Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9963

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9963. 'When they go into the tent of meeting' means in worship representative of all things of heaven and the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'going into the tent of meeting' as worship representative of all things of heaven and the Church. For 'the tent' represented heaven where the Lord was, 9457, 9481, 9485, 9784, so that 'going into it', when it refers to Aaron and his sons, means worship of the Lord. Furthermore all the worship at that time took place within the tent and at the altar; for within the tent the loaves of the presence were laid out, the lamps were lit, and incense was offered, and at the altar sacrifice took place. These things primarily were the ones in which representative worship consisted. Representative worship is the outward performance of worship representing the inward virtues of love derived from the Lord and offered back to Him, thus all things of heaven and the Church; for in heaven and in the Church everything has connection with the good belonging to love and the truth belonging to faith which are derived from the Lord and offered to Him.


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