Sending Out Seventy Others

1. And after these things the Lord appointed seventy others also, and sent them two and two before His face, to every city and place whither He Himself was about to come.

2. Then He said to them, “The harvest [is] indeed much, but the workers [are] few; entreat you therefore the Lord of the harvest, that He may send out workers into His harvest.

3. Go you; behold, I send you out as lambs in [the] midst of wolves.

4. Carry neither purse, nor pack, nor shoes, and greet no one on the way.

The previous chapter may be thought of as a time during which the twelve disciples received intense preparation for ministry. Vital lessons were taught, multitudes were fed, and a voice from heaven instructed the disciples to “Hear Him.” The disciples were further instructed in what it would take to become a disciple, and how they must be willing to leave everything behind in order to follow Jesus. As we pointed out, “leaving everything behind” is not about abandoning one's family; nor is it about abdicating all responsibilities in order to follow Jesus. Rather, it's about abandoning self-interest, abdicating all desire for selfish gain, and, most importantly, it's about giving up the tendency to be led by oneself, choosing instead to be led by the good affections and true teachings that are from the Lord. ¹

The twelve disciples, however, were not the only ones that Jesus appointed to assist Him in His ministry. He now appoints seventy others to go before Him “into every city and place where He Himself was about to go”(10:1). Before sending them out, however, Jesus tells them, “The harvest truly is great, but the workers are few.” Therefore, Jesus encourages them to pray to the Lord of the harvest that He may send out workers into His harvest”(10:2).

A harvest of heavenly rewards

At the literal level, the “harvest” may be understood as a successful ministry in which many people are brought to acknowledge Jesus as their Lord and Savior. More deeply, however, the “harvest” also refers to the heavenly rewards that come to all who shun evils as sins against the Lord, and do good simply because it is good, with no thought of reward. While not directly sought, this “harvest of heavenly rewards” includes the reception of divine blessings such as peace, security, tranquility, love for others, and innermost joy.

This is truly a “great harvest” which is available to everyone who strives to keep the commandments. But doing the Lord's will is not always easy. While God is always present, supplying the power to keep the commandments, we must also do our part. There may be times, however, when the laborers in us are “few.” These inner laborers are the heavenly desires that are willing to do the necessary spiritual work. It is for this reason that the Lord encourages us to pray—especially, to “pray that the Lord of the harvest send out workers into His harvest.” ²

Jesus warns them in advance that this work will not be easy: “Behold I send you out as lambs among wolves”(10:3), He tells them. The “lambs” in us are the innocent states that desire to follow the Lord and live according to His teachings. These are the “workers.” On the other hand, the “wolves” in us are the hereditary tendencies toward evil that desire to destroy our innocent “lamblike” desire to follow the Lord and keep His commandments.

Knowing this, Jesus gives them further instructions: “Carry neither money bag, nor backpack, nor shoes,” He says. This refers to the importance of relying on the Lord rather than on oneself. As long as they remember that the Lord is with them to protect them from spiritual attacks, they will be safe. In place of their own faulty understanding, represented by “money bags,” they will be protected by truth from the Lord's Word. The Word of the Lord will be uppermost in their minds, and immediately present, not merely packed away in memory. Therefore, they will have no need for a “backpack.” ³

Neither will they carry “shoes” which cover the lowest parts of the body and therefore represent that which is lowest and most external in a person, especially the physical senses. Instead, their focus will be on that which is higher rather than lower, spiritual rather than natural, heavenly rather than earthly. The idea that shoes must be removed in the presence of holiness is a familiar theme throughout the Hebrew scriptures. As the commander of the Lord's army said to Joshua, “Take your shoes from off your feet; for the place whereon you stand is holy” (Joshua 5:15). And when Moses met the Lord at the burning bush, the Lord said to Moses, “Do not come any closer. Take your shoes from off your feet, for the place on which you stand, it is holy ground” (Exodus 3:5). ⁴

Filled with confidence in the Lord rather than in self, and imbued with a sense of their higher purpose, they are now prepared to go into the cities and towns to spread the good news and reap a harvest of heavenly blessings. Their sacred mission is to make disciples, not to make friends, to win souls for the kingdom, not to gain popularity. And so, Jesus cautions them, “greet no one along the way”(10:4).

Lessons about Reception and Rejection

5. And into whatever house you enter, first say, Peace to this house;

6. And if indeed the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it; but if not, it shall return upon you.

7. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as are with them; for the worker is worthy of his wage. Do not pass on from house to house.

8. And into whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat what is set before you,

9. And cure the weak that are in her, and say to them, The kingdom of God is near to you.

10. But into whatever city you enter, and they receive you not, going out into her streets, say,

11. 'And the dust which sticks to us from your city we do wipe off against you. Nevertheless know this, that the kingdom of God is near to you.'

12. And I say to you that it shall be more tolerable for Sodom in that day than for that city.

13. Woe to thee, Chorazin! Woe to thee, Bethsaida! For if the [works of] power had been done in Tyre and Sidon which have been done in you, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.

14. But it shall be more tolerable for Tyre and Sidon in the judgment than for you.

15. And thou, Capernaum, which art exalted even to heaven, shalt be thrust down even to hell.

16. He that hears you, hears Me, and he that spurns you, spurns Me; and he that spurns Me, spurns Him that sent Me.”

As Jesus continues His teaching, He gives specific instructions about what to do as they enter someone's home. He puts it like this: “Into whatever house you enter, first say, 'Peace to this house'”(10:5). It means that we wish for this person, and for this person's household, every heavenly blessing. Jesus then adds, “And if indeed the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it; but if not, it shall return upon you”(10:6). The scriptural phrase “son of peace” refers to something from God which is with a person. This could be a truth from sacred scripture, or an innocent desire to learn, or even a sincere desire to be a better person. All of this can be signified by the scriptural phrase, “son of peace.” ⁵

As they go from house to house, endeavoring to deliver the gospel message, they may be invited in or rejected. Being invited to enter someone's house corresponds to entering a person's mind, endeavoring to understand that person as deeply as we can. As we begin to enter, with the greatest respect for others, we will listen to their perspectives and points of view, appreciating how they see spiritual matters. As Jesus says, “In the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as are with them”(10:7).

Earlier, we mentioned that in sacred scripture the term “worker” signifies those parts of ourselves that are willing to do the work of regeneration. At first, these heavenly “workers” in us are few, even though the harvest of heavenly rewards is great. Nevertheless, the seventy missionaries who go out to spread the message of the gospel represent those states in ourselves that are willing to do spiritual work; and the people who receive these missionaries, welcoming them into their homes, represent those states in us that are willing to be instructed.

In order to be instructed, however, we must be willing to put aside our limited viewpoints long enough to appreciate the good and truth that is presented to us. When we are in this kind of receptive state, we will be open not only to the goodness and truth that come to us directly through the Word, but also to the goodness and truth that come to us indirectly through others, regardless of their religious viewpoint. When we are in states of receptivity like this, we experience the heavenly rewards for the work we do. As Jesus puts it “The worker is worthy of his wage.” And we should strive to remain there in that state of receptivity and not pass out of that state. This is the deeper meaning of Jesus' statement, “Do not pass from house to house.” Instead, Jesus says, “Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as are set before you”(10:8). ⁶

As a result, “the weak [places in us] are cured, and the kingdom of heaven has come near”(10:9)

Dealing with rejection

But what if we are not received? What if people do not want to hear the message we came to bring? What does this teach us about our inner world? It suggests that there are states in us that have no desire to learn, no wish to be instructed, and no yearning for self-improvement. In fact, these states may reject any mention of those things. That's because these states are chiefly concerned with those things that are merely natural. This focus on what is merely natural is compared to the lowest and most lifeless of all forms of matter: dust.

Therefore, Jesus tells His messengers, “Whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you, go out into its streets and say, 'The very dust of your city which clings to us, we wipe off against you'”(10:11). In these words, Jesus is warning us about getting caught up in the cravings of our lower nature. Like dust, we should shake off these cravings so that they do not cling to us. ⁷

Jesus then speaks about the fate that will come upon those cities who reject the message of the gospel: “Woe to you, Chorazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida . . . and you Capernaum, who are exalted to heaven, you will be thrust down to hell”(10:12-15). These are words of strong condemnation for those who reject the gospel. Jesus, however, assures the disciples that these rejections do not mean that the seventy have been unsuccessful. Jesus makes this quite clear when He says, “He who hears you hears Me, and he who spurns you spurns Me. And he who spurns Me spurns Him who sent Me”(10:16). ⁸

Literally seen, this episode is about effective missionary work. In brief, it's about carrying out the mission, trusting in the Lord, and not worrying about rejection. If we are truly speaking the Lord's words, it is the Lord that people are rejecting, not us. For this reason, we need not spend a lot of time with people who are determined to resist the message we offer. We can simply shake off the dust and move on.

