492. And there was given unto him much incense, signifies truths in abundance. This is evident from the signification of "incense," as being the truths of spiritual good; also from the signification of "much," as being an abundance of truths, for "multitude" is predicated in the Word of truths, and "magnitude" of good. "Incense" signifies truths, because the offerings of incense represented worship from spiritual good, and "frankincense" signified that good, as was shown in the article above; therefore "incense-offerings" of frankincense represented what proceeds from that good, and truths are what proceed from that good; for truths are what that good, that is, what man from that good, thinks and speaks. Moreover, spiritual good is formed in man by means of truths; for truth becomes spiritual good with man when he lives according to it (See above, n. 458; thus spiritual good is in its essence truth (See also above, n. 376. But offerings of incense and their signification have been further treated of above n. 324, which see.

9724. 'And shovels, and basins, and its forks, and its tongs' means known facts that act as containers and serve every purpose. This is clear from the meaning of vessels generally as the items of knowledge or known facts that the external memory possesses, dealt with in 3068, 3069, and - in regard to things of a holy nature - as the cognitions of good and truth which serve as means by which to worship the Lord, 9544. Such also is what the vessels for ministry around the altar mean. But each particular vessel there means the known facts that relate to some specific purpose, so that all the vessels there mean the known facts that serve every purpose.