10130. 'Everyone touching the altar will be sanctified' means whoever receives what is Divine and the Lord's. This is clear from the meaning of 'touching' as an imparting, conveying, and being received, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'the altar' as that which is representative of the Lord in respect of the good of love, at this point in heaven and in the Church, dealt with above in 10129; and from the meaning of 'being sanctified' as receiving what is Divine and the Lord's, also dealt with above, in 10128. The reason why 'touching' means an imparting, conveying, and being received is that a person's inner feelings are expressed by outward means, in particular by touch, and are thereby imparted and conveyed to another; and insofar as the will of the other is in tune and at one with his they are received. Whether you say the will or the love, it amounts to the same thing; for whatever a person loves he likewise wills. From this it also follows that the inner feelings a person has as a result of what he loves and therefore thinks are expressed through touch, and by means of it are imparted and conveyed to another. And insofar as the other loves the person expressing those feelings or loves the things which that person says and does, those feelings are received.

[2] This is especially apparent in the next life, for all people's actions there flow from the heart, that is, from their will or love. They are not allowed to act with gestures separate from their will or love, nor to speak with fraudulent lips, that is, separately from the thoughts of the heart. There it is evident how inner feelings are imparted and conveyed to another by touch, and how the other's reception of them is determined by his own love. Everyone's will or love constitutes the entire person there, and the sphere of life from it flows out from him like breath or an exhalation, envelops him, and constitutes an extension of himself, so to speak, around himself, in a way scarcely different from the emission around plants in the world, which is also detected at a distance through their odours, and also that around animals, which is actually detected by a dog with its keen sense of smell. There is a like emission from every human being, as also a wealth of experience makes known. But when a person lays aside the body and becomes a spirit or an angel that emission or exhalation is not material, as it was in the world; instead it is something spiritual flowing from his love. This love produces a sphere around him, which enables other spirits to detect at a distance what he is like. See what has been shown regarding this sphere in the places referred to in 9606.

[3] Since in their world this sphere is imparted and conveyed to another, and is received by him in accordance with his love, very many wonders occur there which are unknown to people in the world, such as,

1. People's presence with one another is always due to the likeness of their loves, and their absence from one another is always due to unlikeness.

2. All are brought into association with one another on the basis of their loves. Those governed by love to the Lord received from the Lord live in association with one another in the inmost heaven; those governed by love towards the neighbour received from the Lord live in association with one another in the middle heaven; and those governed by the obedience of faith, that is, those who do the truth for its own sake, live in association with one another in the lowest heaven. But those ruled by self-love and love of the world, that is, those who do what they do with selfish and worldly ends in view, live in association with one another in hell.

[4] 3. All turn their eyes towards those they love. Those who love the Lord turn their eyes towards the Lord as the Sun; those who love the neighbour with love received from the Lord turn their eyes towards the Lord as the Moon; and those who do the truth for its own sake act in a similar way. (Regarding the Lord as the Sun and as the Moon, see what has been shown in 1521, 1529-1531, 3636, 3643, 4060, 4321 (end), 5097, 5377, 7078, 7083, 7171, 7173, 8644, 8812.) And what is astonishing, whichever way they face, that is, whichever of the four quarters they turn towards, they still behold the Lord in front of them. The opposite is so with those in hell; the more they are ruled there by self-love and by love of the world, the more they turn from the Lord and have Him behind their back. And again this is so whichever way they face or whichever quarter they turn towards.

[5] 4. When an angel of heaven focuses his attention on others his inner feelings are imparted and conveyed to them, according to the amount and the essential nature of his love; and it is received by them according to the essential nature and the amount of their love. If therefore attention is focused by an angel of heaven on those who are good, it gives rise to gladness and joy; but if it is focused on the evil, it gives rise to pain and torment.

[6] But an imparting, conveying, and being received is also meant by touching with the hand because the whole body's capacity to act is concentrated in the arms and hands, and in the Word interior things are expressed by means of exterior ones. So it is that power is meant by 'the arms', by 'the hands', and especially by 'the right hand', see the places referred to in 10019, and what has been stated in 10023, 10076; and so it is that whatever resides with a person, thus the entire person in his capacity to act, is meant by 'the hands', see the places referred to in 10019. Furthermore all the outward senses of sight, hearing, taste, and smell are connected with touch, being varieties of touch, as is well known in the learned world.

[7] The meaning of 'touching' as an imparting, conveying, and being received is clear from a great number of places in the Word, of which let the following be brought to the fore: In Moses,

You shall anoint the tent of meeting, and the ark of the Testimony, and the table and all its vessels, and the lampstand and its vessels, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering and all its vessels, and the laver and its pedestal. Thus you shall sanctify them, that they may be the holy of holies. Everyone who touches them will be made holy. Exodus 30:26-29.

In the same author,

Everything that touches the remainder of the minchah and the remainder of the flesh from the sacrifices, which are for Aaron and his sons, will be made holy. Leviticus 6:18, 27.

In Daniel,

The angel touched Daniel ¹ and raised him onto his knees; and he touched his lips and opened his mouth; and again he touched him and strengthened him. Daniel 10:10, 16, 18.

In Isaiah,

One of the seraphim touched my mouth with the burning coal; he said, Behold, this has touched your lips, therefore your iniquity has departed and your sin is expiated. Isaiah 6:7.

In Jeremiah,

Jehovah put out His hand and touched my mouth, and said, I am putting ² My words into your mouth. Jeremiah 1:9.

In Matthew,

Jesus, stretching out a hand to the leper, touched him, saying, I am willing; be clean. And immediately his leprosy was cleansed. Matthew 8:3.

In the same gospel,

Jesus saw Peter's mother-in-law sick with a fever, and He touched her hand, and the fever left her. Matthew 8:14-15.

In the same gospel,

Jesus touched the eyes of the blind, and their eyes were opened. Matthew 9:29-30.

In the same gospel,

Jesus touched the eyes of the two blind men, and immediately they received sight. Matthew 20:34.

In Luke,

Jesus touched the servant's ³ ear and healed [him]. Luke 22:51.

In Mark,

They brought the sick to Jesus, that they might just touch the hem of His clothing; and as many as touched [Him] were made well. Mark 6:56; Matthew 14:36.

In Luke,

A woman suffering from a discharge of blood touched the hem of Jesus' garment; and immediately the flow of blood stopped. Jesus said, Who is it who touched Me? Someone touched Me; I perceived that power had gone out from Me. Luke 8:44-48.

In Mark,

They brought young children to Jesus, that He might touch them. And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them. Mark 10:13, 16.

[8] From these quotations it is evident that 'touching' means an imparting, conveying, and being received.

[9] This is similarly evident in places where uncleannesses are the subject, by which evils and falsities that come from the hells are meant in the internal sense, as in Moses,

Whoever touches the dead body of any person ⁴ will be unclean for seven days. Whoever touches a dead body, that of a person who has died ⁵ , and has not expiated himself, defiles Jehovah's dwelling-place; therefore this soul shall be cut off from Israel. Everyone who has touched on the surface of the field one slain with the sword, or one dead, or a human bone, or a sepulchre will be unclean for seven days. Whoever touches the water of separation will be unclean until the evening. Everything that the unclean person has touched will become unclean; and the soul who has touched it will be unclean until the evening. Numbers 19:11, 13, 16, 21-22.

In the same author,

He who touches unclean beasts, unclean creeping things, will be unclean until the evening. Everything onto which [any of them] falls will be unclean; whether it is a wooden vessel, a garment, water, an earthenware vessel, food, drink, an oven, a spring, a cistern, [or] a water-tank, it will be unclean. Leviticus 11:31-36.

The like occurs at Leviticus 5:2-3; 7:21.

In the same book,

[A person] who has a discharge is unclean. A man (vir) who touches that person's bed ..., if he sits on a vessel on which the person has sat ..., whoever touches that person's flesh [or] his garments ..., if someone suffering from a discharge spits on one who is clean ..., a seat ⁶ on which he rides ..., an earthenware vessel ..., a wooden vessel ..., he will be unclean. Leviticus 15:1-end.

So too one who touches a leper, Leviticus 22:4. In the same book,

If any of the carcass falls onto any sowing seed which is sown, it will be clean. But if water is put onto the seed, and the carcass falls onto it, it will be unclean. Leviticus 11:37-38.

[10] By these uncleannesses are meant various kinds of evils and consequent falsities coming from hell, which have been imparted, conveyed, and received. Each particular uncleanness means some specific evil; for evils are what render a person unclean, because they infect his soul. Also the evils in their hearts gush out of evil spirits and genii, and - depending on how convincing the false ideas accompanying evil are - they infect those who are present. This contagious influence is what is meant by touching uncleannesses.

[11] In Moses,

Of the fruit from the tree which is in the middle of the garden you shall not eat, nor shall you touch it, or else you will die. Genesis 3:3.

In the same book,

The angel who wrestled with Jacob, seeing that he did not prevail against him, touched the socket of his thigh, and the socket of the thigh was out of joint. Genesis 32:25.

In the same author,

Moses said that they should not touch anything that belonged to Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, lest they be consumed on account of all their sins. Numbers 16:26.

In Isaiah,

Depart, depart. Do not touch the unclean thing. Go out from the midst of her; be purified, bearers of Jehovah's vessels. Isaiah 52:11.

In Jeremiah,

They went astray blind in the streets, they are defiled with blood. Things which have no power they touch with their garments. Depart; he is unclean. They cry out to them, Depart, do not touch [us]. Lamentations 4:14-15.

In Haggai,

Behold, if a man carries ⁷ holy flesh in the skirt of his garment, and his skirt touches bread, or wine, or oil, or any food whatever, still it will not be made holy. If one who is unclean from a dead body ⁸ touches any of them whatever still he will be unclean. Haggai 2:12-14.

In Hosea,

Perjuring, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery; they commit robbery, and blood touches blood ⁹ . Therefore the land will mourn. Hosea 4:2-3.

Poznámky pod čarou:

298. "Right hand," in reference to the Lord, signifies both omnipotence and omniscience, for the reason that in heaven the south is on the right and the north on the left; and the "south" signifies Divine truth in light, and the "north" Divine truth in shade; and as Divine good has all power through Divine truth, "right hand" in reference to the Lord signifies omnipotence, and as Divine good has all intelligence and wisdom through Divine truth, and to the right in heaven Divine truth is in light (as was said), so "right hand" in reference to the Lord also signifies omniscience. (That in heaven the south is on the right, and there Divine truth is in light, and those who are there are in intelligence and wisdom; and that the north is on the left, and Divine truth there is in shade, see in the work on Heaven and Hell, where The Four Quarters in Heaven are treated of, n 141-153; that all power is from Divine good through Divine truth, see the same work, where The Power of the Angels of Heaven is treated of, n. 228-233; then that all intelligence and wisdom is also from Divine good through Divine truth, see the same work, where The Wisdom of the Angels of Heaven is treated of, n. 265-275; and the Wise and Simple in Heaven, n 346-356)

[2] That "right hand" in reference to the Lord signifies both omnipotence and omniscience, and in reference to men power and wisdom, can be seen from the following passages. In David:

The north and the right hand Thou hast created them; Tabor and Hermon shall rejoice in Thy name. Thou hast an arm with might; strong is Thy hand; Thy right hand shall be exalted. Justice and judgment are the support of Thy throne; mercy and truth shall stand together before Thy faces (Psalms 89:12-14).

Here the "right hand" plainly means the south, for it is said, "the north and the right hand Thou hast created," and the "south" signifies Divine truth in light; thus in the highest sense, which treats of the Lord, it signifies omnipotence and omniscience, which Divine good has through Divine truth (as was said above). Because both omnipotence and omniscience are signified, it is said, "Tabor and Hermon," "justice and judgment," "mercy and truth." By "Tabor and Hermon" those in Divine good and those in Divine truth are signified; by "justice and judgment," and in a like manner by "mercy and truth," Divine good and Divine truth are signified; the two together signify in the spiritual sense Divine good through Divine truth. Omnipotence and omniscience, which Divine good has through Divine truth, are signified by "Thou hast an arm with might," and by "strong is Thy hand; Thy right hand shall be exalted."

[3] In the same:

If I shall forget thee, O Jerusalem, let My right hand forget (Psalms 137:5).

"Jerusalem" signifies the church in respect to the doctrine of Divine truth; and the "right hand of Jehovah," Divine truth in light, since (as was said above) those are at the right hand of the Lord in heaven who are in light and in wisdom from Divine truth; thence it is evident why it is said, "If I shall forget thee, O Jerusalem, let My right hand forget."

