Spiritual Meaning of EXODUS 26:1
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AC 9593. Verse 1. And thou shalt make the Habitation ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed, with cherubs; the work of a thinker shalt thou make them. "And thou shalt make the Habitation," signifies the second or middle heaven; "ten curtains," signifies all the truths from which it is; "of fine twined linen, and blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed," signifies the spiritual and celestial things from which are these truths; "with cherubs," signifies the guard of the Lord lest it be approached and injured by the hells; "the work of a thinker shalt thou make them," signifies the understanding.

AC 9594. And thou shalt make the Habitation. That this signifies the second or middle heaven, is evident from the signification of "the Habitation," when said of the Divine, as being heaven, in particular the middle or second heaven. It is known that there are three heavens: the inmost, the middle, and the ultimate; or the third, the second, and the first. All these heavens were represented by the tabernacle: by the ark, where the Testimony was, the inmost or third heaven; by the Habitation, where were the table for the breads of faces and the lampstand, the middle or second heaven; and by the court, the ultimate or first heaven. That there are three heavens is because there are three degrees of life in man (for the man who becomes an angel after death constitutes heaven; from no other source are the angels, from no other is heaven). The most degree of the man’s life is for the inmost heaven; the middle degree of his life is for the middle heaven; and the ultimate degree is for the ultimate heaven. Man being such, or so formed, and heaven being from the human race, there are therefore three heavens.

[2] These three degrees of life in man are opened successively; the first degree by a life in accordance with what is equitable and just; the second degree by a life in accordance with the truths of faith from the Word, and in accordance with the consequent goods of charity toward the neighbor; and the third degree by a life in accordance with the good of mutual love and the good of love to the Lord. These are the means whereby are successively opened these three degrees of life in man, thus the three heavens in him. But be it known that in proportion as a man recedes from the good of life, and accedes to the evil of life, these degrees are closed, that is, the heavens are closed in him; for just as the good of life opens them, so the evil of life closes them. It is from this that all who are in evil are outside of heaven, thus are in hell. And because, as before said, the heavens are successively opened in a man according to the good of his life, be it known that for this reason in some the first heaven is opened and not the second; and in some the second heaven is opened and not the third; and that the third heaven is opened in those only who are in the good of life from love to the Lord. That a man is heaven in the least form, and that he was created after the image both of heaven and of the world, (n. 9279).

[3] Therefore it is the inmost heaven which is represented by the ark of the Testimony, treated of in the preceding chapter; it is the middle heaven which is represented by the Habitation, treated of in this chapter; and it is the ultimate heaven which is represented by the court, treated of in the following chapter. Heaven is called "the Habitation of God" from the fact that the Divine of the Lord dwells there; for it is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord‘s Divine good that makes heaven, for this gives the life of an angel who is there. And because the Lord dwells with the angels in that which is from Himself (n. 9338), therefore heaven is called "the Habitation of God," and the Divine truths themselves from the Divine good, of which the angels or the angelic societies are the receptions, are called His "habitations;" as in the following passages:--

[4] That the Divine things which proceed from the Lord’s Divine Human are what are in particular called His "habitations," and that from this, heaven itself is called His "habitation," is also evident in David:--

"the Mighty One of Jacob" denotes the Lord as to the Divine Human (n. 6425); "Ephrathah," where He was to be found, is Bethlehem, where He was born (Gen. 35:19; 48:7; Micah 5:2; Matt. 2:4-6); "the fields of the forest" denote the goods of the church among the Gentiles.

[5] In Ezekiel:--

"David," who was to be "prince to them," denotes the Lord (n. 1888); "the sanctuary" denotes the Lord’s Divine Human, because from Him is all that is holy (n. 3210, 9229); thus His "habitation" denotes heaven and the church where the Lord is.

[6] In Jeremiah:--

"to bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents" denotes to restore the goods and truths of the external church which had been destroyed; "having compassion on his habitations" denotes to restore the truths of the internal church; "the city which shall be built upon its heap" denotes the doctrine of truth (n. 2449, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493).

[7] In what way the Lord dwells in the heavens, can be seen from what has been shown already concerning the Lord; namely, that the Lord as to the Divine Human is the Sun from which are the heat and light in the heavens. The heat from the Lord as the Sun is love, and the light is faith. From this the Lord dwells with those who receive from Him the good of love and the truth of faith, thus the heat and light of life. His presence is according to the degrees of the reception.

AC 9595. Ten curtains. That this signifies all the truths from which it is, is evident from the signification of "ten," as being all (n. 4638), consequently a "tenth part," which is one curtain, denotes as much as is sufficient (n. 8468, 8540); and from the signification of the "curtains," as being the interior truths of faith which are of the new understanding. For by "the Habitation" is signified the middle or second heaven, which is heaven from the reception of the Divine truth that is from the Lord‘s Divine good (n. 9594); consequently the "curtains" of which it was constructed and with which it was covered, denote the truths of faith which are of the new understanding. That these denote interior truths is because exterior truths are signified by the "curtains from goats" for the Tent that was round about, which also are treated of in this chapter.

[2] That "the curtains" denote the truths of faith belonging to those who are in the Lord’s spiritual kingdom, is evident from the passages in the Word where they are mentioned; as in Isaiah:--

treating of the church about to be set up among the Gentiles, which is called "the barren one that did not bear," for the reason that they had been without truths from the Word (n. 9325); and now it is said to have "more sons than the sons of the married one," because its truths are more numerous than the truths of the former devastated church, for "sons" denote truths (n. 489, 491, 533, 1147, 3373, 3704); "to enlarge the place of the tent" denotes the holiness of worship from the good of love (n. 3312, 4391, 4599); "to stretch out the curtains of the habitations" denotes the holiness of worship from the truths of faith.

