Chapter Three

John Prepares the Way for Jesus

1. And in the fifteenth year of the governing of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip being tetrarch of Iturea and of the country of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

2. In [the time] of the chief priests Annas and Caiaphas, the saying of God came to John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

3. And he came into all the countryside of Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins,

4. As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of [one] crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.

5. Every valley shall be filled full, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways smooth;

6. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

7. Then he said to the crowds that went out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers, who has shown you to flee from the anger to come?

8. Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say in yourselves, “We have Abraham for [our] father”; for I say to you that God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham.

9. And also the axe is already laid to the root of the trees; therefore every tree not making good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.”

10. And the crowds asked him, saying, “What then shall we do?”

11. And answering, he says to them, “He that has two tunics, let him share with him that has none; and he that has food, let him do likewise.”

12. And the publicans also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

13. And he said to them, “Exact no more than that which you have been instructed.”

14. And the soldiers also asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do violence to no one, neither accuse [any] falsely, and be content with your wages.”

15. And as the people were in expectation, and all reasoned in their hearts about John, whether or not he were the Christ,

16. John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but there comes One stronger than I, the strap of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose; He shall baptize you with [the] Holy Spirit and fire;

17. Whose fan [is] in His hand, and He will purge His floor, and will gather His wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire.”

18. And exhorting in many other things indeed, he announced the gospel to the people.

19. But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

20. Added yet this to all, that he shut up John in prison.

At the time of Jesus’ birth, religion had lost its true meaning. It no longer served to connect people to God or to one another. Instead of a true understanding of God’s loving nature, it pictured Him as angry and vengeful—a tyrant who would punish all those who did not obey every last letter of the law handed down by Moses. In brief, God was seen as an absolute dictator who did good to those who favored Him, and did evil to those who opposed Him. ¹

This idea of God, which is reflected in many passages in the Hebrew Bible, is a sad but accurate picture of the human attributes which people of that time projected upon God. While it provides a true picture of the human condition during that era, we now know that it is a wholly inaccurate picture of God. And yet, this idea of God had so captured the human imagination at that time, that there was no way of dispelling it. No amount of revelation, or thunder from heaven, or angelic intervention could pierce the darkness. God Himself had come to earth and clothed Himself in human flesh so that people could gradually be led out of their false ideas and into a true idea of God. He came to show that the nature of Divine Love is not selective, and that it condemns no one. Rather it is a pure love for the whole human race—a genuine love for the neighbor. ²

Unfortunately, at the time of Jesus’ birth, the letter of the Word was not used to uplift and inspire. Instead, religious leaders used it to instill fear and to keep people in spiritual bondage. The religious leaders set themselves up as human intermediaries between God’s supposed wrath and the wicked state of humanity. These corrupt religious leaders, capitalizing on the fear and ignorance of the people, devised numerous ways that people could purchase their salvation and, thereby, avoid the wrath of God.

An important aspect of this corrupt system was that all transactions had to go through the religious leaders who offered prayers on behalf of the people, made burnt offerings, performed ceremonial washings, and encouraged the people to make generous contributions to the temple treasury. In addition, the religious leaders established man-made traditions and elaborate rituals that became more important than the commandments of God. In all of this, they lost sight of God’s abundant love and mercy. In many ways, the state of religion in those days could be described as a barren and dry wilderness. ³

It was at this time that John, the son of Zacharias, had grown wise enough and strong enough to proclaim the truth. He came as prophesied long ago by Isaiah: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness. Prepare the way of the Lord. Make His paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill brought low; and the crooked places shall be made straight and the rough ways made smooth. And all flesh shall see the salvation of God” (Isaiah 3:4-6).

The coming of John the Baptist represents a turning point in the life of every human being. It marks that moment when the letter of the Word rings true, and touches something at the very core of our being. It is as though a voice has cried out in the barren wilderness of our lives—the voice of truth. It is like a fountain of fresh water springing up in a dry, parched wasteland. This is the Word of God springing to life in us, with strong literal teachings that bring about a revolution in our way of thinking. The literal teachings of the Word begin to have a profound effect on us. They wake us up, like a dip in a cold stream, and they speak to us directly about the need to change our lives.

It is John the Baptist, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, telling us in no uncertain terms that we must repent and bear fruit. “Then he said to the multitudes that came out to be baptized by him, ‘Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore, bear fruits worthy of repentance…. Every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire’” (Luke 3:7-9).

