacies from which truths are not seen.
[23] In the same:
I will commingle Egypt against Egypt, that a man may fight against his brother, and a man against his companion, city against city, kingdom against kingdom (Isaiah 19:2).
This is said of the natural man separated from the spiritual; this is signified by "Egypt;" the crowd of falsities in the natural man reasoning and fighting against the truths and goods of the spiritual man is signified by "I will commingle Egypt against Egypt, that a man may fight against his brother and a man against his companion;" "man and brother" signifying truth and good, and in the contrary sense falsity and evil; and "man and companion" signifying truths among themselves, and in the contrary sense falsities among themselves; this division and combat take place when falsities prevail, since falsities continually contend with falsities, but truths do not contend with truths; that there will be like contentions of doctrines among themselves, that is, of the churches among themselves, is signified by "city shall fight against city, and kingdom against kingdom;" "city" meaning doctrine, and "kingdom" the church therefrom.
[24] From this the signification of the Lord's words in the Gospels can be seen:
Many shall come in My name, saying, I am Christ, and shall lead many astray. But ye shall hear of wars and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled; for nation shall be stirred up against nation and kingdom against kingdom, and there shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes (Matthew 24:5-7; Mark 13:6-8; Luke 21:8-11).
This was said by the Lord to the disciples respecting the consummation of the age, which signifies the state of the church at its end, which is described in these chapters; so, too, it means the successive perversion and falsification of the truth and good of the Word until there is nothing but falsity and the evil thence. Those who "shall come in His name and shall call themselves Christ, and shall lead many astray," signify those who will come and say that this is divine truth, when yet it is truth falsified, which in itself is falsity; "Christ" meaning the Lord in relation to Divine truth, but here in the contrary sense Divine truth falsified. "They shall hear of wars and rumors of wars" signifies that there shall be disputes and contentions about truths, and consequent falsifications; "nation shall be stirred up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom," signifies that evil will fight with evil and falsity with falsity, for evils never agree among themselves nor falsities among themselves; this is why churches are divided, and so many heresies have arisen; "nation" signifies those who are in evils, and "kingdom" those who are in falsities, of whom the church consists. "There shall be famines and pestilences and earthquakes" signifies that there will no longer be any knowledges of truth and good, and that the state of the church will be changed on account of the falsities that will corrupt it; "famine" meaning a deprivation of the knowledges of truth and good; "pestilences" corruptions by falsities, and "earthquakes" the changes of the church.
[25] Since "wars" signify in the Word spiritual wars, which are the combats of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity, therefore these combats are described by "the war between the king of the north against the king of the south," and by "the battle of the he-goat against the ram," in Daniel; the war between the king of the north and the king of the south in chapter eleven, and the battle of the he-goat against the ram in chapter eight; and there "the king of the north" means those who are in falsities, and "the king of the south" those who are in truths; the "he-goat" signifies those who are in the falsities of doctrine because they are in the evil of life, and the "ram" those who are in the truths of doctrine because they are in the good of life.
[26] From this it is clear what is signified by "war" in other passages of Revelation, as in the following:
When the witnesses shall have finished their testimony the beast that cometh up out of the abyss shall make war with them, and overcome them and kill them (Revelation 11:7).
Again:
The spirits of demons doing signs to go forth unto the kings of the earth and of all the countries of the world, to gather them together unto the war of that great day of God Almighty (Revelation 16:14).
And elsewhere:
Satan shall go forth to lead astray the nations, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to war (Revelation 20:8).
In these passages also "war" signifies spiritual war, which is a war of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity. It is called a war of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity, but it is to be known that those who are in falsities fight against truths, but not so those who are in truths against falsities, for it is always those who are in falsities who attack, while those who are in truths only defend; but in reference to the Lord, He never even resists, but merely protects truths. But more elsewhere respecting this.
Footnotes:
