Arcana Coelestia # 9823
9823. 'A breastplate' means Divine Truth shining forth from Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a breastplate' as Divine Truth shining forth from Divine Good, in this instance within the last and lowest things in progression from inmost ones in the heavens. For the ephod which that breastplate rested on represented the lowest things of the spiritual kingdom, and therefore the lowest things of heaven. The reason why 'the breastplate' has this meaning is that it was tied on over the breast, where the heart lies, and was filled with precious stones, and the heart corresponds to celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord received from the Lord, while the twelve precious stones correspond to Divine Truths springing from that good. This is the reason why in the highest sense 'the breastplate' means Divine Truth shining forth from the Lord's Divine Good. For the correspondence of the heart to celestial good, or the good of love to the Lord received from the Lord, see 170, 172, 176, 3635, 3883-3896, 7542, 9050, 9300, 9494; and for the correspondence of the twelve precious stones to Divine Truths which spring from Divine Good, see further on in the present chapter where the full description of this breastplate occurs. There it is called 'the breastplate of judgement', also the Urim and Thummim, because of the twelve precious stones with which it was filled. The fact that it was tied on over the breast, where the heart lies, is evident from the description of it below, where that fact is stated explicitly in these words,
Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastplate of judgement over his heart. Verse 29.
And after this,
They shall be over Aaron's heart, when he goes in before Jehovah. And Aaron shall carry the judgement of the children of Israel over his heart before Jehovah continually. Verse 30.
'Judgement' too means Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good, as will be seen in what follows.
Arcana Coelestia # 9494
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:
1. literally, shall be from (or out of) it
2. This expression is generally thought to mean men whose hair is cut in a particular way. Another understanding of it is those in a remote corner of the desert or on the edge of civilization.
