9424. 'And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you' means teachings of truth that are derived from that outward sense of the Word. This is clear from the representation of 'Aaron' as the Word in its outward sense, and also teachings that present what is good and true, dealt with in 6998, 7009, 7089, at this point teachings of truth that are derived from that sense alone, since 'the elders', over whom Aaron presided as head beneath the mountain, means those restricted to the outward sense of the Word, 9421; and from the representation of 'Hur', when linked with Aaron, as the truth as it is presented by those teachings, which Hur also represents in Exodus 17:10, 12, when he and Aaron together supported Moses' hands, 8603, 8611. For truths from the Word that are the source from which doctrinal teachings are derived support the Word, which 'Moses' represented then.

[2] Since another opportunity to do so is provided here, something more will be stated about the way in which support is given to the Word by teachings derived from the Word. A person unacquainted with the arcana of heaven cannot help thinking that the Word can be supported without the teachings derived from it; for that person supposes that such teachings lie in the letter or literal sense of the Word. But it should be recognized that all things taught by the Church must be derived from the Word, and that teachings from any source other than the Word are not teachings that possess anything of the Church within them, let alone anything of heaven. The teachings must be gathered together from the Word, and while they are being gathered a person must receive enlightenment from the Lord; and a person receives such enlightenment when governed by the love of truth for its own sake and not for any selfish or worldly reason. These are the people who are enlightened in their reading of the Word; they see truth, and formulate religious teachings for themselves from it. The reason why this should be so is that such people are in touch with heaven and so with the Lord, and because of this they receive enlightenment from the Lord and are led by Him to see the truths of the Word as they exist in heaven. For the Lord flows by way of heaven into those people's understanding, a person's inward understanding being that which receives the enlightenment; and at the same time the Lord flows in with faith, which is imparted through the co-operation of the new will, which desires truth for truth's sake. All this now shows how the Lord provides people with teachings that present what is true and good.

[3] The fact that these teachings support the Word as to its literal or outward sense is evident to anyone who gives thought to the matter. For everyone in the Church whose thought is guided by doctrinal teachings sees truths in the Word from and in accord with the teachings he knows. He also finds an explanation for the truths that do not agree exactly with these teachings, and passes over any that seem to him to be contradictory, as though he does not see them or fails to understand them. All people, including heretics, act in this kind of way, as is well known. But those who possess authentic teachings of truth that are derived from the Word, and who receive enlightenment when they read the Word, see accordant truths everywhere and nothing whatever contradictory. For these people do not cling to the actual statements made there in accordance with appearances and ordinary human perception, because they know that if the appearances are opened out and so to speak peeled away, truth is laid bare there. They are not led astray by falsities that result from the illusions of the outward senses, as heretics and zealots are, especially Jews and Socinians, nor by falsities that result from self-love and love of the world, as those meant by 'Babel' are. Since none of these are able to receive enlightenment, they deduce their doctrinal teachings solely from the outward sense of the Word to suit their own loves, also adding many ideas of their own, as a result of which the Word is not at all supported but collapses. It should be remembered that the inward sense of the Word contains the authentic teachings of the Church.

[4] All this now shows what the teachings represented here by Aaron and Hur are like, teachings which - being derived solely from the outward sense of the Word, without the inward - were simply idolatrous. This accounts for what it says about Aaron, who represented such teachings, that he made an idol, or the golden calf, Exodus 32:2-5, 21, 35; Deuteronomy 9:20. Indeed these teachings are described in the Word as 'idols'; they are described as such throughout the prophets, as in Ezekiel,

I went in and saw all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed on the wall round about. And seventy men from the elders of the house of Israel were standing before them; and each had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud ¹ of incense was going up. Ezekiel 8:10-11.

Here 'the idols of the house of Israel' are teachings derived solely from the outward sense of the Word, not through enlightenment received from the Lord but through self-intelligence, thus falsities. Worship in keeping with those falsities is meant by 'a censer in each man's hand' and by 'a thick cloud of incense'.

[5] In Hosea,

They sin more and more, they make for themselves a molded image from their silver, [idols] by their own intelligence, completely the work of craftsmen, saying to these, Those who offer human sacrifice kiss the calves. Hosea 13:2.

'A graven image from their silver' and 'completely the work of craftsmen' stand for teachings that are fashioned by self-intelligence and do not come from the Lord, thus are derived from the outward sense of the Word, separated from the inward. This happens among those whose minds are set solely on outward and not at the same time on inward things, that is, among those who are ruled by self-love and love of the world and not by love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour.

[6] In Isaiah,

On that day a person will cast away his idols of silver and his idols of gold ² which they made for themselves to bow down to, to the moles and bats, to go into the clefts ³ of the rocks and into the fissures of the crags. Isaiah 2:20-21; 31:7.

'Idols of silver' stands for falsities embodied in doctrinal teachings, and 'idols of gold' for evils embodied in doctrinal teachings. 'Bowing down to moles and bats, and going into clefts or fissures of rocks and crags' stands for worship springing from falsities and evils of belief.

[7] In the same prophet,

You will judge unclean the covering of the graven images of your silver, and the clothing of the molded image of your gold. You will throw them away like a menstruous rag; a piece of dung you will call it. Isaiah 30:22.

'The covering of the graven images of silver' and 'the clothing of the molded image of gold' stand for factual knowledge of falsity and evil, which are acknowledged and revered instead of truths and forms of good. In the same prophet,

I told you of old, lest you should say, My idol has done these things, and my graven image, and my molded image has commanded them. Isaiah 48:5.

Here also 'idol', 'graven image', and 'molded image' stand for matters of doctrine fashioned by self-intelligence.

[8] In Jeremiah,

Every person has been made stupid by knowledge; every metal-caster has been filled with shame by his graven image, for his molded image is a lie; and there is no spirit in those things. They are things of no importance, a work of errors. Jeremiah 10:14-15.

In this place too 'graven image' and 'molded image' stand for matters of doctrine fashioned by self-intelligence, which to outward appearance look like truths because they are derived from the outward sense of the Word, but inwardly are falsities. This is why it says that this person is 'made stupid by knowledge', that 'the molded image is a lie', that 'there is no spirit in those things', and also that they are 'of no importance, a work of errors'. Something similar occurs in Habakkuk,

What profit is a graven image since its image-maker has graven it, a molded image and a teacher of lies, since the image-maker trusts in the thing he himself has made? Habakkuk 2:18.

[9] In Isaiah,

The craftsman casts a graven image, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts silver chains for it. He seeks for himself a skilled ⁴ craftsman to make ready a graven image. Isaiah 40:19-20.

Here in like manner 'a graven image' stands for some matter of doctrine fashioned by self-intelligence. The likeness to truth imparted to it by the Word, by its outward sense alone, and at the same time by illusions and outward appearances, is meant by 'a goldsmith overlays it with gold, and casts silver chains for it' and by 'he seeks a skilled craftsman to make it ready'.

[10] In the same prophet,

Makers of the graven image, all are vanity; and their most desirable things are profitless. He fashions the iron with tongs, and works it with the coals, and forms it with sharp hammers; so he makes it with his strong arm. ⁵ He fashions pieces of wood, stretches out a cord, and marks it off with a ruler. He makes it into angles, and marks it out with a ring, so that he may make it in the form of a man (vir), according to the beauty of a human being, to dwell in the house. Isaiah 44:9-18.

This is a description of the way in which self-intelligence, without any enlightenment from the Lord, shapes religious teachings, and of the way in which the Word, its outward sense alone, and reasonings based on the illusions of the senses, are used to make falsities look like the truth. This is why it says 'so that he may make it in the form of a man, according to the beauty of a human being, to dwell in the house'. Consequently to outward appearance it looks like the truth, but inwardly it is falsity. Falsity exists inwardly when people do not think correctly about truths; for one person's thought about one and the same truth is different from another's, but that of all those who are steeped in evil is false. One truth consists of countless other truths; but with those steeped in evil it consists of countless falsities. With these people therefore that truth has no life in it, and this is meant by 'there is no spirit in them', Jeremiah 51:17, and 'they do not hear, see, nor understand', Psalms 115:4-6. All this may be likened to a painting that portrays a person's likeness, which inwardly is nothing but paint, in contrast to the actual person's outward appearance which has heavenly life and beauty inwardly present if truths springing from good exist there.

Footnotes:

10105. 'And boil its flesh in a holy place' means employing the truths of doctrine seen in light received from the Lord to make good ready for use in life. This is clear from the meaning of 'boiling' as employing the truths of doctrine to make ready for use in life; from the meaning of 'flesh' as good, dealt with in 7850, 9127; and from the meaning of 'in a holy place' as thanks to Divine enlightenment. For a holy place is one where what is Divine and the Lord's is present, and so, when the expression has specific reference to the truths of doctrine, is one where Divine enlightenment exists; for where what is Divine and the Lord's is present, so is enlightenment. The reason why 'boiling the flesh of the sacrifice' means employing the truths of doctrine to make good ready for use in life is that flesh, by which good is meant, is by that means made ready for the use of the body; consequently being made ready for use in life is meant in the spiritual sense. The fact that the truths of doctrine are what are employed to make good ready is self-evident, for use is what those truths teach. Also 'the water' in which the flesh is boiled means truths, see 2702, 3058, 3424, 5668, 8568, 9323.

[2] The words 'employing the truths of doctrine seen in light received from the Lord' are used because truths drawn from the Word have to be marshalled into doctrine in order that they may be put to use. The marshalling must be done by those who see things in light received from the Lord; and those so enlightened when they read the Word are people who desire truth for its own sake and for the sake of goodness of life, not those who desire it for the sake of self-glorification, reputation, or gain. Doctrine drawn from the Word is wholly essential for understanding the Word, see 9025, 9409, 9410, 9424, 9430; and those who gather doctrine from the Word must see things in light received from the Lord, 9382, 9424.

[3] The meaning of 'boiling in water' as turning truths into doctrine and thereby making them ready for use in life seems at first sight to be implausible and far-fetched. Nevertheless that is indeed the meaning, as becomes clear from places in the Word where the words 'boiling in water' occur, and also where 'a pot' in which the boiling is done is mentioned, as in the second Book of Kings,

Elisha came again to Gilgal, when there was a famine in the land. When the sons of the prophets were sitting before him he said to his servant, Put on a great pot, and boil a soup for the sons of the prophets. One of them went out into the field to gather herbs and found a wild vine, and gathered from it wild gourds, and cut them up into the pot of soup. While they were eating of the soup they cried out, There is death in the pot, O man of God! Therefore he said that they should bring flour, which he threw into the pot, and said, Pour out for the people, that they may eat. Then there was not anything bad in the pot. 2 Kings 4:38-41.

This miracle, like all others in the Word, holds holy things of the Church within it, which are made evident by the internal sense. This sense shows that Elisha represented the Lord in respect of the Word, as Elijah had done; that 'the sons of the prophets' are those who teach truths drawn from the Word; that 'the pot' which was put on at Elisha's command is doctrine formed from them; that 'a wild vine' and 'gourds' from it are falsities; and from all this it is evident what 'death in the pot' is. 'The flour which he threw into the pot' is truth springing from good, as a result of which action - because doctrine had been cured - 'there was not anything bad in the pot'. The internal sense also shows that 'boiling in the pot' means combining into doctrine and thereby making ready for use.

All miracles in the Word hold holy things of the Church within them, see 7337, 8364, 9086.

Elisha represented the Lord in respect of the Word, 2762.

'Prophets' are teachers of truths, thus in the abstract sense, without reference to persons, the truths of doctrine, 2534, 7269.

'Vine' is the Church's truth, and 'grapes' its good, 5113, 5117, 9277, so that 'a wild vine' and 'gourds' are falsities and evils.

'Flour' is the authentic truth of faith derived from good, 9995.

'The soup' which they were to boil means matters of doctrine massed together, as those of the Jews were, 3316.

From all this people may deduce what 'boiling' means, and what 'a pot' means.

[4] In Ezekiel,

Tell a parable against the house of rebellion: Put on the pot, put it on, and also pour water into it; gather the pieces into it - every good piece, the thigh and the shoulder. Fill it with the choice of the bones, and let the bones be boiled in the midst of it. Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Woe to the city of blood ¹ , to the pot whose scum is in it, and whose scum does not come out of it! Ezekiel 24:3-6.

These verses describe what the Word is like so far as doctrine is concerned, that is to say, it contains Divine Truths emanating from Divine Good. Then they describe doctrine from the Word as it existed among the Jewish nation - full of unclean and false notions. 'The pot' is doctrine; 'the thigh, the shoulder, and the choice of the bones' are Divine Truths emanating from Divine Good in successive order; 'the city of blood' is the Jewish nation in respect of the truth of doctrine among them, and in the abstract sense, without reference to nation or person, doctrine destructive of good; 'the scum in it' is that which is external and favours foul kinds of love, which if not removed defile truth. From this also it is evident that 'the pot' is doctrine, and 'boiling' making ready for use.

[5] In the same prophet,

The Spirit said to me, Son of man, these men think iniquity and give wicked counsel in the city, saying, [The time] is not near to build houses; [the city] itself is the pot and we are the flesh. Ezekiel 11:2-3, 7.

Here also 'the pot' stands for doctrine consisting of falsity arising from evil; for 'the pot' is used to describe the city in which iniquity is thought and wicked counsel is given. 'The city' too means doctrine, see 402, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493, in this instance doctrine of the same type.

[6] In Jeremiah,

Jehovah said, What do you see? I said, A puffed-out pot do I see, its face towards the north. Jehovah said, From the north evil will be opened over all the inhabitants of the land. Jeremiah 1:13-14.

'A puffed-out pot' likewise means doctrine consisting of falsity arising from evil. 'The north' means an obscure state so far as the truth of faith is concerned, also thick darkness caused by falsities, 3708. From this it is evident what this prophetic vision holds within it.

[7] In Zechariah,

On that day every pot in Jerusalem [and] in Judah will be holiness to Jehovah Zebaoth, and all offering sacrifice will come, and take from them, and boil in them. Zechariah 14:21.

Here 'pot' means doctrine teaching about charity and faith, thus doctrine consisting of truth springing from good; 'Jerusalem' is the Lord's Church; and '[all] offering sacrifice' are those engaging in Divine worship. From this it is evident that 'boiling in the pots' means making ready for use in spiritual life.

[8] In Moses,

Every earthen vessel in which the flesh of the sacrifice of a guilt or a sin offering is boiled shall be broken. But if it has been boiled in a bronze vessel, it shall be scoured and rinsed ² in water. Leviticus 6:28.

'An earthen vessel' in which the boiling was done is falsity that does not go together with good; 'a bronze vessel' is doctrinal teaching that has good in it; 'boiling the flesh of the sacrifice of a guilt or sin offering' in them means making something ready for purification from evils and consequent falsities. From this it is evident what was represented by the decree that an earthen vessel should be broken and that a bronze vessel should be scoured and rinsed in water.

Footnotes:

9127. 'There shall be no bloodguilt for him' means that he is not guilty of the violence done. This is clear from the meaning of 'blood' in the highest sense as Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good, and in the internal sense springing from this as the truth of good, dealt with in 4735, 6378, 6978, 7317, 7326, 7846, 7850, 7877. Consequently 'shedding blood' means doing violence to God's truth or the truth of good, and also to good itself. For anyone who does violence to truth does it also to good, since truth is wedded so closely to good that one is never without the other. Therefore if violence is done to one it is also done to the other. From all this it is evident that 'there shall be no bloodguilt for him' means not being guilty of the violence done to truth or to good.

[2] A person who has no knowledge of the internal sense of the Word can only think that 'blood' in the Word means blood, and that 'shedding blood' simply means killing someone. But the internal sense does not deal with the life of a person's body, only with that of his soul, that is, with his spiritual life, which will go on living forever. This life is described in the Word, in the sense of the letter, by means of such things as constitute the life of the body, namely flesh and blood. And since a person's spiritual life springs from and is maintained by the good that belongs to charity and the truth that belongs to faith, the good belonging to charity is meant in the internal sense of the Word by 'flesh' and the truth belonging to faith by 'blood'. In an even more internal sense the good belonging to love to the Lord is meant by 'flesh' and the good belonging to love towards the neighbour by 'blood'. In the highest sense however, in which solely the Lord is the subject, 'flesh' is the Lord's Divine Good, thus the Lord Himself in respect of Divine Good, while 'blood' is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord, thus the Lord in respect of Divine Truth. These things are understood in heaven by flesh and blood when a person reads the Word. And the same things are understood when the person attends the Holy Supper, though in this the bread is the flesh and the wine is the blood; for 'the bread' has exactly the same meaning as flesh and 'the wine' exactly the same meaning as blood.

[3] But those who think only on the level of the senses, as most people in the world do at the present day, do not understand any of this. Therefore let them keep to the faith they have, so long as they believe that the Holy Supper and the Word have a holiness within them because they come from God. Maybe they do not know where that holiness lies; even so, let those who are endowed with some inner degree of perception, that is, who can think on a level above the senses, consider whether 'blood' is used to mean blood and 'flesh' to mean flesh in Ezekiel,

Son of man, thus said the Lord Jehovih, Say to every bird of the air, to every wild animal of the field, Assemble and come, gather yourselves from all around to My sacrifice which I am sacrificing for you, a great sacrifice upon the mountains of Israel, so that you may eat flesh and drink blood. You will eat the flesh of the mighty, and [drink] the blood of the princes of the earth. And you will drink blood till you are drunk, from My sacrifice which I will sacrifice for you. You will be glutted at My table with horse and chariot, and with the mighty, and with every man of war. Thus will I set My glory among the nations. Ezekiel 39:17-21.

Also in John, in Revelation,

I saw an angel standing in the sun, who called out with a loud voice, saying to all the birds flying in the middle of heaven, Gather yourselves together to the supper of the great God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of captains, and the flesh of mighty men, and the flesh of horses and those seated on them, and the flesh of all, free men and slaves, small and great. Revelation 19:17-18.

It is obvious that in these places 'flesh' is not used to mean flesh or 'blood' to mean blood.

The same applies then to the Lord's 'flesh' and 'blood' in John,

The bread which I shall give is My flesh. Truly, truly, I say to you, Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood you will have no life in you. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink. He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him. This is the bread which came down from heaven. John 6:50-58.

The Lord's flesh is the Divine Good of His Divine Love, and His blood is Divine Truth emanating from His Divine Good. This may be recognized from the consideration that they are the food which nourishes a person's spiritual life.

[4] This explains why He goes on to say, 'My flesh is truly food, and My blood is truly drink', and also, 'This is the bread which came down from heaven'. And since a person is joined to the Lord through love and faith, He also says, 'He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him'. But as stated above, this matter can be understood only by those who are able to think on a level above the bodily senses, in particular by those who believe in and love the Lord, because the Lord raises them from the life of their bodily senses up to the life of their spirit. That is, He raises them from the light of the world into the light of heaven, the light in which conceptions of things that are material, that is, impressions in the mind that are acquired by the body fade from view.

[5] Anyone therefore who knows that 'blood' means God's truth coming from the Lord can also see that 'shedding blood' in the Word does not mean killing or taking a person's physical life but killing or taking the life of his soul, that is, destroying his spiritual life, which consists of faith in and love to the Lord. When 'blood' is used to refer to blood shed unlawfully it means God's truth destroyed by falsities arising from evil, as is evident in the following places: In Isaiah,

When the Lord will have washed the excrement of the daughters of Zion and washed away the blood ¹ of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgement and by a spirit of purging ... Isaiah 4:4.

In the same prophet,

Your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity. Their feet run to evil, and they hasten to shed innocent blood; their thoughts are thoughts of iniquity. Isaiah 59:3, 7.

In Jeremiah,

Yes, in your skirts the blood of poor innocent souls is found. Jeremiah 2:34.

In the same prophet,

... for the sins of the prophets, the iniquities of the priests who shed in the midst of Jerusalem the blood of the righteous. They went astray blind in the streets, they are defiled with blood. Things which have no power they touch with their garments. Lamentations 4:13-14.

In Ezekiel,

I passed by you and saw you weltering in your blood, ¹ and I said, Live in your blood; ¹ I indeed said to you, Live in your blood. ¹ I washed you with water and washed away your blood ¹ from upon you, and anointed you with oil. Ezekiel 16:6, 9.

In the same prophet,

You, son of man, will you dispute with the city of blood? ¹ Declare to her all her abominations. By your blood which you have shed you have become guilty, and by the idols which you have made you are defiled. Behold, the princes of Israel, each according to his power, ² have been among you and have shed blood. Men of intrigue have been among you, [ready] to shed blood, and among you have eaten on the mountains. Ezekiel 22:2-4, 6, 9.

In Joel,

I will give portents in heaven and on earth, blood and fire, and a column of smoke. The sun will be turned into thick darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day [of Jehovah] comes. Joel 2:30-31.

And in John,

The sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the full moon became like blood. Revelation 6:12.

In the same book,

The second angel sounded, and so to speak a great mountain burning with fire was thrown into the sea, and a third part of the sea became blood. Revelation 8:8.

In the same book,

The second angel poured out his bowl into the sea, and it became like the blood of one dead, from which every living soul died in the sea. The third angel poured out his bowl into the rivers and into the fountains of water, and blood was made. Revelation 16:3-4.

[6] In these places 'blood' is not used to mean the life-blood of the human body when it has been shed, but the blood of spiritual life, which is God's truth, when violence has been done to it by falsity arising from evil. 'Blood' has a similar meaning in Matthew,

On you will come the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel even to the blood of Zechariah, whom you killed between the temple and the altar. Matthew 23:35.

These words mean that from earliest times down to the present the Jews had been doing violence to the truths of the Word, to such an extent that they were unwilling to accept any inner, heavenly truth at all. Therefore they did not accept the Lord either. The shedding of His blood by them was a sign of their total rejection of God's truth; for the Lord was Divine Truth itself, which is the Word made flesh, John 1:1, 14. Their total rejection of God's truth that came from the Lord and was the Lord is meant by the following in Matthew,

Pilate washed his hands before the people, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person; you yourselves see [to it]. And answering, all the people said, His blood be on us and on our children. Matthew 27:24-25.

This accounts for the following incident described in John,

One of the soldiers pierced His side with a spear, and immediately blood and water came out. He who has seen has testified, and the testimony is true; and he knows that he is saying things that are true, so that you may believe. John 19:34-35.

The reason why water also came out is that 'water' means God's truth in its outward form, the kind of truth that the letter consists of. For the meaning of 'water' as truth, see 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 5668, 8568.

[7] All this also shows what is meant by being made pure by the Lord's blood, namely accepting the truth of faith from Him, 7918, 9088. Thus it also shows what is meant by the following in John, in Revelation,

They conquered the dragon by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their ³ testimony. Revelation 12:11.

'The blood of the Lamb' is Divine Truth that comes from the Lord, as also is 'the word of their testimony'. 'The blood of the lamb' is innocent blood, for 'a lamb' means innocence, 3519, 3994, 7840. God's truth emanating from the Lord in heaven has innocence at the centre of it; for none other than those possessing innocence have any feeling for it, 2526, 2780, 3111, 3183, 3495, 3994, 4797, 6013, 6107, 6765, 7836 (end), 7840, 7877, 7902.

Footnotes: