7299. And Aaron's rod swallowed up their rods. That this signifies that this power was taken away from them, is evident from the signification of "swallowing up," as being to take away; and from the signification of a "rod," as being power (see above, n. 7292). Moreover from the magicians in the other life there is taken away the power to abuse order and to pervert its laws. This is done in two ways, one being that by the Lord's Divine power the angels annihilate their magical productions, and this when they employ them to do evil to the upright (the angelic power from the Lord being so great that it instantly dissipates all such things); and the other is that the magic is altogether taken away from them, so that they can no longer exhibit anything of the kind.