10005. 'The robe of the ephod' means the middle part of that kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'the robe' as the Divine Spiritual emanating indirectly from the Divine Celestial, thus the middle of the spiritual kingdom, dealt with in 9825. The reason why it is called 'the robe of the ephod' is that the robe went with the ephod; it was also kept distinct from the tunic by means of a girdle. For there were two girdles; the first was an overall one for the ephod and robe together, the second was for the tunic alone. This second girdle served to mean that the things of the spiritual kingdom which were represented by the tunic were distinct and separate from those represented by the robe and ephod together. 'A girdle (or belt)' means a common bond which holds more internal things in connection, 9828, and also serves to separate one thing from another, 9944.

[2] The implications of all this are that there are three realities which follow one another in consecutive order. In heaven those three are called celestial, spiritual, and the natural springing from these. That which is celestial is the good of love to the Lord, that which is spiritual is the good of charity towards the neighbour, and that which is natural and springs from them is the good of faith. What is celestial, or the good of love to the Lord, constitutes the inmost or third heaven; what is spiritual, or the good of charity towards the neighbour, constitutes the middle or second heaven; and what is natural springing from these, or the good of faith, constitutes the lowest or first heaven. Since Aaron's garments represented the Lord's spiritual kingdom, 9814, it is evident from things which have been mentioned what the tunic represented, what the robe represented, and what the ephod represented. That is to say, the tunic represented the intermediary that unites the spiritual kingdom to the celestial kingdom, and therefore also it was kept distinct by means of a girdle from the robe and ephod, which represented the spiritual kingdom, internal and external. Regarding the tunic, see 9826, 9942; regarding the robe, 9825; and regarding the ephod, 9824.

[3] Some idea of this matter may also be gained from what has been shown previously regarding the tent of meeting, which represented heaven in which the Lord was present. The inmost part of it, where the ark of the Testimony was, represented the inmost or third heaven; the dwelling-place, which was outside the veil, represented the middle or second heaven; and the court represented the first or lowest heaven. And they in like manner were celestial, spiritual, and the natural springing from these. But the intermediary uniting the inmost and middle heavens was represented by the veil between the holy place and the holy of holies, in the same way as it was by the tunic on Aaron. Regarding the inmost part of the tent where the ark was, see 9485; regarding the dwelling-place which was outside the veil, 9594, 9632; regarding the court, 9741; and regarding the veil, the intermediary uniting the inmost and middle heavens, 9670, 9671.

[4] An even better idea of these things may be acquired from the correspondence of the human being with the heavens; for all the parts of the human being have a correspondence with everything that exists in the heavens, see what has been shown previously at the ends of a number of chapters. The human head corresponds to the inmost or third heaven, where there is celestial good; the breast down to the loins corresponds to the middle or second heaven, where there is spiritual good; and the feet correspond to the lowest or first heaven, where there is natural good. The neck however, by virtue of correspondence, is the intermediary uniting the inmost and middle heavens, 9913, 9914, in the same way as the veil in the tent was. For all representatives on the natural level resemble the human form and have the same meaning as the parts of it which they resemble, 9496. From all this it now becomes clear why the tunic was kept distinct from the robe and ephod by means of a girdle, and also why the robe is called 'the robe of the ephod'.

9670. 'And you shall make a veil' means the intermediary uniting this heaven and the inmost heaven, thus spiritual good to celestial good. This is clear from the meaning of 'a veil' - which served to divide the dwelling-place where the ark of the Testimony was from the part where the lampstand was and the table on which the loaves of the Presence were laid was - as the intermediary uniting the middle heaven to the inmost heaven. For the ark containing the Testimony represented the inmost heaven, where the Lord was, 9457, 9481, 9485, and the dwelling-place outside the veil represented the middle heaven, 9594. And since the good of love to the Lord composes the inmost heaven and the good of charity towards the neighbour composes the middle heaven, 'the veil' also means the intermediary uniting spiritual good to celestial good, spiritual good being the good of charity towards the neighbour, and celestial good being the good of love to the Lord. For more about those heavens, about their distinctions in accordance with those kinds of good, see the places referred to in 9277. From all this it is now evident what the veil was a sign of in both the tabernacle and the temple.

[2] These two heavens, the inmost and the middle, are so distinct and separate that there can be no entering from one into the other. Yet they constitute one heaven through intermediate angelic communities, whose disposition is such that they are able to be next door to the good of both heavens. These communities are the ones which constitute the uniting intermediary that was represented by the veil. I have also been allowed to speak on several occasions to angels from those communities. What the angels of the inmost heaven are like, and what the angels of the middle heaven in comparison are like can be demonstrated from correspondence. The angels of the inmost heaven correspond to those powers with a person which belong to the provinces of the heart and the cerebellum, whereas the angels of the middle heaven correspond to those powers with a person which belong to the provinces of the lungs and the cerebrum. The powers belonging to the heart and cerebellum are called involuntary and spontaneous, because that is what they are seen as being; but those belonging to the lungs and cerebrum are called voluntary. This to some extent demonstrates how superior the perfection of the one heaven is to that of the other, and how they differ from each other. But as for the intermediate angels next door to both heavens and linking them together, it is the networks extending from the heart and lungs, which serve to interconnect the heart and lungs, that correspond to them, and also the medulla oblongata, where the fibres of the cerebellum are joined to the fibres of the cerebrum.

