10136. And a tenth of fine flour mingled with beaten oil, a fourth of a hin. That this signifies spiritual good from celestial as much as is sufficient for conjunction, is evident from the signification of “a tenth of an ephah,” as being as much as is sufficient, and sufficient for uses (see n. 8468, 8540, 9757); from the signification of “fine flour,” as being truth from good (n. 9995), here truth from celestial good, which truth is called spiritual good; from the signification of “oil,” as being celestial good (n. 886, 3728, 4582, 4638, 9474, 9780); and from the signification of “a fourth of a hin” as being sufficient for conjunction; for by “four” is signified conjunction (n. 9601, 9674), hence “a fourth,” or fourth part, denotes as much as is sufficient for conjunction. The ephah and hin were measures, and by “measure” is signified the quantity of the thing that is being treated of; by an “ephah,” which was a measure of fine flour, wheat, and barley, the quantity of good; and by a “hin,” which was a measure of wine and oil, the quantity of truth. (That the tenth of an ephah is what is meant, is evident from Leviticus 6:20, and other passages.) From this it is evident that by “a tenth of fine flour mingled with beaten oil, a fourth of a hin,” is signified spiritual good from celestial as much as is sufficient for conjunction. (What the spiritual and what the celestial are, see the places cited in n. 9277)

9674. And thou shalt bestow it upon four pillars of shittim. That this signifies the good of merit, which belongs to the Lord alone, conjoining and supporting, is evident from the signification of “four,” as being conjunction (see n. 1686, 8877); that “four” denotes conjunction is because this number arises from two multiplied into itself, and multiplied numbers have the same signification as the simple numbers of which they are composed (n. 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973, and that “two” denotes conjunction, see n. 5194, 8423); from the signification of “pillars,” as being support (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “shittim wood,” as being the good of merit, which belongs to the Lord alone (n. 9472, 9486). That this good is the only good which reigns in heaven, may be seen above (n. 9486); thus it is also that which supports heaven. The reason why “pillars” signify support, is that they supported the veil, just as the planks, also of shittim wood, supported the curtains of the Habitation (n. 9634).

[2] By “pillars” in the spiritual sense are signified those things which support heaven and the church, and which are the goods of love and the goods of faith from the Lord. These are signified by “pillars” in David:

I will judge in rectitudes, the earths are melting and all its inhabitants, I will make firm its pillars (Psalms 75:2-3).

God, who shaketh the earth out of her place, so that the pillars thereof tremble (Job 9:6).

“The pillars of the earth” denote the goods and truths which support the church; for “the earth” in the Word denotes the church (n. 9325). It is evident that the pillars of the earth are not the things which tremble. And in John:

He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go outside no more; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from My God, and My new name (Revelation 3:12); where a “pillar in the temple” denotes the goods and truths of the church, which are also meant by “the name of God,” and “the name of the city, the New Jerusalem.” (That “the name of God” denotes all the good and truth of the church, or everything in the complex by which the Lord is worshiped, see n. 2724, 3006, 6674, 9310)