10129. 'And the altar shall be the holy of holies' means the celestial kingdom, where the Lord is present in the good of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'the altar' as that which is representative of the Lord in respect of Divine Good, dealt with in 9388, 9389, 9714, 9964, at this point in respect of Divine Good in heaven and in the Church, 10123; and from the meaning of 'the holy of holies' as celestial good or the good of love from the Lord. The reason why it is the celestial kingdom that is meant here by 'the altar' and the good there that is meant by 'the holy of holies' is that the good received in that kingdom is the good of love which comes from and is offered back to the Lord, which is celestial good. For there are two kingdoms into which the heavens are divided, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom. The celestial kingdom receives the good of love coming from and offered back to the Lord, whereas the spiritual kingdom receives from the Lord the good of charity towards the neighbour, see the places referred to in 9277, and what is stated in 9680, 10068.

[2] 'The altar' represents the celestial kingdom, or what amounts to the same thing, it represents the Lord where He is present in the good of love; and 'the tent of meeting outside the veil' represents the spiritual kingdom, or what amounts to the same thing, it represents the Lord where He is present in the good of charity towards the neighbour. The spiritual kingdom's good, or spiritual good, is called the holy place, but the celestial kingdom's good, or celestial good, is called the holy of holies. The reason why celestial good, which is the good of love received from and offered back to the Lord, is referred to as the holy of holies is that this good is a channel through which the Lord flows directly into the heavens; but spiritual good - the good of charity towards the neighbour - is a channel through which He does so indirectly, by way of celestial good, see 9473, 9683, 9873, 9992, 10005. The term 'flow in' is used because the Lord, being the Sun of heaven, is above the heavens and flows in from there, 10106; yet He is still as one present within the heavens.

[3] The fact that celestial good, which is the good of love received from and offered back to the Lord, is meant by 'the holy of holies' is clear from places in the Word where the expression 'the holy of holies' occurs, as in Moses,

The veil shall be for you a divider between the holy place and the holy of holies. And you shall put the mercy-seat onto the ark of the Testimony in the holy of holies. Exodus 26:33-34.

From this it is evident that 'the holy place' refers to that part of the tent which was outside the veil, and 'the holy of holies' to the part within the veil. Regarding the tent or the dwelling-place outside the veil, that it represented the Lord's spiritual kingdom, or the middle heaven, and regarding the tent or dwelling-place within the veil, that it represented the Lord's celestial kingdom, or the inmost heaven, see 9457, 9481, 9485, 10001, 10025. The part of the tent within the veil is also called the holy sanctuary ¹ , Leviticus 16:33. Since the ark, which had the Testimony within it and the mercy-seat above it, represented the inmost heaven, where celestial good reigns, the innermost part of the temple, where the ark of the covenant was, is also called the holy of holies, 1 Kings 6:16; 8:6.

[4] Since the bread and the minchah were signs of the good of love received from and offered back to the Lord, which is celestial good, they too are called 'the holy of holies' in Moses,

The bread of faces (or of the presence) shall be eaten by Aaron and his sons in a holy place; for it is the holy of holies of the fire offerings to Jehovah. Leviticus 24:9.

'The bread of faces (or of the presence)' means celestial good, see 9545. In the same book,

That which remains of the minchah shall be for Aaron and his sons, the holy of holies of the fire offerings to Jehovah. Leviticus 2:3, 10.

'The minchah', which consisted of unleavened bread, unleavened cakes, and unleavened wafers mixed with oil, means celestial good or the good of love, see 4581, 9992, 10079; and 'a fire offering to Jehovah' means Divine Love, 10055.

[5] In the same author,

Every minchah - a sacrifice of sin offering and a sacrifice of guilt offering - which is for Aaron and his sons, is the holy of holies to Jehovah. Numbers 18:9-10.

Such minchahs too were called 'the holy of holies' because those sacrifices were signs of purification from evils, and all purification from evils is accomplished in a state of the good of innocence; and this good as well is celestial good. This explains why in sacrifices of sin offering or guilt offering female or male lambs, or rams, or young bulls, or turtle doves were offered, as is clear from Chapters 4, 5 of Leviticus, that good being meant by these creatures. For its being meant by 'lambs', see 3994, 3519, 7840, by 'rams', 10042, by 'young bulls', 9391; and its being meant by 'turtle doves' is evident from the places in the Word where such birds are mentioned. As regards purification from evils and regeneration, that they are accomplished in a state of innocence, see 10021. Therefore those sacrifices are called 'the holy of holies' also in Leviticus 6:25; 7:6; 10:17; 14:13.

[6] In the same author,

The minchah shall be eaten beside the altar; for it is the holy of holies. Leviticus 10:12.

It has been shown above that the altar of burnt offering represented the Lord in respect of the good of love, and reception by angels and men. This accounts for the use of the following words concerning it in Moses,

You shall anoint the altar of burnt offering and all its vessels, its laver, and its pedestal. And you shall sanctify them, that they may be the holy of holies; everyone who touches them will make himself holy. Exodus 30:28-29.

[7] The incense too, some of which was placed before the Testimony in the tent of meeting, is called the holy of holies, Exodus 30:36, because it meant celestial good in last and lowest things, and also meant the things that emanate from that good, 9475. In Ezekiel,

This is the law of the house ² : On the top of the mountain shall its whole border round about be, the holy of holies. Ezekiel 43:12.

The reason why 'the house' together with the border around it is called 'the holy of holies' is that 'God's house' means the celestial kingdom, and in the highest sense the Lord in respect of the good of love, 3720. This is why the words 'on the top of the mountain' are also used, for 'the top of the mountain' has the same meaning, 6435, 9422, 9434.

[8] In Daniel,

Seventy weeks have been decreed concerning the people and concerning the holy city to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies. Daniel 9:24.

This refers to the Coming of the Lord, who alone is Jehovah's Anointed and who alone is the Holy One, and who also as to His Human is the Divine Good of Divine Love, and so is the holy of holies.

The Lord alone as to His Divine Human is Jehovah's Anointed, see 9954.

He alone is the Holy One, 9229.

He is the Divine Good of Divine Love, see the places referred to in 9199(end).

[9] The reason why celestial good is meant by 'the holy of holies' but spiritual good by 'the holy place' is that celestial good is inmost good, and therefore also is the inmost heaven's good, whereas spiritual good is good emanating from that celestial good and is therefore the middle heaven's good. And this good is good and consequently holy to the extent that it has celestial good within it; for celestial good flows into spiritual, conceives it, and begets it as a father does his child. The words 'celestial good' are used to mean the good of love received from and offered back to the Lord, and 'spiritual good' to mean the good of charity towards the neighbour received from the Lord.

[10] The good of love to the Lord received from the Lord is 'the holy of holies' because the Lord joins Himself directly to others through it. But the good of charity towards the neighbour is 'the holy place' because He joins Himself through it indirectly; and He joins Himself to the extent that it has the good of love from the Lord within it. The good of love to the Lord received from the Lord is present within all genuine good of charity, and also within all genuine good of faith; for such good flows in from the Lord. No one by his own strength, only by the Lord's, can love the neighbour and in love do good to him; and no one by his own strength, only by the Lord's, can believe in God. When therefore the Lord is acknowledged and the neighbour is loved, the Lord is present within the love towards the neighbour, however unaware the person may be of it. This also is what the Lord's words in Matthew serve to mean,

The righteous will answer, Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You? But the King will say to them, Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matthew 25:37-40.

From these words it is evident that the Lord is within the good of charity, indeed is that good, even though those governed by this good are unaware of it. 'Brothers' is used in the proximate sense ³ to mean those governed by the good of charity; and in the abstract sense, without reference to persons, 'the Lord's brothers' are the good of charity itself, in all its forms, see 5063-5071.

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5319. 'And clothed him in robes of fine linen' means an outward sign denoting the celestial of the spiritual, 'robes of fine linen' being truths going forth from the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'robes' as truths, dealt with in 1073, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248. The reason 'robes of fine linen' means truths going forth from the Divine is that a robe made of fine linen was absolutely white and at the same time shining, and truth going forth from the Divine is represented by robes which have that kind of brightness and splendour. And the reason for this is that heaven derives its brightness and splendour from the light that flows from the Lord; and the light that flows from the Lord is Divine Truth itself, 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 1776, 3195, 3222, 3339, 3485, 3636, 3643, 3862, 4415, 4419, 4526, 5219. This explains why, when the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, His clothing appeared as the light, Matthew 17:2; glistening, intensely white like snow, as no fuller on earth could bleach them, Mark 9:3; and dazzling, Luke 9:29. It was Divine Truth itself going forth from the Lord's Divine Human that was represented in this manner. But they are exterior truths that are represented in heaven by the brightness of robes, whereas interior truths are represented by the brightness and splendour of the face. This is why 'being clothed in robes of fine linen' at this point means an outward sign denoting truth going forth from the celestial of the spiritual, for this was what the Lord's Divine consisted in at this time.

[2] There are other places too in the Word where truth going forth from the Divine is meant by 'fine linen' and 'robes of fine linen', as in Ezekiel,

I clothed you with embroidered cloth, and shed you with badger, and swathed you in fine linen, and covered you in silk. Thus were you adorned with gold and silver, and your robes were fine linen, and silk, and embroidered cloth. Ezekiel 16:10, 13.

This refers to Jerusalem, which is used in these verses to mean the Ancient Church. The truths of this Church are described by robes made of embroidered cloth, fine linen, and silk, and by being adorned with gold and silver. 'Embroidered cloth' means truths existing as facts, 'fine linen' natural truths, and 'silk' spiritual truths.

[3] In the same prophet,

Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt was your sail, that it might be to you an ensign; violet and purple from the islands of Elishah was your covering. Ezekiel 27:7.

This refers to Tyre, which too is used to mean the Ancient Church, but so far as cognitions of good and truth are concerned. 'Fine linen with embroidered work from Egypt, which was its sail' means truth obtained from factual knowledge, which was the outward sign of that Church.

[4] In John,

The merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over Babylon, since no one buys their wares any more, wares of gold, and silver, and precious stones, and pearls, and fine linen, and purple, and silk, and scarlet, and all thyine wood, and every vessel of ivory, and every vessel made of most precious wood, and bronze, and iron, and marble. Revelation 18:11-12.

All the specific commodities mentioned here mean the kinds of things that have to do with the Church and so truth and goodness. Here however they are used in the contrary sense because they are spoken of in reference to Babylon. Anyone may see that such commodities would never have been listed in the Word which has come down from heaven unless each one held something heavenly within it. What other reason can there be for a list of worldly wares when Babylon, meaning an unholy Church, is the subject? Similarly in the same book,

Woe, woe, the great city, you that were clothed in fine linen, and purple, and scarlet, covered ¹ with gold, and precious stones, and pearls. Revelation 18:16.

[5] The fact that each commodity means something Divine and heavenly is quite evident in the same book where it states what fine linen is, namely the righteous acts of the saints,

The time of the marriage of the Lamb has come, and His wife has made herself ready. At that time she was given fine linen, clean and shining, to wear; for the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. Revelation 19:7-8.

'Fine linen' is 'the righteous acts of the saints' for the reason that all those with whom truth received from the Divine exists are clothed with the Lord's righteousness. For their robes which are bright and shining are products of the light which flows from the Lord. Therefore in heaven truth itself is represented by 'brightness', 3301, 3997, 4007; and people who are being raised to heaven from a state of vastation are seen to be clothed with brightness because they are at this point casting off the robe of their own righteousness and putting on that of the Lord's righteousness.

[6] So that truth from the Divine might be represented in the Jewish Church, they were commanded to use cotton or fine linen in Aaron's vestments, and also in the curtains around the Ark, referred to in Moses as follows,

You shall make in chequered pattern for Aaron a tunic of cotton, and you shall make a turban of cotton. Exodus 28:39.

They made tunics of cotton, the work of a weaver, for Aaron and his sons. Exodus 39:27.

You shall make the Dwelling-place, ten curtains - fine-twined cotton, violet and purple and twice-dyed scarlet. Exodus 26:1; 36:8.

You shall make the court of the Dwelling-place. The hangings for the court shall be of fine-twined cotton. Exodus 27:9, 18; 38:9.

The screen for the gate of the court, the work of an embroiderer, violet and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet, and fine-twined cotton. Exodus 38:18.

Cotton is fine linen, which they were commanded to use because each object in the Ark and around the Ark, also every detail of Aaron's vestments, were representative of spiritual and celestial realities. From this one may see that a person has only a meagre understanding of the Word if he does not know what such things represent, and scarcely any understanding at all if he thinks that the Word possesses no holiness other than that which presents itself in the letter.

[7] When angels with whom truth from the Divine is present are seen by anyone they are clothed so to speak in fine linen, that is, in shining brightness, as is evident in John where 'a white horse' is referred to,

The One seated on a white horse was clothed in a garment dyed with blood, and His name is called the Word. His armies in heaven were following Him on white horses; they were clothed in fine linen, white and clean. Revelation 19:11, 13-14.

These words show quite plainly that 'fine linen' is an outward sign denoting truth from the Divine, for 'the One seated on a white horse' is the Lord as to the Word; indeed those words state quite explicitly that He is the Word. The Word is truth itself received from the Divine, and 'a white horse' is the internal sense of the Word, see 2760-2762. Consequently truths received from the Divine are meant by 'white horses', for such truths constitute the whole of the internal sense of the Word. This was why His armies were seen 'on white horses' and why 'they were clothed in fine linen, white and clean'.

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