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Arcana Coelestia, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1749-56], tr. by John F. Potts [1905-10], at sacred-texts.com

Arcana Coelestia

The royalty itself is not in the person, but is adjoined to the person. The king who believes that the royalty is in his own person, and the overseer who believes that the dignity of the overseership is in his own person, is not wise.

The royalty consists in administering according to the laws of the kingdom, and in judging from justice according to these laws. The king who regards the laws as above him, consequently himself as below the laws, is wise; but he who regards himself as above the laws, consequently the laws as beneath him, is not wise.

The king who regards the laws as above himself, and thus himself as beneath the laws, makes the royalty to consist in the law, and the law rules over him; for he knows that the law is justice, and all justice that is justice is Divine. But he who regards the laws as beneath him, and thus himself as above them, makes the royalty to consist in himself, and either believes himself to be the law, or the law which is justice to be from himself; consequently he arrogates to himself that which is Divine, and under which he must be.

The law which is justice must be brought forward by persons in the realm learned in the law, who are wise and god-fearing; in accordance with which the king and his subjects must then live. The king who lives in accordance with the law which is justice, and therein sets an example to his subjects, is truly a king.

A king who has absolute power, and who believes that his subjects are such slaves that he has a right to their lives and properties, and who exercises this power, is not a king, but a tyrant.

The king must be obeyed in accordance with the laws of the realm, nor must he be injured in any way by word or deed, for upon this depends the public safety. EXODUS 39 1. And from the blue, and the crimson, and the scarlet double-dyed they made the garments of ministry, for ministering in what is holy; and they made the garments of holiness for Aaron; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 2. And he made the ephod of gold, of blue, and of crimson, and of scarlet double-dyed, and of fine twined linen. 3. And they spread out thin plates of gold, and he cut off threads to work them in the midst of the blue, and in the midst of the crimson, and in the midst of the scarlet double-dyed, and in the midst of the fine linen, with the work of a thinker. 4. Shoulderpieces made they for it, joined together; upon the two extremities of it was it joined together. 5. And the girdle of its ephod that was upon it, it was out of it, according to the work thereof; of gold, of blue, and of crimson, and of scarlet double-dyed, and fine twined linen; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 6. And they wrought the onyx stones, encompassed with settings of gold, graven with the engravings of a signet, upon the names of the sons of Israel. 7. And he put them upon the shoulderpieces of the ephod, to be stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 8. And he made the breastplate with the work of a thinker according to the work of the ephod; of gold, of blue, and of crimson, and of scarlet double-dyed, and of fine twined linen. 9. It was foursquare; doubled made they the breastplate; a span the length thereof, and a span the breadth thereof, doubled. 10. And they filled into it four rows of stones: a row, a ruby, a topaz, and a carbuncle, the first row. 11. And the second row, a chrysoprase, a sapphire, and a diamond. 12. And the third row, a cyanus, an agate and an amethyst. 13. And the fourth row, a tarshish, an onyx, and a jasper; they were encompassed with settings of gold in their fillings. 14. And the stones were upon the names of the sons of Israel, twelve, upon their names, the engravings of a signet, everyone upon his name, for the twelve tribes. 15. And they made upon the breastplate chains of the border, with cord-work, of pure gold. 16. And they made two settings of gold, and two rings of gold; and they put the two rings upon the two extremities of the breastplate. 17. And they put the two cords of gold upon the two rings upon the extremities of the breastplate. 18. And the two extremities of the two cords they put on the two settings, and they put them on the shoulderpieces of the ephod, over against the faces thereof. 19. And they made two rings of gold, and put them upon the two extremities of the breastplate, upon the edge thereof, which was toward the side of the ephod inward. 20. And they made two rings of gold, and put them upon the two shoulderpieces of the ephod underneath, over against its faces, opposite the joining, above the girdle of the ephod. 21. And they bound the breastplate by the rings thereof unto the rings of the ephod with a thread of blue, that it might be upon the girdle of the ephod, and that the breastplate withdrew not from upon the ephod; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 22. And he made the robe of the ephod with the work of the weaver, all of blue. 23. And the mouth of the robe in the midst thereof, as the mouth of a coat of mail, with an edge for its mouth round about, that it should not be rent. 24. And they made upon the skirts of the robe pomegranates of blue, and of crimson, and of scarlet double-dyed, interwoven. 25. And they made bells of pure gold, and they put the bells in the midst of the pomegranates upon the skirts of the robe round about, in the midst of the pomegranates; 26. A bell and a pomegranate, a bell and a pomegranate, upon the skirts of the robe round about, to minister; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 27. And they made the tunics of fine linen with the work of the weaver for Aaron, and for his sons. 28. And the miter of fine linen, and the ornament of the tiaras of fine linen, and the linen breeches of fine twined linen; 29. And the belt of fine twined linen, and of blue, and of crimson, and of scarlet double-dyed, with the work of an embroiderer; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 30. And they made the plate of the crown of holiness of pure gold, and they wrote upon it the writing, with the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO JEHOVAH. 31. And they put upon it a thread of blue, to put it upon the miter above; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 32. And all the work of the Habitation of the Tent of meeting was finished, and the sons of Israel did according to all that Jehovah commanded Moses, so did they. 33. And they brought the Habitation unto Moses, the Tent, and all its vessels, its hooks, its planks, its bars, and its pillars, and its bases; 34. And the covering of skins of red rams, and the covering of badgers' skins, and the veil of the covering; 35. The ark of the Testimony, and the staves thereof, and the propitiatory; 36. The table, all the vessels thereof, and the bread of faces; 37. The pure lampstand, the lamps thereof, the lamps of the setting in order, and all the vessels thereof, and the oil for the luminary; 38. And the altar of gold, and the oil of anointing, and the incense of sweet spices, and the covering for the door of the tent; 39. The altar of brass, and the grating of brass which is for it, its staves, and all its vessels; the laver and its base; 40. The hangings of the court, its pillars, and its bases, and the covering for the gate of the court, the cords thereof, and the pegs thereof, and all the vessels of the service of the Habitation, for the Tent of meeting: 41. The garments of ministry for ministering in what is holy, the garments of holiness for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office. 42. According to all that Jehovah commanded Moses, so did the sons of Israel all the service. 43. And Moses saw all the work, and behold they had done it as Jehovah commanded, so had they done; and Moses blessed them.

