9128. 'If the sun has risen on him' means if he sees it clearly - the theft that is being committed - from a more internal level. This is clear from the meaning of 'the sun rising' as its being seen in light, thus its being seen clearly, at this point that good or truth is being taken away, meant by 'the theft', 9125. The reason why 'if the sun has risen' has this meaning is that 'the thief caught digging through', spoken of in the previous verse, means good or truth being taken away secretly, thus without its being seen, 9125. The reason for saying seen from a more internal level is that such an action is seen by the internal man.

[2] Since it is an important matter, something must be stated about what seeing from a more internal level implies. A person sees within himself whether what he thinks and intends, and consequently what he speaks and does, is good or bad, and therefore whether it is true or false. This is not at all possible unless the person sees from a more internal level. Seeing from a more internal level takes place when things are seen by the internal man within the external. This is like the sight of the eye; the eye cannot see things within itself, only those outside it. This then is how a person sees the good and the bad he has within himself. Nevertheless one person's sight of this is better than another's, and some have no sight of it whatever. The ones with sight of it are those who have received from the Lord the life of faith and charity; for this life is internal life or the life of the internal man. Because truth resides with these people by virtue of their faith, and good by virtue of their charity, they can see the evils and falsities present in themselves; for evil can be seen from good, and falsity can be seen from truth, but not the other way round. The reason for this is that good and truth are in heaven and the light of heaven, whereas evil and falsity are in hell and the darkness of hell. From this it is evident that those immersed in evil and as a result in falsity cannot see good or truth; they cannot even see the evil and falsity present within themselves. Nor consequently can they see from a more internal level.

[3] But it should be recognized that seeing from a more internal level is seeing from the Lord; for the situation with sight is the same as it is with everything that comes into being. Nothing brings itself into being; rather it springs from what is prior to or higher than itself, and so finally from the First and Highest. The First and Highest is the Lord. Anyone who understands this can also understand that all of the life present in a person comes from the Lord; and, since charity and faith constitute that most real life a person can have, that all of the charity and all of the faith come from the Lord. A person endowed with greater power of thought and perception than others can also understand from all this that the Lord sees every single thing, even the smallest things present in a person. Evil and falsity however do not spring into being from what is higher than themselves but from what is lower; consequently they do not spring from the Lord but from the world, since the Lord is above whereas the world is below. Therefore the internal man with those immersed in evil and as a result in falsity is closed above and open below. This is why they see all things in an upside down manner - the world as everything and heaven as nothing. They are also for this reason seen by angels to be upside down, feet upwards and head downwards. This is what all in hell look like.

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'.

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