But there is a deeper lesson within these words. Notice how often Jesus refers to a city that either receives or rejects the seventy. Jesus says, “Whatever city you enter, and they receive you, eat such things as they set before you.” Also, “Whatever city you enter, and they do not receive you,” that city will be “condemned” and “cast down into hell.” In sacred scripture, a city signifies the human mind, and especially one's understanding of doctrine. A strong “city” signifies the human mind when it is fortified with genuine truth. These truths serve to protect us against false teachings. But a weakly fortified city represents a human mind that is closed to the Lord's truth and built upon false teachings. As it is written in the Hebrew scriptures, “We have a strong city; we are surrounded by the walls and bulwarks of God's salvation (Isaiah 26:1).” On the other hand, weakly fortified cities represent human minds that are filled with falsity because they refuse to let in the Lord's truth. These “cities” are made up of houses that are “shut up” like closed minds. Therefore, it is written, “The city of emptiness is broken; every house is shut” (Isaiah 24:10). ⁹

Therefore, while Jesus seems to be speaking about rejecting those people who refuse to hear us, the deeper message is about those states in us that refuse to hear the gospel message—those states that are closed to the gospel message like houses that are empty and shut. In other words, whenever goodness and truth come to us, knocking on the door of our minds, offering peace and joy, we should be ready to open the door and say, “Come on in.” If, however, we refuse to open the door, we should realize that we are not only rejecting the message, but we are also rejecting the One who is sending the message to us. “Whoever hears Me,” says Jesus, “also hears the One who sent Me.”

A practical application

The choice is always before us. We can ignore the divine promptings and heavenly messages that come to us through the Word and through the goodness in others, or we can reject them. Unlike evil cravings that force themselves upon us, heavenly desires do not force entry. But if we choose to allow them in, the harvest is great, and the workers are entitled to their wages—the rewards of heavenly peace. This is what happens every time we open the door and admit the Lord of the harvest who enters saying, “Peace to this house.”

The Return of the Seventy

17. And the seventy returned with joy, saying, “Lord, even the demons are obedient to us in Thy name”.

18. And He said to them, “I beheld Satan, as lightning, falling from heaven.

19. Behold, I give to you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing whatever shall hurt you.

20. Nevertheless rejoice not in this, that the spirits are obedient to you, but rather rejoice that your names are written in the heavens.”

21. In that same hour Jesus leapt for joy in Spirit, and said, “I profess Thee, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because Thou hast hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and hast revealed them to infants; yes, Father, for so it was [for] good pleasure before Thee.

22. All things are delivered up to Me by My Father; and no one knows who the Son is, except the Father, and who the Father is, except the Son, and [he] to whom the Son intends to reveal [Him].”

23. And turning to the disciples by themselves He said, “Happy [are] the eyes which look upon what you look upon.

24. For I say to you that many prophets and kings willed to see what you look upon, and have not seen [them], and to hear what you hear, and have not heard [them].”

Innermost peace is protection from the evil and falsity that rise up from hell. When we are in this peace, we are secure and at rest, knowing that no evil spirit, and no demon can approach us. In this state of inner peace, we also experience the blessings of heavenly joy. And so, the next episode begins with a description of what the seventy experienced as they returned from their missionary endeavors. As it is written, “The seventy returned with joy,” saying to Jesus, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us in Your name”(10:17).

Jesus assures them that this is indeed the case, saying, “I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.” Jesus then adds further assurance: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you”(10:18-19).

These promises must have been received with great joy. Although the messengers had only a literal understanding of these words, thinking that they would have power over their natural enemies and be able to trample on serpents without being injured, Jesus' words also contained a great depth of inner meaning. Jesus' statement that He saw “Satan fall like lightning from heaven,” refers to the conquest of truth over falsity. Every false teaching that was destructive of heavenly truth was cast down from the heaven in human minds. The idea that demons were subject to the seventy “in Jesus' name” means that heavenly qualities such as love, courage, understanding, and generosity would now rule over the demonic attributes of hatred, fear, intolerance, and greed. The assurance that they would “trample on serpents” means that lower desires could now be subjugated to higher loves. In brief, Jesus had come to restore order in the universe, insuring that good would prevail over evil and truth over falsity. ¹⁰

Deeper joy

Jesus is quick to remind them, however, that this kind of power comes from the Lord alone. First of all, Jesus turns to the seventy and tells them that their rejoicing should be placed in proper perspective. “Do not rejoice in this that the spirits are subject to you,” Jesus tells them, “but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven”(10:20). This is the blessed assurance that will enable them to continue their work regardless of results, and in spite of rejection. No demon will be able to bring them down or discourage them; no false teaching will deter them from following the truth; no selfish craving will divert them from their scared calling. This is a heavenly guarantee that no lasting harm can come to us as long as we faithfully carry out our mission, trusting in Him who sent us, and praying for His support and guidance along the way.

This is a different kind of joy. It is deeper and more lasting than the kind of joy that comes from earthly success. This deeper joy, known as “the joy of the spirit” can only be attained through communion and cooperation with God. It comes in moments of profound gratitude when we praise God for every good thing He has done through us and for us. As it is written, “In that hour Jesus rejoiced in the Spirit, and said, 'I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth'”(10:21). And turning to His disciples, Jesus spoke to them privately, saying, “Blessed are the eyes which see the things you see. For I tell you that many kings and prophets have desired to see what you see, and to hear what you hear, and have not heard it”(10:23-24). ¹¹

Truly, the disciples had seen wonderful things with their physical eyes, and had heard wonderful things with their physical ears. They had seen lepers cleansed, people healed, multitudes fed, demons cast out, and people raised from death to life. But something even deeper was going on as Jesus was patiently opening their understanding: He was enabling them to “see” spiritual truth for themselves and to comprehend the wonders of spiritual reality.

Jesus' method is always gradual and indirect, teaching by example and parable so that those who think themselves “wise and prudent” will not understand, while those who have the innocent faith of a child will see and comprehend. As Jesus puts it as He continues His prayer to the Father, “You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed them to the babes”(10:21). ¹²

The Parable of the Good Samaritan

25. And behold, a certain lawyer stood up tempting Him, and saying, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?”

26. And He said to him, “What is written in the Law? How readest thou?”

27. And he answering said, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God out of thy whole heart, and out of thy whole soul, and out of thy whole strength, and out of thy whole mind, and thy neighbor as thyself.”

28. And He said to him, “Thou hast answered rightly; this do, and thou shalt live.”

29. But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?”

30. And Jesus, taking up [his question], said, “A certain man came down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, who having stripped him and having inflicted blows on [him] went away, leaving [him] [when] he was half dead.

31. And by chance, a certain priest came down by that way, and seeing him, passed by on the other side.

32. And likewise also a Levite, when he was at the place, came and saw, and passed by on the other side.

33. But a certain Samaritan, [as] he journeyed, came upon him, and seeing him, was moved with compassion.

34. And coming near, he bound up his wounds, pouring in oil and wine, and he set him on his own beast of burden, [and] brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

35. And going out on the morrow, he set out two denarii, gave [them] to the host, and said to him, 'Take care of him, and whatever thou spendest more, when I come again, I will repay thee.'

36. Which now of these three thinkest thou was neighbor to him that fell among robbers?”

37. And he said, “He that did mercy with him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go, and do likewise.”

Jesus taught through parables. It is a divine way of revealing truth to those who are willing and ready to receive (“babes”), while simultaneously concealing the truth from those who would pervert and distort it (“the wise and prudent”). Perhaps the most famous of all parables is the “Parable of the Good Samaritan.” While it is usually taught as a lesson on the importance of loving the neighbor, we will see that much more is involved, especially when we consider it in the context of the continuous spiritual sense of this gospel. ¹³

The backstory to the Parable of the Good Samaritan is found in the previous chapter. In that chapter, Jesus and His disciples had encountered the Samaritans on their way to Jerusalem. This was just before the sending out of the seventy. In that episode it is said that the Samaritans did not receive Jesus “because His face was set for the journey to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:53).

Notice the words, “Because his face was set for the journey to Jerusalem.” This is also translated, “They did not receive Him because He was heading towards Jerusalem.” The implication is that Jesus was headed towards the temple in Jerusalem to worship. At the time, there existed a deep-seated and long-standing hatred between the Samaritans and the Jews. This animosity was based on an ancient dispute about where the temple should be, on Mt. Zion in Jerusalem or on Mt. Gerizim in Samaria. The fact that Jesus was “headed towards Jerusalem” was taken as an insult to the Samaritans. To them it seemed that He believed that the temple in Jerusalem was the proper place to worship, and not on Mt. Gerizim in Samaria.

Also, because the Samaritans interbred with people of other cultures they were considered “half-breeds” (half Jew/half Gentile) and because they worshipped idols, they were considered pagans. There was, therefore, a long history of hatred and contempt between Samaritans and Jews.

This cultural clash, however, was an ideal opportunity for Jesus to teach His disciples a timeless lesson about the need for being inclusive. Even though they were rejected by some in Samaria, the disciples were told that they should not respond with anger or vindictiveness. In the preceding chapter, when James and John wanted to “call down fire from heaven” upon the Samaritans, Jesus forbade them, saying “You know not what manner of spirit you are of” (Luke 9:55).

It is noteworthy that this hostile encounter with the Samaritans is recorded only in the Gospel According to Luke. It does not occur in any other gospel. Similarly, the “Parable of the Good Samaritan” occurs only in Luke. Evidently, there is an important link between these two episodes which occur so closely to each other in this gospel. In order to explore that link more deeply, we need to take a closer look at the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

Who is my neighbor?

The Parable of the Good Samaritan begins when a lawyer approaches Jesus and asks, “Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?'”(10:25). In those days a person who was considered to be a “lawyer” was an expert in religious law. The lawyer, therefore, was not looking for instruction from Jesus. He was already an expert. Instead, he was testing Jesus, seeking to find fault with Jesus' teachings. In response, Jesus simply turns the question back on the lawyer, asking him, “What is written in the law? And what is your reading of it?”(10:26). Quoting from both Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18, the lawyer says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself”(10:27).

