9780. And let them take unto thee olive oil. That this signifies the good of charity and of faith, is evident from the signification of “olive oil,” as being the good of celestial love (see n. 886), but here the good of spiritual love, which is the good of charity toward the neighbor and the good of faith. That this good is here signified by “olive oil,” is because it was for the luminary, that is, for the lampstand, and by the “lampstand” is signified the spiritual heaven (n. 9548). The spiritual heaven on earth is the spiritual church. “Oil,” and “the olive-tree,” in the Word signify both celestial good and spiritual good; celestial good where the subject treated of is the celestial kingdom or the celestial church, and spiritual good where it is the spiritual kingdom or the spiritual church. These kingdoms or churches are distinguished by their goods. The goods of the celestial kingdom, or of the celestial church, are the good of love to the Lord and the good of mutual love; and the goods of the spiritual kingdom, or of the spiritual church, are the good of charity toward the neighbor and the good of faith (n. 9741). These goods and the truths therefrom are treated of in the Word throughout, for the Word is the doctrine of good, because it is the doctrine of love to the Lord and of love toward the neighbor (see Matthew 22:35-40); and all good is of love, even the good of faith, for this comes forth from the good of love, and not without it.

[2] As the Word is the doctrine of good, therefore in order that the Word may be understood, it must be known what good is; and no one knows what good is unless he lives in good according to the Word; for when anyone lives in good according to the Word, then the Lord instills good into his life, from which the man perceives it and feels it, and consequently apprehends the nature of it; otherwise it does not appear, because it is not perceived. From this it can be seen in what state they are who merely know what is in the Word, and persuade themselves that it is so, and yet do not do it. They have no knowledge of good, consequently none of truth; for truth is known from good, and never without good, except as memory-knowledge devoid of life, which perishes in the other life.

[3] That “oil” and also “the olive” denote good, is evident from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned, as in Zechariah:

I saw a lampstand of gold. Two olive-trees were beside it; one on the right side of the flask, and the other on the left side thereof. These are the two sons of oil that stand beside the Lord of the whole earth (Zech. 4:2-3, 14); where “the two olive-trees,” and “the two sons of oil,” denote the good of love to the Lord, which is on His right, and the good of charity toward the neighbor, which is on His left. In like manner in John:

The two witnesses prophesied a thousand two hundred and sixty days. These are the two olive-trees and the two lampstands that stand before the God of the earth (Rev 11:3-4); where “the two olive-trees and the two lampstands” denote these same goods, which, being from the Lord, are called “the two witnesses.”

[4] Again:

I heard a voice in the midst of the four living creatures, saying, Hurt not the oil and the wine (Revelation 6:6); where “the oil” denotes the good of love and charity, and “the wine,” the good and truth of faith. Again:

I will set in the wilderness the cedar of Shittah, and the myrtle, and the wood of oil (Isaiah 41:19).

They shall come and sing in the height of Zion, and shall flow together unto the good of Jehovah, to the wheat, and to the new wine, and to the oil (Jeremiah 31:12).

The field is wasted, the land mourneth; for the grain is wasted, the new wine is dried up, the oil languisheth (Joel 1:10).

The floors are full of pure grain, and the presses overflow with new wine and oil (Joel 2:24).

I will give the rain of your land in its season, that thou mayest gather in thy grain, thy new wine, and thine oil (Deuteronomy 11:14).

[5] “Grain, new wine, and oil” are here spoken of, but that these things are not meant can be seen by everyone who considers; for the Word, being Divine, is spiritual, not worldly, and therefore it does not treat of the grain, the new wine, and the oil of the earth, insofar as these are of service to the body for foods, but insofar as they are of service to the soul; for all foods in the Word signify heavenly foods, as do the bread and the wine in the Holy Supper. What “the grain” and “the new wine” signify in the passages here quoted, may be seen above (n. 3580, 5295, 5410, 5959); from this it is evident what “the oil” signifies.

