69. (Verse 15) And his feet like unto burnished brass, as if they burned in a furnace. That this signifies the ultimate of Divine order which is the Natural, full of Divine love, is evident from the signification of feet, as being the Natural (concerning which seeArcana Coelestia 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952); when therefore it is said of the Lord, it denotes the ultimate of Divine order, because that is the Natural. It is also evident from the signification of burnished brass, or polished brass, as denoting natural good, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of burning, when said of the Lord, as denoting that it is from the Divine love (concerning which see n. 10055). It is said, as if they burned in a furnace, in order that the Divine love may be expressed in the greatest degree, and in its fullness; for the Divine is in its fulness when it is in its ultimate, and the ultimate is the Natural (as may be seen above, n. 66). It is clear then, that by His feet like fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, is signified the ultimate of Divine order, which is the Natural, full of Divine love. These things, as also those that precede, are spoken comparatively; as that His head and His hairs were white as white wool, as snow, and that His feet were like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; but it is to be observed, that all comparisons in the Word are significative, because in the same way as the things themselves, they are from correspondences (as may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 3579, 4599, 8989).

[2] The reason why feet, when said of the Lord, signify the ultimate of Divine order, and that this is the Natural, is, that heaven is heaven from the Divine Human of the Lord, and that therefore heaven in the aggregate has reference to one Man. And, because there are three heavens, that the highest heaven has reference to the head, the middle heaven to the body, and the ultimate heaven to the feet. The Divine which constitutes the highest heaven is called the celestial Divine; that which constitutes the middle heaven is called the spiritual Divine, and that which constitutes the ultimate heaven is called the natural Divine from the spiritual and celestial. It is therefore clear why the Lord is in this place described as to His Divine Human, which is the Son of man, seen in the midst of the lampstands, not only as to His garments, but also as to His head, His chest and feet. (That the Son of man is the Lord as to the Divine Human, may be seen above, n. 63; and that the lampstands denote heaven, may be seen n. 62. But as these things are arcana hitherto unknown in the world, and nevertheless ought to be understood in order that the internal sense of this and the following parts of this prophetical book may be comprehended, they are therefore particularly and specifically described in the work, Heaven and Hell; as, that the Divine Human of the Lord constitutes heaven, n. 7-12, 78-86; that hence heaven in the aggregate has reference to one Man, n. 59-77; that there are three heavens, and that the highest refers to the head, the middle to the body, and the ultimate to the feet, n. 29-40.)

When these things are understood, it will be evident that by the feet of Jehovah, or of the Lord, in the Word, is signified the ultimate of Divine order, or the Natural; and because the external of the church, of worship, and of the Word, is the ultimate of Divine order in the church, and is the Natural, therefore this is specifically signified by the feet of Jehovah, or of the Lord.

[3] It was for this reason that, when the Lord was seen as an angel by the prophets, in other places, He was seen by them also in a similar manner. Thus by Daniel:

"I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz; his body also was like the beryl, and his eyes as torches of fire; his arms and his feet as the brightness of polished brass" (10:5, 6).

Similarly, the cherubs, which mean the Lord as to providence and protection (see Arcana Coelestia 9277, 9509, 9673), were seen by Ezekiel:

"Their feet sparkled as the brightness of polished brass" (1:7).

So also the Lord was afterwards seen as an angel, in the Apocalypse:

"I saw an angel coming down from heaven, clothed with a cloud; and a rainbow was about his head, and his face was as the sun, and his feet as pillars of fire" (10:1).

Because the Lord was thus seen as to the feet, therefore under the feet was seen, by some of the sons of Israel,

"as it were a work of sapphire stone, and as the substance of heaven in purity" (Exodus 24:10).

The reason why the Lord was not seen by them as to the feet, but under the feet, was, that they were not in the external of the church, of worship, and of the Word, but under it (as may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248). Since the feet of Jehovah, or the Lord, signify the ultimate of Divine order, and this is specifically the external of the church, of worship, and of the Word, therefore this is called His footstool in the Word, as in Isaiah:

"The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; I will make the place of my feet honourable. And they shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet" (60:13, 14).

Again:

"Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool" (66:1).

In Jeremiah:

God "doth not remember his footstool in the day of anger" (Lamentations 2:1).

And in David:

"Adore ye Jehovah, towards his footstool" (Psalms 99:5).

Again:

"We will go into his habitation; we will bow ourselves at his footstool" (Psalms 132:7).

And in Nahum:

"The clouds of Jehovah are the dust of his feet" (Nahum 1:3).

That cloud denotes the external of the Word, or the Word as to the letter, may be seen above, n. 36; and because cloud denotes the external of the Word, it also denotes the external of the church and of worship, for the church and worship are from the Word. It is said the dust of His feet, because those things which are in the sense of the letter of the Word, which sense is natural, appear scattered.

4453. 'Carry on trade throughout it, and have possessions in it' means matters of doctrine which, because they are comunicated, would accord with one another. This is clear from the meaning of 'carrying on trade" as acquiring cognitions for oneself and also communicating them, dealt with in 2967 - 'carrying on trade throughout the land' therefore meaning entering into the cognitions of good and truth which Shechem the son of Hamor and his city mean; and from the meaning of 'having posession of a land make one and accord with one another. The reason why 'carrying on trade' means acquiring cognitions for oneself and also communicating them is that in heaven, where the Word is perceived, which in general is the acquisition and communication of cognitions, and specifically the reality meant my whatever commodity is mentioned. For example, if gold is mentioned, the good of love and wisdom is understood, 113, 1551, 1552; if silver, the truth that belongs to intelligence and faith, 1551, 2048, 2954. If mention if made of sheep, rams, kids, or lambs with which people traded in ancient times, the kinds of things meant by sheep, rams, kids and lambs are understood; and so on.

[2] As in Ezekiel,

Say to Tyre, one that dwells upon the entrances of the seas, that she is the trader of the peoples to many islands: Tarshish was your merchant because of the abundance of all riches; silver, iron, tin, and lead, they exchanged for your wares. Javan, Tubal, and Meshech, they were your traders in the souls of men - and they gave vessels of bronze for your commerce. The sons of Dedan were your traders; many islands were the merchandise of your hand. Syria was your merchant in the multitude of your handiworks; Judah, and the land of Israel, they were your traders. Wheat of Minnith, and pannag, and honey, and oil, and balm they exchanged for your commerce. Damascus was your merchant in the multitude of your handiworks, because of the multitude of all riches - in the wine of Helbon, and the wool of Zahar. Dan and Javan traded with yarn for your wares. Dedan was your trader in chariot cloaks. ¹ . The Arab and all the princes of Kedar were the merchants of your hand, in lambs, and rams, and goats; in these were they your merchants. The traders of Sheba and Raamah, they were your traders in the best of every spice; and by means of every precious stone and gold they provided your tradings. Haran and Canneh and Eden, the traders of Sheba; Asshur, Chilmad, was your trader. These were your traders in choice wares - balls of violet, and embroidered garments; and treasure-chests of precious garments, bound cords, and objects made of cedar were among your merchandise. The ships of Tarshish were your squadrons in your merchandise from which you have been filled and made exceedingly honoured in the heart of the seas. Ezekiel 27:1-25.

[3] From here and many other paces in the Word it may be seen that tradings, commerce, merchandise, and wares mean nothing other than undertakings involving cognitions of good and truth. For what connection can the prophetical Word have with the trading activities of Tyre unless they mean things that are spiritual and celestial? That being so, it is quite clear not only that things other than wares are meant by 'wares' but also that the nations mentioned by name there mean people among whom these other things reside. It is also clear that no one can know what is meant by any of them except from the internal sense - what is meant by Tarshish, Javan, Tubal, Meshech, the sons of Dedan, Syria, Judah, Israel, Dan, Javan, Dedan, the Arab, Shebah, Raamah, Haran, Canneh, Eden, Asshur, and Chilmad. Nor can one know what is meant by their wares - by silver, iron, tin, lead, vessels of bronze, wheat, minnith, pannag, honey, oil, balm, the wine of Helbon, the wool of Zahar, yarn, chariot-cloaks, lambs, rams, goats, spices, precious stones, gold, balls of violet embroidered garments, bound cords, and objects made of cedar. These and others like them mean the goods and truths of the Church and of the Lord's kingdom, and the cognitions of those goods and truths. It is because Tyre means cognitions, 1201, that Tyre is the subject at this point in Ezekiel. And because such 'wares', that is, goods and truths, exist in the Church and the Lord's kingdom, the land of Canaan, which means the Church and the Lord's kingdom, was from most ancient times so named from a word meaning wares or merchandise, for this is what the name Canaan means in the original language. From all this one may now see what is meant by 'carrying on trade throughout the land'.

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