9485.“要让他们作一柜”表至内层天堂。这从“柜”的含义清楚可知。“柜”是指至内层天堂；因为约柜中的“法版”或“律法”表示主，原因在于，“法版”是指神性真理，神性真理就是天堂里的主（参看9503节）。正因如此，约柜表示至内层天堂；因此，它是最神圣的物体，被百姓当作耶和华来敬拜；因为他们以为耶和华住在那里，就在基路伯之间，这一点明显可见于诗篇：
我们听说约柜在以法他。我们要进祂的居所，在祂脚凳前下拜。耶和华啊，求你兴起，你和你有能力的约柜同入安息之所。（诗篇132:6-8）
这论述的是主；“以法他”是指主出生的伯利恒（弥迦书5:2；马太福音2:6）；“居所”表示主所在的天堂；“你和你有能力的约柜”表示主和祂的代表。
约柜是主的一个代表，这一点明显可见于耶利米书：
我必你们回到锡安。当那些日子，人必不再说约柜；约柜必不再涌上人的心头；人必不再提它，不觉得失掉它，也不再制造它，不追想，不记念，不再修复。那时，人必称耶路撒冷为耶和华的宝座，所有民族因耶和华的名，都必聚集到耶路撒冷。（耶利米书3:14，16，17）
这论述的是一个新教会。“不再说，不再涌上尽头，也不再修复”的“约柜”表示前一个教会的代表，那时这代表要被废除。“所有民族都必聚集到的耶路撒冷”是指这个新教会。由此明显可知，“约柜”表示主和教会中对祂的敬拜的一个代表，但以理书（8:11）中“常献的燔祭”和“圣所”所表相同。
以色列和犹太的百姓把约柜当作耶和华来敬拜，他们以为祂住在那里，就在基路伯之间，这一点明显可见于这些经文：
大卫将神的约柜运上来，它名称为万军之耶和华的名，就是那坐在基路伯上的。（撒母耳记下6:2）
民数记：
约柜往前行的时候，摩西就说，耶和华啊，求你兴起！愿你的仇敌四散，愿恨你的人从你面前逃跑。约柜停住的时候，他就说，耶和华啊，求你回到以色列的千万人中！（民数记10:33-36）
“约柜”之所以表示至内层天堂，是因为整个帐幕或会幕代表整个天使天堂；院子代表它的最低层部分；祭司供职所在之地代表它的中间部分；幔子里面、盛有法版的约柜所在之地代表它的至内层部分。
Potts(1905-1910) 9485
9485. And let them make an ark. That this signifies the inmost heaven, is evident from the signification of the "ark," as being the inmost heaven; for by the "testimony" or "law" in the ark is signified the Lord, for the reason that the "testimony" denotes the Divine truth, and Divine truth is the Lord in heaven (see below, n. 9503). It is from this that the ark signifies the inmost heaven; and therefore it was a most holy thing, and was worshiped by the people as Jehovah; for it was believed that Jehovah dwelt there, and between the cherubs, as is evident in David:
We heard in Ephrathah; we will enter into His habitation; we will bow at the footstool of His feet. Arise O Jehovah unto Thy rest; Thou, and the ark of Thy strength (Ps. 132:6-8);
treating of the Lord; "Ephrathah" is Bethlehem, where the Lord was born (Mic. 5:2; Matt. 2:6); the "habitation" denotes heaven where the Lord is; "Thou and the ark of Thy strength" denote the Lord and His representative. [2] That the ark is a representative of the Lord, is plain in Jeremiah:
I will bring you back to Zion; in those days they shall say no more, The ark of the covenant; neither shall it come up upon the heart; neither shall they make mention of it; neither shall they long for it; neither shall it be repaired anymore. At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah; and all the nations shall be gathered together to it, on account of the name of Jehovah, to Jerusalem (Jer. 3:14, 16, 17);
treating of a new church. The representative of the former church, which representative was then to be abolished, is meant by "the ark," which was "not to be spoken of anymore, neither to come up upon the heart, nor to be repaired." "Jerusalem, to which the nations were to be gathered," denotes this new church. From this it is plain that by "the ark" is signified a representative of the Lord and of the worship of Him in the church, the same as was signified by "the continual [burnt-offering]," and by "the habitation of the sanctuary," in Daniel 8:11. [3] That the ark was worshiped as Jehovah by the Israelitish and Jewish people, and that it was believed that He dwelt therein, and between the cherubs, is manifest in these passages:
David made them bring up the ark of God, the name of which is called the name of Jehovah Zebaoth, that sitteth on the cherubs upon it (2 Sam. 6:2). When the ark set forward, Moses said, Rise up, Jehovah, let Thine enemies be scattered. When it rested, he said, Return, Jehovah, unto the ten thousands of the thousands of Israel (Num. 10:33-36). That the inmost heaven was signified by "the ark," was because by the whole tabernacle or tent was represented the universal angelic heaven; its ultimate by the court; its middle by the habitation where the priest ministered; and its inmost by the habitation within the veil, where was the ark in which was the testimony.
Elliott(1983-1999) 9485
9485. 'And they are to make an ark' means the inmost heaven. This is clear from the meaning of 'an ark' as the inmost heaven; for 'the Testimony' or 'the Law' in the ark means the Lord, the reason for this being that 'the Testimony' is Divine Truth, and Divine Truth is the Lord in heaven, see below in 9503. So this then is why 'an ark' means the inmost heaven. The ark was therefore a most holy object, and it was worshipped by the people as Jehovah since Jehovah was thought to dwell there, between the cherubs, as is clear in David,
We heard [of Him] in Ephrathah. We will enter His dwelling-place, we will bow down at His footstool. Arise, O Jehovah, to Your resting-place, You and the ark of Your strength. Ps 132:6-8.
This refers to the Lord, Ephrathah being Bethlehem, where the Lord was born, Micah 5:2; Matt 2:6.'Dwelling-place' means heaven where the Lord is; and 'You and the ark of Your strength' means the Lord and a representative of Him.
[2] The fact that the ark is a representative of the Lord is evident in Jeremiah,
I will bring you back to Zion. In those days they will say no more The ark of the covenant; neither will it come to mind,a nor will they make mention of it, nor will they desire it, nor will it be restored any more. At that time they will call Jerusalem the throne of Jehovah, and all the nations will be gathered to it, because of Jehovah's name, to Jerusalem. Jer 3:14, 16, 17.This refers to a new Church. The representative of the former Church, which representative is to be done away with at that time, is meant by 'the ark', which will not be spoken of any more, come to mind, or be restored - 'Jerusalem', to which the nations will be gathered, being that new Church. From this it evident that 'the ark' means a representative of the Lord and the worship of Him in the Church, in the same way as 'the continual [sacrifice]' and 'the dwelling-place of [His] sanctuary' do in Daniel 8:11.
[3] The fact that the ark was worshipped as Jehovah by the Israelite and Jewish people and the fact that He was thought to dwell there, between the cherubs, is evident in the second Book of Samuel,
David caused the ark of God to go up, [the ark] on which His name is invoked - the name of Jehovah Zebaoth, who sits above it on the cherubs. 2 Sam 6:2.
And in Moses,
Whenever the ark travelled Moses said, Arise, O Jehovah, let Your enemies be scattered, and let those who hate You flee before Your face. Whenever it came to rest he said, Return, O Jehovah, to the myriads of the thousands of Israel. Num 10:33-36.
The reason why the inmost heaven was meant by 'the ark' was that all the tabernacle or tent represented the whole angelic heaven, the lowest part of it being represented by the court, the middle part of it by the dwelling-place where the priest ministered, and the inmost by the dwelling-place inside the veil where the ark containing the Testimony was.
Latin(1748-1756) 9485
9485. `Et faciant arcam': quod significet intimum caelum, constat ex significatione `arcae' quod sit intimum caelum, nam per (x)testimonium seu legem in arca significatur Dominus, ex causa quia testimonium est Divinum Verum, et Divinum Verum est Dominus in caelo, videatur infra n. (x)9503; inde nunc `arca' significat intimum caelum; quapropter illa erat sanctissimum, et a populo colebatur pro {1} Jehovah, credebatur enim quod {2}Jehovah ibi et inter cherubos habitaret, {3}ut constat apud Davidem, Audivimus in Ephrata; intrabimus in habitaculum Ipsius, incurvabimus nos scabello pedum Ipsius; surge, Jehovah, ad requiem Tuam, Tu et arca fortitudinis (x)Tuae, Ps. cxxxii 6-8;agitur ibi de Domino; `Ephrata' est Bethlechem ubi Dominus natus {4}, Mic. v 1 [A. V. 2]; Matth. ii 6; `habitaculum' est caelum ubi Dominus; `Tu et arca fortitudinis Tuae' est Dominus ac repraesentativum {5} Ipsius;quod arca sit repraesentativum {6}Domini, patet apud Jeremiam, Reducam vos Zionem; in diebus illis non dicent amplius, Arca foederis, neque (x)ascendet super cor, nec mentionem facient ejus, neque desiderabunt, neque reparabitur amplius; in tempore illo vocabunt Hierosolymam thronum Jehovae, et congregabuntur ad eam omnes gentes ob nomen Jehovae Hierosolymam, iii 14, 16, 17;
agitur ibi de nova Ecclesia; repraesentativum prioris Ecclesiae, quod tunc abolendum, intelligitur per arcam, quae non dicetur amplius, nec ascendet super cor, nec reparabitur; Hierosolyma, ad quam congregabuntur gentes, est nova illa Ecclesia; inde patet quod per `arcam' significetur repraesentativum Domini (c)ac Ipsius cultus in Ecclesia; simile ac per `juge' et per `habitaculum sanctuarii' apud Danielem viii 11. 3 (x)Quod arca pro Jehovah a populo Israelitico et Judaico coleretur, et quod crederetur quod ibi et inter cherubos habitaret, patet in Libro 2 Samuelis, Ascendere fecit David arcam Dei, cujus vocatur nomen, nomen Jehovae Zebaoth insidentis cherubis super illa, vi 2:
et apud Moschen, Quando proficiscebatur arca, dixit Moscheh, Surge, Jehovah, dispergantur inimici Tui et fugiant osores Tui coram faciebus Tuis; quando quiescebat, {7}dicebat, Redi, Jehovah, myriades milium Israelis, Num. x 33-36. {8} Quod intimum caelum per arcam significaretur, {9}erat quia per totum tabernaculum seu tentorium {10}repraesentabatur universum caelum angelicum, ultimum ejus per atrium, medium ejus per habitaculum ubi sacerdos ministrabat, et intimum per {11}habitaculum intra velum, ubi arca in qua testimonium. @1 i Ipso$ @2 After cherubos$ @3 sed nesciebatur quod per arcam Dominus significabatur, consequenter coelum, ubi Dominus est omne in omnibus; quod ita sit constat$ @4 i est$ @5 i Divini Humani$ @6 Divini$ @7 dixit$ @8 i Et quia credebatur a populo quod ita prorsus esset, sicut repraesentabatur, nempe quod ipsum Divinum ibi habitaret, ideo etiam per arcam miracula facta sunt, ut constat apud Josua, cap. iii 3, 8, 11, 13 ad 17; cap. iv 3, 5, 9, 10, 11, 16, 17; cap. vi 1 ad 6, 9 ad 20; et ideo parebatur postea in adyto in Templi medio, ubi sanctum sanctorum sub alis Cheruborum, 1 Reg. vi 19.$ @9 est$ @10 significabatur$