8328. 'The place for You to dwell in' means where the Lord is. This is clear from the meaning of 'the place' as a state, dealt with just above in 8325, at this point a state of good originating in the Divine since it is used to mean heaven; and from the meaning of 'Jehovah's dwelling-place' or 'for You to dwell in' as where the Lord is. For 'dwelling in' has reference to good, see 2712, 3613; 'Jehovah's dwelling-place' means good and consequently heaven, 8269, 8309; and 'Jehovah' in the Word means the Lord, see above in 8261. The Lord refers many times to 'the Father who is in the heavens', and when He does so the Divine within heaven is meant, and so the good from which heaven exists. Considered by Himself the Divine is above the heavens; but the Divine within the heavens is the Good present within the Truth that emanates from the Divine. This is what 'Father in the heavens' is used to mean, in Matthew,

... so that you may be sons of the Father who is in the heavens.... so that you may be perfect, as your Father who is in the heavens is perfect. Matthew 5:44, 48; 6:1.

Our Father who is in the heavens, may Your name be kept holy. Matthew 6:9. ... he who does the will of the Father who is in the heavens. Matthew 7:21.

And in addition, Matthew 10:32-33; 16:17; 18:10, 14, 19.

[2] The Divine within the heavens is Good within Divine Truth which emanates from the Lord; but the Divine above the heavens is Divine Good itself. 'The place for You to dwell in' means heaven where Divine Truth emanating from the Lord resides; for this Truth composes heaven and is meant by 'Father in the heavens', and it exists there as the good which constitutes the life of those who are in heaven. Light may be shed on this, on how Divine Truth which emanates from the Lord becomes good in heaven, by comparison with the sun and the light radiating from it. Inwardly the sun is fire, but the radiation from the sun is light. This light holds within itself heat which causes gardens to grow and become paradise-like. The actual fire of the sun does not pass over to the planet, for it would scorch and burn everything up; rather, light in which heat is present flows from the fire of the sun. In the spiritual sense that light is Divine Truth, its heat is the good within Truth springing from Divine Good, and the paradise it produces is heaven.

2712. 'He dwelt in the wilderness of Paran' means the life of the spiritual man as regards good. This is clear from the meaning of 'dwelling' as being used in reference to good residing in truth, which is spiritual good, that is, good present with the spiritual man. The essential nature of that good is described by his dwelling in the wilderness of Paran, dealt with immediately below. That 'dwelling' is used in reference to good residing in truth, or to the affection for truth, is clear from many places in the Word where it is said of cities, which mean truths, that they will be without any inhabitant, by whom good is meant, 2268, 2449, 2451; for truths are inhabited by good, and truths devoid of good are like a city that has no one dwelling in it, as in Zephaniah,

I have laid their streets waste, so that none passes through; their cities are desolate, so that there is no one dwelling in them. Zephaniah 3:6.

[2] In Jeremiah,

Jehovah was leading us through the wilderness. No man passed through in that [land], and no one dwelt there. They have turned his land into a solitary place, his cities have been burned, so that none is dwelling there. Jeremiah 2:6, 15.

In the same prophet,

Every city has been forsaken, with no one dwelling in them. Jeremiah 4:29.

In the same prophet,

In the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate there is no human being, no inhabitant, no beast. Jeremiah 33:10.

'Streets' stands for truths, 2336, 'no human being' for no celestial good, 'no inhabitant' for no spiritual good, 'no beast' for no natural good. In the same prophet,

The cities of Moab will become a desolation, with no one dwelling in them. Jeremiah 48:9.

[3] With each particular expression in the Prophets there exists the marriage of truth and good. Consequently when 'a city' is said to be desolate, the phrase 'no one dwelling in it' is also added, the reason being that 'a city' means truths and 'one dwelling in it' good. Otherwise it would be superfluous to say 'no one dwelling in it' when it has been stated that the city is desolate. In a similar way certain terms occur consistently to mean things that belong to celestial good, others that belong to spiritual good, and others also that belong to truths, as in Isaiah,

Your seed will possess the nations, and they will dwell in the desolate cities. Isaiah 54:3

Here 'possessing' has reference to celestial good, 'dwelling in' to spiritual good. In the same prophet,

My chosen ones will possess it, and My servants will dwell there. Isaiah 65:9.

Here the meaning is similar.

[4] In David,

God will save Zion and will build the cities of Judah; and they will dwell there and possess it, and the seed of His servants will inherit it, and those loving His name will dwell in it. Psalms 69:35-36.

'Dwelling there' and at the same time 'possessing' has reference to celestial good, 'dwelling in' to spiritual good. In Isaiah,

He who says to Jerusalem, You will be dwelt in; and to the cities of Judah, You will be built. Isaiah 44:26.

Here 'dwelling in' has reference to the good of the spiritual Church, which is Jerusalem. To such an extent do the terms used in the Word have reference to their own goods and their own truths that simply from a knowledge of that usage of terms one may recognize what the subject is in general that is being dealt with.