7870. 'On that night' means their state - a state of evil. This is clear from the meaning of 'night' as a state when there is nothing but evil and falsity. For night describes the opposite of day and thick darkness the opposite of [clear] light, and 'day' and '[clear] light' mean a state in which truth and good reign. This being so, 'night' also means the last phase of the Church, for at that time falsities and evils reign because there is no faith or charity, see 2353, 6000. In addition 'night' means when vastation is completed, 7776, and also damnation, 7851. From all this it is evident that the state of those who are in hell is called 'night'. Not that the thick darkness of night envelops them, for they can see one another. But since the state of truth and good which exists in heaven is called 'day', the state of falsity and evil is called 'night'. Also thick darkness exists in hell when any light at all from heaven flows into it; for then the inferior light which they see by is reduced to nothing and becomes thick darkness.

[2] The source of the inferior light they see by is, it is true, light from the Lord coming through heaven; for in the next life no light comes from anywhere else. But among those in hell that light from Him enters by way of the ability to understand what is true. The ability enabling them to understand remains with them, as it does with every human being, however much they may be steeped in evil or falsity. But when that heavenly light passes on into their will - that is to say, into unwillingness to understand - and consequently passes into the evil and falsity that reside with them, the heavenly light is turned for them into inferior light resembling that emitted from a coal fire. And, as has been stated, that inferior light is converted into utterly thick darkness by the light of heaven when this flows into it. Regarding the inferior light in hell, its being like that emitted from a coal fire, see 1528, 3340, 4418, 4571; and regarding its conversion into thick darkness at the presence of the light of heaven, 1783, 3412, 4533, 5057, 5058, 6000. From all this it may be recognized that in the next life the kind of light each one has depends on whether his ability to understand is furnished with truths springing from good or with falsities arising from evil.

7774. Verses 4-8 And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah, About midnight I will go out into the midst of Egypt; and all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die, from Pharaoh's firstborn who is to sit on his throne, even to the firstborn of the servant-girl who is behind the mill, and all the firstborn of the beasts. And there will be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt, the like of which has never been, and the like of which will not be again. And against all the children of Israel not a dog will move its tongue, against man (vir) and even against beast, so that you may know that Jehovah makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel. And all these your servants will come down to me, and bow down to me, saying, Go out, your and all the people at your feet! ¹ And after that I will go out. And he went out from Pharaoh in wrath and anger. ²

'And Moses said, Thus said Jehovah' means instruction. 'About midnight' means when vastation is completed. 'I will go out into the midst of Egypt' means the presence of the Divine everywhere then. 'And all the firstborn in the land of Egypt will die' means the damnation of faith separated from charity then. 'From Pharaoh's firstborn who is to sit on his throne' means falsified truths of faith that occupy the first place. 'Even to the firstborn of the servant-girl who is behind the mill' means falsified truths of faith that occupy the very last place. 'And all the firstborn of the beasts' means adulterated forms of the good of faith. 'And there will be a great cry in the whole land of Egypt' means deep grief. 'The like of which has never been, and the like of which will not be again' means that the nature of the state was such that there could be none similar to it. 'And against all the children of Israel not a dog will move its tongue' means that with those belonging to the spiritual Church there would not be the smallest trace of damnation or grief. 'Against man and even against beast' means neither in respect of truth nor of good. 'So that you may know that Jehovah makes a distinction between the Egyptians and Israel' means so that the nature of the difference between those immersed in evil and those governed by good may be known. 'And all these your servants will come down to me' means those who are subordinate. 'And bow down to me' means respect for God's truth generated by fear. 'Saying, Go out, you, and all the people at your feet!' means pleading to let them depart from those guided by the truth from God, highest to lowest. 'And after that I will go out' means that God's truth will depart. 'And he went out from Pharaoh in wrath and anger' means a violent breaking off of the presence of God's truth from those who are to be damned.

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