952. And girded about the breasts with golden girdles, signifies Divine spiritual good holding truths in order and connection. This is evident from the signification of "a golden girdle," as being what holds in order and in connection, for a girdle or belt encloses the garments and holds them together. Truths are so held in order and connection because truths are signified by "garments," and particularly by "linen garments." Spiritual good is meant, because the "breast" which was girt about, and the "gold" of which the girdles were made, signify that good. What has been said above, that:

The Son of man was seen in the midst of the lampstands, girt about the paps with a golden girdle (Revelation 1:3),

has a like signification, as may be seen explained above n. 65. (That a "girdle" or "belt" signifies a common bond for holding all things in order and connection may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia 9341, 9828. What "the girdle of the ephod" signifies may be seen n. 9837; and what "the belt of Aaron's coat," n. 9944.) "Belt (or girdle)" has the same signification elsewhere in the Word (as in Isaiah 9, 11:5; 23:10; Jeremiah 13:1-7).

(Continuation respecting the First Commandment.)

[2] He is deceived who supposes that he acknowledges and believes that there is a God before he abstains from the evils forbidden in the Decalogue, especially from the love of ruling from the delight in ruling, and from the love of possessing the goods of the world from the delight of possession, and not from the delight of uses. Let a man confirm himself as fully as he can, from the Word, from preachings, from books, and from the light of reason, that there is a God, and thus be persuaded that he believes, yet he does not believe unless the evils have been removed that spring from the love of self and of the world. The reason is that evils and their delights block up the way, and shut out and repel goods and their delights from heaven, and prevent their confirmation. And until heaven is confirmed there is only a faith of the lips, which in itself is no faith, and there is no faith of the heart, which is real faith. A faith of the lips is faith in externals, a faith of the heart is faith in internals; and if the internals are crowded with evils of every kind, when the externals are taken away (as they are with every man after death), man rejects from them even the faith that there is a God.

119. That 'Asshur' means the rational mind, that is, a person's rational, is quite clear in the Prophets, as in Ezekiel,

Behold, Asshur was a cedar in Lebanon, beautiful in its branches, and a forest shade, and of a great height, and its top among thick boughs. The waters caused it to grow, the depth of the water; made it tall, a river leading round about the place of its plantings. Ezekiel 31:3-4.

The rational is called 'a cedar in Lebanon'. 'The top among thick boughs' means facts in the memory, this being an apt description of them.

This is clearer still in Isaiah,

On that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Asshur, and Asshur will come into Egypt and Egypt into Asshur, and the Egyptians will serve Asshur. ¹ On that day Israel will be the third with Egypt and Asshur, a blessing in the midst of the earth, whom Jehovah Zebaoth will bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt My people, and Asshur the work of My hands, and Israel My heritage. Isaiah 19:23-25.

Here and in many other places 'Egypt' means knowledge, 'Asshur' reason, and 'Israel' intelligence.

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