278. Verse 7. And the first animal was like a lion, signifies the appearance, in ultimates, of Divine truth proceeding from the Lord in respect to power and effect. This is evident from the signification of "lion," as being Divine truth proceeding from the Lord in respect to power and effect (of which in what follows). It means appearance in ultimates, because the cherubim were seen as animals, and this first one like a lion. It is said in ultimates, because that appearance was before John when he was in the spirit, and he saw all things in ultimates, in which Divine celestial and Divine spiritual things are variously represented, now by gardens and paradises, now by palaces and temples, now by rivers and waters, now by living creatures of various kinds, such as lions, camels, horses, oxen, bullocks, sheep, lambs, doves, eagles, and many others. Like things were seen by the prophets through whom the Word was written, in order that the Word in its ultimates, which are the things contained in the sense of the letter, might consist of such things as exist in the world, which might be representations and correspondences of celestial and spiritual things, and thus might serve as a basis and foundation to the spiritual sense. For this reason also the cherubim (which signify the guard and providence of the Lord that the higher heavens be not approached except from the good of love and charity) were seen by John and also by Ezekiel, in respect to their faces, as animals.

Since it is the Lord who guards and provides, and this through Divine truth and Divine good, thus through His Divine wisdom and intelligence, four animals were seen, which were like a lion, a calf, a man, and an eagle; for thus by "lion" Divine truth in respect to power was represented, by "calf" Divine good in respect to protection, by "man" the Divine wisdom, and by "eagle" the Divine intelligence; which four things are included in the Lord's Divine Providence in its guarding the higher heavens, that they be not approached except from the good of love and charity.

[2] That a "lion" signifies Divine truth proceeding from the Lord in respect to power is evident from the passages in the Word in which "lion" is mentioned; as from the following, in Moses:

Judah is a lion's whelp; from the prey, my son, thou are gone up; he couched, he lay down as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? (Genesis 49:9).

"Judah" here signifies the Lord's celestial kingdom, where all are in power from the Lord through Divine truth; this power is meant by a "lion's whelp," and by an "old lion;" "the prey from which he goeth up" signifies the dispersion of falsities and evils; "to couch" signifies to put oneself into power; "lying down" signifies to be in security from every falsity and evil; therefore it is said, "Who shall rouse him up?" (That "Judah" in the Word signifies the celestial kingdom of the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 3654, 3881, 5603, 5782, 6363; that "prey," in reference to that kingdom and to the Lord, signifies the dispersion of falsities and evils, and the rescue and deliverance from hell, n. 6368, 6442; that "couching" in reference to a lion, signifies to put oneself into power, n. 6369; and that "lying down" signifies a state of security and tranquillity, n. Arcana Coelestia 3696[1-5])

[3] In the same:

At this time it shall be said to Jacob and to Israel, What hath God wrought? Behold the people riseth up as an old lion, and as a young lion doth he lift himself up; he shall not lie down until he eat of what is torn (Numbers 23:23, 24).

In the same:

He coucheth, he lieth down as an old lion; who shall rouse him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee (Numbers 24:9).

This is said of "Jacob and Israel," who signify the Lord's spiritual kingdom; their power is described by an "old lion" and a "young lion" rising, lifting himself up, and couching; the dispersion of falsities and evils is signified by "eating of what is torn," and a state of security and tranquillity by "he lieth down, who shall rouse him up?" (That "Jacob" and "Israel" in the Word signify the Lord's spiritual kingdom, see Arcana Coelestia 4286, 4570, 5973, 6426, 8805, 9340; what the Lord's celestial kingdom is, and what His spiritual kingdom is, see in the work on Heaven and Hell 20-28). That "to couch" is to put oneself into power; that "prey" and "spoil" mean the dispersion of falsities and evils; and that "lying down" means a state of security and tranquillity, when these things are said of a lion, see just above.

[4] In Nahum:

Where is the abode of the lions, and the feeding place of the young lions? where walked the lion, the old lion, the lion's whelp, and none maketh them afraid? (Nahum 2:11).

Here also "lions" signify those who are in power through Divine truth; "their abode" signifies where there are such in the church; their "feeding place" signifies the knowledges of truth and good; their "walking and none making them afraid" signifies their state of security from evils and falsities.

[5] In Micah:

The remnant of Jacob shall be in the midst of many peoples, as dew from Jehovah, as the drops upon the herb. As a lion among the beasts of the forest, as a young lion among the flocks of sheep, who if he go through shall tread down and tear in pieces so that none delivereth, thine hand shall be lifted up above thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off (Micah 5:7-9).

The "remnant of Jacob" signifies the truths and goods of the church; "dew from Jehovah" signifies spiritual truth; "drops upon the herb" natural truth; "a lion among the beasts of the forest," and "a young lion among the flocks of sheep," and "treading down and tearing, and none delivering," signify power over evils and falsities; because of this signification it is said, "thine hand shall be lifted up above thine adversaries, and all thine enemies shall be cut off;" for "adversaries" signify evils, and "enemies" falsities (See Arcana Coelestia 2851[1-15], 8289, 9314, 10481).

[6] In Isaiah:

The Lord said, Go set a watchman, who may look and announce. And he saw a chariot, a pair of horsemen, an ass chariot, a camel chariot; and he harkened a hearkening; a lion upon a watch-tower called out, O lord, I stand continually in the daytime, and I am set upon my watch all the nights: Babylon is fallen, is fallen (Isaiah 21:6-9).

This treats of the coming of the Lord and a new church at that time. "A lion upon a watch-tower" signifies the Lord's guard and providence; therefore it is said, "I stand continually in the daytime, and I am set upon my watch all the nights." A "chariot" and a "pair of horsemen" signify the doctrine of truth from the Word; "harkening a harkening" signifies a life according to that doctrine. (That "chariot" signifies the doctrine of truth, see Arcana Coelestia 2761, 2762, 5321, 8029, 8215; that "horseman" signifies the Word in respect to the understanding, see n. 2761, 6401, 6534, 7024, 8146, 8148.)

[7] In the same:

Like as the lion and the young lion roareth over what he hath torn which ¹ a multitude of shepherds meeteth, so shall Jehovah come down to fight upon Mount Zion and upon the hill thereof (Isaiah 31:4).

Here Jehovah is compared to "a roaring lion," because a "lion" signifies power to lead forth from hell or from evils, and to "roar" signifies defense against evils and falsities; therefore it is said, "so shall Jehovah Zebaoth come down to fight upon Mount Zion and upon the hill thereof," "Mount Zion and the hill thereof" meaning the celestial church and the spiritual church; and "that which is torn over which the lion and the young lion roar" signifying deliverance from evils, which are from hell.

[8] To "roar" when attributed to a lion, has the same signification in Hosea:

I will not return to destroy Ephraim. They shall go after Jehovah as a lion roareth (Hosea 11:9-10).

In Amos:

The lion hath roared, who does not fear? The Lord Jehovih hath spoken, who will not prophesy (Amos 3:8).

In Revelation:

The angel cried with a great voice, as a lion roared (Revelation 10:3).

In David:

The lions roaring after their prey and seeking their food from God. The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together and lie down in their abodes (Psalms 104:21-22).

These words in David describe the state of the angels of heaven when they are not in a state of intense love and of wisdom therefrom, and when they return into that state; the former state is described by "lions roaring after their prey, and seeking their food from God;" the latter state by "the sun ariseth, they gather themselves together and lie down in their abodes." By the "lions" the angels of heaven are meant; their "roaring," means desire; "prey" and "food" mean the good which is of love and the truth which is of wisdom; "the sun arising" means the Lord in respect to love and wisdom therefrom; "gathering themselves together" means returning into a celestial state; and "lying down in their abodes," a state of tranquility and peace. (Of these two states of the angels in heaven see in the work on Heaven and Hell 154-161.)

