9956. And shalt sanctify them. That this signifies thus a representative of the Lord as to the Divine Human, is evident from the signification of “sanctifying,” as being to represent holiness itself, which is the Lord as to the Divine Human, for it is this alone which is holy, and from which is all holiness in the heavens and on earth. Everyone is able to know that the oil did not sanctify; but that it induced a representative of holiness. The case herein is this. The Lord Himself is above the heavens, for He is the Sun of the angelic heaven. The Divine which thence proceeds from Him in the heavens is what is called “holy.” The Divine of the Lord above the heavens could not be represented, because it is infinite; but only the Divine of the Lord in the heavens, for this is accommodated to the reception of the angels there, who are finite. In their perception this Divine is the Lord’s Divine Human, which alone is holy, and which was represented. From this it is evident what is signified by being “sanctified,” and why after the anointing it was said, as in Moses, “Thou shalt anoint the altar, and sanctify it” (Exodus 29:36); “thou shalt anoint the Tent of meeting, and all things therein, and shalt sanctify them” (Exodus 30:26-29); “thou shalt anoint Aaron and sanctify him” (Exodus 40:13); “Moses anointed Aaron and his garments, his sons and their garments, and sanctified them” (Leviticus 8:13, 30); besides other passages. (That the Lord alone is holy, and that everything holy is from Him, and that all sanctification represented Him, see n. 9229, 9680; also that the Lord in the heavens is “the sanctuary,” and therefore also heaven, n. 9479; and that the Holy Spirit is the Divine that proceeds from the Lord, n. 9818, 9820)

9281. And the son of thy handmaid, and the sojourner, may take breath. That this signifies the state of life of those outside the church who are in truths and goods, is evident from the signification of “the son of a handmaid,” as being those who are in the affection of external truth; for by “a son” is signified truth (see n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2813, 3373, 3704, 4257), and by “a handmaid” is signified external affection (n. 1895, 2567, 3835, 3849, 7780, 8993); and from the signification of “a sojourner,” as being those who wish to be instructed in the truths and goods of the church (n. 1463, 8007, 8013, 9196). That by “the son of a handmaid,” and “a sojourner,” are here signified those who are outside the church, is because in the preceding portion of this verse those who are within the church were treated of; and for this reason those who are without the church are meant by the “sons of a handmaid,” and those who have not been born within the church by “sojourners;” because the former are of a lower descent, and the latter are of a different lineage. And from the signification of “breathing,” as being the state of life in respect to the truths and goods of faith. The reason why “breathing” signifies this state of life, is that the lungs, whose office it is to breathe, correspond to the life of faith from charity, which is spiritual life (n. 97, 1119, 3351, 3635, 3883-3896, 9229).

[2] Man has an outward and an inward breathing; the outward breathing is from the world, but the inward is from heaven. When a man dies, the outward breathing ceases; but the inward breathing, which during his life in the world is tacit and imperceptible to him, continues. This breathing is altogether according to the affection of truth, thus according to the life of his faith. But those who are in no faith, as is the case with those who are in hell, do not draw their breathing from within, but from without, thus in a contrary manner; and therefore when they approach an angelic society, where there is breathing from within, they begin to be suffocated, and become like images of death (n. 3894). Therefore they cast themselves down headlong into their hell, where they resume their former breathing, which is contrary to that of heaven.

[3] As the breathing corresponds to the life of faith, therefore the life of faith is also signified by the “soul” [anima] (n. 9050), from “animation,” which denotes the breathing; and therefore also the breath is called the “spirit,” as in the expressions “drawing the breath” [spiritus], and “letting out the breath” [spiritus]. From this also in the original tongue, “spirits” are so called from the wind, and in the Word are compared to “the wind;” as in John:

The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the voice thereof, but knowest not whence it cometh, or whither it goeth: so is everyone that is born of the Spirit (John 3:8).

From this also it is evident what is signified by its being said that after His resurrection the Lord, when speaking with His disciples, “breathed on them, and said unto them, Receive ye the Holy Spirit” (John 20:22).