Arcana Coelestia # 9475
9475. And for the incense of spices. That this signifies for acceptable perception, is evident from the signification of “incense,” as being the things of worship which are acceptably perceived, such as confessions, adorations, prayers, and the like; and from the signification of “spices,” as being the truths of faith which are acceptable because from good; for sweet odors signify what is acceptable, in accordance with their perfumes, and whatever is acceptable is so from good through truths. It is for this reason that by “the incense of spices” Is signified the acceptable perception of truth from good. The spices of which this incense was compounded are enumerated, and its preparation is described, in these words:
Take unto thee spices, stacte, and onycha, and galbanum; sweet spices, and pure frankincense. Thou shalt make them an incense salted, pure, holy. Thou shalt beat some of it very small, and put some of it before the testimony in the tent of meeting; it shall be to you the holy of holies. The incense shall be to thee holy for Jehovah (Exodus 30:34-37).
The altar of incense, and the burning of the incense itself, are thus described:
Thou shalt make an altar to burn incense upon. Thou shalt overlay it with pure gold. Thou shalt put it before the veil that is over the ark of the testimony, before the propitiatory [mercy seat], that Aaron may burn thereon incense of spices every morning; when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn it; and between the evenings (Exodus 30:1-8; 37:25-29; 40:26-27).
When Aaron shall come into the holy place, he shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar; and his fists full of incense of spices beaten small; then he shall bring it within the veil, so that he may put the incense upon the fire before Jehovah, and the cloud of the incense may cover the propitiatory [mercy seat] that is upon the testimony (Leviticus 16:3, 12-13).
[2] As by “incense” were signified such things of worship as are from good through truths-as are all the things that belong to the faith that is from the good of love-therefore fire was taken from the altar; for by “the fire of the altar” was signified the good of Divine love (n. 934, 4906, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 6834, 6849, 7324, 7852); and therefore when fire was taken from any other source, they were smitten with a plague, and died (Leviticus 10:1-2; Numbers 17:10-13); for by fire from some other source, or strange fire, was signified love not Divine.
[3] That such things as belong to the faith that is from the good of love and charity-as for instance confessions, adorations, and prayers-are signified by “incense,” is evident in David:
Accepted are my prayers as incense before Thee (Psalms 141:2).
The four animals, and the four and twenty elders, fell down before the Lamb, having each one of them a harp, and golden vials full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints (Revelation 5:8).
Another angel came, having a golden censer, and there was given unto him much incense, that he should add it to the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne. The smoke of the incense went up from the prayers of the saints (Revelation 8:3-4).
[4] The reason why such things are signified by “incense” is that they belong to the thought and thence to the mouth; but the things which belong to affection, and thence to the heart, are signified by the “meat-offering” in Malachi:
From the rising of the sun even to its going down, the name of Jehovah shall be great among the nations, and in every place shall incense be offered to My name, and a clean meat-offering (Malachi 1:11);
and by “the burnt-offering” in Moses:
The sons of Leviticus shall teach Jacob Thy judgments, and Israel Thy law; they shall put incense in Thy nostrils, and a burnt-offering upon Thine altar (Deuteronomy 33:10).
Here “incense” denotes such things as belong to the thought and the mouth, and that bear relation to the truths of faith; and the “meat-offering” and “burnt-offering” denote such things as belong to the affection and the heart, and bear relation to the goods of love. Consequently in the opposite sense worship from falsities of faith is meant by “burning incense to other gods” (Jeremiah 1:16; 44:3, 5); and by “burning incense to idols” (Ezekiel 8:11; 16:18); and by “burning incense to the Baals” (Hosea 2:13).
Leviticus 16
1
Yahweh spoke to Moses, after the death of the two sons of Aaron, when they drew near before Yahweh, and died;
2
and Yahweh said to Moses, "Tell Aaron your brother, not to come at all times into the Most Holy Place within the veil, before the mercy seat which is on the ark; lest he die: for I will appear in the cloud on the mercy seat.
3
"Herewith shall Aaron come into the sanctuary: with a young bull for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering.
4
He shall put on the holy linen coat, and he shall have the linen breeches on his body, and shall put on the linen sash, and he shall be clothed with the linen turban. They are the holy garments. He shall bathe his body in water, and put them on.
5
He shall take from the congregation of the children of Israel two male goats for a sin offering, and one ram for a burnt offering.
6
"Aaron shall offer the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and make atonement for himself and for his house.
7
He shall take the two goats, and set them before Yahweh at the door of the Tent of Meeting.
8
Aaron shall cast lots for the two goats; one lot for Yahweh, and the other lot for the scapegoat.
9
Aaron shall present the goat on which the lot fell for Yahweh, and offer him for a sin offering.
10
But the goat, on which the lot fell for the scapegoat, shall be presented alive before Yahweh, to make atonement for him, to send him away for the scapegoat into the wilderness.
11
"Aaron shall present the bull of the sin offering, which is for himself, and shall make atonement for himself and for his house, and shall kill the bull of the sin offering which is for himself.
12
He shall take a censer full of coals of fire from off the altar before Yahweh, and two handfuls of sweet incense beaten small, and bring it within the veil:
13
and he shall put the incense on the fire before Yahweh, that the cloud of the incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the testimony, so that he will not die.
14
He shall take some of the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it with his finger on the mercy seat on the east; and before the mercy seat he shall sprinkle some of the blood with his finger seven times.
15
"Then he shall kill the goat of the sin offering, that is for the people, and bring his blood within the veil, and do with his blood as he did with the blood of the bull, and sprinkle it on the mercy seat, and before the mercy seat:
16
and he shall make atonement for the Holy Place, because of the uncleanness of the children of Israel, and because of their transgressions, even all their sins; and so he shall do for the Tent of Meeting, that dwells with them in the midst of their uncleanness.
17
No one shall be in the Tent of Meeting when he enters to make atonement in the Holy Place, until he comes out, and has made atonement for himself and for his household, and for all the assembly of Israel.
18
"He shall go out to the altar that is before Yahweh and make atonement for it, and shall take some of the bull's blood, and some of the goat's blood, and put it around on the horns of the altar.
19
He shall sprinkle some of the blood on it with his finger seven times, and cleanse it, and make it holy from the uncleanness of the children of Israel.
20
"When he has made an end of atoning for the Holy Place, the Tent of Meeting, and the altar, he shall present the live goat.
21
Aaron shall lay both his hands on the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, even all their sins; and he shall put them on the head of the goat, and shall send him away into the wilderness by the hand of a man who is in readiness.
22
The goat shall carry all their iniquities on himself to a solitary land, and he shall let the goat go in the wilderness.
23
"Aaron shall come into the Tent of Meeting, and shall take off the linen garments, which he put on when he went into the Holy Place, and shall leave them there.
24
Then he shall bathe himself in water in a holy place, and put on his garments, and come out and offer his burnt offering and the burnt offering of the people, and make atonement for himself and for the people.
25
The fat of the sin offering he shall burn on the altar.
26
"He who lets the goat go for the scapegoat shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
27
The bull for the sin offering, and the goat for the sin offering, whose blood was brought in to make atonement in the Holy Place, shall be carried forth outside the camp; and they shall burn their skins, their flesh, and their dung with fire.
28
He who burns them shall wash his clothes, and bathe his flesh in water, and afterward he shall come into the camp.
29
"It shall be a statute to you forever: in the seventh month, on the tenth day of the month, you shall afflict your souls, and shall do no kind of work, the native-born, or the stranger who lives as a foreigner among you:
30
for on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins you shall be clean before Yahweh.
31
It is a Sabbath of solemn rest to you, and you shall afflict your souls; it is a statute forever.
32
The priest, who is anointed and who is consecrated to be priest in his father's place, shall make the atonement, and shall put on the linen garments, even the holy garments.
33
Then he shall make atonement for the Holy Sanctuary; and he shall make atonement for the Tent of Meeting and for the altar; and he shall make atonement for the priests and for all the people of the assembly.
34
"This shall be an everlasting statute for you, to make atonement for the children of Israel once in the year because of all their sins." It was done as Yahweh commanded Moses.
