48. And His eyes were as a flame of fire signifies the Divine wisdom of the Divine love. By "eyes," in the Word, is meant the understanding, and thence, by the sight of the eyes, intelligence; therefore, when spoken of the Lord, the Divine wisdom is meant; but by a "flame of fire" is signified spiritual love, which is charity; wherefore, when spoken of the Lord, the Divine love is meant; hence, then, by "His eyes were like a flame of fire" is signified the Divine wisdom of the Divine love. That the "eye" signifies the understanding is because they correspond; for as the eye sees from natural light, so does the understanding from spiritual light; wherefore "to see" is predicated of both. That by "eye" in the Word, the understanding is signified, is evident from the following passages:
Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears (Isa. 43:8).
In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of thick darkness (Isa. 29:18).
Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf (Isa. 35:5).
I will give thee for a light of the Gentiles, to open the eyes of the blind (Isa. 42:6-7).
This is spoken of the Lord, who, when He comes, will open the understanding of those who are in ignorance of the truth.
[2] That this is meant by "opening the eyes" is further evident from these passages:
Make the heart of this people fat, and smear their eyes, lest they perchance see with their eyes (Isa. 6:9-10; John 12:40).
Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes; the prophets, and your heads, the seers, hath He covered (Isa. 29:10; 30:10).
Who shutteth his eyes lest he should see evil (Isa. 33:15).
Hear ye this, O foolish people, which have eyes and see not (Ezek. 12:2).
The punishment of the shepherd that deserteth the flock; the sword shall be upon his right eye, and his right eye shall be utterly darkened (Zech. 11:17).
The plague with which Jehovah shall smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; their eyes shall consume away in their sockets (Zech. 14:12).
I will smite every horse with amazement, and every horse of the people with blindness (Zech. 12:4).
"Horse," in the spiritual sense, is the understanding of the Word (n. 298).
Hear me, O Jehovah, my God, enlighten mine eyes, lest I sleep death (Ps. 13:3).
[3] That in these passages, by "eyes" is signified the understanding, everyone sees. Hence it is evident what the Lord meant by "eye" in these places:
The lamp of the body is the eye; if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be light; if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be darkened. If therefore the light [lumen] that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness (Matt. 6:22-23; Luke 11:34).
If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee; for it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast out into the Gehenna of fire (Matt. 5:29; 18:9).
By "eye" in these places is not meant the eye, but the understanding of truth. Since by "eye" is signified the understanding of truth, therefore it was among the statutes of the sons of Israel, that:
One blind, or disordered in the eye from the seed of Aaron, should not come nigh to offer sacrifice; nor enter within the veil (Lev. 21:18, 20);
Then that anything blind should not be offered in sacrifice (Lev. 22:22; Mal. 1:8).
[4] From these things it is evident what is meant by "eye," when predicated of a man; hence it follows, that by "eye," when predicated of the Lord, His Divine wisdom is meant, as also His Divine omniscience and providence; as in these passages:
Open thine eyes, O Jehovah, and see (Isa. 37:17).
I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will build them (Jer. 24:6).
Behold the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear Him (Ps. 33:18).
Jehovah is in the temple of holiness, His eyes behold, His eyelids try the sons of man (Ps. 11:4).
Since by "cherubs" is signified the guard and providence of the Lord lest the spiritual sense of the Word should be injured; therefore it is said of the four animals which were cherubs, that:
They were full of eyes before and behind, and their wings were likewise full of eyes (Rev. 4:6, 8);
The wheels upon which the cherubs were drawn, were full of eyes round about (Ezek. 10:12).
[5] That by "a flame of fire" is meant His Divine love, will be seen in what follows, where "flame" and "fire" are mentioned; and because it is said, that "His eyes were as a flame of fire," the Divine wisdom of the Divine love is signified. That in the Lord there is the Divine love of the Divine wisdom, and the Divine wisdom of the Divine love, and thus a reciprocal union of both, is an arcanum disclosed in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Wisdom (n. 34-39; and elsewhere).