According to Swedenborg, stones in the Bible in general represent truths, or things we know concerning the Lord and what the Lord wants from us and for us in life. This is why the people of Israel built altars of stone, and is also why stoning was a principal form of capital punishment (using truth to destroy falsity, or in the negative sense using falsity to destroy truth). It is also why precious stones are described in such detail on Aaron’s breastplate and ephod, and also in the New Jerusalem in Revelation; precious stones represent true ideas directly from the Lord and “made translucent by goodness,” with the various colors showing various forms of love.
Stones are not alone in representing truth, of course – it can seem like almost everything in the Bible represents either truth or the desire for good. But that makes sense, since our thoughts and our desires together are everything we are in life, and the interplay between them is what life is all about. The many ways they are represented in the Bible reflect the incredible variety in our feelings and our thoughts, though we can only distantly understand how those representations work.
In the case of stones, in their weight, strength and permanence they tend to represent true ideas that come from a desire for good, the understanding and insight we can have if we are truly good and loving – and in the highest sense the exalted ideas that come from the Lord’s love. Those ideas are ones that are not easily moved or changed, and make wonderful foundations for the things we want to build in our spiritual lives.
Passages from Swedenborg
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 1298
1298. ‘They had brick for stone’ means that they had falsity in place of truth. This is clear from the meaning of ‘brick’ as falsity, dealt with just above, and also from the meaning of ‘stone’ in the broad sense as truth, dealt with already in 643. The reason ‘stones’ meant truth was that the most ancient people used to mark out boundaries by means of stones and raise up stones to testify that something was so, that is, was the truth. This is clear from the stone which Jacob set up as a pillar, Gen. 28:22; 35:14; from the pillar of stones placed between Laban and Jacob, Gen. 31:46, 47, 52; and from the altar which the children of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh erected beside the Jordan as an altar of witness, Josh. 22:10, 28, 34. Consequently ‘stones’ in the Word means truths, so much so that not only the stones of the altar but also the precious stones in the shoulder-pieces of Aaron’s ephod and in the breastplate of judgement meant the holy truths of love.
[2] Regarding the altar, when sacrificial worship on altars was introduced, an altar in that case meant representative worship of the Lord in general. ‘The stones’ themselves however meant the holy truths belonging to that worship. This was why it was commanded that the altar had to be built of whole and not of hewn stones, and why it was forbidden to use any iron tool on them, Deut. 27:5-7; Josh. 8:31. The reason was that hewn stones, and those on which an iron tool had been used, meant artificialities and thus fabrications in worship. That is to say, they meant things that derive from the proprium, or from the inventions of man’s own thought and heart, which was to profane worship, as is clearly stated in Exod 20:25. For the same reason no tool of iron was used on the stones of the Temple, 1 Kings 6:7.
[3] That the precious stones set in the shoulder-pieces of Aaron’s ephod and in the breastplate of judgement in a similar way meant holy truths has been shown already in 114. This is clear also in Isaiah,
Behold, I will set your stones in carbuncle and lay your foundations in sapphires; and I will make your suns (windows) of ruby, and your gates into precious stones, and all your border into pleasant stonesAnd all your sons will be taught by Jehovah, and great will be the peace of your sons. Isa. 54:11-13
The stones mentioned here stand for holy truths, and this is why it is said that ‘all your sons will be taught by Jehovah’. It is also the reason why it is said in John that the foundations of the wall of the city, holy Jerusalem, were adorned with every kind of precious stone, which are each mentioned by name, Rev. 21:19, 20. ‘The holy Jerusalem’ stands for the Lord’s kingdom in heaven and on earth, the foundations of which kingdom are holy truths. Holy truths were similarly meant by the tables of stone on which the commandments of the Law, or Ten Commandments, were written. This was why they were made of stone or had a stone base, concerning which see Exod. 24:12; 31:18; 34:1; Deut. 5:22; 10:1; for the commandments themselves are nothing else than truths of faith.
