9543. And the table shall be carried with them. That this signifies the consequent endurance, is evident from the signification of "to be carried," as being to come forth and subsist (see n. 9540), thus also endurance; and from the signification of "the table," as being a receptacle of celestial things (n. 9527). Thus is described the inmost or third heaven in respect to the reception of good from the Lord. For "the breads of faces" denote the celestial good that is from the Lord; and "the table" on which these breads were, denotes the receptacle of this good. But it is not allowable to set forth every detail as it really is, because very many things in the celestial kingdom of the Lord do not fall into any idea of human thought, and scarcely into the idea of the thought of the angelic spirits who are in the ultimate heaven. For all things in the Lord's celestial kingdom are founded upon the good which is of love, and not on the truth which is of faith. Moreover, they speak together by means of the goods which are of love, and not by means of the truths which are of faith, as do those who are in the Lord's spiritual kingdom (see what is cited in n. 9277).
[2] The Lord's celestial kingdom is the inmost or third heaven, in which as is known are things incomprehensible and unutterable, that is to say which have never entered into the mind of anyone, and eye hath not seen, nor ear heard. And therefore the things that come forth in this heaven are presented to view before the spirits below by means of representatives, from which some idea may be formed of the incomprehensible and unutterable things which are there. The same were represented in the world by the ark, the propitiatory [mercy seat], the cherubs, the table on which were the breads of faces, and by the lampstand. By means of these are presented all things in that kingdom; and by means of the Habitation and the court of the tent, and by means of the curtains and veils therein, were represented the things in the Lord's spiritual kingdom, which is the second or middle heaven.
