Spiritual Meaning of Sinai

Spiritual Meaning of

Sinai

As regards "Mount Sinai," it signifies in the supreme sense Divine truth from Divine good; "mountain," Divine good; and "Sinai," Divine truth. In the internal sense it signifies the truth of faith from good, here the truth of faith that is to be implanted in good, because the law had not yet been promulgated from it. "Mount Sinai" has these significations because the law was promulgated by the Lord from thence, and "the law" denotes Divine truth from Divine good, and also the truth of faith from good (AC 6752, 7463, 8695). For this reason it was that the sons of Israel encamped in the wilderness near that mountain, for from it were promulgated not only the ten commandments, which are "the law" in a close sense, but also all the statutes of the church, which contained in themselves, because they represented, the spiritual and celestial truths and goods of the Lord's kingdom. That the law was promulgated from thence, is evident from the following chapter, and that so also were the statutes of the church, from the succeeding chapters, and also from (Leviticus 7:37, 38; 27:34). The same is signified by "Sinai" in David:--

O God, when Thou wentest forth before Thy people, when Thou didst march in the wilderness; the earth trembled, the heavens also dripped before God; this Sinai before God, the God of Israel. Thou, O God, makest to drip the rain of Thy benevolences (Ps. 68:7-9);

here "Sinai" denotes the truth that is from good, for such is the signification of "the heavens dripping before God," and of "God making to drip the rain of His benevolences."

[3] In the book of Judges:--

Jehovah, when Thou wentest forth out of Seir, when Thou camedst forth out of the field of Edom, the earth trembled, the heavens also dripped, the clouds also dripped waters, the mountains flowed down before Jehovah, Sinai itself before Jehovah the God of Israel. In the days of Shamgar the son of Anath, in the days of Jael, the ways ceased, and they that walked in paths went through crooked ways, the roads ceased in Israel; they ceased until I Deborah arose, until I arose a mother in Israel (Judges 5:4-7);

here also "Sinai" denotes the law or Divine truth from Divine good, by virtue of which the truths of faith were implanted in its good, which things are also signified by "the heavens dripped," and "the clouds dripped waters;" that the truths of faith were lacking and were perverted, is signified by "the ways ceased, and they that walked in paths went through crooked ways". "Ways," "paths," and "roads" denote truths, (AC 627, 2333, 3123, 3477); for the subject treated of in this prophetic song, which is the song of Deborah and Barak, is the perversion of the truth of the church, and its restitution.

[4] In Moses:--

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

in this chapter the sons of Jacob are blessed by Moses before his death, who begins the prophetic utterance of his blessing with "Jehovah came from Sinai" and by "Sinai" are here signified the truths of faith in the complex. That he begins in this way is because by "the sons of Jacob" are signified all the truths and goods of faith (AC 3858, 3862, 3926, 3939, 6335); and in like manner by "the sons of Israel" (AC 5414, 5951, 5879).

from AC 8753

The signification of Mount Sinai, which is here the mountain of God, is the Law or Divine truth which is from the Lord, thus the Word such as it is in heaven, consequently also heaven (AC 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 (AC 795, 796, 2722, 4210, 6435, 8327); and the mountain of God signifies Divine truth from the Divine good of the Lord's Divine love (AC 8758); for in the Word the Lord is called God from Divine truth, and Jehovah from Divine good (AC 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 (AC 1733, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535); and that a chariot denotes doctrine, (AC 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 marchedst 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 (Judges 5:4, 6);

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).

from AC 9420

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Author: E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design: I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.