9666. 'And the middle bar in the midst of the boards that passes through from end to end' means the chief power from which the power everywhere else extends. This is clear from the meaning of 'bar' or 'pole' as power, dealt with in 9496; from the meaning of 'middle' as what is inmost and chief, dealt with in 1074, 2940, 2973, 5897, 6084, 6103; from the meaning of 'passing through from end to end', when it refers to 'the bar' by which power is meant, as the power everywhere else that is derived and extends from it.

[2] None can have any real knowledge of these matters unless they know about the nature of things which are more internal and those which are more external in the spiritual world. Things that are the best and purest, and so more perfect than all others, exist in the inmost part. Those which are spread out from there towards more external parts are less and less perfect the further away they lie from inmost things, ending in those in the outermost parts, which are the least perfect of all, 9648. Things are said to be less perfect when they can be more easily twisted out of the shape and beauty they possess, and so out of the order that is theirs. The situation in all this is like that with fruits. Within them they have seeds, surrounded by the flesh. The seeds exist in a state more perfect than the flesh outside them, as becomes clear from the fact that when the flesh decays the seeds still remain intact. The like applies to the seeds themselves. Inmostly in these there is the reproductive germ, which exists in a perfect state compared with the parts outside it; for the germ remains in its intactness, producing a new tree or young plant when the more external parts of the seed are broken down. Things in heaven are arranged in the same way. The inmost things there, being closer to the Lord, exist in a perfect state compared with more external ones. For this reason the inmost heaven enjoys greater wisdom and intelligence, and consequently greater happiness than the heavens below. The like applies within each heaven; the inmost is more perfect than the surrounding parts. The like applies also to the person with whom the good of love and the truths of faith are present. That person's internal exists in a more perfect state than the external; for the internal man dwells in the heat and light of heaven, but the external in the heat and light of the world. In every form that is perfect the situation is the same, in that its inmost part is the best, the inmost being what is meant by 'the middle'.

[3] The reason why 'passing through from end to end', said in reference to a bar or pole, means the power everywhere else that is derived and extends from the chief power is that 'from end to end' means the first end and the final end, ¹ thus from beginning to end since the first end is the beginning. Consequently by 'the ends' all things and everywhere are meant, as in Jeremiah,

The sword of Jehovah is devouring from [one] end of the land to the [other] end of it. Jeremiah 12:12.

'The sword' stands for truth engaged in conflict against falsity and destroying it, and in the contrary sense falsity engaged in conflict against truth and destroying it, 2799, 4499, 6353, 7102, 8294. 'Devouring from [one] end of the land to the [other] end of it' stands for all things of the Church, 'the land' being the Church, 9334. In David,

From the end of the heavens is His going forth, and His circuit to the ends of them. Psalms 19:6.

Here also 'from the end of the heavens to the ends of them' stands for all things and everywhere.

[4] In Mark,

He will send His angels and gather together His elect from the four winds, from the end of the earth even to the end of heaven. Mark 13:27.

'The end of the earth' and 'the end of heaven' stand for all the external and the internal things of the Church, 'the earth' being the external part of the Church and 'heaven' the internal part of it, see 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118 (end), 3355 (end), 4535, where it explains what a new earth and a new heaven are. The plural 'ends' has the same meaning, in Isaiah,

Look to Me, that you may be saved, all ends of the earth. Isaiah 45:22.

In David,

O God of our salvation, [You are] the confidence of all the ends of the earth and of the far-off parts of the sea. Psalms 65:5.

And the singular has the same meaning in the expression 'even to the end': In Isaiah,

... [that] you may be ² My salvation even to the end of the earth. Isaiah 49:6.

In the same prophet,

Jehovah will cause it to be heard even to the end of the earth, Say to the daughter of Zion, Behold, your salvation will come. Isaiah 62:11.

In Jeremiah,

A clamour will come even to the end of the earth. Jeremiah 25:31.

'Even to the end' implies from end to end.

[5] But when 'end' is used to denote solely what is outermost or last and lowest it means that which is the lowest part of heaven or of the Church, as in Isaiah,

Sing to Jehovah a new song; [sing] His praise, you end of the earth falling away to the sea, and you fullness of it (the islands and their inhabitants). Isaiah 42:10.

'You end of the earth falling away to the sea' stands for the last and lowest part of the Church where goodness and truth dwell in obscurity. For this meaning of 'the sea', see 9653. 'The islands' stands for those more remote from truths, and consequently from [true] worship, 1158.

[6] In the same prophet,

Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the end of the earth. Isaiah 43:6.

