10001. 'You shall bring to the door of the tent of meeting' means the joining together of the two, in heaven. This is clear from the meaning of 'bringing' as presence and togetherness, as above in 9997, at this point the joining together of Divine Good and Divine Truth from the Lord, in heaven; from the meaning of 'the door' as introduction, dealt with in 8989; and from the representation of 'the tent of meeting' as heaven, dealt with in 9457, 9481, 9485, 9963. The reason why the young bull and the rams, the unleavened bread, cakes, and wafers in the basket, and Aaron together with his sons were presented at the door of the tent of meeting, and why the latter were then clothed with the garments and anointed there, and the former were offered on the altar there, was that the place where the door of the tent of meeting was, represented the marriage of Divine Good to Divine Truth. For the altar, which also was positioned before the door of the tent, represented the Lord in respect of Divine Good, while the tent of meeting represented the Lord in respect of Divine Truth. Consequently the place before the door of the tent represented the joining together of goodness and truth, a joining together that is called the heavenly marriage. Regarding the altar of burnt offering, that it represented the Lord in respect of Divine Good, see 9964; and regarding the tent of meeting, that it represented the Lord in respect of Divine Truth, 9963. The fact that the altar was positioned there is clear in Moses,

And Moses placed the altar of burnt offering at the door of the tent. Exodus 40:29.

As for the joining together of goodness and truth, that this is the heavenly marriage, and that in that marriage heaven consists, see 2173, 2508, 2618, 2803, 3004 and following paragraphs, 3132, 952, 4434, 6179. From all this it is now evident that bringing Aaron and his sons to the door of the tent of meeting means the joining together of the two, that is to say, of Divine Good and Divine Truth from the Lord, in heaven.

4433. 'And he took her, and lay with her, and ravished her' means that there was no other way in which it could be joined to the affection for truth meant by the sons of Jacob, her brothers. This is clear from the meaning of 'taking her, lying with her, and ravishing her' as being joined together, though not in the rightful way, which is through betrothal. But the meaning these words carry, that there was no other way in which they could be joined together, cannot be seen by anyone unless he knows the fuller implications of them. Interior truth received from the Ancients, which is meant by 'Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite', is the truth which among the Ancients had served the internal dimension of the Church, and so had been the internal dimension of their statutes, judgements, and laws, in short of their religious observances and the like. Those truths were their matters of doctrine on which they based their lives, which were in fact matters of doctrine concerning charity; for in ancient times those who belonged to the genuine Church had no other kind of doctrine. These same truths may be called, in relation to doctrine, the interior truths of faith, but in relation to life, goods. If a Church was to be established among the nation descended from Jacob it was necessary for them to be introduced into those truths and goods. For unless internal things are present within external ones, that is, unless people have internal things in mind when involved with external ones - and unless at the same time they feel an affection for internal things or at least unless they feel an affection for external things on account of internal ones, nothing of the Church is there. Internal things constitute the Church, for the Lord is present within these; that is to say, spiritual and celestial things originating in Him are present within them.

[2] But the nation descended from Jacob, that is, the Israelitish and Jewish nation, was unable to be introduced in the rightful way which is through betrothal, for the reason that their external worship did not correspond [to anything internal]. For they received from their fore-fathers - from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob - the worship established by Eber, which was different externally from the worship of the Ancient Church, see 1238, 1241, 1343, 2180. And because that worship was different, interior truths which existed among the Ancients were not able to be joined to it in the rightful way through betrothal, only in the way described in this chapter. This enables one to understand what is involved in the assertion that there was no other way in which it could be joined to the affection for truth meant by 'the sons of Jacob, Dinah's brothers'.

[3] But although a joining together could have been effected in this way, in accordance with the law, also known to the Ancients, which is set out in Exodus 22:16; Deuteronomy 22:28-29, the character of that nation was nevertheless such that it would by no means allow any joining of interior truth received from the Ancients to the external forms of worship that existed among the descendants of Jacob, 4281, 4290, 4293, 4307, 4314, 4316, 4317. Among that nation therefore no Church could be established, but instead merely that which was a representative of the Church, see 4281, 4288, 4307. The character of that nation, which was such that it was not only unable to receive interior truths but also completely annihilated them among themselves, is represented in this chapter by the sons of Jacob answering Shechem and Hamor deceitfully, verse 13; and after that by Simeon and Levi's smiting the city with the edge of the sword and killing Shechem and Hamor, verses 25-26; and by the rest of the sons coming upon the slain and plundering the city, and taking away the flocks, the herds, and whatever there was in the city, in the field, and in the houses, verses 27-29. This shows what is meant by the prophetical utterances of Jacob, who by then was Israel,

Simeon and Levi are brothers; instruments of violence are their swords. Into their secret place let my soul not come; in their congregation let not my glory be united; for in their anger they killed a man, and in their pleasure they hamstrung an ox. Cursed be their anger, for it is fierce, and their fury, for it is severe. I will divide them in Jacob, and will scatter them in Israel. Genesis 49:5-7.