8657. Unto Moses unto the wilderness. That this signifies conjunction in the state before regeneration when there are temptations, is evident from the signification of “coming unto Moses,” as being conjunction, namely, of the Divine good which is represented by Jethro with the Divine truth which is represented by Moses; and from the signification of “the wilderness,” as being a state of undergoing temptations (see n. 6828, 8098), thus the state before regeneration. That there are two states which those enter into who are being regenerated and are becoming a spiritual church, and that when they are in the former state they undergo temptations, see above (n. 8643). The former state is described by the state of the sons of Israel in the wilderness, and the latter state by their state in the land of Canaan under Joshua.