9577. Which thou wast made to see in the mountain. That this signifies which were seen in heaven with the eyes of the spirit, is evident from the signification of “seeing,” when said of the representatives in heaven, as being to see with the eyes of the spirit (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “Mount Sinai,” as being heaven (see n. 8805, 9420). With regard to the fact that “to see,” when said of the representatives that appear in heaven, denotes to see with the eyes of the spirit, be it known that the angelic spirits, who are in the ultimate or first heaven, constantly see forms of things like those which are in the world, such as paradises, trees therein with their fruits; flowers and plants; also houses, palaces, and likewise animals of many kinds; besides countless other things which are not seen in the world. All these things are representatives of the heavenly things in the higher heavens, and which in the first heaven are so presented in a form before the eyes of the spirits below, that an angelic spirit can know and perceive from them everything that is coming-forth in the higher heavens; for all things, down to the smallest particulars, are representative and significative. From this it can be seen what is meant by the representative of heaven and of the heavenly things which are signified by the ark, the cherubs, the Habitation, the table therein, and the lampstand.

[2] Such things cannot be seen by the eyes of a man, so long as he is in the world, for these eyes have been formed to receive earthly and bodily, thus material things. They are therefore so gross that they cannot even compass with their vision the interior things of nature, as can be well enough seen from the lenses they need to be furnished with in order to see merely those things of interior nature that are nearest to them. In a word, these eyes are most dull, and being such, the representatives which appear to spirits in the other life cannot possibly be seen by them; and if they are to appear, the light of the world must be taken away from the eyes, and then the things which are in the light of heaven may be seen. For there is a light of heaven, and there is a light of the world. The light of heaven is for the spirit of man, and the light of the world is for his body. The case herein is as follows. The things that are in the light of heaven are in thick darkness so long as a man sees from the light of the world; and, conversely, the things that are in the light of the world are in thick darkness when a man sees from the light of heaven. From this it is that when the light of the world is taken away from the sight of the bodily eye, the eyes of the man’s spirit are opened, and those things are seen which are in the light of heaven; thus, as before said, the representative forms.

[3] From all this it can be known why it is that at the present day men are in thick darkness concerning heavenly things, and why some are in darkness so great that they do not even believe that there is a life after death, nor that they will live forever. For at the present day man is so immersed in the body, thus in bodily, earthly, and worldly things, and is consequently in so gross a light of the world, that heavenly things are absolute thick darkness to him and therefore the sight of his spirit cannot be enlightened. From all this it is now evident what it is to see with those eyes of the spirit with which Moses saw the form of the Tent on Mount Sinai.