8810. Verses 16-19. And it was on the third day, when it was morning, that there were voices and lightnings, and a heavy cloud upon the mountain, and the voice of a trumpet exceeding strong, and all the people that were in the camp trembled. And Moses made the people go forth out of the camp to meet God; and they took their stand in the lower parts of the mountain. And Mount Sinai smoked, the whole of it, because Jehovah descended upon it in fire; and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled mightily. And when the voice of the trumpet was going, and waxing strong mightily, Moses spake, and God answered him in a voice. "And it was on the third day," signifies at the end of the purification; "when it was morning," signifies a state when they were in good; "that there were voices and lightnings," signifies a Divine state in which was revelation; "and a heavy cloud upon the mountain," signifies a Divine state in respect to those who were about to receive; "and the voice of a trumpet exceeding strong," signifies a celestial state which was round about; "and all the people that were in the camp trembled," signifies a holy tremor on the part of those who were about to receive; "and Moses made the people go forth out of the camp to meet God," signifies the power of truth from the Divine to prepare them to receive the Divine in the good with them; "and they took their stand in the lower parts of the mountain," signifies far from the good of celestial love; "and Mount Sinai smoked, the whole of it," signifies the appearing of celestial good in the greatest obscurity; "because Jehovah descended upon it in fire," signifies because the Divine was there in celestial love; "and the smoke thereof ascended as the smoke of a furnace," signifies obscurity like the obscurity from cupidities; "and the whole mountain trembled mightily," signifies the commotion of heaven; "and when the voice of the trumpet was going, and waxing strong mightily," signifies what is general of revelation through the angelic heaven; "Moses spake, and God answered him in a voice," signifies by means of an influx of truth from the Divine wherein was the Divine Itself.
