10296. And pure frankincense. That this signifies inmost truth, which is spiritual good, is evident from the signification of “frankincense,” as being that which has been clarified from the falsity of evil. That the inmost truth which is signified by “frankincense” is spiritual good, is because the good with those who are in the Lord’s spiritual kingdom is nothing else than truth, which is called good when the man wills and does it from conscience and affection. For with the spiritual all the will has been destroyed, but the understanding is preserved entire by the Lord, and in it there is implanted by the Lord a new will by means of regeneration. This will is the conscience with them, which is a conscience of truth. For whatever is implanted in the understanding and proceeds from the understanding, is truth, because man’s understanding has been allotted to the reception of the truths of faith; but the will to the reception of the goods of love. From this it is evident that in its essence spiritual good is truth. (That with the spiritual a new will is implanted in their intellectual part, and that consequently the good with them is in its essence truth, see the places cited in n. 9277, 9596, 9684.) It is said of inmost truth that it is good, for the reason that the more interior things are, the more perfect they are; and because the inmost of man is his will, and that which belongs to the will is called good. (That “frankincense” denotes inmost truth, thus spiritual good, can be seen from the passages above adduced from the Word, n. 10177.)

[2] As “frankincense” denotes spiritual good, and good is that which reigns in all truths, disposes them, conjoins them, and gives affection to them, therefore frankincense is mentioned in the last place, and on this account the vessels of incense were called “censers ¹ ;” for the name is from the essential, which is good; in like manner as the oil of anointing is named from the oil of olive, and not from the spices from which it was prepared; for a similar reason, namely, because “oil” signified good, and “spices” truths.

[3] It is called “pure frankincense” because “pure” signifies that which has been clarified from the falsities of evil; and in the original tongue by this word is signified what is interiorly pure, but by another word that which is exteriorly pure or clean. That what is interiorly pure is signified by this word is evident in Isaiah:

Wash you, make you pure, put away the wickedness of your works from before Mine eyes (Isaiah 1:16).

In vain have I rendered mine heart pure, and washed my hands in innocency (Psalms 73:13).

To “render the heart pure” denotes to be purified interiorly; and to “wash the hands in innocency” denotes the same exteriorly. And again:

Be thou pure when thou judgest (Psalms 51:4).

(That by the other word is signified what is exteriorly pure or clean, may be seen in Leviticus 11:32; 12:7-8; 13:6, 1 13:13, 17, 23, 28, 34, 37, 58; 14:7-8, 9, 20, 48, 53; 15:13, 28; 16:30; 22:7; Jeremiah 13:27; Ezekiel 24:13; 39:12)

Bilješke:

9684. And the lampstand over against the table on the side of the Habitation toward the south. That this signifies the illumination of the spiritual kingdom by means of the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine human to those who are in good is evident from the signification of “the lampstand” as being the Lord as to Divine truth, thus the Divine truth that proceeds from His Divine Human, and the consequent illumination of His spiritual kingdom (of which in what follows); from the signification of “the table upon which were the breads of faces,” over against which was the lampstand, as being the Lord as to celestial good, and thus this good itself, from which and through which the Lord flows into the spiritual kingdom, that is, into the middle heaven (of which also in what follows); and from the signification of “on the side of the Habitation toward the south,” as being in heaven where the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine Human is in the greatest light; for the Habitation outside the veil, where the lampstand was, denotes the middle heaven (n. 9594), and “the south” or “midday” denotes where Divine truth is in its light (see n. 9642). That the lampstand was in the Habitation near the veil, and also the table upon which were the breads of faces; and that the lampstand was on the side toward the south, and the table on the side toward the north; are arcana of heaven which cannot be made plain unless it is known that the Habitation represented heaven, and the things in the Habitation the celestial and spiritual things which are in heaven. (What “the lampstand” represented has been shown above, n. 9548; and what “the table upon which were the breads of faces,” n. 9527, 9545; and what “the south” or “midday,” n. 9642; and what “the north,” n. 3708.) From this it can be seen that by “the lampstand on the side of the Habitation toward the south” is signified the illumination of the spiritual kingdom by means of the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine Human.

[2] But in order that the arcana themselves may be clearly seen, it must be stated how the case is in the heavens. The Lord appears to those who are of the celestial kingdom as a Sun, but to those who are of the spiritual kingdom as a Moon. The Lord as a Sun appears at a middle altitude over against the right eye; and as a Moon also at a middle altitude over against the left eye. From the Lord as a Sun, light comes to those who are in His celestial kingdom; and from the Lord as a Moon, light comes to those who are in His spiritual kingdom (concerning these two kingdoms, see the places cited in n. 9277). The light in the heavens is the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine Human, and this, when received by the angels of the spiritual kingdom, is called the truth of faith from the good of charity toward the neighbor. The middle heaven, which is called the spiritual heaven, consists of this good and this truth. The lampstand in the Habitation represented the Moon, from which those who are of the spiritual kingdom have light, thus it represented the Lord as to Divine truth there; for, as before said, the Lord appears as a Moon to those who belong to this kingdom. From all this it can now be seen why the lampstand was placed toward the south, for “the south” or “midday” denotes where Divine truth is in light (see n. 9642); and why the table upon which were the breads of faces was placed toward the north, for “the north” denotes where Divine truth is in obscurity (n. 3708). The case is the same with the Divine good signified by “the breads” upon this table; this good becomes spiritual good through the reception of Divine truth as of light from the Moon. These are the arcana which are signified by the lampstand and its position toward the south; and by the table upon which were the breads of faces, and its position toward the north.

[3] That “the lampstand” denotes the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine Human, is evident from Revelation:

I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girt about the breasts with a golden girdle (Revelation 1:12-13);

“the Son of man” denotes the Lord in respect to the Divine truth from His Divine Human (n. 2803, 2813, 3704). And in another passage in the same book:

The glory of God shall lighten the Holy City Jerusalem, and the Lamb is the lamp thereof (Revelation 21:23);

“the glory of God” denotes the Divine truth that proceeds from the the Lord, (n. 9429); “the lamp which is the Lamb,” that is, the Lord, denotes faith, and the consequent intelligence of truth and wisdom of good, which are from the Lord alone (n. 9548); “the New Jerusalem” denotes the Lord’s New Church (see n. 2117).

[4] (That the Lord is a Sun to those who are in the celestial kingdom, and appears as a Moon to those who are in the spiritual kingdom, see n. 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 3636, 3643, 5097, 7083, 7173, 7270, 8644, 8812; consequently that by “the sun” in the Word is signified the Lord as to celestial good, and by “the moon” the Lord as to spiritual good, n. 1529, 1530, 2441, 2495, 4060, 4696, 7083, 8644; and that the Lord as a Sun appears at a middle altitude over against the right eye, and as a Moon also at a middle altitude over against the left eye, n. 1531, 4321, 7078, 7171. It is for this reason that the east in heaven is where the Lord appears as a Sun, and the south where the Lord appears as a Moon. (That the light from the Lord as a Sun and as a Man is the Divine truth that proceeds from His Divine Human, see n. 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 2776, 3094, 3138, 3167, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3337, 3339, 3341, 3636, 3643, 3862, 3993, 4060, 4180, 4302, 4408, 4414, 4415, 4419, 4527, 4598, 5400, 6032, 6313, 6315, 6608, 6907, 7174, 8644, 8707, 8861, 9399, 9407.) And as the light from the Lord as a Sun and as a Moon is the Divine truth that proceeds from Him, therefore the heat from the Lord as a Sun in heaven is the Divine good of His Divine love (n. 3338, 3339, 3636, 3643, 5215, 6032).

[5] From this can be seen the nature of the difference between the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom of the Lord in respect to the reception of Divine truth, namely, that it is like the difference between the light from the sun and the light from the moon. (That on this account they who are in the spiritual kingdom are comparatively in obscurity in respect to the truth of faith and the good of love, see n. 2708, 2715, 2718, 2831, 2849, 2935, 2937, 3241, 3833, 6289, 6500, 6945, 7233; that these especially were saved by the coming of the Lord into the world, n. 2661, 2716, 3969, 6373, 6854, 6914, 7035, 7091, 7828, 7932a, 8018, 8054, 8159, 8321, 9596; and that they have illumination in the Lord’s Divine Human, n. 2716, 2833, 2834; but that those belonging to the spiritual church are saved who are in the good of life through the truths of faith, n. 2954, 6435, 6647, 6648, 7977, 7992, 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685, 8690, 8701)