68. And His eyes as a flame of fire, signifies Divine Providence from His Divine love. This is evident from the signification of "eyes," as being the understanding (See above, n. 37); and in reference to the Lord, as meaning presence, and thus providence (See Arcana Coelestia 3869[1-14], 10569) of which in what follows; also from the signification of "a flame of fire," as meaning, in reference to the Lord, Divine love. "A flame of fire" means Divine love because from heaven the Lord appears as a sun, and the Divine that proceeds from Him as light, flaming light in the inmost or third heaven, and bright white light in the middle or second heaven. The Divine love itself is what thus appears. From this it is that in the Word "fire" and "flame" signify love (as can be seen from what is shown in the Arcana Coelestia, namely, that in the Word "fire" signifies love in each sense, n. 934, 4906, 5215. That sacred and celestial fire is Divine love, and every affection which is of that love, see n. 934, 6314, 6832. That there are two origins of heat, one the sun of the world, from which all things vegetate upon the earth, the other the sun of heaven, which is the Lord, from which angels and men derive the all of life, see n. 3338, 5215, 7324. That love is the fire of life, and that life itself is actually therefrom, see n. 4906, 5071, 6032, 6314. That flame is truth from the good of the inmost heaven, and light truth from the good of the middle heaven, see n. 3222, 6832; the reason is, that light in the inmost heaven appears flaming, and in the middle heaven bright white, see n. 9570; and likewise in the work on Heaven and Hell 116-140. In reference to the Lord, "eyes" signify Divine Providence, because, in reference to man, they signify understanding; and the Divine understanding, because it is infinite, is Divine Providence. Nothing else is signified by the "eyes" of Jehovah in Isaiah:

Incline thine ear, O Jehovah, and hear; and open thine eyes, O Jehovah, and see (Isaiah 37:17).

In Jeremiah:

I will set Mine eye upon them for good, and I will bring them again to their land, ¹ and I will build them (Jeremiah 24:6).

In David:

Behold the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear Him (Psalms 33:18);

and in the same:

Jehovah is in the temple of His holiness, His eyes behold, and His eyelids prove the sons of man (Psalms 11:4);

and elsewhere. (What Divine Providence is, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 267-279.)

Fotnoter:

4922. 'And bound on his hand a twice-dyed thread' means that a sign was placed on it, namely on that power - 'twice-dyed' meaning good. This is clear from the meaning of 'binding on the hand' as placing a sign on power, for 'the hand' means power, 4920; and from the meaning of 'twice-dyed' as good, in particular spiritual good. The reason 'twice-dyed' means spiritual good is that this expression describes a shade of scarlet, and in the next life whenever one sees scarlet spiritual good is meant, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour. For all colours clearly visible in the next life mean something connected with good and truth since they are products of the light of heaven, which essentially is wisdom and intelligence flowing from the Lord's Divine. The variegations or modifications of that light are consequently variegations and so to speak modifications of wisdom and intelligence, and therefore of good and truth. For details about the light in heaven flowing from the Lord's Divine wisdom and intelligence, where the Lord is seen as the Sun, see 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 2776, 3138, 3167, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3225, 3337, 3339, 3340, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3862, 3993, 4180, 4214, 4302, 4405, 4408, 4413, 4415, 4523-4533; and for details about colours having their origin in that light and about their being variegations and modifications of that light, and therefore of intelligence and wisdom, 1042, 1043, 1053, 1624, 3993, 4530, 4677, 4742.

[2] As regards 'twice-dyed' meaning spiritual good, this is evident from places in the Word where this expression is used, as in Jeremiah,

If therefore you have been laid waste, what will you do? If you clothe yourself in twice-dyed and deck yourself with ornaments of gold, in vain will you make yourself beautiful; your lovers will abhor you. Jeremiah 4:30.

This refers to Judah. 'Clothing yourself in twice-dyed' stands for spiritual good, 'decking yourself with ornaments of gold' for celestial good. In 2 Samuel,

David lamented over Saul and over Jonathan, and wrote it down that they teach the children of Judah the bow. Daughters of Israel, weep over Saul who clothed you in twice-dyed delicately, ¹ and placed an ornament of gold on your apparel. 2 Samuel 1:17-18, 24.

