Arcana Coelestia # 10129
10129. And the altar shall be a holy of holies. That this signifies the celestial kingdom, where the Lord is present in the good of love, is evident from the signification of “the altar,” as being a representative of the Lord as to Divine good (see n. 9388, 9389, 9714, 9964), here as to Divine good in heaven and in the church (n. 10123); and from the signification of “a holy of holies,” as being celestial good, or the good of love from the Lord. That it is the celestial kingdom which is here signified by “the altar,” and the good in this kingdom which is signified by “a holy of holies,” is because in this kingdom is received the good of love from the Lord to the Lord, which is celestial good. For there are two kingdoms into which the heavens are distinguished, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom; in the celestial kingdom is received the good of love from the Lord to the Lord, and in the spiritual kingdom is received the good of charity toward the neighbor from the Lord (see the places cited in n. 9277, 9680, 10068).
[2] By the altar is represented the celestial kingdom, or what is the same, the Lord is represented where He is present in the good of love; and by the Tent of meeting outside the veil is represented the spiritual kingdom, or what is the same, the Lord is represented where He is present in the good of charity toward the neighbor. The good of the spiritual kingdom, or spiritual good, is called “holy;” but the good of the celestial kingdom, or celestial good, is called “holy of holies.” Celestial good, which is the good of love from the Lord to the Lord, is called “holy of holies” because through this good the Lord flows in immediately into the heavens; but through spiritual good, which is the good of charity toward the neighbor, He flows in mediately through celestial good (n. 9473, 9683, 9873, 9992, 10005). It is said “flows in,” because the Lord is above the heavens, and flows in from thence (n. 10106); and yet He is quite as present in the heavens.
[3] That celestial good, which is the good of love from the Lord to the Lord, is meant by “holy of holies,” is evident from the passages in the Word where mention is made of the “holy of holies,” as in Moses:
The veil shall divide unto you between the holy and the holy of holies. And thou shalt put the propitiatory upon the ark of the Testimony in the holy of holies (Exodus 26:33-34);
from this it is evident that that part of the Tent is called “holy” which was outside the veil, and that part the “holy of holies” which was within the veil. (That the Tent or Habitation outside the veil represented the spiritual kingdom of the Lord, or the middle heaven; and that the Tent or Habitation within the veil represented the celestial kingdom of the Lord, see n. 9457, 9481, 9485, 10001, 10025.) That part of the Tent which was within the veil is called “the sanctuary of holiness” (Leviticus 16:33). Because by the ark in which was the Testimony; and upon which was the propitiatory, was represented the inmost heaven where celestial good reigns, therefore the inmost part [adytum] of the temple, where the ark of the covenant was, is also called the “holy of holies” (1 Kings 6:16; 8:6).
[4] As the bread and the meat-offering signified the good of love from the Lord to the Lord, which is celestial good, these also are called “holy of holies” in Moses, where it is said that the bread of faces, or of setting forth, shall be eaten by Aaron and his sons in the holy place, because it is the holy of holies of the fire-offerings to Jehovah (Leviticus 24:9). (That the “bread of faces,” or of “setting forth,” signifies celestial good, see n. 9545.) In Moses:
The residue of the meat-offering shall be for Aaron and his sons, the holy of holies of the fire-offerings to Jehovah (Leviticus 2:3, 10).
(That the meat-offering, which was unleavened bread, cakes, and also unleavened wafers mixed with oil, denotes celestial good, or the good of love, see n. 4581, 9992, 10079)
[5] In the same:
Every meat-offering, every sacrifice of sin and of guilt, which is for Aaron and his sons, is a holy of holies to Jehovah (Numbers 18:9).
These things were called “holy of holies” because these sacrifices signified purification from evils, and all purification from evils is effected in a state of the good of innocence, which good is also celestial good; wherefore in the sacrifices of sin and of guilt were offered female or male lambs, or rams, or bullocks, or turtle-doves, as is evident from Leviticus 4:5; and by these animals is signified this good. (That it is signified by “lambs,” see n. 3519, 3994, 7840; by “rams,” n. 10042; and by “bullocks,” n. 9391; that it is signified by “turtle-doves,” is evident from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned.) That purification from evils and regeneration are effected in a state of innocence, see n. 10021. For this reason these sacrifices are also called “holy of holies” in Leviticus 6:17; 7:6; 10:17; 14:13.
[6] That the altar of burnt-offering represented the Lord as to the good of love and its receptivity by angels and men, has been shown above, and therefore it is thus spoken of in Moses:
Thou shalt anoint the altar of burnt-offering, and all the vessels thereof, the laver thereof, and the base thereof. And thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be a holy of holies; whosoever toucheth them shall sanctify himself (Exodus 30:29).
[7] The incense, a portion of which was put before the Testimony in the Tent of meeting, is also called “holy of holies” (Exodus 30:36), because it signified celestial good in ultimates, and also the things which proceed from this good (n. 9475).
In Ezekiel:
This is the law of the house, upon the head of the mountain the whole border thereof round about shall be holy of holies (Ezekiel 43:12).
The house with the border round about it is called “holy of holies” because by “the house of God” is signified the celestial kingdom, and in the supreme sense the Lord as to the good of love (n. 3720); hence also it is said “upon the head of the mountain,” for by “the head of the mountain” the like is signified (n. 6435, 9422, 9434).
[8] In Daniel:
Seventy weeks are decreed upon the people and upon the holy city, to seal up the vision, and the prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies (Daniel 9:24);
speaking of the coming of the Lord, who alone is the anointed of Jehovah, and alone is holy, and also as to His Human is the Divine good of the Divine love, thus “the holy of holies.” (That the Lord as to the Divine Human is alone the anointed of Jehovah, see n. 9954; and that He alone is holy, n. 9229; and that He is the Divine good of the Divine love, see the citations in n. 9199.)
[9] That celestial good is “holy of holies,” but spiritual good is “holy,” is because celestial good is inmost good, and therefore also this good is the good of the inmost heaven; whereas spiritual good is the good thence proceeding, and is therefore the good of the middle heaven, and this good is so far good, and hence is so far holy, as it has celestial good within it; for this good flows into it, and conceives it, and begets it, as a father his son. By celestial good is meant the good of love from the Lord to the Lord, and by spiritual good is meant the good of charity toward the neighbor from the Lord. The very good of love to the Lord from the Lord is “holy of holies,” because through it the Lord conjoins Himself immediately; but the good of charity toward the neighbor is “holy,” because through it the Lord conjoins Himself mediately, and He conjoins Himself insofar as it has in it the good of love from the Lord.
[10] The good of love to the Lord from the Lord is in all the good of charity which is genuine, and likewise in all the good of faith which is genuine, because it flows in from the Lord; for no one can love the neighbor, and from love do good to him, from himself, but only from the Lord; and no one can believe in God from himself, but only from the Lord. Therefore when the Lord is acknowledged, and the neighbor is loved, then the Lord is in the love toward the neighbor, however little the man may know it. This is also meant by the words of the Lord in Matthew:
The righteous shall answer, Lord, when saw we Thee hungry, and fed Thee? Or thirsty and gave Thee drink? When saw we Thee sick, or in prison, and came unto Thee? And the King shall say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Insofar as ye did it unto one of the least of these My brethren, ye did it unto Me (Matthew 25:37-40);
from this it is plain that the Lord is in the good of charity, and is this good, even though they who are in this good are unaware of it. By “brethren” in the proximate sense are meant those who are in the good of charity, and in a sense abstracted from person; the Lord’s “brethren” denote the very goods of charity (see n. 5063-5071).
Exodus 12
1
Yahweh spoke to Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt, saying,
2
"This month shall be to you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you.
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Speak to all the congregation of Israel, saying, 'On the tenth day of this month, they shall take to them every man a lamb, according to their fathers' houses, a lamb for a household;
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and if the household is too little for a lamb, then he and his neighbor next to his house shall take one according to the number of the souls; according to what everyone can eat you shall make your count for the lamb.
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Your lamb shall be without blemish, a male a year old. You shall take it from the sheep, or from the goats:
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and you shall keep it until the fourteenth day of the same month; and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it at evening.
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They shall take some of the blood, and put it on the two doorposts and on the lintel, on the houses in which they shall eat it.
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They shall eat the flesh in that night, roasted with fire, and unleavened bread. They shall eat it with bitter herbs.
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Don't eat it raw, nor boiled at all with water, but roasted with fire; with its head, its legs and its inner parts.
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You shall let nothing of it remain until the morning; but that which remains of it until the morning you shall burn with fire.
11
This is how you shall eat it: with your belt on your waist, your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand; and you shall eat it in haste: it is Yahweh's Passover.
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For I will go through the land of Egypt in that night, and will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and animal. Against all the gods of Egypt I will execute judgments: I am Yahweh.
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The blood shall be to you for a token on the houses where you are: and when I see the blood, I will pass over you, and there shall no plague be on you to destroy you, when I strike the land of Egypt.
14
This day shall be to you for a memorial, and you shall keep it a feast to Yahweh: throughout your generations you shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.
15
"'Seven days you shall eat unleavened bread; even the first day you shall put away yeast out of your houses, for whoever eats leavened bread from the first day until the seventh day, that soul shall be cut off from Israel.
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In the first day there shall be to you a holy convocation, and in the seventh day a holy convocation; no kind of work shall be done in them, except that which every man must eat, that only may be done by you.
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You shall observe the feast of unleavened bread; for in this same day have I brought your armies out of the land of Egypt: therefore you shall observe this day throughout your generations by an ordinance forever.
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In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month at evening, you shall eat unleavened bread, until the twenty first day of the month at evening.
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Seven days shall there be no yeast found in your houses, for whoever eats that which is leavened, that soul shall be cut off from the congregation of Israel, whether he be a foreigner, or one who is born in the land.
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You shall eat nothing leavened. In all your habitations you shall eat unleavened bread.'"
21
Then Moses called for all the elders of Israel, and said to them, "Draw out, and take lambs according to your families, and kill the Passover.
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You shall take a bunch of hyssop, and dip it in the blood that is in the basin, and strike the lintel and the two doorposts with the blood that is in the basin; and none of you shall go out of the door of his house until the morning.
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For Yahweh will pass through to strike the Egyptians; and when he sees the blood on the lintel, and on the two doorposts, Yahweh will pass over the door, and will not allow the destroyer to come in to your houses to strike you.
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You shall observe this thing for an ordinance to you and to your sons forever.
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It shall happen when you have come to the land which Yahweh will give you, according as he has promised, that you shall keep this service.
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It will happen, when your children ask you, 'What do you mean by this service?'
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that you shall say, 'It is the sacrifice of Yahweh's Passover, who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in Egypt, when he struck the Egyptians, and spared our houses.'" The people bowed their heads and worshiped.
28
The children of Israel went and did so; as Yahweh had commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
29
It happened at midnight, that Yahweh struck all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon; and all the firstborn of livestock.
30
Pharaoh rose up in the night, he, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt, for there was not a house where there was not one dead.
31
He called for Moses and Aaron by night, and said, "Rise up, get out from among my people, both you and the children of Israel; and go, serve Yahweh, as you have said!
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Take both your flocks and your herds, as you have said, and be gone; and bless me also!"
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The Egyptians were urgent with the people, to send them out of the land in haste, for they said, "We are all dead men."
34
The people took their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs being bound up in their clothes on their shoulders.
35
The children of Israel did according to the word of Moses; and they asked of the Egyptians jewels of silver, and jewels of gold, and clothing.
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Yahweh gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians, so that they let them have what they asked. They despoiled the Egyptians.
37
The children of Israel traveled from Rameses to Succoth, about six hundred thousand on foot who were men, besides children.
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A mixed multitude went up also with them, with flocks, herds, and even very much livestock.
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They baked unleavened cakes of the dough which they brought forth out of Egypt; for it wasn't leavened, because they were thrust out of Egypt, and couldn't wait, neither had they prepared for themselves any food.
40
Now the time that the children of Israel lived in Egypt was four hundred thirty years.
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It happened at the end of four hundred thirty years, even the same day it happened, that all the armies of Yahweh went out from the land of Egypt.
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It is a night to be much observed to Yahweh for bringing them out from the land of Egypt. This is that night of Yahweh, to be much observed of all the children of Israel throughout their generations.
43
Yahweh said to Moses and Aaron, "This is the ordinance of the Passover. No foreigner shall eat of it,
44
but every man's servant who is bought for money, when you have circumcised him, then shall he eat of it.
45
A foreigner and a hired servant shall not eat of it.
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In one house shall it be eaten; you shall not carry forth anything of the flesh abroad out of the house; neither shall you break a bone of it.
47
All the congregation of Israel shall keep it.
48
When a stranger shall live as a foreigner with you, and will keep the Passover to Yahweh, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it; and he shall be as one who is born in the land: but no uncircumcised person shall eat of it.
49
One law shall be to him who is born at home, and to the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you."
50
All the children of Israel did so. As Yahweh commanded Moses and Aaron, so they did.
51
It happened the same day, that Yahweh brought the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt by their armies.
