9372. And He said unto Moses. That this signifies that which concerns the Word in general, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being the Word (of which below); and from the signification of “He said,” as involving those things which follow in this chapter, thus those which concern the Word (see n. 9370). (That Moses represents the Word, can be seen from what has been often shown before about Moses, as from the preface to Genesis 18; and n. 4859, 5922, 6723, 6752, 6771, 6827, 7010, 7014, 7089, 7382, 8601, 8760, 8787, 8805.) Here Moses represents the Word in general, because it is said of him in what follows, that he alone should come near unto Jehovah (verse 2); and also that, being called unto out of the midst of the cloud, he entered into it, and went up the mount (verses 16-18).

[2] In the Word there are many who represent the Lord in respect to truth Divine, or in respect to the Word; but chief among them are Moses, Elijah, Elisha, and John the Baptist. That Moses does so, can be seen in the explications just cited above; that so do Elijah and Elisha, can be seen in the preface to Genesis 18; and n. 2762, 5247; and that John the Baptist does so is evident from the fact that he was “Elias who was to come.” He who does not know that John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, cannot know what all those things infold and signify which are said about him in the New Testament; and therefore in order that this secret may stand open, and that at the same time it may appear that Elias, and also Moses, who were seen when the Lord was transfigured, signified the Word, some things may here be quoted which are spoken about John the Baptist; as in Matthew:

After the messengers of John had departed, Jesus began to speak concerning John, saying, What went ye out into the wilderness to see? a reed shaken by the wind? But what went ye out to see? a man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft things are in kings’ houses. But what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, even more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, Behold I send Mine angel before Thy face, who shall prepare Thy way before Thee. Verily I say unto you, Among those who are born of women there hath not arisen a greater than John the Baptist; nevertheless he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he. All the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye are willing to believe, he is Elias who was to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear (Matthew 11:7-15; and also Luke 7:24-28).

No one can know how these things are to be understood, unless he knows that this John represented the Lord as to the Word, and unless he also knows from the internal sense what is signified by “the wilderness” in which he was, also what by “a reed shaken by the wind,” and likewise by “soft raiment in kings’ houses;” and further what is signified by his being “more than a prophet,” and by “none among those who are born of women being greater than he, and nevertheless he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he,” and lastly by his being “Elias.” For without a deeper sense, all these words are uttered merely from some comparison, and not from anything of weight.

[3] But it is very different when by John is understood the Lord as to the Word, or the Word representatively. Then by “the wilderness of Judea in which John was” is signified the state in which the Word was at the time when the Lord came into the world, namely, that it was “in the wilderness,” that is, it was in obscurity so great that the Lord was not at all acknowledged, neither was anything known about His heavenly kingdom; when yet all the prophets prophesied about Him, and about His kingdom, that it was to endure forever. (That “a wilderness” denotes such obscurity, see n. 2708, 4736, 7313.) For this reason the Word is compared to “a reed shaken by the wind” when it is explained at pleasure; for in the internal sense “a reed” denotes truth in the ultimate, such as is the Word in the letter.

[4] That the Word in the ultimate, or in the letter, is crude and obscure in the sight of men; but that in the internal sense it is soft and shining, is signified by their “not seeing a man clothed in soft raiment, for behold those who wear soft things are in kings’ houses.” That such things are signified by these words, is plain from the signification of “raiment,” or “garments,” as being truths (n. 2132, 2576, 4545, 4763, 5248, 6914, 6918, 9093); and for this reason the angels appear clothed in garments soft and shining according to the truths from good with them (n. 5248, 5319, 5954, 9212, 9216). The same is evident from the signification of “kings’ houses,” as being the abodes of the angels, and in the universal sense, the heavens; for “houses” are so called from good (n. 2233, 2234, 3128, 3652, 3720, 4622, 4982, 7836, 7891, 7996, 7997); and “kings,” from truth (n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148). Therefore by virtue of their reception of truth from the Lord, the angels are called “sons of the kingdom,” “sons of the king,” and also “kings.”

