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Numbers Chapter 17

Summary of the Spiritual Sense

1. Revelation is made, that the power of truth is manifested according to the good from which it proceeds; that the quality of celestial love is manifested in celestial truth, and that of spiritual love in spiritual truth; that all truths are derived from Divine Good; that truth conjoined with good is powerful in good works; and that he who is in this state is no longer in temptation, vers. 1-6.
2. Again: all truths are acknowledged to be from the Lord through the celestial heavens; and hence when man enters into interior states through the reception of good, his truths are conjoined with good, and particularly is celestial good conjoined with its truth, thereby producing the fructification of good and truth, in successive degrees, in all the heavens; and hence it is made manifest that every one has truths in their power, according to his good from the Lord, vers. 7-9.
3. And revelation is therefore made that celestial truth from celestial good is inmost truth, in which is all power to govern lower truths; and the spiritual man thence confesses that, from himself he is without good and without truth; and that he who, from himself, presumes to approach the Lord in worship, must inevitably suffer spiritual death, vers. 10-13.

1.  This is evident, because by Jehovah is denoted the Divine Being as to His love, 2001; by speaking is denoted influx, 2951; by Moses is represented Divine Truth, or the Word, 7010; and by saying is denoted perception, 1822.

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2.  Speaking to the children of Israel, denotes by influx with the man of the Spiritual Church, 2951; taking of them rods, one for each fathers' house, denotes that the power of truth is manifested according to the good from which it proceeds, or, in other words, according to the ruling love in societies and individuals, 4876, 7833, 3703; of all their princes, according to their fathers' houses twelve rods, denotes according to the primary truths derived from that love in all completeness, 1482, 7833, 575; and writing every man's name upon his rod denotes that the quality of the good of every one is known, and confirmed by his truths, 9386, 145, 4876.

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3.  Writing Aaron's name upon the rod of Levi, denotes that the quality of celestial love is manifested in celestial truth, and consequently the quality of spiritual love in spiritual truth, 4876, 9946, 3875, 145; and there being one rod for each of their fathers' houses denotes that love itself has no power except by means of truths in every particular case, 457, 551, 4876, 7833, 3858¹¹.

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4.  Laying up the rods in the tent of meeting, before the testimony "where I meet with you," denotes that it is to be acknowledged, also, that all truths in general and in particular are derived from Divine Good, which by Divine Truths forms and distinguishes the heavens, and thus, in particular, the inmost heaven through which is revelation from the Lord, 6725, 10227, 3540³, 9503, 10147.

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5.  "It shall come to pass," said by the Lord, evidently denotes what happens of the Divine Providence, 4979; the rod of the man whom the Lord should choose, budding, denotes that truth conjoined with good is powerful to produce good works, 158, 2001, 4876, 3900⁴, 9553, 1873; and the Lord making to cease the murmurings of the children of Israel, which they murmured against Moses, denotes that he who is in this state is no longer in temptations, nor does he oppose Divine Truth from the love of power derived from selfish love, 2001, 7597, 8351, 7010.

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6.  Moses speaking to the children of Israel, denotes the influence of Divine Truth in general, 2951, 3654; all their princes giving him rods, for each prince one according to their fathers' houses, even twelve rods, denotes that the external man is moved to action, and through the primary truths of faith acknowledges the supremacy of that truth, 1482, 10227, 4876, 7833, 457, 551, 38582; and Aaron's rod being among their rods denotes that from Divine Truth in general particular truths have power from the particular good to which they give a quality, and this in all completeness, the power of truth from celestial good being particularly distinguished, 9946, 3858², 3858¹¹.

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7.  Moses laying up the rods in the tent of the testimony, denotes that all truths are thus acknowledged to be from the Lord through the celestial heavens, where good is intimately conjoined with truth, and is in the greatest power in consequence, 7010, 6725, 10227, 3540³. 9503. 4876, 223, 2001.

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8.  It coming to pass on the morrow, denotes that hence it happens continually, 4979, 3998; Moses going into the tent of testimony denotes man entering into interior states through the reception of good, 3335, 9503; and the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi, having budded and put forth buds, having bloomed blossoms, and having borne ripe almonds, denotes that his truths are conjoined with good; and particularly, that celestial good is conjoined with its truth, thereby producing the fructification of good and truth in successive degrees in all the heavens, 4876, 9946, 7833, 3875, 9553, 5622.

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9.  Moses bringing out all the rods from before the Lord to all the children of Israel, denotes that it is made manifest by Divine Truth that every one has truths in their power, according to his good from the Lord, 7010, 1806, 4876, 2001, 3654; and their looking and taking every man his rod denotes that every one, as from himself, understands and practises truths, 2150, 6744, 4876,

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10.  The Lord saying to Moses, denotes that revelation is therefore made from the Lord by Divine Truth, 2001, 7010; putting back the rod of Aaron before the testimony, denotes that celestial truth from celestial good is inmost truth, 4876, 9946, 9503; to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion, denotes that there is no power in truths profaned from selfish love, 3382, 2037, chap 16:2; making an end of their murmuring against me, denotes that temptations must cease with the spiritual man, when he is fully governed by truths conjoined with good and made fruitful in good works, 7597, 8351, 2001, ver. 8; and "that they die not," denotes that persons in such a state can never be overwhelmed with evil and error, 6119.

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11.  Thus Moses doing; as the Lord commanded him so did he, denotes that all this is from Divine Truth, which is the governing power with man from the Lord, 7010, 5755, 5486, 5264. Thus, then, willing, thinking, and acting, with man, are here shown to be from the Lord by Divine Truth.

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12.  The children of Israel speaking to Moses, saying, "Behold, we perish, we are undone, we are all undone," denotes that the spiritual man now confesses that, from himself, he is without good and without truth in every degree of his life. This appears from the words themselves, which express humility as to the will, as to-the understanding, and as to the actions, 2908. This is the result of victory in temptation with those who are in good from the Lord, 868.

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13.  "Every one that comes near, that comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord, dies; and we perish all of us?" denotes that he who, from himself, presumes to approach the Lord in worship, must inevitably suffer spiritual death, 3572, 3210, 2908.

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Discussion

It is evident that the contents of this chapter, in the internal sense, are the conclusion of the subject of the last, and that they are intended to teach the universal truth that a state of good and truth conjoined is that in which the heavenly life consists, and in which all temptation ceases. We may therefore profitably study the particulars here set forth.

Good and truth, or, what is the same thing, charity, or love and faith, are the two universal principles in the life of man from the Lord, so that it may be very properly said, that there is not a single thing in human nature which does not partake of these two, and not a single thing in the whole of creation which is not an image or likeness of some form of love and intelligence in man, from the Divine Love and Wisdom of the Lord. And as Love and Wisdom, self-existent, evidently constitute the Lord, and man is created and regenerated into the image and likeness of the Lord, it follows that the Lord is the infinitely glorious and Divine man, while human beings are perfect men just in proportion as they become perfect heavenly forms of love and wisdom or of good and truth.

Now, it is just this conjunction of affection and intelligence in man in equal proportions, with all variety, in each individual, that is represented in our chapter by the twelve rods, namely, one for each of the tribes of Israel; and the thought, therefore, that comes first in the instruction here given is that the rod or staff is representative of the embodiment of good in truth, so that truth is nothing else but the form of good, just exactly as the Divine Wisdom is the form of the Divine Love, and as, therefore, the Only Begotten Son (John 1:18), is the form or outward appearance, or body, of the Divine Being. Thus, then, it is absolutely true that in Jesus Christ our Lord dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (Col 2:9), and that He is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit in one person. And, in the highest sense, indeed, this is the rod of Aaron for the tribe of Levi; while, in the lower sense, each of the other rods, as well as the rod of Aaron, is the symbol of the fully regenerated man, of whom, notwithstanding, no two can ever be alike to eternity, because the Infinite Lord, in creating, or in regenerating man, cannot repeat Himself. And now, in conclusion on this point, we also see that it is confirmed and established by the statement that every one's name was to be written on his rod. The genuine character, therefore, of a good man is to be known from the kind of truth with which he is delighted.

But it is next to be observed that all the rods were required to be laid up in the tent of meeting before the testimony, that is, before the ark, which contained the two tables of stone, upon which were written the ten commandments, that being the place where the Lord met the Israelites. And here we see that more than one great and practical truth is involved. For, first of all, every man is bound to acknowledge not only that all truth is from good, but that all good is from the Lord, as is denoted by the laying up of these rods. And, secondly, we here learn that Divine Good forms and distinguishes the heavens by Divine Truths; for the tent of meeting, as we have seen, is representative of all the heavens; in particular of the three heavens, the most holy place signifying the inmost heaven, the holy place denoting the middle heaven, and the courts standing for the ultimate heaven; while the tables of stone, with the writing upon them, symbolize all the Divine Truths proceeding from the Divine Good, and distinguishing the heavens with their innumerable societies. And thus, then, every society in the heavens, and every individual there, is particularly in the acknowledgement of the Lord, and that revelation is continually from Him, since this is what is meant by the words, "where I meet with you."

And, thirdly, our first section also conveys the most impressive teaching, that whereas truth conjoined with good inmostly is really productive of all forms of usefulness in heaven and upon earth, which is denoted by the rod of the man whom the Lord should choose budding, therefore it is the duty and the privilege of every regenerated man to love usefulness, and to practise it continually for its own sake.

And in the second section, therefore, it is not surprising that the truths of the first are intensified; for this must happen when man enters, as here correspondentially described by Moses actually laying, up the rods as directed, into interior states. For it is well known that regeneration is progressive from externals, and that when this takes place there must be an intensification of love and faith. But we have here properly to consider how man passes from an external state to a corresponding internal state; and this cannot be better illustrated than by referring to the manner in which the ascent from the lower side-chambers to those above was made in the temple of Solomon. It it said in 1 Kings 6:8, that "the door of the middle chamber was in the right side of the house; and they went up by winding stairs into the middle chambers, and out of the middle into the third." And this, spiritually interpreted, is that "the entrance to a higher degree of life is by faith conjoined with charity, the ascent from the lower degree to the middle and from the middle to the highest being made by the truths of the Word expressed in the actions of the life and united with love." For the first step, so to speak, in spiritual progress is to become acquainted with the truths of the Word; the second is to properly understand them; the third is to practise them; the fourth is to have the life elevated by so doing from a natural to a spiritual, state as to the understanding by its affection for truth; the fifth is to make this of the life by obedience from that affection; the sixth is in this way to ascend one step further by being initiated into the affection for good; and the seventh is to confirm that affection by uniting truth with it by persistent and continual action, in the performance of uses without any selfish motive. And, of course, this progress is said to be by winding stairs, because it involves a continual turning from evil to good on the plane of life in which we are, and, at the same time, a continual elevation of state, from simple obedience in the natural life to begin with, through obedience from spiritual motives in a higher degree, to obedience from celestial love in the highest degree. But another mode of explaining this may be seen in The Two Books of Kings Explained, p. 82.

And now we may, further, very profitably take notice how the rest of this section, in the internal sense, illustrates what has just been said. For by what was done on the morrow is clearly represented what is successive or continuous in regeneration; and by the rod of Aaron budding, and blossoming, and bearing ripe almonds, is clearly denoted that truths are conjoined with good first in the understanding, and afterwards in the will, thence producing a mature state of obedience from pure love, a clear comprehension of what real spiritual and celestial life are, and a joyful acknowledgement tat this is the work of the Lord operating in the inmost of man's life, and extending itself to every plane and in every direction, all this being denoted by Moses bringing out the rods, by all the Israelites looking, and by each taking his rod.

But, proceeding to the last section, we have to reflect on what is meant spiritually by the rod of Aaron being put back before the testimony to be kept for a token against the children of rebellion. In what way can we personally fulfill this command? We can only do it by acknowledging with all our hearts that all power to worship the Lord by loving Him is from the Lord by means of the Word. For the Lord is the source of all power; and we continually receive power from Him through the celestial heavens, or, what is the same thing, through celestial love, by means of celestial truth, to do anything that is good. But, again, the power of this truth is to be for a token against the children of rebellion. That is, it is to testify that when the subordinate truths of the Word are used for selfish purposes there is no power in them. And this happens because all power is from good by truth as a means, or from love by faith as a means; and therefore it is clear that there is no power in faith alone to overcome our evil dispositions, any more than there is power in our hands to raise themselves and to act without an effort of the will, guided by the understanding.

And we have further to reflect why this power is said especially to belong to celestial truth, and not also to spiritual truths and natural truths. It is because celestial truth, more than any other, is truth conjoined with good or love. For the most holy place, where the ark was which contained the testimony, and particularly the ark itself, represented the inmost heaven, where the angels never, on any account, separate truth from good, but perceive what is true from their good and do it. And it is also because spiritual and natural are derived from celestial good, as an effect from a cause, and therefore all the power of spiritual and natural truths resides in what is celestial; and, moreover, what is remarkable is that celestial truths are in their greatest power when they operate through spiritual and natural good.

And therefore it now follows that he who acts from the love of good in any degree or on any plane of his life, has power to overcome all temptations; or, rather, temptations cease with him then. But, passing on, we observe that there is another wonderful effect which follows the acknowledgement and love of the Lord in sincerity, which is here represented by the laying up of the rod of Aaron before the testimony. For then even the spiritual and the natural man become conscious, more than ever they have been, that, of themselves, they are nothing but evil, and that it is not possible to approach the Lord in worship from selfish love. And it is said, "more than ever," because most persons in the beginning of regeneration do admit, from doctrine, and also, as they advance, from the understanding, that man of himself is nothing but evil, and is thus spiritually dead; and also that to love good and truth, and thus to love and worship the Lord and the neighbour (HH 16), is not possible when it is assumed to be done for the sake of some selfish advantage, as, for example, when a person thus acts merely from a desire to escape from the miseries of hell, or to gain the happiness of heaven.

Hence, then, the chapter we have now gone through should prove very useful to us in its spiritual sense by causing us diligently to examine ourselves, lest we should have a name to live, when yet we are spiritually dead (Rev 3:1).