9435. And Moses entered into the midst of the cloud. That this signifies the Word in the external sense, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being the Word, here the Word in the external sense, because it is said that he "entered into the midst of the cloud," and by "the cloud" is signified the external sense of the Word. (That "Moses" denotes the Word, see n. 9414; and that a "cloud" denotes its external sense, n. 9430.) That Moses remained for six days in the uttermost of the mountain, and that when called on the seventh day he entered into the cloud and went up unto the mountain, was done in order that he might represent an intermediate, or that which mediates between the people and the Lord, according to what was said above (n. 9414). The steps of ascent from the people to the Lord are thus described. When at last he came into the mountain, he then for the first time represented the holy external of the Word, which is what mediates; for this mountain signifies heaven, where is holiness. And yet he was not admitted further than to the first threshold of heaven, where the holy external of the Word ceases. How far he was admitted, was shown me representatively by a spirit, who as to the higher part of the face as far as the chin was seen in the light of heaven, but as to the lower part of it, including the chin, and as to the whole body with it, was in a cloud. From this it was made plain how much he represented of the holy external, which is what mediates. The six days during which Moses remained in the extremity of the mountain, signified a state of truth, and the seventh day, on which he went up into the mountain, signified a state of good (according to what was unfolded above, n. 9431, 9432). The reason is, that with those who are being regenerated by the Lord there are similar degrees of ascent from the world to heaven; for a man is elevated from external to internal things; because from the natural man who is in external things to the spiritual man who is in internal things. Such an elevation or ascent was also represented by Moses when he put on the representation of the holy external, which mediates; for the holy external of the Word is the entrance to a state of good, thus to heaven.