the Divine truth, because it is as the light therefrom, which gives to man's sight, which is of faith, passage and access (n. 8644). Hence it may be evident what is to be understood by mediation and intercession. It shall further be told why it is that the Lord Himself, Who is the Divine good itself and the Sun itself of heaven, is called a medi4 ator and intercessor with the Father. The Lord when He was in the world and before He was fully glorified, was Divine truth; wherefore at that time there was mediation, and He interceded with the Father, that is, with the Divine good itself (John xiv. 16, 17; xvii. 9, 15, 17). But after He was glorified as to the Human, He is then called mediator and intercessor for this reason, that no one can think of the Divine Himself, unless he presents to himself the idea of a Divine Man; still less can any one be conjoined by love to the Divine Himself, except by such an idea. If any one without the idea of a Divine Man thinks of the Divine Himself, he thinks indeterminately, and an indeterminate idea is no idea; or he conceives an idea of the Divine from the visible universe without end, or with end in obscurity, which idea conjoins itself with the idea of the worshippers of nature, thus falls into nature, and so becomes no idea. Thus it is plain that there would not be any conjunction with the Divine by faith nor by love. All conjunction requires an object, and the conjunction effected is according to the quality of the object. For this reason the Lord as to the Divine Human is called a mediator and intercessor, but He mediates and intercedes with Himself. That the Divine itself cannot be apprehended by any idea, is evident from the Lord's words in John: No man hath seen God at any time; the only begotten Son which is in the bosom of the Father, He hath declared Him (i. 18); and again, Ye have neither heard the voice of the Father at 5 any time, nor seen His form (v. 37). Nevertheless, what is remarkable, all who think from themselves or from the flesh concerning God, think of Him indeterminately, that

is, without any determinate idea; whereas they who think of God not from themselves, nor from the flesh, but from the spirit, think of Him determinately, that is, present to themselves an idea of the Divine under a human form. So the angels in heaven think of the Divine, and so the wise ancients thought, to whom indeed, when the Divine itself appeared, it appeared as a Divine Man; for the Divine passing through heaven is a Divine Man. The reason is, that heaven is the Greatest Man, as has been shown at the end of several chapters. From these considerations it is plain of what sort are the intelligent of the world, and of what sort are the intelligent of heaven namely, that the intelligent of the world remove from themselves the idea of the human, and so between their minds and the Divine there is no mediation, whence they have thick darkness; whereas the intelligent of heaven have an idea of the Divine in the Human, thus the Lord is to them mediation, and thereby in their minds there is light.

8706. And do thou teach them the statutes and the laws. That this signifies that from truth immediate from the Lord are the external and internal goods and truths of the church, is evident from the representation of Moses, of whom it is said that he should teach, as truth proceeding immediately from the Lord (see n. 7010, 7382); from the signification of the statutes, as the external goods and truths of the church (n. 3382, 8362); and from the signification of the laws, as the internal goods and truths of the church (n. 8695).

8707. And make known to them the way wherein they must walk. That this signifies the light of intelligence and life thereby, is evident from the signification of the way, as predicated of the understanding of truth (see n. 627, 2333), here in an interior degree, because it is predicated of the understanding which the man of the spiritual church has from the immediate influx of truth

from the Lord, from which there is not apperception of
truth, but light which gives capacity of understanding. It
is with this light as with the light of the sight of the eye;
in order that the eye may see objects, there must be light,
from which there is general illumination. In this light the
eye sees and discerns objects, and is affected with beauty
and enjoyment according to their agreement with order.
The case is similar with the sight of the internal eye, which
is the understanding; in order that this may see, there
must also be light, from which there is general illumina-
tion, in which come into view the objects which are the
things of intelligence and wisdom. This light is from the
Divine truth which proceeds immediately from the Lord
(n. 8644). The objects presented in this light appear
beautiful and enjoyable according to their agreement with
every one's good. The signification is further evident
from that of, wherein they must walk, that is, in the light,
as life thereby. That walking in the internal sense is life,
may be seen above (n. 3335, 4882, 5493, 5605, 8417,
8420).

