4007. Every one that had white in it. That this signifies in which there is truth, is evident from the signification of “white,” as being truth, but properly the Lord’s righteousness and merit, and derivatively the Lord’s righteousness and merit in man (see n. 3301, 3993). The reason why “white” has this signification, is that the light of heaven, which is from the Lord and is the source of brightness and whiteness, signifies truth; and therefore that which is enlightened by that light, and becomes shining and bright, is that which is called the Lord’s righteousness and merit in man. They who from good acknowledge and receive the Lord’s righteousness, and reject their own righteousness, are they who are specifically signified by “righteous,” concerning whom the Lord says in Matthew:

The righteous shall shine as the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43).

[2] That “shining or bright white” has this signification, is evident also from other passages in the Word; as in Moses:

His eyes shall be redder than wine, and his teeth whiter than milk (Genesis 49:12);

speaking of Judah, by whom is represented the Lord as to the Divine of His love; and in the internal sense, the celestial kingdom; and thus the celestial man (as may be seen above, n. 3881). The “eyes being redder than wine” signifies the Divine wisdom; and the “teeth whiter than milk,” the Divine righteousness.

In David:

Thou shalt purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow (Psalms 51:7);

“to wash,” and “to be made whiter than snow,” denotes to be purified from sins by the reception and putting on of the Lord’s righteousness.

In John:

In the midst of the seven candlesticks was one like unto the Son of man; His head and His hairs were white as white wool, as snow; and His eyes were as a flame of fire (Revelation 1:13-14).

[3] In the same:

Thou hast a few names in Sardis who have not defiled their garments, and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He that overcometh shall be clothed in white garments (Revelation 3:4-5).

In the same:

I counsel thee to buy of Me gold purified in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white garments that thou mayest be clothed (Revelation 3:18).

Again:

There were given to every soul under the altar white robes (Revelation 6:9-11).

Again:

I saw them standing before the throne, and before the Lamb, arrayed in white robes. And one of the elders said unto me, Who are these clothed in white robes? And whence came they? And I said unto him, My lord, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they who come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and have made their robes white in the blood of the lamb (Revelation 7:9, 13-14).

Again:

Angels clothed in linen white and shining, and girt about their breasts with golden girdles (Revelation 15:6).

Again:

I saw and behold a white horse, and he that sat thereon had a bow, and there was given unto him a crown (Revelation 6:2).

And again:

Afterwards I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse. His armies in heaven followed Him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen white and clean (Revelation 19:11, 14).

[4] In all these passages by “white” is signified the truth of faith; the “white garments” and “white robes” being nothing else. But the truth of faith does not belong to those who believe that they have faith of themselves, and thus are wise from themselves; but to those who believe they have faith and wisdom from the Lord, for to these are faith and wisdom given because they ascribe nothing of truth and good to themselves, still less believe that they have merit through the truths and goods they possess; and less still that they are justified thereby; but only by ascribing them to the Lord; thus all things to His grace and mercy. This is “putting on white garments;” and is also “being made white in the blood of the Lamb.” There are two things that are put off by all who enter into heaven, namely, their own and the consequent confidence, and the merit of self or of their own righteousness; and they put on a heavenly own which is from the Lord, and the Lord’s merit or righteousness; and the more they put on these, the more interiorly do they come into heaven. These two things are specifically signified by “red” and by “white;” by “red,” the good of love which they then have; and by “white,” the truth of faith.

2776. And offer him there for a burnt-offering. That this signifies that He should sanctify Himself to the Divine, is evident from the representation of a burnt-offering among the Hebrew nation and in the Jewish church, as being the most holy thing of their worship. There were burnt-offerings and there were sacrifices, and what these represented may be seen above (n. 922, 923, 1823, 2180). Their sanctifications were made by means of them, and hence it is that by “offering up for a burnt-offering” is here signified to be sanctified to the Divine, for the Lord Himself sanctified Himself to the Divine, that is, united His Human to His Divine by the combats and victories of temptations (see n. 1663, 1690, 1691 at the end, 1692, 1737, 1787, 1812, 1813, 1820).

[2] It is a common belief at this day that the burnt-offerings and sacrifices signified the Lord’s passion, and that by this the Lord made expiation for the iniquities of all; indeed, that He took them upon Himself, and thus bore them; and that those who believe are in this manner justified and saved, provided they think, even though it were in the last hour before death, that the Lord suffered for them, no matter how they may have lived during the whole course of their life.

But the case is not really so: the passion of the cross was the extremity of the Lord’s temptation, by which He fully united His Human to His Divine and His Divine to His Human, and thus glorified Himself. This very union is the means by which those who have the faith in Him which is the faith of charity, can be saved. For the supreme Divine Itself could no longer reach to the human race, which had removed itself so far from the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith, that men no longer even acknowledged them, and still less perceived them. In order therefore that the supreme Divine might be able to come down to man in such a state, the Lord came into the world and united His Human to the Divine in Himself; which union could not be effected otherwise than by the most grievous combats of temptations and by victories, and at length by the last, which was that of the cross.

[3] Hence it is that the Lord can from His Divine Human illumine minds, even those far removed from the celestial things of love, provided they are in the faith of charity. For the Lord in the other life appears to the celestial angels as a Sun, and to the spiritual as a Moon (n. 1053, 1521, 1529, 1530, 2441, 2495), whence comes all the light of heaven. This light of heaven is of such a nature that when it illumines the sight of spirits and angels, it also illumines their understanding at the same time.

This is inherent in that light, so that in heaven so much as anyone has of external light, so much has he of internal light, that is, so much of understanding; which shows wherein the light of heaven differs from the light of the world. It is the Lord’s Divine Human which illuminates both the sight and the understanding of the spiritual; which would not take place if the Lord had not united His Human Essence to His Divine Essence; and if He had not united them, man in the world would no longer have had any capacity of understanding and perceiving what is good and true, nor indeed would a spiritual angel in heaven have had any; so that they would have had nothing of blessedness and happiness, consequently nothing of salvation. From this we can see that the human race could not have been saved unless the Lord had assumed the Human and glorified it.

[4] Hence then anyone may infer what truth there is in the idea that men are saved if they only think from a kind of interior emotion that the Lord suffered for them, and took away their sins, however they may have lived; whereas the light of heaven from the Lord’s Divine Human cannot reach to any but those who live in the good of faith, that is, in charity; or what is the same, those who have conscience. The very plane into which that light can operate, or the receptacle of that light, is the good of faith, or charity, and thus conscience. (That the spiritual have salvation from the Lord’s Divine Human, may be seen above, n. 1043, 2661, 2716, 2718)