243. And white garments, that thou mayest be clothed, signifies genuine truths and intelligence therefrom. This is evident from the signification of "white garments," as being genuine truths, for garments signify truths (See above, n. 195), and "white" signifies what is genuine, and is predicated of truths (See above, n. 196); also from the signification of "to clothe," as being to acquire intelligence for oneself therefrom, for by means of genuine truths all intelligence is acquired; for the human understanding is formed to receive truths, therefore it becomes such as the truths are out of which it is formed. It is supposed that understanding is also the ability to reason from thought and to speak from falsities, and to confirm falsities by many arguments; but this is not understanding, it is only a faculty granted to man with the memory to which it is adjoined, and of which it is an activity. Yet by means of this faculty the understanding is born and formed, so far as man receives truths from affection; but genuine truths it is not possible for any man to receive from affection except only from the Lord, since they are from Him; consequently, to receive understanding, or to become intelligent, is not given to any man, except only from the Lord, but it is given to everyone who applies himself to receive (according to what was said above, n. 239. This, therefore, is signified by "I counsel thee to buy of Me white garments, that thou mayest be clothed."

10536. 'And no one put on his finery' means the nature of their external which is such that it lacks what is Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'finery' as the presence of what is Divine in external things, so that 'not putting on his finery' means the absence of what is Divine in those things. The reason why 'finery' has this meaning is that 'finery' relates to clothing, and Divine Truths are meant by clothing generally. The reason why Divine Truths are meant by clothing generally lies in things in the next life that are representative. All there, both angels and spirits, appear clothed in garments, each one in garments that accord with his truths. Those in possession of truths that are authentic and come from God appear clothed in brilliantly white garments; others appear in others different from these. Spirits indeed do not know where their garments come from; they are clothed without their knowing how. And also the garments they wear are varied, as determined by the changes of state they undergo in respect of truths. In short, the character of their understanding is what is revealed and represented by their garments; for everyone's understanding is shaped by truths and comes to have the same nature as the truths which compose it. The understanding which angels in heaven possess resides on an inner level with them, as a consequence of which their garments are brilliant and white. The brilliance is due to Divine Good, and the whiteness to the light of heaven, which is Divine Truth. But the garments of those whose interest lies in external things and not in what is internal are drab and torn, like those of beggars in the streets or robbers in the forests. From all this what is meant by 'finery' may be seen, namely the Church's holy truths, and therefore 'not putting on finery' means the absence of the Church's holy truths, and in reference to the Israelite nation, whose interest lay in external things and not in what was internal, means the nature of their external which was such that it lacked truths from God.

Truths are meant by 'garments', see 2132, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248, 5319, 5954, 6378, 6914, 6917, 6918, 9093, 9158, 9212, 9216, 9814, 9827, 9952.

What is meant by the garments of Aaron and his sons, 9814, 10068.

'Finery' in the Word means the Church's holy truths, see below in 10540.