THE EXPLANATION of Isaiah Chapter 6

(Note: Rev. Smithson's translation of the Isaiah text is appended below the explanation)

1. In the year in which Uzziah the king died I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and His skirts filled the temple.

VERSE 1. By a "throne high and lofty" upon which Adonai was seen to sit, is signified the Lord as to Divine Truth in the supreme heavens, but by the "skirts or borders of His garments" is signified His Divine Truth in the church; the "skirts of the garments", when predicated of the Lord, signify His Divine Truth in the ultimates. Apocalypse Explained 220.

"His skirts filling the temple" signifies that the Divine Proceeding filled the ultimate of heaven, and also the church; for by "the skirts of the Lord" is signified, in general, the Divine Proceeding, and specifically the Divine Truth" which is in the extremes of heaven and the church. - Apocalypse Explained 253.

That the "skirts" or borders of the robe denote the extremes where the natural principle is, is manifest from the passages in the Word, where "skirts" are named, as in Isaiah, "I saw the Lord sitting upon a throne high and lofty, and the skirts thereof filled the temple", (Isaiah 6:1) where, by the "throne" on which the Lord sat, is signified heaven, Arcana Coelestia 5313, 8625; by "skirts" are there signified divine Truths in ultimates, or in extremes, such as are the truths of the Word in the sense of the letter, which are said to "fill the temple" when they fill the church. The like is signified by the "skirts filling the temple", as by the "smoke and the cloud filling the tabernacle, and also the "temple", as occasionally spoken of in the Word, That by "smoke" is there signified divine Truths in ultimates, such as is the sense of the letter of the Word, see8910; and also by a "cloud", 4060. That the woman labouring with an issue of blood, when she "touched the border of the Lord's garment", was healed; (Matthew 9:20, 22) and in general, that as many as "touched the border of His garment", were healed, (Matthew 14:36;Mark 6:56) signified that from the Divine in the extremes or ultimates health went forth; for that in the ultimates of good and truth, which are from the Divine, there is strength and power, see 9836, and also that responses are there, 9905. And in Matthew, - Jesus said of the Scribes and Pharisees, that "they do all their works to be seen of men, that they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the skirts or borders of their robes." (Matthew 23:5)

In this passage it is very manifest that "skirts" of a robe denote external things which are extant to view, and that to "enlarge" them denotes to do works in externals, that they may appear or be seen.

And in Jeremiah,

"Jerusalem has sinned a sin, her uncleanness in her skirts or borders." (Lamentations 1:8, 9)

"Uncleanness in the skirts" denotes in deeds and words, thus in the extremes; for the extremes derive their essence from the interiors, wherefore when the interiors are unclean, the extremes are also unclean, although the uncleanness does not appear before men, by reason that men look at the external form., and thus do not see the interiors; nevertheless the uncleanness, which is in the interiors, appears before the angels; and is also detected with everyone in the other life, for externals are there removed; hence it is made evident what has been the quality of works in their essence.

And in Nahum:

"I will uncover your skirts upon your faces, and will show your nakedness to the nations." (Nahum 3:5)

To "uncover the skirts upon the faces" denotes to remove externals, that internals may appear; for the externals, which are of the natural man, by various methods conceal the internals, which are hypocrisies, deceits, lies, hatreds, revenges, adulteries, and other like things, wherefore when externals are taken away, internals appear in their uncleanness and filthiness. And in Jeremiah, "If you shalt say in thine heart, Wherefore have these things happened unto me? For the multitude of thine iniquity your skirts were discovered, your heels were violated. I will make bare your skirts upon your faces, that thine ignominies may be seen, thine adulteries"; (Jeremiah 13:22, 26) speaking of the abominations of Jerusalem.

To "discover the skirts", and to "make them bare", denotes to take away external things, which cover and hide, that the interiors may be seen; for man learns to feign what is good, what is honest and sincere, for the sake of reputation, of honour, and of gain, when yet inwardly he has evils and falsities of various kinds stored up; inasmuch as by "skirts" are signified external things, therefore also mention is made of the "heels", because the "heels" denote the lowest things of the natural principle, see Arcana Coelestia 259, 4938. From these considerations it is now manifest, that by the "skirts of the robe" are signified goods and truths in ultimates or extremes, which are in the natural world. Arcana Coelestia 9917.

Filled the temple. - That "temple", in the Word, signifies the Divine Human of the Lord, and in a respective sense heaven and the church, consequently also the Divine Truth, may appear from the following passages :

"The Jews said to Jesus, What sign do You show to us that You do this? Jesus answered and said unto them, Destroy this temple, and I will raise it up again in three days; but He spoke of the temple of His Body."

That "temple" signifies the Divine Human of the Lord is here expressly said; for by the "dissolution of the temple", and its being "raised up again after three days", is understood His death, burial, and resurrection.

And in Malachi,

"Behold, I send Mine angel, who shall prepare the way before Me; and suddenly shall come to His temple the Lord, and the angel of the covenant whom you seek." (Malachi 3:1)

In this passage also by "temple" is meant the Divine Human of the Lord; for the subject there treated of is concerning the Lord's advent, wherefore by "coming to His temple", is signified to His Human. And in the Apocalypse, "I saw not a temple in the New Jerusalem, for the Lord God Omnipotent is its Temple, and the Lamb." (Revelation 21:22)

The subject here treated of is concerning the new heaven and the new earth, when they shall be in internals and not in externals; hence it is said that "there shall not be a temple, but the Lord God Omnipotent and the Lamb", "the Lord God Omnipotent" is the essential Divine of the Lord, and the "Lamb" is His Divine Human; whence also it is evident that His Divine Human in the heavens is understood by "temple."

And in Isaiah,

"I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up; and the skirts or borders of His garments filled the temple"; (Isaiah 6:1),

where, by a "throne high and lifted up", on which the Lord was seen to sit, is signified the Lord as to Divine Truth in the superior heavens; but by "the skirts or borders of His garments" is signified His Divine Truth in the church. That the "skirts or borders of the garments", when predicated of the Lord, signify His Divine Truth in ultimates, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 9917.

That "the veil of the temple was rent into two parts from the top to the bottom", after the Lord had suffered, (Matthew 27:51) signified the union of the Divine Human of the Lord with His Divine itself may be seen, n. 9671 of the same work. By" temple" is signified the Divine Human of the Lord, and at the same time heaven and the church, in the following passages :

"I will bow myself towards the temple of Your holiness, and will confess to Your name." (Psalm 138:2)

And, in Jonah,

"I said, I am expelled from before Thine eyes, but yet I will again look back to the temple of Your holiness; and my prayer came to You to the temple of Your holiness." (Jonah 2:5, 8)

And in Habakkuk,

"Jehovah is in the temple of His holiness." (Habakkuk 2:20)

And in Matthew,

"Woe to you, blind guides, who say Whosoever shall swear by the temple, it is nothing: but whosoever shall swear by the gold of the temple, is guilty. You fools and blind; for whether is greater, the gold, or the temple which sanctifies the gold?" (Matthew 23:16, 17)

And in John,

"Jesus said to them who sold in the temple, 'Take these things hence; make not the house of My Father a house of merchandise.'" (John 2:16, 17)

Apocalypse Explained 220. See also Arcana Coelestia 6426, 9714, 10528.

2. Above Him stood Seraphims: each one of them had six wings; with two of them he covered his face, with two of them he covered his feet, and with two of them he did fly.

Verse 2. That "wings" denote spiritual truths, or the truths of faith, which has power from good, is manifest from other passages in the Word; wherefore, when "wings" are attributed to the Divine [Being], by them is signified the Divine Truth which has Omnipotence, as where they are ascribed to the cherubs, by which is signified the Providence of the Lord. Arcana Coelestia 8764.

By the "Seraphims" here mentioned are signified similar things as by the cherubs; and by the "throne high and lofty" is meant the Divine Proceeding, from which is heaven. By the "wings with which the Seraphim covered the faces and the feet, and with which he did fly", is signified the Divine Spiritual [Principle] in first principles and in ultimates, and the extension thereof on every side, thus the Omnipresence of the Lord.

By "holy, holy, holy", is signified Most Holy. That this is the Divine Truth which fills all things, is signified by "the fulness of the whole earth with His glory; and that the Lord is alone holy, and that holiness is predicated of the Divine Truth which proceeds from Him. Apocalypse Explained 285.

By "the wings with which he covered his face" is signified the spiritual affection of truth; by "the wings with which he covered his feet "the natural affection of truth thence derived; and by the wings, with which he did fly", circumspection and presence; in this case Omnipresence, because the "Seraphims signify the same as the Cherubims, that is, the Divine Providence as to guard. The reason why by "flying", when predicated of men, is signified circumspection, and at the same time presence, is because the sight is present with the object which it sees; that it appears afar off or distant is owing to intermediates, which appear at the same time, and can be measured as to spaces. This may be fully confirmed from the things which exist in the spiritual world. In that world spaces themselves are appearances arising from the diversity of affections and of thoughts thence derived; wherefore when any persons or things appear afar off, and an angel or spirit wills from intense affection to be with those who are there, or to view those things which are there, immediately he is there present. Similar is the case with the thought, which is the internal or spiritual sight of man; this sees those things which he saw in himself, without space, thus altogether as present; hence it is that "to fly" is predicated of the understanding and its intelligence, and that thereby is signified circumspection and presence. Apocalypse Explained 282.

The "glory of Jehovah", when predicated of the Word, denotes its internal sense. The reason why the interiors of the Word are called "glory" is because the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord as a sun is the light in heaven which gives sight to the angels there, and at the same time intelligence and wisdom: from that Divine light is all glory in heaven, which is such as to exceed all human apprehension. Hence it is evident from what ground it is that the internal sense is called "glory", for the internal sense of the Word is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord in heaven; thus the light from which all glory exists. Arcana Coelestia 9429.

That the term Lord [Adonai] is used, when Good is treated of, is evident from the Word of the Old Testament, where Jehovah is sometimes called Jehovah, sometimes God, sometimes Lord [Adonai], sometimes Jehovah God, sometimes the Lord Jehovih, sometimes Jehovah Zebaoth, and this from a mysterious ground, which can be known only from the internal sense. In general, when the subject treated of is concerning the celestial things of love, or concerning Good, then He is called Jehovah; but when the subject treated of is concerning the spiritual things of faith, or concerning Truth, then He is called God; but when concerning both together, then He is called Jehovah God; and when concerning the divine power of Good, or Omnipotence; then He is called Jehovah Zebaoth, or Jehovah of Hosts, and also Lord, so that Jehovah Zebaoth and Lord are of the same signification, hence, that is, from the power of Good. Also men and angels are called lords, and in an opposite sense they are servants, who have either no power, or only a power derived from their lords. Arcana Coelestia 2921.

3. And, one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of Hosts! the fulness of the whole earth is His glory!

4. And the pillars of the thresholds were shaken with the voice of him that cried; and the house was filled with smoke.

Verse 3. The whole earth is filled with His glory. "Glory", in the supreme sense, is the Lord as to Divine Truth, thus it is the Divine Truth which proceeds from the Lord; but "glory", in the representative sense, is the good of love towards the neighbour, or charity, which is the external good of the celestial kingdom, and the internal of the Lord's spiritual kingdom; for this good, in the genuine sense, is the Divine Truth in heaven. Arcana Coelestia 5922.

5. And I said, Woe is to me! I am cut off: for I am a man of unclean lips; and in the midst of a people of unclean lips do I dwell: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of Hosts.

Verses 5-7. By "lips" are denoted the interiors of man, consequently internal worship wherein is grounded adoration, which was here represented in the person of the prophet; everyone may see that the "touching of his lips, and the removal of his iniquity thereby, and the expiation of his sin was a representation of the interiors, which are signified by ""lips", and which are things appertaining to charity and the doctrine-thereof. (Arcana Coelestia 1286)

6. And one of the Seraphims came flying unto me, and in his hand was a burning coal, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

7. And he caused it to touch my mouth, and said, Lo! this has touched your lips; and thine iniquity is removed, and your sin is expiated.

Verses 6, 7. What these words signify in their series may be seen when it is known that the "altar" signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human [Principle]; the "fire upon it", the Divine Good of His Divine Love; the "mouth and lips of the prophet", the doctrine of Good and Truth; likewise that "to touch" signifies to communicate; the "iniquity" which departed, signifies the false, and the "sin", evil; for iniquity is predicated of the life of the false, or of a life contrary to Truth; and sin is predicated of the life of evil, or of a life contrary to Good. Apocalypse Explained 391.

[As to the specific meaning of "transgressions", "iniquities", and "sins", see above, Chapter 1:28, the Exposition.] , '

By "one of the Seraphims touching the mouth and lips of the prophet with a coal from the altar" is signified the interior purification, which is of the understanding and will, and thence inauguration into the gift of teaching; by the "coal from the altar" is signified the Divine Love, from which is all purification; and by the "mouth and lips", the thought and affection, or what amounts to the same, the understanding and will, by which a man is purified from iniquity and sin; wherefore it is said, "Therefore thine iniquity has departed and your sin is expiated"; that iniquity does not depart by the application of a coal to the mouth and lips may appear to everyone. Apocalypse Explained 580.

8. And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send; and who will go for us? And I said, Behold, here am I; send me.

9. And He said. Go, and say you to this people, And hear you indeed, but understand not; see you indeed, but perceive not.

10. Make fat the heart of this people; make their ears heavy, and besmear their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and be healed.

Verses 9, 10. Hear you indeed, but understand not; see you indeed, but perceive not: make fat the heart of this people, make their ears heavy, and besmear their eyes, etc. - "To besmear the eyes, lest peradventure they see with their eyes", is to darken their understanding, lest they should understand. Apocalypse Explained 152.

Man acquires a life to himself according to the persuasions which be embraces, that is, the things which he acknowledges and believes; whatever is not received by persuasion, or what he does not acknowledge and believe, does not at all affect his mind; and therefore no one can profane holy things unless he be so persuaded, as to acknowledge them, and still deny them; they who do not. acknowledge such things, may indeed know them, but then they are as if they did not know them, or as those who know things that are of no consequence. Such were the Jews about the time of the Lord's advent, and being such, they are said in the Word to be vastated, by which expression is implied that they have no longer any faith. In this case it does a people no injury to have the interior things of the Word unfolded to them, for then they are as persons seeing, who do not see; and as hearing, who do not hear; and who have an hardened encrusted heart, thus described by the Lord in Isaiah. - "Go and tell this people, Hear you indeed, but understand not; and see you indeed, but perceive not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and besmear their eyes", etc. Arcana Coelestia 303.

"Make their ears heavy and besmear their eyes", etc., denotes that it would be better they should be in falsities than in truths, because they were in the evil of life; in which case, supposing them to be instructed in truths, they would not only falsify them, but would also defile them with evils; truth therefore was concealed from the Jews, and this for the same reason that the men of Sodom were smitten with blindnesses, that is, because their doctrinals were full of falsities. Inasmuch as "blindness" signified what is false, therefore in the representative Jewish church it was forbidden to sacrifice anything blind. Arcana Coelestia 2383.

That by "seeing and not knowing" is signified to understand what is true and still not to acknowledge it, is evident; and that by "besmearing the eyes, lest they should see" is signified to deprive them of the understanding of truth; and that faith in the Lord is what is here signified by seeing, is plain from the Lord's words in Matthew 13:13, 14. Arcana Coelestia 3863.

The Divine Providence operates invisibly and incomprehensibly, to the intent that man from a free principle may ascribe it either to Providence or to chance; for if Providence acted visibly and comprehensibly, there would be danger lest man, from what is visible and comprehensible, should believe that it is of Providence, and afterwards should fall into a contrary belief; thus what is true and what is false would be joined together in the interior man, and the true would be profaned, which brings with it eternal damnation; therefore such a man is kept rather in unbelief, than admitted to a state of faith from which he would afterwards recede. This is what is meant in Isaiah 6:9, 10. Arcana Coelestia 5508.

11. And I said, How long, O Lord? And He said, Until the cities be laid waste, so that there be no inhabitant; and houses, so that there be no man, and the land be left utterly desolate:

12. Until Jehovah remove man far away; and there be a great desertion in the midst of the land.

Verse 11. Until the cities be laid waste, etc. - The total vastation of the church is here treated of; "cities" are truths of doctrine, "houses" are the goods thereof, the "land" is the church. Apocalypse Explained 223.

Verses 11, 12. And l said, How long, O Lord? And He said, until the cities be laid waste, so that there be no inhabitant; and houses, so that there be no man, and the land be left utterly desolate; until Jehovah remove man far away, and there be a great desertion in the midst of the land. - These things are not said concerning the vastation of the earth, that there should be no more any cities or houses therein, and that these should be without an inhabitant, and without a man; but they are said concerning the vastation of Good and Truth in the church.

By "cities" are there signified the truths of doctrine; by "inhabitant", the good of doctrine; by the "houses" are signified the interior things of man which appertain to his mind: and by a "man", the spiritual affection of truth, and thence wisdom; this is signified by the "houses being devastated, and without a man in them"; by the "land" which shall be reduced to a wilderness is signified the church. Hence it is evident what is signified by "removing man", and by "a great desertion [or desolation] in the midst of the land"; a "desert" signifies where there is no Good because there is no Truth. Apocalypse Explained 280.

That the mysteries of faith are not laid open before a people are reduced to a state of vastation, in which they have no longer any faith; by reason lest they should profane them, the Lord also plainly declares in the subsequent verses in the same prophet, "Then said I, How long, O Lord? And He answered, Until the cities be laid waste, so that there be no inhabitant; and houses, so that there be no man, and the land be left utterly desolate: and until the Lord have removed man far away." By" man" is meant he who is wise or acknowledges and believes. Apocalypse Explained 303.

the "man" whom Jehovah shall remove signifies him that is wise, and abstractedly wisdom; the "great desertion in the midst of the land" signifies that there shall be nothing of good, because nothing of truth; the "midst of the land" denoting where truth is in the greatest light; wherefore when the light is not there, darkness pervades the whole, thus there is nowhere any truth. Apocalypse Explained 304.

13. But yet in it shall be a tenth, which shall return and again be consumed; yet, as the terebinth and the oak, though cut down, has its stock remaining : so a holy seed shall be the stock thereof.

Verse 13. Yet in it shall be a tenth part, which shall return, etc. - The remnant, or remains of man or the church, were also represented by the "tenths" or "tithes", which were holy. Hence also the number ten was holy, on which account it is predicated of a remnant, or remains, as in Isaiah 6:13, where the remnant is called "a holy seed." Arcana Coelestia 468.

The "midst of the land" signifies the internal man; a "tenth part", the smallness of the remains. Arcana Coelestia 576.

"A holy seed shall be the stock thereof", signifying remains, which are holy, because from the Lord. Arcana Coelestia 1025.

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Isaiah Chapter 6

1. In the year in which Uzziah the king died I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lofty; and His skirts filled the temple.

2. Above Him stood Seraphims: each one of them had six wings; with two of them he covered his face, with two of them he covered his feet, and with two of them he did fly.

3. And, one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is Jehovah of Hosts! the fulness of the whole earth is His glory!

4. And the pillars of the thresholds were shaken with the voice of him that cried; and the house was filled with smoke.

5. And I said, Woe is to me! I am cut off: for I am a man of unclean lips; and in the midst of a people of unclean lips do I dwell: for mine eyes have seen the King, Jehovah of Hosts.

6. And one of the Seraphims came flying unto me, and in his hand was a burning coal, which he had taken with the tongs from off the altar:

7. And he caused it to touch my mouth, and said, Lo! this has touched your lips; and thine iniquity is removed, and your sin is expiated.

8. And I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send; and who will go for us? And I said, Behold, here am I; send me.

9. And He said. Go, and say you to this people, And hear you indeed, but understand not; see you indeed, but perceive not.

10. Make fat the heart of this people; make their ears heavy, and besmear their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand with their heart, and be converted, and be healed.

11. And I said, How long, O Lord? And He said, Until the cities be laid waste, so that there be no inhabitant; and houses, so that there be no man, and the Iand be left utterly desolate:

12. Until Jehovah remove man far away; and there be a great desertion in the midst of the land.

13. But yet in it shall be a tenth, which shall return and again be consumed; yet, as the terebinth and the oak, though cut down, has its stock remaining : so a holy seed shall be the stock thereof.

9407. 'There was so to speak a work of sapphire [stone]' means that it is translucent with inner truths on that level, and that all things in it are translucent from the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'a work of sapphire' as the character of the literal sense of the Word when the internal sense is discerned within it, that is, when Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, as it is in heaven, shines through it. For the Word is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord. In origin it is Divine, but as it passes through the heavens it is celestial in the inmost heaven, spiritual in the second or middle heaven, spiritual-natural in the first or lowest heaven, and natural and worldly in the world; this last is its character in the sense of the letter intended for people there. From this it is evident that the sense of the letter, which is the lowest in order, contains a spiritual and a celestial level of meaning, and inmostly the Divine Himself. And since these inner levels are contained in the lowest or literal sense and are seen by those who understand the Word in a spiritual manner, that sense is represented by 'a work of sapphire', which lets rays of heavenly light through, that is, which is translucent.

[2] To give some idea of that translucence, let human speech serve to illustrate it. Such speech has its origin in the end a person has in view which he wishes to make known through speech. This end is his love; for a person has what he loves as his end in view. From that end arises the person's thought, and finally his speech. Anyone who stops to think properly about this can see and discern the truth of it. The fact that the end is the primary component of speech is clear from the general rule that all intelligence has an end within it, and devoid of the end it is not intelligence. And everyone knows that thought is a secondary component arising from the first, for nobody can speak without thinking or think without having an end in view. The fact that spoken words ensue from this, and that these are the final component, which is properly called speech, is also well known. All this being so, when a person pays attention to what another utters he pays attention not to the words the speaker uses but to the meaning conveyed by them which is present in the speaker's thought. And one who is wise pays attention to the end in view that has given rise to the thought expressed in speech, that is, he pays attention to what the speaker's aims are and what it is he loves. These three components are present in human speech, in which the spoken words serve as the outward form.

[3] This comparison enables one to gain some idea regarding the Word in the letter. For those in heaven pay attention to the Word in the letter and perceive things there in exactly the same way as anyone is accustomed to perceive a person's thought as it presents itself in spoken words, or in the inmost heaven as anyone is accustomed to perceive a person's aims or end in view. But the difference is that when someone reads the sense of the letter of the Word this is not heard or understood in heaven, only the internal sense, because in heaven they perceive solely the spiritual and celestial levels of the Word, not the natural level of it. The one sense accordingly passes over into the other, for they correspond to each other and only things which have a correspondence have been used in the writing of the Word. All this shows what to understand when reference is made to the translucent nature of the Word, meant by 'a work of sapphire'.

[4] But a person who is unable to think on a higher level of understanding, that is, on a level altogether above material things, cannot grasp any of this, not even the idea that it is possible for a sense to exist in the Word other than the one perceived in the letter. If that person is told that the letter holds within itself a spiritual sense which has to do with truth, and that this in turn holds within itself a celestial sense which has to do with good, and also that these senses shine through the literal sense, he will be taken aback at first, then dismiss the idea as nonsense, and finally ridicule it. Actual experience has shown me that this is what people are like in the Christian world at the present day, especially the learned, and that those who reason against that truth boast of being wiser than those who uphold it. Yet the learning in earliest times, which were called golden and silver ages, had consisted in speaking and in writing in ways in which no attention was be paid to the literal meaning other than to enable hidden wisdom to shine through it, as becomes perfectly clear from the oldest books, including those by gentile authors, as well as from fragments in their languages. For their knowledge was primarily the knowledge of correspondences and the knowledge of representations, which forms of knowledge at the present day are some of those which have been lost.

[5] The reason why there appeared under the Lord's feet 'so to speak a work of sapphire' and why this means the translucence of the Word in the sense of the letter is that 'stone' in general means truth, and 'precious stone' truth shining through from what is Divine and the Lord's. For the meaning of 'stone' in general as truth, see 643, 1298, 3720, 3769, 3771, 3773, 3789, 3798, 6426, 8609, 8940-8942. As for 'precious stone' being truth shining through from what is Divine and the Lord's, this was meant by the twelve precious stones in Aaron's breastplate, which was called the Urim and Thummim, 3862, 6335, 6640.

[6] Something similar occurs in Ezekiel,

Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, you were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering - ruby, topaz, diamond, tarshish, shoham, and jasper, sapphire, chrysoprase, emerald, and gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and your pipes was within you; on the day you were created they were prepared. You were perfect in your ways on the day you were created. Ezekiel 28:12-13, 15.

This refers to Tyre, by which the Church in respect of interior cognitions or knowledge of truth and good is meant, 1201. Its intelligence and wisdom as these had been in its infancy or earliest period are described by those precious stones. 'The day you were created' means the first state when they were regenerated, for 'creation' in the Word means the regeneration or new creation of a person, 16, 88.

[7] Similar things are meant by 'the precious stones' in John,

The foundations of the wall of the city were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. Revelation 21:19-20.

This refers to the holy Jerusalem coming down from heaven, by which a new Church among gentile nations is meant, after the present-day Church in our European world has been laid waste. 'The precious stones that are its foundations' are God's truths shining through on the lowest level of order.

[8] God's truth shining through on the lowest level of order, which is the Word in the letter, is meant by 'sapphire' in particular, as in Isaiah,

O afflicted one and storm-tossed, and receiving no comfort! Behold, I am arranging your stones with antimony, and will lay your foundations in sapphires. Isaiah 54:11.

This too refers to the Church which will take the place of the former one, meant in verse 1 of that chapter by 'her that is desolate who is going to have more sons than the previously married one'. 'Arranging stones' stands for the Church's truths, 'foundations in sapphires' for truths shining through on lowest levels.

[9] 'Sapphire' is used with a similar meaning in Jeremiah,

Her Nazirites were brighter than snow, they were whiter than milk. Their bones ¹ were ruddier than pearls, ² polished like sapphire. ³ Lamentations 4:7.

'Nazirites' in the representative sense meant the Lord in respect of the Divine Natural, 3301, 6437, and therefore also Divine Truth emanating from Him as it exists on its lowest levels, that is, the Word in the sense of the letter. For 'the hair', which is implied by 'Nazirites' here, and is said to be 'brighter than snow and whiter than milk', means truth on its lowest levels, 3301, 5247, 5570, 'brightness' and 'whiteness' having reference to truth, 3301, 5319. 'Bones that were ruddy' means factual knowledge of truth, or truth on its lowest level, which acts as servant to all other levels, 6592, 8005, 'ruddiness' having reference to the good of love present in truths, 3300. From all this it is evident that 'sapphire' means truth on the lowest levels which is translucent with inner truths.

[10] In Ezekiel,

Above the expanse that was above the heads of the cherubs, in appearance like a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of a throne, and above the likeness of a throne there was the appearance of a man (homo) sitting upon it. Ezekiel 1:26; 10:1.

'The cherubs' are the Lord's protection and providence, guarding against access to Him except through good, 9277 (end). 'A throne over which there was the appearance of a man' is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good, 5313, 6397, 9039. From this it is evident that 'a sapphire stone' means truth translucent with inner truths; that is to say, 'a stone' means truth, and 'sapphire' translucence.

[11] The reason why all things of the Word are translucent with the Lord is that Divine Truth emanating from the Lord is the one and only source of everything there. For what is primary is the one and only vital element present in the things which follow and are derived from it, because they have their being in it and come into being from it; and the Divine Truth is the Lord. Here also lies the reason why the subject in the highest sense of the Word is the Lord alone, His love, providence, kingdom in heaven and on earth, and especially the glorification of His Human.

[12] The fact that the Divine Truth is the Lord Himself is evident from the consideration that whatever emanates from someone is the someone himself. What emanates for instance from a person when he speaks or acts originates in his will and understanding; and will and understanding constitute a person's life, thus the person himself. For the human being is not a human being by virtue of the shape of face and body but by virtue of an understanding that sees what is true and a will that intends what is good. From this it becomes clear that what emanates from the Lord is the Lord; and the fact that this is Divine Truth has been shown often in what has gone before.

[13] But anyone unacquainted with the arcana of heaven may suppose that the nature of Divine Truth which emanates from the Lord is no different from that of spoken words emanating from a human being. It is not spoken words however; rather It is the Divine filling the heavens, like light and heat from the sun filling the world. This may be illustrated by means of the spheres which emanate from the angels in heaven, dealt with in 1048, 1053, 1316, 1504-1520, 1695, 2401, 4464, 5179, 6206 (end), 6598-6613, 7454, 8063, 8630, 8794, 8797. In these places it has been shown and may be seen that they are spheres of the truth of faith and the good of love received from the Lord. But the Divine sphere which emanates from the Lord and is called Divine Truth spreads everywhere; as has been stated, it fills the whole of heaven and composes all of the life there. It appears before the eyes there as light, which enlightens not only angels' sight but also their minds. That same light is in addition what composes a person's understanding in the world. This is the meaning in John,

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. He was the true light which enlightens every person coming into the world. And the world was made by Him. John 1:4, 9-10.

These words refer to Divine Truth, which in this chapter is called 'the Word'; and Divine Truth or 'the Word' - it says - is the Lord Himself.

[14] That light, which is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, was described by the ancients as radiating rings of golden hue around the head and body of God represented as a human being. For the ancients had no thought of God except of Him in human form.

[15] When a person is governed by good, and because of good is guided by truths, this person is raised to that Divine light, and - according to the amount and essential nature of the good - to interior light. This provides him with a general enlightenment in which the Lord enables him to see countless truths and to perceive them from good. At this time that person is led by the Lord to discern and absorb those which are suitable to him. He is led to do so as regards the most specific things, in keeping with order, so far as it contributes to his eternal life. The words 'as regards the most specific things' are used because the Lord's providence reigns universally, and it does so because it is present in the most specific things. For specific things are at the same called what is universal, 1919 (end), 6159, 6338, 6482, 6483, 8864, 8865.

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