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.

Фусноте:

3519. 'And take for me from there two good kids of the she-goats' means truths born from that good. This is clear from the meaning of 'kids of the she-goats' as truths born from good, dealt with below. The reason for having 'two' was that as in the rational so in the natural there are things of the will and those of the understanding. Things in the natural that belong to the will are delights, while those that belong to the understanding are facts. These two have to be joined together if they are to be anything at all.

[2] As regards 'kids of the she-goats' meaning truths born from good, this becomes clear from those places in the Word where kids and she-goats are mentioned. It should be recognized that all gentle and useful beasts mentioned in the Word mean in the genuine sense celestial things, which are forms of good, and spiritual things, which are forms of truth, see 45, 46, 142, 143, 246, 714, 715, 776, 2179, 2180, 2781, 3218. And since there are various genera of celestial things or forms of good, and consequently there are various genera of spiritual things or forms of truth, one beast has a different meaning from another; that is to say, a lamb has one meaning, a kid another, and a sheep, she-goat, ram, he-goat, young bull, or ox another, while a horse or a camel has yet another meaning. Birds have a different meaning again, as also do beasts of the sea, such as sea monsters, and fish. The genera of celestial and spiritual things, and consequently of forms of good and truth, are more than anyone can number, even though when that which is celestial or good is mentioned, and also when that which is spiritual or truth, this is not envisaged as being anything complex, consisting of many parts, but as a single entity. Yet how complex both of these are, that is, how countless the genera are of which they consist, may be seen from what has been stated about heaven in 3241, to the effect that it is distinguished into countless separate communities, according to the genera of celestial and spiritual things, that is, of goods of love and of derivative truths of faith. Furthermore each genus of good and each genus of truth has countless species into which the communities of each genus are separated. And each species in a similar way has separate sub-species.

[3] The commonest genera of good and truth are what the living creatures offered as burnt offerings and sacrifices represented. And because the genera are quite distinct and separate, people were explicitly commanded to use those living creatures and no others, that is to say, in some sacrifices lambs and ewe-lambs, and also kids and female kids of she-goats were to be used, in other sacrifices rams and sheep, and also he-goats, were to be used, while in other sacrifices again, calves, young bulls, and oxen, or else pigeons and doves, were to be used, see 992, 1823, 2180, 2805, 2807, 2830, 3218. What kids and she-goats meant however becomes clear both from the sacrifices in which they used to be offered and from other places in the Word. These show that lambs and ewe-lambs meant innocence belonging to the internal or rational man, and kids and she-goats innocence belonging to the external or natural man, and so the truth and the good of the latter.

[4] The fact that truth and good present in the innocence that belongs to the external or natural man is meant by a kid and a she-goat is clear from the following places in the Word: In Isaiah,

The wolf will dwell with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid, the calf also and the young lion and the sheep together; and a little child will lead them. Isaiah 11:6.

This refers to the Lord's kingdom and to the state there in which people have no fear of evil, that is, no dread of hell, because they are with the Lord. 'The lamb' and 'the kid' stand for people who have innocence within them, and who, being the most secure of all, are mentioned first.

[5] When all the firstborn of Egypt were smitten the people were commanded to kill from among the lambs or among the kids a male without blemish, and to put some of the blood on the doorposts and on the lintel of their houses; and so the destroyer would not strike them with the plague, Exodus 12:5, 7, 13. 'The firstborn of Egypt' means the good of love and charity that was wiped out, 3325. 'The lambs' and 'the kids' are states of innocence, in which those with whom these exist are secure from evil. Indeed all in heaven are kept secure by the Lord through states of innocence. That security was represented by the killing of the lamb or kid, and putting the blood on the doorposts and on the lintel of the houses. .

[6] To avert his own death when a person saw Jehovah manifested as an angel he would sacrifice 'a kid of the she-goats', as Gideon did when he saw Him, Judges 6:19, and also Manoah, Judges 13:15-16, 19. The reason they offered a kid was that Jehovah or the Lord cannot appear to anybody, not even to an angel, unless the one to whom He appears is in a state of innocence. Therefore as soon as the Lord is present people are brought into a state of innocence, for the Lord enters in by way of innocence, even with angels in heaven. Consequently no one is able to enter heaven unless he has a measure of innocence, according to the Lord's words recorded in Matthew 18:3; Mark 10:15; Luke 18:17. Regarding people's belief that they would die when Jehovah appeared to them if they did not offer such a burnt offering, see Judges 13:22-23.

[7] Since genuine conjugial love is innocence itself, 2736, it was customary in the representative Church for a man to go to his wife with the gift of a kid of the she-goats, as one reads of Samson in Judges 15:1, and also of Judah when he visited Tamar, Genesis 38:17, 20, 23. The fact that 'a kid' and 'a she-goat' meant innocence is also evident from the sacrifices made as guilt offerings that a person would offer if he had sinned through error, Leviticus 1:10; 4:28; 5:6. Sinning through error is sinning through ignorance that has innocence within it. The same is evident from the following Divine command in Moses,

You shall bring the first of the firstfruits of your land to the house of Jehovah your God. You shall not boil a kid in its mother's milk. Exodus 23:19; 34:26.

Here the requirement 'to bring the firstfruits of the land to the house of Jehovah' means the state of innocence which exists in early childhood; and 'not boiling a kid in its mother's milk' means that they were not to destroy the innocence of early childhood. This being their meaning, the one command, in both places referred to, follows directly after the other. In the literal sense there seems to be no connection at all between them as there is in the internal sense.

[8] Because kids and she-goats, as has been stated, meant innocence it was also required that the curtains over the tabernacle should be made from she-goat hair, Exodus 25:4; 26:7; 35:5-6, 23, 26; 36:14, as a sign that all the holy things represented in it depended for their very being on innocence. 'She-goat hair' means the last or outermost degree of innocence present in ignorance, such as exists with gentiles who in the internal sense are meant by the curtains of the tabernacle. These considerations now show what truths born of good are, and what the nature of these is, meant by the two good kids of the she-goats which Rebekah his mother spoke about to Jacob. That is to say, they are truths belonging to innocence or early childhood, meant also by the things which Esau was to bring to Isaac his father, dealt with in 3501, 3508. They were not in fact such truths, but initially they appeared to be. Thus it was that Jacob pretended by means of them to be Esau.