AC 9375 - Nadab, Abihu and the "Strange Fire in the Censer"

AC 9375

Nadab and Abihu.
(Exodus 24:1)

This means doctrine drawn from both senses,
is evident from the fact that they were sons of Aaron;
and therefore when by "Aaron" is meant the Word,
by his "sons" is meant doctrine;
by the elder son,
doctrine drawn from the internal sense of the Word;
and by the younger son,
doctrine drawn from the external sense of the Word.
Doctrine drawn from the internal sense of the Word,
and doctrine drawn from the external sense of the Word,
are one doctrine,
because those who are in the internal
are also in the external.
For the Lord's church is everywhere internal and external.
The internal church is of the heart,
and the external is of the mouth;
that is, the internal church is of the will,
and the external is of the action.
When in a person
the internal makes one with the external,
then that which is of the heart is also of the mouth;
or that which is of the will is also of the action;
or what is the same thing,
then the heart is speaking in the mouth,
and the will is acting in the action,
without any disagreement;
thus also faith is speaking,
and love or charity is acting;
that is, the Lord, from whom are faith and charity.

As Nadab and Abihu, sons of Aaron,
represented doctrine from the Word,
they were slain
when they instituted worship from some other doctrine
than that which is from the Word.
This was represented by what is written of them in Moses:

Aaron's sons Nadab and Abihu each
took his censer and put fire in it,
onto which they placed incense,
and in so doing offered to Jehovah foreign* fire,
which He had not commanded them.
Therefore fire went out from before Jehovah
and devoured them,
so that they died before Jehovah.
And Moses said to Aaron,
This is what Jehovah spoke, saying,
In those who are near Me, I will be sanctified.
(Leviticus 10:1-3)

By "strange fire in the censer" is meant doctrine
from some other source than the Word;
for "fire" denotes the good of love,
and "incense" the truth of faith from the Word;
and the good of love and the truth of faith
are what enter into the doctrine
which is from the Word, and make it.