10694. And they feared to come near unto him. That this signifies that they could not endure the external of the church, of worship, and of the Word when it was of this nature, is evident from the signification of “fearing to come near,” as being not to endure, for those who cannot endure interior things are afraid to come near; and from the representation of Moses, as being that external of the Word, of the church, and of worship in which is the internal (n. 10563, 10571, 10607, 10614). The case herein is this. Those who are only in the externals of the church, of worship, and of the Word without the internal cannot endure interior things. The reason is that those who are in external things without what is internal are in the love of self and of the world; and from this are in a light which is called natural light. But those who are in the externals and at the same time in the internals of the church, of worship, and of the Word are in love toward the neighbor and in love to the Lord, and from this are in the light of heaven. As these loves are opposites, and consequently the lights also, therefore the one cannot endure the other; for when heavenly love (which is love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor) inflows into earthly loves (which are the loves of self and of the world), it induces agonies like those of death; and when heavenly light inflows into the light of the world, it induces thick darkness and a consequent stupor. From this it is that what is external without what is internal cannot endure the external while the internal is in it. As the Jewish nation was of this character, they could not endure to hear of the Lord, of love to Him, and of faith in Him, which are the interior things of the Word, of the church, and of worship. These then are the things which are signified by the sons of Israel fearing to come near unto Moses, because the skin of his faces shone. (What is signified by “the skin of Moses’ faces” may be seen in n. 10691.)

8805. And Moses went down from the mountain unto the people. That this signifies application and preparation through truth from the Divine for receiving truths in good, is evident from the signification of “going down,” when said of Moses, by whom is represented truth from the Divine, as being application, and also preparation, through it; from the representation of Moses, as being truth from the Divine (see n. 8760, 8787), and also as being what mediates (n. 8787), thus likewise what prepares and applies; from the signification of “the mountain,” as being the Divine in heaven, thus heaven; and from the representation of the sons of Israel, as being those who are of the spiritual church, thus those who are in truth through which is good, and in good from which is truth, here in the good in which truths are to be received. It is important to know what is specifically signified by “Mount Sinai;” and also what is represented by the people Israel, and likewise what by Moses in this chapter and in the following chapters of the book of Exodus.

[2] By “MOUNT SINAI” is specifically signified heaven, out of which truths flow in from the Lord; therefore by “the coming down of Jehovah upon that mountain” is signified His presence in heaven. And as heaven, in which Jehovah is, that is, the Lord, is signified by “Mount Sinai,” by it is also signified Divine good united to Divine truth there, for from this heaven is heaven.

[3] But by the “PEOPLE ISRAEL” near this mountain is represented the spiritual church as to the good in which the truths of faith are to be implanted; for it has been already shown that they who are of the spiritual church have two states; the former when they are led through truths to good, the latter when they are in good and from good in truths; in the present case, when they are in the good in which truths are to be implanted, which state is a middle state between the former and the latter. The truths which are implanted in good are contained in those things which were promulgated from Mount Sinai by the Lord, and were communicated by Moses to the people.

[4] By “MOSES” in this chapter and in the following chapters is represented truth from the Divine beneath heaven conjoined with truth Divine in heaven, and consequently mediating between the Divine in heaven and the good in which truths are to be implanted which belongs to the spiritual church, thus mediating between the Lord and the people. It is important to know these things for the sake of understanding what follows in the book of Exodus. From all this it can also be seen that by “Moses went down from the mountain unto the people” is signified application and preparation by means of truth from the Divine for receiving truths in good.