620. [verse 4] 'These are they who have not been defiled with women, for they are virgins' signifies that they have not adulterated the truths of the Church and defiled them with untruths of faith, but they have loved truths because they are true. That a 'woman' signifies the Church derived from the affection of truth, and consequently in the opposite sense the Church derived from the affection of untruth, may be seen above (n. 434, 533). Here the Church derived from the affection of truth [is signified], because it is said 'they have not been defiled with women'. 'To be defiled with women' has a similar signification to committing adultery and whoredom. That 'to commit adultery and whoredom' signifies to adulterate and falsify the Word, may also be seen above (n. 134). 'For they are virgins' signifies because they have loved truths because they are true, thus out of a spiritual affection. The reason why these are understood by 'virgins' is because a 'virgin' signifies the Church as a bride who is willing to be conjoined to the Lord and to become a wife, and the Church that is willing to be conjoined to the Lord loves truths because they are true, for by means of truths, so long as there is a living in accordance with them, the conjunction is effected. In consequence of this Israel, Zion and Jerusalem are in the Word termed 'virgins' and 'daughters', for by 'Israel', 'Zion' and 'Jerusalem' the Church is signified. [2] That all those belonging to the Lord's Church who are such, whether they are virgins or young men, wives or husbands, youths or old men, maidens or old women, are understood by 'virgins' can be established out of the Word where 'virgins' are mentioned, as:-
The virgin of Israel Jer. xviii 13; xxxi 4, 21; Amos v 2; Joel i 8.
The virgin daughter of Judah Lam. i 15.
The virgin daughter of Zion 2 Kings xix 21; Isa. xxxvii 22; Lam. i 4; ii 13.
The virgins of Jerusalem Lam. ii 10.
The virgin of My people Jer. xiv 17.
And therefore:-
The Lord likened the Church to ten virgins Matt. xxv seq.
Also it is said in Jeremiah:-
I will build thee so that thou shalt be built, O virgin of Israel, thou shalt again go forth into the dance of those at play Jer. xxxi 4, 13;
and in David:-
They have seen Thy steps, O God, the steps of my God, of my King in the sanctuary, in the midst of the virgins playing with timbrels Ps. lxviii 24, 25 [H.B. 25, 26];
and elsewhere:-
Kings' daughters were among thy precious ones; the queen stood at thy right hand in best gold of Ophir: hear, O daughter, and see, the King shall be delighted with thy beauty. The daughter of Tyre also shall bring a gift, the rich ones of the people shall entreat thy faces: the King's daughter is all precious within, her clothing is of woven gold, she shall be brought to the King [clothed] in needlework; the virgins after her, her companions, shall come into the King's palace Ps. xlv 9-15 [H.B. 10-16];
there by 'the King' is understood the Lord, by 'the queen' the Church as a wife, by 'daughters' and 'virgins' the affections of good and truth. [3] Similar affections are signified by 'virgins' elsewhere in the Word, where 'young men' are mentioned at the same time, because 'young men' signify truths and 'virgins' the affections thereof, as in the following passages:-
Behold, the days are coming in which I will send a famine in the land, not a hunger for bread nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the word of Jehovah; in that day shall the beautiful virgins and the young men faint for thirst Amos viii 11, 13.
Blush, O Zidon, the sea has said, I have not travailed, nor brought forth, neither do I bring up young men, I have made virgins to grow up Isa. xxiii 4.
The Lord has trodden the winepress to the virgin daughter of Zion*: behold my sorrow, the virgins and young men have gone into captivity Lam. i 4, 15, 18.
How great is His goodness, and how great is His beauty; corn shall make the young men to grow up, and must the virgins Zech. ix 17.
The streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in my** streets Zech. viii 5.
The virgins of Jerusalem sit upon the ground; to what shall I liken thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? my virgins and young men have lain in the streets Lam. ii 10, 13, 21;
besides elsewhere, as Jer. li 20-23; Lam. v 10-12 [? II, 13, 14]; Ezek. ix 4, 6; Ps. lxxviii 62-64; Deut. xxxii 25.
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