ACV9 S45 7946-7992

CLICK TO PRINT READING CLICK TO GO TO COMMENTS 7946 Verses 29-34. And it came to pass at midnight, that Jehovah smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne, even unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the house of the pit, and all the firstborn of beast. And Pharaoh rose up in that night, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians; and there was a great cry in Egypt; because there was not a house where there was not one dead. And he called Moses and Aaron in the night, and said, Rise up, go ye out from the midst of my people, both ye and the sons of Israel; and go, serve Jehovah, according to your speaking. Also your flocks, also your herds, take ye, as ye spoke, and go, and bless me also. And Egypt was strong upon the people, hastening to send them out of the land; for they said, We are all dead. And the people carried their dough before it was leavened, their kneading troughs bound up in their clothes upon their shoulder. "And it came to pass at midnight," signifies a state of mere falsity from evil; "that Jehovah smote all the first-born in the land of Egypt," signifies the damnation of faith separate from charity; "from the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne," signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the first place; "even unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the house of the pit," signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the last place; "and all the firstborn of beast," signifies the adulterated good of faith; "and Pharaoh rose up in that night, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians," signifies that all and each of the damned, when they were let into mere falsity from evil, felt aversion and fear for those who were of the spiritual church; "and there was a great cry in Egypt," signifies interior lamentation; "because there was not a house where there was not one dead," signifies because there was no one who was not damned; "and he called Moses and Aaron in the night," signifies the afflux of truth from the Divine in that state; "and said, Rise up, go ye out from the midst of my people," signifies that they should depart from them; "both ye and the sons of Israel," signifies with their truth from the Divine, and with the truth through which is good, and with the truth which is from good; "and go, serve Jehovah," signifies that they should worship the Lord; "according to your speaking," signifies according to the will; "also your flocks, also your herds, take ye," signifies the goods of charity, interior and exterior; "as ye spoke," signifies according to the will; "and go," signifies that they should depart altogether; "and bless me also," signifies that they should intercede; "and Egypt was strong upon the people, hastening to send them out of the land," signifies that from aversion and fear they were urgent that they should depart; "for they said, We are all dead," signifies thus hell for them; "and the people carried their dough before it was leavened," signifies the first state of truth from good in which there is nothing of falsity; "their kneading troughs bound up in their clothes," signifies the delights of the affections, which delights adhere to truths; "upon their shoulder," signifies according to all ability. 7947 And it came to pass at midnight. That this signifies a state of mere falsity from evil, is evident from the signification of "midnight," as being total devastation (see n. 7776), that is, the privation of all good and truth, whence there was a state of mere falsity from evil (that it is a state of evil, see n. 2353, 6000, 7870). 7948 That Jehovah smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. That this signifies the damnation of faith separate from charity, is evident from the signification of "smiting," as being damnation (see n. 7871); and from the signification of "the firstborn in the land of Egypt," as being faith separate from charity (n. 7039, 7766, 7778). 7949 From the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne. That this signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the first place, is evident from what was unfolded above (n. 7779), where similar words occur. 7950 Unto the firstborn of the captive that was in the house of the pit. That this signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the last place, is evident from the signification of "the firstborn in the land of Egypt," as being faith separate from charity (as just above, n. 7948), thus also the falsified truth of faith (of which in what follows); and from the signification of "the captive that was in the house of the pit," as being those who are in the last place, for the captive is contrasted with "the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon the throne," whereby is signified the falsified truth of faith which is in the first place (n. 7779, 7949). In the proximate spiritual sense, by "the captive in the house of the pit," is meant one who is in the bodily sensuous, thus in mere thick darkness concerning truths and goods, because not even in the faculty of perceiving, as are they who are in the interior sensuous; hence it is that they are signified who are in the last place.[2] That "the firstborn in the land of Egypt" denotes the falsified truth of faith, is because "the firstborn of Egypt" denotes faith separate from charity (n. 7948). They who are in this faith are in mere darkness and thick darkness with respect to the truths of faith; for they cannot be in any light, thus not in any perception of what truth is, and whether it is truth. For all spiritual light comes through good from the Lord, thus through charity, for the good of charity is like a flame from which is light; for good is of love, and love is spiritual fire, from which comes enlightenment. He who believes that they who are in evil can also be in enlightenment in respect to the truths of faith, is very much mistaken. They can be in a state of confirmation, that is, they may be able to confirm the doctrinal things of their church, and this sometimes with skill and ingenuity; but they cannot see whether what they confirm is true or not. (That falsity also can be confirmed even so as to appear like truth; and that it is not the part of a wise man to confirm, but to see whether the thing is so, see n. 4741, 5033, 6865, 7012, 7680.)[3] He therefore who is in evil as to life is in the falsity of his evil, and does not believe the truth, however well he knows it. He sometimes supposes that he believes, but he is mistaken. That he does not believe will be granted him to know in the other life, when his perceiving is reduced into agreement with his willing. Then he will disown, hold in aversion, and reject the truth, and will acknowledge as truth that which is contrary, that is, falsity. Hence then it is that they who are in faith separate from charity cannot do otherwise than falsify the truths of faith. 7951 And all the firstborn of beast, signifies the adulterated good of faith (as before, n. 7781). 7952 And Pharaoh rose up in that night, and all his servants, and all the Egyptians. That this signifies that all and each of the damned, when they were let into mere falsity derived from evil, felt aversion and fear for those who were of the spiritual church, is evident from the signification of "night," as being a state of mere falsity from evil (as above, n. 7947), and hence damnation; for whether you say a state of mere falsity from evil, or damnation, it is the same, because they who are in this state are damned; and from the signification of "Pharaoh," of "his servants," and of "all the Egyptians," as being all and each one. That it is also signified that they felt aversion and fear for those who were of the spiritual church, is plain from what follows; for Pharaoh called Moses and Aaron, and said that they should "go away from the midst of his people;" and the Egyptians drove them out (verse 39). 7953 And there was a great cry in Egypt, signifies interior lamentation, as above, n. 7782, where the same words occur. 7954 Because there was not a house where there was not one dead. That this signifies because there was no one who was not damned, is evident from the signification of "there was not a house," as being that there was no one there; and from the signification of "dead," as being damned (see n. 5407, 6119, 7494, 7871). 7955 And he called Moses and Aaron in the night. That this signifies the afflux of truth from the Divine in that state, is evident from the signification of "he called," as being presence and influx (see n. 6177, 6840, 7390, 7451, 7721), here afflux, because it is said of those who were in a state of damnation, that is, who were in a state of mere falsity from evil, and who cannot receive any influx of truth and good interiorly, but only exteriorly, and this is afflux; and from the representation of Moses and Aaron, as being truth from the Divine (n. 6771, 6827); it is said "truth from the Divine," not "truth Divine," because it is spoken of with respect to those who are in damnation; and from the signification of "in the night," as being a state of damnation (of which above, n. 7851, 7870). 7956 And said, Rise up, go ye out from the midst of my people. That this signifies that they should depart, is evident without explication. 7957 Both ye and the sons of Israel. That this signifies with that truth from the Divine, and with the truth through which is good, and with the truth which is from good, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being truth from the Divine (of which just above, n. 7955); and from the representation of the sons of Israel, as being those who are of the spiritual church (of which frequently above), thus those who are in truth through which is good, and in truth which is from good. For the spiritual church is distinguished from the celestial church in this, that through truth which is of faith it is introduced into the good whi