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.

9431. Six days. That this signifies when in a state of truth, is evident from the signification of “six days,” as being a state of labor, and of combat (see n. 737, 8510, 8888, 8975). That it denotes a state of truth is because there are two states with the man who is being regenerated by the Lord; the first state is called a state of truth, and the second state is called a state of good. The reason why the first state is called a state of truth, is that the man is then being brought into good by means of truth; and the reason why the second state is called a state of good, is that when the man is in good he has been brought in. Moreover, when a man is in a state of truth he is outside of heaven; but when he is in good, he is in heaven; thus has been brought in to the Lord. Besides, when a man is in the first state, or the state of truth, he is then in labor and combat, for he is then undergoing temptations; but when he is in the second state, or the state of good, he is then at rest and in the tranquillity of peace. The former state is what is represented in the Word by the six days which precede the seventh; but the latter state is what is represented by the seventh day or Sabbath (n. 8890, 8893, 9274). (Concerning these two states with the man who is being regenerated, which are called the state of truth and the state of good, see what has been already amply shown, n. 7923, 7992, 8505, 8506, 8510, 8513, 8516, 8539, 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685, 8690, 8701, 8722, 8772, 9139, 9224, 9227, 9230, 9274)

8643. And Jethro the priest of Midian. That this signifies the Divine good, is evident from the representation of Jethro, the priest of Midian, as being the good of the church that is in the truth of simple good (see n. 7015), but here he denotes the Divine good, for the reason that Moses, of whom Jethro was the father-in-law, represents Divine truth. For when the son-in-law represents truth, then the father-in-law represents the good in a higher degree, because he is the father of the other’s wife. That the Divine good is here represented by Jethro, is because in this chapter the subject treated of is the setting in order of truths with the man of the spiritual church, and this is effected by Divine good through Divine truth; for all setting in order is by good through truth. This setting in order is effected with the man of the spiritual church when he begins to act no longer from truth, but from good; for this state is his second state, which arises after he has undergone temptations. For when he acts from truth, then he is tempted, to the intent that the truths with him may be confirmed; and when these have been confirmed, then they are reduced by the Lord into order; and when they have been reduced into order, then he enters the second state, which consists in willing truths and doing them, whereby they become of the life, and are called goods. This setting in order is treated of below.