Arcana Coelestia (Potts) n. 6762

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6762. And hid him in the sand. That this signifies that he banished it to where falsities are, is evident from the signification of "hiding," as being to banish; and from the signification of "sand," as being true memory-knowledge, and in the opposite sense false memory-knowledge. That "sand" has this signification, is because "stone," from which is sand, signifies both (see n. 1298, 3720, 3769, 3771, 3773, 3789, 3798, 6426). Truth is also signified by "sand" in Moses:

Zebulun and Issachar shall call the peoples into the mountain, and shall sacrifice sacrifices of righteousness; for they shall suck the affluence of the sea, and the hidden things of the secrets of the sand (Deut. 33:18-19);

"to call the peoples into the mountain" denotes to cause truths to become goods, or faith charity; for "peoples" denote the truths of faith, and "mountain" the good of charity; "to sacrifice the sacrifices of righteousness" denotes worship from charity; "to suck the affluence of the sea" denotes to abound in true memory-knowledges; "the hidden things of the secrets of the sand" denote the arcana of true memory-knowledges. And as the "sand" signifies true memory-knowledge, it also signifies in the opposite sense false memory-knowledge; for most things in the Word have also an opposite sense, and what the opposite sense is, is known from the genuine sense. As regards this removal among falsities, which is signified by "he hid him in the sand," the case is this. When infernal spirits who are in falsities have been in the world of spirits, and have there attempted to destroy truths with those who are in temptation, they are afterward banished into the hells, whence they can no longer go out. This it has been given me to know by many experiences. Such is the signification of banishment among falsities.


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