8142. 'And it was pointed out to the king of Egypt that the people had fled' means the thought of those steeped in utter falsities arising from evil, that they had become entirely separated. This is clear from the meaning of 'pointing out to someone' as thinking and reflecting, dealt with in 2862, 5508; from the representation of Pharaoh as those steeped in falsities arising from evil, dealt with above in 8132, 8135, or - when he is called 'the king of Egypt' - as those steeped in utter falsities, 7220, 7228, since 'king' means truths, 1672, 2015, 2069, 4575, 4581, 4966, 5044, 6148, and therefore in the contrary sense means falsities; and from the meaning of 'fleeing' as becoming separated.

1728. 'And he was a priest' means the holiness of love. This is clear from the meaning of 'a priest' in the Word. Two special ways in which the Lord is characterized are as King and as Priest. A king or the office of king means holy truth, and a priest or the office of priest means holy good. The former is the Divine Spiritual, the latter the Divine Celestial. As King the Lord governs every single thing in the universe from Divine Truth; but as Priest He does so from Divine Good. Divine Truth is the order itself of His kingdom existing everywhere, all the laws of which are truths, or eternal verities. Divine Good is the very essential of order, every aspect of which is an expression of mercy. Both of these - Divine Good and Divine Truth - are attributed to the Lord. If solely Divine Truth were His, no mortal man could be saved, for truths condemn everyone to hell. But Divine Good, which is the essence of mercy, raises people up from hell towards heaven. Divine Truth and Divine Good are what kings and priests in the Jewish Church represented; and Melchizedek as king of Salem and priest to God Most High represented them too.