827. Saying to them that dwell on the earth that they should make an image to the beast, signifies an established decree that all in the church should teach and believe nothing whatever except these things. This is evident from the signification of "them that dwell on the earth," as being all who belong to the church (See just above, n. 826; also from the signification of "the image of the beast," as being the doctrine of faith separated from good works, and worship therefrom confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word by means of reasonings from the natural man; consequently "to make that image" signifies to make a decree or to determine that they should teach and believe only in this way; also that this has been done in the churches where the doctrine of faith separate has been accepted. This is the signification of the "image," because in the spiritual world all spiritual things may be exhibited by means of images, also by means of idols; and by these the particulars of doctrine may be portrayed, which I have also seen done. This is why images and idols have this signification in the Word. That idols signify the falsities of doctrine may be seen above (n. 587, 650, 654, 780). So here "saying to them that dwell upon the earth that they should make an image to the beast" signifies an established decree that all in the church should teach and believe nothing whatever except these things. With those who belonged to the ancient churches images were made representative of their doctrine and the worship therefrom; but the sons of Israel, on account of the proclivity of their mind to idolatrous worship, were forbidden to make them, as is evident from the Word.

[2] That it may be known that images have this signification I will cite in confirmation the following passages from the Word. In Moses:

Thou shalt not make to thee any graven image, or any image of that which is in the heavens above or that is in the earth beneath or that is in the waters under the earth; thou shalt not bow thyself down to them nor worship them (Exodus 20:4, 5).

Ye shall make no idols to you, neither shall ye rear you up a graven image or a pillar, neither shall ye place the stone of an image in your land to bow yourselves down to it (Leviticus 26:1).

Lest ye make to you a graven image, the image of any likeness, the figure of male or female, the figure of any beast that is on the earth, the figure of any winged bird that flieth under heaven, the figure of anything that creepeth on the ground, the figure of any fish that is in the waters under the earth (Deuteronomy 4:16-18).

The sons of Israel were forbidden to make idols, graven images, and forms or figures of anything in the heavens, on the earth, or in the waters, because the ancient churches which were before the Israelitish Church were representative churches, also because the sons of Jacob were wholly external men, and external men at that time, when all worship was representative, were prone to idolatries, thus to the worship of such things as appeared before their eyes. But as the ancient churches were representative churches, the men of those churches made to themselves graven images and forms of various things which represented and thence signified things heavenly; and the ancients took delight in these on account of their signification, for when they looked upon them they were reminded of the heavenly things they represented; and as these belonged to their religion, therefore they worshiped the images. This is why they had groves and high places, and also sculptured, molten, and painted figures, which were set up either in groves or upon mountains, or in temples, or in their houses. So in Egypt, where the science of representations, which is the same as the science of correspondences, flourished, there were images, idols, and graven images, as also hieroglyphics; and other nations had the like. But when the men of those churches from being internal became external, then the celestial and spiritual things which were represented and thence signified remained as traditions with their priests and wise men, who were called magi and diviners; consequently the common people, because of the religious principle which their fathers saw in these things, began to worship them and to call them their gods. Now as the sons of Jacob were more external men than the others, and thence more prone to idolatries and also to magic, they were strictly forbidden to make to themselves graven images, images and figures of the likeness of anything existing in the heavens, on the earth, or in the sea, because all things that are in the world are representative, as flying things, beasts, fishes, and creeping things, for so far as they worshiped these idolatrously, so far they did not acknowledge Jehovah. And yet, since the church was representative with them also, the tabernacle was built, in which were placed the chief representatives of heavenly things, as the table on which were the loaves, the golden altar on which incense was offered, the lampstand with the lamps, the ark with the mercy-seat. and the cherubim above it, and the altar not far from the door of the tabernacle, on which was the sacred fire; and afterwards the temple was built, in which also all things were representative, as the painting therein, the lavers outside of it, the brazen sea under which were the oxen supporting it, likewise the pillars and porticos, with the vessels of gold, all of which they were permitted to worship as holy, provided they acknowledged the tabernacle, and afterwards the temple, as the dwelling-place of Jehovah. This was granted them to prevent their turning aside to idolatry and magic, which then existed with various nations in Asia; as Egypt, Syria, Assyria, Babylon, Tyre and Sidon, Arabia, Ethiopia, Mesopotamia, and especially in and about the land of Canaan.

[3] From this it is clear why "idols" signify in the Word the falsities of religion, and "images" doctrinals. That such things existed with various nations in the countries of Asia is made evident by the gods of Laban the Syrian that Rachel the wife of Jacob carried off (Genesis 31:19, 20); by the calves and other idols in Egypt; by the hieroglyphics there engraved and painted in temples, and upon obelisks and walls; by Dagon the idol of the Philistines in Ekron; by the idols made by Solomon, and afterwards by the kings in the temple of Jerusalem and in Samaria; and by the altars, pillars, images, and groves, among the nations of the land, which the sons of Israel were commanded to destroy, as is evident from various passages in the Word.

