10187. And thou shalt make for it a border of gold round it. That this signifies a bounding from good lest they be approached and injured by evils, is evident from the signification of "a border," as being a bounding to prevent approach and injury by evils (see n. 9492); and from the signification of "gold," as being good (n. 9874, 9881). The reason why the border was made of gold was because it represented a closure from good; for good cannot be approached by evils, because evils cannot by any means endure the sphere of good; when evils, that is, those who are in evils, or those who are from hell, come unto this sphere, which is the sphere of heaven, they are direfully tortured, and insofar as they enter into this sphere, so far they feel infernal torments within them, and consequently become like those who are lying in the death agony; and therefore they instantly cast themselves down into hell, and no longer dare to lift up their heads. This is the reason why those who are in heaven are in safety from the infestation of evils from the hells; and this is meant by the words of Abraham to the rich man who was in hell:
Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, that they who would pass over from hence to you cannot, neither can they who are there pass over to us (Luke 16:26);
and by these words:
They shall say to the mountains and to the rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb (Rev. 6:6; Hosea 10:8). But as regards truth, this can be approached by the evil, because the evil pervert truths by wrong interpretations, and so apply them to favor their own cupidities; but in proportion as good is present in truths, truths cannot be approached. From this it can be seen what kind of protection is possible in the other life to those who are solely in truths, which are called the truths of faith, and not at the same time in good. By good is meant charity toward the neighbor and love to the Lord, for all goods are from this source. From all this it is now evident why a border was made round about the sides of the altar of incense.
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