[4] Now because stones in ancient times meant truths, and because later on when worship on pillars, on altars, and in the Temple began, pillars, altars, and the Temple meant holy truths, the Lord also is therefore called ‘a Stone’: In Moses,
The Mighty One of Jacob – from there is the Shepherd, the Stone of Israel. Gen. 49:24.
In Isaiah,
The Lord Jehovih said, I am laying in Zion for a foundation a Stone, a tested Corner-Stone, precious, of sure foundation. Isa. 28:16.
In David,
The Stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner Ps. 118:22.
The same is meant in Daniel 2:34, 35, 45, by the stone cut out of the rock which smashed Nebuchadnezzar’s statue to pieces.
[5] That ‘stones’ means truths is clear in Isaiah,
By this the iniquity of Jacob will be expiated, and this will be the full fruit to remove his sin, when He makes all the stones of the altar like chalk-stones scattered about. Isa. 27:9.
‘The stones of the altar’ stands for truths in worship that have been dissipated. In the same prophet,
Make level the way of the people; level out, level out the highway; gather out the stones. Isa. 62:10.
‘The way’ and ‘the stones’ stand for truths. In Jeremiah,
I am against you, O destroying mountain. I will roll you down from the rocks and I will make you into a mountain of burning. And they will not take from you a stone for a corner, nor a stone for foundations. Jer. 51:25, 26.
This refers to Babel. ‘A mountain of burning’ is self-love. ‘Taking nostone from it’ means that there is no truth from this source.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9476
9476. ‘Shoham stones, and stones of fillings’ means spiritual truths and forms of good in general. This is clear from the meaning of ‘shoham stones’ as truths of faith that spring from love, or spiritual truths since the truths of faith that spring from love are spiritual truths; and from the meaning of ‘stones of fillings’ as forms of the good of faith, or spiritual forms of good. The reason why forms of the good of faith are meant by ‘stones of fillings’ and the truths of faith by ‘shoham stones’ is that the stones of fillings were for the breastplate, and ‘the breastplate’ on the ephod meant the good of faith or spiritual good, whereas the shoham stones went on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod, and by ‘the shoulder-pieces of the ephod’ the truths of faith or spiritual truths are meant. For the meaning of precious stones in the Word as the truths and forms of the good of faith, or spiritual truths and forms of good, see 114, 643, 3858, 6335, 6640. And since the truths and forms of the good of faith are meant by precious stones, intelligence and wisdom are also meant by them; for intelligence grows out of the truths of faith, and wisdom out of forms of the good of faith. Such is the meaning in Ezekiel,
Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty, you were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering – ruby, topaz, diamond, tarshish, shoham. Ezek. 28:12, 13, 15.
This refers to the king of Tyre, by whom intelligence that grows out of cognitions or knowledge of the truth of faith is meant, 1201.
Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 897
[3] The Word is likened to a most precious stone, like a jasper stone, bright as crystal, because a precious stone symbolizes the Divine truth in the Word (nos. 231, 540, 726, 823), and a jasper stone symbolizes the Divine truth in the spiritual sense shining through the Divine truth in the literal sense. This is the symbolic meaning of jasper stone in Exodus 28:20, Ezekiel 28:13, and in the following verses in the present chapter, where we are told that the construction of the wall of the holy Jerusalem was of jasper (verse 18). Moreover, because the Word’s spiritual sense shines through in its literal sense, we are told that the jasper stone was as bright as crystal. All enlightenment that people have who possess Divine truths from the Lord comes from that.
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 717
[2] Precious stones, which are diadems, signify Divine truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, because a stone signifies truth, therefore precious stonessignify Divine truths. They mean Divine truths in the ultimate of order, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, because those truths are translucent; for there is in them a spiritual sense, and in that sense there is the light of heaven, from which all things of the sense of the letter of the Word are full of light, and are also variegated, according to the connection of things in the spiritual sense, from which arise modifications of heavenly light, that produce colours such as appear in the heavens, and thence in precious stonesof various kinds.
