56. Again, heaven is where the Lord is acknowledged, believed in and loved. Variety in worship of the Lord resulting from the variety of good in one society and another is not harmful but beneficial, for the perfection of heaven is therefrom. It can scarcely be made clear to the comprehension that the perfection of heaven is the result of variety, without employing terms in common use in the learned world and by them showing how unity, to be perfect, is formed from various parts. Every unity has its existence from diversity, for a unity that is not the result of diversity is not anything; it has no form and therefore no quality. When, on the other hand, a unity comes into existence from various parts, and these various parts are in a perfect form in which each attaches itself in series, like a congenial friend to another, then the quality is perfect. So heaven is a unity resulting from the arrangements of various parts in the most perfect form, for the heavenly form is the most perfect of all forms. That this is the origin of all perfection is evident from all the beauty, pleasantness and delight that affect the senses as well as the mind (animus). For these exist and flow from no other source than the concert and harmony of many concordant and harmonious parts, either co-existing in order or following in order, and not from a unity apart from plurality. From this comes the saying that variety gives delight, and it is known that it is the nature of the variety which determines the delight. From all this it can be seen, as in a mirror, how perfection comes from variety even in heaven. For the things that are in the spiritual world can be seen as in a mirror ¹ from those that come into existence in the natural world.

V:

9827. 'And a turban' means intelligence and wisdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'a turban' as intelligence and wisdom. 'A turban' has this meaning because it is a covering for the head, and 'the head' means a person's inward powers, which are those of intelligence and wisdom, 9656. All items of clothing derive their meaning from that part of the body which they cover, as for example with an item of clothing that covers the breast, such as a breastplate; those that cover the loins, such as trousers; those that cover the feet, such as stockings; those that cover the soles of the feet, such as sandals; and so also one that covers the head, such as a turban, headdress, or cap.

[2] The truth of all this is clear from representatives in the next life. There, when wisdom and intelligence are taken away from spirits, which happens when angelic communities are removed from them, the covering on their head is seen to be taken away from them. Once this has been done a spirit becomes stupid, devoid of any perception of what is true and good. But afterwards, as intelligence and wisdom return, his head is covered again. But items of clothing on the head there mean not so much wisdom belonging to good as intelligence belonging to truth. The turban that belonged to Aaron however means wisdom as well, since it was made from fine linen, and a holy crown was placed on it, which was a plate made from pure gold, on which Holiness to Jehovah was engraved, described further on in verses 37, 39, of the present chapter, and also Exodus 29:6; 39:28. But the turban of [ordinary] linen, and the rest of the garments of [such] linen which were also Aaron's, meant intelligence belonging to truth, but not wisdom belonging to good. Regarding those garments and that turban, see Leviticus 16:4; Ezekiel 44:18. For 'linen' or 'flax' means truth in the natural level of a person's mind, 7601, so that 'a turban of [ordinary] linen' means intelligence there.

[3] People who have no knowledge of the nature of representatives and correspondences can scarcely be brought to believe that such things are meant. But let them weigh up this, that in heaven spiritual realities are envisaged instead of natural things, so that instead of a turban, and in general instead of garments, such things are envisaged as belong to intelligence and wisdom, also to faith and love, in general such as belong to truth and goodness. For all these are spiritual, since heaven is a spiritual world. Let them also weigh up this, that it was Jehovah on Mount Sinai who described and decreed what Aaron's garments should be, which being so, every detail of the description holds within itself the Divine Celestial, which is disclosed solely by means of knowledge about correspondences and representatives.