9856. Verses 15-30. And thou shalt make a breastplate of judgment, with the work of a thinker; ¹ like the work of the ephod thou shalt make it; of gold, of blue and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed and fine twined linen, shalt thou make it. Foursquare it shall be, doubled; a span the length thereof and a span the breadth thereof. And thou shalt fill it with a filling of stone, four rows of stone; a row, a ruby, a topaz, and a carbuncle, row one; and the second row, a chrysoprase, a sapphire, and a diamond; the third row, a cyanus, an agate, and an amethyst; and the fourth row, a tarshish [beryl], and an onyx, and a jasper; they shall be enclosed in gold in their fillings. And the stones shall be upon the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, upon their names, with the engravings of a signet, for everyone upon his name, they shall be for the twelve tribes. And thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains of the border with cord-work, of pure gold. And thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold, and shalt put the two rings on the two extremities of the breastplate. And thou shalt put the two cords of gold on the two rings at the extremities of the breastplate. And the two extremities of the two cords thou shalt put on the two settings, and shalt put them on the shoulders of the ephod over against the faces thereof. And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and thou shalt put them upon the two extremities of the breastplate, upon the edge thereof which is toward the side of the ephod inward. And thou shalt make two rings of gold, and shalt put them on the shoulders of the ephod underneath, its faces opposite to the joining thereof above the girdle of the ephod. And they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a thread of blue, that it may be upon the girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate withdraw not from upon the ephod. And Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel in the breastplate of judgment upon his heart when he goeth in unto the holiness, for a remembrance before Jehovah continually. And thou shalt put unto the breastplate of judgment the Urim and the Thummim; and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart when he goeth in before Jehovah; and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel upon his heart before Jehovah continually.

“And thou shalt make a breastplate of judgment” signifies that which has regard to Divine truth shining forth from Divine good; “with the work of a thinker ¹ ” signifies from the intellectual part; “like the work of the ephod thou shalt make it” signifies what is continuous with the external of the spiritual kingdom; “of gold, of blue and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed and fine twined linen, shalt thou make it” signifies the good of charity and of faith; “foursquare it shall be, doubled” signifies what is righteous and perfect; “a span the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof” signifies equally as to good and as to truth; “and thou shalt fill it with a filling of stone” signifies truths themselves in their order from one good; “four rows of stone, a row” signifies the conjunction of all; “a ruby, a topaz, and a carbuncle” signifies the celestial love of good; “row one” signifies a trine therein as a one; “and the second row” signifies this trine also as a one; “a chrysoprase, a sapphire, and a diamond” signifies the celestial love of truth; “and the third row” signifies a trine also here as a one; “a cyanus, an agate, and an amethyst” signifies the spiritual love of good; “and the fourth row” signifies the last trine as a one; “a tarshish [beryl], and an onyx, and a jasper” signifies the spiritual love of truth; “they shall be enclosed in gold in their fillings” signifies that each and all things in general and in particular shall proceed from the good which is of love from the Lord to the Lord; “and the stones shall be upon the names of the sons of Israel” signifies the goods and truths distinctively in respect to every quality; “twelve, upon their names” signifies each and all things in the complex; “with the engravings of a signet” signifies according to the heavenly form; “for everyone upon his name” signifies for each in particular; “they shall be for the twelve tribes” signifies for all in general; “and thou shalt make upon the breastplate chains of the border” signifies the conjunction of the whole heaven in the extremes; “with cord-work” signifies indissoluble; “of pure gold” signifies through celestial good; “and thou shalt make upon the breastplate two rings of gold” signifies the sphere of Divine good from the higher part of heaven, through which there is conjunction; “and shalt put the two rings on the two extremities of the breastplate” signifies in the extremes; “and thou shalt put the two cords of gold on the two rings” signifies the method of the indissoluble conjunction; “at the two extremities of the breast plate” signifies in the extremes; “and the two extremities of the two cords thou shalt put on the two settings” signifies the method of conjunction with the supports in the extremes; “and shalt put them on the shoulders of the ephod” signifies in this way the support of heaven and the preservation of good and truth there with all exertion and power; “over against the faces thereof” signifies eternally; “and thou shalt make two rings of gold” signifies the sphere of Divine good; “and thou shalt put them upon the two extremities of the breastplate” signifies in the extremes; “upon the edge thereof which is toward the side of the ephod inward” signifies the conjunction and preservation of the middle part; “and thou shalt make two rings of gold” signifies the sphere of Divine good; “and shalt put them on the two shoulders of the ephod underneath” signifies the preservation of good and truth in the lowest part of heaven; “over against its faces” signifies eternally; “opposite to the joining thereof, above the girdle of the ephod” signifies where there is a conjunction of all things most nearly within the external bond, by means of which all things are held there in connection and in form; “and they shall bind the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod” signifies the conjunction and preservation of all things of heaven by means of the sphere of Divine good in the externals of the spiritual kingdom; “with a thread of blue” signifies by means of the celestial love of truth; “that it may be upon the girdle of the ephod” signifies that it may be preserved forever in its connection and its form; “and that the breastplate withdraw not from upon the ephod” signifies that all things of heaven are inseparable from the externals of the spiritual kingdom; “and Aaron shall carry the names of the sons of Israel” signifies the preservation by the Lord of good and truth in respect to all their quality; “in the breastplate of judgment” signifies a representative of heaven as to Divine truth shining forth from the Divine good of the Lord; “upon his heart” signifies from the Divine love to eternity; “when he goeth in unto the holiness” signifies in all worship; “for a remembrance before Jehovah continually” signifies from mercy eternally; “and thou shall put unto the breastplate of judgment the Urim and Thummim” signifies the shining forth of Divine truth from the Lord in ultimates; “and they shall be upon Aaron’s heart” signifies from the Divine good of His Divine love; “when he goeth in before Jehovah” signifies in all worship; “and Aaron shall carry the judgment of the sons of Israel” signifies the Divine truth of heaven and of the church; “upon his heart before Jehovah continually” signifies perpetually shining forth from good.

2129. There are likewise other kinds of tumults, or rather of conflicts, which also present the idea of a Last Judgment, and by which societies that have been evilly combined in respect to their interiors are dissolved, concerning which I may relate what follows. Such spirits are driven into a state in which they do not think in society or communion in the usual way, but each one for himself. From their thoughts thus at variance, and the confused sound of their jarring speech, an uproar is heard, as of many waters, and a conflict among them, such as cannot be described, that arises from the confusion of opinions concerning fixed and certain truths which are then the subjects of their thoughts and speech, and which uproar is of such a character that it may be called a spiritual chaos.

[2] The sound of the conflicting and confused roarings was threefold. One sound flowed in around the head, and was said to be that of the thoughts. Another sound flowed in toward the left temple, and was said to be the conflict of their reasonings about certain truths in which they were not willing to have faith. The third sound flowed in from above at the right, and was a gnashing one, but not so confused, and the gnashing was turned this way and that, and it was said that this was because the truths that were being turned in this manner this way and that by their reasonings, were in conflict. While these conflicts were going on there were other spirits besides who spoke to me and told me what each thing signified, and their speech penetrated distinctly through those sounds.

[3] The subjects of the reasonings were especially these: whether it is to be understood according to the letter that the twelve apostles are to sit upon twelve thrones and judge the twelve tribes of Israel; also, whether any others are to be admitted into heaven than those who have suffered persecutions and miseries. Each one reasoned according to his phantasy, which he had caught in the life of the body. But some of them who had been brought back into communion and order, were afterwards instructed that the statement concerning the apostles is to be understood in an entirely different manner; namely, by the “apostles” are not meant apostles, nor by “thrones,” thrones, nor by “tribes,” tribes, nor in fact by “twelve,” twelve; but by all these terms—“apostles,” “thrones,” “tribes,” and also by “twelve,” are signified the primary things of faith (see n. 2089); and it is from these and according to them that judgment is effected upon everyone. It was further shown that the apostles cannot judge even one man, but that all judgment is of the Lord alone.

[4] And as regards the other subject of reasoning, neither is this to be understood as meaning that those only are to come into heaven who have suffered persecutions and miseries; but that the rich will enter heaven just as much as the poor, those posted in dignity just as much as those in low condition; and that the Lord has mercy on all, especially on those who have been in spiritual miseries and temptations, which are persecutions by the evil-thus on those who acknowledge that of themselves they are wretched, and who believe that it is solely of the Lord’s mercy that they are saved.