4736. Cast him into this pit that is in the wilderness. That this signifies that they should conceal it meanwhile among their falsities, that is, that they should regard it as false, but still retain it because it was of importance to the church, is evident from the signification of a “pit,” as being falsities (see n. 4728); and from the signification of a “wilderness,” as being where there is no truth. For the word “wilderness” has a wide signification, it means where the land is uninhabited, and thus not cultivated; and when predicated of the church, it denotes where there is no good, and consequently no truth (n. 2708, 3900). Thus by a “pit in the wilderness” are here meant falsities in which there is no truth, because no good. It is said in which there is no truth because no good; for when anyone believes that faith saves without works, truth may indeed exist, but still it is not truth in him, because it does not look to good, nor is it from good. This truth is not alive, because it has in it a principle of falsity, consequently with anyone who has such truth, the truth is but falsity from the principle which rules in it. The principle is like the soul, from which the rest have their life. On the other hand there are falsities which are accepted as truths, when there is good in them, especially if it is the good of innocence, as with the Gentiles and also with many within the church.

9379. 'And they shall not come near' means no separate joining together or presence. This is clear from the representation of Aaron, his sons Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders, who are the ones here who 'shall not come near', as the Word in its outward sense, religious teachings, and the Church's leading truths, dealt with above in 9374-9376; and from the meaning of 'coming near' as the Lord's togetherness with and presence among people, dealt with immediately above in 9378, in this instance as no such togetherness or presence, since it says that Moses alone and not they themselves shall come near. The reason why no separate joining together or presence is meant is that Moses at this point represents the Word in general or the Word in its entirety, 9372, as well as the Word in its inward sense, 9374, whereas Aaron, his sons, and the seventy elders represent the Word in its outward sense and the things derived from it. Since there can be no separate joining of these to the Lord, because the Lord is the Word in its entirety, the words of explanation are 'no such joining or any separate presence'.