10021. And thou shalt bring near the bullock. That this signifies the state of application of the natural or external man, such as he is in his infancy, is evident from the signification of “bringing near,” as being presence and conjunction (see n. 9378, 9997, 10001), and also application (n. 8439); here application for purification and the reception of good and truth from the Divine, for this is signified by this sacrifice and by sacrifices in general; and from the signification of “the bullock,” as being the good of charity and of innocence in the natural or external man (n. 9391), thus the external or natural man as he is in his infancy, for then he is in the good of innocence; and while he is in this state, he is also in a state of application for purification and for the reception of good and truth from the Divine.

[2] As these are the things now treated of in the internal sense, it must be told how the case herein is. When a man is being regenerated, which takes place when he comes to mature age, he is then first led into a state of innocence; but into a state of external innocence, almost like that of little children, whose innocence is external innocence that dwells in ignorance. During the man’s regeneration, this state is the plane of the new life, and moreover the man is then like an infant; for when he is being regenerated, he is conceived anew, is born, becomes an infant, and grows up to maturity, which is effected by means of truth implanted in good; and insofar as he then comes into genuine good, so far he comes into the good of internal innocence, which innocence dwells in wisdom. And as the regeneration of man is an image of the glorification of the Lord, it is clear that the Lord glorified Himself, that is, made His Human Divine, in this way; for in the internal sense in this chapter the subject treated of is the Lord’s glorification (n. 9985). But as the glorification of the Lord in respect to His Human transcends the understanding, therefore in order that it may in some measure be apprehended, it is unfolded by means of its image or likeness. These things have been premised in order that it may be known what is meant by purification, and by the reception of good and truth, and by their conjunction, which are signified by sacrifices in general, and here in particular by the sacrifices of the inauguration of Aaron and his sons into the priesthood. That the regeneration of man is an image of the glorification of the Lord, see n. 3138, 3212, 3296, 3490, 4402, 5688: That the innocence of infants is external innocence, and dwells in ignorance, n. 2305, 2306, 3495, 3504, 4563, 4797, 5608, 9301: That the man who is being regenerated is conceived anew, is born, becomes an infant and a child, and grows up to maturity, n. 3203: That the innocence of infancy is a plane, n. 2780, 3183, 3994, 4797, 5608, 7840: That the knowledges of truth and good are implanted in the innocence of infancy as their plane, n. 1616, 2299, 3504, 4797: That the innocence of the regenerate is internal innocence, and dwells in wisdom, n. 1616, 3495, 3994, 4797, 5608, 9301, 9939: The difference between the external innocence of little children, and the internal innocence of the wise, n. 2280, 4563, 9301: That such is the case can be seen from the education and regeneration of little children in the other life, n. 2289-2309: That all the good of the church and of heaven has innocence in it, and that without innocence good is not good, n. 2736, 2780, 6013, 7840, 7887, 9262: What innocence is, n. 3994, 4001, 4797, 5236, 6107, 6765, 7902, 9262, 9936.

7779. From the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne. That this signifies the falsified truths of faith which are in the first place, is evident from the signification of “the firstborn,” as being faith (see n. 352, 2435, 6344, 7035); from the representation of Pharaoh, as being memory-knowledge in general perverting the truths of the church (n. 6015, 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692), thus “the firstborn of Pharaoh” denotes the faith of such, consequently the faith of the falsified truths of faith; and from the signification of “throne,” as being the reign of truth, and in the opposite sense, the reign of falsity (see n. 5313). That the falsified truths of faith which are in the first place are meant by “the firstborn of Pharaoh about to sit upon his throne” is evident from the fact that it is said “even to the firstborn of the maidservant that is behind the millstones,” by which are signified the falsified truths of faith which are in the last place; and moreover, the son of a king is what comes first, because a king is the head.

[2] Falsified truths in the first place are those which are acknowledged as essentials, such as these: that faith saves howsoever a man has lived; that it saves man in the last hour of his life; and that he then is pure from sins; thus that sins are wiped away in a moment, like the uncleanness of the hands by water; which insist that there is faith without charity, and that in respect to man’s salvation the life effects nothing, also that a man-devil can in a moment be made an angel of God. Such and the like are falsified truths in the first place. Those which are thence next derived are in the second place. Those which are remotely derived are in the last place. For the derivations of every truth are ample, and in a long series, some of which enter directly, some indirectly; those which only touch being the last.

[3] That such and the like are falsified truths of faith, is very evident; for who does not know, if he thinks justly, that the life of faith causes a man to be spiritual, but not faith except insofar as it has been implanted in the life. The life of man is his love, and that which he loves he wills and intends, and that which he wills and intends, he does. This is the being of man, but not that which he knows and thinks and does not will. This being of man cannot in any wise be changed into another being by thinking about mediation and salvation; but by regeneration anew, which is being effected during a great part of his life; for he must be conceived, born, and grown up anew; and this is not effected by thinking and speaking, but by willing and acting.

[4] These things are said because by the “firstborn of Pharaoh,” and the “firstborn of the Egyptians,” is signified faith separated from charity, which has been shown in what precedes not to be faith, but the memory-knowledge of such things as are of faith. The firstborn of the Egyptians represented this faith because the Egyptians were versed in the knowledge of rituals of the church above the rest who constituted the representative church after the time of the flood (see n. 4749, 4964, 4966, 6004). At that time all rites were representative of the spiritual things which are in heaven. The Egyptians had more knowledge of these things than others, but in process of time they began to love the knowledges alone, and then, in like manner as is done at this day, to make everything of the church consist in the knowledge of such things as are of the church, and no longer in the life of charity. Thus they inverted the whole order of the church, which being inverted, the truths which are called truths of faith could not but be falsified; for the truths which are applied contrary to Divine order (as is the case when they are applied to evils, and among the Egyptians to magic) are no longer truths with them, but become falsities from the evils to which they are applied.

[5] To illustrate this by the worship of a calf among the Egyptians. They knew what a calf represented, namely, the good of charity; so long as they knew this and thought this, when they saw calves, or when they prepared calves in feasts of charity such as the ancients held, and afterward when calves were applied in sacrifices, they then thought sanely and together with the angels in heaven, to whom a calf is the good of charity. But when they began to make calves of gold, and to place them in their temples and worship them, they then thought insanely and together with the infernals; and in this way they inverted a true representative into a false representative.