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CHAPTER II.

the descent.

1. Pitch you a curved-horn in Zion, and cause joyous shouting in the mountain of My holiness; all the inhabitants of the earth will be agitated: because the Day of jehovah comes in, for it is near.

With this verse the prophet introduces another phase of his theme. So far the condition of the Church, as the effect of its turning away from the Lord, has been displayed. This may be regarded as an external consequence. There yet remains to be described, the more internal issues, namely, the relation of the Lord to the Church, and His action with regard to the violence done to the worship of Him. The facts already described as existent, while they are, in a sense, historic, are also prophetic of the state into which the Church will come. Thus, in an image, the consummation of the Jewish dispensation and the insinuating influences by which that consummation is brought about, have been delineated. The words of the prophet, taken in their higher import, anticipate the approaching end: for they move over the lines of religious life, or the lack of it, as seen in the Jews, and fore-speak the issues. The ultimate issue being the termination of the Church then existing. Just as, however, the death of one state in man's life is the event out of which he arises into a new state, so the end of one Church or dispensation is the occasion whence arises a new one. Thus the prophecy of the consummation of the Jewish Church, in its further issues, is the promise of the Lord's advent, and the establishment of a new dispensation. But in order to effect this, a judgement takes place at the end of the former Church. In like manner, a judgement is made at the end of the earthly stage of man's spiritual history, before his eternal and true character is known and established. In both cases—that of the individual and the collective Church—that judgement is called the day of Jehovah, the judgement day. Hence the prophets so frequently refer to the coming of the Lord as His coming to judge. Such a judgement was accomplished by His advent upon the earth. That advent and judgement form the subject of the first two verses of this chapter.

In order, however, that the Lord might come, preparation was made in the heavens for His descent through them. The preparation for the Lord's advent through the heavens was represented symbolically in the Church on the earth. The preparation was made in the heavens, first—in the highest heaven, called the celestial heaven—by the promulgation of Divine truth from good. This is represented by pitch you a curved-horn in Zion. These words are commonly translated, blow a trumpet in Zion. The first term, however, is the same as that used in the phrase, "Pitch a tent," and refers to the fixture alike of the tent and the note of the trumpet. The word must be understood, in the latter case, of the musical pitch, and is used in this verse in that sense. Both musical sounds and musical instruments correspond to heavenly states. To pitch signifies to make known something as a permanent state. Thus "Jacob pitched his tent in the mountain" (Gen 31:25), signifies that goodness of the natural mind makes known the holiness of love as permanent in conjunction with heavenly love. It may be remarked also, that by judgement, with which subject this term is here associated, the permanent and fixed state of man or Church is made known. The special term here employed to describe the trumpet by, refers in particular to the instrument which was made of a curved-horn, or in imitation of one: for there is no good reason for the supposition that these instruments were actually the horns of animals. Those used at the destruction of Jericho were "jubilee curved-horns" (Josh 6:4-6). It is most probable, that this instrument was sounded only by persons consecrated to that service among the priests. We learn from Swedenborg that "in general stringed instruments signify such things as belong to the affections of truth, and wind instruments such as belong to the affections of good; or, what is the same thing, some instruments belong to the spiritual class, and some to the celestial class" (AE 323). This will assist us to see that the curved-horn corresponds to a state of celestial good. On this account this instrument was used on so many solemn occasions in Israel. Again, the correspondence is illustrated in Psalm 47:5, "God is gone up with a shout, Jehovah with the sound of a curved-horn." To pitch a curved-horn, therefore, signifies the revelation of Truth from Good, which is Divine truth promulgated in preparation for the Lord's coming. That coming is also called "the day of the curved-horn" (Zeph 1:16). The revelation of Divine truth, by which falsity is thrown down, is also represented by the pitching of the curved-horns by the priests at Jericho. Again, the Lord is spoken of as declaring such truth, in Zech 9:14, "the Lord Jehovih shall pitch the curved-horn." "The spirit of Jehovah clothed Gideon, and he pitched a curved-horn" (Judges 6:34).

It was stated above, that an infusion or breathing of Divine truth] from the Lord into the heavens is necessary to His coming into the world, and that thereby judgement is made in the world of spirits. Zion denotes the Lord's celestial kingdom, or the celestial heaven. "Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God has shined" (Psalm 50:2). "Jehovah is great in Zion; and He is high above all the peoples" (Psalm 99:2). "Its foundation is in the mountains of holiness: Jehovah loves the gates of Zion more than all the dwellings of Jacob. Glorious things are spoken of you, O city of God" (Psalm 87:1-3). Thus the infusion of Divine truths through the celestial heaven is denoted by pitch you a curved-horn in Zion.

The inflow of Divine truth into the celestial heaven, preparing the way for the Lord's descent into that heaven, causes a similar preparation in the spiritual heaven. This preparation in the spiritual heaven is indicated by joyous shouting in the mountain of the Lord's holiness. To shout with joy, denotes the gladness with which the angels of the spiritual heaven receive the revelation of truth from the Lord. The same shouting was to follow the sounding of the curved-horns at Jericho: "And it shall be, that when they make a long blast with the jubilee horn, and when you hear the sound of the curved-horn, all the people shall be caused to shout joyously with a great shout; and the rampart of the city shall fall down flat'" (Josh 6:5). So in Isaiah 16:10, "In the vineyards there shall be no sound of exultation, neither shall there be joyous shouting." Again, in Zeph 1:16 the day of the curved-horn is also called "the day of joyous shouting." That the mountain of the Lord's holiness signifies His spiritual kingdom, or the spiritual heavens, may be illustrated by the consideration that the holy of the Lord is the Divine truth proceeding from Him, as will be seen at 3:17. Again, the mountain of the Lord is the elevated state of life from Him, which is heaven. Thus in Psalm 48:1, "Great is Jehovah, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of His holiness." Again, in Zech 8:3, "Thus says Jehovah, I am returned to Zion, and will dwell in the midst of Jerusalem: and Jerusalem shall be called the city of truth; and the mountain of Jehovah of hosts, the mountain of holiness." Thus the descent of the Lord into the celestial heaven and the revelation of His truth there is the cause of rejoicing in the spiritual heaven and the preparation for His descent thereto. The sounding of the curved-horn is sometimes associated in the Scriptures with the agitation of the people, or rather, their agitation is said to follow it. Thus in Exod 19:16, "And it was so on the third day in the morning, that there were thunders and lightnings, and a heavy cloud upon the mountain, and the sound of the curved-horn exceedingly strong: so that all the people that were in the camp trembled." Also in Amos 3:6, "Shall a curved-horn be pitched in the city, and the people not tremble?" It was shown under 1:2 that all the inhabitants of the earth denotes every spiritual good dwelling in truth of the external Church. As the Church is now represented as consummated by reason of evil and falsity, those in evil of falsity are at present denoted by the phrase. And as the judgement of that Church is now being treated of, all those of the external Church abiding in the evil of falsity are meant. In other words, they who in this life have been of the Jewish Church, now represented as consummated in the evil of falsity, and who have passed on into the world of spirits where the judgement is made, are implied by all the inhabitants of the earth. It is said these will be agitated, because the term signifies the disturbed state of those who have perverted truth, when there is any effect of influx of Divine truth felt. The proximity of uncongenial truth causes the disturbance. Let it be observed that even this word points to the perversion of the Church which, if in order, would have received the truth with gladness. Thus in Deuter 2:25, "This day will I begin to put the dread of you and the fear of you upon the nations that are under the whole heavens, who shall hear report of you, and shall be agitated and be in anguish because of you." So in Psalm 77:18, the effect of descending Truth is described, "The voice of Your thunder was in the whirlwind: lightnings lightened the world: the earth was agitated and quaked." Again in Isaiah 14:9, "Hell from beneath is agitated for You to meet You at Your coming." Thus while the Lord's descent through the heavens gave joy therein, the world of spirits, now charged with the departed of the corrupted Church, was in agitation and dread. This will illustrate the difference, so often referred to in the Scriptures, between the reception of truth from God and the perception of Him by good men, and that on the other hand of wicked men.

And what was the reason of this agitation? As already stated, the Day of Jehovah comes in: for it was near. As shown under 1:15, the Day of Jehovah denotes the state of the Church in which the Lord comes to judgement. To come in, as shown also in the same place, signifies to introduce truth by influx for conjunction. But truth introduced among those who are in evil, produces disturbance and pain, whereby judgement is accomplished. Truth cannot be conjoined to evil, although it is introduced to all men for conjunction; wherefore it is said, it is near, signifying the proximity to affinity, as shown also at 1:15.

Internal Sense.—In the descent of the Lord through the heavens, His Divine truth is revealed in the celestial, and causes joy in the spiritual, while all those of the external Church in the world of spirits are disturbed by their perversion of truth: for the judgement of the Lord has brought truth near to them.

references.—AC 488; AE 405, 502, 730; AR 397; Doct. L. 4.

the day of darkness.

2. The day of obscurity and dense-darkness, the day of cloud and dense-cloudiness: as dawn spread out over the mountains. An abundant and mighty people—there has not been such [a people] from the age, and after him He will not cause any continuance of him—even to the years of a generation and generation.

Apparently the imagery of this verse is drawn from a circumstance attending the flight of locusts in great numbers. Many travellers testify, that so dense is a swarm of locusts that they obscure the light and turn day into night. They rise above all obstacles—hills or mountains—and, extending as far as the eye can see, literally blacken the sky. If this is the natural meaning of the present verse, it is a just image of the darkness of spirit induced by the sensual state represented by the locusts. But it must be observed that, as in the case of 1:6, the locusts are likened to a numerous people, making it manifest that, as formerly stated, the locusts were a replica of some national foes.

