Arcana Coelestia #10184
10184. 'Its roof' means what is inmost. This is clear from the meaning of 'the roof' as what is inmost. One reason why 'the roof' has this meaning is that it is the uppermost or highest part, and that which is uppermost or highest means what is inmost, in accord with what has been shown above in 10181; and another reason is that 'the roof' has the same meaning as the head on a person's body. For all representatives on the natural level resemble the human form and carry the same meaning as the parts of it they resemble, 9496. For the meaning of 'the head' as what is inmost, see 5328, 6436, 7859, 9656, 9913, 9914. What is inmost meant here by 'the roof of the altar of incense' is the inmost component of worship. Within worship there are levels similar to those within the person offering it, namely an inmost level, a middle level, and an outward level. The inmost is called celestial, the middle is called spiritual, and the outward is called natural, 4938, 4939, 9992, 10005, 10017, 10068. These degrees are by virtue of correspondence meant by the head, breast, and feet, and in like manner by the roof, walls, and horns of the altar of incense.
[2] Since 'the roof' means that which is celestial, which is what is inmost, it also means good, for in all places good is inmost, while truth emanates from it just as, to use a comparison, light does from a flame. This is what should be understood by 'the roof' in Matthew,
Then let him who is on the roof of the house not go down to take anything out of his house. Matthew 24:17; Mark 13:15; Luke 17:31.
This refers to the last times of the Church. 'Being on the roof' means the state of a person in whom good is present, and 'going down to take anything out of the house' means going back to a previous state, see 3652 and the places referred to in 9274. And in Jeremiah,
On all the roofs of Moab and in its streets there is mourning everywhere. Jeremiah 48:38.
'Mourning on all roofs' means the ruination of all forms of good among those meant in the representative sense by Moab, that is, those in whom natural good is present, who easily allow themselves to be led astray, 2468; and 'mourning in the streets' means the ruination of all truths, truths being meant by 'streets', see 2336.
[3] Since 'the roof' meant good the houses of the ancients had roofs on which they used to walk and on which they also used to worship, as becomes clear from 1 Samuel 9:25-26; 2 Samuel 11:2; Zephaniah 1:5. In Moses,
When you build a new house you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring blood 1 on your house if someone falls from it. You shall not sow your vineyard with mixed seed, lest the yield from the seed which you have sown and from the produce of your vineyard be forfeited 2 . You shall not plough with an ox and an ass together. You shall not wear a garment made of wool and flax mixed together 3 . Deuteronomy 22:8-11.
[4] From these quotations it is again evident that 'the roof' means the good of love, for the commands in them each embody similar meanings which only the internal sense can make evident. That is, they mean that one who is governed by good, which is the state of a person who has been regenerated, must not return to the state of truth, which was that person's previous state, or his state when being regenerated. During this state the person is led by means of truth towards good, that is, partly from self; but in the state which comes after it, that is to say, when the person has been regenerated, he is led by good, that is, by the Lord by means of good.
[5] This is the arcanum that lies within each of those commands, and so is akin to that which occurs in the Lord's words in Matthew,
Then let him who is on the housetop not come down to take anything out of his house; and let him who is in the field not turn back to take his clothes. Matthew 24:17-18.
In Mark,
Let him who is on the roof not go down into the house, nor go in to fetch anything out of his house. And let him who is in the field not turn back again to fetch his garment. Mark 13:15-16.
And in Luke,
On that day, whoever will be on the housetop with his vessels in the house, let him not come down to take them away; and whoever is in the field, let him likewise not return to the things behind him. Remember Lot's wife. Luke 17:31-32.
[6] Who can fail to see that these places contain the arcana of heaven? For if they did not contain them, what point would there be to telling people not to come down from the housetop, not to turn back from the field and return to their house, and to remember Lot's wife? Such arcana are in like manner contained in those laws in Moses which declare that they should make a parapet around their roof, so that there would be no blood 1 if they fell, and immediately after that the field should not be sown with a mixture of seed and the produce of the vineyard, that it should not be ploughed with an ox and an ass together, and that they should not wear a garment made of wool and flax mixed together. 'The roof' means good, and 'to be on the housetop' or on the roof means a person's state when that person is governed by good. 'Falling' from the roof means sinking back into the previous state, while 'blood' means the violence done then to goodness and truth, 374, 1005, 4735, 6978, 7317, 7326. 'The vineyard' means the Church among mankind; 'the produce of the vineyard' means the state of truth, 9139; and 'the seed' of wheat or barley means the state of good, 3941, 7605. 'An ox' also means good, and 'ploughing with an ox' the state of good, 2781, 9135; and 'wool' and 'wearing a garment made of wool' have the same meanings, 9470. 'An ass' means truth, 2781, 5741, and so too does 'flax' or 'linen', 7601, 9959. But for anything more about the nature of this arcanum, see the explanations in the places referred to in 9274.
Footnotes:
1. i.e. guilt on account of bloodshed or injury caused by negligence
2. literally, become holy i.e. be devoted to the sanctuary
3. literally, a garment mixed, with wool and flax together
Exodus 9
1
Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, 'This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people Go, that they may serve me.
2
For if you refuse to let them go, and hold them still,
3
behold, the hand of Yahweh is on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks with a very grievous pestilence.
4
Yahweh will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt; and nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel."'"
5
Yahweh appointed a set time, saying, "Tomorrow Yahweh shall do this thing in the land."
6
Yahweh did that thing on the next day; and all the livestock of Egypt died, but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died.
7
Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the livestock of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he didn't let the people go.
8
Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron, "Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh.
9
It shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with boils on man and on animal, throughout all the land of Egypt."
10
They took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became a boil breaking forth with boils on man and on animal.
11
The magicians couldn't stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were on the magicians, and on all the Egyptians.
12
Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he didn't listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken to Moses.
13
Yahweh said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, 'This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, that they may serve me.
14
For this time I will send all my plagues against your heart, against your officials, and against your people; that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth.
15
For now I would have put forth my hand, and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth;
16
but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth;
17
as you still exalt yourself against my people, that you won't let them go.
18
Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now.
19
Now therefore command that all of your livestock and all that you have in the field be brought into shelter. Every man and animal that is found in the field, and isn't brought home, the hail shall come down on them, and they shall die."'"
20
Those who feared the word of Yahweh among the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses.
21
Whoever didn't respect the word of Yahweh left his servants and his livestock in the field.
22
Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch forth your hand toward the sky, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man, and on animal, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt."
23
Moses stretched forth his rod toward the heavens, and Yahweh sent thunder, hail, and lightning flashed down to the earth. Yahweh rained hail on the land of Egypt.
24
So there was very severe hail, and lightning mixed with the hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
25
The hail struck throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and animal; and the hail struck every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field.
26
Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.
27
Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "I have sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
28
Pray to Yahweh; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer."
29
Moses said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands to Yahweh. The thunders shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that you may know that the earth is Yahweh's.
30
But as for you and your servants, I know that you don't yet fear Yahweh God."
31
The flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bloom.
32
But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they had not grown up.
33
Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands to Yahweh; and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth.
34
When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.
35
The heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he didn't let the children of Israel go, just as Yahweh had spoken through Moses.