8708. And the work that they must do. That this sig-
nifies faith in act, is evident from the signification of the
work that they must do, as action, here action from the
light of intelligence, thus from faith; for faith from the Lord
is in the light of intelligence of which above (n. 8707).
In proportion as man receives of the truths which are of
faith, he enters into that light and is elevated into heaven;
but the reception of the truths of faith is not effected by
acknowledgment alone, but by acknowledgment conjoined
to life, that is, by their being acknowledged in act. This
reception is what is meant by the work that they must do.

8709. Moreover see thou out of all the people. That this
signifies the choice of subservient truths, is evident from
the signification of seeing, as here choosing; and from the
signification of the people, as predicated of truths (see
n. 1259, 1260, 3581, 4619), here of truths subservient to

truth immediately from the Divine, which is represented by Moses (n. 7010); for the princes whom he was to choose were to be subservient to him. That princes mean subservient truths, will be seen below.

8710. Men of strength, such as fear God. That this signifies to which good from the Divine could be conjoined, is evident from the signification of men of strength, as those who have ability from truths which are from good; for by man is signified truth (n. 3134, 5502) and by strength [strenuitas] the ability [vires] which is therefrom. In the original tongue moreover ability is signified by the same expression which is here rendered strength. That ability [vires] is from truths which are from good, is because the men are said also to be God fearing, and by God fearing are signified those who are in good from the Divine ; for fear of God is worship from the good of faith and from the good of love (n. 2826, 5459).

8711. Men of truth, hating unjust gain. That this signifies because they are pure truths without a worldly end, is evident from the signification of men of truth, as pure truths that men of truth mean pure truths, is because by men are signified truths (see n. 3134, 5502), and by truth, faith (n. 3121), thus by men of truth are signified truths of faith, that is, pure truths; and from the signification of hating unjust gain, as aversion to persuasions from falsity and evil, for by hating is signified aversion, and by unjust gain, the falsity and evil which persuade and draw away from truth and good. By unjust gain in general is signified every falsity from evil which perverts the judgments of the mind; and whereas this is the case with those who have the world as their end, therefore by those who hate unjust gain are also signified they who are without a worldly end. That unjust gain is every falsity from evil which perverts. the judgments of the mind and withdraws from truth and good, may be evident to every one who reflects, and in this sense unjust gain is frequently mentioned in the Word

(as in Isaiah, xxxiii. 15; lvi. 11; lvii. 17: in Jeremiah vi. 13; viii. 10; xxii. 17: and in Ezekiel xxii. 27; xxxiii. 31: in David also, Psalm cxix. 36).

8712. And place of these, princes of thousands. That this signifies the primary truths which are in the first degree under truth immediately from the Divine, is evident from the signification of princes, as what are primary (see n. 1482, 2089, 5044), here truths from good, because these princes were to be under Moses, by whom is represented truth Divine proceeding from Divine good, that is, from the Lord; and from the signification of thousands, as those who are in the first degree; for by a thousand are signified many persons, or in an abstract sense many things, and where there are many things, or they who are over many, and are thereby in a degree of greater dignity than those who are over few; here therefore those who are in the first degree, for they who were in a lower degree were rulers of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens; that a thousand does not mean in the internal sense a thousand, but many persons or many things, may be seen above (see n. 2575).

8713. Princes of hundreds. That this signifies primary truths in the second degree, is evident from the signification of princes, as what are primary (see n. 8712); and from the signification of hundreds, as many persons or many things, but in the second degree, because thousands signify those in the first degree. That a hundred means much or many, may be seen above (n. 4400).

8714. Princes of fifties. That this signifies intermediate primary truths, is evident from the signification of princes, as what are primary (see n. 8712, 8713); and from the signification of fifties, as what are intermediate, namely, between the truths from good which are in the second degree and those which are in the third, signified by rulers of hundreds and rulers of tens. That fifty means things intermediate, is because by fifty is signified both much and