10019. And thou shalt fill the hand of Aaron and the hand of his sons. That this signifies inauguration to represent the Divine power of the Lord through Divine truth from Divine good, is evident from the signification of “filling the hand,” as being to inaugurate to represent the Lord as to Divine truth from Divine good, and as to the power thence derived. There were two things by which inauguration into the priesthood was effected-anointing, and filling the hand; by anointing was effected inauguration to represent the Lord as to Divine good, for the oil by which the anointing was done signifies the good of love (see n. 10011); and by filling the hand was effected inauguration to represent the Lord as to Divine truth from Divine good, thus as to power. For by the “hand” is signified power (n. 878, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 6947, 7011, 7188, 7189, 7518, 7673, 8050, 8069, 8153); and “hand” is predicated of the truth which is from good (n. 3091, 3563, 4931, 8281, 9025), because all power is of truth from good (n. 5623, 6344, 6423, 6948, 8200, 8304, 9327, 9410, 9639, 9643). And as the head and the whole body exercise their power by the hands, and power is the activity of life with man, therefore by “hand” is also signified whatever pertains to man, thus the man himself insofar as his action is concerned (n. 9133); from all which it can be seen what is signified by “filling the hand.” (That the Lord alone has all power, and that an angel, spirit, or man has none at all, save what is from the Lord, see n. 8200, 8281, 9327, 9410, 9639.) That by these two things-anointing and the filling of the hand-inauguration into the priesthood was effected, was because all things whatsoever that are and come forth in the heavens and on earth, bear relation to good and to truth.

[2] How the filling of the hand was effected is described in this chapter (verses 9 to 36), and also in Leviticus (8:22 to the end). It was effected by means of the second ram, which is therefore called “the ram of fillings.” The process of filling was that the ram should be slain, that some of his blood should be put upon the earlap of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the great toe of the right foot, of Aaron and his sons; that some of the blood from the altar, and of the oil of anointing, should be sprinkled upon Aaron and his sons, and upon their garments; that the fat, the tail, the fat upon the intestines, the caul of the liver, the kidneys and their fat, and the right shoulder, of that ram; also the bread, the cakes, and the wafers of unleavened things from the basket; should be put upon the palms of Aaron and his sons, and should be waved, and afterward be burnt upon the burnt-offering of the first ram; that the breast after it was waved, and the left shoulder, should be for Aaron and his sons, and the flesh cooked in a holy place and the bread remaining in the basket, should be eaten by them at the door of the Tent of meeting. This was the process of filling the hands; but what the particulars signified will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be told in what follows.

[3] The Divine power of the Lord, which was represented by the filling of the hands of Aaron and his sons, is the Divine power of saving the human race; and the power of saving the human race is power over the heavens and over the hells. For man is saved by this power of the Lord, and not by any other; because all the good which is of love, and all the truth which is of faith, flow in through the heavens from the Lord, and they cannot flow in unless the hells are removed, for all evil, and from this all falsity, are from the hells. Man is saved by the removal of the evils and the derivative falsities that are from the hells, and by the influx then of the good of love and of the truth of faith through heaven from the Lord. (That when the Lord was in the world He subjugated the hells, and reduced the heavens into order, and acquired to Himself Divine power over them, see n. 9486, 9715, 9809, 9937, and the places cited in n. 9528.) This power of the Lord is what was represented by the filling of the hands of the priests; for by the “priesthood” was signified all the work of the Lord’s salvation (n. 9809).

[4] That the Lord has this power He Himself teaches in plain words in Matthew:

All power has been given to Me in the heavens and on earth (Matthew 28:15).

Jesus said to the seventy who said that the demons were obedient to them, Behold I give you power to tread upon serpents and upon scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy; that nothing at all shall harm you. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father (Luke 10:19, 10:22).

By these words is described the power of the Lord over the hells; “demons” denote those who are in the hells; “serpents and scorpions” denote evils and the falsities of evil; “to tread upon them” denotes to destroy these evils and falsities; the hells are also meant by “the enemy over which they were to have power.”

[5] That the Lord acquired this power when He was in the world, is evident in Isaiah:

Who is this that cometh from Edom, marching in the multitude of his strength, great to save? Mine own arm performed salvation to Me; therefore He became their Savior (Isaiah 63:1, 5 (Isaiah 63:5), 8).

