Generally when things in the Bible are described as having two sides – especially when the two sides are equal – it has to do with a completeness and balance between the desire for good and the understanding of truth. These are the two elements of a spiritual life – we have to determine that we wish to do what is right, and have to understand what that means and how to do it. When they are in balance and equivalent, we can grow closer to the Lord.
Passages from Swedenborg:
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9556
- ‘Three branches of the lampstand out of one side of it, and three branches of the lampstand out of the other side of it’ means completeness so far as good and truth are concerned. This is clear from the meaning of ‘three’ as what is complete, dealt with in 2788, 4495, 7715 9198; from the meaning of ‘branches of the lampstand’ as truths derived from good, and consequently power, dealt with above in 9555; and from the meaning of ‘out of one side’ and ‘out of the other side’ as from good and consequently from truth. For the parts on the right side of the body mean forms of good, and those on the left mean forms of truth derived from good, as for example with the right and left sides of the face, the right and left eye, the right and left ear, the right and left foot, and so on with everything else in the body.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9495
- ‘And two rings shall be on one side of it and two rings on the other side of it’ means the marriage of truth to good and of good to truth. This is clear from the meaning of ‘rings’ as the joining together or marriage of good and truth, as above in 9493, a marriage that is reciprocal, that is to say, one in which truth is joined to good and good is joined to truth. Some idea of this marriage may be gained from the way in which heart and lungs are joined together. The heart joins itself to the lungs, and the lungs in turn join themselves to the heart; for the heart sends blood out from the right side of itself into the lungs, and the lungs in turn send it back into the heart, but into its left side, and so on unceasingly. Analogous to all this is the marriage of good to truth and of truth to good in heaven, where also the heart corresponds to good belonging to love, while the lungs correspond to truth belonging to faith, 3883-3896, 9300. The reason why two rings were to be on one side and two rings on the other side was that ‘two’ means a joining together, 1686, 5194, 8423, and ‘side’ means good which must be joined to truth, in order that the power referred to in the next paragraph may be derived from it.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9511-9512
- ‘At the two ends of the mercy-seat’ means celestial good and spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of ‘a cherub at one end’ as access through celestial good; and from the meaning of ‘a cherub at the other end’ as access through spiritual good. The same thing is meant here by ‘the two ends’ as by the Lord’s ‘right’ and ‘left’. His ‘right’ means the good of celestial love, which is the good of love to the Lord, and His ‘left’ means the good of spiritual love, which is the good of love towards the neighbour. So it is also that everything in the right side of a person corresponds to celestial good, and everything in the left to spiritual good; for everything in the human being corresponds to heaven. People who are governed by those two kinds of good are meant by ‘to sit on the Lord’s right and left’ in Mark,
To sit at My right and at My left is not Mine to give, but it is for those for whom it has been prepared. Mark 10:40.
‘Giving to those for whom it has been prepared’ means granting it in mercy to those who are governed by good in life and faith, 9305, thus who are governed by celestial good and by spiritual good.
- ‘And make one cherub at the end on one side, and one cherub at the end on the other side’ means access to celestial good and [access] to spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of ‘cherub’ as admission and access to the Lord through the good of love, dealt with above in 9509; and from the meaning of ‘at the end on one side’ and ‘at the end on the other side’ as celestial good and spiritual good, dealt with immediately above in 9511.