Arcana Coelestia＃7671
7671. Verses 12-15 And Jehovah said to Moses, Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, and they will come up over the land of Egypt and devour every plant in the land, all that the hail has left. And Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt, and Jehovah brought an east wind into the land the whole of that day and the whole night. Morning came, and the east wind brought the locusts. And the locusts came up over all the land of Egypt, and rested at all the border of Egypt; they were extremely severe. Before them there were no such locusts like them, and there will not be such after them. And they covered the surface of the whole land, and the land was darkened; and they devoured every plant in the land and all the fruit on the trees which the hail had caused to be left. And there was not left any green on tree and on plant of the field in the whole land of Egypt.
'And Jehovah said to Moses' means instruction. 'Stretch out your hand' means an exercising of power. 'Over the land of Egypt for the locusts' means in order that falsity may take possession of the whole natural of the molesting ones. 'And they will come up over the land of Egypt' means an outpouring into everything there. 'And devour every plant in the land' means the total consumption of all truth. 'All that the hail has left' means which the previous falsity has not consumed. 'And Moses stretched out his rod over the land of Egypt' means exercising the power of God's truth over the entire natural of the molesting ones. 'And Jehovah brought an east wind' means an agent of destruction. 'The whole of that day and the whole of that night' means all the perception, both that which was darkened and that which was not darkened, of the molesting ones. 'Morning came' means the state of heaven in rearranged order. 'And the east wind brought the locusts' means massive falsity present with the molesting ones, brought by the agent of destruction. 'And the locusts came up over all the land of Egypt' means the outpouring of falsity into everything in the natural. 'And rested at all the border of Egypt' means at the outermost parts there. 'They were extremely severe' means that they penetrated every single part. 'Before them there were no such locusts like them, and there will not be such after them' means that no such falsity has existed since the Church first began, and such will not exist again. 'And they covered the surface of the whole land' means that they took possession of the last and lowest levels of the natural mind. 'And the land was darkened' means that falsity was introduced where there had been truth. 'And they devoured every plant in the land' means that it consumed every known fact about truth. 'And all the fruit on the trees' means every recognition of good. 'And they did not allow any green to be left' means the obliteration of every sensory apprehension of truth. 'On tree and on plant of the field' means belonging to the things the Church recognized and knew. 'In the whole land of Egypt' means on every side in the natural.
Exodus 10
1
Yahweh said to Moses, "Go in to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart, and the heart of his servants, that I may show these my signs in the midst of them,
2
and that you may tell in the hearing of your son, and of your son's son, what things I have done to Egypt, and my signs which I have done among them; that you may know that I am Yahweh."
3
Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and said to him, "This is what Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, says: 'How long will you refuse to humble yourself before me? Let my people go, that they may serve me.
4
Or else, if you refuse to let my people go, behold, tomorrow I will bring locusts into your country,
5
and they shall cover the surface of the earth, so that one won't be able to see the earth. They shall eat the residue of that which has escaped, which remains to you from the hail, and shall eat every tree which grows for you out of the field.
6
Your houses shall be filled, and the houses of all your servants, and the houses of all the Egyptians; as neither your fathers nor your fathers' fathers have seen, since the day that they were on the earth to this day.'" He turned, and went out from Pharaoh.
7
Pharaoh's servants said to him, "How long will this man be a snare to us? Let the men go, that they may serve Yahweh, their God. Don't you yet know that Egypt is destroyed?"
8
Moses and Aaron were brought again to Pharaoh, and he said to them, "Go, serve Yahweh your God; but who are those who will Go?"
9
Moses said, "We will go with our young and with our old; with our sons and with our daughters, with our flocks and with our herds will we go; for we must hold a feast to Yahweh."
10
He said to them, "Yahweh be with you if I will let you go with your little ones! See, evil is clearly before your faces.
11
Not so! Go now you who are men, and serve Yahweh; for that is what you desire!" They were driven out from Pharaoh's presence.
12
Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the land of Egypt for the locusts, that they may come up on the land of Egypt, and eat every herb of the land, even all that the hail has left."
13
Moses stretched forth his rod over the land of Egypt, and Yahweh brought an east wind on the land all that day, and all the night; and when it was morning, the east wind brought the locusts.
14
The locusts went up over all the land of Egypt, and rested in all the borders of Egypt. They were very grievous. Before them there were no such locusts as they, neither after them shall be such.
15
For they covered the surface of the whole earth, so that the land was darkened, and they ate every herb of the land, and all the fruit of the trees which the hail had left. There remained nothing green, either tree or herb of the field, through all the land of Egypt.
16
Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste, and he said, "I have sinned against Yahweh your God, and against you.
17
Now therefore please forgive my sin again, and pray to Yahweh your God, that he may also take away from me this death."
18
He went out from Pharaoh, and prayed to Yahweh.
19
Yahweh turned an exceeding strong west wind, which took up the locusts, and drove them into the Red Sea. There remained not one locust in all the borders of Egypt.
20
But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he didn't let the children of Israel go.
21
Yahweh said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand toward the sky, that there may be darkness over the land of Egypt, even darkness which may be felt."
22
Moses stretched forth his hand toward the sky, and there was a thick darkness in all the land of Egypt three days.
23
They didn't see one another, neither did anyone rise from his place for three days; but all the children of Israel had light in their dwellings.
24
Pharaoh called to Moses, and said, "Go, serve Yahweh. Only let your flocks and your herds stay behind. Let your little ones also Go with you."
25
Moses said, "You must also give into our hand sacrifices and burnt offerings, that we may sacrifice to Yahweh our God.
26
Our livestock also shall go with us. Not a hoof shall be left behind, for of it we must take to serve Yahweh our God; and we don't know with what we must serve Yahweh, until we come there."
27
But Yahweh hardened Pharaoh's heart, and he wouldn't let them go.
28
Pharaoh said to him, "Get away from me! Be careful to see my face no more; for in the day you see my face you shall die!"
29
Moses said, "You have spoken well. I will see your face again no more."
