The Parable of the Unjust Steward

1. And He said also to His disciples, There was a certain rich man, who had a steward, and this [man] was accused to him that he was wasting his belongings.

2. And he called him and said to him, What [is] this that I hear of thee? Render an account of thy stewardship, for thou canst not be steward any longer.

3. And the steward said in himself, What shall I do? For my lord takes away from me the stewardship; I have not the strength to dig; to beg I am ashamed.

4. I know what I will do, that when I am removed from the stewardship, they may receive me into their houses.

5. So he called for every one of his lord’s debtors, and said to the first, How much owest thou to my lord?

6. And he said, a hundred baths of oil. And he said to him, Accept thy bill, and sit down quickly and write fifty.

7. Afterwards he said to another, And how much owest thou? And he said, a hundred cors of wheat. And he said to him, Accept thy bill, and write eighty.

8. And the lord praised the unjust steward, because he had done prudently; for the sons of this age are in their generation more prudent above the sons of light.

9. And I say to you, Make friends for yourselves of the mammon of injustice, that when you fail, they may receive you into eternal tabernacles.

10. He that is faithful in that which is least is faithful also in much; and he that is unjust in the least is unjust also in much.

11. If then you have not been faithful in the unjust mammon, who shall entrust you with the true?

12. And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who shall give you that which is yours?

13. No house-servant can serve two lords, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.

The previous parables about the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son were given in response to a criticism made by the scribes and Pharisees. They complained that Jesus “accepts sinners and eats with them” (Luke 14:35). In response, Jesus gave three parables. Each time, Jesus was indirectly teaching the scribes and Pharisees that God’s mercy extends to all people, even to sinners.

As Jesus puts it at the end of the parable about the lost sheep, “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). The next parable, which is about the joy of finding a lost coin, repeats this theme. In the final verse of that parable, Jesus says, “There is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repents” (Luke 15:10). And at the conclusion of the parable about the lost son, Jesus describes the father as saying, “We ought to be merry and rejoice, because your brother was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found (Luke 15:32). Each time, there is joy in heaven, and in a father’s heart, when someone or something that has been lost is found.

In the deepest sense, what has been “lost” is some aspect of our spiritual life. The parable of the lost sheep is about the loss of innocence; the parable of the lost coin is about the loss of some essential truth; and the parable about the lost son is about the loss of our relationship with our heavenly Father. After giving these three parables, Jesus now turns his attention to a parable about a steward who did a poor job of managing his wealthy employer’s possessions. As a result, he lost his job. This, then, is another parable about loss. In the literal sense, it is indeed about the loss of employment. The spiritual sense, however, is about something much deeper. It’s about losing the illusion that we are sufficient unto ourselves and, in exchange, finding out how greatly we are indebted to God.

The case of the wasteful business manager

In biblical times, a wealthy man would often hire a steward to manage his business affairs. For example, a rich landowner might allow farmers to plant produce on his land, gather the harvest, and sell it for a profit. Although these farmers did not own the land, they were allowed to use it. In return, the farmers would repay the owner by returning a portion of the profits to the landowner. Because they “shared” the profit from the “crops,” these tenant farmers were called “sharecroppers.” It was the job of the landowner’s business manager, called his “steward,” to collect from the sharecroppers the landlord’s share of the profits.

As Jesus tells the parable to His disciples, he begins with the words, “There was a certain rich man who had a steward” (Luke 16:1). In the spiritual sense, the “rich man” is God, and each of us is the steward. As God’s steward, we are charged with the responsibility of wisely managing the resources that have been entrusted to us. In the parable, however, the steward has not done his job well. Therefore, the landowner says to him, “What is this that I hear about you? Render an account of your stewardship because you can no longer be steward” (Luke 16:2).

The phrase, “Render an account,” suggests that it’s time for the steward to open the books and show his employer exactly how the landowner’s resources have been managed. In other words, it’s time to be accountable. Similarly, there comes a time in each of our lives when we need to “open the books,” so to speak, and carefully examine how we have managed the resources that God has made available to us. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?” (Psalms 116:12).

This kind of self-examination is contained within the next verse of the parable. When the business manager finds out that he can no longer serve as steward, he says within himself, “What shall I do? For my master is taking the stewardship away from me. I have not the strength to dig; I am ashamed to beg” (Luke 16:3). In the spiritual sense, not having “the strength to dig” suggests an inability to search for the truth. Even in common speech, people often say “Let’s really dig into this subject” or “Let’s dig deeper into this.” It is another way of saying, “Let’s explore this topic,” and “Let’s try to understand it as deeply as possible.” Just as miners dig into the earth to find the precious treasures that are buried there, we are invited to dig into the Word to discover the precious truths that are contained within its deeper meaning. All of this is to suggest that not being able to dig, when seen in the light of spiritual truth, means, “I confess that I am weak. Without the Lord’s help, I cannot understand His Word. Or, as the steward puts, it “I have not the strength to dig.” ¹

This leads to the second part of the steward’s realization. He says, I am ashamed to beg” (Luke 16:3). Seen spiritually, the phrase “ashamed to beg” suggests a second confession. There are times when we not only confess that we cannot understand scripture without the Lord’s aid, but we also confess that we are “ashamed to beg”—that is, we confess that we have been too proud to ask for the Lord’s help. Arrogant self-confidence, smug self-esteem, and vain self-assurance have made us incapable of humbling ourselves before the Lord, begging for His assistance. Until now, we have mistakenly believed that it would be shameful to do this and that it would somehow be beneath us because we are sufficient unto ourselves. But this is a turning point in our regeneration. And so, the steward makes an important confession, saying, “I am ashamed to beg.” ²

Lacking the strength to dig and ashamed to beg, the steward comes up with a plan to support himself when he has lost his job. He will go to all his master’s debtors and collect their debts. But instead of making them repay the full debt, he will substantially reduce the debt. For example, a debtor who owes one hundred measures of oil will only have to repay fifty measures; a debtor who owes one hundred measures of wheat will only have to repay eighty measures. In receiving this substantial discount, the debtors might feel indebted to the steward. Perhaps they will even invite him to stay with them after he loses his job. As the steward puts it, “When I am removed from my stewardship, they will receive me into their houses” (Luke 16:4).

It is noteworthy that the steward comes up with this plan after he has lost his position with the landowner. There are times in our own lives, times of anxiety, sickness, or desperate need, when we, too, begin to think in new ways and come up with new plans. At such times, we may even reconsider our relationship with the Lord. We may remember that we have drifted very far from God and have “mismanaged” our God-given resources. The steward’s plan, then, to recoup a portion of the debts, is seen as commendable in the eyes of the landowner. As it is written, “ “So the lord praised the unjust steward because he had done prudently” (Luke 16:8).

The steward’s decision to collect a portion of the unpaid debts represents each of us whenever we have begun to acknowledge our indebtedness to God. This is especially true at those times when we have experienced some great loss. Whether it’s the loss of health, or a relationship, or a job, this experience can awaken us, even in some small way, to our need for God, and our indebtedness to Him. ³

The significance of one hundred measures

It might be reasonably asked why the landowner was pleased with the steward’s plan. After all, the steward was not collecting the full debt, and he was selfishly thinking about how he might provide for himself after he lost his job. In this regard, this parable has always been known as “the parable of the unjust steward.” But the landowner does not call the steward “unjust.” In fact, the landowner commends the steward for acting prudently.

