9548. And thou shalt make a lampstand. That this signifies the spiritual heaven, is evident from the signification of the “lampstand,” as being the Divine spiritual in heaven and in the church from the Lord. That by the “lampstand” is signified the Divine spiritual is because by “the table on which were the breads of faces” is signified the Divine celestial, as was shown in what goes before. The Divine celestial is the good of love, and the Divine spiritual is the truth of faith thence derived; both proceeding from the Lord. That the “lampstand” denotes the Divine spiritual is from its illumination, for the Divine truth which proceeds from the Divine good of the Lord is what gives light in heaven, nor have the angels light from any other source. Hence it is that in the Word the Lord is called “the Light,” and by “light” is signified faith, also the intelligence of truth and the wisdom of good, which are from the Lord alone (see n. 1053, 1521-1533, 1619-1632, 2776, 3094, 3138, 3167, 3190, 3195, 3222, 3223, 3337, 3339, 3341, 3636, 3643, 3862, 3993, 4060, 4180, 4302, 4408, 4414, 4415, 4419, 4527, 4598, 5400, 6032, 6313, 6315, 6608, 6907, 7174, 8644, 8707, 8861, 9399, 9407).

[2] That the “lampstand” denotes the spiritual heaven from the Divine truth which is from the Lord, thus also the church; and that a “lamp” denotes faith, also the intelligence of truth and the wisdom of good, which are from the Lord alone; is evident from passages in the Word where a “lampstand,” and a “lamp,” are mentioned; as in John:

I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of man. The seven lampstands are the seven churches (Revelation 1:12-13, 20).

I will remove thy lampstand out of its place, except thou repent (Revelation 2:5).

The church is here called a “lampstand” from the Divine truth which is there from the Lord; for it is said, “the seven lampstands are the seven churches;” that the church is from the Divine truth is plain from its being said, “I will remove thy lampstand except thou repent;” that it is from the Lord is also plain, for it is said, “in the midst of the lampstands was one like unto the Son of man.” (That the Lord is called “the Son of man” from Divine truth, see n. 2803, 2813, 3704)

[3] In the same:

I will give unto My two witnesses that they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and sixty days. These are the two olive-trees and the two lampstands that stand before the God of the earth (Revelation 11:3-4).

The “two witnesses” denote the Word of both Testaments in respect to its witnessing concerning the Lord; it is called an “olive-tree” from the Divine good, and a “lampstand” from the Divine truth, which are from the Lord.

[4] In Zechariah:

The angel said unto the prophet, What seest thou? to whom I said, I see, and behold a lampstand all of gold, with its flask upon the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon, and seven funnels to the lamps. Two olive-trees near it, one on the right side of the flask, and one on the left side thereof (Zech. 4:2-3);

this is said of Zerubbabel, who was about to lay the foundation of the house of God and to complete it, by whom is represented the Lord in that He would come and restore the spiritual heaven and church, which are the “lampstand,” and the holy truths therein, which are the “seven lamps.”

[5] That a “lamp” denotes faith, also the intelligence of truth and wisdom of good, which are from the Lord alone, is evident in John:

The holy Jerusalem hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; the glory of God shall lighten it, and the Lamb is the light thereof. The nations which are saved shall walk in His light (Revelation 21:23-24).

There shall be no night there; and they need no lamp, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light (Revelation 22:5).

In the former passage “the lamp” denotes the Divine truth which is from the Lord; and “the light,” faith, thus also intelligence and wisdom. Again:

The light of a lamp shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee (Revelation 18:23).

[6] And in Jeremiah:

I will take away the voice of joy and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voice of the millstones, and the light of the lamp; that the whole land shall be a desolation and a devastation (Jeremiah 25:10-11);

speaking of the extinction of faith and thereby of intelligence in spiritual things, which is meant by “the lamp which shall no longer be, and by the light of the lamp which shall be taken away.”

[7] In like manner in Job:

How oft is the lamp of the wicked put out, and destruction cometh upon them (Job 21:17).

Thou lightest my lamp; Jehovah my God maketh my darkness to shine (Psalms 18:28; also 2 Samuel 22:29).

From Thy commands I am become intelligent, Thy Word is a lamp to my foot, and a light to my path (Psalms 119:104, 119:106).

When God maketh His lamp to shine upon my head, by His light I walked in darkness (Job 29:3).

The lamp of the body is the eye; if thine eye be upright, thy whole body is full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be darkened. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is the darkness (Matthew 6:22-23; also Luke 8:16; 11:33-36);

by “the eye” is here meant faith and the intelligence from it (that these things are meant in the internal sense by “the eye,” see n. 4403-4421, 4523-4534, 9051). From this it is plain what is signified by “the whole body being full of light if the eye be upright, and by the whole body being darkened if the eye be evil.” As faith and the derivative intelligence and wisdom are signified by a “lamp,” therefore the kings of Judah are called “lamps for David” (1 Kings 11:36; 1 Kings 15:4; 2 Kings 8:19); and David is called “the lamp of Israel” (2 Samuel 21:16-17); not that the kings of Judah, nor David, were lamps, but that by a “king” is signified the Divine truth which is from the the Lord, (n. 6148); and by “David,” the Lord as to Divine truth, from which are faith, intelligence, and wisdom (n. 1888).

6032. And he was seen of him. That this signifies perception, is evident from the signification of “to see,” as being to understand and to perceive (see n. 2150, 3764, 4567, 4723, 5400), and also to have faith (n. 2325, 2807, 3863, 3869, 4403, 4421, 5400). In regard to “seeing” as denoting to understand and thence to perceive and also to have faith, be it known that there are two things with man which make his life, namely, Spiritual Light and Spiritual Heat. Spiritual light makes the life of his understanding, and spiritual heat the life of his will. Spiritual light is from its first origin Divine truth from the Divine good of the Lord, and hence is the truth of faith from the good of charity. And spiritual heat is from its first origin the Divine good of the Divine love of the Lord, and hence is the good of celestial love, which is love to the Lord, and the good of spiritual love, which is love toward the neighbor. These two, as before said, constitute the whole life of man.

[2] As regards spiritual light, it is with this in the understanding of man as it is with natural light in his external sight; namely, in order that the eye may see, it is necessary that there be light to illumine, and then the eye sees in the light all things which are round about outside of it. So the intellectual mind, which is man’s internal eye-in order that this eye may see, it is necessary for the light of heaven, which is from the Lord, to illumine it; and when this eye is illumined by this light, it then sees the things which are round about outside of itself; but the objects which it sees are spiritual, namely, memory-knowledges and truths. But when this light does not illumine, the intellectual mind or internal eye of man, like the external or bodily eye, is in darkness and sees nothing, that is, from memory-knowledges nothing of truth, and from truths nothing of good. The light which illumines the intellectual mind is in very truth light, and such light that it a thousand times surpasses the midday light of the world, which I bear witness to because I have seen it. By this light all the angels in the heavens see the things which are round about outside of themselves, and also by the same light they see and perceive the truths which are of faith, and their quality. Hence then it is that by “seeing” is signified in the spiritual sense not only the understanding, but also whatever is of the understanding, as thought, reflection, observation, prudence, and many such things; likewise not only faith, but also whatever is of faith, as truth, doctrine from the Word, and the like.

[3] But as regards spiritual heat, it is with this in the will of man as it is with natural heat in the body, in that it vivifies. But in its first origin, which origin is from the Lord, spiritual heat is nothing else than the Divine love toward the universal human race, and from this the reciprocal love of man to Him and also toward the neighbor. And this spiritual heat is in very truth heat, which gladdens the bodies of the angels with heat, and at the same time their interiors with love. Hence it is that by “heat,” “flame,” and “fire” in the Word are signified in the genuine sense those things which are of love, as the affections of good and of truth, and also good itself.