7686. Before it there was no such locust as this, and after it there shall not be such. That this signifies that such falsity has not been from the first time of the church, and shall not be, is evident from the signification of the “locust,” as being falsity in the extremes ((7643) see n. 7643); (that such falsity has not been, nor shall be, see also above, n. 7649). How the case herein is, shall be told. In the internal sense those are specifically treated of who before the Lord’s coming were in the lower earth, and could not be uplifted into heaven before the Lord came into the world, and assumed the Human, and made it Divine (n. 6854, 6914). Meanwhile they were infested by the evil, who also had been of the church, and had confessed the truths of faith, but had lived a life of evil. They who before the Lord’s coming had been of the church and had been evil as to life, were in such falsity as had not been before, and shall not be afterward. The reason was that they who were called “Nephilim,” also “Anakim” and “Rephaim,” and were of the last posterity of the Most Ancient Church, were not yet shut up in hell, but wandered about and infused dire and deadly persuasions wherever they could, thus also into the evil in the church. This was the source of such falsity. (With respect to these “Nephilim,” and their direful persuasions, see n. 310, 560, 562, 563, 570, 581, 585, 607, 660, 805, 808, 1034, 1120, 1265-1272, 1673.) When the Lord was in the world, these were cast by Him into their hell, which is on the left in front at some distance. Unless this had been done, very few could have been saved, for the falsity which they infused had a direful persuasive power, and was deadly, such as never had been, and such as never can again be. With this falsity those had been imbued who before the Lord’s coming infested those who were of the spiritual church. This is what is meant in the internal sense by the above words. These are they who are specifically treated of; but in general all are meant who are of the church and who infest the upright in the other life, of whom there are very many at this day.