9502. 'They must not be removed from it' means everlastingly and unalterably so. This is clear from the meaning of 'not being removed' as being brought into being and kept in being, everlastingly and unalterably. For the Divine sphere of goodness and truth encompassing and embracing heaven generally and specifically brought heaven into being and created it, and that same sphere keeps it in being and preserves it; for to keep something in being is to go on bringing it into being, everlastingly so, and to preserve it is to go on creating it, everlastingly so. The everlastingness and unalterableness was represented by the poles' not being removed from the ark, and the eternal protection of heaven by the Divine sphere of goodness and truth emanating from the Lord was represented by the poles' being under and covered by the wings of the cherubs, as is clear in the first Book of Kings,

The cherubs were spreading out their wings over the place of the ark, so that the cherubs covered the ark and its poles from above; the poles indeed extended, and the ends ¹ of the poles were seen from the holy place in front of the shrine, but were not seen from outside. 1 Kings 8:7-8.

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