669. [verse 5] 'After these things I saw, and behold the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened' signifies that the inmost of heaven was seen, where the Lord is in His holiness in the Word, and in the Law which is the Decalogue. By 'the temple' is signified, in the highest sense, the Lord as to His Divine Human, and heaven and the Church thence (n. 191, 529), here the Christian heaven. By 'the tabernacle of the testimony' is signified the inmost of that heaven, where the Lord is in His holiness in the Word, and in the Law which is the Decalogue, inasmuch as by 'the tabernacle' likewise heaven is signified (n. 585), and the inmost of the tabernacle was where the ark was, in which were the two tables on which the 'ten words' were written with the finger of God, which are the ten precepts of the Decalogue. These are understood by 'the testimony', and are also called the testimony'. From these considerations it is plain that by I saw and behold the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened' is Signified that the inmost of the heaven was seen, where the Lord is in His holiness in the Law which is the Decalogue. By 'the tabernacle of the testimony' is also signified where the Word is, because 'the testimony' is said not only of the Law which is the Decalogue, but also of the Word, and of the Lord as the Word because the Word testifies of Him (n. 490, 555). [2] That the Word is in heaven, and this is preserved in the inmost thereof, which is called the shrine (sacrarium), and that there is a flaming and dazzling light exceeding every degree of the light that is in the heaven outside it, may be seen in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE (n. 70-75), also concerning that shrine (n. 73 there). Concerning the holiness of the Law which is the Decalogue, THE DOCTRINE OF LIFE FOR THE NEW JERUSALEM DERIVED FROM THE PRECEPTS OF THE DECALOGUE may be seen (n. 53-60). It may be seen (1 Kings vi 19-28; viii 4-10) that:-
The ark, in which were the two tables of the Decalogue, made the sanctuary or inmost of the Jerusalem temple,
and thus the tabernacle there. That the Law which is the Decalogue was termed 'the testimony' is established from these places:-
Moses went down, and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand; the tables were the work of God, the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables Exod. xxxii 15, 16.
Two tables of the testimony, tables of stone, written with the finger of God Exod. xxxi 18.
Jehovah said, Thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee Exod. xxv 16, 21, 22.
And Moses took and put the testimony into the ark Exod. xl 20.
That the cloud of incense may cover the propitiatory that is upon the testimony Lev. xvi 13.
Jehovah said unto Moses, Leave the rods before the testimony, and Aaron's rod afterwards before the testimony Num. xvii 4, 10 [H.B. 19, 25].
And Moses left the rods before Jehovah Num. xvii 7 [H.B. 22].
The ark is called the ark of the testimony Exod. xxxi 7.
And the tabernacle is called the habitation of the testimony Exod. xxxviii 21.
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