9468. And scarlet double-dyed. That this signifies mutual love, is evident from the signification of "scarlet," and of "double-dyed," as being celestial truth, which is the same as the good of mutual love. There are two kingdoms into which the angelic heaven has been divided - the celestial kingdom, and the spiritual kingdom; and in each there is an internal and an external. The internal in the celestial kingdom is the good of love to the Lord, and the external is the good of mutual love. It is this latter good which is signified by "scarlet double-dyed;" by "scarlet" the good itself, and by "double-dyed" its truth. But in the spiritual kingdom the internal is the good of charity toward the neighbor, and the external is the good of obedience from faith. That "scarlet double-dyed" signifies the good of mutual love and its truth, is from its appearance in the other life; for when the sphere of this good and truth is presented to view in the lowest heaven, it appears of a scarlet color; because that which flows down from the celestial heaven and appears beneath, takes its color from flame, and beneath becomes scarlet from the shining whiteness of the light of the middle heaven, through which it passes. Hence, it is that among other colors, scarlet double-dyed was employed upon the curtains of the Habitation (Exod. 26:1); upon the veil before the ark (Exod. 26:31); upon the covering for the door of the tent (Exod. 26:36); upon the covering at the gate of the court (Exod. 27:16); upon the ephod (Exod. 28:6); upon the belt (Exod. 28:8) upon the breastplate of judgment (Exod. 28:15); and upon the fringes of the robe of the ephod (Exod. 28:33). [2] That "scarlet double-dyed" signifies the good of mutual love, which is the external good of the celestial kingdom or church, is evident from the fact that a cloth of scarlet double-dyed was to be spread over the table on which were the breads of faces, and that it was to be covered next with a covering of badgers' skins (Num. 4:8). For the inmost things that belong to the celestial kingdom or church, were signified by the things upon the table, especially by the breads; but exterior things by the coverings. From this also it is that the things to be collected are enumerated in this order; namely, the inmost things first, which were blue and crimson; the more outward things in the second place, which were scarlet double-dyed, fine linen, and goats' wool; and lastly the outermost things, which were skins of red rams and badgers' skins; in like manner everywhere in what follows. [3] As external celestial good and its truth are signified by "scarlet double-dyed," therefore the Word as to the external sense, and its derivative doctrine, are expressed by this color, for the reason that the Word is the Divine truth that proceeds from the Divine good of the Lord, and this appears as a flaming light in the inmost heaven, and as a shining white light in the middle heaven. [4] The Word and its derivative doctrine are thus expressed in the second book of Samuel:
David lamented a lamentation over Saul and over Jonathan; and he wrote down to teach the sons of Judah the bow. Ye daughters of Israel weep over Saul, who clothed you in double-dyed with delights, who put an ornament of gold upon your apparel (2 Sam. 1:17, 18, 24). "To clothe in double-dyed" denotes to instruct in the truths that belong to the good of mutual love, thus in truths from a celestial origin. The subject treated of in this prophetic utterance is the doctrine of faith separated from the doctrine of love and charity; namely, that through the doctrine of faith separated, truths are extinguished, but are restored through the doctrine of love and charity. For by "the Philistines," by whom Saul and Jonathan were slain, are signified those who are in the doctrine of faith separated from the doctrine of love and charity (n. 3412, 3413, 8093, 8096, 8099, 8313); and by "teaching the sons of Judah the bow" is signified instructing in the truths of doctrine those who are in the good of love and charity. (That "the sons of Judah" denote those who are in the good of love, see n. 3654, 3881, 5583, 5603, 5782, 5794, 5833, 6363; and that a "bow" denotes the doctrine of truth, n. 2686, 2709.) [5] In Jeremiah:
Thou therefore, O wasted one, what wilt thou do? Though thou clothest thyself with double-dyed, though thou deckest thee with an ornament of gold, in vain shalt thou make thyself beautiful (Jer. 4:30). The church that has been laid waste is here treated of; "clothing herself with double-dyed," and "decking herself with an ornament of gold," denotes to teach the truths of doctrine that are from a celestial origin, and the goods of life, consequently truths and goods from the Word. In like manner in the same:
They that did eat delicacies have been laid waste in the streets; they that were brought up upon scarlet have embraced a dunghill (Lam. 4:5). "To be brought up upon scarlet" denotes to be instructed from the Word from infancy in the good of mutual love. [6] As the things that belong to the external sense of the Word appear in heaven of a scarlet color, for the reason spoken of above, therefore they who apply the external sense of the Word to the confirmation of falsities from the evils of the love of self and of the world, and thus to those which are contrary to the truths and goods of love to the Lord and of mutual love, are said to be "clothed in crimson and scarlet;" for so do their outward things appear, because they are from the Word; but their internal things are profane. Such things are signified by "scarlet" in John:
I saw a woman sitting upon a scarlet beast, full of names of blasphemy; she was clothed in crimson and scarlet (Rev. 17:3, 4);
speaking of Babylon, by which is meant a religion in which the holy things of the Word are profaned by being applied to falsities that favor diabolical loves, which are the loves of self and of the world, thus to gaining dominion in the heavens and on earth. Again in the same:
The great city that was clothed in fine linen, and crimson, and scarlet; and gilded with gold, and precious stone, and pearls (Rev. 18:16). Therefore also among the merchandise of Babylon are enumerated "fine linen, crimson, and scarlet" (Rev. 18:12). [7] As the external of the Word appears in heaven of a scarlet color, and as there is an influx out of heaven into man's memory, in which what is drawn from the Word appears of such a color, therefore scarlet was employed in relation to the remembrance of things; as in Moses:
The sons of Israel shall make them a train upon the borders of their garments, and shall put upon the train of the border a scarlet* thread, that by it they may remember all the commandments of Jehovah, and do them (Num. 15:38, 39). [8] For the same reason also it was customary in ancient time, when significatives were in use, to bind a scarlet thread for the remembrance or recollection of a thing, as we read of Perez the son of Tamar, upon whose hand "the midwife bound a double-dyed thread" (Gen. 38:28, 30); and as we read of the harlot Rahab, who "bound a scarlet thread in the window, that the spies might remember their promise" (Josh. 2:18, 21). [9] As a man cannot be withdrawn from evils and falsities except by means of the truths and goods that are with him from the Word, therefore in the cleansing of leprosy there were employed "cedar wood, scarlet, and hyssop" (Lev. 14:4-7, 49-52); for "leprosy" denotes truth profaned, thus falsified (see n. 6963); and "to be cleansed from" these things denotes to be withdrawn from them by means of the truths and goods which are from the Word. In like manner scarlet was employed "in the waters of separation and expiation made from a red heifer" (Num. 19:6); "the waters of separation and expiation" also signified purification and withdrawal from evils and falsities by means of truths and goods from the Word. [10] As most things have an opposite sense, so also have "double-dyed" and "scarlet," and then they signify falsities and evils which are opposed to the before-mentioned truths and goods; as in Isaiah:
Though your sins be as double-dyed, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red as scarlet, they shall be as wool (Isa. 1:18);
the case herein is the same as with "red," with "blood," with "flame," and with "fire," which in the genuine sense signify the goods of love and of faith; but in the opposite sense the evils contrary to them. * The Latin has "scarlet" here; but blue in n. 2576, etc., as also it is in the Hebrew.
This page is part of 
© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church