Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 9420

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9420. And Moses went up unto the mountain of God. That this signifies toward heaven, is evident from the signification of "Mount Sinai," which is here "the mountain of God," as being the Law or Divine truth which is from the Lord, thus the Word such as it is in heaven, consequently also heaven (see n. 8399, 8753, 8793, 8805). The reason why the revelation was made on a mountain, and this mountain is called "the mountain of God," is that a "mountain" signifies the celestial of love, which is good, and consequently it signifies heaven, and in the supreme sense the Lord (n. 795, 796, 2722, 4210, 6435, 8327); and "the mountain of God" signifies Divine truth from the Divine good of the Lord's Divine love (n. 8758); for in the Word the Lord is called "God" from Divine truth, and "Jehovah" from Divine good (n. 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4295, 4402, 7010, 7268, 8192, 8301, 8988, 9167). From this it is called "the mountain of God." [2] That "Mount Sinai" denotes the Law, or the Divine truth that proceeds from the Divine good of the Lord, thus the Word, and in the supreme sense the Lord, is evident in David:

The earth trembled, the heavens also dripped at the presence of God; even this Sinai at the presence of God, the God of Israel. The chariots of God are two myriads, thousands of peaceful ones; the Lord is in them, Sinai is in the sanctuary (Ps. 68:8, 17);

that "the earth" and "the heavens" denote the external and the internal of the church, see n. 1733, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535; and that a "chariot" denotes doctrine, n. 2760, 5321, 8146, 8148, 8215. Hence "the chariots of God" denote doctrinal things, or truths Divine, such as are in the heavens. From this it is plain that by "this Sinai at the presence of God, the God of Israel," and by "Sinai in the sanctuary," is signified the Law, or Divine truth proceeding from the Divine good of the Lord, and in the supreme sense the Lord in heaven. In the book of Judges:

Jehovah, when Thou wentest forth out of Seir, when Thou marched out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dripped, the clouds also dripped water. The mountains flowed down before Jehovah, this Sinai before Jehovah (Judg. 5:4, 5);

where also "this Sinai" denotes the Divine truth proceeding from the Divine good of the Lord. In like manner in Moses:

Jehovah came from Sinai, and rose from Seir unto them; He shone forth from Mount Paran, and He came from the myriads of holiness; from His right hand was the fire of the law to them (Deut. 33:2).


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