9636. 'Ten cubits shall be the length of a board' means that this good is the all in all. This is clear from the meaning of 'ten' as all, dealt with in 4638, 9595; and from the meaning of 'the length' as good, dealt with in 1613, 8898, 9487, 9600, at this point good that lends support, which is the good of merit, this good being meant by the boards of the dwelling-place that were made from shittim wood, 9634, 9635. The reason why this good is the all in all of heaven is that it is the Divine Good itself, which makes the heavens and supports them, 9486. The good that resides with angels is real good, for all good comes from the Lord. Good from any other source is not good.

9634. 'And you shall make the boards for the dwelling-place' means the good supporting that heaven. This is clear from the meaning of 'the boards' as good that lends support, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the dwelling-place' as the middle or second heaven, dealt with in 9594. The reason why good that lends support is meant by 'the boards' is that they were made from wood and supported the curtains both of the dwelling-place and of the tent, as well as the two coverings over them. Consequently supports are meant by 'the boards'; and since they were made from wood they meant ones that were formed from good, for everything made from wood means some form of good, even to actual houses built from wood, 3720. The particular nature of the good is meant by 'shittim wood' from which they were built. Since all representatives on the natural level resemble the human form and carry the same meaning as the parts of it they resemble, 9496, so it is with the boards of the dwelling-place. They correspond to the parts consisting of muscle or flesh in the human being which lend support to encompassing membranes and skin. 'Flesh' furthermore means good, 7850, 9127. This explains why the boards were made from shittim wood, by which the good that supports heaven is meant, 9472, 9486, and also why they were overlaid with gold, by which also good is meant.