9494. 'And put them on [its] four corners' means firmness. This is clear from the meaning of 'corners' as strength and firmness, the reason why this is meant by 'corners' being that the greatest resistance [to pressure] resides there, and also the whole is bonded together there. Because 'corner' means strength and firmness such as Divine Truth derived from Divine Good possesses, the Lord is called 'the corner-stone': In David,

The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. Psalms 118:22; Matthew 21:42.

And in Zechariah,

From Judah will be the corner-stone, from him the tent-peg, and from him the battle-bow. Zechariah 10:4.

Also in Isaiah,

The Lord Jehovih will lay in Zion a stone for a foundation, a tested stone, a precious corner-stone, surely founded. Isaiah 28:16.

In these places 'corner' in like manner stands for the firmness of teachings which consist of truth that is derived from good.

[2] In Jeremiah,

Nor are they to take from you a stone for a corner, or a stone for foundations. Jeremiah 51:26.

Because firmness is meant by 'corners' horns were placed on the four corners of the altar, regarding which the following is stated in Moses,

You shall make the horns of the altar on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it. ¹ Exodus 27:2.

'The horns' are the power of truth derived from good, thus its strength and firmness, see 2832, 9081.

[3] 'The corners' again means strength and power in Jeremiah,

Fire has gone out of Heshbon, which has devoured the corners of Moab. Jeremiah 48:45.

And in Moses,

A star will arise out of Jacob, and a sceptre rise up out of Israel, which will crush the corners of Moab. Numbers 24:17.

'Moab', whose power was going to be destroyed, stands for those who adulterate the Church's forms of good, 2468, their 'corners' standing for the power of falsity that results from the adulterated forms of good. Since power and strength are meant by 'the corners' those who lack the power of truth derived from good are called the cut off of the corner, ² Jeremiah 9:26; 25:23. What the meaning is when 'corners' refers to the four quarters or winds, see below in 9642.

Poznámky pod čarou:

2063. 'You will not call by her name Sarai, for Sarah will be her name' means that He will cast off the human and put on the Divine. This is clear from what has been stated at verse 5 above regarding Abraham, where it is said, 'No longer will your name be called Abram, but your name will be Abraham', words which in a similar way mean that He will cast off the human and put on the Divine, dealt with in 2009. Indeed the letter H added to Sarah's name was taken from the name of Jehovah, in order that Sarah, like Abraham, might represent the Lord's Divine, that is to say, in order that the Divine marriage of Good and Truth in the Lord might be represented - 'Abraham' being Divine Good and 'Sarah' Divine Truth. And from that marriage the Divine Rational, which is Isaac, was to be born.

[2] Divine Good, which in itself is love, and in relation to the entire human race is mercy, was the Lord's Internal, that is, Jehovah, who is Good itself. This Good is represented by 'Abraham'. Truth that was to be joined to Divine Good was represented by 'Sarai', but once this too has become Divine, it is represented by 'Sarah', for the Lord advanced towards union with Jehovah gradually, as mentioned in various places above. 'Sarai' represented truth not yet Divine - when it was still not so thoroughly united to Good that Good was the source of truth. But once it was so thoroughly united to Good that it stemmed from Good it was at that point Divine, and Truth itself was in that case also Good since it was truth inhering in Good. Truth tending towards good so that it may be united to good is one thing, while truth so united to good that it stems completely from good is another. Truth tending towards good is still drawing on something of what is human, but once it is united completely to good it casts aside everything that is human and takes on what is Divine.

[3] This matter, like others previously, can be illustrated by what occurs with man. When a person is being regenerated, that is, when he is to be joined to the Lord, he moves towards that conjunction by means of truth, that is, by means of the truths of faith, for nobody can be regenerated except by means of cognitions of faith, which are the truths by means of which he moves towards such conjunction. These truths the Lord goes to meet by way of good, that is, of charity, and introduces this charity into the cognitions of faith, that is, into its truths. For all truths are the recipient vessels of good; and therefore the more genuine the truths are and the more they are multiplied, the more abundantly is good able to accept them as vessels, to bring them into a state of order, and only then to reveal itself, doing so in the end in such a way that the truths are not seen, except insofar as good shines through them. In this way truth becomes celestial-spiritual. And since the Lord is present solely within the good that flows from charity, a person is in this manner joined to the Lord, and by means of good, that is, of charity, has conscience conferred on him, from which he then thinks what is true and does what is right. But this conscience is a conscience in keeping with the truths and the things that are right into which good or charity has been introduced.