10698. 'And afterwards all the children of Israel approached' means all who, although their interest lay in things on an outward level devoid of what was inward, would nevertheless represent those on an inward level. This is clear from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those whose interest lay in things on an outward level devoid of those on an inward one, dealt with just above in 10692. The reason why those who would represent things on an inward level is also meant is that Moses won for that nation the concession that it should represent the Church even though they were by nature such that no Church could be established among them. No Church can exist among those whose interest lies in things on an outward level devoid of what is inward, because the Church resides with a person on an inward level and not on an outward one devoid of the inward. For a person is in contact with heaven and with the Lord through the inward level; when this does not exist, that is, when it has been closed off, he is in contact with hell. But although the children of Israel were by nature such that it was impossible for them to have any contact with heaven through the inward level, they were nevertheless able to represent such things as belonged to the Church and heaven. This was accomplished solely by means of outward things to which inward ones correspond; and it was on account of this that they were accepted.

No Church existed among that nation, only a representative of the Church, see in the places referred to in 9320 (end), 10396.

Through the outward things which represented inward ones contact with heaven was effected, see again in the places referred to in 9320 (end), 10396, and also what is said in 10492, 10500, 10549-10551, 10570, 10575, 10602, 10629.

10629. 'And pardon our iniquity and our sin' means being so in order that things on an interior level in them, which teem with falsities and evils, may be shifted away. This is clear from the meaning of 'pardoning iniquity and sin', when this refers to the outward form that worship, the Church, and the Word took among the people, as being so in order that things on an interior level in them may be shifted away, because those things teem with falsities and evils. This meaning of these words follows from the train of thought in the internal sense, in which the Church to be established among those people is the subject. A Church cannot be established among any people unless their interiors are open, through which contact with heaven is effected; and those interiors are not open except in the case of those who are guided by truths of faith grounded in goodness of life, derived from the Lord. But the interiors of these people could not be opened up because they thought of the worship of Jehovah as nothing more than a means to obtain pre-eminence over others and to become richer than others, so that they had in mind nothing except themselves and the world. And these interests are what close the interiors in the direction of heaven and open them in the direction of hell. The fact that the interiors of that nation were like this, and that they were closed when they engaged in worship, see 10575. These then are the things that are meant here.