7417. Stretch out thy rod. That this signifies that he should show Divine power, is evident from the signification “to stretch out,” as being to exercise and to show (as above); and from the signification of a “rod,” as being power (see n. 4013, 4015, 4876, 4936, 6947, 7011, 7026); which power was Divine because Aaron had no power, still less was there power in the rod; but the power was exercised through Aaron and his rod. That it was exercised through the rod was because the things done by Divine command within the church were done by means of representatives (this was before the Lord’s Coming), thus by the stretching out of the hand and of the rod; because the arm and the hand correspond to power, and from this also the rod. The reason why before the Coming of the Lord the things done within the church by Divine command were done by means of representatives, was that all things and each represented the Lord and His kingdom in the heavens, and His kingdom on earth, that is, the church. That this is so can also be seen from the Word, in which all things and each in the supreme sense treat of the Lord, and in the internal sense treat of His kingdom and church.

7026. And Moses took the rod of God in his hand. That this signifies that these things were from Divine power, is evident from the signification of “rod,” as being power (n. 4013, 4015, 4876, 4936) thus “the rod of God” denotes Divine power. (That “rod” denotes the power of the natural, and “hand” the power of the spiritual, and that the natural has power from the spiritual, thus that by “rod” is signified power when it is in the hand, see n. 7011.) That a “rod” denotes power, originates from the representatives in the other life, for in that life they who practice magical arts appear with rods, which also serve them for powers. Hence also the Egyptian magicians had rods, whereby they performed what appeared like miracles; and from this the ancients in their writings everywhere assign rods to magicians. From all this it can be seen that a rod is a representative of power, and that it is also a real correspondence, for power is actually exercised by means of rods; but with magicians this is an abuse of correspondence, neither is it of avail except within the hells where they are, and it avails there because illusions and phantasies reign there. And because there is a real correspondence of a rod with power, Moses was commanded to take a rod in his hand, and by it to do signs; and for the same reason also kings have a scepter, which is a short rod, and by it is signified royal power. The correspondence of a rod and of power, is from the fact that a rod or staff supports the hand and arm, thus at the same time the body, and in the Grand Man the hand and arm correspond to power (n. 878, 3387, 4931-4937, 5327, 5328, 5544, 6947, 7011).