10019. 'And you shall fill the hand of Aaron and the hand of his sons' means consecration to represent the Lord's Divine Power exercised through Divine Truth springing from Divine Good ¹ . This is clear from the meaning of 'filling the hand' as being consecrated to represent the Lord in respect of Divine Truth springing from Divine Good, consequently to represent His power. Two practices existed through which consecration to the priesthood was effected, anointing and filling the hand. Through anointing consecration to represent the Lord in respect of His Divine Good was effected, for the oil used in anointing was a sign of the good of love, 10011; and through filling the hand consecration to represent the Lord in respect of Divine Truth springing from Divine Good, and so to represent His power, was effected, since 'the hand' means power, 878, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 6947, 7011, 7188, 7189, 7518, 7673, 8050, 8069, 8153, and 'hand' is used in reference to truth that springs from good, 3091, 3563, 4931, 8281, 9025. Because all power belongs to truth springing from good, 5623, 6344, 6423, 6948, 8200, 8304, 9327, 9410, 9639, 9643, and since the head and whole body exercise their power through the hands, and this power is the capacity to act that a human life possesses, 'the hand' also means whatever resides with a person, thus the entire person's capacity to act, 9133. From all this it may be seen what 'filling the hand' means. All power belongs to the Lord alone, and none whatever exists with any angel, spirit, or man other than that derived from Him, see 8200, 8281, 9327, 9410, 9639. The reason why consecration to the priesthood was effected through the two practices of anointing and filling the hand was that all things without exception that exist or come into existence in heaven and on earth have connection with good and with truth.

[2] But in what way filling the hand was carried out is described in verses 9-36 ² of the present chapter and in Leviticus 8:22-end. It was carried out by the use of the second ram, which for that reason is also called 'the ram of fillings [of the hand]'. The procedure was that after this ram had been slaughtered some of its blood was put on the tip of the right ear, the thumb of the right hand, and the big toe of the right foot of Aaron and his sons. Some blood from the altar and some of the anointing oil was then sprinkled over Aaron and his sons, and over their garments. The fat, the tail, the fat covering the intestines, the omentum on the liver, the kidneys with their fat, and the right flank of that ram, also unleavened bread, cakes, and wafers from the basket were placed on the palms of Aaron and his sons, and waved, after which they were burned on top of the burnt offering made from the first ram. But the breast, after it had been waved, and the left flank were for Aaron and his sons; the flesh from these was boiled in the holy place and, together with the remainder of the bread in the basket, was eaten by them at the door of the tent of meeting. Such was the procedure for 'filling the hand'. What is meant by each detail however will in the Lord's Divine mercy be stated further on.

[3] The Lord's Divine Power, which was represented by filling the hand of Aaron and his sons, is the Divine Power of saving the human race; and the power of saving the human race is power over the heavens and over the hells. By that power of the Lord's and by no other is a person saved; for all good that belongs to love and all truth that belongs to faith flow in from the Lord by way of the heavens. But neither can flow in unless the hells are removed, for the hells are the source of all evil and of all falsity arising from it. It is by the removal of the evils and consequent falsities which come from the hells, and at the same time by the inflow of the good of love and the truth of faith from the Lord by way of heaven, that a person is saved. When He was in the world the Lord overcame the hells and restored the heavens to order, and acquired for Himself Divine Power over them, see 9486, 9715, 9809, 9937, and the places referred to in 9528 (end). This power that is the Lord's is what was represented by filling the hand of priests; for the Lord's whole work of salvation was meant by the priestly office, 9809.

[4] The truth that the Lord possesses this power is His own explicit teaching in Matthew,

All power in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Matthew 28:18.

And in Luke,

Jesus spoke to the seventy who were saying that the demons obeyed them, Behold, I give you the power to trample on serpents and on scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, that nothing whatever may hurt you. All things have been delivered to Me by My Father. Luke 10:19, 22.

These words describe the Lord's power over the hells. 'The demons' are those in the hells, 'serpents and scorpions' are evils and the falsities of evil, 'trampling on them' is destroying them. The hells are also meant by 'the enemy' whom they would have power over.

[5] The truth that the Lord acquired that power for Himself when He was in the world is clear in Isaiah,

Who is This who comes from Edom, marching in the vast numbers of His strength, mighty to save? My own arm brought salvation to Me. Therefore He became their Saviour. Isaiah 63:1-10.

The fact that these words refer to the Lord is well known in the Church, as in like manner do those which occur elsewhere in the same prophet,

His own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness lifted Him up. Consequently He put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation upon His head. And the Redeemer came to Zion. Isaiah 59:16-21.

And in David,

Jehovah said to my Lord, Sit at My right hand, till I make your enemies as your footstool. Jehovah will send the rod of your strength from Zion; have dominion in the midst of [your] enemies. The Lord is at your right hand. Psalms 110:1ff.

The fact that these statements refer to the Lord is His own teaching in Matthew 22:44. His dominion over the hells is described there by 'sitting at the right hand', for 'the right hand' means the power that Divine Truth springing from Divine Good possesses. The hells and the evils and falsities coming from them are the enemies that were to be made as His footstool; they are also the enemies in whose midst He was to have dominion.

[6] The truth that 'Jehovah's right hand' means Divine Power is evident from a large number of places in the Word, as in Moses,

Your right hand, O Jehovah, is magnificent in strength; Your right hand, O Jehovah, breaks the enemy in pieces. Exodus 15:6.

