Chapter Three

John Prepares the Way for Jesus

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Beyond Water Baptism

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Dealing with the useless “chaff”

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

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

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

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

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

Herod’s desire

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

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

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

A practical application

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

Jesus Prays at His Baptism

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The Ascending Genealogy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

For Jesus, this begins in the very next episode.

Footnotes:

195. Verse 4. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis that have not defiled their garments, signifies those who live a moral life from a spiritual origin, by applying the knowledges of truth and good from the Word to the uses of their life. This is evident from the signification of "name," as being the quality of the state of man's life (See above, n. 148); here, therefore, "names" signify men who are such. It is evident also from the signification of "the church in Sardis," as being those who live a moral life but not a spiritual life, because they have little regard for the knowledges of truth and good from the Word (See also above, n. 148, 182); but here those are meant who live a moral life from a spiritual origin, for it is said, "that have not defiled their garments." It is evident also from the signification of "garments," as being knowledges [scientifica] and cognitions in the natural man (of which presently). "Not defiling their garments," therefore, signifies living as a moral man not for the sake of self and the world, which is for the sake of the body and its life only, but for the sake of the Lord and of heaven, which is for the sake of the soul and its life. From this it is clear that "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis that have not defiled their garments," signifies such as live a moral life from a spiritual origin, by applying the knowledges of truth and good from the Word to their life.

[2] But as few know what it is to live a moral life from a spiritual origin, and what it is to apply the knowledges of truth and good from the Word to the uses of their life, it shall be told. Man lives a moral life from a spiritual origin when he lives it from religion; that is, when he thinks, when anything evil, insincere, or unjust presents itself: that this must not be done because it is contrary to the Divine laws. When one abstains from doing such things in deference to Divine laws he acquires for himself spiritual life, and his moral life is then from the spiritual; for by such thoughts and faith man communicates with the angels of heaven, and by communication with heaven his internal spiritual man is opened, the mind of which is a higher mind, such as the angels of heaven have, and he is thereby imbued with heavenly intelligence and wisdom. From this it can be seen that to live a moral life from a spiritual origin is to live from religion, and within the church, to live from the Word; for those who live a moral life from religion and from the Word are elevated above their natural man, thus above what is their own [proprium], and are led by the Lord through heaven; consequently they have faith, the fear of God, and conscience, and also the spiritual affection of truth, which is the affection of the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, for to such men these are Divine laws, according to which they live. Many of the heathen live such a moral life, for they think that evil must not be done because it is contrary to their religion; this is why so many of them are saved.

[3] But on the other hand, to live a moral life not from religion, but only from the fear of the law in the world, and of the loss of fame, honor, and gain, is to live a moral life not from a spiritual but from a natural origin; therefore to such there is no communication with heaven. And as they think insincerely and unjustly regarding the neighbor, although they speak and act otherwise, their internal spiritual man is closed, and the internal natural man only is opened; and when this is open they are in the light of the world, but not in the light of heaven. For this reason such persons have in them little regard for Divine and heavenly things, and some deny them, believing nature and the world to be everything. (From this it can now be seen what it is to live a moral life from a spiritual origin, and what it is to live it from a natural origin; but these things may be seen set forth in clearer light in the work on Heaven and Hell 528-535.) Of those who live a moral life from a natural origin only, it may be said that they "defile their garments," for "garments" mean that which is outside the man himself and which clothes him, thus his natural man with the things that are in it, which are knowledges [scientifica] and cognitions; and when these are from the Word they are defiled by the fact that he learns and holds them only for the sake of reputation, that he may be thought learned or well informed, or that he may thereby acquire honors and gain wealth; and except for such ends he has no regard for them. Thus it is that the knowledges from the Word are polluted and defiled by the loves of self and the world, for these knowledges dwell in the same place with the evils and falsities that gush out from those loves as from their fountains.

[4] It was said above, that man becomes spiritual by means of the knowledges of truth and good from the Word applied to the uses of life. Why men become spiritual by means of knowledges from the Word, and not by means of other knowledges, shall now be told. All things that are in the Word are Divine, and they are Divine for the reason that they have in them a spiritual sense, and by that sense communicate with heaven and with the angels there. When, therefore, man has knowledges from the Word and applies them to life, then through these he has communication with heaven and by that communication becomes spiritual; for man becomes spiritual by his being in like or in corresponding truths with the angels of heaven. It is said in "corresponding" truths, because each and all things in the sense of the letter of the Word are correspondences, for they correspond to the truths that angels have. But the knowledges derived from other books, which set forth and by various means establish the doctrines of the church, do not effect communication with heaven except by the knowledges from the Word they contain; such knowledges do give communication if they are rightly understood and are applied to life, and not to faith alone. Everyone can see that this is so from this, that the Word in itself is Divine, and what is Divine in itself can become Divine with man by his applying it to life. "Becoming Divine with man" means that the Lord can have His abode with man (John 14:23), thus dwelling with him in what is His own (that the Lord dwells in His own with man and angel, and not in what is their own [proprio illorum], see in the work on Heaven and Hell 12). The Lord dwells in His own when He dwells in those things with man that are from the Word, for the Lord is the Word (John 1:1, 2, 14); and the words that He spoke, that is, that are in the Word:

Are spirit and life (John 6:63, 68; 12:50).

