9852. 'And two small chains of pure gold' means coherence with the good of the whole kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'small chains' as coherence (the reason why 'small chains' has this meaning is that such chains serve to join things together, and when joined together those things cohere, coherence with the spiritual kingdom being meant here because the small chains were fabricated to make [the shoulder-pieces] cohere with the ephod, which represented the spiritual kingdom in general, 9824); and from the meaning of 'gold' as the good of love, dealt with in 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9490. The words 'pure gold' are used because good from the Divine is meant; for this good is pure, and it holds all things in heaven in connection and in an outward form. The meaning of 'chains' as coherence is also evident in Isaiah,

The craftsman casts a graven image, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts silver chains for it. Isaiah 40:19.

'A graven image' means teachings presenting falsity, which are a product of self-intelligence, and so are devoid of life from the Divine, 8869, 8941. Producing such teachings is meant by 'the craftsman casts a graven image'. The effort to make them look like a product of good is meant by 'a goldsmith overlays it with gold'. To make falsities cohere is meant by 'he casts silver chains for it', 'silver' meaning truth and in the contrary sense falsity, see 1551, 2954, 5658, 6112, 6911, 6917, 8932.

113. Nothing is more common in the Word than for the good that belongs to wisdom or else to love to be meant and represented by 'gold'. All the gold of the Ark, the Temple, the golden table, ¹ the lampstands, the vessels, and on Aaron's vestments, meant and represented good that belongs to wisdom or else to love. Similarly in the Prophets, as in Ezekiel,

In your wisdom and in your intelligence have made wealth for yourself, and you have made gold and silver in your treasures. Ezekiel 28:4.

Here it is plainly stated that gold and silver, or good and truth, are the products of wisdom and intelligence, for 'silver' here means truth, as also does the silver of the Tabernacle ² and the Temple. In Isaiah,

A multitude of camels will cover you, dromedaries of Midian and Ephah, all those from Sheba will come. They will bring gold and frankincense, and will proclaim the praises of Jehovah. Isaiah 60:6.

So too the wise men from the east who came to Jesus after His birth,

And they fell down and worshipped Him, and they opened their treasures, and offered Him gifts - gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew 2:1, 11.

Here also 'gold' means good, 'frankincense and myrrh' those things that are pleasing, because they derive from love and faith, and are consequently called 'the praises of Jehovah'. 'Gold' is for the same reason mentioned in David,

He will live, and He will give to him from the gold of Sheba, and will pray for him continually, and bless him every day. Psalms 72:15.

Poznámky pod čarou: