963. Upon the men that had the mark of the beast and that adored his image, signifies those who acknowledge faith alone and its doctrine, and who live according to it. This is evident from the signification of "the beast," as being those who are in faith alone, or in faith separated from goods of life, and who confirm this by reasonings from the natural man (See in the preceding thirteenth chapter, from beginning to end). It is evident also from the signification of its "mark," as being acknowledgment, reception, and attestation thereof (See above, n. 838, 886). Also from the signification of its "image," as being doctrine, and of "adoring" it, as being to acknowledge it in heart and life (See n. 827, 833). That to such belong evil works and falsifications of the Word has been shown in the chapters that treat of the dragon and of the two beasts of the dragon, and is clearly evident from this, that such exclude good works from saving or justifying faith, teaching that faith justifies and saves without these, and as they are unnecessary they are omitted. It is from an eternal statute or from the Divine order that where there are not good works there are evil works; therefore these evil works are what are signified by "the great ¹ and noxious sore in the earth," that is, in the church, with those who are in faith alone both in doctrine and in life.

(Continuation respecting the Second Commandment)

[2] He who abstains from profaning the name of God, that is, the holiness of the Word, by contempt, rejection, or any blasphemy, has religion; and such as his abstinence is such is his religion. For no one has religion except from revelation, and with us revelation is the Word. Abstinence from profaning the holiness of the Word must be from the heart, and not merely from the mouth. Those who abstain from the heart live from religion; but those who abstain merely from the mouth do not live from religion, for they abstain either for the sake of self or for the sake of the world, in that the Word can be made to serve them as a means of acquiring honor and gain; or they abstain from some fear. But of these many are hypocrites who have no religion.

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7516. Verses 8-12 And Jehovah said to Moses and to Aaron, Take for yourselves in fistfuls ¹ the ashes of the furnace, and let Moses scatter them in the direction of heaven before Pharaoh's eyes. And there will then be dust over all the land of Egypt, and there will be on man and on beast sores breaking out into pustules, in all the land of Egypt. And they took the ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses scattered them in the direction of heaven, and sores producing pustules developed, breaking out on man and on beast. And the magicians could not stand before Moses on account of the sores; for there were sores on the magicians and on all the Egyptians. And Jehovah made Pharaoh's heart unyielding, and he did not hear ² them, as Jehovah had spoken to Moses.

'And Jehovah said to Moses and to Aaron' means fresh instruction. 'Take for yourselves in fistfuls' means power, imparted in the measure that it could be received. 'The ashes of the furnace' means to arouse the falsities that are a product of evil desires, by being present with those engaged in molestation. 'And let Moses scatter them in the direction of heaven' means that those falsities were to be demonstrated to the inhabitants of heaven. 'Before Pharaoh's eyes' means in his presence. 'And there will then be dust over all the land of Egypt' means the damnation of those falsities in the natural mind. 'And there will be on man and on beast' means products of interior and exterior evil. 'Sores breaking out into pustules' means resulting filthiness together with blasphemy. 'In all the land of Egypt' means in the whole natural mind. 'And they took the ashes of the furnace' means the falsities that are a product of evil desires. 'And stood before Pharaoh' means in the presence of those engaged in molestation. 'And Moses scattered them in the direction of heaven' means those falsities, demonstrated to the inhabitants of heaven. 'And sores producing pustules developed, breaking out on man and on beast' means filthiness together with blasphemy, that is a product of interior and exterior evil. 'And the magicians could not stand before Moses on account of the sores' means that they could not remain present - those who misused Divine order by producing something similar to the real thing in outward appearance. 'For there were sores on the magicians' means that similar filthiness came forth from them. 'And on all the Egyptians' means as appeared in those who were engaged in molestation. 'And Jehovah made Pharaoh's heart unyielding' means that they remained obstinate. 'And he did not hear them' means that they did not obey. 'As Jehovah had spoken to Moses' means as accorded with what had been foretold.

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