[6] The case is the same with all things spoken by the Lord while He was in the world, as when He said of the Samaritan that “he came to the man who was wounded by thieves, and bound up his wounds and poured in oil and wine” (Luke 10:33-34). Here are not meant oil and wine, but the good of love and of charity, by “oil” the good of love, and by “wine” the good of charity and of faith; for the subject treated of, is the neighbor, thus charity toward him (that “wine” has this signification, see n. 6377).

[7] In like manner what the Lord said of the ten virgins, of whom “five took their lamps and no oil with them, and five took also oil,” and that the latter were admitted into heaven, but the former rejected (Matthew 25:3-4, and following verses); “oil in the lamps” denotes the good of love and of charity in the truths of faith; “the virgins who took their lamps and no oil” denote those who hear the Word, read it, and say that they believe, and yet do no good in consequence, and if they do any good, it is not done from the love of good or of truth, but from the love of self and of the world.

[8] As “oil” signified the good of charity, therefore also the sick were anointed with oil and were healed, as we read of the Lord’s disciples, who “went forth and cast out demons, and anointed with oil them that were sick, and healed them” (Mark 6:13). And in David:

Thou wilt make fat my head with oil; my cup shall run over (Psalms 23:5); where “to make fat the head with oil” denotes to endow with celestial good.

In Moses:

Jehovah fed him with the produce of the fields; He made him to suck honey out of the rock, and oil out of the stone of the rock (Deuteronomy 32:13);

speaking of the Ancient Church; where “sucking oil out of the stone of the rock” denotes to be imbued with good through the truths of faith.

[9] In Habakkuk:

The fig-tree shall not blossom, neither shall produce be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall lie, and the fields shall yield no food (Hab. 3:17);

here neither fig-tree, nor vine, nor olive, nor fields are meant, but heavenly things to which they correspond; as also everyone is able to acknowledge from himself who acknowledges that the Word treats of such things as belong to heaven and the church, thus as belong to the soul. But they who think of nothing but worldly, earthly, and bodily things, do not see the internal things, and even do not wish to see them, for they say within themselves, What are spiritual things? What are celestial things? and so, What is heavenly food? That these are such things as belong to intelligence and wisdom they indeed know when it is so said; but that they belong to faith and love, they do not desire; for the reason that they do not imbue their life with such things, and therefore do not attain to the intelligence and wisdom of heavenly truths and goodnesses.

[10] In Ezekiel:

I washed thee with waters, and I washed away thy bloods from upon thee, and I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee with broidered work. Thy garments were fine linen, silk, and broidered work; thou didst eat fine flour, and honey, and oil. But thou didst take thy broidered garments, and coveredst images; and didst set Mine oil and Mine incense before them (Ezekiel 16:9-10, 13, 18).

Who cannot see that in this passage are not meant garments of broidered work, fine linen, and silk, nor oil, honey, or fine flour; but Divine things which are of heaven and the church; for the subject treated of is Jerusalem, by which is meant the church; and therefore by the several things mentioned are meant such things as are of the church. That by each particular is meant some special thing of the church, is evident; for in the Word, which is Divine, there is not a word that is worthless. (That “Jerusalem” denotes the church, see n. 3654; also what is meant by “broidered work,” n. 9688; by “fine linen,” n. 5319, 9469; by “fine flour,” n. 2177; by “honey,” n. 5620, 6857; by “washing with waters,” n. 3147, 5954, 9088 and by “washing away bloods,” n. 4735, 9127)

[11] In Hosea:

Ephraim feedeth on wind, they make a covenant with the Assyrian, and oil is carried down into Egypt (Hos. 12:1).

These things are quite unintelligible unless it is known what is meant by “Ephraim,” what by “the Assyrian,” and what by “Egypt;” yet there is here described the understanding of the man of the church, which is perverted through reasonings from memory-knowledges; for “Ephraim” denotes this understanding (n. 3969, 5354, 6222, 6238, 6267); “the Assyrian,” reasoning (n. 1186); and “Egypt,” memory-knowledge (n. 9391); consequently “to carry down oil into Egypt” denotes to defile in this way the good of the church.

