585. And against His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. This symbolizes scandalous assertions against the Lord's celestial church and against heaven.

The Tabernacle has almost the same symbolic meaning as the Temple, namely, in the highest sense, the Lord's Divine humanity, and in a relative sense, heaven and the church (nos. 191, 529). But in the latter sense the Tabernacle symbolizes the celestial church, which is impelled by the goodness of love toward the Lord received from the Lord; and the Temple symbolizes the spiritual church, which is impelled by truths of wisdom received from the Lord. Those who dwell in heaven symbolize heaven.

The Tabernacle symbolizes the celestial church because the Most Ancient Church, being impelled by love toward the Lord, was a celestial church and held sacred worship in tents. And the Ancient Church was a spiritual church and held sacred worship in temples.

Tents used wood in their construction, while temples used stone, and wood symbolizes goodness, and stone truth.

[2] That the Tabernacle symbolizes the Lord's Divine humanity in respect to Divine love, and a heaven and a church that is impelled by love toward the Lord, can be seen from the following passages:

Jehovah, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy mountain? He who walks uprightly, and practices righteousness, and speaks the truth... (Psalms 15:1-2)

(Jehovah) shall hide me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall conceal me; He shall set me high... (Psalms 27:4-5)

I will abide in Your tabernacle forever. (Psalms 61:4)

Look upon Zion...; let your eyes behold Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that will not be dispelled... (Isaiah 33:20)

(Jehovah) who... spreads (the heavens) out like a tent to dwell in. (Isaiah 40:22)

...you have made Jehovah..., the Most High, your dwelling place..., no plague shall come near your tent. (Psalms 91:9-10)

(Jehovah) set (His) tabernacle among (them).... (He) will walk among (them).... (Leviticus 26:11-12)

(Jehovah) forsook the tent of Shiloh, the tabernacle in which He dwelled among men. (Psalms 78:60)

I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them...." (Revelation 21:3)

...My tabernacle has been laid waste... (Jeremiah 4:20; 10:20)

He shall... pluck you out of your tent, and uproot you from the land of the living. (Psalms 52:5)

And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 16:5; 54:2, Jeremiah 30:18, Lamentations 2:4, Hosea 9:6; 12:9, Zechariah 12:7.

[3] Since the Most Ancient Church, which was a celestial church, being impelled by love toward the Lord and being thus in conjunction with Him, held sacred worship in tents, therefore by the Lord's command Moses erected a tent or tabernacle, in which everything relating to heaven and the church was represented. And it was so holy that no one was permitted to enter except Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons; and if any of the people were to do so, they would die (Numbers 17:12-13; 18:1, 22-23; 19:14-19).

Inmostly in that tabernacle, containing the two tables of the Decalogue, was the Ark, on which was the mercy seat and over it the cherubim. And outside the veil was the table holding the showbread, the altar of incense, and the lampstand having seven lamps. All of these things were representative objects relating to heaven and the church. The tabernacle itself is described in Exodus 26:7-16; 36:8-37.

We also read that the design of the Tabernacle was shown to Moses upon Mount Sinai (Exodus 25:9; 26:30); and whatever he was given to see from heaven is a representation relating to heaven and the church.

In memory of the most ancient people's sacred worship of the Lord in tents, and of their conjunction with Him through love, Israel was commanded to observe the Feast of Tabernacles, as recorded in Leviticus 23:39-44, Deuteronomy 16:13-14.

In 1 Samuel 1:9, the tabernacle signifies the truth of faith with man. (Arcana Coelestia 2048)

A temple signifies the Lord's spiritual church; in a universal sense, the spiritual kingdom; in the highest sense, the Lord as to His Divine Truth. (Arcana Coelestia 3720)

In 1 Samuel 3:3, when the lamp had not been put out, and Samuel was sleeping in the tabernacle, this signifies that the extinction of truth in worship had not yet been fully accomplished. (Apocalypse Explained 403[18])

In Psalm 65:4, being satisfied with the goodness of the holy place of the temple signifies to be intelligent from divine truth, and to realize heavenly joy therefrom. (Apocalypse Explained 630[11])

In Revelation 21:22, that there is no temple in the New Jerusalem signifies that in that new church, the external worship will not be separate from internal. (Apocalypse Explained 918)

'The Tabernacle,' as in Revelation 13, signifies the church regarding doctrine and worship. 'The tabernacle' has almost the same meaning as 'temple,' that is, in the highest sense, the Lord's divine humanity, and in a relative sense, heaven and the church. But 'tabernacle' as heaven and the church signifies the celestial church, which is in the good of love from the Lord to the Lord, and 'temple,' the spiritual church, which is in the truths of wisdom from the Lord. 'The tabernacle' signifies the celestial kingdom, because the most ancient church, which was celestial, in a state of love to the Lord, performed divine worship in tabernacles. The ancient church, which was a spiritual church, performed divine worship in temples. Tabernacles were made of wood, and temples, stone. 'Wood' signifies good, and 'stone,' truth. Since the most ancient church, a celestial church, because of their love to the Lord, and resulting conjunction with Him, celebrated divine worship in tabernacles, so the Lord commanded Moses to build a tabernacle, which represented everything of heaven and the church. It was so holy, that it was not lawful for anyone to go into it, except Moses, Aaron, and his sons. If any of the people entered, they would die, as in Numbers 17:12-13, 18:1, 22, 23, and 19:14-19. The ark was in its center, which contained the two tables of the Decalogue, and was topped with the mercy seat and the cherubim. Outside of the veil, there were the table for the shew-bread, the altar of incense, and the candlestick with seven lamps. All of these things represented heaven and the church. The Tabernacle is described Exodus 26:7-16 and 36:8-37, and its design was shown to Moses on Mount Sinai, as in Exodus 25:9 and 26:30. Anything seen from heaven is representative of heaven, and so of the church. The feast of tabernacles was instituted in memory of the most holy worship of the Lord in tabernacles by the most ancient people, and of their conjunction with Him by love, as mentioned in Leviticus 23:39-44, Deuteronomy 16:13-14 and Zechariah 14:16-19.

(Odkazy: Apocalypse Revealed 585; Numbers 18:22-23, 19:14-19; Zechariah 14)