This, of course, is exactly the right answer. But Jesus also knows that “right answers” are not enough. So, He says to the lawyer, “You have answered rightly; do this and you will live”(10:28). The lawyer, apparently, is more interested in having a theological debate about scripture than in doing what scripture teaches. In fact, the text tells us that he wanted to “justify himself,” perhaps to make excuses for why his very limited idea of what it means to “love the neighbor” is preferable to Jesus' broader, more universal perspective. So, the lawyer asks Jesus, “Who is my neighbor?”(10:29).

This lawyer, it must be remembered, is “testing” Jesus. In fact, the parable begins with the words, “a certain lawyer stood up and tested Him.” The lawyer was trying to outsmart Jesus; he wanted to show that Jesus' gospel of universal love directly contradicted the Hebrew scriptures. After all, Jesus had recently proclaimed that we should love our enemies, do good to those who hate us, bless those who curse us, and pray for those who injure us (Luke 6:27-28). If these ideas were to become widely known and accepted, it would undermine the literal teachings of the Hebrew scriptures which seemed to be quite clear about how to treat enemies.

For example, David said, “I hate them, O Lord, who hate You. . . . I hate them with perfect hatred. I count them my enemies” (Psalm 139:21-22).

In Amos we read,

“Hate the evil, and love the good” (Amos 5:15).

And in the passage from Leviticus that the lawyer was quoting, the wording closest to the original Hebrew reads,

“You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people. But you should love your neighbor as yourself” (Leviticus 19:18).

So, in the context of strict rabbinical law, the question, “Who is my neighbor?” was clearly defined. The “neighbor” was someone from your own family or tribe, one of “the sons of your own people.” Quite literally, this referred to immediate relatives, or perhaps, if extended a little, it might also include one's religious group.

But the idea that “a neighbor” might also extend beyond one's family or religious circle—even to go so far as to include “outsiders” and “strangers” and “enemies”—was unthinkable. Samaritans were neighbors only by proximity. According to Jewish law, showing kindness to people who worshipped “other gods” was considered blasphemy. And the consequence was not kindness but destruction. As it is written, “He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the Lord alone, shall be utterly destroyed” (Exodus 22:20).

This is the religious background to the lawyer's question. The lawyer knew full well that the rabbinical definition of a neighbor was limited to one's family, tribe, and religion, “one of the sons of your own people.” As was His custom, Jesus does not answer the lawyer's question directly. Instead, He tells him a story about “a certain man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves who stripped him of his clothing, wounded him, and departed, leaving him half dead”(10:30). The wounded man represents all people who have been deprived of spiritual protection. Their understanding of basic goodness has been stripped away from them (“stripped him of his clothing”), and they are therefore vulnerable to the most vicious attacks of hell (“wounded him”). Spiritually, the lawyers and religious leaders of that time had so twisted and perverted the genuine truths of religion that the people were spiritually wounded, brokenhearted, and “half dead.” ¹⁴

As the parable continues, we learn that a priest and a Levite are described as passing by, but neither one stops to help the wounded man. Instead they both “pass by on the other side”(10:32). The priest and the Levite represent all forms of religious leadership in which the importance of doctrine, and the administration of sacraments takes precedence over relieving the pain of the poor and the oppressed. Though both the priest and the Levite “saw” the wounded man, and were therefore aware of his suffering, they did nothing to help him. They were unable and unwilling to show compassion.

We can imagine that the lawyer is growing somewhat defensive as he listens to the story. After all, it is his job to support the work of the priests and the Levites, and to help them interpret the temple laws. Priests and Levites are busy people, with important jobs, and critical responsibilities. Moreover, stopping to touch the wounded man who might even be dead would make them ritually impure, unable to perform their temple duties. Therefore, according to religious law, stopping to help would be strictly forbidden.

But the story does not stop here. Jesus continues: “However, a certain Samaritan, as he journeyed, came where he was. And when he saw him, he was moved with compassion, and went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine; and he set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn and took care of him”(10:33-34). If the lawyer had already begun to grow defensive, the mention of a despised Samaritan—especially depicting him as being morally superior to a priest or Levite—surely would have vexed him.

The parable continues to extol the exemplary morality of the Samaritan who continues to care for the wounded man: “On the next day, when he departed, he took out two denarii, gave them to the innkeeper, and said to him, 'Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I come again, I will repay you'”(10:35).

The words “when I come again” have an unmistakably apocalyptic ring to them—announcing the end of times when Jesus will “come again” to reward the just. The Samaritan, then, represents the Lord Himself, coming again, pouring on the oil of love and the wine of truth. And as He does so, He says to all who have truly loved their neighbor as themselves, “I will repay you.” ¹⁵

As the lesson draws to a close, Jesus returns to the lawyer's original question, “Who is my neighbor?” The parable itself contains the answer, but Jesus wants the lawyer to discover it for himself. Therefore, Jesus says to him, “So, which of the three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among the thieves?”(10:36).

If the lawyer thought that he was going to trap Jesus in a scriptural technicality about defining “the neighbor,” he was wrong. Jesus, in fact, uses this as an opportunity to teach a lesson about universal moral law—a law so engraved on the human heart that it transcends, race, nation, and religion. It is the law of mercy, of human brotherhood, and of compassion for all who suffer—especially those who are in emotional and spiritual pain. As Jesus said in His first public address, “I have come to heal the brokenhearted” (Luke 4:18).

In His wonderful restating of the question, Jesus demonstrates that our real concern should not be about defining who our neighbor is, but rather about being a neighbor. In the parable that Jesus tells, the true neighbor turns out to be the compassionate Samaritan. Although this Samaritan did not fit the strict definition of a neighbor, that is “the son of one's own people,” he was the one who was neighbor to the man who fell among thieves. He was the neighbor because he was the one who showed mercy.

While the Samaritans may have—as a group—despised the Jews, there were some among them who could rise above racial and religious prejudice. These are the people in every community, in every nation, and in every religion who encourage and support what is good in others, pouring on the oil of love and the wine of truth. These are the ones who show mercy, regardless of faith differences. These are the Good Samaritans. ¹⁶

“So, which of the three do you think was neighbor to him who fell among thieves,” asks Jesus. And the lawyer is left with but one reply. Unable to mention the hated name, “Samaritan,” all the lawyer can say is, “He who showed mercy on him”(10:37). But that is enough. Jesus is now ready to give him the final message of the parable, which is also the conclusion of this episode, “Go and do likewise”(10:37).

A practical application

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is a classic example of what it means to live the life of religion, not just to study it or talk about it. It is an ancient story with a timeless message. It would not help us, however, to keep our focus on the historical facts, especially if doing so encouraged feelings of contempt for misguided religious leaders. Instead, it is more important to look deeper, observing the scribes and Pharisees within ourselves. These are the false thoughts and evil tendencies that rise up from hell, beckoning us to despise others who do not worship as we worship, think as we think, or do as we do. The truth is that everyone, in one way or another, is on their own journey from Jerusalem to Jericho, and everyone gets wounded along the way. This is the universal journey that we all are called to make. It is the difficult journey from higher understanding (Jerusalem) to the fruitful plains of Jericho where truth is put to use. Learning the truth is one thing, but putting it into our lives and “bearing fruit” is much more difficult. It's good to know that there are “Good Samaritans” everywhere who are willing to help us get back up on our feet, people who will support and encourage the good in us, so that we might continue our journey to Jericho. ¹⁷

First Things First

38. And it came to pass as they went, that He entered into a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha received Him into her house.

39. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at the feet of Jesus, and heard His Word.

40. But Martha was concerned about much ministering, and standing by said, Lord, dost Thou not care that my sister has left me to minister alone? Tell her, therefore, that she should help me.

41. And Jesus answering said to her, Martha, Martha, thou art anxious and fretful about many things;

42. But one thing is needful, and Mary has chosen that good part which shall not be taken away from her.

At the end of the previous episode, Jesus gave the lawyer a specific command. It could not have been more simple or more direct. Just four words: “Go and do likewise.” The literal sense of this story teaches natural charity. It's about our basic, fundamental concern for others. We are to love our neighbor as ourselves. The Good Samaritan showed compassion. And we are to “Go and do likewise.” It is the perfect answer to the lawyer's question, “Who is my neighbor?”

Each of us is called to be neighbor to others when they fall among spiritual thieves who attempt to rob them of their faith. Each of us is called to support and encourage what is good in others. This is one of the central messages in the Parable of the Good Samaritan.

But we would make a serious mistake if we overlooked the lawyer's first question: “Teacher,” he said, “what shall I do to inherit eternal life?” The answer was twofold. The second part was to love your neighbor as yourself. This important teaching was beautifully illustrated in the parable which followed. But the first part—the more significant part of the answer—should not be forgotten: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind.”

It is always possible to overemphasize either part of this two-fold command. Too much attention to prayer, devotion, and religious ceremony to the exclusion of meeting the fundamental needs of our neighbors makes a mockery of religion. The priest and the Levite who “walked by on the other side” represent this kind of over-emphasis on what people believe is “loving the Lord.” In actuality, when worship of God does not lead to loving the neighbor, it is not worship at all. ¹⁸

On the other hand, we can also err on the side of too much service. When our charitable actions are disconnected with our love for God and our total dependence on Him, we get worn out. As a result, we can become anxious, nervous, and worried about many things. We can get cranky and irritable. We become the wounded man on the side of the road, half-dead with exertion. Therefore, in keeping with these perfectly ordered episodes, the next story focuses our attention on sitting at God's feet, stilling the mind, and listening to His word—a pre-requisite for loving the neighbor.

