39
Por tanto, allí morarán bestias monteses con lobos, morarán también en ella pollos de avestruz: y no más será poblada para siempre, ni se habitará de generación en generación.
Jeremías 50:39
Arcana Coelestia #7295
7295. 'And Aaron threw down his rod in front of Pharaoh and his servants, and it was made into a water-serpent' means that sheer illusions and resulting falsities reigned among them. This is clear from the meaning of 'throwing down the rod' as demonstrating power, dealt with just above in 7292; from the representation of 'Pharaoh and his servants' as those who molest by means of falsities; and from the meaning of 'a water-serpent' as illusions and resulting falsities, dealt with just above in 7293.
[2] This wonder means the first warning given to those who molest to leave off. The situation with the evil who molest the upright in the next life is this: When they first enter that life from the world they have good spirits and angels attached to them, as they did when they were people living in the body; for even wicked people also have angels present with them, the reason being that they are then able to turn, if they will, towards heaven, receive what flows in from there, and be reformed. Consequently, since their life in its entirety follows them into the next life, they live initially in association with angels. But as they are by nature such, because of the life they led in the world, that they cannot receive the inflow of truth and goodness from heaven, the angels and good spirits then gradually depart from them. And as these depart, those people become less and less rational. For the ability to be rational comes from the Lord by way of heaven.
[3] The first stage in the removal and deprivation of the inflow of truth and goodness is what is described here by Aaron's rod being turned into a serpent, meaning that sheer illusions would reign, and falsities resulting from them. The second stage is described by the waters of Egypt being turned into blood, meaning that actual truths were falsified. The third stage is that of the frogs which crawled out of the waters, meaning reasonings based on utter falsities, and so on. By such stages too the evil in the next life are deprived of their understanding of what is true and good.
Exodus 7
1
Yahweh said to Moses, "Behold, I have made you as God to Pharaoh; and Aaron your brother shall be your prophet.
2
You shall speak all that I command you; and Aaron your brother shall speak to Pharaoh, that he let the children of Israel go out of his land.
3
I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and multiply my signs and my wonders in the land of Egypt.
4
But Pharaoh will not listen to you, and I will lay my hand on Egypt, and bring forth my armies, my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments.
5
The Egyptians shall know that I am Yahweh, when I stretch forth my hand on Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them."
6
Moses and Aaron did so. As Yahweh commanded them, so they did.
7
Moses was eighty years old, and Aaron eighty-three years old, when they spoke to Pharaoh.
8
Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
9
"When Pharaoh speaks to you, saying, 'Perform a miracle!' then you shall tell Aaron, 'Take your rod, and cast it down before Pharaoh, that it become a serpent.'"
10
Moses and Aaron went in to Pharaoh, and they did so, as Yahweh had commanded: and Aaron cast down his rod before Pharaoh and before his servants, and it became a serpent.
11
Then Pharaoh also called for the wise men and the sorcerers. They also, the magicians of Egypt, did the same thing with their enchantments.
12
For they each cast down their rods, and they became serpents: but Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods.
13
Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken.
14
Yahweh said to Moses, "Pharaoh's heart is stubborn. He refuses to let the people go.
15
Go to Pharaoh in the morning. Behold, he goes out to the water; and you shall stand by the river's bank to meet him; and the rod which was turned to a serpent you shall take in your hand.
16
You shall tell him, 'Yahweh, the God of the Hebrews, has sent me to you, saying, "Let my people go, that they may serve me in the wilderness:" and behold, until now you haven't listened.
17
Thus says Yahweh, "In this you shall know that I am Yahweh. Behold, I will strike with the rod that is in my hand on the waters which are in the river, and they shall be turned to blood.
18
The fish that are in the river shall die, and the river shall become foul; and the Egyptians shall loathe to drink water from the river."'"
19
Yahweh said to Moses, "Tell Aaron, 'Take your rod, and stretch out your hand over the waters of Egypt, over their rivers, over their streams, and over their pools, and over all their ponds of water, that they may become blood; and there shall be blood throughout all the land of Egypt, both in vessels of wood and in vessels of stone.'"
20
Moses and Aaron did so, as Yahweh commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and struck the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood.
21
The fish that were in the river died; and the river became foul, and the Egyptians couldn't drink water from the river; and the blood was throughout all the land of Egypt.
22
The magicians of Egypt did the same thing with their enchantments; and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, and he didn't listen to them; as Yahweh had spoken.
23
Pharaoh turned and went into his house, neither did he lay even this to heart.
24
All the Egyptians dug around the river for water to drink; for they couldn't drink of the water of the river.
25
Seven days were fulfilled, after Yahweh had struck the river.
