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.

5621. Wax and stacte. That this signifies the truths of good of the interior natural, is evident from the signification of “wax,” here aromatic wax, as being the truth of good (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “stacte,” as also being truth from good (see n. 4748). Their being of the interior natural is because these spices are purer than resin and honey, and are therefore mentioned in the second place; for such particulars are enumerated in the Word in accordance with the order. By “wax” here is not meant common, but aromatic wax, such as storax. This wax is signified by the term used in the original language, and spice also by the same. Hence it is plain why this aromatic wax signifies the truth of good; for all spices, being sweet-scented, in the internal sense signify the truths which are from good. This may be seen from the fact that truths from good are perceived in heaven pleasantly, like sweet-scented things in the world; and therefore when the perceptions of the angels are turned into odors, as of the Lord’s good pleasure often happens, they are then smelt as fragrances from spices and from flowers. This is the reason why frankincense and incense were compounded of materials of grateful odor, and were employed for a holy use; and also why aromatics were mixed with the anointing oil. One who does not know that such things derive their cause from things perceived in heaven, may be of the opinion that they were commanded merely to render outward worship grateful; but in that case there would be in them nothing of heaven, or nothing holy, and consequently such matters of worship would not have anything Divine in them. (See what has already been shown on this subject; that frankincense and incense, and also the fragrant substances used in the anointing oil, were representative of spiritual and celestial things, n. 4748; and that the spheres of faith and love are turned into grateful odors, and therefore grateful and sweet-scented and also spicy odors signify truths of faith which are from the good of love, n. 1514, 1517-1519, 4628)