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810. (Verse 10) If any one leadeth into captivity, he shall go into captivity. That this signifies that those who have shut out others from truths are shut out from the Divine truths contained in the Word, is evident from the signification of captivity, as denoting to shut out from truths; in this case by reasonings from the natural man, this being the spiritual captivity meant by captivity in the internal sense. That this is meant in the Word by captivity, will be seen in the following article. It is evident therefore that by leading into captivity is signified to shut out others from truths, and by going into captivity is signified to be shut out from truths also.
The reason why by leading into captivity is here signified to shut out others from truths by reasonings from the natural man is, that by the beast of the dragon, which is here treated of, are meant those who separate faith from life, and confirm that separation by reasonings from the natural man (as may be seen above, n. 773).
[2] Before we prove from the Word that captivity signifies spiritual captivity, which is a shutting out from the truths of the Word, we will first take up the subjects discussed above in the article (n. Matthew 24:40, 41).
By being in the field is signified to be within the church. By grinding is signified to examine and learn truths from the Word. He who examines and learns truths is meant by the one grinding at the mill who is taken; but he who falsifies truths is meant by the other that is left.
In order to illustrate this subject further, we will consider again how such persons regard propitiation by the blood of the Son, the bearing of iniquities by the Lord, the imputation of His merit, intercession, redemption, and salvation out of mercy, also trust and confidence, and so on.
[3] As to propitiation by the blood of the Son, those who are in truths think differently about it as compared with those who are in falsities. Those who are in truths, understand by propitiation by the blood of the Son that they are received and also heard with mercy, who approach the Lord, and pray to Him from the truths in the Word. The blood of the Lord not only signifies the passion of the cross, but also the Divine truth of the Lord that is in the Word; for by the passion of the cross the Lord subjugated the hells, by which is meant that He conquered death and rose victorious, as the dignitaries of the church say when they speak from the Word. By the passion of the cross also the Lord glorified His Human, by which He keeps the hells for ever subjugated. The mercy-seat upon the ark of the testimony, upon which cherubs were engraved, also signified the same things. How those who are in truths understand the bearing of iniquities by the Lord was shown above (n. 805).
[4] By the imputation of the Lord's merit, those who are in truths understand only an entreaty of the Lord's mercy, who suffered such hard things to redeem and save men who would otherwise have perished in eternal death. By the Merit of the Lord is meant that by His own power He saves those who believe in Him, and do the things which He has commanded. This merit cannot be imputed, but supplicated. By intercession is meant the perpetual remembrance of man by the Lord. And by trust and confidence is meant trust and confidence in the Lord that, out of pure mercy, He will teach man the way, and lead him to heaven. From these things it is evident what is meant by redemption.
[5] From these considerations it is now evident, that by the things adduced above (n. 805), those who are in truths from the Word do not understand any transaction of the Lord with the Father, but with Himself. For, as was said above, God is One and not three, the Trinity being in the Lord. When, therefore, the Lord is approached, the Father and the Holy Spirit are also approached at the same time.
From these things it is evident that by leading into captivity is signified to shut out from the Divine truths in the Word. For those who hold the doctrine of three Persons in the Divinity, and who separate faith from its life, which consists in good works, shut out others from the understanding of truth in the Word. For they explain all things therein according to their doctrine; and what they cannot thus explain, they falsify. The Divine also which is in the Lord, and which is of the Lord Himself, they ascribe to the Divine of the Father, and thus do not approach the Lord; and because they do this, therefore, either by reasonings or by a strange explanation of the truths of the Word, they shut out from the truth those persons who suppose that whatever is said concerning Divine things must be above human apprehension; this is meant by leading captive. That they themselves go into captivity, that is, shut themselves out from Divine truth in the Word, is evident from everything in their doctrine; so that although the things they speak are truths as to the utterance, still they are not truths as to their understanding of them. This also has been made evident to me from the state of such persons in the spiritual world, where, on being examined, it was discovered that they were in absolute falsities, and therefore could never be led by the Lord into any kind of heavenly intelligence.
810. Verse 10. If anyone shall lead into captivity he shall go into captivity, signifies that those who have shut out others from truths are shut out from the Divine truths in the Word. This is evident from the signification of "captivity," as being to shut out from truths, here by reasonings from the natural man, for this is the spiritual captivity that is meant by "captivity" in the internal sense. (That this is what is meant in the Word by "captivity" will be seen in the following article.) Thence it is clear that "to lead into captivity" signifies to shut out others from truths; and "to go into captivity" signifies to be also shut out from truths. Here "to lead into captivity" signifies to shut out others from truths by reasonings from the natural man, because "the beast of the dragon," which is here treated of, means those who separate faith from life, and confirm that separation by reasonings from the natural man (See above, n. 773).
[2] Before proving from the Word that "captivity" signifies spiritual captivity, which is a shutting out from truths from the Word, I will first take up what was considered above (in article n. Matthew 24:40, 41).
To be "in the field" signifies to be within the church, "to grind" signifies to investigate and learn truths from the Word; and one who investigates and learns truths is meant by "the one grinding that is taken," while he who falsifies truths is meant by "the one grinding that is left." To illustrate this let us consider again how propitiation by the blood of the Son, the bearing of iniquities by the Lord, the imputation of His merit, intercession, redemption, and salvation out of mercy, also trust and confidence, and so on, are understood by such persons.
[3] As to propitiation by the blood of the Son, those who are in truths do not think about it as those do who are in falsities. Those who are in truths perceive by the propitiation by the blood of the Son that those who approach the Lord and pray to Him from the truths that are in the Word are received compassionately and are heard. "The Lord's blood" signifies not only the passion of His cross, but also the Divine truth of the Lord that is in the Word; for by the passion of the cross the Lord subjugated the hells; and this is meant by His "conquering death and rising victorious," as the leaders of the church say when they speak from the Word. By the passion of the cross the Lord also glorified His Human, and by this He keeps the hells forever subjugated. "The mercy-seat" that was over the ark of the Testimony, upon which cherubs were engraved, has the same signification. How those who are in truths understand the bearing of iniquities by the Lord has been shown above n. 805.
[4] To those who are in truths the imputation of the Lord's merit means simply an entreaty to the Lord that He will have mercy (who endured such cruel sufferings in order to redeem and save men, who would otherwise have perished in eternal death). The Lord's merit means that by His own power He saved those who believe in Him, and who do what He has commanded. This merit cannot be imputed, but it can be prayed for. Intercession means the perpetual remembrance of man by the Lord. Trust and confidence mean trust and confidence in the Lord that out of pure mercy He will teach man the way and lead him to heaven. Thence it is also clear what is meant by redemption.
[5] From this it can now be seen that the things presented above n. 805 do not mean, to those who are in truths from the Word, anything done by the Lord with the Father, but with Himself. For, as has been said above, God is one and not three, and the trinity is in the Lord; consequently when the Lord is approached the Father and the Holy Spirit are at the same time approached. From this it can also be seen that "to lead into captivity" signifies to shut out from Divine truths in the Word. For those who hold the doctrine of three persons in the Divinity, and who separate faith from its life, which is good works, shut out others from the understanding of truth in the Word. For they explain all things in it according to their doctrine; and what they cannot explain they falsify. Moreover, the Divine which is in the Lord, and which is of the Lord Himself, they ascribe to the Divine of the Father, and thus do not approach the Lord; and because they do this, either by reasonings or by an explanation of the truths of the Word foreign to them, they shut out from the truth the people who believe that everything that is said about Divine things is above human comprehension; this is signified by "leading into captivity." That they themselves "go into captivity," that is, shut themselves out from the Divine truths in the Word, is evident from all things of their doctrine, in that while the things they speak are true as to statement they are not true in the way they understand them. This, too, has been testified to me by the state of such in the spiritual world, where it was found, when they were examined, that they were in mere falsities, and consequently could never be brought by the Lord into any heavenly intelligence.
810. [Vers. 10.] "Si quis captivitatem duxerit, in captivitatem abibit." Quod significet quod illi qui alios a veris secluserunt, a Divinis veris in Verbo seclusi sint, constat ex significatione "captivitatis", quod sit secludere a veris, hic per ratiocinia e naturali homine, haec enim est captivitas spiritualis, quae per "captivitatem" in sensu interno intelligitur; (quod id per "captivitatem" in Verbo intelligatur, in sequente articulo videbitur;) ex eo patet quod per "captivitatem ducere" significetur alios a veris secludere, et per "abire in captivitatem" significetur a veris quoque secludi. Quod hic per "captivitatem ducere" significetur secludere alios a veris per ratiocinia ex naturali homine, est quia per "bestiam draconis", de qua hic agitur, intelliguntur illi qui separant fidem a vita, ac separationem per ratiocinia ex naturali homine confirmant (videatur supra, n. 773).
