8780. And Jehovah said unto Moses. That this signifies the influx of the Divine through truth from the Divine concerning revelation, is evident from the signification of “saying,” when revelation from the Divine is treated of, as being influx (that “saying” in other passages also denotes influx, see n. 5743, 7291, 7381, 8221, 8262, 8660); that “Jehovah” denotes the Divine from which is revelation, is manifest; and also that “Moses” denotes truth from the Divine through which is revelation (n. 6771, 6827, 7014); that the influx is concerning revelation, is evident from what follows, namely, that “Jehovah will come unto them in the density of the cloud, that the people may hear when I speak with thee, and may also believe in thee to eternity,” by which words is signified revelation and its quality.

[2] By revelation here in the internal sense is not meant revelation such as was made to the Israelitish people from Mount Sinai, namely, that the Lord spoke in a loud voice, and the people standing around heard; but such a revelation is meant as is not made with a loud voice, but inwardly in man. This revelation is made by the enlightening of the internal sight, which is of the understanding, when a man who is in the affection of truth from good is reading the Word. This enlightening is then effected by the light of heaven, which is from the Lord as the sun there. By this light the understanding is enlightened no otherwise than is the external sight, which is of the eye, by the light which is from the sun of the world. When the understanding is enlightened by that Divine light, it then perceives that to be true which is true, it acknowledges it inwardly in itself, and as it were sees it. Such is the revelation of those who are in the affection of truth from good when they are reading the Word.

[3] But they who are in the affection of truth from evil, that is, who desire to know truths merely for the sake of honors, gain, reputation, and the like, these do not see truths, but only see things which confirm the doctrinal things of their church, whether they are true or false. The light which then enlightens these is not Divine light from heaven, but is a sensuous light such as is that of the infernals, which light becomes mere thick darkness at the presence of heavenly light. For when these read the Word, they are altogether blind to the truth which does not make one with their doctrine; as for example when they who make salvation consist in faith alone read the Word, they do not attend at all to those things which are there said about love and charity; nay, they do not see them, because they fall into the shade of their vision, like things which are quite at the side, or like those which are behind them; in like manner as the Jewish nation, which sets itself above all other nations in the whole world, does not see that the Lord is He who is meant in the prophets, however plainly this is told.

[4] The reason is, that they see only what confirms their own teaching concerning the Messiah, that He is to come as a mighty hero, to do greater miracles than Moses did, and to bring them into the land of Canaan, and that they will all then go with magnificent pomp, hearing the supplications of the Gentiles, who will lay hold of the skirts of their garments to accompany them. As all this belongs to their teaching, they do not see anything in regard to the Lord; but it is to them like thick darkness. Such is the case with all other errors. From all this it can be seen how the case is with the revelation of truth from the Word.