164. And them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation. That this signifies grievous temptations to those who give themselves up to their falsities is evident from the signification of committing adultery, as being to falsify truths (concerning which see above, 141); hence to commit adultery with Jezebel is to give themselves up to the falsities of those signified by Jezebel; and from the signification of tribulation as being infestation of truth by falsities (concerning which also see above, n. 47), in this case temptation, inasmuch as temptation is nothing else but infestation of truth by falsities with man (as may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 188, 196, 197). Therefore by casting those who commit adultery with her into great tribulation, is signified the grievous temptations of those who give themselves up to their falsities. The subject here treated of is those with whom the spiritual or internal man is not so much closed, because they are in some spiritual affection for truth, and yet suffer themselves to be led astray by those who are in the doctrine of falsities (as may be seen above, n. 162). Because these receive falsities into the memory of their natural man, with which the spiritual internal man cannot agree - for this receives nothing but truths - therefore a combat commences between the spiritual and the natural man: this combat is temptation, which is signified by great tribulation. (That temptation is a combat between the spiritual and natural man, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 190, 194, 197, 199.)

8169. 'For it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness?' means that damnation through the violence of falsity in the state of molestations would be preferable to damnation that came about through yielding in a state of temptations. This is clear from the meaning of 'being better for them' as that it would be preferable; from the meaning of 'serving the Egyptians' as yielding to the falsities of the molesters, for 'serving' means being under another's control, 6666, 6670, 6671, thus yielding, in this instance to the falsities of the molesters; from the meaning of 'dying' as damnation, as above in 8165; and from the meaning of 'the wilderness' as a state for undergoing temptations, dealt with in 8098. From all this it is evident that 'it is better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness' means that it would be preferable to yield to falsities, when molested by them, than to yield in temptations. Yielding in the former state is indeed preferable to doing so in the latter; for when a person yields in temptations his acceptance of falsities and evils in opposition to the truths and forms of the good of faith is made stronger. But when he yields in a state of molestations his acceptance of falsities and evils is made stronger, but not so plainly in opposition to the truths and forms of the good of faith. From this it is evident that yielding in temptations involves blasphemy against truth and goodness, and sometimes profanation of them; and the worst and most terrible damnation of all is damnation as a result of profanation.