Arcana Coelestia 7264. The subject treated of in the internal sense in what follows is the vastation, and at last the damnation, of those who are in falsities and evils. The process of their devastation is described by the eleven plagues brought on the Egyptians and their land.

Arcana Coelestia 7265. In this chapter the subject treated of in the internal sense is the first three degrees of vastation. The first, which is that mere fallacies began to reign with them, whence came falsities, is described by the serpent into which the rod of Aaron was turned. The second, which is that truths themselves became falsities with them, and that falsities became truths, is described by the blood into which the waters were turned. The third degree, which is that from falsities they reasoned against the truths and goods of the church, is described by the frogs out of the river.

7265. This chapter deals in the internal sense with the first three stages of vastation. The first stage - when utter illusions giving rise to falsities began to reign among them - is described by the serpent into which Aaron's rod was turned. The second stage - when actual truths among them were made into falsities, and falsities into truths - is described by the blood which the waters were turned into. The third stage - when from falsities they reasoned against the truths and forms of good that were the Church's - is described by the frogs out of the river.