9373. Come up unto Jehovah. That this signifies conjunction with the Lord, is evident from the signification of “coming up,” as being to be raised toward interior things (see n. 3084, 4539, 4969, 5406, 5817, 6007), consequently also to be conjoined (n. 8760). That it denotes conjunction with the Lord, is because by “Jehovah” in the Word is meant the the Lord, (n. 1343, 1736, 1793, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2025, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6280, 6303, 6905, 8274, 8864, 9315). A secret which also lies hidden in the internal sense of these words, is that the sons of Jacob, over whom Moses was the head, were not called and chosen; but they themselves insisted that Divine worship should be instituted among them (according to wh at has been said in n. 4290, 4293); and therefore it is here said, “and He said unto Moses, Come up unto Jehovah,” as if not Jehovah, but another, had said that he should come up. For the same reason in what follows it is said that “the people should not go up” (verse 2); and that “Jehovah sent not His hand unto the sons of Israel who were set apart” (verse 11); and that “the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the sons of Israel” (verse 17); and lastly that Moses, being called the seventh day, “entered into the midst of the cloud.” For by “the cloud” is meant the Word in the letter (n. 5922, 6343, 6752, 6832, 8106, 8443, 8781); and with the sons of Jacob the Word was separated from its internal sense, because they were in external worship without internal, as can be clearly seen from the fact that now, as before, they said, “all the words which Jehovah hath spoken we will do” (verse 3); and yet scarcely forty days afterward they worshiped a golden calf instead of Jehovah; which shows that this was hidden in their hearts while they were saying with their lips that they would serve Jehovah alone. But nevertheless those who are meant by “the called and the chosen” are those who are in internal worship, and who from internal worship are in external; that is, those who are in love to and faith in the Lord, and from this in love toward the neighbor.

5342. And put the food in the cities. That this signifies that he stored it up in the interiors, namely, truths adjoined to good, is evident from the signification here of “putting,” as being to store up; from the signification of “food,” as being truth adjoined to good (of which just above, n. 4340); and from the signification of “cities,” as being the interiors of the natural mind (of which also above, n. 5297). That truths adjoined to good are stored up in the interiors of the natural mind, and there preserved for use in after life, especially for use in temptations during man’s regeneration, is a secret known to few at this day; and therefore something must be said about this. For by the “seven years of abundance of produce” are signified the truths first multiplied, and by the corn being “put in the cities” and “in the midst” is signified that these truths adjoined to good are stored up in man’s interiors: and by the “seven years of famine,” and by the sustenance at that time from the gatherings, is signified a state of regeneration through truths adjoined to good, stored up in the interiors.

[2] The secret is this: from earliest infancy even to the first of childhood, man is being introduced by the Lord into heaven, and indeed among celestial angels, by whom he is kept in a state of innocence; a state in which (as is known) infants are up to the first of childhood. When the age of childhood begins, the child gradually puts off the state of innocence, though he is still kept in a state of charity by means of the affection of mutual charity toward those like himself, which state with many continues up to youth, and meanwhile he is among spiritual angels. Then, because he begins to think from himself and to act accordingly, he can no longer be kept in charity as before; for he then calls forth inherited evils, by which he suffers himself to be led. When this state comes, the goods of charity and innocence that he had previously received, are banished according to the degree in which he thinks evils and confirms them by act; and yet they are not banished, but are withdrawn by the Lord toward the interiors and there stored up.

[3] But as he does not yet know truths, the goods of innocence and charity he had received in the two preceding states have not yet been qualified, for truths give quality to good, and good gives essence to truths; wherefore from this age he is imbued with truths by instruction, and especially by means of his own thoughts and confirmations from them. Insofar therefore as he is then in the affection of good, so far truths are conjoined with good in him by the Lord (see n. 5340), and are stored up for use. This state is what is signified by the “seven years of abundance of produce.” It is these truths adjoined to good that in the proper sense are called “remains.” Insofar therefore as the man suffers himself to be regenerated, so far the remains serve for use; for so far a supply from them is drawn forth by the Lord, and is sent back into the natural, in order to produce a correspondence of the exteriors with the interiors, or of what is natural with what is spiritual; and this is effected in the state signified by the “seven years of famine.” Such is the secret.

[4] The man of the church at this day believes that no matter what anyone’s life is, he may of mercy be received into heaven, and there enjoy eternal bliss; for he supposes admission to be all that is necessary. But he is much mistaken, for no one can be admitted and received into heaven unless he has received spiritual life, and no one can receive spiritual life unless he is being regenerated, and no one can be regenerated except through the good of life conjoined with the truth of doctrine: from this he has spiritual life. That no one can come into heaven unless he has received spiritual life through regeneration, the Lord plainly declares in John:

Verily, verily I say unto thee, Except a man be born anew, he cannot see the Kingdom of God (John 3:3);

and then He says:

Verily, verily I say to thee, Except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God (John 3:5);

“water” is the truth of doctrine (n. 2702, 3058, 3424, 4976), and “spirit” is the good of life. No one enters by baptism; but baptism is significative of that regeneration which the man of the church ought to keep in mind.

