10360. And ye shall keep the Sabbath. That this signifies that the Divine Human of the Lord is to be worshiped, is evident from the signification of “keeping,” when said of the Divine, as being to worship; and from the signification of “the Sabbath,” as being in the supreme sense the union of the Divine which is called the “Father” and of the Divine Human which is called the “Son,” thus the Divine Human in which is this union. This union is signified by “the Sabbath,” because by the six days of labor which precede the seventh is signified every state of combat; for in the spiritual sense “labor” does not mean such labor as there is in the world, but such as those who are in the church endure before they enter the church and become the church, which labor is combat against evils and falsities of evil. A like “labor” (in the spiritual sense) was endured by the Lord when He was in the world; for He then fought against the hells, and reduced them and likewise the heavens into order, and at the same time He glorified His Human, that is, He united it to the Divine Itself which He had from conception (see n. 9715, 9809).

[2] The time and state when the Lord was in combats is signified by the six days of labor, but the state when the union had been effected is signified by the seventh day, which is called “the Sabbath,” from “rest,” because the Lord then had rest. Consequently by “the Sabbath” is signified also the conjunction of the Lord with heaven, with the church, with an angel of heaven, and with a man of the church. The reason is that all who are to come into heaven must first be in combats against evils and the falsities of evil, and when these have been separated they enter heaven and are conjoined with the Lord, and then they have rest. It is similar with men in the world. It is known that these must be in combats, that is, that they must undergo temptations, before the good and truth which make the church have been implanted in them; thus before they have been conjoined with the Lord, consequently before they have rest. From this it is evident whence it is that a state of combat is signified by the six days of labor, while rest and also conjunction are signified by the seventh day or the Sabbath.

[3] That the conjunction of good and truth also, is signified by “the Sabbath,” is because when a man is in combats he is in truths; but when truths have been conjoined with good, thus when the man is in good, he then has rest; in like manner as the Lord, when He was in the world, and fought with the hells, was in respect to His Human Divine truth; and when He had united His Human to the Divine Itself, He then, even in respect to His Human, became the Divine good, or Jehovah.

[4] (That the six days which precede the Sabbath denote the combats which precede and prepare for the heavenly marriage, which is the conjunction of good and truth, may be seen in n. 8510, 8888, 9431. As regards the former state, when man is in truths and at the same time in combats against evils and falsities of evils, which state is signified by “the six days of labor,” and as regards the latter state, when he is in good and is led by the Lord, which is signified by “the Sabbath,” see n. 7923, 7992, 8505, 8506, 8510, 8512, 8516, 8539, 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685, 8690, 8701, 8772, 9139, 9224, 9227, 9230, 9274, 9832. That when the Lord was in the world He made His Human first Divine truth, and afterward Divine good, see the places cited in n. 9199, 9315; and that He did this by the combats of temptations, see the places cited in n. 9528.)

[5] Therefore he who knows that by “the Sabbath” in the supreme sense is meant the union of the Divine Itself in the Divine Human of the Lord, may know what those things signify which are so often said in the Word about the Sabbath, as in Isaiah:

If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, so that thou doest not thine inclinations on the day of My holiness; but shalt call the Sabbath honorable delights to the Holy One of Jehovah; and shalt honor it, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own desire, nor speaking a word; then shalt thou delight thyself upon Jehovah; and I will exalt thee on the high places of the earth, and I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father (Isaiah 58:13-14);

He who is acquainted with the internal sense of the Word can plainly see that in this passage by “the Sabbath” is signified the state of conjunction of man with the Lord, thus the state when man is led by the Lord and not by himself, which state is when he is in good. For to be led by the Lord, and not by self, is to “turn away the foot from the Sabbath, not to do one’s own inclinations, not to do one’s own ways, not to find one’s own desire, and not to speak a word.” That in this case the church is in him, and also heaven, is signified by that “he shall be exalted on the high places of the earth, and shall be fed with the heritage of Jacob.” Moreover, that “the Sabbath” denotes the Divine Human in which is union, is signified by the Sabbath being called “a day of holiness and of delight to the Holy One of Jehovah.”

[6] And in Jeremiah:

If ye will hallow the Sabbath day, then shall there enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in the chariot and on horses (Jeremiah 17:24-25);

He who is not acquainted with the internal sense of the Word will suppose that these things are to be understood according to the sense of the letter, namely, that if they would hallow the Sabbath, kings and princes would enter in by the gates of the city Jerusalem, and would ride in the chariot and on horses. This however is not the meaning; but that those who reverently worship the Divine Human of the Lord shall be in the Divine truths of heaven and of the church; for by “Jerusalem” is meant the church; by “kings and princes,” its Divine truths; by “the throne of David,” heaven where the Lord is; by “chariot,” the doctrine of good and truth; and by “horses,” an enlightened understanding. (That “Jerusalem” denotes the church, see n. 2117, 3654; that “kings” denote Divine truths, n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148; that “princes” denote primary truths, n. 1482, 2089, 9954; that a “throne” denotes heaven, n. 5313; that “a chariot” denotes the doctrine of good and truth, n. 5321, 8215; and that “horses” denote an understanding which is enlightened, n. 2760-2762, 3217, 5321, 6534)

[7] As by “the Sabbath” was signified the Lord as to the Divine Human in which there is union, it was therefore commanded that the breads of faces should be set in order upon the table every Sabbath (Leviticus 24:8). That the Lord as to the Divine Human is meant by “bread” is known in the church. For this reason also when the Lord was in the world He called Himself “the Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8; Mark 2:27-28; Luke 6:1-5).

