Arcana Coelestia #9419
9419. 'And Moses rose up, and Joshua his minister' means the Word and its representative. This is clear from the representation of 'Moses' as the intermediary between the Lord and the people who are restricted to the outward sense of the Word, separated from the inward, thus also as the Word, as accords with what has already been shown just above in 9414; and from the representation of 'Joshua his minister' as its representative. The reason why 'Joshua' here means that representative is that what is representative serves and ministers, in order that the outward things of the Word and of worship may present themselves to the Lord through the intermediary, who was Moses. But these are matters such as are scarcely intelligible except to those who know about the ways in which a representation of the outward or literal sense of the Word is accomplished in heaven. That is to say, it is represented in one way with those who are acquainted with the outward sense of the Word and at the same time with the inward, that is, those who are acquainted with the outward sense of the Word and at the same time with true teachings of the Church, and in another way with those restricted to the outward sense, separated from the inward, as with this people. How it was accomplished with this people, see 4311.
[2] Some idea may be formed from this regarding the intermediary that 'Moses' represents and the ministering representative that 'Joshua' represents. That is to say, there is an inward holiness which Divine Truth emanating from the Lord possesses, thus which the Word and worship springing from it possess. This flows into heaven and is received there by angels. There is also an inflow of holiness indirectly through that inward holiness, as well as directly from the Lord, to good spirits present with a person engaged in reading the Word or in worship springing from it. This holiness is called an outward holiness, and when it flows in with a person it produces representative images formed in accord with the correspondences known to the person. All this helps one to see what use the intermediary serves, which Moses represents now, and what use the minister serves, which Joshua represents, namely that the outward holiness acts as intermediary, while the representative existing on the lowest level of order acts as minister. But it should be recognized that the idea of Divine Truth flowing in is unintelligible to a person unless the Lord sheds light on the idea. For the person sees what happens in no other way than this, that the holiness of the Word and the holiness of worship flows from the person to the Lord. But this order is inverted order, and is called physical influx, which is an appearance and not at all the reality; see what has been shown in the places referred to in 9223, 9227 (end).
Exodus 24
1
He said to Moses, "Come up to Yahweh, you, and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and worship from a distance.
2
Moses alone shall come near to Yahweh, but they shall not come near, neither shall the people go up with him."
3
Moses came and told the people all the words of Yahweh, and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, "All the words which Yahweh has spoken will we do."
4
Moses wrote all the words of Yahweh, and rose up early in the morning, and built an altar under the mountain, and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel.
5
He sent young men of the children of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of cattle to Yahweh.
6
Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he sprinkled on the altar.
7
He took the book of the covenant and read it in the hearing of the people, and they said, "All that Yahweh has spoken will we do, and be obedient."
8
Moses took the blood, and sprinkled it on the people, and said, "Look, this is the blood of the covenant, which Yahweh has made with you concerning all these words."
9
Then Moses, Aaron, Nadab, Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up.
10
They saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was like a paved work of sapphire stone, like the skies for clearness.
11
He didn't lay his hand on the nobles of the children of Israel. They saw God, and ate and drank.
12
Yahweh said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and stay here, and I will give you the tables of stone with the law and the commands that I have written, that you may teach them."
13
Moses rose up with Joshua, his servant, and Moses went up onto God's Mountain.
14
He said to the elders, "Wait here for us, until we come again to you. Behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever is involved in a dispute can go to them."
15
Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain.
16
The glory of Yahweh settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. The seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud.
17
The appearance of the glory of Yahweh was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the children of Israel.
18
Moses entered into the midst of the cloud, and went up on the mountain; and Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.