Sitting at Jesus' feet

The story begins as Jesus and His disciples enter a village. “And a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus' feet and heard His word”(10:38-39).

The two sisters represent the two aspects of every human being. Mary represents the part of us that hungers to hear God's word, the part that simply wants to sit by His feet, absorb His wisdom, and be led by Him. But Martha represents a different part of us. She is the part that is busy serving, trying to be helpful, gracious, and accommodating. It's the part of us that cares about others and wants to make them happy, but is often so pre-occupied with service that it forgets to rest in God. In other words, “Martha was distracted with much serving”(10:40).

Like many of us, Martha finds herself so consumed by her duties that she can no longer cope. She feels overwhelmed by all she has to do, and she resents the fact that Mary is not helping. So, she approaches Jesus and says, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore, tell her to help me”(10:40).

Martha's situation reminds us that we need to be careful about our priorities and commitments. While we are indeed here to serve others, and while we can find our greatest joy in unselfish service, we should also take time to rest in the Lord, sitting at His feet and listening to His Word. If we neglect this essential part, we will end up feeling burnt-out and burnt-up. As we have seen throughout this gospel, taking time to develop our faith, including reading the Word and pausing to pray, is absolutely essential before attempting to do anything that is good. Service that is not filled with God's love is empty. The internal must precede and infill the external. ¹⁹

Ever merciful, and filled with understanding, Jesus speaks gently to Martha, saying, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her”(10:42).

The trouble with Martha is that she neglected the essential thing—the “one thing that is needed.” Martha, then, represents the part of us that may be frantically trying to do good, but has not stopped to rest in God so that God can work though us. Whenever we become overly concerned with domestic issues and business matters, forgetting to take time for God, we miss out on “the good part.” ²⁰

In our eagerness to do the right thing, we may neglect the essential, which is to approach God, sit at His feet, and prayerfully reflect on His Word. It is often in the silence, when we have stopped the mental chatter about domestic and business concerns, when God speaks most clearly to us, giving strength and direction. Without that essential guidance, we may find ourselves busy doing many things, volunteering for many activities, and serving in various ways—to the point of exhaustion. Without God in our lives, and the gentle inspiration of His Word, the decisions that we make in those various capacities may not be wise, or truly loving.

It is, in the end, Mary who has chosen the good part. When our choices in life are based on our understanding of the Word, God can work with us, and through us, directing us, and inspiring us in everything we do. Kindled by His love, we will not burn out; enlightened by His wisdom, we will not walk in darkness.

Whenever this happens, and wherever this happens, the good that we do will be truly good because it will come from first going to the Lord. It will be the Lord's goodness working through us. That's why Mary has the good part. ²¹

Footnotes:

433. Verse 5. Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed, signifies love to the Lord, and that all who are in that love are in heaven, and come into heaven. This is evident from the representation and consequent signification of "Judah" and his tribe, as being love to the Lord (of which presently); also from the signification of "twelve thousand," as being all persons and all things (of which see above, n. 430, here all who are in that love; also from the signification of the "sealed," as being those who are distinguished and separated from such as are in evil; in other words, those who are in good (of which also see above, n. 427. It follows that those who are in heaven and who come into heaven are meant, for these "were sealed in their foreheads," that is, separated from the evil; for these are the ones of whom it is said:

A Lamb was standing on the Mount Zion, and with Him a hundred and forty-four thousand, having the Father's name written on their foreheads. These are they who were not defiled with women; for they are virgins, bought from among men, the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb (Revelation 14:1, 3, 4).

"The Mount Zion" signifies the heaven in which there is love to the Lord; for all those signified by "the twelve thousand out of each tribe," or by "the hundred and forty-four thousand sealed on their foreheads," are such as acknowledge the Lord and love Him; and for this reason the first tribe named is the tribe of Judah, which tribe signifies love to the Lord; for (as was said above, n. 431 the representation of heaven is determined by the order in which the tribes are named, and the first name, or the tribe first named, is that from which are derived the determinations and significations of those that follow, with variations.

[2] Furthermore, no one is admitted into heaven except by the Lord, for the universal heaven is His, consequently no one is in heaven, or comes to it, unless he acknowledges the Lord and loves Him. To love the Lord is not to love Him in respect to person but to live according to His commandments, as the Lord also teaches in plain words in John:

In that day ye shall know that I am in My Father, and ye in Me, and I in you. He that hath My commandments and doeth them, he it is that loveth Me. If anyone loveth Me he will keep My words; and My Father will love him, and We will come unto him and make Our abode with him. He that loveth Me not keepeth not My words (John 14:20, 21, 23, 24).

Those love the Lord who do and keep His commandments and His words, because His commandments and words signify Divine truths, and all Divine truth proceeds from Him, and that which proceeds from Him is Himself; when, therefore, a man is in that truth in respect to his life the Lord is in him and he in the Lord; this is why it is said "ye in Me and I in you," and "We will come and make Our abode with him;" this, therefore, is loving Him. To love means also to be conjoined, for love is spiritual conjunction, and conjunction is effected by the reception of Divine truth in doctrine and in life.

[3] Before showing from the Word that "Judah," or the tribe named from Judah, signifies love to the Lord, it shall be told what "Judah" signifies in each sense in the Word. In the highest sense "Judah" signifies the Lord in respect to celestial love; in the internal sense the Lord's celestial kingdom, and the Word; and in the external sense doctrine from the Word belonging to the celestial kingdom. Because in the highest sense the Lord in respect to celestial love is signified, and in the internal sense the celestial kingdom, love to the Lord also is signified, for that is the reciprocal love in man, and reigns in the Lord's celestial kingdom. There are two kingdoms into which the universal heaven is divided, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom; the celestial kingdom consists of those who are in love to the Lord, and the spiritual kingdom of those who are in love towards the neighbor; from this can be seen what is meant by celestial love and by spiritual love (on these kingdoms, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 20-28). These two kingdoms the Jews and Israelites represented, the Jews the celestial kingdom and the Israelites the spiritual kingdom. Again, "Judah" signifies the Word because the Lord is the Word, and He took on the Human in that tribe that He might be the Word in respect even to the Human, as it is said in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1, 14).

"The Word" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth proceeding from His Divine love; consequently those who love the Divine truth that is in the Word by doing it are in the Lord's love.

[4] That "Judah" signifies the Lord in respect to celestial love, and thus love to the Lord, and also the Word, can be seen from the following passages. In Moses:

Thou art Judah, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; thy father's sons shall bow down to thee. Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, art thou gone up; he stooped down, he crouched as a lion, and as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? The scepter shall not be removed from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and the obedience of the peoples shall be to him. He shall bind his young ass to the vine, and the son of his she-ass to the noble vine; he washeth his vesture in wine, and his covering in the blood of grapes; his eyes shall be red from wine, and his teeth white from milk (Genesis 49:8-12).

Here by "Judah" in the spiritual sense the Lord's celestial kingdom and the Lord Himself in respect to celestial love are described. Celestial love is the Lord's love received in the celestial kingdom, and spiritual love is the Lord's love received in the spiritual kingdom. The signification of these words is as follows: "Thy brethren shall praise thee" signifies that the celestial church is eminent above all others; for "the brethren," or the tribes named from Jacob's sons, who were Judah's brethren, signify the church; "thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies" signifies that the infernal and devilish crew shall be thrust out and held back, "enemies" meaning those who are from hell; "thy father's sons shall bow down to thee" signifies the submission of all truths of the church, "to bow down" meaning to submit themselves, and "his father's sons" all truths of the church; for in those who are in love to the Lord, and thence in the celestial kingdom, all truths of the church are implanted; "Judah is a lion's whelp" signifies innocence with innate powers; for love to the Lord, viewed in itself, is innocence, and this is signified by "whelp," and its innate powers are signified by a "lion;" "from the prey, my son, thou art gone up," signifies the deliverance of many from hell; "he stooped down, he crouched as a lion, and as an old lion," signifies the good of love and truth therefrom in its power; for "to stoop down," in reference to a lion, means to put himself into power; "who shall rouse him up?" signifies that this good is safe wherever it is, and that it cannot be moved by the hells.

"The scepter shall not be removed from Judah" signifies that power shall not depart from the good of celestial love; "nor a lawgiver from between his feet" signifies, nor shall the truths of the Word disappear from its ultimate sense; "until Shiloh come" signifies the Lord's coming and the tranquillity of peace at that time; "the obedience of the peoples shall be to him" signifies truths from Him, and conjunction thereby; "he shall bind his young ass to the vine" signifies the external church and its truths from the Lord; "and the son of his she-ass to the noble vine" signifies the internal church and its truths from the Lord; "he washeth his vesture in wine" signifies the Lord's external or natural Human, which is Divine truth from His Divine love; "and his covering in the blood of grapes," signifies the Lord's internal or rational Human, which is Divine good from His Divine love; "his eyes shall be red from wine" signifies that the internal or rational Human is nothing but good; "and his teeth white from milk" signifies that the external or natural Human is nothing but the good of truth. Thus from each particular in this description it can be seen that "Judah" does not mean Judah, but that it is some preeminently heavenly thing that is thus described. (But the particulars may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia 6363-6381.)

