69. Verse 15. And His feet like unto burnished brass, as if glowing in a furnace, signifies the ultimate of Divine order, which is the natural, full of Divine love. This is evident from the signification of "feet," as being the natural (See Arcana Coelestia 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952); therefore, in reference to the Lord, as meaning the ultimate of Divine order, because that is the natural; also from the signification of "burnished brass," or brass polished, as being natural good (of which presently); and from the signification of "glowing," as being, in reference to the Lord, what is from Divine love (See n. 10055). It is said, "as if glowing in a furnace," in order that the Divine love in the greatest degree and in its fullness may be represented, for the Divine is in its fullness when it is in its ultimate, and the ultimate is the natural (See above, n. 66).

From this it is clear that by "His feet like unto burnished brass, as if glowing in a furnace," is signified the ultimate of Divine order, which is the natural, full of Divine love. These things, as well as the preceding, are described by comparisons; as that "His head and His hairs were white as white wool, as snow," and that "His feet were like unto burnished brass, as if glowing in a furnace;" but it is to be noted, that all comparisons in the Word are significative, for they are from correspondences in like manner as the things themselves (See Arcana Coelestia 3579, 4599, 8989).

[2] In reference to the Lord, "feet" signify the ultimate of Divine order, and this is the natural, because heaven is heaven from the Lord's Divine Human, and from this it is that heaven in the whole complex represents one man; and as there are three heavens, that the highest heaven represents the head, the middle heaven the body, and the lowest heaven the feet. The Divine that makes the highest heaven is called the celestial Divine, but the Divine that makes the middle heaven is called the spiritual Divine, and the Divine that makes the lowest heaven is called the natural Divine from the spiritual and celestial. This makes it evident why the Lord is here described in respect to His Divine Human, which is the Son of man seen in the midst of the lampstands, not only as regards His garments, but also as to His head, breast, and feet. (That the Son of man is the Lord as to His Divine Human, see above, n. 63; and that the "lampstands" are heaven, see n. 62, 63. But since these things are arcana hitherto unknown in the world, and yet must be understood in order that the internal sense of this and the following parts of this prophetical book may be comprehended, the particulars have been explained specifically in the work on Heaven and Hell; as

That the Divine Human of the Lord makes Heaven, n. 7-12, 78-86, seq.;

That on this account Heaven in the whole Complex represents one Man, n. 59-77;

That there are Three Heavens, and that the highest refers to the head, the middle to the body, and the lowest to the feet, n. Heaven and Hell 29-40.)

When this is understood it can be seen what is signified in the Word by "the feet of Jehovah" or "of the Lord," namely, the ultimate of Divine order, or the natural; and since the external of the church, of worship, and of the Word is the ultimate of Divine order in the church, and is the natural, this is specifically signified by "the feet of Jehovah" or "of the Lord."

[3] Because of this signification of "the feet of Jehovah" or "of the Lord," therefore when the Lord was seen as an Angel by the prophets elsewhere, He appeared in like manner.

Thus by Daniel:

I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with gold of Uphaz; His body was like the tarshish stone, and His eyes as lamps of fire, and His arms and His feet like the brightness of polished brass (Daniel 10:5-6).

In like manner the cherubs, by which is meant the Lord in respect to providence and protection (See Arcana Coelestia 9277, 9509, 9673), were seen by Ezekiel:

Their feet sparkled like the brightness of polished brass (Ezekiel 1:7).

The Lord was seen in like manner as an Angel as described further on in Revelation:

I saw an Angel coming down out of heaven, arrayed with a cloud, and a rainbow was about His head, and His face was as the sun, and His feet as pillars of fire (Revelation 10:1).

As the Lord appeared in this manner as to His feet, therefore under His feet there was seen by some of the sons of Israel:

As it were a work of sapphire stone, and as it were the substance of heaven for clearness (Exodus 24:10).

Their vision of the Lord was not as to the feet, but "under the feet," because they were not in, but under, the external of the church, of worship, and of the Word (See The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248).

[4] Since "the feet of Jehovah" or "of the Lord" signify the ultimate of Divine order, and this specifically is the external of the church, of worship, and of the Word, therefore this external is called in the Word "His footstool," as in Isaiah:

The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, to beautify the place of My sanctuary; I will make the place of My feet honorable. And they shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet (Isaiah 60:13-14).

In the same:

Heaven is My throne, and the earth is My footstool (Isaiah 66:1).

In Jeremiah:

God doth not remember His footstool in the day of anger (Lamentations 2:1).

In David:

Worship Jehovah at His footstool (Psalms 99:5).

We will go into His tabernacles; we will worship at His footstool (Psalms 132:7).

In Nahum:

Of Jehovah, the clouds are the dust of His feet (Nahum 1:3).

"Cloud" is the external of the Word, or the Word in respect to the letter (See above, n. 36). Because "cloud" is the external of the Word, it is also the external of the church and of worship; for the church and worship are from the Word. "Clouds" are called "dust of His feet," because those things that are in the sense of the letter of the Word, which is natural, appear scattered.

666. And they stood upon their feet, signifies a new life, such as the regenerate man of the church has. This is evident from the signification of "standing," as meaning to be and to live, and also to sustain (See above, n. 414); also from the signification of "feet," as being the natural, which is the ultimate of Divine order, and the base upon which prior or higher things rest, and upon which they subsist (See above, n. 69, 600, 606); so "to stand upon the feet" signifies life in fullness, because in the ultimate. A new life is signified because the "witnesses" who are here treated of were killed and lived again. "To stand upon the feet" here means such life as the regenerate man of the church has, because this is said of "the two witnesses," by whom all who are in the goods of love through the truths of doctrine are meant, who are such as have been regenerated; also because when the natural, which is signified by the "feet," has been regenerated, the whole man has life such as the regenerated man has.

[2] This the Lord teaches in John:

Jesus said to Peter, He that hath bathed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is all clean (John 13:10).

"To wash" signifies to be purified from evils and falsities, which is to be regenerated, therefore "he that hath bathed" signifies he that has been purified, that is, regenerated in respect to the spiritual, which is the good of love and the truth of doctrine; these must first be received in the memory and understanding, that is, must be known and acknowledged. "Needeth not save to wash his feet" signifies that the natural or external man must then be purified or regenerated, which is done by a life according to the precepts of love and faith, that is, according to the goods and truths of doctrine from the Word. As this is done the man himself is purified or regenerated; for to live according to the goods and truths of doctrine from the Word is to will them and thence to do them, which is the same as to be affected by them and to love them; for what comes to be of the will comes to be of the affection and love, and therefore of the man himself; for the will is the very man, since a man is his own love and his own affection. This is why it is said that then "the whole man is clean. "

[3] From this it is clear why "to stand upon the feet" means such life as a regenerate man has. Therefore of "the dry bones" seen by the prophet on the face of the valley, when they had been covered with sinews, flesh, and skin, it is said:

When I had prophesied about the spirit, the spirit entered into them, and they revived and stood upon their feet (Ezekiel 37:10).

Here also "to stand upon the feet" signifies a new life, such as the regenerate man has; for "the dry bones" to which the house of Israel is likened signify the state of the church with them, namely, that it had no goods of love or truths of doctrine; and "being clothed with sinews, flesh, and skin" signifies regeneration; and "the spirit that entered in" signifies a new life through the influx and reception of Divine truth; therefore it is then said that "they revived and stood upon their feet."

[4] "To stand upon the feet" has the same signification elsewhere in the same prophet:

A voice speaking to me said, Son of man, stand upon thy feet that I may speak to thee; then the spirit entered into me when he spake unto me, and stood me upon my feet, and I heard him that spake to me (Ezekiel 2:1, 2).

And again:

I fell upon my face, but the spirit entered into me and raised me upon my feet (Ezekiel 3:23, 24).

This was done because "to stand upon the feet" signifies life itself when it is in its fullness; and life is in its fullness when the natural lives from the spiritual. For the ultimate of man's life is in his natural; this ultimate is like a base to man's interior and higher parts; for these close into the ultimate and subsist in it, consequently unless life is in the ultimate it is not full, and thus not perfect. Moreover, all things interior or higher exist together in the ultimate as in their simultaneous. For this reason such as the ultimate is such are the interior or higher parts, for these adapt themselves to the ultimate because it receives them.

[5] "To stand upon the feet" has a similar signification in David:

Thou hast made my feet to stand in a broad place (Psalms 31:8).

"A broad place" signifies the truth of doctrine from the Word, therefore "to make my feet to stand in a broad place" signifies to cause one to live according to Divine truths. Again, in the same:

He made me come up out of the pit of devastation, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock (Psalms 40:2).

"The pit of devastation" signifies the falsity of doctrine, and "the miry clay" the evil of life; and "to set the feet upon a rock" has a similar signification as above, "to make the feet to stand in a broad place," for "rock" signifies the truth of doctrine from the Word, and in the highest sense, the Lord in relation to Divine truth. Thence it is clear what is signified in the spiritual sense by:

Jehovah will not suffer my ¹ foot to totter (Psalms 121:3);

namely, that he will not suffer the natural to go astray from truths; for so far as the natural goes astray, so far the interiors which belong to the understanding and will, also go astray.

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