1. The words in brackets are inserted from n. 734.
2. The Latin has "my arms," as found in 357.
734. [Vers. 7.] "Et factum est bellum in caelo." - Quod significet pugnam falsi contra verum, ac veri contra falsum, constat ex significatione (" 1
belli", quod sit bellum spirituale, quod est] falsi contra verum ac veri contra falsum (de qua sequitur): per falsum hic intelligitur falsum ex malo, et per verum intelligitur verum ex bono; nam plura genera falsorum dantur, at illa falsa quae ex malo sunt solum pugnant contra vera ex bono, ex causa quia malum est contra bonum, et omne verum est boni. Omnes illi in falso mali sunt qui nihil cogitaverunt de caelo et de Domino in vita sua, sed modo de se et de mundo: cogitare de caelo et de Domino in vita, est cogitare quod ita faciendum sit quia Verbum docet et jubet; hi quia vivunt ex Verbo, vivunt ex Domino et caelo: at cogitare modo de se et de mundo, est cogitare quod ita faciendum sit propter leges regni, et propter famam, honores et lucra; hi non vivunt Domino et caelo, sed sibi et mundo; hi sunt qui quoad vitam in malo sunt, et ex malo in falsis sunt; qui in falsis ex illa origine sunt, illi pugnant contra vera. Sed pugna illorum non est contra Verbum, hoc enim sanctum et Divinum vocant, sed est pugna eorum contra genuina vera Verbi; confirmant enim sua falsa ex Verbo, sed non nisi quam ex sensu litterae ejus, qui talis est aliquibus in locis ut trahi possit ad confirmanda principia summe haeretica ex causa quia Verbum in illo sensu est secundum captum infantum et simplicium, quorum plerique. sensuales sunt, et hi non recipiunt nisi talia quae apparent coram oculis; et quia tale est Verbum in littera, ideo qui in falsis ex malo vitae sunt, falsa sua ex Verbo confirmant, et sic Verbum falsificant: immo, qui fidem separant a charitate ita falsificant Verbum ut ubicunque dicitur "facere", ac nominantur "facta" et "opera", illa loca, quae millia sunt, explicant, sic ut non facere, nec factum aut opus intelligatur, sed credere et fides; ita in reliquis. Haec dicta sunt, ut sciatur quinam intelliguntur per illos qui in falsis ex malo sunt, a quibus "bellum factum est cum Michaele et ejus angelis", de quibus in sequente articulo.
[2] Quod "bellum" in Verbo significet bellum spirituale, quod est falsi ex malo contra verum ex bono, et vicissim, seu quod idem, quod sit ab illis qui in falsis ex malo sunt contra illos qui in veris ex bono sunt, constat ex pluribus locis in Verbo, ex quibus sequentia in medium licet afferre:
- Apud Esaiam,
"Ibunt populi multi et dicent, Ite et ascendamus ad montem Jehovae, ad domum Dei Jacobi, qui docebit nos de viis suis; ut eamus in semitis Ipsius; nam ex Zione exibit lex, et verbum Jehovae ex Hierosolyma; ut judicet inter gentes, et corripiat populos.., qui contundent gladios suos in ligones, et hastas suas in cultros putatorios; non tollet gens contra gentem gladium, neque discent amplius bellum: domus Jacobi, ite, et ibimus in luce Jehovae" (2:3-5; Micham 4:3):
haec de adventu Domini, et quod illi qui e nova Ipsius ecclesia erunt, docendi sint in veris, per quae ducentur ad caelum: per "montem Jehovae" et "domum Jacobi" significatur ecclesia ubi amor in Dominum et cultus ex illo amore: convocatio ad illam ecclesiam et sic ad Dominum significatur per quod "ibunt populi multi et dicent, Ite et ascendamus" ad illum montem: quod docendi sint in veris, per quae ducentur, significatur per "Docebit nos de viis suis, ut eamus in semitis Ipsius"; "viae" sunt vera, et "semitae" sunt praecepta vitae: quod per doctrinam boni amoris et per doctrinam veri ex illo bono, quae pro ecclesia ex caelo a Domino, significatur per quod "ex Sione exibit lex, et verbum ex Hierosolyma"; "lex" est doctrina boni amoris, et "verbum" est verum ex illo bono: quod tunc dissipabuntur mala vitae et falsa doctrinae, significatur per quod "judicabit inter gentes, et corripiet populos"; per "gentes" significantur illi qui in malis sunt, et per "populos" qui in falsis, ita abstracte mala vitae et falsa doctrinae:
[3] quod tunc ex omnium consensu cessaturae sint pugnae, significatur per quod "contundent gladios suos in ligones, et hastas suas in cultros putatorios"; "gladius" et "hasta" sunt falsa ex malo pugnantia contra vera ex bono, ac vicissim; "ligones" sunt bona ecclesiae quae per vera excoluntur, nam "ager" qui per ligones excolitur est ecclesia quoad bonum vitae; et "cultri putatorii" sunt vera doctrinae, ex eo quod "arbores" in hortis 2
significent perceptiones et cognitiones veri: similia significantur per "Non tollet gens contra gentem gladium, neque discet amplius bellum"; "bellum" significat pugnas in omni complexu: quod vitam sapientiae acturi sint, significatur per "Ite, et ibimus in luce Jehovae"; "lux Jehovae" est Divinum Verum, et "ire" in illa est vivere secundum illud, ita in vita sapientiae: quod hic "bellum" significet bellum spirituale, quod est falsorum contra vera et bona, ac vicissim, ac quod "gladii" et "hastae", quae sunt arma belli, significent talia per quae pugnae spirituales fiunt, manifeste constat; nam agitur ibi de Domino et de ecclesia ab Ipso instauranda, deque doctrina pro illa ecclesia; et dicitur quod "docebit nos de viis suis, ut eamus in semitis Ipsius"; tum, "Ite, et ibimus in luce Jehovae."
[4] Apud Hoscheam,
"Feriam illis foedus in die illo cum fera agri, et cum ave caelorum, et reptili terrae, et arcum et gladium et bellum frangam de terra, et cubare faciam eos secure" (2:18):
quid [significatur] per "feram agri", "avem caelorum", et "reptile terrae", cum quibus Jehovah in die illo panget foedus, videatur supra (n. 388 [e] 701 [c]) explicatum; et quod per "frangere arcum, gladium et bellum", significetur cessatio ab omni pugna falsi et veri; quare etiam additur, "Et cubare faciam eos secure", nempe ab infestationibus ex malis et falsis quae ex inferno.
[5] Apud Sachariam,
"Exscindam currum ex Ephraimo, et equum ex Hierosolyma, et exscindetur arcus belli; contra loquetur pacem gentibus" (9:10):
haec quoque supra (n. 3
355 [a] et 357 [a]) explicata sunt; ex quibus patet quod per "arcum belli" significetur doctrina veri pugnantis contra falsa, nam haec dicta sunt de Domino.
Apud Davidem,
Jehovah "qui ponit vastitates in terra, cessare facit bella usque ad extremitatem terrae, arcum frangit, et amputat hastam, currus comburit igne" (Psalms 46:9, 10 [B.A. 8, 9]):
hic quoque per quod Jehovah "cessare faciet bella usque ad extremitatem terrae", significatur quod cessare faciet pugnas in spirituali sensu intellectas, quae sunt falsorum contra vera et bona ecclesiae (videatur supra, n. 357 [d]).
[6] Apud eundem,
Deus "frangit scintillas arcus, scutum, et gladium, et bellum" (Psalms 76:4 [B.A. 3]):
similia hic significantur (videatur supra, n. 357 [d] et 365 [f]).
Apud Esaiam,
"Coram gladiis vagabuntur, coram gladio extenso, et coram arcu extenso, ..propter gravitatem belli" (21:15);
quid per haec significatur, videatur supra (n. 131 [a] 357 [d]), et quod per "gravitatem belli" sit propter validam impugnationem falsitatum contra cognitiones boni, quae per "Arabiam" ibi seu "Kedarem" significantur.
Apud Davidem,
Jehovah "qui docet manus meas bellum, ut demittat se arcus aeneus super brachia 4
mea" (Psalms 18:35 [B.A. 34]):
per "docere manus bellum" non intelligitur bellum contra hostes in mundo, sed contra hostes in inferno, quod fit per pugnas veri contra falsa et contra mala: apparet quidem sicut per "bellum" ibi intelligatur bellum quale David gessit contra hostes suos, et sic quod Jehovah doceret illum tale bellum, et quomodo dimitteret arcum aeneum super brachia; sed usque spirituale bellum intelligitur, et quoque arcus spiritualis, qui est doctrina veri, et "arcus aeneus doctrina boni vitae, et hoc quia Verbum in sua essentia spectatum est spirituale; sed de his quoque videatur supra (n. 357 [b]).
[7] Apud eundem,
"Jehovah, litiga cum litigatoribus meis, pugna cum oppugnatoribus meis; prehende scutum et clipeum, et surge in auxilium meum; exprome hastam, et interveni contra persecutores meos; dic animae meae, Salus tua Ego" (Psalms 35:1-3):
quod hic per "pugnare", "prehendere scutum et clipeum", et "expromere hastam", non significetur prehendere illa arma bellica, quoniam dicuntur de Jehovah [, patet] ; sed ita dicitur quia omnia arma belli significant talia quae sunt belli spiritualis; per "scutum", quia tutatur caput, significatur tutela contra falsa destruentia intellectum veri; per "clipeum", quia tutatur pectus, significatur tutela contra falsa destruentia charitatem, quae est voluntas boni; et per "hastam", quia tutatur omnia corporis, significatur tutela in communi: quia talia significantur, ideo additur, "Dic animae meae, Salus tua Ego."
[8] Quoniam Jehovah, hoc est, Dominus, tutatur hominem ab infernis, hoc est, a malis et falsis inde continue assurgentibus, ideo Dominus vocatur "Jehovah Zebaoth", hoc est, "Jehovah Exercituum"; et per "exercitus" significantur vera et bona caeli et inde ecclesiae in omni complexu, per quae Dominus removet inferna in communi, et apud unumquemvis in particulari; inde est quod tribuatur Jehovae quod Ipse pugnet et militet sicut heros et vir belli in proeliis, ut constare potest ex sequentibus locis:
- Apud Esaiam,
"Descendet Jehovah Zebaoth ad militandum super monte Zionis, et super colle ejus" ( 5
);
apud Sachariam,
"Jehovah exibit et pugnabit contra gentes, juxta diem pugnare Ipsius in die proelii" (14:3);
apud Esaiam,
"Jehovah sicut heros exibit, sicut vir bellorum excitabit zelum super hostes suos invalescet" (42:13);
apud Mosen,
"Bellum Jehovae contra Amalekum a generatione in generationem" (Exodus 17:16):
haec dicta sunt, quia per "Amalekum" significantur illa falsa mali quae ecclesiae vera et bona continue infestant.
[9] Praeterea per "bella" in historicis Verbi, tam quae memorantur in Libris Mosis, quam quae in Libris Josuae, Judicum, Samuelis et Regum, etiam significantur bella spiritualia; sicut bella contra Assyrios, Syros, Aegyptios, Philisthaeos, et in principio contra gentes idololatras in terra Canaane trans et cis Jordanem; quid vero significant, patet cum scitur quid et quale falsum et malum significatur per "Assyrios", "Dabylonicos et Chaldaeos", quid et quale per "Aegyptios", "Syros", "Philisthaeos", et reliquos; omnes enim gentes et populi, qui bella cum filiis Israelis gesserunt, repraesentabant inferna, quae violentiam inferre voluerunt ecclesiae per filios Israelis repraesentatae. Facta usque sunt bella actualiter sicut descripta sunt; sed usque repraesentabant et inde significabant bella spiritualia, quoniam nihil in Verbo dicitur quod non intus 6
est spirituale; est enim Divinum, et quod a Divino procedit est spirituale, ac terminatur in naturali.
[10] Quod etiam antiquis fuerit Verbum tam Propheticum quam Historicum, hodie deperditum, constat apud Mosen (21), ubi memorantur ejus prophetica, quae ibi vocata sunt "Enuntiata", et historica quae vocata "Bella Jehovae" (vers. 14 et 27): historica illa "Bella Jehovae" vocata sunt, quia per illa significantur bella Domini cum infernis, sicut etiam per "bella" in historicis nostri Verbi. Inde nunc est quod "hostes", "inimici", "oppugnatores", "persecutores", "insurgentes", et insuper "arma belli", sicut "hasta", "clipeus", "scutum", "gladius", "arcus", "sagittae", "currus", in Verbo significent talia quae pugnae et tutelae sunt contra infernalia.
[11] Apud Mosen,
"Quando exibis in bellum contra hostes.., et videris equum et currum, populum multum prae te, non timebit tibi ab illis, quia Jehovah Deus tuus tecum." .... Sacerdos dicet ad illos, cum accedunt ad proelium, "Vos appropinquatis hodie ad proelium contra hostes vestros; ne emollescat cor vestrum, neque timeatis vobis, neque trepidetis, neque constememini coram illis, nam Jehovah Deus vester it vobiscum ad pugnandum pro vobis cum hostibus vestris, ut servet vos" (Deuteronomius 20:14):
qui non scit quod sensus spiritualis sit in singulis Verbi, credere potest quod per haec non aliquid interius intelligatur quam sicut intelligitur in littera; sed usque per "bellum" hic ut alibi significatur bellum spirituale, et inde per "equum", "currum", et "populum multum", significantur falsa religionis quibus fidunt, et ex quibus contra vera ecclesiae pugnant; per "equum" falsa intellectus et ratiocinia inde, per "currum" falsa doctrinae, et per "populum multum" falsa in genere; sive dicas falsa, sive illos qui in falsis sunt, eodem recidit: quod non timituri sint ab illis, et trepidaturi, quia in veris ecclesiae sunt ex Domino, et quia Dominus in illis apud hominem, et sic ex illis pro homine, pugnat contra inferna, quae in sensu spirituali sunt hostes, ideo dicitur, "quia Jehovah Deus tecum, et it tecum ad pugnandum pro vobis cum hostibus vestris, ut servet vos. Hi bini sensus, nempe naturalis et spiritualis, unum faciunt per correspondentias, quae sunt inter omnia mundi et omnia caeli; inde est conjunctio caeli cum homine per Verbum. Verum spiritualis sensus, qui latet in historicis Verbi, aegrius potest videri quam qui latet in propheticis, ex causa, quia historica tenent mentem in se fixam, et inde abducunt ad cogitandum aliud quam quod apparet in littera; at usque omnia historica Verbi sunt repraesentativa caelestium, ac verba significativa.
