8494. A rest. That this signifies a state of peace when there is no temptation, is evident from the signification of “a rest,” such as there was on the days of the Sabbath, as being a representative of a state of peace, in which is effected the conjunction of good and truth. But the six preceding days represented the combat and labor, consequently the temptations, which precede a state of peace; for after temptations comes a state of peace, and then there is the conjunction of good and truth. (That the six days which precede the seventh or the Sabbath signified combat and labor, see n. 720, 737, 900; and that after temptations there are tranquility and peace, n. 3696, 4572, 5246, 6829, 8367, 8370.) That the Sabbath denotes the conjunction of good and truth, will be seen in what now follows.

6829. And came to the mountain of God. That this signifies that the good of love Divine then appeared, is evident from the signification of the “mountain of God,” as being the good of love Divine. (That a “mountain” is the good of love, see n. 795, 796, 2722, 4210, 6435.) That this good appeared after they had undergone temptations, is signified by his coming to that mountain behind the wilderness. The case herein is this. When a man is in temptation, he is beset round by falsities and evils which impede the influx of light from the Divine, that is, the influx of truth and good, and then the man is as it were in darkness. Darkness in the other life is nothing else than this besetment by falsities, for these take away the light from the man who is in temptation, and thus the perception of consolation by truths. But when the man emerges from temptation, then the light appears with its spiritual heat, that is, truth with its good, and from this he has gladness after anxiety. This is the morning which in the other life follows the night. The reason why good is then perceived, and truth appears, is that after temptation truth and good penetrate toward the interiors, and there take root. For when a man is in temptation, he is as it were in hunger for good, and in thirst for truth; and therefore when he emerges he draws in good as a hungry man devours food, and receives truth as a thirsty man imbibes drink. Moreover, when light from the Divine appears, falsities and evils are removed, and when these are removed, the way is opened for truth and good to penetrate more interiorly. These are the reasons why after temptations the good of love appears with its light from the Lord. That after the obscurity and anxiety of temptations, brightness and gladness appear, is known to all in the other life, because it is there a common occurrence.