8315. The mighty ones of Moab. That this signifies those who are in the life of falsity from this love, is evident from the signification of “mighty ones,” as being things that reign and prevail; and from the representation of Moab, as being those who are in natural good and suffer themselves to be easily led astray (see n. 2468), thus who are in a consequent life of falsity; for they who are in natural good, and not in good from the truth of faith, thus not in spiritual good, suffer themselves to be led away to believe any falsities whatever, thus to live according to them. They are led away from truths to falsities especially by those things which favor their loves. These are they who are meant by “Moab.” (That they who are in natural good, and not in spiritual good, cannot possibly be led by any influx from heaven, see n. 3470, 3471, 3518, 4988, 4992, 5032, 6208, 7197, 8002.) The word by which “the mighty ones” are expressed in the original tongue, is predicated of those who are in truth from good, and in the opposite sense, of those who are in falsity from evil; in this latter sense is this word in Ezekiel 31:11, an. 2 Kings 24:15.

3472. CONTINUATION CONCERNING CORRESPONDENCES AND REPRESENTATIONS, ESPECIALLY THOSE IN THE WORD.

That the things in the literal sense of the Word are each and all representative of the spiritual and celestial things of the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, and in the supreme sense are representative of the Lord Himself, may be seen from what has been thus far shown, and from what of the Lord’s Divine mercy is still to be shown. But as man has removed himself so far from heaven, and has immersed himself in lowest nature, and even in what is earthly, it is altogether repugnant to him to hear that the Word contains deeper things than he apprehends from the letter; and this is still more the case when it is said that it contains things incomprehensible, which are adapted solely to the wisdom of angels; and this is even still more so when it is said that it contains Divine things themselves, which infinitely transcend the understanding of angels. The Christian world does indeed acknowledge that the Word is Divine, yet that it is Divine in this manner it denies at heart, if not with the lips; nor is this to be wondered at, inasmuch as the earthly thought in which man is at this day does not apprehend things of a sublime character; and is not willing to apprehend them.