9468. And scarlet double-dyed. That this signifies mutual love, is evident from the signification of “scarlet,” and of “double-dyed,” as being celestial truth, which is the same as the good of mutual love. There are two kingdoms into which the angelic heaven has been divided—the celestial kingdom, and the spiritual kingdom; and in each there is an internal and an external. The internal in the celestial kingdom is the good of love to the Lord, and the external is the good of mutual love. It is this latter good which is signified by “scarlet double-dyed;” by “scarlet” the good itself, and by “double-dyed” its truth. But in the spiritual kingdom the internal is the good of charity toward the neighbor, and the external is the good of obedience from faith. That “scarlet double-dyed” signifies the good of mutual love and its truth, is from its appearance in the other life; for when the sphere of this good and truth is presented to view in the lowest heaven, it appears of a scarlet color; because that which flows down from the celestial heaven and appears beneath, takes its color from flame, and beneath becomes scarlet from the shining whiteness of the light of the middle heaven, through which it passes. Hence, it is that among other colors, scarlet double-dyed was employed upon the curtains of the Habitation (Exodus 26:1); upon the veil before the ark (Exodus 26:31); upon the covering for the door of the tent (Exodus 26:36); upon the covering at the gate of the court (Exodus 27:16); upon the ephod (Exodus 28:6); upon the belt (Exodus 28:8) upon the breastplate of judgment (Exodus 28:15); and upon the fringes of the robe of the ephod (Exodus 28:33).

[2] That “scarlet double-dyed” signifies the good of mutual love, which is the external good of the celestial kingdom or church, is evident from the fact that a cloth of scarlet double-dyed was to be spread over the table on which were the breads of faces, and that it was to be covered next with a covering of badgers’ skins (Numbers 4:8). For the inmost things that belong to the celestial kingdom or church, were signified by the things upon the table, especially by the breads; but exterior things by the coverings. From this also it is that the things to be collected are enumerated in this order; namely, the inmost things first, which were blue and crimson; the more outward things in the second place, which were scarlet double-dyed, fine linen, and goats’ wool; and lastly the outermost things, which were skins of red rams and badgers’ skins; in like manner everywhere in what follows.

[3] As external celestial good and its truth are signified by “scarlet double-dyed,” therefore the Word as to the external sense, and its derivative doctrine, are expressed by this color, for the reason that the Word is the Divine truth that proceeds from the Divine good of the Lord, and this appears as a flaming light in the inmost heaven, and as a shining white light in the middle heaven.

[4] The Word and its derivative doctrine are thus expressed in the second book of Samuel:

David lamented a lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan; and he wrote down to teach the sons of Judah the bow. Ye daughters of Israel weep over Saul, who clothed you in double-dyed with delights, who put an ornament of gold upon your apparel (2 Samuel 1:17-18, 24).

“To clothe in double-dyed” denotes to instruct in the truths that belong to the good of mutual love, thus in truths from a celestial origin. The subject treated of in this prophetic utterance is the doctrine of faith separated from the doctrine of love and charity; namely, that through the doctrine of faith separated, truths are extinguished, but are restored through the doctrine of love and charity. For by “the Philistines,” by whom Saul and Jonathan were slain, are signified those who are in the doctrine of faith separated from the doctrine of love and charity (n. 3412, 3413, 8093, 8096, 8099, 8313); and by “teaching the sons of Judah the bow” is signified instructing in the truths of doctrine those who are in the good of love and charity. (That “the sons of Judah” denote those who are in the good of love, see n. 3654, 3881, 5583, 5603, 5782, 5794, 5833, 6363; and that a “bow” denotes the doctrine of truth, n. 2686, 2709)

[5] In Jeremiah:

Thou therefore, O wasted one, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with double-dyed, though thou deckest thee with an ornament of gold, in vain shalt thou make thyself beautiful (Jeremiah 4:30).

The church that has been laid waste is here treated of; “clothing herself with double-dyed,” and “decking herself with an ornament of gold,” denotes to teach the truths of doctrine that are from a celestial origin, and the goods of life, consequently truths and goods from the Word. In like manner in the same:

They that did eat delicacies have been laid waste in the streets; they that were brought up upon scarlet have embraced a dunghill (Lam. 4:5).

“To be brought up upon scarlet” denotes to be instructed from the Word from infancy in the good of mutual love.

[6] As the things that belong to the external sense of the Word appear in heaven of a scarlet color, for the reason spoken of above, therefore they who apply the external sense of the Word to the confirmation of falsities from the evils of the love of self and of the world, and thus to those which are contrary to the truths and goods of love to the Lord and of mutual love, are said to be “clothed in crimson and scarlet;” for so do their outward things appear, because they are from the Word; but their internal things are profane. Such things are signified by “scarlet” in John:

I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy; she was clothed in crimson and scarlet (Revelation 17:3-4);

speaking of Babylon, by which is meant a religion in which the holy things of the Word are profaned by being applied to falsities that favor diabolical loves, which are the loves of self and of the world, thus to gaining dominion in the heavens and on earth. Again in the same:

The great city that was clothed in fine linen, and crimson, and scarlet; and gilded with gold, and precious stone, and pearls (Revelation 18:16).

