9670. And thou shalt make a veil. That this signifies the intermediate which unites this heaven and the inmost heaven, thus spiritual good with celestial good, is evident from the signification of the “veil,” which made a division between the Habitation where was the ark of the Testimony, and the place where were the lampstand and the table on which were the breads of faces, as being the intermediate which unites the middle heaven and the inmost heaven; for by the ark in which was the Testimony was represented the inmost heaven, where the Lord is (see n. 9457, 9481, 9485), and by the Habitation outside the veil was represented the middle heaven (n. 9594). And as the good of love to the Lord makes the inmost heaven, and the good of charity toward the neighbor makes the middle heaven, therefore by the “veil” is also signified the intermediate which unites spiritual good and celestial good. Spiritual good is the good of charity toward the neighbor, and celestial good is the good of love to the Lord (that the heavens are distinguished according to these goods, may be seen f rom the citations given above n. 9277). From all this it is now evident what is signified by the “veil,” both in the tabernacle and in the temple.

[2] These two heavens, namely the inmost and the middle, are so distinct that there is no entrance from the one into the other. But still they constitute one heaven by means of intermediate angelic societies, which are of such a genius that they can accede to the good of both heavens. These societies are what constitute the uniting intermediate which was represented by the veil. It has also been sometimes granted me to speak with angels from these societies. The quality of the angels of the inmost heaven, and the relative quality of the angels of the middle heaven, can be seen from correspondence. To the angels of the inmost heaven correspond those things in man which belong to the province of the heart, and to that of the cerebellum; but to the angels of the middle heaven correspond those things in man which belong to the province of the lungs, and to that of the cerebrum. The things that belong to the heart and the cerebellum are called involuntary and spontaneous, because they so appear; but those which belong to the lungs and the cerebrum are called voluntary. From this can in some measure be seen the nature of the perfection of the one heaven over the other, and also the nature of the difference between them. But to the intermediate angels who accede to both heavens, and conjoin them, correspond the cardiac and pulmonary networks of blood vessels by means of which is effected the conjunction of the heart with the lungs; and also the medulla oblongata, in which the fiber of the cerebellum is conjoined with the fiber of the cerebrum.

[3] (That the angels who are of the Lord’s celestial kingdom, that is, who are in the inmost heaven, constitute the province of the heart in the Grand Man; and that the angels who are of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom, that is, who are in the middle heaven, constitute the province of the lungs, see n. 3635, 3886-3890; also that from this comes the correspondence of the heart and of the lungs in man, n. 3883-3896.) It is the same with the correspondence of the cerebrum and the cerebellum. The quality of the celestial, or of those who are in the inmost heaven, and the quality of the spiritual, or of those who are in the middle heaven; and the difference between them, may be seen above (n. 2046, 2227, 2669, 2708, 2715, 2718, 2935, 2937, 2954, 3166, 3235-3236, 3240, 3246, 3374, 3833, 3887, 3969, 4138, 4286, 4493, 4585, 4938, 5113, 5150, 5922, 6289, 6296, 6366, 6427, 6435, 6500, 6647, 6648, 7091, 7233, 7877, 7977, 7992, 8042, 8152, 8234, 8521). From this it can be seen what is the quality of the intermediate angels who constitute the uniting intermediate which was represented by the veil.

[4] That the veil of the temple was rent in twain when the Lord suffered the cross (Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45) signified His glorification; for when the Lord was in the world, He made His Human Divine truth; but when He departed out of the world, He made His Human Divine good, from which the Divine truth now proceeds (see the citations in n. 9199, 9315). Divine good is the holy of holies.

