10400. For as for this Moses, the man that made us come up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what hath become of him. That this signifies that it is altogether unknown what other Divine truth there is in the Word, which raises man from what is external into what is internal, and makes the church, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being the Word, thus as being Divine truth (of which in the places cited in n. 9372); consequently doubt and denial that there is any other Divine truth than that which stands forth in the sense of the letter, is signified by the words, “as for this man Moses, we know not what hath become of him.” It is said “this man,” because by “man” in the Word is signified truth (see n. 3134, 3309, 3459, 7716, 9007). And from the signification of “bringing the sons of Israel up out of the land of Egypt,” as being elevation out of the natural or external man to the internal or spiritual man, in order that he may become the church; for by “the land of Egypt” is signified the natural or the external of the church; by “making to come up” is signified elevation; and by “the sons of Israel” is signified the church. (That “the land of Egypt” denotes the natural or external of the church, see the places cited in n. 9391; also that “making to come up” denotes to raise from the external to the internal, n. 3084, 4539, 4969, 5406, 5817, 6007; thus from the natural man to the spiritual; and that “the sons of Israel” denote the church, see the places cited in n. 9340.)

[2] From all this it is evident that by the words, “as for this Moses, the man that made us to come up out of the land of Egypt, we know not what hath become of him,” is signified that it is altogether unknown what other Divine truth there is in the Word, which raises man from what is external into what is internal, and makes the church, than that which stands forth in the sense of the letter. So likewise do all those think and speak who are in external things without internal; and all those are in external things without internal who are in the loves of self and of the world. For with such the internal man is closed, and only the external man is open; and that which the external man without the internal sees when he reads the Word, he sees in thick darkness, because in spiritual things natural light, without light from heaven, is mere thick darkness, and light from heaven enters through the internal man into the external and enlightens it. From this it is that so many heresies have arisen, and that the Word is called by some the Book of Heresies, and that it is wholly unknown that there is anything internal in the Word; and those who think that there is such an internal still do not know wherein it lies. That it is such who are meant by the dragon which drew with its tail the third part of the stars from heaven and cast them to the earth (Revelation 12) will of the Lord’s Divine mercy be shown elsewhere.

[3] Let such observe as will, whether at the present day anyone knows otherwise than that the Divine itself of the Word is the sense of its letter. But let them consider also whether anyone can know the Divine truths of the Word in this sense except by means of doctrine therefrom, and that if he has not doctrine for a lamp he is carried away into errors, wherever the obscurity of his understanding and the delight of his will lead and draw him. The doctrine which must be for a lamp is what the internal sense teaches, thus it is the internal sense itself, which in some measure lies open to everyone (even if he does not know what the internal sense is) who is in what is external from what is internal, that is, whose internal man is open. For heaven (which is in the internal sense of the Word) flows in with such a man when he reads the Word, enlightens him, and gives him perception, and thus teaches him. Nay, if you will believe it, with man the internal man is of itself in the internal sense of the Word, because it is a heaven in the least form, and consequently when it is open it is with the angels in heaven, and is therefore also in like perception with them. This can also be seen from the fact that the interior intellectual ideas of man are not such as are his natural ideas, to which nevertheless they correspond.

[4] But of the nature of these ideas man is not aware so long as he lives in the body; but he comes into them spontaneously when he comes into the other life, because they are implanted in him, and by means of them he is forthwith in fellowship with the angels. From this it is evident that the man whose internal is open, is in the internal sense of the Word, although he is not aware of it. From this he has enlightenment when he reads the Word, but according to the light that he can have by means of the knowledges which he has. (But who these are, see n. 9025, 9382, 9409, 9410, 9424, 9430, 10105, 10324)

9007. He that smiteth a man, and he die. That this signifies the injuring of the truth of faith and the consequent loss of spiritual life, is evident from the signification of “smiting,” as being to injure by falsity (see n. 7136, 7146); from the signification of “a man” [vir] as being the truth of faith (of which below); and from the signification of “dying,” as being the loss of spiritual life (n. 5407, 6119, 7494); for in the internal sense no other life is meant, but in the external sense natural life is meant. The reason why spiritual life perishes by the injuring of the truth of faith, is that good united to truth constitutes that life; and therefore when truth is stolen away, good, and thus spiritual life, falls to the ground. That “a man” denotes the truth of faith, is because in heaven no attention is paid to person, or to anything of person; but to things abstracted from person (n. 4380, 8343, 8985); consequently where “a man” is mentioned in the Word, they do not perceive a man, because a man is a person; but instead they perceive that faculty of his by virtue of which he is a man, namely, the intellectual faculty; and when they perceive this faculty, they perceive the truth of faith, because the truth of faith belongs to it, and not only enlightens it, but also forms it. And as by “a man” [vir] there is perceived in heaven the intellectual of man, so by “a man” [homo] there is perceived his will; because man is man [homo] from the will; but is man [vir] from the understanding. And as the will is the man himself, therefore the good of love is the man, for this belongs to the will, and perfects, and makes it. (That “man” [vir] denotes the intellectual, and therefore the truth of faith, see n. 158, 265, 749, 1007, 2517, 3134, 3309, 3459, 4823, 7716; and that “man” [homo] denotes the good of love, n. 768, 4287, 7523, 8547, 8988)