Saturday, October 28, 2023

AC 9917, 9918, 9921 - The Skirts of Aaron's Robe

AC 9917 [6] - Skirts

. . . by "the skirts of the robe" are meant
goods and truths in the ultimates or extremes,
which are in the natural world.

AC 9918 - Pomegranates

The memory-knowledges of good and truth
which are signified by "the pomegranates,"
are doctrinal things from the Word,
which are memory-knowledges
insofar as they are in the memory
which is in the external or natural person.
But when they enter into the memory
which is in the internal or spiritual person,
as is the case when the person lives
according to them,
then doctrinal things as to truth become of faith,
and doctrinal things as to good
become of charity, and are called spiritual.
When this is done,
they almost vanish out of
the external or natural memory,
and appear as it were innate,
because they are then implanted in the person's life,
like all those things which through daily use
have become as it were of his nature.
From this it is evident what memory-knowledges are,
and what purpose they serve;
consequently what purpose
the doctrinal things of the church serve
so long as they are kept solely in the memory;
for so long as they are kept in the memory only,
they have a place beneath intelligence and wisdom;
and they do not ascend, or enter into the life,
until they become of faith and charity
 in the internal person.

AC 9921 - Bells of Gold

And bells of gold.
(Exodus 28:33)

That "the bells" denote all things
of doctrine and of worship passing over
to those who are of the church,
is because by means of the bells
the people heard and perceived
the presence of Aaron in his ministration,
for by "the people" are meant those
who are of the church,
and by "Aaron's ministry" are meant
all things of doctrine and of worship;
and therefore it is said in what follows:

And they shall be upon Aaron to minister;
and the voice thereof shall be heard
when he goes in unto the holiness before Jehovah,
and when be comes out.

(Exod. 28:35);

from which it is plain what is signified by "the bells."
The reason why these bells were put in the skirts,
was that the holy things of doctrine
are in the extremes,
and the hearing and perception are there,
and are from there.

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