10156. 'Who brought them out of the land of Egypt' means salvation from hell by the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'being brought out of the land of Egypt' as being delivered from hell, dealt with in 8866, 9197, thus being saved. 'The land of Egypt' means hell because that land in its true and proper sense means the natural level and the factual knowledge there; and 'being brought out of' the natural man and the factual knowledge there and being raised to the level of the spiritual man, to intelligence and wisdom there, also constitutes being brought out of hell. For a person is born natural, but becomes spiritual through regeneration; and if he does not become spiritual he is in hell. The knowledge which the natural man, that is, a person who has not been regenerated, possesses dwells in the light of the world, whereas the intelligence which the spiritual man, that is, a person who has been regenerated, possesses dwells in the light of heaven. And as long as a person sees things solely in the light of the world he is in hell; but when he sees them at the same time in the light of heaven he is in heaven.

[2] But people who possess no more than natural knowledge and as a consequence do not see things in any light other than the light of the world can have no belief at all in the things that belong to heaven. Furthermore if they wish to investigate these things with the light they see by, called natural illumination, they encounter a kind of thick darkness which blinds them and blots out everything heavenly. For that in the mind which appears to be thick darkness is in reality such. This explains why a merely natural man, however much he thinks himself to be more enlightened than others, at heart rejects Divine and heavenly realities. It is also the reason why so many learned people are made brainless by their knowledge; for more of them than of simple people refuse to accept the things that constitute the faith of the Church and of heaven. It is different with those who allow themselves to be raised by the Lord to the light of heaven. These are first raised above the factual knowledge which the natural man possesses, and then in the light of heaven they behold the things within their natural man, which are called known facts, and clearly distinguish them, choosing those that make sense and are consistent, and rejecting or setting aside those that make no sense and are inconsistent.

[3] In short, the situation is that as long as a person is merely natural his interiors, which behold things in the light of heaven, are closed, and his exteriors, which behold things in the light of the world, are open. At this time the person looks downwards, that is, to the world and towards self; for everything composing his will and thought inclines in that direction. And the direction in which a person looks is also that in which his heart, that is, his will and his love, is turned. But when a person becomes spiritual his interiors, which behold things in the light of heaven, are opened, and then the person looks upwards, which is brought about through his being raised up by the Lord, so that he looks to heaven and towards the Lord. In this direction also everything that composes his will and his thought - thus his heart, that is, his love - is raised.

[4] For the human being has been created in such a way that his internal man should conform to an image of heaven, and his external man to an image of the world, 6057, 9279, to the end that heaven and the world might be brought together in the human being. Thus through him the Lord would flow from heaven into the world and govern it, with each individual person in particular and with all in general, and in this way would join the two together and thereby cause the likeness of heaven to exist in the world as well. When however a person is interested only in the world heaven with him has been closed; but when he allows himself to be raised by the Lord heaven with him is opened and the world becomes subordinate to it. And when this happens hell is separated and removed from him, at which point the person knows what good is and what evil is, but not before. This is what is called 'the image of God' with a person, Genesis 1:26-27.

[5] These matters have been stated in order that people may know what the spiritual man is and what the natural man is, and that the merely natural man, if he is not made spiritual by the Lord, is an embodiment of hell, consequently that they may know why hell is meant by 'Egypt', when yet the natural level and the factual knowledge there are meant by it.

'Egypt' means factual knowledge, see the places referred to in 9340.

It therefore means the natural level, see those referred to in 9391.

It also means hell, 8866, 9197.

282. Inasmuch as this cherub was like an eagle, and the eagle appeared as flying, it shall he told also what "flying" signifies in the Word. "Flying" signifies circumspection and presence, because a bird when it flies looks all about from on high, and thus by its sight is present everywhere and round about. But when "flying" in the Word is attributed to Jehovah, it signifies omnipresence, because omnipresence is infinite circumspection and infinite presence. This then is why this cherub appeared "like an eagle flying;" for "cherubim" signify in general the Lord's Providence that the higher heavens be not approached except from the good of love and of charity; and this cherub signifies Divine intelligence (as was shown just above).

[2] That "flying" in the Word, in reference to the Lord signifies omnipresence, and in reference to men circumspection and presence, can be seen from the following passages. In David:

God rode upon a cherub, He did fly, and was borne upon the wings of the wind (Psalms 18:10; 2 Samuel 22:11).

"He rode upon a cherub" signifies the Divine Providence; "He did fly" signifies omnipresence in the spiritual world; "and was borne upon the wings of the wind" signifies omnipresence in the natural world. These words from David no one can understand except from the spiritual sense.

[3] In Isaiah:

As birds flying, so will Jehovah of Hosts protect Jerusalem (Isaiah 31:5).

