1171. The sons of Raamah also symbolize people who did not have inward worship but did have religious knowledge, the possession of which they considered to be religion; Sheba and Dedan are individual nations among whom that knowledge was extant, and at a deeper level they symbolize the knowledge itself. This can be seen from the following places in the prophets, beginning with quotations from them about Seba, Sheba, and Raamah. In David:

The monarchs of Tarshish and of the islands will bring a gift, and the monarchs of Sheba and Seba will deliver their tribute, and all monarchs will bow down to him. (Psalms 72:10-11)

This is about the Lord, his kingdom, and a heavenly type of church. The gift and tribute in this passage symbolize worship, as anyone can see, but no one can tell just who the worshipers are and what their worship is like without knowing what Tarshish and the islands mean, and what Sheba and Seba mean. Tarshish and the islands mean outward forms of worship that correspond to inner worship, as already demonstrated [§§1156:2, 1158]. As a result, Sheba and Seba mean inward forms of worship. Sheba, in particular, means heavenly aspects of worship, while Seba means spiritual aspects of it.

[2] In Isaiah:

I have given Egypt in atonement for you, Cush and Seba in place of you. (Isaiah 43:3)

Cush and Seba stand for spiritual aspects of faith. In the same author:

The labor of Egypt, and the wares of Cush and of Seba's inhabitants — sizable men — will pass over to you. (Isaiah 45:14)

The labor of Egypt stands for secular knowledge; the wares of Cush and of Seba's inhabitants, for a knowledge of spiritual entities. These serve a use to people who believe in the Lord.

[3] In the same author:

A troop of camels will blanket you, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; they will all come from Sheba. Gold and frankincense they will carry, and Jehovah's praises they will proclaim. Every flock of Arabia ¹ will be gathered to you. (Isaiah 60:6-7)

In this passage, Sheba means heavenly qualities and the spiritual qualities that grow out of them. These are the gold and frankincense and are explained as being Jehovah's praises, or in other words, internal worship.

[4] In Ezekiel:

The dealers of Sheba and Raamah were your dealers, in the finest of every perfume, and in every precious stone; and gold they traded for your provisions. (Ezekiel 27:22-23)

This is about Tyre. What Sheba and Raamah symbolize can be seen from the merchandise, which is listed as perfume, precious stones, and gold. On an inner level, perfume is charity, precious stones are the faith that charity yields, and gold is love for the Lord, all of which are the heavenly qualities that Sheba symbolizes. Strictly speaking, the knowledge of these qualities is Sheba, and that is why the passage describes them as different kinds of trade, which people are trained in when they are coming into the church. Without knowledge, no one can become part of the church.

[5] Something similar was represented by the queen of Sheba, who came to Solomon bringing perfumes, gold, and precious stones (1 Kings 10:1-2, 3). The same is true for the sages from the East who came to Jesus at his birth, who fell down and worshiped him, and who opened their treasure chests and offered him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:1, 11). These gifts symbolize heavenly, spiritual, and earthly types of goodness. In Jeremiah:

Why should frankincense come to me from Sheba, or the best calamus ² from a far-off land? Your burnt offerings give no satisfaction. (Jeremiah 6:20)

Here too Sheba obviously symbolizes knowledge and acts of reverence, which are the frankincense and calamus; but in this case it is knowledge and reverence devoid of charity that Sheba symbolizes, and these are not pleasing.

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