Arcana Coelestia #4922
4922. 'And bound on his hand a twice-dyed thread' means that a sign was placed on it, namely on that power - 'twice-dyed' meaning good. This is clear from the meaning of 'binding on the hand' as placing a sign on power, for 'the hand' means power, 4920; and from the meaning of 'twice-dyed' as good, in particular spiritual good. The reason 'twice-dyed' means spiritual good is that this expression describes a shade of scarlet, and in the next life whenever one sees scarlet spiritual good is meant, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour. For all colours clearly visible in the next life mean something connected with good and truth since they are products of the light of heaven, which essentially is wisdom and intelligence flowing from the Lord's Divine. The variegations or modifications of that light are consequently variegations and so to speak modifications of wisdom and intelligence, and therefore of good and truth. For details about the light in heaven flowing from the Lord's Divine wisdom and intelligence, where the Lord is seen as the Sun, see 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 2776, 3138, 3167, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3225, 3337, 3339, 3340, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3862, 3993, 4180, 4214, 4302, 4405, 4408, 4413, 4415, 4523-4533; and for details about colours having their origin in that light and about their being variegations and modifications of that light, and therefore of intelligence and wisdom, 1042, 1043, 1053, 1624, 3993, 4530, 4677, 4742.
[2] As regards 'twice-dyed' meaning spiritual good, this is evident from places in the Word where this expression is used, as in Jeremiah,
If therefore you have been laid waste, what will you do? If you clothe yourself in twice-dyed and deck yourself with ornaments of gold, in vain will you make yourself beautiful; your lovers will abhor you. Jeremiah 4:30.
This refers to Judah. 'Clothing yourself in twice-dyed' stands for spiritual good, 'decking yourself with ornaments of gold' for celestial good. In 2 Samuel,
David lamented over Saul and over Jonathan, and wrote it down that they teach the children of Judah the bow. Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul who clothed you in twice-dyed delicately, 1 and placed an ornament of gold on your apparel. 2 Samuel 1:17-18, 24.
Here 'teaching the bow' stands for teaching the doctrine of love and charity, for 'the bow' means that doctrine. 'Clothing in twice-dyed' stands for spiritual good, as previously, and 'placing an ornament of gold on one's apparel' for celestial good.
[3] Such being the meaning of 'twice-dyed', instructions were also given to use twice-dyed scarlet on the curtains of the Dwelling-place, the veil, the covering for the door of the tent, the covering to the gate of the court, the table of the Presence when they were about to set out, Aaron's sacred vestments such as the ephod, the breastplate of judgement, and the fringes of the robe of the ephod:
The curtains of the Dwelling-place
You shall make for the Dwelling-place ten curtains - fine-twined linen, and violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet. Exodus 26:1.
The veil
You shall make a veil of violet and purple, and of twice-dyed scarlet, and of fine-twined linen. Exodus 26:31.
The covering for the door of the tent
You shall make a covering for the door of the tent, of violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet, and of fine-twined linen. Exodus 26:36.
[4] The covering to the gate of the court
For the gate of the court you shall make a covering of violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined linen, the work of an embroiderer. Exodus 27:16.
The table of the Presence when they were about to set out
When the camp sets out they shall spread over the table of the Presence a cloth of twice-dyed scarlet, and shall cover this with a covering of badger skin. Numbers 4:8.
The ephod
You shall make an ephod out of gold, violet and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, fine-twined linen, the work of a craftsman; and the girdle similarly. Exodus 28:5-6, 8; 39:2-3.
The breastplate of judgement
You shall make the breastplate of judgement, the work of a craftsman, like the work of the ephod, out of gold, violet, and purple. and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined linen. Exodus 28:15.
The fringes of the robe of the ephod
Pomegranates of violet, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet. Exodus 28:33.
[5] It was because the Tent of Meeting with the Ark in it represented heaven that the colours mentioned in these places were required. They meant in their order celestial and spiritual things, as follows: 'Violet and purple' meant celestial kinds of good and truth, 'twice-dyed scarlet and fine-twined linen' spiritual kinds of good and truth. Anyone believing that the Word is holy can recognize that each has a specific meaning, and anyone believing that the Word is holy for the reason that it has been sent down from the Lord by way of heaven can recognize that the celestial and spiritual things belonging to His kingdom are meant. Similar instructions were given, in cleansings from leprosy, to use 'cedarwood, scarlet, and hyssop', Leviticus 14:4, 6, 52; and to cast 'cedarwood and hyssop and twice-dyed of purple' on to the fire in which the red heifer was being burned, from which the water of separation was prepared, Numbers 19:6.
[6] The profanation of good and truth is described by similar words in John,
I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names. It had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet. and covered 2 with gold and precious stones and pearls. holding in her hand a golden cup, full of abominations and the uncleanness of whoredom. Revelation 17:3-4.
And after this,
Woe, woe, the great city, you that were clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and covered' with gold and precious stones and pearls. Revelation 18:16.
This refers to 'Babel' by which the profanation of good is meant, 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326, in this case the profanation both of good and of truth, which is 'Babylonian'. Among the Prophets in the Old Testament 'Babel' describes the profanation of good and 'Chaldea' the profanation of truth.
[7] In the contrary sense 'scarlet' means the evil that is the contrary of spiritual good, as in Isaiah,
Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. Though they are red as crimson, 3 they will be as wool. Isaiah 1:18.
The reason 'scarlet' means this evil is that 'blood', likewise, because of its red colour, in the genuine sense means spiritual good or charity towards the neighbour, and in the contrary sense violence done to charity, 374, 1005.
Notas a pie de página:
Tredje Mosebog 9
1
Den ottende Dag kaldte Moses Aron og hans Sønner og Israels Ældste til sig
2
og sagde til Aron: "Tag dig en Kalv til Syndoffer og en Væder til Brændoffer, begge uden Lyde, og før dem frem for HE
ENs Åsyn.
3
Og tal således til Israeliterne: Tag eder en Gedebuk til Syndoffer, en Kalv og et Lam, begge årgamle og uden Lyde, til Brændoffer
4
og en Okse og en Væder til Takoffer for at ofre dem for HE
ENs Åsyn og desuden et Afgrødeoffer, rørt i Olie; thi i Dag vil HE
EN vise sig for eder!"
5
Da tog de, hvad Moses havde pålagt dem, og bragte det hen foran Åbenbaringsteltet; og hele Menigheden trådte frem og stillede sig for HE
ENs Åsyn.
6
Og Moses sagde: "Det er dette, HE
EN har pålagt eder at gøre, for at HE
ENs Herlighed kan vise sig for eder."
7
Så sagde Moses til Aron: "Træd hen til Alteret og bring dit Syndoffer og dit Brændoffer for at skaffe dig og dit Hus Soning og bring så Folkets Offergave for at skaffe det Soning, således som HE
EN har påbudt!"
8
Da trådte Aron hen til Alteret og slagtede sin Syndofferkalv;
9
og Arons Sønner bragte ham Blodet, og han dyppede sin Finger i Blodet og strøg det på Alterets Horn; men
esten af Blodet hældte han ud ved Alterets Fod.
10
Derpå bragte han Syndofferets Fedt, Nyrer og Leverlap som
øgoffer på Alteret, således som HE
EN havde pålagt Moses;
11
men Kødet og Huden opbrændte han uden for Lejren.
12
Derefter slagtede han Brændofferet, og Arons Sønner rakte ham Blodet, og han sprængte det rundt om på Alteret.
13
Så rakte de ham Brændofferet, Stykke for Stykke, tillige med Hovedet, og han bragte det som
øgoffer på Alteret.
14
Men Indvoldene og Skinnebenene tvættede han med Vand og bragte det derpå som
øgoffer oven på Brændofferet på Alteret.
15
Derefter frembar han Folkets Offergave. Først tog han Folkets Syndofferbuk, slagtede den og ofrede den som Syndoffer på samme Måde som den før nævnte;
16
så frembar han Brændofferet og ofrede det på den foreskrevne Måde;
17
derefter frembar han Afgrødeofferet, tog en Håndfuld deraf og bragte det som
øgoffer på Alteret foruden det daglige Morgenbrændoffer;
18
så slagtede han Oksen og Væderen som Takoffer fra Folket. Og Arons Sønner rakte ham Blodet, og han sprængte det rundt om på Alteret.
19
Men Fedtstykkerne af Oksen og Væderen, Fedthalen, Fedtet på Indvoldene, Nyrerne og Leverlappen,
20
disse Fedtdele lagde de oven på Bryststykkerne, og Fedtstykkerne bragte han som
øgoffer på Alteret,
21
men med Bryststykkerne og højre Kølle udførte Aron Svingningen for HE
ENs Åsyn, som Moses havde påbudt.
22
Derefter løftede Aron sine Hænder over Folket og velsignede dem og steg så ned efter at have bragt Syndofferet, Brændofferet og Takofferet.
23
Moses og Aron gik derpå ind i Åbenbaringsteltet, og da de kom ud derfra, velsignede de Folket. Da viste HE
ENs Herlighed sig for alt Folket;
24
og Ild for ud fra HE
ENs Åsyn og fortærede Brændofferet og Fedtstykkerne på Alteret. Og alt Folket så det, og de jublede og faldt ned på deres Ansigt.
The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University
