9836. 'Two shoulders joined together shall it have at its two ends, and it shall be joined together' means an everlasting preservation of good and truth on every side by all exertion and power through a total uniting together. This is clear from the meaning of 'shoulders' as all the force and power, dealt with in 1085, 4931-4937, though the expressions 'placing on the shoulders' and 'carrying on them', used below in reference to the two shoham stones on which the names of the sons of Israel were engraved, mean an everlasting preservation of good and truth (for all forms of good and truths in their entirety are meant by 'the names of the sons of Israel', a subject dealt with further on); from the meaning of 'joined together' as a total uniting; and from the meaning of 'the two ends', or to the right and to the left, as on every side, dealt with in 8613.

[2] The implications of all this are that the ephod, as has been shown above, represented the outermost part of the Lord's spiritual kingdom. Thus the shoulder-pieces, on which the two shoham stones with the names of the sons of Israel had been placed, represented the everlasting preservation of good and truth; and the joining together of the ephod on the shoulders, and also in front of the breast and behind the back, represented a total uniting. This helps to make clear what is meant by the details stated further on regarding the shoulder-pieces and the engravings on them, namely the everlasting preservation of the good and truth present by all exertion and power, thus the preservation of the heavens. The stones with the names of the sons of Israel had been placed on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, which represented the outermost part of the spiritual kingdom, because all preservation is dependent on the condition of what exists on last and lowest levels. For everything within terminates and forms a base for itself there on which to rest and remain in existence. Things on last and lowest levels resemble the soles and the upper parts of the feet on which the entire body stands; they are also like the hands and arms through which the body exercises its powers. Furthermore the strength of the body is concentrated there. This also explains why the hands and arms, the soles and feet too, correspond to the last and lowest parts of heaven. The fact that power and might reside in things which are last and lowest was represented in the Ancient Church by Nazirites and the hair on their head, in which their might resided, as is evident from Samson in Judges 14-16, and also their holiness, 3301. Regarding the hair, which on those men's heads was their Naziriteship, that it corresponds to the lowest levels of good and truth, or good and truth on lowest levels, see 3301, 5247, 6437.

[3] The residing of power in last and lowest things, and also the preservation in these of more internal ones in their proper condition, are matters which may be understood by people who know what the situation is with things in the natural order which follow one another in sequence and consequently exist together with one another. Things which follow in sequence finally come together on the last and lowest level, where they exist side-by-side in the same order. This being so, the things existing together with one another, which are last and lowest, serve those following one another in sequence, which are prior and higher, as corresponding supports on which they rest and are thereby preserved.

[4] 'The shoulders' means all the force and power exerted in offering resistance, breaking, or impelling. This is clear in Ezekiel,

You push with side and shoulder, and butt with your horns all the weak sheep, until you have scattered them abroad. Ezekiel 34:21.

In the same prophet,

Egypt has been a staff of reed to the house of Israel. When they took hold of you by the hand, you were broken, and you tore open their whole shoulder. ¹ Ezekiel 29:6-7.

'Tearing open the whole shoulder' stands for depriving of all the power to grasp truths, 'Egypt' being the perverted factual knowledge which causes such deprivation.

[5] In Zechariah,

They refused to listen, and turned ² a stubborn shoulder. Zechariah 7:11.

'Turning a stubborn shoulder' stands for offering resistance. In David,

They thought a wicked deed, [but] they did not prevail; for You will set a shoulder against them. Psalms 21:11-12.

'Setting a shoulder against them' too stands for offering resistance, and so stands for power. The fact that 'shoulder' means power is evident from representatives in the next life, where those who offer resistance are seen setting an opposing shoulder.

[6] Placing onto the shoulders and carrying on them means preserving everlastingly in a state of good and truth through all exertion and power. This is clear in Isaiah,

The nations will bring your sons in their bosom, and carry your daughters on their shoulder. Isaiah 49:22.

This refers to a new Church. 'Sons' means truths, and 'daughters' forms of good; and 'carrying on the shoulder' stands for preserving them. The preservation of good in its proper condition was also represented by the action of the children of Israel, who carried their dough on their shoulder when they were going out of Egypt, Exodus 12:34; and by that of the sons of Kohath, who carried holy things ³ on their shoulder, Numbers 7:9. This explains why the Lord, who spoke by means of correspondences, said that when the lost sheep was found the owner placed it on his shoulder, rejoicing, Luke 15:5. 'The sheep that was lost and found' is good as it resides with someone who comes to his senses.

[7] Since 'carrying on the shoulder' had this meaning it is also said of those who love and preserve gold and silver that they carry them on their shoulder, Isaiah 46:7. Carrying also means holding something in its proper state or condition, see 9500. All this shows what was meant by the engraving of the names of the sons of Israel on the two shoham stones and the placement of them on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, and by the injunction that 'Aaron shall bear (or carry) them on his two shoulders for a remembrance', verse 12. 'Carrying on the shoulder', when it has reference to subjection, means servitude, see Genesis 49:15; Psalms 81:6; Isaiah 9:4; 10:27; Matthew 23:4; Zephaniah 3:9. But when it has reference to dominion it means supreme power, Isaiah 9:6; 22:22.

Fotnoter:

4687. 'And behold, my sheaf arose and also stood up' means teaching concerning the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'a sheaf' as doctrinal teaching, dealt with immediately above; and from the meaning of 'arising and standing up' as that which is the highest and is going to reign and which they are going to worship. The highest object of worship is the Lord's Divine Human, as is evident from the descriptions which follow: The eleven sheaves bowed down to that sheaf, and in the second dream the sun, moon, and eleven stars bowed down to Joseph (meaning that which is highest and is going to reign and which they are going to worship), on account of which dreams Jacob says, 'Are we indeed to come - I and your mother, and your brothers - to bow down to you to the earth?' The Lord's Divine Truth is that which is represented by 'Joseph', as stated above, the highest aspect of it being the Lord Himself, and the highest among matters of doctrine being that His Human is Divine.

[2] So far as this highest matter of doctrine is concerned, the Most Ancient Church, which was celestial and was called Man more so than all others, worshipped the Infinite Being (Esse) and the Infinite Manifestation (Existens) of that Being. And because they could not have any perception of an Infinite Being, yet could have - from what they could perceive in their internal man, what they could experience with their senses in their external man, and what was visible to them in the world - some perception of the Infinite Manifestation of the Infinite Being, they therefore worshipped the Infinite Manifestation which held the Infinite Being within it. That Infinite Manifestation holding the Infinite Being within it they perceived as a Divine Man. They did so because they knew that the Infinite Manifestation was brought forth from the Infinite Being by means of heaven. And because heaven is the Grand Man corresponding to every single part of the human being - as has been shown at the ends of chapters before this one and will be shown at the ends of several more coming after it they were unable to have through perception any other conception of the Infinite Manifestation of an Infinite Being than that of a Divine Man. For whatever passes from the Infinite Being by way of heaven as the Grand Man presents an image of that Being in every single thing. When that celestial Church started to fall they foresaw that that Infinite Manifestation could not continue any longer to come into people's minds and that this being so the human race would perish. For this reason they received by revelation the knowledge that One was to be born who would make Divine the Human within Himself and in this way an Infinite Manifestation like that which had existed previously would come about, and would at length be one with the Infinite Being as this had also been previously. From this arose their prophecy concerning the Lord contained in Genesis 3:15.

[3] This whole matter is described in John as follows,

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made by Him, and without Him was not anything made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us; and we beheld His glory as of the Only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. John 1:1-4, 14.

'The Word' is Divine Truth which in its Essence is the Infinite Manifestation of the Infinite Being, and is the Human of the Lord Himself. This Human is the source from which Divine truth now proceeds and flows into heaven, and through heaven into the minds of men. Consequently this Human rules and governs everything, even as it has done so from eternity; for it is one and the same with the Infinite being by virtue of His joining the Human to the Divine, which He effected by making even the Human within Him Divine. From this it may now be seen that the highest aspect of Divine truth is the Lord's Divine Human, and from this that the Church's highest matter of doctrine is that His Human is Divine.