241. Verse 18. I counsel thee, signifies the means of reformation of those who are in the doctrine of faith alone. This is evident from what now follows, for the reformation of those who are in that doctrine is now treated of; therefore "I counsel thee" implies precepts as to how such must live that they may be reformed and thus saved.

4938. The ones who in the Grand Man correspond to the feet, soles, and heels are those who are natural, which is why in the Word natural things are meant by 'the feet', 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280. By 'the soles' lower natural things are meant, and by 'the heels' lowest natural, 259. In the Grand Man celestial things constitute the head, spiritual ones the body, and natural ones the feet; they exist in this consecutive order. In addition, celestial things, which are the highest, are ringed about by spiritual ones, which are in the middle; and spiritual things are ringed about by natural, which are lowest ones.

424. 'A craftsman' in the Word means a person who has wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. Here 'a craftsman in bronze and iron' means people who have a knowledge of natural good and truth. In John,

Babylon the great city will be thrown down with violence and will be found no more; and the sound of harpers, and minstrels, and flute players, and trumpeters will be heard in you ¹ no more. And every craftsman of every craft will be found in you ¹ no more. Revelation 18:21-22.

As previously, 'harpers' stands for truths, 'trumpeters' for the goods of faith. A 'craftsman of every craft' stands for one who has knowledge, that is, knowledge of truth and good. In Isaiah,

The craftsman casts an idol, and a goldsmith overlays it with gold and casts silver chains for it. He seeks for himself a wise craftsman to make ready an idol, that is immovable. Isaiah 40:19-20.

This stands for people who fabricate falsity - an idol - for themselves out of delusions and teach it in such a way that it looks like truth. In Jeremiah,

They are at one and the same time foolish and stupid; that wood is a way of learning vanities! Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, gold from Uphaz; the work of the craftsman and of the hands of the moulder. Their clothing is violet and [purple]. These are all the work of the wise. Jeremiah 10:3, 8-9.

These statements mean the person who teaches falsities and who compiles material from the Word to produce some figment of the imagination. This is why it is called 'a way of learning vanities' and the 'work of the wise'. In the past such people were represented as craftsmen fashioning idols (falsities) which they decorated with 'gold' (imitation good) and with 'silver' (imitation truth) and with 'violet and [purple] clothing' (natural things which are seemingly in agreement).

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