10478. And I cast it into the fire, and there came out this calf. That this signifies the loves of self and of the world from which and according to which is such worship, is evident from the signification of "fire," as being love in both senses (see n. 4906, 5071, 5215, 6314, 6832, 6834, 6849, 7324, 7575, 10055), here the love of self and the love of the world, because that nation was in these loves, seeing that it was in external things separate from what is internal; consequently "to cast into the fire" denotes to be in these loves, and to draw forth such things from the sense of the letter of the Word as favor them; and from this to make doctrine; and from the signification of a "calf," as being worship from these loves, and according to them, which is infernal (n. 10459).
