Arcana Coelestia #10249
10249. 'For him and his seed, [throughout] their generations' means all who receive the things which emanate from the Lord, thus who are being regenerated by Him. This is clear from the representation of 'Aaron' as the Lord in respect of Divine Good, dealt with in 9806, 9946; from the meaning of 'seed' as those who are being born from the Lord, thus who are being regenerated (for those who are being regenerated are called those who have been born from God, and also His children), though in the abstract sense, in which actual persons are not envisaged, 'Aaron's seed' means those things which emanate from the Lord, thus by which a person is being regenerated, namely forms of the good of love, and truths of faith; and from the meaning of 'generations' as other forms of good and truths which emanate from them as their parents, and descendants of these other ones. For in the internal sense of the Word 'generations' is used to mean spiritual generations, which are those of love and faith, see the places referred to in 10204.
[2] Since the Lord is meant in the representative sense by Aaron, 'Aaron's seed' is used to mean in particular those who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom, and 'generations' those who are in His spiritual kingdom; for the forms of good and the truths of love and faith in the heavens arise and emanate from the Lord as those generations from Aaron did. The fact that 'seed', 'those who have been born', and 'generations' are used to mean those who love the Lord and believe in Him, and in the abstract sense forms of the good of love and the truths of faith, is clear from very many places in the Word, of which let just the following be quoted: In Isaiah,
From the east I will bring your seed, and from the west I will gather you. Isaiah 43:5.
These words refer to Jacob and Israel, by whom in the internal sense is meant the Church, external and internal, whose seed is the truth of faith and the good of charity.
[3] In the same prophet,
I will pour out My Spirit upon your seed, and My blessing upon those who have been born from you 1 . Isaiah 44:3.
'Upon the seed' and 'upon those who have been born' mean upon those who belong to the Church, thus upon those things which are the Church's, namely forms of good and truths, or charity and faith, since these constitute the Church with a person. In the same prophet,
In Jehovah all the seed of Israel will glory. Isaiah 45:25.
Here the meaning is similar. In the same prophet,
If He makes His soul guilt, He will see His seed. Isaiah 53:10.
This refers to the Lord, whose seed is what those who have been born from Him, thus who have been regenerated, are called. In the same prophet,
You will break out to the right and to the left, and your seed will inherit the nations. Isaiah 54:3.
Here the meaning is similar.
[4] In Jeremiah,
Behold, the days are coming in which I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man and the seed of beast. Jeremiah 31:27.
This verse will be unintelligible to people unless they know what 'the house of Israel and the house of Judah' means, and also what 'the seed of man and the seed of beast' means. Those whose thought does not go beyond the sense of the letter will suppose the meaning to be that man and beast were going to be multiplied in Israel and Judah; but such a meaning implies nothing at all that is holy and the Church's. Rather, 'the house of Israel' is used in that verse to mean the spiritual Church, and 'the house of Judah' to mean the celestial Church, 'the seed of man' being those Churches' internal good, and 'the seed of beast' their external good. 'Beast' means the affection for good, see in the places referred to in 9280; and when the expression 'man and beast' is used, internal and external good is meant, 7523.
[5] In Jeremiah,
As the host of heaven will be unnumbered, and the sand of the sea is immeasurable, so I will multiply the seed of David. Jeremiah 33:22.
And in David,
I have made a covenant with My chosen one, I have sworn to David, Forever 2 I will establish your seed, and build your throne from generation to generation. Psalms 89:3-4.
It is not persons descended from David as their father who should be understood by 'the seed of David', for they were not multiplied to so great an extent, nor were they of such great importance that they should be multiplied as the host of heaven or the sand of the sea. On the contrary in these places as in others elsewhere the Lord in respect of Divine Truth should be understood by 'David'. So 'his seed' means those who have been regenerated by or born from the Lord, and in the abstract sense the things which those people have from the Lord, namely the truths of faith and forms of the good of charity. As regards the Lord's being meant by 'David', see 1888, 9954.
[6] In David,
A seed which will serve Jehovah will be recounted 3 to the Lord to the [next] generation. Psalms 22:30.
In Isaiah,
Their seed will become known among the nations, and those born from them 4 in the midst of the peoples. Isaiah 61:9.
'Seed' stands for those who have been regenerated, thus for those belonging to the Church who have the Church within them. Thus in the abstract sense, in which actual persons are not envisaged, those things which compose one who has been regenerated, or which compose the Church as it exists with the person, are meant, namely faith and charity from the Lord.
[7] And in John,
The dragon was angry with the woman, and went off to make war with the rest of her seed, who kept the commandments of God and bear testimony to Jesus Christ. Revelation 12:17.
'The dragon' is used to mean those who are about to try to destroy the Lord's Church, which is to be established after this, 'the woman' to mean that Church, and those who belong to 'her seed' to mean those who have a love of and belief in the Lord, which they have received from Him.
In the contrary sense however 'seed' means those who are set against the things which the Church possesses, thus who are immersed in evil and consequent falsities, and in the abstract sense it means evils and falsities, as in Isaiah,
Woe to a sinful nation, a seed of evil ones! Isaiah 1:4.
In the same prophet,
Sons of the sorceress, seed of the adulterer, are you not those born of transgression, the seed of deceit? Isaiah 57:3-4.
And in the same prophet,
The seed of evil-doers will never be named. Isaiah 14:20.
Note a piè di pagina:
1. literally, upon your born ones
2. literally, For an age
3. literally, will be numbered
4. literally, and their born ones
10249a. Verses 22-33 And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying, And you, take for yourself the chief spices - the best myrrh, five hundred [shekels]; and sweet-smelling cinnamon, half of that, two hundred and fifty; and sweet-smelling calamus, two hundred and fifty; and cassia, five hundred, according to the shekel of holiness; and olive oil, a hin. And you shall make it a holy anointing oil 1
, a compounded ointment 2
, the work of an ointment-maker; it shall be the holy anointing oil 1
. And with it you shall anoint the tent of meeting, and the ark of the Testimony, and the table and all its vessels, and the lampstand and its vessels, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt offering and all its vessels, and the laver and its pedestal. And you shall sanctify them, and they shall be the holy of holies 3
; everyone touching them will be sanctified. And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons, and sanctify them to serve Me in the priestly office. And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying, This shall be a holy anointing oil 4
to Me throughout 5
your generations. It shall not be poured onto the flesh of a person, and as to the composition of it, you shall not make any other like it 6
. It is holy; it shall be holy to you. The man who makes an ointment like it, and he who puts any of it on a foreigner, shall be cut off from his people.
'And Jehovah spoke to Moses, saying' means further perception as a result of enlightenment from the Lord through the Word. 'And you, take for yourself the chief spices' means truths together with forms of good from the Word, which are perceived with pleasure. 'The best myrrh' means the perception of truth on the level of the senses. 'Five hundred [shekels]' means what is complete. 'And sweet-smelling cinnamon' means the perception of and affection for natural truth. 'Half of that, two hundred and fifty' means the corresponding amount. 'And sweet-smelling calamus' means the perception of and affection for interior truth. 'Two hundred and fifty' means the corresponding amount and quality. 'And cassia' means truth even more interior, springing from good. 'Five hundred' means that which is complete. 'According to the shekel of holiness' means the valuation of truth and good. 'And olive oil' means the Lord's celestial Divine Good. 'A hin' means how far things are joined together. 'And you shall make it an anointing oil' means a representative sign of the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love. 'A compounded ointment' means present within every single part of His Human. 'The work of an ointment-maker' means as a result of the influx and operation of Divinity itself, who was within the Lord from conception. 'It shall be the holy anointing oil' means a representative sign of the Lord as regards His Divine Human. 'And with it you shall anoint the tent of meeting' means in order to represent what is Divine and the Lord's in the heavens. 'And the ark of the Testimony' means within celestial good belonging to the inmost heaven. 'And the table and all its vessels' means within spiritual good springing from celestial, which belongs to the second heaven, and within the forms of good and the truths which are of service to that spiritual good. 'And the lampstand and its vessels' means within spiritual truth belonging to the second heaven, and within the truths which are of service to that truth. 'And the altar of incense' means within all things belonging to worship that spring from those forms of good and those truths. 'And the altar of burnt offering' means in order to represent the Lord's Divine Human, and the worship of Him in general. 'And all its vessels' means forms of Divine Good and Divine Truths. 'And the laver and its pedestal' means everything connected with purification from evils and falsities, and with regeneration by the Lord. 'And you shall sanctify them, and they shall be the holy of holies' means consequently the inflow and presence of the Lord within the worship of the representative Church. 'Everyone touching them will be sanctified' means an imparting [of what is His] to all who receive [Him] in love and faith. 'And you shall anoint Aaron and his sons' means consecration to represent the Lord's presence in both kingdoms. 'And sanctify them to serve Me in the priestly office' means to represent the Lord's whole work of salvation. 'And you shall speak to the children of Israel, saying' means instruction given to those who belong to the Church. 'This shall be a holy anointing oil to Me' means a representative sign of the Lord as regards His Divine Human. 'Throughout your generations' means within all things of the Church. 'It shall not be poured onto the flesh of a person' means no imparting [of what is the Lord's] to a person's proprium or self. 'And as to the composition of it, you shall not make any other like it' means no imitations produced by human endeavour. 'It is holy; it shall be holy to you' means because it is Divine and the Lord's. 'The man who makes an ointment like it' means imitations of Divine things produced by [human] cunning. 'And he who puts any of it on a foreigner' means a joining together for those who do not acknowledge the Lord, and so who are subject to evils and to the falsities of evil. 'Shall be cut off from his people' means separation and spiritual death.
