LEVITICUS 9
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Leviticus Chapter 9

Summary of the Spiritual Sense

  1. Instruction to him who is in the new state of good that he should be prepared to worship the Lord from various affections, natural, spiritual and celestial, in order that the Divine may be manifested in the Human, vers. 1-4.
  2. Obedience for this purpose as to the understanding and as to the will with further perception, as to action, vers. 5-6.
  3. Worship accordingly in due order and sequence, vers. 7-21.
  4. The effect, namely, closer conjunction with the Lord; full reciprocal conjunction on the part of man; the manifestation of the Divine Love in all fullness even to ultimates, and consequently full revelation, producing a state of profound humility, vers. 22-24.

The Contents of each Verse

  1. And it came to pass on the eighth day, that Moses called Aaron and his sons, and the elders of Israel;
  1. It happens also in the new state, when man is in good, that Divine Truth from the Lord operates upon him as to his celestial, spiritual, and natural degrees. [more]
  1. And he said to Aaron, Take you a bull calf for a sin offering, and a ram for a burnt offering, without blemish, and offer them before the Lord.
  1. And then it is perceived from celestial good, that the Lord is to be worshiped from the good of innocence in the natural man, conjoined with truth, in acknowledgement that man of himself is nothing but evil; and from the pure good of innocence in the internal or spiritual man, in acknowledgement that all good is from the Lord. [more]
  1. And to the children of Israel you shall speak, saying, Take you a he-goat for a sin offering; and a calf and a lamb, both of the first year, without blemish, for a burnt offering;
  1. Also instruction is given to the spiritual-natural man, through which it is perceived, that the Lord is to be worshiped from the truth of faith conjoined with good, in acknowledgement that man of himself is nothing but evil, and from the good of innocence in all fullness and purity both in the External and Internal, in acknowledgement that all good is from the Lord; [more]
  1. And an ox and a ram for peace offerings, to sacrifice before the Lord; and a meal offering mingled with oil: for today the Lord appears to you.
  1. And that there is also to be the worship of the Lord from a state of external peace as to natural good and as to spiritual good; and through the conjunction of spiritual good with celestial good, because in the new state the Lord is to be manifested; [more]
  1. And they brought that which Moses commanded before the tent of meeting: and all the congregation drew near and stood before the Lord.
  1. And that this actually takes place when man acknowledges the Lord and His operation through heaven, according to Divine influx; and thus all the subordinate powers of the regenerated man are united. [more]
  1. And Moses said, This is the thing which the Lord commanded that you should do: and the glory of the Lord shall appear to you.
  1. And still more, definite perception is given, through Divine Truth, that such worship is acceptable to the Lord, and that through it the Lord is to be manifested. [more]
  1. And Moses said to Aaron, Draw near to the altar, and offer your sin offering, and your burnt offering, and make atonement for yourself, and for the people: and offer the oblation of the people, and make atonement for them; as the Lord commanded.
  1. And hence there is perception, with those who are in celestial good, that the Lord is to be approached; while at the same time there is the acknowledgement that man is unworthy because of himself he is nothing but evil, and that all good is from the Lord; in order, with regard to the Lord, that the Human may be acknowledged as one with the Divine, and with regard to man, that reconciliation may be established with the Lord, through the remission of evil, both as to the will and understanding, or as to the internal and external man, according to Divine influx. [more]
  1. So Aaron drew near to the altar, and slew the calf of the sin offering, which was for himself.
  1. And thus those who are in celestial good approach the Lord, by preparing to worship Him from the good of innocence in the natural man; and by the acknowledgement that of themselves they are only evil. [more]
  1. And the sons of Aaron presented the blood to him: and he dipped his finger in the blood, and put it upon the horns of the altar, and poured out the blood at the base of the altar:
  1. While those who are in charity acknowledge that Divine Truth is from the Lord through celestial love; and then by the power of truth from good, the conjunction of truth with good is confirmed in worship; and the natural man also thus receives the influx of truth from good in the ultimate. [more]
  1. But the fat, and the kidneys, and the long lobe from the liver of the sin offering, he burnt upon the altar; as the Lord commanded Moses.
  1. But all this good, and the truth conjoined therewith, both internal and external, are fully acknowledged to be from the Lord, and are devoted to His service, according to the influx of good into truth in worship. [more]
  1. And the flesh and the skin he burnt with fire without the camp.
