9492. And shalt make upon it a border of gold round about. That this signifies a fixing of the bounds by good, lest they be approached and injured by evils, is evident from the signification of “a border,” as being a fixing of the bounds (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “gold,” as being good (of which just above, n. 9490). It is said “lest they be approached and injured by evils,” because the good that proceeds from the Lord protects those who are in heaven, lest they be approached and injured by evils from hell. For the hells continually breathe evil, and endeavor to destroy heaven (n. 8295); whence there appears there as it were an effervescence, and as it were a boiling up (n. 8209). For in the minds of those who are in the hells is seated hatred against the neighbor and hatred against God; and therefore they are infuriated when they perceive the bliss of the upright (n. 1974). But the good that proceeds from the Lord, which encompasses heaven in general, and the heavenly societies and individual angels there in particular, protects, and represses the assaults, and this continually. (That a sphere of endeavors to do evil and to destroy is perpetual from the hells; and a sphere of endeavors to do good and to protect is perpetual from the Lord, see n. 8209.) This bounding good, by which the Lord protects heaven, is signified by “the border of gold round about the ark.”

9490. And thou shalt overlay it with pure gold. That this signifies that all these things must be founded on good, is evident from the signification of “overlaying,” when said of heaven, which is signified by “the ark,” as being to lay the foundation (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “gold,” as being good (see n. 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917). That “overlaying” denotes to lay the foundation, is because the good that proceeds from the Lord as a sun (for the heat from this sun is the good of love) encompasses not only heaven in general, but also the heavenly societies in heaven in particular, and likewise every angel individually, and thus protects them from the breaking in of evil from hell. That which in heaven encompasses, forms also the foundation, for heaven leans or rests upon it as a house upon its foundation, and as the outermost parts of the body rest on the air and ether which press round them; for that which encompasses, bounds, encloses, and holds together; consequently supports and sustains. From this it is plain that by “overlaying” is signified to lay the foundation; and by “overlaying with gold,” to lay the foundation upon good.