9596. Of fine twined linen, and blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed. That this signifies the spiritual and celestial things from which are these truths, is evident from the signification of “fine twined linen,” as being truths from a celestial origin (see n. 9469); from the signification of “blue” [hyacinthinum] as being the celestial love of truth (n. 9466); from the signification of “crimson,” as being the celestial love of good (n. 9467); and from the signification of “scarlet double-dyed,” as being spiritual good, or the good of truth (n. 9468). Such is the order in which spiritual and celestial things, or truths and goods, follow with the man, and with the angel, who is in the middle or second heaven. For first is truth from a celestial origin, which is signified by “fine linen;” next is the love or affection of truth, which is signified by “blue;” afterward is the consequent love or affection of good, which is signified by “crimson;” and lastly is spiritual good, which is signified by “scarlet double-dyed.”

[2] As spiritual and celestial things follow in this order, therefore fine twined linen is here mentioned first; but in the case of the veil, which was between the Habitation and the ark, or between the holy and the holy of holies-see verse 31 of this chapter-it is mentioned in the last place. The reason why in the veil the fine twined linen is mentioned last, is that the veil signifies the intermediate that unites the inmost heaven with the middle heaven, and therefore in this intermediate it must be the last, so that, for the sake of conjunction, it may be the first in what follows.

[3] But by “fine twined linen” is properly signified the understanding such as belongs to a spiritual man, or to an angel who is in the Lord’s spiritual kingdom. The reason why the understanding is signified by “fine twined linen,” is that with the spiritual man a new will from the Lord has been implanted in his understanding (n. 863, 875, 895, 927, 1023, 1043, 1044, 1555, 2256, 4328, 4493, 5113); and as the understanding of the spiritual man is signified by “fine twined linen,” therefore also spiritual truth is signified thereby, because all truth belongs to the part of the understanding, and all good to the part of the will (n. 3623, 9300); for the understanding is the subject or containant, and truth belongs to it, and these two make a one. From all this it can also be seen that with those who are of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom the understanding is “the Habitation” in the close sense (n. 9296, 9297), and that it is described by the expanse of the curtains.

[4] From all this it can be known what is signified by “spreading out and stretching out the heavens” in Isaiah:

Jehovah that stretcheth out the heavens, that spreadeth out the earth, that giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein (Isaiah 42:5).

I, Jehovah, that maketh all things; that stretcheth out the heavens alone; that spreadeth out the earth by Myself (Isaiah 44:24).

I have made the earth, and created man upon it; I, My hands, have stretched out the heavens (Isaiah 45:12).

He who maketh the earth by His power, prepareth the world by His wisdom, and by His intelligence stretcheth out the heavens (Jeremiah 51:15).

Jehovah, that stretcheth out the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man in the midst of him (Zech. 12:1).

[5] That by “stretching out the heavens and spreading out the earth” the same is here signified as by “stretching out and spreading out the habitation” by means of the curtains is manifest; and that this denotes to regenerate man, and thus to create or form a new understanding in which is a new will, which is the very heaven of the spiritual man, wherein the Lord dwells with this man. That it is regeneration, or the formation of a new understanding and therein of a new will, thus of a new man, which is signified by “stretching out the heavens and spreading out the earth” is clear from the very explanation given in the above passages, for it is said, “that giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein; also, “that formeth the spirit of man within him.” That “heaven and earth” denote the internal and external church, see n. 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535; also that “the earth” in general denotes the Lord’s kingdom and church (n. 9334); and this is also plainly to be seen, for unless “the earth” had this signification, what could be meant by “spreading out the earth,” and by “laying the foundation of the earth,” and by “forming the spirit of man therein”?

[6] That by “stretching out the heavens, and spreading out the earth” the like is here signified as by “stretching out and spreading out the habitation” by means of the curtains is evident from other passages where it is stated more expressly, as in Isaiah:

Jehovah, that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in (Isaiah 40:22).

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch the curtains of thy habitations (Isaiah 54:2).

Jehovah covereth Himself with light as with a garment; He stretcheth out the heavens like a curtain (Psalms 104:2).

From all this it is also evident what is signified by “the expanse” in the first chapter of Genesis:

God said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it be to the waters a dividing between the waters. And God made the expanse, and divided between the waters that were under the expanse and the waters that were above the expanse. And God called the expanse heaven (Genesis 1:6-8).

In this first chapter is described the regeneration of the man of the celestial church; and his new will and understanding are described by “the expanse;” “the waters under the expanse, and above the expanse” denote the truths of the external and of the internal man (that “waters” denote truths, see n. 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 8568, 9323).

3623. Wherefore have I lives? That this signifies that thus there would not be conjunction, is evident from the signification of “lives,” as being conjunction through truths and goods; for when no truth from a common stock or genuine source could be adjoined to natural truth, then neither would there be the adjunction of the natural to the truth of the rational; thus to the rational its life would appear as no life (n. 3493, 3620); hence by the words, “wherefore have I lives?” is signified that thus there would not be conjunction. The reason why here and in other passages lives are spoken of in the plural, is that there are two faculties of life in man; one of which is called the understanding, and is of truth; and the other of which is called the will, and is of good; these two lives or faculties of life make a one when the understanding is of the will, or what is the same, when truth is of good. This is the reason why in the Hebrew tongue frequent mention is made of “life,” and also of “lives.” That mention is made of “lives,” is evident from the following passages in Genesis:

And Jehovah God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of lives, and man became a living soul (Genesis 2:7).

And out of the ground made Jehovah God to grow every tree that is desirable to the sight, and good for food; and the tree of lives in the midst of the garden (Genesis 2:9).

Behold I do bring the flood of waters upon the earth, to destroy all flesh wherein is the breath of lives (Genesis 6:17).

And they went in unto Noah into the ark, two, two, of all flesh wherein is the breath of lives (Genesis 7:15, n. 780).

All in whose nostrils was the breathing of the breath of lives died (Genesis 6:22).

And in David:

I believe to see the goodness of Jehovah in the land of lives (Psalms 27:13).

Again:

What man is he that desireth lives, and loveth days that he may see good (Psalms 34:12)?

Again:

With Thee is the fountain of lives; in Thy light shall we see light (Psalms 36:9).

In Malachi:

My covenant was with Leviticus of lives and peace (Malachi 2:5).

In Jeremiah:

Thus saith Jehovah, Behold I set before you the way of lives, and the way of death (Jeremiah 21:8).

In Moses:

To love Jehovah thy God, and to obey His voice, and to cleave unto Him for He Is thy lives, and the length of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in the land (Deuteronomy 30:20).

And again:

It is not a vain word from you, because it is your lives, and through this word ye shall prolong your days upon the land (Deuteronomy 32:47); and in other places.

“Lives” are spoken of in the plural because they are two, as was said, and yet a one; as also in the Hebrew tongue are “heavens,” which are many, and yet a one; in like manner “waters,” those above and those beneath (Genesis 1:6-7, 9), which are spiritual things pertaining to the rational and the natural, and which also are to be a one through conjunction. In respect to “lives,” they signify in the plural both what is of the will and what is of the understanding, consequently what is of good and what is of truth; for the life of man is nothing else than good and truth wherein is life from the Lord, inasmuch as man, without good and truth, and life therein, is no man; for man without these would not be able to will anything or think anything, all his faculty of willing being from what is good or what is not good, and his faculty of thinking from what is true or what is not true; hence man has lives, which are one life when his thinking is from his willing, that is, when the truth which is of faith is from the good which is of love.