9679. 'And you shall bring the ark of the Testimony in there, within the veil' means the coming-into-being of the inmost heaven within that uniting intermediary. This is clear from the meaning of 'the veil' as the intermediary uniting the two heavens, dealt with in 9670, 9671; and from the meaning of 'the ark of the Testimony' as the inmost heaven, dealt with in 9485; its coming-into-being is meant by 'bringing the ark in there'.

4673. 'Was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's womenfolk' means that he was cast away from them. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah' as exterior or lower affections for truth that serve as means, dealt with in 3849, 3931. Thus 'with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah' means that Divine Truth, represented by 'Joseph', was cast away among lower things which, compared with higher, are ones that serve. Divine Truth is said to be cast away among lower things when faith is placed before charity, that is, is made first in people's hearts, and charity is placed behind faith and made secondary in their hearts. For all Divine Truth exists from Divine Good and proceeds from it; and if the same is not so with man he is not 'in the Lord'. This Divine Truth is the holiness of the spirit which proceeds from the Lord and is called the Paraclete and the Spirit of truth in John 14:16-17.