10360. And ye shall keep the Sabbath. That this signifies that the Divine Human of the Lord is to be worshiped, is evident from the signification of “keeping,” when said of the Divine, as being to worship; and from the signification of “the Sabbath,” as being in the supreme sense the union of the Divine which is called the “Father” and of the Divine Human which is called the “Son,” thus the Divine Human in which is this union. This union is signified by “the Sabbath,” because by the six days of labor which precede the seventh is signified every state of combat; for in the spiritual sense “labor” does not mean such labor as there is in the world, but such as those who are in the church endure before they enter the church and become the church, which labor is combat against evils and falsities of evil. A like “labor” (in the spiritual sense) was endured by the Lord when He was in the world; for He then fought against the hells, and reduced them and likewise the heavens into order, and at the same time He glorified His Human, that is, He united it to the Divine Itself which He had from conception (see n. 9715, 9809).

[2] The time and state when the Lord was in combats is signified by the six days of labor, but the state when the union had been effected is signified by the seventh day, which is called “the Sabbath,” from “rest,” because the Lord then had rest. Consequently by “the Sabbath” is signified also the conjunction of the Lord with heaven, with the church, with an angel of heaven, and with a man of the church. The reason is that all who are to come into heaven must first be in combats against evils and the falsities of evil, and when these have been separated they enter heaven and are conjoined with the Lord, and then they have rest. It is similar with men in the world. It is known that these must be in combats, that is, that they must undergo temptations, before the good and truth which make the church have been implanted in them; thus before they have been conjoined with the Lord, consequently before they have rest. From this it is evident whence it is that a state of combat is signified by the six days of labor, while rest and also conjunction are signified by the seventh day or the Sabbath.

[3] That the conjunction of good and truth also, is signified by “the Sabbath,” is because when a man is in combats he is in truths; but when truths have been conjoined with good, thus when the man is in good, he then has rest; in like manner as the Lord, when He was in the world, and fought with the hells, was in respect to His Human Divine truth; and when He had united His Human to the Divine Itself, He then, even in respect to His Human, became the Divine good, or Jehovah.

[4] (That the six days which precede the Sabbath denote the combats which precede and prepare for the heavenly marriage, which is the conjunction of good and truth, may be seen in n. 8510, 8888, 9431. As regards the former state, when man is in truths and at the same time in combats against evils and falsities of evils, which state is signified by “the six days of labor,” and as regards the latter state, when he is in good and is led by the Lord, which is signified by “the Sabbath,” see n. 7923, 7992, 8505, 8506, 8510, 8512, 8516, 8539, 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685, 8690, 8701, 8772, 9139, 9224, 9227, 9230, 9274, 9832. That when the Lord was in the world He made His Human first Divine truth, and afterward Divine good, see the places cited in n. 9199, 9315; and that He did this by the combats of temptations, see the places cited in n. 9528.)

[5] Therefore he who knows that by “the Sabbath” in the supreme sense is meant the union of the Divine Itself in the Divine Human of the Lord, may know what those things signify which are so often said in the Word about the Sabbath, as in Isaiah:

If thou turn away thy foot from the Sabbath, so that thou doest not thine inclinations on the day of My holiness; but shalt call the Sabbath honorable delights to the Holy One of Jehovah; and shalt honor it, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own desire, nor speaking a word; then shalt thou delight thyself upon Jehovah; and I will exalt thee on the high places of the earth, and I will feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father (Isaiah 58:13-14);

He who is acquainted with the internal sense of the Word can plainly see that in this passage by “the Sabbath” is signified the state of conjunction of man with the Lord, thus the state when man is led by the Lord and not by himself, which state is when he is in good. For to be led by the Lord, and not by self, is to “turn away the foot from the Sabbath, not to do one’s own inclinations, not to do one’s own ways, not to find one’s own desire, and not to speak a word.” That in this case the church is in him, and also heaven, is signified by that “he shall be exalted on the high places of the earth, and shall be fed with the heritage of Jacob.” Moreover, that “the Sabbath” denotes the Divine Human in which is union, is signified by the Sabbath being called “a day of holiness and of delight to the Holy One of Jehovah.”

