33. It follows from this that without its literal sense, the Word would be like a palace without a foundation, thus like a palace in the air and not on the ground, which would be no more than a shadow of it, one that would evaporate.

Again, without its literal sense the Word would be like a temple having in it many holy objects, with a sanctuary at its center, yet lacking a roof or walls to enclose it. Without these, or if these were to be removed, the temple’s holy objects might be stolen by thieves or desecrated by animals and birds, and so be dispersed.

[2] The Word would by the same token be like the Tabernacle, containing in its inmost part the Ark of the Covenant, and in its central part the golden lampstand, the golden altar with incense on it, and the table with showbread on it, which were its holy objects, and yet lacking its outermost constituents, which were its curtains and veil.

Indeed, without its literal sense the Word would be like the human body without its coverings we call skins, and without its supportive framework we call bones. Without these, all its inner organs would fall apart.

It would also be like the heart and lungs in the chest without their covering called the pleura and without their protective framework called ribs. Or like the brain without its covering called the dura mater, and without its case, containing vessel, and buttress called the skull.

The case would be the same with the Word without its literal sense, which is why we are told in Isaiah that Jehovah “creates over all the glory a covering” (Isaiah 4:5).