THE CONTENTS. As the things contained in this chapter, and in fact the things said about the garments of Aaron and of his sons in chapter 28, have already been unfolded in respect to the internal sense, a further explication of these things also is needless.

CONTINUATION ABOUT THE SIXTH EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN. These spirits, with whom I now conversed, were from the northern part of their earth. I was next conducted to others who were from the western part. These too, wishing to search out who I was, and of what quality, at once said that there was nothing but evil in me. They thought that in this way I should be deterred from approaching nearer. It was perceived that this is the first thing they say to all who come to them. But it was given me to reply that I well know that such is the case, and that in them likewise there is nothing but evil; for the reason that everyone is born into evil, and therefore whatever comes of man, spirit, and angel, coming as it does from what belongs to himself, that is, from what is his own, is nothing but evil; because all the good that is in anyone is from the Lord. From this they perceived that I was in the truth, and I was admitted to speak with them; and they then showed me their idea about evil in man, and about good from the Lord; in what manner they are kept separate from each other. They set one near the other, almost contiguous, but still separate, yet as it were bound in an unspeakable manner, so that the good led the evil, and bridled it; so that it was not allowed to act at its pleasure; and that in this way the good bent the evil to what it desired, without the evil being aware of it. In this manner they set forth the rule of good over evil, and at the same time the free state in which evil is led by good to good, thus to the Lord; for from their idea of good they had an idea of the Lord, because it is from Him.

They then asked how the Lord appears with the angels from our earth. I said that He appears in the Sun as a Man, encompassed there with solar fire, from which the angels in the heavens have all their light; and that the heat which proceeds from it is Divine good, and that the light which is from it is Divine truth, both from the Divine love, which is the fiery appearance round the Lord in that Sun; but that that Sun is seen only by the angels in heaven, and not by the spirits who are beneath, because these are more remote from the reception of the good of love and the truth of faith than are the angels who are in the heavens. But as regards the sun of the world, it is seen by no one in the other life, yet it appears in their idea as something that is black and not visible, from its being opposite to the Sun of heaven, which is the Lord. The reason why it was given them to inquire about the Lord and about His appearance before the angels from our earth, was that it then pleased the Lord to present Himself as present with them, and to reduce into order the things that had been disturbed by the evil ones there about which they had complained. It was in order that I might see these things that I had been brought there.

There was then seen a dim cloud toward the east descending from some height, and which as it came down gradually appeared bright, and in the human form; and finally this form was in a flaming radiance, around which were little stars of the same color. In this way did the Lord present Himself before the spirits with whom I was conversing. To this presence then were gathered from every side all the spirits who were there; and as they came the good were separated from the evil, the good to the right, and the evil to the left, and this at once as of their own accord. And those who were to the right were arranged in order according to the quality of their good, and those who were to the left according to the quality of their evil. Those who were good were left to form a heavenly society among themselves; but the evil were cast into the hells. I afterward saw that the flaming radiance descended into the lower parts of the earth there to a considerable depth, and as it did so appeared at one time as a flaming that verged to brightness, at another as a brightness that verged to dimness, and at another as a dimness. And I was told by the angels that this appearance is according to the reception of truth from good, and of falsity from evil, with those who inhabit the lower parts of that earth; and that it was not at all because that flaming radiance underwent such variations. They also said that the lower parts of that earth are inhabited by both the good and the evil; but that they are well separated, to the intent that the evil may be directed by the Lord by means of the good. They added that the good are by turns raised up by the Lord from thence, into heaven, and that others succeed in their place; and so continually. As the flaming radiance descended, the good were in the same way separated from the evil, and all things were reduced into order. For by various arts and cunning tricks the evil had introduced themselves there into the abodes of the good, and had infested them; and this was the cause of that visitation.

That cloud, which as it descended appeared gradually brighter, and in the human form, and afterward as a flaming radiance, was an angelic society, in the midst of which was the Lord. From this it was given to know what is meant by the Lord's words, where He speaks in the Gospels about the Last Judgment: that "He will come with the angels in the clouds of heaven with glory and power."

Afterward there were seen monkish spirits, who in the world had been traveling monks or missionaries, as above related. And there was also seen a crowd consisting of spirits of that earth, most of them evil, whom they had drawn over to their party and had seduced. These were seen at the eastern quarter of that earth, from which they drove away the good, who as before related appeared at the north side of the earth. That crowd, together with those who had seduced them, were gathered into one to the number of several thousands, and were separated, and the evil from among them were cast into the hells. It was also granted me to converse with one spirit, a monk, and to ask him what he was doing there. He said that he was teaching them about the Lord "What else?" "About heaven and hell." "What else?" "About belief in all things which I shall say." "What else?" "About the power of remitting sins and of opening and closing heaven." He was then examined as to what he knew about the Lord, about the truths of faith, about the remission of sins, about the salvation of man, and about heaven and hell; and it was found that he knew scarcely anything, and that he was in obscurity and falsity about each and all things, and that there was nothing seated in him but the cupidity of acquiring wealth and dominion. He had contracted this cupidity in the world, and consequently he had it in him, and he was therefore told that as he had traveled so far under the influence of this cupidity, and as such was his condition in respect to doctrine, his presence among the spirits of that earth could have no other result than the taking away of heavenly light, and the introduction of the darkness of hell, the effect of which would be that hell would rule in them, and not the Lord. Moreover, in spite of his stupidity in respect to the things that belong to heaven, he was cunning in leading people astray; and being of such a character he was then cast into hell. In this manner were the spirits of that earth freed from those monkish missionaries.