[3] In Jeremiah:--

"the land that hath been laid waste" denotes the church (n. 9325); "tents laid waste" denotes the holiness of worship from the good of love; "curtains laid waste" denotes holy worship from the truths of faith.

[4] Again:--

where the meaning is similar. Again:--

"Arabia and the sons of the east" denote those who are in the knowledges of good and truth (n. 3249); "taking the tents and flocks" denotes the interior goods of the church (n. 8937); "taking the curtains" denotes the interior truths of the church; "their vessels" denote the exterior truths of the church (n. 3068, 3079); "camels" denote general memory-knowledges (n. 3048, 3071, 3143, 3145). In Habakkuk:--

"the curtains of Midian" denote truths with those who are in simple good (n. 3242, 4756, 4788, 6773, 6775).

[5] From all this it is evident what is meant in David:--

"to cover Himself with light as with a garment" denotes Divine truths. That "light" denotes truth, (n. 9548); as also "a garment," (n. 4545, 4763, 5319, 5954, 9093, 9212, 9216); consequently "to stretch out the heavens like a curtain" denotes to enlarge the heavens by means of an influx of truth Divine, from which come intelligence and wisdom. That "to stretch out and expand the heavens" is predicated of the new, that is, the regenerate, understanding, may be seen at the end of the following article.

AC 9596. Of fine twined linen, and blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed. That this signifies the spiritual and celestial things from which are these truths, is evident from the signification of "fine twined linen," as being truths from a celestial origin (n. 9469); from the signification of "blue (hyacinthinum)," as being the celestial love of truth (n. 9466); from the signification of "crimson," as being the celestial love of good (n. 9467); and from the signification of "scarlet double-dyed," as being spiritual good, or the good of truth (n. 9468). Such is the order in which spiritual and celestial things, or truths and goods, follow with the man, and with the angel, who is in the middle or second heaven. For first is truth from a celestial origin, which is signified by "fine linen;" next is the love or affection of truth, which is signified by "blue;" afterward is the consequent love or affection of good, which is signified by "crimson;" and lastly is spiritual good, which is signified by "scarlet double-dyed."

[2] As spiritual and celestial things follow in this order, therefore fine twined linen is here mentioned first; but in the case of the veil, which was between the Habitation and the ark, or between the holy and the holy of holies--see (verse 31) of this chapter--it is mentioned in the last place. The reason why in the veil the fine twined linen is mentioned last, is that the veil signifies the intermediate that unites the inmost heaven with the middle heaven, and therefore in this intermediate it must be the last, so that, for the sake of conjunction, it may be the first in what follows.

[3] But by "fine twined linen" is properly signified the understanding such as belongs to a spiritual man, or to an angel who is in the Lord‘s spiritual kingdom. The reason why the understanding is signified by "fine twined linen," is that with the spiritual man a new will from the Lord has been implanted in his understanding (n. 863, 875, 895, 927, 1023, 1043, 1044, 1555, 2256, 4328, 4493, 5113); and as the understanding of the spiritual man is signified by "fine twined linen," therefore also spiritual truth is signified thereby, because all truth belongs to the part of the understanding, and all good to the part of the will (n. 3623, 9300); for the understanding is the subject or containant, and truth belongs to it, and these two make a one. From all this it can also be seen that with those who are of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom the understanding is "the Habitation" in the close sense (n. 9296, 9297), and that it is described by the expanse of the curtains.

[4] From all this it can be known what is signified by "spreading out and stretching out the heavens" in the following passages:--

[5] That by "stretching out the heavens and spreading out the earth" the same is here signified as by "stretching out and spreading out the Habitation" by means of the curtains, is manifest; and that this denotes to regenerate man, and thus to create or form a new understanding in which is a new will, which is the very heaven of the spiritual man, wherein the Lord dwells with this man. That it is regeneration, or the formation of a new understanding and therein of a new will, thus of a new man, which is signified by "stretching out the heavens and spreading out the earth," is clear from the very explanation given in the above passages, for it is said, "that giveth breath to the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein;" also, "that formeth the spirit of man within him." That "heaven and earth" denote the internal and external church, see (n. 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535); also that "the earth" in general denotes the Lord‘s kingdom and church (n. 9334); and this is also plainly to be seen, for unless "the earth" had this signification, what could be meant by "spreading out the earth," and by "laying the foundation of the earth," and by "forming the spirit of man therein?"

[6] That by "stretching out the heavens, and spreading out the earth" the like is here signified as by "stretching out and spreading out the Habitation" by means of the curtains, is evident from other passages where it is stated more expressly, as in the following:--

From all this it is also evident what is signified by "the expanse" in the first chapter of Genesis:--

in this first chapter is described the regeneration of the man of the celestial church; and his new will and understanding are described by "the expanse;" "the waters under the expanse, and above the expanse" denote the truths of the external and of the internal man. That "waters" denote truths, (n. 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976, 8568, 9323).

AC 9597. With cherubs. That this signifies the guard of the Lord lest heaven be approached and injured by the hells, is evident from the signification of "cherubs," as being a guard and providence lest the Lord be approached except through good, and lest the good which is from the Lord in heaven and with man be injured (n. 9509); consequently lest heaven be approached and injured by the hells.

AC 9598. The work of a thinker. shalt thou make them. That this signifies the understanding, is evident from the signification of "a thinker," as being the understanding, for this thinks and acts from what is thought. That it is the understanding to which wisdom, intelligence, and knowledge belong, is evident in what follows, where it is said of Bezaleel:--

That the understanding is signified, (n. 9596).

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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