9713. THE INTERNAL SENSE.

Verses 1-8. And thou shalt make the altar of shittim wood, five cubits the length, and five cubits the breadth; the altar shall be foursquare; and the height thereof shall be three cubits. And thou shalt make its horns upon the four corners thereof; from it shall be its horns; and thou shalt overlay it with brass. And thou shalt make its pans to take away its ashes, and its shovels, and its basins, and its fleshhooks, and its fire-tongs; all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass. And thou shalt make for it a grating, a network of brass; and upon the net shalt thou make four rings of brass, upon the four extremities of it. And thou shalt bestow it under the compass of the altar beneath, and the net shall be even unto the middle of the altar. And thou shalt make staves for the altar, staves of shittim wood, and shalt overlay them with brass. And the staves thereof shall be put into the rings, and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar, in carrying it. Hollow of boards shalt thou make it; as thou wast made to see in the mountain, so shall they make it. “And thou shalt make the altar,” signifies a representative of the Lord and of the worship of Him; “of shittim wood,” signifies righteousness; “five cubits the length, and five cubits the breadth,” signifies equally from good and from truth; “the altar shall be foursquare,” signifies thus what is righteous; “and the height thereof shall be three cubits,” signifies full in respect to degrees; “and thou shalt make its horns,” signifies power; “upon the four corners thereof,” signifies complete power; “from it shall be its horns,” signifies that the power shall be from good; “and thou shalt overlay it with brass,” signifies a representative of good; “and thou shalt make its pans to take away its ashes,” signifies what is to be removed after uses; “and its shovels, and its basins, and its fleshhooks, and its fire-tongs,” signifies memory-knowledges that contain and that are of service for every use; “all the vessels thereof thou shalt make of brass,” signifies all things from good; “and thou shalt make for it a grating, a network,” signifies the sensuous, which is the ultimate; “of brass,” signifies which also is from good; “and upon the net shalt thou make four rings of brass,” signifies the sphere of good through which there is conjunction; “upon the four extremities of it,” signifies everywhere; “and thou shalt bestow it under the compass of the altar beneath,” signifies this in ultimates; “and the net shall be even unto the middle of the altar,” signifies the extension of the sensuous; “and thou shalt make staves for the altar,” signifies the power of keeping in a state of good; “staves of shittim wood,” signifies the good of righteousness and the consequent power; “and shalt overlay them with brass,” signifies a representative of good; “and the staves thereof shall be put into the rings,” signifies the power of the sphere of Divine good; “and the staves shall be upon the two sides of the altar,” signifies the power of good through truth, and of truth from good; “in carrying it,” signifies coming-forth and subsistence; “hollow of boards shalt thou make it,” signifies application; “as thou wast made to see in the mountain, so shall they make it,” signifies from the correspondence of Divine things in heaven.