[5] In Ezekiel:

Thou son of man, take thee one stick and write upon it, For Judah and for the sons of Israel his fellows; then take another stick and write upon it, For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and of all the house of Israel; and then join them for thee one with another into one stick, that they both may be one in thy ¹ hand. I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim and of the tribes of Israel his fellows, and will bring upon it with the stick of Judah, and I will make them one stick. I will take the sons of Israel from among the nations whither they are gone, and will bring them together from round about, and will bring them upon their own land; and will make them into one nation upon the land in the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be to them all for a king, and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms anymore at all. My servant David shall be king over them, that they all may have one shepherd; and they shall walk in My judgments and keep My statutes, and do them. Then shall they ² dwell upon the land that I have given unto Jacob My servant, wherein your fathers dwelt; and they shall dwell upon it, they and their sons and their sons' sons to eternity; and David My servant shall be their prince to eternity. And I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be a covenant of eternity with them; and I will give them, and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in the midst of them forever. So shall My tabernacle be with them; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people (Ezekiel 37:16, 17, 19, 21, 22, 24-27).

What this signifies no one can know unless he knows what "Judah" and "Israel," and "Joseph" and "Ephraim" signify. Evidently Judah and Israel are not meant, nor Joseph and Ephraim; for it is said that the tribes of Israel scattered among the nations should be gathered together and brought into the land of Canaan, and that David should be their king and prince, and that they were to dwell with him forever. Who does not know that the tribes of Israel could not be gathered, and that David could no more be king over them? Let it be known, then, what is signified in the spiritual sense by "Judah," by "the sons of Israel," by "Joseph" and "Ephraim," and further what by "David," and by "the land of Canaan." "Judah," in the spiritual sense, signifies the Lord's celestial kingdom; "the sons of Israel" the Lord's spiritual kingdom; "Joseph" and "Ephraim," and "the scattered tribes of Israel that are to be gathered together," mean those who are below these kingdoms, being neither celestial nor spiritual but natural, and yet are in the good of life according to their religious principle.

[6] These are meant also by the Lord in John:

Other sheep also I have, which are not of this fold; them also must I bring, and they shall hear My voice; and there shall be one flock and one Shepherd (John 10:16);

for these were not in heaven before the Lord's coming, but were introduced by Him after He had glorified His Human, and for the reason that until then the Divine proceeding could not extend to them. When this is known, and when it is known that "David" means the Lord in respect to Divine truth proceeding from His Divine Human, it can be known what the particulars here mean in series. These things were written upon two sticks, and the two sticks were joined into one stick, because a "stick" (or wood) signifies the good of life, and all conjunction in heaven is effected by means of good and according to it. (That "wood" signifies the good of life see Arcana Coelestia 643, 2784, 3720, 8354)

[7] In Isaiah:

Then the Lord shall lift up an ensign for the nations, and shall gather together the outcasts of Israel, and shall bring together the scattered of Judah from the four wings of the earth. Then the envy of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off; Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not distress Ephraim; but they shall fly on the shoulder of the Philistines towards the sea (Isaiah 11:12-14).

This is said of the salvation of the Gentiles, which are also signified by "the outcasts of Israel" and "the scattered of Judah," for it is said that "the Lord shall lift up an ensign for the nations;" "the outcasts of Israel" mean those who are not in truths, but still are in the desire to learn them; and "the scattered of Judah" mean those who are in the good of life, and thereby in love to the Lord; for those who love to do good love the Lord; for the Lord is in such good, since it is from Him. "Ephraim" means the intellectual, here in agreement with the good of love; and that these shall not be at variance with each other is meant by "the envy of Ephraim shall depart;" "Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not distress Ephraim." That they shall be separated from those who are in faith separate from charity is signified by "they shall fly on the shoulder of the Philistines towards the sea;" "the philistines towards the sea" meaning those who separate faith from charity, that is from the good of life; "the sea" meaning the ultimate of heaven where it comes to an end; and "to fly on the shoulder" meaning to reject, and thus to separate themselves.

[8] In Zechariah:

Exult, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee; He is just and faithful. ³ I will bend Judah for Me, I will fill the bow with Ephraim, and I will stir up thy sons, O Zion (Zechariah 9:9, 13).

This treats of the Lord's coming and the establishment of the church by Him with those who are in the good of love and in the truths of doctrine therefrom. "The daughter of Zion" and "the daughter of Jerusalem" signify the church with such; "thy King who cometh, just and faithful," is the Lord, from whom are the good of love and the truth of doctrine; "I will bend Judah for Me, I will fill the bow with Ephraim," signifies that the church is to be established with such as are in the good of love to the Lord, and in the truths of doctrine therefrom; "Judah" here meaning those who are in the good of love to the Lord, and "Ephraim" the truths of doctrine, for "Ephraim" signifies the intellectual of the church, and "bow" the doctrine of truth (that "bow" signifies doctrine see above, n. 357, where this is also explained); such as these are "sons of Zion." Evidently the Jewish nation is not here meant by "Judah," nor Ephraim by "Ephraim;" for the Lord's church was not established with the Jewish nation, for it was not received by that nation, and the tribe of Ephraim did not then exist.

[9] In the same:

Jehovah of Hosts shall visit His drove, the house of Judah, and shall set them as the horse of His glory in war. Out of him shall be the corner, out of him the nail, out of him the bow of war. And I will render the house of Judah mighty, and I will save the house of Joseph, and will make them to dwell. Hence they shall be as the mighty Ephraim, and their heart shall be glad as if with wine (Zechariah 10:3, 4, 6, 7).

Here, too, "the house of Judah" means the Lord's celestial kingdom, which consists of those who are in love to Him, and "Ephraim" means those who are in the truths of doctrine from that love; for all who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom are in the truths of doctrine, since such have truths, as it were, implanted in and inscribed upon their hearts (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 25, 26. The rest may be seen explained above, n. 355, 376).

[10] In the same:

Sing for joy and be glad, O daughter of Zion; for lo I come that I may dwell in the midst of thee. Then many nations shall conjoin themselves to Jehovah in that day, and shall be to Me for a people. Jehovah shall make Judah an heritage for Himself, His part, in the land of holiness, and shall again choose Jerusalem (Zechariah 2:10-12).

Very evidently "Judah" here does not mean the Jewish nation, nor does "Jerusalem" mean Jerusalem; for the Lord's coming is here treated of, at which time that nation had wholly receded, and afterwards Jerusalem was destroyed; and yet it is said that "Jehovah shall make Judah an heritage for Himself, and His part in the land of holiness, and shall again choose Jerusalem;" therefore "Judah" means those who are in love to the Lord, and "Jerusalem" the church with such in respect to doctrine.

[11] In Nahum:

Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that proclaimeth good tidings, that publisheth peace! Celebrate thy feasts, O Judah, render thy vows; for Belial shall never more pass through thee; he is utterly cut off (Nahum 1:15).

This, too, is said of the Lord; His coming is meant by "Behold upon the mountains the feet of him that proclaimeth good tidings, that publisheth peace!" "To celebrate feasts" and "to render vows" signify to rejoice in His coming and then to worship Him; "Belial shall never more pass through Judah, he is utterly cut off," signifies that evil shall be no more with them because they are in the Lord. This could not be said of the Jewish nation, but may be said of those who are in love to the Lord; which makes clear that such are meant by "Judah."

[12] In Malachi:

Behold I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me; and the Lord shall suddenly come to His temple. Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be agreeable unto Jehovah, according to the days of an age, and according to the former years (Joel 3:1, 4).

It is known in the church that this is said of the Lord's coming, and that "the messenger who shall prepare the way before Him" means John the Baptist. "The offering of Judah and Jerusalem shall be agreeable unto Jehovah" signifies that then there will be acceptable worship from the good of love to the Lord, "the offering of Judah" signifying such worship; it is evident that the worship of the Jewish nation and of Jerusalem was not acceptable, for they did not acknowledge the Lord, but utterly rejected Him; "according to the days of an age, and according to former years," signifies according to the worship in the ancient churches; the Most Ancient Church, that was before the flood, and was in love to the Lord, is signified by "the days of an age," or of eternity, and the Ancient Church, that was after the flood, and was a spiritual church, is signified by "former years."

[13] In Joel:

It shall come to pass in that day that the mountains shall drop down must, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the water-courses of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall go forth out of the house of Jehovah, and shall water the brook of Shittim. Egypt shall be a waste, and Edom shall be a waste wilderness, because of the violence to the sons of Judah, whose innocent blood they have shed in their land. But Judah shall sit to eternity, and Jerusalem to generation and generation (Joel 3:18-20).

Here, too, the Lord's coming and a new heaven and a new earth at that time are treated of. "The mountains shall drop down must" signifies that all truth will be from the good of love (that "mountains" signify the good of love see above n. 405; and that "wine" and "must" signify truth see also above, n. 376). "The hills shall flow with milk" signifies that spiritual life will be from the good of charity towards the neighbor; and "all the watercourses of Judah shall flow with waters" signifies that from the particulars of the Word there will be truths, through which there will be intelligence; "a fountain shall go forth out of the house of Jehovah, and shall water the brook of Shittim," signifies that out of heaven from the Lord there will be truth of doctrine that will illustrate those who are in cognitions and knowledges; "Egypt shall be a waste, and Edom shall be a waste wilderness" signifies that false principles, and the evils of the love of self, both from the natural man, will be destroyed; "because of the violence to the sons of Judah, whose innocent blood they have shed in their land," signifies because of the truths of the Word falsified and its goods adulterated, which they have corrupted and destroyed; "Judah shall sit to eternity, and Jerusalem to generation and generation," signifies that the Word and the doctrine of genuine truth therefrom will remain to eternity with those who are in love to the Lord. This makes clear that "Judah" does not here mean Judah, nor "Jerusalem" Jerusalem.

