9424. ‘Et ecce Aharon et Chur vobiscum’: quod significet doctrinam veri ex Verbo tali, constat a repraesentatione ‘Aharonis’ quod sit Verbum in sensu externo, et quoque doctrina boni et veri, de qua n. 6998, 7009, 7089, hic doctrina veri ex solo illo sensu, quia per ‘seniores’ quibus Aharon infra montem praeerat ut caput, significantur qui in sensu Verbi externo ¹ , n. 9421; et ex repraesentatione ‘Churis’ cum adjungitur Aharoni, quod sit verum illius doctrinae: ut quoque Chur quando una cum Aharone sustentavit manus Moschis Exod. 17:10, 12 ² , n. 8603, 8611; vera enim ex Verbo, ex quibus doctrina, sustentant Verbum, quod per ‘Moscheh’ tunc repraesentabatur.

[2] Hic quia iterum datur locus, paucis dicetur quomodo se habet cum sustentatione Verbi ex Doctrina quae ex Verbo: qui non scit arcana caeli non aliter credere potest quam quod Verbum absque doctrina inde sustentetur; putat enim quod Verbum in littera seu Verbi sensus litteralis sit ipsa doctrina, sed sciendum est quod omnis doctrina Ecclesiae ³ erit ex Verbo, et quod doctrina aliunde quam ex Verbo non sit doctrina in qua aliquid Ecclesiae, minus aliquid caeli inest; sed doctrina colligenda est ex Verbo, et cum colligitur, homo in illustratione erit a Domino, et in illustratione est ⁴ cum in amore veri propter verum et non propter se et mundum; illi sunt qui illustrantur in Verbo ⁵ cum legunt illud, et verum vident, et doctrinam inde sibi faciunt; causa quod ita sit, est quia tales communicant cum caelo, ita cum Domino, et sic a Domino illustrati ducuntur ad videndum vera Verbi qualia sunt in caelo; influit enim Dominus per caelum in intellectum eorum, intellectus enim interior hominis est qui illustratur; et Dominus simul tunc influit cum fide, quae datur media cooperatione novae voluntatis, cujus est affici vero propter verum; ex his nunc constare potest quomodo doctrina veri et boni ⁶ datur homini a Domino.

[3] Quod haec doctrina sustentet Verbum quoad sensum ejus litteralem seu externum, patet unicuivis qui expendit; quisque enim in Ecclesia qui ex doctrina cogitat videt vera in Verbo ex sua doctrina et secundum eam, et quae cum ea non coincidunt explicat, et quae apparent ei opposita transit quasi non videns aut non intelligens; quod similiter omnes faciant, etiam haeretici, notum est; at qui in genuina doctrina veri ex Verbo sunt et in illustratione cum legunt Verbum, illi vident vera concordantia ubivis et prorsus nihil repugnans; non enim haerent in talibus ibi quae secundum apparentias et secundum captum vulgarem hominis dicta sunt, quia sciunt quod si ⁷ apparentiae evolvantur et quasi exfascientur, pateat ibi verum in nudo; falsa ex - ⁸ fallaciis sensuum externorum nec illos seducunt sicut haereticos et fanaticos, imprimis Judaeos et ⁹ Socinianos, nec falsa ex amoribus sui et mundi sicut illos qui per Babelem intelliguntur; hi et illi quia non ¹⁰ illustrari possunt, doctrinam ex solo sensu externo ad favorem suorum amorum concludunt, et plura ex proprio superaddunt, inde Verbum nullatenus sustentatur sed corruit. Sciendum est quod sensus internus Verbi contineat doctrinam Ecclesiae genuinam.