[2] Antequam ex Verbo confirmatur quod "captivitas" significet captivitatem spiritualem, quae est seclusio a veris ex Verbo, velim primo reassumere quae (in articulo, n. 805 [a]) supra allata sunt, quae separatores fidei a vita per ratiocinia confirmant, et sic alios a veris secludunt, ac per id sistere videndum quomodo vera pervertunt, ac inde Verbum falsificant. Sciendum est quod similia dici queant tam ab illis qui in veris sunt, quam ab illis qui non in veris sunt; hi enim per eadem loca Verbi confirmant separationem fidei a bonis operibus, illi autem per eadem confirmant conjunctionem fidei cum bonis operibus; nam binis dissentientibus similis dari loquela potest, sed usque dissimilis perceptio; ac perceptio rei est quae facit ut verum aut falsum sit. Audivi quod falsitatum amatores locuti sint prorsus similiter cum illis qui veritatum studiosi locuti, et usque unus fuit in veris, et alter in falsis; nam illa quae ambo similiter locuti sunt dissimiliter intellexerunt, et secundum intellectum explicuerunt loca Verbi; quare unus falsificavit illa, alter autem verificavit illa: est enim verum apud hominem non ejus loquelae, sed est ejus perceptionis; quae causa est quod illi qui praedicationes instituunt ex Verbo, appareant sicut in veris sint, at iidem cum praedicationes faciunt ex doctrina de sola fide, de redemptione, de imputatione meriti Domini, et de similibus, in falsis sint; hoc potest mille exemplis illustrari; verbo, perceptio falsificat verum, et non loquela ex Verbo. Hoc quoque intelligitur per haec verba a Domino,
"Tunc duo erunt in agro; unus assumetur, ..alter derelinquetur. Duae molentes...; una assumetur, altera derelinquetur" (Matthaeus 24:40, 41):
per "esse in agro" significatur esse intra ecclesiam; per "molere" 1
significatur vera explorare et discere ex Verbo; qui vera explorat et discit, intelligitur per "molentem quae assumetur", qui autem falsificat vera intelligitur per "molentem quae derelinquetur." Ad illustrandum quod ita sit, velim reassumere quomodo illi percipiunt propitiationem per sanguinem Filii, quomodo portationem iniquitatum a Domino, quomodo imputationem meriti Ipsius, quomodo intercessionem, quomodo redemptionem et salvationem ex misericordia, et quomodo fiduciam et confidentiam, et sic porro.
[3] Quod propitiationem per sanguinem Filii attinet: illi qui in veris sunt, non sicut illi qui in falsis sunt, de illa cogitant; illi qui in veris sunt, per propitiationem per sanguinem Filii, percipiunt quod clementer recipiantur, et quoque audiantur, qui adeunt Dominum, ac supplicant Ipsum ex veris quae in Verbo sunt; "sanguis Domini" non solum significat passionem crucis Ipsius, sed etiam Divinum Verum Domini quod in Verbo; Dominus enim per passionem crucis subjugavit inferna, quod intelligitur per quod "vicerit mortem, et cum victoria resurrexerit", ut quoque loquuntur antistites, dum ex Verbo; et quoque per passionem crucis glorificavit Humanum suum, per quod inferna tenentur ab Ipso subjugata in aeternum: per "propitiatorium", quod super arca Testimonii, super quo cherubi sculpti fuerunt, nec aliud significabatur. Quomodo illi qui in veris sunt, intelligunt portationem iniquitatum a Domino, supra (n. 805 [a]) dictum est.
[4] Per imputationem meriti Domini intelligitur, ab illis qui in veris sunt, solum imploratio ut Dominus misereatur, qui tam dura passus est ad redimendum et salvandum homines, qui alioqui morte aeterna perituri essent: per meritum Domini intelligitur, quod Ipse ex propria potentia salvaverit illos qui credunt in Ipsum, ac faciunt quae praecepit; hoc meritum non imputari potest, sed implorari. Per intercessionem intelligitur perpetua recordatio hominis a Domino. Ac per fiduciam et confidentiam intelligitur fiducia et confidentia in Dominum, quod ex pura misericordia doceat hominem viam, ac ducat ad caelum. Ex his patet quid significatur per redemptionem.
[5] Ex his nunc constare potest quod per illa quae supra (n. 805 [a]) allata sunt, ab illis qui in veris ex Verbo sunt, non intelligatur aliquod opus Domini apud Patrem, sed apud semet; nam, ut supra dictum est, Deus est onus, et non tres, ac Trinum est in Domino; quare cum Dominus aditur, etiam simul Pater et Spiritus sanctus adeuntur. Ex his etiam videri potest quod per "captivitatem ducere" significetur secludere a Divinis veris in Verbo; nam qui doctrinam trium Personarum Divinitatis tenent, et qui fidem separant a sua vita, quae sunt bona opera, illi secludunt alios ab intellectu veri in Verbo; explicant enim omnia, quae ibi sunt, secundum doctrinam, et quae non explicare possunt, falsificant: et quoque Divinum, quod in Domino est, et quod est Ipsius Domini, adscribunt Divino Patris, ac sic Dominum non adeunt; et quia hoc faciunt, ideo vel per ratiocinia, vel per explicationem veritatum Verbi alienam, populum, qui omnia, quae de Divinis dicuntur, credunt supra humanum captum esse, secludunt a veris: hoc significatur per "captivitatem ducere." Quod ipsi illi "in captivitatem abeant", hoc est, a Divinis veris in Verbo semet secludant, constare potest ex omnibus doctrinae eorum, quod tametsi vera sunt quae loquuntur quoad enuntiationem, usque non vera sint quoad eorum intellectum. Hoc etiam testatum est mihi ex iisdem in mundo spirituali, ubi, dum explorati sunt, deprehensum est quod in meris falsis essent, et quod ideo nusquam in aliquam intelligentiam caelestem a Domino perduci queant.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.