[9] Because Jehovah is compared to a lion from Divine truth in respect to power, therefore the Lord is called a "lion" in Revelation:

Behold the lion that is of the tribe of Judah, the root of David, hath overcome (Revelation 5:5).

And because all power is from the Lord through Divine truth, this also is signified by a "lion," as in Moses:

Of Gad he said, Blessed is he who hath given the breadth to Gad; as a lion he dwelleth, he teareth the arm, yea, the crown of the head (Deuteronomy 33:20).

"Gad" in the highest sense signifies omnipotence, and therefore in the representative sense the power that is of truth (See Arcana Coelestia 3934[1-8], 3935); therefore it is said, "Blessed is he who hath given breadth to Gad," for "breadth" signifies truth (Arcana Coelestia 1613, 34 33, 3434, 4482, 9487, 10179; that all power is from Divine truth, see in the work on Heaven and Hell, in the chapter on The Power of the Angels in Heaven, n. 228-233).

[10] Because a "lion" signifies power, therefore in the lamentations of David over Saul and Jonathan it is said:

Saul and Jonathan were lovely, they were swifter than eagles, they were stronger than lions (2 Samuel 1:23). "Saul" here as king, and "Jonathan" as the son of a king, mean truth protecting the church, since the doctrine of truth and good is here treated of, for that lamentation was written "to teach the sons of Judah the bow" (verse 18); and "bow" signifies that doctrine (See Arcana Coelestia, 2686, 2709, 6422).

[11] Because "the kings of Judah and Israel" represented the Lord in respect to Divine truth, and because a "throne" represented the judgment, which is effected according to Divine truth, and because "lions" represented power, guard, and protection against falsities and evils, therefore near the two stays of the throne built by Solomon there were two lions, and twelve lions on the six steps on the one side and on the other (1 Kings 10:18-20). From this it can be seen what "lions" in the Word signify when the Lord, heaven, and the church are treated of. "Lions" in the Word signify also the power of falsity from evil by which the church is destroyed and devastated. As in Jeremiah:

The young lions roar against her, ² they give forth their voice, they reduce the land to wasteness (Jeremiah 2:15).

In Isaiah:

A nation whose arrows are sharp, and all his bows bent, the hoofs of his horses are accounted as rock, his roaring like that of a lion, he roareth like a young lion, and he growleth and seizeth the prey (Isaiah 5:28-29).

Besides many other places (as in Isaiah 11:6; 35:9; Jeremiah 4:7; 5:6; 12:8; 50:17; 51:38; Ezekiel 19:3, 5-6; Hosea 13:7, 8; Joel 1:6-7; Psalms 17:12; 22:13; 57:4; 58:6; 91:13).

Fusnotat:

9873. All this now makes clear what the twelve precious stones in the breastplate of judgement served to mean, namely all the kinds of good and truth of heaven in their proper order. Heaven is divided into two kingdoms, the celestial and the spiritual. The good of the celestial kingdom was represented by the first two rows, which were on the right side of the breastplate, and the good of the spiritual kingdom by the next two rows, which were on the left side. The internal good of the celestial kingdom is the good of love to the Lord; this is the good that is meant by the celestial love of good. The external good of the celestial kingdom however is the good of mutual love; this is the good that is meant by the celestial love of truth. But the internal good of the spiritual kingdom is the good of charity towards the neighbour; this is the good that is meant by the spiritual love of good. And the external good of the spiritual kingdom is the good of faith; this is the good that is meant by the spiritual love of truth. These kinds of good and truth in this order constitute the heavens, see 9468, 9473, 9680, 9683, 9780.

[2] From this it is now evident what the twelve stones, which were called the Urim and Thummim, represented. But in what way the Divine Truths which were answers were made known by means of them will be stated below in 9905. The fact that the good of love occupied the first place there and the truth of faith the last is clear from the first stone's being a ruby and the last's being a jasper, thus from the first stone's being red in colour, and the last's being white, both of them translucent. For the meaning of 'red' as the good of love, see 3300, 9467; and for that of 'white' as the truth of faith, 3301, 3993, 4007, 5319.

[3] Much the same as is meant by the stones in the breastplate was also meant by the materials used in weaving the ephod. The ephod was woven from violet, purple, twice-dyed scarlet, and fine linen, as is evident from verse 6 of the present chapter, and 'violet' meant the truth of celestial love, 'purple' the good of celestial love, 'twice-dyed scarlet' the good of spiritual love, and 'fine linen' the truth of spiritual love, 9833. The reason why much the same was meant is that 'the ephod' meant heaven on last and outermost levels, in the same way as 'the breastplate' does, 9824. But the kinds of good and truth are listed in a different order there, because 'the ephod' meant the spiritual heaven, whereas 'the breastplate' means all heaven from first to last. And since the dwelling-place along with the tent also represented heaven, 9457, 9481, 9485, 9615, the material from which its curtains and veils were woven were likewise violet, purple, double-dyed scarlet, and fine twined linen, see the previous Chapters, 26:1, 31, 36; 27:16, and 9466-9469.

[4] In addition it should be recognized that in the general sense SAPPHIRE means the external part of the celestial kingdom and SHOHAM the external part of the spiritual kingdom. And because these two stones had this meaning they were the middle stones belonging to the secondary rows, that is to say, the sapphire was the middle stone in the second row, and the shoham the middle stone in the fourth row. The stones belonging to the second row meant the external good of the celestial kingdom, which has been called the celestial love of truth, and the stones belonging to the fourth row meant the external good of the spiritual kingdom, which has been called the spiritual love of truth, see what has been stated about them above in this paragraph 9873.

[5] The fact that 'sapphire' means the external part of the celestial kingdom is evident from places in the Word where it is mentioned, such as in the Book of Exodus,

Seventy of the elders saw the God of Israel, and under His feet there was so to speak a work of sapphire, and it was like the substance of the sky for clearness. Exodus 24:10.

The external part of the celestial kingdom is so described, because the words 'under His feet', meaning what is external, are used, and where 'the God of Israel', who is the Lord, is, there heaven is. In Isaiah,

O afflicted one and storm-tossed, and receiving no comfort! Behold, I am arranging your stones with antimony, and will lay your foundations in sapphires. Isaiah 54:11.

The subject in this chapter is the celestial kingdom. The foundations which will be laid in sapphires, are the external things there; for foundations lie underneath.

[6] In Jeremiah,

Her Nazirites were brighter than snow, they were whiter than milk. Their bones ¹ were ruddier than pearls, ² polished like sapphires. ³ Lamentations 4:7.

Nazirites represented the celestial man, which is why it says 'polished like sapphires', 'polished' referring to what is external. In Ezekiel,

Above the expanse that was above the heads of the cherubs, in appearance like a sapphire stone, there was the likeness of a throne, and above the likeness of a throne there was the appearance of a man (homo) sitting upon it. Ezekiel 1:26; 10:1.

Here also 'sapphire' is used to describe the external part of the celestial kingdom; for what is above the expanse or round about is outside, that which is inmost being the one 'sitting upon a throne'.

[7] Just as sapphire stone means the external part of the celestial kingdom, so shoham stone means the external part of the spiritual kingdom. Therefore also this was the stone which was placed on the two shoulder-pieces of the ephod with the names of the sons of Israel inscribed on them, which are dealt with in verses 9-14 of the present chapter; for the ephod represented the external part of the spiritual kingdom, 9824. Since shoham and sapphire in the general sense meant the external parts of two heavens, they were placed in the middle of the sets of three stones forming the second and fourth rows, as stated above. For the middle includes the whole, as is also true of the robe, which in the general sense has represented the spiritual kingdom, because it comes in the middle, as shown above in 9825. Because those two stones include everything meant by all the other stones in those rows, it says in Job,

Wisdom cannot be compared with the gold of Ophir, with the precious shoham and the sapphire. Job 28:16.

Fusnotat: