4922. And bound double-dyed upon his hand. That this signifies that she put a mark upon it, namely, upon the power, and that “double-dyed” is good, is evident from the signification of “binding upon the hand,” as being to put a mark upon power, for the “hand” is power (n. 4920); and from the signification of “double-dyed” as being good, and indeed spiritual good. That “double-dyed” denotes spiritual good, is because it was of a scarlet color; and the color of scarlet when seen in the other life signifies spiritual good, that is, the good of charity toward the neighbor. For all colors visible in the other life signify something of good and truth, because they come into existence from the light of heaven, which in itself is wisdom and intelligence from the Lord’s Divine. The variations or modifications of that light are the consequent variations, and so to speak modifications, of wisdom and intelligence, consequently of good and truth. That the light in heaven is from the Divine wisdom and intelligence of the Lord, who appears there as a sun, may be seen above (n. 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 2776, 3138, 3167, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3225, 3337, 3339, 3340, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3862, 3993, 4180, 4214, 4302, 4405, 4408, 4413, 4415, 4523-4533). That colors are from this source, and that they are the variations and modifications of that light, and consequently of intelligence and wisdom, may be seen above (n. 1042, 1043, 1053, 1624, 3993, 4530, 4677, 4742).

[2] That “double-dyed” denotes spiritual good, is plain from the passages in the Word in which it is mentioned, as in Jeremiah:

If then thou art laid waste what wilt thou do? If thou clothest thyself with double-dyed, and adornest thyself with an ornament of gold, in vain shalt thou make thyself beautiful; the lovers will abhor thee (Jeremiah 4:30); where Judah is spoken of; “clothing thyself with double-dyed” denotes spiritual good, and “adorning thyself with an ornament of gold” denotes celestial good. In the second book of Samuel:

David lamented over Saul and over Jonathan, and wrote to teach the sons of Judah the bow. Ye daughters of Israel, weep over Saul, who clothed you in double-dyed, with delights, and put an ornament of gold upon your apparel (2 Samuel 1:17-18, 24); where “teaching the bow” is teaching the doctrine of love and charity, for a “bow” signifies this doctrine; “clothing in double-dyed” denotes spiritual good, as before; and “putting an ornament of gold upon the apparel” denotes celestial good.

[3] Because this was the signification of “double-dyed,” it was commanded that double-dyed scarlet should be used on the curtains of the tabernacle, on the veil, on the covering for the door of the tent, on the covering for the gate of the court, on the table of faces when they journeyed, and on Aaron’s garments of holiness, as on the ephod, the breastplate of judgment, and the fringe of the robe of the ephod—as is evident from the following passages:

[4] Thou shalt make for the tabernacle ten curtains; of fine-twined linen, and blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed (Exodus 26:1).

Thou shalt make a veil of blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed, and fine-twined linen (Exodus 26:31).

Thou shalt make a covering for the door of the tent, of blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed, and fine-twined linen (Exodus 26:36).

For the gate of the court thou shalt make a covering of blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed, and fine-twined linen, the work of the embroiderer (Exodus 27:16).

When the camp setteth forward they shall spread upon the table of faces a cloth of scarlet double-dyed, and cover the same with a covering of badger’s skin (Numbers 4:5, 7-8).

Thou shalt make the ephod of gold, of blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed and fine-twined linen, the work of the artificer. Likewise on the belt (Exodus 28:6, 8).

Thou shalt make a breastplate of judgment, the work of the artificer; like the work of the ephod, of gold, of blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed, and fine-twined linen (Exodus 27:15).

Upon the fringe of the robe of the ephod [thou shalt make] pomegranates of blue, and of crimson, and of scarlet double-dyed (Exodus 27:33 [NCBSW: 28:33]).

[5] As the tent of assembly with the ark represented heaven, therefore the above-mentioned colors were commanded to be used; and they signify in their order the celestial and spiritual things there, “blue and crimson” signifying celestial goods and truths, and “scarlet double-dyed and fine-twined linen,” spiritual goods and truths. Everyone who believes the Word to be holy can know that everything in it has some signification; and whoever believes that the Word is holy because it was sent down by the Lord through heaven, can know that the celestial and spiritual things of His kingdom are signified. In like manner it was commanded that cedar wood, and scarlet, and hyssop should be used in the cleansing from leprosy (Leviticus 14:4, 6 (Leviticus 14:6), 52); and that cedar wood, and hyssop, and double-dyed crimson should be cast upon the burning of a red heifer, from which was to be prepared the water of separation (Numbers 19:6, 9).

[6] The profanation of good and truth is described by similar expressions in Revelation.