Among other things, the spirits of that earth also said that those visitors who as has been said were monkish spirits, were extremely desirous that they should live together in a society, and not separated and solitary. For spirits and angels dwell and live together in a like manner as in the world, because everyone's life in the world follows him. Those who in the world have dwelt congregated together, so dwell there; and those who have dwelt separated into houses and families dwell there in the same way. When these spirits lived on their earth, they dwelt separate, household by household, family by family, and thus nation by nation; and consequently they did not know what it is to dwell together in a society; so that when they were told that the reason why those visitors desired this was in order that they might command or have dominion over them, and that otherwise they could not subject them to themselves and make them slaves, they replied that they did not at all know what it is to command and have dominion. That they flee at the mere idea of command or rule, I observed from the fact that when I showed the city in which I dwelt to one of them who accompanied us back, at the first view of it he fled away and was seen no more. Be it known that when it pleases the Lord, spirits and angels can see through a man's eyes the things which are in the world; but the Lord allows this solely with one to whom He grants to speak with spirits and angels, and to be with them. It was granted them to see through my eyes the things which are in the world as plainly as I myself see them, and also to hear men speaking with me.

It was then given me to speak with the angels who were with me about rule of various kinds, and to say that there are two kinds of rule; one of love toward the neighbor, and the other of the love of self; and that the rule of love toward the neighbor prevails among those who dwell separated into houses, families, and nations; but the rule of the love of self among those who dwell together in a society. Among those who live separated into houses, families, and nations, it is the father of the nation, and under him the fathers of families, and under these the fathers of each household, who rule. He is called the father of the nation from whom come the families, and from the families the households. But all these rule from love like that of a father toward his children, who teaches them how they ought to live, bestows benefits upon them, and as far as he is able gives them of his own. Nor does it ever enter into his mind to subject them under himself as subjects or as servants; but he loves that they should obey him as sons obey their father. And as this love grows as it descends (as is known), therefore the father of the nation acts from a more interior love than the immediate father of the sons himself. Such also is the rule in the heavens, because such rule is of the Lord; for His rule is from His Divine love toward the whole human race. [2] But the rule of the love of self, which is opposite to the rule of love toward the neighbor, began when man estranged himself from the Lord; because insofar as a man does not love and worship the Lord, so far he loves and worships himself; and so far also he loves the world more than heaven. It then became a matter of necessity-for the sake of their safety-for the nations with their families and households to betake themselves into a united body, and to begin governments under various forms. For insofar as this love increased, so far increased evils of every kind, such as enmities, envyings, hatreds, revenges, deceits, and fierce ragings against all who opposed them. Moreover, this love is of such a nature that insofar as the reins are given it, it rushes on until at last all such persons wish to rule over all in the whole world, and everyone wishes to possess all the goods of others; and even this is not enough; he also wishes to rule over the universal heaven; as can be seen from the modern Babylonia. This then is the rule of the love of self; from which the rule of love toward the neighbor differs as heaven does from hell. [3] But although such is the nature of the rule of the love of self in societies, there is nevertheless a rule of love toward the neighbor even in kingdoms, with those who are wise from faith and love to God, for these love the neighbor. That these also dwell in the heavens, divided into nations, families, and households (although they are at the same time in societies, but according to spiritual relationships, which are those of the good of love and the truth of faith) of the Lord's Divine mercy elsewhere. A continuation about this sixth earth in the starry heaven will be found at the end of the following chapter.

CHAPTER THE FORTIETH. THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY AND FAITH [Here concerning the Lord. (Reviser.)] There is one God, who is the Creator of the universe and the Preserver of the universe, thus who is the God of heaven and the God of earth.

There are two things which make the life of heaven with man; the truth of faith, and the good of love. Man has this life from God, and nothing whatever of it from man; and therefore the chief thing of the church is to acknowledge God, to believe in God, and to love Him.

