529. [verse 19] 'And the temple of God in heaven was opened, and the ark of [His] covenant was seen in His temple' signifies the New Heaven, in which the Lord is worshipped in His Divine Human and there is living in accordance with the precepts of His Decalogue, these being the two Essentials of the New Church whereby conjunction [is effected] . By 'the temple of God' is signified the Lord's Divine Human, likewise heaven where the angels are, as also the Church on earth. That these three are signified by 'the temple of God', and that they cannot be separated, may be seen (n. 191). Here, however, by 'the temple of God' is signified the Lord in His Divine Human in heaven where angels are, because it is said, 'the temple of God in heaven'. By 'the ark in the temple' is understood the Decalogue, for in the ark there were only the two tables on which the Decalogue had been written. By 'opened' is signified that those two, the Divine Human and the Decalogue, which are the two Essentials of the New Church, were now seen, and they were seen after the evil were cast into hell (n. 528). 'The ark of His covenant in His temple' is said, because a 'covenant' signifies conjunction, concerning which [something shall be said] below. [2] But first something shall be said concerning the Decalogue. What nation throughout the entire world does not know that it is evil to kill, commit adultery, steal, and bear false witness? If these things were not known, and if care were not taken that such things be enacted by means of laws, it would be all up with the nations, for a society, a republic, or a kingdom would fall without these laws. Who can suppose that the Israelitish nation was so much more stupid than all other nations, that it did not know that those things were evil? Therefore anyone may wonder why those laws, recognised universally throughout the world, were promulgated by Jehovah Himself from Mount Sinai with so great a miracle, so that they were also written with His finger. But hear! They were promulgated so miraculously by Jehovah and written with His finger so that it might be known that those laws were not only civil and moral laws but also spiritual laws, and that to act against them was not only to do evil against the fellow citizen and society but also to sin against God. These laws, therefore, by their promulgation from Mount Sinai by Jehovah were made laws of religion; for it is clear that whatever Jehovah God commands He commands so that it may be a matter of religion, and that it is to be done for His sake and for the man's sake that he may be saved. [3] These laws, because they were the first-fruits of the Church about to be set up by the Lord with the Israelitish nation, and because they were in a short summary the complex of all the things of religion by which a conjunction of the Lord with man and of man with the Lord is given, were therefore so holy that nothing was holier. That they were most holy can be established from this, that:-
Jehovah Himself; that is, the Lord descended in fire, and the mountain then smoked and quaked, and there were thunders, lightnings, a thick cloud and the voice of a trumpet Exod. xix 16, 18; Deut. v 22-26 [H.B. 19-23].
The people, before the descent of Jehovah, prepared and sanctified themselves for three days Exod. xix 10, 11, 15.
The mountain was fenced around lest anyone come near to its lowest part, lest he die Exod. xix 12, 13, 20-23; xxiv 1, 2.
The law was written on two tables of stone, and written with the finger of God Exod. xxxi 18; xxxii 15, 16; Deut. ix 10.
When Moses brought those tables down from the mount the second time, he had a shining face Exod. xxxiv 29-35.
The tables were put in the ark Exod. xxv 16; xl 20; Deut. x 5; 1 Kings viii 9.
The place in the tabernacle where the ark was, was termed the holy of holies Exod. xxvi 33, and elsewhere.
The ark by virtue of the law therein, was termed Jehovah there Num. x 35, 36; 2 Sam. vi 2; Ps. cxxxii 8.
Jehovah spoke with Moses above the ark Exod. xxv 22; Num. vii 89.
On account of the holiness of the law it was not permitted for Aaron to enter within the veil, where the ark was, except with sacrifices and incense, lest he die Lev. xvi 2-14 seq.
As a result of the presence and power of the Lord in the law that was in the ark, the waters of the Jordan were cut apart, and so long as it was resting in the midst, the people went over on dry ground Josh. iii 1-17; iv 5-20.
By means of the ark's being carried around them, the walls of Jericho fell down Josh. vi 1-20.
Dagon, god of the Philistines, fell down to the earth before the ark, and afterwards lay upon the threshold of the temple decapitated Sam. v 3, 4.
The Ekronites and the Bethshemites were smitten on account of the ark to [the number of] several thousands I Sam. v and vi.
The ark was led into Zion by David with sacrifices and rejoicing 2 Sam. vi 1-19.
Uzzah died then, because he touched it 2 Sam. vi 6, 7.
The ark in the Jerusalem temple made the inmost part (Adytum) 1 Kings vi 19 seq.; viii 3-9.
The tables on which the law was written were termed the tables of the covenant, and the ark by virtue of them was termed the ark of the covenant, and the law itself the covenant Num. x 33; Deut. iv 13, 23; v 2, 3; ix 9; Josh. iii 11; Kings viii 19, 21; and elsewhere.
[4] That the law was termed the 'covenant' signifies conjunction. This is because covenants are made for the sake of love, friendship, consociation, thus for the sake of conjunction; therefore it is said of the Lord:-
That He shall be for a Covenant to the people Isa. xlii 6; xlix 8.
And He is called 'The Angel of the Covenant' (Mal. iii 1); and His blood 'the blood of the Covenant' (Matt. xxvi 28; Zech. ix 11; Exod. xxiv 4-10). And therefore the Word is termed the Old Covenant and the New Covenant [or Testament].
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