269. And a rainbow was round about the throne in aspect like an emerald, signifies the appearance of Divine truth in the heavens about the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "a rainbow in aspect like an emerald," as denoting the appearance of Divine truth in its circumference; for "a rainbow round about the throne" signifies Divine truth round about; "in aspect like" signifies appearance. The appearance was like an emerald, because it had reference to the Last Judgment; for the color of this stone is green, and "green" signifies truth obscured. Divine truth in its brightness appears either of the color of heaven, or in various colors in beautiful order like a rainbow; but when obscured it appears of the color of an emerald. The heaven that was obscured was the heaven called "the former heaven," on which judgment was to be executed, and which was about to perish (See Revelation 21:1). On this account "a rainbow round about like an emerald" is mentioned. "Rainbow" signifies Divine truth in the heavens in its order and consequently in its beauty, because there are infinite varieties of truth from good in the heavens, and when these are represented by colors, they present the aspect of a most beautiful rainbow. For this reason "a rainbow" was made the sign of the covenant after the flood (Genesis 9:12-17). (That there are infinite varieties in the heavens see in the work on Heaven and Hell 56, 405, 418, 486; and in the small work onThe Last Judgment 13; and in Arcana Coelestia 684, 690, 3744, 5598, 7236, 7833, 7836, 9002; that colors in heaven appear from the light there, and that they are modifications and variegations of the light, n. 1042, 1043, 1053, 1624, 3993, 4530, 4742, 4922; and that the colors appear various according to the varieties of the states of truth from good, and thence of intelligence and wisdom, n. 4530, 4677, 4922, 9466; that rainbows are seen in heaven, and whence and what they are, n. 1042, 1043, 1623-1625)

4149. 'Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live in the presence of our brothers' means that that truth was not 'Laban's', and that what was 'Laban's' truth could not reside in his - 'Jacob's' - good. This is clear from the meaning of 'gods' which in this case are the teraphim, as truths, dealt with in 4111, not however the truths belonging to the good meant by 'Laban' but to the affection which 'Rachel' represents. It is because those truths are meant by 'gods' here that the reference to Rachel's having stolen them is added. And more concerning them appears further on which would not have been recorded if that deed of hers had not entailed arcana which are evident solely in the internal sense. And because the truths under discussion here were not truths belonging to the good meant by 'Laban' but those belonging to the affection for truth which 'Rachel' represents, the words 'Anyone with whom you find your gods shall not live in the presence of our brothers' therefore mean that that truth was not 'Laban's', and that what was 'Laban's' truth could not reside in his - 'Jacob's' - good.

[2] The implication of this arcanum is that all spiritual good has its own truths, for wherever that good exists truths are present also. Regarded in itself good is a single whole, but it is made various by means of truths. Indeed truths may be compared to the fibres which compose some organ of the body. It is the form which these fibres take that determines the nature of the organ and therefore of its function. And this - that is to say, its function - is dependent on the life which flows in through the soul, a life that comes from good which originates in the Lord. So although good is a single whole it nevertheless varies with each individual; it is so varying that it is never exactly the same with one person as with another. This also is why one person's truth cannot possibly abide in another person's good. For all the truths residing with someone in whom good is present intercommunicate and produce some form or other. For this reason one person's truth cannot be transferred to another, for when it is transferred it passes into the form that is peculiar to the recipient and takes on a different appearance. But this arcanum demands exploration which is too deep to enable it to be revealed in just a few words. This explains why the mind of one person is never exactly like another's, but that the differences in people's affections and ways of thinking are as numerous as the people themselves. It also explains why the whole of heaven consists of angelic forms which are endlessly varying. Arranged by the Lord into the form heaven takes, those forms act as a single whole. For no single whole is ever composed of parts that are identical but of those that are various existing in a single form and which make one in keeping with that form. This now shows what is meant by the statement that what was 'Laban's' truth could not reside in his own - 'Jacob's' - good.