Those who have been born within the church ought to acknowledge the Lord, His Divine and His Human, and to believe in Him and love Him, because all salvation is of the Lord. This the Lord teaches in John: He that believeth in the Son hath eternal life; but he that believeth not the Son shall not see life, but the anger of God abideth with him (John 3:36). This is the will of Him that sent Me, that everyone who seeth the Son, and believeth in Him, may have eternal life; and I will raise him up in the last day (John 6:40). Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life; he that believeth in Me, though he die, shall live; but everyone that liveth and believeth in Me shall never die (John 11:25, 26).

Wherefore those who within the church do not acknowledge the Lord and His Divine, cannot be conjoined with God, and thus cannot have any lot with the angels in heaven, for no one can be conjoined with God except by the Lord and in the Lord. That no one can be conjoined with God except by the Lord, the Lord teaches in these passages: No man hath ever seen God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath set Him forth (John 1:18). Ye have never heard the voice of the Father, nor seen His shape (John 5:37). No one knoweth the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal Him (Matt. 11:27). I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one cometh unto the Father but by Me (John 14:6). That no one can be conjoined with God except in the Lord, the Lord also teaches in John: As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, unless ye abide in Me; for without Me ye can do nothing (John 15:4-5). That no one can be conjoined with God except in the Lord, because the Father is in Him, and They are one, as also He teaches in John: He that seeth Me seeth Him that sent Me; and ye have known My Father, and from henceforth ye have known Him; He that hath seen Me hath seen the Father; Philip, believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? Believe Me that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me (John 12:45; 14:7-11). The Father and I are one; that ye may know, and believe, that I am in the Father and the Father in Me (John 10:30, 38).

As the Father is in the Lord, and the Father and the Lord are one, and as He must be believed in, and whoso believeth in Him hath eternal life, it is evident that the Lord is God. That the Lord is God is taught everywhere in the Word, as in these passages: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word. All things were made by Him; and without Him was not anything made that was made. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only-begotten of the Father (John 1:1, 3, 14). Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called God, Hero, the Father of Eternity, the Prince of Peace (Isa. 9:6). A virgin shall conceive, and bring forth, and His name shall be called God with us (Isa. 7:14; Matt. 1:23). Behold the days come when I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, who shall reign as king, and shall prosper; and this is His name whereby they shall call Him, JEHOVAH OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS (Jer. 23:5-6; 33:15-16).

All those who are of the church, and are in light from heaven, see the Divine in the Lord, and this in His Human. But those who are not in light from heaven see nothing but the Human in the Lord, when yet the Human and the Divine in Him are so united that they are one, as the Lord taught in another passage in John: Father, all things that are Mine are Thine, and all things that are Thine are Mine (John 17:10).

Those who in regard to the Divinity have an idea of three Persons, cannot have an idea of one God. If they say one with the mouth, they nevertheless think of three. But those who in regard to the Divinity have an idea of three in one Person, can have an idea of one God, and can say "one God," and also think "one God."

Men have the idea of three in one Person when they think that the Father is in the Lord, and that the Holy Spirit proceeds from the Lord; and then the Trine in the Lord is the Divine Itself which is called the Father, the Divine Human which is called the Son, and the proceeding Divine which is called the Holy Spirit.

Every man has from his father his being of life, which is called his soul. The derivative manifestation [existere] of life is that which is called the body. Consequently the body is the likeness of its soul, because by means of it the soul pursues its life at its pleasure. From this it is that men are born into the likeness of their fathers, and that families are distinguished from each other. And from this it is evident what was the nature of the Lord's body or Human, namely, that it was like the Divine Itself, which was the Being of His life, or the Soul from the Father; and He therefore said: He that seeth Me seeth the Father (John 14:9).

That the Divine and the Human of the Lord are one Person, is also in accordance with the faith received in the whole Christian world, which is to this effect: "Although Christ is God and Man, nevertheless He is not two, but one Christ. Yea, He is altogether one and a single Person; for as the body and soul are one man, so also God and Man are one Christ." This is from the Athanasian Creed.

That the Lord was conceived of Jehovah the Father and thus was God from conception, is known in the church, and also that He rose again with His whole body, for He left nothing in the sepulchre. Of this He also afterward confirmed His disciples, saying, "Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself; feel Me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have" (Luke 24:39). And although He was a man in respect to the flesh and bones, He nevertheless entered in through closed doors; and after He had manifested Himself He again became invisible (John 20:19, 26; Luke 24:31). It is different with every man, for a man rises again only as to the spirit, and not as to the body; and therefore when He said that He is not a spirit, He said that He is not like any other man. From this it is now evident that in the Lord the Human also is Divine.

Those who make the Human of the Lord like the human of any other man, do not think about His conception from the Divine Itself, nor about His resurrection with the whole body, nor about Him as seen when He was transfigured, in that His face shone as the sun. Neither do they know and apprehend that the body of everyone is a likeness or effigy of his soul, nor that the Lord is omnipresent even in respect to the Human, for from this is the belief in His omnipresence in the Holy Supper. Omnipresence is Divine (Matt. 28:20).

As all the Divine is in the Lord, He therefore has all power in the heavens and on earth, as also He Himself says in these passages: The Father hath given to the Son power over all flesh (John 17:2). All things have been delivered unto Me by the Father (Matt. 11:27). All power hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth (Matt. 28:18).

The Lord came into the world in order to save the human race, which otherwise would have perished in eternal death; and He saved it by this: that He subjugated the hells which were infesting every man that came into the world and that went out of the world; and at the same time by this: that He glorified His Human, for in this way He can hold the hells in subjection to eternity. The subjugation of the hells and the simultaneous glorification of His Human, were effected by means of temptations admitted into His Human, and by continual victories then. His passion on the cross was the last temptation and the full victory. That the Lord subjugated the hells, He Himself teaches in the following passages: Jesus said, Now is My soul troubled, Father, rescue Me from this hour; but for this cause came I into the world. Father, glorify Thy name. There came forth a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and I will glorify it again. Then Jesus said, Now is the judgment of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out (John 12:27, 28, 31). Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world (John 16:33). Who is this that cometh from Edom, marching in the multitude of his strength, great to save? Mine own arm performed salvation for Me; therefore He became their Savior (Isa. 63:1, 5, 8; also 59:16-21). That He glorified His Human, and that the passion of the cross was the last temptation and the full victory through which He was glorified, He also teaches in these passages: After Judas was gone out, Jesus said, Now hath the Son of man been glorified, and God shall glorify Him in Himself, and shall straightway glorify Him (John 13:31-32). Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee. Now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was (John 17:1, 5). Now is My soul troubled, Father, glorify Thy name; and there came forth a voice from heaven saying, I have both glorified it, and I will glorify it again (John 12:27, 28). Ought not the Christ to suffer this, and to enter into His glory? (Luke 24:26). "To glorify" denotes to make Divine. From this it is now evident that unless the Lord had come into the world, and had become a Man, and had in this manner freed from hell all those who believe in Him and love Him, no mortal could have been saved. This is meant by its being said that without the Lord there is no salvation.

To love the Lord is to live according to His commandments. That this is to love the Lord, He Himself teaches in John: If ye love Me, keep My commandments. He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me. If a man love Me, he will keep My word; but he that loveth Me not, keepeth not My words (John 14:15, 21, 23, 24). And that those are saved who receive the Lord, and believe in Him; but not those who are in evils and the derivative falsities, because these latter do not receive Him and believe in Him, He teaches in John: As many as received Him, to them gave He power to be sons of God, to them that believe in His name; who were born, not from bloods, nor from the will of the flesh, nor from the will of man, but from God (John 1:12, 13). "To be born from bloods, from the will of the flesh, and from the will of man," denotes to be in the evils of the love of self and of the world, and in the derivative falsities. "To be born from God" denotes to be regenerated.

