Arcana Coelestia #9674
9674. 'And you shall hang it upon four pillars of shittim [wood]' means the good of merit, which is the Lord's alone, linking them together and providing support. This is clear from the meaning of 'four' as a joining or linking together, dealt with in 1686, 8877 ('four' means a joining together because this number is the product of two multiplied by itself, and multiple numbers have the same meaning as the simple ones that produce them, 5291, 5335, 5708, 7973, 'two' meaning a joining together, see 5194, 8423); from the meaning of 'pillars' as support, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'shittim wood' as the good of merit, which is the Lord's alone, dealt with in 9472, 9486, this good being the one and only good that reigns in heaven, see 9486, and so also that lends support to heaven. Support is meant by 'the pillars' because these supported the veil, just as the boards also made from shittim wood supported the curtains of the dwelling-place, 9634.
[2] 'Pillars' in the spiritual sense means those things that support heaven and the Church, which are forms of the good of love and forms of the good of faith from the Lord. These forms of good are meant by 'pillars' in David,
I will judge uprightly. 1 The earth and all its inhabitants are dissolving; I will set its pillars firm. Psalms 75:2-3.
In Job,
God shakes the earth out of its place, to the extent that its pillars tremble. Job 9:6.
'The pillars of the earth' stands for the forms of good and the truths that support the Church; for 'the earth' in the Word is the Church, 9325. Plainly they are not pillars supporting this planet that are going to tremble. In John,
He who overcomes, I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he will not go outside any more. And I will write on him the name of My God and the name of the city of My God, the new Jerusalem which comes down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. Revelation 3:12.
'A pillar in the temple' stands for the Church's forms of good and its truths, which are also 'the name of God' and 'the name of the city, new Jerusalem'. 'The name of God' is everything good and true in the Church, or everything in its entirety through which the Lord is worshipped, see 2724, 3006, 6674, 9310.
Voetnoten:
1. literally, with uprightnesses
Exodus 26
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.
