8818. And they took their stand in the lower parts of the mountain. That this signifies far from the good of celestial love, is evident from the signification of “Mount Sinai,” as being heaven, and thus good Divine united to Divine truth there (see n. 8805); and from the signification of “taking their stand in the lower parts” of it, as being far or remote from it. In the internal historical sense the Israelitish nation is here meant, which was devoid of the good of celestial love (see above, n. 8788, 8806), and consequently was far from it; and therefore it is also said below that Moses charged the people and also the priests not to break through the bounds and touch the mountain and thus die (verses 21-22, 24-25). But in the internal sense, wherein those who are of the spiritual church are treated of, by their “taking their stand in the lower parts of the mountain,” is signified that it was not allowable to ascend to a higher heaven by reason of self-confidence, and that if they ascended they would die (concerning which see above, n. 8794, 8797).

8797. Everyone that toucheth the mountain, dying he shall die. That this signifies that whosoever of the spiritual church inserts himself as far as the celestial societies will perish, is evident from the signification of “the mountain,” as being the good of love (s ee just above, n. 8795), here the Divine good of the Divine love in the inmost heaven, because the people that is beneath represents the spiritual kingdom of the Lord, which is the middle heaven; from the signification of “touching,” as being to penetrate thereto, in this case to insert themselves (of which presently); and from the signification of “dying he shall die,” as being to perish.

[2] The case herein is this. They who are of the spiritual kingdom of the Lord cannot flow into the celestial kingdom, because this latter is higher or more interior, and the former is lower or more exterior; for what is exterior or lower cannot flow into what is higher or interior (n. 5259, 5779). Yet it sometimes happens that they who are in a lower heaven seek to ascend into a higher heaven, and this from a vicious desire originating in pride, in the love of dominion, or in envy. They who make the attempt from such a desire are thereupon let in; but they then suffer hard things, are seized with anxiety and finally with pain, and also with blindness, so that they lose both their intelligence and their happiness. Wherefore they cast themselves down therefrom as if about to die, nor do they recover animation until they have been cast down from heaven.

[3] Such is the lot of those who from the cupidity of pride, of dominion, or of envy, insert themselves into a higher heaven. The reason is that relatively to them, the good of love in the higher heaven is like a consuming fire, and the truth of faith there is like a fiery light blinding the sight of those who rise up. These are the things meant in the internal sense by the command that the Israelitish people should not touch Mount Sinai, where Jehovah was. The case would be similar with those who are in the celestial kingdom, if perchance they should attempt to ascend on high to the Divine; in like manner with those who are beneath heaven, if they desire to ascend into heaven. (That these latter suffer hard things, see n. 4225, 4226, 4299, 5057, 5058.)