[3] Angels who belong to the Lord's celestial kingdom, that is, who are in the inmost heaven, constitute the province of the heart in the Grand Man, while angels who belong to the Lord's spiritual kingdom, that is, who are in the middle heaven, constitute the province of the lungs there, see 3635, 3886-3890. This is the origin of the correspondence of the human heart and lungs, 3883-3896, and the correspondence of the cerebrum and cerebellum is much the same. What celestial angels or those who are in the inmost heaven are like, and what spiritual angels or those who are in the middle heaven are like, and what the difference is, see 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, 7474, 7977, 7992, 8042, 8152, 8234, 8521. From this it may be evident what the intermediate angels who constitute the uniting intermediary, which was represented by the veil, are like.

[4] The tearing of the veil of the temple into two parts when the Lord endured the Cross, Matthew 27:51; Mark 15:38; Luke 23:45, was a sign of the glorification of the Lord. For when the Lord was in the world He made the Human He had assumed Divine Truth; but when He left the world He made this Human Divine Good, from which Divine Truth has since emanated, see the places referred to at the ends of 9199, 9315, Divine Good being meant by 'the holy of holies'.

[5] The glorification of the Lord's Human all the way to Divine Good which is Jehovah is also described, in the internal sense, by the process of expiation when Aaron went into the holy of holies within the veil, which is the subject in the whole of Leviticus 16. In the relative sense the same process describes human regeneration all the way to celestial good, which is the good of the inmost heaven. The process was as follows: Aaron was required to take a young bull for a [sin] sacrifice, and a ram for a burnt offering for himself and his household. He also had to put on the holy garments, which were a linen tunic, linen stockings, ¹ a linen girdle, and a linen turban; and he had to bathe his flesh in water. He was then required to take two he-goats on which he cast lots, the first of which was to be offered to Jehovah and the second sent away into the wilderness, this being done on behalf of the assembly of the children of Israel. When he sacrificed the young bull he was required to take incense inside the veil and to sprinkle some of the blood of the young bull and of the he-goat seven times over the east side of the mercy-seat, and also to put blood onto the horns of the altar. After all this he was required to confess the sins of the children of Israel, which he placed on the he-goat that was to be sent away into the wilderness. Finally he had to take off the linen garments and put on his own, and to present a burnt offering for himself and for the people; and parts of the sacrifice that had not been burnt on the altar had to be taken away outside the camp and burned. This was what had to be done once a year, when Aaron went into the holy of holies within the veil. The priestly function which Aaron discharged represented the Lord in respect of Divine Good, just as the regal function, which in later times was performed by the kings, represented the Lord in respect of Divine Truth, 6148. The process of glorification of the Lord's Human all the way to Divine Good is described in the internal sense of that chapter in Leviticus. This process was revealed to angels whenever Aaron carried out those observances and went inside the veil; and it is also revealed to angels here and now when that chapter in the Word is read.

[6] A young bull for a sin sacrifice ² and a ram for a burnt offering mean the purification of good from evils in the external man and in the internal man. The linen tunic, linen stockings, linen girdle, and linen turban which Aaron had to put on whenever he went in, and the bathing of his flesh, mean that this purification was accomplished by means of truths springing from good. Two he-goats of the she-goats for a sin sacrifice ² and a ram for a burnt offering, and the he-goat which was offered and the other which was sent away, mean the purification of truth from falsities in the external man. The incense which he was required to take inside the veil means adaptation. The blood of the young bull and the blood of the he-goat which had to be sprinkled seven times over the east side of the mercy-seat and after this over the horns of the altar mean Divine Truth that emanates from Divine Good. The confession of sins over the living he-goat which was to be sent away into the wilderness means the casting away of evil after its total separation from good. Taking off the linen garments and putting on his own when he was about to present burnt offerings, also the taking away of the flesh, skin, and dung of sacrifices outside the camp, and the burning of them, mean putting on celestial good, in the case of one who has been regenerated, and in the Lord's case the glorification of His Human all the way to Divine Good. This stage was reached after He had cast aside everything belonging to the human from His mother, so completely that He was no longer her son, see the places referred to at the end of 9315. These are the realities that are meant by that process of purification when Aaron went into the holy of holies within the veil; for after he had carried out those observances Aaron represented the Lord in respect of Divine Good. From all this it becomes clear that the veil between the holy place and the holy of holies also means the intermediary uniting Divine Truth and Divine Good within the Lord.

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