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Arcana Coelestia 7443. And I will sever in that day the land of Goshen, upon which My people stands, that no noisome fly be there. That this signifies that they shall not be able to infest by falsities of malevolence those who are in the spiritual church, although they are near them, is evident from the signification of “severing,” as being to separate so that there is no communication; from the signification of “day,” as being state (see n. 23, 487, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850), and therefore “to sever in that day” denotes to separate in that state; from the signification of “the land of Goshen,” as being the midst or inmost in the natural (n. 5910, 6028, 6031, 6068), and as the sons of Israel were in Goshen, as being also the church (n. 6649); from the representation of the sons of Israel who are here the “people of Jehovah,” as being those who are of the spiritual church (see above, n. 7439); and from the signification of the “noisome fly,” as being the falsity of malevolence (n. 7441). Thus “no noisome fly being there,” denotes that they could not flow in, consequently could not infest by means of these falsities. That they could not infest by means of these falsities, is because these falsities are falsities from the evils in the outermost parts of the natural mind, that is, in the sensuous, from which sensuous, thus from the falsities therein, they who are in good and truth can be elevated (according to what was said just above, n. 7442); and when they are being elevated, they are then also separated from those who are in falsities there.
7449. The land was destroyed from before the noisome fly. That by this is signified that the natural mind was corrupted in respect to all truth, is evident from the signification of “being destroyed,” as being to be corrupted; from the signification of “the land of Egypt,” as being the natural mind (see n. 5276, 5278, 5280, 5288, 5301); and from the signification of “the noisome fly,” as being the falsity of malevolence (n. 7441). It is said that it was corrupted in respect to all truth, because truth is wholly corrupted by means of falsity from evil.
[2] It was from this signification that the Lord commanded His disciples to shake off the dust of their feet if they were not received, as in Matthew:
Whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear your words, when ye depart out of that house or city, shake off the dust of your feet. Verily I say to you, it shall be more tolerable for the land of Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment, than for that city (Matthew 10:14-15; Mark 6:11; Luke 9:5; 10:10-12);
by the “disciples” here are not meant disciples, but all things of the church, thus all things of faith and charity (n. 2089, 2129, 2130, 3354, 3858, 3913, 6397); by “not receiving, and not hearing,” is signified to reject the truths of faith and the goods of charity; and by “shaking off the dust of the feet,” damnation. That “it would be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah than for that city,” is because by “Sodom and Gomorrah” are meant those who are in evil of life, but who have known nothing of the Lord and the Word, and thus could not receive. From this it can be seen that there is not meant a house or city which would not receive the disciples, but those who are within the church and do not live the life of faith. Everyone can see that a whole city could not be damned because they did not receive the disciples and at once acknowledge the new doctrine which they preached.
Third Round posts are short audio clips taken from Round 3 comments offered in the online Logopraxis Life Group meetings. The aim is to keep the focus on understanding the Text in terms of its application to the inner life along with reinforcing any key LP principles that have been highlighted in the exchanges.