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491. Having a golden censer.- This signifies the conjunction of celestial good with spiritual good, and thus the conjunction of the higher heavens, as is evident from the signification of a censer, which denotes worship from spiritual good, for that worship was represented by the incense from the censers, as may be seen above (n. 324). To have a golden censer signifies the conjunction of celestial good with spiritual good, because the angel standing at the altar had the censer, and by the altar is signified worship from celestial good, and by the golden censer, spiritual good from celestial good; gold also signifies celestial good. The censers which were in use amongst the Jewish and Israelitish nation were of brass, and the offerings of incense from those censers represented worship from spiritual good, and at the same time conjunction with natural good, for brass signifies natural good. Here therefore the golden censer signifies the conjunction of celestial good with spiritual good. The reason why the conjunction of the two higher heavens is also signified, is that the good of the inmost heaven is celestial good, and the good of the middle heaven spiritual good. When, therefore, the conjunction of those goods is referred to, the conjunction of the heavens is also understood, because good is that which makes heaven. Celestial good is the good of love to the Lord, and makes the highest or inmost heaven, and spiritual good is the good of love towards the neighbour, and makes the heaven below that, and this is called the second and middle heaven.
[2] That frankincense signifies in the Word spiritual good, and similarly the censer which contained it, the thing containing being assumed for what is contained, is evident from the following passages.
In Isaiah:
"I have not made thee to serve with a meat-offering, nor wearied thee with frankincense" (43:23).
Both the meat-offering and frankincense are mentioned, because the meat-offering, which was bread made of fine flour, signifies celestial good, wherefore frankincense signifies spiritual good. The reason why both are named is, that in every part of the Word there is the marriage of good and truth; that is to say, where good is treated of, truth is also treated of; and spiritual good in its essence is truth. From these things it is evident, that frankincense denotes spiritual good, or the truth of celestial good. This is further evident from other passages in which meat-offering and frankincense are mentioned; as in Isaiah:
"Causing the meat-offering to ascend, offering incense" (66:3).
[3] So again, in Jeremiah:
"They offered burnt-offering and sacrifice, and meat-offering, and frankincense" (17:26).
Burnt-offering also signifies worship from the good of celestial love, and sacrifice, worship from the good of spiritual love. These two goods are also signified by meat-offering and frankincense. Similarly meat-offering and incense, for incense consisted chiefly of frankincense.
In Malachi it is said,
"In every place incense, and a pure meat-offering is offered unto my name" (1:11).
In David:
"My prayers have been accepted before thee [as] incense; the lifting up of my hands [as] the meat-offering of the evening" (141:2).
Therefore oil was poured upon the meat-offering, and frankincense was put thereon (Leviticus 2:1, 2, 15). This was done in order that the meat-offering might represent the conjunction of celestial good and spiritual good, for the oil signified celestial good, and the frankincense spiritual good.
[4] Therefore frankincense was also put upon the bread of faces in the tabernacle (Leviticus 24:7), and this was done on account of the conjunction of both kinds of good; for the bread signified celestial good, and the frankincense, spiritual good; wherefore, when the frankincense was put on the bread, the conjunction of both was represented. In order to represent the conjunction of celestial good and spiritual good, a table was set in the tabernacle for the bread, and on the other side the altar for the offerings of incense was placed.
[5] Where meat-offering and frankincense are not named, oil and frankincense are mentioned, and gold and frankincense; for oil and gold, like the meat-offering, signify celestial good. Oil and incense are mentioned together in Ezekiel:
"Thou didst take mine oil and mine incense, and didst set before them" (16:18).
Gold and frankincense are mentioned in Isaiah:
"All they from Shebah shall come; they shall bring gold and frankincense; and they shall proclaim the praises of Jehovah" (60:6).
The wise men from the east, who came to the new-born Christ, opened their treasures and "presented gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh" (Matthew 2:11).
Gold signified celestial good; frankincense, spiritual good; and myrrh, natural good thence; thus the three goods of the three heavens. From these things the signification of the angel seen at the altar having a golden censer is now evident. For the altar was representative of celestial good, and the censer of spiritual good, and both together were representative of the conjunction of celestial good with spiritual good, or, what is the same thing, of the conjunction of the higher heavens, or of the heaven of the celestial angels with the heaven of the spiritual angels.