[12] Quod omnes illi pugnaturi sint qui in veris doctrinae erant, et inde facti homines ecclesiae, et non illi qui nondum facti, significatur per haec quae sequuntur in eo capite,
"Loquentur dein moderatores ad populum, dicendo, Quis vir qui aedificavit domum novam, nec initiavit eam? abeat et revertatur in domum suam, ne forte moriatur in bello, et vir alius initiet eam. Aut quis vir qui plantavit vineam, et non perfecit et vindemiavit eam? abeat et revertatur in domum suam, ne forte moriatur in bello, et vir alius perficiat et vindemiet eam. Aut quis vir qui desponsavit uxorem, nec duxit eam? abeat et revertatur in domum suam, ne forte moriatur in bello, et vir alius ducat eam Quis vir timidus et mollis corde? abeat et revertatur domum suam, et non liquefaciat cor fratrum suorum, sicut cor ejus" (Deuteronomius 20:5-8):
quod illi "qui novas domos aedificaverunt, et nondum illas initiaverunt", et "qui plantaverunt vineas, et nondum illas vindemiaverunt", et "qui desponsaverunt uxores, et nondum eas duxerunt", remanerent domi, ne morerentur in bello, et viri alii initiarent domos, vindemiarent vineas, et ducerent uxores, mandatum et sancitum fuit ex causis in spirituali mundo, quas nemo videre potest nisi sciat quid significatur per "aedificare domum", "plantare vineam", et "ducere uxorem", tum quid significatur per "mori in bello": per "aedificare domum" significatur instaurare ecclesiam, per "plantare vineam" similiter, sed per "domum" significatur ecclesia quoad bonum, et per "vineam" ecclesia quoad verum, nam utrumque tam bonum quam verum implantandum est homini, ut in illo sit ecclesia; conjunctio utriusque, nempe boni et veri, significatur per "desponsare sibi uxorem et ducere illam"; et per "bellum" significatur bellum spirituale, quod est pugna contra mala et falsa quae ab inferno, et per "mori in bello" significatur Succumbere, antequam ecclesia per illa implantata est, quod etiam fit per tentationes, quae quoque per "bella" in Verbo significantur:
[13] ex his concludi potest quid per illa statuta in sensu spirituali significatur; nempe, quod homines ecclesiae, hoc est, homines in quibus est ecclesia, qui per "filios Israelis exeuntes in bellum" significantur, pugnaturi sint contra hostes, qui sunt inferna, et non illi qui nondum facti sunt homines ecclesiae, hoc est, homines in quibus ecclesia; quare dicitur quod illi non exituri in bellum "qui aedificaverunt domos et nondum initiaverunt illas", tum "qui plantaverunt vineas et nondum vindemiaverunt illas", ut et "qui desponsaverunt uxores et nondum duxerunt illas", nam per omnes hos significantur illi quibus ecclesia nondum implantata est, ita qui nondum facti sunt homines ecclesiae; et dicitur quod "illi abirent et reverterentur domum suam, ne morerentur in bello", per quod intelligitur quod illi non super hostes praevalituri sint, sed hostes super illos, quippe solum illi praevalent super hostes spirituales qui in veris ex bono sunt, seu apud quos verum conjunctum est bono; dicitur etiam "ne vir alius initiet domum", "vindemiet vineam", et "ducat uxorem", per quae significatur ne falsa et mala se conjungant bono, aut verum alius generis cum affectione boni; per "virum alium" significatur falsum, et quoque aliud verum, ita verum non concordans.
Quod "timidi et molles corde" etiam reverterentur domum, significabat illos qui nondum in veris et bonis ecclesiae essent, et per illa in fiducia in Dominum; hi enim timent malos, et quoque faciunt ut alii timeant, quod significatur per "ne liquefaciant cor fratrum suorum": hae nunc sunt causae interiores, seu causae e mundo spirituali, propter quas illa man data sunt.
[14] Quod "bellum" significet bellum spirituale, quod est contra infernalia, constat manifeste ex eo, quod Levitarum officia et ministeria circa Tentorium conventus dicantur "militia", ut patet ex his apud Mosen,
Mandatum est Mosi, ut numerarentur Levitae a filio triginta annorum ad filium quinquaginta annorum, ad exercendum militiam, ad faciendum opus in Tentorio conventus (Numeri 4:23, 35, 39, 43, 47):
et alibi,
"Hoc Levitarum officium, a filio quinque et viginti annorum et supra, veniet ad militandum militiam in ministerio Tentorii conventus: sed a filio quinquaginta annorum recedet a militia ministerii, nec ministrabit amplius" (Numeri 8:24, 25):
quod opera et ministeria Levitarum circa Tentorium conventus dicantur "militia", est quia Levitae repraesentabant vera ecclesiae; et Aharon, cui Levitae dati sunt et addicti ad serviendum, repraesentabant Dominum quoad bonum amoris, et quoad opus salvationis; et quia Dominus ex bono amoris per vera ex Verbo regenerat et salvat homines, et quoque removet mala et falsa, quae sunt ab inferno, contra quae continue pugnat, ideo officia et ministeria Levitarum dicta fuerunt "militia"; quod etiam ex eo patet, quod ministeria illorum vocata sint "militia", tametsi illi non militarunt contra hostes terrae: ex hoc patet quod sacerdotium sit militia, sed militia contra falsa et mala. Ex hoc est quod ecclesia etiam hodie dicatur "ecclesia pugnans."
[15] Apud Esaiam,
"Vox multitudinis in montibus, species populi magni, vox tumultus regnorum gentium congregatarum, Jehovah Zebaoth numerat exercitum belli" (13:4);
haec videantur supra (n. 453 [b]) explicata; et quod per "numerare exercitum belli" significetur ordinare vera ex bono contra falsa ex malo, quae per "regna gentium congregatarum" significantur.
Apud eundem,
"In die illo erit Jehovah [Zebaoth] .... in spiritum judicii sedenti super judicio, et in fortitudinem [illis] qui repellunt bellum a porta" (28 [5,] 6):
haec de illis qui in fastu propriae intelligentiae sunt, qui intelliguntur per "coronam superbiae, ebrios Ephraimi" (ver. 1); de illis qui non in eo fastu sunt, illa dicuntur: quod ex Domino illis sit intelligentia, significatur per "Erit Jehovah in spiritum judicii, sedenti super judicio"; "judicium" significat intellectum veri, ita intelligentiam: quod "Jehovah erit in fortitudinem illis qui repellunt bellum a porta" significat quod Dominus det potentiam illis qui Verbum et doctrinam e Verbo defendunt, et arcent ne violentia eis inferatur; "urbs" est doctrina, et "porta", quae dat introitum ad illam, sunt vera naturalia; inde erat quod seniores judicia habuerint in urbis portis.
[16] Apud Jeremiam,
"Sanctificate contra" filiam Zionis "bellum; surgite et ascenadmus in meridie; .... surgite et ascendamus in nocte, et perdamus palatia ejus: .... fundite contra Hierosolymam vallum. .... .Ecce populus veniens e terra septentrionis, .... crudelis ille, nec 7
miserantur; vox eorum sicut mare resonat, super equis equitant, paratus ut vir ad bellum, contra te, filia Zionis" (6:3-6, 22, 23):
agitur ibi de falsificatione Verbi ab illis qui in propria intelligentia sunt; hi intelliguntur per "populum venientem ex terra septentrionis", tales enim in mundo spirituali in septentrione habitant, quia in falsificatis sunt, ex quibus vera non videntur; ecclesia autem, quae in genuinis veris est, intelligitur per "filiam Zionis": impugnatio veri et destructio ecclesiae ab illis, significatur per "Sanctificate contra filiam Zionis bellum, et fundite contra Hierosolymam vallum"; "Hierosolyma" est ecclesia quoad doctrinam, et inde doctrina ecclesiae; conatus vera palam destruendi, significatur per "Surgite, ascendamus in meridie"; conatus vera clam destruendi, per "Surgite, ascendamus in nocte"; conatus destruendi intellectum veri significatur per "Perdamus palatia ejus"; quod prorsus non sint in amore veri, sed in amore falsi, significatur per quod "populus ille sit crudelis, et non miserantur"; quod ratiocinentur ex scientiis, et ex propria intelligentia, significatur per quod "vox eorum sicut mare resonat, super equis equitant"; quod sint impugnatores veri significatur per quod "sit paratus ut vir ad bellum."
