Apocalypse Explained, Vol. 3

by skins. It is the same in respect to everything, thus in respect to what is signified by "the hair of the head," by "the beard," and by "the harvest of the field." (That "the hair of the head" signifies the outermost The furthest boundary or physical manifestation of life of man's life, which is called the corporeal sensual The lowest level of the human mind, which is most closely tied to the physical body and the five senses, may be seen above, n. 66; and that the "the beard" has the same signification, see Heavenly Secrets original: "A.C." referring to Arcana Coelestia, n. 9960; that the outermosts or outmosts signify all things in the complex, thus the whole, n. 10044, 10329, 10335.) And as "a field" signified the church, and "harvest" its truths, so "not to finish wholly the corners of thy field when thou reapest" signifies the conservation of all things that are signified by "harvest of the field."

[b.] [6.] That "corners" signify all things because they signify outermosts can be seen also from the following passages. In Moses:

"I will hurl them into the extreme corners; I will make the remembrance of them to cease from among men" (Deuteronomy 32:26).

"To hurl into the extreme corners" signifies to be deprived of all good and truth; it is therefore added, "I will make the remembrance of them to cease from among men," which signifies that they would no longer have anything of spiritual life. This comes to pass when man is merely in the outmosts of life, called the corporeal sensual, in which alone most of those are who acquire nothing of spiritual life; for such become not unlike the beasts. This is the kind of life beasts have, but with this difference: that as man is born a man, he is able to speak and to reason, but this he does from the fallacies of the senses, or of the outermosts of nature, of the world, and of the body; this is what is meant by "being hurled into the extreme corners." [7.] In Jeremiah:

"Their camels shall be for booty, and the multitude of their cattle for a spoil; and I will scatter them unto every wind among the cut off of the corner; and from all the passages thereof I will bring destruction" (49:32).

This is said of the devastation of Arabia and Hazor by the king of Babylon; and "Arabia" and "Hazor" signify the knowledges of good and truth, and "the king of Babylon" signifies evil and falsity laying waste. The vastation Vastation refers to the process of being emptied or stripped of one's spiritual qualities of all factual knowledges original: "scientifica," referring to the basic information or data stored in the memory and knowledges of good and truth is signified by "their camels shall be for booty, and the multitude of their cattle for a spoil," "camels" meaning factual knowledges, and "cattle" knowledges of good and truth. Vastation in respect to all things of good and truth, so that there is nothing left, is signified by "I will scatter them unto every wind, among the cut off of the corner."