10698. And afterward all the sons of Israel came near. That this signifies all who were in external things without what is internal and yet represented internal things, is evident from the representation of the sons of Israel, as being those who are in external things without what is internal (of whic h just above, n. 10692). That it also signifies those who represented internal things, is because Moses obtained permission for the church to be represented among that nation, although they were of such a character that no church could be instituted among them. For there can be no church among those who are in external things without what is internal, because the church is in the internal of man, and not in the external without this; for man’s communication with heaven and with the Lord is through the internal. When there is no internal, that is, when it has been closed, there is then communication with hell. But although the sons of Israel were of such a character that no communication of heaven with them was possible through the internal, nevertheless they could represent such things as were of the church and of heaven, which is effected solely by means of external things to which internal things correspond, and for this reason they were received. (That with that nation there was not a church, but only the representative of a church, may be seen at the places cited in n. 9320, 10396; and that communication with heaven was effected by means of external things that represented internal things, may be seen at the places cited in n. 9320, 10396; also n. 10492, 10500, 10549-10551, 10570, 10575, 10602, 10629.)

10637. Keep thou that which I command thee this day. That this signifies if they do these primary things which are of the eternal truth, is evident from the signification of “keep thou,” as being if those do so who acknowledge the Word, for by Moses is represented the Word (see above); and from the signification of “that which Jehovah commands this day,” as being the primary things which are of the eternal truth, for the things which Jehovah commands are Divine truths; and by “this day” is signified what is eternal (n. 2838, 3998, 4304, 6165, 6984, 9939). These eternal truths are what are contained in the internal sense in verses 12 to 27, which follow. The things contained in the external sense are not eternal truths, but are things that were to be observed by the Israelitish nation for the sake of things internal; for they signify these, and thus involve them. Moreover, these things were to be kept by that nation until the internal things of the Word had been opened by the Lord; but when these had been opened, then these external things were abrogated. For when a man worships the Lord from faith in Him and from love to Him, which are internal things, he has no need of the external things which signify these internal things, because he is then in these, and not in their symbols. For example, the feast of unleavened bread was to be kept in the month Abib, and then unleavened bread was to be eaten seven days; everything that opens the womb was to be given to God; the firstling of an ass was to be redeemed, or its neck broken; the firstborn sons were to be redeemed; the feast of weeks was to be observed, also the feast of ingathering; three times in the year all the males were to appear before Jehovah; they were not to sacrifice upon what is leavened; a kid was not to be seethed in its mother’s milk. But although these things have been abrogated, they nevertheless are holy Divine things of the Word, because there is a holy internal in them.