630. Verse 2. And the court which is without the temple cast out, and measure it not, signifies that the external of the Word, and thence of the church and worship, is not to be explored. This is evident from the signification of the "court," as being the external of the Word, and thence of the church and of worship. The "court" has this signification because the "temple" signifies heaven and the church in respect to Divine truth, as was said in the article above; therefore the "court" which was "outside the temple or in front of the temple" signifies the first or lowest heaven. For the "temple," regarded in itself, signifies the higher heavens; that is, the "adytum," where the ark of the covenant was, signified the inmost or third heaven, and "the temple outside of the adytum" signified the middle or second heaven; therefore the "court" signified the lowest or first heaven; and what signifies heaven signifies also the church, for the church is the Lord's heaven on the earth; and what signifies the church, signifies also the Word and worship, for the Word is the Divine truth, from which are heaven and the church, and worship is according to Divine truth, which is the Word. From this it is that the "court" signifies the external or ultimate of heaven and the church, and also the external or ultimate of the Word and of worship.

[2] The Word and worship are altogether as heaven and the church are; for as there are three heavens, so in the Word there are three distinct senses: the inmost sense, which is called the celestial sense, is for the inmost or third heaven; the middle sense, which is called the spiritual sense, is for the middle or second heaven; and the ultimate sense, which is called the celestial-natural and spiritual-natural sense, is for the lowest or first heaven. These three senses, besides the natural which is for the world, are in the Word and in all its particulars; and as the three heavens have the Word and each heaven is in its own sense of the Word, and from this is their heaven and also their worship, it follows that what signifies heaven signifies also the Word and worship. This is why the "court" signifies the external of the Word, and thence the external of the church and of worship.

[3] Moreover, it is to be known that the temple had two courts, one without the temple, and the other within, and "the court without the temple" signifies the entrance itself into heaven and into the church, in which are those who are being introduced into heaven; while "the court within the temple" represented the lowest heaven. It is similar with the church, also with the Word and with worship; for "the court without the temple" signifies the external of the Word, that is, the Word such as it is in the natural sense, which is for the world, by which man is introduced into its spiritual sense, in which the angels of heaven are. But what is properly signified by each court, the inner and the outer, will be told in what follows. Also, why it is here said that "the court without the temple is to be cast out, and not measured," will be told in the following article, where it is told what is signified by "it is given to the nations."

[4] From this it can now in some measure be seen what is signified in the Word by "court" and by "courts" in the following passages. In Moses:

Thou shalt make the court of the tabernacle at the corner of the south towards the south, hangings for the courts; twenty pillars, twenty bases, the hooks of the pillars and the fillets of silver, the gate of the court with the veil; its length a hundred cubits from the south to the north, and its breadth fifty from the east to the west (Exodus 27:9-18).

This court was the court of the Tent of meeting, which likewise represented and signified the lowest or first heaven; for "the Tent of meeting" represented heaven; its inmost, where the ark was, over which was the mercy seat, represented the inmost or third heaven; the law in the ark, the Lord Himself as to Divine truth or the Word; and the tent without the veil, where was the table for the loaves, the altar of incense, and the lamp stand, represented the middle or second heaven; and the court, the lowest or first heaven. (That the three heavens were represented by that tent may be seen in Arcana Coelestia, n. Arcana Coelestia 3478, 9457, 9481, 9485; but what is signified in particular by the court, and by all things pertaining to it, may be seen, n. 9741-9775.)

[5] As the court represented the lowest heaven, and thence also the external of the church, of the Word, and of worship:

The residue of the meal offerings and of the sacrifices for sin were eaten by Aaron and his sons in the court (Leviticus 6:16, 26).

"Eating in the court" these sanctified things signified appropriating to oneself the goods of the church that were signified by the meal offerings and these sacrifices; and all appropriation of holy things is effected by ultimates, for except through ultimates there can be no appropriation of interior holy things.

[6] But the courts of the temple are thus described in the first book of Kings:

Solomon made a court before the front of the house of the temple. And afterwards he built the inner court, three layers of hewn stones and a row of hewn cedar (1 Kings 6:3, 36).

The temple in like manner represented heaven and the church; the adytum, where the ark was, represented the inmost or third heaven, also the church with those who are in inmosts, which is called the celestial church; the temple outside the adytum represented the middle or second heaven, also the church with those who are in the middle, which is called the internal spiritual church; the inner court represented the lowest or first heaven, also the church with those who are in ultimates, which is called the internal-natural church; while the outer court represented the entrance into heaven.

[7] And as the temple in the highest sense signified the Lord in relation to the Divine Human, so also in relation to Divine truth, thence the temple also signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, consequently the Word, for that is the Divine truth in the church. That the Lord's Divine Human is signified by the temple is evident from the Lord's words where He says:

Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up; and He spake of the temple of His body (John 2:18-23).

That the "temple" signifies the church is evident from these words of the Lord:

That there shall not be left of the temple stone upon stone that shall not be thrown down (Matthew 24:1, 2; Luke 21:5-7).

These words mean that every Divine truth, consequently everything of the church, is to perish; for the end of the church, which is called the consummation of the age, is here treated of.

[8] That there were two courts built, an inner and an outer, and there little chambers, porticos, or piazzas, and many other things, can be seen from the description of them in Ezekiel:

The angel brought me to the outer court, where, behold, there were chambers and a pavement made for the court round about, thirty chambers upon the pavement, which he measured as to the length and the breadth; and he also measured the bedchambers, the portico, the gate, everything as to length and breadth (Ezekiel 40:17-22, 40:31, 40:34, et seq.; Ezekiel 42:1-14).

And of the inner court it is said in the same:

That he measured the inner court, the gates thereof towards the north, the east, and the south; the portico, the steps with the ascents, the bedchambers, the chambers of the singers, the upper lintels (Ezek. 40:23-31, 40:44, et seq.).

And in Jeremiah:

In the chamber of Gemaliah ¹ the scribe, in the upper court, at the entrance of the gate of the new house (Jeremiah 36:10).

In the prophet Ezekiel, from chap. 40 to chap. 48, a new city, a new temple, and a new earth, are treated of, which signify a New Church that was to be established by the Lord; and the "chambers," the "bedchambers," the "porticos," and the rest, signify such things as belong to the church, its doctrine and worship; and their dimensions signify their quality (as was said and shown in the article above). But this is not the place to explain what is signified by the particulars; only that "courts" signify the external things of heaven and of the church, and thence the externals of the Word and of worship. That the externals of these are signified by the "courts" is evident from this alone, that the "temple" in general signifies heaven and the church, therefore the three divisions of the temple, namely, the courts, the temple itself, and the adytum, signify the three heavens according to their degrees. (Of what nature the three heavens are according to their degrees, see in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 29-40 .)

[9] That "the temple and the courts" signify heaven and the church can be seen more fully from these words in Ezekiel:

The spirit raised me up and brought me into the inner court of the temple, when behold, the glory of Jehovah filled the house; and I heard one speaking unto me out of the house, saying, Son of man, the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel forever (Ezekiel 43:4-7).

That these "courts" signify the lowest heaven, or the external of the church, can be seen from its being said that "he was brought into the court, and thence saw the house filled with the glory of Jehovah," "the glory of Jehovah" signifying Divine truth, which constitutes heaven and the church; also afterwards, that that house was "the place of the throne of Jehovah, and the place of the soles of His feet, where He will dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel forever." That "the throne of Jehovah" means heaven may be seen above (n. 253, 297, 343, 460, 462, 477, 482); and that "the place of the soles of the feet of Jehovah" means the church, see also above n. 606; the "sons of Israel" mean all who are of the Lord's church, consequently "to dwell with them forever" signifies the unceasing presence of the Lord with them.

[10] In the same:

The glory of Jehovah lifted itself up from above the cherub over the threshold of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud. And the cloud filled the inner court. And the court was full of the brightness of the glory of Jehovah; and the voice of the wings of the cherubim was heard even to the outer court (Ezekiel 10:3, 4, 5).

The "cherubim" seen by the prophet represented the Lord in relation to providence and guard that He be not approached except through good of love; consequently the "cherubim" signify the higher heavens, particularly the inmost heaven, for this guard is there (See above n. 277, 313, 322, 362, 370, 462); therefore the "house that was filled with the cloud" signifies heaven and the church; the "inner court," which the cloud also filled, signifies the lowest heaven; and the "outer court," as far as which the voice of the wings of the cherubs was heard, signifies the entrance into heaven, which is specifically in the natural world, and afterwards in the world of spirits. For through the church in the world, and afterwards through the world of spirits, man enters into heaven. (What the world of spirits is, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 421-431 seq.) But the "cloud" and "the brightness of the glory of Jehovah" signify the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord.

[11] From this it can now be seen what is signified by "courts" in the following passages. In David:

Blessed is he whom thou choosest and causest to approach, he shall dwell in Thy courts; we shall be satisfied with the goodness of Thy house, with the holiness of Thy temple (Psalms 65:4).

This signifies that those who are in charity, or in spiritual affection, will live in heaven, and there will be in intelligence and wisdom from Divine truth and Divine good; "the chosen" (or he whom thou choosest) signifies those who are in love towards the neighbor or in charity; "causest to approach" signifies spiritual affection or love, for so far as man is in that love or that affection, so far he is with the Lord, for everyone approaches Him according to that love; "to dwell in courts" signifies to live in heaven, "to dwell" meaning to live, and "courts" meaning heaven; "to be satisfied with the goodness of the house" signifies to be in wisdom from Divine good; and "to be satisfied with the holiness of the temple" signifies to be in intelligence from Divine truth, and from both to enjoy heavenly joy; "the house of God" signifies heaven and the church in respect to Divine good, and the "temple" heaven and the church in respect to Divine truth, and "holiness" is predicated of spiritual good, which is truth.

[12] In the same:

A day in Thy courts is better than thousands, I have chosen to stand at the door in the house of my God (Psalms 84:10).

"Courts" here signify the first or lowest heaven, through which there is entrance into the higher heavens; therefore it is added, "I have chosen to stand at the door in the house of my God." In the same:

Give to Jehovah the glory of His name, bring an offering, and come into His courts (Psalms 96:8).

In the same:

Praise ye the name of Jehovah, praise, O ye servants of Jehovah, who stand in the house of Jehovah, in the courts of the house of our God (Psalms 135:1, 2).

In the same:

How amiable are Thy dwellings, O Jehovah of Hosts; my soul hath desired, yea is consumed for the courts of Jehovah (Psalms 84:1, 2).

In the same:

Come into His gates with confession, into His courts with praise, confess ye unto Him, bless His name (Psalms 100:4).

In the same:

I will pay my vows unto Jehovah before all His people, in the courts of the house of Jehovah, in the midst of thee, O Jerusalem (Psalms 116:14, 18, 19).

In the same:

The righteous shall flourish as the palm tree, he shall grow as a cedar in Lebanon. Planted in the house of Jehovah they shall spring forth in the courts of our God (Psalms 92:12, 13).

That in these passages "courts" mean heaven, in particular the lowest heaven and the church, can be seen without explanation.

[13] Likewise in the following passages. In Isaiah:

They shall gather the corn and the new wine, they shall eat and shall praise Jehovah, and they that shall bring it together shall drink in the courts of My holiness (Isaiah 62:9).

"They shall gather the corn and the new wine" signifies instruction in the goods and truths of doctrine and of the church; "they shall eat and shall praise Jehovah" signifies appropriation and the worship of the Lord; "they that shall bring it together shall drink in the courts of My holiness" signifies the enjoyment of Divine truth, and the consequent happiness in the heavens.

[14] In Joel:

Let the priests, the ministers of Jehovah, weep between the court and the altar, and let them say, Spare Thy people, O Jehovah (Joel 2:17);

"weeping between the court and the altar" signifies lamentation over the vastation of Divine truth and Divine good in the church; for the "court" has a similar signification as the "temple," namely, the church in respect to Divine truth, and the "altar" signifies the church in respect to Divine good; therefore "between the court and the altar" signifies the marriage of good and truth, which constitutes heaven and the church; and "to weep" signifies lamentation over its vastation. "Courts" also elsewhere in the Word signify the ultimates of heaven, also the externals of the church, of the Word, and of worship (as in Isaiah 1:12; Zechariah 3:7).

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220. But it shall be told also what "temple" signifies in the Word. In the highest sense, "temple" signifies the Lord's Divine Human, and in the relative sense, heaven; and as it signifies heaven, it also signifies the church, for the church is the Lord's heaven on earth; and as "temple" signifies heaven and the church it also signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, for the reason that this makes heaven and the church; for those who receive Divine truth in soul and heart, that is, in faith and love, are they who constitute heaven and the church. As such is the signification of "temple," it is said, "the temple of My God;" "My God," when said by the Lord, meaning heaven and Divine truth there, which also is the Lord in heaven. The Lord is above the heavens, and to those who are in the heavens He appears as a sun. From the Lord as a sun light and heat go forth. Light in heaven is in its essence Divine truth, and heat in heaven is in its essence Divine good; these two make heaven in general and in particular. Divine truth is what is meant by "My God;" therefore in the Word of the Old Testament the Lord is called both "Jehovah" and "God;" "Jehovah" where Divine good is treated of, and "God" where Divine truth is treated of; for the same reason also angels are called "gods," and the word God in the Hebrew is used in the plural, Elohim. This shows why it is said, "the temple of My God." (That the Lord is called "Jehovah" where Divine good is treated of, but "God" where Divine truth is treated of, see Arcana Coelestia 709, 732, 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4283, 4402, 7010, 9167; that He is called Jehovah" from Esse, thus from Essence, but "God" from Existere, thus from Existence, n. 300, 3910, 6905; that the Divine Esse moreover is Divine good, and the Divine Existere is Divine truth, n. 3061, 6280, 6880, 6905, 10579; and in general that good is the esse, and truth the existere therefrom, n. 5002; that the angels are called "gods" from their reception of Divine truth from the Lord, n. 4295, 4402, 7268, 7873, 8192, 8301, 8192. That the Divine of the Lord in the heavens is Divine truth united to Divine good, see in the work on Heaven and Hell (13, 133, 139-140. That light in the heavens is in its essence Divine truth, and heat there is Divine good, both from the Lord, see in the same work n. 126-140, 275.)

[2] That "temple" in the Word signifies the Lord's Divine Human, and in the relative sense, heaven and the church, consequently also Divine truth, can be seen from the following passages.

In John:

The Jews asking, What sign showest Thou unto us, that Thou doest these things? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and in three days I will raise it up. Then said the Jews, In forty and six years was this temple built, and wilt Thou raise it up in three days? But He was speaking of the Temple of His body (John 2:18-23).

That "temple" signifies the Lord's Divine Human is here openly declared; for "destroying the temple and raising it up after three days" means the Lord's death, burial, and resurrection.

[3] In Malachi:

Behold, I send My messenger, and he shall prepare the way before Me; and the Lord shall suddenly come to His temple, and the Angel of the covenant whom ye seek (Malachi 3:1).

Here also "temple" means the Lord's Divine Human; for the Lord's coming is here treated of, therefore "coming to His temple" signifies to His Human.

[4] In Revelation:

I saw no temple in the New Jerusalem, for the Lord God Almighty is its temple, and the Lamb (Revelation 21:22).

The New Heaven and the New Earth, when they will be in internals, and not in externals, are here treated of, therefore it is said, that "there will be no temple," but "the Lord God Almighty, and the Lamb." "The Lord God Almighty," is the Divine Itself of the Lord, and "the Lamb" is His Divine Human; from which also it is clear, that His Divine in the heavens is meant by "temple."

[5] In Isaiah:

I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and His skirts filled the temple (Isaiah 6:1).

"The throne high and lifted up," upon which the Lord was seen to sit, signifies the Lord in respect to Divine truth in the higher heavens; but "His skirts" signify His Divine truth in the church. (That "skirts" signify, in reference to the Lord, His Divine truth in ultimates, see Arcana Coelestia 9917.)

That:

The veil of the temple was rent into two parts from the top to the bottom, after the Lord suffered (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:34, 38; Luke 23:45);

signified the union of the Lord's Divine Human with the Divine itself (See Arcana Coelestia 9670).

[6] In the passages that follow "temple" signifies the Lord's Divine Human, and at the same time heaven and the church.

In David :

I will bow myself down toward the temple of Thy holiness, and will confess unto Thy name (Psalms 138:2).

In Jonah:

I said, I am cast out from before Thine eyes, but yet will I add to look to the temple of Thy holiness, and my prayer came to Thee to the temple of Thy holiness (2:4, 7).

In Habakkuk:

Jehovah in the temple of Thy ¹ holiness (Habakkuk 2:20).

In Matthew:

Woe unto you, ye blind guides, who say, Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing; but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, he is a debtor. Ye fools and blind; for whether is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? (Matthew 23:16, 17).

In John :

Jesus said to them that sold in the temple, Take these hence; make not My Father's house a house of merchandise. Then the disciples remembered that it was written, The zeal of Thine house hath consumed me (John 2:16, 17).

[7] Beside these, there are many other passages in the Word where "temple" is mentioned. That it may be known that "temple" means heaven and the church, as also Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, I will cite these passages here, lest the mind should cling to the idea that a mere temple is meant, and not something more holy; for the temple in Jerusalem was holy because it represented and thus signified what is holy. That "temple" signified heaven is evident from these passages. In David:

I called upon Jehovah, and cried unto my God: He heard my voice from His temple (Psalms 18:6).

In the same:

A day in Thy courts is better than thousands. I have chosen to stand at the door in the house of my God, rather than to dwell in the tents of wickedness (Psalms 84:10).

In the same:

The righteous shall flourish like the palm-tree; he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. They that are planted in the house of Jehovah shall flourish in the courts of our God (Psalms 92:12-13).

In the same :

One thing have I asked of Jehovah; that I may dwell in the house of Jehovah, and to early visit His temple (Psalms 27:4).

I shall be at rest in the house of Jehovah for length of days (Psalms 23:6).

In John:

Jesus said, In My Father's house are many mansions (John 14:2).

It is clear that in these passages, by "house of Jehovah" and "Father's house" heaven is meant.

[8] In the following passages the church also is meant. In Isaiah:

The house of our holiness and our splendor, where our fathers praised Thee, is burned up with fire (Isaiah 64:11).

In Jeremiah:

I have forsaken My house, I have abandoned Mine heritage (Jeremiah 12:7).

In Haggai:

I will shake all nations, that the choice of all nations may come; and I will fill this house with glory. The silver is Mine, and the gold is Mine. The glory of this latter house shall be greater than that of the former (Haggai 2:7-9).

In Isaiah:

He shall say to Jerusalem, Thou shalt be built; and to the temple, Thou shalt be founded (Isaiah 44:28).

Here the coming of the Lord and a new church at that time are treated of. In Zechariah the meaning is similar:

The house of Jehovah was founded that the temple may be built (Zechariah 8:9).

In Daniel:

Belshazzar commanded to bring the vessels of gold and silver which Nebuchadnezzar his father had taken out of the temple in Jerusalem, that they might drink from them. They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone, and then came the writing on the wall (Daniel 5:2-4.).

The "gold and silver vessels that were brought from the temple of Jerusalem" signified the goods and truths of the church; that they "drank wine from them and praised the gods of gold, of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone," signifies the profanation of those goods and truths; and on account of this the writing appeared on the wall, and the king ² was changed from a man into a wild beast.

[9] In Matthew:

And the disciples came to show Jesus the building of the temple. Jesus said unto them, See ye all these things? There shall not be left here stone upon stone that shall not be thrown down (Matthew 24:1, 2; Mark 13:1-5; Luke 21:5-7).

That "there should not be left of the temple stone upon stone that should not be thrown down" signifies the total destruction and vastation of the church ("stone" signifying the truth of the church); and because this is what is meant, the successive vastation of the church is what is treated of in these chapters in the Evangelists.

In Revelation:

And the angel stood, saying, Rise and measure the temple of God and the altar, and them that worship therein (Revelation 11:1).

The "temple" here also signifies the church, and "measuring" signifies to explore its quality:

The new temple and its measurements (Ezekiel 40-Ezekiel 47); have a like signification.

[10] That "temple" signifies Divine truth which is from the Lord, is evident from the following passages.

In Ezekiel:

The glory of Jehovah mounted up from above the cherub over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud; but the court was full of the brightness of the glory of Jehovah (Ezekiel 10:4).

"House" here means heaven and the church, and "cloud" and "glory" Divine truth. (That "cloud" is Divine truth, see above, n. 36; and "glory" the like, n. 33.)

[11] In Micah:

Many nations shall go, and say, Come and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, and to the house of our God; that He may instruct us of His ways, and that we may go in His paths; for from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the Word out of Jerusalem (Micah 4:2).

"Mountain of Jehovah, and house of God," signify the church, likewise "Zion" and "Jerusalem;" "to be instructed of His ways, and to go in His paths," is to be instructed in Divine truths; it is therefore said, "From Zion shall go forth instruction, and the Word out of Jerusalem."

[12] In Isaiah:

A voice of a tumult of Jehovah ³ from the city, the voice of Jehovah out of the temple (Isaiah 66:6).

"City" means the doctrine of truth; "temple" the church; and "the voice of Jehovah out of the temple" Divine truth. In Revelation:

There came forth a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying (Revelation 16:17).

Here, likewise, "voice" means Divine truth.

Again:

And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and there was seen in the temple the ark of His covenant; and there were lightnings, voices, thunderings (Revelation 11:19).

"Lightnings, voices, thunderings," signify in the Word Divine truths out of heaven (See Arcana Coelestia 7573, 8914).

The temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened; and there came out from the temple seven angels, having the seven plagues. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from His power (Revelation 15:5-6, 8).

Here seven angels are said to have come out from the temple in heaven, because "angels" signify Divine truths (See above, n. 130, 200). What is signified by "smoke from the glory of God" will be seen in the explanation of these words further on. It should be known, moreover, that the temple built by Solomon, and also the house of the forest of Lebanon, and each particular thing pertaining to them (as described in 1 Kings 6, 1 Kings 7), signified spiritual and celestial things pertaining to the church and to heaven.

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