414、“住帐棚”表示爱的神圣事物。这从圣言中“帐棚”的含义清楚可知。如诗篇：
耶和华啊，谁能寄居你的帐棚？谁能住在你的圣山？就是行走正直，作事公义，心里说真理的人。（诗篇15:1-2）
此处爱的神圣事物，就是“行走正直，作事公义”以“寄居帐棚”或“住圣山”来描述。又：
他们的准绳通遍全地，他们的言语传到世界的尽头。神在他们中间为太阳安设帐棚。（诗篇19:4）
此处“太阳”表示爱。又：
我要永远住在你的帐棚里，我要投靠在你翅膀的遮蔽处。（诗篇61:4）
此处“帐棚”表示属天之物，“你翅膀的遮蔽处”表示源于属天之物的属灵之物。以赛亚书：
必有宝座因怜悯竖立，必有一位凭信实坐在其上，在大卫帐棚中施行审判，寻求公平，速行公义。（以赛亚书16:5）
此处“帐棚”也表示爱的神圣之物，“寻求公平”和“速行公义”这些词语就是用来描述它们的。又：
你要看锡安，我们所定节期的城；你的眼必见耶路撒冷为安静的居所，为不挪移的帐棚。（以赛亚书33:20）
这论及天上的耶路撒冷。
耶利米书：
耶和华如此说，看哪，我必使雅各被掳去的帐棚归回，也必怜悯他的住处。城必建造在它自己的废墟上。（耶利米书30:18）
“被掳去的帐棚”表示属天事物的荒废，也就是爱的神圣事物的荒废。阿摩司书：
到那日，我必立起大卫倒塌的帐幕，堵住它们的破口，把那破坏的立起来，建造它像往日一样。（阿摩司书9:11）
此处“帐幕”同样表示属天事物及其神圣事物。耶利米书：
全地荒废。我的帐棚忽然荒废，我的幔子顷刻荒废。（耶利米书4:20）
另一处：
我的帐棚荒废，我的绳索都折断。我的儿子离我出去，他们不在了。无人再支搭我的帐棚，挂起我的幔子。（耶利米书10:20）
此处“帐棚”表示属天事物，“幔子”和“绳索”表示源于属天事物的属灵事物。又：
他们的帐棚和羊群，都要夺去，将幔子和一切器皿，并骆驼为自己掠去。（耶利米书49:29）
这论及阿拉伯和东方人，他们代表那些拥有属天事物或神圣事物的人。耶利米哀歌：
在锡安女儿的帐棚上，主倒出祂的忿怒像火一样。（耶利米哀歌2:4）
这论及信的属天事物或神圣事物的荒废。
在圣言中，“帐棚”之所以表示爱的属天事物或神圣事物，是因为古时，人们都各自在自己的帐棚里举行神圣的敬拜仪式。但当他们因各种敬拜的亵渎行为而开始玷污帐棚时，就建造了帐幕，后来又建造圣殿。因此，帐棚也代表随后先由帐幕、后由圣殿所表示的一切。由于同样的原因，一个圣洁的人被称为主的“帐棚”、“帐幕”和“圣殿”。“帐棚”、“帐幕”和“圣殿”具有相同的含义，这一点明显可见于诗篇：
有一件事，我曾求耶和华，我仍要寻求，就是尽我一生的日子住在耶和华的家中，瞻仰耶和华的甜美，每早晨在祂的殿中拜访祂。因为在遭难的日子，祂必把我隐藏在祂的帐幕中，把我藏在祂帐棚的隐密处，又把我高举在磐石上。现在我的头得以抬起，胜过我四面的仇敌，我要在祂的帐棚里，献上欢呼的祭。（诗篇27:4-6）
在至高意义上，主就其人身本质而言，就是“帐棚”、“帐幕”和“圣殿”。因此，一切属天人，以及一切属天和神圣的事物都被如此称呼。由于主钟爱上古教会胜过后来的教会，并且那个时代人们单独生活，也就是说，各家各户单独生活，各在自己的帐棚里举行神圣的敬拜，所以帐棚被认为比遭到亵渎的圣殿更神圣。为提醒人们这一点，当他们收获地里的出产时，就设立了住棚节。在节日期间，他们被吩咐住在帐棚里，像上古之人那样（利未记23:39-44；申命记16:13；何西阿书12:9）。
New Century Edition
Cooper(2008,2013)
[NCE]414. The fact that dwelling in a tent means holy love is established by the symbolism of tents in the Word, as, for instance, in David:
Jehovah, who will stay in your tent? Who will live on your holy mountain? Those walking unblemished and doing justice and speaking truth in their heart. (Psalms 15:1-2)
This passage tells what it means to live in a tent or on a holy mountain, which it equates with the holy ways of love, that is, with walking unblemished and doing justice. In the same author:
Their line has gone out into all the earth and their discourse to the end of the world. He placed a tent for the sun among them. (Psalms 19:4)
The sun here stands for love. In the same author:
I will stay in your tent forever; I will feel safe in the hiding place of your wings. (Psalms 61:4)
The tent stands for something heavenly, the hiding place of the wings for something spiritual that grows out of it. In Isaiah:
The throne has been strengthened by mercy, and he sits on it in truth in David's tent, judging and seeking judgment and hastening justice. (Isaiah 16:5)
Again the tent stands for holy love, exercised through the rendering of judgment and the hastening of justice. In the same author:
Look at Zion, the city of our appointed feast; may your eyes see Jerusalem, a tranquil dwelling, a tent that does not move. (Isaiah 33:20)
This speaks of the heavenly Jerusalem.
