Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 8561

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8561. 'And encamped in Rephidim' means arranging interior things for undergoing a temptation having to do with truth, the essential nature of that temptation being meant by 'Rephidim'. This is clear from the meaning of 'encamping' as arranging truth and good for undergoing temptations, dealt with in 8130, 8131, 8155, at this point for undergoing a temptation having to do with truth, a temptation which is represented by their having no water, dealt with in the next paragraph. Interior things are said to be arranged because truth and good constitute a member of the Church interiorly. The reason why 'Rephidim' means the essential nature of that temptation is that place-names mean the essential nature of the state of whatever the subject may be, in this instance the state of a temptation that has to do with truth since that is the subject here.


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