[2] The Word sometimes treats of Egypt, sometimes of Assyria, sometimes of Edom, of Moab, the children of Ammon, Tyre and Sidon, and Gog. He who does not know that by those names things relating to heaven and the Church are signified, may be led into the error that the Word treats much of nations and peoples, and but little of heaven and the Church; thus much of earthly and little of heavenly things. When, however, he knows what is signified by these nations and peoples, or by their names, he may come out of his error into the truth. [3] In like manner, when it is observed that in the Word frequent mention is made of gardens, groves and woods; and also of their trees, as the olive, the vine, the cedar, the poplar and the oak; and also of the lamb, the sheep, the goat, the calf and the ox; and also of mountains, hills, valleys, and the fountains, rivers and waters in them; and much more of a similar nature; he who knows nothing of the spiritual sense of the Word cannot believe otherwise than that only these things are meant. For he does not know that by a garden, a grove and a wood are meant wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge; by the olive, the vine, the cedar, the poplar and the oak are meant the good and truth of the Church, celestial, spiritual, rational, natural and sensual; by the lamb, the sheep, the goat, the calf and the ox are meant innocence, charity and natural affection; by mountains, hills and valleys are meant the higher, the lower and the lowest things of the Church. Moreover, he does not know that by Egypt is signified knowledge; by Assyria, reason; by Edom, the natural; by Moab, the adulteration of good; by the children of Ammon, the adulteration of truth; by Tyre and Sidon, cognitions of truth and good; and by Gog, external worship without the internal. When, however, a man knows these things, he is then able to consider that the Word treats only of heavenly things, and that those earthly things are only the subjects (subjecta) in which are heavenly things.

[4] An example from the Word may illustrate this also. We read in the Psalms:

The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters: the God of glory maketh it to thunder: Jehovah is upon great waters. The voice of Jehovah breaketh the cedars; yea, Jehovah breaketh in pieces the cedars of Lebanon. He maketh them also to skip like a calf; Lebanon and Sirion like a young unicorn. The voice of Jehovah divideth as a flame of fire. The voice of Jehovah shaketh the wilderness; the Lord shaketh the wilderness of Kadesh. The voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to calve, and discovereth the forests: and in His temple doth everyone speak of His glory. Ps. xxix 3-9.

He who does not know that the particulars in this passage, even to every single word, are Divine and holy, may say within himself, if he is a merely natural man, What is this-that Jehovah sits upon the waters, by His voice breaks the cedars and makes them to skip like a calf, and Lebanon like a young unicorn, and makes the hinds to calve? and much more. He does not know that the power of Divine Truth, or of the Word, is described by these things in the spiritual sense. For in that sense by the voice of Jehovah, which is here called thunder, is meant Divine Truth, or the Word, in its power; by the great waters upon which Jehovah sits are meant the truths of the Word. By the cedars and by Lebanon which He breaks, and breaks in pieces, are meant the falsities of the rational man; by the calf, and the young unicorn, the falsities of the natural and of the sensual man. By the flame of fire is meant the affection of falsity; by the wilderness and the wilderness of Kadesh, the Church where there is not any truth and good. By the hinds which the voice of Jehovah makes to calve are meant the Gentiles who are in natural good; and by the forests which He discovers are meant the knowledges of natural and spiritual things which the Word opens up to him. The passage therefore continues, that in His temple everyone speaks of His glory. By this is meant that in all the particulars of the Word there are Divine truths; for the temple signifies the Lord, and consequently the Word, and also heaven and the Church; and glory signifies Divine Truth. Hence it is manifest that there is not a word in this passage which is not descriptive of the Divine power of the Word against falsities of every kind among natural men, and of the Divine power in reforming the Gentiles.