[14] In the same:

O Tyre and Zidon, and all the boundaries of the Philistines, I will quickly return a recompense upon your head; because ye have taken My silver and My gold, and the desirable things of My goods ye have brought into your temples; and the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem ye have sold to the sons of the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their boundaries (Joel 3:4-6).

By "Tyre and Zidon" and by "the Philistines" are understood those who have falsified the truths and goods of the Word; "my silver and my gold" signify these truths and goods, and "to bring them into their temples" signifies to falsify and profane them; "to sell the sons of Judah and the sons of Jerusalem to the sons of the Grecians" signifies to pervert and falsify all the truths and goods of the Word; "the sons of Judah" meaning the goods of the Word, "the sons of Jerusalem" its truths, and "the sons of the Grecians" falsities; "to remove them far from their boundaries" signifies far from the truths themselves. One who does not know the spiritual sense of the Word might believe that those who were in Tyre and Zidon and in Philistia sold the sons of Judah and Jerusalem to the Grecians; but this is a prophecy in which the nations which are named signify the things of the church.

[15] In Jeremiah:

In those days the house of Judah shall go unto ⁴ the house of Israel, and they shall come together out of the land of the north unto the land that I gave for an inheritance unto your fathers (Jeremiah 3:18).

This, too, treats of the Lord's coming and of a new church from Him. His coming is meant by "in those days," and a new church by "the house of Judah and the house of Israel," a church from those who are in love to the Lord by "the house of Judah," and a church from those who are in charity towards the neighbor, which is called a spiritual church, by "the house of Israel." "They shall come together out of the land of the north unto the land that I gave for an inheritance unto your fathers" signifies that they shall come out of ignorance and falsities, in which they then were, into knowledges and the light of truth of the church; "the land of the north" signifying a state of ignorance and of the falsity of religion and "the land given for an inheritance to their fathers" a church that is in knowledges and the light of truth. These things were said of the nations from whom a new church is to be established. It is well known that the house of Judah and the house of Israel did not then come out of the land of the north, namely at the time when the Lord was in the world; for the Jews were then in the land of Canaan, and the Israelites were dispersed.

[16] In the same:

Behold the days come when I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and He shall reign as King, and shall prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the land. In His days shall Judah be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely; and this is His name which they shall call Him, Jehovah our Righteousness (Jeremiah 23:5, 6; 33:15, 16).

This is plainly said of the Lord; He is "the Branch of David," He "shall reign as a King, and He shall be called Jehovah our Righteousness." "In His days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely," signifies that those will be saved who are in love to Him and in charity towards the neighbor (as above). It is evident that Judah was not saved, and that Israel was not recalled, and could not be recalled so as to dwell safely, that is, without infestation from evils and falsities.

[17] In the same:

I will bring Israel again to his habitation, that he may feed on Carmel and Bashan, and his soul shall be satisfied upon Mount Ephraim and in Gilead. In those days and in that time the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and the sins of Judah, and they shall not be found (Jeremiah 50:19, 20).

This, too, is said of the establishment by the Lord of a church among the Gentiles that are meant by "Israel," who is said to be brought back to his habitation, and "Judah" whose sins are not to be found. That these are to be led by the Lord and instructed in the good of charity is meant by "they shall feed on Carmel and Bashan, and upon Mount Ephraim and in Gilead."

[18] In Zechariah:

In that day I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness; and I will open Mine eye upon the house of Judah. In that day will I make the leaders of Judah like a furnace of fire among wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf, that they may devour all the peoples round about, on the right and on the left, that Jerusalem may yet dwell in her own place, even in Jerusalem. Jehovah shall save the tents of Judah first (Zechariah 12:4, 6, 7).

This treats of the devastation of the former church and of the establishment of a new church by the Lord; the devastation of the former church is described by "In that day I will smite every horse with astonishment, and his rider with madness," for "horse" signifies the understanding of truth with man, and "the rider" intelligence (See above, n. 355; "the house of Judah" signifies the church with those who are in the good of love to the Lord; of this it is said that the Lord "will open His eye upon it." That evils from hell and also falsities will be dispersed by such and with such, is signified by "In that day will I make the leaders of Judah like a furnace of fire among wood, and like a torch of fire in a sheaf, that they may devour all the peoples round about, on the right and on the left." That that church will be safe from the infestation of evils and falsities is signified by "Jerusalem shall dwell in her own place, even in Jerusalem;" and that the Lord will wholly save those who are in love to Him is signified by "Jehovah shall save the tents of Judah first."

[19] In Isaiah:

The word of Jehovah respecting Judah and Jerusalem: It shall come to pass in the latter end of days that the mountain of Jehovah shall be firm on the top of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it, and many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and He will instruct us of His ways, and we will walk in His paths (Isaiah 2:1-3).

This, too, is said of a new church to be established by the Lord; "the mountain of Jehovah that will then be firm on the top of the mountains" means Zion, and signifies the celestial church, and love to the Lord, which those have who are of that church. That this is the primary thing of the church, and that it is to increase and gain strength, is signified by "it shall be on the top of the mountains, and be lifted up above the hills;" that those who are in good will acknowledge the Lord and will draw near to the church is signified by "all nations shall flow unto that mountain," "nations" signifying those who are in celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord, and "peoples" those who are in spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbor; of these latter it is said, "many peoples shall go and say, Come ye and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob." (That "nations" signify those who are in celestial good, and "peoples" those who are in spiritual good, see above, n. 331)

[20] In the same:

Jehovah thy Redeemer, and thy Former from the womb, that establisheth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers, saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited, and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built, and I will raise up the waste places thereof (Isaiah 44:24, 26).

This, too, treats of the Lord's coming, who is "Jehovah thy Redeemer, and thy Former from the womb;" He is called "Redeemer" because He delivered from hell; and "the Former from the womb" because He regenerates man. A prediction by the prophets respecting Him and respecting the salvation of man is meant by "that establisheth the word of His servant, and performeth the counsel of His messengers;" that those who are of His church will be saved, and will be instructed in the truths of celestial doctrine is meant by "saying to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be inhabited, and to the cities of Judah, Ye shall be built;" "Jerusalem" meaning the church, and "the cities of Judah" the truths of celestial doctrine. That the falsities that destroy the church shall be shaken off is meant by "I will raise up the waste places thereof." It is not said by the Lord that Jerusalem would be inhabited and the cities of Judah built, but that Jerusalem would be destroyed, which was done as is well known.

[21] In the same:

And I will bring forth a seed out of Jacob, and out of Judah an Inheri-tor of My mountains; that My chosen may possess it, and My servants dwell there (Isaiah 65:9).

Here "Jacob" and "Judah" do not mean a people from Jacob and a nation from Judah, but a church to be established by the Lord; "Jacob" means the church that is in the good of life, and "Judah" the church that is the good of love to the Lord; thus "Jacob" an external church, and "Judah" an internal church. "Seed" means charity and faith, and "mountains" the goods of love. Those who are in charity are called "chosen," and those who are in truths from the good of love are called "servants," therefore it is said "that My chosen may possess it, and My servants dwell there."

[22] In Ezekiel:

Judah and the land of Israel were thy traders; they traded in thy market with wheats of Minnith and Pannag, and with honey and oil, and balsam (Ezekiel 27:17).

This was said of Tyre, which signifies the church in respect to the knowledges of truth and good, and thus "Tyre" signifies the knowledges of truth and good belonging to the church; its merchandise and tradings are here treated of, which describe how these knowledges are acquired, here such of them as are acquired from Judah and the land of Israel; and as "Judah" signifies the good of love, and "Israel" the truths from that good, its tradings are said to be with "wheats of Minnith and Pannag, and in honey, and oil, and balsam," because "wheats of Minnith and Pannag" signify truths and goods of the church of all kinds, "honey" signifies the good of love in the natural man, "oil" the good of love in the spiritual man, and "balsam" truths that are grateful from good (See above, n. 375), where this is more fully explained). From the merchandise mentioned in this chapter, when understood in the spiritual sense, what is signified by the different nations there mentioned becomes very evident, thus what is meant by "Judah" and by "Israel," for the merchandise indicates the spiritual meaning.

[23] That "Judah" does not mean the Jewish nation can be seen in Ezekiel 48:8-22, which treats of a new land that was to be distributed among the twelve tribes of Israel, and these tribes are there named, and what part of the land each one was to possess; and much is there said about the tribe of Judah, and that "the sanctuary should be in the midst of it" (verses 8-22); which makes clear that the tribes there mentioned do not mean those tribes, for eleven of them had been scattered, and had become Gentiles, from whom they could not be distinguished, for they had been carried away into perpetual exile. It is evident also that the land there mentioned does not mean a land, but a church, and consequently the tribes there mentioned mean such things as pertain to the church, and "Judah" there means the celestial church, or the church that is in love to the Lord, in which therefore, is the sanctuary.

[24] The like is meant by "Judah" and "Israel" in David:

Judah became His sanctuary, and Israel His domain (Psalms 114:2).

