9806. And thou shalt cause to draw near unto thee Aaron thy brother. That this signifies the conjunction of Divine truth with Divine good in the Lord’s Divine Human, is evident from the representation of Moses, who here causes Aaron to draw near to himself, as being the Lord in respect to Divine truth (see n. 6752, 6771, 7014, 9372); from the signification of “drawing near,” as being conjunction and presence (n. 9378); from the representation of Aaron, as being the Lord in respect to Divine good (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “brother,” as being good (n. 3303, 3803, 3815, 4121, 4191, 5686, 5692, 6756). From all this it is plain that by “Moses causing Aaron his brother to draw near unto him” is signified the conjunction of Divine truth with Divine good in the Lord. That it signifies in His Divine Human, is because this was the very thing in which this conjunction was effected; for the Lord first made His Human Divine truth, and afterward Divine good (see the places cited in n. 9199, 9315). That Aaron was chosen to minister in the priesthood, was because he was the brother of Moses; for in this way there was at the same time represented the brotherhood of Divine truth and Divine good in heaven, because as before said, Moses represented Divine truth, and Aaron Divine good.

[2] All things in the universe, both in heaven and in the world, bear relation to good and to truth in order to be anything; for good is the being of truth, and truth is the coming-forth of good; and therefore good without truth does not come-forth, and truth without good has no being; from which it is evident that they must be conjoined. Their conjunction is represented in the Word by two married partners, and also by two brothers; by two married partners, when the subject treated of is the heavenly marriage, which is that of good and truth, and successive derivation from it; and by two brothers, when the subject treated of is the double ministry of judgment and of worship.

Those who ministered in judgment were called “judges,” and afterward “kings;” and those who ministered in worship were called “priests.” And because all judgment is effected by means of truth, and all worship is effected from good, therefore by “judges” in the Word, in a sense abstracted from person, is signified truth from good; but by “kings,” truth from which is good; and by “priests” is signified good itself. It is from this that in the Word the Lord is called a “Judge,” also a “Prophet,” and likewise a “King,” when truth is treated of; but a “Priest” when good is treated of. In like manner He is called “the Christ,” “the Anointed,” or “the Messiah,” when truth is treated of; but “Jesus,” or “Savior,” when good is treated of.

[3] On account of this brotherhood, which is that of the truth which is of judgment and the good which is of worship, Aaron the brother of Moses was chosen to minister in the priesthood. That by “Aaron and his house” is therefore signified good, is evident in David:

O Israel, trust thou in Jehovah; He is their help and their shield. O house of Aaron, trust ye in Jehovah; He is their help and their shield. Jehovah hath remembered us, He will bless the house of Israel, He will bless the house of Aaron (Psalms 115:9-10, 12).

Let Israel now say, that His mercy is forever. Let the house of Aaron now say, that His mercy is forever (Psalms 118:2-3).

O house of Israel, bless ye Jehovah; O house of Aaron, bless ye Jehovah (Psalms 135:19).

“The house of Israel” denotes those who are in truths; “the house of Aaron,” those who are in goods; for in the Word, where truth is treated of, good is also treated of, because of the heavenly marriage (n. 9263, 9314); (that “the house of Israel” denotes those who are in truths, see n. 5414, 5879, 5951, 7956, 8234).

[4] Again;

Jehovah sent Moses His servant, Aaron whom He had chosen (Psalms 105:26); where Moses is called a “servant” because a “servant” is predicated of truths (n. 3409); and a “chosen one” is predicated of good (n. 3755). Again:

Behold how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the good oil upon the head, that went down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard; that went down upon the mouth of his garments (Psalms 133:1-2).

He who does not know what is signified by a “brother,” what by “oil,” what by “the head,” what by “the beard,” what by “garments,” and likewise what Aaron represents, cannot apprehend why these things are compared to the dwelling together of brethren, for how can the oil that went down from the head upon Aaron’s beard, and from thence upon his garments, be like the concord of brethren? But the likeness in the comparison is plain from the internal sense, in which the subject treated of is the influx of good into truths, and the brotherhood of these is described in this way. For “oil” denotes good; “the head of Aaron,” the inmost of good; “the beard,” the most external of it; “garments” denote truths; and “to go down” denotes influx. From this it is clear that by these words is signified the influx of good from interiors to exteriors into truths, and conjunction there. Without the internal sense, who can see that these heavenly things are contained in these words? (That “oil” denotes the good of love, see n. 886, 4582, 4638, 9780; that “the head” denotes what is inmost, n. 5328, 6436, 7859, 9656; that “the beard” denotes what is most external, is evident in Isaiah 7:20; 15:2; in Jeremiah 48:37; and in Ezekiel 5:1; that “garments” denote truths, n. 2576, 4545, 4763, 5319, 5954, 6914, 6917, 9093, 9212, 9216; and that “Aaron” denotes celestial good, may be seen above.)

[5] From the fact that Aaron was chosen to minister in the priest’s office, thus to administer the most holy things, it may be comprehended how the case was with the representations in the Jewish Church, namely, that they did not regard the person who represented, but the thing that was represented; thus that a holy thing, nay, a most holy one, could be represented by persons whose interiors were unclean, and even idolatrous, provided that while they were in worship their externals were disposed to holiness. The quality of Aaron can be seen from the following words in Moses:

Aaron took the gold from the hand of the sons of Israel, and fashioned it with a graving tool, and made it a molten calf. And Aaron built an altar before it; and Aaron made proclamation and said, Tomorrow shall be a feast to Jehovah (Exodus 32:4-5, 25).

Jehovah was moved with anger exceedingly against Aaron, to destroy him; but I prayed for Aaron also in that time (Deuteronomy 9:20).

(That the representatives of the church with the Israelitish and Jewish nation did not regard persons, but the things themselves, see the places cited in n. 9229)

9378. And Moses, he alone, shall come near unto Jehovah. That this signifies the conjunction and presence of the Lord through the Word in general, is evident from the signification of “coming near,” as being the conjunction and presence of the Lord (of which in what follows); and from the representation of Moses, as being the Word in general (see n. 9372). That by “Moses shall come near,” is signified the conjunction and presence of the Lord through the Word, is because in the spiritual sense “to come near” signifies to be conjoined through love; for they who love each other are conjoined, because love is spiritual conjunction. It is a universal thing in the other life that all are conjoined according to the love of good and truth from the Lord; consequently the whole heaven is such conjunction. The case is similar with coming near to, or being conjoined with, the Lord. They who love Him are conjoined with Him, insomuch that they may be said to be in Him when they are in heaven; and all those love the Lord, consequently are conjoined with Him through love, who are in the good of life from the truths of faith; because the good from these truths is from the Lord; nay, is the Lord (John 14:20-21).

[2] But be it known that of himself a man cannot come near to the Lord and be conjoined with Him; but the Lord will come near to the man and be conjoined with him. And because the Lord draws man to Himself (John 6:44; 12:32), it appears as if man of himself comes near and conjoins himself. This takes place when the man desists from evils, for to desist from evils has been left to man’s will; that is, to his freedom. There then flows in good from the Lord, which is never wanting, for it is in the very life which man has from the Lord; but good together with life is received only insofar as evils have been removed. That the conjunction and presence of the Lord is through the Word, is because the Word is the union of man with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord; for the Word is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord. Wherefore they who are in this truth in respect to doctrine and life (that is, in respect to faith and love) are in the Divine proceeding from the Lord, thus are conjoined with Him. From this it is plain that by “Moses, he alone, shall come near unto Jehovah,” is signified the conjunction and presence of the Lord through the Word.

[3] That “coming near” denotes conjunction and presence, is because in the other life the distances of one from another are altogether according to the dissimilitudes and diversities of the interior things that belong to the thought and affection (n. 1273-1277, 1376-1381, 9104). Moreover, withdrawals from the Lord, and approaches to Him, are precisely according to the good of love and the derivative faith from Him and to Him. For this reason the heavens are near to the Lord according to goods; and on the other hand the hells are remote from the Lord according to evils. From this it is evident why in the spiritual sense “to be near” and “to approach” denote to be conjoined; as also in the following passages, in David:

Jehovah is nigh unto all them that call upon Him, that call upon Him in truth (Psalms 145:18);

“to be nigh” denotes to be present and conjoined. Again:

Blessed is he whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach; he shall dwell in Thy courts (Psalms 65:4);

“to approach” denotes to be conjoined.

[4] Again:

O Jehovah, draw nigh unto my soul; deliver me (Psalms 69:18).

Jehovah is nigh to the broken in heart (Psalms 34:18).

Let them cause My people to hear My words, and turn them from their evil way, and from the wickedness of their works. Am I a God nearby, and not a God afar off? (Jeremiah 23:22-23).

That God is said to be “nearby” those who desist from evils, and to be “afar off” from those who are in evils, is manifest.

In Moses:

Moses said unto Aaron, This Is that which Jehovah spoke, saying, I will be sanctified in those who are near Me (Leviticus 10:3);

“to be sanctified in those who are near” denotes among those who are conjoined with the Lord through the good of love and truth of faith from the Word.

In Jeremiah:

Then his Magnificent One shall be from him, and his Ruler shall go forth from the midst of him, and I will cause him to approach, and he shall approach unto Me; for who Is he that hath pledged his heart to approach unto Me? (Jeremiah 30:21);

speaking of the Lord, who is the “Magnificent One,” and the “Ruler;” “to approach unto Jehovah” denotes to be united, for the approach of the Divine to the Divine is nothing else than union.