[2] In Jeremiah:
This is what Jehovah has said: "Watch! I am bringing back Jacob's captured tents, and I will have mercy on his dwellings. And the city will be rebuilt on its own [ruin] mound." (Jeremiah 30:18)
The capture of the tents stands for being stripped of heavenly qualities, or holy love. In Amos:
On that day I will raise up David's fallen pavilion, and wall up their breaches, and its ruins I will raise up, and I will rebuild it as in the days of old. (Amos 9:11)
The pavilion (or tabernacle) here likewise stands for heavenly attributes and their holiness. In Jeremiah:
The whole earth was devastated. Quickly were my tents devastated; in an instant, my tent curtains. (Jeremiah 4:20)
And in another place:
My tent was devastated and all my ropes were torn out; my children left me and were no more. I am no longer stretching out my tent or setting up my tent curtains. (Jeremiah 10:20)
The tent stands for heavenly qualities, the tent curtains and ropes for the spiritual qualities that come from them. In the same author:
[Others] will seize their tents and flocks; [others] will carry off for themselves their tent curtains and all their vessels and the camels. (Jeremiah 49:29)
This is about Arabia and the "children of the east,"{*1} representing people who possess holy, heavenly qualities. In the same author:
The Lord poured his wrath out into the tent of Zion's daughter like fire. (Lamentations 2:4)
This stands for being stripped of everything sacred and heavenly about faith.
[3] The reason why a tent in the Word is taken to mean sacred, heavenly love is that the ancients carried out sacred worship in their tents. When they started to profane the tents with profane types of worship, the tabernacle and later the Temple were built. So tents have the same symbolism as the tabernacle and the subsequent Temple. A godly person is therefore called a tent, a tabernacle, and a temple to the Lord.
It is clear in David that a tent, a tabernacle, and a temple mean the same thing:
One thing have I asked of Jehovah; this I will seek: that I may remain in Jehovah's house all the days of my life to watch Jehovah in sweet pleasure and to make early morning visits in his Temple. For he will hide me in his tabernacle on the day of evil. He will conceal me in the concealment of his tent; on a rock he will lift me up, and now my head will be lifted up against my enemies all around me and I will offer in his tent the sacrifices of shouting. (Psalms 27:4-5, 6)
[4] In the highest sense, the Lord's human quality is a tent, a tabernacle, and a temple. That is why these terms are applied to every heavenly person and to every sacred, heavenly quality too.
The Lord loved the earliest church more than the ones following it, and its people lived alone with each other — divided into their families, that is — holding sacred worship in their tents. For these two reasons their tents were considered more sacred than the Temple, which was eventually profaned. In remembrance of this, the Feast of Booths (or huts) was established. It took place while the people were gathering the land's produce, and during it they lived in huts as the earliest people had (Leviticus 23:39-44; Deuteronomy 16:13; Hosea 12:9).{*2}
Footnotes:
{*1} The "children of the east" are mentioned in Jeremiah 49:28, the verse previous to the one just cited here. The phrase was quoted and explained in 382:4. [SS]
{*2} The Feast of Booths, or Sukkot, is still celebrated by modern Jews, who build a temporary shelter outdoors and eat their meals in it (even sleeping in it if weather and health permit). It occurs on the fifth day after Yom Kippur, in September or October by the Gregorian calendar. [RS]
Potts(1905-1910) 414
414. That to "dwell in tents" signifies what is holy of love, is evident from the signification of "tents" in the Word. As in David:
Jehovah, who shall abide in Thy tent? Who shall dwell in the mountain of Thy holiness? He that walketh upright, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart (Ps. 15:1-2), in which passage, what it is to "dwell in the tent" or "in the mountain of holiness" is described by holy things of love, namely, the walking uprightly, and working righteousness. Again:
Their line is gone out through all the earth, and their discourse to the end of the world. In them hath He set a tent for the sun (Ps. 19:4), where the "sun" denotes love. Again:
I will abide in Thy tent to eternities, I will trust in the covert of Thy wings (Ps. 61:4), where the "tent" denotes what is celestial, and the "covert of wings" what is spiritual thence derived. In Isaiah:
By mercy the throne has been made firm, and one hath sat upon it in truth, in the tent of David, judging and seeking judgment, and hasting righteousness (Isa. 16:5), where also the "tent" denotes what is holy of love, as may be seen by the mention of "judging judgment" and "hasting righteousness." Again: Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feast; thine eyes shall see Jerusalem a quiet habitation, a tent that shall not be moved away (Isa. 33:20), speaking of the heavenly Jerusalem. [2] In Jeremiah:
Thus said Jehovah, Behold, I bring again the captivity of Jacob's tents, and will have mercy on his dwelling places, and the city shall be builded upon her own heap (Jer. 30:18);
the "captivity of tents" signifies the vastation of what is celestial, or of the holy things of love. In Amos:
In that day will I raise up the tabernacle of David which is fallen; and will fence up the breaches thereof, and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of eternity (Amos 9:11), where the "tabernacle" in like manner denotes what is celestial and the holy things thereof. In Jeremiah:
The whole land is laid waste, suddenly are My tents laid waste, and My curtains in a moment (Jer. 4:20). And in another place:
My tent is laid waste, and all My cords are plucked out, My sons are gone forth from Me, and they are not; there is none to stretch My tent anymore, and to set up My curtains (Jer. 10:20), where the "tent" signifies celestial things, and "curtains" and "cords" spiritual things thence derived. Again:
Their tents and their flocks shall they take; they shall carry off for themselves their curtains, and all their vessels, and their camels (Jer. 49:29), speaking of Arabia and the sons of the east, by whom are represented those who possess what is celestial or holy. Again:
Into the tent of the daughter of Zion the Lord hath poured out His wrath like fire (Lam. 2:4), speaking of the vastation of the celestial or holy things of faith. [3] The reason why the term "tent" is employed in the Word to represent the celestial and holy things of love, is that in ancient times they performed the holy rites of worship in their tents. But when they began to profane the tents by profane kinds of worship, the tabernacle was built, and afterwards the temple, and therefore tents represented all that was subsequently denoted first by the tabernacle, and afterwards by the temple. For the same reason a holy man is called a "tent" a "tabernacle" and a "temple" of the Lord. That a "tent" a "tabernacle" and a "temple" have the same signification, is evident in David:
One thing have I asked of Jehovah, that will I seek after, that I may remain in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to behold Jehovah in sweetness, and to visit early in His temple; for in the day of evil He shall hide me in His tabernacle; in the secret of His tent shall He hide me; He shall set me up upon a rock. And now shall my head be lifted up against mine enemies round about me, and I will offer in His tent sacrifices of shouting (Ps. 27:4-6). [4] In the supreme sense, the Lord as to His Human essence is the "tent" the "tabernacle" and the "temple;" hence every celestial man is so called, and also everything celestial and holy. Now as the Most Ancient Church was better beloved of the Lord than the churches that followed it, and as men at that time lived alone, that is, in their own families, and celebrated so holy a worship in their tents, therefore tents were accounted more holy than the temple, which was profaned. In remembrance thereof the feast of tabernacles was instituted, when they gathered in the produce of the earth, during which, like the most ancient people, they dwelt in tents (Lev. 23:39-44; Deut. 16:13; Hosea 12:9).
Elliott(1983-1999) 414
414. 'Dwelling in a tent' means the holiness of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'tents' in the Word, as in David,
O Jehovah, who will sojourn in Your tent? Who will dwell on Your holy mountain! He who walks blameless and performs righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart. Ps 15:1, 2.
