814. 19:8 And it was granted her to be arrayed in fine linen, clean and bright. This symbolically means that those who will belong to the Lord's New Church are being instructed through the Word by the Lord in truths that are genuine and pure.

Being granted to her means to the wife, who symbolizes the Lord's New Church, namely, the New Jerusalem, as in no. 813 just above. To be arrayed means, symbolically, to be instructed in truths, inasmuch as garments symbolize truths (no. 166), and white garments genuine truths (no. 212). Fine linen, clean and bright, symbolically means glistening as a result of goodness, and pure as a result of truths. And because there is no pure truth from any other source than from the Lord through the Word, therefore this, too, is symbolically meant.

The fine linen is said to be clean and bright because cleanliness symbolizes something that is free of evil, thus something that glistens as a result of goodness, and brightness symbolizes something that is free of falsity, thus something pure as a result of truth.

Fine linen, or something made of fine linen, symbolizes genuine truth also in the following passages:

I clothed you (O Jerusalem) in embroidered cloth..., I clothed you with fine linen and covered you with silk... Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk... (Ezekiel 16:10, 13)

Fine linen with embroidery from Egypt was your sail. (Ezekiel 27:7)

The latter is said of Tyre, which symbolizes the church in respect to concepts of truth and goodness.

The hosts in heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean. (Revelation 19:14)

Pharaoh's clothing Joseph "in garments of fine linen" (Genesis 41:42) has the same symbolic meaning.

Truth from the Word in their possession, though not internalized by them, is symbolized by the fine linen in Babylon in Revelation 18:12, 16, and by that possessed by the rich man in Luke 16:19.

Fine linen is also called cotton, so that this, too, symbolizes genuine truth, in the following:

You shall make (for Aaron) a checkered tunic of cotton, and you shall make the turban of cotton... (Exodus 28:39)

They made tunics of cotton... for Aaron and his sons... (Exodus 39:27)

You shall make the tabernacle... cotton interwoven with blue, purple, and scarlet double-dyed. (Exodus 26:1, cf. 36:8)

You shall make... hangings for the court of woven cotton... (Exodus 27:9, cf. 27:18; 38:9)

Also the screen... of the court...(with) woven cotton. (Exodus 38:18)

211. "'I urge you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be enriched.'" (3:18) This symbolizes an admonition to acquire for themselves the goodness of love from the Lord by means of the Word, in order to become wise.

That is because to buy means, symbolically, to acquire for oneself. "From Me" symbolically means, from the Lord by means of the Word. Gold symbolizes goodness, and gold refined in the fire, the goodness of celestial love. And to be enriched means, symbolically, to understand and become wise.

Gold symbolizes goodness because metals in their hierarchy symbolize qualities connected with goodness and truth. Gold symbolizes celestial and spiritual goodness; silver, the truth accompanying those good qualities; bronze, natural goodness; and iron, natural truth.

These are the symbolic meanings of the metals of which Nebuchadnezzar's statue consisted, the head of which was gold, the breast and arms silver, the belly and thighs bronze, the legs iron, and the feet partly iron and partly clay (Daniel 2:32-33). These metals represented the successive states of the church in respect to the goodness of its love and the truth of its wisdom.

Because the states of the church followed in succession in this way, the ancients therefore gave the ages these same names, calling them the golden age, the silver age, the bronze age, and the iron age. And by the golden age they meant the first period, when the goodness of celestial love reigned. Celestial love is love toward the Lord received from the Lord. From this love they then had their wisdom.

To be shown that gold symbolizes the goodness of love, see no. 913 below.