160. That calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants, signifies that the doctrine of all falsities is therefrom. This is evident from the signification of a "prophet," as being one who teaches truths, and abstractly from persons, the doctrine of truth (of which, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 2534, 7269); therefore in the contrary sense by a "prophet" those who teach falsities are meant, and abstractly from persons, the doctrine of falsities, and the like is here meant by "prophetess." Because "prophetess" here signifies one who teaches falsities and the doctrine of all falsities, it is therefore added that "she teaches and seduces the servants of the Lord." It is said "to teach and to seduce," because "to teach" is predicated of truths and falsities, and to "seduce" of goods and evils; and those who are in truths are called in the Word "servants of the Lord," and those who are in good are called "ministers" (see above, n. 155). It is said of Jezebel that she "calleth herself a prophetess," not that Jezebel the wife of Ahab called herself a prophetess, but this is said because "Jezebel" signifies the delight of the love of self and the world; and this delight teaches and seduces those who are in truths. For everyone, when he thinks by himself, thinks from his own love, and thus imbues himself with falsities, which is "to teach and to seduce." Of Jezebel we read in the Word:
That Ahab the king of Israel took to wife Jezebel the daughter of the king of the Zidonians, and that he went away and served Baal, and reared up to him an altar in Samaria, and made a grove (1 Kings 16:31-33);
And that Jezebel slew the prophets of Jehovah (1 Kings 18:4, 13);
And that she wished to slay Elijah also (1 Kings 19:1-2 seq.);
And that through craft, by substituting false witnesses, she took away the vineyard from Naboth, and slew him (1 Kings 21:6-7 seq.);
It was therefore predicted by Elijah that dogs should eat her (1 Kings 21:23; 2 Kings 9:10);
And afterwards, by the command of Jehu, she was thrown out of the window, and some of her blood was sprinkled upon the wall and upon the horses that trod her under foot (2 Kings 9:32-34). [2] By all these things the perversion of the church by the delight of the love of self and the world, and by the evils and falsities flowing forth therefrom, was represented. For all the historical parts of the Word, as well as the prophetical, are representative of such things as are of the church. "Baal" whom Ahab served, and to whom he raised up an altar, signifies the worship from the evils of the love of self and the world; the "grove" which he made signifies worship from the falsities therefrom. That "Jezebel slew the prophets of Jehovah" signifies the destruction of the church in respect to its truths; that "she wished to slay Elijah also" signifies a desire to annihilate the Word, for Elijah represented the Word. "The vineyard which by means of false witnesses she took away from Naboth" signifies the falsification of truth and the adulteration of good; the prophecy of Elijah that "dogs should eat her" signifies uncleanness and profanation. That "she was thrown out of a window, and some of her blood was sprinkled upon the wall and upon the horses that trod her under foot," signifies the lot of those who are of that character; what the lot of such will be can be seen from the internal sense of the particulars there. From this it can be seen that by "the woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess," no other Jezebel is meant than Jezebel the wife of Ahab, spoken of in the Word; and that by her those are described who are in the doctrine of all falsities from the delights of the loves of self and of the world.
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