10396. And the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain. That this signifies the Israelitish nation when they did not notice in the Word anything from heaven, is evident from the signification of “seeing,” when said of the understanding of the Word, as being notice (see n. 2150, 3764, 3863, 4567, 4723, 5400); from the representation of Moses, as being the Word (see the places cited in n. 9372); from the signification of “delaying to come down,” when said of the noticing of Divine truth from the Word, as being not to flow in, for the Divine truth which flows in with man is said to come down from heaven; and from the signification of “Mount Sinai,” as being heaven in respect to Divine truth (see n. 9420). By “the people” is here meant the Israelitish nation in the proper sense, because in this chapter the quality of that nation is described in respect to the noticing of Divine truth from the Word, and in respect to the noticing of the interior things which were represented in what had been commanded the sons of Israel by Jehovah through Moses from Mount Sinai, as related in the preceding chapters (25 to 31 inclusive). From all this it is evident that by the words “the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain,” is signified the Israelitish nation when they did not notice in the Word anything from heaven, thus not anything which was represented in the things commanded from Mount Sinai, which are interior things.

[2] The case herein is this. In the preceding chapters there have been treated of the statutes, the judgments, and the laws which were commanded by Jehovah to the sons of Israel, with whom a church was to be instituted. Each and all of these were external things which represented internal, as has been shown in the explications of these chapters. But the Israelitish nation was of such a nature that they did not at all desire to know anything about the internal things which were represented; but only about the external things in which was the representation. The reason why they were of such a nature was that they were altogether in bodily and earthly loves, and with those who are in these loves the interiors, which otherwise would be open into heaven, are closed. For man has an internal and an external; his internal is for heaven, and his external is for the world. When the external reigns, then worldly, bodily, and earthly things reign; and when the internal reigns, then heavenly things reign. But man has been so created that the external in him may be subordinated to the internal, thus the world to heaven; for as before said, the external is for the world and the internal for heaven. When therefore the external reigns, the internal is closed, for the reason that the man then turns himself from heaven and from the Lord to the world and to himself, and his heart is where he turns himself, consequently his love, and with his love the whole of his life, because the life of man is his love.

[3] These things have been said in order that it may be known how the case is with those who are in bodily and earthly loves; namely, that the interiors with them are closed; and those with whom the interiors have been closed do not acknowledge anything internal, saying that only those things exist which they see with their eyes and touch with their hands, and that all other things which they do not see with their eyes and touch with their hands, have no existence. Consequently they have no faith in the existence of heaven, of the life after death, or that the interior things which the church teaches are anything. Such was the Israelitish nation, and that it was such is described in this chapter.

[4] He who does not know that interior things make the church with man, and not exterior things without interior, cannot know otherwise than that this nation was chosen and also loved by Jehovah above all other nations. But the real fact is very different. That nation was received because it was urgent to be received, yet not in order that any church might be with them, but only the representative of a church, to the end that the Word might be written which should have in such things an ultimate form. The reason why that people is called in the Word the people of Jehovah, the chosen and beloved nation, is that by “Judah” in the Word is meant the celestial church; by “Israel,” the spiritual church; and by all the sons of Jacob, something of the church; likewise by “Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,” the Lord Himself; as also by “Moses,” “Aaron,” and “David.” But as that nation is the subject treated of in this whole chapter (that a church could not be instituted with it, but only the representative of a church); therefore before proceeding further, see what has been already said and shown concerning that nation; namely, That there was no church among them, but only the representative of a church (n. 4281, 4288, 4311, 4500, 4899, 4912, 6304, 7048, 9320): Thus that they were not chosen; but received, because they insisted (n. 4290, 4293, 7051, 7439): That they were wholly in externals without anything internal (n. 4293, 4311, 4320 ¹ , 4459, 4834, 4844, 4847, 4865, 4868, 4874, 4903, 4913, 9373, 9380, 9381): That their worship was merely external (n. 3147, 3479, 8871): That they did not wish to know the internal things of worship and of the Word (n. 3479, 4429, 4433, 4680): That on this account it was not granted them to know these things (n. 301-303vvv2, 2520, 3769): That if they had known them, they would have profaned them (n. 3398, 3489, 4289); that nevertheless by means of the externals of worship with them, which were representative of things interior, there was communication with heaven; and in what manner (n. 4311, 4444, 6304, 8588, 8788, 8806): That when they were in worship their interiors which were unclean were closed (n. 3480, 9962): That this could be done with that nation, and that on this account they have been preserved even to this day (n. 3479, 4281, 6588, 9377): That they worshiped Jehovah merely in respect to the name (n. 3732, 4299, 6877): That at heart they were idolaters (n. 4208, 4281, 4820, 5998, 6877, 7401, 8301, 8882): In general, that it was the worst nation (n. 4314, 4316, 4317, 4444, 4503, 4750, 4751, 4815, 4820, 4832, 5057, 7248, 8819, 9320).

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4847. Lest he also die, like his brethren. That this signifies fear lest it should perish, namely, the representative of a church that was with the posterity descended from Jacob, and specifically that descended from Jacob through Judah, is evident from the signification of “lest he also die,” as being fear lest it should perish. In regard to this-that the representative of a church which was with the posterity of Jacob would perish if the internal things of a genuine representative church were adjoined to it, the case is as follows. A representative church, such as had existed among the ancients, was to have been instituted with the posterity of Jacob; but that nation was of such a quality that they wished to worship and to adore external things only, and did not wish to know anything at all about internal things; for they were immersed in the cupidities of the love of self and of the world, and thence in falsities. That nation, more than the Gentiles, believed that there were many gods, but that Jehovah was greater than they because He could do greater miracles; and therefore as soon as the miracles ceased, and also when they had become little esteemed because of being frequent and familiar, they straightway turned to other gods, as is very evident from the historic and prophetic parts of the Word.

[2] Because that nation was of such a quality, a representative church such as had existed among the ancients could not be instituted with them, but only the representative of a church; and it was provided by the Lord that some communication with heaven might thereby be effected; for what is representative is possible with the evil, because it regards not the person, but the thing. From this it is plain that insofar as they were concerned their worship was merely idolatrous (n. 4825), although the representatives contained within them holy Divine things. With such idolatrous worship, what is internal could not be conjoined, for if what is internal had been conjoined, that is, if they had acknowledged internal things, they would have profaned holy things; for if a holy internal is conjoined with an idolatrous external it becomes profane. It is for this reason that internal things were not disclosed to that nation, and that if they had been disclosed it would have perished.

[3] That that nation could not receive and acknowledge internal things, however much they might have been revealed to them, is very plain from what they are at this day; for they now know internal things, because they live among Christians; but still they reject and also scoff at them. Even the most of those who have been converted do the same at heart. Thus it is evident that a church representative of spiritual and celestial things was not with that nation, but only the representative of a church, that is, the external without the internal, which in itself is idolatrous. From these things it may also be seen how erroneously those Christians think who believe that at the end of the church the Jewish nation will be converted, and be chosen in preference to Christians; and still more those who believe that the Messiah, or the Lord, will then appear to them and by a great prophet and great miracles bring them back into the land of Canaan. But into these errors those fall who by “Judah,” “Israel,” and the “land of Canaan,” in the prophetic parts of the Word, understand simply Judah, Israel, and the land of Canaan; and who thus believe only the literal sense, and care not for any internal sense.