Jehovah is said "to protect Jerusalem as birds flying," for "to protect" signifies the Divine Providence in respect to safeguard; "Jerusalem" signifies the church, and "birds flying," with which comparison is made, signify circumspection and presence, here, as attributed to the Lord, omnipresence.

[4] In Revelation:

I saw and I heard one angel flying, through midheaven, saying with a great voice, Woe, woe to the inhabitants of the earth (Revelation 8:13).

In the same:

I saw another angel flying through midheaven, having the eternal gospel to proclaim unto the inhabitants of the earth (Revelation 14:6).

The former angel signifies the damnation of all who are in evils; and the other angel signifies the salvation of all who are in good; "flying" signifies circumspection on every side where they are.

[5] In Isaiah:

All the flocks of Arabia shall be gathered together unto thee, the rams of Nebaioth shall minister unto thee. Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as doves to the windows? (Isaiah 60:7-8).

This treats of the Lord's coming, and the illustration of the Gentiles at that time; and "the flocks of Arabia that shall be gathered together" signify the knowledges of truth and good; "the rams of Nebaioth that shall minister" signify the truths that guide the life from a spiritual affection; "to fly as a cloud and as doves to the windows" signifies examination and scrutiny of truth from the sense of the letter of the Word; therefore "to fly" signifies circumspection; for "cloud" signifies the sense of the letter of the Word, "doves" the spiritual affection of truth, and "windows" truth in light. That such is the meaning of these words can be seen from the signification of "the flocks of Arabia," "the rams of Nebaioth," "cloud," "doves," and "windows."

[6] In David:

Fear and trembling were come upon me. And I said, Who will give me a wing like a dove's? I will fly away where I may dwell. Lo, I will wander far away; I will lodge in the wilderness (Psalms 55:5-7).

This treats of temptation and of distress then; "fear and trembling" signify such distress; the inquiry into truth then, and circumspection whither to turn oneself, is signified by "Who will give me a wing like a dove's? I will fly away where I may dwell." "Wing of a dove" means the affection of spiritual truth; "to fly away where I may dwell" means by that affection to rescue the life from damnation; that as yet there is no hope of deliverance is signified by "Lo, I will wander far away, and will lodge in the wilderness."

[7] In Hosea:

Ephraim, as a bird shall their glory fly away; yea if they have brought up sons, then I will make them bereaved of man (Hosea 9:11, 12).

"Ephraim" signifies the illustrated understanding of those who are of the church; "glory" signifies Divine truth; "to fly away as a bird" signifies the deprivation of it (comparison is made with a bird, because a "bird" signifies the rational and intellectual, as Ephraim does); "if they have brought up sons, then will I make them bereaved of man," signifies that if nevertheless they have brought forth truths, still they are not at all made wise thereby; for "sons" are truths, and "to make them bereaved of man" is to deprive them of wisdom.

[8] In Moses:

Ye shall not make to you the form of any beast upon the earth, nor the form of any winged bird that flieth towards heaven (Deuteronomy 4:16, 17). This signifies in the internal sense that man must not acquire for himself wisdom and intelligence from self, or from what is his own [ex proprio], for "beasts that walk upon the earth" signify the affections of good, from which is wisdom, and "birds" signify the affections of truth from which is intelligence. That they should not make to themselves the form of these signifies that the things signified are not to be acquired from man, that is, from what is his own [ex proprio]. It is said, "the winged bird that flieth towards heaven," because "winged bird" signifies the understanding of spiritual truth, and "to fly towards heaven" signifies the circumspection that belongs to intelligence in things Divine.

[9] From this it can now be seen what is signified by this cherub's appearing "like a flying eagle" as also what is signified in Isaiah by:

The seraphim, which ¹ had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly (Isaiah 6:2);

namely that the "wings with which be covered his face" signify the affection of spiritual truth; the "wings with which he covered his feet" the affection of natural truth therefrom; and the "wings with which he did fly" circumspection and presence, here omnipresence, because "seraphim" have a like signification as "cherubim," namely, Divine Providence in respect to guarding.

[10] "To fly" in reference to man signifies circumspection and at the same time presence, because sight is present with the object that it sees; its appearing far away or at a distance is because of the intermediate objects that appear at the same time, and can be measured in respect to space. This can be fully confirmed by the things that exist in the spiritual world. In that world spaces themselves are appearances, arising from the diversity of affections and of thought therefrom; consequently, when any persons or things appear far away, and an angel or spirit desires from intense affection to be with such, or to examine the things that are at a distance, he is at once present there. The like is true of thought, which is man's internal or spiritual sight. Things previously seen thought sees within itself irrespective of space, thus altogether as present. This is why "flying" is predicated of the understanding and of its intelligence, and why it signifies circumspection and presence.

Footnotes: