10271. 'And the lampstand and its vessels' means within spiritual truth belonging to the second heaven, and within the truths which are of service to that truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'the lampstand' as a representative sign of the Lord in respect of spiritual truth belonging to the second heaven, dealt with in 9548, 9551, 9555, 9558, 9561, 9684; and from the meaning of 'its vessels' as truths existing as facts, which act as servants, dealt with in 3068, 3079, 9572, 9724.

9572. 'And its tongs and its trowels' means things in the natural that serve to purify and clean out. This is clear from the meaning of 'tongs' and 'trowels' as things that serve to remove waste products, and so to purify and clean out. They exist in the natural because the natural serves to remove waste and so to purify and clean out. For everything that belongs to the internal or spiritual man comes right down into the natural and is purified there; for in the natural that which is filthy and that which is superfluous are discharged, and that which is suitable is set in order for useful service. The fact that this takes place in the natural may be recognized from the consideration that since the internal or spiritual man, while in the body, thinks within the natural, revealing and declaring its thoughts through the body, and also wills within the natural, carrying out the desires of the will through the body, therefore the natural is what serves to clean out and remove waste products. This is meant by 'feet-washing', which the Lord speaks of as follows in John,

He who has been washed has no need except to wash his feet, and the whole person is clean. John 13:10.

'Washing' meant the purification of the internal man, 3147, 5954 (end), 9088; and 'feet' meant the natural, 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952.