  1. And everything evil and false in the natural affections and powers, is separated and conjoined with self-love, with those not in the realization of the heavenly life. [more]
  1. And he slew the burnt offering; and Aaron's sons delivered to him the blood, and he sprinkled it upon the altar round about.
  1. Also those who are in celestial good prepare to worship the Lord from that good, by the acknowledgement that all good is from Him; and those in charity acknowledge that spiritual truth is from Him through celestial love; and thus the conjunction of truth with good is confirmed and established in every mode and degree. [more]
  1. And they delivered the burnt offering to him, piece by piece, and the head: and he burnt them upon the altar.
  1. And by Divine Truth a distinct arrangement of goods and truths is effected from ultimates to inmost things; and all is fully devoted to the Lord by the acknowledgement that all good is from Him. [more]
  1. And he washed the inwards and the legs, and burnt them upon the burnt offering on the altar.
  1. But lowest good which is sensual and corporeal, and exterior good which is natural, are purified by the acknowledgement from the heart that they are from the Lord; and therefore they are ascribed to Him, and are devoted to His service. [more]
  1. And he presented the people's oblation, and took the goat of the sin offering which was for the people, and slew it, and offered it for sin, as the first.
  1. Also through celestial good in the inmost those who are in the truth of faith worship the Lord from the good of innocence which belongs to them, by preparing themselves and acknowledging that of themselves they are nothing but evil as in the former case. [more]
  1. And he presented the burnt offering, and offered it according to the ordinance.
  1. And they are wholly devoted to the Lord by the acknowledgement that all good is from Him, according to Divine Order. [more]
  1. And he presented the meal offering, and filled his hand therefrom, and burnt it upon the altar, besides the burnt offering of the morning.
  1. Also through celestial good the Lord is worshiped from the conjunction of spiritual good with celestial good; and this is done with all fullness and power; and such conjunction is acknowledged to be from the Lord in worship, in addition to the worship of the Lord, from celestial good and from spiritual good distinctly, in the new heavenly state. [more]
  1. He slew also the ox and the ram, the sacrifice of peace offerings, which was for the people: and Aaron's sons delivered to him the blood, and he sprinkled it upon the altar round about,
  1. Also through celestial love the Lord is worshiped in a state of peace and freedom as to the natural and spiritual degrees; those who are in spiritual truth acknowledging that it is from the Lord through celestial good; and thus the conjunction of truth with good in this worship is effected and established. [more]
  1. And the fat of the ox; and of the ram, the fat tail, and that which covers the inwards, and the kidneys, and the long lobe of the liver:
  1. And all the good of the natural man and of the spiritual man; all exterior and external natural good; all interior natural truths; and all interior natural good; [more]
  1. And they put the fat upon the breasts, and he burnt the fat upon the altar:
  1. Together with the good of holy charity; are devoted to the Lord from pure love. [more]
  1. And the breasts and the right thigh Aaron waved for a wave offering before the Lord; as Moses commanded.
  1. But all holy charity, and all things relating to the heavenly marriage, thus all good together, is acknowledged by the celestial man to be from the Lord, and is vivified by Him according to influx and co-operation. [more]
  1. And Aaron lifted up his hands toward the people, and blessed them; and he came down from offering the sin offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings.
  1. And thus with Divine Power is the conjunction of the internal man with the external effected; and still the latter enjoys life in heaven as if it were his own, even preservation to eternity from all evil; the power to worship the Lord from good; and a state of perfect peace and rest. [more]
  1. And Moses and Aaron went into the tent of meeting, and came out, and blessed the people: and the glory of the Lord appeared to all the people.
  1. And thus Divine Truth and Divine Good proceed from the Lord through the heavens; thus there is reciprocal conjunction of the external man with the internal; and thus the Lord is manifested. [more]
  1. And there came forth fire from before the Lord, and consumed upon the altar the burnt offering and the fat: and when all the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces.
  1. And thence it follows that Divine Love descends into the mind and heart of the  regenerated man filling him with heavenly delight, the consequence of which is clear revelation from the Lord, and a state of profound humility. [more]

References and Notes

  1.  By it coming to pass is denoted a change in the subject, 4978; by the eighth day is denoted a new state, 9227.; by Moses is denoted Divine Truth from the Lord, 7010, 6752; by calling is denoted influx, and thus the Lord's operation, 6840; by Aaron and his sons are denoted the Celestial and the Spiritual, 9946; and by the elders of Israel are denoted the Natural, 9421, 9422.

