937. That Moses signifies the Word of the Old Testament, is evident from certain passages in the Word where he is mentioned. In some places, however, by Moses is meant the law in its strictest sense, which is the law published from Mount Sinai. In some, the law in a broader sense, which is the historical Word, is meant by him. But in the present case the Word of the Old Testament is meant, both historical and prophetical. The reason why Moses signifies the Word is, that the Ten Precepts, and afterwards the Five Books, which were the first [portion] of the Word, were not from himself but from the Lord through him.

That Moses is mentioned instead of the law and the Word is plain from the following passages. In Luke:

"Abraham said unto him, They have Moses and the prophets, let them hear them: if they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded though one rose from the dead" (16:29, 31).

Here by Moses and the Prophets is meant the same as elsewhere by the Law and the Prophets, namely, the historical and prophetical Word.

In the same:

Jesus, "beginning from Moses and all the prophets, interpreted in all the scriptures the things concerning himself" (24:27).

In the same:

"All things must be fulfilled which are written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the Psalms, concerning me" (24:44).

In John:

Philip said, "We have found him, of whom Moses hath written in the law" (1:45).

In the same:

"In the law Moses commanded us" (8:5).

In Daniel:

"The curse hath poured down upon us; and the oath, which is written in the law of Moses, the servant of God; because we have sinned against him. As it is written in the law of Moses, every evil cometh upon us" (9:11, 13).

In Joshua:

Joshua wrote upon the stone of the altar "a copy of the law of Moses" (8:32).

In John:

"Moses gave to you the law, Moses gave to you circumcision. If a man receive circumcision on the Sabbath, thus that the law of Moses might not be broken" (7:19, 22, 23).

In Mark:

"Moses hath said, Honour thy father and thy mother" (7:10).

[2] Because on account of the representation, that is attributed to Moses which was done by the Lord through him, therefore the law of Moses and the law of the Lord are both mentioned in Luke:

"When the days of their purification were fulfilled according to the law of Moses, they brought him to Jerusalem (even as it is written in the law of the Lord, that every male that openeth the womb shall be called holy to the Lord) to offer the sacrifice, according to that which is said in the law of the Lord, a pair of turtle doves, and two young pigeons" (2:22-24, 29).

[3] Because Moses represented the law, it was allowed him to enter in to the Lord upon Mount Sinai, and not only to receive there the Tables of the Law, but also to hear the statutes and judgments of the Law; and to command them to the people. And it is also said, that they might thence believe in Moses for ever:

"Jehovah said unto Moses, Behold I will come to thee in the mist of a cloud, that the people may hear, when I shall speak unto thee; and also may believe in thee for ever" (Exodus 19:9).

[4] It is said, in the mist of a cloud, because by a cloud is signified the Word in the letter. Hence also when Moses entered in to the Lord on Mount Sinai,

He entered into a cloud (Exodus 20:21; 24:2, 18; 35:2-4).

That a cloud signifies the sense of the letter of the Word may be seen (n. 36, 594, 905, 906).

Because Moses represented the Lord as to the law or the Word, therefore,

"When he came down from Mount Sinai, the skin of his face shone; therefore when he spake with the people, he put a veil upon his face" (Exodus 34:28 to end).

The radiation of the face signified the internal of the law; for this is in the light of heaven. The reason of his veiling his face when he spake with the people was, became the internal of the Word was covered, and so obscured to that people, that they could not sustain anything of the light thence.

[5] Since Moses represented the Lord as to the historical Word, and Elias the Lord as to the prophetical Word, therefore, when the Lord was transfigured, Moses and Elias were seen talking with Him (Matthew 17:3). Nor could any others speak with the Lord when His Divine appeared in the world, but those who signified the Word; for all discourse with the Lord is by means of the Word. That Elias represented the Lord as to the Word may be seen above (n. 624).

And because both Moses and Elias, together, represented the Word, therefore, where Elias being sent before the Lord is treated of, both are mentioned in Malachi:

"Remember ye the law of Moses, my servant, which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, the statutes and the judgments. Lo, I send to you Elias the prophet, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh" (Malachi 4:4-6).

By Elias the prophet is meant John the Baptist, because by him, as by Elias, the Word was represented; see above (n. 624, 724).

70. There are many reasons why such communities, or such heavens, were tolerated. The chief is that by means of outward holiness and outward honesty and fairness they were linked with the simple good people in the lowest heaven, and with those who were still in the world of spirits and not yet admitted to heaven. In the spiritual world all are in touch with and so linked with similar spirits. The simple good people in the lowest heaven and those in the world of spirits pay attention mainly to externals, yet without being inwardly wicked. If therefore they were torn apart before the appointed time, heaven would suffer at its lowest level; yet the lowest level is the basis on which the higher levels of heaven rest.

[2] The Lord teaches in this passage that this was why they were tolerated until the final period:

The servants of the head of the household came to him and said, Was it not good seed you sowed in your field? Where then do the weeds come from? And they said, Do you want us then to go and gather them? But he said, No, for fear that in gathering the weeds you uproot the wheat together with them. So let them both grow together until the harvest; and at harvest-time I shall say to the reapers, Gather the weeds first and tie them in bundles for burning; but gather the wheat into the barns. He who sowed the good seed is the Son of Man; the field is the world; the good seed is the children of the kingdom, the weeds the children of evil; the harvest is the ending of the age. As therefore the weeds are gathered and burnt with fire, so shall it be at the ending of this age. Matthew 13:27-30, 37-42.

The ending of this age is the final period of the church; the weeds are those who are inwardly wicked; the wheat those who are inwardly good; their gathering and tying in bundles for burning is the Last Judgment. ¹

[3] A similar meaning is conveyed by the Lord's parable in the same chapter about the gathering of fish of every kind, when the good were put into vessels and the bad thrown out; of these too it is said:

So shall it be at the ending of the age; the angels will go out and separate the wicked from among the righteous. Matthew 13:47-49.

They are compared to fish, because in the spiritual sense of the Word fish mean those who are natural and external, good as well as wicked; on the meaning of the righteous see at the end of the chapter. ²

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