[5] That "garments" signify the things that are in the natural man, which are knowledges [scientifica], ¹ true or false, or cognitions, is from the spiritual world; for in the spiritual world all, however many, appear clothed according to their moral life; consequently those who have lived a moral life from a spiritual origin appear clothed in shining white garments, like fine linen; but those who have lived a moral life from a natural origin only, appear according to the nature of that life, those who have polluted their life by evils and falsities appearing in dark garments, mean, torn, and hideous to behold (See the work on Heaven and Hell 177-182). From this now it is that "garments" in the Word signify truths from good, and in the contrary sense falsities from evil, both of them in the natural man; truths and falsities in the natural man are called knowledges [scientifica] and cognitions.

[6] That "garments" in the Word signify truths or falsities can be clearly seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion, put on the garments of thy splendor, O Jerusalem; for henceforth there shall no more come to thee the uncircumcised and the unclean (Isaiah 52:1).

"Zion" in the Word signifies the Lord's celestial kingdom, thus also the celestial church, and "Jerusalem" the spiritual kingdom and the spiritual church (what the celestial kingdom is, and the spiritual kingdom, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 20-28). The "garments of splendor that Jerusalem must put on" are Divine truths; the "uncircumcised and the unclean that shall not come to them" are those who are in evils and falsities.

[7] In Ezekiel:

Jerusalem, I clothed thee with broidered work, I shod thee with badger's skin, I girded thee about with fine linen. I adorned thee with ornament, and I put bracelets upon thy hands, and a chain on thy throat, and a jewel upon thy nose, and earrings upon thine ears, yea, a crown of ornament upon thy head. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver, and thy garments were fine linen, silk, and broidered work, whence thou becamest exceeding beautiful, and didst prosper even unto the kingdom. But thou didst take of thy garments, and didst make to thee high places with divers colors, that thou mightest commit whoredom upon them; thou also didst take garments of thy broidered work, and didst cover the images of a male, with which thou didst commit whoredom (Ezekiel 16:10-13, 16-18).

Here what the church was when it was first established by the Lord is described; the "garments" that are mentioned are truths from good; "broidered work" is true knowledge [scientificum]; "fine linen and silk" are truths from a celestial source; the "bracelets," "chain," "jewel," "earrings," and "crown," are decorations signifying things spiritual of various kinds; the "gold and silver" with which she was decked are the good of love and its truth. Then the same church when perverted is described, by this, that "she took of the garments, and did make to herself high places with divers colors," signifying truths falsified; and that "she took the garments of broidered work, and covered the images of a male," signifies that they applied the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word to so confirm falsities even so as to make them appear like truths; "committing whoredom with them" and "under them" signifies making doctrine and worship out of falsities (that this is to "commit whoredom," see above, n. 141, 161).

(That "Jerusalem" is the church where there is true doctrine, see Arcana Coelestia 402, 3654, 9166. That "broidered work" is knowledges [scientificum], n. Arcana Coelestia 9688. That "fine linen" is truth from a celestial origin, n. 5319, 9469. That "bracelets" are truths and goods of the church, n. 3103, 3105. That "a chain [for the neck]" is representative of the conjunction of interior and exterior things, n . 5320; that "jewels [for the nose]" and "earrings" are representatives of perception and obedience, n. Arcana Coelestia 4551. That "a crown" means wisdom, see above, n. 126. That "gold" is the good of love, see Arcana Coelestia 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881; that "silver" is truth from that good, n. 1551, 1552, 2954, 5658. That "high places with divers colors" are truths falsified, n. 796, 4005. That the "male" or "masculine" is truth, n. 749, 2046, 4005, 7838; therefore "images of a male" are appearances of truth.)

[8] In the same:

Fine linen in broidered work from Egypt was thy spreading forth, blue and purple from the isles of Elishah was thy covering. Syria was thy merchant in purple, and broidered work, and fine linen, with chrysoprasus. Dedan was thy merchant with garments of liberty for the chariot; Asshur and Chilmad with bales of blue and of broidered work, and with treasures of precious garments (Ezekiel 27:7, 16, 20, 23-24).

