3651. Everyone may see that these words contain arcana, and that unless these arcana are disclosed it is impossible to know what is meant by “them that are in Judea fleeing to the mountains;” by “him that is upon the housetop not going down to take anything out of his house;” and by “him that is in the field not returning back to take his garment.” Unless the internal sense were to teach what these words signify and enfold within them, the investigators and interpreters of the Word might be led away and fall into opinions altogether foreign to the truth; or it might even happen that those who at heart deny the holiness of the Word might come to the conclusion that such expressions merely describe flight and escape on the approach of an enemy; consequently that there is nothing more holy contained therein; when yet by these words of the Lord there is fully described a state of the devastation of the church in respect to the goods of love and the truths of faith; as may be seen from the following explication of the words in question.

1146. Shem, Ham, and Japheth. That these signify here as before—“Shem” true internal worship, “Ham” internal worship corrupted, and “Japheth” external worship corresponding to internal, is evident from what has been previously stated concerning them; where it was shown, not only that Shem, Ham, and Japheth signify those kinds of worship, but also what is meant by true internal worship, or Shem; what by internal worship corrupted, or Ham; and what by external worship corresponding to internal, or Japheth. They need not therefore be further dwelt upon.