EXODUS [SECTION 9987]

...is the way in which the Lord glorified His Human—that is, how He made His human nature Divine. This is the primary subject of the "internal sense" The "internal sense" refers to Swedenborg's method of finding deeper spiritual meanings beneath the literal words of the Bible. of this passage. In a related sense, this also describes the process of "regeneration" In this context, regeneration refers to the spiritual rebirth or transformation of a person through living according to divine truth. for every person, because human regeneration is a mirror image of how the Lord glorified Himself (refer to sections 3138, 3212, 3245, 3246, 3296, 4402, 5688). This is the specific law of order because the Lord, in His Divine Human The "Divine Human" is a core concept here, referring to the belief that God took on a human form to interact with humanity and then made that form entirely one with His divine essence., is the source of Order in the heavens; therefore, anyone undergoing regeneration is being brought into this same divine order. Those who live within this order are said to live "in the Lord."

9988. To sanctify them. This signifies the representation of the Lord in His Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of the word "sanctify," which is to represent the Lord’s Divine Human (see section 9956). This is called "sanctifying" because the Lord alone is truly holy; all things that are considered holy proceed from Him, and all acts of sanctification are meant to represent Him (refer to sections 9479, 9680, 9820).

9989. To minister to Me in the priest's office. This signifies the entire work of salvation performed by the Lord. This is evident from the meaning of the "priest’s office," which acts as a symbolic representation of the Lord and His mission to save humanity (see section 9899).

9990. Take one bullock a son of the herd. This signifies the purification of the "natural" or "external" man The "natural" or "external" man refers to the part of a person's mind that deals with the physical world, basic senses, and outward behaviors.. This meaning is derived from the symbol of a bullock, which represents the "good of innocence" and "charity" found within our external nature (see section 9391). Because the text specifies "a son of the herd," it also refers to the truth that belongs to this goodness. In spiritual symbolism, a son denotes "truth," and a herd denotes the "natural" mind. (For more on "son" as truth, see sections 489, 491, 533, 2623, 3373, 9807; and for "herd" as the natural mind, see 2566, 5913, 8937.)

The reason "a bullock a son of the herd" signifies purification is that it was used in sacrifices. Ancient sacrifices symbolized the cleansing of the heart from evils and false ideas (expiation). In this specific verse, it refers to cleansing the external or natural part of a person. Conversely, the "burnt-offering of a ram" signifies the purification of the "spiritual" or "internal" man. [2] To understand what each specific offering represented, one must realize that every person has both an internal and an external nature, and each of these has its own specific needs and functions.