793. And no artificer of any art shall be found in thee anymore signifies that they who are in that religious persuasion from doctrine and from a life according to it, have no understanding of spiritual truth, and hence no thought of spiritual truth, so far as it is from themselves. By "an artificer" in the spiritual sense of the Word is signified one that is intelligent, and thinks from the understanding; in the good sense, one that from the understanding thinks truths, which are heavenly; and in the evil sense, one that from the understanding thinks falsities, which are infernal; and as the latter and the former are of many kinds, and each kind of many species, and each species again of many kinds and species, which, however, are called particulars and singulars, it is therefore said, "no artificer of any art." By artificers also, from their handicrafts and arts, such things are signified from correspondence as are of wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge. It is said, from correspondence, because all human work corresponds, and likewise every operation provided it be of any use, to such things as are of angelic intelligence. But the works of artificers in gold, silver, and precious stones correspond to one kind of matters or subjects of angelic intelligence; those of artificers in brass, iron, wood and stone to other kinds; and to others, those of artificers in other desirable uses, as cloths, linens, garments and clothings of various kinds. All these correspond, as has been said, because they are works. From these things it may appear, that by "an artificer of any art" shall not be found in Babylon, is not meant that there shall not be any artificers there, but that there will not be any understanding of spiritual truth, and thence no thought of spiritual truth; but this is only with those who are in that religious persuasion from its doctrine, and from a life according to it, and also as far as it is from themselves.
[2] That "an artificer" signifies those who are in the understanding of truth, and thence in the thought of truth, may appear from these passages:
Bezaleel and Aholiab the artificers shall make the tabernacle, for they are filled with wisdom, intelligence, and science (Exod. 31:3; 36:1-2).
And everyone wise in heart among them doing the work, they made the habitation, the work of the artificer (Exod. 36:8).
Thou shalt make the habitation of fine twined linen, and blue and purple, and scarlet double-dyed, and cherubim, with the work of the artificer shalt thou make them (Exod. 26:1).
Thou shalt make the veil in like manner with the work of the artificer (Exod. 26:31; 35:35).
In like manner the ephod with the work of the artificer; as also the breastplate (Exod. 28:6; 39:8).
Artificer is there expressed by a word which also signifies a designer:
Thou shalt engrave two stones, which thou shalt put upon the shoulders of the ephod, with the work of an artificer in gems (Exod. 28:11).
[3] In the opposite sense, by "the work of an artificer" is signified that work which is done from one's own intelligence, from which nothing else can be produced but falsity. This is meant by "the work of the artificer" in these passages:
They shall make a molten image of their silver in their own intelligence, the whole the work of artificers (Hos. 13:2).
The artificer casteth the graven image, and the founder spreadeth it over with gold, and maketh silver chains; he seeketh a wise artificer (Isa. 40:19-20).
He cutteth wood out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman; silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the artificer; blue and purple are their garments, the whole the work of the wise (Jer. 10:3, 9; also Deut. 27:15).
That "idols" signify falsities of worship and religion from one's own intelligence, may be seen above (n. 459, 460).