[5] That the Word is more than any doctrine in the world, and more than any truth in the world, is signified by “what went ye out to see? a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet;” and by, “there hath not arisen among those who are born of women a greater than John the Baptist;” for in the internal sense “a prophet” denotes doctrine (n. 2534, 7269); and “those who are born,” or are the sons, “of women” denote truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 2623, 2803, 2813, 3704, 4257).

[6] That in the internal sense, or such as it is in heaven, the Word is in a degree above the Word in the external sense, or such as it is in the world, and such as John the Baptist taught, is signified by, “he that is less in the kingdom of the heavens is greater than he;” for as perceived in heaven the Word is of wisdom so great that it transcends all human apprehension. That the prophecies about the Lord and His coming, and that the representatives of the Lord and of His kingdom, ceased when the Lord came into the world, is signified by, “all the prophets and the law prophesied until John.” That the Word was represented by John, as by Elijah, is signified by his being “Elias who is to come.”

[7] The same is signified by these words in Matthew:

The disciples asked Jesus, Why say the scribes that Elias must first come? He answered and said, Elias must needs first come, and restore all things. But I say unto you, that Elias hath come already, and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they wished. Even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them. And they understood that He spoke to them of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:10-13).

That “Elias hath come, and they knew him not, but did unto him whatsoever they wished” signifies that the Word has indeed taught them that the Lord is to come, but that still they did not wish to comprehend, interpreting it in favor of the rule of self, and thus extinguishing what is Divine in it. That they would do the same with the truth Divine itself, is signified by “even so shall the Son of man also suffer of them.” (That “the Son of man” denotes the Lord as to truth Divine, see n. 2803, 2813, 3704)

[8] From all this it is now evident what is meant by the prophecy about John in Malachi:

Behold I send you Elijah the prophet before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh (Malachi 4:5).

Moreover, the Word in the ultimate, or such as it is in the external form in which it appears before man in the world, is described by the “clothing” and “food” of John the Baptist, in Matthew:

John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, had His clothing of camel’s hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his food was locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:1, 4).

In like manner it is described by Elijah in the second book of Kings:

He was a hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins (2 Kings 1:8).

By “clothing,” or a “garment,” when said of the Word, is signified truth Divine there in the ultimate form; by “camel’s hair” are signified memory-truths such as appear there before a man in the world; by the “leathern girdle” is signified the external bond connecting and keeping in order all the interior things; by “food” is signified spiritual nourishment from the knowledges of truth and of good out of the Word; by “locusts” are signified ultimate or most general truths; and by “wild honey” their pleasantness.

[9] That such things are signified by “clothing” and “food” has its origin in the representatives of the other life, where all appear clothed according to truths from good, and where food also is represented according to the desires of acquiring knowledge and growing wise. From this it is that “clothing,” or a “garment,” denotes truth (as may be seen from the citations above; and that “food” or “meat” denotes spiritual nourishment, n. 3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5576, 5579, 5915, 8562, 9003; that “a girdle” denotes a bond which gathers up and holds together interior things, n. 9341; that “leather” denotes what is external, n. 3540; and thus “a leathern girdle” denotes an external bond; that “hairs” denote ultimate or most general truths, n. 3301, 5569-5573; that “a camel” denotes memory-knowledge in general, n. 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145, 4156; that “a locust” denotes nourishing truth in the extremes, n. 7643; and that “honey” denotes the pleasantness thereof, n. 5620, 6857, 8056). It is called “wild honey,” or “honey of the field,” because by “a field” is signified the church (n. 2971, 3317, 3766, 7502, 7571, 9139, 9295). He who does not know that such things are signified, cannot possibly know why Elijah and John were so clothed. And yet that these things signified something peculiar to these prophets, can be thought by everyone who thinks well about the Word.

