5319. 'And clothed him in robes of fine linen' means an outward sign denoting the celestial of the spiritual, 'robes of fine linen' being truths going forth from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'robes' as truths, dealt with in 1073, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248. The reason 'robes of fine linen' means truths going forth from the Divine is that a robe made of fine linen was absolutely white and at the same time shining, and truth going forth from the Divine is represented by robes which have that kind of brightness and splendour. And the reason for this is that heaven derives its brightness and splendour from the light that flows from the Lord; and the light that flows from the Lord is Divine Truth itself, 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 1776, 3195, 3222, 3339, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3862, 4415, 4419, 4526, 5219. This explains why, when the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, His clothing appeared as the light, Matthew 17:2; glistening, intensely white like snow, as no fuller on earth could bleach them, Mark 9:3; and dazzling, Luke 9:29. It was Divine Truth itself going forth from the Lord's Divine Human that was represented in this manner. But they are exterior truths that are represented in heaven by the brightness of robes, whereas interior truths are represented by the brightness and splendour of the face. This is why 'being clothed in robes of fine linen' at this point means an outward sign denoting truth going forth from the celestial of the spiritual, for this was what the Lord's Divine consisted in at this time.

[2] There are other places too in the Word where truth going forth from the Divine is meant by 'fine linen' and 'robes of fine linen', as in Ezekiel,

I clothed you with embroidered cloth, and shed you with badger, and swathed you in fine linen, and covered you in silk. Thus were you adorned with gold and silver, and your robes were fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth. Ezekiel 16:10, 13.

This refers to Jerusalem, which is used in these verses to mean the Ancient Church. The truths of this Church are described by robes made of embroidered cloth, fine linen, and silk, and by being adorned with gold and silver. 'Embroidered cloth' means truths existing as facts, 'fine linen' natural truths, and 'silk' spiritual truths.

[3] In the same prophet,

Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be to you an ensign; violet and purple from the islands of Elishah was your covering. Ezekiel 27:7.

This refers to Tyre, which too is used to mean the Ancient Church, but so far as cognitions of good and truth are concerned. 'Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt, which was its sail' means truth obtained from factual knowledge, which was the outward sign of that Church.

[4] In John,

The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over Babylon, since no one buys their wares any more, wares of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and bronze, and iron, and marble. Revelation 18:11-12.

All the specific commodities mentioned here mean the kinds of things that have to do with the Church and so truth and goodness. Here however they are used in the contrary sense because they are spoken of in reference to Babylon. Anyone may see that such commodities would never have been listed in the Word which has come down from heaven unless each one held something heavenly within it. What other reason can there be for a list of worldly wares when Babylon, meaning an unholy Church, is the subject? Similarly in the same book,

Woe, woe, the great city, you that were clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, covered ¹ with gold, and precious stones, and pearls. Revelation 18:16.

[5] The fact that each commodity means something Divine and heavenly is quite evident in the same book where it states what fine linen is, namely the righteous acts of the saints,

The time of the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. At that time she was given fine linen, clean and shining, to wear; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Revelation 19:7-8.

'Fine linen' is 'the righteous acts of the saints' for the reason that all those with whom truth received from the Divine exists are clothed with the Lord's righteousness. For their robes which are bright and shining are products of the light which flows from the Lord. Therefore in heaven truth itself is represented by 'brightness', 3301, 3997, 4007; and people who are being raised to heaven from a state of vastation are seen to be clothed with brightness because they are at this point casting off the robe of their own righteousness and putting on that of the Lord's righteousness.

[6] So that truth from the Divine might be represented in the Jewish Church, they were commanded to use cotton or fine linen in Aaron's vestments, and also in the curtains around the Ark, referred to in Moses as follows,

You shall make in chequered pattern for Aaron a tunic of cotton, and you shall make a turban of cotton. Exodus 28:39.

They made tunics of cotton, the work of a weaver, for Aaron and his sons. Exodus 39:27.

You shall make the Dwelling-place, ten curtains - fine-twined cotton, violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet. Exodus 26:1; 36:8.

You shall make the court of the Dwelling-place. The hangings for the court shall be of fine-twined cotton. Exodus 27:9, 18; 38:9.

The screen for the gate of the court, the work of an embroiderer, violet and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined cotton. Exodus 38:18.

Cotton is fine linen, which they were commanded to use because each object in the Ark and around the Ark, also every detail of Aaron's vestments, were representative of spiritual and celestial realities. From this one may see that a person has only a meagre understanding of the Word if he does not know what such things represent, and scarcely any understanding at all if he thinks that the Word possesses no holiness other than that which presents itself in the letter.

[7] When angels with whom truth from the Divine is present are seen by anyone they are clothed so to speak in fine linen, that is, in shining brightness, as is evident in John where 'a white horse' is referred to,

The One seated on a white horse was clothed in a garment dyed with blood, and His name is called the Word. His armies in heaven were following Him on white horses; they were clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Revelation 19:11, 13-14.

These words show quite plainly that 'fine linen' is an outward sign denoting truth from the Divine, for 'the One seated on a white horse' is the Lord as to the Word; indeed those words state quite explicitly that He is the Word. The Word is truth itself received from the Divine, and 'a white horse' is the internal sense of the Word, see 2760-2762. Consequently truths received from the Divine are meant by 'white horses', for such truths constitute the whole of the internal sense of the Word. This was why His armies were seen 'on white horses' and why 'they were clothed in fine linen, white and clean'.

Poznámky pod čarou:

6516. 'In my grave which I dug for myself in the land of Canaan, there you are to bury me' means that it - the Church - was to be restored to life where the previous one had existed. This is clear from the meaning of 'a grave' and 'burying' as restoring to life, dealt with in 5551; and from the meaning of 'the land of Canaan' as the Lord's kingdom and the Church, dealt with in 1413, 1437, 1607, 1866, 3038, 3481, 3705, 4240, 4447. The reason Jacob wished to be buried in the land of Canaan, where Abraham and Isaac had been buried, and not in any other place was that his descendants were going to possess that land, and so he would be lying among his own people. But in the internal sense not this but something else is meant, namely regeneration and resurrection, because these are what the Church resides in. For 'burial' means in the internal sense regeneration and resurrection, 2916, 1917, 4621, 5551. While 'the land of Canaan' means the Church, as is evident from the places referred to above in the present paragraph, and Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob represent the Lord as regards the Divine itself and the Divine Human, and in the relative sense the Lord's kingdom as regards the internal aspect and the external aspect of it, 1965, 1989, 2011, 3245, 3305 (end), 4615, 6098, 6185, 6276. This then is what is meant in the internal sense by the burial of them in that land; and it explains why among Jews who believe in resurrection the conviction continues to exist that even though they have been buried in some other place they will nevertheless rise again in the land of Canaan.

[2] The reason why it is said that the Church was to be restored to life in the place where the previous one had existed is that the Lord's Church had existed in that land since most ancient times, see 3686, 4447, 4454, 4516, 4517, 5136. It also explains why Abraham was told to go there and why the descendants of Jacob were led into it. And the reason for all this was not that the land was holier than all others but that since most ancient times all the locations there, both provinces and cities as well as mountains and rivers, had been representative of such things as belonged to the Lord's kingdom; and the actual names conferred on those locations implied such things. For every particular name supplied from heaven to a place or person implies some celestial or spiritual reality; and when the name has been supplied from heaven, that reality is perceived by them there. The Most Ancient Church too, which was celestial and was in contact with heaven, was one that used to confer names. The reason therefore why the Church was to exist again in that land was that a Word was going to be given in which every detail would be representative of and would mean some spiritual or celestial reality, and that Word would accordingly be understood in heaven no less than on earth. But this could not possibly have been accomplished unless also the names of places and persons had had spiritual meanings. This is the reason why the descendants of Jacob were led into that land, why prophets were raised up there through whom the Word was written, and therefore why a representative of the Church was established among Jacob's descendants. From all this one may see the reason for the statement that the Church was to be restored to life where the previous one had existed.

[3] The fact that names in the Word mean spiritual things may be seen in 1224, 1264, 1876, 1888, 4442, 5225, as well as in the multitude of places where explanations are given of what their meanings are. But the fact that in heaven they perceive what the meanings are of names used in the Word, and that they do this without prior instruction, is an arcanum unknown as yet to anyone and must therefore be described. When the Word is read the Lord comes in and teaches; also - and this is one of the marvels in the spiritual world - writings exist, which I have frequently seen and been able to read yet not understand. But good spirits and angels understand them perfectly well because those writings accord with the universal language they speak. I have been led to know that individual words used there, even individual letters, hold within themselves the kinds of things that belong to that world, thus spiritual things, and that these are perceived there from the breath that is used, and from the affection resulting from the uttering of those words, thus from the varying smooth or rough delivery of them. But it is probable that hardly anyone will believe this. This arcanum has been disclosed so that people may know that those in heaven perceive instantly what the meanings are of names used in the Word, because those names are registered in heaven.