[17] Apud Davidem,
"Libera me.. ab homine malo, et a viro violentiarum serva me, qui cogitant mala in corde, toto die congregant ad bella, exacuerunt linguam suam sicut serpentes (Psalms 140:2, 3 [, 41-[3]):
per "hominem malum" et "virum violentiarum" significantur qui pervertunt vera Verbi; "vir violentiarum" dicitur, qui ex prava intentione violentiam infert veris Verbi, pervertendo illa: prava intentio amplius describitur per "cogitare mala in corde"; et pervertere vera Verbi, per "toto die congregare se ad bella": ratiocinationes per quas praevalent, significantur per "bella"; quare etiam additur, "Exacuerunt linguam suam sicut serpentes."
[18] Apud Sachariam,
"Erunt sicut potentes conculcantes coenum platearum in bello, et proeliabuntur, quia Jehovah in illis, et pudefient equitantes equis" (10:5):
agitur ibi de adventu Domini, et de illis qui in veris ex bono sunt ex Ipso; de his dicitur quod "erunt sicut potentes conculcantes coenum platearum in bello", per quod significatur quod dissipaturi sint et prorsus destructuri falsa doctrinae; "coenum platearum" significat id falsum, quia "urbs" significat doctrinam, "plateae urbis" vera ejus, et "coenum" ibi falsum ex falsificato vero: "et proeliabuntur quia Jehovah cum illis", significat quod impugnaturi et expugnaturi falsa illa ex Domino; "et pudefient equitantes in equis", significat quod omne intelligentiae propriae succumbet; "pudefieri" est succumbere, quia dicitur de illis qui vincuntur, et "equitare equis" significat fidere propriae intelligentiae.
[19] Apud Hoscheam,
"Domus.. Jehudae miserebor, et salvabo illos per Deum Jehovam illorum; et non salvabo illos per arcum, et per gladium, et per bellum, et per equos, et per equites" (1:7):
per "domum Jehudae" significatur ecclesia caelestis; per "misereri et salvare illos per Jehovam Deum illorum" significatur salvatio a Domino; "non salvabo illos per arcum, gladium, bellum, equos et equites", significat non per talia quae sunt propriae intelligentiae; quid "arcus", quid "gladius", et quid "equi" et "equites", supra in suis locis ostensum est; "bellum" significat pugnam ex illis.
[20] Apud Ezechielem,
"Non ascendistis rupturas, nec sepivistis sepem pro domo Israelis, ut staretis in bello in die Jehovae" (13:5):
haec de "prophetis stultis", per quos significantur falsa doctrinae ex falsificato Verbo; quod non reparare possent lapsa ecclesiae, et aliquid ejus emendare, significatur per "Non ascendistis in rupturas, nec sepivistis sepem pro domo Israelis"; "rupturae domus Israelis" sunt lapsa ecclesiae, "sepes" ejus est quod defendit ab irruptione falsi, et sic emendat; "ut non staretis in bello in die Jehovae" significat non pugnare contra falsa mali quae ab inferno, die ultimi judicii.
[21] Apud Jeremiam,
"Quomodo non relicta est urbs gloriae, urbs gaudii mei? Quare cadent juvenes ejus in plateis ejus, et omnes viri belli exscindentur in die illo" (49:25, 26; 50:30):
doctrina veri ex Verbo intelligitur per "urbem gloriae" et per "urbem gaudii Jehovae"; quod illa versa 8
sit in doctrinam falsi per falsificationes veri, significatur per quod "relicta" seu deserta sit; quod omnis intellectus veri et sic intelligentia perierit, significatur per "Quare cadent Juvenes ejus in plateis ejus"; "juvenes" sunt intellectus veri, et "plateae" illius urbis sunt falsa doctrinae: quod non amplius aliqua vera pugnantia contra falsa supersint, significatur per quod "omnes viri belli exscindentur"; "viri belli" sunt qui in veris sunt et ex illis pugnant contra falsa, et abstracte vera pugnantia contra illa.
[22] Apud Esaiam,
"Non confossi tui confossi gladio, neque occisi bello" (22:2);
haec de "valle visionis, per quam significatur sensualis homo qui ex fallaciis sensuum corporis omnia videt; qui quia non intelligit vera, et inde loco eorum arripit falsa, dicitur quod "confossi non confossi gladio, neque occisi bello", per quae significatur quod vera non destructa sint per ratiocinationes ex falsis, neque per aliquas pugnas falsi contra Vera, sed ex se, quia ex fallaciis, ex quibus non apparent Vera.
[23] Apud eundem,
"Commiscebo Aegyptum contra Aegyptum, ut pugnet vir contra fratrem, et vir contra socium suum, urbs contra urbem, regnum contra regnum" (19:2):
haec de naturali homine separato a spirituali; ille per "Aegyptum" significatur: turba ejus falsorum ratiocinantium et pugnantium contra vera et bona spiritualis hominis, significatur per" Commiscebo Aegyptum contra Aegyptum, ut pugnet vir contra fratrem, et vir contra socium suum"; "vir et frater" significant verum et bonum, et in opposito sensu falsum et malum; "vir et socius" significant vera inter se, et in opposito sensu falsa inter se; hoc discidium et haec pugna fit quando falsa regnant, quoniam falsa cum falsis continue disceptant, non autem vera cum veris: quod similes contentiones doctrinarum inter se, seu ecclesiarum inter se, erunt, significatur per quod "urbs pugnabit contra urbem, et regnum contra regnum"; "urbs" est doctrina, et "regnum" est ecclesia inde.
[24] Ex his constare potest quid significatur per Domini verba apud Evangelistas,
"Multi.. venient in nomine meo, dicentes, Ego sum Christus, et multos seducent: audituri autem estis bella et rumores bellorum; videte ne turbemini: .... excitabitur namque gens contra gentem, et regnum contra regnum, et erunt fames, et pestes et terrae motus" (Matth. 24 9
; 10
Marc. 13:6-8; Luc. 21 [8,] 9-11):
haec a Domino ad discipulos dicta sunt de consummatione saeculi, per quam significatur status ecclesiae quoad ultimum ejus, qui in illis capitibus describitur; quare etiam intelligitur successiva perversio et falsificatio veri et boni Verbi, usque dum non sit nisi quam falsum et inde malum; per illos "qui venturi in nomine Ipsius, et se dicturos Christum, et multos seducturi", significatur quod venturi qui dicent hoc esse Divinum Verum, cum tamen est verum falsificatum, quod in se est falsum; per "Christum" enim intelligitur Dominus quoad Divinum Verum, at ibi in opposito sensu falsificatum: quod "audituri sint bella et rumores bellorum", significat quod exstiturae disceptationes et lites de veris, et inde falsificationes: quod "excitabitur gens contra gentem, et regnum contra regnum", significat quod pugnaturum malum cum malo et falsum cum falso; nam mala inter se nusquam conveniunt, nec falsa inter se, quae causa est quod ecclesiae inter se divisae sint, et tot haereses prodierint; "gens" significat illos qui in malis sunt, et "regnum" illos qui in falsis, ex quibus ecclesia: quod "erunt fames, et pestes et terrae motus", significat quod amplius nullae cognitiones veri et boni, et quod propter falsa quae infectura sunt, status ecclesiae mutaretur; "fames" est privatio cognitionum veri et boni, "pestes" sunt infectiones a falsis, et "terrae motus" sunt ecclesiae mutationes.
[25] Quoniam "bella" in Verbo significant bella spiritualia, quae sunt pugnae falsi contra verum, et veri contra falsum, ideo pugnae illae describuntur per "bellum inter regem septentrionis contra regem meridiei", et per "pugnam hirci caprarum contra arietem", apud Danielem; de bello inter regem septentrionis et regem meridiei, cap. 11; et de pugna hirci caprarum contra arietem, cap. 8; et ibi per "regem septentrionis" intelliguntur illi qui. in falsis sunt, et per "regem meridiei" qui in veris: per "hircum" significantur qui in falsis doctrinae quia in malo vitae, et per "arietem " qui in veris doctrinae quia in bono vitae.
[26] Ex his constare potest quid significatur per "bellum" etiam alibi in Apocalypsi, ut in sequentibus: -
"Quum.." testes "absolverint testimonium suum, bestia, quae ascendet ex abysso, faciet bellum cum illis, et vincet illos et occidet illos" (11:7):
alibi,
"spiritus daemonum facientes signa ad exeundum ad reges terrae et totius orbis terrarum, ad congregandum illos in bellum diei illius magnae Dei Omnipotentis" (16:14);
et alibi,
Satanas "exibit ad seducendum gentes Gogum et Magogam, ut congreget eos in bellum" ( 11
):
per "bellum" etiam in his locis significatur bellum spirituale, quod est falsi contra verum, ac veri contra falsum: dicitur bellum falsi contra verum, ac veri contra falsum; at sciendum est quod illi qui in falsis sunt pugnent contra vera, sed non ita illi qui in veris sunt contra falsa; nam illi qui in falsis sunt semper aggrediuntur, at illi qui in veris sunt modo defendunt; sed quoad Dominum, Ille ne quidem repugnat, sed modo tutatur vera: sed de his amplius alibi.
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