10179. 'A cubit shall be its length, and a cubit its breadth' means consisting equally of good and of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'length' as good, and of 'breadth' as truth, dealt with in 1613, 3433, 3434, 4482, 9487. Consisting of the two equally is meant by the fact that the length was a cubit and the breadth a cubit, thus by the fact that they were of equal measure; for in the Word measures are used to specify the amount and essential nature of a reality, and numbers are used in the specification. The reality specified by the measure here - a cubit - is good and truth, the former being meant by 'length' and the latter by 'breadth'. The reason why good is meant by 'length' is that the length is measured from east to west, and good from one boundary to the other is meant by 'east and west', whereas the breadth is measured from south to north, and truth from one boundary to the other is meant by 'south and north'. The same holds true in heaven. There the Lord is the Sun and also the East, the point from which every position there is determined. Those who live before the face of the sun enjoy a perception of good in the measure that they are near or far from it. Those with a clear perception of good are in the east, 3708, 9668, while those with a dim perception of good are in the west, 3708, 9653. Those however who see things in the clear light of truth are in the south, 9642, whereas those who see them in the dim light of truth are in the north, 3708. So it is that such things are meant in the Word by those four quarters, and that good is meant by 'length', and truth by 'breadth'.

9653. 'And for the two legs of the dwelling-place towards the sea' means a joining to heaven where good dwells in obscurity. This is clear from the meaning of 'two' as a joining together, as above in 9645; from the meaning of 'the legs' as the borders where good dwindles into obscurity, dealt with in 7859; from the meaning of 'the dwelling-place' as heaven, dealt with in 9594; and from the meaning of the west or 'the sea' as a state of good in obscurity, dealt with in 3708, 8615. This state is meant by 'the west' because the Lord in respect of the good of love is meant by 'the sun', 3636, 3643, 4060, 4321 (end), 7078, 7083, 7171, 8644, 8812. Therefore 'the east' where the sun rises means the good of love from the Lord where the perception of it is clear, and 'the west' where the sun goes down means good from Him where the perception of it is obscure. And since a person's and an angel's perception is clear when they have been raised towards more internal parts or into the light of heaven, and their perception is obscure when they remain in more external parts, 9648, thus when they remain in the light of the world, the west is also called the sea. For 'the sea' means factual knowledge in general, 28, 2850, and factual knowledge resides in the external or natural man, where good lies in obscurity. All factual knowledge, since it belongs to the natural man, dwells in the light of the world.