Spiritual Meaning of EXODUS 18:24-27
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AC 8723. Verses 24-27. And Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said. And Moses chose men of strenuousness out of all Israel, and gave them as heads over the people: princes of thousands, princes of hundreds, princes of fifties, and princes of tens. And they shall judge the people in every time, the difficult word they shall bring unto Moses, and every small word they shall judge. And Moses let his father-in-law go, and he went to himself unto his own land. "And Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said," signifies the effect according to the setting in order of Divine good; "and Moses chose men of strenuousness out of all Israel," signifies the choice of truths with which good could be conjoined among those who were of the spiritual church; "and gave them as heads over the people," signifies influx into these truths; "princes of thousands, princes of hundreds, princes of fifties, and princes of tens," signifies primary truths that are subordinate in successive order to the truth proceeding immediately from the Divine; "and they shall judge the people in every time," signifies their consequent perpetual dependence; "the difficult word they shall bring unto Moses," signifies mediation and intercession; "and every small word they shall judge," signifies the appearance of some particular and singular things as from another source; "and Moses let his father-in-law go," signifies a state of truth Divine accommodated; "and he went to himself unto his own land," signifies to the Divine Itself.

AC 8724. And Moses hearkened to the voice of his father-in-law, and did all that he had said. That this signifies the effect according to the setting in order of Divine good, is evident without explication; for by Jethro Moses‘ father-in-law is represented the Divine good (n. 8643), and by Moses the Divine truth which proceeds from the Divine good (n. 8644). The Divine truth which proceeds from the Lord does nothing of itself, but from the Divine good which is the Divine Itself; for the Divine good is the Being, but the Divine truth is the Coming-forth therefrom; wherefore the Being must be in the Coming-forth that this may be anything, and consequently that anything may be done. When the Lord was in the world He was Divine truth, and then the Divine good in Him was "the Father;" but when He was glorified, then He became the Divine good even as to the Human. The Divine truth which then proceeded from Him is called the "Paraclete," or "Spirit of Truth." He who knows these two arcana, if he is in enlightenment from the Lord when he reads the Word, can be in the understanding of many things which the Lord Himself spake concerning the Father and concerning Himself, and also concerning the Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, which otherwise would be incomprehensible mysteries; as in John:--

AC 8725. And Moses chose men of strenuousness out of all Israel. That this signifies the choice of truths with which good could be conjoined among those who are of the spiritual church, is evident from the signification of "men of strenuousness," as being truths with which good can be conjoined (n. 8710); and from the representation of Israel, as being those who are of the spiritual church (n. 8645). It is said "the choice of truths with which good can be conjoined," because there are truths with which good cannot as yet be conjoined, and truths with which it can. The truths with which it can be conjoined, are truths confirmed, and also consociated with many others, even with such as delight the intellectual sight; in this way these truths enter into the affection, which makes the man will them. When this takes place, then good conjoins itself with them; for to will truths, and from this to do them, makes them to be good. Be it known further, that good is not conjoined with truths until these truths have been purified from the falsities which are from evil, and until they have a connection with all the truths which must be truths of faith with him who is to be regenerated. From the Lord the angels clearly and plainly see and perceive the connection and purification of truths, however little the man may feel or perceive in himself anything of the kind.

AC 8726. And gave them as heads over the people. That this signifies influx into these truths, is evident from the signification of "men of strenuousness," who here are those whom he made heads over the people, as being truths with which good can be conjoined (n. 8725); from the representation of Moses, as being the truth immediately from the Divine; and from the signification of "giving them as heads," as being to flow in, and thus to give quality to, in order that the truth immediately from the Divine may through them lead the man of the church by means of good. How this is, can be seen from what has been before set forth, namely, that the man who is being regenerated is at first led by means of the truth which is of faith; but when he has been regenerated he is led by means of the good which is of charity (n. 8643, 8648, 8658, 8685, 8690, 8701); and that in the first state, namely, when he is led by means of truth, the Lord flows in through the truth Divine which proceeds immediately from Him; but in the other state, namely, when he is led by means of good, the Lord flows in through both the truth which proceeds immediately, and that which proceeds mediately, from Him (n. 8685, 8701); and that the mediate influx is equally from the Lord as is the immediate (n. 8717). These are the things described in this verse in the internal sense. The very mediate influx of truth from the Divine is signified by the words, "Moses gave them as heads over the people."

AC 8727. Princes of thousands, princes of hundreds, princes of fifties, and princes of tens. That hereby are signified primary truths that are subordinate in successive order to the truth proceeding immediately from the Divine, is evident from what was adduced above (n. 8712-8715, 8717, 8718, 8722).

AC 8728. And they shall judge the people in every time. That this signifies their consequent perpetual dependence, is evident from the signification of "judging," as being the disposing of truths (n. 8685), here the subordinate disposing, which is dependence; for the princes who were to judge the people were in the place of Moses in small matters; in the internal sense that truths in successive order from interior to exterior are subordinate to the truth immediately from the Divine, through which truths the Lord thus acts mediately; but in the sense determined to persons it means the angels and angelic societies in such subordination and dependence, for through them the Lord acts mediately and directs men; nevertheless, it is not the angels who direct, but the Lord through them (n. 8718, 8719). As further concerning this subject, be it known that some things also come from the angels themselves who are with man; but all the good and truth which become of faith and charity, that is, of the new life with man, come from the Lord alone, and also through the angels from Him; in like manner all disposing, which is continual, is for this use. The things which come from the angels themselves are such as accommodate themselves to the affection of the man, and in themselves are not goods, but still serve for introducing the goods and truths which are from the Lord. That "in every time" denotes perpetually, is evident without explication.

AC 8729. The difficult word they shall bring unto Moses. That this signifies mediation and intercession, is evident from what was unfolded above (n. 8705). It is here said that they shall bring the word unto Moses," and there, that "Moses shall bring it to God" but each involves what is similar.

AC 8730. And every small word they shall judge, signifies the appearance of some particular and singular things as from another source, as above (n. 8718), where are the same words.

AC 8731. And Moses let his father-in-law go. That this signifies a state of truth Divine accommodated, is evident from the fact that when all things have been reduced into order, that is, accommodated, namely, when mediate truths have been subordinated to the truth immediately from the Divine, it is the end of this state. This is described by Moses letting his father-in-law go; for the beginning of this state is described by Jethro’s coming unto Moses, and by their being thus consociated for that end. The reason why it was not before commanded by Jehovah that princes should be set in order who also should judge the people, but that this was done by the counsel and persuasion of Jethro, was in order that the subject of this chapter might be fully represented in its order. For in what precedes, the subject treated of was the previous state in which are those of the spiritual church during regeneration, namely, when they are being lad by the Lord by means of truth. To this state the other succeeds, which is that they are led by the Lord by means of good. This turning or change of one state into the other is what is described in this chapter by Jethro.

AC 8732. And he went to himself unto his own land. That this signifies to the Divine Itself, is evident from the signification of "going unto his own land," as being to the former state, thus to the Divine. Moreover by "land" in the internal sense is signified the church, and also heaven; therefore in the supreme sense is signified the Divine. That by "land" in the internal sense is signified the church, thus also the kingdom of the Lord in heaven, (n. 566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577, 8011). That by "land" in the supreme sense is signified the Divine, is because Jethro represented the Divine good, thus the Divine Itself, the returning whereto cannot otherwise be expressed in the historic sense of the letter than by "going unto his own land." For the significatives in the Word accommodate themselves to the thing represented, the signification which properly belongs to the expression still remaining, as for instance the signification of "land," which properly signifies the church, for the reason that they who are in heaven do not think of land when it is read of in the Word, but of the spiritual state of the nation which is in the land, thus of the religion there; and therefore when a "land" is read of where the church is, then they have an idea of the church there; and when an idea of the church, they have also an idea of the Lord‘s kingdom, consequently of heaven; and when an idea of heaven, they have also an idea of the Divine there. But when the thing represented treats of any other holy thing in the church or in heaven, then that thing can be understood by "land," - as love, charity, good, faith. Hence it is evident that the signification still remains which properly belongs to the expression; as when good is signified, or love or charity, still through all there remains the signification of the church; for these things are the essentials of the church, and make it to be the church.