9371. THE INTERNAL SENSE.

Verses 1-2. And He said unto Moses, Come up unto Jehovah, thou and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and bow yourselves afar off; and Moses, he alone, shall come near unto Jehovah; and they shall not come near; and the people shall not come up with him. “And He said unto Moses,” signifies that which concerns the Word in general; “come up unto Jehovah,” signifies conjunction with the Lord; “thou and Aaron,” signifies the Word in the internal sense and the external sense; “Nadab and Abihu,” signifies doctrine from both senses; “and seventy of the elders of Israel,” signifies the chief truths of the church which are of the Word, or of doctrine, and which agree with good; “and bow yourselves afar off,” signifies humiliation and adoration from the heart, and then the influx of the Lord; “and Moses, he alone, shall come near unto Jehovah,” signifies the conjunction and presence of the Lord through the Word in general; “and they shall not come near,” signifies no separate conjunction and presence; “and the people shall not come up with him,” signifies no conjunction whatever with the external apart from the internal.

Food in the Bible represents the desire for good, and water and other drinks represent the understanding and true ideas we need to recognize what good is and how to bring it into being – or simple "truth," as Swedenborg puts it. When people (or animals) in the Bible drink, then, it represents learning true things and internalizing them so they can be used. In the contrary sense it can mean taking in false ideas instead, and allowing them to pollute the mind. When a person drinks clean water, it represents getting simple, external ideas from the Bible. Drinking good wine represents learning the deeper spiritual ideas that lie within the stories of the Bible. This is why Jesus said to the Samaritan woman that the water He gave would be a "well springing up to everlasting life" (John 4:14). The details of the instruction can also vary depending on who or what is drinking. When Rebekah gives water to the camels of Abraham's servant (Genesis 24) this means instruction about known facts from the Bible to the external part of the mind. When Jacob waters Laban's flock of sheep (Genesis 29), this means instruction from doctrine about loving what is good.

129. Verses 12-17. And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These things saith He that hath the sharp two-edged sword, I know thy works and where thou dwellest, where Satan's throne is; and thou holdest My name, and didst not deny My faith, even in the days wherein Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth. But I have against thee a few things, that thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat idol-sacrifices, and to commit whoredom. So thou also hast them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come to thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the hidden manna; and will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth except he that receiveth.

12. "And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write," signifies for remembrance to those within the church who are in temptations n. 130; "these things saith He that hath the sharp two-edged sword," signifies the Lord, who alone combats in temptations (n. 13 131 13. "I know thy works," signifies love and faith (n. 132); "and where thou dwellest," signifies amongst whom he now lives (n. 133); "where Satan's throne is," signifies where all falsities reign (n. 134); "and thou holdest My name," signifies the acknowledgment of the Divine in His Human (n. 135); "and didst not deny My faith," signifies constancy in truths (n. 136); "even in the days wherein Antipas was My faithful martyr, who was slain among you," signifies in that time and state in which all are hated who openly acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord. n. 137); "where Satan dwelleth," signifies by those who are in the doctrine of all falsities (n. 138).

14. "But I have against thee a few things," signifies that heed should be taken (n. 139); "that thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the sons of Israel," signifies those who have been illustrated in respect to the understanding, and who teach truths, and yet love to destroy by craft those who are of the church n. 140; "to eat idol-sacrifices, and to commit whoredom," signifies that they may be imbued with evils and with falsities therefrom n. 141.

15. "So thou also hast them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate," signifies those who separate good from truth, or charity from faith, which is against Divine order (n. 142).

16. "Repent," signifies dissociation from these (n. 143); "or else I will come to thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of My mouth," signifies if not, when visitation comes, they will be dispersed (n. 144).

17. "He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith to the churches," signifies that he who understands should hearken to what Divine truth proceeding from the Lord teaches and says to those who are of His church (n. 145); "to him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the hidden manna," signifies that those who conquer in temptations will have the delight of heavenly love from the Lord's Divine Human n. 146; "and will give him a white stone," signifies wisdom and intelligence (n. 147) "and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth except he that receiveth," signifies a state of interior life unknown to all except those who are in it n. 148.