1047. And it shall come to pass, when I bring a cloud over the earth. That this signifies when on account of the Own of man's will part the faith of charity does not appear, is evident from what has been said just above about the earth-or the Own of man's will part-namely, that it is of such a nature that it continually pours into the intellectual part of man what is obscure, or false, which is a "clouding over" and is the source of all falsity. This is sufficiently evident from the fact that the loves of self and of the world-which are of man's will-are nothing but hatred. For insofar as anyone loves himself, so far he hates the neighbor. And because these loves are so contrary to heavenly love, such things must needs continually flow in from them as are contrary to mutual love, and in the intellectual part all these are falsities. Thence comes all its darkness and obscurity. Falsity beclouds truth, just as a dark cloud does the light of the sun. And because falsity and truth cannot be together, just as darkness and light cannot, it plainly follows that the one departs as the other comes. And since this happens with alternation, it is therefore said here, "When I bring a cloud over the earth" that is, when through the Own of the will part, the faith of charity, or truth with its derivative good, does not appear, and still less good with its derivative truth.