Arcana Coelestia #9685
9685. 'And you shall put the table on the north side' means good dwelling in obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'the table', on which the loaves of the Presence were laid, as a receptacle of heavenly blessings, dealt with in 9527, 'the loaves' being celestial good, which comes from the Lord, 9545; and from the meaning of 'the north' as obscurity so far as the truths of faith are concerned, dealt with in 3708, and since truth is in obscurity, so too is good. For in the Lord's spiritual kingdom good manifests itself by means of truth, and truth is perceived as good when it passes from the understanding into the will. This good is the good of charity towards the neighbour, and it is called spiritual good. It is different in the Lord's celestial kingdom. There good does not manifest itself as such by means of truth; rather those there enjoy direct insight into that good. From this it becomes clear why that table was placed on the side towards the north, and the lampstand on the side towards the south. But see what has been stated and shown immediately above in 9684 on these matters.
Numbers 3:23-38
23
The families of the Gershonites shall encamp behind the tabernacle westward.
24
The prince of the fathers' house of the Gershonites shall be Eliasaph the son of Lael.
25
The duty of the sons of Gershon in the Tent of Meeting shall be the tabernacle, and the Tent, its covering, and the screen for the door of the Tent of Meeting,
26
and the hangings of the court, and the screen for the door of the court, which is by the tabernacle, and around the altar, and its cords for all of its service.
27
Of Kohath was the family of the Amramites, and the family of the Izharites, and the family of the Hebronites, and the family of the Uzzielites: these are the families of the Kohathites.
28
According to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, there were eight thousand six hundred, keeping the requirements of the sanctuary.
29
The families of the sons of Kohath shall encamp on the south side of the tabernacle.
30
The prince of the fathers' house of the families of the Kohathites shall be Elizaphan the son of Uzziel.
31
Their duty shall be the ark, the table, the lamp stand, the altars, the vessels of the sanctuary with which they minister, and the screen, and all its service.
32
Eleazar the son of Aaron the priest shall be prince of the princes of the Levites, with the oversight of those who keep the requirements of the sanctuary.
33
Of Merari was the family of the Mahlites, and the family of the Mushites. These are the families of Merari.
34
Those who were numbered of them, according to the number of all the males, from a month old and upward, were six thousand two hundred.
35
The prince of the fathers' house of the families of Merari was Zuriel the son of Abihail. They shall encamp on the north side of the tabernacle.
36
The appointed duty of the sons of Merari shall be the tabernacle's boards, its bars, its pillars, its sockets, all its instruments, all its service,
37
the pillars of the court around it, their sockets, their pins, and their cords.
38
Those who encamp before the tabernacle eastward, in front of the Tent of Meeting toward the sunrise, shall be Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the requirements of the sanctuary for the duty of the children of Israel. The stranger who comes near shall be put to death.
