Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8149

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8149. 'And all the chariots of Egypt' means also doctrinal teachings upholding falsity that were subservient to these. This is clear from the meaning of 'Pharaoh's chariots' as the chief doctrinal teachings that uphold falsity, to which all others are subordinate, so that 'the chariots of Egypt' means doctrinal teachings upholding falsity that were subservient to them, dealt with immediately above in 8148. For 'the king' and 'his chariots' mean the chief things, while 'the people' or the Egyptians and 'their chariots' mean the secondary ones. The Church's teachings among those who lead a life of evil are called doctrinal teachings that uphold falsity, even though in part, to a greater or a lesser extent, they may contain the truth. The reason for this is that truths residing with those who lead a life of evil are not truths insofar as they exist with those people; for when they are applied to evil in life they lose the essential quality of truth and take on the nature of falsity, because they look towards the evil to which they are joined. Truths cannot be joined to evil without being falsified, which comes about through misinterpretations and so perversions of them. So it is that the Church's teachings among those people are called doctrinal teachings that uphold falsity, even though they have been truths. For it is a law or principle that truths among people who lead a life of evil are made false, and falsities among those who lead a life of good are made true. The reason why falsities among them are made true is that they are used to accord with good, and when that is done the crudities of falsity are wiped away, see 8051.


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