10547. 'And called it the tent of meeting' means the external aspect of worship, the Church, and the Word, which holds internal things within it. This is clear from the meaning of 'the tent of meeting' as the external aspect of worship, the Church, and the Word, which holds internal things within it; for 'the tent' means the holiness of worship, the Church, and the Word, 10545, and 'meeting' means where internal things are, since all internal things exist together within external ones, see 6451, 9216, 9828, 9836. In the sense of the letter 'meeting' describes a coming together of the children of Israel, but in the internal sense it means a coming together of the Church's truths and forms of good, since the Church's truths and forms of good in their entirety are meant in the good sense by 'the children of Israel', see 5414, 5879, 5951, 7957, and in like manner by 'the congregation and assembly of the children of Israel', 7830, 7843. Furthermore the truths and forms of good that reside in the Word, the Church, and worship do so on an internal level, for internally the Word, the Church, and worship contain celestial and spiritual realities, but externally they consist of natural and worldly images. Yet all the celestial and spiritual realities pass into the natural and worldly images; they terminate in them, give shape to them, and compose them. This explains why the external aspect is meant by 'meeting'. Such is the situation with the external or outward sense of the Word, called its literal sense; such also is the situation with the external things of the Church and worship, for they come from the Word.

7830. 'Speak to all the assembly of Israel, saying' means influx bearing instructions for all belonging to the spiritual Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as influx, dealt with in 2951, 5481, 5743 (its further meaning as giving instructions - about the observances to be kept when they are delivered - is evident from what follows); and from the meaning of 'the assembly of Israel' as all truths and forms of good in their entirety. 'The assembly of Israel' is used to refer to all the tribes, by which all aspects of truth and good, or all aspects of faith and charity, are meant, see 7858, 7926, 4060, 6335. And as these are meant [by 'the tribes'], 'the assembly of Israel' means the spiritual Church, 6337; for truths and forms of good make the Church. For the representation of the spiritual Church by the children of Israel, see 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223.