I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was clothed in crimson and scarlet, and gilded with gold and precious stone and pearls, having in her hand a golden cup full of abominations and filthiness of her whoredoms (Revelation 17:3-4).

Woe, woe, the great city, she that was clothed in fine linen, and crimson, and scarlet, and gilded with gold, and precious stone and pearls (Revelation 18:16);

speaking of Babylon, by which is signified the profanation of good (n. 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326), here the profanation of good and truth, which is Babylonish. In the prophets of the Old Testament, “Babylon” is the profanation of good, and “Chaldea” the profanation of truth.

[7] “Scarlet,” in the opposite sense, signifies the evil which is opposite to spiritual good, as in Isaiah:

Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18).

That “scarlet” signifies this evil is because “blood”—also from its redness—signifies in the genuine sense spiritual good, or charity toward the neighbor, but in the opposite sense violence offered to charity.

1043. That the “cloud” signifies the obscure light in which is the spiritual man as compared with the celestial man, is evident from what has just been said about the “bow;” for the bow, or the color of the bow, has no existence except in the cloud. As before said, it is the darkness of the cloud, through which the sun’s rays shine, that is turned into colors; and thus the color is such as is the darkness which is touched by the brightness of the rays. The case is the same with the spiritual man. With him, the darkness which is here called a “cloud” is falsity, which is the same as the Own of his understanding. When innocence, charity, and mercy are insinuated into this Own by the Lord, then this cloud appears no longer as falsity, but as an appearance of truth, together with truth from the Lord. Hence there is the likeness of a colored bow. There is a certain spiritual modification which can by no means be described, and unless it be perceived by man by means of colors and their origin, I do not know how it can be set forth to his apprehension.

[2] The nature of this “cloud” with the regenerate man may be seen from his state before regeneration. Man is regenerated through what he supposes to be truths of faith. Everyone supposes his own dogma to be true, and from this he acquires a conscience, for which reason after he has acquired a conscience, to act contrary to what has been impressed upon him as truths of faith, is to him contrary to conscience. Such is every regenerated man. For many are regenerated by the Lord in every dogma, and when they have been regenerated they do not receive any immediate revelation, but only what is insinuated into them through the Word and the preaching of the Word. But because they receive charity, the Lord works through charity upon their cloud, from which there springs light, as when the sun strikes a cloud, which then becomes more luminous and is variegated with colors. Thus also there arises in the cloud the likeness of a bow. The thinner the cloud, that is, the more numerous are the intermingled truths of faith of which it consists, the more beautiful is the bow. But the denser the cloud, that is, the fewer the truths of faith of which it consists, the less beautiful is the bow. Innocence adds much to its beauty, giving as it were a living brightness to the colors.

[3] All appearances of truth are clouds in which man is when he is in the sense of the letter of the Word, for the language of the Word is according to appearances. But when he believes the Word with simplicity, and has charity, even though he remains in appearances, this cloud is comparatively thin. It is in this cloud that conscience is formed by the Lord with a man who is within the church. All ignorances of truth are also clouds, in which man is when he does not know what the truth of faith is; in general, when he does not know what the Word is, and still more when he has not heard about the Lord. In this cloud conscience is formed by the Lord with a man who is outside the church; for in his very ignorance there may be innocence, and thus charity. All falsities also are clouds; but these clouds are darkness, and are either with those who have a false conscience-described elsewhere-or with those who have none. These are, in general, the qualities of clouds. As regards their mass, there are with man clouds so great and so dense that if he knew of them, he would wonder that rays of light could ever shine through from the Lord, and that man could be regenerated. He who supposes himself to have the least cloud, has sometimes a very great one; and he who believes that he has very much cloud, has less.

[4] There are such clouds with the spiritual man, but not so great with the celestial, because he has love to the Lord implanted in his will part, and therefore receives from the Lord, not conscience, as does the spiritual man, but perception of good and thence of truth. When man’s will part is such that it can receive the rays of celestial flame, then his intellectual part is enlightened thereby, and from love he knows and perceives all things that are truths of faith. His will part is then like a little sun, from which rays shine into his intellectual part. Such was the man of the Most Ancient Church. But when man’s will part is wholly corrupt and infernal, and therefore a new will, which is conscience, is formed in his intellectual part (as was the case with the man of the Ancient Church, and is so with every regenerated man of the spiritual church), then his cloud is dense, for he needs to learn what is good and true, and has no perception whether it is so. Then also falsity continually flows in (which is the darkness of cloud) from his black will part, that is, through it from hell. This is the reason why the intellectual part can never be enlightened in the spiritual man as it is in the celestial. Hence it is that the “cloud” here signifies the obscure light in which the spiritual man is in comparison with the celestial.