155. Internal Meaning of Ezekiel, Chapter 32

Lament over those who by knowledges [scientiae] have perverted the holy things of the church. (3, 3)

1-2 They pervert all truths of the church. (3)

3-8 They fall into all falsities of evil, until they no longer see what is good and true. (3)

9-10 Those who are outside the church are horrified at their falsities. (3)

11-12 They destroy all things of the church by reasonings from the natural man. (3)

13-16 They shall be cast into hell, that they may no longer pervert truths in those who are in an affection for truth. (15)

15 In hell they will be associated with those who have profaned the holy things of the Word; (15, 17)

24-25 also with those who have falsified truths of doctrine; (15)

26-30 with those who have falsified the sense of the letter of the Word.

31-32 All of these will be with those who by knowledges [scientiae] have perverted the holy things of the church, and thus they will be separated from those who are of the church, lest they persecute them. (15)

War in the Word represents the combat of temptation when good loves are assaulted by evil loves or false ideas. The evil that attacks comes from one of the many societies of hell, and it operates by arousing a selfish love in our mind that is contrary to what we know is right. Then our selfish love attacks the love that nourishes the wish to be a good person, and there is war in our minds. This is represented by wars that the children of Israel fought in and around the land of Canaan, of which there is a long history in the old testament. The selfish loves abound in our minds from our heredity, and the good loves come along with our conscience as it develops. If we had no conscience we couldn't be tempted; we would immediately follow the wishes of our selfishness and give in. But then the end result is that we are in slavery to the hells and will do whatever they want.

(Odkazy: Arcana Coelestia 1659 [3], 1664, 1683, 1788 [2])