1868. It would take too long to prove from the Word at this point that these nations symbolize such things, and there is no need to do it here, since the nations are merely named. Some of them have been discussed before. It was noted at §§567, 581, 1673, for instance, that the Rephaim symbolize persuasive lies; at §1680 that an Amorite symbolizes evil; above at verse 16 that a Canaanite symbolizes evil [§1857:1]; and at §1574 that a Perizzite symbolizes falsity. The specific symbolism of the other nations will be described later, by the Lord's divine mercy, where they come up. ¹

[2] In regard to the "nations" that need to be banished from the Lord's kingdom, the case is this: In the other world, evil, diabolical spirits crave nothing more than to go up into the world of spirits and plague good spirits. But every time they do, they are thrown out. It is the same as in people who are regenerating: the falsity and evil that have taken possession of them are subdued and scattered and are replaced with the truth and goodness that belong to the Lord's kingdom. These evil influences were represented by the nations that the children of Jacob expelled from the land of Canaan, and likewise by the Jews themselves, who were driven out later. ²

[3] The same thing happened at one time to many other nations that represented similar influences. These included the Horites, driven from Mount Seir by Esau's descendants (as told in Deuteronomy 2:12, 22); the Avvim, driven off by the Caphtorim (as told in Deuteronomy 2:23); the Emim or Rephaim, driven off by the Moabites (as told in Deuteronomy 2:9, 10, 11); the Zamzummim, by the Ammonites (as told in Deuteronomy 2:19, 20, 21); and many others mentioned in the prophets. ³

Sacred Scripture, or the Word (Continued)

Footnotes:

1857. Because the wickedness of the Amorites will not be complete until that time symbolizes the final days, when there is no longer any good, as can be seen from the symbolism of an Amorite and that of completion.

An Amorite in the Word symbolizes evil in general, because Canaan is called the land of the Amorites, as indicated in Ezekiel 16:3-4 and Amos 2:9-10. So in this verse the Amorites mean all the nations in the land of Canaan, which symbolized individual types of evil and falsity, as noted before [§§1205, 1444:4]. The Amorites, then, symbolize all evil in general.

Completion symbolizes the final days, when there is no longer any good.

[2] What it means in an inner sense to say that the wickedness of the Amorites will not be complete until that time, though, is a secret. The situation of the evil in the other life is that they are not punished before their evil reaches a climax, both generally and specifically. Things in the other world are in such perfect balance that evil actually punishes itself. In other words, the evil bring on themselves the penalty for their evil, but only when it has reached its peak. Every evil has its limit — a different limit for each individual — and no one is allowed to break that limit. When evil people go beyond the limit, they trigger their own punishment. This is true in every specific case,

[3] and it is similar overall. (The evil do not push their way into hell abruptly but gradually.)

This situation traces its origin to a universal law of the pattern established by the Lord: The Lord never sends anyone to hell. Evilness itself (or the evil themselves) forces its way in, step by step, until it is finally complete and nothing good appears any longer. As long as we have a trace of goodness, we rise out of hell; but when sheer evil remains, we are thrust down into hell. Goodness and evil have to be separated first, since they are opposites. Straddling the fence is not permitted. These things are what are symbolized by the fact that the Amorites' wickedness needed to be complete.

It is different for good people, however. The Lord constantly lifts them toward heaven and gradually washes away their evil.

[4] The situation is the same with conditions in a church. Its divine visitation does not come until its evil is complete — that is, until it no longer has any charitable goodness or religious truth. The prophets very often speak of this climax. In Isaiah, for instance:

I have heard from the Lord Jehovih Sabaoth of a full end and final decision on all the earth. (Isaiah 28:22)

In Jeremiah:

You, Babylon, who live on many waters, great in treasures — your end has come, the full measure of your dirty profits. (Jeremiah 51:13)

In Daniel,

Seventy weeks have been decreed upon your people and upon your holy city, to bring an end to transgression, and to seal up their sins, and to atone for wickedness, and to introduce everlasting justice, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the holy of holies. (Daniel 9:24)

Then at last upon the abominable bird will come ruination; and all the way to a full end and final decision, [ruination] will pour itself out upon the wasteland. (Daniel 9:27)

[5] The Lord himself also predicts the end, in these words in Luke:

They will fall by the mouth of the sword and be taken captive among all the nations. And in the end Jerusalem will be trampled by the nations, until the times of the nations are fulfilled. (Luke 21:24)

Falling by the mouth of the sword symbolizes being cut down by falsity, because in the Word a sword is the punishment of falsity. Jerusalem stands for the Lord's kingdom and the church (§402). The nations stand for evil (§1260). So the verse says that the end comes when evil and falsity take hold of the church, which consequently self-destructs.