[4] Ex his nunc patet qualis doctrina repraesentatur hic per ‘Aharonem et Churem’, quae quia ex solo sensu externo Verbi absque interno, mere idololatrica fuit; quapropter de Aharone, per quem repraesentabatur doctrina talis, dicitur quod ille idolum seu vitulum aureum fecerit, Exod. 32:2-5, 21, 35; Deut. 9:20 ¹¹ ; in Verbo etiam per ‘idola’ describuntur tales doctrinae, ¹² ut passim apud prophetas:

apud Ezechielem,

Intravi et vidi omnia idola domus Israelis; depictum super pariete circumcirca; et septuaginta viri de senioribus domus Israelis stantes coram illis, ac ¹³ cuique turibulum in manu sua, et abundantia nubis suffimenti ascendens, 8: [10, ] 11; hic ‘idola domus Israelis’ sunt doctrinae ex solo sensu externo Verbi, non per illustrationem a Domino sed per propriam intelligentiam, ita falsa; cultus secundum ¹⁴ illa significatur per ‘turibulum in manu cujusvis’ et per ‘abundantiam nubis suffimenti’:

[5] apud Hoscheam, Addunt peccare, faciunt sibi fusile ex argento suo, in intelligentia sua opus artificum totum; ipsis illis dicentes; sacrificantes hominem, vitulos osculantur, 13:2;

‘sculptile ex argento suo’ et ‘opus artificum totum’ pro doctrina ex propria intelligentia et non ex Domino, ita ex sensu Verbi externo separato ab interno; quod fit apud illos qui solum in externis sunt et non simul in internis, hoc est, apud illos qui in amoribus sui et mundi, et non in amore in Dominum et in amore erga proximum ¹⁵ :

[6] apud Esaiam,

In die illo projiciet homo idola argenti sui et idola auri sui quae fecerunt sibi ad incurvandum se talpis et ¹⁶ vespertilionibus, ad intrandum in fissuras petrarum, et in fissuras rupium, 2:20, 21, 31:7;

‘idola argenti’ pro falsis doctrinae et ‘idola auri’ pro malis doctrinae ‘incurvare se talpis et ¹⁶ vespertilionibus, ¹⁷ ac intrare in fissuras petrarum et rupium’ pro cultu ex falsis et malis fidei:

[7] apud eundem,

Immundum judicabitis tegumentum sculptilium argenti tui et amictum fusilis auri tui; disperges ea sicut menstruatum, stercus vocabis id, 30:22;

‘tegumentum sculptilium argenti et amictus fusilis auri’ pro scientificis falsi et mali, quae pro veris et bonis agnoscuntur et coluntur:

apud eundem,

Indicavi tibi ex tunc ne diceres, Idolum meum fecit haec, et sculptile meum, et fusile meum praecepit ea, 48:5;

hic quoque ‘idolum, sculptile, et fusile’ pro doctrinalibus ex propria intelligentia:

[8] apud Jeremiam,

Stultus factus est omnis homo a scientia, pudore affectus est omnis conflator a sculptili, quia mendacium fusile ejus, neque spiritus in eis; vanitas illa, opus errorum, 10:14, 15; ¹⁸ etiam hic ‘sculptile et fusile’ pro doctrinalibus ex propria intelligentia, quae in externa forma, quia ex sensu externo Verbi, apparent sicut vera, sed in interna forma sunt falsa; inde dicitur ‘is homo stultus a scientia, et fusile mendacium, et non spiritus in eis’, tum ‘vanitas et opus errorum’: similiter apud Habakuk, Quid prodest sculptile, quia sculpsit illud fabricator ejus, fusile et doctor mendacii, quia confidit fabricator figmenti sui super hoc? 2:18:

[9] apud Esaiam,

Sculptile fundit artifex, et conflator auro obducit illud, et catenas argenti ¹⁹ conflat, artificem sapientem quaerit sibi ad praeparandum sculptile, 40:19, 20;

hic similiter ‘sculptile’ pro ²⁰ doctrinali ex propria intelligentia; verosimilitas quae ei inducitur per Verbum ex solo ejus sensu externo, et simul ex fallaciis et apparentiis externis, significatur per quod ‘conflator auro obducat illud, et catenas argenti conflet’, et quod ‘artificem sapientem quaerat ad praeparandum illud’:

