540. Since it is said that the smoke arose out of the well like the smoke of a great furnace, and it has been so far shown that smoke signifies dense falsity, it is of importance also to show that a furnace signifies the evils of earthly and corporeal loves, and thus that smoke as the smoke of a great furnace, signifies dense falsities from those loves. This signification of a furnace is also from appearances in the spiritual world. For when the hells in which those loves reign are looked into, they appear like furnaces glowing with fire, and smoke appears over them like that which ascends from furnaces and from places on fire; hence it is that, in the Word, furnaces signify either the hells, or a company of men, or man himself, in whom such loves and disorderly desires reign, or what is the same thing, where the evils are which flow from them.

[2] These things are signified by furnaces (fornaces et amini), and ovens (furni et clibani) in the following passages;

thus in Matthew:

"The Son of man shall send forth his angels, and they shall gather out of his kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity; and shall cast them into a furnace of fire. In the consummation of the age the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire; there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth" (13:41, 42, 49, 50).

It is evident that a furnace of fire (caminus seu fornax) here means the hells. The consummation of the age signifies the last time of the church, when judgment takes place; that the evil have then to be separated from the good and cast into hell, is signified by the angels shall gather all things that cause stumbling and them that do iniquity, and shall separate the evil from among the just, and shall cast them into a furnace of fire. Hell is called a furnace of fire, because it appears fiery from the loves of self and of the world. That the torment arising from these loves is meant by infernal fire may be seen in Heaven and Hell 566-575).

[3] So in Malachi:

"Behold, the day cometh, burning as an oven; in which all who sin insolently, and every worker of wickedness, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall set them on fire" (4:1).

This also is said concerning the last time of the church, and the last judgment then to take place, both of which are signified by the day that cometh. An oven also means the hell where those are, who confirm themselves in falsities, by doctrine and by a life in evils from earthly and corporeal loves; that they will perish from their own loves, is meant by all who sin insolently, and every worker of wickedness shall be stubble, and the oven shall set them on fire. All who sin insolently are those who, by doctrine, confirm themselves in falsities; and the worker of wickedness, signifies those who by life confirm themselves in evils.

[4] So in Hosea:

"They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies. They are all adulterers; as an oven heated by the baker, the raiser ceaseth from kneading the dough until it be fermented. For they have turned their mind like an oven while they lie in wait; their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning he burneth as a flaming fire. They all wax hot as an oven, and they will devour their judges; all their kings will fall; there is none among them that calleth unto me. Ephraim is a cake not turned" (7:3-8).

By these words, in the spiritual sense, are described the sons of Jacob, and that from the love of self and of the world they turned all good into evil, and thence all truth into falsity. The king whom they make glad by their wickedness, signifies all falsity from evil, for a king signifies truth from good, and, in the opposite sense, falsity from evil; the princes whom they make glad with lies signify the chief falsities. That from their loves they perverted goods and truths, is signified by, They are all adulterers as an oven heated by the baker. To adulterate denotes to pervert good and thence truth, and this is compared to an oven heated by the baker, because falsities that favour their loves they combine together as it were into dough. And because evils and falsities are not separated from the goods and truths derived from the sense of the letter of the Word, but cohere together, it is therefore said, the raiser ceaseth from kneading the dough until it be fermented. Fermentation denotes separation, but here non-separation, for it is said, "He ceaseth from kneading the dough until it be fermented." The same is signified by Ephraim is a cake not turned, Ephraim denoting the understanding of truth; that hence there remains nothing but the evils which pertain to those loves that falsities favour, is signified by, their baker sleepeth all the night; in the morning he burneth as a flaming fire, they all wax hot as an oven. A comparison is made to a baker and an oven, because they combine doctrine together from falsities, just as a baker makes bread and cakes in his oven; that thus they destroy all the goods and truths which they derive from the Word, is signified by, they will devour their judges and all their kings will fall, judges denoting the goods of truth, and kings, the truths themselves. That this is the consequence of their desiring to be wise of themselves, and not from the Lord, is signified by, there is none among them that calleth unto me. That similar things are meant by those words may be seen merely from common intuition, but that the details signify and describe such things can be seen only by means of the internal sense; thus that kings, princes, judges, and adulterers, as well as an oven and a baker, signify such things as have been stated. Moreover, those who combine truths or falsities together so that they cohere, appear in the spiritual world like bankers kneading dough, with an oven near them.

[5] So in Lamentations:

"Our skins are blackened as an oven, on account of the storms of famine" (5:10).

This is a lamentation over the deprivation of truth, and the inundation of falsity; famine signifies the want and deprivation of truth, as may be seen above (n. 386:15), and the storms of famine signify extreme want and also the inundation of falsity, for where there are no truths there are falsities, and storms in the Word have the same signification as inundation. "Our skins are blackened as an oven," signifies that the natural man is without the light of truth, and thence in the darkness of falsity; here also an oven signifies the fabrication of doctrine from falsities and not from truths. But this is more fully explained above (n. 386:15).

[6] So in Ezekiel:

"The house of Israel is become dross unto me; all they are brass, and tin, and iron and lead, in the midst of the furnace; they have become the dross of silver. Behold, I gather you into the midst of Jerusalem, a gathering of silver, and brass, and iron, and lead, and tin." I will gather you "into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it to melt it; so will I gather you in mine anger and in my fury, and I will leave you there, and melt you. As silver is melted in the midst of the furnace, so shall ye be melted in the midst thereof" (22:18-22).

By these words are described the false doctrinals which the Jews and Israelites put together from the sense of the letter of the Word, and which they applied to themselves alone, and their own loves. Such doctrines are called the dross of silver, because silver signifies the truth of the Word, and dross, nothing of truth, or that which is withdrawn from truth that is rejected. Those things which are of the sense of the letter of the Word, are signified by brass, iron, tin, and lead, because these things signify the goods and truths of the natural man, for whom are the things contained in the sense of the letter of the Word. And because from this sense they put together their false doctrinals which were traditions, it is said that they shall be melted together; and since they were applied to their loves, which were the love of self and the love of the world, it is said that Jehovah would gather them into the midst of the furnace, to blow the fire upon it, to melt it, fire signifying those loves; and since their doctrinals also are meant, it is said that he would gather them together into the midst of Jerusalem, Jerusalem signifying the church as to doctrine, thus also the doctrine of the church.

[7] So again, in Moses:

"The sun went down, and there was thick darkness, and behold a smoking furnace, and a torch of fire that passed between those pieces" (Genesis 15:17).

That the falsities of evil, and the evils of falsity bursting forth from the filthy loves of the Jewish and Israelitish nation, are meant here by the smoking furnace, and by the torch of fire which passed between the pieces, may be seen in the article above. For Abraham desired that his posterity should rule over the whole land of Canaan, and because the Lord foresaw that the church would be instituted with that nation, He therefore made a covenant with Abraham. Nevertheless what their quality would be, is predicted in that vision.

[8] So in Nahum:

"Draw thee waters for the siege, strengthen thy strongholds, enter into the mire, and tread the pitch, make strong the brick kiln. There shall the fire devour thee, the sword shall cut thee off" (3:14, 15).

These words describe the destruction of truth by the falsities of evil; the waters for the siege denote the falsities by which they endeavour to destroy truths. By strengthening the strongholds, is signified to fortify them by such things as appear like truths; by going into the mire, and treading the pitch, is signified to make them appear to cohere together, pitch denoting falsity from evil conjoining. By making strong the brick kiln is signified to repair doctrine formed of falsified truths and fictions, for bricks signify falsities invented and not cohering with truths. By fire shall devour thee, is signified that they shall perish by the evils of their own loves, and by the sword shall cut thee off, is signified that they shall perish by falsities.

[9] Again, in Jeremiah:

"Take great stones in thy hand, and hide them in the brick kiln, which is at the door of Pharaoh's house. I will take the king of Babel, and will set his throne upon these stones that thou hast hid. He shall come and smite the land of Egypt. And I will kindle a fire in the houses [of the gods] of Egypt and he at length shall array himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment (43:9-12).

By these things was represented the profanation of truth by reasonings from scientifics falsely applied. The great stones hidden in the brick kiln signify the truths of the Word falsified by fictions originating in [man's] own intelligence, stones denoting the truths of the Word, and the brick kiln, doctrine formed of things fictitious. The house of Pharaoh signifies the natural man as to the scientifics therein; the door denotes the Sensual Scientific by means of which there is entrance into the natural man, and by means of which falsifications are contrived. The king of Babel signifies the profanation of truth his throne being set upon these stones, and his smiting Egypt, and kindling a fire in the houses thereof, signifies that by the scientifics of the natural man he would pervert all the truths of doctrine, and profane them. That he would subject the natural man to himself as to all things therein, which takes place by means of confirmations of falsities from scientifics, is signified by his arraying himself with the land of Egypt, as a shepherd putteth on his garment; that all things of the natural man would thus perish by the evils of earthly and corporeal loves, is signified by, I will kindle a fire in the houses of Egypt.

[10] Because Egypt signifies the natural man as to the scientific there, and is also signified by a furnace of iron, therefore, in the Word, Egypt is called a furnace of iron;

as in Jeremiah:

"In the day that I brought them forth out of Egypt, out of the furnace of iron" (11:4).

And in Moses:

"He hath brought you forth out of the furnace of iron, out of Egypt" (Deuteronomy 4:20).

Again, in the 1st Book of Kings:

"Thou broughtest forth out of Egypt, from the midst of the furnace of iron" (8:51).

And in David:

"I removed the shoulder of Israel from the burden of Egypt, his hands passed away from the furnace" (81:6).

The natural man as to the Scientific is signified by the furnace of iron, the furnace denoting the natural man, and iron, the scientific, in this case the false scientific, because it is said, that they were brought out of it. For unless the natural man be led by the spiritual man, it is in falsities and evils, by reason that it has not any light from heaven, for light from heaven flows through the spiritual man into the natural, and enlightens, teaches, and leads. The case is altogether different, when the natural man does not think and act under the guidance of the spiritual man; in such case a man is in a state of servitude, for he thinks and acts from falsities and evils, which are from hell, and therefore in treating of the deliverance of the Israelites out of Egypt, it is also said that they were brought out of the house of bondage. For all freedom of thinking and acting is from the spiritual man, because this man thinks and wills from the Lord out of heaven; and to be led by the Lord is freedom. From these things it is evident whence it is that Egypt is called a furnace of iron, and also a house of bondage; this bondage is also signified by the words, "I removed the shoulder of Israel from the burden of Egypt." That iron signifies the Scientific pertaining to the natural man, may be seen above (n. 176).

[11] As most things in the Word have also an apposite sense, so also has an oven;

thus in Isaiah:

"Saith Jehovah, whose hearth is in Zion, and his oven in Jerusalem" (31:9).

Here by the hearth is signified the good of love, and by an oven, truth from that good, thus the truth of doctrine. Similar things are also signified by Zion and Jerusalem; Zion signifies the church as to the good of love, and Jerusalem the church as to the truth of doctrine. The oven has a similar signification in Moses where the meat-offering is directed to be prepared in an oven, a baking-pan or a frying-pan (Leviticus 2:4-7).

This is explained in the Arcana Coelestia. A furnace has a similar meaning in the Apocalypse where it is said the feet of the Son of man were like unto burnished brass as if glowing in a furnace (1:15), (see above, n. 69).

10551. 'And so it was, when Moses entered the tent, that the pillar of cloud came down, and stood at the door of the tent, and talked to Moses' means that when the Word had gone beyond what they were capable of understanding, extremely poor visibility descended on them as they stood outside, and yet there was clear perception from within. This is clear from the meaning of 'when Moses entered the tent' as when the Word had gone beyond what they were capable of understanding, dealt with immediately above in 10550; from the meaning of 'the pillar of cloud' as extremely poor visibility so far as that nation was concerned, for by 'cloud' the outward sense of the Word is meant, see Preface to Genesis 18, and 4060, 4391, 5922, 6343(end), 6752, 8443, 8781, and also the poor visibility of the Word so far as those who have no enlightenment are concerned, and its extremely poor visibility so far as those with whom the outward sense of the Word is separated from the inward are concerned, 6832, 8106, 8814, 8819, 9430; from the meaning of 'standing at the door' as being outside, dealt with above in 10549; and from the meaning of 'talking to Moses' as clear perception from within. For the Word - as it is essentially - is meant by 'Moses', see 9372, while perceiving is meant by 'talking', see in the places referred to in 10290. The reason why 'from within' is meant is that Moses, to whom 'the pillar of cloud' talked, was within the tent.

[2] What it is to see from without and to perceive from within must be stated. Those who have enlightenment when they read the Word see it from within; for their internal has been opened, and when the internal has been opened it dwells in the light of heaven. This light flows in and brings enlightenment, though the person is not conscious of its doing so. He is not conscious of this because that light flows into the cognitions or knowledge present in the human memory, which however dwell in natural light. And since the person feels, when he uses them to think with, that he does so all by himself he cannot be aware of the influx; yet there are various indications enabling him to know that he has been given enlightenment. But anyone at all who supposes that he has enlightenment is mistaken if he does not love to know truth for its own sake and for the sake of leading a good life, thus if he does not love Divine Truth for life's sake. For leading a life in keeping with Divine Truths derived from the Word constitutes loving the Lord; and from the Lord, when He is loved, springs all enlightenment.

[3] Those however who do not see a life in keeping with Divine Truths derived from the Word as the end in view, but position, gain, and reputation as the end in view and the Divine Truths of the Word therefore as the means, cannot possibly possess any enlightenment. This end is worldly and bodily, and not spiritual and heavenly. Consequently it closes off their internal man, and once this is closed no light from heaven can flow in and bring enlightenment. If these people suppose that they are enlightened when they read the Word they are completely mistaken; for their thought is inspired not by heaven but by the world, and so springs not from the Lord but from self. And to the extent that it springs from self and the world it is the product of natural light separated from heavenly light; and natural light separated from heavenly light constitutes thickest darkness in spiritual matters. If these people are convinced that they have seen something as a result of having been enlightened they are mistaken. For the only way that they perceive whether anything is true is with the aid of proofs supplied by others, which is to see truth from without and not from within, or else with the aid of faith that is no more than persuasion, the nature of which may be seen in 9363-9369. Such people are able to see falsity as truth and truth as falsity, and also to see evil as good and good as evil.

[4] From all this it is clear what seeing the Word from without is and perceiving it from within is. Seeing it from without is what is meant when it says that the people stood, [each] at the door of [his] tent, and looked after Moses, and also that they saw the pillar of cloud standing at the door of the tent, and they bowed down, [each] at the door of [his] tent. But perceiving the Word from within is what is meant when it says that Moses entered the tent, and that the pillar of cloud at the door of the tent talked to Moses.

[5] A brief statement must also be made about the way in which the influx bringing enlightenment operates. Angels equally with men perceive the Word when it is read; but angels do so on a spiritual level, men on a natural level. A person whose internal has been opened also perceives it on a spiritual level, though he is not conscious of doing so while he lives in the world because his spiritual thought flows into his natural thought in the external man and manifests itself within this. Nevertheless that interior thought is what enlightens and is the channel through which influx from the Lord operates. Some learned people by looking into their own thoughts and reflecting on what they see have also noticed that the human being possesses interior thought which is not overt. They have therefore called the ideas composing it immaterial and intellectual ¹ , distinguishing them from the overt ideas composing exterior thought, which they have called natural and material. But they have not known that the ideas composing interior thought are spiritual, nor that when these flow down from their own level they are converted into natural ones and then take on a different shape and appearance. These considerations show to some extent the way in which the influx bringing enlightenment operates.

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