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Ezekiel 44:2

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2 καὶ εἶπεν κύριος πρός με ἡ πύλη αὕτη κεκλεισμένη ἔσται οὐκ ἀνοιχθήσεται καὶ οὐδεὶς μὴ διέλθῃ δι' αὐτῆς ὅτι κύριος ὁ θεὸς τοῦ ισραηλ εἰσελεύσεται δι' αὐτῆς καὶ ἔσται κεκλεισμένη

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Arcana Coelestia #9668

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9668. 'And you shall set up the dwelling-place according to the plan which you saw on the mountain' means in the four quarters, according to the states of good and of the truth springing from it in the heaven that is represented. This is clear from the meaning of 'the dwelling-place' as a representative of heaven, dealt with in 9594; and from the meaning of 'according to the plan which you saw on the mountain' as to the four quarters according to the states of good and of the truth springing from it in heaven. This is what 'the plan according to which the dwelling-place was to be set up' serves to mean, Mount Sinai where it was seen being heaven, see 9420. From the description that is given it is evident that the dwelling-place was positioned lengthways from east to west, and that the entrance was at the east end and the ark at the west. The sides therefore were to the south and to the north. The eastern quarter of the dwelling-place represented the state of good on the rise, the western quarter the state of good on the decline, the southern quarter the state of truth dwelling in light, and the northern quarter the state of truth dwelling in shade.

[2] The entrance was towards the eastern quarter because the Lord enters heaven by way of the good of love, as also becomes clear in Ezekiel, where the new temple is the subject and the following words occur,

He brought me to the gate which was facing towards the east, and behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east. And the glory of Jehovah entered the house by the way of the gate, the face of which is towards the east; and the glory of Jehovah filled the house. Ezekiel 43:1-6.

And after this,

Jehovah said to me, The gate facing east shall be shut and not opened, and no man (vir) shall enter by it; but Jehovah, the God of Israel, will enter by it. Ezekiel 44:1-2.

From these words it is plainly evident that the Lord alone enters heaven by way of the good of love, and that the good of love from the Lord fills heaven and composes it. 'The east' means the Lord in respect of the good of love because the Lord is the Sun of heaven, 3636, 3643, 7078, 7083, 7171, 8644, 8812. But in heaven things are positioned in such a way that the east is where the Lord appears as the Sun, straight before the right eye, 4321 (end), 7078, 7171. From there towards the west, thus in a direct line from the east and towards the west, are those with whom the good of love is present; but to the south are those dwelling in the light of truth, and to the north those in the shade of truth. All who are in heaven look towards the Lord, for to look frontwards there is to look towards Him. No one there can look backwards away from Him, no matter how far they turn themselves about, see 4321 (end). But this is an arcanum which the natural man cannot take in. These are the kinds of things that were represented by the plan seen by Moses on the mountain, according to which the dwelling-place was to be set up.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.

The Bible

 

Exodus 26

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1 "Moreover you shall make the tabernacle with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet, with cherubim. The work of the skillful workman you shall make them.

2 The length of each curtain shall be twenty-eight cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits: all the curtains shall have one measure.

3 Five curtains shall be coupled together one to another; and the other five curtains shall be coupled one to another.

4 You shall make loops of blue on the edge of the one curtain from the edge in the coupling; and likewise you shall make in the edge of the curtain that is outmost in the second coupling.

5 You shall make fifty loops in the one curtain, and you shall make fifty loops in the edge of the curtain that is in the second coupling. The loops shall be opposite one to another.

6 You shall make fifty clasps of gold, and couple the curtains one to another with the clasps: and the tabernacle shall be a unit.

7 "You shall make curtains of goats' hair for a covering over the tabernacle. You shall make them eleven curtains.

8 The length of each curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth of each curtain four cubits: the eleven curtains shall have one measure.

9 You shall couple five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shall double over the sixth curtain in the forefront of the tent.

10 You shall make fifty loops on the edge of the one curtain that is outmost in the coupling, and fifty loops on the edge of the curtain which is outmost in the second coupling.

11 You shall make fifty clasps of brass, and put the clasps into the loops, and couple the tent together, that it may be one.

12 The overhanging part that remains of the curtains of the tent, the half curtain that remains, shall hang over the back of the tabernacle.

13 The cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, of that which remains in the length of the curtains of the tent, shall hang over the sides of the tabernacle on this side and on that side, to cover it.

14 You shall make a covering for the tent of rams' skins dyed red, and a covering of sea cow hides above.

15 "You shall make the boards for the tabernacle of acacia wood, standing up.

16 Ten cubits shall be the length of a board, and one and a half cubits the breadth of each board.

17 There shall be two tenons in each board, joined to one another: thus you shall make for all the boards of the tabernacle.

18 You shall make the boards for the tabernacle, twenty boards for the south side southward.

19 You shall make forty sockets of silver under the twenty boards; two sockets under one board for its two tenons, and two sockets under another board for its two tenons.

20 For the second side of the tabernacle, on the north side, twenty boards,

21 and their forty sockets of silver; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

22 For the far part of the tabernacle westward you shall make six boards.

23 You shall make two boards for the corners of the tabernacle in the far part.

24 They shall be double beneath, and in the same way they shall be whole to its top to one ring: thus shall it be for them both; they shall be for the two corners.

25 There shall be eight boards, and their sockets of silver, sixteen sockets; two sockets under one board, and two sockets under another board.

26 "You shall make bars of acacia wood: five for the boards of the one side of the tabernacle,

27 and five bars for the boards of the other side of the tabernacle, and five bars for the boards of the side of the tabernacle, for the far part westward.

28 The middle bar in the midst of the boards shall pass through from end to end.

29 You shall overlay the boards with gold, and make their rings of gold for places for the bars: and you shall overlay the bars with gold.

30 You shall set up the tabernacle according to the way that it was shown to you on the mountain.

31 "You shall make a veil of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, with cherubim. The work of the skillful workman shall it be made.

32 You shall hang it on four pillars of acacia overlaid with gold; their hooks shall be of gold, on four sockets of silver.

33 You shall hang up the veil under the clasps, and shall bring the ark of the testimony in there within the veil: and the veil shall separate the holy place from the most holy for you.

34 You shall put the mercy seat on the ark of the testimony in the most holy place.

35 You shall set the table outside the veil, and the lampstand over against the table on the side of the tabernacle toward the south: and you shall put the table on the north side.

36 "You shall make a screen for the door of the Tent, of blue, and purple, and scarlet, and fine twined linen, the work of the embroiderer.

37 You shall make for the screen five pillars of acacia, and overlay them with gold: their hooks shall be of gold: and you shall cast five sockets of brass for them.