10244. That they die not. That this signifies lest the representative perish, is evident from the signification of “dying,” when said of the ministration of Aaron and of his sons, as being the cessation of the representatives, and consequently of conjunction with heaven (see n. 9928). The case herein is this. In the church that existed with that nation, conjunction with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord, was solely by means of representatives, that is, by means of external things that represented internal ones; and therefore as soon as they did not minister according to the prescribed rituals, the representative perished, and with it conjunction with heaven. And when conjunction with heaven perished, they had no protection against hell. Hence the death of the sons of Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, for they put incense upon strange fire (Leviticus 10:1-2), by which was represented worship from some other love than the love of the Lord. Hence their separation from heaven, and extinction. The like would have happened if Aaron or his sons had come near to minister unwashed; for thus they would have represented worship not from heaven, but profane, which is from hell. From all this it is evident that by “dying,” when said of the ministration of Aaron and of his sons, is signified the extinction of the representatives, and consequently of conjunction with the heavens.