9596. 'From fine twined linen and violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet' means the spiritual and celestial realities from which those truths are derived. This is clear from the meaning of 'fine twined linen' as truth from a celestial origin, dealt with in 9469; from the meaning of 'violet' as the celestial love of truth, dealt with in 9466; from the meaning of 'purple' as the celestial love of good, dealt with in 9467; and from the meaning of 'twice-dyed scarlet' as spiritual good or the good of truth, dealt with in 9468. Such is the order in which the spiritual and celestial realities, or the truths and forms of good, present with a person or an angel who is in the middle or second heaven follow one another. For truth from a celestial origin, meant by 'fine twined linen' comes first; then the love of or affection for truth, meant by 'violet'; after that the resulting love of or affection for good, meant by 'purple'; and finally spiritual good, meant by 'twice-dyed scarlet'.

[2] Because this is the order in which the spiritual and celestial realities follow one another 'fine twined linen' is here mentioned first; but in the case of the veil that hung between the dwelling-place and the ark, or between the holy place and the holy of holies, dealt with in verse 31 of the present chapter, it is mentioned last. The reason why 'fine twined linen' is mentioned last in the case of the veil is that 'the veil' means the intermediary uniting the inmost heaven to the middle heaven, and therefore within this intermediary it must come last, in order that - to link the two heavens - it may then be first in the second of them.

[3] But properly 'fine twined linen' means the understanding part of the mind as it exists with the spiritual man or with an angel in the Lord's spiritual heaven. The reason why the understanding part is meant by 'fine twined linen' is that with the spiritual man a new will part is implanted by the Lord within the understanding part of his mind, see 863, 875, 895, 927, 1023, 1043, 1044, 1555, 2256, 4328, 4493, 5113; and since the understanding part in the spiritual man is meant by 'fine twined linen', so too is spiritual truth meant. This is because all truth belongs to the understanding part, and all good to the will part, 3623, 9300; for the understanding part is the receiver (subjectum) or container and the truth is what belongs to it, and these two make one. From these considerations also it may be seen that the actual understanding part of the mind with those who belong to the Lord's spiritual kingdom is in the strict sense 'the dwelling-place', 9296, 9297, and that the spreading out of the curtains serves to describe it.

[4] From all this what 'spreading and stretching out the heavens' means in the following places may be recognized, such as in Isaiah,

Jehovah is He who stretches out the heavens, spreads out the earth, gives breath ¹ to the people on it, and spirit to those who walk on it. Isaiah 42:5.

In the same prophet,

I am Jehovah who makes all things, stretches out the heavens Alone, [and] spreads out the earth by Myself. Isaiah 44:24.

In the same prophet,

It was I that made the earth and created man on it. It was I - My hands - that stretched out the heavens. Isaiah 45:12.

In Jeremiah,

... He who makes the earth by His power, prepares the world by His wisdom, and stretches out the heavens by His intelligence. Jeremiah 51:15.

In Zechariah,

Jehovah is He who stretches out the heavens, and founds the earth, and forms the spirit of man within him. Zechariah 12:1.

[5] 'Stretching out the heavens and spreading out the earth' is plainly similar in meaning to stretching and spreading out a dwelling-place by the use of curtains. And by this is meant regenerating a person and thereby creating or forming a new understanding in which there is a new will, which is the spiritual person's actual heaven in which the Lord dwells with that person. The fact that the regeneration or the formation of a new understanding, and of a new will within it, and so of a new person, is what 'stretching out the heavens and spreading out the earth' means is evident from actual explanations provided in the places quoted above. For they speak of Him who gives breath to the people on the earth, and spirit to those who walk on it, and also of Him who forms the spirit of man within him. 'Heaven and earth' means the Church, internal and external, see 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535, and 'the earth' in general means the Lord's kingdom and the Church, 9334; and these meanings too are plainly apparent in those places. For if 'the earth' did not have that meaning what sense could be made of 'spreading out the earth' and 'founding the earth', or 'forming the spirit of man within him ² '?

[6] The fact that 'stretching out the heavens and spreading out the earth' here is similar in meaning to stretching and spreading out a dwelling-place by the use of curtains is clear from other places where the same idea is stated even more plainly, as in Isaiah,

Jehovah is He who stretches out the heavens like a curtain, and spreads them out like a tent to dwell in. Isaiah 40:22.

In the same prophet,

Enlarge the place of your tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of your dwelling-places. Isaiah 54:2.

And in David,

Jehovah covers Himself with light, as if with a garment; He stretches out the heavens as a curtain. Psalms 104:2.

These places also show what 'the expanse' or that which is spread out means in the first chapter of Genesis,

God said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let there be a distinguishing of the waters from the waters. And God made the expanse and He made a distinction between the waters that were under the expanse and the waters that were above the expanse, And God called the expanse Heaven. Genesis 1:6-8.

That first chapter describes the regeneration of a member of the celestial Church, 'the expanse' describing his new will and understanding. 'The waters under the expanse and those above the expanse' are the truths of the external man and those of the internal man. For the meaning of 'waters' as truths, see 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 8568, 9323.

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6385. 'And he will be at the haven of ships' means in which teachings drawn from the Word are present. This is clear from the meaning of 'the haven' as the resting-place, as immediately above in 6384, thus the place where those teachings are present; and from the meaning of 'ships' as teachings drawn from the Word. The reason why they are meant by 'ships' is that ships sail across seas and along rivers, carrying commodities used to support life. For 'seas' and 'rivers' mean different kinds of knowledge; the commodities used to support life which the ships carry are teachings as well as actual truths drawn from the Word. The fact that such teachings and truths are meant by 'ships' is evident from the following places: In Isaiah,

The islands will put their trust in Me, and the ships of Tarshish at their head, to bring your sons from afar, their silver and their gold with them. Isaiah 60:9.

'The ships of Tarshish' stands for teachings and truths drawn from the Word. This is why it says that they would bring their sons, their silver and gold; for 'sons' means those in possession of truths, 'silver' truth itself, and 'gold' good. Anyone can see that the ships of Tarshish are not really meant here, and that sons, silver, and gold are not really meant either.

[2] In Ezekiel,

In the heart of the sea are your borders, your architects have perfected your beauty. Of fir trees from Senir they built for you all the boards; they took a cedar from Lebanon to make a mast for you. Of oaks from Bashan they made oars; your plank they made of ivory, a daughter of steps ¹ from the isles of Kittim. Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be to you an ensign; violet and purple from the islands of Elishah was your covering. The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; your wise men, O Tyre, who were in you were your pilots. Elders of Gebal and its wisemen were in you, remedying your cracks. All the ships of the sea and their sailors were in you, to conduct your trade. Ezekiel 17:4-9.

This refers to Tyre, which means cognitions of good and truth, 1201. Those cognitions are described by means of the aspects of a ship - its boards, mast, oars, plank, sail, covering, rowers, pilots, and sailors. Who can fail to see that one must not take all these things literally? But when the cognitions of truth and good, which are 'Tyre', together with teachings drawn from the Word, are understood by 'ships', all things go beautifully together.

[3] In David,

How many are your works, O Jehovah! In wisdom You have made them all. This sea, great and wide on both hands ² - there the ships sail, the sea monster whom you have formed to play in it. Psalms 104:24-26.

In the same author,

Let them sacrifice the sacrifices of confession, and declare Jehovah's works in a triumphant shout. Those who go down to the sea with ships, doing work in many waters - these saw the works of Jehovah, and His marvels in the deep. Psalms 107:21-24.

Here also 'ships' stands for cognitions and religious teachings, 'the sea monster' for the general sources of known facts, 42. And since 'ships' are cognitions and those teachings, the words 'those who go down to the sea with ships - these saw the works of Jehovah, and His marvels in the deep' are used; for those who know those cognitions and teachings drawn from the Word see those works and marvels.

[4] In John,

The second angel sounded, and so to speak a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea. And a third part of the sea became blood, with the result that a third part of creatures died who had their being ³ in the sea. And a third part of the ships was destroyed. Revelation 8:8-9.

'A great mountain burning with fire' stands for self-love, 1691; 'the sea stands for the natural where factual knowledge resides, 28; 'blood' stands for violence done to charity, 374, 1005; 'the creatures who had their being in the sea' stands for truths contained in factual knowledge, together with forms of good; 'a third part' stands for something not yet complete, 2788 (end). They 'died' stands for the fact that they had no spiritual life, 6119, and therefore 'a third part of the ships was destroyed' stands for the fact that the truths and forms of good presented in teachings drawn from the Word were falsified. From all this one may see what is meant by this prophetic description.

[5] But in the contrary sense 'ships' means cognitions and teachings that present falsity and evil, as in Daniel,

At the time of the end the king of the south will clash with him; therefore the king of the north will rush upon him like a whirlwind, with chariots, and with horsemen, and with many ships; and he will enter into countries, and will overflow and penetrate. Daniel 11:40.

'The king of the south' stands for truths that spring from good, 'the king of the north' for falsities that spring from evil, 'chariots with horsemen and with ships' for teachings that present falsity. 'Countries' stands for Churches, which - it is foretold - falsities springing from evils will overflow and penetrate 'at the time of the end'.

[6] In John,

Every shipmaster, and everyone on board ships, and sailors, and all who trade on the sea, stood at a distance and were crying out as they saw the smoke of Babylon's burning, saying, What [city] is like the great city? Woe, woe, the great city, in which all who have ships on the sea have been made rich by her wealth. ⁴ Revelation 18:17-19.

Here it may be seen that 'ships' are cognitions and teachings that present falsity and evil because 'Babylon' describes worship which to outward appearance is holy but inwardly is profane. Once again no one can fail to see that 'ships' means something other than ships.

The same is so in Isaiah,

Thus says Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, For your sake I have sent to Babel, so that I may break down all the bars, and the Chaldeans in whose ships there is shouting. Isaiah 43:14.

In addition to these places falsities springing from evil are also meant by 'ships' in Isaiah 2:16; 23:1, 14; Psalms 48:7.

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