[5] The glorification of the Lord’s Human even to the Divine good which is “Jehovah,” is also described in the internal sense by the process of expiation, when Aaron entered into the holy of holies within the veil (Leviticus 16); and in the relative sense by the same process is described the regeneration of man even to celestial good, which is the good of the inmost heaven. The process referred to was as follows. Aaron was to take a bullock for a sacrifice, and a ram for a burnt-offering, for himself and his house; and he was to put on the garments of holiness, which were a tunic of linen, breeches of linen, a belt of linen, and a miter of linen, and to wash his flesh in water. And he was to take two he-goats, and cast lots upon them; and one of these was to be offered to Jehovah, and the other to be sent forth into the wilderness; the latter for the assembly of the sons of Israel. When he sacrificed the bullock he was to bring incense within the veil and to sprinkle of the blood of the bullock and of the he-goat seven times upon the propitiatory [mercy seat] eastward, and also to put blood upon the horns of the altar.

Afterward he was to confess the sins of the sons of Israel, which he was to put upon the he-goat, and this was to be sent forth into the wilderness. Lastly he was to put off the garments of linen, and to put on his own, and to make a burnt-offering for himself and for the people. The sacrifices that were not to be offered are stated. This was to be done every year, when Aaron entered into the holy of holies within the veil. The priesthood which Aaron administered represented the Lord as to Divine good, even as the regal office which was afterward vested in the kings represented the Lord as to Divine truth (n. 6148). The process of the glorification of the Lord’s Human even to Divine good is here described in the internal sense. This process was exhibited to the angels when Aaron performed these things and entered within the veil, and it is also now exhibited to them when this portion of the Word is read.

[6] By “the bullock for the sin-offering,” and by “the ram for a burnt-offering,” is signified the purification of good from evils in the external and in the internal man; by “the tunic of linen, the breeches of linen, the belt of linen, and the miter of linen,” which he was to put on when he entered in, and by “the washing of his flesh,” is signified that the purification was effected by means of truths from good; by “the two he-goats of the goats for a sin-offering,” and by “the ram for a burnt-offering,” and by “the he-goat which was offered,” and by the other one that was “sent forth,” is signified the purification of truth from falsities in the external man; by “the incense which he was to bring within the veil,” is signified adaptation; by “the blood of the bullock; and the blood of the he-goat which was to be sprinkled seven times upon the propitiatory [mercy seat] eastward and afterward upon the horns of the altar,” is signified Divine truth from Divine good; by “the confession of sins over the living goat, which was to be sent forth into the wilderness,” is signified a complete separation and casting out of evil from good; by his “putting off the garments of linen, and putting on his own garments,” when he was to offer the burnt-offerings, also by “the bringing forth of the flesh, the skin, and the dung of the sacrifices outside the camp and burning them,” is signified the putting on of celestial good with a regenerate person, and the glorification in the Lord of the Human even to Divine good, after all those things had been rejected which were of the human derived from the mother, even until He was no longer her son (see the citations in n. 9315). These are the things which are signified by this process of purification, when Aaron entered into the holy of holies within the veil; for after these things had been performed, Aaron represented the Lord as to Divine good. From all this it can be seen that by “the veil between the holy and the holy of holies” is also signified the intermediate uniting the Divine truth and the Divine good in the Lord.

9594. And thou shalt make the Habitation. That this signifies the second or middle heaven, is evident from the signification of “the Habitation,” when said of the Divine, as being heaven, in particular the middle or second heaven. It is known that there are three heavens: the inmost, the middle, and the ultimate; or the third, the second, and the first. All these heavens were represented by the tabernacle: by the ark, where the Testimony was, the inmost or third heaven; by the Habitation, where were the table for the breads of faces and the lampstand, the middle or second heaven; and by the court, the ultimate or first heaven. That there are three heavens is because there are three degrees of life in man (for the man who becomes an angel after death constitutes heaven; from no other source are the angels, from no other is heaven). The inmost degree of the man’s life is for the inmost heaven; the middle degree of his life is for the middle heaven; and the ultimate degree is for the ultimate heaven. Man being such, or so formed, and heaven being from the human race, there are therefore three heavens.

