10130. Everyone that toucheth the altar shall be sanctified. That this signifies everyone who receives the Divine of the Lord, is evident from the signification of “touching,” as being communication, transfer, and reception (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “the altar,” as being a representative of the Lord in respect to the good of love, here in heaven and in the church (see above, n. 10129); and from the signification of “being sanctified,” as being to receive the Divine of the Lord (see also above, n. 10128). That “touching” denotes communication, transfer, and reception, is because the interior things of man put themselves forth by means of external things, especially by the touch, and in this way communicate and transfer themselves to another, and insofar as the will of the other is in agreement and makes a one, they are received. Whether you say the will, or the love, it is the same, for that which is of a man’s love is also of his will; from this also it follows that the interior things of man, which are of his love and from this of his thought, put themselves forth by the touch, and thus communicate themselves to another, and transfer themselves into another; and insofar as the other loves the person, or the things which the person speaks or acts, so far they are received.

[2] This shows itself in an especial manner in the other life, for there all act from the heart, that is, from the will or love; and it is not allowed to act from gestures apart from the will and love, nor to speak from the mouth with pretence, that is, separately from the thought of the heart. It is there manifest how the interior things communicate themselves to another, and transfer themselves into another, by the touch; and how the other receives them according to his love. The will or love of everyone there constitutes the whole man, and the sphere of life thence flows forth from him as an exhalation or vapor, and encompasses him, and makes as it were himself around him; scarcely otherwise than as the effluvium about plants in the world, which is also perceived at a distance by its odors; also about animals, of which a sagacious dog is exquisitely sensible. That such an effluvium also pours out from every man is known from much experience; but when man lays aside his body and becomes a spirit or an angel, then the effluvium or exhalation is not material as in the world, but is a spiritual effluence from his love. This then forms a sphere around him, which causes his quality to be perceived by others at a distance (concerning this sphere see what was shown in the places cited in n. 9606).

[3] As this sphere is communicated to another, and is there transferred into him, and is received by the other according to his love, many wonderful things there come forth which are unknown to man in the world-as, first: that all presence is according to likenesses of loves, and all absence is according to unlikenesses of them. Second: that all are consociated according to loves; they who are in love to the Lord from the Lord are consociated in the inmost heaven; they who are in love toward the neighbor from the Lord are consociated in the middle heaven; they who are in the obedience of faith, that is, who do the truth for the sake of truth, are consociated in the ultimate heaven; but they who are in the love of self and of the world, that is, who do what they do for the sake of themselves and the world as ends, are consociated in hell.

[4] Third: that all turn their eyes toward those whom they love; they who love the Lord turn their eyes to the Lord as a Sun; they who love the neighbor from the Lord turn their eyes to the Lord as a Moon; and in like manner they who do the truth for the sake of truth. (Concerning the Lord as a sun and as a moon, see what was shown in n. 1521, 1529-1531, 3636, 3643, 4060, 4321, 5097, 5377, 7078, 7083, 7171, 8644, 8812.) And wonderful to say, in whatever direction they turn, or to whatever quarter, they still look at the Lord before them. It is the opposite with those who are in hell, for there the more they are in the love of self and in the love of the world, the more they turn from the Lord and have Him behind them; this also in whatever direction or to whatever quarter they turn.

[5] Fourth: when an angel of heaven fixes his sight upon others, his interior things are communicated and transferred into them, according to the amount and the quality of his love, and they are received by them according to the quality and the amount of their love; and therefore if the sight of an angel of heaven is fixed upon the good, it causes gladness and joy; but if upon the evil, it causes grief and pain.

[6] That by the touch of the hand is also signified communication, transfer, and reception is because the activity of the whole body is collected into the arms and into the hands, and in the Word interior things are expressed by means of exterior ones. From this it is that by the “arms,” the “hands,” and especially by the “right hand” is signified power (see the places cited in n. 10019, 10023, 10076); and hence by the “hands” is signified whatever appertains to man, thus the whole man insofar as he is acting (see the citations in n. 10019). Moreover, that all the outer senses-sight, hearing, taste, and smell-bear relation to the touch, and are kinds of touch, is known in the learned world.

[7] That by “touching” is signified communication, transfer, and reception, is evident from many passages in the Word, of which the following may be adduced, in Moses:

Thou shalt anoint the Tent of meeting, and the ark of the Testimony, and the table and all the vessels thereof, and the lampstand and the vessels thereof, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt-offering and all the vessels thereof, and the laver and the base thereof, and thou shalt sanctify them that they may be holy of holies; whosoever toucheth them shall be sanctified (Exodus 30:26-29).

Everything which hath touched the residue of the meat-offering, and the residue of the flesh from the sacrifices, which are for Aaron and his sons, shall be sanctified (Leviticus 6:18, 27).

The angel touched Daniel, and restored him upon his station, and lifted him up upon his knees; and touched his lips, and opened his mouth; and touched him again, and strengthened him (Daniel 10:10, 16, 18).

One of the seraphim with a burning coal touched my mouth and said, Lo this hath touched thy lips; therefore thine iniquity is gone away, and thy sin is expiated (Isaiah 6:7).

Jehovah sent forth His hand, and touched my mouth, and said, I give My words into thy mouth (Jeremiah 1:9).

Jesus stretching forth His hand to the leper, touched him, saying, I will; be thou cleansed. And straightway his leprosy was cleansed (Matthew 8:3).

Jesus saw Peter’s wife’s mother afflicted with a fever. And He touched her hand, and the fever left her (Matthew 8:14-15).

Jesus touched the eyes of the blind, and their eyes were opened (Matthew 9:29-30).

Jesus touched the eyes of the two blind men, and straightway they received their sight (Matthew 20:34).

Jesus touched the ear of the deaf man and healed him (Luke 22:51). They brought to Jesus those who were ill, that they might touch if it were but the border of His garment; and as many as touched were made whole (Mark 6:56; Matthew 14:36).

A woman laboring with an issue of blood touched the border of His garment; and immediately the issue of her blood was stanched. And Jesus said, Who is it that touched Me? Some one hath touched Me. I know that virtue hath gone forth from Me (Luke 8:44-48).

They brought little children unto Jesus, that He should touch them. And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands upon them, and blessed them (Mark 10:13, 16).

[8] From these passages it is plain that by “touching” is signified communication, transfer, and reception.

[9] In like manner with things unclean, by which in the internal sense are signified evils and falsities which are from the hells; as in Moses:

He that toucheth one dead as to all man’s soul shall be unclean seven days. Whosoever toucheth one dead, as to the soul of a man who is dying, and hath not expiated himself, hath defiled the habitation of Jehovah; therefore that soul shall be cut off from Israel. Whosoever hath touched on the surface of a field one pierced with a sword, or one dead, or the bone of a man, or a grave, shall be unclean seven days. He that toucheth the water of separation shall be unclean until the evening. Whatsoever the unclean person hath touched shall become unclean; and the soul that hath touched it shall be unclean until the evening (Numbers 19:11, 13, 16, 21-22).

He who toucheth unclean beasts, unclean creeping things, shall be unclean until the evening; everything on which it shall fall, shall be unclean, whether it be vessel of wood, or garment, or vessel of water, vessel of pottery, food, drink, an oven, a fountain, a cistern, a receptacle of waters, they shall be unclean (Leviticus 11:31-36; also 5:2, 3; 7:21).

He that hath an issue is unclean; and also the man who hath touched his bed; or hath sat upon a vessel on which he hath sat; or hath touched his flesh or his garments; or if he that is affected with an issue hath spit upon one who is clean. The chariot on which he is carried, the vessel of pottery, the vessel of wood, shall be unclean (Leviticus 15).

So also he who hath touched a leper (Leviticus 22:4).

If there shall fall anything from a carcass upon all the seed of the sower which is sown, it shall be clean; but if water hath been put upon the seed, and a carcass shall fall upon it, it shall be unclean (Leviticus 11:37-38).

[10] By these unclean things are signified various kinds of evils and the derivative falsities which are from hell, and which are communicated, transferred, and received; the several unclean things signify each some specific evil; for evils which are unclean render man so, because they infect his soul; moreover, from evil spirits and genii there flow forth the evils of their heart, and according to the persuasions of evil they infect those who are present. This contagion is what is signified by the “touch” of unclean things.

