9595. Ten curtains. That this signifies all the truths from which it is, is evident from the signification of “ten,” as being all (see n. 4638), consequently a “tenth part,” which is one curtain, denotes as much as is sufficient (n. 8468, 8540); and from the signification of the “curtains,” as being the interior truths of faith which are of the new understanding. For by “the Habitation” is signified the middle or second heaven, which is heaven from the reception of the Divine truth that is from the Lord’s Divine good (as above, n. 9594); consequently the “curtains” of which it was constructed and with which it was covered, denote the truths of faith which are of the new understanding. That these denote interior truths is because exterior truths are signified by the “curtains from goats” for the Tent that was round about, which also are treated of in this chapter.

[2] That “the curtains” denote the truths of faith belonging to those who are in the Lord’s spiritual kingdom, is evident from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned; as in Isaiah:

Sing, O barren one that didst not bear, for more are the sons of the desolate one than the sons of the married one; enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch out the curtains of thine habitations; lengthen the cords. For thou shalt break forth on the right hand and on the left; and thy seed shall inherit the nations (Isaiah 54:1-3);

treating of the church about to be set up among the Gentiles, which is called “the barren one that did not bear,” for the reason that they had been without truths from the Word (n. 9325); and now it is said to have “more sons than the sons of the married one,” because its truths are more numerous than the truths of the former devastated church, for “sons” denote truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 3373, 3704); “to enlarge the place of the tent” denotes the holiness of worship from the good of love (n. 3312, 4391, 4599); “to stretch out the curtains of the habitations” denotes the holiness of worship from the truths of faith.

[3] In Jeremiah:

The whole land hath been laid waste, suddenly have My tents been laid waste, My curtains in a moment (Jeremiah 4:20).

“The land that hath been laid waste” denotes the church (n. 9325); “tents laid waste” denotes the holiness of worship from the good of love; “curtains laid waste” denotes holy worship from the truths of faith.

[4] Again:

My tent hath been laid waste, and all My cords pulled out; My sons are gone forth from Me, and they are not; there is none to stretch out My tent any more, and to set up My curtains. For the shepherds are become foolish (Jeremiah 10:20-21); where the meaning is similar. Again:

Arise ye, and go up against Arabia, and lay waste the sons of the east; let them take their tents and their flocks, let them carry away for themselves their curtains, and all their vessels, and their camels (Jeremiah 49:28-29).

“Arabia and the sons of the east” denote those who are in the knowledges of good and truth (n. 3249); “taking the tents and flocks” denotes the interior goods of the church (n. 8937); “taking the curtains” denotes the interior truths of the church; “their vessels” denote the exterior truths of the church (n. 3068, 3079); “camels” denote general memory-knowledges (n. 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145).

In Habakkuk:

Under Aven I saw the tents of Cushan; the curtains of Midian did shake (Hab. 3:7).

“The curtains of Midian” denote truths with those who are in simple good (n. 3242, 4756, 4788, 6773, 6775).

[5] From all this it is evident what is meant in David:

O Jehovah Thou hast put on glory and honor; who covereth Himself with light as with a garment; He stretcheth out the heavens like a curtain (Psalms 104:1-2).

“To cover Himself with light as with a garment” denotes Divine truths. (That “light” denotes truth, see n. 9548; as also “a garment,” n. 4545, 4763, 5319, 5954, 9093, 9212, 9216); consequently “to stretch out the heavens like a curtain” denotes to enlarge the heavens by means of an influx of truth Divine, from which come intelligence and wisdom. That “to stretch out and expand the heavens” is predicated of the new, that is, the regenerate, understanding, may be seen at the end of the following article.

5114. And in the vine were three shoots. That this signifies the derivations thence even to the last, is evident from the signification of the “vine,” as being the intellectual part (of which just above, n. 5113); and from the signification of “three,” as being what is complete and continuous even to the end (n. 2788, 4495); and from the signification of “shoots,” as being derivations. For as the “vine” is the intellectual part, the “shoots” are nothing else than derivations thence; and as “three” signifies what is continuous even to the end, or from the first even to the last, by “three shoots” are signified the derivations from the intellectual part down to the last, which is the sensuous; for the first in order is the intellectual part, and the last is the sensuous. The intellectual part in general is the sight of the internal man, which sees from the light of heaven, which is from the Lord, and all that it sees is spiritual and celestial. But the sensuous in general is of the external man, here the sensuous of the sight, because this corresponds and is subordinate to the intellectual; this sensuous sees from the light of the world, which is from the sun, and all that it sees is worldly, bodily, and earthly.

[2] There are in man derivations from the intellectual part, which is in the light of heaven, down to the sensuous, which is in the light of the world; unless this were so, the sensuous could not have any human life. The sensuous of man has no life in consequence of seeing from the light of the world, for the light of the world has no life in it; but in consequence of seeing from the light of heaven, for this light has life in it. When this light falls with man into those things which are from the light of the world, it vivifies them and causes him to see objects intellectually, thus as a man; and from this, by knowledges born from things he has seen and heard in the world, thus from things that have entered through the senses, man has intelligence and wisdom, and from these has civil, moral, and spiritual life.

[3] As regards the derivations specially, in man they are of such a nature that they cannot be briefly set forth. They are steps or degrees as of a ladder between the intellectual part and the sensuous, but no one can apprehend these degrees unless he knows that they are most distinct from one another, so distinct that the interior can exist and subsist without the exterior, but not the exterior without the interior. For example: the spirit of man can subsist without the material body, and also actually does so subsist when by death it is separated from the body. The spirit of man is in an interior degree, and the body is in an exterior degree. It is similar with the spirit of man after death: if he is among the blessed, he is in the last degree among them when in the first heaven, in an interior degree when in the second, and in the inmost when in the third; and when he is in this, he is indeed at the same time in the rest, but these are quiescent in him, almost as the bodily part in man is quiescent in sleep, but with this difference, that with the angels the interiors are then in the highest wakefulness. Therefore there are as many distinct degrees in man as there are heavens, besides the last, which is the body with its sensuous things.

[4] From this it may in some measure appear how the case is with the derivations from first to last, or from the intellectual part down to the sensuous. The life of man, which is from the Lord’s Divine, passes through these degrees from the inmost down to the last or ultimate degree, and in each degree it is derived from what is prior, becoming more and more general, and in the ultimate degree most general. The derivations in the lower degrees are merely compositions, or rather combinations [conformationes], of the singulars and particulars of the higher degrees in succession, together with an addition from purer nature, and then from grosser nature, of such things as may serve for containing vessels; and if these vessels are decomposed, the singulars and particulars of the interior degrees, which had been combined therein, return to the degree next higher. And as with man there is a connection with the Divine, and his inmost is of such a nature that he can receive the Divine, and not only receive it, but also make it his own by acknowledgment and affection, thus by reciprocation, he therefore can never die, because he has thus been implanted in the Divine, and is therefore in what is eternal and infinite, not merely through the influx thence, but also through the reception of it.

[5] From this it may be seen how unlearnedly and inanely those think about man who compare him to the brute animals, and believe that he will not live after death any more than they-not considering that with the brute animals there is no reception, nor through acknowledgment and affection any reciprocal appropriation, of the Divine, and consequent conjunction with it; and not considering that in consequence of the state of animals being of this nature, the recipient forms of their life cannot but be dissipated; for with them the influx passes through their organic forms down into the world, and there terminates and vanishes, and never returns.