[10] apud eundem,

Formatores sculptilis omnes vanitas, et desideratissima eorum non prosunt; fabricat ferrum forcipe, et operatur carbone, et malleis acutis format illud; sic operatur illud per brachium roboris sui; fabricat ligna, extendit filum, et describit illud amussi, facit illud in angulos, et circulo definit illud, ut faciat illud in forma viri juxta pulchritudinem hominis ad habitandum in domo, 44:9-18;

describitur hic quomodo doctrina ex propria intelligentia et non ex aliqua illustratione a Domino formatur, et quomodo falsis inducitur similitudo veri per applicationes Verbi ex solo sensu ejus externo et per ratiocinationes ex fallaciis sensuum; quare dicitur ut ‘faciat illud in forma viri juxta pulchritudinem hominis ad habitandum in domo’; inde est ²¹ similitudo veri in externa forma sed falsitas in interna; falsitas in interna forma est cum non recte cogitatur de veris, nam de una eademque veritate aliter cogitatur ab ²² uno et aliter ab altero, at false ab omnibus illis qui in malo; una enim veritas ex infinitis aliis veritatibus consistit, at apud illos qui in malo ex infinitis falsitatibus inde apud hos veritati ²³ isti nulla vita inest, quod intelligitur per quod non spiritus eis, et quod non audiant, nec videant, nec intelligant, Ps. 115:4-6 ²⁴ ; ²⁵ Jer. 51:17;

se habet hoc sicut cum pictura ad similitudinem hominis in qua intus nihil nisi lutum respective ad formam ipsius hominis in qua intus vita et pulchritudo caelestis, si inibi veri ex bono.

Poznámky pod čarou:

9. When one knows that all names in the Word signify things, and that the names of the twelve sons of Jacob, or of the twelve tribes, signify all truths and goods of the church in the complex; and in like manner, the names of the twelve disciples of the Lord; and that "Peter," "James," and "John" signify faith, charity, and the good of charity; he can see many arcana in the Word; as for example, why:

The Lord gave the name Peter to Simon, and to James and John the name Boanerges, which means sons of thunder (Mark 3:16-17).

For "Peter," like petra [rock], signifies the Lord as to truth from good, or faith from charity; and "sons of thunder" signify those who from affection, which is of love, receive the truths of heaven. (That "rock" signifies the Lord in respect to truth from good, or faith from charity, see Arcana Coelestia 8581, 10580; in like manner the "stone of Israel," n. 6426; that "thunders" signify Divine truths from heaven 7573, 8914; and "lightning" the splendors thereof, n. 8813; whence thunders were also called "voices," 7573, 8914)

[2] I will here mention some arcana that may be seen by those who are aware that "Peter" signifies faith, and "John" the good of charity. First, why the Lord said to Peter:

I also say unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build My church; and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 16:18-19).

It appears from the letter, as if that power was given to Peter, when in fact no power was given to Peter; but it was so said to him because "Peter" signified truth from good, which is from the Lord; and truth from good, which is from the Lord, has all power, thus the Lord has all power from good through truth. (That this is so may be seen illustrated in the small work on The Last Judgment 57.) A second arcanum that may be seen, when it is known that "Peter" signifies faith, is, why the Lord said to him, that:

Before the cock crowed, he would deny Him thrice; which also came to pass (Matthew 26:34).

By these words is signified, that in the last time of the church there would be no faith in the Lord, because no charity; for "cock-crowing," as well as "twilight," signifies the last time of the church (n. Arcana Coelestia 10134); and "three" or "thrice," signifies what is complete to the end (n. Arcana Coelestia 2788, 4495, 5159, 9198, 10127. That the end of the church is when there is no faith, because no charity, see in the small work on The Last Judgment 33-39, seq.).

[3] A third arcanum that may be seen is what is signified by the following words concerning Peter and John:

Jesus saith to Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs. He saith to him again a second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Tend My sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, Lovest thou Me? And he saith unto Him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love Thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed My sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou wast younger, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shall be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and bear thee whither thou wouldest not. And when He had thus spoken, He saith unto him, Follow Me. Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved, following, and he saith, Lord, What shall this one [do]? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me (John 21:15-22).

What these things signify no one can know unless he knows the internal sense, and knows that "Peter" signifies faith, and "John" the good of charity, thus that "Peter" signifies those in the church who are in faith, and "John" those who are in the good of charity.

That Jesus said to Peter three times, "Lovest thou Me?" and that Peter said three times, "Thou knowest that I love Thee," and that Jesus then said, "Feed My lambs," and "Feed My sheep," signifies that those who are in faith from love, ought to instruct those who are in the good of love to the Lord, and in the good of charity towards the neighbor; for those who are in faith from love are also in truths, and those who from this are in truths, instruct concerning good, and lead to good; for all spiritual good that a man has, is gained and implanted by truths.

(That "lambs" signify those who are in the good of innocence and of love to the Lord, may be seen inArcana Coelestia 3994, 10132; that "sheep" signify those who are in the good of charity towards the neighbor, n. 4169, 4809; and that "to feed" is to instruct, n. 5201, 6078)

[4] Faith, as it was to be in the first period of the church and as it was to be in the last, is then described by the Lord. The first period of the church is meant by "when thou wast younger," and its last by "when thou shalt be old." That when Peter "was younger he girded himself and walked whither he would," signifies that in the first period of the church men would imbibe truths from the good of charity and would act from freedom; for to act from freedom is to act from the affection of truth from good. "When thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee and lead thee whither thou wouldest not," signifies that in the last period of the church they would no longer imbibe truths from the good of charity, thus would not know them in any other way than as declared by another; and thus would be in a servile state; for a servile state ensues when good does not lead. (That "garments" signify truths, see Arcana Coelestia 1073, 2576, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216, 9952, 10536; and that therefore to "gird oneself" denotes to imbibe and perceive truths, n. 9952. That to "walk" is to act and live; to act from freedom is to act from love or affection, since what a man loves that he does freely, n. 2870, 3158, 8987, 8990, 9585, 9591. That every church begins from charity, but that in process of time it turns aside to faith, and at length to faith alone, n. 1834, 1835, 2231, 4683, 8094.)

[5] Since, in the last period of the church, faith becomes such that it rejects the good of charity, saying that faith alone constitutes the church and is saving, and not the good of life which is charity, Jesus said to Peter, by whom such faith is here meant, "Follow Me; and Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved, following; and he saith, Lord, what shall this one [do]?" By this is signified that faith, in the last period of the church, would turn itself away from the Lord; for it is said of Peter, by whom such faith is signified, that "turning about, he saw;" also that he said of the disciple whom Jesus loved, or of John, by whom is signified the good of charity, "what shall this one [do]?" that is, that he is not anything. But Jesus said to him, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me." By this is signified that the good of charity will follow the Lord, and will acknowledge Him, even to the last period of the old church, and the first of the new. (That the last period of the old church is called "the consummation of the age," and the beginning of the new church "the coming of the Lord," see Arcana Coelestia 4535, 10622) A fourth arcanum that may be seen is, why the Lord loved John above the rest of the disciples, and consequently why John lay on the breast or in the bosom of the Lord (John 13:23; 21:20); namely, because the good of love was what the Lord saw when He beheld John, who represented and signified that good; since it is that good that constitutes heaven and the church (See the work on Heaven and Hell 13-19). A fifth arcanum is manifest when it is known that John represented the good of love, namely, what is signified by the words of the Lord from the cross to the mother Mary and to John:

When Jesus therefore seeth His mother, and the disciple standing by whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son. Then He saith to the disciple, Behold thy mother. And from that hour the disciple took her unto his own home (John 19:26, 27).