When the Lord had fully glorified His Human, He then put off the human from the mother, and put on the Human from the Father; and therefore He was then no longer the son of Mary, but the Son of God, from Whom He came forth.

That there is a trine in the Lord, namely, the Divine Itself, the Divine Human, and the proceeding Divine, is a secret from heaven, and is for those who will be in the holy Jerusalem. EXODUS 40 1. And Jehovah spoke unto Moses, saying, 2. On the first day of the month, in the first month, shalt thou rear up the Habitation of the Tent of meeting. 3. And thou shalt put therein the ark of the Testimony, and thou shalt cover the veil over the ark. 4. And thou shalt bring in the table, and shalt set in order the ordering thereof; and thou shalt bring in the lampstand, and shalt make the lamps thereof to go up. 5. And thou shalt set the altar of gold for incense before the ark of the Testimony, and shalt put the covering of the door to the Habitation. 6. And thou shalt set the altar of burnt-offering before the door of the Habitation of the Tent of meeting. 7. And thou shalt set the laver between the Tent of meeting and the altar, and shalt put waters therein. 8. And thou shalt set the court round about, and shalt set, the covering of the gate of the court. 9. And thou shalt take the oil of anointing, and anoint the Habitation, and all that is therein, and thou shalt sanctify it, and all the vessels thereof; and it shall be holy. 10. And thou shalt anoint the altar of burnt-offering, and all its vessels, and shalt sanctify the altar; and the altar shall be a holy of holies. 11. And thou shall anoint the laver and its base, and shalt sanctify it. 12. And thou shalt make Aaron and his sons to come near unto the door of the Tent of meeting, and shalt wash them with waters. 13. And thou shall clothe Aaron with the garments of holiness, and thou shall anoint him, and sanctify him, that he may minister to Me in the priest's office. 14. And thou shalt make his sons to come near, and shalt clothe them with tunics. 15. And thou shalt anoint them, as thou didst anoint their father, and they shall minister to Me in the priest's office; and their anointing shall be to them for the priesthood of an age in their generations. 16. And Moses did according to all that Jehovah commanded him, so did he. 17. And it came to pass in the first month, in the second year, on the first day of the month, that the Habitation was reared up. 18. And Moses reared up the Habitation, and set its bases, and placed the planks thereof, and put in the bars thereof, and reared up its pillars. 19. And be spread the Tent over the Habitation, and put the covering of the Tent upon it above; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 20. And he took and put the Testimony into the ark, and placed the staves upon the ark, and put the propitiatory upon the ark above. 21. And he brought the ark into the Habitation, and set the veil of the covering, and covered over the ark of the Testimony; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 22. And he put the table in the Tent of meeting, upon the leg of the Habitation northward, without the veil. 23. And he set in order upon it the ordering of the bread before Jehovah; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 24. And he put the lampstand in the Tent of meeting, hard by the table, on the leg of the Habitation toward the south. 25. And he made the lamps go up before Jehovah; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 26. And he put the altar of gold in the Tent of meeting before the veil; 27. And he burnt thereon incense of spices; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 28. And he put the covering of the door to the Habitation. 29. And he placed the altar of burnt-offering at the door of the Habitation of the Tent of meeting, and he made to go up upon it the burnt-offering and the meat-offering; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 30. And he placed the laver between the Tent of meeting and the alter, and put waters therein, to wash. 31. And Moses and Aaron and his sons washed out of it their hands and their feet. 32. When they entered into the Tent of meeting, and when they came near unto the altar, they washed; as Jehovah commanded Moses. 33. And he reared up the court round about the Habitation, and the altar, and set the covering of the gate of the court. And Moses finished the work. 34. And the cloud covered the Tent of meeting, and the glory of Jehovah filled the Habitation. 35. And Moses could not enter into the Tent of meeting, because the cloud tarried upon it, and the glory of Jehovah filled the Habitation. 36. And when the cloud went up from over the Habitation, the sons of Israel journeyed in all their journeyings. 37. And if the cloud went not up, then they journeyed not till the day that it went up. 38. Because the cloud of Jehovah was upon the Habitation by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the eyes of all the house of Israel, in all their journeyings.

