7268. See, I have given thee a god to Pharaoh. That this signifies the law Divine, and its power over those who are in falsities, is evident from the signification of “giving thee a god,” as being the Divine truth, or what is the same, the Divine law, and also its power (for in the Word where truth is treated of, and also the power of truth, the name “God” is used, but where good is treated of, the name “Jehovah,” see n. 300, 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822, 3910, 3921, 4287, 4295, 4402, 7010); and from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who are in falsities and infest (n. 6651, 6679, 6683). As to what further regards the signification of “God,” be it known that in the supreme sense “God” denotes the Divine which is above the heavens, but in the internal sense “God” denotes the Divine which is in the heavens. The Divine which is above the heavens is the Divine good, but the Divine in the heavens is the Divine truth; for from the Divine good proceeds the Divine truth, and makes heaven, and disposes it. For that which is properly called “heaven” is nothing else than the Divine formed there, because the angels who are in heaven are human forms recipient of the Divine, and constituting a common form, which is that of man.

[2] And because the Divine truth in the heavens is that which in the Word of the Old Testament is meant by “God,” in the original language God is called Elohim in the plural; and as the angels who are in the heavens are recipient of the Divine truth, they also are called “gods,” as in David:

Who in heaven shall compare himself to Jehovah? or shall be likened to Jehovah among the sons of the gods? (Psalms 89:6).

Give to Jehovah, O ye sons of the gods, give to Jehovah glory and strength (Psalms 29:1).

I said, Ye are gods, and all of you sons of the Most High (Psalms 82:6).

Jesus said, Is it not written in your law, I said, Ye are gods? So He called them gods to whom the Word came (John 10:34-35).

And also in the passages where the Lord is called God of gods, and Lord of lords (Genesis 46:2-3; Deuteronomy 10:17; Numbers 16:22; Daniel 11:36; Psalms 136:2-3).

From all this it can be seen in what sense Moses is called a “god,” here a “god to Pharaoh,” and a “god to Aaron” (Exodus 4:16), namely, because Moses represented the Divine law, which is the Divine truth, and is called the “Word.” Hence also it is that Aaron is here called his “prophet,” and in a former passage his “mouth,” that is, one who utters in a form adapted to the understanding the Divine truth which proceeds immediately from the Lord, and which transcends all understanding. And as a “prophet” denotes one who teaches and utters Divine truth in a form adapted to the understanding, a “prophet” also denotes the doctrine of the church; of which in what now follows.

4287. For as a prince hast thou contended with God and with men, and hast prevailed. That this signifies continual victories in combats as to truths and goods, is evident from the signification of “contending as a prince,” as being to overcome in combats, here in the combats of temptations, for these are what are treated of; and from the signification of “with God and with men” as being as to truths and goods, of which below.

[2] As in the supreme sense the Lord is treated of, it is He who is meant in this sense by “him that contended as a prince with God and men;” for He endured all temptations by His own power, and by means of them conquered the hells; for He admitted all the hells into Himself in their order, yea, even to the angels-of which in the following pages. And He thus reduced into order all things in the heavens and in the hells, and at last glorified Himself, that is, made the Human in Himself Divine.

[3] From this it is manifest that in the supreme sense the Lord is “Jacob” and “Israel” (as shown just above, n. 4286), not only in that He contended as a prince, that is, endured all the combats of temptations, and conquered in them, but in that He also endures them in every man. But see what has been said on these subjects many times before, namely: That the Lord beyond all endured the most grievous temptations (n. 1663, 1668, 1787, 2776, 2786, 2795, 2816): That the Lord fought from Divine love, differently from all men (n. 1690, 1691, 1789, 1812, 1813, 1820): That the Lord fought against hereditary evil from the mother, so that at last He was not her son, although He had no actual evil (n. 1444, 1573, 2025, 2574, 2649, 3318): That the Lord through combats of temptations and continual victories disposed all things into a heavenly form (n. 1928): That by continual victories in the combats of temptations He united the Divine Essence to the Human (n. 1616, 1737, 1813, 1921, 2025, 2026, 2500, 2523, 2632, 2776): And that the Lord endures temptations in man, and subjugates evil and the hells (n. 987, 1661, 1692).

[4] That “to contend with God and with men” denotes to be tempted as to truths and as to goods, is a secret which does not appear from the letter. That it was not God with whom Jacob contended must be evident to everyone, and will also appear from the explication below; for it cannot be predicated of any man that he contends with God and prevails. But the internal sense teaches what is here signified by “God” and by “men”—namely, that by “God” is signified truth and by “men” good, and this for the reason that in the internal sense the name “God” signifies truth, and hence that when the subject treated of is truth, this name is used (n. 2586, 2769, 2807, 2822); and that when “man” is mentioned, good is meant. That “man” denotes good is because the Lord is the only man, and because man is called man from Him (see n. 49, 288, 565, 1894); also because from Him heaven is a man, and is called the Grand Man (n. 684, 1276, 3624-3649, 3741-3751).

[5] For this reason the Most Ancient Church also, which was in celestial good, was called “man” (n. 478); and therefore also in the Word, where good is treated of, good is signified by “man,” as in Isaiah:

I will make a man [vir homo] ¹ more rare than gold, and man [homo] than the gold of Ophir (Isaiah 13:12).

The inhabitants of the earth shall be burned, and few shall be the man [vir homo] left (Isaiah 24:6);

a “man” [vir homo] denotes spiritual good, or the good of truth; a “man” [homo], good.

In the same:

The paths are laid waste, the wayfaring man hath ceased; he hath made vain the covenant, he hath loathed the cities, he regardeth not a man [vir homo] (Isaiah 33:8).

In Jeremiah:

I beheld the earth, and lo it was a void and emptiness, and the heavens, and they had no light; I beheld and lo there was no man, and all the birds of heaven had flown away (Jeremiah 4:23, 25).

In the same:

Behold, the days come, saith Jehovah, that I will sow the house of Israel and the house of Judah with the seed of man, and with the seed of beast (Jeremiah 31:27).

In Ezekiel:

Thy merchants with the soul of man and vessels of brass they gave thy trading (Ezekiel 27:13).

In the same:

Ye My flock, the flock of My pasture, ye are man, and I am your God (Ezekiel 34:31).

Again:

The waste cities shall be filled with the flock of man (Ezekiel 36:38).

In these passages “man” [homo] denotes those who are in good, thus good, because man is man from good. But the truth which is from good is called in the Word a “man” [vir homo], and also the “son of man.”

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