Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 496before Jehovah, means before the Lord’s Divine Itself; “the templeto which He is to come” means His Divine Human; this is alsocalled “the messenger of the covenant,” because through it there is aconjunction of men and angels with the Divine Itself, for covenantmeans conjunction. “The silver that He shall sit refining andpurifying” means truth from good; “the sons of Levi” mean allthose who are in the good of charity and in the truths of faiththerefrom; it is therefore said, “He shall purge them as gold andsilver.” This is said because “gold” signifies good, and “silver” thetruth therefrom. “Bringing to Jehovah an offering in righteousness”means worship of the Lord from the good of charity. (That“temple” signifies the Lord’s Divine Human, see above, n. 220a;that “covenant” signifies conjunction, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 665,666, 1023, 1038, 1864, 1996, 2003, 2021, 6804, 8767, 8778,9396, 10632; that “silver” signifies truth from good, n. 1551,1552, 2954, 5658; that “an offering” signifies the good of love andcharity, n. 4581, 9992–9994, 10079, 10137; that “righteousness”is predicated of good, n. 2235, 9857.) Therefore “to bring anoffering in righteousness” signifies worship from the good of love.[10] In Zechariah:Two parts in all the land shall be cut off, shall expire, but the thirdshall be left therein. Yet I will lead the third part through the fire, andwill refine them as silver is refined, and I will try them as gold is tried.(13:8, 9).“All the land” does not mean all the land, but the whole church;nor does “the third part” mean a third part, but some in thechurch. “To lead it through the fire, and refine as silver is refined,and to try as gold is tried,” signifies to so purify them from falsesand evils that good and truth may be implanted. (That “earth”[land] in the Word signifies the church, see Arcana Coelestia, n.662, 1066, 1068, 1262, 1413, 1607, 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535,5577, 6516, 9325, 9643; that “a third part” signifies some, n.2788.) In these passages there are comparisons of “silver” and“gold” with truth and good; but in the Word all things that serve ascomparisons also correspond, and thence signify (see Arcana