8453. 'And covered the camp' means that it filled a person's natural. This is clear from the meaning of 'covering' as filling; and from the meaning of 'the camp' as forms of good and truths, dealt with in 8193, 8196, at this point the natural, which is the container of them. For the natural contains forms of good and truths, and without them it is a natural with no life in it; nor do the goodness and truth of the external or natural man have any real existence without the natural. So it is that since 'the camp' means truths and forms of good it also means the natural in which they reside.

8193. 'Marching before the camp of Israel' means which involved the Church's truths and forms of good. This is clear from the meaning of 'the camp' as truths and forms of good; for 'the camp' means the whole assembly of Israel, and 'the assembly of Israel' means all forms of good and truths in their entirety, 7830, 7843, and for this reason also 'an encampment' means an arrangement as determined by truths and forms of good, 8103(end), 8130, 8131, 8155. As for 'Israel', that the spiritual Church is meant, this has been shown quite often.