Spiritual Meaning of EXODUS 8:16-20
[2] As regards thought from evils to falsities, be it known that they who are in evils cannot do otherwise than think from them to falsities; for evils are of their will and consequently of their love, and falsities are of their thought and consequently of their faith. For what a man wills, he loves; and what he loves, he confirms and defends; and evils cannot be confirmed and defended except by means of falsities; and therefore in the Word, where evil is compared to a city, falsities are compared to the walls round about the city. That they who are in evils think to the falsities by which they defend the evils, is because evils are the very delights of their life, insomuch that they are their very life. And therefore when they apprehend from others that they are evils, then in order to prevent their appearing so, they devise falsities by which they may cause the evils not to be believed to be evils; but if the evils dare not appear through falsities, they are hidden in the interiors, nor do they show themselves except when the fear of the law, or of the loss of reputation for the sake of gain or of acquiring honors, ceases; and then the evils burst forth either under the form of artifices, or of open hostilities.
[3] From all this it can be seen that they who are in evils cannot do otherwise than think from evils to falsities. It is the same also with those who are in a state of good, in that they cannot do otherwise than think from good to truths; for good and truth are conjoined, and also evil and falsity, insomuch that he who knows that anyone is in good, can know that he is in the truth of his good; and that he who is in evil is in the falsity of his evil; and that he is in this falsity in proportion as he excels in the gift of reasoning and perverting, and also in proportion as he is in the fear of the loss of reputation for the sake of gain and honors, and in proportion as he desires to be in the freedom of doing evil. Strange to say, after such persons have for some time defended evils by means of falsities, they at last persuade themselves that evils are goods, and that falsities are truths.
. And say unto him, Thus saith Jehovah. This signifies command, (n. 7036, 7310). . Let My people go, that they may serve Me. That this signifies that they should release those who are of the spiritual church in order that they may worship their God in freedom, is evident from the signification of "letting go," as being to release; from the representation of the sons of Israel, here "My people," as being those who are of the spiritual church (n. 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223); and from the signification of "serving Jehovah," as being to worship. That they should worship in freedom is plain from what follows (verses 21-23), and also from the fact that all worship which is truly worship must be in freedom.[2] The sons of Israel being called "the people of Jehovah" was not because they were better than other nations, but because they represented the people of Jehovah, that is, those who are of the Lord’s spiritual kingdom. That they were not better than other nations is plain from their life in the wilderness, in that they did not at all believe in Jehovah, but in their hearts believed in the gods of the Egyptians, as is evident from the golden calf which they made for themselves, and which they called their gods who had brought them forth out of the land of Egypt (Exod. 32:8). The same is evident also from their subsequent life in the land of Canaan, as described in the historicals of the Word, and from what was said of them by the prophets, and finally from what was said of them by the Lord.
[3] For this reason also few of them are in heaven, for they have received their lot in the other life according to their life. Therefore do not believe that they were elected to heaven in preference to others for whoever so believes, does not believe that everyone‘s life remains with him after death, nor that man must be prepared for heaven by his whole life in the world, and that this is done of the Lord’s mercy, and that none are admitted into heaven from mercy alone, regardless of how they have lived in the world. Such an opinion about heaven and the Lord‘s mercy is induced by the doctrine of faith alone, and of salvation by faith alone without good works; for those who hold this doctrine have no concern about the life, and so believe that evils can be washed away like dirt by water, and thus that man can in a moment pass into the life of good, and consequently be admitted into heaven. For they do not know that if the life of evil were taken away from the evil, they would have no life whatever, and that if they who are in a life of evil were admitted into heaven, they would feel hell in themselves, and this the more grievously, the more interiorly they were admitted into heaven.
[4] From all this it can now be seen that the Israelites and Jews were by no means elected, but only accepted to represent the things that belong to heaven; and that this must needs be done in the land of Canaan, because the Lord’s church had been there from the most ancient times, and from this all the places there became representative of heavenly and Divine things. In this way also the Word could be written, and the names in it could signify such things as belong to the Lord and His kingdom.
