8607. 'Amalek prevailed' means that the falsity would then be winning. This is clear from the meaning of 'prevailing' as winning; and from the representation of 'Amalek' as falsity arising from interior evil, dealt with in 8593. Israel's winning at one time, Amalek's at another, represented the experience of those who belong to the spiritual Church. They cannot have a faith which looks constantly to the Lord, only a faith which by turns looks to self and the world. For the light among members of that Church is dim, as a consequence of which their faith is impaired. For the fact that they are like this, see 2708, 2715, 2718, 2831, 2935, 2937, 3833, 6289, 6500, 6639, 6865, 6945, 7233. This explains why Amalek was not annihilated by Joshua, or subsequently by the judges, or by the kings in the land of Canaan, even though it had been commanded that he should be wiped out, 8593.

6865. 'And lead My people the children of Israel out of Egypt' means the consequent deliverance of those belonging to the spiritual Church from molesting falsities. This is clear from the meaning of 'leading out' as deliverance; from the meaning of 'the children of Israel' as those belonging to the spiritual Church, dealt with in 6637; and from the meaning of 'Egypt' as false factual knowledge that is opposed to the Church's truths, thus falsity that molests, dealt with in 6692.

[2] Falsity within factual knowledge is what most of all molests those who belong to the spiritual Church. The reason for this is that they do not have a perception of truth that springs from good, only a knowledge of truth derived from religious teaching. People like these are subject very much to molestation from factual knowledge, for known facts serve as very general vessels, and until truths have been introduced into them to make them translucent, so that one no longer notices them, they may sometimes appear to be contrary to truths. Furthermore factual knowledge is full of the illusions of the senses which cannot be dispelled by those who have only a knowledge of things derived from religious teaching and no perception of truth that springs from good. The main reason for this is that the light of the world holds sway with these people, a light which seems to be clear light as long as the light of heaven does not flow into it but which turns from light into obscurity the moment that the light of heaven penetrates it. This explains why these people are enlightened and clever in worldly matters but dull and obtuse in heavenly ones.

[3] These people think that they are the enlightened when they have substantiated the teachings of their Church for themselves. But it is the inferior light of the senses, derived from the light of the world, that deceives them when they think so. For all religious teachings, no matter what kind they are, are capable of being substantiated. Jews are able to substantiate their own teachings, Enthusiasts ¹ theirs, Socinians theirs, and all kinds of heretics theirs. And once these teachings have been substantiated the light of the senses makes them appear to those people to be actual truths. But those who see by the light of heaven receive their enlightenment from the Lord; and before substantiating anything they view the factual knowledge below, arranged into order there, to discern whether or not a truth can be substantiated by it. From this it is evident that the latter kind of people see things from a more internal position which is above factual knowledge and so is distinct and separate from it, whereas the former's viewpoint, being lower, is situated within factual knowledge and so tangled up in it, 2831.

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