Here Tyre and her wares are treated of, and "Tyre" signifies the knowledges of truth and good, and "trading" and "trafficking," signify acquiring for oneself and communicating such knowledges; "purple and blue" signify the celestial love of good and truth; "Egypt," the knowledge belonging to the natural man; by "broidered work from Egypt" the like; "Syria" the church in respect to the knowledges of truth and good; "Asshur" the rational of that church; "Dedan" those who are in the knowledges of celestial things. From this it can be seen that the "wares of Tyre," treated of in the whole of that chapter, do not mean wares, but each and all these things mean spiritual things, which man ought to acquire, be imbued with, and communicate. (That "Tyre" signifies the knowledges of good and truth, see Arcana Coelestia 1201. That "Egypt" signifies the knowledges [scientificum] belonging to the natural man, n. 1164, 1165, 1186, 1462, 5700, 5702, 6015, 6651, 6679, 6682, 6683, 6692, 7296, 9340, 9391. That "Syria" is the church in respect to the knowledges of truth and good, n. 1232, 1234, 3664, 3680, 4112. That "Dedan" signifies those who are in the knowledges of celestial things, n. 3240, 3241. That "Asshur" is the rational therefrom, n. 119, 1186. That "purple" is the celestial love of good, n. Arcana Coelestia 9467. That "blue" is the celestial love of truth, n. 9466, 9687, 9833; likewise "chrysoprasus," n. Arcana Coelestia 9868. What "fine linen" and "broidered work" signify, see just above.)

[9] In David:

The king's daughter is all glorious within, her clothing is inwrought with gold. She shall be brought unto the king in broidered work (Psalms 45:13-14).

The "king's daughter" signifies the spiritual affection of truth, and therefore the church consisting of those who are in that affection; "king" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth; "clothing inwrought with gold," intelligence and wisdom from that truth; the "broidered work" in which she should "be brought to the king" signifies the knowledges of truth. (That "daughter" signifies the affection of truth, and the church therefrom, see Arcana Coelestia 2362, 2623, 3373, 3963, 4257, 6729, 6775, 6779, 8649, 9055, 9807. That "king" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth, see above, n. 31.)

[10] In the second book of Samuel:

Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in scarlet with dainty things, and who put an ornament of gold upon your apparel (2 Samuel 1:24).

This is in the lamentation of David over Saul, which he wrote:

To teach the sons of Judah the bow (2 Samuel 1:18);

by "bow" is signified truth combating against falsities (See Arcana Coelestia 2686[1-8] Arcana Coelestia 2686[1-8], 2709); "Saul" here, as a king, signifies such truth; the "sons of Judah" signify those who are in truths from good; "to clothe the daughters of Israel in scarlet," and "to put ornaments of gold upon the apparel," is to impart intelligence and wisdom to those who are in the spiritual affection of truth.

[11] In Matthew:

When the king came in to behold those reclining to eat, he saw there a man that had not on a wedding garment; and he said unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? He was speechless. Then said the king, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into outer darkness (Matthew 22:11-13).

A "wedding garment" signifies the intelligence of the spiritual man, which is from the knowledges of truth and good; but "he that had not on a wedding garment" signifies a hypocrite, who by a moral life counterfeits the spiritual life when yet he is merely natural; "to bind him hand and foot" signifies the deprivation of the knowledges from the Word, by which he has put on the likeness of a spiritual man; "to be cast out into outer darkness" signifies among those who are in falsities from evil (for "outer darkness" signifies falsities from evil).

[12] In Zephaniah :

I will visit upon the princes, and upon the king's sons, and upon all that are clothed with the garments of the alien (Zephaniah 1:8). "Princes" and "king's sons" signify those who are in truths, and in a contrary sense, as here, those who are in falsities; these are said to be "clothed with the garment of the alien," because "garment" signifies falsity, and "alien" those who are out of the church and do not acknowledge the truths of the church.

[13] In Matthew:

Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing; inwardly they are ravening wolves (Mat. Matthew 7:15).

"False prophets in sheep's clothing, who inwardly are ravening wolves," are those who teach falsities as if they were truths, and who in appearance live a moral life, but who by themselves, when they think from their spirit, think of nothing but themselves and the world, and are eager to deprive all others of truths.

[14] In John:

Jesus said to Peter, When thou wast younger thou girdedst thyself and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands and another shall gird thee, and lead thee whither thou wouldest not (John 21:18).

What these words signify in the spiritual sense may be seen above n. 9; namely, that by "Peter" is meant the faith of the church; when he "was younger and girded himself and walked whither he would" means the faith of the church at the beginning, when men are in the good of charity, that they then think about the truths of the church from the spiritual man, which is to think from their spirit, thus from the spiritual affection of truth, that is, from freedom. But by "Peter when old, that he should stretch forth his hands and another should gird him," is meant the faith of the church at its end, when faith would be without charity, that they then would think nothing about the truths of the church from themselves, but from others, thus from doctrine only and not from the Word, which is relatively a servile state. For to believe what another says is servile, but to believe what one himself thinks from the Word is freedom; according to the Lord's words in John:

If ye abide in My Word, ye are truly My disciples; and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free (John 8:31-32).

[15] In Luke:

No man putteth a piece of a new garment on an old garment; else the new will rend the old, and the piece from the new agreeth not with the old. And no man putteth new wine into old bottles; else the new wine will burst the bottles, and itself be spilt, and the bottles be destroyed (Luke 5:36-37; Matthew 9:16-17; Mark 2:21-22).

Because a "garment" signifies truth, the Lord compared the truths of the former church, which was a church representative of spiritual things, to a piece of an old garment, and the truths of the new church, which were spiritual truths themselves, to a piece of a new garment; He compared them likewise to bottles of wine, because "wine" in like manner signifies truth, and "bottles" mean the knowledges that contain truth. (That "wine" in the Word signifies truth, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 219.)

[16] From this it can now be seen what is signified in the Word elsewhere by "garments," which are often mentioned there, as in the following passages. In Revelation:

And upon the thrones four and twenty elders sitting, arrayed in white garments (Revelation 4:4).

Again:

The armies of the One sitting upon the white horse followed Him, clothed in fine linen, white and clean (Revelation 19:14).

And:

They who stood before the throne in sight of the Lamb, were clothed in white robes (Revelation 7:9).

Again:

The seven angels from the temple were clothed in linen, clean and shining (Revelation 15:6).

Again:

White robes were given to everyone of those under the altar (Revelation 6:11).

Again:

Buy gold and white garments (Revelation 3:18).

In Ezekiel:

If he giveth his bread to the hungry, and covereth the naked with a garment (Ezekiel 18:16).

"To give bread to the hungry" signifies in the spiritual sense to instruct from the good of charity those who long for truths; "to cover the naked with a garment" signifies to instruct, in like manner, those who are not in truths.

[17] In the same:

The enemies shall strip thee of thy garments, and shall take away the jewels of thine adorning (Ezekiel 23:26).

In Zechariah:

Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and thus stood before the angel. And he said to those that stood before him, Take away the filthy garments from off him. And he said, I have made thine iniquity to pass from off thee, in clothing thee with changed garments (Zechariah 3:3-5).

In Lamentations :

They have wandered blind in the streets, they have been polluted with blood; what they cannot pollute they touch with their clothes (Lamentations 4:14).

From the signification of "garments" it can be known what is meant by many statutes with the sons of Israel:

That they should not put on mixed garments (Leviticus 19:19; Deuteronomy 22:11);

That a woman should not wear the vessels of a man, nor a man be clothed with the garments of a woman (Deuteronomy 22:5);

That they should wash their garments that they might be purified, and thus sanctified (Exodus 19:14; Leviticus 11:25, 11:28, 11:40; 14:8; (Leviticus 14:8); Numbers 19:11-22);

and elsewhere:

That in mourning for transgression against Divine truths they should put off their garments and put on sackcloth (Isaiah 15:3; 22:12; 37:1-2; Jeremiah 4:8; 6:26; 48:37; 49:3; Lamentations 2:10; Ezekiel 27:31; Amos 8:10; Jonah 3:5-6, 3:8);

And that they should rend their garments (Isaiah 37:1 and elsewhere).

Also what this signifies:

That the disciples laid their garments upon the ass and the colt when the Lord was going to Jerusalem, and that the people then strewed their garments in the way (Matthew 21:7-9; Mark 11:7-8; Luke 19:35-36);

can be seen above n. 31.

[18] That "garments" signify truths has its origin in this, that the light of heaven is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord as a sun there, and all things that have existence in the heavens have existence from the light there, and this is true in like manner of the garments in which the angels appear clothed. It is from this:

That the angels who sat at the Lord's sepulchre had raiment white as snow (Matthew 28:3);

And that their garments were shining (Luke 24:4).

