Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2332

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2332. 'Wash your feet' means accommodation to his natural. This is clear from what has been stated in the previous chapter, in 2162, where the same words occur. In former times when people saw the angel of Jehovah they believed that they were about to die, Exod 19: 12, 21, 24; 20: 19; Judge 6: 22, 23; 13: 22, 23. The reason they did so is that Divine Holiness flowing into the unholiness present with man is so powerful that it seems like a devouring and consuming fire. Consequently when the Lord manifests Himself visibly to man, and even to angels, He in miraculous ways adjusts and moderates the Holy proceeding from Himself so that they can stand it. Or what amounts to the same, He adapts Himself to their natural. This then is the meaning in the internal sense of these words which Lot addressed to the angels, 'Wash your feet'. This shows the nature of the internal sense, for it cannot be seen from the sense of the letter that this is the meaning.


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