1672. And the kings that were with him. That this signifies the apparent truth which is of that good, is evident from the signification of “kings” in the Word. “Kings,” “kingdoms,” and “peoples,” in the historical and the prophetical parts of the Word, signify truths and the things which are of truths, as may be abundantly confirmed. In the Word an accurate distinction is made between a “people” and a “nation;” by a “people” are signified truths, and by a “nation” goods, as before shown (n. 1259, 1260). “Kings” are predicated of peoples, but not so much of nations. Before the sons of Israel sought for kings, they were a nation, and represented good, or the celestial; but after they desired a king, and received one, they became a people, and did not represent good or the celestial, but truth or the spiritual; which was the reason why this was imputed to them as a fault (see 1 Samuel 8:7-22, concerning which subject, of the Lord’s Divine mercy elsewhere). As Chedorlaomer is named here, and it is added, “the kings that were with him,” both good and truth are signified; by “Chedorlaomer,” good, and by “the kings,” truth. But what was the quality of the good and truth at the beginning of the Lord’s temptations has already been stated.

Oil in the Bible represents the Lord’s love, so anointing someone (or something) with oil was a way to make that person (or object) a representative of the Lord. At the ultimate level, of course, the Lord Himself, as Jesus, is known as “the Anointed,” used with a similar meaning to “Messiah” or “Christ.” Being the Anointed means that he is love itself, presented to us through divinely true ideas. The fact that kings and priests were anointed meant that they also could represent true ideas coming from good loves, on a lower level.

(Riferimenti: Apocalypse Revealed 779 [2]; Arcana Coelestia 9954; The Apocalypse Explained 375 [7-25], 684 [2-33])