46. (vi) THESE PROPERTIES OF THE DIVINE LOVE WERE THE REASON THE UNIVERSE WAS CREATED, AND ARE THE REASON IT IS PRESERVED IN EXISTENCE.

A thorough scrutiny and examination of these three essentials of the Divine Love can lead us to see that they were the reason for creation. That the first, loving others than itself, was a cause is clear from the universe being other than God, as the world is other than the sun, and something to which His love could extend and on which it could be exercised and so come to rest. We read too that, after God had created heaven and the earth, He rested, and this was the origin of the Sabbath (Genesis 2:2-3).

[2] The second essential, wishing to be one with them, was also a cause as is clear from the creation of man in the image and likeness of God. By this is meant that man was made as a form to receive love and wisdom from God, that is, to be someone with whom God could unite Himself, and on his account with every single thing in the universe, since these are nothing but means to the end. For being linked to a final cause involves also being linked to mediate causes. It is clear from the Book of Creation or Genesis (Genesis 1:28-30) that all things were created on account of man.

[3] The third essential, devoting oneself to their happiness, was also a cause, as is clear from the heaven of angels, which has been provided for every human being who receives the love of God; all there are made happy by God alone. These three essentials of God's love are also the reason why the universe is preserved, because preservation is perpetual creation, just as remaining in existence is a perpetual coming into existence; and the Divine Love is from eternity to eternity the same. So as it was in the creation of the world, such too it remains in the created world.

10005. 'The robe of the ephod' means the middle part of that kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'the robe' as the Divine Spiritual emanating indirectly from the Divine Celestial, thus the middle of the spiritual kingdom, dealt with in 9825. The reason why it is called 'the robe of the ephod' is that the robe went with the ephod; it was also kept distinct from the tunic by means of a girdle. For there were two girdles; the first was an overall one for the ephod and robe together, the second was for the tunic alone. This second girdle served to mean that the things of the spiritual kingdom which were represented by the tunic were distinct and separate from those represented by the robe and ephod together. 'A girdle (or belt)' means a common bond which holds more internal things in connection, 9828, and also serves to separate one thing from another, 9944.

[2] The implications of all this are that there are three realities which follow one another in consecutive order. In heaven those three are called celestial, spiritual, and the natural springing from these. That which is celestial is the good of love to the Lord, that which is spiritual is the good of charity towards the neighbour, and that which is natural and springs from them is the good of faith. What is celestial, or the good of love to the Lord, constitutes the inmost or third heaven; what is spiritual, or the good of charity towards the neighbour, constitutes the middle or second heaven; and what is natural springing from these, or the good of faith, constitutes the lowest or first heaven. Since Aaron's garments represented the Lord's spiritual kingdom, 9814, it is evident from things which have been mentioned what the tunic represented, what the robe represented, and what the ephod represented. That is to say, the tunic represented the intermediary that unites the spiritual kingdom to the celestial kingdom, and therefore also it was kept distinct by means of a girdle from the robe and ephod, which represented the spiritual kingdom, internal and external. Regarding the tunic, see 9826, 9942; regarding the robe, 9825; and regarding the ephod, 9824.

[3] Some idea of this matter may also be gained from what has been shown previously regarding the tent of meeting, which represented heaven in which the Lord was present. The inmost part of it, where the ark of the Testimony was, represented the inmost or third heaven; the dwelling-place, which was outside the veil, represented the middle or second heaven; and the court represented the first or lowest heaven. And they in like manner were celestial, spiritual, and the natural springing from these. But the intermediary uniting the inmost and middle heavens was represented by the veil between the holy place and the holy of holies, in the same way as it was by the tunic on Aaron. Regarding the inmost part of the tent where the ark was, see 9485; regarding the dwelling-place which was outside the veil, 9594, 9632; regarding the court, 9741; and regarding the veil, the intermediary uniting the inmost and middle heavens, 9670, 9671.

[4] An even better idea of these things may be acquired from the correspondence of the human being with the heavens; for all the parts of the human being have a correspondence with everything that exists in the heavens, see what has been shown previously at the ends of a number of chapters. The human head corresponds to the inmost or third heaven, where there is celestial good; the breast down to the loins corresponds to the middle or second heaven, where there is spiritual good; and the feet correspond to the lowest or first heaven, where there is natural good. The neck however, by virtue of correspondence, is the intermediary uniting the inmost and middle heavens, 9913, 9914, in the same way as the veil in the tent was. For all representatives on the natural level resemble the human form and have the same meaning as the parts of it which they resemble, 9496. From all this it now becomes clear why the tunic was kept distinct from the robe and ephod by means of a girdle, and also why the robe is called 'the robe of the ephod'.