10643. 'And break their pillars' means that falsities of evil are to be done away with. This is clear from the meaning of 'pillars' as representative signs of worship of the Lord which springs from truths, dealt with in 4580, 4582, 9388, 9389, and in the contrary sense as representative signs of idolatrous worship arising from falsities, 3727. The reason why pillars were signs representative of worship was that among the ancients it was customary to set up pillars, anoint them with oil, and in so doing make them holy objects. The ancients performed their worship chiefly on mountains, on hills, and in groves, where they set the pillars up. The reason why they set them up on mountains was that mountains served to mean the heaven where celestial love, which is love to the Lord, reigns; the reason why they set them up on hills was that hills served to mean the heaven where spiritual love, which is love towards the neighbour, reigns; and the reason why they set them up in groves was that groves served to mean heavenly wisdom and intelligence. All these had their origin in correspondences. The pillars which were set up in those places served as signs of Divine Truth; for the pillars were pieces of stone, and 'stone' means truth. And therefore in the Word the Lord in respect of Divine Truth is called the Stone of Israel. These then are the reasons why pillars were signs of worship of the Lord springing from truths.

[2] But when the representative signs of the Church which existed among the ancients began to be converted partly into what was idolatrous and partly into that which was magical, those signs were brought to an end, especially among the Israelite nation, which was idolatrous at heart. This is why idolatrous worship arising from falsities is also meant by 'pillars'. So it is with all worship when people become interested only in what is external, as happens when they regard self and the world as the end, and Divine things of the Church as the means. For then in the case of those who still engage in acts of worship, everything belonging to worship is turned into an idol, because outward forms without their inner realities are being worshipped. Consequently the truths contained in worship and religious teachings are turned into falsities; for they are falsified by the selfish and worldly thoughts entering into them, to which very many other notions become attached that take what is God's from those truths and assign them to self and the world. All this may also be recognized in the altars of the gentile nations; although they offered sacrifices on them in a similar way to the Israelite nation, those sacrifices were nevertheless abominations.

[3] The customary existence of pillars among the ancients, serving to mean the holiness of worship, is clear from the pillar erected by Jacob, described in Genesis as follows,

And Jacob took the stone which he had placed as his headrest, and placed it as a pillar and poured oil on the top of it. And he said, If I come back in peace to my father's house, this stone which I have placed as a pillar will be God's house. Genesis 28:18, 21-22.

The same thing is clear from the twelve pillars set up by Moses at the foot of Mount Sinai, spoken of as follows in Exodus and dealt with in 9389,

Moses wrote all Jehovah's words. And he rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of ¹ the mountain, and twelve pillars for the twelve tribes of Israel. Exodus 24:4.

Also in Isaiah,

On that day there will be an altar to Jehovah in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to Jehovah at its border. Isaiah 19:19.

And in Hosea,

The children of Israel will sit many days with no king, and no prince, and no sacrifice, and no pillar. Hosea 3:4.

In these places worship springing from truths is meant by 'pillars', because stone was a sign of Divine Truth, as stated above; and a pillar anointed with oil was a sign of Divine Truth emanating from Divine Good.

[4] But when those representative objects began to be worshipped in an idolatrous manner, the command came for them to be overthrown and broken, as in the present verse and also in Exodus 23:24; Deuteronomy 7:5; 12:3. And since the Israelite nation was idolatrous at heart, to prevent them from setting up pillars on mountains and hills, or in groves, and worshipping them in an idolatrous manner, they were forbidden to set up pillars or to plant groves, even though for the ancients such things had been holy objects belonging to worship. The fact that this nation was forbidden to do so is clear in Moses,

You shall not plant for yourself a grove of any kind of tree beside the altar of your God which you shall make for yourself. And you shall not erect for yourself a pillar, which Jehovah your God indeed hates. Deuteronomy 16:21-22.

And the fact that they were forbidden to do so because they worshipped those objects in an idolatrous manner is clear in the first Book of Kings,

Judah ² did what was evil in the eyes of Jehovah; they built for themselves high places and pillars on every high hill, and under every green tree. 1 Kings 14:22-23.

The like is said about the children of Israel ³ , in 2 Kings 17:10. In Micah,

I will cut down your carved images and your pillars from the midst of you, and you will adore no more the work of your hands. And I will uproot your groves from the midst of you. Micah 5:13-14.

In Isaiah,

You inflamed yourselves among the gods under every green tree. Isaiah 57:5.

And in Ezekiel,

By means of the hoofs of his horses Nebuchadnezzar will trample all your streets, slay the people with the sword, and cause your mighty pillars ⁴ to come down to the ground. Ezekiel 26:11.

The same thing may in addition be seen in other places, which likewise show what is meant in the internal sense by 'pillars'.

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