272. And they had on their heads golden crowns, signifies all truths arranged into order by Divine good, thus also all the former heavens. This is evident from the signification of "four and twenty elders sitting upon four and twenty thrones, arrayed in white garments," as being all truths of the heavens, thus all the heavens both higher and lower (of which just above, n. 270, 271); also from the signification of a "golden crown," as being Divine good, from which are truths (of which in what follows). All the truths of heaven and of the church are from Divine good; truths that are not therefrom are not truths. Truths that are not from good are like shells without a kernel, and like a house in which no man dwells, but a wild beast; such are the truths that are called truths of faith apart from the good of charity; the good of charity is good from the Lord, thus Divine good. Now as "the elders upon thrones" signify the truths of the heavens, and "golden crowns" the good from which these are, therefore the elders were seen with crowns. The "crowns of kings" have a like signification; for "kings" in a representative sense signify truths, and "crowns" upon their heads signify the good from which the truths are (that "kings" signify truths may be seen above, n. 31. For this reason the crowns are of gold, for "gold" in like manner signifies good (See above. n. 242).

[2] That "crowns" signify good and wisdom therefrom, and that truths are what are crowned, can be seen from the following passages. In David:

I will make the horn to spring forth for David; I will set in order a lamp for Mine anointed; his enemies will I clothe with shame; but upon himself shall his crown blossom (Psalms 132:17-18).

Here "David" and "anointed" mean the Lord (See above, n. 205[1-6]); "horn" His power; "lamp" is the Divine truth from which is Divine intelligence; "Crown" the Divine good from which is Divine wisdom, and from which is the Lord's government; and the "enemies," that shall be clothed with shame, are evils and falsities.

[3] In the same:

Thou showest anger with Thine anointed. Thou hast condemned even to the earth his crown (Psalms 89:38-39).

Here also "anointed" stands for the Lord, and "anger" for a state of temptation, in which He was when in combats with the hells. "Anger" and "condemnation" describe the lamentation at that time, as the Lord's last lamentation on the cross, that He was forsaken; for the cross was the last of His temptations or combats with the hells; and after that last temptation He put on the Divine good of the Divine love, and thus united the Divine Human to the Divine Itself which was in Him.

[4] In Isaiah:

In that day shall Jehovah of Hosts be for a crown of adornment, and for a diadem of splendor, unto the remnant of His people (Isaiah 28:5).

Here "crown of adornment" means wisdom that is of good from the Divine; and "the diadem of splendor" intelligence that is of truth from that good.

[5] In the same:

For Zion's sake will I not be silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp burneth; and thou shalt be a crown of splendor in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal tiara in the hand of thy God (Isaiah 62:1, 3).

Here "Zion" and "Jerusalem" mean the church, "Zion" the church which is in good, and "Jerusalem" the church which is in truths from that good; therefore it is called "a crown of splendor in the hand of Jehovah," and "a royal tiara in the hand of thy God;" a "crown of splendor" is wisdom that is of good, and a "royal tiara" is intelligence that is of truth; and because "crown" signifies wisdom that is of good it is said to be "in the hand of Jehovah;" and because "tiara" signifies intelligence that is of truth it is said to be "in the hand of God;" for "Jehovah" is used where good is treated of, and "God" where truth is treated of (See Arcana Coelestia 2586, 2769, 6905).

[6] In Jeremiah:

Say to the king and to the mistress, Humble yourselves, sit ye; for your headtire is come down, the crown of your splendor (Jeremiah 13:18);

a "crown of splendor" meaning wisdom that is of good ("splendor" is the Divine truth of the church, Arcana Coelestia 9815).

[7] In the same:

The joy of our heart hath ceased; our dance is turned into mourning; the crown of our head hath fallen (Lamentations 5:15, 16);

"the crown of the head that hath fallen" means the wisdom which those who are of the church have through Divine truth, which wisdom hath ceased, together with internal blessedness.

[8] In Ezekiel:

I put a jewel upon thy nose, and ear-rings on thine ears, and a crown of splendor upon thine head (Ezekiel 16:12).

This refers to Jerusalem, which is the church, here the church at its first establishment; "the jewel upon the nose" signifies the perception of good; and "the ear-rings on the ears" the perception of truth and obedience; and the "crown upon the head" signifies wisdom therefrom.

In Job:

He hath stripped from me the glory, and taken away the crown of my head (Job 19:9);

"glory" meaning intelligence from Divine truth, and a "crown of the head" the wisdom therefrom.

[9] in Revelation:

I saw, and behold a white horse; and He that sat on him had a bow, and there was given unto Him a crown; and He went forth conquering and to conquer (Revelation 6:2).

"The white horse and He that sat on him" is the Lord in respect to the Word; "the bow" is the doctrine of truth by which the combat is waged; from which it is clear that "crown," since it is attributed to the Lord, is the Divine good that He put on even in respect to the human, as a reward of victory.

[10] Again:

Afterwards I saw, and behold a white cloud; and on the cloud One sat like unto the Son of man, having on His head a golden crown, and in His hand a sharp sickle (Revelation 14:14);

a "white cloud" standing for the literal sense of the Word (Arcana Coelestia 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343, 6752, 8281, 8781);

"the Son of man" meaning the Lord in respect to Divine truth;

"the golden crown," the Divine good from which is Divine truth;

and "the sharp sickle," the dispersion of evil and falsity.

[11] That a "crown" is Divine good from which is Divine truth was represented by the plats of gold upon the front of the miter that was upon Aaron, which plate was also called a "crown" and a "coronet;" it is thus described in Exodus:

Thou shalt make a plate of gold, and grave upon it with the engraving of a signet, Holiness to Jehovah; and thou shalt put it on a thread of blue, and it shall be on the miter, over against the face of it (Exodus 28:36, 37).

That this plate was called a "crown of holiness" and a "coronet," see Exodus 39:30; Leviticus 8:9. (But what was specially signified thereby, see Arcana Coelestia 9930-9936, where the particulars are explained.)

4391. 'And made booths for his cattle' means a similar increase in good and truth at that time. This is clear from the meaning of 'cattle' as goods and truths in general, and from the meaning of 'making booths', which are tents, as something similar to what is meant by 'building a house', namely receiving an increase of good from truth. The two phrases differ in that 'building a house' means that which is less general, and so rather more internal, while 'making booths', or tents, means that which is more general, and so rather more external. The house was intended for themselves, that is to say, for Jacob, his womenfolk and children, the booths for the servants, flocks and herds. In the Word 'booths' or tents, strictly speaking, means the holiness of truth, and they are distinguished from tabernacles, which too are called tents, by the fact that the latter mean the holiness of good, 414, 1102, 2145, 2152, 4128. The word in the original language for booths is 'succoth', whereas that for tabernacles is 'ohalim'. The holiness of truth is the good which springs from truth.

[2] This meaning carried by the booths or tents called 'succoth' is further evident from the following places in the Word: In David,

Jehovah God rode on a cherub, and flew, and was borne on the wings of the wind. He made darkness His hiding-place, and His surroundings His tent - darkness of waters, clouds of the heavens. Psalms 18:10-11.

And elsewhere,

He bowed the heavens when He came down, and thick darkness was under His feet. And He rode on a cherub, and new, and was borne on the wings of the wind. And He made tents of darkness around Him, clusters of water, clouds of the heavens. 2 Samuel 22:10-12.

This refers to Divine revelation, or the Word. 'Bowing the heavens when He came down' stands for hiding the interior truths of the Word. 'Thick darkness under His feet' stands for the fact that compared with interior truths, those visible to man are like darkness, the literal sense of the Word being of such a nature. 'Riding on a cherub' stands for the fact that it was provided in this way. 'Making tents of the darkness around Him' or 'making His surroundings His tent' stands for the holiness of truth concealed in its hiding-place, that is to say, inwardly - within the literal sense. 'Clusters of waters and clouds of the heavens' means the Word in the letter. Regarding 'clouds of the heavens' meaning the Word in the letter, see Preface to Chapter 18 of Genesis, and 4060.

[3] The same is meant by the following in Isaiah,

Jehovah will create over every habitation of mount Zion, and over her assemblies, a cloud by day, and smoke and the shining of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory there will be a covering. And there will be a tent for shade by day, and for a refuge and hiding-place from deluge and rain. Isaiah 4:5-6.

Here again 'cloud' means the literal sense of the Word and 'the glory' the internal sense, as they do in Matthew 24:30; Mark 13:26; Luke 21:27. Again also 'a tent' stands for the holiness of truth. Interior truths are said to be in a hiding-place for the reason that if they had been revealed they would have been made profane, see 3398, 3399, 4289, a point that is also expressed in the following words in David,

In the hiding-place of Your face You conceal them from the treacherous plans of man; You hide them in a tent from the strife of tongues. Psalms 31:20.

[4] The fact that 'a tent' means the holiness of truth is also evident in Amos,

On that day I will raise up the tent of David that is fallen down, and I will close up the breaches, and I will raise up its destroyed places, and I will build it as in the days of old. Amos 9:11.

'Raising up the tent of David that is fallen down' stands for reestablishing the holiness of truth after it has perished. 'David' stands for the Lord as regards Divine Truth, 1888, since 'a king' means Divine Truth, 2015, 2069, 3009. Because 'tent' meant the holiness of truth and 'dwelling in tents' means worship that was the product of this, the feast of tents, called the feast of tabernacles, was established in the Jewish and Israelitish Church, Leviticus 23:34, 42-43; Deuteronomy 16:13, 16, where also that feast is called the feast of succoth, or of tents.