Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 10544

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

10544. Verses 7-11. And Moses took a tent, and stretched it for himself without the camp, afar off from the camp; and he called it the tent of meeting. And it was that everyone inquiring of Jehovah went out unto the tent of meeting that was outside the camp. And it was that when Moses went out unto the tent, all the people rose up, and stood, every man at the door of his tent, and looked after Moses, until he had entered into the tent. And it was that when Moses entered into the tent, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the door of the tent, and spoke with Moses. And all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the door of the tent; and all the people rose up and bowed themselves, every man at the door of his tent. And Jehovah spoke unto Moses faces to faces, as a man speaketh unto his neighbor. And he returned unto the camp; and his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a boy, moved not out of the midst of the tent. "And Moses took a tent," signifies what is holy of worship, of the church, and of the Word; "and stretched it for himself without the camp, afar off from the camp," signifies remote from the external things in which the nation itself was; "and he called it the tent of meeting," signifies the external of worship, of the church, and of the Word, in which are internal things; "and it was that everyone inquiring of Jehovah went out unto the tent of meeting that was outside the camp," signifies that all instructions concerning the truths and goods of the church and of worship would be given to everyone by means of the external of the Word remotely from the external things in which that nation was; "and it was that when Moses went out unto the tent, all the people rose up, and stood, every man at the door of his tent," signifies that that nation was not in the external of the Word, of the church, and of worship, but was outside of it; "and looked after Moses, until he had entered into the tent," signifies that they see the external of the Word, of the church, and of worship, but that it vanishes from their apprehension; "and it was that when Moses entered into the tent, the pillar of cloud descended, and stood at the door of the tent, and spoke with Moses," signifies that after the Word had vanished from their apprehension a dense obscurity took possession of them from without, and yet there was a clear perception from within; "and all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the door of the tent," signifies a dense obscurity taking possession of them from without; "and all the people rose up and bowed themselves, every man at the door of his tent," signifies that that nation adored their external in a holy manner; "and Jehovah spoke unto Moses faces to faces," signifies the Divine things in the Word conjoined together; "as a man speaketh unto his neighbor," signifies the conjunction of truth and good; "and he returned unto the camp," signifies unto the external in which that nation was; "and his minister Joshua, the son of Nun, a boy, moved not out of the midst of the tent," signifies Divine truth meanwhile ministering in the holy things of the church and of worship in the place of Moses.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church