103. The existence of a Word among ancient peoples is clear also in the writings of Moses, who refers to it and quotes something from it in Numbers 21:14-15, 27-30; 21:14-15, 27-30. And the narrative portions of that Word were called The Wars of Jehovah, and the prophetic portions Oracles.

From the narrative portions of that Word Moses quoted the following:

Therefore it is said in the Book of the Wars of Jehovah: “Waheb in Suphah, and the streams, the Arnon, and the channel of the streams which went down to the dwelling place of Ar and stops at the border of Moab.” (Numbers 21:14-15)

The wars of Jehovah in that book — as in ours — meant and described the Lord’s combats with hell and His victories over it, which would take place when He came into the world. These same combats are also meant and described in many places in the narrative portions of our Word—such as by the wars of Joshua with the nations of the land of Canaan, and by the wars of the judges and kings of Israel.

[2] From the prophetic portions of the Ancient Word Moses quoted the following:

Therefore the Oracles say: “Go into Heshbon; the city of Sihon will be built and established. For a fire has gone out from Heshbon, a flame from the city of Sihon; it consumed Ar of Moab, the possessors of the heights of the Arnon. Woe to you, Moab! You have perished, O people of Chemosh! He has made his sons fugitives, and given his daughters into captivity to Sihon king of the Amorites. We finished them with arrows; Heshbon has perished as far as Dibon. And we laid them waste as far as Nophah, which [reaches] even to Medeba.” (Numbers 21:27-30)

Translators render the source as “those who speak in proverbs, ” but they ought to be called Oracles or Prophetic Utterances, as can be seen from the meaning of the word moshalim in the original Hebrew, which means not only proverbs but also prophetic utterances—as in Numbers 23:7, 18, 24:3, 15. In each of these verses Balaam is said to have uttered his oracle, which was a prophetic one (prophetic, in fact, of the Lord). His oracle each time is called mashal, in the singular. Moreover, the words quoted by Moses in these verses are not proverbs, but prophecies.

[3] That the Ancient Word was likewise Divine or Divinely inspired is apparent in Jeremiah, where almost the same words occur, namely:

...a fire has gone out from Heshbon, and a flame from the midst of Sihon, which consumed the corner of Moab and the crown of the head of the sons of tumult. Woe to you, Moab! The people of Chemosh have perished! For your sons have been taken off into captivity, and your daughters into captivity. (Jeremiah 48:45-46)

In addition to these references, a prophetic book of the Ancient Word, called the Book of Jashar or Book of the Upright, is also cited by David and Joshua. By David:

David lamented...over Saul and over Jonathan..., and he wrote to teach the children of Judah [the Song of] the Bow; is it not written in the Book of Jasher? (2 Samuel 1:17-18)

And by Joshua:

...Joshua...said...: “Sun, stand still in Gibeon; and Moon, in the Valley of Aijalon." ...Is this not written in the Book of Jasher? (Joshua 10:12-13)

Moreover, I have been told that the first seven chapters of Genesis are found in the same Ancient Word, so completely that not the least word is missing.

7560. 'And will not be gathered home' means which is not in safe keeping. This is clear from the meaning of 'not being gathered home' as not being placed in safe keeping. For 'home' or 'house' is the inner part of the natural mind where goodness and truth reside, and it is also the rational mind, and so where the real person is, dealt with in 3578, 4973, 5023, 7353. Therefore 'being gathered home' is being gathered to an inward position and stored away there. Goodness and truth are stored away inwardly and placed in safe keeping there by the Lord, even in the evil, in order that something of what makes them human may still remain; for without goodness and truth nobody is truly a human being. What are stored away and placed in safe keeping are indeed goodness and truth. Through them communication is effected with heaven; and to the extent that a person is in communication with heaven he is a human being. The evil, including those in hell, are - it is true - in communication with heaven; but they are in no way linked to it through goodness and truth. For the moment that goodness and truth flow down from heaven and enter hell they are turned into evil and falsity, and the link is instantly broken. This is what their communication is like. But through the goodness and truth stored away and placed in safe keeping interiorly a link does exist. With the evil however the truths and forms of good stored away there do no more than enable them to engage in reasoning, think and consequently speak on a sensory level, and thereby substantiate falsity and defend evil. Of all the goodness and truth that have been stored away and placed in safe keeping within them, no more than this can be released; for if more were released the truths and forms of good would be destroyed and so the evil would be left with nothing human at all.