Spiritual Meaning of
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The signification of pomegranates, is the memory-knowledges of good. There are memory-knowledges of good and memory-knowledges of truth; the former are signified by the pomegranates, and the latter by the flowers, with which the lampstand was encompassed and adorned. That memory-knowledges of good are signified by pomegranates, is evident from other passages where these are mentioned; as in these passages:--
A land of wheat and barley, and of the vine, and the fig-tree, and of the pomegranate (Deut. 8:8).
The seed is not yet in the barn, yea, even to the vine, and the fig-tree, and the pomegranate (Hag. 2:19).
Wheat, barley, and the seed in the barn signify celestial things internal and external; the vine, the fig-tree, and the pomegranate signify spiritual and natural things in their order, the last of which are the memory-knowledges that belong to the natural and sensuous man; wherefore the pomegranate is' mentioned last.
[2] In Zephaniah:--
Jehovah will destroy Asshur. Flocks shall lie down in the midst of her, every wild animal of the nation, also the pelican and the bittern shall pass the night in the pomegranates thereof (Zeph. 2:13, 14);
where the pelican and the bittern in the pomegranates denote falsities of evil in the memory-knowledges of good. In Amos:--
I saw the Lord standing upon the altar, who said, Smite the pomegranate that the posts may shake; that is, divide them in the head, all of thee; I will slay the last of them with the sword (Amos 9:1);
where to smite the pomegranate denotes to destroy the memory-knowledges of good by means of the falsities of evil; the posts are then said to shake, because posts denote the truths of the natural (AC 7847); to slay the last with the sword denotes in this way to destroy the ultimate things; for a sword denotes truth fighting against falsity and destroying it: and the converse (AC 2799, 4499, 6353, 7102, 8294).
from AC 9552
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| Author: E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). | Design: I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. | www.BibleMeanings.info |