7679. 'And Jehovah brought an east wind' means an agent of destruction. This is clear from the meaning of 'an east wind' as an agent of destruction. 'An east wind' has this meaning because it was dry and turbulent, and because it therefore withered the produce of that land, and by its force shattered trees, and ships at sea. This is why that wind, acting as an agent [of destruction], describes the effect that Divine power can have. In addition 'the east' means the good of love and charity, for the Lord is meant by it in the highest sense, 101, 1250, 3708. Also, being Divine, the good of love and charity is in origin very gentle, and consequently is also such in its movements when it passes into heaven. But when it comes down into hell it becomes rough and fierce, because the inhabitants of hell make it so. Therefore the inflow and presence there of that Divine good not only torments them but also devastates them. This too explains why a wind from the east or 'an east wind' means an agent of destruction.

[2] The fact that this wind means an agent of destruction is evident from the places in which it is mentioned in the Word, as in Jeremiah,

Like an east wind I will scatter them before the enemy. Jeremiah 18:17.

In Ezekiel,

The vine that was planted, will it thrive? ¹ When the east wind strikes it, will it not wither completely?. Ezekiel 17:10.

In the same prophet,

That vine has been plucked up in anger, it has been cast down onto the ground, the east wind has dried its fruit. Ezekiel 19:12.

In Hosea,

He will be among his brothers a ferocious one; an east wind will come, Jehovah's wind rising up from the desert, and his spring mill become dry, and his fountain dried up. Hosea 13:15.

In David,

By an east wind You will shatter the ships of Tarshish. Psalms 48:7.

In Ezekiel,

They brought you down to many waters, those who despise you; the east wind broke you in the heart of the seas. Ezekiel 27:26.

From these places it is evident that 'an east wind' means an agent of destruction, because it was a dry wind and a turbulent one. It therefore also means an agent of devastation, as in Hosea,

Ephraim feeds the wind, and pursues the east wind. All the day long he multiplies lies and devastation. Hosea 12:1.

'Ephraim' stands for the Church's understanding, 5354, 6222, 6238. 'Feeding the wind' is multiplying lies, and 'pursuing the east wind' is multiplying devastation. A state of devastation and temptation is also called 'the day of the east wind' in Isaiah 27:7-8.

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1868. That these things are meant by these nations would take too long to confirm from the Word; nor is there any need to do so here as no more than their names are mentioned. Some of them have been dealt with already, for example that 'the Rephaim' means false persuasions, 567, 581, 1673; 'the Amorites' evils, 1680; 'the Canaanites' evils, above at verse 16; 'the Perizzites' falsities, 1574. What the rest of the nations mean individually will in the Lord's Divine mercy be explained as they occur later on.

[2] As regards the nations that were to be cast out of the Lord's kingdom, in the next life evil and devilish spirits like nothing more than to surface in the world of spirits and to infest good spirits. But as often as they do so they are cast out, in much the same way as the falsities and evils that have taken possession of one who is being regenerated are overpowered and dispersed, and in their place truths and goods are implanted that belong to the Lord's kingdom.

[3] These falsities and evils were represented by the nations that were driven out of the land of Canaan by the descendants of Jacob. They were represented as well by the Jews themselves who at a later period were driven out from there. The same occurred with many other nations of old by whom similar things had been represented, such as the Horites who were driven from Mount Seir by the descendants of Esau, mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:12, 22; then the Avim who were driven out by the Kaphtorim, mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:23; also the Emim or Rephaim who were driven out by the Moabites, mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:9-11; as well as the Zamzummim who were driven out by the Ammonites, mentioned in Deuteronomy 2:19-21; besides many others referred to in the Prophets.