9808. 'From the midst of the children of Israel' means in heaven and in the Church. This is clear from the meaning of 'Israel' as those who belong to the Church, thus in the abstract sense the Church itself, dealt with in 4286, 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223, 8805, 9340. And since 'Israel' means the Church it also means heaven; for heaven and the Church make one, and also the Church is the Lord's heaven on earth. Every member of the Church furthermore has heaven within himself when truth and at the same time good which come from the Lord reside in him.

7215. 'And Moses spoke in this way to the children of Israel' means an exhortation from the law of God to those who belonged to the Lord's spiritual kingdom. This is clear from the meaning of 'speaking' as an exhortation, for he spoke to them what Jehovah had commanded him; from the representation of 'Moses' as the law of God, dealt with in 6723, 6752; and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as the Lord's spiritual kingdom, dealt with in 6426, 6637.