8668. 'And Moses told his father-in-law all that Jehovah had done to Pharaoh and the Egyptians' means perception at this time from God's truth' regarding the power of the Lord's Divine Human against those who were steeped in falsities and engaged in molestation. This is clear from the meaning of 'Moses told' as perception from God's truth, 'telling' meaning perceiving, see 3209, and 'Moses' representing God's truth, 6752, 6771, 7010, 7014, 7382; from the representation of 'the father-in-law of Moses' as Divine Good, the source of the good joined to God's truth, dealt with in 8643, 8644; from the meaning of 'all that Jehovah had done' as the things which had been done for the children of Israel in Egypt and after that in the wilderness - and since these things imply in the internal sense the things that were done for those belonging to the Lord's spiritual Church who were held back on the lower earth until the Lord glorified the Human within Himself, the words here mean perception regarding the power of the Lord's Divine Human (that those who belonged to the Lord's spiritual Church were held back on the lower earth, and were saved by the power of the Lord's Divine Human, see 6854, 7035, 7091 (end), 7828, 8018, 8054, 8099, 8321); and from the representation of 'Pharaoh and the Egyptians' as those who were steeped in falsities and engaged in molestation, dealt with in 7097, 7107, 7110, 7126, 7142, 7220, 7228, 7317.

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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