It will be as well, in the first place, to draw the lines of distinction which divide the four terms obscurity, dense-darkness, cloud, and dense-cloudiness. The terms each relate to some sort of darkness; they are in number the same as the locusts, and are similarly divided into pairs. The first is used of that shade which is caused by insufficient light, or ignorance. "Teach us what we shall say to him; for we cannot order our speech by reason of obscurity" (Job 37:19). "Who is this that obscures counsel by words without knowledge?" (Job 38:2). The second term relates to the darkness made by obstructing light, or the darkness of wickedness. "The way of the wicked ones is as dense-darkness "(Proverbs 4:19). The third, cloud, is the usual word for the mists of the atmosphere, but it has a special suggestion of their use as covering the sky, or obscuring the light—the lower sense of truth in which its brightness is tempered. "When I cover (or becloud) the earth with a cloud" (Gen 9:14). From the same root is formed also the term soothsayer or enchanter, as a worker of dark arts or speaker of hidden secrets. The fourth term appears to apply only to the denser darkness of thick clouds, or more probably to the mistiness that clings to the earth. "When I made the cloud a garment thereof, and dense-cloudiness a swaddling band for it" (Job 38:9). "And you say, How does God know? can He judge through the dense-cloudiness? Thick clouds are a covering to Him, that He sees not; and He walks in the circuit of Heaven" (Job 22:13, 14).

The spiritual differences enfolded in these terms are even more marked than those already noticed. Swedenborg says, "In the other life, the light in which those are who are in falsity becomes thick darkness at the presence of the light of heaven, and still thicker darkness with those who have been of the Church, because they were in falsity opposed to the truth of faith, according to the Lord's words in Matthew, 'If the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!' (6:23)" (AC 7688). The same author also says that "the evil, where they are gathered together in the spiritual world, by the influx of Divine good and Divine truth are deprived of the truths and goods of which they made a pretence in externals, and are let into their evils and falsities which they inwardly cherished" (AE 502). This is the state of the Church here spoken of, and we are prepared to see that to those of such a Church the coming of the Lord is in very truth the day of obscurity and dense darkness. But let it be observed whence this darkness really originates. In the former verse it was told how the Lord, descended through the heavens and made preparation for judgement by the transfusion of spiritual light in the world of spirits. Here were gathered together those of the Jewish Church in a state of sensual life who had left the earthly state. Their condition being the same as that represented by the locusts, they were in falsity, and "the presence of the light of heaven" causes their light to become darkness—or exposes its falsity. Their darkness being the greater, because of their opposition to the truths of faith while yet they professed the Divine Word. It was shown under 1:2 that day signifies the state of life in general. In the present case the term refers to the state of life at the coming of the Lord treated of in the preceding verse. It was suggested above that there is some relationship between the inroads of the locusts and the effect represented by the four kinds of darkness. The first kind of locust mentioned in the fourth verse of the first chapter was the gnawing locust, which was shown to signify the falsity of the internal sensual degree of the mind, or the desire to believe only that which can be known by the senses. Obscurity signifies the kind of falsity which is due to this sentiment—a falsity originating in ignorance of great truths, especially the truths of a spiritual order. This is not the falsity which results from destroying truth by evil life. Thus in Psalm 18:28, "Jehovah my God will enlighten my obscurity." Also in Psalm 112:4, "There arises in the obscurity a light to the upright." Again in Isaiah 9:2, "The people walking in the obscurity have seen a great light." So in Amos 5:18, "The Day of Jehovah is obscurity, and not light."

The second order of locust mentioned was the abundant-locust, which; as explained, denotes that sensual falsity which arises from seeking to know without regard to the use of truth. As a consequence, this falsity induces a darkness of the mind begotten by lack of good. This is the signification of dense darkness. Thus a plague of Egypt is stated in the words, "There was a darkness of dense darkness in all the land of Egypt three days" (Exod 10:22). "We wait for light, but behold obscurity; for brightness, but we walk in dense darkness" (Isaiah 59:9). Thus we learn that the day of obscurity and dense darkness when the Lord comes, means a state of falsity originating in ignorance of truth and lack of good. The licking-locust was the third in order, and signifies the evil of the external sensual degree. The darkness of mind accruing from this state is such as to close the understanding to the perception of the interior glory of the Divine Word. It draws a veil over the interior senses, so as to obscure the Word. This darkness is from the falsity arising from the sensual state of the man. Hence it is called a cloud. As stated above, the term is derived from "to cover," and signifies the obscure appearance of the Divine Word owing to the falsity of the sensual mind. Thus in Ezekiel 10:3, "The cloud filled the inner court." Thus the coming of the Son of Man in the clouds of heaven, indicates the obscurity of the letter with which the heavenly senses of the Divine Word are covered. The Lord is said also to speak "out of the midst of the cloud" (Exodus 24:16).

Finally, the consuming-locust. This was shown to signify the evil of the internal sensual degree. This is the evil that begets in man a sense of the self-sufficiency of his own intelligence, an all-sufficient trust in the light of his own sensual reason, and a consequent denial of what lies beyond the range of his senses. It is the mist of sensualism clinging around the natural man. Here we have the signification of dense cloudiness. It is the obscurity of all truth owing to "the natural lumen" of the sensual man. The day of cloud and dense cloudiness, therefore, denotes the state of obscurity from sensual literalism and self-intelligence in regard to the Divine Word, by which state the Church is characterised at the coming of the Lord. As the Divine light descends upon the falsified Church, it produces among the sensual only a sense of cloud and dense cloudiness, of gloom and mistiness. The greater the truth appropriated by the false, the greater is the darkness in them. Hence it is, that dense cloudiness is used to denote the outermost appearance of Divine Truth. " And Moses drew near into the dense cloudiness where God was" (Exodus 20:21). A like description is given in Zeph. 1:15, of the Day of Jehovah," A day of trouble and distress, a day of wasteness and desolation, a day of obscurity and dense darkness, a day of cloud and dense cloudiness."

The coming of Jehovah and the consequent influx of light into the world of spirits is often called "morning" in the Scriptures, because of the new state or age thereby arising. Thus, in Zeph 3:5, "Jehovah is righteous in the midst thereof; He will not do iniquity: every morning does He bring His judgement to light." As already stated, the Lord's coming is at the end of a state of darkness, and is the beginning of a new state of light. And the darkest moment of the night is that which precedes the dawn. Now the first hours of the "morning" are called dawn, and correspond to the first state of the Lord's coming—the initiament of His new dispensation. The term, in its natural sense, is applied to the duskiness immediately preceding the sunrise. The initiation of the Lord's new kingdom on the earth is comparatively obscure— the prevailing darkness makes it so. In the descent of the Lord's truth through the heavens a twofold effect is produced. There is enlightenment for those who desire the truth and will form the new Church, though the enlightenment is not full, and it is darkness to those not so minded. Just as the rising of the sun is light to the lark, but blindness to the owl. This is the mystery of the Lord's words in Matthew 13:13-17. Because the dawn dispels the darkness, and is at the same time the promise of light, the Lord's promise is likened to it. " His going forth is prepared as the dawn" (Hosea 6:3). So in Amos 4:13," He makes the dawn darkness." So in Isaiah 8:20, " To the law and the testimony: if they speak not according to His Word, it is because there is no dawn in them." To spread out seems to signify to show forth in the external life what is really the state of the internal. This term is of such importance in the present connection that it should be fully considered now. So distinctly does this term convey its spiritual meaning, that commentators have supposed it is one word with two different natural senses. Thus, in Exod 40:19, the Authorized Version of the Bible reads, " And he spread abroad the tent over the tabernacle." But so differently did the word appear to be used in Leviticus 24:12 that this version reads there, " and they put him in ward, that the mind of the Lord might be showed them" A similar passage occurs in Numb 15:34, " They put him in ward, because it was not declared what should be done to him." In the first place, attention is called to the fact that the latter two quotations distinctly relate to judgement. In the world of spirits judgement is made, and it is made by the internal life " declaring" itself in externals. Thus the inward affections are spread out oh the external man. By reference to the former verse, it will be seen that mountain corresponds to a state of elevated affection, either in regard to the Lord or self. In the present case those of the Church who were in a more exalted state of affection, interiorly, than others, are meant. The tops of the mountains catch the first rays of the rising sun. " How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that brings good tidings, that publishes peace!" (Isaiah 52:7). While, however, the evil are in greater darkness by the Lord's coming —as if "blinded by excess of light," the good are rejoiced thereat: for His light affects them interiorly, because of their exalted affections. As dawn spread out over the mountains, therefore, denotes the initiament of Divine truth in the world of spirits, by which those in the affection of good are affected and manifest their inward states externally.

The remainder of the verse introduces a fresh subject— namely, the cause of this visitation—and, indeed, should have formed another verse of itself. It may be further advisable to remark that the pronoun " him" of this and the following verse relates to " people," which, like " nation" of 1:6, refers to the heathens whence the idolatry was derived. It has been suggested already, that by people is signified something of the intellectual aspect of the human mind collectively considered. The term especially denotes the truth, or otherwise the falsity of the faith followed in the worship of a community, or earthly Church. Thus, people applied to Israel, in its good sense, would denote the truths of faith belonging to the Lord's Church; but applied to idolatrous worshipers, it would denote the false faith in which they are. In this way the term is the correlative of nation. In the present case, people refers to the falsities of idolatry. Of the strength given by the Lord to true faith, it is said in Psalm 68:35, " The God of Israel is He that gives might and power to His people." Of falsities, on the other hand, it is said in Jeremiah 34:1, "And all the peoples fought against Jerusalem." Such people are said to be abundant and mighty, in allusion to the predominance of falsity from evil: whereby the present consummation resulted. Mighty was explained under 1:6. That abundant denotes the prevalence of falsity in the understanding, when used in connection with people, needs no further illustration.

It was remarked under 1:1 that to be involves a notable change in the states spiritually referred to. Such a change is indicated as distinguishing this people from those of " the age," and is indicated in the words there has been. That there has not been such [a people] from the age, signifies the distinct nature of the people now spoken of from those implied in "the age," especially in the quality of love to the Lord. For it is of love to the Lord that the word age is strictly used. In that state of love was the most ancient Church, which was, as stated above, the celestial Church. That the Church now consummated had nothing of this quality, may be seen from what has been said of it already, and this is implied in the present phrase. But more is involved than this. The falsities of idolatry, now desolating the Jewish Church, never had their origin in love to the Lord: nothing of idolatry can descend from the celestial age. Nay, more, this word is used in the sense of " eternity." No idolatrous faith is from eternity! The origins of all truth and all faith are, from eternity, pure.

That being so, neither can the Church in which it is fostered continue to be the Lord's Church on earth. And after him, He will not cause any continuance of him, even to the years of a generation and generation. Just as the roots of denying the Lord are not in love to the Lord, so will He not permit it to remain, as His Church, to the destruction of man's redemption and regeneration. These words, then, denote the complete cessation of the Jewish Church as a Church after its consummation by falsity from evil. Thus the present external Church would cease. Hence it is that, when the Lord did come, ceremonial observances were abolished as types of spiritual life, and the Church then established was in no way representative, but spiritual. Thus the Jewish Church did not flow into the Christian, nor did it open out into a spiritual Church: for the Lord Himself initiated the new dispensation. This is taught in the closing words of the present verse.

A year corresponds to the entire age of the Church as to its continuance; for it includes the four seasons or stages of the Church's progress. It may be noticed that the term is used, in its natural sense, of a cycle of time. " To proclaim the acceptable year of Jehovah" (Isaiah 61:2), is to make known the dispensation which the Lord approves. Years, then, denote the entire states of the Church as to some quality, and what that quality is the next term makes known. Generation, as explained 1:3, relates to the Intellectual part of the Church, in the same way as age may be said to relate to its Will part. It refers to the Church characterised as spiritual, instead of that marked by the celestial quality. Love belongs to the age, to the eternal; faith belongs to the generation. Both are perpetual when conjoined. The latter word is, therefore, applied to the ancient Church which was spiritual. As the Jewish Church has nothing of this spiritual quality in it, so it cannot continue into the new spiritual Church which is to be raised up. It must come to its end!

The words generation and generation, referring to the truths descended from the Church which succeeded the most ancient, are the Jewish idiom for what is perpetual, although not to the same degree as that imparted by age. Spiritually, as stated above, one relates to love and the other to faith. So in Psalm 100:5, " For Jehovah is good: His mercy is to the age;, and His faithfulness to the generation and generation." The years of a generation and generation, therefore, signifies that the Lord will not continue the false Church into the new spiritual dispensation: for generation also denotes a new spiritual state begotten, and therefore is the promise of a new Church on earth.

Internal Sense.—At the Lord's advent the Church will be in a state of falsity from lack of truth and good, and of obscurity from the sensual sense of the Word and self-intelligence: it will divide the good from the evil by judgement. The prevailing falsity of idolatry will bring destruction on the Church, having neither love of nor faith in the Lord: thus it will cease.

references.—AC 488, 1860, 2405, 7688, 7711; AE 372, 401, 526, 594, 783, 1135; TCR 198; SS 14; B.E. 78.

the evil of idolatry.

3. Fire ate before him: and after him flame will ignite. The earth was as the Garden of Eden before him, and after him a desert of desolation; and there was also no escape from him.

All who have witnessed the devastation of a country by locusts agree in describing the appearance as that produced by fire. The scorched and withered state of the whole district, the rapidity of the desolation, and its utterly destructive character, tend to this impression. At sunrise the land is fair to look upon: its pastures, its vineyards, and corn fields promise a rich harvest; at evening it is " a desert of desolation," with famine and death for its promise. The effect is as if a cyclone of fire had swept the land, and left ruin and desolation in its trail. The image is strikingly true of that which is represented, of the spiritual desolation of the Church made by false worship. Like the comparison of the former chapter, " people," referred to here by " him," is likened to the locusts. And like "nation," the term "people" is coupled with fire, which probably means, the heat of the south wind.

It was explained under 1:19, that fire corresponds to the lust of self-love, the evil which is the cause of all desolation in the man and the Church. That this is the signification of the term may be further shown in Psalm 39:3, " My heart was hot within me, in my fervour the fire burned"; also in Isaiah 33:14, " The sinners in Zion dread; quaking has seized the impious: who among us shall abide with the eating fire? who among us shall abide with everlasting burnings?" Again it was shown under 1:4 that to eat, signifies to destroy good by appropriating it as evil.

Perhaps the words before him need explanation, on the literal side, before considering the spiritual sense. Strictly the original is, to his faces. The Hebrew word for face is derived from the verb " to turn oneself," and properly applies to the part turned towards anyone. The verb is translated in the Common Version at Deut 31:18, "they are turned to other gods," and at Isaiah 53:6, " we have turned every one to his own way." But in Isaiah 56:11 we read, " they all look to his own way." The true force of the noun may be gathered from Ezek 20:47, " the blazing flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein," that is, all parts turned towards the flame shall be scorched. The same may be seen in Ezek 20:46, " Son of man, set your faces toward the south." Again a similar usage occurs in Luke 9:53, "His face was as though He would go to Jerusalem." From this sense of the word is derived that of presence. Thus in Exodus 33:14, "My presence (literally, My faces) shall go with you." Hence, the idea of being in the presence of, or facing anyone—standing before one, as in Ezek 2:10, "and he spread it before me;" literally, to my faces. The term is used only in the plural form. " To his faces," then, in the natural sense, is equivalent to before him.

Interior things are, in the spiritual sense of the Divine Word, spoken of as before, and exterior things as behind. By before him is, therefore, understood the interior things of the falsities denoted by people. This is so, because in the pure state of man the interior things of the mind were shown by the face. That the interior Divine things of the Law are veiled is expressed in Exodus 3:6, " And Moses hid his faces." That the interior things of the falsity now prevailing in the Church were the lusts of self-love destroying good is signified by fire ate before him, is, therefore, manifest. That this proceeded outwardly is meant by the words following.

The words after him mean, literally, what is behind, its hinder part, and signify, as suggested in the previous verse, those things which are relatively exterior. And since the things of the understanding are exterior to those of the will, and are formed therefrom, they are spoken of as after him. Thus a lower state of falsity is intended, as being formed from self-love through the falsity represented by " the people." Hence, that the understanding of truth is destroyed by the pride of self-derived thought is signified by and after him flame will ignite. As shown under 1:19, flame corresponds to the pride of self-intelligence originating in love of the world, and to ignite, signifies to excite and kindle by evil desire. It should be observed, that flame describes more particularly the light or glitter of a blaze, and not its heat. Hence flame corresponds to that intelligence which arises from love of the world. In Isaiah 42:25, " And it ignited round about, yet he knew not; and it burned upon him, yet he laid it not to heart." It is clear that ignite relates to knowledge, and " burn" to feeling. We see that in the idea of glitter the spiritual significance of pride is contained.

The phrase, the earth was as the Garden of Eden before him, signifies that the external Church was apparently in intelligence from love, before the falsity of idolatry had marked it. The term earth, as shown under 1:2, signifies the external Church. The intelligence of the rational mind is signified by a garden, because of its mental growths and products. " I heard Your voice in the garden" (Genesis 3:10). "Jehovah God planted a garden eastward in Eden... the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil" (Gen 2:8, 9). Eden, meaning delight or pleasure, in its natural sense, signifies, spiritually, love. " Full of wisdom, and perfection of beauty, you have been in Eden, the garden of God" (Ezek 28:12, 13). The Garden of Eden, therefore, signifies the intelligence of truths from love, hence spiritual wisdom. This is the wisdom which the regenerated man enjoys instead of his former desolation. " This land that was desolate is become like the Garden of Eden" (Ezek 36:35). It appeared as if the wisdom by which the most ancient Church was characterised still remained with the Jews, but it really was not so; as shown by the hold idolatry had already made on the Church. Interiorly, the Church was in the love of self. When appearances are removed, the folly of the love of self is revealed. This also is conveyed by the words, the earth was as the Garden of Eden before him.

That the real state of the Church, in the falsity of evil worship, was made manifest externally, is implied in the words, and after him as a desert of desolation. That is, that nothing of true intelligence remained. It was shown under 1:19 that desert signifies an obscure state of the understanding wherein is no truth. It was shown also, under 1:7, that desolation signifies deprivation of spiritual faith. A desert of desolation, therefore, denotes that there is no understanding of spiritual truth. The Church on the earth at the beginning was in wisdom, its end was falsity from evil. This deprivation, consequent on the falsity engendered by turning away from the Lord, is indicated by after him.

