7107. 'And Pharaoh said' means the will of those who molest the Church's truths. This is clear from the meaning of 'saying' as the will, dealt with below; and from the representation of 'Pharaoh' as those who molest the Church's truths, dealt with in 6651, 6679, 6683, thus who molest those who belong to the spiritual Church, for the latter are said to be in possession of the Church's truths. The reason why the word 'saying' means the will or act of willing is that that word also includes what follows it; for when anyone wills something he verbalizes it. Since the word 'says' includes what follows it, it has various meanings, for example, a command, 7036; an urgent demand or an admonition, 5012, 7073, 7090; communication, 3060, 4131, 6228; thought, 7094; or perception, which is its proper meaning, 1791, 1815, 1819, 1822, 1898, 1919, 2080, 2862, 3509, 5687.

1395. As regards this kind of perception, I have been enabled to know it from much experience, though it would take up too much space to relate everything. Quite a number of times I have heard deceivers speaking, and have perceived not only the existence of the deception but also the nature of it and what wickedness lay within it. There is in every tone of their voice, so to speak, the image of deception. I have also perceived whether the deception was the spirit's own, or that of others who spoke through him. It is similar with those who harbor hatred; the nature of the hatred is detected in an instant, and more things within it than anyone could possibly have been led to believe. When persons whom they have hated are brought into their presence, a pitiable state then overtakes those who have harbored such hatred; for whatever they have thought or plotted against anyone else comes out into the open.