10005. 'The robe of the ephod' means the middle part of that kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'the robe' as the Divine Spiritual emanating indirectly from the Divine Celestial, thus the middle of the spiritual kingdom, dealt with in 9825. The reason why it is called 'the robe of the ephod' is that the robe went with the ephod; it was also kept distinct from the tunic by means of a girdle. For there were two girdles; the first was an overall one for the ephod and robe together, the second was for the tunic alone. This second girdle served to mean that the things of the spiritual kingdom which were represented by the tunic were distinct and separate from those represented by the robe and ephod together. 'A girdle (or belt)' means a common bond which holds more internal things in connection, 9828, and also serves to separate one thing from another, 9944.

[2] The implications of all this are that there are three realities which follow one another in consecutive order. In heaven those three are called celestial, spiritual, and the natural springing from these. That which is celestial is the good of love to the Lord, that which is spiritual is the good of charity towards the neighbour, and that which is natural and springs from them is the good of faith. What is celestial, or the good of love to the Lord, constitutes the inmost or third heaven; what is spiritual, or the good of charity towards the neighbour, constitutes the middle or second heaven; and what is natural springing from these, or the good of faith, constitutes the lowest or first heaven. Since Aaron's garments represented the Lord's spiritual kingdom, 9814, it is evident from things which have been mentioned what the tunic represented, what the robe represented, and what the ephod represented. That is to say, the tunic represented the intermediary that unites the spiritual kingdom to the celestial kingdom, and therefore also it was kept distinct by means of a girdle from the robe and ephod, which represented the spiritual kingdom, internal and external. Regarding the tunic, see 9826, 9942; regarding the robe, 9825; and regarding the ephod, 9824.

[3] Some idea of this matter may also be gained from what has been shown previously regarding the tent of meeting, which represented heaven in which the Lord was present. The inmost part of it, where the ark of the Testimony was, represented the inmost or third heaven; the dwelling-place, which was outside the veil, represented the middle or second heaven; and the court represented the first or lowest heaven. And they in like manner were celestial, spiritual, and the natural springing from these. But the intermediary uniting the inmost and middle heavens was represented by the veil between the holy place and the holy of holies, in the same way as it was by the tunic on Aaron. Regarding the inmost part of the tent where the ark was, see 9485; regarding the dwelling-place which was outside the veil, 9594, 9632; regarding the court, 9741; and regarding the veil, the intermediary uniting the inmost and middle heavens, 9670, 9671.

[4] An even better idea of these things may be acquired from the correspondence of the human being with the heavens; for all the parts of the human being have a correspondence with everything that exists in the heavens, see what has been shown previously at the ends of a number of chapters. The human head corresponds to the inmost or third heaven, where there is celestial good; the breast down to the loins corresponds to the middle or second heaven, where there is spiritual good; and the feet correspond to the lowest or first heaven, where there is natural good. The neck however, by virtue of correspondence, is the intermediary uniting the inmost and middle heavens, 9913, 9914, in the same way as the veil in the tent was. For all representatives on the natural level resemble the human form and have the same meaning as the parts of it which they resemble, 9496. From all this it now becomes clear why the tunic was kept distinct from the robe and ephod by means of a girdle, and also why the robe is called 'the robe of the ephod'.

9914. 'And its hole shall have a border round about' means that it is bounded and enclosed on every side. This is clear from the meaning of 'a border', or edging, around the hole or opening on the upper part of the robe, as being bounded and enclosed on every side; for that border or edging which went all round served to bound and enclose. The words here and those following immediately after describe the course which the inflow of celestial good into spiritual good takes. What is involved in this inflow is similar to the course taken by the forces flowing from a person's head through the neck into the body, as is clear from what has been stated regarding correspondence in the paragraph immediately above.

[2] The nature of this influx must also be stated briefly. All the chief things that belong to the head, that is to say, to the cerebrum and cerebellum, are assembled into bundles of fibres and tiny nerves there, and so assembled pass down through the neck into the body. Within the body they spread out in every direction and move its parts altogether as the will, which begins in the brain, desires. Similar to all this is the flow of powers and forces down from the celestial kingdom, which is the head in the Grand Man or heaven, into the spiritual kingdom, which is so to speak the body there. This inflowing is also what is meant and described by 'the robe's hole for the head in the middle', and the limits of it by 'a border round about'. This then is why a boundary and enclosure on every side is meant by 'the border' which that hole possessed. The actual boundary is described next.