THE CONTENTS. These things also are passed by without further explication, because they are again the same as those which have been already described and unfolded once, except those which are mentioned at the end of this chapter, where it is said that after Moses had finished the work the cloud covered the Tent, and the glory of Jehovah filled the Habitation; and also that the cloud tarried upon the Tent by day, and that there was fire in it by night; and that the sons of Israel journeyed whenever the cloud went up. What these things signify is also plain from what has already been frequently stated and shown about the cloud, about the glory of Jehovah, about the fire, and about the journeyings.

CONTINUATION ABOUT THE SIXTH EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN. I afterward questioned those spirits about various things in the earth from which they were; and first about their Divine worship. To this they replied that the nations together with their families assemble every thirtieth day at one place, and hear preachings, and that from a pulpit raised somewhat above the ground the preacher then teaches them truths Divine which lead to the good of life. They were asked from what source they have a knowledge of truths Divine. They said that it is from revelation; and with regard to revelation they stated that it takes place in the morning, in a state midway between sleep and waking, when they are in interior light not yet interrupted by the senses of the body, and by worldly things; and that they then hear angels of heaven speaking about truths Divine and a life according to them; and that when they become awake an angel appears to them at the bedside in a white garment, who then suddenly disappears from their eyes, and from this they know that the things which they have heard are from heaven. In this way a vision of Divine origin is distinguished from a vision that is not Divine; for no angel appears in a vision that is not Divine. They added that revelations are made to their preachers, and sometimes also to others, in a similar way.

With respect to the sun of that earth, which to us is a star, they said that it appears to the inhabitants of the size of the human head, of the color of flame; that their year is two hundred days long, and that a day is equal to nine hours of our time, which they were able to infer from the length of the days of our earth as perceived in me; and further that they have perpetual spring and summer, and consequently that the fields are in bloom, and the trees bear fruit, continuously. The reason of this is that their year is so short, being equal only to the time of seventy-five days of our year; and where the years are so short, there the cold does not linger in winter, nor the heat in summer, in consequence of which the ground is constantly in a state of spring.

In reply to a question about their houses, they said that they are low, of wood, with a flat roof, around which is a coping sloping downward; and that in the front part of the house dwell the husband and wife, the children in the part adjoining, and the menservants and maidservants behind. With respect to their food, they said that they live on fruit and vegetables, and that they drink milk with water, and have the milk from cows which are woolly like sheep.

With regard to their life, they said that they go about quite naked, and that nakedness is no shame to them; also that their interaction is with those who are within the families.

As regards betrothals and marriages among the inhabitants on that earth, they related that a daughter of marriageable age is kept at home, and is not allowed to go out until the day when she is to be married; and that she is then conducted to a certain wedding house, whither also have been brought a number of other young women who are marriageable; and they are there placed behind a partition that is raised as high as the middle part of their bodies, so that they are seen undressed merely in respect to the breast and face; and then the young men come thither to choose one for a wife; and when a young man sees one who is like himself, and to whom his mind draws him, he takes her by the hand; and if she then follows he leads her into a house that has been made ready, and she becomes his wife. For in that earth people see from the faces of others whether they agree in their minds, because there the face of everyone is the index of the mind, being quite free from pretence and deception. That all things may be done in a becoming manner, and without lasciviousness, an old man sits behind the virgin girls, and at their side an old woman, and they keep watch. There are a number of such places to which the young women are led, and there are also stated times when the young men may make their choice. For if they do not see a girl who suits them in one place, they go away to another; and if not at that time, they return at a subsequent time. They said further that a husband has only one wife, and never more, because this is contrary to Divine order.