Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8726

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8726. 'And made them heads over the people' means influx into those truths. This is clear from the meaning of the men of vigour, referred to here as those whom Moses made heads over the people, as truths to which good can be joined, dealt with immediately above in 8725; from the representation of Moses as the truth going forth directly from God, dealt with often; and from the meaning of 'making them heads' as inflowing, and so imparting qualities to those truths, in order that the truth directly from God can work through them to lead a member of the Church by means of good. The situation in all this may be recognized from the following explanations that have been given before,

A person who is being regenerated is led first by means of truth that is the truth of faith; but when he has been regenerated he is led by means of good that is the good of charity, 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685, 8690, 8701.

In the first state, when he is led by means of truth, the Lord flows in by means of God's truth that is going forth directly from Himself; but in the second state, when he is led by means of good, the Lord flows in by means of truth that goes forth both directly and indirectly from Him, 8685, 8701. Indirect influx comes no less from the Lord than direct influx does, 8717.

These are the matters described by this verse in the internal sense. The actual influx of the truth coming indirectly from God is meant by the words 'Moses made them heads over the people'.


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