8940. 'And if you make for Me an altar of stones' means a representative kind of worship in general that is composed of truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'an altar' as a representative of Divine worship in general, dealt with in 921, 2777, 2811, 4489; and from the meaning of 'stones' as truths, dealt with in 643, 1298, 3720, 3769, 3771, 3773, 3789, 3798, 6426, 8609. There is worship of the Lord that springs from good, and there is worship of Him that springs from truth. Worship of the Lord springing from good was represented by an altar of soil, and worship springing from truth by an altar of stone. Regarding the first and the second kinds of worship, see above in 8935. It was because an altar of stone was a sign of worship springing from truth that they were commanded to set up such an altar as soon as they crossed the Jordan and came into the land of Canaan, and to write on it the Commandments contained in the Law, that is, God's truths from heaven. For by the Ten Commandments are meant all God's truths in summary form. That altar is spoken of in Moses as follows,

When you cross the Jordan you shall set up for yourself large stones, and coat them with lime. Then you shall write on them all the words of the Law. Afterwards, you shall build there an altar to Jehovah your God, an altar of stones, which you shall not hew with any iron tool. ¹ With whole stones you shall build the altar of Jehovah your God, and present ² on it burnt offerings and eucharistic offerings. And you shall write on the stones of the altar the words of the Law, expressing them very plainly. Deuteronomy 27:1-8; Joshua 8:30-32.

[2] The reason why they were to write the words of the Law on stones of the altar was that truths were meant by 'stones', and worship that springs from truths by 'an altar of stones'. This was also the reason why the Ten Commandments, which were a sign of Divine Truths in their entirety, were inscribed on tablets of stone. The reason why it had to be done as soon as they crossed the Jordan was that the Jordan, which was the first and outermost boundary of the land of Canaan on the side where the wilderness lay, meant introduction into the Church or heaven, which is accomplished through cognitions or knowledge of truth and good, thus through truths from the Word, 4255. For all the rivers serving as boundaries of that land meant the first and outermost reaches of the Lord's kingdom, 4116, 4240. By 'the stones of the altar' the truths of faith are also meant in Isaiah,

He will remove sin when He makes all the stones of the altar like chalk-stones scattered about. Isaiah 27:9

This refers to the ruination of the Church. 'The stones of the altar like chalk-stones scattered about' stands for the truths of faith that inspire worship after something similar has happened to them. As regards altars in general, they were made out of soil, stones, bronze, wood, and also gold - out of bronze, wood, and gold because these materials served to mean good. For an altar of bronze, see Ezekiel 9:2; for an altar of wood, Ezekiel 41:22; and for an altar of gold, which was the altar of incense, 1 Kings 6:22; 7:48; Revelation 8:3. That 'bronze' means good, see 425, 1551; that 'wood' does so, 643, 2784, 2812, 3720, 8354; and that 'gold' does so as well, 113, 1551, 1552, 5658.

Voetnoten:

8648. 'After he had sent her away' means a separation existing up to now in respect of the state of those belonging to the spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'sending away' as a separation. The reason why this is in respect of the state of those belonging to the spiritual Church is that in the first state of those who belong to the spiritual Church good is not apparent, only truth. The nature of all this may be seen from what has been shown previously about the two states of those belonging to the spiritual Church, that is to say, where it has been shown that in the first state actions spring from truth, not from good, but that in the second they do spring from good. In the first state, when actions spring from truth, not from good, good is seemingly absent; it is like a wife who has been sent away. But in the second state, when actions spring from good, good is present, and is like a wife joined to her husband (vir). These are the things that are meant in the internal sense by 'sending her away'.

[2] It should in addition be recognized that this is in respect of those who belong to the spiritual Church; for truth coming from the Lord is always joined to its own good. But in the first state, which exists before regeneration, good is not received, only truth, even though both flow in from the Lord by way of heaven. But in the second state, which exists after regeneration, good joined to truth is received. What is brought about by man is said to be something done by the Lord, for the reason that He appears to be the one bringing it about. The situation is the same with very many other things said of the Lord, such as when He is said to do ill, punish, and cast into hell; these things are said to be done by the Lord, because He appears to be the one who brings them about, when in fact everything bad that happens to a person is of human origin. Things like these said of the Lord in the Word are very many, but they are made clear to one who searches the Scriptures with an affection for truth and for the sake of leading a good life; for he is enlightened by the Lord.