Arcana Coelestia # 4922
4922. 'And bound on his hand a twice-dyed thread' means that a sign was placed on it, namely on that power - 'twice-dyed' meaning good. This is clear from the meaning of 'binding on the hand' as placing a sign on power, for 'the hand' means power, 4920; and from the meaning of 'twice-dyed' as good, in particular spiritual good. The reason 'twice-dyed' means spiritual good is that this expression describes a shade of scarlet, and in the next life whenever one sees scarlet spiritual good is meant, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour. For all colours clearly visible in the next life mean something connected with good and truth since they are products of the light of heaven, which essentially is wisdom and intelligence flowing from the Lord's Divine. The variegations or modifications of that light are consequently variegations and so to speak modifications of wisdom and intelligence, and therefore of good and truth. For details about the light in heaven flowing from the Lord's Divine wisdom and intelligence, where the Lord is seen as the Sun, see 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 2776, 3138, 3167, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3225, 3337, 3339, 3340, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3862, 3993, 4180, 4214, 4302, 4405, 4408, 4413, 4415, 4523-4533; and for details about colours having their origin in that light and about their being variegations and modifications of that light, and therefore of intelligence and wisdom, 1042, 1043, 1053, 1624, 3993, 4530, 4677, 4742.
[2] As regards 'twice-dyed' meaning spiritual good, this is evident from places in the Word where this expression is used, as in Jeremiah,
If therefore you have been laid waste, what will you do? If you clothe yourself in twice-dyed and deck yourself with ornaments of gold, in vain will you make yourself beautiful; your lovers will abhor you. Jeremiah 4:30.
This refers to Judah. 'Clothing yourself in twice-dyed' stands for spiritual good, 'decking yourself with ornaments of gold' for celestial good. In 2 Samuel,
David lamented over Saul and over Jonathan, and wrote it down that they teach the children of Judah the bow. Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul who clothed you in twice-dyed delicately, 1 and placed an ornament of gold on your apparel. 2 Samuel 1:17-18, 24.
Here 'teaching the bow' stands for teaching the doctrine of love and charity, for 'the bow' means that doctrine. 'Clothing in twice-dyed' stands for spiritual good, as previously, and 'placing an ornament of gold on one's apparel' for celestial good.
[3] Such being the meaning of 'twice-dyed', instructions were also given to use twice-dyed scarlet on the curtains of the Dwelling-place, the veil, the covering for the door of the tent, the covering to the gate of the court, the table of the Presence when they were about to set out, Aaron's sacred vestments such as the ephod, the breastplate of judgement, and the fringes of the robe of the ephod:
The curtains of the Dwelling-place
You shall make for the Dwelling-place ten curtains - fine-twined linen, and violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet. Exodus 26:1.
The veil
You shall make a veil of violet and purple, and of twice-dyed scarlet, and of fine-twined linen. Exodus 26:31.
The covering for the door of the tent
You shall make a covering for the door of the tent, of violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet, and of fine-twined linen. Exodus 26:36.
[4] The covering to the gate of the court
For the gate of the court you shall make a covering of violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined linen, the work of an embroiderer. Exodus 27:16.
The table of the Presence when they were about to set out
When the camp sets out they shall spread over the table of the Presence a cloth of twice-dyed scarlet, and shall cover this with a covering of badger skin. Numbers 4:8.
The ephod
You shall make an ephod out of gold, violet and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, fine-twined linen, the work of a craftsman; and the girdle similarly. Exodus 28:5-6, 8; 39:2-3.
The breastplate of judgement
You shall make the breastplate of judgement, the work of a craftsman, like the work of the ephod, out of gold, violet, and purple. and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined linen. Exodus 28:15.
The fringes of the robe of the ephod
Pomegranates of violet, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet. Exodus 28:33.
[5] It was because the Tent of Meeting with the Ark in it represented heaven that the colours mentioned in these places were required. They meant in their order celestial and spiritual things, as follows: 'Violet and purple' meant celestial kinds of good and truth, 'twice-dyed scarlet and fine-twined linen' spiritual kinds of good and truth. Anyone believing that the Word is holy can recognize that each has a specific meaning, and anyone believing that the Word is holy for the reason that it has been sent down from the Lord by way of heaven can recognize that the celestial and spiritual things belonging to His kingdom are meant. Similar instructions were given, in cleansings from leprosy, to use 'cedarwood, scarlet, and hyssop', Leviticus 14:4, 6, 52; and to cast 'cedarwood and hyssop and twice-dyed of purple' on to the fire in which the red heifer was being burned, from which the water of separation was prepared, Numbers 19:6.
[6] The profanation of good and truth is described by similar words in John,
I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names. It had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet. and covered 2 with gold and precious stones and pearls. holding in her hand a golden cup, full of abominations and the uncleanness of whoredom. Revelation 17:3-4.
And after this,
Woe, woe, the great city, you that were clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and covered' with gold and precious stones and pearls. Revelation 18:16.
This refers to 'Babel' by which the profanation of good is meant, 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326, in this case the profanation both of good and of truth, which is 'Babylonian'. Among the Prophets in the Old Testament 'Babel' describes the profanation of good and 'Chaldea' the profanation of truth.
[7] In the contrary sense 'scarlet' means the evil that is the contrary of spiritual good, as in Isaiah,
Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. Though they are red as crimson, 3 they will be as wool. Isaiah 1:18.
The reason 'scarlet' means this evil is that 'blood', likewise, because of its red colour, in the genuine sense means spiritual good or charity towards the neighbour, and in the contrary sense violence done to charity, 374, 1005.
Poznámky pod čarou:
Joshua 22
1
Derpå lod Josua
ubeniterne, Gaditerne og Manasses halve Stamme kalde til sig
2
og sagde til dem: "I har holdt alt, hvad HE
ENs Tjener Moses bød eder, og adlydt mig i alt, hvad jeg har påbudt eder.
3
I har ikke svigtet eders Brødre i denne lange Tid; indtil denne Dag har I holdt HE
EN eders Guds Bud.
4
Men nu har HE
EN eders Gud skaffet eders Brødre
o, som han lovede dem; vend derfor nu tilbage til eders Telte i det Land, hvor eders Ejendom ligger, som HE
ENs Tjener Moses gav eder hinsides Jordan.
5
Kun må I omhyggeligt agte på at holde det Bud og den Lov, HE
ENs Tjener Moses pålagde eder, at elske HE
EN eders Gud, vandre på alle hans Veje, holde hans Bud, holde fast ved ham og tjene ham af hele eders Hjerte og hele eders Sjæl!"
6
Og Josua velsignede dem og lod dem drage bort, og de begav sig til deres Telte.
7
Den ene Halvdel af Manasses Stamme havde Moses givet Land i Basan, den anden Halvdel derimod havde Josua givet Land sammen med deres Brødre i Landet vesten for Jordan. Og da Josua lod dem drage hver til sit efter at have velsignet dem,
8
vendte de tilbage til deres Telte med store
igdomme, med Kvæg i Mængde, med Sølv og Guld, Kobber og Jern og Klæder i stor Mængde; og det Bytte, de havde taget fra deres Fjender, delte de med deres Brødre.
9
Så forlod
ubeniterne, Gaditerne og Manasses halve Stamme Israeliterne i Silo i Kana'ans Land og vendte tilbage til Gilead, det Land, de havde fået i Eje, hvor de havde nedsat sig i Følge HE
ENs Bud ved Moses;'
10
og da
ubeniterne, Gaditerne og Manasses halve Stamme kom til Gelilot ved Jordan i Kana'ans Land, byggede de et Alter der ved Jordan, et stort Alter. der sås viden om.
11
Men det kom Israeliterne for Øre, at
ubeniterne, Gaditerne og Manasses halve Stamme havde bygget et Alter på Grænsen af Kana'ans Land, ved Gelilot ved Jordan, på Israeliternes Side.
12
Og da Israeliterne hørte det, samledes hele Israeliternes Menighed i Silo for at drage i Kamp imod dem.
13
Da sendte Israeliterne Pinehas, Præsten Eleazars Søn, til
ubeniterne, Gaditerne og Manasses halve Stamme i Gilead
14
tillige med ti Øverster, een Øverste for hver af alle Israels Stammer; hver af dem var Overhoved for sin Stamme iblandt Israels Tusinder;
15
og da de kom til
ubeniterne, Gaditerne og Manasses halve Stamme i Gilead, talte de således til dem:
16
"Således siger hele HE
ENs Menighed: Hvad er det for en Troløshed, I har begået mod Israels Gud, at I i Dag har vendt eder fra HE
EN ved at bygge eder et Alter og vise Genstridighed mod HE
EN?
17
Har vi ikke nok i Brøden med Peor, som vi endnu den Dag i Dag ikke har fået os renset for, og for hvis Skyld der kom Plage over Israels Menighed?
18
Og dog vender I eder i Dag fra HE
EN! Når I i Dag er genstridige mod HE
EN, vil hans Vrede i Morgen bryde løs over hele Israels Menighed.
19
Hvis det Land, I har fået i Eje, er urent, så gå over til det Land, der er HE
ENs Ejendom, der, hvor HE
ENs Bolig står, og nedsæt eder iblandt os; men vær ikke genstridige mod HE
EN, ej heller mod os ved at bygge eder et Alter til foruden HE
EN vor Guds Alter!
20
Dengang Akan, Zeras Søn, øvede Svig med det bandlyste, kom der da ikke Vrede over hele Israels Menighed, skønt han kun var en enkelt Mand? Måtte han ikke dø for sin Brøde?"
21
Da svarede
ubeniterne, Gaditerne og Manasses halve Stamme overhovederne for Israels Tusinder således:
22
"Gud, Gud HE
EN, Gud, Gud HE
EN ved det, og Israel skal vide det: Hvis det er i Genstridighed eller Troløshed mod HE
EN, i den Hensigt at vende os fra HE
EN,
23
at vi har bygget os et Alter, gid han så må unddrage os sin Hjælp i Dag! Hvis det er for at bringe Brændofre og Afgrødeofre derpå eller for at bringe Takofre derpå, så straffe HE
EN det!
24
Nej, vi har gjort det af Frygt for det Tilfælde, at eders Børn engang i Fremtiden skulde sige til vore: Hvad har I med HE
EN, Israels Gud, at gøre?
25
HE
EN har jo sat Jordan som Grænse imellem os, og eder,
ubeniter og Gaditer; I har ingen Del i HE
EN! Og således kunde eders Børn få vore til at høre op med at frygte HE
EN.
26
Derfor tænkte vi: Lad os bygge dette Alter, ikke til Brændoffer eller Slagtoffer,
27
men for at det kan være Vidne mellem os og eder og mellem vore Efterkommere efter os om, at vi vil forrette HE
ENs Tjeneste' for hans Åsyn med vore Brændofre, Slagtofre og Takofre, for at eders Børn ikke engang i Fremtiden skal sige til vore: I har ingen Del i HE
EN!
28
Og vi tænkte: Hvis de i Fremtiden siger således til os og vore Efterkommere, så siger vi: Læg dog Mærke til, hvorledes det HE
ENs Alter er bygget, som vore Forfædre rejste, ikke til Brændofre eller Slagtofre, men for at det kunne være Vidne mellem os og eder.
29
Det være langt fra os at være genstridige mod HE
EN eller vende os fra HE
EN i Dag ved at bygge et Alter til Brændoffer, Afgrødeoffer og Slagtoffer foruden HE
EN vor Guds Alter, som står foran hans Bolig!"
30
Da Præsten Pinehas og Menighedens Øverster og Overhovederne for Israels Tusinder, som ledsagede ham, hørte de Ord, som
ubeniterne, Gaditerne og Manassiterne talte, var de tilfredse,
31
og Pinehas, Præsten Eleazars Søn, sagde til
ubeniterne, Gaditerne og Manassiterne: "I Dag erkender vi, at HE
EN er iblandt os, siden I ikke har øvet denne Svig imod HE
EN; derved har I frelst Israeliterne fra HE
ENs Hånd!"
32
Derpå vendte Pinehas, Præsten Eleazars Søn, og Øversteme tilbage fra
ubeniterne, Gaditerne og Manasses halve Stamme i Gilead til Israeliterne i Kana'ans Land og aflagde dem Beretning,
33
og Israeliterne var tilfredse ved Meddelelsen, og Israeliterne priste Gud og tænkte ikke mere på at drage i Kamp mod dem for at ødelægge det Land,
ubeniterne, Gaditerne og Manasses halve Stamme boede i.
34
Og
ubeniterne, Gaditerne og Manasses halve Stamme kaldte Alteret: Vidne; "thi," sagde de, "det skal være Vidne mellem os om, at HE
EN er Gud!"
The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University
