Apocalypse Revealed #585
585. And against His tabernacle, and those who dwell in heaven. This symbolizes scandalous assertions against the Lord's celestial church and against heaven.
The Tabernacle has almost the same symbolic meaning as the Temple, namely, in the highest sense, the Lord's Divine humanity, and in a relative sense, heaven and the church (nos. 191, 529). But in the latter sense the Tabernacle symbolizes the celestial church, which is impelled by the goodness of love toward the Lord received from the Lord; and the Temple symbolizes the spiritual church, which is impelled by truths of wisdom received from the Lord. Those who dwell in heaven symbolize heaven.
The Tabernacle symbolizes the celestial church because the Most Ancient Church, being impelled by love toward the Lord, was a celestial church and held sacred worship in tents. And the Ancient Church was a spiritual church and held sacred worship in temples.
Tents used wood in their construction, while temples used stone, and wood symbolizes goodness, and stone truth.
[2] That the Tabernacle symbolizes the Lord's Divine humanity in respect to Divine love, and a heaven and a church that is impelled by love toward the Lord, can be seen from the following passages:
Jehovah, who may abide in Your tabernacle? Who may dwell in Your holy mountain? He who walks uprightly, and practices righteousness, and speaks the truth... (Psalms 15:1-2)
(Jehovah) shall hide me in His tabernacle; in the secret place of His tabernacle He shall conceal me; He shall set me high... (Psalms 27:4-5)
I will abide in Your tabernacle forever. (Psalms 61:4)
Look upon Zion...; let your eyes behold Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that will not be dispelled... (Isaiah 33:20)
(Jehovah) who... spreads (the heavens) out like a tent to dwell in. (Isaiah 40:22)
...you have made Jehovah..., the Most High, your dwelling place..., no plague shall come near your tent. (Psalms 91:9-10)
(Jehovah) set (His) tabernacle among (them).... (He) will walk among (them).... (Leviticus 26:11-12)
(Jehovah) forsook the tent of Shiloh, the tabernacle in which He dwelled among men. (Psalms 78:60)
I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them...." (Revelation 21:3)
...My tabernacle has been laid waste... (Jeremiah 4:20; 10:20)
He shall... pluck you out of your tent, and uproot you from the land of the living. (Psalms 52:5)
And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 16:5; 54:2, Jeremiah 30:18, Lamentations 2:4, Hosea 9:6; 12:9, Zechariah 12:7.
[3] Since the Most Ancient Church, which was a celestial church, being impelled by love toward the Lord and being thus in conjunction with Him, held sacred worship in tents, therefore by the Lord's command Moses erected a tent or tabernacle, in which everything relating to heaven and the church was represented. And it was so holy that no one was permitted to enter except Moses, Aaron, and Aaron's sons; and if any of the people were to do so, they would die (Numbers 17:12-13; 18:1, 22-23; 19:14-19).
Inmostly in that tabernacle, containing the two tables of the Decalogue, was the Ark, on which was the mercy seat and over it the cherubim. And outside the veil was the table holding the showbread, the altar of incense, and the lampstand having seven lamps. All of these things were representative objects relating to heaven and the church. The tabernacle itself is described in Exodus 26:7-16; 36:8-37.
We also read that the design of the Tabernacle was shown to Moses upon Mount Sinai (Exodus 25:9; 26:30); and whatever he was given to see from heaven is a representation relating to heaven and the church.
In memory of the most ancient people's sacred worship of the Lord in tents, and of their conjunction with Him through love, Israel was commanded to observe the Feast of Tabernacles, as recorded in Leviticus 23:39-44, Deuteronomy 16:13-14.
2 Samuel 6:1-19
1
David again gathered together all the chosen men of Israel, thirty thousand.
2
David arose, and went with all the people who were with him, from Baale Judah, to bring up from there the ark of God, which is called by the Name, even the Name of Yahweh of Armies who sits [above] the cherubim.
3
They set the ark of God on a new cart, and brought it out of the house of Abinadab that was in the hill: and Uzzah and Ahio, the sons of Abinadab, drove the new cart.
4
They brought it out of the house of Abinadab, which was in the hill, with the ark of God: and Ahio went before the ark.
5
David and all the house of Israel played before Yahweh with all kinds of [instruments made of] fir wood, and with harps, and with stringed instruments, and with tambourines, and with castanets, and with cymbals.
6
When they came to the threshing floor of Nacon, Uzzah put forth [his hand] to the ark of God, and took hold of it; for the cattle stumbled.
7
The anger of Yahweh was kindled against Uzzah; and God struck him there for his error; and there he died by the ark of God.
8
David was displeased, because Yahweh had broken forth on Uzzah; and he called that place Perez Uzzah, to this day.
9
David was afraid of Yahweh that day; and he said, "How shall the ark of Yahweh come to me?"
10
So David would not move the ark of Yahweh to be with him in the city of David; but David carried it aside into the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite.
11
The ark of Yahweh remained in the house of Obed-Edom the Gittite three months: and Yahweh blessed Obed-Edom, and all his house.
12
It was told king David, saying, "Yahweh has blessed the house of Obed-Edom, and all that pertains to him, because of the ark of God." David went and brought up the ark of God from the house of Obed-Edom into the city of David with joy.
13
It was so, that, when those who bore the ark of Yahweh had gone six paces, he sacrificed an ox and a fattened calf.
14
David danced before Yahweh with all his might; and David was clothed in a linen ephod.
15
So David and all the house of Israel brought up the ark of Yahweh with shouting, and with the sound of the trumpet.
16
It was so, as the ark of Yahweh came into the city of David, that Michal the daughter of Saul looked out at the window, and saw king David leaping and dancing before Yahweh; and she despised him in her heart.
17
They brought in the ark of Yahweh, and set it in its place, in the midst of the tent that David had pitched for it; and David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before Yahweh.
18
When David had made an end of offering the burnt offering and the peace offerings, he blessed the people in the name of Yahweh of Armies.
19
He dealt among all the people, even among the whole multitude of Israel, both to men and women, to everyone a cake of bread, and a portion [of flesh], and a cake of raisins. So all the people departed everyone to his house.
