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Exodus 11

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1 And the LORD said to Moses, Yet will I bring one plague more upon Pharaoh, and upon Egypt; afterwards he will let you go hence: when he shall let you go, he shall surely thrust you out hence altogether.

2 Speak now in the ears of the people, and let every man borrow of his neighbor, and every woman of her neighbor, jewels of silver, and jewels of gold.

3 And the LORD gave the people favor in the sight of the Egyptians. Moreover, the man Moses was very great in the land of Egypt, in the sight of Pharaoh's servants, and in the sight of the people.

4 And Moses said, Thus saith the LORD, About midnight will I go out into the midst of Egypt:

5 And all the first-born in the land of Egypt shall die, from the first-born of Pharaoh that sitteth upon his throne, even to the first-born of the maid-servant that is behind the mill; and all the first-born of beasts.

6 And there shall be a great cry throughout all the land of Egypt, such as there hath been none like it, nor shall be like it any more.

7 But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel.

8 And all these thy servants shall come down to me, and bow down themselves to me, saying, Depart thou, and all the people that follow thee; and after that I will depart: and he went out from Pharaoh in a great anger.

9 And the LORD said to Moses, Pharaoh will not hearken to you; that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.

10 And Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh; and the LORD hardened Pharaoh's heart, so that he would not let the children of Israel depart from his land.

   

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Arcana Coelestia # 2353

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2353. 'In the night' means the final period when these two are acknowledged no longer. This is clear from the meaning of 'the night' as a time of darkness when the things of light are seen no longer. The angels did not come in the night but at evening time, but because it was the men of Sodom who spoke and cried out, that is, those who are immersed in falsity and evil, the expression used is not 'in the evening' but 'in the night'. For 'night' in the Word means the period of time and the state when the light of truth exists no longer, but merely falsity and evil, and so is the final period when judgement takes place.

[2] This meaning is met in other places, as in Micah,

Against the prophets who lead the people astray: It is night for you instead of vision, and darkness for you instead of divination, and the sun is setting upon the prophets and the day is becoming black over them. Micah 3:5-6.

'The prophets' here stands for those who teach falsities. 'Night', 'darkness', 'sunset', and 'the day becoming black' stand for falsities and evils.

[3] In John,

If anyone walks in the day he does not stumble; but if anyone walks in the night he stumbles because the light is not in him. John 11:9-10.

Here 'night' stands for falsity deriving from evil. 'The light' stands for truth deriving from good, for just as all the light of truth derives from good, so all the night of falsity does so from evil.

[4] In the same gospel,

I must work the works of Him who sent Me while it is day; night is coming when nobody can work. John 9:4.

'Day' stands for the period of time and the state when good and truth are present, but 'night' when evil and falsity are present.

[5] In Luke,

I tell you, in that night there will be two upon one bed; one will be taken, the other left. Luke 17:34.

Here 'night' stands for the final period when the truth of faith is no more.

[6] When the children of Israel were going out of Egypt they were commanded 'to go out at midnight', because in this way the vastation of good and truth inside the Church was represented, and also that nothing except falsity and evil reigned there any longer, Exodus 11:4. And when they did, all the firstborn of Egypt were slain at midnight, Exodus 12:12, 29-30. Now because those with whom good and truth are present, who were represented by the children of Israel, are watched over when, like Lot in Sodom, they are among falsities and evils, that night is described in reference to them as 'the night when Jehovah kept watch', Exodus 12:42.

  
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Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.