567. And I heard a voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God, signifies revelation from the Lord out of the spiritual heaven. This is evident from the signification of "to hear a voice," as being revelation, because what was revealed by this voice follows; also from the signification of "the golden altar which is before God," as being the Divine spiritual (of which presently); also from the signification of "its four horns," as being the Divine spiritual in its ultimates; for the horns were in the ultimates of both altars, both the altar of burnt-offering and the altar of incense which is the golden altar; and as the horns were the ultimates of these altars they signified the Divine in respect to power, for all power is in ultimates; from this it is that "the horns of the altars" signified the Divine in relation to omnipotence (respecting which signification see above, n. 316. That "the altar of burnt-offering" signifies the Divine celestial, which is Divine good, may be seen above (n. 391, 496); while the "altar of incense" (or the golden altar) represented and thence signified the Divine spiritual, which is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, as is evident from its description, which will be found below.

[2] It shall first be told here why the voice was heard "from the four horns of the altar." The "horns" that projected and stood out at the ultimate parts of the above-named altars signified all things belonging to them in respect to power, as can be seen from what has been shown above (n. 346, 417), and also from what has been said and shown respecting ultimates in the Arcana Coelestia, as that interiors flow in successively into externals, even into things extreme or ultimate, and that there they exist and subsist (n. 634, 6239, 6465, 9215, 9216); that they not only flow in successively, but also form in the ultimate what is simultaneous, in what order (n. 5897, 6451, 8603, 10099); that thus strength and power are in ultimates (n. 9836); and that thence responses and revelations were given in ultimates (n. 9905, 10548). Since responses and revelations were made from ultimates, it is evident why "the voice was heard from the four horns of the golden altar," namely, because the "golden altar" signifies the Divine spiritual, which is Divine truth which reveals, and because the "horns" signify its ultimates, through which revelation is made. The "golden altar" upon which incense was offered signifies the Divine spiritual, which is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, because the "incense" that was offered upon the altar signified worship from spiritual good, and the hearing and acceptance of it by the Lord (See above, n. 324, 491, 492, 494).

[3] That "the altar of incense" signified the Divine spiritual, and that "offering incense" upon it signified worship from spiritual good, and the grateful hearing and acceptance of such worship by the Lord, is evident from the construction of that altar, every particular in which represented and signified these things. Its construction is thus described in Moses:

Thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon; of shittim wood shalt thou make it. A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be; and two cubits shall be the height of it; its horns shall be from it. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, its roof, and its walls round about, and its horns; and thou shall make for it a rim of gold round about. And two rings shalt thou make for it from under its rim, upon the two ribs thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make them; and they shall be for places for the staves with which to bear it. And thou shalt make the staves of shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. And thou shalt put it before the veil that is over the ark of the Testimony, before the mercy-seat that is over the Testimony, where I will meet with thee. And Aaron shall burn thereon incense of spices in the morning; in the morning, when dressing the lamps he shall burn it; and when Aaron maketh the lamps to ascend between the evenings he shall burn it, a perpetual incense before Jehovah in your generations. Ye shall make no strange incense to ascend upon it, nor burnt-sacrifice, nor meal-offering; nor shall ye pour drink-offering upon it. And Aaron shall make expiation upon the horns of it once in the year of the blood of the expiations of sin; once in the year shall he make expiation upon it in your generations: this is the holy of holies unto Jehovah (Exodus 30:1-10).

That these particulars respecting that altar signify in the internal sense worship from spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbor, as also the grateful hearing and acceptance by the Lord, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia (n. Arcana Coelestia 10176), where they are explained in series.

10079. 'And one wafer' means lowest celestial good. This is clear from the meaning of 'wafer' as celestial good in the external man, dealt with in 9994, thus that which is lowest. In the heavens there are two distinct and separate kingdoms; one is called the celestial kingdom, the other the spiritual kingdom. Each kingdom has three parts; each has an inmost part, a middle part, and a lowest part. The inmost good of the celestial kingdom is meant by 'bread', middle good by 'cakes', and lowest good by 'wafers', see above in 9993. It says that they were to take one loaf of bread, one cake, and one wafer, and after these had been waved they were to be burned with the burnt offering, and that Aaron and his sons were to eat the bread left over in the basket at the door of the tent of meeting. These things served to mean the transmission of the good of love from the Lord and the reception of it in the higher heavens, that is, in the celestial kingdom. The transmission of that good was meant by the bread which, after it had been waved, was burned on the altar, and the reception of it was meant by the bread that was eaten. It says 'one' loaf of bread, 'one' cake, and 'one' wafer because Good from God is essentially one.

[2] Next it must be stated why it was decreed that not only the ram's fat and right flank had to be burned on the altar but also offerings of bread, which were called minchahs, when yet good is meant equally by the bread or minchahs as it is by the fat and flank. Without knowledge of why it had to be done offering bread as well would seem to be superfluous. But the reason was that sacrifices and burnt offerings were not demanded, only permitted, and that they were therefore unacceptable in the heavens. Therefore minchahs as well, or offerings of bread, were presented, and also drink offerings of wine, which were acceptable; for 'bread' means all celestial good and 'wine' all the truth that goes with it. This also explains why sacrifices and burnt offerings were called bread, and in addition minchahs or gifts; for minchahs in the original language denotes gifts. But see what has been shown previously on these matters,

Sacrifices and burnt offerings were first introduced by Eber and came down from him to the descendants of Jacob, 1128, 1343, 2818, 4874, 5702.

Sacrifices and burnt offerings were not demanded, only permitted, 2180.

Sacrifices and burnt offerings were called bread, 2165.

'Bread' means celestial good and 'wine' the truth that goes with it, 276, 680, 2165, 2177, 3735, 4217, 4735, 4976, 5915, 6118, 6377, 8410, 9323, 9545.

The like is meant by 'minchah' and 'drink offering', 4581.

From this it is evident that it was for the same reason also that the Lord abolished the burnt offerings and sacrifices, and retained the bread and wine. But it should be recognized that the flesh of a sacrifice or burnt offering served in particular to mean spiritual good, whereas the bread of a minchah served to mean celestial good, and that this was why not only flesh but also bread had to be offered.