9930. 'And you shall make a plate of pure gold' means enlightenment received from the Lord's Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a plate' as enlightenment; and from the meaning of 'gold' as the good of love, at this point the Lord's Divine Good since 'Holiness to Jehovah' was inscribed on the plate. For the meaning of 'gold' as the good of love, see 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 8932, 9490, 9510, 9874, 9881. 'A plate' means enlightenment on account of its brightness, for light shone from the gold on Aaron's forehead, and all brightness is a sign of enlightenment, as that in the heavens is which radiates from the Lord as the Sun. Enlightenment there consists in wisdom and intelligence derived from Divine Truth emanating from the Lord; for this Truth brings light to the interiors of those who are there. Their interiors answer to the understanding part of a person's mind, which is enlightened by the Lord when the person has a perception of the Church's and heaven's truth and goodness, the understanding being the subject that receives; for there is no reception without a subject. ¹ The reason why 'the plate' means enlightenment from the Lord's Divine Good is that 'Holiness to Jehovah' was inscribed on it, and it was placed on the front of the turban which was on Aaron's head. Holiness which comes from Jehovah is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good, 6788, 8302, 8330, 9229, 9680, 9820. In order to represent the radiance or enlightenment that result in intelligence and wisdom the plate was tied to the front of the turban.

[2] Since 'the plate' meant enlightenment received from the Lord's Divine Good it was also called 'the plate of the crown of holiness' as well as 'the crown of holiness'; for a crown is a representative sign of Divine Good, and holiness is the Divine Truth emanating from that Good, as has been stated above. The fact that it was called the plate of the crown of holiness is evident further on in this Book of Exodus,

Finally they made the plate of the crown of holiness from pure gold; and they wrote an inscription on it, like the engraving of a signet, ² Holiness to Jehovah. Exodus 39:30.

The fact that it was also called the crown of holiness is evident elsewhere in Exodus,

You shall place the turban on his head, and put the crown of holiness onto the turban. Exodus 29:6.

And in Leviticus,

He placed the turban on his head, and placed on the turban, on the front of it, ³ the plate of gold, the crown of holiness. Leviticus 8:9.

[3] The fact that the crown represented Divine Good from which Divine Truth emanates is clear from the crowns that the kings wore. For the kings represented the Lord in respect of Divine Truth, see 2015, 2069, 3009, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148, and this was why they wore a crown on their head and held a sceptre in their hand, government animated by Divine Good being meant by the crown, and government inspired by Divine Truth by the sceptre.

[4] This meaning of 'the crown' is clear from the following places: In David,

I will make the horn of David to spring forth, I will make ready a lamp for My Anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon Himself His crown will flourish. Psalms 132:17-18.

'David' here is the Lord, 1888, as is 'the Anointed', 3008, 3009. His 'horn' is power, 2832, 9081; 'lamp' is Divine Truth, which is the source of intelligence, 9548, 9783; 'crown' is Divine Good, which is the source of wisdom and also the mainspring of His government. It says that His crown, meaning wisdom, is going 'to flourish' on account of what He acquired to Himself in the world, to His Humanity, through conflicts with and victories over the hells, 8273, 9528 (end), the hells being His enemies who will be clothed with shame.

[5] In the same author,

You are angry ⁴ with Your Anointed, You have condemned His crown right down to the ground. ⁵ Psalms 89:38-39.

Here also 'the Anointed' stands for the Lord. 'Anger' stands for a state involving temptations, which was a state when He was engaged in conflicts with the hells. An expression of grief in that state is what the anger and condemnation describe (a final phase of temptation seems like condemnation), such as with the Lord's last grievous cry on the Cross that He was forsaken. For the Cross was the last of His temptations or conflicts with the hells; and after that last temptation He took on Divine Good, and in so doing united His Divine Human to Deity itself, which was within Him.

[6] In Isaiah,

On that day Jehovah Zebaoth will be a crown of adornment and a turban of beauty for the remnant of His people. Isaiah 28:5.

'A crown of adornment' stands for wisdom, which is a discernment of good from God, and 'a turban of beauty' for intelligence, which is an understanding of truth from that good. What is stated in this verse has regard to things among the people which were Divine, 'people' meaning the Church since they were where the Church existed.

[7] In the same prophet,

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp [that] burns. And you will be a crown of beauty in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal turban in the hand of your God. Isaiah 62:1, 3.

'Zion' and 'Jerusalem' are used to mean the Church, 'Zion' the celestial Church, and 'Jerusalem' the spiritual Church that extends from it. 'A crown of beauty' is wisdom, which is a discernment of good, and 'a royal turban' is intelligence, which is an understanding of truth. And since 'a crown' means wisdom, or discernment of good, it is said to be 'in the hand of Jehovah'; and since 'a turban' means intelligence, or an understanding of truth, it is said to be 'in the hand of God'. For when the subject is good the name 'Jehovah' is used, and when it is truth the name 'God' is used, 2586, 2769, 6905.

[8] In Jeremiah,

Say to the king and queen mother, ⁶ Lower yourselves, sit down, for the adornment of your head, the crown of your beauty, has come down. Jeremiah 13:18.

'The crown of beauty' stands for wisdom which is a discernment of good derived from Divine Truth; for 'beauty' is the Church's Divine Truth, 9815. In the same prophet,

The joy of our heart has ceased, our dance has been turned into mourning. The crown of our head has fallen. Lamentations 5:15-16.

'Crown of the head' stands for wisdom which those who belong to the Church derive from Divine Truth, which sets them above all other peoples and gives them a kind of authority.

[9] In Ezekiel,

I put ⁷ a jewel on your nose, and earrings on your ears, and a crown of adornment on your head. Ezekiel 16:12.

This refers to the establishment of the Church. 'A jewel on the nose' stands for the perception of good; 'earrings on the ears' for the perception of truth, and obedience; and 'a crown of adornment on the head' for wisdom resulting from such perception. In Job,

He has withdrawn glory from me, and has removed the crown of my head. Job 19:9.

'Glory' stands for intelligence, which is an understanding of Divine Truth, 9429, 'crown of the head' for resulting wisdom.

[10] In the Book of Revelation,

On the thrones I saw twenty-four elders seated, clad in white garments, who had on their heads crowns of gold. They fell down before the one seated on the throne, and worshipped the one who lives for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne. Revelation 4:4, 10.

'Twenty-four elders' means all those who are governed by good that is a product of truths, and in the abstract sense all forms of good that result from truths, 6524, 9404. 'Thrones' are truths from God, 5313, 6397, 8625, 9039; 'crowns of gold on their heads' are representative signs of wisdom received from God, and because it is received from Him they cast their crowns before the one seated on the throne.

[11] Since the good of wisdom is acquired through conflicts brought about by temptations, in which the truths of faith are used to fight with, those who fought against evils and falsities and were victorious were rewarded with crowns. Therefore also the crowns of martyrdom were emblems provided by the Lord which are signs of dominion over evils. The fact that crowns are the rewards of victory over evils, and that crowns consequently mean forms of the good of wisdom because these are rewards, is also clear from the Book of Revelation,

I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; to him a crown was given; he went out conquering and to conquer. Revelation 6:2.

'A white horse and he who sat on it' is the Lord in respect of the Word, 2760-2762; and 'a bow' is teachings of truth that are used to fight with, 2686, 2709. From this it is evident that since the Lord is the subject 'a crown' means Divine Good, which is the reward of victory.

[12] And in another place,

Afterwards I saw, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud one was sitting, like the Son of Man, having on His head a crown of gold, and in His hand a sharp sickle. Revelation 14:14.

'A white cloud' stands for the literal sense of the Word, 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343 (end), 6752, 8781; 'the Son of Man' stands for Divine Truth which emanates from the Lord, 9807; 'a crown of gold' for Divine Good from which Divine Truth springs; and 'a sharp sickle' for the dispersal of evil and falsity. In another place,

Be faithful right through to death, and I will give you the crown of life. Revelation 2:10.

And in another,

Behold, I come quickly. Hold on to what you have, that no one may take your crown. Revelation 3:11.

'Crown' stands for good that results from truths, thus for wisdom since this is the discernment of the good of love resulting from the truths of faith. From all this it may now be seen what a crown means, and from this what is meant by a crown of holiness, which was the plate of gold on which 'Holiness to Jehovah' was engraved.

Фусноти:

3195. 'And was dwelling in the land of the south' means consequently in Divine light. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as living, dealt with in 1293, and from the fact that it has reference to good, 2268, 2451, 2712; and from the meaning of 'the land of the south' as Divine light. For 'the south' means light, indeed the light of intelligence, which is wisdom, 1458, but 'the land of the south' the place and state where that light exists. Thus the whole verse here 'Isaac had come from Beer Lahai Roi, and was dwelling in the land of the south' means that Divine Rational Good, because it had been born from Divine Truth, was in Divine light.

[2] Light is mentioned many times in the Word, and in the internal sense it means truth springing from good. In the highest internal sense however 'light' means the Lord Himself since He is Good and Truth themselves. He Himself is also in actual fact the light in heaven, but this is infinitely brighter than the light on earth, see 1053, 1117, 1521-1533, 1619-1632. In that light spirits and angels behold one another, and by means of it all the glory that exists in heaven is clearly visible. In brightness that light seems to be much the same as the light in the world, but this is not the case, for it is not a natural light but a spiritual one. It holds wisdom within itself, so much so that it is nothing else than wisdom that shines in this manner before the eyes of those in heaven. Consequently the wiser the angels are, the brighter the light surrounding them, 2776. This light also enlightens the understanding of man, especially of one who is regenerate, but man does not discern it during his lifetime because the light of the world reigns at that time. Evil spirits too in the next life behold one another, and also behold many representatives which manifest themselves in the world of spirits. They do so indeed by the light of heaven. Yet it is an inferior light like that coming from a coal fire, for when the light of heaven reaches them it is turned into this inferior light.

[3] As for the source itself of light, this from eternity has existed from the Lord alone, for Divine Good itself and Divine Truth itself, the source of light, is the Lord. The Divine Human which existed from eternity, John 17:5, was that actual light. Because such light was unable any longer to influence the human race which had retreated so far from good and truth, and so from the light, and had cast itself into darkness, the Lord was therefore willing to be born and assume the Human itself. Indeed in so doing He was able to bring light not only to man's rational concepts but also to his natural ideas. For the Lord made Divine within Himself both the Rational and the Natural so that people who were in such gross darkness could have light.

[4] As regards the Lord's being 'the light', that is, Good and Truth themselves, and so the source of all intelligence and wisdom, and consequently of salvation, this becomes clear from many places in the Word, as in John,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John came to bear witness to the light. He was not that light but [came] to bear witness to the light. He was the true light which enlightens every man coming into the world. John 1:1, 4, 7-9.

'The Word' was Divine Truth, and so the Lord Himself as regards the Divine Human, of which it is said that 'the Word was with God, and the Word was God'.

[5] In the same gospel,

This is the judgement, that light has come into the world, but men preferred darkness rather than light. John 3:19.

'Light' stands for Divine Truth. In the same gospel,

Jesus said, I am the light of the world. He who follows Me will not walk darkness but will have the light of life. John 8:12.

In the same gospel,

The light is with you for a brief while longer. Walk, as long as you have the light, lest the darkness overtakes you. As long as you have the light, believe in the light, that you may be sons of the light. John 12:35-36.

In the same gospel,

He who sees Me sees Him who sent Me. I have come as light into the world in order that everyone who believes in Me may not remain in darkness.

John 12:45-46.

In Luke,

My eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light for revelation to the gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel. Luke 2:30-32.

This is Simeon's prophecy regarding the Lord which was made after

His birth.

[6] In Matthew,

The people sitting in darkness have seen a great light; and for those sitting in the region and shadow of death, the light has arisen. Matthew 4:16; Isaiah 9:2.

From all these places it is quite evident that as regards Divine Good and Truth within the Divine Human the Lord is called 'the light'. The same is also seen in prophetical parts of the Old Testament, as in Isaiah,

The light of Israel will be a fire, and his Holy One a flame. Isaiah 10:17.

In the same prophet,

I Jehovah have called You in righteousness, and I will give You for a covenant of the people, and a light of the nations. Isaiah 42:6.

In the same prophet,

I have given You as a light of the nations, that You may be My salvation right to the ends of the earth. Isaiah 49:6.

In the same prophet,

Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of Jehovah has risen upon you. Nations will walk to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Isaiah 60:1, 3.

[7] All the light of heaven, consequently wisdom and intelligence, come from the Lord. This is taught in John,

The Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband, has no need of the sun or of the moon to shed light in it; the glory of God will give it light, and its lamp is the Lamb.

Revelation 21:2-3.

And further regarding the same city,

There will be no night there, nor do they need a lamp or light of the sun, for the Lord God gives them light. Revelation 22:5.

[8] Also in Isaiah,

The sun will no longer be to you a light by day, and for brightness the moon will not give light to you, but Jehovah will be to you an everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun will no longer go down and your moon will not be withdrawn, for Jehovah will be to you an everlasting light. Isaiah 60:19-20.

'The sun will no longer be a light by day, and for brightness the moon will not give its light' stands for the fact that it is not the things that belong to natural light but those that belong to spiritual light which are meant by 'Jehovah will be an everlasting light'. The name Jehovah used here and elsewhere in the Old Testament means the Lord, see 1343, 1736, 2156, 2329, 2921, 3023, 3035.

[9] His being the light of heaven was also disclosed to the three disciples Peter, James, and John - that is to say, at the Transfiguration when His face shone like the sun, and His garments became white as the light, Matthew 17:2. 'Face like the sun' meant Divine Good, 'garments as the light' Divine Truth. From this one may know what is meant by the words that occur in the blessing,

Jehovah make His face shine upon you and be merciful to you. Numbers 6:25.

'Jehovah's face' is mercy, peace, and good, see 222, 223; and as 'the sun' means Divine Love, the Lord's Divine Love is accordingly seen in the angelic heaven as the sun, 30-38, 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 2441, 2495.