[4] Moreover, it was from the science of correspondences and representations:

That the priests and diviners of the Philistines persuaded them to make golden images of the emerods and mice that had laid waste the land, and to place them beside the ark, which they sent back upon a new cart drawn by kine, and that they should thus give glory to the God of Israel (1 Samuel 6 seq.).

For at that time their priests and diviners knew what all these things represented; and that the images of the emerods and mice signified the falsities of their religion, which might be atoned for by these as gifts made of gold.

[5] Doctrinals are also signified by "images" in the following passages.

In Ezekiel:

They shall cast their silver into the streets, and their gold shall be an abomination, in that they have turned the gracefulness of their adornment into pride, and have made thereof images of their abominations and their detestable things; therefore I have made it unto them for an abomination (Ezekiel 7:19, 20).

This treats of the devastation of the church by falsities and evils, which is here meant by "the sword, pestilence, and famine" (verse 15), that were to consume them. The "silver that they shall cast into the streets," and the "gold that shall be for an abomination," signify the truth of the church and its good turned into falsity and evil; "to cast these into the streets" signifies to scatter them, and "to be for an abomination" signifies to be turned into infernal evil, for this is to be for an abomination. "They have turned the gracefulness of their adornment into pride, and have made thereof images of their abominations and their detestable things," signifies that they filled the whole church and its doctrine, and all things that are contained in it, with things profane; "the gracefulness of the adornment" signifying the church and its doctrine; and "images of abominations and of detestable things" signifying all things of it, thus doctrinals, the goods and truths of which have been profaned; "abominations" are goods profaned, and "detestable things" truths profaned.

[6] In the same:

Thou didst take the vessels of thy adornment, of my gold and of my silver which I had given to thee, and madest for thee the images of a male, with which thou couldst commit whoredom (Ezekiel 16:17).

This is said of "the abominations of Jerusalem," which mean the adulterations of the truth and good of doctrine from the Word; "vessels of adornment of gold and silver" signifying the knowledges of good and truth from the Word; "to make of them images of a male" signifying to make doctrinals from falsities to appear as if from truths; and "to commit whoredom with them" signifying the falsification of them.

[7] In the same:

Oholibah committed whoredom in Egypt, she loved the sons of Assyria; she added to her whoredoms; when she saw men portrayed upon the wall, the images of the Chaldeans portrayed with vermilion, at the sight of her eyes she loved them (Ezekiel 23:3, 12, 14, 16).

"Oholibah" means Jerusalem, which signifies the church in respect to doctrine, therefore the doctrine of the church; "to commit whoredom" signifies the falsification and adulteration of the Word; and as "Egypt" signifies natural truths, which are called knowledges [scientifica], and "Assyria" rational truths, and in the contrary sense falsities, it is clear what is signified by "committing whoredom with them." As "the Chaldeans" signify the truths of the Word profaned by being applied to the loves of self and the world, so the "images of the Chaldeans" signify doctrinals that are pleasing to those loves; "portrayed with vermilion" signifies these appearing outwardly as if truths, although inwardly they are profane; "men portrayed upon the wall" have a similar signification, "a painted wall" meaning the appearance of doctrinals in externals. "Images" have a like signification in Isaiah (Isaiah 2:16; in David (Psalms 73:20; also in the following passages in Revelation (Revelation 14:9-11, 15:2; 16:2; 19:20; 20:4). (See also what has been said above about "idols" and "graven images," n. 587, 650, 654, 780, where other passages from the Word have been cited and explained.)

8941. 'You shall not build it with hewn ones' means that it must not be a product of self-intelligence. This is clear from the meaning of 'hewn stones' as the kinds of things which are products of self-intelligence, for 'stones' are truths, 8940, and chiselling or shaping them means producing or fashioning truths, or rather notions made to look like truths, out of the self, that is, out of self-intelligence. For the life in anything produced or fashioned by the self or self-intelligence is derived from the person; and such life is not life at all since the human self or proprium is nothing but evil, 210, 215, 694, 874-876, 987, 1047, 5660, 5786, 8480, whereas what is not derived from the self but from God does have life within it, since God is the source of all life. The subject here is worship of the Lord that springs from truth, for that kind of worship is meant by 'an altar of stones', 8940. .

[2] Truths that inspire worship of the Lord should be derived from nowhere other than the Word; for in every single part the Word has life from God. When truths are derived from the self they have as their end in view rank and prominence over everyone in the world, and also earthly possessions and wealth above everyone. Consequently they hold within them self-love and love of the world, thus all evils in their entirety, 7488, 8318. But truths derived from the Word have eternal life as their end in view; they hold within them love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, thus all forms of good in their entirety. When truths are produced out of the self or self-intelligence they are the masters over the truths which come from God; for they employ the latter to add strength to themselves. But it ought to be the other way round, that is to say, the truths from God ought to be the masters, and those that are products of self-intelligence to be the servants. Products of the self or self-intelligence are called truths, but they are not really truths; they look like truths solely to outward appearances. For the literal sense of the Word is employed, and reasonings are brought in, to make them look like truths; but inwardly they are falsities. What these things are exactly, and what they are like, see above in 8932.