[10] Because John the Baptist represented the Lord as to the Word, therefore also when he spoke of the Lord, who was the Word itself, he said of himself that he was “not Elias, nor the prophet,” and that he was “not worthy to loose the latchet of the Lord’s shoe,” as in John:

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory. The Jews from Jerusalem, priests and Levites, asked John who he was. And he confessed, and denied not, I am not the Christ. Therefore they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? But he said, I am not. Art thou the prophet? He answered, No. They said therefore unto him, Who art thou? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said Isaiah the prophet. They said therefore, Why then baptizest thou, if thou art not the Christ, nor Elias, nor the prophet? He answered, I baptize with water; in the midst of you standeth one whom ye know not; He it is who is to come after me, who was before me, the latchet of whose shoe I am not worthy to unloose. When he saw Jesus, he said, Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world! This is He of whom I said, After me cometh a man who was before me; for he was before me (John 1:1, 14, 19-30).

From these words it is plain that when John spoke about the Lord Himself, who was Truth Divine itself, or the Word, he said that he himself was not anything, because the shadow disappears when the light itself appears, that is, the representative disappears when the original itself makes its appearance. (That the representatives had in view holy things, and the Lord Himself, and not at all the person that represented, see n. 665, 1097, 1361, 3147, 3881, 4208, 4281, 4288, 4292, 4307, 4444, 4500, 6304, 7048, 7439, 8588, 8788, 8806.) One who does not know that representatives vanish like shadows at the presence of light, cannot know why John denied that he was Elias and the prophet.

[11] From all this it can now be seen what is signified by Moses and Elias, who were seen in glory, and who spoke with the Lord when transfigured, of His departure which He should accomplish at Jerusalem (Luke 9:29-31); namely, that they signified the Word (“Moses” the historic Word, and “Elias” the prophetic Word), which in the internal sense throughout treats of the Lord, of His coming into the world, and of His departure out of the world; and therefore it is said that “Moses and Elias were seen in glory,” for “glory” denotes the internal sense of the Word, and the “cloud” its external sense (see the preface to Genesis 18, and n. 5922, 8427).

799. And his tabernacle. That this signifies all the doctrine of the church, and worship therefrom, is evident from the signification of the tabernacle, as denoting the church as to doctrine and worship, consequently also the doctrine and worship of the church. The falsification of these is therefore signified by blaspheming the tabernacle of God.

The reason why tabernacle signifies the church as to doctrine and worship is, that those who belonged to the church in the most ancient times dwelt in tabernacles and tents, which also they took on their journeys. For at that time they were mostly feeders of sheep; and the father of the family taught those who were born of his house the precepts of charity, and thence the life of love, in tabernacles, as, afterwards, in temples. Hence the tabernacle signified the same as the house of God, that is, the worship of God according to doctrine. Consequently it also signified the church, because the church is the church from a life according to doctrine; and a life according to doctrine is worship.

[2] Because those most ancient people among whom the church existed worshipped God under a human form; and because God under a human form is the Lord, they consequently worshipped Him. Their church was therefore a celestial church, distinguished from a spiritual church in this, that the celestial church is in love to the Lord, and in worship from that love; while the spiritual church is in love towards the neighbour, and in worship from that love. And because such was the quality of the church among the most ancient people, and the doctrine of love to the Lord was taught in their tabernacles, and hence tabernacles were loved by the Lord more than temples, therefore by command of the Lord on Mount Sinai, a tabernacle was built, in which the Israelitish nation might perform holy worship; and afterwards, in memory of the most holy worship in tabernacles, the feast of tabernacles was instituted. From these things it is evident why it is that the tabernacle signifies the doctrine of the church, and worship therefrom.

[3] This signification of tabernacles is also evident from the following passages:

In Moses:

"How goodly are thy tabernacles, O Jacob, thy tents, O Israel" (Numbers 24:5).

In this and other parts of the Word they are called tabernacles, and also tents; and by tabernacle is signified the church consisting of those who are in the good of love to the Lord, and by tent the church consisting of those who are in truths from that good. And because doctrine and worship therefrom make the church, therefore by tabernacle is signified the doctrine of the good of love; and by tent the doctrine of truth from that good. Hence also by tabernacles, in the plural, are signified the goods of the church and of doctrine; and by tents the truths of the church and of doctrine. It is therefore evident what is signified by the above words of Balaam, "How goodly are thy tabernacles, O Jacob, thy tents, O Israel"; for by Jacob is signified the church which is in the good of doctrine and of life, and by Israel the church which is in truths from good.

