8535. 'So Aaron laid it up before the Testimony, to be kept' means that it was in the presence of the Divine. This is clear from the meaning of 'laying up to be kept' as to preserve the memory of it, as above in 8526 (end), 8533; and from the meaning of 'before the Testimony' as in the presence of the Divine. The fact that 'the Testimony' means the Divine is evident from what comes before, where Moses tells Aaron to lay it up before Jehovah, 8532, that is, before the Divine. The reason why 'the Testimony' means the Divine is that in the universal sense 'the Testimony' is used to mean the Word, and the Word is Divine truth, thus the Lord. That He is the Word is evident in John,
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. John 1:1, 14
The fact that 'the Testimony' is the Lord in respect of Divine Truth is clear from the ark containing the law delivered from Sinai, which is called the Testimony From it the tabernacle derived all the holiness it possessed, and the Testimony was God's holiness itself. This is evident from the consideration that above it there was the Mercy Seat with the cherubim; immediately outside the veil there, there stood the tables of gold with the loaves and the lamps; Aaron performed the holiest act of worship there and also Jehovah afterwards spoke to Moses there, above the Mercy Seat between the two cherubs, thus from the Testimony. For these details, see Exod 22:16, 21, 22; 40:20.
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