A notable issue associated herewith is stated thus, and there was also no escape from him. While these words convey the truth that it is not possible to evade the consequence of denying the Lord: that men cannot " serve God and mammon," they cannot worship evil ends, and reap the reward of worshiping God, the words also inform us that false worship is devotion to " gods that cannot save." The word escape applies properly to what escapes, especially from the slaughter of battle. Thus, 2 Kings 19:30, " And the remnant that is escaped of the house of Judah (literally, the escape of the house of Judah that remains) shall yet again take root downward." The word relates spiritually to the truths and goods remaining in the understanding, escaped from the perils of evil, and forming the bases of new life. Thus in Ezek 14:22, " Yet, behold, there shall be left therein an escape that shall be brought forth... and you shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem." Again, Genesis xlv, 7, " God sent me before you to prepare for you a remnant in the earth; and to save your lives by a great escape." That there was no escape from him, therefore, means that, so utterly complete was the devastation of the Church by this prevailing falsity of denying the Lord, that there were no remains of truth and good in it by which salvation could be accomplished. Moreover—and here is the bitterness of the situation—they had trusted to gods who could not supply the means of deliverance, but could only carry them further away.

The Internal Sense.—The lust of self-love destroyed good interiorly, and the pride of self-intelligence was kindled externally. The external Church, apparently in spiritual wisdom beforehand, was deprived of all spiritual faith by the falsity of idolatry, not even the remains of truth and good being able to save them.

references.—AC 1861, 5376, 8906, 9434; AE 504, 730; AR 546.

persuasive reasoning.

4. As the appearance of horses is his appearance: and as horsemen, so \certainly\ will they run.

Again, while speaking of " the people" (in continuance of the theme begun at verse 2), the locusts are actually referred to as one and the same thing with them. We are told that the head of a locust is exceedingly like that of a horse; indeed, the Arabs have a saying in which the locust is said to have the face of a horse. The same thought is expressed in saying that the aspect of the horse is as the aspect of the "people," or locusts. Again, the likeness is noticed in Rev 9:7: " And the shapes of the locusts were like horses prepared for battle." As the appearance of horses is his appearance, signifies that from the falsity of idolatry the Church reasoned as if from truth. This appears plainly from the significations of the terms used. The term appearance, literally, refers to the thing seen in a certain aspect, especially of the face. It denotes, spiritually, the truths of faith, or in the opposite sense, falsity derived from a more interior state, as seen or made known. In Isaiah 52:14 the Common Version reads, " His visage was so marred more than any man." So in Exodus 24:17:" And the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the sons of Israel." Horses correspond to the truths of the intellectual part. Thus the white horses of Zech 6:3 and Rev 6:2 denote the pure truths of the intellect. It-is because intellectual truth alone is useless for salvation, that it is said, " a horse is a vain thing for safety: neither shall he deliver any by his great strength" (Psalm 33:17). Of the prevalence of such truths it is said, " Their land is full of horses" (Isaiah 2:7). Of those who trust in their own intellectual devices, it is said, " the riders on horses shall be confounded" (Zech 10:5). Hence it appears that the words, before us, signify that the falsity denoted by people bore the appearance of, and seemed externally to be, truths of the Intellectual part. In other words, the Church lent itself to-sophistries in order to cover falsities.

The word horseman, or rider, is restricted to one who rides on a horse, and no other animal, for warlike purposes. Hence the term is seldom found in the Divine Word unaccompanied by reference to chariots. In the spiritual sense horsemen signify reasonings from the Intellectual part. In a similar strain to those from the Psalm above quoted are the words of Hosea 1:7: "I will not save them by bow, nor by sword, nor by battle, by horses, nor by horsemen." Referring to the combative spirit and the pride engendered by reasoning from self, it is said in Nahum 3:3, " The horseman lifts up both the bright sword and the glittering spear." To run denotes an ardent desire to know. In its opposite sense, it signifies the assiduity with which false reasoning pursues its end. With what evil ardour the false mind approaches, and seeks to persuade others! Yet the pursuit may be for good and truth: " I will run the way of Your commandments, when You shall enlarge my heart" (Psalm 119:32). " Write the vision, and scoop it out upon the tablets that he may run that reads it" (Hab 2:2). On the contrary, those who are evilly disposed are ardent to effect their ends: " Their feet run to evil, and they make haste to shed innocent blood: their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity" (Isaiah 59:7). So is a particle indicative of confirmation. As horsemen so will they run, therefore, signifies that with the appearance of reasoning from intelligence those in falsity are assiduous to persuade.

Internal Sense.—The falsity of the Church seemed, externally, to be truth of the intelligence, and with the appearance of reasoning from that intelligence they of the Church seek with ardour to persuade.

reference.—AC 8906.

dominion over minds.

5. As the voice of war chariots, over the heads of the mountains will they leap! As the voice of a blaze of fire, eating stubble. As a mighty people, arranged for battle.

The noise of locusts, both in flight and at the time of their devouring the vegetation of a district, has been many times likened to deep rushing sounds, such as a torrent or cataract makes. Their eating has been likened to the sound of wind fanning flame. Again, their irresistible progress has been compared to that of a mighty army, so regularly do they move and so direct is their movement. Mountains are no obstacle, however, to locusts as they are to armies. They fly over the tops of mountains with the same ease as they move over the plains. The mountains present no more difficulty to their flight than they present to the noise of hosts of heavy chariots. This appears to be the meaning of the first sentence of the present verse. Presumably the mountains are those about Jerusalem, and the spectator is standing on the Holy Mountain. Just as the deadened roar of a host of chariots would come up over the mountains, will this multitude of locusts come up. The noise made by locusts' eating can be heard afar off; but so near are they that as the crackling of a fire in the dried grass can they be heard: and they are moving directly upon Jerusalem, like an armed host. Very similar are the words of Revelation 9:9, " and the sound of their wings was as the sound of chariots of many horses running to battle." Attention is called to the change of pronoun in the former verse and continued in this. Whereas in agreement with " people" the pronoun " his" was used in the former part of verse 4, at its latter end " they" is found. It appears to be intended to bring the locusts into association with " the people," by means of the likeness of locusts to horsemen. Their avidity being the point of likeness. In the present verse the reference to the locusts is sustained.

The state of the Church, as described in the former verse, was as that of the sophist: the present verse pictures the Church in its hypocrisy. It is understood that as relates to what appears to be the case, rather than what actually is the state. The Church has only a semblance of what is described by the several terms here used. Externally the Church appears to be in genuine doctrine and the desire to make known the truth. It needs little explanation to make clear that voice corresponds to the promulgation of truth: for the voice is the vehicle, or clothing in speech, of thought, and is therefore the means of communicating truth. Thus, the Lord's " voice" is used of the enunciation of the Divine Truth itself: "Bless you, Jehovah, you His angels, heroes of strength, that do His word, hearkening to the voice of His Word" (Psalm 103:20). The term in general denotes the promulgation of truth. As in Psalm 19:3: " There is no speech or words, where their voice is not heard." This is why the forerunner and pro-claimer of the Lord's advent is described as " the voice of him that cries in the wilderness, Prepare you the way of Jehovah" (Isaiah 40:3). Chariots were of several kinds. The war-chariot corresponds to the doctrinal forms of truth prepared for combating falsity: for doctrine carries conviction when drawn by intelligence, or " horses," and leads to right conclusions regarding spiritual things. Thus it is said of the Egyptians, representing the falsities of the natural mind, that the Lord " took off their war-chariot wheels, and He drove them heavily; so that Egypt said, Let us run away from the face of Israel; for Jehovah fights for them against Egypt" (Exod 14:25). Of those who teach false doctrine continuously, it is said, " neither is there any limit to his war-chariots" (Isaiah 2:7). The voice of war-chariots, therefore, denotes the promulgation of doctrines to oppose falsity. It was shown under verse 2 of this chapter that mountains correspond to states of elevated affection—the good of celestial affection. The head, being the highest, according to what has been said much earlier, corresponds to some inmost dominating principle—to be more precise, the head corresponds to the inmost dominating principle of the Intellectual and Voluntary man— thus, to the whole man considered as to intelligence. In its opposite sense, the head denotes the craftiness of those in the love of ruling. In its good sense the word is used in Psalm 23:5: " You anoint my head with oil." In its opposite sense it occurs in Psalm 68:21: " But God shall pierce the head of His enemies." Again in Isaiah 1:5: " The whole head is sickness." The heads of the mountains signify the intelligence of the good of celestial affection in its inmost state—thus, in heaven. So in Isaiah 2:2: " And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the House of Jehovah shall be established in the head of the mountains, and shall be exalted above hills; and all the nations shall stream to it." The tops of the mountains are the first to receive the light of the rising sun, and to announce its coming. They are also the last to retain it at its setting. So it is with those in a state of elevated heavenly intelligence. But how different is the state, in reality, of the Church fallen as low as the former verses indicate. It bore the appearance of teaching the truth, yet to what profanity had it fallen! The sensual delight to lord it over all—especially the religiously sensual. In its sensual condition the Church sought to dominate heaven itself. Over the heads of the mountains will they leap. To leap, signifies to be affected with the delight of contaminating good. The term is used mainly of that joyous skipping, or dancing, which arises from the pleasure of something accomplished. Thus in Psalm 114:4: " The mountains skipped like rams, and hills like lambs." So in Nahum 3:2: " The voice... of leaping chariots." That those in the falsity of evil worship are affected with the delight of dominating heavenly intelligence, by an appearance of true doctrine opposing falsity, is here meant. And that this they do as if they were in the intelligence of love is implied by, over the heads of the mountains will they leap.

