10270. 'And the table and all its vessels' means within spiritual good springing from celestial, which belongs to the second heaven, and within the forms of good and the truths which are of service to that spiritual good. This is clear from the meaning of the tent of meeting outside the veil, where that table stood, as the second heaven, dealt with in 9457, 9481, 9485; from the meaning of 'the table', on which the loaves of the Presence were laid, as spiritual good springing from celestial, for celestial good is meant by 'the loaves', 9545, and spiritual good by 'the table' on which they were laid, 9684, 9685; and from the meaning of 'its vessels' as cognitions or knowledge of celestial good and truth, dealt with in 9544, and so the forms of good and the truths of service to that spiritual good since cognitions act as servants. The reason why spiritual good springing from celestial is what 'the table', on which the loaves of the Presence were laid, means is that the tent of meeting outside the veil represented the second heaven, in which the good of charity towards the neighbour reigns. This good is called spiritual good, and is good in the measure that it has celestial good, which is the good of love to the Lord, within it. For there are three kinds of good that compose the three heavens. There is the good of love to the Lord, called celestial good, composing the inmost heaven; there is the good of charity towards the neighbour, called spiritual good, composing the second heaven; and there is the good of faith, called spiritual-natural good, composing the lowest heaven. Into the celestial good belonging to the inmost heaven the Lord flows from His Divine Human directly; into the spiritual good belonging to the second heaven the Lord flows from His Divine Human, and indirectly as well through the celestial good; and into the spiritual-natural good belonging to the lowest heaven the Lord flows from His Divine Human, and again indirectly as well. The expression indirectly as well is used because the Lord flows not only indirectly but also directly into these heavens' kinds of good, as may be recognized from what has been shown regarding Divine influx, direct and indirect, in the places referred to in 9682.

9682. 'And you shall put the mercy-seat onto the ark of the Testimony in the holy of holies' means the hearing and reception of all things which in the inmost heaven belong to worship arising from the good of love from the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'the mercy-seat' as the hearing and reception of all things that belong to worship arising from the good of love, dealt with in 9506; from the meaning of 'the ark of the Testimony' as the inmost heaven where the Lord is, dealt with in 9485, 'the Testimony' there being the Lord, 9503; and from the meaning of 'the holy of holies' as the place where the good of love from the Lord dwells, dealt with above in 9680. From all these meanings it is evident that 'you shall put the mercy-seat onto the ark of the Testimony in the holy of holies' means the hearing and reception of all things which in the inmost heaven belong to worship arising from the good of love from the Lord.

[2] The nature of the Lord's presence in the inmost heaven, and the nature of His presence in the middle heaven, and also in the lowest, may be recognized from what has been shown in many places regarding the inflow of goodness and truth from the Lord. The Lord becomes present by flowing in, but this inflow is conditioned by what people's life of goodness and truth is like. Those governed by the good of love to the Lord are the ones to receive that inflow the most immediately. Those however who are governed by the good of charity towards the neighbour receive it as well, yet more remotely, because the good of charity towards the neighbour is more remote than the actual good of love to the Lord. As for those who are governed by the good of faith, they too indeed receive it, but according to the amount of good there is within that faith. Consequently people who lead a good life based on the truths of faith receive it; for the Lord resides within their good, since all good springs from Him and none whatever from man, nor from the angels in heaven.

[3] To pursue this matter further, that the Lord is present in heaven and with mankind through heaven, it should be remembered that the Lord is above the heavens, since He is the actual Sun of heaven; yet He is nevertheless present in heaven through the light and heat from that Sun. The light from it is the Divine Truth which is the light of faith, while the heat from it is the Divine Good which is the heat of love; what emanates from the Lord is the Lord Himself. From these considerations it is evident that the Lord is present where good received from Him dwells. But a better understanding of all this may be gained from what has been shown regarding influx, that is to say, where it has been shown that the all of life, thus all good and truth since these constitute life in a person, flows in from the Lord, and that the things which flow in are conditioned by the manner in which each person receives them, 2536, 2706, 2886-2889, 2893, 3001, 3318, 3484, 3742, 3743, 4151, 5846, 5850, 5986, 6053-6058, 6189-6215, 6307-6327, 6466-6495, 6598-6626, 6982, 6985, 6996, 7004, 7055, 7056, 7058, 7147, 7270, 7343, 8321, 8685, 8701, 8717, 8728, 9110, 9111, 9216, and where it has been shown that influx from the Lord comes both directly from Him and also indirectly through the heavens, 5147, 6058, 6063, 6466, 6472, 6473, 6982, 6985, 6996, 7004, 7007, 7055, 7056, 7058, 7270, 8685, 8701, 8717, 8728, 9216.