1. literally, the oil of anointing of holiness
2. literally, ointment of ointment
3. i.e. they shall be most holy
4. literally, the oil of anointing of holiness
5. literally, into
6. literally, and in its quality you shall not make other like it
Arcana Coelestia #795
795. 'All the high mountains beneath the whole sky were covered' means that all goods stemming from charity were done away with. This is clear from the meaning of 'mountains' among the most ancient people. Among them 'mountains' meant the Lord, for they conducted their worship of Him on mountains because these were the loftiest parts of the earth. Consequently 'mountains' meant heavenly things which they also called 'the most high', and accordingly love and charity, and so the goods that stem from love and charity, which are heavenly things. In the contrary sense also, the people who are haughty are called 'mountains' in the Word, and so mountains also mean self-love. The Most Ancient Church also is meant in the Word by 'mountains' from the fact that mountains rose up above the earth and were nearer so to speak to heaven, where things have their origins.
[2] That 'mountains' means the Lord, and all heavenly things deriving from Him, that is, goods that stem from love and charity, is clear from the following places in the Word. These show what 'mountains' means in particular, for every single detail takes its meaning from the matter to which it applies. In David,
The mountains will bring peace, and the hills, in righteousness. Psalms 72:3.
'Mountains' stands for love to the Lord, 'hills' for love towards the neighbour, such as existed with the Most Ancient Church, which, since it was of such a nature, is also meant in the Word by 'mountains' and therefore 'hills'. In Ezekiel,
On My holy mountain, on the mountain height of Israel, said the Lord Jehovih, there all the house of Israel, all of them that are in the land, will serve Me. Ezekiel 20:40.
Here 'holy mountain' stands for love to the Lord, 'mountain height of Israel' for charity towards the neighbour. In Isaiah,
It will be in the latter days that the mountain of the house Jehovah will be established on the top of the mountains, and raised above the hills. Isaiah 2:2.
This stands for the Lord and consequently for everything heavenly.
[3] In the same prophet,
Jehovah Zebaoth will make for all peoples on this mountain a feast of fat things, and He will swallow up on this mountain the face 1 of the covering. Isaiah 25:6-7.
'Mountain' stands for the Lord and consequently for everything heavenly. In the same prophet,
It will be that on every high mountain, and on every lofty hill, there will be brooks, streams of water. Isaiah 30:25.
'Mountains' stands for goods that stem from love, 'hills' for goods that stem from charity, such goods being the source of truths of faith, which are 'brooks and streams of water'. In the same prophet,
You will have a song as in the night when a feast is hallowed, and joy of heart as when one goes with a flute to come to the mountain of Jehovah, to the Rock of Israel. Isaiah 30:29.
'Mountain of Jehovah' stands for the Lord with reference to goods that stem from love, 'Rock of Israel' for the Lord with reference to goods that stem from charity.
[4] In the same prophet,
Jehovah Zebaoth will come down to fight on Mount Zion and on its hill. Isaiah 31:4.
Here and in many other places 'Mount Zion' stands for the Lord and consequently for everything celestial, which is love, and 'hill' for what is celestial but lower, which is charity.
In the same prophet,
Get you up on to the high mountain, O Zion, herald of good tidings; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good tidings. Isaiah 40:9.
'Getting up on to the high mountain and declaring good tidings' is worshipping the Lord from love and charity, which are inmost things, and are therefore also called most high. That which is inmost is referred to as the most high. In the same prophet,
Let the inhabitants of the rock sing, let them shout from the top of the mountains. Isaiah 42:11.
'Inhabitants of the rock' stands for those who abide in charity, 'shouting from the top of the mountains' for worshipping the Lord from love. In the same prophet,
How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of Him who is bringing good tidings, causing peace to be heard, bringing good tidings of good, causing salvation to be heard. Isaiah 52:7
'Bringing good tidings on the mountains' in like manner stands for preaching about the Lord from doctrine concerning love and charity, and for worshipping from these. In the same prophet,
The mountains and the hills will resound before you with song, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands. Isaiah 55:12.
This stands for worshipping the Lord from love and charity, which are 'the mountains and the hills', and from faith deriving from these, which is 'the trees of the field'.
[5] In the same prophet,
I will set all My mountains as a way, and My pathways will be raised up. Isaiah 49:11.
'Mountains' stands for love and charity, 'way' and 'pathway' for the truths of faith deriving from these, which are said to be 'raised up' when they stem from love and charity, which are inmost. In the same prophet,
He who trusts in Me will take possession in the land, and will inherit My holy mountain. Isaiah 57:13.
This stands for the Lord's kingdom where there is nothing other than love and charity. In the same prophet,
I will bring forth seed from Jacob, and from Judah the heir of My mountains, and My chosen ones will possess it. Isaiah 65:9.
'Mountains' stands for the Lord's kingdom and for celestial goods, and 'Judah' for the celestial Church. In the same prophet,
Thus said the High and Lofty One inhabiting eternity, whose name is the Holy One. I dwell as the High and Holy One Isaiah 57:15.
Here 'high' stands for holy. Consequently 'mountains', on account of their height above the earth, meant the Lord, and holy heavenly things that are His. This also is why it was from Mount Sinai that the Lord proclaimed the Law. Love and charity are also what the Lord means by 'mountains' when, in reference to the close of the age, He says that those who were then in Judaea were to flee to the mountains, Matthew 24:16; Luke 21:21; Mark 13:14. Here 'Judaea' stands for the vastated Church.
Note a piè di pagina:
1. literally, the faces
