127. Men's desire to probe into mysteries of faith by means of sensory evidence and factual knowledge was not only the cause of the downfall of the Most Ancient Church, that is to say, of its descendants - to be dealt with in the next chapter; it is also the cause of the downfall of every Church. For that desire leads not only to falsities but also to evils of life.

7154. Verses 19-21 And the officers of the children of Israel saw themselves to be in evil, ¹ by saying, You shall not reduce your bricks at all, your stint each day. ² And they met Moses and Aaron, who were standing in their way, as they came out from Pharaoh. And they said to them, Let Jehovah see you ³ and judge, because you have caused our odour to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants, to put a sword in their hand to kill us.

'And the officers of the children of Israel saw themselves to be in evil' means being close to damnation. 'By saying, You shall not reduce your bricks at all' means because the introduction of falsities was not in any way diminished. 'Your stint each day' means in every state. 'And they met Moses and Aaron' means thought regarding the law from God and the doctrinal teachings derived from it. 'Who were standing in their way, as they came out from Pharaoh' means a manifestation at a time when falsities did not molest quite so much. 'And they said to them' means perception. 'Let Jehovah see you and judge' means Divine disposal. 'Because you have caused our odour to stink in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of his servants' means that because of them ⁴ all those who are steeped in falsities feel such a strong aversion to our spirit of obedience. 'To put a sword in their hand to kill us' means that consequently such a burning desire to destroy the Church's truths by means of falsities exists in them.

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