8194. And he went behind them. That this signifies protection lest the falsity of evil should flow into the will, is evident from the signification of “going behind” the sons of Israel, as being protection lest the Egyptians should attack; in the internal sense, lest the falsities from evil which are signified by “the Egyptians” should flow in (n. 8132, 8135, 8148). That it denotes lest they should flow into the will, is because in the Grand Man, or in the spiritual world, the things of the will are presented at the back, or behind, and those of the understanding in front, or before. As regards influx into the will and into the understanding of man, be it known that the Lord takes the utmost care lest the infernals flow into a man’s will; for if they were to flow into his will after he had been regenerated or made a church, it would be all over with him, because his will is nothing but evil. Hence it is that the man of the spiritual church is regenerated by the Lord in respect to the intellectual part, and that a new will is formed in this part, which is completely separated from the will that the man has by heredity (n. 863, 875, 927, 1023, 1043, 1044, 2256, 4328, 4493, 5113). From all this it can now be seen whence it is that by “he went behind them” is signified protection lest the falsity of evil should flow into the will.

4328. I have also been shown how the case is in general with the voluntary (or will part) and with the intellectual. The most ancients, who constituted the Lord’s celestial church (see n. 1114-1123), had a voluntary in which was good, and an intellectual in which was the derivative truth, which two with them made a one. But the ancients, who formed the Lord’s spiritual church, had the voluntary altogether destroyed, but the intellectual entire, in which the Lord by regeneration formed a new voluntary, and through this also a new intellectual (see n. 863, 875, 895, 927, 928, 1023, 1043, 1044, 1555, 2256).

[2] How the case had been with the good of the celestial church was shown by a column descending from heaven, of an azure color, at the left side of which there was a lucidity like the flaming glow of the sun. By this was represented their first state; by the azure color their good voluntary; and by the flaming glow their intellectual. And afterwards the azure of the column passed into a dim flaminess by which was represented their second state, and that their two lives-of the will and the understanding-still acted as a one, but more dimly as to good from the will; for what is azure signifies good, and a flaming glow truth from good.

[3] Presently the column became quite black; and around the column there was a lucidity which was variegated by something of shining white, presenting colors; by which was signified the state of the spiritual church. The black column signified the voluntary as being altogether destroyed, and as being nothing but evil; the lucidity variegated by something of shining white signified the intellectual in which was a new voluntary from the Lord; for the intellectual is represented in heaven by what is lucid.