10361. For this is holy to you. That this signifies that from this are all the good and truth which make the church, is evident from the signification of “holy,” as being all that, and only that, which proceeds from the Lord (see n. 9479, 9680, 9820), thus the good of love and the truth of faith, for these are what proceed from the Lord. That these make the church with men, and heaven with the angels, can be seen from the fact that love and faith are the essentials of the church, because they conjoin men and angels with the Lord; the good of love conjoining their will, and the truth of faith their understanding; thus all that appertains to them.

8658. Where he was encamped at the mount of God. That this signifies near to the good of truth, is evident from the signification of “being encamped,” as being the setting in order of the truth and good which are of the church with man (see n. 8103, 8130, 8131, 8155); and from the signification of “the mount of God,” as being the good of love (see n. 795, 796, 2722, 4210, 6435, 8327), here the good of truth, because the subject treated of is the good of those who are of the spiritual church, who are represented by the sons of Israel. The good they have is the good of truth (this good is also the good of charity), and therefore it is called “the mount of God,” because “God” is said where truth is treated of, and “Jehovah” where good is treated of (n. 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3921, 4295, 4402, 7268, 7873). From all this it is evident that by “he was encamped at the mount of God,” is signified the setting in order of the good and truth of the church near to the good of truth. What is meant by this shall be briefly told. When man is in the former state, namely, when he acts from truth and not yet from good, that is, when he acts from faith and not yet from charity, he is in a state of undergoing temptations. By these he is progressively carried to the second state, namely, that he acts from good, that is, from charity and the affection of it. When therefore he comes near to this state, he is said to be “encamped at the mount of God,” that is, at the good from which he will afterward act. This is said because in what now follows the subject treated of is the new disposition or setting in order of the truths for entering into this state, to which the man of the church comes after he has undergone temptations, and before the law Divine is inscribed on his heart. In what precedes the subject treated of was temptations, and in what now follows it is the law promulgated from Mount Sinai. “Mount Sinai” denotes the good in which is truth.

1672. And the kings that were with him. That this signifies the apparent truth which is of that good, is evident from the signification of “kings” in the Word. “Kings,” “kingdoms,” and “peoples,” in the historical and the prophetical parts of the Word, signify truths and the things which are of truths, as may be abundantly confirmed. In the Word an accurate distinction is made between a “people” and a “nation;” by a “people” are signified truths, and by a “nation” goods, as before shown (n. 1259, 1260). “Kings” are predicated of peoples, but not so much of nations. Before the sons of Israel sought for kings, they were a nation, and represented good, or the celestial; but after they desired a king, and received one, they became a people, and did not represent good or the celestial, but truth or the spiritual; which was the reason why this was imputed to them as a fault (see 1 Samuel 8:7-22, concerning which subject, of the Lord’s Divine mercy elsewhere). As Chedorlaomer is named here, and it is added, “the kings that were with him,” both good and truth are signified; by “Chedorlaomer,” good, and by “the kings,” truth. But what was the quality of the good and truth at the beginning of the Lord’s temptations has already been stated.