7046. 'And caused it to touch his feet' means a demonstration of the actual nature of the natural then. This is clear from the meaning of 'causing to touch' as demonstrating, for a thing can be demonstrated by means of the sense of touch; and from the meaning of 'feet' as the natural, dealt with in 2162, 3147, 3761, 3986, 4280, 4938-4951. A demonstration of the actual nature of the natural means a demonstration of the inner character of that nation, which can be seen when the shell of their outward behaviour is removed. What is within a person in the world cannot be seen until his shell is removed. In the case of the evil their outward actions are altogether different from their inner will and thought. For a person can give an impression of being honourable; he can give an impression of being righteous, and also of being governed by Christian good, which is charity - so effectively that people think he is like that inwardly. He is also driven to do this by fear that he may suffer the loss of gain, reputation, and position, be subject to punishments under the law, or suffer loss of life. But when such fears have been removed and his inner self governs his actions, then like a madman he plunders another person's goods, and lusts for murder and blood, even of fellow citizens, as happens in civil wars. The fact that a person can be like this inwardly may be seen still more plainly in the wicked in the next life, since externals are removed from them and internals laid bare, regarding which see 7039. That removal reveals that very many who seemed to be like angels in the world are devils.

[2] This great discrepancy between what exists inwardly and what exists outwardly is a sign that a person is entirely perverted. With him who has honesty, righteousness, and goodness within him no such discrepancy exists; he speaks as he thinks, and thinks as he speaks. It is altogether different with those who have no honesty, righteousness, or goodness within them. With them there is a discrepancy between interiors and exteriors. That is what the Jewish nation was like, as described by the Lord in these words in Matthew,

Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the exterior of the cup and the plate but the interiors are full of pillage and lack of restraint. Blind Pharisee! cleanse first the interior of the cup and the plate, in order that the exterior may be made clean also. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you make yourselves like white-washed sepulchres, which outwardly do indeed appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and of all uncleanness. So too do you outwardly appear righteous to men (homo) but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and iniquity. Matthew 13:25-28.

7039. 'Behold, I kill your son, your firstborn' means the annihilation of faith devoid of charity, and the consequent devastation of truth among them. This is clear from the meaning of 'killing' as annihilation; and from the meaning of 'firstborn son', that is to say, of Pharaoh and the Egyptians, as faith devoid of charity, dealt with in 3325. For 'Pharaoh' and 'the Egyptians' have represented the facts known to the Church, 4749, 4964, 4966, 6004, thus known facts which form part of faith since these facts are ones that the Church possesses. But because they turned that factual knowledge into magic, 6692, and their deeds were as a consequence evil and devoid of any charity, the mere knowledge of matters of faith, thus faith without charity, is meant by 'their firstborn sons'. That the mere knowledge of them is meant by 'the firstborn of Egypt' is evident from the meaning of 'the firstborn of Israel' as the faith that is wedded to charity, dealt with above in 7075.

[2] The expression 'faith devoid of charity' is used, but faith in this case is used to mean the mere knowledge of matters of faith, because faith cannot exist where there is no charity. With those who are not governed by charity matters of faith are merely items stored in the memory; and in the memory they take the same form as any other factual knowledge. Nor does any real knowledge of the truth that composes faith reside there, because it has been debased by false ideas and also serves as the means to bolster up falsities. Since this is what faith devoid of charity is like, it is annihilated among the wicked in the next life, with whom truth suffers complete devastation. This is allowed to happen to prevent them from using truths as the means to attain evil objectives, and so to prevent hell from dominating in any way among them over such things as belong to heaven, and to guard against their being left hanging as a consequence between heaven and hell. Such annihilation and such devastation of truth is what is meant by the firstborn in Egypt being killed. The destruction after that of the Egyptians in the Sea Suph represented a subsequent state of damnation or spiritual death of such people; for once they have been deprived of matters of faith or truth, which were like wings lifting them up, they immediately drop like weights into hell.