67. White as white wool, as snow. That this signifies as to good and truth therein, is evident from the signification of white wool, as being good in ultimates, concerning which we shall speak presently, and from the signification of snow, as denoting truth in ultimates. Snow denotes truth in ultimates from the water of which it is composed, and from its whiteness and brightness. (That water signifies truth, may be seen below, n.71, and that whiteness and brightness signify truth, from the transparency of light, see Arcana Coelestia 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319, 8459.) The reason why white wool signifies good in ultimates, is, that the wool upon lambs and sheep has a signification similar to that of the hair upon man; and lambs and sheep signify good, lambs celestial good (Arcana Coelestia 3519, 3994, 10132), and sheep spiritual good (n. 4169, 4809). This is why hairs, by which is signified Divine truth in ultimates, are said to be white, as white wool, and as snow; as also concerning the Lord, when He was transfigured:

"His raiment became shining, exceeding shining white as snow; so as no fuller on earth can whiten them" (Mark 9:3).

And concerning the Ancient of Days, in Daniel:

"I saw until the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head as white wool" (7:9).

Garment also signifies the Divine in ultimates (as may be seen above, n. 64); and the Ancient of Days, the Lord from eternity.

[2] Because wool signifies good in ultimates, therefore good is sometimes described in the Word by wool, and truth by linen and by snow, as in Hosea:

"She said, I will go after my lovers, who give my bread and my waters, my wool and my flax. Therefore I will return and will take my corn in its time, and I will take away my wool and my flax" (2:5, 9);

and in Ezekiel:

"Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe yourselves with the wool; ye kill that which is the best, ye feed not the flock" (34:3).

In David:

"Jehovah sendeth forth his word upon earth; he giveth snow like wool" (Psalms 147:15, 16).

And in Isaiah:

"If your sins were as scarlet, they shall be white as snow; if they were red as crimson, they shall be as wool" (1:18).

The reason why snow is spoken of in reference to sins which were as scarlet, and wool of sins which were red as crimson, is because scarlet signifies truth from good, and, in an opposite sense, falsity from evil (see Arcana Coelestia 4922, 9468) and red and crimson signify good, and, in an opposite sense, evil of every kind (Arcana Coelestia 3330, 9467, 9865).

934. 'Cold' means the absence of love, that is, of charity and faith, 'heat' or 'fire' the presence of love or of charity and faith. This becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In John, in the letter to the Church at Laodicea,

I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! But because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot I will spew you out of My mouth. Revelation 7:15, 16.

Here 'cold' stands for no charity, 'hot' for much. In Isaiah,

Thus said Jehovah, I will be still and I will behold in My place; like clear heat on the light, like a cloud of dew in the heat of harvest. Isaiah 18:4.

The subject here is a new Church that is to be founded. 'Heat on the light' and 'the heat of harvest' stand for love and charity. In the same prophet,

Jehovah's fire is in Zion, and His furnace in Jerusalem. Isaiah 3:9.

'Fire' stands for love. Concerning the cherubim seen by Ezekiel,

As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like burning coals of fire, like the appearance of torches, moving between the living creatures. And the five was bright and out of the fire went forth lightning. Ezekiel 1:13.

[2] And concerning the Lord in the same prophet,

Above the firmament that was above the heads of the cherubim, in appearance like a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of a throne, and above the likeness of a throne, there was a likeness as the appearance of a man upon it above. And I saw as it were the shape of fiery coals, as the shape of fire, within it round about, from the appearance of His loins upwards. And from the appearance of His loins and downwards I saw as it were the appearance of fire, whose brightness was round about it. Ezekiel 1:26-27; 8:2.

Here 'fire' stands for love. In Daniel,

The Ancient of Days was seated. His throne was flames of fire, its wheels were burning fire. A stream of fire issued and came forth from before Him, a thousand thousands served Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before Him. Daniel 7:9-10.

'Fire' stands for the Lord's love. In Zechariah,

I will be to her, said Jehovah, a wall of fire round about. Zechariah 2:5.

This refers to the New Jerusalem. In David,

Jehovah makes winds His messengers, and flaming fire His ministers. Psalms 104:4.

'Flaming fire' stands for that which is celestial-spiritual.

[3] Because 'fire' meant love, fire also became a representative of the Lord. This is clear from 'the five on the altar of burnt offering that was to be kept burning all the time', Leviticus 6:9, 12-13, representing the Lord's mercy. For this reason 'before Aaron entered the place of atonement he had to burn incense with fire taken from the altar of burnt offering', Leviticus 16:12-14. And also, to signify that worship was acceptable to the Lord, 'fire was sent down from heaven and consumed the burnt offering', as in Leviticus 9:24, and elsewhere. In the Word 'fire' also means self-love and its attendant desire. With that love heavenly love can never agree; consequently it is also said that Aaron's two sons were devoured by fire because they employed strange fire, Leviticus 10:1-2. 'Strange fire' means all self-love and love of the world, and every desire accompanying those loves. In addition heavenly love seems to wicked people like nothing else than a burning and devouring fire; and this is why in the Word devouring fire is attributed to the Lord. The fire on Mount Sinai, for example, which represented the Lord's love or mercy, was perceived by the people as a consuming fire, as a consequence of which they told Moses not to make them hear the voice of Jehovah God, or see the great Fire lest they died, Deuteronomy 18:16. This is how the Lord's love or mercy appears to people engulfed in the fire of self-love and love of the world.