10548. And it was that everyone inquiring of Jehovah went out unto the tent of meeting that was outside the camp. That this signifies that all instructions concerning the truths and goods of the church and of worship would be given to everyone by means of the external of the Word remotely from the external things in which that nation was, is evident from the signification of “inquiring of Jehovah,” as being to be instructed concerning the truths and goods of the church and of worship, for all inquiring of Jehovah is for the sake of instruction in these; from the signification of “the tent of meeting,” as being the external of the church and of worship (of which just above, n. 10547); and from the signification of “outside the camp,” as being that which is remote from the external things in which that nation was (n. 10546). From this it is evident that by “everyone inquiring of Jehovah went out unto the tent of meeting that was outside the camp,” is signified that all instruction concerning the truths and goods of the church and of worship would be given by means of the external of the Word remotely from the external things in which that nation was.

[2] It is said “by means of the external of the Word,” because all instruction concerning the truths and goods of faith and of love which make the church and enter into worship, is from this source, and because to inquire of the Lord is to consult the Word; for in the Word the Lord is present, seeing that the Word is the Divine truth which is from Him, and that He is with the angels in His Divine truth, and also with the men of the church who receive Him.

[3] It is said “by means of the external of the Word,” because in the external of the Word all internal things are together, thus all the truths and goods of heaven and of the church (according to what was shown above, n. 10547). From this it is that answers and revelations were made in ultimates (n. 9905). Moreover, all the doctrinal things of the church that are of service to worship, are given by means of the external of the Word; but they are given to those only who are in enlightenment from the Lord when they are reading the Word, for then light flows into them from heaven through the internal sense (see n. 9025, 9382, 9409, 9424, 9430, 10105, 10324, 10402, 10431).

[4] The reason why it denotes remotely from the external things in which the Israelitish nation was, is that with that nation the external of the Word appears quite different, and consequently is differently unfolded, as can be seen from the fact that they see nothing therein about faith in the Lord and love to Him, nor indeed about the Lord, and about heaven from Him. But the things which they see are solely about worldly and earthly things, and especially about their own preeminence to others. The reason is that they are in external things without what is internal, and they who are of such a character can see nothing from the internal. To see from the internal is to see from heaven from the Lord. From all this it is evident that the external of the Word, and consequently of the church and of worship, with that nation, was remote from the external of the Word, of the church, and of worship, as regarded in itself. As far as verse 11, the external worship of that nation is now described in the internal sense.