9684. And the lampstand over against the table on the side of the Habitation toward the south. That this signifies the illumination of the spiritual kingdom by means of the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine human to those who are in good is evident from the signification of “the lampstand” as being the Lord as to Divine truth, thus the Divine truth that proceeds from His Divine Human, and the consequent illumination of His spiritual kingdom (of which in what follows); from the signification of “the table upon which were the breads of faces,” over against which was the lampstand, as being the Lord as to celestial good, and thus this good itself, from which and through which the Lord flows into the spiritual kingdom, that is, into the middle heaven (of which also in what follows); and from the signification of “on the side of the Habitation toward the south,” as being in heaven where the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine Human is in the greatest light; for the Habitation outside the veil, where the lampstand was, denotes the middle heaven (n. 9594), and “the south” or “midday” denotes where Divine truth is in its light (see n. 9642). That the lampstand was in the Habitation near the veil, and also the table upon which were the breads of faces; and that the lampstand was on the side toward the south, and the table on the side toward the north; are arcana of heaven which cannot be made plain unless it is known that the Habitation represented heaven, and the things in the Habitation the celestial and spiritual things which are in heaven. (What “the lampstand” represented has been shown above, n. 9548; and what “the table upon which were the breads of faces,” n. 9527, 9545; and what “the south” or “midday,” n. 9642; and what “the north,” n. 3708.) From this it can be seen that by “the lampstand on the side of the Habitation toward the south” is signified the illumination of the spiritual kingdom by means of the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine Human.

[2] But in order that the arcana themselves may be clearly seen, it must be stated how the case is in the heavens. The Lord appears to those who are of the celestial kingdom as a Sun, but to those who are of the spiritual kingdom as a Moon. The Lord as a Sun appears at a middle altitude over against the right eye; and as a Moon also at a middle altitude over against the left eye. From the Lord as a Sun, light comes to those who are in His celestial kingdom; and from the Lord as a Moon, light comes to those who are in His spiritual kingdom (concerning these two kingdoms, see the places cited in n. 9277). The light in the heavens is the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine Human, and this, when received by the angels of the spiritual kingdom, is called the truth of faith from the good of charity toward the neighbor. The middle heaven, which is called the spiritual heaven, consists of this good and this truth. The lampstand in the Habitation represented the Moon, from which those who are of the spiritual kingdom have light, thus it represented the Lord as to Divine truth there; for, as before said, the Lord appears as a Moon to those who belong to this kingdom. From all this it can now be seen why the lampstand was placed toward the south, for “the south” or “midday” denotes where Divine truth is in light (see n. 9642); and why the table upon which were the breads of faces was placed toward the north, for “the north” denotes where Divine truth is in obscurity (n. 3708). The case is the same with the Divine good signified by “the breads” upon this table; this good becomes spiritual good through the reception of Divine truth as of light from the Moon. These are the arcana which are signified by the lampstand and its position toward the south; and by the table upon which were the breads of faces, and its position toward the north.

[3] That “the lampstand” denotes the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine Human, is evident from Revelation:

I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the feet, and girt about the breasts with a golden girdle (Revelation 1:12-13);

“the Son of man” denotes the Lord in respect to the Divine truth from His Divine Human (n. 2803, 2813, 3704). And in another passage in the same book:

The glory of God shall lighten the Holy City Jerusalem, and the Lamb is the lamp thereof (Revelation 21:23);

“the glory of God” denotes the Divine truth that proceeds from the the Lord, (n. 9429); “the lamp which is the Lamb,” that is, the Lord, denotes faith, and the consequent intelligence of truth and wisdom of good, which are from the Lord alone (n. 9548); “the New Jerusalem” denotes the Lord’s New Church (see n. 2117).

[4] (That the Lord is a Sun to those who are in the celestial kingdom, and appears as a Moon to those who are in the spiritual kingdom, see n. 1053, 1521, 1529-1531, 3636, 3643, 5097, 7083, 7173, 7270, 8644, 8812; consequently that by “the sun” in the Word is signified the Lord as to celestial good, and by “the moon” the Lord as to spiritual good, n. 1529, 1530, 2441, 2495, 4060, 4696, 7083, 8644; and that the Lord as a Sun appears at a middle altitude over against the right eye, and as a Moon also at a middle altitude over against the left eye, n. 1531, 4321, 7078, 7171. It is for this reason that the east in heaven is where the Lord appears as a Sun, and the south where the Lord appears as a Moon. (That the light from the Lord as a Sun and as a Man is the Divine truth that proceeds from His Divine Human, 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.) And as the light from the Lord as a Sun and as a Moon is the Divine truth that proceeds from Him, therefore the heat from the Lord as a Sun in heaven is the Divine good of His Divine love (n. 3338, 3339, 3636, 3643, 5215, 6032).

[5] From this can be seen the nature of the difference between the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom of the Lord in respect to the reception of Divine truth, namely, that it is like the difference between the light from the sun and the light from the moon. (That on this account they who are in the spiritual kingdom are comparatively in obscurity in respect to the truth of faith and the good of love, see n. 2708, 2715, 2718, 2831, 2849, 2935, 2937, 3241, 3833, 6289, 6500, 6945, 7233; that these especially were saved by the coming of the Lord into the world, n. 2661, 2716, 3969, 6373, 6854, 6914, 7035, 7091, 7828, 7932a, 8018, 8054, 8159, 8321, 9596; and that they have illumination in the Lord’s Divine Human, n. 2716, 2833, 2834; but that those belonging to the spiritual church are saved who are in the good of life through the truths of faith, n. 2954, 6435, 6647, 6648, 7977, 7992, 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685, 8690, 8701)

2906. The years of the lives of Sarah. That this signifies while any truth Divine remained, is evident from the signification of a “year,” as being an entire period of the church from beginning to end; thus from the signification of the “years,” as being periods (see above, n. 2905); and from the signification of the “lives of Sarah,” as being states as to truth Divine (of which also just above, n. 2904); thus denoting here the limit when there was no longer any truth Divine remaining; which also follows from what immediately precedes.

[2] That a “year” signifies the entire time of a state of the church from beginning to end, or what is the same, an entire period; and consequently that “years” signify times or periods within the general period, may be seen from the following passages in the Word.

In Isaiah:

Jehovah hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the afflicted; He hath sent Me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and an opening of every kind to the bound, to proclaim the year of Jehovah’s good pleasure, and the day of vengeance to our God (Isaiah 61:1-2);

said of the Lord’s advent; the “year of Jehovah’s good pleasure” denotes the time of a new church. In the same:

The day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed is come (Isaiah 63:4);

this too is said of the Lord’s advent; the “year of the redeemed” denotes the time of a new church. In the same:

It is the day of vengeance to Jehovah; the year of retributions for the controversy of Zion (Isaiah 34:8); where the signification is similar.

[3] The same time is also called the “year of visitation” in Jeremiah:

I will bring evil upon the men of Anathoth, in the year of their visitation (Jeremiah 11:23).

In the same:

I will bring upon Moab the year of their visitation (Jeremiah 48:44).

Still more plainly in Ezekiel:

After many days thou shalt be visited; in the futurity of years thou shalt come into the land that is brought back from the sword, that is gathered out of many peoples, upon the mountains of Israel, which shall be for a waste continually (Ezekiel 38:8);

“the futurity of years” denotes the last time of the church, which then becomes no church, those being rejected who before were of the church, and others received from elsewhere.

In Isaiah:

Thus hath the Lord said unto me, Yet within a year, according to the years of a hireling, and all the glory of Kedar shall be consumed (Isaiah 21:16);

here also is meant the last time.

[4] In Ezekiel:

Thou art become guilty in thy blood that thou hast shed, and art defiled in thine idols which thou hast made; and thou hast caused thy days to draw near, and art come even unto thy years; therefore have I made thee a reproach unto the nations, and a mocking to all the lands (Ezekiel 22:4);

“to come even unto the years” denotes to the end, when the Lord withdraws from the church.

