Oil -- typically olive oil -- symbolizes the good that comes from celestial love. Celestial love is love of the Lord, the highest and purest love we can have. The good of celestial love is the desire to be good springing from celestial love: Wanting to do the Lord's will because you love Him. That's not a state many reach, even in heaven, but it's a beautiful goal. This representation makes sense based on the idea that the sun -- the source of all natural light and heat, and thus all natural life -- represents the Lord, the source of all spiritual light, heat and life. Burning oil was the most pure fire available in Biblical times, thus the closest representation of the sun people could create.

9778. Verses 20-21 And you shall command the children of Israel, and let them bring to you olive oil - pure, beaten - for the light, to cause a lamp to go up ¹ continually. In the tent of meeting, outside the veil which is over the Testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend ² it from evening until morning before Jehovah. It shall be the statute of an age ³ for their generations among ⁴ the children of Israel.

'And you shall command the children of Israel' means the Lord's command to the Church through the Word. 'And let them bring to you olive oil' means the good of charity and faith. 'Pure, beaten' means what is therefore authentic and perceptible. 'For the light' means the spiritual heaven. 'To cause a lamp to go up continually' means faith from there, and through that faith an intelligent understanding of truth and a wise discernment of good from the Lord. 'In the tent of meeting' means where the Lord's presence is. 'Outside the veil which is over the Testimony' means where there is communication and, through the uniting intermediary, a joining to the Lord in the inmost heaven. 'Aaron and his sons shall tend it' means an everlasting influx from the Lord. 'From evening until morning before Jehovah' means unceasingly in every state. 'It shall be the statute of an age' means Divine order. 'For their generations among the children of Israel' means eternity for the spiritual kingdom.

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