491. Having a golden censer, signifies the conjunction of celestial good with spiritual good, and thus the conjunction of the higher heavens. This is evident from the signification of a "censer," as being worship from spiritual good, for such worship was represented by incense from the censers (See above, n. 324). "Having a golden censer" signifies the conjunction of celestial good with spiritual good, because the angel standing at the altar had a censer, and the "altar" signifies worship from celestial good, and "a golden censer" spiritual good from celestial good, "gold" signifying celestial good. The censers that were in use with the Jewish and Israelitish nation were of brass; and the offerings of incense from those censers represented worship from spiritual good, and conjunction at the same time with natural good, for "brass" signifies natural good; so here "a golden censer" signifies the conjunction of celestial good with spiritual good. It also signifies the conjunction of the two higher heavens, because the good of the inmost heaven is celestial good, and the good of the middle heaven is spiritual good; when therefore the conjunction of these goods is mentioned, the conjunction of the heavens is also meant, because the good is what constitutes the heaven. Celestial good is the good of love to the Lord, and it constitutes the highest or inmost heaven; and spiritual good is the good of love towards the neighbor, and it constitutes the heaven next below, which is called the second or middle heaven.
[2] "Frankincense" in the Word signifies spiritual good, the same as the censer that contained it (where the containant is taken for the content), as can be seen in the following passages. In Isaiah:
I have not made thee to serve by a meal-offering, nor wearied thee by frankincense (Isaiah 43:23).
"A meal-offering and frankincense" are mentioned, because the "meal-offering," which was made of fine flour and was therefore bread, signifies celestial good, consequently "frankincense" signifies spiritual good. Both are mentioned because in every part of the Word there is a marriage of good and truth, that is, where it treats of good it also treats of truth, and spiritual good in its essence is truth; this shows that "frankincense" means spiritual good, or the truth of celestial good. This can be seen further from other passages in which "meal-offering" and "frankincense" are mentioned together. Thus in Isaiah:
Causing the meal-offering to ascend, offering frankincense (6 Isaiah 66:3).
[3] In Jeremiah:
They shall offer the whole burnt-offering and the sacrifice, the meal-offering and frankincense (Jeremiah 17:26).
"Burnt-offering" also signifies worship from the good of celestial love, and "sacrifice" worship from the good of spiritual love; these two goods are signified also by "meal-offering and frankincense." The like is true of "meal-offering and incense-offering," for the incense-offering was chiefly of frankincense. In Malachi:
In every place incense is offered to My name, and a clean meal-offering (Malachi 1:11).
In David:
My prayers are accepted as incense before Thee; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening meal-offering (Psalms 141:2).
Therefore:
Oil was poured upon the meal-offering, and frankincense put on it (Leviticus 2:1, 2, 15).
This was done that the meal-offering might represent the conjunction of celestial good and spiritual good, for "oil" signified celestial good, and "frankincense" spiritual good.
[4] So again:
Frankincense was put upon the bread of faces in the tabernacle (Leviticus 24:7);
and this was done on account of the conjunction of the two kinds of good, for the "bread" signified celestial good, and "frankincense" spiritual good; so when the frankincense was put upon the bread the conjunction of the two goods was represented. For the sake of representing the conjunction of celestial good and spiritual good, a table for the bread was placed in the tabernacle, and on the other side an altar for incense offerings was placed.
[5] Where "meal-offering and frankincense" are not mentioned, "oil and frankincense" are mentioned, and "gold and frankincense," since "oil" and "gold," in like manner as "meal-offering," signify celestial good. "Oil and incense" are mentioned in Ezekiel:
Thou hast taken my oil and my incense and hast set them before them (Ezekiel 16:18).
"Gold and frankincense" are mentioned in Isaiah:
All they from Sheba shall come; they shall bring gold and frankincense, and they shall proclaim the praises of Jehovah (Isaiah 60:6).
And in Matthew:
The wise men from the east who came to the newborn Christ opened their treasures, and offered unto Him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11);
"gold" signifying celestial good, "frankincense" spiritual good, and "myrrh" natural good therefrom, thus the three goods of the three heavens. This makes evident the signification of the angel that was seen at the altar having a golden censer, for the "altar" was representative of celestial good, and the censer was representative of spiritual good, and the two together were representative of the conjunction of celestial good with spiritual good, or what is the same, of the conjunction of the higher heavens, or of the heaven where celestial angels are with the heaven where the spiritual angels are.
