6827. 'And Moses was feeding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian' means that the law from God instructed those who were guided by the truth that went with simple good, 'the priest of Midian' being the good of the Church where those people were. This is clear from the representation of 'Moses' as the Lord in respect of the law of God, dealt with in 6752 (initially 'Moses' represented the Lord in respect of the truth that the law from God possessed, 6771, but here he represents Him in respect of that law itself - one is allowed to speak in this way of stages of development that took place in the Lord before He became the law of God itself in respect of His Human. The whole of the Word deals in its inmost or highest sense solely with the Lord and the glorification of His Human; but since that inmost or highest sense goes far beyond human understanding, let it be the internal sense of the Word that is explained here, the sense in which the subject is the Lord's kingdom, the Church and the establishment of it, and also the regeneration by the Lord of members of the Church. These are the subject in the internal sense because human regeneration is an image representative of the Lord's glorification, see 3138, 3212, 3245, 3246, 3296, 3490, 4402, 5688);

[2] from the meaning of 'feeding' as instructing, dealt with in 3795, 5201; from the meaning of 'the flock' as one who learns and is led by means of truth to the good of charity, dealt with in 343, so that in a general sense 'the flock' is the Church, 3767, 3768, here the Church where those people are who are guided by the truth that goes with simple good, who are meant by 'Midian', 3242, 4756; from the meaning of 'father-in-law' as the good from which, as from a father, sprang the good that was joined to truth, here the truth that the law from God possessed, which 'Moses' represents, see 6793 ('Jethro' being the essential nature of that good); and from the meaning of' the priest of Midian' as the good of the Church where those who were guided by the truth that went with simple good were, dealt with in 6775. From all this it is evident that 'Moses was feeding the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian' means that the law from God instructed those who were guided by the truth that went with simple good, and that 'the priest of Midian' is the good of the Church where those people were.

7317. 'And they will be turned into blood' means that they will falsify truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'blood' as falsified truth, dealt with in 4735, 6978, 'blood' in the genuine sense is truth emanating from the Lord, thus the holiness of faith, this being what is meant by blood in the Holy Supper. But in the contrary sense 'blood' is violence done to Divine Truth, and since it is done by means of falsifications, 'blood' is the falsification of truth. From this and from what follows it may be seen who specifically are represented by 'Pharaoh', or who specifically are meant by those who molest - those within the Church who have declared themselves on the side of faith and have also convinced themselves that faith saves, yet have led a life contrary to the commandments intrinsic to faith. In short they are those whose faith has been false and whose life has been evil.

[2] When these people enter the next life they bring with them the assumption that they are to be introduced into heaven because they were born and baptized within the Church, possessed the Word, and also the teachings drawn from the Word which they had claimed to believe in, and especially because they claimed to believe in the Lord, who suffered for their sins and thereby saved those within the Church who from a knowledge of its teachings claimed to believe in Him. When these people first arrive in the next life from the world they do not wish to know anything about a life of faith and charity. They regard it as of no account, saying that because they have possessed faith all the evils marring their life have been purged and washed away by the blood of the Lamb. But then they are told that these ideas are contrary to the Lord's words in Matthew, where He says this,

Many will say to Me on that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy through Your name, and through Your name cast out demons, and do many mighty works in Your name? But then I will confess to them, I do not know you; depart from Me, you workers of iniquity. Everyone who hears My words and does them I liken to a wise man; but everyone hearing My words and not doing them I liken to a foolish man. Matthew 7:11-24, 26.

And in Luke,

Then you will begin to stand outside and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open to us. But He replying will say to you, ¹ I do not know where you come from. Then you will begin to say, We ate in Your presence and we drank; and You taught in our streets. But He will say, I tell you, I do not know where you come from; depart from Me, all you workers of iniquity. Luke 13:25-27.

But when they are told this they reply that only those who possessed faith induced by miracles are meant, not those who possessed the faith of the Church.

[3] But after some time these same people start to learn that none are admitted into heaven apart from those who have led the life of faith, that is, have had charity towards the neighbour. And when they start to learn this they begin to feel contempt for the teachings making up their faith, and their faith itself also. For their faith had not been faith but merely a knowledge of such things as constitute faith; and it had not existed for life's sake, only for the sake of making gain and having important positions. So it is that they begin to feel contempt for the things which had composed their knowledge of faith, and so cast them aside, soon after which they immerse themselves in falsities opposed to the truths of faith. This is the state in which those who have declared themselves on the side of faith, yet have led a life contrary to faith, come to live. These are the ones who in the next life molest the upright by means of falsities, thus who are meant specifically by 'Pharaoh'.

Poznámky pod čarou: