Part I, Chapter 2

Of the Prophetic Language.

For understanding the Prophecies, we must first acquaint ourselves with the figurative language of the Prophets. This language is drawn from the analogy between the natural world and an empire or kingdom considered as a political world.

Accordingly, the whole natural world, consisting of heaven and earth, signifies the whole political world, consisting of thrones and peoples, or as much of it as the Prophecy considers; and the things in that world signify the corresponding things in this one. For the heavens, and the things in them, signify thrones and dignities, and those who hold them; and the earth, with the things upon it, the lower people; and the lowest parts of the earth, called Hades or Hell, the lowest and most miserable part of them. So ascending toward heaven, and descending to the earth, stand for rising and falling in power and honor: rising out of the earth, or the waters, and falling into them, for rising to some dignity or dominion out of the inferior condition of the people, or falling from that position back into the same condition; descending into the lower parts of the earth, for coming to a very low and unhappy estate; speaking with a faint voice out of the dust, for being in a weak and low condition; moving from one place to another, for transfer from one office, dignity, or dominion to another; great earthquakes, and the shaking of heaven and earth, for the shaking of kingdoms so as to throw them into confusion or overthrow them; the creation of a new heaven and earth, and the passing away of an old one, or the beginning and end of the world, for the rise and ruin of the body politic by that signified.

In the heavens, the Sun and Moon stand, with the interpreters of dreams, for the persons of Kings and Queens; but in sacred Prophecy, which does not concern individual persons, the Sun stands for the whole species and race of Kings, in the kingdom or kingdoms of the political world, shining with regal power and glory; the Moon for the body of the common people, considered as the King's wife; the Stars for subordinate Princes and great men, or for Bishops and Rulers of the people of God, when the Sun is Christ; light for the glory, truth, and knowledge with which great and good men shine and light up others; darkness for obscurity of condition, and for error, blindness, and ignorance; the darkening, striking, or setting of the Sun, Moon, and Stars, for the ending of a kingdom, or for its desolation, in proportion to the darkness; the darkening of the Sun, the turning of the Moon into blood, and the falling of the Stars, for the same; new Moons, for the return of a dispersed people into a body politic or ecclesiastic.

Fire and meteors refer to both heaven and earth, and signify as follows: burning anything with fire stands for its consumption by war; a conflagration of the earth, or the turning of a country into a lake of fire, for the consumption of a kingdom by war; being in a furnace, for being in slavery under another nation; the smoke of any burning thing rising forever and ever, for the continuation of a conquered people under the misery of perpetual subjection and slavery; the scorching heat of the sun, for vexatious wars, persecutions, and troubles inflicted by the King; riding on the clouds, for reigning over many peoples; covering the sun with a cloud, or with smoke, for the oppression of the King by the armies of an enemy; tempestuous winds, or the motion of clouds, for wars; thunder, or the voice of a cloud, for the voice of a multitude; a storm of thunder, lightning, hail, and overflowing rain, for a tempest of war descending from the political heavens and clouds upon the heads of their enemies; rain, when it is not immoderate, and dew, and living water, for the graces and doctrines of the Spirit; and a failure of rain, for spiritual barrenness.

In the earth, the dry land and the gathered waters, such as a sea, a river, or a flood, stand for the people of various regions, nations, and dominions; the embittering of waters, for the great affliction of the people by war and persecution; the turning of things into blood, for the mystical death of bodies politic, that is, for their dissolution; the overflowing of a sea or river, for the invasion of the political earth by the people of the waters; the drying up of waters, for the conquest of their regions by the earth; fountains of waters for cities, the enduring heads of political rivers; mountains and islands, for the cities of the political earth and sea, with the territories and dominions belonging to those cities; dens and rocks of mountains, for the temples of cities; the hiding of men in those dens and rocks, for the shutting up of Idols in their temples; houses and ships, for families, assemblies, and towns, in the political earth and sea; and a navy of warships, for the army of that kingdom which the sea signifies.

Animals and plants also stand for the people of various regions and conditions; and in particular, trees, herbs, and land animals for the people of the political earth; flags, reeds, and fishes for those of the political waters; birds and insects for those of the political heaven and earth; a forest for a kingdom; and a wilderness for a desolate and sparse people.

If the political world, considered in prophecy, consists of many kingdoms, they are represented by as many parts of the natural world: the nobfor fear that by the cefor fear thatial frame, and then the Moon and Clouds stand for the common people; the less noble by the earth, sea, and rivers, and by the animals or plants or buildings in them; and then the greater and more powerful animals and the taller trees stand for Kings, Princes, and Nobles. And because the whole kingdom is the body politic of the King, therefore the Sun, or a Tree, or a Beast, or Bird, or Man, by which the King is represented, stands in a wide sense for the whole kingdom; and several animals, such as a Lion, a Bear, a Leopard, a Goat, according to their qualities, stand for several kingdoms and bodies politic; the sacrificing of beasts for the slaughtering and conquering of kingdoms; and friendship between beasts for peace between kingdoms. Yet sometimes plants and animals are, by certain epithets or circumstances, extended to other meanings; as a Tree, when called the tree of life or of knowledge; and a Beast, when called the old serpent, or worshiped.

When a Beast or Man stands for a kingdom, his parts and qualities stand for the corresponding parts and qualities of the kingdom: the head of a Beast for the great men who lead and govern; the tail for the inferior people, who follow and are governed; the heads, when there is more than one, for the number of leading parts, or dynasties, or dominions in the kingdom, whether held side by side or in succession, with respect to the civil government; the horns on any head, for the number of kingdoms in that head, with respect to military power; seeing for understanding, and the eyes for men of understanding and policy, and in matters of religion for [Greek: Episkopoi], Bishops; speaking for making laws; the mouth for a lawgiver, whether civil or sacred; the loudness of the voice for might and power; its faintness for weakness; eating and drinking for acquiring what is signified by the things eaten and drunk; the hair of a beast or man, and the feathers of a bird, for people; the wings for the number of kingdoms represented by the beast; the arm of a man for his power, or for any people in whom his strength and power lies; his feet for the lowest of the people, or for the latter end of the kingdom; the feet, nails, and teeth of beasts of prey for armies and squadrons of armies; the bones for strength, and for fortified places; the flesh for riches and possessions; and the days of their acting for years; and when a tree stands for a kingdom, its branches, leaves, and fruit signify as do the wings, feathers, and food of a bird or beast.

When a man is taken in a mystical sense, his qualities are often signified by his actions, and by the circumstances of the things around him. So a Ruler is signified by his riding on a beast; a Warrior and Conqueror, by his having a sword and bow; a powerful man, by his gigantic stature; a Judge, by weights and measures; a sentence of absolution or condemnation, by a white or a black stone; a new dignity, by a new name; moral or civil qualifications, by garments; honor and glory, by splendid apparel; royal dignity, by purple or scarlet, or by a crown; righteousness, by white and clean robes; wickedness, by spotted and filthy garments; affliction, mourning, and humiliation, by clothing in sackcloth; dishonor, shame, and want of good works, by nakedness; error and misery, by drinking a cup of his or her wine that causes it; the spreading of any religion for gain, by trading and doing business with the people whose religion it is; worshiping or serving the false Gods of any nation, by committing adultery with their princes, or by worshiping them; a Council of a kingdom, by its image; idolatry, by blasphemy; overthrow in war, by a wound of man or beast; a lasting plague of war, by a sore and pain; the affliction or persecution which a people suffers in laboring to bring forth a new kingdom, by the pain of a woman in labor to bring forth a man-child; the dissolution of a body politic or ecclesiastic, by the death of a man or beast; and the revival of a dissolved dominion, by the resurrection of the dead.

Of the Prophetic Language.

To understand the Prophecies, we first have to learn the figurative language of the Prophets. This language comes from the way the natural world matches an empire or kingdom taken as a political world.

So the whole natural world of heaven and earth stands for the whole political world of thrones and people, or as much of it as the Prophecy covers, and the things in that world stand for the matching things in this one. For the heavens, and the things in them, stand for thrones and honors, and the people who hold them. The earth, and the things on it, stand for the lower people. The lowest parts of the earth, called Hades or Hell, stand for the lowest or most miserable of those people. So moving up toward heaven and down to the earth stands for rising and falling in power and honor. Rising out of the earth or the waters, and falling into them, stands for rising from the lower state of the people to any dignity or dominion, or falling from it back down into that lower state. Going down into the lower parts of the earth stands for coming to a very low and unhappy condition. Speaking with a weak voice out of the dust stands for being in a weak and low condition. Moving from one place to another stands for moving from one office, dignity, or dominion to another. Great earthquakes, and the shaking of heaven and earth, stand for the shaking of kingdoms until they fall into confusion or are overthrown. Making a new heaven and earth, and the passing away of an old one, or the beginning and end of the world, stands for the rise and ruin of the political body meant by it.

In the heavens, the Sun and Moon stand, for interpreters of dreams, for the persons of Kings and Queens. But in sacred Prophecy, which does not deal with single persons, the Sun stands for the whole class and line of Kings in the kingdom or kingdoms of the political world, shining with royal power and glory. The Moon stands for the body of the common people, seen as the King's wife. The Stars stand for subordinate Princes and great men, or for Bishops and Rulers of the people of God, when the Sun is Christ. Light stands for the glory, truth, and knowledge with which great and good men shine and light up others. Darkness stands for a low condition, and for error, blindness, and ignorance. The darkening, striking, or setting of the Sun, Moon, and Stars stands for the end of a kingdom, or for its destruction, in proportion to the darkness. Darkening the Sun, turning the Moon into blood, and the falling of the Stars stand for the same thing. New Moons stand for the return of a scattered people into a political or church body.