John the Baptist, then, represents the direct and plain statements in the letter of the Word. These are the teachings that tell us, first and foremost, to repent. They tell us to put away selfishness so that we may serve the neighbor justly and generously. Again and again, the people came to John saying, “What shall we do?” And each time John gave them straightforward answers about the external conduct of their lives. To the people He said, “If you have two tunics, give to him who has none. And if anyone is without food, he should be fed.” To the tax collectors, He said, “Collect no more than what is appointed to you.” And to the soldiers He said, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely. And be content with your wages” (Luke 3:11-14).

It is to be noted that John the Baptist, who represents the literal truth of the Word, tells people what to do. The baptism that he offers is a baptism in simple obedience—obedience to the literal teachings of the Word. But this is to be followed by an even greater baptism. As John says, “I indeed baptize you with water, but One mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire”.

The baptism with the Holy Spirit and with fire is the greater baptism. But what does this mean? What does it mean to be baptized with the Holy Spirit? And what does it mean to be baptized with fire?

Beyond Water Baptism

16. John answered, saying to all, “I indeed baptize you with water, but there comes One stronger than I, the strap of whose shoes I am not worthy to loose; He shall baptize you with [the] Holy Spirit and fire;

17. Whose fan [is] in His hand, and He will purge His floor, and will gather His wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire.”

18. And exhorting in many other things indeed, he announced the gospel to the people.

19. But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother Philip’s wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

20. Added yet this to all, that he shut up John in prison.

In essence, our “baptism with water” is our introduction to the most basic truths of religion. We learn that there is a God, that there is a heaven and a hell, and that we must obey the Ten Commandments. We learn that we should share, that we should not steal, that we should not bear false witness, and that we should be content with what we have. In this regard, a baptism with “water” represents our introduction to the basic, fundamental truths—the truths that teach us how to live in the world.

But this is only a beginning. The baptism with the Holy Spirit and the baptism with fire, take us beyond the introductory truths of water baptism. They refer to the coming of Jesus Christ into our lives with His “Holy Spirit” (the ability to understand higher truth) and with “Holy Fire” (the power to live according to that higher truth).  Just as John the Baptist comes into our lives with literal truths that begin our spiritual development—truths that tell us what to do,  Jesus comes into our lives with deeper insights into those truths, and the power to live according to those insights. Beyond learning what to do, which is represented by our water baptism, we also need to learn how to be, which is represented by the baptism of the Holy Spirit and the baptism of fire.

In the course of our spiritual development, there comes a time when our attitudes take precedence over our actions. We reach a point when we realize that although the actions of our body are important, the intentions of our heart are even more important. In other words, we begin to understand that before our external actions can be truly good, our internal motives must be purified of selfish ambition. It’s not just about actions and words; it’s also about thoughts and feelings. As it is written in sacred scripture, “May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:4). ⁴

The baptism of John, then, introduces us to the literal truths of the Word. These introductory truths are our baptism by “water”; they tell us what to do. But the baptism of Jesus takes us deeper. It is a baptism that enlightens our mind with higher truth. In sacred scripture, this is called “the baptism of the Holy Spirit.” Then comes the final baptism. Jesus not only enlightens our minds with higher truth, but also fills our heart with heavenly love. This is our “baptism of fire.” ⁵

Dealing with the useless “chaff”

John adds that when Jesus comes to baptize us “with the Holy Spirit and with fire,” He will use His winnowing fan to “thoroughly purge His threshing floor” (Luke 3:17). This is an image of how farmers separate the good and useful wheat from the chaff. In order to do this, the farmer uses a winnowing fork to toss the grain up into the air, allowing the wind to blow the lighter chaff to the side while the heavier wheat falls straight to the floor. Once this is done, the farmer gathers the good wheat into his barn, and burns the useless chaff.

Taken literally, this is a frightening prospect. It sounds as though God intends to eternally punish sinners in the unquenchable fires of hell. As it is written, when Jesus comes, “He will gather His wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with unquenchable fire” (Luke 3:17). There is, however, another way of reading this passage. It can also be read as an eternal promise that God will come into our lives with the Holy Spirit of truth and the Holy Fire of love to blow away and burn up all that is evil and false within us.

Every false thought and negative emotion—the useless “chaff” of our lives—will be winnowed away and burned up in the unquenchable, endless fire of God’s love. ⁶

Interpreting the passage in this way is consistent with the teaching that God, who is pure love, punishes no one. Rather, everyone experiences the consequences that are associated with the way of life that is freely chosen. People who choose to “burn with anger” about a perceived offense, or harbor a “fiery hatred” for people they despise are already experiencing the unquenchable fire of hell. As Jesus said in a previous gospel, anyone who calls his brother a fool “is in danger of hellfire” (Matthew 5:22).

With this in mind, we can take another look at John’s declaration that although he would baptize with water, Jesus would be coming to baptize with the Holy Spirit and with fire. In essence, John is saying, “I can baptize you with water, but it will do you no good unless you also allow the Lord to change your mind with His Holy Spirit and change your heart with the fire of His love.”

Herod’s desire

If, however, we freely choose to turn away from this sacred fire, we plunge ourselves into the hellish cravings associated with selfish ambition and the infernal desires associated with materialistic gain. Selfish pleasures, which are the opposite of heavenly delights, are never enough. Like all addictive drives, they are insatiable hungers that cannot be filled, incessant longings that cannot be satisfied, yearnings and “unquenchable fires” that cannot be extinguished. In brief, they are described in sacred scripture as “hellfire”—limitless desires that can never be appeased. ⁷

This was especially true of Herod, a corrupt ruler whose evil practices were well-known. Most notably, Herod burned with the lustful desire to take his brother’s wife. So great was Herod’s adulterous desire that he divorced his wife and unlawfully married his sister-in-law, the wife of his half-brother, Phillip. Earlier, when John the Baptist rebuked Herod for taking his brother’s wife, Herod refused to listen. Now, as John warns about the unquenchable fire that is about to come, Herod takes it personally. Believing that John the Baptist has now gone too far, Herod is determined to imprison him.

The literal story of Herod’s desire to imprison John the Baptist contains an eternal truth: that which is evil and false within us despises and fears what is good and true. Just as Herod refuses to listen to John the Baptist, there is something in each of us that will not listen to the voice of God, even if it is as simple and direct as, “Honor your father and your mother,” “You shall not murder,” “You not commit adultery,” “You shall not steal,” or “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.” This is the part of us that says, “No one can tell me what to do.” “I don’t want to hear what the Word of God has to say.” “I don’t care about the Ten Commandments.” Or, as it is written in the language of sacred scripture, “Herod shut up John in prison” (Luke 3:20).

A practical application

There are times when losses, hurts, or disappointments might arise in our mind. Perhaps it is a memory of a time when we were treated unfairly, or a time when someone let us down, or a time when we didn’t get what we wanted. Every time we think about the incident, it “burns us up” all over again. In sacred scripture this is called “an unquenchable fire.” But we can also ask the Lord to help us transform the experience into something that could be useful to us and to others. Otherwise, it is useless “chaff.” As an example, a memory of how it felt to be overlooked or ignored can help us be more aware of others. And the memory of a time when someone cheated us can be a wake-up call reminding us of how important it is to be honest in all our dealings. In this way, the fire of a burning resentment can be replaced by a fire that will not burn us up, but rather one that will lift us up. It all depends on which fire we allow to be ignited within us. As John the Baptist puts it, “He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”

Jesus Prays at His Baptism

21. And it came to pass when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus, having been baptized, was praying, that heaven was opened,

22. And the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily appearance like a dove upon Him, and there was a voice from heaven, saying, “Thou art My beloved Son; in Thee I am well pleased.”

Herod was indeed planning to shut up John in prison, but this would not take place until sometime after John had the opportunity to baptize Jesus. As it is written, “It came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, heaven was opened”. Although this episode is also reported in Matthew and Mark, the Gospel of Luke is the only one which mentions that Jesus prayed during His baptism. This emphasis upon prayer in Luke is consistent with the premise that a major theme of this gospel is the reformation of the understanding—the part of the mind that is focused on learning truth, having faith, and communing with God in prayer.

It should also be noted that this episode includes the beautiful words, “heaven was opened,” suggesting that revelation took place as Jesus prayed, a revelation which found expression in the divine utterance: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22).

This episode speaks to each of us of the importance of prayer in our lives. These are the times when we turn inward in search of the Father, listening for guidance, instruction, comfort, inspiration, and revelation. This process of turning inward in search of that which is deeply spiritual is essential. Without it, our efforts to serve others will be based on the weak and crumbling foundation of our own self-hood. We should never let our egos interfere with the great work the Lord wants to do through us. In prayer, we quiet the inner chatter, we enter the stillness, we speak to God and listen for the divine response. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

“The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him” (Habakkuk 2:20).

