9596. Of fine twined linen, and blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed. That this signifies the spiritual and celestial things from which are these truths, is evident from the signification of “fine twined linen,” as being truths from a celestial origin (see n. 9469); from the signification of “blue” [hyacinthinum] as being the celestial love of truth (n. 9466); from the signification of “crimson,” as being the celestial love of good (n. 9467); and from the signification of “scarlet double-dyed,” as being spiritual good, or the good of truth (n. 9468). Such is the order in which spiritual and celestial things, or truths and goods, follow with the man, and with the angel, who is in the middle or second heaven. For first is truth from a celestial origin, which is signified by “fine linen;” next is the love or affection of truth, which is signified by “blue;” afterward is the consequent love or affection of good, which is signified by “crimson;” and lastly is spiritual good, which is signified by “scarlet double-dyed.”

[2] As spiritual and celestial things follow in this order, therefore fine twined linen is here mentioned first; but in the case of the veil, which was between the Habitation and the ark, or between the holy and the holy of holies-see verse 31 of this chapter-it is mentioned in the last place. The reason why in the veil the fine twined linen is mentioned last, is that the veil signifies the intermediate that unites the inmost heaven with the middle heaven, and therefore in this intermediate it must be the last, so that, for the sake of conjunction, it may be the first in what follows.

[3] But by “fine twined linen” is properly signified the understanding such as belongs to a spiritual man, or to an angel who is in the Lord’s spiritual kingdom. The reason why the understanding is signified by “fine twined linen,” is that with the spiritual man a new will from the Lord has been implanted in his understanding (n. 863, 875, 895, 927, 1023, 1043, 1044, 1555, 2256, 4328, 4493, 5113); and as the understanding of the spiritual man is signified by “fine twined linen,” therefore also spiritual truth is signified thereby, because all truth belongs to the part of the understanding, and all good to the part of the will (n. 3623, 9300); for the understanding is the subject or containant, and truth belongs to it, and these two make a one. From all this it can also be seen that with those who are of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom the understanding is “the Habitation” in the close sense (n. 9296, 9297), and that it is described by the expanse of the curtains.

[4] From all this it can be known what is signified by “spreading out and stretching out the heavens” in Isaiah:

Jehovah that stretcheth out the heavens, that spreadeth out the earth, that giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein (Isaiah 42:5).

I, Jehovah, that maketh all things; that stretcheth out the heavens alone; that spreadeth out the earth by Myself (Isaiah 44:24).

I have made the earth, and created man upon it; I, My hands, have stretched out the heavens (Isaiah 45:12).

He who maketh the earth by His power, prepareth the world by His wisdom, and by His intelligence stretcheth out the heavens (Jeremiah 51:15).

Jehovah, that stretcheth out the heavens, and layeth the foundation of the earth, and formeth the spirit of man in the midst of him (Zech. 12:1).

[5] That by “stretching out the heavens and spreading out the earth” the same is here signified as by “stretching out and spreading out the habitation” by means of the curtains is manifest; and that this denotes to regenerate man, and thus to create or form a new understanding in which is a new will, which is the very heaven of the spiritual man, wherein the Lord dwells with this man. That it is regeneration, or the formation of a new understanding and therein of a new will, thus of a new man, which is signified by “stretching out the heavens and spreading out the earth” is clear from the very explanation given in the above passages, for it is said, “that giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein; also, “that formeth the spirit of man within him.” That “heaven and earth” denote the internal and external church, see n. 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535; also that “the earth” in general denotes the Lord’s kingdom and church (n. 9334); and this is also plainly to be seen, for unless “the earth” had this signification, what could be meant by “spreading out the earth,” and by “laying the foundation of the earth,” and by “forming the spirit of man therein”?

[6] That by “stretching out the heavens, and spreading out the earth” the like is here signified as by “stretching out and spreading out the habitation” by means of the curtains is evident from other passages where it is stated more expressly, as in Isaiah:

Jehovah, that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in (Isaiah 40:22).

Enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch the curtains of thy habitations (Isaiah 54:2).

Jehovah covereth Himself with light as with a garment; He stretcheth out the heavens like a curtain (Psalms 104:2).

From all this it is also evident what is signified by “the expanse” in the first chapter of Genesis:

God said, Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it be to the waters a dividing between the waters. And God made the expanse, and divided 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).

In this first chapter is described the regeneration of the man of the celestial church; and his new will and understanding are described by “the expanse;” “the waters under the expanse, and above the expanse” denote the truths of the external and of the internal man (that “waters” denote truths, see n. 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 8568, 9323).

1850. Will I judge. That this signifies visitation and judgment, may be seen without explication. By “judging,” or “judgment,” there is not signified any last judgment, as people in general suppose, that is, that the heaven and the earth are to perish, and that so a new heaven and a new earth will be created, as spoken of in the Prophets and in Revelation; and thus that all things are to perish, which opinion has spread itself so widely that it has even taken possession of the minds of those who are best instructed; and this to such a degree that they do not believe that the dead are to rise except at that time. And therefore because this time was foretold, and still, after so many centuries have since passed by, they see that it has not come and is not at hand, feeling safe they confirm themselves in their assurance that there is no such thing, and therefore that they will not rise again. But it is to be known that by the last judgment, or by the destruction of heaven and earth, no such thing is meant. According to the sense of the letter it is so; but not at all according to the internal sense: in this sense the last judgment means the last time of the church; the heaven and earth that will perish, mean the church as to internal and external worship, which becomes no church when there is no charity.

[2] There was a last judgment of the Most Ancient Church when all charity and faith had failed, and when there was no perception, as was the case just before the flood. The flood itself, treated of above, was the last judgment of that church; heaven and earth, that is, the church, then perished; and a new heaven and a new earth, that is, a new church, were created, which was called the Ancient Church, and which also has been treated of. This church likewise had its last time, namely, when all charity grew cold and all faith was darkened, which was about the time of Eber. This time was the last judgment of that church; which was the heaven and earth that had perished.

[3] The Hebrew Church was a new heaven and a new earth, and this too had its last time, or last judgment, when it became idolatrous; and then a new church was raised up among the descendants of Jacob, which was called the Jewish Church, and which was a church that was merely representative of charity and faith. In this church, that is, among the descendants of Jacob, there was neither charity nor faith, and therefore no church, but only the representative of a church, for the reason that it had become impossible for there to be immediate communication of the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens with any true church on earth, and therefore a mediate communication was effected by means of representatives. The last time of this so-called church, or its last judgment, was when the Lord came into the world; for the representatives then ceased, that is, the sacrifices and similar rites; and in order that these might cease, the Jews were cast out of the land of Canaan.

[4] After this a new heaven and a new earth were created, that is, a new church, which is to be called the Primitive Church, which was commenced by the Lord, and afterwards gradually became stronger, and which at first was in charity and faith. The destruction of this church is foretold by the Lord in the Gospels, and by John in Revelation; and this destruction is what is called the Last Judgment. Not that heaven and earth are now to perish, but that in some quarter of the globe a new church will be raised up, the present one remaining in its external worship, as the Jews do in theirs, in whose worship it is well known that there is nothing of charity and faith, that is, nothing of the church. So far as regards the last judgment in general.

[5] In particular, there is a last judgment for everyone immediately after he dies; for he then passes into the other life, in which, when he comes into the life that he had had in the body, he is adjudged either to death or to life. There is also a last judgment in the singular, for with a man who is adjudged to death, every single thing condemns him, for there is nothing in his thought and will, not even the least thing, that does not resemble his last judgment, and that does not drag him to death. In like manner with the man who is adjudged to life: in him every single thing of his thought and of his will presents an image of his last judgment, and all carry him on to life. For such as is man in general, such is he in the singulars of his thought and of his affection. These are the things that are signified by the last judgment.