Here 'teaching the bow' stands for teaching the doctrine of love and charity, for 'the bow' means that doctrine. 'Clothing in twice-dyed' stands for spiritual good, as previously, and 'placing an ornament of gold on one's apparel' for celestial good.

[3] Such being the meaning of 'twice-dyed', instructions were also given to use twice-dyed scarlet on the curtains of the Dwelling-place, the veil, the covering for the door of the tent, the covering to the gate of the court, the table of the Presence when they were about to set out, Aaron's sacred vestments such as the ephod, the breastplate of judgement, and the fringes of the robe of the ephod:

The curtains of the Dwelling-place

You shall make for the Dwelling-place ten curtains - fine-twined linen, and violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet. Exodus 26:1.

The veil

You shall make a veil of violet and purple, and of twice-dyed scarlet, and of fine-twined linen. Exodus 26:31.

The covering for the door of the tent

You shall make a covering for the door of the tent, of violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet, and of fine-twined linen. Exodus 26:36.

[4] The covering to the gate of the court

For the gate of the court you shall make a covering of violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined linen, the work of an embroiderer. Exodus 27:16.

The table of the Presence when they were about to set out

When the camp sets out they shall spread over the table of the Presence a cloth of twice-dyed scarlet, and shall cover this with a covering of badger skin. Numbers 4:8.

The ephod

You shall make an ephod out of gold, violet and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, fine-twined linen, the work of a craftsman; and the girdle similarly. Exodus 28:5-6, 8; 39:2-3.

The breastplate of judgement

You shall make the breastplate of judgement, the work of a craftsman, like the work of the ephod, out of gold, violet, and purple. and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined linen. Exodus 28:15.

The fringes of the robe of the ephod

Pomegranates of violet, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet. Exodus 28:33.

[5] It was because the Tent of Meeting with the Ark in it represented heaven that the colours mentioned in these places were required. They meant in their order celestial and spiritual things, as follows: 'Violet and purple' meant celestial kinds of good and truth, 'twice-dyed scarlet and fine-twined linen' spiritual kinds of good and truth. Anyone believing that the Word is holy can recognize that each has a specific meaning, and anyone believing that the Word is holy for the reason that it has been sent down from the Lord by way of heaven can recognize that the celestial and spiritual things belonging to His kingdom are meant. Similar instructions were given, in cleansings from leprosy, to use 'cedarwood, scarlet, and hyssop', Leviticus 14:4, 6, 52; and to cast 'cedarwood and hyssop and twice-dyed of purple' on to the fire in which the red heifer was being burned, from which the water of separation was prepared, Numbers 19:6.

[6] The profanation of good and truth is described by similar words in John,

I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast, full of blasphemous names. It had seven heads and ten horns. The woman was clothed in purple and scarlet. and covered ² with gold and precious stones and pearls. holding in her hand a golden cup, full of abominations and the uncleanness of whoredom. Revelation 17:3-4.

And after this,

Woe, woe, the great city, you that were clothed in fine linen and purple and scarlet, and covered' with gold and precious stones and pearls. Revelation 18:16.

This refers to 'Babel' by which the profanation of good is meant, 1182, 1283, 1295, 1304, 1306-1308, 1321, 1322, 1326, in this case the profanation both of good and of truth, which is 'Babylonian'. Among the Prophets in the Old Testament 'Babel' describes the profanation of good and 'Chaldea' the profanation of truth.

[7] In the contrary sense 'scarlet' means the evil that is the contrary of spiritual good, as in Isaiah,

Though your sins are like scarlet, they will be white as snow. Though they are red as crimson, ³ they will be as wool. Isaiah 1:18.

The reason 'scarlet' means this evil is that 'blood', likewise, because of its red colour, in the genuine sense means spiritual good or charity towards the neighbour, and in the contrary sense violence done to charity, 374, 1005.

Fotnoter: