8980. 'His woman shall go out with him' means a state of truth together with delight joined to it, also after conflict. This is clear from the meaning of 'going out' - out of servitude - as a state after conflict, 8975; and from the meaning of 'woman' as conjoined delight, dealt with immediately above in 8979. From these places it is evident who exactly were represented here by 'male slaves', namely those imbued with faith composed of the teachings of their Church and not with the complementary good but with delight that is an imitation of that good. Their servitude with their master means their state before they can be introduced into heaven, whereas their going out from servitude means their state when they are received into heaven. But since they are imbued only with faith composed of the teachings of their Church and not with the complementary good, thus not with the truth of good, which is the faith of charity, they cannot be allowed any further into heaven than the entrance there. For those in the entrance to heaven are in contact with those in heaven through the truth of faith, and with those outside heaven through the delight joined to that truth. They serve just like the layers of skin or membranes that clothe the body, which through the sense of touch are in contact with the world and through the nervous system are in contact with the life of the soul present in the body. So it is that those in the entrance to heaven, who are represented by 'Hebrew slaves', are called skin spirits in the Grand Man, regarding whom see 5552-5559. But there are many genera and species of such spirits, just as there are of layers of skin or membranes in the body. There are those which cover the whole body; there are those which cover interior parts in general, such as the peritoneum, pleura, or pericardium; and there are those which serve specifically to cover the individual organs there. They are all relatively a body of servants.

8975. 'He shall serve for six years' means a state of labour and some conflict, and of consequent strengthening of truth. This is clear from the meaning of 'six years' as states of labour and conflict. For the meaning of 'six' as labour and conflict, see 737, 900, 8888, and 'years' as states, 487, 488, 493, 893, 7839. The reason why strengthening of truth is also meant is that spiritual truth, which is called the truth of faith, is strengthened through labour and conflict. The words 'some conflict' are used because those imbued with the truth of faith and not with complementary goodness of life are not allowed to experience any serious conflict, that is, temptation, since they would go under; for the Lord cannot flow in through good with them and so cannot protect them from the evils and falsities which attack in temptations. They are merely external people, and whatever flows in from the Lord must do so by way of the internal man into the external. When people are not imbued with the good of charity, the internal man does not lie open; for good is what opens the internal man, and is what dwells there.