10252. Best myrrh. That this signifies the perception of sensuous truth, is evident from the signification of “fragrant myrrh,” as being the perception of sensuous truth; for its odor denotes perceptivity (as just above), and “myrrh” denotes sensuous truth. In what now follows, the subject treated of is the oil of anointing, by which is signified celestial good, which is the Divine good of the Lord’s Divine love in the inmost heaven; its quality is described by the fragrant things of which it was compounded, which were best myrrh, aromatic cinnamon, aromatic calamus, cassia, and oil of olive, by which are signified celestial truths and goods in their order, namely, from ultimate to first ones, or from outermost to inmost ones; the ultimate or outermost ones being signified by “myrrh.” The reason why celestial good, or the good of the inmost heaven, is thus described, is because this good comes forth by means of the truths which are signified, and it also subsists by means of them.

[2] But as this is a subject of deeper investigation, it may be set forth further. In order that celestial good, which is inmost good, may be born with man, which is effected by the Lord through regeneration, truths must be acquired from the Word, or from the doctrine of the church which is from the Word. These truths obtain their first seat in the memory of the natural or external man; from this they are called forth by the Lord into the internal man, which is done when the man lives according to them; and the more the man is affected with them, or loves them, the higher, or the more interiorly, they are raised by the Lord, and there become celestial good.

[3] Celestial good is the good of the love of doing truths from the Word for the sake of good, thus for the Lord’s sake; for the Lord is the source of good, thus is good; and this is the generation of this good. From this it is evident that this good comes forth by means of truths from the Word, first in the most external or sensuous man, next by their elevation into the internal man, and finally into the very inmost man, where they become celestial good. And as this good comes forth in this way by means of truths in their order, so it afterward subsists in a like order by means of the same truths, for subsistence is a perpetual coming-forth. And when it so subsists, as it had come forth, it is complete, for then the higher things subsist, rest, and store up themselves in order, upon the lower ones as upon their planes; and upon their outermosts or ultimates, which are sensuous memory-truths, as upon their foundation.

[4] These truths are described by John in Revelation as the precious stones forming the foundation of the wall of the holy Jerusalem that came down out of heaven (Revelation 21:19-20). By “precious stones” are signified truths Divine received in good (n. 9476, 9863, 9873, 9905). That “fragrant myrrh” denotes sensuous truth, is evident also in David:

Thou hast loved righteousness, therefore God, Thy God, hath anointed Thee with the oil of gladness above Thy fellows; with myrrh, aloes, and kesia, all Thy garments (Psalms 45:8-9).

This is said of the Lord, who alone is the “anointed of Jehovah,” because there was in Him the Divine good of the Divine love which is signified by the oil of anointing (n. 9954). By His “garments” which are said to be “anointed with myrrh, aloes, and kesia,” are signified Divine truths from His Divine good in the natural (n. 5954, 9212, 9216, 9814); thus by “myrrh” is signified Divine truth in the sensuous, because it is mentioned in the first place.

[5] In Matthew:

The Wise men from the east, opening their treasures, offered unto the Lord then born, gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11).

Here “gold” denotes good; “frankincense,” internal truth; and “myrrh,” external truth; both of these from good. That “gold” is here mentioned in the first place is because it signifies good, which is inmost; in the second place “frankincense,” because it signifies internal truth from good; and “myrrh” is mentioned in the third or last place because it signifies external truth from good. (That “gold” denotes good, see the places cited in n. 9874, 9881; and that “frankincense” denotes internal truth from good will be seen in what follows at verse 34)

[6] The reason why the wise men from the east offered these things to the Lord then born, was that they might signify His Divine in the Human; for they knew what gold signified, what frankincense, and what myrrh, because they were in the science of correspondences and representations. In those times this was the chief science among the Arabians, Ethiopians, and others in the east; and therefore also in the Word by “Arabia,” “Ethiopia,” and “the sons of the east,” in the internal sense, are meant those who are in the knowledges of heavenly things (n. 1171, 3240, 3242, 3762). But in course of time this science perished, because when the good of life ceased it was turned into magic. It was first obliterated with the Israelitish nation, and afterward with the rest; and at this day so completely that it is not even known to exist. So much is this the case in the Christian world, that if it were said that all things of the Word in the sense of the letter signify heavenly things by correspondence, and that from this is its internal sense, no one would know what was meant.

[7] As “myrrh” signified truth the most external, which is sensuous truth, and its perception, therefore the bodies of the dead were formerly anointed with myrrh and aloes, by which anointing was signified the preservation of all truths and goods with the man, and also their resurrection. For this reason such a substance was employed as signified the ultimate of life with man, which ultimate is called the sensuous life. (That the body of the Lord was anointed with such things, and was encompassed with them, together with a linen cloth, and that this was the custom of the Jews, may be see n in John 19:39-40; Luke 23:53, 23:56.) But be it known that what is said of the Lord Himself in the Word is to be understood in a supereminent sense, and therefore these things here signify His Divine life in the sensuous, which is the life proper to the body, and also the resurrection of this. It is known that the Lord rose again with the whole body which He had in the world, differently from other men, for He left nothing in the sepulcher; and therefore He also said to the disciples, who when they saw the Lord supposed that they saw a spirit, “Why are ye troubled? behold My hands and My feet, touch Me and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have” (Luke 24:38-39).

3762. And went to the land of the sons of the east. That this signifies to the truths of love (that is, elevation thereto) is evident from the signification of the “land of the sons of the east.” That Aram, or Syria, was called the “land of the sons of the east,” is evident, because it was thither that Jacob betook himself (see n. 3249). That by “Syria” in general are signified the knowledges of good, was shown above (n. 1232, 1234); but specifically, by “Aram-naharaim” (that is, “Syria of the rivers”) are signified the knowledges of truth (n. 3051, 3664). In this case however it is not said that he went “to Aram,” or “Syria,” but “to the land of the sons of the east,” in order to signify what is treated of in this chapter throughout, namely, an ascent to the truths of love. Those truths are called the truths of love which have been elsewhere termed celestial truths, for they are knowledges that relate to charity toward the neighbor and love to the Lord; in the supreme sense, in which the Lord is treated of, they are the truths of Divine love.

[2] These truths, that relate to charity toward the neighbor and to love to the Lord, must be learned before it is possible for a man to be regenerated; and must also be acknowledged and believed; and insofar as they are acknowledged, believed, and ingrafted in the life, so far the man is regenerated, and insofar they are at the same time implanted in the man’s natural, in which they are as in their own ground. They are first implanted therein through instruction by parents and teachers; next from the Word of the Lord; and afterwards through the man’s own reflection about them; but by these means they are merely stored up in the memory of the natural man, being classed among the knowledges therein, but still not acknowledged, believed, and ingrafted, unless the life is in accordance with them; for in this case the man comes into affection, and insofar as he comes into affection from life, so far these truths are implanted in his natural as in their ground. The truths which are not thus implanted are indeed with the man, but are merely in his memory as a matter of mere knowledge or history, which serves no other purpose than to be talked about and made the means of getting a reputation which is to serve for the acquisition of riches and honors. But in this case these truths are not implanted.

[3] That by the “land of the sons of the east” are signified the truths of love, thus the knowledges of truth which tend to good, may be seen from the signification of “sons,” as being truths (see n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623); and from the signification of the “east,” as being love (n. 101, 1250, 3249). Their “land” is the ground in which they are. That the “sons of the east” are those who are in the knowledges of truth and good, and consequently in the truths of love, may be seen also from other passages in the Word. As in the first book of Kings:

The wisdom of Solomon was multiplied more than the wisdom of all the sons of the east, and than all the wisdom of the Egyptians (1 Kings:4:30); where by the “wisdom of the sons of the east” are signified the interior knowledges of truth and good, thus those who are in them;” but by the “wisdom of the Egyptians” is signified the memory-knowledge of the same, which is in a lower degree. (That by the “Egyptians” are signified memory-knowledges in general, may be seen n 1164-1165 . 1164, 1165, 1462.)

[4] In Jeremiah:

Thus saith Jehovah, Arise ye, go up against Kedar, lay waste the sons of the east. Their tents and their flocks they shall take; they shall take their curtains, and all their vessels, and their camels (Jeremiah 49:28-29).

That by the “sons of the east” are here meant those who are in the knowledges of good and truth, is evident from the fact that they were to take their tents and flocks, also their curtains and all their vessels, and likewise their camels; for by “tents” are signified the holy things of good (n. 414, 1102, 2145, 2152, 3312); by “flocks,” the goods of charity (n. 343, 2566); by “curtains,” holy truths (n. 2576, 3478); by “vessels,” truths of faith and memory-knowledges (n. 3068, 3079); by “camels,” memory-knowledges in general (n. 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145). Thus by the “sons of the east” are signified those who are in these things, that is, who are in the knowledges of good and truth.

[5] That the wise men from the east who came to Jesus at His birth were of those who were called the “sons of the east,” is evident from the fact that they were in the knowledge that the Lord was to be born, and that they knew of His advent by a star which appeared to them in the east, concerning which things we read in Matthew:

When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, behold there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, Where is He that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him (Matthew 2:1-2

That from ancient times such a prophetic knowledge had existed among the sons of the east, who were of Syria, is evident from Balaam’s prophecy concerning the Lord’s advent, in Moses:

I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not nigh there shall arise a star out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise up out of Israel (Numbers 24:17).

That Balaam was from the land of the sons of the east, that is, from Syria, is evident from these words:

Balaam uttered his enunciation and said, Balak hath brought me from Syria, out of the mountains of the east (Numbers 23:7).

Those wise men who came to Jesus at His birth are called magi, ¹ but wise men were so called at that time, as is evident from many passages; such as Genesis 41:8; Exodus 7:11; Daniel 2:27; 4:6-7; 1 Kings 4:30; and from the Prophets throughout.

[6] That in the opposite sense the “sons of the east” signify the knowledges of evil and falsity, thus those who are in them, is evident in Isaiah:

The envy of Ephraim shall depart, and the enemies of Judah shall be cut off; they shall fly on the shoulder of the Philistines toward the sea; and together shall they spoil the sons of the east (Isaiah 11:13-14).

In Ezekiel:

Against the sons of Ammon. Behold I have delivered thee to the sons of the east for a possession, and they shall set their ordinances in thee (Ezekiel 25:3-4).

And in the book of Judges:

When Israel sowed, Midian came up, and Amalek, and the sons of the east; they came up against him (Judg. 6:3).

“Midian” denotes those who are in falsity because not in the good of life (n. 3242); “Amalek,” those who are in falsities with which they assault truths (n. 1679); the “sons of the east,” those who are in the knowledges of falsity.

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