    [Back to 1]

  2.  Saying denotes perception, 1791, 1822; Aaron denotes celestial good, 9946; a bull calf denotes the good of innocence in the natural man, 2830, 9391; the male denotes truth, 725; for a sin offering denotes the acknowledgement that man of himself is nothing but evil, 3400, 10042; a ram for a burnt offering denotes the good of innocence in the internal man, 10042; without blemish denotes what is pure, 7837; and to offer them before the Lord denotes the acknowledgement that all good is from Him, 9293.

    [Back to 2]

  3.  This is evident, because to speak and to say to the children of Israel denotes instruction to. the spiritual-natural man, 2951, 7304, 4286; a he-goat for a sin offering denotes the truth of faith conjoined with its good, 4169, 725; for a sin offering denotes the acknowledgement that man of himself is nothing but evil, 3400, 10042; a calf denotes the good of innocence in the External, and a lamb the good of innocence in the Internal, 2830, 9391, 10132; of the first year, and without blemish, denotes in all fullness and purity, 7839, 7837; and a burnt offering denotes that map in worship acknowledges that all good is from the Lord, 10053, 10055.

    [Back to 3]

  4.  An ox and a ram for peace offerings denotes the worship of the Lord from a state of external peace as to natural good and as to spiritual good, 2180, 10042, 10097; sacrificing before the Lord denotes acknowledgement and worship, 9293; a meal offering mingled with oil denotes the conjunction of spiritual good with celestial good, 2177; and today the Lord appearing denotes the manifestation of the Lord in the new state, 9227.

    [Back to 4]

  5.  This appears from the signification of the sacrifices named, as has been shown; of commanding, as denoting influx, 5486; of the tent of meeting, as denoting the heavens, 35403; and of all the congregation standing before the Lord, as denoting all the subordinate powers of the regenerated man united before Him, 7830, 7843, 3136, 9293.

    [Back to 5]

  6.  By Moses saying is denoted definite perception through Divine Truth, 1791, 7010; by the thing which the Lord has commanded is denoted influx from the Lord, and thus what is acceptable to Him, 5486; and by the glory of the Lord appearing is evidently denoted the manifestation of the Lord, 5922.

    [Back to 6]

  7.  Moses saying to Aaron denotes perception with those who are in celestial good from Divine Truth, 1791, 7010, 9946; drawing near to the altar denotes approaching the Lord, 921, 6843; offering the sin offering denotes that man is unworthy because of himself he is nothing but evil, 3400, 10042; offering the burnt offering denotes that all good is of the Lord, 10053, 10,05.5 5 Aaron making atonement for himself and the people denotes, with regard to the Lord, that the Human may be acknowledged as one with the Divine, and with regard to man, that reconciliation may be established with the Lord, both as to the will and understanding, 10042 II.; "for yourself and the people " denotes as to the will and understanding, because Aaron signifies good, and the people signify truth, 9946, 1259; offering the oblation of the people denotes the worship of the Lord, and reconciliation in the external man as well as the internal, 6451; and "as the Lord commanded" denotes according to Divine influx, 5486.

    [Back to 7]

  8.  Here, by Aaron are denoted those who are in celestial good, 9946; drawing near denotes to approach the Lord, 921, 6843; slaying the calf of the sin offering denotes preparation to worship the Lord from the good of innocence in the natural man, 10024, 2830; and the sin offering denotes the acknowledgement that man of himself is nothing but evil, 3400, 10042 II.

    [Back to 8]

  9.  This is thus proved: the sons of Aaron denote those who are in charity, because they denote "the Divine Truth from the Divine Good in the heavens," 9946; presenting the blood to Aaron denotes the acknowledgement that Divine Truth is from the Lord through celestial love, 9293, 9046, 10047; Aaron dipping his finger in the blood denotes the power of truth from good, 7430; putting the blood upon the horns of the altar denotes the conjunction of truth with good confirmed in worship, 10208; and pouring out the blood at the base of the altar denotes that the natural man also receives the influx of truth from good in the ultimate, 10047.

    [Back to 9]

  10.  This is demonstrated as follows: the fat denotes celestial good, 10033; the two kidneys denote truth, 10032; the long lobe upon the liver denotes the interior good of the external or natural man, 10031; burning upon the altar denotes full acknowledgement that all good is from the Lord, and that it is to be devoted to His service, 10053, 10055; and as the Lord commanded Moses denotes according to the influx of good into truth in worship, 2001, 5486, 7010.

    [Back to 10]

  11.  Burning the flesh and the skin with fire without the camp denotes that everything evil and false in the natural affections and powers is separated and conjoined with selfish love, with those not in the realization of the heavenly life, 10035, 10036, 10038.

    [Back to 11]

  12.  Aaron denotes those in celestial good, 9946; slaying the burnt offering denotes preparation to worship the Lord from that good, 10024; the burnt offering denotes the acknowledgement that all good is from the Lord, 10053, 10055; Aaron's sons delivering to him the blood denotes that those in charity acknowledge that spiritual truth is from the Lord through celestial love, 9946, 10047; sprinkling the blood upon the altar round about denotes the confirmation of the conjunction of truth with good in every mode and degree, 10047.

    [Back to 12]

  13.  Delivering the burnt offering to Aaron piece by piece, and the head, denotes that by Divine Truth a distinct arrangement of goods and truths is effected, from ultimates to inmost things, because the sons of Aaron denote Divine Truth, 9946; the pieces, including the head, denote what is from ultimates to inmost things, 10049-51, and cutting in pieces denotes a distinct arrangement, 10048; and burning upon the altar denotes that all is fully devoted to the Lord by the acknowledgement that all good is from Him, 10053, 10055.

    [Back to 13]

  14.  Washing the inwards and the legs, and burning them upon the burnt offering on the altar, denotes that lowest good which is sensual and corporeal, and exterior good which is natural, are purified by the acknowledgement from the heart that they are from the Lord; and therefore they are ascribed to Him, and are devoted to his service, 10049-51, 10055.

    [Back to 14]

  15.  Aaron denotes celestial good in the inmost, 9946; the goat, the oblation of the people, denotes those who are in the truth of faith, 4169, 725; slaying it denotes preparation, 10024; offering it for sin denotes worship involving the acknowledgement that of themselves they are nothing but evil, 3400, 10042; and as at the first evidently denotes as in the former case.

    [Back to 15]

  16.  Presenting the burnt offering and offering it according to the ordinance denotes that those who are in the good of faith are wholly devoted to the Lord by the acknowledgement that all good is from Him according to Divine Order, 10055, 7995.

    [Back to 16]

  17.  Aaron denotes celestial good, 9946; the meal offering denotes worship from the conjunction of spiritual good with celestial good, 2177; filling the hand denotes with all fullness and power, 10019; burning it upon the altar denotes that such conjunction is acknowledged to be from the Lord in worship, 10053, 10055 5 and besides, the burnt offering of the morning denotes in addition to the worship of the Lord from celestial good and from spiritual good distinctly in the new heavenly state, 10134, 10136, 9299.

    [Back to 17]

  18.  Aaron denotes celestial love, 9946; slaying the ox and the ram denotes preparation to worship as to the natural and spiritual degrees, 10024, 2180, 10042; peace offerings denote worship from freedom, 10097; Aaron's sons denote those who are in spiritual truth, 9946; presenting the blood to Aaron denotes the acknowledgement that it is from the Lord through celestial good, 9293, 9946, 10047; and sprinkling the blood on the altar round about denotes the conjunction of good with truth in this worship effected and established, 10047.

    [Back to 18]

  19.  The fat of the ox and the ram denotes all the good of the natural man and the spiritual man, 10033, 2180, 10042; the fat tail, and that which covers the inwards, denote all exterior and external natural good, 10071, 10029, 10030; the kidneys denote all interior natural truths, 10032; and the long lobe upon the liver denotes all interior natural good, 10031.

