9809. That he may minister in the priest’s office to Me. That this signifies a representative of the Lord, is evident from the representation of “the priest’s office,” as being in the supreme sense every office which the Lord discharges as the Savior; and whatever He does as the Savior is from Divine love, thus from Divine good, for all good is of love. For this reason also by “the priest’s office” in the supreme sense is signified the Divine good of the Lord’s Divine love. There is Divine good, and there is Divine truth; Divine good is in the Lord, and therefore it is His being, which in the Word is called “Jehovah;” but Divine truth is from the Lord, and therefore it is the coming-forth from this being, which in the Word is meant by “God;” and as that which comes forth from Him is also Himself, therefore also the Lord is Divine truth, which is His Divine in the heavens. For the heavens come forth from Him, because the angels who are there are receptions of His Divine; the celestial angels being receptions of the Divine good which is from Him, and the spiritual angels being receptions of the Divine truth which is thence derived. From all this it can be seen what of the Lord was represented by the priestly office, and what of the Lord was represented by the kingly office; namely, by the priestly office the Divine good of His Divine love, and by the kingly office the Divine truth thence derived.

[2] That by the priestly office was represented the Divine good of the Lord’s Divine love, thus every office which the Lord discharges as the Savior is evident from the following passages in the Word, in David:

The saying of Jehovah unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool. Jehovah shall send forth the scepter of strength out of Zion; rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies. Thy people is one of readinesses in the day of Thy strength, in the honors of holiness from the womb of the dawn, Thou hast the dew of Thy birth. Jehovah hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou art a priest forever, according to My word, Melchizedek. The Lord at Thy right hand hath smitten kings in the day of His anger; He hath judged among the nations; He hath filled with dead bodies; He hath smitten the head over much land. He shall drink of the stream in the way: therefore shall He lift up the head (Psalms 110:1-7).

From this it is plain what the Lord is as a priest, consequently what the priestly office represented in the Lord, namely, all the work of the salvation of the human race; for in this passage the subject treated of is the Lord’s combats with the hells, while He was in the world, through which He acquired for Himself Divine omnipotence over the hells, by virtue of which He saved the human race, and also saves at this day all those who receive Him. It is this salvation itself, because it is from the Divine good of the Divine love, by virtue of which it is said of the Lord, “Thou art a priest forever, according to My word, Melchizedek.” “Melchizedek” means “the king of righteousness”; and the Lord was so called from the fact that He became righteousness, and thereby salvation (according to what was shown above, n. 9715).

[3] But as each particular expression in the above Psalm contains arcana concerning the Lord’s combats while He was in the world, and these cannot be revealed without the internal sense, therefore they may here be briefly unfolded. “The saying of Jehovah unto My Lord” signifies that it is said of the Lord while He was in the world (that by “the Lord” here is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human is evident in Matthew 22:41-43, in Mark 12:35-36, and in Luke 20:41-44). “Sit thou at My right hand” signifies the omnipotence of Divine good through the Divine truth which the Lord then was, and from which He fought and conquered (that “sitting at the right hand” denotes a state of power, and that when said of the Divine it denotes omnipotence, see n. 3387, 4592, 4933, 7518, 7673, 8281, 9133; and that all the power of good is through truth, n. 6344, 6423, 8304, 9327, 9410, 9639, 9643).

[4] “Until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool” signifies until the evils which are in the hells shall be subjugated and made subject to his Divine power. “Jehovah shall send forth the scepter of strength out of Zion” signifies power then from celestial good (that “Zion” denotes this good, see n. 2362, 9055). “Rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies” signifies that this good has dominion over evils; evils are meant by “enemies” because they are opposed to the Divine, and specifically to the Lord. “Thy people is one of readinesses in the day of Thy strength” signifies the Divine truths then fighting. “In the honors of holiness” signifies which are from the Divine good. “From the womb of the dawn, Thou hast the dew of Thy birth,” signifies conception from the Divine good itself from which He had Divine truth. “Jehovah hath sworn and will not repent” signifies what is stable and certain.

[5] “Thou art a priest forever” signifies the Divine good of the Divine love in Him. “According to My word, Melchizedek,” signifies that His Divine Human is the like; “Melchizedek” means “king of righteousness,” thus that Jehovah became righteous through combats and victories (n. 9715). “The Lord at Thy right hand” signifies the Divine truth which is then from Him, through which He has omnipotence, as above. “Hath smitten kings in the day of His anger” signifies the destruction then of falsities; “the day of anger” was when He fought against evils and destroyed them; “kings” denote truths, and in the opposite sense falsities (n. 2015, 2069, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148). “He hath judged among the nations” signifies the dispersion of evils; for “nations” denote goods, and in the opposite sense evils (n. 1259, 1260, 1849, 6005). “He hath filled with dead bodies” signifies thus spiritual death, which is the total deprivation of truth and good. “He hath smitten the head over much land” signifies the casting down of the infernal love of self into the hells, and its damnation. “He shall drink of the stream in the way, therefore shall He lift up the head,” signifies the endeavor to emerge by means of reasonings about truths. This is the sense of the above words which is perceived in heaven when this Psalm is read by man.

[6] As the priestly office was representative of the Lord in respect to all the work of salvation from Divine love, therefore also all Divine worship belonged to the office of the priest; which worship at that time consisted chiefly in offering burnt-offerings, sacrifices, and meat-offerings, and in arranging the breads of faces upon the table, in lighting the lamps every day, and in burning incense; consequently in making expiation for the people and in remitting sins. Moreover, when the priests were at the same time prophets, it also consisted in unfolding the Divine law, and in teaching. That Aaron with his sons performed all these things is evident from the institution of the priest’s office in Moses. That all these things were representative of the Lord’s works of salvation, is manifest; wherefore also that part of the sacrifices and meat-offerings which was for Jehovah, that is, for the Lord, was given to Aaron; in like manner the firstfruits of various kinds, and also the tithes (see Exodus 29:1-36; Leviticus 7:35-36; 23:15-21; 27:21; Numbers 5:6-10; 18:8-20, and 25 to the end; Deuteronomy 18:1-5), and the firstborn; but instead of all the firstborn of men were the Levites, who were given as a gift to Aaron (Numbers 1:47; 3:9), for the reason that they belonged to Jehovah (Numbers 3:12-13, 40-45).

[7] As the Lord in respect to the whole work of salvation was represented by the high-priest, and the work of salvation itself by his office, which is called the priesthood, therefore no inheritance and portion with the people was given to Aaron and his sons, for it is declared that Jehovah God is their inheritance and portion (Numbers 18:20); neither was any portion given to the Levites, because they belonged to Aaron (Numbers 26:58-63; Deuteronomy 10:9; 18:1-2). For the people represented heaven and the church, but Aaron with his sons and with the Levites represented the good of love and of faith which makes heaven and the church, thus they represented the Lord from whom is this good. For this reason the land was granted to the people for an inheritance, but not to the priests, for the Lord is in them, but not among them as one of them and distinct from them.

[8] The like is involved in these words from Isaiah:

Ye shall be called the priests of Jehovah, the ministers of our God; ye shall eat the wealth of the nations, and in their glory ye shall boast yourselves (Isaiah 61:6); where “eating the wealth of the nations” denotes to appropriate goods to themselves; “boasting themselves in their glory” denotes to enjoy truths, thus to have joy and happiness from both. (That “nations” denote goods, see n. 1259, 1260, 4574, 6005; and that “glory” denotes truth from the Divine, n. 9429.)

[9] In the Word throughout “kings” and “priests” are mentioned in a series, also “kings,” “princes,” “priests,” and “prophets;” and in the internal sense by “kings” are there signified truths in the complex; by “princes,” primary truths; by “priests,” goods in the complex; and by “prophets,” doctrines, as in the book of Revelation:

Jesus Christ hath made us kings and priests (Revelation 1:6; 5:10).

The house of Israel were ashamed, they, their kings, their princes, and their priests, and their prophets (Jeremiah 2:26).

In that day the heart of the king shall perish, and the heart of the princes; and the priests shall be amazed, and the prophets shall marvel (Jeremiah 4:9).

At that time they shall draw out the bones of the kings of Judah, and the bones of his princes, and the bones of the priests, and the bones of the prophets (Jeremiah 8:1).

(That by “kings” in the sense abstracted from persons are signified truths in the complex, see n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148; that by “princes” are signified primary truths, n. 1482, 2089, 5044; that “priests” denote goods, n. 1728, 2015, 3670, 6148; and that “prophets” denote doctrines derived from these things and concerning them, n. 2534, 7269) The kingly office of the Lord is also signified by His name “Christ,” “Anointed,” “Messiah”; and His priestly office by His name “Jesus,” for “Jesus” means “Savior” or “Salvation,” concerning which it is thus written in Matthew:

The angel appeared unto Joseph in a dream, and said, Thou shalt call His name Jesus, for He shall save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).

As this belonged to the priest’s office, therefore the like was represented by the office of the high priest who made expiation for the people for sins (Leviticus 4:26, 31, 35; 5:6, 10, 13, 16, 1 5:18; 9:7; 15:15, 30).

[10] Seeing that evil cannot possibly be joined to good, because they have aversion for each other, therefore purifications of various kinds were commanded for Aaron and his sons when they ministered in the priest’s office, whether at the altar, or in the Tent of meeting; and it was also commanded that the high priest was not to marry any but a virgin; not a widow, nor one divorced, nor a harlot (Leviticus 21:13-15); that those of the sons of Aaron who were unclean “if they should eat of the sanctified things, were to be cut off” (Leviticus 22:2-9); that “no one of the seed of Aaron in whom was a blemish should offer bread” (Leviticus 21:17-21); that “the high priest was not to shave his head, to rend his garments, to defile himself with any dead body, not even of his father and his mother, and that he was not to go out of the sanctuary” (Leviticus 21:10-12). As before said, these and many other laws were enacted for the reason that the high priest represented the Lord as to Divine good; and good is of such a nature that evil cannot be joined to it, for good shuns evil, and evil dreads good as hell dreads heaven; and therefore no conjunction of them is possible.

[11] But as for truth, it is of such a character that falsity can be joined to it; yet not the falsity in which there is evil; but that in which there is good, such as there is with little children, and with boys and girls while they are as yet in innocence, and with well-disposed Gentiles who are in ignorance; and such as there is with all who are in the literal sense of the Word, and who remain in the doctrine thence derived, and who nevertheless have the good of life as their end; for this good, as the end, drives away all the malevolence of falsity, and by applying itself forms the falsity into a certain likeness of truth.

9407. There was as a work of sapphire. That this signifies what is translucid there from internal truths, and all things from the Lord, is evident from the signification of “a work of sapphire,” as being the quality of the literal sense of the Word when the internal sense is perceived within it, thus when the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord, such as it is in heaven, shines through. For the Word is the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord, which in its origin is Divine, and in its progress through the heavens is celestial in the inmost heaven; in the second or middle heaven is spiritual; in the first or ultimate heaven is spiritual natural; and in the world is natural and worldly, such as it is in the sense of the letter, which is for man. From this it is evident that this latter sense, which is the last in order, contains within it the spiritual and the celestial senses, and inmostly the Divine Itself; and as these senses are contained in the ultimate or literal sense, and become apparent to those who apprehend the Word spiritually, it is therefore represented by a work of sapphire, in that it transmits the rays of heavenly light, or is translucid.

[2] That some idea of this shining through may be presented, take as an example human speech. In its first origin this is the end which the man desires to set forth by the speech. This end is his love; for what a man loves, he has as his end. From this flows the man’s thought, and finally his speech. That this is so, everyone who reflects well, can know and perceive. That the end is the first of speech, is evident from the general law that in all intelligence there is an end; and that without an end there is no intelligence. And that thought is the second thing of speech flowing from the first, is also manifest; for no one can speak without thought, nor think without an end. That from this follows the speech of words, and that this is the ultimate which properly is called speech, is known. This being so, the man who attends to the speech of another does not attend to the expressions or words of the speech, but to their sense, which comes from the thought of the speaker; and he who is wise attends to the end for the sake of which he spoke from his thought; that is, to what he intends and what he loves. These three things are presented in the speech of man, and to these the speech of words serves as an ultimate plane.

[3] From this comparison an idea can be formed about the Word in the letter; for this is attended to and perceived in heaven in exactly the same way as is usually the thought of a man which is presented by the speech of words; and in the inmost heaven as the intention or end is usually attended to and perceived. But the difference is that the sense of the letter of the Word, when read by man, is not heard or perceived in heaven; but only the internal sense, because only the spiritual and celestial senses of the Word are perceived in heaven, and not its natural sense. Thus one sense passes into another, because they correspond; and the Word has been written wholly by correspondences. From this it is plain what is meant by the shining through signified by “a work of sapphire” when said of the Word.

[4] But he who cannot think intellectually, that is, abstractedly from material things, cannot apprehend these things, nor indeed that there can be any other sense in the Word than that which stands forth in the letter; and if he is told that there is a spiritual sense in it, which is of truth; and within this a celestial sense, which is of good; and that these senses shine through from the literal sense; he will first be amazed, afterward he will reject it as of no account, and finally he will ridicule it. That at the present day there are such persons in the Christian world, especially among the learned of the world, has been shown me by living experience; and also that those who reason against this truth, claim to be wiser than those who affirm it; when yet in those primeval times called the golden and the silver ages, learning consisted in speaking and writing in such manner that the sense of the letter was not attended to, except insofar as the hidden wisdom shone through from it; as can be plainly seen from the oldest books, even among the Gentiles, and likewise from remains in their languages; for their chief science was the science of correspondences and the science of representations, which sciences are now among the things that have been lost.

[5] That under the Lord’s feet there appeared as it were a work of sapphire, and that this signifies the shining through of the Word in the sense of the letter, is because a “stone” in general signifies truth, and a “precious stone” truth shining through from the Divine of the Lord. (That a “stone” in general signifies truth, see n. 643, 1298, 3720, 3769, 3771, 3773, 3789, 3798, 6426, 8609, 8940-8942; and that a “precious stone” signifies truth shining through from the Divine of the Lord.) This was signified by the “twelve precious stones” in the breast plate of Aaron, which was called “the Urim and Thummim” (n. 3862, 6335, 6640).

[6] In like manner in Ezekiel:

Full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty, thou hast been in Eden the garden of God; every precious stone was thy covering, the ruby, the topaz, the diamond, the tarshish [beryl], the onyx, and the jasper, the sapphire, the chrysoprase, the emerald, and gold. The work of thy timbrels and of thy pipes was in thee, in the day that thou wast created they were prepared. Thou wast perfect in thy ways in the day that thou wast created (Ezekiel 28:12-13, 15);

speaking of Tyre, by which is signified the church in respect to the knowledges of truth and of good (n. 1201); her intelligence and wisdom, such as it had been in her infancy, that is, in the first age, is described by these precious stones; “the day that she was created” signifies the first state when they were regenerated, for “creation” in the Word denotes regeneration, or the new creation of man (see n. 16, 88).

[7] Like things are signified by the precious stones in John:

The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every precious stone. The first foundation was jasper; the second, sapphire; the third, chalcedony; the fourth, emerald; the fifth, sardonyx; the sixth, sardius; the seventh, chrysolite; the eighth, beryl; the ninth, topaz; the tenth, chrysoprase; the eleventh, jacinth; the twelfth, amethyst (Revelation 21:19-20).

The subject here treated of is the holy Jerusalem coming down out of heaven, by which is meant a new church among the nations, after the present church in our European world has been vastated; the precious stones which are the foundations denote truths Divine shining through in the ultimate of order.

[8] Truth Divine shining through in the ultimate of order, which is the Word in the letter, is especially signified by the “sapphire,” as in Isaiah:

O thou afflicted, and tossed with tempests, and not comforted, behold I will set thy stones with antimony, and lay thy foundations in sapphires (Isaiah 54:11).

Here also the subject treated of is the church that will succeed the former, which is meant by “the desolate having more sons than the married one” (verse 1); “setting stones” denotes arranging the truths of the church; “foundations in sapphires” denotes truths shining through in ultimates.