Therefore also among the merchandise of Babylon are enumerated “fine linen, crimson, and scarlet” (Revelation 18:12).

[7] As the external of the Word appears in heaven of a scarlet color, and as there is an influx out of heaven into man’s memory, in which what is drawn from the Word appears of such a color, therefore scarlet was employed in relation to the remembrance of things; as in Moses:

The sons of Israel shall make them a train upon the borders of their garments, and shall put upon the train of the border a scarlet ¹ thread, that by it they may remember all the commandments of Jehovah, and do them (Numbers 15:38-39).

[8] For the same reason also it was customary in ancient time, when significatives were in use, to bind a scarlet thread for the remembrance or recollection of a thing, as we read of Perez the son of Tamar, upon whose hand “the midwife bound a double-dyed thread” (Genesis 38:28, 30); and as we read of the harlot Rahab, who “bound a scarlet thread in the window, that the spies might remember their promise” (Josh. 2:18, 21).

[9] As a man cannot be withdrawn from evils and falsities except by means of the truths and goods that are with him from the Word, therefore in the cleansing of leprosy there were employed “cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop” (Leviticus 14:4-7, 49-52); for “leprosy” denotes truth profaned, thus falsified (see n. 6963); and “to be cleansed from” these things denotes to be withdrawn from them by means of the truths and goods which are from the Word. In like manner scarlet was employed “in the waters of separation and expiation made from a red heifer” (Numbers 19:6); “the waters of separation and expiation” also signified purification and withdrawal from evils and falsities by means of truths and goods from the Word.

[10] As most things have an opposite sense, so also have “double-dyed” and “scarlet,” and then they signify falsities and evils which are opposed to the before-mentioned truths and goods; as in Isaiah:

Though your sins be as double-dyed, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red as scarlet, they shall be as wool (Isaiah 1:18).

The case herein is the same as with “red,” with “blood,” with “flame,” and with “fire,” which in the genuine sense signify the goods of love and of faith; but in the opposite sense the evils contrary to them.

അടിക്കുറിപ്പുകൾ:

6963. And behold his hand was leprous, as snow. That this signifies the profanation of truth, is evident from the signification of “hand,” as being power (n. 6947), and as being truth, because spiritual power consists in truth (n. 6948, 6960); and from the signification of “leprosy,” as being profanation, specifically, the profanation of truth (of which below). In the historic Word much is said about leprosy, and about its various appearances in the skin, and about the judgment thence to be formed of its quality—whether the leper was to be shut in, or to go out of the camp, or to be set at liberty; and also about leprosy in garments, in vessels, and in the very houses. Leprosy is so much treated of, not on account of leprosy as a disease, but because it signified the profanation of truth, thus for the sake of the spiritual sense; and because the Jews and the Israelites were capable of profaning truth more than other people.

[2] For if they had known the internal things of the Word, and the truths themselves which were represented by the rites of the church among them, and had faith in them, and yet had lived according to their inclination, namely in the love of self and the love of the world, in hatred and revenge among themselves, and in cruelty toward the Gentiles, they must needs have profaned the truths in which they once had faith; for to believe in truths and to live contrary to them, is to profane them. And therefore they were withheld as far as possible from the knowledges of internal truth (see n. 3398, 3489); insomuch that they did not even know that they would live after death; neither did they believe that the Messiah would come to save souls eternally, but to exalt that nation above all others in the universe. And because that nation was such, and also is such at this day, therefore they are still withheld from faith, even though they live in the midst of Christendom. Hence then it is that the nature of leprosy was so particularly described.

[3] That “leprosy” signifies the profanation of truth, is plain from the statutes concerning leprosy that are recorded by Moses in Leviticus 13. In this description there is contained in the internal sense the whole nature of the profanation of truth—as what the nature of this profanation is if recent, what if old, what if inward in man, what if also outward, what if curable, what if incurable, what are the means of cure, and other particulars, which cannot be at all known to anyone, except by means of the internal sense of the Word.

[4] But as it is profanations which are described by “leprosy,” it is not allowable to explain in detail what is contained in the description of it. Moreover, heaven is horrified at the bare mention of what is profane. I may quote this passage only:

If the leprosy effloresce fully in the skin, and the leprosy cover the whole skin of him that hath the plague, from his head even to his heel, under every look of the priest’s eyes; and the priest see, and behold the leprosy hath covered all his flesh, then he shall pronounce the plague clean; it is all turned white, he is clean. But in the day that there shall appear in him living flesh, he shall be unclean (Leviticus 13:12-14).

Unless it is known from the internal sense how the case herein is, namely, that he is clean who is all leprous from his head even unto his heel, it must appear like a paradox; but by “one leprous from his head to his heel” is meant one who knows internal truths, but does not acknowledge or believe them. Such a one is not inwardly in profanation, but outwardly, which profanation is removed, and therefore he is clean. But if he knows the truths of faith, and believes them, and yet lives contrary to them, he is in profanation inwardly, as is the case also with one who has once believed, and afterward denies. Therefore it is said, “in the day that there shall appear in him living flesh, he shall be unclean;” by “living flesh” is meant acknowledgment and faith (see what has been adduced above, n. 6959).