'Sons from afar' are those who dwell in obscurity in respect of truths, 'daughters from the end of the earth' those who do so in respect of forms of good, as gentile nations did. By 'sons' those in possession of truths are meant, and in the abstract sense truths themselves, see 264, 489, 491, 1147, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3373, 3704, and by 'daughters' those with whom forms of good exist, and in the abstract sense the forms of good themselves, 489-491, 2362, 3963, 8994. From this it is also evident that 'end' has regard to good and 'afar' to truth, as also in Psalms 65:5 and Isaiah 13:5. But it should be remembered that by 'the end of heaven' not an end that is spatial but a state of goodness and truth should be understood; for there is no space in heaven, only an appearance of it that is determined by states of goodness and truth.

Note a piè di pagina:

2336. That 'the street' means truth becomes clear from many places in the Word, as in John where the New Jerusalem is referred to,

The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate was one pearl; and the street of the city was pure gold, like transparent glass. Revelation 21:21.

[2] 'The New Jerusalem' is the Lord's kingdom which because it is being described as regards good and truth is described by walls, gates, and streets. By the last of these -'the streets' - are meant all avenues of truth which lead to good, that is, all those of faith which lead to love and charity. And because truths in this way become part of good, and so are made transparent from good, it is said that 'the street was pure gold, like transparent glass'. In the same book,

Out of the middle of the street of it, and of the river, on this side and on that, was the tree of life bearing twelve fruits. Revelation 22:2.

This also refers to the New Jerusalem or the Lord's kingdom. 'The middle of the street' is the truth of faith, by means of which good comes and which after that stems from good. 'The twelve fruits' are those called the fruits of faith, for 'twelve' means all things of faith, as shown in 577, 2089, 2129, 2130.

[3] In Daniel,

Know and perceive that from the going forth of the Word to restore and to build Jerusalem until the Messiah, the Leader, there will be seven weeks - and sixty-two weeks; and it will be restored and built with street and moat. Daniel 9:25.

This refers to the Coming of the Lord, 'it will be restored with street and moat' meaning that there will be truth and good at that time. The fact that Jerusalem was not restored and built at that time is well known; and that it is not to be restored and built anew anyone may also know provided he does not fix his ideas on a worldly kingdom but on a heavenly kingdom meant in the internal sense by Jerusalem.

[4] In Luke,

The householder said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city and bring in here the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind. Luke 14:21.

People who confine themselves to the sense of the letter gain nothing more from this verse than the idea that the servant was to go everywhere, and that this is what is meant by 'streets and lanes', and that he was to fetch in everybody, and that this is what is meant by 'the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind'. But each and all of these words, being the Lord's, embody arcana within them. The command that he should go out into the streets and lanes means that he was to search everywhere for some genuine truth, that is, for truth which shines out of good, or through which good shines. The command that he should bring in the poor, the maimed, the lame, and the blind, means that such people were to be brought in as had in the Ancient Church been called the poor, maimed, lame, or blind - that is, he was to bring in those who were such as regards faith but who had led good lives, and who for this reason ought to be taught about the Lord's kingdom - thus to bring in gentiles who were as yet uninformed.

[5] Because 'streets' meant truths it was a representative custom among the Jews to teach in the streets, as is evident from Matthew 6:2, 5, and Luke 13:26-27. Wherever 'streets' are mentioned in the Prophets they mean in the internal sense either truths or things contrary to truths, as in Isaiah,

Judgement is cast away backwards, and justice stands afar off, for truth has stumbled in the street, and uprightness cannot come in. Isaiah 59:14.

In the same prophet,

Your sons fainted and lay at the head of every street. Isaiah 51:20.

In Jeremiah,

Death has come up into our windows, it has entered our palaces, cutting off the small child from the street and the young men from the lanes. Jeremiah 9:21.

[6] In Ezekiel,

By means of the hoofs of his horses Nebuchadnezzar will trample all your streets. Ezekiel 26:11.

This refers to Tyre, which means cognitions of truth, 1201. 'The hoofs of the horses' are facts which pervert the truth. In Nahum,

In the streets the chariots rage; they rush about in the lanes. Nahum 2:4.

'Chariots' stands for the doctrine of truth, which is said 'to rage in the streets' when falsity has replaced truth. In Zechariah,

Old men and old women will again dwell in the streets of Jerusalem. And the streets of the city will be full of boys and girls playing in the streets. Zechariah 8:4-5.

This refers to affections for truth, and consequent forms of joy and gladness. There are other places besides these, such as Isaiah 24:11; Jeremiah 5:1; 7:34; 49:26; Lamentations 2:11, 19; 4:8, 14; Zephaniah 3:6.