Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 211not appear in the sense of the letter, which shows how far distantthe spiritual sense is from the sense of the letter.[9] In Jeremiah:In vain I have smitten your sons; they accepted not correction;your own sword hath devoured your prophets (Jer. 2:30).Behold, the prophets say, Ye shall not see the sword, neither shallye have famine. By sword and by famine shall the prophets beconsumed. If I go forth into the field, behold the slain with the sword;and if I enter into the city, then behold the sickness of famine (Jer.14:13–18).Both these passages treat of the vastation of the church in respect totruth; “prophets” are those who teach truths; and “the sword thatconsumes them” is falsity combating and destroying; “the field” isthe church; “the city” is doctrine; “the slain with the sword in thefield” are those in the church with whom truths are destroyed; “thefamine” that is in the city is dearth of all truth in doctrine.[10] In the same:They have denied Jehovah when they have said, It is not he;neither shall evil come upon us; neither shall we see sword and famine(Jer. 5:12).The young men shall die by the sword; and their sons and theirdaughters shall die by famine (Jer. 11:22).“Young men” are those who are in truths, and in the abstract,truths themselves; “to die by the sword” is to be destroyed byfalsities; “sons and daughters” are the knowledges of truth andgood; “famine” is a dearth of these.[11] In Lamentations:We get our bread with peril of our souls, because of the sword ofthe wilderness (Lam. 5:9).