Fire and meteors apply to both heaven and earth, and they mean the following. Burning anything with fire stands for consuming it by war. A burning of the earth, or turning a country into a lake of fire, stands for the ruin of a kingdom by war. Being in a furnace stands for living in slavery under another nation. The smoke of any burning thing rising forever and ever stands for a conquered people continuing under the misery of endless subjection and slavery. The scorching heat of the sun stands for annoying wars, persecutions, and troubles imposed by the King. Riding on the clouds stands for ruling over many people. Covering the sun with a cloud, or with smoke, stands for the King being pressed down by the armies of an enemy. Stormy winds, or the movement of clouds, stand for wars. Thunder, or the voice of a cloud, stands for the voice of a multitude. A storm of thunder, lightning, hail, and flooding rain stands for a storm of war coming down from the political heavens and clouds on the heads of their enemies. Rain, when it is not excessive, and dew, and living water, stand for the graces and doctrines of the Spirit. The lack of rain stands for spiritual barrenness.

In the earth, the dry land and the gathered waters, such as a sea, a river, or a flood, stand for the people of different regions, nations, and dominions. Making the waters bitter stands for great suffering of the people through war and persecution. Turning things into blood stands for the mystical death of political bodies, that is, for their breakup. The overflowing of a sea or river stands for the political earth being invaded by the people of the waters. The drying up of waters stands for their regions being conquered by the earth. Fountains of waters stand for cities, the lasting heads of political rivers. Mountains and islands stand for the cities of the political earth and sea, along with the territories and dominions that belong to those cities. Dens and rocks of mountains stand for the temples of cities. The hiding of men in those dens and rocks stands for Idols being shut up in their temples. Houses and ships stand for families, assemblies, and towns in the political earth and sea. A navy of warships stands for the army of the kingdom meant by the sea.

Animals and plants also stand for the people of different regions and conditions. In particular, trees, herbs, and land animals stand for the people of the political earth; flags, reeds, and fishes for those of the political waters; birds and insects for those of the political heaven and earth; a forest for a kingdom; and a wilderness for a people who are desolate and few.

If the political world, seen in prophecy, has many kingdoms, they are shown by as many parts of the natural world: the nobfor fear that by the frame of the heavens, and then the Moon and Clouds stand for the common people; the less noble by the earth, sea, and rivers, and by the animals or plants or buildings in them, and then the larger and stronger animals and the taller trees stand for Kings, Princes, and Nobles. Because the whole kingdom is the political body of the King, the Sun, or a Tree, or a Beast, or a Bird, or a Man by which the King is represented is used in a wide sense for the whole kingdom. And several animals, such as a Lion, a Bear, a Leopard, and a Goat, stand, according to their qualities, for different kingdoms and political bodies. Sacrificing beasts stands for slaughtering and conquering kingdoms, and friendship between beasts stands for peace between kingdoms. Still, plants and animals are sometimes stretched to other meanings by certain epithets or circumstances, as a Tree when it is called the tree of life or of knowledge, and a Beast when it is called the old serpent, or is worshiped.

When a Beast or Man stands for a kingdom, its parts and qualities stand for the matching parts and qualities of the kingdom. The head of a Beast stands for the great men who lead and govern. The tail stands for the lower people, who follow and are governed. The heads, if there is more than one, stand for the number of leading parts, or dynasties, or dominions in the kingdom, whether side by side or in succession, in relation to the civil government. The horns on any head stand for the number of kingdoms in that head, in relation to military power. Seeing stands for understanding, and the eyes stand for men of understanding and statecraft, and in matters of religion for [Greek: Episkopoi], Bishops. Speaking stands for making laws. The mouth stands for a lawgiver, whether civil or sacred. The loudness of the voice stands for might and power, and the faintness of the voice for weakness. Eating and drinking stands for acquiring what the things eaten and drunk stand for. The hairs of a beast or man, and the feathers of a bird, stand for people. The wings stand for the number of kingdoms represented by the beast. The arm of a man stands for his power, or for any people in whom his strength and power lies. His feet stand for the lowest of the people, or for the end of the kingdom. The feet, nails, and teeth of beasts of prey stand for armies and squadrons of armies. The bones stand for strength and for fortified places. The flesh stands for riches and possessions. And their days of acting stand for years. When a tree stands for a kingdom, its branches, leaves, and fruit mean the same as the wings, feathers, and food of a bird or beast.

When a man is taken in a mystical sense, his qualities are often shown by his actions, and by the circumstances of the things around him. So a Ruler is shown by his riding on a beast. A Warrior and Conqueror by his having a sword and bow. A powerful man by his giant size. A Judge by weights and measures. A sentence of release or condemnation by a white or a black stone. A new dignity by a new name. Moral or civil qualities by garments. Honor and glory by splendid clothing. Royal dignity by purple or scarlet, or by a crown. Righteousness by white and clean robes. Wickedness by spotted and filthy garments. Affliction, mourning, and humiliation by clothing in sackcloth. Dishonor, shame, and the lack of good works by nakedness. Error and misery by drinking a cup of his or her wine that causes it. Spreading any religion for gain by doing trade and business with the people whose religion it is. Worshiping or serving the false Gods of any nation by committing adultery with their princes, or by worshiping them. A Council of a kingdom by its image. Idolatry by blasphemy. An overthrow in war by a wound of man or beast. A long-lasting plague of war by a sore and pain. The suffering or persecution that a people endures while working to bring forth a new kingdom by the pain of a woman in labor to bring forth a man-child. The breakup of a political or church body by the death of a man or beast. And the revival of a broken-down dominion by the resurrection of the dead.