A study of the internal meaning of this parable helps to understand this difficulty. It will be remembered that of all the debts that were mentioned, only two are described. These debts are “one hundred measures of oil” and “one hundred measures of wheat.” Both oil and wheat are spiritual terms that refer to spiritual qualities.

The first debt is “one hundred measures of oil.” In biblical times, olive oil was used for healing, for nutrition, for the lighting of lamps, even for the anointing of priests and kings. Because of its smoothness, warmth, and ability to reduce friction, oil represents every loving emotion that comes from God and fills our hearts. As it is written in the twenty-third psalm, “You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (Psalms 23:5). Also, in the parable of the Good Samaritan, the wounded man was healed when the Samaritan poured on “oil and wine” (Luke 10:34). ⁴

The second debt is, “one hundred measures of wheat.” This, too, is a symbolic expression, representing all the wisdom which comes from love and fills our minds. In biblical times, wheat was considered the most important of all the grains. Whenever it is mentioned in the Bible, it always comes first. For example, in the Hebrew scriptures, Ezekiel is commanded to take “Wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet, and spelt” with him as nourishment (Ezekiel 4:9). And when the harvest of the field was destroyed, the farmers were told to grieve first for the loss of wheat. As it is written, “Despair, you farmers, wail, you vine growers; grieve for the wheat and the barley, because the harvest of the field is destroyed” (Joel 1:11). In the agricultural world, it is well known that wheat production requires good, fertile soil. This “fertile soil” corresponds to our willingness to learn and be instructed by the Lord, especially in our youth. In this regard, the words that Jesus speaks are like grains of wheat which can be received by us when we humbly desire to be instructed by Him. ⁵

In both cases, the debt that must be repaid is “one hundred measures.” As we pointed out in the explanation of the parable about “one hundred sheep,” the number “one hundred” stands for every blessing that has come to us from the Lord, especially those blessings that have been stored up in us since early childhood. These include every tender moment when we received love from caregivers, or enjoyed the friendship of playing with our companions, or delighted in some simple truth from the Lord’s Word. These blessings are deeply stored up within us and remain with us for our entire life. In sacred scripture, these “remains” of goodness and truth are represented by the numbers “ten” and “one hundred” because these numbers represent what is full and complete. ⁶

With this in mind, we can take a deeper look at the debts that are mentioned. The one hundred measures of oil represent everything related to love and affection that the Lord has stored up within us. And the one hundred measures of wheat represent every form of truth through which that love can be expressed. These gifts of love and wisdom, which we have continuously received from early childhood right up until this present moment, are enough to get us started in our regeneration. They are, so to speak, the foundation for receiving the goodness and truth that will continue to flow in from the Lord for the rest of our lives.

It is, of course, impossible to fully repay the Lord for what He has done for us. In that regard, we are all debtors with an insurmountable debt to repay. Nor does the Lord expect us to fully repay the debt. Instead, He simply desires that we will eventually acknowledge that all the goodness and truth that we have is from the Lord alone, and nothing from ourselves. And He desires this not for His sake, but for ours. This is because it is only in states of genuine humility, when we acknowledge that we have no goodness, no truth, and no power from ourselves, that love, wisdom, and the power for useful service can flow in from the Lord. ⁷

One of the central lessons of this parable, then, is that although we can never fully repay the Lord for all He has done for us, we can at least acknowledge that the goodness and truth that we have received are from Him. In the beginning of our regeneration, this is not always clear to us. It may seem that the good feelings we feel toward others, the true thoughts we think, and the useful actions we perform are from us, rather from the Lord through us. In the parable, the steward collects fifty measures of oil (rather than one hundred) and eighty measures of wheat (rather than one hundred). In the spiritual sense, this indicates that we have made a good start, but still have a long way to go before we can fully acknowledge our complete debt to the Lord—a debt of “one hundred measures” of goodness (oil) and “one hundred measures of truth” (wheat).

The sons of this age

Jesus then adds an important comment about the steward’s plan. He says, “The sons of this age are in their generation more prudent than the sons of light” (Luke 16:8). Jesus is speaking about the importance of using human prudence in the affairs of natural life. He uses the phrase “the sons of this age” to refer to the natural world and the business matters that pertain to daily life. And he uses the phrase, “the sons of light,” to refer to the spiritual world and the spiritual matters that pertain to the decisions we make in the light of God’s Word. It is important to keep clearly in mind the distinction between both worlds. ⁸

Sadly, when it comes to the pursuit of material goals, we are sometimes more ambitious, more tenacious, and more determined than we are about accomplishing spiritual goals. When we work long hours at our jobs and devote an enormous amount of energy to worldly ventures, hoping for the enhancement of our reputation or financial gain. we are “sons of this age.” That same energy and devotion could be used to become “sons of light,” but this does not take place immediately. It takes time. Devotion to worldly ambitions comes first, and it is not wrong to pursue worldly goals initially. In the beginning of our regeneration, worldly ambitions—apart from spiritual ones—will predominate. As Jesus puts it, “The sons of this age are in their generation more prudent than the sons of light.” He is referring to the effort that people exert to pursue material happiness, and the qualities that are necessary in that pursuit, qualities such as diligence, perseverance, and determination. As motivational speakers often say, “If you put your mind to it, are relentless, and do not give up, you can achieve your dreams.” This can be true; wealthy people often confess that it took tremendous dedication to amass their fortunes.

Jesus does not disparage this approach to life. Rather, He seems to encourage it, at least in part, for He says, “He who is faithful in what is least [worldly things] is faithful also in much [heavenly things]; and he who is unjust in what is least is also unjust in what is much” (Luke 16:10). Here Jesus is encouraging us to develop some of the essential skills that will eventually constitute our heavenly life: determination, dedication, devotion, and perseverance. And this must first take place through practicing them on worldly concerns. For example, if we have been lazy and careless about worldly responsibilities, what will prevent us from being lazy and careless about our spiritual responsibilities? If we have been afraid to take on challenges in areas of practical concern, how will we overcome spiritual challenges? Or, as Jesus puts it, “If you have not been faithful in the unrighteous mammon, who will commit to your trust the true riches?” (Luke 16:11).

The term “unrighteous mammon,” as it is used here, simply refers to the riches of the material world as compared to the true riches which are the blessings of heaven. Being faithful to the “unrighteous mammon” simply means doing ones job in life faithfully, sincerely, and diligently, even if it is only for material benefit. But the time comes when there will be a necessary conflict between our material ambitions and our spiritual values. We can’t go through life looking downwards towards the world with one eye and upwards towards heaven with the other eye. Either our material goals must predominate, or our spiritual aspirations must predominate. There comes a time when we must choose. As Jesus puts it, “No house-servant can serve two lords, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.” ⁹

A practical application

There is nothing wrong with having worldly ambitions—a decent home, nutritious food, reliable transportation, money for clothes and recreation. These things are not necessarily “unrighteous.” But when they become our chief delight and ruling love, they become what Jesus calls “the mammon of unrighteousness.” It is important, therefore, that we do not confuse the two levels of thought and practice. For example, if someone owes us ten thousand dollars, it’s not prudent to say, “Oh, just forget the debt, because the Bible says we should forgive our debtors.” This is mixing up the laws of the heavenly kingdom, where we are called to forgive one another our spiritual trespasses, with the laws of the natural kingdom where debts must be repaid for society to function effectively. ¹⁰

The Full Gospel

14. But the Pharisees also, being lovers of silver, heard all these things, and they derided Him.

15. And He said to them, you are they who justify themselves before men; but God knows your hearts, for what is high among men is an abomination before God.

16. The Law and the Prophets [were] until John; since then the gospel of the kingdom of God is announced, and everyone presses into it.

17. And it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away, than one little horn of the Law to fall.

18. Everyone who sends away his wife, and weds another, commits adultery; and everyone who weds her that is sent away from [her] husband commits adultery.

The parable about the prudent steward, as we have seen, is intended for the instruction of the disciples. On one level, it is a parable about being savvy, industrious, and prudent in one’s business dealings. But, more deeply, it’s also about keeping God first. The love of God must always be primary—not the love of money. It was for this reason that Jesus said, “You cannot serve God and mammon.” The term “mammon” is an Aramaic word for “money.” It also stands for riches, wealth, and material possessions. It has come to be associated with greed, lust, and covetous desire.

Although this lesson was intended primarily for the disciples, the Pharisees were also listening. And the reference to “mammon” or the love of money must have certainly aroused their ire. We read that “the Pharisees, who were lovers of money, also heard all these things, and they derided him” (Luke 16:14). Turning His attention now to the Pharisees, Jesus says, “You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed before men is an abomination in the sight of God” (Luke 16:15).

There is nothing wrong with money. It is a useful tool for conducting business transactions and keeping the economy running smoothly. Problems arise, however, when the love of money overwhelms ordinary business pursuits. When greed and covetousness enter the picture, misery ensues. Unfortunately, there is a tendency in each of us to pursue money for its own sake rather than for the good that we can do through it. Rather than be a helpful servant, helping us to conduct business, money becomes a cruel master. It is for this reason, when financial wealth is too highly esteemed, that Jesus says, “what is highly esteemed before men is an abomination in the sight of God.” ¹¹

This must have been confusing to the Pharisees. After all, it was their belief that God had rewarded them with positions of honor and wealth. According to their theology, if you were poor, God was punishing you for your sinfulness; if you were wealthy, God was rewarding you for your righteousness. In brief, the obedient prospered, and the disobedient perished. Money and social status were supposedly a clear indication that God had favored them. No wonder they were confused by Jesus’ bold statement that it was impossible to serve both God and mammon. In their mind, financial prosperity was inseparable from their idea of God.

For example, the Hebrew scriptures seem to be very clear about the connection between obedience to God and financial prosperity. As it is written, “Now it shall come to pass, if you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God to observe all His commandments, the Lord will set you high above all the nations of the earth … and the Lord will make you prosper abundantly, in the fruit of your body, in the increase of your livestock, and in the produce of your ground” (Deuteronomy 28:1, 11).

But Jesus came to correct this deeply entrenched fallacy and to show that the real idea of heaven was not about accruing wealth but rather about serving others. The Pharisees had not read deeply enough or understood broadly enough the full truth contained in the Hebrew scriptures. Their understanding was limited to the simple, selfish idea that God rewards the righteous with wealth and punishes the sinner with poverty. In their self-absorption they had not noticed or had deliberately glossed over the many passages where God repeatedly calls people to reach out and help the poor. As it is written, “Happy is he that has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord his God, Who made heaven and earth . . . who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry” (Psalms 146:5-7).

While it is possible to read the Hebrew scriptures in such a way that it appears to teach that the kingdom of God is exclusively for the chosen few, Jesus has a very different message. He declares that the kingdom of God is for everyone—not just for the rich and those who considered themselves to be righteous. As Jesus puts it, “The Law and the Prophets were until John. Since that time the kingdom of God has been preached, and everyone is pressing into it” (Luke 16:16).

Jesus is clear that He is not changing the law—not one iota. He is merely reading and interpreting it fully, without slanting it or twisting it or leaving anything out. It’s a full gospel in the truest sense—one which includes everything and everyone. Jesus omits nothing: As Jesus says, “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one tittle of the law to fail” (Luke 16:17).

As an illustration of how important it is to have a full understanding of the law, Jesus speaks about marriage, emphasizing its central importance in human life. He is aware that the Pharisees have invented many ways to get themselves out of the marriage covenant. For example, it is written in Deuteronomy that “a man may put away his wife if she does not find favor in his eyes” (Deuteronomy 24:1). In some cases, they took this to mean that if a man finds another woman to be more attractive than his wife, he is allowed to divorce her.

Knowing that this is how some of them interpreted the law, Jesus emphasizes the holiness of marriage, and the importance of commitment. He says to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery.” And he adds, “whoever marries her who is divorced from her husband commits adultery” (Luke 16:18). At a deeper level, Jesus is referring to the holiest marriage of all—our marriage to God. Referred to as the “heavenly marriage,” this describes our relationship with God in terms of a holy covenant. In this sacred covenant, we promise to remain faithful to the Lord alone, keeping Him first in our life. We refuse to admit anything into our hearts or minds that is not from God, just as a wife only receives seed from her husband. As the Lord puts it in the Hebrew scriptures, “Return to me, O backsliding people … for I am married to you” (Jeremiah 3:14).

This is an example of what it means to read and understand the Word of God in the fullest way, in the spirit that it is given, and apart from self-serving motives. It is to understand that when Jesus is speaking about “putting away one’s wife,” He is referring to the tendency to separate goodness from truth and when he speaks about “adultery,” He is speaking about adulterating pure motives with self-serving ones, thus destroying the heavenly marriage of goodness and truth. As we have mentioned, the Hebrew scriptures, when spiritually understood, are filled with beautiful teachings like this—teachings that awaken our humanity and call us to rise above self-interest. These teachings, which include the five books of Moses, the histories, the psalms, and the prophets are known by the inclusive phrase “the Law and the Prophets.” ¹²

It is to the Law and to the Prophets that Jesus will continue to turn, revealing their divinely filled spirit in parable after parable. He will demonstrate how the religious leaders of His day had a shallow, self-serving idea of the Hebrew scriptures. Because of this, they were mistaken about many things. They were mistaken about marriage; they were mistaken about poverty. And, as we shall see in the next parable, they were mistaken about riches. All of this is in keeping with one of the central themes of the Gospel According to Luke: the reformation of the understanding.

The Rich Man and Lazarus

19. And there was a certain rich man, and he wore crimson and fine linen, making merry splendidly every day.

20. And there was a certain pauper named Lazarus, who was laid at his gate with sores,

21. And longing to be satisfied from the crumbs which fell from the table of the rich [man]; but even the dogs came [and] licked his sores.

22. And it came to pass that the pauper died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham’s bosom; and the rich [man] also died, and was buried;

23. And in hell, lifting up his eyes, being in torments, he sees Abraham from far off, and Lazarus in his bosom.

24. And calling [out] he said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am grieved in this flame.

25. But Abraham said, Child, remember that thou didst receive thy good [things] in thy life, and likewise Lazarus evil [things]; but now he is comforted, but thou art grieved.

26. And besides all these things, between us and you a great gulf is fixed, so that they who will to pass from hence to you cannot, neither can they cross over from thence to us.

27. And he said, I beseech thee therefore, Father, that thou wouldest send him to my father’s house,

28. For I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come into this place of torment.

29. Abraham says to him, They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.

30. And he said, no, Father Abraham, but if someone from the dead went to them, they will repent.

31. And he said to him, If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one should rise again from the dead.

Jesus is in the presence of the Pharisees. They have derided Him for His statement that it is impossible to have two masters—God and money. And they have heard Him say that “what is esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God.” Jesus is especially concerned with their narrow, self-serving interpretation of the Law and the Prophets; He wants them to realize that God has a greater plan for humanity—a plan that is far greater than merely exalting their nation above others.

His method for delivering this message is, as usual, the parable. This time it’s a parable about “a certain rich man who was clothed in purple and fine linen” and who “fared sumptuously every day”(Luke 16:24). It is clear from what has just preceded in verse 14 that the “rich man” represents those who are “lovers of money” (Luke 16:14). More deeply the “rich man” represents all people who have access to the Word of God, and who feast on its truths daily, but do not apply it to their lives. For them it is simply a rich banquet, a truly “sumptuous fare” of spiritual truth. This, then, is what this parable is about. The purple garments represent goodness, and the white garments represent truth, both of which are available to us while reading the Word. For this reason, it is described as “sumptuous fare.” ¹³

Reading the Word is good. It does for the soul what nutritious food does for the body. But if we choose to not live according to what it teaches, it does us no good. In fact, it can lead to great spiritual harm, as illustrated in the continuation of the parable. As it is written, “There was a certain beggar named Lazarus, full of sores, who was laid at his gate, desiring to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table” (Luke 16:20-21). If the rich man represents each of us—whether financially well off or amply endowed with spiritual truth—Lazarus represents all those who are poor and suffering among us.

This parable, then, is a call to both social and theological responsibility. People come into our lives (Lazarus was laid at his gate) who are desperately in need of help (full of sores). Too busy with our lives or too preoccupied with our own concerns, we neither see their desperation nor hear their cries. Meanwhile, well-intentioned people try to help (the dogs come and lick his sores), but it is only a temporary palliative. It does not lead to a deep, spiritual healing. ¹⁴

As the parable continues, we learn that “the beggar died, and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s bosom. The rich man also died and was buried” (Luke 16:22). But death and burial are not the end for either the rich man or for Lazarus. Much to his dismay, the rich man discovers that he is in hell suffering torments. Seeing Abraham and Lazarus far away, he cries out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus that he may dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame” (Luke 16:24).

The “flame” which now torments the rich man is nothing more than the burning lusts of his own selfishness, the fiery ambitions, and scorching passions of his unquenchable self-love. These are the only “flames” that exist in hell. This is what is meant in the Word by “hell fire.” ¹⁵

At first glance it seems unkind that the rich man’s cries for mercy are unheeded. All we hear is Abraham’s response; “Son, remember that in your lifetime you received your good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things; but now he is comforted, and you are tormented’ (Luke 16:25). In the Divine Mercy no one is ever “punished” for what they did during their lifetime; nor is anyone “rewarded” in the sense that we usually understand those terms. The next life is, after all, merely a continuation of this one—with one exception: we can no longer pretend to be somebody we are not.

In the next life we truly become our inmost selves. That’s why those in “hell” appear to be constantly devoured by burning flame. Those flames symbolize their selfish, unquenchable desires. Conversely, people in “heaven” glow with a gentle radiance which arises from their genuine love for others and for God. Though they may “burn” with the desire to serve others and do good, it is a gentle, steady flame that gives heat and light. It’s like a controlled fire that warms a house as compared to an uncontrolled wildfire that devours a forest.

The difference between the controlled fire that warms and the raging fire that destroys is the difference between heaven and hell. Between the two there is a gap so wide that no one can cross it. It is for this reason that Abraham says, “Besides all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that those who want to pass from here to you cannot, nor can those from there pass to us” (Luke 16:26). The gap between heaven and hell in us is not on a continuum; it’s a veritable chasm. ¹⁶

Still distraught, and still trying to avoid his misery, the rich man again begs Abraham, this time saying, “I beg you therefore, Father, that you would send him to my father’s house, for I have five brothers, that he may testify to them, lest they also come to this place of torment” (Luke 16:28). But Abraham answers, “They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them” (Luke 16:29). The rich man, unconvinced by Abraham’s answer, replies, “No, Father Abraham; but if one goes to them from the dead, they will repent” (Luke 16:30).

Here we are reminded of Jesus’ words in the preceding episode when He referred to “the Law and the Prophets” (Luke 16:16) and in this episode to “Moses and the Prophets.” In both cases, He is speaking to the Pharisees, rebuking them for their shallow, self-serving ways of understanding scripture. The story of the rich man and Lazarus is another attempt to instruct them, through parable, in the truths contained within their own scriptures. Jesus could not make it more plain for them. He is saying that those who reach out to help the needy, with a genuine concern for the welfare of others, will go to heaven. But those who refuse to reach out, even though they are amply endowed with financial and spiritual resources will remain selfish—burning with selfish desire—for eternity; nor will they allow themselves to be persuaded—even though one rise from the dead. ¹⁷

The message of this parable, then, is not hard to fathom. The rich man represents each of us, feasting on the Word of the Lord, but unwilling to apply it to our lives. This is the selfish, self-centered part of us that cannot go to heaven. But there is also another part of us, named “Lazarus.” This is the part that hungers and thirsts for righteousness. The “Lazarus” within us acknowledges that without a right understanding of the Word and without the power of God to live according to it, we are nothing more than spiritual beggars. Unlike the unjust steward in the previous episode who confessed that he was “ashamed to beg,” this “Lazarus quality” within us is not ashamed to beg. In fact, this quality “begs for the crumbs that fall from the rich man’s table” (Luke 16:21). This is the quality of humility that makes us receptive to the blessings that flow in from heaven. No wonder the name Lazarus, in the original Hebrew means, “one whom God has helped.”

When the rich man winds up in hell, he begs Father Abraham to send Lazarus to his five brothers to warn them about this place of torment. But Father Abraham replies, “They have Moses and the Prophets. Let them hear them.” And he adds, “If they hear not Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rise from the dead.” It is contrary to divine order to compel belief through miracles, visions, conversations with the dead, or warnings about burning forever in a place of eternal hellfire. We can’t be compelled to go to heaven through fear. This does nothing more than shut in our evils which continue to burn secretly. Our only recourse is the Word of God, rightly understood, for it teaches us how to think and how to live. ¹⁸

A practical application

Recent scientific discoveries in neuroplasticity state that the decisions we make in this life actually create lasting changes in the organic structure of the brain. For example, they say that kindness and patience can be developed through practice in much the same way that people learn to play a musical instrument or ride a bike. The gospels take this a step further, teaching that changes in the spirit can be made, but this can only take place while we are still alive. The good news is that it can be done; we can change not only our brain, but also our spirit. This deeper change, however, takes more than practice. It takes a combination of prayer to the Lord and right effort. In this regard, we are both the rich man and Lazarus. We must be both “diggers”—enriching ourselves with truth from the Lord’s Word, and “beggars”—praying for the light to understand the truth we dig up. Then, of course, we must pray for the power to put it all into practice. As neuroplasticity experts say, “Neurons that fire together, wire together.”

Footnotes:

684. It is said the "kingdoms of the world are become our Lord's and His Christ's," and this signifies that Divine good and Divine truth are received when the evil are separated from the good and are cast into hell; for then both the higher and the lower heavens can be in enlightenment and thus in the perception of good and truth; and this could not be effected so long as the evil were conjoined with the good, because the interiors of the angels, who are in the lower heavens, could not then be opened, but only the exteriors, and the Lord does not reign in spirits and men in externals separate from internals, but in internals, and from internals in externals; for this reason, until the interiors of the angels of the lowest heaven, which are spiritual and celestial, were opened, that heaven did not become the kingdom of the Lord as it did after the separation of the evil from them.

[2] It is said that "the kingdoms of the world are become our Lord's and His Christ's," and "Lord" here has the same meaning as "Jehovah" in the Old Testament, and "Father" in the New, namely, the Lord in respect to the Divine Itself and in respect to Divine good; while "Christ" has the same meaning as "God" in the Old Testament, and "the Son of God" in the New, namely the Lord in respect to the Divine Human and also in respect to Divine truth, for "Christ" has a like meaning as "Anointed," "Messiah," and "King;" and "Anointed," "Messiah," and "King" mean the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and also in respect to the Divine Human when He was in the world, for the Lord in respect to His Human was then Divine truth. So "the Anointed of Jehovah" has a similar meaning, for the Divine Itself which is called "Jehovah" and "Father," and in its essence was the Divine good of Divine love, anointed the Divine Human, which is called "the Son of God," and which in its essence while it was in the world was Divine truth; for "anointing" signified that the Lord's Divine Human proceeded from His Divine Itself, and consequently the Divine truth from His Divine good.

[3] From this it is clear that the Lord alone in relation to the Divine Human was essentially "the Anointed of Jehovah," while kings and priests were called "the anointed of Jehovah" representatively; for the "oil" with which the anointing was performed signified the Divine good of the Divine love. Now as it was Divine truth with the Lord that was anointed by the Divine good, so "Christ," and likewise "the Messiah" and "Anointed," and also "King," signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Divine good of the Lord's Divine love. That this is so can be seen from passages in the Word where "Christ," "Messiah," and "Anointed" are mentioned.

[4] That "Christ" is the Messiah, or Anointed, is evident in John:

Andrew findeth his brother Simon and said to him, We have found the Messiah, which is, when interpreted, Christ (John 1:41).

And in the same:

The woman of Samaria said, I know that Messiah cometh, who is called Christ (John 4:25).

This shows that the Lord is called "Christ" because He was the Messiah whose coming was foretold in the Word of the Old Testament; for the word for Anointed is "Christ" in the Greek, and "Messiah" in the Hebrew, and a king is one anointed. This is why the Lord is called "King of Israel," and "King of the Jews," which also He acknowledged before Pilate, wherefore it was inscribed upon the cross:

The king of the Jews (Matthew 27:11, 29, 37, 41; Luke 23:1-4, 35-40).

Also in John:

Nathaniel said, Thou art the Son of God, the King of Israel (John 1:48).

[5] As "Anointed," "Christ," "Messiah," and "King," are synonymous terms, so also "Son of God;" and each one of these names signifies in the spiritual sense Divine truth (that this is the signification of "king" may be seen above, n. 31, 553, 625); and "Son of God" also has the same meaning, because in the Word "sons" signify truths, and thus "the Son of God" signifies Divine truth. That "sons" signify truths may be seen above (n. 166). "Christ" and "Messiah" have a like signification.

[6] That "Christ" signifies Divine truth is evident in Matthew:

Be not ye called Rabbi, one is your teacher, Christ (Matthew 23:8).

"Rabbi" and "teacher" signify one that teaches truth, thus in an abstract sense the doctrine of truth, and in the highest sense Divine truth, which is Christ. That the Lord alone is Divine truth is meant by "Be not ye called Rabbi, one is your teacher, Christ."

[7] In the same:

See that no one lead you astray; for many shall come in My name, saying, I am the Christ, and shall lead many astray. If anyone shall say to you, Lo, here is the Christ, or there, believe it not; for there shall arise false Christs and false prophets (Matthew 24:4-5, 23-24; Mark 13:21-23).

This must not be understood as meaning that there will arise those who will call themselves the Christ or Christs, but those who will falsify the Word, and declare that this or that is Divine truth when it is not; those who confirm falsities by the Word are meant by "false Christs," and those who hatch out falsities of doctrine by "false prophets." For these two chapters treat of the successive vastation of the church, thus of the falsification of the Word, and lastly of the profanation of truth thence. (But this may be seen further explained in the Arcana Coelestia 3353-3356, and n. 3897-3901.)

[8] And as "Son of God" also signifies Divine truth, as has just been said, He is sometimes called:

The Christ, the Son of God (as in Matthew 26:63; Mark 14:61; Luke 4:41, 22:66-71 to the end; John 6:69, 11:26-27, 20:31).

In a word, when the Lord was in the world He was called "Christ," "Messiah," "Anointed," and "King," because in Him alone was the Divine good of Divine love, from which Divine truth proceeds, and this was represented by "anointing;" for the "oil" with which anointing was performed signified the Divine good of Divine love, and the "king," who was anointed, represented Divine truth. This is why kings, when they had been anointed, represented the Lord, and were called "the anointed of Jehovah;" yet it was the Lord alone in relation to His Divine Human that was "the Anointed of Jehovah," since the Divine good of Divine love was in Him, and this was Jehovah and the Father from whom the Lord had the being [esse] of life. For it is well known that He was conceived of Jehovah, thus it was from the Divine good of Divine love, which was in Him from conception, that the Lord in relation to His Human was Divine truth so long as He was in the world. This shows that the Lord alone was "the Anointed of Jehovah" essentially, and that kings were called "the anointed of Jehovah" representatively. Thence now it is that the Lord in relation to His Divine Human was called "Messiah" and "Christ," that is, "Anointed."

[9] This can also be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

The spirit of the Lord Jehovih is upon Me, therefore Jehovah hath anointed Me to proclaim good tidings unto the poor, He hath sent Me to bind up the broken in heart, to preach liberty to the captives, to the bound, to the blind, to proclaim the year of Jehovah's good pleasure, and the day of vengeance for our God, to comfort all that mourn (Isaiah 61:1, 2).

This is plainly said of the Lord. The meaning is that the Lord Jehovih anointed His Divine Human "to proclaim good tidings unto the poor, and sent it to bind up the broken in heart," and so on, for all this the Lord accomplished from His Human (but the particulars may be seen explained above, n. 183, 375, 612).

[10] In David:

Why have the nations become tumultuous, and why have the peoples meditated vanity? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers took counsel together against Jehovah and against His Anointed. I have anointed My king upon Zion, the mountain of My holiness. I will declare the statute, Jehovah said unto me, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee; ask of Me and I will give the nations for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry and ye perish in the way, for His anger will shortly burn forth; blessed are all they that put their trust in Him (Psalms 2:1-2, 6-8, 12).

Evidently "the Anointed of Jehovah" means here the Lord in relation to the Divine Human, for it is said, "Jehovah said unto Me, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee; kiss the Son lest ye perish; blessed are all they that put their trust in Him." In the sense of the letter this indeed is said of David, but in the Word "David" means the Lord in relation to Divine truth, or as a King (See above, n. 205). It is evident also that the Lord's coming and finally the Last Judgment by Him, and afterwards His sovereignty over all things of the world, are here treated of.

[11] The spiritual things that lie hidden and are signified in the particulars of this passage are as follows: "The nations have become tumultuous and the peoples have meditated vanity," signifies the state of the church and of the former heaven that was to pass away, "nations" meaning those who are in evils, and "peoples" those who are in falsities (See above n. 175, 331, 625); "the kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers took counsel together, against Jehovah and against His Anointed," signifies the falsities of the church and its evils, as being utterly opposed to the Divine good and the Divine truth, and thus to the Lord, "the kings of the earth" meaning the falsities of the church, and the "rulers" its evils, "Jehovah" meaning the Lord in relation to the Divine itself, thus in relation to Divine good, and the "Anointed" the Lord in relation to the Divine Human, thus as to Divine truth.

[12] "I have anointed My king upon Zion, the mountain of My holiness," signifies the Lord's Human in relation to Divine truth proceeding from the Divine good of His Divine love, and thus His sovereignty over all things of heaven and the church, "Zion" and "the mountain of holiness" meaning heaven and the church; and thus all things of heaven and the church; "I will declare the statute" signifies an arcanum of the Divine providence and will; "Jehovah said unto Me, Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee," signifies the Lord as the Anointed, Messiah, Christ, and King, thus in relation to His Human conceived and afterwards born of the Divine Itself, that is, Jehovah; "this day" signifies what is decreed from eternity and looks therefrom to the conjunction and union accomplished in time.

[13] "Ask of Me, and I will give the nations for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession," signifies His kingdom and dominion over all things of heaven and the church, which shall be His; "kiss the Son" signifies conjunction with the Lord by love, "to kiss" signifying conjunction by love; "lest He be angry, and ye perish in the way," signifies lest evils assault you and you be condemned, for "to be angry" when predicated of the Lord, signifies the turning away of men from Him, thus their anger and not the Lord's; and evils are what turn away, and then are angry; "for His anger will shortly burn forth" signifies the Last Judgment, and the casting down of the evil into hell; "blessed are all they that trust in Him" signifies salvation by love to the Lord and faith in Him.

[14] In the same:

Thou art fairer than the sons of men, grace is poured upon thy lips. Gird about thy sword upon the thigh, O Mighty One, in thy majesty and thy honor; and in thy honor mount, ride upon the word of truth and of meekness of righteousness, and thy right hand shall teach thee in wonderful things; thine arrows are sharp, the peoples shall fall under thee, enemies of the king from the heart. Thy throne, O God, is for an age and for eternity; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom; thou hast loved righteousness and hated evil; therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of joy above thy fellows, with myrrh, aloes, and cassia, all thy garments. Kings' daughters are among thy precious ones; on thy right hand standeth the queen in the best gold of Ophir (Psalms 45:2-9).

It is clear from all the particulars in this psalm that this is said of the Lord, and consequently that He it is of whom it is said "God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of joy, with myrrh, aloes, and cassia, and all thy garments." What this signifies can be seen from the series as follows, namely, that He has Divine wisdom and that from Him is the doctrine of Divine truth, is signified by "thou art fairer than the sons of men, grace is poured upon thy lips," "fair" signifies wisdom, "the sons of men" signify those who are intelligent in Divine truths, and "lips" signify doctrinals.

[15] The Lord's omnipotence from Divine truth proceeding from Divine good, and the consequent destruction of falsities and evils and the subjugation of the hells, is signified by "gird about the sword upon the thigh, O Mighty One, in majesty and in honor, and in thy honor mount, ride upon the word of truth; thy right hand shall teach thee in wonderful things, thine arrows are sharp, the peoples shall fall under thee, enemies of the king from the heart;" "sword" signifies truth combating against falsity and destroying it; "chariot," like as "the word of truth," signifies the doctrine of truth; "to ride" signifies to instruct and combat; "right hand" signifies omnipotence; "arrows" signify truths combating; "peoples" those who are in the falsities of evil; and "enemies of the king" those who are opposed to truths, thus the hells.

[16] That the kingdom and dominion would thus be His to eternity is signified by "Thy throne, O God, is for an age and for eternity; a scepter of uprightness is the scepter of Thy kingdom," "scepter of uprightness" meaning Divine truth which has power and sovereignty. That as He delivered the good from damnation by destroying the evil, therefore the Divine itself united itself to His Human, is signified by "thou hast loved righteousness and hated evil, therefore God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of joy above thy fellows," "to love righteousness and to hate evil" signifying to deliver the good from damnation by destroying the evil, "to anoint with the oil of joy" signifying to unite Himself by victories in temptations, "God, thy God," signifying the reciprocal uniting of the Human with the Divine, and of the Divine with the Human.

[17] Divine truths united to Divine goods are signified by "He hath anointed with myrrh, and aloes, and cassia all thy garments," "myrrh" signifying good of the lowest degree, "aloes" good of the second degree, and "cassia" good of the third degree, like as these three spices when mixed with olive oil, out of which the "oil of holiness" for anointing was made (Exodus 30:23-24); and that "oil" signified the Divine good of the Divine love, and the "garments" that were anointed signified Divine truths.

[18] That those who are of His kingdom have the spiritual affection of truth is signified by "kings' daughters are among thy precious ones," "kings' daughters" meaning the spiritual affections of truth, which are called "precious" when truths are genuine. That heaven and the church are under His protection and are conjoined to Him, because they are in love to Him from Him, is signified by "on thy right hand standeth the queen in the best gold of Ophir," "queen" signifying heaven and the church, "at the right hand" signifying under the Lord's protection from conjunction with Him, and "the best gold of Ophir" the good of love to the Lord.

[19] In the same:

I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to David My servant, even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and will build up thy throne to generation and generation. Thou hast spoken in vision to thy holy one, and hast said, I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chosen out of the people; I have found David My servant, with the oil of My holiness have I anointed him, with whom My hand shall be established; Mine arm also shall strengthen him. I will beat in pieces his adversaries before him, and will strike down them that hate him. I will set his hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers; he shall call me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the Rock of my salvation; I will also make him the firstborn, high above the kings of the earth; and My covenant shall be steadfast for him; and I will set his seed forever, and his throne as the days of the heavens. Once have I sworn by My holiness, I will not deal falsely with David, his seed shall be to eternity, and his throne as the sun before Me, it shall be established as the moon to eternity, a faithful witness in the clouds (Psalms 89:3-4, 19-21, 23, 25-29, 35-37).

That by "David" here David is not meant, but the Lord as to His kingship, which is the Divine spiritual, and is called the Divine truth, is very evident from what is here said of David, namely, that "his seed and throne shall be as the days of the heavens, and as the sun and the moon to eternity," that "he shall set the hand in the sea, and his right hand in the rivers," and that "he shall call Jehovah his Father, and shall be the firstborn, high above the kings of the earth," with other things that could not be said of David, his sons and his throne. That "David" in the Word means the Lord may be seen above n. 205.

[20] But to proceed to particulars. "I have made a covenant with My chosen, I have sworn to David My servant," signifies the union of the Lord's Divine with the Human, "to make a covenant" signifying to be united, and "to swear" to confirm the union; "chosen" is predicated of good, and "servant" of truth. "Even to eternity will I establish thy seed, and will build up thy throne to generation and generation," signifies Divine truth, and heaven and the church from Him, "seed" meaning Divine truth and those who receive it, and "throne" heaven and the church.

[21] "Thou hast spoken in vision to thy holy one" signifies a prophetic arcanum respecting the Lord; "I have laid help upon one that is mighty, I have exalted one chosen out of the people," signifies Divine truth whereby Divine good operates all things, which is called "help upon one that is mighty," and elsewhere "the right hand of Jehovah;" Divine majesty and consequent power is signified by "the exalting of one chosen out of the people;" "I have found David My servant, with the oil of holiness have I anointed him," signifies the Lord in relation to the Divine Human and union with the Divine Itself, which union is called in the Word of the New Testament glorification, and is meant by "being anointed with the oil of holiness," for "the oil of holiness" signifies the Divine good of Divine love, and "to be anointed" signifies to be united to Divine truth, which was of the Lord's Human in the world.

[22] "With whom My hand shall be established, Mine arm also shall strengthen him," signifies omnipotence therefrom, "hand" signifying the omnipotence of truth from good, and "arm" the omnipotence of good by means of truth; "I will beat in pieces his adversaries before him, and will strike down them that hate him," signifies combat with victory against falsities and evils, thus against the hells; "I will set His hand in the sea, and His right hand in the rivers," signifies the extension of His dominion and sovereignty over all things of heaven and the church, for "seas and rivers" mean the ultimates of heaven, and ultimates signify all things.

[23] "He shall call Me, Thou art my Father, my God, and the Rock of my Salvation," signifies the Divine Human which is the Son of God, who was conceived from Him, and afterwards born; and as the Lord's Human had therefrom Divine truth and Divine power He is also called "God" and "Rock of Salvation;" "I will also make him the firstborn, high above the kings of the earth," signifies that He is above every good and truth of heaven and the church, because goods and truths therein are from Him; "and My covenant shall be steadfast for him" signifies eternal union; "I will set his seed forever, and his throne as the days of the heavens," has the same signification here as above, "days of the heavens" meaning the states of the entire heaven, which are from His Divine.

[24] "Once have I sworn by My holiness, I will not deal falsely with David," signifies eternal confirmation, because from the Divine, respecting the Lord and the union of His Human with the Divine Itself; "His seed shall be to eternity, and his throne as the sun before Me, it shall be established as the moon to eternity," has a like signification as above, where "seed" and "throne" are mentioned; it is said "as the sun and moon," because eternity in respect to Divine good is predicated of the "sun," and in respect to Divine truth of the "moon," for these are signified by "sun and moon;" "a faithful witness in the clouds" signifies the acknowledgment and confession from the Word of the Divine in the Lord's Human; that this is "a witness in the clouds" may be seen above (n. 10, 27, 228, 392, 649).

[25] In the same:

O Jehovah, remember David, all his labor; who sware unto Jehovah, and vowed unto the Mighty One of Jacob, Surely I will not enter within the tent of my house, nor go up upon the couch of my bed, until I find out a place for Jehovah, habitations for the Mighty One of Jacob. Lo, we have heard of Him in Ephrathah, we have found Him in the fields of the forest. We will go into His habitations, we will bow ourselves down at His footstool. Arise, O Jehovah, to Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy strength. Let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Thy saints shout for joy; for Thy servant David's sake turn not back the face of Thine anointed. In Zion will I make the horn of David to bud; I will set in order a lamp for Mine anointed; his adversaries will I clothe with shame, but upon himself shall his crown flourish (Psalms 132:1-3, 5-10, 17-18).

Here, too, "David" and "Anointed or Christ" do not mean David, but the Lord in relation to the Divine Human, for it is said that "His habitations," that is, of the Mighty One of Jacob, "are found in Ephrathah," which is Bethlehem, and that they "would bow themselves down at His footstool;" but that this is so will be more evident in the explanation of the particulars in their order.

[26] "Who sware unto Jehovah, and vowed unto the Mighty One of Jacob," signifies irrevocable affirmation before the Lord, who is called "Jehovah" from the Divine in things first, and "Mighty One of Jacob" from the Divine in ultimates, in which is Divine power in its fullness; "surely I will not enter within the tent of my house, nor go upon the couch of my bed," signifies not to enter into and know the things that are of the church and its doctrine, "tent of the house" signifying the holy things of the church, and "the couch of a bed" its doctrine; "until I find out a place for Jehovah, habitations for the Mighty One of Jacob," signifies until I shall know about the Lord's coming, and the arcana of the union of His Human with the Divine; these in the highest sense are "a place for Jehovah" and "habitations" of the Lord's Divine Human.

[27] "Lo, we have heard of Him at Ephrathah, we have found Him in the fields of the forest," signifies both in the spiritual sense of the Word and in the natural, for "Ephrathah" and "Bethlehem" signify the spiritual-natural of the Word, and "fields of the forest" the natural of the Word, for there the Lord is found; "we will go into His habitations, we will bow ourselves down at His footstool," signifies that there He is found, for He is the Word; "His habitations" here mean the things of the spiritual sense of the Word, and thus the heavens, for these are in the spiritual sense of the Word, and "His footstool" means the things of the natural sense of the Word, and therefore the church, since in the church are Divine truths in their ultimates, which serve as a footstool for the spiritual things of the Word and of the heavens, thus for the Lord Himself who dwells therein.

[28] "Arise, O Jehovah, to Thy rest, Thou and the ark of Thy strength," signifies the union of the Divine itself with the Human in the Lord, and consequent peace to all in heaven and in the church, "Jehovah's rest" meaning that union, and "the ark of His strength" heaven and the church; "let Thy priests be clothed with righteousness, and let Thy saints shout for joy," signifies worship from love for those who are in celestial good, and worship from charity for those who are in spiritual good, "priests" meaning those who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom, while those who are in His spiritual kingdom are called "saints."

[29] "For Thy servant David's sake turn not away the face of Thine anointed" signifies that they may be enkindled by love and enlightened by the light of truth, when Divine truth has been united with Divine good in the Lord, thus the Divine Itself with the Human and the Human with the Divine, for "David" as a "servant" signifies the Lord's Human in relation to Divine truth, and "the anointed" signifies the same united to Divine good, and "his face" signifies Divine love and enlightenment therefrom; "in Zion will I make the horn of David to bud" signifies the power of Divine truth from Him in heaven and in the church; "I will set in order a lamp for Mine anointed" signifies enlightenment of Divine truth from the union of the Divine and Human in the Lord, "lamp" meaning Divine truth in respect to enlightenment. "His adversaries will I clothe with shame" signifies the subjugation of the hells and the dispersion of the evils thence; "but upon himself shall his crown flourish" signifies perpetual and eternal victory over them.

[30] From the passages here cited from the Word it can be seen that the Lord is called "the Anointed," that is, the Messiah or the Christ, from the union of Divine good with Divine truth in His Human, for the Lord's Human from that union is meant by "the Anointed of Jehovah."

[31] Likewise in the first book of Samuel:

Jehovah will judge the ends of the earth, and will give strength unto His King and exalt the horn of His Anointed (1 Samuel 2:10).

This is a part of the prophetic song of Hannah, the mother of Samuel, before there was any king or anointed over Israel, therefore "King" and "Anointed" here mean the Lord, to whom "is given strength" and whose "horn is exalted" when the Divine is united to the Human, "strength" signifying the power of good over evil, and "horn" the power of truth over falsity, and truth is said "to be exalted" when it becomes interior, and in the same degree becomes more powerful.

[32] "The anointed" has a similar meaning in Lamentations:

The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits, of whom we had said, Under his shadow we shall live among the nations (Lamentations 4:20).

"The anointed of Jehovah" here means in the sense of the letter a king who was made captive, but in the spiritual sense it means the Lord, therefore it is said, "the breath of our nostrils," that is, the life of the perception of good and truth; "taken in the pits" signifies rejected by those who are in the falsities of evil, "pits" meaning the falsities of doctrine; "to live under his shadow" signifies to be under the Lord's protection against the falsities of evil, which are meant by "nations."

[33] Since "the Anointed," "Messiah," or "Christ" signifies the Lord in relation to the Divine Human, thus in relation to Divine good united to Divine truth, so "anointing" signifies that union, respecting which the Lord says:

I am in the Father and the Father in Me; believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me (John 14:7-11);

and elsewhere:

The Father and I are one; know ye and believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me (John 10:30, 38).

And because this was represented by the anointing of Aaron and his sons, therefore:

The holy things of the sons of Israel which belonged to Jehovah Himself were given to Aaron and His sons for the anointing (Numbers 18:8).

These holy things belonging to Jehovah which were given to Aaron and his sons are enumerated from verses 9 to 19 of that chapter. But see what has been said before, n. 375, respecting "anointings," namely, that the Lord alone, in relation to the Divine Human, was "the Anointed of Jehovah" because in Him was the Divine good of the Divine love, which was signified by "oil," and that all others anointed with oil were only representatives of Him. This has been said of "the Anointed of Jehovah," since "the Anointed of Jehovah" is the Christ, that it may be known that by "the Lord and His Christ" in this passage of Revelation two are not meant but one, that is, that they are one, as are "the Anointed of Jehovah" and "the Lord's Christ" in Luke 2:26.

[34] Since the Lord is here treated of, to show why He was called "the Christ," that is, Messiah or Anointed, it is important to explain what is said of the Messiah in Daniel:

Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people and upon thy city of holiness, to consummate the transgression, and to seal up sins, and to expiate iniquity, and to bring in the righteousness of the ages, and to seal up vision and prophecy, and to anoint the Holy of Holies. Know, therefore, and perceive that from the going forth of the Word even to the restoration and building of Jerusalem, even to Messiah the prince, shall be seven weeks. After sixty and two weeks it shall be restored and built with street and moat, but in straitness of times. But after sixty and two weeks the Messiah shall be cut off, yet not for Himself. Then the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary, so that its end shall be with an inundation, and even unto the end of the war desolations are determined. Yet He shall confirm a covenant with many for one week; but in the midst of the week He shall cause the sacrifice and meal-offering to cease. At last upon the bird of abominations shall be desolation, and even to the consummation and decision it shall drop upon the devastation (Daniel 9:24-27).

The meaning of these words has been investigated and explained by many of the learned, but in the literal sense only, and not as yet in the spiritual sense, for that sense has been hitherto unknown in the Christian world. In that sense these words have the following signification: "Seventy weeks are decreed upon thy people" signifies the time and state of the church that then existed with the Jews, even to its end, "seven" and "seventy" signifying fullness from beginning to end, and "people" those who were then of the church; "and upon thy city of holiness" signifies the time and state of the end of the church in respect to the doctrine of truth from the Word, "city" signifying the doctrine of truth, and "the city of holiness" Divine truth, which is the Word.

[35] "To consummate the transgression and to seal up the sins and to expiate iniquity" signifies when there are nothing but falsities and evils in the church, thus when iniquity is fulfilled and consummated; for until this is done the end does not come, for reasons given in the small work on The Last Judgment; for if the end should come before, the simple good, who are conjoined as to externals with those who imitate and hypocritically make a show of truths and goods in externals, would be destroyed; therefore it is added "to bring in the righteousness of the ages," which signifies to save those who are in the good of faith and charity; "and to seal up vision and prophecy" signifies to fulfill all things contained in the Word; "to anoint the Holy of Holies" signifies to unite the Divine itself with the Human in the Lord, for this is "the Holy of Holies."

[36] "Know, therefore, and perceive from the going forth of the Word," signifies from the end of the Word of the Old Testament, since that was fulfilled in the Lord, for all things of the Word of the Old Testament treat in the highest sense of the Lord and of the glorification of His Human, and thus of His dominion over all things of heaven and the world; "even to the restoration and building of Jerusalem" signifies when a New Church was to be established, "Jerusalem" signifying that church, and "to build" to establish anew; "even to Messiah the Prince" signifies even to the Lord and Divine truth in Him and from Him, for the Lord is called "Messiah" from the Divine Human, and "Prince" from Divine truth; "seven weeks" signify a full time and state.

[37] "After sixty and two weeks it shall be restored and built with street and moat" signifies the full time and state after His coming until the church with its truths and doctrine is established, "sixty" signifying a full time and state as to the implantation of truth, like as the number "three" or "six," and "two" signifying the same for the implantation of good, thus the "sixty and two" together signify the marriage of truth with a little good; "street" signifies the truth of doctrine, and "moat" doctrine. (What "street" signifies see above, n. 652; and "moat" or "pit," n. 537.) "But in straitness of times" signifies hardly and with difficulty, because with the Gentiles that have little perception of spiritual truth.

[38] "But after the sixty and two weeks" signifies after a full time and state of the church now established in respect to truth and to good; "the Messiah shall be cut off" signifies that they fall away from the Lord, which took place chiefly with the Babylonians, by their transferring the Lord's Divine power to the popes, and thus by not acknowledging the Divine in His Human; "yet not for Himself" signifies that yet the power is His and the Divine is His.

[39] "Then the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary" signifies that thus doctrine and the church will be destroyed by falsities, "city" signifying doctrine, "sanctuary" the church, and "the prince that shall come" the reigning falsity; "so that its end shall be with an inundation, and even unto the end of the war desolations are determined," signifies the falsification of truth, even until there is no combat between truth and falsity; "an inundation" signifying the falsification of truth, "war" the combat between truth and falsity, and "desolation" the last state of the church, when there is no longer any truth, but mere falsity.

[40] "Yet He shall confirm a covenant for one week" signifies the time of the Reformation when the Word is again read and the Lord acknowledged, that is, the Divine in His Human; this acknowledgment, and conjunction therefrom with the Lord by means of the Word, is signified by "covenant," and the time of the Reformation by "one week;" "but in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the meal offering to cease" signifies that still interiorly with the Reformed there will be no truth and good in worship; "sacrifice" signifying worship from truths, and "meal offering" worship from goods, "the midst of the week" signifying not the midst of that time but the inmost of the state of the Reformed, for "midst" signifies inmost, and "week" a state of the church; there was no truth and good interiorly in worship after the Reformation, because they adopted faith as the essential of the church, and separated it from charity, and when faith is separated from charity then there is no truth or good in the inmost of worship, for the inmost of worship is the good of charity, and from that the truth of faith proceeds.

[41] "At last upon the bird of abominations shall be desolation" signifies the extinction of all truth by the separation of faith from charity, "the bird of abominations" signifying faith alone, thus faith separated from charity, for "a bird" signifies thought respecting the truths of the Word and the understanding of them, and this becomes "a bird of abominations" when there is no spiritual affection of truth, which enlightens truth and teaches it, but only a natural affection, which is for the sake of reputation, glory, honor, and gain, and as this affection is infernal it is abominable, since from it there are mere falsities; "and even to the consummation and decision it shall drop upon the devastation" signifies its last state, when there is no longer anything of truth or of faith, and when the Last Judgment takes place.

[42] That these last things in Daniel were predictions respecting the end of the Christian church is evident from the Lord's words in Matthew:

When ye shall see the abomination of desolation foretold by Daniel the prophet standing in the holy place, let him who readeth understand (Matthew 24:15).

For that chapter treats of the consummation of the age, thus of the successive vastation of the Christian church, therefore the devastation of that church is meant by these words in Daniel. (But what they signify in the spiritual sense has been explained in Arcana Coelestia 3652.) From this it can now be seen what is signified by "the kingdoms of the world are become the Lord's and His Christ's," also what is signified by "the Lord's Christ" (or the Christ of the Lord), in Luke:

A promise was made to Simeon by the Holy Spirit, that he should not see death before he had seen the Christ of the Lord (Luke 2:26).