491. "Habens thuribulum aureum." - Quod significet conjunctionem illius boni cum bono spirituali, et sic conjunctionem caelorum superiorum, constat ex significatione "thuribuli", quod sit cultus ex bono spirituali, nam is cultus per suffitum ex thuribulis repraesentabatur (videatur supra, n. 324): quod "habere thuribulum aureum" significet conjunctionem boni caelestis cum bono spirituali, est quia "angelus stans ad altare" habebat thuribulum, et per "altare" significatur cultus ex bono caelesti, et per "thuribulum aureum" bonum spirituale ex bono caelesti; "aurum" etiam significat bonum caeleste. Thuribula, quae in usu erant apud gentem Judaicam et Israeliticam, fuerunt ex aere; et per suffitiones ex illis thuribulis repraesentabatur cultus ex bono spirituali, et simul conjunctio cum bono naturali, nam "aes" significat bonum naturale; hic itaque per "thuribulum aureum" significatur conjunctio boni caelestis cum bono spirituali: quod etiam significetur conjunctio duorum caelorum superiorum, est quia bonum intimi caeli est bonum caeleste, et bonum medii caeli est bonum spirituale; quapropter cum dicitur conjunctio illorum bonorum, intelligitur quoque conjunctio caelorum, quoniam bonum facit caelum. Bonum caeleste est bonum amoris in Dominum, et facit caelum supremum seu intimum; ac bonum spirituale est bonum amoris erga proximum, et facit caelum infra illud, quod caelum secundum et medium vocatur.
[2] Quod "thus" in Verbo significet bonum spirituale, similiter "thuribulum" quod erat continens (ubi continens sumitur pro contento), constare potest a sequentibus locis:
- Apud Esaiam,
"Non servire te feci per mincham, nec defatigavi per thus" (43:23):
"mincha" et "thus" dicitur, quia per "mincham", quae erat ex similagine, ita panis, significatur bonum caeleste; quare per "thus" significatur bonum spirituale: quod utrumque dicatur, est quia ubivis in Verbo est conjugium boni et veri, hoc est, ubi agitur de bono etiam agitur de vero, et bonum spirituale est in sua essentia verum; ex hoc patet quod "thus" sit bonum spirituale, seu verum boni caelestis. Hoc adhuc constare potest ex aliis locis ubi simul "mincha" et "thus" dicitur:
- Ut apud eundem,
"Ascendere faciens mincham, ...offerens thus" (66:3):
[3] apud Jeremiam,
"Offerent holocaustum et sacrificium, mincham et thus" (17:26):
etiam "holocaustum" significat cultum ex bono amoris caelestis, et "sacrificium" cultum ex bono amoris spiritualis; quae duo bona etiam significantur per "mincham" et "thus." Similiter "mincha" et "suffimentum", nam suffimentum primario erat ex thure:
- Apud Malachiam,
"In omni loco suffimentum allatum nomini meo et mincha munda" (1:11):
apud Davidem,
"Acceptae sunt preces meae, suffimentum coram Te, sublatio manuum mearum mincha vesperae" (Psalms 141:2).
Ideo
Super mincham effundebatur oleum, et dabatur thus (Leviticus 2:1, 2, 15),
et hoc propterea, ut per mincham repraesentaretur conjunctio boni caelestis et boni spiritualis, "oleum" enim significabat bonum caeleste, et "thus" bonum spirituale.
[4] Ideo etiam
Super panes facierum in Tabernaculo dabatur thus (Leviticus 24:7).
et hoc quoque propter conjunctionem utriusque boni; "panes" enim significabant bonum caeleste, et "thus" bonum spirituale; quare cum thus datum erat super panes, repraesentabatur conjunctio utriusque boni: propter repraesentationem conjunctionis boni caelestis et boni spiritualis, in Tabernaculo posita erat mensa pro panibus, et ab altero latere positum erat altare pro suffitionibus.
[5] Ubi non mincha et thus dicitur, dicitur "oleum et thus", ac "aurum et thus", quoniam per "oleum" et "aurum" similiter ac per "mincham" significatur bonum caeleste. Dicitur "oleum, et suffimentum" apud Ezechielem,
"Sumpsisti.... oleum meum, et suffimentum meum, et dedisti coram illis" (16:18):
"aurum et thus", apud Esaiam,
"Omnes e Scheba venient, aurum et thus portabunt, et laudes Jehovae annuntiabunt" (60:6);
et apud Matthaeum,
Sapientes ab oriente, qui venerunt ad christum recens natum, aperuerunt thesauros, et "obtulerunt munera, aurum, thus et myrrham" (2:11):
"aurum" significabat bonum caeleste, "thus" bonum spirituale, et "myrrha " bonum naturale inde; ita tria bona trium caelorum. Ex his nunc constare potest quid significat quod visus sit angelus ad altare, habens thuribulum aureum, "altare" enim erat repraesentativum boni caelestis, et "thuribulum" repraesentativum boni spiritualis, et utrumque simul repraesentativum conjunctionis boni caelestis cum bono spirituali; seu quod idem, repraesentativum conjunctionis caelorum superiorum, seu caeli ubi angeli caelestes cum caelo ubi angeli spirituales.