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.

5568. There have been with me at times those who gnashed with their teeth. They were from the hells where are those who had not only led an evil life, but had also confirmed themselves against the Divine, and had referred all things to nature. These gnash with their teeth when they speak, which is horrible to hear.

906. And upon the cloud One sitting like unto the Son of man, signifies the Lord in the Divine truth or the Word which is from Him. This is evident from the signification of a "white cloud," as being the Divine truth in ultimates, such as the Word is in the sense of the letter, within which is the spiritual sense (See above); also from the signification of "sitting upon it," as being in the heavens where the Divine truth is in its light, such as the Word is in the spiritual sense; also from the signification of "the Son of man," as being the doctrine of truth, and in the highest sense the Lord as to the Word (See above, n. 63, 151). One may wonder that a "cloud" signifies the Word, and "One sitting upon the cloud" signifies the Lord as to the Word, since to those who comprehend all things according to the sense of the letter of the Word, it must needs seem that a "cloud" means a cloud, and not anything spiritual such as the Word is, for the Word does not appear to have any affinity or agreement with a cloud; nevertheless it is the Divine truth in ultimates, such as the Word is in the letter, that is here signified. The reason is, that in the spiritual world the Divine truth flowing down from the higher heavens into the lower appears like a cloud; and this has been seen by me, and from it and its varied hues I was able to conclude what kind of truth the angels of the higher heaven were talking about with one another.

[2] The "cloud" that appeared upon Mount Sinai when the Law, which was the Divine truth, was promulgated, had a similar signification, also the "cloud" that was seen every day upon the Tent of meeting, and that sometimes filled it; also:

The bright cloud that overshadowed Peter, James, and John, when Jesus appeared transfigured; out of which cloud a voice was heard saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him (Matthew 17:5; Luke 9:34, 35).

Also in the following passages in the Gospels:

Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man; and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory (Matthew 24:30; Luke 21:27).

And Jesus said, Now shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven (Matthew 26:64; Mark 14:61, 62).

In these passages also "to come in the clouds of heaven" means the manifestation of the Lord in the Word; for after His coming predictions respecting the Lord were clearly seen in the prophecies of the Word that were not seen before; and they are still more clearly seen at this day, when the spiritual sense of the Word has been opened, in which, in the highest sense, the Lord and the subjugation of the hells by Him and the glorification of His Human are everywhere treated of. This sense is what is meant by the "glory" in which He would come. That "glory" signifies spiritual Divine truth such as it is in the heavens may be seen above (n. 33, 874). All this makes clear what is signified by "the white cloud, and upon the cloud One sitting like unto the Son of man," which John saw; for what now follows treats of the separation of the good from the evil before the Last Judgment, and afterwards of that judgment; the same as was predicted by the Lord in the Gospels, that "He would come in the clouds of heaven;" also in the first chapter of Revelation in these words:

Jesus Christ, who is the faithful Witness, the Firstborn of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth. Behold He cometh with the clouds, and every eye shall see Him (verses Revelation 1:5, 7).