9227. On the eighth day thou shalt give it to Me. That this signifies that at the beginning of the following state, when the man lives from good, he is with the Lord, is evident from the signification of “the eighth day,” as being the beginning of the following state (see n. 2044, 8400); and from the signification of “giving to Jehovah,” as being to the Lord, for by “Jehovah” in the Word is meant the the Lord, (n. 1736, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6303, 6945, 6956, 8274, 8864). The reason why these words signify that when a man lives from good he is with the Lord, is that in the internal sense the subject treated of is the two states of the man who is being regenerated; and the first state is when he is being led through the truths of faith to the good of charity; and the second is when he is in this good. And as he is then with the Lord, this is signified by “thou shalt give it to Me.” (That there are two states with man when being regenerated; the first when he is being led through the truths of faith to the good of charity, and the second when he is in the good of charity, see n. 7923, 7992, 8505-8506, 8510, 8512, 8516, 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685, 8690, 8701; and that the man is in heaven, thus with the Lord, when he is in the good of charity, n. 8516, 8539, 8722, 8772, 9139)

[2] A few words more shall be said about these two states with the man who is being regenerated. It has been already shown (n. 9224) that the truths called the truths of faith enter into man by an external way, and that the good which is of charity and love enters by an internal way. The external way is through the hearing into the memory, and from the memory into the understanding; for the understanding is man’s internal sight. The truths which must be of faith enter by this way, to the end that they may be brought into the will, and thus be appropriated to the man. The good which flows in from the Lord by the internal way, flows into the will, for the will is the internal of man. The good which is from the Lord meets there at the common boundary the truths which have entered by the external way, and through conjunction with them causes the truths to become good. Insofar as this is effected, so far the order is inverted, that is, so far the man is not led by truths, but by good; and consequently insofar he is led by the Lord.

[3] From this it can be seen how during his regeneration a man is raised from the world into heaven. For all things that enter through the hearing, enter from the world; and those which are stored up in the memory, and appear there before the understanding, appear in the light of the world, which is called natural light. But those things which enter the will, or which become of the will, are in the light of heaven, which light is the truth of good from the Lord. When these things come forth from the will into act, they return into the light of the world; but they then appear in this light under a totally different form; for previously the world was within everything; whereas afterward heaven is so. What has here been said shows also why a man is not in heaven until he does truths from willing them, thus from the affection of charity.

8643. And Jethro the priest of Midian. That this signifies the Divine good, is evident from the representation of Jethro, the priest of Midian, as being the good of the church that is in the truth of simple good (see n. 7015), but here he denotes the Divine good, for the reason that Moses, of whom Jethro was the father-in-law, represents Divine truth. For when the son-in-law represents truth, then the father-in-law represents the good in a higher degree, because he is the father of the other’s wife. That the Divine good is here represented by Jethro, is because in this chapter the subject treated of is the setting in order of truths with the man of the spiritual church, and this is effected by Divine good through Divine truth; for all setting in order is by good through truth. This setting in order is effected with the man of the spiritual church when he begins to act no longer from truth, but from good; for this state is his second state, which arises after he has undergone temptations. For when he acts from truth, then he is tempted, to the intent that the truths with him may be confirmed; and when these have been confirmed, then they are reduced by the Lord into order; and when they have been reduced into order, then he enters the second state, which consists in willing truths and doing them, whereby they become of the life, and are called goods. This setting in order is treated of below.