    [Back to 19]

  20.  The fat put upon the breasts denotes the conjunction of celestial good with the good of charity, 10033, 10087; and burning upon the altar denotes devotion to the Lord from pure love, 10053, 10055..

    [Back to 20]

  21.  Here the breast denotes all holy charity, 10087; the thigh denotes all things relating to the heavenly marriage, thus all good together, 10075; Aaron waving them denotes acknowledgement by the celestial man that all good is from the Lord, 9946; and their being waved denotes vivification by Him, 10089.

    [Back to 21]

  22.  Aaron lifting up his hands toward the people and blessing them denotes that, with Divine Power, the conjunction of the internal man with the external is effected, 5328, 3514; and his coming down from offering the sin offering and the burnt offerings and the peace offerings denotes that still the external man enjoys life in heaven as if it were his own, 6451, 4964, 4969; while the sin offering, the burnt offerings and the peace offerings denote respectively preservation to eternity from all evil, 3400, the power to worship the Lord from good, 10053, and a state of perfect peace and rest, 10097, 10054.

    [Back to 22]

  23.  Moses and Aaron going into the tent of meeting and coming out denotes that thus Divine Truth and Divine Good proceed from the Lord through the heavens, 7010, 9946, 35403, 9927; Moses and Aaron both blessing the people denotes reciprocal conjunction as to the external man with the internal, as is evident from the signification of the two, 3514; and the glory of the Lord appearing evidently denotes that thus the Lord is manifested, 8427.

    [Back to 23]

  24.  Fire coming forth from before the Lord denotes the descent of Divine Love, 934, 6499; consuming or devouring denotes full conjunction, when no injury is done by the influx, 6834, 10533, 2187, 5149; the burnt offering and the fat denote the mind and heart of the regenerated man filled with good and its delight, 10053, 10055, 10033; the people seeing it denotes clear revelation from the Lord, 2150; and shouting and falling on their faces denote a state of profound humility, 8815, 19991.

    1 On account of the writer's age and gradually failing health, it is here decided to-discontinue, with reluctance, the commentary on the chapters, and to finish the proofs and short explanatory notes on Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy, in order to produce, in a compact form, a useful book of reference for Ministers and Students. March 20 in 1907... References on Deuteronomy finished, and commentaries here-resumed February, 1909,

    [Back to 24]

Discussion

In this chapter we have an interesting description of the initiatory heavenly state, signified by the eighth day. And it will, therefore, be profitable for us to reflect upon this first realization of good which constitutes that state. But it is difficult, naturally, for every one who-is only passing through regeneration to conceive what a state can be which he has never experienced. Still, however, some conception may be formed of it from considering what it is not. And first of all we are assured from all we have learned in the Word that man then? no longer suffers temptation, because he has no longer a divided mind. For his outward man is now not only in subjection to his inward man, but is in harmony with it, and there is a state of peace and rest which is properly denoted in this account by the peace offering.

Again, we are well instructed from the Word also that in heaven there is no night. There are, indeed, changes of state with all variety, corresponding to the changes of the day from morning to evening; but there is no night, neither is there any winter in heaven. On the contrary, there is an increase of spiritual light and heat, for our chapter teaches us that then the Lord is manifested.

How delightful, then, must this new state be only in consequence of its freedom from positive evil and error, and how we do long for the time to come when we shall enter into it!

But let us take the description in its order, and then we shall clearly see other important things. That there should be the worship of the Lord, denoted by the burnt offerings and sacrifices, does not surprise us. For the permanent state of good is the perpetual worship of Him in a life of usefulness; but in this worship the very remarkable thing we notice is that there is first the sin offering which precedes. Now why is this, when people do not sin in heaven? It is because, although they do not sin, they still acknowledge that of themselves they are nothing but evil; and, indeed, we are told that without such acknowledgement no one can be in heaven, 868. And, therefore, even in heaven this necessarily comes first. But no one can truly worship except from good, and except there be innocence conjoined with truth, and this is denoted by the calf, because it is the good of innocence in the natural degree, now made harmonious with the higher degrees; besides which, we observe that the essence of this worship is good, since the fat only was burnt upon the altar, while the flesh and the skin were burnt with fire without the camp, to denote that all evil and falsity are rejected in this heavenly worship.