"Sanctuary" signifies in the highest sense the Lord Himself, and in a relative sense the worship of Him from the good of love; "Israel" signifies the truth of the church from that good; and because truths from good, that is, good by means of truths, have all power, therefore it is said "Israel became His domain." Because "Judah" signifies the Lord's celestial kingdom, and "Israel" the Lord's spiritual kingdom (as was said above), and the celestial kingdom is what constitutes the priesthood of the Lord in heaven, and the spiritual kingdom the royalty of the Lord (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 24, 226), so in the Word the Lord is called a "King," and in the Gospels:

King of the Jews (Matthew 2:2; John 18:33, 37; 19:19);

and the Lord as "King of the Jews" means the Lord in respect to Divine truth proceeding from the Divine good of His Divine love; therefore "kings" in the Word signify truths that are from good (See above, n. 31).

[25] In Jeremiah:

Behold the days come that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of the beast; and in which I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. This is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, I will give My law in the midst of them, and will write it upon their heart; and I will be to them for God, and they shall be to Me for a people (Jeremiah 31:27, 31, 33, 34).

Here, too, "the days to come" mean the Lord's coming; therefore it is not meant that a new covenant would then be made with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, but with a new church to be established by the Lord, which is meant by "the house of Israel and the house of Judah," in the midst of whom the law should be given, and should be written on the heart. Everyone knows that this was not done with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah, for they utterly rejected the covenant with the Lord and likewise do so to this day. "Covenant" signifies conjunction with the Lord through love to Him, from which conjunction there is given the law or Divine truth in them, both in their doctrine and in their life, and this is the law in the midst and written ⁵ on the heart. "To sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and with the seed of beast" signifies to reform those who are of the new church through truths and goods that are of intelligence and affection, "seed" meaning truth, "man" intelligence, and "beast" the good of affection. That this is the signification of "beast" will be shown in what follows.

[26] In Zechariah:

Many peoples and numerous nations shall come to seek Jehovah of Hosts in Jerusalem, and to entreat the faces of Jehovah. In those days, ⁶ ten men out of all the tongues of the nations shall take hold of the skirt of a man that is a Jew, saying, We will go with you; for we have heard that God is with you (Zechariah 8:22, 23).

One who does not know that a "Jew" means such as are in love to the Lord and in the truths of doctrine therefrom can easily be led to believe that these things are said of the Jews, and of bringing them into the land of Canaan, and that all others who desire to be saved will then take hold of the skirt of their raiment, praying to be allowed to go with them. But when it is known that this is not said of any introduction into the land of Canaan, to Jerusalem there, and that a "Jew" does not mean those who are of that nation, but that "Jerusalem" means a new church to be established by the Lord, and a "Jew" everyone who is in the good of love to the Lord, and "the skirt of a Jew" means truth from that good, then the signification of all things in this chapter and of these words in particular can be known, for this treats of the calling together of the nations and their drawing near to the church, and a "Jew" means those who acknowledge and love the Lord, and "to take hold of his skirt" signifies a longing to know truth from the Lord, and "ten men out of all the tongues of the nations" mean all, of whatever religion, "ten men" signifying all, and "tongues of the nations" their religious principles.

[27] From this it can be seen how far from the truth those have wandered, who believe that at the end of time the Jews will be converted to the Lord and brought back into the land of Canaan. These believe that "land," "Jerusalem," "Israel," and "Judah" mean in the Word the land of Canaan, the city of Jerusalem, the Israelitish people, and the Jewish nation. Those who have hitherto so believed are excusable, because they have known nothing of the spiritual sense of the Word, and therefore have not known that the "land" signifies the church, "Jerusalem" the church in respect to doctrine, "Israel" those who are of the spiritual church, and "Judah" those who are of the celestial church; also that where bringing them into the land of Canaan is treated of in the prophets, bringing the faithful into heaven and into the church is meant. This also took place when the Lord came into the world, for then all those who had lived in the good of charity and had worshiped God under a human form were brought into heaven; these had been preserved under heaven until the Lord came, and when He had glorified His Human they were brought in. These are the ones meant in many passages in the prophetic Word that treat of the captivity of the sons of Israel and Judah, and their being brought back into their land. In these passages those also are meant who were to be brought into the church, and thence into heaven from the earth after the Lord came, not only where the Christian religion is received but everywhere else. Both of these classes are meant in many passages where Israel, Judah and Jerusalem are mentioned, and their being brought into the land is treated of (as in the following: Isaiah 10:21, 22; 11:11, 12; 43:5, 6; 49:10-26; 56:8; 60:4; 61:1-5, 9; Jeremiah 3:12-20; 16:15, 16; 23:7, 8; 30:2-11; 31:1-14, 23-40; 33:6-18; Ezekiel 16:60-62; 20:40-42; 34:11-16; 37:21-28; 39:21-29; Hosea 3:5; Joel 2:18-27; 2:32; Amos 9:12-15 elsewhere).

[28] The two following may be taken as examples of passages whereby the Jews have persuaded themselves, and also Christians have come to believe, that the Jewish nation is to return into the land of Canaan, and be saved before others. In Isaiah:

Then shall they bring all your brethren out of all nations, an offering unto Jehovah, upon horses, and upon the chariot, and upon covered wagons, and upon mules, and upon swift beasts, to the mountain of My holiness, Jerusalem. As the new heavens and the new earth which I am about to make shall stand before Me, so shall your seed and your name stand (Isaiah 66:20, 22).

(What this signifies see above, n. 355, 405, where they are explained.) "The new heaven and the new earth" mean the heaven and the church formed of those who were to be saved by the Lord, when He had glorified His Human, as was said above.

[29] In the same:

I will lift up My hand towards the nations, and elevate My ensign to the peoples, that they may bring thy sons in the bosom, and carry thy daughters upon the shoulder. Kings shall be thy nourishers, and princesses thy sucklers; with the face to the earth shall they bow down to thee, and lick the dust of thy feet (Isaiah 49:22, 23).

This whole chapter treats of the coming of the Lord and the salvation of those who receive Him, as is clearly evident from verses 6-9 chapter; consequently it does not treat of the salvation of the Jews, much less of their restoration to the land of Canaan. That the Jewish nation is not meant in the above passages can be seen from the fact that it was the worst nation and at heart idolatrous, and that it was brought back into the land of Canaan not because of any goodness or righteousness of heart, but because of the promise made to their fathers; also that they had no truths and goods of the church, but only falsities and evils, and that for this reason they were rejected and driven out of the land of Canaan; as can be seen from all those passages in the Word in which that nation is described.

[30] Of what quality that nation was, and what it was to become, namely, that it was the very worst, is described by Moses in his song in these words:

I will hide My face from them, I will see what their posterity will be; for they are ⁷ a generation of perversions, sons in whom is no faithfulness. I have said, I will hurl them into the extreme corners, I will make the remembrance of them to cease from man. For they are a nation lost of counsel, neither is there any intelligence in them. Their vine is of the vine of Sodom, and of the fields of Gomorrah; their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are of bitternesses. Their wine is the poison of dragons, and the cruel gall of asps. Is this not ⁸ laid up in store with Me, sealed up among My treasures? Mine is vengeance and requital (Deuteronomy 32:20-35).

This describes what the nature of the church is with the Jews, namely that it is in dire falsities from evil. What the church is with them is meant by "their vine is of the vine of Sodom and of the fields of Gomorrah," "vine" signifying the church. The falsities from evil that they possess are meant by "their grapes are grapes of gall, their clusters are of bitternesses, their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruel gall of asps;" "grapes" signify the goods of the church, but "grapes of gall" and "clusters of bitternesses" signify evils from dire falsities; their falsities themselves are meant by "their wine is the poison of dragons and the cruel gall of asps;" "wine" signifies truth from the Word, but "the poison of dragons" and "the gall of asps" signify the monstrous falsity that springs from the falsified truths of the Word. In like manner is that nation described in other parts of the Word (as in Deuteronomy, in the book of Judges, and in the prophets, as in Jeremiah 5:20-31; 7:8-34; 9:2-26; 11:6-17; 13:9-27; 19; 32:30-35; 44:2-24). That this nation was at heart idolatrous is evident from the passages cited, and from many others, as in Jeremiah:

According to the number of thy cities were thy gods, O Judah; and according to the number of the streets of Jerusalem have ye ⁹ set up altars to burn incense unto Baal (Jeremiah 2:28, 11:13).

[31] That they were not brought into the land of Canaan on account of any goodness or righteousness of heart, but on account of the promise made to their fathers, see in Moses:

Not for thy righteousness nor for the uprightness of thy heart dost thou come to possess the land, but to establish the word that Jehovah sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Know therefore, that Jehovah thy God giveth thee not this good land to possess it for thy righteousness; for thou art a stiffnecked people (Deuteronomy 9:5, 6).

[32] That they had no truths and goods of the church, but only falsities and evils is evident from the Word, where their whoredoms and adulteries are treated of (in Jeremiah 3 end; Ezekiel 23 the end). "Whoredoms and adulteries" mean in the Word falsifications of truth and adulterations of good (See above, n. 141, 161); consequently the Lord says that they are:

An adulterous generation (Matthew 12:39; Mark 8:38);

Also that they are full of hypocrisy, iniquity, and uncleanness (Matthew 23:27, 28);

Also that they have falsified the Word by their traditions (Matthew 15:1-6; Mark 7:1-14).

