9683. And thou shalt put the table outside the veil. That this signifies influx through the celestial things that belong to love, is evident from the signification of “the table on which were the breads of faces,” as being the receptacle of celestial things (n. 9527, 9545); and from the signification of “outside the veil,” as being outside the uniting intermediate through which there is mediate influx; for by “the veil” is signified the uniting intermediate (n. 9670), and because that table was behind the veil, therefore there was signified influx through the celestial things of the inmost heaven, which are the goods of love. That there is mediate influx from the Lord through the inmost heaven, and immediate influx from Himself, can be seen from the places above cited (n. 9682 e). With every good which makes heavenly life, thus eternal life, with man and with angel, the case is this. The inmost of good is the Lord Himself, consequently is the good of love which is immediately from Him; the good which next succeeds is the good of mutual love; then the good of charity toward the neighbor; finally the good of faith. This is the successive order of goods from the inmost. From this it can be seen how the case is with immediate and mediate influx. In general it may be said that insofar as a good succeeding in order (that is, a more external good), has in it a more interior good, so far it is good, for insofar it is nearer to the Lord Himself, who, as before said, is the inmost good. But the successive arrangement and setting in order of interior goods in exterior, varies in each and all subjects according to the reception, and the reception is according to the spiritual and moral life in the world of everyone, for the life in the world remains with everyone to eternity.

[2] The influx of the Lord is also immediate with everyone, for without immediate influx the mediate effects nothing. Immediate influx is received according to the order in which the man or angel is, thus according to the Divine truth which is from the Divine, because this is order (n. 1728, 1919, 2447, 4839, 5703, 7995, 8512, 8513, 8700, 8988); and so it is order itself with man that he should live in the good which is from the Lord, that is, that he should live from the Lord. This influx is continual, and is adjoined to each and all things of the will of man, directing them as much as possible into order, for man’s own will is continually leading him away from order. It is the same with the voluntary and involuntary things in man. His voluntary things continually lead away from order, but the involuntary ones continually bring back to order. It is for this reason that the motion of the heart, which is involuntary, is completely removed from man’s will, and in like manner the action of the cerebellum; and that the motions of the heart, and the powers of the cerebellum, direct the voluntary things, to prevent them from rushing beyond bounds and extinguishing the life of the body before its time; and therefore the primal activities of both the involuntary and the voluntary things in the whole body go on conjointly. These things have been said in order in some measure to illustrate the idea about the immediate and the mediate influx of the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith from the Lord.

2447. From Jehovah out of heaven. That this signifies from the laws of order as to truth, because they separate themselves from good, cannot be seen except from the internal sense, by which there is disclosed how the case stands with punishments and damnations: that they in no wise come from Jehovah, that is, from the Lord, but from the man himself, the evil spirit, and the devil; and this from the laws of order as to truth, because they separate themselves from good.

[2] All order is from Jehovah, that is, from the Lord, and according to this order are all things directed by Him both in general and in particular, but in many different ways, to wit, from Will, from Good-pleasure, from Leave, and from Permission. The things that are from His will and good-pleasure are from the laws of order as to good, and so also are many of those which are from leave, and some of those which are from permission. But when a man separates himself from good he casts himself into the rule of the laws of order that are of truth separated from good, which are such that they condemn; for all truth condemns man and casts him down into hell; whereas the Lord from good, that is, from mercy, saves him, and uplifts him into heaven. From this we see that it is man himself who condemns himself.

[3] The things done from permission are mostly of this nature, as for example, that one devil punishes and torments another; and innumerable other things of this kind. These things are from the laws of order as to truth separated from good; for the devils could not otherwise be held in bonds, and withheld from rushing upon all the well disposed and good, and eternally destroying them. It is the prevention of this which is the good the Lord has in view. The case herein is similar to that which exists on earth, where a mild and clement king, who intends and does nothing but good, must needs suffer his laws to punish the evil and the wicked (although he punishes no one, but rather grieves that they are such that their evils must punish them), for otherwise he would leave his kingdom itself a prey to them; which would be the height of rigor and of unmercifulness.

[4] This shows that Jehovah in no wise caused it to rain brimstone and fire, that is in no wise condemned to hell; but that the men themselves who were in evil and thence in falsity did this, because they had separated themselves from good, and so had cast themselves into the rule of the laws of order that come from truth alone. From all which it follows that this is the internal sense of these words.

[5] That in the Word “evil,” “punishing,” “cursing,” “damnation,” and many other such things are attributed to Jehovah or the Lord, as here that He made it “rain brimstone and fire,” we read in Ezekiel:

I will contend against him with pestilence and with blood; and I will rain upon him fire and brimstone (Ezekiel 38:22).

In Isaiah:

The breath of Jehovah like a stream of brimstone doth kindle it (Isaiah 30:33).

In David:

Jehovah shall rain upon the wicked snares, fire, and brimstone (Psalms 11:6).

Again:

There went up a smoke out of His nostrils, and fire out of His mouth, coals did burn from Him (Psalms 18:8).

In Jeremiah:

Lest My fury go forth like fire, and burn, and there is none to quench it (Jeremiah 21:12).

In Moses:

A fire is kindled in Mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell (Deuteronomy 32:22);

besides similar things in many other places. The reason why such things are attributed in the Word to Jehovah or the Lord has been explained in Part First (n. 223, 245, 589, 592, 696, 735, 1093, 1638, 1683, 1874); for such things are as far from coming from the Lord, as good is far from evil, or as heaven is from hell, or what is Divine from what is diabolical. Evil, hell, and the devil do these things; but by no means the Lord, who is mercy itself and good itself; but because He appears to do them, therefore for the reasons mentioned in the numbers cited, they are attributed to Him.

[6] From its being said in this verse that Jehovah caused it to rain from Jehovah out of heaven, it appears in the sense of the letter as if there were two; one on earth, and one in heaven; but the internal sense teaches how this also is to be understood, namely, that by the Jehovah first named is meant the Lord’s Divine Human and Holy proceeding (meant in this chapter by the “two men”) and by the Jehovah named in the second place is meant the Divine Itself that is called the “Father” (spoken of in the preceding chapter); and that this Trine is in the Lord, as He himself says in John:

He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; believe Me, that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me (John 14:9-11).

And concerning the Holy proceeding, in the same:

The Comforter shall not speak from Himself but He shall take of Mine, and shall declare it unto you (John 16:13-15).

Thus Jehovah is one, although two are here named; two being named for the reason that all the laws of order are from the Lord’s Divine Itself, Divine Human, and Holy proceeding.