[2] These three degrees of life in man are opened successively; the first degree by a life in accordance with what is equitable and just; the second degree by a life in accordance with the truths of faith from the Word, and in accordance with the consequent goods of charity toward the neighbor; and the third degree by a life in accordance with the good of mutual love and the good of love to the Lord. These are the means whereby are successively opened these three degrees of life in man, thus the three heavens in him. But be it known that in proportion as a man recedes from the good of life, and accedes to the evil of life, these degrees are closed, that is, the heavens are closed in him; for just as the good of life opens them, so the evil of life closes them. It is from this that all who are in evil are outside of heaven, thus are in hell. And because, as before said, the heavens are successively opened in a man according to the good of his life, be it known that for this reason in some the first heaven is opened and not the second; and in some the second heaven is opened and not the third; and that the third heaven is opened in those only who are in the good of life from love to the Lord. (That a man is heaven in the least form, and that he was created after the image both of heaven and of the world, may be seen in the passages cited in n. 9279).

[3] Therefore it is the inmost heaven which is represented by the ark of the Testimony, treated of in the preceding chapter; it is the middle heaven which is represented by the Habitation, treated of in this chapter; and it is the ultimate heaven which is represented by the court, treated of in the following chapter. Heaven is called “the Habitation of God” from the fact that the Divine of the Lord dwells there; for it is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord’s Divine good that makes heaven, for this gives the life of an angel who is there. And because the Lord dwells with the angels in that which is from Himself (n. 9338), therefore heaven is called “the Habitation of God,” and the Divine truths themselves from the Divine good, of which the angels or the angelic societies are the receptions, are called His “Habitations; as in David:

O send out Thy light and Thy truth; let these lead me; let them lead me unto the mountain of holiness, and to Thy habitations; that I may go in unto the altar of God, unto God (Psalms 43:3-4

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holiness of the habitations of the Most High (Psalms 46:4).

They have profaned the habitation of Thy name to the earth (Psalms 74:7).

How lovely are Thy habitations, O Jehovah (Psalms 84:1).

[4] That the Divine things which proceed from the Lord’s Divine Human are what are in particular called His “Habitations,” and that from this, heaven itself is called His “Habitation” is also evident in David:

He swore to Jehovah, he vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, I will not give sleep to mine eyes until I have found out a place for Jehovah, habitations for the Mighty One of Jacob. Lo, we heard of Him in Ephrathah, we found Him in the fields of the forest; we will go into His Habitations (Psalms 132:2, 4-7).

“The Mighty One of Jacob” denotes the Lord as to the Divine Human (n. 6425); “Ephrathah,” where He was to be found, is Bethlehem, where He was born (Genesis 35:19; 48:7; Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4-6); “the fields of the forest” denote the goods of the church among the Gentiles.

[5] In Ezekiel:

They shall dwell upon the land that I have given to Jacob My servant; they shall dwell upon it, they and their sons’ sons forever; and David My servant shall be prince to them forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will set My sanctuary in the midst of them forever. So shall My habitation be with them (Ezekiel 37:25-27).

“David,” who was to be “prince to them” denotes the the Lord, (n. 1888); “the sanctuary” denotes the Lord’s Divine Human, because from Him is all that is holy (n. 3210, 9229); thus His “Habitation” denotes heaven and the church where the Lord is.

[6] In Jeremiah:

Thus said Jehovah, Behold I bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have compassion on his habitations, that the city shall be built upon its heap (Jeremiah 30:18).

“To bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents” denotes to restore the goods and truths of the external church which had been destroyed; “having compassion on his habitations” denotes to restore the truths of the internal church; “the city which shall be built upon its heap” denotes the doctrine of truth (n. 2449, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493).

[7] In what way the Lord dwells in the heavens, can be seen from what has been shown already concerning the Lord; namely, that the Lord as to the Divine Human is the Sun from which are the heat and light in the heavens. The heat from the Lord as the Sun is love, and the light is faith. From this the Lord dwells with those who receive from Him the good of love and the truth of faith, thus the heat and light of life. His presence is according to the degrees of the reception.