Apocalypse Revealed # 793
793. "No craftsman of any craft shall be found in you anymore." This symbolically means that those caught up in the Roman Catholic religion because of its doctrine and a life in accordance with it are without any understanding of spiritual truth, and so are without any thought of spiritual truth, to the extent that they are left to themselves.
In the spiritual sense of the Word, a craftsman symbolizes an intelligent person and a thinking one by virtue of his intellect - in a good sense, someone who uses his intellect to think thoughts that are true, which are heavenly, and in a bad sense, someone who uses his intellect to think thoughts that are false, which are infernal. Moreover, because all of these thoughts are of many kinds, and each kind consists of many varieties, and each variety again of many kinds and varieties, but which we call particulars and specifics, therefore the text says, "no craftsman of any craft."
By virtue of their arts and crafts, too, and the correspondence of these, craftsmen symbolize such things as have to do with wisdom, intelligence and knowledge. We say, by virtue of their correspondence, because a person's every work, likewise his every undertaking, corresponds to such things as have to do with the intelligence of angels, provided it is of some use. But the works of craftsmen in gold, silver and precious stones correspond to some matters or objects of angelic intelligence, the works of craftsmen in bronze, iron, wood and stone to others, and the works of craftsmen in other valuable endeavors, such as the making of cloth, linens, garments and clothing of various kinds, to still others. All of these arts and crafts have, as we said, a correspondence, because they are works.
It can be seen from this that no craftsman of any art being found in Babylon does not mean that there will be no craftsman there, but that there will be no understanding of spiritual truth and so no thought of spiritual truth. But this is the case only with those who are caught up in the Roman Catholic religion because of its doctrine and a life in accordance with it, and this to the extent that they are left to themselves.
[2] That a craftsman symbolizes people who have an understanding of truth and so think thoughts that are true can be seen from this, that Bezaleel and Aholiab were to make the Tabernacle, because they were filled with wisdom, understanding, and knowledge (Exodus 31:3; 36:1-2). Also from the following:
All the wise-hearted among those doing the work made (the dwelling place) with the work of a craftsman... (Exodus 36:8)
You shall make the dwelling place... of fine woven linen and blue, purple, and double-dyed scarlet...(and) cherubim; with the work of a craftsman you shall make them. (Exodus 26:1)
You shall make a veil (in the same manner) with the work of a craftsman. (Exodus 26:31; 36:35)
So, too, the ephod with the work of a craftsman, and also the breastpiece (Exodus 28:6; 39:8). The word for craftsman there is one that also means a thinker.
With the work of a craftsman in gems..., you shall engrave the two stones... which you shall put... on the shoulders of the ephod... (Exodus 28:11, 12)
[3] In an opposite sense, the work of a craftsman symbolizes the kind of work that is the product of one's own intelligence, from which comes only falsity. This is meant by the work of a craftsman in the following passages:
In their intelligence they will make... a molten image... of their silver..., all of it the work of craftsmen. (Hosea 13:2)
A craftsman pours the image, and the founder covers it with gold and forges chains of silver... He seeks... a wise craftsman... (Isaiah 40:19-20)
...one cuts wood from a forest, the work of the hands of the workman... Silver... is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of a craftsman...; blue and purple their clothing, all the work of wise men. (Jeremiah 10:3, 9)
See also Deuteronomy 27:15.
That idols symbolize falsities in worship and religion originating from people's own intelligence may be seen in no. 459, 460 above.
Exodus 39
1
Of the blue, purple, and scarlet, they made finely worked garments, for ministering in the holy place, and made the holy garments for Aaron; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
2
He made the ephod of gold, blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen.
3
They beat the gold into thin plates, and cut it into wires, to work it in the blue, in the purple, in the scarlet, and in the fine linen, the work of the skillful workman.
4
They made shoulder straps for it, joined together. At the two ends it was joined together.
5
The skillfully woven band that was on it, with which to fasten it on, was of the same piece, like its work; of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen; as Yahweh commanded Moses.
6
They worked the onyx stones, enclosed in settings of gold, engraved with the engravings of a signet, according to the names of the children of Israel.
7
He put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod, to be stones of memorial for the children of Israel, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
8
He made the breastplate, the work of a skillful workman, like the work of the ephod; of gold, of blue, purple, scarlet, and fine twined linen.
9
It was square. They made the breastplate double. Its length was a span, and its breadth a span, being double.
10
They set in it four rows of stones. A row of ruby, topaz, and beryl was the first row;
11
and the second row, a turquoise, a sapphire, and an emerald;
12
and the third row, a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst;
13
and the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper. They were enclosed in gold settings.
14
The stones were according to the names of the children of Israel, twelve, according to their names; like the engravings of a signet, everyone according to his name, for the twelve tribes.
15
They made on the breastplate chains like cords, of braided work of pure gold.
16
They made two settings of gold, and two gold rings, and put the two rings on the two ends of the breastplate.
17
They put the two braided chains of gold in the two rings at the ends of the breastplate.
18
The other two ends of the two braided chains they put on the two settings, and put them on the shoulder straps of the ephod, in its front.
19
They made two rings of gold, and put them on the two ends of the breastplate, on its edge, which was toward the side of the ephod inward.
20
They made two rings of gold, and put them on the two shoulder straps of the ephod underneath, in its front, close by its coupling, above the skillfully woven band of the ephod.
21
They bound the breastplate by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, that it might be on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, and that the breastplate might not come loose from the ephod, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
22
He made the robe of the ephod of woven work, all of blue.
23
The opening of the robe in its midst was like the opening of a coat of mail, with a binding around its opening, that it should not be torn.
24
They made on the skirts of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, scarlet, and twined linen.
25
They made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates around the skirts of the robe, between the pomegranates;
26
a bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, around the skirts of the robe, to minister in, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
27
They made the coats of fine linen of woven work for Aaron, and for his sons,
28
and the turban of fine linen, and the linen headbands of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twined linen,
29
and the sash of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, the work of the embroiderer, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
30
They made the plate of the holy crown of pure gold, and wrote on it a writing, like the engravings of a signet: "holy TO YAHWEH."
31
They tied to it a lace of blue, to fasten it on the turban above, as Yahweh commanded Moses.
32
Thus all the work of the tabernacle of the Tent of Meeting was finished. The children of Israel did according to all that Yahweh commanded Moses; so they did.
33
They brought the tabernacle to Moses, the tent, with all its furniture, its clasps, its boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets,
34
the covering of rams' skins dyed red, the covering of sea cow hides, the veil of the screen,
35
the ark of the testimony with its poles, the mercy seat,
36
the table, all its vessels, the show bread,
37
the pure lampstand, its lamps, even the lamps to be set in order, all its vessels, the oil for the light,
38
the golden altar, the anointing oil, the sweet incense, the screen for the door of the Tent,
39
the bronze altar, its grating of brass, its poles, all of its vessels, the basin and its base,
40
the hangings of the court, its pillars, its sockets, the screen for the gate of the court, its cords, its pins, all the instruments of the service of the tabernacle, for the Tent of Meeting,
41
the finely worked garments for ministering in the holy place, the holy garments for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office.
42
According to all that Yahweh commanded Moses, so the children of Israel did all the work.
43
Moses saw all the work, and behold, they had done it as Yahweh had commanded, even so had they done it: and Moses blessed them.
