3136. 'And behold, he was standing with the camels' means presence in general facts. This is clear from the meaning of 'standing with' as being present, and from the meaning of 'the camels' as general facts, dealt with in 3048, 3071.

'Momentaneous salvation from immediate mercy' is represented by the fiery flying serpent in the church in Isaiah 14:29. This serpent symbolizes people who adhere to the doctrine of salvation by faith alone.

It is worth looking at Divine Providence 340 to gain some more perspective on this passage: "This kind of evil is on the wing in the church whenever it believes in instant salvation by direct mercy, because this (a) leads to the destruction of religion, [because it leaves out the need for real, sustained repentance] (b) makes people feel safe, and (c) blames God for damnation.