[4] In Jeremiah:

"Jehovah bringeth back the captivity of the tabernacles of Jacob, and I will have compassion on his tents, and the city shall be built upon its own heap, and the palace thereof shall be inhabited after its former manner" (30:18).

Here, also, tabernacles and tents are mentioned; and by tabernacles are signified the goods of the church or of the doctrine thereof, and by tents the truths of the church and the doctrine thereof. By captivity is signified spiritual captivity, which takes place when the goods and truths of the church or of doctrine are, as it were, imprisoned. Wherefore to bring back their captivity signifies to restore them. What the rest signifies may be seen above (n. 724).

[5] In Isaiah:

"Enlarge the place of thy tabernacle, and let them stretch out the curtains of thy tents; prohibit not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy bars" (54:2).

This said of the barren who did not bear, who signify the Gentiles, among whom the church was to be established by the Lord. The state of the good of love of that church is signified by the place of thy tabernacle; and the truths from that good are signified by the curtains of thy tents. The fructification of good and the multiplication of truth is signified by enlarging and stretching out. By the cords is signified their conjunction; and by bars their strength.

[6] In David:

"One thing have I desired of Jehovah, this will I seek, that I may dwell in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to see the pleasantness of Jehovah, to visit in the morning his temple. For he shall hide me in his tent in the evil day; he shall hide me in the secret of his tabernacle, he shall lift me up upon a rock" (Psalm 27:4, 5).

Here the house of Jehovah, the temple, the tent, and the tabernacle are mentioned. And by the house of Jehovah is signified the church which is in the good of love to the Lord; by temple the church which is in truths from that good; by the tent of Jehovah is signified Divine truth, and by the tabernacle Divine Good. Hence it is evident, that by dwelling in the house of Jehovah all the days of one's life, is not meant to dwell in the house of Jehovah, but in the good of love to the Lord; and that by visiting in the morning the temple of Jehovah, is not meant to visit a temple every morning, but to inquire into and learn the truths of that good. By hiding in the tent is signified therefore to keep stedfastly in Divine truth, and to protect from falsities. And by hiding in the secret of the tabernacle, is signified to keep stedfastly in Divine Good and to protect from evils. By lifting up upon a rock is signified to instruct in interior truths.

[7] Again:

"Jehovah, who shall abide in thy tabernacle, who shall dwell in the mountain of thy holiness? He who walketh uprightly, and doeth justice, and speaketh the truth" (Psalm 15:1, 2).

Where also by tabernacle is signified the church as to the good of love, consequently also the good of love. By the mountain of holiness, by which is meant Jerusalem, is signified the church as to truths of doctrine from that good. It may be known, therefore, what is signified by abiding in them. He who walketh uprightly signifies one who is in good as to life, and in truths as to doctrine. Therefore it is also said, "who doeth justice and speaketh the truth;" and by doing justice is signified to be in good as to life, and by speaking the truth is signified to be in truths as to doctrine.

[8] Again:

"I will abide in thy tabernacle for ever, I will confide in the hiding-place of thy wings" (Psalm 61:4).

To abide in the tabernacle for ever, signifies to be in the Divine Good of love. To confide in the hiding-place of thy wings, signifies to be in Divine truths; for the wings of Jehovah, signify spiritual truths.

[9] In Isaiah:

"By mercy was the throne established; and he sat upon it in verity in the tabernacle of David, judging and seeking judgment, and hastening justice" (16:5).

These things are said of the Lord. Heaven which was established by Him; the church therefore is signified by the throne established by mercy. That the Lord there reigns by Divine truth from Divine Good, is signified by sitting upon it in verity in the tabernacle of David. By David is meant the Lord as to His royalty, which is Divine truth; and by His tabernacle is signified the Divine Good. By judgment is signified the truth of doctrine because all judgment is from it; and by justice is signified the good of love, both of which are from the Lord Himself among those who are in heaven and those who are in the church.

