Apocalypse Explained # 769
769. Who keep the commandments of God, signifies with those who live the life of faith, which is charity. This is evident from the signification of "keeping the commandments of God," as being to live according to the commandments in the Word; and as that life is a life of faith, and a life of faith is charity, therefore "keeping the commandments of God" signifies to live the life of faith, which is charity. The life of faith is charity towards the neighbor, because faith means faith in the Word, thus faith in the truth that is in the Word and from the Word, and charity means the love of good and truth, spiritual, moral, and civil; and as that which man loves he also wills, and what he wills he does, therefore "keeping the commandments of God" signifies to live the life of faith, which is charity.
[2] From this it can be seen that all those who separate faith from charity know not what faith is or what charity is, for they have no other idea of faith than as being everything of the memory that is believed because they have heard it from learned men; and yet such faith is historical faith, for they do not see whether a thing is so, except because someone else has said it; and what is seen from another can be confirmed both by the sense of the letter of the Word misunderstood and by reasonings from appearances and knowledges [scientifica], although it may be a falsity directly opposed to the truth.
When this is confirmed it becomes a persuasive faith; but neither this faith nor historical faith is a spiritual faith, thus not a saving faith, for such faith has as yet no life from the Lord in it. That a man may receive that life he must live according to the Lord's commandments in the Word, for living according to these commandments is the same as living from the Lord, because the Lord is the Word and is in the Word. Such a life is the life of faith, which is charity; and then its affection becomes charity, and thought from that affection becomes faith; for all man's thought derives its life wholly from affection, since no one can think without affection; therefore when a man's affection becomes spiritual his thought also becomes spiritual; consequently such as a man's charity is such is his faith. From this it can be seen that charity and faith, like affection and thought, or what is the same, like will and understanding, act as one, for affection is of the will and thought is of the understanding, consequently they act as one as goods and truths do. Thence it is clear that to live according to the commandments of the Lord from the Word, or "to keep the commandments of God," means to live the life of faith, which is charity.
Leviticus 21
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Yahweh said to Moses, "Speak to the priests, the sons of Aaron, and say to them, 'A priest shall not defile himself for the dead among his people;
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except for his relatives that are near to him: for his mother, for his father, for his son, for his daughter, for his brother,
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and for his virgin sister who is near to him, who has had no husband; for her he may defile himself.
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He shall not defile himself, being a chief man among his people, to profane himself.
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"'They shall not shave their heads, neither shall they shave off the corners of their beards, nor make any cuttings in their flesh.
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They shall be holy to their God, and not profane the name of their God; for they offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire, the bread of their God; therefore they shall be holy.
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"'They shall not marry a woman who is a prostitute, or profane; neither shall they marry a woman divorced from her husband: for he is holy to his God.
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You shall sanctify him therefore; for he offers the bread of your God: he shall be holy to you: for I Yahweh, who sanctify you, am holy.
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"'The daughter of any priest, if she profanes herself by playing the prostitute, she profanes her father: she shall be burned with fire.
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"'He who is the high priest among his brothers, upon whose head the anointing oil is poured, and that is consecrated to put on the garments, shall not let the hair of his head hang loose, nor tear his clothes;
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neither shall he go in to any dead body, nor defile himself for his father, or for his mother;
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neither shall he go out of the sanctuary, nor profane the sanctuary of his God; for the crown of the anointing oil of his God is upon him. I am Yahweh.
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"'He shall take a wife in her virginity.
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A widow, or one divorced, or a woman who has been defiled, or a prostitute, these he shall not marry: but a virgin of his own people shall he take as a wife.
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He shall not profane his seed among his people: for I am Yahweh who sanctifies him.'"
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Yahweh spoke to Moses, saying,
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"Say to Aaron, 'None of your seed throughout their generations who has a blemish, may approach to offer the bread of his God.
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For whatever man he is that has a blemish, he shall not draw near: a blind man, or a lame, or he who has a flat nose, or any deformity,
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or a man who has an injured foot, or an injured hand,
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or hunchbacked, or a dwarf, or one who has a defect in his eye, or an itching disease, or scabs, or who has damaged testicles;
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no man of the seed of Aaron the priest who has a blemish, shall come near to offer the offerings of Yahweh made by fire. Since he has a blemish, he shall not come near to offer the bread of his God.
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He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy.
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He shall not come near to the veil, nor come near to the altar, because he has a blemish; that he may not profane my sanctuaries, for I am Yahweh who sanctifies them.'"
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So Moses spoke to Aaron, and to his sons, and to all the children of Israel.
