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Exodus 26

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1 Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim the work of the skilful workman shalt thou make them.

2 The length of each curtain shall be eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits: all the curtains shall have one measure.

3 Five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and [the other] five curtains shall be coupled one to another.

4 And thou shalt make loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the selvedge in the coupling; and likewise shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is outmost in the second coupling.

5 Fifty loops shalt thou make in the one curtain, and Fifty loops shalt thou make in the edge of the curtain that is in the second coupling; the loops shall be opposite one to another.

6 And thou shalt make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to another with the clasps: and the tabernacle shall be one [whole].

7 And thou shalt make curtains of goats' [hair] for a tent over the tabernacle: eleven curtains shalt thou make them.

8 The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits: the eleven curtains shall have one measure.

9 And thou shalt couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double over the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tent.

10 And thou shalt make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops upon the edge of the curtain which is [outmost in] the second coupling.

11 And thou shalt make fifty clasps of brass, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.

12 And the overhanging part that remaineth of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remaineth, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle.

13 And the cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, of that which remaineth in the length of the curtains of the tent, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.

14 And thou shalt make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of sealskins above.

15 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up.

16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and a cubit and a half the breadth of each board.

17 Two tenons shall there be in each board, joined one to another: thus shalt thou make for all the boards of the tabernacle.

18 And thou shalt make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side southward.

19 And thou shalt make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons.

20 And for the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, twenty boards,

21 and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

22 And for the hinder part of the tabernacle westward thou shalt make six boards.

23 And two boards shalt thou make for the corners of the tabernacle in the hinder part.

24 And they shall be double beneath, and in like manner they shall be entire unto the top thereof unto one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.

25 And there shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

26 And thou shalt make bars of acacia wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

27 and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the hinder part westward.

28 And the middle bar in the midst of the boards shall pass through from end to end.

29 And thou shalt overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and thou shalt overlay the bars with gold.

30 And thou shalt rear up the tabernacle according to the fashion thereof which hath been showed thee in the mount.

31 And thou shalt make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen: with cherubim the work of the skilful workman shall it be made.

32 And thou shalt hang it upon four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold; their hooks [shall be] of gold, upon four sockets of silver.

33 And thou shalt hang up the veil under the clasps, and shalt bring in thither within the veil the ark of the testimony: and the veil shall separate unto you between the holy place and the most holy.

34 And thou shalt put the mercy-seat upon the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.

35 And thou shalt set the table without the veil, and the candlestick over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and thou shalt put the table on the north side.

36 And thou shalt make a screen for the door of the Tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer.

37 And thou shalt make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold: their hooks shall be of gold: and thou shalt cast five sockets of brass for them.

   

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Doctrine of the Sacred Scripture # 97

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97. It should be known, moreover, that the Word’s literal sense is a protection for the genuine truths that lie concealed within. The literal sense is a protection in that it can be turned this way and that and explained in accord with a person’s comprehension, and yet without the inner meaning’s being harmed or violated. For it does no harm if the Word’s literal sense is interpreted in one way by one person, and in another way by another person. But it does do harm if the Divine truths that lie concealed within are perverted; for this does violence to the Word.

This is guarded against by the literal sense. And it is guarded against among people who, owing to their religion, are caught up in falsities, but do not affirm those falsities, for they do not do any violence.

[2] This protection is symbolized by cherubim in the Word, and described by them, too.

It is symbolized by the cherubim that were placed at the entrance to the garden of Eden after Adam and his wife were cast out, about which we read the following:

(When Jehovah God) drove out the man..., He placed cherubim at the east of the garden of Eden, and a flaming sword turning hither and thither, to guard the way to the tree of life. (Genesis 3:23-24)

The cherubim symbolize protection. The way to the tree of life symbolizes an entryway to the Lord, which people have through the Word. The flaming sword turning hither and thither symbolizes Divine truth in outmost expressions, which, like the literal sense of the Word, can be turned in this way.

[3] Protection is likewise meant by the cherubim of gold placed at the two ends of the mercy seat on top of the ark in the Tabernacle (Exodus 25:18-21). Because this is what the cherubim symbolized, therefore the Lord spoke with Moses from between them (Exodus 25:22, 30:6, 33:9, Numbers 7:89). It may be seen in nos. 37-49 above that the Lord speaks with a person only in fullness, and that the Word in its literal sense is Divine truth in its fullness; thus the Lord accordingly spoke with Moses from between cherubim.

Nor is anything else symbolized by the cherubim on the curtains and veil of the Tabernacle (Exodus 26:1, 31). For the curtains and veil of the Tabernacle represented the outmost constituents of heaven and the church, and so also those of the Word (see no. 46 above).

Nor is anything else symbolized by the cherubim inside the Temple in Jerusalem (1 Kings 6:23-28). And by the cherubim carved on the walls and doors of the Temple (1 Kings 6:29, 32, 35). Likewise by the cherubim in the new temple (Ezekiel 41:18-20). (See also no. 47 above.)

[4] Since cherubim symbolize a protection to keep the Lord, heaven, and the Divine truth contained in the Word from being approached directly, so that they must be approached indirectly through outmost expressions, therefore we are told regarding the king of Tyre the following:

You were the seal of perfection, full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; every precious stone was your covering.... You, O cherub, spread out a covering.... I destroyed you, O covering cherub, in the midst of stones of fire. (Ezekiel 28:12-14, 16)

Tyre symbolizes the church with respect to its concepts of truth and goodness, and its king accordingly symbolizes the Word which contains and is the source of those concepts. It is apparent that the Word here is symbolized as it is in its outmost expression, namely its literal sense, and its protection by a cherub; for the text says, “You were the seal of perfection, ” “every precious stone was your covering, ” and “You, O cherub, spread out a covering, ” including as well the phrase, “O covering cherub.” The precious stones listed here also mean truths in the Word’s literal sense, as may be seen in no. 45 above.

Since cherubim symbolize the outmost expression of Divine truth set as a protection, therefore we are told in the Psalms of David,

He bowed the heavens and came down..., and He rode upon a cherub.... (Psalms 18:9-10)

O Shepherd of Israel..., You who sit upon the cherubim, shine forth! (Psalms 80:1)

Jehovah...is seated upon the cherubim. (Psalms 99:1)

To ride upon cherubim, to sit on them and be seated on them, is to do so on the outmost sense of the Word.

[5] Divine truth and its character are described in the Word by cherubim in the first and ninth chapters in Ezekiel, and in the tenth. But because no one can know what the particulars in the description of them symbolize, unless he is someone for whom the spiritual sense has been laid open, therefore I have had disclosed to me what everything said about the cherubim in the first chapter in Ezekiel symbolizes, which in brief is as follows:

Verse 4: The Divine atmosphere surrounding the Word is described.

Verse 5: This represented as having the likeness of a man.

Verse 6: Its conjunction with spiritual and celestial elements.

Verse 7: The nature of the natural component of the Word.

Verses 8-9: The spiritual and celestial components of the Word conjoined with its natural one; their character.

Verses 10-11: The Divine love accompanying the celestial, spiritual and natural goodness and truth present in the Word, separately and together.

Verse 12: They look in one direction.

Verses 13-14: The atmosphere of the Word emanating from the Lord’s Divine goodness and Divine truth, which give the Word life.

Verses 15-21: The doctrine of goodness and truth found in the Word and emanating from the Word.

Verses 22-23: The Divinity of the Lord above the Word and in it.

Verses 24-25: And emanating from it.

Verse 26: The Lord’s being above the heavens.

Verses 27-28: And His possessing Divine love and Divine wisdom.

I have, moreover, compared these summaries with the Word in heaven and found them to be in conformity with it.

  
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Thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.