1673. And smote the Rephaim in Ashteroth-karnaim, and the Zuzim in Ham, and the Emim in Shaveh-kiriathaim. That this signifies the persuasions of falsity, or the hells of such, which the Lord conquered, is evident from the signification of “the Rephaim,” “the Zuzim,” and “the Emim,” as being of similar kind with “the Nephilim,” who are mentioned in Genesis 6:4; and in the exposition of that passage (see n. 581) it was sufficiently and abundantly shown that by “the Nephilim” are signified persuasions of falsity, or those who from a persuasion of their own exaltation and preeminence have made nothing of all holy and true things, and who have infused falsities into their cupidities; as is also plain from the passages there adduced (Numbers 13:33; Deuteronomy 2:10-11 Isaiah 14:9; 26:14, 19; Psalms 88:10). The different kinds of persuasions of falsity are what are here signified by these three and by “the Horites in Mount Seir;” for there are many kinds of persuasions of falsity, not only according to the falsities, but also according to the cupidities to which they are adjoined, or into which they are infused, or from which they flow forth and are produced. The nature of these persuasions of falsity can never appear to any man, who scarcely knows more than that there is such a thing as persuasion of falsity and cupidity of evil; but in the other life they are most distinctly arranged into their genera and into their species.

[2] The most direful persuasions of falsity existed with those who lived before the flood, especially with those who were called “Nephilim.” These Nephilim are of such a character that in the other life they by their persuasions take away from the spirits to whom they come all faculty of thinking, so that these spirits seem to themselves scarcely to live, much less to be able to think anything true. For, as before shown, there is in the other life a communication of the thoughts of all, and therefore when such a persuasiveness flows in, it cannot do otherwise than as it were murder all power of thought in others. Such were the wicked tribes against whom the Lord combated in His earliest childhood, and whom He conquered; and unless the Lord had conquered them by His coming into the world, not a man would have been left at this day upon the earth; for every man is governed by the Lord through spirits. These same Nephilim are at this day enclosed by their phantasies by what seems like a misty rock, out of which they are continually striving, but in vain, to rise up (concerning whom see n. 1265, and in many other places above). These, and others like them, were also meant in Isaiah:

The dead shall not live, the Rephaim shall not rise, because Thou hast visited and hast destroyed them, and hast made all their memory to perish (Isaiah 26:14).

[3] Also in David:

Wilt Thou show a wonder to the dead? shall the Rephaim arise and praise Thee? (Psalms 88:10),

where by “the dead” are not meant the dead, but the damned. There are also those at this day, especially from the Christian world, who likewise have persuasions, but not so direful as the antediluvians had. There are certain persuasions of falsity which take possession of both the will part and the intellectual part of man; such were those of the antediluvians, and of those who are here signified by the Rephaim, the Zuzim, and the Emim. But there are other persuasions of falsity which take possession of the intellectual part only, and which arise from the principles of falsity that are confirmed in one’s self. These are not so powerful, nor so deadly, as the former; but still they cause much annoyance to spirits in the other life, and take away in part their ability to think. Spirits of this kind excite in a man nothing but confirmations of what is false, so that the man sees no otherwise than that falsity is truth, and evil good. It is their sphere which is of such a character. As soon as anything of truth is called forth by angels, they suffocate and extinguish it.

[4] A man can perceive whether he is governed by such as these simply by observing whether he thinks the truths of the Word to be false, and confirms himself so that he cannot see otherwise; if such be the case, he may be pretty sure that such spirits are with him, and that they have the dominion. In like manner they who persuade themselves that their private advantage is the common good, and who regard nothing as being for the common good but what is also to their own advantage; in this case also the evil spirits who are present suggest so many things in confirmation that they see no otherwise. They who are such that they regard every advantage to themselves as the common good, or who veil it over with the appearance of being the common good, do much the same in the other life in regard to the common good there. That such is the nature of the influx of spirits with man, it has been given me to know by continual experience to the life.

9383. 'All Jehovah's words and all the judgements' means things in the Word which are rules of life in the spiritual state and in the natural state. This is clear from the meaning of 'Jehovah's words' as things in the Word which are rules of life in the spiritual state, dealt with below; and from the meaning of 'the judgements' as things in the Word which are rules of life in the natural state. The terms 'in the spiritual state' and 'in the natural state' are used because in general every person has two states. The first is peculiar and proper to the internal man and is called the spiritual state, the second is peculiar and proper to the external man and is called the natural state. The internal man's state is called spiritual because it is conditioned by truths belonging to the light of heaven, and by good belonging to the heat of that light, which is love. That light is called spiritual light because it enlightens the understanding part of the mind, and that heat is called spiritual heat, which is love and warms the will part. This is the reason why the internal man's state is called spiritual. But the external man's state is called natural because it is conditioned by truths belonging to the light of the world and by good belonging to the heat of this light, which too is love, but love for such things as exist in the world, for all heat of life is love. This is the reason why the external man's state is called natural. Rules of life in the natural state are meant by 'the judgements', while rules of life in the spiritual state are meant by 'Jehovah's words'.

[2] Both of these are derived from the Word because all the rules of life are there. They hold Life itself within them, for in the Word resides Divine Truth which has emanated and continues to emanate from the Lord, who is Life itself. From this it follows that all things in the Word are rules of life, and also that all things there have reference to life, as may be seen from those two commandments on which all things in the Word are founded, and about which the following is recorded in Matthew,

Jesus said, You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. The second is like it, You shall love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments the Law and the Prophets depend. Matthew 22:37-40; Mark 12:29-31.

'Loving God and the neighbour' is a rule of life because the all of life belongs to love, so much so that without love life is not life, and the character of the love determines that of the life. The Law and the Prophets are the whole Word.