9093. And they shall divide the silver of it. That this signifies that the truth thereof shall be dissipated, is evident from the signification of “dividing,” as being to banish and dissipate (see n. 6360, 6361); and from the signification of “silver,” as being truth (n. 1551, 2048, 5658, 6112, 6914, 6917, 7999). That “to divide” denotes to dissipate, is because if those things which have been associated together are divided, they are also scattered, as he who divides his mind destroys it. For the mind of man is an association of two parts, one part being called the understanding, the other the will. He who divides these two parts scatters the things which belong to one part, for one part must live from the other; consequently the other also perishes. It is the same with him who divides truth from good, or what is the same, faith from charity. He who does this destroys both. In a word, all things which ought to be united in a one, if divided perish.

[2] This division is meant by the Lord’s words in Luke:

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will prefer the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon (Luke 16:13).

That is, by faith serve the Lord, and by love the world; thus acknowledge truth, and do evil. He who does this has a divided mind, from which comes its destruction. From all this it is evident whence it is that “to divide” denotes to dissipate; as is also evident in Matthew:

The lord of that servant shall come in a day when he expecteth not, and in an hour when he knoweth not, and shall divide him, and appoint him his portion with the hypocrites (Matthew 24:50-51); where “to divide” denotes to separate and remove from goods and truths (n. 4424), thus to dissipate.

[3] In Moses:

Cursed be their anger, for it was vehement; and their wrath, for it was hard. I will divide them in Jacob, and scatter them in Israel (Genesis 49:7); where Israel speaks prophetically of Simeon and Levi. By Simeon and Leviticus are there represented those who are in faith separate from charity (n. 6352), by Jacob and Israel the church external and internal, and also the external and internal man (n. 4286, 4598, 5973, 6360, 6361). “To divide them in Jacob” denotes to expel them from the external church; and “to scatter them in Israel” denotes from the internal church; thus to dissipate the goods and the truths of the church appertaining to them.

[4] That “dividing” has this signification is also plain from the words written on the wall when Belshazzar king of Babel, together with his lords, his wives, and his concubines, drank wine from the vessels of gold and of silver which belonged to the temple that was at Jerusalem. The writing was:

Numbered, numbered, weighed, and divided (Daniel 5:2-4, 25-28); where “divided” means separated from the kingdom. In this passage it is plain how all things were at that time representative. In it is described the profanation of good and truth, which is signified by “Babel” (that Babel” denotes profanation, see n. 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326); “vessels of gold and of silver” denote the goods of love and the truths of faith from the the Lord, (n. 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917). Profanation is signified by “drinking therefrom, and at the same time praising the gods of gold, of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone,” as we read in the fourth verse of the chapter, which denote evils and falsities in a series (n. 4402, 4544, 7873, 8941). By the “temple at Jerusalem” from which the vessels came, is signified in the supreme sense the Lord, in the representative sense His kingdom and church (n. 3720). The kingdom of Belshazzar being “divided” signified the dissipation of good and truth, and he himself being “slain that night” signified the loss of the life of truth and good, thus damnation; for “to be divided” denotes to be dissipated; “a king” denotes the truth of good (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148); the like is signified by “kingdom” (n. 1672, 2547, 4691); “to be slain” denotes to be deprived of the life of truth and good (n. 3607, 6767, 8902); and the “night” in which he was slain denotes a state of evil and falsity (n. 2353, 7776, 7851, 7870, 7947). From this it is plain that all things there were representative.

[5] It says in David:

They divided My garments among them, and upon My vesture did they cast a lot (Psalms 22:18).

They divided His garments, casting a lot; that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet (Matthew 27:35).

The soldiers took His garments, and made four parts; and the tunic, the tunic was without seam, woven from the top throughout. They said therefore, Let us not divide it, but cast lots for it, whose it shall be; that the Scripture might be fulfilled (John 19:23-24).

He who reads these words and knows nothing of the internal sense of the Word, is not aware that anything secret lies hidden in them, when yet in each word there is a Divine secret. The secret was that Divine truths had been dissipated by the Jews, for the Lord was the Divine truth; and hence He is called “the Word” (John 1). “The Word” denotes Divine truth; His garments represented truths in the external form; and His tunic, truths in the internal form; the division of the garments represented the dissipation of the truths of faith by the Jews. (That “garments” denote truths in the external form, see n. 2576, 5248, 5954, 6918; also that “a tunic” denotes truth in the internal form, n. 4677.) Truths in the external form are such as are those of the Word in the literal sense; but truths in the internal form are such as are those of the Word in the spiritual sense. The division of the garments into four parts signified total dissipation, in like manner as the division in Zechariah 14:4, and in other passages; likewise the division into two parts, as we read of the veil of the temple (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38). The rending of the rocks also at that time (Matthew 27:51) represented the dissipation of all things of faith, for a “rock” denotes the Lord as to faith, consequently it denotes faith from the Lord.

1808. 'And count the stars' means a representation of goods and truths in a mental view of the constellations. This is clear from what has just been stated, and also from the representation and meaning of 'the stars' as goods and truths. Stars are mentioned many times in the Word, and in every instance they mean goods and truths, and also in the contrary sense evils and falsities. Or what amounts to the same, they mean angels or communities of angels, and also in the contrary sense evil spirits and groupings of these. When angels or communities of angels are meant they are stars that are motionless, but when evil spirits and groupings of these are meant, they are stars that wander, as I have seen on many occasions.

[2] The fact that everything in the sky above and on the earth beneath is representative of celestial and spiritual things has become clear from the plain evidence that things similar to those that appear before the eyes in the sky and on the earth are also manifested visually in the world of spirits, and this as clearly as in broad daylight. There they are nothing other than representatives. For example, when a starry sky appears and the stars in it are motionless one knows instantly that they mean goods and truths; and when the stars appear wandering one knows instantly that they mean evils and falsities. And from the way in which the stars shine and sparkle the nature of them is made clear too, besides countless other considerations. Consequently if anyone is willing to be wise in his thinking he may know where all things on earth originate, namely in the Lord. And the reason why these things do not present themselves on earth in non-physical ideas but in actual physical objects is that all things, both celestial and spiritual, which derive from the Lord are living and essential, or substantial (as they are called), and therefore manifest themselves as actual objects within the natural order, see 1632.

[3] That 'the stars' represents and means goods and truths becomes clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,

The stars of the heavens and their constellations do not give their light. The sun is darkened in its going forth, and the moon does not shed its light And I will punish the world for evil, and the wicked for their iniquity. Isaiah 13:10-11.

The subject here is the day of a visiting with punishment. Anyone may see that here 'the stars' and 'the constellations' are not used to mean stars and constellations but truths and goods, 'the sun' to mean love, and 'the moon' to mean faith; for falsities and evils which 'darken' are being referred to.

[4] In Ezekiel,

When I have blotted you out I will cover the heavens; I will darken their stars. I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon will not give its light. All the bright lights I will make dark over you, and I will put darkness over your land. Ezekiel 32:7-8.

Here the meaning is similar. In Joel,

The earth quaked before Him, the heavens trembled. The sun and the moon were darkened, and the stars withdrew their shining. Joel 2:10; 3:15.

Here the meaning is similar. In David,

Praise Jehovah, sun and moon, praise Him, all stars of light! Praise Him, heavens of heavens! Psalms 148:3-4.

Here the meaning is similar.

[5] That 'stars' does not mean stars but goods and truths, or what amounts to the same, people who are wholly taken up with goods and truths, as angels are, is stated plainly in John,

I saw the Son of Man holding in His right hand seven stars. As for the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in My right hand, and the seven lampstands, the seven stars are the angels of the seven Churches; while the seven lampstands which you saw are the seven Churches. Revelation 1:16, 20.

[6] In the same book,

The fourth angel sounded, and a third part of the sun was struck, and a third part of the moon, and a third part of the stars, so that a third part of them was darkened, and the day did not shine for a third part of it, and the night likewise. Revelation 8:12.

Here it is quite clear that good and truth were darkened. In Daniel,

There came forth a little horn, and it grew very much towards the south, and towards the east, and towards the glorious [land]. And it grew even towards the host of heaven, and cast down to earth some of the host, and of the stars, and trampled on them. Daniel 8:9-10.

Clearly 'the host of heaven' and 'the stars' are goods and truths, which were 'trampled on'.

[7] These places also show what is meant by the Lord's words in Matthew,

At the close of the age, immediately after the affliction of those days, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens will be shaken. Matthew 24:29.

And in Luke,

There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and upon the earth distress of nations in despair, at the roaring of the sea and of the ocean. Luke 21:25.

Here 'the sun' does not at all mean the sun, nor 'the moon' the moon, nor 'stars' the stars, nor 'sea' the sea, but the things which these represent; that is to say, 'the sun' means the celestial things of love, 'moon' the spiritual things, 'stars' goods and truths, or cognitions of good and truth, which around the close of the age when no faith, that is, no charity, exists, are thus darkened.