Here the holy things of love, which are 'walking blameless and performing righteousness' are described by 'dwelling in a tent' or 'on the holy mountain'. In the same author,
Their line has gone out into all the earth, and their speech to the end of the world. In them He has set a tent for the sun. Ps 19:4.
Here 'sun' stands for love. In the same author,
I will dwell in Your tent for ever, I will put my trust in the shelter of Your wings. Ps 61:4
Here 'tent' stands for what is celestial, and 'shelter of Your wings' for what is spiritual deriving from it. In Isaiah,
In compassion a throne was established, and on it there sat in truthfulness in the tent of David, one who judges and who seeks judgement, and hastens in righteousness. Isa 16:5
Here again 'tent' stands for the holiness of love, which the phrases judging judgement' and 'hastening in righteousness' are used to describe. In the same prophet,
Look upon Zion, the city of our appointed feast. May your eyes see Jerusalem, a quiet habitation, a tent which is not moved. Isa 33:10.
This refers to the heavenly Jerusalem.
[2] In Jeremiah,
Thus said Jehovah, Behold, I will bring back the captivity of the tents of Jacob and have compassion on his dwellings. And the city will be built upon its mound. Jer 30:18.
'The captivity of the tents' stands for the vastation of celestial things, that is, of holy things of love. In Amos,
On that day I will raise up the tabernacle of David that is fallen down, and I will close up their breaches, and I will raise up its ruins, and I will build it as in the days of old. Amos 9:11.Here similarly 'a tabernacle' stands for celestial things and the holy things that go with them. In Jeremiah,
The whole land has been laid waste. Swiftly My tents have been laid waste, suddenly My curtains. Jer 4:20.
And elsewhere in Jeremiah,
My tent has been laid waste, and all My cords torn away. My sons have gone away from Me, and they are not. There is no one stretching out My tent any more, and setting up My curtains. Jer 10:20.
Here 'tent' stands for celestial things, 'curtains' and 'cords' for spiritual things deriving from them. In the same prophet,
They will seize their tents and flocks, their curtains and all their vessels, and take away the camels for themselves. Jer 49:29
This refers to Arabia and the sons of the east, who represent people who are in possession of celestial things, that is, things that are holy. In the same prophet,
The Lord has poured out His fierce anger like fire on the tent of the daughter of Zion. Lam 2:4.
This stands for the vastation of the celestial or holy things of faith.
[3] The reason 'a tent' stands in the Word for the celestial or holy things of love is that in ancient times people carried out holy worship, each within his own tent. When however they started to render their tents unholy by profane acts of worship the Tabernacle was built, and later on the Temple. Consequently that which 'the Tabernacle' meant, and later on 'the Temple', was also what 'tents' meant. And someone who was holy was therefore called a tent, also a tabernacle, and the Lord's temple as well. That 'tent', 'tabernacle', and 'temple' all have the same meaning is clear in David,
One thing have I sought from Jehovah, that will I ask for, that I may remain in the house of Jehovah all the days of my life, to behold Jehovah in His beauty, and visit Him every morning in His temple. For He will shelter me in His tabernacle on the day of evil. He will hide me in the hiding-place of His tent, He will lift me up upon a rock and now my head will be lifted up against my enemies round about me, and I will sacrifice in His tent the sacrifices of shouts of joy. Ps 27:4-6.
[4] In the highest sense it is the Lord as regards His Human Essence who is the Tent, the Tabernacle, and the Temple. And every one who is celestial is consequently referred to in the same way, as well as every thing which is celestial and holy. Now because the Most Ancient Church was the Lord's beloved more than the Churches that followed, and because in those times people used to live independently, that is, each within his own family, celebrating holy worship each in his own tent, tents were consequently considered to be more holy than the temple which had been profaned. To remind people of this point the Feast of Tabernacles was therefore instituted when they had to gather in the produce of the earth. During this feast they were required to live in tabernacles as the most ancient people had done, Lev 23:39-44; Deut 16:13; Hosea 12:9.
