GENESIS 41

...for the earth bears fruit: first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. But when the fruit has been produced, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come original Latin: enim terra fructum fert, primo gramen, dein spicam, deinde frumentum in spica; cum autem productus fuerit fructus, statim immittet falcem, quia institit messis; quoting Mark 4:26-29. The kingdom of God, which is compared to the blade, the ear, and the grain, is heaven within a person through regeneration; for he who is regenerated has the kingdom of God within him and becomes an image of the kingdom of God or heaven. The "blade" is the first scientific knowledge original: scientificum; here meaning factual or external knowledge stored in the memory; the "ear" is the scientific knowledge of truth derived from it; and the "grain" is the resulting good.

Also, the laws enacted concerning gleaning original: de spicilegiis; the right of the poor to gather leftover grain in Leviticus 19:9 and 23:22; the law regarding the liberty of plucking ears from a neighbor’s standing grain in Deuteronomy 23:25 text says 26; and also the law against eating bread made of parched or green ears before they had brought an offering to God in Leviticus 23:14—all these represented such things as are signified by ears of grain.

5213. Fat and good, which signifies those things to which faith and charity could be applied, is evident from the meaning of "fat" when it is predicated term: predicated; spoken of or attributed to a subject of scientific knowledges (signified here by the ears of grain). It means they are capable of receiving the good of faith, and thus are things to which faith can be applied. Scientific knowledges are "vessels"; when "fatness" is attributed to them, it signifies a fitness for receiving things belonging to faith derived from charity.

This is also clear from the meaning of "good" when attributed to scientific knowledges (signified by the ears of grain). It means they are capable of receiving the good of charity, and thus are things to which charity can be applied. The fact that "fat" refers to things of faith and "good" to things of charity follows a pattern found everywhere in the Word term: the Word; a common reference to the Bible or Divine Scripture. Wherever two adjectives are applied to one thing, one usually involves the things of faith and the other the things of charity. This occurs because of the "marriage" of truth and good in every detail of the Word (see sections 683, 793, 801, 2173, 2516, 2712, 4138, and 5138).

That "fat" signifies things of faith and "good" signifies things of charity is also clear from the parallel descriptions of the cows (see sections 5199 and 5200). Scientific knowledges to which the things of faith and charity can be applied are very numerous, such as all the scientific knowledges of the Church (signified by "Egypt" in a positive sense, see sections 4749, 4844, 4964, 4965). Consequently, this includes all scientific knowledges that are true concerning Correspondences, Representatives, Significatives, Influx, Order, intelligence and wisdom, and the affections—indeed, all truths of both interior and exterior nature, whether visible or invisible, because these correspond to spiritual truths.

5214. And behold, seven thin ears, which signifies scientific knowledges of no use, is evident from the meaning of "ears of grain" as scientific knowledges (discussed above in section 5212), and from the meaning of "thin" as things of no use. For "thin" is the opposite of "full," and "full" describes that in which there is use—or what is the same thing, that in which there is good—for all good is a use. Therefore, "thin" is that which is of no use. Scientific knowledges of no use are those that have no other end term: end; the ultimate purpose or goal than personal glory and pleasure; those ends are of no use because they do not benefit one's neighbor.

5215. And blasted by the east wind, which signifies being full of lusts original: cupiditatum; intense cravings or desires, is evident from the meaning of being "blasted by the east wind" original: exuri euro as being consumed by the fire of lusts. For the "east wind" original: eurus and the "East" in a genuine sense signify love for the Lord and love toward the neighbor (sections 101, 1250, 3249, 3708, 4762); therefore, in the opposite sense, it signifies self-love and love of the world. Consequently, it signifies cravings and lusts, for these belong to those loves. Of these it is predicated...