9864. 'There shall be four rows of stones, the order being' means all of them joined together, that is to say, all the truths springing from good. This is clear from the meaning of 'four' as a joining together, dealt with in 1686, 9601, 9674; and from the meaning of 'rows of stones' as truths springing from good in their proper order. The setting of them in four rows, three in each row, was decreed in order that the joining together of all the truths springing from the same good, and so their perfection, might be represented; for 'four' means a joining together, as has been stated, and 'three' means perfection, 9825. Indeed since one and the same good is the source from which they all emanate, 9863, and is consequently the one to which they all look back, that good is what joins them all together.

[2] Things that happen in heaven may serve to cast light on all this and show that it is so. All without exception in heaven turn their face towards the Lord; and - marvel that it is - this happens whatever direction they turn to face. As a consequence of this all who are in heaven are joined together as one. But those who are outside heaven turn their face away from the Lord; and the further away they are from heaven the further away their faced is turned. As a consequence of this there is division among them, because they do not love God or their neighbour, only themselves and the world. But this is an arcanum which for those whose thought is ruled by the illusions of the senses is inconceivable; for they cannot at all comprehend how every face in heaven can be always looking, in whatever direction its owner turns, towards the Lord, who is the Sun there. See what has been introduced above in 9828 on this subject.

8423. 'And it shall be double to what they shall gather day by day' means that they are to be joined together. This is clear from the meaning of 'being double' as being joined together, the reason why being joined together is meant by 'double' being that 'two' means conjunction, dealt with in 1686, 3519, 5194; from the meaning of 'gathering' as receiving, as above in 8418; and from the meaning of 'day by day', or every single day, as continually, as also above in 8418. The reason why 'two' means conjunction is that there are two realities to which everything that exists is related. Those two are goodness and truth, or what amounts to the same thing, love and faith since intrinsically good is love and truth is faith. Therefore also a person has two entities composing his life, namely will and understanding. A person's will has been fashioned to receive goodness or love, and his understanding to receive truth or faith. When the two are joined together it is called a marriage. For the two joined together resemble married partners, loving each other, conceiving and giving birth; and their offspring are called the fruit. From all these considerations one may now see why 'two' or 'double' means conjunction, for unless those two realities have been joined together nothing is ever born or produced. Let it be said in addition that those considerations prove plainly that faith without love or charity cannot produce any fruit; rather, fruit must be the product of both joined together.