Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9910

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9910. Verses 31-35 And you shall make the robe of the ephod, the whole from violet. And its hole for the heada shall be in the middle of it; its holeb shall have a border round about, the work of a weaver; something like the holeb of a corslet it must have, so that it does not tear. And you shall make on its hem pomegranates of violet, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet on its hem round about, and bells of gold in the middle of them round about - a bell of gold and a pomegranate, a bell of gold and a pomegranate, on the hem of the robe round about. And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and his voicec will be heard when he goes into the holy place before Jehovah, and when he comes out, that he may not die.

'And you shall make the robe' means Divine Truth in its inward form in the spiritual kingdom. 'The whole from violet' means through an inflow from the good of the celestial kingdom. 'And its hole for the head shall be in the middle of it' means the course which the inflow from the higher source takes. 'And its hole shall have a border round about' means that it is bounded and enclosed on every side. 'The work of a weaver' means from the celestial. 'And the hole of a corslet it must have, so that it does not tear' means so that it has been made strong and safe from damage. 'And you shall make on its hem' means in the most external parts, where the natural is. 'Pomegranates' means factual knowledge of good. 'Of violet, and purple, and twice-dyed scarlet' means springing from the good of charity and faith. 'On its hem round about' means in the most external parts, where the natural is, in every direction. 'And bells of gold' means all aspects of religious teachings and of worship springing from good which come across to those who belong to the Church. 'In the middle of them round about' means consisting of the more internal features of the factual knowledge of good in every direction. 'A bell of gold and a pomegranate, a bell of gold and a pomegranate, on the hem of the robe round about' means that this shall be so everywhere, at every point. 'And it shall be on Aaron' means that which is representative of the Lord. 'When he ministers' means while engaged in worship and preaching the gospel. 'And his voice will be heard' means the inflow of truth among those in heaven and those on earth. 'When he goes into the holy place before Jehovah, and when he comes out' means in every state of good and truth in worship. 'That he may not die' means so that what is representative, and the joining to heaven through it, may not be lost.

Notes

a lit. its mouth of the head
b lit. mouth
c i.e. the sound made by the bells as he moves


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