[4] In the same:

Behold, I am brutish, I know not. But I am continually with Thee; Thou hast held my right hand. Thou leadest me in Thy counsel, and afterwards receivest me with glory (Psalms 73:22-24).

Since "right hand," in reference to man, signifies wisdom from Divine truth, it is said, "I am brutish, I know not. Thou leadest me in Thy counsel, and afterwards receivest me with glory," "to lead in counsel" meaning to lead by Divine truth, and "to receive with glory" meaning to make blessed with intelligence; "glory" in reference to the Lord signifying Divine truth and Divine wisdom, but in reference to man intelligence therefrom.

[5] In the same:

Jehovah is thy keeper; Jehovah is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night (Psalms 121:5, 6).

"To be a shade on the right hand" signifies to be a defense against evil and falsity. "Shade" stands here for a shady place to preserve from hurt, and "right hand" for power and wisdom from Divine truth, which would be hurt by evil and falsity unless the Lord defended. Because this is what is signified it is said, "the sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night," the "sun" here signifying the love of self and thence all evil, and the "moon" the falsity of evil. (That this is the signification of "sun" and "moon" see in the work on Heaven and Hell 122, 123 ; and Arcana Coelestia 2441, 7078, 8487, 9755, 10130, 10189, 10420, 10702.)

[6] In the same:

Let Thy hand, O Jehovah, be over the man of Thy right hand, over the son of man whom Thou hast made strong for Thyself (Psalms 80:17).

"Let Thy hand, O Jehovah," means guard by omnipotence and omniscience; "the man of the right hand," who is guarded, signifies one who is wise; and "the son of man," one who is intelligent, each through Divine truth.

[7] In the same:

Gird the sword upon the thigh, O mighty One, with Thy splendor and in Thine honor; in Thine honor mount, ride on the Word of truth, of gentleness, and of righteousness; Thy right hand shall teach Thee wonderful things. Kings' daughters are among Thy precious ones; on Thy right hand shall stand the queen in the best gold of Ophir (Psalms 45:3-4, 9).

These things are said of the Lord. "To gird the sword upon the thigh" signifies Divine truth combating from Divine good; therefore it is said, "O mighty One, with Thy splendor and in Thine honor," "splendor" signifying Divine truth, and "honor" Divine good (See above, n. 131, 288). It is also said, "in Thine honor mount, ride on the Word of truth," "in honor to mount" signifying to combat from Divine good, and "to ride upon the Word of truth" signifying to combat from Divine truth, thus from Divine good through Divine truth. The Lord's omnipotence and omniscience are signified by "Thy right hand shall teach Thee wonderful things;" "kings' daughters, who are among the precious ones" signify the affections of truth; and "the queen who is on the right hand in the best gold of Ophir" signifies heaven and the church and those therein who are in truths from good; the "right hand" meaning truth in light, and "gold of Ophir" the good of love.

[8] In the same:

The saying of Jehovah to my Lord, Sit thou at My right hand until I shall make thine enemies a stool for thy feet. The Lord at thy right hand hath stricken through kings in the day of His anger (Psalms 110:1, 5; Matthew 22:44; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42-43).

It is known that these things were said of the Lord; they are a description of the Lord's combats, in the world against the hells, and their subjugation which was effected from Divine good through Divine truth; "right hand" here signifies Divine truth; it is therefore said "until I shall make thine enemies a stool for thy feet;" "enemies" signifying the hells; "making them a stool for thy feet" signifying to subjugate altogether; "the Lord at thy right hand hath stricken through kings in the day of His anger" has a like signification; "day of anger" being a state of combat, and "kings" those who are in falsities from evil. That the Lord, when He was in the world, put on Divine truth from Divine good, and that He thereby subjugated the hells and disposed all things in heaven into order, see Last Judgement 46; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem (n.293-294, 301, 303).

[9] In the gospels:

Jesus said, Henceforth shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power (Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:62; Luke 22:69);

and in Mark:

The Lord after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God (Mark 16:19).

"To sit at the right hand of power," and "at the right hand of God" signifies the omnipotence and omniscience which the Lord has from Divine good through Divine truth.

[10] In Isaiah:

I have strengthened thee, yea, I have helped thee, [yea, I have upheld thee, ] by the right hand of My righteousness. I, Jehovah God strengthening thy right hand, saying unto thee, Fear not; I help thee (Isaiah 41:10, 13).

"I have strengthened thee, yea, I have helped thee" signifies to give power and intelligence by omnipotence and omniscience, which are from Divine good through Divine truth; it is therefore said, "I have upheld thee by the right hand of My righteousness," "right hand" signifying Divine truth, and "righteousness" Divine good; the power and wisdom that man has by these is signified by "strengthening thy right hand." Since both, namely, the omnipotence and omniscience which the Lord has from Divine good through Divine truth are here meant, He is called "Jehovah God;" for the Lord is called "Jehovah" from Divine good, and "God" from Divine truth (See Arcana Coelestia 709, 732, 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4287, 4402, 7010, 9167).

[11] In the same:

Jehovah said to His anointed, to Cyrus, whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before Him; and I will loose the loins of kings, to open doors before Him, that the gates may not be shut (Isaiah 45:1).

"Cyrus" in the representative sense is the Lord. The Lord's omnipotence and omniscience from Divine good through Divine truth, by which in the world He subjugated all the hells, and thereafter keeps them subjugated forever, is signified by "whose right hand I have holden, to subdue nations before him, and I will loose the loins of kings;" also by "to open doors before him that the gates may not be shut;" "the nations to be subdued before Him" signify the hells in respect to evils; and "the king whose loins He should loose," signify the hells in respect to falsities; "the doors open before Him, that the gates may not be shut," signifies that by omniscience all things are manifest to Him, and that by omnipotence He has power to save.

[12] "The right hand" signifies the omniscience and omnipotence that the Lord has from Divine good through Divine truth also in the following passages. In David:

Jehovah is always before me; because He is at my right hand I shall not be moved (Psalms 16:8).

In the same:

O God, Thy right hand sustaineth me (Psalms 18:35).

In the same:

O God, Thy hand is full of righteousness (Psalms 48:10).

In Isaiah:

My hand hath founded the earth, and My right hand hath spanned the heavens (Isaiah 48:13).

In the same:

God hath sworn by His right hand and by the arm of His strength (Isaiah 62:8).

In Revelation:

The Son of man, having in His right hand the seven stars (Revelation 1:16).

In David:

The right hand of Jehovah doeth valiantly; the right hand of Jehovah has been exalted (Psalms 118:15-16).

[13] As "right hand," in reference to angels and men, means the wisdom and intelligence that they have from Divine good through Divine truth proceeding from the Lord.

So there appeared to Zechariah the angel of the Lord standing on the right side of the altar of incense (Luke 1:11);

And an angel was seen in the tomb where the Lord had been, sitting on the right side (Mark 16:5-6);

And for the same reason the sheep are said to have been set on the right hand, and the goats on the left (Matthew 25:33-34 seq.);

"sheep" here being those who are in truths from good, or in the faith of truth from the good of charity; and "goats" being those who are in faith without charity, which faith is called faith alone, and regarded in itself is no faith.

[14] Because of this signification of "right hand" when Aaron and his sons were inaugurated into the priesthood:

Blood was sprinkled upon their right ear and upon their right hand, and upon the great toe of the right foot (Exodus 29:20);

"blood" here signifying Divine truth from Divine good; "the right ear" the ability to perceive truth from good; "the right hand" and "the right foot" understanding and power of truth from good in the internal or spiritual man and in the external or natural man; and "great toe" fullness.

[15] As most expressions in the Word have also a contrary sense, so has "right hand," which in that sense signifies falsity from evil, and its reasoning and combat against truth from good. As in David:

Thou hast exalted the right hand of his adversaries (Psalms 89:42).

Whose mouth speaketh vanity and their right hand is a right hand of a lie (Psalms 144:8, 144:11).

In Isaiah:

That he cannot deliver his soul, nor say, Is there not a lie in my right hand? (Isaiah 44:20).

In Revelation:

They who should receive the mark of the beast on the right hand or on the forehead (Revelation 13:16; 14:9).

The "right hand" in reference to evil, signifies falsity, and consequent reasoning and combat against truth, because with those who are in evil and with those who are in good the quarters are opposite; therefore to the right hand of those in evil truths are in dense darkness, but falsities, as it were, in the greatest light. (That in the spiritual world with those who are in evil and with those who are in good the quarters are opposite, see in the work on Heaven and Hell, n 151-152; and why, n. 122-123.)