9473. Oil for the luminary. That this signifies the internal good which is in mutual love and in charity, is evident from the signification of “oil,” as being the good of love (see n. 886, 4582, 4638); and from the signification of “the luminary,” as being mutual love and charity. That “the luminary” denotes mutual love, is from its flame, by which this love is signified; and that it denotes charity, is from the heat and light from it; for spiritual heat is the good of charity, and spiritual light is the truth of faith.

[2] It shall here be briefly stated what is meant by the internal good in mutual love, and in charity. Nothing comes forth from itself, but from what is prior to itself. This is the case also with truth and good. That from which another thing comes forth is internal; and that which comes forth is its external. Each and all things that come forth are like cause and effect. No effect can come forth without an efficient cause. The efficient cause is the internal of the effect, and the effect is its external. They are also like endeavor and motion. No motion can come forth without endeavor, insomuch that when the endeavor ceases the motion ceases. Wherefore the internal of motion is endeavor, or moving force. The case is similar with living endeavor, which is will; and with living motion, which is action. No action can come forth without will, insomuch that when will ceases action ceases; and therefore the internal of action is will. From all this it is evident that in each and all things there must be an internal, in order that they may come forth, and that they may afterward subsist; and that without an internal they are not anything.

[3] So also it is with the good which is of love; unless there is an internal good in it, it is not good. The internal good in the good of faith is the good of charity, which is spiritual good; but the internal good in the good of charity is the good of mutual love, which is external celestial good; and the internal good in the good of mutual love is the good of love to the Lord, which is the good of innocence; and this good is internal celestial good. But the internal good in the good of love to the Lord, that is, in the good of innocence, is the good Divine itself that proceeds from the Divine Human of the Lord, and consequently it is the Lord Himself. This last good must be in all good, in order that it may be good; and therefore there is not any good unless its internal is from this source; for unless its internal is from this source, it is not good but evil, because it is from the man himself, and that which proceeds from man is evil; for man regards himself in all the good that he does, and also regards the world, and thus not the Lord nor heaven. If the Lord and heaven are thought of by him, they are to him as means to serve his own honor and his own profit. Consequently these goods are like whited sepulchers, which outwardly appear beautiful; but inwardly are full of dead men’s bones, and of all uncleanness (Matthew 23:27, 29).

886. That the “olive” signifies the good of charity, is evident from the signification in the Word not only of an “olive” but also of “oil.” It was with olive oil, together with spices, that the priests and kings were anointed, and it was with olive oil that the lamps were trimmed (see Exodus 30:24; 27:20). The reason olive oil was used for anointing and for lamps was that it represented all that is celestial, and therefore all the good of love and of charity; for the oil is the very essence of the tree, and is as it were its soul, just as the celestial, or the good of love and of charity, is the very essence or the very soul of faith; and hence oil has this representation. That “oil” signifies what is celestial, or the good of love and of charity, may be confirmed from many passages of the Word; but as it is the olive-tree, that is mentioned here, we will merely present some passages that confirm its signification. As in Jeremiah:

Jehovah called thy name a green olive-tree, fair with goodly fruit (Jeremiah 11:16),where the Most Ancient or Celestial Church is so called, which was the foundation church of the Jewish Church; and therefore all the representatives of the Jewish Church had regard to celestial things, and through these to the Lord.

[2] In Hosea:

His branches shall spread, and his honor shall be as the olive-tree, and his smell as of Lebanon (Hosea 14:6),

which is said of the church that is to be planted, whose honor is the “olive-tree” that is, the good of love and of charity; the “smell as of Lebanon” being the affection of the truth of faith therefrom. “Lebanon” stands for its cedars, which signified spiritual things, or the truths of faith.

In Zechariah, speaking of the lampstand:

Two olive-trees by it, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof; these are the two sons of the pure oil that stand by the Lord of the whole earth (Zechariah 4:3, 11, 14).

Here the “two olive-trees” denote the celestial and the spiritual, thus love, which is of the celestial church, and charity, which is of the spiritual church. These are on the “right hand” and on the “left hand” of the Lord. The “lampstand” here signifies, as in the Jewish Church it represented, the Lord; its “lamps” signify celestial things from which are spiritual, as from a flame proceed rays of light, or light.

In David:

Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine in the sides of thy house; thy sons like olive plants (Psalms 128:3); where “wife as a vine” denotes the spiritual church; “sons” the truths of faith, which are called “olive plants” because from the goods of charity.

In Isaiah:

Yet there shall be left therein gleanings, as the shaking of an olive-tree, two or three berries in the top of the branch (Isaiah 17:6); where the subject treated of is the remains in man; “of an olive-tree” denoting celestial remains.

In Micah:

Thou shalt tread the olive, but shalt not anoint thee with oil; and the vintage, but shalt not drink the wine (Micah 6:15).

And in Moses:

Thou shalt plant vineyards and dress them, but thou shalt not drink of the wine; thou shalt have olive-trees throughout all thy border, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil (Deuteronomy 28:39-40),

where the subject is the abundance of doctrinal teachings about the goods and truths of faith, which by reason of their character, those people rejected. From these passages it is evident that a “leaf” signifies the truth of faith, and an “olive” the good of charity; and that like things are signified by the “olive-leaf” which the dove brought in her mouth; that is, that there now appeared in the man of the Ancient Church some little of the truth of faith from the good of charity.