9371. THE INTERNAL SENSE.

Verses 1-2. And He said unto Moses, Come up unto Jehovah, thou and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel; and bow yourselves afar off; and Moses, he alone, shall come near unto Jehovah; and they shall not come near; and the people shall not come up with him. “And He said unto Moses,” signifies that which concerns the Word in general; “come up unto Jehovah,” signifies conjunction with the Lord; “thou and Aaron,” signifies the Word in the internal sense and the external sense; “Nadab and Abihu,” signifies doctrine from both senses; “and seventy of the elders of Israel,” signifies the chief truths of the church which are of the Word, or of doctrine, and which agree with good; “and bow yourselves afar off,” signifies humiliation and adoration from the heart, and then the influx of the Lord; “and Moses, he alone, shall come near unto Jehovah,” signifies the conjunction and presence of the Lord through the Word in general; “and they shall not come near,” signifies no separate conjunction and presence; “and the people shall not come up with him,” signifies no conjunction whatever with the external apart from the internal.

Frequent mention is made of garments in the Word, and by them are meant those things which are beneath or without, and which cover those things that are above or within. Because 'garments' signify the external of man, they also signify the natural principle, for this covers his internal and spiritual principle. 'Garments' specifically signify the truths which are of faith, because these cover the goods which are of charity. Garments and clothing, as in Isaiah 63:1, 3, signify the Lord's human. Garments of wrought gold, as in Psalm 45:13, signify the quality of truth derived from good. Garments of honorableness, as in Isaiah 52:1, signify the holy things of faith. The garments of the Lord at his transfiguration signify divine truth proceeding from his divine love. Garments of needlework, fine linen, and silk, as in Ezekiel 16:10, 18, signify the lower spiritual things and doctrinal ideas of the spiritual church perverted. Garments of holiness which Aaron wore, as in Leviticus 16:2, 4; Exodus 28 etc., represent the Lord's divine human principle. Garments of the Lord, as in Isaiah 63:1, signify the Word in the literal sense. Garments of salvation signify the truths of faith, and the robe of righteousness signifies the good of charity, as in Isaiah 61:10.

(References: Arcana Coelestia 5248; Exodus 28; Isaiah 52; Matthew 17:2)

3114. We have both straw and much provender. That “straw” signifies truths in the form of memory-knowledge, and that “much provender” signifies their goods, is evident from the signification of “straw” and of “provender.” That “straw” signifies these truths, is because it is spoken of as being the food of camels; for when by “camels” is signified the natural man as to the general memory-knowledges therein, then by their food, namely, by straw, nothing else than these can be signified; for the natural man has no other food which is the food of its life, seeing that its nourishment is from such truths; for if such food should fail it, that is, knowing, it would not continue to exist. That this is the case, is evident from the life after death; for then such things are to spirits in place of food (see n. 56-58, 680, 681, 1480, 1695, 1973, 1974). In the natural man, as in the rational, there are two classes of things in general which constitute its essence, namely, those of the understanding and those of the will. To the things of the understanding pertain truths; to those of the will pertain goods. The truths of the natural man are truths in the form of memory-knowledge, that is, whatever things are in his external memory; these are what are signified by “straw,” when camels, and also when horses, mules, and asses are treated of. But the goods of the natural man are delights, chiefly those of the affection of such truths.