43. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, signifies the New Church, which will be in enlightenment from the Lord out of the Word. That the "seven lampstands" are the seven churches, is said in the last verse of this chapter; and that by the seven churches are meant all who are in the Christian world, and draw near to the church, may be seen above (n. 10); and in particular according to the state of reception of each (n. 41). The reason why the New Church is meant by "the seven lampstands" is, because in it, and in the midst of it, the Lord is; for it is said, that "in the midst of the seven lampstands he saw one like unto the Son of man," and by "the Son of man" is meant the Lord as to the Word. The lampstands were seen to be golden, because gold signifies good, and every church is a church from good which is formed by truths; that "gold" signifies good, will be seen in what follows. [2] Those lampstands were not placed one close to another, or in contact, but at certain distances, forming a kind of circle, as is evident from these words in the subsequent chapter:
These things saith He, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden lampstands (Rev. 2:1). Nothing is said of the lamps of those lampstands; but in what follows it is said, that:
The Holy Jerusalem (that is, the New Church), hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, for its lamp is the Lamb, and the nations which are saved shall walk in the light of it (Rev. 21:23-24). And further:
They need no lamp, for the Lord God giveth them light (Rev. 22:5);
for they who will be of the Lord's New Church, are only lampstands which will give light from the Lord. [3] By the "golden lampstand in the tabernacle," nothing else was represented than the church as to enlightenment from the Lord, concerning which lampstand see (Exod. 25:31 to the end; 37:17-24; Lev. 24:3, 4; Num. 8:2-4). That it represented the Lord's church as to Divine spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbor, may be seen in Arcana Coelestia, published at London (n. 9548, 9555, 9558, 9561, 9570, 9783); also, below (n. 493). By the "lampstand" in Zech. 4 is also signified the New Church to be established by the Lord, because it signifies the new house of God, or the new temple; as is evident from what follows there; and by "the house of God," or "the temple," the church is signified, and in the highest sense, the Lord's Divine Human, as He Himself teaches (John 2:19-21 and elsewhere). But it shall be told what is signified in its order, in Zech. (chap. 4), when "the lampstand" was seen by him. [4] By those things contained from verses 1 to 7, is signified the enlightenment of the New Church by the Lord, from the good of love by truth, "the olive trees" there signify the church as to the good of love; by the things there from verse 8 to 10, is signified that these things are from the Lord; by "Zerubbabel," who is to build the house, thus the church, the Lord is represented; by the things from verse 11 to 14, is signified that in that church there will also be truths from a celestial origin. This explanation of that chapter was given me by the Lord through heaven.
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