. For if thou let not My people go. That this signifies if they would not release them, is evident from the signification of "letting go," as being to release; and from the signification of the "people of Jehovah," as being those who are of the Lord‘s spiritual church (n. 7439). . Behold I send against thee, and against thy servants, and against thy people, and into thy houses, the noisome fly. That this signifies that they would have the falsity of malevolence in all things and in each, is evident from the signification of "Pharaoh, his servants, and his people," as being all things and each that belong to the natural mind (n. 7396), and as "into thy houses" is added, there is also signified into the interiors of this mind (n. 7407); and from the signification of "the noisome fly," as being the falsities of that evil which was signified by the portent which precedes, thus the falsities of malevolence. What falsities, therefore, and of what kind, are here signified by "the noisome fly," is clear from the evils from which these falsities come. These evils were the evils that are in the outermost parts of the natural mind, thus that are in the sensuous, (n. 7419); and the falsities that are from these evils are of the same kind, and are the falsities which are signified also by the "flies of Egypt" in Isaiah:--It shall come to pass in that day, that Jehovah shall hiss for the fly that is in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the land of Asshur; and they shall come, and shall rest all of them in the rivers of desolations and in the clefts of the rocks (Isa. 7:18, 19);
here "the fly in the uttermost part of the rivers of Egypt" denotes the falsities that are in the outermost parts of the natural mind, thus that are in the sensuous nearest the body. These falsities are compared to such an insect, because the things in this part of the mind are like insects flying in the air, obscuring interior things and also inflicting injury on them; for they are mostly imaginary, and are fallacies, the reasonings from which are like castles in the air. The "noisome fly" of this kind is mentioned only in (Ps. 78:45; 105:31), where Egypt is also spoken of. Be it known that all the flying things mentioned in the Word signify things of the intellect, and consequently truths, and in the opposite sense falsities (n. 40, 745, 776, 778, 866, 988, 3219, 5149); but flying things of the lowest sort, which are insects, signify truths and in the opposite sense falsities, which are more ignoble and obscure in proportion as they belong to the sensuous, for unless these things are enlightened by things more interior they are in total obscurity and darkness, being next the body, and consequently near to earthly things, where heavenly things terminate, and are immersed in thick darkness.
. And the houses of the Egyptians shall be filled with the noisome fly, and also the land whereon they are. That this signifies that the falsities of malevolence will take possession of all things of the natural mind, is evident from the signification of "filling," as being to take possession of; from the signification of "the house of the Egyptians," as being the interiors of the natural mind (n. 7407); from the signification of "the noisome fly," as being falsities of malevolence (n. 7441); and from the signification of "the land of Egypt," as being the natural mind in general (n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301).[2] How it is that the interiors also of the natural mind shall be taken possession of by the falsities of evil which are in the outermost parts of this mind, must be briefly told. The things that flow in with man through heaven from the Lord, flow into his interiors, and advance down to the ultimates or outermost parts, and there they are presented to man in a sensible form, consequently they flow down into the sensuous, and through this into the things of the body. If the sensuous has been filled with phantasies from fallacies and appearances, and especially if it has been filled with phantasies from falsities, then the truths which flow in are there turned into similar things, for they are received there according to the form that is induced on them (n. 7343). In so far also as truths are turned into falsities, so far the interiors through which they pass are closed, and at last there is no opening beyond that which is necessary for a sufficient transflux to confer the faculty of reasoning, and of confirming evils by means of falsities.
[3] Such being the case with man, it must needs be that while he is being regenerated his natural must be regenerated down to the sensuous; for unless this is regenerated, there is no reception of truth and good, because, as before said, the inflowing truth is there perverted, and then the interiors are closed. And therefore when the exteriors have been regenerated, the whole man has been regenerated, as was signified by the Lord’s words to Peter when He washed his feet:--
Simon Peter said unto Him, Lord, wash Thou not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus said to him, He that hath been bathed needeth not save to have his feet washed, and is clean every whit (John 13:9, 10);
by the "feet" are signified natural things (n. 2162, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4952); by "washing" is signified purifying (n. 3147, 5954); by "hands" are signified the interiors of the natural; and by the "head" spiritual things; hence is plain what is meant by "him that hath been bathed needing only to have his feet washed, and being clean every whit," namely, that a man has already been regenerated when he has been regenerated also in respect to the exteriors that belong to the natural. When therefore man has been regenerated also in respect to the natural, then all things therein have been made subordinate to the more interior things; and when these flow in there, they flow as into their generals, by which they present themselves to man in a sensible form. When this is the case with a man, he sensibly feels the affection of the truth that is of faith, and the affection of the good that is of charity.
[4] But the sensuous itself, which is the ultimate of the natural can with difficulty be regenerated, because it has been filled with material ideas from things earthly, bodily, and worldly. Therefore the man who is being regenerated, especially at this day, is not regenerated as to the sensuous, but as to the natural which is next above the sensuous, to which he is elevated by the Lord from the sensuous, when he is thinking about the truths and goods of faith. The man who is being regenerated by the Lord is endowed with the capacity of elevation from the sensuous. With respect to the nature of the sensuous, and the elevation of the thought above it, (n. 5084, 5089, 5094, 5125, 5128, 5767, 6183, 6201, 6310, 6311, 6313, 6314, 6316, 6318, 6564, 6598, 6612, 6614, 6622, 6624, 6844, 6845, 6948, 6949).
. And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, upon which My people stands, that no noisome fly be there. That this signifies that they shall not be able to infest by falsities of malevolence those who are in the spiritual church, although they are near them, is evident from the signification of "severing," as being to separate so that there is no communication; from the signification of "day," as being state (n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850), and therefore "to sever in that day" denotes to separate in that state; from the signification of "the land of Goshen," as being the midst or inmost in the natural (n. 5910, 6028, 6031, 6068), and as the sons of Israel were in Goshen, as being also the church (n. 6649); from the representation of the sons of Israel who are here the "people of Jehovah," as being those who are of the spiritual church (n. 7439); and from the signification of the "noisome fly," as being the falsity of malevolence (n. 7441). Thus "no noisome fly being there," denotes that they could not flow in, consequently could not infest by means of these falsities That they could not infest by means of these falsities, is because these falsities are falsities from the evils in the outermost parts of the natural mind, that is, in the sensuous, from which sensuous, thus from the falsities therein, they who are in good and truth can be elevated (n. 7442); and when they are being elevated, they are then also separated from those who are in falsities there. . To the end that thou mayest know that I am Jehovah in the midst of the land. That this signifies a noticing that the Lord is the only God of the church, is evident from the signification of "knowing," as being to notice; and from the signification of "the midst of the land," as being where truth and good are with those who are of the Lord‘s church; the inmost being where truth from good is (n. 3436, 6068, 6084, 6103); thus by "the midst of the land" is signified the church, the same as by "the land of Goshen" just above spoken of (n. 7443); by "I am Jehovah" is signified that He only is the I AM, thus that He only is God. "Jehovah" in the Word denotes the Lord, (n. 1343, 1736, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6303, 6905, 6945, 6956). Hence it is evident that by "that thou mayest know that I am Jehovah in the midst of the land" is signified a noticing that the Lord alone is the God of the church. . And I will set redemption between My people and thy people. That this signifies the liberation of those who are of the spiritual church from those who are near in the hells, is evident from the signification of "redemption," as being a bringing forth from hell (n. 7205), and as being specifically said of those who are being liberated from vastation (n. 2959); from the representation of the sons of Israel, who here are "My people," as being those who are of the spiritual church (n. 7439); and from the representation of the Egyptians, who here are "thy people," as being those who are near in the hells and infest (n. 7090). Hence it is plain that by "I will set redemption between My people and thy people" is signified the liberation of those who are of the spiritual church from those who are in the hells. . Unto the morrow shall this sign be. That this signifies the consequent manifestation of Divine power forever, is evident from the signification of "the morrow," as being forever (n. 3998); and from the signification of a "sign," as being the confirmation of truth, and thus knowledge (n. 6870), consequently the manifestation of Divine power; for truth was formerly made manifest by means of signs, and the Divine power at the same time. . And Jehovah did so. That this signifies that, as said, so it was done, is evident without explication. . And there came the grievous noisome fly into the house of Pharaoh, and into the house of his servants, and into all the land of Egypt. That this signifies that malevolent falsities burst forth from all sides among them, is evident from the signification of "the noisome fly," as being the falsities of malevolence (n. 7441); and from the signification of "the house of Pharaoh, and the house of his servants, and all the land," as being all things and each in the natural (n. 7396, 7441, 7442), here from all things and each, or from all sides, because it is signified that these falsities burst forth. By "the noisome fly coming into the house" is proximately signified that falsities entered where evils were, and that they conjoined themselves with evils; but when falsities have been conjoined with evils, then evils burst forth by means of falsities. From this it is that by "the noisome fly came into the house of Pharaoh, and into the house of his servants, and into all the land of Egypt," there is signified that malevolent falsities burst forth, and indeed from all sides. . The land was destroyed from before the noisome fly. That by this is signified that the natural mind was corrupted in respect to all truth, is evident from the signification of "being destroyed," as being to be corrupted; from the signification of "the land of Egypt," as being the natural mind (n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301); and from the signification of "the noisome fly," as being the falsity of malevolence (n. 7441). It is said that it was corrupted in respect to all truth, because truth is wholly corrupted by means of falsity from evil. EXODUS 8:16-20 previous - next - text - summary - Exodus - Full Page
| Author: E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). | Design: I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. | www.BibleMeanings.info |