5319. 'And clothed him in robes of fine linen' means an outward sign denoting the celestial of the spiritual, 'robes of fine linen' being truths going forth from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'robes' as truths, dealt with in 1073, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248. The reason 'robes of fine linen' means truths going forth from the Divine is that a robe made of fine linen was absolutely white and at the same time shining, and truth going forth from the Divine is represented by robes which have that kind of brightness and splendour. And the reason for this is that heaven derives its brightness and splendour from the light that flows from the Lord; and the light that flows from the Lord is Divine Truth itself, 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 1776, 3195, 3222, 3339, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3862, 4415, 4419, 4526, 5219. This explains why, when the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, His clothing appeared as the light, Matthew 17:2; glistening, intensely white like snow, as no fuller on earth could bleach them, Mark 9:3; and dazzling, Luke 9:29. It was Divine Truth itself going forth from the Lord's Divine Human that was represented in this manner. But they are exterior truths that are represented in heaven by the brightness of robes, whereas interior truths are represented by the brightness and splendour of the face. This is why 'being clothed in robes of fine linen' at this point means an outward sign denoting truth going forth from the celestial of the spiritual, for this was what the Lord's Divine consisted in at this time.

[2] There are other places too in the Word where truth going forth from the Divine is meant by 'fine linen' and 'robes of fine linen', as in Ezekiel,

I clothed you with embroidered cloth, and shed you with badger, and swathed you in fine linen, and covered you in silk. Thus were you adorned with gold and silver, and your robes were fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth. Ezekiel 16:10, 13.

This refers to Jerusalem, which is used in these verses to mean the Ancient Church. The truths of this Church are described by robes made of embroidered cloth, fine linen, and silk, and by being adorned with gold and silver. 'Embroidered cloth' means truths existing as facts, 'fine linen' natural truths, and 'silk' spiritual truths.

[3] In the same prophet,

Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be to you an ensign; violet and purple from the islands of Elishah was your covering. Ezekiel 27:7.

This refers to Tyre, which too is used to mean the Ancient Church, but so far as cognitions of good and truth are concerned. 'Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt, which was its sail' means truth obtained from factual knowledge, which was the outward sign of that Church.

[4] In John,

The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over Babylon, since no one buys their wares any more, wares of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and bronze, and iron, and marble. Revelation 18:11-12.

All the specific commodities mentioned here mean the kinds of things that have to do with the Church and so truth and goodness. Here however they are used in the contrary sense because they are spoken of in reference to Babylon. Anyone may see that such commodities would never have been listed in the Word which has come down from heaven unless each one held something heavenly within it. What other reason can there be for a list of worldly wares when Babylon, meaning an unholy Church, is the subject? Similarly in the same book,

Woe, woe, the great city, you that were clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, covered ¹ with gold, and precious stones, and pearls. Revelation 18:16.

[5] The fact that each commodity means something Divine and heavenly is quite evident in the same book where it states what fine linen is, namely the righteous acts of the saints,

The time of the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. At that time she was given fine linen, clean and shining, to wear; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Revelation 19:7-8.

'Fine linen' is 'the righteous acts of the saints' for the reason that all those with whom truth received from the Divine exists are clothed with the Lord's righteousness. For their robes which are bright and shining are products of the light which flows from the Lord. Therefore in heaven truth itself is represented by 'brightness', 3301, 3997, 4007; and people who are being raised to heaven from a state of vastation are seen to be clothed with brightness because they are at this point casting off the robe of their own righteousness and putting on that of the Lord's righteousness.

[6] So that truth from the Divine might be represented in the Jewish Church, they were commanded to use cotton or fine linen in Aaron's vestments, and also in the curtains around the Ark, referred to in Moses as follows,

You shall make in chequered pattern for Aaron a tunic of cotton, and you shall make a turban of cotton. Exodus 28:39.

They made tunics of cotton, the work of a weaver, for Aaron and his sons. Exodus 39:27.

You shall make the Dwelling-place, ten curtains - fine-twined cotton, violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet. Exodus 26:1; 36:8.

You shall make the court of the Dwelling-place. The hangings for the court shall be of fine-twined cotton. Exodus 27:9, 18; 38:9.

The screen for the gate of the court, the work of an embroiderer, violet and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined cotton. Exodus 38:18.

Cotton is fine linen, which they were commanded to use because each object in the Ark and around the Ark, also every detail of Aaron's vestments, were representative of spiritual and celestial realities. From this one may see that a person has only a meagre understanding of the Word if he does not know what such things represent, and scarcely any understanding at all if he thinks that the Word possesses no holiness other than that which presents itself in the letter.

[7] When angels with whom truth from the Divine is present are seen by anyone they are clothed so to speak in fine linen, that is, in shining brightness, as is evident in John where 'a white horse' is referred to,

The One seated on a white horse was clothed in a garment dyed with blood, and His name is called the Word. His armies in heaven were following Him on white horses; they were clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Revelation 19:11, 13-14.

These words show quite plainly that 'fine linen' is an outward sign denoting truth from the Divine, for 'the One seated on a white horse' is the Lord as to the Word; indeed those words state quite explicitly that He is the Word. The Word is truth itself received from the Divine, and 'a white horse' is the internal sense of the Word, see 2760-2762. Consequently truths received from the Divine are meant by 'white horses', for such truths constitute the whole of the internal sense of the Word. This was why His armies were seen 'on white horses' and why 'they were clothed in fine linen, white and clean'.

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1042. 'I have given My bow in the cloud' means the state of a regenerate spiritual person, who is like a rainbow. Anyone may wonder that in the Word 'the bow in the cloud', or the rainbow, is taken as a sign of the covenant, for the rainbow is nothing else than something produced by the conversion of rays of sunlight in raindrops. It is a wholly natural phenomenon, unlike other signs of the covenant in the Church mentioned just above. But the fact that 'the bow in the cloud' represents regeneration and means the state of a regenerate spiritual person, nobody is able to know unless he is allowed to see and consequently know what exactly is involved. When spiritual angels, who have all been regenerate members of the spiritual Church, are in the next life manifested visibly as such, there appears around their head a rainbow so to speak. But the rainbows which appear accord completely with their state, and from this also their characters are recognized in heaven and in the world of spirits. The reason the likeness of a rainbow appears is that their natural things corresponding to spiritual present such visible shape. It is a conversion of spiritual light from the Lord within their natural things. These angels are those said to have been 'regenerated by water and the spirit' while celestial angels are those said to have been 'regenerated with fire'.

[2] In the case of; natural things, so that colour may be produced something dark and light, or black and white, is necessary. When rays of light from the sun fall on this, depending on the varying composition of the dark and light, or black and white, colours are produced from the modification of the inflowing rays of light. Some of those colours draw more, others less, on the dark and black, and some more, or less, on the light and white; and this is what gives rise to diversity of colour. Something comparable to this exists in spiritual things. In their case the intellectual side of the proprium, or falsity, constitutes 'the dark', and the will side of the proprium, or evil, which absorbs and extinguishes rays of light constitutes 'the black'. As for the 'light and white', these are the truth or good which a person imagines he does from himself, which reflects and casts back from itself the rays of light. The rays of light which fall on those things and so to speak modify them come from the Lord as the Sun of wisdom and intelligence; for the rays of spiritual light are no other and have no other source. It is because natural things correspond to spiritual that when in the next life that which is around a regenerate spiritual person is manifested visibly, there appears that which is similar to a bow in a cloud. This bow is a representation of the spiritual things present within his natural things. With the regenerate spiritual person an intellectual side of the proprium exists into which the Lord instills innocence, charity, and mercy. As is the person's reception of these gifts so is the appearance of his rainbow when manifested visibly - the more beautiful the more that the will side of his proprium has been taken away, disciplined, and reduced to a state of obedience.

[3] When the prophets had a vision of God, a bow as if in a cloud was also seen by them, as in Ezekiel's vision,

Above the firmament that was over the heads of the cherubim, in appearance like a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of a throne, and above the likeness of a throne, there was a likeness as it were of the appearance of a Man (Homo) upon it above. And I saw as it were the shape of coal burning bright, as the appearance of fire, within it round about from the appearance of His loins upwards. And from the appearance of His loins and downwards I saw as it were the appearance of fire, whose brightness was round about it, like the appearance of the bow when it is in the cloud on the day of rain; so was the appearance of brightness round about; this was the appearance of the likeness of the Glory of Jehovah. Ezekiel 1:26-28.

It may be clear to anyone that it was the Lord who was seen in this vision, and that on that occasion He represented heaven, for He Himself is heaven, that is, the All in all of heaven. He Himself is the 'Man' mentioned here, 'the throne' is heaven, 'the coal burning bright, as the appearance of fire, from the loins upwards' is the celestial element of love, 'the brightness of fire round about from the loins downwards, like the bow in the cloud' is the celestial-spiritual. In this way the celestial heaven, or heaven of celestial angels, was represented from the loins upwards, and the spiritual heaven, or heaven of spiritual angels, from the loins downwards. In fact the things that are below, from the loins down to the soles of the feet, mean in the Grand Man natural things. From this it is also clear that, when thus enlightened by spiritual light from the Lord, the natural things in man take on the appearance of 'the bow in the cloud'. The same appeased to John as well, see Revelation 4:2-3; 10:1.