In David,

O God, You give me the shield of salvation, and Your right hand supports me. Psalms 18:35.

In the same author,

Their arm did not save them, but Your right hand, and Your arm, and the light of Your face. Psalms 44:3.

The words 'Your right hand, and Your right arm, and the light of [Your] face' are used because 'right hand' means power, 'arm' strength, and 'light of the face' Divine Truth springing from Divine Good. For the meaning of 'arm' as strength, see 4932, 4934, 4935, 7205; 'light' as Divine Truth, 9548, 9684; and 'Jehovah's face' as Divine Good, 222, 5585, 9306. In the same author,

O God, Your right hand supports me. Psalms 63:8.

In the same author,

O Jehovah, You have an arm with power; strong is Your hand. Your right hand will be lifted up. Psalms 89:13.

In Isaiah,

Jehovah has sworn by His right hand, by His mighty arm ³ . Isaiah 62:8.

And in David,

O Jehovah, let Your hand be for the man of Your right hand, for the son of man [whom] You have made strong for Yourself. Then we will not turn back from You. Psalms 80:17-18.

[7] From these things it may now be seen what the meaning of the Lord's words in Matthew is,

Jesus said, Hereafter you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of power. Matthew 26:64.

And in Luke,

Hereafter the Son of Man will be seated at the right hand of the power of God. Luke 22:69.

'The Son of Man' means the Lord in respect of Divine Truth, see 9807, while 'right hand', as is clear from what has been shown immediately above, means Divine Power; and this also accounts for the expression 'the right hand of power'.

From all this it is now evident what the anointing of Aaron and his sons represented, and what filling their hand represented, namely that anointing them represented the Divine Good of Divine Love within the Lord, 9954 (end), and filling their hand Divine Truth and therefore Divine Power. For all power resides with Divine Good exercised through Divine Truth, and that power belongs to the Lord alone, see the texts quoted above. Here also is the reason why in the Old Testament Word the Lord is called Hero, Man of War, and also Jehovah Zebaoth, that is, Jehovah of Armies.

Imibhalo yaphansi:

9547. Verses 31-39 And you shall make a lampstand from pure gold; solid shall the lampstand be made. ¹ Its shaft and its branch, its cups, its pomegranates, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it. ² And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it. There shall be three almond-shaped cups on one branch, a pomegranate and a flower, and three almond-shaped cups on one branch, ³ a pomegranate and a flower - thus for the six branches going out of the lampstand. And on [the shaft of] the lampstand there shall be four almond-shaped cups, its pomegranates and its flowers. And there shall be a pomegranate under [the first] two branches out of it, and a pomegranate under [the second] two branches out of it, and a pomegranate under [the third] two branches out of it - for the six branches going out of the lampstand. Their pomegranates and their branches shall be of one piece with it, ¹ all [shall be part] of it - one solid [piece made] from pure gold. And you shall make its seven lamps; and let it cause its lamps to go up and give light before its faces. ⁴ And its tongs and its trowels ⁵ [shall be made] from pure gold. A talent of pure gold shall [be used to] make it, together with all these vessels.

'And you shall make a lampstand' means the spiritual heaven. 'From pure gold' means that it must spring from celestial good. 'Solid shall the lampstand be made' means that all of it must spring from good. 'Its shaft and its branch, its cups' means the spiritual entities within the natural. 'Its pomegranates' means factual knowledge of good. 'And its flowers' means factual knowledge of truth. 'Shall be of one piece with it' means that both must form part of the spiritual springing from celestial good. 'And there shall be six branches going out of its sides' means all the capacities of truth derived from good in their entirety. 'Three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it' means completeness so far as good and truth are concerned. 'There shall be three almond-shaped cups' means completeness so far as factual knowledge derived from good is concerned. 'On one branch' means the power of truth derived from good. 'A pomegranate and a flower' means a known fact about good and a known fact about truth. 'And three almond-shaped cups on one branch, a pomegranate and a flower' has the same meaning. 'Thus for the six branches going out of the lampstand' means the power of truth derived from good so far as all things in the spiritual heaven are concerned. 'And on [the shaft of] the lampstand' means the middle of it, by means of which everything is brought together, and from which powers are derived. 'There shall be four almond-shaped cups' means factual knowledge of truth derived from good. 'Its pomegranates and its flowers' means factual knowledge of good and truth. 'And there shall be a pomegranate under [the first] two branches out of it, and a pomegranate under [the second] two branches out of it, and a pomegranate under [the third] two branches out of it' means factual knowledge of good for every single truth. 'For the six branches going out of the lampstand' means the power of truth derived from good so far as all things in the spiritual heaven are concerned. 'Their pomegranates and their branches shall be of one piece with it, all [shall be part] of it' means that the factual knowledge of good and the powers must spring from the Divine Spiritual, which comes from the Lord. 'One solid [piece made] from pure gold' means unblemished and perfect because it all consists of the same good. 'And you shall make its seven lamps' means the holy spiritual things from it. 'And let it cause its lamps to go up' means the light of the spiritual heaven. 'And give light before its faces' means from the Divine Good of the Lord's Divine Human. 'And its tongs and its trowels' means things in the natural that serve to purify and clean out. '[Shall be made] from pure gold' means that these too must consist of good. 'A talent of pure gold shall [be used to] make it, together with all these vessels' means celestial good from which spiritual good together with its factual knowledge springs.

Imibhalo yaphansi: