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Arcana Coelestia #10360

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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.

  
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Arcana Coelestia #9954

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9954. And thou shalt anoint them. That this signifies a representative of the Lord as to the good of love, is evident from the signification of “anointing,” as being inauguration to represent (see n. 9474). That it denotes inauguration to represent the Lord as to the good of love, or what is similar, to represent the good of love which is from the Lord, is because by the oil wherewith the anointing was done is signified the good of love (n. 886, 4582, 4638, 9780). It is important to know about this, because anointing has remained in use from ancient time to the present day; for kings are anointed; and anointing is accounted holy at the present day in like manner as it was formerly. Among the ancients, when all external worship was performed by means of representatives, that is, by such things as represented the interior things of faith and love from the Lord and to Him, thus such as are Divine, anointing was instituted for the reason that the oil with which the anointing was done, signified the good of love; for they knew that the good of love was that essential thing from which all things of the church and of worship live, because it is the being of life. For the Divine flows in with a man through the good of love, and makes his life, indeed that heavenly life in which truths are received in good. From this it is plain what anointing represented. Wherefore the things which were anointed were called holy, and were also accounted as holy, and were of service to the church for representing Divine and heavenly things, and in the supreme sense the Lord Himself who is good itself, thus for representing the good of love which is from Him, and also the truth of faith insofar as it lives from the good of love. From this then it was that at that time they anointed stones that were set up for pillars; also weapons of war, such as shields and bucklers; and afterward the altar and all its vessels; likewise the Tent of meeting, and all things therein; and moreover, those who administered the priesthood, and their garments; likewise prophets, and lastly kings, who from this were called “the anointed of Jehovah.” It also became customary to anoint themselves and others, in order to testify gladness of mind and goodwill.

[2] As regards the first point: That they anointed stones erected for pillars, this is evident in the book of Genesis:

Jacob rose up early in the morning, and took the stone that he had placed for his pillows, and set it up for a pillar, and poured oil upon the head of it (Genesis 28:18).

The reason why they anointed stones in this manner was that “stones” signified truths, and truths without good have no life of heaven within them, that is, no life from the Divine. But when the stones were anointed with oil, they represented truths from good, and in the supreme sense the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord’s Divine good, thus the Lord Himself, who from this was called “the Stone of Israel” (n. 6426). (That “stones” denote truths, see n. 643, 1298, 3720, 3769, 3771, 3773, 3789, 3798, 6426, 8941, 9476; in like manner “pillars,” n. 3727, 4580, 9388, 9389; and that “to anoint pillars” denotes to cause truths to be from good, thus to be truths of good, consequently goods, see n. 3728, 4090, 4582.) That stones erected for pillars were afterward accounted holy, is evident from the same chapter of Genesis, where it is said:

Jacob called the name of that place Bethel, and said, If I return in peace to my father’s house, this stone, which I have set up for a pillar, shall be God’s house (Genesis 28:19-22).

“Bethel” means “the house of God,” and “the house of God” denotes the church, and also heaven, and in the supreme sense the Lord Himself (n. 3720).

[3] Secondly: That they anointed the weapons of war, such as shields and bucklers, is evident in Isaiah:

Rise up, ye Princes, anoint the shield (Isaiah 21:5).

The shield of the heroes was defiled, the shield of Saul not anointed with oil (2 Samuel 1:21).

The reason why weapons of war were anointed, was that they signified truths fighting against falsities; and truths from good are what prevail against falsities; but not truths without good. Wherefore weapons of war represented the truths that proceed from the good which is from the Lord, thus the truths by means of which the Lord Himself in men fights for them against falsities from evil, that is, against the hells. (That “weapons of war” denote truths that fight against falsities, see n. 1788, 2686; for in the Word “war” signifies spiritual combat, see n. 1664, 2686, 8273, 8295; and “enemies” signify the hells, and in general, evils and falsities, n. 2851, 8289, 9314.)

[4] Thirdly: That they anointed the altar and all its vessels, also the Tent of meeting and all the things therein, is evident in Moses:

Jehovah said unto Moses, Thou shalt anoint the altar and sanctify it (Exodus 29:36).

Thou shalt make an anointing oil of holiness with which thou shalt anoint the Tent of meeting, and the ark of the Testimony, and the table and all the vessels thereof, and the lampstand and all the vessels thereof, and the altar of incense, and the altar of burnt-offering and all the vessels thereof, and the laver and the base thereof. Thus thou shalt sanctify them, that they may be holy of holies; whosoever toucheth them shall sanctify himself (Exodus 30:25-29).

Thou shalt take the anointing oil, and anoint the Habitation, and all that is therein, and thou shalt sanctify it, and all the vessels thereof, that they may be holy. And thou shalt anoint the altar of burnt-offering, and all its vessels, and thou shalt sanctify the altar, that the altar may be holy of holies. And thou shalt anoint the laver and its base, and shalt sanctify it (Exodus 40:9-11).

Moses anointed the Habitation and all that was therein; and he sprinkled of the oil upon the altar and all its vessels, and the laver and its base, to sanctify them (Leviticus 8:10-12; Numbers 7:1).

[5] The reason why the altar, and the Habitation with all things therein, were anointed, was that they might represent the Divine and holy things of heaven and of the church, consequently the holy things of worship; and they could not represent these things unless they had been inaugurated by means of something that represented the good of love; for the Divine enters through the good of love, and through this good is present in heaven and in the church, consequently also in worship. Without this good the Divine does not enter, and is not present, but what is man’s own, and with this, hell; and when hell is present, evil and falsity are present; for man’s own is nothing else. From this it is evident why the anointing was done with oil; for in the representative sense “oil” denotes the good of love (see n. 886, 4582, 4638, 9780); and the altar was the chief representative of the Lord, and from this of worship from the good of love (n. 2777, 2811, 4489, 4541, 8935, 8940, 9388, 9389, 9714); and the Habitation together with the ark was the chief representative of heaven where the Lord is (n. 9457, 9481, 9485, 9594, 9596, 9632, 9784). (That what is man’s own is nothing but evil and falsity, thus hell, see n. 210, 215, 694, 874-876, 987, 1047, 3812, 5660, 8480, 8941, 8944; also that insofar as what is man’s own is removed, so far the Lord can be present, n. 1023, 1044, 4007)

[6] Fourthly: That they anointed those who administered the priesthood, and their garments, is evident in Moses:

Take thou the anointing oil, and pour it upon the head of Aaron, and anoint him (Exodus 29:7; 30:30).

Thou shalt put on Aaron the holy garments; and thou shalt anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may minister to Me in the priest’s office; and thou shalt anoint his sons, as thou didst anoint their father; and it shall be that their anointing shall be to them for the priesthood of an age in their generations (Exodus 40:13-15).

Moses poured of the oil upon Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him. Then he took of the anointing oil, and of the blood which was upon the altar, and sprinkled it upon Aaron, upon his garments, upon his sons, and upon his sons’ garments with him; and sanctified Aaron, his garments, and his sons, and his sons’ garments with him (Leviticus 8:12, 30).

[7] The reason why Aaron was anointed, and why his sons were anointed, and even their garments, was that they might represent the Lord as to Divine good, and as to the Divine truth thence derived; Aaron, the Lord as to Divine good; and his sons, the Lord as to the Divine truth thence derived; and in general, that the priesthood might represent the Lord as to the whole work of salvation. The reason why they were anointed in his garments (Exodus 29:29) was that Aaron’s garments represented the Lord’s spiritual kingdom joined to His celestial kingdom. The celestial kingdom is where the good of love to the Lord from the Lord reigns; so that the influx of the Divine into the spiritual kingdom is effected through the good of love. On this account the inauguration into representation was effected with oil, which in the spiritual sense denotes the good of love. (That Aaron represented the Lord as to Divine good may be seen above, n. 9806; and that his sons represented the Lord as to Divine truth proceeding from Divine good, n. 9807; also that the priesthood in general represented the Lord as to the whole work of salvation, n. 9809; that Aaron’s garments represented the Lord’s spiritual kingdom joined to His celestial kingdom, n. 9814; that his sons’ garments represented the things which proceed therefrom, n. 9946, 9950; and that in the celestial kingdom the good of love to the Lord reigns, see the places cited in n. 9277.)

[8] As the inauguration into representation was effected by anointing, and as by Aaron and his sons were represented the Lord and that which is from Him, therefore to Aaron and his sons were given the holy things of the sons of Israel that were given to Jehovah as gifts, and were called “heave-offerings;” and it is said that they are an anointing, and likewise stand for an anointing; that is, that they are a representation, or stand for a representation, of the Lord; and that they are from Him; as is evident from these words in Moses:

The wave-breast and the heave-shoulder have I taken from among the sons of Israel from the sacrifices of the peace-offerings, and have given them unto Aaron and unto his sons. This is the anointing of Aaron, and the anointing of his sons, from the offerings of Jehovah made by fire, which I have commanded to be given unto them in the day that he anointed them from among the sons of Israel (Leviticus 7:34-36).

Jehovah spoke unto Aaron, Behold I have given thee the charge of My heave-offerings, in respect to all the holy things of the sons of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, in a statute of eternity. Every offering of theirs, in respect to all their meat-offering, in respect to all sacrifice for sin and for guilt, all the wave offering of the sons of Israel, all the fat of the pure oil, and all the fat of the new wine, and of the grain, the firstfruits of them which they shall give unto Jehovah; to thee have I given them; also everything devoted in Israel; everything that openeth the womb; thus all the heave-offering of the holy things. Thou shalt have no inheritance in their land, neither shalt thou have any portion in the midst of them. I am thy portion and thine inheritance in the midst of the sons of Israel (Numbers 18:8-20).

From these words it is evident that “anointing” denotes representation, because they were inaugurated into representation by means of anointing; and that by it was signified that all inauguration into the holiness of heaven and of the church is through the good of love which is from the Lord, and that the good of love is the Lord with them. Because it is so, it is said that “Jehovah is his portion and inheritance.”

[9] Fifthly: That they anointed the prophets also, is evident from the first book of Kings:

Jehovah said unto Elijah, Anoint Hazael to be king over the Syrians; and anoint Jehu to be king over Israel; and anoint Elisha to be prophet in thy room (1 Kings 19:15-16).

The Spirit of the Lord Jehovih is upon Me; therefore Jehovah hath anointed Me to preach good tiding unto the poor; He hath sent Me to bind up the broken-hearted, to preach liberty to the captives (Isaiah 61:1).

The reason why the prophets were anointed was that they represented the Lord in respect to the doctrine of Divine truth, consequently in respect to the Word, for this is the doctrine of Divine truth. That the prophets represented the Word, see n. 3652, 7269, specifically Elijah and Elisha, n. 2762, 5247, 9372. And that it is the Lord as to the Divine Human who is represented, and who is therefore meant by “him whom Jehovah hath anointed,” the Lord Himself teaches in Luke 4:18-21.

[10] Sixthly: That afterward they anointed the kings, who were then called “the anointed of Jehovah,” is evident from many passages in the Word (as 1 Samuel 10:1, 15:1, 17; 16:3, 6, 12; 24:6; 26:9, 11, 16; 2 Samuel 1:16; 2:4, 7; 5:3; 19:21; 1 Kings 1:34-35; 19:15-16; 2 Kings 9:3; 11:12; 23:30 Lam. 4:20; Hab. 3:13; Psalms 2:2, 6 (Psalms 2:6); 20:6; 28:8; 45:7; 84:9; 89:20, 38, 51; 32:17 elsewhere). The reason why they anointed the kings was that these might represent the Lord in respect to judgment from Divine truth; therefore in the Word by “kings” are signified truths Divine (see n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 3670, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148).

[11] The reason why the kings were called “the anointed of Jehovah,” and why it was therefore sacrilegious to injure them, was that by “the anointed of Jehovah” is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human; although according to the sense of the letter the term is applied to a king who was anointed with oil. For when the Lord was in the world, He was, in respect to the Human, the Divine truth itself; and in respect to the very being of His life, He was the Divine good itself, which with man is called the soul from the father; for He was conceived from Jehovah, and in the Word “Jehovah” denotes the Divine good of the Divine love, which is the being of the life of all. From this it is that the Lord alone was “the Anointed of Jehovah” in very essence and in very performance, because the Divine good was in Him; and the Divine truth proceeding from this good was in His Human while He was in the world (see the places cited in n. 9194, 9315). The kings of the earth, however, were not “the Anointed of Jehovah,” but they represented the Lord, who alone is “the Anointed of Jehovah;” and therefore on account of this anointing it was sacrilegious to injure the kings of the earth. But the anointing of the kings of the earth was done with oil, while the anointing of the Lord as to the Divine Human was done with the Divine good itself of the Divine love, which the oil represented. From this it is that He was called “the Messiah,” and “the Christ,” “Messiah” in the Hebrew tongue meaning “the Anointed,” in like manner as “Christ” in the Greek tongue (John 1:41; 4:25).

[12] From all this it can be seen that where mention is made in the Word of “the anointed of Jehovah,” the Lord is meant, as in Isaiah:

The Spirit of the Lord Jehovih is upon Me; therefore Jehovah hath anointed Me to preach good tidings unto the poor; He hath sent Me to bind up the broken hearted, to preach liberty to the captives (Isaiah 61:1).

That the Lord as to the Divine Human is the one whom Jehovah anointed is evident in Luke, where the Lord openly says so in these passages:

There was delivered to Jesus the book of the prophet Isaiah. And He unrolled the book, and found the place where it was written, The Spirit of the Lord is upon me; wherefore He hath anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the broken hearted, to preach release to the bound, and sight to the blind, to send away the wounded with deliverance, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord. Afterward, rolling up the book, He gave it to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on Him. And He began to say unto them, This day hath this Scripture been fulfilled in your ears (Luke 4:17-21).

[13] Know therefore and perceive, that from the going forth of the Word even to restore and to build Jerusalem, even unto the Messiah the prince, shall be seven weeks (Daniel 9:25).

“To build Jerusalem” denotes to set up the church, for “Jerusalem” denotes the church (n. 3654); “Messiah the prince,” or “the Anointed” denotes the Lord as to the Divine Human. Again:

Seventy weeks have been decreed, to seal up the vision and the prophet, and to anoint the Holy of holies (Daniel 9:24).

“Sealing up the vision and the prophet” denotes to close up the things that have been said in the Word about the Lord, and to fulfill them; “to anoint the Holy of holies” denotes the Divine Human of the Lord, in which was the Divine good of the Divine love, that is, Jehovah.

[14] By “the Anointed of Jehovah” is also meant the Lord in the following passage, in David:

The kings of the earth have set themselves, and the rulers have consulted together, against Jehovah, and against His Anointed. I have anointed My king upon Zion, the mountain of My holiness (Psalms 2:2, 6).

“The kings of the earth” denote falsities, and “the rulers,” evils, which are from the hells, and against which the Lord fought when He was in the world, and which He conquered and subdued; “the Anointed of Jehovah” denotes the Lord as to the Divine Human, for from this He fought; “Zion the mountain of holiness,” upon which He is said “to be Anointed as the King” denotes the celestial kingdom, which is in the good of love. This kingdom is the inmost of heaven, and the inmost of the church.

[15] Again:

I have found David My servant, with the oil of holiness I have anointed him (Psalms 89:20); where by “David” is meant the Lord (as also in other passages, see n. 1888); “the oil of holiness with which Jehovah anointed him,” denotes the Divine good of the Divine love (see n. 886, 4582, 4638). That it is the Lord who is here meant by “David,” is plain from what precedes and from what follows in this Psalm, for it is said:

Thou spoke in vision concerning Thy Holy One, I will set His hand in the sea, and His right hand in the rivers. He shall call Me, My Father; I also will make Him the firstborn, high above the kings of the earth. I will set His seed to eternity, and His throne as the days of the heavens (Psalms 89:19, 25-27, 29);

besides many other passages.

[16] In like manner in the same:

In Zion will I make a horn to bud unto David; I will set in order a lamp for Mine anointed. His enemies will I clothe with shame; and upon Himself shall His crown flourish (Psalms 132:17-18).

That here also the Lord is meant by “David,” is plain from what precedes, where it is said:

Lo, we heard of Him in Ephrathah, we found Him in the fields of the forest. We will go into His habitations, we will bow at His footstool. Thy priests shall be clothed with righteousness, and Thy saints shall shout for joy. For Thy servant David’s sake turn not away the faces of Thine anointed (Psalms 89:6, 7, 9, 10).

From these passages it can be seen that the Lord as to His Divine Human is here meant by “David, the anointed of Jehovah.”

[17] In Jeremiah:

They chased us upon the mountains; they laid wait for us in the wilderness. The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of Jehovah, was taken in their pits, of whom we had said, In His shadow we shall live among the nations (Lam. 4:19-20); where also by “the anointed of Jehovah” is meant the Lord, for the subject here treated of is the assault on Divine truth by falsities and evils, which is signified by “being chased upon the mountains,” and by “being laid wait for in the wilderness;” “the breath of the nostrils” denotes the heavenly life itself which is from the the Lord, (n. 9818).

[18] From all this it can now be known why it was so sacrilegious to injure the anointed of Jehovah, as also is plain from the Word; as in the first book of Samuel:

David said, Jehovah forbid that I should do this word unto my lord, the anointed of Jehovah, to put forth my hand against him, seeing that the anointed of Jehovah is he (1 Samuel 24:6, 10).

David said unto Abishai, Destroy him not; for who shall put forth his hand against the anointed of Jehovah and be innocent? (1 Samuel 26:9).

David said unto him who said that he had slain Saul, Thy blood be upon thy head; because thou hast said, I have slain the anointed of Jehovah (2 Samuel 1:16).

Abishai said, Shall not Shimei be slain for this, because he cursed the anointed of Jehovah? (2 Samuel 19:21).

That Shimei was slain for this by order of Solomon, may be seen in 1 Kings 2:36 to the end.

[19] Seventhly: That it had become customary to anoint themselves and others in order to testify gladness of mind and good will, is evident from the following passages, in Daniel:

I, Daniel, was mourning three weeks. I ate no bread of desires, and flesh and wine came not to my mouth, and anointing I was not anointed, even until three weeks of days were fulfilled (Daniel 10:2-3).

Thou, when thou fastest, anoint thy head, and wash thy face; that thou appear not to men to fast, but to thy Father in secret (Matthew 6:17-18).

“To fast” denotes to be in mourning. In Amos:

They who drink out of goblets of wine, and anoint themselves from the firstfruits of the oils; but they are not grieved over the breach of Joseph (Amos 6:6).

I washed thee with waters; yea, I washed away thy blood, and I anointed thee with oil (Ezekiel 16:9);

speaking of Jerusalem, by which is signified the church.

In Micah:

Thou shalt tread the olive, but shalt not anoint thee with oil (Micah 6:15).

Thou shalt have olive trees in all thy border, but thou shalt not anoint thyself with the oil; for thine olive shall be shaken off (Deuteronomy 28:40).

To give unto them a miter for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning (Isaiah 61:3).

Thy God hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness beyond thy fellows (Psalms 45:7).

Thou settest in order a table before me in the presence of mine enemies; Thou makest fat my head with oil (Psalms 23:5).

My horn shalt Thou exalt like the horn of the unicorn; I shall grow old with fresh oil (Psalms 92:10).

Wine maketh glad the heart of man, to cheer his faces with oil (Psalms 104:15).

The disciples going out anointed with oil many that were infirm, and healed them (Mark 6:12-13).

Jesus said unto Simon, I entered into thine house, and My head with oil thou didst not anoint; but this woman hath anointed My feet with ointment (Luke 7:44, 46).

[20] From all this it is evident that it was customary to anoint themselves and others with oil; not with the oil of holiness with which the priests, the kings, the altar, and the tabernacle were anointed; but with common oil; for the reason that this oil signified the gladness and satisfaction that belong to the love of good; whereas the oil of holiness signified the Divine good, of which it is said:

Upon the flesh of man shall it not be poured, and in the quality thereof ye shall not make any like it. It shall be holy to you. Whosoever shall prepare any like it, or whosoever shall put any of it upon a stranger, he shall be cut off from his peoples (Exodus 30:32-33, 38).

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.

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Arcana Coelestia #4459

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4459. And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father in fraud. That this signifies an evil opinion and intention concerning the truth and good of the Church among the Ancients, is evident from the representation of Shechem, as being the truth among the ancients, or what is the same, truth from the ancient Divine stock (see n. 4399, 4454); from the representation of Hamor, as being the good from which came this truth (n. 4399, 4431, 4447, 4454); and from the signification of “fraud,” as being an evil opinion and intention, for in a general sense “fraud” implies evil against another, and against what he speaks and what he does, because he who is in fraud thinks and intends that which is contrary to another, as is also evident from the effect described in this chapter. Hence it is evident that by the “sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father in fraud,” is signified an evil opinion and intention concerning the truth and good of the Church among the Ancients.

[2] The sons or descendants of Jacob could have no other than an evil opinion and intention concerning the truth and good of the internal man, because they were in externals without internals (see n. 4281, 4293, 4307, 4429, 4433); and they also made internal things of no account, and therefore utterly despised them. Such also is that nation at this day, and such are all who are in external things alone. They who are in external things alone do not even know what it is to be in internal things, for they do not know what that which is internal is. If anyone in their presence mentions what is internal they either affirm it to be so because they know it from doctrine (yet making this affirmation in fraud), or else they deny it with both heart and lips, for they go no further than the sensuous things of the external man. Consequently they do not believe in any life after death, nor that any resurrection is possible unless they are to rise with their bodies, and therefore they are permitted to have such an opinion of the resurrection, because otherwise they would have none at all, for they vest all life in the body, not knowing that the life of the body is from the life of the spirit which lives after death. They who are in externals alone can have no other belief; for with them external things extinguish all thought about internal things, and consequently all faith in them.

[3] At the present day this kind of ignorance reigns supreme, and therefore it is necessary to state what it is to be in external things apart from internal things. All those who are devoid of conscience are in external things alone, for the internal man manifests itself by conscience; and all those have no conscience who think and do what is true and good not for the sake of what is true and good, but for the sake of self by reason of their own honor and gain, and also merely on account of the fear of the law and of fear for their life, for if their reputation, honor, gain, or life were not endangered, they would rush without conscience into all kinds of wickedness. In the other life this is very evident from those who have been of this character in the life of the body, for there, where the interiors are open, they are in the perpetual endeavor to destroy others, and therefore they are in hell, where they are kept bound in a spiritual manner.

[4] That it may be further known what it is to be in external things, and what to be in internal things, and that they who are in external things alone cannot conceive what internal things are, and therefore cannot be affected by them (for no one is affected by things of which he has no conception), let us take as an example that in heaven to be least is to be greatest, and that to be humble is to be exalted; and also that to be poor and needy is to be rich and in abundance. They who are in external things alone cannot apprehend these things, for they think that the least cannot possibly be the greatest, nor the humble be exalted, the poor rich, or the needy in abundance, although in heaven this is precisely how the matter stands. And because they cannot apprehend these things they cannot be affected by them, and when from the bodily and worldly things in which they are, they reflect upon them, they feel an aversion for them. That such things exist in heaven they know not at all, and so long as they are in external things alone they do not desire to know them, nay, they cannot know them. Nevertheless in heaven the man who knows, acknowledges, and believes from the heart-that is, from affection-that he has no power from himself, but that all the power he has is from the Lord, is said to be the least, and yet is the greatest, because he has power from the Lord. The case is the same with the man who is humble, in that he is exalted; for he who is humble, acknowledging and believing from affection that he has no power of himself, no intelligence and wisdom of himself, and no good and truth of himself, is preeminently endowed by the Lord with power, with the intelligence of truth, and with the wisdom of good. It is the same with the poor and needy in respect to their being rich and in abundance; for he is said to be poor and needy who believes from his heart and from affection that he possesses nothing of himself, that he knows nothing and is wise in nothing of himself, and has no power of himself. In heaven such a man is rich and has abundance, for the Lord gives him all wealth, insomuch that he is wiser than all others and richer than all others, and dwells in the most magnificent palaces (n. 1116, 1626, 1627), and in the stores of all the riches of heaven.

[5] Take also as an example that one who is in external things alone cannot possibly comprehend that heavenly joy is to love his neighbor more than himself and the Lord above all things, and that happiness is according to the quantity and quality of this love; for the man who is in external things alone loves himself more than his neighbor; and if he loves others it is because they favor him, so that he loves them for the sake of himself, thus himself in them, and them in himself. A man of this character cannot know what it is to love others more than himself, and indeed he neither will nor can know it, and therefore when he is told that heaven consists in such love (n. 548) he feels an aversion for it. Hence it is that they who during their bodily life have been of this character cannot approach any heavenly society, for when they do so, in their aversion they cast themselves headlong into hell.

[6] As there are few at this day who know what it is to be in external things, and what to be in internal things, and as most people believe that they who are in internal things cannot be in external things, and the converse, I may for the sake of illustration adduce one more example. Take the nourishment of the body and the nourishment of the soul: one who is in merely external pleasures, makes much of himself, indulges his stomach, loves to live sumptuously, and makes the height of pleasure to consist in eatables and drinkables. One who is in internal things also finds pleasure in these things, but his ruling affection is to nourish his body with food pleasurably for the sake of its health, to the end that he may have a sound mind in a sound body, thus chiefly for the sake of the health of the mind, to which the health of the body serves as a means. One who is a spiritual man does not rest here, but regards the health of the mind or soul as a means for the acquisition of intelligence and wisdom—not for the sake of reputation, honors, and gain, but for the sake of the life after death. One who is spiritual in a more interior degree regards intelligence and wisdom as a mediate end having for its object that he may serve as a useful member in the Lord’s kingdom; and one who is a celestial man, that he may serve the Lord. To such a one bodily food is a means for the enjoyment of spiritual food, and spiritual food is a means for the enjoyment of celestial food; and as they ought to serve in this manner, these foods also correspond, and are therefore called foods. Hence it is evident what it is to be in external things alone, and what it is to be in internal things. The Jewish and Israelitish nation, treated of in the internal historical sense of this chapter, is (with the exception of those who die in infancy) for the most part of the character that has been indicated, for being in avarice they, more than all others, are in external things. They who love gains and profits merely for the sake of the gold and silver, in the possession of which consists the sole delight of their life, are in outermost or lowest things, for the objects of their love are merely earthly; whereas they who love gold and silver for the sake of some use, lift themselves above earthly things according to the use. The very use that a man loves determines his life and distinguishes it from others; an evil use makes the man infernal, and a good use makes him heavenly-not indeed the use itself, but the love of the use, for everyone’s life is in his love.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Foundation for the permission to use this translation.