That these things are said of the Lord, is known in the church. In like manner those said elsewhere in the same prophet:

His own arm performed salvation to Him, and His righteousness uplifted Him. Therefore He put on righteousness as a coat of mail, and a helmet of salvation upon His head; and the Redeemer came to Zion (Isaiah 59:16-21).

The saying of Jehovah unto my Lord, Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a stool for Thy feet. Jehovah shall send forth the scepter of Thy strength out of Zion; rule Thou in the midst of Thine enemies; the Lord is at Thy right hand (Psalms 110). (Psalms 110:5)

That these things are said of the Lord, He Himself teaches in Matthew 22:43. His dominion over the hells is described by “sitting at the right hand;” for by “the right hand” is signified the power possessed by Divine truth from Divine good. The hells and the evils and falsities therefrom are the “enemies who were to be made a stool for His feet,” and also the “enemies in the midst of whom He was to rule.”

[6] That the “right hand of Jehovah” denotes Divine power, is evident from many passages in the Word; as in Moses:

Thy right hand, O Jehovah, is become great in power; Thy right hand, O Jehovah, breaketh in pieces the enemy (Exodus 15:6).

O God, Thou givest me the shield of salvation, and Thy right hand holdeth me up (Psalms 18:35).

Their arm did not save them; but Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy faces (Psalms 44:3);

it is said “Thy right hand, and Thine arm, and the light of Thy faces,” because the “right hand” denotes power, the “arm” denotes strength, and the “light of the faces” denotes Divine truth from Divine good. (That the “arm” denotes strength, see n. 4932, 4934, 4935, 7205; that “light” denotes Divine truth, n. 9548, 9684; and that “the faces of Jehovah” denote Divine good, n. 222, 5585, 9306) Again:

O God, Thy right hand upholdeth me (Psalms 63:8).

O Jehovah, Thou hast an arm with might; strong is Thy hand, exalted shall be Thy right hand (Psalms 89:13).

Jehovah hath sworn by His right hand, by the arm of His strength (Isaiah 62:8).

O Jehovah, let Thy hand be for the man of Thy right hand, for the son of man Thou hast made strong for Thyself; then will we not go back from Thee (Psalms 80:17-18).

[7] From all this it can now be seen what is meant by the words of the Lord in Matthew:

Jesus said, Henceforth ye shall see the Son of man sitting at the right hand of power (Matthew 26:64).

Henceforth shall the Son of man sit on the right hand of the power of God (Luke 22:69).

That “the Son of man” denotes the Lord as to Divine truth, see in n. 9807; and that “the right hand” denotes Divine power, is evident from what has now been shown; therefore also it is called “the right hand of power,” and “the right hand of might.” From all this it is now evident what was represented by the anointing of Aaron and of his sons, and what by the filling of their hands; namely, by the anointing, the Divine good of the Divine love in the Lord (see n. 9954 end); and by the filling of their hands, the Divine truth and the Divine power thence derived. That Divine good has all power through Divine truth, and that the Lord alone has this power, may be seen in the passages cited above; therefore also in the Word of the Old Testament the Lord is called “Hero,” a “Man of War,” and also “Jehovah Zebaoth,” or “of armies.”

9548. And thou shalt make a lampstand. That this signifies the spiritual heaven, is evident from the signification of the “lampstand,” as being the Divine spiritual in heaven and in the church from the Lord. That by the “lampstand” is signified the Divine spiritual is because by “the table on which were the breads of faces” is signified the Divine celestial, as was shown in what goes before. The Divine celestial is the good of love, and the Divine spiritual is the truth of faith thence derived; both proceeding from the Lord. That the “lampstand” denotes the Divine spiritual is from its illumination, for the Divine truth which proceeds from the Divine good of the Lord is what gives light in heaven, nor have the angels light from any other source. Hence it is that in the Word the Lord is called “the Light,” and by “light” is signified faith, also the intelligence of truth and the wisdom of good, which are from the Lord alone (see n. 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 2776, 3094, 3138, 3167, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3337, 3339, 3341, 3636, 3643, 3862, 3993, 4060, 4180, 4302, 4408, 4414, 4415, 4419, 4527, 4598, 5400, 6032, 6313, 6315, 6608, 6907, 7174, 8644, 8707, 8861, 9399, 9407).

[2] That the “lampstand” denotes the spiritual heaven from the Divine truth which is from the Lord, thus also the church; and that a “lamp” denotes faith, also the intelligence of truth and the wisdom of good, which are from the Lord alone; is evident from passages in the Word where a “lampstand,” and a “lamp,” are mentioned; as in John:

I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of man. The seven lampstands are the seven churches (Revelation 1:12-13, 20).

I will remove thy lampstand out of its place, except thou repent (Revelation 2:5).

The church is here called a “lampstand” from the Divine truth which is there from the Lord; for it is said, “the seven lampstands are the seven churches;” that the church is from the Divine truth is plain from its being said, “I will remove thy lampstand except thou repent;” that it is from the Lord is also plain, for it is said, “in the midst of the lampstands was one like unto the Son of man.” (That the Lord is called “the Son of man” from Divine truth, see n. 2803, 2813, 3704)

[3] In the same:

I will give unto My two witnesses that they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days. These are the two olive-trees and the two lampstands that stand before the God of the earth (Revelation 11:3-4).

The “two witnesses” denote the Word of both Testaments in respect to its witnessing concerning the Lord; it is called an “olive-tree” from the Divine good, and a “lampstand” from the Divine truth, which are from the Lord.

[4] In Zechariah:

The angel said unto the prophet, What seest thou? to whom I said, I see, and behold a lampstand all of gold, with its flask upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon, and seven funnels to the lamps. Two olive-trees near it, one on the right side of the flask, and one on the left side thereof (Zech. 4:2-3);

this is said of Zerubbabel, who was about to lay the foundation of the house of God and to complete it, by whom is represented the Lord in that He would come and restore the spiritual heaven and church, which are the “lampstand,” and the holy truths therein, which are the “seven lamps.”

[5] That a “lamp” denotes faith, also the intelligence of truth and wisdom of good, which are from the Lord alone, is evident in John:

The holy Jerusalem hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; the glory of God shall lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. The nations which are saved shall walk in His light (Revelation 21:23-24).

There shall be no night there; and they need no lamp, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light (Revelation 22:5).

In the former passage “the lamp” denotes the Divine truth which is from the Lord; and “the light,” faith, thus also intelligence and wisdom. Again:

The light of a lamp shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee (Revelation 18:23).

[6] And in Jeremiah:

I will take away the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of the millstones, and the light of the lamp; that the whole land shall be a desolation and a devastation (Jeremiah 25:10-11);

speaking of the extinction of faith and thereby of intelligence in spiritual things, which is meant by “the lamp which shall no longer be, and by the light of the lamp which shall be taken away.”

[7] In like manner in Job:

How oft is the lamp of the wicked put out, and destruction cometh upon them (Job 21:17).

Thou lightest my lamp; Jehovah my God maketh my darkness to shine (Psalms 18:28; also 2 Samuel 22:29).

From Thy commands I am become intelligent, Thy Word is a lamp to my foot, and a light to my path (Psalms 119:104, 119:106).

When God maketh His lamp to shine upon my head, by His light I walked in darkness (Job 29:3).

The lamp of the body is the eye; if thine eye be upright, thy whole body is full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be darkened. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness (Matthew 6:22-23; also Luke 8:16; 11:33-36);

by “the eye” is here meant faith and the intelligence from it (that these things are meant in the internal sense by “the eye,” see n. 4403-4421, 4523-4534, 9051). From this it is plain what is signified by “the whole body being full of light if the eye be upright, and by the whole body being darkened if the eye be evil.” As faith and the derivative intelligence and wisdom are signified by a “lamp,” therefore the kings of Judah are called “lamps for David” (1 Kings 11:36; 1 Kings 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19); and David is called “the lamp of Israel” (2 Samuel 21:16-17); not that the kings of Judah, nor David, were lamps, but that by a “king” is signified the Divine truth which is from the the Lord, (n. 6148); and by “David,” the Lord as to Divine truth, from which are faith, intelligence, and wisdom (n. 1888).