[8] And therefore when the Lord was in the world, and united His Human to the Divine Itself, He abrogated the Sabbath in respect to representative worship, or in respect to its worship such as was with the Israelitish people; and made the Sabbath day a day of instruction in the doctrine of faith and of love. This is involved in what is written in John:

Jesus healing a certain man on the Sabbath day said to him, Take up thy bed and walk; and he took up his bed and walked. But the Jews said that it was not allowable to carry a bed on the Sabbath day, and sought to kill the Lord, because He loosed the Sabbath (John 5:8-10, 18).

By the “healing of the sick” is signified the purifying of man from evils and the falsities of evil; by a “bed” is signified doctrine; and by “walking” is signified life.

[9] (That all the healings of diseases which were performed by the Lord involve purification from evils and falsities, or restorations to spiritual life, see n. 8364, 9031, 9086; and that “to walk” denotes life, n. 519, 1794, 8417, 8420.) That a “bed” denotes doctrine is evident from the passages in the Word where a “bed” is mentioned, and also from the representatives in the other life, where when a bed appears and one lying on it, there is signified the doctrine in which he is; consequently beds appear there most highly adorned for those who are in truths from good. But no one can know that such things are signified by the above words of the Lord except by the internal sense, for the Lord spoke by correspondences, thus by significatives, because from the Divine.

8215. And He took off the wheel of his chariots. That this signifies the power of inflicting falsities taken away, is evident from the signification of “to take off,” as being to take away; from the signification of “a wheel,” as being the power of advancing (of which below); and from the signification of “the chariots of Pharaoh,” as being doctrinal things of falsity (see n. 8146, 8148), thus falsities. What a “wheel” signifies in the genuine sense, can be seen from the signification of a “chariot.” Chariots were of two kinds: there were chariots for conveying merchandise, and chariots for war. By chariots for conveying merchandise were signified doctrinal things of truth, and in the opposite sense doctrinal things of falsity; and by chariots for war were also signified doctrinal things in both senses, but fighting ones, thus the truths themselves, and the falsities themselves, prepared for war. From this it can be seen what is meant by “the wheel of a chariot,” namely, the power of advancing, here of inflicting falsities and of fighting against truths. As this power belongs to man’s intellectual part, by a “wheel” is also signified the intellectual part in respect to those things which are of doctrine.

[2] In the other life there frequently appear chariots laden with merchandise of various kinds; the chariots differ in form and size; and when they appear, there are signified by them truths in their complex, or doctrinal things, which are as it were receptacles of truth; and by the merchandise are signified knowledges of various use. These things appear when the angels discourse in heaven about doctrines; for as their discourse cannot be comprehended by those who are beneath, it is presented representatively, and as before said, to some by means of chariots, in which each and all things of the discourse are presented in a form, and before the eyes, from which the contents of the discourse can be comprehended and seen in a moment; some in the form of the chariot; some in its construction; some in its color; some in its wheels; some in the horses which draw it; some in the merchandise which the chariot conveys. It is from these representatives that “chariots” in the Word signify doctrinal things.

[3] From this it can in some measure be seen that by the “wheel of chariots” is signified the power of understanding; for as a chariot moves and goes forward by means of the wheels, so the truths which are of doctrinal things move forward by means of the understanding. This is also signified by “wheels” in Isaiah:

Whose arrows are sharp, and all the bows bent; the hoofs of his horses are accounted as rock; his wheels as a whirlwind (Isaiah 5:28);

speaking of him who vastates truth: “arrows” denote falsities; and a “bow” the doctrine of falsity (n. 2686, 2709); “the hoofs of the horses” denote sensuous memory-knowledges from a perverted understanding (n. 7729); “wheels,” the powers of perverting and destroying truths, like a whirlwind.

[4] In Ezekiel:

I saw the living creatures, when behold one wheel on the earth with the living creatures, beside the four faces thereof. The appearance of the wheels and their work was as the look of a beryl; and they four had the same likeness; moreover their appearance and their work was as it were a wheel in the midst of a wheel; where they went, they went upon their four squares; they turned not when they went. [As for] their circles, they had height and they had fear; moreover their circles were full of eyes round about for them four: thus when the living creatures went, the wheels went with them; the spirit of the living creatures was in the wheels (Ezekiel 1:15-20; also 10:9-17);

by the “four living creatures” which were cherubs, is signified the providence of the the Lord, (n. 308); by the “wheels,” Divine intelligence, or foresight; from which it is said that “the wheels went together with the living creatures,” and that “their circles were full of eyes,” also that “the spirit of the living creature was in them,” that is, the truth of wisdom.

[5] In Daniel:

I saw even until the thrones were cast forth, and the Ancient of days did sit: His garment like the white snow; the hair of His head like the clean wool; His throne flames of fire; His wheels burning fire (Daniel 7:9);

here “the Ancient of days” denotes the Lord as to Divine good; “the thrones cast forth” denote falsities; “His garment” denotes truth Divine in the external form; “the hair of His head” denotes good Divine in the external form; “His throne” denotes heaven and the church; the “wheels” denote the things of wisdom and of intelligence, thus truths Divine; “burning fire” denotes the things of love and charity.

Under the ten basins around the temple of Solomon there were also wheels of brass; the work of the wheels was like the work of a chariot wheel; their hands, and their backs, and their tires, and their spokes, were all molten (1 Kings 7:30-33);

by these “basins” or “bases” were signified receptacles of the truth, by means of which a man is purified and regenerated; by the “wheels” were signified the intellectual powers, whereby is advancement.