5038. The place where the king’s bound ones were bound. That this signifies the state in which those are who are in falsities, is evident from the signification of “place,” as being state (n. 2625, 2837, 3356, 3387, 4321, 4882); and from the signification of the “king’s bound ones,” as being those who are in falsities, and because they are in falsities they are in vastation, and who are being regenerated in the world in temptation; for temptation is the vastation of what is false, and at the same time the confirmation of what is true. They are called the “king’s bound ones,” because a “king” in the internal sense is truth (n. 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4789, 4966), and his “bound ones” are therefore those who are in falsity. Moreover the places where the king’s bound ones were kept, were called “pits;” wherefore Joseph says, “I was taken away out of the land of the Hebrews; and here also have I done nothing that they should put me into the pit” (Genesis 40:15). That a “pit” denotes a place of vastation may be seen above (n. 4728, 4744).

1728. And he was priest. That this signifies the holy of love, is evident from the signification of “priest” in the Word. There are two things which are predicated of the Lord, namely, that He is King, and that He is Priest. A king, or the royalty, signifies the holy which is true; and a priest, or the priesthood, signifies the holy which is good; the former is the Divine spiritual, the latter the Divine celestial. The Lord as King governs each and all things in the universe from Divine truth; and as Priest, from Divine good. Divine truth is the very order of His universal kingdom, all the laws of which are truths, or eternal verities; Divine good is the very essential of order, all things of which are of mercy. Both of these are predicated of the Lord. If Divine truth alone were His, no mortal could be saved, for truths condemn everyone to hell; but Divine good, which is of mercy, uplifts from hell to heaven. These are what the kings and priests in the Jewish Church represented and these likewise Melchizedek represented, as king of Salem, and priest to God Most High.