8802. 'When there is a long sounding with the jobel'' means those who have a general perception of celestial good. This is clear from the meaning of 'when there is a long sounding with the jobel', or what amounts to the same thing, 'when the sound of the trumpet is heard', as a general perception of celestial good; for 'being heard' means perception, 5017, 8361, and 'the jobel' or 'the sound of the trumpet' means celestial good. The reason why 'the sound of the trumpet' or 'the jobel' means celestial good is that by virtue of the sounds they make musical instruments correspond to affections for truth or affections for good, stringed instruments corresponding to affections for truth, and wind to affections for good, 418 420, 4138, 8337. Being a wind instrument, a loud sounding one, the trumpet corresponded to an affection for celestial good, which also was why a jubilee, which represented the marriage of goodness and truth in the inmost heaven, took its name from it. So it is that 'a long sounding with the jobel' means those who have a general perception of celestial good.

[2] The words 'those who have a general perception of celestial good' are used to mean the intermediaries who are positioned between the Lord's celestial kingdom and His spiritual kingdom, and who are therefore those through whom influx, communication, and joining together are accomplished, see just above in 8787, 8796. They have extension all the way into celestial communities, meant by the words 'they shall go up into the mountain'. These intermediaries are represented by 'Moses', 8787, and also by 'Aaron', who were allowed to go up into the mountain, verse 24 below. What extension into the spheres of angelic communities is, and that the nature of each person's extension is determined by his good, see above in 8794. A general perception exists with those who are governed by spiritual good and are able to receive a general influx of good from a higher heaven, in this instance the inmost heaven. Such are meant by those who shall go up [into] the mountain when the jobel is heard.

5017. 'And it happened as he was hearing [me]' means when it was discerned. This is clear from the meaning of 'hearing' as obeying and also discerning. As regards obeying being meant, see 2542, 3869; but the fact that discerning is meant as well is evident from the actual function performed by the ear and consequently from the nature of hearing. The function of the ear is to receive what is spoken by another and to convey this to the general seat of sensation, so that this may discern from what has been conveyed to it the other person's thought. This is the reason why 'hearing' means discerning. The nature of hearing therefore is to carry one person's utterances expressing his thought to another's thought, and from there into his will, and from there into actions. This is the reason why 'hearing' means obeying. Such are the two functions proper to hearing, and in spoken languages they are distinguished from each other by the expressions 'to hear someone', meaning to discern what he says, and 'to listen to someone or hearken to him, meaning to obey him. The reason hearing has these two functions is that the human being is unable to communicate the contents of his thought and also of his will in any other way; nor can he do other than use reasons to persuade and lead others to do and obey what he wills. From this one may see the circle through which desires and ideas are communicated - from will into thought and thus into speech, then from speech by way of his ear into another's thought and will. From this one may also see why spirits and angels who correspond to the ear or sense of hearing in the Grand Man are not only 'discernments' but also 'obediences'. As regards their being 'obediences', see 4652-4660; and being these they are also 'discernments', for the one entails the other.