595. And the rainbow over his head.- That this signifies the interior things of the Word, is evident from the signification of a rainbow, as denoting the Divine Truth as it is in the spiritual sense of the Word, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of being over the head, as denoting what is interior; for "above" and "higher" signify within and interior, as is evident from this fact, that when mention is made of "interior," then "higher" is understood in heaven. For the heavens where the interior angels, or the interiorly wise are, appear also above the heavens where the exterior angels, or the exteriorly wise are. For this reason the three heavens are distinct one from another in regard to altitude, the inmost or third heaven appearing above the middle or second heaven, and this above the ultimate or first.

[2] The reason why higher signifies what is interior, is, that when higher and lower things are together, that is exist simultaneously, as in the head of man, they then co-exist in that order; so that those things which were above in successive order, become interior, and those which were below in successive order, become exterior, consequently higher signifies interior and lower exterior things. This may be illustrated by the idea of a surface (superficies), in the centre of which are purer, and in the peripheries denser things. Things superior and inferior form such a surface, when they become one, and constitute what is simultaneous. The signification of the angel encompassed with a cloud, spoken of above, is clear from these observations, since to be encompassed, for the same reason, and from the same idea, denotes to be from without and below.

[3] A rainbow signifies interior Divine Truth, as the Word is in the spiritual sense, because the light of heaven, like the light of the world, according to its incidence upon objects, and its modification therein, produces variegations of colours, and also rainbows; these also I have been permitted occasionally to see in the angelic heaven, as may be seen described in the Arcana Coelestia 1623-1625). But the rainbows which appear in the angelic heaven differ from the rainbows which appear in the world in this, that the rainbows of heaven are from a spiritual origin, whereas the rainbows of the world are from a natural origin. For the rainbows of heaven are from the light which proceeds from the Lord as the Sun, and because that Sun is in its essence the Divine Love of the Lord, and the light therefrom is Divine Truth, hence the variegations of light, which are seen as rainbows, are diversities of intelligence and wisdom with the angels. It is from this fact that rainbows there signify the form and beauty of spiritual Divine Truth; but the rainbows of the world are from a natural origin, that is from the sun of the world and its light, and are therefore only modifications and consequent variegations of light from the waters falling from a cloud. And since there are coloured appearances in the spiritual world similar to those in the natural world, and such appearances are correspondences, therefore the rainbows of the world signify the same as the rainbows of heaven, that is, spiritual Divine truths in their form and beauty. These truths are such as those of the Word in the spiritual sense.

[4] Similar things are signified by the rainbows in Ezekiel:

"Above the expanse that was over the head" of the cherubim "was the likeness of a throne as the appearance of a sapphire stone; and upon the likeness of the throne was the likeness of the appearance of a man above upon it. And I saw as it were the appearance of a burning coal, as the appearance of fire round about within it, from the appearance of his loins and upward, but from the appearance of his loins and downward, I saw as it were the appearance of fire, and it had brightness round about. As the appearance of the rainbow that is in the cloud in the day of rain, so was the appearance of the brightness round about. This was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of Jehovah" (1:26-28).

Since the cherubim signify providence and care in order that the Lord may not be approached except by means of the good of love, therefore there appeared a throne, and upon the throne the appearance of a man, and the throne signifies the entire heaven, and the man upon the throne, the Lord Himself. By the appearance of a burning coal, as the appearance of fire, from the appearance of his loins and upward, is signified celestial Divine Love, which reigns in the higher heavens; for the higher heavens are represented by the upper part of the body, from the loins upward, to which they correspond, for these heavens form that [part] in the Grand Man (Maximus Homo), which is heaven. Fire like a burning coal, signifies that love, and similarly the loins, for the loins correspond to the marriage of good and truth, in which those are who are in the higher heavens, therefore heaven is called a marriage, and the Lord is called the Bridegroom and Husband, while heaven and the church are called a bride and wife. That from his loins downward, he appeared as the brightness of fire, which was like a rainbow, signifies spiritual Divine Love, which reigns in the lower heavens, for the region of the body from the loins even to the soles of the feet corresponds to that love. And because that love proceeds from celestial Divine Love, it is called fire and its brightness, Divine Truth from the Divine Good of love being that which shines and presents the appearance of a rainbow. It is therefore evident, that the translucence of spiritual Divine Truth through natural Divine Truth, presents that appearance in the heavens, and is consequently signified by it, as stated above. But these things may be more clearly understood from what is stated in Heaven and Hell concerning heaven, that from the Divine Human of the Lord it has reference to one man (n. 59-86); concerning the correspondence of all things of heaven with all things of man (n. 87-102); and, in the Arcana Coelestia concerning the correspondence of the loins (n. 3021, 4280, 4462, 5060-5062).

[5] The signification of the bow in the cloud, or the rainbow, in the book of Genesis is similar:

"God said" to Noah, "This is the sign of the covenant which I make between me and you and every living soul that is with you, unto the generations of an age; I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be for a sign of a covenant between me and the earth. And it shall come to pass that in beclouding myself with a cloud over the earth, that the bow shall be seen in the cloud; and I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living soul in all flesh; and the waters shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh. And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I see it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living soul in all flesh that is upon the earth" (9:12-17).

He who does not know that in every part of the Word there is also a spiritual sense, may imagine that the bow in the cloud, called a rainbow, appears as a sign that the earth shall be no more destroyed by a flood, when yet that bow is from causes in nature, and is mediately produced when the rays of light from the sun strike upon the watery particles of rain from a cloud, it is therefore evident that there were also similar bows or rainbows before the flood. By the rainbows, therefore, which are seen by men on earth, from the correspondence between things spiritual and things natural, are understood the rainbows seen by the angels in the spiritual world, all of which exist from the light of heaven and its modification in the spiritual-natural sphere of that world, consequently from spiritual Divine Truth, and its translucence in natural Divine Truth; for all the light in heaven is spiritual, and is in its essence Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord. It is therefore evident that the bow in the cloud, or the rainbow, signifies spiritual Divine Truth, translucent through natural Divine Truth, and this translucence exists with those who are reformed or regenerated by the Lord by means of Divine Truth and a life according to it; the translucence itself also appears in the heavens as a rainbow. By the sign of a covenant is signified the presence and conjunction of the Lord with them, for a covenant denotes conjunction. This sign was given, because the flood, which then destroyed the human race, signified the deadly falsities of evil, by which the posterity of the Most Ancient Church perished; the restitution and establishment of a new church called the Ancient Church by Divine Truth conjoined to spiritual good, which in its essence is charity, is representatively shown by rainbows in heaven, and is therefore signified by rainbows in the world. As these words involve many interior things which cannot be briefly unfolded, they may be seen explained in detail in the Arcana Coelestia 1031-1059).

9905. 'And you shall put into the breastplate of judgement the Urim and Thummim' means the radiance of Divine Truth from the Lord in last and lowest things. This is clear from the meaning of 'the breastplate of judgement' as Divine Truth shining forth from the Lord's Divine Good, dealt with in 9857; and from the meaning of 'the Urim and Thummim' as the light and radiance from there. The reason why light and radiance are meant by 'the Urim and Thummim' is that through the stones in the breastplate varying radiations of the light of heaven were emitted, these being determined by the answers given through them. This also explains why they assumed different colours. For the Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good manifests itself to the angels as light; it is the source of all the light of heaven. The colours from it, which are modifications of that light among the angels, are variations of intelligence and wisdom among them; for all wisdom and intelligence is a product of that Divine Truth or light. From this it may be recognized that radiations of that light in various colours are the medium through which Divine Truths coming as answers present themselves in the heavens. A similar function was served by the Urim and Thummim when God was asked something. But it should be remembered that whenever a radiance was seen in them the answer was declared at the same time by an audible voice. This declaration was made through angels, to whom what they declared had been revealed by the Lord through such a radiance; for as has been stated, this is how Divine Truths coming as answers present themselves in heaven.

[2] The light of heaven is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good, see 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 2776, 3094, 3138, 3167, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3337, 3339, 3341, 3636, 3643, 3862, 3993, 4060, 4180, 4302, 4408, 4414, 4415, 4419, 4527, 4598, 5400, 6032, 6313, 6315, 6608, 6907, 7174, 8644, 8707, 8861, 9399, 9407, 9570, 9571 (end).

Colours appear in heaven, being modifications of that light among the angels, and so variations of intelligence and wisdom among them, 3993, 4530, 4677, 4742, 4922, 9466, 9467, 9865.

[3] The meaning of the words 'Urim' and 'Thummim' also goes to show that all this is so; for 'Urim' means a shining fire, and 'Thummim' the radiance from it. A shining fire is the Divine Truth emanating from the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Love, and the radiance is that Truth on last and lowest levels, thus in effects. It should be recognized however that 'Thummim' in the Hebrew language means wholeness; it is in the angelic language that it means radiance. The expression 'in the angelic language' is used because when angels talk to one another they are thinking of the very essence of some matter as perceived deep within themselves, thus they speak in terms of its essential nature. What they express flows from those insights into appropriate sounds audible to the angels alone. The appropriate sound for the radiance of Divine Truth is Thummim. This then is the source of the term. Angels have a similar understanding of the word thum, meaning that which is whole or wholeness, whenever someone reads it in the Hebrew language. This explains why in the internal sense of the Word 'that which is whole' is used to mean Divine Truth on the level of effects, which is a life led in keeping with Divine commandments, as is made clear in a large number of places in the Word, such as Joshua 24:14; Judges 9:16, 19; Psalms 25:21; 37:37; 84:11; 101:2; 119:1.

[4] This also explains why the Urim and Thummim are called the judgement of the children of Israel, as well as the breastplate of judgement, and also the judgement of the Urim; for 'judgement' means Divine Truth in doctrine and life, see above in 9857. From all this it may now become clear that by means of the Urim and Thummim, that is, by means of the radiance produced by the light of heaven, the breastplate revealed Divine Truths in the natural sphere, thus on last and lowest levels. A like radiance also presents itself in the minds of those who are guided by truths springing from good. This radiance declares to them, so to speak provides the answers, when with heartfelt desire they seek to know what is true and love it as that which is good. That this kind of radiance is the means by which Divine Truth from heaven is revealed in the natural man of those who are enlightened by the Word is something which the world has no idea of, because the world does not know of any light from heaven that shines in the human understanding. But I have been allowed to realize and actually see that all this is so.

[5] In addition it should be recognized that this radiance appears on last and lowest levels because all forms of light from the Divine reach right down to the furthest ends; and since they reach down that far they also shine in them and from them. This now explains why the breastplate was placed over the ephod and above the girdle of it; for the ephod represented Divine Truth on last and lowest levels, 9824, while its girdle represented a common bond that existed to hold all things in connection, 9828, 9837. This is why verse 28 of the present chapter says, And they shall tie the breastplate from its rings to the rings of the ephod, so that it is above the girdle of the ephod and the breastplate will not come away from upon the ephod. The reason why the names of the sons of Israel were in addition engraved [on the stones] was that the twelve tribes also represented all aspects of Divine Good and Truth in the heavens, consequently heaven and all the communities there, though that representation varied according to the order in which they are mentioned in the Word, see 3858, 3862, 3926, 3939, 4060, 4603, 6335, 6337, 6397, 6640, 7836, 7891, 7973, 7996, 7997.