6864. 'And now, go, I will send you to Pharaoh' means the Holy influence going forth from the Lord's Human, by which molesting falsities would be dispelled. This is clear from the representation of 'Moses', who was to go and who was being sent, as the Lord in respect of the law of God, dealt with in 6713, 6752, 6771, 6827, and so in respect of the Human (for when the Lord was in the world He first made His Human Divine Truth, which is the same as the law of God, then after that He completely glorified His Human and made it Divine Good, the difference between Divine Truth and Divine Good being like that between the light radiated from the sun and the fire within the sun); from the meaning of 'being sent' as going forth, dealt with in 2797, 4710, 6831, in this instance holy truth (regarding the use of the word 'holy' in reference to truth, see 6788); and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as falsity, dealt with in 6651, 6679, 6683, 6692. The reason for the addition of the statement that the molesting falsities would be dispelled - dispelled, that is, by the Holy influence going forth from the Lord's Human - is that what follows deals with the children of Israel, meaning those belonging to the Lord's spiritual Church, and their deliverance from falsities, from which they cannot be delivered at all except by the Holy influence that goes forth from the Lord. For that Holy influence going forth from the Lord not only dispels molesting falsities but also arranges all things into Divine order, both those in the heavens and those in the hells. The effect of that influence is such that it makes the heavens completely distinct and separate from one another, as determined by their forms of good and consequent truths, and also makes the hells completely distinct and separate, as determined by their evils and consequent falsities. It also places these kinds of evil opposite those kinds of good, and falsities opposite truths, in order that equilibrium may be established spiritual level and nothing excluded from a state of freedom.

6692. 'And Pharaoh commanded all his people' means a general influx into factual knowledge opposed to the Church's truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'commanding' as an influx, dealt with in 5486, 5732, here a general influx since the command came from Pharaoh, who represents factual knowledge in general, 6015; and from the meaning of 'his people' as factual knowledge opposed to the Church's truths. The meaning of the Egyptians, to whom 'people' refers here, as factual knowledge has been demonstrated often, see 6638. The reason why factual knowledge opposed to the Church's truths is meant by 'the Egyptians' is that the representative forms and meaningful signs of the Ancient Church, a Church which had existed also among them, had been turned there into magic. For through the Church's representative forms and meaningful signs there was contact at that time with heaven. This contact existed among those who led lives filled with the good of charity, and among many it was open contact. Among those however who did not lead a good charitable life but acted in ways contrary to it, open contact sometimes existed with evil spirits who perverted all the Church's truths, and along with them destroyed all that was good, from which magic arose. This may also be recognized from the hieroglyphics among the Egyptians, who also used them in their sacred rituals. They used them as signs of spiritual things, and they used them to pervert Divine order.

[2] Magic is nothing else than the perversion of order; in particular it is the misuse of correspondences. If true order is to exist, goodness and truth as they emanate from the Lord must find acceptance in a person. When they do, true order is present in every particular aspect of the person's intentions and thoughts. But when they do not find acceptance in him as true order originating in the Lord requires and he instead believes that everything is a purposeless stream of events, or if anything does have purpose, that it is attributable to his own prudence, he perverts true order. For he makes use of what belongs to order solely for his own interests and not those of his neighbour, except insofar as his neighbour is favourably disposed towards him. This accounts for the astonishing fact that all who have become firmly convinced that everything is attributable to their own prudence and nothing at all to Divine providence are very much inclined towards magic in the next life, and also involve themselves in it as much as they can. This is especially so with those who, trusting in themselves and ascribing everything to their own prudence, have worked out many sly and cunning ways of gaining superiority over others. Once people like this have undergone judgement in the next life they are sent off to the hells of those who work magic. These hells are on the right on a level with the soles of the feet, a little way out in front and extending to a considerable distance; and the Egyptians are in the deepest ones. Here then is why 'Pharaoh', 'the Egyptians', and 'Egypt' mean factual knowledge opposed to the Church's truths.

[3] To prevent therefore any further perversion of the Church's representative forms and meaningful signs into forms of magic, the Israelite people were selected, and among them the Church's representative forms and meaningful signs were to be re-established. The nature of this people was such that it could not create magic out of them, for they were interested solely in external things and had no belief in anything internal, let alone anything spiritual. Among people like this no magic can arise such as existed among the Egyptians.