Spiritual Meaning of

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Mention is often made in the Word of the righteous, of righteousness, and of to be made righteous; but what is specifically signified by these expressions is not yet known. The reason why it is not known is that hitherto it has been unknown that every expression in the Word signifies such things as belong to the internal church and to heaven, thus to the internal man (for the internal of the church, and heaven, are in the internal man), and also that these interior things in the Word differ from the exterior things which are of the letter, as spiritual things differ from natural, or as heavenly things differ from earthly, the difference of which is so great that to the natural man there scarcely appears any likeness, although there is full agreement. As this has been unknown, it could not be known what is signified in the Word, in its spiritual and celestial senses, by the righteous, by righteousness, and by to be made righteous. It is believed by the heads of the church that he is righteous, and has been made righteous, who is acquainted with the truths of faith from the doctrine of the church and from the Word, and consequently is in the trust and confidence that he is saved through the Lord's righteousness, and that the Lord has acquired righteousness by fulfilling all things of the Law, and that He acquired merit because He endured the cross, and thereby made atonement for and redeemed man. Through this faith alone a man is believed to be made righteous; and it is believed further that such are they who are called in the Word the righteous.

[2] Yet it is not these who are called righteous in the Word; but those who from the Lord are in the good of charity toward the neighbor; for the Lord alone is righteous, because He alone is righteousness. Therefore a man is righteous, and has been made righteous, in so far as he receives good from the Lord, that is, in so far, and according to the way, in which he has in him what belongs to the Lord. The Lord was made righteousness through His having by His own power made His Human Divine. This Divine, with the man who receives it, is the Lord's righteousness with him, and is the very good of charity toward the neighbor; for the Lord is in the good of love, and through it in the truth of faith, because the Lord is Divine love itself.

[3] The good of charity toward the neighbor is exterior good, which is signified by the righteous; and the good of love to the Lord is interior good, which is signified by the innocent, as shown in the foregoing section. That the good of love toward the neighbor from the Lord is the righteous in the proper sense, can be seen from the passages in the Word where mention is made of the righteous, of righteousness, and of to be made righteous; as in Matthew:--

[4] those are here called the righteous who have performed the goods of charity toward the neighbor, which are here recounted. And that the goods of charity are the Lord with them is said openly: insomuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye have done it unto Me (AC 4807-4810, 4954-4959, 5063-5071). These are also called the sheep, for by sheep are signified those who from the Lord are in the good of charity (AC 4169); whereas by the goats which are on the left hand, and are condemned, are signified those who are in faith separate from charity (AC 4169, 4769). The same are signified by the righteous in another passage in Matthew:--

and in Luke:--

[5] From this it is evident what is signified by, The righteous shall shine forth as the sun in heaven (Matt. 13:43); namely, that they are in the good of love from the Lord; for the Lord is the sun in the other life, and that which is from the Lord as the sun there is the good of love (AC 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 2441, 2495, 3636, 3643, 4060, 4321, 4696, 5097, 7078, 7083, 7171, 7173, 7270, 8487, 8812). Hence the Lord is called the Sun of Righteousness (Mal. 4:2). In Daniel:--

the intelligent denote those who are in the truth and good of faith; and they that make many righteous denote those who lead to the good of charity through the truth and the good of faith; to shine forth as the stars denotes to be in the intelligence of truth and the wisdom of good, consequently in eternal happiness; for the stars denote the knowledges of truth and good, from which are intelligence and wisdom (AC 2495, 2849, 4697).

[6] The righteous is thus described in David:--

these things are goods of charity, which belong to the righteous. The church knows that these goods of charity are from the Lord, insomuch that they are the Lord's in the man. The righteous is also described in (Ezekiel 18:5-9, 21; 33:15-20).

[7] From all this it can be seen what is signified by the righteous, and by righteousness, in the following passages of Matthew:--

the prophets denote those who teach the truths and goods of faith, and in the abstract sense, the doctrines of faith (AC 2534, 7269); and the righteous denote those who live a life of charity, and in the abstract sense the good of charity. That Abel, who is called righteous, represented the good of charity, (AC 342, 374).

[8] In Isaiah:--

righteousness denotes that which is from the good of love; and things that are right, that which is from the truths of faith. Again:--

by judgment is signified the truth which is of faith; and by righteousness, the good which is of charity; wherefore it is said, and do righteousness. That righteousness denotes the good of charity from the Lord, is meant by My righteousness is near that it may be revealed.

[9] In many other passages also mention is made of judgment and righteousness; and by judgment is signified truth, and by righteousness good; as in Jeremiah:--

judgment denotes those things which are of truth; and righteousness those things which are of good. In Ezekiel:--

It is said judgment and righteousness, because in the Word whenever truth is treated of, good also is treated of, because of the heavenly marriage, which is the marriage of good and truth, in every detail of it (AC 683, 793, 801, 2173, 2516, 2712, 4137, 5138, 5502, 6343, 7945, 8339). As righteousness belongs to good, and judgment to truth, in other passages it is said righteousness and truth, as in (Zech. 8:8; Ps. 15:2; 36:5, 6; 85:10, 11.

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