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493.That he should give [them] with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.- This signifies the conjunction of the heavens with those who were to be separated from the evil, and saved, as is evident from the signification of giving incenses with prayers, as denoting to conjoin the good of the higher heavens, by means of truths, with those who are in worship from spiritual good, concerning which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of all the saints, as denoting those who are in good by means of truths, thus those who are in spiritual good; that these are called saints, may be seen above (n. 204). And from the signification of the golden altar, as denoting the heaven where spiritual good is; for the altar upon which incenses were offered was called the golden altar; and from the signification of "before the throne," as denoting conjunction with heaven. That to be before the throne signifies that conjunction, may be seen above (n. 462, 477, 489).
[2] That these words signify the conjunction of the heavens with those who were to be separated from the evil and saved, is clear also from the series of things in the internal sense, and from the connection of those things which precede with those just stated and those which follow, and also from the signification of the expressions in the internal sense. For the subject treated of in this chapter and in the following chapters is the last state of the church, or its state when its end has come and judgment is at hand. And before that state is described, the separation of those who were to be saved is treated of, all of whom are meant by those sealed on their foreheads, and those clothed in white robes, mentioned in the preceding chapter. And because these were then together in societies, with those who were to be condemned, therefore the means by which they were separated and saved is described in this chapter. The higher heavens were first intimately conjoined with the Lord by Divine influx into celestial good and by means of that into spiritual good, and afterwards, by means of these goods united into one, into the lower parts, where those who were to be saved and those who were to be condemned were together in societies. This influx of the Lord out of the higher heavens was received by those who had lived in good when they were in the world; for they possessed that good, and by means of it they were conjoined to the higher heavens, and thus separated from those who could not receive that influx because they had not lived in good, but in evil, in the world.
[3] This also is meant by the words of the Lord in the Evangelists:
"Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left" (413, 418, 419, 426, 489). From these things it is now clear what is the spiritual sense of the words, "that he should give the incenses with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne," namely, the conjunction of the higher heavens with those who were to be separated from the evil, and saved. The prayers with which incenses were to be given, do not mean prayers, but truths from good, by means of which prayers are made, for these are the things in a man which pray, and he is continually in such prayers when he lives according to them. That prayers in the Word mean the truths from good which man possesses, and not the prayers of the mouth, may be seen above (n. 325).
493. That he should offer it with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne, signifies the conjunction of the heavens with those who are to be separated from the evil and saved. This is evident from the signification of "offering incense with prayers," as being to conjoin the good of the higher heavens by means of truths with those who are in worship from spiritual good (of which presently); also from the signification of "all the saints," as being those who are in good by means of truths, thus who are in spiritual good; that these are called "saints" may be seen above n. 204; again, from the signification of "the golden altar," as being the heaven where there is spiritual good, for the altar upon which incense was offered was called "the golden altar;" again, from the signification of "before the throne," as being conjunction with heaven, "to be before the throne" signifies that conjunction, as may be seen above (n. 462, 477, 489).
[2] That these words signify the conjunction of the heavens with those who are to be separated from the evil and saved, can be seen from the series of things in the internal sense, and from the connection of what goes before with what is now said and with what follows, and also from the signification of the words in the internal sense. For this and the following chapters treat of the last state of the church, or its state when its end has come and the judgment is at hand; but before this state is described, the separation of those who were to be saved is treated of, who are all such as are meant by "those sealed on their foreheads," and by "those clothed in white robes" who were treated of in the preceding chapter. Because these were at that time associated in societies with those who were to be damned, in this chapter the means by which they were separated and saved are described, namely, that the higher heavens were first closely conjoined with the Lord by Divine influx into celestial good, and through that into spiritual good, and afterwards by Divine influx through these goods, conjoined into one, into the lower regions where those who were to be saved and those who were to be damned were together in societies. This influx of the Lord out of the higher heavens was received by those who in the world had lived in good, for that good continued with them, therefore by means of that good they were conjoined to the higher heavens, and thus separated from those who were unable to receive the influx, because they had not lived in good but in evil while they were in the world.
[3] This also is what is meant by the Lord's words in the Gospels:
Then shall two men be in the field, one shall be taken, the other shall be left. Two women shall be grinding, one shall be taken, the other shall be left (413, 418, 419, 426, 489). From this it can now be seen what the spiritual sense is of these words, "that he should offer the incense with the prayers of all the saints upon the golden altar which is before the throne," namely, the conjunction of the higher heavens with those who were to be separated from the evil and saved. The "prayers" with which the incense was to be offered do not mean prayers, but truths from good, by means of which prayers are offered; for truths with man are what pray, and man is continually in such prayers when he lives according to truths. (That "prayers" mean in the Word truths from good which are with man, and not prayers of the mouth, may be seen above, n. 325)
493. "Ut daret precibus sanctorum omnium super altare aureum quod coram throno." - Quod significet conjunctionem caelorum cum illis qui separandi a malis et salvandi, constat ex significatione "dare suffitus precibus", quod sit conjungere bonum caelorum superiorum per vera cum illis qui in cultu sunt ex bono spirituali (de qua sequitur); ex significatione "sanctorum omnium", quod sint illi qui in bono sunt per vera, ita qui in bono spirituali; quod illi "sancti" dicantur, videatur supra (n. 204); et ex significatione "altaris aurei", quod sit caelum ubi bonum spirituale, id enim altare super quo fiebant suffitus vocabatur "altare aureum"; et ex significatione "coram throno", quod sit conjunctio cum caelo; quod "esse coram throno" significet conjunctionem illam, videatur supra (n. 462, 477, 489 1
).
[2] Quod per illa verba significetur conjunctio caelorum cum illis qui separandi a malis et salvandi sunt, constare potest ex serie rerum in sensu interno, et ex nexu antecedentium cum his et cum sequentibus, et quoque ex significatione vocum in sensu interno. Agitur enim in hoc capite et in sequentibus de statu ecclesiae ultimo, seu quando finis ejus est dum instat judicium; et antequam status ille describitur, agitur de separatione illorum qui salvandi erant, qui omnes intelliguntur per "signatos super frontibus", et per "indutos stolis albis", de quibus actum est in capite antecedente: et quia illi tunc una in societatibus fuerunt cum illis qui damnandi, ideo in hoc capite describitur medium per quod separati sunt et salvati; quod nempe caeli superiores primum arcte conjuncti fuerint cum Domino per influxum Divinum in bonum caeleste et per id in bonum spirituale, et dein per haec bona in unum conjuncta in inferiora, ubi erant illi qui salvandi et qui damnandi simul in societatibus. Hic influxus Domini e caelis superioribus receptus est ab illis qui in bono vixerunt in mundo, nam apud illos id bonum erat; quare per id conjuncti sunt caelis superioribus, et sic separati ab illis qui non recipere potuerunt influxum, quia non in bono sed in malo, quando in mundo fuerunt, vixerant.
[3] Hoc quoque est quod intelligitur per Domini verba apud Evangelistas,
"Tunc duo erunt in agro, unus assumetur, alter derelinquetur; duae molentes, .... una assumetur, altera derelinquetur" (Matthaeus 24:40, 41; Luc. 16:34-36).
Haec est series rerum in sensu interno, et nexus antecedentium cum his et cum sequentibus (de qua re videantur plura supra, n. 413, 418, 419, 426, 489). Ex his nunc videri potest quis sensus spiritualis est verborum horum "Ut daret suffitus precibus sanctorum omnium super altare aureum, quod coram throno", quod nempe sit conjunctio caelorum superiorum cum illis qui separandi a malis et salvandi. Per "preces", quibus suffitus darentur, non intelliguntur preces, sed vera ex bono per quae preces; illa enim sunt quae apud hominem precantur, et in illis precibus est homo jugiter quando in vita secundum illa. (Quod per "preces" in Verbo vera ex bono, quae apud hominem, intelligantur, et non preces oris, videatur supra, n. 325.)
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.