10503. And have made them gods of gold. That this signifies, and they worship infernal delight, is evident from the signification of “making them gods” as being worship; and from the signification of “gold,” as being the delight of external loves, thus infernal delight (se e above, n. 10402). Mention is made in the Word of four kinds of idols, namely, idols of stone, of wood, of silver, and of gold. Idols of stone signify worship from falsities of doctrine; those of wood signify worship from evils of doctrine; those of silver signify worship of falsity both in doctrine and in life; and those of gold signify worship of evil both in doctrine and in life. Consequently idols of gold signified worship the worst of all. They who were in this worship not only falsified truths, but also adulterated goods; for evils they called goods, and the derivative falsities they called truths. All those are in such worship who are in the love of self and yet believe the Word, for they apply the sense of the letter of the Word in favor of all the things which they think and do, thus in favor of the worship of self.