10293. 'And onycha' means an affection for truth on the more internal natural level. This is clear from the meaning of 'sweet-smelling onycha' as an affection for natural truth; 'onycha' means that truth, while 'sweet-smelling' means the perception of what is pleasing, which springs from the affection for truth, and so means the affection itself. The reason for calling it 'sweet-smelling' onycha is that it is described as such both before and after the listing of these spices, in the words, 'Take for yourself sweet-smelling spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum - sweet-smelling ones'. The reason why an affection for truth in the natural is what is meant by 'onycha' is that this spice is mentioned second; for the spices are mentioned in the order in which the different kinds of truth are present with a person, from the most external to the inmost levels of them. Consequently 'stacte' means an affection for truth on the level of the senses, which is the most external kind of truth; 'onycha' means an affection for truth on the natural level, which is interior truth within the natural man; 'galbanum' means an affection for truth on a still more internal level, which is interior truth within the spiritual or internal man; and 'frankincense' means truth on the inmost level within the internal man, which is spiritual good. They have a similar meaning to the spices that the anointing oil consisted of, which were the best myrrh, sweet-smelling cinnamon, sweet-smelling calamus, and cassia. These too mean those levels of truth in that same order, see 10252, 10254, 10256, 10258; but the difference is that the kinds of truth meant by the spices of the anointing oil belong to the celestial group, whereas those meant by the spices of the incense belong to the spiritual group, a subject dealt with above in 10254, 10291.

10291. 'Take for yourself sweet spices' means the affections for truth springing from good which must be present in the worship of God. This is clear from the meaning of 'spices' as perceptions of and affections for truth and good, dealt with in 10254. The reason why they are the ones that must be present in the worship of God is that 'the incense' that was made from them means the worship of God, which is the subject in what follows. The spices that are mentioned now are of an entirely different kind from the spices from which the anointing oil was prepared, which were the subject above in verses 23-24. Those too are called spices, though a different word is used in the original language. The spices from which the anointing oil was prepared mean perceptions of and affections for truth and good, in the same way as the present spices do; but the difference is that the earlier truths belong to the celestial group, whereas the later ones belong to the spiritual group. That those earlier truths belong to the celestial group may be seen in 10254; that these later ones belong to the spiritual group will be seen in what follows below.

[2] Something more must be stated briefly to show what belonging to the celestial group and belonging to the spiritual group imply. It has often been stated that heaven is divided into the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. The two kingdoms have different kinds of truth, as they do of good, the good of the celestial kingdom being the good of love to the Lord, and the good of the spiritual kingdom the good of charity towards the neighbour. All good has its own truths; celestial good has its own and spiritual good its own, and these are entirely different from each other. The nature of that difference becomes clear from what has been shown regarding both kingdoms in the places referred to in 9277.

[3] The reason why all good has its own truths is that good is given form by truths, see 10252, 10266, and also reveals itself through truths. Such good and truths are like a person's will and understanding, in that his will is given form by and also reveals itself through his understanding. What belongs to the will is called good, and what belongs to the understanding is called truth.