10136. 'And a tenth [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with beaten oil, a quarter of a hin' means spiritual good derived from celestial good, the amount needed for a joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tenth of an ephah' as a sufficient amount, and the amount needed for the purposes which have to be served, dealt with in 8468, 8540, 9757; from the meaning of 'fine flour' as truth derived from good, dealt with 9995, at this point truth derived from celestial good, which truth is called spiritual good; from the meaning of 'oil' as celestial good, dealt with in 886, 3728, 4582, 4638, 9474, 9780; and from the meaning of 'a quarter of a hin' as the amount needed for a joining together. For 'four' means a joining together, 9601, 9674, so that 'a quarter' or a fourth part means an amount sufficient to accomplish that joining together. The ephah and the hin were measures, and by measures the amount of the thing that is being referred to is meant. By 'an ephah', which was a measure of fine flour, wheat, or barley, the amount of good is meant, and by 'a hin', which was a measure of wine or oil, the amount of truth is meant. The fact that a tenth of an ephah is what should be understood by 'a tenth' is clear from Leviticus 6:20, and elsewhere. From all this it is evident that 'a tenth of fine flour mixed with beaten oil, a quarter of a hin' means spiritual good derived from celestial good, the amount needed for a joining together. What spiritual good is and what celestial good is, see the places referred to in 9277.

4138. 'With drums and with harps' means as regards spiritual good, that is to say, the state in which - thinking from the proprium - it had believed itself to be as regards that good. This is clear from the fact that 'drums and harps' has reference to good - spiritual good - as may be recognized from many places in the Word. Spiritual good is that which is called the good of faith, and is charity, whereas celestial good is that which is called the good of love, and is love to the Lord. The Lord has two kingdoms in the heavens, the first being called His celestial kingdom and consisting of those who are governed by love to the Lord, and the second being referred to as the spiritual kingdom and consisting of those who are governed by charity towards the neighbour. These kingdoms are quite distinct and separate, and yet in the heavens they act as one. Regarding these distinct and separate kingdoms - the celestial and the spiritual - see what has been stated many times already.

[2] In the Churches of long ago various kinds of musical instruments were used, such as drums, lyres, flutes, harps, instruments of ten strings, and many others. Some of these belonged to the group connected with celestial things, and some to the group connected with spiritual. When these instruments are mentioned in the Word they imply such celestial or spiritual things, so that from the instrument mentioned one can know which kind of good forms the subject - whether spiritual good or celestial good. Drums and harps belonged to the group connected with spiritual things, and that is why the phrase 'as regards spiritual good' is being used in this paragraph. For 'a harp' is used in reference to spiritual things, and stringed instruments serve to mean spiritual things, but wind instruments celestial ones, see 418-420.