9962. And they shall be upon Aaron and upon his sons. That this signifies protection from the hells, is evident from the signification of “the breeches,” of which it is said that “they shall be upon Aaron and his sons,” as being the external things of conjugial love (see n. 9959); and from the signification of “the nakednesses” which the breeches were to cover, as being the interior things of this love, which were filthy and infernal (of which (9960) also above, n. 9960); and because “nakednesses” have this signification, therefore the breeches which were to be upon Aaron and upon his sons, were for protection from the hells. The case herein is as follows. In respect to their interiors, the Jewish and Israelitish nation was in the loves of self and of the world, thus in infernal loves, above all other nations; but in respect to their exteriors they could be in holiness also above all other nations; wherefore when they were in holiness, their interiors were closed; for in this way holy external things could be communicated through them with the heavens, and from this there could be conjunction. It would have been altogether different if the internals with them, which as above said were filthy and infernal, had not been closed. It is from this that with that nation there was no church, but only the representative of a church; for a church which is a church is in the internal things of faith and of love; but not in external things separate from these. The external things with them were all representative.

[2] As then by “breeches” are signified the external things of conjugial love, and in general the external things of all heavenly loves; and as external things were what covered the internal things, and as with that nation the internal things were filthy and infernal, therefore by “the breeches being upon Aaron and upon his sons” is signified protection from the hells; for so long as they were in a holy external, and their internals were covered or closed, so long also they were removed from the hells, and were thereby under protection. (That the internals with the Jewish and Israelitish nation were filthy and infernal, and that on this account there was no church with them, but only the representative of a church, may be seen at the places cited in n. 9320, 9380; that while they were in worship, they were only in a holy external, n. 3479, 4293, 4311, 6304, 8588, 9373, 9380; and that their interiors were then closed, n. 8788, 8806)