(That the garments in which the angels appear clothed correspond to their intelligence, and that they have intelligence according to their reception of Divine truth from the Lord, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 177-182;and that Divine truth proceeding from the Lord is light in heaven, n. 126-135.) From this it can be seen what "garments" signify in reference to the Lord, namely, Divine truth proceeding from Him; and as Divine truth is signified, the Word also is signified, for the Word is Divine truth from the Lord on earth and in the heavens. This was represented by the Lord's "garments" when He was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, which are thus described in the Evangelists:

When Jesus was transfigured, His face did shine as the sun, and His garments became white as the light (Matthew 17:2);

And white, dazzling (Luke 9:29);

And glistering white as snow, so as no fuller on earth can whiten them (Mark 9:3).

The like is said of the Ancient of Days in Daniel:

The Ancient of Days did sit, and His garment was like white snow (Daniel 7:9).

"The Ancient of Days" is the Lord from eternity. As "light" is Divine truth, and this in reference to the Lord is signified by "garments," therefore it is said in David:

Jehovah covereth Himself with light as with a garment (Psalms 104:2).

[19] From this it can be seen what the Lord's garments mentioned elsewhere in the Word signify. As in David:

He hath anointed all Thy garments with myrrh and aloes and cassia (Psalms 45:7-8);

where the Lord is treated of. In Moses:

He will wash His vesture in wine, and His covering in the blood of grapes (Genesis 49:11).

This is also said of the Lord. "Wine" and "the blood of grapes" signify Divine truth. Because the Lord's garments signified Divine truth, therefore also:

Those who touched the border of His garment were healed (Matthew 9:20-21; Mark 5:27-28, 30; 6:56; Luke 8:44).

In Isaiah:

Who is this that cometh from Edom, His garments bespattered from Bozrah; this that is honorable in His apparel? Wherefore art Thou red in Thine apparel, and Thy garments as of one treading in the wine-press? Their victory is sprinkled upon My garments, and I have stained all Mine apparel (Isaiah 63:1-3).

This also is said of the Lord; "garments" here signify the Word, which, as has been said, is Divine truth from the Lord on earth and in the heavens; the violence offered to Divine truth or to the Word by those who were then of the church, is described by this, that "He was red in apparel as one treading in the wine-press," and that "victory was sprinkled upon His garments," and that "He had stained all his raiment."

[20] In Revelation:

He that sat on the white horse was arrayed with a garment dipped in blood; and His name is called the Word of God (Revelation 19:13).

Here it is plainly declared that He who sat on the white horse was called "the Word of God;" and it is clear that this is the Lord, for it is immediately said of Him:

He hath on His garment and on His thigh a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19:16).

It is therefore the Word in the letter that is signified by the "garment dipped in blood," since violence was done to it, but not to the Word in the spiritual sense; violence could not be done to this, because they knew nothing about it.

[21] That violence was done to the Word in the sense of the letter, but not to the Word in the spiritual sense, is signified also by the soldiers dividing the Lord's garments, but not His tunic, of which it is said in John:

The soldiers took His garments, and made four parts, to every soldier a part, also the tunic. Now the tunic was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore one to another, Let us not divide it, but let us cast lots for it, whose it shall be. These things therefore the soldiers did (John 19:23-24).

And in David:

They parted My garments, and cast the lot upon My vesture (Psalms 22:18).

"The garments of the Lord which they parted" signify the Word in the letter; His "tunic" the Word in the spiritual sense; "soldiers" signify those of the church who should fight in behalf of Divine truth; therefore it is said, "These things therefore the soldiers did." (That "tunic" signifies Divine truth, or the Word in the spiritual sense, see Arcan (Arcana Coelestia 9826, 9942) a Coelestia, n. 9826, 9942; that "soldiers" signify those who are of the church, and who should fight in behalf of Divine truth, see above, n. 64, at the end, where these things are more fully explained.) It should be known that each particular related in the Evangelists respecting the Lord's passion, involves and signifies how the church at that time, which was among the Jews, had treated Divine truth, thus the Word, for this was Divine truth with them; the Lord also was the Word, because He was Divine truth (John 1:1, 2, 14). But what each particular involves and signifies cannot be known except from the internal sense. Here it will be told only what "the Lord's garments" signified, because the meaning of "garments" is here treated of, namely, that they signify truths, and in reference to the Lord, Divine truths.

[22] "The garments of Aaron and of his sons" have a like signification, because Aaron with his sons represented the Lord in respect to Divine good, and their garments the Lord in respect to Divine truth. (But these things may be seen explained and shown in the Arcana Coelestia; as that Aaron represented the Lord in respect to Divine good, n.9806, 9946, 10017; also what each of their garments signified, the breastplate, the ephod, the cloak, the tunic wrought with checker work, the miter, and the belt, n. 9814, 9823-9828)

Footnotes: