9930. And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold. That this signifies enlightenment from the Lord’s Divine good, is evident from the signification of “a plate,” as being enlightenment; and from the signification of “gold,” as being the good of love, here the Lord’s Divine good, because there was inscribed upon it, “Holiness to Jehovah.” (That “gold” denotes the good of love, see n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 8932, 9490, 9510, 9874, 9881.) That “the plate” denotes enlightenment, was from its brightness, for it was resplendent from gold upon Aaron’s forehead, and all brightness signifies enlightenment such as is in the heavens from the Lord as the Sun. Enlightenment in the heavens is wisdom and intelligence from the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord from that Sun, for this enlightens their interiors. Their interiors correspond to the understanding with man, which is enlightened by the Lord when the truth and good of the church and heaven are perceived; for the understanding is the recipient subject; because without a subject there is no reception. That this “plate” denotes enlightenment from the Lord’s Divine good, is because upon it was inscribed “Holiness to Jehovah,” and it was placed upon the front of the miter, which was upon Aaron’s head. The “holiness” which is from Jehovah denotes the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine good (n. 6788, 8302, 8330, 9229, 9680, 9820). In order that this plate might represent the shining forth, that is, the enlightenment, from which come wisdom and intelligence, it was bound on the forefront of the miter.

[2] As by “the plate” was signified enlightenment from the Lord’s Divine good, it was also called “the plate of the crown of holiness,” and likewise “the crown of holiness;” for a crown is a representative of Divine good, and “holiness” denotes the Divine truth thence proceeding, as was said above. That it was called “the plate of the crown of holiness,” is plain in what follows in this book of Exodus:

Lastly they made the plate of the crown of holiness of pure gold, and wrote upon it with the writing of the engravings of a signet, Holiness to Jehovah (Exodus 39:30).

That it was also called “the crown of holiness,” is evident from another passage in Exodus:

Thou shalt set the miter upon his head, and put the crown of holiness upon the miter (Exodus 29:6).

He set the miter upon his head; and upon the miter, opposite the faces of it, did he set the plate of gold, the crown of holiness (Leviticus 8:9).

[3] That a crown represented Divine good from which is Divine truth, is evident from the crowns of kings; for kings represented the Lord in respect to Divine truth (see n. 2015, 2069, 3009, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148); wherefore they had a crown on the head, and a scepter in the hand; for government from Divine good was represented by a crown, and government from Divine truth by a scepter.

[4] That a “crown” has this signification is evident from the following passages.

In David:

I will make a horn to bud unto David; I will set in order a lamp for Mine anointed. His enemies will I clothe with shame; but upon Himself shall His crown flourish (Psalms 132:17-18);

“David” here denotes the the Lord, (n. 1888, like the “anointed” (n. 3008, 3009); his “horn” denotes power (n. 2832, 9081); “a lamp” denotes the Divine truth from which is intelligence (n. 9548, 9783); the “crown” denotes the Divine good from which is wisdom, and from which is also His government; the crown, which denotes wisdom, is said “to flourish” because in respect to the Human He acquired wisdom in the world by means of combats against and victories over the hells (n. 9548, 9783), which are the “enemies that shall be clothed with shame.”

[5] Again:

Thou art angry with Thine anointed, Thou hast condemned His crown even to the earth (Psalms 89:38-39); where also “the anointed” denotes the Lord; “anger” denotes a state of temptations which existed when He was in combats with the hells; the lamentation at that time is described by “anger” and “condemnation;” as for instance the last lamentations of the Lord on the cross, that He was “forsaken;” for the cross was the last of the temptations, that is, of the combats with the hells; and after this last temptation He put on Divine good, and in this way united His Divine Human to the Divine Itself that was in Him.

[6] In Isaiah:

In that day shall Jehovah Zebaoth be for a crown of adornment, and for a diadem of comeliness, to the remains of His people (Isaiah 28:5); where “a crown of adornment” denotes the wisdom which is of good from the Divine; “a diadem of comeliness,” the intelligence of truth from this good; this is predicated of Divine things with the people; the “people” here denote the church, because it was there.

[7] In the same:

For Zion’s sake I will not be silent, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until her righteousness go forth as brightness, and her salvation burn as a lamp; and thou shalt be a crown of comeliness in the hand of Jehovah, and a miter of the kingdom in the hand of thy God (Isaiah 62:1, 3).

By “Zion” and “Jerusalem” is meant the church, by “Zion” the celestial church, and by “Jerusalem” the spiritual church thence derived; “a crown of comeliness” denotes the wisdom which is of good, and “a miter of the kingdom,” the intelligence which is of truth; and as by “a crown” is signified the wisdom which is of good, therefore it is said to be “in the hand of Jehovah;” and as by “a miter” is signified the intelligence which is of truth, therefore it is said to be “in the hand of God;” for where good is treated of, the name “Jehovah” is used, and where truth is treated of, the name “God” (n. 2586, 2769, 6905).

[8] In Jeremiah:

Say thou to the king and to the mistress, Renounce yourselves, sit down; for the adornment of your head is come down, even the crown of your comeliness (Jeremiah 13:18); where “the crown of comeliness” denotes the wisdom which is of good from Divine truth, for “comeliness” denotes the Divine truth of the church (n. 9815). In the same:

The joy of our heart hath ceased; our dance is turned into mourning; the crown of our head is fallen (Lam. 5:15-16).

“The crown of the head” denotes the wisdom which those who are of the church have from Divine truth, by virtue of which they are more excellent than the rest of the peoples, and hence have a kind of government.

[9] In Ezekiel:

He put a jewel upon thy nose, and earrings in thine ears, and a crown of adornment upon thine head (Ezekiel 16:12).

The subject here treated of is the setting up of the church; “a jewel upon the nose” denotes the perception of good; “earrings in the ears” denote the perception of truth, and obedience; “a crown upon the head” denotes the wisdom thence derived.

In Job:

He hath stripped me of my glory, and taken away the crown of my head (Job 19:9); where “glory” denotes the intelligence which is of Divine truth (n. 9429); “the crown of the head” denotes the wisdom thence derived.

[10] In Revelation:

Upon the thrones I saw four and twenty elders, clothed in white garments; who had upon their heads golden crowns. They fell down before Him that was sitting upon the throne, and worshiped Him that liveth forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne (Revelation 4:4, 10).

The “four and twenty elders” signify all those who are in good from truths, and in the abstract sense all goods from truths (n. 6524, 9404); the “thrones” denote truths from the Divine (n. 5313, 6397, 8625, 9039); the “golden crowns on their heads” are representatives of wisdom from the Divine, and because this is from the Divine, therefore they cast them before Him that was sitting upon the throne.

[11] As the good of wisdom is acquired by means of temptation combats, which are carried on by means of the truths of faith, therefore crowns were assigned to those who fought against evils and falsities and overcame; and for this reason also the crowns of martyrdom were badges of command from the Lord over evils. That “crowns” denote the rewards of victory over evils, and that for this reason they denote the goods of wisdom, because these are the rewards, is also evident from Revelation:

I saw, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon it had a bow; and there was given unto him a crown; and he went forth conquering, and to conquer (Revelation 6:2).

The “white horse and he that sat upon it” signify the Lord as to the Word (n. 2760-2762); “a bow” denotes the doctrine of truth, by means of which the combat is waged (n. 2686, 2709); from this it is evident that the “crown,” because said of the Lord, denotes the Divine good, which is the reward of victory.

[12] And in another passage:

Afterward I saw, and behold a white cloud; and upon the cloud one sitting like unto the Son of man, having upon his head a golden crown, and in his hand a sharp sickle (Revelation 14:14).

“A white cloud” denotes the literal sense of the Word (n. 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343, 6752, 8781); “the Son of man” denotes the Divine truth which is from the the Lord, (n. 9807); “a golden crown,” the Divine good from which is the Divine truth; “a sharp sickle” denotes the dispersing of evil and falsity. And again:

Be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee the crown of life (Revelation 2:10).

Behold I come quickly; hold fast that which thou hast, that no one take thy crown (Revelation 3:11).

The “crown” denotes good from truths, thus wisdom; for this belongs to the good of love from the truths of faith. From all this it can now be seen what is signified by a “crown,” and what by “the crown of holiness,” which was the plate of gold on which was engraved “Holiness to Jehovah.”

2015. Kings shall go forth from thee. That this signifies that all truth is from Him, is evident from the signification of a “king,” in both the historical and the prophetic Word, as being truth (stated above, n. 1672, but not yet fully shown). From the signification of “nations” as being goods, and from the signification of “kings” as being truths, we can see the nature of the internal sense of the Word, and also how remote it is from the sense of the letter. He who reads the Word, especially the historical portion, has no other belief than that the nations there are nations, and kings, and thus that nations and kings are treated of in the very Word itself. But the idea of nations, as well as that of kings, altogether perishes when it is received by the angels, and in their place there succeed good and truth. This cannot but appear as strange and indeed as a paradox, but still it is really so, and the truth of it may appear to everyone from considering that if, in the Word, nations were signified by “nations,” and kings by “kings,” then the Word of the Lord would involve scarcely anything more than any other history, or any other writing, and thus would be a merely worldly affair, when yet there is nothing in the Word that is not Divine, and therefore celestial and spiritual.

[2] Take as a single instance what is said in this verse, that Abraham should be made fruitful and should be made nations, and that kings should go forth from him-what is this but a merely worldly matter, and in no respect heavenly? For in these things there is only the glory of the world, which is nothing at all in heaven; but if this is the Word of the Lord, there must be in it the glory of heaven, and none of the world’s glory. Therefore the sense of the letter is altogether obliterated and vanishes when it passes into heaven; and it is so purified that nothing that is worldly is intermingled. For by “Abraham” is not meant Abraham, but the Lord; by his being “made fruitful” is not meant that his posterity should increase exceedingly, but that the good of the Lord’s Human Essence should increase to infinitude; by the “nations” are not meant nations, but goods; and by the “kings,” not kings but truths. Still the history according to the sense of the letter remains true; for it is true that it was so said to Abraham; also that he was made fruitful, and that nations and kings came from him.

[3] That “kings” signify truths, may be seen from the following passages.

In Isaiah:

The sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee; thou shalt suck the milk of the nations, and the breast of kings shalt thou suck (Isaiah 60:10, 16);

what it is to “suck the milk of nations” and “the breast of kings,” is by no means plain from the letter, but it is from the internal sense, in which it signifies to be gifted with goods, and instructed in truths.

In Jeremiah:

There shall enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses (Jeremiah 17:25; 22:4);

to “ride in chariots and on horses” is a prophetical saying which signifies an abundance of intellectual things, as may appear from very many passages in the Prophets; and thus by “kings entering in by the gates of the city” is signified in the internal sense that they should be imbued with truths of faith. This is the heavenly sense of the Word, into which the worldly literal sense passes.

[4] Again, in the same Prophet:

Jehovah hath despised in the indignation of His anger the king and the priest; the gates of Zion have sunk into the earth; He hath destroyed and broken her bars; her king and her princes are among the nations; the law is not (Lamentations 2:6, 9);

“the king” here denotes the truth of faith; “the priest” the good of charity; “Zion” the church which is being destroyed, and whose bars are being broken; hence “the king and the princes are among the nations,” that is, truth and the things which are of truth will be banished to such an extent that there will be no “law,” that is, nothing of the doctrine of faith.

In Isaiah:

Before the child shall know to refuse the evil and choose the good, the ground shall be forsaken, which thou loathest in the presence of her two kings (Isaiah 7:16); where the Lord’s coming is treated of; the “ground which shall be forsaken” denotes faith, of which there would then be none, and the truths of which are the “kings that would be loathed.”

[5] In the same Prophet:

I will lift up My hand to the nations, and raise up My ensign to the peoples; and they shall bring thy sons in their bosom, and thy daughters shall be carried upon the shoulder; and kings shall be thy nourishers, and their queens those that give thee suck (Isaiah 49:22-23);

“the nations” and “the daughters” denote goods; and “the peoples” and “the sons” truths (as shown in Part First, where it may be seen that “nations” denote goods, n. 1259, 1260, 1416, 1849; and that “daughters” have a similar signification, n. 489-491; also that “peoples” denote truths, n. 1259, 1260; and “sons” likewise, n. 489, 491, 533, 1147). “Kings” therefore denote truths in general, by which they will be nourished, and their “queens” the goods from which they will be “suckled.” Whether you say goods and truths, or those who are in goods and truths, it is the same.

[6] Again in the same Prophet:

He shall sprinkle many nations, upon him kings shall shut their mouth-for that which was [not] told them have they seen; and that which they did not hear have they understood (Isaiah 52:15),

where the Lord’s coming is spoken of; the “nations” denote those who are affected by goods, and “kings” those who are affected by truths.

In David:

Now, O ye kings, be intelligent; be instructed, ye judges of the earth; serve Jehovah with fear, and exult with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest He be angry, and ye perish in the way (Psalms 2:10-12).

“Kings” denote those who are in truths; who also from their truths are often called “king’s sons;” “the Son” here denotes the Lord, who is here called “the Son” because He is the truth itself, and because all truth is from Him.

[7] In John:

They shall sing a new song, Worthy art Thou who takest the book, and openest the seals thereof; Thou hast made us unto our God kings and priests, that we may reign upon the earth (Revelation 5:9-10); where they who are in truths are called “kings.”

The Lord also calls such persons “the sons of the kingdom,” in Matthew:

He that soweth the good seed is the Son of man; the field is the world; the seed is the sons of the kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil one (Matthew 13:37-38).

In John:

The sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the Kings that are from the sun rising might be prepared (Revelation 16:12).

That by the “Euphrates” is not meant the Euphrates, nor by “the kings from the sun-rising” any kings therefrom, is evident (what is meant by the “Euphrates” may be seen above, n. 120, 1585, 1866); so that “the way of the kings that are from the sun-rising” means the truths of faith that are from the goods of love.

[8] In the same:

The nations that are saved shall walk in the light of it, and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honor into it (Revelation 21:24); where “the nations” denote those who are in goods, and “the kings of the earth” those who are in truths, as may be inferred from the fact that these words are prophetic, and not historical.

In the same:

With the great harlot that sitteth upon many waters the kings of the earth have committed whoredom, and have been made drunken with the wine of her whoredom (Revelation 17:1-2).

And again:

Babylon hath made all the nations drink of the wine of her whoredom, and the kings of the earth have committed whoredom with her (Revelation 18:3, 9); where in like manner it is evident that kings are not meant by “the kings of the earth;” for the falsification and adulteration of the doctrine of faith, that is, of truth, is treated of, and this is the “whoredom;” “the kings of the earth” denote the truths that are falsified and adulterated.

[9] In the same:

The ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, that have received no kingdom as yet, but they receive authority [potestas] as kings with the beast for one hour. These shall have one mind, and shall give their power and authority to the beast (Revelation 17:12-13).

That these “kings” are not kings, is evident to everyone; for if so it would be wholly unintelligible that the ten kings should receive authority as kings one hour. So too in another passage:

I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war with him that sat upon the horse, and with his army (Revelation 19:19).

That “he that sat upon the horse” is “the Word of God,” is openly stated in verse 13; and it is against this that the kings of the earth are said to have been gathered together. “The beast” denotes the goods of love, profaned; and “the kings” denote the truths of faith, adulterated; these are called “the kings of the earth,” because they are within the church. (That “the earth” is the church may be seen above, n. 662, 1066, 1067, 1262.) The “white horse” denotes the understanding of truth; and “he that sat upon the horse,” the Word. This meaning is still more manifest in Daniel (chapter 11), where the war between “the king of the south” and “the king of the north” is treated of; by which terms are signified the truths and falsities that had fought, the combats being described here also in an historical manner by this “war.”

[10] As “a king” signifies truth, it may be seen what is meant in the internal sense when the Lord is called a King and also a Priest; and also what it was in the Lord that was represented by kings, and what by priests. Kings represented His Divine truth, and priests His Divine good. All the laws of order by which the Lord governs the universe as King, are truths; but all the laws by which He governs the universe as Priest, and by which also He rules truths themselves, are goods; for government from truths alone would condemn everyone to hell; but government from goods lifts everyone out thence and uplifts him into heaven (see n. 1728). Because in the Lord’s case these two are conjoined, they were anciently represented by kingship conjoined with priesthood; as with Melchizedek, who was king of Salem and at the same time priest to God Most High (Genesis 14:18); and afterwards with the Jews, among whom the representative church was instituted in its own form, by judges and priests, and afterwards by kings.

[11] But as the kings represented truths, which ought not to have command, for the reason, as before said, that they condemn, therefore the desire to have kings was so displeasing as to call for rebuke, and the nature of truth as regarded in itself was described by the rights [jus] of the king (1 Samuel 8:11-18); and at an earlier day it was commanded by Moses (Deuteronomy 17:14-18) that they should choose genuine truth which is from good, and not spurious; and that they should not defile it by reasonings and memory-knowledges [scientifica]. This is what is involved in the directions concerning a king, given in Moses in the place just cited; which no one can possibly see from the sense of the letter, but yet is evident from the several points contained in the internal sense; so that “king” and “kingship” evidently represented and signified nothing else than truth.