from WL Worcester (H Blackmer, ed.), 
The Sower.  Helps to the Study of the Bible in Home and Sunday School
 
(Boston: Massachusetts New-Church Union, n.d.)

Table of Contents
 

 

Lesson 48

Topical and Doctrinal Notes

Leading Thought: The Guiding Cloud

While studying the Book of Exodus we learned about the beautiful tabernacle, with its holy of holies, its holy place, and its court, and that in the holy of holies was the ark of the covenant, containing the two tables of stone, on which the Ten Commandments had been written by the finger of God, and that the twelve tribes of Israel encamped around it. The center of the camp then was the holy Ark, with its mercy-seat or propitiatory. The Lord was present here. Here, between the two cherubim of the mercy-seat, He spoke to Moses or to the high priest.

So the Lord is the center of all humanity in heaven and on earth. He is in the sun of the spiritual world, and His heat and light, that is to say, His love and wisdom, go out in every direction to give love and truth and life to angels and people on earth.

And was there in the wilderness any sign of the Lord's Presence, which could be seen by the whole camp, just as the whole of heaven can see the Sun of Justice? Yes. We read in today's chapter of the pillar of cloud which abode over the ark in the daytime, and the appearance as of fire which was there in the night time. No doubt this cloud rose like a column to such a height that it could be seen afar off.

Now, why should the Lord have chosen a cloud to represent Him? He might have made use of some other phenomenon, but He used a cloud, because of what a cloud means. It means the same as the Ten Commandments, namely, Divine Truth. It means the Word of the Lord. How do we know this? Because in the other world where all things are pictured forth in the sky and on the earth in perfect correspondence to the states of angels and spirits, clouds always appear where there is Divine Truth clothed in expressions adapted to the comprehension of the people who live there. The different shapes and colors and movements of the clouds there always tell those who watch them just what the Lord wishes to convey to them about the Divine Truth of the Word. Besides, a cloud consists of tiny drops of water, and water means truth.

Just consider how the cloud over the ark acted. It moved when the tabernacle was to be taken down and the people were to continue on their journey. It stood still, when the tabernacle was to be set up, and the people were to go into camp again. As the children of Israel were guided by the actions of the cloud, or the pillar of fire, following it by day or night, at any time, just so the New Church is to be guided by what the Word of the Lord teaches.

The beautiful stories that we are told in the Word about clouds all tell us about beautiful things connected with the Word of the Lord.

Because a cloud represents the Word, therefore the prophecies regarding the Second Coming of the Lord, and the consequent establishment of the New Church, tell us much about clouds. "Behold He cometh with clouds." (Rev. 1:7) "Then shall ye see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, with power and great glory." (Matt. 24:30) These and other prophecies refer to the Second Coming. For the Lord made His Second Coming in the holy Word of God. For, as you know, in Swedenborg's writings the Word is explained, so that we can understand it truly. We can see the light of truth of the internal sense shining in the literal sense of the Word, just as sunlight makes dark clouds look white and dazzling.

And when we understand the Word according to its internal sense, and see the light of truth and the fire of goodness in it, then we must follow it. We must live according to what we so learn. In this way we gradually move forward in the wilderness, until at last we reach the heavenly land, just as the children of Israel, following the cloud by day and the fire by night, were led into the land of Canaan.

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