The word, blaze, is the masculine form of " flame," which, as shown under 1:19, signifies the pride of self-intelligence from the love of the world. Blaze, however, denotes the falsity of the lust of self. When the term is used in its good sense, it denotes the intelligence arising from love to the Lord, as in Judges 13:20," When the blaze went up towards the heavens from off the altar, the angel of Jehovah ascended in the blaze of the altar." The blaze of fire, corresponds to a zealous intelligence from love to the Lord. It was, however, pointed out under 1:19 that, in its bad sense, fire corresponds to the love of self—as the voice of a blaze of fire, therefore, signifies that while the appearance was that the Church promulgated its teaching, as if in intelligence from love to the Lord, in truth it did so from the falsity of self-love. This it did, eating stubble. It was shown under 1:4 that to eat denotes to appropriate evil—or to appropriate to self. Stubble corresponds to that lowest form of truth which is apprehended only by the externally scientific mind. It is the order of knowledge which the Church is represented as holding when the Israelites in Egypt, " were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw" (Exodus 5:12). To eat stubble, signifies to appropriate to self the truth accommodated only to the external planes of the mind. So much for those who make much of their professed intelligence from love to the Lord, while they are only in the love of self!

The profane appearance reaches yet deeper. The truths of faith from the Lord are potent to resist evil and to sustain the Church in its temptation-combats. The power of the truths of faith in orderly worship is assumed in appearance by a Church turned to the adoration of idols! It professed to uphold the right and oppose the wrong—arranged for battle! What a well of hypocrisy! Mighty, as explained at 1:6, relates to a state of truth from good, in its better sense, and people, as shown at 2:2, signifies the truths of faith according to worship. Here is a profession, or appearance of the truths of genuine worship in their power: for power acts from good by truth. The appearance is as of truths of worship arranged for battle. It needs little explanation to make the spiritual sense of these words manifest. To arrange, denotes to adjoin in an orderly manner so as to effect some purpose: battle denotes the assault of hell. Thus in Psalm 18:39, " You have girded me with strength to battle." Again Psalm 89:43, " You have made him to stand in battle." But while this relates to the appearance it also describes the reality. What, indeed, does the phrase charge upon the Church? It describes those who prevail in falsity from evil worship as arranged for battle— that is, adjoined to, or joining in with the assault of hell upon the truth and good of the internal Church. How often it is, that the professed friends of the Church are, in truth, on the side of its enemy. Hell makes its assault on the Church by the subtle means of sensualism, and by drawing her away from the Lord to self, and in the present case, hell and the falsity of idolatry are in concert—they are adjoined—arranged for battle.

By removing the mask of appearance the case is, that the Church rejoices in false appearances of truth rather than the truly enlightened desire for the truth as it is. It is pleasing to self to do so, hence it is done. This is the portrait of the Jewish Church so far delineated.

Internal Sense.—The Church apparently promulgates the true doctrines of life, but really seeks to dominate heaven: apparently makes known the truths of intelligence from love to the Lord, but really is in the folly of self-love, by appropriating to self the least of truths: apparently the Church is in the power of truth from worship, really it is in that falsity which adjoins itself to the assaults of hell.

reference.—AC 8906.

difficult religion.

6. From before him, they caused peoples to travail: they caused all faces to gather pallor.

The fear and consternation, the deadly and paralysing terror of the natives of Oriental lands when an approach of locusts is known, has been spoken of by several travellers. The people suffer and are helpless. Following the similitude of an army, the prophet portrays the state of those who await its approach with anguish.

Under 2:3, before him was shown to signify the interior falsity of idolatry, and from, as already noted, implies a derivation. Thus we have to deal here with something derived from the interior falsity of evil which marked the external Church now consummated. Peoples, according to the explanation given under 2:2, signifies in its good sense the truths of faith according to the nature of the worship. In this sense the term is employed in the present case. Thereby the reason of the repeated reference to the same term is ascertained. People is once referred to by him, and again in peoples—first in its bad sense, and then in its good sense. It should be noted too that "him" and "they" relate to the same subject, as the people ("him"), and the locusts ( " they" ) are associated. To travail, is a term used with extensive meaning literally; it is used in the senses of bearing pain, of waiting, of forming and bringing forth. But these only assist in making the spiritual signification of the word the more manifest. In that sense, to travail denotes the difficulty of conceiving and bringing forth the spiritual formations of the mind when it is beset by falsity and evil. Thus in Isaiah 23:4, " I travailed not, nor brought forth children, neither did I bring up young men, nor raise up virgins." So in the same prophet, Isa 13:8, and Revelation 12:2. From before him, they caused peoples to travail, therefore, signifies that, as derived from the interior falsity of evil, the sensually-minded of the Church make it difficult for truths of faith to bring forth their orderly offspring —the hopes and efforts of religious life. It must not be forgotten, however, that this is a state revealed by the coming and judgement of the Lord, as explained under the first verse of this chapter. And inasmuch as the prevailing state— namely, falsity from evil, in this case, is that which really condemns, the judgement of the Lord and the falsity of evil are at once referred to by " from before him." Hence the pain of the false at the approach of truth from the Lord.

By all faces gathering pallor is signified that the falsity of evil is confirmed or established in the interiors of the Church from first to last. The word, faces, has been explained under 2:3, and shown to signify the interiors of the mind. To gather, signifies to preserve by way of fixing; that is, by uniting the several states of the spirit within its external. This preserving in a permanent state is thus referred to in Jerem 31:10, "He that dispersed Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd his flock." Pallor is a term which is used twice only in the Scriptures—in the present verse and in Nahum 2:10, "She is empty, and void, and deserted: and the heart melts, and the knees smite together, and much pain is in all loins, and the faces of them all gather pallor." Both passages relate to pain. A similar statement occurs in Jerem 30:6, "Why do I see every man with his hands on his loins, as a woman in travail, and all faces turned into paleness." It is generally accepted that this word is connected with the term denoting an earthen pot used for boiling purposes. See Numbers 11:8; Judges 6:19; and 1 Sam 2:14. The Greek version translates it, " all faces shall be as burnt pottery "— that is, have the same pallid colour as burnt pot. Pallor corresponds to the falsity of evil. Swedenborg says, " The extinction of love is seen in the pallor of the face" (DLW 379). This is the condition here described. There is a degree of falsity and evil which, seen in the light of heaven, makes the infernals pallid.

Internal Sense.—The result of the descent of the Lord into the world is, that as derived from the interiors of the Church falsified, those in the Church throughout, who were in the truths of faith, could bring forth right life only with difficulty and the interiors of all were falsified from evil in the sensual of the Church.

reference.—AE 412.

assaulting truth.

7. As heroes will they run; as men of battle they will ascend a rampart: and a man in his ways will they go! nor will they change their paths!

The similitude to an ordered army, begun in the fifth verse, is continued in detail here. It has been suggested, that the spectator is supposed to be standing in Jerusalem watching the approach of the invading locusts—formerly under the likeness of a fire, now under that of a great army. While the glittering red colour of the insects and the hot wind on which they travelled might have been the grounds of the one similitude, the order, regularity of movement and irrepressible progress of locusts, well known to travellers, is the basis of the other figure. They are approaching the Holy City: nothing will stay them. Inaccessible to armed men, the ramparts of the City are no obstacle to the locusts. They move as one man. They move straight before them—nor will they deviate from their paths.

With what evil assiduity do those who abide in the pride of their own false reasoning assault the truth. They are very great in their own eyes—and have even been known to claim the honour of " champions of the faith." However, here they are portrayed—not as they wish the world to see them, but as they are. As heroes will they run. Stripped of the appearance, this signifies that they who prevail by reason of falsity reason with an evil avidity. Of course, they put on an appearance of being eager to arrive only at the truth; all false sophists do that. The term hero, signifies, in the present connection, one who prevails by falsity, who seeks to destroy the truth. Thus in Psalm 33:16, " A hero is not delivered by much strength." Again in Hosea 10:13, "You have ploughed wickedness, you have reaped unrighteousness; you have eaten the fruit of lies: because you did trust in your way, in the multitude of your heroes." That to run, denotes to reason with evil assiduity, was shown under 2:4.

Again, dismissing the appearance indicated by as (for it must be remarked false reasoners assume the appearance of reasoning from rational principles, thereby to assault truth), we seek the actual state. Men of battle, denotes the insanities of hell which assault the truth. The assaults of hell, denoted by battle, as shown under 2:5, are occasioned by the evils and falsities of infernal spirits. Therefore the Lord, who overcomes in such assaults, is called," Jehovah, the Hero in battle" (Psalm 24:8). We also learn from Him to resist such assaults: thence it is said, "Blessed be Jehovah my rock, Who trains my hands for the encounter, and my fingers for the battle" (Psalm cxliv. i). Men, in its good sense, signifies the rational principles of the intellect. But when the intellect is falsified, as in the present case, then the term signifies the irrational or insane sophistries of the intellect. Such spiritual insanities are from hell. Hence the false counsellors of Zedekiah sought the death of Jeremiah who had spoken the word of the Lord, " for thus he weakened the hands of the men of battle, that remained in the city" (Jer 38:4). More will be said concerning this term below.

It has been shown, under 1:6, that to ascend, signifies to emerge from an inferior to a superior state. This is the same as saying, the word signifies to come forth from an interior to an exterior state. The rampart is that plane of truth which acts as the defence of " the City of God." The truths of doctrine drawn from the literal sense of the Divine Word are that defence. Wherefore a prayer, that the Lord will give the necessary defence to His Church, is expressed in the words, " Build You the ramparts of Jerusalem" (Psalm 51:18). But in its opposite sense, a rampart denotes the essential falsity which defends evil. So in Psalm 55:9, 10, " I have seen violence and strife in the city. Day and night they go about it upon the ramparts thereof." Thus, as men of battle they will ascend a rampart, denotes that the insane falsities of hell come forth from evil to assail the truth and defend evil.

The limits of our language compel us to indicate the distinction between Man (adam) and man (ish) by means of an initial capital to the former word. The latter, however, is the word used in the present and next verse. From it is formed the only term expressive of woman in the Hebrew tongue. This term relates to the intellectual faculty, as woman does to the affectional. Thus in Jeremiah 5:1, " See now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if you can find a man, if there be any that does judgement, that seeks truth." In its natural sense the term applies to man as an individual, and is therefore used where otherwise we might have expected such words as one or each. Hence we see that the thought is, that every individual persisted in his own way. A very natural picture of the course of the fallacious reasoner! The man who acts from self is dominated by his own special fallacy. Way denotes falsity in the understanding as leading to evil of life. Although, in its natural sense, this term is applied to the footway trodden, it strictly relates to the action of going the journey, being derived from the verb, to tread. From thence arises the use of the term as equivalent to manner or method. As the truth or falsity in the understanding directs the way in which the will acts, this term corresponds to that truth or falsity. " Teach me Your way, O Jehovah, and lead me in a plain path, because of my enemies" (Psalm 27:11). To go, signifies to advance in the life of good or evil. To go and to walk are the same. Thus we speak of going through life, or " walking circumspectly," when we refer to the manner of taking our course through life. So in Psalm 26:11, "I will walk in my integrity." A man in his ways will they go, therefore, denotes that the rational faculty being immersed in falsity in the understanding, the Church goes on to the evil of life.

The confirmed state of falsity thence resulting, is suggested in the final clause—nor will they change their paths. The simple meaning of to change, in its natural sense, is to accept, and its causative meaning is to cause to accept. These two powers of the same word are very well illustrated in Deuter 15:6, " You shall not cause many nations to accept, and you shall not accept." In several translations this passage conveys the idea of lending and borrowing. The form of the verb used in the present verse unites the two ideas and is therefore rendered change. The spiritual signification is thus well illustrated. To accept spiritual truth is to respond to the truth communicated. The commandment cited above, therefore, signifies that while the children of Israel would not cause many nations to respond to the truths they could communicate, the Israelites were by no means to respond to the falsities the nations would communicate. Paths correspond to the special precepts or forms of truth or falsity. Thus, in its good sense, in Psalm 16:11, " You will show me the path of life." Again, in Psalm 25:4, 10, " Teach me Your paths.... All the paths of Jehovah are mercy and truth to such as keep His covenant and His testimonies." The paths of the wicked are the fixed lives of falsity in which they allow themselves to walk. That they will not change their paths, denotes that they will not respond to the precepts of life by giving up their own false persuasions.

Internal Sense.—Prevailing by falsity the sensually-minded reason with evil assiduity; the insanities of hell assaulting the truth come forth to defend evil and to overcome the teaching of the Word: the rational faculty being immersed in falsity, they go on to the evil of life, nor will they respond to the precepts of life by putting away the falsity.

references.—AC 5135; AE 783, 1135.

consistency of evil.

8. Nor will they drive back a man his brother!— They will go, each individual, in his highway! And should they fall by the missile, will they not gain?

The suggestion of the former verse is here more particularly stated. Many attempts have been made to impede the progress of a swarm of locusts. They have all failed. The invaders march straight forward; one neither leaving his own appointed away nor compelling his neighbour to do so.

Weapons projected against them may slay a few, but such is-their multitude that they lose no ground by that. They march over their own dead, and go straight on with their devastation. Neither ramparts nor arms retard them.

Without being paradoxical, it may be said that there is a certain consistency in the ways of falsehood. Falsity is a blood-relative to evil, just as truth is to goodness: it conspires to reach the same end as evil—nor will the one help to overcome the other. This is the truth darkly taught in the first clause of the above verse—nor will they drive back a man his brother. Under the preceding verse it was pointed out, that man signifies the falsified rational faculty. The Scriptures often employ the phrase, a man his brother, in the sense of "one another." Grammarians tell us that this is an idiom; but there is more involved in the phrase than this explanation suggests. The terms are spiritually appointed. There are other forms of speech to convey the natural idea of "one another." Brother, signifies the state of good or evil which is. the proper correlative of the truth or falsity predicated by man. Thus, in its good sense, Abel, as the charity properly related to Cain as faith, is called his brother. But let it be noted, that Cain is never called the brother of Abel (Genesis iv.). This kinship is illustrated in several passages of the Word.. Thus in Isaiah 9:19, "They shall not spare a man his brother"; or in the same prophet, Isa 19:2, " and they shall fight a man his brother, and a man his fellow." It is the good affection of charity that makes brotherhood in the Lord's. Church, and for this reason, brother, signifies that affection. The members of the Christian Church were reminded of the duties of neighbourly love by the words, "all you are brethren" (Matt 23:8). A man his brother, therefore, in the bad sense, denotes the perverted rational principle and its related evil. To drive back, signifies to seek to dissuade or subjugate. Thus in Judges 2:18 (where the Common Version reads, "vexed ")— "for it repented Jehovah because of their groanings, by reason of them that oppressed them and drove them back." Here the reference is to the insidious nature of those evils and falsities which dissuade us from the truth. Hence it is manifest that the teaching of the opening clause of the verse is, that they in the sensual falsity of idolatry will not dissuade or avert the perverted reason from evil, but rather encourage it.

The previous verse contained the term, to go, and it was shown to signify the advance in evil life. A word must be said here concerning the term each individual, for this is the rendering of one Hebrew word. It is another of the Hebrew words for " man"; but is applied only in the sense of a grown man, or adult—a man self-contained and of set character. We may regard it, then, as describing, in its natural meaning, a man of formed character, and for this reason it is translated as above. Some prefer to use " strongman," or " adult-man." Its meanings, both natural and spiritual, are well illustrated in Psalm 37:23, " The steps of an individual (or grown man) are established by Jehovah." The term signifies one in a confirmed state as to the truths of faith. So in Exodus 10:11, " Go now you that are individuals, and serve Jehovah." That, in its opposite sense, the term describes, as in the present case, a state of confirmed and fortified falsity, need not be explained. The word, highway, means literally a way prepared and ordered—made level by embankment, and therefore a way fortified and arranged. "Cast up the highways "(Isaiah 62:10). It signifies, spiritually, in its bad sense, falsity disposed according to self, or the order of hell. " Robbery and destruction are in their highways" (Isaiah 59:7). Hence this clause denotes, that the conduct of those in a confirmed state of falsity will be according to the falsity disposed by self. How easily will a confirmed error in thought supply the reason for a course of wrong-doing!

Nothing can surpass the ardour with which this class of men seek to win others over to their side. Though they could be shown by known facts to be wrong, they are nothing daunted—they remove the field of investigation to that of " mystery," and claim belief upon the ground of authority— or, that faith is higher than reason, and its subjects should not be understood. They proselytise even at the cost of their own spiritual death. That to fall denotes to perish spiritually needs no further comment. It is plain to everyone. The term, missile, means literally something sent or thrown, such as a dart or javelin: spiritually, it signifies a combative form of knowledge going forth to teach. Thus in Job 36:12, " they shall perish by the missile, and they shall die through lack of knowledge." The truths of God are those " waters of Shiloah that go softly" (Isaiah 8:6), and are for the healing of the infirm, which also are "by interpretation, Sent" (John 9:7). Shiloah is derived from the same word as missile. Sent, as truth in all its degrees and forms is, even as the Incarnate Word was sent by the Father, for our enlightenment and instruction in the ways of goodness, yet, when not so used it becomes a means of condemnation. He falls most who, having the light of truth, acts contrary to its directions. " Now you say, we see: therefore your sin remains" (John 9:41). To fall by the missile, denotes to perish spiritually by means of the combative known facts taught by the Word of the Lord. To gain, appears to signify to proselytise by persuasion, with also a desire for meritorious reward. To gain, only conveys the natural sense of the original partially. The word is used in the sense of grasping, or gaining eagerly —of snatching something from its former owner or its lawful ties. " Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves tearing prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to gain profit" (Ezek 22:27). " Woe to him that gains an evil profit for his house, that he may set his nest on high" (Hab 2:9). There are those who make a virtue of opposing the truth, though it costs them the spiritual life which they vainly think they have merited—will they not gain? But such falsity as that indicated in this prophet, as having made its hold on the Church, is not to be withstood and thrust back, because here and there the shafts of external truth lay a few low; it is so insidious that it gains upon the Church notwithstanding. They will " compass sea and land to make one proselyte" (Matt. 23:15).

Internal Sense.—The sensualities of the Church will not avert the perverted reason from evil: they will advance confirmed falsity of faith in conjunction with the infernal ways. of evil, and should they perish by means of the combative forms of truth as taught, they yet persuade and proselytise.

reference.—AE 746.

perversion of the letter.

9. In the City they will seek eagerly; in the rampart will they run: in the houses they will ascend; by the windows they will come in, as the thief.

The locusts have now entered the City itself. The city referred to is Jerusalem: all the writers of Judah speak in this way of their capital, for in it stood the Temple of the Lord. Jerusalem, then, is under the ravages of these desolating creatures. Every vegetable substance they are eager to devour: they still scale the rampart, or pour in through its breaches: they invade the houses, and every chamber of them.. The windows, when the doors are closed, being at most only of lattice work, present no serious obstacle. They will come in by the window, like a thief. For they have come to despoil.

