7055. 'To the wilderness' means a situation prior to that in which no such thing - no such joining together - exists. This is clear from the meaning of 'the wilderness' as a situation in which there is as yet little of life, dealt with in 1927, thus where there is no good and consequently no truth, 4736, for these are what bring things to life. But the meaning here is a situation in which truth going forth directly from the Divine is not joined together with truth that goes forth in an indirect way. The fact that that was where a joining together was to be effected is meant by Aaron's going to meet Moses, to the wilderness. As regards that joining together, it should be recognized that truth which goes forth from the Divine in an indirect way may exist with a person, and yet not be joined to truth going forth directly from the Divine.

[2] But since this matter is very obscure let some examples be used to shed light on it. Take people who think and teach in accordance with the teachings of their Church which they have corroborated for themselves, but who do not know whether they are true on any grounds other than the fact that they form part of what the Church teaches and that they have been propounded by learned and famous men. Truth that goes forth from the Divine in an indirect way may exist with those people, yet for all that it is not joined to truth going forth directly from the Divine. For if it were so joined they would have an affection for knowing truth for its own sake and especially for the sake of the life they should lead. They would also as a consequence be endowed with a perception of whether matters taught by their Church were true before corroborating them for themselves, and would see whether the evidence corroborating each of those matters agreed with the truth itself.

[3] Take as another example the prophets through whom the Word was written. They wrote exactly as the spirit from the Divine dictated, for the actual words which they were to write were uttered in their ears. Truth with them was the kind that goes forth in an indirect way from the Divine, that is, through heaven; it was not therefore truth going forth directly from the Divine. For they had no perception of what the particular things they heard might mean in the internal sense because it is only when those two kinds of truth have been joined together that perception exists, as has been stated. The two kinds are rarely joined together with a person in this world, but they are so with all in heaven, above all with those in the inmost or third heaven. Nor are they joined together with a person in this world unless his regeneration has advanced so far that he can be raised from the level of the senses right up to the rational level of his mind and so be placed in the light of heaven where the angels are. With everyone influx from God does indeed come by both a direct and an indirect way, 6063, 7004; but no joining together of the two takes place except with those who have a perception of truth derived from good. For those with whom influx coming directly from God has been joined to that which comes indirectly allow themselves to be led by the Lord; but those with whom the two have not been joined together lead themselves and like to do so. From all this one may now see what 'the wilderness' is used to mean here, namely a situation in which no joining together exists.

5058. There was another spirit who in the world had been one of the quite distinguished. I had been acquainted with him then, though not with what he was like inwardly. In the next life however, after his state of life underwent a number of changes, he was shown to be deceitful. Having been some while among deceitful ones in the next life and having suffered severely there, he wished to be parted from them. I heard him saying at this time that he wished to enter heaven, for he too had believed that acceptance there was attributable to mercy alone. But he was told that if he entered heaven he would not be able to remain there and that he would suffer torment like those in the world experiencing death-throes. But in spite of being told this he persisted with his desire. He was allowed into a community where some of the simple good dwelt, in front overhead. But once he entered that community he began, in keeping with the life he had led, to act cunningly and deceitfully. Soon after this the simple good there started to complain that he was taking away their perception of what was good and true and consequently their delight, and that he was destroying their state as he did so. At that point some light from a more internal heaven was let in. In that light he looked like a devil, with the upper part of his nose horribly disfigured from some dreadful wound; and he also began to suffer torment within himself. Having experienced that torment he thrust himself away from there into hell. From this it is evident that what leads to heaven is not election and acceptance attributable to mercy, but a person's life. Yet every aspect of a life consisting of goodness and every aspect of a faith composed of truth is, so far as those in the world who are recipients of mercy are concerned, attributable to mercy. To them being accepted into heaven is an act of mercy, and these are the ones who are called the elect, 3755 (end), 3900.