53. That people whose faith is divorced from charity were represented by the Philistines is apparent also from places where they are mentioned in prophetic portions of the Word, as from the following:

In Jeremiah:

…against the Philistines…: Behold, waters rising out of the north, which shall become an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land and all that is in it, the city and those who dwell within, so that the men shall cry out, and every inhabitant of the land shall wail…. …Jehovah shall lay waste the Philistines…. (Jeremiah 47:1-2, 4)

Waters rising out of the north are falsities from hell. That they shall become an overflowing flood and shall overflow the land and all that is in it symbolizes their devastating everything having to do with the church. The city and those who dwell within symbolizes the devastation of everything connected with its doctrine. So that the men shall cry out and every inhabitant of the land shall wail symbolizes the loss of every truth and good in the church. Jehovah shall lay waste the Philistines symbolizes their destruction.

In Isaiah:

Do not rejoice, all Philistia, because the rod that struck you is broken; for out of the serpent’s root will come forth a basilisk,whose offspring will be a fiery flying serpent. (Isaiah 14:29ff.)

Do not rejoice, all Philistia, symbolically means that people whose faith is divorced from charity ought not to rejoice that they still endure. For out of the serpent’s root will come forth a basilisk symbolizes the destruction of all truth in them because of their conceit in their own intelligence. Whose offspring will be a fiery flying serpent symbolizes arguments founded on falsities springing from evil, against the truths and goods of the church.