[9] The same is signified by “sapphire” in Jeremiah:

Her Nazirites were whiter than snow, they were whiter than milk, their bones were redder than pearls, ¹ their polish was sapphire (Lam. 4:7).

In the representative sense “the Nazirites” signified the Lord as to the Divine natural (n. 3301, 6437), consequently also the Divine truth that proceeds from Him in ultimates, which is the Word in the sense of the letter; for the hair, which is here meant by the “Nazirites,” and which is said to be “whiter than snow and whiter than milk,” signifies truth in ultimates (n. 3301, 5247, 5570), “whiteness” being predicated of truth (n. 3301, 5319); the “bones that are red” denote memory-truths, which are the ultimate ones, and serve the others as servants (n. 6592, 8005); “redness” is predicated of the good of love which is in the truths (see n. 3300). From this it is evident that a “sapphire” denotes truth in ultimates translucent from internal truths.

[10] In Ezekiel:

Above the expanse that was over the head of the cherubs was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne as it were the appearance of a man sitting upon it (Ezekiel 1:26; 10:1).

“Cherubs” denote the guard and providence of the Lord lest there should be any approach to Him except through good (n. 9277); “the throne upon which was the appearance of a man” denotes Divine truth from the Divine good of the the Lord, (n. 5313, 6397, 9039). From this it is plain that “a sapphire stone” denotes truth translucent from internal truths-namely, a “stone” denotes truth, and a “sapphire” translucence.

[11] That all things of the Word are translucent from the Lord, is because the Divine truth which is from the Lord is the one only thing from which are all things; for that which is first is the one only thing in the sequents and derivatives, because they are and come forth from it; and Divine truth is the Lord. Wherefore also in the supreme sense of the Word nothing is treated of but the Lord alone, His love, His providence, His kingdom in the heavens and on earth, and especially the glorification of His Human.

[12] That Divine truth is the Lord Himself, is evident from the fact that whatever proceeds from anyone is himself, just as that which proceeds from a man while speaking or acting is from his will and understanding; and the will and understanding make the man’s life, thus the man himself. For man is not man from the form of the face and the body; but from the understanding of truth, and the will of good. From this it can be seen that that which proceeds from the Lord is the Lord; that this is Divine truth, has been frequently shown in what goes before.

[13] But he who does not know the arcana of heaven may suppose that the case with the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord is no different from that of the speech which proceeds from a man. But Divine truth is not speech; but is the Divine filling the heavens, just as light and heat from the sun fill the world. This may be illustrated by the spheres that proceed from the angels in heaven (n. 1048, 1053, 1316, 1504-1520, 1695, 2401, 4464, 5179, 6206, 7454, 6598-6613, 8063, 8630, 8794, 8797), and which, as can be seen in the passages here cited, are spheres of the truth of faith and good of love from the Lord. But the Divine sphere which proceeds from the Lord and is called “Divine Truth,” is universal, and as just said fills the whole heaven and makes everything of life there. It appears there before the eyes as light which illumines not only the sight, but also the minds. It is also the same that makes the understanding in man. This is meant in John:

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. That was the true Light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world; and the world was made through Him (John 1:4, 9-10).

The subject here treated of is the Divine truth, which is called “the Word;” and it is said that the Divine truth, or the Word, is the Lord Himself.

[14] This light, which is the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord, was pictured by the ancients with radiant circles of a golden color around the head and body of God, represented as a man, for the ancients perceived God no otherwise than under the human form.

[15] When a man is in good, and from good in truths, he is then raised into this Divine light, and into its interior light according to the amount and quality of his good. From this he has a general enlightenment, in which from the Lord he sees innumerable truths, which he perceives from good; and then he is led by the Lord to perceive and be imbued with those truths which are suited to him; and this in respect to the veriest singulars in order, just as is conducive to his eternal life. It is said “in respect to the veriest singulars,” because the universal providence of the Lord is universal because it is in the veriest singulars, for singulars taken together are called “universal” (n. 1919, 6159, 6338, 6482, 6483, 8864, 8865).

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