9390. 'And he sent boys of the children of Israel' means those things that belong to innocence and charity. This is clear from the meaning of 'boys of the children of Israel' as things which belong to innocence and charity among members of the Church. For 'sucklings', 'young children', and 'boys' mean those who have innocence and charity, or in the abstract sense, without reference to persons, those things which belong to innocence and charity, 430, 5236; and 'the children of Israel' means members of the Church, or in the abstract sense, without reference to persons, the Church itself, 9340.

9382. 'And Moses came and reported to the people' means enlightenment and instruction by the Lord, imparted through Divine Truth which springs from Him. This is clear from the representation of 'Moses' as the Lord in respect of the Word, and so in respect of Divine Truth since the Word is this, dealt with above in 9372; from the meaning of 'coming' - when it refers to the Lord in respect of the Word or Divine Truth, represented by 'Moses' - as enlightenment, for when the Lord comes or He is present in the Word there is enlightenment; and from the meaning of 'reporting' as instruction. From all this it is evident that 'Moses came and reported to the people' means enlightenment and instruction by the Lord, imparted through Divine Truth.

[2] A brief statement must also be made here regarding the nature of enlightenment and instruction from the Word. Everyone receives enlightenment and instruction from the Word according to his affection for truth and degree of desire for it, and according to his ability to receive it. The internal man of those who receive enlightenment dwells in the light of heaven, for the light of heaven is what enlightens a person in the truths and forms of the good of faith, 8707, 8861. Those who are in that way enlightened understand the Word according to its inner truths, which being so they establish for themselves from the Word guidelines, to which they then relate the literal sense. But those who have no affection for truth rooted in good nor consequently any desire to become wise are blinded rather than enlightened when they read the Word, since they do not dwell in the light of heaven. Indeed in the light of the world, called natural illumination, they gain no insights into things other than those of a worldly nature. And as a result of this the illusions to which their outward senses are subject lead them to seize on falsities which look to them like truths. The majority of these people therefore establish no guidelines for themselves but keep to the literal sense, which they use in support of falsities, especially such falsities as accord with self-love and love of the world. But those who are not like these do no more than assent to the teachings of their Church, without caring or knowing whether they are true or false. Regarding these, see 4741, 5033, 6865, 7012, 7680, 7950, 8521, 8780. From this it is evident who exactly they are who are enlightened by the Word and who exactly they are who are blinded. That is to say, those are enlightened who are governed by heavenly loves; for heavenly loves receive and like sponges soak up heaven's truths, and are also of their own accord joined to them in the manner of soul and body. On the other hand those are blinded who are ruled by worldly loves, since these loves receive and like sponges soak up falsities, and are also of their own accord joined to them. For good and truth accord with each other, as conversely do evil and falsity. This being so, evil and falsity joined together is called the hellish marriage, in which hell itself consists, while good and truth joined together is called the heavenly marriage, in which heaven itself consists.

[3] The reason why the Word is the source of enlightenment and instruction is that in its first origin the Word is God's truth itself emanating from the Lord, and on its way down into the world it is adjusted to suit all the heavens. Therefore when a person possessing a heavenly love reads it the Word links him to heaven and through heaven to the Lord, as a result of which he receives enlightenment and instruction. It is different when a person possessing a worldly love reads the Word. He is not linked to heaven and consequently has no enlightenment or instruction. Regarding the union of heaven and the world through the Word, and of the Lord with the human race, see 9212 (end), 9216 (end), 9357.

5774. 'And each one loaded his ass, and they returned to the city' means that truths were brought back up from sensory impressions to known facts. This is clear from the meaning of an ass' as factual knowledge, dealt with in 5492, and of 'loading' it as bringing back up from sensory impressions since 'causing one's pouch to come down to the earth' means bringing the contents of the natural down to the level of sensory impressions, 5767 (raising 'the pouch' up from these is what 'loading' implies here); and from the meaning of 'the city' as truth present in doctrine, dealt with in 402, 2449, 2947, 3216.

[2] A brief explanation must be given of what bringing truths back up from sensory impressions to known facts is. Sensory impressions are one thing, known facts another, and truths yet another; they are consecutive to one another, for sensory impressions give rise to factual knowledge, and factual knowledge leads on to truths. Images that come in through the senses are stored in a person's memory; then he uses those images either to deduce a fact or to gain a perception of some fact he is learning about. After that he uses these facts either to deduce certain truths or to gain a perception of some truth he is learning about. This is the way everyone develops onwards from childhood. While he is a child a person's thought and grasp of things relies on sensory impressions; as he grows older his thought and grasp of things relies on factual knowledge, and after that on truths. This is the path leading to the power of judgement a person enters into as he matures.

[3] From this one may see that sensory impressions, known facts, and truths are distinct and separate. Indeed the three remain so distinct that sometimes a person's attention is fixed on sensory impressions, as happens when he gives thought only to what impinges on his senses; sometimes his attention is fixed on facts, as happens when he rises above sensory impressions and thinks more deeply; and at other times his attention is fixed on truths which have been inferred from facts, as happens when he thinks more deeply still. Anyone who stops to reflect can know these things from what is present within himself. In addition a person can bring truths down into known facts and see those truths within them, even as he can bring facts down into sensory impressions and consider them within these. And he can do the opposite. From all this one may see what is meant by bringing the contents of the natural down to the level of sensory impressions, and bringing truths back up from sensory impressions to known facts.