773. "Fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet." This symbolically means that these Roman Catholics no longer have these because they do not have any of the celestial goods and truths to which such things correspond.

The valuables mentioned previously - gold, silver, precious stones and pearls - in general symbolize spiritual goods and truths, as said in no. 772 above. However, the valuables here - fine linen, purple, silk and scarlet - in general symbolize celestial goods and truths. For in people in heaven and in the church some goods and truths are spiritual, and some goods and truths are celestial. Spiritual goods and truths are ones of wisdom, and celestial goods and truths are ones of love. And because the Roman Catholics meant here have none of these goods and truths, but evils and falsities that are their opposites, therefore these valuables are now mentioned, since they come next in sequence.

Now because the case with these valuables is the same as with the previous ones, no further explication is needed than the one presented in the previous number.

What fine linen symbolizes specifically we will say in the next chapter, in dealing with the words there, "for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints" (Revelation 19:8, nos. 814, 815). That purple symbolizes celestial good, and scarlet celestial truth, may be seen in no. 725 above. Silk symbolizes an intermediate celestial goodness and truth - goodness because of its softness, and truth because of its shine. It is mentioned only in Ezekiel 16:10, 13.

815. For the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. This symbolically means that through truths from the Word those who are of the Lord's church live good lives.

The fine linen symbolizes genuine truths, which are truths gained through the Word from the Lord, as in no. 814 just above. Righteous acts symbolize good lives in the case of people governed by truths (no. 668). Saints symbolize people who are of the Lord's church (nos. 173, 586).

Righteous acts are the practices of good lives in the case of people governed by truths, because no one can be called righteous unless he lives in accordance with truths. For in the natural sense a righteous person is everyone who lives rightly in accordance with civil and moral laws. But in the spiritual sense that person is called righteous who lives rightly in accordance with Divine laws, and Divine laws are truths from the Word. Someone who believes that he is righteous and so living a good life without living in accordance with truths is much deceived. For a person cannot be reformed and regenerated and so become good, except by means of truths and by a life in accordance with those truths.

It is apparent from this that the fine linen's being the righteous acts of the saints means, symbolically, that through truths from the Word those who are of the Lord's church live good lives.

This is clearly apparent in the case of angels in heaven. The more they are governed by truths and live in accordance with them, the brighter white the garments in which they appear clothed. That is because they enjoy a brighter light.