Arcana Coelestia #4545
4545. 'And be purified, and change your garments' means the holiness that was to be put on. This is clear from the meaning of 'being purified' or being cleansed as being made holy, dealt with below, and from the meaning of 'changing one's garments' as putting on, in this case putting on holy truths, for in the internal sense of the Word truths are meant by 'garments'. It is quite evident that 'changing one's garments' was an accepted representative within the Church, but what that custom represented no one can know unless he knows what 'garments' means in the internal sense - namely truths, see 2576. Because in the internal sense the casting aside of falsities and the arrangement by good of truths within the natural is the subject here, it is therefore recorded that Jacob commanded them to change their garments.
[2] 'Changing their garments' was representative of the need to put on holy truths, as may also be seen from other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,
Awake, awake, put on your strength, O Zion, put on your beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city, for there will no more come into you the uncircumcised and the unclean. Isaiah 52:1.
Since 'Zion' means the celestial Church and 'Jerusalem' the spiritual Church, and the celestial Church is that which dwells in good by virtue of its love to the Lord, and the spiritual Church in truth by virtue of its faith and charity, 'strength' is therefore used in reference to Zion, and 'garments' in reference to Jerusalem. And when clothed with these the two are 'clean'.
[3] In Zechariah,
Joshua was clothed with filthy garments, and so stood before the angel. And [the angel] answered and said to those standing before him - he said - Remove the filthy garments from upon him. And he said to him, See, I have caused your iniquity to pass away from upon you, by putting on you a change of garments Zechariah 3:3-4.
From this place too it is evident that 'removing garments' and 'putting on a change of garments' represented purification from falsities, for the words 'I have caused your iniquity to pass away from upon you' are used. This also explains why people had changes of garments - which they called simply 'changes', an expression occurring in various places in the Word - because different representations were set forth by means of those changes.
[4] Because the kinds of things mentioned here were represented by changes of garments it is therefore said in Ezekiel, in the description of the new Temple, which in the internal sense means a new Church,
When the priests enter they shall not go out of the holy place to the outer court, but there shall lay aside their garments in which they have ministered, for these are holy, 1 and they shall put on other garments and go near the things which are for the people. Ezekiel 42:14.
And in the same prophet,
When they go out to the outer court, to the people, they shall put off their garments in which they have been ministering and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments, and they shall not sanctify the people in their own garments. 2 Ezekiel 44:19.
[5] Anyone may see that a new temple and the holy city and land which are referred to by the prophet in this chapter, and in the chapters before and after it, are not used to mean any new temple, new city, or new land. For reference is made to sacrifices and religious ceremonies being introduced anew, when in fact these had to be brought to an end; and mention is also made of how the tribes of Israel, referred to by name, were to divide the land among themselves into inheritances, when in fact they were dispersed and never returned to the land. From this it is evident that the religious ceremonies referred to in those chapters mean the spiritual and celestial things constituting the Church. Much the same is meant by Aaron's change of garments when he was going to minister, to offer a burnt offering; in Moses,
He shall put on his linen robe, and linen breeches. He shall place the ashes at the side of the altar. After he takes off his own garments and puts on other garments he shall carry away the ashes to a clean place outside the camp. Leviticus 6:9-12.
This was what he had to do when offering the burnt offering.
[6] As regards 'being cleansed' meaning being made holy, this may be seen from the cleansings that were commanded, such as the command to wash their flesh and their garments, and the command to be sprinkled with the waters of separation. Everyone who knows anything about the spiritual man may also recognize that nobody is made holy by carrying out commands such as these. For what does iniquity or sin have to do with the garments a person is wearing? Yet it is stated several times that after people had cleansed themselves they would be holy. From this it is also evident that such rituals which the Israelites were commanded to carry out were in no way holy except by virtue of their representation of holy things, and that as a consequence people who served as representers did not on that account become holy persons. It was the holiness they represented, quite apart from them as actual persons, that stirred the affections of the spirits present with them, and through these the affections of the angels in heaven, 4307.
[7] For in order that the human race may be kept in being, human beings must of necessity live in communication with heaven; and that communication is effected through the Church. Otherwise human beings would become like animals, lacking any restraints internally or externally, so that all would plunge unchecked into the destruction of others and would annihilate one another. And because in the time of the Israelites no communication through any Church was possible, the Lord therefore provided in an amazing way for a communication to be effected by means of representatives. It is evident from many places in the Word that being made holy was represented by the ritual observance of washing and cleansing, as when Jehovah came down on Mount Sinai and then said to Moses,
Make them holy today and tomorrow, and let them wash their garments and be ready on the third day. Exodus 19:10-11.
In Ezekiel,
I will sprinkle clean water over you, and you will be cleansed from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit will I give in the midst of you. Ezekiel 36:25-26.
Here it is plain that 'sprinkling clean water' represented purification of the heart, so that 'being cleansed' means being made holy.
Footnotes:
1. literally, holiness
2. The Latin means they shall sanctify the people in other garments, but the Hebrew means they shall not sanctify the people in their own garments, which Swedenborg has in another place where he quotes this verse.
2 Samuel 22
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David spoke to Yahweh the words of this song in the day that Yahweh delivered him out of the hand of all his enemies, and out of the hand of Saul:
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and he said, "Yahweh is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer, even mine;
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God, my rock, in him I will take refuge; my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge. My savior, you save me from violence.
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I will call on Yahweh, who is worthy to be praised: So shall I be saved from my enemies.
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For the waves of death surrounded me. The floods of ungodliness made me afraid.
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The cords of Sheol were around me. The snares of death caught me.
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In my distress I called on Yahweh. Yes, I called to my God. He heard my voice out of his temple. My cry [came] into his ears.
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Then the earth shook and trembled. The foundations of heaven quaked and were shaken, because he was angry.
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Smoke went up out of his nostrils. Fire out of his mouth devoured. Coals were kindled by it.
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He bowed the heavens also, and came down. Thick darkness was under his feet.
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He rode on a cherub, and flew. Yes, he was seen on the wings of the wind.
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He made darkness pavilions around himself: gathering of waters, and thick clouds of the skies.
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At the brightness before him, coals of fire were kindled.
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Yahweh thundered from heaven. The Most High uttered his voice.
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He sent out arrows, and scattered them; lightning, and confused them.
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Then the channels of the sea appeared. The foundations of the world were laid bare by the rebuke of Yahweh, At the blast of the breath of his nostrils.
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He sent from on high and he took me. He drew me out of many waters.
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He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too mighty for me.
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They came on me in the day of my calamity, but Yahweh was my support.
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He also brought me out into a large place. He delivered me, because he delighted in me.
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Yahweh rewarded me according to my righteousness. He rewarded me according to the cleanness of my hands.
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For I have kept the ways of Yahweh, and have not wickedly departed from my God.
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For all his ordinances were before me. As for his statutes, I did not depart from them.
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I was also perfect toward him. I kept myself from my iniquity.
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Therefore Yahweh has rewarded me according to my righteousness, According to my cleanness in his eyesight.
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With the merciful you will show yourself merciful. With the perfect man you will show yourself perfect.
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With the pure you will show yourself pure. With the crooked you will show yourself shrewd.
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You will save the afflicted people, But your eyes are on the haughty, that you may bring them down.
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For you are my lamp, Yahweh. Yahweh will light up my darkness.
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For by you, I run against a troop. By my God, I leap over a wall.
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As for God, his way is perfect. The word of Yahweh is tested. He is a shield to all those who take refuge in him.
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For who is God, besides Yahweh? Who is a rock, besides our God?
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God is my strong fortress. He makes my way perfect.
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He makes his feet like hinds' [feet], and sets me on my high places.
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He teaches my hands to war, so that my arms bend a bow of brass.
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You have also given me the shield of your salvation. Your gentleness has made me great.
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You have enlarged my steps under me. My feet have not slipped.
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I have pursued my enemies and destroyed them. I didn't turn again until they were consumed.
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I have consumed them, and struck them through, so that they can't arise. Yes, they have fallen under my feet.
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For you have armed me with strength for the battle. You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
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You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, that I might cut off those who hate me.
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They looked, but there was none to save; even to Yahweh, but he didn't answer them.
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Then I beat them as small as the dust of the earth. I crushed them as the mire of the streets, and spread them abroad.
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You also have delivered me from the strivings of my people. You have kept me to be the head of the nations. A people whom I have not known will serve me.
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The foreigners will submit themselves to me. As soon as they hear of me, they will obey me.
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The foreigners will fade away, and will come trembling out of their close places.
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Yahweh lives! Blessed be my rock! Exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,
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even the God who executes vengeance for me, who brings down peoples under me,
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who brings me away from my enemies. Yes, you lift me up above those who rise up against me. You deliver me from the violent man.
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Therefore I will give thanks to you, Yahweh, among the nations. Will sing praises to your name.
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He gives great deliverance to his king, and shows loving kindness to his anointed, to David and to his seed, forevermore."
