8821. 'And its smoke went up like the smoke of a furnace' means obscurity like the obscurity resulting from evil desires. This is clear from the meaning of 'smoke' as obscurity, dealt with above in 8819; and from the meaning of 'a furnace' as evil desires, dealt with in 7519. Why the Lord, when in celestial love, appeared in this manner to the children of Israel, see 8819, and also 1861 (end), 6832.