630. Verse 2. And the court which is without the temple cast out, and measure it not, signifies that the external of the Word, and thence of the church and worship, is not to be explored. This is evident from the signification of the "court," as being the external of the Word, and thence of the church and of worship. The "court" has this signification because the "temple" signifies heaven and the church in respect to Divine truth, as was said in the article above; therefore the "court" which was "outside the temple or in front of the temple" signifies the first or lowest heaven. For the "temple," regarded in itself, signifies the higher heavens; that is, the "adytum," where the ark of the covenant was, signified the inmost or third heaven, and "the temple outside of the adytum" signified the middle or second heaven; therefore the "court" signified the lowest or first heaven; and what signifies heaven signifies also the church, for the church is the Lord's heaven on the earth; and what signifies the church, signifies also the Word and worship, for the Word is the Divine truth, from which are heaven and the church, and worship is according to Divine truth, which is the Word. From this it is that the "court" signifies the external or ultimate of heaven and the church, and also the external or ultimate of the Word and of worship.

[2] The Word and worship are altogether as heaven and the church are; for as there are three heavens, so in the Word there are three distinct senses: the inmost sense, which is called the celestial sense, is for the inmost or third heaven; the middle sense, which is called the spiritual sense, is for the middle or second heaven; and the ultimate sense, which is called the celestial-natural and spiritual-natural sense, is for the lowest or first heaven. These three senses, besides the natural which is for the world, are in the Word and in all its particulars; and as the three heavens have the Word and each heaven is in its own sense of the Word, and from this is their heaven and also their worship, it follows that what signifies heaven signifies also the Word and worship. This is why the "court" signifies the external of the Word, and thence the external of the church and of worship.

[3] Moreover, it is to be known that the temple had two courts, one without the temple, and the other within, and "the court without the temple" signifies the entrance itself into heaven and into the church, in which are those who are being introduced into heaven; while "the court within the temple" represented the lowest heaven. It is similar with the church, also with the Word and with worship; for "the court without the temple" signifies the external of the Word, that is, the Word such as it is in the natural sense, which is for the world, by which man is introduced into its spiritual sense, in which the angels of heaven are. But what is properly signified by each court, the inner and the outer, will be told in what follows. Also, why it is here said that "the court without the temple is to be cast out, and not measured," will be told in the following article, where it is told what is signified by "it is given to the nations."

[4] From this it can now in some measure be seen what is signified in the Word by "court" and by "courts" in the following passages. In Moses:

Thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle at the corner of the south towards the south, hangings for the courts; twenty pillars, twenty bases, the hooks of the pillars and the fillets of silver, the gate of the court with the veil; its length a hundred cubits from the south to the north, and its breadth fifty from the east to the west (Exodus 27:9-18).

This court was the court of the Tent of meeting, which likewise represented and signified the lowest or first heaven; for "the Tent of meeting" represented heaven; its inmost, where the ark was, over which was the mercy seat, represented the inmost or third heaven; the law in the ark, the Lord Himself as to Divine truth or the Word; and the tent without the veil, where was the table for the loaves, the altar of incense, and the lamp stand, represented the middle or second heaven; and the court, the lowest or first heaven. (That the three heavens were represented by that tent may be seen in Arcana Coelestia, n. Arcana Coelestia 3478, 9457, 9481, 9485; but what is signified in particular by the court, and by all things pertaining to it, may be seen, n. 9741-9775.)

[5] As the court represented the lowest heaven, and thence also the external of the church, of the Word, and of worship:

The residue of the meal offerings and of the sacrifices for sin were eaten by Aaron and his sons in the court (Leviticus 6:16, 26).

"Eating in the court" these sanctified things signified appropriating to oneself the goods of the church that were signified by the meal offerings and these sacrifices; and all appropriation of holy things is effected by ultimates, for except through ultimates there can be no appropriation of interior holy things.

[6] But the courts of the temple are thus described in the first book of Kings:

Solomon made a court before the front of the house of the temple. And afterwards he built the inner court, three layers of hewn stones and a row of hewn cedar (1 Kings 6:3, 36).

The temple in like manner represented heaven and the church; the adytum, where the ark was, represented the inmost or third heaven, also the church with those who are in inmosts, which is called the celestial church; the temple outside the adytum represented the middle or second heaven, also the church with those who are in the middle, which is called the internal spiritual church; the inner court represented the lowest or first heaven, also the church with those who are in ultimates, which is called the internal-natural church; while the outer court represented the entrance into heaven.

[7] And as the temple in the highest sense signified the Lord in relation to the Divine Human, so also in relation to Divine truth, thence the temple also signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, consequently the Word, for that is the Divine truth in the church. That the Lord's Divine Human is signified by the temple is evident from the Lord's words where He says:

Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up; and He spake of the temple of His body (John 2:18-23).

That the "temple" signifies the church is evident from these words of the Lord:

That there shall not be left of the temple stone upon stone that shall not be thrown down (Matthew 24:1, 2; Luke 21:5-7).

These words mean that every Divine truth, consequently everything of the church, is to perish; for the end of the church, which is called the consummation of the age, is here treated of.

[8] That there were two courts built, an inner and an outer, and there little chambers, porticos, or piazzas, and many other things, can be seen from the description of them in Ezekiel:

The angel brought me to the outer court, where, behold, there were chambers and a pavement made for the court round about, thirty chambers upon the pavement, which he measured as to the length and the breadth; and he also measured the bedchambers, the portico, the gate, everything as to length and breadth (Ezekiel 40:17-22, 40:31, 40:34, et seq.; Ezekiel 42:1-14).

And of the inner court it is said in the same:

That he measured the inner court, the gates thereof towards the north, the east, and the south; the portico, the steps with the ascents, the bedchambers, the chambers of the singers, the upper lintels (Ezek. 40:23-31, 40:44, et seq.).

And in Jeremiah:

In the chamber of Gemaliah ¹ the scribe, in the upper court, at the entrance of the gate of the new house (Jeremiah 36:10).

In the prophet Ezekiel, from chap. 40 to chap. 48, a new city, a new temple, and a new earth, are treated of, which signify a New Church that was to be established by the Lord; and the "chambers," the "bedchambers," the "porticos," and the rest, signify such things as belong to the church, its doctrine and worship; and their dimensions signify their quality (as was said and shown in the article above). But this is not the place to explain what is signified by the particulars; only that "courts" signify the external things of heaven and of the church, and thence the externals of the Word and of worship. That the externals of these are signified by the "courts" is evident from this alone, that the "temple" in general signifies heaven and the church, therefore the three divisions of the temple, namely, the courts, the temple itself, and the adytum, signify the three heavens according to their degrees. (Of what nature the three heavens are according to their degrees, see in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 29-40 .)

[9] That "the temple and the courts" signify heaven and the church can be seen more fully from these words in Ezekiel:

The spirit raised me up and brought me into the inner court of the temple, when behold, the glory of Jehovah filled the house; and I heard one speaking unto me out of the house, saying, Son of man, the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel forever (Ezekiel 43:4-7).

That these "courts" signify the lowest heaven, or the external of the church, can be seen from its being said that "he was brought into the court, and thence saw the house filled with the glory of Jehovah," "the glory of Jehovah" signifying Divine truth, which constitutes heaven and the church; also afterwards, that that house was "the place of the throne of Jehovah, and the place of the soles of His feet, where He will dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel forever." That "the throne of Jehovah" means heaven may be seen above (n. 253, 297, 343, 460, 462, 477, 482); and that "the place of the soles of the feet of Jehovah" means the church, see also above n. 606; the "sons of Israel" mean all who are of the Lord's church, consequently "to dwell with them forever" signifies the unceasing presence of the Lord with them.

[10] In the same:

The glory of Jehovah lifted itself up from above the cherub over the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud. And the cloud filled the inner court. And the court was full of the brightness of the glory of Jehovah; and the voice of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court (Ezekiel 10:3, 4, 5).

The "cherubim" seen by the prophet represented the Lord in relation to providence and guard that He be not approached except through good of love; consequently the "cherubim" signify the higher heavens, particularly the inmost heaven, for this guard is there (See above n. 277, 313, 322, 362, 370, 462); therefore the "house that was filled with the cloud" signifies heaven and the church; the "inner court," which the cloud also filled, signifies the lowest heaven; and the "outer court," as far as which the voice of the wings of the cherubs was heard, signifies the entrance into heaven, which is specifically in the natural world, and afterwards in the world of spirits. For through the church in the world, and afterwards through the world of spirits, man enters into heaven. (What the world of spirits is, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 421-431 seq.) But the "cloud" and "the brightness of the glory of Jehovah" signify the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord.

[11] From this it can now be seen what is signified by "courts" in the following passages. In David:

Blessed is he whom thou choosest and causest to approach, he shall dwell in Thy courts; we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, with the holiness of Thy temple (Psalms 65:4).

This signifies that those who are in charity, or in spiritual affection, will live in heaven, and there will be in intelligence and wisdom from Divine truth and Divine good; "the chosen" (or he whom thou choosest) signifies those who are in love towards the neighbor or in charity; "causest to approach" signifies spiritual affection or love, for so far as man is in that love or that affection, so far he is with the Lord, for everyone approaches Him according to that love; "to dwell in courts" signifies to live in heaven, "to dwell" meaning to live, and "courts" meaning heaven; "to be satisfied with the goodness of the house" signifies to be in wisdom from Divine good; and "to be satisfied with the holiness of the temple" signifies to be in intelligence from Divine truth, and from both to enjoy heavenly joy; "the house of God" signifies heaven and the church in respect to Divine good, and the "temple" heaven and the church in respect to Divine truth, and "holiness" is predicated of spiritual good, which is truth.

[12] In the same:

A day in Thy courts is better than thousands, I have chosen to stand at the door in the house of my God (Psalms 84:10).

"Courts" here signify the first or lowest heaven, through which there is entrance into the higher heavens; therefore it is added, "I have chosen to stand at the door in the house of my God." In the same:

Give to Jehovah the glory of His name, bring an offering, and come into His courts (Psalms 96:8).

In the same:

Praise ye the name of Jehovah, praise, O ye servants of Jehovah, who stand in the house of Jehovah, in the courts of the house of our God (Psalms 135:1, 2).

In the same:

How amiable are Thy dwellings, O Jehovah of Hosts; my soul hath desired, yea is consumed for the courts of Jehovah (Psalms 84:1, 2).

In the same:

Come into His gates with confession, into His courts with praise, confess ye unto Him, bless His name (Psalms 100:4).

In the same:

I will pay my vows unto Jehovah before all His people, in the courts of the house of Jehovah, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem (Psalms 116:14, 18, 19).

In the same:

The righteous shall flourish as the palm tree, he shall grow as a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of Jehovah they shall spring forth in the courts of our God (Psalms 92:12, 13).

That in these passages "courts" mean heaven, in particular the lowest heaven and the church, can be seen without explanation.

[13] Likewise in the following passages. In Isaiah:

They shall gather the corn and the new wine, they shall eat and shall praise Jehovah, and they that shall bring it together shall drink in the courts of My holiness (Isaiah 62:9).

"They shall gather the corn and the new wine" signifies instruction in the goods and truths of doctrine and of the church; "they shall eat and shall praise Jehovah" signifies appropriation and the worship of the Lord; "they that shall bring it together shall drink in the courts of My holiness" signifies the enjoyment of Divine truth, and the consequent happiness in the heavens.

[14] In Joel:

Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the court and the altar, and let them say, Spare Thy people, O Jehovah (Joel 2:17);

"weeping between the court and the altar" signifies lamentation over the vastation of Divine truth and Divine good in the church; for the "court" has a similar signification as the "temple," namely, the church in respect to Divine truth, and the "altar" signifies the church in respect to Divine good; therefore "between the court and the altar" signifies the marriage of good and truth, which constitutes heaven and the church; and "to weep" signifies lamentation over its vastation. "Courts" also elsewhere in the Word signify the ultimates of heaven, also the externals of the church, of the Word, and of worship (as in Isaiah 1:12; Zechariah 3:7).

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187. Verse 2. Be wakeful, signifies that they should acquire for themselves life. This is evident from the signification of "being wakeful," as meaning to be in spiritual life; but here, since those whose life is moral and not yet spiritual are treated of, "Be wakeful" is that they should acquire for themselves spiritual life. This life is meant by "wakefulness" and "being awake," because spiritual life is to moral life, apart from spiritual life, as wakefulness is to sleep, or as noonday light is to the evening, yea, to darkness. But that this is so is not known or perceived by those who are in natural life alone, neither by those who are in moral life apart from spiritual life, for this life also is natural life. They do not know or perceive this, because they are in natural lumen only, and this lumen in comparison with spiritual light is as the darkness of evening to the light of noonday. Moreover, to such the darkness of evening seems like light; for their interior sight, which is that of the thought, is adapted to that darkness, just as the sight of owls, bats, and other birds that fly by night, is adapted to the shade. Consequently they believe themselves to be in light because they are able to reason, when yet they are in darkness. That this is so is manifest from the state of such after death, when they become spirits. They then believe, when with their companions, that they are in light, because they not only see all things that are about them, but also are able to think and speak about any matter whatever; and yet their light, when the light of heaven flows in with them, is changed into darkness, and they become so blind in respect to the understanding as not to be able to think at all. Moreover, when angels who are in the heavens look down on those who are in such lumen, they see nothing there but mere darkness. That spiritual life compared with moral life apart from spiritual life is as wakefulness compared with sleep, can be further seen from this, that those who are in spiritual light are in angelic wisdom and intelligence, which is such as to be incomprehensible and ineffable to those who are in natural lumen alone, and this not only with men while living in the world, but also with the same when after death they become spirits; and when intelligence and wisdom constitute wakefulness. From this it can now be seen that "Be wakeful" here signifies that they should procure for themselves spiritual life.

[2] To "be awake" has a similar signification in the following passages. In Matthew:

Be awake, therefore, for ye know not in what hour your Lord cometh (Matthew 24:42).

In Mark:

Be ye awake, for ye know not when the lord of the house cometh, at evening, or at midnight, or at cock-crowing; ¹ lest, coming suddenly, he find you sleeping. What I say unto you I say unto all, Be awake (Mark 13:35-37).

He that is ignorant of the internal sense of the Word may believe that these words refer to the Last Judgment, and that everyone should be prepared for that; but man's state in respect to love and faith when he dies is what they refer to, for then is his judgment. "Evening," "night," and "cock-crowing" signify such states; "evening" signifying a state of waning faith and charity, which is man's state when he comes into the exercise of his own judgment, and is extinguishing in himself the things that he imbibed in childhood; "night" signifying a state of no faith and charity; "cock-crowing" or "daybreak" the state when faith and charity are beginning, which is, when man loves truths and wishes to be reformed by them.

In whatever state a man dies he remains, and according to that he is judged. From this it is evident what is meant by "Be ye awake, lest the Lord coming suddenly find you sleeping. What I say unto you I say unto all, Be awake," namely, that "to be awake" means to receive life from the Lord, which life is spiritual life, and that "sleeping" means living a natural life apart from a spiritual life. (That "evening" signifies a state of waning faith and charity, see Arcana Coelestia 3056, 3197, 3833, 8431, 10134, 10135; "night" a state of no faith or charity, n. 221, 709, 2353, 6000, 7870, 7947; and "daybreak" before morning, or "cock-crowing," the state when faith and charity are beginning, n. 10134.)

[3] In Luke:

Blessed are those servants whom the Lord when He cometh shall find awake; verily I say unto you, He shall gird himself, and make them recline to eat, and drawing near will minister unto them. Be ye ready; for in an hour that ye think not the Son of man will come (Luke 12:37, 40).

Here also, those that "are awake" mean those who are spiritually awake, that is, those who receive spiritual life from the Lord, for these come into the light of intelligence and wisdom respecting Divine truths; but those who do not receive spiritual life remain in obscurity and thick darkness respecting those truths; these, therefore, are asleep, while the former are awake. His "girding himself, making them recline to eat, and drawing near to minister unto them," signifies to communicate to them the goods of heaven, which are all from the Lord.

[4] In Matthew:

The kingdom of the heavens is like unto ten virgins, five of them were prudent, and five were foolish. While the bridegroom tarried, they all slumbered and slept; but the bridegroom coming, they all arose and trimmed their lamps. And when the foolish came, who had no oil in their lamps, and said, Lord, Lord, open to us, the Lord answered, I say unto you, I know you not. Be awake, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh (Matthew 25:1-13).

By "the ten virgins" all who are of the church are meant; by "five" some of them are meant; this is what these numbers signify; by "lamps" the things of faith are signified; by "oil" the things of love. By "the five prudent virgins," therefore, those who are in love and in faith therefrom are meant; but by "the five foolish virgins" those who are in no love, but in faith alone. As such are in no spiritual life (for only those who are in love and charity have spiritual life, because they only are in faith), so because such as these are shut out of heaven, it is said unto them, "I say unto you, I know you not." From this it is most evident what is signified by "Be awake, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh," namely, that they should receive spiritual life, which those have who are in love and in faith therefrom. (But these things may be seen more fully explained in Arcana Coelestia 4635-4638.)

[5] In Luke:

Be wakeful, therefore, praying at every season, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man (Luke 21:36).

Here, also, "to be wakeful" means to receive spiritual life; "to pray at every season" signifies to prepare oneself.

[6] In Revelation:

Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that is awake, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked (Revelation 16:15).

Here "to be awake" signifies to receive spiritual life from the Lord, as is evident from its being said, "Blessed is he that is awake and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked;" "garments" signifying the knowledges of truth and good by means of which man has spiritual life; and "to walk naked" signifying life without such knowledges as means, thus life not spiritual but merely natural. (That "garments" signify the knowledges of truth and good, see below, n. 195, and that by "naked" is signified the deprivation of these, see Arcana Coelestia 1073, 5433, 5954, 9960)

[7] In Lamentations:

Arise, cry aloud in the night, at the beginning of the watches; lift up thy hands to the Lord respecting the soul of thy babes, who have fainted through hunger at the head of every street (Lamentations 2:19);

here, as above, "night" signifies a state of no faith; "the beginning of the watches" signifies the state when faith begins, thus a state of illustration, which is when man becomes spiritual. By "babes" are meant those who love truths, and long for them; "to faint through hunger at the head of every street" is to be deprived of spiritual life through a lack of the knowledges of truth and good. (That "hunger" means a lack of knowledges and a longing for them, see Arcana Coelestia 1460[1-4], 3364, 5277, 5279, 5281, 5300, 5360, 5376, 5893; and that "streets" are the truths of doctrine, 2336)

[8] Because "to be awake" signifies to receive spiritual life, therefore "sleeping" signifies natural life apart from spiritual life, since natural life compared with spiritual life is as sleep compared with wakefulness, as has been said above. This is what "sleeping" signifies in Matthew:

The kingdom of the heavens is like unto a man that sowed good seed in his field; but while men slept the enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat (Matthew 13:24-25).

In Jeremiah:

When they have grown warm, I will set their feasts, and I will make them drunken, that they may sleep the sleep of an age, and not awake (Jeremiah 51:39, 57).

In David:

Look! answer me, Jehovah my God! lighten Thine eyes ² lest I sleep death (Psalms 13:3).

In the same:

The strong in heart have become a spoil, they have slumbered their sleep; at Thy rebuke both the chariot and the horse have fallen into a deep sleep (Psalms 76:5-6).

"Chariot and horse" signify the doctrine of the church and the understanding of doctrine; these are said "to fall into a deep sleep" when they are without truths, and when consequently the man of the church is without spiritual life by means of truths. (That "chariots and horses" in the Word signify doctrine and the intellectual, see in the small work onThe White Horse 1-5.)

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