323. Having every one harps, signifies confession from spiritual truths. This is evident from the signification of a "harp," as being confession from spiritual truths. This is signified by "harps," because the harp was a stringed instrument, and by such instruments spiritual things, or those that are of truth, are signified, while wind instruments signify celestial things, or those that are of good. Such things are signified by musical instruments because of their sounds, for sound corresponds to the affections; moreover in heaven affections are perceived by sounds; and because there are various affections, and various sounds are produced by musical instruments, therefore these instruments, by correspondence and consequent agreement, signify affections. In general, stringed instruments signify such things as belong to the affections of truth, and wind instruments such as belong to the affections of good; or, what is the same, some instruments belong to the spiritual class, and some to the celestial class. That sounds correspond to the affections has been made evident to me by much experience, so also musical tones; also that angels are affected in accordance with sounds and their variations; but to recite all such experience would occupy too much space. I will mention only, what is a matter of general observation, that discrete sounds excite the affections of truth, that is, those are affected by them who are in the affections of truth; while continuous sounds excite the affections of good, that is, those are affected by them who are in the affections of good. Whether you say the affections of truth or things spiritual, it is the same, or whether you say the affections of good or things celestial, it is the same. (But these things can be better comprehended from what has been related from experience respecting sounds and their correspondence with affections, in the work on Heaven and Hell 241.)

From this it can now be seen why in the Word, and especially in David, so many kinds of musical instruments are mentioned, as psalteries, harps, flutes, cymbals, timbrels, horns, organs, and others, namely, that it is because of their correspondence with the affections, and at the same time with articulations that are expressions containing things, and flowing from them.

[2] That harps especially signify the affections of truth because they excite such affections, consequently that they also signify confession made from spiritual truths with a cheerful heart, can be seen from the following passages. In Isaiah:

The new wine shall mourn, the vine shall languish, all the glad of heart shall sigh. The joy of timbrels shall cease, the noise of the merry shall leave off; the joy of the harp shall cease. They shall not drink wine with a song (Isaiah 24:7-9).

This treats of the vastation of the spiritual church, that is, of the good and truth thereof. Spiritual good, which is about to cease, is signified by "the new wine shall mourn," and "the joy of timbrels shall cease;" and that its truth is about to cease is signified by "the vine shall languish," and "the joy of the harp shall cease;" for "new wine" signifies spiritual good, and its joy is signified by the "timbrel;" and the "vine" signifies spiritual truth, and its joy is signified by the "harp." Since it is the affection of these that is about to cease, it is said, "all the glad of heart shall sigh," and "the noise of the merry shall leave off;" "gladness" and "mirth" in the Word signifying spiritual gladness and mirth, all of which are from the affections of truth and good. It is added, "they shall not drink wine with a song," because "song" signifies the testification of gladness from the affection of truth, and "wine" signifies truth.

[3] In David:

Confess unto Jehovah with the harp; sing psalms unto Him with the psaltery of ten strings. Sing unto Him a new song; play well with a loud noise. For the word of Jehovah is right; and His work is done in truth (Psalms 33:2-4).

As a "harp" signifies confession from spiritual truths, it is said, "confess unto Jehovah with the harp;" "a psaltery of ten strings" signifies the corresponding spiritual good; therefore it is said, "sing psalms unto Him upon a psaltery of ten strings;" and for the same reason also it is said, "for the word of Jehovah is right, and all His work is done in truth;" "the word of Jehovah is right" signifying the truth of good; "His work is done in truth" signifying the good of truth; the truth of good is the truth that proceeds from good, and the good of truth is the good which is produced by truth.

[4] In the same:

Send Thy light and Thy truth, let them lead me; let them bring me unto the mountain of holiness, and to Thy tabernacles, that I may confess unto Thee upon the harp, O God, my God (Psalms 43:3-4);

the "harp" evidently signifying confession from spiritual truths, for it is said "I will confess unto Thee with the harp, O God, my God;" and it is also said before, "send Thy light and Thy truth; let them lead me."

[5] In the same:

I will confess unto Thee with the instrument of psaltery, even Thy truth, O my God; unto Thee will I sing with the harp, O Holy One of Israel (Psalms 71:22).

