9896. 'And they shall tie the breastplate from its rings to the rings of the ephod' means the joining to and preservation of everything in heaven by means of the sphere of Divine Good in the outermost parts of the spiritual kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'tying' as joining to and preserving, dealt with in the places above where the tying of the breastplate to the ephod has been the subject; from the meaning of 'the breastplate' as a representative sign of all things of heaven, dealt with in 9879, 9887; from the meaning of 'the rings' as a sphere of Divine Good by which the joining together is accomplished, dealt with in 9498, 9501, 9882; and from the meaning of 'the ephod' as Divine Truth in the spiritual kingdom in an outward form, in which inner things terminate, dealt with in 9824, thus the whole outermost part of that kingdom.

9887. 'And put them onto the shoulders of the ephod' means the support given thereby to heaven, and the preservation of the good and truth there by all exertion and power. This is clear from the meaning of 'putting onto the shoulders of the ephod' as the support given to good and truth in the heavens, and the preservation of them. Regarding that support, see immediately above in 9886; and regarding that preservation by all exertion and power, 9836. The reason why the support given to heaven by means of the Divine emanating from the Lord and also the preservation of the good and truth there are meant is that 'the breastplate', which was tied to the shoulder-pieces of the ephod by means of the slender ropes, and thereby supported, means the Divine Truth emanating from the Lord's Divine Good, 9823, and so means all the forms of good and the truths in their entirety which make heaven, 9879.