Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9389

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9389. 'And twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel' means a representative sign of the Lord's Divine Human in respect of God's truth which springs wholly and completely from Him. This is clear from the meaning of 'a pillar' as a representative sign of the Lord's Divine Human in respect of truth, the reason why 'a pillar' has this meaning being that 'an altar' means a representative sign of the Lord's Divine Human in respect of good, and 'a pillar' in the representative sense means the holiness of truth that comes from the Lord, 4580, 4582; and from the meaning of 'twelve' and 'the twelve tribes' as all truths and forms of good in their entirety, dealt with in 577, 2089, 3858, 3913, 3926, 3939, 4060, 6335, 6337, 6397, 6640, 7973, thus those which spring from the Lord. The reason why the Lord's Divine Human is meant by 'an altar' and by 'pillars' is that all the Church's representative signs which are spoken of in the Word have regard in the highest sense to the Lord Himself. This being so, the subject of the Word in its inmost or highest sense is solely the Lord, in particular the glorification of His Human. This is what gives the Word all its holiness. But that sense presents itself chiefly in the inmost or third heaven, where those are who are governed by love to the Lord, and consequently possess wisdom more than all others.


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