The idea with which the previous verse concluded is taken up in this. The invasion of the City brings us to the last state of the Church as to the effect which this inroad of heathenism has upon its doctrine. For when the citadel is taken the end has come. The City corresponds to the system of doctrine as the faith of the Church. Hence the Church in its upright state is called " a city of righteousness" (Isaiah 1:26). Or, in Psalm 122:3: "Jerusalem is built as a city that is united." So the Lord said of the first elements of the Christian Church "You are the light of the world: it is impossible for a city lying on the top of a mountain to be hid" (Matt 5:14). The locusts being in the city, denotes that the sensual falsities are conjoined with the doctrine of the Church—or, in other words, that the doctrines of the Church are sensualised. The signification of to seek eagerly whatever is edible, is not much removed from its literal meaning. In its good sense, the word signifies to desire ardently the knowledge of the truths of faith. A similar desire for the knowledge of the truth is implied in the words of the Lord, "You shall seek Me and shall not find Me" (John 7:34). In Psalm 107:9 the word is well illustrated: "For He satisfies a soul seeking eagerly, and fills a hungry soul with goodness." That is, the soul ardently desiring the truth the Lord satisfies, and the soul needing good is filled. Again in Isaiah 29:8: "When the thirsty man dreams, and, behold, he drinks; but he awakes, and, behold, he is faint and his soul seeks eagerly." Fantasies do not satisfy the soul earnestly seeking the truth. The same eager desire, or infatuation, is, in the present case, attributed to those in falsity—they conjoin themselves to the doctrine of the Church, not for truth's sake, but by the ardour of their self-intelligence, to destroy the genuine truth. Thus the Church sensualised is the Church despoiled of its true doctrine.

It was shown under verse 7, that the rampart corresponds to the truths of doctrine from the literal sense of the Word which defend the Church. Indeed the word is derived from to surround or guard. In its opposite sense, it was also stated to signify, essential falsity—that is, the doctrine just spoken of, falsified. In the rampart, therefore, denotes that the sensual falsities represented by the locusts are conjoined to the falsified doctrines, which as true doctrine should have defended the Church. The defences of the Church being sensualised, it cannot be a matter of surprise that the doctrines of the Church should be degraded and brought down to the lowest level of heathen falsity. The worst form of materialism is that which reduces spiritual truths and laws to the test and dominion of the natural senses. To run, as shown under 2:4, signifies to reason with evil avidity. In the rampart they will run, therefore, bespeaks the evil avidity with which those in sensual falsity will reason to destroy the truths of the Church.

But such spiritual contagions do not rest in the realm of doctrine; they push their ravages further than the understanding: they contaminate the good of life. The house corresponds to the will and the good that it contains, as already shown under i. g. In the houses, therefore, signifies that the sensual falsities conjoined themselves with the goods of the Church, or converted them into evil, and so destroyed them as good. Under 1:6, it was explained that to ascend, denotes to influence a higher from a lower state. When falsity ascends into, or influences good, then that good is perverted to evil. A like perversion of goods of life gathered in the will is the subject of Exodus 10:4, 6: "I will bring the locusts within your borders... and your houses shall be full, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all Egypt."

Just as the will is despoiled of good, so is the intellect robbed of truth. The sensual infestations steal in by means of the intellect to deprive the men of the Church of all inward spiritual life. " The thief comes not, save that he may steal and kill and destroy" (John 10:10). The window corresponds to the intellectual part of the mind through which the rational light of truth is admitted to illuminate the " house"; but anything except such light entering in by the window, " the same is a thief and a robber." So in the Temple built by Solomon, "for the House he made windows of latticed lights" (1 Kings 6:4). To come in, as shown under 1:13, signifies, in its bad sense, to introduce falsity into good for the purpose of conjoining them. If this be compared with the signification of to ascend, as above, the reason why higher and interior or upward and inward motion bear the same signification will be illustrated. By the windows they will come in, signifies that the sensual falsities introduce themselves by means of the intellectual part of the mind so as to be conjoined to the good of the will. As stated above, this must result in the perversion of good to evil. The thief, denotes that which takes away good and truth through falsity from evil. In Hosea 7:1, "They commit falsehood: and the thief comes in, the troop of robbers spoils without." The Divine law against taking away good and truth by means of falsity from evil, is, " You shall not steal." Falsity creeps with thievish intent into the minds of many by the way of light—an insidious foe in the seeming of a friend: "Satan transformed into an angel of light" (2 Cor 11:14).

It may be remarked, that in this last term, the thief, in its spiritual sense, there is enfolded briefly the full story of the prophecy thus far treated of. The Church is now represented as robbed of every good and true principle, and that by means of the falsity from evil indicated by the invading enemy to the worship of the Lord. When the present chapter began the Lord's coming at the end of the Jewish Church was foretold, the object being to warn the Church of its own state and destruction. Its state has since been described, as to what it will be as the issue of its idolatry when the Lord does come—"when the false and evil from the sensual will have destroyed the whole Church." Into what pitfalls of fallacy and falsity it will stumble have been described in detail— especially in verses 4—9. Swedenborg gives the internal sense of these verses briefly thus, " that the falsity of evil through all kinds of insanities will destroy all things of the Church.'' This is, in brief, what has been stated in detail above.

Internal Sense—Sensual falsities, conjoined to the doctrine of the Church, pervert the truth; conjoined to the falsified teachings of the letter of the Word, they enter assiduously into reasonings to destroy the truth of the Word; conjoined to the goods of the will, good is perverted to evil; by means of the intellectual part of the Church they introduce falsity to good, and so take away all good and truth.

references.—AC 3391, 5135, 8906; AE 193; AR 164, 898; TCR 318.

dissipation of life.

10. Before him [the] earth was agitated, [the] heavens quaked: sun and moon were black, and stars gathered in their shining.

For the time the image of the locusts is forsaken, and that of the eclipse is taken up—the most powerful representation in nature of the present state of the Church. Speaking of the natural sense, the prophet would seem to have projected himself so far into the future, that he describes the final state of the Church as an event of the past. Spiritually regarded, these "past tenses" have their import. They relate to the real beginnings of the mischief, which only come to the surface when the final end has come. Here, then, in one grand summary the state of the external Church, as it will be at the Lord's Coming, is described. The description is fully illustrated in the accomplished prophecy when the Lord came and judged the Jewish dispensation. In similar terms the Lord foretold the end of the Church He raised up at His first advent. " Immediately after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give her brightness, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken" (Matt 24:29).

It was pointed out under verse 3 of this chapter, that before him signifies the interior or prior states of the falsity of worship denoted by people. As by this falsity the Lord's coming is occasioned, which falsity is made manifest by the judgement, the phrase may be regarded as referring to that coming. The earth corresponds to the external Church, as explained 1:2. Again, it was shown under ii. I, that to be agitated signifies to be disturbed in mind during the conflict caused by perversion of spiritual life. Before him the earth was agitated, therefore, relates to the disturbed state, by perversion, of the external Church from the interior states of falsity from evil. But the external Church did not suffer alone by the perversion of all spiritual principles within it. So corrupt was it at the coming of the Lord that the heavens themselves were in peril of violence from hell. The Lord came to redeem men from this peril, and, by subduing hell, to restore the heavens to order, and thence, man to freedom and reason. Just as the earth corresponds to the external Church, or the Church on the earth, so the heavens correspond to the internal Church, or the Church in the heavens. In its literal sense, heavens is derived from " to be high," whence it means, the high, or, what is the same, the inner things or states. As the highest is the inmost spiritually, the correspondence of the heavens is manifest. So the Lord said, " the kingdom of God is within you" (Luke 17:21). Again, it should be observed that the word heavens is, in Hebrew, the dual form, and therefore means, the two heavens. The term corresponds to the internal Church as being the intellectual things of truth and the voluntary things of good, and these subsist essentially in the heavens. So in Psalm 11:4, " Jehovah's throne is in the heavens." Or again, Psalm 69:34, " Let the heavens and the earth praise Him." To quake, which is used naturally with a sense of moving, signifies to change, even to perversion, by falsification. Hence in Nahum 1:5," the mountains quake at Him"; or, in Jeremiah 4:24, " I saw the mountains, and, lo, they quaked, and all the hills moved lightly"; again, in Ezekiel 37:7, " There was a noise, and behold a quaking, and the bones approached, bone to its bone." That the heavens quaked, signifies that the internal Church—then in the heavens only—was disturbed by reason of the falsity in the world.

When the Lord is denied, as the Jewish Church is now described as doing, there are two great essentials of a Church destroyed—the two great luminaries are darkened. These are love to the Lord and faith in Him. It seems that the word sun is related to the verb, "to minister." The sun, like the principle of celestial love, or love from the Lord to Him, to which it corresponds, is that which most of all ministers. The Lord Himself, who as "the Sun of righteousness" is Love, "came not to be ministered to, but to minister." The moon, whose duty is not the universal duty of the sun, but that of serving the earth only, and whose light is borrowed from the sun, reflecting not its heat, corresponds to faith from the Lord and in the Lord: for while faith reflects the light of love, it does not give its warmth. But, because love to the Lord and faith in Him, the two primary essentials of a Church, should ever be accorded Him and glorify Him, it is said, "Praise you Him, sun and moon "—not neglecting the lesser lights of knowledge—"Praise Him, all you stars of light" (Psalm 148:3). When, however, these primary principles of the Church are destroyed, it is said, " the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not cause her light to shine" (Isaiah 13:10). To be black, signifies to be shut out by evil and falsity—hence, in the present case, that the love of the Lord and faith in Him were shut out by evil and falsity. There is then no acknowledgement of the Lord—a state preeminently exhibited by the Jews at the Lord's coming. Thus in Jeremiah 4:28, "the heavens above were black." Again in Micah 3:6, " the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be black over them."

Just as there is no love to the Lord and no faith in Him, so is there no knowledge of good and truth obtained from the Word. The stars correspond to the knowledge of what is good and true drawn from the Word of God. In all states wherein there is anything of spiritual life remaining, the Lord provides that man shall be led by some principle of Wisdom, "the sun to rule by day... the moon and stars to rule by night; for His mercy endures for ever" (Psalm 136:8, 9). Yet there are those whose falsity would cause them to lift themselves above the knowledge of the Word; " I will exalt my throne above the stars of God" (Isaiah 14:13). To gather in, as shown under 1:14, signifies to implant truth in the mind, or turn inwardly. The shining of the stars is the illumination of the truths proceeding from the Lord's goodness. It is the light of love and faith reflected and proceeding from the knowledge of the Word. So in Isaiah 60:3, referring to " the Light of the world "—"And the nations shall walk by Your Light, and kings by the shining of Your rising." To gather in this shining, denotes that the knowledge of the Word illuminated the heavenly Church, but not the external.

Internal Sense.—By interior falsity from evil the external Church was perverted, and the internal Church was disturbed by reason of that falsity: love to the Lord and faith in Him were shut out by evil and falsity from the external, and the knowledge of good and truth from the Lord imparted no illumination thereto.

references.— AC 31, 1056, 1808, 2441, 2495, 3355, 7573, 8906; AE 72, 372, 400, 401, 526; AR 51, 53, 312, 331, 413; TCR 198; H.H. 119; SS 14; L.J. 3; B.E. 78.

the power of truth.

11. And JEHOVAH caused His voice to be received before His force: for His camp is exceedingly abundant; because it is mighty by doing His word. For the Day of jehovah is great and exceedingly feared—and who shall survive it?

The prophet here reverts to the subject of the Lord's descent, at the same time as he keeps in view the figure of the army to which the locusts were likened. However, the army now spoken of is the Lord's army, who, when the enemies have descended upon and ravaged the very heart of the Church, led by the Lord of hosts, will execute His word upon them. The teaching of this verse is, then, that Jehovah in His coming would combat the disorderly and infernal influences formerly described, and so reduce all things to true order. This introduces the matter of the Lord's combats with the hells. As noted before, and marks a change in the narrative; but it seems to have also especial reference to the celestial. Jehovah, as stated under 1:1, is the title by which the Lord is spoken of in relation to His unchangeable and essential Love. Let it be mentioned here, that this name undergoes no inflectional change in the Hebrew Bible. If it is necessary that the relation of some other term to it should be indicated by grammatical inflection, then it is the other term which has to bear the inflection: this Name never does. It is the indicator of the unchangeable Divine Love. The Voice of Jehovah is, as may be seen under 2:5, the enunciated Divine Truth from the Divine Love. The term usually translated, " to give," is here translated, to cause to be received. The reason is, that " to give" does not express the meaning in every place where the word is used in the Scriptures; and as uniformity in this respect has been kept in view in the present translation, the above is employed instead of the shorter form. In the present case, the sense also seems to be the better conveyed. To cause to be received, signifies to appropriate to the external by influx: for what is given by influx is appropriated to the relatively external. Thus in Psalm 29:11: " Jehovah will cause His people to receive strength." As explained under verse 3 of this chapter, before indicates the interior states. Jehovah's force, signifies those truths from good which are effective as ministering to the Lord's will. The angels of heaven, as being those in the truths just mentioned, are the Lord's forces. It should be noticed that this word is, in the Hebrew tongue, as in the English, not only used in the sense of strength or power, but is applied to an army. Thus in Zechariah 4:6: " This is the word of Jehovah to Zerubbabel, saying, Not by force, nor by strength, but by My spirit, says Jehovah of hosts." So in Psalm 18:32: " God that girds me with force, also makes my way perfect." Jehovah caused His voice to be received before His face, therefore, denotes that the Lord from His Divine Love by influx into the interiors of the angels of heaven appropriated Divine Truth to them. As suggested above, in order that the Lord should accomplish the work of reducing the powers of darkness to order, and thereby restore man to freedom, it was necessary that His advent into the world should be preceded by preparation of the heavens by means of strength from Divine Truth: that the whole heavens might co-operate with the Lord in redeeming mankind and subduing hell.

Heaven, as the orderly disposal of those in the life of truth and goodness, is denoted by the Lord's camp. Thus the Israelites, as representing the heavenly principles so ordered, are called " the camp of Israel" (Exodus 14:19). Again, when Jacob saw the angels of God, he said, " This is God's camp: and he called the name of that place, The Two Camps" (Genesis 32:2). Again, " Jehovah your God walks in the midst of your camp" (Deut 23:14). Abundant, as stated under 2:2, signifies the prevalence of truths, and exceedingly abundant, seems to denote the infinite increase of truth. For His camp is exceedingly abundant, therefore, appears to state the effect in heaven of the inflow of Divine truths into the interiors of the angels. The Lord caused His Truth to be appropriated to the interiors of the angels, whence His heaven was infinitely increased in truth. This, it may also be remarked, involves the Lord's personal descent through the heavens in the course of His assumption of a humanity in the world. Before the incarnation, the Lord filled an angel with His presence whenever He appeared to men. At such times also " Jehovah caused His voice to be received before His face," for the Divine truth was appropriated to the interiors of the angel. But at His Coming the whole heavens were put in order, and made to co-operate with the Lord by the reception of His truth. Truth is not derived from the angels, and heaven has nothing of its own; all is from the Lord: for it is mighty by doing His word. The power of heaven consists in its obedience to the Divine will and wisdom. Moreover, the camp of the Lord is only efficacious in ministering to man inasmuch as it acts by Divine command, and is ordered by Divine will. It was shown under 1:6, that mighty relates to the state of truth from good, or, in other words, the power which is by truth from good. To do, signifies to produce a change, or accomplish something from the will. Thus we learn that angelic might consists in ministering according to the Divine from the angelic will. The Lord's Word, as shown under 1:1, is the Divine Truth in its regulating and disposing character.

The Day of Jehovah, as may be seen under 1:5, denotes His advent and judgement As just explained, by His advent the Lord fills the heavens with His Truth; but the Truth which strengthens and rejoices heavenly spirits, terrifies and confounds infernal ones. By this they are divided and disposed to their proper abodes. Even angels are stricken with awe by its exceedingly marvelous nature—they cannot but know the difference between its holy nature and their own selfhood. For this reason, the Day of Jehovah is said to be great and feared exceedingly. The first term, great, signifies the power of good derived from truth. Feared, as may be seen from its natural sense, relates to the distress induced by the reception of truth when there is any contrary state in the mind. The feeling which causes us to turn in reverence from the temptation to do evil is represented by fear. Evil spirits also fear goodness, because it is not congenial; and Swedenborg tells us, that if truth and goodness were permitted to enter evil spirits, they would directly begin to tremble from fear. Because this fear marks the first stages of the regenerate life, it is said, "the fear of Jehovah is the beginning of wisdom" (Psalm 111:10). Exceedingly, as stated above, denotes the Immense increase of reverence resulting from the Lord's advent.

The question—who shall survive it? has reference to the exploration of the interior states of the Church by the influx of good and truth made at the judgement. As formerly stated, interrogations in the Word signify an examination, and generally imply a negative answer. To survive, signifies being supported by continual inflow of good and truth. It should be observed, that the simple forms of this verb are used in the sense of sustaining or nourishing. As in Genesis xlv. II, "And there I will nourish you." The Lord continually sustains all—both good and evil—it is true, and that is taught by this passage; but it also teaches that the evil and false do not receive sustenance from truth as it is—they pervert it, and that continually.

Internal Sense.—The Lord from Divine Love appropriated Divine truths to the interiors of the angels by influx, whence His heaven was infinitely increased in truth and its power: for the power of truth from good is in acting from the will according to the laws of the Lord. Hence the Lord's advent was efficacious in good and greatly feared by the evil. None could withstand His might.

references.—AC 3448, 4236, 7573, 9926, 9987; AE 261, 414, 573; AR 37, 447, 704, 862; TCR 82, 689; Doct. L. 4, 14.

"THY WILL BE DONE."

12. And now also, is the declaration of JEHOVAH, return you even to Me, in all your heart: and in a fast, and in weeping, and in lamentation.

Turning from the prediction of the Lord's judgement, the prophet exhorts the people to repentance. Notwithstanding the future issues of the present condition of the Church, the Lord invites the people to turn completely from their evil and seek Him.

And now also, is a phrase apparently expressing the ever-present association and connection of Divine laws with human life. That is to say, the conformity of human life to Divine truth is an ever-present necessity. It is not that men should turn to the Lord only when evil is manifest and brought clearly before the mind by its consequences, men should turn to the Lord always: it is the only means of true life. The end of the Church is coming, yet even so the imperative necessity of life is that man should turn to the Giver of every good and perfect gift. By this means alone were the Jewish people preserved in any semblance of life.

It is worthy of remark, that the term, to declare, is especially used of an utterance made in a low, moderated, and decidedly measured voice. It is, therefore, a word especially chosen to imply the whole conception of revelation, by which inner Divine truths are veiled or adapted to the apprehension of men. At the same time, the term denotes the affirmation of Divine truth such as that made by a revelation from God. This may be seen from its frequent use in the prophets, where it so often appears in the English Bible as, "says the Lord." See Isaiah 50:24, 3:15, etc. It is the declaration of Jehovah, denotes, therefore, the affirmation of Divine truth by the Lord.

To return, signifies to respond in order that conjunction may result. So in Psalm 51:13, "Then will I teach transgressors Your way: and sinners shall return to You." Again, " Let the wicked forsake his way, and the man of iniquity his thoughts: and let him return to Jehovah, and He will have mercy upon him; and to our God, and He will increase pardon" (