2190. 'And he said, Behold, in the tent' means that it existed within holiness. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tent' as holiness, dealt with in 414, 1102, 1566, 2145. Rational truth is said to have existed within holiness because it existed within good. All good is called holy because it is an attribute of love and charity, which are derived wholly from the Lord. But as are forms of good, so are forms of holiness. Goods are formed, that is, they are born and develop, through the truths of faith. The nature of them therefore depends on the nature and the amount of the truth of faith that has been implanted in charity, as stated immediately above in 2189. From this it becomes clear that forms of good or holiness differ with each individual. Although they seem to be alike in the outward form they take they are not alike in their inward forms. And this applies both to people who are outside the Church and to those inside it. Within the good of charity residing with a person more is present than man can possibly believe. Present within it are all things that constitute his faith, and consequently they are present in the holiness of his worship. The nature of the holiness of his worship is visible to the angels as if seen in broad daylight, even though that person knows nothing further than that some degree of holiness exists with him. Myriads upon myriads of his thoughts concerning the goods and truths of faith and of the affections deriving from these are present within the holiness existing within him. But the general character of the holiness of worship will in the Lord's Divine mercy be spoken of elsewhere.

2145. 'He was sitting at the tent door' means the holiness which existed with Him at that time, namely the holiness of love, which is meant by 'as the day was getting warmer', dealt with in what follows next. This is clear from the meaning of 'a tent' as holiness, dealt with in 414, 1102, 1566. And for the reason why 'tents' meant forms of holiness, see the same paragraphs. Since the Lord at this time had the perception meant by the oak-groves of Mamre, which is a lower rational perception, yet more interior than that meant by the oak-grove of Moreh, dealt with in 1442, 1443, it is here represented and so is meant by his sitting at the tent door, that is, at the entrance to holiness. As regards perceptions being more interior or less interior, this may be illustrated from the perceptions which the most ancient people had. From these people I have heard that the more they were immersed in mere facts acquired from the objects of hearing and sight the lower their perceptions became; but the more they were raised up from them towards the celestial things of charity and love the more interior these perceptions became, as they were then closer to the Lord.