December
24

They Presented to Him Gifts.

And when they had opened their treasures, they presented to Him gifts: gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. (Matthew 2:11)

It was a custom in ancient times to give gifts to the priest and the prophet, as also to the prince and the king, when they were approached... And as this was a holy ritual, signifying introduction, the wise men from the east also, who came to Jesus soon after His birth, brought presents.… (Apocalypse Explained 661:2; Arcana Coelestia 4262:3)

The gifts offered to Jehovah signified such things as are offered by man from the heart to the Lord, and are accepted by the Lord…. Because external gifts signified internal or spiritual gifts, namely, such as go forth from the heart, and thence are of the affection and faith; and as by these conjunction is effected, in the spiritual sense “gifts” in reference to God signify conjunction. (Arcana Coelestia 9293:1; Apocalypse Explained 661:2)

The wise men from the east opened their treasures, and offered to the Lord recently born, gold, frankincense, and myrrh (Matthew 2:11). The reason why they offered these three was, because “gold” signified celestial good, “frankincense” spiritual good, and “myrrh” natural good, and from those three goods all worship is made. (Apocalypse Revealed 277:2; see also Arcana Coelestia 4262:3, True Christian Religion 205)

They were called “gifts and offerings made to Jehovah,” although Jehovah, that is, the Lord, does not accept any gifts or offerings, but gives to everyone freely. Nevertheless, He wills that these things should come from man as from himself, provided he acknowledges that they are not from himself, but from the Lord. For the Lord imparts the affection of doing good from love, and the affection of speaking truth from faith; but the affection itself flows in from the Lord, and it appears as if it were in the man, thus from the man... From this it is evident that what are called “gifts and offerings made to the Lord” by man are in their essence gifts and offerings made to man by the Lord. (Arcana Coelestia 9938:2)

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