[3] Diadems were seen upon the seven heads of the dragon, because the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word beam with light (lucent) wherever they are, both with the evil and with the good, for the spiritual light in them is not extinguished because they happen to be with the evil, for heaven still flows into those truths. But since the evil adulterate them, and consequently see in them nothing of the light of heaven, and yet believe them to be holy, for the reason that they use them to confirm the falsities of their religion, therefore, because they believe in their holiness, those truths still shine with light before them; and since this is the case, and since they secure communication with the heavens through those truths, they are at length deprived of them, and left to their own falsities in which there is no light, and this takes place when they are sent down into hell.
[4] That the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word appear as diadems is evident from the diadems in spiritual world. In the palaces of the angels in heaven there are many things that are refulgent with precious stones; and precious stones are also sometimes sent down into the lower parts, and are presented as a gift to those who have done some good thing; in fact, they are also sold there as in the world, especially by the Jews, who trade in them there. It is granted and allowed to the Jews in the spiritual world, as in the natural world, to trade in precious stones, because they look upon the sense of the letter of the Word as holy. For this reason also noble women below the heavens also adorn themselves with diadems just as is done in the world. And when it is asked where those diadems in heaven, and thus in the lower parts, are from, it is replied that they are from the Lord, and from the spiritual light which is from Him, and that they are the ultimates of that light which are called effects; also, it is said that they are forms representative of affections for truth from good, thus that they are Divine truths in the ultimate of order, such as are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word. Because precious stones are thence, therefore there are also some in the world of spirits who are allowed to make diadems by putting together certain truths from the sense of the letter of the Word, but these diadems are not genuine and not hard like crystal, because they are artificial.
[5] From these things the signification of diadems or precious stonesis now evident in the following passages.
In Isaiah:
“O afflicted, and tossed with tempests and not comforted! behold, I lay thy stones with stibium, and thy foundations in sapphires, and I will make thy suns a carbuncle, and thy gates into fiery stones(lapides pyropi), and all thy border into stones of desire, and all thy sons shall be taught of Jehovah” (liv. 11-13).
This is said of the barren who did not bear who should have many sons; the barren signify the nations, who had no Divine truths, because they had not the Word, therefore it is said, “O afflicted, and tossed with tempests and not comforted!” to be afflicted and tossed with tempests being said of falsities, by which such are infested and carried hither and thither. That when the Lord should come He would reveal to them Divine truths, and instruct them, is signified by, He will lay her stones with stibium, and her foundations in sapphires, and [will make thy] suns a carbuncle, and her gates into fiery stones, and her borders into stones of desire. That the preciousstones here mentioned mean Divine truths in the ultimate of order, like those of the sense of the letter of the Word, in which internal truths are contained, such as those in the spiritual sense of the Word, is clear. For the foundations, gates, and borders which he will lay with those precious stones, signify ultimates; it therefore follows that, in the above passage, stones in general, and sapphires, carbuncles, and fiery stones (lapides pyropi) signify such truths as are in the sense of the letter of the Word, which are ultimate truths, because they are for the natural and sensual man. Because the instruction of the nations in Divine truths is meant by those words it is added, “And all thy sons shall be taught of Jehovah.” But the specific signification of sapphire, carbuncle, and fiery stone does not require to be explained here, it being necessary merely to say, that precious stones in general signify ultimate truths.
[6] Since the city of the New Jerusalem signifies the doctrine of the New Church, the foundations of its wall ultimate Divine truths, and the gates introductory Divine truths, therefore the foundations are described by twelve precious stones, and the gates by pearls, in the Apocalypse:
“The foundations of the wall of the city” of the New Jerusalem “were adorned with every precious stone; the first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprasus, the eleventh hyacinth, the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate was [one] pearl. And the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass” (xxi. 19-21).
These twelve precious stones, forming the foundations, and the twelve pearls, forming the gates, signify ultimate Divine truths, which are the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word, upon which the doctrine of that church is founded, and through which man is introduced as by gates. The foundations are said to be of preciousstones, and the gates of pearls, because the sense of the letter of the Word contains in itself the spiritual sense, thus the light of heaven, from which the sense of the letter of the Word is transparent, as thosestones are from light and from fire. But more will be said upon this subject when the details are explained.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 7456
[2] As for the meaning of ‘stoning’, it should be recognized that the Jews and Israelites, among whom a representative of the Church had been established, had two kinds of capital punishment, one being stoning, the other hanging on wood. Stoning was used if anyone sought to destroy the truths relating to worship which were commanded, while hanging was used if anyone sought to destroy goodness of life. The reason why those who sought to destroy truths relating to worship were stoned was that a stone was a sign of truth and in the contrary sense of falsity, 643, 1298, 3720, 6426. And the reason why those who sought to destroy goodness of life were hanged on wood was that wood was a sign of good and in the contrary sense of the evil belonging to evil desires, 643, 2784, 2812, 3720.
‘Striking a man or woman with the horn’ means falsity engaged in conflict with truth and goodness and destroying them. For ‘the horn’ is falsity engaged in conflict, and also the power of falsity, 2832, while ‘man and woman’ in the Word means truth and goodness; and this makes plain what the internal sense of that command is and why it was that the ox had to be stoned.
[6] In the same author,
Anyone blaspheming the name of Jehovah shall surely be killed; all the congregation shall certainly stone him. Lev. 24:16.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 6426
[2] The reason why in the highest sense ‘the stone of Israel’ means the Lord with respect to the truth that His spiritual kingdom possesses is that in general ‘the stone’ means the temple, and specifically the foundation on which it stands. ‘The temple’ in turn means the Lord’s Divine Human, as is clear in John 2:19, 21, and so does its ‘foundation’ in Matthew 21:42, 44, and in Isaiah 28:16. This meaning of ‘the stone’ in the highest sense – the Lord in respect to Divine Truth which His spiritual kingdom possesses – is evident in David,
The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. This has been done by Jehovah; it is marvellous in our eyes. Ps. 118:22, 23.
‘The stone’ here is the Lord, as is made clear in Luke,
It is written, The stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner. Whoever falls onto that stone will be broken to pieces; but on whomever it falls, it will grind him to powder. Luke 20:17, 18.
These things are spoken by the Lord regarding Himself. In Isaiah,
He is your fear, and He is your dread; for He will be a sanctuary, though He will be a stone to strike against and a rock to stumble over* for both houses of Israel. Many among them will trip, and fall, and be broken to pieces. Isa. 8:13-15.
Here the Lord is referred to. In the same prophet,
The Lord Jehovih said, Behold I [am He who] will lay in Zion astone for a foundation, a tested stone, a precious corner-stone, surely founded. He who believes will not be hasty. Isa. 28:16.
In Zechariah,
Jehovah Zebaoth will visit His flock, the house of Judah, and will place them as His glorious horse** in battle. From Him comes the corner-stone, from Him the tent-peg, from Him the battle-bow. Zech. 10:3, 4.
[3] In Daniel,
You were watching, until a stone was cut out, not by means of hands, and it struck the statue on its feet, which were iron and clay, and smashed them to pieces. The stone that struck the statue became a great rock and filled the whole earth. The God of heaven will cause a kingdom to arise that will never be destroyed, and His kingdom will not be left to other people; it will crush and consume all those kingdoms, but will itself stand for ever. Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the rock, not by means of hands, and it smashed the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold . . . Dan. 2:34, 35, 44, 45.
Here ‘the stone’ is used in the highest sense to mean the Lord, and in the relative sense to mean His spiritual kingdom. When it says that ‘the stone was cut out of the rock’ the meaning is that it came out of the truth of faith, for the truth of faith is meant in the Word by ‘rock’. And because the truth of faith is meant by ‘the stone’ and ‘the rock’, the Lord’s spiritual kingdom is also what is meant, since the truth of faith and good ensuing from this truth prevail in that kingdom. Something similar is also meant by ‘the stone’ on which Jacob slept and which he afterwards set up as a pillar, described as follows,
Jacob awoke from his sleep and said, Surely Jehovah is in this place and I did not know it. And he was afraid and said, How awesome is this place! This is nothing other than the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. And in the morning Jacob rose up early, and took the stone which he had placed as his headrest, and placed it as a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. He said, This stone which I have placed as a pillar will be God’s house. Gen. 28:16-18, 22.
The fact that by ‘the stone’ the ancients understood the Lord in the highest sense and His spiritual kingdom in the relative sense is also plain to see in Joshua,
Joshua erected the stone under the oak which was in Jehovah’s sanctuary. And Joshua said to all the people, Behold, this stone will be a witness to us, for it has heard all the sayings of Jehovah which He spoke to us. And it shall be a witness against you, lest you deny your God. Josh. 24:26, 17.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9841
9841. ‘And you shall take two shoham stones’ means the interior memory formed from the truths of faith that spring from love. This is clear from the meaning of ‘stones’ as truths, dealt with in 114, 643, 1298, 3720, 6426, 8609, and of ‘shoham stones’ as the truths of faith springing from love, 9476. The reason why the memory is meant by these stones is that the names of the sons of Israel were engraved on them and an engraving on stones means a memory composed of real things which are to remain there permanently. The engraving or inscription of the Law on tablets of stone for example means those things which have been imprinted on a person’s memory and life and which for this reason are to remain there permanently, see 9416 (end). The engraving or inscription on stones has this meaning because the human memory has truths imprinted on it, also ideas that have the appearance of truth, so much so that it is fashioned from them. Stones furthermore mean truths, and when an engraving on them is mentioned a memory where truths reside is meant, as is meant by ‘the engraving on the hands’ in Isaiah,
Even though they may forget, yet I will not forget you. Behold, I have engraved you upon [My] hands. Isa. 49:15, 16.
This explains why those stones are called ‘stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel’ in verse 12 below.
[2] The reason why the interior memory is meant by ‘the shohamstones’, on account of the engraving on them, is that even as the inscriptions, which were the names of the sons of Israel, mean spiritual truths, regarding which, see what follows below, and also the actual stones mean spiritual truths, so a person’s interior memory must consist of such truths. For a person has two memories, exterior and interior; the exterior memory is natural, shaped therefore by such things as occur in the world, whereas the interior memory is spiritual, shaped by such as occur in heaven, see 2469-2494, 5212, 8067.
[3] The meaning of stones with engraving on them as the [interior] memory on which truths have been inscribed has its origin in representatives in heaven. People who enter the next life after death, bringing with them truths of faith that are present solely in the natural or exterior memory, and not in the spiritual or interior memory, seem to themselves when they go out to be wandering about among stony rocks and in forests. But those bringing with them truths of faith present in the spiritual memory as well seem to themselves when they go out to be walking among cultivated hills and also in gardens. The reason for this is that truths present in the exterior or natural memory, where they exist as known facts, are not at all part of life unless they are present at the same time in the interior or spiritual memory, for the truths present in this memory have become part of life, the interior or spiritual memory being the book of a person’s life, 2474; and the things that compose life are represented in heaven by gardens, olive groves, and vineyards, and by rose beds and lawns, and those that compose charity by the hills where such places are situated, 6435. Those however which do not compose life are represented by stony places and thickets which are bare and rugged.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9863
9863. ‘And you shall adorn it with settings of stones’ means the actual truths in their proper order, all springing from the one same good. This is clear from the meaning of the breastplate, to which ‘it’ refers here, as Divine Truth shining forth from the Lord’s Divine Good, dealt with in 9823; from the meaning of ‘settings of stones’ as truths in their proper order. For the breastplate was adorned withstones in accord with the names of the sons of Israel, and in a general sense truths on the lowest level of order are meant by ‘stones’, 114, 643, 1298, 3720, 6426, 8609, and truths shining forth from good by ‘precious stones’ such as those in the breastplate, 9476. The expression ‘springing from the one same good’ is used because there is just one good that all the truths spring from. This good is the good of love within the Lord, thus is the Lord Himself, and is consequently the good of love from the Lord, which is the good of love to the Lord. For the good which flows in from the Lord and resides with man, spirit, or angel, has all the appearance of being theirs; and so it is that love to the Lord is love received from the Lord. This good is the one and only good from which all the truths spring, and from which the order among them begins; for the truths are outward forms of the good.
[2] The fact that the precious stones in the breastplate meant Divine Truths springing from Divine Good is clear from places in the Word where precious stones are mentioned, such as in John’s Revelation,
The foundations of the wall of the city, the new Jerusalem, were adorned with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth sardius, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, the twelfth amethyst. Rev. 21:19, 20.
These precious stones mean the Church’s truths, which are God’s truths. This is clear from the meaning of ‘the city, the new Jerusalem’, ‘the wall of it’, and ‘the foundations of the wall’. ‘The new Jerusalem’ means a new Church which will take the place of the one that is ours at the present day; for the Book of Revelation deals with the state of the Church that exists now, through to its end, and then with a new Church, which is the holy Jerusalem coming down out of heaven. ‘The wall of it’ means the truths of faith that serve to defend it, and ‘the foundations’ truths that spring from good. Those actual truths in their proper order are specified by the precious stonesmentioned by name there. Anyone may see that no Jerusalem is going to come down out of heaven or that anything else mentioned there is literally going to take place, but that this description in every detail means such things as have to do with the Church. The fact that the truths of faith are meant by the foundations of its wall is clear from the consideration that they are the things which guard the Church from every attack, as walls do a city.
‘Jerusalem’ is the Church, see 2117, 9166.
‘Walls’ are the truths of faith guarding the Church, 6419.
‘Foundations’ are truths springing from good, 9643.
[3] In Ezekiel,
Son of man, take up a lamentation over the king of Tyre, and say to him, Thus said the Lord Jehovih, Full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty, you were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stonewas your covering – ruby, topaz, and diamond; tarshish, shoham, and jasper; sapphire, chrysoprase, and carbuncle – and gold. You were on the mountain of the holiness of God, you walked in the midst ofstones of fire. Ezek. 28:12-14.
Here also precious stones mean truths springing from good. For ‘Tyre’ in the representative internal sense is one who has intelligence and wisdom arising from cognitions or knowledge of goodness and truth, 1201. This is why its king is said to be ‘full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty’. ‘Wisdom’ has regard to good, and ‘beauty’ to truth; for all wisdom in heaven is derived from good, and all beauty there is derived from truths springing from good. ‘The garden of Eden’ means intelligence composed of good, 100, ‘garden’ meaning real intelligence, 100, 108, 2702. From this it is evident that the stonesthere mentioned by name mean truths springing from good.
[4] But precisely which truths springing from good are meant by each of the stones in the breastplate will be clear from what is to follow. The fact that they mean all truths and forms of good in their entirety is clear from the following considerations: They were twelve and had the names of the sons of Israel or the tribes inscribed on them, the forms of good and the truths of heaven and the Church in their entirety being meant by the twelve tribes, 3858, 3926, 3939, 4060, 6335, 6337, 6397; they therefore meant heaven and all the communities there, 7836, 7891, 7996, 7997; the meaning of them varied, depending on the order in which they are mentioned in the Word, 3862, 3926, 3939, 4303, 6337, 6640; and ‘twelve’ means all, 3272, 3858, 7973.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 10376
10376. ‘The tablets of stone, written with the finger of God’ means the Divine Truth there, coming from the Lord Himself. This is clear from the meaning of ‘the tablets’ as the law in its entirety, thus the Word, dealt with in 9416; from the meaning of ‘stone’ as Divine Truth on lowest levels, dealt with below; and from the meaning of ‘being written with the finger of God’ as coming from the Lord Himself, for what is written with anyone’s finger comes from that person himself. The reason why those tablets were made of stone and the words of the law were written into the stone was that ‘stone’ means truth on lowest levels, and Divine Truth on lowest levels is the sense of the letter of the Word, containing the internal sense.
‘Stone’ means truth, see 643, 1298, 3720, 6426, 9476, and truth on lowest levels, 8609.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9865
9865. ‘A ruby, a topaz, a carbuncle’ means the celestial love of good. This is clear from the meaning of these stones as the good of celestial love, celestial love being love to the Lord, received from the Lord. Those stones mean that love on account of their red and flaming colour; for ‘red’ means love, 3300, and so does ‘flaming’, 3222, 6832, 7620-7622, 9570. But here celestial love is meant because those stones are in the first row; and those in the first row correspond to the realities that exist in the inmost heaven, where celestial love, which is love to the Lord, reigns. Since the twelvestones in the breastplate represented all the truths that spring from good they also represented the whole of heaven; for heaven is heaven by virtue of the Divine Truth emanating from the Lord’s Divine Good, the angels there who constitute heaven being recipients of that Truth. So it is that the three stones which are in the first row represent the inmost heaven, consequently the love that reigns there, which is called the celestial love of good and celestial love of truth. The stones in the first row represent the celestial love of good, those in the second row the celestial love of truth. These stones represent that love, as has been stated, on account of their colour; for what precious stones represent is determined by their colours.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8609
8609. ‘And they took a stone’ means the lowest level of God’s truth. This is clear from the meaning of ‘a stone’ as truth, 643, 1298, 3720, 3769, 3771, 3789, 3798, 6426, in this instance the lowest level of truth since it was put underneath him and he sat on it. An ordinarystone furthermore means a lower level of truth, while a precious stonemeans a higher or more internal level of truth. What the lowest level of truth is becomes clear from what has been stated above in 8603 about the levels of truth that follow one another in order; that is to say, there are interior truths and exterior truths, the lowest of which are meant by the lowest level of truth.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8941
8941. ‘You shall not build it with hewn ones’ means that it must not be a product of self-intelligence. This is clear from the meaning of ‘hewn stones’ as the kinds of things which are products of self-intelligence, for ‘stones’ are truths, 8940, and chiselling or shaping them means producing or fashioning truths, or rather notions made to look like truths, out of the self, that is, out of self-intelligence. For the life in anything produced or fashioned by the self or self-intelligence is derived from the person; and such life is not life at all since the human self or proprium is nothing but evil, 210, 215, 694, 874-876, 987, 1047, 5660, 5786, 8480, whereas what is not derived from the self but from God does have life within it, since God is the source of all life. The subject here is worship of the Lord that springs from truth, for that kind of worship is meant by ‘an altar of stones’, 8940.
True Christian Religion (Rose) n. 219
219
3. The precious stones from the garden of Eden that the king of Tyre is said to have worn mean the same thing. We read in Ezekiel,
O king of Tyre, you who seal up your measurement, you were full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God. Every precious stone was your covering: ruby, topaz, and diamond; beryl, sardonyx, and jasper; sapphire, chrysoprase, and emerald; and gold. (Ezekiel 28:12, 13)
In the Word, “Tyre” means the church in relation to its concepts of goodness and truth. The “king” means the truth in the church. The garden of Eden means wisdom and intelligence gained from the Word. Precious stones mean truths made translucent by goodness, like the truths in the Word’s literal meaning. Because these truths are meant by those precious stones, the stones are called his covering. On the literal meaning covering the insides of the Word, see 213 above.