9955. 'And fill their hand' means a representative sign of the Lord in respect of the truth of faith. This is clear from the meaning of 'filling the hand' of Aaron and his sons as consecrating to serve as a representative sign of the Lord in respect of Divine Truth that constitutes faith. For 'the hand' means the power that truth from good possesses, and therefore the hand is spoken of in reference to truth, see 3091, 3387, 4931-4937, 7518, 8281, 9025. Consequently, then, just as anointing served to represent the Lord in respect of Divine Good, so the filling of hands represented the Lord in respect of Divine Truth. For everything throughout creation has connection with goodness or truth, or both if it is to have any real existence. In the Word therefore wherever the subject has to do with good, it has to do also with truth, see the places referred to in 9263, 9314. In what way the filling of hands was carried out is described in the next chapter; therefore what needs to be said about it will in the Lord's Divine mercy appear there.

9946. 'And for Aaron's sons' means Divine Truths emanating in the heavens from the Lord's Divine Good. This is clear from the representation of 'Aaron's sons' as Divine Truths emanating from the Lord's Divine Good, dealt with in 9807, in the heavens being meant because that which is Divine and the Lord's in the heavens is what the priestly office of Aaron and his sons represents. Divine Good in the heavens is represented by Aaron's priestly office, and Divine Truth from Divine Good there by that of his sons. The words 'in the heavens' are used because the Lord Himself, being the Sun of heaven, is above the heavens, yet has a presence within the heavens, which is such that it seems as though He Himself were there. The Lord as He is in the heavens - that is, His Divine Good and Divine Truth there - is able to be represented, but not that which is Divine and His above the heavens, because this cannot fall within the range of what human minds or even angelic minds can grasp, since it is infinite. But what is Divine and emanates from it into the heavens is suited to reception there.