9458. Speak unto the sons of Israel. That this signifies the representative church, is evident from the representation of the sons of Israel, as being the church, specifically the spiritual church (see n. 8805, 9340), but here the representative church, because such things are treated of as represented the holy things of the church and of heaven, namely, the ark, the propitiatory [mercy seat], the cherubs, the table upon which were the breads of faces, the lampstand; and in following chapters the tabernacle, the garments of Aaron, the altar, and the sacrifices, all of which were representative. That the spiritual church is signified by "the sons of Israel" is because it was represented by them. (But that with that people a representative church could not be instituted; but only the representative of a church, see n. 4281, 4288, 4311, 4444, 4500, 6304, 7048, 9320.)