669. 15:5 After these things I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened. This symbolically means that the inmost of heaven appeared, where the Lord is present in His holiness in the Word and in the Law contained in the Ten Commandments.

In the highest sense, the temple symbolizes the Lord in respect to His Divine humanity, and consequently heaven and the church (nos. 191, 529), here the Christian heaven. The tabernacle of the testimony symbolizes the inmost of that heaven, where the Lord resides in His holiness in the Word and in the Law contained in the Ten Commandments, since the Tabernacle likewise symbolizes heaven (no. 585); and the inmost of the Tabernacle was where the Ark was placed, containing the two tablets on which were written by the finger of God the ten precepts that constitute the ten commandments of the Decalogue, which are meant by the testimony here and are also called the Testimony. And it is apparent from this that John's saying, "I looked, and behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened," means symbolically that the inmost of heaven appeared, where the Lord is present in His holiness in the Law contained in the Ten Commandments.

The tabernacle of the testimony symbolizes also where the Word exists because the term "testimony" is used not only of the Law contained in the Ten Commandments, but of the whole Word as well, and of the Lord as the embodiment of the Word, because the Word testifies concerning Him (nos. 490, 555).

[2] That the Word exists in heaven, in a repository in the inmost of heaven called a sanctuary, and that the light there is blazing and brilliant, surpassing in intensity any light in heaven outside that sanctuary, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture, nos. 70-75. And with respect to the sanctuary, no. 73 there.

Regarding the holiness of the Law contained in the Ten Commandments, see The Doctrine of Life for the New Jerusalem in Accordance With the Commandments of the Decalogue, nos. 53-61.

To be shown that the Ark containing the two tablets of the Decalogue constituted the sanctuary or inmost of the Temple in Jerusalem, and so the tabernacle there, see 1 Kings 6:19-28; 8:3-9.

That the Law contained in the Ten Commandments was called the Testimony is clear from the following passages:

Moses... went down..., and the two tablets of the Testimony were in his hand... The tablets were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, engraved on the tablets. (Exodus 32:15-16)

...two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God. (Exodus 31:18)

(Jehovah said,) "You shall put into the ark the Testimony which I will give you." (Exodus 25:16, 21-22)

Then (Moses) took the Testimony and put it into the ark... (Exodus 40:20)

...that the cloud of incense may cover the mercy seat that is on the Testimony... (Leviticus 16:13)

(Jehovah said to Moses,) "You shall place (the rods)...before the Testimony... And... Aaron's rod before the Testimony...." (Numbers 17:4, 10)

And Moses left the rods before Jehovah... (Numbers 17:7)

The Ark is called the Ark of testimony in Exodus 31:7, and the Tabernacle is called the Tabernacle of the Testimony in Exodus 38:21.

173. "'These things says He who is holy, who is true.'" This symbolically means the Lord in relation to Divine truth.

Clearly it means the Lord. He who is holy, who is true, is the Lord in relation to Divine truth, because the Lord is called holy owing to His Divine truth, and called just or righteous owing to His Divine goodness. It is in consequence of this that His emanating Divinity - which is Divine truth - is called the Holy Spirit; and here the Holy Spirit is He who is holy, who is true.

[2] Holiness is often mentioned in the Word, and it is everywhere predicated of truth; and because all truth that is true in itself originates from goodness and from the Lord, it is that truth that is called holy. In contrast, the goodness from which truth originates is called just or righteous. It is owing to this that angels governed by truths of wisdom, called spiritual angels, are termed holy, while angels governed by the goodness of love, called celestial angels, are termed just or righteous. The same is the case with people in the church.

It is because of this also that prophets and apostles are called saints, or holy, for prophets and apostles symbolize the church's doctrinal truths.

It is because of this, too, that the Word is called holy, for the Word is Divine truth. That is why the Law in the ark in the Tabernacle was called the most holy place and also the sanctuary.

That, too, is why Jerusalem is called holy, for Jerusalem symbolizes a church which possesses Divine truths.

For the same reason the altar, the Tabernacle, and the garments of Aaron and his sons were called holy after they were anointed with oil; for oil symbolizes the goodness of love, and this sanctifies or makes a thing holy, and everything made holy relates to truth.

[3] From the following passages it is apparent that the Lord alone is holy, because He is Divine truth itself:

Who shall not... O Lord..., glorify Your name? For You alone are holy. (Revelation 15:4)

...your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole earth shall He be called. (Isaiah 54:5)

Thus said Jehovah, the Redeemer of Israel, his Holy One... (Isaiah 49:7)

As for our Redeemer, Jehovah of Hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel. (Isaiah 47:4)

Thus said Jehovah, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel... (Isaiah 43:14)

...in that day... they will depend on Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel, in truth. (Isaiah 10:20)

And also elsewhere, as Isaiah 1:4; 5:19; 12:6; 17:7; 29:19; 30:11-12; 41:16; 45:11, 15; 48:17; 55:5; 60:9, Jeremiah 50:29, Daniel 4:13, 23, Psalms 78:41.

Since the Lord is holiness itself, therefore the angel said to Mary,

...the holy thing that will be born of you shall be called the Son of God. (Luke 1:35)

And regarding Himself the Lord said,

(Father,) sanctify them with the truth. Your word is truth... ...for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified with truth. (John 17:17, 19)

[4] It is apparent from this that the truth that comes from the Lord is holiness itself, because He alone is holy - concerning which the Lord says the following:

When... the Spirit of Truth has come, He will guide you into all truth. ...He will not speak on His own... ...He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. (John 16:13-15)

The Counselor, the Holy Spirit..., He will teach you all things... (John 14:26)

To be shown that the Holy Spirit is the life in the Lord's wisdom, thus Divine truth, see The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Lord 51.

It can be seen from this that He who is holy, who is true, is the Lord in relation to Divine truth.

That holiness is predicated of truth, and justice or righteousness of goodness, is apparent from passages in the Word where the two are mentioned, as in the following:

He who is just, let him be just still; he who is holy, let him be holy still. (Revelation 22:11)

Just and true are Your ways, O King of saints! (Revelation 15:3)

...to serve Him, in holiness and righteousness. (Luke 1:75)

...Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just and holy man... (Mark 6:20)

...the fine linen is the righteous acts of the saints. (Revelation 19:8)