7603. Were smitten. That this signifies that they were destroyed, is evident without explication.

7604. For the barley was a ripening ear, and the flax was a stalk. That this signifies that this good and truth stood forth, and looked downward, is evident from the signification of "the barley" and "the flax," as being the good and truth of the exterior natural (of which above, n. 7601, 7602); and from the signification of "a ripening ear," and also of "a stalk," as being that they stood forth, for it is said of the wheat and spelt that they "were hidden," that is, that they did not stand forth; for the grains that are ripe stand forth on their ear and stalk, so that they bend down; and in the spiritual sense, which treats of the good of faith and charity, this signifies that they looked downward. How the case herein is, is plain from what was said above (n. 7601). That with the evil the goods and truths in the exterior natural look downward, is because they are there together with evils and falsities, and are adjoined to them. All evils and falsities look downward, that is, outward to the earth and to the world; whence the goods and truths adjoined to them also do the same, for the evils and falsities draw the goods and truths with them, which is done by wrong applications. It is these goods and truths which are vastated with the evil; for if they were not vastated, the goods and truths would flow in which are stored up and reserved by the Lord in the interior natural, and would conjoin themselves with those which are in the exterior natural, and would thus act as one with them, whence also they would be bent downward, and thus would perish. Man is distinguished from brute animals by the fact that he can look upward, that is, to the Divine; without this faculty man would be like a beast, for a beast looks only downward. From this then it is evident why the goods and truths with the evil which look downward are taken away from them, and why when these have been taken away, the communication is closed with the interiors, where goods and truths from the Lord have been stored up and reserved for use.

7605. And the wheat and the spelt. That this signifies the good of the interior natural and its truth, is evident from the signification of "the wheat," as being the good of love and

charity (n. 3941), and being a more noble grain than barley, it denotes the good of the interior natural; and from the signification of "the spelt," as being the truth of the interior natural corresponding to the good signified by "the wheat." That "spelt" denotes this truth, can be seen from the fact that in the Word, where good is spoken of, truth also is spoken of, and this because of the heavenly marriage which is of good and truth in every detail of the Word; and in the supreme sense, because of the union of the Divine Itself and the Divine Human in the Lord, to which the marriage of good and truth in heaven corresponds. (Thus that the Lord Himself as to the Divine Itself and the Divine Human is inmostly in the Word, see n. 683, 793, 801, 2173, 2516, 2618, 2712, 2803, 3132, 4138, 5502, 6179, 6343.) From this it is evident that by "the spelt" is signified truth corresponding to the good which is signified by "the wheat."

7606. Were not smitten. That this signifies that they were not destroyed, is plain without explication.

7607. Because they were hidden. That this signifies because they did not stand forth, and because they tended inward, is evident from the signification of "they were hidden," as being not to stand forth; in the spiritual sense, because they were in the interior natural, and there tended inward. That these could not be destroyed is because they looked to heaven and to the Lord, which is to look inward; and not to the earth and the world, which is to look outward. What it is to look inward, and to look outward, shall be briefly told. Man has been so created that he can look above himself to heaven, even to the Divine, and can also look below himself to the world and the earth. In this, man is distinguished from the brute animals; and a man looks above himself, or to heaven, even to the Divine, when he has as the end his neighbor, his country, the church, heaven, especially the Lord; and he looks below himself when he has self and the world as the end. To have as the end is to love, for that which is loved is as the end, and that which is loved reigns universally, that is, in every detail of the thought and of the will. While a man looks one way, he does not look the other; that is to say, while he looks to the world and to self, he does not look to

heaven and to the Lord; and the reverse; for the determinations are opposite. [2] From the fact that man can look above himself, that is, can think of the Divine, and be conjoined with the Divine by love, it is very evident that there is an elevation of the mind by the Divine; for no one can look above himself except by means of an elevation by Him who is above; whence it is also evident that all the good and truth with a man are the Lord's. From this it is also evident that when a man looks below himself, he separates himself from the Divine, and determines his interiors to self and to the world, in like manner as they have been determined with brute animals, and that he then so far puts off humanity. From all this it can now be seen what is meant by looking inward or above himself, and what by looking outward or below himself.

7608. And Moses went out of the city from before Pharaoh. That this signifies separation from them, is evident from what was unfolded above (n. 7595), where are like words.

