8143. 'And the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people' means a change of state, a change to evil within those steeped in falsities arising from evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'the turning of the heart' as a change of state, to evil (the fact that 'being turned' means undergoing a change - at this point a change of mind, and so a change of state - is self-evident; and for the meaning of 'heart' as evil, see above in 8135); from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as those steeped in falsities arising from evil, dealt with above in 8132; from the meaning of 'servants' as those who belong to a lower rank and minister, and since these are meant, each and every one steeped in falsities arising from evil is meant, 7396; and from the representation of 'the children of Israel' as those who belong to the spiritual Church. From all this it is evident that 'the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people' means a change of state, a change to evil feelings within all those steeped in falsities arising from evil, directed against those belonging to the spiritual Church.

7396. 'Till when shall I plead for you, and for your servants, and for your people' means intercession made for those steeped in falsities who engage in molestation. This is clear from the meaning of 'pleading', since it is done on behalf of another, as intercession; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as those who are steeped in falsities and engage in molestation, dealt with in 7107, 7110, 7126, 7142, 7717. Since these are represented by Pharaoh, 'his servants' and 'his people', when mentioned in addition, mean each and every one of them; for 'servants' are those who belong to a lower rank and minister, while 'people' are the individual ones. Empires and kingdoms are represented in heaven as a person, and the communities within them are represented as the parts of that person's body, the monarch being so to speak its head. The reason why they are represented in that way traces back to this: The whole of heaven represents one human being, and the communities there represent the parts of his body, in accordance with the functions they perform. From this one may see how beautiful and delightful the representation in heaven of an empire, kingdom, or community would be if its citizens were linked to one another by charity and faith to form a body like that. Whenever possible the Lord also links communities together into that kind of body; for Divine Truth itself, which emanates from the Lord, introduces that state of order wherever that order is accepted. This is the origin of the state of order that exists in heaven. It exists on earth too, but the communities constituting it are scattered all over the earth and are made up of those who are governed by love to Him and charity towards the neighbour. But those scattered communities have been drawn together by the Lord in order that they too, like communities in heaven, may represent one human being. These communities exist not only within the Church but also outside it; and when taken all together they are called the Lord's Church, drawn together from the good scattered throughout all the earth. That Church is also called a communion. This communion or Church is the Lord's kingdom on earth linked to the Lord's kingdom in heaven, and so to the Lord Himself.