In Isaiah:

Now hath Jehovah spoken, saying, “Within three years, as the years of a hireling, and the glory of Moab shall be brought into contempt, with all his great multitude, and the remnant shall be very small (Isaiah 16:14);

“within three years” also denotes the end of the former church. That “three” denotes what is complete, and a beginning, may be seen above (n. 1825, 2788).

[5] Similar is the signification of “seven,” and also of “seventy” (n. 720, 728, 901); and therefore it is said in Isaiah:

And it shall come to pass in that day that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years, according to the days of one king; after the end of seventy years it shall be to Tyre as in the song of a harlot. And it shall come to pass after the end of seventy years that Jehovah will visit Tyre, and she shall return to her harlot hire (Isaiah 23:15-17);

“seventy years” denotes the entire period, from the time at which the church began even till it expires; which is also meant by “the days of one king,” for a “king” signifies the truth of the church (see n. 1672, 1728, 2015, 2069). The “seventy years” of captivity in which the Jews were, also involve something similar, of which likewise it is said in Jeremiah:

These nations shall serve the king of Babel seventy years; and it shall come to pass when seventy years are fulfilled, I will visit their iniquity upon the king of Babel, and upon this nation, saith Jehovah (Jeremiah 25:11-12; 29:10).

[6] That a “year,” and also “years,” denote the entire period of a church, or the time of its duration, may be seen still further in Malachi:

Behold I send Mine angel, and he shall prepare the way before Me; and the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to His temple, even the angel of the covenant whom ye desire; behold He cometh, said Jehovah Zebaoth; and who may endure the day of His coming? Then shall the offering of Judah and Jerusalem be pleasant unto Jehovah, according to the days of an age, and according to the ancient years (Malachi 3:1-2, 4); where the advent of the Lord is treated of; the “days of an age” denote the Most Ancient Church; “ancient years,” the Ancient Church; the “offering of Judah,” worship from celestial love; and the “offering of Jerusalem,” worship from spiritual love; that Judah is not meant here, nor Jerusalem, is plain.

In David:

I have considered the days of old, and the years of the ages (Psalms 77:5); where the “days of old” and the “years of the ages” denote the same churches. This is still more plain in Moses:

Remember the days of an age, understand the years of generation and generation; ask thy father, and he will show thee; thine elders, and they will tell thee. When the Most High gave to the nations their inheritance, when He separated the sons of man (Deuteronomy 32:7-8).

[7] That a “year” and “years” denote the full time of a church, is also plain in Habakkuk:

O Jehovah, I have heard Thy fame, I was afraid; O Jehovah, revive Thy work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known; in anger remember mercy. God will come from Teman, and the Holy One from Mount Paran (Hab. 3:2-3);

This is said of the Lord’s advent; “in the midst of the years” denotes in the fullness of times; and what is meant by the fullness of times” may be seen just above (n. 2905).

[8] As a “year” and “years” signify the full time between its two limits, which are the beginning and the end when predicated of the Lord’s kingdom on earth (that is, the church) so they signify what is eternal when predicated of the Lord’s kingdom in heaven. As in David:

O God, Thy years are to generation and generation; and Thou art He, and Thy years shall not be brought to an end. The sons of Thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before Thee (Psalms 102:24, 27-28).

In the same:

Thou wilt add days to the days of the king, his years shall be as generation and generation; he shall dwell before God forever (Psalms 61:6-7); where “years” denote what is eternal, for this treats of the Lord and His kingdom.

[9] The lambs which were offered for burnt-offering and sacrifice being “sons of their year” (see Leviticus 12:6; 14:10; Numbers 6:12; 7:15, 21, 27, 33, 39, 45, 51, 57, 63, 69, 75, 81, and other places), signified the celestial things of innocence in the Lord’s kingdom, which are eternal. And for this reason also the burnt-offering of calves that were “sons of a year” is mentioned as being most grateful (Micah 6:6).

[10] That in the internal sense a “year” does not signify a year, is also evident from the fact that the angels, who are in the internal sense of the Word, cannot have an idea of any year; but because a year is a full period of time in nature, which belongs to the world, therefore instead of a year they have an idea of what is full in respect to states of the church, and of what is eternal in respect to states of heaven; times with them are states (see n. 1274, 1382, 2625, 2788, 2837).