325. Which are the prayers of the saints. That this signifies, from which is worship, appears from the signification of the prayers of the saints, as denoting worship from spiritual good. By prayers, in the internal sense, are meant all things of worship; and by the saints, spiritual things; for in the Word they are called saints who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and just, they who are in His celestial kingdom (as may be seen above, n. 204). But in the internal sense of the Word by saints are not meant saints, but things holy, for saints involve persons, and in the internal sense everything connected with personality is put off, for things alone constitute it (concerning which see above, n. 270); and that the angels, because they are spiritual, think abstractedly from persons, see also above, n. 99, 100. In this the internal sense of the Word is distinguished from its external sense, which is the sense of the letter; and because by saints are thus meant things holy, and by holy in the Word is meant the Divine truth, which proceeds from the Lord, and makes His spiritual kingdom (as may be seen above, n. 204); therefore by things holy are meant spiritual things, and by the prayers of the saints, worship from spiritual good. That worship from this good is meant by the prayers of the saints, appears from this fact, that it is said they had golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints; and by incense are signified all things of worship which are from spiritual good (as was shown in the article just preceding); whence it follows, that the same is signified by the prayers of the saints.

[2] As also in David:

"Give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayers be accepted before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the meat-offering of the evening; guard the door of my lips; let not mine heart decline to evil, to do wicked deeds in impiety with the men who work iniquity; for hitherto my prayers [are] in their evils" (Psalms 141:1-5).

Here also prayers are called incense, and the lifting up of the hands is called a meat-offering; and this, because the same is signified by prayers as by incense, and the same by the lifting up of the hands as by a meat-offering. By incense is signified spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour; and by meat-offering is signified celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord; thus by both worship is signified. And because prayers proceed not from the mouth, but from the heart by the mouth, and all worship which is from the heart is from the good of love and charity, for the heart signifies that, therefore it is also said, guard the door of my lips; let not mine heart decline to evil, to do wicked deeds in impiety. And because David is lamenting that evils hitherto have power against him, therefore he says, for hitherto my prayers are in their evils.

[3] That prayers signify the same as incense, also appears elsewhere in the Apocalypse:

"Another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, together with the prayers of all the saints, upon the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense together with the prayers of saints, ascended up to the sight of God" (8:3, 4).

Because similar things are here signified by prayers as by incense, namely, worship from spiritual good, therefore it is said there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of the saints; also that the smoke of the incense ascended together with the prayers of the saints, to the sight of God. What is meant by worship from spiritual good shall first be explained, and afterwards that prayers signify such worship. Worship does not consist in prayers and in external devotion, but in a life of charity; prayers are only the externals thereof, for they proceed from the man by his mouth, therefore, according to the quality of the man as to his life, such are his prayers. It does not matter that a man bears himself humbly, that he kneels and sighs when he prays; these are external things, and unless the externals proceed from internals, they are only postures and sounds without life. In everything that a man gives utterance to there is affection, and every man, spirit, and angel is his own affection, for their affection is their life; it is the affection itself that speaks, and not the man without it; therefore, such as is the affection, such is the prayer. Spiritual affection is what is called charity towards the neighbour; to be in that affection is truly worship; prayer is the proceeding therefrom. Hence it is evident that the essential of worship is a life of charity, and the instrumental of it is posture and prayer; or, that the primary of worship is a life of charity, and its secondary is praying; from which it is evident that those who place all Divine worship in oral piety, and not in real piety, err greatly.