But the fully regenerated celestial man in heaven worships the Lord also from celestial love itself, that is, he worships the Lord for the sake of the Lord, and acknowledges in that worship that all good is from Him. We see, therefore, in this account what it is that constitutes heaven with the celestial man, and also, from another point of view, with the internal man generally. It is the love of the Lord, signified by Aaron's burnt offering and sin offering, and thus the good of innocence externally and internally. It is the good of innocence, indeed, but it is from wisdom, and not from ignorance.

And next, in reflecting upon this inspired description, we consider the state of the spiritual-natural man, as well as that of the celestial; and we find that their states correspond, although they are not identical, the difference being denoted by the animals offered; for the sin offering is a goat, and the burnt offering a calf and a lamb. Now notice that the external good of innocence of the celestial man is identical with what is the interior with the spiritual-natural man, thus indicating the way in which the two degrees are connected by overlapping; and then it is not a little remarkable that whereas the celestial have a ram for a burnt offering, the spiritual man has not only this calf, but a lamb as well. And yet the lamb corresponds properly to the innocence of the celestial, and the ram to the innocence of the Spiritual. How do we reconcile this apparent inconsistency? By discerning that the inmost good of the celestial man is involved and expressed in his spiritual degree; thus the "ram" involves and expresses the "lamb"; and also that the good of the spiritual-natural man involves the good of the celestial, but does not express it; and thus, in this case, the thing involved is mentioned. That is, the "calf" involves the "lamb," but is not its proper external, because the " ram " is this.

But now we find another difference between the celestial man and the spiritual-natural man, for the former offers no meal offering, and no peace offering. It is because those that are offered by the spiritual-natural man involve in their signification the unity of all the heavens and of the whole man regenerated. But in giving instruction the meal offering is after the peace offering, while in performing the ceremony it follows the burnt offering. This is because in the state of instruction the uniting medium between the Internal and External is not as yet applied; but when experience comes it takes its proper place; for what is signified by the meal offering is, in the case of the Lord's glorification, a uniting medium, as appears from the respective significations of the meal and the oil; and in the case of man it is a conjoining medium. We see, therefore, from these things mentioned in this brief review how particularly and exactly the literal sense of the Word is arranged to meet the requirements of the internal sense; and also other points in the description might have been enlarged upon. But the reflecting reader will be able to see some of these for himself, and we have yet to say a few words on the blessing of Aaron, and the blessing of Moses and Aaron together on coming out of the tent of meeting.

Now Aaron lifting up his hands and blessing the people clearly represents the Lord Himself conjoining the church and the individual member thereof with Himself when He is truly worshiped. But Moses and Aaron together going into the tent of meeting, coming out, and again blessing the people symbolize appropriately the reciprocal conjunction of man with the Lord, because in this case the Lawgiver and the High Priest, as leaders, denote the whole church as to the reception of Divine Truth and Divine Good, and the blessing repeated denotes reciprocal conjunction.

And surely our last verse is a most appropriate text for an eloquent sermon on this whole chapter. In the first place, we are here strongly reminded of the great sacrifice of Elijah on Mount Carmel. "There came forth fire from before the Lord." It is Divine Love that in reality is always proceeding from before the Lord, and affecting every one in the universe. For Divine Love is Life from Him continually, and therefore no human being ever perishes to eternity. Divine Life cannot be the cause of spiritual death; and he who is simply capable, because he is a human being, of receiving that Divine Life, according to his state and his constitution as a human being, cannot perish (HH 39). And if we should dwell upon this fact, and consider that every human being is at last brought necessarily into order on his own plane of life, though he may be the worst of evil spirits, and for ever remains so (Matt 25:46, HH 480), yet is he brought into order and remains in a state of order, because life from the Lord is in him, although he cannot reciprocate the Lord's love which he receives.

But what shall we say of the angels who do reciprocate that love, and thence offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord? The sacrifices are consumed in the best sense, that is, not in the sense of being destroyed, but of being grateful and acceptable to the Lord, because they are the evidences of reciprocal love.

"But when the people saw it, they shouted, and fell on their faces." So it always is in heaven. It is impossible there not to see the glory of the Lord, and impossible also not to be filled with humility. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."

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