Spiritual Meaning of EXODUS 26:7-14
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AC 9614. Verses 7-14. And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ (hair) for a Tent over the Habitation, eleven curtains shalt thou make them. The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits, and the breadth four cubits, for one curtain; one measure for the eleven curtains. And thou shalt join together five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves, and shalt double the sixth curtain over against the faces of the Tent. And thou shalt make fifty loops upon the edge of the one uttermost curtain in the joining, and fifty loops upon the edge of the curtain of the second joining. And thou shalt make fifty hooks of brass, and thou shalt bring the hooks into the loops, and shall join together the Tent, that it may be one. And that which superaboundeth over and above in the curtains of the Tent, the half of the curtain that is over and above thou shalt make to superabound over the hinder parts of the Habitation. And the cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, in that which is over and above in the length of the curtains of the Tent, shall superabound over the sides of the Habitation on this side and on that, to cover it. And thou shalt make for the Tent a covering of skins of red rams, and a covering of badgers‘ skins above. "And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ (hair) for a Tent over the Habitation," signifies the external of heaven, which is from the truths that are from external celestial good; "eleven curtains shalt thou make them," signifies all the truths from which it is; "the length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits," signifies the fullness of truth from good; "and the breadth four cubits," signifies the marriage of truth with good; "for one curtain," signifies thus in each of the truths; "one measure for the eleven curtains," signifies a like state of the matter; "and thou shalt join together five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves," signifies the constant communication of truth with good, and of good with truth; "and shalt double the sixth curtain over against the faces of the Tent," signifies the communication of all who are of that heaven with the extremes there, and influx thence into the ultimate heaven; "and thou shalt make fifty loops upon the edge of the one uttermost curtain in the joining," signifies the complete conjunction of one sphere with the other; "and fifty loops upon the edge of the curtain of the second joining," signifies in like manner reciprocally; "and thou shalt make fifty hooks of brass," signifies a full capability of conjunction by external good; "and thou shalt bring the hooks into the loops," signifies the method of the conjunction; "and shalt join together the Tent, that it may be one," signifies the external of heaven thus altogether one; "and that which superaboundeth over and above in the curtains of the Tent," signifies that which proceeds; "the half of the curtain that is over and above, thou shalt make to superabound over the hinder parts of the Habitation," signifies to the ultimate of this heaven; "and the cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, in that which is over and above in the length of the curtains of the Tent, shall superabound over the sides of the Habitation, on this side and that, to cover it," signifies the method by which this ultimate proceeds from good, in order that heaven may be rendered safe; "and thou shalt make a covering for the Tent," signifies the circumference of this heaven; "of skins of red rams," signifies external truths from good; "and a covering of badgers‘ skins above," signifies outside of these from external good.

AC 9615. And thou shalt make curtains of goats’ (hair) for a Tent over the Habitation. That this signifies the external of heaven which is from the truths that are from external celestial good, is evident from the signification of "curtains," as being the interior truths of faith (n. 9595), here the exterior truths of faith, because they were for the Tent that was over the Habitation; from the signification of "goats‘ hair," of which these curtains were made, as being external celestial good (n. 9470); and from the signification of "the Tent over the Habitation," as being the external of heaven, for by "the Habitation" is signified heaven (n. 9594), and by "the Tent which covered it over," the external of the same. From this it is plain that by " the curtains of goats’ hair for the Tent over the Habitation," are signified the truths which are from external celestial good, from which is the external of heaven. But how the case herein is cannot be known unless there is known what is the external and the internal of each heaven, and the influx of one heaven into the other; for the Lord flows into all the heavens both immediately and mediately (n. 9223); mediately through the inmost heaven into the middle heaven, and through the internal of this latter into its external.

AC 9616. Eleven curtains shall thou make them. That this signifies all the truths from which it is, is evident from the signification of "eleven," as being all; and from the signification of "the curtains of goats‘ hair," as being truths from external celestial good (n. 9615). That "eleven" signifies all, is because ten curtains constituted the Tent itself, and the eleventh superabounded as what was over and above upon the hinder parts of the Habitation, as can be seen from (verses 9, 12, 13). That "ten" denotes all, may be seen above (n. 4638, 9595).

AC 9617. The length of one curtain shall be thirty cubits. That this signifies the fullness of truth from good, is evident from the signification of "length," as being good (n. 9487); from the signification of a "curtain," as being truth from external celestial good (n. 9615); and from the signification of "thirty," as being what is full (n. 9082).

AC 9618. And the breadth four cubits. That this signifies the marriage of truth with good, may be seen above (n. 9601).

AC 9619. For one curtain. That this signifies thus in each of the truths, is evident from the signification of "curtain," of which also above (n. 9602), where the same words occur.

AC 9620. One measure for the eleven curtains. That this signifies a like state of the matter, is evident from what has been shown above (n. 9603).

AC 9621. And thou shalt join together five curtains by themselves, and six curtains by themselves. That this signifies the constant communication of truth with good, and of good with truth, may be seen above (n. 9604).

AC 9622. And shalt double the sixth curtain over against the faces of the Tent. That this signifies the communication of all who are of this heaven with the extremes there, and influx from thence into the ultimate heaven, is evident from the fact that the doubling of this curtain was an extension over the extremity of the Habitation; for by the curtains and their extension was represented heaven in respect to communication and influx, consequently by the doubling and extension of the sixth curtain over the extremity of the Habitation was represented the communication of all who are of this heaven with the extremes there, and influx thence into the ultimate heaven.

AC 9623. And thou shalt make fifty loops upon the edge of the one uttermost curtain in the joining. That this signifies the complete conjunction of one sphere with the other; and that "fifty loops upon the edge of the curtain of the second joining," signifies in like manner reciprocally, is evident from what has been shown above (n. 9605-9609).

AC 9624. And thou shalt make fifty hooks of brass. That this signifies a full capability of conjunction by external good, is evident from the signification of "fifty hooks," as being a full capability of conjunction (n. 9611); and from the signification of "brass," as being natural or external good (n. 425, 1551).

AC 9625. And thou shalt bring the hooks into the loops. That this signifies the method of the conjunction, is evident from the fact that when by "the hooks" is signified the capability of conjunction (n. 9624), by "bringing them into the loops," and thereby joining the curtains together, is signified the method of the conjunction, as also by "joining the curtains together one to the other with the hooks" (n. 9612).

AC 9626. And shalt join the Tent together, that it may be one. That this signifies the external of heaven thus altogether one, is evident from the signification of "the Tent," as being the external of heaven (n. 9615); that it denotes thus altogether one, may be seen above (n. 9613), where the Habitation is treated of, by which is signified the internal of heaven.

AC 9627. And that which superaboundeth over and above in the curtains of the Tent. That this signifies that which proceeds, is evident from the signification of "that which superaboundeth over and above," as being that which proceeds; and from the signification of "the curtains of the Tent," as being the truths from external celestial good that constitute the external of heaven, which is signified by "the Tent" (n. 9615). That "that which superaboundeth over and above the curtains" denotes that which proceeds, is because it proceeds by continuity from the expansion itself.

AC 9628. The half of the curtain that is over and above, thou shalt make to superabound over the hinder parts of the Habitation. That this signifies that which proceeds to the ultimate of heaven, is evident from the signification of "that which superaboundeth," as being that which proceeds (n. 9627); and from the signification of "the hinder parts of the Habitation," as being the ultimate of heaven, for "the Habitation" denotes heaven, which is here treated of.

AC 9629. And the cubit on the one side, and the cubit on the other side, in that which is over and above in the length of the curtains of the Tent, shall superabound over the sides of the Habitation on this side and on that, to cover it. That this signifies the method by which this ultimate proceeds from good, in order that heaven may be rendered safe, is evident from the signification of "that which superaboundeth over the sides of the Habitation, a cubit on the one side and a cubit on the other side," as being the ultimate which proceeds (n. 9627); from the signification of "the length of the curtains of the Tent," as being truths from good (n. 9617); and from the signification of "to cover," as being to protect, for that which covers protects from the assailing evil that would inflict injury. From these significations gathered into one, there results this meaning, that this ultimate which proceeds from good is for the purpose that heaven may be rendered safe.

AC 9630. And thou shalt make a covering for the Tent. That this signifies the circumference, is evident without explication, for the covering made of skins of red rams formed a circumference above and around the Tent.

AC 9631. Of skins of red rams. That this signifies external truths from good, is evident from what has already been said and shown concerning the skins of red rams (n. 9471).

AC 9632. And a covering of badgers’ skins above. That this signifies outside of this, namely the circumference from the truths which are from external good, is evident from the signification of "the covering," as being the circumference (n. 9630); from the signification of "skins," as being external truths (n. 9471); and from the signification of "badgers," as being goods (n. 9471). It is needless to further unfold the things thus far said concerning the Habitation, the Tent, and the two coverings of the latter, because they are of such a nature as by reason of ignorance would fall with difficulty into the idea of thought; for where there is ignorance there is blindness, thus no reception of light, and consequently no idea of the subject. For few if any know that heaven is represented and thus described by the Habitation, and its external by the Tent with its two coverings. The reason why these things are unknown, is that scarcely anyone knows that heavenly things are signified by all those which are in the Word, thus that there is an internal sense which is spiritual in each thing therein; and that this sense does not appear in the letter, but only from the letter to those who have been instructed about correspondences, and who while they read the Word are in enlightenment from the Lord.

[2] Nay, scarcely anyone knows that the man who is in the good of love and of faith is a heaven in the least form, and that such a man, both as to his interiors and his exteriors, corresponds to heaven (n. 9276). If these things had been known, the well-informed in the Christian world, who have acquired some knowledge of the forms of the human body, might have been in some intellectual light, and consequently in some idea about heaven, and then might have apprehended what things in heaven are represented by the ark, its propitiatory, and the cherubs over it; what by the table upon which were the breads of faces, and by the lampstand, and by the golden altar of incense; also what things are represented by the Habitation, its curtains, planks, and bases; and further by the Tent and its two coverings; for like things occur with man, in his internals and in his externals, and they are also presented in a material form in his body, to which these internal things exactly correspond. For unless the external things which are of the body exactly corresponded to the internal things which are of the understanding and the will, there would not be any life in the body, and consequently there would not be any corresponding acts.

[3] It is said that like things occur in the tabernacle as in man, because the representatives in nature bear relation to the human form, and have a signification according to their relation to it (n. 9496). There are four coverings in man‘s external things that encompass and enclose all the interior things, and which are called coats and skins. To what internal things these correspond may be seen from experience (n. 5552-5559, 8980). Similar things were represented in the coverings which constituted the expanse of the tabernacle. From this the understanding may borrow some light concerning the forms of heaven; and yet this light would be extinguished with all those who have not a distinct knowledge of the things that are in the human body, and who have not at the same time a distinct knowledge of the spiritual things of faith and the celestial things of love, to which these things correspond. As with most people both the latter and the former things are in shade, nay, in thick darkness, not only from the lack of knowledge, but also from lack of faith, it is needless to unfold them further; for, as before said, they would not fall into any idea, because of the lack of intellectual light on such subjects.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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