10498. That Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin. That this signifies a complete estrangement and turning away, is evident from the signification of “sin,” as being a turning away and estrangement from the Divine (see n. 5229, 5474, 5841, 7589, 9346), here a complete turning away and estrangement, because it is called “a great sin.” Turning away and estrangement from the Divine is complete when there is no longer received anything of truth and good from heaven, for the truth and good from heaven is the Divine with man. That with that nation there was no reception of truth and good from heaven, consequently that there was a complete turning away from the Divine, is described by these words in Isaiah:

Say to this people, Hearing hear ye, but understand not; and seeing see ye, but know not. Make the heart of this people fat, and make their ears heavy, and blot out their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and their heart should understand, and be converted, that they may be healed (Isaiah 6:9-10; also John 12:37-40);

it is said, “lest they be converted that they may be healed,” by which is signified that if they were to understand the internal things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, they would profane them (according to what was said above, n. 10490).

9346. Lest perchance they make thee sin against Me. That this signifies lest evils turn away the goods that are from the Lord, is evident from the signification of “the inhabitants of the land,” of whom it is said “lest perchance they make thee sin,” as being evils (as above); from the signification of “to sin,” as being to turn away (n. 5474, 5841, 7589); and from the signification of “thee against Me,” as being the goods that are from the Lord; for by “the sons of Israel,” who are here meant by “thee,” are signified those who are in good, thus goods (n. 5801, 5803, 5806, 5812, 5817, 5819, 5826, 5833, 9340); and by “Jehovah,” who is here meant by “Me,” is meant the the Lord, (n. 9199, 9315). That evils turn away the goods that are from the Lord, is because evils and goods are opposites or contraries, and two opposites or contraries cannot be together, for they turn away from each other, and are in conflict. This can be plainly seen from the fact that evils are from hell, and goods from heaven; and that hell is as far as possible from heaven—not in respect to distance, because in the other life there is no distance—but in respect to state. Therefore they who are in the state of hell cannot be transferred into the state of heaven, for the evils in the former reject the goods in the latter. This is meant by the words of Abraham to the rich man:

Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed, so that they who would pass from hence to you cannot, neither can those who are there pass over to us (Luke 16:26);

“the great gulf” denotes the opposition and contrariety of the states of life. From all this it is evident how it is to be understood that evils turn away the goods that are from the Lord; namely, that those who are in evils not only do not receive the goods which continually flow into everyone from the Lord; but also absolutely turn them away. And therefore a man cannot possibly receive the good of heaven until he abstains from evils.