Arcana Coelestia 9710. In this chapter, in the internal sense, the subject treated of is the worship of the Lord from the good of love. This worship is signified by "the altar," and is described in general by all things relating to the altar.

Arcana Coelestia 9711. Afterward the subject treated of is the ultimate heaven, which is represented and described by "the court."

Arcana Coelestia 9712. Lastly the subject treated of is the good of charity, through which the spiritual heaven is illumined by the Lord in the truths of faith; these things are signified by "the oil of olive," and by "the luminary."

9713. THE INTERNAL SENSE

Verses 1-8 And you shall make the altar from shittim wood, five cubits the length and five cubits the breadth; square shall the altar be, and three cubits its height. And you shall make its horns on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it ¹ , and you shall overlay it with bronze. And you shall make its pans to take away its ashes, and shovels, and its basins, and its forks, and its tongs; all its vessels you shall make of bronze. ² And you shall make for it a grating, a network, from bronze; and on the net you shall make four rings of bronze, on the four ends of it. And you shall put it under the rim of the altar beneath, and the net shall reach down to the middle of the altar. And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of shittim wood, and overlay them with bronze. And its poles shall be put into the rings, and the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. ³ A boarded hollow you shall make it; as it has appeared to you on the mountain, so they shall make [it].

'And you shall make the altar' means that which was representative of the Lord and of the worship of Him. 'From shittim wood' means righteousness. 'Five cubits the length and five cubits the breadth' means that which consists equally of good and of truth. 'Square shall the altar be' means that which for this reason is righteous. 'And three cubits its height' means what is complete so far as degrees are concerned. 'And you shall make its horns' means power. 'On its four corners' means every aspect of it. 'The horns shall be of one piece with it' means that the power must come from good. 'And you shall overlay it with bronze' means a representative sign of the good. 'And you shall make its pans to take away its ashes' means the removers of things which have served their purpose. 'And shovels, and basins, and its forks, and its tongs' means known facts that act as containers and serve every purpose. 'All its vessels you shall make of bronze' means that they must all be formed from good. 'And you shall make for it a grating, a network' means the level of sensory perception, which is the last and lowest. 'From bronze' means that this too must be formed from good. 'And on the net you shall make four rings of bronze' means the sphere of good by means of which a joining together is accomplished. 'On the four ends of it' means everywhere. 'And you shall put it under the rim of the altar beneath' means that sensory perception on the last and lowest levels. 'And the net shall reach down to the middle of the altar' means the extent of sensory perception. 'And you shall make poles for the altar' means the power to hold something in a state of good. 'Poles of shittim wood' means the good of righteousness, [and the power derived from this good.] 'And overlay them with bronze' means a representative sign of the good. 'And its poles shall be put into the rings' means the power of the sphere of Divine Good. 'And the poles shall be on the two sides of the altar' means the power of good imparted through truth, ⁴ and that of the truth which springs from the good. 'When it is carried' means bringing into being and keeping in being. 'A boarded hollow you shall make it' means the suitableness. 'As it has appeared to you on the mountain, so they shall make [it]' means in keeping with the correspondence of Divine realities in heaven.

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