629. Rise, measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that adore therein.- That this signifies to explore the quality of the church as to its reception of Divine Truth and Divine Good, and thence as to the worship of the Lord, is evident from the signification of measuring, as denoting to explore the quality of a thing, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of temple, as denoting, in the highest sense, the Divine Human of the Lord as to Divine Truth, and, in a relative sense, heaven and the church as to Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord (see n. 220); and from the signification of altar, as denoting, in the highest sense, the Divine Human of the Lord as to Divine Good, and, in a relative sense, heaven and the church as to Divine Good proceeding from the Lord (see (n. 391, 490, 496); and from the signification of them that adore, as denoting worship. The reason why they that adore signify the worship of the Lord, is, that worship consists in the adoration of the Lord, and that in the spiritual sense there is no reference to personality; but only to the thing itself, apart from persons (concerning which see (n. 99, 100, 270, 325, 625). By them that adore, therefore, is signified adoration and worship. From these considerations it is evident, that by these words, "Rise, measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that adore therein," is signified to explore the quality of the church in regard to its reception of Divine Truth and Divine Good proceeding from the Lord, and therefore in regard to worship.

[2] That to measure, in the spiritual sense, does not signify to measure, is plain from this fact, that the command was given not only to measure the temple and the altar, but also them that adored therein. To measure the temple and the altar then must involve something signified by their measures, thus that which is implied in the signification of length, breadth, and height; for it would not be said "to measure them that adore in the temple," unless to measure signified the exploration of their qualities or the quality of the thing.

[3] That to measure signifies to explore the quality of a thing, and also to designate it, is evident from the passages in the Word where measuring and measures are mentioned. Thus it is said in Ezekiel, That the man who had the line of flax and the measuring reed in his hand, measured the building, and also the threshold of the gate, the porch of the gate in the house, the porch of the gate from the house, the door of the gate, the gate from the roof of the bed-chamber, and many other things which he measured as to the breadth, the length, and the height (40:3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 13, 17, and following verses). And afterwards, he measured the temple, the lintel over the door, the wall of the house, and the house itself, as to the breadth and the length (41:1-5, 13, 14, 22), and the inner court, and the things belonging to that court (42.) Lastly, he measured the altar, and the things belonging to the altar (43:13, and following verses). The measures were also designated by numbers, as, so many reeds, so many cubits, and so many palms. It is evident from this, that by measuring those things is not meant to measure them, but to designate the quality of the thing indicated by means of the individual things measured, that is to say, by the building, the gate, the porch, the temple, the lintel, the wall, the court, and the altar. The building, the house, and the temple signify the church; the door and the gate, introductory truth; the porch and court, all those things that are without the church, but which yet have reference to it; these are all those things that pertain to the man of the church in his natural man. For the church itself with man is in his internal or spiritual man or mind, that is, interiorly with him; but those things that are in the external or natural man or mind, that is, those which reside exteriorly, all correspond to the things pertaining to the church itself, which, as stated, are in the internal or spiritual man or mind. These exterior things are signified by the porch without the house and by the court; what the quality of these things would be, is there designated by measurements and numbers. For the subject treated of in those chapters is the Lord's church that was about to come, which is called the internal church, and which is described as above. Any one can see that such measurements would be of no importance, unless each were significative. But the meaning of each measurement is evident from the signification of the thing measured, and its quality from the signification of the measurement as expressed in number.

[4] There are only three things that are measurable, breadth, length, and height; and breadth signifies the truth of the church, length, the good of the church, and height, both of these in regard to degrees; the degrees of truth and good are the quality of truth and good, as interior or higher, and the quality as exterior or lower. These things are signified by those three dimensions, because breadth is said in reference to heaven from the south to the north, length from the east to the west, and height from the third heaven, which is in highest things, to the first heaven, which is in lowest things. And since those who dwell in heaven from south to north are in truths of doctrine, therefore breadth signifies the truth of heaven, or of the church; and as those who dwell from east to west are in the goods of love, therefore length signifies the good of heaven, or of the church; and because the wisest in the third heaven dwell in the highest parts, and those in the first heaven who are relatively simple dwell in the lowest [parts], therefore height in regard to degrees signifies wisdom and intelligence. These then are the things designated in general by measurements.

[5] Again in the same prophet:

"Son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; that they may measure the form, when they have become ashamed of all that they have done; the form of the house and the arrangement thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof; also teach them all the statutes thereof, and all the arrangements thereof, and all the laws thereof, and write them before their eyes, that they may keep all the form thereof, and all the statutes thereof, and do them" (Ezekiel 43:10, 11).

Measuring the temple or the house, signifies to investigate and explore the quality of the church as to truth and as to good, as is evident from its being said, that they should measure the form of the house, the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof. It is also said, that they should keep all the form thereof; this cannot mean the form of the temple as to form only, but as to those things signified by the temple; for it is added, that they may be ashamed of all their iniquities which they have done, which signifies that they may be ashamed of having departed from the laws and statutes of the church, therefore it is also said, that he may teach them all the statutes thereof, all the arrangements, and all the laws thereof. It is therefore plain, that temple signifies the church with its truths and goods, for these are the things that are to be kept, and that are signified by keeping all the form of the house or temple, temple in the Word signifying the church as to truth, and the house of God, the church as to good; for the temple was built of stones, but the house of God, in ancient times, was of wood; and stones signify truths, while wood signifies goods.

[6] Again in Zechariah:

"I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold a man in whose hand was a measuring line; and I said, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, that I may see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof; and he said, Jerusalem shall inhabit the suburbs, by reason of the multitude of men and beasts in the midst thereof" (2:1, 2, 4).

These things are said concerning the advent of the Lord, and the establishment of a new church by Him, as is evident from verses 10 and 11 of the same chapter. Jerusalem signifies that new church, and to measure it signifies to explore and consequently to know its quality and quantity; breadth signifying the truth of its doctrine, and length the good of its love, as shown above; therefore it is said, "To measure Jerusalem, that I may see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof." That the church is there meant by Jerusalem, and not the city of Jerusalem, is evident, for about the time of the Lord's coming Jerusalem was not of such extent and character as is there described in the words, "Jerusalem shall inhabit the suburbs by reason of the multitude of men and beasts in the midst thereof." By these words is meant the multitude of nations that will go over to the church. Jerusalem in the midst thereof signifies the church from those who will receive interiorly the Divine proceeding from the Lord, while by the suburbs is signified the church from those who will receive it exteriorly; for the Lord's church is internal and external. Those who are in intelligence and wisdom, and therefore in the higher heavens, are in the internal church, but those who are in the knowledges (scientiae) and cognitions of truth and good from the Word, and not in any interior intelligence and wisdom, and who are therefore in the lower heavens, are in the external church; the latter are called spiritual-natural, but the former spiritual. The spiritual are meant by those who are in the midst of Jerusalem, and the spiritual-natural by those who are in the suburbs. Men and beasts mean those who are in intelligence and thence in the good of life, men those who are in intelligence, and beasts those who are in the natural affection for good, and thence in the good of life.

[7] Similar things are signified by these words in the Apocalypse:

The angel "who talked with me had a golden reed, to measure the city" the New Jerusalem, "the gates thereof, and the wall thereof; and he measured the wall, one hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel" (21:15, 17).

The New Jerusalem means the New Church, and the city, its doctrine; its wall signifies Divine Truth defending. The number one hundred and forty-four signifies all truths and goods in their entirety. This number is stated to be the measure of a man, that is, of an angel, which could not be said unless measure signified quality. But these things will be explained in their proper place.

[8] In Ezekiel:

"When the man that had the line in his hand went forth towards the east, he measured a thousand by the cubit; afterwards he made me to pass through the waters, the waters were to the ankles; again he measured a thousand, and made me to pass through the waters, the waters were to the knees; and he measured a thousand, and made me to pass through the waters, the waters were to the loins; again he measured a thousand, a river which I could not pass through, because the waters were deep, waters to swim in, a river which could not be passed through, and behold upon the bank of the river many trees, on this side and on that side; and every living soul that creepeth, and whithersoever the river cometh, shall live; whence there is much fish" (47:3-5, [7], 9).

These words describe how the intelligence which pertains to those who are of the church, increases through the reception of Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord. The Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord is signified by the waters issuing from under the threshold of the house towards the east, and descending from the right side of the house from the south of the altar, as stated in the first verse of that chapter. The east signifies love to the Lord, for in heaven the east is where the Lord appears as the Sun; and where the Divine Truth is received in the greatest light there is the right side, and that side is called the south, therefore it is also said, "from the south of the altar." How intelligence increases through the reception of Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord is described by the waters which he passed through, which reached first to the ankles, afterwards to the knees, then to the loins, and at length were so deep that they could not be passed through. The waters to the ankles signify the intelligence pertaining to the sensual and natural man, for the ankles signify that which is sensual and natural. The waters to the knees signify the intelligence pertaining to the spiritual-natural man, for the knees signify that which is spiritual-natural. The waters to the loins signify intelligence pertaining to the spiritual man, for the loins signify the marriage of truth and good, which is spiritual. The waters which could not be passed through signify celestial intelligence, which is called wisdom, such as a celestial man or an angel of the third heaven possesses; and this, being ineffable, is said to be a river which could not be passed through, and being also far above the natural man, the waters are called waters to swim in. The river arising from those waters signifies intelligence and wisdom. The cognitions of truth and good, as well as perceptions, are signified by the words "upon the bank of the river were many trees on this side and on that side," a tree denoting cognitions and perceptions. The life from these to every thing in the natural man, both to cognitions and knowledges (scientiis), is signified by every living soul that creepeth, shall live, also by the words "there shall be much fish." The soul that creepeth, and fish signify those things in the natural man that are called cognitions from the Word, also natural knowledges (scientiae), by which spiritual things are confirmed; and to live signifies the influx of the Lord through the spiritual man and his intelligence into those cognitions and knowledges. That waters signify the truths of doctrine from the Word, by means of which intelligence is acquired, may be seen above (n. 71, 483, 518).

[9] Thus also in Habakkuk:

"He stood and measured the earth; he saw and scattered the nations; for the mountains of eternity were dispersed, the hills of an age did bow; his goings [are] of an age" (3:6).

These things are said concerning visitation and a last judgment, by the Lord when He should come into the world. He stood and measured the earth means the exploration of the quality of the church at that time, to measure denoting to explore, and the earth denoting the church. He saw and scattered the nations signifies the casting down into hell of all those who are in evils and in falsities therefrom, to scatter denoting to cast into hell, while nations denote those who are in evils and in falsities therefrom. The mountains of eternity were dispersed signifies that the celestial church, such as it was with the most ancient people, who were in love to the Lord, perished, the mountains of eternity denoting that church and that love. The hills of an age did bow, signifies that the spiritual church, such as it was with the ancient people after the flood, who were in love towards the neighbour, perished, the hills of an age denoting that church and that love. His goings [are] of an age, signifies according to the existing and perverted state of the church.

[10] In Isaiah:

"Behold the Lord Jehovih cometh in strength, and his arm shall rule for him. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heavens with a span, and embraced the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in a scale, and the hills in a balance" (40:10, 12).

This also is said of the Lord and His Divine Truth from which heaven, the church, and wisdom exist. The coming of the Lord and the arrangement of all things, at that time, in the heavens by Him, from His Own power, is signified by, "Behold the Lord Jehovih cometh in strength, and his arm shall rule for him." His arm which shall rule denotes His Own power. The arrangement of all things in the heavens from His Own power, by means of Divine Truth, is signified by, "who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heavens with a span, and embraced the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in a scale, and the hills in a balance." Measuring the waters signifies to designate Divine truths; meting out the heavens with a span signifies thence to arrange the heavens. Embracing the dust of the earth in a measure signifies to arrange lower things, the hollow of the hand, the span, and the measure (triental), like measures and hand, signify the quality of a thing, and one's own power. Weighing the mountains in a scale and the hills in a balance signifies to bring all things into subordination and equilibrium, the scale and balance denoting just equilibration, and the mountains and hills the higher heavens, mountains denoting those heavens that are in love to the Lord, and hills those that are in charity towards the neighbour, as above.

[11] In Job:

"Where wast thou when I founded the earth? Declare if thou knowest understanding, who laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? and who stretched out the line upon it? Upon what are its bases sunk? who laid the corner-stone thereof?" (38:4-6).

The earth here means the church. Founding it, and laying its measures, signifies to establish it and to determine its quality, measure denoting the quality of a thing. Stretching out upon it the line signifies to maintain it in its quality. Upon what are its bases sunk, and who laid the corner-stone thereof? signifies the founding of it upon those things which are in the natural man, the corner-stone denoting the truth of the natural man, called scientific truth upon which the truth of the spiritual man, or spiritual truth, is founded.

[12] In Jeremiah:

"If these statutes shall depart from before me, the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me all the days; if the heavens shall be measured above, and the foundations be searched out beneath, I also will cast off all the seed of Israel on account of all that they have done" (31:36, 37).

By statutes are there signified all those things pertaining to the church, which were commanded for the sons of Israel, therefore every thing having reference to worship. That if they should not observe these, there would be no church with them, is signified by, if these statutes shall depart from before me, the seed of Israel shall cease from being a nation before me all the days. Israel signifies the church, and the seed of Israel, the truth of the church. And that although a new heaven and a new church were to come into existence, yet with that nation there would be nothing of heaven and of the church, is signified by, if the heavens shall be measured above, and the foundations be searched out beneath, I also will cast off all the seed of Israel on account of all that they have done.

[13] The reason why meting and measuring signify to designate and determine the quality of a thing, and also to explore it, is, that by measure is signified the quality of a thing or quality in the abstract. This signification of measure is evident from the following passages:

In the Apocalypse,

The angel "measured the wall of the city" New Jerusalem, "a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel" (Revelation 21:17).

That the quality of that which is signified by the wall of the city New Jerusalem is here meant by measure is very evident; for what else could be meant by the measure of the wall being a hundred and forty-four cubits, the measure of a man, that is, of an angel?

In Matthew:

"Judge not that ye be not condemned, for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye measure, it shall be measured unto you" (7:1, 2).

In Luke:

"Judge not and ye shall not be judged; condemn not and ye shall not be condemned; remit and it shall be remitted to you; give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed, shaken, and running over, shall they give into your bosom; for with what measure ye measure, they shall measure to you again" (6:37, 38);

these words are explained in Heaven and Hell (349).

In Mark:

"With what measure ye measure it shall be measured to you again; and to you that hear, shall more be given; whosoever hath, to him shall be given; but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath" (4:24, 25).

[14] Charity towards the neighbour, or the spiritual affection for truth and good, is described in these words, and they mean, that as far as any one is in that charity or in that affection in the world, so far does he come into it after death. That evil must not be thought concerning good and truth is meant by, "Judge not and ye shall not be judged, condemn not and ye shall not be condemned." To think evil concerning evil and falsity is allowable to every one, but not concerning good and truth, for these in the spiritual sense are the neighbour, and because charity towards the neighbour is meant, therefore it is also said, "Remit and it shall be remitted to you, give and it shall be given unto you." That the spiritual affection, which is called charity, will remain after death according to its quantity and quality, is meant by, "with what measure ye measure it shall be measured to you again"; and that the quantity and quality shall be filled up to eternity, is understood by, "to you that hear, shall more be given," also by, good measure, pressed, shaken, and running over, shall be given into your bosom, measure denoting the quantity and quality of affection or charity, which shall be increased to eternity within its degree or according to its degree in the world; see Heaven and Hell 349). That this shall come to pass with those who exercise charity is meant by, to you that hear, more shall be given, those who hear denoting those who obey and do. That to love the neighbour is to love that which is true and good, also that which is sincere and just, may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 84 to 106). That no other thought or judgment is here meant than that concerning the spiritual life of another, is evident from this fact, that it is allowable for every one to think about the moral and civil life of another, and also to judge of it, for without such thought and judgment about others no civil society could possibly exist; therefore not to judge and not to condemn signifies not to think evil of the neighbour spiritually understood, that is, of his faith and love, which pertain to the spiritual life of man, for these lie concealed in his interiors, and are therefore known to no one but to the Lord alone.

[15] In John:

"He whom the Father hath sent speaketh the words of God, for God hath not given the spirit by measure unto Him" (3:34).

The spirit which God giveth signifies the Divine Truth, and thence intelligence and wisdom. Not by measure, signifies above every quantity and quality of men, consequently what is infinite; for infinity in the Lord has no quantity and quality, since these are properties of the finite, for quantity and quality determine the finite and limit it, but that which is without limit is infinite. It follows from this that measure here also signifies quality, for "not by measure" signifies not to state the nature and quality of a thing.

[16] In David:

"Make known to me, Jehovah, mine end, and the measure of my days what it is, that I may know how frail I am; behold, thou hast given my days hand-breadths, and my time is as nothing before thee" (39:4, 5).

It appears as though these words have reference merely to times of life, whose end he desires to know, and which may quickly pass away; but in the spiritual sense times are not meant, but instead, states of life. Therefore by, make known to me, Jehovah, mine end, the measure of my days what it is, is signified that he may know the state of his life and its quality, or the quality of life that would remain with him. Behold, thou hast given my days hand-breadths, signifies that the quality of the state of his life was of very little moment. My time is as nothing before thee, signifies that the state of his life was of no value. For time and day signify states of life in regard to truth and good, and therefore to intelligence and wisdom, consequently the meaning here is, that both of these, so far as they are from oneself, are of no value. That this is the meaning of these words, cannot be seen by those who think only naturally, because natural thought cannot be separated from the idea of time, but spiritual thought, such as angelic thought is, has nothing in common with time, neither with space or person.

[17] Since measures signify the quality of a thing, the meaning of "the house of measures" (Jeremiah 22:14), and "the portion of measures" (Jeremiah 13:25), is evident; also of "the men of measures" (Isai. 45:14). Here measures signify quality in every connection.

In Moses:

"Ye shall not act perversely in judgment, in measure, in weight, and in dimension; balances of justice, stones of justice, an ephah of justice, and a hin of justice, shall ye have" (Leviticus 19:35, 36);

again:

"There shall not be in thy bag divers stones, a great and a small; there shall not be in thy house divers ephahs, great and small; thou shalt have a perfect and a just stone, a perfect and a just ephah shalt thou have" (Deuteronomy 25:13-15);

and in Ezekiel:

"Scales of justice, and an ephah of justice, and a bath of justice shall ye have" (45:10).

That these measures and weights signify estimation of a thing according to the quality of truth and good, may be seen above (n. 373:5).

3913. 'She said, Behold, my maidservant Bilhah' means the affirming means, which has its place between natural truth and interior truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'a maidservant', and also of 'a servant-girl' as the affection for the cognitions which belong to the exterior man, dealt with in 1895, 2567, 3835, 3849, and in this particular case since that affection is the means by which interior truths become joined to natural or external truths, 'a maidservant' therefore describes the affirming means that has its place between these; and from the representation of 'Bilhah' as the nature of that means. The two servant-girls which Rachel and Leah gave to Jacob as wives for producing offspring represented and meant in the internal sense nothing else than something which is of service, in this case something serving as the means by which those two things are joined together, namely interior truth with external truth, for 'Rachel' represents interior truth, 'Leah' external, 3793, 3819. Indeed by means of the twelve sons of Jacob twelve general or principal requisites are described here by which a person is introduced into spiritual and celestial things while he is being regenerated or becoming the Church.

[2] Actually when a person is being regenerated or becoming the Church, that is, when from being a dead man he is becoming a living one, or from being a bodily-minded man is becoming a heavenly-minded one, he is led by the Lord through many states. These general states are specified by those twelve sons, and later by the twelve tribes, so that the twelve tribes mean all aspects of faith and love - see what has been shown in 3858. For any general whole includes every particular and individual detail, and each detail exists in relation to the general whole. When a person is being regenerated the internal man is to be joined to the external man, and therefore the goods and truths which belong to the internal man are to be joined to those which belong to the external man, for it is truths and goods that make a person a human being. These cannot be joined together without means. These means consist in such things as take something from one side and something from the other, and act in such a way that insofar as a person moves closer to one the other plays a subordinate role. These means are meant by the servant-girls - Rachel's servant-girls being the means available from the internal man, Leah's the means available from the external man.

[3] The necessity for means by which the joining together is effected may be recognized from the consideration that of himself the natural man does not agree at all with the spiritual but disagrees so much as to be utterly opposed to the spiritual. For the natural man regards and loves self and the world, whereas the spiritual man does not, except insofar as to do so leads to the rendering of services in the spiritual world, and so he regards service to it and loves this service because of the use that is served and the end in view. The natural man seems to himself to have life when he is promoted to high positions and so to pre-eminence over others, but the spiritual man seems to himself to have life in self-abasement and in being the least. Not that he despises high positions, provided they are means by which he is enabled to serve the neighbour, society as a whole, and the Church. Neither does the spiritual man view the important positions to which he is promoted in any selfish way but on account of the services rendered which are his ends in view. Bliss for the natural man consists in his being wealthier than others and in his possessing worldly riches, whereas bliss for the spiritual man consists in his having cognitions of truth and good which are the riches he possesses, and even more so in the practice of good in accordance with truths. Not however that he despises riches, because these enable him to render a service in the world.

[4] These few considerations show that on account of their different ends in view the state of the natural man and the state of the spiritual are the reverse of each other, but that the two can be joined one to the other. That conjunction is effected when things which belong to the external man become subordinate and are subservient to the ends which the internal man has in view. In order that a person may become spiritual therefore it is necessary for the things belonging to the external man to be brought into a position of subservience, and so for ends that have self and the world in view to be cast aside and those that have the neighbour and the Lord's kingdom to be adopted. The former cannot possibly be cast aside or the latter adopted, and so the two cannot be joined, except through means. It is these means that are meant by the servant-girls, and specifically by the four sons born to the servant-girls.

[5] The first means is one that affirms, or is affirmative towards, internal truth; that is to say, it affirms that it really is internal truth. Once this affirmative attitude is present, a person is in the first stage of regeneration, good from within being at work and leading to that spirit of affirmation. That good cannot pass into a negative attitude, nor even into one of doubt, until this becomes affirmative. After this, that good manifests itself in affection; that is to say, it causes the person to feel an affection for, and delight in, truth - first through his coming to know this truth, then through his acting in accordance with it. Take for example the truth that the Lord is the human race's salvation. If the person does not develop an affirmative attitude towards this truth, none of the things which he has learned about the Lord from the Word or in the Church and which are included among the facts in his natural memory can be joined to his internal man, that is, to the truths that are able to be truths of faith there. Nor can affection accordingly enter in, not even into the general aspects of this truth which contribute to the person's salvation. But once he develops an affirmative attitude countless things are added and are filled with the good that is flowing in. For good is flowing in constantly from the Lord, but where no affirmative attitude exists it is not accepted. An affirmative attitude is therefore the first means and so to speak first dwelling-place of the good flowing in from the Lord. And the same is so with all other truths called the truths of faith.