241. The first living creature was like a lion. (4:7) This symbolizes the Divine truth of the Word in respect to its power.

A lion symbolizes truth in its power, here the Divine truth of the Word in respect to its power, as can be seen from the power of the lion, which surpasses that of every other animal on the earth. It can be seen as well from lions in the spiritual world and the fact that they are images representative of the power of Divine truth. And it can be seen, too, from the Word, in which lions symbolize Divine truth in its power. The nature of the power of Divine truth in the Word may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Regarding the Sacred Scripture 49, and in the book Heaven and Hell, nos. 228-233.

So it is that Jehovah or the Lord is likened to a lion, and also called a lion, as in the following passages:

A lion has roared! Who does not fear? The Lord Jehovih has spoken! Who does not prophesy? (Amos 3:8)

I will not turn back to destroy Ephraim... They shall walk after Jehovah. He roars like a lion. (Hosea 11:9-10)

As a lion roars, and a young lion..., so Jehovah... will come down to fight upon Mount Zion... (Isaiah 31:4)

Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed... (Revelation 5:5)

Judah is a lion's whelp... He bowed down, he lay down... as an old lion. Who rouses him? (Genesis 49:9)

[2] A lion in these passages describes the power of the Divine truth emanating from the Lord. Roaring symbolizes His speaking and acting with power against the hells, which try to carry off a person as a lion does its prey, but from which the Lord rescues him. To bow down means to put Himself into a condition of power. Judah, in the highest sense, symbolizes the Lord (nos. 96, 266).

(The angel) cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roars. (Revelation 10:3)

He bows down, he lies down... as an old lion. Who rouses him? (Numbers 24:9)

Lo, the people rises like an old lion, and like a young lion lifts itself up. (Numbers 23:24)

This last declaration is said of Israel, which symbolizes the church, whose power, which lies in Divine truths, is thus described.

So likewise:

The remnant of Jacob shall be... in the midst of... peoples, like a lion among the beasts of the forest, like a young lion among flocks of sheep... (Micah 5:7-8)

And so on in many other places, as in Isaiah 11:6; 21:6-9; 35:9; Jeremiah 2:15; 4:7; 5:6; 12:8; 50:17; 51:38; Ezekiel 19:3, 5-6; Deuteronomy 33:20.

10523. Exodus 33

1. And Jehovah spoke to Moses, Go! go up from here, you and the people whom you have caused to come up out of the land of Egypt, to the land which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, saying, To your seed I will give it.

2. And I will send an angel before you; and I will drive out the Canaanite, the Amorite, and the Hittite, and the Perizzite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite.

3. [Go up] to a land flowing with milk and honey; for I will not go up in your midst, since you are a stiff-necked people [and] perchance I might consume you on the way.

4. And the people heard this bad news ¹ , and mourned; and no one put on his finery ² .

5. And Jehovah said to Moses, Say to the children of Israel, You are a stiff-necked people; were I for one moment to go up in your midst I would consume you. And now, take off your finery ³ , and I shall know what I am to do to you.

6. And the children of Israel tore away their finery ⁴ at Mount Horeb.

7. And Moses took a tent and pitched it for himself outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tent of meeting. And so it was, that everyone asking Jehovah a question went out to the tent of meeting which was outside the camp.

8. And so it was, when Moses went out to the tent, that all the people rose and stood, each at the door of his tent, and looked after Moses ⁵ until he had entered the tent.

9. And so it was, when Moses entered the tent, that the pillar of cloud came down, and stood at the door of the tent, and talked to Moses.

10. And all the people saw the pillar of cloud standing at the door of the tent; and all the people rose, and they bowed down, each at the door of his tent.

11. And Jehovah spoke to Moses face to face, as a man (vir) speaks to his neighbour. And he returned to the camp, and his minister Joshua the son of Nun, a young man, did not move away from the midst of the tent.

12. And Moses said to Jehovah, See, You say to me, Cause this people to go up; and You have not made known to me whom You will send with me. And You have said, I know you by name, and also you have found grace in My eyes.

13. And now if, I beg You, I have found grace in Your eyes, make Your way known to me, I beg You, and I shall know You, because I have found grace in Your eyes. And consider ⁶ that this nation is Your people.

14. And He said, My face ⁷ will go [with you], and I will cause you to rest.

15. And he said to Him, If Your face ⁷ is not going [before me], do not cause us to go up from here.

16. And how will it ever be made known that I have found grace in Your eyes, I and Your people? Will it not be in Your going with us? And I and Your people will be made more distinguished than all the people who are on the face of the ground.

17. And Jehovah said to Moses, I will also do this thing that you have spoken, since you have found grace in My eyes and I know you by name.

18. And he said, Cause me, I beg You, to see Your glory.

19. And He said, I will cause all My goodness to pass by ⁸ your face, and I will proclaim the name of Jehovah before you; and I will be gracious to whom I am gracious, and I will show mercy to whom I show mercy.

20. And He said, You cannot see My face, for no one will see Me and live ⁹ .

21. And Jehovah said, Behold, there is a place by Me, and you shall stand on the rock.

22. And so it will be, as My glory passes through, that I will put you in a cleft of the rock and cover My palm over you until I have passed through.

23. And I will take My palm away, and you will see My back parts; and My face will not be seen.

CONTENTS

The internal sense of this chapter takes the subject of the Israelite nation further; but now the essential nature of the worship among that nation, and so the things there which belong to the Church, is dealt with. Verses 1-6 show that even though the representative forms constituting the external things of worship and the Church could reside among them nothing Divine did so because there was nothing internal. Verses 7-17 show that what was Divine could reside within the actual worship regarded in isolation, thus separately from them. Verses 18-23 show that this was not however visible or perceptible to them.

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