8535. And Aaron laid it up before the Testimony to be kept. That this signifies that it was in the presence of the Divine, is evident from the signification of “laying up to be kept,” as being for a memorial (see above n. 8526, 8533) and from the signification of “before the Testimony,” as being in the presence of the Divine. That “the Testimony” denotes the Divine is plain from what goes before, where it is said by Moses to Aaron that “he should store it up before Jehovah” (see n. 8532), thus before the Divine. That “the Testimony” denotes the Divine is because in the universal sense by “the Testimony” is meant the Word, and because the Word is truth Divine, thus the Lord. That the Lord is “the Word,” is plain in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word: and the Word was made flesh, and dwelt in us (1:1, 14).

That “the Testimony” denotes the Lord as to Divine truth is evident from the ark wherein was the Law published from Sinai, which is called “the Testimony:” that from this the tabernacle had all its sanctity, and that the Testimony was the holy Divine itself, is evident from the fact that above it was the propitiatory with the cherubs, and next outside the veil were the tables of gold with the loaves, and with the lamps; and that the most holy thing of worship was there administered by Aaron; also that Jehovah afterward spake with Moses there above the propitiatory between the two cherubs, thus from the Testimony (on which see Exodus 25:16, 21-22; 40:20).