9925. To minister. That this signifies when engaged in worship and in evangelization, is evident from the signification of “ministering,” when said of Aaron, by whom is represented the Lord, as being worship and evangelization. By “worship” is signified everything that is representative of worship from the good of love and the truths of faith; for the worship that is from these is truly worship, whereas worship without these is like a shell without a kernel, and like a body without a soul. And yet such was the worship with the Jewish and Israelitish nation, for this worship merely represented internal things, which, as has been said, are of love and faith. Nevertheless the Lord provided that such worship should be perceived in the heavens, and that thus by means of it there should be effected the conjunction of heaven with man; not indeed through internal things, but through correspondences with external things (on which subject see the places cited in n. 9320, 9380). This is the worship that is signified by “the ministry of Aaron.”
[2] That evangelization is also signified is because by evangelization are meant all things in the Word which treat of the Lord, and all things in worship which represented Him. For evangelization is annunciation about the Lord, His coming, and the things that are from Him which belong to salvation and eternal life. And as all things of the Word in its inmost sense treat solely of the Lord, and all things of worship represented Him, therefore the whole Word is the Evangel, in like manner all worship that was done according to the things commanded in the Word. And because the priests presided over the worship, and likewise taught, therefore by their “ministry” were signified worship and evangelization.
