9993. And cakes of unleavened things mixed with oil. That this signifies the purification of the middle celestial, is evident from the signification of “cakes,” as being the middle celestial (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “oil,” as being the good of love (see n. 886, 4582, 4638). From this it is evident that by “cakes mixed with oil” is signified the celestial which is from the inmost, for “oil” denotes the good of love, which is inmost. The case herein is that the heavens have been distinguished into two kingdoms, one of which is called “spiritual,” the other “celestial.” To the spiritual kingdom in the heavens corresponds understanding with man, and to the celestial kingdom corresponds his will (n. 9835). In each kingdom there is an internal and an external, as also with man in his understanding and will; for understanding with man is internal and external, and will is internal and external. Internal understanding makes the spiritual life of the internal man, and external understanding makes the spiritual life of the external man; but internal will makes the celestial life of the internal man, and external will makes the celestial life of the external man. That there is an internal and an external with man, can be seen by everyone who reflects, especially from hypocrites, the deceitful, the cunning, and the malicious, in that interiorly they think contrary to the truths of faith, and also will contrary to the goods of celestial love; but exteriorly they think and will in agreement with them, and also speak and act accordingly, that they may so appear before the world.

[2] Be it known further, that each kingdom in the heavens, namely the spiritual kingdom and the celestial kingdom, is in three divisions, being inmost, middle, and external (see n. 9873). The inmost of the celestial kingdom is the good of love to the Lord; the middle there is the good of mutual love, which is the good thence proceeding; and the external is the delight proceeding from this good. The two former are in the internal man with those who are in the Lord’s celestial kingdom; but the third is in the external with the same. These three were represented by the bread of unleavened things, the cakes of unleavened things mixed with oil, and the wafers of unleavened things anointed with oil; and their purification is represented by the offering of these three upon the altar together with the burnt-offering or sacrifice. That such things are signified in order, can be seen merely from the fact that these three were commanded, and their preparation is also described, in the books of Moses, which would by no means have been done unless they had involved arcana of heaven and the church. Otherwise of what use would such things be?

[3] But I know that at the present day scarcely anyone can apprehend these arcana, for the reason that at this day everything in the understanding and the will is worldly, and they who think about heaven, and desire it, have and are willing to have no other idea of it than a natural and earthly one; and where there is such an idea, and such a will, thus such a love, there the arcana of heaven have no place. Very different would it be if the mind were more delighted with heavenly things than with worldly ones, for a man apprehends what delights him; as when he is delighted with the arcana of the civil state in kingdoms, and with those of the moral state with man. By “the moral state” is meant that of the loves and affections, and of the derivative thoughts, the arcana of which a shrewd man easily perceives, because he delights to lead others by them, in order to secure honors, gain, or reputation for the sake of these.

[4] That “cakes” signify the [middle] celestial in the internal man, is because they are in the second rank; for in the first rank is bread of unleavened things; in the second are cakes mixed with oil; and in the third are wafers anointed with oil. These three were called “meat-offerings,” and were offered on the altar together with burnt-offerings and sacrifices. How they were to be prepared is described in Leviticus 2; and how they were to be offered is described in various passages, as by Aaron on the day of his anointing, in Leviticus 6:13-16.

[5] By “cakes” in the Word is also meant the good of love in general; from which it is that the “breads of faces,” or “of setting forth,” are called “cakes” in Moses:

Thou shalt take fine flour, and bake it into twelve cakes; of two tenth parts shall one cake be. And thou shalt set them on the table before Jehovah. And thou shalt put pure frankincense upon each row (Leviticus 24:5-9).

The “pure frankincense put upon the cakes” signified truth from celestial good, which is the ultimate or outermost of the celestial kingdom.

[6] By “cakes” is also signified the good of love in general, in Jeremiah:

The sons gather wood, and the fathers kindle a fire, and the women knead the dough, to make cakes to the queen of the heavens, and to pour out drink-offerings to other gods (Jeremiah 7:18; 44:19);

“to make cakes to the queen of the heavens” denotes to worship the devil from the good of celestial love; and “to pour out drink-offerings to other gods” denotes to worship Satan from the truths of faith. For by “the queen of the heavens” are signified those who are in the hell of genii; and by “other gods,” those who are in the hell of evil spirits (on which see n. 5977, 8593, 8622, 8625). They who are in the hell of genii are collectively called “the devil;” and they who are in the hell of evil spirits are called “Satan.”

[7] But the good of spiritual love is signified by “cakes” in Hosea:

Ephraim hath become a cake not turned (Hos. 7:8);

but “cake” is here expressed by another term in the original tongue, which signifies the good of spiritual love; a cake is “not turned” when the external man rules over the internal. When this is the case with man, the order is inverted; for then the external rules, and the internal serves. “Ephraim” denotes the intellectual of the church, which is enlightened and affected when the truths and goods of faith are received.

9873. From all this it can now be seen what was signified by “the twelve precious stones” in the breastplate of judgment, namely, all the goods and truths of heaven in their order. Heaven is divided into two kingdoms, the celestial and the spiritual. The good of the celestial kingdom was represented by the first two rows, which were on the right side of the breastplate; and the good of the spiritual kingdom by the following two rows, which were on the left side. The internal good of the celestial kingdom is the good of love to the Lord, and this good is what is meant by “the celestial love of good;” and the external good of the celestial kingdom is the good of mutual love, and this good is what is meant by “the celestial love of truth.” The internal good of the spiritual kingdom is the good of charity toward the neighbor, and this good is what is meant by “the spiritual love of good;” and the external good of the spiritual kingdom is the good of faith, and this good is what is meant by “the spiritual love of truth” (That goods and truths in this order constitute the heavens, see n. 9468, 9473, 9680, 9683, 9780)

[2] From this it is now evident what was represented by the twelve stones, which were called “the Urim and Thummim.” But in what manner Divine truths, which were answers, were shown by them, will be told below (n. 9905). That the good of love was in the first place among them, and the truth of faith in the last place, is evident from the first stone, which was a ruby, and the last, which was a jasper; thus from the color of the first stone which was red, and of the last stone which was white, both of them being translucent. (That “red” signifies the good of love, see n. 3300, 9467; and that “white” signifies the truth of faith, n. 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319)

[3] The like that was signified by the stones in the breastplate was also signified by the materials interwoven in the ephod. The ephod was woven of blue, of crimson, of scarlet double-dyed, and of fine linen, as appears from the sixth verse of the present chapter; and by “the blue” was signified the truth of celestial love, by “the crimson,” the good of celestial love, by “the scarlet double-dyed,” the good of spiritual love, and by “the fine linen,” the truth of spiritual love (n. 9833). The reason was that “the ephod” signified heaven in ultimates, in like manner as “the breastplate” (n. 9824); but the goods and truths are there enumerated in a different order, because “the ephod” signified the spiritual heaven, while “the breastplate” signified the whole heaven from first to last. And as the Habitation with the Tent also represented heaven (n. 9457, 9481, 9485, 9615), therefore the materials of which the curtains and the veils were interwoven consisted in like manner of blue, of crimson, of scarlet double-dyed, and of fine linen (see Exodus 26:1, 31, 36, and 27:16; also n. 9466-9469).

[4] Be it known further that in a general sense “the SAPPHIRE” signifies the external of the celestial kingdom, and “the ONYX” the external of the spiritual kingdom; and as these two stones had this signification, they were the middle stones of the last rows; namely, the sapphire was the middle stone of the second row, and the onyx the middle stone of the fourth row. The stones of the second row signified the external good of the celestial kingdom, which is called “the celestial love of truth,” and the stones of the fourth row signified the external good of the spiritual kingdom, which is called “the spiritual love of truth;” as may be seen from what has been said about them in this article above.

[5] That “the sapphire” signifies the external of the celestial kingdom is evident from the passages in the Word where it is mentioned, as in the book of Exodus:

Seventy of the elders saw the God of Israel; and there was under His feet as it were a work of sapphire, and as the substance of heaven in respect to cleanness (Exodus 24:10).

Thus is described the external of the celestial kingdom, for it is said “under His feet,” by which is meant what is external; and where “the God of Israel” is, that is, the Lord, there is heaven.

In Isaiah:

O thou afflicted, and tossed with tempests, and not comforted, behold I set thy stones with antimony, and lay thy foundations in sapphires (Isaiah 54:11).

In this chapter the subject treated of is the celestial kingdom; “the foundations which are laid in sapphires” denote the external things of this kingdom, for the foundations are laid underneath.

[6] In Jeremiah:

Her Nazirites were whiter than snow; they were brighter than milk, their bones were more ruddy than pearls, a sapphire was their polishing (Lam. 4:7).

The Nazirites represented the celestial man; therefore it is said that “a sapphire was their polishing;” the “polishing” denotes what is external.

In Ezekiel:

Above the expanse that was over the head of the cherubs was the likeness of a throne, as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was as it were the appearance of a man sitting upon it (Ezekiel 1:26; 10:1).

Here also the external of the celestial kingdom is described by “a sapphire;” for that which is above the expanse, or round about it, denotes what is without; the inmost being denoted by “him that sitteth upon the throne.”

[7] As “the sapphire stone” signifies the external of the celestial kingdom, so “the onyx stone” signifies the external of the spiritual kingdom. Therefore this was the stone that was put on the two shoulderpieces of the ephod with the names of the sons of Israel engraved upon it (see verses 9 to 14 of this chapter); for by the ephod was represented the external of the spiritual kingdom (n. 9824). As in a general sense “the onyx” and “the sapphire” signified the external things of the two heavens, they were placed, as before said, in the middle of the three stones of the second and fourth rows; for the middle involves the whole (as was shown above in connection with the robe, by which in a general sense was represented the spiritual kingdom, because it was in the middle, n. 9825). As these two stones involve all that is signified by the rest in these rows, therefore it is said in Job:

Wisdom cannot be compared to the gold of Ophir, to the precious onyx, and the sapphire (Job 28:16).