53. That they who are in faith separated from charity were represented by the Philistines, is also evident from the prophetic parts of the Word, where they are treated of, as from the following passages:
In Jeremiah:
Against the Philistines . . . Behold, waters rise up out of the north, and shall be an over-flowing flood, and shall overflow the land and all that is therein; the city, and them that dwell therein: then the men shall cry, and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl ... Jehovah will lay waste (A.V. spoil) the Philistines. Jer. xlvii, 1, 2, 4.
The waters rising up out of the north, are falsities from hell; which shall be an overflowing flood, and shall overflow the land and all that is therein, signifies a devastation by them of all things of the Church. The city and them that dwell therein, signifies the devastation of all things of its doctrine. Then the men shall cry and all the inhabitants of the land shall howl, signifies a want of all truth and good in the Church. Jehovah will lay waste the Philistines, signifies their destruction.
In Isaiah:
Rejoice not thou, all Philistia (A.V. Palestina), because the rod that smote thee is broken: for out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, and his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent. Isa. xiv 29.
Rejoice not thou, all Philistia, signifies, Let not those who are in faith separated from charity rejoice that they still remain. For out of the serpent's root shall come forth a cockatrice, signifies the destruction of all truth with them from the pride of self-intelligence. And his fruit shall be a fiery flying serpent, signifies reasonings from the falsities of evil against the truths and goods of the Church.
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