[4] Real piety is to act in every work and in every function sincerely and rightly, justly and equitably, and this because it is so commanded by the Lord in the Word; for thus a man in every work he does looks to heaven and to the Lord, with whom he is thus conjoined. But to act sincerely and rightly, justly and equitably, solely from fear of the law, or of the loss of fame, or for the sake of honour and gain, and to think nothing of the Divine Law, of the precepts of the Word, and of the Lord, and yet to pray devoutly in temples, is external piety, which, however holy it may appear to be, still is not piety, but either hypocrisy, or something assumed from habit, or a persuasion that therein alone consists Divine worship. For such a man looks not from his heart to heaven and to the Lord, but only with the eyes, the heart regarding self and the world, and the mouth speaking from bodily habit only and memory; such a man is conjoined to the world and not to heaven, to himself and not to the Lord. From these considerations it is evident what piety is, also what Divine worship is, and that real piety is essential worship. Concerning this see also what is said in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 222, 224, 358-360, 528-530; and in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 123-129, where these words occur: "Piety consists in thinking and speaking piously; in devoting much time to prayers; in humility at the time; in frequenting temples, and attending devoutly to the discourses there; in receiving the sacrament of the holy supper frequently every year; and in like manner the other parts of worship according to the appointments of the church. But the life of charity consists in wishing well and doing well to the neighbour; in acting in every work justly and equitably, from what is good and true, and similarly in discharging every duty; - in one word, the life of charity consists in the performance of uses. Divine worship consists primarily in the latter life, but secondarily in the former; he, therefore, who separates the one from the other, that is, who lives a life of piety, and not at the same time a life of charity, does not worship God. For a life of piety avails only as a life of charity is conjoined with it; for this is the chief thing, and such as the latter is, such is the former" (n. 124, 128).

[5] That heaven is insinuated by the Lord into the actual piety of man, and not into the oral or external piety separate therefrom, has been proved to me from much experience. For many were seen, who placed all worship in oral and outward piety, and in their actual life thought nothing further of the Lord's precepts in the Word, or that what is sincere and right, just and equitable, should be done from religion, thus from a spiritual origin, but only from regard to the civil law, and also the moral law, so that they might appear sincere and just for the sake of fame, and this on account of honour and gain, believing that by this means they would come into heaven before others. In accordance with their faith, therefore, they were raised into heaven; but when it was perceived by the angels, that they worshipped God with the mouth only, and not with the heart, and that their external piety did not proceed from actual piety, which pertains to the life, they were cast down by them, and afterwards were associated with those who were in a similar life with themselves, and were there deprived of their piety and sanctity, because these were interiorly defiled with evils of life. Consequently it was made evident, that Divine worship primarily consists in a life of charity, and secondarily in external piety.

[6] As essential Divine worship primarily consists in the life, and not in prayers, therefore, the Lord taught that, in praying, they were not to be given to much speaking and repetition, in the following words:

"When ye pray, use not vain repetitions as the heathen do; for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking. Do not therefore make yourselves like unto them" (Matthew 6:7, 8).

Now because essential Divine worship consists primarily in a life of charity, and secondarily in prayers, therefore, by prayers, in the spiritual sense of the Word, is meant worship from spiritual good, that is, from the life of charity, for that which is primary is meant, in the spiritual sense, whereas the sense of the letter consists of things secondary, which are effects, and correspond.

[7] Prayers are also mentioned in many passages of the Word; but because prayers proceed from the heart, and the quality of man's heart is according to his life of love and charity, therefore by prayers, in the spiritual sense, is meant that life, and the worship from it; as in the following passages.

In Luke:

"Watch ye all the time, praying that ye may be accounted worthy to flee from those things that are to come, and to stand before the Son of man" (21:36; Mark 13:33).

By watching all the time, is signified to procure to themselves spiritual life (as may be seen above, n. 187). Therefore praying is also mentioned, because praying is the effect of that life, or its external, which avails in proportion as it proceeds from the life, for they constitute a unity like the soul and body, and like the internal and external.

[8] In Mark:

"Jesus said, All things which ye ask in prayer, believe that ye shall receive them, and then it shall be done unto you. When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any" (11:24, 25).

Here, also, in the spiritual sense, by praying, desiring, and asking, is meant the life of love and charity; for to those who are in the life of love and charity, it is given from the Lord what they should ask; therefore they ask nothing but what is good, and that is done unto them; and because faith is also from the Lord, therefore, it is said, "believe that ye shall receive them." And because prayers proceed from the life of charity, and are according to it, therefore, in order that it may be done according to the prayers, it is also said, "when ye stand praying forgive, if ye have ought against any."

[9] That by, when ye stand praying, is signified, when they are in Divine worship, is evident also from this consideration, that the same that is here said of those who pray, is also said of those who offer a gift upon the altar, in Matthew:

"If thou offer a gift upon the altar, and rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave the gift before the altar, and first be reconciled to thy brother, and then coming offer the gift" (5:23, 24).

By offering a gift upon the altar is signified all Divine worship, for the reason, that Divine worship with that nation consisted chiefly in offering burnt-offerings and sacrifices, by which were therefore signified all things of worship (see the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 214, 221). Hence it is evident that the same is signified by praying or asking, as by offering a gift upon the altar, namely, worship from the good of love and charity.

[10] In the same:

"Jesus said, It is written, my house shall be called the house of prayers, but ye have made it a den of thieves" (21:13; Mark 11:17; Luke 19:46).

By the Lord's house is signified the church, and by prayers worship therein; and by a den of thieves the profanation of the church and of worship; from this opposite sense it is also clear, that prayers signify worship from the good of love and charity.

[11] In David:

"I cried unto God with my mouth, and he was exalted with my tongue. If I have regarded iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear; but God hath heard; he hath attended to the voice of my prayers" (Psalms 66:17-19).

Because prayers are according to the nature of man's heart, and, consequently, prayers offered up when the heart is in evil are not true prayers of worship, it is therefore said, "If I have regarded iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear," by which is signified that He will not receive such worship. The heart of man is his love, and the love of man is his very life, consequently, a man's prayers are according to the nature of his love, or according to the quality of his life; hence it follows that prayers signify the life of his love and charity, or that this life is meant by prayers, in the spiritual sense.

[12] Many other passages might be adduced. But because a man does not know that his life and prayers make one, and consequently perceives that prayers alone are meant when they are mentioned in the Word, therefore they are omitted. Moreover, a man continually prays when he is in the life of charity, although not with the mouth yet with the heart; for that which is of the love is continually in the thought, even when he is unconscious of it; according to what is said in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 55, 57). Hence it is also evident that prayer, in the spiritual sense, denotes worship from love. But those do not relish these things; indeed they think contrary to them, who place piety in prayers and not in the life; neither do these know in what real piety consists.

10176. [10175(a)] Exodus 30

1. And you shall make an altar for burning incense; with pieces of shittim wood you shall make it.

2. A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth; square shall it be. And two cubits shall its height be. Its horns shall be of one piece with it ¹ .

3. And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its roof and its walls ² round about and its horns; and you shall make for it a rim of gold round about.

4. And two rings of gold you shall make for it under its rim on its two ribs; you shall make [them] on its two sides. And they shall serve as ³ receptacles for the poles, to carry it on them.

5. And you shall make the poles from pieces of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold.

6. And you shall put it before the veil that is over the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy-seat which is above the Testimony, where I will meet with you.

7. And Aaron shall burn on it incense of spices morning by morning ⁴ ; when adorning ⁵ the lamps he shall burn it.

8. And when Aaron causes the lamps to go up ⁶ between the evenings he shall burn it; incense shall be continual before Jehovah throughout ⁷ your generations.

9. You shall not cause strange ⁸ incense to go up on it, or a burnt offering, or a minchah; and you shall not pour a drink offering on it.

10. And Aaron shall make expiation on its horns once a year with the blood of the sin [offering] of expiations; once a year he shall make expiation on it throughout ⁷ your generations. It is the holy of holies ⁹ to Jehovah.

11. And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

12. When you take the sum of the children of Israel, as they have been numbered ¹⁰ , they shall give - each one - an expiation for his soul to Jehovah when they are numbered ¹¹ , that there may be no plague among them when they are numbered ¹⁰ .

13. This is what they shall give, everyone passing over to those who have been numbered - half a shekel according to the shekel of holiness (a shekel is twenty obols ¹² ). Half a shekel shall be the offering to Jehovah.

14. Everyone passing over to those who have been numbered, from a son of twenty years ¹³ and over, shall give the offering of Jehovah.

15. The rich shall not give more, and the poor shall not give less than half a shekel when they give the offering of Jehovah, to make expiation for your souls.

16. And you shall take the silver of expiations from the children of Israel, and give it to the work of the tent of meeting; and to the children of Israel it shall be as a remembrance before Jehovah, to make expiation for your souls.

17. And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

18. And you shall make a laver of bronze, and its pedestal from bronze, for washing; and you shall put it between the tent of meeting and the altar, and put water in it.

19. And Aaron and his sons shall wash in it ¹⁴ their hands and their feet.

20. When they go into the tent of meeting they shall wash with water, that they may not die, or when they approach the altar to minister, to burn a fire offering to Jehovah.

21. And they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they may not die; and it shall be the statute of an age ¹⁵ to them - for him and his seed [throughout] their generations.

22. And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying,

23. And you, take for yourself the chief spices - the best myrrh, five hundred [shekels]; and sweet-smelling cinnamon, half of that, two hundred and fifty; and sweet-smelling calamus, two hundred and fifty;

24. And cassia, five hundred, according to the shekel of holiness; and olive oil, a hin.

25. And you shall make it a holy anointing oil ¹⁶ , a compounded ointment ¹⁷ , the work of an ointment-maker; it shall be the holy anointing oil ¹⁶ .

26. And with it you shall anoint the tent of meeting, and the ark of the Testimony,

27. And the table and all its vessels, and the lampstand and its vessels, and the altar of incense,

28. And the altar of burnt offering and all its vessels, and the laver and its pedestal.

29. And you shall sanctify them, and they shall be the holy of holies ¹⁷ ; everyone touching them will be sanctified.

30. And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them to serve Me in the priestly office.

31. And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, This shall be a holy anointing oil ¹⁹ to Me throughout ²⁰ your generations.

32. It shall not be poured onto the flesh of a person, and as to the composition of it, you shall not make any other like it ²¹ . It is holy; it shall be holy to you.

33. The man who makes an ointment like it, and he who puts any of it on a foreigner, shall be cut off from his people.

34. And Jehovah said to Moses, Take for yourself sweet spices, stacte and onycha and galbanum - [these] sweet ones, and pure frankincense; amount for amount there shall be ²² .

35. And you shall make this an incense, an ointment, the work of an ointment-maker - salted, pure, holy.

36. And you shall beat some of it very fine, and put some of it before the Testimony in the tent of meeting, where I will meet with you. The holy of holies ²³ it shall be to you.

37. And the incense which you make, according to its composition ²⁴ , you shall not make for yourselves; it shall be to you holy for Jehovah.

38. The man who makes any like it, to make an odour with it, will be cut off from his people.

CONTENTS

This chapter deals with the altar of incense, the expiation of everyone by means of silver, the laver and washing [with water] from it, and the preparation of the anointing oil and of the incense. The burning of incense in the internal sense means the Lord, His hearing and receiving with pleasure everything of worship that springs from love and charity. Expiating every person by means of silver means ascribing everything of worship to the Lord and none of it to self, in order that no one may claim merit. The laver and washing mean the purification from evils that comes first in all worship. The preparation of the anointing oil means the essential nature of the love in worship, and the preparation of the incense the essential nature of worship arising from it.

THE INTERNAL SENSE

Verses 1-10 And you shall make an altar for burning incense; with pieces of shittim wood you shall make it. A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth; square shall it be. And two cubits shall its height be. Its horns shall be of one piece with it ²⁵ . And you shall overlay it with pure gold, its roof and its walls ²⁶ round about and its horns; and you shall make for it a rim of gold round about. And two rings of gold you shall make for it under its rim on its two ribs; you shall make [them] on its two sides. And they shall serve as receptacles for the poles, to carry it on them. And you shall make the poles from pieces of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. And you shall put it before the veil that is over the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy-seat which is above the Testimony, where I will meet with you. And Aaron shall burn on it incense of spices morning by morning ²⁷ ; when adorning ²⁸ the lamps he shall burn it. And when Aaron causes the lamps to go up ²⁹ between the evenings he shall burn it; incense shall be continual before Jehovah throughout ³⁰ your generations. You shall not cause strange ³¹ incense to go up on it, or a burnt offering, or a minchah; and you shall not pour a drink offering on it. And Aaron shall make expiation on its horns once a year with the blood of the sin [offering] of expiations; once a year he shall make expiation on it throughout ³⁰ your generations. It is the holy of holies ³² to Jehovah.

'And you shall make an altar for burning incense' means that which is representative of the Lord, of His hearing and receiving with pleasure everything of worship that springs from love and charity. 'With pieces of shittim wood you shall make it' means from love that is Divine. 'A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth' means consisting equally of good and of truth. 'Square shall it be' means that which is therefore perfect. 'And two cubits shall its height be' means degrees of the good and truth, and the joining together of them. 'Its horns shall be of one piece with it' means the powers of truth derived from the good of love and charity. 'And you shall overlay it with pure gold' means a representative sign of everything of worship that arises from good. 'Its roof' means what is inmost. 'Its walls' means inner levels. 'And its horns' means outer levels. 'And you shall make for it a rim of gold round about' means a border of good, serving to defend them from the approach of evils and the harm these can do. 'And two rings of gold you shall make for it under the rim' means the sphere of Divine Good by means of which a joining together and preservation are effected. 'On its two ribs' means with truths lying in one direction. 'You shall make [them] on its two sides' means with good lying in the other. 'And they shall serve as receptacles for the poles' means the power there of truth derived from good. 'To carry it on them' means the resulting preservation in that condition. 'And you shall make the poles from pieces of shittim wood' means the power derived from the good of the Lord's love. 'And overlay them with gold' means the founding of all things on good. 'And you shall put it before the veil that is over the ark of the Testimony' means in the inner heaven, at the point where it is joined to the inmost heaven. 'Before the mercy-seat which is above the Testimony' means where the Lord hears and receives everything of worship arising from the good of love. 'Where I will meet with you' means the resulting presence and influx of the Lord. 'And Aaron shall burn on it' means the raising up by the Lord of worship springing from love and charity. 'Incense of spices' means hearing and receiving with pleasure. 'Morning by morning' means whenever a state of love in clearness exists. 'When adorning the lamps he shall burn it' means whenever truth as well comes into its own light. 'And when Aaron causes the lamps to go up between the evenings he shall burn it' means the raising up also in an obscure state of love, when also truth exists in its shade. 'Incense shall be continual before Jehovah' means in all worship springing from love received from the Lord. 'Throughout your generations' means to eternity among those with faith springing from love. 'You shall not cause strange incense to go up on it' means no worship springing from any love other than that of the Lord. 'Or a burnt offering, or a minchah' means that nothing representative of regeneration by means of the truths and forms of good belonging to celestial love should be there. 'And you shall not pour a drink offering on it' means that nothing representative of regeneration by means of the truths and forms of good belonging to spiritual love should be there. 'And Aaron shall make expiation on its horns' means purification from evils by means of the truths of faith which spring from the good of love. 'Once a year' means everlastingly. 'With the blood of the sin [offering] of expiations' means by means of truths which spring from the good of innocence. 'Once a year he shall make expiation on it' means the everlasting removal of evils. 'Throughout your generations' means members of the Church with whom the truths and forms of the good of faith are present. 'It is the holy of holies to Jehovah' means since it comes from the Divine Celestial.

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