As the "psaltery" signifies spiritual good, that is, the good of truth, and the "harp" spiritual truth, that is, the truth of good, and confession is made from each, it is said, "I will confess unto Thee with the instrument of psaltery; unto Thee will I sing with the harp."

[6] In the same:

I will sing, and I will sing psalms. Arouse me, ¹ my glory, arouse me, psaltery and harp. I will confess unto Thee, O Lord, among the nations, I will sing psalms unto Thee among the peoples (Psalms 57:7-9; 108:1-3).

Confession and glorification from the good of truth or from spiritual good, and from truth of good or from spiritual truth, are expressed in these several things, the good of truth by "singing," "being aroused by the psaltery," and "confessing among the nations;" and the truth of good by "singing psalms," "being aroused by the harp," and "singing psalms among the peoples;" for "nations" in the Word mean those who are in good, and "peoples" those who are in truth; here those in spiritual truth. It is so said because where good is spoken of, in the Word, truth also is spoken of, and this because of the marriage of these in every particular of the Word (See above, n. 238 end, 288).

[7] In the same:

Answer unto Jehovah by confession; sing psalms with the harp unto our God (Psalms 147:7).

Here also confession from spiritual good and from spiritual truth is expressed by "answer unto Jehovah by confession," and "sing psalms with the harp unto our God;" from spiritual good by "answer unto Jehovah;" and from spiritual truth by "sing psalms with the harp unto God;" "Jehovah" being used where good is treated of, and "God" where truth is treated of (See Arcana Coelestia n. 709, 732, 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4287, 4402, 7010, 9167).

[8] In Ezekiel:

I will cause the noise of the songs to cease; and the voice of thy harps shall be no more heard; I will give thee to the parchedness of the cliff (Ezekiel 26:13-14).

This is said of Tyre, which signifies the church in respect to the knowledges of good and truth. Its vastation is described by these words; the vastation in respect to the knowledges of good by "I will cause the noise of thy songs to cease;" and the vastation in respect to the knowledges of truth by "the voice of harps shall be no more heard;" desolation of all truth by "I will give thee to the parchedness of the cliff;" "cliff" signifying truth, and its "parchedness" desolation.

[9] In David:

Make a loud noise unto Jehovah, all the earth; break forth, shout for joy, and sing psalms. Sing psalms unto Jehovah with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm. With trumpets and the sound of a cornet, make a loud noise before the King, Jehovah (Psalms 98:4-6).

The various kinds of affections from which the Lord is confessed and glorified are here expressed by various kinds of sounds and instruments; the various kinds of sounds in "making a loud noise," "breaking forth," "shouting for joy," and "singing psalms," and the various kinds of instruments, by "harps," "trumpets," and "cornets;" but to explain the signification of the particulars is not in place here, but only what relates to the harp. "To sing unto Jehovah with the harp, with the harp and the voice of a psalm," signifies confession from the affection of spiritual good and truth; for every affection, since it is from love, when it falls into sound, produces a sound in accord with itself; consequently from the sound that is in the speech, and in which, as it were, the expressions of speech flow, the affection of the other is heard, and thus becomes known to his companion; this is manifestly so in the spiritual world, where all sounds of speech make manifest the affections.

[10] So elsewhere in David, as the following:

Shout for joy unto God our strength; make a joyful noise to the God of Jacob. Lift up the psalm and strike the timbrel, the pleasant harp, with the psaltery. Blow the cornet at the new moon (Psalms 81:1-3).

It is good to confess unto Jehovah, and to sing psalms unto Thy name, O Most High; with an instrument of ten strings, and with the psaltery; and with resounding music on the harp (Psalms 92:1-3).

Let the sons of Zion exult in their King; let them praise His name in the dance; let them sing psalms unto Him with the timbrel and harp (Psalms 149:2-3).

Praise God with the sound of the cornet; praise Him with the psaltery and harp; praise Him with the timbrel and dance; praise Him with stringed instruments and organ. Praise Him with cymbals of soft sound; praise Him with cymbals of loud sound (Psalms 150:3-5).

[11] Because musical instruments and also dances signify varieties of joy and gladness that spring from the affections, as well as the affections themselves of the mind which their sounds excite, both singly and in combination, therefore:

David and the whole house of Israel played before Jehovah upon wooden instruments of every kind, and upon harps, and with psalteries, and with timbrels; and on sistra, and on cymbals (2 Samuel 6:5).

[12] Because the "harp" signifies confession from spiritual truths, and spiritual truths are those by which angels who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom are affected, and which disperse the falsities of evil, and with these the spirits themselves who are in them, so:

When the evil spirit was upon Saul, David took a harp and played with his hand; and so rest was given to Saul, and the evil spirit departed from him (1 Samuel 16:23).

This was done because kings represented the Lord in respect to the spiritual kingdom, and therefore signified spiritual truths (See above, n. 31); but Saul then represented the falsities that are opposed to these truths; and these were dispersed by the sound of the harp, because the "harp" signified the spiritual affection of truth. This then took place because with the sons of Israel all things were representative and thus significative; it is otherwise at this day. From the passages here quoted it can be seen what the "harp" signifies, also in other places (as Isaiah 30:31, 32; Psalms 49:3, 4; 137:1, 2; 1 Samuel 10:5; Revelation 14:2; 18:22; Job 30:31).

[13] As most things in the Word have also a contrary meaning, so do musical instruments, in which sense they signify varieties of gladness and joy that spring from the affections of falsity and evil; thus the "harp" signifies the confession of falsity and the consequent exultation over the destruction of truth. As in Isaiah:

At the end of seventy years the song of Tyre shall be even as the song of a harlot; take a harp, walk in the city, thou harlot delivered over to forgetfulness; play elegantly, multiply the song (Isaiah 23:15-16).

"Tyre" signifies the church in respect to the knowledges of spiritual truth and good (as was said above), here the church in which these are falsified; "harlot" signifies the falsification of truth (See above, n. 141); and "to take a harp, walk in the city," "play elegantly, and multiply the song," signifies the exultation and boasting of falsity over the destruction of truth.

[14] In the same:

Woe to them that rise early in the morning that they may follow strong drink; to them that tarry until twilight till the wine inflame them. And the harp and the psaltery and the timbrel and the pipe and wine are at their feasts; but they do not look upon the work of Jehovah, and they see not the working of His hands (Isaiah 5:11-12).

Here "harp," "psaltery," "timbrel," "pipe," and also "wine," have the contrary meaning, in which they signify exultation and boastings from the falsities of evil. Such is evidently the meaning, for it is said, "Woe to them; they do not look upon the work of Jehovah, and they see not the working of His hands."

Poznámky pod čarou:

10137. 'And a drink offering of a quarter of a hin of wine' means spiritual truth, the amount needed for a joining together. This is clear from the meaning of 'wine' as truth, dealt with in 1071, 1798, 6377, at this point spiritual truth answering to the spiritual good derived from celestial good, meant by 'fine flour mixed with oil', dealt with immediately above in 10136 (where good is the subject in the Word, so too is truth, and indeed the truth belonging to the same class as the good. This is so because every single thing in heaven and also in the world has connection with good or with truth, and with both if it is to have any real existence, since good without truth is not good and truth without good is not truth, see the places referred to in 9263, 9314. This explains why when a minchah, which consisted of bread, was offered, so was a drink offering, which consisted of wine, in much the same way as in the Holy Supper. So it is that 'a drink offering of wine' is used here to mean the truth that answers to the good meant by a minchah, dealt with immediately above); and from the meaning of 'a quarter of a hin' as the amount needed for a joining together, dealt with immediately above in 10136.

[2] Everyone may see that not merely bread and wine should be understood by a minchah, which consisted of bread, and a drink offering, which consisted of wine, but something that belongs to the Church and to heaven, thus spiritual and celestial things, which are heaven's and the Church's. If this had not been so what would have been the point of putting the bread and wine on the fire on the altar? How could this have been pleasing to Jehovah, or how could it have been, as it says, an odour of rest to Him? How could it have expiated a person? Anyone who thinks reverently about the Word cannot imagine how an action so earthly could be pleasing to Jehovah unless something Divine on a deeper, more internal level was contained in it. The person who believes that the Word is Divine and spiritual throughout ought to believe completely that every detail there has some heavenly arcanum concealed within it. But the reason why no one up to now has known just where such an arcanum lies is that no one has known that an internal sense, which is spiritual and Divine, exists within every detail there. Nor has anyone known that angels are present with each person, perceiving his thoughts and understanding the Word in a spiritual manner when he reads it; that then through them a holy influence from the Lord reaches him; and that therefore through those angels heaven is linked to the person, to whom the Lord is linked by means of the heavens. It is for this reason that the kind of Word just described has been given to mankind, that Word being the sole means by which the Lord can provide for his salvation.

