1298. And they had brick for stone. That this signifies that they had falsity for truth, is evident from the signification of “brick,” just now shown to be falsity; and from the signification of “stone,” which in a wide sense is truth, concerning which above n. 643). Stones have signified truth for the reason that the boundaries of the most ancient people were marked off by stones, and that they set up stones as witnesses that the case was so and so, or that it was true; as is evident from the stone that Jacob set up for a pillar (Genesis 28:22; 35:14), and from the pillar of stones between Laban and Jacob (Genesis 31:46-47, 52), and from the altar built by the sons of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, near the Jordan, as a witness (Joshua 22:10, 28, 34). Therefore in the Word truths are signified by “stones;” insomuch that not only by the stones of the altar, but also by the precious stones upon the shoulders of Aaron’s ephod and upon the breastplate of judgment, there were signified holy truths which are of love.

[2] As regards the altar, when the worship of sacrifices upon altars began, the altar signified the representative worship of the Lord in general; but the stones themselves represented the holy truths of that worship; and therefore it was commanded that the altar should be built of whole stones, not hewn, and it was forbidden that any iron should be moved upon them (Deuteronomy 27:5-7; Joshua 8:31); for the reason that hewn stones, and stones on which iron has been used, signified what is artificial, and thus what is fictitious in worship; that is, what is of man’s own or of the figment of his thought and heart. This was to profane worship, as is plainly said in Exodus 20:25. For the same reason iron was not used upon the stones of the temple (1 Kings 6:7).

[3] That the precious stones upon the shoulders of Aaron’s ephod, and in the breastplate of judgment, signified holy truths, has been shown before n. 114). The same is evident in Isaiah:

Behold I will make thy stones to lie in carbuncle, and I will lay thy foundation in sapphires, and will put rubies for thy suns (windows), and thy gates in gem stones, and all thy border in stones of desire; and all thy sons shall be taught of Jehovah, and great shall be the peace of thy sons (Isaiah 54:11-13).

The stones here named denote holy truths, and therefore it is said, “all thy sons shall be taught of Jehovah.” Hence it is said in John that the foundations of the wall of the city, the holy Jerusalem, were adorned with every precious stone, and the stones are named (Revelation 21:19-20). The “holy Jerusalem” denotes the kingdom of the Lord in heaven and on earth, the foundations of which are holy truths. In like manner the tables of stone, on which the commands of the Law, or the Ten Words, were written, signified holy truths; and therefore they were of stone, or their foundation [fundus] was stone, concerning which see Exodus 24:12; 31:18; 34:1; Deuteronomy 5:22; 10:1, for the commands themselves are nothing else than truths of faith.

[4] As then in ancient times truths were signified by stones, and afterwards, when worship began upon pillars and altars, and in a temple, holy truths were signified by the pillars, altars, and temple, therefore the Lord also was called “a Stone;” as in Moses:

The Mighty One of Jacob, from thence is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel (Genesis 49:24).

In Isaiah:

Thus saith the Lord Jehovih, Behold, I lay in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tried Stone of the corner, of price, of a sure foundation (Isaiah 28:16).

In David:

The Stone which the builders rejected is become the head of the corner (Psalms 118:22).

The like is signified in Daniel by “the stone cut out of the rock,” which brake in pieces the statue of Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel 2:34-35, 45).

[5] That “stones” signify truths, is evident also in Isaiah:

By this shall the iniquity of Jacob be expiated, and this shall be all the fruit, to take away his sin; when he shall put all the stones of the altar as chalk stones that are scattered (Isaiah 27:9);

“the stones of the altar” denote truths in worship, which are dispersed. Again:

Make ye level the way of the people; flatten out, flatten ye out the path; gather out the stones (Isaiah 62:10);

“Way” and “stone” denote truths.

In Jeremiah:

I am against thee, O destroying mountain; I will roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee into a mountain of burning; and they shall not take of thee a stone for a corner, nor a stone of foundation (Jeremiah 51:25-26).

This is said of Babel; “a mountain of burning,” is the love of self. That “a stone should not be taken from it,” means that there is no truth.

643. But as regards the signification itself of the words: that “gopher wood” signifies concupiscences, and the “mansions” the two parts of man, is evident from the Word. Gopher wood is a wood abounding in sulphur, ¹ like the fir, and others of its kind. On account of its sulphur it is said that it signifies concupiscences, because it easily takes fire. The most ancient people compared things in man (and regarded them as having a likeness) to gold, silver, brass, iron, stone, and wood-his inmost celestial to gold, his lower celestial to brass, and what was lowest, or the corporeal therefrom, to wood. But his inmost spiritual they compared (and regarded as having a likeness) to silver, his lower spiritual to iron, and his lowest to stone. And such in the internal sense is the signification of these things when they are mentioned in the Word, as in Isaiah:

For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron; I will also make thine officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness (Isaiah 60:17).

Here the Lord’s kingdom is treated of, in which there are not such metals, but spiritual and celestial things; and that these are signified is very evident from the mention of “peace” and “righteousness.” “Gold” “brass” and “wood” here correspond to each other, and signify things celestial or of the will, as before said; and “silver” “iron” and “stone” correspond to each other, and signify things spiritual or of the understanding.

[2] In Ezekiel:

They shall make a spoil of thy riches and make a prey of thy merchandise; thy stones, and thy wood (Ezekiel 26:12).

It is very manifest that by “riches” and “merchandise” are not meant worldly riches and merchandise, but celestial and spiritual; and the same by the “stones” and “wood”—the “stones” being those things which are of the understanding, and the “wood” those which are of the will.

In Habakkuk:

The stone crieth out of the wall, and the beam out of the wood answereth (Habakkuk 2:11).

The “stone” denotes the lowest degree of the understanding; and the “wood” the lowest of the will, which “answers” when anything is drawn from sensuous knowledge [scientifico sensuali]. Again:

Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; and to the dumb stone, Arise, this shall teach. Behold it is fastened with gold and silver, and there is no breath in the midst of it. But Jehovah is in the temple of His holiness (Habakkuk 2:19-20).

Here also “wood” denotes cupidity; “stone” denotes the lowest of the understanding, and therefore to be “dumb” and to “teach” are predicated of it; “there is no breath in the midst of it” signifies that it represents nothing celestial and spiritual, just as a temple wherein are stone and wood, and these bound together with gold and silver, is to those who think nothing of what they represent.

[3] In Jeremiah:

We drink our waters for silver; our wood cometh for price (Lamentations 5:4).

Here “waters” and “silver” signify the things of the understanding; and “wood” those of the will. Again:

Saying to wood, Thou art my father; and to the stone, Thou hast brought us forth (Jeremiah 2:27).

Here “wood” denotes cupidity, which is of the will, whence is the conception; and “stone” the sensuous knowledge [scientifico sensuali], from which is the “bringing forth.” Hence, in different places in the Prophets, “serving wood and stone” is put for worshiping graven images of wood and stone, by which is signified that they served cupidities and phantasies; and also “committing adultery with wood and stone” as in Jeremiah 3:9.

In Hosea:

My people inquire of their wood, and the staff thereof declareth unto them; because the spirit of whoredoms hath led them away (Hosea 4:12), meaning that they make inquiry of graven images of wood, or of cupidities.

[4] In Isaiah:

Topheth is prepared from yesterday, the pile thereof is fire and mulch wood, the breath of Jehovah is like a stream of burning sulphur (Isaiah 30:33).

Here “fire” “sulphur” and “wood” stand for foul cupidities. In general, “wood” signifies the things of the will which are lowest; the precious woods, such as cedar and the like, those which are good, as for example the cedar wood in the temple, and the cedar wood employed in the cleansing of leprosy (Leviticus 14:4, 6-7); also the wood cast into the bitter waters at Marah, whereby the waters became sweet (Exodus 15:25), concerning which, of the Lord’s Divine mercy in those places. But woods that were not precious, and those which were made into graven images, as well as those used for funeral piles and the like, signify cupidities; as in this place does the gopher wood, on account of its sulphur. So in Isaiah:

The day of vengeance of Jehovah; the streams thereof shall be turned into pitch, and the dust thereof into sulphur, and the land thereof shall become burning pitch (Isaiah 34:9).

“Pitch” stands for dreadful phantasies; “sulphur” for abominable cupidities.

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