8227. And the Egyptians fled to meet it. That this signifies that they immersed themselves in the falsities from evil, is evident from the signification of “fleeing to meet the sea,” as being to immerse themselves in the falsities from evil which are signified by the waters of that sea (see n. 8226). The case herein is this. He who does not know the interior things of causes, cannot believe otherwise than that the evils which befall the evil, such as punishments, vastations, damnations, and finally casting into hell, are from the Divine; for so it does absolutely appear, because such things arise from the presence of the Divine (n. 8137, 8138, 8188); but still nothing of the kind befalls them from the Divine, but from themselves. The Divine and its presence have for their sole end the protection and salvation of the good; and when the Divine is present with these, and protects them against the evil, then the evil are still more inflamed against them, and more still against the Divine Itself, for this latter they hate most intensely (they who hate good, intensely hate the Divine); consequently they make an attack upon these, and insofar as they do this, so far do they by virtue of the law of order cast themselves into punishments, vastations, damnation, and at last into hell. From all this it can be seen that the Divine (that is, the Lord) does nothing but good, and does evil to no one, but that they who are in evil cast themselves into such things. This is what is signified by “the Egyptians fled to meet the sea,” that is, that they immersed themselves in falsities from evil.

[2] As regards this matter something further shall be said. It is believed that evils too are from the Divine, because the Divine permits them, and does not take them away; and he who permits and does not take away when he is able, appears to will, and thus to be the cause. But the Divine permits because it cannot prevent, or take away; for the Divine wills nothing but good; and if it were to prevent and take away evils, that is, those of punishments, vastations, persecutions, temptations, and the like, then it would will evil, for then such persons could not be amended, and evil would increase until it had the dominion over good. The case herein is like that of a king who acquits the guilty: he is the cause of the evil afterward done by them in the kingdom; and is also the cause of the consequent license taken by others; not to mention the fact that the evil person would be confirmed in evil; and therefore a just and good king, though able to take away punishments, nevertheless cannot do it, for in this way he would not do good, but evil. Be it known that all the punishments, and also the temptations, in the other life, have good as their end.