9492. 'And you shall make on it a rim of gold round about' means a border of good, serving to defend them from the approach of evils and the harm these can do. This is clear from the meaning of 'a rim' as a border, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'gold' as good, dealt with just above in 9490. The reason why to defend them from the approach of evils and the harm these can do is meant is that the good emanating from the Lord serves to protect those in heaven from being approached and harmed by evils that spring from hell. For unceasingly the hells are bent on doing ill and try to destroy heaven, 8295, which accounts for their looking like something that is boiling up and bubbling over, 8209. For firmly lodged in the minds of those who are in hell there is hatred of the neighbour and hatred of God; and because of this they are filled with rage when they become aware of the bliss of those who are upright, 1974. But the good emanating from the Lord which surrounds heaven as a whole, also every heavenly community and each individual inhabitant specifically, protects them and wards off attacks; and it does so unceasingly. Regarding 'the sphere of endeavours' emanating constantly from the hells to do ill and to destroy, and 'the sphere of endeavours' emanating constantly from the Lord to do good and to protect, see 8209. That border of good with which the Lord protects heaven is meant by the rim of gold round about the ark.

1975. As for dreams, it is well known that the Lord revealed the arcana of heaven to the prophets not only by means of visions but also by means of dreams, and that dreams were just as much representative and carried a spiritual meaning as visions, being almost all of the same type. It is also well known that things to come were disclosed by means of dreams to others besides the prophets, for example, by means of the dreams which Joseph had, by means of the dreams of those who were in prison with Joseph, by means of the dreams which Pharaoh, Nebuchadnezzar, and others had. From these considerations it becomes clear that dreams of that kind, just as much as visions, flow in from heaven, the difference being that dreams take place when the body is asleep but visions when it is not. The manner in which prophetical dreams and those such as are described in the Word flow in - indeed come down from heaven - has been shown to me visually. Of dreams let the following be related from experience.