8599. 'With the rod of God in my hand' means that this will be a source of power. This is clear from the meaning of 'the rod of God' as Divine power, dealt with in 4013, 4015, 4876, 4936, 7026; and from the meaning of 'hand' also as power, 8595 (end). The reason why he says that the rod of God would be in his hand is that 'the rod' means outward power and 'hand' inward power, or 'the rod' means natural power and 'hand' spiritual power, 6947, 7011. The expression a source of power is used because truth engaged in conflict has power within it, derived from good; for all the power that truth possesses is derived from the good within it. The reason for this is that the Divine is within good, and through good He is within truth; but He is not within truth devoid of good. For the fact that all the power truth possesses is derived from good, see 3563, 4931; and the fact that all the power good possesses is derived from the Divine is self-evident.

7026. 'And Moses took the rod of God in his hand' means that those things were from Divine power. This is clear from the meaning of 'the rod' as power, dealt with in 4013, 4015, 4876, 4936, so that 'the rod of God' is Divine power. As may be seen above in 7011, 'the rod' means natural power while 'the hand' means spiritual power, and the natural derives its power from the spiritual; and this being so 'the rod' means power when it is being held in the hand. The origin of the meaning of 'the rod' as power lies in representatives in the next life, for there those who practise magic are seen with rods which also serve to provide them with power. This also explains why the magicians of Egypt had rods which they used in performing what seemed to be miracles, and why everywhere in their writings the ancients give magicians rods. From these considerations it may be recognized that 'a rod' is an emblem representing power, and also has a direct correspondence with it since rods are instruments through which power is actually exercised. But among magicians this involves a misuse of correspondence and is altogether ineffective except within the hells where they are, and then only within these because trickery and false impressions reign. Since there is a direct correspondence between a rod and power, Moses was commanded to take the rod in his hand and use it to do the signs. For the same reason kings have a sceptre, which is a short rod and serves as a sign of royal power. The correspondence of rod and power derives from the fact that a rod or staff supports the hand and arm, and so at the same time the body, and the hand and arm correspond to power in the Grand Man, see 878, 3387, 4931-4977, 5327, 5328, 5544, 6947, 7011.