Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 7738

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7738. For in the day thou seest my faces thou shalt die. That this signifies that if it entered into the mind it would be rooted out, is evident from the signification of "seeing the faces," as being to enter into the mind (as just above, n. 7737); and from the signification of "dying," as being to be rooted out. That Pharaoh now says that Moses should "go away from before him, and that if he saw his faces he should die," is because there is now described the state of the infesters in mere falsity from evil, which falsity is signified by the "thick darkness." The more the infernals are in falsities from evil, the more they are averse to truth, and at last to such a degree that they are not willing even to hear anything of truth. For truth is contrary to falsity, and falsity is pleasant to them, because evil, from which is falsity, is the delight of their life; and therefore they utterly reject truth from their minds, because it is contrary to the pleasantness and delight of their life; and if they hear it they are tormented (n. 7519). It is for this reason that being in a state of falsity from evil, which is signified by "thick darkness," they remove from themselves the truth Divine which is represented by Moses, and therefore Pharaoh now said to Moses that he should "go away from before him and should see his faces no more, and if he saw, that he should die;" and therefore Moses replied, "thou hast rightly spoken, I will see thy faces again no more."


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