[12] That the Lord so often went up the Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37; 22:39), was because “oil” and “the olive” signified the good of love, as also does a “mountain” (n. 6435, 8758). The reason was that while the Lord was in the world all things respecting Him were representative of heaven; for thereby the universal heaven was adjoined to Him; wherefore whatever He did and whatever He said was Divine and heavenly, and the ultimate things were representative. The Mount of Olives represented heaven in respect to the good of love and of charity; as also can be seen in Zechariah:

Jehovah shall go forth, and fight against the nations. His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before the faces of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives shall be cleft asunder, that a part thereof shall recede toward the east, and toward the sea, with a great valley; and a part of the mountain shall recede toward the north, and a part of it toward the south (Zech. 14:3-4).

[13] Here the Lord and His coming are the subject treated of; by “the Mount of Olives” is signified the good of love and of charity; thus the church, for these goods make the church. That the church would recede from the Jewish nation, and would be set up among the Gentiles, is signified by “the mountain being cleft asunder toward the east, toward the sea, and toward the north, and the south;” in like manner as by the words of the Lord in Luke:

Ye shall be cast down outside; whereas they shall come from the east, and the west, and from the north, and the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God (Luke 13:28-29).

In a universal sense by “Jehovah going forth and fighting against the nations,” and by “His feet standing upon the Mount of Olives which is before the faces of Jerusalem,” is meant that the Lord from Divine love would fight against the hells; for “the nations” denote evils which are from the hells (n. 1868, 6306), and “the Mount of Olives,” on which were His feet, denotes the Divine love.

2162. Wash ye your feet. That this signifies that [the Divine] should put on something natural, in order that, in the state in which the Lord then was, He might the better perceive, may be seen from the signification of “feet,” as being natural things, and also likewise from the series of things. That arcana here lie hidden may to some extent be seen from the fact that Abraham prayed the three men to take a little water and wash their feet, and to recline under a tree; when yet he knew that it was the Lord or Jehovah; and also from the fact that otherwise such things would not have been mentioned.

[2] That “feet” signify natural things, is evident from the representatives in the other life, and from the derivative representatives among the most ancient people, and thus in the Word. Celestial and spiritual things are represented by the head and its belongings; rational things and their belongings, by the breast and its belongings; natural things and their belongings, by the feet and their belongings. Hence it is that the “sole” and the “heel” of the foot signify the lowest natural things (concerning which see n. 259); and a “shoe” the lowest things of all, which are unclean (concerning which see n. 1748).

[3] Similar things are signified by the representations in the dreams and visions in the Prophets-as by the statue seen by Nebuchadnezzar,

The head of which was good gold, the breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of brass, the legs of iron, the feet part of iron and part of clay (Daniel 2:32-33),

where the “head” signifies celestial things, which are inmost, and are “gold” (as shown, n. 113, 1551, 1552); the “breast and arms” spiritual or rational things, which are “silver” (as shown, n. 1551); but the “feet” are the lower things, which are natural, the truths of which are signified by “iron,” and the goods by “clay” [argillum seu lutum]. That “iron” denotes truth, may be seen above (n. 425, 426); also that “clay” denotes good (n. 1300); in the present case both being natural. Such is the order of succession in the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, and in the church which is the Lord’s kingdom on earth, and also in everyone who is a kingdom of the Lord.

[4] The case is similar with the vision that Daniel saw, of which it is said:

I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold a man clothed in linen, and his loins were girded with gold of Uphaz; his body also was like the beryl [tarshish], and his face as the appearance of lightning, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like the brightness of burnished brass (Daniel 10:5-6).

Specifically, by these words are signified the interiors of the Word as to goods and truths; the “arms” and “feet” are its exteriors, which are the sense of the letter, because natural things are therein, for the exterior things of the Word are taken from natural things. What each part signifies besides, namely, the loins, body, face, eyes, and the many other things of man, is evident from the representatives in the other life, concerning which, of the Lord’s Divine mercy more will be said when we come to treat of the Grand Man, which is the Lord’s heaven, and of the derivative representatives in the world of spirits.

[5] That which we read concerning Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and the seventy elders-that “they saw the God of Israel, under whose feet there was as it were a work of sapphire stone, and as it were the substance of heaven as to purity” (Exodus 24:9-10)—signifies that they saw only the externals of the church represented in natural things; and also the literal sense of the Word, in which likewise external things are represented by natural things-as before said-which are the “feet under which was as it were a work of sapphire stone, and as it were the substance of heaven.” That it was the Lord who was seen by them, but only in those lower or natural things, is evident, for He is called “the God of Israel,” whom all things of the church represented, and all things of the Word in the internal sense signified. For the Lord is presented to view in accordance with the things which are at the time signified-in John, as a Man upon a white horse, when He signified the Word, as is plainly said (Revelation 19:11, 13).

[6] The animals seen by Ezekiel, which were cherubs, are described as to celestial and spiritual things-among other representatives-by their faces and wings, but as to natural things, as follows:

Their feet, a straight foot; and the sole of their feet as the sole of a calf’s foot; and they glittered like the brightness of burnished brass (Ezekiel 1:7).

The feet (that is, the natural things) are said to have “glittered like burnished brass,” for the reason that “brass” signifies natural good (n. 425, 1551). It was much the same with the Lord’s appearance to John as the “Son of man:”

Whose eyes were as a flame of fire, and His feet like unto burnished brass (Revelation 1:14-15; 2:18).

[7] That the “feet” signify natural things, may be further evident from the passages that now follow.

In John:

I saw a strong angel coming down out of heaven, encompassed with a cloud, and a rainbow about his head, and his face as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire; and he had in his hand a little book open; and he set his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth (Revelation 10:1-2).

By this angel there is in like manner signified the Word; the quality of which in the internal sense is signified by the “rainbow about his head,” and by “his face being as the sun;” but the external sense, or that of the letter, by the “feet.” The “sea” denotes natural truths, the “earth” natural goods, which shows what is signified by his putting “his right foot upon the sea, and his left upon the earth.”

[8] A “footstool” is mentioned in various passages of the Word; but it is not known what it signifies in the internal sense. As in Isaiah:

Jehovah said, The heavens are My throne, and the earth is My footstool. Where is that house which ye will build unto Me? and where is that place of My rest? (Isaiah 66:1).

The “heavens” are the celestial and spiritual things (thus the inmost things) of both the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, and of the Lord’s kingdom on the earth, that is, in the church, and also in every man who is a kingdom of the Lord or a church; thus they also denote celestial and spiritual things as regarded in themselves, which are those of love and charity and of the derivative faith; and thus are all things which are of internal worship, and in like manner all things which are of the internal sense of the Word: these are the “heavens,” and are called the Lord’s “throne.” But the “earth” is all lower things that correspond to these-as the lower rational and natural things, whereof also things celestial and spiritual are predicated from correspondence; such as are the things which are in the lower heavens, also those in the church and in external worship, and in the literal sense of the Word; in short, all such things as proceed from things internal and are presented in things external-these, being natural things, are called the “earth” and the Lord’s “footstool.” (What “heaven and earth” denote in the internal sense, may be seen above, n. 82, 1733; also what the “new heaven and the new earth” denote, n. 2117, 2118 end ; and that man is a little heaven, n. 911, 978, 1900)

[9] In like manner in Jeremiah:

The Lord covereth the daughter of Zion with a cloud in His anger; He hath cast down from the heavens unto the earth the beauty of Israel, and hath not remembered His footstool in the day of His anger (Lam. 2:1).

Also in David:

Exalt ye Jehovah our God, and bow yourselves down at His footstool, Holy is He (Psalms 99:5). And again:

We will enter into His tabernacles, we will bow down at His footstool (Psalms 132:7).

In the Representative Church-thus among the Jews-it was supposed that the house of God and the temple were His footstool, for they knew not that external representative worship was signified by the house of God and the temple; and what the internals of the church were (which were signified by “heaven,” or God’s “throne”), they were utterly ignorant of.

[10] Again:

The saying of Jehovah unto my Lord: Sit Thou at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies Thy footstool (Psalms 110:1; Matthew 22:42-45; Mark 12:36; Luke 20:42-43).

Here in like manner a “footstool” signifies natural things, both those which are sensuous, and those of memory-knowledge, and the derivative rational things of man, which are called “enemies” when they pervert worship, and do this from the literal sense of the Word, so that there is worship solely in externals, and either no internal worship, or else that which is filthy (see n. 1094, 1175, 1182). When things natural and rational are thus perverted and defiled, they are called “enemies;” but because, regarded in themselves, they have reference to internal worship-when this is restored, they become as before said a “footstool,” whether they are things of external worship, or of the literal sense of the Word.

[11] In Isaiah:

The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the pine, and the box together, to beautify the place of My sanctuary, and I will make the place of My feet honorable (Isaiah 60:13),

where the subject is the Lord’s kingdom and church, the celestial-spiritual things of which are the “glory of Lebanon” (that is, the cedars), and its celestial natural things are the “fir-tree, the pine, and the box” (as also in the Word elsewhere), and thus the things which are of external worship; of which it is said, “I will make the place of My feet honorable;” and this cannot be made honorable by the fir, the pine, and the box, but by the things which they signify.

[12] That the “feet” signify these things, is evident also from the representatives in the Jewish Church-as from Aaron and his sons washing their hands and their feet before entering into the tabernacle (Exodus 30:19-20; 40:31-32). No one can fail to see that arcana were thus represented, for what is the washing of the hands and feet but an external affair which is of no avail unless the internal is clean and pure? Nor can the internal be cleaned and purified by such a washing. But as all the rites of that church were significative of internal things, which are celestial and spiritual, such is the case here also: it is cleanness of external worship that is here signified, and external worship is clean when there is internal worship within it. Hence their lavers were of brass, and also that great laver that was called the brazen sea, and the ten smaller lavers of brass around the temple of Solomon (1 Kings 7:23, 38); because “brass” represented the good of external worship, which is the same as natural good (concerning which signification of “brass,” see n. 425, 1551).

[13] In like manner it was a representative that,

A man of the seed of Aaron in whom there was a fracture of the foot or a fracture of the hand, should not approach to offer the offering made by fire to Jehovah (Leviticus 21:19, 21).

By those who had a “fracture” in the feet or hands were represented such as are in perverted external worship.

[14] That “feet” signify natural things, is further evident in other passages that occur in the Prophets, as in these propheticals in Moses:

Blessed be Asher above sons; let him be accepted of his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil; the iron and brass of thy shoe (Deuteronomy 33:24-25).

No one can understand these words unless it is known what “oil,” the “foot,” “iron,” “brass,” and a “shoe” signify in the internal sense. That “foot” is the natural, and “shoe” the still lower natural, such as is the corporeal sensual, may be seen above (n. 1748); also that “oil” is the celestial (n. 886), “iron” natural truth (n. 425, 426), and “brass” natural good (n. 425, 1551), which shows what these words involve.

[15] In Nahum:

The way of Jehovah is in the storm and tempest, and the clouds are the dust of His feet (Nahum 1:3),

where the “dust of the feet” signifies the natural and corporeal things with man, whence come the “clouds.” The same also is signified by these words in David:

Jehovah bowed the heavens, and came down, and thick darkness was under His feet (Psalms 18:9).

[16] When the goods and truths of faith are perverted by means of natural light, as it is called, this is described in the Word by the “feet” and “hoofs” of a beast, whereby waters are disturbed, and food is trampled upon. As in Ezekiel:

Thou hast come forth into the rivers, and hast troubled the waters with thy feet; and trampled the streams thereof. I will destroy every beast thereof from off many waters; and the foot of man shall not trouble them any more, nor the hoof of beast (Ezekiel 32:2, 13).

Egypt is here treated of, by which are signified memory-knowledges [scientiae] (as has been shown, n. 1164, 1165, 1462); so that by the “feet” and “hoofs” by which the streams and waters are troubled are signified memory-knowledges [scientifica] derived from sensuous and natural things, from which they reason about the arcana of faith; nor do they believe until these arcana are comprehended by means of such knowledges; and this is not to believe at all, for the more such persons reason, the less do they believe (see n. 128-130, 215, 232, 233, 1072, 1385). From all this it is now evident that by “feet” in the Word are signified natural things; but what more is signified, is evident from the series of things.