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 Jehovah will be for you an everlasting light; your sun will no more go down nor your moon be withdrawn, for Jehovah will be for you an everlasting light.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
Psalms 135
1
Praise Yah! Praise the name of Yahweh! Praise him, you servants of Yahweh,
2
you who stand in the house of Yahweh, in the courts of our God's house.
3
Praise Yah, for Yahweh is good. Sing praises to his name, for that is pleasant.
4
For Yah has chosen Jacob for himself; Israel for his own possession.
5
For I know that Yahweh is great, that our Lord is above all gods.
6
Whatever Yahweh pleased, that he has done, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps;
7
who causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth; who makes lightnings with the rain; who brings forth the wind out of his treasuries;
8
Who struck the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and animal;
9
Who sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his servants;
10
who struck many nations, and killed mighty kings,
11
Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12
and gave their land for a heritage, a heritage to Israel, his people.
13
Your name, Yahweh, endures forever; your renown, Yahweh, throughout all generations.
14
For Yahweh will judge his people, and have compassion on his servants.
15
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men's hands.
16
They have mouths, but they can't speak. They have eyes, but they can't see.
17
They have ears, but they can't hear; neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18
Those who make them will be like them; yes, everyone who trusts in them.
19
House of Israel, praise Yahweh! House of Aaron, praise Yahweh!
20
House of Levi, praise Yahweh! You who fear Yahweh, praise Yahweh!
21
Blessed be Yahweh from Zion, Who dwells at Jerusalem. Praise Yah!