[10] In the same:

"Look upon Zion, the city of our stated feasts, let thine eyes see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tabernacle which shall not be taken down; the bars thereof shall not be removed, neither shall any of the cords thereof be plucked up" (33:20).

By Zion here is not meant Zion, nor by Jerusalem, Jerusalem, but heaven and the church as to the good of love and the truth of doctrine. These things are the quiet habitation, and the tabernacle which shall not be taken down. By the bars which shall not be removed, is signified to be strengthened by Divine truths; and by the cords which shall not be broken, is signified conjunction by means of Divine Good.

[11] In Jeremiah:

"My tabernacle is devastated, and all my cords plucked away, my sons have gone forth from me, and they are not; there is no longer any to stretch out my tabernacle, and to set up my curtains" (10:20).

By the tabernacle which is devastated is signified the church in which there is no longer any good. By the cords being plucked away is signified that there is no conjunction. By the sons going forth and being no more, is signified that there are no longer any truths. By none stretching out the tabernacle any more, nor setting the curtains, is signified that no one any longer in the church teaches the good of love and the truth from that good, the curtains denoting the truths proceeding from good and covering it.

[12] In the same:

"The whole earth is devastated, suddenly my tabernacles are devastated, my curtains in a moment" (4:20).

By the earth which is devastated is signified the church by the tabernacles which are devastated its goods; and by curtains its truths.

Again:

"Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel shall take their tabernacle and their flocks, their curtains and all their vessels, and their camels he shall take away for himself" (49:28-29).

This is spoken of the vastation of Arabia, by which is signified the church which is in truths from good. The goods of that church are signified by the tabernacle and their flocks; the truths thereof by the curtains and all the vessels; and the knowledges of truth by the camels. By Nebuchadnezzar king of Babel are signified the evils and falsities which lay waste. Similar things are signified by the tabernacles of Arabia, mentioned in Psalm 120:5.

[13] In Jeremiah:

"The shepherds and their flocks shall come unto Zion, they shall fix tabernacles against her, they shall consume every one his space" (6:3).

By these words also is described the vastation of the church as to the good of love, Zion denoting the church in which that good exists. By the tabernacles which the shepherds and flocks shall fix against her, are signified the evils and their falsities which devastate it. They shall consume every one his space, signifies that it shall be altogether deprived of goods and truths.

[14] In Hosea:

"Egypt shall gather them, Memphis shall bury them, the desirable place of their silver the nettle shall possess, and the thorn shall be in their tabernacles" (9:6).

This is spoken of the vastation of the church by the falsifications of truth. By Israel, of whom these things are said, is signified that church. That the natural man and his cupidity will destroy them, is signified by Egypt shall gather them, Memphis shall bury them. That falsity will destroy all truth, is signified by, the desirable place of their silver the nettle shall possess; and that evils of falsity will destroy all their good, is signified by, thorns shall be in their tabernacles.

[15] In Isaiah:

"Who dwelleth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as locusts, who stretcheth out the heavens as something fine, and spreadeth them out as a tabernacle to dwell in" (40:22).

To dwell upon the circle of the earth, signifies upon the heavens; for the heaven encompasseth the earth as a circle its centre. Whence the Lord is called the Most High, and He that dwelleth in the highest. The inhabitants thereof as locusts, signifies men in the extremes; for the locust signifies what is alive in ultimates - specifically truth in ultimates - and, in the opposite sense, falsity there. Who stretcheth out the heavens as something fine, signifies omnipotence to amplify the heavens at will; and spreadeth them out as a tabernacle to dwell in, signifies nearly the same, but the latter the enlargement of the heavens as to goods, and the former their enlargement as to truths.

[16] Again in Hosea:

"As yet will I cause thee to dwell in tabernacles, according to the days of the time appointed" (12:9).

The subject treated of is Ephraim, who being enriched said that he had found wealth (ver. 8), whereby is signified that he had procured for himself the knowledges of truth. For by Ephraim is signified the understanding of the Word and the Intellectual of the church. Therefore by causing him to dwell in tabernacles is signified to be in the church where good is. According to the days of the time appointed, signifies, until those knowledges perish.

[17] In Zechariah:

"Jehovah shall save the tabernacles of Judah first" (12:7).

The tabernacles of Judah denote the goods of the Word and the goods of the church; for by Judah is signified the Word, and also the church, as to the good of love to the Lord.

In Lamentations:

"The Lord hath bent his bow as a foe, he stood with his right hand as an enemy, and slew all things that were pleasant to the eyes; into the tabernacles of the daughter of Zion he poured out his anger like fire" (2:4).

Here, the subject treated of is the devastation of the church as to truths and as to goods. Devastation as to the truths thereof is signified by slaying all things that were pleasant to the eyes; and devastation as to goods by pouring out His anger like fire into the tabernacles of the daughter of Zion. Things pleasant, in the Word, are said of truths, and eyes of the understanding of truth; tabernacles are said of goods, and anger, like fire, of the vastation of good. The daughter of Zion signifies the church which is in the affection of truth from the love of good.

[18] Again in David:

"He hath set for the sun a tabernacle in the heavens" (Psalm 19:4).

By the sun is there meant the Lord as to Divine Love; because He dwells in the good of His own love in the heavens; therefore it is said, He hath set a tabernacle for the sun in the heavens, the tabernacle there denoting the Lord's heaven from the good of love.

Again:

"Because thou hast made Jehovah the Most High thy habitation, no evil shall befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy tabernacle" (Psalm 91:9, 10).

By the habitation of Jehovah and by His tabernacle, are signified heaven and the church, by habitation, heaven and the church as to truths, and by tabernacle heaven and the church as to goods. The removal of and protection from evils and the falsities of evil, is signified by making the Most High his dwelling, and by no evil befalling him nor plague coming nigh him.

[19] Again in David:

"He shall pluck thee out of the tabernacle, and shall root thee out of the land of the living" (Psalm 52:5).

This is said of Doeg the Edomite. That he should be expelled from all the good of the church, is signified by being plucked out of the tabernacle; and also from all the truths of the church, is signified by being rooted out of the land of the living, the land denotes the church, and those are called the living who are in truths from good.

By tabernacle is signified the church as to good, or the good of the church, in the following passages also:-

"That Jehovah would set a tabernacle in the midst of them, would walk in the midst of them, and be to them for a God" (Leviticus 26:11, 12).

This was one among the blessings.

After that the Lord was transfigured before Peter, James, and John, Peter said, "Lord, it is good for us to be here, and let us make here three tabernacles; one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias" (Matthew 17:4; Mark 9:5; Luke 9:33).

"I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them" (Apocalypse 21:3).

"He forsook the tent of Shiloh, the Tabernacle, in which he dwelt amongst men" (Psalm 78:60).

"He refused the tent of Joseph" (Psalm 78:67).

That a tent signifies the church as to truths of doctrine, is evident from the passages in the Word where a tent or tents are mentioned.

As in Isaiah 22:16; Jeremiah 9:19; Ezekiel 25:4; Amos 9:11; Hab. 1:6; Psalm. 43:3; 46:4; 74:7.

[20] Because heaven and the church as to the doctrine of the good of love, was signified by a tabernacle, and as to the doctrine of truth from that good by a tent, and this from the holy worship of the Lord by the most ancient people, as said at the commencement of this article; therefore, it pleased the Lord that a tabernacle should be erected by Moses, in which representative worship was to be performed, which is described in Exodus (26:7-15; 36:8-37). And it was afterwards commanded, that

All the tribes of Israel should encamp about it, and that the Levites who were to guard it should be near to it (Numbers 1:10-54; 3:7-39).

"And also that they should journey with it" (Numbers 9:15).

That tabernacle was representative of heaven and the church. This is clear from the fact

That the form of it was shown to Moses upon Mount Sinai (Exodus 25:9; 26:30).

And whatever is shown in its form so as to be seen in heaven and from heaven, is representative. That the tabernacle was representative of heaven itself where the Lord is, and thence also of the church, is evident from its holiness

For it was not lawful for any one to enter it, except Aaron and his sons, and that if the people drew near, they should die (Numbers 17:12, 13; 18:1, 22, 23; 19:14-19).

Also in that

There was a cloud upon it by day, and the appearance of fire by night (Exodus 40:38; Numbers 9:15; Isaiah 4:5, 6).

And afterwards that

A feast was celebrated, which was called the feast of tabernacles, and they were to be glad from the produce of the corn-floor and of the wine-press (Leviticus 23:39-44; Deuteronomy 16:13, 14; Zech. 14:16, 18, 19).

By the produce of the corn-floor was signified all the good of the church, the same as by bread and corn; and by the produce of the wine-press was signified all the truth of the good of the church, the same as by wine; and by being glad on the occasion was signified the delight of celestial and spiritual love arising from these.

That everything belonging to the tabernacle - as the ark, the propitiatory with the cherubs upon it, the veil, the table upon which was the bread, the altar of incense, the candlestick, the curtains, the coverings, the staves and pillars, the cords, pins, etc. - were representative of heaven and the church, may be seen in the Arcana Coelestia where Exodus is treated of; in which all these things are explained. It is also there shown, that the holiness of all these things resulted from the Law deposited in the ark; for the Law signified the Word, and thereby represented the Lord, who is the Word.

3128. And told her mother’s house according to these words. That this signifies toward natural good of every kind whithersoever enlightenment could reach, is evident from the signification of the “mother’s house,” as being the good of the external man, that is, natural good. (That a “house” denotes good may be seen above, n. 2233, 2234, 2559; also that man’s external or natural is from the mother, but the internal from the father, n. 1815.) The good with man is compared in the Word to a “house,” and on this account a man who is in good is called a “house of God;” but internal good is called the “father’s house,” and the good that is in the same degree is called the “house of the brethren;” but external good, which is the same as natural good, is called the “mother’s house.” Moreover all good and truth are born in this manner, namely, by the influx of internal good as of a father into external good as of a mother.

[2] As this verse treats of the origin of the truth which is to be conjoined with good in the rational, it is therefore said that Rebekah (by whom this truth is represented) ran to the house of her mother, for that was the origin of this truth. For as before said and shown, all good flows in by an internal way (that is, by the way of the soul) into man’s rational, and through this into his faculty of knowing, even into that which is of the senses; and by enlightenment there it causes truths to be seen. Truths are called forth thence, and are divested of their natural form, and are conjoined with good in the midway, that is, in the rational, and at the same time they make the man rational, and at last spiritual. But how these things are accomplished is utterly unknown to man; because at this day it is scarcely known what good is, and that it is distinct from truth; still less that man is reformed by means of the influx of good into truth, and by the conjunction of the two; neither is it known that the rational is distinct from the natural. And when these things, which are most general, are not known, it cannot possibly be known how the initiation of truth into good, and the conjunction of the two, is effected-which are the subjects treated of in this chapter in its internal sense. But whereas these arcana have been revealed, and are manifest to those who are in good, that is, who are angelic minds, therefore however obscure they may appear to others, they nevertheless are to be set forth, because they are in the internal sense.

[3] Concerning the enlightenment from good through truth in the natural man, which is here called the “mother’s house,” the case is this: Divine good with man inflows into his rational, and through the rational into his natural, and indeed into its memory-knowledges, that is, into the knowledges and doctrinal things therein, as before said; and there by a fitting of itself in, it forms truths for itself, through which it then enlightens all things that are in the natural man. But if the life of the natural man is such that it does not receive the Divine good, but either repels it, or perverts it, or suffocates it, then the Divine good cannot be fitted in, thus it cannot form for itself truths; and consequently the natural can no longer be enlightened; for enlightenment in the natural man is effected from good through truths; and when there is no longer enlightenment, there can be no reformation. This is the reason why in the internal sense the natural man also is much treated of in regard to its quality; thus whence truth is, namely, that it is from good there.