10001. Thou shalt bring near unto the door of the Tent of meeting. That this signifies the conjunction of both in heaven, is evident from the signification of “bringing near,” as being presence and conjunction (see n. 9997), here the conjunction of Divine good and Divine truth from the Lord in heaven; from the signification of “the door,” as being introduction (see n. 8989); and from the representation of the Tent of meeting, as being heaven (see n. 9457, 9481, 9485, 9963). That the bullock, the rams, the bread, the cakes, and the wafers of unleavened things in the basket, and Aaron with his sons, were to be presented at the door of the Tent of meeting, and that Aaron and his sons were there to be clothed with garments and anointed, and the things mentioned were to be there offered upon the altar, was because the place where was the door of the Tent of meeting represented the marriage of Divine good with Divine truth. For by the altar, which also was placed at the door of the Tent, was represented the Lord as to Divine good, and by the Tent of meeting was represented the Lord as to Divine truth; hence by the place at the door of the Tent was represented the conjunction of good and truth, which conjunction is called the heavenly marriage. (That by the altar of burnt offering was represented the Lord as to Divine good, see n. 9964; and by the Tent of meeting the Lord as to Divine truth, n. 9963) That the altar was placed there is evident in Moses, “And Moses placed the altar of burnt-offering at the door of the Tent” (Exodus 40:29). (That the conjunction of good and truth is the heavenly marriage, and that it is heaven, see n. 2173, 2508, 2618, 2803, 3004, 3132, 3952, 4434, 6179.) From all this it is now evident that by “bringing Aaron and his sons near to the door of the Tent of meeting” is signified the conjunction of both, namely, of the Divine good and the Divine truth from the Lord in heaven.

9485. And let them make an ark. That this signifies the inmost heaven, is evident from the signification of the “ark,” as being the inmost heaven; for by the “testimony” or “law” in the ark is signified the Lord, for the reason that the “testimony” denotes the Divine truth, and Divine truth is the Lord in heaven (see below, n. 9503). It is from this that the ark signifies the inmost heaven; and therefore it was a most holy thing, and was worshiped by the people as Jehovah; for it was believed that Jehovah dwelt there, and between the cherubs, as is evident in David:

We heard in Ephrathah; we will enter into His habitation; we will bow at the footstool of His feet. Arise O Jehovah unto Thy rest; Thou, and the ark of Thy strength (Psalms 132:6-8);

treating of the Lord; “Ephrathah” is Bethlehem, where the Lord was born (Mic. 5:2; Matthew 2:6); the “habitation” denotes heaven where the Lord is; “Thou and the ark of Thy strength” denote the Lord and His representative.

[2] That the ark is a representative of the Lord, is plain in Jeremiah:

I will bring you back to Zion; in those days they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant; neither shall it come up upon the heart; neither shall they make mention of it; neither shall they long for it; neither shall it be repaired anymore. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah; and all the nations shall be gathered together to it, on account of the name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem (Jeremiah 3:14, 16-17);

treating of a new church. The representative of the former church, which representative was then to be abolished, is meant by “the ark,” which was “not to be spoken of anymore, neither to come up upon the heart, nor to be repaired.” “Jerusalem, to which the nations were to be gathered,” denotes this new church. From this it is plain that by “the ark” is signified a representative of the Lord and of the worship of Him in the church, the same as was signified by “the continual [burnt-offering],” and by “the habitation of the sanctuary,” in Daniel 8:11.

[3] That the ark was worshiped as Jehovah by the Israelitish and Jewish people, and that it was believed that He dwelt therein, and between the cherubs, is manifest in the second book of Samuel:

David made them bring up the ark of God, the name of which is called the name of Jehovah Zebaoth, that sitteth on the cherubs upon it (2 Samuel 6:2).

When the ark set forward, Moses said, Rise up, Jehovah, let Thine enemies be scattered. When it rested, he said, Return, Jehovah, unto the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel (Numbers 10:33-36).

That the inmost heaven was signified by “the ark,” was because by the whole tabernacle or tent was represented the universal angelic heaven; its ultimate by the court; its middle by the habitation where the priest ministered; and its inmost by the habitation within the veil, where was the ark in which was the testimony.