2577. “并众人” 表由此衍生的真理, 即记忆真理和感官真理也是如此. 这从前面所述和整个思路清楚可知. 因为经上刚才说 “看哪, 这要给你在与你一起的所有人面前作遮眼的”, 这句话是指理性真理, 理性真理对属灵真理来说, 就像幔子; 现在经上又说 “并众人”, 这句话是指源于理性真理的更为低级的真理; 这些真理正是所谓的记忆真理和感官真理. 这些真理源于理性真理, 这一事实从流注的次序明显可知: 即内在事物流入外在事物, 或也可说, 高级事物流入低级事物, 反过来不行. 事实上, 表面上看, 次序似乎不是这样, 也就是说, 人似乎通过感官印象和记忆知识而变得理性, 但这是一个错觉. 主的良善不断经由人类理性能力流入进来, 在记忆中与知识相遇, 并将这些知识融入到自己里面. 这良善越将它们融入到自己里面, 并按适当秩序排列它们, 人就越变得理性. 被称为信之良善与真理的良善与真理也一样. 主的良善流入真理, 并将这些真理融入到自己里面. 这良善越能将这些真理融入到自己里面, 人就越变得属灵. 然而, 表面上看, 似乎是这些所谓的信之真理流入进来, 并使他变得属灵. 正是由于这种表象, 如今人们才过分推崇关乎信的真理, 而不去思考关乎仁的良善.

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'.