6954. And it became a rod in his hand. That this signifies that then was communicated power from the Divine, is evident from the signification of the “serpent which became a rod,” as being the sensuous (of which above, n. 6949); from the signification of a “rod,” as being power in the natural; and from the signification of the “hand,” as being interior power; both powers being from the Divine (n. 6952). The case herein is this. From himself man looks downward only, that is, into the world, and to the earth, because from himself he is in evil and falsity; and when he looks thither, then the sensuous has dominion, and interior things makes no opposition, because they follow the force of the stream, and yield to it. Nevertheless not from himself but from the Lord, man looks upward, that is, to heaven and to the Lord, which is effected by means of an uplifting and when the interiors are uplifted, the sensuous also is uplifted, but its light is then obscured, because the light of heaven has dominion. When this takes place, good and truth from the Lord flow in, and are also received; and this is meant by power communicated from the Divine. Yet no others can be uplifted in this way than those who have lived in the good of faith and of charity. That the upliftings are toward the interiors, has been given me to know from living experience, for they have been observed a thousand times.

6949. And it became a serpent. That this signifies the sensuous and corporeal man separate from the internal, is evident from the signification of a “serpent,” as being a man who reasons from things sensuous (see n. 195-197, 6398, 6399), thus the sensuous of man; and as by “serpent” is signified the sensuous, it signifies also the corporeal, for what the sensuous has, it has from the senses of the body. And because, regarded in itself, the sensuous is such as has been described just above (n. 6948), the “serpent” also (which is the sensuous), signifies all evil in general (n. 251, 254, 257). That by the “serpent” is here meant the sensuous and corporeal man separated from the internal or rational, is evident from the fact that Moses fled from before it, whereby is signified horror of it; and also from the fact that by this sign is described the state of those of the spiritual church, if they did not have faith; for then their internal would be closed, nor would more of the light of heaven flow in, than to enable them to think, and from this to speak, from the sensuous separated. All those think from the sensuous separated who defend falsities against truths, and evils against goods; in a word, all who are in evil of life, and thence in no faith, for he who lives evilly, believes nothing. Such persons excel others in the gift of reasoning, and also of persuading, especially the simple, for the reason that they speak from the fallacies of the senses, and from appearances in the world. They also know how to extinguish or veil truths by fallacies, whence also by “serpents” are signified cunning and craftiness. But when the sensuous has been conjoined with the internal, or rightly subordinated to the rational, then by a “serpent” is signified prudence and circumspection (see n. 197, 4211, 6398).