7609. And spread out his palms unto Jehovah. That this signifies intercession, see above (n. 7596).

7610. And the voices and the hail ceased, signifies the end of this state (as above, n. 7597).

7611. And the rain was not poured upon the earth. That this signifies that these falsities no more appeared, is evident from the signification of "the rain," here the rain of hail, as being falsities (see n. 7553, 7574); and from the signification of "not being poured upon the earth," as being that they were ended, thus also that they did not appear, namely, the falsities which are signified by "the rain of hail."

7612. And Pharaoh saw. That this signifies a noticing, is evident from the signification of "seeing," as being a noticing (see n. 2150, 3764, 4723, 5400).

7613. That the rain and the hail and the voices had ceased, signifies the end of this state (as above, n. 7597, 7610).

7614. He sinned yet more. That this signifies as yet a withdrawal, is evident from the signification of "yet more," as being as yet, and longer; and from the signification of "sinning," as being a sundering, withdrawal, and separation from good and truth (see n. 5229, 5474, 5841, 7589).

7615. And made heavy his heart, he and his servants. That this signifies obstinacy, is evident from the signification of "making heavy," "making hard," and "making firm the heart," as being to be determined (see n. 7272, 7300, 7305).

7616. And the heart of Pharaoh was made firm. That this signifies that from evil they were determined, is evident from the signification of the "heart being made firm," as being to be determined (as just above, n. 7615), where it is said that "he made his heart heavy;" the difference being that "to make the heart heavy" is from falsity, but "to make the heart firm" is from evil.

7617. And he did not let the sons of Israel go. That this signifies that they did not leave them, is evident from the signification of "to let go," as being to leave (as frequently above); and from the signification of "the sons of Israel," as being those who were of the spiritual church whom they were infesting (see n. 6426, 6637, 6862, 6868, 7035, 7062, 7198, 7201, 7215, 7223).

7618. As Jehovah had spoken. That this signifies according to the prediction, see n. 7302, 7340, 7414, 7432, 7535.

7619. By the hand of Moses. That this signifies by means of the law from the Divine, is evident from the signification of "by the hand of " any one, as being by means of (of which below); and from the representation of Moses, as being the law from the Divine (see n. 6771, 6827). That "to speak by the hand of" any one denotes by his means, or mediately, is because by the "hand" is signified power, thus by the "hand” of another, vicarious power, which is the same as mediately, for what is done mediately is done by the power of another in one's self. This is the reason why there is this form of speech in the Word, as in the Books of Kings, where it is sometimes said, "the word which Jehovah spake by the hand of" some one, as "by the hand of Ahijah the prophet” (1 Kings xiv. 18), "by the hand of Ahijah the Shilonite" (1 Kings xv. 29), "by the hand of Jehu the prophet" (1 Kings xvi. 7, 12), "by the hand of Joshua" (1 Kings xvi. 34), "by the hand of Elijah" (1 Kings xvii. 16), "by the hand of Jonah the prophet" (2 Kings xiv. 25).

CONTINUATION ABOUT THE SPIRITS AND INHABITANTS OF

THE EARTH MARS.

7620. I saw a certain most beautiful flame; it was of various colors, crimson, and also from white reddening, and the colors likewise sparkled beautifully from the flame. I saw also a certain hand, which did not hold this flame, but to which it adhered, at first on the back part, afterward on the palm or hollow of the hand, and thence it played around the hand. This continued for some time. Then the hand together with the flame were removed to a distance, and where they rested, there was light; in this light the hand withdrew, and then the flame was changed into a bird, which at first had like colors with the flame, the colors in like manner sparkling. But the colors gradually changed, and with the colors the vigor of life in the bird. It flew around, and at first about my head, then forward into a kind of narrow chamber; and as it flew forward, its life in proportion departed, until at last it became stone, at first of the color of a pearl, afterward dark; but although devoid of life, it continued flying.

7621. While the bird was flying about my head, and was still in the vigor of life, there was seen a spirit rising up from beneath, through the region of the loins to that of the breast, who desired to take away the bird from that place. But because it was so beautiful, the spirits around me prevented him from taking it away; for they all kept their eyes upon it. Then the spirit who rose up from beneath strongly persuaded them that the Lord was with him, and thus that he did this from the Lord. And although most of the spirits about me did not believe this, because he rose up from beneath, they no longer hindered him from taking away the bird; but as heaven then flowed in, he could not retain it, but presently let it fly out of his hand at liberty.

7622. When this had passed, the spirits who were about me who had gazed intently upon the bird and its successive changes, began to converse together about it, and this for a long time. They perceived that such a sight must signify something heavenly. They knew that a flame signifies celestial love and its affections; that a hand, to which the flame