[3] In the world there are two semblances of religion that exist as a result of self-intelligence. One is that in which self-love and love of the world is everything; in the Word this semblance of religion is called Babel. Inwardly it is profane on account of self-love and love of the world, while outwardly it is holy on account of the Word, which people have employed to add strength to their own ideas. The other semblance of religion is that in which the inferior light of the natural order is everything. Those with this kind of religion acknowledge nothing to be true which they do not apprehend. Some belonging to this seeming religion acknowledge the Word, yet they employ it to add strength to their own ideas; thus they treat it as their servant. Others however do not acknowledge the Word; instead they identify the Divine with the natural order. For the light in which they see, being the inferior light of the natural order, shines only within the natural order and cannot be made brighter by the superior light of heaven, because they cast aside the Word, the source of all enlightenment. Those belonging to both the latter and the former semblances of religion are in hell, because they are devoid of heavenly life, which they cannot receive because they have cast the Word aside. And those of them who have employed the Word to add strength to their own ideas have set no value at all on it in their hearts; yet because it has had power and authority among the common people they have used it to serve them in this way, in order that false notions fashioned by their own intelligence might thereby be validated. From all this one may see what is meant in the spiritual sense by the command that no altar of hewn stones was to be built.

[4] 'Hewn stone' means that which is a product of self-intelligence in the following places as well: In Isaiah,

In order that [all] the people may know, Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, on account of pride and arrogance of heart, saying, The bricks have fallen and we will build from hewn stone. Isaiah 9:9-10.

In Jeremiah,

Even if I cry and shout, He has shut out my prayers. He has fenced round my ways with hewn stone, He has overturned my paths. Lamentations 3:8-9.

In Amos,

Because you tread down the crushed, and seize from him the burden of grain, you will build houses of hewn stone, yet you will not dwell in them. Amos 5:11.

'Hewn stone' here stands for the kinds of things that self-intelligence produces in matters of faith.

[5] Since those things were meant by 'hewn stone', the altar first built in the land of Canaan by the children of Israel after they crossed the Jordan was built of unhewn stones; for crossing over Jordan represented introduction into the Lord's kingdom, which is accomplished by means of the truths of faith. That altar is spoken of as follows in Joshua,

Joshua built an altar to Jehovah God of Israel on Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded the children of Israel, An altar of whole stones over which no one has wielded any iron tool. ¹ Joshua 8:30-31; Deuteronomy 27:1-8.

[6] The temple in Jerusalem likewise was built of whole, not hewn, stones. This is referred to in the first Book of Kings as follows,

As regards the house itself, when it was being built it was built of whole stone, as it had been brought [there]; for not a hammer or axe, [nor] any tool of iron, was heard in the house while it was being built. 1 Kings 6:7.

For by 'the temple of the Lord' was represented the Lord in respect of Divine Truth. The Lord Himself teaches that He was represented by the temple, in John 2:19, 21-22; and the reason why He was represented in respect of Divine Truth was that Divine Truth was taught there. This also was why it was built of stones; for 'stones' meant Divine Truth, 8940. And it also explains why the Lord was called 'the Stone of Israel', 6426.

[7] From all this one may now see what was meant by the stone of the altar, and also what was meant by the stone of the temple, as well as what was meant by the requirement that they were to be whole stones, and not hewn, namely this: Religion should be composed of truths derived from the Lord, thus from the Word, and not from self-intelligence. Products of self-intelligence are also described in the following way in Isaiah,

The craftsman casts a graven image, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains for it. He seeks a skilled ² craftsman to make ready a graven image. Isaiah 40:19-20.

'A graven image' stands for some religious fabrication that is a product of the proprium or self, put forward to be venerated as what is Divine, 8869. 'The craftsman' stands for those who from self produce and fashion things. Their attempt to make these things look like truths is described by '[a goldsmith! overlays it with gold, and casts chains made of silver' and 'he seeks a skilled craftsman'.

[8] In the same prophet,

Makers of the graven image, all are vanity. All his companions will be ashamed; and the workmen themselves ... He fashions the iron with tongs, and works it with the coals, and forms it with sharp hammers; so he makes it with his strong arm. ³ He fashions pieces of wood, stretches out a cord, and marks it off with a ruler. He makes it into its angles, and marks it out with a ring, so that he may make it in the form of a man (vir), according to the beauty of a human being, to dwell in the house. Isaiah 44:9, 11-13.

This too describes a religious fabrication that is a product of self-intelligence. Something similar occurs in Jeremiah,

The customs ⁴ of the nations are vanity. Since indeed one cuts out wood from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman using an axe, he decorates it with silver and gold; and they make it firm ⁵ with pegs and hammers. Jeremiah 10:3-4.

And also in Hosea,

Nonetheless they now sin more and more, and make for themselves a molten image from silver, idols by their own intelligence, completely the work of craftsmen. Hosea 13:2

A religious fabrication, produced out of self-intelligence and not derived from the Word, is meant in the internal sense by 'idols' and 'strange gods', by 'molten images' and 'graven images'. Products of the self are nothing else; for in themselves they are dead, even though venerated as living.

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