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496. And the angel took the censer, and filled it with the fire of the altar. This signifies the conjunction of celestial and spiritual love, as is evident from the signification of a censer, which denotes spiritual good (see above, n. 491); therefore also, spiritual love, since all good is of love; and from the signification of fire of the altar, as denoting celestial love, for fire signifies in the Word love in both senses, that is, celestial love and infernal love. The fire of the altar signifies celestial love, because the altar of burnt-offering, upon which was the fire, was the chief representative of the worship of the Lord from that love, as may be seen above (n. 490). And because this love of the Lord is perpetual, it was therefore appointed that fire should be kept burning continually upon the altar, and that they should take of that fire in the censers, and burn incense, which was done to represent the conjunction of celestial love with spiritual love.
[2] That the fire burned continually upon the altar, is plain in Moses:
"The fire upon the altar shall be kept burning thereon; it shall not go out; and the priest shall burn wood on it every morning, and lay the burnt-offering in order upon it; and he shall burn thereon the fat of the peace-offerings. The fire shall be kept burning upon the altar continually, it shall not go out" (Leviticus 6:12, 13).
This represented that the Lord's Divine Love is perpetual and eternal.
[3] That they were to take of the fire of the altar in censers and burn incense is also seen in Moses:
"And" Aaron "shall take burning coals of fire from off the altar before Jehovah in a censer, and he shall put the incense upon the fire before Jehovah" (Leviticus 16:12, 13).
And Aaron took fire from off the altar, and "put incense thereon and made an expiation for the people" (Num. 16:46, 47).
This represented, that all propitiation and expiation were from the Divine Love of the Lord; likewise that every thing is heard and received by the Lord in which that love is. The ascending of the smoke of the incense represented also hearing and reception.
[4] And because Korah, Dathan, and Abiram, and their company, took fire from the altar and burned incense, and consequently sanctified their censers, therefore, after they had been swallowed up by the earth, it was commanded that their censers, which were of brass, should be taken up, and that after the fire had been scattered abroad, they should be beaten out into plates to cover the altar (Num. 16:36-39). This also represented the sanctity of the Lord's Divine Love. And because the incenses derived their sanctity from the fire of the altar, therefore offerings of incense from strange fire were profane; wherefore Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, were consumed by fire from heaven, because they offered incense from strange fire (Leviticus 10:1, 2). Incense from strange fire represented worship from love other than the Divine, and worship from any other love is profane.
[5] These passages are adduced to shew, that the fire of the altar signifies the Divine Love of the Lord, and this love in heaven is called celestial Divine Love and spiritual Divine Love; celestial Divine Love in the celestial kingdom of the Lord, and spiritual Divine Love in the spiritual kingdom of the Lord. All the heavens are distinguished into two kingdoms, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom; celestial Divine Love makes the celestial kingdom, and spiritual Divine Love the spiritual kingdom. That all the heavens are distinguished into those two kingdoms, may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 20-28); and that those two loves make those two kingdoms, or all the heavens (n. 13-19). It must, however, be understood, that the Divine Love of the Lord in the heavens is called celestial and spiritual from its reception by the angels, and not from any division in itself; also, that spiritual love exists from celestial love, as an effect from its efficient cause, and as truth exists from good; for the good of spiritual love in its essence is the truth of the good of celestial love. Hence it is that those two kingdoms are conjoined, and form one in the sight of the Lord. These observations are made for those who love to search into things of an interior nature. That fire signifies love in both senses, will be seen confirmed from the Word in what follows.
496. Verse 5. And the angel took the censer and filled it from the fire of the altar, signifies the conjunction of celestial love and spiritual love. This is evident from the signification of a "censer," as being spiritual good (of which above, n. 491, and therefore also spiritual love, since all good is of love; also from the signification of "the fire of the altar," as being celestial love, for "fire" signifies in the Word love in both senses, namely, celestial love and infernal love. "The fire of the altar" signifies celestial love, because the altar of burnt-offering, upon which was the fire, was the chief representative of the worship of the Lord from that love (See above, n. 490); and because this love of the Lord is perpetual, therefore it was appointed that a fire should burn continually upon the altar, and that they should take of that fire in the censers for burning incense, which was done to represent the conjunction of celestial love with spiritual love.
[2] That a fire should burn continually upon the altar is evident from Moses:
And the fire upon the altar shall be kept burning, and shall not be put out; and the priest shall kindle wood on it every morning, and shall arrange on it the burnt-offering and he shall burn on it the fats of the peace-offerings. The fire shall be kept burning continually upon the altar, it shall not be quenched (Leviticus 6:12, 13).
This represented that the Lord's Divine love is unceasing and eternal.
[3] That they should take from the fire of the altar in the censers for burning incense see also in Moses:
Aaron shall take burning coals of fire from off the altar before Jehovah in a censer; and he shall put the incense upon the fire before Jehovah (Leviticus 16:12, 13).
And that Aaron took fire from off the altar, and put incense on it, by which expiation was made for the people (Numbers 16:46, 47).
This represented that all propitiation and expiation were from the Lord's Divine love, as also that everything that has that love in it is heard and received by the Lord; and the rising of the smoke of the incense represented also hearing and reception.
[4] And because Korah, Dathan, and Abiram and their company, took fire from the altar and burned incense, and thence their censers were sanctified:
It was commanded that after they had been swallowed up by the earth, their censers, which were of brass, should be gathered up, and the fire be scattered yonder, and the censers be beaten into plates for covering the altar (Numbers 16:36-39).
This also represented the holiness of the Lord's Divine love. And as incense-offerings were holy from the fire of the altar, so incense-offerings with strange fire were profane, therefore:
Nadab and Abihu, the sons of Aaron, were consumed by fire from heaven, because they offered incense with strange fire (Leviticus 10:1, 2).
Incense offering from strange fire represented worship from love other than Divine, and worship from any other love is profane.
[5] These passages have been cited to make known that "the fire of the altar" signifies the Lord's Divine love, which love in heaven is called Divine celestial love and Divine spiritual love; Divine celestial love is in the Lord's celestial kingdom, and Divine spiritual love is in the Lord's spiritual kingdom. For there are two kingdoms, into which all the heavens are divided, the celestial kingdom and the spiritual kingdom; Divine celestial love constitutes the celestial kingdom, and Divine spiritual love the spiritual kingdom. (That all the heavens are divided into these two kingdoms, see in the work on Heaven end Hell n. 20-28; and that these two loves constitute these two kingdoms, or all the heavens, n. 13-19.) But it must be noted that the Lord's Divine love in the heavens is called celestial and spiritual from its reception by the angels, and not from its being divided in itself; also that spiritual love springs from celestial love as an effect from its effecting cause, and as truth from good; for the good of spiritual love is in its essence the truth of the good of celestial love. For this reason these two kingdoms are conjoined with each other and are one in the Lord's sight. But this has been said for those who love to search into interior things. That "fire" signifies love in both senses will be seen confirmed from the Word in what follows.
496. VERSUS 5 "Et accepit angelus thuribulum, et implevit illud de igne altaris." - Quod significet conjunctionem amoris caelestis et amoris spiritualis, constat a significatione "thuribuli", quod sit bonum spirituale (de qua supra, n. 491), inde etiam amor spiritualis, quoniam omne bonum est amoris; et ex significatione "ignis altaris", quod sit amor caelestis, per "ignem" enim in Verbo significatur amor in utroque sensu, nempe amor caelestis et amor infernalis. Per "ignem altaris" significatur amor caelestis, quia altare holocausti, super quo ignis erat, principale repraesentativum cultus Domini ex illo amore fuit (videatur supra, n. 490). Et quia ille amor Domini est perpetuus, ideo statutum erat, ut ignis jugiter arderet super altari, ac ut ex illo igne sumeretur in thuribulis et suffiretur, et hoc ob repraesentationem conjunctionis amoris caelestis cum amore spirituali.
[2] Quod ignis jugiter arderet super altari, constat apud Mosen,
"Ignis super altari ardebit, nec exstinguetur: et sacerdos accendet super eo ligna sub auroras singulas, et disponet super eo holocaustum, et adolebit super eo adipes pacificorum: ignis jugiter ardebit super altari, nec exstinguetur" (Leviticus 6:5, 612, [13]);
per quod repraesentabatur quod Divinus Amor Domini perpetuus et aeternus sit.
[3] Quod ex igne altaris sumeretur in thuribulis et suffiretur, etiam apud Mosen,
"Accipiet" Aharon. ..."prunas ignis desuper altari coram Jehovah in thuribulo, .... et dabit suffimentum super ignem coram Jehovah" (Leviticus 16:12, 13);
Et quod Aharon sumpserit ignem desuper altari, et super eum dederit suffimentum; per quod expiavit populum (Numeri 17:11, 12 [B.A. 16:46, [47]):
per quae repraesentabatur quod omnis propitiatio et expiatio esset ex Divino Amore Domini; tum quod omne id audiretur et reciperetur a Domino, in quo ille amor est; elevatio fumi suffimenti repraesentabat etiam auditionem et receptionem.
[4] Et quia Korach, Dathan, et Abiram, et concio eorum, sumpserunt ignem ex altari et suffierunt, et inde thuribula eorum sanctificata fuerunt,
Ideo postquam illi deglutiti fuerunt e terra, mandatum est ut colligerentur thuribula eorum, quae ex aere erant, et spargeretur ignis horsum, et expanderentur in laminas, quibus tegeretur altare (Numeri 17:1-4 [B.A. 16:36-39);
per quod etiam repraesentabatur sanctitas Divini Amoris Domini. Et quia suffitus sancti erant ex igne altaris, inde suffitus ex igne alieno profani erant; quare
Nadab et Abihu, filii Aharonis, consumpti sunt ex igne e caelo, quia suffierunt ex igne alieno (Leviticus 10:1, 2):
suffitus ex igne alieno repraesentabat cultum ex amore alio quam Divino, et cultus ex amore alio est profanus.
[5] Haec adducta sunt ut sciatur quod per "ignem altaris" significetur Divinus Amor Domini, qui Amor in caelo vocatur Divinus Amor caelestis et Divinus Amor spiritualis; Divinus Amor caelestis qui est in regno caelesti Domini, et Divinus Amor spiritualis qui est in regno spirituali Domini: sunt enim duo regna In quae omnes caeli distincti sunt, regnum caeleste et regnum spirituale; Divinus Amor caelestis facit regnum caeleste, et Divinus Amor spiritualis facit regnum spirituale. (Quod omnes caeli in duo illa regna distincti sint, videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno n. 20-28; et quod bini illi amores faciant bina illa regna, seu omnes caelos, n. 13-19.) At sciendum est quod Divinus Amor Domini in caelis dicatur caelestis et spiritualis a receptione illius ab angelis, et non ex eo quod ille in se divisus sit; tum quod amor spiritualis existat ab amore caelesti, sicut effectus a sua causa efficiente, et sicut verum a bono, nam bonum amoris spiritualis in sua essentia est verum boni amoris caelestis: inde est quod duo illa regna inter se conjuncta sint, et quod sint unum in conspectu Domini: sed haec dicta sunt illis qui interiora amant scrutari.
Quod "ignis" significet amorem in utroque sensu, infra videbitur confirmatum ex Verbo.