[6] And in Jeremiah:

If ye will hallow the Sabbath day, then shall there enter in by the gates of this city kings and princes sitting upon the throne of David, riding in the chariot and on horses (Jeremiah 17:24-25);

He who is not acquainted with the internal sense of the Word will suppose that these things are to be understood according to the sense of the letter, namely, that if they would hallow the Sabbath, kings and princes would enter in by the gates of the city Jerusalem, and would ride in the chariot and on horses. This however is not the meaning; but that those who reverently worship the Divine Human of the Lord shall be in the Divine truths of heaven and of the church; for by “Jerusalem” is meant the church; by “kings and princes,” its Divine truths; by “the throne of David,” heaven where the Lord is; by “chariot,” the doctrine of good and truth; and by “horses,” an enlightened understanding. (That “Jerusalem” denotes the church, see n. 2117, 3654; that “kings” denote Divine truths, n. 1672, 2015, 2069, 3009, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 5068, 6148; that “princes” denote primary truths, n. 1482, 2089, 9954; that a “throne” denotes heaven, n. 5313; that “a chariot” denotes the doctrine of good and truth, n. 5321, 8215; and that “horses” denote an understanding which is enlightened, n. 2760-2762, 3217, 5321, 6534)

[7] As by “the Sabbath” was signified the Lord as to the Divine Human in which there is union, it was therefore commanded that the breads of faces should be set in order upon the table every Sabbath (Leviticus 24:8). That the Lord as to the Divine Human is meant by “bread” is known in the church. For this reason also when the Lord was in the world He called Himself “the Lord of the Sabbath” (Matthew 12:8; Mark 2:27-28; Luke 6:1-5).

[8] And therefore when the Lord was in the world, and united His Human to the Divine Itself, He abrogated the Sabbath in respect to representative worship, or in respect to its worship such as was with the Israelitish people; and made the Sabbath day a day of instruction in the doctrine of faith and of love. This is involved in what is written in John:

Jesus healing a certain man on the Sabbath day said to him, Take up thy bed and walk; and he took up his bed and walked. But the Jews said that it was not allowable to carry a bed on the Sabbath day, and sought to kill the Lord, because He loosed the Sabbath (John 5:8-10, 18).

By the “healing of the sick” is signified the purifying of man from evils and the falsities of evil; by a “bed” is signified doctrine; and by “walking” is signified life.

[9] (That all the healings of diseases which were performed by the Lord involve purification from evils and falsities, or restorations to spiritual life, see n. 8364, 9031, 9086; and that “to walk” denotes life, n. 519, 1794, 8417, 8420.) That a “bed” denotes doctrine is evident from the passages in the Word where a “bed” is mentioned, and also from the representatives in the other life, where when a bed appears and one lying on it, there is signified the doctrine in which he is; consequently beds appear there most highly adorned for those who are in truths from good. But no one can know that such things are signified by the above words of the Lord except by the internal sense, for the Lord spoke by correspondences, thus by significatives, because from the Divine.

1672. And the kings that were with him. That this signifies the apparent truth which is of that good, is evident from the signification of “kings” in the Word. “Kings,” “kingdoms,” and “peoples,” in the historical and the prophetical parts of the Word, signify truths and the things which are of truths, as may be abundantly confirmed. In the Word an accurate distinction is made between a “people” and a “nation;” by a “people” are signified truths, and by a “nation” goods, as before shown (n. 1259, 1260). “Kings” are predicated of peoples, but not so much of nations. Before the sons of Israel sought for kings, they were a nation, and represented good, or the celestial; but after they desired a king, and received one, they became a people, and did not represent good or the celestial, but truth or the spiritual; which was the reason why this was imputed to them as a fault (see 1 Samuel 8:7-22, concerning which subject, of the Lord’s Divine mercy elsewhere). As Chedorlaomer is named here, and it is added, “the kings that were with him,” both good and truth are signified; by “Chedorlaomer,” good, and by “the kings,” truth. But what was the quality of the good and truth at the beginning of the Lord’s temptations has already been stated.

9594. And thou shalt make the Habitation. That this signifies the second or middle heaven, is evident from the signification of “the Habitation,” when said of the Divine, as being heaven, in particular the middle or second heaven. It is known that there are three heavens: the inmost, the middle, and the ultimate; or the third, the second, and the first. All these heavens were represented by the tabernacle: by the ark, where the Testimony was, the inmost or third heaven; by the Habitation, where were the table for the breads of faces and the lampstand, the middle or second heaven; and by the court, the ultimate or first heaven. That there are three heavens is because there are three degrees of life in man (for the man who becomes an angel after death constitutes heaven; from no other source are the angels, from no other is heaven). The inmost degree of the man’s life is for the inmost heaven; the middle degree of his life is for the middle heaven; and the ultimate degree is for the ultimate heaven. Man being such, or so formed, and heaven being from the human race, there are therefore three heavens.

[2] These three degrees of life in man are opened successively; the first degree by a life in accordance with what is equitable and just; the second degree by a life in accordance with the truths of faith from the Word, and in accordance with the consequent goods of charity toward the neighbor; and the third degree by a life in accordance with the good of mutual love and the good of love to the Lord. These are the means whereby are successively opened these three degrees of life in man, thus the three heavens in him. But be it known that in proportion as a man recedes from the good of life, and accedes to the evil of life, these degrees are closed, that is, the heavens are closed in him; for just as the good of life opens them, so the evil of life closes them. It is from this that all who are in evil are outside of heaven, thus are in hell. And because, as before said, the heavens are successively opened in a man according to the good of his life, be it known that for this reason in some the first heaven is opened and not the second; and in some the second heaven is opened and not the third; and that the third heaven is opened in those only who are in the good of life from love to the Lord. (That a man is heaven in the least form, and that he was created after the image both of heaven and of the world, may be seen in the passages cited in n. 9279).

[3] Therefore it is the inmost heaven which is represented by the ark of the Testimony, treated of in the preceding chapter; it is the middle heaven which is represented by the Habitation, treated of in this chapter; and it is the ultimate heaven which is represented by the court, treated of in the following chapter. Heaven is called “the Habitation of God” from the fact that the Divine of the Lord dwells there; for it is the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord’s Divine good that makes heaven, for this gives the life of an angel who is there. And because the Lord dwells with the angels in that which is from Himself (n. 9338), therefore heaven is called “the Habitation of God,” and the Divine truths themselves from the Divine good, of which the angels or the angelic societies are the receptions, are called His “Habitations; as in David:

O send out Thy light and Thy truth; let these lead me; let them lead me unto the mountain of holiness, and to Thy habitations; that I may go in unto the altar of God, unto God (Psalms 43:3-4

There is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God, the holiness of the habitations of the Most High (Psalms 46:4).

They have profaned the habitation of Thy name to the earth (Psalms 74:7).

How lovely are Thy habitations, O Jehovah (Psalms 84:1).

[4] That the Divine things which proceed from the Lord’s Divine Human are what are in particular called His “Habitations,” and that from this, heaven itself is called His “Habitation” is also evident in David:

He swore to Jehovah, he vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob, I will not give sleep to mine eyes until I have found out a place for Jehovah, habitations for the Mighty One of Jacob. Lo, we heard of Him in Ephrathah, we found Him in the fields of the forest; we will go into His Habitations (Psalms 132:2, 4-7).

“The Mighty One of Jacob” denotes the Lord as to the Divine Human (n. 6425); “Ephrathah,” where He was to be found, is Bethlehem, where He was born (Genesis 35:19; 48:7; Micah 5:2; Matthew 2:4-6); “the fields of the forest” denote the goods of the church among the Gentiles.

[5] In Ezekiel:

They shall dwell upon the land that I have given to Jacob My servant; they shall dwell upon it, they and their sons’ sons forever; and David My servant shall be prince to them forever. I will make a covenant of peace with them; it shall be an everlasting covenant with them, and I will set My sanctuary in the midst of them forever. So shall My habitation be with them (Ezekiel 37:25-27).

“David,” who was to be “prince to them” denotes the the Lord, (n. 1888); “the sanctuary” denotes the Lord’s Divine Human, because from Him is all that is holy (n. 3210, 9229); thus His “Habitation” denotes heaven and the church where the Lord is.

[6] In Jeremiah:

Thus said Jehovah, Behold I bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents, and have compassion on his habitations, that the city shall be built upon its heap (Jeremiah 30:18).

“To bring back the captivity of Jacob’s tents” denotes to restore the goods and truths of the external church which had been destroyed; “having compassion on his habitations” denotes to restore the truths of the internal church; “the city which shall be built upon its heap” denotes the doctrine of truth (n. 2449, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493).

[7] In what way the Lord dwells in the heavens, can be seen from what has been shown already concerning the Lord; namely, that the Lord as to the Divine Human is the Sun from which are the heat and light in the heavens. The heat from the Lord as the Sun is love, and the light is faith. From this the Lord dwells with those who receive from Him the good of love and the truth of faith, thus the heat and light of life. His presence is according to the degrees of the reception.