Spiritual Meaning of
Spiritual Meaning of |
|
Back to Words index | Back to Place words index |
With respect to these two courts of the temple at Jerusalem, see (1 Kings 6:3, 36; 2 Kings 21:5). With respect to the outer court of the new temple in Ezekiel, see (Ezek. 40:17, 31, 34; 42:1-20); and with respect to the inner court there, (Ezek. 40:23, 28, 32, 44; 42:3; 43:5). From this it is evident that it is the good of faith which makes the ultimate heaven that was represented by the outer court of the temple, and that it is the good of mutual love which makes the ultimate heaven that was represented by the inner court. Those who are in the good of mutual love are in the affection of good for the sake of good; but those who are in the good of faith are in the affection of truth for the sake of truth; for good rules in the celestial kingdom, but truth in the spiritual kingdom.
[5] That the ultimate heaven is signified by the courts, is evident from the passages in the Word where these are mentioned; as in Ezekiel:--
The glory of Jehovah lifted up itself above the cherub, over the threshold of the house; and the house was filled with the cloud, and the cloud filled the inner court, and the court was full of the brightness of the glory of Jehovah. And the voice of the wings of the cherubs was heard even to the outer court (Ezek. 10:3-5).
As the court was the representative of the ultimate heaven, therefore it was filled with the cloud and the brightness of the glory of Jehovah, as was the house itself; for the cloud and the glory denote Divine truth. That a cloud denotes this, (AC 5922, 6343, 6752, 8106, 8443); and also glory, (AC 8267, 8427, 9429); the voice of the wings denotes the truth of faith from good (AC 8764, 9514).
[6] Again:--
The spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court of the temple, when behold the glory of Jehovah filled the house. And I heard one speaking unto me out of the house, saying, Son of man, this is the place of My throne, and the place of the soles of My feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the sons of Israel forever (Ezek. 43:5-7);
here the temple together with the court is called the place of the throne of Jehovah, and the place of the soles of His feet, because the temple together with the court represented heaven; the throne of Jehovah denotes the spiritual heaven (AC 5313, 8625), and the place of the soles of His feet denotes the ultimate heaven.
[7] The ultimate heaven is also signified by the court, and by courts, in the following passages. In David:--
Blessed is he whom Thou choosest, and causest to approach; he shall dwell in Thy courts; we shall be sated with the good of Thy house, with the holy of Thy temple (Ps. 65:4);
it is evident that to dwell in the courts denotes to dwell in heaven. Again:--
A day in Thy courts is better than thousands. I have chosen to stand at the door in the house of my God (Ps. 84:10).
Give unto Jehovah the glory of His name; bring an offering, and come into His courts (Ps. 96:8).
Praise ye the name of Jehovah; praise ye, O servants of Jehovah, who stand in the house of Jehovah, in the courts of the house of our God (Ps. 135:1, 2).
They shall gather the grain and the new wine; they shall eat it, and praise Jehovah, and they that shall gather it shall drink it in the courts of My holiness (Isa. 62:9).
In these passages the courts denote the ultimate heavens, for the interior heavens are called the house of Jehovah, and His temple (AC 3720).
[8] In John:--
The angel said, Arise and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein. But the court which is without the temple cast out, and measure it not; because it hath been given unto the Gentiles; and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months (Rev. 11:1, 2);
the temple, and the altar, and they that worship therein denote the church and the worship of the church; the court without the temple denotes the good of mutual love; the Gentiles, to whom it has been given to tread under foot the holy city, denote the evils of self-love and of the love of the world, which destroy the church (AC 6306); forty and two months signify the like as six weeks, and six weeks the like as the six days of one week, for six multiplied into seven makes forty-two; a week signifies an entire period, greater or less (AC 2044, 3845); the six days which precede the seventh, which is the sabbath, signify the former church even to the end, and the setting up of a new church; the sabbath denotes the conjunction of good and truth, thus the church (AC 8495, 8510, 8889, 8893, 9274).
from AC 9741
Back to Words index, Back to Place words index
| Author: E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). | Design: I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. | www.BibleMeanings.info |