Arcana Coelestia #390
390. People under the influence of falsity and evil live in constant fear of being killed, as is described in Moses,
And your land will be a desolation and your cities a waste. Among you who are left, I will introduce a softness into their heart, in the lands of their enemies, and the sound of a driven leaf will pursue them, and they will flee, like flight from the sword, and they will fall though no one is pursuing, and they will stumble each man over his brother, as though before the sword, though no one is pursuing. Leviticus 26:33, 36-37.
In Isaiah,
The treacherous act treacherously, and deal treacherously in the treachery of the treacherous. And he who is fleeing from the sound of the terror will fall into the pit. And he who is climbing out of the middle of the pit will be caught in the snare. His transgression will lie heavily upon him, and therefore he will fall and not rise again. Isaiah 24:16-20.
In Jeremiah,
Behold, I am bringing a terror upon you. From all who are round about you you will be driven out, everyone straight before him, 1 and no one gathering the wanderer. Jeremiah 49:5.
In Isaiah,
We will flee upon a horse; and so will you flee. We will ride away on one that is swift; therefore those who pursue you will be made swift. One thousand at the rebuke of one, and at the rebuke of five will you flee. Isaiah 30:16-17.
These and other places in the Word describe how people who are under the influence of falsity and evil flee and are afraid of being killed. Fear above all else takes hold of them because no one is protecting them. Everyone who is under the influence of evil and falsity hates the neighbour. Consequently they all desire to kill one another.
Footnotes:
1. literally, everyone towards his faces
Isaiah 24:16-20
16
From the uttermost part of the earth have we heard songs. Glory to the righteous! But I said, "I pine away! I pine away! woe is me!" The treacherous have dealt treacherously. Yes, the treacherous have dealt very treacherously.
17
Fear, the pit, and the snare, are on you who inhabitant the earth.
18
It will happen that he who flees from the noise of the fear will fall into the pit; and he who comes up out of the midst of the pit will be taken in the snare; for the windows on high are opened, and the foundations of the earth tremble.
19
The earth is utterly broken. The earth is torn apart. The earth is shaken violently.
20
The earth will stagger like a drunken man, and will sway back and forth like a hammock. Its disobedience will be heavy on it, and it will fall and not rise again.
