699. Verse 19. And the temple of God was opened in heaven, signifies the appearing of the new heaven and the New Church, where there is worship of the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "temple" as being heaven and the church, here the new heaven and the New Church; the appearing of these is signified by "the temple was opened." (That "temple" signifies in the highest sense the Lord in relation to His Divine Human and Divine truth proceeding from Him, and in a relative sense heaven and the church, may be seen above, n. 220, 391, 630.)

The "temple" signifies here the new heaven and the New Church where there is worship of the Lord, because this chapter treats of the changes of state that precede the Last Judgment, namely, the separation of the evil from the good, and their removal from the places where they had been previously. When this is done, the new heaven and the New Church appear to those who are in the higher heavens. These could not appear so long as the good were conjoined with the evil, because their interiors were closed that they might not be harmed by the evil with whom they had communication in respect to externals. But when the evil had been separated and removed, then the interiors with the good, which were in themselves heavenly, were opened, and when these had been opened, heaven and the church lay open; for so far as the interiors which are heavenly and celestial are opened, what heaven is in relation to the church with those who have heaven and the church in them, becomes manifest.

[2] From self-intelligence no one can know that these things are so, for they are arcana of heaven, that must be learned from revelation. For who can know how the Last Judgment was accomplished, or what changes in the spiritual world preceded it and what followed it? But that these things might be known they have been manifested to me, wherefore it is permitted me to describe them here from revelation. It is said, the new heaven and the New Church, where there is worship of the Lord, because in the new heaven and the New Church the Lord alone is worshipped; for there the Divine is not distinguished into three persons, but into a Trine in one person. (Respecting this Trinity see what has been said in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n.280-310). This also is what is meant in Revelation where the New Jerusalem is treated of:

I saw heaven ¹ and no temple therein, for the Lord God the Almighty, and the Lamb, are the temple thereof (Revelation 21:22).

"The Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb" mean the Lord in relation to the Divine Itself and the Divine Human. It is here said that no temple was seen, because "temple" signifies in the highest sense, the Lord in relation to Divine truth and worship (See above n. 220, 391, 630), also because "the New Jerusalem" means the church in respect to doctrine, or the doctrine of the New Jerusalem. Nevertheless there are temples in heaven, in which the Lord is preached and Divine truth is taught.

Poznámky pod čarou:

9485. 'And they are to make an ark' means the inmost heaven. This is clear from the meaning of 'an ark' as the inmost heaven; for 'the Testimony' or 'the Law' in the ark means the Lord, the reason for this being that 'the Testimony' is Divine Truth, and Divine Truth is the Lord in heaven, see below in 9503. So this then is why 'an ark' means the inmost heaven. The ark was therefore a most holy object, and it was worshipped by the people as Jehovah since Jehovah was thought to dwell there, between the cherubs, as is clear in David,

We heard [of Him] in Ephrathah. We will enter His dwelling-place, we will bow down at His footstool. Arise, O Jehovah, to Your resting-place, You and the ark of Your strength. Psalms 132:6-8.

This refers to the Lord, Ephrathah being Bethlehem, where the Lord was born, Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:6. 'Dwelling-place' means heaven where the Lord is; and 'You and the ark of Your strength' means the Lord and a representative of Him.

[2] The fact that the ark is a representative of the Lord is evident in Jeremiah,

I will bring you back to Zion. In those days they will say no more The ark of the covenant; neither will it come to mind, ¹ nor will they make mention of it, nor will they desire it, nor will it be restored any more. At that time they will call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah, and all the nations will be gathered to it, because of Jehovah's name, to Jerusalem. Jeremiah 3:14, 16-17.

This refers to a new Church. The representative of the former Church, which representative is to be done away with at that time, is meant by 'the ark', which will not be spoken of any more, come to mind, or be restored - 'Jerusalem', to which the nations will be gathered, being that new Church. From this it evident that 'the ark' means a representative of the Lord and the worship of Him in the Church, in the same way as 'the continual [sacrifice]' and 'the dwelling-place of [His] sanctuary' do in Daniel 8:11.

[3] The fact that the ark was worshipped as Jehovah by the Israelite and Jewish people and the fact that He was thought to dwell there, between the cherubs, is evident in the second Book of Samuel,

David caused the ark of God to go up, [the ark] on which His name is invoked - the name of Jehovah Zebaoth, who sits above it on the cherubs. 2 Samuel 6:2.

And in Moses,

Whenever the ark travelled Moses said, Arise, O Jehovah, let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before Your face. Whenever it came to rest he said, Return, O Jehovah, to the myriads of the thousands of Israel. Numbers 10:33-36.

The reason why the inmost heaven was meant by 'the ark' was that all the tabernacle or tent represented the whole angelic heaven, the lowest part of it being represented by the court, the middle part of it by the dwelling-place where the priest ministered, and the inmost by the dwelling-place inside the veil where the ark containing the Testimony was.

Poznámky pod čarou: