Arcana Coelestia #31
31. That 'the great lights' mean love and faith, and are also mentioned as the sun, the moon, and the stars, is clear from various places in the Prophets, as in Ezekiel,
When I have blotted you out, I will cover the heavens and darken their stars, I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the bright lights in the heavens I will make dark over you, and I will put darkness over your land. Ezekiel 32:7-8.
This refers to Pharaoh and the Egyptians, who are used in the Word to mean the sensory and the factual. The meaning here is that they will have blotted out love and faith by means of sensory evidence and factual knowledge. In Isaiah,
The day of Jehovah for making the earth a desolation; for the stars of the heavens and their constellations 1 will not give their light; the sun will be darkened in its rising, and the moon will not shed its light. Isaiah 13:9-10.
In Joel,
The day of Jehovah is coming, a day of darkness and thick darkness. The earth quakes before Him, the heavens tremble, the sun and moon are darkened, and the stars withdraw their shining. Joel 2:10.
[2] In Isaiah, in reference to the Lord's Coming and the enlightenment of gentiles, and so to a new Church, in particular to individuals who are in darkness but who are beginning to receive the light and be regenerated,
Arise, shine, for your light has come. Behold, darkness is covering the earth, and thick darkness the peoples, but Jehovah will arise upon you, and nations will walk towards your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. Jehovah will be for you an everlasting light; your sun will no more go down nor your moon be withdrawn, for Jehovah will be for you an everlasting light. Isaiah 60:1-3, 19-20.
In David,
Jehovah makes the heavens by intelligence, He spreads out the earth upon the waters, He makes the great lights, the sun to have dominion over the day, and the moon and stars to have dominion over the night. Psalms 136:5-9.
And in the same author,
Praise Jehovah, sun and moon, praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, heaven of heavens, and waters that are above the heavens! Psalms 148:3-4.
[3] In all of these places 'the lights' mean love and faith. Because the lights represented and meant love and faith in the Lord, the Jewish Church was commanded to keep a light burning all the time from evening till morning, for every command which that Church received was representative of the Lord. Concerning this light it is said,
Command the sons of Israel that they take oil for the light, to cause a lamp to burn continually. In the Tent of Meeting outside the veil which is before the testimony Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before Jehovah. [Exodus 27:20-21]
That this means the love and faith which the Lord kindles and causes to shine in the internal man, and by means of the internal man in the external man, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown at that point in Exodus.
Footnotes:
1. literally, orions
Matthew 7:1-20
1
"Don't judge, so that you won't be judged.
2
For with whatever judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with whatever measure you measure, it will be measured to you.
3
Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but don't consider the beam that is in your own eye?
4
Or how will you tell your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye;' and behold, the beam is in your own eye?
5
You hypocrite! First remove the beam out of your own eye, and then you can see clearly to remove the speck out of your brother's eye.
6
"Don't give that which is holy to the dogs, neither throw your pearls before the pigs, lest perhaps they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you to pieces.
7
"Ask, and it will be given you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and it will be opened for you.
8
For everyone who asks receives. He who seeks finds. To him who knocks it will be opened.
9
Or who is there among you, who, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone?
10
Or if he asks for a fish, who will give him a serpent?
11
If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!
12
Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets.
13
"Enter in by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and many are those who Enter in by it.
14
How narrow is the gate, and restricted is the way that leads to life! Few are those who find it.
15
"Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravening wolves.
16
By their fruits you will know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles?
17
Even so, every good tree produces good fruit; but the corrupt tree produces evil fruit.
18
A good tree can't produce evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree produce good fruit.
19
Every tree that doesn't grow good fruit is cut down, and thrown into the fire.
20
Therefore, by their fruits you will know them.
