494. Verse 4. And the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints ascended out of the angel's hand before God, signifies the conjunction of all with the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "the smoke of the incense" as being the truths of spiritual good (of which presently); also from the signification of "the prayers of the saints," as being truths from good with those who were to be separated from the evil and saved (of which above, n. 493; also from the signification of this "angel" as being heaven (as above, n. 490; therefore "out of the hand of the angel" means by means of heaven; also from the signification of "before God," as being to be conjoined with the Lord (See above, n. 462, 477, 488); therefore "the smoke of the incense with the prayers of the saints ascended out of the angel's hand before God" signifies the conjunction of all with the Lord effected by means of heaven. "The smoke of the incense" signifies truths from spiritual good, because "frankincense," from which the smoke came, signified spiritual good, and the "fire" with which the frankincense was kindled signified celestial good; thence the "smoke" ascending therefrom signifies truth from good, for all truth proceeds from good. This is why "smoke" became representative; "the smoke of the incense," which was agreeable from its fragrance and sweet odor, was a representative of truth from good; for "fragrance and sweet odor" signify what is agreeable and acceptable (See above, n. 324). "Smoke" has a similar signification in Moses:

The sons of Levi put smoke in Thy nostrils, and a whole burnt-offering upon Thine altar (Deuteronomy 33:10).

"The sons of Levi" mean those who are in truths of spiritual good; these truths are signified by "smoke," and celestial good is signified by "the whole burnt-offering." The smoke of incense is also called "a cloud of incense" (Ezekiel 8:11). Thence also "smoke" in the contrary sense signifies falsity from evil (in Isaiah 34:10; Joel 2:30; Nahum 2:13; Psalms 18:8; 37:20), because the fire that makes such smoke signifies the evil of love.

10255. 'Half of that, two hundred and fifty' means the corresponding amount. This is clear from the meaning of the number that is 'half of the one before' as that which exists in some measure, also a sufficient amount or the amount needed for the purposes to be served, thus also the corresponding amount. So it is that 'two hundred and fifty', being half of the number before, that is to say, half of the number 'five hundred', means the corresponding amount. Examples will help to clarify all this. Take the number 'ten'. When this number means all of the people, half of it or five means some of them; when ten means what is complete, five means a sufficient amount; but when ten means that which is much, five means some; and so on. The situation is similar with all other numbers when they are halved. Regarding 'five', that it means some of the people, also that which exists in some measure, as well as a sufficient amount and the amount needed for the purposes to be served, see 4638, 5708, 5956, 9102, 9689. Thus its various meanings are related to those of the number 'ten', when this means all of the people, what is complete, or else that which is much. Like meanings accompany fifty in relation to a hundred, and two hundred and fifty in relation to five hundred ¹ . It makes no difference whether the number is large or small; large numbers have a similar meaning to the smaller ones which are their factors, see 5335, 5708, 7973, and numbers in the Word mean spiritual realities, see in the places referred to in 9488, 10127. From all this it becomes clear that the present number, which is half of the one before, does not mean half of the perception of interior truth in relation to the perception of exterior truth, but the corresponding amount. Things in heaven are not measured and counted as things are on earth; for in heaven there are no spatial distances or periods of time, but states instead, the nature and amount of which are perceived without regard to any kind of numbering. Counting and measuring are connected with things such as belong to space and time, thus with those that belong properly to the lowest levels of the natural order.

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