8941. 'You shall not build it with hewn ones' means that it must not be a product of self-intelligence. This is clear from the meaning of 'hewn stones' as the kinds of things which are products of self-intelligence, for 'stones' are truths, 8940, and chiselling or shaping them means producing or fashioning truths, or rather notions made to look like truths, out of the self, that is, out of self-intelligence. For the life in anything produced or fashioned by the self or self-intelligence is derived from the person; and such life is not life at all since the human self or proprium is nothing but evil, 210, 215, 694, 874-876, 987, 1047, 5660, 5786, 8480, whereas what is not derived from the self but from God does have life within it, since God is the source of all life. The subject here is worship of the Lord that springs from truth, for that kind of worship is meant by 'an altar of stones', 8940. .

[2] Truths that inspire worship of the Lord should be derived from nowhere other than the Word; for in every single part the Word has life from God. When truths are derived from the self they have as their end in view rank and prominence over everyone in the world, and also earthly possessions and wealth above everyone. Consequently they hold within them self-love and love of the world, thus all evils in their entirety, 7488, 8318. But truths derived from the Word have eternal life as their end in view; they hold within them love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour, thus all forms of good in their entirety. When truths are produced out of the self or self-intelligence they are the masters over the truths which come from God; for they employ the latter to add strength to themselves. But it ought to be the other way round, that is to say, the truths from God ought to be the masters, and those that are products of self-intelligence to be the servants. Products of the self or self-intelligence are called truths, but they are not really truths; they look like truths solely to outward appearances. For the literal sense of the Word is employed, and reasonings are brought in, to make them look like truths; but inwardly they are falsities. What these things are exactly, and what they are like, see above in 8932.

[3] In the world there are two semblances of religion that exist as a result of self-intelligence. One is that in which self-love and love of the world is everything; in the Word this semblance of religion is called Babel. Inwardly it is profane on account of self-love and love of the world, while outwardly it is holy on account of the Word, which people have employed to add strength to their own ideas. The other semblance of religion is that in which the inferior light of the natural order is everything. Those with this kind of religion acknowledge nothing to be true which they do not apprehend. Some belonging to this seeming religion acknowledge the Word, yet they employ it to add strength to their own ideas; thus they treat it as their servant. Others however do not acknowledge the Word; instead they identify the Divine with the natural order. For the light in which they see, being the inferior light of the natural order, shines only within the natural order and cannot be made brighter by the superior light of heaven, because they cast aside the Word, the source of all enlightenment. Those belonging to both the latter and the former semblances of religion are in hell, because they are devoid of heavenly life, which they cannot receive because they have cast the Word aside. And those of them who have employed the Word to add strength to their own ideas have set no value at all on it in their hearts; yet because it has had power and authority among the common people they have used it to serve them in this way, in order that false notions fashioned by their own intelligence might thereby be validated. From all this one may see what is meant in the spiritual sense by the command that no altar of hewn stones was to be built.

[4] 'Hewn stone' means that which is a product of self-intelligence in the following places as well: In Isaiah,

In order that [all] the people may know, Ephraim and the inhabitant of Samaria, on account of pride and arrogance of heart, saying, The bricks have fallen and we will build from hewn stone. Isaiah 9:9-10.

In Jeremiah,

Even if I cry and shout, He has shut out my prayers. He has fenced round my ways with hewn stone, He has overturned my paths. Lamentations 3:8-9.

In Amos,

Because you tread down the crushed, and seize from him the burden of grain, you will build houses of hewn stone, yet you will not dwell in them. Amos 5:11.

'Hewn stone' here stands for the kinds of things that self-intelligence produces in matters of faith.

[5] Since those things were meant by 'hewn stone', the altar first built in the land of Canaan by the children of Israel after they crossed the Jordan was built of unhewn stones; for crossing over Jordan represented introduction into the Lord's kingdom, which is accomplished by means of the truths of faith. That altar is spoken of as follows in Joshua,

Joshua built an altar to Jehovah God of Israel on Mount Ebal, as Moses the servant of Jehovah had commanded the children of Israel, An altar of whole stones over which no one has wielded any iron tool. ¹ Joshua 8:30-31; Deuteronomy 27:1-8.

[6] The temple in Jerusalem likewise was built of whole, not hewn, stones. This is referred to in the first Book of Kings as follows,

As regards the house itself, when it was being built it was built of whole stone, as it had been brought [there]; for not a hammer or axe, [nor] any tool of iron, was heard in the house while it was being built. 1 Kings 6:7.

For by 'the temple of the Lord' was represented the Lord in respect of Divine Truth. The Lord Himself teaches that He was represented by the temple, in John 2:19, 21-22; and the reason why He was represented in respect of Divine Truth was that Divine Truth was taught there. This also was why it was built of stones; for 'stones' meant Divine Truth, 8940. And it also explains why the Lord was called 'the Stone of Israel', 6426.

[7] From all this one may now see what was meant by the stone of the altar, and also what was meant by the stone of the temple, as well as what was meant by the requirement that they were to be whole stones, and not hewn, namely this: Religion should be composed of truths derived from the Lord, thus from the Word, and not from self-intelligence. Products of self-intelligence are also described in the following way in Isaiah,

The craftsman casts a graven image, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains for it. He seeks a skilled ² craftsman to make ready a graven image. Isaiah 40:19-20.

'A graven image' stands for some religious fabrication that is a product of the proprium or self, put forward to be venerated as what is Divine, 8869. 'The craftsman' stands for those who from self produce and fashion things. Their attempt to make these things look like truths is described by '[a goldsmith! overlays it with gold, and casts chains made of silver' and 'he seeks a skilled craftsman'.

[8] In the same prophet,

Makers of the graven image, all are vanity. All his companions will be ashamed; and the workmen themselves ... He fashions the iron with tongs, and works it with the coals, and forms it with sharp hammers; so he makes it with his strong arm. ³ He fashions pieces of wood, stretches out a cord, and marks it off with a ruler. He makes it into its angles, and marks it out with a ring, so that he may make it in the form of a man (vir), according to the beauty of a human being, to dwell in the house. Isaiah 44:9, 11-13.

This too describes a religious fabrication that is a product of self-intelligence. Something similar occurs in Jeremiah,

The customs ⁴ of the nations are vanity. Since indeed one cuts out wood from the forest, the work of the hands of the workman using an axe, he decorates it with silver and gold; and they make it firm ⁵ with pegs and hammers. Jeremiah 10:3-4.

And also in Hosea,

Nonetheless they now sin more and more, and make for themselves a molten image from silver, idols by their own intelligence, completely the work of craftsmen. Hosea 13:2

A religious fabrication, produced out of self-intelligence and not derived from the Word, is meant in the internal sense by 'idols' and 'strange gods', by 'molten images' and 'graven images'. Products of the self are nothing else; for in themselves they are dead, even though venerated as living.

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282. Inasmuch as this cherub was like an eagle, and the eagle appeared as flying, it shall he told also what "flying" signifies in the Word. "Flying" signifies circumspection and presence, because a bird when it flies looks all about from on high, and thus by its sight is present everywhere and round about. But when "flying" in the Word is attributed to Jehovah, it signifies omnipresence, because omnipresence is infinite circumspection and infinite presence. This then is why this cherub appeared "like an eagle flying;" for "cherubim" signify in general the Lord's Providence that the higher heavens be not approached except from the good of love and of charity; and this cherub signifies Divine intelligence (as was shown just above).

[2] That "flying" in the Word, in reference to the Lord signifies omnipresence, and in reference to men circumspection and presence, can be seen from the following passages. In David:

God rode upon a cherub, He did fly, and was borne upon the wings of the wind (Psalms 18:10; 2 Samuel 22:11).

"He rode upon a cherub" signifies the Divine Providence; "He did fly" signifies omnipresence in the spiritual world; "and was borne upon the wings of the wind" signifies omnipresence in the natural world. These words from David no one can understand except from the spiritual sense.

[3] In Isaiah:

As birds flying, so will Jehovah of Hosts protect Jerusalem (Isaiah 31:5).

Jehovah is said "to protect Jerusalem as birds flying," for "to protect" signifies the Divine Providence in respect to safeguard; "Jerusalem" signifies the church, and "birds flying," with which comparison is made, signify circumspection and presence, here, as attributed to the Lord, omnipresence.

[4] In Revelation:

I saw and I heard one angel flying, through midheaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth (Revelation 8:13).

In the same:

I saw another angel flying through midheaven, having the eternal gospel to proclaim unto the inhabitants of the earth (Revelation 14:6).

The former angel signifies the damnation of all who are in evils; and the other angel signifies the salvation of all who are in good; "flying" signifies circumspection on every side where they are.

[5] In Isaiah:

All the flocks of Arabia shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as doves to the windows? (Isaiah 60:7-8).

This treats of the Lord's coming, and the illustration of the Gentiles at that time; and "the flocks of Arabia that shall be gathered together" signify the knowledges of truth and good; "the rams of Nebaioth that shall minister" signify the truths that guide the life from a spiritual affection; "to fly as a cloud and as doves to the windows" signifies examination and scrutiny of truth from the sense of the letter of the Word; therefore "to fly" signifies circumspection; for "cloud" signifies the sense of the letter of the Word, "doves" the spiritual affection of truth, and "windows" truth in light. That such is the meaning of these words can be seen from the signification of "the flocks of Arabia," "the rams of Nebaioth," "cloud," "doves," and "windows."

[6] In David:

Fear and trembling were come upon me. And I said, Who will give me a wing like a dove's? I will fly away where I may dwell. Lo, I will wander far away; I will lodge in the wilderness (Psalms 55:5-7).

This treats of temptation and of distress then; "fear and trembling" signify such distress; the inquiry into truth then, and circumspection whither to turn oneself, is signified by "Who will give me a wing like a dove's? I will fly away where I may dwell." "Wing of a dove" means the affection of spiritual truth; "to fly away where I may dwell" means by that affection to rescue the life from damnation; that as yet there is no hope of deliverance is signified by "Lo, I will wander far away, and will lodge in the wilderness."

[7] In Hosea:

Ephraim, as a bird shall their glory fly away; yea if they have brought up sons, then I will make them bereaved of man (Hosea 9:11, 12).

"Ephraim" signifies the illustrated understanding of those who are of the church; "glory" signifies Divine truth; "to fly away as a bird" signifies the deprivation of it (comparison is made with a bird, because a "bird" signifies the rational and intellectual, as Ephraim does); "if they have brought up sons, then will I make them bereaved of man," signifies that if nevertheless they have brought forth truths, still they are not at all made wise thereby; for "sons" are truths, and "to make them bereaved of man" is to deprive them of wisdom.

[8] In Moses:

Ye shall not make to you the form of any beast upon the earth, nor the form of any winged bird that flieth towards heaven (Deuteronomy 4:16, 17). This signifies in the internal sense that man must not acquire for himself wisdom and intelligence from self, or from what is his own [ex proprio], for "beasts that walk upon the earth" signify the affections of good, from which is wisdom, and "birds" signify the affections of truth from which is intelligence. That they should not make to themselves the form of these signifies that the things signified are not to be acquired from man, that is, from what is his own [ex proprio]. It is said, "the winged bird that flieth towards heaven," because "winged bird" signifies the understanding of spiritual truth, and "to fly towards heaven" signifies the circumspection that belongs to intelligence in things Divine.

[9] From this it can now be seen what is signified by this cherub's appearing "like a flying eagle" as also what is signified in Isaiah by:

The seraphim, which ¹ had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly (Isaiah 6:2);

namely that the "wings with which be covered his face" signify the affection of spiritual truth; the "wings with which he covered his feet" the affection of natural truth therefrom; and the "wings with which he did fly" circumspection and presence, here omnipresence, because "seraphim" have a like signification as "cherubim," namely, Divine Providence in respect to guarding.

[10] "To fly" in reference to man signifies circumspection and at the same time presence, because sight is present with the object that it sees; its appearing far away or at a distance is because of the intermediate objects that appear at the same time, and can be measured in respect to space. This can be fully confirmed by the things that exist in the spiritual world. In that world spaces themselves are appearances, arising from the diversity of affections and of thought therefrom; consequently, when any persons or things appear far away, and an angel or spirit desires from intense affection to be with such, or to examine the things that are at a distance, he is at once present there. The like is true of thought, which is man's internal or spiritual sight. Things previously seen thought sees within itself irrespective of space, thus altogether as present. This is why "flying" is predicated of the understanding and of its intelligence, and why it signifies circumspection and presence.

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