Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 9328

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9328. And I will trouble all the people. That this signifies the dismay of all falsities, is evident from the signification of "troubling," as being dismay (of which below); and from the signification of "the people," as being those who are in truths, thus, speaking abstractedly, truths, and in the opposite sense falsities (n. 1259, 1260, 2928, 3295, 3581, 6232). The reason why "troubling" signifies dismay, is that those who are in dismay are so troubled in mind and heart that they become insane, and of themselves rush into destruction. That such dismay is signified by "troubling," is evident in Zechariah:

In that day there shall be a great troubling from Jehovah among those who fight against Jerusalem; and they shall lay hold every one of the hand of his companion, and his hand shall rise up upon the hand of his companion (Zech. 14:13);

"to fight against Jerusalem" denotes against the church, thus against the truths and goods of faith that make the church; that the "great troubling" denotes dismay even to insanity, is evident. In Moses:

Jehovah thy God shall give up the nations before thee, and shall trouble them with a very great troubling, until they be destroyed (Deut. 7:23);

"a great troubling" denotes dismay.


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