9689. 'And you shall make for the screen five pillars of shittim [wood]' means a sufficient amount of support provided by the uniting intermediary through the good of merit belonging to the Lord's Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'the screen in place of the tent door' as the intermediary uniting the second or middle heaven to the first or lowest, dealt with above in 9686; from the meaning of 'five' as that which exists partially or in some measure, dealt with in 4638, and also a sufficient amount; from the meaning of 'pillars' as support, dealt with in 9674; and from the meaning of 'shittim wood' as the good of merit, which, being the Lord's alone - dealt with in 9472, 9486 - accordingly belongs to His Divine Human, for This is what merit truly belongs to, 9486.

9158. 'For clothing' means [any harm done to or else loss of] truth on the level of the senses. This is clear from the meaning of 'clothing' as truth, dealt with in 4545, 4763, 5319, 5954, 6914, 6917. In general 'clothing' means more external or lower truth that covers more internal or higher truths, 297, 2576, 5248, 6918; here therefore truth on the level of the senses is meant, this being the most external or lowest level, 5081, 5125, 5767, 6564, 6614. The meaning of 'clothes' as truths has its origin in representatives in the next life; for spirits and angels all appear dressed in clothes that are in keeping with the truths of faith they possess, 165, 5248, 5954.