629. Rise, measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that adore therein.- That this signifies to explore the quality of the church as to its reception of Divine Truth and Divine Good, and thence as to the worship of the Lord, is evident from the signification of measuring, as denoting to explore the quality of a thing, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of temple, as denoting, in the highest sense, the Divine Human of the Lord as to Divine Truth, and, in a relative sense, heaven and the church as to Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord (see n. 220); and from the signification of altar, as denoting, in the highest sense, the Divine Human of the Lord as to Divine Good, and, in a relative sense, heaven and the church as to Divine Good proceeding from the Lord (see (n. 391, 490, 496); and from the signification of them that adore, as denoting worship. The reason why they that adore signify the worship of the Lord, is, that worship consists in the adoration of the Lord, and that in the spiritual sense there is no reference to personality; but only to the thing itself, apart from persons (concerning which see (n. 99, 100, 270, 325, 625). By them that adore, therefore, is signified adoration and worship. From these considerations it is evident, that by these words, "Rise, measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that adore therein," is signified to explore the quality of the church in regard to its reception of Divine Truth and Divine Good proceeding from the Lord, and therefore in regard to worship.

[2] That to measure, in the spiritual sense, does not signify to measure, is plain from this fact, that the command was given not only to measure the temple and the altar, but also them that adored therein. To measure the temple and the altar then must involve something signified by their measures, thus that which is implied in the signification of length, breadth, and height; for it would not be said "to measure them that adore in the temple," unless to measure signified the exploration of their qualities or the quality of the thing.

[3] That to measure signifies to explore the quality of a thing, and also to designate it, is evident from the passages in the Word where measuring and measures are mentioned. Thus it is said in Ezekiel, That the man who had the line of flax and the measuring reed in his hand, measured the building, and also the threshold of the gate, the porch of the gate in the house, the porch of the gate from the house, the door of the gate, the gate from the roof of the bed-chamber, and many other things which he measured as to the breadth, the length, and the height (40:3, 5, 6, 8, 11, 13, 17, and following verses). And afterwards, he measured the temple, the lintel over the door, the wall of the house, and the house itself, as to the breadth and the length (41:1-5, 13, 14, 22), and the inner court, and the things belonging to that court (42.) Lastly, he measured the altar, and the things belonging to the altar (43:13, and following verses). The measures were also designated by numbers, as, so many reeds, so many cubits, and so many palms. It is evident from this, that by measuring those things is not meant to measure them, but to designate the quality of the thing indicated by means of the individual things measured, that is to say, by the building, the gate, the porch, the temple, the lintel, the wall, the court, and the altar. The building, the house, and the temple signify the church; the door and the gate, introductory truth; the porch and court, all those things that are without the church, but which yet have reference to it; these are all those things that pertain to the man of the church in his natural man. For the church itself with man is in his internal or spiritual man or mind, that is, interiorly with him; but those things that are in the external or natural man or mind, that is, those which reside exteriorly, all correspond to the things pertaining to the church itself, which, as stated, are in the internal or spiritual man or mind. These exterior things are signified by the porch without the house and by the court; what the quality of these things would be, is there designated by measurements and numbers. For the subject treated of in those chapters is the Lord's church that was about to come, which is called the internal church, and which is described as above. Any one can see that such measurements would be of no importance, unless each were significative. But the meaning of each measurement is evident from the signification of the thing measured, and its quality from the signification of the measurement as expressed in number.

[4] There are only three things that are measurable, breadth, length, and height; and breadth signifies the truth of the church, length, the good of the church, and height, both of these in regard to degrees; the degrees of truth and good are the quality of truth and good, as interior or higher, and the quality as exterior or lower. These things are signified by those three dimensions, because breadth is said in reference to heaven from the south to the north, length from the east to the west, and height from the third heaven, which is in highest things, to the first heaven, which is in lowest things. And since those who dwell in heaven from south to north are in truths of doctrine, therefore breadth signifies the truth of heaven, or of the church; and as those who dwell from east to west are in the goods of love, therefore length signifies the good of heaven, or of the church; and because the wisest in the third heaven dwell in the highest parts, and those in the first heaven who are relatively simple dwell in the lowest [parts], therefore height in regard to degrees signifies wisdom and intelligence. These then are the things designated in general by measurements.

[5] Again in the same prophet:

"Son of man, show the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; that they may measure the form, when they have become ashamed of all that they have done; the form of the house and the arrangement thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof; also teach them all the statutes thereof, and all the arrangements thereof, and all the laws thereof, and write them before their eyes, that they may keep all the form thereof, and all the statutes thereof, and do them" (Ezekiel 43:10, 11).

Measuring the temple or the house, signifies to investigate and explore the quality of the church as to truth and as to good, as is evident from its being said, that they should measure the form of the house, the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof. It is also said, that they should keep all the form thereof; this cannot mean the form of the temple as to form only, but as to those things signified by the temple; for it is added, that they may be ashamed of all their iniquities which they have done, which signifies that they may be ashamed of having departed from the laws and statutes of the church, therefore it is also said, that he may teach them all the statutes thereof, all the arrangements, and all the laws thereof. It is therefore plain, that temple signifies the church with its truths and goods, for these are the things that are to be kept, and that are signified by keeping all the form of the house or temple, temple in the Word signifying the church as to truth, and the house of God, the church as to good; for the temple was built of stones, but the house of God, in ancient times, was of wood; and stones signify truths, while wood signifies goods.

[6] Again in Zechariah:

"I lifted up mine eyes, and saw, and behold a man in whose hand was a measuring line; and I said, Whither goest thou? And he said unto me, To measure Jerusalem, that I may see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof; and he said, Jerusalem shall inhabit the suburbs, by reason of the multitude of men and beasts in the midst thereof" (2:1, 2, 4).

These things are said concerning the advent of the Lord, and the establishment of a new church by Him, as is evident from verses 10 and 11 of the same chapter. Jerusalem signifies that new church, and to measure it signifies to explore and consequently to know its quality and quantity; breadth signifying the truth of its doctrine, and length the good of its love, as shown above; therefore it is said, "To measure Jerusalem, that I may see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof." That the church is there meant by Jerusalem, and not the city of Jerusalem, is evident, for about the time of the Lord's coming Jerusalem was not of such extent and character as is there described in the words, "Jerusalem shall inhabit the suburbs by reason of the multitude of men and beasts in the midst thereof." By these words is meant the multitude of nations that will go over to the church. Jerusalem in the midst thereof signifies the church from those who will receive interiorly the Divine proceeding from the Lord, while by the suburbs is signified the church from those who will receive it exteriorly; for the Lord's church is internal and external. Those who are in intelligence and wisdom, and therefore in the higher heavens, are in the internal church, but those who are in the knowledges (scientiae) and cognitions of truth and good from the Word, and not in any interior intelligence and wisdom, and who are therefore in the lower heavens, are in the external church; the latter are called spiritual-natural, but the former spiritual. The spiritual are meant by those who are in the midst of Jerusalem, and the spiritual-natural by those who are in the suburbs. Men and beasts mean those who are in intelligence and thence in the good of life, men those who are in intelligence, and beasts those who are in the natural affection for good, and thence in the good of life.

[7] Similar things are signified by these words in the Apocalypse:

The angel "who talked with me had a golden reed, to measure the city" the New Jerusalem, "the gates thereof, and the wall thereof; and he measured the wall, one hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel" (21:15, 17).

The New Jerusalem means the New Church, and the city, its doctrine; its wall signifies Divine Truth defending. The number one hundred and forty-four signifies all truths and goods in their entirety. This number is stated to be the measure of a man, that is, of an angel, which could not be said unless measure signified quality. But these things will be explained in their proper place.

[8] In Ezekiel:

"When the man that had the line in his hand went forth towards the east, he measured a thousand by the cubit; afterwards he made me to pass through the waters, the waters were to the ankles; again he measured a thousand, and made me to pass through the waters, the waters were to the knees; and he measured a thousand, and made me to pass through the waters, the waters were to the loins; again he measured a thousand, a river which I could not pass through, because the waters were deep, waters to swim in, a river which could not be passed through, and behold upon the bank of the river many trees, on this side and on that side; and every living soul that creepeth, and whithersoever the river cometh, shall live; whence there is much fish" (47:3-5, [7], 9).

These words describe how the intelligence which pertains to those who are of the church, increases through the reception of Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord. The Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord is signified by the waters issuing from under the threshold of the house towards the east, and descending from the right side of the house from the south of the altar, as stated in the first verse of that chapter. The east signifies love to the Lord, for in heaven the east is where the Lord appears as the Sun; and where the Divine Truth is received in the greatest light there is the right side, and that side is called the south, therefore it is also said, "from the south of the altar." How intelligence increases through the reception of Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord is described by the waters which he passed through, which reached first to the ankles, afterwards to the knees, then to the loins, and at length were so deep that they could not be passed through. The waters to the ankles signify the intelligence pertaining to the sensual and natural man, for the ankles signify that which is sensual and natural. The waters to the knees signify the intelligence pertaining to the spiritual-natural man, for the knees signify that which is spiritual-natural. The waters to the loins signify intelligence pertaining to the spiritual man, for the loins signify the marriage of truth and good, which is spiritual. The waters which could not be passed through signify celestial intelligence, which is called wisdom, such as a celestial man or an angel of the third heaven possesses; and this, being ineffable, is said to be a river which could not be passed through, and being also far above the natural man, the waters are called waters to swim in. The river arising from those waters signifies intelligence and wisdom. The cognitions of truth and good, as well as perceptions, are signified by the words "upon the bank of the river were many trees on this side and on that side," a tree denoting cognitions and perceptions. The life from these to every thing in the natural man, both to cognitions and knowledges (scientiis), is signified by every living soul that creepeth, shall live, also by the words "there shall be much fish." The soul that creepeth, and fish signify those things in the natural man that are called cognitions from the Word, also natural knowledges (scientiae), by which spiritual things are confirmed; and to live signifies the influx of the Lord through the spiritual man and his intelligence into those cognitions and knowledges. That waters signify the truths of doctrine from the Word, by means of which intelligence is acquired, may be seen above (n. 71, 483, 518).

[9] Thus also in Habakkuk:

"He stood and measured the earth; he saw and scattered the nations; for the mountains of eternity were dispersed, the hills of an age did bow; his goings [are] of an age" (3:6).

These things are said concerning visitation and a last judgment, by the Lord when He should come into the world. He stood and measured the earth means the exploration of the quality of the church at that time, to measure denoting to explore, and the earth denoting the church. He saw and scattered the nations signifies the casting down into hell of all those who are in evils and in falsities therefrom, to scatter denoting to cast into hell, while nations denote those who are in evils and in falsities therefrom. The mountains of eternity were dispersed signifies that the celestial church, such as it was with the most ancient people, who were in love to the Lord, perished, the mountains of eternity denoting that church and that love. The hills of an age did bow, signifies that the spiritual church, such as it was with the ancient people after the flood, who were in love towards the neighbour, perished, the hills of an age denoting that church and that love. His goings [are] of an age, signifies according to the existing and perverted state of the church.

[10] In Isaiah:

"Behold the Lord Jehovih cometh in strength, and his arm shall rule for him. Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heavens with a span, and embraced the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in a scale, and the hills in a balance" (40:10, 12).

This also is said of the Lord and His Divine Truth from which heaven, the church, and wisdom exist. The coming of the Lord and the arrangement of all things, at that time, in the heavens by Him, from His Own power, is signified by, "Behold the Lord Jehovih cometh in strength, and his arm shall rule for him." His arm which shall rule denotes His Own power. The arrangement of all things in the heavens from His Own power, by means of Divine Truth, is signified by, "who hath measured the waters in the hollow of his hand, and meted out the heavens with a span, and embraced the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in a scale, and the hills in a balance." Measuring the waters signifies to designate Divine truths; meting out the heavens with a span signifies thence to arrange the heavens. Embracing the dust of the earth in a measure signifies to arrange lower things, the hollow of the hand, the span, and the measure (triental), like measures and hand, signify the quality of a thing, and one's own power. Weighing the mountains in a scale and the hills in a balance signifies to bring all things into subordination and equilibrium, the scale and balance denoting just equilibration, and the mountains and hills the higher heavens, mountains denoting those heavens that are in love to the Lord, and hills those that are in charity towards the neighbour, as above.

[11] In Job:

"Where wast thou when I founded the earth? Declare if thou knowest understanding, who laid the measures thereof, if thou knowest? and who stretched out the line upon it? Upon what are its bases sunk? who laid the corner-stone thereof?" (38:4-6).

The earth here means the church. Founding it, and laying its measures, signifies to establish it and to determine its quality, measure denoting the quality of a thing. Stretching out upon it the line signifies to maintain it in its quality. Upon what are its bases sunk, and who laid the corner-stone thereof? signifies the founding of it upon those things which are in the natural man, the corner-stone denoting the truth of the natural man, called scientific truth upon which the truth of the spiritual man, or spiritual truth, is founded.

[12] In Jeremiah:

"If these statutes shall depart from before me, the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before me all the days; if the heavens shall be measured above, and the foundations be searched out beneath, I also will cast off all the seed of Israel on account of all that they have done" (31:36, 37).

By statutes are there signified all those things pertaining to the church, which were commanded for the sons of Israel, therefore every thing having reference to worship. That if they should not observe these, there would be no church with them, is signified by, if these statutes shall depart from before me, the seed of Israel shall cease from being a nation before me all the days. Israel signifies the church, and the seed of Israel, the truth of the church. And that although a new heaven and a new church were to come into existence, yet with that nation there would be nothing of heaven and of the church, is signified by, if the heavens shall be measured above, and the foundations be searched out beneath, I also will cast off all the seed of Israel on account of all that they have done.

[13] The reason why meting and measuring signify to designate and determine the quality of a thing, and also to explore it, is, that by measure is signified the quality of a thing or quality in the abstract. This signification of measure is evident from the following passages:

In the Apocalypse,

The angel "measured the wall of the city" New Jerusalem, "a hundred and forty-four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel" (Revelation 21:17).

That the quality of that which is signified by the wall of the city New Jerusalem is here meant by measure is very evident; for what else could be meant by the measure of the wall being a hundred and forty-four cubits, the measure of a man, that is, of an angel?

In Matthew:

"Judge not that ye be not condemned, for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged, and with what measure ye measure, it shall be measured unto you" (7:1, 2).

In Luke:

"Judge not and ye shall not be judged; condemn not and ye shall not be condemned; remit and it shall be remitted to you; give and it shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed, shaken, and running over, shall they give into your bosom; for with what measure ye measure, they shall measure to you again" (6:37, 38);

these words are explained in Heaven and Hell (349).

In Mark:

"With what measure ye measure it shall be measured to you again; and to you that hear, shall more be given; whosoever hath, to him shall be given; but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken even that which he hath" (4:24, 25).

[14] Charity towards the neighbour, or the spiritual affection for truth and good, is described in these words, and they mean, that as far as any one is in that charity or in that affection in the world, so far does he come into it after death. That evil must not be thought concerning good and truth is meant by, "Judge not and ye shall not be judged, condemn not and ye shall not be condemned." To think evil concerning evil and falsity is allowable to every one, but not concerning good and truth, for these in the spiritual sense are the neighbour, and because charity towards the neighbour is meant, therefore it is also said, "Remit and it shall be remitted to you, give and it shall be given unto you." That the spiritual affection, which is called charity, will remain after death according to its quantity and quality, is meant by, "with what measure ye measure it shall be measured to you again"; and that the quantity and quality shall be filled up to eternity, is understood by, "to you that hear, shall more be given," also by, good measure, pressed, shaken, and running over, shall be given into your bosom, measure denoting the quantity and quality of affection or charity, which shall be increased to eternity within its degree or according to its degree in the world; see Heaven and Hell 349). That this shall come to pass with those who exercise charity is meant by, to you that hear, more shall be given, those who hear denoting those who obey and do. That to love the neighbour is to love that which is true and good, also that which is sincere and just, may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 84 to 106). That no other thought or judgment is here meant than that concerning the spiritual life of another, is evident from this fact, that it is allowable for every one to think about the moral and civil life of another, and also to judge of it, for without such thought and judgment about others no civil society could possibly exist; therefore not to judge and not to condemn signifies not to think evil of the neighbour spiritually understood, that is, of his faith and love, which pertain to the spiritual life of man, for these lie concealed in his interiors, and are therefore known to no one but to the Lord alone.

[15] In John:

"He whom the Father hath sent speaketh the words of God, for God hath not given the spirit by measure unto Him" (3:34).

The spirit which God giveth signifies the Divine Truth, and thence intelligence and wisdom. Not by measure, signifies above every quantity and quality of men, consequently what is infinite; for infinity in the Lord has no quantity and quality, since these are properties of the finite, for quantity and quality determine the finite and limit it, but that which is without limit is infinite. It follows from this that measure here also signifies quality, for "not by measure" signifies not to state the nature and quality of a thing.

[16] In David:

"Make known to me, Jehovah, mine end, and the measure of my days what it is, that I may know how frail I am; behold, thou hast given my days hand-breadths, and my time is as nothing before thee" (39:4, 5).

It appears as though these words have reference merely to times of life, whose end he desires to know, and which may quickly pass away; but in the spiritual sense times are not meant, but instead, states of life. Therefore by, make known to me, Jehovah, mine end, the measure of my days what it is, is signified that he may know the state of his life and its quality, or the quality of life that would remain with him. Behold, thou hast given my days hand-breadths, signifies that the quality of the state of his life was of very little moment. My time is as nothing before thee, signifies that the state of his life was of no value. For time and day signify states of life in regard to truth and good, and therefore to intelligence and wisdom, consequently the meaning here is, that both of these, so far as they are from oneself, are of no value. That this is the meaning of these words, cannot be seen by those who think only naturally, because natural thought cannot be separated from the idea of time, but spiritual thought, such as angelic thought is, has nothing in common with time, neither with space or person.

[17] Since measures signify the quality of a thing, the meaning of "the house of measures" (Jeremiah 22:14), and "the portion of measures" (Jeremiah 13:25), is evident; also of "the men of measures" (Isai. 45:14). Here measures signify quality in every connection.

In Moses:

"Ye shall not act perversely in judgment, in measure, in weight, and in dimension; balances of justice, stones of justice, an ephah of justice, and a hin of justice, shall ye have" (Leviticus 19:35, 36);

again:

"There shall not be in thy bag divers stones, a great and a small; there shall not be in thy house divers ephahs, great and small; thou shalt have a perfect and a just stone, a perfect and a just ephah shalt thou have" (Deuteronomy 25:13-15);

and in Ezekiel:

"Scales of justice, and an ephah of justice, and a bath of justice shall ye have" (45:10).

That these measures and weights signify estimation of a thing according to the quality of truth and good, may be seen above (n. 373:5).

3382. 'And practiced My observances, My commandments, My statutes, and My laws' means through revelations constantly coming from Himself; that is to say, as by means of temptations, so also by means of those revelations He united the Divine Essence to the Human Essence. This becomes clear from the fact that 'practicing observances, commandments, statutes, and laws' implies all aspects of the Word - 'observances' being everything in general there, 'commandments' the internal aspects, 'statutes' the external, and 'laws' every specific detail. Because all these are attributed to the Lord who from eternity has been the Word and is the author of them all, the meaning in the internal sense cannot be His practice of them but that He revealed them to Himself when His state was one in which the Human and the Divine had become united.

[2] At first sight these matters do indeed seem to be quite remote from the sense of the letter, or even from the internal sense closest to the letter. All the same, when these words are read by man, this is the meaning those same words have in heaven, for as stated several times already, and as may be seen from the examples in 1873, 1874, the sense of the letter is laid aside as it rises up towards heaven and another heavenly sense takes its place, with the result that this latter sense cannot be recognized as that which arises out of the former. For the idea in the minds of those in heaven is that everything in the internal sense of the Word has to do with the Lord, and also that everything in the Word comes from the Lord. Also in their minds is the idea that even when He was in the world He thought from the Divine, and so from Himself, and acquired all intelligence and wisdom to Himself through revelations constantly coming from the Divine. Consequently they do not perceive anything other than this from the words used here. For the practice of all things of the Word, internal as well as external, meant by 'practicing the observances, commandments, statutes, and laws' is not applicable to the Lord because He Himself was the Word and therefore He Himself was the observance that was to be practiced; He Himself was the commandment, also the statute, and the law. For all these have regard to Him as the First from whom they spring and the Last to whom they lead. In the highest sense therefore these words can mean nothing else than the uniting of the Lord's Divine to His Human by means of revelations constantly coming from Himself. For unlike any others the Lord thought from the Divine, and so from Himself, see 1904, 1914, 1935, and acquired intelligence and wisdom to Himself by means of revelations constantly coming from the Divine, 1616, 2500, 2523, 2632.

[3] As regards 'practicing observances' meaning in the genuine sense all aspects of the Word in general, 'commandments' the internal aspects of the Word, 'statutes' the external aspects of the Word, and 'laws' every specific detail in the Word, this becomes clear from many places when seen in the internal sense. Let some of these be brought in here, such as the following in David,

Blessed are the blameless in the way, walking in the law of Jehovah; blessed are those who keep His testimonies. O that my ways were directed to keep Your statutes! I will keep Your statutes; do not forsake me utterly. With my whole heart I have sought You; cause me not to wander from Your commandments. I have laid up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You. Blessed are You, O Jehovah; teach me Your statutes! With my lips I have declared all the judgements of Your mouth. I take delight in the way of Your testimonies. I meditate on Your commands and look to Your ways. I delight in Your statutes, I do not forget Your Word. Recompense Your servant that I may live and keep Your Word. Open my eyes that I may see wondrous things out of Your law. Do not hide Your commandments from me. Quicken me according to Your Word. Teach me Your statutes. Make me understand the way of [Your] commands. Psalms 119:1-27.

The subject in the whole of this psalm is the Word and the things that constitute the Word, which plainly are commandments, statutes, judgements, testimonies, commands, and ways. But the specific meaning of each of these cannot possibly be seen from the sense of the letter. In that sense they are scarcely more than repetitions of the same thing, but it may be seen from the internal sense in which 'commandments' has an altogether different meaning from 'statutes'; and 'judgements', 'testimonies', 'commands', and 'ways' each have a different meaning again. Something similar occurs elsewhere in the same author,

The law of Jehovah is perfect, restoring the soul; the testimony of Jehovah is sure, making wise the simple; the commands of Jehovah are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of Jehovah is pure, enlightening the eyes; the fear of Jehovah is clean, standing for ever; the judgements of Jehovah are truth. Psalms 19:7-9.

And in the Book of Kings,

David said to Solomon, You shall practise the observance of your God, to walk in His ways, to keep His statutes, and His commandments, and His judgements, and His testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses. 1 Kings 2:3.

'Practicing an observance' stands for all aspects of the Word in general, for this expression comes first, and those that follow are related to it as less general aspects. Actually 'practicing observances' means the same as 'keeping what has to be kept'. In Moses,

You shall love Jehovah your God, and you shall practice His observance, and His statutes and judgements, and His commandments, all your days. Deuteronomy 11:1.

Here 'practising an observance' or keeping something that is to be kept in a similar way stands for all aspects of the Word in general, 'statutes' for the external aspects of the Word such as forms of ritual, and things that are representatives and meaningful signs of the internal sense, but 'commandments' for the internal aspects of the Word such as matters of life and teaching, especially those that belong to the internal sense. But the meaning of commandments and statutes will in the Lord's Divine mercy be discussed elsewhere.