9475. And for the incense of spices. That this signifies for acceptable perception, is evident from the signification of “incense,” as being the things of worship which are acceptably perceived, such as confessions, adorations, prayers, and the like; and from the signification of “spices,” as being the truths of faith which are acceptable because from good; for sweet odors signify what is acceptable, in accordance with their perfumes, and whatever is acceptable is so from good through truths. It is for this reason that by “the incense of spices” Is signified the acceptable perception of truth from good. The spices of which this incense was compounded are enumerated, and its preparation is described, in these words:

Take unto thee spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices, and pure frankincense. Thou shalt make them an incense salted, pure, holy. Thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put some of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting; it shall be to you the holy of holies. The incense shall be to thee holy for Jehovah (Exodus 30:34-37).

The altar of incense, and the burning of the incense itself, are thus described:

Thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon. Thou shalt overlay it with pure gold. Thou shalt put it before the veil that is over the ark of the testimony, before the propitiatory [mercy seat], that Aaron may burn thereon incense of spices every morning; when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn it; and between the evenings (Exodus 30:1-8; 37:25-29; 40:26-27).

When Aaron shall come into the holy place, he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar; and his fists full of incense of spices beaten small; then he shall bring it within the veil, so that he may put the incense upon the fire before Jehovah, and the cloud of the incense may cover the propitiatory [mercy seat] that is upon the testimony (Leviticus 16:3, 12-13).

[2] As by “incense” were signified such things of worship as are from good through truths-as are all the things that belong to the faith that is from the good of love-therefore fire was taken from the altar; for by “the fire of the altar” was signified the good of Divine love (n. 934, 4906, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 6834, 6849, 7324, 7852); and therefore when fire was taken from any other source, they were smitten with a plague, and died (Leviticus 10:1-2; Numbers 17:10-13); for by fire from some other source, or strange fire, was signified love not Divine.

[3] That such things as belong to the faith that is from the good of love and charity-as for instance confessions, adorations, and prayers-are signified by “incense,” is evident in David:

Accepted are my prayers as incense before Thee (Psalms 141:2).

The four animals, and the four and twenty elders, fell down before the Lamb, having each one of them a harp, and golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints (Revelation 5:8).

Another angel came, having a golden censer, and there was given unto him much incense, that he should add it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. The smoke of the incense went up from the prayers of the saints (Revelation 8:3-4).

[4] The reason why such things are signified by “incense” is that they belong to the thought and thence to the mouth; but the things which belong to affection, and thence to the heart, are signified by the “meat-offering” in Malachi:

From the rising of the sun even to its going down, the name of Jehovah shall be great among the nations, and in every place shall incense be offered to My name, and a clean meat-offering (Malachi 1:11);

and by “the burnt-offering” in Moses:

The sons of Leviticus shall teach Jacob Thy judgments, and Israel Thy law; they shall put incense in Thy nostrils, and a burnt-offering upon Thine altar (Deuteronomy 33:10).

Here “incense” denotes such things as belong to the thought and the mouth, and that bear relation to the truths of faith; and the “meat-offering” and “burnt-offering” denote such things as belong to the affection and the heart, and bear relation to the goods of love. Consequently in the opposite sense worship from falsities of faith is meant by “burning incense to other gods” (Jeremiah 1:16; 44:3, 5); and by “burning incense to idols” (Ezekiel 8:11; 16:18); and by “burning incense to the Baals” (Hosea 2:13).

934. That “cold” signifies no love, or no charity and faith, and that “heat” or “fire” signifies love, or charity and faith, is evident from the following passages in the Word.

In John it is said to the church in Laodicea:

I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot; so because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spew thee out of My mouth (Revelation 3:15-16); where “cold” denotes no charity, and “hot” much charity.

In Isaiah:

Thus hath Jehovah said unto me, I will be still, and I will behold in My place; like the clear heat upon the light, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest (Isaiah 18:4),

where the subject is the new church to be planted; “heat upon the light” and “heat of harvest” denote love and charity. Again:

Saith Jehovah, whose fire is in Zion, and His furnace in Jerusalem (Isaiah 31:9),

where “fire” denotes love. Of the cherubim seen by Ezekiel it is said:

As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches; it went up and down among the living creatures; and the fire was bright, and out of the fire went forth lightning (Ezekiel 1:13).

[2] And again it is said of the Lord, in the same chapter:

And above the expanse that was over their heads was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of a throne was a likeness as the appearance of a man above upon it; and I saw as the appearance of burning coal, as the appearance of fire within it round about, from the appearance of His loins and upward; and from the appearance of His loins and downward I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and there was brightness round about Him (Ezekiel 1:26-27; 8:2).

Here again “fire” denotes love.

In Daniel:

The Ancient of days did sit; His throne was flames of fire, and the wheels thereof burning fire; a fiery stream issued and came forth from before Him, a thousand thousands ministered unto Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him (Daniel 7:9-10).Here “fire” denotes the Lord’s love.

In Zechariah:

For I, saith Jehovah, will be unto her a wall of fire round about (Zechariah 2:5),

where the new Jerusalem is treated of.

In David:

Jehovah maketh His angels spirits, His ministers a flaming fire (Psalms 104:4),

“a flaming fire” denoting the celestial spiritual.

[3] Because “fire” signified love, fire was also made a representative of the Lord, as is evident from the fire on the altar of burnt-offering which was never to be extinguished (Leviticus 6:12-13), representing the mercy of the Lord. On this account, before Aaron went in to the mercy-seat, he was to burn incense with fire taken from the altar of burnt-offering (Leviticus 16:12-14). And for the same reason, that it might be signified that worship was accepted by the Lord, fire was sent down from heaven and consumed the burnt-offering (as in Leviticus 9:24, and elsewhere). By “fire” is also signified in the Word self-love and its cupidity, with which heavenly love cannot agree; and therefore the two sons of Aaron were consumed by fire, because they burned incense with strange fire (Leviticus 10:1-2). “Strange fire” is all the love of self and of the world, and all the cupidity of these loves. Moreover, heavenly love appears to the wicked no otherwise than as a burning and consuming fire, and therefore in the Word a consuming fire is predicated of the Lord, as the fire on Mount Sinai, which represented the love, or mercy, of the Lord, and that was seen by the people as a consuming fire, and therefore they desired Moses not to let them hear the voice of Jehovah God, and see that great fire, lest they should die (Deuteronomy 18:16). The love or mercy of the Lord has this appearance to those who are in the fire of the loves of self and of the world.