To silence “the earth” is to temporarily put aside the cares of the external world while resting in God. In brief, it is the endeavor to silence the voice of the ego long enough to hear the voice of God. This is at the heart of a contemplative life. ⁸

Before beginning any vital work, the first step is to begin with prayer. Jesus’ baptism in Luke captures this idea beautifully. Jesus was about to begin His public ministry. But before the heavens could be opened to Him, before the revelation and the inspiration could come, Jesus needed to take that first crucial step. He needed to pray: “And while He prayed, heaven was opened.” It was only then that He was ready to begin His public ministry. As it is written, “Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age”.

Teachings like these remind us of how important it is to precede action with contemplation, and precede public service with private devotion. While ministry and service are noble ends, they must be filled with the wisdom of spiritual purpose. Behind every successful, worthwhile action is a life grounded in contemplation and prayer. ⁹

The Ascending Genealogy

23. And Jesus Himself began to be about thirty years [of age], being, it was supposed, the son of Joseph, of Eli,

24. Of Matthat, of Levi, of Melchi, of Janna, of Joseph,

25. Of Mattathias, of Amos, of Naum, of Esli, of Nagga,

26. Of Maath, of Mattathias, of Semei, of Joseph, of Juda,

27. Of Joanna, of Rhesa, of Zerubbabel, of Salathiel, of Neri,

28. Of Melchi, of Addi, of Cosam, of Elmodam, of Er,

29. Of Jose, of Eliezer, of Jorim, of Matthat, of Levi,

30. Of Simeon, of Juda, of Joseph, of Jonan, of Eliakim,

31. Of Melea, of Menan, of Mattatha, of Nathan, of David,

32. Of Jesse, of Obed, of Boaz, of Salmon, of Naasson,

33. Of Aminadab, of Aram, of Esrom, of Perez, of Judah,

34. Of Jacob, of Isaac, of Abraham, of Thara, of Nachor,

35. Of Saruch, of Ragau, of Phalec, of Heber, of Sala,

36. Of Cainan, of Arphaxad, of Shem, of Noah, of Lamech,

37. Of Mathusala, of Enoch, of Jared, of Maleleel, of Cainan,

38. Of Enos, of Seth, of Adam, of God.

The episode of Jesus’ baptism is followed by an account of His genealogy. The genealogy of Jesus was first recorded in the opening chapter of Matthew, verses 1-17. According to that genealogical record, Jesus’ lineage is given in a descending order, down from Abraham to David (fourteen generations), down from David to the captivity in Babylon (fourteen generations), and down from the captivity in Babylon to the birth of Christ (fourteen generations). This is a genealogy of descent. It begins with Abraham and descends through names like Isaac, Jacob, David, and Solomon all the way down to Joseph, and finally down to the humble birth of the baby Jesus, born in a stable in Bethlehem.

However, in the genealogy that is given in Luke, everything begins with Jesus whose next immediate ancestor is Joseph, followed in ascending order by names like David, Jacob, Isaac, and Abraham all the way up to Noah, Methuselah, Adam, and, finally, at the summit of this ascending order, God.

What might be the spiritual reason for a descending order in Matthew and an ascending order in Luke?

The reason lies in an understanding of the internal sense, and in the special focus of each gospel. In Matthew, a major theme is the gradual revelation of Jesus’ identity, first as the human son of David, the son of Abraham, but not yet as the divine son of God. Therefore, Matthew begins with an account of the way in which God clothed Himself in accommodation to humanity’s state of reception as He descended through the heavens and was born on the earth. In other words, He came down. He descended to our level to meet us where we are, to live and dwell among us. Thus, the genealogy of Jesus, as given in Matthew, is a genealogy of descent.

In Luke, however, our focus is different. Here we are focusing upon our ascent. This gospel is not so much about the way the Lord comes down to us, but rather about the way we strive to ascend to God. This is why the Gospel of Luke opens with Zacharias burning incense in the temple.

It was believed that the smoke of the incense ascended towards God in the same way that our prayers ascend toward heaven. As it is written in the psalms, “Let my prayer be set before You as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice” (Psalm 141:2). ¹⁰

So, the ascending genealogy in Luke represents one of the major themes of this gospel—the reformation of our understanding. It is about lifting our minds upward to God as we strive to understand Him and His Word at their loftiest conception.

The Gospel According to Luke guides us in our efforts to make that ascent. Through prayerfully reading and meditating on the Word with the uses of life in mind, our understanding is gradually raised above the promptings of our unregenerate will. The fact that we can do this—that is, live by the higher truths of God’s Word rather than the selfish desires of our lower nature—is, indeed, a miracle. ¹¹

And so, Jesus’ genealogy, as given in Luke, takes us ever upwards. It begins with Jesus who was born “of Joseph,” then ascends through many generations, including, in ascending order, names such as “David of Jesse,” “Isaac of Abraham,” “Shem of Noah,” and, finally, at the summit of this ascending genealogy, “Adam of God” (Luke 3:23-38).