Latin(1748-1756) 414
414. Quod 'habitare tentorium' sit sanctam amoris, constat ex significatione tentorium in Verbo, ut apud Davidem, Jehovah, quis commorabitur in tentorio Tuo? quis habitabit in monte sanctitatis Tuae? ambulans integer et operans justitiam, et loquens veritatem in corde suo, Ps. xv 1, 2;ubi describitur quid 'habitare in tentorio,' seu 'in monte sanctitatis,' per sancta amoris, quae sunt 'ambulare integer et facere justitiam'; apud eundem, In omnem terram exivit linea eorum, et in finem orbis sermo eorum; soli posuit tentorium in iis, Ps. xix 5 [A.V. 4];
ubi 'sol' pro amore: apud eundem, Commorabor in tentorio Tuo in aeternitates, confidam in abscondito alarum Tuarum, Ps. lxi 5 [A.V. 4];
ubi 'tentorium' pro caelesti; 'absconditum alarum' pro spirituali inde: apud Esaiam, Firmatus est per misericordiam thronus, et sedit super eo in veritate, in tentorio Davidis, judicans et quaerens judicium, et festinans justitiam, xvi 5;
ubi etiam 'tentorium' pro sancto amoris, ut per 'judicare judicium, et festinare justitiam:' apud eundem, Specta Zionem, civitatem festi stati nostri; oculi tui videant Hierosolymam, habitaculum tranquillum, tentorium quod non dimovetur, xxxiii 20;
[2] ubi de Hierosolyma caelesti: apud Jeremiam, Sic dixit Jehovah, Ecce Ego reducens captivitatem tentoriorum Jacobi, et habitaculorum ejus miserebor; et aedificabitur civitas super cumulo suo, xxx 18;
'captivitas tentoriorum' pro vastatione caelestium, seu sanctorum amoris: apud Amosum, In die illo erigam tabernaculum Davidis collapsum, obsepiamque rupturas eorum, et diruta ejus erigam, et aedificabo illuc juxta dies aeternitatis, ix 11;
ubi 'tabernaculum' similiter pro caelestibus et eorum sanctis: apud Jeremiam, Vastata est tota terra, cito vastata sunt tentoria Mea, subito cortinae Meae, iv 20:
et alibi, Tentorium Meum vastatum est, et omnes funes Mei evulsi {x}sunt; filii Mei exiverunt a Me, et non illi; non extendens amplius tentorium Meum, et erigens cortinas Meas, x 20;
ubi 'tentorium' pro caelestibus; 'cortinae et funes' pro spiritualibus inde; apud eundem, Tentoria eorum, et greges capient, cortinas eorum, et omnia vasa eorum, et camelos tollent sibi, xlix 29;
ubi de Arabia et filiis orientis, per quos repraesentantur ii qui possident caelestia seu sancta: apud eundem, Dominus in tentorium filiae Zionis effudit sicut ignem, excandescentiam suam, Thren. ii 4;
pro vastatione caelestium seu sanctorum fidei. [3] Quod 'tentorium' pro caelestibus et sanctis amoris in Verbo accipiatur, causa est quia antiquitus in tentoriis suis cultum sanctum peregerunt; cum autem profanare coeperunt tentoria per cultus profanos, tunc tabernaculum, et postea templum, aedificatum; quare quod 'tabernaculum,' et postea 'templum,' etiam 'tentoria' significabant; homo sanctus ideo vocatus 'tentorium,' tum 'tabernaculum,' ut et 'templum Domini': quod 'tentorium,' 'tabernaculum' et 'templum' idem significent, constat apud Davidem, Unum petii a Jehovah, hoc quaeram, ut maneam in domo Jehovae omnibus diebus vitae meae, ad spectandum in suavitate Jehovam, et ad visitandum mane in templo Ipsius: quia abscondet me in tabernaculo Suo in die mali; occultabit me in occulto tentorii Sui, in petra exaltabit me, et nunc exaltabitur caput meum contra hostes meos circumcirca me, et sacrificabo in tentorio Ipsius sacrificia vociferationis, Ps. xxvii 4-6. [4] In supremo sensu est Dominus quoad Humanam Ipsius Essentiam Tentorium, Tabernaculum, Templum; inde omnis caelestis homo ita dictus, et inde omne caeleste et sanctum: et quia Antiquissima Ecclesia a Domino amata prae sequentibus, et tunc quia inter se soli seu in familiis suis vivebant, et tam sanctum cultum in tentoriis suis celebrabant, ideo tentoria sanctiora habita sunt quam templum quod profanatum; in recordationem ideo Festum tabernaculorum, cum colligerent proventum terrae, institutum, quo in tabernaculis, sicut antiquissimi, habitarent, Lev. xxiii 39-44; Deut. xvi 13; Hos. xii 10 [A.V. 9].