9930. 'And you shall make a plate of pure gold' means enlightenment received from the Lord's Divine Good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a plate' as enlightenment; and from the meaning of 'gold' as the good of love, at this point the Lord's Divine Good since 'Holiness to Jehovah' was inscribed on the plate. For the meaning of 'gold' as the good of love, see 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 8932, 9490, 9510, 9874, 9881. 'A plate' means enlightenment on account of its brightness, for light shone from the gold on Aaron's forehead, and all brightness is a sign of enlightenment, as that in the heavens is which radiates from the Lord as the Sun. Enlightenment there consists in wisdom and intelligence derived from Divine Truth emanating from the Lord; for this Truth brings light to the interiors of those who are there. Their interiors answer to the understanding part of a person's mind, which is enlightened by the Lord when the person has a perception of the Church's and heaven's truth and goodness, the understanding being the subject that receives; for there is no reception without a subject. ¹ The reason why 'the plate' means enlightenment from the Lord's Divine Good is that 'Holiness to Jehovah' was inscribed on it, and it was placed on the front of the turban which was on Aaron's head. Holiness which comes from Jehovah is Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good, 6788, 8302, 8330, 9229, 9680, 9820. In order to represent the radiance or enlightenment that result in intelligence and wisdom the plate was tied to the front of the turban.

[2] Since 'the plate' meant enlightenment received from the Lord's Divine Good it was also called 'the plate of the crown of holiness' as well as 'the crown of holiness'; for a crown is a representative sign of Divine Good, and holiness is the Divine Truth emanating from that Good, as has been stated above. The fact that it was called the plate of the crown of holiness is evident further on in this Book of Exodus,

Finally they made the plate of the crown of holiness from pure gold; and they wrote an inscription on it, like the engraving of a signet, ² Holiness to Jehovah. Exodus 39:30.

The fact that it was also called the crown of holiness is evident elsewhere in Exodus,

You shall place the turban on his head, and put the crown of holiness onto the turban. Exodus 29:6.

And in Leviticus,

He placed the turban on his head, and placed on the turban, on the front of it, ³ the plate of gold, the crown of holiness. Leviticus 8:9.

[3] The fact that the crown represented Divine Good from which Divine Truth emanates is clear from the crowns that the kings wore. For the kings represented the Lord in respect of Divine Truth, see 2015, 2069, 3009, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148, and this was why they wore a crown on their head and held a sceptre in their hand, government animated by Divine Good being meant by the crown, and government inspired by Divine Truth by the sceptre.

[4] This meaning of 'the crown' is clear from the following places: In David,

I will make the horn of David to spring forth, I will make ready a lamp for My Anointed. His enemies I will clothe with shame, but upon Himself His crown will flourish. Psalms 132:17-18.

'David' here is the Lord, 1888, as is 'the Anointed', 3008, 3009. His 'horn' is power, 2832, 9081; 'lamp' is Divine Truth, which is the source of intelligence, 9548, 9783; 'crown' is Divine Good, which is the source of wisdom and also the mainspring of His government. It says that His crown, meaning wisdom, is going 'to flourish' on account of what He acquired to Himself in the world, to His Humanity, through conflicts with and victories over the hells, 8273, 9528 (end), the hells being His enemies who will be clothed with shame.

[5] In the same author,

You are angry ⁴ with Your Anointed, You have condemned His crown right down to the ground. ⁵ Psalms 89:38-39.

Here also 'the Anointed' stands for the Lord. 'Anger' stands for a state involving temptations, which was a state when He was engaged in conflicts with the hells. An expression of grief in that state is what the anger and condemnation describe (a final phase of temptation seems like condemnation), such as with the Lord's last grievous cry on the Cross that He was forsaken. For the Cross was the last of His temptations or conflicts with the hells; and after that last temptation He took on Divine Good, and in so doing united His Divine Human to Deity itself, which was within Him.

[6] In Isaiah,

On that day Jehovah Zebaoth will be a crown of adornment and a turban of beauty for the remnant of His people. Isaiah 28:5.

'A crown of adornment' stands for wisdom, which is a discernment of good from God, and 'a turban of beauty' for intelligence, which is an understanding of truth from that good. What is stated in this verse has regard to things among the people which were Divine, 'people' meaning the Church since they were where the Church existed.

[7] In the same prophet,

For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a lamp [that] burns. And you will be a crown of beauty in the hand of Jehovah, and a royal turban in the hand of your God. Isaiah 62:1, 3.

'Zion' and 'Jerusalem' are used to mean the Church, 'Zion' the celestial Church, and 'Jerusalem' the spiritual Church that extends from it. 'A crown of beauty' is wisdom, which is a discernment of good, and 'a royal turban' is intelligence, which is an understanding of truth. And since 'a crown' means wisdom, or discernment of good, it is said to be 'in the hand of Jehovah'; and since 'a turban' means intelligence, or an understanding of truth, it is said to be 'in the hand of God'. For when the subject is good the name 'Jehovah' is used, and when it is truth the name 'God' is used, 2586, 2769, 6905.

[8] In Jeremiah,

Say to the king and queen mother, ⁶ Lower yourselves, sit down, for the adornment of your head, the crown of your beauty, has come down. Jeremiah 13:18.

'The crown of beauty' stands for wisdom which is a discernment of good derived from Divine Truth; for 'beauty' is the Church's Divine Truth, 9815. In the same prophet,

The joy of our heart has ceased, our dance has been turned into mourning. The crown of our head has fallen. Lamentations 5:15-16.

'Crown of the head' stands for wisdom which those who belong to the Church derive from Divine Truth, which sets them above all other peoples and gives them a kind of authority.

[9] In Ezekiel,

I put ⁷ a jewel on your nose, and earrings on your ears, and a crown of adornment on your head. Ezekiel 16:12.

This refers to the establishment of the Church. 'A jewel on the nose' stands for the perception of good; 'earrings on the ears' for the perception of truth, and obedience; and 'a crown of adornment on the head' for wisdom resulting from such perception. In Job,

He has withdrawn glory from me, and has removed the crown of my head. Job 19:9.

'Glory' stands for intelligence, which is an understanding of Divine Truth, 9429, 'crown of the head' for resulting wisdom.

[10] In the Book of Revelation,

On the thrones I saw twenty-four elders seated, clad in white garments, who had on their heads crowns of gold. They fell down before the one seated on the throne, and worshipped the one who lives for ever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne. Revelation 4:4, 10.

'Twenty-four elders' means all those who are governed by good that is a product of truths, and in the abstract sense all forms of good that result from truths, 6524, 9404. 'Thrones' are truths from God, 5313, 6397, 8625, 9039; 'crowns of gold on their heads' are representative signs of wisdom received from God, and because it is received from Him they cast their crowns before the one seated on the throne.

[11] Since the good of wisdom is acquired through conflicts brought about by temptations, in which the truths of faith are used to fight with, those who fought against evils and falsities and were victorious were rewarded with crowns. Therefore also the crowns of martyrdom were emblems provided by the Lord which are signs of dominion over evils. The fact that crowns are the rewards of victory over evils, and that crowns consequently mean forms of the good of wisdom because these are rewards, is also clear from the Book of Revelation,

I saw, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on it had a bow; to him a crown was given; he went out conquering and to conquer. Revelation 6:2.

'A white horse and he who sat on it' is the Lord in respect of the Word, 2760-2762; and 'a bow' is teachings of truth that are used to fight with, 2686, 2709. From this it is evident that since the Lord is the subject 'a crown' means Divine Good, which is the reward of victory.

[12] And in another place,

Afterwards I saw, and behold, a white cloud, and on the cloud one was sitting, like the Son of Man, having on His head a crown of gold, and in His hand a sharp sickle. Revelation 14:14.

'A white cloud' stands for the literal sense of the Word, 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343 (end), 6752, 8781; 'the Son of Man' stands for Divine Truth which emanates from the Lord, 9807; 'a crown of gold' for Divine Good from which Divine Truth springs; and 'a sharp sickle' for the dispersal of evil and falsity. In another place,

Be faithful right through to death, and I will give you the crown of life. Revelation 2:10.

And in another,

Behold, I come quickly. Hold on to what you have, that no one may take your crown. Revelation 3:11.

'Crown' stands for good that results from truths, thus for wisdom since this is the discernment of the good of love resulting from the truths of faith. From all this it may now be seen what a crown means, and from this what is meant by a crown of holiness, which was the plate of gold on which 'Holiness to Jehovah' was engraved.

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2776. 'Offer him as a burnt offering' means that He was to sanctify Himself to the Divine. This is clear from the representation of 'a burnt offering' among the Hebrew nation, and in the Jewish Church, as the holiest act of their worship. There were burnt offerings and there were sacrifices, and as regards what these represented, see 922, 923, 1823, 2180. Sanctifications were effected by means of burnt offerings and sacrifices, and that is why in this verse 'offering a burnt offering' means being sanctified to the Divine. For the Lord sanctified Himself to the Divine, that is, He united the Human to the Divine by means of the conflicts brought about by temptations, and by means of the victories in these, see 1663, 1690, 1692 (end), 1692, 1737, 1787, 1812, 1813, 1820.

[2] It is generally believed at the present day that the burnt offerings and sacrifices were signs of the Lord's passion, and that by His passion the Lord atoned for the iniquities of all. Indeed it is believed that He drew away those iniquities on to Himself, and thus bore them Himself, so that those who believe are made righteous and are saved, if only they think, even in the last hour prior to death, that the Lord suffered on their behalf, no matter how they may have lived throughout the whole course of their lives. But such beliefs are mistaken. The passion of the Cross was the utmost degree of temptation endured by the Lord, by means of which He fully united the Human to the Divine and the Divine to the Human, and by doing this glorified Himself. That union itself is the means by which people possessing faith in Him that is grounded in charity are able to be saved. For the Supreme Divine Itself was no longer able to reach the human race which had removed itself so far away from the celestial things of love, and from the spiritual things of faith, that people did not even recognize them any more, let alone perceive them. Consequently to enable the Supreme Divine to come down to all such as this, the Lord came into the world and united the Human to the Divine within Himself. This union could not have been effected except by means of the very severe conflicts brought about by temptations and by means of victories in these, and at length by means of the final temptation, which was that of the Cross.

[3] As a result of this the Lord is able from the Divine Human to enlighten human minds, even those that are quite remote from the celestial things of love, provided that faith grounded in charity is present in them. For in the next life the Lord appears to celestial angels as the Sun, and to spiritual angels as the Moon, 1053, 1521, 1529, 1530, 2441, 2495 - all the light of heaven flowing from Him. The light of heaven is such that when it enlightens the eyes of spirits and angels it also at the same time enlightens their understanding. This ability to enlighten the understanding also exists inherently within that light, so that the amount of internal light, that is, of understanding, which anyone possesses in heaven is the same as the amount of external light he has. This shows the way in which the light of heaven is different from the light of the world. It is the Lord's Divine Human that enlightens both the eyes and the understanding of those who are spiritual, but this could never be done unless the Lord had united the Human Essence to the Divine Essence. And unless He had united them neither men in the world, nor indeed any spiritual angel in heaven, would any longer have possessed any ability to understand or to perceive that which is good or true. Nor thus would they have possessed any blessedness and happiness at all, nor consequently any salvation at all. From this it becomes clear that the human race could not have been saved unless the Lord had assumed the Human and glorified it.

[4] From what has now been stated anyone may decide for himself the truth or otherwise of the idea that people are saved, no matter how they may have lived, if only they think from some inner emotion that the Lord suffered on their behalf and bore their sins. But in reality the light of heaven received from the Lord's Divine Human is able to reach none except those with whom there exists the good that accompanies faith, that is, who lead charitable lives, or what amounts to the same, who possess conscience. The level itself into which that light can operate, that is, the receptacle for that light, is the good that accompanies faith, which is charity and thus conscience. That those who are spiritual have salvation from the Lord's Divine Human, see 1043, 2661, 2716, 2718.