8588. And Meribah. That this signifies the quality of the complaining, is evident from the fact that in the original tongue “Meribah” means “contention,” or “quarreling,” and “quarreling” signifies complaining (see n. 8563, 8566); and because names signify the quality of the thing (n. 8587), therefore “Meribah” here signifies the quality of the complaining. As regards this temptation itself and its quality, be it known that in this passage are described those who in temptations almost yield, namely, those who complain against heaven and also against the Divine Itself, and at last almost disbelieve in the Divine Providence. These things are signified in the internal sense by what precedes, and also by what follows in this verse, namely, the quality of the state of the temptation, which is signified by “Massah,” and the quality of the complaining in the temptation, which is signified by “Meribah.” That this quality is here signified by “Meribah,” is plain in David:

Thou calledst upon Me in distress, and I rescued thee; I answered thee in the secret place, I proved thee at the waters of Meribah (Psalms 81:7).

[2] But in the internal historical sense, in which the subject treated of is the state of religion with the Israelitish nation, that nation is described in respect to its quality toward Jehovah, namely, that they were not willing by supplication to entreat Him for aid, but that they expostulated. The reason was, that at heart they did not acknowledge Jehovah as the supreme God, but only in the mouth, when they saw the miracles. That at heart they did not acknowledge Him is very evident from the Egyptian calf which they made for themselves and worshiped, saying that these were their gods; also from their frequent apostasy (of which see n. 8301). This is what is here described in the internal historical sense; but in the internal spiritual sense is described the quality of the temptation with those who before they are liberated are brought to the last of temptation.

[3] That the quality of the Israelitish nation and of its religiosity is described by contention with Moses at Massah and Meribah, is also evident in the following passages:

Harden not your heart, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness, where your fathers tempted Me; they tempted Me, and saw My work; for forty years did I feel loathing at the generation, and said, It is a people that do err in their heart, and the same have not known My ways, to whom I sware in Mine anger that they should not come unto My rest (Psalms 95:8-11).

Ye shall not tempt Jehovah your God, as ye tempted Him in Massah (Deuteronomy 6:16; 9:22, 24).

Of Leviticus he said, Thy Thummim and thy Urim are with the Holy Man, whom thou didst tempt at Massah, with whom thou didst contend at the waters of Meribah (Deuteronomy 33:8).

“The Holy Man” here denotes the Lord, whom they tempted, and whom Moses and Aaron did not sanctify.

[4] In the internal historical sense, in which the subject treated of is the religiosity of the Israelitish nation, by Moses and Aaron is not represented truth Divine, but the religiosity of that nation whose leaders and heads they were (n. 7041). Because this religiosity was such as said above, it was intimated to them that they should not bring the people into the land of Canaan, as is written in the book of Numbers:

Jehovah said unto Moses and Aaron, Because ye have not believed in Me, and sanctified Me in the eyes of the sons of Israel, therefore ye shall not bring this congregation into the land which I have given them; these are the waters of Meribah, because the sons of Israel contended with Jehovah (Numbers 20:12-13; 27:14).

Aaron shall be gathered unto his people, and shall not come into the land which I have given to the sons of Israel, because ye rebelled against My mouth at the waters of Meribah (Numbers 20:24).

The same is said of Moses (Deuteronomy 32:50-51).

[5] That still representative Divine worship was instituted with that nation, was because representative worship could be instituted with any nation that had holy externals of worship, and worshiped almost idolatrously; for what is representative does not regard the person, but the thing (n. 1361), and it was the genius of that nation, beyond any other nation, to worship merely external things as holy and Divine, without any internal; as for instance to worship as deities their fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and afterward Moses and David, and moreover to account holy and as Divine, and to worship, every stone and every piece of wood that had been inaugurated in their Divine worship; as the arks, the tables therein, the lamp, the altar, the garments of Aaron, the Urim and Thummim, and afterward the temple. Of the Lord’s Providence there was then given a communication of the angels of heaven with man by means of such things. For there must needs be somewhere a church, or the representative of a church, in order that there may be communication of heaven with the human race; and as that nation, beyond any other nation, could make Divine worship consist in external things, and thus act the representative of a church, therefore that nation was taken.

[6] At that time communication with the angels in heaven was effected by means of representatives in the following way. Their external worship was communicated to angelic spirits who are simple, and who do not reflect upon internal things, but still are interiorly good. Such are they who in the Grand Man correspond to the outer skin. These pay no attention whatever to the internal of man, but only to his external. If this appears holy, they think holily of the internal also. The more interior angels of heaven saw in those spirits the things that were represented, consequently the heavenly and Divine things that corresponded; for they could be present with these spirits, and see those things; but not with the men except by means of the spirits. For angels dwell with men in things interior; but where there are no such things, they dwell in the interior things of simple spirits; for the angels have no interest in other than spiritual and heavenly things, which are the interior things contained in representatives. From these few words it can be seen how there could be communication with heaven by means of such a people. But see what has been previously shown on this subject, namely: That with the Jews the holy of worship was miraculously elevated into heaven quite apart from them (n. 4307); that whatever their quality might be, the descendants of Jacob could represent what is holy, provided they closely observed the rituals commanded (n. 3147, 3479, 3480, 3881, 4208, 4281, 4288, 4289, 4293, 4307, 4444, 4500, 4680, 4825, 4844, 4847, 4899, 4912, 6304, 6306, 7048, 7051, 8301).

7502. Behold the hand of Jehovah shall be on thy cattle which is in the field. That this signifies the vastation of the truth and good of faith which they have from the church wherein they had been, is evident from the signification of “the hand of Jehovah being on anyone,” as being a plague or punishment; for by “hand” is signified power (see n. 4931-4937, 6292, 6947, 7188, 7189), and by “the hand of Jehovah,” omnipotence (n. 878, 3387); and because by those who are in the externals of the church it is believed from the appearance that every plague or punishment comes from Jehovah (for they attribute all things to His power), therefore by “the hand of Jehovah being on anyone” is signified punishment, here vastation, for the degrees of the vastation of those who infested were punishments: from the signification of “cattle,” as being the truths and goods of faith (n. 6016, 6045, 6049); and from the signification of “field” as being the church (n. 2971, 3310). That “field” denotes the church is because the seeds sown in a field signify the truths which are of faith, and also because the produce from the field, such as wheat, barley, spelt, and so forth, denotes the goods which are of charity, and the truths which are of faith, thus such things as belong to the church.

[2] As regards the infernal spirits who infest the upright in the other life being vastated as to the truths of faith that belong to the church, be it known that those who infest the upright in the other life are those who when living in the world had belonged to the church; for those who have not belonged to the church, cannot infest others who do belong to it, because falsities contrary to the truths of faith of the church are the means by which they infest. Those who have been outside the church cannot infest anyone by means of such things, because they had not known them. (That they who have made a profession of faith and have lived a life of evil, in the other life turn to falsities and infest the upright, see n. 7097, 7127, 7317.) Lest therefore the truth of faith, which they have had from the doctrine of their church when they lived in the world (for they carry with them into the other life all that they had known in the life of the body, nor is anything wanting) should give them any light from heaven, and lest they should apply the things of light to defend the falsities and evils which are of hell, every such thing is taken away from them, and they are finally left to the evils of their life and the falsities thence derived. It is this vastation that is here treated of.

[3] The reason why those who have been of the church and have lived a life of evil are thus gradually vastated before they are cast into hell, is that they had known the truths of faith, and thereby had had communication with heaven. The heavenly societies with which they have had communication, and also still have it in the other life, cannot be separated from them except by degrees. For such is the order in heaven from the Lord that nothing is done violently, but all things in freedom as from themselves; therefore those heavenly societies are not wrested from them, but are gradually separated, so that the evil spirits seem to depart of their own accord. From all this it is now evident how the case is with the vastation of those who have known the truths of faith that belong to the church, and yet have led a life of evil.

[4] That such is the case no one can know except from revelation, for man has no knowledge of the things that exist in the other life except from revelation; and as man is but little solicitous to explore the truths and goods which are of faith from the Word (for he is in no affection of truth for its own sake, still less for the sake of life), therefore such things are not revealed to him; nevertheless they stand forth in the Word (and this in respect to every series and process) in its internal sense. As therefore the man of the church is in no affection of knowing truth from the Word, but only in the affection of confirming the doctrinal things of his own church whether true or false, for worldly reasons, therefore he knows nothing whatever about the state after death, nothing about heaven, and nothing about hell; he does not even know what makes heaven and what makes hell with man. Nay, so ignorant are men that they teach and believe that everyone can be admitted into heaven; some by a power which they have arrogated to themselves; some by the mercy of the Lord, no matter how they had lived; and scarcely any know that heaven is given to man by means of a life of charity and faith during his life in the world, and that this life remains. These things have been said in order that the quality may be known of that man of the church who professes faith alone and cares not about the life of faith; for these are they who are represented by the Egyptians here and in what follows.

4289. That by “Let me go, for the dawn ariseth,” is signified that what is representative would depart from the posterity of Jacob, before they came into the representatives of the land of Canaan, is evident from the series of things in the internal historical sense, in which Jacob’s posterity are treated of. Their state in respect to the things of the church is also described in the Word by evening, by night, and by morning or dawn—by the latter when they came into the land of Canaan, consequently into the representative of a church there. The case herein is that the representative of a church could not be instituted among them until they had been altogether vastated, that is, until they had no knowledge of internal things; for if they had had a knowledge of internal things they could have been affected by them, and thus would have profaned them. For holy things (that is, internal truths and goods) can be profaned by those who know and acknowledge them, and still more by those who are affected by them, but not by those who do not acknowledge them. But see what has been previously said and shown about profanation, namely: That those can profane holy things who know and acknowledge them, but not those who do not (n. 593, 1008, 1010, 1059, 3398, 3898): That those who are within the church can profane holy things, but not those who are without (n. 2051): That therefore so far as is possible those are withheld from the acknowledgment and belief of good and truth who cannot remain therein permanently (n. 3398, 3402): That these are also kept in ignorance lest they should profane (n. 301-303vvv2): What danger there is from the profanation of holy things (n. 571, 582): That worship becomes external lest what is internal should be profaned (n. 1327, 1328): And that therefore internal truths were not disclosed to the Jews (n. 3398).

[2] It was therefore provided by the Lord that the genuine representative of a church (that is, what is internal) should depart from the posterity of Jacob before they came into the representatives of the land of Canaan, insomuch that they did not know anything at all concerning the Lord. They did indeed know that the Messiah was to come into the world, but to the end that He should exalt them to glory and eminence over all nations of the whole earth—not to save their souls to eternity. Neither did they know anything about the heavenly kingdom, nor about the life after death, and not even about charity and faith. In order that they might be reduced to this ignorance they were kept some hundreds of years in Egypt; and when they were called out thence, they did not know even the name of Jehovah (Exodus 3:12-14). Moreover, they had lost all the worship of the representative church, insomuch that after the commandments of the Decalogue had been promulgated before them from Mount Sinai, within a month they fell back to the Egyptian worship, which was that of a golden calf (Exodus 32).

[3] And because the brood that had been brought out of Egypt was of such a character, they all perished in the wilderness. For nothing more was required of them than to keep the statutes and precepts in the outward form, because this was to act as the representative of a church; but those who had grown up in Egypt could not be reduced to this; yet their children could, although with difficulty, in the beginning by miracles, and afterwards by fears and captivities, as is manifest from the books of Joshua and Judges. From this it is evident that all genuine or internal representation of the church had departed from them before they came into the land of Canaan, where the external representative of the church was begun among them in full form. For the land of Canaan was the veriest land of all where the representatives of the church could be presented, because all the places and all the boundaries of this land had been representative from ancient times (see n. 3686).