7975. 'And also a large mixed crowd' means [truths and] forms of good that were not genuine. This is clear from the meaning of 'a mixed crowd' as non-genuine forms of good; for when 'the children of Israel' represents the genuine forms of good and truths that the spiritual Church possesses, 7957, 'a mixed crowd' going along with them means truths and forms of good that are not genuine. For the situation so far as those belonging to the spiritual Church are concerned is this: They possess forms of good and truths that are genuine, and they possess those that are not genuine. For a member of the spiritual Church has no intuitive perception of what is good and true; instead he acknowledges and believes that to be good and true which is taught by the teachings of his Church. This being so, he is in possession of a great number of truths that are not genuine, and also as a consequence desires forms of good of a similar nature since forms of good derive their specific quality from truths. For more about spiritual people, that a great number of truths in their possession are not genuine, see 2708, 2715, 2718, 2831, 2849, 2935, 2937, 3240, 3241, 3246, 3833, 4402, 4788, 5113, 7233; and that therefore the forms of good with them are not pure, 6427. Even so the Lord maintains in them forms of good which are as genuine as possible. He accomplishes this by flowing in through their interiors, 6499, at which point non-genuine truths and forms of good are separated from the genuine and cast to the sides. The latter are what 'an extremely large mixed crowd' means.

[2] Such a crowd in a similar way means those who belong to the Church, yet are not within it, like gentiles who live in obedience and in charity with one another. They are not in possession of genuine truths either, because they do not have the Word. These people too, as well as the non-genuine truths, are meant by 'a large crowd' in John,

I heard the number of the sealed, a hundred and forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of Israel. After these things I saw, and behold, a large crowd which no one could number, out of every nation and tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, wearing white robes, and palm branches in their hands. Revelation 7:4, 9.