By "mother" and by "woman" is here meant the church, and by "John" the good of charity; and by the things here said, that the church will be where the good of charity is. (That by "woman," in the Word, is meant the church, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia 252-253, 749, 770, 3160, 6014, 7337, 8994; that the like is signified by "mother," n. 289, 2691, 2717, 3703, 4257, 5581, 8897, 10490. That to "take her unto his own home" is that these should dwell together, is evident.)

From this it can now be seen how great arcana lie concealed in the Word, which are laid open to those only who know its internal or spiritual sense. Apart from that sense it cannot be known, moreover, what is signified when it is said:

That the apostles shall sit upon twelve thrones, and shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:30).

By "apostles" here are meant not apostles, but all truths from good, which are from the Lord; thus by these words is signified that the Lord alone will judge all from truths that are from good, thus that everyone will be judged according to those truths.

10132. 'Lambs, the sons of a year, each day' means the good of innocence in every state. This is clear from the meaning of 'lambs' as the good of innocence, dealt with below; from the meaning of 'the sons of a year' as a form of it that is child-like but has truths implanted in it, also dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'each day' as in every state. For 'a day' means a state, and 'the morning' and 'the evening' of a day, when the burnt offerings of lambs were presented, mean every state.

'A day' means a state, see 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850, 7680.

Changes of states are like the changes in a day of morning, midday, evening, night, and morning again, 5672, 5962, 6110, 8426.

[2] The fact that the good of innocence is meant by 'lambs' is clear from places in the Word where 'lambs' are mentioned, as in Isaiah,

The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child will lead them. A suckling will play over the viper's hole, and a weaned child will put out his hand onto the basilisk's den. They will not corrupt themselves on all My holy mountain. And it will happen on that day, that the nations will seek the root of Jesse, who is standing as an ensign of the peoples; and His rest will be glory. Isaiah 11:6, 8-10.

These words describe the state of peace and innocence in the heavens and in the Church after the Lord came into the world. And because a state of peace and innocence is being described the lamb, kid, and calf are mentioned, also a little child, suckling, and weaned child, every one of which means the good of innocence. Inmost good of innocence is meant by 'the lamb', interior good of innocence by 'the kid', and exterior good of innocence by 'the calf'; and these three degrees of good are likewise meant by 'a child', 'a suckling', and 'a weaned one'. 'The holy mountain' is heaven and the Church where the good of innocence resides; 'the nations' are those who have that good within them; and 'the root of Jesse' is the Lord, who is the source of that good. For the good of love coming from Him and offered back to Him, also called celestial good, constitutes the good of innocence.

[3] 'The lamb' means the good of innocence in general, and the inmost good of innocence in particular. This is clear from the fact that it is mentioned first, and also from the fact that the Lord Himself is referred to as the Lamb, as will be seen below.

'The kid' means the interior good of innocence, see 3519, 4871.

'The calf (or young bull)' means the exterior good of innocence, 430, 9391.

'A child' means innocence, 5236, as do 'a suckling', 'a weaned child', that is, an infant, 430, 2280, 3183, 3494, 5608.

'The holy mountain' is where the good of love to the Lord resides, 6435, 8758.

'The nations' means those who have that good within them, 1416, 6005.

That the good of love to the Lord, called celestial good, constitutes the good of innocence is clear from those who are in the inmost heaven. Because they have that good within them they appear naked, as young children; they do so because nakedness depicts innocence, as does early childhood, see the places referred to in 9277, and what has been stated in 3887, 9680.

[4] It says that 'the wolf will dwell with the lamb' because 'the wolf' means those who are opposed to innocence, as also in the same prophet,

The wolf and the lamb will feed together. They will not do evil nor destroy on all My holy mountain. Isaiah 65:25.

