494. And the smoke of the incenses with the prayers of the saints ascended out of the angel's hand before God.- That this signifies the conjunction of all with the Lord, is plain from the signification of the smoke of the incenses, as denoting the truths of spiritual good, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of the prayers of the saints, as denoting truths from good with those who are to be separated from the evil, and saved (see above, n. 493); and from the signification of this angel, as denoting heaven, as explained above (n. 490); therefore, out of the angel's hand denotes through the medium of heaven; and from the signification of "before God," as denoting to be conjoined with the Lord (see above, n. 462, 477, 488). By the smoke of the incenses with the prayers of the saints, which ascended out of the angel's hand before God, is therefore signified the conjunction of all with the Lord, effected through the medium of heaven. The smoke of the incenses signifies truths from spiritual good, because the frankincense from which the smoke proceeded signified spiritual good, and the fire with which the frankincense was kindled signified celestial good; therefore the smoke ascending from the incenses signifies truth from good, for all truth proceeds from good. On this account, smoke became representative, and the smoke of incense, which was agreeable from its fragrance and sweet smell, was representative of truth from good; for fragrance and a sweet smell signified that which was agreeable and acceptable, as may be seen above (n. 324). The signification of smoke in Moses is similar:

The sons of Levi "shall put smoke to thy nose, and a burnt-offering upon thine altar" (Deuteronomy 33:10).

The sons of Levi mean those who are in the truths of spiritual good, and those truths are signified by smoke [of incense], and celestial good is signified by the burnt sacrifice. The smoke of the incenses is also called a cloud of incense (Ezekiel 8:11). Hence also smoke, in the opposite sense, signifies falsity from evil; as in Isaiah (chap. 34:10; Joel 2:30; Nahum 2:13; Psalm 18:8, 37:20); because the fire which gives rise to that smoke signifies the evil of love.

493.That he should give [them] with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.- This signifies the conjunction of the heavens with those who were to be separated from the evil, and saved, as is evident from the signification of giving incenses with prayers, as denoting to conjoin the good of the higher heavens, by means of truths, with those who are in worship from spiritual good, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of all the saints, as denoting those who are in good by means of truths, thus those who are in spiritual good; that these are called saints, may be seen above (n. 204). And from the signification of the golden altar, as denoting the heaven where spiritual good is; for the altar upon which incenses were offered was called the golden altar; and from the signification of "before the throne," as denoting conjunction with heaven. That to be before the throne signifies that conjunction, may be seen above (n. 462, 477, 489).

[2] That these words signify the conjunction of the heavens with those who were to be separated from the evil and saved, is clear also from the series of things in the internal sense, and from the connection of those things which precede with those just stated and those which follow, and also from the signification of the expressions in the internal sense. For the subject treated of in this chapter and in the following chapters is the last state of the church, or its state when its end has come and judgment is at hand. And before that state is described, the separation of those who were to be saved is treated of, all of whom are meant by those sealed on their foreheads, and those clothed in white robes, mentioned in the preceding chapter. And because these were then together in societies, with those who were to be condemned, therefore the means by which they were separated and saved is described in this chapter. The higher heavens were first intimately conjoined with the Lord by Divine influx into celestial good and by means of that into spiritual good, and afterwards, by means of these goods united into one, into the lower parts, where those who were to be saved and those who were to be condemned were together in societies. This influx of the Lord out of the higher heavens was received by those who had lived in good when they were in the world; for they possessed that good, and by means of it they were conjoined to the higher heavens, and thus separated from those who could not receive that influx because they had not lived in good, but in evil, in the world.

[3] This also is meant by the words of the Lord in the Evangelists:

"Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (Matthew 24:40, 41; Luke 17:34-36).

This is the order of the things in the internal sense, and their connection with those which both precede and follow; more may be seen concerning this above (n. 413, 418, 419, 426, 489). From these things it is now clear what is the spiritual sense of the words, "that he should give the incenses with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne," namely, the conjunction of the higher heavens with those who were to be separated from the evil, and saved. The prayers with which incenses were to be given, do not mean prayers, but truths from good, by means of which prayers are made, for these are the things in a man which pray, and he is continually in such prayers when he lives according to them. That prayers in the Word mean the truths from good which man possesses, and not the prayers of the mouth, may be seen above (n. 325).