This, then, is an account of Jesus royal genealogy, tracing His divine origin all the way up to His beginning in God. Having descended to earth and taken on the human condition with all its weakness and frailty, with all its tendencies to self-love and selfishness, He would now begin the struggle to put off what was merely human and become one with the divine within Him.

This would be the upward ascent, but it would not be an easy one. At every turn, He would be tempted to succumb to the promptings of the flesh and the allurements of the world. It would be a fierce battle, but Jesus was ready. Having been introduced to the literal truths of the Word (the “baptism of water”), and having received the Holy Spirit while He prayed, Jesus was well-prepared for the battle. For Jesus, it would be the beginning of His “baptism of fire.” It is the battle that we all must undergo.

The truth we learn cannot just remain in our memories; it must also be tested in the trials of life.

For Jesus, this begins in the very next episode.

Footnotes:

372. And behold, a black horse, signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to truth. This is evident from the signification of "horse," as being the understanding (See above, n. 355); also from the signification of "black," as being what is not true; thus "a black horse" signifies the understanding destroyed in respect to truth. "Black" signifies what is not true, because "white" signifies what is true. That "white" is predicated of truth and signifies it, may be seen above n. 196. "White" is predicated of truth and signifies it, because white has its origin in the brightness of light, and "light" signifies truth; and "black" is predicated of what is not true and signifies it, because black has its origin in darkness, that is, from the privation of light; and because darkness exists from the privation of light it signifies the ignorance of truth. That "a black horse" here signifies the understanding of the Word destroyed in respect to truth, is evident from the signification of "the red horse" (treated of above), as being the understanding destroyed in respect to good. Moreover, in the church, in process of time, good first perishes and afterwards truth, and at length evil succeeds in place of good, and falsity in place of truth. This last state of the church is meant by "the pale horse" (of which presently).

[2] That "black" signifies what is not true is evident also from other passages in the Word, where it is mentioned. As in Micah:

It shall be night unto you for vision; and darkness shall arise to you for divination; and the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall grow black over them (Micah 3:6).

The "prophets" here treated of signify those who are in the truths of doctrine, and in a sense abstracted from persons, the truths of doctrine; that those meant by "prophets" would see evils and would divine falsities is signified by "it shall be night unto you for vision, and darkness shall arise to you for divination;" that they would know neither good nor truth is signified by "the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall grow black over them;" "sun" signifying the good of love, and day" the truth of faith, and "to grow black" signifying not seen or known.

[3] In Ezekiel:

But when I shall have extinguished thee, I will cover the heavens, and make the stars thereof dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine (Ezekiel 32:7).

This is said of Pharaoh king of Egypt, by whom is signified the knowing faculty applied to falsities, which is done when the natural man from things known enters into things spiritual instead of the reverse; because this is contrary to order, falsities are seized upon and confirmed as truths; that then nothing flows in from heaven is signified by "I will cover the heavens;" and that there are then no knowledges of truth is signified by "I will make the stars thereof dark," "stars" meaning knowledges of truth; that there is consequently no good of love nor truth of faith is signified by "I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine," "sun" signifying the good of love, and "moon" the truth of faith. (That this is the signification of "sun" and "moon," see Heaven and Hell 116-125.)

"Sun," "moon," and "stars," have a like signification in Joel:

The earth was moved before him; the heavens trembled; the sun and moon were blackened, and the stars withdrew their shining (Joel 2:10; 3:15).

Likewise in Revelation:

The sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood (Revelation 6:12).

What these things signify in particular will be seen in what follows.

[4] In Ezekiel:

In the day when he shall go down into hell, and I will cover the abyss over him, and I will withhold the rivers thereof, that the great waters may be held back, and I will make Lebanon black for him, and all the trees of the field shall faint for him (Ezekiel 31:15).

This is said of "Assyria," which is here compared to a cedar. "Assyria" here signifies reasoning about the truths of the church from self-intelligence, and "cedar" the truth of the spiritual church; that by such reasoning all knowledges of truth, and with them all truths that savor of good and have their essence from good, would be destroyed is signified by all these words; the "abyss which is covered over him," and the "rivers that were withheld," mean the knowledges of truth and intelligence therefrom, the "abyss" or "sea" signifying the knowing and the cognizing faculties in general that are in the natural man, and "rivers" signifying the things that pertain to intelligence; the "great waters that shall be held back," signify the truths which savor of good and derive their essence from good, "waters" mean truths, and "great" in the Word is predicated of good.

That "Lebanon was made black over him, and the trees fainted for him," signifies that there will be no longer any truths of the church, and with its knowledges there will be no perception of truth; for "Lebanon," in like manner as "cedar," signifies the church in respect to truths, thus also the truths of the church; and "trees of the field" signify the church in respect to the knowledges of truth, thus also the knowledges of truth of the church, "trees" meaning the knowledges themselves, and "field" the church; from this it is clear that "to make Lebanon black" signifies that there are no longer any truths of the church.

[5] In Lamentations:

The Nazarites were whiter than snow, they were brighter than milk. Their form is more dark than blackness; they are not known in the streets (Lamentations 4:7-8).

No one can know what this signifies unless he knows what the Nazarites represented. "The Nazarites" represented the Lord in respect to the celestial Divine; and as all the statutes of the church at that time represented such things as belong to heaven and the church, thus to the Lord, for all things of heaven and the church are from the Lord, and as the Nazariteship was the chief representative of the Lord, these words signify that every representative of the Lord had perished. A genuine representative of the Lord is described by "the Nazarites were whiter than snow, and brighter than milk," which signifies a representative of Divine truth and Divine good in its perfection; for "white" is predicated of truth, in like manner "snow," and "brightness" of the good of truth, in like manner "milk." That every representative of Divine truth had perished is described by "their form is darker than blackness, they are not known in the streets," "form" signifying the quality of truth, "blackness" signifying its no longer appearing, "streets" signifying the truths of doctrine, and "not to be known in them" signifying not to be recognized by genuine truths. What is further signified by "Nazarites" will be told elsewhere.

[6] In Jeremiah:

The whole land shall be a waste; but I will not make a consummation. For this shall the land mourn, and the heavens above shall be blackened (Jeremiah 4:27-28).

"The whole land shall be a waste" signifies that good and truth in the church shall perish, "land" meaning the church; "yet I will not make a consummation" signifies that something of good and truth will still remain; "for this shall the land mourn" signifies the consequent feebleness of the church; "the heavens above shall be blackened" signifies that there will be no influx of good and truth from the Lord through heaven; for the heavens are said to be "blackened" when no affection or perception of truth flows in from the Lord through heaven. Since in the churches before the Lord's coming, which were representative churches, mourning represented spiritual grief of mind on account of the absence of truth and good, for they mourned when oppressed by an enemy, on the death of a father or mother, and for like things, and oppression by an enemy signified oppression by evils from hell, and father and mother signified the church in respect to good and in respect to truth, because with them these things were represented by mourning, they at such times went in black.

[7] As in David:

I say unto God my rock, why hast Thou forgotten me? Why shall I go in black because of the oppression of the enemy (Psalms 42:9; 43:2)?

In the same:

I bowed myself in black as bewailing a mother (Psalms 35:14).

In the same:

I was bent, I was bowed down exceedingly; I have gone in black all the day (Psalms 38:6).

In Malachi:

Ye have said, What profit is it that we walk in black before Jehovah? (Malachi 3:14).

In Jeremiah:

For the breach of the daughter of my people I am broken down; I am made black (Jeremiah 8:21);

"daughter of the people" signifying the church. In Jeremiah:

Judah hath mourned, and her gates have been made to languish, they are made black even to the earth; and the cry of Jerusalem hath gone up; for their nobles sent their little ones for water, they came to the pits and found no waters, their vessels return empty (Jeremiah 14:2-3).

That "to be made black" signifies spiritual grief of mind because of the absence of truth in the church is evident from the particulars here in the internal sense; for "Judah" signifies the church in respect to the affection of good; and "Jerusalem" the church in respect to the doctrine of truth; "gates" signify admission to the church. That there were no longer any truths is described by "the nobles sent their little ones for water, they came to the pits and found no waters, their vessels return empty," "waters" signifying truths, and "pits" the things that contain, which are the doctrinals from the Word and the Word itself, and in these truths are no longer seen. From this it can be seen that "black" [nigrum] and "black" [atrum] in the Word signify the absence of truth; and "darkness," "clouds," "obscurity," and many things from which blackness arises have a like signification. As in Joel:

A day of darkness and of thick darkness, a day of cloud and of obscurity (Joel 2:2);

and in other passages.