277.“和盛满了香的金炉”表出于属灵的良善称谢主的神性人。“香”之所以表示出于属灵良善的敬拜，而在此表示出于这良善的称赞，是因为犹太和以色列教会的敬拜形式主要是献祭和焚香。因此祭坛有两种，一种用来祭祀，一种用来焚香。香坛在会幕内，被称为金香坛；而祭坛在会幕外，被称为燔祭坛。这是因为一切敬拜通过两种良善而存在，一为属天良善，一为属灵良善。前者是对主之爱的良善，后者是对邻之爱的良善。以献祭来敬拜是出于属天良善的敬拜，以焚香来敬拜是出于属灵良善的敬拜。无论你说敬拜，还是说称赞，都是一回事，因为一切敬拜都是称赞。盛香的“香炉”和“香”所表相同，因为能盛之物和所盛之物，就像工具因和主因作为一个原因起作用。
在以下经文中，“香”表示出于属灵良善的敬拜：
从日出到日落，我的名在外邦中必尊为大。在各处，人必奉我的名焚香。（玛拉基书1:11）
他们必将你的典章指教雅各，他们要把香焚在你鼻孔前，把燔祭献在你的坛上。（申命记33:10）
他们必从犹大城邑而来，献上燔祭、平安祭、素祭和乳香。（耶利米书17:26）
他们要从示巴而来，奉上黄金乳香，并且宣扬耶和华的赞美。（以赛亚书60:6）
“乳香”和“香”所表相同，因为乳香是制香的主要原料。马太福音中的也一样：
东方的智者揭开宝盒，给刚出生的主献上黄金、乳香、没药。（马太福音2:11）他们之所以献上这三样礼物，是因为“黄金”表示属天良善，“乳香”表示属灵良善，“没药”表示属世良善，一切敬拜都是由这三种善构成。
277. And a golden bowl full of incense. This symbolizes a confession of the Lord's Divine humanity springing from spiritual goods.
Incense symbolizes worship springing from spiritual goods - although here a confession springing from those goods - because worship in the Jewish and Israelite churches consisted principally in sacrifices and the burning of incense. Consequently they had two altars, one for sacrifices and one for the burning of incense. The first stood outside the Tabernacle and was called the altar of burnt offering, while the second was inside the Tabernacle and was called the golden altar. 1The reason for the two was that all worship springs from two kinds of goods - celestial good and spiritual good. Celestial good is the good of love toward the Lord, while spiritual good is the good of love for the neighbor. Worship by means of sacrifices was worship springing from celestial good, whereas worship by means of the burning of incense was worship springing from spiritual good.
It makes no difference whether you say worship or confession, as all worship is a confession.
The symbolic meaning of incense is also the symbolic meaning of the bowls that contained the incense, since a container and its contents, like an instrumental and principal cause, form a single unit.
[2] Worship springing from spiritual good is symbolized by incense in the following passages:
...from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place incense shall be offered to My name... (Malachi 1:11)
They shall teach Jacob Your judgments... They shall present the smell of incense to Your nose, and a whole burnt offering on Your altar. (Deuteronomy 33:10)
I will offer to You burnt offerings of fatlings, with the incense... (Psalms 66:15)
They shall come from (round about) Judah... bringing a burnt offering..., a grain offering and frankincense... (Jeremiah 17:26)
...from Sheba they shall come; they shall bring gold and frankincense, and they shall proclaim the praises of Jehovah. (Isaiah 60:6)
Frankincense has the same symbolic meaning as incense, because frankincense was the principal aromatic substance from which incense was made.
So likewise in Matthew:
(Wise men from the east) opened their treasures, (and) they presented (to the newborn Lord) gold, frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11)
They presented these three gifts, because gold symbolized celestial good, frankincense spiritual good, and myrrh natural good, and it is from these three goods that all worship springs.
Footnotes:
1. Exodus 39:38
277. 'And golden phials full of incense-offerings' signifies the confession of the Lord's Divine Human out of spiritual goods. 'Incense' [signifies] worship out of spiritual goods, but here confession out of those goods, because the original worship in the Jewish and Israelitish Churches was established in sacrifices and incense-offerings. There were, therefore, two altars, one for the sacrifices and the other for the incense-offerings. The latter altar was in the tabernacle and was called the golden altar, but the former was outside the tabernacle and was called the altar of burnt offering. This was because there are two kinds of goods out of which all worship is made, celestial good and spiritual good. Celestial good is the good of a love directed to the Lord, and spiritual good is the good of a love towards the neighbour. The worship by sacrifices was a worship out of celestial good, and the worship by incense-offerings was a worship out of spiritual good. Whether you call it worship or confession it is the same, for all worship is confession. What is signified by the 'incense-offerings' is also in like manner signified by the 'phials' in which the incenses were, inasmuch as the thing containing and the thing contained, like the instrumental and the principal, have one thing in view.
[2] Worship out of spiritual good is signified by the 'incense-offerings' in the following passages:
From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same My Name shall be great among the nations, and in every place an incense-offering shall be brought unto My Name, Malachi 1:11.
They shall teach Jacob Thy judgments, they shall put an incense-offering in Thy nose, and a burnt offering upon Thine altar. Deuteronomy 33:10.
I will offer unto Thee burnt offerings of fatlings with incense. Psalms 66:13, 15.
They shall come out of the circut of Judah offering a burnt offering, a meal-offering (mincha) and frankincense. Jeremiah 17:26.
They shall come out of Sheba, they shall bring gold and frankincense, and they shall declare the praises of Jehovah. Isaiah 60:6.
A similar thing is signified by 'frankincense' as by 'incense,' because frankincense was the special spice out of which the incense used to be made. In like manner in Matthew:
Wise men from the east opened their treasures, and offered to the newly born Lord, gold, frankincense and myrrh . Matthew 2:11.
They offered these three things because 'gold' signifies celestial good, 'frankincense' spiritual good, and 'myrrh' natural good and out of these three all worship is made.
277. And golden vials full of incense, signifies confession of the Lord's Divine Human from spiritual good. The reason why "incense" signifies worship from spiritual goods, but in this instance confession from such goods, is because the principal worship in the Jewish and Israelitish church consisted in sacrifices and incense; wherefore there were two altars, one for sacrifices and the other for incense; the latter altar was within the tabernacle, and was called the golden altar, but the former was without the tabernacle, and was called the altar of burnt-offering; the reason was, because there are two kinds of goods, from which all worship exists, celestial good and spiritual good: celestial good is the good of love to the Lord, and spiritual good is the good of love towards the neighbor. Worship by sacrifices was worship from celestial good, and worship by incense was worship from spiritual good. Whether you call it worship or confession, it is the same thing, for all worship is confession. What is signified by "incense," is also signified by "the vials" in which the incense is contained, because the thing containing and the thing contained, like the instrumental and principal, act as one cause.
[2] Worship from spiritual good is signified by "incense" in the following passages:
For from the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, My name shall be great among the Gentiles, and in every place incense shall be offered unto My name, (Malachi 1:11).
They shall teach Jacob Thy judgments, they shall put incense in Thy nostril and a burnt-offering upon Thine altar, (Deuteronomy 33:10).
I will offer unto Thee burnt-offerings of fatlings, with incense, (Psalms 66:13, 15).
And they shall come from the circuit of Judah, offering a burnt-offering, and a sacrifice, a meal-offering and incense, (Jeremiah 17:26).
They shall come from Sheba; they shall bring gold and incense, and they shall declare the praises of Jehovah, (Isaiah 60:6).
By "frankincense" the same is signified as by "incense," because frankincense was the principal aromatic from which incense was made. Likewise in Matthew:
The wise men from the east opened their treasures, and offered to the Lord recently born, gold, frankincense, and myrrh, (Matthew 2:11).
The reason why they offered these three was, because "gold" signified celestial good, "frankincense" spiritual good, and "myrrh" natural good, and from those three goods all worship is made.
277. "Et phialas aureas plenas suffitibus," significat confessionem Divini Humani Domini ex bonis spiritualibus. - Quod "suffitus" (significet) cultum ex bonis spiritualibus, hic autem confessionem ex illis bonis, est quia principalis cultus in Ecclesia Judaica et Israelitica constabat in sacrificiis et in suffitibus; quare duo Altaria erant, unum pro sacrificiis, et alterum pro suffitibus; hoc Altare fuit in Tabernaculo, et vocabatur Altare aureum, illud autem extra Tabernaculum, et vocabatur Altare holocausti: causa erat, quia duo genera bonorum sunt, ex quibus fit omnis Cultus, Bonum caeleste et Bonum spirituale; Bonum caeleste est bonum amoris in Dominum, et Bonum spirituale est bonum amoris erga proximum: cultus per sacrificia erat cultus ex Bono caelesti, et cultus per suffitus erat cultus ex Bono spirituali. Sive dicas cultum, sive dicas confessionem, idem est, nam omnis cultus est confessio. Simile quod significatur per "suffitus," etiam significatur per "phialas" in quibus suffimenta erant, quoniam continens et contentum, sicut instrumentale et principale, unam causam agunt. Cultus ex Bono spirituali significatur per "suffitus" in sequentibus locis:
"Ab ortu solis usque ad occasum ejus magnum erit Nomen Meum inter gentes, et in omni loco Suffitus allatus Nomini Meo," (Malachias 1:11);
"Docebunt judicia Tua Jacobum, ponent Suffitum in nasum Tuum, et holocaustum super Altare Tuum," (Deuteronomius 33:10);
"Holocausta pinguium offeram Tibi cum Suffimento," (Psalm 66:13, 15)
"Venient ex circuitu Jehudae offerentes holocaustum, mincham et Thus," (Jeremias 17:26);
"E Scheba venient: aurum et Thus portabunt: et laudes Jehovae annuntiabunt," (Esaias 60:6);
per "thus" simile significatur quod per "suffimentum," quia thus erat praecipuum aromatum 1ex quibus suffimentum fiebat. Similiter apud Matthaeum:
Sapientes ex Oriente aperuerunt thesauros suos, et obtulerunt Domino recens nato "Aurum, Thus et Myrrham," (2:11);
quod obtulerint illa tria, erat quia "aurum" significabat Bonum caeleste, "thus" Bonum spirituale, et "myrrha" Bonum naturale, et ex his tribus Bonis fit omnis cultus.
Footnotes:
1. aromatum pro "aroma"