[3] The fact that 'minchah', consisting of bread, means the good of love and that 'drink offering', consisting of wine, means the good of faith, and that this is what the angels see in them, becomes clear from all those places in the Word which make reference to a minchah or a drink offering, such as these verses in Joel,

The minchah has been cut off, and the drink offering, from the house of Jehovah; the priests have been mourning, the ministers of Jehovah. The field has been devastated, the land has been mourning because the grain has been devastated, the new wine has dried up, the oil languishes. The vine has dried up and the fig tree languishes. Wail, O ministers of the altar, because the minchah and the drink offering have been withheld from the house of your God. For the day of Jehovah is near, and comes as destruction from Shaddai. Joel 1:9-15.

This refers to the final period of the Church, when the good of love and truth of faith are not present there any longer, meant by 'the day of Jehovah is near, and comes as destruction from Shaddai'.

[4] From this it is evident that by the minchah and drink offering which have been cut off from the house of Jehovah, the field which has been devastated, the land which mourns, the grain which too has been devastated, the new wine which has dried up, the oil which languishes, and the vine and fig which do so, such things as belong to the Church and to heaven are meant. It is the internal sense however that shows what it is they mean. From that sense it is evident that 'the field' means the Church as regards its reception of truth, see 3766, 4982, 7502, 7571, 9295; 'the land' the Church as regards [its reception of] good, see the places referred to in 9325; 'the grain' all the good that the Church has, 5295, 5410, 5959; 'the new wine' all the truth that the Church has, 3580; 'the oil' the good of love, 4582, 4638, 9780; 'the vine' the spiritual Church's interior good, 5113, 6376, 9277; and 'the fig' its exterior good, 217, 4231, 5113. From all this it is evident that 'the minchah' and 'the drink offering' mean worship springing from the good of love and from the good of faith.

[5] In Malachi,

I will not accept a minchah from your hands. For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, great is the name of Jehovah among the nations; and in every place [there will be] incense, offered to My name, and a pure minchah. Malachi 1:10-11.

It is evident that a minchah should not be understood here either by 'a minchah', nor incense by 'incense', since the subject is the Church among the gentile nations, among whom there was no minchah. For it says, 'From the rising of the sun to its setting, great is the name of Jehovah among the nations; and in every place [there will be] a pure minchah and incense', 'incense' meaning adoration springing from the good of faith, see 9475.

[6] Something similar occurs in David,

My prayers are acceptable, [as] incense before You, the lifting up of my hands, [as] the evening minchah. Psalms 141:2.

'The evening minchah' means the good of love in the external man.

[7] In Isaiah,

You inflamed yourselves among the gods under every green tree. You have also poured out a drink offering to them; you have presented a gift ¹ . You offer the king a gift in oil, and multiply your perfumes; and you debase yourself even to hell. Isaiah 57:5-6, 9.

This refers to worship based on evils and falsities which come from hell. 'The gods' in the internal sense are falsities, for although those who worshipped other gods called them by name, nevertheless falsities arising from evils were what they worshipped. Regarding the gods of the foreigner in the Word, that falsities are meant by them, see 4402(end), 8941. '[Every] green tree' means every perception, recognition, and corroboration of falsity, 2722, 2972, 4552, 7692, 'green' implying a sensory apprehension, 7691. 'Inflaming oneself' means worship that is passionate, for 'the fire' that causes such fervour is love in both senses, 5215, 6832, 7575. 'Pouring out a drink offering' is worship springing from the falsities of evil; 'offering the king a gift in oil' is the worship of Satan springing from evils, 'a gift in oil' being a minchah, and 'multiplying perfumes' is multiplying offerings of incense, by which acts of adoration are meant, 9475. Therefore it also says that he debases himself even to hell.

[8]From these considerations it becomes clear that 'a minchah', which consisted of bread, and 'a drink offering', which consisted of wine, mean things such as belong to the Church and to heaven, namely heavenly food and drink, in the same way as the bread and wine in the Holy Supper do - for the reason given above, that heaven may join itself to a person through the Word, consequently that the Lord may do so through heaven by means of the Word. Since the Divine presence in the Word consists in such things it nourishes the minds not only of people in the world but also of angels and causes heaven and the world to be one.

[9] From this it also becomes clear that all the things without exception which have been stated and commanded in the Word regarding the minchah and drink offering, or bread and wine, contain Divine arcana within them. This is so for example with the requirement that a minchah should consist of fine flour which had oil and also frankincense on it, that it should be altogether salted, and that it should be unleavened or without yeast. Then there is the requirement that there was to be one set of proportions for the mixture when a lamb was sacrificed, another when it was a ram, another when it was a young bull, and yet another in guilt- and sin-sacrifices, while the proportions in other sacrifices were different again. The proportion of wine in the drink offering varied in a similar way. Unless these specific requirements had embodied the arcana of heaven no such things would ever have been commanded in connection with the various forms of worship.

[10] To enable these different requirements to be seen alongside one another, let them be set out here in their own order, as contained in the eucharistic sacrifices and burnt offerings, in Numbers 15:4-12; 28:9-12, 20-21, 28-29; 29:3-4, 9-10, 14-15, 18, 21, 24, 27, 30, 33, 37,

For each lamb there was a minchah consisting of one tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil; and the wine for the drink offering was a quarter of a hin.

For each ram there was a minchah consisting of two tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour, and a third of a hin of oil; and a third of a hin of wine for the drink offering.

For each young bull there was a minchah consisting of three tenths [of an ephah] of fine flour mixed with oil, a half of a hin; and half of a hin of wine for the drink offering.

The reason why the proportions of fine flour, oil, and wine for a lamb should be different from those for a ram or for a young bull was that a lamb meant the inmost good of innocence, a ram the middle good of innocence, and a young bull the lowest or external good of innocence. For there are three heavens - the inmost, the middle, and the lowest - and therefore also there are three degrees of the good of innocence. The increase of it from first to last is meant by the increase in the proportions of fine flour, oil, and wine. It should be remembered that the good of innocence is the very soul of heaven, because that good alone is the recipient of the love, charity, and faith which constitute the heavens.

'A lamb' means the inmost good of innocence, see 3994, 10132.

'A ram' means the middle or interior good of innocence, 10042.

'A young bull' means the lowest or external good of innocence, 9391, 9990.

[11] In sacrifices for thanksgiving (confessio) however there was a minchah consisting of unleavened cakes mixed with oil, unleavened wafers anointed with oil, cakes made of fried flour and mixed with oil, and in addition leavened bread cakes, Leviticus 7:11-12; and in guilt- and sin-sacrifices there was a minchah consisting of a tenth of an ephah of fine flour, but without oil or frankincense on top of it, Leviticus 5:11. The reason why no oil or frankincense should be put on top of the minchah composing a sin- or guilt-sacrifice was that 'oil' is a sign of the good of love and 'frankincense' a sign of the truth which goes with that good, and a sin- or a guilt-sacrifice is a sign of purification and expiation from evils and the falsities arising from them, which therefore were not to be mingled with good or the truth springing from it.

[12] In addition to these there were the minchah of Aaron and his sons on the day they were going to be anointed, see Leviticus 6:20-22; the minchah of the firstfruits of the harvest, Leviticus 2:14-15; 23:10, 12-13, 17; the minchah of the Nazirite, Numbers 6:13-21]; the minchah of jealousy, Numbers 5:11-31]; the minchah of one cleansed from leprosy, Leviticus 14:1-32]; and also the minchah baked in an oven, the minchah prepared in a pan, and the minchah cooked in a pot, Leviticus 2:4-7. There was was to be no yeast in a minchah, nor any honey; and the minchah had to be fully salted, Leviticus 2:11, 13. The reason why there should be no yeast in a minchah, nor any honey, was that in the spiritual sense 'yeast' means falsity arising from evil, and 'honey' external delight very much mixed with the delight belonging to love of the world, which also causes fermentation in heavenly forms of good and truths and subsequent disintegration of them. And the reason why they should be fully salted was that 'salt' was a sign of truth desiring good and so joining the two together.

'Yeast' means falsity arising from evil, see 2342, 7906, 8051, 9992.

'Honey' means external delight, thus such delight belonging to love in both senses, 5620.

'Salt' means truth desiring good, 9207.

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