8494. '[A day of] rest' means a state of peace when there is no temptation. This is clear from the meaning of 'rest', such as belonged to sabbath days, as a representation of a state of peace in which the joining together of goodness and truth takes place. But the six days before this represented the conflict and labour, consequently the temptations, which come before a state of peace; for temptations are followed by a state of peace, in which goodness and truth are joined together. Regarding the fact that 'the six days' which come before the seventh or sabbath was a sign meaning conflict and labour, see 720, 737, 900; and regarding the fact that temptations are followed by serenity and peace, 3696, 4572, 5246, 6829, 8367, 8370 (end). As for 'the sabbath' and its meaning the joining together of goodness and truth, this will be seen in what follows immediately below.

6829. 'And came to the mountain of God' means that after them the good of God's love appeared. This is clear from the meaning of 'the mountain of God' as the good of God's love, 'mountain' being the good of love, see 795, 796, 2722, 4210, 6435. The appearance of that good after they had undergone temptations is what is meant by his coming to that mountain at the back of the wilderness. The situation is that when a person undergoes temptation he is besieged all round by falsities and evils which block the flow of light from the Divine, that is, of truth and good; and that person is so to speak in darkness. Darkness in the next life is nothing other than being besieged by falsities, for these take away the light and so take away from the one undergoing temptation any sense of consolation gained from truths. But when the person comes out of temptation light appears together with the spiritual heat that goes with it, that is, truth together with the good that goes with it. This brings the person cheerfulness after his distress; and that cheerfulness is the morning that follows night in the next life. The reason why good is perceived then and truth appears is that after temptation truth and good penetrate more deeply within and become firmly rooted. For while a person undergoes temptation he so to speak hungers for good and thirsts for truth, and therefore when he comes out of temptation he takes in good like one hungry for food and receives truth like one thirsting for drink. And in addition to this, when the light from the Divine appears falsities and evils are removed; and once they have been removed there is a means of access for truth and good to penetrate more deeply within. These are the reasons why after temptations the good of love appears together with the light from the Lord that goes with it. It is well known to everyone in the next life that brightness and cheerfulness appear after the gloom and distress of temptations, because this is a common happening there.