567. And I heard one voice from the four horns of the golden altar which is before God.- That this signifies revelation from the Lord out of the spiritual heaven, is evident from the signification of hearing a voice, as denoting revelation, because "what was revealed by that voice follows; and from the signification of the golden altar which is before God, as denoting the spiritual Divine of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of the four horns of the altar, as denoting the spiritual Divine in its ultimates. For the horns were in the ultimates of both altars, as well the altar of burnt- offering, as the altar of incense which is the golden altar; and because the horns were the ultimates of those altars, therefore they signified the Divine as to power, for all power is in ultimates, and for this reason the horns of the altars signified the Divine as to omnipotence; concerning the signification of these, see above (n. 316). That the altar of burnt-offering signified the celestial Divine, which is the Divine Good, may be seen above (n. 391, 1-21, 490, 496). But that the altar of incense, or the golden altar, represented and thence signified the spiritual Divine, which is the Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, is evident from its description to be dealt with below.
[2] It shall be first explained here why the voice was heard from the four horns of the altar. The horns, which projected and stood out from the altars above mentioned, signified every thing belonging to them as to power, as is evident from what has been said and shown above (n. 346, 417), and also from what has been said and shown concerning ultimates in the Arcana Coelestia, as, that interiors flow in successively into externals, even into the extremes or ultimates, and that there also they exist and subsist (n. 624, 6239, 6465, 9215, 9216); that they not only flow in successively, but also form in the ultimate what is simultaneous (in what order, n. 5897, 6451, 8603, 10099); that therefore strength and power are in ultimates (n. 9836); that therefore responses and revelations were given in ultimates (n. 9905, 10548). Since responses and revelations were given in ultimates, it is evident that the reason, why the voice was heard from the four horns of the golden altar, is that the golden altar signifies the spiritual Divine, which is the Divine Truth that reveals, and that the horns signify the ultimates thereof, by means of which revelation is made. The golden altar, upon which they offered incense, signifies the spiritual Divine, which is Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, because the offerings of incense which were offered upon that altar, signified worship from spiritual good, and the hearing and reception thereof by the Lord: see above (n. 324, 491, 492, 494).
[3] That the altar of incense signified the spiritual Divine, and that the offerings of incense upon it signified worship from spiritual good, and the favourable hearing and reception of it by the Lord, is evident from the construction of that altar, the details of which represented and signified those things. The construction of the altar of incense is thus described in Moses:
"Thou shalt make an altar of the offering of incense; of Shittim wood, shalt thou make it. A cubit shall be the length thereof, and a cubit the breadth thereof; foursquare shall it be: and two cubits shall be the height thereof: the horns thereof shall be out of it. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold, the top thereof, and the walls thereof round about, and the horns thereof; and thou shalt make unto it a border of gold round about. And two golden rings shalt thou make to it, under the border of it, upon the two ribs thereof, upon the two sides of it shalt thou make it; and they shall be for places for the staves to bear it withal. And thou shalt make the staves of Shittim wood, and overlay them with gold. And thou shalt put it before the veil that is over the ark of the testimony, before the mercy seat that is over the testimony, where I will meet with thee. And Aaron shall burn thereon incense of spices in the morning: in the morning, when he dresseth the lamps he shall burn incense upon it. And when Aaron lighteth the lamps between the evenings, he shall burn incense upon it, a perpetual incense before Jehovah throughout your generations. Ye shall offer no strange incense thereon, nor burnt-sacrifice, nor meal-offering: neither shall ye pour drink-offering thereon. And Aaron shall make an expiation upon the horns of it once in a year of the blood of the expiations of sin: once in the year shall he make expiation upon it throughout your generations: this is the holy of holies unto Jehovah" (Exod. xxx. 1-10).
That these details concerning that altar, signify, in the internal sense, worship from spiritual good, which is the good of charity towards the neighbour, and also the favourable hearing and reception of it by the Lord, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia, (n. 10176- 10213), where they are explained in their series.
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