6304. And shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers. That this signifies to the state of both Ancient Churches, is evident from the signification of “land,” as being the church (see n. 566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2118, 3355, 4535, 4447, 5577); and from the signification of “fathers,” as being the men of the Ancient and Most Ancient Churches (n. 6075). It is said “to the state of both Ancient Churches,” because the sons of Israel and their descendants, like those who belonged to the Ancient Churches, in every particular represented the Lord’s kingdom, celestial and spiritual. The representative itself was also instituted; with the Jewish nation that of the celestial kingdom, and with the Israelitish that of the spiritual kingdom; but with that generation nothing but a mere representative could be instituted, and not anything of the church or kingdom of the Lord; for they desired to see and acknowledge in the representatives absolutely nothing but what was external, and not anything internal. Nevertheless in order that there might exist a representative, and thereby some communication with heaven, and through heaven with the Lord, they were kept in externals; and it was then provided by the Lord that communication should exist by means of a mere external representative without an internal. This was the state to which the descendants of Jacob could be brought back; nevertheless in their external representatives there lay inwardly hidden Divine things; in the highest sense such as regarded the Lord’s Divine Human; and in the relative sense such as regarded the Lord’s kingdom in the heavens, and the church. This state of both Ancient Churches is signified by the words, “God shall bring you back unto the land of your fathers.”

6771. And Pharaoh heard this word, and he sought to kill Moses. That this signifies that false memory-knowledge, noticing this, willed to destroy the truth of the law from the Divine, is evident from the signification of “to hear,” as being to notice (see n. 5017); from the representation of Pharaoh, as being memory-knowledge that is opposed to the truths of the church, thus falsity (see n. 6651, 6679, 6683); from the signification of “to kill,” as being to destroy (n. 6767), thus “to seek to kill” is to will to destroy; and from the representation of Moses, as being the law Divine and truth Divine (n. 6752), thus truth which is of the law Divine. It is said “truth of the law Divine,” not “the law Divine,” because the subject treated of is still the progress of the law Divine in the Lord’s Human. From all this it is evident that by “Pharaoh heard this word and sought to kill Moses” is signified that false memory-knowledge, noticing this, willed to destroy the truth which is of the law Divine.