9891. 'On the edge of it which is on this side of the ephod, inwards' means the joining to and preservation of the middle part. This is clear from the meaning of 'the edge of the breastplate which is on this side of the ephod, inwards' as a joining to the middle part of heaven, and so the preservation of it; for 'the ephod' means Divine Truth in the spiritual heaven in an outward form, 9824, thus heaven in outermost things, and 'the edge which is on this side of the ephod' means the middle part. The subject is the joining of all the forms of good and the truths of heaven to the last and lowest things there, and thereby the preservation of the whole and all its parts.

[2] All those forms of good and truths are represented by the twelve stones in the breastplate and by the names of the twelve tribes inscribed on the stones there. The joining of them to the last and lowest things of heaven is represented by the tying of the breastplate to the ephod in six places - two at the shoulder-pieces above, two at the middle part, and two at the shoulder-pieces below, above the girdle. From all this the preservation of the whole of heaven and all its parts is demonstrated in a representative fashion.

[3] The joining of the breastplate at the shoulder-pieces above represents the preservation of the celestial forms of good and truths there; but the joining at 'the edge on this side of the ephod, inwards', or to the middle part, represents the preservation of the spiritual forms of good and truths. And the joining at the shoulder-pieces below against the join above the girdle of the ephod represents the preservation of the natural forms of good and truths coming forth from the celestial and spiritual ones. For the forms of good and the truths of heaven exist in a threefold order. Those on the highest levels are called celestial, those on the middle levels are called spiritual, and those on levels below are called natural coming forth from those celestial and spiritual ones; these will be dealt with below.

9874. 'Enclosed in gold shall they be in their settings' means that all of them in general and each in particular must emanate from the good belonging to the love that is received from the Lord and shown to the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'gold' as the good of love, dealt with in 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 8932, 9490, 9510; and from the meaning of 'being enclosed in it in their settings' as emanating from that good. For every single stone was surrounded by and so enclosed in gold, and since 'gold' means the good of love what is enclosed means that which exists or emanates from that good. The like is meant in verse 11 of the present chapter by the sockets of gold which surrounded the two shoham stones placed on the shoulder-pieces of the ephod.

[2] The implications of all this are that the breastplate and its twelve stones represented every good and truth in the heavens and so represented all heaven, as shown above. Moreover not only the heavens but also every community in the heavens, indeed each angel within a community, is surrounded by a Divine sphere, which consists of Divine Good and Truth emanating from the Lord, see where this is dealt with in 9490-9492, 9498, 9499, 9534. And since the good and truth of this sphere is received by the angels, so also every single thing present with them emanates from there; for each angel is heaven in the smallest form it takes. The actual good emanating from the Lord is what the gold around the stones and enclosing them represents.

[3] The truth that this good is the good of love that is received from the Lord and shown to the Lord may be recognized from the consideration that all good belongs to love, for what a person loves he calls good and also feels to be such. From this it is evident that heavenly good is the good of love to the Lord, for this love is what joins angel and man to the Lord; through this love they are brought to Him and enjoy all the good of heaven. It is well known in the Church that this good comes from the Lord, for the teaching of the Church is that all good originates in God and none at all in oneself. From this it is evident that the good of love shown to the Lord must come from the Lord, and that good from any other source is not good.