8623. And Moses built an altar. That this signifies for what is holy of worship and of memory, is evident from the signification of “an altar,” as being the chief representative of the Lord (see n. 2777, 2811, 4489), and consequently what is holy of worship (n. 4541). That it is also for memory, is because in ancient times mounds were piled up as a witness unto and in memory of something that was to stand firm, and which they were to remember; and afterward also altars (n. 4192); in the present case in memory of the fact that because the hand of Amalek was against the throne of Jah, Jehovah would have war against him from generation to generation. That altars were erected for witness and memory, is also evident from the altar that the Reubenites, Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh built at the Jordan, concerning which they said to the sons of Israel, who on that account were disposed to make war against them, that they built it to be a witness that they would not worship Jehovah by burnt-offerings and sacrifices upon this altar, but upon the altar that was before the tabernacle; and therefore they called that altar “a witness between us and you that Jehovah is God” (Josh. 22:10-34).

1613. In the length of it and in the breadth of it. That this signifies the celestial and the spiritual, or what is the same, good and truth [may be seen from the signification of “length” and “breadth”]. That “length” signifies good, and “breadth” truth, may be seen explained before (n. 650). The reason is that “the land” signifies the heavenly kingdom, or the church, of which no length and breadth can be predicated, but only those things which are applicable and correspondent, which are goods and truths. The celestial, or good, being primary, is compared to length; and the spiritual or truth, being secondary, is compared to breadth.

[2] That “breadth” is truth, appears plainly enough in the prophetic Word. As in Habakkuk:

I raise up the Chaldeans, that bitter and swift nation, that walketh in the breadths of the land (Hab. 1:6);

“the Chaldeans” denote those who are in falsity; “to walk in the breadths of the land,” denotes to destroy truths, for this is predicated of the Chaldeans.

In David:

O Jehovah, Thou hast not shut me up into the hand of the enemy; Thou hast made my feet to stand in a broad place (Psalms 31:8);

“to stand in a broad place,” denotes in truth. Again:

Out of straightness have I called upon Jah; Jah answered me in a broad place (Psalms 118:5);

“to answer in a broad place,” denotes in the truth.

In Hosea:

Jehovah will feed them as a lamb, in a broad place (Hos. 4:16);

“to feed in a broad place,” signifies to teach truth.

[3] In Isaiah:

Asshur shall go through Judah, he shall overflow and pass through, he shall reach even to the neck, and the stretchings out of his wings shall be the fullness of the breadth of thy land (Isaiah 8:8);

“Asshur” denotes reasoning, which will overflow the land, or the church; “the wings” denote the reasonings whence falsities arise; “the fullness of the breadth,” denotes that it is full of falsities, or things contrary to truth. Because the “length” of a land signifies good, and its “breadth” truth, the New Jerusalem is said to have been measured, and to lie foursquare, and its length to be as great as its breadth (Revelation 21:16), from which everyone can see that the length and the breadth signify nothing else, since the New Jerusalem is nothing else than the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens and on earth. From the signification of things in the internal sense, modes of speaking concerning celestial and spiritual things by means of such things as are on earth, as by length and breadth, formerly became familiar; as the terms height and depth are used in common discourse at the present day, when predicated of wisdom.