[11] In Moses:

Of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, ye shall not eat, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die (Genesis 3:3).

The angel who wrestled with Jacob, seeing that he prevailed not against him, touched the hollow of his thigh, and the hollow of the thigh was out of joint (Genesis 32:25).

Moses said that they should not touch anything which belonged to Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, lest they should be consumed for all their sins (Numbers 16:26).

Depart ye, depart ye, touch no unclean thing; go ye out from the midst of her; be ye purified that bear the vessels of Jehovah (Isaiah 52:11).

They have wandered blind in the streets, they are defiled with blood; those things which they cannot [defile] they touch with their garments. Depart ye, he is unclean; they cry unto them, Depart, touch not (Lam. 4:14-15).

Behold if a man shall bear the flesh of holiness in the skirt of his garment, and with his skirt touch bread, or wine, or oil, or any food, it nevertheless shall not be sanctified. If one unclean in soul shall touch any of these things, it nevertheless shall be unclean (Haggai 2:12-14).

Forswearing, and lying, and killing, and stealing, and committing adultery, they commit robbery, and bloods touch bloods; therefore the land shall mourn (Hos. 4:2-3).

10019. And thou shalt fill the hand of Aaron and the hand of his sons. That this signifies inauguration to represent the Divine power of the Lord through Divine truth from Divine good, is evident from the signification of “filling the hand,” as being to inaugurate to represent the Lord as to Divine truth from Divine good, and as to the power thence derived. There were two things by which inauguration into the priesthood was effected-anointing, and filling the hand; by anointing was effected inauguration to represent the Lord as to Divine good, for the oil by which the anointing was done signifies the good of love (see n. 10011); and by filling the hand was effected inauguration to represent the Lord as to Divine truth from Divine good, thus as to power. For by the “hand” is signified power (n. 878, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 6947, 7011, 7188, 7189, 7518, 7673, 8050, 8069, 8153); and “hand” is predicated of the truth which is from good (n. 3091, 3563, 4931, 8281, 9025), because all power is of truth from good (n. 5623, 6344, 6423, 6948, 8200, 8304, 9327, 9410, 9639, 9643). And as the head and the whole body exercise their power by the hands, and power is the activity of life with man, therefore by “hand” is also signified whatever pertains to man, thus the man himself insofar as his action is concerned (n. 9133); from all which it can be seen what is signified by “filling the hand.” (That the Lord alone has all power, and that an angel, spirit, or man has none at all, save what is from the Lord, see n. 8200, 8281, 9327, 9410, 9639.) That by these two things-anointing and the filling of the hand-inauguration into the priesthood was effected, was because all things whatsoever that are and come forth in the heavens and on earth, bear relation to good and to truth.

[2] How the filling of the hand was effected is described in this chapter (verses 9 to 36), and also in Leviticus (8:22 to the end). It was effected by means of the second ram, which is therefore called “the ram of fillings.” The process of filling was that the ram should be slain, that some of his blood should be put upon the earlap of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot, of Aaron and his sons; that some of the blood from the altar, and of the oil of anointing, should be sprinkled upon Aaron and his sons, and upon their garments; that the fat, the tail, the fat upon the intestines, the caul of the liver, the kidneys and their fat, and the right shoulder, of that ram; also the bread, the cakes, and the wafers of unleavened things from the basket; should be put upon the palms of Aaron and his sons, and should be waved, and afterward be burnt upon the burnt-offering of the first ram; that the breast after it was waved, and the left shoulder, should be for Aaron and his sons, and the flesh cooked in a holy place and the bread remaining in the basket, should be eaten by them at the door of the Tent of meeting. This was the process of filling the hands; but what the particulars signified will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be told in what follows.

[3] The Divine power of the Lord, which was represented by the filling of the hands of Aaron and his sons, is the Divine power of saving the human race; and the power of saving the human race is power over the heavens and over the hells. For man is saved by this power of the Lord, and not by any other; because all the good which is of love, and all the truth which is of faith, flow in through the heavens from the Lord, and they cannot flow in unless the hells are removed, for all evil, and from this all falsity, are from the hells. Man is saved by the removal of the evils and the derivative falsities that are from the hells, and by the influx then of the good of love and of the truth of faith through heaven from the Lord. (That when the Lord was in the world He subjugated the hells, and reduced the heavens into order, and acquired to Himself Divine power over them, see n. 9486, 9715, 9809, 9937, and the places cited in n. 9528.) This power of the Lord is what was represented by the filling of the hands of the priests; for by the “priesthood” was signified all the work of the Lord’s salvation (n. 9809).

[4] That the Lord has this power He Himself teaches in plain words in Matthew:

All power has been given to Me in the heavens and on earth (Matthew 28:15).

Jesus said to the seventy who said that the demons were obedient to them, Behold I give you power to tread upon serpents and upon scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; that nothing at all shall harm you. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father (Luke 10:19, 10:22).

By these words is described the power of the Lord over the hells; “demons” denote those who are in the hells; “serpents and scorpions” denote evils and the falsities of evil; “to tread upon them” denotes to destroy these evils and falsities; the hells are also meant by “the enemy over which they were to have power.”

[5] That the Lord acquired this power when He was in the world, is evident in Isaiah:

Who is this that cometh from Edom, marching in the multitude of his strength, great to save? Mine own arm performed salvation to Me; therefore He became their Savior (Isaiah 63:1, 5 (Isaiah 63:5), 8).

That these things are said of the Lord, is known in the church. In like manner those said elsewhere in the same prophet:

His own arm performed salvation to Him, and His righteousness uplifted Him. Therefore He put on righteousness as a coat of mail, and a helmet of salvation upon His head; and the Redeemer came to Zion (Isaiah 59:16-21).

The saying of Jehovah unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a stool for Thy feet. Jehovah shall send forth the scepter of Thy strength out of Zion; rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies; the Lord is at Thy right hand (Psalms 110). (Psalms 110:5)

That these things are said of the Lord, He Himself teaches in Matthew 22:43. His dominion over the hells is described by “sitting at the right hand;” for by “the right hand” is signified the power possessed by Divine truth from Divine good. The hells and the evils and falsities therefrom are the “enemies who were to be made a stool for His feet,” and also the “enemies in the midst of whom He was to rule.”

[6] That the “right hand of Jehovah” denotes Divine power, is evident from many passages in the Word; as in Moses:

Thy right hand, O Jehovah, is become great in power; Thy right hand, O Jehovah, breaketh in pieces the enemy (Exodus 15:6).

O God, Thou givest me the shield of salvation, and Thy right hand holdeth me up (Psalms 18:35).

Their arm did not save them; but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy faces (Psalms 44:3);

it is said “Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy faces,” because the “right hand” denotes power, the “arm” denotes strength, and the “light of the faces” denotes Divine truth from Divine good. (That the “arm” denotes strength, see n. 4932, 4934, 4935, 7205; that “light” denotes Divine truth, n. 9548, 9684; and that “the faces of Jehovah” denote Divine good, n. 222, 5585, 9306) Again:

O God, Thy right hand upholdeth me (Psalms 63:8).

O Jehovah, Thou hast an arm with might; strong is Thy hand, exalted shall be Thy right hand (Psalms 89:13).

Jehovah hath sworn by His right hand, by the arm of His strength (Isaiah 62:8).

O Jehovah, let Thy hand be for the man of Thy right hand, for the son of man Thou hast made strong for Thyself; then will we not go back from Thee (Psalms 80:17-18).

[7] From all this it can now be seen what is meant by the words of the Lord in Matthew:

Jesus said, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power (Matthew 26:64).

Henceforth shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God (Luke 22:69).

That “the Son of man” denotes the Lord as to Divine truth, see in n. 9807; and that “the right hand” denotes Divine power, is evident from what has now been shown; therefore also it is called “the right hand of power,” and “the right hand of might.” From all this it is now evident what was represented by the anointing of Aaron and of his sons, and what by the filling of their hands; namely, by the anointing, the Divine good of the Divine love in the Lord (see n. 9954 end); and by the filling of their hands, the Divine truth and the Divine power thence derived. That Divine good has all power through Divine truth, and that the Lord alone has this power, may be seen in the passages cited above; therefore also in the Word of the Old Testament the Lord is called “Hero,” a “Man of War,” and also “Jehovah Zebaoth,” or “of armies.”