And in Luke,

Jesus said to the disciples whom He sent out, Behold, I send you out as lambs in the midst of wolves. Luke 10:3.

[5] Since the Lord when He was in the world was - as to His Human - Innocence itself, and since for this reason innocence emanates wholly from Him, the Lord is called the Lamb, and the Lamb of God, as in Isaiah,

Send the Lamb of the Ruler of the land from the rock towards the wilderness, to the mountain of the daughter of Zion. Isaiah 16:1.

In the same prophet,

He was oppressed and He was afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth. He is led like a lamb to the slaughter. Isaiah 53:7.

In John,

John the Baptist saw Jesus coming; he said, Behold, the Lamb of God who bears away the sin of the world. John 1:29, 36.

In Revelation,

The Lamb who is in the midst of the throne will feed them and will guide them to living springs of water. Revelation 7:17.

And elsewhere in the same book,

These are the ones who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins; these are the ones who follow the Lamb wherever He goes. These were bought from men (homo), being the firstfruits to God and the Lamb. Revelation 14:4.

And many times elsewhere in Revelation besides these two places, such as Revelation 5:6, 8, 12-13; 6:1, 16; 7:9-10, 14; 12:11; 13:8; 14:1; 15:3; 17:14; 19:7, 9; 21:9, 14, 22-23, 27; 22:1, 3.

[6] It was because those who possess innocence are meant by 'lambs' that the Lord first told Peter Feed My lambs, then afterwards Feed My sheep, and again, Feed My sheep, John 21:15-17. 'Lambs' in this instance are those who are governed by the good of love to the Lord, for they possess the good of innocence more than all others, whereas 'sheep' are those governed by the good of charity towards the neighbour and those governed by the good of faith.

[7] The word 'lambs' is used with a similar meaning in Isaiah,

Behold, the Lord Jehovih comes with might, and His arm exercises dominion for Him. He will pasture His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs into His arm, He will carry them in His bosom, He will gently lead the sucklings ¹ . Isaiah 40:10-11.

These verses refer, it is evident, to the Lord. Since those who are governed by love to Him and who for this reason possess the good of innocence are meant by 'lambs' it is said that 'He will gather them into His arm' and 'He will carry them in His bosom'. For these people are joined to the Lord through love, and love is spiritual togetherness. And this also is why those verses go on to say, 'He will gently lead the sucklings', for sucklings and young children are those who possess the good of innocence, 430, 2280, 3183, 3494.

[8] From all this one may now see what the burnt offerings and sacrifices of lambs mean, why they were offered each day, on each sabbath, at each new moon, at each feast, and every day during the feast of Passover, and why at the feast of Passover the lamb called the Passover lamb was eaten, spoken of as follows in Moses,

This month shall be for you the head of months; the first shall it be for you in respect of months of the year. You shall take a member of the flock, a male, from the lambs or from the kids. And they shall take some of the blood and put it onto the [two] doorposts and onto the lintel, and onto the houses in which they will eat it. They shall not eat any of it raw or boiled in water, but roasted with fire. Exodus 12:1ff.

The feast of Passover was a sign of the deliverance from damnation of those who receive the Lord in love and faith, 9286-9292, thus who possess the good of innocence; for the good of innocence is inmostly present in love and faith and is their soul. This is why it says that they were to put the animal's blood onto doorposts, lintel, and houses; for where the good of innocence is, hell cannot come in. The reason why they were to eat it roasted with fire was that this was a sign of the good of celestial love, which is the good of love to the Lord received from the Lord.

[9] Because a lamb was a sign of innocence, when the days [of purification] after giving birth had been fulfilled a lamb, the son of a year ² was offered as a burnt offering, and a young pigeon or else a turtledove was offered as a sacrifice, Leviticus 12:6. The young pigeon or the turtledove was a sign of innocence, just as the lamb was. By 'giving birth' is meant in the spiritual sense the Church's giving birth, giving birth to the good of love; for no other kind of birth is thought of in heaven. And by the burnt offering and sacrifice of those creatures is meant purification from evils by means of the good of innocence; for this good is what the Divine flows into and uses to effect such purification.

