8226. And the sea returned, at the turn of the morning, to the strength of its flow. That this signifies the flowing back to them of the falsities from evil by reason of the presence of the Lord, is evident from the signification of “returning,” when said of the falsities from evil which are signified by the “waters of the sea Suph,” as being a flowing back or return to them (of which just ab ove, n. 8223); from the signification of “the sea,” here of the waters of the sea, as being falsities from evil which are in hell (n. 6346, 7307, 8137); from the signification of “the turn of the morning,” as being the presence of the Lord (of which in what follows); and from the signification of “to the strength of its flow,” as being according to the general state and order in hell; for in the hells there is order equally as in the heavens, because in the hells there is consociation by means of evils, as in the heavens by means of goods, but the consociation in the hells is like that of robbers. That “at the turn of the morning” denotes the presence of the Lord, can be seen from what was shown above concerning the morning (in n. 8211), namely, that “the morning” denotes a state of thick darkness and destruction to the evil, and a state of enlightenment and salvation to the good, and this from the mere presence of the the Lord, (n. 7989, 8137, 8138, 8188), that is, from the presence of His Divine Human (n. 8159).
[2] The like to what is here said of “the Egyptians” is said of “Babel” in Jeremiah:
He is the Former of all things, chiefly of the rod of His inheritance, Jehovah Zebaoth is His name. Thou art my hammer, weapons of war; and by Thee will I scatter the nations; and by Thee will I destroy kingdoms; and by Thee will I scatter the horse and his rider; and by Thee will I scatter the chariot and him that is borne therein; and I will recompense to Babel and to all the inhabitants of Chaldea all their evil that they have done in Zion before your eyes (Jeremiah 51:19-21, 24);
by “Babel” here are signified those who have been of the church and have profaned good; and by “Chaldea,” those who have profaned truth; their intellectual part and the derivative doctrinal things and reasonings are here also signified by “horse,” “chariot,” and “him that is borne therein;” and vastation, by their “being scattered.” The Lord as to the Divine Human, by virtue of whose presence their scattering is effected, is meant by these words: “He is the Former of all things, chiefly of the rod of His inheritance, Jehovah Zebaoth is His name; Thou art my hammer and weapons of war; and by Thee will I scatter the nations; and by Thee will I destroy kingdoms;” “nations” denote evils, and “kingdoms” falsities. From all this also it is evident that the evils which they do to others flow back or return upon themselves, for it is said that “their evil shall be recompensed to them;” and also in various places in the Word it is said that in the day of visitation vengeance shall be taken, and that there shall be an avenging.
