493. [verse 4] 'These are the two olive trees and the two lampstands, which are standing before the God of the land' signifies the love and intelligence, or charity and faith, both from the Lord with them. By 'an olive tree' is signified love and charity, concerning which [something] follows; and by 'a lampstand' is signified enlightenment in truths (n. 43) and the intelligence and faith therefrom, because intelligence is derived from an enlightenment in truths and faith is derived from that intelligence. By 'to stand before God' is signified to hear and do the things that He commands (n. 366), here, therefore, that these two are with them from the Lord, Who is 'the God of the land', that is, with those who are in the two Essentials of the New Church, of which above. From this it is plain that by the two witnesses being 'the two olive trees and the two lampstands' is signified that they were love and intelligence, or charity and faith; for these two make the Church, love and charity the life, and intelligence and faith the doctrine thereof. [2] An 'olive tree' signifies love and charity because the 'olive' signifies the celestial Church, and consequently the 'olive tree', of which it is the fruit, signifies celestial love, which is love directed to the Lord. As a consequence, this love is also signified by the 'oil' with which all the holy things of the Church used to be anointed. The oil, which was called 'oil of holiness', was:-
Of olives and spices mixed together Exod. xxx 23 24;
and also:-
The lamps of the lampstand in the tabernacle were made to burn up every evening with (ex) olive oil Exod. xxvii 20; Lev. xxiv 2.
Similar things are signified by 'olive' and 'olive tree' in Zechariah:-
Two olive trees were near the lampstand, one upon the right side of the bowl, and the other upon the left side thereof; and two berries of olive trees: these air the two sons of the olive tree standing before the Lord of the whole land Zech. iv 3, 11, 12, 14.
In David:-
I am like a green olive tree in the house of God Ps. lii 8 [H.B. 10].
And in Jeremiah:-
Jehovah called thy name a green olive tree beautiful with fruit Jer. xi 16, 17;
besides elsewhere. [3] Since the Church used to be signified by Jerusalem, therefore by many things that were in and around it such things as are of the Church were signified. Near it also was the Mount of Olives, and Divine Love was signified by that, and therefore:-
Jesus was in the daytime teaching in the temple, and nightly going out He passed the night on the Mount of Olives Luke xxi 37; xxii 39; John viii 1.
And Jesus upon that mount spoke with the disciples concerning the consummation of the age, and His coming at that time Matt. xxiv 3 seq.; Mark xiii 3 seq.
And also from that mount He went to Jerusalem, and suffered Matt. xxi 1; xxvi 30; Mark xi 1; xiv 26; Luke xix 29, 37.
And this according to the prediction of Zechariah:-
His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before the faces of Jerusalem from the east Zech. xiv 4.
Because the 'olive tree' used to signify the celestial Church, therefore:-
The cherubs in the midst of the Jerusalem temple were made Out of olive wood; in like manner the doors to the sanctuary, and the posts 1 Kings vi 23-33.
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