[10] The reason why someone who sinned through error had to offer a lamb or a a female kid, or two turtledoves, or two young pigeons as a guilt-offering, Leviticus 5:1-13, was that 'sin through error' is sin owing to lack of knowledge, and if the lack of knowledge has innocence within it purification takes place. Regarding a Nazirite also it says that when he had completed his Naziriteship he had to offer a lamb, the son of a year ² , as a burnt offering, a ewe lamb, the daughter of a year ² , as a sin-sacrifice, and one ram as a eucharistic sacrifice, and also a basket of unleavened bread, cakes mixed with oil, and wafers of unleavened bread anointed with oil, Numbers 6:13-15. All these - the lamb, ewe lamb, ram, unleavened bread, cakes, wafers, and oil - mean celestial things, that is, aspects of love to the Lord received from the Lord. The reason why they were offered as a sacrifice by a Nazirite after the days of his Naziriteship had been fulfilled was that a Nazirite represented the celestial man, or the Lord in respect of the Divine Celestial, 3301, the Divine Celestial being what is Divine and the Lord's in the inmost heaven, and what is Divine there being innocence.

[11] From all this it may be recognized that 'a lamb' means the good of innocence, for all beasts that were sacrificed meant some aspect of the Church. It may be recognized primarily from the fact that the Lord Himself is called the Lamb, as is clear from the places referred to above; also that those people are called 'lambs' who love the Lord, as in Isaiah 40:10-11, and in John 21:15; and in addition that upright people are called 'sheep', for example in Matthew 15:21-29; 25:31-41; 26:31; John 10:7-16, 26-31; 21:16-17, and elsewhere, while bad people are called 'goats', Matthew 25:32; Zechariah 10:3; Daniel 8:5-11, 25. All useful and gentle beasts mean good affections and inclinations, while useless and savage ones mean evil affections and inclinations, see the places referred to in 9280.

[12] The good of innocence is meant not only by 'a lamb' but also by 'a ram' and by 'a young bull'. But the difference is that the inmost good of innocence is meant by 'a lamb', interior or middle good of innocence by 'a ram', and external good of innocence by 'a young bull'; for a person has an external level, an internal level, and an inmost level, on each of which the good of innocence must be present if the person is to be regenerate, the good of innocence being the very essence of all good. Because those three degrees of innocence are meant by a young bull, a ram, and a lamb, these three animals were offered as a sacrifice and a burnt offering whenever purification by means of that good was represented. That is, they were offered at each new moon, at feasts, on the day of firstfruits, and when the altar was consecrated, as is evident in Numbers 7:15, 21, 27, 33ff; 28:1-end; 29:1-end. For the meaning of 'a young bull' as the external good of innocence, 29:see9391, 9990, and that of 'a ram' as the internal good of innocence, 10042. As regards what innocence is, what it is like with young children, what it is like with the simple lacking in knowledge, and what it is like with the wise, see the places referred to in 10021(end).

[13] When it says that the lamb to be offered as a burnt offering had to be 'the son of a year', the meaning was that then it was a lamb; for when it was more than a year old it was a sheep. And since a lamb was so to speak an infant sheep, the kind of good that belongs to infancy or early childhood, which is the good of innocence, was meant by it. This also was why lambs were offered as a burnt offering in the first month of the year, when the Passover was celebrated, Exodus 12:2ff, Numbers 28:16, 19; on the day of firstfruits, Numbers 28:26-27; and on the day on which the sheaf was waved, Leviticus 23:11-12. For by the first month of the year, the day of firstfruits, and the day of waving the sheaf the state of early childhood, and so the state of innocence, was also meant.

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