And in plain words in John:

Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and stood not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie he speaketh from his own, for he is a liar and the father thereof (John 8:44).

"A lie" means falsity from evil; "the devil" the extinction of all good; "a murderer" the extinction of all truth; "father" means both those who are from hell and those who lived from that generation back to the earliest times; "to speak from his own" means to speak from what is innate.

[33] That thus everything of the church with them was destroyed, and they were therefore rejected, is evident from Isaiah:

The Lord Jehovih of Hosts doth take away from Jerusalem and from Judah the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread and the whole stay ¹⁰ of water, the mighty one and the man of war, the judge and the prophet, and the diviner and the old man. For Jerusalem hath stumbled, and Judah hath fallen; because their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah to rebel against the eyes of His glory (Isaiah 3:1, 2, 8).

"To take away the whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water" signifies to take away all the good of love, and the truth of faith by which there is spiritual life; "bread" meaning the good of love, and "water" the truth of faith, and "stay" and "staff" powers, and from these are all things of spiritual life; "to take away the mighty one and the man of war" signifies to take away all resistance to evils and falsities; "to take away the judge and the prophet" signifies all good and truth of doctrine; "to take away the diviner and the old man" signifies all intelligence and wisdom; "their tongue and their doings are against Jehovah, to rebel against the eyes of His glory" signifies that everything of their doctrine and of their life is utterly opposed to Divine truth; "tongue" meaning doctrine, "doings" life, and "the eyes of Jehovah's glory" the Divine truth; "to rebel" means to be opposed to it.

[34] In the same:

What could have been done more to My vineyard? Judge between Me and My vineyard. What could have been done more to My vineyard that I have not done in it? Therefore I expected that it would bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes. Now I will make known to you what I will do to My vineyard; in taking away its hedge that it may be eaten up, in breaking down its wall that it may be trampled down, I will lay it waste, that there may come up the brier and the bramble; I will even command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it (Isaiah 5:3-6).

The "vineyard" here means the church with that nation; "I expected that it would bring forth grapes, but it brought forth wild grapes," signifies that with that nation in place of the goods of truth of the church there were the evils of falsity; "to take away its hedge that it may be eaten up, to break down the wall that it may be trampled down," signifies the destruction of the church in respect to goods and truths, so that evils and falsities rush in, which are "the brier and the bramble" that should come up; "I will command the clouds that they rain no rain upon it" signifies that with them there is no more any reception of truth and good through the Word out of heaven.

[35] The destruction of the church with that nation is also treated of in Isaiah (Isaiah 7:17-19, and following verses), in Jeremiah (Jeremiah 1:15), and in many other passages. For this reason that nation was driven out of the land of Canaan, first the Israelitish nation and afterwards the Jewish nation; and this because the land of Canaan signifies the heavenly Canaan, which is heaven and the church. The quality of each of these nations is fully described in the internal sense in Exodus 32 and 33, where the golden calf that they made for themselves is treated of, on account of which Jehovah wished to consume them, and to raise up from Moses another generation (all of which may be seen explained in Arcana Coelestia 10393-10512, and n. 10523-10557).

[36] What the quality of the Jewish nation was is described also in the internal sense of Genesis 38, which treats of their origin, which was from a Canaanitish woman, and from whoredom with a daughter-in-law; for there were three stocks of that nation, one from the Canaanitish woman whom Judah took to himself for a wife, and two from Tamar his daughter-in-law, with whom he lay as with a harlot (for Arcana Coelestia 4813-4930 the explanation of which see Arcana Coelestia 4813-4930).

[37] What the quality of that nation was is also described by what is said of Judas Iscariot, for he represented the Jewish nation in respect to the church. For the Lord's twelve disciples represented the church of the Lord in general, and each one of them some universal essential of it, and Judas Iscariot represented it such as it was with the Jews. (Besides the above, see what has been written respecting that nation in Arcana Coelestia, as follows: a representative church was instituted with the Jewish nation, but in that nation itself there was no church, n. 4899, 4912, 6304.) Consequently in respect to the nation itself, there was a representative of a church, but not a church, n. 4281, 4288, 4311, 4500, 6304, 7048, 9320, 10396, 10526, 10531, 10698. The Israelitish and Jewish nation was not chosen, but was accepted to represent a church, because of the persistency with which their fathers and Moses urged it, n. 4290, 4293, 7051, 7439, 10430, 10535, 10632. Their worship was merely external, without any internal worship, n. 1200, 3147, 3479, 8871. They knew not at all the internals of worship, nor did they wish to know, n. 301-303, 3479, 4429, 4433, 4680, 4844, 4847, 10396, 10401, 10407, 10694, 10701, 10707. How they regard the internal things of worship, of the church, and of the Word, n. 4865. Their interiors, which are of thought and affection, were filthy, full of the loves of self and the world, and of avarice, n. 3480, 9962, 10454-10457, 10462-10466, 10575. Therefore the internals of the church were not disclosed to them, because they would have profaned them, n. 2520, 3398, 3479, 4289. The Word was altogether closed to them, and is yet, n. 3769. They see the Word from without, and not from within, n. 10549-10551. Consequently when they were in worship their internal was closed, n. 8788, 8806, 9320, 9377, 9380, 9962, 10396, 10401, 10407, 10492, 10498, 10500, 10575, 10629, 10694. Still that nation excelled all others in the ability to keep up a holy external, although the internal was closed, n. 4293, 4311, 4903, 9373, 9377, 9380. Their state at that time, n. Arcana Coelestia 4311. They were preserved for the sake of the Word in the original tongue, and because they could be kept in such a state, n. 3479. Their holy external was miraculously raised up into heaven by the Lord, and in this way the interiors of worship, of the church, and of the Word, were there perceived, n. 3480, 4307, 4311, 6304, 8588, 10493, 10499, 10500, 10602. That this might be done they were forced by external means to observe strictly the rituals and statutes in external form, n. 3147, 4281, 10149. Because of their ability to be in a holy external, without the internal, they were able to represent the holy things of heaven and the church, n. 3479, 3881, 4208, 6306, 6589, 9377, 10430, 10500, 10570. Yet they themselves were not affected by the holy things, n. 3479. It does not matter of what quality the person is who represents, since representation has respect to the thing, not to the person, n. 665, 1097, 1361, 3147, 3881, 4208, 4281, 4288, 4292, 4307, 4444, 4500, 6304, 7048, 7439, 8588, 8788, 8806.

That nation was worse than other nations, their quality described from the Word of both Testaments, n. 4314, 4316, 4317, 4444, 4503, 4750, 4751, 4815, 4820, 4832, 5057, 5998, 7248, 8819, 9320, 10454-10457, 10462-10466. The tribe of Judah sank into worse evil than the other tribes, n. Arcana Coelestia 4815. How cruelly from delight they treated the nations, n. 5057, 7248, 9320. That nation was idolatrous in heart, and worshiped other gods more than others, n. 3732, 4208, 4444, 4825, 5998, 6877, 7401, 8301, 8871, 8882. Their worship viewed in regard to the nation itself, was also idolatrous, being external, without any internal, n. 4281, 4825, 8871, 8882. They worshipped Jehovah only in name, n. 6877, 10559-10561, 10566; and solely because of miracles, n. Arcana Coelestia 4299. Those are mistaken who believe that the Jews are to be converted at the end of the church, and brought back into the land of Canaan, n. 4847, 7051, 8301. Many passages cited from the Word concerning this, which must however be understood according to the internal sense, thus not according to the letter, n. Arcana Coelestia 7051. The Word in respect to the external sense was changed because of that nation, but not in respect to the internal sense, n. 10453, 10461, 10603, 10604. Jehovah appeared to them from Mount Sinai according to their quality, in a consuming fire, in a dense cloud, and in smoke as of a furnace, n. 1861, 6832, 8814, 8819, 9434. The Lord appears to everyone according to his quality, as a vivifying and recreating fire to those who are in good, and as a consuming fire to those who are in evil, n. 934, 1861, 6832, 8814, 8819, 9434, 10551. One origin of this nation was from a Canaanite woman, and the other two from whoredom with a daughter-in-law, n. 1167, 4818, 4820, 4825, 4874, 4899, 4913. These origins signified what their conjunction with the church was, namely, that it was like that with a Canaanite woman and by whoredom with a daughter-in-law, n. 4868, 4874, 4899, 4911, 4913, of their state in another life, n. 939, 940, 5057. Because that nation, although it was such, represented the church, and the Word was written with that nation and respecting it, therefore Divine celestial things were signified by their names, as by Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Ephraim, Joseph, and the rest; "Judah" in the internal sense signifying the Lord in respect to celestial love, and His celestial kingdom, n. 3654, 3881, 5583, 5603, 5782, 6363. The prophesy of Israel respecting Judah (Genesis 49:8-12), in which the Lord is treated of, explained, n. 6362-6381. The tribe of Judah, and Judea, signify the celestial church, n. 3654, 6364. The twelve tribes represented and thus signified all things of love and faith in the complex, n. 3858, 3926, 4060, 6335; consequently also heaven and the church, n. 6337, 6637, 7836, 7891. Their signification is according to the order in which they are named, n. 3862, 3926, 3939, 4603, et seq., 6337, 6640. The twelve tribes were divided into two kingdoms, that the Jews might represent the celestial kingdom, and the Israelites the spiritual kingdom, n. 8770, 9320. "The seed of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," signifies the goods and truths of the church, n. 3373, 10445.

Footnotes: