576. Having breastplates fiery, hyacinthine, and brimstone-like, signifies reasonings combating from the cupidities of the love of self and of the world, and from the falsities therefrom. This is evident from the signification of breastplates, as being armor for war, and in particular, defenses in combats (of which above, n. 557; also from the signification of "fire or fiery," as being the cupidity of the love of self, and thence of all evil (See above, n. 504; also from the signification of "hyacinth or hyacinthine," as being the cupidity of the love of the world and thus of all falsity (of which presently); and from the signification of "brimstone or brimstone-like," as being the lust of destroying the goods and truths of the church by falsities of evil see below, n. 578, here meaning falsity burning from these two loves. From this it can be seen that "breastplates fiery, hyacinthine, and brimstone-like," signify reasonings combating from the cupidities of the loves of self and of the world, and from the falsities from those loves.

[2] In regard to "hyacinthine," it signifies in the spiritual sense the heavenly love of truth, but in the contrary sense the diabolical love of falsity, and also love of the world; as can be seen from its being of the color of heaven, and that color signifies truth from a heavenly origin, so in the contrary sense, falsity from a diabolical origin. In the spiritual world the choicest colors appear; and these have their origin in good and truth; for colors there are modifications of heavenly light, thus of the intelligence and wisdom, that are with the angels in heaven. This is why hyacinthine, purple, and scarlet double-dyed were interwoven in the curtains of the tabernacle and in the garments of Aaron; for the tabernacle represented the heaven of the Lord, and the garments of Aaron the Divine truth of heaven and the church, and those things of which the tabernacle was constructed, and of which the garments of Aaron were woven, represented celestial and spiritual things, which are of Divine good and Divine truth.

[3] Thus:

The veil before the ark was of hyacinthine, purple, and scarlet double-dyed, and fine twined linen (See Exodus 26:31).

Likewise the screen for the door of the tent (verse 36).

And the screen for the entrance of the court (Exodus 27:16).

The loops on the edge of the curtain of the tent were hyacinthine (Exodus 26:4);

The ephod was of gold, hyacinthine, purple, and scarlet double-dyed interwoven (Exodus 28:6);

And also the breastplate of judgment (verse 15);

When the camp set forward in the wilderness, Aaron and his sons spread a cloth of hyacinthine over the ark, over the table of faces, over the lampstand and the lamps, over the golden altar, and over all the vessels of ministry (Numbers 4:6, 7, 9, 11, 12).

This is because Divine truth proceeding from Divine love, which is signified by "the cloth of hyacinthine," embraces and protects all the holy things of heaven and the church, which the things covered represent.

[4] Because "hyacinthine" signified the celestial love of truth, it was commanded:

That the sons of Israel should make for themselves a fringe in the borders of their garments, and should put on it a cord of hyacinthine, that in looking upon it they might remember all the commandments of Jehovah and do them (Numbers 15:38, 39).

Here "the cord of hyacinthine" stands evidently for the remembrance of the commandments of Jehovah; the commandments of Jehovah are the essential truths of heaven and the church, and these are remembered only by such as are in a celestial love of truth.

[5] That "hyacinthine" signifies the love of truth can be seen from the following in Ezekiel:

Fine linen in broidered work from Egypt was thy spreading forth, to be for thy ensign; hyacinthine and purple from the isles of Elishah was thy covering. These were thy traffickers with choice wares, with bales of hyacinthine and broidered work, and with treasures of precious garments (Ezekiel 27:7, 24).

This is said of Tyre, which signifies the church in respect to the knowledges of truth; so, too, it signifies the knowledges of truth belonging to the church, and her "merchandise and tradings" mentioned in this chapter describe the acquisition of intelligence by means of such knowledges; "broidered work from Egypt" signifies the knowledge [scientia] of such things as are of the church; and because this has a lower place, and is thus round about or without, it is called "a spreading forth," and is said to be "for an ensign." "Hyacinthine and purple from the isles of Elishah" signify the spiritual affection of truth and good; therefore these are said to be "for a covering," a "covering" signifying truth. "Bales of hyacinthine and broidered work" signify all truths, spiritual and natural, and these together with the knowledges from the Word are meant by "the treasures of precious garments."

[6] As "hyacinthine" signifies the heavenly love of truth, so in the contrary sense it signifies the diabolical love of falsity; and in that sense also "hyacinthine" is mentioned in the Word. Thus in Ezekiel:

Two women, the daughters of one mother, committed whoredom in Egypt in their youth. Oholah which is Samaria, and Oholibah which is Jerusalem. And Oholah committed whoredom while under me, and she doted on her lovers, the Assyrians her neighbors, which were clothed in hyacinthine, governors and rulers, all of them young men of desire, horsemen riding upon horses (Ezekiel 23:2-6).

Here "Samaria" and "Jerusalem" signify the church, "Samaria" the spiritual church, and "Jerusalem" the celestial church, which are called "Oholah" and "Oholibah" because these names mean a "tent," and a "tent" signifies the church in respect to worship; "woman" also in the Word signifies the church; "they committed whoredom in Egypt" signifies the falsification of the truths of the church by the knowledges [scientifica] of the natural man; "she doted on the Assyrians" signifies the falsification by reasonings from those knowledges [scientifica]; "Asshur and Assyria" signify reasonings; they are said to be "clothed in hyacinthine" by reason of fallacies and falsities, which in external form appear to be truths because they are from the sense of the letter of the Word wrongly applied. And because of this same appearance they are also called "governors and rulers, young men of desire, riding upon horses," for those who reason from self-intelligence appear to themselves and to others of like character to be intelligent and wise, and the things they speak to be truths of intelligence and goods of wisdom, when yet they are falsities which they love because they are from what is their own [proprium]; "governors and rulers" signify principal truths, and "those riding upon horses" signify the intelligent.

[7] In Jeremiah:

Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman and of the hands of the refiner; their garments ¹ are hyacinthine and purple; all are the work of the wise (Jeremiah 10:9).

This treats of the idols of the house of Israel, which signify doctrinals that are false, because they are from self-intelligence; therefore they are called "the work of the workman and of the hands of the refiner, and all the work of the wise," and this because these doctrinals appear to them to be truths and goods; "silver from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz," signifies what appears in external form to be truth and good, because from the sense of the letter of the Word. From this it can be seen that "hyacinthine" signifies the love of what is false because it is from self [proprium] or from self-intelligence. "Hyacinthine" also signifies the love of the world, because the love of the world corresponds to the love of falsity, as the love of self, which is signified by "fire," corresponds to the love of evil; for all evil is from the love of self, and all falsity is from the love of the world which has its origin in the love of self; for spiritual evil, which is meant by the love of the world, is in its essence falsity, as spiritual good is in its essence truth (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 15).

Notes de bas de page:

5028. That he left his garment with me' means proof. This is clear from the meaning of 'leaving his garment with her' as evidence that an approach had been made, dealt with in 5019. 'A garment' in the internal sense means truth, and 'leaving a garment' means removing outermost truth, 5008. The reason why evidence or proof that an approach had been made is meant here is that when outermost truth is left behind or removed it supplies to the natural man evidence against the spiritual man. For it seems as though the spiritual man is joined to the natural man by means of outermost truth, but it is not in fact so joined, see 5008 - the reason being that when the spiritual man explains that truth the lack of any similarity between the two becomes apparent. But let the examples introduced previously in 5008 serve to illustrate this.

[2] The spiritual man says, just as the natural man does, that good should be done to the poor, widows, and orphans; but the spiritual man thinks that good should not be done to the poor, widows, or orphans who are evil, or who call themselves poor when in fact they are rich; for then they would mislead simply by the words they use. From this the spiritual man is led to deduce that the poor, widows, and orphans mentioned in the Word mean those who are spiritually so. But the natural man thinks that good should be done to the poor, widows, and orphans who are literally called such, and that none other than these are meant in the Word; nor is he interested in whether they are evil or good people. What the poor, widows, and orphans may be on a spiritual level he neither knows nor wishes to know. From this one may see that this outermost truth - that good should be done to the poor, widows, and orphans - appears to be the same with both the spiritual man and the natural man; but when it is explained no such similarity exists. But when the lack of any similarity comes out, the two are consequently parted from each other, and then outermost truth serves the natural man as evidence or proof that an approach has been made. Therefore it speaks falsely against the spiritual man who no longer has anything with which to protect himself. Accordingly this example too serves to show why and in what way 'a garment' means evidence or proof.

[3] Take another example. The spiritual man says, just as the natural man does, that good should be done to the neighbour. He also says that everyone is his neighbour, yet he thinks that one person is his neighbour in a different respect and degree from another, and that to do good to an evil person because he calls himself his neighbour is to do evil to the neighbour. The natural man joins the spiritual man in subscribing to that outermost truth - the truth that good should be done to the neighbour, and also the truth that everyone is the neighbour. But he supposes that the neighbour is anyone who is favourably disposed towards him; and he has no interest in whether that person is good or evil. This example too shows that the two appear to be joined together so far as outermost truth is concerned, but that there is no real joining together, also that as soon as that truth is explained they become parted from each other. Once they are parted outermost truth serves the natural man as evidence against the spiritual man that the latter has been making sport of it so to speak. The same can be seen in all the other examples [in 5008].