32
לְכָה נַשְׁקֶה אֶת־אָבִינוּ יַיִן וְנִשְׁכְּבָה עִמֹּו וּנְחַיֶּה מֵאָבִינוּ זָרַע׃
Bereshit 19:32
Arcana Coelestia #7519
7519. Ashes of the furnace. That this signifies of exciting the falsities of cupidities through presence with those who infest, is evident from the signification of “ashes of the furnace,” as being the falsities of cupidities (of which below). That it denotes excitation by presence with those who infest, is evident from what follows in this verse, for it is said that “Moses sprinkled it toward heaven in the eyes of Pharaoh.” By “in the eyes” is signified presence, and by “Pharaoh” are signified those who infest (as often shown).
[2] How the case is with these things cannot be known without revelation, for they are such as take place in the other life, and are not known in the world. So long as evil or infernal spirits are removed and separated from heaven, that is, from the good of love and the truth of faith which are there, they do not know that they are in evils and falsities, for they then believe falsities to be truths, and evils to be goods; but as soon as heaven comes nearer to them, that is, some heavenly society, they notice the falsities and evils; for the truth of faith which then flows in causes them to notice the falsities; and the good of love which flows in causes them to notice the evils; and the nearer that heaven comes, or the more presently there inflows its good of love and truth of faith (seeing that they cannot endure these), the more grievously are they reproached by their own evils and falsities.
[3] From all this it can now be seen why it was commanded that Moses should take ashes of the furnace and sprinkle them toward heaven, and that he should do this in the eyes of Pharaoh; also why it was commanded that he, and not Aaron, should sprinkle the ashes toward heaven. For by ashes being sprinkled toward heaven is signified the influx of heaven; by this being done in the eyes of Pharaoh is signified in the presence of those who infest; that Moses was to do this, and not Aaron, is because the truth proceeding immediately from the Divine presents this effect with the evil; Moses being the truth which proceeds immediately from the Divine, and Aaron that which proceeds mediately (n. 7010). From all this it is evident what is meant in the internal sense by the contents of this verse and of that next following, namely, that there would be excited filthy and loathsome things of cupidities together with blasphemies, which are signified by the “sore breaking forth in pustules.” These things are excited when Divine truth flows in, and heaven comes nearer.
[4] Everyone can see that such things would never have been commanded by Jehovah to Moses unless there were a heavenly secret therein; that is to say, that Moses should take ashes of the furnace and sprinkle them toward heaven. Such means of producing the effect would never have been ordered by Jehovah unless they had contained something heavenly, to which these means correspond. From this can be seen the nature of the Word, that it is crowded with secret things, but with such as do not stand forth in the sense of the letter.
[5] That “ashes of the furnace” signify falsities of cupidities, is because they are from burnt things; and “burning,” as also “fire” itself, in the Word, in a good sense, signify the good of heavenly affections; but in the opposite sense, the evil of infernal cupidities. That “fire” has this signification see n. 934, 1861, 2446, 4906, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 6834, 6849, 7324; and that “burning” denotes the evil of cupidities, n. 1297, 5215; hence it is that “ashes” signify falsities, for falsities are from the evils of cupidities. And as the evils of cupidities are signified by “fire,” they are also signified by a “furnace,” which is the containant, and this frequently involves the same as that which it contains.
[6] That a “furnace” has this signification is evident from these passages:
Behold, the day cometh, burning as a furnace; and all the proud, and everyone that worketh wickedness, shall be stubble; and the day that cometh shall set them on fire, it shall leave them neither root nor branch (Malachi 4:1); where “burning as a furnace” denotes the cupidities of evil; “setting them on fire,” a kindling with cupidities.
[7] In Genesis:
Abraham looked toward the faces of Sodom and Gomorrah, and toward the faces of all the land of the plain, and he saw, and the smoke of the land went up, as the smoke of a furnace (Genesis 19:28); where “the smoke of a furnace” denotes falsities from the evils of cupidities, for “Sodom” denotes the evil of cupidities from the love of self, and “Gomorrah” the falsity thence derived (see n. 2220, 2245, 2322).
In John:
There went up a smoke out of the pit of the abyss, as the smoke of a furnace (Revelation 9:2); where “the smoke of a furnace” in like manner denotes falsities from evils of cupidities; “the pit of the abyss” denotes hell.
[8] In Matthew:
The Son of man shall send His angels, who shall gather out of His kingdom all things that cause stumbling, and them that do iniquity, and shall send them into the furnace of fire (Matthew 13:41-42); where “the furnace of fire” denotes the evils of cupidities; for the fire of cupidities is what is meant in the Word by the “fire of hell;” moreover, loves are nothing else than the fires of life, and cupidity is what is continuous of love.
[9] In Nahum:
Draw thee waters for the siege, strengthen thy fortress; go into the mire, and tread the clay, repair the brick kiln; there shall the fire devour thee; the sword shall cut thee off (Nah. 3:14-15); where “going into the mire” denotes into falsity; “treading the clay,” evil (n. 6669); “the brick kiln,” or “furnace for brick,” denotes the falsities which they invent, and which are injected by the evil (n. 1296, 6669, 7113); “fire” denotes the cupidity of evil (n. 1861, 2446, 5071, 5215, 6832, 7324); “the sword” denotes falsity (n. 4499).
[10] In Jeremiah:
Take great stones in thy hand, and hide them in clay in the furnace for brick which is at the door of Pharaoh’s house in Tahpanhes, in the eyes of the men of Judah; and say unto them, Behold I will send and take Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, and I will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid, so that he may spread his tent over them; he shall come and shall smite the land of Egypt (Jeremiah 43:9-11);
what these words signify cannot be known without the internal sense; “great stones” denote falsities; the “furnace for brick” denotes the cupidity of falsity from evil; “Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon” denotes the devastator of truth and good; “his throne and tent being set over these stones” denotes that he will cause falsities to reign; “the land of Egypt which he will smite” denotes the natural mind.
Exodus 9
1
Then Yahweh said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, and tell him, 'This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people Go, that they may serve me.
2
For if you refuse to let them go, and hold them still,
3
behold, the hand of Yahweh is on your livestock which are in the field, on the horses, on the donkeys, on the camels, on the herds, and on the flocks with a very grievous pestilence.
4
Yahweh will make a distinction between the livestock of Israel and the livestock of Egypt; and nothing shall die of all that belongs to the children of Israel."'"
5
Yahweh appointed a set time, saying, "Tomorrow Yahweh shall do this thing in the land."
6
Yahweh did that thing on the next day; and all the livestock of Egypt died, but of the livestock of the children of Israel, not one died.
7
Pharaoh sent, and, behold, there was not so much as one of the livestock of the Israelites dead. But the heart of Pharaoh was stubborn, and he didn't let the people go.
8
Yahweh said to Moses and to Aaron, "Take to you handfuls of ashes of the furnace, and let Moses sprinkle it toward the sky in the sight of Pharaoh.
9
It shall become small dust over all the land of Egypt, and shall be a boil breaking forth with boils on man and on animal, throughout all the land of Egypt."
10
They took ashes of the furnace, and stood before Pharaoh; and Moses sprinkled it up toward the sky; and it became a boil breaking forth with boils on man and on animal.
11
The magicians couldn't stand before Moses because of the boils; for the boils were on the magicians, and on all the Egyptians.
12
Yahweh hardened the heart of Pharaoh, and he didn't listen to them, as Yahweh had spoken to Moses.
13
Yahweh said to Moses, "Rise up early in the morning, and stand before Pharaoh, and tell him, 'This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: "Let my people go, that they may serve me.
14
For this time I will send all my plagues against your heart, against your officials, and against your people; that you may know that there is none like me in all the earth.
15
For now I would have put forth my hand, and struck you and your people with pestilence, and you would have been cut off from the earth;
16
but indeed for this cause I have made you stand: to show you my power, and that my name may be declared throughout all the earth;
17
as you still exalt yourself against my people, that you won't let them go.
18
Behold, tomorrow about this time I will cause it to rain a very grievous hail, such as has not been in Egypt since the day it was founded even until now.
19
Now therefore command that all of your livestock and all that you have in the field be brought into shelter. Every man and animal that is found in the field, and isn't brought home, the hail shall come down on them, and they shall die."'"
20
Those who feared the word of Yahweh among the servants of Pharaoh made their servants and their livestock flee into the houses.
21
Whoever didn't respect the word of Yahweh left his servants and his livestock in the field.
22
Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch forth your hand toward the sky, that there may be hail in all the land of Egypt, on man, and on animal, and on every herb of the field, throughout the land of Egypt."
23
Moses stretched forth his rod toward the heavens, and Yahweh sent thunder, hail, and lightning flashed down to the earth. Yahweh rained hail on the land of Egypt.
24
So there was very severe hail, and lightning mixed with the hail, such as had not been in all the land of Egypt since it became a nation.
25
The hail struck throughout all the land of Egypt all that was in the field, both man and animal; and the hail struck every herb of the field, and broke every tree of the field.
26
Only in the land of Goshen, where the children of Israel were, there was no hail.
27
Pharaoh sent, and called for Moses and Aaron, and said to them, "I have sinned this time. Yahweh is righteous, and I and my people are wicked.
28
Pray to Yahweh; for there has been enough of mighty thunderings and hail. I will let you go, and you shall stay no longer."
29
Moses said to him, "As soon as I have gone out of the city, I will spread abroad my hands to Yahweh. The thunders shall cease, neither shall there be any more hail; that you may know that the earth is Yahweh's.
30
But as for you and your servants, I know that you don't yet fear Yahweh God."
31
The flax and the barley were struck, for the barley was in the ear, and the flax was in bloom.
32
But the wheat and the spelt were not struck, for they had not grown up.
33
Moses went out of the city from Pharaoh, and spread abroad his hands to Yahweh; and the thunders and hail ceased, and the rain was not poured on the earth.
34
When Pharaoh saw that the rain and the hail and the thunders were ceased, he sinned yet more, and hardened his heart, he and his servants.
35
The heart of Pharaoh was hardened, and he didn't let the children of Israel go, just as Yahweh had spoken through Moses.
