797. And the voice of bridegroom and of bride shall not be heard in thee anymore, signifies that they who are in that religious persuasion from doctrine and from life according to it, have no conjunction of good and truth, which makes the church. By "voice" is here signified joy, because it is that of a bridegroom and bride. By "a bridegroom," in the highest sense, is meant the Lord as to the Divine good; and by "a bride" the church is meant as to the Divine truth from the Lord. For the church is a church from the reception of the Lord's Divine good in the Divine truths which are from Him. That the Lord is called the and likewise the Husband; and that the church is called the Bride and also the Wife, is manifest from the Word. It is from this that the heavenly marriage, which is the conjunction of good and truth, is therefrom, will be seen in the small work on Conjugial Love [Marriage]. Now because this heavenly marriage is effected by the reception of the Divine good from the Lord in the Divine truths from the Word by the men of the church, it is manifest that there is no conjunction of good and truth with those who are in that religious persuasion from doctrine and life thence, because they have no conjunction with the Lord; but they have conjunction with men living and dead. And this conjunction, with those who are in the love of dominating from the love of self over the holy Divine things of the Lord, and over the Lord, is like conjunction with the devil, who, as was said in the preceding article, is that love; and to approach the devil that through him one may come to God, is detestable.
[2] That the Lord is called the Bridegroom, and the church the Bride, is manifest from these passages:
He that hath the Bride is the Bridegroom; but the friend of the Bridegroom, who stands and hears Him, rejoiceth with joy because of the Bridegroom's voice (John 3:29).
John the Baptist says this of the Lord.
Jesus said, As long as the Bridegroom is with them, the sons of the marriage cannot fast; the days will come when the Bridegroom will be taken away from them, then shall they fast (Matt. 9:15; Mark 2:19-20; Luke 5:34-35).
I saw the holy city New Jerusalem prepared as a Bride adorned for her Husband (Rev. 21:2).
The angel said, Come, and I will show thee the Bride, the Lamb's Wife (Rev. 21:9-10).
The time of the marriage of the Lamb is come, and His Wife hath made herself ready. Happy are they that are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb (Rev. 19:7, 9).
By the Bridegroom, whom the ten virgins went out to meet (Matt. 25:1-2 seq.),
the Lord is also meant.
[3] It is manifest from this what is signified by the voice and the joy of the bridegroom and the bride in the following passages:
As the joy of the bridegroom over the bride, thy God shall rejoice over thee (Isa. 62:5).
My soul shalt exult over God, as a bridegroom putteth on a miter, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels (Isa. 61:10).
There shall still be heard in this place the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, saying, Let us confess unto Jehovah of hosts (Jer. 33:10-11).
Let the bridegroom go forth out of his chamber, and the bride out of her bride-chamber (Joel 2:16).
I will cause to cease from the streets of Jerusalem the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride (Jer. 7:34; 16:9).
I will deprive them of the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of the mills, and the light of a lamp, and the whole land shall be for a desolation by the king of Babel (Jer. 25:10-11).
[4] From what has now been said the series of the things in these two verses may now be seen, which is, that they who are in that religious persuasion have not any affection of spiritual truth and good (n. 792); that they have not any understanding of spiritual truth, and hence not any thought of it (n. 793); for thought is from affection and according to it; that neither have they any searching after, investigation of, and confirmation of spiritual truth (n. 794); that neither do they have any enlightenment from the Lord, and hence no perception of spiritual truth (n. 796); and finally, that they do not have any conjunction of good and truth, which makes the church (n. 797). These things also thus follow each other in order.